Hanseatic Republics
Establishing Nation
The Hanseatic Delegation had sat mostly silent. They didn't applaud, preferring to keep their proverbial cards close to their chest. There was a great deal of recognition of the problems that were plaguing the Hanseatic Republics, but there was a major concession that nobody wanted to really acknowledge. It was Konstantin's Naval rebellion that allowed for the Hanseatic Republics to be able to wage their war against the Gutnish. Alienating Konstantin was not especially in the interests of the Hanseatic Republics because then it became all the more likely that both the Hanseatics and the Ostmarkians would be bottled up and potentially annexed without being able to access their own ports. The Hanseatics did have a rail link to the main areas of the continent via the historical salt road, but it was narrow and vulnerable to attack. The cogs were spinning in the heads of the delegation which included the First Bürgermeister and President Katharina Günther, as well as ministers of war, trade, and some military attachés.
Frau Günther was expected to be the one to speak but she had thus far not spoken. She was a careful and mindful person. Perhaps due to her Germanic upbringing, but perhaps also because she worked very hard on not letting her youthful exuberance overwhelm the summit. She had enough problems in the press with the parties and friends she kept from her childhood. She did not need to bungle up anything officially part of her work.
Even still, as the delegations finally seemed done speaking and wanting to figure out what exactly the Hanseatics were thinking, she knew she could not be entirely honest. Her Government had been working in a limited level with Konstantin and his forces. She did not want to alienate a potential winner, and the goal thus far was to look neutral enough as to not bother Ivan so dearly. Ivan seemed weary about invading Lethonia, whose historical military process in the 18th and 19th century gave Imperial Tarusan forces gigantic headaches. Even still, Lethonia was no powerhouse, and so their foray into chemical and biological weaponry was deemed necessary, and was promptly condemned by the international community. The nature of the conflict would be quite different today if the Lethonians were allowed to proceed with their programme. Frau Günther even briefly considered restarting it but worried that would prompt an immediate invasion with Tarusa now mobilized on one side or the other.
Another problem for the Hanseatics was the fact that the mainland was obviously separated from Metsamaa. Metsamaa was well armed, and enjoyed the support of the Federation, but now was on a bit of an island again.
Additionally, Frau Günther wanted to address the problem of Tarusan territory giving Tarusa a way to bottle in Lethonia and large parts of the Hanseatic Republics. Sure, the capital city was open and free from such problems and was where the bulk of the shipyards and navy was based, but that did not mean that the Hanseatics did not want to maintain that crucial link and keep it open. Thus realistically, the Hanseatics wanted to annex any islands in the Gothic Sea possible as a result of the war. Such free rein to do so would make the Hanseatics more interested in joining a side. Lastly, there was the case of the secret alliance with the Federation already. There was some kind of backdrop to military aid, but the problem was that the aid was not available yet.
Frau Günther scribbled something on a notepad and slid it over to her ministers. They read it and nodded. She gained the attention of the moderator who motioned for her to speak and she turned on her microphone.
She finished her brief speech and waited to see the results. They were quite contrary to some opinions, but they were honest.
Frau Günther was expected to be the one to speak but she had thus far not spoken. She was a careful and mindful person. Perhaps due to her Germanic upbringing, but perhaps also because she worked very hard on not letting her youthful exuberance overwhelm the summit. She had enough problems in the press with the parties and friends she kept from her childhood. She did not need to bungle up anything officially part of her work.
Even still, as the delegations finally seemed done speaking and wanting to figure out what exactly the Hanseatics were thinking, she knew she could not be entirely honest. Her Government had been working in a limited level with Konstantin and his forces. She did not want to alienate a potential winner, and the goal thus far was to look neutral enough as to not bother Ivan so dearly. Ivan seemed weary about invading Lethonia, whose historical military process in the 18th and 19th century gave Imperial Tarusan forces gigantic headaches. Even still, Lethonia was no powerhouse, and so their foray into chemical and biological weaponry was deemed necessary, and was promptly condemned by the international community. The nature of the conflict would be quite different today if the Lethonians were allowed to proceed with their programme. Frau Günther even briefly considered restarting it but worried that would prompt an immediate invasion with Tarusa now mobilized on one side or the other.
Another problem for the Hanseatics was the fact that the mainland was obviously separated from Metsamaa. Metsamaa was well armed, and enjoyed the support of the Federation, but now was on a bit of an island again.
Additionally, Frau Günther wanted to address the problem of Tarusan territory giving Tarusa a way to bottle in Lethonia and large parts of the Hanseatic Republics. Sure, the capital city was open and free from such problems and was where the bulk of the shipyards and navy was based, but that did not mean that the Hanseatics did not want to maintain that crucial link and keep it open. Thus realistically, the Hanseatics wanted to annex any islands in the Gothic Sea possible as a result of the war. Such free rein to do so would make the Hanseatics more interested in joining a side. Lastly, there was the case of the secret alliance with the Federation already. There was some kind of backdrop to military aid, but the problem was that the aid was not available yet.
Frau Günther scribbled something on a notepad and slid it over to her ministers. They read it and nodded. She gained the attention of the moderator who motioned for her to speak and she turned on her microphone.
"I do not believe most of us have met yet. Moin! I am the First Bürgermeister and President of the Hansatag, Katharina Günther. We are a rather new entity on the European stage but nonetheless quite important due to geopolitical concerns. This much is obvious."
She took a brief drink of water which allowed her to collect her thoughts and proceeded,
"This crisis has placed the Hanseatic Republics at the forefront of defensive concerns for most of Europe. If the Hanseatic Republics were to in theory fall to an advance of Tarusa's military, then the world would be open to a direct link from Tarusa to Csengia in which to mobilize the manpower, weaponry, and resources to strike directly at the heart of this continent. You all acknowledge this, and of course this is your primary concern.
"However, my concerns are for my people. My concerns are for my Republics. My concerns are for the post-delegationist movement. Our concerns align with the rest of the world today, and likely the rest of the world for a prolonged future. Thus, if you wish to help the Hanseatic Republics thrive, the first effort must be against the Gutnish Pirate Republic. I have seen no unanimous support today for directly confronting Csengia, and our Hanseatic Republics do not have a great deal of interest in provoking Konstantin. Remember, the Gothic Sea is far more open today with Konstantin blockading the Ivanovist coast, rather than allowing Ivan to attack Hanseatic vessels. He has done so, and would not hesitate to do so again. Thus, defeating the Gutnish is paramount in our opinion. Anything after removes a needle constantly pointed at our backs as defeating the Gutnish will open the sea lines and allow for better navigation and anti-sea mining operations thus allowing the Hanseatics the opportunity to be supplied from abroad.
The last issue of contention is economic consequences. Any concerns of this matter are best not started here unless the Hanseatics are at the barrel of a gun. Our open free trade policies will remain unless otherwise instructed by the European Forum, or by deliberate unfair trade practices."
She finished her brief speech and waited to see the results. They were quite contrary to some opinions, but they were honest.