Russia in the 20th Century: a Kaiserreich AAR/Story

[Stormbringer]

I was expecting you guys to be more excited about re-electing Romanov, considering he just led the country to a very big victory against the Japanese. But if you think the regular person will back Chernov, then that's how we'll play it.

On foreign policy it seems the consensus is to wait out the war in Europe and finish some unfinished business. Finland, Persia, small states in China, that kind of thing. Even Ukraine I think might be an interesting target.

I'll update you guys on how the elections go soon. In the mean time more input is appreciated.

[FlyingDutchie]

Romanov lead Russia to great military victories, but so did Chernov. Romanov lacks the internal reforms Chernov brought. Frankly, I distrust the nobles and landowners within the conservatives a great deal. You have such a nice Russia here, I do not wish to see it ruined by a handfull of reactionaries. Thats why I will push for Chernov. I think the common people might think the same.
Also, some time in opposition can change many politicians for the better. Chernov had the time to get acquainted with the common Russians and they got to know him better.

This doesn't mean the conservatives will lose heavily, I expect a close race, but hope Chernov will win.

The smaller parties (octobrists, kadets) will have about the same electorate IMO. The federalists, who where not that visible and have the stain of Yezhov on them, might lose.

[TRP]

A present from TRP

Congratulations!

[ColonelIronboot]

Sorry, Stormbringer, I keep having too little time to update my own AAR, but I still read yours, don't worry!

Elections
The Presidential elections are surely a landslide victory for Chernov, who has so far proved to be a beneficial ruler for Russia. Yes, Romanov has also proved his worth, but his surname is still too heavy to unite Russia again.
As for the Duma, I think the moderate left and right will secure most seats. Yezhovshina scared the country and I doubt that any radical parties will enjoy popular support. As a Conservative, I think our party has large chances as well, due to standing alone on the right wing now (unless we count the minor parties)

War in Europe
Do we need a war with Internationale? Hardly, we don't want nothing from them. Yes, some of the Red countries are evil bastions of terror and oppression, but losing millions of Russian lives to free Belgium is an idiotic idea.

Germany is in a dangerous position - we are their other front, and it is clear that they are unable to win the two-front war again, as they did back in 1918. Russia is powerful and capable of large-front military action, and we can use that factor to our benefit. I suggest we reclaim White Ruthenia, the Baltics and Western Ukraine as our spheres of influence. We can achieve that result either by peaceful transfer of those territories to our control, or by threatening to use force and eventually using it in case Germans refuse.

Ottoman Empire must be brought to her knees. It has been the eternal enemy of Russia, the impenetrable wall that prevented our expansion to Mediterranean. Istanbul must be captured, re-named! re-Christened! Bulgarians, Armenians, Germans, Devil - regardless of who will oppose our move into Anatolia, it must fall.

As for Finland...they're pretty harmless, but pressuring them into submission would be a good lesson to Scandinavia. We could also use a few bases in the Baltic, how about taking Alands (Ahvenanmaa) back as a Navy base?

[KaiserMuffin]

Huaaaah! Congratulations Mssr!

[Milites]

On the elections:

The recent victories against Japan might just prove to be the most defining and celebrated events in the history of the Russian Republic since the abdication of the Tsar and the victorious conclusion of the first civil war!

One must not forget that it was Japan who shook and humiliated Russia in 1904-1904 and propped up the traitor government of Vladivostok. With this victory, the president Romanov has completed our nation's metamorphosis from destabilized backwater to global and democratic greatness. This victory will no doubt weigh heavily on the common folk of the Republic and given the president's association with the Tsarist house, I predict the Octobrists to gain greatly from it.


On the war in Europe:

Both Germany and the Internationale are equal in the sense of their oppressive natures. The only thing binding us (the Octobrists) to the Teutons is our, different, belief in the nature of monarchy.

Realpolitik is the answer needed here. Maybe we need to approach the Entente with a proposal for the creation of a new pact?

Whilst the stalemate might be bloody for the Syndies and Germanics, we will profit greatly from their combined weakening.

United, we will kick the Germans out of Europe!

Large army:

We must reorganize the army to the Western and Caucasus front, now that the East is secured, so that it will be ready for new offensives against the Finnish, Ottoman and European combatants once an amble opportunity arises.

Cossacks return home from the war.

I was expecting you guys to be more excited about re-electing Romanov, considering he just led the country to a very big victory against the Japanese. But if you think the regular person will back Chernov, then that's how we'll play it.

You seem to have forgotten the power of the Octobrists! Romanov all the way - It's the only way for sacred Russia and her Glorious Democratic Sphere of Influence!

[The_Shepherd]

I would like to make it officially clear that, due to time constraints, I will be unable to continue as and official advisor, and though I will be continuing to observe Russian Policy, I wish to submit my resignation.

[FlyingDutchie]

Congrats on your prize, you deserve it .

[Hannibal X]

I say go Octobrists and ally with Deutschland! That way, the Eastern front is secure, we have a major ally, and the Syndies will die!

[yourworstnightm]

Chernov gave to the people, Romanov took from the people. How will the people vote?

[KaiserMuffin]

I think whoever wins the elections a thrust west is needed. Reclaim the balts, the ukraine and the lands inbetween.

[Stormbringer]

Wow, thank you to Laurence and Vincent! I didn't really think I was doing anything new with my AAR but I am glad it helped inspire such an ambitious project as your Realpolitik.

Seems we have more of less of a consensus on what to do. I will play tonight/tomorrow and will update accordingly. Stay tuned!

[Nikolai]

Impressive work so far, subscribed.

[C_c]

Subscribing.

[Stormbringer]

Unexciting and without pictures this time (work is very busy this week), but I felt like I should at least do something:


ELECTION OF 1944

Russia has a population of about 115 million people in 1944. Slightly less than half of these people live in the rural countryside while the remainder is split evenly between large cities/administrative centers and smaller urban areas.

The country is also split geographically and culturally into different areas. Northern Russia is characterized by a mix of older towns where the upper classes and the nobility are strong, some newer industrial towns like Archangelsk and Murmansk, and a poor rural population that has to deal with the harsh winter. Central Russia has many medium sized cities that blend together business and industry and where a thriving middle class is beginning to emerge. Outside the cities the countryside is dotted with medium sized towns built around factories, power plants, and other modern industrial structures. Southern Russia has much fewer large cities and they are not as industrial as those of Central Russia. The economy is focused mostly on the vast farms and fields in the countryside, the trade along the Volga, and Don rivers, and the oil and mineral extraction further south. Russia’s Ukrainian possessions are a peculiar case of contrasts with some large industrial cities that are scattered across a vast rural and agricultural landscape. In Ural and Siberia large industrial cities dominated by Russians clash with small settlements of the native people and of Russians who support the larger cities by operating farms, lumber mills, mines, and other extractive industries. Further away from the cities there are small homesteads and villages where people survive on sustenance farming and barter trade. In the Far East a few large industrial and business towns of Vladivostok, Khabarovsk, Okhotsk, Magadan, are mixed with fishing villages and small towns that harvest the resources of the land. Trade with China and Japan is important here and the entire region lives off of the Pacific Ocean.


LEGISLATIVE ELECTION

The Duma elections more than the Presidential one were a referendum on the policies of the Conservative administration of the last four years, and the country soundly rejected these policies. Social Revolutionaries made inroads in traditionally conservative areas in rural Central and Southern Russia. The only region where Conservatives performed better than four years ago was the Far East where the war with Japan proved popular. The Mensheviks lost ground across the board, retaining control only in very urban and industrial areas in the Ural and Siberia as their platform of class warfare seems outdated and irrelevant in the reality of a prosperous Russian economy. The only solace to the Conservatives is the success of their coalition partner – the Octobrists – who continue to remain very popular in the north west of the country, but can’t seem to secure a foothold outside of that area.

And here are the final tallies (with results of 1941 election for comparison):

Nationalists: 13 (15)
Conservatives: 106 (165)
Octobrists: 33 (26)
Kadets: 40 (35)
SRs: 212 (169)
Mensheviks: 14 (20)
Federalists: 32 (20)


PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION

The election was a re-match between Romanov, Maklakov, Chernov, and Bukharin. Bukharin fared even worse than his legislative counterparts, squeezed out of his former rural votes by the SRs and Conservatives and popular now only with older industrial workers in Siberia. Maklakov was never a competitive candidate, but his significant result shows that neither Chernov nor Romanov are really popular with the middle class. Fortunately for them the middle class is not very large in Russia, but it is growing.

So in the end it came down to votes in large cities and rural areas. Chernov dominated the voting in large cities, winning by a margin of 8:1 in Moscow, for example. The only major city to give more votes to Romanov than Chernov was St. Petersburg because of the continued popularity of Romanov and the Octobrists there. But unlike the last election Chernov made significant inroads into Romanov’s conservative base in the rural areas, the two polled almost evenly in Southern Russia, previously a Romanov stronghold. And with the popularity of the Mensheviks receding Chernov could count on more support amongst ex-Mensheviks as well.

Here are the final tallies (with results of 1941 election for comparison):

Romanov: 23.4 million (26.3 million)
Maklakov: 6 million (4 million)
Chernov: 32.8 million (22.3 million)
Bukharin: 2.1 million (2.3 million)

Chernov secured a convincing victory, returning for a second term as President after sitting out for 4 years. Romanov and other Conservatives accepted the dismal result, unsure of what they could have done differently given the incredible military success they led the country to.

[FlyingDutchie]

Short, but informative update this time. I am happy my favorite candidate won . The amount of details is staggering as always, you must really know your Russian history...

[Stormbringer]

I have an enormous xcel file with populations of cities and regions and how each one voted and such... I can send it to you if you want to see just how ridiculously crazy I am.

[Deus Eversor]

well people did see that it was Chernovs administration that didn't oppose Romanovs command of the army.

[Milites]

A most depressing result.

How can people ignore the greatness Romanov has brought our country?

[Stormbringer]

A most depressing result.

How can people ignore the greatness Romanov has brought our country?

Its an interactive AAR for a reason. Most readers said they wanted Chernov back and that the ordinary people cared more for SR's reforms than for Romanov's glorious victories. If you convince enough people that this is the wrong way to go and they should support the Conservatives we have elections every 4 years and its a long way to 1964