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Avindian

People's Commissar of the Navy
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Jan 3, 2010
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***Approved by Qorten***

Hello!

This thread is where the actual game updates will be posted, when this AAR begins properly. This AAR is an alt-history Soviet Union AAR; the point of departure is Sergei Kirov's murder in 1934. IRL, this is widely considered the trigger for the purges. In our timeline, it doesn't quite go as planned -- the first update will be a prologue that sets the stage. As a result, Stalin is not a dictator, for various reasons, in this AAR -- he is bound by his fellow Politburo members. He is first among equals, closer to historical Khrushchev than historical Stalin in terms of what he can and cannot do.

As a reminder, per HOI3 AARland rules, there are certain topics which may not be discussed. Before posting, please check here.

(Yes, I'm Stalin. :))

House rules:
1. No cheating.
2. No reloading.
3. Nothing excessively gamey (as determined by the active participants).
4. All armies and above on AI control; exceptions are marines, paratroopers, and the opening stages of invasions.
5. All trade is automated.

Feel free to comment here, but not in the admin thread (unless you're a player); that will keep things tidy. I will also announce all position vacancies in this thread; please respond via PM if you're interested. At present, I have eight openings for candidate members of the Politburo; again, please PM me if you're interested. Do not reply in-thread.

Peace time updates are six months; war time updates will be two months.

Thanks, and I hope you enjoy the ride!
 
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Table of contents​

The main AAR
Pre-war updates
Prologue
Introduction of the Politburo
Chapter 1: The Spanish Civil War (first half, 1936)
Chapter 2: The death of Comrade Hrynko (second half, 1936)
Chapter 3: Sword or shield? (first half, 1937)
Chapter 4: A world at war, a country in crisis (second half, 1937)
Chapter 5: The Axis threat (first half, 1938)
Chapter 6: Domestic upheaval and foreign intrigue (second half, 1938)
Chapter 7: Imperialists being imperialists (first half, 1939)

War time updates
Chapter 8: Emergency Politburo meeting (war begins, 1 September 1939)
Chapter 9: The march of proletarian victory (September 1939-November 1939)
Chapter 10: The straits are ours! (November 1939-January 1940)
Chapter 11: Infamy or Opportunity? (January 1940-March 1940)
Chapter 12: A World War (March 1940-May 1940)
Chapter 13: A Rising Sun (May 1940-July 1940)
Chapter 14: The wolf on the fold (3 August 1940)
Chapter 15: You are millions; we are multitudes and multitudes and multitudes (3 August 1940 to 11 September 1940)
Chapter 16: The end of the beginning (11 September 1940 to 1 October 1940)
Chapter 17: A tale of two battles (1 October 1940 to 1 December 1940)
Chapter 18: The noose tightens (December 1940 - January 1941)
Chapter 19: The review board (January 1941 - March 1941)
Chapter 20: An evening in Dusseldorf (March 1941 - May 1941)
Chapter 21: A holiday in Rome (May 1941 - July 1941)
Chapter 22: The question of Sweden (July 1941 to September 1941)
Chapter 23: Spain and the Innokentevsky Gambit (September 1941 to November 1941)
Chapter 24: A storm begins to break in the East (November 1941 to January 1942)
Chapter 25: The forgotten branch of the Soviet military machine (January 1942 to March 1942)
Chapter 26: Daylight (March 1942 to May 1942)
Chapter 27: A beach party to remember (May 1942 to July 1942)
Chapter 28: The war is over (17 July 1942)

Stories by the players
The rise of Yakushev (by red_KLG)
A painful meeting (by son of liberty)
A day in the life (by Tapscott)
Report on counterrevolutionary activity in Ukraine (by SirktheMonkey)
Background of Comrade Petrova, part 1(by Sakura_F)
Indictment of Comrade Hrynko (by Gen. Marshall)
Death of Comrade Hrynko (by Gen. Marshall)
Escape of Lagunov (by jeeshadow)
Coup attempt fails (by shierholzer)
Commissar of Agriculture K. I. Gey arrested for public drunkenness (by Gen. Marshall)
Investigation into death of Yagoda (by Gen. Marshall)
Birth of Stanislav Petrov (by Sakura_F)
The secret life of Comrade Zverev (by Dadarian)
Be glorious, our free motherland by Ab Ovo

Red Stars (all by Davout)
Red Star no. 1
Red Star no. 2
Red Star no. 3
Red Star no. 4
Red Star no. 5
Red Star no. 6
Red Star no. 7
 
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My experience with a double-threaded AAR is that the "player" section isn't read by half of the people following the gameplay AAR. Might it be a good idea to have someone (The Commissar for Communication Plutonium93 comes to mind) communicate any important events or decisions to this thread? This could either be done by memorandum or just the Copy-Pasting of important posts.
 
My experience with a double-threaded AAR is that the "player" section isn't read by half of the people following the gameplay AAR. Might it be a good idea to have someone (The Commissar for Communication Plutonium93 comes to mind) communicate any important events or decisions to this thread? This could either be done by memorandum or just the Copy-Pasting of important posts.

A good idea, The commissar of Communication Is indeed the best choise.

It's a possibility; I do intend to communicate the more important stuff in actual updates, but I will consider that if things get complicated.
 
Greetings, comrades.
 
Greetings comrades, foreign and domestic agents and readAARs !!!

Avindian will we be using the peterhoi3 lua fix for the AAR? It makes Germany a bit more efficient and the boost in the USA may lead to a race for the liberation of Europe (provided we don't fail that is xD).
 
That remains to be seen, doesn't it. ;)
 
Secrets? Now I feel like I'm in the Soviet Union.
((We are roleplaying politburo members in the Soviet Union. It was a time of paranoia with great reason ;) ))
 
((Indeed.))
 
((His back???? I thought Milena Vladimirovna Kamensky was a female? ))

(( Everything is in the report. Double identity, double agent? I had my suspicions some time now, but I wasn't expecting a confession that fast. ))
 
Greetings, comrades.

And greetings to you! :)

Greetings comrades, foreign and domestic agents and readAARs !!!

Avindian will we be using the peterhoi3 lua fix for the AAR? It makes Germany a bit more efficient and the boost in the USA may lead to a race for the liberation of Europe (provided we don't fail that is xD).

I do not, at present, intend to use any modded files, but I haven't started the game yet and I suppose we could if it's that big a help. Post something about it in the admin thread.

Because of the alternate history will the starting situation for the Soviet Union be different?

That remains to be seen, doesn't it. ;)

It's a possibility.

Secrets? Now I feel like I'm in the Soviet Union.

((We are roleplaying politburo members in the Soviet Union. It was a time of paranoia with great reason ;) ))

((Indeed.))

((I promise I am hiding nothing. *hides knife behind his back*))

((His back???? I thought Milena Vladimirovna Kamensky was a female? ))

Seems very interesting, I will be following for sure! :)

(( Everything is in the report. Double identity, double agent? I had my suspicions some time now, but I wasn't expecting a confession that fast. ))

((Don't forget I'm Foreign Minister, comrade. YOU NEED ME.))

Factions forming already -- I love it! :D

The (( )) for OOC isn't strictly necessary here; the only person who will be speaking in character here is me, and only for updates. :)
 
Oh, okay.

Don't worry Comrade Foreign Minister, who said the knife was for you? It is to slaughter the lack of trade with the Soviets! All will trade to our Communist paradise and make me- I mean Mother Russia, rich!

*stereotypical evil laughter.*

... Yes, that was OOC. I just don't need (( )) any more.
 
Prologue

"Against stupidity, the gods themselves contend in vain." -- Friedrich Schiller

1 December 1934, Smolny Institute, Leningrad

Leonid Nikolaev smoked his cigarette as he stood in the doorway across from the Institute. His left hand felt for the pistol in the pocket of his coat. He drew his coat in closer against the bitter cold. He fantasized about the bottle of vodka he had waiting at home, how it would take the winter chill away. After a few moments of daydreaming, he noted as the guards left their posts one by one. All had been arranged. He smiled. History would remember him after this day, and he would finally get his revenge.

After a few more minutes, his target stepped out of the Institute, right on schedule. Leonid's hand slipped back into his pocket; he was so focused on his goal that he bumped right into another gentleman. The gentleman originally apologized and helped Leonid up, then noticed the revolver that had skittered onto the icy street. Years of training took over.

"NKVD. You're under arrest, Comrade."

Sergei Kirov continued along his walk, blissfully unaware what he'd just narrowly missed.

A few hours later, Stalin's dacha

Iosif Stalin was absolutely furious. It had taken all of his self-control not to go to Leningrad himself, but the General Secretary had exercised patience for years. He still glared at Genrikh Yagoda, head of the NKVD.

"Genrikh, you assured me your man was well chosen."

The Pole quailed under Stalin's penetrating gaze. "C-Comrade Stalin, I did all I could."

Stalin lit his pipe. The rich Georgian tobacco filled the room as he considered the situation. "It is not a total loss. Who is the man who caught our friend?"

"Aleksandr Aleksandrovich Yakushev. Semi-retired; he was visiting friends in Leningrad."

Stalin snorted. "And he interrupted my careful plans. Well, he is still a hero. Set him up with a new position. Put him in charge of security; that should amply reward him."

"It shall be done, Comrade Stalin."

"Good."

Yagoda, grateful his head was still attached to his shoulders, scurried away as quickly as possible. Stalin turned to the other man in the room who hadn't spoken.

"Slava, what are we to do?"

Vyacheslav Molotov did not tolerate the use of his nickname by anybody except his wife and the General Secretary. "Perhaps we should be pleased that Comrade Kirov will live to serve the Party another day."

Stalin glared at Molotov, but he and the Great Russian were old friends; Molotov shifted his position slightly but did not flinch. "Kirov is a threat. You know that as well as I."

"Iosif Vissarionovich, he is not your enemy. There are better targets for your wrath, like a certain Marshal."

Tukhachevsky. Just the name sent Stalin into fits of rage such as no one had since Trotsky. A hero during the Russo-Polish War, Stalin had disagreed with him ever since. More importantly, Tukhachevsky, the man who had put down the rebellion at Kronshtadt in 1921, had an absolutely impeccable revolutionary record despite his background as a minor noble. He was popular, honest, and above all else, loyal to the Soviet Union. The last particularly galled Stalin, as he much preferred men to be loyal to him.

"I agree, Slava. Yet it is obvious I cannot trust Yagoda with simple tasks. Kirov was to be a test case. No, I cannot act as directly as I might wish." Stalin folded his hands and wrinkled his brow, deep in thought. After a moment, Stalin reflexively put his damaged left hand back on the table. "The Party is ours, but the Army is Tukhachevsky's. Without a cause celebre, I am unwilling to move. We shall keep him in power for now."

"Of course, Comrade General Secretary."

"Let us make some changes to the Politburo as well. I will have a list for you tomorrow."

"I serve the Soviet Union, Comrade General Secretary."

19 May 1935, Army Headquarters, Moscow

Mikhail Tukhachevsky stared at the obligatory portrait of Stalin that hung on the wall across from his desk. He knew well the General Secretary's mistrust and hatred of him; it was mutual. Yet, ultimately, he was loyal to the Revolution, and Lenin himself had placed Stalin in his current position. Every good soldier knows the value of the chain of command, and Tukhachevsky was one of the best.

The best way to make sure that he kept his position was to remake the army in his own image. He hated the navy and mistrusted the sailors in it. He scribbled an order to Colonel Vatutin to see that all capital ship construction ceased and that existing capital ships be scrapped. Nothing larger than a light cruiser was acceptable. For his beloved army, Tukhachevsky knew that the future of warfare was in motorized vehicles. Brusilov with tanks, he mused. That was the way to go.

When the enemies of the Revolution came calling, they would get a nasty surprise.

Our first proper update will not be for some time, but I thought this would set things up nicely.