| From: | Deird'Re Brooks <deirdre@***.ORG> |
|---|---|
| Subject: | Germany and such. |
| Date: | Mon, 17 Jan 1994 09:08:48 -0800 |
:)
Some stuff on Germany.
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to: Doctor Doom
fm: Ivy K. Ryan
Subject: Dr. Doom does Germany, I thru III
I *loved* it! I also copped almost all of it for the world
Deirdre and I run. I thought you might like to take a look at
the way it has mutated.
My take on the laws, festivals, and racial relations are
based on my having lived in Germany for three periods. Feb 1967
to Dec 1969, May 1971 to Nov 1972, and Aug 1974 to Oct 1978. I
loved the country and I lived, as it was said in the Army, on the
economy all three times. Meaning that I lived amongst the
civillians, not on an Army base. Mt. Meisnar, Kassel, Han-
Munden, Frankfurt, Munich, and Heidleberg. That and the reading
of things such as the recent legalization of marijuna.
Legalization, inspection, taxation, and the normal extreme
penalties for misuse.
You had to have lived there, and probably you have, but
ownership of things isn't illegal, normally. It is the misuse of
them that really can get a person into REAL trouble. I knew of
at least five GIs doing hard labor in Germany when I retired.
The longest sentenced one should get out about next year, if I
remember correctly.
>> I'm afraid that Germany is still united. . .
>Why are you afraid of Germany being united. . .?
I was rereading your post to me, through Deirdre Brooks.
Explanation: "I'm afraid that" was a polite, but uncompromising,
way to disagree with Herren Watkins and Roberson on the subject.
Our Germany is united, and one of the real powerhouses on the
planet because *I* love the country. I have German ancestry, one
generation back, an Uncle who fought for the country, and I've
lived there.
The fact that the Shadowrun Rule book states nothing about
it's future history did upset me. That there is nothing about
the rest of the world upset me more. So I, as you, had to write
my own. Due to your excellent command of history, your write-up
had information I didn't have. I do hope that you don't mind my
using your work to base my own on.
With no further build-up. . .
DAS VIERTES REICH
By the beginning of the Euro-War in 2031, the of
domination of the Russian Republicic in eastern Europe had long
ago sounded: The Crash of '29 sent the Russian Repuplic reeling
(as well as many of the other Major Powers), and it's leaders
decided to make a desperate try to regain the powers it once had.
In 2031, during the worst of the period of instability, the
Russian Republic steamrollered through Belorussia into Poland
planning to push through to Germany and western Europe.
Belorussia and Poland couldn't put much of a fight but United
Germany stopped the Russians cold in the western side of Poland.
The NATO came to Germany's aid, consisting of France and Austria
along with Norway, Sweden, Denmark, Spain, Portugal, Italy,
Greece, Turkey and Finland. England sat the first year of the
war out and the USA had withdrawn all troops in 2031 due to a fit
of isolationism.
The situational deadlock after a year of fighting looked to
be the beginning of the end of the conflict; a quick, diplomatic
resolution seemed imminent. However, with the Russian Republic's
surprise airborne attack on Berlin in 2032, the struggle started
anew. The British finally sent troops to the Low Countries to
"protect their interests." Further escalation seemed inevitable.
But again, events underwent an abrupt and bizarre change of
course. On the cold night of January 23, 2033, Swedish tracking
stations picked up several squadrons of British-made FA-38
Nightwraith fighter-bombers streaking across Northern Europe. In
short order, the main command and communication centers of both
the NATO and Russian Republic forces were destroyed. (1)(2)(3)
The Euro-War was over, and with the defeat of the enemy,
Germany could reassemble itself completely. Almost as a backlash
to the suppression of Prussian culture during the Communist
Regime and then the Polish Regime, a nationalistic and
militaristic revival of culture and ideals took hold of the
former Prussian kingdom. Indeed, many of the old landed
aristocratic families came out of the woodwork to lead the new
movement. A new German Armed Forces was organized around the
hard core of the Prussian Army, which appeared as inexplicably
and suddenly as a specter from the long past just waiting to
return. A call was heard all over Germany to restore the great
Reich, as it had been forged under Chancellor Otto von Bismarck
in 1870. Thus, for the fifth time in history, Germany took
advantage of the weakness of its eastern neighbor, Poland, and
abruptly launched an attack to recover the provinces it lost
during the First and Second World Wars. The Unification War
ended in a matter of weeks when Poland, its eastern and southern
areas already devastated from the previous war, capitulated. The
Germans also occupied the sliver of East Prussia taken by the
Russians in 1945. Powerless to prevent them, The Russian
Republic and Poland could do nothing but concede to the German's
demands.
The rest of the European nations turned a blind eye, as
they were having problems of their own, and weren't going to help
former Eastern Bloc nations keep lands that were German before
the World Wars. Thus, with the removal of the few remaining
Poles, the re-absorption of the former Polish lands, and the
formal return of the dominance of the Junker class to Northern
Germany, the stage was set. The Viertes Reich, or Fourth Reich,
was proclaimed, with the House of Hohenzollern once again at the
head. In a surprise move, Austria freely joined into the Viertes
Reich at it's formation. Frederick IV of Hohenzollern was
crowned King of Prussia and Kaiser of the German Empire at
Koenigsberg (recently renamed from the Russian Kaliningrad) on
January 18, 2034, on the anniversary of the Proclamation of the
Second Empire in 1871.
Democracy, in any potent form, did not have much of a
chance, so to speak. There is still the Imperial Parliament,
composed of the Bundesrat (upper house, composed of nobles and
other rulers), and the Reichstag (lower house, composed of
elected representatives). The power wielded by the legislature
is impotent indeed, and, as the ruler possess all necessary
executive power, consideration of the elected representatives may
be best termed as "lip-service." However, considering the
situation, the people seemed more intent upon getting a
government capable of forging order from the chaos of those dark
years than a democratic one. Perhaps it was also the failure of
the Federal Republic to adequately respond to the pressures of
the war which spelled the doom of truly responsive representative
government.
Germany reverted to the old Imperial Administration over
a federation of monarchies, all of which were re-established as
well. The Hohenzollern Kaiser rules through the Reichkanzler
(Imperial Chancellor), who presides over the Imperial Cabinet.
The Emperor shall set policy, and the Chancellor and Cabinet
execute it in his name. The Emperor is also the
Commander-In-Chief of the armed forces, all the personnel of
which, following the coronation, swore an oath of fealty to their
new ruler. Some political analysts have made the suggestion that
the present Emperor, Frederick IV, has reverted to the ways of
their ancestor, the Prussian King and later Kaiser Wilhelm I.
That is to say, he allows his Chancellor to amass a great deal of
power, which has been the most notable in the case of the present
Chancellor, Colonel Count Klaus von Hohenzollern und von Doom,
DMSc, DSc, PhD. since his appointment in 2041.
Although the Empire has been established for only twenty
years now, the amount of progress made by the German people is
astounding. From the damage wreaked on Germany during the
Euro-War, it emerged, as a phoenix from ashes, stronger than
before. Projects were launched for the rebuilding of industry in
the West, as well as the revamping and scrapping of the
inefficient systems of the East. The financial system of the
country was returned to a solid currency basis. Based on the
price of gold, at 26.5 Reischmarks to the gram, the Reichmark is
one of the three solidest currencies on the planet. The NuYen
generally floats very closely to the value of the Reichmark,
varying by only a few percentage points. The Reichmark is the
official currency of Das Reich and all other currencies must
either be traded for Reichmarks or be spent at an unfavorable
rate of exchange. The trade in currencies is performed legally
at Banks or the Exchange Booths at train stations, border
crossings, and airports. The legal rate of exchange varies for
varying currencies and there is a 4 percent exchange fee. The
illegal exchange rate varies even more widely and the service
charge is often much higher (8 to 15%).
Once again, the military became the most important single
entity in the state, subject to the monarchy. Also, in line with
the resurgence of Prussian culture, many of the old monuments and
landmarks from the Second Empire and before were restored or
rebuilt. The Garrison Church, original resting place of Frederick
the Great and his father, Frederick William I, was rebuilt, and
the Kaiser Wilhelm Cathedral, San Soucci, and Charlottenburg were
all restored, just to name a few. Koenigsberg and Berlin, as
well as the rest of Prussian provinces and cities, were returned
to the form they had when originally ruled by the Hohenzollerns.
The government's general attitude towards the
MegaCorporations is one of limited tolerance, but no-nonsense.
At its inception, the administration, learning from the mistakes
of the United States, was determined not to be subordinate to
businesses on its own soil. As a result, it was seen to that the
corporations lack the legal footing for the activities in they so
freely engaged in in North America. Further than that, there is
a requirement of a limited degree of "nationalization" of any
extra-territorial MegaCorporation within the confines of Germany,
in which the government retains possession of a large quantity of
the nationalized company's stock. Beyond that, the restrictions
on activities and penalties for transgressions are particularly
harsh, and there are minor grumblings from the business community
about "ruling with an iron fist" on the part of the government.
As a result, corporate endeavors are decidedly more subdued in
Germany, as all are quite eager to "avoid any Imperial
entanglements." What keeps the corporations there are the
undeniable business opportunities afforded by Germany's position
in Europe, along with a few new economic policies implemented in
the past several years.
As far as daily life is concerned, the regulations could
best be compared against those of Great Britain. Where in Great
Britian there are extremely strict penalties against the
possession of various items and regulation of almost everything
else; in Das Reich there are extremely strict penalties for the
misuse of various items but no real penalties for their
possession or legitimate use.
The ownership and use of weapons, cyberdecks, and magic is
regulated to some smaller or larger degree. The items must be
registered, and, in the case of weapons there are strict limits
on calibres and the types of weapons that may be carried.
The penalties for misuse of these things is stringent
indeed. Averaging four times as harsh as the penalties levied in
the City of Seattle of the UCAS. This is viewed as necessary by
the Reich to maintain order, ("Immer Ordnung", as the old saying
goes) and there are those who feel, considering the chaotic state
of affairs of the world, such measures are warranted. There are,
of course, those who say that the Empire is nothing more than a
police state with noble trappings and a softer touch.
In view of the ideals of the Second Reich and their
application to the Fourth Reich this is provably nonsense.
Alcohol, Marijuna, and Tobacco are regulated but not really
controlled. They are taxed and then sold in grocery stores and
kiosks everywhere. Firearms and cyberdecks are freely sold
though they are registered at the time of sale. The people have
more free time, yet more employment, than anywhere else on the
planet and the old, traditional, festivals have all been re-
instated. Religion is uncontrolled and racism is not only
illegal but socially unaccepted. There is quite a bit of
distrust of foriegners but this is natural given the history of
the past 150 years.
(1) Some have proposed the theory that it was, in fact, the
Junker families, or agents thereof, that orchestrated the
Nightwraith strike which brought about the end of the war. It is
true that no one has yet been pronounced responsible for the
sudden attack that night; however, many have doubts as to the
Prussian aristocracy's ability to organize such a surprise
strike. Admittedly, they stood a great deal to gain from the end
of the war; the events following the termination of hostilities
prove that much. But the real question is, where would they get
the hardware?
The majority of the old families that survived the collapse
of the Reich in 1918 were immensely wealthy, but buying military
equipment on that scale seems be beyond their means, say the
theory's critics. Supporters respond by citing the surprise and
immediate build up of the Prussian Army, which almost seemed to
come out of nowhere. Mobilization and arming funded by, they
say, securities and investments of the aristocracy. If follows,
then, that they could, or had procured weapons systems and other
equipment previous to the re-establishment of the Empire, and had
used some of them to bring about a swift end to the war.
Most critics reply by saying that there are some people in
this world who will attach a conspiracy theory to just about
anything.
(2) <INTEL Report, UCAS-DIA>
It is known from the recordings from the UCAS spy satellite
<CENSORED> that the Nightwraithes were launched from three
aircraft carriers that had approached from the south. The
cariers were escorted by a Battleship of the New Jersey or Prince
of Wales class, three Cruisers, and ten Destroyers.
It is also known that the carriers, after recovering their
planes steamed south, through the Mediteranian and down the Suez
Canal and that contact was lost at 50 nautical miles from the
Eritrean port of Mits'Wa.
It is suspected that the carriers and their escorts were the
best part of the fleet of ships owned by the Trans-Atlantic Arms
Company. TAAC is the only known owner of any Battleships and
they are known to have two of them. The Prince of Wales and the
New Jersey. Both are re-fitted WWII ships.
It is known that Trans-Atlantic bases their fleet at
Mits'Wa.
It is known the one of the members of the board of Trans-
Atlantic (Maria Ertfeilder) is also a member of one of the old
Junker families.
(3) <CIA RED DATA> There is no proof that Trans-Atlantic Arms
Company was involved in the Nightwraith incident but it is
suggestive that TAAC is a majority owner of two thirds of the
arms companies in Germany. TAAC is also deeply involved in
business relationships with Trans-Global Entertainment
Corporation and TGE has been deeply involved in the recreation of
the Fourth Reich.
SHADOWTALK
-----------------------------------------------------------------
>>>>>[ Incidentally, this year marks the twentieth anniversary of
the Proclamation of the Empire. Just a scant eight days ago, to
be exact. ]<<<<<
-- Doctor Doom <11:00:00/26-JAN-54>
>>>>>[ The author, whoever he may be, is gravely deceived: There
is no doubt that Germany is a police state which only exists for
the repression of the commoners rights and subjugation of the
people! ]<<<<<
-- Mr. Fantastic <11:45:06/01-26-54>
>>>>>[ Oh, can the revolutionary drek! You are just upset
because you got caught trying to sneak something by customs! And
as far as the "police state" is concerned, let me say this: It's
a fair sight SAFER there than in most countries I've visited.
]<<<<<
-- Jack Hack <11:45:13/01-26-54>
>>>>>[What about this mystery of the Nightwraith strike in 2033?
]<<<<<
-- Hangtime <11:48:30/01-26-54>
>>>>>[ It is a theory purported alternately by most amateur
historians and journalists (read: scandal-mongering idiots)
attempting to generate some publicity. Their arguments lack any
substance. ]<<<<<
-- Doctor Doom <11:49:01/26-JAN-54>
>>>>>[ No, man, I'm telling you, I've got evidence this time! I
looked at a copy of the Declaration of the Empire, and if you go
and circle certain "secret" letters in each line it reads: "We
are responsible for the Nightwraith attack." ]<<<<<
-- Shadows, NN Reporter <11:49:35/01-26-54>
>>>>>[ Secret letters??? ]<<<<<
-- Darkwatch <11:49:40/01-26-54>
>>>>>[ Is the "secret" letter message in German?
]<<<<<
-- Doctor Doom <11:49:45/26-JAN-54>
>>>>>[ Errr, no. In English. ]<<<<<
-- Shadows, NN Reporter <11:50:00/01-26-54>
>>>>>[ Shadows, I think that theory needs a little work.
]<<<<<
-- Doctor Doom <11:50:09/26-JAN-54>
>>>>>[ Yeah...with a blowtorch, maybe. ]<<<<<
-- Hangtime <11:50:15/01-26-54>
>>>>>[ Hey, doesn't it flat SAY, in the INTEL DIA report, that
this Ertfeilder slitch is both a Junker (giggle) and an owner of
this Trans-Atlantic Arms Company? And the only people who have
the ships like that are this TAAC? Seem pretty cut and dried
from here. And this TAAC has a lot of good reasons to want the
Viertes Reich back. What happens to Saeder-Krupp in this
situation though? ]<<<<<
DDCharlie K (15:34:21/02-03-54)
This is the work of Ivy K. Ryan *added* to the excellent and
pivotal work of Doctor Von Doom. Any incorrect statements are
the responsibility of Ivy K. Ryan. Slot it and Run it, It's *a*
world, not the only one.
-----
Marzhavasati Kali |If mail bounces, check spelling. It's deirdre.
deirdre@***.org |If that doesn't work, send mail to
|deirdre%efn.org@*******.cs.uoregon.edu
"Absolute power doesn't corrupt. It's _boring_!"
-- Candy Sweetwater
