Ostland

[Auditorii]

Ostland Allgemeine Zeitung
The new Grand Duke continues Hulstrianization
December, 4857

Wolfsheim - Seven years into the reign of Grand Duke Markus the Grand Duchy of Ostland has remained relatively quite and tight lipped about its future in the region. The Grand Duke, similar to several in the past several decades, have had low-key coronations during the combined Hallowtide and New Years celebrations. Grand Duke Markus invited a relatively unknown Eastern Land Council Deputy from the East Hulstrian People's Party (Osthulstriche Volkspartei; OHVP/OVP) to become the fourth State Minister of the Grand Duchy of Ostland. Laurenz Auer was named a day after the Grand Duke was coronated in Wolfsheim. In the seven years since they have joined forces the country has remained relatively low-key in regional and international affairs. According to a number of press releases issued by various government departments the nation has focused on restoring its Hustrian culture and pride across a number of areas. The Ministry of Interior completed a program to Hulstrianize many titles and formations in Ostland, the most notable being the reformation of the "Provinces" into "Lander" or "States" in Luthorian. The Lander are lead by the Grand Duke appointed Landeschef (Luthorian: State Chief/Leader) and have an elected (among the local legislature) Landeshauptmann (Luthorian: State Captain/Leader). Each Lander has a local legislature known as a "Landtag" and a executive known as the "Landausschuss" (Luthorian: State Committee) which is comprised of a number of ministries, departments and offices which serve to assist the Landeschef and the Landeshauptmann in carry out their duties. The changes to the Grand Duchy's constitution merged the Interior Ministry administration and the civil administration. Underneath the Lander are Districts (Hulstrian: Bezirk) lead by District Leaders (Hulstrian: Bezirkshauptmann) and underneath them are the the cities, villages and municipalities (Hulstrian: Ortsgemeinden) who all have elected Mayors (Hulstrian: Bürgermeister). A number of large or important cities have Bürgermeister's but function as a District.

According to the Interior Ministry also confirmed that in accordance with the Law on Judicial Organization that was passed in conjunction with the administrative reform, there are a number of new courts. Local municipalities will be granted authority to create their own judiciary but if not necessary (largely required in major cities), matters will be handled by the respective District Court (Bezirksgericht). Each layer of government will have a court, the Lander will have the Landgericht and above them will be the a supreme or higher court known as the "Oberlandesgericht". The highest court in the land the "Oberster Gerichtshof" will have a number of divisions or terms related to specific instances of judicial matters. The move to Hulstrianize also extended to the General Staff. The General Staff confirmed that in conjunction with the State Police they would jointly form a notably Hulstrian formation known as the "Standschützen" which were historically shooting clubs and associations. The Standschützen will form a joint military-law enforcement organization that will be provided on a regional level to assist in any number of operations such as emergency response, search and rescue and other operations. The Ostlandic State Police confirmed that they were conducting a "...service-wide review regarding the operations and organization of the State Police."

The new Foreign Affairs Minister Felix Kandel (named during the Hallowtide ceremony in December, 4856) announced that he had interest in the State Bank of Ostland joining the recent investments by Liore and Vascania. In a press conference given to reporters, the new Foreign Affairs Minister spoke regarding the role of Ostland in Dovani and beyond. "Ostland has stood firmly in the dark for several years and we need to change that. We applaud the recent efforts of Liore and Vascania when it comes to assisting fellow Dovani, Vascanian and Temanian nations. This is the sort of unity that the collective "West" and even large parts of the "East" have not shown us. The State Bank of Ostland is prepared to invest a considerable amount of wealth into Dovani, Vascania and Temania if our partners so wish. We're going to discuss a number of options without them but it would be better if we decided to invest as a unit." The Foreign Minister also hinted that the State Bank would once again be preparing a number of low interest loans for governments across Dovani to take. The most notable offer that the Ostlandic government has that is comparable with Vascania is the offer of low cost oil and natural gas, a major staple of the Ostlandic economy over the past several decades since being heavily developed.

[RedReaper]

Gao-Soto government couped by Hulstrian Ultranationalist Military Leaders

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Ostland Allgemeine Zeitung
BREAKING: Grand Duke addresses the nation
January, 4860

Wolfsheim - Grand Duke Markus spoke today regarding the outbreak of tensions within Hulstria and Gao-Soto, he condemned any sort of ethnic violence and noted that the Ostlandic government would assist the international community in anyway that it could. According to a representative from the General Staff, the Dorvish Navy has been granted temporary basing rights at the joint base on the island of Kamphon; the decision to do so was to grant Dorvish forces the ability to monitor the ever-changing situation in Hulstria and Gao-Soto. Vice State Minister (also Chief Minister of the Touryou State) Kimura Tsuruki condemned the violence in a speech held from Jamidaka, the capital of the Touryou State. "We welcome the assistance of the international community in making sure that Kunihito people are not murdered by a clearly unstable ethno-nationalist regime." The Grand Duke also noted that more language was coming from Hulstria that saw them believe that Ostland was a component of Hulstria and Gao-Soto, a dangerous move that has allegedly prompted a massive number of troop movements within the Ostland Landwehr. The Grand Duke spoke on this matter. "Ostland is an independent nation, we have been an independent nation for several centuries and we will continue to be an independent nation. We respect our brothers and sisters in Hulstria and Gao-Soto but we will not fall prey to idealistic, irredentist sentiment." The Grand Duke is set to speak before a full session of the Eastern Land Council within the coming days, likely to address the situation in Hulstria and Gao-Soto.

[Auditorii]

Ostland Allgemeine Zeitung
Ostlandic forces move to bolster refugee mitigation
July 4860


Ostlandic soldiers and border police prepare for an influx of Kunihito refugees.

Hulstria and Gao-Soto-Ostland border - In accordance with decrees issued by the Grand Duke and directives of the General Staff of the Ostland Landwehr, a number of police, military and security formations have been placed on border between Ostland and Hulstria and Gao-Soto to mitigate the potential influx of Kunihito refugees. Foreign Affairs Minister Felix Kandel stated that the moves were in standard protocol of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Ministry of the Interior in regards to a potential influx of refugees or any other mass migration of people. Elements of the Aufklärungsgeschwader 1 "Grand Duke Horst", a reconnaissance and intelligence-based wing of the Ostlandic Air Force has been dispatched to monitor border regions. Representatives from the VDKV have also dispatched their authorized paramilitary formations to the border to assist, the "Togun" or "Eastern Army" a Kunihito-exclusive defense force has been dispatched. State Minister Laurenz Auer noted that the Eastern Land Council had announced the formation of four primary refugee centers in the event of a significant movement of Kunihito or even Hulstrian's from Hulstria and Gao-Soto. Chief of the General Staff Colonel-General Leopold Neurath commented that "offensive" technologies had been moved closer to the border but were not within reach of the border to allay fears of any sort of large troop movement against Hulstria and Gao-Soto.

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Ostland Allgemeine Zeitung
Ostlandic Landwehr looking at radical transformation
November, 4862

Wolfsheim - In the wake of rising tension and uncertainty in the region, the Ostlandic Landwehr (Hulstrian: Ostland Defense Force) has announced a radical overhaul of its defense apparatus. Colonel-General Theodor Kogler, the Chief of the General Staff, spoke at a press conference of defense officials, industrialist and other representatives from across the security and defense spectrum. The Ostlandic Landwehr will radical transform over the next couple of months as the current Grand Duke and State Minister wish to continue the trend of "Hulstrianization" of the Grand Duchy itself. In his speech he laid out a number of changes and tweaks that would honor and represent the timeless traditions of the old Hulstrian military. The first overhaul would be to the names of the service branches: the Ostlandic ground forces would become the "Ostlandische Armee", the Ostlandic air forces would become the "Ostlandische Luftfahrtruppen" (Hulstrian: Ostlandic Aviation Troops) and the Ostlandic naval forces would remain the "Ostlandische Marine". At the strategic and leadership level each of these branches would be headed by a respective "high command" (Armeeoberkommando, Fliegeroberkommando and Marineoberkommando) which will in turn report to the Grand Duke as the Supreme Commander-in-Chief and the Chief of the General Staff, the overall "leader" of the Ostlandic Landwehr. Within the Ostlandic Army itself the traditions of old Hulstrian military would be renewed, a number of formations will alter names and change from their Dundorfian equivalents to more "Hulstrian" equivalents. For instance, infantry formations will be known as Jager, literally "Hunter" in both Hulstrian and Dundorfian. This brings back to the light infantry formations of the older Hulstrian Empire and older military traditions.

While the changes appear to be "superficial" they are largely working to promote Ostlandic unity across the country, where according to a recent Interior Ministry report the Hulstrian's have closed the gap with the Kunihito in terms of population. Colonel-General Kogler noted that the recent increase in tensions with former colonizer Hulstria and Gao-Soto has increased the Kunihito population, notably the desire for the Kunihito population to serve in the Togun, the population levels remain relatively even with the Hulstrian's remaining only a slight minority. General Kogler was receptive of recent efforts within the Touryou State to foster greater technical cooperation from Kunihito companies and research corporations, which has opened the doors for greater cooperation between the Ostlandic Armed Forces and their largely Touryou component, the Togun (lit. "Eastern Army" in Kunikata).

Ostlandic humanitarian efforts have continued over the past several years as the amount of refugees from Hulstria and Gao-Soto has dwindled to pre-nationalist numbers. This crisis however has not stopped the Ostlandic Foreign Minister, Felix Kandel, arrived in Ntoto for high-level government talks with the government there. Ostland had made overtures to regional partners, largely through the supply of cheap and easily accessible oil and gas.

[Auditorii]

Ostland Allgemeine Zeitung
Ostlandic Landwehr continues to keep Ntoto conflict at arms reach, Crown Prince aims for more Dovani relations
January 4882

Wolfsheim - Ostland has increased its recon and aerial surveillance flights over Ntoto following the outbreak of tensions in the country. According to representatives from the General Staff of the Ostlandic Landwehr, they have been closely monitoring the situation. Foreign Ministry officials have also condemned the intervention of Yingdala into the conflict recently, largely because of their condemnation of Liore sending peacekeepers to Ntoto. Ostlandic Ambassador to Ntoto, Johannes Adler, condemned Yingdala's "Neo-Imperialism" on Dovani and welcomed Dovani nations handling Dovani problems. "Far too long have we been underneath the boot of Neo-Imperialist who claim they care for Dovani but in reality wish to line their own pockets with money and our wealth. Ntoto, Liore and others on Dovani have an absolute right to assist each other." The ambassador minced no words, perhaps a sign that Ostland would be seeking to re-assert its role in Dovani affairs. This further prompted rumors that Ostland will sign onto the recently discussed Dovani Pact. Grand Duke Markus has appointed son and successor, Crown Prince Markus, as the de facto point man for dealing with the Dovani Pact and continental political agreements. The Crown Prince is a graduate of University of Wolfsheim's prestigious College of Eastern Studies, the wing of the university which opened and continues to play a pivotal role in the Institute of Eastern Affairs. The Crown Prince, suspected to succeed his father in the coming years, will likely want to make overtures to Dovani nations to enhance Pan-Dovani cooperation as well as Ostland's own position on the continent.

[Auditorii]

Ostland Heute
BREAKING NEWS: Grand Duke Markus II coronated, succeeds his father
October, 4883

Wolfsheim - Grand Duke Markus has passed according to a report by the Grand Duke's household; Crown Prince Markus was taken to Cathedral of Saint Martinus of Augusta where he was crowned as Grand Duke Markus II. The official coronation of the Grand Duke will occur on Hallowtide Day, December 25th. The Grand Duke made a speech before the Eastern Land Council and discussed the need for further Pan-Dovani unity and agreed that Ostland should formally join the Dovani Pact; a move sponsored by Ntoto and Liore. The current government is likely to be replaced in the coming weeks, the current State Minister Josef Aigner noted that the current government has been largely been a "caretaker" government in the wake of a withdrawn and reclusive Grand Duke; mostly due to health-related issues. Grand Duke Markus II's future seems to be murkier than anything with shifts in the Eastern Land Council, several political parties forming or re-forming, some new alliances being made and increased trade activity in the Touryou State.

In the Eastern Land Council, a move was made prior to the October, 4880 elections to expand the size of the legislature from 250 to 450 to deal with the growing population in Ostland over the past several decades. Members of the VDKV have remained as prominent members of the legislature as have members of the Eastern Homeland Association and the Eastern Hulstrian People's Party; the two groups have merged and formed the Ostland People's Party (Hulstrian: Ostlandiche Volkspartei; OVP) which gives them a commanding lead in the Eastern Land Council. The Rural Association, the Hulstrofascist, populist political party has delved deeper into rural Ostland and according to sources within the party has grown further in size and strength and proved itself difficult to be dislodged entirely from the Eastern Land Council despite efforts by the new OVP. Disputes within the party, largely over the events in which Hulstria and Gao-Soto "proclaimed" Ostland as apart of the Hulstrian Crownlands spawned the formation of the East Hulstrian Workers' Party (Hulstrian: Osthulstriche Arbeiterpartei; OAP) which is significantly more far-right and Hulstrian nationalist than the Rural Association.

For the first time in history a movement of left-wingers has formed the Social Democratic Party of Ostland (Hulstrian: Sozialdemokratische Partei Ostland) and has capitalized on a similar demographic that the Rural Association has lost in rapidly growing, smaller cities throughout the country side of Ostland. Disillusioned Hosians from across Ostland, mostly those upset with the disbanding of the Eastern Hulstrian People's Party and the Eastern Homeland Association have formed the Hosian Democratic Union (Hulstrian: Hosianisch-Demokratische Allianz; HDA) have formed a tenuous alliance with the OVP to maintain control over the Eastern Land Council. New Dawn, the sole Kunihito political alliance within the Eastern Land Council split, largely in an ideological direction. New Dawn lost its left-wing to the formation of the People's Alliance (Kunihata: Ōsutoria kōkū) in which it found allies with the new Social Democratic Party of Ostland.

In the wake of the collapse of the "traditional" order of the Eastern Land Council, it is likely that the re-structuring process will take sometime in the run-up to the October, 4890 elections but for the time being, the OVP and the HDA have formed an alliance, putting up OVP's leader Dominik Puchner as the go-to candidate for the new Grand Duke to select.

[Auditorii]

Wolfsheimer Zeitung
Grand Duke meets with regional leaders, new destroyer in the works
December 4883


Ostlandic politicians leaving the Wolfshöhle, the residence of the Grand Duke

Wolfsheim - The Ostlandic government and Eastern Shipyards (Hulstrian: Ost Werft) on the development of a new series of indigenous destroyers known as the Grand Duke-class destroyer. The project is expected to take the better part of a decade and is being directed largely by Generalschiffbauingenieur Vice Admiral Souma Yasuuchi, the first Kunihito to hold the position within the Ostlandic Navy. Several engineering firms are assisting Eastern Shipyards in the construction of a number of systems, notably the integrated defense network that is built into the destroyer. The project is a massive undertaking and the Ostlandic government is eager to ensure that the project succeeds, given its precarious position in the recent decades with Hulstria and Gao-Soto and Yingdala threatening to further advance into Dovani. The announcement of a new project comes as the Ministry of Foreign Affairs has confirmed that the Ostlandic government has sent a delegation to the Kiego Conference to discuss the formation of the Dovani Pact; the Foreign Ministry announced that Ostland will sign on as a full member of the organization, dedicating itself fully to the pact as a whole.

Grand Duke Markus II held a conference of all state leaders and officials, including the Governor's of the 10 southern Prefectures of the Touryou State. The conference last several days and covered a number of topics, notably strategic economic development with neighboring nations, continued growth between Hulstrians and Kunihito's. Ostfirma, the massive conglomerate which holds a significant share of Ostland's consumer business has lost a significant portion of its hold over Ostland in recent decades as more and more Dovani-based businesses were granted authority to operate in Ostland. The Ostlandic government has authorized up to 25% of Ostland's significant oil reserves to be sold off to private or other public ventures, this has permitted the Öst Öl corporation to continue unabated in their dominance of the gas and petrochemical industry throughout Ostland.

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Wolfsheimer Zeitung
State Minister condemns Yingdala, shares Liori concerns
May 4891

Wolfsheim - State Minister Reynard Marstallerin, appointed by the Grand Duke following the October, 4890 election, announced that the government of Ostland had formally condemned the opening of a Yingdalan naval base in Midway. In a fiery speech before the Eastern Land Council the State Minister condemned Yingdalan aggression and stated that now, more than ever, was the need for Dovani unity. The condemnation was formally joined by the Foreign Minister and Foreign Ministry who summoned the Yingdalan ambassador to the Foreign Ministry headquarters to answer for such aggressive, overt actions. Accordance with an order of the General Staff, the Ostlandic Armed Forces have been moved to a higher level of readiness and patrols within the Sea of Carina have been increased. The State Minister announced that the first of the Grand Duke-class destroyer had completed sea trials and in the event of continued Yingdalan aggression, it would be deployed. The Grand Duke-class, known commonly as the Großherzog-class, will be one of the most advanced guided missile destroyers in Dovani and is the product of increased cooperation between Ostlandic Hulstrian's and Kunihito's who wish to bolster their defense against aggression from "Imperialist" powers, namely Yingdala. According to Generalschiffbauingenieur Vice Admiral Souma Yasuuchi the Eastern Shipyards will be able to produce 1 Großherzog-class per year in the future, likely working to expand the capabilities of the Ostlandic Navy; namely the Sea of Carina Fleet and the Sovereign Sea Fleet. Large elements of the Ostlandic Army and Ostlandic Air Force have also shared increased readiness levels; a move meant to show that Ostland is serious in countering Yingdalan aggression.

[Auditorii]

Ostland Heute
Demonstrations outside new Dovani Pact mission in Wolfsheim
May 4892


Ostlandic Armed Forces and State Police positioned outside of the new Dovani Pact mission in Wolfsheim bolstering security.

Wolfsheim - A large demonstration of Hulstro-Ostlandic and Kunihito citizens protested outside of the new Dovani Pact mission in Wolfsheim against Yingdalan aggression and to celebrate the entrance of Ostland formally into the Dovani Pact. Foreign Minister Constant Fladenschrot spoke before the assembled crowd after a meeting with Dovani Pact officials within the mission; he was joined by the Permanent Representative to the Dovani Pact, Leopold Bletzin who represented Ostland at the Kiego Conference and became the first Permanent Representative to the organization. Fladenschrot expanded on the foreign policy vision of the new government, notably the introduction of the Dovani Pact into mainstream Ostlandic politics. "We need to ensure that Dovani and its surrounding continents are protected against this radical "Neo-Imperialism" that is being espoused by nations such as Yingdala and others; while some are more direct in their approach others are "sneaky" and attempt to subvert Dovani sovereignty in other ways. We cannot stand for this at all. Dovani nations and the West can be allies and beneficial but when you have powers such as Yingdala and others who seek to leech from Dovani, that cannot be acceptable." The Foreign Minister also outlined the need for the Defense Council to be a "tool" for good and better order on the continent. In the speech the Foreign Minister offered the assistance of the Landwehr's General Staff to provide basic structure to the Defense Council and offered a number of forces to form the basis of a multi-national effort to build a Pan-Dovani response force; notably elements of the elite Bergkommando, the special forces of Ostland who have a fierce reputation earned throughout the Dovani War and other conflicts in which they earned a reputation for hardy, tactical operations.

Bletzin, the Permanent Representative, noted that he had worked with the Ministry of Economics and Finance to begin working down trade barriers with fellow Dovani Pact nations but held firm that the Ostland would retain some protections on oil and natural gas, Ostland being one of the Dovani Pact's largest producers of oil and gas within the organization. The Ministry of Economics and Finance however committed to removing almost all remaining trade barriers and ensuring free trade as a paramount success for Ostland's role in the Dovani Pact; the State Bank of Ostland also confirmed that it would be establishing a separate fund for the development of fellow Dovani Pact nations. Ostland's economic prospects have dwindled in recent years but the spike in economic activity generated by the formal creation of the Dovani Pact as well as a push for further modernization of the military have sparked a surge in both private and public spending; a move surely beneficial to the Ostlandic economy.