Ostland

[Auditorii]

Ostland Allgemeine Zeitung
Ostlandic Air Force announces regular Sea of Carina patrols
October, 4681


Unionfighters of Jadgstaffel 1 of Jadggeschwader 1 "Grand Duke Magnus" conducting air patrols over the Sea of Carina

Sea of Carina, Dovani - Chief of the Ostlandic General Staff Colonel-General (Army) Hans Eckhardt von Völknitz-Siezenhaus announced today that Jadgstaffel "Fighter Squadron 1" of "Fighter Wing 1 Grand Duke Magnus" would begin conducting regular air patrols over the Sea of Carina. Jadggeschwader 1 "Grand Duke Magnus" is based out of Wolfsheim Air Base in Wolfsheim, the capital of the Grand Duchy of Ostland. Commander-in-Chief of the Air Force, General Tristan Hengsbach spoke alongside the Chief of the General Staff stating that "...rising tensions in the region had given Ostland the obligation to act to defend peace, stability and its territorial sovereignty." General Hensbach stated that the recent referendum in Degalogesa to join with the Democratic Republic of North Dovani had provided the region was some questions of stability as two governments attempt to integrate and function as one. The patrols will be conducted as the Ostlandic Navy had received several dozen new vessels courtesy of an arms deal with the Dorvish defense industry.

Colonel-General (Army) Völknitz-Siezenhaus officially announced what the Ostlandic forces were to receive with the arms deal with the Kingdom. 6 new Kordusian-class Frigates were to be produced and delivered, the first was delivered in 4680, the next this November, the third and fourth are expected in early 4682 with the final two expected to arrive Fall, 4682. The deal, worth larger than originally thought, will also include enough Unionfighter Tranche 3A aircraft to outfight an entire fighter wing of aircraft. Jagdgeschwader 1 "Grand Duke Magnus" will be outfitted to a full strength fighter wing over the course of the next several months finally receiving its last 112 Unionfighters. Underneath the full strength fighter wing, the three different fighter groups will rotate patrols over the Sea of Carina and will be assisted by the new aerial refueling tankers purchased from Artanian Defense Group's military division.

[Auditorii]

Ostland Allgemeine Zeitung
State Chancellor concerned about "educational refugees" of Hulstria
March, 4683

Wolfsheim - State Chancellor Kaleb Hans von und zu Zeisl and State Secretary for Education Nico Hamerling from the Ministry of Public Welfare spoke regarding recent legislation in Hulstria entitled the "Education Reform Act" which would outlaw private education entirely. Ostland, which was once a former Crownland of the Greater Crownlands of Hulstria, had many prestigious institutes of learning and education and via cooperation agreements with Hulstria prior to the outlandish Devpratimist League government, many Hulstrian citizens enjoyed the ability to attend Ostlandic universities and colleges. State Secretary Hamerling stated that the program had been temporarily suspended when the legislation had been revealed to the wider Parliament of Hulstria and had been indefinitely suspended when the Social Democratic Party threw their support behind it. While Ostland itself has largely free public education, the right for private educational institutes to exist has been permitted and is considered to be a choice that many Ostlandic students and students parents have. The State Secretary commented on the "braindrain" that might potentially take place in Hulstria given the closing or "nationalization" of private institutes and also noted the economic impact of removing private education. The State Chancellor was cautious as he claimed that Hulstria had grown into a stable and prosperous ally, he was concerned about the return of the "...outlandish and quite frankly scary Devpratimist League..." and its radical, militant socialism. Ostland and Hulstria remain important trading partners and are both members of the Western Dovani Economic Area but Ostland noted that if the issues in Hulstria persist they will have to take their objections and issues with both the government in Kien and the wider leadership of the WDEA.

[Auditorii]

Ostland Allgemeine Zeitung
Ostlandic Air Force announces regular Sea of Carina patrols
April, 4696


Ostlandic Unionfighter patrolling with Ostlandic Marine ships

Sea of Carina, Dovani - Ostlandic Air Force's conducting regular patrols over the Sea of Carina have began calling in naval assets as piracy as run rampant in the Sea of Carina following a series of governmental issues in Eastern Dovani. Ostland, one of the few leading states on Dovani outside of its Western coast, has been forced into dealing with a significant number of piracy issues that have plagued the Sea of Carina for several years. Underneath the oversight of the veteran Commander-in-Chief of the Air Force, General Tristan Hengsbach the routine patrols over the Sea of Carina have expanded to include several other units of the Ostlandic Air Force and have included allied detachments from other countries such as Dorvik, Kazulia, Hulstria and Lourenne. General Hengsbach, who is expected to be reassigned or retire following the decade shuffle of Ostlandic military and government personnel, has assigned the II. Gruppe and III. Gruppe from the Aufklärungsgeschwader 1 (Recon Wing) "Grand Duke Horst" which include Artanian Defense Group airborne early warning command and control aircraft as well as signals intelligence planes to assist in the operation which has been going for several years now starting in October, 4681. The decision to keep permanent patrols and rotate units out first came when suggested by Chief of the Ostlandic General Staff Colonel-General (Army) Hans Eckhardt von Völknitz-Siezenhaus to give flight hours to Ostlandic pilots, assist in regional stability as well as protect Ostlandic trade and economic security.

Ostlandic General Staff representatives have met with Artanian Defense Group and have discussed the purchase of ADG C-295 MPA/Persuader which is a maritime patrol/anti-submarine warfare to bolster its maritime patrol units.

[Auditorii]

Ostland Allgemeine Zeitung
Grand Duke Franz I announces soon-to-be abdication
April, 4699

Wolfsheim - Grand Duke Franz I announced that on New Year's Eve 4700 that he would abdicate in favor of his son, the Crown Prince, Franz II (b. 4667) who served as a member of the Ostland Air Force and ranks as a Colonel in the Ostland Air Force. The incoming Crown Prince, Franz, is likely to have a larger role in international affairs than his father. Franz II served as a fallschirmjager and was involved in several police actions in North Dovani and was apart of a peacekeeping force in Utari Mosir following the conflict in Utari Mosir. In the run-up to the New Years Eve celebration in Wolfsheim, the Crown Prince has met with several dozen high-ranking government officials, notably the current State Chancellor Kaleb Hans von und zu Zeisl who is reportedly discussing retirement following a near 23 stint as leader of Ostland. The State Chancellor has lead a successful government that has expanded on natural resources production and mining in the western portion of the nation's mountainous terrain. While several candidates have come up, the Crown Prince has been seen in the company of the Standartenführer Woldemar Kantorowicz, a VDKV Security Service officer who has close ties to the current Supreme Security Service and Intelligence Service Leader "Ostland" Obergruppenführer Kaspar Joachim. While it is unlikely that Kantorowicz will succeed Joachim as OSGF "Ostland" he will retain important leadership within the VDKV's Ostland branch.

[Auditorii]

Ostland Allgemeine Zeitung
Grand Duke Franz II celebrates coronation and appoints new State Chancellor
January, 4700

Wolfsheim - State Chancellor Woldemar Kantorowicz formally announced his new Council of Ministers earlier this year following the festivities following the New Year's Eve coronation of Grand Duke Franz II. Following his address, the Ministry of the Interior underneath the new Interior Minister announced a change to the internal administration of the country, reverting the system previously established by the administration of State Chancellor Claus Wilhelm von Pölzl due to growing concerns over political instability in Dovani. The Eastern Land Council, on the recommendation of the Grand Duke and State Chancellor will review appointees to all levels of administration. Grand Duke Franz II noted that he wanted to develop the Eastern Land Council as a "...strong, legislative overseer of the policies of the government of Ostland." While some political commentators state that this might be a new direction for Ostland, it could also be simply a "rouse" of some kind to allow Ostland to continue to compete in the modern world. These commentators were often dismissed as Ostland is widely considered to be a large regional power and regional contender.

Economically, the Ministry of Economics and Finance announced a new series of bonds and offerings to companies in Ostland to complete several regional legs of the Ostland State Railway, an infrastructure project that has connected nearly several dozen major cities in Ostland. The Ministry of Infrastructure, Railways and Building suspects that the completion will take several years, roughly 4710 before the major regional legs are completed while also noting that a major building effort in Jamidaka will be underway.

Council of Ministers

• State Chancellor - Standartenführer Woldemar Kantorowicz (Security Service, VDKV)
  -- Secretary of the Security and Military Leadership Council - Brigadeführer Jonathan Hausner (Security Service, VDKV)
  -- General-Plenipotentiary to the Touryou State - Dienstleiter Benjamin Kanner (Political Leadership Corps, VDKV)
• Minister of Foreign Affairs - Befehlsleiter Jan Strauss (Political Leadership Corps, VDKV)
• Minister of the Interior - Gruppenführer Luca Scherer (Security Service, VDKV)
  -- Chief of the State Police - Gruppenführer Konstantin Habeler (Security Service, VDKV)
• Minister of Justice - Befehlsleiter Kilian Manninger (Political Leadership Corps, VDKV)
• Chief of the General Staff - Colonel-General (Army) Alexander von Ransmayr
  -- Commander-in-Chief of the Army General of the Infantry Jannik Meusburger
  -- Commander-in-Chief of the Air Force General of the Fallschirmjager Martin Kanner
  -- Commander-in-Chief of the Navy Admiral Peter Weichselbraun
• Minister of Economics and Finance - Xaver Müller (OHVP)
  -- President of the State Bank of Ostland - Oskar Kanner
• Minister of Infrastructure, Railways and Building - Fabio von Hausner (OHVP)
• Minister of Labor - Fabian Gruber (OHVP)
• Minister of Public Welfare - Florentina Rottmayr (LB)
• Minister of Agriculture and Forests - Befehlsleiter Felix von Wallner und Makart (Political Leadership Corps, VDKV)

[Auditorii]

Ostland Allgemeine Zeitung
Foreign Ministry in Hulstria
October, 4704

Wolfsheim, Ostland - Jan Strauss, Foreign Minister of the Grand Duchy of Ostland will spend over a week in Kien to discuss a common border policy for Hulstria and Ostland. Ostland-Hulstria relations have been problematic at the least, while there has been a general easing of relations between the two, many Ostlandic citizens remain skeptical of relations with Hulstria. A poll conducted by the University of Wolfsheim's School of International Affairs and Diplomacy showed that only 47% of Ostlandic citizens "trusted" relations with Hulstria. Despite this, the Ostlandic government, notably Grand Duke Franz II has pushed for closer relations due to the Western Dovani Economic Area, which has provided a massive boon for Ostland's economy overall. Foreign Minister Strauss has confirmed that any common border policy will have to possess some additional checks, limit the ability for staying and have mechanism to force return to Ostland.

[Auditorii]

Ostland Heute
A quiet coronation for Grand Duke Helmet I
January, 4744 (Backdated)

Wolfsheim - The coronation of Grand Duke Helmut I was auspiciously silent as the situation in North Dovani prompted the Ostlandic government to quietly hold the coronation of the new Grand Duke in the traditional ceremony as well as officially announce a new government in January, 4744. The Grand Duke announced that Konstantin Haneke would be taking over the role of State Chancellor from Woldemar Kantorowicz, he would be appointing a Vice State Chancellor for the Touryou State, the first such change to be made. The incoming Vice State Chancellor, a position which now includes the General-Plenipotentiary to the Touryou State will be Hora Katsuyoshi, a member of the new conservative political movement that has grown within the Touryou state as a whole. This is the first such appointment by the Ostlandic government to native have a native Kunihito in a major government role; something that the Grand Duke promised in his speech was a further building of a "unified government". The role of the new Vice State Chancellor will likely act primarily as a go between with the Touryou State in the south and the majority Hulstrian government in the north. The new State Chancellor announced a number of appointments in a notification to the Eastern Land Council, the legislature of Ostland. The appointment of veteran Foreign Affairs State Secretary Gregor Bischoffshausen has many wondering if Ostland will involve itself in more Dovani-based affairs as the previous Minister of Foreign Affairs Jan Strauss was more focused on the development of international trade versus diplomatic relations according to a report released by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs following the announcement of the Grand Duke's abdication in favor of his son.

The other notable inclusion was the State Chancellor's selection of some of the first women to occupy high government office. The appointment of veteran Wolfsheim Judge Katharina Schmidt, a member of the Eastern Homeland Association, was considered monumental in the development of womens rights in Ostland. The Association for Ostlandic Women, a womens rights group in Ostland, has stated that appointment and the "progressive nature" of the new Grand Duke displays that Ostland is ready to "ascend on the world stage" as a former "third world or colonial nation". The Grand Duke and State Chancellor also selected veteran economist from the Institute for Eastern Affairs who has spent a majority of her life studying and building models for Dovani economies, including serving as an advisor to the administration of several Presidents in Istapali. Other notable inclusions are the Minister of Infrastructure, Railways and Building as well as the Minister of Public Welfare, Kuramoto Tokimasa who is one of the first Kunihito to serve in the post responsible for social services and health in the country.

Council of Ministers

• State Chancellor - Konstantin Haneke (Osthulstriche Volkspartei, OVP)
  -- Secretary of the Security and Military Leadership Council - Brigadeführer Mario Klammer (Security Service, VDKV)
  -- Vice State Chancellor and General-Plenipotentiary to the Touryou State - Hora Katsuyoshi (Political independent officially)
• Minister of Foreign Affairs - Befehlsleiter Gregor Bischoffshausen (Political Leadership Corps, VDKV)
• Minister of the Interior - Gruppenführer Filip Kronecker (Security Service, VDKV)
  -- Chief of the State Police - Colonel-General of the Police Bastian Bruckner (Political independent officially)
• Minister of Justice - Katharina Schmidt (Östlicher Heimatverband, OHV)
• Chief of the General Staff - Generaladmiral Felix Rainer
  -- Commander-in-Chief of the Army General (Armored) Matteo Mayer
  -- Commander-in-Chief of the Navy Admiral Simon Happel
  -- Commander-in-Chief of the Air Force General (Fallschirmjager) Manuel Fichter
• Minister of Economics and Finance - Dr. Franziska Helnwein (Osthulstriche Volkspartei, OVP)
  -- President of the State Bank of Ostland - Befehlsleiter Maximilian Merkatz (Political Leadership Corps, VDKV)
• Minister of Infrastructure, Railways and Building - Selina Reiter (Osthulstriche Volkspartei, OVP)
• Minister of Labor - Befehlsleiter Benedikt Austen (Political Leadership Corps, VDKV)
• Minister of Public Welfare - Kuramoto Tokimasa (New Dawn)
• Minister of Agriculture and Forests - Theo Kress (Landbund, LB)

[Auditorii]

Ostland Heute
Vice Chancellor speaks on Dovani affairs and status of Bianjie.
March, 4753

Wolfsheim - Vice State Chancellor and General-Plenipotentiary to the Touryou State Hora Katsuyoshi welcomed the praise from recent members of the international press and media but stopped short of welcoming them entirely. Ostland has long been a stable state on the Dovani continent in what is often regarded as the "Third World", mostly post colonial nations that have struggled over several centuries to maintain a series of successful governments. The Vice State Chancellor, an ethnic Gao-Showan Hulstrian whose family was born in Ostland and became members of the semi-autonomous Touryou State in southern Ostland doesn't approve of attempts to point fingers. Ostland, who has a close relationship with the Kingdom and Dorvik and has largely prospered because of the investment and interest of the Dorvish also can thank the Dorvish for halts to a series of potentially dramatic policy decisions that could have warranted negative attention to Ostland. The Vice State Chancellor revealed diplomatic communiques from the Dorvish ambassador to Ostland to Grand Duke Magnus, now well known as Grand Duke Magnus the Great, in which he urged the new Grand Duke to tone down the rhetoric towards the native Kunikata that at one point were a majority in Ostland. The tone from the Dorvish ambassador was strongly worded and were, from its reading by the Ostlandic press, thinly veiled threats. While Grand Duke Magnus had already taken steps towards easing the relationship with the Kunikata, the Dorvish were instrumental in ensuring that it would not be tolerated from an ally the Vice State Chancellor went on to state.

The Vice State Chancellor went to laud the record of Ostland, notably in its recent conflict with Utari Mosir at the start of May, 4617 and ending August, 4626 nearly a decade later Ostland prevent a wide-scale collapse of the Utari Mosir government in which the Kepi people (Siberian Ainu's) were finally given the recognition after years of an unofficial repression of their culture. While the Vice State Chancellor noted that Ostland did not provide a critical role in the conflict in North Dovani, a conflict which threatened Ostland, they accepted thousands of refugees and established them with significant financial aid before they were sent back to safer parts of North Dovani or other countries in East Dovani at their decision. The Vice State Chancellor noted that the decision to not act on Bianjie could prove to be a fatal decision overall and that Ostland, had the Security Council not taken any action was prepared to begin its own operation. In regards to the finger pointing and blaming warmongers and the like, the Vice State Chancellor didn't fully comment. He only reminded those in southwest Dovani that the ones to blame for the pitiful state of southwest Dovani were their fellow brother and sister Gao-Showans, he pointed out the rise of a militant socialist regime in Bazgaristan, formerly Xsampa. "The Son of Heaven even pointed out that the failure and situation in Xsampa, now Bazgaristan, was their own doing after years of failed colonial politics that predated many of the governments we critique for acting." The Vice State Chancellor noted that Ostland would be monitoring the situation in Bianjie closely and had assisted several nations in gathering intelligence, notably Dorvik due to the presence of a Dorvish naval base on the island of Kamphon, which is shared between the Dorvish and the Ostlandic governments.

The Vice State Chancellor applauded the new Grand Duke for his efforts in building relations with the Gao-Showan people in Ostland, it is one of the reasons that the Ostlandic Gao-Showans proclaimed the Grand Duke as the "Prince of Touryou" to signify their loyalty to him.

[Auditorii]

Wolfsheimer Zeitung
August 4769
Foreign Minister slams "opaque" World Congress investigation

Wolfsheim - Minister of Foreign Affairs Gregor Bischoffshausen has slammed the World Congress for its lack of transparency with the World Congress investigation into Bianjie. The noted pan-Dovani pol called the World Congress' "silent" investigation into Bianjie a "sham" and stated that in the future the governments of Dovani should be prompted for greater involvement. In a relative break from the norm, the Foreign Minister stated that he approved of the role of Hanzen in Seat E and noted that the Ostlandic government would continue to support Hanzen. In a public offering the Ostlandic government offered the new government in Bianjie the chance at redemption, notably in the field of "clearing their name". Secretary of the Security and Military Leadership Council Brigadeführer Mario Klammer stated that if Bianjie wanted a team of specialist from Ostland and Hanzen could enter into Bianjie and conduct an "...independent, Dovani-based investigation." as the World Congress' Chemical and Biological Office conducted theirs. The government in Wolfsheim has laid low short of showing support from Hanzen in recent years, the Grand Duke has largely focused on domestic projects and the building of what he calls "Domestic Harmony" within Ostland over the past several years.

While relations between the Hulstrian-based Ostlanders and the Gao-Showan Kunihata people have improved tremendously there remains two distinct states within the Grand Duchy of Ostland, the Grand Duchy proper and the Touryou State, an autonomous enclave in the south that remains. Grand Duke Helmet has continued his efforts to build bridges between the two groups and according a recent poll conducted by Ostland Heute, the two groups see each other favorably roughly 87% of the time. Politically the two groups remain largely similar, the Kunihito in the south remain chiefly conservative and the Ostlanders continue to remain conservative. It has been some 20 years since State Chancellor Konstantin Haneke was appointed to the position by the Grand Duke and some have begun to discuss what the future looks like for Ostland. The Vice Chief Minister of the Touryou State, Shoji Konoye has been touted as a possible successor for the State Chancellor and the daughter of the first female member of the Council of Ministers, Minister of Justice Katharina Schmidt, Augusta Schmidt, a lawyer with the Ostland Landwehr, has been seen as a possible choice.

[Liu Che/Zhuli]

Khan accepts Ostland's proposal