• We have updated our Community Code of Conduct. Please read through the new rules for the forum that are an integral part of Paradox Interactive’s User Agreement.
Status
Not open for further replies.
Also, I should have an update up before I go to bed tonight. After this I should be able to move directly onto the war which will mean quite a few more screenshots and a bit less text.
 
Right, obviously there's been no update. This is because my wonderful brand new laptop decided to blue screen of death on me and then become convinced that the CTRL key was on. Needless to say, this interrupted my writing significantly.

I'm working on finishing off the next update right now but, as I've only got limited time to do it while commuting, this might well mean that you'll have to weight until this evening before I can post.
 
The Empire and the Catholic League

In May 1939 the Carlist armies of King Xavier de Borbon-Parma of Spain finally captured the isle of Gibraltar from the remnants of the CNT-FAI. The Carlists reigned supreme having crushed both the old government and the anarcho-syndicalists. The Spanish Civil War was over.

aar28.jpg

As King Xavier began the work of swaying the loyalists to the former regime to his banner, and hunting down and imprisoning or executing anyone who had supported the CNT-FAI, he also began a diplomatic offensive to once again restore Spain to the status of one of the great players on the world stage.

During the civil war the Carlists had received aid, in the form of supplies, weapons and volunteers, from their brother Catholics in Portugal, Imperial France and, especially, the Italian Federation – which was at that time a theocratic state ruled by the Catholic Church and the Pope.

Before the civil war, Xavier had already persuaded these countries to form a Mediterranean economic block. The next logical step was to transform this economic partnership into a military alliance.

In month, Spanish diplomats arrived at the court of Emperor Napoleon IV and proposed a formal alliance.

aar30.jpg

This proposal split the government of the empire in two. While the diplomats were politely stalled, furious arguments raged within De Gaulle’s cabinet and the military high command.

On the one hand, many senior officers and diplomats, generally those who had lived through the Weltkrieg and the Communard Revolution, were outraged at a plan which would mean deserting their allies in the Entente and, especially, their fellow government-in-exile in Canada. Several spoke of it as the “height of dishonour” to abandon a faithful ally and petitioned the Emperor to reject the Spanish proposal.

On the other hand, Spain was closer to Imperial France, and shared a land border with the Commune. The Italian Federation, which was almost certain to enter alliance with Spain, also had a land border with the Commune. An alliance with both of these nations would offer a far better chance to retake the homeland than could be offered by Canada which, by virtue of the Atlantic Ocean being in the way, would struggle to even get ships to Europe – let alone participate in or aid the liberation of France.

On top of which, many officers and diplomats had become convinced that Canada and its British exiles simply couldn’t care less about the liberation of France – fixated on liberating Britain, they saw Imperial France as a third rate ally. And, while the Spanish were fellow Catholics, the British and the Canadians were Anglicans who had been more than happy to abandon France to humiliation when they signed the “Peace with Honour” at the end of the Weltkrieg.

The argument raged back and forth throughout the government and the Imperial Court until it was ended when De Gaulle made a direct intervention with the Emperor. After just a half hour private meeting, De Gaulle emerged to his cabinet and spoke the infamous line that he would come to repeat often in the years to come:

“France has no friends, only interests.”

The Spanish proposal was accepted and the Empire formally entered, along with Spain, Italy and Portugal, a new alliance which was to become known as the Catholic League.

screensave243.jpg

However, within just a few days the Catholic League would suffer a dispute between Imperial France and Spain - the two countries which each saw themselves as the leading power of the alliance.

During the Spanish Civil War, the French Empire had occupied Spanish Morocco in order to wrest it from the hands of the Kingdom of Spain and the CNT-FAI. Now that the war was over, the Spanish wanted their African possessions back.

But, despite their decision to join the alliance, and their support of the Carlists during the Civil War, both the Napoleon IV and De Gaulle were united in their refusal to give up the territories. The Empire now controlled it and would incorporate it into French North Africa.


The Spanish were outraged at this theft, as they saw it, of Spanish territory and the resulting diplomatic spat significantly damaged relations between the two countries. Though forced to grudgingly accept the Imperial French annexation of Spanish Morocco as the price of holding the alliance together, King Xavier became to be wary of the French Empire and to see them as much as a rival as an ally. With Napoleon IV and De Gaulle the sentiment was mutual.


However, despite the tension, the Catholic League began planning for mutual defence and security. While Portugal and Spain moved the bulk of their armies to defensive positions along the border with Commune, and the Italian Federation split its armies between the borders with the Commune to the north and the Socialist Republic of Italy to the south, Imperial France moved the bulk of its military to bases along the Algerian coast and began the construction of a series of RADAR installations aimed at providing an early warning of any aerial attack by the Commune.

screensave250.jpg

These military preparations by members of the Catholic League, including the restoration of the Spanish Inquisition to root out syndicalists and subversives throughout the Iberian peninsula (while Portugal was happy to allow the spread of the Inquisition within its borders, Imperial France remained uneasy at the proposal and instead stuck with the Imperial Gendarmerie), proved to be barely in time.

Ever since the Communal elections of 1936, the Commune had been mobilising ever more rapidly in preparation for conflict with the German Empire. In 1938 they had annexed the French-speaking Romandy region of Switzerland and had greatly expanded their military as more and more anti-“imperialist” rhetoric had appeared in the speeches of prominent figures in the Commune.

Whilst the causes of the Second Weltkrieg are well documented in numerous historical texts, suffice it to say here that popular anti-German sentiment in the Commune in the thirties was fuelled by a mixture of ideological opposition to an imperialist power, anger at the humiliation of the defeats of the Franco-Prussian War and the Weltkrieg, and desire to regain the lost territories of Alsace and Lorraine.

At half past eleven on July the 18th 1939 the French ambassador in Berlin presented an ultimatum to the German Chancellor: Alsace-Lorraine or war.

The Commune gave the German Empire twenty four hours to respond to the ultimatum. Kaiser Wilhelm II replied in less than twelve. At 11:00am, Central European Time, on the 19th of July, 1939, the Empire formally refused the ultimatum. By 11:30am the Internationale and the German-led Mitteleuropa were at war.

screensave253.jpg

The Second Weltkrieg had begun.
 
Last edited:
Enfin. VIVE L'EMPEREUR

So, what are the plans?
 
Forward to Paris! Kill the Syndies and defy the Jerries!
 
With borders to CoF in Italy and Spain you will quite easily be able to liberate France from the syndies :D
 
The problem is that the Spanish and Italians gain control of territories they take from France instead of handing them over. And unless Nat France holds certain key cities in France then it can't get cores on France. And Spain has, I think, the option of straight up annexing France themselves.

So I decided on a slightly different strategy.

...

...

Say... anyone fancy a pizza? ;)


EDIT: hint hint
 
Also guys, apologies for having taken so long to get to the good stuff.

It actually gets a lot more fun from here on in so it should be a lot easier for me to motivate myself to write updates.
 
The problem is that the Spanish and Italians gain control of territories they take from France instead of handing them over. And unless Nat France holds certain key cities in France then it can't get cores on France. And Spain has, I think, the option of straight up annexing France themselves.

So I decided on a slightly different strategy.

...

...

Say... anyone fancy a pizza? ;)


EDIT: hint hint

The event about Carlist Spain annexing France via event is deleted since many versions ago IIRC.
But as long as you have claims and/or cores wont they just give the provinces to you?

Anyway, good luck with the other strategy! :D
 
Hey,hey,hey!!!!!!The Napoleonic France have Holand,Belgium and nort italy in Napoleonic control.Can you retake this lands?
 
Been lurking in this aar since you started it. Looks like you nearly have everything set for the coming liberation of the French motherland. Although it is too bad you had to abandon Canada and the Entente to do it, perhaps the Catholic League and the Entente could unite in common cause against the hated Syndicalist enemy?
 
In the latest beta patch, there's an event which gives you French cores even if you just have Marseille, though I don't think you have that yet. Still though, good luck; God knows you'll need it.
 
@DavixX3

See, if I'd known that when I'd played this part of the AAR then I probably would have done things differently :eek:o

@Gukpa

Possibly - it does rather depend on whether I'm strong enough to take on the might of the German Empire...

@Kaiser_Mobius

Sadly, leaving the Entente has really pissed Canada off - to the extent they hate my guts. There's no way an alliance with them could work. On top of which, why would Imperial France ally with someone who's oppressing brother francophones in Quebec? The Quebecois must be liberated from the tyranny of mounties and maple syrup!

@NoMoreSanity

I'm playing this on an older version of Kaiserreich so I'm afraid I definitely don't have that option and certainly didn't at the time when I played the invasion of France (I did it around christmas time). I'll be very curious to try it out in future though :)

@gooy

Got it in one my good man :) (or woman/little green martian as the case may be)
 
Hey ho Antonine, wait a minute! Maple syrup is Québécois! (80% of canadian production is in quebec :)

So, death to the italian socialist republic
 
Hey ho Antonine, wait a minute! Maple syrup is Québécois! (80% of canadian production is in quebec :)

Huh. I did not know that.

Most of my knowledge of Canada comes from various national stereotypes you see :p

Though, come to think of it, if the empire liberates Quebec then it will be able to hold the world to ransom on pancake day! MUAHAHAHAHAHA!
 
UPDATE:

I just realised I'd missed out the bit about the Spanish asking for their territories back. This will be a plot point later so I've edited the last update to retcon it in.

Also:

MUAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA ;)
 
Huh. I did not know that.

Most of my knowledge of Canada comes from various national stereotypes you see :p

Though, come to think of it, if the empire liberates Quebec then it will be able to hold the world to ransom on pancake day! MUAHAHAHAHAHA!

Another stereotype. Pancake (crêpes) are a french invention :p How could we take ourselves in ransom? :p
 
Another stereotype. Pancake (crêpes) are a french invention :p How could we take ourselves in ransom? :p

I am aware of that :p I was born in Belgium after all.

What I meant was that, with the French crepes and the Quebecois maple syrup, the rest of the world would be held to ransom on pancake day. What are they going to do? *Not* use maple syrup on their pancakes? :p
 
I am aware of that :p I was born in Belgium after all.

What I meant was that, with the French crepes and the Quebecois maple syrup, the rest of the world would be held to ransom on pancake day. What are they going to do? *Not* use maple syrup on their pancakes? :p

That would a crime against humanity!
 
Status
Not open for further replies.