[h1][center][b][u]The World as We Know It[/u][/b][/center][/h1]

[center][[b]Turn 3[/b] -- July, 1899 to September, 1899. Send your Orders. Dossier are updated.][/center]
[b][h2]July[/h2][/b]
[center][hider=Rules to Know]
- 1. For your [b]Political Clout[/b] actions to take effect, you must post IC.
- 2. Whomever posts first has precedence. [Example: Nation A declares war on Nation B. Nation C signs Defensive Alliance with Nation B. If Nation A posts first, this means Nation C cannot effectively sign said alliance and be 'called to arms.'
- 3. Once your orders are sent, they cannot be altered or canceled.][/hider][/center]
[u][b]July 1st[/b][/u]
The [b][color=pink]Zellonian 3rd Fleet[/color][/b] under Rear Admiral Jefferson Bock leaves port at Vorl and sails into the Osladian Straits. The straits, long held in tandem by the Osladian and Zellonian monarchies, suddenly becomes a Zellonian lake. The 3rd Fleet, under orders from the Zellonian monarch itself orders all vessels flying merchant flags to be redirected to Vorl where they will be searched and potentially seized if carrying contraband. Under orders from the Zellonian King, all merchant vessels passing through the Inland Strait will be privy to a 6% tax, or be seized and interned.

[center][img]http://armoured.ru/imperator_aleksandr_3-2/10.jpg[/img]
[i]Rear Admiral Jefferson Bock's flagship, the Pre-Dreadnought [/i] Zellonia's Revenge[i], 1899[/i][/center]

The [b]Zeelian Affair[/b] unfolds rapidly, with a half dozen merchant ships--2 Kalpian, 1 Radenan and 3 Osladian--all steered into Vorl within the course of several hours. No goods are seized. All the ships are interned barring potential payments from their governments regarding passage through the Inland Strait. The Zellonian 3rd Fleet, 20 ships strong, patrol the coast day and night.
[[b]Event[/b]: [b][color=pink]Kingdom of Zellonia[/color][/b] gains +7% Naval Training, +12% Naval Morale, +4% Supply & Logistics. Gains [b]Naval Tactic: Jeune Ecole[/b]. -1 Relations with [b][color=green]Osladian Empire[/color][/b]. -1 Relations with [b][color=skyblue]Kalpian Republic[/color][/b]. -2% Supply & Logistics for [b][color=skyblue]Kalpian Republic[/color][/b]. -1% Supply & Logistics for [b][color=blue]Tsardom of Radena[/color][/b], -3% Supply & Logistics for [b][color=green]Osladian Empire[/color][/b]]

[b][u]July 2nd-4th[/u][/b]
The so named [b]Wauwanti War[/b] sees it's first battle as 4,400 Imperial soldiers of the Tarantese Army, using colonial scouts, hunt down a wandering mass of Wauwanti warriors. The [b]Battle of Anuit[/b] occurs over three days, where soldiers of the Tarantese Army engage the Wauwanti columns over a long stretch of grassy hills. The Wauwanti, who are sparely armed with weapons--are defeated en masse.
[[b]Event[/b]: [b][color=beige]Empire of Tara[/color][/b] loses 291 soldiers. [b]Wauwanti Empire[/b] loses 3,461 soldiers.]

[b][u]July 7th[/u][/b]
The [b][color=blue]Tsardom of Radena[/color][/b] dispatches Foreign Minister Ilyich to the [b]Principality of Kuralov[/b] on a diplomatic mission to find a potential ally on the Continent. The Principality however, a territorial, small and honorable nation considers Radena an imperialistic, if not oppressive nation. Ilyich, who was well learned in Continental affairs, navigated a negotiation with Count Oleg von Hanlas of Kuralov, but left empty handed.

[b][u]July 8-10th[/u][/b]
The Tsardom of Karum continues a ruthless campaign of propaganda against Serona and Oslad, targeting the 60,000 soldiers placed on their border. "The Seronans seek to hedge us in with their long time friends. They would see us poor, clambering forever in the mud!" The Karumi Army grows to an impressive 180,000 active duty soldiers. Karumi's military industry is nearly non-existent, though a diplomat arrives in Aetoria to purchase some of the nation's new military hardware.
[[b]Event[/b]: The [b]Tsardom of Karum[/b] requests to purchase 10 M1899 Prager Guns from the [b][color=purple]Tyro-Redanian Empire[/color][/b] for a total of $10,000.]

[b][u]July 11th[/u][/b]
The [b][color=lightgreen]Imperium of Hiron[/color][/b] begins covert [i]Operation Sa-To[/i], expected to finish in the fall.

[b][u]July 14th[/u][/b]
[i]Operation Halder[/i] finishes, much to the joy of the [b][color=beige]Empire of Tara[/color][/b].
[[b]Event[/b]: [b][color=beige]Empire of Tara[/color][/b] see PM entitled [i]Operation Halder[/i].]

[b][u]July 15th[/u][/b]
The [b][color=green]Osladian Empire[/color][/b] was quick to realize the severity of the [b]Zeelian Affair[/b]. While the Kalpian politicians bickered in Parliament, Prime Minister Selidov steeled his resolve and ordered the [b]Imperial 1st Fleet[/b] under Rear Admiral Aleksandr Grushanin set sail, with the Pre-Dreadnought [i]Peresvet[/i] as his flagship. Their orders were simple: The Fleet is to search out Zellonian vessels and, if they refuse to stand down peacefully, send them to the bottom of the strait. This was not Grushanin's first posting to a command position and he had long endured stories of Zellonian incompetence. On the morning of the 15th, he was in good spirits.

"[i]There'll be no negotiations[/i]," Selidov had told him. The [i]Persevet[/i] was accompanied by 3 armored cruisers, 5 light cruisers and vanguard of 18 destroyers. The fleet broke wide, expecting to find and converge on Bock's [b][color=pink] 3rd Fleet[/color][/b]. At 0900 hours, observers on the [i]Persevet[/i] announced the sighting of the [i]Zellonia's Revenge[/i] and a pair of destroyers flanking her.

"Flag her down," Grushanin said. "We'll send them back North and be home before sunset. Prime the batteries, just in case." Trailing the [i]Persevet[/i] was the armored cruiser [i]Taiga[/i] and two destroyers. Gunners on the [i]Persevet[/i] turned their guns on the [i]Revenge[/i]. On the horizon, observers from the [i]Persevet[/i] noticed two armored cruisers approaching flying Zellonian flags. Flagbearers on the [i]Persevet[/i] signaled to the [i]Zellonia's Revenge[/i] to send a crew for negotiations. They repeated the signal three times. The batteries on the [i]Zellonia's Revenge[/i] began to turn.

[center][img]http://www.farmerancestry.co.uk/s/cc_images/cache_991824.jpg?t=1470042595[/img]
[i]Osladian pre-dreadnought[/i] Persevet[i], 1899[/i][/center]

"She's coming to bear on us. Open fire."

The battle was less a concentrated affair and a chaotic dance of ships identifying each other from afar and opening up on each other. The Zellonian [i]Revenge[/i] and [i]Persevet[/i] both engaged one another at near maximum range at nearly a kilometer away. When the [i]Revenge[/i]'s ammunition stores ran dry, she turned back North. The [i]Persevet[/i] pursued but the threat of Coastal Defense Ships--pre-dreadnoughts with conditions fit for shore based operations--had her limp back to Oslograd at dusk.

[hider=Battle of the Zeelian Strait (1899)]
[b]Order of Battle[/b]
[b][color=pink]Kingdom of Zellonia[/color][/b]
- [b]3rd Fleet[/b] ([i]Rear Admiral Jefferson Bock[/i])
* Pre-Dreadnought ZRN 
[i]Zellonia's Revenge [/i]

* Armored Cruisers
[i]ZRN Reckoning (Heavily Damaged)
ZRN Pride
ZRN Sacred Light[/i]

* Light Cruisers
[i]ZRN Wolf Pack
ZRN Fighting Dog (Lost, All Hands)
ZRN Nightmare
ZRN Victory
ZRN Impregnable
ZRN Keepers of the Day[/i]

* Destroyers
[i]ZRN Righteous
ZRN Holy Hell
ZRN Drinker's Delight (Lost, All Hands)
ZRN Liquid Luck[/i]

* The Coastal Defense Ships
[i]ZRN Beowolf
ZRN The Avenger
ZRN Iron Hand
ZRN Two Strings
ZRN Bloody Marriage
ZRN No Survivors[/i]

[b][color=green]Osladian Empire[/color][/b]
- [b]1st Imperial Fleet[/b] ([i]Rear Admiral Aleksandr Grushanin[/i])
* Pre-Dreadnought OIN Peresvet ([i]Heavily damaged[/i])
* 3 Armored Cruisers (1 Lost, 1 Heavily Damaged)
* 5 Light Cruisers
* 18 Destroyers ([i]3 lost[/i])
* 5 Submarines
[/hider]

[[b]Event[/b]: [b][color=green]Osladian Empire[/color][/b] opens fire on [b][color=pink]Zellonian Navy[/color][/b] resulting in the [b]Battle of the Zeelian Strait[/b] ([i]1899[/i]). Oslad must [b]Declare War[/b] or [b]Lose 2 Stability[/b]]

[b][u]July 16th[/u][/b]
While the [b]Zello-Osladian War[/b] kicked off, the Osladian Foreign Minister Rusek returned from a hopeful trip to the Eastern Sladics, the [b][color=blue]Radenan Tsardom[/color][/b]. While initially successful in his dealings with Tyro-Rednia, Rusek embarrasses himself in the Radenan court.
[[b]Event[/b]: [b][color=green]Osladian Empire[/color][/b] suffers -1 Relations with the [b][color=blue]Tsardom of Radena[/color][/b]]

[b][u]July 17th-21st[/u][/b]
The [b]Wauwanti War[/b] continues with the [b][color=beige]Empire of Tara[/color][/b] moving soldiers across the barren Counties Palatine with near 5,000 Imperial troops. A colonial messenger from outside Argentine arrives on horseback with news that a Wauwanti raiding party has skirted the Northern border and started attacking Argentine.

Tarantese commander Harkins orders his troops on a forced march back to Argentine on July 17th. With full packs and gear, the 5 regiments arrive back at Argentine on July 19th. There, they find nearly 8,000 Wauwanti soldiers and cavalry. Killing, raping and maiming, they turn their attention to Harkins' troops in the fixed [b]Battle of Argentine[/b].

[center][img]https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/originals/d5/e7/05/d5e705ea6c2fd7dcda7fdfd41c7be557.jpg[/img]
[i]Lieutenant Commander Harkins pictured right, during the Battle of Argentine, 1899[/i][/center]

Exhausted from marching, the Tarantese soldiers attempted to engage in enfilade fire while hastily creating entrenchments in the rough Serranthian dirt. The Wauwanti raiders, many of them acting autonomously and without aim, were also mounted and very mobile. Many Tarantese soldiers exhausted their all of their ammunition during the seven and a half hour shootout. And at dusk, 1,100 Tarantese and 4,500 Wauwanti lay dead. Argentine itself was unscathed, save for demolished and burning shanties on the outside of the port. Harkins was grazed from a Wauwanti rifle shot. The Wauwanti--3,500 strong--retreated piecemeal back to the East under cover of darkness.

[b][u]July 24th[/u][/b]
The [b]Emperor of Hiron[/b], so called the [i]Dragon Emperor[/i] moves to seek out corruption and bureaucracy in Hiron, espousing the Imperial Parliament to finish legislature to close taxation loopholes and remove senseless political entities that waste money. In a move that is similarly bizarre, the emperor encourages the use of the Hironese black market--the most corrupt--to increase the treasury of the nation.
[[b]Event[/b]: +$11,000,000 to the Hironese treasury, -1 Stability]

[b][u]July 27th[/u][/b]
In the [b][color=green]Osladian Empire[/color][/b], the armaments factory Toboskoy D&S finishes the production of 30 field batteries.

[b][u]July 28th-31st[/u][/b]
In the [b][color=yellow]Republic of Itherae[/color][/b], General Thaddeus Nikas orders 70,000 troops to the border. Not mobilized, these troops are slow to gather and move to the border. General Nikas' entourage comes across a half dozen soldiers crouched along the ground gambling. He orders the column to a halt and demands to know which unit the soldiers are apart of. One smart mouthed soldier replied: "Well, the Itheraen Army of course!"

This lackadaisical attitude runs rampant in the Itheraen Army, and these soldiers, more a jumbled mass of soldiery than a professional army, slowly falls prey to soldiers going AWOL as basic information on which unit a soldier belongs to is murky at best.
[[b]Event[/b]: [color=fff200][b]Itherae[/b] [/color]loses 3,800 soldiers. -1% Supply & Logistics]

[center][July is over][/center]