Errr... where do the French want to go through Italy to get to the Germans? Over the Alps? They do have a common border, don't they?
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stnylan: Yes, but they have been bullies themselves
rhynoclemmis: I guess the Alps, via Innsbruck, but also could be across Algeria, Libya, Egypt, Sudan and Kenya to get to German East Africa. God knows what the French have planned...
right guys on another note, this is nearing it's end, and though i intended to go on until 1936, nothing really happens after 1934, so that is when i will end the game. That means one more proper update, and then an epilogue.
last proper update on the way...
rhynoclemmis: I guess the Alps, via Innsbruck, but also could be across Algeria, Libya, Egypt, Sudan and Kenya to get to German East Africa. God knows what the French have planned...
right guys on another note, this is nearing it's end, and though i intended to go on until 1936, nothing really happens after 1934, so that is when i will end the game. That means one more proper update, and then an epilogue.
last proper update on the way...
The Rocky Road Northwards: Giornale Italie No.48 October 1932 - June 1934
Late in June, after a surprisingly short and un-bloody war, the Germans and French called for peace, and got it. The Germans wern't hanging around too long in the peace zone as, on November 26th, Germany declared war on China, invoking the wrath of the worlds bully, the British. The Third Coalition, now with China instead of Portugal or Belgium, was reformed.
The war, surprisingly, would not be fought in China, where the Germans and British both had colonies, but in Africa. The British and German colonial forces had a slogging match between them, which the Germans, their troops being of higher quality, were winning.
However, the Italians took little intrest. All their thought was placed on the revival of the economy, which was revised again in January 1933. With the economy getting stronger and stronger, the taxes were dropped for the lower classes again, to a mear 14% and Social reforms were fully funded. It was a high time for the Italian people. They might have not had military success, but their economy was stronger than ever.
The 1933 Tax Reforms
The economy was so strong that, even with the cuts in the economy, the navy was still being funded on a huge scale. Over the winter of 1932-1933, six new battleships were ordered, as well as a dreadnaught. It would hugely increase the power of the Italian fleet.
Construction of the Dreadnaught, Orlando, and the Battleships Diulio, Dandolo, Italia, Lepanto, Ruggiero di Lauria and Francesco Morosini
Even government subsidizes were going into railroad construction, even if it wasn't on the scale of that under the Fascist administration. The main effort for railroad was the 'construction of railroads, up to date, in areas that are of the Italian homeland'. The Trentino and Istria were targeted.
The industrial and economical success of the Liberal regieme was proved when new reports on the revolt risk of the empires people was filed in April, 1933. Most areas were now "in the green" with only a few 'un-italian' areas in the red.
However, there was one certain nation that resented Italy and her economical success. After being, in all respects, told to "shove off" by Orlando, the French could stand and watch Italy grow stronger any longer. On January 7th, only 1 year and 6 months after their last war with the Germans, the French Communist Government declared war on Italy.
However, the Liberals had been more cunning than the French had presumed. After they had refused French access to Italian lands, the Army had been deployed along a well prepared Alpine front, running from. This would prevent the French getting into Italy, and the Italians could wait and watch the French nation crumble under the demands of war.
Red Line = Alpine Defensive Line
Black Area = Undefendable Area
Within a 3 the months, the French had occupied most of the 'Undefendable Area' but had not the men or will to assault the Alpine Defensive Line. The Italians had pulled of a military feat. The French had believed they had nothing in front of them until Rome, but they had around 200,000 men standing in the Alpine passes stopping them. When they found this out, the French offensive ground to a halt.
However, the French nation was, as it had been since the end of the First World War, exhausted. The people were no longer in support of so many prolonged wars. The situation Italy was quite the opposite. The people were more than happy to let the war, which was having little effect of any ones lives, continue and for the Italian nation to gain some military success again. At the demands of a starving proletariate, the French government signed a white peace on June 7th, 1934.
It was a symbolic victory, that had been well-prepared, for the Liberals and for the Italians as a whole. During the entire war, the Italians had made no offensive operations higher than squad patrols, and in the peace had requested nothing but the removal of French troops from Italian lands. It was this, more then anything else, that brought home that Italy's age of expansion (1918-1931) were over. It was a time now that Democracy would reign and Italy would consolidate her position in the world. It was the dawn of a new era where a simple 'Rocky Road Northwards' would not suffice.
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Well, well. Great work. Those French, Germans and Brits are aggressive little creatures, aren't they?
Will you take this to HOI2? The current political situation is quite interesting, I think.
Will you take this to HOI2? The current political situation is quite interesting, I think.
The Rocky Road Northwards: Giornale Italie No.49 June 1934
Epilogoue
Since the end of the First World War, the earth has been raveged by several nations goals. The Nations of Italy, France, Germany and Britain all did their best to make life unbearable for mother nature and the population of the world. From 1918-1934, over 7 wars ripped mothers of a generation of young men. The full cost of this period is impossible to say, even to a vauge estimate. Those run from 10 million all the way up to 70 million lives lost during the 20's and 30's. However, the world still kept on going and many nations had learnt their lessons by 1934.
In Italy, Mussolini had been overthrown and replaced by a Liberal Government which changed Italy's policies from conquest to consolidation. In Russia, the Duma had taken control over the nations affairs after the Russo-German war, which ended in a bitter peace. The USA had secluded itself from the rest of the world, a wise choice on her part.
Some nations, though, would not progress in the same manner. France, the first and only communist state, had believed that all mistakes could be rectified with the sword, but this form of 'War Communism' was given a punch on the nose when they attempted to invade Italy, their nation almost falling apart before they made peace. Germany still strived for a greater place in the sun, but this only brought it into conflict with Britain, which quickly taught the aged Ottoman Empire that supporting Germany was a bad choice when they overran the country. Then there was Britain. She was the bully of the world, and had only been beaten in a war once, by Italy in 1923. Any small nation depended on Britain to come and defeat any potential agressor, which in 2 out of 3 cases had been France.
This crisscross of wars and cunning diplomacy left the world looking in a mess by 1934. Western Europe had escaped most of the carnage, but both Italy and Britain had taken chunks out of the French nation. Italy had also invaded and subdued the ancient nation of Spain. Apart from that, little had changed.
Eastern Europe had suffered little from the 1918-1934 period, but was one of the most changed areas from 1914. With the breakup of the Austro-Hungarian Empire after Italian success during World War 1, several new nations were created. Austria was reduced to all but nothing. Italy was the key player in the region, having taking much land off the Austrians, and also having invaded and annexed Albania, Greece and Japanese Bulgaria.
Scandanavia had been at total peace during the period, and had retained the same pre-1914 borders. However, many people in Sweden were calling out for the Tsar of Russia to release the Finnish people from Imperial oppression.
North Africa had seen much change since 1914. The first change came in 1923, when Italy defeated Britain, taking Egypt, the Sudan and Kenya of the old Empire. Other changed came when France invaded Belgium, inviting the Belgians and the British to invade Africa, which they did, winning the war and taking vast swathes of land. Another war between France and Britain, including Portugal, also took more land of the decayed French Empire. Now the fate of the continent was being decided between the Germans and the British, in a war which the German were clearly winning.
The situation in South Africa had remained the same since 1914 until 1934. When the war between Britain and Germany erupted, the South Africans entered with high hopes of annexing Namibia to their realms. However, German forces had marched through Rhodesia and attacked South Africa from the north, some which had been unexpected. It seemed that South Africa would become another German colony.
The Middle East had changed quickly after WW1. The British, Russian and Italian victory over the Ottoman Empire had finally cracked the headstone of the old Sultanate, causing a huge power vaccum which the British and Italian quickly jumped into. The Italians had taken control of Oman, Persia and Southern Iraq by 1923, and when Germany declered war on China, the Ottomans joined in. In response, the British and Anzac forces overran the country, leaving little Ottoman land left.
During the 1920's internal disputes between the Chinese Republic and the warlords had caused most of these warlords to declare independence. The Republic could do nothing to stop them. China lost most of its land, and much of it's army, leaving it open to attack from the West, or from the rising nation of Japan. However, it took until 1934 for anyone to react to China's desperate situation. Germany declered war on China, and Britain stood in for China. This intervention meant that China would not be the principle battle ground, making it sink into the back drop again.
By June 1934, and even before that, it was clear who lead the world. The USA was by far the most powerful nation on earth, with an industry stronger than any one elses, and manpower that could create vast armies in a short ammount of time. However, she had secluded from the world, meaning Germany was the nation that really lead the world. Her army was the largest in the world, and her navy was close to that of the British. The British had been in decline for a long time, and the loss of Egypt to the Italians did not help. Their position would be decided by victory or defeat in the Anglo-German War.
Lagging behind of these were the three second rate powers. The Japanese had a formidibale navy, but after their were kicked out of Europe by the Italians, their actual standing in the world meant little unless they were to invade China. The French power was dwindiling. After 3 defeats (2 from Britain and 1 from Italy) their army was crushed, their industry in ruins, and their people exhausted beyond that of any other nation. It would only take 1 more war and France would crumble into the dust. Then came Italy. She had proved herself to be a nation of competent Generals and brave soldiers, conquering the most ammount of territory out of all the nations of the world between 1918-1934. However, her economy had been left in tatters by Mussolini's fascist administration, and it was not until he was murdered and replaced with a Liberal democracy that Italy began to recuperate fully. It would take a much longer than 4 year (that Mussolini had planned in the 4-year-plan) to restructure the nation to become a leading power, and Vittorio Orlando knew this, and acted in the right manner. Italy would need more work, it would just take time...
The End
Very nice work, Rob! Sorry I fell away a bit at the end, but reading through the later chapters today has been an enjoyable journey!
The face of the world has certainly diverged a little from reality, and it's been entertaining stuff throughout.
Now do I sense an HOI2 conversion? You've certainly set up a sufficiently interesting situation to warrant it...
The face of the world has certainly diverged a little from reality, and it's been entertaining stuff throughout.
Now do I sense an HOI2 conversion? You've certainly set up a sufficiently interesting situation to warrant it...
Firstly, i would like to say that this was a pleasure to write and i hope you all enjoyed reading it as i did writing it. It is good that i have actually finished an AAR, but it is sad to be leaving this behind. I have got a few more AARs ready in the side lines. Right now i have my other AAR, 'I'm sorry but your'e not the only one...' running, but that won't be updated for 2 weeks. After my exams, i am going to do a swiss AAR that will follow a history book about building a welfare state, as an education not only for readers, but also for myself. That is so i can veer away from WW1 for a while before an Ottoman WW1 AAR which is coming sometime in late summer/autumn.
As for converting to HoI2, i will not do a sequal of this, as much as i would like to, i have no idea how to mod HoI2 save games and thus can rectify any stupid things that the computer converts (such as me owning none of Anatolia, which i quite blatantly do int this
). However, if any other budding WritAARs, who have the expertise to mod the converted file, i will be more than happy to send it to you so the story can continue.
Thank you everyone so much!
Rob
As for converting to HoI2, i will not do a sequal of this, as much as i would like to, i have no idea how to mod HoI2 save games and thus can rectify any stupid things that the computer converts (such as me owning none of Anatolia, which i quite blatantly do int this
). However, if any other budding WritAARs, who have the expertise to mod the converted file, i will be more than happy to send it to you so the story can continue. Thank you everyone so much!
Rob
I wrote few times on this thread, but I have been reading this AAR since beginning. Very good writing and achievements. Congrats, robou!
A good AAR, it has been a pleasure to read. A few surprising moments here and there - but also nothing too out of the ordinary that would break the spell of false-history. Well done.
I think every one should stand solemn for awhile. This marks the end of a great AAR.
Bad Santa said:NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
ok, i won't do a sequal of this
YET
perhaps when i have all my other planned AARs done, i will come back to this
Just hope for the best! Or perhaps you are the budding WritAAR Rob
Excellent, excellent job. This was a great AAR, I would always look forward to reading it.
I always loved reading everyone comments as well, you were a brilliant bunch of guys to have as readers! *Applause*
Oh! What is this from page 8? I will hold you to that Cyrus!
Cyrus_The_Great said:
Oh! What is this from page 8?
I will hold you to that Cyrus! 
Awww, poor Italy, thefted of its laurels of victor by stupid fascists! o
Oh well, great AAR! Even if borders look funny at the end.
o Oh well, great AAR! Even if borders look funny at the end.