"The Europabund is in no need of reform. The Imperial hegemony is necessary for Europa's continued stability, and has given the continent decades of peace and prosperity. We may need to renegotiate some of the agreements made with our allies to give them a fairer deal; but otherwise the system is fine the way it is."
- Erich Schneider (DNVP), 15th Chancellor of the German Empire, September 2012.
Even though Herr Schneider confidently told the Assembled Representatives of the Europabund (an alliance consisting of most countries in Europe with the exceptions of the British Empire, the French Republic, and the Russian Republic) that "the system" was fine, the truth was that the stable European community beholden to the Hegemonic German Empire and its allies was on the verge of descending into chaos not scene since the chaotic middle decades of the 19th Century.
How did this happen? In 1914, Franz Ferdinand was assassinated by Serbian radicals. The Austrians briefly considered invading Serbia, but then fear of Serbia's ally, the Russian Empire, overruled the desire for revenge and the Austrians killed a staggering amount of Serbians who lived within Austria, the vast majority of which knew absolutely nothing about the plot. The World was horrified, but because this was still Austria, no one really cared enough to do anything to stop it.
Without the Great War, Germany never lost its status as the Hegemon of Europe. This ultimately be Germany's undoing, because decades of fighting radical socialist terrorist groups across Europe, maintaining an Army large enough to fight France and Russia simultaneously, building and constantly rebuiling a Navy large enough to challenge Great Britain's indomitable Royal Navy, and having to import the vast majority of Europe's food from the agrarian, isolationist, backwater called the United States of America, ultimately bankrupted Germany, which led to an economic collapse,a rash of violent unrest, social upheaval, and famine all over Europe.
"My fellow Italians, it brings me great pleasure to announce that Italy's most famous national treasure is back where it belongs! The Mona Lisa has come home!"
