Germany, Q1/25 News
1 January 1925
The Reichsmarine has laid down the Ersatz Arcona , a light cruiser that takes full advantage of Germany’s 8,000 t limit on such ships. The ship will be well protected and armed with eight fifteen centimeter guns in four turrets.
The vessel is, however, most notable for its extremely heavy torpedo armament: no less than sixteen H08D T2 torpedoes in four quadruple carriages. Little is known about the torpedoes, which are believed to still be in the testing phase. The designation suggests that they are sixty centimeters in diameter and eight meters long, with a wet heater propulsion system. The original H08D T1, designed in 1912, carried a 210 kg hexanite warhead to a distance of 6,550 yards at 36 kts.
“In the absence of submarines, modern battleships, or aircraft, we are turning to other forms of delivering killing blows to battleships”, Admiral Anton Wegener, the Reichmarine’s commander in chief, said today at the ship’s steel-cutting ceremony in Cuxhaven.
A second ship, Ersatz Niobe , will be laid down later this year, and two more - Ersatz Medusa and Ersatz Nymphe - will follow in 1926 as the Reichsmarine replaces a large block of cruisers laid down at the turn of the century. The ship’s actual names won’t be revealed until they are launched.
19 January 1925
Sentencing hearings for President Ebert have been delayed. Lawyer Ernst Sauckel asked for a postponement, citing the fact that Herr Ebert is ill.
The presiding judge, Karl Schoemann, agreed to delay proceedings for up to three months if necessary.
22 February 1925
An unlikely partnership has been formed to investigate the potential of commercial production of synthetic hydrocarbons from coal. Gathered at the Technical Institute in Rheinau were Minister of the Economy Joseph Wirth, representatives of three coal producers, Drs. Freidrich Bergius, Franz Fischer, Hans Tropsch, as well as representatives from two American oil companies and the Empress of India.
Minister Wirth said, “We are gathered to announce a joint effort to commercialize hydrocarbon production using domestic coal resources. Dr. Bergius has been developing a very promising process since 1913, while Drs. Fischer and Tropsch are completing a second, separate process. With a wide array of support now available to these gentleman, we hope to make the step up to commercial production within the next ten years.”
The Empress of India, the Rana, commented, “Germany and India find themselves in the position of having tremendous coal reserves but precious little oil. Making use of that coal to replace our dependence on foreign-produced oil will ensure a continual source of fuel for our economies and our defence, and just as importantly, guarantee that the enormous sums of money spent on fuel remain in our own economies.”
1 March 1925
President Friedrich Ebert has passed away at the age of 54. A spokesman for the Ebert family confirmed that the president had been suffering from tuberculosis for some time.
The son of a tailor, Herr Ebert became involved with the Social Democratic Party over twenty years ago. Despite his socialist leanings, he generally supported both the war effort and the monarchy, accepting leadership of Germany after the kaiser’s abdication only after it became evident that the alternative was a revolution.
Herr Ebert’s role in shaping the Germany of today has been controversial; he signed the crippling Treaty of Versailles, used right-wing thugs to suppress left-wing uprisings, yet was ineffective and fortunate to overcome the Kapp Putsch of 1920.
A state funeral will be held in Berlin in three days time.
At an emergency session in the Reichstag, Finance Minister Hans Luther was elected to serve as acting president until a general election takes in four weeks’ time.
28 March 1925
A full slate of candidates are in the running for tomorrow’s presidential election:
Otto Braun Social Democratic Party (SPD)
Dr. Heinrich Held Bavarian People’s Party (BVP)
Dr. Willy Hellpach German Democratic Party (DDP)
Gen. Paul von Hindenburg German National People’s Party (DNVP)
Dr. Karl Jarres German People’s Party (DVP)
Gen. Erich Ludendorff National Socialist German Workers’ Party (NSDAP)
Dr. Wilhelm Marx German Centre Party (DZP)
Ersnt Thaelmann Communist Party of Germany (KPD)
With so many candidates, it is considered unlikely that any will gain the 50% of the total vote needed to win - making a second election likely for later in April. Most observers believe that Drs. Held and Hellpach, and General Ludendorff, will garner low numbers, leading to a reduced slate in a run-off if it should take place.
Otto Braun, currently Prussia’s prime minister and Dr. Wilhelm Marx, the present Justice Minister, are expected to split the moderate vote, while General Hindenburg and long time Prussian politican Dr. Jarres will contest for the right-wing votes. Herr Thalemann is expected to poll about the same as the KPD’s results in October’s Reichstag elections, with little likelihood of making an impact on the rest of the country.