[Forum Game] World in Revolution: 1920

Mathrim · Jan 15, 2014

République Française
French Republic

La Marseillaise

On the Levant and Indochina

This war against German barbarity has shown us that the days when white men could claim that they were the superior races have ended. We must understand that if we are to keep our moral leadership we must thus understand that self-rule for the civilized Asian populations is in order. The colonies were created so as to spread the light of civilization, and we must go back to these ideals, putting aside all corrupt and thieving methods used earlier. This is why it is the viewpoint of this government that negotiations with the Syrian State - now that it's the provisions of the treaty of Sèvres are over after twenty years - as well as with the Indians and the Indochinese.

On India, we propose to host various plebiscites in each of the territories of French India in 1942, giving freedom of assembly to all parties that wish to take part in the upcoming votes. The French government agrees to consider the result of these plebiscites as binding. France also wishes to enter economic and scientific cooperation with India, and we view these events as a good opportunity to combine the two. We also thank the Indian state for its help in the war, even if some more direct support would be appreciated.

On Indochina, we offer to regroup the Protectorates of Annam and Tonkin, as well as the colony of Cochinchina within a single protectorate of Vietnam. This would be a first step towards self-rule. We hope that Emperor Bảo Đại will find this solution amicable, and that relations between France and Vietnam will remain positive.

On Syria, we understand the legitimate concerns of the Syrian and Lebanese people. Syria seems to be headed towards respect of the rights of the minorities, and it strikes us that in these conditions, maybe a union could be envisioned. But for it to happen, multiple factors need to be involved:

* French schools must remain active, and French must remain an official minority language. French has been the language of the Christian communities for centuries, and Arabization would be harmful to their culture.
* Full religious equality must be achieved, with minorities allowed to enter positions in the army or the bureaucracy just like others. This applies to Christians, Druze, Shia and any other minority.
* A referendum on special autonomy for Lebanon must be conducetd, so as to respect the wishes of the populations.

Other than that, France would be willing to enter a true alliance with Syria, and we view that, should a compromise over Lebanon be brokered, the mandate of Palestine could be part of the Syrian state too, with respect for the local minorities.

Camille Chautemps, Foreign Minister of the French Republic

jacob-Lundgren · Jan 15, 2014

The Kingdom of Italy is satisfied that some degree of peace might fall over the Low Countries if no complications happen. It is a positive development if some peace can take place in conflicts that should never have been started as they can only be about baked aggression, there was no return of land possible between the Dutch or German governments and clearly no real threat existed from the Dutch when combined with their asian conflict. As well if the United States truly care about peace, order or stability their words and actions continue to be shy of center mark. The Italian government will continue to improve the abilities of the Italian armed forces to defend the Italian people and others that we are responsible for providing a measure of security to. This storm of war raging around the planet will continue to be monitored and the Italian government will make its voice loud if the situation calls for it. We will not fail to act to guarantee safety nor will be refuse to act if darkness appears to be falling over the lands around us.

Mario Luigi ~ Representative for the King

DeMarchese · Jan 15, 2014

Movimiento Nacional-Socialista of Chile

Sons and daughters of Chile.
Two years ago we came into assistance of the beleaguered Paraguay. The government of Bolivia, following the directives of their hidden masters at Washington tried to conquer them just for a couple of more drops of oil. Such is the insatiable hunger for money and the repugnant greed they feel every day and guide their acts.
But we were victorious. We teach to the corrupts and the enemies of the nation that we will not stand idle behind our borders, watching how all around us fall prey of them. We teach them that we will not wait until it’s too late. Chile is a new nation, a nation of acts not words, a nation of prosperity not poverty. A nation to be proud of.
But we are also a people of peace. We only wage war when we are forced to.
And that is why we let the bolivian people to continue their path in history under their communist government.
We hoped to see that mistake correct itself in the following years. We hoped that Bolivia awaked as the true nation it is and get rid of that nonsense.
Now, another of our neighbors is slowly choking in his own blood. Chaos run rampant on the streets of Brazil and the Red Threat is once again rising.

The communist goverment is nothing more than a nest of anarchy, a clear threat to the stability of the region and a constant support for those who want to see the Brazilian people to fall under the joke of the Communism.
We have been patient enough with this situation for enough time.

For all this reasons we demand to the Bolivian goverment:
-To held a popular referendum in order to let the honest bolivian citizens choose a legitimate goverment on their own.
-To guide their nation to prosperity and far from the doctrines of Moscow.
-To disarm all their armed forces until the results of this referendum are made public.
-To grant Rights of Way to all chilean armed forces.
-To never posses any military air forces or armoured vehicles.
-To never possess more than fifty thousand soldiers mobilized.

Regarding the recent measures taken by the corrupt goverment of the United States of America, we publicly censure their conduct towards the honest japanese people. How is it possible that a nation of bankers and gangsters can understand the fate that drives a nation so glorious as the Empire of the Rising Sun?
If the goverment of Washington want to extort and suffocate the life of the japanese, they must know that the chilean shores and the chilean markets will be always ready to support their friends on the other side of the Pacific.
We suggest that trade between the United States and the Empire of Japan is resumed as soon as possible before further damage is inflicted in more innocent people.

-President Jorge González von Marées.

Frymonmon · Jan 15, 2014

European Front: January-June 1940

The German command on the ground, dealing with communications back in Berlin, are able to get sweeping authorisation to make changes to the overall command structure. Officers on the field would be given the ability to adapt to new situations, as an effort to improve German performance everywhere. More direct communications lines were established, using radios and fast delivery by ground and air.

At the same time, the British announced that an extensive review of the British Army would be conducted, Much to the dismay of the French, the new British force would not be able to deployed to France before the end of Summer, due to the desire for more training to take place for the British forces, and for new guns, and armour, to be produced for the army. The desire to ensure that the same mistakes incurred during the year prior were not repeated by the British Army. Fifty new divisions were slated to land in France in August, fully backed by almost two thousand new armoured tanks. The Irish, however, send several divisions of medical staff to the French, where they quickly disperse amongst the ranks of the French Army. Syrian soldiers, as well, arrive to help the French in their operations, and remain in Paris to bolster the defenses of the city.

With the British landing delayed in France, the French command immediately sets their sights on the fortification and defense of Paris, which took the remainder of the Armour possesed by the French, as well as the new ones created during the time, to bolster the defenses. French armour rumbled through Beauce, on watch for any Germans that could attempt to attack the city from the Southwest. Massive amounts of fighters and bombers littered the sky above Paris, constantly searching for the German soldiers and tanks, for fear of the German attack. By mid-March, it seemed to become apparent that no German attack was coming, but instead, terror began to rain down on Paris. The German A-4 Rockets, with production plants in Southern Germany working at maximum capacity, were targeted at Paris itself. The change in leadership in Germany, with Reich President Hitler retiring from public life, acting as the largely nominal figurehead of Germany, was deemed to be the biggest change in this step. A National Fascist, Reinhard Heydrich, was appointed the new leader of a unity government between the Fascists and the National Socialists, and his orders were to be a complete retaliation against the French barbarity. The rockets, previously used for bridges and airfields, were now targeted at any civilian institute possible. Precise calculations were made by the military, and an A-4 launched on April 19th, 1940, careened through the Louvre, destroying several priceless artifacts of works of art, Several more rockets were targeted at the Louvre, to ensure its complete destruction. By June, the Arc de Triomphe, Notre Dame, Montmarte and Tour d'Eiffel were all hit by the destructive rockets. Neighbourhoods were destroyed, and wide outbreaks of cholera and mysterious deaths raised fears of some German sabotage in the city. There was no defense from the rockets, even as French pilots attempted to shoot them down, should they be in the air and near it when it was screaming into the city.

Destruction from a single A-4 Rocket.

As the rockets rained on Paris, the German Army in France makes to attempt to capture the city, instead induces a massive campaign of destruction and devastation inside France itself. Every village and town the German Army could come near was decimated, and some even disappeared due to the extreme brutality of the German Army. A general withdrawal was ordered by the commanders on the ground, as units were shifted East to deal with the Communist invasion, and more defensible ground could be gained for the German Army versus the French. This was hampered due to French control of the skies, where bombers and fighters constantly hampered German movements. Panzers were put on rail and shifted to the Eastern Front, and a reduced force was put up against the retreating French. The major battles of both withdrawals took place mostly in Lorraine, where the French attempted to drive south to cut off the Germans, capture them all, and win the war easily.

Clearly, this course of action was not going to happen as heavy skirmishes began near Sarralbe, with German armour being able to smash forward operations by the French. Supplies for the Germans were low, as French bombing raids along the Rhine destroyed much of the supply lines for the Germans, meaning they ran constantly low on ammunition, reinforcements, and oil. The remainder of the goods were simply plundered from the French, and it became clear the French seemed to be winning this “Battle of France”. Casualty reports for the Germans were near double the French, and the Luftwaffe held only nominal control over the Rhineland, and no control in France proper. German planes were downed over France every day, as the French command looked to securing France first.

The major defeat for the Germans took place in Freyming, where the bulk of the two armies met, and a clear French air superiority caused hundreds of casualties in the opening moments of the battle. In a paradoxical notion, German reinforcements came from deeper in France, while French reinforcements came from the Rhineland, and at times, control of the city could not be determined at all, as fighting was taking place in nearly every inch of the city. Bombs from both sides were dropped, and planes, mostly Luftwaffe, fell from the skies into the city, causing even more hazards. The Germans were pinning this on being the destruction of the French Army, opening up the rest of France to their smaller forces. Luckily for the French, German operations against Metz, the crucial link for French supplies for their army, had failed, allowing the French to fight at full capacity, while the Germans were hampered by poor fuel, old equipment, and failing supply lines. The French had a clear armour advantage, with many of the German tanks either destroyed or sent East, but it meant little in Freyming, which was reduced to mere rubble by the onslaught and bloodletting. The French were able to mostly encircle the Germans, capturing some of their forces, and a grueling retreat through the mountains during May meant many of the Germans were tired, low on supplies, and having to abandon a lot of their equipment. They reached the city of Strasbourg, one of the few cities where the bridges weren’t blown, and the last German soldier left France on May 21st. The French, quick to act, reinforced the entire length of the Rhine river in France, and remained in occupation of Saarbrucken and Merzig, the last remaining remnants of control of the French inside Germany. Skirmishes in both of these cities held signs of a renewed German offense, but it was clear, from the disastrous results by the Germans, that the invasion of France had been an unmitigated disaster, with bombing runs in the Rhineland by the French resumed, leaving the Luftwaffe nearly powerless to stop most of them, as the majority of the air force was sent East to deal with the Soviets.

A German medic treating a soldier during the retreat from Freyming.

While there had been a retreat in the West, there was a full defensive stance in the East. Despite a minor disruption caused by British spies in Northern Germany, who were hanged, the first actions between German and Red forces were in the air. With only a few fighters in the West, the Luftwaffe put on a massive display of firepower in the East. The Red Air Force, split in three, was primarily composed of Polikarpov I-16 fighters, which met the Messerschmitt Bf 109 over the skies of Poland. The Soviet pilots, vastly more well trained than their German counterparts, were plagued with poor communications and surprise attacks by the Germans, as well as their surprisingly strong force. The Soviets had not planned on the Germans being able to transfer such a large amount of aircraft to the East, and had not planned for it as such. In a stunning maneuver, the Germans, after two weeks of fighting, brought air superiority to the skies over Poland, sheerly as a matter of their overwhelming force and better planes, causing a large drop in the number of skilled pilots for the Soviets. The Red Air Force was forced to retreat, only putting up minor resistance, where nearly fifty percent of the active aircraft in the region was decimated by the Luftwaffe.

Similar actions in the Baltic were taken, where the Red Air Force was tasked with attempting to destroy the defenses of Gotland, to prepare it for a landing and occupation by the Soviet forces. The main craft chosen for this was the Tupolev TB-3 bomber, which flew over the island, dropping their payload with ease, with the anti-aircraft gunners unable to bring many down due their slow speed and high altitude. The sudden attack was unknown to the Swedish, and the few German aircraft in the area, as they were quickly scrambled to deal with the new threat. The I-16 fighters attempted to prevent their take off, but the usage of anti-aircraft guns was able to not only take out a large amount of low-flying I-16s, but was able to destroy some of the lower Ilyushin DB-3 bombers, which had been aiming at the anti-air guns. The German Bf 109s soared into the air, many screaming past the slower I-16s, and taking down, for the most part, a second wave of TB-3 bombers. Only three Luftwaffe planes were brought down by the I-16s, as many 109s were able to punch above their weight in numbers, with one plane recording twelve kills, as the Soviet planes plunged towards the Baltic. Control of the sky shifted to the Germans, as fighting continued, until the Red Air Force was forced to withdraw, returning to their base in Latvia.

A crashed I-16 fighter being inspected by a German soldier.

A crucial miscalculation was made, however, as the information on the status of Gotland was not given to the Red Fleet, with was preparing for the naval invasion of the island, and high amounts of activity was discovered by German reconnaissance planes, along with the low-amount of activity, and slow scramble time, of the Soviet air defenses of Leningrad. With the war against Poland and Germany, the majority of their air fleet was in occupied Poland. A plan was devised, and German bombers, along with a light escort, made its way from Prussia to Leningrad, skimming the coast, before finding the first parts of the fleet underway in the Gulf of Finland. German dive bombers and torpedo bombers slammed explosives into the ships, many of which had little Anti-Air defenses on them, destroying the few that were underway. With the loss of communication between the ships and Leningrad, the Soviets begin preparations to send more ships out to investigate, but the Luftwaffe bombers close in on the city, with the target of the Leningrad shipyard firmly in sight, the I-16s could not scramble fast enough, as the Luftwaffe destroyed the airfields, and proceeded to destroy a large majority of the Soviet Baltic Fleet, as it was sitting in port.

The bombing of Leningrad was followed by several more bombings to destroy several of the remaining ships, but the Soviet Submarine fleet was able to escape the bombings, as well as the Battlecruiser V.I. Lenin, the former HMS Hood. With little cover and ability to defend itself, the Germans knew that it would be able to do severe damage to any German operations in the Baltic, and a search for the ship, thought to be crippled, was quickly put underway. Swedish ships, as well as the Luftwaffe, undertook the search for the ship, finding it limping towards Riga for repairs. The Luftwaffe quickly took to the skies, and sunk the ship, one of the major prides of the Soviet Union, captured from the British, quickly sank to the bottom of the Baltic.

Explosion of the Soviet ship V.I. Lenin after being hit by the Luftwaffe

With the skies over Poland controlled by the Luftwaffe, operations by the Soviets were severely hampered by this fact, but the planned three-prong invasion still commenced as planned. The first was to be led by Marshal Shaposhnikov, with forty divisions of rifles, and four of armour. Reserve forces were kept behind in Poland, due to massive partisan activity within Poland that was hampering supply lines, with bridges and railroads being blown up across Poland. Several factories seized by the Soviets were destroyed as well, and resistance in the “Liberated” land was nearly as fierce as the resistance in the “core” of Poland. The entire area was placed under complete martial law, but it did little to crush the spirit of the Poles. The brutal crackdown continued until a clear supply line could remain, uninterrupted, from the Soviet Union to the Soviet forces inside Germany.

The invasion of Prussia, tasked with capturing the Corridor and the entirety of East Prussia, was opposed by a force nearly twice as small as itself. The Germans, able to dig in, had some veterans from the front with France rushed to the area, along with several divisions of their own armour. German forces in Danzig, Elbing, and Konigsberg were quick to react to the new threat, with the main force of the Soviets driving to Allenstein, while the others ensured that no Soviets would be able to break through to the corridor. In a testament towards the Great War, Soviet forces were soundly defeated outside Allenstein, not far from the same site where the Battle of Tannenberg took place. The Soviets were able to escape without many losses, but the surprising setback showed that the Germans would not simply fold as they had expected. The city of Memel, however, easily fell to the Soviets, as they destroyed the weak German defenses, and were able to overrun the city. The defenses of Koingsberg, however, were well manned, and with the Soviet defeat at Allenstein, they did not assault the line, and simply held it for the time being.

While the Soviets had their own problems, several German Communist groups, funded by the Soviets, began to disrupt operations of the German army, primarily severing railroad links and blowing a few bridges, but their overall effect on the Germans was minimal, as many alternate routes were able to be taken.

The second prong of the Soviet invasion, occurring at the same time as the other two, was aimed at the centre of Germany. It was to be the main force which drove deep inside the country with hopes of eventually reaching Berlin. When hostilities started in March, it was estimated that this would be one of the main drives of the Soviet Army, the Germans were quick to reinforce it. While lightly consisting of only a few border divisions, and the men that invaded Poland, the influx of soldiers from the West was a prime help to the Germans, as the Soviets had reached the city of Posen by late April, despite the attempts by the Luftwaffe to efficiently repel them. A German counterattack came on May 1st, with the Soviets, unprepared for what was thought to be the full brunt of the German Army, smashed against them, driving them from Posen, and reeling back in retreat. The Soviet Army was able to hold the line at Plock, as the Germans began to attack, with many suspecting the Soviets to lose the city by the time fighting was resolved, due to the deep operations of the Luftwaffe.

Captured Soviet supplies by the German Army.

The one major area of massive Soviet success, however, was the capture of the German industrial centres in Silesia. Commanded by Marshal Zhukov, the Soviets were able to smash through the German defenses, which were significantly lower than the defenses in the Centre and North. The Soviet forces used their armour to penetrate the Germans ranks, as the Luftwaffe was occupied elsewhere. As the breach was opened by the Soviets, Red Army soldiers quickly flooded into the high important industrial region, cutting the Germans off from vital production abilities. While the Soviets were being repulsed all along the fronts, the Soviet Army was able to capture the city of Oppeln, as the Germans were forced to concede the town to the Soviets.

The situation for the Germans, however, seemed grim. Without any more divisions, it would be certain that the Soviets, with the ability to flood through both the gap in Silesia and to reverse the German defense in the north. While the Luftwaffe held a supreme control over the skies above Poland, it was known that Stalin, who upon hearing the news of the lackluster assault, ordered all the commanders jailed, shot, and then rescinded his commands before the orders were carried out. Stalin was expected to make a speech in Moscow over the actions by the Red Army, but many in the command knew, and even in the German command, was that if this was the assault of the full force of the Red Army against a few border divisions and some soldiers shifted from France, than the Soviet Union was going to have a difficult time to exact a complete invasion of Germany.

Casualties
~60% Captured. ~40% Dead/Missing/Wounded.

Western Front
German: 134,187 | 942 Tanks Destroyed
French: 42,692 (0% Captured) | 391 Tanks Destroyed

Eastern Front
German: 39,984 | 296 Tanks Destroyed
Soviet: 152,591 | 1,282 Tanks Destroyed

Mathrim · Jan 15, 2014

The President, The Widow and The Leader

Among the ranks of the KMT, the consequences of the Eight Congress of the Chinese Communist Party were entirely unexpected. It was widely assumed that the San-Min Doctrine was slowly being applied throughout the country, with the CCP accepting its role as an underling, and that Mao could desire to further reform the government was a surprize, although the ones who knew him and his doctrines argued that he had always wished for the establishment of true socialist state. Sun Yat-Sen had desired an United Front - or so was it claimed - but the KMT had always retained the moral heirloom of the founder of the Republic, or so it claimed. Even the Marxists of the KMT, who sought to conciliate the Doctrine with the Western socialist teachings, hadn’t imagined that the CCP would so abruptly break off with the KMT. There were justified concerns about the workings of the party, with the corruption that plagued it being the foremost, and also the hardest to eradicate. Yet the state capitalism that had been established seemed to be a valid model for the Chinese State.

The motion passed by Maoists during the Eighth Congress was thus a huge shock for the KMT. Cliques, coteries and clubs were in disarray and opposed each other over the course of action. Was Mao really willing to throw the country in a civil war? What would be the Soviet reaction? Feng Yuxiang was consulted by all parties, much to the dismay of General Cheng Chiang the current Minister of War, as his support could tip the balance in either side. Feng was close to the Soviets, even if he was no communist himself. And while he was corrupt himself, he knew that he had to play his cards right if he wanted to remain a strongman in China. Ideally, he wanted China and the Soviet Union to remain allies, but without Communist take-over. However, the stance of the Comintern was clear: the CCP was to be preserved. As Feng was meeting with Semyon Aralov, the Soviet ambassador, the President took it up himself to bring peace upon China and the KMT. His statement, that rejected violence, and still offered the CCP a chance to recreate the United Front was essential in breaking down the spiral that could have led to a civil war.

The old general managed to reunite the KMT, in an unexpected show of authority and charisma

Yan Xishan’s position of unaffiliated man weakened him in the daily affairs, but also gave him more power during crises, as he was seen as the man above the melee. He thus managed to unite all the important figures behind a common message, that was sometimes conflicting with itself, vague and confuse but that still offered the KMT the unity, shaky but real, it direly needed. For the first time in ages, since the Central Plains war as a matter of fact; a sort of party discipline was instigated. It did weaken the overall message of the KMT, as it was unclear, but also made sure that the party wouldn’t split over the affair of the status of the CPP. Meanwhile, negotiations over the negotiations began.

The CPP asked for the creation of Political Consultative Conference. The KMT - after consulting with the Soviets and Feng Yuxiang - agreed upon the idea. But then weeks were needed to finalize an agreement on how the real negotiations would take place. Six men from the KMT - Yan Xishan, Li Zongren, Sun Fo, Zhang Qun, Wang Jingwei and Feng - and six members of the CCP - Mao as head of the delegation, Zhou Enlai, Chen Duxiu, Wang Min and Zhang Wentian - met in Soong Ching-ling’s house in Shanghai. It is noteworthy that the members of the KMT that were represented weren’t all socialist but were all statists, who viewed that further enhancing the role of the state in the economy would benefit the people of China. It is this textbook approach to the San-Min doctrine that helped the two parties overcome their first differences, launching a process of positive negotiations. Soong’s support for the Communists was also not to underestimate as Sun’s widow had a very large influence over both parties. Sun Fo sometimes disagreed with her and as Sun Yat-Sen’s son he could disagree with her without endangering his own power, but overall she was still seen as a key person to the KMT.

Feng Yuxiang was there as a fellow member of the KMT but also wished to enhance the position of the Moscow faction of the CCP. He managed to sideline Mao during the early days of the negotiations, discussing the fact that Moscow had no desire to see his full demands implemented, and that the PCC should let other men lead the negotiations. Mao was infuriated, but ended up letting Zhou Enlai head the communist negotiations, strengthening the compromisers of the party, the ones who were considered that a partial implementation was better than no implementation at all. The Soviet clique was well-represented among the communist negotiators, and even if Mao’s positions were far too popular to be ignored, the consensus was thus towards a less radical outcome to the meetings.

Zhou Enlai during a break, picture taken by Zhang Qun

At the end of a three weeks of negotiations, the Shanghai Accords were signed. The CCP would rejoin the government. The next elections would include voters from communist sections,as well as cooperative and union leaders. The office of President would be given to a compromise figure belonging to either party. Yan Xishan was to remain President until the next elections. After the next elections, either Yan Xishan or Soong Ching-ling would become President. The Prime Minister would always be a member of the KMT. The ministries would be equally divided, and after each term, the ministries that were controlled by communists would end up controlled by Nationalists, and the other way around. The minister of War would be the exception, and would always be controlled by the KMT, with a communist veto on the man appointed, which ensured Feng’s continuous hold on power. Economically, a peaceful but powerful drive towards more central planning would be enacted, to end the capitalistic practices in place in the South. A Five-Year Plan would be undertaken, and the coordinating Bureau of the said plan would be equally staffed by KMT and CCP members. The bourgeois elements of the KMT would be allowed to retain their monetary wealth - with their assets nationalized - on condition that they produce auto-critics and repent. Lastly, cooperatives had to be encouraged in the countryside by the government as a whole, hailed forward as a Chinese way to implement the Third Principle.

These historical agreements meant that Mao’s power on the agricultural sector would be diminished, as he would lose his position as minister and the KMT would also endorse cooperativism, ending his monopoly on the subject. Zhou Enlai’s position was assured, as he was the man who could bind all the elements of the CCP together, but Mao was getting increasingly annoyed at the Bolshevik faction. For the KMT, the consequences were unclear, but H.H. Kung fled the country for Hong Kong as soon as news of the talks leaked out. China would from now on be truly socialist, but should the CCP push for even more power, it is doubtful the KMT would fold.

EasternBloc · Jan 16, 2014

The Syrian Arab Republic
الجمهورية العربية السورية

Anthem of Syria

From Syria's newly established Foreign Minstry

With the end of the effects of the provisions of the Treaty of Sèvres, the Syrian nation now can communicate it's voice into the world around us. We wish to first thank the French and British with their commitments through the years and invite their future cooperation for the Middle East. Currently the French diplomats now see our goal of Arab cooperation. To their contentions for our dream to become a reality, we offer the following comments:

*The Syrian Arabs see no reason to rollback Western education, languages, and culture. Our first priority is to see the Arab people brought together, not 'convert' other nationalities into Arabic. Thus, our government will allow French and English as minority languages and to be taught in public schools.
*While Syria's position on religion is very much secular, we will be willing to allow all people and minorities with Syrian citizenship to hold office and to join the army with a pledge of allegiance to Syria.
*Though we find our neighbor Lebanon's population to be Arabic much like ourselves, we will agree to a census and referendum in the Lebanon province.

On the topic of territorial exchanges, the Syrians shall seek negotiations for the provinces of French Lebanon, Mandatory Palestine, and if possible the British protectorate of Iraq. In respect to their former efforts in said regions, the Syrian government can offer British and French to be a minority language of former colonies and allow the British and French to retain certain economic facilities that were under direct control of their government.

We hope that both France and Britain consider our offers, and that our cooperation as allies benefits all parties and the Middle East as a whole.

On regional diplomacy in the Middle East

One cannot overlook peace as one of our goals for Arabs, Iranians, Turks and all the people of the Middle East. Thus, Syria shall be seeking stronger ties with the nations of Saudi Arabia and Iran, as well as the goal of disarming our tensions with Turkey.

To the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, the Syrian Foreign Ministry sees the importance that two sovereign nations of Arabia be with strong relations for the benefit of our Arab people. One cannot under-look the idea of Pan-Arabism, whether a united country or not, working together. Thus we will be more than pleased to form the starting bonds of Arab strength in the international world.

To the Iranian Foreign Ministry, as two modernizing states, it is obvious that a conflict between the two only slows down their process. Here we'd like to began Arab-Iranian relations now to ensure no economic or political rivalry develops between us in the future.

To the Turkish Foreign Ministry, with the current tensions between our nations, we find it very much unnecessary, and the building of Turkish fortifications seem to be a sign of distrust and go no where for progress. The Syrians would like to see that our tensions are largely ended and set aside to see that another Great War never plagues the Middle East again. We would find it appropriate that our two nations began a process of improving our unfriendly relations.

-Foreign Minister of Syria, Nasuhi al-Bukhari

Mathrim · Jan 16, 2014

OOC: Hejaz has been annexed by the Saudi TTL too.

Dadarian · Jan 16, 2014

Poblacht na hÉireann

The destruction of the work's of the ancient French, a pious people who created mighty monuments to honour the Holy Trinity, by the Godless and Barbaric German Race.

He is a Kind God, a Loving God and a Patient God. However he will not forgive this. He will never forgive this. The atrocities of the German Race shall never be forgotten by God or Man. After the end of this war, the Irish Clergy and the Irish Government shall dedicate itself to rebuilding the Notre Dame and every church building that was destroyed during this accursed war.

I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I fear no evil, for You are with me; Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me.

Ceannaire Déan M. O'Flanagan, Cumann Caitliceach na hÉireann, Archbishop of Dublin and Primate of Ireland

Ceann Dia, Tír hAon, a hAon Daoine
Unum Deum, unam patriam, unum gente

EasternBloc · Jan 16, 2014

Mathrim said:
OOC: Hejaz has been annexed by the Saudi TTL too.

OOC: Ok, I was a bit confused on who ruled there. A little editing should do the trick.

Stormbringer · Jan 16, 2014

The Zhou Enlai “Coup”

Zhou Enlai has been a senior figure in the CCP for many years. He was instrumental in establishing relations between the CCP and the Comintern, a key player in the creation of the United Front, and has contacts with many men who trained at the Whampoa Academy. He has been a member of the CCP Politburo since 1927 and has been the Chairman of the CCP Central Military Committee since a year earlier. Although Zhou Enlai was one of the first to come to believe that Socialism in China must be built in the countryside (long before Mao Zedong), he has remained aloof from Mao Zedong’s Jiangxi clique. And in 1940 he quietly took into his own hands control over the CCP and over much of China’s government.

The 1940 Emergency Party Congress of the CCP has been described by some observers as a “coup” by Mao Zedong. Emboldened by his election as Chairman of the CCP two years earlier Mao demanded that the CCP withdraw from the United Front unless the KMT agrees to more radical socialist policies. Many in the CCP, including Zhou, shared Mao’s frustration with the direction of the country under the KMT government. At the same time few saw confrontation with their United Front partner as the path forward, and even fewer had any desire for a civil war in the country.

In the four weeks before the meeting of the Political Consultative Conference Zhou met privately with Semyon Aralov, Feng Yuxiang, and Soong Ching-ling. By the time he arrived at the PCC he, and others within the CCP and KMT close to the Soviet Union, had a clear message - the country must take a left turn, lest Mao’s ideas about ending the United Front gain support. Under pressure from Soong Ching-ling and Feng Yuxiang (and his Soviet friends) Yan Xishan acquiesced. When discussion turned to what exactly the new policies would be it turned out that Zhou Enlai already had a program prepared.

First and foremost the PCC would become a permanent body - a platform for the United Front to reach the necessary compromises. It would be with this body’s approval that a President would be nominated and informal discussions at the PCC would largely determine the shape of the country’s government. A broad outline for a Five Year Plan was agreed to - largely along Soviet lines. Workers’ cooperatives would be established in the industrial sector to parallel those in agriculture. And in the countryside Zhou Enlai made sure that the government would bring its power to finish the establishment of cooperatives everywhere in the country.

Equally as importantly are the changes to come to the National Revolutionary Army. With Feng Yuxiang back in charge the NRA will fully incorporate those CCP commanders who fought in Manchuria against the Qing and against Japan. The remaining right-wing strongholds in the NRA will be dismantled. Elsewhere, it is agreed that all government committees and bodies must have members from both parties, and at least one independent member. And finally, below the national level, party officials would not hold government posts in order to prevent the domination of different regions by different parties. Altogether one could imagine that the United Front would function as a single, large, political party might, with the CCP and KMT corresponding to large blocs within it.

Mao Zedong’s popularity would remain a problem. He had been shut out of the agreement between the CCP and the KMT, but he remains popular. And his cooperative movement has been a booming success. And so one way, or another, Mao and other members of the CCP would have to work together. But given Zhou Enlai’s track record so far this does not seem impossible.

firelordsky · Jan 16, 2014

Kingdom of Hungary
Magyar Királyság
Regnum Hungariae

Magyars!

In the last few months, Germany has shown their true intentions for Europe. They seek to destroy centuries of culture and history as proven by the complete and horrendous destruction Paris has undergone at the hands of Germany trough their rockets. The Louvre, Arc de Triomphe, the Cathédrale Notre Dame de Paris, the Montmartre, and La Tour Eiffel have all been ruthlessly destroyed, not as just "bystanding buildings" near military targets, but as the true targets of the German rockets. I shall never forgive this treachery upon all of Europe, for who is to say that as Germany is nearing its end, it won't mercilessly target Budapest, Prague, or Vienna? I shall not let anymore years of cultural expansion go to waste and as such, the Dohany Street Synagogue shall be rebuilt along with countless other Hungarian bulwarks of our culture! Never again shall Hungary be sacked and burned by our enemies! Our ashes shall be our foundation for a new Hungarian Golden Age!

~Pál Maria Alois Antal Miklós Victor, Palatine of the Kingdom of Hungary, in Service to King Vilmos of the House Bernadotte

Noco19 · Jan 16, 2014

Republic of Austria
Republik Österreich

Austrians,

Not content with destroying the present, the Nazi Regime has taken to defiling history as well, demolishing ancient structures and culture with the launch of a rocket. Surely, there can be no justification for this atrocity, for such sites posed no threat or importance to the war effort, working only to exterminate what is held sacred. The Austrian State stands alongside the words of Hungarian Palatine, Pál Maria Alois Antal Miklós Victor, for we mustn't allow similar damage to be inflicted any further, be it any nation. As a plea to the misguided German people, look! See what your leadership have wrought, sorrow and destruction.

His Eminence, Cardinal Theodor Innitzer, Archbishop of Vienna, has relayed his expressed condolences to the French peoples, and seeks to hold service this week to honor our downtrodden Catholic brethren who face foreign aggression. May we pray for those lost in the attacks, and for the souls of those who issued such crimes.

- Chancellor Karl Buresch

Frymonmon · Jan 16, 2014

Authorisation of Use of Military Force by President Franklin Roosevelt for the Protection of the United States

SENATE
YAY: 84
NAY: 12
ABSTAIN: 0

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
YAY: 339
NAY: 95
ABSTAIN: 1

KeldoniaSkylar · Jan 16, 2014

OOC: Because RNN is being silly:

IC:
The current extent of the USN's naval exclusion zone shall extend as pictured (use the EEZ - I don't have time to redraw the map) or to 5 nm from the East Indies coast (when no EEZ is specified). As such no foreign war vessels shall be permitted in the zone, those vessels containing war materials or weapons of any kind shall be directed into the nearest port and these materials seized. Vessels found in gross violation of these rules shall be confiscated. Furthermore, any ship that attempts to run the zone and does not stop for inspection by the USN shall be forfeit.

OOC: Because people don't understand what a naval exclusion zone is, a naval exlcusion zone prohibits the movement for foreign warships and ships transporting war materials through a region.

Afaslizo · Jan 16, 2014

A letter from Germany

At the start of the century some men made the prediction that war was becoming obsolete and in fact impossible given the interconnection of European economies and the cumulate effect of European cultural heritage. Then the Great War broke out and everything went down. In the east, mighty revolutions broke apart the last vestiges of feudalism, in the west the warriors thought to bleed each other to dead. From that moment on, reason was cast aside by emotion and the final peace reflected it. The loser was painted to be solely responsible even though everyone could see it was not that simple. Thus it was deemed that the German nation should be let to slaughter defenseless against any enemy trying to take advantage of that as the disarmament clauses of Versailles never were upheld by the principal powers but only advertised as a means to make the loser even more weak than the actual dismemberment vantaged. Be it as may from that moment on it was clear that this could not stand for long as man does not willing kneel to masters or once free people easily become slaves again. Whether the victors calculated that to find a casus belli for the new round is up to them.

This letter is not there to ask who was right, because in my opinion, in our opinion a war is allways wrong. What could be right if mothers and children cry, fathers bury their own sons, people mindlessly slaughtered, cultural heritage destroyed. Is the city of Paris more important than the cathedrals of Trier, Cologne and Speir, the cultural heritage of German Rhineland? The outcry seems to suggest that. So it is okay that France destroys the cultural heritage of Germany but any retalation is forbidden. We think that the thought alone is to be forbidden. As a human life the cultural heritage even of a well contructed home should be preserved, no matter in which country it is found. No man should die just for some crazy sheme of the high and mighty. No parent should even have to cry for his or her child and killing itself should be condemned. What use is the culture when the thin veil is just ripped away whether he is a democrat, a communist or a fascist? What lies beneath is plain to see: A beast only concentrated to kill, hurt and rape. That and not the common heritage, art and culture seems to be the common bond of Europeans.

The White Rose calls for an end to this war and all wars: Soldiers, can you bear your mothers' eyes upon what you do and what you have become? How is it possible for you to kill other men, hurt their wives and molest their children? What should happen if this would be your family? Throw down your weapons, soldiers! If a nation is an excuse to kill and destroy it is worthless and the epitome of inhumanity! Throw down your weapons and stop the killing! Man was made to create and not to destroy, life does not rise from total destruction, it needs warmth and light to flourish. End this war! End all wars now! There is still a chance if you stop to obey in this mindless slaughter!

Your sister, daughter but maybe never mother

Sophie Scholl, citizen of Europe and Earth

White Rose Peace Movement

Two days after these letters were found all over Europe Heydrich ordered her arrest and execution as a traitor who undermines the morale but the order was never to be carried out as the church she prayed in with whatever cultural heritage it had was bombed this night by French pilots and she and other young activists perished in the fires.

Mathrim · Jan 16, 2014

République Française
French Republic

La Marseillaise

To the world

On this day, we stand victorious. The Hunnic hordes have been beaten back, and soon the German people will be freed from the tyranny regime that has ruled over it for too long. But the cost has been too high. How come the word stood still when it happened? Nations of the world, you must help France. Not because it is France, nor out of hartred for the German nation, but because terror must be opposed.

France did cause a lot of destruction in Germany. But we aimed at the infrastructure, at the facilities, not at the people. We wanted to be victorious and to stop the enemy war machine. This is gruesome, but so is war. The ethnocide conducted by the Germans had no point, militarily. They do not wish to defeat us, they wish to end us. This is more than a war crime.

I ask the Dutch, Belgian and Luxembourgian governments to look upon their actions. You made peace with Germany. You left the bulk of the French army alone, prone to getting encircled. We avoided this disaster, but not thanks to you. One million civilians were killed in a few months, as you let the Germans have their ways. They were ruthlessly executed, bombed and poisoned. This could have been avoided. The fault lies with the German administration. But you also hold a part of responsibility. This was not meant to happen. Are you going to stand idle as France, your ally a few months ago, is facing the worst barbarity ever witnessed upon earth? The Germans didn't try to win, they tried to eradicated the French nation. Are you going to simply watch as civilians are mercilessly getting slaughtered? We ask for your help. I wish you would see reason and would join arms with us once more. But you can send medical supplies, food, consummation goods, every bit of help you send to relieve the burden of the French people would be appreciated. Years ago, when the British destroyed the cities of the Black Sea, a surge of international help was seen. But the damages that time were incredibly lower than what we have now witnessed. I ask you to do the right thing, and to fight barbarity.

I address the same requests to the nations we once saw as allies. The Germans went too far. Are the Czechoslovak, Yugoslav, Romanian, Danish, Greek and Bulgarian people truly going to let this slide? This atrocity is not the unavoidable face of modern warfare. It can be avoided. It must be. Join arms with France, for democracy but also for everything that you hold dear. Ethnocide is the worst crime that one could commit. Neutrality in front of horror is the same as complicity. By standing idly, you allow the Germans to murder and murder again. This is not a question of territories or of treaties. This is a war for mankind as a whole, and for civilization.

Our allies have been reluctant to fight for us. This I can understand. The Canadians do not want to die in a foreign country. But do they value culture? Do they value civilization? Do they consider that freedom and slaughter are equally valuable? Do the right thing. I do not ask you to destroy Germany. I value the German civilization, the one that the German administration is destroying, but I ask you to protect the civilians of France and of the world.
To India, we have shown goodwill. Are you going to let this cooperation be for nothing? You rose up against oppression, but has a country ever been as oppressed as the French territories have been? Do what you have to do, and fight to protect lives. Heydrich's beast must be put down as fast as possible, to allow for a free and fair Germany to be reborn. France has no territorial claims on Germany. We fight for freedom, not for land.
ANZAC soldiers fought bravely during the Great War. I hope they will fight even more bravely now that the stakes are higher. It isn't a war between conflicting empires. It is the defence of civilization and peace against the spectre of horror and slaughter. It is the good fight, the most just war of all times.
Britain wishes to help us, and we do not forget the men who were captured in the Rhineland. But the withdrawal of your troops hurt us, and enabled to Germans to kill more peaceful citizens than they would have been otherwise. We no longer defend a treaty, we oppose barbarity. I also ask you to send medical supplies, and all help you can spare to rebuild what the Germans destroyed.

Do the right thing.

Albert Lebrun, President of the French Republic

Stormbringer · Jan 16, 2014

The United States has unilaterally expanded its claims to open seas off the shores of the Philippines to 100 nautical miles. This expansion places a number of Chinese islands, such as the Scarborough Shoal and the Spratly Islands within alleged American territory. The islands have been ruled by China since the Yuan Dynasty in the 12th Century and continue to be so today. China, of course, rejects American attempts to annex Chinese territories and will direct its naval forces to the Scarborough Shoal and the Spratly Islands in order to defend them from the American threat.

Given the belligerent nature of the American actions towards China it has been found necessary for China to suspend the implementation of the Sino-American Treaty signed in 1933 until the situation is resolved.

EDIT: to include map.

Frymonmon · Jan 16, 2014

GM Note: The following nations can send in 3 more war orders. The United Kingdom, France, Germany, Italy, The United States of America, and the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics

Stormbringer · Jan 16, 2014

Brief history of Chinese politics post-Civil War

Immediate post-Civil War period was characterized by the struggle between Chiang Kai-shek and Wang Jingwei. After the downfall of Chiang Kai-shek Wang Jingwei emerged as the senior leader, until he gradually lost power to Li Zongren and other generals and bureaucrats. In 1940 the “Second United Front” brought Wang Jingwei back to the forefront of national politics, this time in cooperation with the CCP.

1929 - 1932: President Chiang Kai-shek and Premier Wang Jingwei
1932 - 1937: President Yan Xishan and Premier Wang Jingwei
1937 - 1940: President Yan Xishan and Premier Li Zongren
1940: President Yan Xishan and Premier Wang Jingwei

The full composition of the Executive Yuan following the establishment of the Second United Front is given below. A number of key developments are worth noting:

1. Few decisions are made without first being reviewed by Zhou Enlai, and his official positions understate his power in the government. His close associate Liu Shaoqi is responsible for the daily operations of the government and personnel decisions.

2. Zhang Qun and his associates continue to hold a lot of sway, largely due to their ability to work with the CCP. Zhang Qun himself is now second in the Foreign Affairs Ministry, but his associates remain in charge in the Justice Ministry, Land and Natural Resources Ministry, and in the Finance Ministry. Chang Li-sheng has taken over from Mao Zedong the Agricultural Development Ministry and will oversee the expansion of agricultural cooperatives.

3. Mao Zedong himself has been elevated to First Vice Premier, but likely has lost a lot of actual power. With agriculture out of his hands he has no direct policy influence. His only close associate in the government is Zhu De, in charge of integrating former Communist forces into the National Revolutionary Army.

4. Two men emerge as key players in the economic policy sphere. Chen Yun is chosen to chair the State Planning Committee that will write the Five Year Plan and Wang Jingwei has seen his associates elevated in a number of key positions. Wang Jingwei’s closest associates now hold the Medium and Light Industry and the Construction Ministries. Chen Yun’s men are responsible for the Heavy Industry, Coal Industry, and Energy Ministries.

5. Within the CCP the reorganization is a clear victory for non-Maoist “native” Communists. Zhou Enlai and Liu Shaoqi have already been mentioned as have Chen Yun’s men. Zhang Guotao is promoted back to his previous position in charge of Regional Development. And Peng Zhen and Li Lisan will now oversee Health and Welfare and Labor and Social Affairs.

President : Yan Xishan (KMT)
Vice President : Soong Ching-ling (KMT)

Speaker : Sun Fo (KMT)
Vice Speaker : Dong Biwu (CCP)

Premier : Wang Jingwei (KMT)
First Vice Premier : Mao Zedong (CCP)
Vice Premier and Minister of Defense : Feng Yuxiang (KMT)
Vice Premier and Minister of Foreign Affairs : Zhou Enlai (CCP)
Vice Premier : Lin Sen (KMT)
Secretary General : Liu Shaoqi (CCP)

Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs : Zhang Qun (KMT)
Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs in charge of relations with the USSR : Zhang Wentian (CCP)
Vice Minister of Defense : Li Zongren (KMT)
Vice Minister of Defense in charge of integration of the Red Army : Zhu De (CCP)
Vice Minister of Defense in charge of military construction : Chen Cheng (KMT)
Minister of Finance : Yen Chia-kan (KMT)
Minister of Commerce : Wang Jiaxiang (CCP)
Minister of Internal Affairs : Chen Jitang (KMT)
Vice Minister of Internal Affairs : Bo Gu (CCP)
Minister of Justice : Wang Ch'ung-hui (KMT)
Vice Minister of Justice : Wang Ming (CCP)
Minister of Tibetan and Mongolian Affairs : Chen Yi (KMT)
Minister of Land and Natural Resources : Weng Wenhao (KMT)
Minister of Agricultural Development : Chang Li-sheng (KMT)
Minister of Heavy Industry : Li Fuchun (CCP)
Minister of Medium and Light Industry : Chen Gongbo (KMT)
Minister of Defense Industry : Peng Dehuai (CCP)
Minister of Shipbuilding Industry : Cheng Qian (KMT)
Minister of Coal Industry : Bo Yibo (CCP)
Minister of Energy : Gao Gang (CCP)
Minister of Construction : Zhou Fohai (KMT)
Minister of Regional Development : Zhang Guotao (CCP)
Minister of Transportation and Communications : Deng Xiaoping (CCP)
Minister of Information : Chang Tao-fan (KMT)
Minister of Education : Wang Yun-wu (KMT)
Minister of Health and Welfare : Peng Zhen (CCP)
Minister of Culture : Hu Shih
Chairman of the State Planning Committee : Chen Yun (CCP)
Chairman of the Labor and Social Affairs Committee : Li Lisan (CCP)
Chairman of the Science and Technology Committee : Eugene Chen (KMT)
Chairman of the Committee for State Security : Chen Mingshu (KMT)
Chairman of the State Bank : Yu Hung-Chun (KMT)

KeldoniaSkylar · Jan 16, 2014

According to Chinese documents related to the territory of China, the areas that China claims are not based in fact. Indeed the recently published Map of All Chinese provinces reveals that China's Southern most territory is that of the island of Hainan, and that those islands other islands are not part of China. As China had not asserted its sovereignty or affected actual control of the territory, the Chinese claim is spurious and without basis.

As further evidence, the 18th-century map "Carta hydrographica y chorographica de las Islas Filipinas" (1734) shows the Scarborough Shoal then was named as Panacot Shoal, and sovereignty over the shoal was effectively transferred along with the Philippines.

[Forum Game] World in Revolution: 1920

Captain

GM/Brutal Werewolf Leader

Recruit

President of California

Captain

Major

Captain

King of Queen's

Major

Major

Paragon of Naïveté

Little Creole

President of California

Private

Creativity and Chaos

Captain

Major

President of California

Major

Private