So- what's Syndicalism all about?

[Mr. Domino]

I don't think that Syndies are meant as ''bad boys'', in fact it's very hard to say who really is the bad boy in Kaiserreich scenario. Germany is not some demonic Evil, it's just victor from WW1 that tries to protect it's imperial possessions. Entente is too weak to be real good guy that saves the day and must rely on occassional big partners, and Syndies are more like what Socialism should be if hardliners wouldn't take over.

I think one of the greatest strengths of Kaisserreich is there are no "bad guys" or "good guys" at game start. But by 1940 when the countries have gelled...

It is quite plausible to argue a Annie Kenney or federalist dominated UoB and an anarchist CoF are pretty free and possibly peaceful. UoB actually can have "better" sliders in terms of open society democracy and dove lobby then either Canada or Germany (depending on how their events work out.) CSA can easily be full open society land of racial equality fighting national populist American Union state and a MacArthur Junta that illegally suspended elections, or possibly even unconstitutionally couped legitimately elected President Reed!

Of course its also possible to have a Mosley dominated UoB, a extremely closed CoF, and radical authoritarian CSA that destroys anarchists arraigned against an fairly open Germany, a democratic Menshevik Russia and a legitimately elected Republican US government that does not intern dissidents.

 

[unmerged(174159)]

Gotta love event chains.

Re: Syndicalism, see my AARs <.< I totally coined the American version!

http://forum.paradoxplaza.com/forum/showthread.php?t=464250

 

[Vidboy10]

I was always currious what Totalist was...
Is it like, Facism?

 

[^_AC_^]

It's a hard-left Authoritarian ideology that advocates a better control of the state over the economy and the internal affairs of a country: Totalism or Totalitarian Socialism on Kaiserpedia

 

[unmerged(169228)]

I was always currious what Totalist was...
Is it like, Facism?

Totalism is an unholy mix between Bolshevism and Facism. Central tenets are government control over society and a desire to spread their ideology with force if need be. It is the evil version of syndicalism, which isn't nessecarily totalitarian.

 

[^_AC_^]

Nice description. I'll add part of it to Kaiserpedia.

 

[Vidboy10]

Totalism is an unholy mix between Bolshevism and Facism. Central tenets are government control over society and a desire to spread their ideology with force if need be. It is the evil version of syndicalism, which isn't nessecarily totalitarian.

So...
It's like EXTREME version of Facism?

 

[SovietAmerika]

About the bad guy vs good guy debacle, I never look at the Kaiserreich story in such a way. In all honesty, I only see it as group A as a rival against group B and C that wants to be the dominant one in power. Because of this, I always find making a "Group D" extremely fun just to stick it to the Syndies, Entente, and Mittleeuropans.

 

[Järnblomma]

About the bad guy vs good guy debacle, I never look at the Kaiserreich story in such a way. In all honesty, I only see it as group A as a rival against group B and C that wants to be the dominant one in power. Because of this, I always find making a "Group D" extremely fun just to stick it to the Syndies, Entente, and Mittleeuropans.

Oh yeah! I always feel the catholics are a rather nice group D. Always fun snatching France and from germany and attacking the Kaiserreichs soft underbelly. =)

 

[SovietAmerika]

Oh yeah! I always feel the catholics are a rather nice group D. Always fun snatching France and from germany and attacking the Kaiserreichs soft underbelly. =)

Playing as the AUS or the Shanqing is also fun for alternate alliance making, I have an idea for that if I have the gumption to start as a tiny Chinese faction.

 

[Järnblomma]

Playing as the AUS or the Shanqing is also fun for alternate alliance making, I have an idea for that if I have the gumption to start as a tiny Chinese faction.

The Union State? Where do they ally? I did not get any alliance thingies when i played as them.

 

[SovietAmerika]

The Union State? Where do they ally? I did not get any alliance thingies when i played as them.

They have a chance of allying Russia if they have similar ideologies, just have to click "Offer Alliance" under a country's diplomacy menu and hope they accept.

 

[^_AC_^]

So...
It's like EXTREME version of Facism?

No, it's like EXTREME version of Syndicalism. Syndicalism is more democratic, the power is usually in the hands of Trade Unions. Totalism/Totalitarian Socialism, while maintaining Trade Unions and a Syndicalist structure, is a more centralized Ideology where the state has more power than the trade unions. Totalism also has a greater focus on military and a more militaristic approach.

 

[unmerged(169228)]

About the bad guy vs good guy debacle, I never look at the Kaiserreich story in such a way. In all honesty, I only see it as group A as a rival against group B and C that wants to be the dominant one in power. Because of this, I always find making a "Group D" extremely fun just to stick it to the Syndies, Entente, and Mittleeuropans.

Thats basically the central idea behind Kaiserreich: the world is grey, not black and white. In fact, neither one of the mayor alliances is totally democratic or totally opressive at the start of the game. There are very few obvious good-guys and bad guys in the world (Wrangel being a notable exception).

 

[LordInsane]

Entente is too weak to be real good guy that saves the day and must rely on occassional big partners, and Syndies are more like what Socialism should be if hardliners wouldn't take over.

There is also the fact that both sides includes better elements and worse elements; the Syndicalists have the UoB, who are one step from being a Social Democracy, and the Commune of France, who are one step from being Totalist, while the Entente has Canada, who admittedly is Social Conservative with a margin (a sign in the Entente's favour) and National France, who is one step from National Populist.
So one could say that, in 1936, there are good guys and bad guys amongst at least two of the alliances, but as they are spread out between both the Syndics and the Entente, neither of the alliances are good or bad.

Von Sternberg is always a bad guy, of course, even if he is isolationist. There's a reason why he's called the Mad Baron, after all...

 

[Strategos' Risk]

Other than in-game flavor and the desire to create a very different world from OTL, why doesn't ideologies such as fascism or technocracy get any foothold in Kaiserreich?

 

[Järnblomma]

Other than in-game flavor and the desire to create a very different world from OTL, why doesn't ideologies such as fascism or technocracy get any foothold in Kaiserreich?

I believe Royalism simply overtakes fascism. Those who might have liked a fascism have a king as authorative figure rather than fascist leader.

 

[unmerged(169228)]

Other than in-game flavor and the desire to create a very different world from OTL, why doesn't ideologies such as fascism or technocracy get any foothold in Kaiserreich?

Fascism was founded after the First World war as a reaction to Italy being 'cheated' out of Istria by Benito Mussolini. Other strongmen trying to create order in the chaos (Franco, Salazar, Dolfuss) that followed WW1 took inspiration from his ideas. In Kaiserreich Mussolini remained a Socialist agitator, and joined the Socialist Italian State. There is no fascism because even its founder isn't fascist . Some persons and states adhere to an ideology close to fascism though. Depending on your choices the Wrangel regime in Russia or the American Union State can become Fascist-like states. In other states other forms of authoritarian government have develloped that keep the extreme parties from power.

Technocracy doesn't exist because there hasn't been a technocratic state in the world as of now.

 

[Viden]

Von Sternberg is always a bad guy, of course, even if he is isolationist. There's a reason why he's called the Mad Baron, after all...

You should read "The Bloody White Baron" of James Palmer if you don't. Sternberg is THE bad guy of KR.

In fact, is easy to see six alliances in KR: Syndies, Entente, Mitteleuropa, Catholic Bloc, Fascist Axis (AUS, Wrangel's Russia, jingoistic Japan...) and Theocratic East (Mongolia, Tibet, Shangqing...). It only needs some additional modding.

 

[unmerged(169228)]

Yet even then are Wrangel and the Japanese generals just as likely to tear eachother apart as to cooperate to tear the Germans and Chinese apart. And the catholic nations can all join either Mitteleuropa or the Entente.

Furthermore, based on how you interpret him Long can be a visionary saving the US from factionism, making each man a king, or he can be a Southern demagogue creating a dictatorial CSA wannabe. The same thing can be said of Reed.

Sternberg is truly the only undisputed evil in Kaiserreich. No amount of interpretation can save that madman .