The History of the World V . . . .

[Frank Johnson]

Qin was a young military cadet stationed on the border with Russia. Although he was an officer cadet, the alert level on the boarder was not high, and Qin spent most of his days furthering his education and enjoying his family life.

One day Qin's sister Mei returned from a regular trip she would often make with her Mother to the Christian holy city in Russia. Qin's mother side had been long time Christians and Qin followed the Chinese belief to freedom of religion as one of the guiding principals of China. However, Qin could tell immediately that this trip had not been like the previous ones. Mei was in tears and rushed into her room as soon as she returned.

Qin: "Mei! What happened? Was it a boy? Tell me who now! I swear on my honor as your brother I will teach him not to disrespect our family's name!"

Mei: "No brother! It's not a boy. *sob* It's completely different. In the town, on the way back from the shrine...."

Qin: "You mean in Russia?"

Mei: "Yes in Russia! *sob*

Qin: "They hurt you?"

Mei: "No! The Russians didn't do anything to me!"

Qin: "Then tell me what happened! Why are you in tears?"

Mei: "Russia has stationed an army in the Holy City. I saw it on our way back!"

Qin: "I already know that. I hear its a band of rabble."

Mei: "No brother! Don't speak of them like that!"

Qin: "Why?"

Mei: "I was on the road back and I saw their encampment. On one of the banners...*sob*
I saw the family crest of our honorable father!"

Qin: "What!?"

Mei: "They were Chinese! I went into the encampment. They all spoke Chinese! Banner after banner! Lin, Mao, Chi, Dao, and on....all the anicent houses..."

Qin: "There are still Chinese in the central powers army!? But they never returned! We heard they found honorable ends in the Great Wars."

Mei: "Our brothers and sisters. I saw them, our own family is the dog of the Russian Throne!"

Qin: "Mei..."

Mei: "Brother don't you understand! If there's a war we might have to fight our own family! Everything we've been taught is a lie! Russians are not great warriors, they can't even be our friends! They array our own people against us in battle and tell us lies!"

Qin: "Mei..."


I wasn't long before the story reached the top military officers and the Council of the 108 stars. It is said that when Emperor Lao Wai Mo recieved the news that he was so furious that he hurled serveral anicent vases to the floor of the Imperial Residence. A modern day reminder of an anicent past had been brought to the Chinese people. Back to the days of corruption and servitutde. A great debt was owed to the Chinese people, and its proof was in the Holy City....

[KunojiLym]

To Emperor Lao Wai Mo of China

It has come to our attention that the stationing of Cho-Ku-Nus in the holy Christian city of Yaroslavl' has raised undue agitation in your nation. We would like to clarify the status of these soldiers.

First of all, they were given to Russia in the time of Peter II, grandfather of our present Tsarine Catherine I, as a dowry accompaning his bride, the Princess Geria, daughter of Emperor Tang Zhaozong. Thus, our imperial families are linked by blood; there is no need to fight amongst family.

Second, the Cho-Ku-Nus, as earlier indicated, were not a product of the Great War, by which we assume refer to the ancient war of the Jewish nations and the Northern Alliance against India and Russia. What troops that were loaned to Russia during that war, as far as our records tell, either settled here and became Russian themselves, or else returned to China and were replaced by our own Russian men. (That is to say, those that did not die in combat.) The Cho-Ku-Nus, thus, are a completedly different matter; they answer directly to the Imperial family, as they are charged with the protection of Geria's offspring.

Regardless, it is true that these soldiers were subsequently attatched to the 1st Novgorod Battalion, with Princess Geria's blessings, in the buildup to the renewed conflict between India and America. There has not been a need to move them for centuries. However, as you must be aware, recent careless remarks from your nation has prompted us to take steps to defend our holy city. That the Cho-Ku-Nus were subsequently moved to Yaroslavl' as part of that battalion was something that was not quite intended, and we apologize for any misunderstanding.

Nevertheless, we will not be moving the Cho-Ku-Nus from Yaroslavl' at the present time. To be quite frank, the size of your army alarms us, and we cannot quite believe that it is there for purely defensive purposes. This, coupled with the aforementioned remarks by your nation, is the reason that the 1st Novgorod Battalion, and the Cho-Ku-Nus attached to it, is stationed there.

Grigori Aleksandrovich Potemkin
Prime Minister of the Holy Russian Empire

[OzzyKP]

Graph of our city counts:

[Frank Johnson]

To Grigori Aleksandrovich Potemkin
Prime Minister of the Holy Russian Empire


The stationing of troops in the Holy Christian City concerns the Chinese Empire very little. Indeed defending the people is the first obgligation of a government and one that fails to do so is worthless.

The fact that there are more ethnic Chinese and Spanish stationed in your border troops division has caused outrage amongst the people. Neither I nor the Chinese people believe your explaination as to the source of the Chinese troops currently stationed in Russia. They were obviously part of a fighting force extracted from China for the purpose of making war against America and potentially the Northern Alliance. The means of extraction was the uneven relationship which strictly benefited the Russian people with no compensation to the Chinese for their sacrifices.

Although our great army does protect us today from such tyranny, we see no need to use it without great cause. We prefer to let diplomacy take its course. Nothing you have said can change the fact that the Russian empire has benefitted greatly off the back of the Chinese Empire for centuries. The deployment of the border troops to the Holy City is a symbolic gesture that clearly states that the legs your Empire stands on are clearly not your own.

The Empire of China requests that all unique Chinese units still serving in the Russian Army to be released by their government and immediately returned to China. If any of these troops were subsisquencly stationed in Indian garrisons we would make the same request should Chinese units be stationed there as well. Considering the great number of Chinese who surely died protecting foreign lands in the wars without any compensation to China, the return of the still existing divisions would represent but a small portion of the debt owed to China, but it would subdue the rage of the Chinese people and show the goodwill of the Russian people.

Failure to meet our request will result in economic and diplomatic penalities.

[KunojiLym]

To the Chinese Governemnt

Russia is dismayed that the Chinese should view our milleniu-old partnership in such completedly negative terms. Russia is further dismayed that the personal guards of Princess Geria and her descandants should be called back in such a manner. This is akin to a slap in the face to our Tsarine, herself the granddaughter of Geria. Do blood relations not matter at all?

Nevertheless, we will discharge the Cho-Ku-Nus from active service. We do not wish to unleash the world's most massive army upon our hapless people.

Grigori Aleksandrovich Potemkin
Prime Minister of the Holy Russian Empire

[The Capo]

Manning Arrives in Spain...

Captain Manning was exiled by the newly elected English Government following a missive sent to the Americans, forcing them into a puppet state of England. Manning took the blame for the entire incident, and was exiled to Spain, where he would be under the care of Prince Carlos VI. Carlos had married the daughter of General Mendoza, a close confidant of Captain Manning, and felt it an honor to house the great English commander. After traveling through the nothern sea to Spain Manning would officially be gone from England forever...

Santo Rodrigo...

The cold sea air and overcast skies of Santo Rodrigo painted a bleak picture for Captain Manning. He had yet to come to terms with the fact that he would spend the rest of his life in Spain, a nation that was seen by many in England to be somewhat of an enemy, despite the most recent cooperation in the wars against barbarism in Concordia. For his part Manning had spent the majority of his time as England's Lord Protector establishing the New Strategic East-West Alliance; one that would see England as the lead nation. The liberal wave of the enlightenment was not lost on England, however, and many English leaders felt it necessary to exile the man responsible for what could be seen as an unfair treaty. Thus Manning was sent to Spain.

Captain Manning put on his bright red uniform, and surveyed himself in a mirror. The time has come, and he'd have to greet the Prince, he must remain a proper British nobleman; maintain a stiff upper lip. He rose from his chair and opened the door, "I am ready to see the Prince." he said to the Spanish soldier guarding his door, the soldier simply nodded and began to walk.

They hadn't gone far before Manning was greeted by the smiling face of Carlos VI, "Ahh William, welcome to Spain."

"The pleasure is all mine Carlos," Manning replied "I wish we could have met under more fortunate circumstances though, how is your son doing?"

"Quite well actually, for an Emperor." Carlos smiled.

"Oh my, he is Emperor?" Manning asked, he was quite surprised.

"Yes, he is Emperor."

"Wonderful! What about Prince Felipe?" Manning asked.

"There were reasons we couldn't make him Emperor William, political considerations, regardless he is well and in Russia now, with Czarina Catherine." the Prince said as he summoned a carriage. "We should go soon, Santo Rodrigo is depressing."

"Aye, I would love to visit Madrid." Captain Manning replied as the carriage approached.

"That is ironic William, because that is precisely where we are going..."

[The Capo]

Spain in Transition.

The wave of enlightenment sparked by Indian and Chinese liberalism was slow to hit Spain, but did none-the-less. Under the reign of Carlos V and Felipe II Spain saw unprecedented success in building a powerful Monarchy, and establishing Spanish territory in Concordia. Under their rule Spain was one of the richest, smartest, and most powerful countries in the world. Despite these accomplishments Spain continued to maintain a fluctuating debt, maintained an uneven relationship with the Pope and to a larger extent Russia, and relied heavily on foreign technology. Spain would also have to come to terms with burgeoning democratic governments in nations like India, Germany and America, as well as strong democratic movements in other states like England, China, and even in the Imperial territory of New Spain.

The Emperor Carlos Diaz de Castilla y Aragon VII.

Emperor Carlos VII was a strange choice for the Emperor, but one that the Spanish court believed to be necessary. He would be the first to admit that he knew nothing of governance, and failed to understand the reasons why the Spanish nobility felt that he would rule best; the fact was simply that the nobility wanted a man who would not interfere with the policies of Felipe II and Carlos V. Unfortunately this would not prove to be the case. Rather than feed into the liberal movement in Spain Carlos VII decided to attack decisively, sending a massive army to the colony of San Pedro to crush the rebellion of Simon Bolivar, but more on that later. In order to maintain such a force Carlos VII had to recruit hundreds of thousands of Spaniards, and change laws regarding military officers (until now high ranks had to be filled by noblemen), and turning control of the military over to commoners. While this may have seemed a small victory for liberals in Spain, it resulted in a general feeling of Spanish nationalism that saw the Imperial family as a Spanish institution rather than a tyrannical force.

Another change Carlos VII made to the Spanish government was his direct role in running the country. Already delegation of authority had begun under Felipe II, who installed Alfonso Guzman de Olivares as the duke of Toledo, complete with his own Imperial palace at Versailles, and full control over the eastern Empire's military and civilian matters. Carlos VII saw it fit to appoint a minister who would make decisions in his name and generally run the government in his stead; he chose a man named Manuel de Godoy for the job as Prime Minister. Manuel had begun as an aid to Don Cristobal Colon, the former Governor of New Spain. Manuel's duties were simply to run the day-to-day operations of the Governor's office, and report directly to both Governor Colon and Emperor Felipe II on any activities worthy of note. Following Colon's removal from office Godoy returned and begame an influential merchant in Seville before being appointed to the board of directors who devised the Hermitage. He later found favor with Emperor Felipe II just before his death, and thus remained in the Imperial court. Eventually he befriended Carlos VII, and became Prime Minister as one of Carlos' most trusted advisors. His job as Prime Minister would be similar to his job with Governor Colon, except there was a much more prestige and considerably more power.

Finally Carlos VII appointed a new Foreign Minister, and in due fashion named his cousin (and son of outgoing Foreign Minister Alfonso Guzman de Olivares) Alfonso Guzman de Olivares II to the position. Alfonso inherited the title "Duke of Toledo," and as such was responsible for the eastern portion of the Empire, with his capital in Toledo itself. Carlos VII felt the job of an Emperor was tedious and figured if he couldn't do the job properly he could just hire people who could. Unfortunately for him, he would reign in an era that seemed, on its face, quite stable. New events would forever change the face of politics on Terra, and Carlos VII didn't seem ready to meet the challenge.

The Marriage of Felipe III and Catherine.

Catherine of Russia assumed the throne being the only living heir to the Russian throne, and unwed; thus she was potentially the final surviving member of the royal family. It was during this time that Spain had begun its slow break from servitude to the Pope in Yaroslav'l. For centuries Spanish missionaries poured over the borders of countries as far as Germany to spread the gospel, giving more and more power to the Pope in Yaroslav'l, which forced Spanish authorities into a horrible inquisition where thousands of Spaniards were killed for both serious and frivilous slights to the Catholic church. Emperor Felipe II realized that the only way to keep Spain happy would be to end the inquisition, but how could this be done without angering the Pope and losing Russian support? Fortunately for Felipe Catherine had acquired the reputation of being very sexually active, to the point of (in many Russian nobles' minds) shame. It was also true that Catherine must provide an heir. Therefore in 1452 it was announced that the Infante Felipe Diaz de Castilla y Aragon III would marry Czarina Catherine, cementing the Spanish-Russian defensive pact for decades, and thus allowing the cancellation of the inquisition. This way, regardless of the Pope's response, Spain and Russia would remain powerful allies.

Changes in the Spanish Military, and the Rebellion in New Spain.

Through the discover of Rifling the Spanish Military would change dramatically; all outdated or unused units in the Empire were promptly upgraded or disbanded, and replaced with fresh Infantry that was newly-equipped with the latest weaponry. This and the repeal of the law calling for only nobles as officers greatly reshaped the Spanish military, changing it from an archaic force only as good as their General's gold was, to a professional and elite force funded entirely through the Imperial authority. There are countless explainations for this, but nobody can be sure why these changes occured. One explaination is the recent militarization of China. During the reign of Carlos VII the issue of Chinese military build-up became a hot issue, as Russian and Chinese diplomats gave veiled threats, and even openly discussed eachother's military positions. Initially a German explorer began spreading word that the Russian defenses of Yaroslav'l, Catholocism's holy city and seat of the Pope, were quite weak. This event quickly prompted a Spanish reponse.

Most would agree that the best explaination is liberalism itself. New ideas of democracy, and social contracts, permeated throughout Spain. Many were compelled to join the Union Liberal, an organization founded by Baltasar Gracian, an outspoken critic of the inquisition (being a priest he was promptly excommunicated by Pope John III). The Union Liberal is basically a think-tank for many Spanish liberals, who advocate a democratically elected government ruled by law, and not by a monarch. It is rumored that the rebel Simon Bolivar of New Spain is funded by the Union Liberal, however this has never been proven. Regardless of this fact Bolivar's rebel forces share the fundamentally liberal values of the Union Liberal, including freedom of religion, freedom of speech, universal sufferage, and the free market. Their ideas have recently become very popular in Spain and can be credited with the new religious freedoms granted by Emperor Felipe II. The fact that Carlos VII has publicly stated that he would not be known as the Emperor who lost the Empire, nearly proves that the recent military improvements may have been, in some way, sparked on by the rise of these rebels of Concordia.

[The Capo]

South of Valencia, New Spain...

The Spanish cavalry had been assigned to secure settlements in Concordia from barbarian assaults, a rash of which recently plagued the colony of San Pedro. The forces of General DeMores, who had at one time comitted the massacre of San Pedro were now ordered to locate potential rebel safe-houses and supply-lines. In an area as underdeveloped as New Spain, this proved to be quite difficult...

"Well, if you ask me its nothing but busy work. If you have a large army you have to use it for something, right?" Gillermo asked Juan, the two horsemen were young members of the Spanish Cavalry and had already seen their fair share of action. They were present at the massacre of San Pedro, but were relegated to guarding the camp, and only know the stories of their comrades; of the killing, and persecution at the hands of Governor Colon.

"I suppose, I just don't think we'll find anything here. Everyone knows that the rebels are funded and paid for by the Union Liberal, it's no secret." Juan replied, as he noticed a small piece of paper on the ground, he didn't tip Gillermo off though.

"Blah blah blah" Gillermo replied, staring off into the distance "At least we're here in Concordia, away from Spain and its filthy cities! This is God's country Juan."

Juan picked up the paper and glanced at it quickly, it was directions - "It sure is Gillermo" - but to where?

"Well there's some sh*t over here, maybe it's Simon Bolivar's, we're on the right track!" Gillermo said laughing "Eh, you have no sense of humor Juan."

"C'mon, we'd better get back, I don't want DeMores accusing me of slacking off, let's get going." Juan said.

"I'm not gonna convince you otherwise, let's get the hell out of here..."

Back in Camp...

Juan pretended to sleep that night, not that he needed to, he was so nervous he probably couldn't if he tried. He was a spy from the Union Liberal, implanted in the Imperial Cavalry and sent to Concordia. His mission was to establish contact with Simon Bolivar, and give him important documents such as maps, and military identification. He quietly snuck, step by step, accross the barrack where the rest of the men were sleeping and light a candle...

Patriot Juan Prim y Prats,

You will meet with Generalisimo Bolivar at the docks in San Pedro February 18th, 1476. You will recieve information regarding this transaction once you reach San Pedro, we expect this to occur two days prior to your meeting with the General, you are to come alone and unarmed.

Prior to this, you will acquire maps detailing the routes of Imperial supply-lines, primarily military, but Papal supply-lines will be important as well, we do not wish for Spain to be ruled by foreigners either. You must acquire special military identification papers as well, we need anything above the rank of Colonel. Finally you must secure the demise of General DeMores, it is imperative that this be done.

Good luck patriot!

-MPR

He blew out the candle, and quietly returned to his bed...

[The Capo]

The Madrid Monitor
August 30th, 1476
1/30 Gold

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TOP STORY
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Tensions Mount Between China and Russia!
Yaroslav'l, Russia - Newly appointed Chinese Consul, Lao Wai Mo, began tensions between the Russian Empire and China following a report from German explorers that the city of Yaroslav'l had little to no defenses. "It is disturbing that this information was made public by Germany, especially amidst such tension in the region" said Spanish foreign minister Alfonso Guzman de Olivares II. Following this report the Russian Empire sent countless units to Yaroslav'l for its defense, including Chinese Cho-Nu-Kus which set off the Chinese-Russian tensions to begin with. Spanish Imperial Infantry and Grenadiers were also dispatched to Yaroslav'l to aid in the defense of Christianity's holy city. The Chinese Empire looked warily upon these events; "The fact that there are more ethnic Chinese and Spanish stationed in your border troops division has caused outrage amongst the people" Chinese Consul Lao Wai Mo said in one missive to Russia. "This entire situation has been blown completely out of proportion," Prince Felipe III said, he is also consort of Czarina Catherine of Russia "The Chinese are trying to make an incident out of thin air." At this point it is difficult to see which side, if any, is in the right. But Chinese officials further demanded the return of ethnic Chinese forces, saying "The Empire of China requests that all unique Chinese units still serving in the Russian Army to be released by their government and immediately returned to China... failure to meet our request will result in economic and diplomatic penalities." Emperor Carlos VII said he will send an ambassador to both China and Russia in hopes that this doesn't escalate into full scale war.

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DOMESTIC REPORT
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Manuel De Godoy Becomes First Spanish Prime Minister.
Madrid - Emperor Carlos VII has appointed, for the first time in Spanish history, a civilian as the top official when it comes to the Spanish government. "I am not as qualified as some to rule Spain, I will readily admit this" said the Emperor "I have some talents, and I will use them to aid in the continued success of the Empire, but Manuel is more than qualified in civil administration and will make a better domestic leader than I." Manuel served as an aid to former Governor of New Spain Cristobal Colon, as well a director of the Hermitage art museum. "I hope that Spain will have me as the Prime Minister of their government, the Empire is truly in safe hands, and I will do my best to provide for Spanish prosperity" De Godoy said in his acceptance speech.

Globe Theatre Built in Seville!
Seville - Seville is quickly becoming a haven of Spanish art and culture; not too long ago the Hermitage was erected in the southern city, gaining international attention as well as respect from the art community. Now the Globe Theatre has been built, which is surely going to be a boon to theatre-goers and lovers of drama around the world. Gregorio Martinez Sierra is the founder of the theatre and said the opening play will be a theatrical rendition of Canto de Mio Cid, Spain's national epic and tale of famous King Rodrigo Diaz de Vivar, also known as El Cid. "I am excited about the upcoming shows, which will be attended by Emperor Carlos VII and both Felipe III and Catrina (Catherine) of Russia."

Christianity Finds Home in Concordia!
Zaragosa, New Spain - The territory of New Spain has finally come under the umbrella of Christianity, the predominate religion in Spain. "God bless the men and women who have made this possible" said Archbishop Horatio III "it is very dangerous to risk one's life in the name of the Lord, blessed are those who risk their physical shell for praise in God's kingdom." Further missionary work has been done in the Incan colony of Numidia, however some in Spain feel that Imperial funding of Christian missionaries goes against Spain's "Freedom of Religion," - "We claim freedom of religion, yet the Guru Santo is still in exile, the Emperor continues to openly support the Holy See through our military garrisons in Yaroslav'l, and now we send missionaries to Concordia under the protection of Imperial soldiers," said Francisco Serrano y Dominguez, the head of the Union Liberal, a leftist think-tank in Madrid.

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INTERNATIONAL REPORT
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Felipe III Marries Cathrine of Russia!
Moscow, Russia - In a lavish ceremony held at the world renowned Hagia Sophia in Russia, Felipe III married the Czarina of Russia Catherine the Great. Felipe is the son of the beloved Emperor Felipe II, and grandson of Emperor Carlos V. "Through this union our line can continue in Russia," said Emperor Carlos VII "I am very happy for the couple and hope they live a fruitful and successful life in Russia." However many consider this union a cover for the recent break between Spain and the Holy See; "Political considerations were part of the reasons behind this" said Felipe's uncle Carlos VI "I don't think it is any secret that the two hadn't even met before their wedding was announced." Regardless, the two have already consumated their marriage, resulting in two sons; Nicholas and Phillip IV.

Ollanta Humalla Wins Incan Election!
Cuzco, Incan Empire - Incan politician Ollanta Humalla has been elected President of the Incan Empire, and has promised to rule the Incas in a pacifist manner. "I will truly embrace pacifism" the new President said "the army of the Incas will only be one of defense." This seems part of a growing trend throughout Terra, of ideas regarding peace, and cooperation. "It is difficult to tell, at this point, whether this is a ruse considering the recent NSEW alliance" said Prime Minister de Godoy "It will take some time to see how President Humalla truly runs the country, but I congratulate him on victory." Others feel that this should serve as an example to Spain; "The Election of President Humalla should show Spain the true path; the way of peace and understanding, and non-violence" the exiled Guru Santo said in a missive sent to all Spanish Buddhists, Spain's oldest religion.

India and America Announce Alliance.
Robington, America - In a shocking twist, the Indians and Americans have announced an alliance. The two nations have been traditional enemies, sparking off two seperate conflicts regarding the Indian city of Karachi (in America it is known as Boston). "War is not the solution" said American King Thomas Jefferson "Peace is." Behind the scenes, however, one can easily see where this alliance came from. Namely the New Strategic East-West alliance devised by English Lord Protector William Manning, who is now exiled in Spain. "The terms of the treaty were seen as oppressive by the Americans, and by many in England as well," said Captain Manning "Simply stated; [England] has given many things to the Americans, land, technology, you name it. We felt they had an obligation to us, and apparently they have ignored it." Manning was referring to a proposed alliance between America and the NSEW (Germany, Inca, and England), one that would treat America as a quasi-partner, and one that was seen by the Americans as unfair. Regardless, President Humayun of India is optimistic; "At last the centuries long rift has finally healed."

Incans, Indians Built Kong Miao in Madras!
Madras, India - Through cooperation between the Incan and Indian Governments the Kong Miao, a Holy Shrine of Confucianism, was erected in the city of Madras the birthplace of Confucianism. "Confucianism is the state religion of the Incas, as well as the English, who both felt it necessary to create a Holy Shrine in the Holy City of Confucianism" said Prime Minister de Godoy "And I applaud the effort, it is quite a splendid building." Confucianists world-wide have already begun flocking to the Holy City.

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EDITORIAL
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When Will They Realize?
by Francisco Serrano y Dominguez

When will they realize the error of their ways? When will the Imperial family finally give up their hold on the lives of Spaniards? Along with Russia we are the only two countries on Terra who are lead directly by a King. Even the Americans have a constitutional Monarchy, all we get are small little appeasements here and there. For instance, the new "Freedom of Religion" we experience is a facade, the Guru Santo is still in exile, and the Imperial authorities continue to send missionaries around the world at the behest of the Pope in Russia! Your taxes are being spent on spreading the power of the Pope, and he isn't even Spanish! Now "we" are married to Russia, through Felipe III, now our forces are stationed in Yaroslav'l for fear of a Chinese invasion of Russia, I ask you, where are SPAIN's defenses from China? Now they give us a Prime Minister, a civilian they say. Manuel de Godoy is a known royalist, he has worked with the Imperial authorities and has made a killing doing so, he may not be of royal blood, but he knows where his wealth flows from, and that is the Citadel in Madrid. I do not wish for the government to be overthrown, please do not get me wrong, I am simply saying that the people of Spain have to become more informed, we have to demand more rights, we have to demand the Emperor to take responsability for his Empire, I urge all Spaniards to demand a constitution with guaranteed rights, and checks to the power of the Emperor. A duly elected legislature, from which we can extract our own Prime Minister. These are the goals of the Union Liberal, and they should become the goals of the Spanish people.

Francisco Serrano y Dominguez is the director of the Union Liberal, the words of Don Serrano do not reflect the feelings of the Madrid Monitor or its staff.

[The Capo]

The Globe Theatre, Seville...

Emperor Carlos VII and his Empress Eugenia sat in awe of the new theatre, and of the production El Canto de Mio Cid which went on before their eyes. Meanwhile in the hallway General Espartero and Prime Minister de Godoy discussed the situation between Russia and China.

"I don't think we have anything to worry about, the Russians have agreed to China's terms, they're only archers Generall, it isn't an issue." the Prime Minister explained.

"I know, its just that our moves have been questionable. Why do we defend Yaroslav'l when our border cities are the same, why aren't we-" General Espartero was quickly interrupted.

"Spare me your Liberal nonsense General, our relationship with China is unquestionably good, we have no issues with them. And frankly filling our border cities with units is not going to help anything, it was Russia's build up that started this mess in the first place."

"Well, I still think we should summon more men for the borders, just in case. Even if Catherine makes a mistake it will mean we must fight, so we should take the proper precautions." the General said, "Well, I shouldn't keep you long, I am going to leave."

"Alright, I'll be at the Citadel, you can find me there later tonight. I have to get these ambassadors prepared in case we need them."

"I'll be sure to find you if I needed anything else, I suppose more troops isn't a possibility?" General Espartero asked.

"I've already told you, Concordia is getting the attention of the military for the moment, you'll just have to make due."

San Pedro, New Spain...

Captain Juan Prim y Prats met with Generalisimo Bolivar in San Pedro on February 18th, 1476 to bring him maps of Imperial supply lines, Papal missionary routes, and falsified military identification, for some unkown purpose.

"Captain Prats, I pray your journey was safe." Simon Bolivar said, there was a large collection of members of the Union Liberal including military officers, imperial officials, lawyers, and merchants.

"It was, anything for the republic General." Juan said "Here are the documents you wanted."

"Excellent" Bolivar said, as he handed the papers to an advisor "Now, we need you to return to Spain, you will meet with General Espartero, he is favorable to us, but will not do anything overtly."

"Understood."

"You will serve him in the royal court, and work closely with Prime Minister de Godoy, we have to take advantage of this man, he is weak-willed."

"I don't understand General, what do you want me to do."

"I have recieved information that the Prime Minister may be involved in an amorous affair with Empress Eugenia de Barcelona, we can use this information to blackmail de Godoy, Esperanto is key to this as he commands the armies of Toledo and thus of the Eastern Empire."

"Alright, I understand, now when shall I depart?"

"As soon as you can, try and remain under-cover though, we can't let our cover slip." Bolivar said.

[Frank Johnson]

Theorists in China Debate Balance of Power

By far the most popular topic amongst military officers in the Chinese Empire has been the emerging theory of the balance of power between civilizations. Symbolized by the character "ping", meaning equal in nature or balanced, it is a philosophy that suggests a course of action for a country on a strategic and diplomatic level. The most noted proponent of this theory is Chinese Cavalry Captain, Justy Udikii Taylor, who developed most of his theory while with the Chinese Expeditionary Force in Concordia.

Captain Taylor placed civilizations in three developmental stages, and described the final stage of "ping" as a balance between research, expansion, and consolidation.

First Type civilizations base their production and research based on the demands of their environment. The disunity of peoples in the early stage promotes civilizations to defend themselves and limits expansion and research.

Second Type civilizations base their production and research based on treaties and agreements with outside powers. Second Type civilizations take such agreements at face value and do not view them as a part of the greater dynamic of balance of power. Second type civilizations create warfare by ignoring the balance of power.

Thrid Type civilizations actively balance their production and research based on the balance of power between civilizations. Such a balance is ideal for the people of a nation since it includes protection of the people in addition to gathering of knowledge.

Captain Taylor concludes that war is a product of when civilizations of different stages reside closely to each other. "Unity is difficult to achieve between powers if one civilization advances to another stage before the others. In addition it is possible for a civilization to backslide to a previous state, if it fails to maintain a balance between research, expansion, and consolidation."

"A war between two civilizations on the same level of development is unlikely, however civilizations in the first two stages are very prone to lose the balance of power, since their governments are not actively committed to it. Futhermore it is impossible for two third stage civilizations to engage in warfare unless one's government collapses, or they are drawn in by treaty obligations by other powers who are of a lower stage of development."

Captain Taylor warns further on the problems caused by Type 2 civilizations:

"Type Two civilizations encourage warfare by losing balance by focusing too heavily on research and expansion, ignoring consolidation. Nations that encourage such policies are silent agressors, since they rely on gambits and old treaties to maintain their unbalanced situation without addressing the problems of the present."

Captain Taylor describes the emmergance of type three civilizations in the latest Era:

"India was the first example of a Type 3 civilization. It emmerged from its long slumber of a type two civilization when it was assaulted by the Type 1 civilization of America. Pushed by its environment, and the lack of balance, warfare ensued. India started as a a quick shift to Type 1 policies, however indications are that their government has finally adopted a policy of balance."

"China emmerged from its Type 2 civilization under the Rule of Jian Fu Lin. By balancing the need for all three elements of growth, it ushered in a new age. However China was surrounded by Type 2 civilizations that saw the emmerging Type 3 civilization in China as a threat. Rather than begin their own evolution into Type 3 powers, much of the old wolrd has adopted treaties and alliances to maintain their Type 2 status. Tragicly it is the same strategies that led to all previous warfare on Terra."

The effect of the New World on global balance of power does not escape Taylor:

"England and the Inca, long braced into a type 1 stranglehold by the powerhouse of Russia, were able to obtain enough resources and technology by developing in lands of Concordia. Unfortuently the pace of development, including the lack of consolidation has seen both of these civilizations move to type 2 status. This may prove that it is impossible for a civilization to move directly from a Type 1 civilization to a Type 3 civilization without first learning the painful lessons assoicated with type 2 status."

[The Capo]

The Rise of Liberalism in Spain.

The reign of Carlos VII was marked with a period of tension and apprehension in Spain; tension arose in Concordia following the build-up of soldiers near the German colony of Bremen, Phillip IV (the son of Felipe II and Catherine of Russia) was executed by Liberal revolutionaries under the command of Simon Bolivar and San Pedro was subsequently taken and renamed the New Spanish Republic, and military build-ups worldwide continued unabated. In this climate it was difficult for the Imperial powers to retain their control, and naturally they had to give up some of their ancient control over Spain...

The De Godoy Affair.

Prime Minister Manuel de Godoy was appointed by Carlos VII in the interest of running the unweildy Empire, which held three capitals and overseas territory. The Emperor admittedly had no interest in running the govenment, and also admitted that he would not be the best man for the job. Manuel made some strides in opening up markets and creating the best economy Spain has seen in her history, but he made one crucial misstep that would end not only his life, but the power of the Empire itself; he engaged in an affair with Empress Eugenia de Barcelona. What this meant for the Empire was quite obvious - clearly if the Prime Minister and the Empress are sleeping together, the Emperor himself is cast as an impotent weakling - something had to be done, but unfortunately for Carlos VII and Manuel de Godoy the Union Liberal had secretly come accross these facts through General Espartero, a member of the Union. General Espartero used the information to extract maps of supply-lines, military positions, official Holy See information, state secrets, and identification papers as well as units deployed under his direct command all funded by the Emperor Carlos VII. All of this information would prove disastrous for the Imperial authorites, and would indirectly lead to the death of Phillip IV.

The Fall of Phillip IV.

Phillip IV spent most of his life studying in Russia, but would spend his final days in the Spanish colony of San Pedro. He was the son of Catherine the Czarina of Russia and Felipe III, son of Emperor Felipe II. In 1490 it was determined that Phillip should become the Viceroy of New Spain, especially after the botched rule of Governor Cristobal Colon. Phillip IV was not much more effective than Colon, as he quickly went under the sway of Captain Juan Prim y Prats, another Union Liberal agent working in the military. Captain Prim y Prats convinced Phillip that Simon Bolivar wasn't a bother and further suggested he move troops from San Pedro to the German colony of Bremen, claiming that the new colony was a sign that Germany had ambitions aims towards New Spain; Phillip fell for the ruse entirely and the armies of Bolivar approached the city and demanded Phillip IV turn himself over to be tried for treason against the Spanish people and the Spanish Republic. Obviously Phillip scoffed at such a notion, boasting "your pathetic rabble will never encroach upon San Pedro!" The stage was set for a showdown, as Phillip called upon Captain Prim y Prats and his imperial forces to come to the defense of the city. These defenses never came.



Bolivar's forces routed the under-prepared, and outclassed forces of Phillip, the bulk of the army was with Captain Prim y Prats watching the colony of Bremen. The Liberals captured the Viceroy, held an ad hoc trial, and summarily executed him in the imperial palace. Word quickly reached both Russia and Spain, who condemned the actions and swore revenge on Simon Bolivar for the murder of Phillip. Luckily for the Emperor the build up of soldiers at Bremen sparked tension between Germany and Spain, and there were already imperial forces on their way to New Spain. Captain Prim y Prats warned Bolivar of the oncoming army, and he quickly abandoned San Pedro before the Imperial troops could arrive. While the New Spanish Republic was short-lived it proved that rebellion was possible, and that the Imperial Authority was dwindling. Add to this the new tension between Germany and Spain and the Liberals were in a position they finally thought they should cash in on. General Espartero had the Prime Minister under his complete control, Captain Prim y Prats was on the inside of the military situation in New Spain and was feeding information to Simon Bolivar, so finally a meeting had to be called to order...

The Meeting of the Union Liberal.

In January of 1554 the top members of the Union Liberal met in Toledo to discuss their next moves, Simon Bolivar was even smuggled in on the same ship that brought Captain Prim y Prats to the meeting. The discussion was obvious; when and where do we finish our work? However things were not that simple, while the men all agreed that they wanted a Spanish Republic, none of them could agree on how they would administer the new government or who would run it. There was even debate out potentially breaking Spain into three seperate republics with capitals in Madrid, San Pedro, and Toledo respectively. There were even questions about the loyalty of the troops under Prim and Espartero's command. Clearly nothing was going to be decided in this type of environment until General Espartero suggested that they install their own Prime Minister, he assured the assembly that if Emperor Carlos VII found out that Eugenia and Manuel de Godoy were lovers he would certainly kill Manuel, and he felt that he could convince the Emperor to appoint him to Prime Minister, thus giving him official power that could then be used to overthrow the Imperial government. Thus the plot was afoot.

[The Capo]

His Most Catholic Majesty Carlos Diaz de Castilla y Aragon VII, King of Spain, King of New Spain, and Emperor of the Holy Spanish Empire.

TO: The German Parliament (?)
FROM: Prime Minister Manuel de Godoy

It has come to our attention that your men have reported a military build-up near the German colony of Bremen. It has further come to my attention that your men claim a Spanish naval vessel, in this case an ironclad, fired three volleys upon a German Frigate. I will address both matters at this time;

Firstly, the Spanish military build up was due to the unannounced establishment of a German colony in North Concordia between the lands of Spain, India, England and the Incas. We felt that this was in violation of a prior treaty proffered by England, and sent the soldiers as a precaution. You will find that this soldiers were promptly removed from the region PRIOR to German statements, thus we did so out of our own volition and did so in a peaceful manner. Our open borders treaty was cancelled, peacefully might I add, after German protests to units that were already removed. We felt that you may have used this harmless incident as a precursor to war, or may have responded in kind and we wanted to prevent any type of sneak attack that you may have been planning. If it is important to you that we return to the original open-borders treaty the Emperor finds this agreeable.

Secondly, the claim that our ship fired upon yours is quite ludicrous and frankly insulting. Admiral Hidalgo, our finest and most trustworthy naval officer, is currently in command of our naval forces in Concordia. He has told me specifically that NONE of our vessels, whether ironclads or otherwise, fired any shots upon any other vessel, whether German or otherwise. In fact the ship you claim we attacked is currently sitting in the location it was sitting in prior to this, unharmed or unmoved, nor is the ironclad you claim assaulted your ship. We can't figure out any other purpose for such a ridiculous lie than German aggression towards Spain. If you wish to push this issue we have concrete evidence we will be more than happy to supply to all foreign dignitaries to prove you wrong. Perhaps you have been misinformed by your advisors? Whatever the purpose we would appreciate an apology for this incident.

In closing, while there are issues that will continue this tension, we feel that it is a huge misunderstanding and we can put this behind us. We would appreciate it if you visited us in Russia so we can have a summit concerning this matter.

Thank you,

Prime Minister Manuel de Godoy.

[The Capo]

The Citadel, Madrid...

Emperor Carlos VII, General Carlos VI, and the exiled Captain William Manning all sat over late-night wine from Seville as they discussed the latest events transpiring in Spain; quite honestly the discussion became a bit tense when the issue of the "Zaragosa Incident" came up...

"You can't be serious Manning!" said the Emperor "It is a clear case of lying, its terrible."

"Its mere politics, the Germans want to stir up some bad blood, and the only way to do that is to create this story of an attack. They know quite readily that Spanish troops were within their rights to amass along the border, regardless of how frightened the people of Bremen must have been they were still in Spanish territory." his father General Carlos VI replied.

"Well, I am simply saying that Spain is not entirely innocent, what message was being sent by those troops?" Manning replied, after sipping his wine.

"Please Captain, we can't allow this to become a political debate simply because Spain has power, that is unfair. The facts are quite clear" the Emperor began "The message was simple; you know it and I know it, those Germans have no right to be there, they snuck in most likely with Incan support, and founded a colony with no prior messages to either Spain or India."

"And why should that have happened? Everybody knows that Spain and India would never have allowed a German colony there!" Manning retorted.

"Captain, regardless of that fact it doesn't mean you can just go around debasing treaties, that by the way you yourself drafted, no?" the General said.

"Well, sort of, I don't think that treaty is being recognized anymore."

"Not being recognized Manning?" asked the Emperor "What about the lives of Spanish soldiers, lost at the walls of Numidia? We followed your treaty to the letter, and now your allies are allowed to thumb their noses at it?"

"Hey, I have been exiled, it is no longer MY treaty." Manning said.

"Regardless, it is of English origin and the English are strangely quiet about the matter, which leads me to believe that they are in some sort of collusion with Germany" General Carlos VI said "It isn't an issue though, we shall meet with them in Russia and sort this ordeal out."

Just then a guard burst into the room "Emperor Carlos, your excellency, General Baldomero Espartero is here to see you."

"Ugh, this man is entirely annoying, tell him I am busy at the moment." the Emperor replied, he always had considered Espartero anoying and overbearing.

"Your excellency, he says it is an urgent matter of national security." the guard replied.

"Tell him to speak with Prime Minister de Godoy then, I've already told you I am busy."

"It concerns the Prime Minister sir, he says he can not go to him with this information."

The Emperor looked to his father Carlos, and Captain Manning, for guidence, both men indicated that he should hear out the General "Very well, send him in."

General Espartero entered the room hurriedly, as far as the three men in the room were concerned at least, in actuality he was a top member of the Union Liberal and a key agent in their rebellious activity, especially in New Spain "Sire, this is a matter of dire importance, you would be wise to hear this in private." he began.

"General Baldomero Espartero, so nice of you to greet us." the Emperor said sarcastically.

"Excuse me for my uncivil greeting Emperor, however the news I have is quite important, and I must reiderate that you should hear this in private."

"General, this is my father, and this man is English, but despite this he is as a grandfather to me, you can say anything you would say to me in front of them." the Emperor said.

"Very well, it concerns Prime Minister de Godoy...."

[The Capo]

IMPERIAL DECREE of Emperor Carlos Diaz de Aragon y Castilla VII, King of Spain, King of New Spain, and Emperor of the Holy Spanish Empire

LET IT BE KNOWN, that anyone who has any knowlege of the whereabouts, plans, or discussion among rebellious factions in the territories of New Spain, or had any involvement in the assassination of Viceroy Phillip IV must come forward with such information or face harsh consequences. Further any members of the Union Liberal will renounce their membership to this organization or face the wrath of Imperial officials.

There is a reward on the head of Simon Bolivar, his capture or death will be greatly awarded with land, title, and of course vast wealth and the eternal gratitude of the Imperial family and the people of the Spanish Empire.

We urge foreign states NOT to harbor or support these terrorists as they are not only a danger to Spanish society but to societies throughout the world; regardless of their political stance these men have no concern for law and order, they have mercilessly sacked the city of San Pedro on at least seven occasions, they have stolen gold and equipment from the Spanish army and the Holy See, and have taken it upon themselves to MURDER an Imperial official as well as a member of the Spanish and Russian royal families. This type of activity is outrageous and musn't be tolerated.