OnwAArds Britain! An Union of Britain Kaiserreich AAR.

The day had been uneventeful. Just another ordinary Janury day, atending meetings, looking at maps and checking project's progress. As he went to bed in the now called People's Union Palace, Oswald Mosley - "Comrade President" as he asked to be called - kept feeling things had somehow gone off-track ever since he had won the Trade Union's Congress. "This" - he said, in his mind pointing to all of Britain - "This is not what I had planed. This is not what I was put here".
But then he looked at all his papers, he thought of all the agreements it had took to get him there, and he forced himself yet again to accept Britain was now a Social Democracy, and he went to sleep, mumbling just one last thing about "that slide issue"...

Oswald...

Hm?

Oswald...

Who's that?

Oswald Mosley!

Who calls for me?!

Behind ya you git!

*turns around*
Who are you? How did you get here? Secu... wait a minute.
I know that beard. I've seen you somewhere. It was... it was in the History Academy, was it not? You're Professor Sarmatia, are you not?

Took you awhile

So what do you want? How did you get in my... Congress Hall? How did we get here? What's going on, I demand to know!

I have a messege for you. One that will probably make you happier.

Fine then, what is it? Spit it out!

It's quite simple, really: the Powers that Be (besides The People of course) have made a mistake, and wish to correct it. You see, when you where elected President suddently a whole range of other things changed in our United Britain, and a lot of space for reactionary sabotours to speak has been created, some powers gained by the Revolution have been lost by the People's Leaders, you're called Mr. President, and stuff of the sort

Yes, yes - you notice it too? I was begining to think I was mad!

Well that's about to change. It was a glitch on the Great Architects and it will be solved. So tomorow you'll wake up and things will be as they should as they were planed. Ho, and your guys are the Maximalists, not the Maximists Now WAKE!

Wait! No! Wh...
*sitting in bed*
What on Capitalist Hell was that? did I eat something wroten last night? Probably the cook's another sabotour, and no-one's gonna belive me when I tell them.

*door opens*
Comrade President! Grave news!

What is it secr... Did you just call me "Comrade President"?

Hm... Yes. As I always did. Is that too formal?

*getting up*
Never mind, never mind - so tell me of these news...


Sliders moved to the following, after PMing with Sarmatia1871.

February the 17th of 1937 was a dark day for the Peoples of Europe. The emperor in Wien took away the litle powers the hungarians, croats, bohemians, etc still had, creating a monster capable of opressing many more.

The "Austrian Problem" goes to join the "American Issue" in the clipboard, as in January we had seen President Long's inauguration.

Fortunatly for our short-term resource stockpile, the Americans seem to maintain some sort of dream about a special relationship of Britain, wich we continue to allow, as there are no other present partners for the rare materials and oil we get from the US.
This doesn't stop us from engaging in closer and larger trade relations with the friendly nations, especialy France, Mexico and Bengal.

April would see another map on the clipboard, as the "Balkan War of 1937" erupts. All goverments envolved are slaves of capitalism and racism-nationalism so we don't worry too much. Our sympathy goes to the soldiers dying and killing their brothers in the battlefields, but we celebrate the waste of efforts with infighting. One more reason for the Peoples of the Balkans to rise up in arms agaist their masters instead of eachother.

A few days later, Greece increases the agression levels. Albania wouldn't last long after that - but it gave the Bulgarians some breathing room.

Ho, and speaking of Energy - in typical populist fashion Romania seems to be out of it very soon. And they com to us! The nerve!
(edit: note the Bulgarian controled Bucharest - gotta respect those Bulgarians , fighting a 3 front war and still taking the DoWers capital)

As one war rages on, another seems to come to an end, with the revolters, actualy Italian former masters, finaly defeat their Ethiope goverment in October:

Not all change was negative, though. Dispite the efforts of Capitalism-Imperialism-Populism everywhere, the overwelming force of the People causes liberations everywhere. One just wishes more industrious nations where liberated aswell...

DarkReborn said:

So, Sarmatia is KR's Gman?

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Something of the sort, aye.

Glad you guys liked it, was afraid it would come as just lame. o

Miihkali said:

Are those provinces nmational provinces of Austria?

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Not sure. Probably yes, since it's the Habsburg Empire style. And it generates all that much IC.

DarkReborn said:

Two, if we count Huey Long, let's hope that Comerade Reed arises in time...

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As long as they keep that special relationship thing going, I belive we're safe to support comrade Reed unpunished, while we feed our industry on American goods. But fear not, action is beeing taken...

In February 1937, conditions were ripe for the first great step on expanding the People's Navy. The American change of goverment had made the Atlantic potencialy more dangerous, and the effort of upgrading of the Air Force was ending. three more Battleships were started.

Curiously those two processes would officialy end in the same day.

The new factories and those previously assigned to building those would, however, be won by the Army demands, claiming that while the Navy isn't ready, means must be created to protect the workers in Britain or abroad with the hardest means possible.
Fred Copeman (CoN) did manage to get some resources alocated to prepare merchant ships for any eventualities, claiming that if the Army was beeing prepared to interviene abroad, we should have the ships to supply them ready before they were needed.

On the research front, three new ambitious projects were started, for the strengtening of defense and power projection - as you have realised, now the main focuses of a post TUC Britain

Around May, the CoArmy Bill Alexander warns of the perilous situation the Republican Army faces with regards to the lack of leaders. We have no Field Marshals, and the highest ranked one at the moment beeing:
While this doesn't stop the expantion of the ground forces, a series of modern artilary pieces are ordered to equip the troops, in order to maximize the strenght under each leader.

While it doesn't take industrial investment, the engeeniers assigned to Supermarine and de Havilland are asked to prepare more up-to-date escorts for our more vulnerable aircraft and new tactical bombers, respectively - again a strategy to maximize the force of our underleadered Army.

In September, with the first tank divisions beeing delivered, the reaseach is completed on was called amongst the Goverment members "Britain's garantee", aswell as the new Carrier & carrier planes design.
September 24th, 8am, seems the first work on the largest battleship in British History. Resources are prepared for at least other two.

New models of Destroyer and Light Cruiser are asked so that these very expensive weapons are properly protected.

In December the 11th, the first capital ship produced in post-revolutionary Britain, is ready for service.

The ceremony was huge, with many Goverment members present, and the photos of it are printed and circulated around the country en masse, a propaganda success that surprised even the Minister Helen Crawfurd.
So much, in fact, that the planned insertion of the RNS Chainbreaker in the First Union Fleet is postponed by her request, and a new fleet is created.

The Solidarity Fleet was quickly planned and put to effect, with proper syndicalist diligence. By December 21th it was departing for it's first Good Will Voyage, to Oslo, in celebration of the new Norwegian path to Socialism.

How fast it was to get the Voyage going is easely explained: Both the Inteligence services and the Navy high echelons were eager to pass near the Kiel Kriegsmarine Yards. However, they almost regreated it, as what the Chainbreaker's sailors could see left them more then a litle worried.
76 major silhouettes, some that couln't be distinguished between a very big battleship or a small carrier. It was probably the greatest amount of ships seen together since Trafalgar...

The litle confort they could get from this, was how easy it was to preasure the Goverment into allocating never seen before resources to a massive naval build-up effort, including the ordering of yet another Class 7 Battleship.
On a totaly unrelated note, the Political Comissars we sent to help Norway were extraordinarely well recieved.

Miihkali said:

Communist Britain has King George V-class battle ships?

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As I've explained, those are the names given to that class of ships, developed during the royalist times. Since only a handfull of people deal with the projects directly anyhow, and changing names now would only create confusion, the name is mantained. The Navy refers to the ships as "Chainbreaker Class", naturaly.

DarkReborn said:

Don't worry, the 80% of the Kaiser's navy is floating metal scrap, you only need good leaders and modern ship, and you can easily outclass the numbers of the Kriegsmarine.

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Let's hope you're right. Our leaders aren't the best though... I might need to paste vanila's ENG leaders into the game at some point - we're terribly understaffed and underskilled. Our highest admiral has 3 skill overseeing 12 ships...

VILenin said:

A unified Austrian Empire has a monstrous amount of IC (more than Germany!) so be careful is you wade into continental affairs. And that's quite a naval buildup; clearly Syndicalism has done nothing ot diminish Britain's naval tradition.

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More then Germany indeed, even though Germany is now leaving the economic crysis that helt it down for a good part of 36-37. France is terribly under-prepared in comparison. Our French comrades should be investing more into their industry. I hope they're at least investing hard into the Armed Forces...

As for the Naval Tradition, it suffered nothing in regards to it's People's devotion and skill at the Sea. The Admirals however, have left with the Royalist scum, and those who remain show the price of spending so much time raising proletarian awareness and less so reading tactical books... o

May Coffee and Cake save us, trekaddict.

1937 ends in a tone of relative optimism. The Industry is well-fed and has stockpiles to withstand changes in resource flows. The Navy is under the largest build-up of our island's History, new nations have joined The Strugle and to finish, on the 30th of Dezember the Goverment anounces nearly all of the coast-guarding forces are up to what they call "1939's standarts".

1938 would see a start that somewhat contradicted the optimism of 37's newyears eve. On the 9th, war ended in the Balkans. The populist Romania and her allies are once again ready to devote their efforts to fighting the progressive forces of the World. We can only expect the Bulgarian resistance costs them more then the ocupation profits.

All this, while Germany's economy pick up pace again...

Compared to our French comrades:

As reserach in new tactics and construction/data processing evolves, a small victory for those who talk of a change of naval tactics is seen in the starting of a program to develop new submarines. A rift is slowing opening in the Naval Comand, and if this new model proves successful, changes may have to be made in many areas...

Not all is bad news. The talks with the Two Sicilies have been fruitful, and it was now seen as easy to finalize a formal Syndicalist Alliance between Sicily, France and Britain if we so desire.
But even good news force the Union to make choices. Join now or see how the World fares, keeping the option open?

Supporters of joining now point out that we'd be part of a strengtened power block, wich would not only increase make possible agressors things twice, but provide direction to all progressive countries of the Planet. It would speed up reserach for all of us, and allow for better coordination of the scarce resources of the Masses. Every wasted tone of steel is another week of delay in the road to World Wide Revolution. We would also be able to place some troops in France and/or Sicily right now, instead of only when they are atacked by the Imperialist forces, in wich case we would help them anyhow, for their survival is our survival. We would win back bases in the Mediterranean aswell.

Supporters of not joining as of yet point out that once in an Alliance our options are reduced. We would need to work jointly with the French and Sicilians if we were to enter further alliances with other nations such as Norway, Mexico, Brazil or Bengal.
Further still, when we liberated Canada from the Royalist opressors, we'd have certainly to make major concessions to Quebec - possibly even have it join the Comune of France.

This question, complex as it is, is of course only an extention of an even more compex one: What should Britain prepare for?
Liberation of Canada as primary goal?
Fighting the Keizer, wich will happen sooner or later, and will require every single war-able man?
Preparing for both equaly, in hope that something will happen that makes once of them easier?
Something else interely? Like Ireland (the elephant in the room so far), or perhabs South America? India?

All these questions remain unsolved - and we might have the naval priorities under review shortly.

Not easy times for the Union of Britain, as the debate carries on. The questions are so spliting that even our President starts not knowing what he is...



edit: this is as far as I've played so far so your input is still in time to have an effect.