Balance of Power (Gameplay Thread) - Epilogue and Game Over

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Please don't post yet, five events and world crises coming!

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Crisis – Cixi dies, Emperor Guangxu takes over and aborts palace coup!

TO: All players.

That there was recent strife in the Imperial Chinese court was obvious to everybody, specially after the tensions of the outcome of the Boxer War. It seemed that the precarious balance of power would last at least for a couple of years, but Empress Dowager Cixi died from an unexpected heart attack, triggering a massive fight in Peking over the succession between Yuan Shi-Kai, Prince Chun and chief eunuch Li Lianying. Using his connections and thanks to loyal guards Prince Chun got to his brother the Emperor first, freeing him and using his influence to win the power struggle. Li Lianying was immediately executed and his allies purged, and Yuan Shi-Kai tried to escape to the German held Qingdao to escape. Alas, the rest of the Generals were determined to win Guangxu and Chun's trust, and one of them easily managed to capture and behead the political opportunist, the man who seemed to be destined to lead China at some point. Guangxu has immediately resumed his work, contacting military and political leaders across China to enact the reforms the country needs. His allies exiled in Japan, Kang Youwei and Liang Qichao have returned to the court, and they are expected to take positions formerly reserved to Cixi's loyalists. It seems China is about to face massive changes...

Crisis – Coup in Serbia, King Alexander and Queen Draga narrowly escape death!

TO: Austria-Hungary and Russia.

The King of Serbia was a man with a truly complicated situation, having to deal with an impossibly complicated internal situation and a good amount of scheming a plotting in his court. His Queen was hated, just like her family, and the King was disregarded as a fool. Yet, Serbia stood with him for the duration of the Great Russian War to fight the Austrians, only to be shocked and enraged at their defeat and humiliation. Unable to take it anymore, the remaining army officers launched a violent coup, killed Prime Minister Dimitrije Cincar-Marković, arrested all government officers while avoiding any contact with the Austrian forces and assaulted the palace. King Alexander and Queen Draga managed to escape in a miracle by a secret palace, ending in the Russian embassy while the Queen's brothers were executed by firing squad. This has led to a standoff involving the provisional government of Serbia, that wishes to see Peter Karadordevic as King without angering the Austrians and King Alexander, trapped in the Russia embassy and surrounded by hundreds of military units demanding his head.

Sweden split, independence for Norway!

TO: All players.

After months of a tense relationship in the union and open conflict between Prime Minister Christian Michelsen and King Oscar II, Norway has finally had enough after seeing its Prime Minister deposed by the King. The Norwegian Storting has formally declared independence from Sweden and the Union, shocking the King and forcing him into planning a war. Alas, the Social Democrats of Sweden and many other parties went to the streets to oppose a war against Norway, forcing the King to accept the move and try to schedule an independence referendum. To his humiliation, the people of Norway had already set a referendum for Late 1905, which meant that Oscar was forced to accept the fait accompli. Both nations are now discussing the terms of the dissolution, and Norway is now in search for a King. Some hope they will accept one of Oscar's sons, but that doesn't seem all that plausible, leaving the throne wide open.

Battle of Fez: Joffre stops Raisuli, Spain meddles in Morocco:

TO: All players.

After weeks of tension across Morocco, Field Marshal Joffre led a pincer attack to intercept the army of Raisuli before he could strike at the coastline, forcing a massive battle near Fez. The French forces were not really suited to desert combat, but defeat was certainly not an option. After days of maneuvers, assaults and trench fights, Raisuli was forced to call off the offensive as he could not break the French defense, and his army split into several divisions while running back into the desert. Field Marshal Joffre recommends leaving Raisuli alone and focusing on holding Fez and then assaulting Agadir, but his more enthusiastic officers argue that by leaving Raisuli to escape the war might last years, and that this is the chance to get him. But that's not all, it seems Spain has taken an offense at not being considered to split Morocco. King Alfonso XIII and his government have sent a protest to France and Italy, and they demand to be given a piece of the country as well.

Civil War, Turkestan collapses in civil war and genocide:

TO: All players.

Everyboy knew Turkestan was doomed from the beginning, a badly organized mess of nationalities created only to weaken the Russians. It should be a surprise that the nation lasted as long as it did (one full year) before the first three coups were launched on the main cities, leading to an immediate quagmire which quickly disintegrated the country and led to the capture and execution of most of the provisional government. Afghan rebels have taken control of some zones, the Iranians have established a couple of puppet warlords, and the rest of the region has become a disaster. There are rumours of European adventures and mercenaries taking control of entire cites to rule as warlord, and even talk of ethnic cleansing in the more "diverse areas". Either way, and with Afghanistan in war and Turkestan in ruins, the "Great Game" for Central Asia is back the the beginning, and the Russian, Ottoman and British interests are at stake.

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Crisis – Russia Under Siege!

TO: All players.

As the war ended and the Tsar moved to save his nation, it seemed Russia could overcome the challenges, albeit at a high cost. On one hand, the Tsar seemed honest in his intention to improve the working conditions, a bold move that cost him some support in the Black Hundreds but that helped to improve his image among the workers, weakening some of the strikes (although immediate changes will be needed to maintain the trust Nicholas has won). On the other hand, the sailors in Sevastopol don't seem inclined to turn over their comrades, but their demands are based on a much higher pay, far better conditions and such. Protected as they are for Crimea and Ukraine as buffer states, they will take their time to negotiate. The Black Hundreds managed to redirect most of their strength against the minorities, but that only made things worse, as the Caucasus started to become a boiling point, and the Tsar ignoring Finland had the same effect. It was then when the Trans-Siberian entered service again and the Tsar managed to score some diplomatic points in Turkestan, winning back lost prestige. It would take time, but it seemed the Tsar could handle the pressure, until the next month came.

The authorities of Irkutsk and the ones across most of Siberia reacted in shock as the Trans-Siberian was attacked with bombs in several places, horribly crippling the railroad and forcing major repairs to restore it. Several of the perpetrators were shot on sight, and the one that was captured, while quite resistant, was eventually forced by Okhrana to reveal that he belonged to the Bureau of Intelligence of President Hay. Even worse, the Muslims and other minorities in the Caucasus revolted shortly after that, surprisingly well organized and equipped with a good number of weapons, starting a guerrilla war that has killed many soldiers and even some platoons of the Black Hundreds. Reports also seem to indicate that some Russian agents were killed in Turkestan in several isolated incidents, and the nobility and the officials in Finland are extremely close to declaring independence and seizing Helsinki if the situation goes out of control. It seems Russia is under siege.

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Crisis – Disaster in Mecca!

TO: All players.

The tension continues to rise among the world powers, with many of the leading newspapers of the World declaring that war is about to come again, justified by many crises. Now they have an even bigger justification, the sack of Mecca. British troops were stationed in the area after the war against the Ottoman Empire, but the garrison was light and it always tried its best not to inflame tensions or cause any kind of conflict within the sacred city of Islam. Thus, Mecca enjoyed almost three years of peace even as the Rashids and the Saudis fought for Arabia, at least until there were mysterious and unexpected disturbances in a British company. The soldiers appeared to have gotten drunk after getting a hold of enormous quantities of alcohol, and when the officers tried to install discipline they were shot and killed by some of the soldiers, who staged a mutiny. Despite the best attempts of the British commander to keep them contained, some of the soldiers manage to enter Mecca, where they started to sack some of the key places while causing chaos all over the city. The Sharif of Mecca and his men reacted immediately, killing most of the mutineers and chasing them through the streets. The few who escaped took their guns and staged a small assault to the Kaaba with a few basic grenades, that were enough to set the place in fire. When it was over and the Sharif managed to eliminate the fire, the Kaaba was heavily damaged and the citizens of Mecca were engaging in open warfare with the British troops, that were forced to withdraw. With a single incident, the occupied Middle East rose in anger, with the Palestinians resuming their revolt and lynching Jewish settlers while attacking isolated British soldiers. The Rashids and the Saudis managed to get a small unofficial truce while making consultations with other Arabian princes, and it seems the Middle East is about to explode as the news keep expanding further and further.

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Oh, you would be surprised... I'm not doing much now, I'm just having fun watching the players move, xD

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Warning - War has been declared, the World War thread shall be started in the afternoon. If this goes as I think it will, this has the potential to be the war to end all wars!

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End of Early 1905:

Looks like the war wasn't over after all. With the growing tensions between former allies and the terrible terrorist attacks in Russia and the disaster of Mecca, was seemed unavoidable, and what was called the "World War", begun, already claiming thousands of lives. Many had entered the new century expecting peace, progress and tranquility, and they had found nothing but war, war against thr Turks, against the Russians, and now against everybody. With the balance shifting at every second there was no dominant alliance yet, but somebody would eventually emerge as the winner, even if it means ruling nothing but ashes.

Alliances, Wars and Popularity:

-Ongoing Wars:

-World War:
  -See Phases One and Two.

-Senoussi War:
  -Relative rebel control of the desert, British and French control of the Libyan coastline.

-Third Afghan War:
  -Full rebel control of Afghanistan.

-Invasion of Morocco:
  -Civil war, fighting between Allies and the Entente.

-Popularity Ratings:
(Updated for late 1905)

-Tsar Nicholas II: Low.
-President William McKinley: Medium.
-Kaiser Wilhelm III: Very High.
-Kaiser Charles I: Medium.
-Prime Minister Rouvier: Medium.
-Prime Minister Balfour: Medium.
-Emperor Mutsuhito: Very High.
-Sultan Abdul Hamid II: High.
-King Vittorio Emmanuele III: High.

Current Alliances:

The Entente (Italy, Germany, Japan, United States, Ottoman Empire, Greece, Bulgaria, Brazil and Argentina)
The Allies (British Empire, France, Portugal and Ethiopia)

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Turn Ten - Late 1905: (Part I)

-Russia:

Operations in Turkestan are complicated thanks to the genocidal actions of some extremists, but the superiority in armaments is enough for your troops to take over more than a quarter of the failed nation to rule with an iron fist. The rest of the warlords still squabble among themselves but they still have a good number of men, so reinforcements are needed here.

Good news and bad news. Good news is the sailors in Sebastopol have finally surrendered after you gave in to most of their demands, so you have retaken control over Sevastopol. Bad news is the workers are growing unstable thanks to the actions of Lenin and the Bolsheviks, who are rumored to be planning an uprising in Moscow.

Disaster in Finland! Tired of Russian dominance the Finns have taken over Helsinki and captured several military units. The nation prepares to rise and there's talk of declaring independence among the rebel leaders, with many officers form the army deserting to their cause.

-United Kingdom:

The unity Cabinet has been installed, which has reduced the amount of political criticism you were recieving. That said, there's talk of suspending the 1906 General Election due to the danger that the war represents. What will you do?

The British economy still stands strong, but only having the Atlantic is not enough to supply all the fronts currently under assault by enemy forces. The ammunition and food supplies can only last so long (except in Africa, since you pretty much control that continent).

Thanks to the intelligence services and the embassies across the world you have captured many spies, most of them from the United States. What should be done with them?

-France:

(Dr. Cynic said he was taking a LOA, so when he returns I will have his turn crises)

-Germany:

Congratulations on your wedding, Kaiser! You married Fraulein Anna Harriet Von Budberg at the sight of thousands of Germans, and you have earned even more sympathy from the Baltic Germans. Hopefully an heir will be born soon, but so far it seems like a happy marriage.

With the British starting to blockade the North Sea, your Admirals beg you to use the fleet to break the blockade. While the High Seas Fleet took heavy losses against the Russians, there's a chance of victory if you go all out. Since Gibraltar and Suez are still British, Germany may find some problems to trade certain things.

Should the Reichstag attempt a coalition government? The SPD has been a polemic party for many, but they seem willing to stand with their Kaiser in the war if asked.

Now that Bernhard Von Bulow has retired from politics after his brief term in Germany and the new Chancellor has chosen other aides, Franz Von Papen has come to ask you to give him a job as your assistant in intelligence matters. Von Papen has already shown some skill in this front, and he is incredibly ambitious.

-Japan:

-Field Marshal Yamagata Aritomo continues to give his speeches, but now he is arguing for Japan to be more aggressive in the war, to go after the big prize and capture the grand fortress of Singapore.

-With the British landing in the Philippines there's trouble again with Filipino unrest, and the Governor General requires instructions.

-With the fall of Hawaii and the war against the British there have been some problems with the trade market in Japan, as many raw materials and oil cannot be produced within the country. Japan needs a trade partner, and quick.

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Turn Ten - Late 1905: (Part II)

-Italy:

Giolitti has survived the internal coup thanks to the war, and now he has become a full time war leader (along with his domestic responsibilites). He has requested permission to include conservatives and socialists in his government to increase a sense of unity in the government.

While there are many other nations to trade with, the fact that Gibraltar remains British is bound to bring many problems for the Entente across the Mediterranean, something must be done.

Your troops in Morocco remain somewhat confused over having to fight the locals and the French at the same time. Do you have a priority or further plans for them?

-USA:

Despite the major trouble that the declaration of war meant, your Cabinet was easily confirmated save for McKinely, who narrowly survived after the attacks of many progressives. All of them have started working, and some have their reports ready:

Newberry: Thanks to the war, the occupation of Greenland was never carried and now there are British forces around the area. The US is quickly shifting its economy into a war economy, and as time passes more forces should be available (but it will take time, and very few American troops have made it to Germany).

Shaw: Cannon and La Follette have struck a deal with certain changes to economic policy, but both men now truly despite each other and are bound to clash in many other issues.

Root: The referendum in Canada could be enacted as soon as Early 1906, but he warns it will be disorganized and unlikely to be very credible, there are many Canadian loyalists bombing and attacking American soldiers. That said, most of the population seems willing to live with the occupation for some time as long as there are no atrocities nor harsh policies.

-Ottoman Empire:

You managed to win the Syrian campaign, but the British will probably be back (and they are already in some parts of Southern Kuwait). Furthermore, your Generals argue that if the Suez channel can't be reach in less than a year, the British will bring enough troops from India and Africa to have superiority in the zone, despite the massive troubles they have with the locals.

The House of Rashid, now enjoying popular support has started to beat Ibn Saud back and retake some cities in Araba, but they request further help. The Palestinians who have been freed by your troops are also interested in knowing how you plan to deal with them.

The tatars and muslims in Crimea have gladly accepted their new government, but they fear Russia will be back someday, they need economic and military help to build defenses and prepare in case anything happens.

-Austria Hungary:

Congratulations on you taking the throne, Kaiser Charles. You are a rather young man, but perhaps fresh blood is what is needed for Austria-Hungary to save itself. So far, the reforms of Von Bulo have passed, but there's still a lot of tension among the groups and all await your personal changes to these reforms.

Germany and Italy are pressuring you to enter the war, but Austria is still quite weak and losing the trade in the Mediterranean is bound to keep hurting your economy. Past military buildups have eaten a large part of the budget, so you either need new taxes or a smaller army.

-Finally, the members of the former Regency Council, Army Chief of Staff Hotzendorf, Foreign Minister Alois von Aehrenthal and Hungarian Prime Minister Count Stephen Tisza wish to know if they will remain in their posts if you have any plans to reform your cabinet and those who answer to you.

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Event – New Kings for Norway and Serbia!

TO: All.

In the end, cooler heads prevailed in both nations in crisis, allowing for a smooth transition of power  to the new regimes. In Norway, the independentist movement won the referendum and formally established the Kingdom of Norway, leaving the Crown open. The candidacy of Arthur, Duke of Connaught and Strathearn almost won, but the World War made the people of Norway weary of being so closely aligned with Britain. As a result, Prince Carl of Denmark was chosen as the candidate, and after another referendum (he insisted) he became Haakon VII of Norway. Meanwhile, King Alexander and Queen Draga were forced to abdicate in exchange for their lives, being allowed to leave Serbia and settle somewhere else. While Alexander went to Switzerland, Peter Karadordevic returned to Serbia in the middle of thunderous applause and cheering, being crowned King Peter I without even asking Austria and Kaiser Charles.

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Right. As the end draws near, this turn is supposed (emphasis in supposed) to last about seven days. You will have until Wednesday afternoon for the Phase 3 moves, which should come on Wednesday or Thursday. Then you will have until Saturday for Phase 4 moves, which should come on Saturday or Sunday, and Turn Eleven should begin on next Monday. Let's see how it works!

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Epilogue (Part One)

Seven years can quickly change the outcome of the next decades, specially in these modern times. Future historians will debate for a very long time about the point of divergence that made what happened possible, but so far no consensus has been reached to explain why the balance that Otto Von Bismarck had so carefully created went to hell. Some credit Prime Minister Salisbury and his successful "Entente Cordiale" with France that would result in the World War, some blame William McKinley for pushing America into the world affairs and increasing the powers of the Presidency, and the occasional alternate history writer will take obscure and mostly unknown figures like the forgotten Theodore Roosevelt and Kaiser Wilhelm II and state that had they lived, history would have been different. It's hard to tell why, but from 1901 to 1907 Europe (and in some regards, most of the world) went from outright prosperity to a cynical siege mentality caused by the surge in anarchism and the constant wars against a single enemy, either the Ottoman Empire, Russia or France depending on the time. By the time the treaty of Amsterdam was signed most of Europe was exhausted and tired of war, and many nations were facing domestic troubles that were not going to get away that easily. The British Empire and Japan were starting to deal with the early beginnings of independence movements, France was in pure political chaos, Russia was growing unstable and even more repressive, American politics were confused by the unexpected La Follette presidency, and so forth.

Let's take a brief look at our key nations and their evolution:

British Empire:

While Lord Salisbury's reputation was low by 1901 thanks to the Boer War, the sudden surge in energy that the Prime Minister showed was astounding, as he used his final two years to coordinate the efforts of the Empire while presiding over an economic surge and several foreign victories. In retrospective, Lord Salisbury ranks highly among Prime Ministers today, but Prime Minister Balfour has been constantly reviled over his failures in the Middle East, Afghanistan and the World War itself. Some argue Balfour was dealt a tough situation and had too many opponents out there (including McKinley's espionage activities, which would lead to the known hostility between Britain and the United States), but not even them would rank him high on the list. Balfour would eventually take the gambit of calling the General Election in 1909, which lead to a resounding victory of the Liberals and Joseph Chamberlain's victory to become the opposition leader in the House of Commons to fight Prime Minister Edward Grey. Britain had expanded its economy and avoided a crucial decision on the tariff issue, but the war had costed them control over Canada and increased tensions in India that would have to be addressed sooner than later. Afghanistan remained defiant and the tribes defeated the final expedition sent by Balfour in 1908, and thus the new nation remained independent for some time.

Japanese Empire:

Mutsuhito had modernized Japan and then he had given his nation and Empire, and even today one can clearly see him as perhaps the most successful of all Japanese Emperors. Carefully maneuvering between the Genro, the context of political prudence set by the Emperor ended up with Mutsuhito's death in 1911 caused by severe complications in his head. With Emperor Yoshihito too weak to participate in politics and the Empire too large to be expanded anytime soon, Katsura Taro and Saionji Kinmochi finally had their expected power struggle, a prolonged parliamentary fight that Saionji won to become the Prime Minister. Saionji started economic reform and the reform of the Empire itself, but the militaristic movement of Yamagata Aritomo blocked him at every moment and created a tense 1910's for Japan, who had to contend with rebellions in the Philippines and Indochina (with rather eloquent calls for independence).

German Empire:

The clear winner after so many wars, Wilhelm III proved to be the monarch the Prussian Junkers actually wanted after so many victories and so many new places for Germany to move on. Despite a terrible start in politics, Wilhelm had moderated his views and had focused on expansion, which led to the revival of the German Colonial Empire and the creation of the three vassal Kingdoms in the East. Sadly for him, the SPD felt betrayed and keep gaining ground to oppose some of the Kaiser's policies, and all the vassal Kingdoms were also quite interested in having their independence despite the German negative. Germany lost many men and suffered heavy economic losses in the wars, but the war reparations helped the nation to keep the economy in line. Germany entered the 1910's with a very strong position and almost endless possibilities for the future, although new allies will be needed after losing America and with the continued crisis in Austria-Hungary.

Russian Empire:

Nicholas II was not the example of the most efficient ruler, but he seems to have improved quite a bit after 1901 in terms of efficiency. Sadly, Russia's challenges were really big and the disaster in the war didn't help things, costing the Russians most of their Empire after an early positive start against the Ottoman Empire. Nicholas II soon showed the full extend of his powers by crushing the internal revolution and destroying his foes in Turkestan and Finland, but the corruption within the government and the weakness of Russia after the war was too evident to hide. Nicholas started to work to restore Russia to its rightful place, but isolated from allies and without someone who could help the Tsar as an efficient ally (as Goremykin proved to be incompetent in many regards), Russia lacked a lot of hope for the future. On the other hand, the Tsarina managed to win some support back with the help of her two sons, who were growing without problems as the proud heirs to the Romanov dynasty. With the revolutionaries preparing to return someday and many potential crisis around the nation, Russia was the wildcard of Europe by the time the 1910's started.

Kingdom of Italy:

While nobody thought really high of Vittorio Emmanuele III when he started to rule, critics were soon proved wrong as the King showed himself to be the only man who keep the current system together. Forming a truly efficient duo with Prime Minister Giolitti (until he was assassinated in 1908), the King led a campaign against the mafia and heavy economic reforms that sowed the seeds for the Italian surge in influence through the next decade. Although his planned invasion of Abyssinia was frustrated by the other wars, it was him who crafted the new Italian colonial empire and put an end to the war in Morocco by negotiating the settlement that gave Italy a sizable base to the Atlantic. While Italy had many social issues to solve and political instability was becoming the norm without Giolitti and with the ever changing Liberal Prime Ministers (which tended to be ousted in internal party coups), the Kingdom was slowly gaining a sense of unity and strength, something not many could have predicted back when King Umberto was killed.

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Epilogue (Part Two)

United States of America:

William McKinley had in many ways a fantastic first term with war triumphs and being incredibly popular through the nation, but instead of continuing that trend for his second term, McKinley grew bold to an extend that still shocks historians to this very day. His imperialist policies led to America being all of the sudden very involved in the world, and that sudden change brought the opposition of William Jennings Bryan and Alexander Monroe Dockery which resulted in the 1903 constitutional crisis, where impeachment was attempted for the first time since 1868. McKinley survived the crisis to deliver the presidency to his good friend John Hay, who was shaping up to be an interesting president until his sudden death during the war. President La Follette quickly got the US out of the war and chose a less interventionist path, forcing a crisis within his party and winning the opposition of McKinley. While La Follette narrowly won a full term in 1908 against William Randolph Hearst riding on the Hay prosperity, his progressive policies were blocked in Congress by Speaker Cannon, forcing a deadlocked term that would end with the chaotic election of 1912 (which included the shocking revelation that William McKinley had indeed ordered the death of William Jennings Bryan) and the election of Hearst himself as the next President of the United States.

Ottoman Empire:

Once the "Sick Man of Europe", the Empire seem set for chaos thanks to the power of the Harem and the state of affairs in the nation. Indeed, many thought the Empire would fall after the defeat at the hands of Russia and Britain, but Abdul Hamid proved they were wrong. Starting an ambitious program to revive the Empire and increase his authority, he proved how machiavellian he could be by playing his opponents against each other. Under the final years of his rule the Empire managed to retake a lot of lands and win wars that could be considered of revenge, and by the time he eventually died in 1915 the Ottoman Empire was filled with European experts and on the road to modernization of many aspects of the nation. Alas, the Empire was still large and rather behind in culture and technology, so while the army was in a good shape it would take at least one or two decades to put the Ottoman Empire into a truly safe position. The disaster of Mecca united Muslims behind the Sultan, but ethnic and religious tensions are expected to appear again rather soon. Many hate Abdul Hamid for his taste for blood and all the killings he ordered, but it was he who saved the Empire from itself, and that and his skills cannot be denied.

Republic of France:

France had started with recent tensions with Britain and a potential for an alliance at the same time, and in the end the alliance prevailed. The Entente Cordiale would only last until the Treaty of Amsterdam, but it was a significant proof of Bismarck's system becoming obsolete by changing times. In that regard, Pierre Waldeck-Rousseau proved himself to be the biggest political force in France of the last forty years with the exception of Thiers and Gambetta, as he was able to lead a complicated coalition government and temporarily win new lands for the French colonial empire. It could have worked very well for France, but since Russia couldn't help in the Great War, the overwhelming might of the German military was able to crack the French defenses and eventually beat the country into submission, humiliation after humiliation which ended with the Treaty of Amsterdam and the resignation of Maurice Rouvier. A wave of hate extended through France, with the far-right and the nationalists blaming the left for the defeat and the left itself feeling disappointed with the government. War reparations hurt the country, and the continued fight among the extremes and the end of President Loubet's term only made things force. Weakened and resentful, France started the next decade with little allies and many problems, but with a determination: to bring down Germany someday, once and for all.

Austro-Hungarian Empire:

Austria-Hungary was a weakened nation, nobody doubted that, but they had the misfortune of having two bad leaders to start the Century. Franz Joseph I resorted to bad choices during his last two days, selling Trieste and damaging his reputation in such a way that he was forced to "resign". Franz Ferdinand was not better at all, giving confused orders and eventually forcing the military to intervene again and force him to "resign". With two Kaisers less, the crown fell on young Charles, who had a Regency Council presiding over his first year and enacting a reform born out of Bernhard Von Bulow's efforts to save the Empire. Despite military victories and the annexation of Ukraine, Austria-Hungary failed to contain the ethnic strife even with the reform, which meant that Charles had to devote all of his efforts to contain Von Hotzendorf's military clique (which grew more and more powerful every day), the Hungarian aristocracy (which was rumored to be funded from Russia) and many other minor groups, drawing forces from the Empire. By the time the new decade started, Ukraine was already become a logistical strain and the Empire had overextended, which meant that the following years were not destined to be pretty.

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Final Map (1908)