NationStates Jolt Archive

As Wingert towered in his seven foot frame on his personal office balcony in the Kremlin overlooking the Red Square, his golden full-plate armour shining in the morning sun and his red cape caught by the stiff late spring winds in Moscow, he stroked his beard with a massive, powerful hand and glared out with his piercing eyes towards the rabble that had gathered below to hear him, their Divine Tsar.

He had gathered his family to him, and behind him stood the significant commanders of the militaries of the nations that swore allegiance to him, as well as the Prime Ministers of all of his vassal states, not the least of which was Armand, Prime Minister of the First House of the Russian Duma, and loyal leader of the Tsarist Party in Russia. His daughter Adrienna was there, Queen of Nigeria and commander of his Ukrainian Military, but most important were the twins. Peter and Catherine Bourbon-Groznyy. They were now 8 years old, with Catherine the Queen of Tsarist Lavrageria and Peter Grand Duke of Moldova and heir to Wingert’s throne, as the aging monarch saw as his great legacy. His purpose in hanging onto life and power was simple, he had to hand down an empire that was as strong as possible to his grandson, and would not let any nation or man take that away from his pride and joy.

He had confessed earlier this morning to his Father Confessor and one of his closest advisors, the Bishop of Kiev, Father Bahamat, His personal Pater. But now he dreamed of a coming war, and if he and his military officials were correct, it was one that he could not win. But he had long ago decided that he would not allow anything to be taken away from his family again, like the Romanoff’s took Musovy away from the Groznyy’s and then that damned Lenin took away the Tsar from the people of Russia. So, if war came, he would fight like he had always done, he would be the survivor that he had always been. He had accomplished every goal in his life, no matter how wild, that he had set for himself, save one. He had not founded a dynasty. That could not be his failure. So he stepped forward to reveal to the world both his strength and wisdom.

This address would be broadcast on every radio and television station, and then published in every newspaper in its entirety, in the entire empire, being made readily available to the some 356 million people on three continents that declared themselves loyal to the Tsar. It would be translated into dozens of languages, from Lithuanian to Nigerian local dialects. And, of course the foreign ambassadors and media were allowed here as well, though against his better judgement.

“Loyal subjects of the Tsar!” A massive cheer erupted to the gathered crowd, some 300,000 people, at last estimate.

“I stand before you today, as a proud father stands before his children. When we set out to reclaim our glory, we were a broken people, trounced by years of Soviet lies and oppression. But try as they might, they could not break the will of the people! Try as they might, they could not stop the loyal subjects of the Tsar demanding that this empire be restored, and with the help of our gracious allies the Bourbons, and on the wills of the people, it was done! Look at what we have accomplished. The world shakes when they hear our names again. God has smiled His blessings upon us once more and we stand with hundreds of million of people, more than any time under the Soviet Union, and we say, Lord Have Mercy! Christ Have Mercy!”

At this, jet planes fly overhead in tight formation and church bells from St. Basils Cathedral, built by Wingert’s ancestor, Ivan the Terrible, Ivan Groznyy, begin to ring out. The assembly cheers out with a pride and ecstasy that only a great leader can give.

As the crowd begins chanting, “Long live the Tsar!” Wingert hold up his hands and quiets them, it takes several minutes for calm to restore, and the people truly love him.

“I have come here to announce that we must defend ourselves. The global situation is dire. Our Holy League allies have been attacked on every turn. Spain has attempted to just unify their peninsula, and the Progressives and bleeding hearts have aligned to stop that people, though Director Hotan did the exact same thing in Korea with the full blessings of most of these nations now so outraged. Iberian Unification is tyranny, but Korean Unification is Natural? What utter hypocrisy! Unfortunately, though my government completely agrees with the rightness of the cause, we cannot enter the war to see that it is done. If God wills that Spain reclaim what is its own, then it shall be.

Our brothers and sisters in France, a France ruled by my son-in-law, are facing similar hypocrisy in Africa. They move in compassion to help and care for the people of these nations, and are maligned as genocidal. This pains me a great deal, as my daughter sits on the throne in France as their glorious Queen, adding Tsarist steel to that bloodline, and she is maligned as a war criminal.”

At this the crowd erupts in true rage, baying for the blood of any who would say such thing of the beautiful Queen Jillesepone, first daughter of the Tsar they so love.

Wingert holds his hands up, calling for silence and continues on, “I am saddened, and it pierces my heart to say that we can not intervene in this conflict either, though I am proud to say that my government has found the funds to repay the financial debt that was borrowed in loans from the Bourbons during the Lavragerian liberation, and we are proud to announce that we have already sent the amount of 55 billion USD to Versailles, which our court ambassador, Count Falkenstien, will officially present today. That and my promise, that the trade routes will remain open from the Black Sea to the South of France for as long as is possible, with foodstuffs and supplies to ease the suffering of the people of France.”

To our south, the last vestiges of the Tsarist Empire and the Soviet Union that are not under direct Tsarist control have experienced a coup and are now undergoing civil turmoil as Chinese Imperial troops cross into Depkazia en masse and seize control of that area in what appears to be a blatantly imperialistic land-grab. I hope that we can come together and pray for the plight of the people of that region. But again, we cannot intervene to defend our neighbours from Chinese ambition happening so close to our borders.

The reason for our non-intervention in foreign situation after foreign situation is simple. The massive Chinese nation that lies just south of our Far Eastern Provinces has put itself on war footing and is in the midst of a massive arms build up. They and the Strainist nations in that area have begun massive economic embargoes against us. We, as a nation have been painted as aggressors and as tyrants. We have been painted as radical ideologues and as brutal war criminals. I admit freely the things that have been done by my Ukrainian subjects in the defence of their historic liberties, especially defending themselves against the ravenous and corrupt Lavragerian dictator known as Lav before he absconded with billions in foreign aid money to arm a new nation and set it on a track to naked aggression and war. These are all nothing more than the makings of spin-doctors and propaganda machines. I say to you now, your Tsar considers the Chinese our friends and allies, and we are puzzled by these moves towards war, especially given that we have never made a move against them in the history of the Groznyy Dynasty. I am making an offer to the governments of the major powers of the Pacific region, I would like to have a summit to discuss the differences between our power, I propose that it be held here in Moscow, though I am open to any venue where thoughtful men may come together to discuss these issues with open and clear minds. I invite formally, the governments of Japan, China, and all of the Strainist states. I pray with you that this not come to war, and I offer my person to you. If you wish war and not peace no matter what agreements we can come to, I offer this to you as an opportunity to cease to hide the fact and to make public your intention to that effect. Just decline to even talk with us, and we will know your hearts. But if peace is your goal and objective, and you wish talk and words to be your weapons, then come and speak with me. We may not agree, but refusing to even talk shows that aggression is the only thing on your mind.

With that said, I must say, that should any foreign, non-Tsarist troops aggressively cross into our frontier, be that Kazakhstan, the Russian Far East, or anywhere else, we will consider it an act of war, slapping us in the face of our peacemaking. If that be your desire, you shall find that the Russian bear is not something that should be lightly roused, and especially when the Tsarist falcon leads the attack. Just like St. Sergios when the Mongol Golden Horde was finally thrown from the Muscovite Principalities, we halls fight and endure no matter what the odds. The Mongols were thrown out of our lands, and both Napoleon and Hitler learned the error of war with these lands, and even the mighty Japanese Empire had to be flung back into the sea. We are one people united under the Tsar and we will defend our lands with vigour and strength that is unmatched anywhere. You will pay for every inch of Tsarist land with gallons of foreign blood, and you may find, with every major invasion of the past 100 years, that the very weather and land will turn against you.

These are the words of your Tsar!”



At this, the crowd erupted and a major military parade began in Moscow especially, televised on every statsion for its five hour entirety, but also in every place where any military units of note were stationed, all across the Empire, from Nigeria to Ukraine to the Baltics to the Russian Far East.

Tsar Wingert the Great.

II will be just outlining the political and military structures jointly in this post, as in Eastern nobility, the two are spoken of in the same breath. Thus, the ability to command troops is the litmus for the right to rule.
This will be broken down thus:

These forces will be broken up the same way unless otherwise noted:
Each Division will include 10,000 troops; the difference will be in their other abilities of movement and armour.
The designation will be as follows:

Heavy Mechanised: 10,000 troops, 300-400 pieces of armour usually of heaviest types
Light Mechanised: 10,000 troops, 200-300 pieces of armour, armour types may include lighter pieces
Heavy Infantry: 10,000 troops, 100-200 pieces of armour, mostly lighter types, but some heavy types
Light Infantry: 10,000 troops, 0-100 pieces of armour, all light types, except in unique circumstances
Marines (aka Elite Commando): 10,000 troops, 100-200 pieces of armour, all light, able to be used in amphibious landings
Elite Paratroopers: 10,000 troops, 0-100 pieces of armour, all light, able to be airdropped with crews into hot zones, each division has ability to put 1,000 troops to air every 8 hours.


Ukraine:
Population: 46,710,816
Ruler: Tsar Wingert
Head of State: Tsar Wingert
Fealty: Tsar Wingert

This is the first of Wingert’s nations, and the one that he wrested control from the Soviet Union from. It is highly fanatical and highly militarized, having been under benevolent and prosperous Tsarist rule since the mid-70’s. It also provides the backbone to all military operations for the Tsar, as well as supplying his most highly trained, veteran and loyal troops. This nation is widely regarded as extremely xenophobic to all but foreign business, a left over form the revolution that broke it away from the Soviet Union and the decades of clashes that followed, pitting them against the world superpower as the underdog at every turn. The people of this nation still believe that their way of life is constantly under attack from Soviets and Progressives all around the world, and the formation of Yugoslavia has effectively reinforced this. This is the only nation that Wingert rules as King and as Tsar, a Palatine ruler in his own right.

Total active military 3% 1,401,325
Ukrainian Land Forces: 900,000 (This is focused on a heavy amount of armour and mechanisation of all kinds. The idea is that this force is to be able to respond in a defensive situation on all fronts simultaneously with enough power to knock out any invading force quickly)
40 Divisions Heavy Mechanised- 400,000 troops
16 Divisions Light Mechanised- 160,000 troops
6 Divisions Elite Commando- 60,000 troops
8 Divisions Elite Paratroopers- 80,000 troops
10 Divisions Heavy Infantry- 100,000 troops
10 Divisions Light Infantry- 100,000 troops

Foreign Deployments: 430,000
Tsarist Lavrageria/Republican Lavrageria Blockade- 330,000
20 Divisions Heavy Mechanised- 200,000 troops
8 Divisions Light Mechanised- 80,000 troops
5 Divisions Light Infantry- 50,000 troops

Lithuania- 50,000
5 Divisions Heavy Infantry- 50,000 troops

Estonia- 10,000
1 Division Heavy Mechanised- 10,000 troops

Latvia- 20,000
2 Divisions Light Infantry- 20,000 troops

Moldova- 20,000
2 Divisions Heavy Mechanised- 20,000 troops

Ukrainian Air Forces and Air Defence Brigades: 300,000 (This is a fairly high number as it takes into account the extremely high amount of troops that are deployed to both man and protect air defence systems and installations, like AA guns and SAM Batteries, which are literally dotting the landscape wherever you go in the nation. Those troops will also be represented as a defending fore if the nation is ever attacked, as they are quite capable land combat troops, and might be considered Light Infantry)

Ukrainian Navy: 201,325 (This is the vestiges of what was once a portion of the Soviet Navy Based in Sevastopol and under Wingert had three tasks, to make the Black Sea an “Ukrainian pond,” to protect the Crimea from invasion by water, and to keep the Bosporus open to Ukrainian use. It also has a contingent of ICBM Nuclear Warheads on stealthy submarines, of which at least one is always on patrol in a Top Secret location, though Ukrainian media have posted photographs of the coast of India taken by Ukrainian sailors at night in the past few months.)
This Navy has a massive amphibious assault capability due to the importance of keeping the Bosporus open to Ukrainian Naval and trade assets.
8 Kashin Class Destroyers
1 Kara Guided Missile Destroyer
5 Udaloy I Class Destroyers
10 Tarantul Class Corvettes
3 Hotel Class (Project 658) Nuclear Platform Submarines

Kargat- Fanatically loyal Tsarist Secret Police. They supersede all authority and answer directly to the Tsar, and him alone.

Tsarist Lavrageria:
Population: approx. 7,000,000
Ruler: Queen Catherine Bourbon-Grozny
Sir Reginald I sits as regent until Queen comes of age
Head of State: Tsar Wingert
Fealty: to Ukraine

This war came about because of belligerent invasion by the cannibalistic tribes of the Lavragerian region that had been raiding into Ukraine and destroying homes and murdering and raping the great Ukrainian people. It was decided that Lavrageria had to submit to Tsarist control for the stability of the region and the security of Ukraine. It was formally recognised as a sovereign nation with a legitimate government at the Washington D.C. Summit by: Britain, Russia, Quinntonian, Republican Lavrageria, Hindustan, Roycelandia, etc.

Total Active Military: 1- 1.5% at any given time; never less than 70,000
Lavragerian Peoples Tsarist Militia: (This is a trained military force that incorporates Ukrainian commanders and local Lavragerians into a defensively minded force that also serves as a Tsarist vanguard against uncooperative tribal factions, should they arise. It also contains thousands of tribal troops that are little more than paid mercenaries, under the careful watch of their fully Tsarist counterparts)
7 Divisions Light Infantry- 70,000 troops
Has signed up to 45,000 more mercenary tribal troops in the past, but is capable of calling on up to three times that many.

Lithuania:
Population: 3,585,906
Ruler: (?) (Under local Duma control in cooperation with Tsarist Military Command)
Head of State: Tsar Wingert
Fealty: to Ukraine

This nation was liberated by a coalition of Russian (under Putin) and Ukrainian forces and re-admitted into the Tsarist fold that it was stolen away from. This area was the particular responsibility of the Ukrainian Tsarist force in that conflict, and has remained so.

Total Active Military: just over 1%; 40,000
Lithuanian Land Forces: 40,000 troops (Locals that have volunteered to join the new military, mostly of Russian ethnicity, but deployed for defence internally)
4 Divisions of Light Infantry- 40,000 troops

Estonia
Population: 1,324,333
Ruler: (?) (Under local Duma control in cooperation with Tsarist Military Command)
Head of State: Tsar Wingert
Fealty: to The Divine Russian Empire

This nation was liberated by a collation of Russian and Ukrainian forces and re-admitted into the Russian sphere of influence. This area was the particular responsibility of The Divine Russian Empire forces during that conflict, and has remained so.

Total Active Military: just over 1%; 15,000
Estonian Land Forces: 15,000 troops (Locals that have volunteered to join the new military, mostly of Russian ethnicity, broken into three local divisions of 5,000 troops each)
3 Divisions of Light Infantry- 15,000 troops


Latvia
Population: 2,274,735
Ruler: (?) (Under local Duma control in cooperation with Tsarist Military Command)
Head of State: Tsar Wingert
Fealty: to The Divine Russian Empire

Total Active Military: just over 1%; 25,000
Latvian Land Forces: 25,000 troops (Locals that have volunteered to join the new military, mostly of Russian ethnicity, broken into five local divisions of 5,000 troops each)
5 Divisions of Light Infantry- 25,000 troops

Moldova
Population: 4,466,706
Ruler: Grand Duke Peter Bourbon-Grozney (Tsar Wingert sits as regent until he comes of age)
Head of State: Tsar Wingert
Fealty: to Ukraine

This nation was annexed during the operation of coalition forces in the Baltics, not a shot was fired, and the Communist government there declared themselves vassals to Ukraine on the first day, after inviting Tsar Wingert to take control of the government and military. At the time, it was the poorest nation in Europe and the only former Soviet nation to re-elect a Communist government. Now, it has boomed economically, and is counted among the most loyal of the Tsar’s vassal states.

Total Active Military: just over 2%; 100,000
Moldavan Land Force: 80,000 troops
8 Divisions of Heavy Infantry- 80,000 troops

Moldovan Air Force and Air Defence Brigades: 20,000 troops (This is a fairly high number as it takes into account the extremely high amount of troops that are deployed to both man and protect air defence systems and installations, like AA guns and SAM Batteries, which are literally dotting the landscape wherever you go in the nation. Those troops will also be represented as a defending force if the nation is ever attacked, as they are quite capable land combat troops, and might be considered Light Infantry)

This includes:
85 MiG-29
50 Mi-8 Transport Helicopters
30 Mi-24 Transport/Attack Helicopters


Kazakhstan:
Population: 15,233,244
Ruler: King Igoriij Romanoff (Effectively under house arrest in palace in Alma Ata)
Head of State: Tsar Wingert
Fealty: to The Divine Russian Empire

This nation was annexed by Putin when implementing his democratic and economic reforms on former Soviet states and has remained under Russian control since. It was also very keen to ratify Tsarist control of its government, and the military there is quite sizable, as Moscow saw military involvement as a make-work program for the Kazakhstani people.

Total Active Military: just over 1%; 160,000 troops
Kazakhstan Land Forces: 100,000 troops
1 Division Heavy Mechanised- 10,000 troops
2 Divisions Light Mechanised- 20,000 troops
3 Divisions Heavy Infantry- 30,000 troops
4 Divisions Light Infantry- 40,000 troops

It should be noted here that he military uses a lot of transport helicopters and other non-conventional methods of warfare, including, camel regiments, plainclothes nomadic patrols, etc.

Kazakhstan Air Force and Air Defence Brigade: 30,000 troops (This is a fairly high number as it takes into account the extremely high amount of troops that are deployed to both man and protect air defence systems and installations, like AA guns and SAM Batteries, which are literally dotting the landscape wherever you go in the nation. Those troops will also be represented as a defending force if the nation is ever attacked, as they are quite capable land combat troops, and might be considered Light Infantry)

This includes:
120 MiG-23 (These were essentially dumped here and given to this military with the understanding that the main near threat was Depkazia, and these planes would be able to easily keep pace with anything that they would have in service, there are airfields and warehouses full of these all over the former Soviet Union, and they could easily be pressed into service here, hoping that numbers could keep up with superior technology.)
65 MiG-29

Kazakhstan Navy: 30,000 troops (based in Shevchenko and back up base in Makhachkala, perhaps the largest land-locked Navy in the world)
Has many Alligator Class and Ivan Rogov ships for troops movement in the Caspian.
1 Nuestrashimy Class Frigate
1 Tartorstal/Gepard Frigate
10 Grisha I Corvette
1 Udaloy I Class Destroyer


The Divine Russian Empire:
Population: 142,893,540
Ruler: Prime Minister Armand and the Duma, currently the Tsarist Party
Head of State: Tsar Wingert
Fealty: no one

After the death of President Putin and with the terms of the coalition in the Baltic Wingert took temporary control of the Russian Armed Forces and soon after Armand was overwhelmingly elected to become Prime Minister of the Duma as the leader of the Tsarist Party and soon after declared Tsar Wingert the head of state. Wingert was able to take advantage of the booming economy and massive military build-up to both fund his ventures in his other nations, and give his foreign policy the muscle that he always hoped it would have.

Total Active Military: 1%: 1,458,940
The Divine Russian Ground Forces: 900,000 (all Divisions have twice the amount of armour otherwise listed, reflecting the massive Soviet emphasis on armour during the Cold War, and remaining at this time)
40 Divisions Heavy Mechanised- 400,000 troops
16 Divisions Light Mechanised- 160,000 troops
6 Divisions Elite Commando- 60,000 troops
8 Divisions Elite Paratroopers- 80,000 troops
10 Divisions Heavy Infantry- 100,000 troops
10 Divisions Light Infantry- 100,000 troops

Deployments: (Broken into three Main Districts, West, Far East and Central)

Western District- 390,000
20 Divisions Heavy Mechanised- 200,000 troops
6 Divisions Light Mechanised- 60,000 troops
3 Divisions Elite Commando- 30,000 troops
4 Divisions Elite Paratroopers- 40,000 troops
3 Divisions Heavy Infantry- 30,000 troops
3 Divisions Light Infantry- 30,000 troops

Central District- 100,000
5 Divisions Heavy Mechanised- 50,000 troops
3 Divisions Light Mechanised- 30,000 troops
1 Divisions Heavy Infantry- 10,000 troops
1 Divisions Light Infantry- 10,000 troops

Far East District- 370,000
15 Divisions Heavy Mechanised- 150,000 troops
7 Divisions Light Mechanised- 70,000 troops
3 Divisions Elite Commando- 30,000 troops
4 Divisions Elite Paratroopers- 40,000 troops
4 Divisions Heavy Infantry- 40,000 troops
4 Divisions Light Infantry- 40,000 troops

Nigerian Peacekeeping Forces- (There is a pull-out in process here and these units will be reassigned)
2 Division Heavy Infantry- 20,000 troops
2 Division Light Infantry- 20,000 troops

The Divine Russian Air Force: 228,940 troops
Total Fighters- 3,295
Operational Fighters- 2,345
Su-33 Flanker (Su-27K) 100 (Navy)
Su-27 Flanker air superiority fighter 600 – Has been modernized to reach Su-27SM level
MiG-29 Fulcrum 775 (600 Air Force; 175 Navy)- Have been modernized to the MiG-29SMT level
MiG-31 Foxhound 500
MiG 39 Flatpack 350
Su-35 Super Flanker 20
Operational Attack Aircraft-950
Su-24M Fencer 600 (150 Navy)- Has been modernized to reach Su-24M2 level
Su-25 Frogfoot 350 (100 Navy)- Has been modernized to reach the Su-25SM level
Long Range Bombers-
Tu-22M Backfire 350 (200 Navy)
Strategic Bombers-
Tu-95/142 Bear 100
Tu-160 Blackjack 15
There also many other tansports, recon planes etc. tha will not be listed here.

The Divine Russian Navy: 300,000 troops

The Northern Fleet-
1 Kuznetsov Class Heavy Aircraft Carrying Cruiser (Aircraft Carrier)
-updated to launch MiG-29
1 Kiev Class Heavy Aircraft Carrying Cruiser (Aircraft Carrier)
1 Kirov Class Missile Battle
1 Slava Class Cruiser
5 Kashin Class Destroyers
1 Udaloy I Class Destroyer
10 Krivak Class Frigates
5 Grisha III Class Corvettes

The Black Sea Fleet-
1 Kiev Class Heavy Aircraft Carrying Cruiser (Aircraft Carrier)
1 Kirov Class Missile Battecruiser
1 Slava Class Cruiser
5 Kashin Class Destroyers
4 Sovremenny Class Destroyers
3 Udaloy I Class Destroyers
10 Krivak Class Frigates
5 Grisha III Class Corvettes

Baltic Fleet-
1 Kraken Class Roycelandian Dreadnaught
1 Kuznetetsov Class Heavy Aircraft Carrying Cruiser (Aircraft Carrier)
-updated to launch MiG-29
1 Kirov Class Missile Battecruiser
3 Slava Class Cruisers
10 Kashin Class Destroyers
5 Kara Class Guided Missile Cruisers <Destroyer>
10 Sovremenny Class Destroyers
2 Udaloy I Class Destroyers
3 Udaloy II Class Destroyers
10 Krivak Class Frigates
10 Grisha III Class Corvettes
1 Grisha IV Class Corvettes
20 Grisha V Class Corvettes
10 Tarantul Class Corvettes

Pacific Fleet-
2 Kiev Class Heavy Aircraft Carrying Cruiser (Aircraft Carrier)
2 Kirov Class Missile Battlecruisers
1 Slava Class Cruiser
5 Kashin Class Destroyers
2 Kara Class Guided Missile Cruisers <Destroyer>
4 Sovremenny Class Destroyers
5 Udaloy I Class Destroyers
10 Krivak Class Frigates
10 Grisha II Class Corvettes
8 Grisha V Class Corvettes
3 Tarantul Class Corvettes
There is also a short list of subs, but all Fleet designations and deployments are Top Secret since Wingert.
· SSBN: 14 (3 building)
· SSGN: 8 (1 building?)
· SSN: 15 (1 building)
· SS: 20 (2 building)
· SS Auxillary: 7


Spetznatz: 30,000 troops (These are the extreme elite troops that are deployed for difficult missions)

KGB-Secret Police and Intelligence Bureau that answer to the Duma; work very closely with the Kargat




Thanks for reading,
Tsar Wingert the Great.

Okeh, I have a rough pre-liminary outline here...
Nigerian Army
40 Divisions Heavy Mechanised- 400,000 troops
16 Divisions Light Mechanised- 160,000 troops
6 Divisions Elite Commando- 60,000 troops
8 Divisions Elite Paratroopers- 80,000 troops
10 Divisions Heavy Infantry- 100,000 troops
10 Divisions Light Infantry- 100,000 troops

Elite Black Mambas
3 Divisions Heavy Mechanized-30,000 troops
1 Division Light Mechanized-10,000 troops
1 Division Heavy Infantry-10,000 troops
1 Division Light Infantry-10,000 troops

150 T-72 MBT
50 T-80UD
100 Sabre
15 M1A1 Abrams (For Black Mambas)

Nigerian Navy
Naval Forces-30,000

The Nigerian Gulf Bay Fleet Fleet-
2 Kirov Class Missile Battecruisers
1 Slava Class Cruiser
5 Kashin Class Destroyers
4 Sovremenny Class Destroyers
3 Udaloy I Class Destroyers
10 Krivak Class Frigates
5 Grisha III Class Corvettes

Nigerian Air Force
Air Forces—40,000

(To be determined)



Total Active Military: 830,000
Percentage of Population: 0.63%
Total Reserves: 485,300



This is the rough numbers that AC has given me for the Nigerian forces. They are not under direct Tsarist control, but are quite close to eachother in cooperation.

Tsar Wingert the Great.

Despite the raising of several eyebrows over Wingert's claim that Russia had driven Japan back into the sea last time they had fought, Tokyo is willing to hear what the Russians have to say.

Deputy Foreign Minister Honda Hisaki will travel to Moscow as Japan's representative, as both Prime Minister Minase and Foreign Minister Shimizu are both in Washington.

That is excellent news, and the Russian Prime Minister Armand will issue orders that allow their plane to have an honour gaurd og MiG-31's throughout their flight. They will be given rooms n the newly renovated Kremlin, though they will be under heavy gaurd at all times.

IOt will, however, be explained to them that Wingert, due to cultural constraints cannot directly address them, as they are not noble. If, before they left, your Emperor would invest them with some measure of authority recognised by his throne, that would go a long way to making the Summit easier.

Tsar Wingert the Great.

Relations between Russia and China could not have been worse, and whether to send a representative to Moscow or simply brush the Tsar off was a matter of debate for the government. Adding insult to injury, the Tsar had accused the Chinese of imperialism in Depkazia, while only months earlier the Queen of Nigeria had tried to recruit them into the Holy League and turn them against the Chinese. Prime Minister Armand had also threatened China with nuclear weapons, in secret negotiations earlier. With war against France and Spain days away in the Atlantic, it was debatable whether any peace with Russia would be relevant.

Eventually, they decided there was no harm in talk, and Minister of Foreign Affairs Hu Jin Tao was dispatched to Moscow to present the Chinese viewpoint on Depkazia. After all the French were the ones who had fortified the Phillipines right on China's back door and invited Tchokareff to Rome.

Though the Queen of Nigeria was in Depkazia on state business, it had nothing to do with our friends the Chinese.

Nevertheless, the good Minister will have all of the graces applied to them as are being applied to the Japanese Deputy Minister. Though, the cultural constraints placed on Wingert were explained to the incoming Minister, with the hope that the Chinese would try and be sensitive to them.




Tsar Wingert the Great.

It will, however, be explained to them that Wingert, due to cultural constraints cannot directly address them, as they are not noble. If, before they left, your Emperor would invest them with some measure of authority recognised by his throne, that would go a long way to making the Summit easier.

Tsar Wingert the Great.

In the interests of easing the discussion process, Deputy Foreign Minister Honda is granted a Chrysanthemum Seal to signify that he is Emperor Shinseiki's personal envoy in this situation.

After a series of long-distance conversations with Prime Minister Minase, Minister Honda is also granted authority to sign agreements on behalf of Japan; Honda is regarded as an excellent judge of Japan's interests and is trusted to make decisions which will reflect the needs of the Japanese people.

Efforts begin in Lyong to find an envoy who might hear what the Tsar has to say... a process which is bound to take some time. Whatever might be muttered in the extremities of the Party, the Strainist states lack the official Imperial houses which have recently arisen to the East and West, leaving them with no source that could empower a representative with royal sanction.

Perhaps the Soviets can be of help, by loaning to Spyr a Princely crown set with a ruby worth more than Moscow.

(I mean, tag, heh ;) )

Efforts begin in Lyong to find an envoy who might hear what the Tsar has to say... a process which is bound to take some time. Whatever might be muttered in the extremities of the Party, the Strainist states lack the official Imperial houses which have recently arisen to the East and West, leaving them with no source that could empower a representative with royal sanction.

When it heard that Spyr was willing to send a representative, the Cultural Attaché recognised their dilemma and offered to have one of the members of the Tsarist Court bestow a knighthood on the reps. That would allow Wingert to speak directly to the delegates, and was the case when Putin and Wingert had to work together, Putin was granted a knighthood.
Of course, it would be understood if the delegates then repudiated the title upon their return home. It would also be understood if they refused in the first place, though they were cautioned that they might find the Royals’ behaviours quite rude, especially if he refused to acknowledge their presence, only spoke to them through intermediaries, even when they were in the room, and kept on referring to them as subjects of the Kingdom of Tord.

OOC-I realise that this may seem like putting a roadblock in the way of relations, but please be sensitive t the culture. It is kind of like choking down pork at an OPEC Conference, it would just make things awkward.

Tsar Wingert the Great

Emperor Zhang has knighted Mr Hu for the sake of this conference.

Deputy Foreign Minister Honda Hisaki-Japan
Minister of Foreign Affairs Hu Jin Tao-China


Upon their getting settled in their massive suites in the Kremlin, always under the watchful eyes of Spetznatz guards and Kargat agents, they are informed that their delegations will be granted the opportunity in the morning before the delegations each begin with their opening remarks, to hear the Sacred Liturgy at the Cathedral of St. Basils, which they could see, its onion shaped multi-coloured spires towering above the street, from their balconies.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saint_Basil%27s_Cathedral

That evening, their was a lavish ball to welcome the foreign delegates, and the reality of the complexity of Tsarist politics was suddenly impressed upon them. Separate delegations from each of the Tsarist nations were present, from Sir Reginald Hillfort, the English ex-pat Regent of Tsarist Lavrageria, appearing very dashing in his bronze breastplate and bright scarlet knee length cape, long sword strapped to his waist, to Queen Adrienna herself, daughter of the Tsar, Queen of Nigeria and reported head of the Ukrainian military. She was quite lovely in her way, though the tomboy did not at all look comfortable in her ball gown and tiara, decorated with jewels and sporting a lion’s mane sash embroidered with gold. Also included were dignitaries and representatives of the two houses of the Duma’s (Parliaments) of each nation, with the conspicuous absence of Nigeria in that regard. Prime Minister Armand was a gracious host, introducing the delegates to what seemed like hundreds of people, and that was not far off, as the ball included over 500 people each in more spectacular and splendid dress than the last. The Tsar did not attend, though even at the late meal a massive throne of gold was at the head of the main table for him.

Later that evening, as the festivities were dying down, they were introduced to Father Bahamut, Bishop of Kiev and Tsar Wingert’s personal Confessor. His robes were spectacular, and his presence, as one of the few not wearing a sword, probably made them feel more at ease. He asked if they were going to attend the Holy Liturgy in the morning and then told the story of how the Tsars became Orthodox. “You see, it was a Tsar centuries ago, Vladimir I, who sent out delegates to watch the major world religions, at least the ones that he was aware of, at prayer. They arrived in Mecca and watched the Muslims, and declared them far too angry to talk to God. They went to Rome and spoke of the politics and decline. Then they went to Constantinople, what you call Istanbul, and watched the Orthodox perform the Liturgy. They declared, ‘God lives here.’ You see, Constantinople was where the Roman Empire lived on long after Italy had been abandoned to Charlemagne’s barbarian hordes allied themselves with it and founded France and Germany. And when Constantinople fell under Muslim control, the Emperor that all Orthodox looked to became that of the Newest Rome, Moscow. In fact, Tsar means simply Caesar in Russian. To understand the Tsarist people, you must understand the soul of the Tsars. With that, he excused himself, and stroking his dark beard thoughtfully, bid adieu.


Regardless the response, the next morning after the dawn Liturgy, there will be a breakfast and then the delegates will be allowed to retire to prepare. At 11 in the morning, the delegates would be summoned from their suites to appear before the Tsar. They would be brought in and announced in their order of rank, and then the Tsar himself will recognise distinguished guests and allow for opening remarks at his leisure. The Cultural attaché was careful to point out that a knight would be presented much further down the list than a King or Queen or Emperor. Again, just a cultural difference.


Tsar Wingert the Great.

OOC: Spain would have probably have let slip to the rest of the holy league that im pro-Holy League so perhaps some aid would be nice (and probably quite realistic) to help me defend myself from the UAR.

OOC: Spain would have probably have let slip to the rest of the holy league that im pro-Holy League so perhaps some aid would be nice (and probably quite realistic) to help me defend myself from the UAR.

And you are again?

Tsar Wingert the Great.

OOC: The Grand and Undying Sultunate of Morocco

There is a surprising degree of understanding amongst Strainist officials... the Tsar's requirements might come from a flawed worldview, but protocol ought be properly obeyed. Accepting a knighthood is a small price to pay for a chance to find peaceful agreement after all.

It is decided that Joseph Fiyatamo, a member of the Party's central committee, will be dispatched to the assembly to represent the Strainists.

Joseph Fiyatamo-Spyr
Deputy Foreign Minister Honda Hisaki-Japan
Minister of Foreign Affairs Hu Jin Tao-China


The next day, after the Divine Liturgy, which, to anyone who attends, even out of cultural interest, will find that it lasts almost 4 hours but is quite beautiful and the chanting seems to form a rhythm that stays with one for the rest of the day.

When the great hall of the Kremlin was opened the next day, it was spectacular, with rooms for the hundreds upon hundreds to be seated in stadium like stands in a semi circle, which would house various dignitaries, military officials, nobles, politicians, members of the Duma, etc. that had been invited to watch. The main table area was an along rectangular table, capable of seating 80 quite comfortably, with a massive raised dais at one end upon which a massive throne rested. The walls were done in Byzantine mosaic, all evoking the grandeur of the Emperors of Christendom dating back to Constantine, and a massive tapestry behind the throne showing the warrior monk St. Sergius riding into single combat with a Mongol, depicting the historical event that led to the eventual freedom of the Muscovite Principalities from the Golden Horde. This was a not so subtle message to those who threatened from the East, saying, “We Slavs and Russians have faced onslaughts from the East out entire existence, and here we stand when all others have crumbled to dust.”

Then trumpets blare and the porter announces over the loudspeaker system, first in Russian, then Ukrainian, then the language of the Russian court, French, “Now presenting His Imperial and Majestic Majesty, Scion of Ivan Groznyy, liberator of Kiev and Ukraine, defender of Tsarist Lavrageria, Loving Father to Moldova, the Iron Hand of the Baltics, Protector of His Children in Nigeria, Unquestioned Sovereign of Kazakhstan, Founding Father of the Holy League Defensive Pact, Champion of Orthodoxy, Nouvum Caesar, King of the Divine Russian Empire and Tsar of all of the Russias, Tsar Wingert Groznyy I, The Great!”

The stadium erupted with thunderous applause as everyone was on their feet and the orchestra began to play the Imperial Russian Anthem as the Imperial and Tsarist Flags of all of the vassalled states lowed and he walked in from a side door in full shining golden plate armour, with a massive, six foot long, over 70 pound sword strapped to his back, a red cape trailing behind him trimmed with the fur of polar bears, standing at 7 feet tall and weighing 400+ pounds by most estimates. His cruel and piercing eyes staring out from above his black and grey wild and long beard, making him look like some cross between a Biblical prophet and a biker, and on top of his head he wore the massive crown of Russia, with the rod and sceptre in his hands. He walked slowly and purposefully to the throne then sat, motioning for quite. Then the porter again spoke, “By order of His Imperial Majesty the Tsar, you are summoned to appear in his court on this day to discuss matters of great import.”

The stands are filled long before the main table begins to be filled, and the Diplomatic Corps. Lines up everyone to get ready to come inside. The first to be introduced are the heir and his twin sister, Peter and Catherine Groznyy. They are the firstborn son and daughters of Tsar Wingert’s first-born daughter and the current king of France, perhaps a dangerous symbol of the relationship between the HL powers. Then Adrienna, Queen of Nigeria was called, who also took a seat, and then the Regent Sir Reginald. Once the Royal family and their main advisors were seated, the ambassadors to the court of Versailles and Madrid were introduced and asked to be seated at the table, far down, and to the left. The first of the foreign visitors to be introduced was Deputy Foreign Minister Honda Hisaki, who was asked to enter with his entourage, approach the throne, lower your head in a small bow, avert your eyes, and wait until Wingert waved you to your seat. He is waved on immediately. The next to enter is Minister of Foreign Affairs Hu Jin Tao, who is give the same instructions but Wingert makes a point of making him wait a full minute before waving him on. Joseph Fiyatamo is then shown in the same way, with no wait for him to be waved along. At that point, everyone stays standing while Wingert stands before his throne and hands his Sceptre and Rod off to a page, who takes them on a velvet pillow, then removes his crown, instead leaving on a simple gold band around his massive head affixed with a small ruby in the front, and finally removing his sword and gauntlets, setting them in front of the throne. He then removes the train affixed to his neck and a page comes forward to hand him a prayer rope, which he takes in hand and then sits down in the golden throne there. He then motions for all to sit, and when everyone has done so and is quiet, he says, in a booming and powerful voice, “I have laid aside my implements of war,” motioning to the gauntlets and the sword, “Know that I have come here with a prayer rope, to ask the Theotokos, the Ever-Virgin Mary and her son, True God and Man Jesus Christ, with the Trinity and all Saints and the Hosts of the Seraphim and the Cherubim on this day that a peace may be formed between our nations. Know also that my sword is always within reach, for though I lay it down, sorrow to all who dare to invite my wrath. Kerie Elesion, Lord Have Mercy. I declare these proceedings as officially opened, so says the Tsar!” With that, he stands, with everyone standing with him and a second, much smaller throne is brought in and set at the head of the table, where Wingert walks down to from his dais and sits down upon.

Later, the advisors who have come to advise you all on court protocol have explained that Wingert is attempting to make a statement by which he is coming for the purpose of peace, and he is willing to “come don to your level” in order to broker it. Figuratively and literally showing a willingness to sit down at the common table and talk about it.

Then, he asks for opening statements from the delegates.


Tsar Wingert the Great.

<tag>

Feeyatamo rises to speak.

"Thank you, Wingert-guwang, for your generous hospitality and your consideration in setting aside your sword to meet with us.

The world is a dangerous place. Disagreements, both petty and profound, lead to chaos and conflict across the globe... imbalances under Heaven which no sane man desires. Peace and understanding are the greatest virtues of Humanity, and all efforts must be extended to pursuing them.

Yet some," Feeyatamo looks pointedly to the ambasador from Versailles, "seem to lack even the slightest hint of wisdom, stray dogs nipping at the heels of their betters. These must be properly cowed... such impudence and disrespect cannot be allowed any gain or triumph, for it shall only grow with each until it becomes an eternal irritation. This we shall not permit, and one need only look about to see that the weight of Humanity stands in agreement.

It is unfortunate that matters have progressed so that we meet here while armies muster on our borders, but I am certain Wingert-guwang understands our position. He is, after all, an honoured warrior, both strong and perceptive of strength. Were our armies not at the ready, I doubt we would be meeting here today, for what conviction can hold merit if not backed by righteous fury? So too, if we thought the armies of the Tsar would melt at our approach, we would not have bothered to come save at the head of bannered columns. All of us are firm in our positions, and from here I hope we can find common ground.

I will obfuscate no longer... the cause of all of this is the French. In impudence they raised a grand fortress in the Philippines and declared a puppet to be ruler of the Southern Kingdoms. Their blatant piracy broke all vestiges of civility, their incessant war-mongering in Africa and their terror over Gibraltar prove that they do not even show us the respect of patience, they leap from one offence to another without proper thought or regard. I believe my colleagues from Beijing and Tokyo are in agreement that our wrath, united under Heaven, is directed for these reasons at Versailles.

That our guns now take aim at Wingert-guwang is an unfortunate consequence of his relations with the French... relations of blood and marriage which no doubt run thick. The only weakness we have ever known from Wingert-guwang is that he has allowed Versailles to act as it has, and in doing so has put at risk all the coronets and crowns of the Holy League. The prospect of war with the armies of the Tsar is not something we relish, but as matters stand it seems a neccessity if we are to properly punish the French... the last draft I had read of the Holy League's charter called for mutual defence, and if the French refuse to withdraw and kowtow in proper apology then we shall continue until Versailles itself is aflame. Even if Russia will not march as vassal to the foolish whims of France, close relations between the houses of Bourbon and Grozny mean that the might of the Tsar's industry could back the war efforts of the French. In either case, as I am sure Wingert-guwang already understands, the conduct of our war against France will neccessitate a war with his forces as well.

Yet, if that were an inevitable truth, I would not have bothered to come before you today. Rather, I cam to ask Wingert-guwang to withdraw support from France and its idiocy, so that needless conflict might be prevented."

((Hello again my friends. I chose this post to make my comeback, before the mega-super post that will no doubt be needed for the war thread. It’s good to be back.))

The Ambassador in the Ordinary to the Kremlin, the inferior of the Ambassador Extraordinary to the Tsar’s Winter Palace, was by no means a man of small means. In fact, he had just been shipped in to the conference by the King’s express wishes; or, at least, the wishes of his wily Prime Minister le Comte de Maurepas.

Monsieur le Baron de Gueret was a well connected member Roche-Aymon family, which formed both the fifth wealthiest and noblest house in France as well as being foremost among the ultra faction as Versailles. It was at the Minister of War le Duc de Broglie’s insistence he be sent, as he had a cunning mind and knew well the whims of the King’s omnipotent inner circle, focused around the greatest ultra of them all, Her Serene Majesty Jillesepone de Bourbon du Groznyy. His Most Christian Majesty Louis-Auguste was a highly capable ruler, more so even than his predecessor Louis XX. But like all French men his was ruled by women, and in his case it was a militaristic Russian beauty, with equal ease hunting with rifles and frolicking at Versailles continuous fetes. But worst of all, he was a lawyer.

Le Baron de Gueret was the picked man of the hour if there was one, groomed his entire career for this moment, as his colleagues expended all their energies in the west.

As a peer, he received a formal introduction, and took his place to speak. A product of Versailles salons and galleries he was graceful and spoke with an impossibly polished voice, the effect overall enchanting. He was dressed in a blue jacket with a cloth of silver waistcoat, a powdered wig and silken leggings completing the ensemble with the court rapier at his hip. If he succeeded here, he knew, the next stop was the inner circle itself, and some incredibly powerful post. If he failed, he might as not find himself commanding an armored vehicle charge en Afrique noir.

“It is my distinct honor to speak in Your Imperial Majesty’s presence today”, he bowed elegantly to the Tsar before flawlessly resuming his speech “in defense of your son-in-law Louis-Auguste”, here he paused a moment for emphasis “Most Christian King of France, and indeed the House of Bourbon itself.”

“Accusations are made against my liege. Terrors here and illegalities there say the revolutionaries whose hands are stained in blood from killing their own legal governments.” His voice declared this as softly as velvet. “By international law, what rights do revolutionary regimes have as governments, legal and proper? According to the research of Academie Royale: none.”

“A testimony of our Christian virtues, timeless and sacrosanct, is exhibited by your willingness, your desire, to parley with these ‘governments’ today. But talk we will, by the assent of the grand Houses of Bourbon and Groznyy.”

“His Most Christian Majesty attempts to fortify Palawan in order to succor the beleaguered Filipino government, which by its Catholic nature is a cause my master must defend. Why was the Filipino government beleaguered, prey tell? Violent revolutionaries, so eager to accuse others of unlawful war, were killing village chiefs, elected government officials, and legal police and military units of the democratically elected Filipino government of President Aznar.”

He took a sip of water, and continued in that sonorous French.

“When Emperor Royce I intervened, attempting to lift the sad Philippines from its sorry state by rewarding it with membership in the Commonwealth, the only result were massive, unimaginable horrors exponentially and methodically ratcheted up by the revolutionary forces both domestically Filipino and otherwise Progressive Bloc elements. In a desperate attempt to assuage the Roycelandian mission, Palawan fortified itself to a large degree and I must say succeeded in halting many illegal shipments of arms into the Philippines. The illegal arms shipments are what are referred to as piracy. We may also clearly recognize that Roycelandia, France, and the Philippines themselves had a legal alliance to ensure that regions stability, where as the illegal as civilian killing opposition did not. And let it be known that only by the grace of Christian King and Roycelandian Emperor was the crisis solved, and denied the revolutionaries the ability to assimilate and occupy another whole race of God’s people under the terrible yoke, which they we eager and ready to accomplish.”

“What I have said so far stands clearly to His Most Christian Majesty’s credit as a monarch and a Christian. Did Australasia try and save Filipino’s, butchered incessantly by mad rebels? Why, no, they sat back and laid their plans, and laid them well, why fellow Catholics and ethical Roycelandians held the line against the darkness. Yet today, under a truce of prayer, we come together to speak of Peace, and pray let it be so. For a Christian is able to forgive even a revolutionary, and reconciliation is a virtue such nations as Hindustan, and even Spyr, display in abundance. However, before I endorse agreements for peace and congress in the East, we must necessarily turn our attentions to the happenings in the Occident.”

He cleared his voice, and scanned the audience before continuing on as his sipped the water, undulating his voice only slightly higher as he moved on to his new topic.

“The Iberian Peninsula, Western Africa. Much has been made over these topics and lands in the past several weeks, and I will address the former prior to the latter. Yet in both cases I wish to remind Mesdames et Messieurs that each move made by the Congress of the Holy League was based in legal precedent established in the court of international law. The former legalized by the amended Treaty of Tordesillas of 2006”, he mentioned this quietly as the ‘treaty’ was signed shortly before the invasion “and the latter strongly rooted in the legal truths of the Congress of Berlin of 1905 and its subsequent treaties.”

“His Catholic Majesty Juan Carlos II, in his role as a Christian King and moral man, was forced by the dire situation of Portugal’s economy and the real danger of revolutionary elements taking hold there to act preemptively and incorporate Portugal into a larger, flourishing Bourbon Spain, where all would benefit.”

He took a deep breath then.

“One major obstacle stood in the way of His Catholic Majesty’s lawful claims and a speedy and, as was proven, near bloodless victory: Gibraltar. The attack made by the Ordu du Saint-Esprit bombing squadrons on that target have become a subject of intense debate. Yet the only way to achieve a real Iberian unification, and as I will speak of shortly Western African Unification, was to quickly eliminate this formidable threat and so secure all communication lines needed in a concordant web. I will at this time apologize to the British Government for the resulting damages, yet I maintain as does His Most Christian Majesty that it was an attack primarily focused on military targets, and civilian casualties were unforgivable. But WMD’s were not used, only strengthened forms of conventional weaponry that would be effective on The Rock. If not taken, Gibraltar could have undermined the greatest effort to bring wealth and prosperity to the world since the Roman Empire.”

“Now the Iberian has reunified, Gibraltar is in Spanish hands. But off her coasts fleets do battle. Australasia has embarked upon a sinister quest to re-organize the whole of Europe, hoping to use a justifiably angered Britain to accomplish their fiendish aims. Mark my words: as surely as day follows night, radical cells of the Progressive Bloc are working in sync with the Australasian government. They have even undertaken to bomb one of their own cities, blaming France wrongfully, in order to establish a foundation with which to destroy the infrastructure of all Western Europe with what the French Secret Service has learned of: an Australasian Weapons of Mass Destruction program unseen since the height of the Cold War, perhaps exceeding it.”

“In Africa too war rages, but a legal war of reclamation. For generations France, the cultural mother of Western Africa, has been unable to support an administrative presence which would not only burgeon a massive economic boom, but would grace the natives of those lands with King Louis-Auguste’s good rule. The Berlin Congress of 1905 clearly establishes the colonial rights of France in the West of Africa, and conflict has been limited to marginal portions of the most violent and aboriginal natives. In a short matter of time, West Africa, as the law requires, will again be under the aegis of the Bourbons. I also wish to endorse at this time, in all capacities, the government of Morocco. That is one African state, at least, along with United Elias, more than capable of running a strong society. Sadly, some parts of Africa are not, and so they need French assistance and the benevolence of His Most Christian Majesty.”

“So then, dearly gathered, I submit that His Most Christian Majesty Louis-Auguste and the Kingdom of France, nor her vassal states, have engaged in no battle but to defend Christianity, and have launched no offensive that was not to gain a legal right.”

“Which brings us now to talk of peace in might Tsar Wingert’s shadow. This war can be ended now, and the possibility of further future hostilities reduced considerably, by agreeing to treaty and conference. The Holy League has sought nothing that it did not once possess, and seeks to bring nothing radical or new about. His Imperial Majesty the Tsar has reclaimed his domains, as in large part has His Catholic Majesty Juan Carlos II, as His Excellency the Supreme leader of Depkazia is attempting, and as His Most Christian Majesty Louis-Auguste will surely and speedily reclaim the last of His Rites in Africa. Why need there be war against legal precedent?”

“To Britain Their Catholic and Most Christian Majesties offer you peace, the return of Gibraltar in perpetuity and recompensation for previous losses thereof. To Australasia, you ought cease your illegal adventures in the Mediterranean and Africa and abandon your pretensions for European hegemony. Do these things, and peace shall be yours forever.”

“If peace looms difficult but radiant in the west, how must easier is it in the east? Tsar Wingert, may angels defend His Throne, as per the Holy League charter has made no great new offences, and recent moves against him on his borders by various powers are not only foolhardy and ridiculous, but dangerous and destructive.”

“I say, as says His Most Christian King, peace is at hand. Only those opposed to it need assent, and tranquility will sooth our troubled globe.”

:D ! France is back, now the "Phony War" will finally stop being so un-eventful and get back to being a "war, war". Well now I can hope to have something to do other than try to go through some tedious diplomacy with Germany and whatnot.

Sounds interesting (this thread) but since I really wouldn't know what to post I'll keep this to a rambling tag.

OOC: I'm actually not present at the conference, so I can't negotiate anything here. But believe me, nobody besides the French really believe the 'Aussies bombed themselves' line. I do love reading your speechifying though.

This nation is widely regarded as extremely xenophobic to all but foreign business
That's a good sign to an self-respecting Austrian (winks at Moorington).



Ruler: (?) (Under local Duma control in cooperation with Tsarist Military Command)
Head of State: Tsar Wingert

This nation was liberated......
Isn't it curious to point out that if you take this little bit and ask someone which country this refers to it would be very very hard to answer correctly.


Thanks for reading,
Tsar Wingert the Great.
Anytime! It was pretty good.

I see you got the telegram (Abream), thanks. For anyone not familiar with it I was thinking I would be gone for all of tonight and tomorrow so I just gave Abream my post to put up for me.

Obviously, I'm back. And because I'm a little egotistical I am going to put up my post with Moorington (not Abream). So Abream, thanks.

Well since vonny has left the German Foreign Ministry I might as well stop on by here and make sure Austria gets her not so fair representation. Now I hear the representives need to have some kind of position of honor, I trust being of Prussian lineage will get Maxen through the door and if not- oh well. I'll just have to make him the CEO of some company or another (Austrian sign of power ;) )

Let us say I enter right around the time when Spyr's guy is speechifying.

IC:
Seating himself somewhat late Maxen managed not to hit to many of the other guests but still got a few glares. Since he had not gotten word of his arrival to the Tsar, and really didin't have the taste for pomp which his grand-fathers had anyhow, and got spared the royal annouce, thankfully.

Even though he knew at best a spattering of French or Arabic (Would Spyr's guy be speaking French also?) he had brought along his Cameroon, the next edition of Stille Incorporated's handheld computer like devices. As being the Chancellor he also had all the bells, whistles, and even a couple of cymbals in his and a neat little program which picked up the language through the built in microphone and translate into well made German.

So he followed along easily enough, had fun taking a little snack from the platers which the waiters, seemingly circling endlessly, and generally had a fun moment siting in obscurity in the middle of all of these aristocracy, who were sniffing loudly every other minute because he had sat down in a table marked "RESERVED", in French if he wasn't mistaken.

Of course he couldn'tread it, it was just obvious that they would have that printed on the paper, it would hardly be "the Tsar's Seat" or somesuch.

He nodded, applauded, and made notes, the recent Cameroon had definte Microsoft Windows influence, Stille Incorporated was obviosuly so impressed by Big Huge Games that they decided to go up to the parent company for more lasting relations.

As the speech went along he wondered how Russia would look if for some reason the Tsar did fall, or what it would like if the Tsar family had fallen. WWI? WWII? He didin't know, but WWIII looked just as promising, or ominous, depending on how you considered the Tsar, Maxen considered it Omnious, you coul call the Tsar all 14 words but at the end of the day no pesky insurgents got in the way of his goods or consumers.

Maxen liked the French guy, of course he could be someone important, maybe the Prime Minister- Monarch- he corrected himself, but since he had never met the man this just could be some lackey with the distinction of being the right hand of the Monarch.

He made notes on the South-East Asia incident, not yet elected then, he only new few detailed facts of Oriental Asia or its incident and most of what he knew in general was more history than anything else, like South Korea, a good export economy lost there.

He, of course, still considered Morroco a backwards lunatic of a country, but then again he was promising to stay somewhat moderate and if he tried to take the stand of capitalist vs. communist idea of him being the capitalist then of course Austria would support him, even if he turns rabid communist in the end at least there is the chance....

Austria really wasn't a found of Mercanlisim, a symptom of colonial countries, and so the idea of letting the few alive, independent, logical (i.e. pro-Austrian), and thankfully pro-Capitalist nations be brought under the colonial rule of any country didin't quite sit as well with Austria as it could have.

Since in all honesty, Maxen had to admit, if you had to place Monarchist states on one side or another they where actually quite closer to more communist regimes than capitalist markets.

The Iberian Affair was interesting in the sort of way a dead god father is, interesting, but your always ready to move on and there is man more affairs and god-fathers to pick from.

Of course Austria wasn't completely sure that Austr- however you pronouce it- just decided one day to destroy its biggest colonial and finacial center for suppport against the French, which was in abundance even then (support against the French), and now with what one would call an over-abundance it seemed that whoever did it, French or otherwise, where kicking themselves in the head.

So he had fun, playing a few internet strategy games, reading over the report from one of his SDU men about Spader's reading material which he had saw from a position near an security X-ray machine at Germany's debacle of a diplomatic meeting.

Of course he was reading what his Cameroon said the people were saying, he just didin't mind to switch over to is online game of Rise of Nations: Age of Legends every now and again.

This was a conference by invitation, and each person invited were headed for direct war with each other, so this meeting was called to try and stave off WW3. Or at the very least clear up some major problems that have arisen between the Tsarist states and their Asian neighbours.

However, the Tsar and Maxen would agree on one thing, the importance of business. The Great Tsar and the King of France disagreed on the issue of mercantilism, and long ago, when rebuilding Ukraine, Wingert had encouraged business development and capitalism, especially with the process of handing out grants of nobility to people with high net worths.

I will respond later to what has been said, but am hoping that Japan and China also outline their positions.


Tsar Wingert the Great.

Mr Hu stood and addressed the Tsar. It was not an elegantly crafted narration like his French counterpart's nor did it allude to a higher power, but it was to the point and brief.

"The French - they take what is not theirs, and their words have less value than the hot air they produce, making grand claims over territories whom they pillaged centuries ago. They say they bring prosperity to their territories. The truth is, they wish to take the wealth of those nations unfairly and offer nothing in return. They even threatened China for speaking out to spare her Southern neighbours from the fate she suffered for 150 years.

Which brings me to address Russia's offences against Beijing. Not long ago, the Tsar, in league with King Louis, encouraged Tchokareff to enter the Holy League and prepare for military action against China.

In addition to this, the Russian Navy prepares to go to sea in the Far East, from a port that originally belonged to the Japanese I might add. Will it be to support France?

Furthermore, Russia continues to finance the French war effort through the provision of raw materials and stolen Depkazian petroleum (OOC: Mr Hu is refering to Kazahkstan here)."

Hu Jin Tao returns to his seat, awaiting what the Japanese and then the Russians had to say.

Minister Honda listened intently to the previous speakers before finally addressing the Tsar himself.

"First, may I thank Your Most Esteemed Majesty for hosting us here, and for choosing diplomacy as a first option. Unlike other members of your alliance, who see fit to attack without trying to negotiate first.

Japan has had a somewhat varied relationship with Russia since our rebirth. Russia was one of the first nations to acknowledge us, signing a non-aggression pact and providing some initial military hardware as we struggled to define our position internationally. However, recent events have led us to wonder what the future will hold.

Your allies see fit to attack sovereign nations without providing fair warning, then attempt to apologise after the fact. The French seem to think it acceptable to violate Walmingtonian sovereignty in order for Spain to reclaim Gibraltar; by that logic, it would be perfectly acceptable for Japan and China to attack Russia in order to regain territories which we claim. Of course, the French would then condemn us and ask why we are claiming lands which we lost in the past. I think it speaks volumes of the French that they could not see co-existence with a Walmingtonian Gibraltar; Walmington would not have been 'an obstacle' unless the French had provoked them, which is exactly what assaulting Gibraltar has done. France claims to be peaceful, but they have declared the very war they claimed others would start.

Your Majesty, I am here on behalf of Shinseiki Tenno, the man who single-handedly led Japan from darkness into light. He and his government request only two things from Your Most Esteemed Majesty; a renewal of the non-aggression pact, as well as the start of negotiations concerning the lands you call Sakhalin and the Kurile Islands. The first request is self-explanatory. The second request should strike a chord with your allies, as they are so concerned with restoration of lost territories. Japan lost those territories to a despicable regime, known as the Soviet Union, a regime which I believe you faced as an enemy. Your Majesty, show the world that you do not believe in maintaining the injustices that the USSR imposed on its neighbours.

While we are on the subject of Communists, I wuld also humbly request a personal private audience with Tsar Wingert the Great to discuss a situation which is separate from this discussion but holds a common dilemma for both our nations."

Tsar Wingert nodded his understanding to the opening comments, and then while still reclining, his booming voice echoed out answers. “There is no evidence that France was behind the attack on Australiasia, we are all men of reason here, and until such evidence is put forward, I cannot choose to believe that any nation would do that to themselves, or that any nation would do that without taking claim. This will be my position on this matter until new evidence is presented, to do or believe otherwise is based on opinion and emotion and is therefore flawed. These are not things that international policy should be based upon.”

He stopped then and stroked his beard thoughtfully. “The Kuril Islands have long been a stumbling block between our fine nations. The islands have some wealth in polymetallic ores and other non-strategic mining, but are a poor set of lands and its inhabitants have lived under Russian sovereignty for decades and decades. I cannot, in good conscience, give back all of the lands unilaterally, as over two thirds of the population are ethnically Russian and Ukrainian, but I offer this compromise. We will hold a free vote in every community, and those communities wherein over 50% of the inhabitants wish to leave the Tsarist regime, they will not be stopped, and you may take over administration of those communities with my blessing. However, if they vote to stay, would you renounce your claim to those areas? I know that the vote would be difficult for your cause, due to the higher number of Russians and Ukrainians, but it would be unfair to my subjects to do otherwise.”

AS for Sakhalin, that is much more complicated, this is an area that has been under Russian administration for longer than you seem to give us credit for. It was at the Treaty of St. Petersburg in 1875 that you ceded control of even the bottom half of the island to the Tsarist monarchy under the House Romonav, and you ceded it again in 1951 to the Soviet Union. Since this has been under your administration, a paltry population of 30,000 in 1875 has grown to 673,100 today, 83 percent of whom are ethnic Russians and followed by Koreans at about 30,000 (5.5%). The native inhabitants consist of some 2,000 Nivkhs, 750 Oroks, 200 Evenks and some Yakuts. This diverse and important island has shown absolutely no sign of wishing to go under some new administration, and I would not force them to leave the Tsarist fold. So, this is off the table. However, I am a reasonable Emporer, and am here to make concessions, so I would offer, if you allow my nations to offer to any who wish to leave free passage, I will freely allow you to reclaim the Kuriles, and forever will Russia and all Tsarist regimes renounce their claim on those islands, on the condition that you renounce Sakhalin. But your request for a private audience will be granted as soon as it is convienient."

At this point, the Tsar sighed, and turned to glare at the Chinese representative. “Our offences? I admit that I am caught unawares by this charge. No Russian military unit has engaged in military operations in Depkazia at all, can your government honestly say the same? I am also completely unaware of any conversation in which I have had with any Depkazi representatives at all, let alone to encourage offensive suicidal action against its neighbours. If the Holy League conference is what you are speaking of, it should be noted that I did not attend, as I was seeing to reconstruction and infrastructure improvement programs in the Baltics and Lavrageria. Perhaps Prime Minister Armand may have spoke out of turn, I cannot help that, he is the democratically elected head of the Duma after all, but I will personally speak to him if you can show me his words, and he will issue and apology for any misunderstanding. As for my Fleet that sets sail in the Pacific, it will be holding mass training exercises, as though I do not want war, I also wish to be prepared in the event of one. They will broadcast their movements at all times, and their planned routes will be registered with your embassies. They will remain in international waters, and are not meant to be an offensive force, but like the rest of our military, a defensive one, protecting our way of life. I will however, continue to trade with whomever I wish, while at the same time not asking anyone to cease to trade with whomever they wish. That is one of our most cherished values, capitalism. Therefore, if that means that private industry wishes to trade supplies with France, not only will I allow it, but I will use my Navy to protect my subjects’ right to do so. Again, I will not do anything offensively, only defensive, so the first volley must come from the aggressors, not us, the defenders. There is also the issue of Depkazi resources, I have no access to these, and do not know what you mean. The Depkazi legal government has been overthrown and that region is in quite a lot of turmoil, how many troops do you have involved there, again? Now, as for our relationship, that is all that I can do, at every turn, I have attempted to foster friendship between our nations, and will continue to do so until the day that you attack, should that day come. I wish that we open our borders to trade, which you cut off, and begin to talk as though we could do something better with this part of Asia. I have come here to negotiate and make concessions, but you are asking me to stop trade through private sources with a nation that is ruled by my son-in-law and my eldest daughter, as you can see, that is quite impossible. Now are you saying that if I do not break my own laws and somehow impose a stop of trade by Tsarist companies with France, you will invade Russia?

The Tsar moved his massive frame yet again, reached over, took a drink of water, and then looked at the Spyran delegate and began, “You have come with the most respect and have spoken the most intelligently, I do honour that. But you are asking the same thing as China, to cease trade with France, and are threatening war if we do not comply, this is a diplomatic move worthy of the Soviets that I have spent my life fighting, using force to dictate how trade must be performed by others. Are also then saying, that if I do not somehow stop the private trade with France that you will move aggressively across the border and begin an invasion of the Motherland?”


Wingert stood to his seven-foot height and bellowed, “France has offered to make concessions here, and I think that needs to be considered, they wish peace as much as anyone else, and have offered to make concessions. Would that be enough to stop engaging millions upon millions of troops belonging to nations in the nuclear club throughout the earth in the wholesale destruction of each other and perhaps even life itself on the planet? Or what else do you want?”

With this, the big man sat down and awaited the rebuttals.


Tsar Wingert the Great.

OOC: Since it's invitation only I'll just do some higher demi-god modding (not god-modding mind you) and say that a place was reserved for an Austrian company with some major concerns in Ukraine or somesuch, and at least wanted to show that it was interested in the Tsars affairs, even though they wouldn't have gone even if Mr.Bismarck hadn't asked for the table.

So vonny gets in the door, as CEO Chuck Norris or somesuch (I'll maybe make a better back story later on if there is a greater need than "just cause") and he then promptly moves to the front where the French lettering of "RESERVED" was placed with intended importance on a table which Mr.Bismarck had no right to have, but did anyhow.

IC:

Maxen was getting more and more into the speech, it was obvious since his forces were starting to decline considerably in military power and materials, and finally closed the game all together and really got into immersed.

The Chinese Minister was especially fun to hear, he always thought that thos silly Quintonnias were just lying through the teeth when they made those Hollywood movies with the funny Chinese accents. The accent was no where to be found. Even so he read through what his Cammeron was spitting out, couldn't really for a good opinion since it was so drastically shorter than his French counterpart but he liked it well enough.

The Japanese Minister was good to see, Japan, being the literal "red ruby"* of the East in Austrian way of thinking, it was good to see that Japan hadn't totally gone into some kind of dormant sleep which other Asian countries were in. He liked the points of the Japanese, even though he would have said no with no middle ground he waited to see how bad the Tsar's no would be, hopefully nothing to military for the sad Japanese.

He was suprised when the Tsar didn't say a big fat no but instead seemed amicable about doling out some of his well won empire, I guess he could be a little free with his little islands, while it would be hard for Austria to willingly give up about twice the size of it's combined territory. He of course loved the facts nd figures, wrote them all down, an obsessive compulsive when it comes to the big numbers he was.

Anothe rpoint which Maxen enjoyed was hearing the great Tsar not back won in face of silly accusations mostly aimed at free traders, honestly Maxen was getting somewhat tired of the silly Walmingtons and Autraliasians running around the high seas and arresting anything floating from Spain, Russia, Morroco, Southern Confederacy, Nigeria, France, and of course got in the way of other merchants, including the newly made and of course weak and un-stable Austrian merchant "fleet" out of Trieste.

It was good to hear that it would not be tolerated, since in all honesty the "massive" fleet of a frigate, sub, and a sizeable transport fleet would be hard pressed to stand their own against even one squadron of the British.

Amazingly, Maxen was almost taking the Holy League's side.

"Damn the stupid morass and endless turmoil of my mind" Maxen whispered to himself.

Of course then the sniffing and huffing from the surrounding aristocrats only increased, a rude, slightly dishevled, and crazy mand seating there!

* Should mention "red ruby" as in the Rising Sun/Red Circle on their flag/and the crowing achievement of Asians (at least in AMW) is to have such a good export economy country as Japan Maxen thinks, no as red as in communism at all.

(OOC: Moorington, I think Maxen should make a trip to Tokyo when everything's settled down a bit, but give him a chance to rest first)


Minister Honda bowed his head in approval as he replied to Tsar Wingert.

"Never let it be said that compromise is impossible. The Japanese government will humbly accept your offer. We will renounce our claim on Sakhalin and in return we will receive the Kurile Islands; we will also assist with the cost of transporting any citizens who wish to leave the Kuriles. Shinseiki Tenno and the Empire of Japan would like to thank Your Most Esteemed Majesty for being so generous.

I would also like to extend my appreciation for the private audience which the Great Tsar has so kindly afforded me."

TO To whom it may concern
The Royal Morrocan Military would like to purchase the designs of the Russian 2B9 Vasilek 82 mm automatic mortar with an eye to converting it to our standard 81mm Mortar ammunition, would this be possible?
Office of the Sultan

Mr Hu began his rebuttal. It was again, short and to the point. Deciding to drop the issue of Depkazia for now, since Beijing had apparently won the little cold war there, Hu turns to discussing trade with France.

"So conversely, if Chinese companies were to sell fuel to power the vehicles of the Baltic insurgency, raw materials for them to make bombs and bullets out of, your nation would stand and watch? I think not."

(OOC: Moorington, I think Maxen should make a trip to Tokyo when everything's settled down a bit, but give him a chance to rest first).


Actually I think that would be great since he know needs to hop scurry back over to Austria because of a impending Chinese entourage.

So, off I go! I'll make sure to stop on by and make sure you guys aren't trying to outlaw capitalism or anything like that ;) .

Mr Hu began his rebuttal. It was again, short and to the point. Deciding to drop the issue of Depkazia for now, since Beijing had apparently won the little cold war there, Hu turns to discussing trade with France.

"So conversely, if Chinese companies were to sell fuel to power the vehicles of the Baltic insurgency, raw materials for them to make bombs and bullets out of, your nation would stand and watch? I think not."



Wingert barely looked up, saying, "I know of no insurgency. The zones of the Tsarist Empire that have most recently been liberated from their corrupt and oppressive regimes are full of very happy and content subjects that are now quite willing to work together with all the world-wide subjects of the Tsar.”

He is quite right in saying that there is no insurgency, most everyone with a will to fight has been locked up or executed and the entire area is still administrated by the Military High Command, though local Dumas have been elected and the populace is beginning to become more and more involved in Tsarist politics. The economic upturn that they are experiencing and the pride that is being instilled in them as members of the Tsarist family.


OOC-Was there a question there? It was just kind of a statement. I am still looking to find out if China and the Tsar can negotiate, what about Spyr?

Tsar Wingert the Great.

"We are all strong powers assembled here, with pride to match our standing, and doubtless a clash of wills will make a peaceful resolution difficult even if disputes of ideology and law can be overcome. This is most unfortunate, but it can hardly be helped.

Family is mentioned, which brings us to perhaps the most difficult question before us. With a daughter and an heir tying knots of blood between Russia and France, I find myself having great difficulty imagining a conclusion to the current conflict which preserves the peace between Russia and its neighbours. Unless Versailles bows down and retreats within its European borders voluntarily, war will be pursued to force them there, and it hardly seems plausible that the Tsar should stand idle while a product of his loins is so endangered. The wisdom of this court with regard to such a difficulty would be most appreciated by this representative.

On trade with France... supply convoys moving into combat zones in support of an enemy render themselves legitimate targets, and in the fog of war errors can be made even in rearward areas. For continued peace and the safety of Russia's citizenry, does this court have thoughts on what action might be taken to balance the Tsar's laws of open trade and Humanity's need to interdict supplies which provide succour to the French?"

Tsar Wingert listens intently to all of the comments, and even reads some messages that China was sending him on his Blackberry. He then speaks again, “I understand the honourable delegate from Spyr and his logical concerns, and I also understand China and their legitimate concerns. I refuse to stop what I cannot, trade with France from any and all Tsarist nations will continue. I am however, prepared to make this concession, trade with Spain and France will not include arms or military equipment. Thus all trade will only include civilian supplies. These items when imported to France or Spain will be under the full protection of the Tsarist Navy and they will be protected using lethal force if necessary. These convoys will be massive, hundreds of ships long, and their routes and manifests will be registered with all interested parties. There is already one such convoy being prepared in Sevastopol. But I promise to you that no military hardware or weapons will be traded to France, is that sufficient to propose signing a peace accord here with all of you nations and opening our respective borders to trade?”

Then his tone became more serious, “My eldest daughter rules in France with my son-in-law. I would never see the fair Jillesepone harmed; see that this does not happen.”

Tsar Wingert the Great.

"The trade embargo continues until such a time that Russian trade will no longer feed France," Hu says. "It is one of the intricasies of the free market that Chinese exports may end up in French hands."

"Beijing is prepared however, to agree to peace if Moscow should stop supplying military arms to France and Spain."

Tsar Wingert does ask if Spyr and Japan feel the same way about opening trade again, and whether or not China would consider opening trade on some small, controlled scale just to test the waters, so to speak. Perhaps they would consider luxury items or something else of negligible military value? He also asks if the trade embargo will continue if peace should be declared with France and Spain.


Tsar Wingert then makes his proposal:

1. The Tsar agrees not supply military grade equipment or arms to the legitimate governments of Spain or France. In return, a free hand shall be given to Tsarist enterprise in regards to non-military items traded with said nations. Also, Spyr, China and Japan agree not to attack or take part in any way with any attack on Tsarist shipping of any kind.
2. The Tsar agrees to hand back the Kurile Islands to the Japanese. In return, the Japanese shall forever renounce their claim on Sakhalin and will allow all Kurile ethnic non-Japanese immediate rights of citizenship, to ensure their protection under their new government. The Japanese will also help to pay for the relocation of all who wish to relocate from the Kurile Islands to a Tsarist held land.
3. The Tsar agrees to declare publicly that he has no ambition of warfare in the Far East.
4. The Tsar agrees to make no loan from his court to that of Versailles, except that regarding matters of free enterprise and that never in excess of $1 billion USQ.
5. In return for a Lasting Non-Aggression Pact between the “Far Eastern Powers” (defined as: Spyr, Japan and China) and the Tsar, and a promise not to take military action in the conflict in Africa or Europe between Spain, France and their respective antagonists, Spyr, China and Japan will allow the Tsar a free hand in dealing with the criminal and illegitimate government of Republican Lavrageria.


These points may now be debated.

Tsar Wingert the Great.

"If I may be so bold, sir..." said the Prime Minister, as he stepped out from his post beside the Tsar's throne and addressed the audience before him.

"I have always been an advocate of free trade, and I must again stand up in defense of my passion. These embargoes placed upon us by Spyr and China are outdated relics, leftovers from the long past era of Putin. This hindrance of trade harms all of our respective economies; consumers in each nation are forced to pay higher prices for less efficient goods, thanks the the strangehold these embargoes put on our economies."

Domalewski's expression was grim and fierce; it was the expression of a man who sought only to fulfill his duty, and who would fulfill at any cost. Never a one for the spotlight, it was only in this sort of private conference that others could see the vast influence he held over formulating Imperial policy; Armand much preferred to be behind the curtain, pulling the strings in service of the Tsar.

"Firstly, I do not understand the Chinese aversion to the League's purchase of their goods. The League has more than enough civilian goods to survive; the introduction of Chinese goods to the Holy Market will neither harm nor hinder the League, but will definitely fatten Chinese pocketbooks. Second, even if you fail to be swayed by this argument, I find it hard to see how you could justify the blockade of Russian goods from the Chinese market. There is no way whatsoever that this could benefit the French and Spanish you despise so much, so why persist?"

Domalewski extended his arms with his palms up, in a warm, albeit questioning gesture.

Minister Honda acknowledged Japan's acceptance of Tsar Wingert's proposal, stating that trade between the two nations would flow freely and without problem. He thanked the Tsar once again for returning the Kurile Islands to Japan, and stated that Tokyo had no interest in Republican Lavrageria at all, as they no longer recognised it as a viable state.

Several months after the inconclusive conference in Russia and a few weeks after the new Chinese President was sworn in, the embassy in Moscow begins to send diplomatic feelers regarding the re-opening of trade, and possibly the establishment of a peace agreement between the two countries although this continues to hinge heavily on the intention of Russian troop movement towards Spyr.

Political analysts suggest the Beijing may be attempting to buy their way towards securing Russian non-interference in the Asia and in particular the Indonesian conflict.

Foreign Affairs Minister Wen Jia Bao arrives in Moscow after recieving a request for an audience from Moscow.

With news of a Nationalist Socialist coup in Austria, Mr Wen is unsure as to how the Russians will react to this. Unlike last time, the highest decision makers in China were now not so keen to intervene in Europe anymore and it was widely known through the echelons of parliament (and by extension the intelligience services of every country in the world) that President Hu wanted a withdrawal from Europe.

Tsar Wingert is quite pleased at the change in government attitudes that has begun to come out of his largest neighbor, China. It has always been troublesome to him that China and the Tsar had their relations deteriorate, and this new diplomatic mission that was coming to the Kremlin was a welcome change.

Foreign Affairs Minister Wen Jia Bao is granted a private audience with just Prime Minister Armand, the leader of the Duma and head of the Tsarist Party in Russia. He quickly explains that Tsar Wingert cannot speak directly to the Minister unless he is some form of nobility, and offers to make him a knight for the purposes of diplomacy. But first, the tall, long haired man simply invites the Minister into his private study at the Kremlin and with a window behind him staring out over the cold, snow blown, grey expanse of the Red Square. Armand reclined on a overstuffed brown leather couch and offered the Minister some fine Russian vodka, which seemed to be ever-present in this nation before getting down to business.

“My Lord would very much like to see peace between our nations. And not just peace, but cooperation. Frankly, we have always been confused as to the militant stance against a nation such as ours by the previous government. We would like to this era come to a close. With the Balkanization of the Middle East occurring as we speak, it seems best that trade begins to increase with more stable nations such as yours. My government has a plan that would open trade completely, on all items to both of our economies, and we are ready to invest heavily towards this goal. I know that he Upper House of the Duma represents a great deal of the wealth of Russia, and they seem to be committed to developing what could be the largest increase in economy for our two nations in multiple decades. It is the hope of this government that China represents 10% of overall trade with Russia within 6 years. This is an ambitious goal, but greater ties between our nations can only cause benefit to the both of us.”

At this Armand took yet another of the glasses of straight vodka that he was consuming and emptied it as if to gain strength to continue.

“Of course with nations like ours, this must include a military component. The Tsar is very supportive of intervention in South East Asia and would like to see that increase, especially with the power vacuum that is beginning due to the troubles that the Gelletians are experiencing. With that in mind, we also understand that your previous government was keen on European intervention, especially in regards to our friends, the French. I am going to propose something that cannot yet be made public. The Tsar has indicated that he is willing to withdraw from South East Asia with all but the most basic defensive measures, with no interest in expansion in that area except in relation to market. We would be willing to do this in anticipation of our newfound friendship, and the Northern Fleet has already been recalled to the Atlantic as a show of good faith. Of course, we would require some assurances from you as well. Namely, non-interference and non-support of any European nations. The Tsar would be willing to give you a free hand in South East Asia if you are willing to do the same for him in Europe. He has ambitions and…unfinished business in the European theatre and has only been held back in that regard by his concerns over the defense of the East District. Of course, non-interference in your sphere would include Spyr. And this agreement would have to be formalized. What are your thoughts on the matter?

Tsar Winger the Great.

Wen Jia Bao nodded and silently agreed.

"It is agreed then in principle, at least between the two of us - the Tsar will have Europe to himself, and Beijing will recall the carrier forces into a defensive position around Britain while Russian fleets will do likewise."

"To clarify a slightly ambiguous matter - you are suggesting that Russia will leave Spyr alone inside our "sphere of influence" am I correct?"

A more and more intoxicated PM Armand slurred slightly, "That is exactly what I am saying. Spyr will be left alone, of course, we will take defensive measures, but I am asusming that they will too. We will not act aggressively towards Spyr unless...provoked. Though, I will say that military doctrine in Tsarist circles states that should hostilities ever occur between our two nations, Spyr will be seen as the primary objective of all offensive compaigns. To put into layman's terms, we want to trade with Spyr and build towards a friendship with both of you in the Far East District. That being said let me be totally frank, we both know that with your population base and industrial power, any total war between us would end with you as the victor. But we would devastate your nation first. In order to ensure that this does not happen, we have decided that if your nation and mine goes to war for any reason, the Lyong Penninsulea will be totally razed. We will utterly destroy Spyr. That is all. Now, of course we don't foresee this happening, I just want to be perfectly clear. My government has interests in Europe that may require significant investment of resources, and we want nothing less than peace and mutual economic cooperation between our nations, and Spyr. Let us all become close friends and who knows, years from now we could all be embarking on joint ventures. And this is an especially expedient time for this, as Tsar Wingert is still upset over Australasia's rebuttal of his offer of support and friendship. So, he is looking for new friends. Of course, it helps that you are not in bed with the Quinntonian zealots any longer."


Tsar Wingert teh Great.

"It is good that our two nations have come to an understanding over this." Wen Jia Bao states, taking extremely tiny sips of the powerful drink.

"As for avenues of new co-operation, it would be best to arrange a meeting with my superior, vice president and minister of foreign affairs James Chang. Perhaps a state visit by the Tsar could be arranged with him. I am sure that President Hu Jin Tao would also like to meet with the Tsar once again."

Armand had taken to staring bleary eyed into the dreary snow and wind filled landscape while pouring himself drinks that were becoming harder and harder to ignore for the sheer amount being consumed. But his mind seemed sharp as ever, as Wen Jia Bao no doubt marvels at the capacity of these Russians, “The Tsar will welcome the opportunity for interchange between our nations. However, as a point of culture I must inquire as to the bloodline of your state leader. As you are no doubt aware, Tsar Wingert may not directly address anyone not of noble blood. If it is a problem, for political expedience we can arrange for a knighting to occur as a gift. Otherwise, the negotiations would be awkward, you understand? Of course, if there is an unwillingness to do this, perhaps I could fill in for my Emperor?”

Armand then reached over and took a cigarette in the European style, offering one to Wen Jia Bao as he lit the end with a solid gold lighter. “The Tsar wants nothing more than to gain a strong friendship with his most favored neighbors and would go to lengths to achieve that aim, hic.”

Tsar Wingert the Great.

(Tag, the Czech Republic is concerned that peace in the far east may not promote unity between slavic brothers)

"China is no longer ruled by a monarch - It may be best then that a meeting be arranged between Chang and yourself."

Wen Jia Bao gets his phone ready.

"Would it be a good time then, to inform the press of a thaw in Sino-Russian relations? I trust that other issues such as recognition of Kazahkstan could be left for a future time."

“I think that would be excellent. I shall call a press conference and invite all foreign diplomats in Moscow to the Kremlin on order to make the announcement. Perhaps I will make a short address and then you? In the meantime, let us go and dine, have you had Peroka before?”

The next day, in one of the less cavernous ballrooms at the Kremlin, Prime Minister Armand walked in with Wen Jia Bao and stood in the dimply lit, smoky room. He dressed in his ceremonial amour and was wearing a sword, but behind the dais was a throne that was empty except for a mighty pair of gauntlets lying upon it and a scepter lying against it. Tsarist political analysts would inform Wen Jia Bao that the scepter being present meant that Prime Minister Armand was speaking for the Tsar as well as the Duma. Armand took the dais with an ease and grace, belying the late night of vodka-filled celebrations that had left Wen Jia Bao somewhat worse for wear. He stepped forward and behind him, as an orchestra played the Tsarist anthem, a huge velvet curtain fell to reveal a 25 foot portrait of Tsar Wingert in full regalia, apparently painted by a French artist of some note. PM Armand began speaking in French, and then gave the same speech in Russian, Ukrainian and finally an Arabic that was good, but obviously new to him. Tsarist political analysts would also point out that the French portion would be included not to pacify their Holy League allies, but rather that one of the lesser known facts of the Tsarist court was that the language used exclusively in the court since the time of Catherine the Great was French.

After the music, then the cheering settled down, Armand began, “Today is a glorious moment for the Tsarist peoples. We have come together over the years to support our father and Emperor Tsar Wingert the Great, and many around the world have misunderstood the defensive actions of the Court as being aggressive or even imperialistic. This is simply not true. But a series of misunderstanding between our great neighbor and friend, the Empire of China, led to an unfortunate build up of military forces in the Far East and the cessation of all trade between our peoples. This is largely due to the filthy Protestant influence of the zealots of Quinntonia, and their foreign policy of intimidation and force. The Quinntonians would see that anyone who does not support their reign of terror either be brought under their heel by force, or staved to death by economics. It is unfortunate that the former leader of China, the Quinntonian raised and educated Jonathan Zhang, or is it Bishop Jonathan now, became the Quinntonian lapdog that he was, and drove our relations into the ground with his baseless accusations and confused foreign policy that was dictated from Washington. But that era is now over.

My good friend Wen Jia Bao has been instrumental in beginning a dialogue that was many years in the coming. And Now the Great Tsarist Empire and the people of China will have a lasting peace! (People burst into “spontaneous” cheering, with KGB and Kargat members leading the crowd)

As a show of good faith, the Northern Fleet has already been recalled to its Atlantic position, before it ever reached the Pacifica, and soon the Pacific Fleet will be moved back into Russian spheres of naval influence. Now, a system of disarmament will occur on both sides of the border in the Far East District to pull us back from the brink of what would have been a terrible war. And, Wen Jia Bao and I will be presenting a roadmap towards ending the economic sanctions that the previous Chinese regime placed upon the steel hearted Tsarist subjects. Goods will flow back and forth, driving each of our economies to new heights, leading to an economic boom the likes of which we have not seen since the days of the now St. Putin!” (more applause)

Now, Armand turns and walks toward the portrait of Wingert and genuflects and crosses himself before stepping towards it and kissing it three times while crossing himself after each time as though the portrait was a religious icon. He then walks back to the dais and points at the throne, “The Holy and Great Wingert Grozny I, Tsar of all of the Russias, Kazakhstan and Nigeria has laid aside his gauntlets. These are his gauntlets of war; these are the gauntlets that would be stained with the blood of the enemies of the Tsarist subjects, his children. This proclamation is not just a proclamation of the cessation of hostilities; it is a proclamation of peace. And it is not JUST a proclamation of peace, but it is a proclamation of lasting friendship and cooperation between our great peoples! And now, I will board a plane and go to the heart of China and be proactive in bringing our friendship to new levels. A Tsarist Prime Minister will enter China on a misison of friendship at the invitation of teh Chinese government and their people!” (The cheering erupts again, and he bows slightly and retreats from the dais, now Wen Jia Bao is moved forward)


Tsar Wingert the Great.