The Second Empire
Hey, guys, decided I'd do one of these! I'll try to put as much work as I can into it and keep it as real as possible. I started out as Republican Spain and was able to beat back the Nationalists in 1939 without any foreign help. For the purpose of the story, assume Nationalist and Republican Spain were divided by 1936 but hostilities were opened on September the 1st of 1938 by Republican armies. I was able to use terrain to defend key positions with minimal forces and use the bulk of my forces to attack enemy plains and used pincer moves many times to achieve victory. I focused my two tactical bombers on the logistics bombing of the northern front, where I was heavily outnumbered in the beginning and Madrid was in danger of falling. The lack of supplies prevented the Nationalists from striking deeper into Spain, and allowed me to focus my efforts elsewhere while I consolidated my fronts.
For the moment, I do not have screenshots from the beginning as this is mid-AAR but I will provide backstories and whatnot. We will follow the story of Lopez, a diehard reformer turned delusional tyrant. Our story will begin with Spain at its breaking point and end with the second generation of Conquistadors. So we begin...
Difficulty: Normal
Date: September 1, 1938
Nation: Republican Spain:
Leader: Juan Negro Lopez
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Chapter One
September the 5th, 1938
Four Days after Declaration of War by Republican Spain
"Sir," the Defense Minister, Lopez's right-hand man, saluted his Prime Minister.
"You may sit down, Julian," Lopez replied with his back facing the Minister. He was watching the rain fall on the streets of Madrid from his glass window-wall. He waited a few awkward seconds before turning to ___. He reached under his desk, pulling out a bottle of vodka and quickly drinking a shot. "Begin, please."
Julian Mendieta cleared his throat. "The Generals report success on the Eastern front. Cambrills, Morella, Muniesa, all of these towns fell rather quickly. In the West, Guadix raises the Nationalist flag while another mountain town adjacent to it, Alcala la Real, has turned over to us. The southwestern Generals will begin a push towards Seville. The bombers are destroying roads and communications networks north above the Madrid Buffer Zone. However, several Northern towns were the victims of vicious Nationalist counterattacks. Avila, Segovia, Matabuena, the Nationalists are determined to overrun us. We may be forced to temporarily relocate to Barcelona."
Lopez raised his hand. "No...no. Our lives are worth little. We serve the people. The people stay in Madrid, so do we. We will fight to the last man. For our liberty, Mendieta! The Nationalist armies will be defeated. On Christmas day our country will once again be whole. No longer will Spain be a minor world power. Tell the bombers to intensify their efforts, I want hell raining from the sky!" There was a brief pause.
"Julian, what are we doing? Brother on brother...the other day, one of my personal guard begged me to launch an attack into Burgos. His wife went to see her parents before the Nationalists brought the Wall down and he is afraid for her. How many fathers are useful to us in the armed forces? How many inexperienced sons can an officer handle? We face tough times. The economy sustains itself through the war that destroys it. No foreign help has come as of yet, and I am skeptic of the future. We are left to shed our own brothers' blood.
"And yet, I have never been so invigorated to fight for our weary country. We will bring the revolution by the sword if need it be. Outnumbered, but not outmatched, and certainly not outsmarted! Bahamonde and his cronies be damned!" Lopez banged the desk with his fist.
He took out a map.
"Order our ships to blockade the Nationalists through the Strait of Gibraltar. The African colonies must not be allowed to communicate or aid the mainland. Watch for British vessels, however; Gibraltar is a major shipping port for their forces in the area. Feel free to use English merchant ships as screens for our forces."
He pointed to some other things.
"Let us divide the war into 6 sub-fronts. The highlighted region must not be allowed to fall. Under any circumstances. Madrid is the heart that keeps Spain from falling apart. Expand the buffer zone a minimum of two provinces in each direction. The squares on units mean defense, and should typically be in mountainous areas we can easily defend. This map does not account for the recent defeats you have reported to me, and any area we lost must be immediately regained as a priority. If we are outnumbered, take up defensive positions."
Lopez put the map back under the table. "Set our factories to the following specifications."
"Improve relations with the Axis. We will need their help in maintaining our independence after the war."
Mendieta nodded, absorbing the information. "I will not fail you, sir. The Republic will prevail."
"Yes it will," replied Lopez.
