Rhodesia Unafraid - A Rhodesian AAR

27th March 1933 - 10th June 1936



Preparations began to construct a professional army to defend and protect the territory of Rhodesia and Nyasaland, but behind closed doors industrialisation of the region was the preferred policy of the new country - the two political figures of Stanley and Huggins privately assured the powerful company De Beers whose patronage originated with Cecil Rhodes, Alfred Beit and the House of Rothschilde that extraction of the mineral wealth of Bulawayo and Wankie will be prioritised.


Bulawayo was structurally improved heralding a new dawn for African motoring and transport

Significant inroads had been made regarding research into economics in Rhodesia, from Process Re-engineering to Basic Oil Refining it was hoped given time Rhodesians would be viewed as a shining example of post-colonial administration combined with a uniquely Christian stewardship over the Dark Continent that is Africa:




Furthermore, the increasingly irritated Hawkish elements of the Rhodesian parliament were partially satiated when news reached them that research into the Army was completed:





The infrastructure work in Bulawayo and Wankie have finished and with it came a government announcement that building will commence in the capital of Salisbury of a new factory which has been predicted to be completed as May 1938! Many conservatives, nationalists and patriots became impatient with the excess time spent upon internal works at the expense of national security. The eminent Rhodesian politician and former flying ace of the Great War, George Hackwill displayed his disapproval of government policy when he made a speech criticising the two key men behind the ambitious industrialisation of the country. Favouring instead the hawkish and militaristic arming of the country in the face of increasing Leninist, Stalinist expansion on the world stage all the while cautiously watching the development of both Italian and German Fascism.



George Hackwill, Leader of the Rightist element within Rhodesian politics


On the international stage conflict, disorder and chaos was to be found everywhere. The grip of British power over its expansive Empire was being severely threatened when not one, but two Arab revolts resulted successfully in the establishment of an independent Palestine and Jordan. Disappointed by the British not living up to what was promised to them after the 1915 Husayn-McMahon correspondence - nationalist Arabs decided to seize what they considered theirs through force:


The new state of Jordan, note in Jerusalem you can see the beginnings of Arab revolt against British rule


Palestine was declared only 2 months after Jordan. Imperialists shuddered in horror as the Empire splintered

The new map of the Middle East:






Surrendering British troops departed Jerusalem and boarded ships leaving for Portsmouth, Plymouth and Liverpool as agreed by the armistice imposed by the Arabs


Alarming news reached the ears of Herbert Stanley and Godfrey Huggins - that of civil war in Spain. Although definitive information was hard to come by, the increasingly radical republican government in power since 1931 had pushed to hard, leading to a reactionary coup attempt by many leading generals within the Spanish Army.


Spain became the battleground between the forces of Left and Right

Confrontations began to echo within the parliamentary chambers as to whom Rhodesia should recognise as the just government of the country - with Hackwill and G.W.D Nicholson openly sympathetic to the plight of the nationalist rebels whilst the majority of the Rhodesian establishment favoured a Republican victory, seeing within it the potential for liberal democracy whilst dismissing Francisco Franco as simply another Mussolini, Hitler or Mosley.


Many Rhodesians viewed their country as one exempt from the rise of totalitarianism.

After successfully convincing his cabinet into supporting Republican Spain, both through trade, aid and blueprints Godfrey Huggins was alerted again by his staff the the Italians had declared war on Ethiopia, which to his knowledge was the last remaining African state to function with little or limited European jurisdiction. Needless to say, Godfrey with a concern for Africans greater then most personally responded to have the Ethiopian government's independence guaranteed and provide material aid to repulse the Italian invasion - for him the Italian offensive constituted an illegal action on what he came increasingly to see as his home continent.


Rhodesian newspaper's featured patriotic images of Ethiopians fighting to defend their country



Whilst the Free-press ridiculed the government for not doing enough to save 'those smiling sambos'


It was becoming obvious to all that the British Empire was declining and for many new arrivals entering Rhodesia and Nyasaland the colony-turned-country represented the last beacon for European civilization, political prudence and old-fashioned conservatism. Truly, it was seen by many citizens that Rhodesia and Nyasaland constituted the Garden of Eden before the Fall


All over Britain news of the colony-turned country's success spurred excitement, and travel brochures became filled by tourists looking to see it for themselves

With Ethiopia's independence 'guaranteed' by the fledgling state - Huggins and Stanley joined with G.W.D Nicholson came to assess the tactics of the Italian's at war. Learning from observation would perhaps reveal what the future of 20th century warfare would entail..


The Ethiopians launched a quick maneuver which brought hope, albeit brief, in the Ethiopian fight against Italy. As noted however, the fighting and news of the front line did not paint a pleasant picture. With increasing use of planes, tanks and poisonous gas 20th century warfare was far from pretty.

Hey everyone,

The Christmas period is officially over and I go back to university tomorrow so I wanted to announce my Rhodesian AAR will be postponed until further notice.
Let me assure you that on NO accounts does this mean the story has been scrapped, I am rather enjoying it but my 10,000 word dissertation and general academics comes first.

Until further notice,

Goodnight

Chapter 2: African Conquest and European Liberation



Rhodesia ran to the defence of the motherland when the second world conflict erupted with Germany yet again

The year is now late 1941. Much has changed around the globe in the years gone by when Stanley and Huggins first inherited Rhodesia as a country in its own right. Europe, set ablaze by Fascism's insatiable demands for greater territory, set forth on a crusade to rid the world of Bolshevism forever. Lead by Germany under the charismatic leadership of Adolf Hitler, fascism successfully appealed to the governments of Spain, Portugal, Greece, Hungary, Bulgaria, Slovakia, Yugoslavia and Finland to join in crushing the red beast of the USSR. Curiously, the fascist regime of Mussolini refused to sign the Pact of Steel illustrating to the world that the Fascist Movement had decisively split between the original fascism of Mussolini advocating corporatism and state enterprise to the anti-Semitic quasi mystical dogma of 'National Socialism'. - fortunately for the Allies and indeed all true defenders of democracy, Hitlerist Fascism and Stalinist socialism seem to have reached a deadlock. With the Wehrmacht occupied in bitter fighting in the Eastern Front, the Allied powers exploited Germany's diluted defence of territories lost a year earlier:



Francisco Franco's Nationalist Spain and Salazar's Portugal have been annexed and the old Republican government were recalled from Mexico to administer the puppet regime installed within Madrid, whilst a new Liberal Democracy has been crafted within the new Portuguese Republic. Stalin's soldiers defeated beleaguered Finland and following Britain's example promptly installed a Stalinist regime. Incremental steps have been taken parts of Norway, Netherlands and Greece

Meanwhile, on the continent seismic changes have transpired also. The once indentured African colonies of Portugal are now free nations. Mozambique and Angola have joined seeking to wipe out the tyranny of European Fascism once and for all, such notions have gained currency and have been twisted among Africa's indigenous peoples who under the figurehead of Haile Selassie seek to remove Europeans totally from the picture thereby allowing Africans to truly run their own affairs. Such developments have not been welcomed by Rhodesia's Foreign Minister Evelyn Baring 1st Baron Howick of Glendale, who openly favours a South African approach to politics for Rhodesia's post-War future claiming among other absurdities that Britain intends to disestablish its enlightened empire absolutely and thus render the very existence of our beloved country in question.



Angola and Mozambique, (Mozambique in Pink) the new African countries under their new 'responsible' democratic government are looked upon by Stanley and Huggins as the future for Africa, whilst not sharing the increasingly out of touch politics of Baring, they perceive White minority rule as an inevitable reality until the indigenous peoples are properly educated and thus able to contribute fully to greatest ability within Rhodesia's democratic development. South Africa opted out of the alliance at the wars outbreak, angrily opposed to the West's increasing runaway liberalism. Dark stories reported into Rhodesia's intelligent indicated signs of the government's implementation of policies favouring segregation and 'apartheid' within the country - which inevitably causes many liberal Rhodesians to feel uneasy concerning the arising similarities between Nazi Germany and South Africa.




Rhodesian fighter pilots on-leave from fighting in Europe

[video=youtube;-6EBIkclcI0]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-6EBIkclcI0[/video]

Rhodesian troops arriving in British administrated Egypt, preparing for an assault against the Italians and German Afrika Korps

George Hackswill increasingly came to be observed engaging in private conversations with Evelyn Baring presumably concerning the nature of the post-war world, Stanley and Huggins meanwhile were preoccupied in slight admiration of their collective achievement. In almost a decade the two statesmen had transformed their African homeland from a colonial outpost within the backwaters of Empire to an industrialised nation outperforming even their neighbours to the South. It was their estimation that the conflict in Europe would lead to greater acknowledgement of Rhodesia's responsible government and generate useful nationalism within the country - amongst both black and white peoples - to safeguard themselves against the feared evaporation of Britain's influence and in its place the continuing march of Marxist Communism. Evidence of British decline was observable throughout the world, famously witnessed through events such as Palestine and Jordan's declaration of independence. The world seemed irrevocably altered from the one in which Stanley and Huggins were born into during the heady days of Victoria. The world around them has become poisoned by various ideologies claiming themselves the cure alls of the worlds many problems, issues and predicaments.



Like the snake oil salesmen of the Wild West; Fascism and Socialism sought new converts as the desperate sought alternatives to the predicament they found themselves in.



Even during the beginnings of the league, many commentators mentioned how such a colossal internationalist superstructure was a shockingly socialist attitude to managing the hard-won peace captured in 1918



The newly founded League of Nations established after the war seemed to many to be completely inept, inefficient and a strain on otherwise much needed funds, of which many believed could be better spent at home.

The Second World War allowed for much harmony between the traditional Left and Right within Rhodesia as the crimes of Hitler's National Socialism became apparent as the war dragged on



Cartoon from a Social Liberal publication followed by the title: 'German crimes in Africa'



Pamphlet handed out by Left-Wing Radicals and International Leninists accusing Rhodesia's very existence as illegitimate, 'racialist' and wrong.



Blame for the Fall of France was afforded to the 'Reds', with many British new arrivals enjoying the presence of Britain and France's love/hate relationship seemingly so far away from it all



The press remained free in Rhodesia, the result was a varied mix of criticism - both national and international, from both progressives and reactionaries.



Fighter pilot Ian Smith was noted by Huggins as the man to look out for after the war, his approach to maintaining a competitive edge on matters economic appealed to the Market Liberal.

Rhodesia in stalwart defiance to the swirling change observable within the world around it, instead proudly held on to its history and encouraged what Lionel Cripps, the Speaker of the Rhodesian Parliament, called 'healthy conservatism'; wary of the dangers of both Hitlerism and Stalinist Marxism and falling short of South Africa's policy of racial seperatism, the two great statesmen of Stanley and Huggins feel confident that Rhodesia has what it takes to proudly stand up and march on into the post-war world.




The newspaper publication 'The Rhodesia Herald' began publishing cartoons celebrating Rhodesia's efforts within the war



Even before the end of the war, Rhodesians realised that the world was going to be split between the sprawling nations of the USA and the USSR, dividing spheres of influence across the world. Rhodesia wanted to make sure its camp was that of old-style patriotic conservatism of a capitalistic variety.

Deus Eversor said:

wow nice, race-realist(not racist), white proud, rhodesia against cultural marxism, the history untold washed away with leftist propaganda... i still remember the pic that showed rhodesian troops fighting marxist guerillas side by side.
>inb4 fascist
You pretty much speeded on the events, hope you can cope with international united front against you.

btw, you have swastika on one of the pics.

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I am aware of the swastika, is that a problem? It has a dagger through it completed with the words "The only good fascist is a dead one". Honestly, I don't understand the current trend to censor, blot out or 'remove' items which may cause controversy. The image was used with the expressed intent to portray anti-Nazi sentiment existing within the population of Rhodesia - contrasting with that of South Africa which were sympathetic to the National Socialists in both the game and in historical reality.

Battle bunny said:

Yes, it is. The problem is not that the swastika promotes Nazism, but that it's there at all. It is because Germany is unable to cope with its Nazi history and has thus ordered all swastikas to be banned - and since Germany is Europe's economic superpower, it has great sway even on the Internet, and thus Paradox is forced to ban the swastika to improve its sales. That's capitalism for you! Of course, it's not a great policy, not that I overly care for the Nazis - they wouldn't give us any free speech - but as Rosa Luxemburg said: "Freedom is always freedom for the man who thinks differently."



Lolol.

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Should I remove the images - I've noticed it is not just one offending article but two. I find that annoying, why deny it? It's stupid. Anyway, this isn't going to settle anything. For the record I planned to modify the game so as to allow Sir Garfield Todd to be my Head of Government (Predominantly Social Liberal government) whilst Sir Evelyn Baring (Social Conservative) or Sir Campbell Tait (Social Democrat) occupy position as Head of State acting as Governor Generals.. Only problem is I don't know how to create new ministers or techteams. I would appreciate knowing how as I've managed to get Rhodesia's IC to 23, I found out I can get Roy Welensky if I turn the country's ideology to Paternal Autocrat..

Regarding 'racial realism' and/or the racial issues confronted by Rhodesia I think it was terribly sad. As a student of History I wish Britain took more care in disestablishing its empire as its hasty partitioning cost the lives of millions of people within India/Pakistan but also numerous powderkegs for the future (Israel-Palestine, Rhodesia-Zimbabwe and Sudan to name but a few) In my AAR I plan to play as Rhodesia leading a fairly moderate/progressive government as this is what I would have done if I were a politician at the time. I would have introduced increased government spending within education and attempted to secure the African's hearts and minds behind the established nation of Rhodesia, thereby denying Mugabe's gooks the ability to present themselves as the oppressed.

I don't consider myself a white supremacist and I think it was highly unfortunate that European rule within Sub-Saharan Africa was so divisive. As a person I looked to Garfield Todd within the conflict as the man providing rational and sane politics in a society bitterly divided between black/white and the inevitable wealth disparity which follows.



Sir Garfield Todd was put under house arrest by the Smith government post '65 numerous times. During the Chimurenga not a single cow on his farm was killed or wounded by the guerrillas engaged in armed struggle against the white-minority government. In his farewell speech he said "We must make it possible for every individual to lead the good life, to win a place in the sun. We are in danger of becoming a race of fear-ridden neurotics – we who live in the finest country on Earth"

Back to the AAR!


On December 29th 1941 Rhodesia entered into a non-aggression pact with its powerful and worryingly neutral neighbour of South Africa. When war was declared by the home country, South Africa shamefully left the alliance before and remained neutral. To safeguard Rhodesian interests, Huggins wanted formal acknowledgement that the Boer community of South Africa would not seek to annex the predominantly Anglo-Saxon colony of Rhodesia.



Signing the pact made many Rhodesians comfortable, however for those cynics who had paid attention to detail concerning events which transpired on the continent the treaty did not satisfy their concerns.

The techteams of Rhodesian African Rifles busily prepare themselves in researching pre-planned defence doctrine, allowing for the Rhodesian army to operate with greater efficiency on the African plains. This technology will be of greater use considering the Italians have now entered the war against the Allied Powers.



Cartoon from the Rhodesian herald presenting the daunting task of the Africa's commitment to liberate Europe

By early 1942 the liberation of Europe seemed well underway. Brittany had been captured by the British as had the Lowlands of Holland, Belgium and Luxembourg. Operations conducted in Norway seemed to suggest change in fortune for the Axis powers - however, Italy decided to enter the war on Hitler's side. Meanwhile in the East, the tide of the conflict against Japan was proceeding differently:



While it was true that Britain had captured the Southern section of the Sakharin Island, Chiang Kai-Shek's China was literally being split in two by vicious Japanese assaults on the Chinese mainland. Meanwhile, Japanese infantry units threaten the British Raj enough to allow for joint military excursions into Thailand and the Japanese-administered French Indochina. The Australian government watches on in terror as the Japanese gobble up the Philippines and threaten Oz itself



Cartoon from a newspaper displaying the Japanese as brutal monsters bereft of European nobility

By March 13th 1942, Britain had restored Norway into the Allies. However, with little IC and no independent troops to defend and consolidate its newly liberated territory observers were skeptical about how the country was to defend itself from renewed military assaults by the Wehrmacht..



Meanwhile, in the Pacific the worst was beginning to develop. Japan had successfully annexed the Philippines, this sent shockwaves throughout the Empire and also the Americas. The nations of Brazil, Mexico and Venezuela began to think they might well be next on Japan's invasion list.



In Salisbury, upgrades on Rhodesia's mountain division was a success. Whilst still outmoded, by 2 years, the equipment was of better use than that of the late inter-war period.



The Rhodesian Expeditionary Force after serving with the British in wrestling control of Abyssinia managed to acquire a well earned rest in Cairo. A pamphlet illustrated the appeals of the place for single Rhodesian servicemen:



New technology became available with the latest heavy tanks capable of rolling out of Salisbury's factories.



On the continent, the British puppet regime of Republican Spain underwent a second bombing campaign and infantry incursion in Guernica:



The Rhodesian herald reporter based in Madrid covered the story, completed with the cartoon showing Christ looking down to the Spanish women and children suffering at the hands of the Axis powers for a second time:



In Africa, Egypt negotiated a new trade deal between itself and Rhodesia. Wishing to transfer supplies in return for energy. Without hesitation Sir Evelyn Baring signed the contract, if nothing else the conflict had brought about closer links with Rhodesia's African neighbours as well as a slight mistrust as to the nature and intention of Britain's policy regarding the continent in the post-War world.



In a move both Godfrey Huggins and Evelyn Baring thought was a stroke of madness, Britain granted independence to the Netherlands - despite that its few holdings within Europe was precarious and extremely loose. Without decisive American military assistance, it looks like Britain will have to commit to a rerun of Dunkirk:



The Netherlands was under attack during the hours its government was reimposed by Britain

The view of the continent in mid June, '42:



Spain suffers under German assault and invasion, while the Greeks with the assistance of the Italians and Germans push out the British. The Allies foothold in France becomes simply small areas of Brittany and the newly liberated Netherlands. Meanwhile the Reds continue their bitter defence of the USSR Communist project - The Rhodesians may find it difficult to accept but the future of the modern world appears to be playing out and decided upon within the foothills of the Russian steppes.

In some parts of Bulawayo, traditionally the more Leftist area of Rhodesia cartoons and articles acknowledged the gravity of the situation and began publishing much more sympathetic reviews and journals concerning the otherwise disliked, feared and mistrusted Soviet Union:



Rhodesia's economy was roaring, its focus was primarily concerned with building the necessary military capability to both defend the countries national territories as well as make meaningful contribution to the Allied war effort. So far Rhodesia had seen little action except with that of Portugal and Chief of Staff Philip Carrington was determined his men would see contact with the enemy and engage in assisting the quelling of Fascism and potentially a third war against the evils of communism:



Development of Rhodesia's industrial core whilst also acknowledging the need for fighting men was the double issue confronted by Stanley and Huggins



New technology graced the military enabling maximum efficiency.

In Finland, it was reported that high levels of dissent were present among the Finnish population after only 1 year of communist rule by the Soviet imposed Finnish 'Democratic' Republic. Horror stories began to flood into Western allied war offices claiming systematic theft of bourgeois property and the liquidation of the so called 'kulak' class. Finland had only proclaimed its independence from Russian rule in December 1917, it seems the Finnish people were ready to fight for their freedom again. The only question which remained within Sir Evelyn's mind was would the Finnish people fight with or against German Hitlerism?





Propaganda such as the one produced here increasingly threw the USSR into bad light, despite the supposed 'United Front' against fascism. Such cartoons inevitably deteriorated Rhodesian-Russian relations



Finland's guerrilla resistance to Soviet domination did not escape the attention of the Rhodesian press

Grim news arose from the Western front. The Vichy government permitted to exist in order to save France a loss of face from its 1941 defeat to Germany officially came to an end and was formally annexed into the Third Reich:





Meanwhile new technology became freshly available out of the scientists labs.

More of this AAR coming soon!

Battle bunny said:

Yes, it is. The problem is not that the swastika promotes Nazism, but that it's there at all. It is because Germany is unable to cope with its Nazi history and has thus ordered all swastikas to be banned - and since Germany is Europe's economic superpower, it has great sway even on the Internet, and thus Paradox is forced to ban the swastika to improve its sales. That's capitalism for you!."

Click to expand...

Swastikas removed. Hearts of Iron: Darkest Hour is such a good game and I wouldn't want to impede potential sales for Paradox. I defend freedom of speech and expression and wouldn't otherwise comply lol..

whatguts said:

Paradox is not a game! Paradox is a game developer!

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I know, I've changed it now. I meant HoI: DH.. As you may have known.

Any suggestions to where I should lead Rhodesia? I'm all ears. As a student pursuing Modern History to Masters level I confess I am sympathetic to Rhodesia's plight. However, I disagreed philosophically and politically with the motivations behind U.D.I and the Rhodesian Front. But perhaps a Fascist administration or even a Communist politburo may find itself occupying the office of Prime Minister Huggins!



Is this the future of Rhodesia?