AUSTRIA-HUNGARY (Marco Pedraglio - NMR!)
F(Apu) Stands

ENGLAND (Pieter de Wilde)
F(StP) nc Stands; F(NWG) Stands; F(ENG) - MAO; A(Bre) s GERMAN A(Pic) - Par; F(IRI) s F(ENG) - MAO; F(Lon) - ENG

FRANCE (Neil Brass)
A(Par) - Gas (FAILED, DISLODGED - DISBANDED NRP); A(Gas) - Mar (FAILED); F(Por) - Spa sc

GERMANY (Eelco)
F(GoB) - Lvn (FAILED); F(BAL) Stands; A(Ber) s A(Mun) - Sil; A(Bur) s A(Pic) - Par; A(Mun) - Sil (FAILED); A(Pic) - Par; A(Ruh) - Mun (FAILED)

ITALY (Nilo Sevsnen)
A(Pie) - Mar (FAILED); A(Tyr) - Ven; A(Tri) - Ser; A(Gre) s RUSSIAN F(Rum) - Bul ec; F(ION) - Nap; F(Tun) - NAf; F(TYS) - WMS

RUSSIA (Mattias Persson)
F(Lvn) - StP sc (FAILED); A(War) - Sil (FAILED); A(Gal) s A(War) - Sil; A(Vie) - Boh; F(BLA) s F(Rum) - Bul ec; F(Rum) - Bul ec

TURKEY (Nick Phin)
A(Ank) - Arm; F(AEG) - Con; A(Bul) Stands (DISLODGED - DISBANDED NRP)

Autumn 1903 Adjustments:
A: -Bul = 0; Loses 1.
E: StP, Bre, Lon, Nwy, Edi, Lpl = 6; No change.
F: +Spa, Por, Mar, -Par = 3; No change.
G: Ber, Mun, +Par, Swe, Bel, Den, Hol, Kie = 8; Gains 1.
I: Ven, Ser, Gre, Nap, Tri, Tun, Rom = 7; No change.
R: War, +Bul, Vie, Bud, Sev, Rum, Mos = 7; Gains 1.
T: Con, Ank, Smy = 3; No change.

Builds/Disbands:
A: Removes F(Apu).
E: None.
F: Builds F(Mar).
G: Builds A(Kie).
I: None.
R: Builds A(Sev).
T: Builds A(Ank).

PRESS

Andy-All:
Please don't forget the retreats for Spring 1903.

Andy-All:
Please can you all remember to label your orders with the game name - Your power - and the season the orders are for.

Eng-All:
Field Marshall Lord Roberts of Kandahar was sitting at his desk, writing a letter, in the improvised head quaters of His Majesty's Royal Army's expeditionary force in France. Once again the British commander-in-chief would try to convince the politicians in London of the importance of investments in the army. He hated the dreadful workings of politics. Deep down in his heart he knew he was fighting a lost cause. All politicians listened to the tongues of Admirals instead of Generals. The navy had seen a glorious increase in budget these last years, whereas Lord Roberts' army was in dismal condition. Brilliant new battle ships and cruisers sailed up the Thames in a display of naval power and technological progress. Meanwhile his men were still working with outdated 19th century guns and ammunition.

If only politics was as easy as crushing the Afgan, Indian or even Boer armies. Lord Roberts knew how to do that. Lobbying for funds and investments was an all together different business. He looked at the file on the corner of his desk. 'Top Secret', it read. It contained a drawing of a motorised birdlike machine that promissed to bring man into the air. If only the politicians could see the endless possibilities such a device would give 'Bobs'.

A Colonel burst into the tent and reported that the guns were aimed at the French lines defending Paris to support the German advance. Now there was an army that sparked the imagination. 'Bobs' finished the letter to do what he did best: assemble and spur on his men for yet another glorious battle of His Majesty's Royal Army.

Ger-All:
ADMIRALTY KIEL: 07.00 AM FEB 21: MESSAGE RECEIVED:
"BALTIC FLEET ENGINE TROUBLE, NOT POSSIBLE TO ENGAGE IN BATTLE, NOT POSSIBLE TO LEND SUPPORT, RUSSIAN SPEAKING PERSON WITH A STRANGE SOUTHERN EUROPEAN ACCENT CAUGHT".

Ita-All:
It was a clear winter morning when King Niilo was marching through St. Peter's square, escorted by his honour guard. He had just visited Pope St. Pius X and discussed urgent matters with the newly appointed head of the Christendom. This new Holy Father seemed to be much more cooperative than his predecessor Leo XIII, who had to be removed from his position before things got out of hand. King smiled quietly and thought about all the cardinals whose loyalty he had already bought: in the end they all lapse, no matter how holy they pretend to be. And if they don't, then... it can be rranged by other means.

Suddenly a puffed messenger arrived:
"My Lord, I have high-priority news from Admiral Falcone. The Austrian fleet outside the Apulian shore was hunted down and destroyed. We took hundreds of prisoners and among them we found the refugee Archduke Marco.""Ah, splendid news. Is the Archduke unharmed?""Yes. Admiral tells he was rescued from the cold water with his crew. He seems to be annoyed but that's all. Admiral wants to know what should be done with him."

King was silent for a while. The war had been swift and furious but still there had been no hard feelings between the two of them. He felt a little bit sorry for the Habsburgs, whose Empire had been crushed so suddenly."Bring him here at once. And tell Admiral that the Archduke should be treated with respect. I will then decide what to do with him."

The messenger bowed and ran away in haste. King waited a while and watched the dark rain clouds gathering over the Gianicolo Hill. Austrians were the first victims of this terrible war, but who would fall next? Deep in his houghts King left and headed to meet his generals.

Tur-All:
As the Sultan considered the headless body of the now "late" Russian envoy he felt pity for the people governed by such a disreputable and unreliable ruler. Hopes had been high this season that the peace treaty agreed with the Russians would endure but yet again the Russian ruler had shown a complete lack of regard for the Sultan's homeland and the concepts of honour and truth seemed beyond the grasp of the Tsar to understand. How could he make the Russian ruler understand that although he was a peaceful man he would defend his country with every drop of blood in his body! As he tried to think of a fitting way to make this point, he recalled tales of some ancient Rumanian nobleman who had lined the roads of his country with the bodies of his enemies impaled on wooden stakes - that would be something to consider for the next envoy, perhaps. In the meantime he now had to consider whether the&nbs p;unexpected offer of help from Naples was indeed that or just another thinly disguised attempt to pillage his land. It was therefore with a heavy heart that he prepared to await events unfold. AS he knew only to well that in the Great Game - actions speak louder than words!

End Game Proposal:

1. Italian solo

2. 2-way draw England/Germany

3. 2-way draw Italy/Russia

4. 4-way draw England/Germany/Italy/Russia

5. 5-way draw Italy/Russia/England/Germany/Turkey

6. 5-way draw England/Germany/Italy/Russia/France

NOTE:

Any failure to vote will be treates as a yes vote and all EGP's must be unanymous. A single no vote stop's the EGP. Please make sure you vote on each EGP and that your votes are clear and are included along with the rest of your orders.

If you change your orders make sure you repeat your voting!

Andy-All:
Some heavy but great press and EGP's in Autumn '03, I for one am looking forward to seeing where the game goes from here?

Spring 1904 DEADLINE: 09:00 GMT, Tuesday 7th March, 2006.