Joyful, all Ye Nations Rise: a Holiday Timeline

[spanishspy]

Tis the season, and for the sixth consecutive year I am beginning my annual holiday timeline. For a long time I was hesitant that this timeline would even happen, but I've alleviated my mental health and academic issues and have found a good enough of a premise.

I hope you enjoy.

Without further ado:

JOYFUL, ALL YE NATIONS RISE
A Holiday Timeline
By SpanishSpy

COMING TO AN ONLINE DISCUSSION FORUM NEAR YOU 12/2/18

"Joyful all ye nations rise,
Join the triumph of the skies"

[raunchel]

Now that's an image I didn't expect to see..

[lordroel]

Dec 1, 2018 7:57:25 GMT raunchel said:

Now that's an image I didn't expect to see..

Second that.

[stevep]

Dec 1, 2018 4:34:40 GMT spanishspy said:

Tis the season, and for the sixth consecutive year I am beginning my annual holiday timeline. For a long time I was hesitant that this timeline would even happen, but I've alleviated my mental health and academic issues and have found a good enough of a premise.

I hope you enjoy.

Without further ado:

JOYFUL, ALL YE NATIONS RISE
A Holiday Timeline
By SpanishSpy

COMING TO AN ONLINE DISCUSSION FORUM NEAR YOU 12/2/18

"Joyful all ye nations rise,
Join the triumph of the skies"

  Sorry to hear about the problems and glad to see your got over them.  Know you normally give us a good bit of holiday cheer so looking forward to seeing what you come up with.

[spanishspy]

Abandoned Coal Mine
Valley of the Jiu
Hunedoara County
Socialist Republic of Romania

1948

Dampness.

Darkness

Only the light of hastily assembled electric lamps provided the facility any method to view its purpose. A cart on rails provided a way of ferrying supplies from the river to the pit below. They were drugs, and cloths, and metals, and machinery.

"Tell me, Petru, is this what the Russians think of us? Locking us up in a cave with a box of scraps? And we're supposed to defend the workers of the world with a drugged up, electrocuted man?"

"It's even more unbelievable when you're the the man who is going to be drugged and electrocuted."

Petru Constantinescu was bare-chested, wearing workers' trousers. He was ferried to the holding rack by the assembled scientists from all over the Eastern Bloc. "And, Ioan, old friend, I'm worried about surviving this nonsense, let alone defending the workers of the world."

Ioan Tomescu, head of the project, sighed. "Lysenko said it might work. But who am I, a proletarian from a client nation, to question the work of eggheads at Moscow State?"

"This isn't a test, is it? This is the real deal?"

"The radio from Bucharest just let us know that this is not a test. Gheorghiu-Dej himself was speaking. This is supposed to be our coup de grace against the North Pole, at least on our side of the continent."

"And not aid from Moscow?"

Tomescu sighed. "Just get in."

Constantinescu braced himself as he was himself braced by the scientists. They needed this done quickly, which is why they weren't making this poor man exercise and diet over a few years to become the icon they sorely, desperately needed.

Constantinescu having been one of the Romanian Communists that had holed up in Moscow during the war was a bonus.

The syringes plunged into him, and then the shocks came. He screamed.

All this, and for Moscow? Tomescu shook his head. Gheorghiu-Dej wanted that icon.

That substitute Santa Claus, Mos Gerila.

. . .

The Kremlin
Moscow
Union of Soviet Socialist Republics
1985

"You're telling me that we declared this man persona non grata because of some nonsense during the Revolution? For having the gall to work just a tad bit more with the West than with us during the Great Patriotic War?"

"He's reactionary. Clearly! Do we honestly want a pope with weapons entering our country on an annual basis? He's a pawn of Washington!"

Mikhail Sergeyevich Gorbachev stared at the hardliner in disbelief. "He wasn't before. But I would wager this is exactly because of Stalin's paranoia. During my premiership, Andrei Andreyevich, we are normalizing relations with the North Pole, and we are doing so soon!"

Andrei Gromyko reciprocated the angry, frigid stare. "This is madness. Madness! Are you telling me you are going to let Claus undermine our national security in the name of our own petty squabbles?"

"Madness? No, Andrei Andreyevich, this is glasnost!"

And with that Gromyko left the room.

[lordroel]

Dec 3, 2018 3:10:27 GMT spanishspy said:

Abandoned Coal Mine
Valley of the Jiu
Hunedoara County
Socialist Republic of Romania

1948

Dampness.

Darkness

Only the light of hastily assembled electric lamps provided the facility any method to view its purpose. A cart on rails provided a way of ferrying supplies from the river to the pit below. They were drugs, and cloths, and metals, and machinery.

"Tell me, Petru, is this what the Russians think of us? Locking us up in a cave with a box of scraps? And we're supposed to defend the workers of the world with a drugged up, electrocuted man?"

"It's even more unbelievable when you're the the man who is going to be drugged and electrocuted."

Petru Constantinescu was bare-chested, wearing workers' trousers. He was ferried to the holding rack by the assembled scientists from all over the Eastern Bloc. "And, Ioan, old friend, I'm worried about surviving this nonsense, let alone defending the workers of the world."

Ioan Tomescu, head of the project, sighed. "Lysenko said it might work. But who am I, a proletarian from a client nation, to question the work of eggheads at Moscow State?"

"This isn't a test, is it? This is the real deal?"

"The radio from Bucharest just let us know that this is not a test. Gheorghiu-Dej himself was speaking. This is supposed to be our coup de grace against the North Pole, at least on our side of the continent."

"And not aid from Moscow?"

Tomescu sighed. "Just get in."

Constantinescu braced himself as he was himself braced by the scientists. They needed this done quickly, which is why they weren't making this poor man exercise and diet over a few years to become the icon they sorely, desperately needed.

Constantinescu having been one of the Romanian Communists that had holed up in Moscow during the war was a bonus.

The syringes plunged into him, and then the shocks came. He screamed.

All this, and for Moscow? Tomescu shook his head. Gheorghiu-Dej wanted that icon.

That substitute Santa Claus, Mos Gerila.

. . .

The Kremlin
Moscow
Union of Soviet Socialist Republics
1985

"You're telling me that we declared this man persona non grata because of some nonsense during the Revolution? For having the gall to work just a tad bit more with the West than with us during the Great Patriotic War?"

"He's reactionary. Clearly! Do we honestly want a pope with weapons entering our country on an annual basis? He's a pawn of Washington!"

Mikhail Sergeyevich Gorbachev stared at the hardliner in disbelief. "He wasn't before. But I would wager this is exactly because of Stalin's paranoia. During my premiership, Andrei Andreyevich, we are normalizing relations with the North Pole, and we are doing so soon!"

Andrei Gromyko reciprocated the angry, frigid stare. "This is madness. Madness! Are you telling me you are going to let Claus undermine our national security in the name of our own petty squabbles?"

"Madness? No, Andrei Andreyevich, this is glasnost!"

And with that Gromyko left the room.

Nice timeline spanishspy

[raunchel]

Now this is looking to be something quite spectacular.

[stevep]

Dec 3, 2018 3:10:27 GMT spanishspy said:

Abandoned Coal Mine
Valley of the Jiu
Hunedoara County
Socialist Republic of Romania

1948

Dampness.

Darkness

Only the light of hastily assembled electric lamps provided the facility any method to view its purpose. A cart on rails provided a way of ferrying supplies from the river to the pit below. They were drugs, and cloths, and metals, and machinery.

"Tell me, Petru, is this what the Russians think of us? Locking us up in a cave with a box of scraps? And we're supposed to defend the workers of the world with a drugged up, electrocuted man?"

"It's even more unbelievable when you're the the man who is going to be drugged and electrocuted."

Petru Constantinescu was bare-chested, wearing workers' trousers. He was ferried to the holding rack by the assembled scientists from all over the Eastern Bloc. "And, Ioan, old friend, I'm worried about surviving this nonsense, let alone defending the workers of the world."

Ioan Tomescu, head of the project, sighed. "Lysenko said it might work. But who am I, a proletarian from a client nation, to question the work of eggheads at Moscow State?"

"This isn't a test, is it? This is the real deal?"

"The radio from Bucharest just let us know that this is not a test. Gheorghiu-Dej himself was speaking. This is supposed to be our coup de grace against the North Pole, at least on our side of the continent."

"And not aid from Moscow?"

Tomescu sighed. "Just get in."

Constantinescu braced himself as he was himself braced by the scientists. They needed this done quickly, which is why they weren't making this poor man exercise and diet over a few years to become the icon they sorely, desperately needed.

Constantinescu having been one of the Romanian Communists that had holed up in Moscow during the war was a bonus.

The syringes plunged into him, and then the shocks came. He screamed.

All this, and for Moscow? Tomescu shook his head. Gheorghiu-Dej wanted that icon.

That substitute Santa Claus, Mos Gerila.

. . .

The Kremlin
Moscow
Union of Soviet Socialist Republics
1985

"You're telling me that we declared this man persona non grata because of some nonsense during the Revolution? For having the gall to work just a tad bit more with the West than with us during the Great Patriotic War?"

"He's reactionary. Clearly! Do we honestly want a pope with weapons entering our country on an annual basis? He's a pawn of Washington!"

Mikhail Sergeyevich Gorbachev stared at the hardliner in disbelief. "He wasn't before. But I would wager this is exactly because of Stalin's paranoia. During my premiership, Andrei Andreyevich, we are normalizing relations with the North Pole, and we are doing so soon!"

Andrei Gromyko reciprocated the angry, frigid stare. "This is madness. Madness! Are you telling me you are going to let Claus undermine our national security in the name of our own petty squabbles?"

"Madness? No, Andrei Andreyevich, this is glasnost!"

And with that Gromyko left the room.

  Crap film but a great line.  So something may have happened in 48 or been a miserable failure - mind you that Lysenko seemed to be in favour of it isn't exactly a selling point.   Guessing that they tried to set up their own 'red' santa? 

  However Gorbachev seems to be seeking to end the cold war starting with Santa.   Looking forward to seeing how this develops.

[spanishspy]

Dec 3, 2018 9:44:06 GMT stevep said:

Dec 3, 2018 3:10:27 GMT spanishspy said:

Abandoned Coal Mine
Valley of the Jiu
Hunedoara County
Socialist Republic of Romania

1948

Dampness.

Darkness

Only the light of hastily assembled electric lamps provided the facility any method to view its purpose. A cart on rails provided a way of ferrying supplies from the river to the pit below. They were drugs, and cloths, and metals, and machinery.

"Tell me, Petru, is this what the Russians think of us? Locking us up in a cave with a box of scraps? And we're supposed to defend the workers of the world with a drugged up, electrocuted man?"

"It's even more unbelievable when you're the the man who is going to be drugged and electrocuted."

Petru Constantinescu was bare-chested, wearing workers' trousers. He was ferried to the holding rack by the assembled scientists from all over the Eastern Bloc. "And, Ioan, old friend, I'm worried about surviving this nonsense, let alone defending the workers of the world."

Ioan Tomescu, head of the project, sighed. "Lysenko said it might work. But who am I, a proletarian from a client nation, to question the work of eggheads at Moscow State?"

"This isn't a test, is it? This is the real deal?"

"The radio from Bucharest just let us know that this is not a test. Gheorghiu-Dej himself was speaking. This is supposed to be our coup de grace against the North Pole, at least on our side of the continent."

"And not aid from Moscow?"

Tomescu sighed. "Just get in."

Constantinescu braced himself as he was himself braced by the scientists. They needed this done quickly, which is why they weren't making this poor man exercise and diet over a few years to become the icon they sorely, desperately needed.

Constantinescu having been one of the Romanian Communists that had holed up in Moscow during the war was a bonus.

The syringes plunged into him, and then the shocks came. He screamed.

All this, and for Moscow? Tomescu shook his head. Gheorghiu-Dej wanted that icon.

That substitute Santa Claus, Mos Gerila.

. . .

The Kremlin
Moscow
Union of Soviet Socialist Republics
1985

"You're telling me that we declared this man persona non grata because of some nonsense during the Revolution? For having the gall to work just a tad bit more with the West than with us during the Great Patriotic War?"

"He's reactionary. Clearly! Do we honestly want a pope with weapons entering our country on an annual basis? He's a pawn of Washington!"

Mikhail Sergeyevich Gorbachev stared at the hardliner in disbelief. "He wasn't before. But I would wager this is exactly because of Stalin's paranoia. During my premiership, Andrei Andreyevich, we are normalizing relations with the North Pole, and we are doing so soon!"

Andrei Gromyko reciprocated the angry, frigid stare. "This is madness. Madness! Are you telling me you are going to let Claus undermine our national security in the name of our own petty squabbles?"

"Madness? No, Andrei Andreyevich, this is glasnost!"

And with that Gromyko left the room.

  Crap film but a great line.  So something may have happened in 48 or been a miserable failure - mind you that Lysenko seemed to be in favour of it isn't exactly a selling point.   Guessing that they tried to set up their own 'red' santa? 

  However Gorbachev seems to be seeking to end the cold war starting with Santa.   Looking forward to seeing how this develops.

Best part of this whole thing is that 'red santa' was real.

[lordroel]

Dec 3, 2018 18:54:31 GMT spanishspy said:

Dec 3, 2018 9:44:06 GMT stevep said:

  Crap film but a great line.  So something may have happened in 48 or been a miserable failure - mind you that Lysenko seemed to be in favour of it isn't exactly a selling point.   Guessing that they tried to set up their own 'red' santa? 

  However Gorbachev seems to be seeking to end the cold war starting with Santa.   Looking forward to seeing how this develops.

Best part of this whole thing is that 'red santa' was real.

You learn every time something you did not know before.

[stevep]

Dec 3, 2018 19:06:31 GMT lordroel said:

Dec 3, 2018 18:54:31 GMT spanishspy said:

Best part of this whole thing is that 'red santa' was real.

You learn every time something you did not know before.

  Agreed.

[spanishspy]

December 24th, 1949
Romanian Airspace

Santa Claus was, frankly, worried about the current geopolitical climate. The North Pole Blitz and the German invasion of Claus' own base had shaken his faith in the intervention that he had originally undertaken after being shot down over Manchester.

But it was the season. And in this day and age, as from Stettin on the Baltic to Trieste on the Adriatic, an Iron Curtain had descended on the European continent, the spirit was needed more than ever.

His relations with the Eastern Bloc were cold. They accepted each other as wartime allies, and Stalin honored Claus' request to keep anonymity. Even so, they were often at each other's throats. The American ambassador to the North Pole had requested, insistently, that Claus cease present deliveries to the Eastern Bloc and support the Truman Doctrine. After the war, Stalin had ceased any contact with the Pole, but allowed the sleigh in every Christmas. There would be occasional Yak patrols, but no threats.

Claus had been involved in one big war, and a smaller one in Russia some decades before.

He had had more than enough of this particular human peculiarity.

Now he was in Romania, en route to deliver presents to the good people of Suceava. He was already done with Poland and Czechoslovakia.

A whirring sound emerged right behind him. It became louder and louder as it came closer and closer to the sleigh. Claus looked over his shoulder, Rudolph's red nose providing the only light, other than the lights on the planes.

There were five of them. The two on each end, flanking a central plane, were Yaks. That was to be expected. All over the Eastern Bloc he was getting shadowed by planes; however he got much the same elsewhere. The RAF, to name but one, was also curious.

The center plane was a bizarre contraption, a metallic mockery of Claus' sleigh. Its body was the shape of the sleigh, but in front there was a propeller. Two wings jutted out of either side, and on the bottom there were blades for snow instead of wheels. A red light shone brightly on the tip of the nosecone.

Claus received a transmission from his radio.

"Mr. Claus," said a gruff voice, "this is Mos Gerila, your replacement in this country as per the orders of General Secretary Gheorghe Gheorghiu-Dej of the Communist Party of Romania. You are ordered to leave Romanian airspace. We are willing to give you safe passage to Bulgaria."

"And what if I prefer to give the children of your country their presents?"

"Bucharest will handle this," grunted Mos Gerila. "Otherwise we have permission to shoot you down."

The reindeer on Claus' sleigh whinnied and shook as the planes fired warning shots. Despite what the likes of Claudius Bellringer had insisted upon, this sleigh was unarmed.

. . .

North Pole
1985

Whenever Washington called the North Pole it was never pleasant. Claus had learned that soon after the end of the war.

"Yes, Secretary Shultz, I assure you that I am following events in Moscow with interest. Gorbachev seems eminently reasonable."

"My intelligence tells me that Gorbachev wants normalized relations with the Pole," Secretary Shultz stated bluntly. "I trust this means you will exchange ambassadors and nothing else."

"I don't intend to let the Communists take over the Pole, if that's what you're asking."

"Well, after the stunt you pulled in Hohman you're on thin ice, and I don't just mean North Pole ice. Reagan wants you NATO, but you know that. I've said that for the past several years."

"I intend to do business with the Communist states as I have since the War."

There was a pause. Claus could almost feel Shultz shaking his head.

"Well, the president finds your lack of faith in democracy disturbing. Whatever you do, don't do anything brash."

Shultz hung up without bothering with a farewell.

[stevep]

Dec 4, 2018 5:44:06 GMT spanishspy said:

December 24th, 1949
Romanian Airspace

Santa Claus was, frankly, worried about the current geopolitical climate. The North Pole Blitz and the German invasion of Claus' own base had shaken his faith in the intervention that he had originally undertaken after being shot down over Manchester.

But it was the season. And in this day and age, as from Stettin on the Baltic to Trieste on the Adriatic, an Iron Curtain had descended on the European continent, the spirit was needed more than ever.

His relations with the Eastern Bloc were cold. They accepted each other as wartime allies, and Stalin honored Claus' request to keep anonymity. Even so, they were often at each other's throats. The American ambassador to the North Pole had requested, insistently, that Claus cease present deliveries to the Eastern Bloc and support the Truman Doctrine. After the war, Stalin had ceased any contact with the Pole, but allowed the sleigh in every Christmas. There would be occasional Yak patrols, but no threats.

Claus had been involved in one big war, and a smaller one in Russia some decades before.

He had had more than enough of this particular human peculiarity.

Now he was in Romania, en route to deliver presents to the good people of Suceava. He was already done with Poland and Czechoslovakia.

A whirring sound emerged right behind him. It became louder and louder as it came closer and closer to the sleigh. Claus looked over his shoulder, Rudolph's red nose providing the only light, other than the lights on the planes.

There were five of them. The two on each end, flanking a central plane, were Yaks. That was to be expected. All over the Eastern Bloc he was getting shadowed by planes; however he got much the same elsewhere. The RAF, to name but one, was also curious.

The center plane was a bizarre contraption, a metallic mockery of Claus' sleigh. Its body was the shape of the sleigh, but in front there was a propeller. Two wings jutted out of either side, and on the bottom there were blades for snow instead of wheels. A red light shone brightly on the tip of the nosecone.

Claus received a transmission from his radio.

"Mr. Claus," said a gruff voice, "this is Mos Gerila, your replacement in this country as per the orders of General Secretary Gheorghe Gheorghiu-Dej of the Communist Party of Romania. You are ordered to leave Romanian airspace. We are willing to give you safe passage to Bulgaria."

"And what if I prefer to give the children of your country their presents?"

"Bucharest will handle this," grunted Mos Gerila. "Otherwise we have permission to shoot you down."

The reindeer on Claus' sleigh whinnied and shook as the planes fired warning shots. Despite what the likes of Claudius Bellringer had insisted upon, this sleigh was unarmed.

. . .

North Pole
1985

Whenever Washington called the North Pole it was never pleasant. Claus had learned that soon after the end of the war.

"Yes, Secretary Shultz, I assure you that I am following events in Moscow with interest. Gorbachev seems eminently reasonable."

"My intelligence tells me that Gorbachev wants normalized relations with the Pole," Secretary Shultz stated bluntly. "I trust this means you will exchange ambassadors and nothing else."

"I don't intend to let the Communists take over the Pole, if that's what you're asking."

"Well, after the stunt you pulled in Hohman you're on thin ice, and I don't just mean North Pole ice. Reagan wants you NATO, but you know that. I've said that for the past several years."

"I intend to do business with the Communist states as I have since the War."

There was a pause. Claus could almost feel Shultz shaking his head.

"Well, the president finds your lack of faith in democracy disturbing. Whatever you do, don't do anything brash."

Shultz hung up without bothering with a farewell.

  Which means democrats find Reagan's lack of faith in democracy disturbing.

  So Santa gets banned from Romania for a while at least and possibly other parts of the Soviet sphere.  Probably also China after that falls to the communists, both because Mao was a supporter of Stalin at 1st and also an extremist himself when it can to monopolising power.

  Steve

[spanishspy]

Joseph Stalin Park
Bucharest
New Years' Day, 1948

The state-permitted newspapermen crowded the park, surrounding the gaggle of children that the Communist Party had corralled together. Somewhere in the crowd were their parents.

Mos Gerila, or Petru Constantinescu, stood in his ridiculous costume. Beside him was Gheorghe Gheorghiu-Dej, the General Secretary of the Romanian Communist Party. He looked pleased with himself, as if he believed his own propaganda.

Given that he had spent the war in one of Antonescu's prison camps he probably did.

Gheorghiu-Dej bloviated about some ideological thing, and gestured to Constantinescu. The latter nodded, and the dictator handed him a present.

The children were almost bursting the seams out of sheer joy. They had formed themselves into a line, waiting for the wrapped gifts.

It was a simple thing. Constantinescu didn't have to do much at all. He simply smiled and handed out gifts and posed for the pictures that the newspapermen wanted.

Constantinescu had not fought for Antonescu; he had faked injury and gotten out of serving. However, when the Communists marched into the country he had joined up with with the forces under Timoshenko, and from there had fought the fascists.

After a war like that something so simple was so very welcome.

. . .

Bucharest
December 1965

Mos Gerila, by 1965, was not a man. He was a symbol. He was an icon.

He had been paraded around the country every yuletide. He had kissed children from Iasi to Timisoara and back. He had gone up and down the Danube and into every county of the country. He had known Gheorgiu-Dej intimately, and he had even met Joseph Stalin on one occasion.

He was happy with his lot.

But at the moment, he was not.

Being in a locked room in the headquarters of the Securitate, the Romanian Secret Police, would do that to you.

"You were a useful tool to Gheorghiu-Dej," remarked the man in front of him, "and for that I thank you. You were an icon to the people, and brought Communism down to the fields and towns, and for that I thank you."

Constantinescu nodded. The other man continued. "But Gheorgiu-Dej is no longer with us. And, seeing that he is no longer with us, some changes are afoot. You have allowed yourself to assemble something of a cult of personality, and that is something I cannot allow."

Constantinescu gulped unceremoniously.

"You'll still have a role, I guarantee you, but you will not have the glory you used to. You see, Mr. Consantinescu, our Socialist Republic cannot have its leaders lose their legitimacy to a substitute Santa Claus."

"I understand."

And thus passed the glory of Mos Gerila.

"You will, though continue your defense against the original Claus," ordered his interrogator. "You will personally watch the skies for him, and ward him off as he tends to do."

His captor stared him right in the eye.

"Have I made myself clear?" asked Nicolae Ceausescu.

[stevep]

   That's the problem with influence and status in autocratic states even more than liberal ones. Not only can it be lost but it can be downright hazardous to your health when that occurs.