by Max Barry

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«12. . .92,00992,01092,01192,01292,01392,01492,015. . .92,18192,182»

Central arstotzka

      Prague, Czechia, Third Republic of Czechoslovakia // Beit Daras, Israelli
      SUMMER 1947-PRESENT - SECRET CZECH AID TO JEWISH ORGS IS A SAVING GRACE

      ________________________________________________

| Czechoslovakia has been no stranger to Jews and Jewish history, or rather the plight of most oppressed groups that make their way through the European continent. The father of Czechoslovakia, President Tomáš Garrigue Masaryk, had close relations with Jews and the labor side of the Zionist Movement. In 1920 he became the first statesman to visit Palestine's first Jewish kibbutz, later paving the way for further recognition of Jewish orgs and communities by the Czechoslovak state. Nevertheless, the current leading Jewish government entity in Mandatory Palestine, the Jewish Agency (later to become the Israeli government), has recently come into contact with the bi-ethnic state seeking weapons. The organization, only knowingly to some, plans to openly defend its independence as a jewish state when the UN partition takes effect, by additionally using militia and informal jewish paramilitaries. Thus, the Jews turn to the government of Czechoslovakia for military aid, coordinated by Gen. Jan Heřman, a local communist military hero from Prague. The first contract, signed off officially in secret by Jan Masaryk, the Czech Foreign Minister, included 200 MG 34 machine guns, 4,500 P 18 rifles and 50,400,000 rounds of ammunition. The second and third shipments, done through the next year into October, would contain a total of 15,000 rifles and 1,600 machine guns, with bullets. The deal will be coordinated through a special financial department of the Československé Závody Strojírenské a Kovodělné, n.p. (Czechoslovak Metal-Working and Engineering Works) Financial Holdings, a nationalized conglomerate owned by the Ministry of the Interior. |

| The initial contract has been touted within the Ministry of Foreign Affairs as a non-ideological military support, primarily by higher-ups within both the Ministry and the National Front. Though, the informal connection between the Labor Zionists of Palestine and the Czechoslovakian Army has substantially grown, and the new government of Czechoslovakia has taken keen interest in expand its own new-found socialist influence wherever it can. The deal primarily focused on supplying the Labor Zionists and the Haganah group, with special focus by the Czechoslovak to avoid supplying more unfavorable elements such as Irgun. The weapons deals such as these can only mean the beginning of future contacts between the Jewish Agency and Czechoslovakia. |
______________________________________________________
______________________________________________________

    UNDER THE DARK OF NIGHT...
    BIET DARAS, PALESTINIAN DESERT

| As the ancient desert of Palestine cooled off in the dead of night, and many tense heads rested with the moon, a loud hum of a plane sounded distant overhead, indistinguishable from the others coming and going. An American Skymaster cargo plane, chartered by the Czechoslovaks using makeshift guises in their own country, had been loaded to the brim with a secret weapons deal coming from the bi-ethnic state, containing mostly repurposed or Czech-produced German equipment from WWII. Gen. Jan Heřman himself, the chief of this coordinated deal in secrecy, was co-pilot on this mission, along with a band of younger army officers who volunteered on the mission. As they near their destined coordinates and prepare for a quick landing- |

      Gen. Jan Heřman:"This ride is getting a -*LITTLE*- rikety over here, Blaženek, and we're running out of fuel here!"
      Co-Pilot Blaženek:" Don't you worry, general sir! We've got this in th-"

    ~The cargo plane hits the runway and several parts of its metal underbelly skid with sparks before the plane corrects itself~

      Co-Pilot Blaženek:"-in the bag! Like I said, sir..."

    ~Blaženek turns to look at his senior for this mission gripping the steering wheel and staring hard at the now-still runway, who then turns to look back at Blaženek~

| The Czechoslovak crew on a secret mission to the deserts of Palestine made the trip safely, without major hiccups. The first shipment signaled an improved ease and success on the next 2 missions that followed in later months. Both the 2nd and 3rd contract shipments would be covered with onions and potatoes in a more informal cargo cover process. At last, the Jewish command had at hand a stockpile of thousands of weapons that it could freely deploy. The two shipments proved decisive. Without doubt, of all the shipments that subsequently reached the Yishuv, none was to have greater immediate impact or historical significance. |

    March, 1948 |Khartoum, Khartoum Province, The British Imperial Crown Colony Of The Sudan

    SUDANIZATION, THE MOVEMENT TODAY

The onset of Sudanese nationalist sensations had first presented itself amid the first Great War that had ravaged much of the planet between 1914 and 1918. Nonetheless, that very notion of the envisionment of Sudanese nationhood would not make any significant advancements or even intensify during the interwar period. Up until a young college graduate would make a speech after releasing a sequence of articles on the streets of Khartoum titled, “The Common Sense ''. The papers would not only kick start his political career ushering in his role as leader of Sudan’s Nationalist Party but also reignited the very flames of Sudanese essence and pushed it back into the focus of colonial policy.

Despite the clear present uncertainties found between Mahgoub’s Confluence Nationalist movement and the pro-imperial commonwealth factions and colonial authority, both sides overall nonetheless strived for a parallel goal, the advancement of the Sudanese identity, and mostly in hopes of countering the encroachment of any Arab and Egyptian nationalist ideals on the such fertile and resourceful region of the African continent. To the colonial government, Egypt must not grab Sudan for its ambitions of an Egyptian Empire, to the Nationalists, however, Sudan must exist at all worths.

The arrival of the Second World War saw many of Sudan’s sons and brothers mobilized towards the frontlines, both in East Africa and the northern Libyan frontier. The mass mobilization of the Sudanese Defense Force that had overseen active vicious combat at Kassala, Barentu, and Keren had made way for a new surge in Sudanese nationalistic sentiment, such presumption ranged from outrage and frustrations over Sudan being once again hauled to the frontiers of European wars, others saw the sacrifices made by the SDF in Keren and elsewhere across Eritrea as the dawn of new Sudanese Jingoism.

With the assistance of the colony’s Sudan Broadcasting Corporation, to motivate and uplift the morale of the battalions in Eritrea and the Sudanese populace at home, Ibrahim al-Kashif’s popular patriot folk song, “The Land of Good”, would be broadcasted far and wide across Sudan and wherever the ears of the Sudanese people were to be. The song which was inspired by the beauty of the Sudanese landscape and her rich resources was also made as a passionate letter to its inhabitants, proclaiming with pride the identity of being a Sudani, and an Afriki.

The war has made way for many more Sudanese artists, poets, musicians, and writers to share and express their newly found distinct and unique cultural experiences. The implosion of music, poetry, and literature has nestled newfound definitions and symbolism for the Sudanese identity. Such symbols as the great white rhino that wandered the Sudanese wild freely as embroidered on the colonial flag had become symbols of the committed resilience of the colony’s inhabitants. The remarkably small yet tall pyramids of the Nubian civilizations had evolved as proof of a bygone era, an era that reminds the Sudanese people of their very existence and their sense of belonging.

The yearning for peace and isolation during the great wars has fueled much of the needed sentiment behind the early stages of Sudanese nationalism, yet, a sudden shift transpired following Sudan’s first opportunity at democratic elections. Despite the tragic and startling losses of Mahgoub’s Nationalist Workers Party towards earning enough parliamentary seats to become an influential member of the government bloc parties. The patriotic view of the Sudanese voters would compel them to look elsewhere towards other figures in the creation of a modern Sudanese state unrestrained from the extremist and radical doctrines of the NWCP’s Sudo ethnostate.

In Mahgoub’s replacement, the three leading figures and their political ideologies of Sudan’s largest parties in the coalition government would become models of new traits of what Sudanese patriotism must look like. Azheri’s visions of Nile Valley Unity, Kahlil’s potency of leadership despite imperial setbacks, and finally Benjamin’s impression of self-responsibility and to take destiny into one’s hands. Together those leaders have become iconic but not official heads of the very movement despite some of their indifference to it.

Today the road towards Sudanization remains without apparent and wise leadership, the crusade is headless without organization but the movement itself has become found in the very policies legislated by the democratically elected parliament, now more than ever, Sudanese natives had become more entrenched in roles of power and administration, ensuring an equal allotment of those very positions amongst the northerners and southerners, Christian and Muslims, Arabs and Africans, prepping the very arteries of Sudanese governance and community for the benefit of greater Sudanese stability. The stability that the colonial government views as essential.

    GOD SAVE THE KING!
    AL-NASRU LENA!
    AL-NASRU LE SUDAN!


    (Kuomintang) Republic of China / (國民黨)中華民國

    OVER THE MOUNTAINS: COMMUNIST FORCES CROSS THE YELLOW RIVER INTO THE CENTRAL PLAIN!
    翻山越岭:共产党的军队越过黄河进入中原!

    August 1947 | 1947年8月




      ZHONGYUAN PLAINS, CHINA | 中原平原,中国

      The largely symbolic victory of the Nationalists’ capture of the Communist capital of Yan’an (延安) was, as the Kuomintang government acknowledged, exactly what it was: Largely symbolic. Despite the political and propaganda points the government would receive, and the large boosts to the morale of its troops, it was clear that the Nationalists were now at a disadvantage, despite being on the receiving end of sustained aid from the Allied Powers. The Communist forces had consolidated themselves and thanks to proper strategic thinking were now adopting tactics that conserved its forces and struck where the KMT’s armies were weakest.

      Following the fall fo Yan’an, the Communists were also endeavoring to hit back hard against the advancing Nationalist forces. They knew well that were they to allow their guard to fall, their lines would be broken, their forces scrambled, and their morale sent into the dumps. As such, Comrade Mao Tse-Tsung, Chairman of the Communist Party, directed for counterattacks to take place within three months of the capturing of the Communist capital. Communist generals reorganized their forces and prepared to dig in, while auxiliary units were brought in to prepare for a counteroffensive to prevent the KMT from advancing any further north.

      At the end of June, Communist forces launched their counteroffensive in retaliation for the recapturing of Yan’an on the 30th. Communist troops clashed with Nationalist forces north of the Yellow River and eventually crossed it days later, allowing them to move into the Central Plains (Dabie Mountains) area. Nationalist forces withdrew out of the region within weeks, in order to consolidate themselves in the southern areas, but this would prove to be a strategic mistake as it allowed the CCP to establish a firm beachhead across the key Yellow River.

      With the arrival of Communist troops in the Central Plains (Zhongyuan Plains), propagandists and rear units were brought in to stabilize the region and appease the local populations. Among farmers and peasants the CCP was especially popular, but issues with the wealthier and middle class were brought up. Most of those who could and did not wish to live under Communist rule fled the region for the south, a potential indicator that many believed the Zhongyuan region would not be retaken by the Nationalists. Dwindling supplies and a lack of true strategic successes supported such an assumption, which only bolstered Communist resolve as they prepared to break through the Yellow River completely.

      正如国民党政府所承认的,国民党夺取共产党首都延安的胜利在很大程度上具有象征意义,这正是它的意义所在。主要是象征性的。尽管政府会得到政治和宣传上的好处,而且其军队的士气也得到了极大的鼓舞,但很明显,国民党现在处于不利地位,尽管他们得到了盟国的持续援助。共产党部队已经巩固了自己,并且由于正确的战略思维,现在正在采取保存其力量的战术,并在国民党军队最薄弱的地方进行打击。


    🇹🇼 🇹🇼 🇹🇼

    March 1947
    The Nordic General Election

THE NORDICS CHOOSE EINAR GERHARDSEN AS PRIME MINISTER! FORMS GOVERNMENT UNDER HIS NORDIC MAJESTY’s NAME!

GOTHENBURG CONCERT HALL
GOTHENBURG, Canovia — EARLY MORNING

| The creation of the United Nordic Kingdoms in 1945 created the Interim Nordic Unity Council — a group of politicians from Denmark, Norway, Sweden and Iceland in charge of the transition period of government. Headed by four “presidents” — the start of conducting the nation’s first elections were heavily debated, with many opting to wait until the transition of major institutions like the banks and military were completed. As the Nordic Krone has officially been recognized as the legal tender of the United Nordic Kingdoms — the Danish, Norwegian, Swedish and Icelandic Krona were to be officially phased out in the coming months. With the military becoming reorganized with different ranks, forces and other things, it would seem the United Nordic Kingdoms was on the right track on becoming a new and stable power within Europe.

Although the Interim Nordic Unity Council was the main governing body of Nordic politics, political parties were not absent in the decision making of the laws and rules of the United Nordic Kingdoms. Many within the council came from leftist backgrounds, most notably Einar Gerhardsen of Norway and Tage Erlanger of Sweden. While the other “presidents'' came from Centre-right or liberal parties — many began to form their political parties and solidify their places in time for the national elections.

A respectable politician from Askers, Norway, Einar Gerhardsen spent many of his younger years involved in various leftist movements, most notably with local communist party functions before shifting away towards democratic socialism. During the war, Gerhardsen would spend the majority of it in one of Volkist Norway’s labor camps — becoming one of the faces of the resistance from within the camp and from the outside. It would not be until liberation that Gerhardsen would lead a temporary government — then serve as the main figurehead of the Interim Nordic Unity Council. Between the creation of the United Nordic Kingdoms in 1945 to present, Einar Gerhardsen would unifying the leftist factions of different parties to form the Labor Party, made up of socialists, democratic socialists and social democrats along with his Swedish counterpart, Tage Erlander.

    ”Individuality is something that we cannot possibly do during a time of rebuilding. We must abandon the thought of individualism and accept the practice of collectivism. A fair and equal society for all.”

    EINAR GERHARDSEN, Interim Nordic Unity Council President

Rallying the support of many leftists in the nation — Einar Gerhardsen would form the Nordic Workers Union Association, a political group that would advocate for workers rights and further the welfare-state model throughout the United Nordic Kingdoms. As well as advocate for nationalization of major key industries such as water, rail, electricity, healthcare and education.

The Nordic Communist Party, the Nordic Democrats, Reform Party and the Moderate Party would be the other options within the elections — ranging from far-left to right wing in terms of economic and social policies. All parties would try and win the majority within the National Parliament (made up of 350 seats):

    LABOUR: 180 seats/350 seats (majority) — Center-Left
    Leader: Einar Gerhardsen

    MODERATES: 110 seats/350 seats (official opposition) — Center-Right
    Leader: Fritiof Domö

    REFORM: 22 seats/350 seats (opposition) — Center
    Leader: Axel Pehrsson-Bramstorp

    NORDIC DEMOCRATS: 20 seats/350 seats (opposition) — Right-wing
    Leader: Ole Bjřrn Kraft

    NORDIC COMMUNIST PARTY: 18 seats/350 seats (opposition) — Left-wing
    Leader: Einar Olgeirsson

With term limits lasting four years, the FIRST GERHARDSEN CABINET would be formed purely of Labour Party politicians. The self-proclaimed democratic socialist (Einar Gerhardsen) would promise nationalization of major industries, prioritize the unemployment crisis and fast track the rebuilding efforts by the early 1950s. En route to the royal palace in Stockholm, Einar Gerhardsen would meet His Majesty, King Gustavus Adolphus VI & I to form a government in his name.

        RÉPUBLIQUE FRANÇAISE
        
        FRENCH BUREAUCRACY 
        
        MINISTČRE DE LA DÉFENSE NATIONALE

      ______

      MINISTRY OF NATIONAL DEFENSE: SIGNING OF THE TREATY OF BRUSSELS TRIGGERS FRANCE INTO SPENDING MORE ON DEFENSE
      IVTH FRENCH REPUBLIC | PARIS, MARCH 1948

    | HELM OF WARFARE, FRANÇAIS RÉPUBLIQUE - | The Treaty of Brussels or Brussels Pact as some had called it was signed earlier in the month on the 17th of March in Brussels. It's sole purpose which was uniting France, Great Britain, Netherlands, Belgium, and Luxembourg against possible German rearmament would also serve to form the beginning of the Western Union. The treaty also provided for the organization of military, economic, social and cultural cooperation among member states as well as a mutual defense clause.

    Since France had joined the new pact, it had become increasingly imperative that France needed to modernize it's arsenal of weaponry if it planned on keeping up with the other allies and successfully defending them and France itself in the event of a future German or Soviet attack. The Treaty of Brussels was in fact an expansion to the Treaty of Dunkirk, which had been signed between Britain and France the previous year to guard against possible German or Soviet aggression after the end of World War II. As a result, the Élysée authorized the funding and launching of several government defense programs.

    The first of these projects included plans for the building of several new fortifications or new military bases throughout France's outermost territories to defend against would be Soviet aggression. Permanent new bases were ordered to be built in Benin, Burkina Faso, Chad, Djibouti, Mali, Morocco, New Caledonia, Réunion, Seychelles, and Vanuatu. These ten new bases would serve as part of France's outermost ring of defenses for the colonial empire. Forces stationed throughout them could be deployed more rapidly in the future and bring security to those regions around them. The total cost of building all ten bases is projected to be close to $500 million USD which has been authorized by Parliament for the mostly secretive project.

    • Abéché, Chad

    • Ali Sabieh, Djibouti

    • Gao, Mali

    • Kaya, Burkina Faso

    • La Possession, Réunion

    • Lifou, New Caledonia

    • Malakula, Vanuatu

    • Port-Novo, Benin

    • Tarfaya, Morocco

    • Victoria, Seychelles

    Another of France's defense projects includes the development of more heavy equipment such as tanks and armoured fighting vehicles. Since the end of the war, several French units have relied upon equipment from the United States, Great Britain, and leftover equipment from Germany. The Ministry of National Defense has ordered the designing and production of a new heavy tank called the ARL 44 which has been in development for a few years now. Although certain modifications will need to be made to the fragile brakes, gear box, transmission, and suspension to ensure it is fit for proper military service.

    The newly modified parts for the brakes, gear box, transmission and suspension linkage will be made from stronger steel metals to make them more durable while increasing the tank's overall weight by about 2-3 tons. This will give the ARL 44 tank an overall weight of 52-53 tons and with new Maybach HL 295 12VC 850hp (1200 HP planned) engines, the tank will have a maximum speed of 32 mph. The overall operational range will be around 350 km. The ARL 44 will be made service ready within a few months time with an order for 800 of them already signed by the Minister of Defense.

    While the ARL 44 is the most readily available design for the sake of production, it is not the only tank project underway in France. Another tank project under the Ateliers de construction d'Issy-les-Moulineaux (AMX) company presented its project 141, a project to build what they called the M 4 prototype, armed with a 90 mm Schneider gun with a 1000 meter per second muzzle velocity and comparable in performance to the German 8.8 cm KwK 43. The M 4 design closely resembled the Tiger II. The first M 4 tank is set to be delivered by 1949 for the same series of testing that the ARL 44 has undergone.

    Furthermore as French engineers and scientist continue experimenting with rocket and jet technology, using German designs to assist them in their efforts has led to designs and plans for new French aircraft such as the up and coming Arsenal VG-90 carrier based strike fighter, Sud-Ouest SO.2400 ground attack aircraft, Nord 1601 interceptor fighter jet, and the SNCASO SO.4000 jet powered supersonic bomber prototype. The Ministry of National Defense has ordered these planes to be further developed and tested for future use by the French Air Force.

    The launching and funding of so many projects has undoubtedly spurred the French military industrial complex back into action after nearly a decade long period of dormancy where many manufacturers had to plan in secret. From an economic perspective, the millions of jobs that are being recreated as a result of this and the potential for future foreign market export is a tremendous success for the French economy and working people. If anything France will send a clear message to it's allies and adversaries that it is back and will not be left in the dust throughout the second half of the 20th Century. |

      ______

        VIVE LA RÉPUBLIQUE!
        
        VIVE LA FRANCE!
        
        VIVE L’EMPIRE!

Bescania

    11th April 1948
    The Ideology of Gradual Reform in the People’s Republic of Spain

S P A N I S H  S O C I A L I S M

ASAMBLEA DE MADRID
MADRID, Bescania — EVENING

| To gain a grounding of where the current People’s Republic stands, we must look back to the past. Before the civil war, the Second Spanish Republic embarked on a series of immensely ambitious structural reforms. Indeed, it was almost certainly too ambitious to attempt too much in so little time. Even worse, the attempt was being made during a time of worldwide great economic depression, when the new government was saddled with a burden of debt from the Primo dictatorship. But, in the same respect, it was completely understandable that socialists and republicans alike believed that there was no time to delay; it was half a century since progressive political forces had been in power - and then so only briefly during the First Republic in 1873. The perceived backlog of reform was considerable especially in a period of desperation and necessity. However, the inherent complexity of structural reform combined with the difficulties the government had finding experienced personnel (which was also understandable given the left wing's long exclusion from power) only added to the rapidly growing problems forming on the political horizon. For, inevitably, the reforms raised opposition among the Spanish traditionalist elites. The response of the ecclesiastical hierarchy struck an apocalyptic note even before the Republic had begun to make policy. The pastoral letter issued by the Cardinal Primate on 1st May 1931 contained an incendiary royalist homily that caused the government to require him to leave Spain. His call to the faithful to mobilise in spiritual and patriotic rearmament came close to declaring the Republic an illegitimate regime. Moreover, the public words of other bishops did so overtly when they described the Republic as the triumph of error and sin. |

| The increasing polarisation of society led to the Spanish Civil War, and despite the Popular Front and the Second Spanish Republic triumphing against the forces of Franco and his Falangist fascists, there was still the necessity to depolarise the country which had been anything but depolarised for over the last decade. The consequent deadlock in the political system and the Catalonia secession did not help in the reconciliation of the Spanish Society. This brings us to April 1948, two years after the landmark 1946 democratic constitution was passed with overwhelming support, and in 1947 the first democratic elections were held in over a decade. The Spanish Socialist Workers Party and the Communist Party of Spain, whilst having disagreements on the means, have the general same vision of creating an eventual communist society through socialism. However, the unique polarisation of Spain requires the government not to make the same fatal mistakes as the Second Spanish Republic. The reforms must be gradual, and patient, and allow the remainder of Spanish Society to follow such reformist policies. Prime Minister Caballero has questioned the sectarianism of the left and has encouraged communist, and socialist, parties internationally to develop social alliances to win hegemonic support for social reforms (effectively rejecting the Soviet Marxist-Leninist position of revolution). The idea of a final vision for a ‘democratic communism’ or many in Spain refer to it as ‘Marxism-Caballeroism’, is a more attractive proposition for many in Europe than the authoritarian and totalitarian style of achieving communism seen within the Soviet Union under Stalin. |

SLOVENIA AND GEORGE C. MARSHALL’S EUROPEAN RECOVERY PROGRAM

    GENEROUS AMERICAN PROMISES
    SLOVENIA—SPRING 1948

The bipartisan passage of the European Recovery Program by the American legislature was a cause for relief and celebration for the beleaguered Furlan-Krek government of Slovenia. Stretched thin on railway renovations, Slovenification in Beneška Slovenija as well as in Koroška and Štajerska, military reforms, corporate subsidies, cultural exhibitions and more, the ruling government of Slovenia was pushing itself to the limits of austerity to afford its projects. Though the ‘Marshall Plan’ would have its limits, industry-focused zero-interest loans, heavily discounted or compensated purchases of American goods and various training and technical programs would be an enormous boost to Slovenia’s nascent economy. Though it emerged from the war relatively unscathed, with significant damage mostly present in its Austrian and Italian concessions, Slovenia would be receiving $50,000,000 (1948) in aid from the United States throughout the remainder of the year, with which it would stimulate its growing chemical and rocket industries as well as public transit, military self-sufficiency and Slovenification. With tens of millions more guaranteed in the years to follow, the Furlan-Krek government finally had breathing room for passion projects and long-necessary improvements. Government and government-backed projects partially or largely funded by the Marshall Plan are listed below.

    THE PLEČNIK PARLIAMENT: Jože Plečnik was a seminal Slovenian architect. Known for designing the Tromostovje crossing the Ljubljanica as well as the city’s largest cemetery and several other cornerstone buildings, Plečnik’s influence in architecture and was truly profound; it was thus a surprise when his proposed renovations to Ljubljana Castle, based on those he performed on Prague Castle in the 1920s, were rejected. He had hoped to turn the landmark into a Slovenska akropola (“Slovene Acropolis”), but the partial or entire destruction of the old fortress was unacceptable to the authorities. His next proposal, however, was a resounding success: off of Tivoli Park, Plečnik would place the Katedrala svobode (“Cathedral of Freedom”), a new parliamentary building for Slovenia involving a conical building surrounded by a square colonnaded false façade and topped by a towering cone. The construction materials for the Cathedral would be drawn mostly from American corporations.

    MATIJA MAJAR AIRPORT: Slovenia’s first civil airport was constructed in the municipality of Polje—just west of Ljubljana—in 1933. However, air traffic to the new Republic was increasing each year, and a larger airport would be needed to accommodate and invite tourists, businesspersons and other travelers flying into the new state. The new complex, located at Zgornji Brnik just north of the city, would feature a main terminal building with two large wings for incoming and outgoing flights, a control tower and several hangar buildings for the Slovenian Air Fleet and aviation companies. Officially entitled the Letališče Matije Majarja Ljubljana, Ljubljana’s new airport was named for Matija Majar, the progenitor of the Zedinjena Slovenija (“United Slovenia”) program of the country’s early independence movement. The Polje airport would be re-designated as an exclusively regional airport meant to handle smaller flights. Accompanying both renovations, the Slovene Civil Aviation Administration (Slovenian: Slovenska civilna uprava za letalstvo) would be formed by government legislation and declared, together with the Slovene Air Fleet, the “Slovene national aviation authorities” (Slovenian: slovenski nacionalni organi za letalstvo). The Slovene Ministry of Infrastructure, the parent organization of the SCAA, would now share the right to issue air traffic regulations with the Slovenian military.

    LJUBLJANA TRANSIT: Ljubljana’s public transit system, gradually expanding and improving since the early days of the city, would receive its largest investment in years with the construction of a new bus terminal and repair garage (the former in the center of the city and the latter in Šiška in the west), the purchase of several new trolleybuses to supplement its existing fleet, the construction of a modern streetcar line and extension of the existing tramway system. The streetcar line would run from the north of the city to the south, connecting the Zgornji Brnik airport with the Tivoli park and the new Cathedral of Freedom. The tramway would be extended to the airport as well and would also link to several new residential and commercial districts. The new bus terminal, in the center of the city, would allow for the Tromostovje and Kongresni trg to at last be pedestrianized according to Nagode’s wishes, as was the plan for the entire downtown area. The whole system would be operated by the newly created Municipal Transit Administration (Ljubljana: Mestna uprava za javni promet) and would be integrated into the new citywide traffic control system intended to prevent jams or inefficiencies in the overlapping public transport systems.

    HYDROGEN PEROXIDE MANUFACTURING: The industrial focus of the Marshall Plan lent a spotlight to Slovenia’s growing chemical industry. Rocketry firm Potočnik would establish the country’s first hydrogen peroxide factory under a subsidiary before the year’s end, hoping to vertically integrate the production chain of hydrogen peroxide rockets and build on a lengthy legacy of chemistry research and production in the country. The Slovenian Chemistry Institute under Max Samec—first established in 1946 to improve on coal-to-coke production methods—would consult the facility, and growing chemical firm Pregelj would accelerate its resin production plans in the face of Potočnik’s prospective competition. Other chemical factories established in 1948 would include a facility in Maribor to produce basic elemental extractions, a carbon black factory, a gas station and a gasworks, and a factory in Celje to produce cellulose and other materials for the paper industry.

    WATER SUPPLY AND CONSERVATION: Addressing a more fundamental logistical network, the Furlan-Krek government put forth a comprehensive plan to improve the national water infrastructure. New and improved waterworks, sewage facilities and dams were to be constructed en masse, and many existing ones would be renovated. A new water treatment plant was planned for the Sava river just south of Celje, and the Drava and Sava rivers were to be dredged. A proposal was put forth to increase the capacity of the Jeglič dam and others; several dozen hydroelectric engineers and water treatment technicians were flown to the United States for collaborative workshops on improvements in the field, hoping to create a unified hydroelectric and water treatment infrastructure that could yield sustainable power and safe drinking water. The government created the Slovenian Water Agency (Slovenian: Slovenska vodna uprava) to oversee the gargantuan effort being made in the waterworks, dams and waterways of the country, charging it with the regulation of water consumption and the implementation of water conservation methods.

    THE AIR FLEET: The Slovene Air Fleet had been in operation since the early days of the country, but it was only in 1948 that it became truly functional as a modern air force. American assistance in the field of aircraft, training and military technology was welcomed by the Slovenian government, and the Slovene Air Fleet would receive its first modern aircraft in the form of several F-51 Mustangs donated by the United States to the country’s air force. These would be supplemented by the country’s first jet aircraft, the Gloster Meteor F.4, which was acquired from the United Kingdom. The Air Fleet also received its first helicopter, the Sikorsky R-4, from the United States. The donations from abroad were commonplace in the development of the early Slovene military—Rhodesia had also generously supplied surplus weapons for the newborn country after the world war—and would hold the Slovenian military fast until domestic research and development was on firmer ground.

Altogether, the European Recovery Program would be a boon to Slovenia’s economy, providing jobs, expertise and investment for the country’s nascent industrial and technological ambitions. Skeptics of the program were to grow rarer as time went on; though the program would inevitably draw Slovenia to lean further on the West, the tangible benefits it had on the country could not be doubted.

      The Kingdom of Greece, The Condition of King George II, The King is Returned to Greece Well : The Future of the Kingdom Remains Uncertain!, April 1948
      Το Βασίλειο της Ελλάδος, Η υγεία του βασιλιά, Ο βασιλιάς επέστρεψε στην Ελλάδα καλά : Το μέλλον του Βασιλείου αβέβαιο!, Απρίλιος 1948

        Adriatican Islands, Canovia The Greek King and the Crown Prince! - Ο Έλληνας βασιλιάς και ο διάδοχος του θρόνου!

      | THE KING'S RETURN, ATHENS, GREECE, SOUTHERN BALKANS: | Η ΕΠΙΣΤΡΟΦΉ ΤΟΥ ΒΑΣΙΛΙΆ, ΑΘΉΝΑ, ΕΛΛΆΔΑ, ΝΌΤΙΑ ΒΑΛΚΆΝΙΑ: |

    | At the Carlanderska Sjukhuset Hospital in Gothenburg, United Nordic Kingdoms (Canovia), the King of the Hellens and Greek Monarch lay in bed, alive and somewhat well. George would recall the events that happened on the 23rd of February and were left shaken. A doctor would approach him, and speaking in broken English, he would state that the reason for George's 'incident', was due to a blood clot, stopping circulation to major organs of his body, such as his heart and lungs. The doctor later said that he was in the final stages of his overall treatment, and could go home by Early April. George left behind a weeping nation, he left his people to bare with the lack of a proper voice, a proper thought, and a will to improve the lives of the Greek people. On the 28th of March, he would leave the Nordic Kingdoms to loud applause and cheers, showing that even the Nordic people supported the King. On his voyage home, he would read the prescriptions and recommendations that the doctors gave him, and along with stating to eat a healthy diet and to be more active, was a note, stating that George, in the condition that he is in right now, would pass away in a few years. He would tear up, eventually coming down once he was faced with reality. |

    | The King would arrive in Athens harbor, and was once again like always, greeted by the people of Greece, and met with the crowd, walking with slight difficulty, and looking rather weak. And although his physical appearance was weak, his real condition was better than he had been before, with proper blood circulation and health conditions. He would walk to a Greek citizen who looked delighted, and the citizen asked, "Your Majesty, any speech today?", and George would reply, "Unfortunately, not today." While saying that, he would proceed to cough, however still had a smile on his face. And after even more greetings, he would leave for the Tatoi Palace, and on the ride, he would wave at the crowds cheering him on, George is delighted that the people of Greece were greeting and cheering him on, but of course, with him being gone, several skirmishes and issues had risen once more. News of yet another Liberal and Communist Judgement hit George hard, this time being a more critical statement on the condition of the Greek Monarchy. |

      "The days of the Greek Monarchy are numbered, it has been proven dysfunctional with the absence of George II, and has further been proven as a redundant and outdated system. And when old man George eventually dies, his brother will drive Greece further into the ground! George II is the end of the line for the Greek monarchy, and we must restore Greece to its former glory, just as she was during the days of the Second Hellenic Republic."

        - KKE Member, Markos Vafeiadis

      | BROTHERLY LOVE, MOUNT PARNITHA, GREECE, SOUTHERN BALKANS: | ΑΔΕΛΦΙΚΉ ΑΓΆΠΗ, ΌΡΟΣ ΠΑΡΊΘΑ, ΕΛΛΆΔΑ, ΝΌΤΙΑ ΒΑΛΚΆΝΙΑ: |

    | Although Vafeiadis' speech was highly exaggerated, it represented the primary issues of the Greek Monarchy, and how it functioned without a stable figurehead. His Excellency would eventually arrive at Tatoi Palace, a mere 27 kilometers away from Athens. There, Crown Prince Pavlos of Greece, his brother, was waiting. Pavlos or 'Paul', was George's younger brother, and heir to the Greek throne. George had no children meant that Pavlos would be the next in line for the crown. There, they would converse on George's health condition, and George would talk about the issues that the monarchy was facing. |

      | George II, King of Greece | “I'm not too sure about the future of the Greek Monarchy, communism is on the rise again, and now even more critics have been well, critiquing the systems that we have implemented in the country, these damn people won't stop complaining. The recent policies implemented to legalize Liberals and Communists couldn't appease them enough?”

      | Pavlos 'Paul', Crown Prince of Greece | “We can't stop them now can we? It's best to let go little by little, and let the people see for themselves their paths. You've done well too enough this year, and you need to rest. Just be weary on how much you let go, you don't want Nationalism to play havoc on Greece once more.”

      | George II, King of Greece | “Right, so you can take the crown for yourself then?”

      | Pavlos 'Paul', Crown Prince of Greece | “I'm saying this as your heir, and as your brother. You've been too overworked, let Tsaldaris or someone else you trust to take some more of the load, this isn't an absolute monarchy anymore, we have the parliament for a reason.”

      | George II, King of Greece | “I suppose you're right, what could go wrong? Tsaldaris is a strong man. And when I pass on, I'm sure you'll make a great future for the monarchy. And I suppose it's time to let go of the reins a bit, and perhaps even deal with these internal issues once and for all.”

      | Pavlos 'Paul', Crown Prince of Greece | “Now that's my brother - I mean, your Majesty. I wish you all the best in your future endeavors, and I hope you live a long life, my dear sibling.”

    | As Pavlos and the King said their goodbyes, George would return to Athens and visit the home of Prime Minister Tsaldaris. He would discuss the things to be introduced, Tsaldaris himself bringing up the topic of finally making a deal with the communists. Along with this, Tsaldaris brought up the idea of finally giving all previously banned political parties total freedom, his justification being that Greece is entering a modern age, and Greece needs to be prepared for it. The visit would be ended with a firm handshake, and preparations would be made to slowly give Tsaldaris and the Greek parliament more power, the monarchy slowly becoming a mere figurehead, but still playing an important role in Greek politics and nation building. |

        RÉPUBLIQUE FRANÇAISE
        
        FRENCH BUREAUCRACY 
        
        MINISTČRE DES COLONIES

      ______

      MINISTRY OF THE COLONIES: PARLIAMENT AUTHORIZES INCREASED INDUSTRIALIZATION EFFORTS IN FRENCH WEST AFRICA
      IVTH FRENCH REPUBLIC | PARIS, MAY 1948

    | HELM OF L’EMPIRE, MINISTČRE DES COLONIES, FRANÇAIS RÉPUBLIQUE - | The French Parliament has recently authorized the continued industrialization efforts for French colonies in West Africa. Through the form of a bill which allots up to $600,000,000 USD for the next three years, colonial governments can request access to these funds for the purposes of building schools, hospitals, clinics, new roads, factories, railway stations, airports, port facilities, etc. The bill also creates incentives such as tax breaks and government aid for French and even other foreign companies to establish branches in Western Africa.

    The primary goal of the bill which has now become a fledging government operation, is to all but entirely wean West African colonies off of the Parisian tit as one might call it. While West Africa will still heavily rely upon mainland France for some of the finer things as well as defense and the printing of money, most of what is available in France to include proper education and healthcare may soon be found in the colonies. A number of French car manufacturers have already signed deals with governments in Algeria, Morocco, Senegal, and Benin to build factories and begin producing their automobiles in those countries.

    • Bugatti - Oran, Algeria

    • Peugeot - Casablanca, Morocco

    • Renault - Cotonou, Benin

    • Citroën, Dakar, Senegal

    While manufacturers may receive government incentives to open branches in Africa, they will be required to maintain their same production levels of output in mainland France and will be required to pay the same wages and benefits to colonial African workers. The number of jobs being created in West Africa is close to 2 million and continues to rise at an exponential rate. With a broad education system already having been established in the years before the war, colonial residents remain readily able to fill jobs requiring a great deal of skill and training. Expansions to the colonial education system will prove this even further.

    Some of the first native doctors, nurses, lawyers, and scientists, etc are being created in West African universities. The same universities that the French government funded and continues to fund today. With the passage of the new bill, funding for the construction of even more primary and secondary schools as well as more colleges and universities will be completed. As the French government continues to westernize Africa and modernize it's infrastructure to mirror that in France itself, the levels of prosperity and human development have increased tremendously, making France a champion of African development. |

      ______

        VIVE LA RÉPUBLIQUE!
        
        VIVE LA FRANCE!
        
        VIVE L’EMPIRE!

    March 1947
    Modernization of the Air Force

INTERIM NORDIC UNITY COUNCIL LOOKS TO MODERNIZE MILITARY! FIRST PROTOTYPE JET-POWERED PLANE SUCCESSFULLY FLIES!

GOTHENBURG CONCERT HALL
GOTHENBURG, Canovia — MORNING

| With the war behind, left in history as the most destructive and deadliest war known to man, the question of modernizing the Swedish Armed Forces came into question. Though it was brief engagements between the German Staat and Sweden, the Swedish Armed Forces heavily relied on resistance forces to do most of the fighting, with late Prime Minister Per Albin Hansson rallying the working class people and their companies to help with the war effort (by switching production to making guns, ammunition, planes and tanks). Women throughout Sweden would also volunteer to the front lines as nurses, with a few even helping the Danish or Norwegian resistance in several engagements. Nonetheless, top military officials saw that Sweden had to rapidly modernize its Air Force, Navy and Army if it wanted to guarantee the security of Sweden.

With the Nordic countries (except Finland) voting in favor of forming the United Nordic Kingdoms — the militaries of all states would be merged into one, with documents and secrets being shared with all governments within the United Nordic Kingdoms. It was no secret that the military equipment of both Norway and Denmark pre-dated World War Two, and was therefore determined that the current stock of weaponry was outdated and could not hold well against any invading powers. With Sweden with the most “up-to-date” weapons, companies such as SAAB would begin conversion and testing prototype models of tanks, planes and weapons.

With major powers such as the United States, the United Kingdom, Germany and Italy having prototypes of jet powered aircraft (with them having successful tests), SAAB would begin to convert approximately 64 SAAB 21 planes to be jet-powered, as well as announce the SAAB 29 Tunnan, a new jet-powered fighter plane currently in development. The first SAAB 21R prototype (the converted SAAB 21 planes) would successfully pass its flight test in March of 1947, with the rest of the planes planned to be converted and operational by 1950.

      The Kingdom of Greece, Greece Invests in Arabian Infrastructure : Greek and Italian Monarchs Meet in Peace, Treaty of Friendship Signed!, May 1948
      Το Βασίλειο της Ελλάδας, Η Ελλάδα επενδύει στις αραβικές υποδομές : Έλληνες και Ιταλοί Μονάρχες συναντώνται ειρηνικά, υπογράφεται συνθήκη φιλίας!, Μάιος 1948

        Adriatican Islands, Alzarikstan and Arcanda - The Greek, Arabian, and Italian Delegations! - Η ελληνική, η αραβική και η ιταλική αντιπροσωπεία!

      | BENEFICIAL FOR BOTH, HERAKLION, GREECE, SOUTHERN BALKANS: | ΕΠΩΦΕΛΉΣ ΚΑΙ ΓΙΑ ΤΟΥΣ ΔΎΟ, ΗΡΆΚΛΕΙΟ, ΕΛΛΆΔΑ, ΝΌΤΙΑ ΒΑΛΚΆΝΙΑ: |

    | As His Majesty King George II recovers from his illness, and with Prime Minister Konstantinos Tsaldaris given more freedoms to do as he wishes, the latter leader now continues his endeavors to secure Greek diplomacy across the Mediterranean and the World. An important player in this was the Hashemite Kingdom of Arabia, whose oil and resources were key to Greek industrialization and ships. Greece and Hashimi Arabia had traded resources several times, with Greece even investing $50,000 in Arabian Education and Homes earlier in the decade. In addition to this, Greece provided aid to the domestic arms industry of Hashimi Arabia, sending military and engineer corps, along with blueprints and designs of tanks for Arabia to build on. In return, Greece received a handsome amount of oil at an extremely cheap price, with this, Arabia was credited for helping the Greek war effort and liberation by providing fuel for the Greek Armed Forces. With Greece now increasingly mechanizing its army, and with more Greek citizens now having access to cars and transportation, that oil isn't unlimited, and has to be constantly refueled and restocked. With this in mind, Greek Prime Minister Tsaldaris reached out to the friendly Arabians, organizing a deal. |

    | On the 5th of May, 1948, Arabian Finance Minister Taimur bin Feisal arrived in Athens, along with his suite and Arabian educators and investors. Their Greek counterparts were Prime Minister Tsaldaris, along with several dozen Public and Private Greek Investors. The deal started with standard introductions and greetings, and a handshake between Tsaldaris and Feisal. They would proceed to negotiate Greece into having a steady course of oil, 14,447,916 barrels to be exact over the course of 36 months, to put into perspective this would be a mere 1/12th of Arabian Oil produced per year. Although the numbers were not too impressive, it was enough to keep Greek transport and oil reserves afloat for at least 5 years. Payment would be through Greek investment in Hashemite Arabian Education, Salaries, and Infrastructure, totaling $17,337,499.20, to be paid over a course of 36 months. With the terms agreed upon, both sides got a good deal, Greece receiving an abundance of oil, and Arabia receiving funds for its development. The Arabian delegation would go back to Arabia successfully, the same being said for the Greek delegation back home. |

      | LET'S GIVE THINGS ANOTHER TRY, ROME, ITALY, SOUTHERN EUROPE: | ΑΣ ΞΑΝΑΔΟΚΙΜΆΣΟΥΜΕ ΤΑ ΠΡΆΓΜΑΤΑ, ΡΏΜΗ, ΙΤΑΛΊΑ, ΝΌΤΙΑ ΕΥΡΏΠΗ: |

    | In another attempt to expand Greek relations with Europe, was the rough road to establishing mutual understanding between the Kingdoms of Greece and Italy. Italy of course, infamously invaded Greece, with a struggle at that, however eventually succeeded in July 1941, annexing Greek lands, and forcing the Greek government to flee to Crete. From Crete, Greece would take the fight to the fascists directly, with constant air raids on Sicily and Rhodes being flown from Crete. Crete was also the sight on where Greek troops and the Allied coalition liberated mainland Greece, kicking the Italians out of the country. As a form of reparation, Italy ceded the Dodecanese Islands to Greece and had to pay a sum of $210,000,000 as reparations. Several vessels were also ceded to the Greek Navy as a form of reparation. Despite this, however, peace and relations, albeit rather complexly, were established in early 1947, with Greeks officially forgiving Italians for the crimes and acts they committed to the country during the war. But in this age, nations with similar ideologies, such as Slovenia and Egypt, are considered by Greeks as friendly nations, Italy being one of them. |

      "Despite Italy being Greece's main adversary during the Second World War, I nor the people of Greece necessarily hated the monarch nor the Kingdom of Italy, simply the Fascist Grand Council and that fool Mussolini. With King Umberto II's government, it is a strong possibility that Greece and Italy could cement relations doing into the decade, or perhaps even within the decade."

        - Greek Defense Minister Georgios Stratos

    | On the 27th of May, His Majesty George II, recovered, along with his brother, Crown Prince Pavlos, and their Royal Suites traveled to Rome, Italy, this time through aircraft. The plane landed at the Ciampino–G. B. Pastine International Airport in Rome, and was greeted with quite a bit of fanfare. Mostly photographers and newspaper writers, as the visit was not directly publicly announced and was kept to quite a certain level of secrecy. However, when the delegation hit the streets, traveling by car, they were greeted by Italian citizens, along with several Italian nationalists who didn't appreciate their arrival. The group eventually arrived at the Quirinal Palace in Rome, the home of Umberto II, the Italian Monarch. The Delegation shook hands with His Majesty, and when it came to George II and Umberto, a slight nod, followed by a handshake and a smile. Umberto was Italian Prime Minister Alcide De Gasperi, and their staff members. The meeting lasted a few hours, however finally established relations between Greece and Italy. Several diplomatic and investment deals were signed, but most importantly, a Treaty of Friendship and Peace. Despite this, however, Greece will not be supporting Italian claims in Slovenia and wishes to keep relations intact between both nations. |

    April 1947
    The Creation of NORDTRAK

GOVERNMENT BEGINS TO UNITE AND NATIONALIZE RAILWAYS! NORDTRAK ESTABLISHED!

GOTHENBURG CONCERT HALL
GOTHENBURG, Canovia — MORNING

| The national infrastructure of the United Nordic Kingdoms was disorganized, as many of the nation’s roads were either damaged from the war or unfit for long distance traveling. With many only owning vehicles within major population centers or still relied on rail and waterways — the need to invest in public infrastructure was great. Only a month into his term as the nation’s first prime minister, Einar Gerhardsen would begin the process of nationalizing all rail services in Denmark, Norway and Sweden (Greenland, Iceland and Faroe Islands do not have the need for extensive rail services), bringing them all under the name of NORDTRAK

    ”A reliable and affordable option of travel is a must for our nation. When the majority of the population still relies on rail to travel between cities — they deserve the best services that we can offer. Of course not all rail services will be under the NORDTRAK services, however they will follow government guidelines and regulations. Our goal is to expand and modernize our railways so we can connect every city and every town in our nation.”

    NILS LANGHELLE, Minister of Transportation

In the first steps of establishing NORDTRAK, various inspections had to be conducted on the rolling stock and the conditions of the tracks. While local operations would not be affected, long journey trips would be suspended in the coming months. Along with establishing NORDTRAK as the nation’s primary rail service, extensive projects would be proposed such as building either bridges or tunnels to connect to Denmark and possible extend limited services to Bayern kahla and New Provenance. Along with the implementation of NORDTRAK, the government has announced a budget to expand Metro services in the United Nordic Kingdoms, establishing tram lines, commuter rails and subways in Copenhagen, Stockholm, Oslo and Gothenburg.

| FORCEFUL LEADERSHIP |

| BANZA'S MANSION |

May, 1948

| The internal elections within the National Liberal Revival Movement are set to occur by October of 1948, and a harsh campaign of three candidates had began in February of this year. Gloria Banza, the current First Representative of Zaire, Fabian Nigoye, the current Head of the Finest Assembly and Marie Izuru, the leading figure of the Left Wing have put themselves forward as candidates. The past few months, however, have seen Banza steadily pull away from the race, and her appearances have become noticeably lower. Whereas Izuru has managed to pull up her public appearance amidst the party members. Nigoye, on the other hand, is failing hard amidst the party members.

As of May, Nigoye has realised that he will not stand a chance against Izuru, and his worry about Banza have become a reality. Iuzur's victory would mean that she would be leading the party into the 1949 First Representative elections, and if she managed to win them, she would be the First Representative for the next decade.

Sitting in the armchair, with a glass of whiskey in his hand, Nigoye would be observing Gloria pour herself a glass, before she lit herself a cigarette and standing still inhaled a deep breath. |

    [ FABIAN ]: "You're telling me that you want to step down?"

    [ GLORIA ]: "Yes."

    [ FABIAN ]: "I...I don't believe it..."

    [ GLORIA ]: "There is nothing for you to believe in, Fabian. I have enough."

    [ FABIAN ]: "Enough?!"

    [ GLORIA ]: "Yes, Enough!"

| Fabian would throw his glass to his left as it smashed against the wall making Gloria jump up. He would rise up quickly and calming himself down for a moment, he would look at her. |

    [ FABIAN ]: "I have done everything I could to make you powerful, Gloria."

    [ GLORIA ]: "I don't need to be powerful, Fabian."

    [ FABIAN ]: "But I do!"

| She would look at him sternly as he made his way towards her in a calm manner. |

    [ FABIAN ]: "We are fighting for something bigger here. To create a new society, a new state in the world. You're vital for it."

    [ GLORIA ]: "I'm sure you'll manage perfectly without me."

| Putting her cigarette out, Fabian would grab her by the wrist and pull her closer. |

    [ FABIAN ]: "You're necessary. You're the face of our revolution, of our change. The world loves you. The minute Izuru wins, we're doomed. We'll be seen as a Socialistic African state. Might as well hang ourselves now if that's the case."

| Gloria would release herself and move away. |

    [ GLORIA ]: "So it's about the elections. The fact that you cannot win with the party, and frankly you wouldn't be able to win with the people. So you want me. A likeable bimbo. Is that correct? Of course it is. No. Fabian. I am not a likeable bimbo anymore, I cannot be. I have a child, I want to move away from the spotlight."

    [ FABIAN ]: "Move away from the spotlight?! You're to go on a world tour soon enough, and a child...please. A child in a marriage of a sham. You're the party, and the party is you so long that you live. You need to lead. And win this election. So for the love of Christ get over yourself!"

    [ GLORIA ]: "Or what?!"

| Fabian would rush up to her and grab her by the throat. They would look at each other. |

    [ FABIAN ]: "Or the party will be dissolved. And the party is only dissolved when it's leader dies."

| Gloria would start breathing heavily as he let her go and moving away he would fix his suit. |

    [ FABIAN ]: "You wanted to lead, you lead. But that comes with consequences and I will not lose all my progress because of you and your mood."

| Fabian would light himself a cigarette. |

    [ FABIAN ]: "I'll make the necessary plans for your tour of Zaire to meet with party members. I'll withdraw my candidacy and pledge my support to you, Gloria. I have no doubt that due to your charm, we'll win very quickly."

| Smiling softly at her he would leave off. Gloria would collapse into her chair. After a moment of hesitation she would light herself a cigarette and holding in tears she would take a deep puff before closing her eyes. |

        RÉPUBLIQUE FRANÇAISE
        
        FRENCH BUREAUCRACY 
        
        MINISTČRE DES COLONIES

      ______

      MINISTRY OF THE COLONIES: ALGERIA FURTHER INCORPORATED INTO FRENCH REPUBLIC AND OIL-GAS FINDS SPARK NEW INTERESTS
      IVTH FRENCH REPUBLIC | PARIS, JUNE 1948

    | HELM OF L’EMPIRE, MINISTČRE DES COLONIES, FRANÇAIS RÉPUBLIQUE - | President Vincent Auriol has officialized a proclamation from Parliament which will further incorporate the colony of Algeria into the French Republic. The French colony of Algeria is in fact just as French or even more so than that of Metropolitan France itself. One could easily mistake the boulevards of Algiers for the same boulevards of Paris. Everything from the language, culture, cuisine, art, and sports are French by design. The idea that Algeria is more than just a mere colony is also backed by the fact that no less than 15 prominent French politicians can trace their roots back to Algeria. Thus President Auriol and the French Parliament are adamant on incorporating the gem of the Empire into the folds of the Republic.

    The proclamation from the French Parliament states that all Algerians are to be granted full French citizenship and shall enjoy the right to vote in all French elections. Additionally all Algerians are to enjoy the same liberties and rights as ordinary French citizens. The idea as it were is in fact to make Algerians ordinary French citizens. Given that Algeria is a predominantly Muslim country, Algerians shall have the right to practice their preferred faiths safely. Economic development reforms in Algeria which include plans to export oil to Europe via pipelines and education reforms which ensure all Algerians will be able to receive a full fledged education are also spelled out in the proclamation. All of the 9 million plus Algerians will officially become fledging members of French society.

    Meanwhile the prospect of oil and gas in Algeria are becoming evermore promising with the discovery of a new drilling sights. The Algerfranc Energy company is set to expand its operations in the coming weeks and months to increase output of both oil and natural gas products from the region. The company also has plans to build a oil and gas pipeline extending through Algeria, into Morocco (Al-morocco) and possibly up through Spain (Bescania) into France. President Auriol is prepared to meet with Spanish government officials to discuss the future of the project and potentially strike a deal as the pipeline would be exponentially beneficial to both countries. The French Government will also be investing $70,000,000 USD into funding for further oil and gas exploration throughout Algeria. |

      ______

        VIVE LA RÉPUBLIQUE!
        
        VIVE LA FRANCE!
        
        VIVE L’EMPIRE!

Nonador, Central arstotzka, Paseo, Nosautempopulus, and 9 othersAmsterwald, Victoria Harbor, Otsla, Pontianus, Ranponian, New Provenance, Adriatican Islands, Velha portuguesa, and Metalopol

    SHOWA 23 | JUNE 1948

      裕仁は退位するのか?
      WILL HIROHITO ABDICATE?

 S Y M B O L   O F   T H E   N A T I O N 

       オー・スネイル 富士山に登ろう でも、ゆっくり、ゆっくり 
      
      O Snail; Climb Mount Fuji But slowly, slowly!

TOKYO, IMPERIAL PALACE — AFTERNOON
THE LAND OF THE RISING SUN, Nippon-Nihon

| Rumors appeared in the Japanese press about a possible abdication of EMPEROR HIROHITO, but the IMPERIAL HOUSEHOLD denied it. Such rumors could not be denied, there was a clear reason for it. Even in his pre-war and war splendor, HIROHITO was not worshiped as a personal god, but as a SYMBOL OF THE NATION. Any man who had direct descent to the SUN GODDESS AMATERASU would also have his divine purpose. But now, HIROHITO is tainted for collaborating with Japanese leaders who started a war and were defeated. The EMPEROR’s collaboration will be highlighted when HIDEKI TOJO and other war criminals are brought to justice. |

| His son, CROWN PRINCE AKIHITO, 14, had no collaboration or involvement with war criminals: for the Japanese, he should be the symbol. The prevailing view they had was that HIROHITO would abdicate in favor of his son, with his brother, PRINCE TAKAMATSU, assuming a regency until AKIHITO came of age. Many Japanese who want to preserve the IMPERIAL INSTITUTION are more inclined to support HIROHITO’s resignation. Meanwhile, PRIME MINISTER HITOSHI ASHIDA’s Government imposes new budget cuts on the Imperial Household, sacked some of the Emperor’s officers, who still wore striped pants and tails. Riding his motorcycle through the Palace gardens, the Crown Prince seems to be in no hurry to become a symbol. |

    1948년 06월 | 1948 June
      Seoul | 한성
      The Republic of Korea

        The Two Korea’s

      | The initial intentions to establish a joint trusteeship over the Korean peninsula had for all intents and purposes failed. In the three years since Korea had been invaded by allied forces the divisions between north and south had become defined and prominent. The Democratic People’s Republic of Korea in the north had mirrored the Soviet ideology that occupied it in August 1945, whereas the Republic of Korea in the south attempted to mirror the capitalist ideology of the United States. |

      | The two halves of Korea had been attempting to sow division in the other halves, as the south cracked down on Communism and its purported sympathisers. In the north those that didn’t share the vision of the new communist order were cracked down upon. In the north the new regime seemed stable as it fulfilled its new twenty point plan to create what it considers an equal society. Meanwhile in the south, unity was something desperately sought after, as the crackdown fractured society. An uprising on Jeju Island was violently suppressed with the American Military assisting the Korean authorities, although officials said there were limited casualties. |

      | Tensions culminated in the Autumn General Strike that coincided with Assembly Elections in the Republic of Korea. The strikes were led by the Communist Party of Korea among other trade unions and left-leaning figures. The strikes were efficiently suppressed by the authorities and the first democratic elections in Korea went off largely without a hitch. Syngman Rhee’s National Association won the most seats in the elections but fell far short of a majority largely due to a large number of independents winning seats. This new assembly has the task of establishing the systems of what the Korean Republic will look like and how it will function. |

      | Tensions will not subside for sometime as Syngman Rhee purportedly favours a policy of military re-unification with the north despite lacking the military numbers and equipment of the north; the decision to keep US troops stationed in the South has caused outrage amongst the leadership in the north, as well as those in the former Changdeok Faction. Time will tell whether this new silent war will become the first conflict of ideology, but many believe it won’t be long before the skirmishes turn into war. |

      NOVEMBER 1947
      At Flushing Meadow II

    A Seriesą

     I F   I   F O R G E T   T H E E , O   J E R U S A L E M 

     POINT OF NEAR-PARTITION 

        As long as forward to the East
        To Zion, looks the eye –
        Our hope is not yet lost,
        It is two thousand years old,
        To be a free people in our land.

    THE United Nations UN GENERAL ASSEMBLY, FLUSHING MEADOW
    NEW YORK, NEW YORK, Paramountica — MORNING

        The story for both Jew and Arab had been, as expected, deeply personal and full of contention. For the United Kingdom Great Britain GB however, the nation that had rules the Mandate for roughly three decades — what began was a quest to “civilize” and come closer to these ancient lands, had become a nightmare. Out of any colony or place on earth, two years after the end of WWII, it was in Palestine where British soilders kept dying in combat at the hands of both Jewish and Arab terrorism. London had caught themselves two promises, made to two peoples, on a contradictory note. Both made to ease British arrival into the area, had inadvertently laid the seeds for the very reason for their withdrawal. Since the conclusion of the war, London’s persistent refusal — out of Arab concern — to allow survivors of the Shoah to return to their ancient homeland had brought them at odds with world Jewry as much as it did with Mandate Arabs who rejected any influx of Jewish refugees as they had since the 1920s — unable to resolve the issue for herself, London turned to the United Nations UN, hence the summoning of the commission and later topic before the General Assembly.

    | No nation on the floor of the UNGA supported a partition as a solution for the Mandate concern more than the United States Paramountica, at Flushing Meadow. For America, the intense movement within the country from the numerous and influential Jewish communities that resided within it led to a flood of petitions. Where once the country had been gripped by isolationism, refusing to heed FDR’s call for expanded Jewish immigration — it had now done so, under the guise of consequence — the Shoah. For the United States, the WALLACE Presidency had made it clear to its British friends that unrestricted immigration of displaced Jews into the mandate was the only moral course of action. It remained an irony however, despite the White House’s great focus on humanitarian — Congress refused to allow its own refugee bill out of committee, even as those very same American legislators urged the influx of Jewish refugees on the Mandate — only allowing 4,787 Jewish refugees into America, far less than even the average ‘illegal’ immigrant ship bound for the Mandate, on America’s very own shores. |

    WALLACE’s AMERICA EXERTION

    | Despite Congressional backstalling in Washington however, the WALLACE Administration used everything its diplomatic ability to urge the partition plan. By direct order of the White House, the U.S. State Department exerted every form of influence upon nations opposed to/hesitant of partition. HERSHEL JOHNSON, the U.S. Delegate to the United Nations had even been personally notified by The PRESIDENT to deliver the partition vote and it remained the highest item of America’s Fall ‘47 UN session, that year. BERNARD BARUCH, an American Jew and U.N. Advisor had shocked the French delegation’s ALEXADRE PARODI with a blunt threat. |

      | BERNARD BARUCH, UNAEC Representative | “If France
      opposes Partition, the President and America overall may consider cutting aid.”

    | Despite such efforts, Partition’s creation was threatened nevertheless. A ⅔ majority was required to pass partition through, to offset votes from Arab-Muslim nations alone — the leaders of the Jewish Agency needed 22 votes aproximently. For each vote AGAINST partition; two votes would be required FOR partition. |

        TWO-THOUSAND YEAR WAIT, PROLONGED

    | They had to, of course, wait a bit longer. The Jewish Agency’s Foriegn Minister, MOSHE SHARETT˛ knew as much. Forcing the session to adjourn on Wednesday before the vote could be called did just the thing — they had gained not just an extra night but a thanksgiving recess as well . . . During this recess, the United States took it upon itself to impose its urgency on four nations opposed to partition — Haiti, Liberia, Greece and the Philippines. All of which, by business or military fund support in the case of Greece, came around. As for the Philippines, a simple reminder of America’s historic friendship with the island nation had worked as well. |

        ANA AD HOSHIYA

    Saturday — NOVEMBER 29th, the Afternoon.

    | U.N. Delegates had begun to file into the Flushing Meadows UNGA hall for the final vote, the resolution nevertheless remained in doubt. It did so as the long black limousines drew before the U.N. session, the delegates filing out and into the building. The chanting crowds had built up along the New York streets outside, waving Zionist slogan banners & billboards . . . Soon enough, the 300 seats reserved for U.N. delegates had filled up. The stately figure of the Hashemite throne of Alzarikstan, moving with his solemn black/gold abayah grace led the Arab nation delegations to their seats — so crowded as the UNGA that some members of the Jewish Agency delegation squeezed themselves into the press gallery to watch the proceedings. Missing however was Dr. CHAIM WEIZMANNł, the ‘elder statesman’ of Zionism for most of the 20th century so far. He had been, an important part of the talks that led to the creation of the Balfour Declaration — his entire life had been a voyage to this moment — yet when informed of the time, overwhelmed with the presence of what was to occur, WEIZMANN had opted not to attend in person. |

    | The endless debates had an endpoint, and this was it. The preliminaries were quick, as expected. British Great Britain GB ambassador to the United Nations, Sir ALEXANDER CADOGAN maintained however a display of indifference. Over a week prior, the British Ambassador had laid out Britain’s policy — London would leave the Mandate on the day and hour of her choosing. Furthermore, the UNGA could not look towards His Majesty’s Government in any plan that had not been accepted by both Jew and Arab alike, something everyone knew was impossible, in a sense London was “washing her hands” of the Mandate for good . . . As afternoon came to evening, the Assembly President gaveled down the final speaker before the UNGA and called upon the recommendation of partition to be taken to vote now. There were around 60 sheets of paper, displaying the name of each of the nations represented in the UNGA session. That was how each ballot was to be counted, asn the first name soon enough came up. |

      | OSWADLO ARANHA, UNGA Assembly President | “Guatemala.”

    | The first nation to vote, as a spectre of silence settled over Flushing Meadow, for that instance, all 300 delegates, the press, spectators and viewers alike seemed aware of both the awe and grave solemoness about the decision about to be taken . . . as the DELEGATE from Guatemala rose, almost in unison, a voice proclaimed from the spectators’ gallery, in Hebrew, as old as the suffering of mankind and the passage of time. |

      | GALLERY SPECTATOR, Jewish Agency official | “הו אדון, הושיע! אותנו”

    | ANA AD HOSHIYA — O Lord, save us. |
    ____________
    ą A Series: If I Forget Thee, O Jeruslaem covers the Alternate History establishment of the State of Israel, and associated supportive and opposition groups.

    ˛ MOSHE SHARETT, was Israel’s “foreign minister” for the Jewish Agency, and later came Israel’s first actual Foreign Minister in 1948, and second Prime Minister. A member of Israel’s MAPAI party, the Workers’ Party of the Land of Israel.

    ł CHAIM WEIZMANN, was a Russian-born biochemist, Zionist leader and Israeli statesman who served as president of the Zionist Organization and later as the first president of Israel. During WWI, he developed a new biochemical method to ramp up wartime bomb production for the allied cause, in return Whitehall invited Weizmann to work with Arthur Balfour to obtain the Balfour Declaration, which was presented to Lord Rothshild on behalf of world Jewry for a national home at last.

      The Kingdom of Greece, The Greek Naval Fleet Travels to Trst for Modernization : Greek Coastal and Air Reconnaissance Units Put on High Alert!, June 1948
      Το Βασίλειο της Ελλάδας, Ο ελληνικός ναυτικός στόλος ταξιδεύει στην Τεργέστη για εκσυγχρονισμό : Οι ελληνικές μονάδες παράκτιας και αεροπορικής αναγνώρισης τίθενται σε ύψιστο συναγερμό!, Ιούνιος 1948

      | A DIFFERENT DELEGATION, TRST, SLOVENIA, BALKANS: | ΜΙΑ ΔΙΑΦΟΡΕΤΙΚΉ ΑΝΤΙΠΡΟΣΩΠΕΊΑ, TRST, ΣΛΟΒΕΝΊΑ, ΒΑΛΚΆΝΙΑ: |

    | At the end of the Second World War, the Greek fleet was devastated. Its flagships, the Salamis and Crete, were left damaged, Salamis even being partially sunk in Athens harbor, and its other vessels were handed over rusted and left neglected. Partial repairs were carried out in the remaining dockyards in Greece, however, these were only the bare minimum, and the ships were still left with worn-out guns, overused boilers, and other factors that made these ships' skeletons afloat. Although the RHMS Salamis and Crete, and the RHMS Georgios Averof and Ioannis Metaxas made voyages across Europe and Africa, changes still were needed to take effect, as not only are the ships damaged but also obsolete, they were built in the early 1930s. When the fleet arrived in Slovenia last year, however, a private deal was made with the Mašera Shipyard in Trst, a deal that would modernize the Greek Navy. |

    | The ships to be sent to Trst is primarily made up of Greece's capital ships, however, several smaller vessels and coastal defense ships would be sent along with them. The fleet sent for modernization would comprise the Battlecruisers RHMS Salamis and Crete, Battleships RHMS Athena and Poseidon, RHMS Aetos and Leon, RHMS Xenon and Perses, the cruisers RHMS Georgios Averof and Ioannis Metaxas, RHMS Adrias and Aspis, RHMS Elli and several destroyers of the Kountouriotis Class and Hydra Class. The ships were sent out of their respective naval bases, and sent to Trst by June 23rd, arriving on June 27th. The ships would be refitted with secondary guns, the designs being Greek, and derived from Italian designs. Engine modifications and superstructure modernizations would also be carried out, overall changing the look and silhouette of the ships. Payment for Slovenian modernization will be at a minimal cost, however, around 25-50% of the initial cost is to be paid through goods traded via the Greco-Slovenian MDA. All vessels are scheduled to arrive back in Greek ports by 1950, and the first vessels are to arrive by late 1948. |

      | ON HIGH ALERT, GREECE, SOUTHERN BALKANS: | ΣΕ ΎΨΙΣΤΟ ΣΥΝΑΓΕΡΜΌ, ΕΛΛΆΔΑ, ΝΌΤΙΑ ΒΑΛΚΆΝΙΑ: |

    | For years, and ever since the days of the Byzantine Empire and Hellas, the Greeks always relied on their powerful navy for missions, observations, and overall being the backbone of the armed forces. However with the navy's capital and coastal defense vessels now gone, there is a substantial lack of reconnaissance and observation vessels, and now the navy has to rely on older classes of destroyers and no capital ships. However, this was expected, and the servicemen operating these vessels were well trained, and the armaments on these smaller ships, while not being as impressive as Greece's capital ships, are a rather formidable force to deal with. As a substitute, however, was the mighty Hellenic Air Force. Although not equipped with jet planes like the Rhodesian and Azanian Air Forces, the RHAF's Air Force comprising of Spitfire, Hurricane, and Gladiator Fighter Planes, along with the Wellington, Battle, and Baltimore Multirole Planes are perfectly enough to do the job. All units of both coastal and air forces have been put on high alert, and constantly patrol the Greek seas and skies during this time of the navy's absence. |

THE HOLY COUNCIL UNDER LINDEN LEAVES

    CHURCH OF PLANINA ZUETA—AFTERNOON
    CARNIOLA—SPRING 772

    https://i.imgur.com/Zwb9GKa.png

Birdsong lightened the air as Prince Tihomir waited in the shadow of the wise sveta lipa (“holy linden tree”) before Sveta Planina’s august church. An austere, centuries old pavilion stood beside it, as if watching him. The sun shone warmly overhead as the first, honeyed days of summer drew near. It was a day worthy of song—but Tihomir could not enjoy the beauty of it. Dark clouds haunted the horizon of his mind; the death of Karlman I., leader of the Franks, had left the formidable Karel I. with sole uncontested power in Francia, to which Tihomir’s Carniola was a tributary principality. The King—a stern, literate, many-talented man who would later be called Karel Veliki, or Charlemagne—was an existential threat to the future of Carniola, and Tihomir knew it. Whispers of Karel’s hope to incorporate tributary states into Francia were ominous, and Tihomir could not bear to let the tongue of his mother and father be broken under Frankish domination.

Thus the Council had been called. Indeed, the scholarly, cautious Tihomir had no great love for Valjhun: the brusque, unapologetic prince of neighboring Carantania and a determined rival of Tihomir’s people. The two states had fought as one against Croat intrusions a few decades before, when Tihomir’s father Krvan had been Prince, but that was long ago. Insults leveled against Tihomir’s young son Vojnimir and minor border disputes had turned a once cordial relationship into one defined by friction. Tihomir knew, however, that this could not last. If Carniola and Carantania could not reckon with Karel, then they would face assimilation and submission to the Frankish crown. A few months previously, Tihomir issued an invitation to Valjhun to come to Planina Zueta—Sveta Planina in modern Slovene—near the two states’ border. There, they might find cause for unity. The last week had seen the two attend daily Mass together and eat and talk under the linden tree of Sveta Planina’s church and its neighboring pavilion; today was slated to be the last day of Valjhun’s visit, however, and would be the most important. No conclusion had yet been reached.

And then came Prince Valjhun of Carantania, clad in his distinct red tunic and belt laced with gold. Dark blond hair accented a stern, middle-aged face crowned by a bushy mustache. He bore no scabbard or crown—today’s would be a humble meeting. Still, he met Tihomir with obvious confidence, arms spread wide.

    VALJHUN: “Our last day.”

The Carniolan prince offered a tired smile.

    TIHOMIR: “So it is.”

A pause held the air as the two stood facing one another; Valjhun broke it, approaching the tree. The two princes sat down in synchrony—they were, strangely, alone. Their courtiers and retinue were told to remain in the church.

    TIHOMIR: “You know that this must happen. The—”

    VALJHUN: “Yes, yes—the spirit of Hotimir compels me. Of course. I have been thinking about it every waking minute of these damned days. Stop your worrying.”

    TIHOMIR: “You know that the Karolingi will end us if we do not.”

At this, Valjhun offered his own weary smile. His deep blue eyes carried confidence, but also a certain solemnity.

    VALJHUN: “In that you are correct. It is only the inattention of the Franks that has spared us so far. I resent this tribute—this we have discussed—but I admit now that I would far rather pay it than starve away as a forgotten once-lord, my kin left to rot for all time.”

    TIHOMIR: “Then—then it is done? Truly?”

A kind of incredulousness was held in Prince Tihomir’s voice, though it was smothered by exhaustion. Valjhun responded with a wry grin.

    VALJHUN: “Yes, you Carniolan bastard. Indeed, I see no other way. We’ll pay our tribute, but we’ll do it as one—we’ll negotiate as one. Karel would be a bold one to resist it, given all of his quarrels with Deziderij Langobardski.”

    TIHOMIR: “The Pope—the Pope’s designs are beyond us in that matter.”

    VALJHUN: “Right you are, Tihomir. Right you are.”

Valjhun rose from the brief exchange. His mind had clearly been made up long before.

    VALJHUN: “So what am I now? A soknez (“co-prince”) in this ‘Holy Union’ of yours?”

    TIHOMIR: “We both are—we will fight as one and speak as one.”

    VALJHUN: “Well—you had better mean that. I get no reprieve from the heathens, you know. The old Črtomir and his bloody son have evaded me for months now. I need more men.”

    TIHOMIR: “Those you shall have.”

Tihomir exhaled deeply as he stood to join Valjhun.

The two started for the church, where they would declare the news—and good news it would be. The peasantry of Carantania and Carniola saw little cause for the strife between their two lands, seeing the eastern Croats as a far greater threat. The Holy Union would thus be one to last for the coming generation; Carantania and Carniola would be ‘brother kingdoms’ for nearly a century, when another Slavic Frankish vassal—Kocelj—would take them for his own Duchy of the Wends. Still, the ‘Great Council’ of Tihomir at Sveta Planina would be an event long remembered as a key step in preserving Slovene identity in the face of a Germanic tide.

    I decided to finally take the plunge into medieval alternate history—the Principality of Carniola, the Duchy of the Wends and all of the events herein are complete fiction. The point of divergence for this Slovenia is in ancient times—the Slovenes of this universe are slightly more numerous, and here are collaborating to use those numbers in the protection of their influence.

    The meeting of Tihomir and Valjhun at Sveta Planina is not originally mine: it comes from Joža Bezeg’s Independent Kingdom of Slovenia alternate history timeline. This adaptation, however, is indeed my own, and it serves a completely different purpose here; in Bezeg’s work, it forms the first Kingdom of Slovenia, an entity that would eventually lead to the survival of a modern-day Slovenian monarchy. Here, however, its aims are more humble: consolidating power for Frankish tribute negotiations.

    Either way, I’m miserably new to dialogue writing and so on. Hopefully this is interesting, and if not, it will get better!

      FIGHT, PHILIPPINES!
      
      LABAN PILIPINAS!

| NATIONAL ECONOMIC RECOVERY PLAN BEGINS IN SEVERAL STAGES UNDER VICE PRESIDENT OSMENA

MANILA - President Manuel L. Quezon signed into law the National Economic Recovery Plan of 1948 in a rare closed-doors ceremony attended by several senators from both sides of the aisle who worked together to pass the bill as soon as possible this month. The plan, dubbed in its easy fight through Congress as the 'Quezon Plan', was dedicated to restarting Philippine industry and strengthening the state of the Philippines' social stage, primarily in the terms of welfare and healthcare. The bill had worked its way through the Philippine Congress throughout the previous months and only passed after an agreement was reached between Quezon's Nacionalista Party and Senate Minority Leader Elpidio Quirino of the Liberal Party. Vice President Sergio Osmena - in light of the president's weakening state of health due to age - was appointed to spearhead the massive project of investments, infrastructure that the NERP called for.

The plan called within government for the establishment of a National Reconstruction Commission, of which the Vice President was appointed to lead. The NRC would oversee the official process of reconstruction and together with the Commission on Audit (COA) and the Department for the Interior and Local Government (DILG) ensure that the funds provided for reconstruction would be moved towards the right projects and to maintain the transparency emphasized by President Quezon in last year's State of the Nation (SONA) address. Up to 50 million pesos would be allocated for the redevelopment of the Province of Manila area, along with over 500 million pesos over the next five years to develop the infrastructure of the capital region. Plans to reconstruct and expand the capacity of the Cordillera Line - initially proposed by then-congressman Manuel L. Quezon - to strengthen its versatility and efficacy in light of heavier and higher-capacity trains and to extend its reach to the Subic Bay Area, where a U.S. navy base is being built.

The National Housing Development Agency - signed into law by President Quezon in 1939 - was also re-established by a Senate Resolution that re-affirmed the NHDA's mission to develop housing, especially for the war-torn citizens of Manila and the surrounding municipalities. President Quezon - cane in hand - attended a ceremony for the opening of several camps facilitated by the NHDA to temporarily provide support and overnight shelter for homeless Filipinos whose residences were destroyed in both Japanese and Allied bombings. In the Senate, Vice President Osmena affirmed the 'extreme need' to 'rebuild our homes and rebuild new shelters for the Filipinos, for our suffering countrymen', alongside 'facilitating for the national economic recovery'.

President Quezon also signed another Senate bill reauthorizing funding for the Visayas Infrastructure Act of 1940, whose development was delayed by the outbreak of the Second World War. The Visayas Infrastructure Act sought to greatly improve connectivity and transport-based infrastructure in the Visayas island group over the next ten years, and proposed for the construction of three airfields, a vast network of roads, and multiple brand new ferry stations across Leyte, Negros Island, Bohol, and Cebu provinces. The plan saw increased funding from the national government, but could not be implemented in practice until funding from the United States was secured. With the rise of the American Recovery Program, however, President Quezon began lobbying his foreign department to focus on securing investments, loans and support from the U.S. to continue the economic recovery.

However, it could potentially be too late. The first two years of Quezon's first administration over a fully-independent Philippines was empty and mostly symbolic. Legislation was passed on cultural matters and rounding up remnants of Japanese resistance in the islands, but in-practice recovery legislation was delayed by a Congress filled with moderate NP members who stood their ground on various issues. While the NERP was eventually passed into law, a pulse poll by Pulse Philippines, a state-owned polling corporation, found that 47% of Filipinos believed that the country's recovery - both economically, socially and personally - was moving too slowly. Nonetheless, the ageing President Quezon moved forward.

    𝐍𝐄𝐔𝐄𝐒 𝐃𝐄𝐔𝐓𝐒𝐂𝐇𝐋𝐀𝐍𝐃 | JUNE - JULY 1948
    SECOND "BATTLE FOR BERLIN"!

B E R L I N   B L O C K A D E

BERLIN (EAST) — MORNING
SOVIET OCCUPATION ZONE, East Germany DDR

    | On the morning of 24 June 1948, Berlin residents woke up to a confused and chaotic situation that had descended over the entire Greater Berlin area, east and west sectors included. The Soviet Military Administration has officially imposed a blockade on the transportation of goods to the Western allied occupation zones of Berlin. Rail traffic has come to a halt, military convoys are waved back. |

    | The decision to blockade came as a shock, but not as a surprise. Already in March and April, the Soviet Occupying Fores issued orders restricting Western military and passenger traffic between the American, British and French occupation zones and Berlin. Though these measures were suspended soon after their implementation, Soviet forces have continued to sporadically interrupt inter-zone transit. On 24 June, the Soviets finally severed land and water connections between the non-Soviet zones and Berlin. That same day, the decision was made to halt all rail and barge traffic in and out of Berlin. As of June 25, the Soviets have stopped supplying food to the civilian population in the non-Soviet sectors of Berlin. Motor traffic from Berlin to the western zones is permitted, but this requires a 23-kilometre (14 mi) detour to a ferry crossing due to ongoing critical repairs on bridges. Reports indicate that the Soviets in East Germany have also cut off the electricity relied on by Berlin. |

    | The blockade signals a further deterioration in relations between the former Allies, as well as hardening struggle over the control of Berlin and Germany. Moves towards the formation of a West German state have aggravated the Soviets and frustrated cooperation. East Germany has struggled with reconstruction and economic recovery. Reports that West Germany is kick starting automobile production and rebuilding critical rail infrastructure has provoked jealous resentment in the East. The recent creation of the Deutsche Mark has now prompted retaliation in the form of sudden and drastic currency reform in the Eastern Zones, with implications for life in the Western Sectors of Berlin as well:|

    East Germany DDR wrote:SMAD Order No. 111/48 of June 23, 1948: On the Implementation of Currency Reform in the Soviet Occupation Zone of Germany

    As of the 24 June 1948 new currency will be introduced on the territory of the Soviet Occupation Zone of Germany and on the territory of the Greater Berlin Area: Reichsmark and Rentenmark according to the old design, with specially attached coupons.
    The Reichsmark and Rentenmark with specially attached coupons, as well as circulating small coins, are the only lawful currency in the Soviet Occupation Zone and Greater Berlin area.
    […]
    The entire population, managers of all enterprises, organizations and institutions of the Soviet Occupation Zone and Greater Berlin Area are ordered to gather together their respective sums of Reichsmark, Rentenmark, and Mark of the Allied Military Authorities and deliver them to the Credit Instittuions for the purpose of exchanging them for the new bills – namely Reichsmark and Rentenmark of the old design with specially attached coupons.

    | Now, great anticipation has set in as Berliners and the Soviet Military Administrations wait for a response from the international community. The conditions in West Berlin, which currently has an estimated 36 days worth of food and 45 days worth of coal in storage. Militarily, the Americans and British are greatly outnumbered. A forceful occupation of West Berlin by the Red Army would catch Western Allied formations completely off guard. A counter-blockade and sanctions on the East German sectors are to be expected, in which case material shortages would only further stiffle economic recovery. While the second (still only economic) battle for Berlin has begun, the end-game remains unclear. |

FIRST EDITION OF ZGODOVINSKI ČASOPIS BRINGS NEW HISTORICAL INSIGHTS

    A WINDOW TO THE PAST
    SLOVENIA—SPRING 1948

On 12 June 1948, the first edition of the Zgodovinski časopis (“Historical Review”) academic journal was officially published under the editorship of Slovene medieval historian Bogo Grafenauer. Another fruit of the Slovene Renaissance, the journal’s contributors are an esteemed panel of accomplished historians from throughout the Republic, each of whom has apparently rejoiced with a new outlet at last emerging for historical dialogue. Its realms include the history of Slovenia, the history of the Slovenes, and the history of the South Slavs—for these subjects, the journal’s editorial staff already has a publication list backed up for the next two of its biannual editions. Peer-reviewed articles and reviews of recent historical publications will form Zgodovinski časopis’s chief content; the first edition contained the most prestigious of these submitted throughout the journal’s year-long development process.

The opening entry was a comprehensive historical analysis of the medieval Holy Union of Carniola and Carantania, while another would focus on the Union’s end and its evolution into the Duchy of the Wends under Kocelj. Further submissions expanded upon the historical understanding of the context of the Zedinjena Slovenija (“United Slovenia”) movement of the mid-1800s and the House of Koceljič’s patronage of France Prešeren, alleged to have saved the poet from his heavy drinking and contributed to his long life of eighty-three years. Prešeren completed two epic poems considered to be the Slovene national epics: Krst pri Savici (“Baptism on the Sava”) and Tujčeva smrt (“The Death of a Stranger”). The journal also published a modernized and annotated version of Adam Bohorič’s brief biography of Primož Trubar; the two had been contemporaries, with Trubar publishing the first texts in Slovene and Bohorič codifying the first Slovene alphabet. The final entry was a solemn review of the Tolmin Peasant Revolt of 1713, exploring the cruelties and abuses that culminated in the violence.

In the absence of a truly dedicated academic journal for historical study, Zgodovinski časopis fast became the most respected publication in the field; Grafenauer would go on to label it an ‘intellectual lighthouse’ in 1949. It was indeed a source of light in Slovene historical study, but so too was it a prism refracting the light of Slovene academia in a particular way—the journal’s contributors were all united in the view that the study of history was a way to legitimize the Slovene nation, but it gathered their diversity in thought and interest, shining forth a panorama of the Slovene people. The journal’s second edition is due in December, and its release will coincide with an international historical conference entitled “The Medieval Roots of the Slovene Nation.”

    1948년 07월 | 1948 July
      Korea | 한국

        President Rhee & Premier Kang

      | The National Assembly of the Republic of Korea today elected its first President, Syngman Rhee was one of two candidates put forward for the role the other being Kim Gu the former leader of the Provisional Government. Rhee won with a landslide of delegates backing him, it was later revealed that Gu hadn’t known about his nomination until after the voting had finished, which made Rhee’s election all but certain. |

      | Rhee is known for his hard-line stance against communism and his closeness to the US Government and General Douglas MacArthur; Rhee was born in 1875 in Gaeseong and educated at a school run by American missionaries in Seoul where he converted to Christianity. He founded a daily newspaper and organised protests against corruption and against Japanese and Russian designs on Korea, by removing King Gojong from power. For this, he was jailed in 1897. For seven months of this seven-year sentence, his head was locked in a wooden weight, his feet were in stocks and his hands cuffed. He was beaten with rods and had oiled paper wrapped around his arms and set on fire. |

      | Rhee has his fairshare of doubters; the former members of the Provisional Government, which was the longest in existence, had Rhee impeached in 1925 for misuse of power which many of them believe is a clue to what his presidency will unfold as. Rhee ignores these accusations claiming that they are merely bitter to have not had a role in rebuilding Korea following the US occupation. Time will tell whether Rhee can reunite Korea or even keep the south together itself. |

      | In the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea it too elected its first new leader in the form of Kang Ryang-uk, in a no less democratic manner. All parties in the newly formed Supreme People’s Assembly aligned with the Democratic Front for the Reunification of Korea, who support Kang as Premier of the DPRK, only 16 candidates in the election were from parties not a member of the DFRK none of which won election. |

      | Kang was rather an unknown factor in Korea’s independence movement, not to say he wasn’t active, but his selection as the favoured leader by the Soviets came about as others either fell out of favour or declined the position, like his nephew Kim Il-sung, who has since taken up a less senior cabinet position. Kang is a well known former Presbyterian minister having completed studies in Theology at Pyongyang University in the 1940s, before which he was teacher, and even taught his nephew. Initially founding the Korean Christian Federation which was closely aligned to the Communist Party of Korea, which now all ministers have to register to. Kang quickly became the favoured choice of the Soviet leadership after Kim Il-sung declined the position to take up a less senior position in favour of his uncle who was seen as a rather charismatic figure thanks to his sermons as a minister. |

      | Kang, unlike many of the candidates initially suggested to the Soviets, favoured the idea of a trusteeship despite its unpopularity believing it could help create a stable beginning for Korea under the watchful guidance of the Soviet Union. His policies so far have strongly distanced the north from its southern counterpart. The northern half of Korea is a mineral rich area with a large industrial sector; with recent land redistribution helping the agricultural sector recover as most of the farmland was south of the 38th Parallel. |

      | As the two men take the reigns of their respective halves of Korea, which they both claim to be the sole legitimate successor state to the Empire of Korea, it will be seen whether they can reconcile their differences to eventual reunite the Peninsula or whether they will doom Korea to be forever divided between north and south. Occasional border clashes have already occurred since 1945 but have seen an uptick since the two nations were officially declared independent, with President Rhee already sabre-rattling in a speech which he declared a ‘march to the north’. Korea’s first focus should be on fixing the abject poverty in which many live, but for now it seems to be who will invade who. |

THE ALPINE STARS: SLOVENE OBSERVATORIES AND MOUNTAINEERING IN 1948

    BENEATH THE SPARKLING COSMOS
    SLOVENIA—SUMMER 1948

    https://i.imgur.com/C6SRBc8.png

A robust culture of mountaineering and forestry has always been a pillar of the Slovenes. Fastly tied bonds to the woods and wolds of the land enliven the Slovenian spirit; the celebrations were great when the ancient forests of Carinthia and Styria acceded to the Slovene Republic in 1945, and they have been for good reason. The years since have seen a rebirth of hiking, stargazing and woodcraft in Slovene Lands. The 6th of June, 1948, saw the government-sanctioned Alpine Association of Slovenia (Planinska zveza Slovenije, PVS) form from the Slovene Alpine Club. Fedor Košir, a leading attorney for mountaineers, emerged as its President and forged strong ties with the related Slovenian Mountain Rescue Service (Planinska reševalna služba Slovenije, PRSS); the two are set to partner with the IUCN on the official establishment of the International Union for Conservation of Nature in October and are already in talks with officials of the Triglav national park. All of these developments have blossomed from the fruit of Slovenian forestry, and soon Slovenian eyes would gaze both woodward and skyward.

Slovenia’s break with the Kingdom of Yugoslavia had left the country without a national observatory and robbed passionate astronomers of the tools to properly train and study. Thus, collaborating with volunteer groups in the area, the University of Ljubljana broke ground on an astronomical observatory in the hilly Inner Carniolan town of Črni Vrh (lit. “black pass”) in August. Calls for the observatory had been long present—Lavo Čermelj, a Slovene diplomatic and legal expert persecuted under fascist Italian rule, had dedicated an unusual amount of time to promoting scientific astronomy, and career astronomers were all too eager to join him. Slovene astronomy has enjoyed a long and proud history; accomplished Slovene astronomers include Franc Breckerfeld, Benedikt Ferretti, Andrej Kobav, Joahim Košutnik, Andrej Krajec, Viljem Ogrinc, Janez Jakob Olben, Bernard Pergerl, Andrej Perlah, Josip Reisner, Janez Krstnik Schoettl, Ivan Sušnik, Matija Vertovec, the medieval Herman of Koroška, Janez Lezicij, and Črnel of Mažadan. Perhaps most interestingly of all, Carniolan missionary Ferdinand Avguštin Haller von Hallerstein spent decades in the court of the Qianlong Emperor of China in the 1800s, where he supervised the construction of the leading astronomical instruments of the Beijing Ancient Observatory, later becoming the first demographer to calculate the Chinese population precisely. In the 20th century, the leading voice in Slovene astronomy has so far been Pavel Kunaver, a teacher and forester who has long publicly encouraged a lifestyle of mountaineering and the dual enjoyment of the forests and the stars: he has already published seven popular books, most recently Pastir v Zlatorogovem kraljestvu (“The Shepherd in the Goldhorn’s Kingdom”) in 1945. Kunaver was even brought on as an honorary consultant for the Črni Vrh project, though physicist Franjo Dominko—formerly on the staff of Belgrade’s royal observatory—would ultimately be its superintendent with private observatory builder Ivan Tomec as vice superintendent.

Kunaver’s advocacy has also been instrumental in the establishment of the Slovenian Alpine Museum (Planinski muzej Slovenije, PMS), which was inaugurated in the Krištof House in the Ljubljana suburb of Bežigrad on the 28th of August. Slovenian President Boris Furlan himself attended the opening, as did Kunaver, Fedor Košir, and amateur astronomer Rudolph Wrus; Furlan aptly proclaimed that “no Slovenian can forget the Alpine spirit of brotherhood and camaraderie, which has seen us through the darkest of times and which we now renew in the light of a better future.”

The war of the Lumpurian Archapelago continues

February 14, 1945
As Southern Lumpurian and Uncian forces advance into our territory, we'll send a total of 125,000 troops to both the nations. We'll land the troops in Kartilov, Southern lumpur and Luician, Uncia. We'll start re-taking the north then start to push troops and make a bridge to the north, then encircle each region. We'll also try to research into stronger bombs.

We will take our rightful lands back!

Nonador and Korea 17

«12. . .92,00992,01092,01192,01292,01392,01492,015. . .92,18192,182»

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