Announcement of the Government

The government of New Zealand is dismayed at the decision of the British Empire to cut their ties with the Empire of Daito.
However, we are very disappointed in our fellow trading partners and, until this issue is resolved, our trade with Daito will be cut short as we will seek other tides to sail on.
This means, New Zealand is now open for requests to trade.

Signed, Sir James Caroll, Prime Minister of the Dominion of New Zealand

Announcement to the general public:

In light of the war in Europe and its potential to even spread into our reaches as well as the current state of our navy, we would like to announce our plans to construct two naval dockyards of our own, one in Auckland and another one in Christchurch, to ensure our nation's security and the security of the trade in this area of the pacific.
Although our plannings had already started last year, our architect sadly died in a tragic accident and therefor our construction plans with him.
At the moment we are looking for a new architect to proceed the plannings and hopefully begin the construction this year.
Men interested in the opportunity to work for the government shall apply at the bureau for naval development with a concept draft.

Signed, James Allen, Minister of Defence

In light of the recent failures of our armed forces in the Baltic governorates, Poland and Byelorussia, I am hereby assuming direct command of the armed forces in my capacity of Commander in Chief as I can not rely on my generals.

-Nicholas II, By the Grace of God, Emperor and Autocrat of All the Russias, King of Poland, Grand Duke of Finland.

1916 Treaty of Understanding between the United States of America and the Empire of Daito

1. Peace, friendship and good understanding shall from henceforward exist between the United States of America and the Empire of Daito

2. With the desire of strengthening the bonds of peace and friendship existing between the United States of America and the Empire of Daito, and of encouraging closer economic relations between their countries Most Favoured Nation status will be mutually accorded to both Parties.

3. The United States of America and the Empire of Daito shall undertake to work in furthering the interchange and use of scientific and technical data, notably within the interests of accelerating productivity and improving standards of living inside their respective territories.

4. Nationals of either Party shall be permitted to enter the territories of the other Party for the purpose of carrying on trade between the territories of the two Parties and engaging in related commercial activities

5. Nationals of either Party within the territories of the other Party shall be free from unlawful molestations of every kind, and shall receive the protection and security required by national law.
5a. Nationals and companies of either Party shall receive fair treatment with respect to access to the courts of justice and to administrative tribunals and agencies within the territories of the other Party.

6. Nothing within the present treaty shall be deemed to grant or imply any right to engage in the political activities of the other Party.

[X] Makino Nobuaki, Foreign Minister of the Empire of Daito
[ ] George W. Guthrie, United States Ambassador to the Empire of Daito

Events of the world: 1916
To the Russian Tsar it seemed that defeat was imminent, and he took power into his own hands. Despite the expectations being low, he quickly won the support of his staff by ordering General Brusilov to create a doctrine out of his thought. General Brusilov obeyed his emperor and wrote down a simple version of his thought that was subsequently adopted as the doctrine of the Russian Army in this war. It called for the creation of an enormous amount of weaponry, and the transport of this strained the entire country to the most simple level - that of delivering grain to the cities.
[+3 army level, -2,082,992,620]

Another expansion of the army was ordered by his majesty. He encouraged voluntary service in the armed forces, which attracted about 40,000 young men. A revolutionary order was also passed as the Tsar ordered 70 new aircraft built.
[+40,000 regulars and 50 fighter aircraft, +20 tac. bombers in 1 turn, -106,730,000]

The British Armed Forces, falling behind its European counterparts, is reformed thoroughly by War Secretary Richard Haldane. It is also found necessary that the British army is expanded to a standing force of 320,000 men. Work had to be completed quickly, as the new army quickly faced its first test. With Ireland descending into civil war, the government ordered the British Army into Ulster to disarm both the Ulster and Irish volunteers. Once this had happened, both sides would negotiate terms over Ireland's government and come to a solution.
[+120,693 regulars, +3 army level in 2 turns, +2 navy/air level in 3 turns, -1,456,870,709]

In theory, at least. Once the British army entered Belfast a Mêlée à Trois erupted between them, the Ulster Volunteers, and the Irish Volunteers. Whilst they did not know the territory, the superior skill of the army combined with the aid of local volunteers led to them controlling most of the city by day, confiscating various weapons caches that were full of German-manufactured weapons which sent uproar throughout the British Isles.

Ulster Volunteers in Belfast

To the south, Spain entered the war and began work on submarines. While the designs of earlier failed, the flaws were known and fixed, leading to two prototypes entering trials.
[+2 submarines in 2 turns, -5,500,000]

The Spanish enry into the war came, of course, with a draft. With the Spanish public not even knowing why their country went to war, conscription riots broke out troughout the country as young men refused to fight in a war they didn't know the purpose of. The scene was the same in Greece, where the partial mobilisation turned into riots and the Greek Expeditionary Force, which would be made up of volunteers, had merely twenty-eight men sign up.

As the continent around Scandinavia was still on fire, King Gustav toured his nation reassuring them Scandinavia would not enter the war, which gave the people hope for peace as German promises of Finland were common.
[+1 public opinion, -2,017,836]

Of course, these promises were enticing and the Scandinavian Secret Service was sent on a mission to gain the support of the Finns and Fennoswedes for joining Scandinavia by claiming the Russian soldiers raped, pillaged and murdered countless Finns and Fennoswedes. The locals didn't really buy it, since they thought they would've noticed if something like that had truly happened. The secret agents' claims were the talk of the town, getting noticed by the Okhrana. Like so many German infiltrators before them, the Scandinavian agitators were never heard from again.

It was ten years since Dr. Sun Yat-sen sealed the fate of Qing rule over China, and it had to be celebrated spectacularly! While the festivities were unarguably something to behold and for all the people, the planned infrastructural development fell short of expectations, again highlighting China was corrupt to the bone.
[+1 infrastructure in 4 turns, -19,507,806]

Another drive to modernise the National Revolutionary Army came as the artillery batteries of China were expanded and improved vastly. While the army finally had some artillery, it was still nothing to write home about - And a very costly affair
[+1 army level in 4 turns, -419,533,816]

President for a decade: Sun Yat-sen and his Aide-de-camp

The year in Daito started well, with the infrastructural state of both Japan and Korea improving rapidly. In Korea, the railroad network begins at Pusan and has a line going across the Yalu into China. This industrial connection goes to show that Daito is not just an island, but connected to the outside world.
[+3 infrastructure in 2 turns, -136,224,354]

The attempted alliance with Afghanistan lead to Britain severing ties with Daito, which came as a massive blow to the foreign reputation of the Empire. While the economy was hit hard as well, British not supplying ships to the navy forced Daito to build its own ships without having the capacity to construct a grand fleet, starting an achingly slow process
[+5 dreadnoughts in 3 turns, +5AC in 4 turns, +5 AC in 5 turns, -92,400,000]

In the midst of a faltering economy and agricultural production still dropping, the government continued meddling in the culture of the armed forces in the guise of an "independent" investigation in light of the "attempted coup". It concluded that thorough reforms were required for the army to function, and it had to eradicate part of the military culture. The military establishment didn't think high of this move and life continued.

Siamese authorities continued to improve the educational system as the universities were standardised with European institutions. It was an arduous and costly affair, but that is expected as a nation modernises.
[Education set to above average in 4 turns, -36,091,232]

More succesful was the move to create basic industries. With government investment a small number of textile factories were created. The government assured that from these humble beginnings an industrialised economy would arise.
[+2 industry in 1 turn, -583,187]

To make sure Canada's economy was revitalised, the government went on another round of subsidies and supported the creation of new industries, and subsidised agriculturalists to create new farms. It worked and economic activity soon enough expanded.
[+102 industry in 1 turn, +1801 agriculture base in 2 turns, -68,319,293]

The Great War: 1916

Following the most embarrassing battles since the days of Napoleon, the Russian army found it imperative to remove the recent German advance into the Baltic state. Tapping into seemingly unlimited manpower reserves, a mass army advanced onwards to Lativa, intercepting Hindenburg during his march to Petrograd. The Russians employed a strategy of 'divide and conquer', but nevertheless their casualties mounting up at a horrifying rate in light of the German's superior weaponry and discipline. With the battle bloodier by the day with no end in sight, General Evert sought to both relieve the forces to the north and to push back the Germans to the sea by assaulting Lithuania. Unfortunately for him, General Mackensen had taken watch over any such offensive and stepped in to defend the occupied territories. No matter how hard the Russians pushed, they were unable to evict the Germans - but no matter how hard Hindenburg pushed, he was unable to push on to Petrograd. Over half a million dead later, the strategic situation was no different than it was in 1915.
[-3,209 Regulars and -221,465 Conscripts to Germany, -1,209 Regulars and -367,505 Conscripts to Russia]


German soldiers as they defend their position in the Baltics.

Despite the failure to evict the Germans from the Baltic states, the Russian High Command relented and instead pursued a strategy against the weaker of German powers. A Second Brusilov Offence was planned, this time in an attempt to conquer the rest of Galicia-Lodomeria. In order to pave way for this grand offensive, the Germans within Belarus were targeted so as to ensure their lack of meddling. Unfortunately for the Russians, this part of the plan couldn't have gone any more awry. Unlike the stalemates to the north, the Germans managed to not only bring a stop to the Russian assault but thoroughly smash their lines. With this came a push for Upper Ukraine, where Austria armies station in Lublin joined the fray. Despite having wrecked defeat on the Russian attack in Belarus, the Central Powers were unable to dislodge their enemy no matter how many men rushed to the battlefield.
[-1,077 Regulars and -87,319 Conscripts to Germany, -231 Regulars and -64,637 Conscripts to Austria, -367 Regulars and -231,102 Conscripts to Russia]

With the stalemate in Ukraine came a strategic impasse - but one that allowed for a tactical victory for the Central Powers. Despite the elaborate plans and doctrinal use of stormtroopers, the Second Brusilov Offence came to a stuttering halt as all sequels do. The German assault on Ukraine may have arrived to a stalemate, however they had emerged victorious in Poland - and this all but ensured a 2nd Encirclement of Krakow would follow. With low morale beginning to seep in amongst his troops and his strategy all but useless, Brusilov's brush with bad luck only worsened as the Austrians descended upon Galicia. But by then it was too late. The Russians, weary of constant struggles over Galicia and dismayed by their recent lack of victories throughout the Eastern Front, put on a terrible defence as the Austrians advanced forwards. Ironically this only contemplated the recent string of defeats and stalemates suffered by the Russians this year, but it did much to bolster the Central Power's own morale knowing that yet again, Galicia was theirs.
[-189 Regulars and 76,171 Conscripts to Russia, -198 Regulars and 55,404 Conscripts to Austria]

The shocking loss of Alsace-Lorraine had came as a complete surprise to the German High Command, especially given how poorly their own army had performed during the defence - and they used that term lightly. Fortifications across the river Rhine quickly began to line the new Franco-German border in an attempt to dissuade and destroy any attempt by the French to push into the German heartland, and the soldiers amassed across the Rhineland itself were the most vigilant of all. Germany knew it could afford no more losses across the Western Front, and decided to take the lead by probing the French lines. With a lack of any enemy forts, it was easy for the Germans to find a weak spot - and how they exploited it. Waves after wave of Germans poured in as they ventured forward to displace the French lines, and it proved all too much for the French. General Joffre was unable to resist effectively, no thanks to the superior German numbers, and was forced to retreat back to safer territory beyond the province so coveted by the French. Luckily for the trembling Kingdom, General Foch still held onto Colmar, and with that half of Aslace was secure in French hands - but for how much longer?
[-11,856 Regulars and -25,416 Conscripts to Germany, -19,078 Regulars and -37,095 Conscripts to France]


A wounded Frenchman after the German assault.

Inspired by German successes across the Western Front, the Austrian High Command had drafted up steps to not only crushing the Italians within Trento but ensuring that no further territory could be lost. The immense fortifications of the Austrians were impressive, but all the more when combined with the natural defences provided by the Alps and the rivers separating Italy from Austria. The K.u.k army had taken to using the gifts of mother nature as a new line of defence against any Italian assaults. Safe in their positions, the planned attack could now begin. The counter-offensive began with the intent of removing the Italians before they too could make use of the Alps as a defensive measure, but it proved to be in vain. Committing the vast majority trained army to the defence of the town, Italy was determined to keep the territory at all costs - and they did. Heavy losses were inflicted upon both sides, with the glaciers and hills providing for a deadly battle, but the Italians managed to successfully repulse the attack and hold onto reclaimed land proudly.
[-543 Regulars and -59,382 Conscripts to Austria, -343 Regulars and -54,089 Conscripts to Italy]

With the Ottomans in occupation of Armenia, a grand offensive was imagined with the aim of removing the Russians from the Caucasus. Unfortunately for them, the Russians with their immense reserves had taken measures not only to reinforce their fleeing army but to also strike first and remove the Turks. Despite having the added security of the mountains to bolster their own defences, the Ottomans were unable to prevent the Russians from penetrating their lines. A bloody battle ensued, with the meat grinder contributing heavy losses to both sides. As the dust settled it became clear that the current situation in Armenia was untenable, with the Ottomans retreating to safer defences.
[-139 Regulars and -53,075 Conscripts to Russia, -318 Regulars and -138,939 Conscripts to the Ottoman Empire]


Russian soldiers hold captured Turkish banners

Elsewhere, the Ottoman Empire met success in its aim to bolster its defences in both Libya and the high seas. Newly built coastal fortifications began to appear upon both the Aegean islands and the Turkish straits as the Ottomans sought to repel the naval advantage of the Entente. Sea mines were also invested in by the Ottoman state, in order to inflict devastating damage upon any naval incursions despite the lacking nature of the Ottoman fleet. However, the Ottoman fleet did have its uses. Successfully evading both the Italian and Spanish navies – who had taken to bombarding the town of Benghazi - new reinforcements numbering around 4,000 conscripts managed to land at Tobruk. From there they would link up with Omar Al-Mukhtar’s men, and enact a strategy of resisting from the countryside and trapping the Italians within Tripoli.
[Light fortifications across the Aegean Islands and Turkish Straits, -$15,000,000]

A new belligerent within the war, Spain had taken actions not only to reinforce the Italian invasion of Libya but to also carve an image as a strong power in their own right. The Spanish decided to attack the Ottoman Empire at a place coveted by Christians since the days of Saladin – The Holy Land. Despite possessing one of the smaller navies of the Entente, the plan was given the green light and the Spaniards set sail. The thorough surprise faced by the Ottoman garrison in Palestine did not last long, as the Spaniards began to inflict heavy losses as a result of their modern weaponry. But despite their best attempts the Spanish were unable to establish a strong beachhead and found themselves retreating with a sense of embarrassment.
[-873 Regulars to Spain, -79 Regulars and -1,383 Conscripts to the Ottoman Empire]

Statistics: 1917

The Emirate of Afganistan
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The Republic of Argentina
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The Austro-Hungarian Empire
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The Kingdom of Belgium
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The Empire of Brazil
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The Dominion of Canada
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The Republic of China
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The German Empire
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The Kingdom of the Netherlnds
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The Ottoman Empire
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The Russian Empire
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The Kingdom of Scandinavia
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The Kingdom of Serbia
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The Kingdom of Spain
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Many looked doubtfully on the Western Front, and indeed perhaps so did I, for what did they see: Was I squandering the victories of my grandfather, was I surrendering Elsaß-Lothringen to the French and with it the security of the German people? No! For 2 years, these rabid revanchists tried to invade our lands, but with no more than 3 fingers of our left hand we held them off! And once we reinforced that hand and clenched it into a fist, we chased the Frenchman out in less than a year! As we face two enemies, each at opposite sides, it is inevitable that we take a bruising, but by God are we giving them more than just a bruising! As we march across Poland and liberate our German brothers in the Baltics, in Riga, not a single Russian stands on German or Austro-Hungarian soil! Victory is within our grasp!

His Imperial and Royal Majesty The German Emperor, King of Prussia, Wilhelm II.

The year 1917 dawned upon Russia, a country that had been fighting for over three years. In the defense of Serbia, which had fallen over a year ago, millions of boys lay dead, wounded, or were captured, morale was low, desertion rates were high, and the hard core of the army was all but gone. General Brusilov wrote in his diary:

"The men sent to replace casualties generally knew nothing except how to march. Many could not even load their rifles, and as for their shooting...The less said about it, the better. Such people could not really be considered soldiers at all. Time after time I asked my men in the trenches why we were at war. The inevitable, senseless answer was that "A certain archduke and his wife had been murdered and that consequently the Austrians tried to humiliate the Serbians. Why Germany should want to make war on us because of the Serbians no-one could say."

Russia had weapons, soldiers, industry and infrastructure enough to fight, it seemed. But the most important component of a war was missing: The will to wage it. The army's officers were changing. No longer were they obedient like dogs, but they began to question the legitimacy of the Emperor and the war. Platoon Commander Dmitry Os'kin wrote:

"What are we doing in this war? Several hundred men have already passed through my platoon alone, and at least half of them have ended up on the field of battle either killed or wounded. What will they get at the end of the war?"


Russian soldier tries to stop his comrades from deserting

The situation of the army was desperate, and so the Tsar decided to act. He put on his uniform and assumed personal command of the armed forces, leaving behind the running of the Russian state to his wife and ministers. The situation at the front was bad, but the situation at the homefront was worse. The railroad system was overstretched and fifteen million boys had been pulled from their farms, so that famine was looming. Early in the year, the collapsing logistical system of Russia dealt the final blow to public order. A bread riot in Petrograd developed, which was joined by industrial workers and disgruntled soldiers. The response was what it always had been: Shoot them.

But this time, it went differently. The officers, let alone the troops, realised they were witnessing a revolution, not a little demonstration as had occured many times in the past. They did not have any reason to remain loyal to the Tsar, and many sympathised with the demonstrators. When a crackdown was ordered on February 26th, A company of the Volinsky Regiment fired into the air rather than into the mob, and a company of the Pavlovsky Life Guards shot the officer who gave the command to open fire. On February 27th, the entire Imperial Guard, even the legendary Preobrazhensky regiment, mutinied. The arsenal was pillaged, the Ministry of the Interior, Military Government building, police headquarters, the Law Courts and a score of police buildings were put to the torch. By noon the fortress of Peter and Paul, with its heavy artillery, was in the hands of the insurgents. By nightfall, 60,000 soldiers had joined what was now a revolution.


Soldiers demonstrating in Petrograd

With the government collapsing a replacement had to be found, and two institutions claimed to be this. First was Georgy Lvov's Provisional Government, replacing the Council of Ministers and intending to prepare the way for elections for the Russian Constitutional Assembly. The other one was the socialist Petrograd Soviet, made up of the workers, the soldiers, and their representatives. The two nominally worked together, but on the ground they competed for legitimacy as the Soviet controlled the entire country as the Provisional Government held next to no power. The "autocrat" of the world's largest continuous country had no power left as he signed the instrument of abdication in which he passed the crown to his brother Michael, who denied it until the provisional government consented. With this unstable system and an influx of revolutionaries, uncertain times lay ahead for Russia

1916 Treaty of Understanding between the United States of America and the Empire of Daito

1. Peace, friendship and good understanding shall from henceforward exist between the United States of America and the Empire of Daito

2. With the desire of strengthening the bonds of peace and friendship existing between the United States of America and the Empire of Daito, and of encouraging closer economic relations between their countries Most Favoured Nation status will be mutually accorded to both Parties.

3. The United States of America and the Empire of Daito shall undertake to work in furthering the interchange and use of scientific and technical data, notably within the interests of accelerating productivity and improving standards of living inside their respective territories.

4. Nationals of either Party shall be permitted to enter the territories of the other Party for the purpose of carrying on trade between the territories of the two Parties and engaging in related commercial activities

5. Nationals of either Party within the territories of the other Party shall be free from unlawful molestations of every kind, and shall receive the protection and security required by national law.
5a. Nationals and companies of either Party shall receive fair treatment with respect to access to the courts of justice and to administrative tribunals and agencies within the territories of the other Party.

6. Nothing within the present treaty shall be deemed to grant or imply any right to engage in the political activities of the other Party.

[X] Makino Nobuaki, Foreign Minister of the Empire of Daito
[X] George W. Guthrie, United States Ambassador to the Empire of Daito

The Russian Republic hereby informs the world, and France in particular, that we shall not abandon the war, for we cherish our relationships with France and Serbia and will push on to victory in the end. Russia shall stand united and indivisible in her struggle for victory, that with the removal of the Tsar has turned into a struggle of liberty and democracy against that of oppression and authoritarianism.

-Georgy Lvov, Chairman of the Provisional Government.

The Great War: Early 1917



German High Command were delighted after the successful assault from the north of the French positions, which had resulted in the retreat of French army. However, in Colmar there was unfinished business. Over half a million Frenchmen guarded the fortress with their live, vowing never to lose the land as they sought to avenge the loss of their compatriots during the Franco-Prussian War of 1871. At the head of the Colmar Garrison was one of France's most esteemed combatants during the war - General Pétain. A great challenge awaited the General as the Germans pushed onwards, swamping the occupied town with a great artillery barrage. Pétain, a major proponent of artillery himself, was unable to pay back in kind as horrific casualties piled up on the French side. A breath of relief as the barrage stopped was not welcome, as it was then that the Germans proceeded to swarm the devastated offenders. Unable to mount an effective resistance in light of the assault, the French were forced to pull back to their country.
[-1,028 Regulars and -103,574 Conscripts to France, -12,274 Regulars and -22,688 Conscripts to Germany]

The Battle of Colmar devastated the French High Command. No more were they in possession of their loved Aslace-Lorraine, with the Germans successfully counterattacking over the course of the last few months. Naturally this was an insult to the entire Kingdom, a mistake that had to be rectified at once. Under the command of General Joffre, the French rode towards Metz. The counterattack was planned to use the German's own destructive strategies against themselves, but unfortunately this proved not to be the wisest strategy. The fortress of Metz managed to successfully hold against the French barrage, and ultimately the French artillery as inferior to the French. The ensuing rush of Frenchmen to battle the Germans led only to a needless sacrifice, with the Germans able to successfully repulse the attackers. The battles of the Western Front had been bloody, but the borders now resembled 1914 as the Germans were once again in safe ownership of Elsaß-Lothringen.
[-23,593 Regulars and -45,875 Conscripts to France, -15,006 Regulars and -27,618 Conscripts to Germany]


The fields of Alsace-Lorraine lay in utter ruin after fearsome artillery bombardments.

In the Eastern Front, the snow was finally thawing and with this came the opportunity for the Germans to reassert themselves against the Russians. The military genius of both Hindenburg and Mackensen united in an attempt to drive the Russians from Belarus. Utilising their earlier strategy of dividing and conquering, the two German armies advanced deep into the forests of Belarus and for a moment it seemed as though Minsk was soon to be theirs. Fate was cruel, however, and this destiny was not meant to be. Laying in wait was Dimitriev of the Russian Army, and he possessed with him over a million hastily recruited men alongside experienced veterans. Despite the sheer differences in training, they all possessed a similar spirit in their common mission - to defend against the Germans. Although initial confusion over the assault may have led to scathing gains against the Russians, the Germans quickly found themselves overwhelmed by the sheer numbers of the enemy. Despite their best efforts they were unable to break through what they termed a 'human wave', and found themselves retreating to safer territory within the Baltics.
[-4,465 Regulars and -102,057 Conscripts for Russia, -12,083 Regulars and -76,124 Conscripts for Germany]

With the Germans retreating back to their positions in the Baltics, the Republican government saw the perfect chance to boost the popularity of their regime and morale of their soldiers by pushing the Germans out. Alekseyev rushed onwards from Estonia, where he divided his immense army into two as he wrecked chaos against the German lines. To further add pressure was Evert attacking in from the side, compromising the Germans in Lithuania. For a brief moment it seemed all was lost, with the Russians poised at any moment to snatch both Riga and Vilnius. Luckily Hindenburg was able to take advantage of the unwieldy army under the command of his opponents, where his disciplined army outshone themselves as they organised an impressive defence. Despite the best efforts of Alekyseyev, the Germans proved to be experts at defending their positions as they wrecked disaster upon the Russian line. Evert too found the tides turning, with the attack of Vilnius quickly proving to be nothing but a bloodbath. Realising the battles were futile and confronted with mass desertion the Russians called off the assault, limping away with the survivors as the Germans breathed a sense of relief.
[-2,250 Regulars and -246,060 Conscripts to Russia, -13,804 Regulars and -86,894 Conscripts to Germany]


Dead German officers laid to rest by the banks of the River Daugava.

The poor performance of the Russian army during the offensive had not impressed the Germans thus far, and now that they had successfully fended off a mass attack could the Germans regroup. Understanding that morale was at an all-time low during the war, a plan was devised to strike at the city of Narva. This would not only bring the Germans a step closer to the Russian capital, but allow for an encirclement and future destruction of a large amount of Russian soldiers. Figuring that such a devastating loss could be enough to falter any further Russian offences, a small but elite German force advanced with the support of their comrades in the Baltics. However the Russians were as intent as ever to give up no further land to the Germans. Able to pin down the force owing to their vast numbers and strike hard, the Russians stopped the advance in its tracks and began to push them back to the Livland. Thousands of innocents may have perished against the organised German army, but it was not in vain with Russians bringing a resounding defeat the German plan. Hundreds of thousands had been slaughtered during the offensives of both Germany and Russia, but the frontlines had nothing to show for it.
[-772 Regulars and -70,320 Conscripts to Russia, -7,720 and -41,038 Conscripts to Germany]

The tactics of Brusilov, first used during the sweeping Brusilov offensive of 1915, had been adopted as the official doctrine of the Russian army. Despite the lacklustre performance from last year's botched incursion, a third offensive was attempted to once more wrestle control of Galicia from the Habsburg empire. Under the coverage of a massive artillery barrage did the Austrian line begin the falter, and with the Russian strormtroopers rushing in to weak spots it was realised the defence was doomed. Bodies littered the fields of Galicia as the Austrians were unable to form a cohesive plan against the Russian onslaught, and faced with a dire situation it wasn't long before they had repeated to the Carpathians.
[-1,825 Regulars and -31,946 Conscripts to Russia, -117 Regulars and -77,797 Conscripts to Austria]

In light of the recent Russian victories, it seemed that all was lost for the Austrians. But that wasn't the case. Possessing a grand army within Lublin and Lodomeria, and with relatively quick regrouping of the once fleeing army in the Carpathians, it was decided revenge was to be enacted against the Russians. The Austrian High Command was intent that the Russian success only be brief. And so it was. To counterattack the Russians it was decided that immense manpower must be used against the vast masses of Russia themselves, in order to offset one of the main Russian advantages. Luckily for Austria-Hungary, it did indeed possess the required numbers due to a successful recruiting campaign earlier in the war. The Austrians pushed from two directions not long after Brusilov had made himself home in Galicia, and the Russian general floundered under the unexpected attack. Despite managing to inflict great losses onto the inexperienced members of the Austrian army, it was not enough to bring an end to the invasion. Assisting the Austrians were gunboats, who having learned great lessons from the attack on Lublin sailed down the rivers of Ukraine bringing victory all the closer to the K.u.K Amy. The Austrian breach ran out of steam by the Dnieper basin, where they would consolidate their position.
[2,454 Regulars and 35,187 Conscripts to Russia, -87 Regulars and -53,238 Conscripts to Austria]


Austrian gunboats sailing down the rivers of Ukraine.

During the intense battles of the Eastern Front, voicies within the Russian Army had sought to cripple the Germans not through all-out assaults but instead by devastating their logistics. With the repeated failures to oust the Germans from the Baltics and in face of mounting losses, these voices only grew louder and louder. The Republican government of Russia gave the green light to the use of the air force not to assist the ground troops but to wreck havoc on the horses and roads carrying Germany's supplies. Possessing one of the greatest air forces and one of the most powerful bombers in the world, this was an easy feat. Thousands of horses lay dead, with many roads and bridges connecting Imperial Germany to the occupied lands blasted out of recognition. With an astounding success in the air, the German army was sure to find supplies lacking for the remainder of the year.


The razed ruins of the German supply routes.

Casualties

Russia: 3,660,957
Austria: 2,163,158
Germany: 1,691,073
France: 567,735
Poland: 521,782
Serbia: 272,367
Italy: 184,858
Ottoman Empire: 169,671
Albania: 69,796
Montenegro: 29,205
Spain: 952

Entente Casualties: 5,237,856
Central Power Casualties: 4,093,698
Total Casualties: 9,331,554

Konungariket Skandinavien

A great evil has been pushed upon the Scandinavian people, as we hear rumours of brutalities inflicted against our Finnish brothers. Even worse, government workers, acting as reporters to these tragedies, have been reported captured, or worse as we speculate, on Russian orders. With the recent political turmoil, both in war and internal, evident in the lands of Russia, we see their inability to actively reform themselves, and remedy their mistakes.

It is with sorrow that I must declare a state of hostilities between the Kingdom of the Scandinavia and the Russian state now exist, in pursuit of the unification of the Scandinavian Finns, freeing them from Russian autocracy.

- Gustav I, King of Scandinavia

(Rankings
The nations are divided into five tiers. You can advance in a tier by becoming more powerful but most of all playing a bigger role on the international stage.

Tier I: Receive two national focus orders, two regular orders.
Tier II: Receive one national focus order and three regular orders
Tier III: Receive one national focus order and two regular orders.
Tier IV: Receive one national focus order and one regular order.
Tier V: Receive two normal orders.

Every nation also has four war orders.

Tier I: Russia, France, Germany.
Tier II: UK, US, Austria-Hungary, Japan.
Tier III: China, Netherlands, Spain, Italy, Belgium, Scandinavia.
Tier IV: Brazil, Ottoman Empire.
Tier V: Afghanistan, Australia, Canada, Guatemala, Greece, Mexico, New Zealand, Romania, Serbia, Siam, South Africa.)



The Russian Republic has received Scandinavia's declaration of war. We would like to point out to the vikings that:

-There have been no atrocities against the Finnish civilian population.
-There is no reason for us to have done so, as there have been no riots, revolts, or anything of the like in Finland.
-Our war effort does not allow us to waste bullets on law-abiding citizens of Finland and Russia.
-Your "government workers" were never allowed to enter Russian territory.
-The same "government workers" were found with weapons and directives on how to incite revolt, as well as locations of Russian military posts in Finland.
-Asking us to reform thoroughly in the middle of a major war is unreasonable.
-Declaring war is not the solution to these problems.
-You will regret this as there are a million Russian soldiers in Finland.

We shall see to it that this expansionist dream from the days of Charles XII shall be crushed swiftly.

-Alexander Kerensky, Minister of War of the Russian Republic

With your permission, Mr. Speaker, I would like to share my views on the war in Europe, with special attention for Britain's role in it.

Gentlemen, while we are sitting here at peace and look upon Europe burning, I do not think that many of you see the disaster that I see unfolding. We are seeing a continental European power, Germany, making a bid to assert its dominance over the whole of Europe and unleash political, military, and economical disaster over Britain. Just over a hundred years ago France did the same, but back then we didn't look on, we fought to prevent it.

Many of you do not feel anything for intervening in this war and preferring to watch as Germany defeats France. "What does it matter", the thoughts go. "We have the largest empire and the finest navy in the world!". It is an understandable way of thinking, but the problems a German-dominated Europe will bring us are a series of problems we can not avert simply by putting the Royal Navy in front of them.

We have since the beginning of the century subconsciously slipped further and further away into isolation. The Marquess of Salisbury has said it was a "Splendid Isolation", but I couldn't agree less. It has led to Britain standing in 1917 with no foreign alliances, merely a pact with Russia and the United States. We have also subconsciously abandoned all efforts of maintaining a balance of power in Europe.

We are looking at a Europe in which reactionary forces aiming to expand their power are winning against what since the Russian revolution have been the forces of justice, liberty and progressive government. This all started when the Austro-Hungarian monarchy, that opresses all nationalities in its empire that are not German or Hungarian to live on, tried to essentially subject Serbia, a democratic kingdom, over a tragic event which they were held accountable for. Russia went to defend their Serbian brothers. Germany went to defend Austria and invaded Russia. Military observers have noted that the invasion was carried out with such precision, it must have been prepared and trained for for years.

And beyond that we see Scandinavia and Turkey, who are joining Germany's conquest of Russian territory. Scandinavia tried to fabricate an incident, based on thin lies of Russian atrocities in Finland. When this plan failed, they decided to go to war anyway. And then there are the Turks who have after their destructive policies in Armenia are returning to do the same once again. Our ambassador in Constantinople reported that there was an active trade in Armenian slaves going on at the markets, and it would not surprise me that the events that were documented by international observers are taking place as I speak!

Now if the cause of liberty and civilisation is not enough to convince you, what would happen in the Central Powers were indeed to dominate Europe? I speculate that Finland shall fall to Scandinavia, the Ottoman Empire takes control of the Caucasus, and large tracts of Russian land shall be severed from St. Petersburg's authority. This ensures the balkans shall fall to the Central Powers, with Italy, the Low Countries and Iberia falling to their economical sphere.

And here is where the disaster shall begin to unfold. Germany has already not shown any willingness to guarantee the internal stability of Britain, as they did not make any effort to block the arms smuggling to Ieland. With this in mind, we can safely assume the Kaiser has no reason to foster relations with Britain at this point. As such, it seems only logical that they will block Britain off from continental European markets to improve the position of their own industry. This means that in Britain we will lose our markets in Europe, our industry will collapse, many labourers will be out of work, many business-owners will lose all their income, and there exists the chance the entire industrial sector shall collapse in case German goods outcompete their British counterparts.

Gentlemen, I see a monumental injustice taking place. Europe is about to fall under the jackboot of reactionary empires and Britain will be taken with it. It is the duty of the United Kingdom to ensure that liberty and justice shall continue to dominate Europe, and as such I request a declaration of war from Parliament.

Let there be no mistake - Germany is absolutely willing to return to a state of peace with France, under the principle of status quo ante bellum. The designs on Iberia, the Lowlands and elsewhere described by the British member of parliament are blatantly made up, just as their accusations towards the Ottoman Empire.

The notion that Germany's preparedness for war means that she wished the war is a silly one. Can the same not be said for the French advance on Elsass-Lothringen? It is every nation's right to be prepared to defend themselves by the same means by which they may be attacked.

I implore the British parliament not to listen to this jingoistic charlatan and instead choose peace.

Chanellor Theobald von Bethmann Hollweg

The Russian people are tired of war and hereby send the following peace offer to the German opponent.

1. The Russian Republic and the Central Powers, them being the German Empire, the Habsburg Empire, the Ottoman Empire and the Kingdom of Scandinavia shall cease hostilities.
2. The Russian Republic shall cede the territories of the Polish crown to Germany.
3. The Russian Republic shall cede the Governorates of Estonia, Latvia, Courland, Lithuania, Kovno, Livno and Grodno to Germany.
4. The Territories of the Grand Duchy of Finland shall become an independent nation and its form of government shall be decided by popular referendum.

We hope Berlin sees reason over war and accepts our offer of peace.

-Georgy Lvov, Chairman of the Provisional Government.

The current proposition by the Russian chairman is unacceptable to the interests of Europe. Following this agreement, the Cossack and Ukrainian peoples of the Black Sea region would remain without national sovereignity and freedom. The Russian Republic may speak fine words, but their intent is still unknown, with the current peace proposal Russia would be left in a very strong position to once more declare war on Europe and recapture these territories in a matter of years, something that would be against the interests of the world. Our information on Russian internal affairs is extensive, and even those without our information one can quite frankly reach the same conclusion, that Russia is presently very unstable, and there seems to be a great risk that revanchists, god-hating atheists, assassins, world revolutionaries or probably a combination of all the former may grasp power. It would be cruel of us to leave the people of Ukraine in such a dire situation or to perform our duty in securing the future European peace in a perfunctory manner.

Chancellor Theobald von Bethmann Hollweg

The goverment of the Dominion of New Zealand hereby denounces the statements given by the British Parliament.
Having just overcome a series of national crises and even civil unrest, our people don't strife for bloodshed, especially not for a useless and senseless war on the other side of the globe.
Peace is one of the most important, if not the most important good a country can possibly have. To ensure our peoples happiness, we cannot tolerate such statements.
Thus the Dominion supports the messages brought forth by her brothers, Canada and South Africa.

Signed, The Right Honorable Sir James Carroll, Prime Minister

Konungariket Skandinavien

We must fully speak out against Russian lies - the Finnish people desired freedom from autocracy. Their oppression may be covered up well and good, but the lives of Scandinavian reports, the aforementioned agents of our Kingdom working to publish this atrocity from a personal level. It is sorrowful that such endangerment turned far too personal, and their lives were likely taken by the shadowy hand of Russian "Police".

The Kingdom of Scandinavia must stress that our state of war is no indication of growing belligerence, for it is a singular affair in the defense of a people under fire. To expand on this, the Kingdom of Scandinavia extends talks with the United Kingdom as friendly, cooperative partners in the international world to affirm our plans for continued harmony.

- Gustav I, King of Scandinavia