Chapter 25: The Roaring Twenties – 1920–1925
The war was over, but the world was not at peace. Revolutions, famines, and border disputes plagued Europe. Zeelandia, untouched by the fighting, became a magnet for capital, talent, and ambition.
Adrian turned eighteen in 1918, but the regency council continued to rule until 1920. On his twentieth birthday, he formally ascended the throne. His first act was to dismiss the council and appoint his own cabinet.
Professor Bergman became Minister of Finance. Admiral van Speijk, now retired, was replaced by a younger commander. The merchant guild, led by the van der Berg cousins, grumbled but accepted the new order.
Adrian's first major initiative was education. The Education Act of 1920 made schooling free and compulsory for all children up to the age of sixteen. The government built hundreds of new schools, and the University of Koningstad expanded its faculties.
"A nation's greatest resource is its people," Adrian said in a speech to parliament. "We will invest in them as we have invested in oil and steel."
His second initiative was infrastructure. The highway system, begun by his great‑grandfather, was expanded into a network of paved roads connecting every corner of the kingdom. The first airport opened in Koningstad, and Royal Zeelandia Airlines began flights to India and the Cape.
In 1924, Adrian visited London for the British Empire Exhibition. He was twenty‑four years old, but he carried himself like a man twice his age. He met with Winston Churchill, now Chancellor of the Exchequer.
"Your Majesty," Churchill said, "I have heard great things about your kingdom. Tell me: how do you maintain such stability in a turbulent world?"
Adrian smiled. "We stay out of other people's wars. And we invest in our own people."
Churchill nodded slowly. "A simple formula. But not easy to follow."
"No," Adrian agreed. "But it is the only one that works."
The 1920s were a time of prosperity and cultural flowering. Jazz bands played in Koningstad's nightclubs. Art deco buildings rose along the waterfront. The film industry, known as Zeelandwood, produced its first silent films.
But Adrian's eyes were on the future. He knew that the prosperity would not last. He knew that the Great Depression was coming. And he knew that the rise of fascism would threaten everything he had built.
In 1925, he began to prepare. He ordered the Future Trust to sell its speculative holdings and invest in gold and government bonds. He tightened banking regulations and built up strategic reserves of food and fuel.
"Why are you so cautious?" asked Bergman. "The economy is booming."
"Because booms end," Adrian replied. "And when they do, I want us to be ready."
He was ready. But even he could not foresee the darkness that was about to engulf the world.