The Color Purple - Revenge of the Spanish Republic!

[Veovis]

The Color Purple
Revenge of the Spanish Republic!

Howdy all! This is my first AAR and I've decided to play it safe and play as Republican Spain. I'm a scholar of the Republican period in Spain leading up to the civil war, and so I've played this country a bazillion times, making tweaks to its event chain and writing all new events for an alternate future in which the Republic wins the war. My goal in this AAR is not to demonstrate my leet skills at playing the game (in fact, I always play on very easy :P ), but rather to tell a story and hopefully engage people along the way. To that end, I went into the province file to do a little Spain-wanking, giving the country 54 IC to start off. I also reserve the right to use the acceptall cheat to make allied countries give me conquered provinces so I can release puppet nations. Don't worry, I'm hoping my storytelling will make up for the blatant hax! I'd also like to apologize to Alice Walker for yoinking her book title for my AAR!

To start, I'll be using the 1938 scenario, Cold War tech tree mod:



Note: I added three land forts to Madrid, to represent the fortifications set up in the city by Miaja that held back Franco until the end of the war.



Note: Historically, Azaña was the head of state right up until the end of the war when he crosses the Pyrenees on foot. Negrin was head of government, but never head of state.

[Veovis]

1 September 1938: The war has been going poorly for the Republic. The rebel troops supported by Hitler and Mussolini have managed to break through to the Mediterranean at Castellón de la Plana, cutting the loyalist zone in half. The armies of the North, East, and Ebro are now isolated in Catalonia, and will soon fall to the fascists if we do not launch an offensive immediately. To that end, we have decided to maneuver our troops so that we can take Castellón and defend what's left of our territory.



The Army of the Center was split in two, with the International Brigades charged with the defense of Madrid. The other four divisions would be employed later in an offensive on Badajoz in the hopes of doing to the rebels what they did to us at Castellón. In the meantime, the Levantine Army under Miaja is ordered to attack Castellón supported by our forces in Guadalajara and Tarragona. We are expected to make short work of the rebels there. Finally, the Army of Andalucía is ordered to retreat to Murcia in order to better protect the fleet, which is returning there to regroup. The temporary loss of Jaen is deemed an acceptable sacrifice.



7 September 1938: The good news is that we've taken Castellón. The bad news is that the rebels have launched a successful drive on Guadalajara, cutting Madrid off from the rest of the Republican zone.



Before they could act to crush our armies in Madrid, the Army of the Center and the GERC reserves pushed on through Guadalajara, taking back the province, and then immediately diverged, the larger Army of the Center heading towards Sigüenza while the reserve corps swung out to Badajoz, supported by our troops in Alicante. Meanwhile, the Army of the North and the Durruti Column have pushed the rebels out of Huesca. It looks like we're beginning to turn the tide of the war!



2 October 1938: We've taken Badajoz and Sigüenza as planned and Zaragoza as a bonus, but alas, the rebels have taken Madrid! Thankfully, we managed to hold on to Guadalajara so that our armies had a means of escape, but the loss of the historic capital is a big blow to morale! We must retake the city at all costs!



6 November 1938: What an astounding month it has been for the Republic! Not only have we taken back Madrid, but the tricolor flag is now flying in the streets of Bilbao and best of all, we have conquered Valladolid, trapping four rebel divisions in Salamanca! We will make short work of the traitors and from there overrun the two enemy zones in the north and south.



11 December 1938: Our last few offensives have met with resounding success. We captured and disarmed the enemy troops in Salamanca while swiftly sweeping north and south from there, taking Huelva, Seville, and Burgos. The seizure of the enemy's captial signaled the death knell of the rebel cause, and while we were unable to capture any of their leaders, we are almost certain that they are getting desperate. Interrogating some of the rebel soldiers captured at Salamanca netted us some alarming news. Franco and his cronies are getting paranoid, giving orders to their troops to shoot anyone in the rearguard who they suspect of sabotaging the war effort. Thousands are dying each week! We must end this war now!

[Veovis]

20 January 1939

On this day, having captured and disarmed the last rebel forces, the Army of the Republic has completed its final military objectives.

The war is over.

Manuel Azaña Díaz
President of the Republic

Victory!!! After having easily collapsed the southern front, it was not long before we moved all of our forces to Burgos so that we could easily plow over the remaining enemy forces. In fact, we took them by such surprise that we managed to intercept a group of rebel leaders near the Portuguese border. Among them were the generals Yagüe, Queipo de Llano, and Moscardó. They will be dealt with accordingly. It appears Franco and the rest made it across the border into Portugal, so we will put heavy pressure on Salazar to extradite them. The people demand justice for the bloody war that those traitors put us through!

For now though, Spain will celebrate victory in the name of democracy and resistance against tyranny!

[Zeldar155]

For the last days i've seen Republican Spain AAR's pop up like mushrooms!

[Veovis]

For the last days i've seen Republican Spain AAR's pop up like mushrooms!

Yeah, I know. I was seriously debating whether or not I wanted to do another country, but since I've modded Republican Spain so much and added to it, I wanted to showcase it for everyone! ^_^

I think you'll like it.

[Kurt_Steiner]

Yeah, I know. I was seriously debating whether or not I wanted to do another country, but since I've modded Republican Spain so much and added to it, I wanted to showcase it for everyone! ^_^

I think you'll like it.

My thoughts exactly.

[Veovis]

Personal Journal of General José Miaja

20 January 1936: Our efforts have finally paid off. The capture of La Coruña signaled the end of the war, but the struggle for democracy is not yet over. Over the course of the war the Republican government has gotten progressively closer to the Soviet Union, an understandable consequence of the fact that it was the only country that provided us with meaningful military aid. Unfortunately, the Russian supplies and munitions were accompanied by Russian commissars and NKVD agents, and therefore government had no choice but to accept communist influence if we wanted any chance of winning. Now that the war is over, the Republic still has not returned to constitutional rule of law. People are beginning to disappear, and not just those who fought on the losing side. Some days I fear for my own safety.

I have a few contacts that I can trust, mostly among the Republican generals and politicians. We must act quickly before Stalin's purges come to Spain. I would hate to see my country defeat the fascist threat only to fall to the much greater communist scourge.

6 February 1939: Today I met with Miguel Maura, a center-right politician, and my fellow general Vicente Rojo. We discussed what to do about Prime Minister Negrin and his overly friendly policy towards the Russians, ultimately deciding on a coup d'etat to take place during the Republic Day celebrations of 14 April. I am conflicted over this decision, as the fascist generals Mola, Sanjurjo, Franco, and the rest plotted the same course of action in 1936. I take solace in the fact, however, that our coup aims not to impose a dictatorship but to avoid one.

It remains to be seen whether or not we can trust President Azaña, or whether we will have to remove him from power as well. In any case, we must contact more military elements to see if we can gather enough support to our cause before we even begin to think about what to do with Azaña. In the meantime Rojo and I will extend our feelers to the other officers who are not members of the PCE. I'm sure Batet and Hernandez will side with us.

27 February 1939: This afternoon I went to visit General Queipo de Llano in prison. While I can't bring myself to forgive him for what he did to Spain and all the thousands of people he and his fellow rebels killed, he is still a former comrade of mine, and I wanted to visit him to pay my respects as he will almost certainly be executed within the coming weeks. Maybe he's had a change of heart and genuinely regrets participating in the 18 July coup, although if he could see the number of hammers and sickles popping up all over Madrid lately, I think his convictions would only be more firmly solidified.

The meeting went well enough. He tried his best not to sound bitter and I tried my best not to condescend. I asked him why he and the other rebel generals felt the need to rise up against the Popular Front government, which was most clearly not communist at the time. His reply was that Spain was incompatible with democracy; that if Spaniards were given the vote, they'd only elect politicians who would take it away from them again. He, Franco, and the others took it upon themselves to squash our nascent Republic before the people could vote us into the Communist Bloc. I of course disagreed, asserting that Spaniards are just as capable of maintaining a democracy as the British, French, and Americans. At that, Queipo scoffed and pointed to the gigantic mural of Stalin painted on the façade of a building across from his cell window. Seeing that the conversation was going nowhere at that point, I decided to leave. He would not repent, especially now that he was being proven right.

[Zeldar155]

Nice update! Also, are you planning on joining the allies? or perhaps the comintern?

[Zhuge Liang]

Nice to see another Spanish AAR, I'm impressed to see you choosing the 38 scenario then winning so quickly.

[Veovis]

Personal Journal of General José Miaja

18 March 1939: Our plans are progressing. Several other generals have adhered themselves to the cause to restore the constitution, as well as several politicians, including Alejandro Lerroux. Having been one of the leading republican figures throughout the first third of the 20th century, Lerroux will lend a great deal of legitimacy to our campaign and prove to the people that our intentions are the complete opposite of the generals who instigated the coup of '36. A number of other politicians have volunteered to fill key cabinet positions, having first sworn to uphold the democratic principles of the Republic. As it stands, we are seeking to replace Azaña, who has never even lifted a finger against Negrín's "sovietization" policies, with Lerroux while Miguel Maura will act as prime minister until the next scheduled elections in February 1940.

The government is planning to have a gigantic military parade in the capital to celebrate the first anniversary of the Republic after the victory against the fascists. This will prove to our advantage as it will make it easier for us to secure the periphery with most of the divisions of the People's Army (the new Soviet-style name for the Spanish Armed Forces) out of the way. I will continue making the military preparations while Maura and Lerroux work on filling the rest of the cabinet positions.

13 April 1939: Tomorrow is the day of the coup; everything and everyone is now in place. Rojo and I have been assigned posts close to Azaña and Maura thanks to our war hero status and our ability to keep our mouths shut about our disapproval of the government. The rest of our generals are occupying key posts throught Spain. They have been instructed to begin the uprising upon hearing the phrase "¡Viva la Constitución!" over the radio. We have arranged for the signal to go out during the middle of the military parade down the Gran Vía, when at least two divisions will be trapped between the cheering crowds, unable to respond. With that I close, hoping that my next entry will not be written from a prison cell.

SPANIARDS!

For too long the Negrín government has flagrantly shirked its responsibility to uphold the legal constitution of 1931. The war is over! There is no longer a legitimate reason to ignore the rule of law! Furthermore, the government has been taking steps to further surrender Spain to the will of the Soviet Union. Spain's true patriots must stand up to this attack on our national independence! To that end, the generals who so valiantly defended the Republic during the fascist assault have charged themselves with liberating our nation from Russian dominance!

Men and women of Spain! Rise up to defend Democracy and the Republic!

¡VIVA ESPAÑA!
¡VIVA LA REPÚBLICA!
¡VIVA LA CONSTITUCIÓN!

15 April 1939: While the coup was successful, taking Azaña, Negrín, and most of the cabinet into custody, the CNT and the rest of the radical left have thrown all of Catalonia, the Levant, Andalusia, and Oviedo into revolt! Thankfully, the army is loyal to us, and we should be able to make quick work of the partisans with minimal bloodshed. It looks like the long, drawn-out war of '36-'39 won't be repeated.



The new Republican government in Madrid:



17 May 1936: It took more than a month, but we finally have smashed the uprising throughout Spain. The leftist elements of society are angry, however, and it will take a long time before popular dissent can be fully assuaged.

[Zhuge Liang]

I assume that was an event you modded? Nice to see a democratic government back in Spain but I'm worried about how long it'll last, particularly when it was brought into power by another coup.

[Kurt_Steiner]

Nicely done . Just a small "but". After the Straperlo Scandal, Lerroux's was finished as politician. Perhaps good old Alcalá Zamora would be better suited for that role

[Veovis]

Nicely done . Just a small "but". After the Straperlo Scandal, Lerroux's was finished as politician. Perhaps good old Alcalá Zamora would be better suited for that role

Hm, you're right. I completely forgot about that! It doesn't really matter, however. He's just a figurehead until the elections in February, anyway.

I guess that having a disgraced politician as head of state would work as a good reason to have the revolt In fact, I had Catalonia go into revolt specifically because of him. During the Bourbon restoration he was active in Barcelona and was virulently anti-Catalanist.

Stay tuned for the election campaign!

P.S. for those who are interested. Here's the list of effects for the coup event I wrote:

action_a = {
		ai_chance = 5
		name = "Depose Negrín and Azaña, install Lerroux and Maura."
		command = { type = dissent value = 15}
		command = { type = revolt which = 329 }
		command = { type = revolt which = 356 }
		command = { type = revolt which = 357 }
		command = { type = revolt which = 346 }
		command = { type = revolt which = 347 }
		command = { type = revolt which = 349 }
		command = { type = revolt which = 332 }
		command = { type = revolt which = 350 }
		command = { type = revolt which = 351 }
		command = { type = revolt which = 353 }
		command = { type = revolt which = 352 }
		command = { type = revolt which = 354 }
		command = { type = revolt which = 355 }
		command = { type = end_trades which = SPR where = SOV }
		command = { type = set_relation which = SOV value = -100 }
		command = { type = set_relation which = ENG value = 50 }
		command = { type = set_relation which = FRA value = 50 }
		command = { type = set_relation which = USA value = 50 }
		command = { type = set_relation which = CAN value = 50 }
		command = { type = set_relation which = AST value = 50 }
		command = { type = set_relation which = NZL value = 50 }
		command = { type = set_domestic which = democratic value = 8 }
		command = { type = set_domestic which = political_left value = 7 }
		command = { type = set_domestic which = freedom value = 7 }
		command = { type = set_domestic which = free_market value = 5 }
		command = { type = headofstate which = 11051 } # Alejandro Lerroux García
		command = { type = headofgovernment which = 11073 } # Miguel Maura Gamazo
		command = { type = foreignminister which = 11106 } # Claudio Sánchez Albornoz
		command = { type = armamentminister which = 11140 } # José Prat García
		command = { type = ministerofsecurity which = 11189 } # Pablo de Azcárate y Flores
		command = { type = chiefofnavy which = 11314 } # Antonio Ruíz Funes-García
		command = { type = chiefofair which = 11336 } # María Lejarraga de Martínez
		command = { type = chiefofstaff which = 11007 } # Miaja
		command = { type = chiefofarmy which = 11254 } # Carlos Masquelet Lacaci
	}

[Veovis]

Personal Journal of General José Miaja

9 September 1939: The last few months have been fairly calm in Spain while the rest of the world has been thrown into chaos. Hitler's territorial greed has finally thrown Europe into war as Germany invaded Poland only a few days ago. Spain, being a democratic nation naturally leans towards the Allies, but Premier Maura has declared a strict neutrality. It remains to be seen how long our country will manage to stay out of the fight. France is holding strong, but the only things standing between them and the German war machine are the Maginot line, Holland, and Belgium. The former may be impenetrable, but the latter two most certainly are not.

There is still quite a bit of unrest among the populace. I'm sure things will quiet down once the people see that the government intends to hold true to its promise of free elections in February.

[Zhuge Liang]

I'm guessing the Germans won't bother invading Spain as there's little of interest for them there, so it all depends on what you decide to do. The Allies are your natural friends but is Spain anywhere near recovered from the Civil War?

[Veovis]

I'm guessing the Germans won't bother invading Spain as there's little of interest for them there, so it all depends on what you decide to do. The Allies are your natural friends but is Spain anywhere near recovered from the Civil War?

You'd be surprised. After all, Germany in this game isn't run by a conniving dictator, but rather a computer program

I've played other games where they outright declared war on Spain shortly after taking France.

[Zhuge Liang]

I've never seen that, but if I play Republican Spain I tend to join the Allies as soon as I can in order to obtain blueprints. Looks like the good old AI is going to make things more interesting then...

[Veovis]

A little something has come up, and I'm gonna have to re-install the game and mod, as well as start the scenario over. :P

To that end I'm putting the AAR on haitus for a little while.

[soulking]

That kinda sucks. It never really got off the ground.

[Zhuge Liang]

Shame it's over so soon.