KK Wiener Zeitung 3Q1904

[Borys]

 Various Austrian News

Over July and August the conscript corps gradually release all reservists and the class of 1901 (those who would be transfered to the Reserves in the autumn anyway). The purpose is for those men to go back to the economy, to get the harvest in. This does not apply to the corps on the French border and on Malta, where only reservists with prized skills are replaced by the new draft.

The class of 1904 is called up. As Habsburg lands are under under State of Siege law, no need for the Reichstag to approve the doubling of number of called up men. Instead of the mandated 180,000, this year the WHOLE class is called up - c.400,000 men. You have to be blind, deaf or crippled not to be drafted.

Training is simplified to marching, shooting, keeping kit in order.

As there has been constant movement of men in and out of units over the previous weeks, the gradual replacement of trained men by raw recruits is most likely to pass unnoticed.

Cavalry corps do not call up this exceptional number of recruits. Instead, corps number 2-5 call up the customary number, and transfer all volunteers (and horses for them) for long-term service to the 1st Dragoner Korps, which now becomes a Regular unit. The understrenght (lack of horses) corps 2 to 5 will not fight as whole entities, but provide small detachments assigned to various Infantry Corps for scouting purposes. Pretence of strenght is maintained, however, with weak squadrons parading under regimental banners.

The navy quietly switches to long term service as a whole, with all serving men being offered contracts. Those who decline will be discharged at the end of the State of Siege (whenever it might be).

The Reichstag is in summer recess, with many Envoys retiring to their estates getting the harvest in.

Practically the whole rail network has been regauged to Imperial.

Winter and Thaw damage assessment uncovered the population of Crown Lands to be over a million souls larger than estimated.

The last Brigade of the 2nd AL Korps is sent to Brasil, together with a further 2000 horseless cavalry men.
   
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Borys    
Posted: Jan 13 2007, 04:22 AM


Kaiser und Koenig Stefan
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Wien, Kriegsministerium, 15th July 1904

Following reports from Curitiba, orders have been given to send the 1st Kavallerie Korps to Brasil. It is to be followed by the Hoch und Deutschmeister Korps.
   
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Borys    
Posted: Jan 13 2007, 07:37 PM


Kaiser und Koenig Stefan
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Wien, Summer 1904

Common sentiment amongst the political elite:
- "Good that the Anchorage Incident has blown over. Maybe UKA and Rohan will turn their attention to the Anuhuac menace. And France is getting stranger by the day - with the Anuhuac puppet hiding in the bush, then WHO is ruling France?"
   
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Borys    
Posted: Jan 15 2007, 06:02 AM


Kaiser und Koenig Stefan
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Second half of July 1904

One Brigade of the 1st Kavallerie Korps was sent to Paranagua on the fast passanger ships on the 20th. Estimated date of arrival - August 3rd/5th.
With their speed they will manage another round run, arriving with another Brigade simulataneously with the slow convoy.
The balance of the Korps, on slow freighters, escorted by the Panzerkreuzers, left Pola on the 25th. Estimated date of arrival - September 6th/8th.
   
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Borys    
Posted: Jan 16 2007, 12:31 AM


Kaiser und Koenig Stefan
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Late July

Cable from Dubrovnik where the Imperial Family is on vacation, to Aloise von und zu Lichtenstein

Liebe Furst STOP go to Jena STOP contact Ernst Abbe STOP buy company or invite to Austria STOP Good Luck STOP Stefan
   
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Borys    
Posted: Jan 17 2007, 09:15 AM


Kaiser und Koenig Stefan
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Illustrierte Sports Beobachter

After news of the 5thnd place of the 04/4 Tatra entry in the African race, von Taxi made a gift of 5,000 Talars to the workshop. And 1,000 talars to the Skoda Gesselschaft for coming up with a finishing entry.
There are rumours of military interest in the Tatra vehicle.

EDITED AFTER CORRECT PLACES POINTED OUT
   
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Borys    
Posted: Jan 17 2007, 04:50 PM


Kaiser und Koenig Stefan
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Wien, Ballplatz, Summer of 1904

Imre Lengyel was in charge. Graf von Zamoyski, being the ordinatus of his family, was supervising his estates in both Galicia and Russian Poland.
His deputy now looked quizically at the two documents, one from the Konikrijk Nederlandse Ambassade, the other from the Manchu Legation.
- "How very unusual. I don't think there has been a precedent for this. Walking out on a possession like this ... And who is to greet the French? "Leave immediatelly" and "turn over to French when these arrive" are exclusive .. the brownie underlings? Anyway, I'll issue a guarded statement that Austria "understands the causes of the Manchu initiative and hopes for the best for everybody". Probably Franz in Peking has said words to that effect already. Let the Kaiser come up with something more definite - he wants to play his own Kanzler, then let him do some work ... "
   
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Borys    
Posted: Jan 19 2007, 06:02 AM


Kaiser und Koenig Stefan
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Early August, cable to Dubrovnik from Jena

Old man refused to sell or move STOP agreed to build factory in Austria STOP we must give land for factory and housing for workers STOP


answer
Liebe Furst STOP good work STOP land in Hermanstadt granted STOP
   
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swamphen    
Posted: Jan 19 2007, 09:26 PM


Großeadmiral Sumpfhühn
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QUOTE (Borys @ Jan 17 2007, 09:15 AM)
Illustrierte Sports Beobachter

After news of the 2nd place of the 04/4 Tatra entry in the African race, von Taxi made a gift of 5,000 Talars to the workshop.
There are rumours of military interest in the Tatra vehicle.

Er...actually that was 5th place. Rohan-Italy-DKB-Rohan-Austria.
   
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Borys    
Posted: Jan 22 2007, 07:31 AM


Kaiser und Koenig Stefan
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Group: Head of State
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Member No.: 72
Joined: 10-August 06



   
Early August, Ballplatz, Wien

Back from getting the harvest in and the family reunion at the Szczebrzeszyn hunting lodge, Graf Zamoyski was going through his "to do" pile.
He read the NS-EKA treaty and the later Rivendell accords. Smiled - "good - that silly little war is over". Then something struck his mind and he went back to the Treaty of Dodan. He scratched where it didn't itch - did the NS manage to pull off another fast one and and the Empress Gaburieru was - to use the Norman expression - "shafted"? He had a feeling that articles 2&3 of the Robinson-Higutchi (what outlandish names they've got over there) Agreement would had given him the sack, plus a High Treason case. He shuddered, remembering the executions of the officers and civil servants responsible for the "steel plate for buttons" scandal. He had been there - the Kaiser had "invited" him to come along to one of the dawn shootings. The emperor had said something on the lines "after sentencing them to death it is simply a matter of decency for Me to be at their execution". After that he had never thought about the monarch as "Stefan" again - it was always Kaiser.

He shook his head to go back to the here and now. SvalbRAd or SvalbARd - he never knew which one it was. Why not use the much simpler Spitzbergen, he mused. So the Turk was talking with the League about that place? Not that the Scandinavers had much say about it. Not legally, that is.

And what about the Indochina mess? Nagy's reaction was correct - he decided. The Kaiser took personal interest in relations with the Manchus, so let him decide. Now it was up to him to phrase "Good for them! Used to be their's anyway." in diplomatic language.
   
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Borys    
Posted: Jan 23 2007, 02:12 AM


Kaiser und Koenig Stefan
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Langyardalen, Spitzbergen, early August

John Munro Longyear, now Freiherr von und zu Langyardalen looked at the yellow flag with black two-headed eagle climbing up the pole. It waved briskly in the breeze coming from Langyarbyen. BOOM - went the 4 inch gun on the hill overlooking the fjord. The 40 Austrian soldiers with a funny clump of vegetation on their caps gave a hearty hurra. The workforce, mostly from the part of the Baltic League called Norge, looked upon indifferently.
He wondered what use will those Kaiserjaeger be - they and their very young looking Oberleutnant Morgenstern. They couldn't even ski! Although they were taking lessons on the nearest glacier. They did know their way about rocks and ice though - he had to admit. But still, at the moment he preferred to rely on his industral guards, a choice collection of pistol and club equipped ruffians from the gutters of various north European ports.

Work was progressing smoothly. They were now bringing out coal not by the pound, but by stone. The coaliers which will come after the ice receedes in March or April next year will not sail empty.

EDITED AND EXPANDED
   
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Borys    
Posted: Jan 25 2007, 04:19 PM


Kaiser und Koenig Stefan
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Various Habsburg news

20th August
Hermannstadt, Siebenburgen/Erdely
Representatives of the Karl Zeiss company were seen measuring out the land donated by the State Gov't. A spur of track will be built to connect it to the main line, already regauged. The rail connection of the town, both westwards to the Hungarian Plain and eastwards into the Szekelyfold - is expected to be upgraded to double track by end of Summer of 1905.

Now that regular communication with the rest of the cuntry had been restablished, several thousand Rumanian peasants from south Transylvania were called to honour their Pledges made during the Winter the Magyar Erdely Society. In return for a handsome sum, they agreed to sell their farms and leave Transylvania. Counting dependents some 15 thousand are expcted to leave this year, to Catanduanes in the Philippines. Schiffkarten were handed out to several thousand willing landless Rumananians too. The acquired lands will be sold at favourable rates to Szekler and Saxon farmers.


Pola
Following positive reports from the troops operating in Parana, the fast convoy to Brasil carried enough lances to equip every other trooper (twenty thousand or so). The lances, made of steel tubes over 2 metres long, inspired Habsburg cavalry to charge the enemy, not to dismount and snipe from behind cover. The spirit of Prinz Eugen and Furst Schwarzenberg is back!

Contrary to previous arrangments the fast convoy did not carry much cavalry. Instead it carried much more equipment, including sturdy buggies to carry the naval 0,433 heavy machine gun. And advance elements of the Hochunddeutschmeister Korps.
   
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Borys    
Posted: Jan 26 2007, 09:55 AM


Kaiser und Koenig Stefan
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Shoenbrunn Palast, Wien, mid September 1904

Stefan snorted. With amusement or exesperation he himself did not know.
- "That silly sod! That vain, pompuous, ultra snobish sod! Styling himself after Godfried of Bouillon. On an ELEPHANT!"
He snorted again.
- "The lengths some people will go for a title ... and if he pulls this off, I'll have to make him at least a Graf. But at least he put his own neck on the block, like a New Model Citizen should. Anyway, he was beyond reach of orders."
- Deus vult - he whispered.
The Emperor got up and headed for the chapel, where in solitude he prayed for Svetozar Boreovic and all the Kruezkrieger under his command.
   
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Borys    
Posted: Jan 31 2007, 03:32 PM


Kaiser und Koenig Stefan
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Joined: 10-August 06



   
Wien, late September 1904

- "Officially the French are not saying anything, but are sending the right signals. Tension is lower. One of the corps in ex-Switzerland seems to be moving away, while the readiness of others is going down."
- "Finally! But not much surprise - winter is not far off, and there is much of last year's snow. The fighting season will end in three or four weeks time anyway. By the way - I wonder how many men they lost during that stupid eyeballing over the winter ..."
- "Maybe, with an improvement of affairs on the French border, we finally could get 'round to reform the army?"


   
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Borys    
Posted: Feb 2 2007, 03:22 AM


Kaiser und Koenig Stefan
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Joined: 10-August 06



   
Wien, Kriegsministerium, Late September 1904


- "The French have withdrawn from the border. And they are offering us the use of the s/s Magificent to transport troops to Brasil!"
- "Magnifique! That ship is big enough to carry a whole Brigade - we shall send over one of the Hoch und Deuthmeister Brigades, to take part in the siege of the Anuhuac capital. The perversly named "Gilded one". And it would be nice to tell them what Svetozar is doing (hopefully WE know what he is doing) - it is their territory, after all" - the officer added with a smile worthy of Mona Lisa.
- "And we will be able to carry out the Neues Heer reform this year."

[Borys]

 Wien, late September 1904

KK Wiener Zeitung

Today the 166th Promotion of the Military Mariea-Theresie Order was held at Schonbrun. It was arranged at short notice due to the unexpected arrival of one of the recepients - Admiral Geon of the Marine National. The French Knight of the Order had saved the lives of about a thousand Habsburg sailors in the South Seas during the treacherous attack ...

***

- It is nice to be finally able to thank you in person for your actions, Herr Admiral.
- You are too kind, your Majesty.
- Please kneel, admiral.
- ... ?
- Please.
Sound of metal as Stefan unsheathed his sword.
- Here and now and forever more I make you Baron of the Austrian Empire - arise, Freiherr von Geon!