Shōwa Democracy - A Darkest Hour Kaiserreich Cold War AAR (Japan)

[Specialist290]

Certainly a heroic, if doomed, effort on the part of the Australasians here. The ANZACs always had a reputation as fierce fighters generally, one that is evidently borne out here in the field.

Going to be interesting to see what shape Japan's postwar ambitions for Australia and New Zealand take once the dust settles.

 

[der Kriegsherr]

Certainly a heroic, if doomed, effort on the part of the Australasians here. The ANZACs always had a reputation as fierce fighters generally, one that is evidently borne out here in the field.

Going to be interesting to see what shape Japan's postwar ambitions for Australia and New Zealand take once the dust settles.

Liberation of Aotearoa maybe?

 

[Maciej-Kamil]

What was the point of nuking Sydney? The defenders were cut-off from supplies and outnumbered by the Japanese, so they would surrender after their food/water ran out. Now the whole city is destroyed and Australian resistance might use this in its propaganda.

Edit1: The Carribean will fall or has it already fallen?

Edit2: How will the Chinese Republic exploit Japanese distraction in The South?

 

[Health]

Certainly a heroic, if doomed, effort on the part of the Australasians here. The ANZACs always had a reputation as fierce fighters generally, one that is evidently borne out here in the field.

Going to be interesting to see what shape Japan's postwar ambitions for Australia and New Zealand take once the dust settles.

Liberation of Aotearoa maybe?

You won't have to wait long.

What was the point of nuking Sydney? The defenders were cut-off from supplies and outnumbered by the Japanese, so they would surrender after their food/water ran out. Now the whole city is destroyed and Australian resistance might use this in its propaganda.

Edit1: The Carribean will fall or has it already fallen?

Edit2: How will the Chinese Republic exploit Japanese distraction in The South?

Story wise it was a show of strength and a gamble. Japanese intelligence reports have implied that the Internationale are going after the bomb and it's only a matter of time before they get it. It's also only a matter of time before information about Japan having such a weapon somehow leaks to the world at large. Using it now solves the first two problems by announcing to the world that Japan has the bomb. Use of the bomb also carries with it a psychological angle, one that could smash the ANZAC spirit.

The Caribbean Fed fell at around the end of 1950, however like Liberia the AI didn't annex them for some reason and it only came to that though after I saved and reloaded the game.

The distraction wasn't that long, for any large plans to be put into force and the bulk of the IJA was still present on the Mainland.


Updates might get a bit more scarce for the next few weeks as I have a few of exams coming up. The next part however is already in the pipeline and should be out soonish.

 

[Health]

Southern Cross (Part 3)

​

Following the atomic bombing of Sydney harbour the Prince Kannin Haruhito repeated his demands for the surrender of the Australasian garrison in the city. With the Evatt cabinet either missing or presumed dead the commanders on the ground slowly, but surely started to give in, fully aware that they might be the targets of the next attack. A surrender ceremony was held on the 25th of November ending the war and the independence of Australasia. Whilst the mood was sombre in Australasia it was rather mixed in Tokyo, where the Ashida cabinet followed its announcement of Australasian surrender with the declaration that Japan had for a while now possessed the atomic bomb. Whilst the Japanese population at large reacted positively for the most part, as wartime censorship limited reports of the devastation of the weapon focusing more on the powerful image of the mushroom cloud. The government as well as the scientists working on the project were decidedly more split. Although many of the hawks and even some of he doves saw the weapon as a way to quickly end the war as well as deter Australasian resistance movements against the Japanese Empire for the duration of the occupation, many others saw it as an unspeakable evil being released into the world. The opinions of the latter group were only strengthened as reports of the event and its consequences started to drip in. When the war came to an end these reports began to spread in Japan and its dependencies, however they remained censored in Australasia, where Japanese censors of the occupational government deemed them potentially harmful.

Prince Kanin Haruhito, field marshal and 7th head of the Kannin-no-miya cadet branch,
and his wife Princess Naoko became the faces of the Japanese occupational government
​

The other great powers reaction to the Japanese atomic strike on Sydney is best described as a mixture of amazement, fear and outrage. In a letter to Werner Heisenberg, Otto Hahn expressed his astonishment at the creation of the bomb, which he and the other German atomic scientists believed would take at least 2 more decades to create. The attack on Sydney is also believed to be the direct result for the creation of the Mitteleuropäisches Atomforschung Gremium, or MAG for short, as the Schumacher government scrambled to solve this massive upset to the balance of power. The Damocles project also gained new steam within the Internationale, as did an attempt in the Russian Empire despite the continuing issues with internal stability in both. Although the governments of the lesser powers often shared the same opinions of the great powers those closer to Japan found it prudent to be less pronounced about their denunciations in fear of retaliation. This proved particularly true for the Republic of China, which ordered a halt to all meddling within the Qing Empire so as to not give the Japanese any sort of excuse for attack and proceeded to try and strengthen itself diplomatically on the international level.

Employing some of the greatest minds in physics and with the backing of the vast resources of the German Empire
the Mitteleuropäisches Atomforschung Gremium quickly rose to prominence as the center of atomic research
​

The main purpose for the Japanese invasion, the remoulding of Australasia, began in earnest following the end of the conflict. The symbolic positions of Edward IX, the Boy King, as well as his uncle Prince-Regent Albert were maintained. In order to foster a cooperation with the Australasian population a civilian government was set in place with Robert Menzies acting as the appointed interim Prime Minister, until elections could be held. Although the Menzies Cabinet nominally held power, it was largely guided by the Japanese General Headquarters as well as bureaucrats sent from Tokyo, which set forth three major priorities for a new Australasia – racial equality, centralization and liberalization. In keeping with this spirit the Menzies cabinet announced the dissolution of the federal states on the 1st of December as well as the total and immediate abolition of the the White Australia Policy. Fearful of Syndicalist resurgence from the remains of the Labour Party, work also began on breaking the dominance the political strength of the trade unions. Based on principles of divide and conquer the government in Tokyo believed that a unified Australasia would prove difficult to manage, leading to the formulation of the Boxing Day declaration. The declaration entailed the repeal of the 1924 Consolidation of Resources Act, which had established the Australasian Confederation, as well as new elections to follow in both states in March of 1951.

The restoration of some level of local rule to Australasia was deemed key
by Japanese officials in establishing control over the South-Pacific
​

Although the threat of insurgency was still deemed credible, it seemed to many that the military planners in Tokyo had overestimated the so-called ANZAC spirit. Although the Labour government had tried to maintain a good face to its allies and the rest of the world, it was obvious to the Japanese forces that the public was tired of war. The rapid invasion, the collapse of their last major ally and the atomic bombing of Sydney harbour seemingly sapped what little will to resist remained. Although trade unions, state governments and unionist groups were angred by the actions of the Menzies government their actions rarely went further than small and sporadic protests. Menzies own popularity amongst the Australasian middle class, largely cultivated through his series of "The Forgotten People" radio talks, had proven vital in stabilizing the state. Despite some proposals to ban Labour, by both Japanese and Australasian officials, the party was allowed to run in the 1951 elections both as a show of benevolence and to legitimize the government by democratic vote. The elections saw landslide losses for Labour both in Australia and New Zealand, which more radical Labour MPs argued stemmed from voter intimidation, and victories for the Liberal and Nationalist parties respectively. Direct Japanese guidance in the reformation of both states would continue to be felt until the Treaty of Nagasaki was signed in 1954, which officially ended the Japanese occupation of the two states and restored to them sovereignty within their boundaries, with the exception of Tasmania.

​

Robert Menzies and Sidney Holland would define the reconstruction efforts of their respective states
balancing precariously between Japanese demands and their own wishes to maintain local autonomy​

 

[Maciej-Kamil]

Japanese mastery is surely a better fate for Australia and New Zealand than being destroyed by the reds.

 

[Health]

The World in Shōwa 26(1951)
​

The 7th of November 1950 marked the end of the more than a decade long Syndicalist War in Europe as the exiled French royalist government finally caved to the onslaught by the forces of the Internationale. Although peace, or at least the illusion of peace, now reigns in Europe it is still deeply scarred by the ghosts of the past decade and a half. The French surrender was followed by a massive refugee crisis, as the so-called Pied Noir fled from Syndicalist persecution. Slowly, but surely however prosperity has begun to return to the Continent with signs of the German economic recovery as well as social and economic liberalization pushed by Chancellor Schumacher. These winds of change haven't gone unnoticed in the German sphere, whose native populations continue to chafe under a more traditionalist rulership than the 'metropole' causing growing dissent amongst the varied peoples of Eastern Europe.

​

The bitter and bloody Third Balkan War has also come to an end, allowing for some measure of peace to return to the 'Powder keg of Europe'. The peace however is little more than an illusion as squabbling over the partition of Bulgaria almost lead to a war between the erstwhile allies. This combined with the continued hostility towards the Austrian Empire, which continues to be plagued by ethnic as well as Syndicalist strife, caused the departure of Greece from the so called Belgrade Pact.

​

The birth of the revolutionary 'sister' republics of Sahel, Algeria, Tunis and Guinea from the carcass of the Third French Empire has already begun changes in Africa that many believe will unmistakably change the face of the continent once more. Although the building of syndicalism in these states is largely controlled from Washington and London, they have been provided substantial autonomy. The liberty espoused by these states has proven attractive to many across Africa providing ample ground for Syndicalist agitation across the continent.

​

Despite multiple ceasefires, attempts at mediation by Delhi, Berlin and Tokyo as well as growing murmurings demanding for intervention in both Delhi and Moscow the Middle-East remains at war. The interfaith conflict continues to flare up from time to time, however as neither side seems capable of fully defeating the other the war remains at a stalemate and usually returns to a frozen state soon after. The lack of a strong European force in Asia, as well as the threat of Japan has lead to many Kaiserbund openly approaching the Republic of India for cooperation as well as inclusion into the South-East Asian Customs Union, which has heavily contributed to the growing importance of the Republic on the international stage.

​

In the span of just 5 years the face of North America has once again changed dramatically. Federalist, Royalist and Firster diehards continue to plague the continent, adding to the growing damage of the civil war and the collectivization campaigns pursued by in the CSA and Canada. Mexico as well has not managed to escape this violence as the Anglo population remains hostile and continues to engage in ever serious attacks of terror. The campaigns themselves have only grown in strength as armed and trained men and women continue to, from time to time, flee 'South of the Border' to escape persecution by the 'Reds'.

​

Unlike the rest of the world, South America has seemingly remained a bastion of stability. However the La Plata dominated order finds itself more and more at odds with the CSA, following the formulation of the Browder doctrine. Many argue that the coup by the Chilean military in 1950, two years prior to the next presidential election and one year after the victory of the Socialist Party of Chile in the general election, was a direct result of a growing shadow war between La Plata and the CSA.

​

Emerging from the Australasian intervention as the pre-eminent power in the Pacific, the Empire of Japan has taken on nearly all challengers and emerged victorious. Although the remnants of the German colonial empire and its Kaiserbund dependents remain in the area the Japanese leadership believes the Germans too big of a bother to hound out of the area. It is their hope that given the Japanese position of power in the region as well as its control of atomic weapons that the Germans will expedite their policy of withdrawal, from what Japan considers its sphere of influence. Japanese leaders posit that, if nothing changes then the Germans would abandon their unprofitable positions in the Pacific by the 60s and continue that withdrawal across Asia.

​

Although the Empire has seemingly reached a position of power and stability geopolitically, internal issues have started to brew. Whilst instability has been the norm in China and Korea, they have once again bloomed in the Home Islands, as a new generation of Japanese step into society. The victories of Ho Chi Minh in Indochina and the Internationale against the Entente has caused support to swell for the Syndicalism among Japanese university students and even caused a few attempts at instigating armed struggle.

​

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Japanese mastery is surely a better fate for Australia and New Zealand than being destroyed by the reds.

It has most definitely saved at least some of their way of life, however at what cost.

Posting will probably pick up pace once again around the second week of June, in the meanwhile, have this.

 

[Specialist290]

The East Asian Co-Prosperity Sphere advances ever onward in its quest to overthrow European imperialism and replace it with new and improved Japanese imperialism!

I may have mentioned this before, but I'm surprised the Philippines aren't already in Japan's sphere of influence. Are they aligned with any of the other major powers?

 

[Maciej-Kamil]

Mexico is overestended, and the former USA lands it conquered will soon rebel. The question is: will the rebels want to join the CSA, or to recreate the PSA?

 

[RV-Ye]

-rooting for Super Mexico to prevail over the rebels-
Question, I don't remember if it has been already mentioned, but which government does Mexico have?

 

[Health]

The East Asian Co-Prosperity Sphere advances ever onward in its quest to overthrow European imperialism and replace it with new and improved Japanese imperialism!

I may have mentioned this before, but I'm surprised the Philippines aren't already in Japan's sphere of influence. Are they aligned with any of the other major powers?

Japan definitely sees the Philippines as part of their sphere, however Japanese attempts at courting the Philippines have continually been stonewalled by the Philippines claiming a policy of neutrality and a relucatance for military cooperation. Obviously an invasion would really not jam well with the Japanese claims of being the 'Liberator of Asia'. The Philippines have however been more preferential to Japanese investments following the continuing collapse of German power in Asia.

Mexico is overestended, and the former USA lands it conquered will soon rebel. The question is: will the rebels want to join the CSA, or to recreate the PSA?

Whilst there are without a doubt syndicalists in the 9 states currently held by Mexico, you'd be hardpressed to really find a group that would want to rejoin the CSA. A lot of them are refugees that fled West in the wake of the Second American Civil War and many more joined after the CSA won or after it started to really push for collectivization. The recreation of the PSA is really made difficult by two massive issues. First and most obvious is geography, the distance is just too big to really coordinate active cooperation for a rebellion of that size. The second is the rather disparate make-up of the Anglo population in the Mexican held territory, the Federalists have definitely lost the edge on that one. Especially after masses of refugees from Canada and the CSA. There is also no telling whether the population would actually side with such an uprising.

-rooting for Super Mexico to prevail over the rebels-
Question, I don't remember if it has been already mentioned, but which government does Mexico have?

Glad to have you and good question, I don't think I've mentioned it before although I had an idea to feature them at one point. Currently, in game terms Mexico is Radical-Socialist and lead by President Pancho Villa.


New post should be coming today.

 

[Health]

Avanti Popolo
​

Name – Giuvanni di Mauro Alias – Joe
Record number – SM380789 DOB – 15.06.1917
Nationality – Italian Region – Sicily
[...]
Charge Sentence
Blackmail acquitted
Extortion acquitted
Smuggling 5 years
Racketeering acquitted
Extortion acquitted
Murder acquitted
Murder acquitted
Escape from confinement 2 years
Treason 25 years
Participation in counter-revolutionary
organizations 15 years
Counter-revolutionary agitation 20 years

- Extract from Taranto police archives declassified in 1981

Although none of the participants of the Syndicalist War were spared from the chaos and destruction of the conflict, nowhere else was the damage as pronounced as the Socialist Republic of Italy. The decade of French military administration had undone much of what the SRI had strived for with the fight against the mafia crowning that list. Although victory against the criminal syndicates had been proclaimed in the late 30s it had been rather premature. This was largely due to the fact that although the measures were perfect for fighting the quite vertical Cosa Nostra, they fared worse against the more horizontal Camorra or the 'Ndrangheta. This saw some public figures liken them to the old hydras of myth and many in the population soon saw the task as something Herculean. Whilst war and the accompanying martial law had proved helpful in the fight against the mafia the tides soon turned against the Italians following the invasion by the French Empire. The French soon reached deals with the criminal syndicates, which saw the mafia raise troops and take over the locations they were active in and defend them until French troops arrived in exchange for being allowed to continue their business mostly unimpeded as well as releasing various Mafiosi from prison. The mafia families also presented the French viable local administrative intermediaries that they could trust. Although as the war carried on the French began to slowly push the mafia out of government, the latter still controlled almost three quarters of the French occupation zone by the time of de Gaulle's surrender.

Rural life in the Socialist Republic of Italy had changed very little since the turn of the century despite
land reform following the revolution, as government focus had been turned to industrialization
​

The re-establishment of SRI control over their occupied territory meant a continuation of the anti-mafia campaigns with much greater force than before. Aided by the British Army the Italians began a series of brutal and bloody crackdowns campaigns that were spearheaded largely by the 'Red' Mafiosi. The latter had been formed in the wake of the French invasion as the SRI government sought to dissuade the mafia from switching sides by co-opting them into the Greater Italian Union. Rather than face revolutionary justice, many of the 'White' Mafiosi that had openly and publicly collaborated with the occupation government fled to the Balkans or across the Inner Italian Border. Those that weren't so lucky went underground once more, hoping to ride out the storm. Although the co-opting of the mafia by the Social-Reformists was far from a popular act many in the populace saw it as necessary. Many even reasoned that the nigh totalitarian persecution of the Mafiosi by the National-Syndicalists had become their undoing, as they were marginalized in the Fifth and became nigh irrelevant in the Sixth Congress. Thus it came as no surprise that the National-Syndicalists announced that they wouldn't contest the upcoming Congress citing a need for self-reflection, which many came to interpret as a dissolution of the union.

Mussolini and his failures remained a burden around the necks of the National-Syndicalists
even following their resurgence thanks to increasing totalist pressure from the Anglo powers
​

Although the two remaining unions set on the campaign trail there was little doubt in the minds of the populace, that the Social-Reformists would win. A lot of this could be attributed to the terrible reputation and the revolutionary jingoism preached by the Anarcho-Syndicalists. Although the latter had contributed massively to the creation of the Italian Revolutionary Army as a large force. The conflict with the French quickly proved the massive flaws with the model and whilst the army remained large, the focus decisively shifted towards professionalization. Many began to blame the Anarcho-Syndicalists for their hand in causing the nigh decade long stalemate, which when combined with their tactic support for some of the more radical policies of the National-Syndicalists saw their support continue to wane. Although attempts to counter this were made in the Fifth Congress by participating in the toppling of the National-Syndicalists the Anarcho-Syndicalists continued to be marginalized by the Social-Reformists, who took full control in the Sixth Congress. Despite many questioning the dealings with the Mafiosi, red or not, as well as the continuing threat of famine, the voters were swayed by the charismatic Sandro Pertini. Although many leading Anarcho-Syndicalists claimed that Mafiosi had been intimidating voters to side with the Social-Reformists official inquiries into the election found no such activity.

Having taken the reigns of the country in 1946 Pertini had always been popular among the Social-Reformists,
but his leadership during the French assault on Naples endeared him to the population at large
​

The victory of the decidedly isolationist Social-Reformists however posed an issue to both the Combined Syndicates of America as well as the Union of Britain. The view that the Italians were ungrateful for the large amounts of comradely aid provided to them was common in both countries. Antipathy was further stroked by a decision to provide asylum to soldiers deserting from the British or American forces, who claimed to be dissidents. The problems between the two sides only got worse, when the Italians approached the Republic of India in search of economic aid. The decision to work with a capitalist power was seen as extremely controversial by many British and American syndicalists, who called for the SRI to be denounced as revisionist. Diplomats from both countries however assured their Italian colleagues that there would be no reprecussions for the cooperation with the Indians, even though both governments publicly condemned such behaviour. This duplicity stemmed largely from two factors. Both Browder and Mosley felt the need to root out dissent within their own ranks to secure their own positions rather than risk a chaotic Italian departure. Secondly both London and Washington had understood that they didn't really have the resources to fully support both the reconstruction of the SRI and to engage in cultivating syndicalism in Africa. The latter however presented an important springboard for furthering the cause of world revolution and thus the Italian dealings received a cautious stamp of approval. Whilst the Socialist Republic of Italy would continue to cooperate with the Internationale, the first seeds of discord had been sown.

 

[Maciej-Kamil]

So the Internationale is not as united, as one could think. Maybe Italians have just entered a path towards a reunified Italy?

And about Mexico: well, if the urprising is not as possible as I thought, then maybe the matter can be resolved peacefully, by making English second official language of Mexico and stuff like that.

 

[Specialist290]

Sounds like the Italians might soon be going the way of Yugoslavia in our own world, at least in the sense of distancing themselves from the major power blocs.

 

[Health]

So the Internationale is not as united, as one could think. Maybe Italians have just entered a path towards a reunified Italy?

And about Mexico: well, if the urprising is not as possible as I thought, then maybe the matter can be resolved peacefully, by making English second official language of Mexico and stuff like that.

Italy can of course reunify, however the fact that the Austrians have re-established control over Northern Italy poses a threat to it.

Perhaps, when the old vanguard that lead the Mexicans against the war with the Americans is slowly replaced something might happen to appease the Anglos.

Sounds like the Italians might soon be going the way of Yugoslavia in our own world, at least in the sense of distancing themselves from the major power blocs.

Yugoslavia is one way it could go, however Eurocommunism also presents a way to go.


I've got two bits of good news for you all as well. Firstly, I'm done with my exams and posting should once again pick up pace. Secondly, the next post is almost prepped and probably will be posted today.

 

[Specialist290]

Glad to hear it Hope all went well with exams.

 

[Health]

How to Raise Flower Bulbs
​

The 1950s would prove to be a difficult time of growing internal tensions for the Empire of Japan. Although the One and a Half Party System and the Gilded Shōwa continued on largely unimpeded the victories achieved by the Internationale once again stoke the fires of Syndicalist radicals in Japan. Ho Chi Minh's victories had inspired many and even the Internationale had recognized that the way to revolution would be to do as Comrade Ho did. The strategy would involve building up support in rural areas far from governmental control, which the movements could then use as their base for when the Revolution arrives. Although the tactic caught on quickly in the late 40s even within the Empire, but had yet to really catch on in Japanese islands. This stemmed from a split within the semi-legal Japanese Communist Party, the de facto representatives of the Japanese in the Internationale, on how to pursue revolution. The dispute was finally solved in the 4th National Conference in February of 1951, when the Shokanha faction lead by Tokuda Kyuichi pushed through the policy of armed struggle. Operating out of a "liberated zone" within rural Japan the party issued a manifesto entitled the "Present Demands of the Japanese Communist Party" and began organizing a guerilla force. Named the Mountain Village Operation Unit, armed struggle commenced in March with terrorist attacks against the police, government offices as well as trains.

A revolutionary firebrand Tokuda Kyuichi had spent over half his life in and out of various prisons co-authoring the book
"Eighteen Years in Prison" with fellow syndicalist Shiga Yoshio, following their self-exile into the Republic of China
​

Faced with a resurgence of violence in the Home Islands and fearful of a repeat of the Niigata incident the Seiyūkai pushed the Subversive Activities Prevention Law through the Diet in May of 1951 leading to the beginning another clamp down on the activities and acts of the JCP. Direct attacks with Molotov cocktails, the preferred weapon of the insurgents, however continued and only abated from about the spring of 1952. The policies of the Mountain Village Operation Unit, were seen by many as out of touch with the reality in the countryside leading to a lack of trust between the locals and the would-be revolutionaries. There were however exceptions, largely limited to the travelling clinics, often operated by former medical students, that were warmly welcomed in villages lacking local doctors. However the Mountain Village Operation Units' out of touch nature was most visible in their arts and culture-based campaign, including such things as kamishibai attacking 'feudalistic' landlords, which proved most unpopular amongst locals that had acquired land as a result of the land reforms further souring relations between the locals and the would-be revolutionaries. The violent acts were often seen as the last straw leading to locals handing over the newspapers and propaganda leaflets to the police. Having lost the trust of the locals the Mountain Village Operation Unit found themselves suppressed by police crackdowns. Despite these setbacks however the policy of the JCP proved resistant to change, attempting to continue the policy of armed resistance in the countryside. In May of 1952 however, faced with mounting crackdowns and the police getting closer – the leadership of the JCP decided to flee to the Republic of China, where they continued to forment dissent and to lead the party.

Arrest of Mountain Village Operation Unit members by Japanese policemen summer of 1952
​

Arguably, the policy of armed struggle only served to strengthen the system it sought to tear down by pushing away many moderates that sought genuine change. Dissent concerning topics such as conscription as well as governmental intervention had been slowly growing underneath the surface. Many within the opposition argued for massive cutbacks to the army, citing the German example as well as the lack of enemies to fight. The growing amount of labour disputes as well as corruption scandals had also started to eat away at the support for the Seiyūkai, which had come to rely on societal harmony as the cornerstone of its continuing rule. Although unionisation in Japan had remained a rather ephemeral, with unions forming and disbanding regularly, and hampered by their weak legal status the 14 Golden Years had seen a massive increase in union participation from 8.9% in 1931 to close to 25% of the labour force in 1951. Although many union members had been wooed by Totalists and had participated in the armed struggle the Ashida cabinet was convinced by bureaucrats that, if steered correctly organized labour could a powerful supporter for the government. Although some in the party continued to support the use of yakuza in mediating disputes rather than empowering labourers the Cabinet ordered the bureaucrats to draft the Trade Union law, which finally gave legal status to unions in Japan allowing workers to organize, strike and bargain collectively. These rights however came with a caveat that all such unions be members of the Central Labour Board, operated by the Ministry of Health and Welfare in cooperation with MITI.

The Trade Union Law further increased the divide between the right-wing ('cooperationist') and
left-wing ('combatative') unions within the Empire, whilst firmly tilted the balance in favour of the cooperationists
​

Although the Seiyūkai had been reluctant for social reform, defections from right-wing members of Minseito had gradually pushed the party towards incremental reformism. The One and a Half Party System had hit Minseito hard leading to defections from both left and right-wing members. Those who felt the party didn't go far enough in its demands for reform had begun defecting en masse to the social-democratic Taishūtō, whilst the party continued to bleed members to the Seiyūkai as well. This had lead to the Taishūtō becoming the main vehicle of opposition to the Seiyūkai, their position only strengthened with the establishment of the Japanese Labour Board as well as the disappointment of the many moderates put off by the Japanese Communist Party. The opposition parties were however of little concern for the Seiyūkai, which had found its support swelling once more possibly thanks to the return of large scale public spending, as a way to both appease the public and the growing reformist wing within the party itself. Much of the spending directed at industry stemmed from the access to the Australasian market with its vast resource deposits as well as fairly wealthy population. Whilst the market was small its addition to the 'yen bloc' provided a place for Japanese companies to sell consumer goods that many of its continental partners had little interest in. The early 50s saw a massive expansion of the Japanese rail and road system leading to the creation of the National Highway system in 1952 as well as the the electrification of railways beginning with the vital Tōkaidō railway on the Home Islands.

The 1950s saw a massive expansion of infrastructure throughout the Empire, which would serve
to both hinder further guerilla actions and aid in increasing industrial output.​

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Glad to hear it Hope all went well with exams.

It actually went a bit better than I had hoped, the pandemic had it's upsides, I guess.

 

[Maciej-Kamil]

So the revolution failed in Japan... but what about the Quing?

 

[Health]

Interlude - Kotinos
​

Following the conclusion of the Syndicalist War the world had once more returned to a semblance of peace, despite the tensions having remained high within the Middle-East. Although tensions had once more grown between the Internationale and the European powers there was hope that these could be eased or at least directed more productively by directing them towards sports. Preparations for the next Olympic Games had been in the works since even before the previous ones had ended. Following the 40th Congress of the IOC in Stockholm it was decided that the Summer Games would be handed to Vienna, whilst the Winter Games would be given to Ampezzo.

Although the decision to hand the both the games to one nation was a contentious one
the lack of rivals as well as effectual lobbying by the Austrians secured them the
​

For many the games proved to be a watershed moment for the policy of rapprochement as the Syndicalists that had been absent from the 1948 Olympic Games sent their own delegations to the Games. This resulted in the biggest games to date, as close to 5300 athletes representing a grand total of 69 nations took part in the festivities. The Combined Syndicates of America, Union of Britain, Syndicalist Republic of Canada, Iceland, Commune of Britanny, the Syndicalist Republic of Italy and the Syndicalists Republics of Tunisia, Algeria, Guinea and Sahel made their official Olympic debuts. The Games also became the ones where the most world records were broken. The debut of the Syndicalists was also mired with controversy, as many later inquires would reveal that judges had slightly cheated in favour of the capitalist states. The question of professionalism was also highly contested, as the norms of the day defined that the athletes by amateurs, however whilst nominally students, soldiers or workers many representatives of the CSA were in truth professionals on government payroll to train and under special supervision. Propagandists in the Union of Britain also took it a step further interpreting the whole event as a metaphor for competition between syndicalism and capitalism: “Every record won by our sportsmen, every victory in international contests, graphically demonstrates to the whole world the advantages and strength of the Syndicalist system.”(BBC Sport)

Winter Games
​

The opening ceremonies of the Winter Games were held in the Olympic Ice Stadium on the 15th February. Prince-Regent Albert of Australia and New Zealand had died on 6 February 1952 with the regency reluctantly transferred to his daughter Elizabeth, eight days before the start of the Games. As a result, all national flags were flown at half-mast despite protests by the Union of Britain as well as Canada. The parade of nations was held according to tradition, with Greece first, the rest of the nations proceeding by alphabetical order, with the host nation last. The delegations of Australia, New Zealand and Japan wore black arm bands at the opening ceremonies in memory of the Prince. After the parade of nations S.K.u.K.A.M Otto I declared the Games open. At this point, speed skater Max Stiepl skated into the stadium with the Olympic flame. While he was on a circuit of the Ice Stadium he tripped and fell over a television cable; he regained his feet and lit the cauldron. The Olympic oath was delivered by Giuliana Chenal-Minuzzo; this was the first time a female athlete gave the oath at an Olympic Games.

In addition to the main opening ceremony the Ampezzo Games also held simple ceremonies for the
bobsleigh and alpine skiing events, which occurred a day before the event started​

A short selection of three events of the Winter Games follows.

Bobsleigh
​

Germany took an early lead with the bobsleigh competition, winning the two- and four-man events with the CSA and Switzerland taking silver and bronze respectively. Fritz Feierabend from Switzerland competed in both the two- and four-man competitions. His two bronze medals were the fourth and fifth in an Olympic career that spanned 16 years and three Olympics. There were no weight restrictions on the bobsleigh athletes, and the average weight for each member of the winning German four-man team was 117 kg (258 lb), which was more than the Olympic heavyweight boxing champion in 1952. Seeing the undue advantage overweight athletes brought to their teams, the International Federation for Bobsleigh and Tobogganing instituted a weight limit for future Olympics.

The bobsleigh victories were taken with much rejoicing in Germany,
where the mood was still fairly sombre following the death of Wilhelm III

Alpine skiing
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There were three alpine skiing events on the Olympic program: the slalom, giant slalom and downhill. Both men and women competed in all three events, held at Tofana and Monte Floria, with the giant slalom made its Olympic debut at the 1952 Games. Austrian skiers dominated the competition, winning seven out of a possible 18 medals, including Othmar Schneider who won gold and silver in the men's slalom and downhill. Norwegian Stein Eriksen won gold in the men's giant slalom and silver in the slalom. Greek slalom skier Antoin Miliordos fell 18 times on his run and crossed the finish line backwards. American skier Andrea Mead Lawrence was the only double gold medallist, winning the giant slalom and the slalom. She was the first medallist from the CSA, She described her feelings: Only after I had felt a heavy golden circle in my hand, I realized what happened. I am not only the first Olympic Champion, you know, and later the first double Champion of the 15th Olympiad...Tears were stinging my eyes. How happy I was!

The Austrians felt at home in the Alps and their string of victories lead to much speculation in the international press

Ice hockey
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A majority of the ice hockey matches took place at the Olympic Ice Stadium. Eight teams in total played in the tournament, with Canada, the nation that had won all but one Olympic hockey tournament thus far, had failing to register a team on time. The Americans won gold by a close margin, however Sweden and Bohemia ended up tied for second (Bohemia defeated the Swedes in the head-to-head game, but according to the rules at the time they had to play a tiebreaker game because they were tied in points). Sweden won that game and avenged the loss in the round-robin. The Czechs believed they had already won the silver when they defeated the Swedes in the round-robin, calling the decision to play a tie-breaking game a 'plot'.

The 1952 Winter Games also saw the closing ceremonies of the Winter Games transition into a separate event, similar to the ones for the Summer Games. The closing ceremonies were held in the Olympic Ice Stadium, on Monday evening, 25 February. The flag bearers entered the stadium in the same order they followed for the opening ceremonies. That evening four medal ceremonies were also held for the women's cross-country race, the men's cross-country relay, the ski jumping competition, and the ice hockey tournament. Since 1924, the ’Berlin flag’ has been passed from host city to host city during closing ceremonies for the Summer Games. The town of Ampezzo gave an Olympic flag to establish the same tradition for the Winter Games. Mario Rimoldi, Ampezzo's mayor, passed the flag to the president of the IOC, Sigfrid Edström, who declared the flag was to pass from host city to host city for future Winter Games. After the flag ceremony the Olympic flame was extinguished, a special speed skating race was held, and the figure skating competitors gave an exhibition, followed by 40 children dressed in national costumes performing an ice dance. For a finale, to the close the Games, the lights were extinguished and a 20-minute fireworks display lit up the night sky.

Summer Games
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The opening of the Vienna Olympics was held on 19 July and the stadium was full – 70,435 spectators. Olympic fire was lit by canoeing hero Gregor Hradetzky. After the Olympic flame was lit, Archbishop Theodor Innitzer was to say the race prayer, but a German Barbara Rotbraut-Pleyer, named 'White Angel of the Games', stood on the podium and jumped from the auditorium onto the track and ran straight to the speaker’s seat. Dr. Otto Herschmann, a 75-year-old champion swimmer and fencer who competed in the first and fifth Olympics, swore an Olympic oath on behalf of the athletes.

Although organizers quickly removed Pleyer, she had time to say a few words into
the microphone. Her message was a message of peace.
​

A short selection of two events from the Summer Games follows.

Equestrian
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The equestrian events at the 1952 Vienna Summer Olympics included dressage, eventing, and show jumping. All three disciplines had both individual and team competitions and were held from 28 July to 3 August 1952. One of the biggest changes at the 1952 Olympics was the demographics of competitors. Before this, most of the riders were officers (41 of 44 starters at the 1948 Olympics were riding in uniform), whereas the Helsinki Games saw over 50% of competitors from the civilian ranks. Additionally, women were now allowed to compete for the first time in equestrian events. At the 1952 Games, they were permitted in the dressage competition, although prohibited from the jumping (per a ruling in 1951) and most definitely not in eventing which was considered too dangerous. A total of 4 women competed out of 134 riders. The youngest participant was Walter Staley (19) from the Combined Syndicates of America, while the oldest rider was the Danish Kristian Jensen (63). Another Dane, Lis Hartel, won silver in individual dressage, becoming the first woman to win a medal in the sport.

Lis Hartel's victory in the Olympics became a massive sensation not only because the field
was dominated by men, but also because she was completely paralysed from the knees down

Football
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The preliminary round saw Hungary record a narrow victory against Romania, whilst there was an 8–0 victory for the Socialist Republic of Italy against the Combined Syndicates of America and a 5–1 victory for Brazil against The Netherlands. Croatia were drawn against the Indians and won 10–1. The Americans had been expected by Washington to win the 1952 Games and the game also contributed to the growing divide between the SRI and its Anglo comrades as the American defeat at the hands of the Italians was not mentioned by their press for a whole year. The first round saw Scandinavian countries join the competition; the Finland was beaten 3–4 by the hosts Austria, whilst Sweden defeated neighbours Norway 4–1. The Hungarians would go on to beat the Italians 3 to 0 at the final game of the round.

The Swedes would avenge the Finns brothers by defeating the Austrians to ensure a Scandinavian presence in the semifinals. Germany surprisingly beat Brazil 4–2 after extra time, whilst Croatia won comfortably in a 5–3 defeat of Denmark. Hungary demolished Turkey 7–1 to complete the four semifinalists. In the first semifinal, Hungary saw off Sweden with a comprehensive 6–0 victory, whilst Croatia beat Germany 3–1 to set up a Hungary-Croatia final. There was some consolation for the Scandinavian countries as Sweden defeated Germany 2–0 in the third place play-off to secure the bronze medal. Two goals from Puskás and Zoltán Czibor saw Hungary beat Yugoslavia and take the gold medal.

The victory in the Olympics signalled the arrival of the 'Magical Magyars' to the rest of Europe.
The final match between Hungary and Croatia however stoked growing ethnic tensions within the Empire. ​

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So the revolution failed in Japan... but what about the Quing?

For the moment, very little different from what has already been said. The RoC has slowly returned to their policy of agitation, however they've also been recently trying to make inroads into the interior to expand their support base in the Qing in a policy resembling the policy of rural struggle.

 

[LordTempest]

Whilst there are without a doubt syndicalists in the 9 states currently held by Mexico, you'd be hardpressed to really find a group that would want to rejoin the CSA. A lot of them are refugees that fled West in the wake of the Second American Civil War and many more joined after the CSA won or after it started to really push for collectivization. The recreation of the PSA is really made difficult by two massive issues. First and most obvious is geography, the distance is just too big to really coordinate active cooperation for a rebellion of that size. The second is the rather disparate make-up of the Anglo population in the Mexican held territory, the Federalists have definitely lost the edge on that one. Especially after masses of refugees from Canada and the CSA. There is also no telling whether the population would actually side with such an uprising.

Glad to have you and good question, I don't think I've mentioned it before although I had an idea to feature them at one point. Currently, in game terms Mexico is Radical-Socialist and lead by President Pancho Villa.

I think you'll have to talk about Mexico at some point. On the face of things it doesn't seem terribly realistic for a Radical Socialist Mexico led by a longtime Syndicalist darling/American bugbear who has no doubt received his fair share of Phalanstare aid over the years to be awash with Anticommunist Anglo refugees.