Lindsholm Makes Its Move
Diplomatic Version of Blitzkrieg Stuns Allies and Rivals Alike

Following weeks of discussion over the fate of West El-Hussaq, the issue was put to a formal vote by the Platinum Nexus on April 24, 2001 at 9:50 PM. At Nexus Headquarters, the Prime Chancellor of Marcusburg and the Prime Minister of Gorditas voted to accept the Agreement of Brumaire, reached between El-Hussaq, Marcusburg, and Rattanjeetland weeks earlier. However, the Supreme Viceroy of Lindsholm voted to reject the Agreement. Nexus policy requires unanimity in the Triumvirate for passage of a motion. With Lindsholm rejection, the Agreement crumbled.

In an attempt to restore the balance of power, the Prime Chancellor managed to convince the Supreme Viceroy against an outright Lindsholm annexation of West El-Hussaq or a partitioning of the state by the Nexus. Instead, a joint administration was formed in West El-Hussaq and a new government was established. At 9:58 PM, the Free Republic of an Elective El-Hussaq (F.R.E.E.) came into being.

In order to compensate the Ethnarch of Rattanjeetland for the failure of the Agreement of Brumaire, the Prime Chancellor decreed a withdrawal of Marcusburg troops from the Rattanjeetland portion of the joint superbase, gained in the War of 2K1, and from the International Airports, gained in the Pyrrhic War. The Prime Chancellor informed the Supreme Viceroy of his action. The latter vehemently disagreed with the move and urged the Prime Chancellor to cease restoration of the Rattanjeetland territories.

The Prime Chancellor called the Lindsholm ambassador into the Yachtfew for a brief discussion and troops began pulling out at 10:02 PM. However, moments before the last Marcusburg infantry division was to leave Rattanjeetland soil, 10,000 Lindsholm troops, supported by helicopter divisions and air support entered the former Marcusburg-occupied territories. The Supreme Viceroy then claimed the land in the name of the Prime Chancellor.

The Prime Chancellor then called the Supreme Viceroy and urged the latter to return the territories to Rattanjeetland, all the while condemning the action. However, both sides would not budge. At 10:06 PM, much to the Prime Chancellor's dismay, the attempt by Marcusburg to cultivate a detente between the Nexus and the Confederacy ended in flames when Lindsholm formally annexed the Rattanjeetland territories.

Within five minutes the Prime Chancellor hastily flew to Lindsholm in order to speak to the Supreme Viceroy in person. Although the contents of the talks are not known, at the end of the discussions the Prime Chancellor traveled to the Marcusburg Embassy in Lindsholm and ordered it temporarily closed for one day for the celebration of a new Marcusburg holiday - "Empire Day". Trade between Lindsholm and Marcusburg would not be disrupted. At an impromptu press conference at the Riksholm, when asked about the state of Lindsholm-Marcusburg relations, the Prime Chancellor declared that "all was normal" between both nations and that things had "never been better". Around 11:00 PM, a non-aggression pact was renewed with the President of Kamograd. Later at a Marcusburg elementary school where the Prime Chancellor visited a Grade 3 class celebrating Empire Day, the latter was recorded as telling the children, "A is for Alliance, B is for Betrayal".