Change was once slow to arrive across Europa.
In the fields, generations of peasants worked the land in much the same manner as their
parents and grandparents and expected the lives of their children to be little different.
When change did come, it was at the privilege of the aristocracy, those with the money or
time to embrace new ideas.
But with the dawn of the industrial age, the time of stagnation was over.
All across the continent, new machines shattered the status quo and millions flocked to rapidly
expanding cities.
For the first time, few could predict what the years ahead might bring, and what lives
their children might lead.
Many had cause to fear this rapid, ever escalating change and the old states of Europa struggled
to adapt.
But the greatest power on the continent is the nation that embraced it.
It industrialized at a rate that far outstripped that of any of its rivals, and many of its
leaders began to see the nation itself as one great mechanism.
A vast machine of blood, oil and steel that if finely tuned and set into motion, would
ensure a sacred place in the sun would be eternally reserved for the Empire of Saxony.
That the Saxon Empire was so eager to embrace industrialization where others wavered, speaks
to the vigor and excitement within the nation.
While many of its ruling dynasties can trace their history through centuries of European
history, the Empire itself is a relatively young nation, one that has only recently made
its mark upon the world stage.
The confederation of the central kingdoms of Europa had been greatly feared by the traditional
powers of the continent.
In an instant, a new superpower was born, an empire with one of the largest populations
in Europa and an increasingly sophisticated and vibrant economy.
Once unified, the country’s potential seemed limitless.
In the space of just a few decades it was recognized as an industrial, technological
and scientific giant.
With ever swelling, numbers, strength and wealth, came the ambition for more.
There arose a belief in both the leadership of the nation and in the common citizenry,
that the Empire had been denied a status of privilege afforded to its older rivals.
In place of the delicate system of alliances and deals that had prevented early Saxony
from becoming diplomatically isolated, it embarked on a new and bellicose foreign policy.
With the appearance of the first Saxon combat mech, based on the designs of Nikola Tesla,
an arms race spread across the continent.
The outbreak of the Great War was seen as an inevitable expression of the nation’s
ambitions.
The campaign against the Rusviet Tsardom and its allies had been meticulously planned,
so thoroughly expected, that many Saxon officers took their vacations in Polania and Rusviet,
personally inspecting the strategic targets of which they intended to lay siege.
The expected, quick decisive victory however, never arrived.
The Kaiser had imagined quick, stunning successes and promised Saxon soldiers would be returning
to their families before the leaves had fallen from the trees, but the nature of war had
changed.
The mechanized walking machines, which now formed the heart of every army, had rendered
pre-war planning almost entirely obsolete.
Saxony was led to stalemate and slaughter, by Generals blind to the power of new weaponry.
Millions of lives were traded away for just a few miles of ground.
When an armistice was finally declared and a peace treaty signed, the Saxon populace
was shocked.
Years of propaganda had convinced the Empire that victory was certain and halting the campaign
before total victory had been achieved was a powerful blow to national pride.
In the immediate aftermath of the war, many feel cheated and betrayed by the Kaiser, convinced
he is involved in a plot to stab Saxony in the back.
Officially still the supreme authority within the Empire, commander in chief of the armed
forces and the final word on foreign affairs, the Kaiser’s position has nevertheless been
weakened by decades of political reform and years of war.
Early in his reign, Kaiser Friedrich was forced to make concessions to his ministers to avoid
an uprising and that experience has left him uniquely aware as to the limits of his authority.
While the nation was founded as a constitutional monarchy, with even the Kaiser subject to
limits on his political authority, Friedrich’s predecessor is generally regarded to have
been far more able in navigating the affairs of state.
The Kaiser’s only recent success was in negotiating the armistice with the Rusviet
Tsar and this move has only further weakened his position within the government.
Now, other institutions have moved to fill the void.
In the Friedrich era, the office of Chancellor, intended to only support the Kaiser in his
governance, is increasingly seen as the true seat of power.
Together with various State Secretaries and other high level bureaucratic officials, it
is the Chancellor who is truly responsible for the day to day administration of the Empire.
In practice, the Chancellor is also typically the chairman of the Bundesrat, a federal council
consisting of representatives from the Empire’s member states.
Where previous sessions of the Bundesrat were pushed into the background by the influence
of the Kaiser, Friedrich’s apparent weakness has created a greater opportunity for political
change.
Together with the Reichstag, the other house of Saxony’s bicameral legislature, bills
and laws that would have been unthinkable a generation ago, are now routinely opened
for debate.
Much of this is due to the influence of industrial and banking interests, which exploited the
financially ruinous war, and increasingly desperate government to achieve a greater
place of prominence in the affairs of state.
Saxon citizens looked down upon as “commoners” by the old aristocracy are now in positions
of great authority as material wealth has become more valuable than a historic family
name.
While strictly autocratic, the political system of Saxony includes many seemingly democratic
features, intended to mask the continuation of authoritarian policies.
There exists universal suffrage for every male above the age of 25 and the permitted
development of political parties.
Flaws in this system, the current weakness of the Kaiser, and the declining role of the
aristocracy means that these democratic elements are beginning to wield far more power than
was intended.
Faced with the decline of both the Kaiser and their own influence, the historic nobility
and elite of the Empire are beginning to consider radical action.
Prince Wilhelm, heir to the throne, has been unmistakably vocal in his opposition to further
reform, and the old guard see in the Prince a chance to return the nation to greatness.
If public sentiment is not calmed, a coup may be inevitable.
But for any coup to succeed, it must have the support of the military.
While the effectiveness of the government has fluctuated with the ability of the Kaiser
and his officials, the Saxon Armed forces have consistently been the best organized,
led, and equipped institution on the continent.
Much of this is due to the diligence of the Saxon General Staff, distinguished in its
selection of officers by intelligence and proven merit, rather than in patronage or
weath.
At their insistence, the role of the Kaiser within the military was increasingly ceremonial.
As the great war progressed, Friedrich was progressively isolated from decision making,
while the General Staff increasingly asserted itself into decisions concerning foreign policy.
With the end of the war, power has mostly returned to civilian institutions, but it
is a certainty that the armed forces will play a pivotal role in the future of the country.
Much of this is due to the military’s expertise in evaluating the strengths, weaknesses, and
military capabilities of rival nations.
A network of intelligence officers and paid agents provide a continual source of reports,
giving a significant advantage to Saxon military planners.
This is nowhere more apparent, than in the country’s advancements in mechanized walkers.
Each is specialized to take advantage of an enemy’s weakness, and can deliver a powerful
blow designed to achieve a single, decisive, breakthrough.
The Sd.
KS 49 “Grimbart” was instrumental in breaking through fortified positions during the Great
War, impervious to small arms fire while equipped with devastating machine guns of its own.
It remains one of the most popular mechs in the Saxon arsenal, and increasingly replacing
traditional machine gun teams.
Enemy walkers are countered by the Sd.
KS 78 “Isegrim” a unique, quadra-pedal mech with an advanced rotating turret spouting
an armor piercing gun.
It has proven equally effective against infantry and exosuits, and has become the general-purpose
mech of Saxony.
True innovation however, can be seen in the MWF-28 “Stiefmutter”, a bizarre construct
that deploys guided mono-cycles against armoured enemy targets, which explode on impact.
These guided munitions can be rapidly constructed from pre-assembled kits, in effect allowing
the mech to replenish its own ammunition supply.
It is the SKS 300, that is the true emperor of the battlefield, and as such, named “Kaiser”.
Equipped with a forward facing cannon and a heavy machine gun on each of its four sides,
it has proven effective against both enemy infantry and mechs, with few nations possessing
similarly sized walkers with which to counter it.
While undeniably effective, Saxon mechs have a reputation of being over designed and difficult
to repair in the rare instances in which they break down.
Even so, their survivability in combat is unparalleled.
When combined with the traditional infantry of the Saxon Army, the professionalism of
the force is unparalleled.
But the honor of both the Saxon military and the Saxon Empire have been tarnished by the
recent ceasefire.
Many in both the armed forces and civilian government are eager to see a return to hostilities,
confident in the knowledge that Saxony has never been truly defeated on the battlefield.
The Empire has always embraced the power of innovation and scientific discovery, but even
its greatest generals and politicians may find the next war unimaginable, as both Saxony
and mankind drives ever onward into the age
of the machine.