Kaiserlich und Koeniglich Zeitung - 1910 and 1911 and 1912 too

[Borys]

Late September 1912
Following the deplorable events in Belgrade:

19 September 1912:  Belgrade

A column of pro-independence Serbians marching through Belgrade collides with a parade of pro-Hapsburger Serbians doing the same thing.  A brawl ensues along several adjacent streets, with cobblestones being thrown at both civilians and the Hapsburger cavalry who arrive to restore order.  This isn't fully accomplished until well into the next morning, by which time several dozen buildings have been set ablaze and at least forty people are dead.

rumor has been rife that the "Ausgleich" (Deal) with the Hugarians might be followed by a similar arragment with the Southern Slavs. The wildest ideas of arrangements for newly conquered sourthern lands are circulated.
Some - going by traditional Habsburger Catholicism - bring forth the idea of elevation of the Kingdom of Croatia to a status equal to that of Hungary, and expanding it to include Kraina, Dalmatia, Kustenland,  Bosnia, Mntenegor and Serbia. Other, pointing to highly visible pro-Orthodox ouvertures of the Emperor (attending Orthodox Mass!!!) mull over the resurrection of the Serbian Empire.
A part of supporters of either scheme are forwarding the name "Yugoslavia" for such a Great Croatian or Great Serbian concoction ...

[Borys]

Late September 1912
Amidst the outrage over the Ottoman use of gas, the Habsburg Government repeats its Will not to develop nor use such weapons. Military authorities will double the efforts put into anti-gas drill training, neglected in pre-war days. Deficiencies in anti-gas equipment of units in the field is being made good. 
Most of the officers guilty of negligence or oversight in this regard are dead or stuck down by the gas, but those who are combat worthy have been given temporary rank of Vize-Feldwebel* and put in command of Infantry Platoons on the Balkan Front.


* more or less Sargeant-Major

[Borys]

Late September 1912
The mood in Vienna and the Habsburg lands is mixed and expectant - after the elation of the early land battles and the naval battle of Kap Matapan, then the shock of the gas attack at Nish.

[Borys]

Late September 1912
Malta, La Valetta

The unusually early Autumn rains led to damage of earthworks involved with the expansion of the Naval Base. The urgency of these works was pointedly illustrated by the overcrowded harbour - the Habsburg and Iberian warships spilling over into the roads. Meh! One of the KKK's ships was too large to fit ANY of the drydocks of the ex-ACM base!

- "At this rate we won't get the job done for this war!"
- "There's no ^%$# way we can get it done for this war! Unless it lasts until Christmass of NEXT year, not this!"

At Pola the rains WERE expected, and did not cause any damage. Also, the works at the KKK's "mother base" were almost a year more advanced than those on the Island.

[Borys]

Late September 1912
Vienna
Meeting of VIPs

- "Any news on WHO sold the Turks that gas?"
- "None yes. But for the moment we can rule out Orange."
- "Concerning Orangers - it seems that our Amabassador there, the Gróf Lugosi Bela, finally showed - apart from throwing parties - and bought half a million gasmasks from them."
- "Damn twit! Waste of money! We already have all the gasmasks we need! The sooner the Citizenship Law comes fully into effect the better! No more will those [spits out word] CIVILIANS without experience of Service do such foollishness!
- "Much good would it had done here - gas became a weapon only a few years ago ... "
- "Back to gas and the gass passers - [hurr hurr from 100% male crowd] - that attack, and the Porte's insistence on eradiction of Christians from Asia leads me to support the view I myself ridiculed yet a fortnight ago - we should press to the Throne the case for the Final Solution of the Ottoman Problem."
- "What? What will Europe say?!?"
- "Fuck Europe."
- "But THINK - you brickhead - of the international implications? Look .... "

The heated dispute continued ever more heatedly into the Viennese night.

[Borys]

Ocober 1912
Amidst the celebretions of Victory over the Turk, few noticed, and even fewer cared about the grumblings from the North:

10/10 1912

The Baltic Confederation will hereby express its satisfaction whit the apparent end of
hostilities in the Balkans and the founding of a free and INDEPENDENT Greece,but will at the same time voice its deep concern over the prospect of the possibility of a Greece
being a Iberian "puppet-state",a prospect the Confederation have the greatest misgivings toward!
The Baltic Confederation would appreciate another choice as king of Greece than a Iberian Royal or a Hapsburg for that matter!

or Kiev:

10 th October, 1912

The official application of the Government of Ukraine

The government of Ukraine condemns the actions of Iberia and Austria on settlement of the conflict between these countries and Ottoman Empire and does not recognize probably erased independent states of Greece, Serbia and Montenegro. These countries have been isolated from territory of the Ottoman Empire and have broken a principle of integrity of the state.

In turn, Ukraine condoles Ottoman Empire and declares readiness in every possible way to support her by diplomatic, humanitarian and power resources which are available at the disposal of Kiev.

Signed
Knyas Kirill Romanov,
The Supremate Governor of Ukrainske Kniazestvo Velite

Signed
Knyaz Vladimir Romanov
The Governor of Poland, Belorussia and all Western Ukranean Provinces

[Borys]

Ocobter 1912
The Habsburg Monarchy wishes to express its gratitude and appreciation to the Monarchies and Republics which supported it, and its Iberian allies, in the just concluded war.
The Empire and Kingdom also expresses gratidue - in the name of its new Subjects to all - both Governemnts and Private Individuals - for Humanitarian Assistance provided to the populace of Balkans affected by the War.

[Borys]

October$November 1912

All over the Empire victory celebrations were taking place.
The was great rejoicing over the success of the Habsburg trops working together with the Iberian fleet.

Less upbeat activities were going at the War Ministry. The butcher's bill was heavy, much heavier than predicted. Even though quipped with state of the art weaponry, the hardware was not always put to best use - with doctrine (or its implementation) andtraining lagging behind technology and weapons. And the Turk was a skilled and imaginative foe. A case in point was field artillery - planning to be used for indirect firing, the pieces did not have shields. But on one hand the situatin did not always allow for indirect firing. On the other hand, the Ottomans used airborne spotters and there were several cases of coutnerbattery fire against out of LOS Austrian bateries. The result was the same - heavy losses among gun crews.

Many corps of the Heer had been bled white. The most affected were the Regular and Reserve units - as is only proper - but several Heimwehr formations also suffered heavily.

Heimwehr:
I Schlesien - 38%
II Nieder Osterreich
III Kraina
IV West Ungarn - 38%
V Mahren - 38%
VI Ober Ungarn - 56%
VII Ost Ungarn
VIII Bohmen - 19%
IX Sudeten - 56%
X Kleinpolen
XI Galizien
XII Siebenburgen
XIII Kroatien - 19%
XIV - vacant
XV Bosnia - 19%
XVI Banat
XVII Ober Osterreich

Landwehr:
2 LW Domobrani - Kroatia - 30%
3 LW Grenzers - Banat - 30%
4 LW Haidamak - 75%

Reichswehr:
2 RW Hoch und Deutschmeister & - Austria, Bohm, Mahren - 25%
3 RW Szent Istvan - Hungary - 25%
4 RW Feldherr - Schlesien, Kleinpolen, Galizien - 25%
5 RW Janos Hunyadi - Siebenburgen, Banat - 50%

In ackowledgement of the Sacrifice made by the brave Rusin and Polish soldiers of the Haidamak Korps, the Emperor traveled to Lviv for the celebrations and memory services. Homecomings of other korps with heavy losses were attended by other members of the Imperial and Royal family.

The KKK had suffered much less. In the one Fleet Action it had performed adequately, if not superbely. The debtate at the Marineamt was over the retirement of the oldest small cruisers - some of which remembered the previous century.

The naval parade off Pola was headed by the SMS Frankreich, for which the Balkan War was the fourth conflict it had participated in over the past 10 years - having missed out on one due to damage.

[Borys]

November 1912
Lwów, Lviv, Lemberg

After mass for the fallen had been concelebrated by the Ukranian Catholic Archbishop Andriy Sheptyckiy and the Roman Catholic Bishop Józef Bilczewski - the Emperor addresed the Troops in front of the assembled Populace.
In His speech, the Monarch Lauded the Courage and Steadfastness of the Soldiers, Who had shown an Union of Military Skill equal to that of Roman Legions and the Spirit and Dedication last seen in Early Christian Martyrs - the Ideal example of a Christian Soldier.

And confered upon the formation the title of Borderland Rifles - Striltsy Kresovi.

[Borys]

November 1912

After bringing data on losses and repair and replacement costs together, the costs of the Balkan War were found to be stagerring.
Some 130 million Crowns and over 10 million tonnes of steel*. 
Pencilled in schedules foresee army units being rebuilt over 4 years. The fleet, which had suffered comparatively much less, could be fully repaired over a year. Even a six month period is possible, if spending in other military related areas was slashed - e.g. susspending work on the Navy's two new battleships.


* 65,5$ and 10,9BP

[The Rock Doctor]

Large scale land wars are expensive propositions, it seems.

[P3D]

Looking at the total damage, you have to pay like 5-6 corps' worth to replace damaged equipment.

[Borys]

OOC
You are correct, P3D. Almost three Baseline corps' worth, and two and a half Advanced corps' worth.

[Borys]

November 1912

The Marineamt decided to gift one flotilla of "K" Torpedoboten to Greece. In 1913 these vessels will have double crews - Habsburg and Greek understudies, and will be fuly paid for by the Monarchy.
Full transfer to the Kingdom of the Hellenes wll take place in 1/1914.

[Borys]

November 1912

The Habsburg Monarchy makes it known, that in the first half of the year of our Lord 1913 high quality, military grade steel is available for sale. Interested parties are invited to contact the nearest Habsburg Legation.