Stuttgarter Zeitung

Stuttgart citizens are being treated with a great view in the last few days. Merchants from all over the empire are assembling in the city. If the far away Khanate of Turan has been reached many times by adventurers and travellers in the past, this is the first time that an officially sponsored expedition sets off for the large siberian expanses. The newly formed DSPG, tasked with organizing the safe travels of the imperial citizens through the vast siberian plains has opened up his offices in our city.

As the news of the first expedition started to spread, the most diverse people started to flock from all over Germany: well being merchants, pennyless mercenaries, four yed naturalists and tough aventurers have all made their appearence in our city, to the happiness of innkeepers and bakers. Although the expedition will comprehend only three hundred men, and the necessary documents have been sold out in less than a single day, their commerce is well alive: some papers are known to have changed hand at least ten times, with the consent of their previous owners or without it.

Accompaining the expedition will be twenty missionaries of the Society of Jesus, tasked with spreading the Good Word among those lost souls saving them from eternal damnation.

To many, the name Von Humboldt might remind the notorious Brandeburg Minister Wilhelm. The (until now) more obscure brother Alexander is a name in the more scientific and philosophic circles, and quite a smal sensation in itself. Having succesfully and skillfully completed a botanical and geological survey of Switzerland and Savoy, he had been promoted to the Imperial Mines Supervisor post, a role considered little more than a no effort, high reward synecure. Instead of slumbering on his past successes, he take his duties head on and reformed the whole geological surveying system of the Empire, discovering new, potentially profitable giaciments. Delighted with his sterminated successes, he was given free hand in chosing his next assignement. The choice was an old pet project of his: the circumnavigation of the world.

With the full suopport of the Newly founded Imperial Stuttgart University, he has spent the last two years designing his expedition. Major objectives are the discovery and catalogation of unknown botanical and animal species, geographical surveys of the african and asian coasts, and ethnological studies on the still obscure populations inhabiting the unplotted lands of Africa and South East Asia.

The Von Humboldt expedition, believed to be lasting at least three years, will depart from Trieste next week, on board the frigate SMS Kronprinz Ferdinand, made avaible by the Imperial government.

The premature death of the Duke of Luxemburg, Denis II, at 32, has caught the little duchy by surprise. The heirless duke has had far reaching consequences. There are currently two pretenders: Wilhelm of Holland, nephew of the King of Thuringia, and Francis, Count of Champagne.

While first in line of succession, Wilhelm has had no chance to be crowned: Already present by chance in the duchy at the time of Denis, Francis has lost no time in coercing the regency coucil to enthrone him over the Luxemburgoise seat. Rightfully enraged, Wilhelm had himself crowned in absentia by the Archbishop of Amsterdam. While the situation is aat this time still stable, important forces are moving. Both the the King of Thuringia and the Count of Holland haave voiced their discontempt with the situation, while the Grand Duke of Gelre-Julich has openly declared his opposition to Denis' rule.

Curiously enough, in bot Holland and Gelre-Julich many priests have given speeches from the highly nationalists tones, openly accusing Denis to have declared war on the Empire. Flamed up by those speeches, entire villages have formed militias that have styled themeselves as the Luxemburgoise Armee, swearing their allegiance to Wilhelm. While not recognised, those militias have not been dissolved.

Unable to settle the succession question by diplomatic means, Wilhelm has crossed the border at the head of his militia. His hastily collected and trained forces have met the equally unorganized forces of Denis in Ettelbruck, north of the city of Luxemburg. The ensuing clash could be described as an unorganized brawl more than a proper battle; still undecided after four hours, the day has been decided by the appearence of the Vlandereen Garde and the "Amsterdam" horse regiment, leaden by the Duke of Holland himself. Faced with a well organized force, the Champagneoise forces have been forced easily out of the field.

The victorious army has entered Luxemburg, vacated by all the French forces, the same evening. A celebrating population has acclaimed Wilhelm during his entrance in the Grandducal palace. The local nobility and notars have all given homage to the legitimate ruler in swift time, further strenghtening his position. Denis, ousted from the Luxemburg throne, has been forced to sign a peace treaty, renouncing to whatever claim on Luxemburg, and granting the Grand Duchy control over the city and region of Sedan, as personal compensation to Wilhelm.

The first act of the grandduke has been to join the German Freestates Federation, where it has been already welcomed. The Luxemburgoise Armee has been disbanded, and each of his men has been given a share of the war bounty.

After three years and four months, the SMS Kronprinz Ferdinand has again made port in her home city. Greeted by large acclamating crowds and not a small number of crying mothers and wives, the frigate has concluded the first german trip around the world. Not only the crew suffered no losses, but it has even increased his numbers: along hundred of previously unseen vegetal samples and tens of live and preserved animals, the expedition has brought along a delegation of diplomats from the Kingdom of Annam, in the far eastern Asia. The delegation will tour the empire and meet the emperor before leaving again for their home country.

Other than these diplomatic achievements, the expedition has accumulutaded an unpreceded amount of science from all around the planet. In some parts of the voyage the crew eyed coasts never reached by an european, producing thousands of maps and drawings of the most disparate environment. The weather conditions and the wind patterns in different parts of the world have been throughtouly studied, changes in the planetary magnetic field, volcanic science recorded and plotted, astronomical observations permormed, and so on. Surely the amount of data collected during those three years will keep scientists busy for many years to come.

While a trade convoy seems the next logical step towards the estabilishing of friendly relations with the peoples of the East, the main artifex of this expedition is not going to rest for much. Von Humboldt is organizing a new expedition, this time in the coldness of the Siberian steppe.

As the overseas German interests increase in size and importance, it has become apparent that they will need protection by a dedicated specialized force. To answer this request, the Ministerium für Der Föderation Streitkräfte has authorized last year the appropriations to fund the creation of a number of naval infantry regiments. These troops will serve both on land and aboard ships, protecting German subjects and intervening in faraway lands for the defence of the German honor.

The newly raised force comprises two thousand men recruited in the Seebatallions, a light force that will specialize in fighting aboard ships and in unconventional theaters and operations, and a similar number in the Seegrenadieren, a more conventional force. The troops, raised from Holland, Guelders and Gorizia states, have been sworn in in their new bases this week. Armed with newly designed rifles and adopting innovative tactics, the Seebatallions will surely earn fame and honors for their flags and their names.

In addition to the Seebatallions and Seegrenadieren, the Federation Navy will receive four new ships: two 120-cannons ships of the line, the mostr powerful of their kind to ever have been built in Trieste, and two frigates. One of those, the SMS Polarsterne, has been built to serve as a scientific and exploration vessel for the University of Stuttgart. The ship, designed with the inputs learned from the construction work for the Turan Navy on the Yenisei river, has been conceived to easily operate in the Arctic waters, being able to survive being trapped in the ice for long periods of time, and possessing the facilities to sustain her crew through the cold northern winters, all of this while mantaining a full fighting capability. The ship is expected to take part in the upcoming Von Humboldt's expedition to Siberia.