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Yes, European-Asian relations can sometimes bring some laughs.
I remember one time when former President of Poland was visiting Japan, and during tour in Kokkai, He stepped onto a chair of speaker and said to one of our generals "Come here, Shogun", needless to say, after lynching that our media give to Him, situation became joke of the year.
My problem with using trade mechanics as a way to emulate economical exploatation of China is somewhat lacking both literaly (ROC government giving money for free, instead of lack of control over loosing it) and by mechanics (player can just cancel deals, even AI can just cancel them), while using events can better emulate the fact that ROC government don't have much control over it, for example (don't remember exact IRL events right now) you could write some random "Ancient Ming Dynasty Vase Stolen" with -10 cash and +1 dissent for you, or "British Traders argue with our merchants" with options:
Trade deals created by event (marked green) are special and cannot be cancelled except by another event or by war. So basically it does take the control out of player hands.
I don't understand the DH event system well know to effectively create random, persistent events (got an example in Kaiserreich? they're not really found in the vanilla version).
All of Paradox games have this "AI independence" as I call it, countries (or characters in CKII) can make they own decision's (even if they AI have often bias to some decisions over other) and one gameplay often is different over other, this time France falls, other time they became "Big Blue Blob". This is something that Hearts of Iron (and definitly DH) lacks
The official term is "Command Hierarchy", where the AI has multiple layers and each makes its own decisions and goals. This was why I had high hopes on HoI4, except... (sigh).
Kaiserreich AI isn't any smarter. It just has an oversized decision tree with more RNG rolls. I've never really gotten into it as Kaiserreich always seems to delvolve into a bunch of localized wars, instead of a massive world war with multi-superpower-led coalitions.
Your AAR inspired me to start a new game as China (Qing dynasty) in Victoria 2's HPM mod. It's a shame I had to stop playing as soon as I westernized and became a great power because Victoria 2's, though otherwise a great game, horrible world market system made it impossible for me to continue as soon as I became a great power (with China's huge population, all the world grain is brought by its inhabitants and everybody under China's rank is condemned for impoverty)
I'm glad you've enjoyed it that much ^^
I've never played Victoria series, but I know I don't enjoy playing China in EU4 -- mostly as once it westernizes it's just too powerful to offer any challenge.
Here in Poland, where WW2 veterans still lives and anti-german sentiments are wery strong, there isn't that much of buthurting over National Socialist symbolicism
I originally wasn't going to touch this even with an uprooted lamppost, but speaking of butthurt on the topic, I remember (not too long ago) when you had pearl-clutching, bed-wetting foreigners (Westerners naturally) visiting Japan in hysterics about the wan zi/manji symbols. It was absolutely glorious yet facepalm-inducing all the same that these idiots couldn't entertain that different symbols could -gasp, have different contexts and meanings depending on the culture/context.
But @zanaikin mentioned, the wan zi/manji is facing in the completely opposite direction than the symbol-which-must-not-be-posted.
I'm less "butthurt" about people reacting badly towards it and more annoyed that the Neo-Nazis continue to hijack it. You don't see the Dutch flag used to represent slavery or Union Jack used to represent oppression or the Portuguese flag to equate genocide anymore, because they serve a greater purpose. The more we avoid Swastikas in the west, the more it becomes a rallying flag for the extremists -__-
Hence....Reclaim the Swastika.
As I've mentioned in the notes, both rotations of Swastikas are used in the east:
Counterclockwise: used more in Buddhist, I believe to represent the the concept that there's a little Buddha in everyone.
Clockwise: used more in Hinduism (origin from Sanskrit), representing the triumph of spirituality.
I don't understand the DH event system well know to effectively create random, persistent events (got an example in Kaiserreich? they're not really found in the vanilla version).
There are terror events during civil wars, in USA for example:
event = {
id = 966631
country = USA
persistent = yes
trigger = {
random = 8
OR = {
war = { country = USA country = TEX }
war = { country = USA country = CSA }
war = { country = USA country = CAL }
}
}
name = "Federalist terror"
desc = "During the ongoing civil war, some of our commanders started to use rather doubtful methods to permanently supress civilian populations suspected of helping our mortal enemies. Such policies, even if they seem drastic, are necessary in these dark times."
style = 2
picture = "massterror1"
date = { day = 1 month = june year = 1936 }
offset = 22
deathdate = { day = 29 month = december year = 1960 }
action = {
name = "War is war" # Peasants won't appeciate
command = { type = dissent value = 1 }
}
}
Admittedly, my understanding of code of the game is not that good (tried to write events once, didn't go well) but i suppose that's what you looking for.
Kaiserreich AI isn't any smarter. It just has an oversized decision tree with more RNG rolls. I've never really gotten into it as Kaiserreich always seems to delvolve into a bunch of localized wars, instead of a massive world war with multi-superpower-led coalitions.
I didn't said its smarter, it's stupidity is offset by amount of event's and flags that determine what events will happen and what will not, I think it's better than 5 event with railroaded results.
I've never really gotten into it as Kaiserreich always seems to delvolve into a bunch of localized wars, instead of a massive world war with multi-superpower-led coalitions.
That's a point I can concede on. But I would say to give it a go at the end of this year/beginning of the next, because China is going to get a HUGE rework. Like, actual warlord cliques, and the AOG being limited to a few coastal cities.
There are terror events during civil wars, in USA for example:
event = {
id = 966631
country = USA
persistent = yes
trigger = {
random = 8
OR = {
war = { country = USA country = TEX }
war = { country = USA country = CSA }
war = { country = USA country = CAL }
}
}
name = "Federalist terror"
desc = "During the ongoing civil war, some of our commanders started to use rather doubtful methods to permanently supress civilian populations suspected of helping our mortal enemies. Such policies, even if they seem drastic, are necessary in these dark times."
style = 2
picture = "massterror1"
date = { day = 1 month = june year = 1936 }
offset = 22
deathdate = { day = 29 month = december year = 1960 }
action = {
name = "War is war" # Peasants won't appeciate
command = { type = dissent value = 1 }
}
}
Admittedly, my understanding of code of the game is not that good (tried to write events once, didn't go well) but i suppose that's what you looking for.
Only problem here is, if I want to flavorful and balanced, I need to create a list of these events (so the same thing don't keep triggering which is just annoyingly bland), but their trigger must be spaced out so they can't all punch the player in a short timespan (i.e. EU4's 'five year tick' events).
After some thoughts... I think this might require more effort than I want to put into this topic =P
The current version already hemorrhages $720 per year, which is not insignificant.
That's a point I can concede on. But I would say to give it a go at the end of this year/beginning of the next, because China is going to get a HUGE rework. Like, actual warlord cliques, and the AOG being limited to a few coastal cities.
I couldn't actually take Kaiserreich China seriously. The idea that Chinese elites of the period would invite a westerner like Kaiser Wilhelm II -- who is infamous for spreading the Yellow Peril ideology (the idea the Asians are sexually depraved and are out to rape white women in a darwinian racial struggle...) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yellow_Peril#Germany_and_Russia
Glad to hear the AOG is being cut down though. That's another neon sign of "the people who built this mod know nothing about history outside Europe". Pertinent:
Wikipedia said:
The European great powers finally ceased their ambitions of colonizing China having learned from the Boxer rebellions that the best way to deal with China was through the ruling dynasty, rather than directly with the Chinese people (a sentiment embodied in the adage: "The people are afraid of officials, the officials are afraid of foreigners, and the foreigners are afraid of the people")
I have tried to play Japan in Kaiserreich long ago. Took great pleasure in stripping all of Germany's oversea possessions using IJN naval power. Then grew bored from a lack of events ^^' Maybe that has changed since.
"Trust is earned by many deeds, and lost by only one."
- Sun Yat-Sen
It was a clear and sunny day in Nanjing on the 10th of October, 1936, when Chiang and his ministers sat in the Presidential Palace for what was otherwise a routine, weekly meeting. Then, a panicked officer burst in through the doors:
"Report from Governor-General Ma Bufang: Xinjiang has revolted!"
(Custom event! I was too lazy to create the Second East Turkestan Republic. Besides, partisans fight harder ingame.)
It was not the first time that Stalin set his gaze on this remote province. Xinjiang lacked everything and was mostly just uninhabited stretches of desert and mountains, but it held a vital geostrategic position which threatened the Soviet industries in Central Asia and the bulk of the USSR's natural resources. In Chiang's other life, the Soviets would invade Xinjiang in 1934, at the request of the treasonous Xinjiang provincial governor Sheng Shicai (although he later kicked the Soviets out in 1942 when the tide of WWII turned against Russia). In this timeline, Chiang at least avoided that by forcibly removing and summarily executing Sheng before the Soviets could intervene (see Chapter 2).
But just like that other time, the Xinjiang Wars could not be ended so easily. The Soviets were determined to turn Xinjiang into another buffer state like Mongolia. They supported the Uyghur independence movement for that purpose, even going as far as sending in Red Army planes and ground troops as support.
(Soviet ground presence strengthened in place of their air support. The Ili rebels were also aided by White Russians who settled in the area after the Russian Civil War.)
General Ma Hongkui swiftly engaged the rebels with his 6 elite cavalry divisions and the 3 border infantry divisions. Chiang Kai-shek ordered the 1st Assault Army (9 assault divisions + 1 HQ division) to redeploy north from Lanzhou, while General Falkenhausen and his German trainers were flown in to oversee the battle.
It was time to test the new Sturmtruppen.
The Soviet-equipped Uyghurs had better weapons (1936 unit models), but the KMT cavalry had more experience with mountain warfare. They successfully ambushed the rebels twice and encircled a large continent of them in the conflict's opening days, inflicting heavy losses upon the rebels' so-called 'Ili National Army'.
On October 26th, the Xinjiang Wars further expanded as Mongolian cavalry -- no doubt under the prodding of Stalin -- began clashing with Chinese border patrols.
(Custom event!)
-----
November 3rd, 1936: The Irish drafted the Constitution (Amendment No. 27) Act, abolishing the office of the (UK) Governor-General and removing almost all references to the British Monarchy. All executive functions have been passed to the Irish government. They are now the first state to break the yoke of the British Empire!
November 4th: US President Franklin D. Roosevelt is relected for his 2nd term in office. Chiang Kai-shek sends his congratulations.
November 9th: As if one revolt wasn't enough, Taiwan also erupted in open rebellion:
(Custom event! Pardon the fact it's not February 28. I can't help the fact China likes to name incidents after dates.)
Chiang Kai-shek should have remembered Chen Yi's incompetence and fired him early. The Governor-General's poor administrative skills and general prejudice against the Taiwanese locals made him severely mishandle the situation. His foul attitude which provoked the populace again and again could best be summed up by his own words:
"Mainland Chinese were advanced enough to enjoy the privileges of constitutional government, but because of long years of despotic Japanese rule, the Formosans were politically retarded and were not capable of carrying on self-government in an intelligent manner." - Chen Yi
This time, the KMT couldn't even blame it on the Communists. Chen's brutal crackdown did manage to 'restore order', but it also tarnished the image of the Chinese Republic in western media. The liberal press now had plenty of ammunition to portray Chiang's government as a fascist, repressive regime.
To alleviate the worst of the fallout, Chiang ordered Chen Yi to be publicly tried and executed for his crimes. He betrayed the KMT once (tried to turn Communist) after his fall from power. Who can say that he wouldn't do it again?
Meanwhile, to divert the mainlanders' attention from the Taiwan debacle, he asked his son -- High Commissioner Chiang Ching-kuo -- to announce the next major undertaking by the KMT Central government:
(Custom event!)
A display of China's economic growth always worked well to distract the people from government failings.
-----
Bitter fighting raged through the mountains of Xinjiang into November. The 1st Assault Army of 10 divisions arrived in Urumuqi and mostly reorganized by November 12th. They were thrown into combat on the next day, and their numbers accelerated the progress of the anti-insurgency campaign. Yet, despite being severely depleted by weeks of ongoing action, the Ili rebels continued to hold onto their remote hideouts.
(Of all the combat event traits, I get the least useful one.)
It took another six days before rebel morale finally collapsed on November 19th and they surrendered, including more than a few Red Army soldiers. The Ili Rebellion lasted only 39 days, but it cost the lives of over 25,000 Chinese troops.
The KMT Muslim Cavalry had a reputation for not taking prisoners. But on Chiang's orders, the Soviet soldiers were repatriated after just a few photographs, as a gesture of "we'd rather not escalate this further".
-----
November 18th, 1936: Germany recognizes General Franco's Nationalist Spain government as the legitimate Spain. The Republic of China decided to follow suit for easy diplomacy points.
November 25th: After a series of battles around Taracon, Nationalist Spain forces seize the Republican capital, capturing large quantities of military supplies. The last two months have not been kind to Republican Spain, as they lost a carrier off Morocco and their territory in northwestern Iberia is folding. It seems only a matter of time before the Nationalists win.
December 4th: Dai Li has done it again. This time, he showed up with detailed Imperial Japanese Navy war plans on how to blockade and interdict its enemies' trade. They'll be of great use to the ROCN, once the admirals learn the basics about submarines.
(I highly doubt I'll get that far before Germany start giving me blueprints for free.)
December 10th: It took the Portuguese five months to decide that they would help the Spanish Nationalists after all, now that the the Nationalists have a clear upper hand.
December 11th: British monarch Edward VIII abdicates the throne to live his married life with an American socialite, ending his reign of less than eleven months (six of it spent over this mess).
Chiang Kai-shek shut down his radio and sighed. The British could only afford such a frivolous and pointless royal family because they sucked dry the wealth from half the world.
-----
The events of Xinjiang and Taiwan did not take long before sending waves across China. It left many Chinese -- Chiang Kai-shek especially -- without any doubt that the threat of foreign aggression had not ended with the Japanese. The Republic was now sandwiched between hostile Bolsheviks to the north and Imperialist-occupied colonies to the south. The need for national unity was now greater than ever if China is to navigate through these troubled times.
On December 15th, 1936, Director-General Chiang Kai-shek announced the Draft Constitution of the Republic of China, based on the Three Principals of the People laid down by Sun Yat-Sen. It signaled that the Republic of China was ready to advance from its second developmental stage -- the period of Political Tutelage -- and begin the transition into a Representative Republic. Though in reality this was little more than a public relations ploy, as Chiang would continue to act with paramount authority as the 'trustee of the people'. In his opinion, the Chinese people were still far from ready to rule themselves...
(Draft Constitution is an EoD mod event that I wasn't expecting yet it managed to play into the story fairly well, though the grammar is atrocious. China signing the Anti-Comintern Pact is of course a custom event!)
Twelve days later, China also announced the signing of Germany's Anti-Comintern Pact, bonding the two in a loose 'alliance' against the Soviet Union. "We had no choice," the Chinese embassador in Washington would later explain to the Americans. "China shares over 4,000 kilometers of borders with the Soviet Union, and the growing influence of the Comintern threatens its entirety."
At the same time, the Republic of China begins negotiations with Germany to intensify the Sino-German military cooperation.
-----
End of year development summary: Minister Weng Wenhao has developed another 17 factory complexes across China, a significant increase from the 12 built in 1935 and 8 built in 1934. Chiang Kai-shek believes that this signals the nation's readiness to start shifting industrial resources to other tasks in the coming year.
Expanding IC in a province requires Infrastructure:
40% Infrastructure - maximum of 2 Industries
50% Infrastructure - maximum of 3 Industries
60% Infrastructure - maximum of 4 Industries
70% Infrastructure - maximum of 5 Industries
80% Infrastructure - no limitations
(Industrial capacity summary as of December 30, 1936 posted.)
Meanwhile... Dai Li's BIS/Juntong scored a new record for the number of subversive activities it stopped this year.
Notes:
1. In our timeline, the second phase of the Xinjiang Wars began in late 1944, before WW2 even ended and while the Russians were still nominally allied with the ROC. It significantly aided the CPC's victory in the Chinese Civil War as it drew large numbers of the KMT's elite muslim cavalry west, which could have been used to crush the CPC Shaanxi base zones (seat of Mao's political leadership).
2. In the west, it's "quick, distract people with war!". In China, it's "quick, distract people with impressive GDP numbers!" Chinese culture has had an obsession with economy-boosting mega-infrastructure-projects ever since the Qin dynasty.
Will you event's work on vanilla DH or only on EoD? Either way, will you (re)write "Draft Constitution of 1936" event?
What will you get from "Request German Advisors" event?
And small question, you wrote that Sui Dynasty was first to connect Yangtze and Yellow River (at least that's what I understand from description), but wasn't that Qin Dynasty that first connected them, as a preparation to invade Hundred Yue?
I couldn't actually take Kaiserreich China seriously. The idea that Chinese elites of the period would invite a westerner like Kaiser Wilhelm II -- who is infamous for spreading the Yellow Peril ideology (the idea the Asians are sexually depraved and are out to rape white women in a darwinian racial struggle...) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yellow_Peril#Germany_and_Russia
Glad to hear the AOG is being cut down though. That's another neon sign of "the people who built this mod know nothing about history outside Europe". Pertinent:
I have tried to play Japan in Kaiserreich long ago. Took great pleasure in stripping all of Germany's oversea possessions using IJN naval power. Then grew bored from a lack of events ^^' Maybe that has changed since.
I only gave you a small bit of the rework.
The Yunnan Clique is being reworked to be an alliance of 3 provinces in the west under Yunnan's leadership. The south is occupied by the League of Eight Provinces, stretching all the way to Nanjing. Shanxi is added as a warlord, and the Shanqing are shifting into the Shandong province. The Fentiang still hold Manchuria and are under heavy Japanese influence. Mongolia and Ma-land remain mostely the same. The remaining land in between Shanxi, the LoEP and Fentiang is held by the Qing, which is effectively another warlord clique, since the Emperor is only a figurehead. The concessions are reworked, with them being devided between the Legation Cities and the AOG. Just a short introduction with what a know off the top of my head. I encourage you to read up on it yourself
Based on the conclusion of the Xinjiang rebellion, do you think the Sturmtruppen was a success? I'm more concerned on how effective they would be against Soviet Heavy armor like the KV-1 and IS tanks.
Now that the Sino-German pact has deepened, will you get more research on Infantry or on industrial tech?
How's the armored car research going? You starting to build some?
Will you event's work on vanilla DH or only on EoD? Either way, will you (re)write "Draft Constitution of 1936" event?
What will you get from "Request German Advisors" event?
And small question, you wrote that Sui Dynasty was first to connect Yangtze and Yellow River (at least that's what I understand from description), but wasn't that Qin Dynasty that first connected them, as a preparation to invade Hundred Yue?
My hope is to make a drag-and-drop folder than people can just drop into their preferred mod, but... I'd have to get some help to get that far since there are some basics I'm missing and I'm just taking shortcuts to make it work.
(i.e. I paste my custom events into an existing event file because I can't find where to specify a new event file).
No plans on rewriting this event, as a few google searches told me the obvious: it just didn't leave much of a mark on history.
None of the custom events rely on EoD events... and EoD isn't very friendly to ahistorical playthroughs (most events are triggered by date only), but I do love the flavor as it adds most of the League of Nations timeline (i.e. http://www.indiana.edu/~league/1936.htm) as events. There are many details in the run-up to WWII that I didn't know until this playthrough.
German advisors: quit asking for spoilers =P
Grand Canal: not according to wiki. I didn't research into its history, just read a few economic articles on its modern (PRC) era use.
Based on the conclusion of the Xinjiang rebellion, do you think the Sturmtruppen was a success? I'm more concerned on how effective they would be against Soviet Heavy armor like the KV-1 and IS tanks.
Now that the Sino-German pact has deepened, will you get more research on Infantry or on industrial tech?
How's the armored car research going? You starting to build some?
Too early to say. Light Infantry doctrine's greatest advantage is speed which isn't reflected here. Also... I'm not sure exactly why but Partisans seem to behave differently than any other army (it's like they recover ORG while fighting or something).
Infantry without AT brigades are ineffective against armored divisions, regardless of doctrine.
No more blueprints for Infantry/Industrial tech, as China had effectively caught up.
Patience, youngling =P As the chapter said -- production of non-factory things will begin sometime next year (1937).
Special 1 - National Rural Reconstruction Movement
Over the course of this AAR, I've had to do basic research on a lot of people. But while there's been many extraordinary historical figures, there's one that really left me impressed in a most unexpected manner. And it shocks me how few people know this man (his wikipedia article is Tiny) compared to the huge footprint on history he left behind, or the countless people affected by him:
The various "Rural Reconstruction" organizations that Dr Y.C.James Yen's work pioneered spans the globe, and consistently rank among some of the most efficient and effective aid organizations available. The best part is that they differ fundamentally from most charity (although they count as one) in that they don't just help people, they focus on letting people to help themselves -- which is far more empowering and lasting.
It's a stain on both the governments of China (KMT government of the ROC + CPC government of the PRC) that neither gave him much help and both disrupted his efforts while vying for power in the Chinese Civil War. It would not be until 1985 when the PRC government finally recognized his immense contributions for developing rural china.
Darkest Hour does not have a mechanic that's affected by the level of basic education (like leadership in HOI3; research is mostly limited to elites during this time as common people can't afford higher learning). But if it did, this event would be the one to improve China's rates. As it stands, this event is uncontrollable as it drains a lot of supplies (representing local organizations taking up resources that central wouldn't collect) for not much benefit, but it goes to show that such work is being done in the background... as well as being a tribute to the remarkable Dr. Yen.
Notes: This gets its own chapter because I don't want to mar Dr. Yen's image by discussing it on the same level as cutthroat politics, and certainly not in one post with Hitler's face...
"German-Chinese friendship stemmed in good part from the hard struggle of both for independence."
- Hjalmar Schacht, Reich Minister of Economics to H. H. Kung, ROC Minister of Finance
Chiang Kai-shek's Draft Constitution may be merely for public relations, but his promises weren't entirely hollow. As the Republic of China peacefully enters the year of 1937, Chiang removed many of the limitations he enforced on peasants during the Communist banditry years.
When I was reading about last Friday, I found a particularly interesting quote:
"If when I die, I am still a dictator, I will certainly go down into the oblivion of all dictators. If, on the other hand, I succeed in establishing a truly stable foundation for a democratic government, I will live forever in every home in China." - Chiang Kai-shek
It's kind of shocking how much one line can say about a person.
Unfortunately, history will always remember Chiang as a dictator. But it's little hints like this which shows that Chiang did indeed believe in Sun Yat-Sen's legacy, and he merely saw his methods as a temporary necessity. (quote added to Chapter 9 - Leader Paramount)
January 2nd, 1937: The British and Italians announced a treaty that divided their control of the Mediterranean, the pivot of British supply lines to the east. The Chinese views this as ill news; they need Britain to have more distractions and less attention for Asia, not the other way around.
January 3rd: Someone forgot to halt construction on the Wufu Line, built to defend Nanjing from a Japanese invasion... or more likely, the local officials just kept on siphoning funds off the construction budget while nobody noticed. The fortifications finished over a year too late. Though maybe the troops being trained to man it will still be useful. Meanwhile, Chiang Kai-shek unleashes Ching-kuo to investigate the matter and arrest those guilty of corruption.
January 4th: After the six month general strike in Palestine, the British commission headed by Lord Peel decided that the best way to solve the problem was by forcibly partitioning the land between the Jews and Muslims (and showed no bias at all when he assigned the best lands to the Zionists). This satisfied absolutely no one, least of all the Muslims whose farmlands were being expropriated by outsiders.
January 6th: The US bans all arms shipments to the Spanish Civil War, which suited the Nationalists just fine as they've already received far more aid from Germany and Italy than the Republicans have.
January 16th: Bitter over the Entente's interference in its conquest of Abyssinia, Italy ended its Stresa Front with France and Britain. Mussolini signed Germany's Anti-Comintern Pact instead, drastically shifting Italian foreign policy from Anti-German to Pro-German. 11 days later, Italy also left the League of Nations, signaling a complete abandonment of the post-Versailles order.
Chiang Kai-shek was not happy to sit on the same side as the Italian 'Duce'. Unlike Germany, whose interests lie solely in Europe, the Italians wanted to build a global empire of their own -- to become the next British Empire which the Chinese hated. Plus, given how long it took them to beat a backwards African state like Abyssinia, they were incompetent at it to boot.
January 29th: After destroying another division from the Spanish Republic and winning several battles around Toledo, the Spanish Nationalists seized the city of Jaén and cut the Republic's capital off from the rest of its territories. The situation was looking increasingly dire for the Republicans.
February 2nd: Mandated by the Government of India Act (1935), the Indians finally get to hold provincial elections! The Indian National Congress (INC) won 707 out of 1,585 seats, with the All-India Muslim League (AIML) coming in as the second-ranking party. This is good news for the Indians, though whether the elected has any real power in decision-making has yet to be seen...
February 20th: Under pressure from Germany, Austrian Chancellor Kurt Schuschnigg resigned. President Wilhelm Miklas appointed Arthur Seyss-Inquart, Austrian Minister of the Interior, as the new Chancellor. Seyss-Inquart promptly telegraphed an invitation for German troops to cross the border into Austria. But (this time) the Germans did not move immediately. Instead, they waited for the Austrian Nazis to solidify their legitimacy with the following week's hastily-prepared Anschluss referendum.
March 1st: The Spanish Republicans -- having relocated their capital to Teruel -- launched an offensive in the south. They retook Seville and Cordoba in an attempt to relieve the shrinking Toledo pocket. Meanwhile, the Nationalists destroyed the last remaining Republican forces in northwestern Spain.
-----
On March 5th, 1937, the Anschluss referendum carries through, with a greater majority of Austrians agreeing. The German Wehrmacht crossed the border to an overwhelmingly positive Austrian reception that surprised even Hitler. Austrian Chancellor Seyss-Inquart drafted the legislative act to have Austria absorbed into the German Reich as a province. It was signed into law in the following week.
When asked for his opinion by the press, Chiang Kai-shek stated: "The concept of Greater Germany was originally an Austrian idea, and only 70 years had passed since Koniggratz when the Austrians tried to achieve it. The Austrians and Germans have functioned under a single political and cultural union for over a thousand years, until that Frenchman Napoleon tore them asunder. Now, they reunite under an Austrian-born German Chancellor. Why should anyone be bothered?"
Of course, what the world did not know, was that his very own son took part in it.
(Custom event!)
Chiang Kai-shek smiled as he remembered Wei-kuo's last telegram, full of admiration towards the beauty of the Alps and the elegance of Vienna. Back in 1925, the old-fashioned Chiang had decided that Ching-kuo would be "the son to be taught" while his adopted son, Wei-kuo, was "the son to be loved". Yet despite this, his determination to be China's leader meant that his entire family had to help carry the burden. Ching-kuo had suffered as Stalin's hostage for nearly a decade, and Chiang could only pray that Wei-kuo would stay safe as he served in the Wehrmacht to reinforce Sino-German ties.
The younger son had already done China a great deed, as he confirmed for Chiang that the Nazis had truly meant it when Hitler declared East Asians to be 'Honorary Aryans'. After all, it was easy for diplomats to hide their racism behind a veneer of courtesy. But for thousands of military officers and cadets and soldiers to do the same while they interacted with Wei-kuo on a daily basis? Impossible.
"I have never regarded the Chinese or the Japanese as being inferior to ourselves. They belong to ancient civilizations, and I admit freely that their past history is superior to our own. They have the right to be proud of their past, just as we have the right to be proud of the civilization to which we belong. Indeed, I believe the more steadfast the Chinese and the Japanese remain in their pride of race, the easier I shall find it to get on with them." - Adolf Hitler
The so-called 'Free' European States might look down upon the Nazis' vulgar Anti-Semitism. Yet they refused to see their own abhorrent racism towards Asians, whom only the Germans could treat as equals.
-----
March 19th: The Indian National Congress met in Delhi, where the moderate faction led by Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru defeated the extremists. However, when they demanded assurances from the British provincial governors that they would not use their emergency powers to frustrate the congress' programs, the British government refused to compromise. It goes to show that in the end, the British merely paid lip service to Democracy, while they remain nothing more than a tyrannical empire.
April 2nd: The Germans have decided that the best way to defeat the French Maginot Line is to have a staring contest with it, as they build their own fortified line across the river.
April 11th: Wehrmacht General Heinz Guderian writes a revolutionary book regarding the use of tanks and motorized troops in combat. After receiving a report from Chiang Wei-kuo on its details, General Bai Chongxi immediately orders it to be translated into Chinese and provided to all generals as required reading. Even if China has no immediate plans to develop motorized troops, Guderian's lessons on using mobility to exploit breaches and how not to use cavalry is sage advice.
April 26th: After months of political deadlock where the Indians refused to form an administration that has no power, the British government finally gave assurances that their provincial governors would not use emergency powers to interfere with policies set by the Indian Congress.
May 11th: With the Spanish Republicans in northwestern Iberia defeated, the Nationalists launched an offensive in the south. They retook Cordoba and crushed the Toledo pocket, destroying the remnants of two devastated corps who had been cut from supplies for over two months.
Notes:
1. Real quotes are bold and italicized. Fake quotes are not. I made up Chiang's response to Anschluss.
2. Most western historians don't like to admit that the Nazis actually treated Asians better than the British/French did. They prefer to see the Sino-German Cooperation as merely an alliance of convience, but it really wasn't. Instead, the Chinese and Germans shared a sympathetic affinity as they saw their own struggles in the other (which I try to portray in this AAR). There are so many examples to verify this. My favorite is John Rabe -- the man who China would celebrate as the savior of 200,000 lives in Nanjing -- well, he was a staunch local Nazi party leader devoted to their ideology (which probably saved him from the Gestapo when they detained him for sabotaging German-Japanese relations).
3. If you're wondering why I'm going into so many Middle Eastern events, it's because I plan to give the region much more importance in WWII than it did historically. The KMT administration, while secular, favored the Islamic perspective due to the many prominent Muslim leaders among its ranks.
Great writing, and your attention to detail is admirable!
I would not call John Rabe a devoted Nazi, he had spent over 20 years in China at that point and had very little idea of what was going on back home, except for the steady stream of propaganda repeating how Germany was being made great again. It's hard not to agree with that when you don't know what that actually entails in detail.
You also mention having read a number of books in preparation. May I ask if "The Soong Dynasty" was among them? I recently read it and would really like to hear your opinion on it, but if you consider that to be straying too far from the topic，no worries!
January 3rd: Someone forgot to halt construction on the Wufu Line, built to defend Nanjing from a Japanese invasion... or more likely, the local officials just kept on siphoning funds off the construction budget while nobody noticed. The fortifications finished over a year too late. Though maybe the troops being trained to man it will still be useful. Meanwhile, Chiang Kai-shek unleashes Ching-kuo to investigate the matter and arrest those guilty of corruption.
In case my writing is unreadable:
(M)essenger - My Leader, Wufu Line is done
(C)hiang - What!
M - Nanjing defense, capital is finally safe against Japanese
C - We beat them in 1935 you idiot, go to prison!
M - Wha... But...
C - Corrupted idiot, at this point we almost move capital to Beijing anyway
I know that CPC change capital to Beijing, and i'am not really sure about rationale behind this, i know that Ming, Qing and pre KMT republic use it as capital, but i'am not sure why.
And, in line with marlfox216 i would be glad for booklist, there is never enought book to read
My mom told me a saying about the nature of Chinese people that they "rather be the heads of roosters than be the tail of dragons." It was to show that very nature of the Chinese are very selfish and prideful, that they rather be kings of their own communities than being servants to the Dragon Emperor. Which probably explains why China has so many civil wars and internal instability. (My family is Chinese and my Parents came to the US after Chang lost his Civil War. And my Grandpa from my dad's side fought in Chiang's armies and took part in the defense of Hong Kong against Japan.)
I'm very curious on the cultural impact on Chiang's victory. (My mom said we would still be in China living in Shanghai if Chiang won the Civil War but married to a different man.) Since Maoist China had the Legalism philosophy where Authority is king, Nationalist China will most likely go down the Confucius philosophy where Respect and Wisdom is king.
And since China and India is familiar of the Swastika and that they were friendly towards Germany, it would seem likely that some Nazis would flee to those countries searching for asylum. Imagine Hitler asking Chiang for protection against Nazi Hunters.
Will there be a Cultural Revolution where there will be a unified Chinese language or will Traditional Chinese and local dialects remain the same?
Great writing, and your attention to detail is admirable!
I would not call John Rabe a devoted Nazi, he had spent over 20 years in China at that point and had very little idea of what was going on back home, except for the steady stream of propaganda repeating how Germany was being made great again. It's hard not to agree with that when you don't know what that actually entails in detail.
You also mention having read a number of books in preparation. May I ask if "The Soong Dynasty" was among them? I recently read it and would really like to hear your opinion on it, but if you consider that to be straying too far from the topic，no worries!
I've read several books on the Third Reich (Albert Speer's impacted me the most by far) and it's generally acknowledged that to climb the Nazi party's power ladder one must display a certain... fervor. Though it may be different since Rabe was in Shanghai? Also per wiki: Rabe failed 'Denazification' during his first attempt, which says something as there's no political value to holding him back.
I've only read excerpts from "The Soong Dynasty", and while I hold respect for Seagrave as an investigative journalist, it's clear that he held a certain goal and many of his descriptions seem grossly exaggerated for shock effect. His book was especially well-timed (1980s) to meet political goals as the USA was undergoing a major diplomatic policy pivot towards the PRC.
AFAIK, Seagrave also implies that Chiang should have worked with the Communists, when history itself proved this faulty (the CPC were in the ones who used the war to build their own strength while Chiang lost most of his best troops in the war). Nevertheless, the book does reflect how utterly corrupt Chiang's government was... though I've heard it conveniently overlooks many details (i.e. how most of Chiang's generals were fiercely anti-foreigner, how he made use of the capitalist class but never allowed them direct power which stayed with the military cadres).
In this timeline, H. H. Kung's excesses will be moderated by Chiang Ching-kuo, with dramatic clashes (more on that later). T.V.Soong is left out of the cabinet altogether as he's a manipulative bastard.
I haven't even kept a list of all the books ^^;
Here's a few I've read more recent years. As I've noted, because the politics surrounding this topic, the more recent a book's publication date, the more reliable and better sourced it is (assuming the author can read chinese and doesn't have an obvious political agenda to peddle).
Forgotten Ally: China's World War II, 1937-1945 (2013)
Sun Yat-Sen, Nanyang and the 1911 Revolution (2011)
The Wars for Asia, 1911–1949 (2012)
A Bitter Revolution: China's Struggle with the Modern World (2005) - Working on it
In case my writing is unreadable:
(M)essenger - My Leader, Wufu Line is done
(C)hiang - What!
M - Nanjing defense, capital is finally safe against Japanese
C - We beat them in 1935 you idiot, go to prison!
M - Wha... But...
C - Corrupted idiot, at this point we almost move capital to Beijing anyway
I know that CPC change capital to Beijing, and i'am not really sure about rationale behind this, i know that Ming, Qing and pre KMT republic use it as capital, but i'am not sure why.
Haha. I wish I can draw Polandballs well enough to use it in AAR...
China has a total of FOUR major capitals: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Historical_capitals_of_China
I have no idea why they keep shifting.
I would imagine that the KMT would stay at Nanjing though: it's the closest of the four to their origin base at Canton, and it holds better communications with the Yangtze River Valley where most of their modernization is.
My mom told me a saying about the nature of Chinese people that they "rather be the heads of roosters than be the tail of dragons." It was to show that very nature of the Chinese are very selfish and prideful, that they rather be kings of their own communities than being servants to the Dragon Emperor. Which probably explains why China has so many civil wars and internal instability. (My family is Chinese and my Parents came to the US after Chang lost his Civil War. And my Grandpa from my dad's side fought in Chiang's armies and took part in the defense of Hong Kong against Japan.)
I'm very curious on the cultural impact on Chiang's victory. (My mom said we would still be in China living in Shanghai if Chiang won the Civil War but married to a different man.) Since Maoist China had the Legalism philosophy where Authority is king, Nationalist China will most likely go down the Confucius philosophy where Respect and Wisdom is king.
And since China and India is familiar of the Swastika and that they were friendly towards Germany, it would seem likely that some Nazis would flee to those countries searching for asylum. Imagine Hitler asking Chiang for protection against Nazi Hunters.
Will there be a Cultural Revolution where there will be a unified Chinese language or will Traditional Chinese and local dialects remain the same?
1. The Chinese are certainly a prideful bunch, but selfish? Not traditionally (the recent generations get really complicated... but hey, Millennials have a reputation everywhere).
Your interpretation of that adage isn't quite right... a little known fact about Chiang. When Sun Yat-Sen was ousted by a coup in Canton, rendered powerless, and took shelter on a frigate (that would later carry his name), Chiang Kai-shek rushed back and spent 50 days protecting and caring for Sun. Loyalty to one's superiors is held in extremely high regard in Chinese culture, and Chiang himself shows this.
2. China is known for Civil Wars because China is huge and regional governments have a LOT of power (during Feudal times, each provincial governor had the military might of a European nation). When the government has Mandate of Heaven and is centralized it's easy to control; but when the government isn't, they can't effectively put down rebellions of such massive size. (famously simulated in EU4 by the 'Mingsplosion').
3. As Rana Mitter best puts it: "One can imagine Chiang Kai-shek's ghost wandering round China today nodding in approval, while Mao's ghost follows behind him, moaning at the destruction of his vision." China today is quite similar to how Chiang envisioned it -- though Chiang would have brought it over faster had he actually succeeded, since Chiang wasn't a political-extremist.
4. Chinese laws have followed one creed for milleniums, and while the laws have changed the spirit hasn't. Best explained by the adage: "Confucianism on the outside, legalism on the inside". The CPC's mess during the Cultural Revolution dealt major harm to traditional (Confucian) culture, so it FEELS more legalist than before, although they've been reverting in recent years.
5. The Cultural Revolution is uniquely Maoist (it bears reminder that during the Cultural Revolution Mao no longer had support from most of his cadres or even the military, which is why he mobilized the Red Guards aka students; this probably contributed to Deng Xiaoping's Tiananmen Square crackdown as to him, students stirring up trouble = Cultural Rev all over again). Linguistically, China hasn't changed much other than switching to the simplified script for ease of literacy. Regional dialects still hold very strong.
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