The Darkest hour of the Russian Empire 2

**ARC1997** · 31-01-2012 16:39

I wud lyk things to hot in Russia aftr d war. lyk wrangel refuses to give up power and a civil war occurs if only coz i m tired of white vs red wars in Russia

**Reddenbawker** · 31-01-2012 22:31

(Don't worry, those aren't swastikas. Those are the symbols of the grammar nazis.)

**Deus Eversor** · 31-01-2012 23:09

but but, those are gramstikas! they are fasci symbols and thus are granted free loads of bananas and permabans!

edit: the child is only 12...

**Falconette** · 01-02-2012 13:14

The Darkest hour of the Russian Empire 2

Chapter Four: 1939-1941
Part XXII: Southern battles

United Kingdom was winning the North African campaign - Italian generals were busy protecting Eastern Libya, when...The British, using Malta as naval base, invaded unsecured Western Libya! By 10 of June Tripoli (the capital of Italian colonial administration) was under English occupation. Mussolini was becoming very unpopular because of these disasters.

British operation in Western Libya

British tankers in Northern Africa

But in Spain Rommel showed that enemies of the Reich have no chances to survive - ruthless Wehrmacht was taking Spanish cities every day. Republican government was going to flee from the country, because Spanish army couldn't secure the territory. Day by day German tanks were conquering Spanish soil. Imprisoned general Franco started hoping that he would be appointed as new leader of the Spanish state (by Hitler, of course)...

German campaign in Spain - without any problems they'll rush onto Madrid

On 25 of July Italian minister of aviation Italo Balbo (not only high-rank air commander but the most probable successor of Mussolini) tragically died - official newspapers said that his airplane was destroyed by friendly fire of Italian AA guns, but nobody believed in it...

Fascists' second in command is dead

Italo Balbo in Air Force uniforms

Second World War made Western Europe the Nazi war camp - only a few states (UK, fighting Spain and neutral Petain's France and Switzerland) weren't involved into Axis. In the Eastern Europe the situation was better - no Nazi regimes and a brave Greece which defeated the Italian army.

Two blocs of Europe by 6 of July - Axis is red, Allies are green

Spain stood only five days - after that the government left the country, and Germans annexed former Republican Spain. Hitler didn't have a clear idea what to do with Spain - keep her under direct German control or to create a puppet Francist state. Anyway, general Franco was free.

The fall of Spain

German soldiers inspecting destroyed Spanish tank

Rommel became a national hero after these victories, official propaganda called him "The German God of war", his soldiers were singing "Rommel, lead us to victory", women were calling their children Erwin. Hitler said that Rommel was his favorite German commander and he promoted him to Field Marshal. It was real a triumph.

Erwin Rommel with field marshal's baton in his hand

With annexed Spain the road to Gibraltar was free - Germans decided to storm the mountain. The British were defending desperately, and the German HQ had to stop the offensive and started the siege...

One of the English ships sinking in the bay of Gibraltar

While the Germans were celebrating their victory and Rommel was drinking champaign, British army continued the domination in Africa - together with successes in Northern Africa they launched a massive offensive in Eastern Africa - very soon most of Ethiopia was in British hands.

British actions in the Eastern Africa

In the North Englishmen were doing well too - by 3 of August Italian armies were attacked from two sides and weren't able to advance...

African campaign, August of 1940

British tanks on march

The USA made their step on 11 of August - American marines (without any war declarations or anything) occupied former Danish Iceland and Greenland. German military analysts called these islands a perfect base for future invasion in Europe, but Hitler didn't believe them - he was sure that Franklin Roosevelt would never get himself involved into the World War, for Hitler FDR was a isolationist. So, nobody was worried about US troops, was it right or not.

Interesting step of Roosevelt

Unofficial American support encouraged the British - field marshal Montgomery made "a great desert rush" - a large-scale offensive operation in Libya, which destroyed main forces of Italians and two fronts were going to join very soon. British tanks were advancing everywhere, Italian army was in agony. Mussolini understood that his war would be lost if he didn't call Hitler to help him...

The Great Desert Rush of Montgomery.

Monty in his legendary black tank beret

In September Eastern Europe became a dangerous place. Romania, Hungary and Bulgaria decided to connect their policy with Axis and Nazi Germany. The Germans were happy to get new allies in strategic region (they finally got opportunity to beat Greece). Otherwise, there were some problems with disputed territories, but Hitler decided to solve them without any logic - he just gave Transylvania to Hungary and Dobrich to Bulgaria. Romania wasn't happy, but she wanted to join Axis too, so there were no way. Bucharest agreed and became a Nazi satellite together with Budapest and Sofia.

Diplomatic boom in Eastern Europe

Bulgarian claims in the Balkans - she already got Dobrich

Greece now was in great danger - Romanian and Bulgarian forces were ready to invade the country. One of the most successful Allied states was going to defend itself one more time.

Antonescu, one of the main pro-Axis leaders in the Balkans. He knows what to do with Greece and...Russian Bessarabia.

To be continued
Waiting for your comments
Next update: February, 3

**KcindX** · 01-02-2012 16:22

Poor little Greece, I doubt very much that they'll survive any longer.

**Deus Eversor** · 01-02-2012 16:29

i am sorry to do so, but... TZAR IS A PUSSY, VIENNA DICTAT IS YET ANOTHER RESPONSELESS BITCHSLAP TO HIS FACE

why not allow Hitler to build his dacha just next to imperial pallace?

**Asalto** · 01-02-2012 16:32

Does Hitler think that Americans took Iceland and Greenland just because they were bored or what?

**Falconette** · 01-02-2012 16:38

Originally Posted by Asalto

Does Hitler think that Americans took Iceland and Greenland just because they were bored or what?

It's normal for him, he believed that he would conquer SU in a few months...

Originally Posted by Deus Eversor

i am sorry to do so, but... TZAR IS A PUSSY, VIENNA DICTAT IS YET ANOTHER RESPONSELESS BITCHSLAP TO HIS FACE

why not allow Hitler to build his dacha just next to imperial pallace?

How do you think the Tsar or Wrangel could be connected to Romania-Hungary dispute, LOL?

**Jedrek** · 01-02-2012 17:33

Well, considering the majority of Romanians should be Orthodox... Russia should at least be a bit worried about them losing territory. Bessarabia has no importance - IRL, Hitler managed to get Romanians as allies in spite of stripping them of Transylvania and Dobrudja. I believe promising helf in regaining Transylvania and Dobrodja should be more than enough for the tsar to gain the Romanians as potential allies.

Oh and welcome to "Axis screws up basically everything" world again... How many divisions does Italy have after the African defeat? 22, like in my last SU game?

**Deus Eversor** · 01-02-2012 23:30

romania- vital ally- connection to yugoslavia- orthodox brothers- important highway to city of bizantium- balkans as natural russian sphere of influence- resource controll oil- protection of the mediterranean gateway- a crap load of other reasons
srlsly, i thaught balkans would be considered imperial property anyways, but no

**DoomBunny** · 02-02-2012 16:18

I think I see a reason for letting them. Simply put, its a very clever way to win their loyalty. If Russia opposes the decision now, then it will be seen as them guarding what they percieve as their sphere, if they dont however, then after the was the nations can be made to think of them as liberators who returned them to their former glory after Hitler forced concessions of them.

Originally Posted by Jedrek

Oh and welcome to "Axis screws up basically everything" world again... How many divisions does Italy have after the African defeat? 22, like in my last SU game?

Sounds pretty realistic for Italy, they should 'screw up basically everything'.

**Jedrek** · 02-02-2012 16:47

I'd like to point out that even with Italian performane, the British failed to take the whole of Libya in 1940. Since DAK is impossible to make without hard-scripted events (that would most likely give Germany a couple of free, high-tech divisions in Africa, since the AI fails miserably in transporting troops overseas), I even prefer a slightly overpowered Italy that would actually put up a fight.

Judging by the Barbarossa AI, I'd also check if Italy doesn't leave a large portion of their army in Ethiopia after the 1936 campaign. For me it often seems that Italy just strips the Libyan front of any forces, relocating them to secondary fronts. Same thing in Albania - was the region even defened?

**Falconette** · 02-02-2012 18:18

With one or two GAR division, he-he

**Jedrek** · 02-02-2012 18:38

It is riddiculous that the Greek invasion event doesn't make any checks on Italian military presence in Albania...

**Deus Eversor** · 02-02-2012 19:15

eversince the beginnings of hoi2 developers where reluctant to make thourough and hardcore testings of ai and all was being shuffled under the carpet called ai difficulty slider which all that did was only menaging industrial advantages between player and ai

but worry not, there are mods that make superb work on ai tweaking

**Falconette** · 03-02-2012 12:33

The Darkest hour of the Russian Empire 2

Chapter Four: 1939-1941
Part XXIII: War in the Mediterranean

Italian campaign in Northern Africa was becoming absolutely terrible - after more strategic failures Italian command lost any chances to save the Libyan army from a disastrous defeat. Montgomery defeated two biggest Italian corps apart and connected both East-Libya and West-Libya fronts. It was a horrible catastrophe.

Italian army in Libya is doomed

While Italians were thinking of capitulation in Libya, the Germans triumphantly proclaimed a new puppet regime - so-called "Spanish kingdom" with a Carlist prince Javier de Borbon as the king Javier I. This country joined the Axis immediately, showing that the history of Civil War was rewritten by Hitler.

Pro-Fascist Spain

New Spainsh king wasn't recognized by any monarch of the World - Russian Emperor also called him illegitimate

While the Germans were establishing a new puppet king, the British didn't waste time in Libya - Montgomery closed the pocket at Wadi al Halim and after that the Italian army was destroyed. Thousands of killed, hundreds of thousands imprisoned. Italian Commander-in-Chied, Duke D'Aosta, capitulated together with his defeated army. The African campaign was shamefully lost by Mussolini. Winston Churchill personally visited Wadi al Halim to look at the great British victory.

Italians capitulate in Libya

Italian POWs being convoyed to the camps

Churchill in Libya. He probably likes how do the things go.

And in the USA the presidential elections of 1940 occurred. Anyway, there was no worthy opponent to beat legendary Franky - FDR became a president one more time, being one of the few leaders of America who was elected three times in a row.

Roosevelt is victorious again

While American president was making inaugural speech, in Great Britain a scandalous former prime minister Neville Chamberlain died. He was sure that he had managed to save the world from Hitler...but he only made it more inevitable.

Chamberlain is dead

On 19 of November in the Middle East German intelligence successfully supported a coup in Iraq. This country became pro-Axis and it was a good sign for Germany - Iraqi oil was essential for German panzers, while an ally in the Mesopotamian region will be great to fight British (or maybe even Russians) there. Hitler officially recognized the new government of Iraq.

Iraqi coup'd'etat

Luftwaffe officers in Iraq. Their target is to defend oil fields from RAF raids.

In Africa Italian capitulation led to creation of new Ethiopian state - but the British decided not to give the reborn country to pro-Russian Haile Selassie - they gave the country to another Abyssinian ras - Imru Selassie.

British victory in Eastern Africa and Abyssinian independence

On 4 of December Russian and British ambassadors left the Balkan states - Hungary, Romania and Bulgaria officially entered the Axis bloc. Now Greece was under attack of Axis troops - and, to be honest, had little chances to survive. On the next day the Germans invaded Switzerland (it was called "Operation Tannenbaum").

Axis is becoming bigger

German mountain troops in the Swiss Alps

Bulgaria joins Axis

In Japan the government was changed one more time - Emperor Hirohito probably wasn't too much surprised - different opposing groups of politicians and generals were changing each other rapidly...

New government cabinet of Japan

The British victory in the Mediterranean and desperately defending fortress of Gibraltar helped the British navy to take control of the seas of Southern Europe. Italy was shocked by terrible news -a British naval assault occurred in Cagliari. Italian aviation was bombing the region without mercy and managed to destroy the British marines, but the attack struck Italian population morale level, Mussolini was considered the main reason of Italian military failures...

Failed assault on Sardinia became the best propaganda of British naval might

Ruins of Cagliari after the assault

This operation helped the British HQ to send more vessels through the besieged bay of Gibraltar (Italian naval aviation was busy near Sardinia, while the Germans and Spaniards didn't have enough planes to patrol the Mediterranean). New British battleships, cruisers and destroyers reached their harbors and were going to start investigating Italian coast very soon...

The naval war in Mediterranean - a British cruiser...

...and her typical foe, an Italian corvette. Isn't it clear who will win?

To be continued
Waiting for your comments
Next update: February, 5