Devvy
Donor
The television screen crackled for a moment as the next programme started. For all the fibre that has been installed across the Union, catapulting digital cable television to the fore, the set top box was of varying quality depending on who you used as your service operator. The choice was wide, but there were similarities; they all carried as a minimum the same set of quadrilingual UBC channels, formed from the united services of the national broadcasters. The flag logo showed briefly in the corner, indicating the potential use of the language button on the TV remote for changing the programme in to French, Dutch or German, but even with a fluent tongue in French and Dutch - a remnant of his Union Navy officer training, English seemed best.
The programme was, of course, the highlight of the week - everything had been leading up until today. The television cameras showed the shots up and down the Rhine from the banks of the Kingdom of Southern Germany - soon to be defunct some would say. The Bundeskanzler, easily recognisable as Nicola Beer, was easily spotted standing next to the entrance of the Hohenzollern Bridge in Cologne. The bridge had been for decades a symbol of a divided Germany; the once busy rail lines hardly used over the years, the road portion gated off and only used now and then for the "unofficial diplomacy" between the two German states. A divided city, within a divided country; much was to change though in future as the presenter reminded us. But first, a look back at how we got to this moment; the mission of the UBC to "educate, enthrall and entertain" was never lost it would seem.
"World War Two began with a German onslaught to the east on Poland and Czechoslovakia, before turning it's guns east on Fr....". The announcer was cut off as channels were flicked through. UBC-1 (current affairs) discarded, UBC-2 (the predominately news channel), before the more localised channels began. Sitting in Yorkshire, the BBC's own "BBC-3" and "BBC-4", "Channel-5" and "ITV-6" and "ITV-7" made the standard 7 channels, before the really really local channels began. Yorkshire TV was in the middle of yet more adverts, this one for Network Transpennine, and there were few times Jeremy would scroll further through the TV channels without good cause - pretty much everything could be watched on demand these days. One more channel up (FTV?) would see Frenchman Guy Feu with his ludicrous backward facing sunglasses touring around the country looking for the "best" food on offer.
Flicking back to UBC-1 though, the presenter continued to blurb about the history of the Europe. Jeremy wasn't too bothered about this part; it was a preclude to the main events at noon in just under an hour now. "...the treaty signed by Churchill and Reynaud" continued the commentary, as Jeremy looked for the iLink point to charge his phone and let the latest updates for his Acorn phone download after he forgot to plug it in last night. "Liberation of Europe gradually followed as Nazi Germany was pushed back, leaving the binational union as the decider of fate for Europe." America had had little to do with the liberation of Europe from the Nazis, UBC would have you believe it seemed, despite it being common knowledge how much support the United States had given France and the United Kingdom in their time of need, despite fighting their main war on the other side of the planet against the Japanese Empire. The media always enjoyed a little bit of America-bashing - it was easy pickings following the gradual decline in relations between the two countries.
Even Jeremy knew the post-WWII rough history though, having had it as part of the core syllabus for history in Stage 2 Schooling ever since agreement was reached on co-ordination in education back in the 1980s. The Soviets followed the Nazi withdrawal in eastern Europe. The well known conspiracy theorists would bleat about whether Hitler intended to strike Stalin first, or if Stalin had always planned to declare war on the Nazis - the opposing sides were definitely polar opposites in ideology. The USSR would sweep across the power vacuum in eastern Europe, entrenching communist rules in many states, and swallowing them in to the overall Union of Soviet Socialist Republics - or Union of Sovereign Socialist Republics as it is now, and only stopping at Germany's borders when Churchill pronounced "...the line must be drawn here (the German border)! This far, no further!". The narrator on TV droned on about negotiations between Churchill, Reynaud and Stalin over the fate of Europe. Something Jeremy had missed; apparently Churchill had wanted to reform a "Danubian Confederation" and split Germany, whilst Reynaud had wanted to several industry rich areas of Germany for France. Stalin's foreign policy from the east were primarily based around ensuring Communist Governments.
"...and so, the division of Germany was signed by Churchill and Reynaud, with seeming little concern for the Soviets on the border who made their own decisions on the evolution of eastern Europe."
Bloody complicated, it seemed to Jeremy, who sat munching on his full fryup - British bacon, French baguette bread, Irish hash browns, German sausages, along with the rest of the usual trimmings. Sunday mornings were not a time for health, but a time for relaxing. Saturday night would have normally been party night, especially considering the current state of affairs for his German wife, but given she was pregnant, alcohol played a far smaller part in life at present. A bottle of champagne rested on the mantelpiece however, waiting to be opened after a hopefully successful birth to another little citizen of the Union.
--
The UBC-1 narrator continued; "It was the division of Germany in to north and south pieces which really resulted in the shape of Europe today, and kicking off several events". The loss of sovereignty for Austria was glazed over, but much was made of "Prussian militarism" and the need to punish them whilst less-so punishing the southern states of Germany. A unitary republican and presidential "North Germany", and a more federal monarchial and parliamentarian "South Germany" - which would include Austria. Jeremy's wife, hailing as she did from Salzburg, never really expressed any thoughts on Austria; it seemed to her a redundant thought whether or not Austria was "a country". It was German-speaking, a historic part of the German people's lands, but equally there were some who disagreed - with Rupprecht as King of the country, some saw it as yielding to Bavaria which is what really stung. The rivalry between Bavaria and Austria reminded Jeremy of the sibling rivalry between England and Scotland.
In hindsight, Jeremy thought, it seemed obvious what would happen next. The Inner 6 formed "The Union State"; with joint organs of defence, foreign affairs, financial & economic policies, customs and a joint currency. A unified state from the 6 countries, inextricably linked in economic policies, their belief in democracy, and belief in a better future. Some were more willing then others; the UK and France formed the backbone. Luxembourg, Belgium & the Netherlands quickly joined, ravaged as they were from the war and seeking a united defence against any potential future German army. Ireland, fearing being completely shut out of it's most important markets and suffering a massive economic blow then followed; presumably anything that wasn't dominated by the British would have been palatable. Ironically the German threat was hardly the threat in years to come pondered Jeremy, just as the television jogged him out of his daydreams.
Dramatic shots up and down the river, with the European and Southern German flags on one side, and Democratic Republic of North Germany flags visibly fluttering on the otherside. 40 minutes to go. Jeremy wondered if this would be worth watching, or if the whole thing would be a massive anticlimax. Either way, Franny would kill him if he didn't watch. There were shots of all seven Union Prime Ministers, as well as the Union Chief Executive, some of whom had recently returned on the Union Caravalle from touring through the West Indies islands, consulting on the future for them. It seemed strangely anachronistic for so many of the Caribbean islands to still be part of their respective European mother countries. Just in shot behind, the "fraternal" Prime Ministers were preparing for the occasion too.
Franny entered the room with her phone, and unplugged Jeremy's from the iLink cable to his concern; the update had finished though, and Franny probably wanted to let her phone to do the same. Franny joined Jeremy on the sofa in room, reaching over to tap on her phone and copy across the latest episode of the German show "Haus und weg" from the set-top box, which was now on it's second series. It was a bit....well, too German, for Jeremy's tastes, which is why Franny watched it on the TGV on the way to her meetings in London.
F: "Much happened yet?"
J: "Not really, mostly been daydreaming whilst the narrator warbles about history and fills time with shots of the bridge and assembled bureaucrats."
F: "Sounds about right. They are Germans, you know we are a cold and efficient people. A little bit of pomp is fine, but otherwise let's just get it done."
Jeremy laughed.
J: "You've been here long enough to know that some pomp and circumstance is always needed. Even Marie looks like she's enjoying life sometimes".
F: "At least she looks happier then yours!"
J: "True enough, I bet Lizzy is there somewhere as well, making some small talk with yours."
F: "Probably telling an Englishman, a Frenchman, and a German jokes to each other."
Jeremy laughed again.
J: "I hope so."
The narrator continued; "You can now see, on either side of the river, the current Ministers for German Affairs from each country - both soon presumably to be out of a job."
--
30 minutes to go, and Jeremy was beginning to get bored by the slow progression of the occasion, but guessed it was probably one of those "moments" to see live and tell your future kids about one day. Franny looked at Jeremy; "Do you mind if I....?" Jeremy nodded in agreement, so Franny picked up the remote and switched the broadcast to the German soundtrack. It made little difference to Jeremy, but he guessed that Franny would probably prefer it, and would most likely get a more "local" view of the event with German speakers talking about German affairs rather then some pompous southener (Englishman) speaking in the Queen's English. "...und hier sehen wir die älteren Diplomaten aus verschiedenen europäischen Ländern,....." the now clearly German narrator continued. German wasn't one of Jeremy's languages however, but could hardly say he was massively bothered about it. Television shots of lots of sombre and boring looking people at the event, although even his German was good enough to recognise when the television showed the ambassadors for the Nordic Federation, Yugoslavia, USSR and USA.
The Soviet Ambassador, the narrator continued, had already voiced concerns several times over the possibility of German revanchism - particularly over the Polish territory of Krolewiec. Jeremy had seen the news, repeatedly for years up to this point, of either nervousness or outright hostility to the idea of German Unification; one British Minister had not so eloquently noted "We defeated the Germans twice, and now they're looking for round 3!" Franny seemed pretty resistant to these kind of opinions Jeremy thought, almost outright racism against the Germans. The British and French had hardly covered themselves in glory over the centuries.
Jeremy recognised the olden face of Penhaligon on screen, considered one of the elder statesmen of Europe now at the ripe old age of 73, and beckoned for Franny to switch back the TV back to English temporarily rather then any bizarre German translation of the Cornishman. "...factors impacting the case for German reunification were many. You had real concerns from many in the Six that it would somehow mark a return to German militarism and expansionism - the memories of the First and Second World Wars linger strong. As they should do - it is only from remembering these events that we can learn from them and avoid such atrocities in future. However, it would be undemocratic to ignore the clear will of all German people, both north and south, in their desire for German unity. And it turns out, succinctly enough, the best way to balance all these facets, is to allow German reunification under the banner of the Kingdom of Southern Germany - to be just the Kingdom of Germany in due time it would seem - within the Union State."
Just enough time for quick cup of tea, Jeremy thought, as he sprang to his feet and moved towards the kitchen. Franny looked at him, as Jeremy jovially asked "Fancy a cup of tea?" - knowing full well the likely response. A disgusted look came over Franny's face; "eugh". "I thought as much" Jeremy responded; "One day....". "Don't hold your breath" was Franny's response, as she changed the television back to German as Penhaligon continued talking about the Union state. As Jeremy filled the kettle and turned it on, he could see the electric meter shoot up on the kitchen wall, No milk in the fridge though; just enough time to run around the corner and grab a small litre bottle from Carrefour Express. "Back in a moment - need some milk" he yelled at Franny as he slung a pair of shoes on and ran out the door.
It was only a 100 metre run down the road to the shop thankfully; their house was on the main road right in the village centre and he was inside the shop within a minute, waving hello at the counter assistant. Quickly grabbing a small bottle of semi-skimmed milk, he whirled around to the counter. He'd left his Acorn phone on the coffee table in the living room, with which he could have easily paid via Access, but thankfully still had a ƒ2 coin in his pocket to purchase it. Jo behind the counter would have probably let him pay her later if he had needed, but Jeremy didn't particularly like taking such liberties too regularly. Another minute, and he was back in his kitchen, kettle boiling. Tea brewed, milk added, and sugar lobbed in, and he was back on the sofa with Franny watching the broadcast again. Franny shook her head at him; "I'll never understand the British obsession with tea, nor why you put so little milk in yours". Jeremy responded with a grin; "milk starves me tea luv".
Back on the television, and pictures were beaming in of the German Queen arriving by royal train in to "Koln Hauptbahnhof" as the German narrator indicated. He must of left around 6am Jerome muttered; it still seemed crazy the large distance on the continent compared to the UK, let alone England itself. The TGV network has done wonders around Europe to shorten travel distances, but it can only do so much. He wondered how the millions of citizens of North Germany felt about becoming subjects of the German Crown, questioning Franny on the topic.
F: "At least as a Bavarian, she's a symbol of stability, law and order as long as I've known. Pretty much the same as yours. Do you really think of yourself as a subject of an old woman?"
J: "Not really....I guess I've never really thought of it like that. She's just an impartial woman who interferes as little as possible."
F: "Exactly, why do you think it's any different for us?"
J: "All those millions in North Germany haven't had a monarch for decades....almost a hundred years?"
F: "Something like that. It's ironic; the partition of Germany, adoption of conflicting ideologies designed to separate, communism vs democracy, and it's the German Crown that ends up re-uniting the country."
J: "She cuts a distinguished figure, reminds me of Elizabeth."
Jeremy squinted at the television screen as it showed stock video of the Queen at the opening of the South German Parliament this year.
J: "She does like some style when she enters Parliament it would seem though."
F: "She definitely dresses for the occasion."
J: "No crown though?"
F: "I don't think I've ever seen her wear one. Is there even one?"
J: "If you're asking, it's to the wrong person I think!"
--
Time was running down, and unbelievably the narrator still waffled about history, and the fall of communism in Germany. "...fall of the hard line communist administration in North Germany. Had they followed the softening line of the Soviet Union - socialism with a human face, than it may not have unravelled quite so quickly..." Even then, Jeremy thought, it had taken 6 years to get to this point. "....as outlined in the Treaty of Two Germanies. It was signed by the Penhaligon as the Union Chief Executive back then, along with both German leaders, and the British and French leaders (as responsible for the original division of Germany)." the narrator droned. It was hardly riveting stuff, and due to the event, there were no La Premier matches in any of the three divisions to look forward to watching.
12 minutes to go. Franny seemed far more engrossed in the TV; but then it was her country re-uniting Jeremy thought. Actually, more then re-uniting - just uniting; no previous incarnation of the country had brought all German speaking people under it. Once upon a time, this would have probably horrified the rest of Europe - now it seemed a great act of national determination, democracy and peace. The television began showing the direct effect of the day's events; roughly doubling population from approx 47 million to 90 million. Going from 6 Bundeslander, to 12 - no doubt carefully balanced between North and South Jeremy ventured a guess at. Jeremy sipped his tea as he watched.
Queen Marie was now making the short distance to the west gates of the bridge, by royal car of course, at what seemed a walking pace. "Getting to this point, has of course, not been cheap", the narrator continued. "For the North Germans at first, as they tried to cope with the shock therapy switch to democracy and modernise their economy to compete on the global stage, and then the billions of florins spent by the Union on further modernising the economy and infrastructure. While the minimum wage has gradually been applied to North Germany, the business tax rates remain lower in an effort to attract jobs and business to the North." The pictures continued to show the royal procession winding along what seemed to be footpaths, and past the statue of Wilhelm II - to which the Queen seemed to give a wry smile. For all the bickering, fighting for supremacy, and wrangling for control of Germany between the Prussian Hohenzollerns (who the bridge commemorated) and Austrian Habsburgs, it was Bavarian Wittelsbachs who apparently would have the last laugh.
Getting out of the car, the Queen cut an image of sophistication, wearing the chains of the Royal Order of the Eagle, and was promptly handed what seemed to Jeremy to be a ceremonial staff.
F: "I can see the look of confusion on your face. I don't think Lizzy has one?"
J: "If she has, she keeps it well hidden!"
F: "She uses it to open Parliament; it's said to embody or represent the will of the German people. Well, South German....or all Germans now I guess. Fitting, I suppose, for the occasion, as unity is following the referendum victory and will of the people."
The Queen, flanked by people who were presumably security, politicians or courtiers of some sort, moved slowly towards the gates to the bridge. The final seconds counted down towards 12:00, midday, in what seemed to be perfect timekeeping - undoubtedly German, though Jeremy. As the clock struck 12:00, the gates were opened, and maybe a second later, the gates on the eastern bank opened. The Queen strode forward, seemingly defying her olden age, staff in hand, flanked by the the Prime Minister, and presumably the 7 Premiers of the South German states. From the other side, the 7 Premiers of the North German states approached, with both sides meeting in the middle of the bridge.
The Queen greeted the Premiers in the middle. The North German Premiers looked towards the Brandenburg Premier, as he spoke, seemingly the leader of the 7, as English subtitles appeared along the bottom of the television.
"Your Highness, Queen of the Germans and of Germany, we petition you to allow the full accession of the 6 North German Provinces we represent to the Kingdom of Germany. Will you support this?"
Jeremy noted that the country seemed to have changed names already.
Queen Marie responded.
"Im Namen dem Deutschen Volke, akzeptiere ich Ihren Angebot. Wir sind ein Land, ein Volk noch einmal. Mögen diese Tore nie wieder geschlossen werden."
And Germany was one country again.
----------------------------------------------------------
This is some creative writing that I thought I might as well post rather then have it sit rotting in Evernote. I wanted to gently explore a modern day view on a Franco-British Union, which spun out a bit. I might return and post more stuff on this in months to come, but at least for the moment, don't expect anything else.
Just to satisfy anyone's curiosity...(don't take any of this as gospel fact apart from what is written in the main story body):
- WWII: France and Britain agree to unite as one in order to keep France fighting (a la, the PoD), called the Union State. As per OTL, as Nazi power withers, the Soviets sweep in from the East up to the German border.
- Post-WWII: Ireland, UK, France, Netherlands, Belgium and Luxembourg (the Inner-6) agree to form a new version of the Union State, in order to oppose Germany and act as a counterweight to the USA. Ireland joins, as it can't afford to be economically cut off from the UK, and have it's exports replaced in the UK market.
- Germany is divided after the war in to North Germany (largely what was Prussia), South Germany (Rhineland, B-W, Bavaria, Austria), with what was East Prussia going to Poland.
- North Germany goes Commie after Soviet interference in elections, as has Italy, which provides further external pressure for the Inner-6 to band together in the face of Commie Europe. South Germany is admitted to the Union State to provide the Union Military with greater resources and protect South Germany from going Commie itself.
- North Germany eventually collapses, attempts to sustain itself as a sovereign country, although has a crumbling economy as it's not part of the Soviet Union (which is looking after itself during a transition). People eventually demand unification with the South; to improve the economy, to make "One Unified Germany", and provide political stability (hence acceding to the South as new states).
Finally, apologies for any mistakes in the German language right at the end. A) I have no idea what a monarch might say in this context, and B) I'm relying on Google Translate for the kind of text I wanted....
The programme was, of course, the highlight of the week - everything had been leading up until today. The television cameras showed the shots up and down the Rhine from the banks of the Kingdom of Southern Germany - soon to be defunct some would say. The Bundeskanzler, easily recognisable as Nicola Beer, was easily spotted standing next to the entrance of the Hohenzollern Bridge in Cologne. The bridge had been for decades a symbol of a divided Germany; the once busy rail lines hardly used over the years, the road portion gated off and only used now and then for the "unofficial diplomacy" between the two German states. A divided city, within a divided country; much was to change though in future as the presenter reminded us. But first, a look back at how we got to this moment; the mission of the UBC to "educate, enthrall and entertain" was never lost it would seem.
"World War Two began with a German onslaught to the east on Poland and Czechoslovakia, before turning it's guns east on Fr....". The announcer was cut off as channels were flicked through. UBC-1 (current affairs) discarded, UBC-2 (the predominately news channel), before the more localised channels began. Sitting in Yorkshire, the BBC's own "BBC-3" and "BBC-4", "Channel-5" and "ITV-6" and "ITV-7" made the standard 7 channels, before the really really local channels began. Yorkshire TV was in the middle of yet more adverts, this one for Network Transpennine, and there were few times Jeremy would scroll further through the TV channels without good cause - pretty much everything could be watched on demand these days. One more channel up (FTV?) would see Frenchman Guy Feu with his ludicrous backward facing sunglasses touring around the country looking for the "best" food on offer.
Flicking back to UBC-1 though, the presenter continued to blurb about the history of the Europe. Jeremy wasn't too bothered about this part; it was a preclude to the main events at noon in just under an hour now. "...the treaty signed by Churchill and Reynaud" continued the commentary, as Jeremy looked for the iLink point to charge his phone and let the latest updates for his Acorn phone download after he forgot to plug it in last night. "Liberation of Europe gradually followed as Nazi Germany was pushed back, leaving the binational union as the decider of fate for Europe." America had had little to do with the liberation of Europe from the Nazis, UBC would have you believe it seemed, despite it being common knowledge how much support the United States had given France and the United Kingdom in their time of need, despite fighting their main war on the other side of the planet against the Japanese Empire. The media always enjoyed a little bit of America-bashing - it was easy pickings following the gradual decline in relations between the two countries.
Even Jeremy knew the post-WWII rough history though, having had it as part of the core syllabus for history in Stage 2 Schooling ever since agreement was reached on co-ordination in education back in the 1980s. The Soviets followed the Nazi withdrawal in eastern Europe. The well known conspiracy theorists would bleat about whether Hitler intended to strike Stalin first, or if Stalin had always planned to declare war on the Nazis - the opposing sides were definitely polar opposites in ideology. The USSR would sweep across the power vacuum in eastern Europe, entrenching communist rules in many states, and swallowing them in to the overall Union of Soviet Socialist Republics - or Union of Sovereign Socialist Republics as it is now, and only stopping at Germany's borders when Churchill pronounced "...the line must be drawn here (the German border)! This far, no further!". The narrator on TV droned on about negotiations between Churchill, Reynaud and Stalin over the fate of Europe. Something Jeremy had missed; apparently Churchill had wanted to reform a "Danubian Confederation" and split Germany, whilst Reynaud had wanted to several industry rich areas of Germany for France. Stalin's foreign policy from the east were primarily based around ensuring Communist Governments.
"...and so, the division of Germany was signed by Churchill and Reynaud, with seeming little concern for the Soviets on the border who made their own decisions on the evolution of eastern Europe."
Bloody complicated, it seemed to Jeremy, who sat munching on his full fryup - British bacon, French baguette bread, Irish hash browns, German sausages, along with the rest of the usual trimmings. Sunday mornings were not a time for health, but a time for relaxing. Saturday night would have normally been party night, especially considering the current state of affairs for his German wife, but given she was pregnant, alcohol played a far smaller part in life at present. A bottle of champagne rested on the mantelpiece however, waiting to be opened after a hopefully successful birth to another little citizen of the Union.
--
The UBC-1 narrator continued; "It was the division of Germany in to north and south pieces which really resulted in the shape of Europe today, and kicking off several events". The loss of sovereignty for Austria was glazed over, but much was made of "Prussian militarism" and the need to punish them whilst less-so punishing the southern states of Germany. A unitary republican and presidential "North Germany", and a more federal monarchial and parliamentarian "South Germany" - which would include Austria. Jeremy's wife, hailing as she did from Salzburg, never really expressed any thoughts on Austria; it seemed to her a redundant thought whether or not Austria was "a country". It was German-speaking, a historic part of the German people's lands, but equally there were some who disagreed - with Rupprecht as King of the country, some saw it as yielding to Bavaria which is what really stung. The rivalry between Bavaria and Austria reminded Jeremy of the sibling rivalry between England and Scotland.
In hindsight, Jeremy thought, it seemed obvious what would happen next. The Inner 6 formed "The Union State"; with joint organs of defence, foreign affairs, financial & economic policies, customs and a joint currency. A unified state from the 6 countries, inextricably linked in economic policies, their belief in democracy, and belief in a better future. Some were more willing then others; the UK and France formed the backbone. Luxembourg, Belgium & the Netherlands quickly joined, ravaged as they were from the war and seeking a united defence against any potential future German army. Ireland, fearing being completely shut out of it's most important markets and suffering a massive economic blow then followed; presumably anything that wasn't dominated by the British would have been palatable. Ironically the German threat was hardly the threat in years to come pondered Jeremy, just as the television jogged him out of his daydreams.
Dramatic shots up and down the river, with the European and Southern German flags on one side, and Democratic Republic of North Germany flags visibly fluttering on the otherside. 40 minutes to go. Jeremy wondered if this would be worth watching, or if the whole thing would be a massive anticlimax. Either way, Franny would kill him if he didn't watch. There were shots of all seven Union Prime Ministers, as well as the Union Chief Executive, some of whom had recently returned on the Union Caravalle from touring through the West Indies islands, consulting on the future for them. It seemed strangely anachronistic for so many of the Caribbean islands to still be part of their respective European mother countries. Just in shot behind, the "fraternal" Prime Ministers were preparing for the occasion too.
Franny entered the room with her phone, and unplugged Jeremy's from the iLink cable to his concern; the update had finished though, and Franny probably wanted to let her phone to do the same. Franny joined Jeremy on the sofa in room, reaching over to tap on her phone and copy across the latest episode of the German show "Haus und weg" from the set-top box, which was now on it's second series. It was a bit....well, too German, for Jeremy's tastes, which is why Franny watched it on the TGV on the way to her meetings in London.
F: "Much happened yet?"
J: "Not really, mostly been daydreaming whilst the narrator warbles about history and fills time with shots of the bridge and assembled bureaucrats."
F: "Sounds about right. They are Germans, you know we are a cold and efficient people. A little bit of pomp is fine, but otherwise let's just get it done."
Jeremy laughed.
J: "You've been here long enough to know that some pomp and circumstance is always needed. Even Marie looks like she's enjoying life sometimes".
F: "At least she looks happier then yours!"
J: "True enough, I bet Lizzy is there somewhere as well, making some small talk with yours."
F: "Probably telling an Englishman, a Frenchman, and a German jokes to each other."
Jeremy laughed again.
J: "I hope so."
The narrator continued; "You can now see, on either side of the river, the current Ministers for German Affairs from each country - both soon presumably to be out of a job."
--
30 minutes to go, and Jeremy was beginning to get bored by the slow progression of the occasion, but guessed it was probably one of those "moments" to see live and tell your future kids about one day. Franny looked at Jeremy; "Do you mind if I....?" Jeremy nodded in agreement, so Franny picked up the remote and switched the broadcast to the German soundtrack. It made little difference to Jeremy, but he guessed that Franny would probably prefer it, and would most likely get a more "local" view of the event with German speakers talking about German affairs rather then some pompous southener (Englishman) speaking in the Queen's English. "...und hier sehen wir die älteren Diplomaten aus verschiedenen europäischen Ländern,....." the now clearly German narrator continued. German wasn't one of Jeremy's languages however, but could hardly say he was massively bothered about it. Television shots of lots of sombre and boring looking people at the event, although even his German was good enough to recognise when the television showed the ambassadors for the Nordic Federation, Yugoslavia, USSR and USA.
The Soviet Ambassador, the narrator continued, had already voiced concerns several times over the possibility of German revanchism - particularly over the Polish territory of Krolewiec. Jeremy had seen the news, repeatedly for years up to this point, of either nervousness or outright hostility to the idea of German Unification; one British Minister had not so eloquently noted "We defeated the Germans twice, and now they're looking for round 3!" Franny seemed pretty resistant to these kind of opinions Jeremy thought, almost outright racism against the Germans. The British and French had hardly covered themselves in glory over the centuries.
Jeremy recognised the olden face of Penhaligon on screen, considered one of the elder statesmen of Europe now at the ripe old age of 73, and beckoned for Franny to switch back the TV back to English temporarily rather then any bizarre German translation of the Cornishman. "...factors impacting the case for German reunification were many. You had real concerns from many in the Six that it would somehow mark a return to German militarism and expansionism - the memories of the First and Second World Wars linger strong. As they should do - it is only from remembering these events that we can learn from them and avoid such atrocities in future. However, it would be undemocratic to ignore the clear will of all German people, both north and south, in their desire for German unity. And it turns out, succinctly enough, the best way to balance all these facets, is to allow German reunification under the banner of the Kingdom of Southern Germany - to be just the Kingdom of Germany in due time it would seem - within the Union State."
Just enough time for quick cup of tea, Jeremy thought, as he sprang to his feet and moved towards the kitchen. Franny looked at him, as Jeremy jovially asked "Fancy a cup of tea?" - knowing full well the likely response. A disgusted look came over Franny's face; "eugh". "I thought as much" Jeremy responded; "One day....". "Don't hold your breath" was Franny's response, as she changed the television back to German as Penhaligon continued talking about the Union state. As Jeremy filled the kettle and turned it on, he could see the electric meter shoot up on the kitchen wall, No milk in the fridge though; just enough time to run around the corner and grab a small litre bottle from Carrefour Express. "Back in a moment - need some milk" he yelled at Franny as he slung a pair of shoes on and ran out the door.
It was only a 100 metre run down the road to the shop thankfully; their house was on the main road right in the village centre and he was inside the shop within a minute, waving hello at the counter assistant. Quickly grabbing a small bottle of semi-skimmed milk, he whirled around to the counter. He'd left his Acorn phone on the coffee table in the living room, with which he could have easily paid via Access, but thankfully still had a ƒ2 coin in his pocket to purchase it. Jo behind the counter would have probably let him pay her later if he had needed, but Jeremy didn't particularly like taking such liberties too regularly. Another minute, and he was back in his kitchen, kettle boiling. Tea brewed, milk added, and sugar lobbed in, and he was back on the sofa with Franny watching the broadcast again. Franny shook her head at him; "I'll never understand the British obsession with tea, nor why you put so little milk in yours". Jeremy responded with a grin; "milk starves me tea luv".
Back on the television, and pictures were beaming in of the German Queen arriving by royal train in to "Koln Hauptbahnhof" as the German narrator indicated. He must of left around 6am Jerome muttered; it still seemed crazy the large distance on the continent compared to the UK, let alone England itself. The TGV network has done wonders around Europe to shorten travel distances, but it can only do so much. He wondered how the millions of citizens of North Germany felt about becoming subjects of the German Crown, questioning Franny on the topic.
F: "At least as a Bavarian, she's a symbol of stability, law and order as long as I've known. Pretty much the same as yours. Do you really think of yourself as a subject of an old woman?"
J: "Not really....I guess I've never really thought of it like that. She's just an impartial woman who interferes as little as possible."
F: "Exactly, why do you think it's any different for us?"
J: "All those millions in North Germany haven't had a monarch for decades....almost a hundred years?"
F: "Something like that. It's ironic; the partition of Germany, adoption of conflicting ideologies designed to separate, communism vs democracy, and it's the German Crown that ends up re-uniting the country."
J: "She cuts a distinguished figure, reminds me of Elizabeth."
Jeremy squinted at the television screen as it showed stock video of the Queen at the opening of the South German Parliament this year.
J: "She does like some style when she enters Parliament it would seem though."
F: "She definitely dresses for the occasion."
J: "No crown though?"
F: "I don't think I've ever seen her wear one. Is there even one?"
J: "If you're asking, it's to the wrong person I think!"
--
Time was running down, and unbelievably the narrator still waffled about history, and the fall of communism in Germany. "...fall of the hard line communist administration in North Germany. Had they followed the softening line of the Soviet Union - socialism with a human face, than it may not have unravelled quite so quickly..." Even then, Jeremy thought, it had taken 6 years to get to this point. "....as outlined in the Treaty of Two Germanies. It was signed by the Penhaligon as the Union Chief Executive back then, along with both German leaders, and the British and French leaders (as responsible for the original division of Germany)." the narrator droned. It was hardly riveting stuff, and due to the event, there were no La Premier matches in any of the three divisions to look forward to watching.
12 minutes to go. Franny seemed far more engrossed in the TV; but then it was her country re-uniting Jeremy thought. Actually, more then re-uniting - just uniting; no previous incarnation of the country had brought all German speaking people under it. Once upon a time, this would have probably horrified the rest of Europe - now it seemed a great act of national determination, democracy and peace. The television began showing the direct effect of the day's events; roughly doubling population from approx 47 million to 90 million. Going from 6 Bundeslander, to 12 - no doubt carefully balanced between North and South Jeremy ventured a guess at. Jeremy sipped his tea as he watched.
Queen Marie was now making the short distance to the west gates of the bridge, by royal car of course, at what seemed a walking pace. "Getting to this point, has of course, not been cheap", the narrator continued. "For the North Germans at first, as they tried to cope with the shock therapy switch to democracy and modernise their economy to compete on the global stage, and then the billions of florins spent by the Union on further modernising the economy and infrastructure. While the minimum wage has gradually been applied to North Germany, the business tax rates remain lower in an effort to attract jobs and business to the North." The pictures continued to show the royal procession winding along what seemed to be footpaths, and past the statue of Wilhelm II - to which the Queen seemed to give a wry smile. For all the bickering, fighting for supremacy, and wrangling for control of Germany between the Prussian Hohenzollerns (who the bridge commemorated) and Austrian Habsburgs, it was Bavarian Wittelsbachs who apparently would have the last laugh.
Getting out of the car, the Queen cut an image of sophistication, wearing the chains of the Royal Order of the Eagle, and was promptly handed what seemed to Jeremy to be a ceremonial staff.
F: "I can see the look of confusion on your face. I don't think Lizzy has one?"
J: "If she has, she keeps it well hidden!"
F: "She uses it to open Parliament; it's said to embody or represent the will of the German people. Well, South German....or all Germans now I guess. Fitting, I suppose, for the occasion, as unity is following the referendum victory and will of the people."
The Queen, flanked by people who were presumably security, politicians or courtiers of some sort, moved slowly towards the gates to the bridge. The final seconds counted down towards 12:00, midday, in what seemed to be perfect timekeeping - undoubtedly German, though Jeremy. As the clock struck 12:00, the gates were opened, and maybe a second later, the gates on the eastern bank opened. The Queen strode forward, seemingly defying her olden age, staff in hand, flanked by the the Prime Minister, and presumably the 7 Premiers of the South German states. From the other side, the 7 Premiers of the North German states approached, with both sides meeting in the middle of the bridge.
The Queen greeted the Premiers in the middle. The North German Premiers looked towards the Brandenburg Premier, as he spoke, seemingly the leader of the 7, as English subtitles appeared along the bottom of the television.
"Your Highness, Queen of the Germans and of Germany, we petition you to allow the full accession of the 6 North German Provinces we represent to the Kingdom of Germany. Will you support this?"
Jeremy noted that the country seemed to have changed names already.
Queen Marie responded.
"Im Namen dem Deutschen Volke, akzeptiere ich Ihren Angebot. Wir sind ein Land, ein Volk noch einmal. Mögen diese Tore nie wieder geschlossen werden."
And Germany was one country again.
----------------------------------------------------------
This is some creative writing that I thought I might as well post rather then have it sit rotting in Evernote. I wanted to gently explore a modern day view on a Franco-British Union, which spun out a bit. I might return and post more stuff on this in months to come, but at least for the moment, don't expect anything else.
Just to satisfy anyone's curiosity...(don't take any of this as gospel fact apart from what is written in the main story body):
- WWII: France and Britain agree to unite as one in order to keep France fighting (a la, the PoD), called the Union State. As per OTL, as Nazi power withers, the Soviets sweep in from the East up to the German border.
- Post-WWII: Ireland, UK, France, Netherlands, Belgium and Luxembourg (the Inner-6) agree to form a new version of the Union State, in order to oppose Germany and act as a counterweight to the USA. Ireland joins, as it can't afford to be economically cut off from the UK, and have it's exports replaced in the UK market.
- Germany is divided after the war in to North Germany (largely what was Prussia), South Germany (Rhineland, B-W, Bavaria, Austria), with what was East Prussia going to Poland.
- North Germany goes Commie after Soviet interference in elections, as has Italy, which provides further external pressure for the Inner-6 to band together in the face of Commie Europe. South Germany is admitted to the Union State to provide the Union Military with greater resources and protect South Germany from going Commie itself.
- North Germany eventually collapses, attempts to sustain itself as a sovereign country, although has a crumbling economy as it's not part of the Soviet Union (which is looking after itself during a transition). People eventually demand unification with the South; to improve the economy, to make "One Unified Germany", and provide political stability (hence acceding to the South as new states).
Finally, apologies for any mistakes in the German language right at the end. A) I have no idea what a monarch might say in this context, and B) I'm relying on Google Translate for the kind of text I wanted....