• We have updated our Community Code of Conduct. Please read through the new rules for the forum that are an integral part of Paradox Interactive’s User Agreement.
Interlude - Enlightened Peace (Part 1)

eBr2pGQ.jpg
Kiyoshi leaned out of the window smoking a cigarette. The cool spring breeze rustled his hair, blowing the smoke away towards the Inland Sea. He could still make out the black outline of a Mogami-class cruiser before it disappeared into the fog. Silently chuckling to himself, he asked the gods to look after the poor sods locked in that steel can. Lost in his bemusement he barely even noticed the hand on his shoulder. Slightly turning his head he saw Sachiko, with her long flowing black hair, wearing little else but his navy blue coat.

"Sorry did I wake you?" he quietly asked.
"No, I couldn't sleep anyway. After you fell asleep I spent the whole night watching you. I couldn't believe that it's really happening and you're back for real this time." she replied.
"I am, I am. If last night didn't convince you I don't think a pinch will," he said slightly pinching her thigh.
"Owie… Kiyoshi," she said slightly pouting "I'm going back to bed if you're gonna be mean."
He looked at the girl from next door, or rather his wife, get into the futon and put out his cigarette.
"I think I'll join you, I'm done with chasing ghosts of the past anyhow."


HgDNRFb.jpg

Poster by the Ministry of the Interior reminding
people to vote on the 20th of February 1936


Whilst the Japan of 1936 may have looked like a stable state, for the outside observer, reality was anything but that. The instability of the modern world had left many ambivalent, if not openly hostile towards parliamentary rule, that had swept the land after the Constitutional Restoration of 1926. Whilst the reforms had enlarged suffrage to all men 25 and over, many still felt cheated and excluded. Whilst the revolutionary sentiment of the Taishō era had been tempered, they had not been smothered. Beginning with the 1927 economic crash, commonly referred to as the Shōwa crash, socioeconomic issues continued to pile on. Whilst Japanese control over Manchuria and the Transamur Republic managed to alleviate the issues faced by industrial workers, farmers and other rural people still remain gripped by poverty.

OtLWFf2.jpg

Result of the elections on the 20th of February 1936

From 1932 onwards the conservative Rikken Seiyūkai, known in English as the Friends of Constitutional Government, maintained an absolute majority in House of Representatives, something the February elections in 1936 couldn't change. However soon it became obvious that the ghosts of the Taishō era would continue to haunt Japan even a decade after the era had ended. The assassination of a prominent Japanese leftist - Katayama Sen by right-wing radicals, saw the recently unified Japanese left fall to infighting, as Katayama had been the glue holding the movement together. This split soon lead to open action against government when radicals stoked the flames in the largely rural prefecture of Niigata. Tenancy revolts in the area had reached a boiling point, leading to an uprising by parts of the local population. Faced with the threat of revolution - Parliament quickly enforced martial law in the prefecture as well as sending in the army to crack down on this uprising. The crackdown harmed Seiyūkai support in its rural strongholds, that had already been wavering, forcing the party to make promises of land reform, something long demanded by many farmers.

l0HgWus.jpg

Osaka Mainichi Shinbun describing the 5-15 Incident

Japanese problems in 1936, however wouldn't just be contained to Niigata. Soon after the Niigata revolts had been put down junior Navy officers pledging support to the totalist wing of the Japanese left, assassinated Prime Minister Inukai. The event shocked the nation, at court-martial the 11 officers all refused repent and were all stripped of their ranks and executed, despite public outcry from left-wing leaning youths. Suzuki Kisaburo was chosen by Seiyūkai to replace Inukai Tsuyoshi. Prime Minister Suzuki quickly however proved as unpopular as his predecessor. As the public was divided after the 5-15 Incident Prime Minister Suzuki thought that it would be the perfect time to reintroduce the National Security Act. However after the population flocked to support opposition, who opposed the act as well as doubters within his own party, Prime Minister Suzuki withdrew his support for the bill leading to its narrow defeat. Conservative and reactionary politicians were outraged by what they called a betrayal of the Kokutai, leading to a motion of censure and an end to the short premiership of Suzuki Kisaburo. Seiyūkai convened for the second time this year to appoint a new Prime Minister. The herculean task of salvaging what could be saved fell on the shoulders of Mizuno Rentaro. Politics appeared to have stabilized for a time, that is until the 1-21 Incident.

jKgwlY4.jpg
mlvxQmo.jpg

Major Generals Nagata(Centralist) and Obata(Restorationist) were bitter rivals as well as brilliant strategists,
their struggle for recognition was however the norm within the Imperial Army

The Imperial Japanese Army had been observing this "circus" for some time now, however opinions on what ought to be done were rather mixed. Much like the government, the Army too faced a huge issue presented by factionalism, which had divided the officer corps into two competing forces - the Restorationists and the Centralists. The power struggle between the two having culminated in 1936, when representatives of both of the factions were called to Army Minister Hayashi Senjuro to present their opinions on how to reform the army. Major General Nagata represented the Centralists and Major General Obata was the Restorationist representative. Both generals had come to the same conclusion - Japan was totally unprepared for total warfare however both differed in what should be done going forward to solve the issue. After a week of deliberation the Army Minister chose to side with General Obata, supporting his theory of movement warfare to the hilt, even against the rest of the Cabinet when they attempted to tone down the changes.


eoaWrwU.jpg

After the reform Japanese doctrine emphasized speed as well as the importance of armoured warfare

Emboldened by the victories against the Centralists combined with the political chaos many prominent Restorationist officers decided to take their chances with "Restoration". In order to solidify their backing they reached out to some Centralist officers, who they perceived as bitter about being sidelined and wishing to take revenge on the government that had scorned them. When the plotters felt ready they reached out to the Army Minister asking him to take lead in the planned coup. Whilst he refused to take part in the plot, due to disagreeing politically with the plotters, seeing them as far too left-wing, he didn't notify the civilian administration of the coup being hatched against them. The night of the 20th of January saw heavy snowfall, covering most of Tokyo. This event however only served to hearten the rebel officers as it reminded many of the 1860 Sakuradamon Incident in which shishi acting in the name of the Emperor had assassinated the chief adviser to the Shōgun. The rebels struck quickly gaining control of the majority of government buildings in Tokyo, but were however repelled by the Imperial Guard, who had remained loyal to the government or more specifically the Emperor, when they attempted to storm the Imperial Palace. Much to their dismay the Emperor was not pleased with this attempt at taking him hostage and put forth an Mandate demanding the arrest of the rebellious officers and the restoration of order. With the coup having failed many gave themselves up willingly, whilst others chose to take their own life rather than face what they deemed to be unjust punishment at the hands of the courts. Given that the majority of their "army" was made up of conscripts still in the process of basic training and that they had no prior knowledge of the plot, those that weren't officers, but had given themselves up willingly were more often than not pardoned with no effect to their criminal record.

hdI9Sl5.jpg

Protests against the militarization of politics, late January of 1937

Despite or perhaps because of the fact that that military meddling in politics had peaked in 1936, the 1-21 Incident enraged the populace, possibly due to recentness of the 5-15 Incident. Many even came out to the streets to protest the increasingly constant military meddling that had lead the Empire into this mess and threatened to take the food from their mouths. Army officers, belonging to neither Restorationists nor the parts of the Centralist camp that had taken part in the coup, supported by their erstwhile Navy colleagues, took advantage of the protests, as well as the the fact that many leaders of both Army factions were now dead and the role that both of their forces had played in restoring order to the Imperial Capital. They would present Prime Minister Mizuno with a plan to solve the protests without violence as well, ironically, to quell future military meddling in the affairs of civilian government. The Constitutional Reform of 1937 saw the lowering of the voting age to 20, the commonly accepted age of majority, enforcing a kind of civilian control over the military as well as start to the land reform that the party had been pushed into. New elections to enforce these promises were set for early April of 1937.

Songs like Democracy could be often heard echoing the spirit of the Taishō era
In spite of the big influx in new voters as well as the chaos of the previous year the Seiyūkai managed to emerge victorious in the April elections, although they no longer commanded their super majority that had made constitutional reform a possibility. The biggest winner in the elections however had been the Social Democratic Party, although torn by internal controversy as well as having lost some of its most radical members, it managed to become the third biggest party in the Diet. 1937 is also the year when the term - 1932 System, also known as the One and a Half Party System, entered the Japanese vocabulary. It would be characterized by a strong personal approach to voters in their districts by candidates, approaching at some points to cults of personality, pork barrel politics as well as an elaborate entanglement with the zaibatsus, which often bankrolled certain politicians promises. The policy of land reform, although long-winded, further cemented the support of the Seiyūkai among rural populations.

5NJQ3bF.jpg

Splitting the vote by new voters often aided Seiyūkai more than their enemies

Although the Home Islands had been secured, the Empire still remained in chaos. Reports of Korean nationalists stoking the flames of Korean independence had been received during the chaos of 1936, but they managed to largely slip through the cracks. Imperial Army forces in the region however remained on high alert, after having caught wind of a potential uprising on the 4th of March. The revolutionaries however failed to mobilize locals and given their lack of armaments, the uprising was crushed on the 6th. Despite this the damage had already been done, Prime Minister Mizuno rather than face a motion of censure supported by his own party chose to resign. His replacement pushed Mitsuchi Chuzo to the forefront, who was unburdened by the responsibility for the Korean uprising as well as the chaotic years of 1936-37. Secretly Mizuno hoped that his replacement would result in an end to the chaos.

mQrMiio.jpg

Called Righteous Armies, these Korean irregular forces would often engage in uprisings against the Empire of Japan
-----------------------------------------------------------
I think, that China will focus on economic development and wait for good opportunity before attacking Quing.

However, it might support some partisan/revolutionary groups inside of the Quing 'Empire'.

It probably will, the AI isn't usually that suicidal.

I really cannot make up my mind if this is a good or bad development

I'd say it is both to a degree. Whilst banditry will still continue to plague the region they can now directly deal with it rather than react to bandits crossing the borders. Additionally they've gained access to more resources as well as the, although small, industrial base in Yunnan. Whilst this did come at the price of a bigger front line with the Japanese sphere, should they look to continue with Unification.

Now to get at what most of you have been waiting for - Japan.
 
Last edited:
Japan's democracy has just undergone a crisis, and while it hasn't come out unscathed, the internal opposition is mostly broken. But of course, in the Kaiserreich world, no sooner is one crisis past than another rears its ugly head...

The Koreans probably honestly don't have a snowball's chance in hell of getting a straight-up victory (I've never seen the revolution succeed in-game, at least not when Japan hasn't already been distracted elsewhere), but the fallout if it's handled particularly poorly might lead to yet another domestic crisis itself.
 
Interlude - Enlightened Peace (Part 2)

RFnjlzg.jpg

"gatan-goton, gatan-goton, gatan-goton"
"The next station is Kōfu. Kōfu. Please be careful not to forget anything on the train."

The voice of the conductor roused Junjiro from the slumber he had fallen into. The lack of dorm space and money had forced him to rent far away from the college, so these naps had become a sort of necessity to be awake for lectures. He looked out of the window and saw the platform come into view. Picking up his notebook and bag he slipped into the crowd of blue- and white-collar workers, quietly shuffling off the train.

Repeating the developmental stages of humans, as well as various pedagogic methods he walked up the stairs and out of the station. The monotonous drone of various motors and the sound of feet ever so slightly broken by somebody standing on a beer crate butchering "Tokyo Flower Girl". Since he still had time to kill, he considered finding Hiroshi and Takashi. When he left them last night to catch the last train, they said that they'd continue on this bender.

"Damn prodigal drunks," Junjiro thought to himself, "you're brilliance won't help you if you miss the exam."
Checking the bars they had gone through last night yielded results - as he found Takashi passed out in a booth at Snack Aya.
"Thank you for keeping a look out for him. Here's a little something for your trouble." he said to the titular Aya passing a few yen in exchange for the still limp Takashi.
"My pleasure. Just remember to visit again," she replied warmly.
Thanking the matron once more and propping up the teetering Takashi, the pair set out to look for Hiroshi.
Hiroshi proved easier to be found than expected, rather it would be more correct to say that Hiroshi found them.
"Oi, Jun so glad you could make it," a rather sour looking Hiroshi said raising his head only slightly from the cafe table he was sitting at.
"No loud noises?" Junjiro inquired.
"Indeed." Hiroshi replied, raising his body slightly to finish his coffee.

After paying the waitress, the trio set off towards their college. Exchanging in banter they reached the examination room just 10 minutes before it was Junjiro's time to go in and answer the professor.

The decade following the "government by assassination" of 1936 saw the increasing bureaucratization as well as an unprecedented flowering of the Japanese economy. The bureaucratization process would allow for economic control to be wrestled away from short-term planning as well as deal with the need to appease oligarchs that had dominated the Empire ever since the Meiji Restoration. In order to prevent meddling from outside actors, agencies of oversight were set up and tasked with guarding against bribery. The theory was that the issues stemming from tenancy, the lack of export markets as well as uncompetitive exports could be better countered by separating the economic process from the political one, so that the issues of the people could truly be addressed. At least that is what the Cabinet Planning Board advised when it produced the report recommending the partition of the Ministry of Agriculture and Commerce into two separate ministries - the Ministry of Agriculture and the Ministry of International Trade and Industry. As well as empowering the later.

The Ministry of Agriculture presided over land reform. From 1937 until 1947 - 23 000 square kilometres of land, approximately 38% of the cultivated land in the Home Islands, were bought from landlords and resold to farmers at low rates. Whilst reactionaries attacked the reform for appeasing Syndicalists and Socialists attacked it for not going far enough, the reform proved hugely popular among the rural population leading to a sharp decrease in rural poverty rates. New farming methods, aided by a policy of rapid industrialization, lead to the Home Islands reaching 80% of calory-based food self-sufficiency.


esAL4Nn.jpg
7ELHcIq.jpg

Posters made by the Ministry of Agriculture from the land reform era
Under the watchful gaze of the MITI a policy of rapid industrialization to catch up to Japans' Western rivals ensued. German levels of output were reached in the mid to late 1940s. With the opening of the substantial Northern Chinese market, after the submission of the Qing Empire, Japanese companies found a solution to their export crisis as well as easing many of the issues tied to resource shortages.

iR3yiIR.jpg

Increasing availability of rural labour fed the policy of rapid industrialisation

MITI also spearheaded a total reform of the Japanese automotive industry following the start of the Second American Civil War - beginning with the policy of "Japanification" aimed at the abandoned American subsidiaries followed by consolidations to form concerns large enough to be competitive on the foreign markets to fill the gap left by the Americans. The reforms were hugely successful, massively increasing domestic automotive production as well as finding great success in the rest of the world.

The energy crisis gripping Japan was also high on the list for MITI. Nippon Oil was formed following a series of consolidations aimed at improving efficiency and productivity. MITI is also believed to have been responsible for the bloodless acquisition of the East Indies earning it the nickname "Mighty MITI". However investments into energy independence went further than just fossil fuels with MITI also continuing the previously planned investments into hydropower. As a result of comprehensive investments into energy creation as well as the grid itself by the 1940s close to 99% of all households in Japan would have access to electricity.


1yQOf14.jpg

Consolidation of various small oil concerns provided greater amounts of oil at lower prices to industry as well as the masses

QoOIM3r.jpg

Dams and hydroelectric plants such as this one in Ōi drastically changed the landscape, but provided cheap and plentiful electricity

As the economy returned to the path of growth labour disputes decreased. Whilst at first the increasing efficiency of agriculture drove more people into the cities, as land reform progressed it would also manage to somewhat stem the tide of rural labourers seeking their fortune in the cities. Combined with the increase in export markets wages for industrial workers rose drastically at first in the early half of the 1940s, following a MITI advocated policy of increasing internal consumption to stimulate the economy, and would then continued to grow at a steady pace.

Given the rapid expansion of the Japanese production base, the amount of consumer goods on the market also increased drastically whilst their prices declined leading to the Three Sacred Treasures of Shōwa Japan - the fridge, the washing machine and the radio to becoming quite commonplace across the Home Islands. The late 1940s would see 80% of households in the Home Islands having all three with similar rates true of the more developed parts of the overseas Empire. Although public television broadcasts had started in the mid-1940s, the prices of television sets still remained high, leading to the golden age of Japanese radio continuing on for some time yet. The reorganization of Japanese automotive industry as well as the policy of motorization of the armed forces, also saw cars becoming more and more commonplace.


wbSvw3d.jpg

The Three Treasures of Shōwa Japan, although radio dominated at first
by the 1950s it was being quickly replaced by ever cheaper television sets

Although the armed forces were subjected to civilian control, the policy of fukoku kyōhei technically remained in place. The failed Army coup had lead to a dominance by the Navy resulting in a policy of naval expansion, called the Maru Kyū programa. Spearheaded by officers that believed aviation was the future of naval warfare the Navy managed to secure the creation of 16 new carriers, in exchange for dropping demands for new battleships as well as battlecruisers. Whilst the decision was questionable in terms of doctrine the strong lobbying of the Naval Aviation Wing, headed by vice admiral Yamamoto Isoroku, won the day. These actions did however direct large amounts of ire at Yamamoto, resulting in him being sent to sea as Commander of the Combined Fleet, to avoid potential assassination attempts. The Maru Kyū programs also saw the creation of a substantial fleet of screens in order to guard the carrier force.

EYlV88f.jpg

Unryū-class aircraft carrier Katsuragi on exercises
Importantly as a result of a series of reforms, headed by Navy officers, aimed at decreasing interservice tensions as well as Army strength in light of the coup saw the Army stripped of its Air Service with it being renamed the Imperial Air Force. All three services would also be brought under civilian control under a unified War Ministry with the Air Force seeing unprecedented expansion with hundreds of interceptor fighters as well as close-air support bombers ordered so that it would had little reason to sympathise with its former comrades in the weakened Army and so it could fulfil its new roles. Given that air defence would become one of the main priorities of the Imperial Air Force later years would also see control over fixed anti-air positions transferred from the Army.

Despite the loss of its air wing as well as much of its reputation as a result of 1936-37, reform of the Army was deemed vital to diffuse and root out the issues caused by untrustworthy officers, as well as to not allow grudges fester. The modernization and mechanization of the Imperial Japanese Army as well as its tripling in size saw much of the old guard swept away to be replaced with new officers with less politically charged views. Whilst these purges, combined with the changes in doctrine, lead to period of weakness within the Imperial Army, the lack of conflict during the Radiant Decade allowed for its reformation as a competent fighting force. Although factionalism remained an issue for all three service branches, all had also begun to come around to the idea of cooperation as well as avoidance of interference within politics.


rNkwlRc.jpg

Japanese Type 95 light tanks on reservist exercises, ca 1943
------------------------
Japan's democracy has just undergone a crisis, and while it hasn't come out unscathed, the internal opposition is mostly broken. But of course, in the Kaiserreich world, no sooner is one crisis past than another rears its ugly head...

The Koreans probably honestly don't have a snowball's chance in hell of getting a straight-up victory (I've never seen the revolution succeed in-game, at least not when Japan hasn't already been distracted elsewhere), but the fallout if it's handled particularly poorly might lead to yet another domestic crisis itself.

The Koreans do indeed have quite a snowball's chance, but when they do get full support from outside powers like Germany then they have a better shot. Whilst it will still probably prove not enough, it could end up tieing down an AI Japan.

Great AAR! \o/

Glad you like it.
 
Last edited:
The scene in the introduction was very relatable. Some things truly never change ;)

Japan has threaded the needle, maintaining peace and steady economic development despite the chaos unfolding in the rest of the world. The East Indies in particular must be the Japanese Empire's "crown jewels," given the problems they've traditionally had with acquiring oil and rubber. It'll be interesting to see how Japanese administration plays out over the long term there.
 
Managing to reduce the internicine rivalry between the services is probably the most significant achievement.
 
Jai Hind

dCc1drt.jpg

The Entente policy of return to Europe hadn't been proceeding as expected. Whilst many Exiles in the British Dominions as well as leaders in France had begun to believe that victory could be easily accomplished by simply kicking the door down, seeing the rotting structure crumble and being greeted as liberators, the reality proved much different. After 6 long years of fighting, with no end in sight, neither France nor the former British Dominions were any closer to reclaiming their respective metropoles. What's more many had begun to feel that they were now further than they had been in 1940 when the fighting began. Although there had been successes, they were outweighed by subsequent failures, such as the Internationale reclaiming Western France. Similarly whilst the Italian Front had re-established the Entente on the Continent, the fighting had proven gruesome and remained, for the better part of 4 years, at a stand still. One of the few success stories the Entente could claim was the reunification of India. As the war continued grinding on the subcontinent would become the crux of the Indian war effort, as countless droves of young Indian men were sent to fight and die for God, King and Country in France and Italy. Something that the Indian population had begun to resent.

s3tyhFc.jpg

General elections in India, 1944

Much to the surprise of British planners, the 1944 elections in India swept the leftist Home Rule Party into power. The party, lead by the lead by the charismatic Muhammad Ali Jinnah, promised economic reforms that would better protect workers rights, cut down on the powers of the Princes and put an end to the senseless spilling of Indian blood in the distant and seemingly endless Syndicalist War. Setting first out on their policy of economic reform the party found change slow and arduous. Although the powers of the Princes had been crushed in the North they still remained a potent force in the South. Likewise Syndicalist radicals could still be found waging guerrilla warfare in the lands of the former Bhartiya Commune and Burma. Despite mounting opposition, from left-wing radicals as well as aristocrats, the Home Rule Party persevered. Despite the popularity of the economic reforms among the rural and urban poor, the issue of continued war with the Internationale remained leading to many open anti-war protests across all of the major cities of India.

xGzBI6x.jpg

Muhammad Ali Jinnah, known as the father of modern India leading the country to new greats

As the public protested, Indian diplomats had been hard at work trying to convince the what remained of the British Empire to provide them with some incentives, as well as Home Rule, for the continued participation of Indian troops in the Syndicalist War. More often than not, they found themselves being stonewalled and played for time. As many Exiles kept waiting for victories that would not arrive. As discontent grew among the populace so too it did among the diplomats and the elected representatives of the Home Rule Party. More and more MPs were pressuring Government to either take a stand and leave the Entente altogether without further negotiations or to present the Canadians with a clear cut ultimatum, wording Indian demands. Many in the party leadership however still felt that continuing negotiations would prove to be most beneficial, but redirected effort away from negotiations in Canada to the propagation of Indian soft-power within the region.

c2Pn5rs.jpg

The humble British Hotel in Ottawa would oversee the negotiations about the future of the Entente

As negotiations continued to stall in Ottawa, Foreign Minister Huseyn Shaheed Suhrawardy spearheaded the creation of the South-East Asian Customs Union in June of 1946. Made up of India, Sri Lanka, Nepal and Tibet. Bhutan as well as Afghanistan refused, officially citing policies of neutrality however unofficially it was made clear that these decisions were influenced by the 4th Anglo-Afghani war as well as the threats made towards Bhutanese sovereignty in reclaiming the districts occupied after the collapse of the Raj. The decision of cooperation from Sri Lanka, however marked a change in the island nations' policy so far, which had been Germanocentric and interpreted by some foreign observers as an attempt to balance the declining German dominance. As well as its neighbours in South-East Asia, India also sought amicable relations with the Republic of China. Although tensions were high, due to Indian control over Tibet, as well as other regions which the Chinese diplomats called unlawfully occupied territories, negotiations proceeded. Although a trade agreement was eventually reached and amicable relations were be established, control over Tibet would remain a prickly issue within Sino-Indian relations.

D7uRR4K.jpg

Huseyn Shaheed Suhrawardy, credited with the creation of the South-East Asian Customs Union as well as the normalization of Sino-Indian relations. Suhrawardy was just the man to lead the negotiations concerning the future of India
Although Indian diplomatic focus seemed to have changed, Indian representatives in Ottawa remained hard at work hopeful to try and reach a deal with Canada that the they hoped would be acceptable to the public. Finally on the 14th of November, after 2 years of being stonewalled Prime Minister Jinnah had had enough and authorized Foreign Minister Suhrawardy to travel to Canada to extract an answer out of the Canadians, yes or no. After meeting with HIM Edward VIII, Foreign Minister Suhrawardy presented the Canadians with clear cut ultimatum - either monetary and industrial concessions would be made, in addition to an ironclad guarantee of Indian sovereignty or the Indians would make separate peace with the Internationale and withdraw from the Entente. Having grown tired of delaying tactics Indian diplomats had prepared the terms to be as harsh as possible, for the Canadians, but still something they believed would be seen as worth the cost of continued Indian cooperation in the war effort. Upon receiving the ultimatum Canadian representatives, lead by Foreign Minister Robert James Manion, requested for a recess, something that the Indian delegation interpreted as further delaying tactics. The Indian representatives responded to this by leaving the summit, confident that the Canadians would rather lose India than make concessions to them.

UwZvYyi.jpg

Bevin greeting Indian delegates at the Gothenburg Summit, 23rd of November 1946

Instead of returning directly to India however, the delegation set course towards neutral Sweden. Once there they asked Swedish diplomats to facilitate peace talks between the Internationale and the Dominion of India. Foreign Minister Ernest Bevin, as well as Chairman Oswald Mosley were reportedly ecstatic about the offer and flew to Sweden at once. Peace with the Union of Britain was reached on the 23rd of November 1946 in the Swedish port city of Gothenburg. At the summit India announced the immediate repatriation of all Indian troops deployed overseas as well as a withdrawal from further military operations organized by the Entente. This decision sent shock waves across the world, raising questions in many foreign capitals about the capabilities of the Entente, as well as making some Canadian politicians consider the sustainability of further war.

------------------------------

The scene in the introduction was very relatable. Some things truly never change ;)

Japan has threaded the needle, maintaining peace and steady economic development despite the chaos unfolding in the rest of the world. The East Indies in particular must be the Japanese Empire's "crown jewels," given the problems they've traditionally had with acquiring oil and rubber. It'll be interesting to see how Japanese administration plays out over the long term there.

The oil in the East Indies has gone a long way to securing increased independence from imports, but I'm still fairly sure that a big war would push that to its limits, both since the decreased focus on the Army has resulted in fewer units that could be deployed to defend the region whilst still keeping China under lock and key as well as the problems stemming from keeping the convoys safe once war begins.

Managing to reduce the internicine rivalry between the services is probably the most significant achievement.

There is still probably a strong sense of distrust between the Army and the Navy, what with the Navy extracting the Air Force from the Army to weaken it. However having to deal with the Air Force as partners, rather than subordinates as well as the importance of combined arms operations has probably managed to teach the Army some new tricks.

I hope, that Japan will go through some major defeats during this AAR. Otherwise it won't be as interesting, as it might be.

We'll see as the story goes, however I'll try to keep the "Rule Japonia" to a minimum if at all possible. I know that this is going to sound a bit suspicious given this following chapter, but I hope that you can trust me.

On another note, the next installment will be delayed a bit since I have an exam tomorrow. Additionally, starting from February Uni is starting back up again, so the posts will become less frequent, probably one post per week at a minimum, but hopefully they will be more substantial as well as interesting.

Anyway, I hope you'll enjoy the AAR going forward.
 
Last edited:
A fully independent India, free from (overt) control by Western powers, would certainly be a boon to the geopolitical planners in Tokyo. With the Germans and British Exiles out of the picture, the South China Sea could almost be called a Japanese lake.
 
Farewell to Nova Scotia (Part 1)
It is not despair, for despair is only for those who see the end beyond all doubt. We do not. It is wisdom to recognize necessity, when all other courses have been weighed, though as folly it may appear to those who cling to false hope.”
- John Ronald Reuel Tolkien

The separate peace by the Indians took the British public aback. The sense of betrayal by the Indians as well as the feeling of dread at losing the only part of the Empire they had managed to reclaim took the land and started to slowly chip away what little remained of belief in victory. The Caribbean Federation as well as the Australasian Confederation were both subsequently rocked by bloody race riots. Culminating in Australasia on the 1st of December in Sydney in an event nicknamed Red Autumn. Prompting the Labour government to establish a curfew in order to crackdown on the lynchings as well as the draft protests. The latter having followed in the wake of the race riots, due to rumours that the draft would be instituted so that ANZACs could take the place of the leaving Indian troops on the Italian front. United under the banner of - "Never another Gallipoli", the close proximity of the 31st anniversary of the end of the Gallipoli campaign had helped feed this movement, the protests against the draft had proven a potent threat to the government causing them to back peddle on the policy as well as ease up on rationing, a policy that had proven highly unpopular among the general populace.


sgJPl7g.jpg

Anti-conscription poster from the 1937 referendum, many took
the rumour that Labour considered conscription to heart and felt betrayed

The multiracial make-up of the Caribbean Federation, as well as the high population of Indians, had forced an earlier crackdown from the government, fearful of collapse as well as Syndicalist meddling. The government crackdown however resulted in Bloody Tuesday, where on the 26th of November Canadian garrison troops on the island of Jamaica fired on members of the black community clashing with the local Indian population. Similar to Australasia, rumours of plans to implement the draft quickly enflamed protests across the isles. Government attempts to explain away the issue by claiming no such plan existed more often than not fell upon deaf ears or further fuelled the protests. The implementation of martial law on the 3rd of December by the Democrat-Liberal coalition government with the overall plan being to restore order in the Federation, marked the start of the end of the protests in the Caribbean. Although violent clashes occurred as protesters refused to follow orders by the 5th of December the nation had been quelled.

kTQAozF.jpg

Indian youths in Guyana during the Caribbean race riots, December 1946

Although Canada had largely avoided the racially motivated violence as well as draft protests due to the quick and brutal action of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police, the public was no less in disbelief at the separate peace, something that the Imperial Broadcasting Service quickly labelled "a treachery greater than that of Judas Iscariot". As a result the Canadian government considered two plans for the war. The first involved the drafting of males between the ages of 18 and 25, a plan that was already falling apart by the seams as neither the Australasian nor the Caribbean governments would go with it. The second entailed an overture of peace towards the Internationale, something that would end the conflict and likely end any plans for return to Europe for at least a generation. Whilst the policy lacked support amongst Exiles in the Cabinet, the catatonic state of HIM Edward VIII at the loss of India left the door open for the Canadian faction to push forward with the negotiations.

ruMFSTM.jpg

Under the authoritarian Canadian government, the RCMP had been
greatly empowered and gained a reputation for brutal law enforcement

Operating under utmost secrecy a group of diplomats authorised to make peace on behalf of the Entente made contact with representatives from the Union of Britain in Sweden on the 1st of January 1947. Negotiations proceeded well for the first few weeks with both sides agreeing to restore the territories the other had occupied to its rightful owner - Western France would return to the Empire of France and the heel of Italy would be returned to the Socialist Republic of Italy. Negotiations however stalled when it came to Iceland. The small Northern Atlantic island had sided with both the Royalists as well as the Syndicalists during their conflict and neither was willing to relinquish their claim, as the island provided an important staging post in any future conflict between the two.

vO6So1F.jpg

Syndicalists clash with British sympathizers in Reykjavik, November 1938

The Icelandic question quickly raised other issues, the problem of monetary reparations being one. The Union of Britain made the claim that they as the attacked party should be compensated for this egregious assault on them and pressed the demand for 5 billion (1946) Pound Sterling to be payed by the Imperial Government in a lump sum. The Royalists however, not to be outdone, viciously attacked these claims and instead presented their own claims including compensation for the properties seized by the Syndicalists during and after the Revolution of 1925 as well as for the unrestricted sinking of merchant shipping by submarines of the Union of Britain. Then on the 3rd of March, as the talks were close to breaking down the negotiations were joined by a third party - the Empire of France.

h7Ucmqw.jpg

Buckingham Palace, just one of the many things seized during the 1925 Revolution, and subject to the reparations row

Information that negotiations were proceeding between the British Empire and the Union of Britain reached the Empire of France on the 28th of February. Spread of the news was quickly clamped down upon and stayed largely limited to the Government and the Emperor, who were outraged at the Anglos going behind their back to negotiate a peace given the importance of French soldiers in the Italian campaign. An emergency Cabinet meeting commenced with the government split roughly in two. One side, known as the war camp, argued that the French ought to leave the Entente and continue the fight on their own. The other side, the peace camp, voiced caution saying that Germany, not the Internationale, had once again become the main foe. They also argued that, if peace with the Internationale could be accomplished in a way that returned France to the mainland, then that option should at least be considered. The peace camp, headed by Foreign Minister Paul Baudouin and made up mostly of representatives of the armed forces as well as Prime Minister Henri Dentz, eventually won the day with Emperor Louis Napoleon VI giving Baudouin the order to send his best diplomats to the negotiations.

W95FmBb.jpg

Paul Baudouin although a competent diplomat, found the crisis at hand beyond his capacity to solve

Neither the representatives of the Union of Britain nor the British Empire, were particularly glad to see the French diplomats, as they believed their inclusion would further exacerbate the issues with the talks and lead to a total breakdown. Surprisingly however, the French delegation proved invaluable to solving both the monetary as well as Icelandic questions. Their inclusion got the summit back on its tracks and in only a week both issues appeared to have been solved, with the Union of Britain relinquishing its claims for reparations as well as control over Iceland in exchange for the British Empire withdrawing its claims for reparations as well as agreeing to not press the question in the future. As the negotiations concluded on the 11th of March both British delegations congratulated their French counterparts for salvaging the negotiations, hopeful that peace could soon be achieved. Great was the surprise of the Entente delegations when they returned the next day to proceed with negotiations, only to discover from their counterparts that there would be no further discussions.

---------------------------------------------

A fully independent India, free from (overt) control by Western powers, would certainly be a boon to the geopolitical planners in Tokyo. With the Germans and British Exiles out of the picture, the South China Sea could almost be called a Japanese lake.

The Germans do still have interests in the region as do the British exiles, but you are indeed right that this is a big boon to Tokyo. As neither of those two powers has their focus there.
 
Last edited:
There is a bit of a cliffhanger here
 
That last cryptic line... Does it foreshadow a Syndicalist invasion of Canada? A Royalist counterrevolution in Britain? Russian intervention against... someone? Alien invasion? (...OK, probably not the last one.)

Still, the fact that both sides are apparently willing to come to the table says something significant. Both sides are starting to grow weary of conflict, and neither sees this war as winnable, at least not without paying a high price indeed for victory.

I'm also going to predict that the Entente is not bound to last in any case, now that the French and British Exiles are being torn in fundamentally different directions. Unless both governments can somehow reach some sort of accommodation with their Syndicalist counterparts in exchange for cooperating against the Germans (unlikely), the fact that the two driving forces of the Entente now find themselves having divergent priorities means that some day this alliance of convenience will end up pulling itself apart.
 
Farewell to Nova Scotia (Part 2)
As talks with the British Empire seemed to have run into a dead end, in early March a delegation from the Union of Britain, headed by Foreign Minister Bevin, was sent to Washington. Although there under the cover of negotiating a trade deal, Bevin also carried orders from Chairman Mosley to discuss a possible American entry into the war. Whilst Mosley had originally been optimistic about peace with the Entente, the breakdown in negotiations over Iceland had changed his mind. Providing the delegation in Sweden new orders to delay the conclusion of the summit, but not to lead to its failure. Bevin set off to America.

kCH7Rte.jpg

Mosley had taken power in 1943 after the Second Peace with Honour
His efforts to consolidate power had been thwarted by the needs of the War

Despite the Combined Syndicates of America providing arms and supplies to the Internationale, Premier Browder had been unwilling to get involved in the war. as much of the CSA lay in ruins from the harsh battles of the Second American Civil War. Although occasional uprisings still happened within the territories of the former American Union State, the state had largely stabilized. The New Economic Policy, set in motion by Reed, had lead to growth as well as stability in the rural areas, that had been strongholds for the Federalists and America Firsters. Although the party line had never favoured private ownership, only 1% of farmland had been collectivized, despite efforts to encourage and coerce collectivization. Displeased with the slow pace as well as shortages of grains in the past years, the Central Committee decided to reintroduce requisitioning, something which the rural areas opposed to a great degree. In 1945 there was a 3-million-ton shortfall in grains purchased by the CSA from farmers. Browder claimed that the grain had been produced but were being hoarded by plantationeers. When in reality a lot of farmers had been holding onto their grain due to the set price being far under market value. Browder tried to portray himself as siding with the farmers, but it did not help and most of the farmers resented the grain seizures. Although the farmers did everything they could to protest, what they considered unfair seizures, the Central Committee responded with an emergency measure requisitioning 3.75 million tons of grain instead of raising the price. The seizures however discouraged farmers and thus less grain was produced during 1946, causing the government to requisition even more.

pbyUKqe.jpg

Propaganda posters encouraging US farmers to collectivize, ca 1947

In early autumn of 1946, following the Midwest-South Method of grain procurement being introduced resistance to grain seizures became widespread leading to violent uprisings, with rebels at points gaining control over much of the Midwest and the South. Whilst the regular army proceeded to quell the uprisings, in their wake proceeded Workers Militia "shock brigades" that proceeded to convince farmers to join colowns and staowns, farms in collective and state ownership created by the Central Committee as a measure to expedite collectivization following the uprisings. Those that were willing to join were rewarded with higher quality land as well as lower taxes, those that refused were provided with lower quality land as well as higher taxes. Those that had taken part in the uprisings or otherwise actively opposed the process were sent to labour camps. As a result of this policy many people that revolted chose to slaughter their livestock and destroy their farming equipment rather than give them up to be socialised. This lead to a considerable decrease in livestock as well as a noticeable decrease in farming equipment across the Midwest.

p3pXNAD.jpg

Total territory held by rebels during the various revolts against collectivization

Although the Central Committee received reports of the rebels having been armed by the Canadians, they chose initially to not act on them. However as the Bevin delegation revealed the true nature of their visit, fully prepared for long and gruelling negotiations at best, they found themselves instead greeted by the eager Archibald MacLeish, Commissar of Foreign Affairs, offering non-conditional and direct participation in the war against the Entente. Bevin was at first taken aback by the sudden change of mind from the Americans, who had up until this point declared themselves neutral and remained unwilling to join the war. Seeing his opposing sides confusion MacLeish filled Bevin in on how the Canadians had equipped counter-revolutionaries to topple the Combined Syndicates of America. Having realized the existential threat the Entente presented to the Syndicalist cause, the Central Committee had reached the conclusion that neutrality was unsustainable until the bastions of reactionary action remained within the Americas. Thus on the 3rd of March, as the French Empire joined the negotiations in Sweden, the Combined Syndicates of America signed a treaty with the Union of Britain ascending the former to full membership within the military part of the Internationale. Instead of publicly announcing their ascension however, given that large portions of the American Workers Army had been focused on putting down the revolts across the Midwest, it was delayed until they could be in position to quickly strike into Canada.

szPSXbN.jpg

MacLeish's time in Paris during the Revolution had significantly endeared his views towards left-wing radicalism

Finally on the 11th, on his weekly evening radio broadcast Earl Browder spoke of the attempt to attempt to topple the Combined Syndicates of America by the vile Royalists in Canada. He then went further by announcing that the Central Committee of the Combined Syndicates of America had chose to join arms with their comrades in Europe in the fight against the Imperialist reactionaries as well as their petite bourgeoisie lackeys. Announcing to the public that the liberation of the proletariat in their belligerent neighbour to the North had begun.

TCd5LVm.jpg

Browder had taken power after the death of Reed, whilst maintaining the
New Economic Policy he concentrated at first on consolidating his own power

Just an hour prior to Browder's speech on the radio, the American Workers Army had poured across the New England demarcation line and the Georgian line catching the Canadian troops by surprise under the cover of darkness, claiming large chunks of the state of New York as well as the Calgary and its surroundings. Following the broadcast however the American Workers Militia mobilized as well in an attempt to contribute to the fighting causing the advance to slow down, as masses of factory workers left their homes to join advance. Contributing to the attacks often bogging down in the face of stiff Canadian resistance as well as well prepared fortification lines, reinforced by reserve divisions thrown to the front in an attempt to slow down the advance of the Americans. The flood of the militia onto the front also caused supply issues as the preparations hadn't considered them.

aZUUaft.jpg

American Workers Army regulars in New England, ca May 1947

Although the American Workers Militia had proven invaluable during the Civil War, they proved a hindrance in the conflict against the Canadians, being less trained and less willing to follow orders from officers than the regulars. The same was true, more often than not, of the men that had lead the American Workers Army, as many of them lacked military experience prior to the Civil War, being largely trade union leaders. Those that did were largely junior officers thus lacking experience in leading large formations, logistics and staff office work. What experience they had gained during the Civil War often turned out to be of little use against the Canadians, who could draw on a well of experience from the Weltkrieg as well as the Syndicalist War. Seeing their allies advance grinding to a sudden halt prompted the Union of Britain to offer officers to aid in the advance as well as help in training the fledgling officer corps of the Combined Syndicates of America. Although the Central Committee had refused such offers prior, seeing their advance grind to a halt prompted them to accept the British offer and by early summer a host of experienced staff and logistics officers as well as a division of British infantry had reached the East Coast.

jMD0ONj.jpg

Canadian-American front, 9th of April 1947

Bolstered by British experience as well as orders for most of the American Workers Militia units to return to their factories the American Workers Army managed to slowly regain initiative and push the Canadians out of New England, taking Ottawa on the 4th of July. This was combined with a strike deep across the Georgian line splitting the Canadian forces into two. The Royal Family had already been evacuated to Vancouver after the start of the conflict, where under the guard of ANZAC marines all but King Edward VIII were evacuated to Australia on the 14th of July.

WfOp8BH.jpg

March to the Hudson, 14th of July 1947 after the evacuation of the Royals

Troops from Australasia and the Caribbean had been deployed to Canada after the conflict began, originally to free Canadian troops from garrison duty and allow them to join the front lines, but as the war raged on more and more troops were necessary to fill gaps left in the lines by mounting losses. The losses proved increasingly difficult to replace as large population centres continued to fall to the advancing American Workers Army. What little reserves there had been were wiped away in the retreat up New England. By the 23rd of August the last major Canadian population centres in the East had fallen leaving only Vancouver, which housed the remnants of the Canadian government as well as the US government in exile. The advance into the densely populated Canadian lands also prompted the CSA to declare the creation of the Socialist Republic of Canada.

V2h8ZXE.jpg

Eastern Seaboard has fallen, 23rd of August 1947

mM9vL7R.jpg

Although it continued to be occupied by the the Workers Army, the Republic
was proclaimed on the 30th of August 1947

Whilst units that remained trapped in the East turned to guerilla warfare the American Workers Army turned their sights at Vancouver, the last bastion of Royalist control. The Battle of Vancouver that started before the fall of Halifax, the last major Canadian city in the East to fall, lasted for 100 days ending in brutal house to house fighting, as the combined forces of the British Dominions tried to buy time to finish the evacuation of people and industry from the city. It was only after the Canadian government was captured and forced to broadcast a message of surrender to their troops that the battle ended. However much like in Quebec, many of the men subsequently evaded capture and took to the countryside to continue to wage war as partisans.

5H1N3jR.jpg

Front lines during the Battle of Vancouver, 5th of November 1947

nX3XdPG.jpg

DzAOtk9.jpg

Annexation of Canada, 9th of November 1947

In the chaos ensuing after the fall of Vancouver, the ANZAC marines entrusted to guard the King lost sight of him, as the truck where they were travelling in drove into a kill box, where it hit an AT mine and fell under machine gun fire. As what remained of the British Empire entered a period of mourning, the Australasian Government used the fact that Prince Victor George John Arthur was not of age as an excuse to weaken the power of the Monarch over the Confederation. At a sombre ceremony Prince-Regent Albert, ruling in stead of his nephew, appointed John Curtin to the role of Governor-General. The Government of India however used the death of King Edward VIII as excuse for the declaration of a Republic lead by B.R. Ambedkar.

xOimjSZ.jpg
SCiR9zK.jpg


LRFUrSe.jpg

Although the war had worn him down John Curtis, remained at the head of the Labour Party and position of PM,
the power and respect he held among the populace made him the obvious pick for Governor-General

ruGnrS2.jpg

Bhimrao Ramji Ambedkar, a lawyer and a vehement opponent of the
caste system won the snap elections becoming the first president of India


------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Why did the talks collapse in the end? Did the CSA have anything to do with it?

There is a bit of a cliffhanger here

That last cryptic line... Does it foreshadow a Syndicalist invasion of Canada? A Royalist counterrevolution in Britain? Russian intervention against... someone? Alien invasion? (...OK, probably not the last one.)

Still, the fact that both sides are apparently willing to come to the table says something significant. Both sides are starting to grow weary of conflict, and neither sees this war as winnable, at least not without paying a high price indeed for victory.

I'm also going to predict that the Entente is not bound to last in any case, now that the French and British Exiles are being torn in fundamentally different directions. Unless both governments can somehow reach some sort of accommodation with their Syndicalist counterparts in exchange for cooperating against the Germans (unlikely), the fact that the two driving forces of the Entente now find themselves having divergent priorities means that some day this alliance of convenience will end up pulling itself apart.

Sorry for the cliffhanger, but it felt better to approach this topic in multiple posts rather than one.
 
Last edited:
Firstly: Canadians were really stupid when they didn't attack the CSA in the early stages of the Civil War. KR should implement an option, which would allow the Canada to occupy New England and attack the Reds at the same time.

Secondly: A great chapter, as always. I especially liked the part about the king's death.

Thirdly: Will the CSA/British launch operation Torch (invasion of North Africa) now, or will the send more resources to the French front?
 
The Entente is sundered, and the Exiles find the wolf is at their door once more as a new Red Dawn rises over North America. I'll be very surprised if National France lasts another year, and while Australasia might be mercifully isolated by distance, for all intents and purposes they're effectively alone in a hostile world.

The one possible saving grace for the Internationale's foes might be the fact that the CSA is now stretching itself thin -- if they're already having trouble dealing with homegrown unrest, imagine how much of a headache it must be fighting a full-blown guerilla war against a population that's had time to prepare for their coming. (Assuming this is modeled in future events, of course.)
 
The Entente is sundered, and the Exiles find the wolf is at their door once more as a new Red Dawn rises over North America. I'll be very surprised if National France lasts another year, and while Australasia might be mercifully isolated by distance, for all intents and purposes they're effectively alone in a hostile world.

The one possible saving grace for the Internationale's foes might be the fact that the CSA is now stretching itself thin -- if they're already having trouble dealing with homegrown unrest, imagine how much of a headache it must be fighting a full-blown guerilla war against a population that's had time to prepare for their coming. (Assuming this is modeled in future events, of course.)

I think that Australasia should abandon any hope of return to Europe, and try to ally with Japan to protect itself.

I also hope that the guerilla war in Canada will be interesing. Forests and anti-syndycalist populace create great conditions for this.
 
A sad day for monarchy.
 
First I am really happy to see a sane democratic Japan instead of a totalitarian insane junta in an AAR.
Second I hope this CSA doesn't implode like Crown Atomic AUS.This would be anticlimactic.
Really, has anyone EVER seen an AI Canada not get stomped by the CSA? I can't recall ever doing so.
Actually I once saw CSA get curbstomped by Canada when they attacked right after the civil war.I had to bail them out as the Commune of France.