Looking at the Netherlands, it seems that a course of Neutrality is their best bet. Trade rares to Japan and Germany, knowing the allies can't or won't do anything about it without declaring war on you. A similar strategy would work for Germany - conquering Holland won't accomplish much, but trading with them is very profitable.
The Dutch East Indies have about 75 rares, out of about 1000 - there are 125 more in Malaysia. Very little oil, though.
I'm wondering if there is anything the UK or US can do about this? You'd think that if Neutral Holland were trading vital war materials to Germany and Japan, extracted from Indonesia, the allies would try to disrupt this trade - or at least block the convoys from Indonesia to the Netherlands. And given that the Netherlands has a land connection to Germany, I doubt you'd see a drop in effeciency the way you would see for a Netherlands East Indies -> Japan trade running past a US Phillipines.
The other problem is Venezuela, with 120 oil (out of about 1000, half of which is in the US), trading with Germany and Japan. Is there any way to block that? Or a CB for trading with the enemy? Or a cease trading dimplomatic demand? Some sort of "Blockade country x" would also simulate the German interdiction of US supplies to the allies, as well a potential US interdiction of the Venezuela Oil trade or the Dutch Rares trade.
I'm assuming this has been taken care of in the game. But I'd like some confirmation of that.
And before you say "that would never happen IRL, the Allies didn't declare war on x" remember that
a) an Axis Spain would cost the English Gibralter. As would an Allied Spain, which would be rapidly conquered by Germany.
b) Sweden was unreachable after the fall of Norway
c) Turkey had too big an army
By contrast, shutting down trade between the NEI and Europe would be just as easy for the English as using the Phillipines to shut down trade any NEI Japan trade. Similar argument for the US blockading Venezuela. And, in game, it would cripple German industry - 1 rare feeds 2 ICs after all, and there aren't all that many rares in Europe.
I hope I'm worrying about nothing.
The Dutch East Indies have about 75 rares, out of about 1000 - there are 125 more in Malaysia. Very little oil, though.
I'm wondering if there is anything the UK or US can do about this? You'd think that if Neutral Holland were trading vital war materials to Germany and Japan, extracted from Indonesia, the allies would try to disrupt this trade - or at least block the convoys from Indonesia to the Netherlands. And given that the Netherlands has a land connection to Germany, I doubt you'd see a drop in effeciency the way you would see for a Netherlands East Indies -> Japan trade running past a US Phillipines.
The other problem is Venezuela, with 120 oil (out of about 1000, half of which is in the US), trading with Germany and Japan. Is there any way to block that? Or a CB for trading with the enemy? Or a cease trading dimplomatic demand? Some sort of "Blockade country x" would also simulate the German interdiction of US supplies to the allies, as well a potential US interdiction of the Venezuela Oil trade or the Dutch Rares trade.
I'm assuming this has been taken care of in the game. But I'd like some confirmation of that.
And before you say "that would never happen IRL, the Allies didn't declare war on x" remember that
a) an Axis Spain would cost the English Gibralter. As would an Allied Spain, which would be rapidly conquered by Germany.
b) Sweden was unreachable after the fall of Norway
c) Turkey had too big an army
By contrast, shutting down trade between the NEI and Europe would be just as easy for the English as using the Phillipines to shut down trade any NEI Japan trade. Similar argument for the US blockading Venezuela. And, in game, it would cripple German industry - 1 rare feeds 2 ICs after all, and there aren't all that many rares in Europe.
I hope I'm worrying about nothing.
