The God of Justice - Serbia AAR

Chapter VIII - The Great Russian Bear
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Over the 1930s and 1940s, Serbia had come a long way from war torn occupied mess of a country, to a shiny new Kingdom. Its economic and political rise can only be compared to the one made by Russia. In 1936, after Kerensky had been shot, aristocratic upper house of Russian Duma succeeded in claiming president and prime minster seats. Dmitri Pavlovich Romanov, the new Russian president started a series of reforms that were to lead to rise of Russia, and it reclaiming a status of superpower. In March 1937, official restoration happened, and Russia became a constitutional monarchy under Romanov dynasty. The time of the Tsars had come again. Russia quickly secured its position in Caucasus and central Asia, even occupying Afghanistan and Persia, latter Russian satellite states. Mongolia was also quickly defeated and integrated, and Russia successfully claimed Transamur back, while Japanese watched powerless. After the Second Weltkrieg begun, Russia saw its opportunity. First it reclaimed Finland, and made it once again a Grand Duchy under Romanov Duke, and latter invaded Mitteleuropa. Up unit then, the world hadn't seen full might of Russian arms. After the invasion, Russian left the world trembling. The blitzkrieg tactics that were developed in Serbia were also in practice in Russian army, which was lead by Marshal Markov. Russia reached not only Berlin and Vienna, but also Munich and even Wilhelmshaven. French and Russian troops met in central Germany, and Imperial German government fled to exile. Its pacific colonies were already occupied by the Japanese, and Mittelafrica turned its back to Kaiser. Imperial government fled to Morocco. Russia now had full control over Europe, and while there were two blocks, Russia was far more powerful then the whole of International. Russian industrial output by the end of 1941 exceeded French, British, American and German....together. Russian army numbered over 600 infantry divisions (200 being motorized), and had over 10.000 tanks. Air force was unmatched, having over 20.000 most modern fighters, and 10.000 latest bombers. Russia had become the only superpower...



In Serbia, the war brought final unification of all Serbs. Centuries long dream had finally been fulfilled. Wast Serbian state had been formed, by annexing almost all Slav inhabited areas of Austria - Bosnia, Vojvodina, Montenegro and Croatia. Slovenia was to be given independence. Still, after the declaration of integration of Croatia into Serbia came, riots began in major Croatian cities - Zagreb, Karlovac, Bjelovar, Osjek. Serbian army deployed over 50.000 troops to Zagreb alone. Croats were infuriated. King Aleksandar visited Zagreb, and while everyone expected a speech of reconciliation with the Croats, King announced the same policies Russians used in White Ruthenia and Malorussia - asimilation. Russian government turned to Russification policies, and Serbian turned to Serbiansation. King Aleksandar announced that Serbia is a country of Serbs, and that Croatian and Bosniak nation were just part of Serbian. Although socialist accused the King of imperialism, other parties announced their support. Prime minister Ivan Subasic, born Croat, also announced his support for the King, saying that he is "proud of his Serbian nation, kingdom and people". Although first few months were filled with street fights, Croats gradually accepted Serbian authority. The reason behind this could lie in Stojadinovics economic program, which doubled GDP in Croatia and tripled average salary.


The policies of Serbianisation in Bosnia were more easily accepted. While in Austrian dominion of Croatia there were some 25-33% Serbs, the number in Bosnia was above 65%. Muslim and Croatian minority didn't cause much trouble, and Serbian governance was accepted peacefully. The industrialization program was also introduced, and life standard in Bosnia grew rapidly.


In Juna 1941. Serbian King and Russian Tsar met in St. Andrea, north of Budapest, to discus the areas of influence. Currently, Serbia held most of Hungary, and parts of Romania, while Russian held whole of Slovakia, parts of Hungary and Transylvania. On June 27th, the St.Andrea Agreement was signed, defining areas of influence between countries. Serbia agreed to leave Hungary, in turn of free hands in Romania. Russia also demanded that Serbs don't protest over future Russian occupation and annexation of Besserabia. Mutual assistance treaty was confirmed, and both countries agreed to help in case of war against International. Series of economic treaties were also signed, and Serbian and Russian army agreed to cooperate in higher levels. It was also agreed that joint high command would be created, and operating in Warsaw. The long Serbian-Russian friendship continued.


Securing its northern flank and friendship with Russia, Serbia had its hands free against one of her two remaining targets. The dictatorship in Romania was about to be broken...Operation Northern Wind was about to launch...

Chapter IX - Partitioning of Germany and fall of Iron Guard​

By July 1940, Germany was completely occupied by Russia and France. Russian zone of occupation was far larger then French, since France only secured Rhineland, Baden, Wurttemberg, Westphalia, Thuringia and Frankia. French have formed in their occupation zone a new syndicalist state under the name of German Union. The new republic claimed all of prewar territories in the east, and its capital was in Esen.
On the other hand, Russia occupied was territories of the former Kaiserreich. Prussia, Silesia, Pomerania, Brandenburg, Meckelenburg, Saxony, Lower Saxony, Schleswig-Holstein and Bavaria. Russia wanted revenge for the Brest-Litovsk humiliation, and it came in Second Treaty of Brest-Litovsk. The treaty was not signed by official German imperial government, but from the officials left in Germany, who also signed capitulation of continental Germany. Earlier that year, Russia started integration of Poland into the Empire, and formed a new semi autonomous province under the Tsars crown. After the defeat of Germany, Russia abolished the Polish autonomy, and annexed it into the empire. Latter, in the Second Treaty of Brest-Litovsk, Germans accepted annexation of all prewar German territories east of Oder-Neisse line. It was a great humiliation for Germany, as it lost more than third of its prewar territories. Still, the humiliation didn't end there. Russia partitioned Germany further, releasing three independent states on the territory of the former Empire. In east, Kingdom of Prussia rose again, this time under the Romanov dynasty, and Grand Duke Boris became the new Prussian King. In the south, independent Kingdom of Bavaria was formed, with the capital in Munich. On the north, North German Confederation, later Kingdom of Northern Germany was the third independent state under Russian supervision, with capital in Hamburg. Eventually, Grand Duke Boris was proclaimed king of both Bavaria and North Germany as well, so the three states entered a personal union. However, the Breast-Litovsk treaty forbidden them to unite.


In August 1940, Serbia launched a long time prepared war against the Iron Guard. The dictatorship that lasted over 20 years was to broken by a single Serbian blow, and Operation northern wind, that would last only 6 days. Attack of the Serbian 5th army started on August 11th, end it entered Bucharest on August 15th. The next day, Russia entered Beserabia, and Romania accepted unconditional surrender. Thanks to Serbia, a nightmarish dictatorship of the Iron Guard ended, and Serbian armies were welcomed in most of Romania as liberators. Still, Serbian army occupied all of the country, and its fate was about to be decided. Romanian dynasty asked of Serbia to give the Romanian crown back to its rightful owner, but Serbia refused outright. It was also supported by Russian Tsar, who even secured 50.000 of Russian troops to help Serbia maintain peace in occupied Romania.


While most of Serbian army was in Romania or Croatia, another troublesome minority started causing problems. The Muslim population of Bosnia, who call themselves "Bosniaks", started series of strikes and demonstrations, asking for autonomy and even independence of Bosnia. This was, of course, out of the question, and government discussed a way to handle the Bosniak minority, that made up to around 25%-30% of population of Bosnia. Government decided to go with Nedic's plan, and sent some 25.000 troops to Sarajevo to break the demonstrations. The first troops entered Sarajevo on October 6th, and were greeted by local Serbians ( who were, actually, a majority in the city itself).


In Bosnia, Serbian army proved its efficiency and mercilessness. The fighting against "Bosniak" secessionists lasted only 6 days. 25.000 of Serbian troops easily destroyed Bosniak militia, that, by some estimates had up to 50.000 fighters. Over 40.000 died, and 2.000 were imprisoned (most sentenced to death or lifetime for high treason). Once again, the actions of Serbian leadership were closely followed and approved by Kremlin, and crisis of international scales was evaded.


While Serbian army contested Bosniak militia in Sarajevo, Russian army had much bigger task on the far east. In early September, several skirmishes on the Russian-Japanese and Russian-Manchurian borders were threatening to lead into full out war. Imperial Russian government demanded explanation and compensation from the Japanese, who refused the demands. Thus, Russia finally had the long waited casus belli against the Japanese, and chance for revenge for defeat in Russo-Japanese war of 1905. So, 35 years later, Russia launched Operation Typhoon, and its troops entered Korea and Manchuria. The Russian blitzkrieg in the west was nothing compared to the one in the east. Russia entered Mukaden in 4 days, and Fengitan government surrendered. Russian troops from Vladivostok rapidly marched towards Seoul and Pyongyang, and 13 days after the war started, whole of Korean peninsula was occupied. The once Russian Port Arthur was also seized. Japanese government, under heavy Russian bombardment, accepted humiliating peace. On October 15th, 20 days after the war begun, the peace treaty was signed between the two Empires. Japan ceded Korea, Port Arthur and Sakhalin and Kuril islands to Russia, and was forced to pay 2.5 billion dollars of war reparations. It also accepted Manchuria as part of Russian Empire, and Russian mastery over the newly formed Korean state.


On January 7th 1941, a great ceremony was held in Belgrade, followed by a magnificent victory parade. Government celebrated the victory of Serbian arms in yet another war against foreign occupiers. King Aleksandar Karadjordjevic called upon his people to rejoice in the new glory of Serbian monarchy. Then, an unexpected turn of events. King Aleksandar read a letter of support from Russian Tsar, to make his final move. Thus, on January 7th 1941, Patriarch Varnava Rosic officially crowned the new Serbian Emperor - Tsar Aleksandar I Karadjordjevic, the first Serbian emperor since Uros Nemanjic. The people of Serbia celebrated this act all over the country, glorifying the new Tsar and the newly created Empire. With this act, Serbian government also adopted a new stance towards the other Balkan nations. It was time to put Serbian might into practice, and to give the new Empire new dominions...