The Sundering - Breakup of the New Swiss

[Borys]

The reason of the sudden silence from New Switserland.

QUOTE
It began quite inauspiciously. When all appeared lost the Spanish enemy dissolved into Civil War, and the OR joined in to fight the Austrians. The Austrains where defeated in the Third Battle of Taiwan Strait and where forced to the peace table. Only the Chinese where left and victory appeared imminent. The NSEF was preparing for an invasion of the Phillipines and the NSN was ready for a showdown with the MK fleet. New Switzerland had like an Oak had wheathered everything the enemy had thrown at it and was now preparing its counterstroke. But what the wind and the storm couldn't do the lowly worm did.

It began with the Taal disaster in the Philipines. The resulting Tsunami and enemy action had savaged the Merchant Fleet. Public opinion was turning against the until that time victorious governement. The election of 1902. A force was working in the shadows. A new party, with "pacifistic" and "our people first" adagio, suddenly won a large number of posts in the election. What was not known was that this party was financed and organized by the enemy. Party members where new immigrants and victory was gained not through votes but throught questionable tactics. Despite the surprise victory everyting appeared normal.

The SSS had earlier that year uncovered the first pieces of information, but they where virtually powerless. If they would rectify the situation according to their ideas, democracy would be a mockery.
An outside power was involved, but who was it? Information was uncovered pointing to a number of different suspects. The Clipperton Plot, the French aid to Austria, the mysterious Agrival, the Pu Lun Protocols, the strange evidence found after the attack on the "Peace" Fleet. The picture was confused. Whoever it was the Swiss where powerless.

Secretly those few remaining members, of the 1898 Goverment, began to plan an evacuation. Tons of plans, gold, and materials secretly dissapeared. It was non too soon.

Black Thursday, it was to be called. The new "pacifist" party revealed its true face. Supported by an imported army of "Brown shirts" and by foreign help the members of the new party led a succesful coup. Alerted by the SSS the few loyal members prepared to flee. The New Goverment started a bloodless purge of the army. Hundreds of officers dissapeared into the mountains of New Switzerland. The Navy remained loyal to the old Goverment. The New Goverment ordered the ships surrendered, this order would lead to the greatest battle in NS history.

Small number of people had already started fleeing the new goverment. A convoy departed Phoenix a day before the order and the NSEF managed to escape from Olympia the next day. But the main fleet and another convoy was trapped in Phoenix harbor. The Forts guarding the harbor had been captured and the guns turned on the fleet. A force of "brownshirts" was on its way to the harbor to capture the ships. Surrounded the fleet decided to breakout. A large number of merchants managed to escape under the cover of darkness. The rest sailed at dawn covered by the bulk of the NSN.

The battle began as soon as the ships where spotted. Covered by the NSN the majority of the merchants escaped unscathed, but the warships where not so lucky. NSS Phoenix would go down in history for her part. Singlehanded she dueled with one of the forts. With 8" guns to the fort's 12 inchers she fought to the end. The lightly armored cruiser went down in flames, her battle ensign proudly flying, but not before her accurate fire had silenced the fort. The Phoenix was gone.

But despite the heroic actions of the NSS Phoenix and her crew, it was not her who made the most memorable seen in the battle. The NSS Constitution, partialy repaired, was the last ship to leave Phoenix. She too dueled with the forts and she too would go down in history. For the population of Phoenix she was to become the emblem of the end of an era. As she slowly left behind Phoenix a strange green fog was seen to envolve the ship. According to witnesses she vanished into history.
As she dissapeared a flash was seen, weather this was a shell striking her magazine or her last salvo was not known. But the picture taken of the last ship of the NSN vanishing into the fog was to become most famous.

The convoy arrrived safely in Hawaii a month later. Most of the ships where there, but conspiciously for their absence was Constitution, several other warship and a number of merchants. The fate of her and the other ships was to remain a mystery.

An underground movement was started in NS to fight the new goverment but it suddenly and mysteriously stopped. The new goverment was disliked but the people where powerless. Among them started a legend, that just before she dissapeared a signal was seen aboard Constitution. "I shall Return"


The same text is put into the New Switserland encyclopedia.
   
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P3D    
Posted: Sep 7 2006, 06:47 PM


Hegemon
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Any idea about the date of the coup? I transferred 3 CDBBs to NS by 1902 Q3 - the transfer would not have happened with these things happening.

It also makes one wonder about the NS overseas possessions...
   
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Maddox    
Posted: Sep 7 2006, 07:15 PM


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It wasn't a coup, but officialy a legal transfer of power in a fair election.
The internal struggle between governement and old legislature/Army/navy didn't become public to the rest of the world.

It's only now the full extend of the happenings is getting clear.
The only part that is still puzzling "Who is behind this all?"

If the 3 CCBB's are transfered, the new governement is very gratefull to the Orange Republic.

QUOTE
The People's Democratic Republic of Switzerland:
Goverment: Ogliarchy (under foreign control)
Territory: Japan
The Goverment if highly disliked but there have been no major uprisings. Has hardly any ships, but has a new army of mercenaries and foreign troops.



The lot of the colonies, as designed by Desertfox.

QUOTE
The United States of New Switzerland:
Goverment: Republic (The Old Goverment-in-exile)
Territory: All the remaining Islands (Andamans, Palau, Guam, Marianas, Carolines, Marshalls, Hawaii, etc) of NS and Anchorage.
Basiclly what remains of NS. The main sorce of revenue is commerce. Very similar to ACM but with a working goverment. Has the bulk of the NSN and the crack troops, plus most of the merchant marine.


QUOTE
The Republic of Korea:
Goverment: Benevolent Dictatorship
Territory: Korea, several small islands.
Under the control of Colonel Pranger. The Colonel is liked by his troops and tolerated by the population. Has most of the remaining NS Army and a small number of ships.


QUOTE
The Republic of Formosa:
Goverment: Democracy
Territory: Taiwan, Hainan
Formed after the collapse of NS. The people are united in their fear and hatred towards mainland China. Has most of the escaped veterans of the Chinese-Swiss War and a limited number of ships.


   
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Ithekro    
Posted: Sep 7 2006, 07:44 PM


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Hmmmm.

I wonder who or what should be done with the now NSS Hawaii, sitting in a Rohirrim yard awaiting a steam turbine...and of course the two or three Rohirrim ships also awaiting said engines. The second torpedo boat may or may not be transfered once completed in 1903.

Of course the ex-11 Anahuac Battleship is still getting rebuilt for the DBK.

(No. I'm not worried about the canal. That will go on.)
   
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Desertfox II    
Posted: Sep 7 2006, 08:33 PM


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The 3 CCBBs would be with the old Goverment now in exile. This Goverment would still be trying to continue any Treaties or deals done before the fall. The New Goverment is as of now a blank slate.

The dates, Im not sure of.

Basiclly what was known as NS is now based in Hawaii, while a new goverment using questionable tactics is in Japan.

Maddox ye forgot Australia!


Just to let you know, I shall Return! (with a different country biggrin.gif )
   
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Maddox    
Posted: Sep 7 2006, 08:35 PM


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OOC

I didn't forgot, just thinking about it.
   
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P3D    
Posted: Sep 7 2006, 10:48 PM


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The CDBBs went to the new government (after some negotiation). It was democratically elected, thus legitim and Orange respects the decision of the people of NS - even if the navy decided otherwise.

Orange apparently had to open 3 new embassies...
   
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Borys    
Posted: Sep 7 2006, 11:11 PM


Kaiser und Koenig Stefan
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Ahoj!
Interesting. So we got as NPCs
Old New Swiss - the maritime ones
New New Swiss - another bunch of reds?
Formosa
Korea

Yup, three embassies ...

Borys
   
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Earl822    
Posted: Sep 8 2006, 02:50 AM


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Mr Parsons of the UKA again offers to supply the appropriate turbines for the ships in Rohan requiring them. Also it is now imperitive I believe that old NS keeps it's possesions in Australia, as otherwise they have no HBP infrastructure at all.

   
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Phoenix    
Posted: Sep 8 2006, 07:23 AM


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You might notice the complete absence of the Middle Kingdom in this. My country won't even try to use the new situation to advantage, like taking the formerly disputed territories. Digging the Peace Canal won't stop, no invasions of the islands... just a smug fat dragon staying put and smirking at the disturbed anthills.
   
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Ithekro    
Posted: Sep 8 2006, 09:55 AM


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QUOTE
Interesting. So we got as NPCs
Old New Swiss - the maritime ones
New New Swiss - another bunch of reds?
Formosa
Korea


From the description I'd almost say the "New" New Switzerland is a Facist/National Socialist Party of sorts from the "brown shirts" comment.

Rohan will have ties to the two main governments at first, though contact with the other two will take longer. Fortunately the Non-aggression pact will be ending this year, and will not be renegotiated due to instability of the New Swiss nation. The canal shall proceed.

While Rohna finds the UKA's offer generous, they will decline at this time. Rohan has invested too much in foreign powers and be bitten each time. They are wary, lets say.
   
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Desertfox II    
Posted: Sep 8 2006, 11:49 AM


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Facists, Communists, it could be anybody. While they gained power legally, they are disliked by the general population.

Basiclly it explains why the mainland Swiss possesions fell so easily after resisting so long, and why the full invasion of the Phillipines never got underway.

As to the Heavy Factories perhaps they can be distributed evenly between the new and old goverments. The old Goverment did remove alot of material before the fall. That way both NPCs are equal.
QUOTE
Secretly those few remaining members, of the 1898 Goverment, began to plan an evacuation. Tons of plans, gold, and materials secretly dissapeared. It was non too soon.


BTW You might have to open another embassy.



   
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P3D    
Posted: Sep 8 2006, 12:13 PM


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Problem is I see no way that the USNS could maintain heavy factories on all those small islands, the Australian possessions should go to them. That would also solve the problem of lack of resources running all those factories (iron ore, coal, etc)
   
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Desertfox II    
Posted: Sep 8 2006, 01:44 PM


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Well the ACm had 8 Heaviy factories in the Azores. But I'll leave this one to maddox.
   
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Maddox    
Posted: Sep 8 2006, 01:54 PM


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This gets outside the topic; So I'll clean it up later.
But as the ACM heavy factories, at least 1 was located at Malta. 1 in Macao. So 6 left for the Azores and Bahama's.

With enough merchant ships, it is perfectly plausible to keep the factories going. But it isn't ideal.

As far as "everyone" knows, after the collapse of the ACM the Azores and Bahama's have the output of 2 HBP left.