Cripple & Collapse: Green Alert - KR Transamur AAR

[Emperor Ike]

Cripple & Collapse: Green Alert
KR Transamur AAR

"The year is 1936 and Transamur, the true successor of the Russian Empire has become a corporate militaristic republic under the rule of Admiral Alexander Kolchak, the self-proclaimed "Supreme Ruler of All Russia". Due to its status as a minor power in Asia and as the puppet state of Japan, Transamur has become highly dependent on the economic aid of Japan as well as militarily for Transarmur army is just a fragment of the former glory that it was in the Russian Civil War. Every action that Transamur makes is closely watched by the Empire of Japan and Transamur is restricted to a very narrow foreign policy. The global economy is worsening and people all over the world are losing their trust for the governments. Will the economic crisis hit Asia? And will they effect Transamur? Will Kolchak play his dangerous game and secure power to himself under the protection of Japan and will he try to seize the power over Russia to himself? Or will he simply submit to the will of Japan and stay as the Ruler of Transamur, the puppet of Japan? Only the coming years will answer these questions and the actions of the rulers will determine the faith of the world."

Is how I once began my first Transamur AAR in Kaiserreich Darkest Hour back in the days. Now a time has come to pay a visit to Transamur and Admiral Kolchak once again in the latest instalment of Kaiserreich in Hearts of Iron 4. Now a lot has changed from the early days of Kaiserreich and with HoI 4 new elements are in play and who knows what fate has in store for Kolchak and Transamur. Will Kolchak end up in a ditch covered in petrol on fire? Will Emperor Hirohito watch from his island when Kolchak builds his enclave in Vladivostok or will he step in to replace Kolchak with a new government? Will Russia ever be ruled by Kolchak or will other White Generals restore Russia to its former glory or worse, will the Soviets return to ruin the fun?

Stay tuned for the first instalment of Cripple & Collapse: Green Alert.

Index:

 

[TK-XD-M8]

Batteries online. communications tuning in. Alert status: Green.

Subbed and cruisers on stand-by.

 

[Emperor Ike]

Kolchak's Cabinet

Head of State - Admiral Alexandr Kolchak

Once a polar explorer and commander in the Imperial Russian Navy, who fought in the Russo-Japanese War and the Weltkrieg, Kolchak once tried to claim himself a title of 'Supreme Ruler of Russia' but failed to gather enough support. His relations with the newly created Russian Republic's government were quite hostile due Brest-Litovsk Treaty which they signed and only worsen in 1925 after Kolchak's unsuccessful coup d'etat against 'German lapdogs'. A rogue admiral managed to flee Russia and found shelter in the pro-Japanese Transamur state.

Ever since 1925 Kolchak, now a puppet of Hirohito, has claimed Transamur government as the rightful government of all Russia, deposed by filthy traitors of Kerensky's cabinet. Kolchak's regime has few supporters and many haters. Most of the liberals are in open opposition to him, while his own generals are not trustworthy. There even is a chance that they will start a coup to overthrow the Admiral. As a former admiral of Russian Empire Kolchak pays attention to the naval researches more strict than other leaders. His knowledge will be valuable in creating and unstoppable fleet for All Russia.

Head of Government - Grigorij M. Semyonov

Semyonov was born in the Transbaikal region of eastern Siberia. His father, Mikhail Petrovich Semyonov, was of partial Buryat descent. Semyonov was a fluent Mongolian and Buryat language speaker. He joined the Imperial Russian Army in 1908, and graduated from Orenburg Military School in 1911. He was commissioned as a yesaul (Cossack ensign) and distinguished himself in the battle against the Germans and Austro-Hungarians in World War I, earning the Saint George's Cross for courage.
As an old general of the Imperial Russian Army, Semyonov has a vast knowledge of military planning and effective fortification techniques.

Foreign Minister - Boris Bakhmetev

He was born on May 14, 1880 in Tbilisi, Georgia. He married Helen on July 22, 1905, in Kineshma, Russia.
His wife Helen died in 1921. An engineer and keen businessman Bakhmetev has developed an unfortunate apologetic side which dictates his views and politics.

Economy Minister - Dmitry Lebedev

And old friend of Kolchak, Estonian-born Lebedev is a very resourceful industrialist.

Security Minister - Arkady Udintsev

A Prince of Terror who is able to bring in political gains with pure fear and terror.
​

 

[Davisx3m]

Ohh subscribes!

 

[stnylan]

Very excited. Nice introduction.

 

[Emperor Ike]

State of Transamur - 1936
​

Siberia and the Russian far-east had been major areas of conflict during the Russian Civil War, as the location of a short-lived democratic republic, the rising of the 'Czech Legion' and Japanese intervention. While forced to evacuate their forces due to German pressure (as well as intense resistance from local Cossacks), the Japanese remained eager to extend their influence and in 1922 pushed for the establishment of an independent state in the Transamur region. This motion gained the support of the Vladivostok business community, despite the fact that it left them vulnerable to forming an economic dependency on Japan. The majority of the business community, however, saw economic and diplomatic relations with the rising power in the East as a significant advantage, especially when compared to the alternative of being sucked further into the disorder besetting the rest of Russia.

The new nation gained a prominent figurehead in the form of Admiral Kolchak, one of the more successful White Generals of the Civil War and the one-time self-proclaimed 'Supreme Ruler of All Russia', who had been forced to flee Russia following his unsuccessful attempt to seize control in 1924. In 1936, the Transamur Republic has become a corporate and militaristic state, and is political, economically and militarily under the thumb of the Japanese Empire.

From 1925 to 1936 Transamur has seen little to no development and compared to its northern neighbour the Russian Republic and the Fentieng Republic, another puppet of Japan, Transamur is in a sorry state and Kolchak has to do everything in his power to bring Transamur to the economic and technological level of those wishing his demise.

Transamur's navy is outdated and consist of those ships seized from Imperial Russia during the Russian Civil War and most of them are in bad shape and in immediate need of replacement. In total 20 submarines, 3 battleships, 3 cruisers and 16 destroyers hold their base at Vladivostok. But Kolchak as a former Admiral has a plan to bring his navy to meet the modern standards.

The army is in much worse shape than the navy. Mostly because Japan dictates much of the policies in Transamur and has only allowed Kolchak to keep a small army to defend the Empires border. In total Transamur has two armies with total of 9 functional divisions. Six division of regular infantry and 3 cavalry regiments. Both with outdated weaponry and lacking modern equipment.

Transamur also holds few outdated planes that nobody would dare to fly into combat and they mostly rust on the airfield outside Vladivostok

 

[stnylan]

Much work is needed to restore Transamur to its rightful place.

 

[cybandeath]

True Russia shall rise to glory!

 

[Montezuma II]

Hail the Supreme Ruler of Russia!

 

[Emperor Ike]

Beginning of 1936​

For 14 years Russia had been in a relatively peaceful era of stability but it all came to an end in January 1936 when an unknown assailant shot President Kerensky dead not far from the Senate. This assassination sent the Senate in a fierce debate on who was to follow Kerensky and continue the progress that had followed the Civil War. All the while both left and right blamed each other of the murder and even few smaller brawls occurred among the most vocal members of each side. Somehow the Senate managed to vote for Grand Duke Dmitri Romanov to become the new President. The government was secured into the hands of the conservatives and old generals like Denikin, Wrangel and Kornilov but the leftist renegades with the lead of Bukharin demanded appeasement and even threatened to leave the Senate if some of Kerensky's policies weren't reverted. What is to come of Russia? Will the right re-establish the Romanov dynasty on the throne of the Russian Empire? Or will democracy prevail and will Bukharin stay with Russia? Or will Kolchak have to step in as the saviour of All Russia?

These questions will hopefully be answered in the months to come.

In Europe, the Berlin Stock Exchange plunged into the depths of abyss and caused a huge economic catastrophe that would be felt in every corner of the world. Is this the end of the German Golden Age? Or will the Kaiser and his government manage to recover from this?

In March the first ever non-Japanese led military exercises were completed and designs for plans were drawn. For too long had Transamur relied on Japanese protection and now that Russia was facing troubles Kolchak had decided that it was time for Transamur to take its place in the world. And having an army of its own was one of the keystones of a sovereign nation. This was only a small step on a long journey.

 

[stnylan]

It is hard to do much without an army.

 

[Emperor Ike]

Modernization​

Transamur's armies as said were in a sorry state. With outdated weapons from pre-Weltkrieg eras such as Mosin Nagants, rusted artillery and no support equipment of any kind. Something had to be done. Our enemies were equipping themselves with modern weaponry and if we wanted to see St. Petersburg and Moscow again we had to follow their lead.

While reforming and modernising our armies we also had to make sure that Russians in the Far East could rely on Kolchak and Transamur in their time of need. Harbin, a jewel in the Fengtian territory, was inhabited by many Russians with ties to Transamur and Russians living there. But until now they had always had to use the fluctuating Fengtian Tael for all of their transactions in Harbin. So our Economic Minister decided to propose that Transamurian Ruble could be used in Harbin while the Fengtian government could still tax all transactions made with rubble. The Fengtian Government was more than happy with this and both sides hoped that this would bring long time friendship and other benefits for both Japanese puppets.

Massive recruitment campaign had been held in Transamur trough the spring and early summer to replenish our pool of fresh recruits and conscription laws were upgraded. 50000 men and women were ready to join our glorious army in hopes of one-day parading trough St. Petersburg.

In October 1936 we were ready to produce new prototype weapons based on modern designs.

 

[stnylan]

A few important initial reforms, but so much more is needed.

 

[J_Master]

Sub

 

[Emperor Ike]

A Rumour in Petrograd​

Have you heard? There is a rumour in Petrograd. Have you heard? What they're saying on the streets. Although Lenin did not survive, some Bolsheviks may be still alive! Nikolai Bukharin, but please do not repeat.

And so the 2nd Russian Civil War began in the closing months of 1936. With Nikolai Bukharins Autunomist of Soviet Russia rising in the western states against the newly crowned Czar of All Russia Kyril I.

So the turmoil in Russia could work for our benefit. With the Czar dealing with Soviet uprising in the west, we could use this change to claim Siberia for ourselves. Of course, we might have to go trough with the plan with the Japanese first but this could be the chance we have all been waiting for since 1925.

 

[stnylan]

One must seize the opportunity, but indeed Japan may look in askance at their pliant puppet becoming too uppity.

 

[The Living Hive]

I adore the 20% of my Transamur games where I am actually allowed to do anything, so I will be watching this like a hawk. Props for the Anastasia reference as well, truly an underappreciated addition to scholarship on Russian history.

 

[Nikolai]

Ah, a return of Emperor Ike to the world of Kaiserreich. I'm onboard.

 

[Lord Garmadon G Rulez]

Subbed !

 

[Emperor Ike]

Vladivostok​

Vladivostok. City in the East. Once an important port of the Russian Empire had been neglected for years. The key to prospering in the East was to have naval dominance and to ensure the flow of the trade trough Transamur instead of Korea or Manchuria. That is why Kolchak aimed to rebuild the Eastern Harbour that would someday act as a fine example of Russian dominance in the Far East.

But the port of Vladivostok was too small for the incoming volume of cargo ships and warships. Many of the piers were old, made of wood and mostly rotten. These had to be now made of cement, steel and iron. The whole construction force of Transamur was harnessed to improve the ports of Vladivostok and to build new naval bases and forts to ensure the security of those docked in at Vladivostok.

While the 2nd Russian Civil War hadn't reached the Far East yet another kind of war was brewing near us. The Koreans who had long been oppressed by the Japanese decided to take up arms and declared independence in 20th of March 1937.