The Glorious Sixth [Germano-Gallic Theatre]

[Remuria]

Considerations of a humanitarian manner

Montelimarian refugees arriving in Wendmark were immediately catered for by the Civil Protection service, assisted by the Wendermarker Red Cross and a number of both governmental and non-governmental organisations, as well as charities. Refugees were given a medical check, registered and then distributed amongst the numerous Civil Protection shelters throughout the country. Wendmark had enough shelters and bunkers to easily provide protection for more than its own population, because it was a proven fact: when bombs start to fall, each shelter immediately receives more people than were visible in the near vicinity right before the bombardment.

The decision to not group arriving people into cramped camps in the border areas was dictated by numerous factors. First of all, such camps were anti-sanitary by definition, whilst shelters had all the necessary amenities, with hot showers, running water and toilets. They allowed to vastly spread out the Montelimarians, thus ensuring no spontaneous mass action by panicked crowds should, for example, rumours arise of an impending Engellexic invasion. Finally, the shelters and bunkers were all underground, and, thus, had the benefit of not ruining Wendmark's scenic landscape with tents and crowds of refugees.

Since Montelimarians were not citizens of a Germanian League member state, they did not have freedom of movement within Wendmark. As such, they were confined to their shelters pending their review by the competent authorities of the Free State of Wendmark, after which they were given a limited permit in Wendmark, which confined them to the area in the immediate vicinity of their shelter, but allowed them to go out to the very scenic alpine villages and admire grazing cows and other wonders the Alps had to offer.

As cooperation was strengthened with the Franconians, more and more refugees were transferred on to Franken to be sheltered there.

In the meantime, in Wendmark, selected refugees would be quietly approached by representatives of certain Wendmarker government agencies with certain offers. Like receive certain training that would enable them to carry out certain actions in certain territory against certain forces belonging to a certain country.


Considerations of an aggressive manner

As the Engellexic offensive progressed further on, the worries amongst the highest echelons of Wendmark's political and military establishment increased. Some voices were already calling for a counter-invasion of Montelimar to create a buffer zone against Engellexic pretensions. This, however, went contrary to the political will of the Staatstag. In the end, which of the military strategists or the politicians in parliament would have the final word was far from clear.

In the meantime, small teams of Wendmarker special forces would infiltrate the Montelimarian side of the Jura mountains (apparently called Bleuridge in Montelimar), with their mission quite complex. They were to confirm intelligence information on the readiness of some specific roads and bridges to be used as military transport corridors. They were to confirm intelligence information on many other things, and even provide new intelligence on some things. New firing positions in case of a preemptive occupation of Eastern Montelimar were just one example. These units had the full complement of both military gear, civilian clothing, means of transportation and knowledge of French to do their work.

Wendmarker air force patrols, in the meantime, began “breaching” into Montelimar's airspace, without going deep into Montelimarian territory, but instead as if "gliding" along the border before sliding back into Wendmarker airspace. Overflights were carried out by drones over certain areas adjacent to Wendmark's border to, yet again, confirm a number of intelligence reports. Additionally, under civilian disguise, Wendmarker operatives also carried out certain activities in eastern Montelimar to prepare the ground, as directed by the Army High Command.

 

[Potenza]

Directly Southwest of Valmy
Montelimar-Potenza Border

Soldiers of the 3rd Parachute Brigade were marching along the border on one of their daily patrols. The north of Potenza was a series of rolling hills and lush forests, one of the reasons the House of Cornaro settled it long, long ago. Dusk was already starting to settle, the autumn sky turning a lovely shade of orange, red and purple. Off to the distance, near the capitol, the lights of artillery fire could sometimes be seen, and on particularly windy days the gunfire could be heard. In the grand duchy, where the soldiers marched, it was peaceful.

When conflict against Solaren had broken out, Grand Duke Eldizio I had declared a policy of Neustrema, a conglomeration of the Tiburian words neutralità ("neutrality") and estrema ("extreme"). What Neustrema detailed was, in essence, having nothing whatsoever to do with the war that could get Potenza's hands tied. This included refugees. Luckily, there was no major land connection between Potenza and Solaren save for two small peninsulas nearly touching. A small detachment of soldiers and a stepping up of activity by the Marina Militare resolved that problem, and with some exceptions there was no major issue. Now that EDF forces were pushing forward, control along the Potenzan/Solaren waterways was relaxed.

The war against Montelimar was another animal. Eldizio I, not wishing to get into a conflict with the EDF, had declared a continuation of Neustrema, and offered Greater Engellex full political support while maintaining military neutrality. The Grand Duchy watched the war with interest, unsure of which direction it would go. As Engellex forces marched on Valmy, an old fear was renewed: the refugee problem.

Initially the number of refugees were small, and had mostly gathered at a few points across the Potenzan border. Numbers grew, however, and the locals began to complain. The situation was getting out of hand, and the local populations couldn't handle the swell in numbers. What's more, the Carabinieri complained that they didn't have the manpower to maintain order, and fights were starting to break out between refugees and locals. One fight resulted in a Carabinieri being stabbed, and though not fatal, it was enough to increase public outcry.

Thus the Potenzan government found itself in a dilemma: it had not prepared for a refugee problem as had other nations like Wendmark, and with the economy the way it was few people wanted to finance a major rescue of those fleeing the war. Therefore, Eldizio I decided to execute Neustrema: he ordered the 9th Folgore ("Lightning") Parachute Division to mobilize along the border and declared all refugees banned from crossing into Potenza.

It had happened on October 31 at eight in the morning, with the airborne troopers marching into the refugee camps and ordering all refugees up and moving. Tents and makeshift houses were torn down, and possessions left behind tossed together to be treated as garbage. Those who claimed to be Potenzan citizens or to have been given diplomatic rights were handed off to another section to be given to the Ministry of the Interior for processing - any who lied about this would be arrested. The Folgore division was given permission to shoot back if shot upon, but thankfully nothing like this occurred. They were also given permission to cross the Montelimar border if harassed or attacked by supposed refugees.

Many of the Folgore soldiers disliked it, as they were trained for combat and special missions, not crowd control. They were, however, stationed near the northern city of Treviso and hence were close to the area, and the duke knew he could count on them to be disciplined and professional. Indeed, they were, for the most part. Things were handled with great military discipline and order. However, a few refugees thought they could play tough and stand up to these men, and were shown otherwise. Their bloodied and beaten bodies were handed off to Interior Ministry authorities for interrogation and later extradition. The role of the Folgore was partially to assist in all peacekeeping and enforcement among the refugees, to allow the Carabinieri greater relief to do their job.

After a few days of this motion, things were starting to settle down again. Refugee camps were now isolated along the border for the most part, and the locals were starting to feel more optimistic about their situation. As the Folgore patrols continued along the hills, occasionally glancing towards the fighting going on, they pondered on what could possibly occur in the months to come.

 

[Großlausitz]

Eastern Montelimar

This wasn’t over yet for the remaining 14,000 service members of the expeditionary force that had tried to fend off the Engellexic invasion without any avail in the end. Instead of an immediate and complete retreat, the force under Brigadegeneral Michael Ployer had been instructed in a large ground reconnaissance operation. The mission’s objective was so delicate and confidential that Ployer had been instructed not to divulge the actual goal to his general staff for another 24 hours. Their ground reconnaissance mission was to evaluate the state of the roads and train tracks from the east to the Wendmarker west. It wasn’t primarily meant to organize a subsequent flight but rather the retrieval of certain items of certain importance.

What’s more, Ployer had been informed the Admiralty, which was curiously in charge of all of Franken’s nuclear weaponry, paying respect to the fact that Franken was still a naval power, had instructed two nuclear submarine to be equipped with nuclear warheads and to be silently deployed. Among them was the KMS Heinrich Dallas, who had made a narrow escape from the Heiliger Zorn slaughter fest. They would operate alone and very secretly, while Foreign Minister Graf Miltenberg and Ministerpresident Graf Solms would very calmly remind the Engellexic of the doomsday option.​

 

[Rheinbund]

Also the Eiffellandian government saw the refugee problem growing. It was decided to help Wendmark and Potenza out with that respect.

FROM: Matthias Graf von Seydewitz, Chancellor of Eiffelland
TO: Governments of Wendmark and Potenza

SUBJECT: Montelimarian refugees

Dear Sir/Madam,

When needed, we are willing to receive Montelimarian refugees. We will even take care of transporting them to Eiffelland. When needed, we are also willing to locally take care of refugees with our own equipment and people.

Best regards,

Matthias Graf von Seydewitz

 

[Großlausitz]

Eastern Montelimar

According to the conclusions drawn from the various intelligence reports, the confidential governmental dossiers and last but least pre-war information via the EDF, the top brass in Nürnberg was pretty sure there were no ready nuclear devices for land-based launch available in Montelimar. However, the battered kingdom’s armed forces had been researching and developing a new generation of nuclear weaponry in the Betrand laboratories in the Bleuridge Mountains. The objective for Brigadegeneral Michael Ployer’s men and women was to scout, possibly enter the facilities and prepare the way for a final solution to the problem. After all, they hosted equipment to create very nasty arms. They shouldn’t fall in the wrong hands.

Meanwhile, in the military section of the vast Würzburg port region technicians of Royal Navy were almost done with loading the KMS Heinrich Dallas and the older generation nuclear submarine with a number of nuclear warheads. The crews’ job was to cruise strategically important regions in the western waters. Since they were carrying pawns of power politics Franken hadn’t even thought of being forced to use, they wouldn’t be used for aggressive assaults prior to the final peace contract.

 

[Potenza]

Also the Eiffellandian government saw the refugee problem growing. It was decided to help Wendmark and Potenza out with that respect.

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We thank the Chancellor Graf von Seydewitz for their concern in our present state of affairs. However, we will be needing no more assistance, as the refugee problem has already been taken care of, and there are no more refugees within Potenza.

Carlo Ciampi
Interior Minister

 

[Großlausitz]

Eastern Montelimar

At last they had started entering and securing the premises of the Betrand Laboratories, where the Kingdom of Montelimar wanted to develop a new class of nuclear warheads. Luckily they hadn’t made that much progress yet. But if the data and facilities fell into Engellexic hands, they would allow those pesky upstarts with the minds of 19th century colonialists to give the EDF another run for their money, Brigadegeneral Michael Ployer mused, as he personally supervised the take-over of the base. The plan was to have the Royal Army ABC specialists destroy the nuclear material, while the soldiers from the Royal Pioneers were to place explosives in each building.

The remaining staff and small guard of the laboratories, which luckily lay secluded from any larger settlement, were to be brought to safehouses of the Landesnachrichtendienst alongside the borders of Montelimar with Danmark and Wiese. There they were to receive proper instructions and incentives to keep quiet about the reasons for their former workplace being reduced to rubbles by sudden ignition. The ABC and pioneer troops would stay here even longer to stage a faux decontamination operation to fend off overly curious journalists or spies.

Meanwhile, the two Royal Navy submarines were parting their ways at the entrance of the Bay of Würzburg. For strategic reasons both vessels, which had been equipped with seven and six of Franken’s currently twenty activated naval-based nuclear missiles respectively, would take some detours on their route to their designated destinations. Hardly surprising, KMS Heinrich Dallas was to cruise submerged not a half day’s trip away from the ICBM reach of Engellex.

 

[Großlausitz]

Eastern Montelimar

“May the Games begin,“ Brigadegeneral Michael Ployer murmured, as he was standing beside his two aides-de-camps. The Betrand Laboratories had been vacated of all relevant items and equipment by the ABC troops Ployer had brought with him. Subsequently the Royal Pioneers had taken over and stuffed the compound with lots of explosives. They wanted to ensure the illusion of a dangerous accident, which tragically annihilated the main buildings, the research facilities and the stored materials as well as claiming the lives of the lead researchers.

Although he knew the exact time the faux accident would happen, the senior commander winced as they witnessed the large ‘Boom’ from safe distance. Immediately the sirens kicked in. Luckily Ployer’s troops were near and instantly dispatched their ABC troops and combat personnel to lock up the compound and contain the fire. While the Engellexic forces were more or less unlikely to figure out, let alone care, why a distant laboratory suddenly went ka-boom, there was a slight chance, the pesky Breotonians and their state of the art intelligence equipment happened to picked up some suspicious signals or footage. Anyhow, His Majesty’s Government was thoroughly prepared to throw some smokescreens if it came push to shove.
​

 

[Great Engellex]

CIRCUMSTANCE OF IMPERIAL WAR VII
OPERATION BREAKING DAWN pt. II

Valmy, Montelimar

It is November 14 and 02:13, the 89th and 103rd Brigades of the 14th Infantry Division had reached the river immediately west of Nancy, blocking the Montelimarians from participating in a counteroffensive against Valmy as they were already in the midst of a retreat through the mountains from Lille. The 103rd Brigade’s troops secured the area and took up blocking positions to the west of Nancy, while the 89th was moving to extend the hold south of the city. The remainder of the 14th Infantry Division pushed against eastern Valmy, almost completely circling the capital. Following the fall of Lille the direction of the Engellexic Army was changing quickly. Division planners feverishly worked through the nights succeeding Lille’s collapse to plan their part in the ground shift from the North-East to secure the East and hold the momentum against the South. The 29th Armoured Division was placed temporarily under the operational control of the VIII Corps. The 29th AD were order to move south to secure the North-East and ensure the Montelimarian retreat filtered through the Blueridge Mountains near the border with Vistrasia, the Horse Grenadier Guards were to hold Lille and the metropolitan districts, while the 65th Brigade of the 7th Infantry Division moved to secure west of Lille and the 66th and 67th the east of Lille. The North-East territory, centred on Lille, formed the new boundaries of VIII Corps’ Province. A helicopter brigade belonging to the VIII Corps was being ordered to prepare for a massive attack helicopter assault into the mountain motorways.

With the transferring of the Dijon metropolitan area, Chambery and the districts to its east to the 16th Infantry Division, the 44th Infantry Division and the 17th Royal Artillery Regiment moved south behind the brigades of the 14th Infantry Division. Two brigades of the 44th ID were put to clearing bypassed Montelimarian units, leaving 89th and 103rd brigades free to push the hold at Nancy, the other brigade of the 44th ID and the 17th RAR were ordered to hold the pressures on Bacle-Duc. By now the 7th Armoured Brigade were holding the line in the North-Central districts of Valmy. The 310th and 311th Armoured Brigades were beginning to engulf the enemy’s infantry and armour units; 311th in the West and the 310th in the East. All of the XIV Corp’s artillery continued to pound entrenched and high targets many kilometers behind the enemy lines and tube artillery, along with MLRS batteries, pummelled the Montelimarian positions. The other weapon at the disposal of the generals of the XIV Corps was the 7th Attack Helicopter Brigade of eighteen Apache helicopters. All three companies of the 7th AHB were deployed for a new objective in West-Central Valmy. The objective had been identified as a location that contained a high concentration of Montelimarian troops, as well as being a command post of importance to Valmy’s resistance. The objective stood directly in the path of advancement of the 311th Armoured Brigade.

The 7th AHB launched from southern Wantage and headed for West-Central Valmy in a wedge formation, at 05:38 the Apaches moved into battle. Each company was assigned an area to clear. The boundaries of these three zones were precise, with the pilots ordered not to extend themselves outside these zones, as the Royal Engellexic Air Force were operating around them. F-16s had been assigned to attack Central Valmy once every half hour from 00:00 on the 14th till 00:00 on the 16th. The 7th AHB was brought into their zones from the north. The brigade was abreast with about two hundred meters spacing between each helicopter. They all slowly moved eastwards into the West-Central districts. Almost immediately, the lead company began taking fire from the ground. They responded with rockets, chain gunfire, and Hellfires shooting at everything that appeared in their sights. The other two companies laid each a path of destruction all the way through their zones, killing every tank and machine-gun nest they encountered.

The radio was regarded by the Ministers in Dulwich as the most vital means of communicating information to the public and people of Montelimar, and so, to ensure that essential instructions were listened to, Engellexic Broadcasting Commission had been established to assume radio broadcasting Montelimar, with all services provided on a national level. Every state radio program in Montelimar now began with the words, This is the EBC Montelimarian Service. The radio was a central feature of most people’s live in Great Engellex, even in 2011, and it was hoped that the new EBC’s programmes would attract similar intense concentration in Montelimar. This was necessary as important news bulletins for the people were being delivered three times a day. But it was 09:00 in the morning of the 14 November that people who had tuned into the EBC news bulletin would learn from the delightfully metallic tones of the Engellexic voice that Refugee Welfare Centres had been established in Caen, Clarmont, and most importantly, Strasbourg. Following the broadcast, a series of short official announcements instructed listeners that public use of selected rail lines had been suspended. The main rail lines were needed for the transportation of refugees. At 21:00 the first departure from Bordeaux would take place of refugees from the West to the East, arriving in Strasbourg. This would form the foundation of a crisis strategy to even out the numbers; estimations hope to move nearly three hundred thousand refugees from Bordeaux to Strasbourg by the end of November. The importance of the 103rd Armoured Brigade holding west of Nancy could only be understood from knowing that their priority was to ensure that the return trains from Strasbourg, passing through Nancy and being checked in at three stations west of the city, were empty of refugees.

 

[Great Engellex]

CIRCUMSTANCE OF IMPERIAL WAR VIII
THE CONFERENCE & THE DUC DE FONTAINE-HARCOURT

Lewes-Bassett, Walssex-Battent, Empire of Great Engellex

Charlotte relieved herself on knowing that her decision was a correct one. Viscount Palmerston was the man who was needed to handle the delicate affairs, not the pomposity of the Commoner Sir Anthony Pelham-Holles. By mid November negotiations to end the Great Continental War were in progress and a conference was being arranged to take place in Augsburg to discuss them. This proved to be almost abortive but the change in the situation with Palmerston deciding to engage the Gorno-Altai War with deliberations hosted by the Kyiv Government, proved that the expectations on the Wieser Government were to not be satisfied; continental intrigue and the inclination toward the Federation proved apparent to all in Dulwich. When the King of Montelimar fled Valmy for Fontaine-Harcourt hopes for the expected victory conditions soared amongst the Court and Ministers. He had been compelled to evacuate due to loss of civilian life in Valmy, Montelimarian resistance pamphlets cited. The war had not been an easy defence, at all, for the French monarch. He had seen his beautiful cities laid waste and it clearly had been too much for him. The Queen-Empress could not help shedding a tear, he was after all family, and the Kingdom of Montelimar was now liberated. A very important fact that will form the base of Engellexic propaganda during the military’s occupation of that realm.

The war progressed well. Charlotte reviewed troops throughout Great Engellex, distributed medals and christened new warships entering the Royal Engellexic Navy - the vessels recently purchased from Cambria. Three new submarines and four new destroyers to enter service on Friday. The Council of State also agreed with Charlotte’s suggestion for a new military order to be established - the Charlotte Rose - this will begin to be awarded from the 1st December to heroes from Montelimar, Zadar-Istria and Saamiskavia. On Monday the Duc de Fontaine-Harcourt, Jean-Loui de Brissac, paid a visit to Walssex-Battent with his wife the Margaret d’Albert de Brissac.

The pair were feted in the royal city of Lewes-Bassett and Charlotte, who held great concern on how she should receive them, found them both quite delightful. The Duc de Fontaine-Harcourt was understanding of the Engellexic concerns allowing for war though protested on the destruction of Lille, Dijon and Valmy; his wife was pleasant. The King and Queen of Walssex-Battent were also fascinated by their visitors. Queen Lavinia leaned conversation, with the duchess, to fact that the majority of soldiers in Montelimar hold the patronage of herself, stressing the importance of monarchist tradition within the military that many in Dulwich perceived to have been removed within the Federation. The Aren Crown Prince Soren had an obvious degree of admiration for the duke, he after all was aware of Charlotte’s intentions for him. The Duc de Fontaine-Harcourt spoke privately, on several occasions, with Soren and confided that he wanted this war settled as soon as possible. Soren agreed. Charlotte’s mother was suspicious with the Crown Prince and spent most of her time separating the two, this was especially essential as Charlotte needed to determine the inclination of the King of Montelimar’s brother toward Dulwich and the Federation. She did not find it difficult to strike up a conversation with Jean-Loui de Brissac and to her great pleasure Charlotte discovered that this Montelimarian prince was a man whom she could understand.

There were similarities in their characters beyond the ancestry. Jean-Loui was quite unlike the King of Montelimar, the arrogantly handsome young man that was susceptible to external puppetry, though with social grace and charm the younger brother was not described handsome. He spoke directly and to the point, Charlotte preferred this, to a degree of course. She allowed the man to study her proposals both at home and in Montelimar so that she might be better understood. He would learn through Monday’s evening that Charlotte was not the mistress of a regressive aristocratic establishment. She was a politician in her own right that introduced the Bill for Women’s Suffrage and sought revision of the laws that govern parliamentary election. She intended to create the Grand Duchy of Bourgogne from a liberated Western Montelimar; introduce a bill to the parliament of Wantage concerning Lille; and deliberate at the Conference at Augsburg on the status of Fontaine-Harcourt. Clearly Charlotte was a woman of ideas and courage with a sense of duty to reform the order of Europe to accommodate different views and ideas. She stressed the importance of Post-War unity that she will endeavour in her foreign policy. He became understanding, as only someone from outside the inner circle of previous Montelimarian Government could, and found her curiously admirable. Now Jean-Loui was devoted to his country, indeed, and didn’t share its secrets or his ambitions lightly. Moreover, he was pleased to talk to Charlotte. He could never mention these private discussions with his family of course, particularly this new part, the part Charlotte just informed him of her intention to place him on his brother’s throne.

The Duc de Fontaine-Harcourt thought a great deal about the political situation and the prospects of himself as king. The Queen-Empress told him that the decline of the Federation was not only inevitable but it had already began and was picking up great pace. The territorial integrity of Lorraine, for example she told him, was not held by the Federation’s force of arms but by her reluctance to assume the troubles of that Southern Preutien state. Charlotte was, Jean-Louie realised despite not so detailed knowledge of the continents affairs, referring to the Solares chemical attacks and military adventures into Lorraine, but she didn’t talk of this matter in detail as many things still remained important state matters. A peace before long and Jean-Loui the new King of Montelimar seemed an excellent prospect for the young man. It saddened him, though, to realise that what seemed a great opportunity for Montelimar would certainly destroy his family. He believed that he would need to influence the political minds of Montelimar ever slightly, subtly attempt to unite those politically opposed to the Federation in Montelimar and reinforce their argument to a confused and exhausted public; and so he asked Charlotte to arrange an opportunity on Tuesday for him to discuss proposals with the Secretary of War. Charlotte agreed to just that and tea was organised for a select group of ministers and the Duc de Fontaine-Harcourt. The Queen-Empress would later tell him how wonderful it was that he should take to the Engellexic tea-drinking custom, as it was so civilised.

We have controlled Fontaine-Harcourt since we seized the skies several months ago, remarked Sir Anthony Pelham-Holles as he paced his office in the Northern Department. He, along with other important ministers, had been arranged for tea on Tuesday. The Northern Secretary was thus ensuring himself a position to hold with the new King of Montelimar for the discussions; and against a backdrop of a giant map of Preuti-Borussia, the common politician intended to leave his mark on the conference in Augbsurg. The Federation is a sick man. If we apply pressure, he will give way, he continued as his secretary typed it all out. However, the problem is complicated by Wiese and Wendmark, both have vital interest in Germania. Wiese wants access to the Gulf of Lorraine, and Wendmark toes the Wieser line. The problem that we face is therefore complicated, yet simple. Simple because Fontaine-Harcourt is the only assurance of maintaining undisturbed passage through the Long Sea. Full stop. Next paragraph.

Any threat by us to Fontaine-Harcourt will be viewed by Augbsurg as a threat by us to their interests in Germania. I believe the conditions for the solution of this problem are now at hand. And they involve the suddenly significant man, the Duc de Fontaine-Harcourt. As Pelham-Holles stepped back to observe the map, the door knocked and in stepped a smartly dressed footman. His Grace the Duke of Rothermere and his Lordship the Viscount Palmerston wishes you to join them in the Baron Holland Library. The Northern Secretary agreed and the footman clicked his heels, bowed, then left. Signed. Northern Secretary, of her Royal and Imperial Majesty, Charlotte of Great Engellex. And Anthony Pelham-Holles, he continued to his secretary. The Duke of Rothermere and the Viscount Palmerston were both lounging with cigars and whiskey when Pelham-Holles arrived. Is the Duc de Fontaine-Harcourt going to ask questions on the way the Army treats the refugees in Montelimar? The War Secretary queried to Palmerston. He might want to mention it, Palmerston answered. Well I am not prepared to talk about it. Such accusations, will not be tolerated by me, the Duke retorted. There is, Pelham-Holles began as he handled a crystal decanter of Bourbon, Fontaine-Harcourt. We might be able to have it. The Duke, already incensed by to-morrow’s possibilities, reminded him, do you think Augsburg is going to allow that change? Palmerston was humoured at such a suggestion, do you honestly believe Augsburg will cede this so far in the peace negotiations? They will object and the Federation will support them.

The visit of himself and wife included a tour of many cultural institutions in Lewes-Bassett, with great emphasis on how independence from the Federation allowed Great Engellex the opportunity to work to it’s potential; this was contrasted with how Montelimar hadn’t. The Queen-Empress was delighted too. It was such a pleasant way of doing her duty. But the visit came to an end all too soon on Tuesday afternoon, as both sides had to return to the political conflicts and preoccupations of the war; as well as considerations. The war, the Duc de Fontaine-Harcourt remarked, was fortunately now in its last stages. There was a conference to be held at Augbsurg after all, but the Queen-Empress didn’t respond.

 

[Remuria]

Im Weschti nüd Neui

Nothing new in the West, at least for now. During the day, convoys of civil protection vehicles and trains headed north and east, distributing Montelimarian refugees amongst the infinite numbers of civil protection shelters and other facilities spread throughout the entire country, as well as transfering certain numbers of those refugees on to Franken's civil protection services. Despite the numbers, Wendmark was far from being overwhelmed. And with private and government aid from Franken and Wiese, Wendmark was even farther from being overwhelmed.

At night, under cover of darkness and using the multitude of small roads, columns of military vehicles were redeploying from the north and east to the west. The military gave no comments to journalists on troop movements. Strict rules on private phone usage (relating to audio and video material) was introduced for all soldiers. Troops taking photographs, making videos, distributing such material were liable to have their phones confiscated and subjected to impressive monetary fines. Additionally, the contravening soldier's direct entourage (squad, platoon) was liable for monetary fines. The military conducted a highly mediatised information campaign, using the cases of several soldiers (no names were ever given) as examples for others. Rather innocent videos of a soldier filming the landscape from the window of his logistics supply truck got him and his comrades in for a certain amount of Gulden.

The monetary fine threat was quite efficient in the “semi-peace time” that Wendmark was in. But Military Justice did hint that should “semi-peace” lose the “peace” suffix, then such violations would be treated as much, much more grave offenses, potentially categorised as passing information to the enemy. And everybody knew what that meant. After all, in theory, no law ever canceled the death penalty for major wartime crimes, such as treason...

But wartime was not exactly on the agenda of Einsiedeln. The war between Engellex and Montelimar was considered by the Free Saxon Republic as a settlement of counts between monarchs. And the Free Saxons did not concern themselves with the disputes of monarchs. Unless they had something tangible to gain.

What the Free Saxons concerned themselves with was a potential Engellexic aggression against Wendmark, whether direct military aggression, or attempts to undermine the Free State through submerging it in waves of Montelimarian refugees. The recent practical ouvertures between Einsiedeln and Dulwich, coupled with the fact that Engellexic troops did not advance east of Nancy and into the Jura tended to suggest that, at least for now, direct military aggression was not on the immediate agenda of Dulwich.

As far as the waves of Montelimarian refugees were concerned, the Free State would be shortly releasing a statement condemning the inefficiency of Engellexic wartime administration and suggesting that the Engellexic wartime administration, in fact, promoted forced expulsion of Montelimarian civilians from their homes either through direct actions, either through failure to act or to discipline its own troops.

 

[Great Engellex]

CONCLUSION OF IMPERIAL WAR I
SIEGE OF VALMY & DUC DE FONTAINE-HARCOURT

The Southern Front, Montelimar

Saturday, 20 November 2011; troops belonging to the 311th Armoured Brigade entered the Government District of Central Valmy, the capital of the Kingdom of Montelimar. The monarch had fled the capital weeks ahead of the Engellexic advance, most resisting enemy soldiers continue to fight in the East and South in Valmy though they are increasingly surrendering in the thousands throughout the Southern Front, the citizens of this city had been camped in air-raid-shelters for several days. The Siege of Valmy was intense, though mild compared to Lille. The Imperial General Staff found it only rational that the enemy should be inclined to surrendering or signalling a slight interest in ceasing this helpless effort of defence. The Duc de Fontaine-Harcourt, the brother to the fled king, had been allocated extraordinary privileges by the Chief of the Imperial General Staff, the Duke of Rothermere. Jean-Loui maintained a close liaison with the Engellexic Command for the purpose of alleviating the destruction and suffering of Valmy, and elsewhere. Dulwich knew he would be compelled to respond to the advance; to try and prevent total destruction throughout Southern Montelimar. They were right. The Du de Fontaine-Harcourt had decided, having garnered adequate political support from the right-wing elements of their parliament to prevent a senseless last-ditch battle in the south that would ultimately seal the ruin of the country.

The King’s brother had witnessed the complete devastation through Engellexic artillery and air raids of the beautiful cities of Dijon and Lille the previous months. This had prompted him, with Dulwich proposals, to the controversial adventures of the production and distribution of anti-Federation pamphlets to begin being released during next week. They pleaded for support of a heroic Great Engellex, and the rational surrender of Montelimar before the country’s ruin. The Duc de Fontaine-Harcourt focused the attention of these efforts at convincing the national parliament, which was now almost surrounded. If the national parliament had ceased to function, then the regime would finally collapse entirely. The signs of dissolution and disintegration in the Montelimarien state were manifold in the present later states of this war. The government had lost control in the West; defeated in the North-East; retreated in the Centre; and increasingly desperate in the South. Soldiers had been deserting rapidly since the fall of Dijon, which gained considerable pace from the fall of Lille. Confiscated armour and armaments was proving a bounty Commanders hadn’t come to expect in the planning of the ground offensive. Many advanced pieces were taken to Engellex to assist with research. By now, late November, many in Dulwich believed to continue the struggle would only inflict significant lasting damage on Montelimar, and was thus senseless.

Beneath the boot of the Engellexic advance, in the mayhem of the destruction of towns and the cities in the Southern Front as Montelimar collapsed to immensely superior force in the West and North, a semblance of normality in the mounting chaos was illustrated by the Duc de Fontaine-Harcourt. The government bureaucracy and communities continued to function under immense strain in the south, cities such as that like Fontaine-Harcourt. Of course, the ability to do so was shrinking by the day. Communication channels were collapsing, the transport network in the south was permanently disrupted, basic utilities were increasingly no longer available to many millions, and the local departments faced mounting practical problems. Despite the increasing number of deliberate handicaps, the Royal Engellexic Air Force commenced Operation Florence to prevent refugees from the south. This meant the distribution of important food packages and medical supplies would begin from Monday. Dulwich had no idea on what difficulty food rationing was maintained in the south, it never before took the interest to found out. Food and medical parcels were also now to be carried with the trains to Strasbourg from Friday, with Army Engineers being engaged to allow for an increase in rail capacity on the West-East line; it is expected that the number of refugees being sent to Strasbourg could increase by 30% by 15 December.

Against this positive judgement of the South terrible privations ensued in Valmy. The Queen-Empress, appalled by how this situation was allowed to develop by the command, held almost continuous meetings with the Imperial General Staff to deliberate on how it could end. You will not bomb their Parliament. Unarmed ladies and gentlemen. You will have to reduce their ability through the Duc de Fontaine-Harcourt, demanded Charlotte. Impossible, it would take too long, argued the Duke of Rothermere. I do not want the slaughter of Montelimar! A stubborn Charlotte raged. At 23:35 on that Saturday evening a column of Armoured Personnel Carriers and heavily armoured civilian vehicles proceeded from West Valmy, now occupied, it was destined for the Parliament building to make the first attempt of negotiating a surrender.

 

[Great Engellex]

CONCLUSION OF IMPERIAL WAR II
PALMERSTON & THE MONTELIMARIEN PARLIAMENT

Valmy, Montelimar

Underneath the darkened sky of an early November evening, a convoy of ministerial Jaguars cut along the country lanes through rural Walssex-Battent. The procession came to a halt at a barrier in the south, the ministerial designations of the vehicles' number plates was acknowledged by the militarised border occupation. The barrier was raised, it was at the Engellexic frontier with Montelimar. The convoy once again turned on their engines and proceeded through; from this point forward, however, the convoy would be escorted by two helicopters and six infantry fighting vehicles. The lead passenger acknowledged the duty of the soldiers at the border by offering thanks for keeping the crossing secure from refugees and enemy troops. It was 22 Tuesday and Viscount Palmerston was embarking on a mission, he will be accompanied by the Duc de Fontaine-Harcourt soon, but presently had a delegation of minor secretaries and personal security persons. As a Viscount he was a member of the Engellexic Peerage, but also the Northern Minister to the House of Lords, escaping the complicated environment of political intrigue and eager to establish his name in the books of national and European history, he hoped in vain to return from Valmy with the fruits of a Montelimarian surrender.

The continent through which Viscount Palmerston was engaged with was a continent on the edge of an uncertain future.

Politically Preuti-Borussia, and Sammiskavia, was dominated by a strongly conservative order. Of the six powers -Great Engellex, Greater Sarmatia, Suionia, Franken, Kyiv and Wiese - only four of them had parliaments to check royal power, but they were far from democratic. A parliamentary system had been evolving in Great Engellex for centuries. 2011 marked the first call for great reform of the system in modern times, whereby women would be given the right to vote, while property laws could be reformed to enfranchise the entire male middleclass. This system could just about be classified as democratic, with only one in five adult males allowed to vote. Parliament was controlled by the gentry and aristocrats. From it’s defeat Montelimar would become a constitutional monarchy more alike Engellex from the absolutism hidden behind a parliamentary façade. The current King of Montelimar, weak and without any authority, will be swiftly packed off to Radilo to make way for his uncle the Duc de Fontaine-Harcourt, whom Dulwich sponsored. It was a harsh condition to force a monarch to abdicate and be exiled to govern a collection of inferior black peoples. Charlotte originally resisted, but eventually consented. The peace terms, initially agreed by Dulwich though constantly being revised, would include several major changes to the Montelimarien constitution. Of these major changes included the illegality of membership into the Federation, and the need to seek the agreement of Dulwich on hosting foreign military units. The terms were to reinforce the entry of Great Engellex into the position of a Great Power, which was more than necessary in respect of the uncertainty of Europe’s future.

The other great powers consisted of one true democracy, a borderline absolutist monarchy and an absolutist - then Greater Sarmatia and Kyiv. Of these powers, the declining Kingdom of Franken was central to the system that was maintained on the continent. But that system was quickly collapsing, with Dulwich eager to replace it.

From the beginning of Charlotte’s reign in August 2005, the dominant figure for foreign affairs in the House of Lords and at Court was Viscount Palmerston. An age old peer of Parliament, Palmerston had been the Lord's Northern Ministers since 2000 and on the Lords’ Foreign Affairs Committee since 19 82. He was highly intelligent, quite arrogant at times, charming, but had an intolerable eye for detail. He was not Engellexic, but was from Peterloo in Walssex-Battent. With the Federation now confronted on many sides by a discontent Europe, Palmerston began to develop the idea in Dulwich that a collection of minor Preutien-Borussian states, held together by a strong imperial government in Dulwich, could become the new foundation of a continental system. Palmerston was the main architect of the Engellexic peace negotiations, with him believing his greatest achievement being the role he will play at the conference between the Federation and Engellex in the future. Upon the conclusion of the agony and slaughter of the Federation’s Continental War, the conference will be instrumental to the reconstruction efforts for Preuti-Borussia that Dulwich intended to not only aim at the maintenance of regional peace, but to keep under the hammer the twin threats of a resurgent Federation and Communism. The post-Federation foreign policy of Great Engellex therefore would be muscular in the face of subversive threats from inside and outside of the realm. The Establishment of Dulwich was not particularly oppressive, however, at least not by the standards set by modern authoritarianism. Moreover, Dulwich used its Diplomatic Corps to press its influence for mild reforms around Europe that were needed, this included the need for the Pretender Kingdom of Anglyn to democratise its colonial possessions in the Implaric-Oceanic Territory. Right now, however, Dulwich was putting the prestige and ability of Viscount Palmerston to the difficulty of inducing the Montelimarien Parliament to sign a surrender to Great Engellex. The earlier, first attempt had been unsuccessful.

Gentlemen, is this not a consequence of the Germanic Imperialism transmitted across our borders? The Duc de Fontaine-Harcourt called out to a select group of politicians belonging to the Parliament’s far-right. They have followed the decrees of their King and our own King has fled having us seen through the decrees of his Frankish masters. A not so confidently persuaded politician responded by reading out some lines belonging to a note he made on the earlier Engellexic attempt, the rights of independent states - the vindication of the right to independent belief, are we to submit to a phoney-revolutionary that began at the end of a gun? The sceptical man was referring to the fact that Dulwich believed in overthrowing the Federation’s established order through war. That is why we must use this opportunity to assert absolutely the authority of the Montelimarien Crown and Parliament, and keep any further partition and annexation of this country at bay, the Duc de Fontaine-Harcourt argued. And more, interjected a far greater anti-EDF politician, a constructive lesson to those who doubt the precedence of our constitution in respect to Nurnbergs in our national Parliament! While being smeared by Fleet Street and parodied by Grub Street, Palmerston could only observe the extraordinary efforts taking place in Valmy and around Montelimar to dissolve the confidence in the Federation.

Having broke the unity of the Montelimarien Royal Family, by encouraging the Duc de Fontaine-Harcourt's want of Crown, the King's uncle now sponsored the efforts admirably. The press of both Engellex and Montelimar had started to look critically at the Federation, with treasonous and unkind articles and cartoons being churned out each day. Some suggested that Great Engellex had come over to prevent the Franks from helping themselves to Montelimar’s wealth; others said the Frankish King was master in the Montelimarien Royal Household while the other king was simply to keep the throne warm. The unpleasant and rather coarse sketches from Grub Street suggested a rather incestuous physical relationship existed between the Royal Houses of the Federation, which Charlotte refused to take part in and thus championed the moral integrity of the civilised world. But national wealth and power was the main theme of the press. The King of Franken was increasingly being accused of greed, of trying to fish for the crown, and of making the King of Montelimar hand over the Royal Family’s personal fortune for a seat at the Federation’s High Table. The lengths in which the press went may alarm and upset those on the continent, but it was nothing surprising in Great Engellex. Humiliating unlikable individuals was a national enjoyment; the Establishment never sought to change this.

Viscount Palmerston and Jean-Louis de Brissac having arrived at Valmy for the parliament very late in the evening for two quick sessions with prominent politicians, the strategy of which was designed to sow the seeds for surrender, the two retired from that same evening in Walssex-Battent. With the Duc de Fontaine-Harcourt an informal guest of Palmerston's, the two were able to thoroughly enjoy the courage and detail of the labouring press.

In Dulwich the Queen-Empress attended a private dinner with close acquaintances hosted by the Lord Mayor. Well, yes. I’m afraid however that we are not popular in Europe, replied Charlotte to a question put to her by a leading industrialist and close friend. That is due to the war I suppose, he reasoned with Charlotte. She agreed with him, indeed, many capitals championed the Federation against us. Absolute hypocrisy really. They dislike the fact that we are able to challenge the Federation’s interest at the prospect of growing our own. The Countess of Trentham, from across the table, brought Charlotte’s attention to how well the war was going. Not well, not at all well, I am afraid Lady Trentham. Our armies are doing marvellous, however. While I certainly trust the advances are not temporary, the Montelimarien’s are besieged in four places - Nancy, South Valmy, Chambery, and the Bleuridge Mountains. The Countess exclaimed how wonderful the news was. It is! And quite unexpected too, Charlotte replied, though I did inform his Grace the Duke of Rothermere that I wasn’t interested in the possibilities of defeat, because there isn’t any! The pomposity of the Queen-Empress’s humour brought the whole table to a roaring laughter.

 

[Großlausitz]

They treat me like a fox, a cunning fellow of the first rank. But the truth is that with a gentleman I am always a gentleman and a half, and when I have to deal with a pirate, I try to be a pirate and a half.

Erlangen Castle – King Alfred’s retirement home

“Oh please, you do really wonder which century the Engellexic have been stuck in mentally. If their collective leadership was one man being assessed by a shrink I’m pretty sure he’d come to the conclusion they have a heavy case of multipolar disorder,” King Alfred murmured as his son Prince Regent Jakob showed him the various demeaning cartoons and parodies of Franken in general and his royal person in particular. Rolling with his eyes, the old king continued, “At least their stubborn refusal to acknowledge your role as acting co-regent of our kingdom saves you from some nasty foreign publicity, my son. I’m glad that this situation allows you to calmly engage in the political and diplomatic plotting. If necessary, heaven forbid, I will sweet-talk with my niece by marriage, who alongside her closer entourage shares the delusion I haven’t semi-retired yet. Meanwhile, you, Anglyn’s Prince Regent, Guiana’s governor general plus the relevant cabinet ministers can discuss the really important deal of these days: Hammering out the conditions for an overseas base or two in Guiana and Anglyn.”

Prinzregent Jakob nodded, “Quite right. Mon très chère cousine Charlotte will be gullible enough and believe in your statements, neglecting the very fact that our constitution requires assurances and writs of yours being counter-signed by cabinet ministers. We have to ensure the compromise negotiated by Wiese will prevail over Engellex’ almost lunatic paranoia. Sadly there are some consistent hints the camarilla of Engellex is very unhappy over the settlement and fears a Franconian back-stab. With Montelimar secretly offering us their super-carrier Brissac and Anglyn selling their mothball fleet, we have a perfect nucleus for the overseas base we have lacked since the end of the Great War. We might be forced to commit ourselves to preemptive strike to neuter Engellex unless they come to their senses, but the outlook isn’t as grim as in the late summer, father.”

The two royals continued their discussion during a small late-night dinner, as their respective wives and some of Jakob’s children were attending a social event. Much to his father’s surprise and entertainment, who had only a typical senior citizen’s grasp of computers and IT, Prince Regent Jakob explained how a network of more royalist bloggers and cartoonists avenged the Engellexic propaganda attacks on their head of state: “To put it bluntly, father, there are two foundations, one run by the House of Coburg and Gotha’s commercial group, another one run via our nation’s very own Landesnachrichtendienst, which pretend to promote IT advances, but actually sponsor electronic propaganda warfare.”​

 

[Great Engellex]

CONCLUSION OF IMPERIAL WAR III
CONTINENTAL POLITICS AND THE FRONT

Mormant, Western Montelimar

A new paper called the New Star had been established as a joint effort by the nationalist publishers of Great Engellex, for the war purpose; it was meant to be satirical, mostly libellous, but also highly complimentary and haughty of the political developments in Western Montelimar. The leading topic of subject in which the paper was trying to create the greatest possible scandal of - was the King of Montelimar’s relationship with the Federation’s leaders. Prior to the paper’s birth there had been constant hints, a product of the many not so discreet campaigns in other papers, about the relationship the Kingdom of Montelimar enjoyed, or subjected to, by the European Defence Federation, and on Monday appeared a cartoon which could not be ignored by the continent and was to be published independently as a piece of propaganda throughout occupied Montelimar. It was entitled ‘Map of the Rebirth’. It showed several female personifications of various regions in Montelimar rising up against the Fist of the Federation. The implication was clear - no more Kingdom of Montelimar, instead the liberation of the Grand Duchy of Bourgogne, the Principality of Fontaine-Harcourt, and the re-unification of Wantage with Lille.

The Duc de Fontaine-Harcourt saw it and was quietly amused. He had suffered so much criticism from the obsolete Parliamentarians and his family regarding his own conduct and ambition, but who was it that allowed the collapse of the Kingdom? Not him.

The ‘Map of the Rebirth’ had given the New Star an overnight reputation with soaring sales and the rumours and accusations against the Federation’s leaders magnified. Charlotte had, however, to attend a review in Hammersmith of the new warships to leave port for service on Wednesday. She, her ministers that were present too, were astonished, therefore, when the Consul of Wiese requested an audience with herself and told her that he thought it very unwise that the cartoon and paper should be published. And why not? The Queen-Empress had demanded, already frustrated that this occasion should be intruded upon by a foreigner. The Consul tried to imply discreetly that it was not the defamation of the Federation’s leaders which worried him, or Augsburg, so much as the interpretation of the political cartoon that Dulwich should withdraw from the negotiated preliminaries. We shall not be so easily dictated to, the Consul was told coldly. And I should not find any diplomatic proceedings - which intrude on the victories of my people - favourable. That was far as the Wieser Consul could get with the Queen-Empress, not even as far as to raise the important subject of the ceasefire. Charlotte summoned Viscount Palmerston from Lewes-Bassett and informed him of what was spoken. Palmerston, ever severe, remarked that there should be expectation of Germanic trouble and remained very anxious about what had been said at the review.

Adding to the anxiety of Dulwich, affairs in Nicosia now commanded keen interest. The King of this lowly state intended to abolish the monarchy and set up a southern republic in its place; the manner in which the King justified his position undermined the monarchist argument throughout Europe, so therefore outraged the Establishment in Dulwich. Rather foolishly the weaker monarchist establishments in the Federation spoke of respect to this insufferable King and, of course, lost what remained of their respect in the Engellexic capital. But Great Engellex would not acknowledge this. The Great Continental War had thrown the Federation into disarray and the Queen-Empress would privately warn the Nicosian King on the potential consequences should his ‘campaign’ not be withdrawn. He would realise his self-loathing was hopeless; the confidence in the island’s monarchy will be maintained and the King should abdicate in favour of a capable heir. The arguments from Dulwich were a culmination of the rivalry between Great Engellex and Franken that had developed during the year. The position of the Frankish government to ‘respect’ this somewhat defeatism of the Nicosian Monarch was how the Queen-Empress was able to persuade the factions of Parliament to her cause. The ambassador in Syracuse had received the instructions from his masters to demand the restoration of majestic dignity in the insignificant kingdom, which, the ambassador argued, shall be done in respect of the generosity of those powerful monarchs he insulted earlier.

In Montelimar, after four months of conflict, Great Engellex had the strategic advantage in the war against the Federation, the Engellexic strategy having been advanced on three fronts, Montelimar, Zadar-Istria, and in the Great Sea. While this war had begun as a military expedition to drive the Western Federation out of Montelimar and Preuti and place a check on the Continental Federation, the military confidence of the Federation appeared to have imploded almost immediately after bombs started falling - or maybe it was all hype. The Engellexic Army engaged in Southern Montelimar number about sixty-thousand troops, mostly on offensives against Valmy, but also near Nancy and at Dijon. The object for Valmy was not originally to capture it with a sparkling military victory, but to encircle the capital and force its Parliament to push through a surrender that would bring a political and military victory.

The Northern Department’s Commission to the Parliament of Valmy had left the capital city on Sunday evening. They knew the break down in negotiations with the parliamentarians would justify the escalation of the Engellexic ground offensive in Valmy and to Nancy. The 28th Armoured Division was spreading thinly with the strategy of encirclement, though supported with the 14th and 44th Infantry Divisions; the Chief of the Imperial General Staff, the Duke of Rothermere gave the orders to bring the entire Tenth Great Engellexic Army in over the South and South-East. The Second Great Engellexic Army will be fully deployed to the North-East, also. This marked what was to be an important shift in approach to Valmy, Nancy and eventually Strasbourg, and, of course, was a dramatic escalation of the offensives which will certainly have a profound impact on the region politically. To the East of Central Valmy, where the 28th AD and the 14th ID were positioned, the Engellexic Army was heavily engaged against a Montelimarien division, and the fighting became particularly brutal. Orders were being received to decrease the number of prisoners being taken. The pressures on supply lines were becoming problematic for the process of managing prisoners of war, with secret reports reaching the top of a number of escapes in Central Montelimar destined for the North-West. Over the coming weeks the numbers of detained soldiers would plummet shockingly, not from any improvement on the courage and morale of the enemy soldier, but because only the most clear acts of surrender would be recognised.

Further more, in the Western districts of Valmy, however, the Engellexic troops had broken through in strength into the city’s centre, cutting off many of the enemy still resisting in the North. While the city would, technically, be captured, it was far from controlled. As the Engellexic advance moved from the West through to the Central districts, a strike into the left flank of the enemy in the East soon caused a bloody chaos well into the afternoon of 30 November. The desperation and disorder of what was to be an eastward retreat was soon found to be an obvious opportunity for F-16s of the Second Air Wing. The enemy in the capital city’s North was in an almost worse position. They were now attacked from the front and rear, with numbers down to two or three thousand. The Engellexic advance through the North was also sustaining heavy losses like those from Lille. Seven hundred twenty-one corpses had so far been dragged from this sector of the city. But, most importantly, the pocket of Northern resistance, the bastion of a Free Valmy, was running out of ammunition fast.

 

[Großlausitz]

OOC: Sorry for the brevity, writing the news item took longer than expected.

IC:

Last message by the Ambassador to the Court of Engellex before he was recalled

Your Majesty,

thus far it has been a great pleasure for me to serve as His Majesty King Alfred IV's Ambassador to Your court in Dulwich. It's with great regret that I have to notify Your Majesty that I'm recalled to Nuremberg for consultations of currently unknown duration. Please be assured that this is not tantamount to the Kingdom of Franken severing the diplomatic ties with Your country. As far as I have been informed I will be instructed on soon planned confidential high-level talks to resolve the miserable conflict between our two kingdoms. Again, please be aware that my kingdom's official authorities will deny any knowledge of these plans if they are leaked to the public prematurely, be it on purpose or by accident.

With that I remain Your humble friend,

Richard von Guttenberg
HM Ambassador to the Court of Dulwich

 

[Rheinbund]

Dulwich

Also the Eiffellandian ambassador was called back for consultations. The fact that the Engellexic armed forces ignored the deadline for the cease-fire formulated by the Empire of Wiese after the EDF had announced that it would honour it was a serious matter requiring a signal. So the Eiffellandian ambassador Armin Bächler was instructed to take the plane to Trier.

 

[Great Engellex]

THE GREAT CONTINENTAL WAR
THE SOUTHERN-EASTERN FRONT & THE ESCALATION

Valmy, Southern-Central Montelimar

Ten MLRS launchers had been ordered to the western edge of the city of Nancy; as day faded into night, one hundred twenty rockets were unleashed upon Montelimarien artillery and infantry units further east of Nancy. The battery ripple launched its rockets, one every three seconds. All one hundred and twenty rockets were in the air and headed down within minutes. Within seconds, more than seventy-five thousand bomblets were raining down on the Montelimarien targets. This attack, and others like it, allowed the Engellexic front in the East to hold against an enemy retreating to and re-organizing within the Eastern provinces centred on Strasbourg. In the Northern Districts of Valmy a similar operation was being carried out on a slightly limited scale. Six MLRS launchers fired volley after volley of rockets into the stubborn enemy position, that was now encircled, within the northern districts of the capital city.

Meanwhile, the troops from the Horse Grenadier Guards began to make custom modifications to their vulnerable and more older MBTs, additional protection was needed against enemy RPGs in and around Lille. Supporting this need, the situation in Lille called for seized enemy armour to be adjusted and delivered to the Lille Field of Operations as a matter of urgency. The Second Great Engellexic Army was also in the final stages for the full readiness for war. The Second Army would not have any problem bringing it’s full presence over the North-East of Montelimar because the battle for control had been won over the corpse of Lille. The North-East was not needed for a launch position, but the Federation would not know that. The Chief of the Imperial General Staff wanted to make the Federation believe that they had second-guessed the Engellexic strategy. Within the next few weeks the Tenth Great Engellex Army would not only reinforce the Eastern Front, but also the Federation’s belief that an attack was looming directly East of Strasbourg. This would be done by advancing the front all the way to the borders. This would convince the Federation, and its many command centres, that they had correctly anticipated an attack in Borussia. Meanwhile, in Wantage the preparations from the remainder of the Tenth Army to the South and East were so that deployments would begin in earnest next week.

All along the front the Engellexic effort was becoming far more aggressive. Each day there were more artillery barrages, probes into Strasbourg, and air attacks on frontline Montelimarien positions The missions were not only increasing in number, but in magnitude. A new impatience at the lack of defeated Montelimar was changing political opinion in Dulwich away from the original cautious and careful approach. Another twenty-eight hundred sorties will be flown on the 22nd. The air war was now shifting quickly to battlefield preparation. Seven hundred attack missions were flown over Valmy. Another three hundred air strikes were aimed at the enemy positions East near Nancy and Strasbourg. The Royal Engellexic Air Force was hitting the defence of Valmy with as many as forty Vulcan sorties a day. The priorities of the air force continued to be the destruction of armour and artillery in Valmy and the destruction of the enemy lines in the East. While the main air assault was shifting toward the East and the push for Strasbourg, Valmy was still being attacked regularly and ferociously. At 05:25, F-16s of the Second Air Wing bombed the main rail stations in Valmy. Though originally in want of keeping them functioning they were being increasingly used to supply the city with civilian, as well as military, supplies, they were also heavily used by the civilian population for refuge. Hundreds of Valmy’s citizens were killed as the stations took devastating hits.

As blood ran in the streets of Valmy, Charlotte and her Court waltz beneath the glittering chandeliers of Dulwich.

 

[Great Engellex]

THE GREAT CONTINENTAL WAR
THE SOUTHERN-EASTERN FRONT & THE ESCALATION II

Valmy, Southern-Central Montelimar

The 24th of December, the military campaign was to be turned up a notch further. Valmy was subjected to the most intense bombing since the opening of the war against the Federation. Twenty-five hundred sorties were flown in total against the stubborn city. Seven hundred fifty-five were aimed at important civilian infrastructure and three hundred thirty attack missions were flown against the enemy presence in the Northern districts of the city. Vulcans also pummelled the city; its defence was haemorrhaging. As the Montelimariens in and around Valmy were being pounded ruthlessly from the air, the Engellexic Army’s artillery conducted the largest barrage of the war against the capital. Three Royal Artillery Regiments shelled enemy troop concentrations for five hours in the North. While the Royal Engellexic Air Force and the Artillery Regiments pulverized the Montelimariens, engineers attached the Armoured Divisions moved forward to select breach points in preparation of the complete submission of the city to the Engellexic forces. It was certainly now clear to the resisting politicians of the former Kingdom that the city would be reduced to rubble, this imminent defeat was understood by the people; thousands attempted to leave for the south, though their ability to do so was restricted by lack of rail and road access.

As air strikes continued through the day, one attack accidentally hit the Parliament building causing some serious damage to the west wing of the building. After the hit, the Chief of the Imperial General Staff informed the Cabinet and the Duc de Fontaine-Harcourt that the hit was certainly an accident and not determined. The latter had reasoned with an infuriated outburst that the air force intended it as a warning. This was partly true. Secretly, from the eyes of the rest of the Cabinet, the Chief of the Imperial General Staff, the War Secretary, ordered the target of the parliament building to demonstrate the patience lost and the new enthusiasm to totally destroy Valmy. The building continued to burn with civil fire fighters struggling to contain its destruction.

In the early evening of the 24th, two companies, supported by artillery, began a reconnaissance operation into Nancy. As they pushed into enemy held territory, they engaged the Montelimariens on four separate occasions in fierce artillery and armour duels. The enemy responded to the incursion with mortar, artillery, arms fire and several tanks. During one of the battles, the troops took out three tanks, five trucks, and a IFV with TOW missiles from helicopter support while tactical air strikes and MLRS artillery barrages suppressed the enemy. The fighting raged into the night. Seventeen Engellexic troops were lost, and eighty-one enemy troops were killed - forty-two surrendered as POWs. The two companies continued to cross back and forth across the lines from Eve onwards for several days more. They probed the lines to find alternate breach points for the main force in the event that the primary points were inaccessible. To-morrow evening the companies would shift their operations further along the front in the support of the artillery movements that will take place for the preparing assault.

It was the morning of the 25th of December, and with a few days left for preparation of the battlefield for anticipated push to submit Montelimar fully to Engellexic control, the Royal Engellexic Air Force flew another huge series of air strikes against the enemy positions in Valmy, but mostly against the East. F-16s and Phantoms , from bases in Westmooreland and Wantage, swarmed over the Eastern lines in and around Nancy and conducted heavy bombardment. Two F-16s were shot down over North-Eastern Nancy.

In preparation for the attack into Eastern Montelimar, the XII Corps, VIII Corps and XXX Corps each began their movements from Walssex-Battent to their areas of assembly - Lille, Chambery, and Gastone. The XIV Corps and the XXXIV Corps of the Tenth Army will be moving from Wantage to Valmy and Bacle-Duc.

To the East of Valmy, further aerial recon along the Eastern-Exit revealed Montelimariens retreating from the capital by the east to Nancy. The main enemy positions included a number of dug-ins and bunkers, with mortar positions and some anti-air artillery. The estimated number of the enemy was significant; the Imperial General Staff approved of plans to clear the area before the impending assault.

 

[Great Engellex]

GREAT WAR & THE NEW YEAR
CELEBRATIONS & PARLIAMENTARY DISPLEASURES

Dulwich, Empire of Great Engellex, 5 January 2012

On the evening of January 4, 2012, the Lord Mayor of Dulwich gave the traditional New Year’s Dinner and Ball. It was the height of the celebrations that took place to mark every New Year - it had also become a symbol of the ‘two city’ society that continues to exist in the imperial metropolis, held when the winter was most atrocious for the urban peasantry. Thousands of coal barges, with their crew, shivered down the river through Dulwich, balls sparkled inside the Neo-Gothic and Neo-Classical palaces that lined the embankments, and the Lord Mayor’s Ball really warmed the imaginations of the Chavys, Dippers, Flue Fakers, Judys and Peelers of the streets.*

A number of the Great Ladies attending appeared as many of the finer female princes of the Tudor Era, wearing grand reticella lace collars and high jewelled shoulder rolls. Others attended with reduced extravagance, though keeping with the era. Many ladies at the higher end of the order (Princesses, Duchesses etc.) hired for themselves a dwarf to dress up as a Courtly Little Person to complement their own attire - they were usually female dwarves. The distinction on costume style for the men was less to do with rank and more to do with their waist, with larger men sporting greater decoration and frills. Many remarked how unsporting the Lord Mayor was by selecting himself, for character, the Lord Mayor of Dulwich, Lord Stanniforth (1567). Sooner or later, as the dinner finished at the conclusion of the last speech, everybody found their way to Banquet Hall at the Lord Mayor’s House where the festivity went into full swing. The Lord Mayor entertained several ambassadors, most especially his Excellency from Greater Sarmatia, who he discussed the offensives against the Federation and possible avenues for increasing trade. The casual bustle of chatter quickly gave way to dancing - most specifically the Pavane, Galliard, and the Branle, to the delight and amusement of everyone the Lord Mayor danced the Volta with the Duchess of Nantwichshire’s dwarf.

As the merriment increased steadily, a young man dressed as the City Idiot went about the assembled guests (Lords and Ladies) offering a sip of champagne from his prized goblet in exchange for a kiss. At 4 am, the conductor of the orchestra suddenly stopped the music, and to a great shrill of laughter, declared he and his musicians would leave for the other one’s (Lord Mayor of Hammersmith) House if the Lord Mayor of Dulwich did not pay up; it was part of the tradition that was made from the Lord Mayor in 1861 not paying his orchestra, and has since been a running mockery of the Lord Mayor on the occasion every year.

The next day, 5 January, the parliament in Dulwich voted on the flotation of a bond issue; its proceeds would finance a much needed naval program of destroyers, frigates and two missile boats. The bill was passed.

Despite the celebrations taking place in Dulwich, an initiative by the Grand Duke of Wantage in Biden would sap the haughty demeanour of the imperial metropolis. Momentous changes were taking place in Europe, and Preuti-Borussia especially, and the Grand Duke was sure that the best way of establishing stability and rekindling regional prosperity was to not wholly rely on Dulwich to make the lead. The time had come for the annexation of the Flanders-Hainaut Province (Lille), and on 5 January the Grand Duke gave assent to an Act of Parliament in Biden extending the Grand Duchy’s borders to absorb the Montelimarien province. On 6 January he would make a proclamation addressed to the people of Wantage and Flanders-Hainaut on the deserved freedom and prosperity which he will ensure from that day forward. He did not anticipate truly the result, for the timing of the annexation would not be found amusing by the Queen-Empress or the Cabinet in the slightest.

Charlotte was in fact deeply offended at not have been taken into the confidence of her dearest old uncle beforehand. In the cabinet the Northern Secretary, Anthony Pelham-Holles, believed it was an absolute right of the Northern Secretary to have had warning, and expressed his fears that the fragile stability in Montelimar may be lost, and certainly compromised in respect of southern allies in the Duc de Fontaine-Harcourt and the Grand Duke of Potenza.

The move should not have provoked a crisis at all, and even Dulwich conceded that it should not do so; after all, the province is under Engellexic military occupation, with the formal absorption into the Empire of Great Engellex had already been agreed with the Federation in the various secret negotiations that had taken place between Engellex and the Federation. The problem is largely because the Grand Duke did not keep with the privately agreed time table and instead sprang the news of the annexation before Europe and the country without the Northern Secretary being able to prepare the conditioning of Engellexic allies in the case of needing support on the move. Following extensive meetings throughout the tiring afternoon of the 5 January, Charlotte eventually come around to supporting the annexation, without any constitutional legislation (preventing this in the future), as a fait accompli, because the state of European opinion and the weakness of the Federation - no power would stupidly give support to the Federation against this. After all, the Northern Department had for some time dispatches and other notes detailing the demand and agreement of the annexation as part of a peace deal, though the deal didn’t go through it wasn’t because of Lille.

To ensure the undisputed recognition upon its declaration by Dulwich, a military parade - somehow - would be organised to take place within Lille. Charlotte rather stubbornly told her uncle, the Grand Duke, to make the arrangements swiftly, and that she expected to see him personally lead the parade in Lille.

*Children, pickpockets, chimney sweepers, prostitutes, and policemen.