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Failing that, you could write in negotiations with the Italian Fed breaking down an you then liberating an Italian republic.
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It wouldn't be ahistorical in a certain way... And maybe it would work better for the US having democratic (puppets) Spain and Italy...
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Democracy in Italy would preferable to theocracy or syndicalism in the point of view of some American higher ups most likely
Well yes, but suddenly having an ally that can threaten the French immediately and that can be supported very easily by America might be even more desirable.
Operation Saratoga
With Italy secured, the Entente could begin to focus their efforts on reconquering the European territory lost in the Syndicalist storms of 1925. On September 1, the leaders of the Entente powers met off the coast of Labrador on board the Royal Canadian Navy flagship HMS Warspite. Attending the Conference was SMI Henri IV of France, MacKenzie King and King Edward VIII of Canada, Stanley Bruce of Australasia, Narasimha Kelkar of Delhi, and Douglas MacArthur of the United States. The first agreement made at the conference was the renaming of the alliance. No longer would it be the Entente, but instead would simply be referred to as “The Allied Powers” or “The Allies.” Secondly, the leaders met to discuss policy. The Allied leaders wanted to bring the Italian Federation into the fold, as it would open up a new front with France and allow the Italians to reclaim their rightful lands in the south. However, there were difficulties in communication with the Italian Federation and by the time the deal was fully laid out, the Italians were still unwilling to openly engage the Commune of France, fearing it would take too long for Allied reinforcements to reach the frontline. Instead, a secret agreement was signed with the Italians, wherein the US promised a peaceful turnover of the South of Italy at some future date (when both sides deemed the situation safe) so long as Italy refused German pressures to join Mitteleuropa. With the Italian question sorted, the next thing to deal with was the direction of the war. Edward VIII pushed hard for a decisive invasion of England, while other members of the British Empire were somewhat more open in terms of strategy. PM King wanted the war to end swiftly so that Canada could return to a sense of normalcy, while Bruce of Australasia and Kelkar of Delhi warned of leaving the far eastern members of the Allies alone, especially with a conflict brewing in India between the Princely Federation and Bhartiya Commune. Henri IV naturally advocated for the Liberation of France first, then England. With the allies divided on what to do, MacArthur’s vote would be the deciding factor. While England could certainly be conquered quickly due to its small size and excellent infrastructure, it would take several decisive naval victories in favor of the Allies to properly ruin the Republican fleet and a large occupation force to root out the fires of syndicalism. Not to mention any invasion would be totally without air support, as the Allies possessed no bases close enough where allied fighters could be based. On the Other hand, the Commune of France was completely focused on defeating Germany and was seeing success beyond the conquest of the former state of Belgium. German forces were holding, but wouldn’t be able to do so forever. If Germany fell to France, the war in europe could take a massive turn for the worst.
MacArthur decided France would go first.. It was decided that the US would spearhead an invasion in the north of France, while the French, using a mix of the remains of their old Mediterranean fleet and their new “Darlan Plan” navy would stage a raid into the south of France to distract the Communal Army and Navy, allowing the US landing to hopefully go unopposed. The US, however, was not immediately ready to launch an invasion, and neither were any of the other allies except for the French. The US first needed to pick up 15 fresh divisions stateside to be ready for the invasion.
Meanwhile, the Royal Navy would scout for potential landing sites along the French coast. While the US transport fleet moved across the Atlantic, the Canadian fleet reported that the major French port of Brest seemed to be completely unguarded. It was decided that this would be the landing point of US forces. This location was especially advantageous since the Syndicalist Navies and Air Forces dominated the English Channel, but were generally unwilling to travel far from their bases there for fear of the Kaiserliche Marine lashing out into the Atlantic.The name for this operation was Operation Saratoga, a reference to the beginning of the American nation when the battle of Saratoga had convinced the French to join the revolutionary war against the British. The US carrier fleet, led by Admiral King, would protect the landings and provide nominal air cover for the landings in case the French tried to mobilize any air forces against the US troops. On September 26 1939, US Army forces boarded transport ships in Sicily and departed for the major port city of Brest. Miraculously, when the fleet arrived on October 4, the port remained undefended. This was due in large part to the large raid carried out by the French into the Mediterranean town of Montpelier on the 1st. Many syndicalist leaders believed that this was the most logical crossing point for allied forces into Europe, as the allied dominance there was well established. American troops braved rough seas and cold winds as they took the port of Brest, allowing the easy inflow of supplies and troops. The townspeople put up some resistance, but it was quickly snuffed out by US troops. With that, the allied forces had finally begun to reclaim Europe from the ravages of syndicalism.
That said, the French would not go quietly. On the 5th, one of the main Syndicalist French battle fleets engaged the US carrier fleet. After several hours of engagement, US dive and torpedo bombers were able to damage and force the retreat of the French fleet. With the landing site now entirely secure, US troops began to fan out into the Britannic countryside, spearheaded by the Motorized Corps. On the 7th, the French fleet returned with a vengeance. However, their lack of capital ships, and more importantly of air defense, meant that once again the USN was victorious.Once again, the french were pushed back with heavy casualties, although no ships were sunk. US ground troops continued to advance, marching on Rennes. Late at night on the 8th, radar on the USS Colorado detected two French Transports hurriedly attempting to cross the channel to England. The transports were quickly sunk by the US fleet. With the fall of Rennes, the US forces could continue to spread out even further into the west of France.
As US forces pushed further and further east, they began to encounter much stiffer resistance. However, the Army quickly brushed aside many of the French defenses. The ease with which the US crushed the vaunted French Syndicalist Army at first confused US commander. The situation was explained when US forces began to encounter a mass flight of refugees fleeing from the east. Thousands of French civilians were fleeing the German Heer, and when they could finally explain their situation, they also revealed that because so many Frenchmen were mobilized in the army that rationing had taken a severe toll on French food stores, and the refugees were primarily fleeing looking for food.
On October 15th, US forces engaged Syndicalist forces outside of Falaise. For the First time since 1815, US and British troops met on the field of battle. After intense combat, the Union of Britain’s 46th “Midlands” division was broken and US forces could finally advance on Falaise, a key crossroad town in the north of France. With that victory, as well as a victory in Poitiers, American forces marched ever closer to the Brain of Syndicalism- Paris.
_________________________________________________________
So, the rowing season has ended for a few weeks which means a return to the normal schedule, at least for a while. I may try to get up to 2 a week, if I am feeling particularly inspired. Its currently a lot of work to transfer the old screenies to the new computer, so that is slowing things down more than I would like. Anyway, enjoy!
With Italy secured, the Entente could begin to focus their efforts on reconquering the European territory lost in the Syndicalist storms of 1925. On September 1, the leaders of the Entente powers met off the coast of Labrador on board the Royal Canadian Navy flagship HMS Warspite. Attending the Conference was SMI Henri IV of France, MacKenzie King and King Edward VIII of Canada, Stanley Bruce of Australasia, Narasimha Kelkar of Delhi, and Douglas MacArthur of the United States. The first agreement made at the conference was the renaming of the alliance. No longer would it be the Entente, but instead would simply be referred to as “The Allied Powers” or “The Allies.” Secondly, the leaders met to discuss policy. The Allied leaders wanted to bring the Italian Federation into the fold, as it would open up a new front with France and allow the Italians to reclaim their rightful lands in the south. However, there were difficulties in communication with the Italian Federation and by the time the deal was fully laid out, the Italians were still unwilling to openly engage the Commune of France, fearing it would take too long for Allied reinforcements to reach the frontline. Instead, a secret agreement was signed with the Italians, wherein the US promised a peaceful turnover of the South of Italy at some future date (when both sides deemed the situation safe) so long as Italy refused German pressures to join Mitteleuropa. With the Italian question sorted, the next thing to deal with was the direction of the war. Edward VIII pushed hard for a decisive invasion of England, while other members of the British Empire were somewhat more open in terms of strategy. PM King wanted the war to end swiftly so that Canada could return to a sense of normalcy, while Bruce of Australasia and Kelkar of Delhi warned of leaving the far eastern members of the Allies alone, especially with a conflict brewing in India between the Princely Federation and Bhartiya Commune. Henri IV naturally advocated for the Liberation of France first, then England. With the allies divided on what to do, MacArthur’s vote would be the deciding factor. While England could certainly be conquered quickly due to its small size and excellent infrastructure, it would take several decisive naval victories in favor of the Allies to properly ruin the Republican fleet and a large occupation force to root out the fires of syndicalism. Not to mention any invasion would be totally without air support, as the Allies possessed no bases close enough where allied fighters could be based. On the Other hand, the Commune of France was completely focused on defeating Germany and was seeing success beyond the conquest of the former state of Belgium. German forces were holding, but wouldn’t be able to do so forever. If Germany fell to France, the war in europe could take a massive turn for the worst.
MacArthur decided France would go first.. It was decided that the US would spearhead an invasion in the north of France, while the French, using a mix of the remains of their old Mediterranean fleet and their new “Darlan Plan” navy would stage a raid into the south of France to distract the Communal Army and Navy, allowing the US landing to hopefully go unopposed. The US, however, was not immediately ready to launch an invasion, and neither were any of the other allies except for the French. The US first needed to pick up 15 fresh divisions stateside to be ready for the invasion.
Meanwhile, the Royal Navy would scout for potential landing sites along the French coast. While the US transport fleet moved across the Atlantic, the Canadian fleet reported that the major French port of Brest seemed to be completely unguarded. It was decided that this would be the landing point of US forces. This location was especially advantageous since the Syndicalist Navies and Air Forces dominated the English Channel, but were generally unwilling to travel far from their bases there for fear of the Kaiserliche Marine lashing out into the Atlantic.The name for this operation was Operation Saratoga, a reference to the beginning of the American nation when the battle of Saratoga had convinced the French to join the revolutionary war against the British. The US carrier fleet, led by Admiral King, would protect the landings and provide nominal air cover for the landings in case the French tried to mobilize any air forces against the US troops. On September 26 1939, US Army forces boarded transport ships in Sicily and departed for the major port city of Brest. Miraculously, when the fleet arrived on October 4, the port remained undefended. This was due in large part to the large raid carried out by the French into the Mediterranean town of Montpelier on the 1st. Many syndicalist leaders believed that this was the most logical crossing point for allied forces into Europe, as the allied dominance there was well established. American troops braved rough seas and cold winds as they took the port of Brest, allowing the easy inflow of supplies and troops. The townspeople put up some resistance, but it was quickly snuffed out by US troops. With that, the allied forces had finally begun to reclaim Europe from the ravages of syndicalism.
That said, the French would not go quietly. On the 5th, one of the main Syndicalist French battle fleets engaged the US carrier fleet. After several hours of engagement, US dive and torpedo bombers were able to damage and force the retreat of the French fleet. With the landing site now entirely secure, US troops began to fan out into the Britannic countryside, spearheaded by the Motorized Corps. On the 7th, the French fleet returned with a vengeance. However, their lack of capital ships, and more importantly of air defense, meant that once again the USN was victorious.Once again, the french were pushed back with heavy casualties, although no ships were sunk. US ground troops continued to advance, marching on Rennes. Late at night on the 8th, radar on the USS Colorado detected two French Transports hurriedly attempting to cross the channel to England. The transports were quickly sunk by the US fleet. With the fall of Rennes, the US forces could continue to spread out even further into the west of France.
As US forces pushed further and further east, they began to encounter much stiffer resistance. However, the Army quickly brushed aside many of the French defenses. The ease with which the US crushed the vaunted French Syndicalist Army at first confused US commander. The situation was explained when US forces began to encounter a mass flight of refugees fleeing from the east. Thousands of French civilians were fleeing the German Heer, and when they could finally explain their situation, they also revealed that because so many Frenchmen were mobilized in the army that rationing had taken a severe toll on French food stores, and the refugees were primarily fleeing looking for food.
On October 15th, US forces engaged Syndicalist forces outside of Falaise. For the First time since 1815, US and British troops met on the field of battle. After intense combat, the Union of Britain’s 46th “Midlands” division was broken and US forces could finally advance on Falaise, a key crossroad town in the north of France. With that victory, as well as a victory in Poitiers, American forces marched ever closer to the Brain of Syndicalism- Paris.
_________________________________________________________
So, the rowing season has ended for a few weeks which means a return to the normal schedule, at least for a while. I may try to get up to 2 a week, if I am feeling particularly inspired. Its currently a lot of work to transfer the old screenies to the new computer, so that is slowing things down more than I would like. Anyway, enjoy!
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Why do the US and the Commune have to share the same colors? Other than that great job in executing D-day on D-day (except you didn't land at Normandy
)!
Are you going to give back the territory you take to the Kingdom of France?
)!Are you going to give back the territory you take to the Kingdom of France?
Be interesting to see how many troops are detached from the German front to fight you.
Why wouldn't he give back French territory. Also, for future reference, music to listen to during this update:
And so the race between National France and the USA on who was really the REAL liberator of France.
Why do the US and the Commune have to share the same colors? Other than that great job in executing D-day on D-day (except you didn't land at Normandy
Are you going to give back the territory you take to the Kingdom of France?
Yes.
The Race To Paris
With the Allied beachhead secured in Brittany, American forces began to race towards Paris. The French Government in exile begged the Americans to push for Paris, fearing that if the Germans captured the city before the Americans it would be ruined by the huns. Fortunately for the French, the communards had not planned for an American invasion, and MacArthur pushed on hard for Paris, recognizing the importance of the city and the relatively light resistance he faced in his path. Before Paris could be captured, the Americans needed to clear Normandy and the Loire, as leaving the flanks exposed could spell disaster for the American troops. Battles erupt in Caen and Poitiers, where the Communal Armies make desperate stands to push the Americans back into the sea. Reinforcements are rushed to Poitiers, while USAAF bombers cripple the Anglo-French defense of Caen. American commanders were fearful of pushing hard into Normandy, for fear that the bocage would slow down their advance and allow the French to reinforce. Thankfully, the French failed to garrison the Normandy region adequately, which meant American troops were mostly able to occupy these areas unopposed. The reinforcements to Poitiers were also successful, as the French assault was repulsed shortly after Caen fell. Major General Marshall’s 13th Motorized Corps was able to rush ahead of the other troops and secured the huge port of Cherbourg with no resistance, encircling a French mechanized cavalry division near Avranches.
As American troops began to assault La Rochelle, a group of Communal Partisans rose up in Brittany, almost severing american connections to their supply port of Brest, which was also where much of the USAAF was stationed. This shook US commanders, as they feared that a strong partisan presence may be able to overthrow the small USAAF garrison and perhaps knock out the small but highly experienced USAAF. 3 cavalry divisions are rushed to the area to quickly suppress the movement before it can grow out of hand. Meanwhile, 6 divisions in Normandy were working towards the destruction of the French cavalry division in Normandy, but the French used their mobility to evade destruction for a time. Just a few hours later, La Rochelle falls, a crushing defeat for the French forces there. However, the French rush in another division to garrison the city, temporarily prolonging the American advance on the port. Simultaneously, US forces engaged the Partisans in Brittany. US troops also scored another victory when they finally found the French 8th Cavalry division, surrounding and destroying them.
[/IMG]
[/IMG]
While American ground troops were seeing success all across France, the USAAF received their first challenge from the British Republican Air Force. 4 wings of Republican Hurricane fighters meet 4 wings of P-36G Hawks over Brittany. The British fighters had far superior maneuverability, but the Hawks could climb and dive faster and had superior firepower in their 2x.50 and 2x.30 armament versus the British 8x.303. Both sides return to base with bloodied noses, but the British lose 15 more fighters than the Americans, badly hurting a small British air force.
Shortly after, US forces begin to push the French in the middle of the front, committing 15 divisions to attack Tours and Le Mans. The French fight valiantly, but they are woefully unprepared to face up against the civil-war hardened US Army. Part of this was reflected in their equipment. American troops had learned the value of many of their weapons, namely the M1 Garand and BAR, as weapons which could suppress the enemy easily while using only one man to operate. This was compared to the French reliance on fixed machine guns, which often required teams of 2 or 3, while other soldiers were armed with the bolt action MAS-36. This firepower advantage meant that American squads were able to put out much more fire than their french counterparts, who were often caught flat-footed as they waited for platoon or sometimes even company level assets to be deployed. This advantage was most evident in the forms of casualties during battles, especially Le Mans and Tours; the US lost a combined 1700 men, while the French lost over 7500. MacArthur, seeing the French forces starting to melt away, begin to realize that the entire nation of France was starting to fall apart. Allied photo-reconnaissance aircraft had been carefully watching the developments on the French front with Germany. Since the Allied landings in Brittany, the Germans had begun their grand counter-attack, making large gains in the south and conquering the city within a few days. MacArthur knew that if he did not act quickly, the majority of France may fall under the control of the Kaiser, who would no doubt install a puppet French government, much to the frustration of the Bourbon-led French government in Exile. At the very least, MacArthur needed to secure the heart of France: Paris.
US Riflemen demonstrating their abilities with the M1 against communal forces, ca. Oct.1939
Conscious of the need to secure the Capital, MacArthur ordered his generals in the north to begin swinging towards the city of light. The first step is to take Evreux, the last city standing on the western side of the seine. Once again the French are greatly outclassed by their American adversaries, especially when faced with the elite motorized corps. The French are broken through a combination of small offensives and a large overhead bomber campaign spearheaded by USAAF tactical bombers. With the fall of Evreux, Major General Marshall’s crack Motorized corps is able to march on Paris. At 4AM local time, elements of the 3rd Infantry division crossed the seine and secured the city of Paris. However, unlike during their liberation of the Midwest US (and even most of rural France), the Americans are no longer seen as liberators. Many Parisians are very unhappy with the fall of Paris, as this means the fall of their beloved commune. Factory workers and day laborers saw the commune as their state, a state which cared for them. Many of these workers actively resist the Americans advancing on their city. On the flip side, many intellectuals and members of the upper and middle classes cheer the American advance, although they are a very small portion of the population. Meanwhile, the 41st Infantry secured the airfields around Paris, capturing 44 French Breguet 693 close air support aircraft and their crews. With Paris now safely in Allied hands, American forces could push across France. With the Germans pushing westward and the Americans pushing eastward, the Commune of France’s time is running out.
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Sorry for being so late! Life has been crazy lately! Hoping things will start to calm down and I can get back into it!
With the Allied beachhead secured in Brittany, American forces began to race towards Paris. The French Government in exile begged the Americans to push for Paris, fearing that if the Germans captured the city before the Americans it would be ruined by the huns. Fortunately for the French, the communards had not planned for an American invasion, and MacArthur pushed on hard for Paris, recognizing the importance of the city and the relatively light resistance he faced in his path. Before Paris could be captured, the Americans needed to clear Normandy and the Loire, as leaving the flanks exposed could spell disaster for the American troops. Battles erupt in Caen and Poitiers, where the Communal Armies make desperate stands to push the Americans back into the sea. Reinforcements are rushed to Poitiers, while USAAF bombers cripple the Anglo-French defense of Caen. American commanders were fearful of pushing hard into Normandy, for fear that the bocage would slow down their advance and allow the French to reinforce. Thankfully, the French failed to garrison the Normandy region adequately, which meant American troops were mostly able to occupy these areas unopposed. The reinforcements to Poitiers were also successful, as the French assault was repulsed shortly after Caen fell. Major General Marshall’s 13th Motorized Corps was able to rush ahead of the other troops and secured the huge port of Cherbourg with no resistance, encircling a French mechanized cavalry division near Avranches.
As American troops began to assault La Rochelle, a group of Communal Partisans rose up in Brittany, almost severing american connections to their supply port of Brest, which was also where much of the USAAF was stationed. This shook US commanders, as they feared that a strong partisan presence may be able to overthrow the small USAAF garrison and perhaps knock out the small but highly experienced USAAF. 3 cavalry divisions are rushed to the area to quickly suppress the movement before it can grow out of hand. Meanwhile, 6 divisions in Normandy were working towards the destruction of the French cavalry division in Normandy, but the French used their mobility to evade destruction for a time. Just a few hours later, La Rochelle falls, a crushing defeat for the French forces there. However, the French rush in another division to garrison the city, temporarily prolonging the American advance on the port. Simultaneously, US forces engaged the Partisans in Brittany. US troops also scored another victory when they finally found the French 8th Cavalry division, surrounding and destroying them.
While American ground troops were seeing success all across France, the USAAF received their first challenge from the British Republican Air Force. 4 wings of Republican Hurricane fighters meet 4 wings of P-36G Hawks over Brittany. The British fighters had far superior maneuverability, but the Hawks could climb and dive faster and had superior firepower in their 2x.50 and 2x.30 armament versus the British 8x.303. Both sides return to base with bloodied noses, but the British lose 15 more fighters than the Americans, badly hurting a small British air force.
Shortly after, US forces begin to push the French in the middle of the front, committing 15 divisions to attack Tours and Le Mans. The French fight valiantly, but they are woefully unprepared to face up against the civil-war hardened US Army. Part of this was reflected in their equipment. American troops had learned the value of many of their weapons, namely the M1 Garand and BAR, as weapons which could suppress the enemy easily while using only one man to operate. This was compared to the French reliance on fixed machine guns, which often required teams of 2 or 3, while other soldiers were armed with the bolt action MAS-36. This firepower advantage meant that American squads were able to put out much more fire than their french counterparts, who were often caught flat-footed as they waited for platoon or sometimes even company level assets to be deployed. This advantage was most evident in the forms of casualties during battles, especially Le Mans and Tours; the US lost a combined 1700 men, while the French lost over 7500. MacArthur, seeing the French forces starting to melt away, begin to realize that the entire nation of France was starting to fall apart. Allied photo-reconnaissance aircraft had been carefully watching the developments on the French front with Germany. Since the Allied landings in Brittany, the Germans had begun their grand counter-attack, making large gains in the south and conquering the city within a few days. MacArthur knew that if he did not act quickly, the majority of France may fall under the control of the Kaiser, who would no doubt install a puppet French government, much to the frustration of the Bourbon-led French government in Exile. At the very least, MacArthur needed to secure the heart of France: Paris.
US Riflemen demonstrating their abilities with the M1 against communal forces, ca. Oct.1939
Conscious of the need to secure the Capital, MacArthur ordered his generals in the north to begin swinging towards the city of light. The first step is to take Evreux, the last city standing on the western side of the seine. Once again the French are greatly outclassed by their American adversaries, especially when faced with the elite motorized corps. The French are broken through a combination of small offensives and a large overhead bomber campaign spearheaded by USAAF tactical bombers. With the fall of Evreux, Major General Marshall’s crack Motorized corps is able to march on Paris. At 4AM local time, elements of the 3rd Infantry division crossed the seine and secured the city of Paris. However, unlike during their liberation of the Midwest US (and even most of rural France), the Americans are no longer seen as liberators. Many Parisians are very unhappy with the fall of Paris, as this means the fall of their beloved commune. Factory workers and day laborers saw the commune as their state, a state which cared for them. Many of these workers actively resist the Americans advancing on their city. On the flip side, many intellectuals and members of the upper and middle classes cheer the American advance, although they are a very small portion of the population. Meanwhile, the 41st Infantry secured the airfields around Paris, capturing 44 French Breguet 693 close air support aircraft and their crews. With Paris now safely in Allied hands, American forces could push across France. With the Germans pushing westward and the Americans pushing eastward, the Commune of France’s time is running out.
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Sorry for being so late! Life has been crazy lately! Hoping things will start to calm down and I can get back into it!
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Paris has been liberated! It is only a matter before the rest of France can experience FREEDOM! Long live 'murica!
Well, the time has come for France to make like Gondor and have a return of its King.
Sorry for letting this go for so long guys. I ended up getting an internship this summer that has completely drained me. However, its coming to a close soon and I am ready to start getting back into the AAR. It has also helped that Senpai Kaiser_Mobius has resumed my favorite AAR, the very one which inspired me to write this one. Expect to see some updates soon!
Thanks for those who have stuck around!
Thanks for those who have stuck around!
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