Hello everyone, a little while ago I had a CK2 AAR with the After the End mod, I got 3 chapters in before the mod updated. Although I thoroughly enjoyed the update, my save had been corrupted and was unable to be recovered. Forcing me to end the AAR prematurely. As I want to write a full AAR, I have decided for the past few weeks what I wish to do instead. I have decided to give HOI4, and, more specifically, Kaiserreich, a try. And I will be playing my favorite nation, the Combined Syndicates of America, which will appear and break free from the United States relatively soon.
Having read bits and pieces of other AARs, and I have some new ideas. I said I wasn't good at CK2, and I'm not really good at HOI4 either, but that doesn't matter much, I just want to have fun and make something people will (hopefully) enjoy, and maybe learn a thing or two along the way.
The United States of America's history in the 20th century has been filled with many ups, but many more downs. The lack of American Involvement had led to a series of events that resulted in the Kaiserreich's victory, establishing German hegemony in Europe, from Nanzig to the Don River.
German Troops marching in a military parade in Köln. c. 1936
German victory in the Weltkrieg had resulted in the former Entente nations of the United Kingdom and France to collapse. France succumbed to a relatively brief civil war in the middle of 1919 that was initially a General Strike, that later culminated into France being controlled by Syndicalists, forcing the previous government into exile in Algiers.
The United Kingdom succumbed to revolution as well, after a series of coal strikes, protesting against coal tariffs in early 1925, turned violent when police opened fire on the strikers. The strike got so violent that King George V and the British Government were forced to flee to Canada, effectively leaving Britain to the wolves, or, in this case, Syndicalists.
Things in the United States are not looking too great either, the Great Depression, caused by the loss of it's greatest trading partner, the United Kingdom, had kicked down America's hope to gain legitimacy on the world stage. The Roaring 20s ended abruptly, and it had quickly resulted in the American people losing jobs, money, homes, and their livelihoods. It's been nearly 11 years after the event, and America's economy has only just begun to recover. The thought of which is something to celebrate in itself.
A line of thousands of unemployed men in New York City looking for work. c. 1933
The fact that it had taken this long for the economy to begin to recover, is seen by many Americans as simply outrageous. Most Americans point their finger an incumbent president, Herbert Hoover, for prologing the depression, though in reality he has been trying (and constantly failing) to fix the depression. His actions have made him, to an extent or another, the most hated man in the country. Truly a title a man like President doesn't want on his record.
The situation in America has led to a sharp rise in Populism and Socialism, and two new political parties, both of which threaten the stability and balance of the already fragile nation greatly. With the rise of the Socialist Party of America, led by William Dudley "Big Bill" Haywood, and the America First Party led by Senator and former Governor of Louisiana Huey Long.
William Dudley Haywood, otherwise known as "Big Bill" Haywood, former Gold Miner, currently the head of the Socialist Party of America. Some say he is getting too ill to continue as head of the SPA.
Flag of the America First Party.
Huey Long, Senator and former Governor of Louisiana, official party leader of the America First Party.
The two parties pose a significant threat to stability, and never before in American History has a situation like this developed, not since the years leading up to the American Civil War. Many experts are skeptical about such a thing occurring, at least now, the economy is finally growing and jobs are beginning to return, slowly, but surely.
Plans to reintroduce the Garner-Wagner Bill into the seats of Congress have begun as well, in an attempt to speed up the recovery from the Great Depression. The bill, which was originally vetoed by Hoover back in 1932, attempts to take government measures to decrease unemployment, President Hoover has assured Democrats in Congress that he will not veto the bill if it passes.
Of course, the bill has raised questions, many Republicans don't believe the plan goes far enough when dealing with unemployment. Democrats are skeptical as well, many are unsure if the government has the money to pay for the project, considering the fact that the country is still in the middle of an economic depression. The inclusion of SPA and AFP members in Congress also raises questions on whether this bill can be passed or not, many see the two radical parties as wildcards, and rightfully so.
Far far away in Russia, President Kerensky has been shot and killed while on his way to the Russian Senate, throwing Russia, an already unstable country into choas. The shot could have been heard around the world, and news about Russia are likely to get interesting soon, or concerning, or both. As evident by the fact that generals such as Piotr Wrangel and Lavr Kornilov seem to be planning actions to secure the nation from collapse.
And as expected, the radicals in the SPA and the AFP have contested the Garner-Wagner Bill, claiming it doesn't even come close to being enough to help the workers. Both Senator of New York Jack Reed, right-hand man of "Big Bill" Haywood, and Senator of Louisiana Huey Long, also the head of the AFP, have demanded that the bill include several things, like expanded social security, things the more moderate senators thinks are too expensive to add in right now. The siituation has caused some controversy, and has gained the attention of the media.
Overseas in Europe, figures such as Benito Mussolini, Georges Valois, Lavrentiy Beria, Oswald Mosley, and a few others who are all Socialists, have all met together in the British city of Birmingham. There they discussed and wrote down a charter claiming that several authoritarian forms of Socialism, like Maximism, Sorelianism, National Syndicalism, and the like all share common values and goals. Establishing Socialism within the bounds of a strong, centralized state, claiming that "Democracy isn't necessary to achieve the end-goal of Socialism." These ideologies are grouped together as "Totalist", a play on Totalitarian Socialism, a formerly derogatory term that men like Mosley wear with pride.
Up north to our neighbors in Canada, King George V's son, Edward, Prince of Wales, has succeeded his father's place as king after his recent death, taking the mantle as Edward VIII. He's quite the ambitious man, and it's no secret that he plans to right the wrongs that was the British Revolution, and eventually return home. It's also a well known fact that he and the Canadian PM Mackenzie King don't get along well. We'll have to keep an eye on them.
Conflict over the bill resumes, ironically enough, one of the Bill's creators, Robert Wagner, says he refuses to pass his own bill unless federal unemployment insurance is protected. Along with that, the AFP and SPA continue their refusal to support the bill, and at the rate this is going the bill looks like it may not pass. Out of obvious desperation, President Hoover has decided to intervene and court Wagner and the more establishment congressmen to get them to support the bill, willing and able to make whatever changes must be made.
Reed and Long weren't pleased.
In real France, the elections between the four main factions, the Anarchistes, the Travailleurs, the Jacobins, and the Sorelians, all have not received a majority of votes, meaning that a coalition had to be formed to break the tie. The Anarchiste and the Travailleurs were the only one to agree, and want, to do so, resulting in a win. The compromise candidate chosen was Benoit Frachon, a veteran of the Third French Revolution and a member of the Travailleurs, who is sympathetic to the Anarchistes. He is, for lack of a better term, a Centrist, as Centrist as it gets for Syndicalism anyways.
With the recent compromises in Congress, it seems like the bill may actually pass, at least on a slim margin, the SPA and AFP still pose a threat however. But, with the compromises the bill may actually pass, meaning the road to recovery will finally kick-off. Despite having a very low approval rating, for once Hoover feels proud of himself. Nothing can go wro-
And with that, any hopes for economic recovery has died. Almost immediately, progress made by President Hoover over the course of his presidency has been reversed, and many people have begun to feel the effects already. The Prelude to Destruction has begun.
Having read bits and pieces of other AARs, and I have some new ideas. I said I wasn't good at CK2, and I'm not really good at HOI4 either, but that doesn't matter much, I just want to have fun and make something people will (hopefully) enjoy, and maybe learn a thing or two along the way.
The United States of America's history in the 20th century has been filled with many ups, but many more downs. The lack of American Involvement had led to a series of events that resulted in the Kaiserreich's victory, establishing German hegemony in Europe, from Nanzig to the Don River.
German Troops marching in a military parade in Köln. c. 1936
German victory in the Weltkrieg had resulted in the former Entente nations of the United Kingdom and France to collapse. France succumbed to a relatively brief civil war in the middle of 1919 that was initially a General Strike, that later culminated into France being controlled by Syndicalists, forcing the previous government into exile in Algiers.
The United Kingdom succumbed to revolution as well, after a series of coal strikes, protesting against coal tariffs in early 1925, turned violent when police opened fire on the strikers. The strike got so violent that King George V and the British Government were forced to flee to Canada, effectively leaving Britain to the wolves, or, in this case, Syndicalists.
Things in the United States are not looking too great either, the Great Depression, caused by the loss of it's greatest trading partner, the United Kingdom, had kicked down America's hope to gain legitimacy on the world stage. The Roaring 20s ended abruptly, and it had quickly resulted in the American people losing jobs, money, homes, and their livelihoods. It's been nearly 11 years after the event, and America's economy has only just begun to recover. The thought of which is something to celebrate in itself.
A line of thousands of unemployed men in New York City looking for work. c. 1933
The fact that it had taken this long for the economy to begin to recover, is seen by many Americans as simply outrageous. Most Americans point their finger an incumbent president, Herbert Hoover, for prologing the depression, though in reality he has been trying (and constantly failing) to fix the depression. His actions have made him, to an extent or another, the most hated man in the country. Truly a title a man like President doesn't want on his record.
The situation in America has led to a sharp rise in Populism and Socialism, and two new political parties, both of which threaten the stability and balance of the already fragile nation greatly. With the rise of the Socialist Party of America, led by William Dudley "Big Bill" Haywood, and the America First Party led by Senator and former Governor of Louisiana Huey Long.
William Dudley Haywood, otherwise known as "Big Bill" Haywood, former Gold Miner, currently the head of the Socialist Party of America. Some say he is getting too ill to continue as head of the SPA.
Huey Long, Senator and former Governor of Louisiana, official party leader of the America First Party.
The two parties pose a significant threat to stability, and never before in American History has a situation like this developed, not since the years leading up to the American Civil War. Many experts are skeptical about such a thing occurring, at least now, the economy is finally growing and jobs are beginning to return, slowly, but surely.
Plans to reintroduce the Garner-Wagner Bill into the seats of Congress have begun as well, in an attempt to speed up the recovery from the Great Depression. The bill, which was originally vetoed by Hoover back in 1932, attempts to take government measures to decrease unemployment, President Hoover has assured Democrats in Congress that he will not veto the bill if it passes.
Of course, the bill has raised questions, many Republicans don't believe the plan goes far enough when dealing with unemployment. Democrats are skeptical as well, many are unsure if the government has the money to pay for the project, considering the fact that the country is still in the middle of an economic depression. The inclusion of SPA and AFP members in Congress also raises questions on whether this bill can be passed or not, many see the two radical parties as wildcards, and rightfully so.
Far far away in Russia, President Kerensky has been shot and killed while on his way to the Russian Senate, throwing Russia, an already unstable country into choas. The shot could have been heard around the world, and news about Russia are likely to get interesting soon, or concerning, or both. As evident by the fact that generals such as Piotr Wrangel and Lavr Kornilov seem to be planning actions to secure the nation from collapse.
And as expected, the radicals in the SPA and the AFP have contested the Garner-Wagner Bill, claiming it doesn't even come close to being enough to help the workers. Both Senator of New York Jack Reed, right-hand man of "Big Bill" Haywood, and Senator of Louisiana Huey Long, also the head of the AFP, have demanded that the bill include several things, like expanded social security, things the more moderate senators thinks are too expensive to add in right now. The siituation has caused some controversy, and has gained the attention of the media.
Overseas in Europe, figures such as Benito Mussolini, Georges Valois, Lavrentiy Beria, Oswald Mosley, and a few others who are all Socialists, have all met together in the British city of Birmingham. There they discussed and wrote down a charter claiming that several authoritarian forms of Socialism, like Maximism, Sorelianism, National Syndicalism, and the like all share common values and goals. Establishing Socialism within the bounds of a strong, centralized state, claiming that "Democracy isn't necessary to achieve the end-goal of Socialism." These ideologies are grouped together as "Totalist", a play on Totalitarian Socialism, a formerly derogatory term that men like Mosley wear with pride.
Up north to our neighbors in Canada, King George V's son, Edward, Prince of Wales, has succeeded his father's place as king after his recent death, taking the mantle as Edward VIII. He's quite the ambitious man, and it's no secret that he plans to right the wrongs that was the British Revolution, and eventually return home. It's also a well known fact that he and the Canadian PM Mackenzie King don't get along well. We'll have to keep an eye on them.
Conflict over the bill resumes, ironically enough, one of the Bill's creators, Robert Wagner, says he refuses to pass his own bill unless federal unemployment insurance is protected. Along with that, the AFP and SPA continue their refusal to support the bill, and at the rate this is going the bill looks like it may not pass. Out of obvious desperation, President Hoover has decided to intervene and court Wagner and the more establishment congressmen to get them to support the bill, willing and able to make whatever changes must be made.
Reed and Long weren't pleased.
In real France, the elections between the four main factions, the Anarchistes, the Travailleurs, the Jacobins, and the Sorelians, all have not received a majority of votes, meaning that a coalition had to be formed to break the tie. The Anarchiste and the Travailleurs were the only one to agree, and want, to do so, resulting in a win. The compromise candidate chosen was Benoit Frachon, a veteran of the Third French Revolution and a member of the Travailleurs, who is sympathetic to the Anarchistes. He is, for lack of a better term, a Centrist, as Centrist as it gets for Syndicalism anyways.
With the recent compromises in Congress, it seems like the bill may actually pass, at least on a slim margin, the SPA and AFP still pose a threat however. But, with the compromises the bill may actually pass, meaning the road to recovery will finally kick-off. Despite having a very low approval rating, for once Hoover feels proud of himself. Nothing can go wro-
And with that, any hopes for economic recovery has died. Almost immediately, progress made by President Hoover over the course of his presidency has been reversed, and many people have begun to feel the effects already. The Prelude to Destruction has begun.
