Would people be interested in a 2 front 1933 very hard Germany at war with the USSR and France at the same time in 1939? :D

[Achul]

So yah.

Been playing this game for a lot of years now. Feeling like I've almost beaten the game now.
I managed to beat 1914 Russia on VH which I had struggled with for 5 years and Japan vs Allies and USSR at the same time on VH. Used to have a 1945 Endsieg here on an alt-account too somewhere.

All that remains is this I'm probably getting stomped into the ground but it will hopefully be a fun stomping to come along and wa...eh not that you're into that kind of thing I'm sure. You wouldn't want to see a poor ol WW1 Veteran whose already failed at his dream of becoming an artist fail at his dream of making Germany great again.

So let's hope for the best!

This is gonna be a bit of a memie AAR. I do love roleplaying but this is beyond roleplaying. Everything except gaming the actual code is allowed (like droppng resources to 0 to use up money for decisions or constantly reloading to stop attacks)).


So without further adooooo I bring you:


Secret Dossier: Make Germany Great Again.
Attempt 2: Do not fight a two front war again as in 1914.

1933 - The Year that Democracy took its last breath.
The Weimarflag was forbidden and the enabling act passed.

Finally our turn has come again.

Germany, seemingly forever doomed for a war it did not start now suffers failure at every front. Our diplomats are weakwilled, our industry in decades behind and our army cursed.
Even the gods seem to be against us. Our enemies think of us as broken but this cabal gathered here knows that our difficulties have only made our resolve stronger.

A plan has been drawn up.
Hidden caches of weapons exist all over Germany, ancient stock but kept in pristine condition.
Allies hold their breath in Czechoslovakia, Dresden, Austria, Saarland and elsewhere, waiting for the time to strike.
Italy hasn't been given what was promised them. Hungary is looking for revenge.The potential is there and conflict is once again brewing.

The Western Capitalists, too invested in the peace time economy and the western people weary of a new war will be squezed and then crushed.

It is the East that we fear.
Our industry will never be able to compete, we lack resources and we lack manpower. Each year that passes once our hand is shown will be one more year that the Red horde grows stronger and more determined. A war must be provoked. A war where we, this time, are the victims. The Soviet Union must be seen as the enemy of Europe and Germany as its final and only defender.


Hail victory!



______________

Formal settings:
Very Hard
Furious Aggressiveness
No Tech-team takever
No Dem War
No full IC takeover.

What will follow are some screenshots of events that have passed so far.


In general what has happened is that an aggressive trade policy has netted Germany a huge economic boon enabling it to boost its research considerably ahead of the world.
Large oil stocks have been procured from SA and Iran.

Much of everything else has been standard.
Germany has since day1 in 1933 shared its tech with neutral and axis nations in exchange for supplies and money while actively sabotaging industry and science in the west and east.
Victory was easily achieved in Spain. The Wehrmacht was reformed from the previously mentioned stocks as late as possible to save on supplies. Annexations of Austria and Czechoslovakia were also somewhat held back to hold off "Gearing up for War" events, same with the occupation of the Rheinland.

Slowly but steadily Germany has conscripted its population while dealing with dissent, trading one positive event for one conscription decision every year or so.


The year is 1939, Winter. The USSR is about to invade. Here are some events leading up to it:

Polish battle of the borders about to begin in August 1939:

Realised about the same time that I didn't have the tech for my Paratroopers to actually do some paradropping.

"I'm so pro the game can't keep up with my brilliance".

August 16:th there's one less country in Europe. Poland? More like Poor-land.


Ok Ok but I already did the facepalm meme .
Here's a screenie instead!

Some minor encirclements in France. Brussles was captured using Paratroopers, Holland declared war against Germany feeling really brave and destroyed one Garrison at Willhelmshaven but is now regretting playing with the big boys. Plans are made for a Para-assult against Paris.

Production atm:
There are some tanks at the bottom as well being made.

 

[Achul]

Stage 2 of Attempt 2.
The plan to take over the world.

SECRET: AUTHORIZED PERSONEL ONLY

So gentlemen.
You might be wondering what the OKW plan is!
Well. We've thought of it all. And nothing will work.

Except the completely unexpected.

Everyone expects us to start a war with the Soviet Union in 1941-42.
Everyone expects us to lose that war by 1944-46.

Everyone is planning for this.

So what will we do?

We will make attacking us absolutely necessary and diplomatically inescapable to the Soviet Union by late 1939 or early 1940 at the latest.

Yes GÖRING?!

- Eh... But like, the reason why everyone expects us to do these things is because we at 1939 will have a deficit of 3 or 4-1 in divisions vs the USSR and France combined, a two front war and absolutely no chance to even progress one inch into Soviet Territory? Not even my splendid Air Force could hope to sway that!



Ah but you see, there lay the brilliance.
We will be the victim! The Soviet Union will be forced to act with us completely denying them any space to act and declining all pacts with them. They will heed their old pact with the French and attack. At the same time our diplomats will have led the on that we will sign the pact of Mutual Assistance with them for as long as possible, forcing their hand in attacking Finland.

When it becomes painfully clear that we will not give them any territories in the east they will assult us as well. Our attack against Poland will thus be seen by the rest of Europe as a pre-emptive attack to shield Europe from the Soviets.
Hungary, Romania, Bulgaria and Italy will join in quick succession with the Finns being engaged as well.

The Soviet Union, nearly as unprepared as us, suffering internal dissent, lacking forward bases and being years behind in research will thus face all our allies, years ahead of its plans. At the same time, the land in the east that we've captured from Poland will give us enough time to crush the French and then turn against the Soviet Union.

Our experienced veteran troops will sweep the Soviet spearhead where it is the weakest, cut it off and destroy a third of their army.

The rest of it will stumble and fall as the imbalanced, whithering paper tiger it is.

____________________



So to accomplish this without too much gaming we need to succeed in triggering the diplomatic offensive.

This is quite difficult as Italy needs to be allied with us and we need to hold Paris before the Soviets attack.
The Soviets will tend to attack before 1940. In a few attempts earlier they've attacked at about Nov-Dec.
We will thus need to paradrop into Paris.

At the same time Germany has influenced Hungary and will gain them the moment the Soviets attack through normal diplomatic means.


November 2:nd Current situation:

War with the USSR imminent.

PS: Some interesting stuff happened. The Canadians and South Africans did a couple of amphibious invasions of Belgium that caught me off guard. Italy has just joined as you can see. Finland is at war with the Soviet Union and I'll post some screens of that when the USSR vs Germany war starts.

France also counterattacked twice in from the Maginot line and crushed Freiburg at least once, almost running over other provinces as well though it's now retaken.

 

[Achul]

Successes and Failures.
Report of the German Army actions November 1939 - December 1939


Northern Sector (Benelux, Baltic Sea and Finland) :

Finland:
German Advisors have with Finnish permission secretly taken command of the Finnish army that is in a state of disarray and panic.
The Finnish mobilization was delayed and didn't occur until 10 days after the war. Once it was called in it was only partial and there was not enough men to fill all the divisions, leaving several of them dangerously depleted of manpower.
A second wave of mobilization was then called when the realization came that the first one wasn't enough but it has resulted only in a trickle of forces reaching the front.

The Finns have succeeded in destroying a few divisions in the north though as attacks on all fronts caused the even more unprepared Soviet attackers to retreat into a trap.

Benelux:
Holland has now capitulated completely. We've sadly failed to secure any of the major Dutch ships that all escaped to neutral ports. A small batch of transport ships has been secured though. All divisions redeployed to the Western (French) front.

In midst of subsequent French collapse Canada and South Africa AGAIN land in Belgium crushing the defenders in Burges.
1 Panzer Division and several infantry corps are then relocated from France to Belgium to deal with the threat.


Baltic Sea:
Entire German navy sails under the cover of darkness towards Northern Finland to besiege Murmansk with bombardment.

And in this reality we actually have thick coats and boots

_______


Western front (France):

The French army is dealt a stratic blow in Paris as paratroopers finally land and surround major French forces while cutting off others that are retreating.
With this attack the entire Eastern part of France lay open.
Still this attack on Paris is later than expected. Our diplomats are unable to explain the delay to our parrtners satisfaction and our diplomatic offensive fails as the Soviet Union attacks before it has finished. (It is in gameplay terms impossible to click on as it requires Peace with USSR while holding Paris - Thank god I influenced at least Hungary to like 170...Romania and Bulgaria are only at 60:ish though )

France is reformed in the south as a national rump state under Petain on December the 8th of 1939 while we place the northern parts under direct military administration promising to withdraw once hostilities end.

______


Eastern front:

The USSR attacks on November the 10th. The Soviets quickly overrun the Polish countryside that is left undefended by us. Its spearhead concentrates on Lwow and Cracow and displaces our recently redeployed Panzers there. This spearhead is destroyed by German and Slovak counterattacks from the south several days later.

Hungary joins the Axis powers at the end of November. Romani and Bulgaria refuse to do so.

Russian spearheads now stand close to the old Polish - German border at places and have reached Köningsberg in the North. They have also punished the overextended Finns and are cutting into central Finland.

56 German divisions await orders in France.

_____


Africa and the world:


Italy victorious in Alexandria but failing in Ethiopia. We expect the regent of Italian East Africa to surrender his forces soon.

Japan is succeeding in China. We await an update from the ambassador in January.







_________________________________

(overheard during the Lunch break):

GÖÖÖÖRIIIIIIIIIIIIIING!

-Yes mein Fúhrer.

Do you mind explaining toe everyone in the room why there's barely a single functioning plane left in Germany at this moment?

- Well you see, ... I mean

What was that earlier about your "Great airforce?"

- We're not getting any re-enforcements damnit! It's all being siphoned to the army....

We've literally rebuilt the interceptor fleet twice now! I ought to have you shot. And what about that manouver in Finland where you sent its small and brave pilots to their deaths completely destroying their air-force. I've had Mannerheim breathing down my neck every day, threatening to rescind the agreement between Germany and Finland over the issue.

________________________

edit:


There's a problem with the lack of a "German diplomatic offensive" as it governs absolutely all other events subsequently including France and Spain (bit too rail-scripted in DH).
And Romania and Bulgaria, even Yugoslavia and Greece or Turkey generally join Germany when the USSR attacks first in AI vs AI or Human USSR vs Germany games regardless of it. Still it may take some time. It's only been a month.

I'll keep playing but it might be a defeat! Place your bets ;-)

 

[Achul]

Hmm!! This Forum seems dead. Though here's a teaser for anyone who takes a wrong turn and ends up in this ghosttown of a board!

 

[The Number 9]

Yes, this forum is not the most active now.

I think you will manage to succeed this campaign.
Now that I'm caught, I'll look forward to see how you end up.

 

[Achul]

LOL! It's looking rough. I think the issue was the diplomatic campaign, it just kills the mid-game completely with no ability to get anyone on your side and the countries that due to Furious AI and Soviet Belligerence should be joining me aren't joining. 20+´British divisions, 10 Soviet, 10 other allied have been destroyed in addition to the countries that have surrendered. But IC advantage for the allied side is about 4 times

 

[Achul]

Das Reich ​

German paratroopers surround tens of thousands of retreating Soviets in Chelm!

Mussolini victorious in Africa. Alexandria Falls as the British Army trapped in the desert valleys of Egypt which itself joins the Axis!

 

[Achul]

S T E I N E R !


Look at this enemy propaganda playing currently in Britain Steiner, it's taken by one of our agents in London.

- Disgusting mein Führer.


Of course, they couldn't have known the reserves I had gathered for you. I had been hoarding these panzers despite my generals insistence they be used forthe previous Chelm offensive. They have been kept in pristine condition for you.

I knew the Bolsheviks would counter attack in April, thinking we are weak in the north. Knowing this I redeployed our best and most rested divisions. Luring them in a trap.
You are doing well keeping them busy in Plock as Italian expeditionary forces strike West.

Yes, Yes we had to give precious ground to the Russians. Thousands of civilians were killed, we could not save them all. The trains and the trucks had to be used for the redeployment of our forces from the south. But that is war!

And believe me Steiner, the Russians will pay. They will pay dearly.

____________




Romania has also finally joined the Axis but Finland has peaced out . I'm attempting to destroy the northern Soviet spearhead with massive redeployments from a previously failed offensive in the South with Romania. This has to succeed or the Axis are doomed. Paratroopers were deployed in Gdnya in an attempt to surround Danzig but failed, they did destroy portions of the Soviet Air Force though.


Oh and here's a little bit of the world as well:

 

[Achul]

About 40 Soviet divisions destroyed in Northern Central Europe either through being surrounded or by retreats being cut off but in the same time they've made over 60 : )

This is impossible lol!



Despite destroying an additional 10+ divisions in Tunisia and Palestine the British have brought up 20 to the Egyptian front!

But Italy is keeping the dream alive with an assult on Singapore having taken Sri Lanka.
At least the path for Japan will be quite easy in the Pacific.

I need a miracle in Europe though


Does anyone know what triggers the re-entry of Finland into the war?

edit: Oh yeah Malta was also taken much earlier through an insane all-in commitment.
The AI sent its entire Med-fleet sinking dozens of Italian ships including all but one of Italias BBs and managing to re-enforce it with 3 divisions to a total of 4 at the loss of many divisions and transports sunk by both naval and air assets of Germany and Italy. It finally fell to a combined naval and para-trooper assult.

 

[The Number 9]

Does anyone know what triggers the re-entry of Finland into the war?

I'm afraid the only commentator so far is a guy who nearly played DH (though, I could say at least I tried it a few time ). When you said somebody could be lost in this forum, you had no idea !


Seems like it's a hell of a challenge. But you manage impressively well so far.

 

[Cromwell]

Very impressive, it's a shame about the trouble with the Luftwaffe, in Darkest Hour they really can wear enemy divisions down to nothing given enough time.

 

[Achul]

The Luftwaffen is doing well at the moment! But it is just not possible. I think something messed with the AI. Italy is only building factories and I checked even when they finished a factory they just build a new factory! hah.

So I've restarted from October 1939 and taken Paris via airdrop making the diplomatic offensive possible so that I can at least ally the countries I've supposed to be allied with. It's weird, even in the saves I have, if I switch to Haiti, at least Finland immediatley allies Germany. But it does not do so with me as a human.


Im also considering just signing the Molotov pact to make sure there are no problems!

updates will follow.

 

[Achul]

I'll be re-attempting this knowing the event chain better during christmas so stay tuned if you found it interesting. Any tips and ideas would be welcome! : ) The problem is the insane production advantage the Soviets have. I know forcing a war with them is not necessary but in past games I've defeat the entire UK and Africa and by 1942 when Im ready for Russia even a 1 front war is impossible.

I'd like to trigger more neutral powers to join me by having the Russians attack me first but it seems that the high difficulty also means a penalty to diplomacy which makes that difficult. I might attack france in 1938 if that's possible to sustain.

 

[Maciej-Kamil]

Maybe try building some 5 or 6 level forts on the border with Russia and then try to bleed their manpower while defending.

 

[Achul]

Can't afford that. And even if I could I can't wait for the Americans to conquer Africa by the time the Russians may be running out of manpower. sadly