Note: this AAR has been written after the game was completed, and so it won't be as detailed as some, and lacks screenshots. Difficulty was Normal, AI aggressiveness was normal, Fog of War was off.
In 1836, Japan was a backward nation at the edge of Asia. Compared to neighbouring China, it had a tiny population of roughly 20 million. It had no technology, 5 divisions of irregulars, and 2 factories - Wine, and Liquor. The task of modernizing this country would prove to be a long and arduous one, and resulted in many late nights and screaming headaches; or, just plain screams.
For the first four years, Japan sat still. With a daily income of roughly 35$ (pounds), I gathered cash to purchase technologies from the Dutch. First on the list were basic Commerce improvements, and in 1837 Japan opened its first large scale banks after successful trades. Cash flowed in faster, and by 1839 Japan (not being able to do much else) had accumulated roughly 20,000$. Still, it had nothing to use the money for - the Dutch were unwilling to part with anymore technology.
However, in 1840 a day came when Japan faced a choice. The Dutch had sent envoys, seeking to open Japan to the world. After much debate, I decided to accept the envoys, and went on to accept "Trade for Technology", and received basic technologies in all of the research disciplines. Japan could now build steel facotires, railroads, small arms, artillery, and train a navy and army of Regular Infantry.
The first batch of factories were quickly constructed, but further development was halted due to a lack of Machine Parts. There was, at the time, no supply of them on the world market. Still, with 2 factories in each province, and Lumber, Cement, and Steel being produced at a decent amount daily, Japan was ready to begin constructing its first railroads. By 1842, all of Japan had a basic RR infrastructure.
(Note: this was done before the patch was applied, so each Level 1 Rail cost 5,000$)
All of this was not without cost. The people of Japan were furious at the quick modernization, and abandonment of the old ways (Militance 10 for every citizen). Needless to say, controlling the revolts was a nightmare. With only 5 irregular divisions, and 2 Regular Infantry, it was near impossible to control the riots that raged between 1840 and 1848.
All seemed hopeless. Money was no problem, and during that time Japan colonized - and successfully claimed - Okinawa, Amami, the Bokin Islands, all of Mikronesia, and.. the other group of islands near New Guinea, including New Britain and Caledonia, the name of which escapes me right now. Anyway, With these colonies Japan was finally gaining Prestige on the world stage, and proving itself to be a strong power. I realized the only way to bring Japan to the top would be to accumulate as much Prestige as possible, as fast as possible, at the cost of anything else. Yet with the rebellions, Japan was still in chaos (Note: There were at least 3-4 rebellions each month, and Militancy decreased at the speedy rate of -0.01.. it was tiring to even play).
But slowly, with government reforms (Pensions, Work Hours, and Unemployment wages set to Low), the rebellions died down. Machine parts were now available, and new factories were opened: Explosives, Fertilizer, Ammunition, more Small Arms and 3 more Steel Mills. Japan was now producing fabric, clothes, and luxury cloths, as well as Lumber, furniture, Luxury furniture, and Canned Goods. Income was steadily improving, and research was focused heavily in the Industrial and Naval sector.
By 1856, Japan was recognized as a Great Power. It was time to expand industrial might by conquering Korea. For the next 5 years, Japan created a new army, complete with Artillery and Cuirissar attachments, and navy of Steamer Transports (though I still lacked the capability for any other new Steamers). A two pronged attack was planned - 4 divisions from the North, 8 Divisons from the South. The first battles were successful. Armies marched quickly to Seoul to secure the capital, controlling all the provinces southward; the Northern army moved south and west, pushing the Korean army farther and farther towards the chinese border, bottling them up. Victory seemed immenent; yet, because I had swept through so fast, my rear was exposed, and the Korean Irregulars reappeared in the South - in small numbers, but no less annoying. The army was recalled and, within a year and after dozens of small engagements, all provinces had been secured. The Korean army had been annihilated, and it was Annexed forthwith.
By 1860, the first facotires in Seoul and Pyongyang were opened; by 1861, each Korean province had at least 1 factory - some two, some three. Rails were been constructed at break-neak speed. Japan's industrial power doubled, then tripled, bringing it by 1865 to a sound 250. It was still ages behind the European powers, but it was growing. To the North, Japan claimed the small island off the coast of China, after purchasing half the claim from the nation. It was claimed and promptly modernized with rails.
Between 1860 and 1870, there were revolts once again, but this time in Korea - and, this time, the rebels were facing many divisions of Regular Infantry. They were summarily crushed. Industry continued to improve, and with the advent of Early Railroads, a bottleneck in production was eliminated. By 1872 Japan and Korea were both modernized with new rails, new factories, and the first ships in a new navy were constructed. In 1873 30 Commerce Raiders, complete with Corvette attachments, were completed and deployed to Nagasaki. Japan had no need for the aging designs of Imperialist Britain and France - it would skip quickly ahead to the construction of Cruisers, Battleships, and Dreadnoughts. The focus of production was on Cement, Lumber, Steel, Ammunition, Small Arms, and Artillery. With Tropical wood from Micronesia, Luxury Furniture was now cheap to produce, and so was also a major export.
Yet still, even at rank 10, Japan was no match for the European powers. I set my sights to Annam and Cambodia. There is little to detail here, as they had no military, and the campaigns were short and efficient. With 8 divisions, Japan swept through to Cambodia, annexing and civlizing the small nations in the Thai area. When the dust cleared, in 1876, Japan controlled the land from Saigon, to Bangkok, to Rangoon. The Malaysian peninsula proved to be a mighty industrial area, with 56 POPs. Burma was not nearly as useful, but still, it produced some clothes and dyes. Annam quickly became a centre for steel, and Japan became the leading producer of Steel and Artillery in the world.
What followed was a period of rapid industrialization. The major wall was, once again, railroads, or lack thereof. But in 1880, Japan discovered Iron Railroads, and in 1882, Steel Railroads. It would not suffice to have any less than a perfect Rail structure; construction began immediately, and did not stop until 1886, when Japan, Korea, the Pacific Islands, and Malaysia had all a network of Steel Rails.
At this point, Japan had roughly 1300 Prestige, and 700 Industrial Power. Yet Germany and Austria, who had for a great time done nothing, were now plowing ahead with twice the number of Presitge and Industry just mentioned. I was now at rank 5, but would still fall behind if I did not take radical action. I turned my eye to the unclaimed areas of India, unnoticed by the British, and still uncivilized by Japanese standards. Landing in the West with 6 Divisions, I quickly took Karachi, and carved a path around the British satellite countries, all the way to Indore. In addition, I claimed the two provinces at the southernmost tip of India as my own. In all, the campaign boosted Japan to 2000 Prestige.
Yet still, even with all of this work, Japan was no match for Germany. With the invention of Steel Steamers, the Japanese fleet was now under full construction. The Ironclads and Monitors, like the Men of War and Frigates, were overlooked as outdated, or soon-to-be-obsolete, models. But Japan now had the technology for Cruisers, Heavy Cruisers, and Battleships. Luckily, the Artillery I had produced was not being exported, but instead stockpiled, as well as with Steamers. Within 5 years of continuous construction, after importing thousands of tons of Canned Goods (which Japan lacked), the Japanese fleet numbered over 100 modern, ferocious warships. By 1891, the fleet consisted of over 75 Battleships. Japan's Military Power was quickly rising after having been neglected so long.
It soon became clear that there was only way to earn the status that Japan so rightfully deserved: China must be conquered. Such drastic action would require hundreds of thousands, if not millions, of soldiers. Defence spending and army maintenance, which had been at 10% and 50% respectively for so long, were increased to the maximum. The idea of Universal Suffrage had been considered, but a Democracy, it was concluded, would not be a suitable form of government for the campaigns that lay ahead. The people of Japan were now treated to Good Healthcare, Good Wages, Good Saftey Regulations, Good Pensions, Good Unemployment insurance, and a Free Press (although to maintain industrial might, there was still only a 14 hour limit on workdays), yet they still were ruled by the Iron fist of the Shogunate. Research had progressed steadily, focusing still in the Naval-Industrial sector, turning to Commerce only when needed to continue with Railroads and Industry. Culture and Army were all but ignored, but the time would soon come for Army researched. Iron-Breached Loaded Artillery and Machine Guns would soon prove to be decisive factors in the campaign ahead.
The Northern border of Korea was fortified with 100,000 troops under the command of General Ueno; to the South, in Annam and Burma, the main invasion force was prepared. 3 groups of 10 divisions, 7 groups of 5 divisions, 15 groups of 2 divisions, and 10 groups of 1 division were amassed on the southern border of China, bringing the invasion force to a total of 1,150,000. Such a force was an absolute necessity for an invasion of China, the ancient Land of the Dragon. With 140 land divisions on their side, it would be a brutal conflict.
The strategy was a simple one. The invasion force was divided into four groups; one moved North along the Tibet border to Xichang, on East along the Southern coast to Hong Kong and Shanghai, the other two moving up through the middle. The smaller, cavalry divisions raced ahead to secure the provinces while largest infantry divisions moved forward quickly, without pause, to meet the Chinese forces. The smaller divisions worked their way throughout each province, linking up at Beijing. Smaller forces were landed at Shanghai and also two provinces to the south, comprised of 3 Cavalry divisons each, to cut West. They would hold the line while the smaller infantry divisions in the south worked their way north, bottling up the Chinese armies in the area into a final battle near Beijing.
The time was right, in 1902, when the Russians declared war on China. Most of their forces had been moved to the Northern front, as Russia, with their superior technology (but smaller forces) moved into the Northernmost provinces of China. In their weakness, the time was right to strike.
The first battles were swift. Each army cut a swath through the Chinese provinces as planned, the largest armies moving North, the smaller ones securing the rich coastal provinces. Difficulties arose when the Chinese moved 300,000 men south to Xichang to meet the force of 90,000 there. The other armies raced westward, only 3 provinces away, to secure the battle, while an primarily Artillery unit of 40,000 moved North to cut off the Chinese army from reinforcements. In the end, the Chinese were decimated to a man.
Still, though, they proved to be worthy opponents. The conquests in the southern provinces proved difficult as Chinese Irregular units appeared seemingly out of nowhere. Yet, after many victories, these units were able to moved north, reaching the area just south of Bejining.
After the battle of Xichang, the main invasion force continued northward, to reach the Russian front. The Chinese were now pinned: to the South, the Japanese; to the North, the Russians. They had only a single string of provinces between the two giants. The Southern forces had reached Beijing. The forces in Korea had been able to hold the line against the Chinese incursions. Victory was at hand.
But, being careful, I felt it wise to regroup and reinforce before the final battle. The stragglers, having been pushed North over and over, were now mounting a final counterattack that I had not been prepared for. In a final battle of unprecedented proportions, the Chinese hurled themselves at my forces with 400,000 men, reinforcing with 100,000 every 5 days. The elements of the Army of the ToKugawa shogunate were holdng the line, but were overwhelmed. The other armies had been moved Westward to meet the other forces, and were left surrounded. Their numbers dwindled. Reinforcements arrived from the Southeast, but for every division the Chinese added three. The battle was hopeless.
And then, when defeat was near, saviours arrived: the Russian army, having done nothing for months, finally massed 250,000 soldiers and moved them south to join the battle. The Chinese were quickly broken, and scattered. It was a supreme day of victory for the Japanese people.
But the trials were not over: the Russians signed a peace treaty with the Chinese, returning their borders to pre-war status, and the armies of Japan were left to conquer all of the Northern provinces themselves when the Russians pulled out. This had not been expected. The Chinese army was broken, ruined, in tatters. They would be no match. But their reserve divisions were now being called upon, and were moving to Beijing. First 5, then 10, then 20, then 40 divisions, all Irregular but dangerous nonetheless. The armies in the south, already bruised from the continues fighting of small, partisan forces, had no choice but to move north to meet the threat.
The armies in the north now had to secure all of the provinces; it was a race against time, for if the Chinese were able to mount a large scale counter-offensive in Beijing, the war would perhaps be lost. The Japanese forces were at roughly 40%, and, with the continuous fighting on all fronts, there was no time to reinforce. Morale was critical.
On the eve of July 23rd, 1903, the final battle in the war was fought in Beijing. The northern armies were securing the final provinces, Mazar I Sharif and Feyezarbad, but the fighting in the West had already begun. The armies of the South were defeated quickly by the Chinese Irregulars, having massed with nearly 1,000,000 more troops. When the dust cleared, victory over the nation of China would be decided by the force that could more quickly secure the final province: if the Chinese controlled Beijing before Mazar I Sharif was taken, all was lost. The Campaign would be a failure. The race was a tense one. With Beijing 88% under Chinese control, Mazar I Sharif was finally taken. China was annexed. Total victory went to Japan.
Having saved well over 4,000,000$, and with a daily income of 5,000$, there was no time wasted in modernizing China. Everywhere, rails were built, factories constructed. No longer was Japan producing fabrics and furniture, small arms and artillery; now was the time for Automobiles, Electric Gears, Telephones, Steamer Shipyards, Aeroplane factories, and tank factories. Within one year, the Factories of China were running and online in all provinces.
The conquest of China secured Japan's place as the mightiest nation in the world. With 3,300 prestige, it had passed all other countries. At the beginning of the war, Japan had roughly 1,500 industry (England had 900, Germany 3,300). With the full modernization of China, and the subsequent factory expansions in Edo, Kyoto, Hokkaido, Nagasaki, Kyushu, Seoul, and Saigon, Japan now had 5,000 industry. During the years of 1906-1908, there were small wars fought to claim Kashmir, Tibet, Nepal, and the other small nations in the area, which garnered Japan a further 400 prestige.
The economy was on the rise. By 1911, Japan had 5,500 industry, 3,800 prestige, and 450 military power. But England, of course, would never be content with this. Most unfortunately, I had slacked off, and deployed all of my forces to Satsuma, thinking the border with the English in India was safe. It was not. In September of 1911, the English declared war, and quickly overran the areas of Karachi and Nepal. The forces in China, having spent the last 5 years putting down dozens of rebellions, were reinforced and recalled to Dali, where a massive counteroffensive was planned. With well over 500,000 troops, Japan rolled overtop of the English pigs, crushing them in their arrogance and stupidity. Now having Tanks and Bolt Action rifles, the English were no match for the might of Japan. Yet still, they would not quit in India, and were troublesome in the extreme. They refused to fight any decisive battles, but rather deployed single divisions to every province available. In the end, it was decided that a peace agreement would be the best end to the war. Japan gave England Indore to assuage them, and to placate them while additional forces were moved to the area.
In 1912, with the advent of Integral Rail systems, and with China having completed rail roads in all provinces to the previous maximum extent, Japan increased its industrial efficiency to 100% in all provinces. Within 1 year, every province in the empire was fitted with the new rail system, and industrial capacity soared higher and higher, reaching 7,500 by 1917. England continued to militarize the border of Burma, with over 1.5 million men. Japan responded, sending dozens of divisions to increase the defenses. The English were successfully held at bay, but not for long. The English, their treaty having expired already, and the Russians both declared war in 1919. The Russians, at this point, had an army so unworthy as to even mention, but the border was fortified nonetheless. This was enough of a deterrent to halt their attacks.
In the South, Japan was not so lucky. In Rangoon, the final battle of the game was fought with over 1,000,000 men on each side. The British fought hard, striking with cavalry and artillery; but they were no match. Japan had finally surpassed the Europeans, and drove them back into India. But the Japanese forces did not follow; they sat, reinforced, and prepared for more attacks. The Empire had already been consolidated; strength and might already displayed. There was no need for further bloodshed. The English had learned their lesson, and need not have been pursued. They never came back.
By December 31st, 1920, Germany and Austria had once again surpassed Japan for Prestige, but not in Industry. With 8,500 Industrial might, Japan finished the game in first place. It was a hard battle. The final score: Japan, 17502; Germany, 14204. The rest aren't worth mentioning.
In 1836, Japan was a backward nation at the edge of Asia. Compared to neighbouring China, it had a tiny population of roughly 20 million. It had no technology, 5 divisions of irregulars, and 2 factories - Wine, and Liquor. The task of modernizing this country would prove to be a long and arduous one, and resulted in many late nights and screaming headaches; or, just plain screams.
For the first four years, Japan sat still. With a daily income of roughly 35$ (pounds), I gathered cash to purchase technologies from the Dutch. First on the list were basic Commerce improvements, and in 1837 Japan opened its first large scale banks after successful trades. Cash flowed in faster, and by 1839 Japan (not being able to do much else) had accumulated roughly 20,000$. Still, it had nothing to use the money for - the Dutch were unwilling to part with anymore technology.
However, in 1840 a day came when Japan faced a choice. The Dutch had sent envoys, seeking to open Japan to the world. After much debate, I decided to accept the envoys, and went on to accept "Trade for Technology", and received basic technologies in all of the research disciplines. Japan could now build steel facotires, railroads, small arms, artillery, and train a navy and army of Regular Infantry.
The first batch of factories were quickly constructed, but further development was halted due to a lack of Machine Parts. There was, at the time, no supply of them on the world market. Still, with 2 factories in each province, and Lumber, Cement, and Steel being produced at a decent amount daily, Japan was ready to begin constructing its first railroads. By 1842, all of Japan had a basic RR infrastructure.
(Note: this was done before the patch was applied, so each Level 1 Rail cost 5,000$)
All of this was not without cost. The people of Japan were furious at the quick modernization, and abandonment of the old ways (Militance 10 for every citizen). Needless to say, controlling the revolts was a nightmare. With only 5 irregular divisions, and 2 Regular Infantry, it was near impossible to control the riots that raged between 1840 and 1848.
All seemed hopeless. Money was no problem, and during that time Japan colonized - and successfully claimed - Okinawa, Amami, the Bokin Islands, all of Mikronesia, and.. the other group of islands near New Guinea, including New Britain and Caledonia, the name of which escapes me right now. Anyway, With these colonies Japan was finally gaining Prestige on the world stage, and proving itself to be a strong power. I realized the only way to bring Japan to the top would be to accumulate as much Prestige as possible, as fast as possible, at the cost of anything else. Yet with the rebellions, Japan was still in chaos (Note: There were at least 3-4 rebellions each month, and Militancy decreased at the speedy rate of -0.01.. it was tiring to even play).
But slowly, with government reforms (Pensions, Work Hours, and Unemployment wages set to Low), the rebellions died down. Machine parts were now available, and new factories were opened: Explosives, Fertilizer, Ammunition, more Small Arms and 3 more Steel Mills. Japan was now producing fabric, clothes, and luxury cloths, as well as Lumber, furniture, Luxury furniture, and Canned Goods. Income was steadily improving, and research was focused heavily in the Industrial and Naval sector.
By 1856, Japan was recognized as a Great Power. It was time to expand industrial might by conquering Korea. For the next 5 years, Japan created a new army, complete with Artillery and Cuirissar attachments, and navy of Steamer Transports (though I still lacked the capability for any other new Steamers). A two pronged attack was planned - 4 divisions from the North, 8 Divisons from the South. The first battles were successful. Armies marched quickly to Seoul to secure the capital, controlling all the provinces southward; the Northern army moved south and west, pushing the Korean army farther and farther towards the chinese border, bottling them up. Victory seemed immenent; yet, because I had swept through so fast, my rear was exposed, and the Korean Irregulars reappeared in the South - in small numbers, but no less annoying. The army was recalled and, within a year and after dozens of small engagements, all provinces had been secured. The Korean army had been annihilated, and it was Annexed forthwith.
By 1860, the first facotires in Seoul and Pyongyang were opened; by 1861, each Korean province had at least 1 factory - some two, some three. Rails were been constructed at break-neak speed. Japan's industrial power doubled, then tripled, bringing it by 1865 to a sound 250. It was still ages behind the European powers, but it was growing. To the North, Japan claimed the small island off the coast of China, after purchasing half the claim from the nation. It was claimed and promptly modernized with rails.
Between 1860 and 1870, there were revolts once again, but this time in Korea - and, this time, the rebels were facing many divisions of Regular Infantry. They were summarily crushed. Industry continued to improve, and with the advent of Early Railroads, a bottleneck in production was eliminated. By 1872 Japan and Korea were both modernized with new rails, new factories, and the first ships in a new navy were constructed. In 1873 30 Commerce Raiders, complete with Corvette attachments, were completed and deployed to Nagasaki. Japan had no need for the aging designs of Imperialist Britain and France - it would skip quickly ahead to the construction of Cruisers, Battleships, and Dreadnoughts. The focus of production was on Cement, Lumber, Steel, Ammunition, Small Arms, and Artillery. With Tropical wood from Micronesia, Luxury Furniture was now cheap to produce, and so was also a major export.
Yet still, even at rank 10, Japan was no match for the European powers. I set my sights to Annam and Cambodia. There is little to detail here, as they had no military, and the campaigns were short and efficient. With 8 divisions, Japan swept through to Cambodia, annexing and civlizing the small nations in the Thai area. When the dust cleared, in 1876, Japan controlled the land from Saigon, to Bangkok, to Rangoon. The Malaysian peninsula proved to be a mighty industrial area, with 56 POPs. Burma was not nearly as useful, but still, it produced some clothes and dyes. Annam quickly became a centre for steel, and Japan became the leading producer of Steel and Artillery in the world.
What followed was a period of rapid industrialization. The major wall was, once again, railroads, or lack thereof. But in 1880, Japan discovered Iron Railroads, and in 1882, Steel Railroads. It would not suffice to have any less than a perfect Rail structure; construction began immediately, and did not stop until 1886, when Japan, Korea, the Pacific Islands, and Malaysia had all a network of Steel Rails.
At this point, Japan had roughly 1300 Prestige, and 700 Industrial Power. Yet Germany and Austria, who had for a great time done nothing, were now plowing ahead with twice the number of Presitge and Industry just mentioned. I was now at rank 5, but would still fall behind if I did not take radical action. I turned my eye to the unclaimed areas of India, unnoticed by the British, and still uncivilized by Japanese standards. Landing in the West with 6 Divisions, I quickly took Karachi, and carved a path around the British satellite countries, all the way to Indore. In addition, I claimed the two provinces at the southernmost tip of India as my own. In all, the campaign boosted Japan to 2000 Prestige.
Yet still, even with all of this work, Japan was no match for Germany. With the invention of Steel Steamers, the Japanese fleet was now under full construction. The Ironclads and Monitors, like the Men of War and Frigates, were overlooked as outdated, or soon-to-be-obsolete, models. But Japan now had the technology for Cruisers, Heavy Cruisers, and Battleships. Luckily, the Artillery I had produced was not being exported, but instead stockpiled, as well as with Steamers. Within 5 years of continuous construction, after importing thousands of tons of Canned Goods (which Japan lacked), the Japanese fleet numbered over 100 modern, ferocious warships. By 1891, the fleet consisted of over 75 Battleships. Japan's Military Power was quickly rising after having been neglected so long.
It soon became clear that there was only way to earn the status that Japan so rightfully deserved: China must be conquered. Such drastic action would require hundreds of thousands, if not millions, of soldiers. Defence spending and army maintenance, which had been at 10% and 50% respectively for so long, were increased to the maximum. The idea of Universal Suffrage had been considered, but a Democracy, it was concluded, would not be a suitable form of government for the campaigns that lay ahead. The people of Japan were now treated to Good Healthcare, Good Wages, Good Saftey Regulations, Good Pensions, Good Unemployment insurance, and a Free Press (although to maintain industrial might, there was still only a 14 hour limit on workdays), yet they still were ruled by the Iron fist of the Shogunate. Research had progressed steadily, focusing still in the Naval-Industrial sector, turning to Commerce only when needed to continue with Railroads and Industry. Culture and Army were all but ignored, but the time would soon come for Army researched. Iron-Breached Loaded Artillery and Machine Guns would soon prove to be decisive factors in the campaign ahead.
The Northern border of Korea was fortified with 100,000 troops under the command of General Ueno; to the South, in Annam and Burma, the main invasion force was prepared. 3 groups of 10 divisions, 7 groups of 5 divisions, 15 groups of 2 divisions, and 10 groups of 1 division were amassed on the southern border of China, bringing the invasion force to a total of 1,150,000. Such a force was an absolute necessity for an invasion of China, the ancient Land of the Dragon. With 140 land divisions on their side, it would be a brutal conflict.
The strategy was a simple one. The invasion force was divided into four groups; one moved North along the Tibet border to Xichang, on East along the Southern coast to Hong Kong and Shanghai, the other two moving up through the middle. The smaller, cavalry divisions raced ahead to secure the provinces while largest infantry divisions moved forward quickly, without pause, to meet the Chinese forces. The smaller divisions worked their way throughout each province, linking up at Beijing. Smaller forces were landed at Shanghai and also two provinces to the south, comprised of 3 Cavalry divisons each, to cut West. They would hold the line while the smaller infantry divisions in the south worked their way north, bottling up the Chinese armies in the area into a final battle near Beijing.
The time was right, in 1902, when the Russians declared war on China. Most of their forces had been moved to the Northern front, as Russia, with their superior technology (but smaller forces) moved into the Northernmost provinces of China. In their weakness, the time was right to strike.
The first battles were swift. Each army cut a swath through the Chinese provinces as planned, the largest armies moving North, the smaller ones securing the rich coastal provinces. Difficulties arose when the Chinese moved 300,000 men south to Xichang to meet the force of 90,000 there. The other armies raced westward, only 3 provinces away, to secure the battle, while an primarily Artillery unit of 40,000 moved North to cut off the Chinese army from reinforcements. In the end, the Chinese were decimated to a man.
Still, though, they proved to be worthy opponents. The conquests in the southern provinces proved difficult as Chinese Irregular units appeared seemingly out of nowhere. Yet, after many victories, these units were able to moved north, reaching the area just south of Bejining.
After the battle of Xichang, the main invasion force continued northward, to reach the Russian front. The Chinese were now pinned: to the South, the Japanese; to the North, the Russians. They had only a single string of provinces between the two giants. The Southern forces had reached Beijing. The forces in Korea had been able to hold the line against the Chinese incursions. Victory was at hand.
But, being careful, I felt it wise to regroup and reinforce before the final battle. The stragglers, having been pushed North over and over, were now mounting a final counterattack that I had not been prepared for. In a final battle of unprecedented proportions, the Chinese hurled themselves at my forces with 400,000 men, reinforcing with 100,000 every 5 days. The elements of the Army of the ToKugawa shogunate were holdng the line, but were overwhelmed. The other armies had been moved Westward to meet the other forces, and were left surrounded. Their numbers dwindled. Reinforcements arrived from the Southeast, but for every division the Chinese added three. The battle was hopeless.
And then, when defeat was near, saviours arrived: the Russian army, having done nothing for months, finally massed 250,000 soldiers and moved them south to join the battle. The Chinese were quickly broken, and scattered. It was a supreme day of victory for the Japanese people.
But the trials were not over: the Russians signed a peace treaty with the Chinese, returning their borders to pre-war status, and the armies of Japan were left to conquer all of the Northern provinces themselves when the Russians pulled out. This had not been expected. The Chinese army was broken, ruined, in tatters. They would be no match. But their reserve divisions were now being called upon, and were moving to Beijing. First 5, then 10, then 20, then 40 divisions, all Irregular but dangerous nonetheless. The armies in the south, already bruised from the continues fighting of small, partisan forces, had no choice but to move north to meet the threat.
The armies in the north now had to secure all of the provinces; it was a race against time, for if the Chinese were able to mount a large scale counter-offensive in Beijing, the war would perhaps be lost. The Japanese forces were at roughly 40%, and, with the continuous fighting on all fronts, there was no time to reinforce. Morale was critical.
On the eve of July 23rd, 1903, the final battle in the war was fought in Beijing. The northern armies were securing the final provinces, Mazar I Sharif and Feyezarbad, but the fighting in the West had already begun. The armies of the South were defeated quickly by the Chinese Irregulars, having massed with nearly 1,000,000 more troops. When the dust cleared, victory over the nation of China would be decided by the force that could more quickly secure the final province: if the Chinese controlled Beijing before Mazar I Sharif was taken, all was lost. The Campaign would be a failure. The race was a tense one. With Beijing 88% under Chinese control, Mazar I Sharif was finally taken. China was annexed. Total victory went to Japan.
Having saved well over 4,000,000$, and with a daily income of 5,000$, there was no time wasted in modernizing China. Everywhere, rails were built, factories constructed. No longer was Japan producing fabrics and furniture, small arms and artillery; now was the time for Automobiles, Electric Gears, Telephones, Steamer Shipyards, Aeroplane factories, and tank factories. Within one year, the Factories of China were running and online in all provinces.
The conquest of China secured Japan's place as the mightiest nation in the world. With 3,300 prestige, it had passed all other countries. At the beginning of the war, Japan had roughly 1,500 industry (England had 900, Germany 3,300). With the full modernization of China, and the subsequent factory expansions in Edo, Kyoto, Hokkaido, Nagasaki, Kyushu, Seoul, and Saigon, Japan now had 5,000 industry. During the years of 1906-1908, there were small wars fought to claim Kashmir, Tibet, Nepal, and the other small nations in the area, which garnered Japan a further 400 prestige.
The economy was on the rise. By 1911, Japan had 5,500 industry, 3,800 prestige, and 450 military power. But England, of course, would never be content with this. Most unfortunately, I had slacked off, and deployed all of my forces to Satsuma, thinking the border with the English in India was safe. It was not. In September of 1911, the English declared war, and quickly overran the areas of Karachi and Nepal. The forces in China, having spent the last 5 years putting down dozens of rebellions, were reinforced and recalled to Dali, where a massive counteroffensive was planned. With well over 500,000 troops, Japan rolled overtop of the English pigs, crushing them in their arrogance and stupidity. Now having Tanks and Bolt Action rifles, the English were no match for the might of Japan. Yet still, they would not quit in India, and were troublesome in the extreme. They refused to fight any decisive battles, but rather deployed single divisions to every province available. In the end, it was decided that a peace agreement would be the best end to the war. Japan gave England Indore to assuage them, and to placate them while additional forces were moved to the area.
In 1912, with the advent of Integral Rail systems, and with China having completed rail roads in all provinces to the previous maximum extent, Japan increased its industrial efficiency to 100% in all provinces. Within 1 year, every province in the empire was fitted with the new rail system, and industrial capacity soared higher and higher, reaching 7,500 by 1917. England continued to militarize the border of Burma, with over 1.5 million men. Japan responded, sending dozens of divisions to increase the defenses. The English were successfully held at bay, but not for long. The English, their treaty having expired already, and the Russians both declared war in 1919. The Russians, at this point, had an army so unworthy as to even mention, but the border was fortified nonetheless. This was enough of a deterrent to halt their attacks.
In the South, Japan was not so lucky. In Rangoon, the final battle of the game was fought with over 1,000,000 men on each side. The British fought hard, striking with cavalry and artillery; but they were no match. Japan had finally surpassed the Europeans, and drove them back into India. But the Japanese forces did not follow; they sat, reinforced, and prepared for more attacks. The Empire had already been consolidated; strength and might already displayed. There was no need for further bloodshed. The English had learned their lesson, and need not have been pursued. They never came back.
By December 31st, 1920, Germany and Austria had once again surpassed Japan for Prestige, but not in Industry. With 8,500 Industrial might, Japan finished the game in first place. It was a hard battle. The final score: Japan, 17502; Germany, 14204. The rest aren't worth mentioning.
Hope that helps.
