Imperial Hearts (Pt. 4 Austrian Image Heavy Mega campaign)

[Forster]

Great ending. Are you going to include a link to the Stellaris continuation here?

 

[TheCreator901]

And Rome is an Ideal, The Original Roman Empire died when Constantine split the Empire and the original republic died when Caesar was named Dictator for life. Its less about 'being' the Roman Empire, its about having the prestige so great that you are considered an equal to it that you may bear its name.

Couldn't have said it better myself

 

[TheCreator901]

And then Gandhi was corrupted by the teachings of evil Nazi Gandhi and decided to replace his curry with nukes. He fulfills his destiny to conquer the universe and declares himself Gandhi, Conqueror of Worlds, Ruler of Everything, Keeper of the Atom.

Gandhi II should be a nuclear maniac

 

[TheButterflyComposer]

Gandhi II should be a nuclear maniac

You mean Ghandi 2.0?
We can rebuild him gentlemen, we have the technology. Faster, stronger, more peace loving than ever before! Set to the max!
But what should happen if he embraces democracy?
HAHAHAHAHA, that shall never happen!

 

[TheCreator901]

You mean Ghandi 2.0?
We can rebuild him gentlemen, we have the technology. Faster, stronger, more peace loving than ever before! Set to the max!
But what should happen if he embraces democracy?
HAHAHAHAHA, that shall never happen!

Gandhi 2.0 shall bring peace with nukes

 

[zenphoenix]

Gandhi 2.0 shall bring peace with nukes

Peace and FREEDOM with nukes! Everybody will be free and equal...in death.

 

[TheCreator901]

Peace and FREEDOM with nukes! Everybody will be free and equal...in death.

Heaven is a communist society but many commies are atheist

 

[zenphoenix]

Heaven is a communist society but many commies are atheist

So Hell is capitalist?

 

[TheButterflyComposer]

So Hell is capitalist?

It is certainly based on a pyramid scheme.

 

[TheCreator901]

So Hell is capitalist?

Well in Islam, muslims who are sent to hell can go to heaven after serving time in hell. Which sounds a lot like capitalism. The few manage to get lucky...

 

[TheButterflyComposer]

Never let it be said that this thread doesn't take you to many places.

 

[dragoon9105]

Epilogue Part 2: Ain't that a kick in the head

(Crown of the Russian Empire, Painted 1945 amidst the Russian Restoration)
​

Elsewhere in the world social and political advancements seemed to evolve entirely separate of those in India, Europe and America. None was more pronounced than Russia, who after decades of Communist rule once again had it's monarch. The independence of Ruthenia, Poland and Lithuania had weakened the once great power considerably and for the most part isolated it from the world at large as it dealt with its many internal problems following the second world war.

(Photo from the Novgorod War Criminal Trials, 1946)
​

With his country restored and at peace Czar Alexander had decided it be best to start efforts to destalinize the country immediately. This was done via the Novgorod trials where over a thousand Soviet officers were tried for war crimes, in most cases by their own peers who had the good fortune of defecting before the country's surrender.

It was here that Soviet Leadership was called to answer for Stalin's purges, his desecration of the church, treason against countryman and Czar alike. In most cases there was no real defense for Soviet Officers besides simply 'Following Orders' and the phrase 'Good Russians' had begun to be tossed around as an insult referring to those that had allowed the Communists to murder entire families without cause.

​

By the 1950's the Russian Duma, and constitution had been reconstructed with provisions banning extremist parties on both ends as well as Fascist and especially communist propaganda. Depicted Stalin, Lenin and other Soviet leaders and symbols outside of approved history texts was a crime worthy of over five years in Prison. The Red Star, later was ruled to be too vague an Icon to legaly ban and was exempt from the law, though only after a major court hearing.

(Anton Khrushchev First Prime Minister of the Second Russian Empire, 1960)
​

The New Russian Government had been reconstruction through a combination of the Military Leadership, headed by General Zhukov, and Anton Khrushchev another former soviet leader who defected to the Holy Romans roughly a month after the fall of Moscow. After giving several charged speeches on the Evils of Stalinism Khrushchev was appointed as the Prime Minister of the Russian Empire, he would hold the position his mysterious death in 1971.

(Prime Ministers Khrushchev and Ragnar Beck talking over the Russo-Scandinavian Treaty of Friendship, 1961)
​

Scandinavia in this time, had managed to remain much as it was, a middling neutral power in Europe fueled by it's social democracy and relatively liberal democracy for the region. With Ex Russian states having a cold attitude towards their former overlord it was here that Khrushchev and Czar Alexander found friendship, forming the Government off the Scandinavian Model with a distinct Russian flavor.

This had displeased the Holy Roman Empire somewhat as Russia was expected to drift back into the Empire's sphere of Influence but as time went on Czar Alexander's statements to the Duma, saying that "Russia Must Go it's own way into the future, as we always have, as we always will'. were taken with more and more credibility.

​

The Military's considering Influence over the Czar might have contributed to this approach somewhat. While Russia slowly drifted into a sense of Normalcy each step down from the provisional government had been done as the Military's mercy. Pro military candidates won their elections far easier and more frequently than Liberal or Socialist candidates and Media reporting of the goings on of the Military was almost nonexistent.

(Kolonia-Panama Highway project construction, 1950)
​

In South America the Imperial regime had picked up mostly where Cosimo von Brasilia had left off, finishing the Unification of the Continent via highways. Unsure how to govern the vast expanses the land authority was put back into the hands of local democratic governments and appointed governors. Much of the actual work in expelling Fascism from the continent had been done by Von Basilia in the years prior when the dictator was trying to reinforce his own reign, separate from his party. In Argentina and Columbia resistance was more substantial but not at violent levels as the memory of the Atomic bombings was sharp and a shadow of fear now hung over the continent.

(Celtic Children and civilians after being evicted from homes near Paris)
​

In Occupied France and Southern Britain, the Empire made a rather controversial move for post war reconstruction. In 1947, Great Scotland agreed to keep the evacuated Civilians that had been moved north during the Battle of Britain. Meanwhile movement within the Empire to Northern France and Southern Britain was encouraged and in fact subsidized.

It was of course hard to convince civilians to move into a war zone and by 1955 the Empire had decided to stop being quite so nice. The Occitans were relatively easy to deal with, there was of course an existing state for them in Occitania and so the borders of the Vassal state were expanded to cover South France. For the Celts in Northern France and South Britain there was no such state, and so thousands of Celtic Families under were paid a small pittance for their homes and evicted and forcibly seeded throughout the Empire.

​

In a decade's time the French countryside had been redrawn or demolished by government action and the land was repurposed for use as airfields, farmland or cheap template based housing developments for soldiers retiring and wishing to find a place to settle down. Breton, and French bans in the Empire were enforced yet again and the practice continued far into the 1950's until public outcry eventually stopped the forced relocation part of the reconstruction reforms.

(Nova Rouen the Second City of Lights, 1958)
​

In an effort to ensure the new Housing developments worked, the Holy Roman Empire subsidized a large variety of architectural and and industrial development projects. Whether it fell through the cracks or was intentional, several notable Italian 'Businessmen' had made the discovery that settled Imperial soldiers in Normandy had voted to legalize Gambling, among certain other vices, and had capitalized on it immediately. The city of Rouen, which was practically leveled during the war was brought up en masse by these business men, and played host to American styled Casinos and Hotels.

Nova Rouen, as it was called, was only a small section of the former city, but quickly (and likely with some well placed bribes) received a township just as the Gambling laws in Normandy were overturned. Through a technicality the town kept its status and after initial setbacks, exploded to become the popularly known 'Second City of Lights' as larger and more expensive casinos were constructed within the tiny township as more customers flocked to the City of Sin.

(IH-10 'Orkan' Helicopters dropping off Imperial troops in Cameroon, 1971)
​

The major event of course that dominated world news was the ongoing african conflict. By 1970 the Lindi Civil war had escalated until the Imperial Military announcing an official intervention, which would mean more troops, and the deployment of revolutionary new weapons technology such as the Helicopter.

(ALF Soldiers firing mortars on Imperial Positions, 1972)
​

Against the Empire and Loyalist forces were the combined Afrikan Liberation Front or ALF, a Joint Independent and Communist rebel army backed by the Mali. The War in Lindi was unlike anything ever quite experienced by the Empire before, as traditional tactics had failed completly and utterly against a foe who held no cities, had many leaders and could disappear into the jungle in an instant.

Without a clear goal on how to win the war, the Imperial Afrika Corp had implemented 'Zählung der Toten' or 'Body Count' which said that success would be measured in the numbers of enemy dead. They were high, naturally but so were Imperial casualties.

Media outlets in the world over had begun labeling such tactics as needlessly cruel and in some cases, actually criminal as Napalm and other weaponry employed on Rebel held cities and villages took civilian and guerilla fighters alike to the grave.

(Afrika Corp I-50L 'Leopard) Lying in wait on the Malinese line, 1974)
​

By 1974 Kaiser Claudius had decided he had about enough of the war in Africa and ordered the head of the snake cut off or the war needed to be abandoned, the head of the snake of course meant Mali. This caused some difficulty as Mali was a nuclear power, but the Kaiser was not alone in this insistent as Military command was growing ever more desperate to find some solution to the Afrika problem. Imperial advisors, perhaps not quite understanding the extent of the problem and the Afrika corp, unwilling to face the embarrassment of defeat made sound arguments in favor of invasion.

Mali was Invaded a year later, and throughout thrashed by Imperial forces. The Nuclear weapons werent used initially, though this changed in 1976 as Imperial Tank divisions closed on the Republican capital. Four Nuclear Missiles in total successfully launched, two of which impacted Holy Roman troops in the ground in Mali. The Third was damaged and detonated over the Sahara, files confiscated from the Mali would later reveal it's intended target was Vienna. The Fourth, Landed in Rome.

(Artistic Depiction of the Nuclear attack on Rome, 1976)
​

The Grim Irony was that the Holy Roman Empire had gotten lucky in that much of Mali's nuclear Arsenal was still aircraft born weapons that were easily shot down or captured over the Sahara. Mali also had twenty more nuclear missiles ready for launch but had commanders either unwilling to fire the weapons or the silo's had already been captured. Rome of course was not lucky, almost the entire college of Cardinals as well as the Holy Father and much of the ancient city had been incinerated.

For years afterwards the Catholic world would mourn the lost off it's capital to the communists, and the Hubris of the Empire had come crashing down on it for allowing such a disaster to happen. The advisors that supported the Mali invasion strategy were sacked as well as the Generals who insisted the strategy was sound and that Mali did not have intercontinental Nuclear Capability.

(Richard 'Tricky Dick' Mason Californian Independence Party Leader)
​

In the US, the memory the last shred of Legacy of Arthur Macdunn's Legacy of Californian Independence had died with the Conflict in Africa. It too, by obligation had sent troops to the dark continent and lost hundreds to the Nuclear attack at Kumasi and countless more against african freedom fighters. The consequences were harsh, as the formerly unpopular Californian Independence Party harnessed the grief caused by the attacks and campaigned for a Calexit from it's Status as a Holy Roman Dominion, and the Joining of the Continental Union as an honest member instead of a 'Tag Along'.

The Election's of 1978 would speak volumes as the Independence Part swept elections, and immediately began to petition the Empire for independence under threat of revolution. Imperial Leadership, couldn't afford a second colonial war, and ultimately would be forced to let California go, as a gesture of good faith California did agree to keep Claudius as a symbolic head of state, citing the reasons for independence more on a corrupt Imperial Bureaucracy rather than the royal house itself.

(Flag of the Continental Union)​

California went out, and then it Jumped right back in, this time into it's own group of friends, Joining with the Americans and Templar in 1980 via the 'North American Federal Unification Accord' or NAFUA', Canada and Mexico would later join the Federation, New Anglia and Haiti however refused, the former stating it would only join if Louisianna was returned to it, and Haiti preferring to stay in good graces with the Holy Roman Empire, its number one trading partner.

The Continental Union was in a sense just a new level of federal government on top of existing Nation governments. Each country still held most freedoms in government and electing its own people but would also be responsible for holding continental elections that elected officials to the 3rd Continental Congress which would set foreign, social and economic policy. The incentives to join, such as the 'borderless' economic and migration policy within its borders, the continental military (which allowed smaller states a much more powerful military for self defense) and heavier weight in foreign negotiations were enough to finally seal what had been an endeavour centuries in the making.

(Napalm attack in the Congo, 1978)
​

Rather than back off, California's exit and betrayal had forced the Empire to go 'All In' on its Africa strategy lest it look weak. Imperial General Gustav 'Burner' Barulia would later state:

"We said Damn the consequences and Damn popular opinion, The Empire does not lose it's wars, and so we went on, we burned half the country to the ground till there was no place left to hide"

Barulia's statement would summarize Holy Roman military strategy going forward, as massive swathes of jungle were cleared with Napalm, or in some cases where it was suspected the enemy had tunnel networks too extensive to dig out, tactical nuclear weapons. For two more years the Holy Roman Empire would attempt to 'beat the rebellion out' of its African colonies and ultimately had succeeded though many suspect it was more due to a heavy lack of supplies due to the fall of Mali, and Imperial threats to invade any future countries that dare attempt to support African Independence.

It is estimated that 1 out of every 4 people in the Dominion of Lindi died or was wounded in the civil war, In Mali that number was 1 in 8. For the Holy Roman empire over four million troops had died in Lindi alone, as well as almost the entire Population within the Roman blast radius. By 1982 the pyrrhic victory in Africa had turned sour, as Lindi's destroyed infrastructure had led to crippling amounts of debt and bankruptcy. The Dominion was divided apart by what ethnic lines remained, and the successor states given autonomy on levels equal to Japan and the Former dominion of California.

(Child Holds up a Californian Republic Sign, during the 1984 Recession)
​

In America, California was now feeling the strain of it's own choices. America has had been feared, dominated the popular vote, and had continually favored it's own interests first, which meant trade with predominantly rural countries willing to buy American. The Valuable markets of Africa, China and the Empire itself were effectively closed off thanks to tariffs that had been in place since the 19th century.

By 1984 Oil Prices skyrocketed across the Union as wells across the Southern United Stated dried up, Alaska while part of California had wells primarily by Imperial companies. The Americans were very firm, nationalize the wells but doing so would sour relations with the Empire. What didn't help matters was the promised 'great economic union' had benefited primarily those that could win the elections, California meanwhile was running out of water, out of money, it's people were running out of patience.

In 1986 the Californian Independence Party returned to the political scene and it was beginning to look like California was preparing for it's second divorce. Of course, there was a bigger problem, becuase there always was in America. Since 1980 at least 50 nuclear Silos were suspected to have been built using Continental funding in California's territory. With California nearly 150 Missiles were expected suddenly be California's, an effective gun pointed directly at the rest of America. None of this would be confirmed publicly of course, though America and the Knight's Templar remained firm in the stance that California would not be allowed to leave at any cost.

(IF-551 'Shark II' on an airstrip on Hawaii, 1987)
​

Emperor Claudius stated his intent to support California if it intended to leave, Followed by a similar declaration from India that California had been unfairly treated due to capitalist greed. The Indian statement was hollow, a gesture to hedge bets in the future should California not fall back into the Empire's waiting lap. The First statement however had pulled world tensions to a breaking point in an instant. The Californians proceeded and set a date in 1990 for a second referendum, and the world began to hold it's breath, and prepare troops.

(Astronaut, Arthur Julius waves from the International Space Station, 1988)
​

Amidst it all, Progress was still being made. The International Space Station had been completed in August 1988 from the efforts of the UNSA, funding had come from nearly all member Nations. There was perhaps some hope even with storm clouds gathering below that Humanity could find some unity in pursuits beyond the tiny blue sphere called earth.

​

 

[zenphoenix]

The Tsar restored! Sad to hear that Lindi has become Vietnam times ten and that Rome was nuked, but at least you're still in control of the world.

 

[dragoon9105]

Well...Africa is going to go independent, unless the empire does something truly genocidal. At that point, the rebels will rip each other apart, possibly even worse than what happened in our timeline. North Africa might be okay, since there's loads of Germans there and Mali recovering as a power to keep things in line but everything south of the desert is going to be a warzone for the next decade or so.

Well on the bright side, Africa wont be a war zone in the future. But thats becuase of that healthy radioactive glow. On the bright side there could be worse Solo Superpowers to inherit the world, heaven knows what'd happen if a Fascist state won alone.

Interesting about the North American Union thing being attempted again. They never say die, do they? That might be the thing that pushes the two big powers into a war, especially if California doesn't want in (and especially if they DO want in).

I wont say much, but these types of marriage disputes don't tend to end well when both partners have Nuclear Weapons.

Great ending. Are you going to include a link to the Stellaris continuation here?

Yep, Theres one more Interlude in HOI IV here and at the end We'll be shifting to the Stellaris Thread, I'll be sure to make sure it's linked a few times tomorrow.

The Tsar restored! Sad to hear that Lindi has become Vietnam times ten and that Rome was nuked, but at least you're still in control of the world.

"AEIOU, Austria must rule the world, Victory at any cost" The Words of House Anniona

 

[zenphoenix]

Also. building the ISS twenty years early? That's a big accomplishment, though it's balanced out by the setbacks in the Americas. You will be conquering India and the other communists at some point in the next epilogue, right? Are you planning to conquer the rest of the world by Stellaris?

 

[dragoon9105]

HOI IV will end at the present, so 2017. Which leaves almost 200 years in the Stellaris Preludes to explain what happens.

I've actually gone and figured out how to seed custom factions into Stellaris, I'm just debating at this point on how many slots for Aliens I should leave. Though Earth will unified by the Start of Stellaris, No United Nations in space thats for sure, I've got a reputation to uphold, absolutist or bust!

 

[TheButterflyComposer]

Nuke the world it is then I guess if you really want to unite it, considering what's occurred so far.

So Africa turned out even worse than I thought because thememlire decided to go screw it and burnt half a continent down.

The Americans did exactly what I thought they would do if they were going to do the worst thing, then they decide to do the other bad thing I thought they'd do. What a wonderful AAR experience it has been for that continent!

The Russian military is a sleeping tiger that everyone is very wary of poking with a stick, even though it's blocking the fire exists as well as the larder.

And the empire has gone nuts in its old age, decided that public opinion means nothing and thrown everything they've got into keeping that worthless continent for themselves. Two of em in fact! Also Rome is gone, which is very sad and the pope and all the cardinals are dead, which is less sad if only because it means dan brown won't write that stupid book.

It's actually looking like India is doing the best out of everyone. How odd. Perhaps we should be in the lookout for ghandi 2.0 after all? He genuinely could nuke it all.

 

[zenphoenix]

HOI IV will end at the present, so 2017. Which leaves almost 200 years in the Stellaris Preludes to explain what happens.

I've actually gone and figured out how to seed custom factions into Stellaris, I'm just debating at this point on how many slots for Aliens I should leave. Though Earth will unified by the Start of Stellaris, No United Nations in space thats for sure, I've got a reputation to uphold, absolutist or bust!

Leave as many as possible. The more aliens that spawn, the more xenos to conquer!

Oh, and what are you planning for the initial Stellaris setup? Got the ethos/traits, starting weapon, and FTL planned out yet?

So Africa turned out even worse than I thought because thememlire decided to go screw it and burnt half a continent down.

Funny, I was expecting China to be even worse. And yet nothing's happened over there...yet.

The Russian military is a sleeping tiger that everyone is very wary of poking with a stick, even though it's blocking the fire exists as well as the larder.

Wait until Putin shows up...

And the empire has gone nuts in its old age, decided that public opinion means nothing and thrown everything they've got into keeping that worthless continent for themselves. Two of em in fact! Also Rome is gone, which is very sad and the pope and all the cardinals are dead, which is less sad if only because it means dan brown won't write that stupid book.

That's what they get for being filthy papists instead of following the ONE TRUE CHRISTIAN FAITH!

It's actually looking like India is doing the best out of everyone. How odd. Perhaps we should be in the lookout for ghandi 2.0 after all? He genuinely could nuke it all.

Other than the fact that it's communist and the monarchy is gone.

 

[HIMDogson]

HOI IV will end at the present, so 2017. Which leaves almost 200 years in the Stellaris Preludes to explain what happens.

I've actually gone and figured out how to seed custom factions into Stellaris, I'm just debating at this point on how many slots for Aliens I should leave. Though Earth will unified by the Start of Stellaris, No United Nations in space thats for sure, I've got a reputation to uphold, absolutist or bust!

YES! Also, I like the portrayal of the former Red Army here, being essentially chess masters who support whoever looks like they'll win in such a way that they'll owe too much power to the army to turn on them.

 

[TheCreator901]

Never let it be said that this thread doesn't take you to many places.

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