The Game is Set
It is with only moderate regret that I decide to cancel my serials of TAC and INT. They're just too IC-heavy for what I
have to do. I can't keep building INFs and more MILs while reinforcing my drained units and upgrading while also building up my airforce. So I'll jjust have to make do with what I have, and what the rest of the Allies see fit to base in France. Hopefully the Luftwaffe gets bogged down by Britain.
Resource/Industry/Production overview for April
Checking the force comparisons, I'm a bit worried by the Allies' paucity of ground and air forces. As it stands, the United Kingdom just has three squadrons more than I do, and their ground forces are now less than half of mine all across the board. Keep up, limeys!
Now, given that it's just partway through '37 I suppose I can forgive them, but my confidence in survival is not increasing with each passing month. Us frogs will just hunker tight behind our borders for the rest of 1937 and most of 1938.
On June 7, the Japos go with 'Teach the Chinese a Lesson' in the Marco Polo Bridge Incident. Looks like we're in for a hard east-asian slugfest. We'll see if the Japanese can make good on their threats—and if they look toward French Indochina. Hopefully we won't give them that chance! As June turns to July, the only things of note are the continual back-and-forth in Iberia and the slowly-encroaching Japanese advance.
The rest of '37 is spent sloooooowly upgrading. I've only got ~10 IC to spare at any one time, and over 150 IC's worth of upgrades to perform. Some people like to hold off on upgrading for as long as possible, but I need all my rifles spotless and all my men spic-n-span if I want to hold back the Hun.
In September I have an accidental blueprint discovery; Advanced Machine Tools! Woo-hoo! That should make tooling up for war a bit easier when I get around to researching it. October rolls through, with most being quiet. Japan has longsince stalled in Sinkiang, unable to capitalize on a scant few landings in Eastern China, while Franco has reversed his fortunes considerably in Spain.
Looks like my prediction is going to come true...although Franco was in a similar position himself last update, so who knows? I may make it a point to bring the Republicans on-side should they win, or should they still be fighting after the fall of Germany (assuming
I am still fighting after the fall of Germany).
On November 25th, I get an Economic Policy Initiative. My options are rather harsh...I can either force it through, which gives me one move toward Central Planning and one move towards Closed Society (neither of which appeal to me too much) and 5 dissent; strike a bargain with the Ultrarightists for more slider moves in the same vein, including one toward Authoritarian, but a whopping 10 dissent; strike a bargain with the Socialists to move one to Central Planning and one to Political Left, or just back down. I vassilate between the last two options, eventually choosing to back down, as on balance the CP/FM slider is benefiting me where it is.
At the end of March, 1938, Hitler decides to revisit his birth country...and brings along a few thousand SS and Wehrmacht troops to back him up. Luckily (for him!), the Austrians are amenable to his proposal of Anschluss, so the troops really just get a nice Alpine vacation. And I get a sweet, sweet gearing bonus that knocks up my peacetime IC by another 10%. Almost there!
Apparently HOI has a different definition of “tolerate” than the rest of the Universe, because the International Community did diddly squat
Doesn't Germany look hungry? It's got a gaping mouth around Czechoslovakia, ready to gobble that small country up like a Bratwurst. We'll see if the Czechs allow themselves to get nibbled and bitten off. Also at the end of March, Franco stops playing around, and my theory gets yet another anecdote. The Fascists declare victory in the Spanish Civil War. Let's just hope Franco remains Axis-friendly, instead of Axis.
By the middle of May, I'm feeling antsy, looking at my two lonely serials of troops. With manpower nearing 600 and IC's to spare from the gearing bonus, I start up an extra INF and MIL serial apiece...knowing this will leave me with extra MILs, which I can hopefully use as Panzerfodder to stop Germany in its tracks.
In June I had another election. This time, Left and Right both had a Left-moving slider, since apparently I'd nudged a little TOO far to the right. I chose Elect Right anyway, on a whim, kicking myself yet again for the lack of minister changes. Standing Army's roughly evenly-matched. 1938 keeps clipping by, and I build up my Panzerfodder. I've got over 100 total divisions by August; I don't know if that's going to be enough, so I don't intend to halt my serials.
On September 30th, we all gather together in Munich to settle the Czech Question. Hitler promises that if we'll just be nice and let him have the fortified Sudetenland, he'll be a good little boy and never ask for anything again. Not even for Christmas! Well, that just sounds dandy. Especially because it gives me another (my last?) gearing bonus! Now my IC's will be on-par.
Which of course means that Germany only has 130 more IC's than me. Which is more IC's than I even HAVE.
And my spies tell me the Gerries have less than 100 land divisions, and rough parity in air divisions with me. Which means that I'll be royally screwed by July 1940. In February, I finally decide to do some tinkering with my ministers, and switch my Chief of Staff from Gamelin's useless Fire Support to John. Q. Frenchman, advocate of the People's War. An increase of 25% in manpower growth and a reduction in Infantry construction is EXACTLY what I need at this point.
Twiddling my thumbs until March 15th, when Germany finally takes its bite out of Czechia.
That brings us up to nearly the outbreak of war. I'm going to continue to build up my forces, and hope and pray that what I've read is right, and that having stacks of mixed MIL and INF are more effective than fewer stacks of pure INF.
Till next time, as always questions, comments, and criticisms welcome.
