1920 Bavarian News

[Kaiser Kirk]

1920 Bavarian News

December 31, 1919 :
Secret
Munich, Prior to an Emergency Council meeting.

Gustav Ritter von Kahr , War Minister : Herr, von Hertling, I have received news from the Foreign Ministry that the Ukrainians have declared war over this clash near Woschick.  I trust this information is accurate?

G. von Hertling, Prime Minister  : It is Herr von Kahr. I expect we shall be responding in kind.

Gustav Ritter von Kahr: The Heer has issued a mobilization alert. Has the King been informed of the results of the investigation to date?

G. von Hertling: I don't think it's necessary to bother him with that, especially since the reports are merely preliminary. The King is an old man, I see no reason to upset him with speculation. 

Gustav Ritter von Kahr: Prime Minister,  you may think the King has a right to know that there appears to be at least some merit to the Ukrainian allegations of Saxon adventures, but my King deserves to know the origins of the war our soldiers will fight in.

G. von Hertling : You can't tell him. I , I forbid you to disturb his majesty with such tales.

Gustav Ritter von Kahr: Forbid? Herr von Hertling, my first loyalty is to Crown and Country, not you...


Evening :
The sovereigns of the High Kingdom of Bavarian & Schweiz are notified their attendance is required in Nuremberg Castle for a conferencewith King Lugwig III.  The Conference is begin in the morning of January 3, 1920 and address issues regarding the Ukrainian war.   King Frederick Augustus of Saxony is to leave his command in the hands of his Chief of Staff.

Generaloberst Crown Prince Rupprecht of Bavaria will assume command of the Army of Saxony until the conclusion of the conference allows Generalfeldmarschall King Frederick Augustus of Saxony to return to his army. Generalfeldmarschall Prince Leopold of Bavaria  will return from retirement to assume command of the Silesian Front. Bgde. General Emil Sonderegger will serve as his Chief of Staff.

January 1, 1920
Morning

Abroad :
In Berlin, Den Hague, London, Madrid, Paris, Rome, St. Petersburg and Vienna, the Bavarian ambassadors present dispatches confirming both of the new state of war between the Ukraine and Bavaria, and of the general mobilization of the Bavarian Army.

In both Paris and Vienna, ambassadors from other nations are also informed of these events.

Silesia :
As the Army of Silesia continues the mobilization ordered for "exercises" back on December 29, many men with names such as Nowak, Kowalczyk, Chmielewski, and Szczepanski find the mobilization code is for a war in the East, and so report first to their units, then depart to a separate mustering points. These are established for bilingual soldiers designated to serve as interpreters. Two are to be attached to each Company from the German speaking regions of Bavaria. Once at the muster points, the men are breveted to Stabsfeldwebel (1st Sergeant).

Breslau, Oppeln, Dresden :
Garment factories receive visitors from the Saxon Army, placing orders for a new flag design, with the White Eagle of Poland emblazoned on the Saxon field.

Trieste, Grado :
With the navy normally kept fully manned, preparations are made to get underway. Most of the navy would remain near home. The kliene kruisers Udine, Breslau and Liepzig make ready to depart. After a possible stop in Taranto for coal, their destination 1,000nm away- the Aegean between Anatolia, Crete and Greece, and patrolling the Cyprus-Cretean gap.

[ledeper]

The Esc acknowledge the Bavarian dispatch and will later on give an statement concerning belligerent States access to the Baltic.

[Kaiser Kirk]

January 3
Berlin, Den Hague

Bavarian Ambassadors call on the leaders of their allies, giving what answers they have.
In response to inquiries and offers of aide, they make the following presentation:

"King Lugwig has directed that we reveal to you that there has been an internal investigation into the Ukrainian allegations of last Fall. Though there is nothing conclusive yet, the preliminary reports suggest that the accusations may not be entirely without merit. King Lugwig believes such actions, should they prove true, may constitute hostile acts for which the High Kingdom of Bavaria must ultimately accept responsibility.

As such, King Lugwig does not at this time believe that Article III of the Liepzig treaty (i.e. a nation attacks a signatory within Europe) has conclusively been met and formal action by the East Sea Confederation/Kingdom of the Netherlands is not requested at this time. The High Kingdom of Bavaria would appreciate if material martial aid to Ukraine is suspended.

January 3
Liepzig and elsewhere :
As Bavarian troops start toentrain, or report to muster stations, they are given speeches and warnings by the Feldgendarmerie about conduct. They are explicitly warned to conduct themselves as if fighting in their home villages, and that the Heer has directed that the first 10 serious malfeasants be sent to the firing squad as examples. This speech does little for morale, or the Feldgendarmeries popularity.

January 3
Nurenberg Castle- the Kaiserburg

Lugwig III : Electors of the High Kingdom of Bavaria, I have call you here on a matter of urgency....

[Kaiser Kirk]

...first I ask you to bear with me, as I read from my notes, I find that as I approach my 75th birthday, my recall ..ahh here we go..


This is the Kaiserburg, seat of power for the Holy Roman Empire for centuries where its Electors chose One King to Rule them All.  You are the Electors of a new Kingdom, the High Kingdom of Bavaria und Schweiz which finds itself at war for the first time in its existence. We have certainly endured our troubles, such as the tensions in 1916 and the events of 1906, but this is the first time since France riveted our realms together.

How we wish to deal with this war, and the war aims of this realm, is the Key topic for us today.
There is however a secondary topic that drastically effects how we may decide the first topic.

<Lugwig III taps a folder in front of him>

This report, you all have a sealed copy, all unopened...what the French constructed was to be a new Confederation of the Rhine, but with the addition of a weak central government to hold it together and protect it. The Sovereigns gathered here, and their ministers, speak for their peoples with minimal interference. Each realm collects its own taxes, polices its own borders, maintains its own police services, and in many some cases the local army is commanded by the Sovereign himself.

This report, while not finished ans so not conclusive indicates that this has become a weakness, and that a Sovereign has most likely helped spur this war by covertly committing hostile acts, fostering revolt and essentially conducting foreign policy, both matters explicitly reserved for the High Kingdom of Bavaria and Schweiz. 

<holds up a hand to forstall interruption>

I urge you Gentlemen to review this report personally, and keep the contents close.

Over 50 years ago, I rode to war. There was glory and honor to it then.  My wound pains me yet on cold mornings, and Bavaria and the Hapsburgs lost to Prussia. Riding Prussian coattails eventually brought us disaster against France. I read the dispatches from China, and the Rift and the Balkans, I think the Industrial age has robbed war of much of its luster.

So we must consider options before asking the Soldiers of Baden and Friuli to die on the battlefields of the Ukraine.

It seems that our Realm may be guilty of the Ukrainian claims.  Conceding that we have erred, the sacrifice of the County of Kattowice might suffice to buy peace

<outraged responses breakout at the table, with King Frederick Augustus of Saxony simply beside himself>

King Frederick :  That notion is simply unacceptable, inconcievable, I, I can not believe I am hearing such a proposal, that you would merrily lop off a portion of my Kingdom to beg for peace !

King Lugwig III : <hand raised for silence>  Patience gentlemen, these are not necessarily options I endorse, merely that we should consider all of them.  For example, one could ask if Saxony has committed to follow an independent foreign policy in violation of the constitution, are the other realms obliged to shed blood in defense ?

King Frederick : I can not believe I am hearing this, I demand Bavaria honor its obligations and come to our defense !

King Lugwig III :  I expect we will, <a mollified King Frederick pauses mid-outburst> but I wish my fellow Electors here to peruse the report, and decide for themselves.

<speaking above the angry questioning>

We must answer the question of not only are we to defend Silesia, but shall we invade the Ukraine, perhaps support this revolt?  I believe it is obvious that King Frederick here aims to place himself on the throne of Poland, shall this be our aim? What shall our relations be with this Poland and what does this mean for Saxony's continued presence in the High Kingdom?

Now, I suggest we recess and read, or in my case, take a medicinal cure.

[Kaiser Kirk]

Nurenberg Castle- the Kaiserburg
The remainder of January 3rd , 4th , and 5th pass with little indications from the gathered Electors as to what they are discussing or what the results are. Officers of the Heer with updates from the Silesian Front bring regular updates to the gathering.

[Kaiser Kirk]

Jan 2 - 6th  
Nuremberg Castle- the Kaiserburg

The Kaiserburg had for five centuries been one of the centers of the Holy Roman Empire, where Emperors and Kings were chosen by the Electors, crowned and lived.   Now, the Electors of the High Kingdom of Bavaria met here and argued.

High King Lugwig III, Elector of Bavaria, Palantine, Tirol, Wurzburg, and Schweiz was an old and tired man who deeply missed his wife of 51 years, now nearly a year passed. His leg ached from a bullet taken 54 years ago in defense of Austria, and he had forsworn his medicine as it dulled his mind.  

King Lugwig had never wanted to be King, and had for a long time imagined his cousin Otto would reign.  Indeed, his interests lay in technical aspects of farming, he was honorary president of the Bavarian Agricultural Society and founder of Bavarian Canal Society. Unfortunately, God seemed to have placed the Crown on his head. While he had a choice between being a good King or a poor King, he acknowledged his duties and oaths and attempted to be one of the better sort. King Lugwig would have been pleased to go to his grave with his Kingdom having fought no more wars.

Unfortunately, one of his Kings had gone and started one, and conducted hostile acts as well as foreign policy. These events both could not be condoned, and implied that the central government of the High Kingdom needed more authority to ensure such would not happen again.

While the two Spiritual Electors, the Archbishops of Regensburg and Dresden, were present, most of the rest of the Electors were Kings are Archdukes- of Wurttemberg, Baden, Hesse-Darmstadt, and his current gadfly, King Frederick, Elector of Saxony and Silesia.

King Frederick Augustus III of Saxony and Poland, Grand Duke of Silesia, Lithuania and Warsaw, and twice Elector of Bavaria, was not power mad.  He was, by Grace of God, a King, with all it's duties and obligations. He recognized the opportunity in the East.  The Polish uprising of 1905 (1) had shown that the Poles were ready for their Kingdom to be reborn. When Prince Czartoryski came to him the path was clear. The Prince had many contacts among the Exiles and in Poland itself. Indeed the Czartoryskis had been prominent for nearly 400 years and had engineered the Russian backed coup de'et in 1764 which had left one of their own on the Throne instead of a member of the House of Wettin.  It was also a Czartoryski that helped write the May 3 1794 constitution that returned the Polish Throne to the Wettin Line. The Prince had worked with him to lay the seeds of revolt, a revolt that even now blossomed.

However, rather than leap to Silesia's defense and take advantage of a Ukraine riven internally, the High King had first removed King Frederick from Command in the east, replacing him with his brother Prince Leopold, AND insisted on having this conference while the rich territory of the County of Kattowice fell. Indeed, the High King refused to let the Heer counter attack, and spoke of negotiating a peace that sacrificed the County of Kattowice.  This was absolutely unthinkable.

As the days dragged on, it became evident that the High King's concern was for the authority of the High Kingdom to be recognized, for agreements to be made to ensure changes so that this should never come to pass again, that a Polish Kingdom would not mean the secession of Saxony and Silesia to form a Saxon-Polish commonwealth, and clarification of what a Polish Kingdom would mean for the High Kingdom of Bavaria... among other things.

Meanwhile the Ukrainians marched through the County of Kattowice.


Afternoon, Jan 6

The High Kingdom of Bavaria has announced that hereby considered the Ukrainian Constitution of 1832 as invalid, as it was never properly adopted by the Polish parliament, nobility, or people, did not follow the requirements of preceding constitutions for adoption,  nor had the 1832 Constitution in fact been followed by successive governments.  Further the High Kingdom of Bavaria was recognizing the Polish-Lithuanian Constitution of May 3, 1791 as the last properly adopted constitution of Poland.  As such the High Kingdom of Bavaria was recognizing King Frederick Augustus III of Saxony, heir of the Wettin Line, as true monarch of the Kingdom of Poland, and Duchy of Warsaw.

King Frederick Augustus III of Poland and Saxony issued as statement avowing "I, King Frederick, have been called on to Restore Dignity, Liberty, and Honor to the People of Poland.  The rightful monarch, I shall abide by the Constitution of 1791, including the Proclamation of Po?aniec and reform Parliament.  The Kingdom of Poland hereby announces an Alliance with the High Kingdom of Bavaria for the purpose of the Liberation of  the Kingdom of Poland.

In further statements King Frederick Augustus continued, announcing that Crown Prince Georg would continue as Regent of Saxony until such a time as the Kingdom of Poland was stable. Further, while Prince Ernst Heinrich would serve as Regent of Silesia, Prince Friedrich Christian (2) would accompany King Frederick Augustus and take up residence in Poland.

King Frederick Augustus III also named a council of Ministers to serve as the interim government in exile until such a time as elections could be held.

These are :
Prince Czartoryski - Prime Minister
Prince Zdzis?aw Lubomirski  - Minister of the Interior
W?adys?aw Wróblewski – Minister for Foreign Affairs
Prince Janusz Franciszek Radziwi?? – Minister of War
Jan Kanty Steczkowski – Minister of the Treasury

(1) There was a massive OTL Polish uprising between 1905 and 1907. The protests and strikes were such the Russians wound up sending more troops to Poland than to fight the Japanese in the east. This falls nicely in with the Navalism events of 1906.

(2) OTL, Following his fathers death and his brother Georg's forswearing succession rights, in 1933 the Polish Government wanted Friedrich Christian to take the Polish Crown. This did not occur apparently because some Austrian Corporal soured the milk.

[P3D]

The OTL "Polish uprising" was about the same time as the TTL 'chaos' explaining the Nverse2-3 switch. An it resulted in the formation of the Ukraine-Poland union (either of them alone being too vulnerable to Russia), 99% of the propaganda above is not relevant in the N3verse context.

[Kaiser Kirk]

Well I haven't been able to find that information before, and read the history of Europe (or whatever it's called) and I've presented variations on this stuff repeatedly in various threads and PMs. So I really wish I had found this out before. Very vexing to come up now. Ed1 : At least I don't recall running across this info before, it's possible I read it  and forgot, but I doubt it.

I've been operating under the assumption that instead of the 3rd partition of Poland, power was vested in the "Ukraine". Ed2- i.e. a continuation of the commonwealth, but under Russian auspices, transferring the power in the Polish-Lithuanian commonwealth east. 

So..if the Russians never took over in 1794, and the Polish-Lithuanian commonwealth persisted... ,  1794 Partition Poland occupied basically the same area as current "Ukriane".  Only after 1815's Congress of Vienna may it have been broken up into pieces- which consisted of Russia grabbing even more of Poland. If that didn't happen...then why weren't the Wettins- as stipulated in the constitution - the rulers at least until 1905 ?

[Kaiser Kirk]

Well did a simple search for Ukraine and glanced over the 7 pages of posts. A decent number of the references were mine. I did find 3 references to what P3D is talking about- a Ukraine 1907 news article discussing the new country, The Belogechensk Agreement of 1906 codifying borders with Russia, and one line in the Imperial Russian history May 10th, 1905: Ukraine succeeds from Imperial Russia, followed quickly by Poland, Kazahkastan, Belarus and Finland. Vladimir II powerless to stop it.

Frankly none of those is where I would be looking for the Ukraine's history. Threads in the Ukraine Encyclopedia or  "The World History" is where I have looked for such information- and if I had previously done a search for "Ukraine".. I would not likely have clicked on the above 3 items as I'd be scanning for something labeled Ukraine or European history.

Also...none of them really invalidate the "propaganda" above.  As per historical.... Russia appears to have absorbed the remnants of the Polish-Lithuanian commonwealth. In Navalism, this changed in 1905 when revolt tore the nations free...and then became the new Ukraine. The various references to constitutions can stand as obviously the Polish constitution wasn't followed. Likewise the reference to the revolt of 1905-1907 still works. Apparently the Poles (and others)  exchanged one master (Russia) for another (Ukraine).  

So unless somebody wants to both step forward and helpfully point me at some other history thats written down and tucked away, I'll stick with what I have.

[Kaiser Kirk]

The Nuremberg Declarations

1. The High Kingdom of Bavaria and Schweiz hereby recognizes that agreement among the neighbors of the Kingdom of Poland which apportioned the territory in the 1795 Third partition, was not agreed to by the People, Sejm or Monarch of Poland.  Further, this agreement, and the subsequent disposition of Polish lands lacked their acquiesce.

2. The High Kingdom of Bavaria and Schweiz hereby recognizes that the 1807-1815 Duchy of Warsaw was an independent Polish state, under the House of Wettin.

3. The High Kingdom of Bavaria and Schweiz hereby recognizes that per the 1791 Constitution of the Kingdom of Poland, subsequent to the 1795 abdication of the King of Poland, Stanis?aw August Poniatowski, the Head of the House of Wettin is the constitutional Monarch of the Kingdom of Poland.

4. The High Kingdom of Bavaria and Schweiz hereby pledges its military support to the reestablishment of the Kingdom of Poland incorporating a majority of the Polish people.

5. The High Kingdom of Bavaria and Schweiz hereby pledges that at such a time one or more voivodeships have been liberated, administration will be transferred to the Kingdom of Poland.

6. The High Kingdom of Bavaria and Schweiz hereby pledges to provide administrative assistance in the formation of the bureaucracy and army of the Kingdom of Poland. This assistance shall include the seconding of Polish speaking citizens from the service of the High Kingdom to the service of the Kingdom of Poland for a period not to exceed two years.

8. Once the Kingdom of Poland exerts control over one or more voivodeships, and has met it's constitutional obligations and called a Sejm, the High Kingdom of Bavaria and Schweiz hereby pledges to favorably consider actions, including direct military support, to maintain the territory of the Kingdom of Poland until 1925.

9. The High Kingdom of Bavaria and Schweiz hereby pledges to provide favorable financial terms and assistance to Kingdom of Poland until 1925.

10. The Kingdom of Poland pledges that when one or more voivodeships have been liberated, a Great Sejm shall be called within six months, and the strictures of the Polish constitution shall be adhered to.

11. The Kingdom of Poland pledges henceforth and forever to forsake historical territorial claims on lands currently held by the High Kingdom of Bavaria and Schweiz, or those  the East Sea Confederation.

12. The Kingdom of Poland pledges to recognize as Polish citizens all peoples, regardless of current residence, which can be reasonably believed, or so demonstrate, the majority of their lineage can be traced to Polish individuals born within the borders of the 1772 Kingdom of Poland, as part of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth.

13. The Kingdom of Poland pledges to grant equal property and legal rights to non-citizens that can trace lineage to individuals born within the borders of the 1772 Kingdom of Poland, as part of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth.

14. The Kingdom of Poland is a Catholic Kingdom, but in recognition of the diverse faiths of her peoples, hereby pledges tolerate religious practices by peoples of the book.

15. The Kingdom of Poland pledges that all loads obtained from the Kingdom of Bavaria and Schwiess shall be repaid in compliance with terms within a decade of issuance.

16. The Kingdom of Poland pledges that should the High Kingdom of Bavaria and Schweiz be att engaged in hostilities with another nation, that the Kingdom of Poland will render prompt and full military assistance to the High Kingdom of Bavaria and Schwiess for the duration of the conflict.

17. The High Kingdom of Bavaria and Schweiz and the Kingdom of Poland hereby declare these Nuremberg Declarations to be binding on their successors and assignees, and not compromised by subsequent treaties with third parties.

[Kaiser Kirk]

on or around January 10th

G. von Hertling : Your Majesty, it has come to our attention that the ESC has mined parts of the Baltic and mobilized troops. Do we have an official response?

High King Lugwig III :  I suppose one should send them a thank you note.  Tell the foreign minister fellow to send such. Oh, and ensure that they are fully up to date on what we know about how this mess got started and our general plans to address the situation.

G. von Hertling : Do you think it wise to inform them of the specifics of the precursor events?

High King Lugwig III : Do you think it was wise not to tell your King those specifics ?

G. von Hertling : I will see to it immediately your Majesty.

G. von Hertling : Um, one more thing your Majesty.

High King Lugwig III : You do realize that I am overdue at the milking barns? Get on with it man.

G. von Hertling : What about the Hapsburgs?

High King Lugwig III : I have sent a letter with Hilde to Stefan reminding him of our ties and our discussion regarding the Danube.

G. von Hertling : I, I don't understand, who is Hilde, and what does the Danube have to do with it.

High King Lugwig III : My daughter, Princess Hildegard? About so high, has a..sharp tongue.. a bit headstrong?

G. von Hertling : Oh, of course, ...and the Danube.

High King Lugwig III : None of your Danube business, now be off with you.

[ctwaterman]

Ouch..... PUNishment...