Opinions: Imperials, the Army, and their homely popularity contest
an editorial by Klaus Grafenberg, found on WW-Welt.ws.
an editorial by Klaus Grafenberg, found on WW-Welt.ws.
It is customary for Thießen royalty to accept the summons of the Reichswehr when they become adults, and this is no secret. The Emperor, King Karl, Archduke Franz as well as Archduke Joseph all served with the armed forces for their military service, receiving military officer training in the process. It is estimated that only 16 percent of Wiese's conscripts are accepted in Reichswehr service, based on a thorough system of evaluations of physical and mental conditions and motivations.
Many remember the succession crisis of the 1980s, when the Emperor first hinted retirement considerations, and the Imperial line included either people too old to succeed -an accusation still plaguing Karl Maximilian today- or who were failing to produce issue. The truth is that, back then, there were overreactions from the country's conservative elite, though this led to the restoration of equal primogeniture 174 years after its replacement by agnatic primogeniture under Emperor Franz Joseph I.
The end result remains visible: since both scions of Karl Maximilian produced a bunch of girls for issue, with only one son, the shift in primogeniture, other than promoting the equality of genders in the country, seemed to have served a practical purpose. And thus we are faced with the possibility for a female monarch for Saxony and Swabia, and by extension Wiese (if she is indeed elected kaiser) for the first time since Isabella the Beautiful.
Which brings us to the matter at hand: where is Archduchess Eleonore, the Thießen princess who will someday inherit Saxony and Swabia? Other than her apparently rebellious personality she has not been much of a media persona, and little is known about her. Among the latest confirmed facts is that she, too, is serving in the Reichswehr in this period, and this makes her the first Thießen woman to do so. Ever.
Despite the princess's unquestionable importance, she has been a somewhat shady character thus far. Her parents and grandparents have firm public profiles and solid public relations, but Eleonore appears to shy away from the fame other members of the Imperial House enjoyed in her age. In her public appearances thus far she has maintained a good image - but those are few and far in between. If anything, it makes some concerned that she is too shy to rule a country of 100 million.
Recent sources, however, point towards the fact that Archduchess Eleonore is much more dynamic than bad gossip wants the public to believe. It is, indeed, suspicious that we hear nothing, not even the almost customary royal scandals from her direction - but her enrolling as a cadet in the Imperial Air Service in September 2010 points to a firm personality. Insiders from the Imperial Army Academy, where she studies, imply she is strong-willed, charismatic, and stubborn as well.
And perhaps this is why we are not being shown what can be guessed to be the black sheep of the House of Thießen - not that the Imperial Family would ever admit anything like this. What has been silently implied to be valid, however -and that is through the lack of denial or confirmation, in an unusual silence- is that the Archduchess's current whereabouts may be currently doing part of her training abroad.
This leads us to wonder: where is she indeed? The military forces Reichswehr is known to have such officer exchange programmes with are all engaged in one war or another. Of course, Wieser participation in warfare without even notifying the Reichstag would be scandalous at best. Those few who know the princess's current whereabouts, Eleonore herself included of course, may never tell.
Even so, it might be a seemingly unimportant thing that can vitally affect the popularity of a future ruler, especially when her entire family seems to be pointlessly competing with the Reigning Emperor's undeniable popularity. (I have to make a mention for His Majesty here: he has ruled us for over 80 years and counting, even kicking the ass of two would-be assassins in the process. And if that is not enough to make even the most anti-monarchical communist nod with respect, at least try to sympathise with his poor son! Way to go, mein Kaiser!)
Now whether the Archduchess is in Nuremberg, Trier or Einsiedeln, it remains a mystery... or perhaps she might even be at some front our military partners are fighting at. The truth is out there.
Klaus Grafenberg is an independent journalist, known for his coverage of domestic and international news relating to aristocracy and royalty.
Opinions: Three ideas for a post-war Solaren
an editorial by Georg Lotti, found on WW-Welt.ws.
an editorial by Georg Lotti, found on WW-Welt.ws.
The fact that Solaren is a country of lunatics, by lunatics, for lunatics is no secret. The fact that their leader is probably the number one such is no secret either, and his recent capture by Alliance forces means that we are close to an end for the military conflict in Solaren. Nevertheless, we are presented with a number of practical problems that need be resolved, the soonest possible at that.
Namely:
- Solaren is currently under attack by the EDF and Carentania alike, but they seem to coordinate poorly. If anything it is a promise for a postwar conflict.
- It is not Christian, not of conventional or acceptable culture, and not homely. Heavy terrorism is to be taken for granted in any post-war Solaren.
- Finally Solaren is an obvious threat to regional stability and security, with rumoured links to international terrorism - perhaps even the bombing of Augsburg.
These things create an unusual reality which the Christian, democratic EDF and the atheist, communist Carentania have to face. Solaren is not a conventional enemy. Anyone and everyone there can be a threat, and the communists seem to be understanding this firmly as they evacuate entire cities in their wake (either to avoid the possibility of native resistance and dump all problems on the EDF, or because they managed to get themselves such a horrible reputation through atrocities that even the minions of "Pope" Urban would flee in horror).
The source of all these problems is Solaren's materialistic, heretical culture, and heathen beliefs. Capitalist or communist, authoritarian or democratic, one cannot deny that this is a state like no others. Accept refugees and risk a complete moral breakdown. Give them help and they might stab you in the back later. It is probable that the only language Solaris know and respect is the thaler.
Some things can probably be simple to agree on. Solaren will have to pay indemnities for the war it started, perhaps even cede territories to victorious powers - as many foreign nations have made a custom of. Carentania is not above land-grabbing, with its recent history including a particular southwards expansion that even KPW wants us to conveniently forget about. As of the EDF, they have other pretexts as one can remember with the Otchi. If Engellex were involved, this would probably be proclaimed "Imperial liberation" as if this is some lousy video game you need a lousy casus belli to avoid a stability hit. And last, but not least, they all, all value the thaler.
And this is where we need ideas for: what next? What do you do with the millions of internal and international refugees? What do you do with the sympathisers of a raving lunatic who does not even deserve a free and fair trial? Their heretical beliefs can spread like wildfire in the honest, do-good, Christian (and agnostic and atheist, let's not hide behind our fingers) centre of our worlds.
I will present three ideas I see as necessary evils and will no doubt get me under fire - but history has previously justified such actions, and saved entire nations and empires from complete and utter collapse. One has to thank our pragmatist thinking, as taught in school, for this cold and cruel but necessary logic.
1. Forced conversion and military dictatorship: on the long term it will teach the terrorists and their sympathisers how "civilisation" is spelt. And it does not include guided missiles aimed at civilians... unless, of course, you are a government and do it without hiding (unlike some particular governments last September).
2. By flames be purified: the old-fashioned Catholic yet unchristian way to handle witches, heretics, heathens, and all things Solaren is famous for. A population that has the chronic disease of wanting to cause any and all problems imaginable for no apparent reason needs to be taught fear and respect - coincidentally, the same fear that they were inspiring.
3. Exile: Send them to Himyar for all we care. A few thousand miles souther, with a big body of water separating them from the rest of humanity, and good riddance. And this, coincidentally, solves the problem of war indemnities, as all that is left will be up for the taking, as well as resettlement with (more) civilised people. (Even communists will be welcome, at least compared to the Solaris. This is a golden chance for new Commissarian-, French- and German-speaking countries to rise up.)
(Allow me to clarify that Commissarian is the language built around the art of saying absolutely nothing with as many words as humanly possible. Developed by major Communist politicians and theories, some individuals have mastered it to the degree they can give speeches that last for hours, and in the end you leave the place not only brainwashed, but also knowing less than what you did when you entered).
Brutal? Definitely. Cruel? Perhaps. Deserved? Some people will say no, but I am a firm believer that it is. Nevertheless Solaren is one drastic problem that needs drastic solutions - and for once we can follow the Carentanian paradigm of exiling the local civilian population and replace them with our own.
Georg Lotti is a member of the German National Front and independently elected member of the Reichsrat representing Elbebruck, Saxony. The writer clarifies that his opinions do not reflect those of WW-Welt or the governments of Saxony or Wiese in any way.
