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This is tense! Looking forward to the next update!
Also, I really liked the explanation of how the atomic bombing went down -- horrifying but fascinating.
Also, I really liked the explanation of how the atomic bombing went down -- horrifying but fascinating.
Germany's soft underbelly has turned into a six-pack, eh?
You could just vaporize the German panzers in France with a few H-bomb. But perhaps that would not go over too well with the French population
o
BTW, I think in your descriptions of the north french / royal french and south french / imperial french you could simply call the ones on the German side "the royalists" and the Napoleonic side "the imperials", and omit the "... french" adjective. The division of France has been a reality for years in your story so people would by now use just informal shorthand terms for the two sides, not some long and official-sounding compound term.
You could just vaporize the German panzers in France with a few H-bomb. But perhaps that would not go over too well with the French population
oBTW, I think in your descriptions of the north french / royal french and south french / imperial french you could simply call the ones on the German side "the royalists" and the Napoleonic side "the imperials", and omit the "... french" adjective. The division of France has been a reality for years in your story so people would by now use just informal shorthand terms for the two sides, not some long and official-sounding compound term.
Awesome and foreboding beginning to the war. I'm really looking forward to another update.
I've gotta say, I'm starting to root for the Germans in this conflict.
I've gotta say, I'm starting to root for the Germans in this conflict.
If you have any provinces with a substantial lead in forces over their German/French neighbors you might want to bring some forces back as a reserve, or that German force will play "take all the unoccupied provinces" game.
The tension just urgghhhh cant wait for the next update (not pushing you just cant wait ) :')
Started reading this AAR a few days ago and just caught up, wow it is incredible. The last few updates made me feel sad , very well written though. I think I'm cheering for Germany now
, very well written though. I think I'm cheering for Germany now 
It seems that those nuclear strikes actually encouraged Germans to fight in even more fierce way!
Not only do the French military leadership have the blood of millions on their hands, but also the plan kind of backfired. This is going to be a hard war. At least a good portion of the Kriegsmarine is radioactive scrap I suppose.
Man, I just started an AAR with the same Idea. I hope you don't mind! great read by the way.
Things might turn around shortly. After all, the Soviets might think of taking advantage of Mega-Ukraine's current isolation from Mittleuropa, which could potentially open a new front.
Speaking of new fronts, are the English up to anything? Liberating Scotland, perchance? They've got a lot of warm bodies that could be thrown into northern Germany, or perhaps northern France, but, well, maybe honour demands the French finish that job on their own. ("Ignore the Spanish currently dying in Vichy, s'il vous plait.")
Amazing AAR, by the way, from a former lurker.
Speaking of new fronts, are the English up to anything? Liberating Scotland, perchance? They've got a lot of warm bodies that could be thrown into northern Germany, or perhaps northern France, but, well, maybe honour demands the French finish that job on their own. ("Ignore the Spanish currently dying in Vichy, s'il vous plait.")
Amazing AAR, by the way, from a former lurker.
I Guess soviet Union will invade Ukraine right now,Ukraine government just cannot hold so many Russian areas without help of Germany,and now the German army is Fighting Frace,leaving all open to soviets
Knife Edge
In responding to the German offensive towards Vichy the imperial French had limited options. Reinforcing the town could only be done by taking troops from other parts of the Occitan line and invite more German offensives in the weakened areas in the process. And with the tenacity of the German attack facing the ferocity of the Foreign Legion’s defence, victory or defeat was balanced on a knife edge.
Instead, the decision was made to use the forces freed up in northern France by the closing of the Brittany pocket to launch against the Poitiers region from the north with the hope of catching the Germans in a pincer movement and defeating them, and thereby freeing up men to reinforce the Vichy area.
Meanwhile, elsewhere in northern France, imperial French troops found themselves coming under regular probing offensives by the Germans in the Paris area. While it was obvious that none of these offensives had any chance of success, each of them cost men and resources that the French Empire with its limited manpower could ill afford to lose, as well as forcing French forces to spend time building trenches and other defences rather than mount offensives of their own.
However, there were snippets of good news for the imperial French.
In Britain a combined French and English operation had succeeded in occupying the industrialised and heavily populated central belt of Scotland, encountering only sporadic resistance from German forces in the process, and was now heading north into the highlands and towards the great naval base at Scapa Flow. Once this operation was complete, it would free up five French divisions for the struggle in continental Europe, with the manpower of the Royal English Army being freed up to act as an emergency reserve should the front in northern France come under danger of being overwhelmed.
More promising reports came from north Africa, native cavalry and Pied-Noirs regulars, along with allied Portugese and Arab troops, were advancing towards Casablanca - even though the outnumbered German garrison was forcing them to play a game of cat and mouse deep in the Sahara.
And one final item of good news came from Bavaria where Austrian troops had made further advances through the mountain passes and were at last in a position to threaten Munich.
Then, on the 11th of April a key point in the war came when imperial French troops in Brittany, after days of hard fighting around Angers, were finally in a position to join the battle for Poitiers. Attacking from the north, they began the pincer movement intended to squeeze the Wehrmacht until the pips squeaked.
The effect of thousands of enemy soldiers attacking their unfortified rear was too much of a blow for the German defenders to bear. Chaos erupted as German officers hurriedly tried to reposition their forces to delay the French advance but within hours it became clear that the German position was untenable.
By eight o’clock in the evening, the Germans had been forced into a massed retreat over the Vienne river and the French commanders were celebrating the liberation of Poitiers with the very same dinner which had been prepared earlier in the day for their defeated opposite numbers.
Now at last the French Empire was in a position to attempt the relief of Vichy, and to see if there was still anything which could be salvaged from De Gaulle’s notion of a “war of mobility”.
In responding to the German offensive towards Vichy the imperial French had limited options. Reinforcing the town could only be done by taking troops from other parts of the Occitan line and invite more German offensives in the weakened areas in the process. And with the tenacity of the German attack facing the ferocity of the Foreign Legion’s defence, victory or defeat was balanced on a knife edge.
Instead, the decision was made to use the forces freed up in northern France by the closing of the Brittany pocket to launch against the Poitiers region from the north with the hope of catching the Germans in a pincer movement and defeating them, and thereby freeing up men to reinforce the Vichy area.
Meanwhile, elsewhere in northern France, imperial French troops found themselves coming under regular probing offensives by the Germans in the Paris area. While it was obvious that none of these offensives had any chance of success, each of them cost men and resources that the French Empire with its limited manpower could ill afford to lose, as well as forcing French forces to spend time building trenches and other defences rather than mount offensives of their own.
However, there were snippets of good news for the imperial French.
In Britain a combined French and English operation had succeeded in occupying the industrialised and heavily populated central belt of Scotland, encountering only sporadic resistance from German forces in the process, and was now heading north into the highlands and towards the great naval base at Scapa Flow. Once this operation was complete, it would free up five French divisions for the struggle in continental Europe, with the manpower of the Royal English Army being freed up to act as an emergency reserve should the front in northern France come under danger of being overwhelmed.
More promising reports came from north Africa, native cavalry and Pied-Noirs regulars, along with allied Portugese and Arab troops, were advancing towards Casablanca - even though the outnumbered German garrison was forcing them to play a game of cat and mouse deep in the Sahara.
And one final item of good news came from Bavaria where Austrian troops had made further advances through the mountain passes and were at last in a position to threaten Munich.
Then, on the 11th of April a key point in the war came when imperial French troops in Brittany, after days of hard fighting around Angers, were finally in a position to join the battle for Poitiers. Attacking from the north, they began the pincer movement intended to squeeze the Wehrmacht until the pips squeaked.
The effect of thousands of enemy soldiers attacking their unfortified rear was too much of a blow for the German defenders to bear. Chaos erupted as German officers hurriedly tried to reposition their forces to delay the French advance but within hours it became clear that the German position was untenable.
By eight o’clock in the evening, the Germans had been forced into a massed retreat over the Vienne river and the French commanders were celebrating the liberation of Poitiers with the very same dinner which had been prepared earlier in the day for their defeated opposite numbers.
Now at last the French Empire was in a position to attempt the relief of Vichy, and to see if there was still anything which could be salvaged from De Gaulle’s notion of a “war of mobility”.
By the way, would anyone be interested in a savegame from right before the start of the war? I already had a very enjoyable time fighting and (barely) winning the war as the French without using nukes, just to see if it could be done, and I expect at some point I'll play through it again as the Germans to see if a German victory is possible. So if you wanted there are plenty of options to explore.
I would, though i'm unlikely to be able to play it for a while, i'd like to see if i can win from the German perspective (assuming the AI will drumfire it's nukes at me)
I must say though, Napoleon's war here, the type of conflict he's started here...it's a mad form of ambition.
It's a compelling read and i admire your gameplay, but really, like a few others here, i really hope (knowing it won't happen) that the AI in Germany will find a way to throw you back.
START SCENE
Cut to VIVE L'EMPEREUR AAR HQ interior. The EMPEROR NAPOLEON is sitting in a chair stroking a cat watching as a hooded and handcuffed ANTONINE is brought before him by GUARD 1 and GUARD 2.
EMPEROR NAPOLEON: You 'ave failed me for ze last time! You assured me zees would be a popular AAR! Zat it would improve my public image!
The hood is removed from ANTONINE's head
ANTONINE: nervously I know your imperial dreadness but readers are saying we look like the villains after nuking the Germans - we don’t look like the underdogs anymore!
EMPEROR: Zees is tres unacceptable. What kind of rosbif pansies are your readers zat zey object to a leetle nuking of le Boche anyway?
ANTONINE: Mostly degenerate My Little Pony fans I expect sire, they're from the internet you know. And I never pretended we were the good guys - I just made it clear that the Germans were worse. It's not my fault they turned against us.
EMPEROR: Enough excuses! I demand le answers! ‘ow will you fix zees?
ANTONINE: sweating Erm, I think that maybe we could win back public sympathy if we were to be a bit more... fluffy.
EMPEROR: Fluffy?
ANTONINE: Yes - like distributing kittens to orphans and being democratic!
EMPEROR NAPOLEON nods to GUARD 1
EMPEROR: Pierre.
GUARD 1 hits ANTONINE over the head with a truncheon
ANTONINE: OWWW!
EMPEROR: You deesgust me! You and your stupid "fluffy". Your mother was a 'amster and your father smelt of elderberries! And eef you do not come up with a good idea I will taunt you again!
ANTONINE: NO! Oh god no! Anything but that!
EMPEROR: Zen think!
ANTONINE: Okay, okay, I have an idea. How about we just say sod it?
EMPEROR: "Sod it"?
ANTONINE: Exactly! I mean, if the readers think we're the bad guys then why not go all out on being the bad guys?
EMPEROR: ...go on.
ANTONINE: I'm talking about massacring everyone who opposes us! Nuking a kitten sanctuary!
EMPEROR: pondering Hmm, I think I like zee sound of zees...
ANTONINE: shouting confidently I can picture it now! Stormtroopers! War walkers! A death star! You zapping your enemies with lightning!
The EMPEROR stands up
EMPEROR: Well done Antonine, you 'ave finally 'ad a good idea...
ANTONINE breathes a sigh of relief and is visibly relieved
EMPEROR: 'owever, zees means your services will no longer be required. Guards, take zees rosbif away!
ANTONINE: As the guards drag him away No! No! Please! I've been loyal! Please don't do this! Have mercyyyyyy!
ANTONINE is dragged away and for the remainder of the scene we hear screams coming off screen
EMPEROR: Turning to a man dressed in black armour standing behind his chair Now, Darth Gaulle, how long until ze Death StAAR is fully operational?
END SCENE
Cut to VIVE L'EMPEREUR AAR HQ interior. The EMPEROR NAPOLEON is sitting in a chair stroking a cat watching as a hooded and handcuffed ANTONINE is brought before him by GUARD 1 and GUARD 2.
EMPEROR NAPOLEON: You 'ave failed me for ze last time! You assured me zees would be a popular AAR! Zat it would improve my public image!
The hood is removed from ANTONINE's head
ANTONINE: nervously I know your imperial dreadness but readers are saying we look like the villains after nuking the Germans - we don’t look like the underdogs anymore!
EMPEROR: Zees is tres unacceptable. What kind of rosbif pansies are your readers zat zey object to a leetle nuking of le Boche anyway?
ANTONINE: Mostly degenerate My Little Pony fans I expect sire, they're from the internet you know. And I never pretended we were the good guys - I just made it clear that the Germans were worse. It's not my fault they turned against us.
EMPEROR: Enough excuses! I demand le answers! ‘ow will you fix zees?
ANTONINE: sweating Erm, I think that maybe we could win back public sympathy if we were to be a bit more... fluffy.
EMPEROR: Fluffy?
ANTONINE: Yes - like distributing kittens to orphans and being democratic!
EMPEROR NAPOLEON nods to GUARD 1
EMPEROR: Pierre.
GUARD 1 hits ANTONINE over the head with a truncheon
ANTONINE: OWWW!
EMPEROR: You deesgust me! You and your stupid "fluffy". Your mother was a 'amster and your father smelt of elderberries! And eef you do not come up with a good idea I will taunt you again!
ANTONINE: NO! Oh god no! Anything but that!
EMPEROR: Zen think!
ANTONINE: Okay, okay, I have an idea. How about we just say sod it?
EMPEROR: "Sod it"?
ANTONINE: Exactly! I mean, if the readers think we're the bad guys then why not go all out on being the bad guys?
EMPEROR: ...go on.
ANTONINE: I'm talking about massacring everyone who opposes us! Nuking a kitten sanctuary!
EMPEROR: pondering Hmm, I think I like zee sound of zees...
ANTONINE: shouting confidently I can picture it now! Stormtroopers! War walkers! A death star! You zapping your enemies with lightning!
The EMPEROR stands up
EMPEROR: Well done Antonine, you 'ave finally 'ad a good idea...
ANTONINE breathes a sigh of relief and is visibly relieved
EMPEROR: 'owever, zees means your services will no longer be required. Guards, take zees rosbif away!
ANTONINE: As the guards drag him away No! No! Please! I've been loyal! Please don't do this! Have mercyyyyyy!
ANTONINE is dragged away and for the remainder of the scene we hear screams coming off screen
EMPEROR: Turning to a man dressed in black armour standing behind his chair Now, Darth Gaulle, how long until ze Death StAAR is fully operational?
END SCENE
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Just caught up with this, I'd forgotten just how awesome this AAR is. I found the post invasion settlement in Britain especially fascinating, just as it was horrifying whilst your unscrupulous use of nukes coupled with relative military failure in your war with Germany has also got me intensely interested. Really looking forward to the reunification and to see what the post war settlement looks like after the fall of the Kaiserreich.
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