God Save Us All..Rewriting History in Blood

lifeless: Gah! Not IKEAs! Saabs, maybe. Russia has it's own problems at this point, but it is a possibility for the future

Skarion:We'll just have to wait and see.

Appoligies all! I went on vacation lately and after that things just got crazy. I'm writing an update as we speak. I feel terrible about abandoning this again. Please forgive me.

The game starts in 1945, but using pretty much 1936 Technology.

1) Not really..

2) For simplicity's sake, just army/warfare. I dont feel like modding too terribly much.

The United Kingdom

For the United Kingdom, the Franco-German war marked a significant turning point in the kingdom's history. Although not at war, Queen Victoria and the English government considered the period of "Splendid Isolation" to be as good as over. Following the devastating defeat of Prussia, France had emerged as the premier power on Continental Europe, and was taking steps to challenge England overseas. Ever since the Seven Years War ended, England had been the undisputed ruler of the seas, and the premier superpower, especially outside of Europe. However, following the Franco-German War, Parliament began to worry a little about Britain's place at the top of the prestige food chain.


As soon as possible, expeditions into the interior of Africa were set up for the purpose of finding further resources and to expand England's Southern and Western African possessions. Great Britain was determined to stretch from Egypt to South Africa, and to keep the French out of Africa as much as possible while doing it.

[Note: With the Franco-German War ending much differently than in OTL, the Scramble for Africa would have reached its peak much earlier. I plan on having the Berlin Conference-like event much earlier.]

Meanwhile, while Britain looked outward, events inward were progressing very nicely. The Industrial Revolution had begun in Britain and it was still going strong, only the Untied States were better than the British Isles in manufacturing consumer goods. With a vast and resource rich empire, Britain had many more natural resources than almost any nation in the world, and with this came a vast market to sell her goods to. Money is flowing into England's coffers, and her steel mills are busier than ever, producing steel for the hastily arming British military. An arms race is slowly starting to build in Europe.

The French Empire

As mentioned many times before, following her dismantlement of Prussia and her allies, France was now the premier power on the continent of Europe. Her army was the best trained on the continent, although not necessarily the largest. The often-sleeping giant that is Russia clearly outnumbered France in terms of manpower, but much of her equipment hadn't been changed much since the Crimean War.

So as Napoleon III sat on his throne in Paris, he sat as a very content man. His nation was regarded as the second most powerful and influential on the planet. And he had just begun. With the Saarland and its industries under the Tricolor, French industry took off. This was expected at the end of most successful wars, but the success kept on going. French Trade took off so that it started to rival the British output of consumer goods around the world. The Steel Industry began to take off. Not only had France taken the heart of Prussian industry, but as per the terms of the Vaduz treaty, German ore and coal would pour into France and feed it’s industry for free for a maximum of five years. All this expansion was huge for the French, but it allowed them to do what Napoleon wanted the most. Expand the military, and make it the greatest in the world.

France's Navy was steadily growing year to year. Napoleon III had many ambitions for the Navy, one of which was to challenge Britain's dominance over the seas. The facilities at Brest were working constantly, building ships as fast as they could, and as advanced as they could. France would not stop until their navy had modernized and caught up to the Royal Navy in terms of size and technological advancement. Size would take some time, but the technology was very similar, and in some cases the French were more advanced. Napoleon III had also read and been interested in accounts of Confederate submersibles in the American Civil War. He invested a fair amount of Francs into research and development into these craft.


The Army was also getting a shot full of advancement. The Chassepot rifle, which had worked splendidly for the French and in small part with the Bavarian army in the Franco-German war, proving superior to the Prussian Needle-gun. However, Napoleon III kept throwing Francs at the military, and a newer, larger gun was in development by late 1871 and was in production by 1875. Also, in limited numbers, the Mitrailleuse, a rapid-fire volley gun, had proved deadly against the Prussians, so these were quickly mass-produced and exported to nations such as Italy, Saxe-Bavaria and Spain.
One radical change to the French Army was the introduction of the French General Staff.


Although they had been defeated, the Prussians had proved in their war against the Austrians and just by observing them, that their army, although small, was very well organized and coordinated. This was due to their General Staff, the first in the world. The French, Austrians, British and later Russians all followed with their own General Staffs by 1874. France had been the first, after Prussia, to do so, with François Achille Bazaine, of Crimean, Italian, Mexican and then German fame, as it’s first head. The French Army felt and seemed to be invincible as the 1880s loomed.

The Kingdom of Prussia

Prussia had been an utter wreck following the Vaduz Treaty. She had been humiliated. The speed at which the French and their allies had defeated Prussia and the North German Federation was astounding. The people had lost all faith in their government following the disaster. The French and Austrians demanded a great many things from the Prussians following the war. Most of Prussia’s industry was being shipped to the victorious opposition. But worst of all, the people had no faith in their leaders. Count Bismarck was dead, by his own hand, and the Kaiser had done nothing to help his people for months. However, following the Socialist riots and the sale of Rostock to the Swedes, things began to get slightly better.

Prussia’s debts could be paid off with the Swedish money. Industry began to recover. People now had bread on their tables and money in the pocket for the first time since the war began. “Prussia,” as King William I said, “is unearthing herself from her grave.”

While without the iron will of Otto von Bismarck, the Prussian Army, in its Vaduz-limited form, began to also rebuild. Marshal von Moltke, defeated in battle he may have been, but he was still the most brilliant military mind in Europe, and he ascended to the title of Chancellor in 1872. From this post he began to form Prussia’s 150,000 strong army into the best-trained, best-equipped force in Europe. “Small it may be,” he said, “But if you attack a wolverine, you will pay in blood.”


Prussia was gaining new life. In time, she would be a force to reckon with. Again.

The Empire of Austria-Hungary

Austria-Hungary came into the Franco-German war with revenge in its eyes and left it with the taste of defeat washed out with the blood of vengeance. She was once again a force to be reckoned with in Europe. The 1866 war had humiliated Austria-Hungary, but this was but an unpleasant memory to Emperor Franz Joseph. Austrian help had been paramount in the defeat of Prussia. In return, she had received long-wanted Silesia and a handsome amount of reperations, along with the elimination of Prussia as a threat to Austrian dominance of South Germany.

Franz Joseph, as the reigning Habsburg monarch, had held the title of Holy Roman Emperor. However, since the Seven Weeks War, that had meant nothing. Most of the German States had been firmly in Bismarck’s camp. Not anymore. Bismarck was dead, along with his dream of German Unification under the Prussian crown. Franz Joseph had very little reason to unify Germany and add it to his empire, but to dictate the states’ decisions proved too good of an offer than to stay out of Napoleon and Bismarck’s petty war.

The Austrians, like the French, experienced a great period of economic growth during this period. Austria-Hungary had been very slow to industrialize, but after observing the effects it had had not only on the economies of Prussia, France, and especially Britain, but also the militaries, Austria had gone full-force into Industry. Bohemia, Silesia, and Croatia had proved to be extremely resource-rich, and these plentiful resources were put to use producing steel, ships, arms, and many other products.


With Italy and France joining in alliance in 1871, Austria-Hungary became instantly polarized from the French. They felt that they had been betrayed by Napoleon when he had signed a treaty of alliance with Austria’s oldest enemy. The Italians had wanted their lands in Northern Italy back for years, and they had gotten them, piece by piece, until only Tyrol and the area around the port of Trieste remained. Those lands, the Emperor claimed, would never fall into Italian hands. This hatred of eachother fostered an arms race with eachother. Italy’s army failed miserably in comparision to Austria’s, so Victor Emmanuel concentrated most of his nation’s military spending into the Navy. Austria follwed suit. Like it was between Britan and France, an arms race began between Italy and Austria.

The Kingdom of Saxe-Bavaria

Saxe-Bavaria was set up much like Austria-Hungary was. In fact, the first Dual Monarchy’s constitution was the basis for the second’s. Officially, the Bavarian King was the figurehead of Saxe-Bavaria, but the Saxon king had the power to veto any decision his counterpart makes. It is a complicated system, but both sides are happy with it.

Saxe-Bavaria emerged from the Franco-German war both in the French and Austrian sphere of influence. France was able to supply the Saxe-Bavarians with weapons and machine parts for industializing and taking advantage of Bavaria’s vast natrual wealth. However, it was Austria that the German Kingdom was most loyal to. It had always been Austria.

When the French and Austrian relations went sour with the Italian alliance, King Ludwig decided it was best that Saxe-Bavaria take up camp with the Austrians. As native Germans, and old allies under the Holy Roman Empire, this was only natrual. Ludwig, like Franz Joseph, did not trust Napoleon III in the slightest. He reminded them too much of his Uncle, imperialistic and arrogant. Willing to do whatever it took for power.

lifeless: I've been incredibly busy, my friend. We'll just have to wait and see how the French fair in this alternate world and whether or not there's anything left by 1936.

rcduggan: Thank you! And yes, it has been awhile, and I'm very sorry for that.

soonerborn0524: Thanks! All comments and critisim are welcomed from all.

Edzako: Thank you very much!

I'm currently in the process of writing up The World at a Glance for Eastern Europe, so that should be posted sometime today.

The Russian Empire

Russia had always stood out from the rest of Europe. For one, it was isolated by mountains, vast forests and by the leaders who cared more about their well being than that of their people or foreign interests. Russia’s population was titanic; easily the largest in Europe, but almost all of it was rural peasants, poorer than any one group in Europe. Industrialization was extremely slow in developing in Russia. When it came down to it, Tsar Alexander II felt there was little need for much industry. He had people, and they needed food. That was that.


However, it’s not like Russia had remained the same since Napoleon I’s time. No, Tsar Alexander II was actually a reformer. When he took over the crown in 1855, he immediately changed a great many things. In 1861 he emancipated the roughly 20 Million serfs. He also enacted social and political reforms. In 1864 most local government in the European part of Russia was organized into provincial and district zemstva which were made up of representatives of all classes and were responsible for local schools, public health, roads, prisons, food supply, and other concerns. In 1870 elected city councils, or duma, were formed. Dominated by property owners and constrained by provincial governors and the police, the zemstva and duma raised taxes and levied labor to support their activities.*

The Tsar enacted reforms all over Russia, but this still was not enough to fix the backwards nation, in comparison to the other European Powers. Russia’s military was massive, but poorly equipped, led, organized, and trained. Russia, it seemed, would never command the success it once did until their military was on par with those of France, Britain, Prussia and even Austria.

However, Russia was still a bear, large and dangerous.

The Kingdom of Italy

Italy, as the up and coming power in Europe, was a bustling hub of growth. She was barely 10 years old, but you couldn’t tell by looking at her. The Italian people had felt united for years before official unification. Through their customs, heritage, foods, everything. The Kingdom’s alliance with the powerful France seemed to validate Italy as a new power in Europe. Her prestige, and thirst for an empire, was growing.


At this point in time, only Africa remained wild and unclaimed. The Portuguese had been the first to settle here, along the Cape Coast and other areas of Southern Africa. However, the British and French, who were far and away the continent’s leading powers, had driven them out by 1800. The Italians sent expeditions to the Horn of Africa, to set up colonies and begin trading with the natives. Italian companies also began to take an interest in the heavily Ottoman-influenced areas of Tunisia and Libya and the trade that the Arabs there could offer. Needless to say, the Ottomans did not take a liking to this one bit.

Italy’s military was nothing for King Victor Emmanuel to be proud of. Her armies were a group of poorly trained peasants who had joined the Army to mainly make some money for their poor families. Some were attracted to adventure, and these became the elite Alpinis. However, for the most part, the average Italian soldier had little discipline and even less in the way of training and equipment. The French helped with this, sending the latest weapons at their disposal for use by the Italians.

At this time, Austria-Hungary and Italy had become even more heated rivals. The alliance had angered the Austrians with France, seeing as Italy was their oldest enemy. Italy and Austria began a naval arms race around 1873.


Italy was intent on having control of the Mediterranean, and would not relent until her fleet was the largest, most powerful in this area. Austria followed suit, not necessarily to control the Mediterranean, but to make sure Italy did not gain an upper hand on her in any way.

Britain and France were not the only two rivals building up their empires, economies and militaries.

The Ottoman Empire

The Sick Man of Europe was the sickest he’s ever been. Their territories in the Balkans were in complete turmoil. Slavs, Muslims, Christians, Serbs, Croats, Bulgarians, Greeks. They all wanted out, and weren’t afraid to use the sword to do so.

This, however, was not the only problem facing Sultan Abdülâziz. In 1873, there was a major crop failure, and thousands starved to death. Debt was piling up, with no way to pay it. The Sultan had meant well, but it had cost too much.


If Abdülâziz accomplished one good feat, it was the buildup of the Ottoman Navy. By 1875, it was the third largest in the world, behind only the British and French. This navy helped patrol the Empire’s coasts, and fend off any further Italian expansion into the Mediterranean or Russian expansion into the Black Sea. None of this was important though, because all this cost the Ottomans millions of dollars in debt. Abdülâziz had also spent large sums of money on lavish palaces. Instead of helping the Empire industralize and reform along the lines of the west, he held large parties. He was the Louis XVI of the Middle East.

The Eastern Question, when the Ottoman Empire would fall, still hung in the air, and would for decades to come.


* Wikipedia.

lifeless: They did this in 1911 in OTL, and I'm deciding when to have the Italo-Turkish War in ATL. Sweden and the Americas will be coming up, but I don't think I'll do anything on Asia until at least 1885.

GeneralHannibal: In the beginning of this AAR, I posted a map circa 1945 that shows Austria-Hungary at that time, and I gave it's status from 1871-1875 in the World at a Glance before the Eastern Europe one.