The Union Forever: A TL

[Jim Smitty]

Time for a bit of American Armor History,

Mk I Light Catsphracts, Ocelot

Weight: 3.1 Tons
Crew: 2 (Driver, Commander)
Armor: up to ¼ of an inch
Armament: .30-45 Winchester M1902 General Machine Gun
Engine: 2 x 4 cylinder inline engines
Operational Range: 35 miles
Speed: 8.5 mph
In Service: 1909-1913


The Mk I Light Catsphract known as the Ocelot to its crews was the first catsphract fielded by the United States Army. The order to start work on the Ocelot came from then Secretary of War Theodore Roosevelt in 1908 after watching reports from the then on going war in Europe. Fearful of what France’s aims might be he ordered the army to build its own catsphract. In record time the Army had three prototype catsphracts from the Conestoga, Studebaker, and Liberty. With no background with working catsphract and the publication of the Bonaparte-Hanotaux Letters the army selected the Conestoga’s design as it was the cheapest and easiest to make and ordered 500.


Once the US joined the war in March 1909 only 18 of the Ocelots had been delivered to the army. Rushing them into a single unit the famed 1st Catsphract Battalion, they were thrown together in training and saw combat during the Battle of Guadeloupe. It was the only combat the Ocelot would ever see in the Great War. The Battle of Guadeloupe quickly showed that the Ocelot had a number of major flaws and would be unsuited for use in Europe. With only 3 Ocelots still working at the end of the battle it was decided to withdraw the Ocelot from front line service and use them as a training catsphract and scaled the order back to 300 units total. In total, just a total of 240 Ocelots were made before the army cancelled the remaining contact.


With the poor performance of the Ocelots and the surplus of the Mk II Lynx catsphract the army quickly withdrew the Ocelots from service in the post war years. Some were offered to state militias only to have these offers be turned down as if they were going to buy catsphract they wanted the much more able Mk IIs instead of the Ocelots. Only three Ocelots survived to the present day. They are at the Robert Todd Lincoln Presidential Museum, the US Army Catsphract Museum in Fort Grant, and lastly as a monument on Guadeloupe.

 

[Mac Gregor]

2014


Foreign and Domestic Developments​

At the start of the year, the American economy entered a recession for the first time in over a decade. While the causes of the downturn were disputed, a number of experts pointed to the Bank of the United States raising interest rates to combat inflation as the catalyst. Low consumer confidence and a growing deficit caused by defense and space spending also likely contributed.

On February 24, several British South Pacific colonies were united into a new dominion styled the Union of Melanesia. With its capital located on the island of Fiji, this loose confederation allocated considerable autonomy to its various states include the Solomon Islands, Vanuatu, and Nauru. Despite this decentralization, many doubted whether such a sparwling new polity would be able to hold together.

In April, SolCo became the first private company to send a manned craft in a free return trajectory around the Moon. A pilot and two lucky tourists, German millionaires Rolf and Oda Specht, spent over five days in space and observed the far side of the moon and the earth rising over the lunar horizon.

In the Netherlands, a coalition government headed by the Christian-Progressive Party (CPP) took power for the first time since the early 1970s with Lisanne Dreesens becoming prime minister. The CPP had gained the support of a large segment on Dutch young people, many of whom were influenced by the ongoing Rainbow Revival. Interestingly the CPP’s reform minded coalition had a distinctive republican and anti-imperialist streak. This was a cause for concern in neighboring Germany, where the government worried about the Netherlands commitment to the Association of European States.

In the summer, music influenced by the Anwani genre from East Africa began to make inroads into western markets, the latest manifestation of the Swahili Renaissance. While never truly displacing domestic varieties, Anwani music would have a big impact on artists in Europe and the Americas for years to come.

The XXV Summer Olympiad was held in Istanbul. Not wishing to be outdone by their geopolitical rival Persia, who hosted the previous games, Turkey spent billions upgrading the city’s infrastructure including a new airport and highways. However the single largest improvement was the 5 km long Intercontinental Tunnel under the Bosporus Strait linking Europe to Asia. The games were well received and provided a political boost for President Muhtar Katirci and his pan-Turkish National Party.

In the U.S. midterm elections, the Republicans lost control of both houses of congress after 12 years of political dominance. The recession was easily the single biggest issue and voters largely blamed President Rowland and the Republicans for their economic misfortunes.

After decades of research, the American conglomerate California-Electric announced a breakthrough in the production of lithium-air batteries. These lithium batteries allowed a current flow by reducing oxygen at the cathode and adding oxygen at the anode. These were several times more efficient than the existing lithium-ion batteries then in use. However, it would still be several years before lithium-air batteries began to appear in the market place.

By the end of the year, rebel forces had captured nearly all of the Republic of the Umbangi. When the capital fell in early December, Den Ayandho was installed as the republic’s new president. Ayandho and his allies in the All-African Alliance had benefited greatly from an influx of Chinese munitions and financial aid. Umbangi’s previous government went into exile in South Africa. Nigeria which had spent considerable blood and treasure to try and prevent such an outcome, now found itself with hostile nations on its western and eastern borders.

 

[Jim Smitty]

Mk II Light Catsphracts, Lynx

Weight: 8.1 Tons
Crew: 3 (Commander, Driver, Gunner)
Armor: up to ½ of an inch
Main Armament: 1.5 Inch L/20 Infantry Gun [1]
Secondary Armament: .30-45 Winchester M1902 General Machine Gun
Engine: 4 cylinder, inline
Operational Range: 45 miles
Speed: 11 mph
In Service: 1909-1947

The Battle of Gaudeloupe made the US Army painfully aware of the Mk I Ocelot’s short comings . However, prototype catsphracts from Studebaker and Liberty fared poorly in testing meaning that the US had no ready domestically produced catsphract for the American Expeditionary Forces getting ready to deploy to Europe. Yet the Prussians already had a fairly good catsphract in the form of the Panzerkampfwagen II, already vetted by American observers attached to the Royal Prussian Army in Europe. Knowing the Americans were having issues with their catsphract formations and in need of money, the Prussians offered the Americans a license to make the Panzerkampfwagen II in the United States.

It was officially adopted as the Mk II Light Catsphract Lynx. There were some minor differences between the Panzerkampfwagen II and the Mk II Lynx. The armor thickness was a slightly lighter on the Lynx with the switch to standard from metric. The Lynx also had a slightly more powerful engine. The major difference between the two was the armament. The US adopted a light infantry gun for use in the Lynx instead of designing a new gun as the Prussians did.

Learning from the mistakes of Guadeloupe and talking to veterans from the 1st Catsphract Battalion, the army expanded the Cataphract Corps and gave more time to train together before being sent into battle. The Lynx’s first taste of battle was during Operation Sledgehammer, where it played an important role in the capture of Nuremburg. The Lynx would go on to serve in many other battles in Europe, helping bring the war to a successful end.

Production of the Lynx did not end until 1913 with a total of 2,100 Lynx being made. The Lynx would be the main catsphract in service with the US Army well into the 1930s till the Mk V Bobcat started to enter service in numbers large enough to replace the Lynx. The last Lynx wasn’t retired till it 1947 when the Cuban State Militia finally upgraded their Lynxes for the Bobcat.

[1] Based off the Canon d’Infanterie 37 modele 1916 TRP. Benjamin Hotchkiss returned to the US at some point ITL and brought a small team of arms engineers with him. Yet the company Hotchkiss started in the US grew and was known for light artillery pieces as that was all the US was really willing to buy till President Custer’s military reforms. Because of this the US has a small but fairly talented pool to work with come said reforms.

 

[Jim Smitty]

Mk III Light Catsphracts, Wildcats

Weight: 8.9 t
Crew: 2 (Commander, Driver)
Armor: up to ¾ of inch
Main Armament: M8 1.5 inch Autocannon[1]
Secondary Armament: .30-45 Winchester M1902 General Machine Gun
Engine: V-8, liquid cooled
Operational Range: 80 miles
Speed: 21 mph
In Service: 1927-1949


By the mid 1920s the Lynx was starting to get a little long in the tooth as catsphract design had been improving across Europe since the end of the Great War. Improvements in armor, armament, engines, and a house of other advances had been made since the Great War in Europe. This was as many European nations were replacing their Great War Catsphracts with newer designs. Further European nations were starting to field newer medium catsphracts and replacement light and heavy catsphracts. But during the 1920s the government was controlled by the Democratic Party who was unwilling to spend large sums of money on the defense of the nation. Even with this, they didn’t want to allow the United States to far behind and granted small amount of funds for new light and medium catsphract projects in 1925.


With funding in hand, the army started design work on the first totally designed from the ground up catsphract since the failure of the Ocelot the name of the game was it had to work. This was not a catsphract designed to break to mold but to give the Catsphract Corp a modern light catsphract that could work on the field of battle. It used as many off the shelve pieces as it could. The V-8 engine was selected from Conestoga as it was known to be powerful yet reliable. The M8 was a modified Air Corp weapon that had been designed as anti-bomber weapon but rejected by the Air Corp.


During testing of what would become the Mk III Wildcat some minor flaws were uncovered but they weren’t enough to kill the project. Once corrected the Mk III performed well in testing and was everything the army wanted in their new catsphract by 1927. Yet the problem of funding came up again. Congress was unwilling to pay for the whole sell replacement of the Lynx. A total of 78 Mk III Wildcats were made with the three prototypes in that figure by the time production came to an end in 1929.


Even through there were only 78 Wildcats made by the United States it was important catsphract even through it is largely forgotten today and never saw combat. It proved that the US could design a good catsphract that even through a little behind the latest and greatest that Europe had to offer could had when toe to toe with them on largely equal terms. Only one of the Wildcats had survived to the present day with this Wildcat being restored by the US Army Catsphract Museum at Fort Grant for display.


[1] OTL Colt-Browning 37 mm autocannon

 

[Mac Gregor]

2015

Foreign and Domestic Developments ​

A civilian AAC in Connecticut​

In January, the Civil Aeronautics Authority, the federally chartered corporation that overseas air travel and safety in the United States, published new regulations regarding civilian use of aerial autocrafts (AACs). AACs had already been used, often illegally, for surveying and photography. These new guidelines opened up new legitimate business opportunities such as parcel delivery and wildlife monitoring. However, some advocate still thought the regulations as to restrictive.

Amid much fanfare on March 30, Czar Alexander IV and Prime Minister Mitya Kuznetsov watched the launch of the first component of Russia’s Lunar Orbital Space Station from the viewing stands at the Empress Elizabeth II Cosmodrome. Named Yedinstvo “Unity”, the station’s construction served as a powerful reminder of how far Russia had come in the 11 years since the end of the civil war. The Russian economy had mostly recovered to prewar levels, and the recent rapprochement with Germany had allowed the military to focus on other threats. Still, ongoing antagonisms with the Turkic League, Technocratic Union, and Persia’s Organization for Mutual Cooperation kept imperial forces tied down along thousands of miles of contested borders.

In the United Kingdom, a close general election saw the end of Prime Minister Reginald Thorneycroft’s government. A new coalition composed of Liberals, Democratic Laborites, and Irish Democrats led by Claudia Hunter, the nation’s first female prime minister, came to power largely due to voter dissatisfaction about the stagnant economy.

Bombay, India hosted the 2015 World’s Fair. Prime Minister Mohandas Nithya spent considerable capital preparing the bustling metropolis for the event. While the exhibition received positive reviews more than one observer remarked that the Indian Republic’s focus on developing a unique national identity centered largely on Hinduism had retarded its development when compared to the more western leaning Commonwealth of Madras to the south.

In August, a symposium on the concept of computer “deep learning” was held in Nagoya, Japan. Deep learning entails using computing systems modeled off the neural structure of living beings’ brains. By using algorithms based on examples instead of action specific programing, computers are able learn “unsupervised.” This allows for much better computing of nonlinear processes. The application of this technology was already having a huge impact on a number of fields including voice recognition, and would continue to develop over the coming decades.

Over the course of the year, the Technate of China secured deals to greatly expand shipyards and port facilities in Debarwa, Chiveve, Boma, and Dakar. In exchange, Alliance for Africa nations agreed to grant China naval basing rights. While the Chinese maintained that these were merely for peaceful purposes it did give the Technocratic Union a toehold in the Atlantic and western Indian Oceans. Many interpreted this as the latest manifestation of Yang Zhanshu “long plan” of power projection.

In the fall, the National American Handball Association (NAHA) approved the creation of two expansion teams, the Charlotte Bobcats in North Carolina and the Santiago Iguanas in Cuba. An attempt to sell the Indianapolis Indians to Sacramento was squashed after the Indianapolis city council agreed to construct a new arena.

Computer scientists at Hiedelberg University estimated that by the end of the year, globtrix traffic would surpass 1 zettabyte of information, roughly equivalent to 152 million years of high definition video.

In November, Prime Minister of the Netherlands Lisanne Dreesens and her ruling Christian-Progressive Party (CPP) passed a bill granting complete independence to Dutch Guiana in the lower house of the States General. However, in a surprising move the Senate rejected the bill after an unprecedented appeal by King Willem V. This most uncharacteristic display of monarchial interference sent thousands of young Dutch people into the streets. Miffed by the bill’s defeat, the provincial government centered in Paramaribo unilaterally declared independence as the Republic of Suriname on December 1. In one of his first moves in office, Surinamese President Gert Sardjoe announced a complete break with the Association of European States, infuriating German officials over losing their only outpost on mainland South America. The entire episode did much to exacerbate political and generational tensions in the Netherlands.

Flag of the Republic of Suriname​

 

[Mac Gregor]

2016

Foreign Developments

Mars viewed from the Undaunted ​

In early January, the United States Space Agency launched its first manned mission to Mars. Three astronauts aboard the Undaunted left Earth orbit spending over 200 days traveling to the Red Planet beating a larger German expedition that left a month and half later. Damion Graham of Dakota became the first person to walk on the Martian surface stating “A brave new frontier in the human experience has opened“ to the largest television audience in history. The seven man German crew led by Siegfried Jung touched down a few weeks later. The Americans only spent 35 days on the surface before beginning the 404 day return trip. The Germans, with their track record of extended off world habitation proven on the moon, dug in for a nearly 500 day stay. Together, these missions were heralded as monumental achievements and the beginning of the Interplanetary Age.

In the Netherlands, political tensions continued to rise as Prime Minister Dreesens' government explored proposals granting independence to Aruba and greater autonomy to other parts of the Dutch Caribbean. Still smarting over the loss of Suriname, which joined the League of American Republics early that year, the German led Association of European States loudly protested the prospect of losing another outpost in the Western Hemisphere. The specter of German interference only emboldened Dutch liberals who increasingly called for a reevaluation of the nation's relationship with their more powerful neighbor.

In April, British Prime Minister Hunter’s coalition passed the Indian Ocean Territorial Reorganization Act a sweeping piece of legislation designed to greatly reduce the United Kingdom’s cost in maintain its disparate possessions. The act established two new dominions, the Comorian Commonwealth and the State of the Mascarene Islands. Controversially, it transferred the Andaman Islands to the Commonwealth of Madras which caused a minor row with Burma. Australia gained control of Christmas Island and the Keeling Islands. The Seychelles and Chargos Archipelagos remained British colonies.

During the summer, the Polish film Zorza was released to international acclaim. Director Ula Pokorny, artfully described the harrowing account of a pro-independence family during the winter of 2001, and their hardships faced near the Russian border. Unsurprisingly, the film was banned inside of the Russian Empire.

Over the course of three days in July, a string of terrorists attacks rocked the German provinces of North and South Cameroon. Targets included a Lutheran Church in Jaunde, an Imperial Army barracks in Fredrickstadt, and two beer gardens in Douala resulting in 113 fatalities. While the region was no stranger to violence, the scope and brazenness of these strikes was unprecedented. The militant Cameroon Freedom Corps (KFK) claimed responsibility and reiterated their demands for a united and independent Cameroon free from Die Weißen. German authorities redoubled their efforts to combat the KFK, but the organization's senior leadership was believed to be sheltered and supported by Augustin Mihambo’s Congo Republic.

On October 26, New Zealand Prime Minister Lawrence Cartwright’s Liberal government honored its promise to its National Party coalition partners and held a referendum to become a republic. Despite earlier polls showing a much closer contest, in the end 63% of New Zealanders voted to keep the monarchy. Queen Victoria II and her husband Prince August received a warm welcome when they visited Wellington later that year.

In the Technate of China, the Directorate of Health stepped up the campaign against traditional medicine. While the government’s claim that Chinese traditional medicine was unscientific had merit, its heavy handed methods attempting its eradication alienated many, especially in rural areas.

 

[Mac Gregor]

As requested by BrianD. Thanks for your support.

Name: Commonwealth of Kentucky
Capital: Frankfort
Largest City: Louisville
Governor: Greg Pilcher Jr.
Admission to the Union: June 1, 1792 (15th)
Nickname(s): Bluegrass State (official), The Corn-Cracker State
State Song: My Old Kentucky Home

Professional Sports Teams:

Baseball: Lexington Buckskins (minor)
Football : Louisville Riflemen
Rugby: Louisville Goldenrods (minor)
Handball : Kentucky Thoroughbreds

Kentucky History 1860-2016:

At the start of the Civil War, Kentucky declared neutrality. However, the invasion ordered by Confederate Major General Leonidas Polk soon pushed the Commonwealth into the Union camp. Southern forces were largely runout of the Kentucky by early 1862, although internecine violence continued in this important border state until the end of the war. During Reconciliation, the now Democratic controlled state government instituted a series of “black codes” depriving newly freed slaves of many of their rights. Although largely agrarian, Kentucky became a major coal producing state during the latter half of the 19th Century. Unsurprisingly the harsh conditions inherent in coal mining led to a number of spats of labor unrest, the worst being the Pike County Massacre in 1898. Traditionally the Democratic Party has dominated state politics but in recent decades the Republicans have made important inroads, especially in national elections, having carried the state in 9 of the last 12 presidential elections. In recent years, Kentucky has attempted to diversify its economy by building up its technology and service industries. However, despite these developments, Kentucky is still often best known for its bourbon whiskey and horse racing such as at the Bollinger Classic in Paducah.

Notable Kentuckians:

Abraham Lincoln; 16th U.S. President 1861-1869. Born in Hardin County.
Jefferson Davis; 1st Confederate President 1861-63. Born in Christian County.
John Cabell Breckinridge; 14th U.S. Vice President 1857-1861, Confederate general
Neil Pilson; Congressman, vice presidential candidate in 1920
Louis Brandeis; Diplomat, first U.S. ambassador to the German Empire.
Emma Bell Joplin; Feminist, President of the E Pluribus Unum Society
Floyd Bundy; Football legend
Anna Fitzhugh: Neo-folk singer and musician
Lloyd Hostetler; Senator, presidential candidate in 1980
Grayson Craig; Astronaut, second man to walk on Mars

 

[Mac Gregor]

Sorry for the lack of an update. Here is a world map circa January 1, 2017 as recompense.

 

[Mac Gregor]

2016 ​

Domestic Developments ​

On February 26, Biomedical researchers at the Dallas based Chiron Group held a demonstration of a quadriplegic man manipulating a prosthetic arm. Known as Direct Neural Interface (DNI), electrodes placed on a skull cap linked the paralyzed individual’s brain to the mechanical appendage. While still in its early stages, DNI promised to restore at least some functionality to thousands of handicapped people.

In one of his last acts as president, Peter Rowland officially opened the Federal Nuclear Waste Repository in the Escalante Desert in southern Utah. Construction started after the 2003 Breslau nuclear disaster in Germany raised public awareness of the dangers of locally stored nuclear waste. The site would facilitate a dramatic expansion of nuclear power over the coming decades, reaching 28% of domestic energy generation by 2035.

During the summer, the Adventure Studios amusement park in San Francisco opened two new roller coasters that used virtual reality (VR) headsets to provide patrons a fully immersive experience. In subsequent years VR and augmented reality (AR) devices would become increasingly common in theme parks and arcades around the world.

2016 Presidential Election​

After twelve years of President Rowland the nation was thirsting for change going into the 2016 presidential election. The economy was still making a sluggish recovery from the recent recession and unemployment hovered above 7%. As expected, Vice President Carmichael did not seek his party’s nomination and the Republicans struggled to find a nominee before settling on Ohio Senator Butch Reed and retired Admiral Oswald Wyeth III. The Democrats would have an equally difficult time before selecting their own nominee.

Carla Navarro

Carla Isabela Navarro was born on May 29, 1966 into a Catholic working class family in David, Panama. As a teenager, her family moved to Punta Gorda after her father got a job on the Nicaraguan Canal. Navarro received a scholarship to the University of Tennessee where she excelled and later attended Harvard Law becoming the lead editor of one of the school’s legal journals. While at Harvard she met Bing Rodman of Georgia, and the two married soon after graduation with Navarro keeping her maiden name. After practicing law for several years in Atlanta, the couple moved to Panama with their twin daughters. In Panama City, Navarro quickly became involved in local Democratic politics and was elected to the state senate in 1998. In 2006, she ran for the U.S. House of Representatives but lost by a narrow margin. In a subsequent attempt two years later she was successful and joined the 111th Congress. Navarro served two terms before running for Governor of Panama in 2010. The gubernatorial race was particularly vicious, suffering a number of personal attacks ranging from her not adopting her husband's name to converting to her husband’s Methodism. Ultimately Navarro prevailed becoming the state’s first female governor. In her two terms in office, Navarro oversaw an expansion in the state’s canals while impressively reducing the budget deficit by closing a number of onerous tax loopholes. During the 2016 Democratic primaries, Navarro garnered little attention until a stunning performance during the first televised debate started her on a path to eventually clinch the nomination.

The Campaign

Throughout the general election, the Republicans repeatedly tried to concentrate on foreign policy, a strategy that failed to resonate with most voters. Navarro and her running mate, former Senator Billy Kuklinski of New York, stayed on message talking about the economy and the national debt. They made a proposed balanced budget amendment a key plank in the Democratic platform. Furthermore, Navarro’s pro League of American Republics and Pacific Treaty Organization stance undercut much of swing voters' apprehension in voting Democratic.

The Results

Carla Navarro
Democrat from Panama
40th President of the United States​

On election day, the Republicans managed to capture only 225 electoral votes and failed to retake either house of Congress. The Democrats cruised to victory winning 51.9% of the popular vote and 37 states including most of the normally Republican Caribbean. As such Carla Navarro became the first president of predominantly Hispanic ancestry in American history.

​

 

[FleetMac]

Got another armament post for y'all, let me know if you have questions:

Name: Winchester Model 1910 Heavy Machine Gun
Designer: Winchester Armament Company
Type: Short-recoil operated machine gun
Caliber: .50 Multipurpose [1]
Feed System: Disintegrating belt (single or double feed)
Adopted: 1911

Notes: Developed as a result of War Secretary Roosevelt’s attendance of the 1904 Napoleonic Centennial in Paris, the U.S. military sought a weapon to counter France’s formidable armored-car and dirigible forces [2], with a focus on utility against multiple kinds of targets and being more mobile than even a light field gun, as dictated by contemporary technology. Built by the same design team that created the M1902 General Machine Gun, the M1910 was similar mechanically to its predecessor but built up in scale to handle the massive .50 anti-material cartridge in its various full metal jacket, armor piercing, incendiary and high explosive variations. Due to this round’s incredible mass, it had the added benefit of extending the engagement range of dedicated machine-gun emplacements beyond almost any contemporary design, allowing a single position to theoretically defend against any given manner of threat conceivable [3].

Not only was this machine gun decisive in use by U.S. military forces in the Great War, it was licensed out to other leading L.A.R. members such as Mexico, Colombia, Chile, and Nicaragua. Further development on the design in the 1950s led to the current E1 model, which has a simple-change barrel, accommodates a variety of .50-derived cartridges, and has improved ergonomic features like a variable-tension butterfly trigger and a lighter receiver. The fact that it continues to serve in over 80 national militaries, and has only been matched by the British Commonwealth’s L86A1 in the heavy machine gun arena [4], is a testament to its capability and simplicity. It has even experienced a growth in popularity as a sniper round due to its power and long-range ballistic stability (in particular, the U.S.A./L.A.R.’s M1980 High Power Sniper Rifle [5]).

[1] The different moniker from OTL reflects a lack of direct Browning influence beyond the initial gun design. And bear in mind, the M1902 machine gun is developed and fielded early ITTL, which has knock-on effects on TTL's Ma Deuce development/adoption.

[2] With advancements in small arms and vehicular technology ITTL, and the specter of Napoleonic military ambition in Paris, I figure there’d be an earlier push for a heavy, armor-defeating cartridge in development.

[3] Or at the very least, provide a sustained fire capability to the U.S. Army equal to or greater than other armies using water-cooled designs. And once the move to a more lightweight machine gun like the “Puke” happens, you still have a long-term base of fire weapon at the sub-munition level.

[4] Not to speak for anybody doing a Eurasian weapons post, but to date there’s been no mention of a DShK equivalent so I’m assuming there is none ITTL (perhaps something in the 20-30mm range fills that void in Russia?).

[5] OTL McMillan TAC-50.

 

[Mac Gregor]

2017

Domestic and Foreign Developments

Flag often used by Dutch republicans and Dreesens supporters.
​

On April 13, the Netherlands political scene exploded when the Amsterdam newspaper De Stem published a story that the Conservative opposition had with the tacit support of King Willem V accepted funds from the German government in order to help stymie the policies of Prime Minister Lisanne Dreesens and her Christian-Progressive Party. The crisis continued to intensify for several weeks as the palace failed to satisfy the government's demands for a full inquiry. Demonstrations and labor strikes soon paralyzed the nation as anti-German and anti-monarchical sentiment increased. On June 22 by a narrow margin, the States General abolished the monarchy and declared the reestablishment of the Dutch Republic. Dreesens, who continued as the interim head of government, began the process of drafting a new constitution. The proposed constitution, to be put to a referendum in the new year, would create a democratic parliamentary republic unaffiliated with the Association of European States.

In the spring, U.S. President Navaro’s Democratic allies in Congress passed a Balanced Budget Amendment to the constitution, fulfilling a key campaign promise from last year’s election. The proposed amendment then went to the states for ratification, with 36 voting in favor by the end of the year.

During the summer, several high profile cyber-attacks were carried out against various government offices in Japan severely disrupting the Ministries of Defense and Foreign Affairs for weeks. An investigation traced most of the attacks to servers hosted in the Technate of Korea. Korea’s Directorate for Justice disputed that the attacks originated form Korea and made the specious claim that no cybercriminals operated from its territory.

In July, Nabih Abu Zayad was elected president of the Republic of Greater Syria as part of a coalition headed by his reformist Taqadam Party. Abu Zayad’s ambitious agenda called for various constitutional reforms including increased federalism and an end to the army’s influence in politics. In foreign policy, Abu Zayad favored keeping close ties with Kurdistan, while staying neutral in the regional rivalry between Turkey and Persia. Abu Zayad’s liberal policies were viewed with suspicion by the neighboring Arab governments of Egypt and Arabia as well as conservative elements within his own country.

In September, the Japanese city of Fukuoka hosted a series of matches between Vantage Industries’ Long Tom and the Dimendberg Corporation’s Hans 3000 playing the classic East Asian game of Go. In the end, Long Tom beat Hans 3000 four to one.

On October 6, the Voyager VII astronauts Damion Graham, Grayson Craig, and Eduardo Vargas safely returned to Earth after their 637 day long journey to Mars onboard the Undaunted. The astronauts suffered considerable bone and muscle loss due to the extended periods of weightlessness, and had to be carried out of the return model when it splashed down in the State of Micronesia. President Navarro awarded all three men the Hero of the Union medal for their achievements while they recuperated. In the meantime, the Space Department’s Federal Research Bureau began to pour over mission data and Martian soil samples. Meanwhile, the German expedition prepared to celebrate their second Christmas on the Red Planet.

On October 31, ceremonies and protestant church services commemorated the 500th anniversary of the Reformation. The occasion was given special significance due to recent developments in the Netherlands and the work of modern day evangelists such as Arend Beulens, Sheila McDermontt, and Norris Topolansky. Some commentators even went as far as declaring the ongoing Rainbow Revival to be a “Second Reformation” although most placed the movement well within the protestant tradition.

In November, Liberia became yet another African nation to be plagued by pan-African insurgents after an assault on a police headquarters near the outskirts of Monrovia killed over a dozen officers. Liberian president Lucius Brands joined an increasing loud chorus of voices calling for a concerted defense against the All-African Alliance, which was widely viewed as providing the ideological and material support for such attacks.

 

[Zoidberg12]

This bio was mostly written by me with some changes and edits by Mac Gregor, who has also approved of it.

Zhou Dewei (1892-1956)

Zhou Dewei, also known as Chou Dewei, was born on September 1, 1892 in Huai'an, Jiangsu province in the Qing Empire of China. He was the son of Zhou Duxiu (1874-1928), and his paternal grandfather was Zhou Junlong*. His family came from a long line of government clerks in the Qing Empire. He was not even eleven years-old when the Chinese Civil War broke out in February of 1903. Luckily, his family, who were staunch Qing loyalists, were sheltered from the fighting in their home in Huai'an. In 1906, his family moved to Peking in an effort to better assist the Imperial Qing government. After reaching adulthood, he was sent to be educated in the United States of America at California State University from 1910 to 1916 with concentrations in history, sociology, and English. While in the United States, he gained a great appreciation of the American government and culture. He also met with many members of the Chinese diaspora in cities such as San Francisco, Sacramento and San Diego. Due to the ongoing Chinese Civil War, Zhou, now a sympathizer of the Chinese republican government, decided to temporarily stay in the United States. For a number of years, he lived in California and served as a private tutor for Chinese-American families.

Having returned to China after the end of the civil war in October of 1921, Zhou swore allegiances to the Chinese republican government of President Chen Ching-Kuo (1866-1930). In 1922, Zhou wrote and published his first book, The Rise and Fall of the Qing Dynasty. The book was a detailed, if somewhat politicized, history of the Qing Dynasty and explained in detail why the dynasty collapsed. The book was an international success and was translated into numerous languages. Throughout the 1920s and 1930s, Zhou wrote and published many more books, most of which were books on the history of China and other East Asian civilizations. By the mid-1930s, he had become a respected Chinese intellectual and political confidant to leaders in the republican government well-known for his strong nationalist views. His connections would eventually allow him to be appointed the head of the University of Peking from 1937 to 1942.

Starting in the early 1940s, Zhou became active in the militant Union of Chinese Patriots (UCP) political movement that promised national renewal. After retiring from the University of Peking, he was elected as a member of the Legislative Yuan in 1944 and quickly rose to become leader of the UCP. Nine years later, on September 19, 1953, the Union of Chinese Patriots took control of the government through elections widely deemed as fraudulent. Zhou Dewei was soon after installed as President of the Republic of China.

Zhou Dewei’s brief time as President of the Republic of China was mostly marked by the disastrous Second Sino-Japanese War (1953-1954). The UCP’s inexperience in running the unwieldy Chinese bureaucracy soon became apparent as the economic situation in China worsened and inflation soared. Many in the Chinese government, including President Zhou, tried to divert attention by blaming China’s woes on Japan, pointing to their occasional interdiction of Chinese commercial and fishing vessels. To prevent the further harassment of its merchant shipping the Chinese Navy dispatched the cruiser CNS Yueh Fei to the Formosa Strait on November 23, 1953. On December 19, 1953, the Yueh Fei strayed into Japanese territorial waters and was summarily sunk by Japanese aircraft based on Formosa, resulting in the death of 196 Chinese sailors. Amidst a national outrage, the Chinese government of President Zhou maintained that the Yueh Fei was sailing in international waters when attacked. President Zhou then issued an ultimatum demanding that Japan not only apologize and pay for the damages but also publically renounce the use of Formosa as a naval and air base. When the ultimatum expired unanswered at midnight on December 27, 1953, the Republic of China declared war on the Empire of Japan. Fluent in English, Zhou was able to arrange a covert deal of dubious legality with the American government to procure much needed anti-aircraft batteries, an event eventually becoming known in the United States as the “Chinese Gun Scandal.” However, by the middle of 1954, the Republic of China was clearly losing the Second Sino-Japanese War, having suffered a string of defeats at the hands of the Imperial Japanese Army and Navy. After food riots broke out in Peking, on November 9, 1954, President Zhou signed a ceasefire with the Empire of Japan. Ten days after the signing of the ceasefire, on November 19, 1954, President Zhou was deposed in a coup by elements of the Chinese Republican Army led by General Zhang Kun (1899-1972). Barely escaping with his life, Zhou fled to British Hong Kong. After six months, Zhou quietly went into exile in San Francisco, California.

His stay in the United States would be short, when on September 29, 1956, Zhou was gunned down on the streets of Chinatown by a triad assassin believed to be in the pay of General Zhang’s government. After a private funeral, he was cremated and his ashes were spread over the Pacific Ocean. Zhou is mostly remembered today for his disastrous tenure as President of China. Many historians contend that Zhou, while a very intelligent man, lacked the executive experience to lead the Chinese nation and his weak grasp of military affairs ill-served China during its war with Japan.

*=The OTL grandfather of Zhou Enlai.

 

[Zoidberg12]

I've been talking with Mac Gregor about the Portuguese monarchs, and as a result I had to make some retcons and edits to my biographies on Ferdinand III and Manuel II. I only made a minor edit to the former bio, while I made some major rectons and edits to the latter bio. I am also currently working on bios of King John VII, King Ferdinand IV and King Ferdinand V of Portugal.

This bio has been approved by Mac Gregor. So without further ado...

Manuel III (1908-1989)

Infante Manuel Nuno, Duke of Porto in 1955

King Manuel III in 1980

King Manuel III was born as Manuel Nuno of Braganza on September 13, 1908 in Oviedo, Asturias, Spain. He was the second-born son of Joseph Ferdinand of Braganza, the future King Ferdinand IV of Portugal (1883-1959) and Princess Isabella Maria of Bourbon-Parma, the future Queen Isabella Maria of Portugal (1886-1971). Growing up in Spain and Portugal, much like his older brother and other siblings, he was educated and taught to have conservative and devoutly religious views. In November, 1916, when he was eight years old, his family returned to Portugal. In 1919, shortly after his eleventh birthday and his uncle’s coronation, he became Infante Manuel Nuno. Throughout his formative years, he was also an avid reader, an amateur musician and a lover of association football. He attended the Complutense University of Madrid from 1926 to 1930. He studied history, philosophy, among other subjects. After his graduation, he returned home to Lisbon, Portugal.

On August 1, 1940, Infante Manuel Nuno married Princess Joséphine Caroline of Belgium (1909-1992), the youngest daughter of Prince Baudouin of Belgium (1870-1949), the granddaughter of Prince Philippe, Count of Flanders (1837-1906), and the future Queen Josephina Carolina of Portugal. The couple were happily and faithfully married to each other for the rest of their lives. On December 30, 1953, shortly after the death of his cousin King John VII (1907-1953) and the ascension to the throne of his father as King Ferdinand IV of Portugal, he was made by his father King Ferdinand IV the Duke of Porto and he became Infante Manuel Nuno, Duke of Porto.

Throughout his adult life, including as the Duke of Porto, Manuel Nuno was an avid socialite and attended numerous galas and public functions throughout Portugal. He was also friends with Portuguese footballers, artists, musicians, actors and film directors. In an effort to promote the image of Portugal in foreign nations, Infante Manuel Nuno/the Duke of Porto undertook numerous different state visits on behalf of the Kingdom of Portugal. Throughout the 1940s, the 1950s and the 1960s, Infante Manuel Nuno/the Duke of Porto traveled to France, Germany, Great Britain, Spain, Russia, Hungary, Greece, Sweden, America, Brazil, Mexico, Argentina, South Africa, Japan, Australia, among other nations.

On November 29, 1972, his older brother King Manuel II died of bladder cancer. As a result, the 64 year-old Infante Manuel Nuno, Duke of Porto became King Manuel III of Portugal. The coronation of King Manuel III took place in Lisbon on August 20, 1973. During his first years on the throne, King Manuel III became good friends with the new Portuguese Prime Minister Miguel “Miguelito” Luíz Fernandes (1916-1985). His first years on the throne also saw the a new series of anti-colonial insurgencies in Angola, Mozambique and Guinea, the signing of a non-aggression pact with the Technate of China in 1974, among other things.

The most important events of the reign of King Manuel III were, without a doubt, the Asia-Pacific War (1976-1980) and the Portuguese Civil War (1982-1985). In August, 1976, the United Republic of India under Harshad Nanda (1912-1979) launched a surprise invasion of Goa and the other Portuguese possessions in India. As a result, Portugal was brought into the Asia-Pacific War and the side of Great Britain, Portugal's ally since 1386, and the rest of the British Commonwealth. During the war, Portugal sent several divisions to fight in India and maintained a sizable garrison on Timor to defend against the Imperial Japanese Army. Unfortunately, insurgencies in Portugal’s three mainland African colonies of Angola, Mozambique, and Guinea sapped the army’s strength. On the home-front, the Portuguese people became increasingly disenchanted with the repressive government of Prime Minister Miguel Luíz Fernandes, and radical groups such as the Front for Democracy (Frente para a Democracia) and the Communist League (Liga Comunista) swelled in number. As a result, King Manuel III and Prime Minister Fernandes authorized a crackdown on all groups that the government deemed to be “subversive” in a move that did little to fix Portugal’s simmering problems. On April 24, 1980, the Asia-Pacific War ended after almost four long years, and the Kingdom of Portugal was victorious along with the rest of the Allied Powers. It was a proud moment for the Portuguese nation and King Manuel III personally attended numerous victory rallies throughout the nation.

Two years later, in June, 1982, a series of protests and clashes began between the Portuguese government and a host of dissident groups. After months of these protests and clashes, on November 22, 1982, the repressive government of Prime Minister Miguelito Luiz Fernandes, supporting by King Manuel III, was ousted from power, as Fernandes refused to relinquish his wartime powers. Fernandes, Manuel III and the rest of the Portuguese Royal Family fled to the Azores after the Portuguese Army, already heavily engaged in suppressing anticolonial rebellions in Africa, could no longer guarantee their safety. On November 23, 1982, the Democratic Socialist Republic of Portugal (República Socialista Democrática de Portugal) was declared in Lisbon. After fleeing to the Azores, the royalist Portuguese government of King Manuel III and Prime Minster Fernades sought to retake the Portuguese mainland. Throughout 1983, the Portuguese withdrew from and recognized the independence of their former colonies of Angola, Mozambique, Guinea and Goa. This allowed the royalists to make more and more advances into metropolitan Portugal. The Portuguese Royalists then retook the cities of Porto and Braga in 1984. Finally, on May 9, 1985, at a meeting in Dublin mediated by the British Commonwealth, representatives from the Front for Democracy met secretly with Royalist representatives. The Royalists offered amnesty to the rebels if the Republicans would lay down their arms and swear allegiance to King Manuel III. After two weeks of negotiations, on May 23, 1985, a tentative agreement was reached; Manuel III was to be reinstated as monarch, Prime Minister Miguelito Luiz Fernandes would be dismissed from office and forbidden to return to metropolitan Portugal, all rebels who swore allegiance to the Portuguese Crown would receive a pardon, those who refused would be allowed to emigrate to any other nation unmolested and free and fair elections for a new parliament and a constitutional convention were to be held by the end of 1987. Great Britain guaranteed these terms and agreed to act as a peacekeeper until a new government could be established. After inter-rebel infighting in Lisbon during the noite das granadas and the subsequent British intervention, the fighting had ceased on June 3, 1985. After almost three years of brutal fighting that tragically divided the Kingdom of Portugal and her people, the Portuguese Civil War finally came to an end.

After months of debate, the Kingdom of Portugal adopted a new constitution on November 22, 1987, five years to the day after the beginning of the Portuguese Civil War. King Manuel III retained his throne, but a significant amount of power was delegated to a new bicameral parliament. All political parties were legalized, with the notable exception of communist political parties. The new constitution also redefined Portugal’s relationships with its remaining oversea territories; the Azores, Madeira, Cape Verde, and São Tomé and Príncipe remained autonomous regions within the kingdom, while East Timor became an independent nation but kept Manuel III as the head of state and decided to maintain a close relationship with Portugal. To mark this important moment in the history of Portugal, a new flag of the Kingdom of Portugal, allegedly designed by Ferdinand, Prince Royal, was adopted on November 25, 1987. The rest of the reign of King Manuel III was marked by an ever increasing liberalization of Portuguese politics, society, culture and media.

After an almost seventeen year-long reign, King Manuel III died on October 29, 1989 at the age of 81. His funeral was held in Lisbon and was held on November 6, 1989. He was succeeded as King of Portugal by his eldest son, the loyalist civil war commander Ferdinand, Prince Royal as King Ferdinand V (1942- ). All in all, King Manuel III left a mixed legacy. While Manuel III oversaw a new Portuguese Constitution and the increasing liberalization and modernization of the Kingdom of Portugal, he also supported the repressive government of Miguel Luiz Fernandes and his conservative and authoritarian policies, which partly led to the civil war in the first place. Historical evidence shows that during and after the Portuguese Civil War, Manuel III gradually began to view the role of the Portuguese monarchy, the role of the Catholic Church, liberal democracy, the role of citizens in government and culture in a more liberal way, albeit reluctantly and somewhat tepidly.

 

[Zoidberg12]

I've been talking with Mac Gregor about the Spanish monarchs, and as a result I had to make some edits to my biography on Carlos VIII. Juan III is now Carlos VIII, while the monarch that succeeded Jamie III is now Juan III.

These bios have been approved by Mac Gregor.

Juan III (1884-1943)

King Juan III of Spain was born as Infante Juan on September 12, 1884 in Madrid, Spain. He was the first-born child of Infante Alfonso Carlos, Duke of St. Jamie, the future King Jaime III of Spain (1849-1934) and Infanta Maria das Navas of Portugal, the future Queen María de las Nieves of Spain (1852-1940). He was also the Legitimist claimant to the throne of France as King Jean I. As a child, Infante Juan was, just like his other siblings, educated by Jesuit teachers in a number of different Roman Catholic schools throughout Spain. Throughout his adolescence, Infante Juan partook in a number of physical activities, including association football, fencing and horseback riding. Throughout his late teenage years and into his adult life, he was a passionate lover of classical music, theater, opera, association football, auto racing, horse racing, golf, among other things. He served in the infantry of the Spanish Army from 1904 to 1906. Towards the end of the Great War, he assisted his father Infante Alfonso Carlos with the temporary sheltering, housing, feeding and healing of French war refugees flooding from war-torn France into northern Spain. Even after the war, Infante Carlos helped the repatriation or emigration of many of these refugees.

On October 18, 1913, in a lavish Roman Catholic ceremony in Toledo Cathedral, Infante Juan married Princess Caroline Therese of Württemberg (1886-1954), the daughter of King William II of Württemberg (1848-1921) and the future Queen Carolina Theresa of Spain. The couple never had any children, and many historians have alleged that King Juan III suffered from male infertility. From 1916 to 1920, he served in the Spanish Foreign Legion, the Spanish equivalent of the French Foreign Legion which was established on September 1, 1915. In 1920, he retired from the Spanish Foreign Legion, having attained the rank of Major in the Spanish Army. He spent the next fourteen years in numerous different government offices and ambassadorial postings. In 1928, after the death of his younger cousin Alfonso, Prince of Asturias (1900-1928), Infante Juan became second in line to the succession of the Spanish throne. As a result, he became Juan, Prince of Asturias, and the succession of the Spanish throne was not in any doubt. Since he was now an heir to the Spanish throne, Juan felt a great sense of personal and public duty. Fortunately for him and the Kingdom of Spain, he was a man in good health, and he continued to serve his country in many different ways.

On August 9, 1934, his father King Jaime III died of natural causes in the El Escorial Palace. As a result, Juan, Prince of Asturias became King Juan III of Spain. His coronation, a lavish and grandiose event, took place in Madrid on September 30, 1934. Soon afterwards, King Juan III began to meet with Prime Minister Baldomero Saavedra (1872-1948), and the two discussed the state of the Spanish kingdom for several weeks. The reign of King Juan III lasted for a total of nine years from 1934 to 1943 and saw, in spite of continued wealth inequality, an increase in the living standards of many Spaniards with the construction of new housing, hospitals and railroads, continued economic growth for Spain, new laws to combat Communist, Corporatist and Anarchist terrorist organizations, the Sahrawi rebellion of 1938, the death of the Queen Mother María de las Nieves in 1940, among other things. His reign also saw, due to continuing state repression, the continued immigration of Spaniards overseas, including to the United States, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Mexico, Argentina, Brazil, Colombia, Peru, Chile, the United Kingdom, France, Italy, among other nations. In regards to his politics, King Juan III was a staunch conservative, both socially and economically, and he curtained any sort of substantial political liberalism, much like his father, cousin and uncle.

After a relatively short yet eventful reign, King Juan III died of a malignant brain tumor in his private residence in Burgos on October 28, 1943. He was 59 years of age. His funeral was held in Madrid on November 5, 1943. He had no children, so he was succeeded as King of Spain by his younger brother Infante Carlos as King Carlos IX of Spain (1892-1978).

Carlos IX (1892-1978)

King Carlos IX of Spain was born as Infante Carlos on April 26, 1892 in Madrid, Spain. He was the second-born son of Infante Alfonso Carlos, Duke of San Jaime, the future King Jaime III of Spain (1849-1934) and Infanta Maria das Navas of Portugal, the future Queen María de las Nieves of Spain (1852-1940). He was also the Legitimist claimant to the throne of France as King Charles XIII. As a child, Infante Carlos was, just like his other siblings, educated by Jesuit teachers in a number of different Roman Catholic schools throughout Spain. In his adolescence, he read a lot about Spanish history, European history, classical history, military history, music theory, astronomy, among other such subjects. He served in the infantry of the Spanish Army from 1910 to 1913, with part of his military service being spent in the Canary Islands, the Balearic Islands and the Spanish Sahara.

On August 19, 1916, at the age of 24, in an effort to further strengthen the ties between the two Iberian kingdoms of Spain and Portugal, Infante Carlos married Infanta Anna Maria of Portugal (1893-1927), the younger sister of Ferdinand, Duke of Viseu, the future King Ferdinand III of Portugal (1882-1949). The couple had no children. The couple tried to have children in 1917 and in 1920, but both pregnancies ended in miscarriages. On December 19, 1927, Princess Anna Maria of Portugal died of typhoid fever in Zaragoza at the age of 34. Infante Carlos was devastated by the death of his much beloved wife. Nevertheless, he gradually moved on from the death of Princess Anna Maria. Carlos then served as a general in the Spanish army from 1928 to 1932. In 1932, he remarried the Austrian, Swiss and Belgian-raised Princess Maria Teresa of Bourbon-Parma (1901-1986), the daughter of Robert I, Duke of Parma (1848-1912), the last Duke of the Duchy of Parma, and Infanta Maria Antonia of Portugal (1862-1958), the daughter of the deposed King Miguel I of Portugal (1802-1872). Throughout his adult life, he was an avid sportsman and an avid fan of association football, much like his older brother King Juan III (1884-1943). He was also an avid player of golf, polo, bowling and fencing, among other sports. He was also an avid patron of the arts and an avid film buff. As was touched upon before, he was also interested in numerous academic subjects such as history, music theory and astronomy.

His older brother King Juan III died of brain cancer in Burgos on October 28, 1943 at the age of 59. King Juan III had no children. As a direct result, Infante Carlos succeeded him as King Carlos IX of Spain. The long and eventful reign of King Carlos IX saw numerous events, such as the construction of new highways throughout Spain, the establishment of new public works projects, the establishment of new film studios and television stations in Spain, some of the television stations of which were state-owned, the funding and establishment of new museums, music conservatories and new sports stadiums throughout Spain, the arrest and imprisonment of the Spanish writer Leopoldo Marquez (1876-1952) and the subsequent 1952 Spanish Riots from October to December, 1952, the banning of Marquez’s novel De los Reyes y Hombres, the death of the Queen Mother Henrietta (1871-1953) in 1953, the death of the Queen Mother Carolina Theresa (1886-1954) in 1954, the construction of the Aldeadávila Dam from 1959 to 1965, the 80th anniversary celebrations of the Carlist takeover of Spain in 1962, the suppression of numerous underground dissident groups, such as pro-democracy, pro-liberal, republican, communist, socialist, syndicalist, corporatist and anarchist groups, the suppression of minor rebellions in the Spanish Sahara, a continued strengthening of diplomatic and economic ties of between the Kingdom of Spain and the Kingdom of Portugal, among other things. In regards to his politics, King Carlos IX was a staunch conservative and he continued the conservative and traditionalistic status qou of his older brother and other predecessors.

After a reign that lasted for almost thirty-five years, King Carlos IX, who had been in increasingly poor health for a number of years, died of heart disease in his private apartment in Valencia, Spain, on March 31, 1978 at the age of 85. His death came amidst the final preparations for the 1978 Summer Olympics in Seville, Spain, of which King Carlos IX was supposed to personally open. His funeral, the first to be televised live on Spanish television networks, took place in Madrid on April 12, 1978. He was succeeded as King of Spain by his eldest son Juan, Prince of Asturias as King Juan IV of Spain (1939-2012).

 

[Zoidberg12]

John VII (1907-1953)

King John VII was born as John of Braganza on June 29, 1907 in Mauthausen, Austria, Austria-Hungary. He was the only son of Ferdinand, Duke of Viseu, the future King Fernando III of Portugal (1882-1949) and Infanta Maria Josephina of Spain, the future Queen Maria Josephina of Portugal (1885-1960). He had two younger sisters, Infanta Isabella Antonia (1910-1988) and Infanta Margarita Sophia (1912-2001). After the outbreak of the Great War in October, 1907, when John was not even four months old, his immediate family moved to Oviedo, Asturias, Spain. As a child, the young Prince John was educated by numerous private teachers and by Jesuits in a number of Catholic schools throughout Portugal. Much like his cousins, John was raised by his parents and educated by numerous private teachers to have conservative views and was raised to be a devout Roman Catholic. In November, 1916, when he was nine years-old, his family returned to their ancestral homeland of Portugal to the town of Coimbra. In 1919, shortly before his twelfth birthday, his father became King Ferdinand III of Portugal. As a result, he became Ferdinand, Prince Royal. Growing up, the young Ferdinand, Prince Royal was an inquisitive, curious and energetic child. He was an avid reader of novels and nonfiction books about history, geography, science, languages, among other subjects. Soon after reaching adulthood, he was educated at Christ College at Oxford University in the United Kingdom from 1925 to 1930. After returning to Portugal, he began to live life as a socialite and attended numerous public functions throughout Portugal and vacationioned to many different European nations. He then served in the infantry of the Portuguese Army in Angola from 1932 to 1935. After returning home to Portugal, Infante Ferdinand re-settled into his normal life. On June 10, 1939, he married Princess Frederica Marie of Hanover (1908-1999), the daughter of King Ernest Augustus III of Hanover (1885-1957), the granddaughter of King Ernest Augustus II of Hanover (1845-1924) and was the future Queen Frederica Maria of Portugal. The two met while John, Prince Royal was spending a lengthy summer vacation in the French Riviera in 1932. The couple had three daughters; Infanta Maria Emilia (1940-2012), Inftanta Anna Christina (b. 1942) and Infanta Julianna Christina (b. 1943).

His father King Ferdinand III died of heart failure on December 22, 1949. As a result, the 42 year-old John, Prince Royal succeeded his father as King of Portugal as King John VII. His reign lasted for almost four years, and was largely a continuation of the reign of his father with mostly conservative, traditionalist and often authoritarian policies. Curiously, these contradicted with several of his private beliefs as illustrated in the The Journal of King John VII (O Jornal do Rei João VII) which was smuggled out of Portugal and posthumously published in Great Britain in 1975. Throughout his lifetime, he only told his wife and his closest friends about these liberal and somewhat progressive sympathies. He wanted to change things in the Kingdom of Portugal, but there was not much he could do in the face of the highly powerful and influential conservative Portuguese politicians, noblemen and clergymen.

On October 21, 1953, King John VII died suddenly of a heart attack while in his hotel room and vacationing in Funchal on the island of Madeira. He was only 46 years of age. As soon as the news broke, the Kingdom of Portugal went into a state of mourning. Four days after his death, his body was sent back to Lisbon via airplane. According to an autopsy, he died of a congenital heart defect. His funeral, a sad, somber and unexpected affair, was held in Lisbon on November 1, 1953. In the years after his death, numerous conspiracy theorists have claimed that he was murdered by poising by conservative elements of the Portuguese government and nobility due to King John VII’s more liberal sympathies, although there is no strong evidence for this and other similar theories. King John VII had no sons. As a direct result, he was succeeded as King of Portugal by his uncle as King Ferdinand IV of Portugal (1883-1959).

Ferdinand IV (1883-1959)

King Ferdinand IV was born as Joseph Ferdinand of Braganza in Eger, Austria, Austria-Hungary, now Cheb in the Kingdom of Bohemia, on July 24, 1883. He was the second-born son of Miguel, Duke of Braganza (1853-1913), the Miguelist pretender to the Portuguese throne, and Princess Elisabeth of Thurn and Taxis (1860-1919). Much like his older brother Ferdinand, Duke of Viseu, the young Joseph Ferdinand was raised and educated throughout the Austro-Hungarian Empire and was brought up with conservative views. The two brothers got along quite well throughout their formative years and would also enjoy a lifelong friendship. Although he had never been to Portugal, as he was not allowed to do so, the young Joseph Ferdinand identified strongly with his ancestral homeland and he felt that it was his destiny to one day return to Portugal.

Following in the footsteps of his older brother, he accepted a commission in the Austrian Landwehr, and he served in the Austrian Landwehr from 1901 to 1905. After the Great War broke out in 1907, his immediate family relocated to the neutral Kingdom of Spain and moved to the city of Oviedo. On August 12, 1905, he married his distant cousin Princess Isabella Maria of Bourbon-Parma (1886-1971), the daughter of Robert I, Duke of Parma (1848-1912), the last Duke of the Duchy of Parma, and Infanta Maria Antonia of Portugal (1862-1958), the daughter of his grandfather, the deposed King Miguel I of Portugal (1802-1872) and the future Queen Isabella Maria of Portugal. The couple had four children; Manuel, Prince Royal, the future King Manuel II of Portugal (1906-1978), Infante Manuel Nuno, Duke of Porto, the future King Manuel III of Portugal (1908-1989), Infanta Maria Catalina (1909-1979), the future Queen Maria Catalina of Greece and consort of King Constantine II of Greece (1899-1960), Infanta Irena Sophia (1911-2003), the future Queen Irene Sophia of the Netherlands and consort of King William IV (1901-1990), and Infata Antonia Josephina (1913-2000), the future Duchess of Baden and consort of Duke Leopold II of Baden (1906-1975). Throughout his years living in Spain, Joseph Ferdinand became good friends with Infante Juan, the future King Juan III of Spain (1884-1943). The two would rekindle their friendship during the 1930s when Infante Joseph Ferdinand, Duke of Porto served as the Portuguese ambassador to Spain.

In May, 1916, his distant relative King Carlos I of Portugal (1863-1916) died of malaria after an Angolan safari. As neither Carlos I nor the new king Luis II (1866-1919) had any offspring and heir to the throne, a succession crisis began within the Kingdom of Portugal. After months of debate, on October 12, 1916, it was agreed upon that if Luis II could not produce an heir before his death than the Portuguese throne would pass to the Miguelist claimant to the Portuguese throne Ferdinand, Duke of Viseu. In November, 1916, the Duke of Viseu and his immediate family were allowed to return to Portugal, and the family then moved to the town of Coimbra. On June 23, 1919, after the death of his distant relative King Luis II, his older brother became King Ferdinand III of Portugal. Shortly after the coronation of King Ferdinand III, he was made by his brother the Duke of Porto and he became Infante Joseph Ferdinand, Duke of Porto. In 1920, he gained a commission in the Portuguese Royal Navy, and he served in the Portuguese Royal Navy from 1920 to 1925. By the time of his resignation in 1925, he had achieved the rank of captain. He then served in numerous different government and ambassadorial postings. He served as ambassador to the United Kingdom from 1927 to 1929, ambassador to the Kingdom of Netherlands from 1929 to 1930, ambassador to the Russian Empire from 1931 to 1933 and ambassador to the Kingdom of Spain from 1935 to 1938. After his return to Portugal, Infante Joseph Ferdinand, Duke of Porto continued to be a popular public figure throughout Portugal. During the 1930s, 1940s and 1950s, the Duke of Porto attended numerous public functions throughout Portugal including yacht races, golf tournaments, and numerous cultural events.

On October 21, 1953, his nephew King John VII died suddenly of a heart attack at the age of 46 while in his hotel room and vacationing in Funchal on the island of Madeira. King John VII had no sons and no male hire. As a direct result, the 70 year-old Joseph Ferdinand, Duke of Porto became King Ferdinand IV of Portugal. His coronation, a large and lavish affair, took place in Lisbon on November 1, 1953. His reign, which lasted for almost six years, was largely a continuation of his nephew’s and his older brother’s reign, including their conservative, traditionalist and often authoritarian policies. The first major event of his reign was the 1954 Summer Olympics Games in Lisbon, which he personally opened on July 10, 1954. His reign saw the passing of a new conscription law, new trade deals with the British Empire, the building of new infrastructure in the colonies and the establishment of new film studios and television stations. His reign also saw the beginning of low-grade insurgencies in the African colonies of Angola, Mozambique and Guinea.

After a relatively short reign, King Fernando IV died in Belém Palace on September 29, 1959 at the age of 76. His funeral was held in Lisbon on October 12, 1959. His eldest-son son Manuel, Prince Royal succeeded him as King of Portugal as King Manuel II (1906-1972).

 

[Lalli]

Harold K. Abercrombie (1874 - 1948)

Harold Kennesaw Abercrombie was born in Baltimore, Maryland to parents of predominantly Scottish decent. As a child, his family moved frequently and his father Robert Abercrombie struggled to keep a job due to his alcoholism, believed to have started after being wounded in the Army of Tennessee during the Civil War. In 1886 the Abercrombie’s settled in Greensboro, North Carolina. Robert Abercrombie eventually became a teetotaler after the family joined a local Southern Baptist church, a decision his son Harold would later claim saved the family. Afterwards, Harold grew up in a strict religious household. Abercrombie began working at an early age but always showed an interest in public service. In 1898 he was elected to the city council, becoming the youngest councilman in the city’s history. In office, Abercrombie showed his puritanical views and in 1901 supported a measure which closed all bars and saloons in Greensboro. He was also a bit more sympathetic towards African Americans than many other Democrats were a factor which likely contributed to him losing his seat in 1906.

After America entered the Great War, Abercrombie was commissioned into the U.S. Army. While he personally opposed the war believing the United States should continue to adhere to its longtime policy of isolation, he felt that it was his duty serve despite being . During the war he was assigned to the 1st Infantry Division and fought in the Caribbean and later Europe including the Battle of Sundern and Operation Titanic with LTG Leonard Wood’s 3rd Army. After the war, he returned to North Carolina and was elected to the state legislature as a Democrat in 1912. Abercrombie quickly developed a reputation for efficiency and integrity and became a rising star in the Democratic Party. In 1918, the state legislature elected Abercrombie to the U.S. Senate. In the senate Abercrombie was a well-known advocate for the Temperance movement and opponent to the ruling Republicans and the Bank of the United States.

In 1924 Abercrombie was on the shortlist of candidates to run against President Nelson R. Doner. Abercrombie gained his party’s nomination and easily beat Doner due to the ongoing economic recession and blatant corruption of the Doner administration. Abercrombie was first Democrat in White House in 24 years, and would be elected to a second term. The nation prospered under President Abercrombie and he maintained a sterling reputation for integrity. However, Abercrombie never managed to abolishment the Bank of the United States or establish prohibition of alcohol due to the Republican majority senate. United States anyway took more isolationist politics and tightened immigration politics.

Abercrombie left office in 1933 and returned back to Greensboro, North Carolina. In retirement, Abercrombie rarely commented on politics but did register his displeasure with President Kirkman’s decision run for a third term. Abercrombie died in October 1948 only at the age of 74. He was survived by his wife Elizabeth Conroy Abercrombie (1877 - 1951) and their eight children.

 

[Mac Gregor]

Sorry the delay in posting. Hope y'all have a Merry Christmas!

2018

Foreign and Domestic Developments

The Verne Crater as seen from the Qiánfēng
January, 2018​

On January 27, three Chinese astronauts aboard the spacecraft Qiánfēng landed in the Verne Crater on the far side of the moon. This move caught the world by surprise, as it was thought that China’s Sub-Directorate for Space Exploration would concentrate on their manned Martian program. However, repeated technical difficulties forced the Chinese to redirect their efforts towards the moon as they prepared for a later Mars launch window. Miffed at being beaten out to become the third nation to land a man on the moon, the Russian Aviation and Space Bureau successful launched a one-man descent module from its orbital lunar station Yedinstvo several months later.

On January 30, 56% of Dutch voters approved the new constitution establishing a parliamentary republic, 370 years to the day of the Peace of Munster when Spain recognized the independence of the first Dutch Republic. Ratification officially withdrew the Netherlands from the Association of European States. The deposed King Willem V was obliged to leave Noordeinde Palace and went into exile in Germany. The “loss of Holland” severely weakened the coalition government of German Chancellor Helmut Koch. German Conservatives vowed to make it the central issue in the 2020 general election.

In March, scientists at the Japanese Yamasaki-Nakajima Corporation (YNC) announced a new method of producing graphene that slashed costs to a third of current rates. Clear two-dimensional graphene, which had been discovered some twenty years earlier, had a wide array of commercial applications as it was an excellent conductor of heat and electricity and stronger than diamonds. In coming years, YNC’s graphene production capabilities would make it the world’s leader in high quality and ruggedized electronics.

In the spring, several Italian provinces in Sicily and southern Italy declared states of emergency after a series of bloody street confrontations between Cosa Nostra and newly arrived gangs based out of Italian North Africa known as the Maghrebini. The Italian federal government redeployed several units of Carabinieri to help quell the violence. The continued unrest threatened to undermine the government of President Aureliana Pecora and her National Republican Party who had made combating organized crime a cornerstone of their electoral platform two years earlier.

By May, the required 42 states ratified the proposed balanced budget resolution passed by Congress the previous year, making it the 18th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution.

Section 1. Total outlays for any fiscal year shall not exceed total receipts for that fiscal year, unless three-fifths of the whole number of each House of Congress shall provide by law for a specific excess of outlays over receipts by a rollcall vote.
Section 2. The limit on the debt of the United States held by the public shall not be increased unless three-fifths of the whole number of each House shall provide by law for such an increase by a roll call vote.
Section 3. The Congress may waive the provisions of this article for any fiscal year in which a declaration of war is in effect.
Section 4. The Congress shall enforce and implement this article by appropriate legislation, which may rely on estimates of outlays and receipts.
Section 5. Total receipts shall include all receipts of the United States Government except those derived from borrowing. Total outlays shall include all outlays of the United States Government except for those for repayment of debt principal.
Section 6. This article shall take effect beginning with the third fiscal year beginning after its ratification.

The Centennial Olympic Games were held in Athens, Greece. With King Constantine III presiding over the opening ceremony, Athens became the first city to twice host the Olympics. While some objected to Greece hosting in light of the repressive measures of its government, most observers deemed the games a roaring success.

In the United States, Congress passed the Citizen Information Protection Act which placed stricter limits on the amount, type, and duration of information that business and social media sites, such as Village and MiLyfe, can retain on consumers.

In August, Spanish King Juan IV died after over 40 years on the thrown in his palace on Majorca. Having lost control over the mainland during the late civil war (1983-1986), he had proven himself a competent if difficult monarch of Royalist Spain consisting of the Balearic and Canary Islands which had become tourist hotspots for the central and eastern European elite and important ports-of-call for the German military. His eldest son succeeded him, becoming King Carlos X. While some in Republican Spain celebrated King Juan’s death, many used the opportunity to grumble about the economic stagnation which had gripped their country for most of the last two decades. Some even mused that the ascent of King Carlos might one day pave the way to reunification.

On September 26, the Democratic Union of Turkic Republics (DUTR) announced that it would begin the transition from using Cyrillic script to the Latin script based Turkish alphabet. The Azeri Republic had adopted the Turkish alphabet a few years earlier allowing, in theory, for easier communication across the three members of the Turkic League. DUTR leader Ismail Fitrat hoped that this would further separate his country from Russia’s sphere of influence and tie it with the Western World. However, several protested the change complaining that the Turkish alphabet was a clumsy choice for the DUTRs myriad of languages. The Tajiks, who spoke an Iranian language similar to Dari Persian, were especially concerned leading some to vow noncompliance.

The Ausländer XII mission successfully completed its roundtrip to Mars. The seven man German crew was in better health upon returning to Earth than their American counterparts despite a much longer mission length. Officials at the Imperial Space and Aeronautics Commission attributed this to shorter interplanetary transits and therefore less time exposed to zero gravity and cosmic radiation. Having spent over a year on the Martian surface, it was estimated that Ausländer XII provided more data on the Red Planet than all previous Mars exploration missions combined.

In the U.S midterm elections, the Democrats easily retained their majorities in both Houses of Congress despite losing a few seats to the Republicans. The results were widely interpreted as representing broad support for President Navarro and her policies.

A biomedical convention in Madras highlighted the advances made in the creation and use of organoids, artificially created multicellular approximations of organ tissue. Organoids allowed researchers to study basic biological processes on personalized organic models. Dr. Bernardo Freitas of Brazil declared that “the advent of growing full functioning replacement organs is only a matter of time.”

In early December, a coup by pan-Africanist army officers toppled the enfeebled government in Angola. General Paulo Wanga assumed control of the country and quickly joined the All-African Alliance (AAA) becoming its seventh member. South Africa considered intervening but the highly fractured state of the ousted Angolan government prevented Willemstad from cobbling together a suitable coalition. South African Prime Minister Frans Ngcobo called for a meeting of non-AAA African nations for the following year in Bloemfontein to “take decisive steps to safeguard democracy on the African continent.”

 

[Zoidberg12]

It's been a while since I posted a bio, so here it goes. In addition, this bio was approved by Mac Gregor.

Ferdinand VI (1916-2007)

King Ferdinand VI of Hungary was born in Buda Castle in Budapest on February 8, 1916. His father was Crown Prince Leopold of Hungary, the future King Leopold III (1889-1968), and his mother was Crown Princess Marguerite of Hungary (1896-1990). After the Hungarian Revolution of 1916 and the “Red Revolt”, when he was only a month old, Prince Ferdinand fled with his mother to Vienna. After the end of the Communist uprising in December, 1916, the ten month-old Ferdinand and his mother returned to living with the rest of the Hungarian Royal Family in Buda Castle in Budapest. Throughout his childhood, he was educated at numerous boarding schools and then studied at Heidelberg University from 1934 to 1940. After returning home to Budapest, Crown Prince Ferdinand accepted a commission in the Hungarian Royal Army/Honvéd. He served in the infantry of the Hungarian Royal Army from 1940 to 1944, and later the Hungarian River Flotilla from 1945 to 1947. Afterwards he was awarded numerous government postings, all the while writing and publishing three books about Hungarian history and culture. On New Year’s Day, 1942, he married Princess Caroline of Saxony (1918-2005), the eldest daughter of King Frederick Augustus IV of Saxony (1891-1959). The two would remain a happy couple and were much beloved by the Hungarian people. The couple had the following children; Crown Prince Francis, the future King Francis III (b.1945), Prince Ivstan (1946-2005), Princess Julika (b.1948), Princess Emma (b.1949), Prince Mihaly (b.1951) and Princess Paula (b.1956). On October 16, 1963, Crown Prince Ferdinand personally attended the signing of the AES Charter with his father King Leopold III in Berlin, Germany.

On December 27, 1968, King Leopold III of Hungary died in Buda Castle at the age of 79. As a result, Crown Prince Ferdinand became King Ferdinand VI of Hungary. The new king then served as his father’s pallbearer at his funeral on January 12, 1969. King Ferdinand VI was the first modern Hungarian monarch to be born and raised in Hungary. He was also the first modern Hungarian monarch whose first language was Hungarian and not German. Events during the reign of King Ferdinand VI included the expansion of Budapest Francis II International Airport, the continued strengthening of ties with Germany and the other nations of the AES, the construction of the Gabčíkovo–Nagymaros Dams with the Kingdom of Slovakia from 1980 to 1984, the many premierships of Prime Minister Pista Ruzsa (1922-2009), the celebration of the Silver Jubilee in 1993 and 1994, and sadly the death of the much beloved Queen Caroline in 2005. In regards to his political views, much like his father, Ferdinand VI was a staunch monarchist, conservative and traditionalist. He also constantly intervened into parliamentary politics and prevented any form of political liberalization. During the 1970s, a number of laws were passed which outlawed numerous different dissident and pro-democracy groups. These included an onerous measure which banned unauthorized gatherings of more than ten people, a restriction that proved impossible to enforce.

After an almost thirty-nine year reign, King Ferdinand VI of Hungry died in Buda Castle in Budapest on November 16, 2007 at the age of 91. His funeral, broadcast live over Hungarian television, was held in Budapest on November 23, 2007. His eldest son Crown Prince Francis succeeded him as King of Hungary as King Francis III (1945- ). King Ferdinand VI left a mixed legacy. While he did a lot of good for the Kingdom of Hungary, he also strengthened the very conservative and authoritarian political status quo.

 

[traveller76]

Lal Sita (1932-2010)

Biographical information

Lal Ramesh Sita was born in Delhi, the third out of three children. His father was a cloth merchant and moneylender and his mother also came from a merchant family. He was raised along with his older brothers to inherit and expand the family business but his parents also could afford to send him to University. He studied at Gautam College and then Pratibha University studying Economics receiving his Bachelor's and Master's degrees in 1952 and 1954, and completed his Economics Doctorate at the University of Cambridge. After Cambridge, Sita returned to India to his teaching position at Pratibha University. He married Tejal Aishwarya Narang in 1958 and became the father of two daughters, Devika (born 1960) and Lila (born 1963).

Political and Social Life

Pratibha University, like much of India, would see unrest between various student groups from all political factions with police having to disperse some gatherings. Dr. Sita maintained political neutrality in university functions despite his brothers supporting the REP. With the 1967 Election, the University and the new government reforms the university would undergo a purge of ‘subversive elements’ by the police and the ASA (Internal Security Commission) in 1969. His brothers business would be small enough to avoid nationalization and Dr. Sita would become a member of the REP in 1970, later claiming that in order to remain in a teaching position and avoid suspicion most of the faculty became party members. Due to age, family status, and education he would avoid conscription and the worst effects of the Pacific War. He renounced his party membership in 1980 and despite criticism for not doing more to help would be cleared in post-war investigations.

In 1982 he joined the Hindu Peoples Party (HPP) and soon became an ‘economic advisor’ to the party leadership. In 1984 he would run and would be elected as a Member of Parliament from the Delhi Constituency. He was selected as a Deputy Finance Minister by Prime Minister Sharma Preeti in 1986 and would replace Finance Minister Narinder Chaudhri in 1988. With the rise of the Democratic Party of India and the retirement of Preeti in 1992, he would remain part of the HPP party leadership and a ‘Shadow’ Finance Minister during the administration of Prime Minister Arvind Verma (1992-2002). While not as media savvy as other members of the HPP was seen as ‘calm and collected’ and ‘always prepared’ in Parliamentary debates. Rani Anand, a political reporter and commentator would call it ‘An Avalanche of Facts and Figures’. During his time as Shadow Finance Minister and member of the party leadership, Sita would become a central figure in the HPP. When Prime Minister Arvind Verma stepped down and called for new elections in 2002 due to health and facing a possible no-confidence vote the HPP, under Sita’s guidance, would gain a slim majority in the national elections.

The First Year

Critical of the DPI’s ‘Economic Shortcomings’ the HPP would call for a massive restructuring of the economy by selling off state-owned property and assets. This would go against the party ideas and anger many members of the HPP. The Svatantrata Yojana (Freedom Plan) would devolve economic planning and regulatory power to the states and see the reduction of central government aid to cooperatives and non-governmental organizations. While the business community and wealthier portions of the population supported the plan it would meet a massive amount of resistance from the opposition parties, civic groups and various minorities who feared that the state governments would give priorities to the Hindu population. All the state and national High Courts would be swamped with challenges from various groups and the government would be criticized by the opposition parties and members of the HPP. Only a quarter of state assets would be sold by the end of 2002 with the majority of the buyers being local corporations or foreign multinational corporations along with several private citizens.

The Illustrated Press Papers

In 2003 the Illustrated Press of India, a newsmagazine, would receive a large package of documents addressed to the Editor. The Editor of the Illustrated Press, Sonam Reva Mishra, would assign two reporters, Naveen Joshi and Rupinder Rao to review the papers. Upon review, the documents were records from the ASA (Internal Security Commission) covering a period from 1969 to 1979 documenting a series of payments and reports to and from various informants that spied on domestic and foreign enemies. The records would show that several members of previous administrations that were cleared in the 1980’s helped the ASA to arrest dissidents during the regime of Nanda’s regime. Mishra would bring in experts to verify the documents and would even reach out to former members of the ASA living abroad for confirmation of the records in anticipation of the storm the newspaper would release that several members of the current government were former members of the ASA, including the Prime Minister.

On March 22nd, 2003 the Illustrated Press would release an entire issue to the ASA Papers. The issue would sell out within two days and all major news outlets would cover the release. News of the documents would rock the Parliament and massive protests were seen in most cities accusing the Prime Minister and members of the HPP in the deaths of dissidents during the REP regime. Supporters of the PM claimed that the documents were falsified but the Illustrated Press defended the claims with a panel of forensic and intelligence experts in a press conference. The Delhi High Court would dismiss a case against the Prime Minister later in the year stating that the Prime Minister was not directly responsible for the deaths of several students who were arrested and sent to a labor camp in 1970. Records would show he merely reported people but did not accept any funds from the ASA. However, the negative press coverage crippled the government as the opposition parties and even members of the government called for Sita to resign.

On March 23, 2004, the majority Parliament would pass a No-Confidence motion which would lead to the resignation of the Prime Minister and the Council of Ministers. Shirish Birender Chandra, an MP from Dhule would be elected Prime Minister as a caretaker until the next election in 2006.

Aftermath

Following the resignation, Lal Sita would give one final television interview with Rani Anand in 2007. Despite the sometimes tense questioning from Anand Sita would claim he had not known about the deaths and that he was defending the country from chaos. He would pass away from heart disease, possibly exacerbated by alcohol in 2010. His wife and daughters would not comment on his political life, simply calling him ‘a good father, husband, and supporter of his family.

OOC: The picture is of Kulbhushan Kharbanda
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kulbhushan_Kharbanda

 

[Mac Gregor]

Hey y'all sorry the delay in posting. This update will finish out the decade for us. I have a few reader submissions to review and will then be posting some maps and adding threadmarks. Cheers!

2019

Foreign and Domestic Developments


Guinean Cataphract firing at West African troops​

On January 11, five motorized infantry and two cataphract divisions of the Republic of West Africa invaded Guinea after the Guinean government barred the main pan-Africanist party from participation in that year’s presidential elections. The Guinean military put up a spirited but ultimately futile defense. West African troops finished occupying the small country by mid-February after the last holdouts on the Bijagós archipelago were mopped up. A new pan-Africanist government under Bicaro Rosa da Costa was installed in Bissau. To the surprise of no one, Guinea joined the All-African Alliance (AAA) a few weeks later.

In February, Japan’s Ministry of Energy and National Resources declared the Tokyo-Yokahama Oceanic Nuclear Power Facility fully operational, becoming the current world’s first practical underwater civilian nuclear reactor. Constructed several kilometers offshore on the seafloor, the power plant generated 1,100 megawatts of electricity for the nearby bustling metropolises. Being underwater, the facility had an inexhaustible supply of coolant and didn’t occupy any of Japan’s increasingly expensive real estate. Over the next several decades such reactors, many several magnitudes larger, became common near coastal cities around the world.

After 56 years as a dominion, Cyprus became an independent republic within the Commonwealth of Nations (ComNat) on February 16. As before independence, Greek Cypriots dominated parliament but international observers hoped that safeguards within the island’s constitution would preserve the rights of Cyprus’s Turkish minority.

In March, representatives from nearly a dozen African nations met in Bloemfontein, South Africa to try an stay the growing illiberal tide of the AAA. Galvanized by the recent invasion of Guinea, they created a new collective security organization styled the Coalition for a Democratic Africa (CDA). While most of these nations were already members of ComNat, a few previously non-aligned nations joined including Liberia, Chad, and the Independent Congolese Republic. By the end of the year, nearly all of sub-Saharan Africa was divided between the AAA and CDA.

On April 24, the United Kingdom became the fifth nation to place a human in Earth orbit. Scottish astronaut Duncan MacFadyen circled the earth seven times after launching from the King Edward VIII ComNat Spaceport on the Australian island of New Britain.

In early June, Chinese conglomerate Yùmóu Technologies began selling dumplings with vat-grown pork to the general public. While these cultured meat products cost several times more than normal pork they were marketed as a novelty “food of the future.” Yùmóu Technologies hoped that with further developments prices would continue to drop eventually becoming competitive with traditional farm raised meats. While the taste was deemed comparable by most palates, many consumers remained highly suspicious. Certain animal rights groups hailed the development of synthetic meat as a positive step forward towards abolishing the slaughter of animals.

During the summer, the Fellowship of Nations (FoN) began negotiations for an new international treaty regulating military and commercial activities in outer space at its headquarters in Geneva.

In the United States, both the Lexington and Weicker corporations rolled out autonomous automobile “aut-aut” models for the mass market after lagging behind ambitious startups like Sentinel and VisQuest. Liberty Auto Company, which had to date failed to produce a successful aut-aut of its own, bought out Autotopia hoping to catch up.

On August 2, a joint venture by the American company Rockhopper Industries and Italy’s Astropulso conducted a sample return mission from a near earth asteroid. While only returning around 32kg of rock and metal, it served as a useful proof of concept for future asteroid mining. Moreover, Astropulso’s reusable rockets greatly reduced the cost of the operation, enhancing market viability.

In December, New Caledonia became the eighth state to join the Federation of Australia. Queen Victoria II and Australian Prime Minister Art Mylott attended the official ceremony at the state capital of Paddon Town.