NationStates Jolt Archive

REICHSTAG VELVET REVOLUTION TOPPLES ROYALIST REICHSRAT
King abdicates without naming Crown Prince as successor


July 23, HOHENBURG AM FOLBACH -- Six months of continuous constitutional struggles between the Reichstag and the Royalist dominated Reichsrat, which left the nation punch drunk with crises, finally ended yesterday morning when His Royal Highness Crown Prince Albrecht resigned as President of the upper house and dissolved the body. The move, widely anticipated since June when the Geldmacher coalition government threatened to introduce Bill M-22 to enlarge the Reichstag by an estimated 100 members, effectively nullified Royal influence and passed the reigns of government over to the elected members of the first chamber.

News of King Friedrich Karl III's abdication arrived on the floor of the Lauterburger Parliament two hours after the dissolution of the Reichsrat, prompting Chancellor Gebhardt Leiberecht Geldmacher to exclaim, "Oh God. It is finally over" as he was swamped from all sides by jubilant MPs. The sudden departure of the King from Lauterburg with most of the Royal Family have prompted many to speculate that the victory achieved by Geldmacher in Parliament has toppled the monarchy in a bloodless coup.





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NEW FEDERATION DECLARED - DEVOLUTION OF POWER TO CONSTITUENT STATES PLANNED
Coalition seeks temporary one year extention to mandate


July 24, HOHENBURG AM FOLBACH -- Law makers announced this morning the end of the Hohenstein Monarchy and the birth of a new Lauterburger Federal Union. In his weekly radio address to the nation, Chancellor Gebhardt Geldmacher praised the work of his party and those belonging to the coalition in bringing about "a new and more open democratic era" to the former kingdom.

Following the surprise dissolution of the Reichsrat under heavy public pressure, King Friedrich Karl III abdicated without naming an heir and left the nation with the Royal Family in a self-imposed exile. The constitutional deadlock between the Royalist dominated upper house and the elected lower house developed as a result of a series of clashes centering on the King's refusal to give his assent to the Supremacy Act, which would have limited the Crown's prerogative powers.

Among the Geldmacher Administration's plans for the new nation are substantial constitutional reforms aimed at giving more power to the states. To that effect, a Federal Steering Committee will be established to guide the transition from monarchy to republic. Under the proposed Knollwitz Scheme introduced by Minister of the Interior Franz Knollwitz, the old system of central government via Royal State Viceroys -- who were answerable only to a Royal Schloss Wilhelmsburg -- will be abolished in favour of local Landtags, each with its own Prime Minister who will also sit in a reconstituted Federal Reichsrat as regional representatives. Sources within Wilhelmsburg report that the current Viceroys will remain at their posts pending the implementation of the new reforms.

In an effort to minimise the inevitable disruption to the state brought about by a change in government, the Geldmacher Coalition is reportedly seeking a one year temporary extention to its four year mandate without a general election. A moratorium on municipal elections has also been announced by Wilhelmsburg to help "facilitate the transfer of the monarchy's old powers to a system that will be more representative of the people."





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THIRTEEN DEAD IN PRO-ROYALIST CLASH WITH DREISGAU POLICE
Security forces repel attack on City Hall - Dozens arrested


July 24, DREISGAU -- A demonstration by supporters of the Hohenstein Dynasty in Dreisgau turned violent today when city law enforcement personnel were engaged in combat by angry protesters. Called in by government employees concerned about agitated crowds outside City Hall, police forces were quickly dispatched to the area to maintain peace. Sources were unable to confirm what caused the melee which resulted in thirteen casualties, two of which were police constables, along with seven injured and dozens arrested. The names of the deceased have not been released pending notification of the next of kin.





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ROYAL STANDARD RAISED OUTSIDE REICHSTAG
A symbolic, but embarassing blow to the new federal government


July 25, HOHENBURG AM FOLBACH -- The Royal Standard of the House of Hohenstein once again flew outside the Reichstag building this morning after having been taken down two days ago when the federation was declared. The flag was quickly replaced with the federal pennant, but not before news of the event sent shockwaves throughout the city and ignited rumours of a Hohenstein restoration. It is currently unknown whether the move was an accidental one or a deliberate attempt by Royalist parties to rally their supporters.



MINISTRY OF DEFENCE ANNOUNCE MASSIVE CUTS TO SPENDING AND DOWNSIZING PLANS
Army General Staff and Navy Chiefs launch protest


July 25, HOHENBURG AM FOLBACH -- In an attempt to curb military expenditure, the Minister of Defence Gunther Hess announced that sharp reductions will be made to next year's budget. Programmes aimed at streamlining the size of the armed forces were also revealed in order to slash spending from LM 34,000,000,000 per annum to LM 18,000,000,000 within a projected period of four years.

The sudden pronouncement from the Ministry of Defence caught many in the military off guard and sources within the Oberkommando der Reichswehr (OKR) and the Oberkommando der Kriegsmarine (OKM) report that Army and Navy chiefs will launch a protest against the planned cuts. The chiefs of the Oberkommando der Luftwaffe (OKL) declined to issue a statement.



MAN SETS SUNBATHING WIFE ON FIRE
Cites infidelity as reason for act


July 25, BELSENKIRCHEN -- A fifty-two year old man was taken into police custody on charges of attempted murder after horrified neighbours watched him douse his wife with kerosene and set her on fire. Anna Klemp, a thirty-nine year old accountant from Belsenkirchen, suffered severe burns to 80% of her body and is currently in critical condition.

Witnesses say that Martin Klemp engaged in a bitter argument with Mrs. Klemp whilst she was sunbathing, accusing her of being unfaithful to him. Mr. Klemp then allegedly stormed off, only to return moments later with a can of kerosene which he liberally applied onto his wife, tossed a lighted match on her, and watched as she was engulfed in flames.





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ARMY MUTINEERS SEIZE BARRACKS - WILHELMSBURG MOBILISES LANDWEHR
Suspected Royalist putsch attempt places government in high state of alert


July 26, BAD SCHULENBERG -- Several companies from the 1st and 2nd Battalions of the Dornberg-Salzbach Regiment seized control of two army barracks in the city of Bad Schulenberg this evening. The move took the federal government completely by surprise and sources within Schloss Wilhelmsburg report that nearby troops are being called in to flush out the insurgents.

Intelligence sources also indicate that the actions in Bad Schulenberg may be connected to a larger plot by Royalist supporters seeking to restore the Hohenstein Monarchy. The federal government is reportedly taking the threat very seriously and has mobilised the Landwehr in areas deemed to be hotbeds of Royalist activity.



NAVY MISSILE CRUISER ATTACKED AND SUNK IN PORT
Powerful explosion destroys vessel - 229 sailors reported dead


July 26, HOMBERG -- A large explosion rocked the navy shipyards at Homburg shortly after midnight and sent 229 sailors to their deaths in the SMS Kirchbach. Port authorities are currently investigating the cause of the disaster which sunk the Kriegsmarine missile cruiser and have not ruled out the possibility that the attack was an act of terrorism.



POSSIBLE RIFT IN GELDMACHER COALITION IMPERILS EFFECTIVE GOVERNANCE
Conservative Lauterburgisch Arbeiterpartei members walk out of Reichstag


July 26, HOHENBURG AM FOLBACH -- In a heated morning session, Foreign Minister Joachim von Bergenbeck accused Lauterburgisch Arbeiterpartei leader Franz Leuthern and other key members of the Geldmacher coalition partner of "fleeing at the first signs of trouble like rats from a sinking ship." The Minister's comments were made in response to Herr Leuthern's call for a referenda to explore the possibility of a Hohenstein restoration in light of growing Royalist upheavals across the country. Herr Leuthern also remarked that the sudden deposition of the King and subsequent establishment of the new federal union failed to take into account lingering popular Royalist feelings.

Following Minister von Bergenbeck's heavy handed retort, most frontbench members of the Lauterburgisch Arbeiterpartei left the lower chamber -- including Herr Leuthern, -- sparking debate on whether or not the Geldmacher Social Democrats will still enjoy a majority in the federal parliament in months to come.





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ROYALIST FRINGE GROUPS SET UP COUNTER-REICHSTAG
Body denounces federal union as illegitimate and labels Chancellor a traitor


July 26, LYFFHAUSER AN DER TANN -- Another blow was struck against the authority of the Geldmacher Administration this evening when news reached Hohenburg am Folbach that Royalist fringe groups had established a counter-Reichstag in the name of the deposed Hohenstein Dynasty. The creation of the quasi-legislative body, situated in the heavily Royalist state of Marburg and housed in the capital city of Lyffhauser an der Tann, came as a second shock to the embattered government following rumours of a rift in the Coalition.

The Lauterburgisch Arbeiterpartei walked out of the Hohenstein Reichstag earlier today following sharp criticism of the Social Democrat ally by Foreign Minister Joachim von Bergenbeck. Political pundits have commented that the poorly handled situation will likely heavily undermine the government's authority within the Reichstag.

Schloss Wilhelmsburg has reportedly reacted to the Royalist development by sending two battalions of Landwehr troops to Marburg with the aim of reinforcing the regular army units currently stationed in the state. One senior Interior Ministry officer, on the condition of anonymity, expressed grave concern over the severe and rapid deterioration of governmental authority across the federation in the last few days. When asked to comment on the rumours of a Royalist Putsch in progress the Ministry of the Interior declined to make a statement.





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INSURRECTIONISTS SECEDE FROM UNION
Lyffhauser Reichstag declares Marburg independent as Germania Superior


July 26, HOHENBURG AM FOLBACH -- Union regular troops and Landwehr mobilised across the federation this evening in anticipation of what most say will be a short campaign to suppress a Royalist insurrection in Marburg. In a bold and stunning move, the Lyffhauser Reichstag declared the state of Marburg to be independent of the Union as the Kingdom of Germania Superior with former Crown Prince Albrecht as the head of government. Sources also report that the Lyffhauser Reichstag hastily passed a "Union Act" just moments after the declaration of independence, laying claim to Lauterburg as a part of Germania Superior.

Though unsubstantiated at this juncture, early reports coming in from Marburg indicate that three regular battalions rebelled against the central government and engaged Republican Landwehr troops in combat near the village of Amsbruck, some twelve miles from Lyffhauser an der Tann.





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FEDERAL TROOPS ENGAGE ROYALIST FORCES NEAR RUGOLSTADT
Costly offensive drives rebels from defensive positions


July 27, RUGOLSTADT -- A pitched battle erupted twelve miles from Rugolstadt, Marburg last evening when Federal soldiers attacked Royalist landwehr seeking to capture the small city. The firefight lasted two hours, resulting in 733 Union casualties along with a reported 241 dead Royalists.

Rugolstadt, with a population of 125,000, occupies a strategic crossing on the River Saal. The city is also home to several small arms and steel factories.

The Ministry of Defence issued a statement claiming that Royalist troops pulled back following the encounter, leaving Federal forces in control of the city and its immediate environs. Government sources indicate that the level of resistance displayed by the rebels was considerable, giving rise to fears among military pundits that the situation, if not thoroughly contained, may escalate.





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REICHSTAG PASSES NEW ANTI-INSURGENT ACT
Sweeping powers of arrest granted to Bundespolizei


July 28, HOHENBURG AM FOLBACH -- Law makers passed a new anti-insurgent act this afternoon by a margin of 253-47 in light of violent Royalist uprisings against the federal government. The "Preservation of the Federal Union Act of 2004," scheduled to come into effect tomorrow, will grant the Bundespolizei sweeping powers of arrest in addition to the right to detain suspected insurgents without a warrant. Published portions of the legislation also hints at the possibility of the creation of several new intelligence bodies aimed at countering the threat posed by forces hostile to the Union.

The Act has come under heavy criticism by civil liberty groups such as "Frei Lauterburg," all of whom condemn the legislation as the beginning of a throwback to Hohenstein absolutism and its suffocation of political and civic freedoms.





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PITCHED BATTLE SENDS ROYALISTS FLEEING IN DISARRAY
Schlusselberg confrontation the first large scale engagement in civil war


July 30, SCHLUSSELBERG -- A small skirmish between insurgent forces and the advance guard of the Federal Army of Marburg near the village of Schlusselberg escalated into a pitched battle yesterday. An estimated 30,000 government forces engaged 13,000 Royalists in a vicious six hour encounter twenty miles east of Marburg's capital, Lyffhauser an der Tann, which is also the seat of the Lyffhauser counter-Reichstag. The Ministry of Defence issued a statement proclaiming a Union victory over the insurrectionists, saying that the Royalist cause is "in tatters" and rebels are a "spent force."

One thousand six hundred and nine Royalists troops were killed along with four hundred and seventy-two captured. Government forces suffered two thousand five hundred and eight wounded and killed. The Army of Marburg is currently reported to be marching on Lyffhauser an der Tann.





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MINISTRY OF DEFENCE CALLS FOR GENERAL MOBILISATION
Analysts say foreign intervention could turn civil war into an international conflict


July 30, HOHENBURG AM FOLBACH -- Sources within the Ministry of Foreign Affairs report that increased diplomatic activity between the Royalist rump state of Germania Superior and neighbouring countries seeking to recognise the territory could result in general open conflict with the Federal Union. The past twenty-fours resulted in several nations promising to provide open diplomatic and, in some cases, military support to the insurrectionists in Marburg.

Defence Ministry spokesperson Karl Rumbaldt announced this afternoon that calls by the Minister for a general mobilisation of Federation armed forces has been received by Chancellor Geldmacher and is currently "under serious consideration."

An order from the Chancellor's office to mobilise will require confirmation from the Reichstag and will augment the current standing army of 2,500,000 with a further 8,000,000 to 10,000,000 Landwehr and Second Line troops from all branches of the military.





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SAXE-LOTHRINBURG RISES IN REBELLION
Royalists seize power and declare anschluss with Germania Superior


July 31, WITTINGEN -- The Federal government was dealt a heavy political blow today when Royalists in Saxe-Lothrinburg declared allegiance to the deposed Hohenstein monarchy and sided with Marburg in the insurrection. Reports coming in from Saxe-Lothrinburg's capital, Wittingen, indicate that several Federal garrison units defected to the rebel cause, which military analysts say will likely strengthen the insurrection by improving the Royalists' ability to field competent troops. Unsubstantiated rumours also seem to suggest that soldiers loyal to the central government were arrested and imprisoned in the state's barracks.

An emergency Reichstag session met in Hohenburg am Folbach at one in the morning last night to discuss the situation and sources within the Ministry of the Interior report that the Reichstag may rush to pass a bill to declare a temporary state of martial law in the Union within the next few days. The Minister of the Interior's office declined to issue a statement when contacted by the Lauterburg Zeitung.





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FEDERAL GOVERNMENT CAPITULATES TO ROYALISTS
Foreign intervention and threats of invasion topple Geldmacher Administration


July 31, HOHENBURG AM FOLBACH -- The Hohenburg Reichstag reached a comprehensive peace agreement with its Lyffhauser counterpart early this afternoon, putting an end to the short but sanguinary civil war that shook the very foundations of the country. Heavy foreign intervention on behalf of the Royalist state of Germania Superior forced the Geldmacher Administration to accept Royalist proposals to negotiate a settlement. The terms agreed upon by the late Federal government include a restoration of the Hohenstein monarchy within Lauterburg, the granting of Dominion status to the pro-Royalist states of Marburg and Saxe-Lothrinburg, and the elevation of the old Federal Union to an Imperial Federation of states.

News of the central government's capitulation sent shockwaves throughout the Hohenburg Reichstag, resulting in the Chancellor's decision to dissolve the lower house while the remaining Cabinet members journeyed to Lyffhauser an der Tann in Marburg to participate in peace talks. Elections are to be expected within the next few weeks in order to form a government under the new Federated Empire.





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ECONOMY ZOOMS AHEAD
Growth of fifteen percentage points show recovery right on track following short civil war


August 2, HOHENBURG AM FOLBACH -- Lauterburg's economy grew 15 percent in 2004 as companies such as national and international corporations expanded factories to meet rising consumer demand and surging overseas orders. Despite political and social disturbances which culminated in a short civil war, overseas and domestic investors remained unfazed during those periods, and some say even optimistic about the nation's ability to sustain serious blows to the economy.

The gross domestic product had its biggest annual gain yet, after the economy grew 8 percent in 2003, Otto Burkhalter, commissioner of the Ministry of Internal Revenue, told a press conference in Hohenburg am Folbach. Fixed-asset investments, about a fifth of Lauterburg's economy, grew by about 35 percent and industrial production rose 27 percent, Burkhalter said.

Booming investment and production are helping Lauterburg grow fastest among the world's top economies. However, they're also raising concern about gluts forming that may force companies to discount. Standard & Poor's last month said markets including autos, consumer goods and property are at risk of oversupply.

"With economic growth at the pace it has been the last two to three years, there is a certain nervousness whether the economy is overheating,'' said Franz Lowenstein, managing director of Mendel-Kraus Lauterburg, a home-improvement retailer with 23 stores across the nation. The company has invested GM600 Million in Lauterburg in the past four years.






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GERMANIA SUPERIOR TO HAVE GREATER POLITICAL AUTONOMY
Old Lyffhauser Reichstag granted right to legislate


August 4, HOHENBURG AM FOLBACH -- The Imperial government gave the Dominion of Marburg-Saxe-Lothrinburg another push toward greater autonomy with the announcement that the Lyffhauser Reichstag will be granted legislation rights.

The Dominion, known also as Germania Superior, a throwback to the name adopted by Loyalists during the One Week Civil War, was formed as a personal domain of the Crown under terms agreed upon by Loyalist supporters and the old Republican federal union.

Under the "Act of Devolution" passed by the Hohenburg Reichstag earlier this week, the Dominion and many of the Federated Empire's constituent states will be given the right to pass secondary legislation. The Hohenburg Reichstag remains the supreme legislative body in the land and may strike down state laws if required.

Political analysts say that while the Act of Devolution contains no special clauses to differentiate the Imperial Dominion from other states within the Empire, the legislation may be a sign of the central government's reluctance to consider Marburg-Saxe-Lothrinburg as a special territory to be administered apart from the rest of the union.





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EMPEROR KILLED IN HORSEBACK RIDING ACCIDENT
Prince Imperial assumes throne as Regent


August 24, HOHENBURG AM FOLBACH -- His Imperial Majesty, Albrecht I was killed in a riding accident over the weekend at the family's country estate in Bad Stossel, a senior Interior Ministry official said.

Emperor Albrecht, 46, was thrown from his Arabian charger, Barbarossa, when the horse suddenly panicked during a morning excursion into the Trogau Woods with members of the household. Physicians were unable to save the monarch and he was pronounced dead at half past ten on Sunday.

His Imperial Highness, the Prince Imperial, Heinrich Karl August, was named the successor the following morning and will be officially crowned in the weeks to come as Emperor Heinrich I.


Lauterburger People Shocked by Emperor's Death


The Lauterburger people are deeply shocked and grieved by the passing of the forty-six year old Emperor. Albrecht I was deposed for a time following the abdication of his father, the late King Friedrich Karl III of Lauterburg. The resulting civil war between the short-lived Federal Republic and Hohenstein Loyalists ended when the Federation agreed to a restoration of the old monarchy and an elevation of the Royal dignity to an Imperial one. The sudden death of the Emperor, barely a month into his reign, elicited an outpouring of grief and sympathy from all sections of the population and from across the empire.

"In his short time on the throne the Emperor accomplished a lot," one man in the crowd of sympathisers outside Schloss Wilhelmsburg said. "I believe that his economic policies played a big part in our country's phenomenal post-civil war growth."





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