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| The Imperial Falcon Rises; Austria expands into the Balkans | |
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| Topic Started: Sep 9 2014, 04:42 PM (1,271 Views) | |
| Whal | Sep 9 2014, 04:42 PM Post #1 |
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"Life is too short to be wasted on bad scotch"
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A growing tension had been building inside Austria and her holdings the past several days. As was per the usual, the Average Austrian walked to and fro from his home and place of work oblivious to the impeding storm clouds on the horizon. For the older generation, it was much more relaxing to bury one's head in one's work or family than to dwell on the machinations of the monarchy; quite simply, many of those who had lived through the Dominion and after years had realized the futility in attempting to wrap their heads around what might come next out of the dark. However, this was not the case for everyone inside the new Empire. The Austrian youth, whole droves of politically minded and patriotic adolescents, freshly educated through Austrian places of learning or rendered ambitious from the prospects of entering adulthood in a world the Archduke claimed "lied at their feet", were preparing for a great chapter in their lives unparalleled in most places - an impending conflict. Few years of abrupt economic prosperity coupled with a growing sense of rampant nationalism had convinced many adolescents inside the Empire that only great things would be to come from Austrian expansion, and no one doubted that such a thing was coming. As government rhetoric heated up against Slavic aggression in the southeastern lands, and danger from terrorism and communism flooded the TV screens, magazines, and mouths of talk-show hosts, the Austrian condition of the time was war preparedness. No one emphasized this new ideology more than the impressionable Austrian youth. Intelligent university students, ambitious military cadets, hardworking children of the working class, all fervently patriotic and all indoctrinated under the semi-fascist shadow of the Austrian state system headed by the Habsburg Monarchy. On the opposite side of the spectrum lay the individuals labeled "troublemakers" by the Austrian security apparatus. Non-Austrians (Slavs), criminals, dissenters, heretics, anti-war advocates, homosexuals, communists and other political dissidents, all outcasts denied true membership inside the "New World Order" seemingly forwarded by the Archduke's new Austria. The "Good Austrian" learned to fear the Ausländer - the job stealer, the rapist, the terrorist, the wolf in sheep's clothing. Not only were most of these poor souls constantly sought out and profiled by their neighbors, they garnered the unwanted attention of the RSD and the Gendarmerie. Cunning and properly funded and supplied, both facets of the Austrian secret police operated inside the empire with impunity. Seizing people from their homes in the dead of night, torturing and "disappearing" dissenters, crowding the Stalags with the perceivable trash of Austrian society, the RSD represented the bane of the voiceless and oppressed inside the Holy Empire. While the small, yet determined Austrian underground movement continued to reach out to these people, they were often powerless to protect them from the ever watchful eyes and grasping claws of the State. As the storm clouds of war rumbled overhead, the Ausländer lamented at the realization that his hiding places around Austria's borders looked as though they'd soon be hunting grounds for the Imperial falcon. Truthfully, despite the troubles of few, the situation for the average Austrian appeared to be divinely blessed. The Archduke's job reforms placed many working class individuals in jobs conveniently set up under his still unfolding "3 year plan," whilst the growingly equipped Imperial Reichswehr stood poised to extend Austrian greatness into the surrounding area. As luxuries and commodities alike flooded the streets of the empire, Austrians accepted the heavy-handed but gracious touch of the Monarchy even as it ripped more and more socio-political freedoms from their open palms. Especially within the military, likely a result of the impending showdown with Translava, freedoms of choice and reason were quickly becoming evaporated. All Austrian soldiers, devoid of political opinions or religious affiliations, were forced to undertake the newly implemented oath of service. Many, arguable too many, did so readily. "I swear by God this sacred oath: That I shall render unwavering obedience to Karl II Archduke and leader of the Austrian Empire and people Supreme Commander of the Reichswehr And that I shall be willing at all times, as a brave soldier, to give my life for this oath...." As the words of unconditional servitude left the lips of countless soldiers, many forgot or simply neglected the historic parallel of the oath to the ones uttered by Germans under the Nazi war machine during the Second World War. Their folly during basic training would become apparent to some during their service in the years to come, but for many it would come too late or shockingly not at all. Such is the dichotomy of ignorance and fear under totalitarianism. While for many the good times of the present represented little more than a few extra reichsmarks in their pockets, for Karl II of Austria it was an opportunity of a life time - the very catalyst needed to propel his Austria back to the glory days of old. The fates of Zagreb, Sarajevo, Belgrade, Bucharest, and eventually Prague would follow that of Ljubljana and Budapest - inclusion into the greater sphere of Austrian dominance. Their concert halls, opera houses, works of art, and industrial facilities would be headed and enjoyed by Austrians the way it had been under the empire of old. With one of Europe's most sophisticated and ambitious populations behind him, the Archduke, the Kaiser of Austria, would usher them into a new era of peace and prosperity. Only the countless hordes of barbarous, backwards Slavs stood in the way of Austrian greatness in the Balkans and their principle agent of aggression, Translava, would provide the Archduke his excuse. Since their arrival on the international stage, Translava had subverted Austrian (among others') plans inside the Balkans at every turn. In Austria itself, they had orchestrated a string of dastardly effective bombings which orchestrated the first conflict between both parties. In Slovenia, the result of the events of "Black Sunday", Translava had resisted Austrian attempts to dislodge terrorism close to its borders, but also to block further Austrian encroachment in the region. In Hungary, they assisted in the resistance of a different people, the Magyars, against Austrian and Marslavan (another Slavic power) dominance, but there too they had failed. However, the organization refused to back down and with the assistance of weapons supplied by their new partners, the Grand Duchy of Marslava, orchestrated further attacks against Austrians in the disputed Croatian region of Plesivica. However, Croatia was like other past theaters of contention with Austria - it lacked a substantial percentage of sympathetic Slavs. While some Croatian communists had and continue to act as mercenary forces for the organization, any Austrian invasion would likely uproot the terror group from such a region too. Even as Austrian forces amassed on the border, Croatian Habsburg sympathizers began organizing and forming their own paramilitary groups to assist in the organization's destruction. On the day of the ceasefire rejection, Croatian "Royalists", as they were deemed, launched a surprise raid against Translava supporters in the city of Sisak officially beginning a turbulent period of civil unrest which would then spread across the entire country. Two days later, across the border, Austrian news outlets broadcasted a national address by the Archduke pledging to "assist the Croatian people in eradicating Slavic aggression." At the end of his address, the Archduke emphatically declared to his people that Austria was now at war. In little over an hour, at exactly 12 AM, two columns from the 7th Feldarmie left there bases in Rijecka and crossed the border into unoccupied Croatia. With dual objectives of capturing the city of Split in the south and liberating Zagreb in the North, the Austrians advanced into a virtually unfamilair land and started a war. Edited by Whal, Sep 9 2014, 07:39 PM.
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| Alberto | Sep 10 2014, 01:56 PM Post #2 |
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Resident Italian
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Prague, Palace von Wallerstein The Grand Duke Otokar Premysl was a very keen fencer. He had practised that sport since his childhood, but had come to appreciate it only at a later stage, when he became a cadet in the Ducal Guard. On the piste, the Grand Duke's technique was decent but not exceptional. Indeed, his strengths lied somewhere else. He had an excellent sense of distance, in other words he felt very well when his blade would reach the target and when it wouldn't, and whether the adversary would be able to parry. But, more importantly, he had patience and could wait indefinitely for the right time to strike, after having placed himself at the distance he desired. The way in which the Grand Duke fenced was a consequence of those characteristics he exhibited as a sovereign: he was not flamboyant nor genial, but he had self-control and patience on his side. It was a good coincidence that his sparring partner was Marslava's prime minister, and national hero, Vladislav Clementis. This time, the two men's bout was interrupted by one staffman of the Ducal Palace, who brought with him the worrying news of an Austrian invasion of Croatia. The two men were extremely surprised by those news: certainly, they expected Austria to expand, but they did not think that its leaders would make such a step so soon. In anyway, the information that reached the Grand Duke revealed that Austrian forces were swiftly taking control of Croatia and exploited with ability the divisions that hampered the Croatian people. Moreover, the news had caused a wave of panic in Serbia, whose sovereign had decreed general mobilization and was requesting Marslavan assistance. The Foreign Minister, Zvitomir Slavnik, and the Defence Minister, Dr Anton Markovic, were immediately summoned by the Grand Duke. For around one year, both the rulers and the people of Marslava had looked with dismay at the evolution of Austria from a liberal democracy to a totalitarian state. The few lucky Austrian dissidents who made it to Marslava confirmed rumors of growing militarization, xenophobia and concentration camps where people died by the hundreds. Besides, the Archduke's declarations clearly showed an intention to subdue all the Balkans to Austrian control. Marslava, its government and its people had so learnt to fear and despise the Austrian rulers, its people, and all what Austria stood for. This did not however mean that Marslavans were willing to go to war against their neighbours - not yet. "Gentlemen" initiated calmly the Grand Duke "what is happening now in Croatia is for me the start of a larger surge by Austria. However, while it is extremely worrying, this is not a conflict we want to escalate. After all " he continued "our relations with Croatia were scarce. Moreover, the Parliament would hardly allow a war to happen over Croatia. This said, the Habsburg dinasty is clearly not going to stop with Croatia: it will not stop until Marslava will have fallen." He took a look at the ministers with him, who were now being sat around a modest table, in a very small backroom. "What do you suggest?" he finally asked. Zvitomir Slavnik, who notoriously detested everything German, had a clear answer in mind:"Austria must be stopped now when it is not strong enough to attack Marslava directly. To that end we must step up our support to Translava. Let's supply directly weapons to Translava, without passing through Belgrade. We must also deliver to them more sophisticated land-to-air missile systems. This would nullify Austria's air dominance." Vladislav Clementis, the Prime Minister, had a very different opinion from Slavnik's. A commoner and democratic activist, he was not going to second any such solution. "No" he started "this time I disagree with Zvitomir" "Are you going to let Austria annex Croatia without moving a finger?" asked, annoyed, the aristocratic foreign minister. "This is a matter for the international community" replied Clementis "at this stage, what we should do is to attract their attention to the issue, discredit the Austrian government and make the world sympathetic to the Slavic cause. ICON is an ideal forum for that and we could even try to bring the case before the International High Court. You should know it, as Marslava's foreign minister!" Markovic agreed. "Austria has already many enemies in Europe. Internationalizing the issue might be a good idea". It is ironical, thought briefly the Grand Duke, where a foreign minister incites conflict and a defense minister talks about international organizations. "Vladislav is right" he said referring to the Prime Minister "but I do not think that the international community can deter Austria. Rather, we should put the international community against Austria, so that Marslava may be given a mandate to uproot the Habsburg threat." Zvitomir of the Slavniks was not convinced, but this time he felt that the Grand Duke's word was final. "Right, my ministry will denounce Austria's behaviour in ICON and bring a case against them in the International High Court" he conceded.
Edited by Alberto, Sep 10 2014, 01:57 PM.
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| Whal | Sep 10 2014, 05:24 PM Post #3 |
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"Life is too short to be wasted on bad scotch"
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State Opera House, Vienna.. The brewing war within Croatia seemed little more than an afterthought to the wealthy patrons of Vienna's most famed nightly entertainment center. The Vienna Staatsoper, world famous for its expert renditions of Wagner, Brahms, and Handel, presented Austria's wealthiest citizens with a taste of the life they'd all soon enjoy daily with the final victory. Even as bombs fell or rifles cracked in far away places, the average Austrian was pampered with the elegant voices of radio sweethearts and the succulent tastes of the finest foods. Indeed, the good life was operating alive and well inside the Austrian capital. The nightly spectacle at the opera tonight was not particularly any different from any of the other previous nights of the week. The building opened for its guests at noon for matinées, alcoholic drinks were handed out by waiters regularly, and the expertly showmanship of the performers and the sweet sound of music continued uninterrupted until the final performance. The only occurrence which seemed to be out of the ordinary was an impromptu and unannounced attendance by the Archduke and some of his inner circle. While not a shocking experience in the slightest, as the Archduke often travelled quietly, the venue usually fit the characterizes of a place the illustrious monarch would announce his presence ahead of time; posing for photographs, talking with notables, and shaking the hands of the people all were common publicity stunts the Archduke rarely passed by willingly. This time, however, the country's most beloved leader entered the establishment from the back and occupied a pew far to the left away from prying eyes. There, far away from view and out of ear shot, Karl von Habsburg II attempted to take in the beauty of a young tenor's soothing voice as he belted a solo. All around him his two compatriots continued to argue the only thing which had been on their minds all day - the Marslavan's. The Archduke winced as the Reichskanzler, Duke Jurgen von Pless, and Minister of International Affairs, Duke Albert Zalesky II bickered back and forth. No one in the Austrian state apparatus had questioned whether or not the Grand Duchy would get involved, that was an obvious, however there were some among the Oberkommando who had questioned the Croatian invasion's early start date. Eventually, the bickering of the pawns had subsided making way for a deep silence. Without taking his eyes of the performance, the Archduke raised his head slowly and scribbled a few sentences on a sheet of paper. The squawking of the international community meant less now that the wheels had begun turning.
The tenor's solo reached its climax with a splendidly executed crescendo before finally slowing. As he finished, almost all the patrons rocketed out of their seats in a clamorous applause. The Archduke rose too and clapped his hands viciously in admiration for the young man. As the theater began to empty itself for the night, the speakers began softly playing the Austrian national anthem. "That young man represents the sheer beauty that is Austria," Karl II stated emphatically, raising from his seat and walking towards the door. "Indeed, it was a splendid performance," Duke Albert II stated smugly. "It is a shame however that he is most certainly a homosexual." Jurgen von Pless' face twisted as he looked at the Foreign Minister, "How can you be so sure?" "Quite simple, his lustful gaze at the fellow during the second act clarified my suspicions," The Foreign Minister responded. "I don't expect his secret will last." "Tis a shame indeed," The Reichskanzler said somberly, "He would have been such a wonderful Austrian." The Archduke continued walking, slightly ahead of the pack, and whistled the tenor's eloquent solo to himself. He often enjoyed these stolen escapades when he could put work aside for the night and see first hand the effects of his rule - at least the more beauteous aspects. As he approached the door to their private garage, he ironically brushed through the door and neglected the sign which hung menacingly from a chain. "Slavs forbidden" The car ride back to the Hofburg Imperial Palace brought with it a return to the discussion of Croatia and the Marslavans. This time, with no music to distract him, the Archduke was a participant in the discussion. "Do you actually believe the Marslavans will present a case against us in ICON, Herr von Pless?" Duke Albert II questioned seriously. Von Pless rubbed his eyes in irritation before answering, "I imagine that they will try. They certainly have a knack for shoving themselves where they don't belong." "The Grand Duke can say what he likes and it will mean nothing," Karl interjected his face stern as stone. "Any Marslavan case centered around unjust interference will be highly subject to scrutiny and they likely know it. It is quite obvious to draw parallels between our invasion of Croatia and they're economic imperialism inside Serbia." The Foreign Minister was not convinced. "What worries me isn't our justification versus theirs, but rather they have the potential to incite civil unrest in the region and abroad." Again the Archduke replied quickly, "I am not afraid of the clamor from the masses...were it even a concern. The Croatians have welcomed us with open arms and are willingly assisting our soldiers in capturing the enemy in many places throughout the country. The Croat has suffered long and terribly under the Slav. He will be a valuable asset in our fight against both Slavism and Communism." For a short period the car remained silent. The three men poured some champagne and toasted one another to their continued success and the success of the nation. ___________________________ Croatian Front... The Austrian news reels had depicted Croatia as a land wrongfully pillaged by Slavic aggression; a beautiful country with a rich culture under siege. In actuality, the Austrian propaganda was not entirely wrong in a technical sense, albeit being overly eccentric on the ideological rhetoric. The Croatian Free State, which had operated in a fragile status of perpetual limbo based upon religious segregation, had been rattled by Translava's entrance over a decade prior. With a population predominantly composed of Colognian Catholic Croats, the inclusion of Translava had presented a spark with would ignite the slow burning fuse of civil strife. While a considerable percentage of Croat Slavs assisted the organization and supplied mercenaries for its more foreign ventures, the mostly Catholic Croat population often clashed with the high percentage of Orthodox and Muslim Translava supporters. A sectarian feud stretching back centuries, Croats had a vociferous political, religious, and historical abhorrence for their non-Christian Slavic neighbors. Historically, the Austrians had often intervened in behalf of their fellow Christian neighbors, but their removal from the region following the dismemberment of the Austro-Hungarian Empire in 1918 had left Croatia under the mercy of various subsequent predominantly Orthodox powers. Over a century of sectarian tensions and a vicious war of independence had left many Croatians bitter of non-Christians and Serbians in particular. With the Austrians becoming more and more powerful to their north, many Croatians began to feel more belonging with their fellow Christians and more hateful of their Translava guests. As hostilities mounted between Austria and the organization, Christians and Croat Nationalists had been pushed to their breaking point. The brief period of civil unrest which preceded the Austrian invasion was characterized by the cruelest and most unregulated form of internal religious warfare. When the Austrians inevitably did arrive from their bases in occupied Northern Croatia they were greeted as liberators rather than conquerors by the native population. Rumbling columns of Austrian tanks and soldiers found practically each and every town they visited to be emphatically pleased to see them. Children rushed from their homes with gifts and young women came running wide eyed at Austrians intent on placing a flower on their uniforms and a kiss on their cheeks. Austrian soldiers gallivanted around liberated towns and villages frequenting local establishments and smiling for pictures with the townspeople. For all intents and purposes, the invasion was a roaring success for the first 48 hours before traces of the human indecency began to leak out from the box of ignorance. The religious sectarian violence which had preceded the Austrian invasion had not been silenced by their arrival. In its place, reigned not peaceful coexistence, but a carefully yet quietly sanctioned policy of indifference towards continued acts of religiously motivated genocide. In some villages, Austrian troops would arrive to find half the village emptied and looted. Upon closer analysis of the interior of the cleared spaces, blood stains and other traces of human gore were splattered on the walls like paint upon a canvas. Where Austrian troops had arrived directly following a massacre they watched casually and indifferently as bodies were lined up in rows and buried in mass graves. Rather than arresting the perpetrators, Austrian officers were encouraged to recruit the villagers into crudely orchestrated auxiliary police units. These ad hoc collectives would then continue they're talents in adjacent villages as the Austrians moved onwards to capture more territory. In one particular case, as the 120th Grenadier Division was crossing a bridge across the Drava, dozens of bodies flowed silently down the river and cluttered around the bend. As terrible and widespread as the violence was, Austrian aggression was almost always directed against Translava and its armed supporters. While rumors circulated surrounding roundups and massacres by some Gendarmerie units, no evidence was ever directly presented or leaked to any major outlets. Militarily speaking, the Austrians flowed through Croatia like locusts. Aside from minute long setbacks outside of heavily infested Translava zones, the Reichswehr and its Royalist allies succeeded in pushing Translava and its mercenaries back further and further until they remained predominantly in the south. The last formidable Translava strongholds remained in the cities of Split in the south and just outside of the capital, Zagreb. With Translava resistance stiffened from an influx of supplies from a relatively unknown source, the Austrian advance slowed briefly just outside the towns of Sibenik in the South and Zagreb in the North. With a continued advance planned for the following days, Austrian planners were confident to complete their invasion within the next two weeks. Edited by Whal, Sep 10 2014, 07:20 PM.
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| NRE | Sep 11 2014, 05:08 PM Post #4 |
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Map Tsar and Southern Gentleman
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Grand Kremlin Palace, Moscow... It was growing colder in Moscow and Ivan could tell that winter was close. Parliamentarian elections it seemed, were the foremost in the Emperor's mind these days. He was a bit uneasy about the idea of parliament, not that he did not wish it to come about, more so that his cabinet would see be of elected men. He'd grown accustom to those minister that now served him and he thought it unfortunate that their service should be terminated. Still, he was not about to refuse an agreement he himself had signed and instead waited with his uncertainty on the future. Seated, deep in thought, he did not hear the door as it opened. He barely took recognition of the announcement of his guest by his office aid until at last the man, Count Ivan Tolstoy (Foreign Minister) was standing before him at the opposite end of his desk. "Your majesty, if this is a bad time." "Hmmm...oh...no, no please sit Count Tolstoy" Ivan stated in a welcoming tone. "What brings you to my office today?" "Well your majesty, its about the Balkans." "The Balkans....hmmmm, what seems to be the trouble there?" Ivan inquired. "Well your majesty we've just received news that the Austrians have entered Croatia. Whether invited or not we cannot entirely discern at the moment. Regardless, this has naturally angered the Marslavans of whom have already voiced their objections publicly." "An no doubt the Austrians have refuted whatever claims the Marslavans have made against them yes?" "That would be the short end of it yes your majesty" Count Tolstoy replied with a bit of a smirk. "I'm afraid your majesty, that the plight of the Balkans may no longer be a situation we can ignore any further." "Come now Count Tolstoy" Ivan stated with a sigh, " must we say such things. 'Ignore' is such a harsh word, after all its not as if we've not be keeping up with the latest information. We've simply chosen a lease direct approach to the matter, that's all. After all, we ourselves are a nation of Slavs and we keep our keen close to eye." "Of course my majesty, I beg for your pardon on the ill choice of words. However, regardless your majesty the Croatian situation does not look promising. Moreover, we continue to receive intelligence on the Austrians that is less than...flattering." "Oh" Ivan stated, his right eyebrow raised. "My brother spoke decently enough about the Austrians after his trip home. Its true they are a bit unorthodox and perhaps even a bit more militaristic than is usually comfortable. Still, my brother believes they are an overall likable people if one takes the time to understand them a bit." "Well your majesty" Tolstoy stated, his voice was in a tone of disbelief at what the Grand Duke Constantine believed, "its just that the Austrian state seems to be evolving rather rapidly. Their more timid democratic zeal has been swept away in favor of a more authoritarian vigor that I feel is somewhat alarming. Though we've yet to be able to completely confirm the reports, we have seen evidence of state terrorism against certain portions of the population. They seemed to be quite proficient and adamant at eradicating the 'undesirables' of their population." "Slavs?" Ivan inquired. "We believe so your majesty" Tolstoy replied. "Along with the usual roundups of gypsies, communists, homosexuals. They are segregating their society and we believe they wish to do the same in Croatia." "I thought they were only reacting to claims of attacks from terrorists?" Ivan questioned. "It is true that the Austrians have had their fare share of attacks against them from an alleged slavic group known as Translava. Unfortunately we know very little about the group ourselves. They've not really show up in our more immediate zone of interest." "Regardless Count Tolstoy, I can no more support the unethical abuse of Austrians by their government anymore than I can support Slavs resorting to terrorism. Furthermore I don't believe we known enough of the situation to act one way or another. More so, I don't believe it would be best for me to authorize a military action so close to parliamentarian elections. After all, I don't want to give those damn liberals and socialists any more fuel to take away seats from conservatives and royalists. No, for now continue to monitor the situation and I will discuss the matter with the Russian Command. We won't intervene but if Marslava and Austria come to war over Croatia, it may be within our benefit to step in and intermediate." "Of course your majesty" said the Count, "I will continue to keep you informed." |
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| Whal | Sep 13 2014, 02:01 PM Post #5 |
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"Life is too short to be wasted on bad scotch"
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OKR Headquarters, Karlovac, Croatia... The once quiet atmosphere of the Karlovac Historical Library was a thing of the recent past. The once flourishing center for knowledge and pleasure reading which had been home to countless multitudes of Croatian students and intellectuals was now replaced by the incessant clicking of computers and switchboards and the underlying sound of heated discussions and stomping jackboots. The Croatian university students and intellegencia which had frequented the establishment only several days prior were now fighting, running for their lives, or dead; there beloved library now crawling with the military authority of the Austrian Oberkommando der Reichswehr. Many of the books, read fervently by young and old alike, were now being casually brushed aside or simply carted off back to Austria. The Austrians had arrived in Karlovac fairly early in their invasion of the country and had routinely stamped out all vestiges of Translava "oppression" they could find. Once the city was pacified and secure the Austrians began searching for suitable places to set up their command center. No other building suited their purposes better than the famed Municipal Library and within a few hours the place was indistinguishable from any other structure commissioned for military service. The buildings halls were packed and cramped with Austrian military personnel and Royalist volunteers. Despite the criticisms from the international community regarding the latter's conduct, the Reichswehr was adamant about keeping the auxiliaries around as very few Austrian units were familiar with the terrain or could speak the language. Vienna wasn't entirely apathetic towards the criticism being lopped its way entirely however, and subsequent orders from back home informed that any perpetrators who were easily identified in the act were to be arrested and tried. Regardless of this fact, various Austrian officers continued to turn a blind eye to arresting war criminals unless evidence was so flagrant that it insulted their very humanity - often times this meant finding Royalists basically bathing in the blood of their victims. In actuality, such acts of rampant violence were not easily ignorable for all Austrian servicemen and many had begun writing letters home about the barbarity they witnessed. The RSD apprehended such a sizable amount of this type of correspondence back in Austria that they increased the amount of their intelligence officers in Croatia by 50% in order to harden their resolve and to "reaffirm their racial fortitude." Despite minor grumblings of Royalist savagery, the Austrian military machine continued on flawlessly and efficiently. General Heinrich von Eickhoff, Commander of Reichswehr forces in Croatia, sat at his desk assessing the daily movements of his troops. Von Eickhoff had served with honor in Hungary as a Brigadier-General, but was promoted soon afterwards for his efficient yet charming demeanor. In recent days however, the General's vocal opposition to Reichswehr indifference to Royalist atrocities was gaining him some unwanted attention from the RSD. He attempted to write to the Archduke directly about his qualms, but his letter was summarily rejected by the RSD before it even arrived at the Hofburg Palace. The General's door opened slowly and his aide-du-camp brought a message that a senior RSD official had arrived to speak with him. Von Eickhoff's suspicions were perked, but he couldn't refuse the meeting without further arousing the State's skepticism about his patriotism. He reluctantly waved the man in. The man who walked in was tall, lanky, and his eyes sat far back into his sockets as if giving the impression of a skeleton. He wore the black and tan uniform typical of the RSD and his general's cap fit squarely atop his bald head. Von Eickhoff recognized him immediately. "General Waltz, to what do I owe the pleasure of the RSD's visit?" von Eickhoff said flatly and without an hint of emotion. Wilhelm Waltz smiled widely and ruffled through his satchel to remove a note, "A new directive from the Reichskanzler." "You travelled here personally to hand me a new order?" Von Eickhoff asked puzzled. "You must have a lot of time on your hands, General." "Hardly, the RSD has been busy at work cleaning up the mess your men have been too shortsighted to clean up yourselves," Waltz hissed, approaching the desk. "But not anymore. This new order will see to that." He slide the note across the table towards von Eickhoff who perused it quickly, then froze.
Von Eickhoff looked up with a sour look. "You cannot make the Reichswehr a party to this agenda, General," he stated seriously. "I will not order my men to execute prisoners of war under any circumstances." "Does this mean that you're disobeying a direct order from the Reichzkanzler?" Waltz sneered. "With the RSD's case against you already sound, I'd imagine this is all we'd need to remove you from your position and into custody. Do you like your job, General?" Von Eickhoff didn't answer, he looked down at the floor in shame. He needed his job t provide for his family, and he knew what fate would befall him should he refuse to carry out the orders. General Waltz smiled, "I thought so, General. Best of luck with the continuation of your operations." He said turning to leave. "Oh, I almost forgot," Waltz exclaimed, turning back. "May Austria forever prosper!" He said with a salute. "May Austria forever prosper," Von Eickhoff responded somberly, signing his name to the directive. ______________________________________ Zagreb, Northern Front... Austrian military prowess was no more absolute than in the northern front of the Croatian campaign. Since they crossed into the country from their bases in Hungary, B Corps of the 7th Feldarmie was rolling through the countryside at little less than 60 miles a day. So complete was their drive into the northern part of the country that they had reached the Capital within the first 48 hours before stopping outside Zagreb to rest and refuel. Zagreb was not particularly well defended. The cities Translava forces and their supporters had largely been weakened from days of fighting with Royalists in and around the city's outlying suburbs. While supplies continued to find their way to the beleaguered defenders from rat tunnels under the city, Translava forces were confident they wouldn't be able to hold the city when the Austrians inevitably started their assault. As a result, mere hours before Austrian jets screamed overhead to track their positions, most of the city's garrison withdrew through the tunnels back into the surrounding countryside. The few local supporters who remained put up a last ditch defense from their neighborhoods, but they knew their resistance was a futile one. The Austrians were quick to communicate to their Royalist associates the exact time of their assault. In order to skirt the punitive measures of being caught in the act, many of the Royalist militias stepped of their assault in the early hours before the Austrians arrived. Using weapons given to them by the RSD, Royalist forces began sweeping the Translava supporters from their suburbs with extreme prejudice. Molotov cocktails, improvised explosives, and crude home-made flamethrowers did the job to a similar degree as the assault rifles, mortars, and shoulder-fired launchers gifted to them by their Austrian allies. The fighting inside Zagreb was akin to the style of combat experienced throughout other places in Croatia - Christian Croats hunted down any Muslims, Serbs, and foreign Slavs they could find and began "cleansing" the neighborhoods of their presence - women, children, young and old, no one was safe from the Royalists. Zagreb would quickly turn into one of the most horrid examples of reckless hatred and ignorance. As Austrian forces began to enter the city unopposed, the cities inhabitants, rather than halting their murderous display, became emboldened by their allies' arrival and turned to new unheard forms of savagery. One Austrian soldier's account of what he say would characterize most of the day's sights for many others. "The sights and sounds of that city would make the hardest man cry. So infatuated with killing are our Croatian allies that they have invented new ways of brutality that only the Devil could have dreamed of. As our infantry column crossed through Hovakstrasse we were appalled to see dozens of bodies strung up on light posts with the crudest indecencies done upon them. One man had his entrails torn from his abdomen and draped around his neck like a necklace, whilst a woman lay not too far off with a butchers knife lodged into her sternum. All had signs and slogans of 'traitor' and 'Serb bastard' hanging from their necks. But the worst display of man's cruelty to man was the spectacle outside the city's central square. My squad was the first to arrive at the scene where approximately 50 or so Serbs had fled the massacres and had held up inside an Orthodox church. In a bloodlust, the pursuing crowd had set upon the church like animals and had begin dragging them outside into the street - a street which would become a slaughterhouse. With a varied assortment of hand tools and firearms, the crowd began systematically butchering the Serbs whilst chanting obstinacies as they completed their murderous tasks. To my horror, Captain Winter watched apathetically as the entire crowd was butchered and a lone man with a violin climbed up upon the bodies and played the Croatian national anthem. I am no longer convinced that our actions here are just, but I remain no longer as an Austrian serviceman, but as a witness to cruelty of the worst form." Martin Hortvessel 92nd Grenadier Division The slaughter did not continue throughout the day. Once Austrian forces were prevalent enough in number to challenge the mob mentality of the inhabitants, the senseless violence had subsided as Gendarmerie units began instituting marshal law. Ring leaders were quickly identified and removed from their positions in the auxiliary police and handed over the RSD. As night fell over the city, any civilians breaking curfew were either shot or apprehended. A sense of order soon returned to the city as the sun rose in the morning. With the capital in Austrian hands, much of the resistance in the north began to subside. Whole droves of Translava operatives fled from Croatia all together and began retreating to their closest bases in Bosnia-Herzegovina. For all intents and purposes, the war in the north was over. Now, the whole host of the Reichswehr could be focused on the south. Edited by Whal, Sep 13 2014, 02:07 PM.
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| Porcu | Sep 14 2014, 01:01 AM Post #6 |
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"Work is the curse of the drinking classes."
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A swift, if not unsurprising, condemnation of Austria's invasion of the semi-unified territories which constituted Free Croatia was released by the Republic just a few short hours after the invasion became common knowledge. A second statement was released a short time thereafter with direct verbal support for the Grand Duchy of Marslava, more for public appearances than for any actual worry for Prague. The Austrian advance into Croatia, or rather the speed of the Reichswehr's advance, was not what worried Porcuian officials. Neither did initial reports of a general outbreak of savagery ahead of and behind the Austrian front line, for many in Ariminae were convinced that the new Austrian regime would only be able to cultivate brutality and not tolerance or peace. No, what worried Porcuian officials was the increasingly apparent apathy of the Austrian state towards crimes committed by catholic, Croatian militias. Satellite imagery was beginning to compile an irrefutable reality that even if the Austrians were not themselves party to the evil actions of the Royalist 'volunteers', that the Austrians were complicit in the murder of thousands of men, women, and children. Furthermore, the devolving situation in the towns and municipalities of the Croatian countryside suggested that the crimes of these 'volunteers' were ballooning, both in number and in lives lost per attack. The information being gathered by Porcuian intelligence sources began to worry members of the Consilium so much that there was real doubt as to the authenticity and veracity of such intelligence. It was finally decided that input would be solicited from the Russians and the Marslavans, principally, as well as any other authority willing to share their intelligence. Of great concern as well was the sudden disappearance of war corespondents, non-profit aid workers, and workers and journalists for human rights groups operating in Croatia. That Translava found such individuals to be pests was not news, but it was difficult to imagine that they were responsible for their kidnapping - as the Austrian OKR had insinuated in numerous reports after the first set of kidnappings. Increasingly, it also became clear that that Royalist squads were responsible and that Austrian military personnel turned a blind eye to such activity. And what of a response to such atrocities? What response, indeed. |
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| Whal | Sep 16 2014, 04:10 PM Post #7 |
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"Life is too short to be wasted on bad scotch"
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Izoc, Southern Front, Croatia.. The Reichswehr had kept true to its promises of a speedy victory in the north, however the same could not be claimed quite yet in the south. Where in the North, Austrian forces had rapidly isolated and destroyed scattered and under-supplied Translava pockets after prolonged engagements with allied Royalist militias, the situation in the south represented a slightly different and more frustrating reality. Having concentrated a more determined effort at protecting their hold over the coast, the terror organization had amassed far more fighters in the south and had stockpiled a varied assortment of resources to last out a siege. Austrian, and to a lesser extent - Royalist, forces ran into further problems when considering that the southern areas lacked the widespread public support for "hiding" mass killings than did their northern brethren. Public support wasn't the only setback to the murderous designs of the Royalists, in fact, their Austrian allies had begun more harshly clamping down on the deplorable conduct of their aligned auxiliaries. Previously, where an auxiliary force was given complete authority to operate independently during an assault, recently the Austrian RSD was sending Gendarmerie units to accompany and assist in the operation to ensure all matters went "according to plan." Brutality was never too far away from Royalist forces, but at least this time the RSD was around to stop the savagery before it turned from scattered executions into full fledged massacres. Royalist leaders grumbled and voiced opposition to their Austrian commanders, but ultimately the nature of combat in Croatia would have to change - at least for now. With the impending arrival of an ICON surveillance commission, the Austrians were serious about implementing martial law and stopping unnecessary bloodshed. Any member of an auxiliary who committed an act of genocide was swiftly removed, arrested, tried, and sometimes executed in a bid to quell the bloodthirsty attitudes of the Catholic Croatian population. When one considered the impact such decisions would have had earlier on in the invasion, the death toll would have been decreased significantly. Truthfully, there was almost too few "vermin" left for the auxiliaries to eliminate. Putting an end to Royalist massacres wasn't the only change in policy for the Austrian forces inside Croatia as of late; claims regarding the disappearance of international persons of interest were also being investigated by the RSD. While a blind eye had been turned to these kidnappings in the past, now Austrian forces were actively searching for the perpetrators and hostages alike with promises to properly punish those responsible. In actuality, the RSD had been reluctant to punish perpetrators and instead opted to placate Royalist forces with weapons and immunity from past misdeeds in return for the international hostages. Indeed, many hostages were retrieved in this fashion and the rash tide of kidnappings did begin to decease in numbers despite punitive measures being very few and far between. It seemed that even with international criticisms being lobbied against Austria and her indigenous allies, the cooperation between Reichswehr, RSD, and Royalist auxiliaries continued to flourish efficiently even if they were no longer as obvious. While in the larger picture, Reichswehr forces continued to grind down Translava and its supporters outside the remaining cities of Sibenik and Split, there were many local towns and villages where the true conduct of the Austrian invasion continued rather brazenly and in defiance of the international community. In the small South Croatian village of Izoc, a predominately Orthodox Serbian community only 12 miles behind the front lines, a contingent of Royalist auxiliaries arrived in tandem with their supervisors, 22nd battalion from the 7th Gendarmerie Division. Their orders were simple: isolate and neutralize any and all Translava forces with extreme prejudice whilst apprehending any supporters for questioning. Izoc was not unlike any other village in Croatia except it possessed the unfortunate position of harboring Translava renegades from a series of violent battles several days prior. The RSD had tracked the renegades to the small sympathetic village and had orchestrated the attack for a specific purpose - to interrogate the members regarding the source of their advanced weaponry. The skill of the attackers was unparalleled and the auxiliaries covertly infiltrated the village under the cover of nightfall, subdued the guards, and made way for their Austrian allies. Without firing more than a few shots, the Austrian-Royalist coalition assembled the villagers as well as their fugitive guests inside the local church. There, as the Gendarmerie officers isolated the Translava operatives, Royalists laughed and mocked the village's Serbs; showing off trophies of their past massacres and making obscene gestures of murder and rape, the auxiliaries tugged at the leashes of their Austrian masters, begging to rip the Serbs limb from limb. Despite the high tension, a massacre was not to happen in Izoc, but that didn't mean death took the day off. Following the processes outlined under Imperial Directive 89: Order 48, the Gendarmes isolated the officers and routinely executed them in the outlying forest but not until after the villagers had been loaded into trucks and transported back farther behind the lines. Before killing off the officers, the Gendarmes tasked with completing the task were able to uncover that the advanced weaponry had indeed not been supplied by another terrorist group, or by a local arms distributor, and that further stockpiles were stashed inside the besieged city of Split. Confident that they had uncovered a sizable breadcrumb, the Gendarmes transported the knowledge back to their superiors in Karlovac. Very soon, the truth of who was supplying the organization would be uncovered. Edited by Whal, Sep 16 2014, 04:15 PM.
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| Alberto | Sep 18 2014, 01:35 PM Post #8 |
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Resident Italian
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Prague, in the evening The recent news from Croatia were received with inquietude in Prague. The reports of the MIS agents in Croatia suggested that the Austrian government was close to discovering the origin of Translava's equipment. Until then, the Marslavan government had donated its older weapons to the Serbian government, which then devolved it to Translava. Officially, Marslava was not responsible for the transmission of weapons from Serbia to a national liberation movement such as Translava. However, it would be easy for the Austrian government to make a credible claim that Marslava was behind Serbia's donations to Translava. Yet, particularly on the accounts of the dynastic union between Marslava and Serbia, abandoning the Balkans was not an option for Marslava. The news from Croatia prompted the gathering of the so-called "War Cabinet", a body composed by the Grand Duke, the Prime Minister, the Foreign Minister, the Defense Minister, and the Interiors Minister. The Grand Duke now looked, with a gaze full of resignation, to the report produced by the MIS. Austria would soon in be able to show Marslava's involvement in this bloody mess. As a preliminary matter, the Grand Duke, looking at the Prime Minister, inquired on whether the Parliament would grant to the executive full powers to deal with the crisis. Vladislav Clementis replied that all major parties were in favour to a more energetic action against Austria. Having been reassured by the Prime Minister, the Grand Duke proceeded to introduce the matter of such reunion. "It is just a matter of time before the Austrians discover of our manège with the Serbs" he sobbed, before continuing. "This does not mean that we should extricate ourselves from the Balcans" exclamated Lord Zvitomir Slavnik, whose mood was more nervous than ever. "Absolutely, we have no other choice than to raise the stakes of this confrontation" confirmed the Grand Duke. For few minutes, the room was silent. The ministers waited for the Grand Duke to express what they all longed for, but did not have the courage to say. "We will deploy one division of paratroopers in Belgrade, complete with artillery support. This should calm our Serbian allies, and mark a line that the Austrians should not cross". The Minister of Defence, Anton Markovic, assented while noting the decision. "Concerning Translava, we need to exploit the little time available to enhance Translava's capacities to the greates possible extent We will transfer to them fifty of our LAMOM rocket artillery." "Translava's operatives will not be able to use this equipment without adequate training" observed Mr Markovic, the defense minister "I suggest that we hire the usual Dominegasque mercenaries to man them." Until now, Translava had lacked that heard-hitting military hardware which might have enabled it to compete with a regular army. Marslava was now going to supply its extremely destructive rocket artillery, with the intent of bombarding the Austrians from miles of distance. Clearly, Marslava's commitment toward Translava remained as strong as ever. "There is a last point" said the Interiors Minister, Caspar Slavichev, under whom worked the MIS "we need to learn what are Translava's plans, to inform them of ours, and to better coordinate our moves with theirs" The Grand Duke nodded, grateful that someone had brought up this point. "You are authorized to solicit an encounter with Translava's operatives". |
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| Whal | Sep 19 2014, 05:21 PM Post #9 |
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"Life is too short to be wasted on bad scotch"
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Split, Southern Front, Croatia.. The Austrians had continued their unrelenting advance into the coastal side of Croatia without much resistance - reaching and encircling the remaining Translava forces inside the cities of Split and Sibenik . The aide of the Royalist auxiliaries had provided the Reichswehr with enough manpower to operate practically non-stop with both forces taking over for the other in countless engagements when the presence of both was impossible. So complete was Austrian battlefield supremacy that the Luftwaffe could fly almost 200 sorties a day without little more than a single casualty. The situation off the coast was even more impressive with the Kreigsmarine's Adriatic Fleet supplementing aerial-naval strikes when the Luftwaffe simply couldn't refuel their fighters fast enough to attack themselves. The Austrian Navy also enjoyed the unimpeded advantage of transporting special forces along the Croatian coast to where they were most needed - a feat which resulted in the capture of hundreds of enemy operators and equipment. With all the factors of the Austrian war machine working together so marvelously, the first besieged city of Sibenik simply couldn't hold out another day. Bucking under the weight of the most recent Austrian onslaught, the city's Translava garrison decided to flee through the underground sewer network rather than stand to fight for a city they knew was lost. Several minutes into their evacuation, however, the Austrian 3rd Fallschirmjaeger were airdropped into the city and succeeded and locating their places of evacuation - essentially impeding further escape. The 400 or so enemy personnel captured from the daring, last-minute raid allowed the Reichswehr to properly discern valid information from the wide host of interrogated captives. As was per the usual, all enemy officers were isolated from the main body of prisoners, interrogated (tortured), and then executed en mass away from any prying eyes. No trace of the men would ever be located; the RSD spent countless reichsmarks and time/effort to ensure such an end. The information uncovered from Sibenik coincided with the reports the Gendarmerie received in Izoc - Split held the key to discovering the trial of weapons supplied to the organization. Several hours after reports verified the fall of Sibenik, the Reichswehr unleashed the greatest assault of the Croatian campaign on the last stronghold city of Split. The city's defenses had properly held the Austrian-Royalist offensives in the past, however with their comrades having deserted their positions in the rest of the country, the situation in Split looked incredibly grim for Translava. It was only when it appeared that the Austrians would achieve their final victory that Translava was forced to use their latest last ditch defense - their Marslavan gifted LAMOM artillery. Firing from relative safety, several hundred miles away in neighboring Bosnia-Herzegovina, the mercenaries purchased for the organization unleashed the hell of their rocket artillery directly upon the Austrian advance. For a brief period, utter panic and intense rage ran rampant through the Austrian lines as the high ranking members of the Reichswehr wrestled with the possibility of a Marslavan military retaliation. Once this appeared to be paranoia and not actual reality, the OKR in Croatia reclaimed its sensibilities and began the task of locating the LAMOM artillery's positions. Generally, the mercenaries operating the artillery had skillfully fired their ordinance and replaced them elsewhere, yet there were some which simply couldn't move fast enough after their first initial firing. Ignoring the neutrality of Bosnia-Herzegovina, the Luftwaffe sent search and destroy missions into the country and successfully managed to destroy 5 of the artillery vehicles before the rest disappeared into the dark forests. With the Luftwaffe sending aircraft into Bosnia-Herzegovina, Translava temporarily called off the artillery strikes in order to save them from future destruction. While this measure protected the organization's most advanced military hardware it also meant signing Croatia's fate into Austrian hands. Without the rocket bombardments upon the Austrian advance, Split was taken over in little less than a few hours. The cities defenders again made an effort to flee, but ultimately many were killed in the intense fighting which characterized the vengeful attitude of the advancing Austrian troops. It wasn't long into the storming of the city that the RSD uncovered the weapon stockpiles they had been searching for. In addition to the weapons themselves, the RSD also managed to recover a sizable amount of evidence clarifying the source of the stockpiles. Hours of analysis and forensic work eventually paid off and the RSD successfully tied the weapons being supplied to Translava to the Serbian regime operating out of Belgrade. There was an instant clamor for military operations against the Serbian puppet government of Marslava's; however the Archduke himself had dismissed such measures in fears of escalating a conflict with the Grand Duchy prematurely when the Reichswehr was already feeling the pinch of an impending petrol shortage. In the Archduke's mind, Marslava would eventually pay for their treacherous interference in Austria's external affairs, but for the time being Karl II had different plans on how to stop the flow of weapons - public shame. Very soon after the information was uncovered and validated, the Austrian Foreign Ministry sent out an official condemnation of Marslavan military assistance to the the organization alongside a 250 page report showcasing their findings from Split. The Austrians also brought the evidence to the discussion at ICON in an effort to emphasize the Empire's claims at being the sole guardian against Slavic terrorism. Meanwhile, inside the OKR headquarters in Vienna, there was a serious debate regarding a solution to the problem of the LAMOM artillery inside Translava controlled Bosnia-Herzegovina; indeed, many military planners began wrestling with the concept of a continued invasion of the neighboring country. For many it seemed an opportunity too perfect to ignore. ____________________________ Vienna State Opera, Austria... The impending ICON investigation inside Croatia had placed many within the Austrian government on edge, especially when one considered the indifference the Reichswehr had been ordered to observe in reference to the abuses in human rights perpetrated by Austria's Croatian allies. However, a collective sigh of relief echoed throughout the Hofburg when news that the government of the Baltic State had successfully won the honor to lead the investigation. It was peculiar that the Austrian government had been calmed at the knowledge that the Baltic Germans would head the investigation; after all, in recent years both states had rather famously come to blows on practically every issue presented upon the international stage. Despite this, however, the coup in Vienna had placed Austria on a more "friendly" path towards rapprochement with the Baltic Germans, as both states were becoming increasingly similar in a great many aspects - a main one being general contempt for Slavs. As a result, Vienna hoped that it could strike a cord with its Baltic brethren in terms of the conduct of the ICON investigation. The two Baltic representatives were treated exquisitely upon their arrival in Vienna. No doubt tales of Austria's rising prosperity and cultural revival had been whispered about in Riga, and the Austrians hoped that the two Baltic gentlemen would be impressed and wowed to the point of joy (and envy). It was precisely for this reason that the Reichskanzler scheduled to meet with the Archduke's guests at the Vienna State Opera. Meeting his guests in the lobby of the lavishly decorated building, Duke Jurgen von Pless approached disarmingly with an outstretched hand. "My lords, welcome to Vienna," he stated charmingly. "Allow me to introduce myself - Jurgen von Pless, Duke of Styria and Imperial Chancellor of Austria. I hope the both of you had a pleasurable flight." ______________________________ Belgrade, Serbia.... Translava had taken a huge beating in Croatia; this was undeniable, but not devastating. While it did cast a shadow of doubt on the organization in terms of their military reputation, Translava's leaders were not worried that Croatia was forever lost. In fact, even as Austrian troops strolled through Split and Zagreb, infiltrators from the organization continued to sabotage infrastructure and assassinate Austrian people of interest in an effort to subvert Vienna's plans as best they could. What Translava was not expecting, but remained grateful for, was the continued assistance of the Grand Duchy of Marslava. Since their first meeting with the MIS several months prior, Translava was receiving thousands of pounds of military hardware each week and many times it provided them a greater chance at success in combating Austrian troops directly; the arrival of the LAMOM artillery was an unparalleled delight to which Translava remained ever grateful. So, it came as no surprise to Translava when Marslavan MIS contacted them one more time to meet and discuss future cooperation. Translava's advisors in Belgrade were hand-picked to rendezvous with the MIS agents sent from Prague and they were quit eager to hear the proposals sent by their gracious allies. |
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| Alberto | Sep 20 2014, 04:33 PM Post #10 |
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Resident Italian
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Prague, in the morning In Marslava, the bellicist party had been gathering increasing strength. In the Parliament, the Pan-Slavists clamoured for war: with impassionated speeches they called for a crusade against the "Austrian Despot". For different reasons, also the Communists supported an immediate offensive: they deemed the Austrian dinasty as a danger to the cause of workers. Only the Social-Democrats and the Liberals were opposed to an all-out war. With a parliamentary majority in favour of war, the legislative body could approve a document calling for a military intervention. However, the Grand Duke would probably veto such a document (despite the insistence of his Serbian wife, Maria Karageorgeva)- for him, this was not yet the right time to strike. The public opinion followed suit, with increasingly anti-Austrian behaviors. The Marslavans not only knew that control over the Balcan was essential to the country's economic survival, but also really felt extremely close to the Balcanic Slavs. In particular, the very charming Grand Duchess Maria Karageorgeva had done a lot to make popular the cause of the Serbs and the other Slavs that were being attacked by Austrian forces. Foundations, newspapers and noblewomen gathered money for Translava's Slavic freedom fighters. The refugees who had fled from Croatia to Marslava were the object of great sympathy, and their stories of violence and oppression were listened to with compassion and indignation.Finally, more and more men volunteered to join the military. In the public debate, there the Habsburg dinasty was accused of all evils, and its sovereign was scorned with all sorts of injuries. This said, very little hatred towards Germans existed at that point (after all, Marslava had a sizeable German minority). At the same time, Marslavans could only admire the ruthless efficiency of the Austrian war machine. With resources that were scarce - if compared with marslava's - the Austrians had created a military that advanced swiftly and won numerous victories. In particular, the Marslavan officer corps knew that, since Austria's army was perfectly capable of fighting on par with Marslava's, a war between the two countries would be a long and bloody ordeal. Thus, the Austrian tactics and victories were analyzed and indicated as examples to follow. The Marslavans were looking with interest at their loathed neighbours, and they were trying to learn from their victories. Belgrade, in the night The Marslavan 15th Paratrooper Division was being deployed in Belgrade. For 72 hours an uninterrupted flux of Marslavans transport planes transferred men, vehicles, and artillery to Serbia. The Marslavan paratroopers, an elite force bested only by the Ducal Guard, was to serve as the central force in the defence of Serbia's capital. In such a task, they would be supported by one artillery brigade and one air squadron. Moreover, various arms stocks were transported to Serbia so that they could be distributed to the Serbian armed forces and other "freedom fighters". Yet, these were not the only Marslavans that were active in Serbia. The MIS had since longtime established useful contacts with Translava. Translava was extremely powerful in Serbia, and its relationship with the House of Karageorgevic were so close it could be argued the Karageorgevic controlled Translava, or vice versa. Again, the man tasked with meeting Translava was the freshly promoted Lieutenant Colonel Hozak. To Marslava, the defeats suffered by Translava were extremely bad news. However, these defeats meant that Marslava's contractual power vis à vis that organization had increased. Now it was felt that Translava would not refuse a Marslavan common plan of action. Hozak was only accompanied by one other operative and by a Karageorgevic official. Having waited in an unspecified field in Serbia's countryside, they were approached by a group of disguised armed men. After having exchanged some pleasantries in Serbian, Hozak came to the point. "What beating you have taken in Croatia is just the beginning. We all know that Austria is preparing its attack against Serbia, and is looking at Hungary and Romania as its future targets. Now, we need a common plan. Marslava will increase its support for Translava: it supply more advanced weapons and hire more Dominegasque mercenaries to fight alongside Translava. Moreover, it will be better if Translava starts to give more informations to the MIS on its plans of action and its operations". "Finally, I have been told to ask you what are weapons you need most" concluded the Lieutenant Colonel. Edited by Alberto, Sep 20 2014, 04:43 PM.
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| Whal | Sep 23 2014, 03:03 PM Post #11 |
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"Life is too short to be wasted on bad scotch"
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Translava was not oblivious to the terrible defeat they had suffered inside the Free State of Croatia. In truth, the organization had remained skeptical of the possibility of such an early Austrian invasion following so quickly after their military's entrance into the Yoloyese internal debacle. Such a miscalculation was rare for Translava's leadership, who had expected the Austrians to back down in response to their worsening oil shortages. Now, with Croatia firmly entrenched within the Habsburgic sphere of influence, the organization would have to be prepared for further Austrian encroachment elsewhere. The Marslavan envoy's insistence that further attacks would arrive in Serbia, Romania, and Hungary were noted and accepted, however the organization's attention was fixed upon a different Slavic country - The Slavic Republic of Bosnia-Herzegovina. With Translava's hold more solidified inside said state and with heavy artillery there in striking distance of Austrian positions in Croatia, an attack upon the Bosnian Republic seemed immanent. "We are fully aware of further Austrian action," the masked operative stated, "and we are ever grateful for the supplies your government has supplies us. Rest assured that future Austrian aggression will be met more defiantly by our forces in those places you have mentioned. Our real concern now rests upon our puppets in the Bosnian Republic - their armies are not nearly as well equipped or trained as our mutual Serbian friends." The operative's tone became much serious, "We plan to hold onto our grip over Bosnia-Herzegovina ardently, however we are doubtful that they will be able to resist the might of the Reichswehr for more than a few weeks. What we truly need is the means to challenge the Austrian air dominance which crippled us in Croatia. Tell me, what anti-air weaponry would the Grand Duchy be willing to sell?" |
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| Rhadamanthus | Sep 23 2014, 06:11 PM Post #12 |
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Legitimist
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Vienna, Austria "Most pleasant, Your Grace," responded Friedrich von Berg, Minister of the Interior for the Baltic State, "My only regret is the conditions that we travelled under were less than ideal." "It was necessary," responded Karl von Stamm, the Minister of War for the Baltic State, "We had to travel swiftly. Furthermore, drawing too much attention to our trip might have led to allegations of impropriety." Stamm left his concerns unspoken. Berg and Pless both understood: Stamm did not want to potentially compromise the investigation's reputation for neutrality by publicizing his meeting with he Austrian government so soon prior. But, it was only the appearance that concerned Stamm. He was perfectly happy to meeting with the Austrians behind closed doors, and to work out a mutually beneficial agreement. Stamm had admired the decisive manner in which the Archduke had conducted a coup from above, and this led to an interest in the possibility that Austria might be able to benefit the interests of the Baltic State and, ultimately, his own interests. Berg, on the other hand, believed strongly in Pan-Germanism. Though he was a devout Lutheran who maintained a certain disdain for Catholicism, his contempt was mitigated by the German nature of the Colognians, and the possibility of rapprochement between the two traditionally hostile German states. Furthermore, the Baltic State had its own plans for expansion, and both representatives knew that if they were to assist Austria in its efforts, they could expect Austria's support in the future. The Baltic State's future plans were unlikely to satisfy the more fanatical humanitarians of ICON. |
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| Whal | Sep 27 2014, 04:28 PM Post #13 |
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"Life is too short to be wasted on bad scotch"
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"Well, now that you are here, shall we retire to our balcony? I find it more relaxing to discuss matters of business in comfort," Von Pless replied, leading the two men away. Duke von Pless refused to comment further on the true nature of their meeting, even though he was obviously aware. Once the three men had arrived at their seats in the far left of the opera room, the Reichskanzler allowed himself to relax and sent in a special order for a bottle of Riesling. As he poured his guests a glass each, he suddenly switched to discussing business. "My lords, I shall not mince words, both Austria and the Baltic State have shared a turbulent relationship since first contact," von Pless said, swirling the wine in his glass. "However, I feel I speak for the both of us when I say that such a rivalry is a detriment to the multitudes of accomplishments we could share if our governments were to work together." Both von Berg and von Stamm appeared to be receptive of the Reichskanzler's words, so he continued without pause. "Quite honestly gentlemen, allow me to get straight to the point," von Pless stated before finishing his glass. "Austria is unequivocally at fault for its leniency in allowing ethnic cleaning in Croatia. There is no denying this and your investigation will likely come to this conclusion; however I tell you this now because I understand Vienna's goals to be indistinguishable from those of Riga in the long term. The survival of our people, the German race, is to be forwarded by both our governments at all costs and this means resorting to unclean measures when the time arises. The situation in Europe is ripe for our race's advancement, yet there exists a single roadblock - the Slavs. Our people's historic enemy is still a threat, but they are weaker and more disjointed than ever before. As their fortunes flounder, our's are rising. Now is the time to spread the glory and prosperity of the German people into the lands of darkness and savagery we once held so dearly. Imagine the feats we could accomplish if we worked together? A strong Austria in the Balkans could allow for proper support of a strong Baltic State in the north. Tell me, does such a course not benefit both of our respective government's, nevermind the German race?" The Reichskanzler paused a moment to pour himself another glass. He inhaled the pleasant aroma of the wine, but decided against taking a sip. Instead he turned towards the two Baltic lords once again. "Gentlemen, Austria needs the support of its other German brothers if it is too succeed," he said plainly. "What I would ask of you is to tailor your investigation in a way which assists us in covering our bases and assuring the international community of our justification in pursuing an end to Translava. What, my Lords, would the Baltic State require in return?" |
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| Alberto | Sep 28 2014, 04:33 PM Post #14 |
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Resident Italian
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Prague, in the night Clementis, the prime minister, and Markovic, the defense minister had run into each other while walking to the Ducal Palace, where they were going to meet the Grand Duke. As they walked in the narrow streets of Prague's medieval city centre, they discussed the situation in the Balkans. The two men quietly walked in a street that seemed to be empty. "Austria is on a course that will lead to war - that is ineluctable" agreed Markovic "However" he continued "my doubts are on whether we should wait their move or we should attack them before they become too powerful". "A premature attack would be ill-advised" started the Prime Minister "the international community may not take this well" he said with a gesture of resignation. Marslava had tried to internationalize this conflict, to press for an interference by the international community with Austria's aggressive foreign policy. The Prime Minister realized that such a move had resulted in no gain for Marslava. On the contrary, ICON had entrusted an investigation on the events in Croatia to the Baltic State, an entity that would have no problem to help Austria cover up the crimes it sanctioned. "This said, Anton" he said to the defense minister "there is another reason for which we should not attack now." A moment of silence followed, as he tried to chose his words. "Austria has the force to take the Balkans" he said "but I doubt it has the resources necessary to keep such a vast extent of land. As Austria advances in the Balkans, it will meet increasing resistance. The territories it occupies will organize an armed resistance, and more sooner than later the Austrians will have to deal with an insurrection by the Bosnians, the Croats, and the Serbs. At that point, the Austrian war machine will become exhausted and that is when we should strike". Markovic had listened carefully to that argument, which seemed to have some merit. "Arm the Slavs" he remarked "this seems to be the solution we are going for" "Yes" replied Clementis "arm them, and arm all the Slavs, not just Translava." Belgrade, September "Yes" said the Marslavan officer "we can provide you with short range surface-to-air missile systems, which have been conceived to shoot down even precision guided weapons". These were solid and reliable weapon systems that had featured in the Dominion's armies. During the decade of its existence, the Dominion had produced thousands of these missile systems, which were today spread all over the world. The Marslavan army, which had once formed the Dominion's IXth Army, had inherited this equipment. The Grand Duchy frequently distributed Dominion made weaponry to its allies. In its sales Marslava would use its connections with the Dominion army, with its veterans who became merchants of weapons, to market its weapons when it could not do so directly. This was necessary to dissimulate Marslava's further involvement in a period where the international community was watchful of what happened in the Balkans. "You will be contacted by intermediaries, to arrange the sale of various Ogon II surface- to-air-missile systems." "There is something else we should discuss" observed the Marslavan officer "we believe that Austria's attack can be stopped only if the whole population of Bosnia is ready to join the fight. We would like to start arming the Bosnian villagers, so that they be able to fight as partisans alongside Translava and against the invaders". |
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| Rhadamanthus | Sep 28 2014, 05:56 PM Post #15 |
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Legitimist
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"Duke von Pless," Berg replied, "I am always eager to aid my German kinsmen when they are under threat, and I believe that is truer today than ever. I am sure that Baron von Stamm agrees with me. You speak of unclean measures - I know all too well that sometimes such things are necessary. I fear that such measures might become necessary in Lithuania and White Ruthenia in the future. It is my hope that Austria will be as understanding with us in the future as we are at present. And I hope that our mutual understanding will be very different from the relationship that our countries have had in the past." "Indeed," Duke von Pless replied, "I am confident cooperation will benefit us both more than conflict ever did." At that point Stamm's faced had assumed an intense look. He had flinched slightly when Pless had spoken of "unclean measures," and flinched again when Berg said it. Now, with a pause in the conversation, he spoke. Gazing intensely first at one man and then at the other, Stamm spoke quietly but with zeal, expressing views that were eccentric in his homeland, rooted an esoteric Eastern mysticism. "I do not know why you both feel the need to clothe the matter of killing in such terms. There is no purpose in adapting the moral posture of your adversaries. It is a greater crime to kill an ant than a man, because when a man dies he is reincarnated, while an ant dies forever." |
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| Whal | Sep 28 2014, 07:52 PM Post #16 |
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"Life is too short to be wasted on bad scotch"
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Belgrade.. The demeanor of the masked men changed almost immediately. While the Marslavan officer watched with glee as smiles appeared upon his partners' faces when discussing the Ogon IIs, the mentioning of arming average Bosnian villagers with weaponry seemed to visibly upset them. In an instant, the tone of Translava's envoys appeared to revert from thoroughly pleased and friendly back to guarded and cautious. "This is not advisable," one of the operators stated blankly. "The Republic's military is proven to be a loyal partner for Translava, whilst the motives and loyalty of the average Bosnian is less discernible. We have often clashed openly with Austrian sympathizers along the Bosnian-Croatian border, and it is a well known fact that some of the villagers on our side are less than pleased with our involvement inside their country. The uncontrolled arming of villagers will not only cause confusion and anarchy behind our lines, it also runs the risk of giving weapons to our internal opponents." "A much safer approach would be to organize civilian militias much like the ones the Croatian Royalists used against us," another masked operative interjected. "We still have some time to differentiate loyal Bosnians from the collaborators and can organize armed bands as a result. We would ask that your Serbian contacts transfer the weapons to our forces directly, so there is to be no confusion in which Bosnian groups receive them." ___ Vienna... The Reichskanzler did not share von Stamm's views of reincarnation; and frankly, he found them to be superstitious and illogical. Strangely, and rather counter-revolutionary of other Austrian royals, Duke von Pless was a man of science and he ardently rejected the recent neo-Christianizing of Austrian society. Despite these differences, von Pless nevertheless found solace in the Minister of War's words and he plainly made his approval noticed to his guests. Often staying more reserved around his fellow Austrian brethren, von Pless was beginning to feel more comfortable discussing his plans with his Baltic associates. In truth, there were suggestions that von Pless had kept to himself even apart from the Archduke in fear of garnering suspicion from his colleagues. Having begun first as a sociologist professor at Vienna University before rising with the new regime, von Pless had been a secret fanatic for social Darwinism. He had always held deep reservations around the mixing of the German race with those he deemed lesser peoples - namely the Slavs and Roma Gypsies. For a while, the Duke had wrestled with the dilemma of making his opinions more directly known to his superior, however the exploitation of the fear surrounding Slavic terrorism was giving von Pless new found confidence that his murderous and racist agenda could be foisted upon the Austrian people. "Minister von Stamm, I am delighted to hear your point of view," The Duke replied, showing a new found vigor. "My fellow countrymen are still working through the weak sentimentality indoctrinated in them by the weak liberalist government of the former Federation. I too share your worldview; the German race is supreme and ought not to shy away from the duty of subjugating other weaker peoples. In time, I am confident that the Austrian people and all of our race will return to the behavior bestowed upon us by our rightful place as leaders of the human race." The Reichskanzler was unaware of von Berg's reaction, however he continued as if only speaking to von Stamm. He continued to drink from his wine glass as if discussing matters as trivial as sports or hobbies. "The Slavs are a mongreloid race; the end result of centuries of criminal breeding between once proud European peoples and the barbarous hordes of Asia," von Pless continued seriously. "They have always stood in the way of the advancement of the pure Germanic peoples with whose land they unjustly occupy. Our struggle to reclaim the territory of our ancestors has been ongoing, however we have never shied away from our destiny. Now, with the unifying of our peoples seemingly so close, for the first time we may posses the will to achieve such success. Like you said, this will mean killing, yet this should not be cause for alarm. For every vermin we exterminate through conquest, countless others shall submit themselves to our irrefutable superiority. This is advisable, as we shall require these peoples to work in our factories and to assist in the advancement of medical and technological research. Imagine what we can accomplish when we unite together against the sub-humans? We alone shall usher in a better world for the superior peoples. The honor is found in the end not the means." Edited by Whal, Sep 28 2014, 07:54 PM.
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| Alberto | Oct 28 2014, 08:01 AM Post #17 |
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Resident Italian
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Prague "This changes everything" stated the Grand Duke while looking at the folder that lied on the table. The folder contained a short report - three pages, maximum - and had just been circulated among the twelve ministers who had gathered around that somptuous baroque table. "According to the estimates of the MIS, the Austrian military disposes of no more than 20 days of carburant. Twenty days, and then their war machine will run out of gas" confirmed the minister of defense. "This means" he continued "that the Austrians have overstretched, and that this is the right time to counterattack" "Just during an international investigation in the Balkans?" retorted the Prime Minister, Clementis, in response "a movement on our part would be reckless in this moment, the international community must clearly see that we act in self-defense" In the meantime, the Grand Duke, and all those who were present, were weighing their options. If it did an aggressive move, Marslava would attract international condemnation. Also, it remained unclear whether Porcu and Russia would uphold their alliance with Marslava - or would at least maintain a benign neutrality. But the projects of the Habsburg were a mystery to no one: Austria would strengthen its position and, once strong enough, would strike Marslava. However, right now, Austria had little oil, and had even less time to solve that problem. The Austrians had attacked and had reached their maximum capacity, and their admirable war machine now showed its first signs of strain. This meant that the Austrian forces may be left stuck in Croatia and Northern Bosnia. In such a situation, Marslava could take things in its hands and move directly instead of relying on an unreliable organization - Translava. "This is what I propose" said the sovereign "we will start deploying one division in Sarajevo, increase our presence in Serbia, and deploy more forces in our Valachian oil fields." "What about Translava?" asked the defence minister "are we approving the demands they make to deliver more weapons?" "Put the delivery on hold" answered the Grand Duke "we will have to renegotiate our relationship - they will maintain control over the civilian population, it is us who mut decide how the war is fought". One hour later, from Belgrade and from Bratislava, planes loaded with troops and weapons took off - their destination was Sarajevo. |
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| Whal | Nov 8 2014, 01:32 PM Post #18 |
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"Life is too short to be wasted on bad scotch"
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Belverdere Imperial Palace, outside Vienna... Karl fixed the cross airs of his rifle firmly over the heart of his prey. His target, a majestic red fox, had only recently emerged from the surrounding foliage and had stopped to lick its paws directly on the Archduke's horse path. The tiny creature's nose perked up just as the wind began blowing from his direction - nature had betrayed his position. The fox turned to investigate and stood, muscles tensed, as it scanned the area. "What are you waiting for?" Duke Albert inquired, leaning forwards from his horse. "Shoot him, your Majesty." Upon hearing the foreign minister's words carried through the crisp fall air, the fox's suspicions were proven true and it darted into the brush, once again leaving the path ahead vacant. The only sounds now were the slight whisper of the wind and the quiet neigh of the horses. Karl sighed deeply, and resting the rifle under his arm, turned to his companion. "Remind me to never go hunting with you again, your Grace," he said perturbed, and mounting his horse. "You owe my daughter a new scarf." The foreign minister snickered to himself and the pair continued down the path at a light trot. As they traveled, Duke Albert nodded silently to himself as he remembered he still required an answer from the Archduke regarding the recent Marslavan incursion into Sarajevo. "You've yet to tell me how you wish to deal with the Marslavans," he asked, slowing his horse. Karl slowed his horse to stop before responding, "The Marslavans believe, much like their Porcuian masters, that simply throwing their forces arbitrarily in our path will deter us - this is obviously not the case. With or without oil, we shall show our enemies the true resilience of the Austrian people and their military. If the Marslavans wish to play chess, then let our next moves be of a similar caliber. For every division Prague sends to Sarajevo, we shall send two to Budapest. We will show our enemy that he cannot stick his nose in our business without leaving his own exposed." The foreign minister frowned, "But we have only a week's supply of oil before we turn to emergency rationing. The Russians haven't shown any concrete interest, the CMESS as well. I would recommend we halt military matters until we can procure a steady supply of oil." Karl turned to the minster and smiled, "But your Grace, we still have a steady supply of oil." Sensing his companion's confusion he continued, "The Austrian people have enjoyed relative comfort throughout this conflict, and comfort can be damaging when it becomes the norm. A people content with the current nature of things remain rigid and inflexible to the changes of the state. It is time to introduce them to the sacrifices needed for their continued prosperity." "Begin rationing then?" Duke Albert replied, "Civilian stockpiles could give us the necessary supplies needed to conduct operations close to full demands - for a short while. The people will give up their oil readily." "I expect them too, your Grace," Karl said seriously. "Austria demands it." Later that day, two full divisions of Austrian Fallschirmjaeger were airdropped a few miles away from the Hungarian capital. Linking up with Austrian garrison forces on the ground, the Reichswehr began the first steps towards increasing its presence in the Hungarian Free State. |
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| Alberto | Nov 10 2014, 02:55 PM Post #19 |
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Resident Italian
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Budapest, 10/11/20** The dropping of the two Austrian divisions over Budapest took place rapidly and faultlessly. The Marslavan forces quartered in Hungary had received no order to oppose it, and did not try to prevent it. Nevertheless, the mood in Northern Hungary became wary and full of fear. Marslavan soldiers and Hungarian civilians looked with inquietude at the white-red parachutes which spread all over the sky. The 123rd regiment of infantry was the most advanced unit of the Marslavan forces in Hungary, advanced in the sense that it was the closest to the Austrian lines. Weeks before, the engineers of the 12th division of infantry had fortified their position, digging trenches and building bunkers, and refuges. At the time, an enemy attack was deemed to be probable. Now that the Austrians were receiving important reinforcements, such an attack seemed ineluctable. The soldiers and the officers of the 123rd regiment looked powerless as the enemy soldiers landed and took up their position. It would have been easy, they thought, for the Marslavan artillery to sweep away those forces, which had yet to rally and re-organize. This would of course have started a war, but, since that was would have occurred anyway, why not start it before the deployment of Austrian reinforcements. Of course, no one fired a shot that night. Entrenched in their positions, the soldiers of the 123rd regiment waited for the enemy's moves. On their side, they had an awesome network of fortifications, a powerful artillery, and air support. Yet, there was a feeling among the soldiers of the 123rd regiment that something was going to go awfully wrong. Their looks, gestures and silence were signs of this feeling. The low ranking officers who lived with them and shared their difficulties took notice of that feeling. Such a situation had develop in all the Marslavan units in Hungary. Unluckily, differently from their subordinates, the commander of the 123rd regiment and his colleagues did not realize this. Prague, 20** The Austrians had concentrated a formidable army in the arounds of Budapest and it would be very difficult to kick them out of there. Disposed on a map of the Balkans, red flags indicated the position of Austrian units. The red flags encompassed the whole of Croatia and enroached on Herzegovina. Up to the north, multiple red flags were disposed around Budapest and in Northern Austria. The two sides were seeking to check each other's movements, so as to gain the better position from which it could attack best. The generals von Schwarzenberg and Radetzky contemplated this large map and considered the situation. The Grand Duke listened to them carefully, and did not say a word. "We should have expected it" affirmed General von Schwarzenberg, an ethnic German who held supreme command of the Marslavan army "as the Austrians are most vulnerable in the Balkans, we are most vulnerable in Budapest. We cannot afford to lose Northern Hungary." The victor of Budapest and of the Hungarian campaign, a short and obese man, made a pause to catch his breath. "I advise you to equip our partners of Translava for an offensive in Hercegovina, so that Austria is forced to shift its forces to the Balknas". "Budapest is the centre of our dispositive of defense" confirmed Radetzky, a tall man who had aged precociously but still wore his uniform with elegance "to lose it would mean to give Austria access to Serbia, the Valachian oil fields and Marslava proper. The Austrians will not hesitate to attack directly in direction of Prague" he made a pause "We know that this drawn out buildup must finish and that we must attack them first" he started impetously "we must attack them as long as we have the advantage in terms of numbers and as long as their problem with oil supplies subsists. And we should not let go until they have been expelled from the Balkans" The Grand Duke listened to both the generals with attention. Had Marslava been an authoritarian monarchy, like it was thirty years before, it would have had no problem with declaring war on Austria and starting a war that was to be violent and vicious. But Marslava had changed, it had a democracy, a parliament and a sovereign people. The sovereign too had changed: differently from the volitive and decadent Vladislav II Podebrady, Otokar Premyslid was a prudent monarch. He knew that the current stability of Marslava relied on a delicate balance between its democratic and its aristocratic elements. A war of aggression may destabilize this balance, whereas a defensive war would rally all Marslavans behind the throne and solidify such a balance. "General Radetzky, my wife would agree with you and, if she sat at my place, would authorize such an attack. She is a beautiful and delicate woman, but she is a Serb, and her enmity toward Austria is deep and relentless." he started, half-jokingly "luckily my wife is not sitting here at my place, and our opinions diverge from my wife's. You ask me to take on my own a political decision: to cast out all hesitation and to invade Austria. This is not something that can be done easily, and it is not something that I will order." "Rather" he concluded, looking toward the prudent von Schwarzenberg "we will reinforce Budapest. Take contact with Translava, propose it to conduct an offensive against Austria. In exchange, we will spare no means to equip them toward that end: we will supply them with artillery, more LAMOM rocket launchers, and armoured vehicles. Moeover, we will hire the necessary mercenaries to man them, and ensure that the Serbian air force assists the effort of Translava" At the end of the meeting the relevant orders were dispatched, and the MIS was told to make contact with Translava. Sarajevo, 20** Sarajevo, normally a quiet city, had been transformed by the arrival of the Marslavan troops. Marslavan soldiers and vehicles had filled the city's streets, and the first trenches had been digged in the city's outskirts. The city's multiethnic population had accepted with resignation these intruders: differently from the Serbs they did not look at Marslavans as allies. However, the fear they had toward Austrians made the presence of Marslava - and Translava - tolerable. Yet, there were people who were not willing to choose between the two powers, people who chose to take a different stance. In a small room full of smoke and papers sat a group of men. Their chiefs were three men who did not know each other's identity. One, whose nickname was Goran, was Bosniac, the other, who asked to be called Edmund, was an ethnic German, the other, who was called Maximilian by the others, was a Czech. The three believed in a faith that went beyond borders, and gave them an objective that went beyond the squabbles between Austria and Marslava. That faith was communism. Each of these men represented a group of revolutionary communists and they wanted to open a new front against both Austria and Marslava, to create a communist polity in the Balkans. “Translava is losing the war against Austria, and Austria will soon clash with Marslava” said Edmund, the German “comrades, we cannot let such a good occasion pass. There is chaos here, and chaos breeds revolution. And revolution could bring us to accomplish the dream of communism – to realize a polity of workers that encompasses Austria, Marslava, Hungary and the whole Balkans” “The Bosnian communists” he said indicating Goran “tell us that there are areas, which belong neither to Austria nor to Translava and that do not want to belong to anyone. We can defend some of those areas, repel our enemies, and lay the foundations of new communist communities in Bosnia” Edmund finally indicated Maximilian “and there are people in Marslava who are interested in assisting us and who will not hesitate to wage war against the bourgeois Grand Duchy to help the cause of communism” “Yes” replied Maximilian “comrade Edmund, my group will retaliate against Marslava if they were to move against us”. Goran too confirmed what Edmund had just said “and the Bosniac communists will make contact with those villagers around Banja Luka who need someone to defend them”. There was a moment of silence, everyone thought about the enterprise in which they were embarking, against Austria, against Marslava, and against Translava. Edmund finally remembered a last detail, and stated that he would try to contact Austrian communists who were members of the underground resistance movement. Soon after all those who were present got up: without saying a word, they eluded the surveillance of the Marslavan military police and disappeared in the night. |
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| Whal | Nov 11 2014, 05:40 PM Post #20 |
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"Life is too short to be wasted on bad scotch"
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Outside Budapest, Central Hungary.... The arrival of the men from the 2nd and 3rd Royal Fallschirmjaeger Divisions bolstered the Reichswehr's total strength in Central Hungary to a formidable 50,000 men. Already garrisoned inside the Hungarian Free State opposite the Marslavans, the 101st Grenadier Division, 10th Panzer Division, 10th Gendarmerie Regiment, and 29th Artillery Regiment waited patiently for the paratroopers to land and organize themselves. Most of the Austrian garrison troops in the Free State were untested, yet the men from the 2nd and 3rd Fallschirmjaeger were no strangers to combat; indeed, both had fought the dire battles in the previous Hungarian War and the 3rd in particular had fought recently in the Croatian campaign. As they dropped into the valley and villages surrounding the Hungarian capital, the paratroopers operated with impunity and without fear of attack - they had been assured by Vienna that neither Marslava nor the Hungarian police units would oppose them. This fact was further exemplified as the 2nd Royal Fallschirmjaeger strolled into a small village and were immediately assisted by the local municipal police as to the proper roadways in the direction of Budapest. The Hungarian Free State was all that remained of the Admiral's former independent country and it was a shell of state. Garrisoned by both Austrian and Marslavan forces, the entity was hardly in a position to offer up any resistance and simply rolled over as soldiers from both sides moved freely through the Hungarian countryside. Meanwhile, in the city itself, Austrian garrison troops readied their accommodations for the arrival of the additional 20,000 paratroopers. As they did so, the urge to peak over at the Marslavan side of the city was insurmountable. Across the barbed wire and checkpoints, Austrian soldiers watched with wide grins as their adversaries began digging defensive positions and expecting the worst. How could they have known that Vienna had zero plans of initiating an attack against them? At least not on that particular day. Tensions were indeed quite high, yet Austria was still reluctant to go to war with the Grand Duchy unless it overtly acted in defiance of Austrian maneuvers in the Balkans. For all intents and purposes, the Reichswehr's escalation of troop deployment in Hungary was simply a powerplay to show Prague Vienna's commitment to taking Bosnia-Herzegovina no matter the cost. In essence, should Marslavan or Serbian forces attempt to interfere, Austrian tanks would roll into Budapest with intent to destroy. The arrival of the Fallschirmjaeger served as reminder to Prague of Vienna's resolve, yet also served a more discrete purpose. Several miles away, in the Austrian Landgraviate of West Hungary, the 200,000+ garrison began arming and training for military exercises across the territory. Already, while Prague's eyes were fixated on Budapest, the Reichswehr had infiltrated small bands of Grenzer special forces into the rest of the Free State. With the help of Austrian-aligned police sympathizers, these infiltrators were already carving up small settlements of jurisdiction for a possible future Austrian incursion. Everyone knew that a storm was brewing in the Balkans, yet there appeared to be a possibility that the rain would splash Hungary as well. __________ Slavic Republic of Bosnia-Herzegovina.. Austria had enjoyed a rapid and relatively easy campaign in Croatia. With a population sympathetic to Austrian policy and culture, the Croatians had provided the Reichswehr with the type of war it wanted to fight in the Balkans - an internal socio-racial struggle where Austrians could secure future room for expansion and prosperity. Whilst normally antagonistic towards Slavs, Vienna would not forget the Croatian contribution to the cause and ultimately placed them as a privileged class in Austrian society. Bosnia-Herzegovina would not be like Croatia. Organized under a Slavic "democratic" system and not anywhere as internally politically divided as Croatia, Bosnia-Herzegovina had allowed Translava to integrate themselves in society almost without conflict. Instead of fighting a small, disorganized and under supplied Translava presence, the Reichswehr faced a determined, equipped, and properly assisted enemy in the Slavic Republic. The Republic's military was almost as well equipped as Serbia's and it benefited from a more sizable Translava presence, which granted it access to artillery and heavy weapons. Even more of a headache for the Austrians, the only collaborators to be found were a minuscule minority of Bosnian Catholics and Muslims who had been marginalized and oppressed by the majority Orthodox Slav majority. Unreliable and wild at best, these armed bands would be more a nuisance to the Reichswehr than any true help. Regardless of the setbacks, no one in Vienna doubted the Reichswehr's chances of success - 90% at last check. Even with support from Translava, Bosnia-Hezegovina's "modern" army was third-word at best and could only realistically fight a conventional war for a few weeks before capitulating. If the Archduke had his way it would be much sooner; the generals in the Reichswehr were tasked with forcing a formal surrender within a two week window. To accomplish this task, Vienna spared no expense. Full mobilization of two full Feldarmies, over 200,000 men, was requisitioned and incursions were planned from air, land and sea. Accompanying these Austrian troops would be a whole host of foreign Croatian auxiliaries totaling approximately 25,000 men. Ironically, it was not the Austrians who made the first moves in Bosnia-Herzegovina. Emboldened by continued talks with the Marslavans and resupplied with an impressive assortment of LAMOM artillery, Translava targeted and bombarded Austrian garrison troops along the Bosnian-Croatian border. It was not the act which shook military planners in Vienna, but the scale of the bombardment; totaling almost three hours and killing over 300 Austrian servicemen, the attack was the largest single assault by Translava since the onset of the Croatian campaign. The Archduke was irate, and the people of Austria even more still. Oil rationing which has first been met with slight annoyance was soon welcomed ardently as Austrians pleaded for a reprisal against the sneaky and barbaric terror group. The attack was the cataylist the Reichswehr had been waiting for and it confirmed their suspicions that the Marslavans had been supplying Translava in Bosnia. It was early morning, November 11th, 2014 when the Reichswehr suddenly responded with a massive concerted offensive. Resupplied by oil commandeered from the Empire's civilian population, the Reichswehr's tanks, surface ships, and fighter aircraft once again started their engines and steamed into the Republic, nullifying its "sovereignty". Entering from the North, III, IVth, and Vth Corps of the 7th Feldarmie sped past the Bosnian border with Croatia and laid siege to the towns of Brcko and Derventa. To the Northwest, elements of the 8th Feldarmie hit cities and villages across the Bosnian-Croatian border; Bosanska-Dubika, Sturlic, Orasac, and Titov Drvar were embroiled in heavy fighting almost instantly. Farther down, along the Croatian coast, the Austrian Kriegsmarine bombarded the Bosnian forces in range with cruise missile strikes in a bid to soften it up for the inevitable push south. By the end of the first day, the Bosnian forces were in such disarray that almost all of Posivina Province was in Austrian hands. As night arrived on the first day of the invasion, the Austrian forces halted their advance to consolidate their gains and to prepare for the next days' combat. Posted Image |
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| Margrave | Nov 13 2014, 10:01 PM Post #21 |
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Is very much a holla-back girl.
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| Alberto | Nov 16 2014, 06:32 AM Post #22 |
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Resident Italian
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Sarajevo, 20** Night had fallen over Sarajevo. The minarets and the church towers of the old city, built in white stone, shone in the darkness. Sarajevo, a city whose beauty shone during the day, was neither well lit nor safe at night. At night Translava, and various criminal gangs, were in control and free to conduct their business. Moreover, the arrival of thousands of refugees from Northern Bosnia did not improve the situation - having nothing left, these poor people resorted to theft. To venture in the Old City of Sarajevo at night could be dangerous, and the rare Marslavan patrols could did little to change the situation. The streets of the Old City were too narrow for the majority of vehicles, and military police's patrols were done either by foot or on horseback. Just before the muezzin sang his prayer of 6AM, a patrol of twelve men headed by a sergeant crossed the square before the Catholic Cathedral. An old man, a notorious police informer, came looking for the NCO, sergeant Dvoracek. His face full of animation expressed surprise and concern. "Sergeant, something bad has happened few yards away" he shouted. The patrol ran after the old man, through the narrow streets built by the Turks, and the old mosque of Sarajevo. In the cellar of a recluse house, the Marslavan patrol found the corpses of six men. No one in the surroundings had heard anything: the victims had been killed swiflty and silently by knife. A soldier approached one of the bodies and turned it. That was the body of a young bearded man, who wore an uniform. The sergeant saw it, and he called the informer to confirm his impression. The informer gave his opinion on the matter, confirming the identity of the men. The sergeant started to shake his head:"This business is beyond us: those who just got killed are Translava operatives. This is stuff for the MIS". Thirty minutes later three men in civilian clothes arrived and the military police patrol understood that it was not needed anymore. The youngest of the three operatives quickly remarked something. “They are missing their patch, their rank and their papers” he said. The other two operatives nodded and proceeded to examine further the six men. All of them they knew to belong to Translava. If there had been orders for Marslavan forces to attack Translava operatives, the three MIS agents would have been aware of them. Moreover, it was extremely unlikely that Translava would kill its own operatives, or that any of Sarajevo's criminal gangs would dare to go against that organization. “This is not something done by gangs” observed the eldest “it is done by professionals. These six individuals did not even notice what was happening: there is no sign of struggle”. And indeed, the expression the deads' faces communicated surprise: their pain had been sudden and had not lasted long. “This has been done by someone who was well trained – here there is no one except us or Translava who would be able to pull this. Surely not some criminal gang”. “What about the Austrians?” asked the middle agent. “Perhaps, but I would rather think that we are dealing with locals who had a very good knowledge of this area.” “You don't seem to think that we are dealing with a criminal group” observed the younger agent “you would rather think that this act has a political connotation” “Yes” replied the eldest agent “I think there is a new armed group, and that Translava is not anymore fully in control”. The three men continued to search the crime scene, trying to reconstruct what had just happened. In the meantime, the Military Police had closed off the house. Few yards away, the muezzin had started his call for prayer. Few hours later, Colonel Horka heard coolly the report of the three agents he had sent to that cellar close to Sarajevo's old mosque. He had no love for Translava, and believed that Marslava should get to do the dirty work in the Balkans without delegating it to a non state organization that was ill fitted to fight conventional wars. He felt that Translava's leadership constantly overestimated its strength and underestimated its enemies'. “Tonight” he stated with a grin “our army delivered hundreds of firearms, machine guns and mortars to Translava.” He sighed “ Now that you tell me about this six corpses, I suspect that we delivered these weapons not to Translava but rather to people who have killed and stolen the identity of these six Translava agents. And someone who was not meant to got away with our weapons ” He got up and walked around the room. “This does not make us look good.” Banja Luka Goran was the head of the military arm of the communist organization in the Balkans. He was born in Sarajevo to a poor family and had left at an early age to fight. At eighteen he had volunteered to serve in the Dominion's IXth Army. The IXth Army was mainly staffed and commanded by Marslavans, who saw the potential of that young Bosniac and admitted him to serve in the special forces. After the war, differently from many Dominegasque soldiers who became mercenaries, he found a new religion: communism. The propagation of his new faith was now his new reason for living. Other communist Bosniacs too had served with him in the old Ixth Army and had received valuable military training. With a few dozens of those men, and with weapons that Marslava had unwittingly given to the communist cause, he had set out to a village at the north Banja Luka. Left undefended by the Bosnian army and abandoned by Translava, these villagers waited with despair for the arrival of the Austrian forces. Goran and his nucleus of well trained soldiers wanted to rally those villagers, mobilize them and form a new front of resistance against the Austrian invader. Differently from Translava, the communists would not seek to fight an outright regular warfare against the more powerful Austrian forces. They would rather lie down and mobilize the locals for partisan warfare at the right moment. Edited by Alberto, Nov 16 2014, 06:32 AM.
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| Whal | Nov 17 2014, 12:25 AM Post #23 |
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"Life is too short to be wasted on bad scotch"
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The sudden nature of the Austrian invasion had initially placed Translava and their Bosnian allies on their backs. In a single day, the Reichswehr had successfully crushed the Bosnian army in a series of sporadic engagements along the various towns and cities scattered throughout the northern Croatian-Bosnian border. The Bosnian forces had only managed to put up a half-hearted resistance as the majority of their forces had yet to receive the bulk of the heavy weapons promised to them by their Translava benefactors. As a result, the northern cities of Derventa, Brcko, and Bijeljina fell the Austrian 7th Feldarmie in little under two days of heavy fighting. Likewise, with the fall of Prijedor to elements of the 8th Feldarmie a day later, the entirety of Posivina Province was firmly rested in Austrian hands. The Reichswehr, having secured a prominent swath of territory from which to conduct future raids, quickly and ruthlessly began dispersing its war machine in every direction. By week's end, Austrian forces were deeper into the country than many in Vienna had believed possible under current supplies and suspected resistance. With elements of the 7th Feldarmie surrounding and assaulting the cities of Tuzla and Gracanica and the 8th pushing up upon Banja Luka and Sanki Most, the Reichswehr stood poised to wrestle the north away from the Bosnians and Translava. Despite all the shortcomings of their early defensive performances, Translava's raw tenacity and hatred of their enemy allowed them to consolidate their forces quickly and therefore effectively engineer a proper response; indeed, by week's end their Bosnian allies had been outfitted for a more formidable resistance. In a miraculous example of foresight, Translava's military leaders had re-positioned the bulk of their heavy artillery and LAMOM SPGs to the middle of the country and primarily around Sarajevo. It was their hope that by this tactful move the Austrian Luftwaffe, which had complete air superiority, would be dissuaded from attacking said equipment due to its close proximity to Marslavan ground forces. Luckily for Translava, the gambit had worked thus far and the Luftwaffe refrained from organizing armed sorties against the installations. However, this plan also came with its fair share of drawbacks, notably limiting the amount of artillery barrages which could be used in support of the Bosnian Army in the middle of the country. Essentially, the Bosnian military installations and garrisons in places such as Zenica, Jayce, Travnik, Zvornik, and Drvar were relegated to a reliance upon their newly gifted heavy weapons and light artillery. Likewise, the majority of the Bosnian's armored support was requisitioned south in the defense of the crown jewel - Sarajevo. The arrival of the Marslavans had vexed Translava's leadership, but they had caved under a layer of shame and necessity. Prague had made good on its promise to supply the terror organization with arms and guidance, but their actual military support was also a gift that Translava could accept in dire situations. Even though, they were still not yet totally convinced they would need it, the organization was too weak and embarrassed to reject the incursion nonetheless. Bosnia-Herzegovina was the organization's last chance to prove to Prague that it could realistically still control the situation exclusively, yet behind the scenes the situation was quite far from their control. Despite securing a semi-formidable front against the Austrians in the north, the middle of the country was quickly descending into a tiny civil war. Unbeknownst to Translava's leadership and to the surprise of the Austrians, the country's small, yet organized Croat-Muslim population united in their hatred of their Bosnian-Serb oppressors and re-formed the Croat-Muslim Confederation. Arming themselves and pledging support for the Austrian cause, the neo-confederation began organizing rag-tag, yet shockingly effective raids against the Bosnian forces stationed there. After a night of heavy fighting and impromptu aerial support from the Luftwaffe, the joint Catholic-Muslim fighters managed to wrestle control of several cities from the Bosnians and Translava. So passionate was the plight of these fighters that Vienna immediately send word that their cause would not be forgotten, and that the Reichswehr would soon arrive to protect them. Even before the fighting had subsided in Zenica (the Confederation's newly appointed "capital"), the Austrians landed several detachments of special forces and advisers from the highly professional Grenzer Gruppe Alpha. The emergence of the Croat-Muslim Confederation was not the only embarrassment to Translava as of late. Unfortunately, several small bands of unknown and unaligned fighters had begun arriving on the scene and covertly assassinating Translava operators. In Sarajevo in particular, a much needed weapons shipment from Prague was sneakily robbed by this same unknown group following an assassination of some of Translava men inside the city. Translava's leadership was worried that said attacks could become continuous and analogous with some yet-unknown uprising... Posted Image -------- Zelena village, outskirts of Banja Luka.. The arrival of VIII Corps of the 8th Feldarmie outside the city limits of Banja Luka was met with contempt and fear by the local population. Made up almost entirely of ethnic Bosnian-Serbs, much of the able bodied residents had fled south to the safety of the Bosnian front line, yet a sizable population had remained. These individuals had been from the same or similar stock to the survivors of the 1990's Bosnian genocide, and many were not strangers to the possibility of death from an armed force. This time, however, they themselves were the targeted party and the armed groups were not men from their country or ethnic group. In the tiny village of Zelena, a small population of approximately 100 or so villagers waited patiently for the arrival of the Austrian forces. Unbeknownst to the arriving soldiers, the village's population was expanded overnight by several dozen men and women belonging to the communist resistance. Their mission was still unheard of by the Reichswehr, yet their ideology was vehemently opposed by the Austrian State. Their armed presence was covert and they had orders to set up a partisan network once the Reichswehr had moved on; however today their resolve would be tested. The first Austrian combat troops to arrive at Zelena were an advanced detail of panzergrenadiers from the 17th Division. Operating under their orders to secure the village against possible counterattack, the 60 or so panzergrenadiers entered the town and searched for any sign of Translava or the Bosnian Army. Once they had discerned the village empty of either presence, the men began gallivanting around the village until they received further orders. As they lounged about, smoking and playing cards, their presence was watched with suspicion and contempt by the villagers. Not surprisingly, no attempts on either side were made at prolonged contact or mutual assistance. Two panzergrenadiers stood at attention by a military jeep smoking cigarettes. Their conversation began friendly, but soon turned to the current campaign when word arrived that they would soon be joined by more reinforcements. "We're to hold the area while security services conduct a cleansing operation," the first said to the other. "Our orders: no one gets in or out." "The RSD?" the other one asked confused. "But there's no Translava here." "Doesn't matter, could be something else," the first one replied, taking a drag. "What do we do if someone tries to leave?" "Shoot them." The other soldier looked away at his friend and turned towards some civilians who looked at the soldiers angrily. He waved over to them, but they simply shut their curtains or looked on blankly. Not a few moments later the sounds of truck engines were heard in the distance and several vehicles arrived carrying black-uniformed RSD men and civilians in camouflage with armbands displaying the Austrian falcon. "Auxiliary troops. Croatians," the first soldier said to the other. The auxiliary troops exited from the bed of the trucks and began entering the surrounding buildings in and around the street. The two soldiers watched quietly as they ran among the street while their fellow RSD passengers simply stood guard. Soon screams were heard from inside some of the buildings. Several seconds latter the auxiliaries emerged carrying or shoving civilians into a huddle along an adjacent wall. "These are all civilians," the skeptical soldier said in disbelief. "There are women and children present. They can't kill civilians." The auxiliaries treated the mob of civilians terribly - beating and striking them with their fists and rifle butts. The RSD men present and witnessing the situation simply stood by and watched. They slowly returned to their vehicles as the Croatians rounded up the mob and began forcing them into the trucks. Suddenly, a young teenage girl broke from the mob and attempted to walk casually away from the situation. One of the Croatians noticed her escape attempt and came from behind her, swooping her up in his arms and carrying her back to the mob. He gave her a swift smack to the head when she struggled. "Hey! Stop" the skeptical soldier cried out in German. The Croat scoffed and turned his back to the panzergrenadiers. "Zaustaviti!" the second soldier commanded in Croatian, raising his rifle at the man. The Croatian man turned around completely, but still held the girl under his arm. He stared at the two panzergrenadiers with utter contempt. Suddenly, their lieutenant arrived from behind them. "What's going on here?" he inquired cautiously, noticing that his men had their rifles raised. When no one answered him, he walked up to the Croat and looked him over. "Let her go," he commanded. "Pustiti da ode!" The Croat also refused to obey the higher ranking panzergrenadier. The standoff continued until a black-uniformed RSD officer approached. Making the clicking noise an owner would to alert one's dog, the officer got the Croat's attention and motioned for him to drop the girl. The man complied and walked back to his comrades. The officer then approached the lieutenant and the two saluted and shook one another's hands. "That girl belongs to the RSD, lieutenant," the RSD officer stated flatly. The lieutenant shook his head, "Like all civilians, she belongs to the Reichswehr." "Oh, that's no civilian, Lieutenant," The officer scoffed. "That's a communist. An order is an order." "Your orders are to lead a Croatian mob?" the lieutenant replied mockingly. "How very honorable." The RSD officer smiled, took out some chocolate, and took a bite. The lieutenant then turned to his two men. "This girl is under your protection until I get this matter sorted out. Understood?" The two soldiers nodded quietly, their eyes never leaving the smug RSD officer. "As you wish, Lieutenant," the officer replied patronizingly. Convinced that the matter had been settled, the lieutenant walked away in the direction of his radio. The two panzergrenadiers relaxed their posture, while the RSD officer walked up to the young girl and offered her some chocolate. The girl shakily took some of it from him and ate it. As she finished, she looked up at the first soldier and smiled. She never heard the snap of the officer's pistol holster or the "click" of his sidearm. A single shot rang out, and the girl's body fell to the ground. In the swiftest motion possible, the officer had grabbed the nape of the girl's neck with one hand and forced the pistol-barrel into the back of her head with the other. He looked away only to avoid the blood splatter, yet it had covered his left cheek and chest. He whipped his cheek in disgust as he strolled back to his men. The three panzergrenadiers stood motionless, speechless. Immediately after, the vehicles departed from the village as quickly as they arrived. The girl's lifeless body rested unmolested in the street where she had fallen. |
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| Alberto | Nov 17 2014, 01:03 PM Post #24 |
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Resident Italian
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Sarajevo, 20** Posted Image The Croat allies of Austria had carved out their own domain and awaited the arrival of consistent Austrian forces to consolidate their hold. The problem, from Marslava's point of view, was that they controlled an area that was dangerously close to Sarajevo. If the Austrians could establish themselves solidly around Zenica they would dispose of an excellent area from which they could attack Sarajevo. In the last week, the Marslavan presence in Sarajevo had been reinforced considerably. One Serbian and two Marslavan brigades had been air-lifted to Sarajevo. Moreover, units from the Marslavan air force were now in position to defend the air space above Sarajevo. Such a concentration of forces made the Marslavan leadership bold, perhaps too much so. The 16th of November, the supreme commander of the Marslavan army - general von Schwarzenberg - suggested to the impetuous commander of the Marslavan "Balcanic" Army - General Zdenek - that Marslava should now affirm his strength in the face of Austria and its Croat allies. General Zdenek, as much impetuous as he was servile, immediately understood that Prague wanted an offensive. Visibly relieved and eager, he called his subordinates - the two capable generals Budennyi and Rohanove - and ordered them to put in operation an offensive against the Croat-Muslim Confederation. The purpose of the attack was to obliterate that entity and to relieve the city of Sarajevo. No contact was to be sought with Austria, but Austrian casualties would not be deplored. Budennyi and Rohanove immediately called the head of the MIS - Horka - to have the most detailed informations on the enemy positions. The Marslavan forces in Sarajevo, which had until then kept a low profile, burst into action. The city buzzled with men, artillery and vehicles. According to the plan of the generals Budennyi and Rohanove, the Serbian regiments would attack frontally the enemy forces, while the Marslavan armoured forces would get around the retreating forces. The bombing that prepared this offensive was terrifying. Truly, in military matters, the Marslavans have always beeen fanatically attached to artillery's firepower. The Marslavan artillery accomplished a "Time on Target" attack, whereby artillery rounds were fired from different positions with a timing that allowed them to strike on target at the same time. After this, two Serbian regiments were thrown into a frontal assault against the Croats: the two peoples hated each other since time immemorial and fought each other savagely. Concurrently with this fierce battle, the Marslavan armoured units manouvered to outflank Austria's allies. In this juncture, as they realized that enemy units were at their rears, the Catholic-Muslim fighters withdrew precipitously towards Zenica. The Serbs chased them, consolidating the advances made during that day: now the Marslavans were at a sufficient distance from Zenica to bomb it with their artillery. As in many other occasions, the LAMOMs launched their load of death against the enemy. Certainly, all the leaders involved - the Grand Duke, the generals etc - knew that there were few Austrian operatives in that town. However, they were so sure that war was ineluctable that they took no precaution to avoid Austrian casualties. Marslava and Austria were like two duelists who had finally crossed their blades: they just needed to strike. Edited by Alberto, Nov 17 2014, 01:12 PM.
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| Whal | Nov 20 2014, 05:48 PM Post #25 |
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"Life is too short to be wasted on bad scotch"
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Vienna... "They've actually done it? Truly?" Karl II inquired, slightly anxious and leaning forward out of his elaborate armchair. "Yes, your Majesty," Lothar von Pommern, Minister of War, replied quickly and without hesitation. "The Marslavans have actively engaged against allied forces all across the Bosnian-Confederation border." The room went eerily quiet save the sporadic crackling of the fire still burning brightly from the ornate fireplace. The three men present, the Archduke, the Minister of War, and the Reichskanzler all had been preparing for this moment since the coup, yet none among them had planned for an escalation with the Great Duchy so early. In fact, all three of them, including Karl II, were slightly unprepared for such a brazen move by their foes. Regardless of this fact however, any more feelings of doubt and shock soon dissipated into anger and anxiousness as they began grappling with what such an assault meant - the gloves had finally come off. "Does this mean we're at war?" von Pless asked slightly confused. "Could they truly be that stupid?" Karl shook his head, "We've always been at war, your Grace. Only now, it seems our enemy has given us the green light to escalate things to the next level." "We can't waste a moment. I'll inform Field Marshall von Schweppes immediately and place our forces on full combat readiness," von Pommern stated enthusiastically. "No, not yet," Karl interjected quickly. "Prague may have thrown the first punch, but they've done so with a gloved hand. I presume our forces have not been engaged directly?" Von Pommern relaxed and frowned, "No, not directly, but the close proximity of our Grenzer advisors to allied fighters has resulted in some minor casualties; 5 dead since their last bombardment." "Surely, that is enough to declare war upon Marslava," Von Pless stated confidently. "Prague has quite clearly and openly stated its intentions to interfere with our invasion. This is a clear breach of a matter of state security and should be grounds for war." "We are not ready for total war," Karl replied sternly, "and this is certainly the type of war we would be forced to fight. Moreover, our foes might have overstepped. I would wager the Porcuians have already reigned in their allies about this brazen hostile action, and shall do what they can to curb the escalation of tensions. We shall allow the Marslavans to appear the aggressor for now." Von Pless was visibly annoyed, and he replied angrily, "Then we condemn ourselves to ridicule while our enemies seize the initiative. We must act!" "And we shall," Karl replied forcefully, reaffirming his seniority. "I believe it is time we cordially embrace our allies in Zenica. Mobilize all the necessary forces to halt that offensive and concentrate them solely on the Serbs. If there happens to be some Marslavan troops nearby who snag some of the flak, then it tis' a pity they chose to leave the comforts of home. I want our commitments to our allies to remain firm - drive them back." "In the meantime," Karl continued seriously, yet with some enjoyment in his tone, "Begin Operation Coastal Fury." --------- Bosnia-Herzegovina... The Austrians had been taken aback by the Marslavan/Serb offensive, that much was true, however they rebounded quickly in the fashion of a highly professional and adaptable force. Emboldened and hardened by their rage and hatred for their enemies, the entirety of the Reichswehr inside Bosnia-Herzegovina unleashed the full fury of their war machine - embarking on tenacious and effective offensives all across the northern front. As crippling bombardments rained down over Zenica, Austrian forces pushed the joint Translava-Bosnian defenders from their lines several miles deep into former Bosnian territory. To the east, in the cities of Gracanica and Tuzla, the Austrian 7th Feldarmie unleashed an artillery onslaught which dwarfed the one the Marslavans had imposed upon Zenica by almost half. Over 250 artillery pieces and self-propelled howitzers spat their ordinance at the defenders with the fury of millions of angry Valkyries. As the shells ceased to fall, the following Austrian divisions entered cities almost completely devastated by the bombardment. Fueled by their anger and commitment to reach their allies, the Austrians ground the remaining Bosnian troops into the dust, sparring little to none. A similar assault was leveled in the west by the 8th Feldarmie; seizing the cities of Sanski Most and Banja Luka quickly and with almost parallel results. So ferocious was the assault that the defenders had literally fled the battlements in entire battalions in the hopes of escaping the advancing Austrian juggernaut. Many of them would end up in the hands of the Croat-Muslim fighters and face immediate torture and execution. The Croat-Muslim forces had also been taken completely by surprise following Prague's assault, yet they faced the unfortunate task of being the first line of battle. While many had fought bravely with inadequate weapons and low morale, the Confederation's southern border was nonetheless pushed almost entirely back to in and around their capital - Zenica. Holding out against all odds, the cities' garrison held on to their sovereignty by a thread. There hopes and salvation were tethered almost entirely on the speed of the Austrian advance to the north. Luckily for them, the Austrian 8th Feldarmie arrived to the far west, while the 7th began entering the northeast border at roughly the same time. The Marslavans and their Serbian allies would soon face the arrival of over 70,000 Austrian troops of various corps and detachments between both armies, as well as some 5,000 Croatian auxiliaries, and the combined strength of the cities remaining defenders. With strict orders not to engage Marslavan troops unless fired upon, the Austrian ground forces began a tenacious, but concentrated counter-attack against the Serbian forces stationed nearest to the city limits. Despite the vigorous training of the Serb military by the Great Duchy, they failed to stall the professionalism of the Austrian attackers. The counterattacks had been predated by a massive, coordinated bombardment from Austrian ground artillery, the Luftwaffe, and offshore naval aerial attacks from the carriers of the 2nd Krieg Fleet. The fighting was ferocious throughout the day, yet still no Austrian soldier had killed a Marslavan and vice versa. As the day turned into night, both nation's armies starred at one another from across the battlefield waiting for the catalyst to strike. Meanwhile, offshore of the Adriatic, two detachments of Royal Marines and a division of the Royal Uhlans landed on the only small strip of Bosnian coastline. Traveling inland, the new Southwestern front had been opened and stood poised to encircle the attacking Marslavan and Serbian forces, as well as posing a threat to Sarajevo. Operation Coastal Fury had begun.... |
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11:36 AM Jul 13