For All Nails #98 - Ambiguity Reigns Supreme
by Henrik Kiertzner
- Vitavision Broadcast by the King of Scandinavia
- 1800 Central European Time, 5 July 1974.
Edited Transcript:
"Citizens and associates of the Scandinavian Monarchy, I have decided to take the unusual step of making this unscheduled broadcast in order to tell you directly of a number of developments which affect you and our great nation."
"The first is to do with the ongoing crisis in Russia, where, as you are aware, the government of the area is under military pressure from an insurgent movement. I and my Government resolutely condemn any and all military and terrorist activities and call upon the contending parties to hold their forces in place, observe an immediate ceasefire and send delegates, under diplomatic protection, to a Conference which I will host next week, at the Royal Palace in Stockholm FN1. My Cabinet has instructed the Scandinavian Ministry of War to despatch the Ready Reserve Brigade - the Third Jutland Air Assault Brigade, with its airmobiles and terramobiles - to Russia, to supervise the ceasefire. The Brigade has instructions to defend itself against any armed aggression from any quarter whatsoever and has the full support of the Armed Forces of Scandinavia. We call upon our friends in Germany to match our contribution and to despatch a similarly-sized force to become co-guarantors of the peace, in order to grant the envoys of the two contending factions breathing space to negotiate the separation of clearly incompatible aspirations and ideals."
"The second development is in the field of our Armed Forces. It is my solemn duty to inform you and all the other viewers of this broadcast of the unification of the strategic naval defence arms of Scandinavia and the Republic of Taiwan. Henceforward, the ballistic missile submersible fleets of Scandinavia and Taiwan are united under a single bilateral command and an attack on either state will be construed as an attack on both. Our traditional neutrality remains unaffected by this, of course, but the time has clearly come for Scandinavia to take her place among the leading Powers in the search for global peace."
"The third development concerns our friends in the Kingdom of New Granada. We view with some approval the rapprochement between the United Empire and that Kingdom and wish the King and his people well in their mission to spread democracy throughout the lands of South America and pledge our support in that mission. They may rely on our help, should they need it."
"The fourth development is to announce, proudly, that Scandinavia has tested and is deploying a land-based mobile atomic missile, the Ravnen, with a range of upwards of 7,500 nautical miles. The missile and its technical base are designed to be highly mobile and give our strategic defence forces the capability to devastate any enemy attacking us, even after a so-called "first strike". We shall never more be defenceless against the threat of atomic aggression."
"My friends, tonight is an historic occasion. Scandinavia now takes its place as a Power on the world stage and we are privileged to be alive to witness this. May God bless you all and grant you peaceful nights."
Forward to FAN #99 (5 July 1974): Another Royal Audience.
Return to For All Nails.