Hey guys, this is my first attempt at an AAR after discovering them today, so I'm going to give my own a go. Hope it's interesting
Prologue - June, 1932 to January, 1936
Chapter 1 - The 2nd Russian Civil War
By 1932, eight years after Joseph Stalin had seized power of the Soviet Union, widespread popular dissention against his rule had become rife in the halls of the Kremlin. Increasingly authoritarian measures and wild deviations from classical Marxist theory had lost Stalin many of his one-time political allies.
But his hold on the government was not ironclad. In June of 1932, one of these dissenters was Martemyan Ryutin, who wrote to his fellow party members an "Appeal to All Members of the All-Union Communist Party (bolsheviks) and then a lenghty document known as the "Ryutin Platform". He called for a reinstatement of Trotsky and other expelled Bolsheviks, the end of collectivization and slow down of industrialization.
Distributed amongst many of the party elite, it was quickly sourced and Ryutin was arrested by the OGPU Secret Police. It was not, however, enough to quash the seeds of revolt. Key members of the politburo, buoyed by the document, began to question Stalin's leadership. At first in secret, and then, once the extent of opposition was known, more openly.
Stalin retaliated with a brutal crackdown, citing treason and mutiny amongst the politicians. Ryutin was shot by firing squad in September of 1932 as an example, and dozens of politicians known to be unfaithful were arrested, amongst them Sergei Kirov, Sergo Ordzhonikidze and Valerian Kuibyshev.
Public outcry was to follow. Several worker strikes in Leningrad followed, protesting the arrest of Kirov. Stalin deployed four divisions of the Red Army to suppress the rebellions, only to have two mutiny against their commanders and join the strikers. Encouraged by various politicians, more uprisings began in several urban centres, most notably in Novogorad Oblast and Belorussia, where over 51,000 soldiers had deserted the Red Army by the the spring of 1933.
News of the beginnings of another Russian Civil War reached France. Leon Trotsky secretly re-entered the USSR in June of 1933 at Leningrad, with the intention of retaking the Soviet Union and bringing back Leninist principals.
The summer of 1933 was the hottest on Russian records, and the rebellion slowly took hold of north-west, with anti-Stalinist sentiment being the highest there. Stalin conscripted thousands from the Caucasus and other loyal areas, and casualities by the end of 1933 were in the tens of thousands as the war raged in with little end in sight. Stalin, however, was fighting against a rising tide. In April of 1934, the Russian economy had effectively collapsed under the strain of war. Massive shortages and famine rocked the country. Supplies to the military began to be compromised, whilst Trotsky and his supporters were receiving aid from several european nations. In May, 1934, Admiral Vladimir Orlov boarded the Marat then led more than 80% of the Soviet Navy to defect to the Trotskyists. The rebels had seized Murmansk and Archangel by October of 1934. The Turks, making an elaborate deal with the Troskyists, agreed to block off the Black Sea to Russian Merchant Marine. Partisans disabled the rail link from Vladivostok and rebels had effectively seized Irkutsk. Unable to be supplied, the rest of the USSR quickly began to surrender.
At last, by December of 1934, the rebels entered Moscow, with the intent of finally seizing government. Much of the army, starving and out of fuel, had already surrendered. Moscow, the last bastion of Stalin's authoritarian regime, was well supplied however, and he had saved only the most loyal army divisions for his own protection. Fierce urban combat ensued, many thousands were killed. Leon Trotsky, leading his forced into combat, was fatally wounded and died two days after fighting commenced and was succeeded by Grigory Zinoviev as head of the rebels. Zinoviev led the rebels through the last two months of combat, which slowly advanced upon the city centre, when at last, in February of 1935, rebel forces stormed the Kremlin, only to find Stalin dead: he shot himself through the forehead minutes before the rebels arrived.
Chapter 2 - The Fragile Union
In the months following the recapture of the Soviet Union, the government was reorganized, and Stalinism was declared to be over. A new, firmly Leninist government was established, and several democratic rights were restored, and many leftist doctrines abandoned. Collectivization was abandoned, and several areas of economic control were relinquished, although a fundamentally communist government still ensued.
Grigory Zinoviev assumed the role of the Head of Government, the position of General Secretary being abolished, and Government control being formalized as the Premiership. Sergey Kirov assumed the Presidency of the Supreme Soviet, replacing Mikhail Kalinin, who had been murdered by Stalin's police in the last days of the conflict. Nikolai Bukharin took over the role of reviving the economy, which had taken a severe toll due to the war. Several pro-Stalinist figures remain in the government however, such as Genrikh Yagoda, who managed to maintain power in the OPGU.
However, the war had a much more severe effect. The USSR, in the wake of the conflict, almost collapsed. 17 SSRs demanded an exit from the union. The brutality of the Stalin regime and the prospect of yet more civil wars caused mass dissention in the sub-nations of the USSR. 6 months of political fighting followed, before finally the treaty of Kerch was signed. In it, the 9 SSRs with non-russian nationality majorities were to leave the Soviet Union but to remain within the comintern, although with little Russian influence in the government. The treaty called for a full alliance and defence pact, and a council to be formed, Chaired by Russia, known as the Comintern Supreme Council. Votes would be accorded to nations (conviniently) by ICs. Russia would have the casting vote.
Thus Ukraine, Armenia, Georgia, Azerbaijan, Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan were declared independent Leninist nations in August of 1935.
Belarus, and Primorsk, with nominal Russian majorities, joined those leaving in Decemeber of 1935, after months of heated negotiation with the Soviet Government. The Soviet Union however remained intact, and the rest of the SSRs were convined to stay.
It is January, 1936, and this is the state of the Soviet Union and its allies.
The problems are many. Dissent is sky high and threatens yet another rebellion. Several former SSRs are led by pro-Stalinst governments. Lazar Kaganovich has assumed control of Ukraine, and Lavrenty Beria has taken over the government of Georgia. More moderate, Left-Wing Radicals have prevailed in Kazakhstan, Armenia, and Azerbaijan. Stalinist figures are still at the head of several soviet agencies. And the Soviets have also taken a severe hit to industry, a mere 90 are in the control of the motherland.
The actions of the comintern are now governed by a council (excluding Tanna Tuva, which has no vote). Hawkish, Stalinist elements demand war on weaker neighbours to bring socialism to the world, Dovish LWRs wish to rebuild the shattered economy.
Will the fragile union be able to withstand the new fascist threat to the West?
Prologue - June, 1932 to January, 1936
Chapter 1 - The 2nd Russian Civil War
By 1932, eight years after Joseph Stalin had seized power of the Soviet Union, widespread popular dissention against his rule had become rife in the halls of the Kremlin. Increasingly authoritarian measures and wild deviations from classical Marxist theory had lost Stalin many of his one-time political allies.
But his hold on the government was not ironclad. In June of 1932, one of these dissenters was Martemyan Ryutin, who wrote to his fellow party members an "Appeal to All Members of the All-Union Communist Party (bolsheviks) and then a lenghty document known as the "Ryutin Platform". He called for a reinstatement of Trotsky and other expelled Bolsheviks, the end of collectivization and slow down of industrialization.
Distributed amongst many of the party elite, it was quickly sourced and Ryutin was arrested by the OGPU Secret Police. It was not, however, enough to quash the seeds of revolt. Key members of the politburo, buoyed by the document, began to question Stalin's leadership. At first in secret, and then, once the extent of opposition was known, more openly.
Stalin retaliated with a brutal crackdown, citing treason and mutiny amongst the politicians. Ryutin was shot by firing squad in September of 1932 as an example, and dozens of politicians known to be unfaithful were arrested, amongst them Sergei Kirov, Sergo Ordzhonikidze and Valerian Kuibyshev.
Public outcry was to follow. Several worker strikes in Leningrad followed, protesting the arrest of Kirov. Stalin deployed four divisions of the Red Army to suppress the rebellions, only to have two mutiny against their commanders and join the strikers. Encouraged by various politicians, more uprisings began in several urban centres, most notably in Novogorad Oblast and Belorussia, where over 51,000 soldiers had deserted the Red Army by the the spring of 1933.
News of the beginnings of another Russian Civil War reached France. Leon Trotsky secretly re-entered the USSR in June of 1933 at Leningrad, with the intention of retaking the Soviet Union and bringing back Leninist principals.
The summer of 1933 was the hottest on Russian records, and the rebellion slowly took hold of north-west, with anti-Stalinist sentiment being the highest there. Stalin conscripted thousands from the Caucasus and other loyal areas, and casualities by the end of 1933 were in the tens of thousands as the war raged in with little end in sight. Stalin, however, was fighting against a rising tide. In April of 1934, the Russian economy had effectively collapsed under the strain of war. Massive shortages and famine rocked the country. Supplies to the military began to be compromised, whilst Trotsky and his supporters were receiving aid from several european nations. In May, 1934, Admiral Vladimir Orlov boarded the Marat then led more than 80% of the Soviet Navy to defect to the Trotskyists. The rebels had seized Murmansk and Archangel by October of 1934. The Turks, making an elaborate deal with the Troskyists, agreed to block off the Black Sea to Russian Merchant Marine. Partisans disabled the rail link from Vladivostok and rebels had effectively seized Irkutsk. Unable to be supplied, the rest of the USSR quickly began to surrender.
At last, by December of 1934, the rebels entered Moscow, with the intent of finally seizing government. Much of the army, starving and out of fuel, had already surrendered. Moscow, the last bastion of Stalin's authoritarian regime, was well supplied however, and he had saved only the most loyal army divisions for his own protection. Fierce urban combat ensued, many thousands were killed. Leon Trotsky, leading his forced into combat, was fatally wounded and died two days after fighting commenced and was succeeded by Grigory Zinoviev as head of the rebels. Zinoviev led the rebels through the last two months of combat, which slowly advanced upon the city centre, when at last, in February of 1935, rebel forces stormed the Kremlin, only to find Stalin dead: he shot himself through the forehead minutes before the rebels arrived.
Chapter 2 - The Fragile Union
In the months following the recapture of the Soviet Union, the government was reorganized, and Stalinism was declared to be over. A new, firmly Leninist government was established, and several democratic rights were restored, and many leftist doctrines abandoned. Collectivization was abandoned, and several areas of economic control were relinquished, although a fundamentally communist government still ensued.
Grigory Zinoviev assumed the role of the Head of Government, the position of General Secretary being abolished, and Government control being formalized as the Premiership. Sergey Kirov assumed the Presidency of the Supreme Soviet, replacing Mikhail Kalinin, who had been murdered by Stalin's police in the last days of the conflict. Nikolai Bukharin took over the role of reviving the economy, which had taken a severe toll due to the war. Several pro-Stalinist figures remain in the government however, such as Genrikh Yagoda, who managed to maintain power in the OPGU.
However, the war had a much more severe effect. The USSR, in the wake of the conflict, almost collapsed. 17 SSRs demanded an exit from the union. The brutality of the Stalin regime and the prospect of yet more civil wars caused mass dissention in the sub-nations of the USSR. 6 months of political fighting followed, before finally the treaty of Kerch was signed. In it, the 9 SSRs with non-russian nationality majorities were to leave the Soviet Union but to remain within the comintern, although with little Russian influence in the government. The treaty called for a full alliance and defence pact, and a council to be formed, Chaired by Russia, known as the Comintern Supreme Council. Votes would be accorded to nations (conviniently) by ICs. Russia would have the casting vote.
Thus Ukraine, Armenia, Georgia, Azerbaijan, Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan were declared independent Leninist nations in August of 1935.
Belarus, and Primorsk, with nominal Russian majorities, joined those leaving in Decemeber of 1935, after months of heated negotiation with the Soviet Government. The Soviet Union however remained intact, and the rest of the SSRs were convined to stay.
It is January, 1936, and this is the state of the Soviet Union and its allies.
The problems are many. Dissent is sky high and threatens yet another rebellion. Several former SSRs are led by pro-Stalinst governments. Lazar Kaganovich has assumed control of Ukraine, and Lavrenty Beria has taken over the government of Georgia. More moderate, Left-Wing Radicals have prevailed in Kazakhstan, Armenia, and Azerbaijan. Stalinist figures are still at the head of several soviet agencies. And the Soviets have also taken a severe hit to industry, a mere 90 are in the control of the motherland.
The actions of the comintern are now governed by a council (excluding Tanna Tuva, which has no vote). Hawkish, Stalinist elements demand war on weaker neighbours to bring socialism to the world, Dovish LWRs wish to rebuild the shattered economy.
Will the fragile union be able to withstand the new fascist threat to the West?
