Hey Players,
I'm sorry to inform you that War has been declared in Europe!  Shocking, I know.  I really thought we were just about done with our petty differences and were going to avoid further unpleasantness, but then I found the following in my Inbox.
PRESS:
Germany declares War on Russia: Oh what the hell, its been a long time since I let lose the Blitz on Russia.  Lets have some fun.  I say the odds are 70/30 in your favour!  Nothing personal, but if you are not going to attack Turkey,I might as well attack you.  Rob/Dorian may take
advantage and wack me, but that's the risk I now take.
"OMG!" shout teenage girls everywhere.  "It's an EPIC FAIL for European diplomacy!"  Horror quickly turns to puzzlement, however, as the German units themselves don't really seem 100% committed to war on the Eastern front.  Sweden to Bothnia.  Check.  Munich to Silesia.  Check.  Denmark to Livonia.  Ch... wait a minute.  Seems like somebody in Denmark didn't get the memo.  When the Baltic fleet arrived to pick them up, they were nowhere to be found!  They had already marched back home to Kiel.  Change of heart, change of plans, or change of trousers?  For now that's for the Kaiser to know and the rest of us to speculate about.

In other news:Italy pushes, and France pulls, and Africa and the Western Med are largely free of French
influence.  Now it is Italy's turn to decide.  Chase, hold position or back off and secure the homeland?England holds tight, but has to think hard about that strategy in the Fall.  French fleets now threaten both of his remaining home centers.Austria thwarts the Russian attack, but cannot save Trieste from the Turks.  Could be a difficult choice on the retreat.  Tyrolia and Venice both offer intriguing (from this vantage point) options for both diplomacy and tactics.RETREATS:  Austrian army Trieste can retreat to Tyrolia, Venice, or OTB.
NEXT DEADLINE:  Austrian retreat is due tomorrow, May 8, by 18:00 Eastern time.
NEXT DEADLINE + 1:  Fall 1905 orders are due Thursday, May 10, by 18:00 Eastern time... OR whenever Mike Sims says.   I'm going to be traveling Thurs-Sun this week and I'm going to be
asking Mike (or his designated appointee) to sub for me.  Go ahead and send orders and so forth to me for now.  I'll let you know if and when you need to change that.

Cheers,Chris

Orders as resolved.  Please notify the GM immediately if you spot an error.======================================================Austria:
A Budapest - Galicia (*Fails*)
A Trieste - Serbia (*Dislodged*)
A Vienna - Bohemia (*Fails*)

England:
F North Sea Supports F Norway
F Norway Hold
F Norwegian Sea Supports F Norway

France:
F Brest - English Channel
A Burgundy - Belgium
F Liverpool - Clyde
A Marseilles Supports F Spain(sc)
F Mid-Atlantic Ocean Convoys A North Africa - Brest
A North Africa - Brest
F Spain(sc) Supports A Marseilles

Germany:
F Baltic Sea Convoys A Denmark - Livonia (*Void*)
A Denmark -
Kiel
A Holland - Ruhr
A Munich - Silesia
F Skagerrak - Denmark
F Sweden - Gulf of Bothnia

Italy:
F Tunis Supports F Western Mediterranean - North Africa
F Tyrrhenian Sea - Gulf of Lyon
A Venice - Piedmont
F Western Mediterranean - North Africa

Russia:
A Bohemia - Vienna (*Fails*)
A Galicia Supports A Bohemia - Vienna (*Cut*)
A Moscow - St Petersburg
F Rumania Hold
A St Petersburg - Finland

Turkey:
F Adriatic Sea Supports A Albania - Trieste
F Aegean Sea - Greece
A Albania - Trieste
F Eastern Mediterranean Supports F Ionian Sea
F Ionian Sea Hold
A Serbia Supports A Albania - Trieste