NationStates Jolt Archive

It was a truly nightmarish world that greeted the Iesus 3rd Army when it joined its sister companies on the hellish Iesus frontline in 1917. The Army was part of the second big push of the summer offensive, designed to crack the Central Powers lines at Passchen once and for all. When the army was withdrawn from the line six weeks latter, the decisive breakthrough had still not occurred.

Three hundred seventy thousand members of the 3rd army went into action. Nearly 140000 were wounded and 85000 lost their lives. Over half the Iesus dead have no known grave. At the end of the three and a half months of fighting, perhaps as many as 1.2 million men had been killed or wounded. The opening day of the offensive was the worst ever disaster in Iesus military history: 20,000 men dead and another 40,000 wounded. By the end of the campaign, the Allies had advanced, at most, 13 kilometres into Enemy territory; that was about the distance a fit young soldier could run in about an hour.

All these years latter the sacrifice is still in the minds of the Iesus armed forces. As the Ninetieth anniversary looms, the service at the simple memorial is planned out…
The memorial service isn’t a event to glorify the war..but to remember those soldiers who died..to remember those who’s life faded quickly and those who lay in agony for hours, even days, before their shattered body gave up the struggle to survive.
The Memorial itself commemorates all those who died – both friend and foe alike, their bodies often buried together under the wartorn soil. The plain stone column is carved with the names of each of the counties that fought in this terrible battle…Iesus Christi, Knootoss, Lavenrunz to name but a few …each nation name representing a thousand private agonies and grief-stricken families, this bleak monument a stark reminder of the cost of war.

When General Ziethan had christened the monument with the words “War is a cowardly escape from the problems of peace. But then we are men of honour, how could we not fulfil our oaths even to the point of moral cowardice” he couldn’t know that all 80 years latter Iesus officers would still be held hostage by there sense of honour. Even as the old regiment colours are unfurled and the flags of participant nations dusted off, gathered Officers whisper their distrust and hatred of the current regime…
”I hate Bridgette Iesus and the entire regime…but I will let myself me hacked to pieces for them….because Military honour commands it..” commented Major Robert Holmes as he walked the old military graveyard with his comrades….


To All governments who had troops within the Passchen sector –Iesus Christi. 1917-1918 and to All governments who desire to mourn the honoured dead
The Iesus combined armed forces hereby invites representatives from your government to attend the 90th commemoration of the battle of Passchen.
Time may have strained friendship and passion caused much hurt, yet we still wish to extend this invite to all nations who lost soldiers in this terrible battle. Surely we can grieve our honoured dead together.
The service will be held at the open-air memorial to the fallen. A latter function will be held at The Hall of Memories to commemorate all men and women who have lost their lives in times of war;
Yours.
Admiral Mary Albert.


OOC: modern military/government types and history of your nation in ww1. tgram if confused.

The Islamic realm of North Star joined the first world war under the leadership of Sultan Hussein ibn Ali with the aim of securing independence from the ruling colonial powers that occupied much of North Star.

The Sultanate army was poorly equipped and wore coarse green colored uniforms, which were very similar pattern to the british field uniforms, but were of significantly inferior quality. The Sultanate fielded a large but generally ineffective army during World War I. Their offensive operations were failures and just about all their modern war equipment (war ships, heavy artillery, machine guns, railroads, and air-planes) were built by Americans or British firms and were maintained by foreign allied engineers.

The 10000 men of mâtu arbâi brigade served under the colors of the sultanate during the battle at passchen on the side of the allies.

Ambassador Muammar Ghamen dressed in the sash of the sultan and the uniform of the islamic realm. His attendance at the memorial would remember the long friendship between the islamic realm and Iesus Christian.

Back at the time of the First World War, the Allanean nation did not exist yet – and yet Old America, and Russia, the nations to which Allanea traces it's ancestral heritage, did fight, dropping thousands of corpses into the mud of the Brusilov Offensive, sinking aboard the 'Tuscania' – dying, dying, dying. Influenza, bullets, bayonets, gas, grenades – death in a thousand masks.

And so, for a brief moment, Allanea seemed to forget that, legally, the 'Iesus government does not exist'. It seemed to forget the horrific crimes it attributed (falsely or not) – to the Iesus Regime. They sent a man – not a diplomat, not a politician, but a soldier.

Not a general, either.

It was an aged old man, leaning on a cane, who would attend the event. He was not a survivor of the original battle – rather, a descendant of one of the people who fought there. As a young man, he had fought in one of Allanea's wars, wars that seemed sometimes to never end but to just blend into each other – War of Independence, Second Edolian War, Fourth Edolian War – eternal conflict, eternal tragedy, eternal pain.

It was seen as proper in Allanea that this man – one George Vinograd would be seen as the Ambassador of Good Will. He was not a professional politician, and knew nothing about the deceit of foreign policy, the backstabbing games of the diplomat, the wheeling and dealing of the spy. He knew war, and he respected those who fought and died for their country – no matter what their country was like, now.

He was honest in his intent to pay his respects to the people who fought alongside his ancestors, in a way an ambassador or politician could never be.

That was why he was chosen.

He walked upright, his own medals glinting on his civilian jacket, and took his place among the other ambassadors with a certain sense of humble dignity.

"John, come have a look over this."

Quickly reading over the [open] invitation, he thought momentarily before speaking out loud. This was quite an opportunity for the Austarians. After much of what had happened with regards to the Allaneans against the Christi's, there was much desire to see blood spilled; Allanean blood that was. Not that they had conveyed this in any international message, but it was a growing mood in the Diplomatic Section. Working on behalf of the Chairman however, Goodchild's word prevailed over many... probably lucky considering left in John's hands the Union had gone to war and finished already. He always had a problem with anger, which is why he spent most of his days in the office instead of out on the field itself... call it... preventative measures.

In the meantime, the Union would indeed select some sort of a delegation to attend the commemoration. 67 year old [ex-]General Alfredo Ritz would represent the Austarian's attitude to fallen soldiers; one of respect for those who their last acts were to protect his fellow countrymen, obeying orders, and dying as a result. They were true heroes, and even in an unjust battle on behalf of their own government, they fought loyally forward.

Ritz had retired from the Austarian Military in his fifty-first year of service, having been drafted into the military when he was only fourteen as a result of failing grades and an uncertain future. His parents were in a personal bind at the time, and viewed sending their son into the honorable service as the best way to solve all of their problems. It was the last he had seen of them, and had decided that after completing his minimum service to continue onto a career within that Department. Learning to adopt new values, he was fiercely patriotic, and although not having seen a real war in his entire lifetime, he had participated in mostly training drills and peacekeeping exercises. He was in fact, a commanding officer in an operation which had restored unity to the Union, and placed an aristocrat by the name of Carmine Goodchild as Chief of Command of all of the nation. For this, he had also received the nation's highest honor, the Iron 'X' Medallion.

Well decorated already at the time, General Ritz accepted his recognition proudly, and wore it for the remainder of his service. It was some decade later when he had decided to actually retire from the service, but refusing to stop and 'die like the rest of them', had committed himself into a secondary career within the Diplomatic Section. Working more casual hours than anything, he was the front man for anything military. Ritz didn't only have a way with a gun, he also had a way of speaking with people that was unique. He was great at gaining people's acceptance, and more importantly their support. It may or may not have been something with the fact that people naturally seemed to respect him as 'authority'.

A transmission was sent ahead of the General, as well as a request for an official program.

The Commonwealth had been unsure about whether or not to send a delegate but had finally decided to leave the decision to the Members making the Commonwealth Embassy in St. Augustine available for the use of Members or their distinct armed services. Nabarro Abarca, Laneria, Marlund and Adoki, the four Members who, prior to the foundation of the Commonwealth, had been separately involved in the First World War, each decided to send a representative. After this information was converyed to the Commonwealth Secretariat for External Affairs, preparations were made through the Embassy for one officer from each of those four Members, a representative of the Commonwealth Union of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (just formed from seven Member societies) and a representative from the Commonwealth Secretariat for the Common Defense.

The paperwork, including the obnoxious problems in dealing with the Iesians that were caused by the religious diversity of the delegation, was duly taken care of by the professionals and the delegates were gathered and on their way in good time.

All arrivals were cleared into the country without fuss, the military had designated this memorial as a ‘Military priority’ and thus the usual inquisition into the arrivals religion, ethnic and political associations was averted. Each arrival party was instead greeted by a Military assigned car and taken to their respective embassies (or in the case of those who lacked embassy – taken to the Hotel ‘Christ the king’)
The arrivals were given a brief outline of what was the outline for tomorrow….
Start-dawn- 5:37am. A brief Religious ceremony and words by the senior Iesus representatives, followed by a wreath laying ceremony – Each delegation is invited to lay a wreath and if they wish say a few words after the Cardinal speaks. Afterwards the memorial will end with a prayer and light refreshments.



The memorial itself

The plain stone column stands in an isolated field far from the major cities of Iesus Christi.
Rows of chairs have been set up to seat the dignitaries and military personnel (with foreign representatives given front row seats). At the front also sat Cardinal McCullum in his Cardinals black and purple, and with him sat two senior Iesus military officers….General Matthias cut quite a dashing figure in his uniform…his greying hair and trim body fitted perfectly into his uniform, while the other senior Iesus officer Admiral Mary Albert looked uncomfortable in her white admirals uniform, the snug fit of the uniform making her uncomfortable and self conscious. She constantly pulled down on her tunic as it edged up on her hefty frame.
Standing abreast of the monument was the honour guard – Iesus regular army officers in full ceremonial dress carrying the standard of each nation that had participated in the battle. Young fresh faced cadets from the Iesus Youth handed out programs to the arrivals and gave poppies to any arrival who wasn’t already wearing one.

As the sun rose behind the monument, the army band played Assemblee and the flags of the of the participant nations were raised to attention by their Iesus army standard bearers.
General Gerard Matthias rose, saluted the monument and the flags and read out the words of commemoration as the band music came to a stop
“And Tell them this, if you break faith with us who die, we shall not sleep…..
They shall grow not old, as we that are left grow old;
Age shall not weary them, nor the years condemn.
At the going down of the sun and in the morning
We will remember them.”

As Matthias returned to his seat, the Cardinal took centre stage….He raised his hands in blessing..
“In the name of the father, and the son and the holy spirit…amen..
Today we remember and pray for the honoured dead, those who gave their lives for their countries. We remember them and we remember the waste…the waste and carnage that war causes. The needless using up of courage and bravery that should have been spent in building a better world. If we are truly people of honour we would never let such waste happen again.

To these heroes that shed their blood and lost their lives in Iesus Christi. You are now sleeping in the soil of a friendly country therefore rest in peace. There is no difference between enemies and allies to us anymore. You, the mothers, who sent their sons from faraway countries wipe away your tears; your sons are now lying in our bosom and are in peace. After having lost their lives on this land they have become our sons as well.
Mary, Queen of Heaven, Mother of the Innocent….remember all those who die in war. Amen”

An Iesus youth cadet handed the Cardinal a wreath, and with solemn dignity he laid it at the foot of the memorial and returned to his seat.

Captains James Alden, Jenaro Keiva, Balthasar Cananis and Jakuchu Abe sat in their seats with quiet respect as they watched and listened to the Iesians. Each wore the uniform of their respective Member rather than the still rarely seen uniform of the Commonwealth Defense Force. Each was old and stern, especially Captain Abe. Their eyes showed that they were touched but their faces showed no outward sign of emotion. Years of rigid discipline had their effect. Next to them sat Daig Earles from the Secretariat, a fat, civilian who just looked uncomfortable the whole time. Next to him sat Froydis Naess who had actually been a nurse during the war. Naess, a widow, was well-over a hundred now and had to be helped when she walked. She was the last living person in the Commonwealth to have been an adult during the First World War.

When the time came, the Commonwealth delegation stood and made their way to the front. The four officers paused and gave the wreath to the ancient woman who laid it gently down and then they returned to their seats.

Watching the Commonwealth delegation rise to their seats and then lay a wreath without saying a few words, the General followed suit and trudged his way over the memorial itself, the effects of his age wearing heavily on his footsteps. Quietly, he whispered a few words as he laid a wreath to be given on behalf of the Union, words of honor inscribed along a portion and dedicated to the soldiers who fell victim to this particular battle of the first world war.

Pausing for just a moment to look at the memorial in all of it's glory, he sighed emphatically and returned to his seat.

Admiral Mary Albert stood, straightened her uniform for the hundredth time and walked up after the union men. She laid her wreath, paused for a moment and then gave the memorial the military salute rather than the stiff armed fascist salute so common in Iesus Christi. She’d decided against speaking simply because she hated formal speaking…she preferred giving orders to winning hearts.

As the Admiral returned to her seat, she stopped in front of Froydis Naess. The Admiral spoke (hopefully loud enough) to Froydis Naess.
“Its an honour to have someone of your generation with us” Mary handed the ancient woman a small black case. “This is in recognition of your own work, and all who worked like you….the tireless work of those who have done good for its own sake. It’s a privilege for me to award you the Cross of Saint Fenris on behalf of the Iesus military…” The Admiral kissed Froydis on both cheeks and taking a step back give her a very smart military salute.

The old woman seemed to hear and comprehend Admiral Albert's words. However, at her age, she no longer had all the linguistic ability she had had in her youth and she answered unreflecting in Danish, her first language. Captain Keiva gave a slightly embarrassed smile and translated the old woman's words into English. "She says that she's very grateful for the honour but that she and the other nurses were only doing what they had to do. The men dying on those fields were their brothers, their sons and their fathers and if not theirs then someone else's, even the soldiers in the enemy armies. She also says that when she was a little girl she'd never dreamed she'd live to see the day when a woman could rise to the rank of admiral, when old enemies could invite one another for shared commemoration of the war dead and former enemies could even attend that commemoration as part of one confederation. She is happy to accept."

Naess looked at Keiva, smiled and said something else in Danish before finally managing to get her English together. "I accept gladly."

Great War Remembrance Position Statement
(From the Foreign Ministry interactive press website)

Q:
a. What is the position of the Dutch Democratic Republic on the Great War?
b. Why has the Dutch Democratic Republic ignored an invitation to attend memorial services in Iesus Christi?

A:
a.
The Knootian Republic (predecessor to the Dutch Democratic Republic Republic) was not party in the Great War of 1914-1918, obeying a strict neutrality. Knootoss' commerce did suffer severely in the period 1914-1918 as the result of the Allied economic blockade (to which Knootoss objected) and unrestricted submarine warfare by Axis powers (against which Knootoss launched equal protest.)

Knootoss looks back on the Great War as a sad, regrettable war that was the result of imperialistic designs on both sides. As a testament to its international solidarity, Knootoss is sympathetic with the foreign soldiers and citizens who either suffered or died as a result of the Great War.

b.
Knootoss does not maintain diplomatic relations with Iesus Christi. Moreover the Dutch Democratic refuses to pay homage to a military military machine which, at present, is responsible for the deaths and suffering of millions.

To attend a military ceremony in Iesus Christi would be a betrayal to those suffering at the hands of Matthew Iesus and would deny the legitimate claims of the Iesan Royal Family.

Ambassador Muammar Ghamen dressed in the lime green colored uniform of the sultan of the islamic realm stepped forward, nodded to the aged commonwealth woman and then walked forward and layed the wreath at the foot of the monument.

He gently spoke the following prayer before returning to his seat.
IN THE NAME OF GOD, THE COMPASSIONATE, THE MERCIFUL, look with compassion on the whole human family; break down the walls that separate us; reunite us in bonds of love; and work through our struggle and confusion to accomplish Your purposes on earth; that, in Your good time, all nations and races may jointly serve You in justice, peace and harmony.

After a moment the cardinal stood and held his hands out in blessing
“Oh Father God who made heaven and earth…bless these your children gathered here today and take unto yourself the souls of all the departed who rest in this earth. We make this pray through Christ our Lord..Amen….I now ask you all for five minutes silence and invite you to add your own silent prayers for the fallen dead and this fallen world”


After a very regulation five minutes silence, Mary Albert stood up, straightened her dress again and walked to the front of the monument.
“On behalf of the armed forces of Iesus Christi and the people of Iesus Christi I thank you all for attending.
We today remember the valour, the devotion, and the sacrifice of these who died in this place. We remember a time full of darkness, but we remember that the darkness vanished and hope replaced hate. A new dawn promised renewal for the world.
The world has changed much, yet the promise of a new dawn never was fulfilled for some of us…..for us the flames of hatred and division still burns brightly. Ninety years on, this land is living in darkness still…
Bitterness, Intolerance and hatred should never be allowed to flourish again into war. Yet here many refuse to learn the lesson of History and yearn to be able to convert their hatred into action.
For my part, and for those like me, we are enablers of this hate and bitterness….we do nothing while generation after generation are taught to hate and kill…the mark of caine is upon us all, for we have not prevented the horrors that will never be marked with such monuments as this. We have not remembered those who have fallen during the continued war of hatred and evil.
So, for myself, I extend my sorrow to my country, you gathered here and the world….I am sorry for my bigotry and narrow-mindedness. I am sorry I haven’t done enough. I am sorry for the generations of nameless dead who died in the furnace of hatred and anger. I am sorry. Oh Lord, let us only ever fight for peace.”
The admiral stood with her shoulders slumped, her expression was grey and lifeless as she raised her hand to salute the monument as the last post sounded.
“we will remember them,”