Shame it's a bit early to send an e-mail.Chapter One Thousand Eight Hundred Eighty-Six
21st October 1968
Mitte, Berlin
With the new Governing Coalition in place and the Cabinet sworn in, the first piece of business came as a bit of a surprise though everyone knew that it was a long time coming. In a rare address to the Reichstag that was broadcast on radio and television, Louis Ferdinand, King of Prussia, and Emperor of the Second German Realm announced his intention to abdicate the throne and retire at the age of sixty-three effective on the 10th of November 1970. The day after his birthday. Having given a lifetime to the service of the Empire, he said he was looking forward to watching his two youngest daughters grow up in relative peace. Helene knew that he was referring to his daughter Antonia from his second marriage and his adopted daughter Annette, the State of Bavaria having just made that official. He also called for a meeting of the Imperial Council of Electors to meet and go about selecting his replacement starting in one year’s time.
That meant that Germany would have a new Emperor. The odds were extremely high that the choice had already been made and it would be Louis’ oldest son who would become Emperor Friedrich the IV of Germany. This way gave Friedrich a chance to win over the public before he ascended the throne. Helene looked at it from a Politician’s perspective. Friedrich was youthful, a Lawyer by training who had specialized in Contract Law. He had a beautiful wife and two young daughters who were incredibly photogenic, which didn’t hurt. Friedrich had also recently volunteered to take his Reserve Pioneer Battalion into action and had been awarded an EK2 by the Kaiserliche Marine with the citation endorsed by General Dietrich “Tilo” Schultz of the Marine Infantry and a Merit Cross in Gold for his prompt action in getting his unit in place to clear obstacles in the Vistula River so that the advance could continue. Actually, a good candidate even if Helene found the notion of Kings and Emperors to be quaint relics. She understood that was a bit rich for her to think that way considering who her father was.
For Helene herself things were going well, Democratic Ecology had managed to increase their representation in the latest round of elections. They had done well in areas that had been strongholds of the National Liberals, appealing to people were not thrilled with the NLP’s stance on industrialization and heavy-handed approach to local issues. They had yet to crack Bavaria, but Sophie Scholl felt that it was only a matter of time the last time that Helene had talked to her. She had also congratulated Helene on her new position in the Cabinet, something that would only increase the visibility of the DOP. Helene had feared that when she had been offered the position of Minister of the Interior which was considered the third most powerful position after the Offices of the Chancellor and Vice Chancellor, Sophie would be jealous considering that she was a backbencher in Munich. She had been thankful when it had not worked out that way.
Wellesley, Massachusetts
Hillary Rodham had written a letter to Katherine von Mischner years earlier when her mother had given her a copy of Katherine’s biography when she was twelve. She remembered being enthralled by the stories of this woman who had started out as a waifish figure, riding on freight trains around Europe before being recruited by her nation’s military intelligence. Emerging as a heroine in the Reichstag bombing and in the war years that followed. She remembered that she had said that she had wanted to be just like her in the letter. Hillary had gotten an impersonal form letter back, thanking her and all the others who had written for their kind words.
Months earlier when she had been home for the holidays, Hillary had found the book on the shelf where it had been left years earlier. Reading it from the perspective of an adult she had seen things very differently. Physical and mental anguish along with battles with crippling depression were plain to see if you knew what you were looking at and could read between the lines. The valor in combat that Katherine had displayed looked less like bravery and more like a quest for self-destruction. Hillary had difficulty in trying to reconcile that with what she had read when she was a girl. For lack of anything better to do, she had written a letter to Katherine explaining how she felt after reading her biography for the second time. Hillary had also mentioned about how she was trying to get into Law School next year and directions she was being encouraged to go in. It was something that she had completely forgotten about until today.
A letter had arrived with a strange stamp and postmark, the return address was Cumulusweg 5, Tempelhof, Berlin, Deutschland. Opening it, she saw that there was a short response written on a single piece of paper.
To the young woman who read a bit too much into the biography that my friend Gloria wrote about me. She means well, but I don’t entirely agree with her characterizations. We all have problems and there was a great deal I didn’t tell her for simple reason that the truth might endanger her. So, she filled in the blanks with the best information available. That is hardly something that I can fault her for, and she got far more right than wrong.
As for you going into Law School, congratulations on getting that far. Just remember that regardless of what you are told, you do not need anyone else’s permission to go about achieving your goals. Few men would be expected to do so, instead they would apply everywhere no matter what the odds of gaining acceptance are and be applauded for it.
I would encourage you to do the same.
Sincerely, Fürstin Katherine von Mischner zu Berlin
Rereading the letter, Hillary realized that it had come at the perfect time because she had been debating as to whether she should send and application to Harvard in addition to the other applications she was sending out because it such was a longshot. This certainly answered that.
Stupid Luck and Happenstance, Thread III
- Thread starter Peabody-Martini
- Start date
Then comes Kiki and Ben in a swift flank attack because she is ridiculously popular.
And who would not want a female leader of Germany with a prince-consort.
I mean, stupid luck and happenstance and all that.
Like the idea but would not be good for kiki she alway overwork and seem to hate all the heavy ceremonial events....
At which point Kira rises from the grave and has to be restrained from brutally murdering people
The title of King of Prussia still has power, since that title is hereditary, another thing if for some reason the King of Bavaria was chosen as the new emperor, what would happen to the capital since as far as I know that city is also the capital of the kingdom of Prussia?
Another question I have, is what happened to the position of the Chancellor of Prussia, was it abolished or was it merged with that of the Chancellor of the Empire?
Another question I have, is what happened to the position of the Chancellor of Prussia, was it abolished or was it merged with that of the Chancellor of the Empire?
Cue drunken party, where almost all of the Electors get rip-roaring drunk. Kat decides to go home early before she kills someone. Then, around 3am, one of the (extremely drunk) Electors remembers that Kat isn't there and, as a joke, nominates her as Kaiserin. The others, being even drunker, think this is a brilliant idea/prank. They vote using the official process, to make it extra funny, then pass out. The officals responsible for filing the paperwork find the votes, tally them and announce to the world that Furstin Katherine Katja von Mischner has been elected as the new Empress of Germany virtually unanimously, there being only two abstentions: Kat herself and Manfred von Richtofen.
The Imperial Family is stunned, confused and amused. As is Manfred and the Reichstag.
Kat is furious. Doug warms up the car while Petia clears a path from the armoury to the garage.
The smarter journalists stay at home, where its safe, writing articles about the up-coming purge of Electors in the wake of this obvious prank-gone-too-far and about the perils of excessive alcohol consumption. Speculation as to who the replacements will be is rife.
Ian Fleming (if still alive) sprays his martini across the room. JFK wishes that he was still drinking.
The director of the CIA has a stroke, while an obscure archivist is found hanging in the rear areas of the vaults.
The other Electors, hungover and still more than slightly pickled, gradually come to and ask what is going on. The answer proves to be the first documented and certified cure for a hangover. Side affects are recorded as fainting, incoherent gibbering, incontinence and diarrhea in every single case of the cure.
The Imperial Family is stunned, confused and amused. As is Manfred and the Reichstag.
Kat is furious. Doug warms up the car while Petia clears a path from the armoury to the garage.
The smarter journalists stay at home, where its safe, writing articles about the up-coming purge of Electors in the wake of this obvious prank-gone-too-far and about the perils of excessive alcohol consumption. Speculation as to who the replacements will be is rife.
Ian Fleming (if still alive) sprays his martini across the room. JFK wishes that he was still drinking.
The director of the CIA has a stroke, while an obscure archivist is found hanging in the rear areas of the vaults.
The other Electors, hungover and still more than slightly pickled, gradually come to and ask what is going on. The answer proves to be the first documented and certified cure for a hangover. Side affects are recorded as fainting, incoherent gibbering, incontinence and diarrhea in every single case of the cure.
He's dead as of a couple of years back in story.
Lung Cancer IIRC. Besides, even drunk, I don't think they'd nominate Kat. There is many dumb things a person can do while drunk, but for the type of people the Electors are, they'd need to be drunk to the point of invalidity to even conceive of the idea. They would likely think of Gia before Kat, and honestly that would cause even more brown trouser moments throughout all foundations of power than Kat would.
Personally I'd prefer they just all accidentally make Germany a Republic instead, would be fitting.
The decaying corpse of Ian Fleming sprays martini across the room, much to the distress of the guests in the bar at the time. It wasn't so much that he was a zombie, but that he was wearing completely the wrong kind of dinner jacket for the evening...
I think the two that come closest to accidentally becoming a republic are England (the Protectorate) and Korea post-WW2.
Most of the English parliament just wanted Charles I to acknowledge their supremacy, but ended up frustrated with his stubbornness (especially Cromwell) & gave the short haircut.
While Korea lost theirs because the Japanese had turned it into a puppet regime and when the Japanese nobility & Imperial cadet branches were abolished, so was what was left of the Korean Imperial family.
By that metric, France too (well, the first time anyway) as it was a case of them wanting the King to be more like the British King, and then he wouldn't, and then Madame Guillotine got involved....
Once again I have to question the reason to have Electors choose the next Emperor.
Wouldn't the choice of the Electors have to be ratified by the Reichstag and the legislative branch of the other entities of the Empire?
If so then with the increase of the SPD governing majority the abdication of Louis Ferdinand is the perfect opportunity to abolish the Monarchy and declare a Republic.
While Louis Ferdinand and his family are personally popular with the German people any change in the status quo is basically going to be met with a giant yawn as the Monarchy has no real effect on their lives.
In a straight up vote by the German people on whether or not to keep the Monarchy the Monarchy side would win but it would be much closer then anybody thinks it is going to be by.
From my half assed research that in the 20th Century Europe that once a monarchy is abolished it stays abolished, the only exception has been Spain but only because Generalissimo Franco imposed it and Juan Carlos was smart enough to transition Spain in to a democracy.
Wouldn't the choice of the Electors have to be ratified by the Reichstag and the legislative branch of the other entities of the Empire?
If so then with the increase of the SPD governing majority the abdication of Louis Ferdinand is the perfect opportunity to abolish the Monarchy and declare a Republic.
While Louis Ferdinand and his family are personally popular with the German people any change in the status quo is basically going to be met with a giant yawn as the Monarchy has no real effect on their lives.
In a straight up vote by the German people on whether or not to keep the Monarchy the Monarchy side would win but it would be much closer then anybody thinks it is going to be by.
From my half assed research that in the 20th Century Europe that once a monarchy is abolished it stays abolished, the only exception has been Spain but only because Generalissimo Franco imposed it and Juan Carlos was smart enough to transition Spain in to a democracy.
That is pretty much the rule, though Romania seriously considered the idea after the fall of communism, however the previous monarch was a) still alive and b) very personally popular.
Monitor
Donor
That is correct. But the process was reestablished somewhere in this TL (in changed form)
Stop it! Stop it! Stop it! have several cracked ribs and laughing so hard hurts!!!