Postwar Analysis: Rebuilding Rome

[Jopi]

Version: Standard HoI 1.05c, no mods used

Difficulty: VH/A

Country: Italy

Objectives:
To get as much land and IC as possible
To be on the winning side when the game ends

As it says above, this will be a quest to rebuild the Roman Empire, and to add something extra...

[Jopi]

My plan is to first take the as much of the Balkans as I can before Allied intervention. This I expect on some point after I take Yugoslavia. The question is, however, will they attack me or Germany? AI is known to DoW Germany, even if the aggressor is Italy. That would be preferable, of course.
I will mostly use infantry. My IC is very limited, so expensive tanks are out of question, for a moment. Infantry and artillery technologies will have the top priorities. When I get some IC, I will try and develop some doctrines, too.
My current navy and airforce will have to do for now.
First objective is to complement my dwindling resource base. Oil is the most critical resource, because that is my only means of synthesizing rubber.

#1: Albania
Albania is an ideal target. It is in my sphere of influence, it has no army and most importantly, it has oil, which I lack. On the 23rd of January, war is declared, with my forces already in the transports off the coast. As soon as the armies land in Tirana, they are ordered to proceed to Vlore. Albania will not be annexed to keep the consumer goods low. The forces are left in Vlore for the future invasion of Greece.

#2: Ethiopia
I'm already at war with Ethiopia. The attack on Dagabur commences on Jan. 19. 16 hours later, the outgunned and outnumbered Ethiopians are routed. Italian armies pursue the fleeing Ethiopians to Harar. My armies arrive there on Feb. 3, and the battle is soon over. After reorganizing, they continue to the Ethiopian capital of Addis Abeba. Meanwhile, Ethiopian forces assault the port town of Asmara. Outnumbered three to one, FM Balbo can't do nothing but hold out. But, on the 23rd, my forces reach the outskirts of Addis Abeba. Battle is brief, and on the 25th Ethiopia surrenders, relieving FM Balbo's forces at the last minute.

[Danny Sherinam]

Can i suggest that you add Austria to your list as it is a major negotiating tool with Germany and if ever you are at war with Germany you would be able to thrust into the German Heart land and easily invade the rhine.

Also if you are definatly sure you will not be joining the Axis then i suggest you declare war on Hungary b4 they join the Axis as it gives you acces to Poland and more of Romania.

One last thing is that when ever i am Italy i take a bigger role of intervention in the Spanish Civil War if Nationalist Spain look like she is gping to loose. I declare war on Nationalist Spain and firstly capture Spanish North Afriak (Morroco) andthen the Baleric Island which are always usefull to have in the mediteranean and the Canary Islands. Something i have done b4 is amphibiously assualy a Nationalist Province on the Mainland such as Barclelona which can come in very handy.

[stnylan]

Well, you have picqued my interest.

[Jopi]

#3: Greece
Next step was Greece. I figured the Allied wouldn't attack, after all, Greece wasn't a democracy. War was declared on Feb 29, and no Allied help presented itself. I began the war with three assaults:
1. Landing on Iraklion
2. Landing at Athens
3. Assault to Ioannina
The battle for Iraklion lasts only one day. Landing at Athens doesn't go as well. Greek resistance is tough. It's going to be a long battle. In north, the Greek forces are quickly routed before superior numbers. I order my armies to proceed to Agrinion.
On March 7th my armies from Iraklion land at Thessaloniki. Few days later the armies from Ioannina arrive at Agrinion. The battle last only a few hours. On March 10th, the defenders of Athinai surrender.
Greece can be annexed as soon as I capture Thessaloniki. Unfortunately, the battle there is not going well. I need to bring in my meager airforce. Some reinforcements are sent to Thessaloniki. Before they arrive, my armies have to hold out. Meanwhile, I capture the remaining Greek provinces. The Greek army offers little resistance.
Finally, on March 28th, the reinforcement arrive at Thessaloniki. Tide of battle is turned. The Greeks surrender a day later, and Greece is annexed.

During April, the Italian army receives first new divisions: 5 new infantry divisions. Also, some basic technology is discovered.

Afterword

Danny Sherinam: I'm not intending to go against Germany. I will use them to distract the Allies. Attacking Hungary and Austria is a bit risky, Hungary might join Comintern and invading Austria is sure to cause German reaction. Spain is on my list, but not yet. At the moment, I don't want anymore border with the French.

stnylan: That's good to know.

[Jopi]

#4 Brazil
War was declared on Brazil June 8th, just out of my pure malice. As soon as the war began, I landed to Rio Janeiro. The battle for Rio took about a week. I tried to take a few divisions and to land at Recife, but due to stacking penalties, Regia Marina got it's a$$ kicked by Brazilian navy. Sigh...
Couple of divisions were sent to secure Sao Paolo, one was left to occupy Rio, and the rest were sent north to capture the remaining Brazilian VPs. Since most of the Brazilian army was beaten in Rio, they didn't offer much resistance. In late July, I finally managed to sneak by a few transports. Recife was taken on July 26th and Belem August 2nd. Brazil was annexed a few hours later.

#5 Uruguay
No point going to detail here, a simple walk in and annex operation.

#6 Bulgaria
Italian forces in Greece were positioned along the Bulgarian border, and war was declared on Nov. 17. Most of the time taken was due to long trek to Bulgarian mountains. With superior numbers and technology I soon overran Bulgarian positions in Plovdiv and 15 days later in Sofia. Bulgaria was formally annexed to Italy on Dec 10.

#7 Argentina
Let's just say that I DoWed Argentina just to make sure I win football World Cup 1938... I invaded Argentina on Dec 30, 1936 (Good New Year!) The plan was simple. All of Argentina's VPs were situated near the Brazilian border. Two pronged attack was launched. First, the armies in Uruguay attacked Corrientes(? If that was the province on the border.)
As soon as they established a land contact to Buenos Aires, an biphibious assault was launched. Meanwhile, a few divisions were sent to secure Cordoba. Buenos Aires capitulated on Jan 27 and Cordoba Feb 2. Argentina surrendered a few hours later.

Republican Spain won the Spanish Civil War and annexed Nationalist Spain in late February. This wasn't good news, since sometimes the Republicans join the Comintern. Lucky for me, they didn't this time.
On March 5th, Poland sought protection from the Allies, and got it.

#8 Yugoslavia
Yugoslavia had to be taken quickly, or they might join the Allies. So I asked and got military access through Romania. I positioned my forces outside Belgrad. I was prepared to attack Yugoslavia from Italian mainland, too, but that was unnecessary. I jsut hit Belgrad with superior numbers, and then sent my tanks to capture Sarajevo. Took might 13 days, from April 7th to April 20th.

All in all, it's looking good for Italy. Now I have natural rubber, so I don't have to waste my precious oil to synthetize it. I have also managed to raise my modest IC. The downside was that some of my ships were sunk by Brazilians and Argentinians. But who needs navy anyway?
Allied war entry was too high for any more attacks, so I started preparations for war with France. I didn't want a full alliance with Germany, but I wanted them to take care of Poland and to divert some French forces. So I had to wait.
At this point, I made my biggest mistake of the game...

[stnylan]

Sounds like you were making the best of the pre-war years.

I am resolutely not going to ask anything about the big mistake.

[Henry v. Keiper]

One word: screenshots.

[Fuhrerdammerung]

Hmmm....
I can't wait to hear. That's the best part of AAR's, is the silly mistakes people make when they don't think. I hope it wasn't so bad that you could not pull through and win in the end.

[elbasto]

*suscribes*

[Jopi]

One word: screenshots.

I have only few screenshots. I was not intending to make an AAR out of this game until it was finished.

[Jopi]

On August 4th the Allies had had enough of Italian and German aggressions and declared war upon Germany. Italy, though not an ally of Germany, declared war upon the Allies. I had most of my army on French border. A sufficient task force was in west Africa. A larger force was in Bardiah, ready to push to Suez. It didn't. This left Italian forces in Ethiopia without supplies.
Instead of reinforcing Ethiopia before the war, I should have abandoned it completely. I lost approx. 10-15 divisions there. I forgot to check how many divisions the British had to guard Suez. As it turned out the had three times more than I had.

#9 France
Germany was unprepared for the Allied attack, and struggled in Poland. Meanwhile, I attacked France in three places. South France, French Africa and through Switzerland. In Africa, the Italians assault French positions in Gabès. It's going to be a close call. The battle in Toulon lasts only one day, and the French defenders are routed with heavy casualties. Grenoble falls within a day, too. Marseille is captured on Aug 20 without a fight. Seems like the French didn't expect Italian attack. A day later, a counter-attack to Marseille is repelled. Besancon also falls that day. First real fight starts on Aug 21 in Lyon. Three days later the defenders flee again.
On the 23rd, the Allies first attack the Italian convoys. On the same day, Nimes falls without a fight. Saint Etienne is captured two days later, and battle for Dijon commences. Most of Italian army is now in Saint Etienne. A few divisions are enough to take care of seemingly empty SW France. Montpellier falls on the 27th. On the 28th, after two weeks of brutal fighting, the French forces in Gabès finally capitulate. Italians pursue the fleeing French across the African coast.
Italian forces in Dijon are unable to defeat the defenders, so they retreat. Meanwhile, Rodez, Vichy and Clermont-Ferrand are captured. Limoges, Toulouse, La Rochelle, Auch and Perigeux fall soon after. On Sep 8th, the second attack to Dijon fails. On Sep 14th, Italian Alpine troops finally reach and take Tarbes without fight.
In Africa, the fleeing French are pursued by the Italians. They don't put up much of a fight. In East, the British assault Sidi Barrani, and are pushed back only by Italian reinforcements. Italians chase the British to Matruh. The Brits flee disorganized. The Italians don't dare to pursue the British anymore, they are reinforced and reorganized.
To disrupt British operations in the Mediterranean, a plan to take Gibraltar is laid out. First, a military access from Rep. Spain is required. They are happy to comply. Soon, Italian forces land to Granada and Malaga. The battle for Gibraltar begins on Oct 8.
The 3rd attack to Dijon is a success after five days of fighting. Now I can hit the Maginot line from behind. Troyes is also taken, but we must retreat from Auxerre. Italians soon take Nancy. Seizing the opportunity, Italian armies assault Metz, defended only by a single motorized division. The battle isn't long. The rest of October is spent securing French Africa and reorganizing.
On Nov 1st we had a true lucky strike. The French holding the Maginot line, attack German positions on the other side of Rhine. Italians thank, and capture Colmar and Strasbourg without fight. On the 20th, Poland surrenders to Germany. Maybe now we can expect German help a la von Schlieffen. During the next few weeks Italians slowly capture the remaining French provinces, and prepare for an assault to Paris.
On Dec 4th, the Brits land at Algiers and compromise the whole North African operation. Italian forces are quickly rallied from Casablanca to counter this threat. Four days before the Christmas, Germans declare war on Belgium, the Netherlands and Luxemburg.
During the rest of the winter, I take a couple of provinces mostly in Eastern France and drive the British out of French Africa. Auxerre is finally taken on Feb 23rd. Auxerre is one step closer to Paris. First attack to Paris takes place only four days later. The Italians soon retreat.
Italians reorganize, and attack Paris again on April 21st. After five days of fighting, the French abandon their capital. France is about to fall. The 1st Army, consisting of ~30 divisions, drives eastwards. Two months later, d'Ousseant is taken, and only French possessions left are a couple of provinces in NE France.
Italians attack Caen with almost 50 divisions, and the French are soon fleeing. In mid July French had only two provinces left: Rouen and Lille. Unfortunately both had about 30 French divisions. The Italians were losing the battle for Rouen, when the Germans finally assaulted Lille. I pulled all the divisions who were guarding Lille to help take Rouen. After heavy casualties Rouen is captured. Germans win the battle in Lille, and whole France is conquered.

[stnylan]

I presume there is no Vichy event for an Italian France then?

Sounds like some tough fighting took place there, good to see you get France done and dusted. Have you manged to pick up all their colonial VPs yet to cause annexation?

[elbasto]

mmm... at this point I bet you wish you had left one division close to IndoChina

[Jopi]

mmm... at this point I bet you wish you had left one division close to IndoChina

Me, too. But the fact was that I couldn't even get out of the Mediterranean.

[elbasto]

sure, you only need to dow Turkey, Iran and Siam...

The rest is just a walkover...

[Jopi]

Germany annexed Denmark Aug 16th, and I got Gibraltar on December 23rd 1938. A small force was left to guard the beaches of Normandy and Bordeaux. Rest of the army moved south, to the Spanish border.

#10 Rep. Spain
Republican Spain was DoWed on Nov 13, a day before Soviets attacked Finland. The Spanish army didn't put up much resistance. South Spain was completely abandoned, and Gibraltar garrsion was able to capture whole Southern Spain. Spain was annexed after a month of fighting. Throughout the invasion the Allied forces made il-fated landings in Caen.

On Jan 19th, a Italians captured Dakar after a long trip from Casablanca. The army was now moved to Turkish border. Somewhere at this point, Venezuela joined the Allies. They had to trek trough my low infra provinces to cause any serious trouble. First landing to Venezuela failed, and resulted to loss of several Italian divisions. Japan joined Germany in their war against the Allies. Italian agents in Czechoslovakia managed to cause a fascist uprising that took over the government.

#11 Romania
The original plan was to attack Turkey, but when Romania elected left, I decided to attack them instead. The border was crossed on March 27th 1939. Italian forces assaulted Dobrich and Bucarest. The battle of Dobrich lasted only 6 hours. Most of the Italian forces were to continue to Constanta, some were left to guard Dobrich and assist in the attack to Bucarest. On April 4th, the Axis alliance led by Germany declared war on the Comintern. Italy wished no part in this attack.
After a week of fighting, the Romanians fled from Bucarest, in the face of Italian reinforcements. A day later, Finland, who wanted to have their vengeance on Soviets, joined the Axis war effort.
Port town of Constanta was taken on the 9th. Three days later, the first Italians arrived at the oilfields of Ploiesti. The battle lasted only a day. Romania was annexed an hour later.

#12 Venezuela
On April 16th, the Italians landed again at Maracaibo. Trained Italian forces were able to secure beachheads and to capture the city within two days. Reinforcements arrived a few days later. After reorganizing, Italians assaulted Caracas on May 10th. The defenders were forced to abandon the city on the 15th. Venezuela surrendered the same day.

[stnylan]

Sounds like you're slowly swallowing up some very useful.

[Danny Sherinam]

What are you going to do with Russia??....And what of America?

[Jopi]

What are you going to do with Russia??....And what of America?

That remains to be seen...