1919 Bavarian News

[Kaiser Kirk]

  January 1919
Everyone agrees the last two weeks went well, and they should do it again.

January 3
Overseas reports are that President Wilson, of the Confederate States of America, has passed after a short illness on December 28th.  Vice President Hoover has legally taken the reins of power. The Bavarian consul will represent

January 10
The Ukrainian Ambassador has returned to Munich and been accepted as credentialed.

February 1919
February 3
The Palace has announed the passing of Queen Maria Theresia Henriette Dorothee of Austria-Este. Her Majesty passed in the early hours of the morning after a short taking ill after a sliegh ride in the snow this week.  

Her Majesty was the only child of Archduke Ferdinand Karl, Archduke of Austria-Este and Duke of Modena and his wife Elisabeth Franziska Maria, Archduchess of Austria, Princess of Hungary and Bohemia.  Her Majesty was also the legitimate claiment to the Jacobite claim to the crown of Scotland, since conquered by the Dutch. This claim now falls to her eldest child, Crown Prince Rupprecht. Her Majesty is survived by His Majesty and their children and grandchildren.

The Palace will announce plans for the funeral procession and ceremony in the morning.

February 7th
The Foreign Ministry confirms reports from the Kingdom of Rumania indicate that a suspicious explosion has claimed the life of their King and devastated the town of Varna. Reports indicate that a munitions depot suffered catastrophic failure with the resultant blast flattening the adjoining town and sinking the battleship Czarania at her moorings. The Rumanian King Cronalin is said to be among those missing.

Princess Flowranis has reportedly siezed on the chaos to stage a coup d'état and Crown herself Empress Flowranis. The Foreign Ministry reports that this is not believed in accordance with Rumanian law or custom, and as such the government will not be recognized until details become clear.

The Foreign Ministry reports that several countries have pledged aid, and it is expected that the Green Cross facilities in Udine will assist, but there will be no formal Bavarian effort.   It is understood the DKB battleship S.M.S. Königsland , recently completed in Venice, will be dispatched.


March 1919

March 5
The Death of Cyril of Ukraine has triggered his last command, the re-institution of Royal Elections. An ancient tradition in the former Polish-Lithuanian commonwealth, they were frequently subject to intense meddling by outside influences, who often resorted to bribery. The famed 1791 constitution abolished these in favor of a heireditary monarch to avoid just these problems.

April 1919

April 2
The Ukrainian Nation announces that the village of Baluchyn will be the location were the election take place.   King Frederich Augustus III of Saxony is said to be prepared to travel to the location.  A troop of the Uhlans will accompany, as well Count Czartoryski of Kattowice.  The Kings heir Georg is still busy in Rome and will not attend.

April 8
Reports from the Italian town of San Remo confirm that a raid by parties unknown, but presumed sinster, has freed the Pirate Sparrow.  Mr. Sparrow was on trial in San Remo for Piracy. There is no word on the current location of his whereabouts, nor of whom would be interested in aiding him.

April 13
The Italian Emporer, Emperor Armedo Camilla , addressed the Italian Senate yesterday. The text of the speech has been made public.  The topic of the speech was apparent treaty violations by New Zion, which has received miliatary aid and comfort from the New Swiss. The Emporer also referred to an apparent offer of alliance, one which would be barred by the peace treaty.  The failure of New Zion to comply with the terms of the treaty which ended the war has been obvious for some time, but to import New Swiss Arms and advisors merely presents the appearance that they using the treaty as a shield to rearm behind.

[Kaiser Kirk]

May

The Admiralty has announced plans for the cruisers Breslau and Liepzig to make goodwill tours. The Breslau will proceed west around the Mediterranean, while the Liepzig  will take an easterly journey. The cruisers will call on local ports along the way. Once Gibraltar is reached, Breslau will call on Barcelona prior to returning to Trieste.  Once past the Levant, Liepzig will continue through to the Red Sea and call in Gujarat prior to returning to Trieste.

June
The Foreign Ministry has issued a formal statement regarding the Dar Es Salaam conference :  The forth coming conference is a sign of hope.  The apparent failure of New Zion to fully comply  with it's obligations under the peace accords can be discussed in a rational manner, with the custodial nations present. The Empire of Italia may

June 25th,
By order of the King, the Bavarian Foreign Ministry grants a diplomatic passport to Prinzessin Viktoria Luise and attendants.


July
July 1st
The Foreign Ministry issues a statement "The Kingdom of Bavaria and Schweiz has no direct interest in the renewed conflict. The Empire of Italia is the aggrieved party, as New Zion appears to have been in breach of the peace accords. Trade with belligerents other than the Empire of Italia will be subject to potential restrictions. In the event a blockade against New Zion is established, Bavarian shipping will be instructed to respect such.

[ledeper]

Once past the Levant, Liepzig will continue through to the Red Sea and call in Gujarat prior to returning to Trieste.

The Esc will hereby invite Leipzig to participate in a joint exercise with the Gujarat squadron.

[Kaiser Kirk]

Once past the Levant, Liepzig will continue through to the Red Sea and call in Gujarat prior to returning to Trieste.

The Esc will hereby invite Leipzig to participate in a joint exercise with the Gujarat squadron.

Most certainly.

[Kaiser Kirk]

July 1st
Propaganda ads commissioned by the New Zionite Consul, designed to incite a proportion of Bavaria's citizenry, are rejected. A formal protest is lodged. It is noted that this is the second such occurance. Further chicanery on the part of New Zion's diplomatic personal will result in revocation of credentials and expulsion.

The ministry of the interior directs that local police forces are to post a police guard at synagogues to deter opportunistic backlash at international news.

[Kaiser Kirk]

  July 3rd

The 2nd annual Caldera cup commenced today in Venice. The Duke and Duchess of Friuli are in attendance, as are two planes from Friedrichshaven.

July 5th
The 2nd annual Caldera cup closed today after three days of thrilling air races. The victor was Manuel Bardaji, flying an Avianco de Caracas AC-5. The FF43 managed a respectable 5th place out of an original field of 14.

July 15
The War Ministry has announced that the cruiser Leipzig will be delayed in returning to Trieste. The Leipzig is currently in Gujarat and will remain there  through the fall. The Leipzig will continue to familiarize herself with working alongside ESC vessels and will participate in the fall exercises.

July 30th
Newspapers in Rome are reporting the entry of the New Swiss into the Italia-New Zion war. Over 100 Swiss warships entered the Rift Sea, provoking the Battle of Tadjoura Strait.  The New Swiss fled to the besieged city of Eilat

August 1st
Newspapers in Rome are reporting that the New Swiss have resorted to Chemical warfare in a vain attempt to break the siege of Eilat. The Legions of Italia have not reportedly retalitiated in kind.

August 26th
Reports from Italia of recent violent actions by Zionist sympathisers against Churches, including vandalizing, has been met with outrage in much of this Kingdom.

August 27th
Reports from Italia of Citizens seeking vengeance against Zionist symbols include violence in Venice. Police  authorities in this Kingdom remain on increased patrols around synagoges. Reports from  Zwickau,  of eggs being thrown and windows broken at a synagoge, are the only reports of violence. Due to the heavy Lutheran population of Zwickau, police patrols had been sent home at nightfall.

August 29th
Papers throughout the Kingdom of Bavaria reprint the content of Pope Gregory XVII's missive of tolerance.  In Dresden, Friedrich Christian, Margrave of Meissen and 2nd in line to the Saxon crown, announced that he would be traveling to Zwickau in the morning, where he will tour the Synagoge damaged there and fund it's refurbishment. He is quoted as saying "Prince Georg has observed that while we disagree as to the son, the Zionists and ourselves agree on the Father, and it was the Father's house that was damaged. That can not stand."

September 5th
The reports of vessels encountering Mines off the coast of Genoa causes widespread concern among the families of Merchant seaman. The failure of belligerants to disclose mining operations and the potential for non belligerants to be caught by these fields causes local captains some discomfort.

September 14th
The recent closure of the port of Genoa by mines coincides with reports of shipping being sunk by mines in the Straits of Gibralter.  Insurance rates charged in Trieste have moved upwards slowly over the past week. There is concern and speculation that the mouth of the Adriatic may be subject to mining, given that it controls access to half of Italia's ports and virtually all of the Hapsburgs.

September 16th  
The sinking of the Nuetral Dutch Liner, the Piet Heim , features prominantly in many newspapers. The vessel is clearly not a belligerant, and yet was indiscrimately sunk off the coast of Nice with no warning.

In other news, the peace conference in Paris has reportedly been unsucessful. War is expected to resume in New Zion.

September 19th  

The Foreign Ministery of War issued a statement to the press :

"The recent rogue mining operations in the Medeterrainian are unacceptable threats to the mercantile interests of parties not involved in the New Zion war.  Free floating mines by nature can not stop and search merchants, nor rescue crews, nor be aimed only at vessels flagged by combattants. This Kingdom views the  use of undeclared minefields outside the field of war as a matter of attempted murder and piracy. Should any individuals be aprehended with indications they have been engaged in this effort, they will be subject to the appropriate laws, regardless of who's flag underwhich they operate. "

September 23rd

The War Ministry issued an announcement today

The first and second Minewarfare flotillas will commence operations in the Adriatic. The First flottilla will operate in the upper Adriatic, the second will operate past the Straits of Otranto. Support will be provided by the tender Kliene Brauerei . The Flotillas will operate in conjuction with Hapsburg and Italia authorities, and rely on ports in those realms in an effort to provide mercantile protection for vessels of all nations,  not just those bearing the Bavarian, Green Cross and Friuli flags.

The Trieste Parsifals will support the cruiser Ausberg and Baden-Baden in patrols in the Adriatic, while the cruisers Breslau and Udine shall deploy to the eastern Medeterrainian. These vessels will observe mercantile traffic and search for piritacal vessels.

The Nachtjaeger squadron will discontinue night training activities and stand down.
(Budgetwise, this saves $0.09375, while the additional mobilizations cost 0.1005, I'm going to fudge the  0.00675 difference)

[Kaiser Kirk]

September 28th
The War Ministry issued a statement today regarding the announced deployments.
The 2nd minewarfare flotilla, attended by the tender Kliene Brauerei shall continue from the Straits of Otranto onto Sicily and along the northern shore of Afrika to Gibraltar. The flotilla is expected to arrive October 6th. Once they have completed recoaling and taking on stores, , the flotilla will support the Iberian Armada in keeping the Straits of Gibraltar safe for international mercantile traffic.

The 1st minewarefare flotilla shall take up station at the Straits of Otranto, and keep that area swept such that mercantile traffic may ascend the Adriatic towards Trieste. The announced patrols of the cruisers and the Parsifals shall continue.

[Kaiser Kirk]

OOC : Apologize for the tardy news, but was awaiting events and discussions regarding the Ukraine, as well as developments in the China war....then my computer went down, I went on vacation, and then I was busy. So a bit of catch up over the next several days

(flashback to Summer )

Newspaper reports of the results of the Ukrainian election of a new Monarch, a young unknown peasant girl named were received with some surprise throughout much of the Kingdom. In portions of the Grand Duchy of Silesia, the news was poorly received by many ethnic Poles.

In the Polish dominated County of Katowice, the news of the Election of Margita in the Grand Cathedral of Kiev became the catalyst for an unhappy gathering in the city. 

Prince Czartoryski, Count of Katowice, addressed an agitated assemblage, calling the new Ukrainian monarch "A mere slip of a girl, an obvious pawn of the Great Ukrainian nobles which will be a figurehead behind which they will continue their exploitation of our brethren". These words, and his speech following, were met by repeated cheering. 

The Czartoryskis were long a a preeminent family in the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth, with high standings in the Wettin Courts and were related to the last legitimate* Commonwealth King, Stanis?aw August Poniatowski,

The Prince observed that under the Constitution of May 3 1791, the election of Kings had been disbanded after the passing of King Stanis?aw August Poniatowski, the throne was to be made hereditary and Frederick Augustus I of Saxony, of the House of Wettin, which had provided two of Poland's recent elective kings.

The Princes speech reminded the crowd of the events that saw the Ukrainians gain political dominance in the commonwealth* and closed with "Go home and remember that here in the High Kingdom we are free to be Polish, to practice our customs, speak our languages, and follow Mother Church, but our brethren across the border, in our ancient homelands do not enjoy the same liberties, remember the Constitution of  May 3rd. Times change, the Ukrainians crumble, we, united, shall seek reprieve for our brethren !"

The Bavarian Foreign Ministry had only this comment :
"The Political expressions of a member of the Senate** are personal in nature and do not reflect the foreign policy of this Realm.

Examination of the extant laws of the Ukraine does not support the notion that the late Monarch had authority to order succession by election. Given the questionable legality, the lack of transparency in the election and the doubts regarding the qualifications and independence of the Monarch, the High Kingdom of Bavaria declines to recognize the results as valid at this time.



*Presuming the May 3rd Constitution was the last valid Consitution. What exactly happened after, I don't rightly know. The current "Ukraine" is approximately the area of the Commonwealth after the first partition of  1772. But I am presuming that instead of the 2rd partition of the Commonwealth in 1793, Russian intervention led to Cyril's family on a Ukrainian throne. Thus the 3rd partition of 1795 and the absorption of the commonwealth never occurred as a Romanov sat on the throne.
** The Bavarian high chamber, of which the sitting Count of Katowice is a member.

Sometime in August

The arrival of King Frederick of Saxony in Katowice was occasion for a parade as throngs of people came to greet the King's return from the Ukraine.  The King's railroad car had been delayed in Warsaw and Piortrikow by similar crowds, until dispersed by Ukrainian troops.

The populace of disparate parts of the Ukraine continue to be restless in the weeks before the coronation in Kiev.

The High Kingdom of Bavaria has declined to send a representative to the Ukrainian Coronation, but it is understood the Kingdom of Württemberg will send Crown Prince Philipp Albrecht to attend the September 1st event. 

[Kaiser Kirk]

September 15th
The Bavarian Foreign Ministry, in response to inquiries from the Press, confirmed that the Kingdom has yet to officially recognize either the Romanian Government or the Government of the Ukraine.
"His Majesty, High King Ludwig, has declined to recognize the current Monarchs of Romania or the Ukraine. His Majesty has inquired as to the legal standings of the monarchs of those nations.

Legal scholars have observed that as Romania is bound to salic law,  As salic law does not include females in the line of succession, Princess Flowranis  is not eligible to serve as Monarch. To quote "from male to male through primogeniture and perpetually excluding women and their descendants ". The dissolution of the Romanian congress and seizing of the crown are not within the parameters of the Romanian constitution.  As such her actions in taking the crown can only be viewed as a coup.

Legal scholars have also protested the decision by the government of the Velike Kniazistvo Ukrainske to elect a monarch. The absolute monarchy of Czar Cyril Romanov and his predecessors was not built on the foundation of a new constitution, rather proceeded by ignoring the last constitution of May 3, 1791. Simple application of martial force lay behind the dictates of the Czars. Separation movements had been prevented by imprisoning reformers, progressives and constitutionalists.

The ad hoc creation of democratic government councils after Czar Cyrils would not appear to have standing to elect a new monarch without first passing a constitution which allowed such.  As the existing constitution disallowed election of monarchs, the election of the peasent Margita would not  appear to be valid.

The High Kingdom of Bavaria is not in the habit of granting recognition to new governments established by questionable legal means.  The Foreign Ministry allows that at some future time, the current monarchs of the Ukraine and Romania may be recognized as defacto and thus legitimate, but it is the choice of this Kingdom not to extend recognition to these regimes at this time.

September 20th, 1919
Crown Prince Rupprecht of Bavaria accompanied Prinzessin Viktoria Luise of the DKB to the opening ceremonies of Munich's Oktoberfest at the Theresienwiese   The Prinzessin, an honored guest in this Kingdom, was invited to cut the ribbon signaling the opening of the Bräurosl beer hall  The Prince and Prinzessin toasted the fortunes of our respective Kingdoms and downed the first official beers.

Late September:
Ratification of the Russo-Dutch Agreement is announced. Trade with the Baltic region has already expanded as a result of the Arnhem treaty, and general the reliance on Dutch freighter and mercantile houses for export trade means this is expected to have a secondary effect on Bavarian trade by easing transit to the Far East. 

With the expansion of Russian overseas trade, which this treaty will undoubtedly assist, Russian involvement beyond her borders will increase. Russia has recently called for a meeting of Nations to discuss the massive disruption of trade and loss of valuable merchant cargos and lives caused by such conflicts as the Rift war.  Pundits within Bavaria have noted that as the High Kingdoms trade grows, so do the concerns of her merchant houses about events across the world.

October

Oktoberfest 5th, 1919
The end of Oktoberfest was blearily acknowledged in Bavaria, as festival participants stumbled home.

[damocles]

Interesting.
 

[TexanCowboy]

September 15th
The Bavarian Foreign Ministry, in response to inquiries from the Press, confirmed that the Kingdom has yet to officially recognize either the Romanian Government or the Government of the Ukraine.
"His Majesty, High King Ludwig, has declined to recognize the current Monarchs of Romania or the Ukraine. His Majesty has inquired as to the legal standings of the monarchs of those nations.

Legal scholars have observed that as Romania is bound to salic law,  As salic law does not include females in the line of succession, Princess Flowranis  is not eligible to serve as Monarch. To quote "from male to male through primogeniture and perpetually excluding women and their descendants ". The dissolution of the Romanian congress and seizing of the crown are not within the parameters of the Romanian constitution.  As such her actions in taking the crown can only be viewed as a coup.

Quite amusing that this is one of the first times it's been mentioned. That is partially correct, anyways. Technically, she assumed control when her brother died, but another election should have been held by now....Polish system is quite confusing. :)

[Kaiser Kirk]

OOC : At the time, I was bemused by the rapid acceptance of the Princess.  At the time Bavarian relations with Romania were non-existant, so I made little fuss. Though I did note it in my February news.

Since then Romania has made some overtures, but this situation is why I think Lugwig II, old Monarch he is, would frown on endorsing the Princess. This piece publically outlines that.

Of course the notion overall comes from Tex's own post , abbreviated here :

In the Imperial Palace
Febuary 4th
4:56 P.M.

Dissolve the congress. I will be taking over the reign of the goverment until the entire emergancy has passed.

Your majesty, that's illegal according to the law!

I don't care what it is. You shouldn't either, unless you want to be counting vampires in the mountains. I will have my revenge on whomever took my brother from me.

Yes, your majesty...

While Tex didn't specify why it was illegal- or even if he was referring to the dissolution of congress or the assumption of the crown, the 1866 constitution should have been in force and that's what I quoted- she's simply not in the line of succession.

[TexanCowboy]

Your reasoning is correct, good sir. Now, by now, something formalizing it ought to have taken place, but most of the nobles are pawns right now....

[Kaiser Kirk]

I thought her declaring herself Empress was "formalizing it"  :)

[TexanCowboy]

Formalizing the formalizing?  ;)