A Student's Movement

[Emperor Heindrick]

Karl walked down an empty hallway, which was finely decorated in the best of Conradian Era decor as was the norm for the university. He passed some other students who were likely on their way to class, they smiled and exchanged greetings but the greetings were brief for Karl was on his way to an important meeting. He brought with him several folders filled with statistics, speeches, and ideas for the group. He felt he had some very important things to discuss.

 Karl has always been the very popular go-to guy. He had many friends and many connections. He found it hard to make his way through the halls without being delayed by several students stopping to chat with him. He walked past a few of his brothers from "The Wave", the organization he presided over as president, and hailed them with the group hand signal, a clenched fist from the right arm to the left shoulder, and they responded similarly. He was on his way to a Wave officers meeting where they would discuss the agenda for the month set forth by the group electorate and plan accordingly.

 He finally hit Room 114, the room granted to the Organization by the University as per Student Organization protocol. The room was always buzzing with new ideas from the fiery University Students always trying to change the world. The others officers shook their heads, Karl was late, again. It was difficult to begin a meeting without your president.

 He walked over to the podium where he presented the first order of business. "Let us begin with the Wave pledge. We swear to uphold the virtues and tenants of the Wave, promise to bring unity to our communities through civic deeds, and above all swear to be loyal to the group and our fellow members. Now we can begin official business. I have confirmed with the Christstan Mining Guild that Wednesday's "Help the Poor Day" will be properly funded providing we acknowledge them. This is fine as long as we have proper participation of ALL members. The public must see our good intentions."

The others in the room cheered at the good news and the meeting carried on.

[Emperor Heindrick]

 The Wave started as a group of outcasts who banded together to support each other in brotherhood, to feel as their brothers did and to move forward in life. It was named to represent the tide of change they would bring to the world, to make it a better place. They had noble intentions and great loyalty to their group, and this combination of devotion and dedication would work marvels in their favor.

 They promoted first loyalty to The Wave, because you had to be apart of the family. Wave members had to be willing to do whatever they could to support a fellow member. The unity of the group was unheard of, and any gossip or inter conflict was immediately resolved, usually resulting in temporary exile - the worst of all punishments for the group. They held rallies for their members and made everyone feel needed and important, stressing the value of each member. Every member brought more skill and power to the family.

 To foster group brotherhood they greeted each other with Roman bows by placing their right arm across their body clenching their fist to their left shoulder, they also remarked "Bruder Heil" (Brother Hail) to each other as a way of recognition. 
 
 The group eventually branched out into community service where they raised money for the poor and less fortunate. They used their university minds to conjure up genius ways of raising cash and at one time donated $300,000 to a charity. Their deeds got them Christstani wide recognition and they eventually branched out into more colleges and Univeristies. Eventually Karl came to lead the highly Democratic Group as National president with head quarters in his University, the Prestigious University of Strausen.

[Emperor Heindrick]

Karl crossed the hallway after the conclusion of the meeting, he was tried and just thought he would sit down and watch the news. Aware of the war going on in the world, Karl was pleased that the Imperial Parliament had voted against entering the war. Christstan would suffer greatly politically and militarily no matter what side she choose. Leaders from all the parties agreed that Christstan would remain neutral in the conflict. It was late and most of the usual buzz going on around the campus had largely died down. Inspectors made late night partying and activities impossible, as the university strived to maintain her prestigious and honorable reputation. This didn't phase Karl at all, he enjoyed the quiet nights and the good reputation of the Campus. It made his organization all the more honorable in the eyes of the public.

Karl entered his dormitory after struggling with the key for a few moments. He entered to find his roommates gathered around the T.V., staring in awe at the unfolding events. The familiar voice of the Emperor could be heard as he crossed the threshold to find out what was transpiring. The Emperor made addresses to the public frequently but none had ever captivated his roommates in this way. His close friend Sigmund called to him "Karl, you are not going to believe this..." then he pointed to the television. Karl focused his attention to the screen only to find the Council of Five surrounding the Emperor and across the screen read: "EMPEROR FREDERICK MOBILIZES CHRISTSTANY ARMY FOR COMING WAR!" Karl was shocked, Parliament had already voted against the measure, including the Emperor's own party. He even signed the motion into policy and now he would side step all of Parliament to fight in the war? It was not stated to which side Christstan would lean as yet, and Karl listened closely.

"My People, my family in Canada is currently engaged in just warfare. I am prepared to move on behalf of Canada should they require our forces for the defense of their people. We currently hereby fail to recognize all nations currently engaged against Canada." The emperor declared confidently, in his usual stylish fashion. The Emperor continued, but Karl was shocked. He ran to his computer to read the Constitution of Christstan. After several hours he realized the totally weak nature of Parliament. Since Parliament operated in a closed door policy, it was hard to know what happened inside. The Emperor had always recognized Parliamentary motions but now that Karl read the constitution, he realized the Emperor only followed Parliamentary policies because he controlled parliament. Now that he decided to change his mind, it became the policy of the country. Parliament was a puppet. No power actually rested. Democracy in his country was fake.

He was outraged as he realized the Emperor could change policy at whim and that the military totally fell under his prerogatives. Their were almost no restrictions to his power.

Karl called all chapter presidents of the Wave, they would march on the Imperial City. They would protest this affront to democracy and petition for democratic reforms. All agreed and the date was set. February 17, the Wave would march. Karl contacted the opposition parties of Parliament. They  too were in favor of reforms but could do little for fear of being banned by the government. This threat also offended Karl, he added it to the list of grievances toward the government. As he contacted other officials and talked with people, he realized the resentment against the war. No one in Christstan favored fighting another war against foes that did not threaten them. Within days all was set.

As wind of the march got to the Emperor he traveled to the Imperial city with his Imperial Guard. There he would address the mob.

[Emperor Heindrick]

Karl watched as the people assembled around Victory square and prepared to march. The turnout was amazing. Pro-democratic groups from across the Empire arrived to protest the motion. They ranged from liberal radicals to even some conservative elements, and despite their different ideologies, they all agreed that Christstan could not enter the war.

As president of the Wave of coordinator of the march, he led from the front, loud-speaker in hand. His eloquent tongue riled the crowd into a wild mass, pulsating with great energy. This energy was that of the People. Karl could feel it. This was the exact force that would drive Change in Christstan. The Conservative regime would fall and his vision of a utopia would be realized. For now, he would begin this historic march on the capital. It is the first march ever on the Capital in hundreds of years, and that march had been a military one. This march, now for peace launched from Victory Square, the square built in commemoration for that historic victory hundreds of years ago, and moved toward the center of town, the heart of Christstani Government.

Karl watched as the Emperor emerged from the balcony of parliament, protected by a swarm of bodyguards and a bullet proof glass shield. He tried to placate the crowd with his usual nationalistic overtures but Karl drowned him out through chants and speeches. The crowd became deaf to their Emperor's eloquence and could only feel the democratic fervor in their hearts. They would disrupt government affairs till the Emperor repealed his motion. After several hours the crowd became violent and tried to storm the Parliament building. Karl tried in vein to stop them, but the general pulse of the mob "forced" them into action. Karl found himself eventually swept up in the notion of it. He charged the Parliamentary doors only for them to be opened and the crowd surged forward. Karl ran and then suddenly stopped. The doors were opened so that the Imperial Guard could forceably drive them back. Guns forward, a Captain aimed at Karl and threatened to shoot. Karl shook his head "We are the voice of our people and today we stand for a new Christstan. Here we shall tear down the old ways and build a new world." Karl then ran forward, followed by the implacable mob. Shots rang out in the building. Karl was beaten to the floor. He was stunned, barely able to make out the screams of the crowd as the Imperial Guard forced them out into the streets. He managed to scramble to his feet and run out the doors. To his amazement, the crowd outside had similarly been dealt with. People fleeing from the parliament building were met by firing squads ambushing them outside.

Karl ran as fast as he could to the only opening he could see the the Guards' formation. Desperately he shoved through the crowd as he was pursued by the Captain who warned him. His heart was racing, he could barely feel his feet, his instincts controlled his movements. His only thought became escape from the chaos. The scene was that of utter chaos as people fell left and right. The sound of battle around him. He watched as people fought in vein against the guards using whatever they could find.

Karl thought he was free, and just as he was about to get through the opening his feet failed him. He tripped and was being trampled by the fleeing mass until he felt someone grab his right arm. He looked up to see who it was but his eyes were met by the butt end of a black rifle. After that, everything went black.

[Emperor Heindrick]

Karl woke up in what he thought to be a few moments after he had been hit but he was in a totally unfamiliar room. He tried to move his hands but found that they were bound. Then his legs, failing for similar reasons. As his senses returned to him, he could hear a television news broadcast. He looked in the direction of the noise to find a T.V. placed in what appeared to be a cell. The news report was on the event he had just been apart of. He was shocked by what he heard and saw. What had started as a peaceful protest, ended up as a bloody massacre, as he thought though cleverly worded as an "Insurrection". The tolls were astounding. "Today at 12 A.m. a mob of protesters against the recent move to support Canada turned into a bloody insurrection. The mob attempted to storm Parliament, led by this man"



"The man has been identified as Karl Jung, president of the Intra-collegiate Organization called "The Wave". Karl was shot dead after he attempted to break through the Imperial Guards lines defending the building. The organization has been banned by The Emperor and its members are being forced to stamp out the remains of their group. In the insurrection, 12 Imperial Guards were killed, 20 injured while 200 protesters were left dead across the square. What has now been labeled as a rebellion by the Emperor, is now being called a Massacre by the opposition parties. Several opposition party leaders were present in the mob, possibly explaining why they are defending the attack. One, Theodor Hertzl, a high ranking member of the Liberal Party, and Parliamentarian was found dead. He was buried without the common rights and his position was posthumously stripped. The rebellion ended quickly but resulted in irreplaceable cultural damage to our nation. During the siege of the Parliament building, an attempt was made on the life of the Emperor..."

The news report went on, but Karl tuned them out. He knew them to be lies and government justification for firing on the crowd. Simple crowd control could have sufficed. The force used to stop the protest was excessive. He was furious but could do nothing, as he struggled the captain he saw in the building came into the cell laughing. "You foolish liberals, in one fell swoop your rebellion has been crushed and several of your leaders now in chains. Your dream of... "True Democracy" will never be realized. The masses, as proven today, are incapable of rational government. It is our duty to see that our country is not polluted with these frivolous and foolish ideals." He laughed for a few seconds then turned to the young Karl. "You are under arrest in the political prison hidden from public knowledge. No one knows where you are or what happened to you. Now we can make you and your like suffer."

The captain smacked Karl's face, Karl could only scream as his body shook from the blow. The Captain left the room, only the television's broadcast remained.

[Emperor Heindrick]

Several days of starving in prison, keeping himself sane by watching the petty news on his television. The opposition parties had been frozen, subject to government investigation. He could only sigh at this turn of events. It seemed his march would only strengthen the government. Finally he heard something promising. The people were rising up in rebellion against the government on several fronts. They seemed to rally around the February 17th massacre. An army in the west assembled, they called themselves the Jungist Liberation Army. The Imperial Army was routed in a decisive battle in the west. The rebel mass surprised the Imperial Army and drove them out of several Western provinces. The rebel provinces were the ones conquered by the Empire almost 500 years ago. The resentment for abuses of Imperial power grew to be too great. Also Rothar loyalists rose up in isolated pockets. This mass rebellion happened on February 24. The day, dubbed Jung Day, saw more rebel activity inside the Empire than ever before. Karl cheered as he saw his proletariat and middle-class rise up against the Imperialistic and Autocratic government. He thought that his vision could come to fruition.

Emperor Frederick stormed into the war room, hastily called by himself to begin to fight the rebellion. Frederick would not allow himself to be deposed as   his Grand Uncle Heindrick V had been. His grandfather was the second son of Wilhelm III, and he never saw real power. The infighting of the Weiger Family led to him being deposed before he could even be crowned. Frederick would not allow for he nor his son to be kept from power. Frederick would fight to ensure that there was an Emperor Heindrick VII. He would not allow for Christstan to become corrupted by immoral ideals of a secular government. The masses were foolish and now they were fighting to destroy everything his family had worked to create. He would have to resolve the conflict quickly before it got out of hand.

The Council stood when he entered but he waved them to sit irritatedly. He had no time for formalities at the moment. He drew up the tactical map of his country. Rebel hotspots were bright red on the blue background the was the map. The Grand Army that was at his command was to be fully utilized against this threat. Reports came that rebel numbers were in the millions. The war would not end quickly. Immediately available to him was his Imperial Guard and the 5th Legion. Wurrtenbaden Province (Province 19 on map) was the center of Rebel activity. All Imperial government officials had been thrown out and mob law ensued. The Christstany noble family presiding over the province was executed. They happened to be cousins of the Emperor. "Gentlemen, we fight a war like no other. This is no longer a conventional war, no, this is far more political than military and execution of our defense will determine the outcome of this war. Mind you, they are our bretherin and no excessive force can be used. No cities can be bombed and our enemies are as hidden as the true face of God. We can never be sure of who is a conspirator against us. Our reaction to this rebellion must be dealt with delicately and I will unfortunately have to put political restrictions on military action. I am cognizant to the ideas that my wife controls me. I wish to inform you these are false. I highly regard my extended family in Canada and have made my decision of my own accord. Her reputation has unjustly suffered."

The Emperor went on plotting the war, fortunately the rebels had an organized army that they could engage in open warfare. Both sides would be careful of tactics for both were fighting their brothers. The 5th Legion deployed into Wurrtenbaden. The War had truly begun.

Field command was assumed by the Emperor himself, and genius military strategist. He wished to test his military theories against these new foes. His staff comprised of Marshal Victor Mannstein, Jr. (Commander of the Regional Airforce.), Commander Johann von Braun, Generalfeldmarschall Alfred von Papen, Captain Johann Lennstein, Generalfeldmarschall Sigmund Roengraf, and General der Infanterie Marcel Proust (the commander of the 5th Legion.) The 5th faced terrible odds. Only 50,000 strong, they faced a rebel force comprised of 200,000 well armed rebel soldiers. The rebels had armed quickly by seizing the arsenal in Wurrtenbaden and by occupying a fort. Several provincial commanders defected to their side providing able command and some well trained troops and officers.

The other Legions were assembling and would be fully armed in a few days, but more rebellions were taking place across the Empire and they would have to be placed their. Emperor Frederick, surveying the intelligence could only stare in awe. Many of his troops were defecting as the rebel forces approached him. He realized the terrible mistake he had made by pledging to pit his army in this foreign war and now loyal men were turning against him. He could no longer just apologize and repeal. This was now a full scale Ideological revolution and it would pit his world against the one they wished to create.