NationStates Jolt Archive

Montreal, Quebec, British Hannover:

Montreal was British Hannover's second-largest city, a major hub for the country. Its population of about a million was more ethnically diverse and cosmopolitan than any North American city that was not New York. English, French, German and Hannoveran, that uniquely peculiar blend of English and German could be heard widely, with many other languages represented.

In the spirit of the conference, one of Montreal's most elaborate hotels, the King Edward had been completely booked for the convenience of the heads of state and diplomats. As well, a revue of the 11th Division had been planned in order to both impress and assure leaders of attacked nations that British Hannover would aid them. General Currie had six divisions ready to go already and was said to be raising a true national army of forty-five divisions to commit to the defence against tyranny in a year's time.

In Montreal, the essential issues of war would be decided and Laurier hoped that a truly united front could be established against Kaiserism, militarism and autocracy. This is what he and most Hannoverans saw the war as. British Hannover was a progressive liberal democracy, every bit as free but perhaps more socially minded than their American cousins and keeping a friendly distance from a monarchy that less and less seemed connected to them.

Hannoverans had no reason to hate Germans proper, many of them were German, or had partly German ancestry. But the aggressive, authoritarian militarism of the current German state repulsed them deeply. Manitoban farmboys, Newfoundland fishermen and Ontarian steel workers honestly believed they were fighting a war for democracy.

For now, however, diplomacy was the buzzword. The scene was set for the most important diplomatic meeting since the Konigstadt Conference.

New York Times
President Theodore Roosevelt enjoyed a quick tour of Niagara Falls and the grounds of the Worlds Fair, still a park under joint British Hannover and US stewardship. The White House issued a statement reporting that he was enjoying a short break before returning to Washington to continue getting the US ready to fight the war.

ooc
An excuse for him to go to Montreal without the press getting word of it.

IC
Teddy enjoyed his tour, and it relaxed him a bit. But the pressing business of the war was upper most in his mind. The British weren't getting the job done in the Atlantic and Med, and the US didn't have a battlefleet to send just yet. The answer then was to let the Americans and Japanese handle the Pacific, and for the British to pull their forces out of that ocean to concentrate on the critical sectors. British Hannover could shift their fleet too, and in a few months when the new dreadnoughts (as everyone was calling the new battleships now instead of what he had to admit wasn't as good a name in the Michigan)

He was a little concerned about the Army though. He thought the new divisions were too big and unwieldy, and that 28,000 men was simply too big for a division sized organization to be. One of his aides, a Major George Marshal had explained to him about the problems and suggested that the US Army go to a 15,000 man division instead.

Orders were already going out. He knew General Wood, and Wood would accept the order. Wood liked Marshal a lot, so it would probably work out fine.

Roosevelt got off the train in Montreal and was quickly hurried aboard a waiting carriage, the drapes drawn to conceal who he was. The usual honor guards that would be expected of a visiting head of state were missing today, which suited him fine. Better this should be a secret for now.

He had a draft resolution he wanted to present. Since everybody was in the same boat in the Alliance, a joint declaration of war aims would be useful.

It would also help rally the people behind the war after the cost became better known. It was clearly going to be a long war.

Assuming France held anyway.

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Ambassador Smythe had been chosen as the British delegate as the actual prime minister was simply too busy to handle any diplomatic issues when the main British concern was simply in helping keep France alive. He had heard that the American President was attending the conference in person and wanted to meet this Theodore Roosevelt, who was one of the more colorful world leaders since the previous German Kaiser had been assassinated.

Old Freddy would never have started such a war. These thoughts darkened his mind as he went to start a conference of unparallelled importance since the Konigstadt Conference, in what was now simply Berlin was held.

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Prime Minister Laurier had recieved many of the ambassadors already, but was primarily looking forward to the visit of the American President, with whom he had an increasing amount in common. The British and their perpetual arrogance were growing increasingly unpopular in his country. He had heard vague reports of snide British commanders referring negatively to sending 'Krauts to fight Huns'.

If this continued, he might have to side with Currie and demand operational independence. Otherwise, he might end up with a domestic political crisis. Most Hannoverans were all for fighting militarism and tyranny but didn't particularly like the virulently ethnic nature of the war. After all, most Hannoverans spoke a language heavily influenced by German and one in five spoke it outright.

Teddy Roosevelt strode in confidently as the door was opened for him into the hall were the conference would be held. He looked forward to the meeting with his counterpart from British Hannover. Behind him was Secretary of State Hay, as well as Admiral Dewey and a host of aides.

He was not pleased about the progress of the war so far, especially in the Mediterranean and in Turkey. The Turks had their backs to the wall, and now the Russians had sealed up the Dardenelles with mines and guns by all reports. Then the British had managed to lose Malta, which to him seemed an unfathomable defeat.

Good thing the situation in the Pacific and South Atlantic was beginning to stabilize. Apparently the Germans had been reading their Mahan even if the British hadn't but they had been driven out of the Indian and Pacific Oceans, at least their fleets, and now all that was left was to seize their bases.

The Japanese still had Port Arthur under seige, but would they be able to take it before the Russians brought in a lot more troops? The world would see just what they were capable of it seemed.

He most of all wanted a single commander in charge of the situation in France, hopefully a French one. He hadn't been impressed with the British in Central America, on land anyway, and it was the Frenchies who had the main stake in things. Maybe this General Joffre would do, he seemed to have stopped the Germans when it counted.

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