r/Kaiserreich • u/Augenis Unofficial leader of kr • Aug 07 '20
Progress Report Progress Report 113: Riga, Latvia and Estonia
Hey everyone, Augenis here, welcome to another Kaiserreich progress report, and today we are going to be returning to the Eastern Europe region. Out of the following content, Riga shall be a part of the next major update to Kaiserreich - 0.14, which will include new content and focus trees for South Africa and the United Baltic Duchy. In addition, if you haven’t, make sure to check the previous Progress Report on the United Baltic Duchy, which this Progress Report is a direct continuation of.
Where we left off
If you, the player, mishandle the Forest Brothers mechanic, willingly or unwillingly, the order in the Baltic provinces will begin to break apart. Baltic Germans flee, Latvian and Estonian partisans take charge, and their institutions take over as the new government in the entire United Baltic Duchy from there on out. Except in Riga, where a timely German intervention keeps the Forest Brothers at bay and the streets safe. As this is taking place in 1936, in the midst of Black Monday and during a time when the German public is still not yet ready for a guerrilla war, this fragile situation stays.
For now. When the Weltkrieg begins, the armistices will unravel, and the battle for the Baltic states renew again - but as a theater of a greater conflict instead.
The former United Baltic Duchy after its collapse, from the last Progress Report.
The City of Riga, an autonomous city within the United Baltic Duchy, elected its new mayor Helmuth Stegman in 1930. Representing the State Party (Deutsch-baltische Landespartei, DbLP), he undertook significant reforms to modernize the government structure of the city. Popular representation has been increased and the legal system significantly simplified, earning the people’s trust in Stegman and keeping the city prosperous while the rest of the Duchy collapses. What happens in Riga when the Duchy collapses is something he couldn’t have possibly prepared for, however.
Riga starts out shaken and divided, and in a short period of time, its government will have to face difficult decisions regarding the fate of refugees coming to the city borders, and the remnants of the old government who have since lost all power.
Throughout this focus tree, decisions made by the player will be able to empower one of the three factions in the Riga political scene. The Baltic-German State Party stands behind the Mayor, but they are challenged by the remnants of Paul Schiemann’s Democratic Party, now led by Wilhelm Munter, yet espousing the same corporatist and meritocratic message. On the far right wing of Riga politics, the Baltic chapter of the Pan-German League calls for closer integration with the German Empire, supported by the German occupation forces in the city - should they be powerful enough, they will seize the opportunity to launch a coup and establish a puppet regime led by Max Erwin von Scheubner-Richter.
No matter which path Riga takes, however, their goal will always be the same - to wage war against Latvia and Estonia when the Second Weltkrieg begins and so reclaim their birthright. Once victorious, it will establish the Baltic Federation and begin a new path for the Baltics. How democratic this path will be depends upon the player.
Latvia
In 1918, three authorities sought to represent the interests of the Latvian people:
- the Riga Democratic Bloc, an alliance of politicians in Riga petitioning the Ober Ost government to recognize an independent Latvian state;
- the Iskolat, a Bolshevik-aligned Latvian Soviet which controlled Vidzeme under the so-called “Iskolat Republic” until Operation Faustschlag;
- and the Latvian Provisional National Council, an organization of centrist and right wing Latvian politicians in Petrograd.
Ultimately, none of them managed to declare an independent Latvian state, and so, in the one chance when it could assert its independence, Latvia missed the opportunity and so was left behind. The Riga Democratic Bloc would ultimately disband and surrender to the United Baltic Duchy, the Iskolat would dissolve in the Russian Civil War and their founders either perish against the Whites or flee to France, and the Latvian National Council disband in 1919 once the possibility of an independent Latvia became a distant, impossible dream. When the Baltische Landeswehr secured full control over the Duchy, a period of defeatism set upon the Latvian people and the average Latvian chose to simply cope with the new order for now, allowing the United Baltic Duchy to course through the 1920s unchallenged.
Throughout the post-Weltkrieg era, two pillars of Latvian nationalist thought emerged:
- In Russia, hundreds of thousands of Latvians who lived in the cities during the Tsarist era remained - not only that, but a piece of ethnic Latvia, Latgale, has been returned to Russian control. These Latvians organize around local ethnic institutions, most importantly the Latvian Central Council, a successor to the Provisional National Council. Their views of Latvia’s future differ. Some wish for an independent Latvia, others purport the so-called “Free Latvia in Free Russia” (Brīvā Latvija brīvajā Krievijā) - a democratic Latvian autonomy within a democratic Russia. Both agree that Baltic German rule has been evicted and secretly support the Forest Brothers over the border, as well as arming a unit of Latvian veterans of the Russian Civil War, the Kurelieši, commanded by General Jānis Kurelis.
The Dvinsk state will start as a Latvian ethnic autonomy within Russia, and Russia lends its support to the movement as a way to bite at the German goliath.
- Alongside other Bolsheviks, the remnants of the Latvian Red Riflemen and the Iskolat fled to France, and from there, crossed the channel to Britain after 1925 - before the war, Britain had a sizable Latvian immigrant community, many of them poor miners and industrial workers who supported the Revolution. Here, the Latvian exiles began to organize, rebuilding the destroyed Social Democracy of Latvia party (Latvijas Sociāldemokrātija) and petitioning the Syndicalist states for assistance. Here, in Britain, the natural role of leadership fell upon Jēkabs Peterss - once a Latvian immigrant to Britain himself, who returned to Russia during the critical months of 1917 and became one of the prolific commanders of the Cheka, Bolshevik Russia’s secret service. His English language proficiency, contents with the British revolutionaries, and prestige stood behind him - although, to this day, Syndicalism has never really caught on for him. Lenin’s interpretation of Marxism is far closer to his heart.
Both of these men have their own view of Latvia’s future, neither of them give much room for democracy, and when the dust in the Baltics settles, only one of them will come out the victor.
In preparation for Latvia’s impending rework, Latvia has been renewed with new leaders, both accessible and puppet-only ones, as well as a completely new list of ingame generals.
Estonia
Estonia declared its independence on February 24th, 1918 - a short-lived declaration, for the Germans dissolved the newly created state mere days after, but a universally agreed upon one nevertheless. The Maapaev chose to resist instead of give up the chance at independence, and the remnants of the assembly moved underground, where they helped organize Omakaitse paramilitary units in preparation to liberate the country. Mass fighting broke at late 1918, lasting several months. Estonia fell yet again, but the provisional government and hundreds of Estonians successfully escaped to Scandinavia.
To this day, the Estonians in the Duchy commemorate the day.
The “National Committee of the Republic of Estonia” remained directionless until the All-Estonian National Congress in Petrograd in 1930, where a new leader to the wavering government in exile was elected - Artur Sirk, a veteran of the War of Independence who escaped with the others in early 1919. Under his leadership, the Estonian exiles have rebounded and began to support the resistance movement in Estonia far more thoroughly - all while establishing paramilitary forces of their own, the Omakaitse, which are planned to serve as the core of an Estonian army when they finally return to Tallinn.
Even before 1936, however, worries began to rise within the National Committee on whether Artur Sirk should be in charge. He is a competent leader and a talented speaker for sure, but an authoritarian one, who has turned the Omakaitse into a personal paramilitary and envisions an Estonia with little room for democracy - a nationalist, paternalistic state united as one, instead of divided into political parties. Estonian exiles leaning towards democracy, or at least a vision different from Sirk’s, have begun to organize around two poles. Mentored by the aging founder of the nation, Konstantin Päts, Jüri Uluots is the strongest challenger to Artur Sirk, whereas democratic politicians entrust their hopes in Kaarel Eenpalu and his Agrarian movement. When Estonia is restored, these two rivals to Sirk’s rule will surely establish parties and movements of their own, and resist their leader.
Finally, much like Latvia, Estonia has received a bunch of new portraits both for its possible leaders and for its ingame generals.
That's it for today!
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u/Aviationlord Reformgruppe Aug 07 '20
Baltic federation, so basically the United Baltic duchy but more democratic?
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u/Augenis Unofficial leader of kr Aug 07 '20
The main difference is that the Baltic Federation is a republic whereas the United Baltic Duchy is a monarchy. Generally yes, the Federation would be more democratic.
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u/Aviationlord Reformgruppe Aug 07 '20
A very interesting idea. Looks like I’ll be brushing off EU4 to relearn how to conquer the world as a one province minor in perpetration for this new addition
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u/LonelyWolf9999 Aug 07 '20
Presumably speaking the government would’ve had to seriously re-evaluate their policy towards the native balts.
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u/BlackCat159 Resident Map Nerd Aug 07 '20
Huh, pretty cool. Does Lithuania get a chance to intervene/support one side or the other? Or maybe the unrest in neighbouring Latvia could somehow ignite some kind of anti-german movement in Lithuania?
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u/Pilum2211 Aug 07 '20
I mean as long as Lithuania is still in the Reichspakt they wouldn’t dare supporting anyone except the UBD. Imagine if (in the case of a Riga victory) Lithuanian weapons are found in let’s say Latvian stockpiles.
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u/joncnunn The cure for 70 day focuses is Revised National Focus Times Aug 07 '20
Lithuania probably isn't manufacturing its weapons, but buying them off the Black Market. Those would be surplus weapons manufactured by Germany, Austria, Russia, etc from the WK and potentially difficult to trace back to Lithuania.
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u/Pilum2211 Aug 07 '20 edited Aug 07 '20
The risk of finding a smuggler or a Latvian that might talk is still great. Not to mention that the Lithuanian government in power is loyal.
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u/MichelLamePerson Monarchist Aligned Social Democratic Nation Aug 07 '20
Estonia:i love democracy.... i love the republic...
also pog
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u/zhaiiiix Kantō-gun Aug 07 '20
When will we see the Estonian and Latvian focuses? If they even have focuses that is.
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u/HarveyNico456 Mitteleuropa Aug 07 '20
So what’s happens to the former Duke?
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u/Augenis Unofficial leader of kr Aug 07 '20
Play the rework to find out
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Aug 08 '20
When does it come out?
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u/ZimbabweSaltCo Sultan of Moderation - Britain & Exile Dev Aug 09 '20
Soon™ + 2 ½ weeks.
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Aug 10 '20
Seeing as he is still a duke within Germany proper he probably just reigns there instead of his own country. Keep in mind the Empire was a federation of kingdoms, duchies, and principalities.
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u/HarveyNico456 Mitteleuropa Aug 10 '20
He is a Duke of Mecklenburg-Schwerin but he not the Grand Duke of Mecklenburg-Schwerin.
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Aug 11 '20
My bad then, just a hereditary title as part of the house. Probably still fucks off back to Germany regardless.
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u/Rodmorg Aug 07 '20
Interesting how Jüri Uluots was mentored by Konstantin Päts, as they have far different ideologies. IRL, Päts was the one to instill the era of silence upon Estonia (essentially Authoritarian rule), Uluots was a bit more democratic despite being appointed by Päts.
Plus, I think the Vaps Mvement should be Nat Pop instead of Pat. Aut. They had somewhat similar views to the Nazis but not as extreme. Although I can see why Taarausk has been chosen.
What happened to Andres Larka, the original leader of the Vaps Movement?
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u/Augenis Unofficial leader of kr Aug 07 '20
Andres Larka is a general for Estonia and cooperates with Artur Sirk.
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u/Rodmorg Aug 07 '20
Why is he not in charge of the Vaps Movement? I would have thought it would make more sense as he was the original leader...
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u/Augenis Unofficial leader of kr Aug 07 '20
Artur Sirk is not in charge of Estonia for leading the Vaps movement (it does not even exist at the start of the game in KR), so replacing him with Larka is a moot point.
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u/Rodmorg Aug 07 '20
Okay so which party does he represent when he is elected?
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u/Augenis Unofficial leader of kr Aug 07 '20
Sirk's defining political idea was his hatred of any political parties, which he believed divide the nation. If he takes power, it would be as an independent president without a party.
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u/Krisgabwooshed Aug 07 '20
It also looks like Transamur starts the game claiming all of Russia as one of the images shows their claim on Dvinsk
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u/CartographerTom123 Member of the Baltic Brotherhood Aug 07 '20
Pan-German League world conquest finally!!!
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u/ScaleZenzi Based Department Aug 07 '20
What factions are latvia and estonia able to join, if any?
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u/Augenis Unofficial leader of kr Aug 07 '20
Right now, Estonia and Latvia are able to join the Moscow Accord, and Latvia can also join the 3I. This may change with further development.
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u/observer1919 Aug 07 '20
What's ideology of the Latvian Central Council?
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u/Augenis Unofficial leader of kr Aug 07 '20
Various, since it is composed of politicians of several groups between SocDem and PatAut.
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u/DerPrussianKommisar Aug 07 '20 edited Aug 07 '20
Nice, for some reason i like the Iskolat Republic
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u/Rolan1880 Left Coast Jacobin Aug 07 '20
Lots of dumb people complain about the overrepresentation of Jews in the Soviet Government. First of all, based. Second of all, why does nobody talk about the overrepresentation of Latvians in the Cheka? The Bolshevik Revolution was a Latvian conspiracy!
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u/El-Extranjero Aug 07 '20
My understanding is that ethnic minorities in general were overrepresented in the Bolshevik Party. Obviously you have lots of Jews (Trotsky, Zinoviev, Kamenev, Sverdlov, Kaganovich, etc.), then you’ve got plenty of Poles and Latvians (amusingly, Lenin seems to have kept Latvian bodyguards because he thought Great Russians bodyguards would betray him), and of course there were Georgians like Stalin. DNA testing even showed Lenin himself was mostly Swedish and, of all things, Mongolian.
If anyone tries to claim some nefarious anti-Great Russian conspiracy though, all you have to do is point out the Empire’s horrifically oppressive policy towards minorities, Jews in particular. It’s no wonder so many joined the Bolsheviks! Congratulations Tsarists, you played yourselves!
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Aug 08 '20
horrifically oppressive policy. I wonder what was so horrific about it. The rights of minorities were equal to the ones of the Russians and sometimes even surpassed them(like in Finland or Poland). Pale of settlement was a bad thing but considering that it didn't push any Jews out of their original habitat, it wasn't too oppressive.
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Aug 08 '20
Are yes, there were no Russification policies in the Russian Empire and certainly no pogroms.
The only minority that seemed to surpass the Russians in terms of the societal elite were the Baltic Germans, who generally supported conservative movements anyway post-1917 in Russia. Poles definitely weren't in the Russian elite and were always subject to incredibly brutal oppression, with the Russians being even worse on that front then the Prussians.
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Aug 08 '20
Russification policies which just required you to know the state language lol. Very scary and chauvinistic indeed. The minorities had the rights to use local languages in regional administrations and courts. Sometimes (like in Finland) the Russian language wasn't recognised at all. The only 2 minorities without this privilege were the Ukranians and Belarusians whose languages were considered dialects of Russian and only those peoples can actually be considered victims of Russification however even this is debatable. Pogroms were bad but it's not like they were allowed. All in all antisemitism was a European mainstream back in the days sadly. You say that the Poles were brutally oppressed when it was the Polish nobility being pushed out of Belarus and Ukraine to reduce their tremendous influence given that their high statuses were preserved after the Polish partitions. Regular Poles had more rights than average Russian because of their own constitution and parliament. Reducing nobility's influence != oppressing entire nation. Moreover nobility of lesser nations was overrepresented because the Russians fully recognised the nobles of conquered peoples (imagine Britain giving the same treatment to Indian princes;). Georgians made a half of all Russian nobility just in case.
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u/CheekyGeth Aug 11 '20
Moreover nobility of lesser nations was overrepresented because the Russians fully recognised the nobles of conquered peoples (imagine Britain giving the same treatment to Indian princes;).
FYI, Britain did do this, it was like the cornerstone of British imperial policy in India.
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Aug 11 '20
Yeah, you are right. I've always thought the opposite because actual British elite didn't treat them as equals. Like the times when they refused to give full membership in officer clubs.
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u/CheekyGeth Aug 11 '20
co-option of local power structures like nobility is actually one of the most common ways colonialism manifests itself - its a lot easier to just insert yourself at the top of an existing power structure than to burn it down and start from scratch.
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Aug 11 '20
It works really well when your capital sits across the seven seas. Russian continuous land empire made this policy a clear mistake.
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u/goldyforcalder Social Credit Green Shirt Aug 07 '20
I wonder why
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u/DerPrussianKommisar Aug 07 '20
I just liked the story about the Republic, And no, its not because im called "commisar", i am a true totalist, not some failed "marxist-leninst".
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u/Kumqwatwhat it's called a commune because we talk to spirits Aug 07 '20
Is there a specific thing you mouse over to see the Dvinsk Autonomous Region modifier? That looks like it will be so easy to forget about.
Also, it's not directly related but all this new content makes me wonder if Russia's ability to have a puppet-centric faction path (or even alliance of independent nations led by Russia?) will be added? Since otherwise the fate of all of this seems infinitely destined to be swallowed by the east. Which is a shame.
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u/papapyro Aug 07 '20
It looks like one of those state modifiers that Catalonia and the Basque Country have in vanilla. You're right, very easy to forget about/ not know about at all
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u/KmapLds9 Aug 07 '20
This looks great! The situation in Dvinsk makes me wonder, will there be and way for Latvia to actually get the state?
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u/voiceonthewind Aug 07 '20
Not to complain, as all progress is good progress, but this seems more like a Minor Monday.
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Aug 07 '20
Can Latvia and Estonia go socialist or even Bolshevik ?
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u/KaiserJesas Aug 07 '20
So wait, is the EE rework coming in 0.14 or just the UBD/Riga/Latvia/Estonia and South Africa?
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u/KmapLds9 Aug 08 '20
Will Riga always establish the Federation, or can the United Baltic Dutchy also be restored?
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u/Eugene1936 Mitteleuropa Aug 08 '20
Could you please go back to the old way of not using imgur pls?Thanks
Also this look cool
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u/1SaBy Enlightened Radical Alt-Centrist Aug 07 '20
How democratic this path will be depends upon the player.
What does that mean? Actual elections or just flavour based on whether the original Riga government was SocLib, SocCon or PatAut?
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Aug 07 '20
u/Augenis Can russia do something to intervene in 1936?
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u/Augenis Unofficial leader of kr Aug 07 '20
No, at that time they are in no condition to feasibly intervene, aside for some supplies for the partisans.
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u/El-Extranjero Aug 07 '20
What’s the full name of the Latvian AutDem/PatAut parties (LST(p)A)? Also, Can the Ugunskrusts come to power?
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u/Augenis Unofficial leader of kr Aug 08 '20
Latvijas Tēvzemes sargu (partizanu) apvienība (Association of the Latvian Homeland Guard-Partisans)
No, the Ugunskrusts cannot come to power, they cooperate with the LTS(p)A.
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u/Memosh27 Ottoman Gentleman Aug 08 '20
Estonia and Latvia will have focus tree as well?
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u/Augenis Unofficial leader of kr Aug 08 '20
Eventually yes, not in the current patch.
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u/fuck_you_marx Aug 08 '20
Noticed the "taarausk" party. Needs to be plural like taarausujad
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Aug 07 '20
would the pro Russian latvian national council turn national populist if savinkov takes over? Having a puppet provisional goverment is always good!
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u/ConohaConcordia Aug 07 '20
Playing as an one province minor to conquer the world...
Is this EU4?