The Gathering Storm, Redux - Gameplay Thread (WW2 - Early 1940)

[DKrol]

The Minister of National Defence is authorized to organize a Company of Canadian volunteers seeking to support the democratic government of France in combat in Europe. The Minister shall organize the company in Ottawa as the First Canadian Volunteer Company, provide surplus armaments, munitions, and rations, and coordinate the safe travel of the Company to Europe, where command of the Company will be transferred to the appropriate commanders in the French Army.

[FT-02 Senator A.F.E. 🇵🇸🤝🇺🇸🤝🇺🇦]

THE DAWN OF THE LEAGUE OF ROME

The LEAGUE of ROME

We assembled, the governments of the Kingdom of Italy, Kingdom of Hungary, Tsardom of Bulgaria, Independent State of Croatia, and Republic of Slovenia resolve to an alliance of mutual defense and security for the defense of civilization, the rights of our national communities, and protection of southern Europe from external threats. The Duce of Italy, Admiral-Prime Minister of Hungary, Tsar of Bulgaria, Poglavnik of Croatia, and President of Slovenia recognize one another as invaluable partners in the struggle for the rights of the nation against the forces of terrorism and ultraliberalism. The Tsar of Bulgaria, King of Hungary, and King of Italy recognize one another on the level of their ancient, august, and noble houses as equals and allies in the struggle for God, Fatherland, and Family against encroaching forces of chaos and degeneracy.

Signatories agree to defend each other by force of arms in the case of attack

Signatories agree to coordinate on matters of security and defense

Signatories agree to coordinate and cooperate for matters of mutual economic benefit, and provide preference for one another in trade and international commerce

Signatories agree to cooperate in areas of suppressing internal subversives and malcontents

Signatories agree for joint military planning and cooperation in peacetime

xIL DUCE, Benito Mussolini

x Boris III, Tsar of Bulgaria

x Otto II, King of the Hungarians

[Lumine]

THE DAWN OF THE LEAGUE OF ROME

The LEAGUE of ROME

We assembled, the governments of the Kingdom of Italy, Kingdom of Hungary, Tsardom of Bulgaria, Independent State of Croatia, and Republic of Slovenia resolve to an alliance of mutual defense and security for the defense of civilization, the rights of our national communities, and protection of southern Europe from external threats. The Duce of Italy, Admiral-Prime Minister of Hungary, Tsar of Bulgaria, Poglavnik of Croatia, and President of Slovenia recognize one another as invaluable partners in the struggle for the rights of the nation against the forces of terrorism and ultraliberalism. The Tsar of Bulgaria, King of Hungary, and King of Italy recognize one another on the level of their ancient, august, and noble houses as equals and allies in the struggle for God, Fatherland, and Family against encroaching forces of chaos and degeneracy.

Signatories agree to defend each other by force of arms in the case of attack

Signatories agree to coordinate on matters of security and defense

Signatories agree to coordinate and cooperate for matters of mutual economic benefit, and provide preference for one another in trade and international commerce

Signatories agree to cooperate in areas of suppressing internal subversives and malcontents

Signatories agree for joint military planning and cooperation in peacetime

xIL DUCE, Benito Mussolini

x Boris III, Tsar of Bulgaria

x Otto II, King of the Hungarians

x Anton Korosec, President of Slovenia

x Ante Pavelic, Poglavnik of Croatia

[YPestis25]

Propaganda to be Distributed Throughout the Metropole and Colonial Empire

One Fight for One Country

World of Art Global/Imgur/Me

Don't Forget the Netherlands

Vintage Movie Posters/Imgur/Me

We Will Pass

Antikbar

[KaiserDave]

Press Conference of Il Duce Granted to the Foreign Press

Signor Mussolini, what is the purpose of the League of Rome?
The League of Rome formalizes what already exists. The Italian nation is the Master of the Adriatic, the Balkans, and soon the whole Mediterranean. The League of Rome is the organization of those nations whom the dictates of fate, destiny, and strength have determined shall rule Southern Europe. Hungary, Bulgaria, Croatia, Slovenia, these are proud, virile nations that have partnered with Italy, mother of civilizations, as the guarantor of their security from the forces which are lighting Europe on fire today. Together we are united like the fasces against whichever force attempts to threaten us, whether it be Serbian provocateurs, plutodemocracies, or butcher Tuchachevsky's red horde.

So is it war then?
All life is struggle, and the Italy of Fascism, and her allies, surely will be victorious and superior civilization will triumph over barbarians.

Signor Mussolini, you claimed that the rebels in Croatia are supported by foreign powers, do you have evidence of this?
There are many different groups of terrorists and bandits in Croatia who deny the authority of Doctor Pavelić. They have robbed banks, destroyed power and communication lines, pillaged villages, and attacked Croatian and Italian military forces. They are plainly bandits of the lowest order, stealing with the thinnest veneer of political ideology. There are renegade factions of the HSS among them, although the legitimate national and patriotic majority as joined the government of Doctor Pavelić. We have evidence that these bandits have received arms and ammunition from the Serbs, who have been engaged in smuggling operations. Our Anti-Terrorist campaign will surely put an end to this.

There are also the partisans, loyal to the Communist Party of Yugoslavia, who is in turn an extension of the Red Army which know is ransacking and looting the frontiers of Eastern Europe. These Bolsheviks are a direct threat to the security of all of Europe and they cannot be allowed to exist. It is our goal to wipe them out before they can unite with the Red Army. For this end we will spare no expense.

Signor Mussolini, what do you know of events in Bosnia?
What has transpired in Bosnia has been hidden from public view almost entirely by the Belgrade barbarians. But we have obtained evidence on what exactly has gone on. Italy has previously published information on Serbian massacres against Croats and Bosnians during the last war, but the latest revelations are even larger in scale and even more repellent to our collective sensibilities. In the year 1938, the Colonel's Regime in Belgrade has pursued a policy of extermination and mass murder against the Bosnian and Croatian population. They have burnt hundreds of villages to the ground, wiping them off the map entirely, and massacring the population. Bosnians and Croats have been subject to the most foul violence, which I will not detail for the sake of the women of Italy. There are full manuscripts (gestures paper in the air) which detail the graphic crimes and savageries done by the Serbian forces. Within Serbia, the propaganda of Stevan Moljević has called for the extermination of the Croats left within Serbia's borders, I believe imminently they are planning for wholesale massacres of whoever is left. Surely more has yet to be uncovered.

I tell you, these Serbian Colonels are wild animals. They are wild dogs, they are mad and violent and surely they will kill, kill, kill until they are brought to heel.

Signore, is Serbia an enemy of Italy?
The Serbs are the enemy of civilization, they are barbarians. The Bulgarians are not only fighting for their natural rights to Macedon, but to defend the Latin, civilized roots of southern Europe from the violent savagery of Belgrade. Italy is the defender of European civilization, so it naturally follows we are enemy of the Serbs and their crimes against civilization.

Signor Mussolini, will there be war between Italy and Serbia?
That is up to the Croatian people, for if they seek the liberation of their brothers from Serbian corruption and barbarian violence, they will surely unite, and with Italian assistance, we shall restore order and justice. So I tell you Croats, if you cannot stand to see the murder of your compatriots, unite together!

[Devout Centrist]

Propaganda Leaflet Dropped in Fujian (1938)

Citizens of China, be aware! There are saboteurs among you.

Be advised that the invading Japanese and thugs from the COMMUNIST PARTY OF CHINA have conspired to steal your hard earned harvest and currency. These bandits have disguised themselves as Kuomintang officials, wearing their uniforms and skulking around the countryside to STEAL OUR GRAIN!

Citizen, do not surrender anything from your towns or villages to passerbys. They are inevitably foreign agents. Store your harvest for the winter! Do not render your harvest or your currency to any outsider who approaches you! Only hand over your harvest to your legal landlord!

Stay safe! Stay aware!

The National Government shall deliver you all to salvation.

[KaiserDave]

Rome-Berlin Protocols

In the interests of mutual security and respect, the governments of the Kingdom of Italy and of the German Reich come to the following accords to recognize the interests of their respective nations in areas of defense, economy, and security and to re-establish normal diplomatic relations.

The Kingdom of Italy and the German Reich resolve to adopt a policy of non-aggression towards the other

The Kingdom of Italy and the German Reich resolve to not violate one another's spheres of influence, national community boundaries, and security zones

The Kingdom of Italy and the German Reich resolve to peaceably conclude any past disagreements regarding the status of borderlands, and abandon any claims or doubts on territorial holdings

The Kingdom of Italy and the German Reich resolve to respectful cooperation in areas of intelligence and controlling internal subversive elements

The Kingdom of Italy and the German Reich resolve to mutual understanding and benefit in areas of trade and commerce

The Kingdom of Italy and the German Reich jointly resolve to uphold free navigation and trade in the Mediterranean Sea

x Benito Mussolini, IL DUCE

[Chancellor Tanterterg]

Rome-Berlin Protocols

In the interests of mutual security and respect, the governments of the Kingdom of Italy and of the German Reich come to the following accords to recognize the interests of their respective nations in areas of defense, economy, and security and to re-establish normal diplomatic relations.

The Kingdom of Italy and the German Reich resolve to adopt a policy of non-aggression towards the other

The Kingdom of Italy and the German Reich resolve to not violate one another's spheres of influence, national community boundaries, and security zones

The Kingdom of Italy and the German Reich resolve to peaceably conclude any past disagreements regarding the status of borderlands, and abandon any claims or doubts on territorial holdings

The Kingdom of Italy and the German Reich resolve to respectful cooperation in areas of intelligence and controlling internal subversive elements

The Kingdom of Italy and the German Reich resolve to mutual understanding and benefit in areas of trade and commerce

The Kingdom of Italy and the German Reich jointly resolve to uphold free navigation and trade in the Mediterranean Sea

x Benito Mussolini, IL DUCE

x Alfred Hugenberg, Chancellor of the German Reich

[Devout Centrist]

Imperial New Year's Address to the Japanese People (January 1, 1939)
Distributed via Tokyo Broadcasting Station (TBS) and made available for broadcast internationally

Loyal citizens and subjects, to all those who listen to my words,

As we enter a blessed new year, I stand before you today as your sovereign and your Emperor to offer my words of hope and encouragement to the all people of the Dai Nippon Teikoku. However, it is important to recognize the material realities of our present condition. Let me speak frankly to you. I know that many of you feel the strain of these difficult times. There is much chaos and disorder in the wider world at this present moment. Never before has our culture and our nation been so thoroughly tested. Indeed, I understand that the devotion of all our loyal citizens and subjects has been tested in these most trying of times. However, let me reassure you that your sacrifices and your   toil will bear great fruit in time.

During this New Year's address, I would like to emphasize the twin values of charity and frugality. The Yamato people have, since time immemorial, shared in a national community of both blood and sacrifice. It is in these times of hardship and global peril that we must remember the importance of coming together to share in a common goal and to meet a common struggle. Through the collective struggle of our national brotherhood, the Yamato people can overcome all adversity and hardship.

I encourage each of you to share your talents and your good fortune with the whole of our nation. Help those among you who cannot help themselves. Extend the value of unending grace and goodwill to your neighbors and to your brothers and sisters. In my personal capacity as head of the Imperial Household, in the eyes of the whole nation today, I renew my dedicate to the principles of charity and shared sacrifice. As your Emperor and Sovereign, I am pledging my personal resources and talents to support the people of our nation.

I believe that this spirit of perseverance is what will see us through these times of strife and uncertainty. It is easy to embrace cynicism when faced with monumental adversity, but all of us must remember that it is in these moments that our true character shines through. It is in these moments that we must draw upon our inner strength and find the courage to keep moving forward.

As we look ahead to this coming year, 1939, I want to reassure you all that I am fully committed to doing everything in my power to ensure the safety, stability, and wellbeing of our nation. It is my duty as your Emperor to lead with compassion and wisdom, and to always put the needs of our people first. I am confident that by working together, we can overcome any challenges that may come our way.

In closing, I want to thank you all, citizens and subjects, for your unwavering loyalty and dedication to Dai Nippon Teikoku. It is through your hard work and commitment that we will enjoy a bountiful harvest of good fortune in the years to come. Let us each embrace the values of charity and frugality, and let us never lose sight of the strength and resilience that has made the Yamato people strong.

May the coming year bring peace, prosperity, and hope to us all.

Thank you.

[Lumine]

EVENT

Spanish government falls!

Straperlo scandal ends up claiming Lerroux's position,
President Alcalá-Zamora calls for elections rather than elevate the right,
Spanish conservatives vow to establish a Catholic corporative republic

After five turbulent years in government, centrist Prime Minister Alejandro Lerroux has seemingly reached his political demise, throwing the nation into a major political crisis. After his first unstable ministries, Lerroux was substantially empowered by his effective response to the failed Revolution of 1934 and the brief Spanish Civil War (1934-1935), in which Catalonian nationalists, the trade unions and the political left was smashed to pieces. Having found his opportunity to leave his mark, Lerroux struck hard in 1936 by banning Spain's main trade unions, left-wing newspapers and separatist parties. Establishing a large patronage machine that directly addressed local issues, enacting Basque autonomy, Lerroux should by all rights have triumphed in his gamble to launch an election that same year.

That he did not had a lot to do with the growing corruption within his centrist PRR, with a scandal known as Straperlo rapidly reaching out all the way to Lerroux's cabinet colleagues and quickly grabbing the press' attention thanks to Lerroux's many rivals. Instead of a triumph, Lerroux saw the right-wing and passionately Catholic CEDA skyrocket in the polls, cementing itself as Spain's largest and most powerful confederation of parties. Indeed, he was only spared from having to step down thanks to President Alcalá-Zamora, who, in spite of deeply disliking Lerroux, could simply not stomach CEDA out of fear its increasingly authoritarian leader José María Gil-Robles would dissolve the Republic and institute a dictatorship. For two years the balance held, with Lerroux resisting a relentless press campaign to destroy his image as the CEDA left the government and made his life a living hell.

In the end, press reports - unconfirmed, as it later turned out - that Lerroux's nephew and his adopted son were to be charged with bribery sealed his fate. President Alcalá-Zamora sacked him. Instead of finally relenting to the CEDA, the President has made a desperate gamble, appointing a caretaker PM - personal friend and moderate centrist Manuel Portella - and calling for a General Election in the hopes of stopping the CEDA. For his part, Gil-Robles and his comrades have reacted badly to being foiled yet again, and have mobilized to form a large right-wing alliance to win the 1939 election, an effort which has nonetheless been slowed down by the demands of other right-wing parties in regards to an eventual restoration of the monarchy.

As the Spanish left tries to rebuild itself and the President attempts to mobilize a new centrist alliance to replace Lerroux's decaying PRR, Gil-Robles - who has declared his intent to impeach the President and replace the parliamentary Republic with a Portuguese-style Catholic corporative Republic - looks like the man to beat. Thus, the fate of the Spanish Republic will be decided upon in the next few weeks.

[Lumine]

Peace Treaty between the Kingdom of Egypt and the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics

Article I: Recognition of Sovereignty

1. The Kingdom of Egypt and the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR) recognize each other's sovereignty and territorial integrity.

2. The Kingdom of Egypt and the USSR agree to respect the territorial integrity of each other and to refrain from any actions that may be considered as a threat to the other's territorial integrity.

3. The USSR agrees to protect the territorial integrity of the Kingdom of Egypt from any foreign invaders or interests.

Article II: Economic Cooperation

1. The Kingdom of Egypt and the USSR agree to establish economic cooperation in order to promote the development of their economies.

2. The Kingdom of Egypt and the USSR will exchange experts, technicians, and scientists in order to promote scientific and technological progress.

3. The Kingdom of Egypt and the USSR agree to trade with each other on the basis of mutual benefit.

Article III: Ratification and Entry into Force

1. This treaty shall be subject to ratification by the Kingdom of Egypt and the USSR.

2. This treaty shall enter into force on the date of exchange of instruments of ratification.

Done at Cairo, in 1939, in two copies, each in the Arabic and Russian languages, all texts being equally authentic.

x Farouk, King of Egypt

[LAKISYLVANIA]

Peace Treaty between the Kingdom of Egypt and the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics

Article I: Recognition of Sovereignty

1. The Kingdom of Egypt and the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR) recognize each other's sovereignty and territorial integrity.

2. The Kingdom of Egypt and the USSR agree to respect the territorial integrity of each other and to refrain from any actions that may be considered as a threat to the other's territorial integrity.

3. The USSR agrees to protect the territorial integrity of the Kingdom of Egypt from any foreign invaders or interests.

Article II: Economic Cooperation

1. The Kingdom of Egypt and the USSR agree to establish economic cooperation in order to promote the development of their economies.

2. The Kingdom of Egypt and the USSR will exchange experts, technicians, and scientists in order to promote scientific and technological progress.

3. The Kingdom of Egypt and the USSR agree to trade with each other on the basis of mutual benefit.

Article III: Ratification and Entry into Force

1. This treaty shall be subject to ratification by the Kingdom of Egypt and the USSR.

2. This treaty shall enter into force on the date of exchange of instruments of ratification.

Done at Cairo, in 1939, in two copies, each in the Arabic and Russian languages, all texts being equally authentic.

x Farouk, King of Egypt

Signed

X Mikhail Tukhachevsky, Chairman of the State Defence Committee to the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics

[Chancellor Tanterterg]

Pamphlets of this speech are to be distributed all across German

The Road to Victory

"My friends, the Reich finds herself traveling down the road to her finest hour, indeed the road to her very destiny itself!  So long as we have the courage to stay the course and keep traveling the road to victory - even when that road's twists and turns may for a brief time force us to take one step back that we may soon march two steps forward - I pledge to you that every man fortunate enough to count himself a citizen of the Reich shall look back on this time during his twilight years and speak with pride to his grandchildren of what he did to help build an Eternal Reich.  

I am not a heartless man nor blind to the sacrifices our proud people have already made in defense of our nation's honor.  My heart breaks anew whenever one of our nation's finest falls on the battlefield.  And yet I envy our nation's youth for they have the privilege of not only crowning themselves with glory on the battlefield, but also something far greater.  It is the youth of the Reich more than any other generation who shall be able to look back upon this day and say to their children that it was their courage, their valor, their fearlessness in the face of death itself that allowed Germany to avenge the most vile and grievous of insults inflicted upon her by the likes of France and England.  Yes, my friends, it is the youth who shall pull the knife out of Germany's back and drive it through the hearts of those fanatical foreign foes who wronged her.  We must never forget the debt we owe to those who risk their lives every day to restore the national honor.  

But there are bumps in every road, perhaps none moreso than the road to victory, for nothing worth fighting for comes without struggle and sacrifice.  Show me a man who says that our ReichsKampf will be won without sacrifice and I will show you a liar.  And yet we shall endure!  We shall triumph!  We shall purchase the Eternal Reich with wages paid in blood, sweat, and tears and then the histories of the world - when they are written by friend and foe alike - shall look back on this day and proclaim that this was Germany's finest hour.  She fought harder and risked more than anyone else dared and her victory was greater than anyone ever imagined possible.  This is the destiny that awaits us so long as we have the strength of will to do all that is necessary.  

Already, our toils have borne great fruit.  The Anschluss was not a German victory over Austria.  Instead, it was a victory over those Villains of Versailles who would divide Germanic peoples against themselves.  Indeed, Austria recognized this and took its rightful seat of honor within the Eternal Reich entirely of her own accord.  When our brothers in the Sudetenland suffered under yolk of brutal persecution, we followed the road to victory farther still and not only liberated Germans within the Sudetenland, but have reclaimed Bohemia and Moravia.  With their annexation back into the Reich, one of the most grievous of insults to our national honor has been avenged.  Moreover, the new nation of Slovakia now celebrates its independence and should, along with the proud nation of Hungary, serve as a model to the rest of the world with respect to the rewards that come with lending support to our noble ReichsKampf.  

The Villains of Versailles would not stand for this as that vile document was written to ensure that Germany remained a weak and sickly prisoner with a French boot upon her neck for the rest of time.  Already, the ReichsKampf has seen us break free from the chains of Versailles and strike yet another blow for Germany's national honor by sending the frogs of France leaping back into that vilest of swamps from whence they came.  Indeed, the German flag now flies proudly over the city of Paris.  And yet we are not our enemies.  I can now tell you that France was twice offered an honorable peace with terms that would have restored the honor of the Reich while still affording France the opportunity to accept a gentleman's defeat that would not have inflicted upon her people the heinous humiliations inflicted upon Germany.  Is it any wonder that such was rejected?  After all, it is known that the present leadership of France thinks as little of sacrificing its own people as you or I would of swatting a fly.  Our liberation of so-called Czechoslovakia was plainly little more than a pretext for France's leadership to wage an illegal and unprovoked war of aggression upon Germany.  

One can hope that cooler heads prevail and France elects leaders willing to accept that Germany shall no longer suffer the humiliations that have been inflicted upon her for so many years.  In the end, it matters not at all.  In either case, we shall continue marching down the road to victory and we shall prevail!  The sacrifices we make today shall be the foundation of the Eternal Reich of tomorrow!

  
And yet, there are others we must contend with...subversive enemies at home even more sinister than even those abroad.  Indeed, these most unsavory characters of only the lowest breeding have already stabbed the German people in the back once and now look to do so again from shadows like the craven cowards they are.  There are the trade unionists on strike, socialist academics, and communist criminals who even now seek to sabotage and undermine German industry and with it the war effort itself.  They know our soldiers are of only the finest caliber of men and since they cannot hope to prevail on the battlefield, they instead seek to take the coward's path of attacking those great titans of industry whom our nation proudly counts among its model citizens.  

It is for this reason that I am pleased to announce the establishment of the Ministry of Culture, Press, and Academic Affairs.  It shall have a broad mandate to purge German academia, bureaucracy, press, civic organizations, and the arts of subversive elements before they have a chance to stab our nation in the back a second time.  Bringing the rogue trade unionists to heel shall fall under the broadened prevue of the Ministry of Labor, Munitions, and Industrialization.  And what of the cowardly communist street thugs who would paint our streets with blood if given half a chance?  I have every confidence that with the right men at the helm, the German police shall rid our proud nation of the communist menace once and for all!  

Then of course, there are those even more sinister foes who seek to poison the very moral character of the German people.  Indeed, these purveyors of pornography, prostitution, and perversion would see our children corrupted, our people faithless, and our nation reduced to a sodom of sexual impropriety.  Yet government alone cannot conquer the scourge of moral corruption and sexual deviance.  And so, I offer my hand in friendship to Christian churches throughout the Reich and implore them to join our Kultur Kampf to exterminate the deplorably depraved degenerate deviants waging war upon the proud moral character of the German people.  To combat this most vile and depraved of enemies, I have established the Ministry of Moral Decency and it shall have a broad mandate to - working closely with the clergy across the Reich - root out moral corruption before it has a chance to fester.  

And yet the danger remains great for we are still traveling along the road to victory and it can be a treacherous road in the dark of the night.  It takes the steady hand of men with an iron will to navigate such a road.  As such, after consultation with Germany's greatest military minds, our captains of industry, the brightest lights in the public square, and even the Kaiser himself, it is with a heavy heart that I announce the indefinite suspension of elections and term limits until the conclusion of all military operations.  I do not accept this burden lightly and none know better than I how heavy the crown truly lies upon a man's head when the survival of his nation hangs in the balance.  And yet, that is why I must accept this duty for as long as it takes to see our ReichsKampf through from beginning to end until Germany has fully realized her destiny.

And that is how we walk the road to victory: By every one of us, great and small, doing his duty in service of his nation.  Together we shall build a Reich that will last for the rest of time and avenge the national honor that was stolen when the German people were stabbed in the back by domestic subversives who sold her out to her enemies abroad.  Indeed, the Eternal Reich shall be our legacy to both our children and the generations still to come." - Chancellor Alfred Hugenberg
_______________________________________________________________________________
The Hugenberg Cabinet

Chancellor of the German Reich: Alfred Hugenberg

Vice Chancellor of the German Reich, Minister of Public Decency, and ReichsKommissar of Prussia: Franz Von Papen

Secretary of the Chancellory and Minister of Economics: Reinhold Qaatz

Deputy Secretary of the Chancellory: Edgar Jung

Minister of Foreign Affairs: Konstantin Von Neurath

Minister of the Interior: Kurt Von Schleicher

Minister of Finance: Lutz Graf Schwerin Von Krogsik

Minister of Justice: Franz Gürtner

Minister of the Reichswehr: Werner Von Blomberg

Minister of Culture, Press, and Academic Affairs: Carl Schmitt

Minister of Labor, Munitions, and Industrialization: Fritz Thyssen

Minister of Science, Technology, and Public Health: Georg Von Schnitzler

Minister of Food and Agriculture: Magnus Von Braun

Minister of the Post Office and Minister of Transportation: Paul Freiherr Von Eltz-Rubenbach

ReichsKommissar of Austria and Minister Without Portfolio: Emil Fey

ReichsKommissar of France and Belgium and Minister Without Portfolio: Paul Von Lettow-Vorbeck

ReichsKommissar of Bohemia and Moravia and Deputy Minister of the Reichswehr: Walther Von Reichenau

President of the Reichsbank: Hjalmar Schacht

[Continential]

The South African Party shall quite controversially continue the immigration policies - with Prime Minister Smuts arguing that immigration is the only way to ensure the survival of the South African state. While Smuts supports expansion, his government shall vote on joining the War on the side of the British.

[Lumine]

The World War

January 1939 to March 1939 (Part One)

"I have had the opportunity to witness many hells, and to have ones even worse described to me in great detail. And there once came a time in which I felt nothing could be worse than a Verdun. And up to three weeks ago, I believed that sincerely, even with all the reports we hear about this ___damned hell of a war. That was before I saw Buzau. I don't think anything can shock me to my core now. I'm starting to doubt I even have one anymore. I see corpse after corpse after corpse without a single bullet wound, and my mind still struggles with the thought. Hell is on earth. Hell is on Romania."

(Ernest Hemingway, reporting for the North American Newspaper Alliance)

Western Front

Battles of Roye, Péronne and Arras

In the aftermath of the triumph at Cambrai, Jean Blanchard was promoted to Marshal, leaving for Orleans to assume the overall command of the Western Front. His replacement in the 1st French Army Group, General Corap, was immediately tasked with the job of pressuring the northern German lines, further tightening their supply lines whilst reinforcing the recent "Somme salient". To his opposite side, Günther von Kluge and Army Group B had received massive reinforcements as trainloads of German divisions became available from the Czechoslovakian front. It was time for both armies to clash. Corap's probing attacks soon became engulfed in the German offensive as the armies fought the Battle of Roye, in which Kluge's reinforced columns drove the BEF westwards and destabilized Corap's units. Seizing the moment, the armored columns managed to reengage the war of movement, bypassing newly built fortifications and forcing a general French retreat to avoid encirclement.

At the Battle of Péronne, Kluge won a resounding victory, with German chemical attacks causing mass casualties - with disproportionate numbers of dead compared to wounded -, destroying a number of French and Belgian divisions and forcing Corap to abandon the salient won last year. Kluge now had a open route to the Pas de Calais, which was immediately exploited. At the Battle of Arras, however, Corap turned the tables, stopping his retreat and holding his ground as the BEF harassed the German flank with mass usage of phosgene and mustard gas. Though protected, German troops nonetheless experienced mass casualties as the number of wounded multiplied, threatening to collapse the army hospital and, as a result, the supply line. Urged not to push too far, Kluge was forced to stop and consolidate, but not before the BEF's chemical attacks ravaged an entire corps.

We'll always have Paris...

Defeated by Giraud at the Seine before his elevation to the premiership, Walther von Reichenau nonetheless benefited by his conquest of Paris, allowing for his return to Germany for immediate promotion. Fresh from relative success at the Aisne, Erwin von Witzleben assumed joint command of Army Groups A and C, with Giraud's replacement General Condé taking command of the 2nd Army Group. Both armies spent the bulk of winter building large fortifications and trenches, turning the areas between Chartres and the Seine into a heavily fortified fortress. Limited movement was reported until March, when a French attempt to goad a German attack that was to be met with mustard gas bombardment failed. In a series of skirmishes, the French sustained significant casualties, further disrupting their efforts as the German stronghold over the capital grows more powerful. Just as concerning, the mass usage of chemicals from the Pas de Calais to the Seine is starting to alarm prominent scientists, who believe the ground in some rural areas is starting to be poisoned, an ominous development before the spring harvest.

The Race to the Saarland

Paralyzed after the setbacks in the west, the French forces in the Saarland and occupied parts of Germany had been at a defensive stance for several weeks, enough time to fortify their positions at a level that, nonetheless, could not compare to the Siegfried or Maginot lines. With the arrival of Gerd von Rundstedt, several veteran divisions from Czechoslovakia and a large Hungarian Expeditionary Corps - numbering as high as a dozen divisions -, the 4th Army Group was decisively outnumbered. Von Rundstedt's successfully defeated the 4th Army Group, going as far as encircling an entire corps before it could reach the Saarland. Against the odds, the corps stood its ground and refused to surrender, buying precious time until the French forces could regroup back inside the Saarland. Before relief could be provided, the French corps was destroyed through superior firepower. However, it had stalled the Germans long enough: though all territory conquered by the French in the fall had been retaken, the Saarland remained in French hands.

The Battle for National Morale

It soon became apparent to foreign observers that General Giraud and Chancellor Hugenberg both realized quickly the importance of the struggle, and the need to mobilize public opinion in their favor. Giraud struck first, issuing a stirring call to arms that urged defiant resistance and promised victory. Initially successful in providing the necessary push to mobilize resources and consolidate Giraud's position in the National Assembly, Giraud achieved an additional accomplishment when sudden reports of a refusal to accept a "reasonable peace" with Germany were either discredited or fell on deaf ears. However, recent horrific losses in the battlefield - far superior to German ones this season - have somewhat lessened Giraud's appeal, with the National Assembly still behind his commitment to continue the war but with vaguely pro-peace forces gaining ground.

In Germany, Hugenberg radically reorganized his government, bringing in several heavyweights and promoting Catholic participation through multiple promotions. In a highly publicized speech, the Chancellor matched Giraud's passion by promising victory and revenge. Soon afterwards, General Paul Von Lettow-Vorbeck, the Lion of Africa, arrived in Paris as the new Reichskommissar of France and Belgium. Under the first few weeks of his rule, attempted sabotage by anti-German resistance forces across occupied territory have resulted in heavy losses for the rebels, not managing to significantly disrupt enemy logistic in what is, nonetheless, a serious act of defiance.

Eastern Front

Czech defiance comes to an end

Despite the decision of Jan Syrovy and the Cabinet to surrender Prague and the Czech government, resistance in Czechia proper continued during late 1938 and early 1939 due to the refusal of several Czech divisions to surrender. With most of them installed in the large fortified borders or in rural areas, a series of mop-up operations ensued as General von Bock and new Reichskommisar von Reichenau resolved to cleanse the fallen nation from any attempts at resistance. The Czech divisions, it was reported by the few journalists still operating from Prague, fought bravely and bitterly, inflicting substantial casualties before being forced to surrender one due to a lack of supplies, ammunition, and having no hope of relief nor the required geography for sustained resistance. The last division, led by General Lev Prchala, made its last stand on the Sudetenland, being destroyed in the last week of March. A few days ago, the death of General Syrovy was reported by the German authorities, said to be a heart attack.

Lithuania changes hands again

Although the most intense events of the Eastern Front would take place to the south, the most significant Soviet triumph was staged in the Baltic front, which had gone temporarily silent after the fall of Lithuania. From Warsaw, President Koc had made a historic declaration: that the historic Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth, gone for centuries, was now to make a return. Although the promise of autonomy and universal suffrage was enough to sway some of Smetona's opposition to tolerate Polish rule, the announcement was met with either disdain or indifference across the occupied nation, with plans to create Lithuanian divisions failing due to a lack of volunteers and disruption of recruitment. From the Belarussian SSR, a Soviet army led by Konstantin Rokossovsky - its ranks swelled with Belorussian volunteers - moved eastwards, opening a corridor within the Polish fortification in a costly assault that opened up the gate to Vilnius. Under orders to evacuate to avoid encirclement, General Rómmel and the Polish Army withdrew back into its powerful fortifications across the old Polish-Lithuanian border, allowing the Red Army to occupy most of Lithuania without inflicting a crippling blow on the Poles. Perhaps ironically, Soviet attempts to enlist Lithuanian volunteers have met with the same disdain as with the Poles.

Galicia: The largest encirclement in history

His push into southern Poland stalled after the unyielding Polish defence of Przemysl, Field Marshal Tukhachevsky decided to resume attacks on the fortress city, thus doubling down on his goal of conquering the industrial Polish city of Krakow. Answering to the earlier usage of chemical weapons by breaking out the substantially larger Soviet stocks, the Soviets massive casualties on the Poles and pushed the defenders out, seizing Przemysl. Further victories followed at Sanok and Tarnow, causing panic as Tukhachevsky destroyed several Polish divisions, his armored vanguard approaching Krakow. Here Tukhachevsky was slowed down, falling ill with a horrifying and initially mysterious disease that was later to be revealed as an accute case of poisoning. With their admired commander incapacitated, the Soviet offensive slowed down.

This, in turn, was the moment chosen by the Poles to strike. Effectively sidelining Rydz-Smigly, recently promoted General Stanisław Maczek struck west of Lwow with the bulk of Poland's remaining armored forces and a heavy concentration of airpower. Aerial battles raged across the sky as skilled Polish pilots achieved temporary local air superiority, giving Macek his opportunity. Breaching the Soviet defences with suddenly replenished stocks of mustard gas, Macek pushed hard south as far as his tanks could go, disrupting the entire Soviet rear and forcing its commander to withdraw his units in a hurry to avoid encirclement. By the end of winter, aided by the roads becoming frozen solid, Macek managed to reach the Dniester at Stanislawow. In doing so, Macek had essentially encircled hundreds of thousands of Soviet troops across southern Poland.

The cost, however, had been heavy. Through winter attrition and battlefield loses Poland has lost the bulk of the tanks it had on the field in September, casualties have been heavy, and most concerning of all, aerial attrition has meant the loss of local aerial superiority, giving the Soviets a small respite. Before Marshal Tukhachevsky could order a breakout from the unprecedented pocket - said to be the largest in history to this date -, he was shot three times in a failed commando raid by ethnic nationalists, who, after extensive torture by the NKVD, were revealed to have been sent by Warsaw. With Tukhachevsky poisoned, heavily wounded and risking death, Chief of Staff Gamarnik has assumed temporary battlefield command.

Battles of Bucharest and Ploiesti

Stopped only a few kilometers outside of Bucharest, Marshal Blyukher felt victory was finally at hand. Romanian resistance, while far stronger than anyone could have forseen, ran a serious risk of losing the cities that sustained the entire war effort, and the loss of the capital could well push a war-weary public to the brink. At least, that was Bylukher's reasoning. Upon replenishing his battered forces - whose constant attrition was said to have all but erased morale -, the Marshal struck hard. So did the Romanian Army, gathering its last reserves for a counterattack. Both sides broke out large quantities of poison gas, a deadly struggle that saw most of the Ploiesti oilfields turned to rubble and several artillery shells filled with artillery reaching Bucharest, killing or crippling thousands. Whenever one side would deploy reserves, another would. Each time Blyukher would secure superiority, another army would come his way.

First the International Legions, bolstered after the opening of new routes and the arrival of new volunteers. Though much of them were slaughtered, vital time was bought. Then the Turkish Army, with several divisions crashing into Blyukher's ranks and preventing a push into the capital at a horrific cost. And then, unexpectedly, the Greek Expeditionary Corps, a five divisions that finally broke through the exhausted, traumatized Soviet lines and caused a rout. Romania had been saved. Blyukher, nonetheless, fully intended to regroup at Buzau, to try again in the coming season despite several divisions existing only on paper. And then the Luftwaffe arrived.

The Buzau Raid

Without bothering to declare war on Moscow, Berlin had decided the time was ripe to deliver a decisive blow to the Communist assault on Eastern Europe. Operating out of Hungary, several bomber squadrons from the Luftwaffe - fresh from successful raids over Britain - flew into Romanian territory carrying large mysterious canisters. Upon reaching Blyukher's retreating forces, they delivered their payload: the mysterious gasses that had been used to significant effect in the West. Now delivered airborne instead of through artillery, the effect was beyond deadly, and likely surprising for the Luftwaffe itself. Scores of Soviet troops fell dead, wounded or crippled, overloading the Soviet supply network, disrupting the entire army and causing untold panic as troops rushed to find refuge or leave the area. Although the dead are still being counted by horrified observers - many of whom also fall dead due to residues -, it is said that the death toll stands at dozens of thousands of Soviet troops. Among them, Marshal Blyukher, whose corpse - and that of his senior staff - was discovered lying on a road outside Buzau. As retreating Soviet troops fall back to the Danube, civilian casualties are also reported in the thousands, collateral victims of this historic - and terrifying - air raid.

Balkan Front

Serbian debacle in Macedonia

The Serbian offensive may have stalled at the end of December, but the new government, having decided on an even more radical course of action, was unwilling to let go of the initiative. Expecting that an assault on winter would be a surprise in light of the harsh weather, Serbian probing attacks against Skopje failed, encountering a large series of newly built trenches and fortifications which, reinforced by Macedonian militias, proved too large an obstacle. Unwilling to bleed themselves dry again, the Serbians turned to ingenuity. Suddenly refocusing their forces on the Macedonian-Albanian border, they managed another breakthrough and threatened to bypass and encircle the regional capital. In this they almost succeed, but, having been slowed down by impassable roads Bulgarian aerial superiority, they failed to advance fast enough before large-scale Bulgarian reinforcements arrived from Sofia. At the Battle of Debar, the 2nd Serbian Army was all but annihilated. In the face of crippling casualties, Serbian troops were forced to abandon Macedonia and retreat to Nis and Pec by the end of March. The Macedonian campaign was over.

Il Duce gets a bloody nose

Tired of ongoing resistance against the pro-Italian regime in Zagreb, Il Duce decided to put end to the whole affair and escalate the presence of the Royal Italian Army. Led by the recently promoted General Roatta, an entire army of three corps established a direct military occupation, immediately going on the offensive. In a series of skirmishes, the Italian forces recovered a substantial amount of territory, particularly from the HSS. Despite the limited nature of enemy casualties, the news were cause for optimism in Zagreb, even as repeated attempts to cause further defections from the ranks of the HSS - including an attempt to form a "National-Patriotic HSS", met with open derision - failed to materialize. Roatta, for his part, believed the insurgents were conserving their strength, only for his warnings to go unheeded by Pavelic's Croatian Home Guard. Suddenly making a reappearance, Pavelic's forces and a few Italian units were dealt separate defeats by HSS and Communist attacks.

Unwilling to disappoint Mussolini, Roatta immediately shifted resources around and send one corps each to target concentrations of enemy forces, aiming at an encirclement. He was to be disappointed. Outflanked by the HSS, Roatta's encirclement almost turned into a debacle as an entire division was crippled by a sustained guerilla assault, having to be saved by breaking the overall encirclement. While managing to save the division, the bulk of the HSS forces has managed to link up, abandoning their previous rural areas under control for the safety of the Dinaric Alps. Roatta's other corps was to find more success against Tito's partisans, which hadn't had enough time to properly organize and were fighting on flat terrain. Near Bjelovar, the Communists were defeated and their areas of control split in two, but not after inflicting substantial casualties on the Italians. Tito has now escaped with the core of his forces and staff, his whereabouts unknown.

In Zagreb proper, as scores of Italian propaganda raise fears and resentment against the revanchist Serbian state, some rebels avenged their comrades. An explosion at the Poglavnik's residence injured Pavelic, and killed one of his ministers. Further southwards, probing attacks in Albania against the resistance proved disappointing, the enemy fleeing into the mountains after once again inflicting disproportionate casualties.

[DKrol]

The Prime Minister shall introduce a resolution in the House of Commons declaring war on the German Reich. The Prime Minister will whip all Conservatives to vote “aye” and will give an impassioned speech  on the floor urging all MPs to support the motion, in order to show that the Dominion of Canada stands with the free peoples of Europe, the basic principles of liberal democratic governance, and human rights. The Prime Minister will assail the German government as a recast of the Kaiser’s puppets from the Great War, and call on Canadians to remember the sacrifices they and their fathers made during the Great War. He will argue that to allow the Reich’s war of aggression to continue unchecked would be to disrespect that memory. The Prime Minister will also reiterate his campaign pledge that no Canadian citizen will be conscripted or forced to participate in the war effort. He will say that any effort to introduce conscription would be a violation of his electoral mandate and be grounds for a motion of no confidence.

[LAKISYLVANIA]

WAR!

Comrades,

The German Empire has once again shown its true colors, violating international law and committing atrocities against innocent people. The unprovoked assault and slaughtering of Buzau and the use of chemical weapons is a heinous crime that cannot go unpunished.

We, the Soviet Union, cannot stand idly by while the German Empire commits such atrocities. Therefore, we declare war on the German Empire in the name of justice and freedom.

The German Empire's aggression against innocent civilians and the use of chemical weapons will not be tolerated. We will fight with all our might to defend the people and uphold the principles of international law.

Let us unite behind our common cause and fight for the freedom of all oppressed people. Victory will be ours!

[Lumine]

The World War

January to April 1939 (Part Two)

Eurasian Front

The Black Sea Raids

With Istanbul and the Bosphorus installations still being rebuilt after the damaging aerial and naval Soviet raid, President Atatürk resolved to respond directly to continued Soviet dominance in the Black Sea. Thus, a daring plan was devised, gathering the Turkish and the bulk of the Romanian and Eurasian airforces - with newly donated machines and led by pilots who had fought the RAF over Baghdad - to fly from Istanbul to target both Odessa and Sevastopol. It was to be a major gamble, risking invaluable aerial resources but with an opportunity to paralyze the Black Sea fleet and further endanger Soviet logistics in Romania. But it was not to be. Crimean Tatars, who would have been meant to support the raid, could not be properly equipped as the NKVD conducted dozens of raids, arresting hundreds. The Eurasian pilots encountered severe anti-aircraft fire both at sea and on land, were successfully targeted by larger - if less proficient - squadrons of Soviet fighters, and a series of mistakes resulted in further confusion. Sustaining crippling losses with only limited damage, airmen described as "Black Tuesday". Soviet aerial superiority in the Black Sea has now been secured, and the Eurasian alliance will now struggle to field sufficient planes in the skies

Stalemate in the Caucasus

As snow fell and covered the entirety of Armenia, both armies resolved to move into broadly defensive stances, averting the sort of carnage that took place in Romania and Poland. This, however, was in no way a suspension of hostilities. Taking advantage of superior numbers, the Turkish and Iranian forces ably used ambushes and artillery to disrupt the Soviet and Armenian positions, forcing them to make tactical withdrawals to avoid further balances. By the end of winter, the Soviets had been forced to cede some ground and further endanger Armenia, all while further disruption and disobedience behind the lines in Azerbaijan and Georgia undermined their logistics. However, several divisions of Armenian volunteers have been raised, the entire nation hard at work to turn themselves into a fortified country. Northwards, it was the Eurasian Alliance that was placed at a disadvantage, as an ambitious plan for an uprising that would target the Soviet oilfields turned into a disaster. Though initial attacks sowed some confusion, efforts to secure heavy equipment failed, and attacks on the oilfields were rebuffed at a heavy cost for rebel forces. By the end of the season, the Chechen militias had suffered the most, and were forced to return into hiding.

Ethnic warfare continues

With military offensives being limited in scale, it is increasingly clear that Ankara and Moscow are determined to destroy each other through ethnic warfare, with the capture of Turkish and Soviet spies and conspirators on both fronts increasingly preventing any plausible deniability. On the Eurasian side of the border, despite the departure of Egypt and the refusal of Syria to break neutrality, a few brigades of Syrian volunteers were raised to fight. Martial law helped contain the Kurdish uprising and interrogation uncovered Soviet support for it, but the Kurds have continued to reinforce and consolidate their positions around Lake Van. In a highly publicized speech, President Atatürk has denounced a Soviet conspiracy - the Balkan plot - to pit Balkan nations against each other promising territorial gains, a development which many link to Greek intervention on Ankara's side.

Within the Soviet Union itself, attempts to sway Muslim minorities with new philosophies and strands of thought have largely failed. But where the carrot fails, the stick shows promise, with the NKVD - ever more larger in size and personnel - working hard with local garrisons to suppress uprisings and prevent them from materializing in large cities. An attempt to emulate the Ufa uprising - which has not defeated yet, making logistical support in the Far East difficult - in Kazan resulted in a general strike, but not in an actual seizure of the important industrial city. Eastwards, as the first reinforcements arrived in Afghanistan, General Kirponos retained his defensive stance, defeating an attempt uprising in occupied territory and generally holding on to previous gains.

East Asian Front

The Uneasy Winter

For the first time in months, the unrelenting carnage of the East Asian front has slowed down, making it far less brutal than its counterparts in Europe. With snow and harsh weather making operations in certain difficult, and after continued attrition, several commanders have chosen to spent their time planning new offensives or replenishing their losses, providing a remarkable pause in the Manchurian front in particular. A development of particular note reported by Chinese irregular forces has been the large-scale construction of new bridges and railroads across coastal China, which will help enhance the Japanese supply lines and, perhaps, facilitate further and deeper advances into central China. Despite their best efforts, Chinese militias have only been able to slow down the work in certain areas, encountering the new construction sizes too heavily garrisoned. On a less optimistic note for Tokyo, a series of air raids intended to harm Chinese logistics and weaken their forces failed to have much of an impact, a development that allowed the NRA to attempt their own winter counteroffensive.

The NRA winter counteroffensive

Acting before a large mobilization was declared by Tokyo, raising several new divisions despite protests in Tokyo and the Diet, the Chinese forces reinforced their battered northern armies in an operation to relieve Beijing, and pushed for a further offensive on the Nanjing front. Their northern effort achieved surprise and quickly disrupted the Japanese defensive perimeter, causing initial panic as local commanders scrambled to get reinforcements into the field. Despite this success and a greater share of Chinese casualties, the old capital proved to be a step too far. Stalled in their advance, and with both cities devoid of supplies for long-term resistance, Tianjin and Beijing both fell at the end of winter. Southwards, the Nanjing campaign continued with a Chinese push to the east from Jiangsu, with Bai Chongxi seeking the ambitious goal of cutting off the Japanese forces that threatened the ROC's capital. Despite the lack of supplies, the Chinese troops struck hard and viciously, forcing the Japanese forces to make a rapid decision. Tojo reluctantly allowed for a tactical withdrawal, expanding the Chinese perimeter around Nanjing while sparing his men from major losses and containing the encirclement attempt.

[Lumine]

April 1st, 1939

List of Conflicts:

German-Soviet War Soviet Union vs. German Reich (1939 - Present)

German-Entente War Republic of France, British Empire (UK, Canada, Australia and New Zealand), Kingdom of Belgium vs. German Reich, Kingdom of Hungary (1938 - Present)

Serbo-Bulgarian War: Kingdom of Bulgaria vs. Kingdom of Greater Serbia (1938 - Present)

Soviet-Eurasian War: Soviet Union vs. Eurasian Alliance [Poland, Turkey, Afghanistan, Iran, Iraq, Romania, Greece] (1938 - Present)

Great East Asia War: Republic of China and Warlords vs. Empire of Japan and Manchukuo (1937 - Present)

[KaiserDave]

EIAR News Broadcast

Carnage in the Orient, Japanese forces in bitter stalemate with Army of Generalissimo Chiang...

Brutal fighting in France, no side achieves victory....

Il Duce redoubles commitment to neutrality in Entente-Germany conflict, offers role as a mediator to end fighting....

Il Duce issues message of mourning and sadness on the occasion of the death of His Holiness, "a man of principle, deep faith, conviction, and whose resolve for peace and against the forces of degeneracy was like steel."....

Red Army BEATEN on the field of Romania, catastrophic casualties, disorganized retreat of Tuchachevksy's forces...

Blackshirts and Romanian and Greek forces deal Red Army it's worst defeat yet at Ploiesti and Bucharest, Red Army in total disarray...

German air raid breaks the back of the Red Army, Red commander Vasily Blyukher dead...

Total retreat of the Red forces, Romania saved...

Red Army in Poland surrounded by Polish and Blackshirt forces, cut off, under attack...

Catastrophic Red losses, total defeat....

Tuchachevsky wounded during the fighting, total chaos in Bolshevik camp....

Bolshevik order bursting at the scenes, revolts across the country, military catastrophe, political chaos...

Il Duce declares "collapse of the headquarters of Bolshevism" may soon be upon us...

Intensified terrorist action in Croatia...

Bolshevik partisans defeated on the field, in full retreat...

Bandits in retreat in Croatia, law and order restored to sections of the countryside...

Serbian forces beaten entirely by Bulgarian Royal Army, in full retreat...

Albanian bandit raids driven back by Italian Army...

Desperate massacres of Croats reported in Serbian territory, rising death toll....



Il Duce has been reported by the foreign press to have commented to Marshal Balbo, "The Serbs are beaten on the field, they have nothing left to give, they have committed national suicide. We only need present ourselves, and we will conquer."

[NewYorkExpress]

David Ben-Gurion on the war

The violence going on around the world is an affront, not only to our people and our religion, but to any civilized individual anywhere. We here in Palestine will not stand for it any longer, and we will not continue to be a colony under the thumb of a power that does not care whether our people live or die another day.

I give the British Government until January 1, 1941 to give us the Independence and Self-Determination we ask for, Jew and Muslim alike, or we will claim it for ourselves.

[YPestis25]

PEOPLE OF FRANCE: SEE THE DEMANDS OF YOUR ENEMY!

Some members of our Republic, out of a mistaken sense of patriotism, are proposing to come to terms with the German invader! See now the first terms offered to your government by the Kaiser:

…

1) The present day administrative regions of Alsace and Lorraine would be annexed by Germany.
2) The Saarland will be returned to Germany
3) France recognizes Bohemia as part of Germany and cuts all economic/military ties with Syvoy’s regime

…

6) Germany shall receive the following French colonies: Tunisia, Algeria, Madagascar, the Ivory Coast, and Djibouti.
7) The return of Germany’s former colonies of Togo and Cameroon (only the present day borders of those countries, which should allow you to keep some land as a French Cameroon colony)

…

13) France shall not permit British or American troops to land in France or use its ocean/airspace to wage war against Germany.  Any British troops currently stationed in France or British naval vessels in French waters shall be made to withdraw/leave effective immediately.

Germany would see France reduced to a protectorate! At a whim her soldiers, her navy, her planes could devastate us if we agreed to these terms. Thousands of French men, women and children would be consigned to the odious tyranny of German rule if these terms were accepted. This is why your government fights on - to protect France, to protect your liberties, and to protect our Republic.

We shall fight on until this menace to French liberty is defeated. We shall fight on until Europe is free from the shackles of the Kaiser. Vive la France!

[GoTfan]

Billy Hughes makes a public speech to supporters, also broadcast on radio

The terms proposed by the Mad Chancellor are unacceptable. They would seek to impose their imperial rule on lands that are no longer theirs. Our French brothers have our full support in rejection of these terms.

It is no secret that the war is not something desired by us. It was brought upon us by Mad Chancellor Hugenberg and his delusions of a German Empire. It was he who violated the peace of Europe with his horrendous atrocities committed against the Dutch and Belgian people.

A leopard cannot change its spots.

We stand with our French allies! As I speak, the Second Australian and New Zealand Army Corps is preparing for war. It is true that this will not be a short struggle, nor an easy one, but it is a necessary one. if we are to survive this storm, see our children grow, we must now take this fight to the Germans!

Some may say that we should negotiate . . . But I have to tell you that there can be no negotiation with the Devil! You cannot negotiate with a man bent on your destruction! There is no alternative open to us but to fight it out to the last!

We will go to where they live and where they slaughter, and we will destroy them!

This is the day we end their delusions of Empire!

This is the day we correct the course of human history!

This is the day that we ensure the survival of freedom and liberty across the world!

We defeated these madmen before, and we will do it again!

Soldiers of the ANZAC, my fellow defenders of freedom, go forth, and bring back the hope of humanity!

God bless you all!  God bless Australia! God bless New Zealand!

[DKrol]

The Prime Minister will introduce a motion in the House of Commons withdrawing Canada from the League of Nations. The Prime Minister will lambast the League of Nations as unfit for purpose, citing the inability of the League to act on matters of grave international security. He will argue that Canada remaining in the League is a mockery to Canada’s global standing, as well as tying Canada’s hands in its ability to respond to its own security matters. The Prime Minister will argue that he has tried to reform the League from within and the body is structurally unable to function or even consider necessary reforms.

[LAKISYLVANIA]

Speech by Mikhail Tukhachevsky



Comrades of the Soviet Union, it is with great disappointment that I must address the situation in Romania. Despite our efforts to liberate the Romanian people from the grip of fascism, we have found that the supposed leaders of their nation are more interested in their own selfish interests than the welfare of their own people.

King Carol of Romania has proven to be a weak and ineffective leader, one who has allowed the German forces to commit heinous crimes against the Romanian people, including the use of gas to kill innocent civilians. And yet, he has made no attempt to condemn these atrocities or seek justice for those affected.

It is clear that King Carol does not care about the people of Romania, nor does he have the strength or the courage to stand up to the Germans and defend his own people. We must not let his incompetence and lack of leadership stand in the way of our mission to bring freedom and justice to the Romanian people.

Therefore, I call upon all of you, my comrades, to stand with us in our efforts to liberate Romania from the grip of fascism and to hold King Carol accountable for his failure to lead and protect his own people. Together, we can ensure that the people of Romania receive the freedom and justice that they deserve.