NationStates Jolt Archive

The Eastern European Empire, commonly refered to as the Imperium, hereby invites the nations of Germany, Bulgaria, the Baltic nations, Poland, and Macedonia to Vienna for discussion of items of mutual interest.

Representatives on behalf of Macedonia and Bulgaria attend

The Polish delegation arrives as well, unsure of what to expect after recent statements from the President.

The German delegation arrives and takes their place at the conference.

Seeing the important delegates have arrived, the Imperium delegate imediatly proposes the following threaty to be ratified by the attending nations to assure peace and prosperity:

The Vienna Compact
Having met on this day of the year Nineteen Hundred and Seventeen in the city of Vienna, those nations undersigned hereby enter into a Compact for the purpose of peace, stability, and mutual defense.

Article 1.
Those nations having entered into the Vienna Compact agree to establish a common defense, and to rise as one to defeat any foreign aggressor.

Article 2.
The Compact nations, recognizing the instability of the Balkan areas, agree to promote stability in the region so as to avoid further bloody conflict.

Article 3.
The Compact nations, cognizant of the dangers of Imperial Russia, agree to work towards containing all malevolent influences of that state while welcoming nonaggressive Russian initiatives.

Article 4.
The Compact nations hereby resolve to facilitate free trade with all other compact nations, to reduce tariffs between Compact nations, and to protect the freedom of the seas.

Article 5.
The Vienna Compact members agree in principle to share military technology in order to establish a superior mutual defense.

Article 6.
Entry into the Vienna Compact may be granted to any nation upon a three-quarters vote of all Vienna Compact members.

Article 7.
Any nation may be expelled from the Vienna Compact upon a three-quarters vote of all Vienna Compact members.

Upon hearing the proposal, the Polish delegation confers amongst itself. The President had ordered them personally to sign any treaty that would, from their point of view, strengthen the defense of Poland. However, after seeing the results of the election, they doubt the moderate, pro-neutrality Sejm will ratify it, leaving the legal status of the treaty in a state of limbo. Two members, the Ambassador to the Imperium and the Undersecretary of War, support signing the treaty now, and letting the details resolve themselves later. However, the Undersecretary of the Foriegn Ministry believes that leaving the treaty in such a positition will only lead to its abuse, either by those in the Polish government, or by other signatories. In an attempt to delay signing for a short time, until the delegates themselves can come to an agreement, they propose a few minor changes to the other delegations.

The Undersecretary of Foriegn Affairs presents the changes.

"In the interests of clarity, we would suggest slight rewording to the treaty. In Article 4, if the words 'to a reasonable point' could be inserted, it would do much to ease that article in the minds of our legislators. While encouraging trade is important, we feel that tariffs are essential for keeping our industry growing at its current rate, a concern I would imagine the other growing economies here all share."

"As an additional stipulation to Article 1, while we support the idea in principle, as written it causes us some problems. While we are willing to help avenge an attack on Hamburg or Salonika, for example, we are less willing to avenge a raid on German Equitorial Africa or other colonial possessions. As we could play no direct part in a war in Africa or the Pacific, lacking a navy and colonies, our entry into such a war would only provide escalation, turning a small border spat into a larger war.

If it is acceptable, Poland will sign with this stipulation made clear. Otherwise, we can either propose the replacement of the phrase 'and to rise as one to defeat any foreign aggressor. ' with 'and to rise as one to repel any attack against the homeland of a signatory' or similar phrasing.

Germany will sign the treaty.

"In the interests of clarity, we would suggest slight rewording to the treaty. In Article 4, if the words 'to a reasonable point' could be inserted, it would do much to ease that article in the minds of our legislators. While encouraging trade is important, we feel that tariffs are essential for keeping our industry growing at its current rate, a concern I would imagine the other growing economies here all share."


If it is acceptable, Poland will sign with this stipulation made clear. Otherwise, we can either propose the replacement of the phrase 'and to rise as one to defeat any foreign aggressor. ' with 'and to rise as one to repel any attack against the homeland of a signatory' or similar phrasing.

Germany finds both of these proposals acceptable.