A/N: I do not own Harry Potter or anything associated with it.
FOURTEEN
(Headline of The Britannian Imperial – May 8, 1996)
Increasing tensions in North Africa; Holy Empire of Britannia and Prussian Empire glaring daggers at each other
Alexandria, Egypt – Elements of the Britannian 8th Army – the principal Britannian unit in Egypt – went on high alert late last night following reports that an unidentified flying object was spotted above one of their forward bases.
Speaking on condition of anonymity because he had not been officially authorized to speak with the media, a Britannian major confirmed that the 23rd Infantry Division and the 34th Infantry Division of IX Corps went into 'the highest level of alert' after radar had spotted an object flying high above the border between the North African League and Egypt. There has been no confirmation that both divisions had been ordered to stand down as of the present time.
This disturbance came just two weeks after a Britannian fishing vessel was sunk off the coast of North African League Tunisia after it was rammed by a North African League warship who allegedly mistook the fishing vessel as a warship. Four Britannian citizens were killed as a result of that incident and the Holy Empire is still demanding reparations from the North African League. The League, however, continue to refuse the demands of the Holy Empire.
Tensions had always been high between the Holy Empire of Britannia and the North African League, but the recent ascension of North African League Army Chief of Staff Field Marshall Muamar Saif al-Hussein has served as a major catalyst in further heightening tensions.
The new leader of the North African League had repeatedly called for Egypt to be handed over to the North African League and for the Holy Empire to withdraw from the territory. In this endeavor, the leader of the North African League had found an unlikely ally in the Prussian Empire, specifically, the premier of the Reichstag, Adalbert Kohn.
"The wish of the sovereign North African League is the wish of the world in this case," the Prussian premier was quoted as saying before when asked about the situation in North Africa, "Britannia must withdraw from Egypt and allow the people to rule themselves."
"It's easy for the Prussians to say that," Minister of Defense Kyle Procter said when confronted with the statements of the Prussian Premier, "After all, they are not the ones who would have to deal with the vacuum that would be surely created should we pull out of the area, perhaps they should look at the problem from a different perspective, and with different participants, how about the demands of the Scandinavian League that they pull out from Gotland, or even the request to demilitarize Riga?"
Egypt, being the location of the Suez Canal, is one of two highly strategic gateways of the Holy Empire, the other being Panama. The Suez Canal connects the Red Sea with the Mediterranean Sea and thus, serves as an important communications hub between the mainland Holy Empire and the Empire's territories in South Asia including the headquarters of the Colonial Fleet in Diego Garcia.
Despite the advances in flight that had occurred over the past few decades, countries are still dependent upon regular ships unable to take flight to carry most of their seaborne trade. In the Holy Empire, aside from the one thousand plus warships of the Imperial Fleet, there are only three hundred large size civilian cargo ships that are capable of flight, and only because these ships are officially considered to be part of the Fleet Reserves.
Unfortunately, the Mediterranean is a major communications hub not only for the North African League but also for the Prussian Empire. Both nations would rather not see the entrances to the Mediterranean under the control of the Holy Empire, but both entrances to this body of water are actually flying the Britannian flag as the only other entrance aside from Suez would be Gibraltar, which is Britannian territory.
This is not the first time that Prussia has advocated Britannian withdrawal from her territories near the Mediterranean. As late as last year, Prussia officially requested that the Holy Empire withdraw from Gibraltar and even went so far as to offer to be mediator between the Holy Empire and the Kingdom of Spain whom the Prussian Empire suggested should take possession of Gibraltar.
During the height of that incident, both the 8th Army and the North African League Armed Forces went into high alert as the possibility of clashes between the two escalated. The Imperial Naval Grand Fleet also sent two squadrons of armored cruisers to reinforce the defenses at Gibraltar at the height of the incident, with the commander of the Grand Fleet, Prince Alexander Charles York publically moving his flagship from his headquarters in Waldenstein Naval Yard, Scapa Flow to Bermuda, a symbolic sign that the Grand Fleet is moving closer to the anticipated theater of operations.
The incident was defused only after the Britannian parliament voted to allow Lord Alexander to establish a quarantine zone against the Prussian Empire, with the authority to order Prussian ships sailing from the North Sea to return to Prussia or to be detained. In the wake of this vote, the Prussian Reichstag decided to formally withdraw its offer and their proposal died.
The recent incident would surely cast a dark shadow during the coming annual conferences of world leaders to be held the next month in Lima, Peru. Both the Prussian Premier and the Prime Minister of the Holy Empire of Britannia had publicly committed to attend the conference, but there is a precedent for both men should they decide to back out of this commitment. The leader of the North African League, Field Marshall al-Hussein – whose official title is Chairman of the Supreme League Council – had not been invited to attend owing to his less-than-stellar record as a leader, both before and during his tenure as the head of the North African League.
For the soldiers who make up the rank and file of the 8th Army, however, the alert is just another constant part of their job as soldiers in the frontlines. They had learned to live through the constant wailing of sirens and orders for them to man their positions. There is, in fact, even a strong movement growing at the front amongst soldiers who just wish for war to start.
"We would be done with this alert business then," a corporal from 'C' Company, 4th Battalion, 'B' Brigade, 23rd Infantry Division, had been quoted before.
Whatever else may be the next step of the two countries, however, one thing is for sure, it would be unlikely to be of assistance in forging amity between the two nations.
(Headline of The Times – August 27, 1997)
'I Do'; Lord Alexander Charles York marries long time sweetheart Lady Emma Charlotte Spencer
Rochester, New York, Holy Empire of Britannia – It certainly was a day that would be remembered for years to come not only by the lucky citizens of the Empire who reside in Rochester but also by the whole of the Holy Empire and her territories abroad.
In a move that stunned and surprised no one, Lord Alexander Charles York, Prince of Wales, Prince of Scotland, Duke of New York, General-Admiral of the Britannian Grand Fleet, first born grandson to Empress Elizabeth Annabelle York, and thirty seventh in line to the Golden Throne, married his long time sweetheart and partner, Lady Emma Charlotte Spencer.
Lady Emma, Marchioness of Montana and daughter of the late Duke Eric Stephen Spencer and Duchess Mathilda Erika Spencer, had been the constant companion of Lord Alexander since they were five years old. Born just five days after her husband, Lady Emma suffered a personal tragedy when she was five when both of her parents were killed in a terrorist attack. Lady Emma miraculously survived this incident and was placed in the household of Lord Stephen York, father of Lord Alexander.
From an early age, the two were inseparable, with both graduating from the George III Primary School before winning their appointments to Olympia Academy where Lady Emma graduated first in their batch and Lord Alexander was third. Subsequently, Lord Alexander entered the Imperial Naval Academy while Lady Emma entered the University of Maryland, a choice that she made, rumors claimed, because of the close proximity of the campus to the Imperial Naval Academy.
In 1993, the Crystal Palace formally announced that Lord Alexander courted Lady Emma, and in 1994, their engagement was formally announced. Lord Alexander and Lady Emma caused many eyebrows to be raised at the Crystal Palace, however, when they moved in together. When Lord Alexander was named General-Admiral of the Grand Fleet in 1995, Lady Emma accompanied him to his new posting in the British Isles.
There was no formal announcement of the wedding, but the citizens of Rochester knew that something was up when as early as two months ago. There were reports of Imperial Knights arriving and leaving at regular intervals. Although then unconfirmed, the Imperial Knights were there to make sure that security would be well prepared for the arrival of the guest of honor in the wedding.
Her Majesty, Empress Elizabeth Annabelle York, Empress of the Holy Empire, blessed the union when she arrived at the ancestral chapel of the York family. Other important guests include the Prime Minister of the Holy Empire, Adrian Bean, his entire cabinet, members of the Armed Forces Staff including the Four Sea Lords, the Combined Chiefs of the Imperial Ground Forces, and the Marshall of the National Guard.
Lord Alexander was attended by members of his personal staff including his chief-of-staff, Vice Admiral Kevin Francis Cline, his chief military advisor, Rear Admiral Daniel William Ashford, his senior adjutant, Rear Admiral Richard Granger, and his personal representative, Lord James Charles Potter, Viscount of Lisbourne.
Lady Emma was attended by Lady Lily Marie Evans-Potter, Countess of Lisbourne, and Lisette Rainier, a personal friend from her days at Olympia Academy.
For the first time in nearly a year, the Prince of Scotland and Prince of Wales was free from having to worry about the increasing tensions in North Africa. Lord Alexander, as commander of the Grand Fleet, would be responsible for naval operations in the theater should hostilities erupt in the Mediterranean.
After the marriage ceremony, Lord Alexander and Lady Emma crossed a saber bridge held by no less than twenty four admirals from the Imperial Grand Fleet, all subordinates of Lord Alexander. At the end of the saber bridge, a contingent of Imperial Knights gave the newlyweds a twenty one gun salute while members of the National Guard helped them to an open-topped carriage that would deliver them to their reception at nearby Rochester Castle. Elements of the 2nd Royal Household Cavalry Division from the Imperial Ground Forces rode escort for Lord Alexander and Lady Emma.
At Rochester Castle, the newlyweds were greeted by an eighteen gun salute, but this time, the gunfire was considerably louder as the flagship of Lord Alexander – HMS Iron Duke – was the one doing the firing.
Prior to the start of the reception, Lord Alexander carried his bride in the traditional style across the ancient drawbridge that spans the length of the moat surrounding the castle, a tradition that dates back to Emperor George II, when, as Crown Prince, he carried his wife, Princess Gwendoline, across the same bridge.
(Headline of the International News Daily– September 1, 1997)
Archduke of England, named; British Unified Parliament affirms loyalty to Archduke of England
London, England, Holy Empire of Britannia – Fresh from his honeymoon after his marriage last August 26, 1997, Lord Alexander Charles York has been recalled to the Crystal Palace in order to receive another posting, that of Archduke of England.
Created in 1902 after the reconquest of the British Isles, the position of Archduke of England is the title given to the highest ranking noble in the British Isles. Under him, the Archduke of England commands three vassals, the Prince of Wales, the Prince of Scotland, and the Prince of Ireland. The first two positions are currently merged in one man, Lord Alexander himself, while the last position currently stands at the empty.
Lord Alexander would only be the second person to hold the title of Archduke of England, after his ancestor, Grand Duke Joseph Herbert York. The then Archduke of England was assassinated in 1924 while attending a horse race in Lancashire, England. The case remains unsolved to this day. For various reasons, no other person had been named Archduke of England.
His appointment as Archduke makes Lord Alexander the first member of his generation of the Royal Family to attain the position of Archduke, something that was expected by most experts of the Royal Family given that he is the eldest male of his generation. This appointment also meant that Lord Alexander is the only member of the York Family to have the same rank as his father. Archduke Stephen York is still Archduke of Belleview, though sources close to the Crystal Palace indicate that he would soon be named Grand Duke of the Empire.
Lord Alexander is also expected to inherit the title of Archduke of Belleview. If so, he may well become the first person in the Holy Empire to have two Archduke Titles.
In the meantime, at the Unified Parliament Building, Prime Minister James Frederick Monroe led his fellow Members of the Parliament in affirming their oath to the Golden Throne after the recent elections. The Rose Party of the Prime Minister had won sixty seven percent of all the seats in Parliament.
Asked for his opinion on the appointment of Lord Alexander as the new Archduke of England, the Prime Minister – who rose to prominence and leadership of the Rose Party on the platform of increased autonomy for the British Isles – has this to say, "We welcome the appointment of Lord Alexander as Archduke of England, the Archduke had been a resident of the British Isles since his appointment as commander of the Grand Fleet and has always been ready to hear and discuss with the Unified Parliament."
As Archduke of England, any laws passed by the Unified Parliament would first have to be approved by Lord Alexander, but the Prime Minister of the British Isles has this to say on that matter, "Even when he was Prince of Scotland and Prince of Wales, Lord Alexander had always been the highest ranking noble in the British Isles, therefore, there would be no change for us in the usual law making process, all laws in the Unified Parliament, before becoming effective, has to be signed by Lord Alexander even before he became Archduke."
Across the British Isles, the news of the appointment of Lord Alexander was met with jubilation and celebration. The twenty seven year old High Admiral is widely regarded by the population of the British Isles as a fair, if somewhat serious, leader. Amongst his achievements as Prince of Wales and Prince of Scotland, Lord Alexander had ordered the reform of the justice system as well as the reinstatement of the death penalty for high crimes.
Across the English Channel, however, the appointment of Lord Alexander is of great concern to the Prussian Reichstag. Premier Adalbert Kohn has this to say, "The appointment of an active military commander to a position of great authority within the civilian government is against the ideals of modern democracy."
When pointed out to the Prussian premier that the Reichstag also has several members who are active military commanders, the Prussian Premier refused to answer.
With this appointment, Lord Alexander is now officially, His Royal Grace, High Admiral, Lord Sir Alexander Charles York, Archduke of England, Prince of Wales, Prince of Scotland, Duke of York, Duke of New York, Duke of Montana, General-Admiral of the Britannian Grand Fleet, Commander of the Imperial Order of the Imperial Knights. His shortened title is His Royal Grace, High Admiral, Lord Sir Alexander Charles York, OIBE, Archduke of England.
With this appointment, Lady Emma, Lord Alexander's wife, is now styled as Her Royal Grace, Lady Emma Charlotte York, Archduchess of England, Princess of Wales, Princess of Scotland, Duchess of York, Duchess of New York, Duchess of Montana. Her shortened title is Her Royal Grace, Lady Emma Charlotte York, Archduchess of England.
(Headline of The Network – February 17, 1998)
Most Wanted; Number Four in Most Wanted List Spotted in Trondheim; Scandinavian Ambassador asked to explain.
New York City, New York – The number four man in the Most Wanted List of the Imperial Intelligence Bureau and the Imperial Investigative Division, Albus Percival Wulfric Brian Dumbledore, was spotted late last night by agents from the Imperial Intelligence Bureau at the city of Trondheim in the Scandinavian League.
A former professor and Headmaster of a privately-owned school in Scotland, Dumbledore is believed to be responsible for leading a cult in Scotland that was devoted to devil worship. As part of this worship, Imperial Intelligence believes that Dumbledore and his followers intended to launch an armed rebellion against Britannian rule in the Scottish Highlands. It was based on this belief that the Imperial Investigative Division attempted to take him in for questioning in 1995, but Dumbledore and a handful of followers managed to escape and had since then evaded justice.
There has been some speculation that had his planned rebellion taken place, Dumbledore would have used the students of his school – some of whom are very influential with connections with Britannian, Prussian, and other nobility – as hostages or as sacrifices. Officially, the Britannian government does not subscribe to the belief that Dumbledore and his followers practice human sacrifice, but students from the school do tell stories of ghosts that roam the halls every night.
The sighting of Dumbledore in Trondheim marks the first time that he was sighted since he and his followers disappeared from Scotland. As number four in the list of the Most Wanted of two agencies, Albus Dumbledore has the price tag of forty million Britannian Pounds on his head. Several of his followers are also in the Most Wanted List with prices ranging from twenty thousand pounds to twenty million pounds for two men believed to be the chief lieutenants of Dumbledore.
Alastor Moody, a former police officer from the Scottish National Police, is believed to be the chief enforcer of Dumbledore and also the man who would have taken personal command of the guerillas that Dumbledore had organized for his revolution had the same revolution actually happened. He currently has a bounty of twenty million pounds on his head.
Severus Snape is believed to be the chief advisor of Dumbledore and, according to some sources from within the two agencies that are now hunting for them, his secret lover. There are no available records that would help establish the background of Snape, but it is believed that he is considered – by himself and his colleagues – to be an expert in the brewing of natural healing liquids which – more than once – had been referred to by sources as 'potions'. He currently has a bounty of twenty million pounds on his head.
In other news, the recent sighting of Dumbledore in Trondheim has prompted the Prime Minister to formally request the presence of the Scandinavian Ambassador Gustav Kristoff Reinfeldt. It should be noted that the Prime Minister had made a formal request rather than a summons, indicating that the Britannian Prime Minister is not going to take offense if the Scandinavian Ambassador had not arrived at his official residence.
Nevertheless, the Scandinavian Ambassador arrived at Clancy House late last night to discuss with the Prime Minister. Exactly what was discussed between the two had not been revealed to the general public, but unofficial sources indicate that Ambassador Rinefeldt had promised that his government would cooperate with the Holy Empire of Britannia.
Lord Alexander, Archduke of England, could not be reached for comment. Lord Alexander was Prince of Scotland when Dumbledore was ousted from the northern territory of the Holy Empire and was said to have actually personally conversed with the man before Dumbledore revealed his true colors. When Dumbledore and his followers had managed to escape, the then Prince was reported to have ordered his fleet out to sea in the hopes that they could intercept the party of Dumbledore.
At the headquarters of the Imperial Investigative Division, agents are said to be receiving briefing before being sent to Scandinavia in order to work side by side with their Scandinavian opposites. Whatever else may be the truth to this matter, one thing is for certain, right now, there is a wanted and dangerous man roaming the streets of Trondheim.
(Headline of the International News Daily – July 4, 1998)
Archduke of England names new representative; Duke of Oxford takes oath as member of the Parliament of the Unified Parliament of the British Isles.
London, England, Holy Empire of Britannia – Members of Parliament of the Unified Parliament of the British Isles today gave a standing ovation after one of their newest members had finished taking his oath before the flag of the Holy Empire.
The standing ovation given to Lord James Charles Potter, thirty eight, was novel because Lord James was different from the other Members of Parliament in two respects. First, Lord James is the former Viscount of Lisbourne, a territory located within mainland Britannia, specifically, in the Duchy of New York, and second, Lord James was not voted into office as was required by the charter of the Unified Parliament.
Instead, Lord James was appointed as a Member of Parliament by the man who is the nominal head of the British Isles, Archduke Lord Sir Alexander Charles York.
Lord James appointment to the Unified Parliament comes just days after his recent appointment and oath-taking as Duke of Oxford. He remains a direct subordinate of Lord Alexander as Archduke of England, just as Lord James had remained as a direct subordinate of Lord Alexander while he was still Viscount of Lisbourne and Lord Alexander is Duke of New York.
Lord Alexander had made the appointment following recent increase in the activities of the North African League, the Prussian Empire, and the Scandinavian Union. The Archduke feared an escalation of the ongoing tensions between these nations and had foreseen that he would be busy with preparing the Grand Fleet for any eventuality. Unfortunately, this meant that the Archduke would no longer have enough time to be able to effectively function as the Head of the Unified Parliament, even if only traditionally.
It must be remembered that as Archduke of England, Lord Alexander has veto powers over any law that the Unified Parliament can pass, and at the same time, every law that would be put into effect around the British Isles has to be approved by the Archduke.
"His Royal Grace still sees the military as his profession," Speaker for the Unified Parliament Bella Winston was quoted as saying, "His duties and responsibilities as the highest ranking military commander in the British Isles would have to take precedence given the recent developing tensions in this part of the world, but His Royal Grace had indicated to the senior-most Members of the Parliament, including His Excellency, the Prime Minister, that he intends to return to his political post as soon as the tensions had defused enough."
Prior to his appointment, Lord James had served as the executive secretary of Lord Alexander and Lady Emma while doubling as the chief civilian advisor of Lord Alexander. In this position, Lord James had been exposed to the inner workings of the Unified Parliament so it is expected that he would not have much trouble with the transition process.
Lord James Charles Potter was born in the British Isles in the year 1960 and is married to Lady Lily Marie Evans-Potter, Duchess of Oxford. The Duke and Duchess of Oxford have two children, Ensign Harry James Potter of the Imperial Navy and Rose Charlene Potter, who is currently following her mother's footsteps and finishing her degree in economics at the Harvard University. She plans to take up law studies after finishing her degree.
(Headline of the Britannian Imperial – May 17, 1999)
Treaty of Manila signed; Tensions between the Celestial Empire and the Empire of the Rising Sun predicted to decrease; Britannian possessions in the Pacific seen to be secure.
Manila, the Philippines, Holy Empire of Britannia – Watched on by the representatives of the Holy Empire of Britannia and the world wide press, representatives from the Celestial Empire and the Empire of the Rising Sun yesterday signed a treaty in the capital of the Archduchy of the Philippines, the Holy Empire of Britannia.
Dubbed as the Manila Treaty, this treaty seeks to curtail the growing tensions between the Celestial Empire and the Empire of the Rising Sun by imposing severe naval and army limits against both nations that are designed and calculated to reduce the enmity between the two rival powers.
The Celestial Empire and the Empire of the Rising Sun had been on the opposing ends of a growing arms race in East Asia that had seen other nations increase their defenses as well for fears of being targeted by either nation.
With an army of over ten million men under arms, the Celestial Empire maintains a garrison of over three million men within forty eight hours of the Empire of the Rising Sun, while their fleet, although numerically and qualitatively inferior to those of the Empire of the Rising Sun, maintains first rate naval docks and repair facilities within twenty four hours of the Empire of the Rising Sun.
Although smaller in size, the ground forces of the Empire of the Rising Sun are equipped with the latest weaponry that many say are almost equal to those used by the ground forces of the Holy Empire of Britannia. Having benefitted from the relatively brief eight year occupation of the Holy Empire following the end of the First Pacific War, the Empire of the Rising Sun maintains a naval fleet that operates ships that are heavily influenced in construction by Britannian warships. These operate from first rate naval docks and bases previously constructed and operated by the Britannian Fleet including Yokusuka Naval Base, the largest naval base in the Empire and the site of the former base of the Britannian Pacific Fleet, now long relocated to their shipyards in Subic Bay, the largest naval base in the Eastern Pacific.
The Holy Empire of Britannia had been forced to increase ground forces garrisons in the Philippines as well as in other nearby Pacific possessions, while the Union of Soviet Socialists Republics had been reported to have activated two new field armies in the last two months and based the same in their Far East Theater.
"Today is the first step toward lasting peace and security in the Pacific," the special envoy of the Holy Empire of Britannia, Lady Lily Marie Evans-Potter, Duchess of Oxford, was quoted as saying before the gathered audience as she invited the representatives of both nations – Zhou Lee Han, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs, Celestial Empire and Takashi Natsuhiko, Special Under-secretary for Foreign Affairs in East Asia, Empire of the Rising Sun – to join her at the table where they would later sign the treaty.
Although still not complete owing to the fact that both nations are required to ratify the treaty and exchange instruments of ratification at a later date, the Treaty of Manila is seen by many international affairs scholars to finally end the decades long saber-rattling across the Yellow Sea. This saber-rattling had caused many incidents and most scholars' estimate that the death toll of this 'cold war' between the two nations to be in the millions.
Beginning with the First Pacific War in 1929, the Celestial Empire and the Empire of the Rising Sun had been locked in a silent staring contest across a narrow stretch of water. After the defeat of the Empire of the Rising Sun in the hands of the Holy Empire of Britannia in 1945, the Celestial Empire sought to establish themselves as the new dominant power in East Asia, but in this endeavor, they are not completely successful.
Although most of her heavy industries were destroyed during the Pacific War, the Empire of the Rising Sun was quick to recover and was an even bigger economic power ten years later than she was in 1929. It was speculated that the fact that most of her heavy industries being destroyed – and her elite but old-fashioned leaders being killed – during the war actually helped the Empire of the Rising Sun in their quest to rebuild their economy rather than hinder it. Whatever else may be said, the fact that the Holy Empire occupied the Empire of the Rising Sun for a relatively brief period also helped them in their recovery.
The Summer Famines of 1948, 1949, 1952, 1957, and 1963 in the Celestial Empire where millions were estimated to have died is thought to be directly related to the cold war. The Celestial Empire had spent nearly seventy percent of their government spending during those years in arms, an obvious effort on their part to match the build-up of the Empire of the Rising Sun. Not even the economic alliance between the Celestial Empire and the Union of Soviets Socialists Republics could help in the economic growth of either nation. Instead, the alliance between the two was dissolved due to allegations by both sides as to the economic sabotage being perpetrated by either nation against them.
Across the Yellow Sea, the Nambu incident is also directly related to this cold war. The incident refers to the destruction of the Empire of the Rising Sun's new flagship at the eve of her maiden voyage when she broke into two while flying over the capital. Over twenty thousand were thought to have been killed and a large part of Tokyo including sections of the Chrysanthemum Palace, the residence of the Emperor of the Rising Sun, was destroyed.
The deadline for the ratification of the treaty is set at the end of the next month. Already, Britannian Ground Forces High Command had announced the deactivation of two divisions in the Philippines and the transfer of two more. The Pacific Fleet has no comment on the signing of the treaty and has not made any announcements as to the withdrawal of either ships or marines from the foremost pacific possession of the Holy Empire. With its headquarters located at the Principality of Luzon, the Pacific Fleet withdrawing from the Philippines, either in part or totally, seems to be impossible.
(Headline of the Britannian Imperial – June 17, 2000)
North African League Parliament signs deal with the Prussian Empire to transfer four old armored cruisers, two hundred tanks, and millions of small arms.
Cairo, Egypt, the Holy Empire of Britannia – Yesterday, the parliament of the North African League signed a deal with representatives of the Prussian Empire. Central to this new deal would be the transfer of four old armored cruisers of the Prussian Empire to the North African League.
Although older than the Britannian warships that it is likely to face in the event of a war between the Holy Empire and the North African League over the issue of Egypt, Malta, or Gibraltar, the four old armored cruisers that the Prussian Empire had sold to the North African League would be the most advance warships in the North African navy.
Sources are unsure as to which cruisers would be transferred to the North African League, but there is a high possibility that the four old cruisers would come from the retired Odin-class cruisers. Equipped with eight ten-inch cannons in four two-gun turrets and sixteen smaller three-inch guns in casemate mounts, these ships would, nevertheless, be able to provide critical naval fire support in case of a push by the North African League.
It is speculated that these ships would form part of a task group that the North African League Navy has been planning for many years now. A task group that would lead the ground forces of the North African League across the sands of Egypt and be able to threaten the Suez Canal.
As part of the deal, the North African League Ground Forces are also slated to receive two hundred main battle tanks from the Prussian Ground Forces. Unlike the armored cruisers, the tanks had been identified to be of the old Puma-class tanks. Equipped with a one hundred five millimeter main cannon and two heavy machineguns, these tanks have a top speed of nearly fifty kilometers per hour and is equipped with third generation tank armor that is speculated to be able to stop a one hundred twenty millimeter round fired at one hundred yards.
As with the old cruisers, it is speculated that these tanks would form part of the specialized task group that the North African League is known to be building. This would be the first time that such a large number of Prussian tanks would be shipped to the North African League and these tanks would be joining an additional one hundred fifty tanks that was previously shipped to the North African League including twenty more Puma tanks.
Most of the main battle tanks of the North African League, however, are either locally produced Chariot tanks equipped with the smaller ninety millimeter main gun, or the T-34 main battle tank acquired from the Union of Soviets Socialist Republics.
Supplementing the newly delivered tanks would be an estimated seventy old artillery pieces from the Prussian Empire. As with the tanks, these self-propelled howitzers had been identified as Matador self-propelled howitzers. With their one hundred five millimeter main cannon, the Matador howitzers could hit targets in ranges exceeding twenty kilometers.
The North African League Ground Forces operates close to twenty Matador self-propelled howitzers before this deal. They are supplemented by towed and wheeled artillery.
In addition to the armored fighting vehicles, the deal also provides for the transfer of a million assorted small arms to the North African League. This would be in the form of assault rifles, light machineguns, pistols, and sub-machineguns for front-line use.
Fleet Admiral James Monroe, First Sea Lord, however, was quick to downplay the threat of the arms shipment, "Most of these so-called 'new' equipments are actually very old," the commander of the Britannian Fleet said, "Even with these equipment, any invasion of Egypt by the North African League would be a colossal failure for them."
The admiral then went on to explain that while the Britannian Eight Army is not the best equipped unit in the Holy Empire of Britannia, the Eight Army is equipped with hardware that are considerably more advance than that of the North African League.
"Their new Puma tanks would be facing Britannian Challenger tanks, their Matador self-propelled howitzers would be facing Britannian Crusader self-propelled howitzers," Fleet Admiral Monroe said.
With their rifled one hundred twenty millimeter guns, the Challenger tanks would be able to defeat North African League armor at ranges exceeding one thousand five hundred meters, and be able to fire while on the move. There are currently two divisions of armor attached with the Eight Army. At the same time, Britannian Crusader self-propelled howitzers are at least two generations ahead of the Matador self-propelled howitzers.
Defense analysts and commentators, however, are quick to be up in arms over the arms transfer. According to Nathan Grumble of the International Arms Network Coalition, the transfer of arms to the North African League would be seen as an escalation not only by the Empire, but also by other nations surrounding the North African League.
"In fact," Grumble said, "The Holy Empire might not consider the transfer as that much of a threat to their security, but certainly, the other nations would," before adding that the Kingdom of Spain is actually preparing to send a formal protest to the Reichstag as soon as they could brief their ambassador.
It should be noted that the Kingdom of Spain and the North African League do not have formal relations with each other since 1938.
At the North African League capital, North African Prime Minister Ali Zaad Baoukr welcomed the arms shipment and hailed the same as a sign of the growing partnership of the North African League and the Prussian Empire. The Prime Minister then invited other nations around the area of interest – most specifically, the Central African Union and the Middle Eastern Federation – to join in the growing international organization.
When asked if the international organization that he is referring to would be meant as a counter-balance to Britannian control in the area, the Prime Minister had this to say, "Certainly, we do not want war with anyone, but I think that that would be one of the main purpose of any alliance should an alliance actually be born."
At the Reichstag, Premier Adalbert Kohn or any of his deputies are unavailable to comment.
(Headline of the International News Daily– April 15, 2001)
Ministry of Defense Announces Plans to Reinforce Gibraltar; Egyptian Parliament Signs into Law Bill Approving Plans to Create Two New Divisions.
Pendragon, Holy Empire of Britannia – Ministry of Defense spokesman Peter Redding announced in a press conference yesterday a major policy shift that would be undertaken by the Ministry of Defense.
"A newly formed corps composed of four divisions that would be taken from the East Coast Theater would be sent to Gibraltar in the coming days," Redding confirmed, "LXIII Corps would be placed under the direct command of the British Isles Theater commander."
The news of the formation of the new corps came as a surprise to many despite the indications coming from the Octagon of such a move as early as last year when Ground Forces commander-in-chief Field Marshall Felix Gort was sworn in as the new commander of the Ground Forces.
The formation of the new corps and its sending to Gibraltar would most likely be opposed by both the Prussian Empire and the North African League, but the Kingdom of Spain is not expected to react despite the fact that the formation of such a formation would actually be a technical violation of the Treaty of Seville.
Under the same treaty, the Holy Empire of Britannia promised the Kingdom of Spain that they would not place more than thirty thousand men-in-arms in Gibraltar. The formation of LXIII Corps and the fact that it would have four divisions in it would mean that least fifty thousand men would be transported to Gibraltar.
Redding, however, is confident that the Kingdom of Spain would not call the Holy Empire on that violation, "In fact," the Defense spokesman said, "It was the Kingdom of Spain who had requested for the reinforcement given the worsening tensions between the powers in the area."
Redding was referring to another series of verbal spats between the North African League and the Kingdom of Spain that started just over a month ago after a North African armored cruiser strayed into Spanish territory. The cruiser – one of the new ones that the League had purchased from the Prussian Empire – was chased away from the Kingdom of Spain without loss of life or damage by responding heavy cruisers of the Kingdom of Spain.
Neither the Ministry of Defense nor the Octagon is ready to release the identification of the units that would be included in the new corps, but unofficial sources from within the Ministry of Defense had provided for three names. These names are purported to be the most likely candidates to command the new corps. The names are those of Lieutenant General Winston Arnott, Lieutenant General Albert Brooke, and Lieutenant General Norbert Timothy Merville.
Lieutenant General Arnott was the commander of the 22nd Infantry Division before he was promoted to Lieutenant General just last month. He is suspected to be the frontrunner for the position given his closeness to Lord Alexander Charles York who has nominal command of the British Isles Theater of Operations.
Lieutenant General Albert Brooke was the commander of the 18th Armored Division and is currently assigned to the Octagon as Deputy Chief of Staff for Operations for the Britannian Ground Forces.
Lieutenant General Norbert Timothy Merville was the Deputy Operations Commander of the Fifth Army before he was promoted to Lieutenant General last month. Sources from within the Octagon consider his appointment to be a long shot, but his impressive credentials could lead to his appointment to the position.
In related news, the Egyptian Parliament had recently approved a Bill calling for the upgrade of two of their militia divisions into full fledged infantry divisions. Parliament Bill Number 01-22415, authored by local politician Omar Hussein Al-Hafani, called for two militia divisions to be chosen by the commander of the Britannian Ground Forces in the area.
The upgrade of the two divisions is expected to take at least six months. Such a time would be used by the divisions to familiarize themselves with new weapons, particularly heavier and more mobile artillery pieces that are only available to regular infantry divisions.
Commenting on the matter, Redding said, "Ultimately, this would depend on the decision of the Commander-in-Chief, Ground Forces, and His Imperial Majesty."
Other commentators, on the other hand, are predicting that such an option may never be exercised. Felix Maxwell, Chairman of the International Institute for Coalition Studies, a non-profit organization, has this to say, "Should the go-signal be given to upgrade these two divisions into standard infantry divisions, this would mark the first time that the Holy Empire would be allowing purely 'local' forces into the military structure. It is not just a question of equipment, salaries, and recognition; there are also other political considerations that must be taken into account."
The final word on whether or not the option to upgrade the two divisions would be exercised is not expected until the end of the second quarter of next year, and that is assuming that the proposed measure would be properly endorsed by the Imperial Parliament.
(Headline of the Britannian Imperial – September 16, 2003)
Prussian Premier walks out of scheduled conference; Adalbert Kohn, Prussian Premier, walked out of the Ankara Conference as protest for the continued reinforcement of Gibraltar.
Ankara, Turkey – Despite negotiations for the conference having taken more than two years to complete, the Prussian Premier, Adalbert Kohn, yesterday walked out of the Ankara Conference. The premier of the Prussian Empire – who has held the position effectively over the past eight years – had announced that he and his entourage walked out of the meeting at the famed Red Palace located in Ankara, Turkey as protest to the continuing Britannian reinforcement of Gibraltar.
It should be recalled that during the height of the crisis, Britannia had formed a new corps and moved the same to Gibraltar.
The Ankara Conference was a result of fierce rounds of negotiations between the major and minor powers in an attempt to get the representatives of all nations in one setting so that they may discuss important national matters. The Ankara Conference would only be the fifth such time that leaders would meet in such a setting, the first one being the Jakarta Conference in 1986 and the last one before the Ankara Conference is the Helsinki Conference in 1998. A conference that was scheduled to be held in Peru between world leaders was cancelled when both the Holy Empire and the Prussian Empire formally withdrew their commitment to attend.
Central in the discussions that were supposed to be held in Ankara are the growing tensions between the Holy Empire and the North African League and the growing tensions between the Kingdom of Spain and the Prussian Empire. The North African League is an ally of the Prussian Empire while the Kingdom of Spain is a de-facto ally of the Holy Empire despite the lack of a formal treaty that binds the two nations.
"The continued arrival of Britannian ground and air forces in Gibraltar is a violation of the Treaty of Seville," Adalabert Kohn was quoted by local media before he was ushered by his bodyguards into a waiting security vehicle that reportedly took him back to his hotel. There has been no confirmation from the same hotel that the Prussian delegation had checked out, but the Prussian official spokesperson had been quoted by local media to have already announced their plans to return to Prussia as soon as possible.
There are no indications as to what was preventing the Prussian premier and his party from leaving Ankara, but there has been speculations that the premier or his advisors feared confronting the Britannian naval presence in the area, an allegation that was quickly countered by the military attaché of Prime Minister Adrian Bean who had this to say, "The Prussian contingent included four of their newest battleships and an escort force of no less than eight heavy and twelve light cruisers, in addition to the fact that the main body of their Mediterranean Fleet, more than twenty first and second rate battleships, are within distance of the Turkish coast. We have two armored cruisers and four heavy cruisers plus six destroyers, we could not stop them even if we wanted to."
Whatever else may be the real reason behind the hesitation of the Prussian party to leave Ankara, there had been many voices of criticism directed at the Prussian Premier after the sudden move. Representatives of the Scandinavian Union and the North African League had been reported to have called the move as 'bone-headed and immature,' while the representative of the Kingdom of Spain labeled it as 'an attempt by Prussia to garner world sympathy at their side when it is clear that they are the ones who are at the wrong.'
"Well, attendance in this event is not mandatory," Prime Minister Adrian Bean said, "Premier Adalbert Kohn and his party can leave anytime that they wish," before he added that since the Prussian Empire was not party to the Treaty of Seville, they had no standing to call on the Holy Empire as being violators to that treaty.
With the absence of the Premier of Prussia, the question of what to do in Ankara has been brought up by a number of the national leaders that are still at the city. There had been talks of leaving the city to return to their countries, but Prime Minister Adrian Bean said that even if Prussia would not be represented at the conference, it does not mean that no business could be completed by those who are left.
"After all, Prussia is just one country," the Prime Minister said. The representatives of the Celestial Empire and the Empire of the Rising Sun have echoed the calls of Prime Minister Bean, while the representative of the North African League is leading calls for the meetings to be postponed and for a new venue to be chosen.
It is the first time that the Celestial Empire and the Empire of the Rising Sun have appeared on the same side of an argument since they broke off formal relations nearly eighty years ago.
White Swan Restaurant, New York City
Duchy of New York, Mainland Britannia, Holy Empire of Britannia
March 17, 2005
Sub-lieutenant Harry James Potter could not help but smile in reaction to the story that the young woman beside him had just finished narrating. For a few moments, he just smiled, but then he turned his attention toward the young woman in question at the exact same moment that she turned her attention toward him.
Intelligent brown eyes met with jade green and for a few moments, Harry and Hermione just stared at each other. The fact that they were staring at each other was not helped by the fact that the people around them did nothing but stare at the obvious affection that the two of them felt for each other.
Ten years had passed since that fateful meeting in front of an old castle in the middle of nowhere in the hills of Scotland, and in the ten years since then, the relationship of Harry and Hermione had not stayed stagnant, instead, their relationship had grown to the point that they are now ready to marry each other.
That was actually the reason that the two of them are here, together with their families. At that point, Harry finally broke eye contact with Hermione, although it was obvious that he found that hard. He reluctantly turned his attention to the people that were with them, and he could not help but grimace uncomfortably when he saw that they were all staring at him with varying degrees of amusement on their faces.
Harry pointedly cleared his throat at that moment, though that was more to remind everyone at the table to stop staring at him than it was to actually clear his throat. The amused smile on the faces of the people around the table did not really die down, at least, not completely, though Harry saw that his sister actually managed to frown at his actions.
Rose was born four years after Harry, and unlike her older brother, she was born in mainland Britannia. Like her brother, however, Rose had jade green eyes and jet black hair, though hers was unlike the unkempt hair of her brother. Rose kept her hair long and arranged it with a single braid that fell down to the small of her back. Still two years shy of finishing law school, she is, nevertheless, already receiving job offers from many firms across the country, though Rose acknowledged that that may have something to do with the political situation of her family.
Rose, however, had made it clear that she would be following her mother's footsteps before she would accept the standing offer of Lady Emma to join her diplomatic team.
"Would you please stop it?" Harry asked his father politely. Lord James had kept staring at his son despite having been asked, and his only reaction was to broaden his smile, causing Harry to avert his attention from his father.
The young Potter heir was resplendent in his uniform despite the fact that it was mostly empty. Aside from the surface warfare office badge on his uniform, he wore no decoration or awards on his uniform, unlike the other person who is in uniform and was seated at the table.
That prompted Harry to turn his attention toward that direction. Commodore Daniel Philip Granger, the father of Hermione, was also in naval uniform. He also was wearing the ribbon for the Distinguished Service Cross that he earned while he was in active duty. The man refused – good-naturedly, perhaps, but still refused to – to talk about the action that won him that award and Harry suspected – perhaps rightly so – that the only other person who knew about it is the woman who was seated beside him, Emma Elizabeth Granger, the mother of Hermione.
"Sir," Harry began. He had intended to engage the only male Granger in conversation about something, possibly the fact that the older man had recently been appointed commander of the Special Warfare School at LaGuardia Air Base, but at that moment, the mobile phone of the commodore began to ring.
Commodore Granger would have ignored the call, but the next moment, it was the mobile phone of Lord James who was ringing. The two men looked at each other with a smile, before they both shook their heads, an indication that they are going to ignore the call because this get together by the two families are important.
This is, after all, the first of many formal and informal talks regarding the marriage of Harry and Hermione. Although the two of them loved each other far more than words could express, the two families are also members – albeit minor, and by appointment rather than by birth – of the nobility. A marriage between two scions would be a political alliance, one that has to go through the formalities. The fact that both families are in service with Lord Alexander made things a bit more uncomplicated, yes, but they must still go through the process even if it was, in the opinion of both Lord James and Commodore Granger, not needed.
Suddenly, the interior of the restaurant erupted into a cacophony of sounds as more than two dozen other mobile phones began to bleat for the attention of their owners. Harry and Hermione managed to take stock and both of them independently noted that most of the phones ringing are coming from men who are in uniform, and that meant one thing.
There was a look of horror on the face of Hermione as she turned her attention toward Harry. He was quick on the uptake, and he was about to reassure her that he would be fine – after all, his mobile phone was not ringing – when all of a sudden, his phone added to the bleating.
Forced to acknowledge that there is something going on, Lord James was the first to answer his phone, followed by Commodore Granger.
Harry was not going to listen to their conversation with the person on the other end, not when he had his own conversation to go through.
"Ensign Potter, this is Norfolk Naval Command Headquarters," the person on the other end did not even bother with the pleasantries, he introduced himself as soon as Harry answered the call. In his defense, Harry knew that the operator had perhaps more than a hundred other phone calls to make, "We have a situation, you are being ordered to report to Fort MacPherson, New York, as soon as possible."
'Fort MacPherson,' Harry thought, 'the headquarters of Archduke Stephen.' The Archduke of Belleview and Lord Alexander's father is also the nominal commander of the East Coast Defense Force.
"We have established hourly trips from Central Park to the base, Ensign," the voice on the other end continued, "Report as soon as possible, that is all," and before Harry could say anything, the call was terminated.
For a few moments, he was stunned, but when he turned his attention toward Commodore Granger, there was a steel look on the eyes of the man, clearly, he had received more information than Harry.
"Report to Fort MacPherson, sir," Harry replied, answering the unasked question on the face of the man that he hoped for as his father-in-law.
Commodore Granger nodded, "We best get going, Ensign," the fact that the commodore used his rank rather than his name was telling to Harry, "We both have a long way to go."
Harry nodded, before he turned his attention toward Hermione. The horrified and anguished look on the face of Hermione was not something that Harry liked to see, but at that moment, there was nothing that he could do that would assure her that he would be fine.