The Socialism Mod

[unmerged(78703)]

I was irritated by those multiple smaller and bigger ahistorical Soviet events there exist in Hearts of Iron 2. Not only events but also names of Soviet
ministers and leaders were something rather weird. I was able to find names written by five or six different transliteration methods from Swedish to different international methods. These problems in Vanilla made me to create this mod.

The Socialism Mod aims to add historical accuracy for socialist nations of the period of Hearts of Iron 2: Armageddon. Obviously it concentrates on

Soviet Union, the most powerfull socialist nation during this period and ever. There is of course the historical line with great number of events but there are also some ahistorical lines most remarkable being events for dismissing Stalin in the 18th Party Congress in 1939. But there isn't anything too ahistorical like Trotsky returning and starting civil war or some bizarre fascist coup in Soviet Union in '36.

This is the first version (0.1) of The Socialism Mod. It includes about 200 events for Soviet Union. These events mainly concentrate on modeling the Stalinist purge in Soviet Union at the end of 30's making it much more historically accurate than in Vanilla that had miraculous amount of one event
for the purge. In 1939 there is possibility to replace Stalin in certain conditions. Also transliteration of Russian names has been standardized. All
names should be now transliterated by standard English method that can be found here: Rules of Wikipedia. There is only one exception: letter ё (yo) is transliterated as o after letters ж (zh), ч (ch), ш (sh) and щ (shch).

What's been changed in version 0.1:
- added over 200 events with descriptions and pictures for Soviet Union
- deleted some random events
- added and/or adjusted ministers of Soviet Union, Mongolia, Tannu Tuva, Finland, Estonia and Hungary
- changed some minister pictures
- adjusted military leaders of Soviet Union
- corrected translitteration of Soviet ministers, Soviet leaders, Soviet tech teams, Soviet models, Soviet units, Soviet armies and Russian placenames
- adjusted some Soviet naval models and added/changed some of their pictures

Download version 0.1 here:
http://files.filefront.com/socialismrar/;13932598;/fileinfo.html

Please tell if you find any bugs or problems with events or if you consider some event or event lines poorly designed.

What will be probably seen in version 0.2:
- events for Mongolia and Tannu Tuva
- Soviet industralization events (2nd and 3rd five-year plans)
- Soviet foreign policy till June 1941
- Events for Winter War and Communist Finland
- Extension of event lines in which Stalin is replaced

Enlarge image
"There have not been and there are not better dummies"

 

[Inner Circle]

I´ve downloaded this...

I´ll test it during weekend and give a feedback then!

 

[unmerged(118146)]

Have you ever tought on putting Soviet defeat events? Like the fall of Moscow or things like that??
By the way, good work fellow.

 

[Andcus]

or even better.. how about working on a World Revolution set of events?
Where the SU declares war on nations and either annex them or turn them into Socialist states?

 

[unmerged(106640)]

Excellent work, thank you

 

[Amallric]

Oh my god...this poster is SO creepy :wacko:

 

[Akaki]

Are the purges still random? Like, Zhukov can die and stuff? Cause with all the Stalin's bloodlust, they weren't random. And in game terms, it just sucks to find out that Novikow died and yet he's still a tech-team...

 

[Mrdie]

Cause with all the Stalin's bloodlust, they weren't random.

Stalin didn't always hold direct control over the purges. I do however think that those that were likely to be purged (Tukhachevsky, etc.) should probably be purged and that the chances of Zhukov or other random leaders being purged should be significantly less likely. It isn't like Stalin is going to look at some NKVD file on a leader with it saying "Comrade, grew up in the revolution from a poor peasant/worker family, fights for socialism" and then Stalin going "Ah-hah! An ex-Tsarist vulnerable to reaction and treachery! Purge."

 

[unmerged(54271)]

We/you should improve the Spanish Civil War... Suprisingly unrealistic that Catalonia isn't independent as an anarchistic/libertarian socialist state.

 

[Amallric]

Are the purges still random? Like, Zhukov can die and stuff? Cause with all the Stalin's bloodlust, they weren't random. And in game terms, it just sucks to find out that Novikow died and yet he's still a tech-team...

Zhukov's death is annoying in game but realistic. Zhukov was noone in 1938, he just survived because nobody cared about him. His first successful engagement was Khalkin-Gol. Budenny and Voroshilov repressed would be really wierd indeed, but I never saw them die.

 

[unmerged(54271)]

or even better.. how about working on a World Revolution set of events?
Where the SU declares war on nations and either annex them or turn them into Socialist states?

Kind of unrealistic for Stalin to do something like that, but if Trotskij came back and suceeds with a coup it would definently be an option. (since the difference betweeen Trotskij and Stalin was that Trotskij wanted the revolution to go worldwide and Stalin was more of a national socialist (lol))

 

[Mrdie]

(since the difference betweeen Trotskij and Stalin was that Trotskij wanted the revolution to go worldwide and Stalin was more of a national socialist (lol))

Not really. Stalin believed that socialism could be built in a single country and that socialism would be achieved on a country-by-country basis until worldwide revolution (which was also Lenin's position, I can happily give quotes). Trotsky believed that the USSR was too backwards to achieve much and that it was necessary for worldwide revolution to avoid capitalist encirclement leading to the demise of the USSR.

Also by 1936 Trotsky had virtually no chance at coming back unless Stalin was indeed couped, but by Fourth International types (which again, would not happen). Bukharin was actually more popular within the USSR at this point. All other situations where Trotsky could be allowed to return would not have him be in a leading position, these are a whopping two options: Pro-Bukharin types force Stalin to resign via magic (Bukharin would lead), or Germans forces deal a crushing blow to the USSR and install Trotsky as a puppet (which was what the USSR purge trials claimed would happen) which I seriously doubt they'd ever do (and actual evidence for Trotsky clamoring for such isn't very reliable, obviously) since although Trotsky had hopes for coming back due to WWII, it was more like "both the Soviet Union and German governments would be overthrown by the workers and the Fourth International shall pick up the pieces," (which was idealistic instead) plus I can't see the Germans wanting such a figure to lead said puppet at all. They'd probably just force the USSR to disband and have Tukhachevsky (or someone similar with a history of admiring Hitler/Germany) leading a puppet Russia.

So basically according to my above conclusions, Trotsky's never coming back to the USSR. I can see Trotsky coming to power in Mexico if it somehow had a revolution though, and of course assuming Stalin doesn't order Trotsky's assassination.

 

[Amallric]

I disagree. Trotzky's return would be ahistorical, but not impossible. Lots of people in the communist party supported Trotzky. In january 1936 we are before the beginning of the great purge. The most powerful allies of Trotzky, Zinoviev and Kamenev, are still alive, although imprisoned. Stalin could be eliminated by a vote of the party opposition(probably the right wing rather than the left wing in 1936, you're right) which still existed back then. After that, a struggle for power between the right-wing(Bukharin) and the rehabilitated Trotzky, Kamenev and Zinoviev could take place. I think that Trotzky, the hero of the Civil War, would have good chances of victory against Bukharin. Also I think that Germans would never put Trotzky as leader of a puppet governement, rather some fascist/nationalist guy. Trotzky, if he had to come to power, would do anything to make revolution in Germany which has always been his main aim.

 

[unmerged(88606)]

I agree with you fully Amallric. Although very improbable considering Stalin's hold on power in OTL. An event bring Trotsky back would be well placed if the Opposition is in existence and strong or if the purges don't go through and Stalin doesn't have power. The surviving Old Bolsheviks, no longer fearing for the lives, would likely call back their old friends, including Trotsky. Although I must say other ideas of a civil war or German involvement are just ridiculous, even for a ahistorical scenario. But I will agree with others in that, even with Trotsky back, he likely won't jump into heading the party and the state. Stalin after all had spent years spreading propaganda around the country and the world. To suddenly have him heading the confused masses so quickly would probably lead to some more political crisis. The main political aim of any new Soviet leadership would be the reversal of Stalin's numerous lies. That of course would take some time.

 

[Mrdie]

I disagree. Trotzky's return would be ahistorical, but not impossible. Lots of people in the communist party supported Trotzky. In january 1936 we are before the beginning of the great purge. The most powerful allies of Trotzky, Zinoviev and Kamenev, are still alive, although imprisoned. Stalin could be eliminated by a vote of the party opposition(probably the right wing rather than the left wing in 1936, you're right) which still existed back then. After that, a struggle for power between the right-wing(Bukharin) and the rehabilitated Trotzky, Kamenev and Zinoviev could take place.

By 1936 Stalin was pretty much guaranteed power over Bukharin and co. in the case of votes. Trotskyism was seen as a foreign thing (e.g. accusations of spying, sabotage, etc.) whereas Bukharinism was seen as an internal thing, because Trotsky was in exile (and most of his followers were outside of the USSR) whereas Bukharin was building up his own base of support within the USSR and CPSU.

I think that Trotzky, the hero of the Civil War, would have good chances of victory against Bukharin.

I rather doubt Trotsky and Bukharin would engage in a civil war.

The surviving Old Bolsheviks, no longer fearing for the lives, would likely call back their old friends, including Trotsky.

Bukharin and Trotsky worked together in New York during early 1917 for a bit, and yes Bukharin probably would call Trotsky, but both did disagree with each other, Trotsky called Bukharin a rightist (although he basically called him a martyr after Stalin killed Bukharin), etc. People act as if the Old Bolsheviks (Stalin was one of them, having joined in 1905 whereas Trotsky joined in 1917) were ideologically the same, when in reality each one had numerous differences. Zinoviev and Kamenev were condemned by Lenin for their events during 1917, Lenin recorded in his notebooks that same year that Trotsky was still saying that his followers "must not be demanded to recognise Bolshevism" (Leon Trotsky, Mezhrayontsi conference, May 1917, quoted in Lenin, Miscellany IV, Russ. ed., p. 303.) and so on prior to him joining the Bolsheviks a few months later. In contrast, Stalin was one of the few figures that never really had a tarnished record, ergo it was pretty easy for Stalin to use Trosky's ex-Menshevism, etc. against him whereas few could dig up anything against Stalin.

There were also incidents of Lenin condemning Trotsky even post-1917 (which Stalin used to his advantage), like "If you are unable to adapt yourself, if you are not inclined to crawl on your belly in the mud, you are not a revolutionary but a chatterbox; and I propose this, not because I like it, but because we have no other road, because history has not been kind enough to bring the revolution to maturity everywhere simultaneously." (Lenin, Political Report of the CC to the Extraordinary Seventh Congress of the RCP(B), March 7 1918, Collected Works, Vol 27). Also, "The Russians were shocked by what was demanded of them in the aftermath of [the Brest-Litovsk] meeting. Trotsky threw up his hands, telling the Germans that he would never agree to what they wanted and urging Lenin to adopt a 'no war, no peace' policy in which Russia would neither continue to fight nor agree to Germany's terms... The Ukrainian capital of Kiev fell to the Germans on March 1. Trotsky, furious, said that Russia should rejoin the Entente and resume the war. Lenin, fearing the capture of Petrograd and the destruction of his fledgling regime, moved his government to Moscow and said no." (Meyer, G.J. A World Undone: The Story of the Great War: 1914-1918. New York: Bantam Dell, 2006., p. 619-20.)

Although I must say other ideas of a civil war or German involvement are just ridiculous, even for a ahistorical scenario.

Correct.

 

[unmerged(54271)]

I think you should ask yourself the question; What WOULD of happened if Trotsky got the power instead of Stalin? Personally I think that we would of seen a more agressive Soviet Union, more likely to start wars and coup nations to spread the worldwide revolution. Maybe Soviet would of started WW2 in that case... Who knows.*

But everything doesn't come with glamour and the negative part is sadly at that time there were alot of racial prejudices against jews except Hitlers babble. And that would of just probably add on the nazi conspiration that communism just were a jewish invention for some bad reasons, and maybe even make it a major opinion, making it harder for Trotsky and other Communist leaders to spread the revolution?

A chain of events for Germany about propaganda against communism maybe? I can't really figure out what the effects should be, but It's just an idea.

Another question if this Is just going to be like a Comintern Improvement Pack (I know It's in an early stage) or really treat other countries and conflicts as well. As I said before SCW needs a major improvement (I dunno if that already exists). Also you could take a look at Latin America and maybe Brazil, since just Brazil got a foretaste to turn LWR in HoI. I've got a book about how the social class arose in Brazil from a socialist perspective, so I'f you think It's a good idea I can look into that (or you could just ask an brazilian, lol).

My last suggestion is the possibility of changing the sliders. Leninist > Trotskyist, Left Wing Radical > Libertarian Socialist (In case SCW got improved), and Stalinist > something... else.

I would also love to help out to mod this but since I've started playing this game now for the first time in like 1½ years I've forgot about quite everything about modding.

*Apparently I'm not as well-read about everything and all the conflicts in Soviet, so that is just a shallow impression that I've got. So correct me If im wrong.

 

[Amallric]

By 1936 Stalin was pretty much guaranteed power over Bukharin and co. in the case of votes.

Of course. But I believe that for the game we shall also consider ahistorical options. What if Bukharine and some others managed to build a strong opposition instead of what happened historically when Stalin basically exploited the ideological divergences between the factions to serve his own interest?

Trotskyism was seen as a foreign thing (e.g. accusations of spying, sabotage, etc.) whereas Bukharinism was seen as an internal thing, because Trotsky was in exile (and most of his followers were outside of the USSR) whereas Bukharin was building up his own base of support within the USSR and CPSU.

It was the stalinist propaganda that turned trotzkyism in a "foreign thing", and it took some time and especially the great purges to convince the population about that. Remember, even if he was fully aware of the danger that Troztky represented for him, Stalin didn't dare to kill him until the late 30(and even then it had to be done by an assassin, not in a public trial). Trotzky had so many followers in the party at some point that only Stalin only managed to beat him by taking extreme risks - and thanks to Zinoviev's stupidity.

I rather doubt Trotsky and Bukharin would engage in a civil war.

I never said that. I said Troztky was an hero of the Civil War. His organisational abilities and determination should not be underestimated. Was Bukharine really much more popular than Trotzky, especially among the population? I wouldn't be so categorical.

[...]People act as if the Old Bolsheviks (Stalin was one of them, having joined in 1905 whereas Trotsky joined in 1917) were ideologically the same, when in reality each one had numerous differences.[...]

You're missing my point. I am well aware of the existence of different factions between the "old bolscheviks"(or, which would be more accurate, the non-stalinist party members). I'm not saying "Bukharine and Trotzky were good friends, so once Bukharine had couped Stalin he will just invite Troztky to offer him the Soviet Union as welcome gift". No. What I'm saying is that a man like Bukharine would probably not have the requiered abilities to annihililate any opposition and create a totalitarian regime like Stalin did. He certainly would be unable(and probably unwilling, too) to shut down the "party democracy". And in such a system, a competition between different factions would be possible. The leading faction(assuming stalinists are out) would be the Right wing(Bukharine, Rykov), just as you said. However, I do not see why Trotzky couldn't create and lead another faction, for instance allying with Kamenev and Zinoviev as he did before, struggle against Bukharine(I do NOT mean a civil war but political struggle inside the party), and possibly win.

 

[unmerged(54271)]

Don't go too off topic!

 

[unmerged(88606)]

Your right Mrdie that not all the Old Bolsheviks were of the same political orientation. Trotsky formed the Left, Bukharin the Right, Zinoviev, Kamenev and Stalin the so called "Center" then tended to zig-zag from Left to Right and so forth depending on the political situation of the day, with many others aligning behind this or that Opposition or just following Stalin's lead. But to suggest that Stalin didn't have a tarnished record prior to Lenin's death is misleading as Stalin was centered out by a dying Lenin to be removed from his post within the Central Committee, maybe even the party. While Lenin was sick and dying he got to know Stalin quite personally as Stalin had volunteered to act as his secretary. Lenin come to view Stalin as ruthless, rude and conniving as witnessed by the way he treated Lenin's wife among other things. Lenin wrote such things down, however with Stalin in such a prized location looking after a confined Lenin, he could pick and choose what was released from his house. Had Lenin been physically stronger, he would have surely condemned Stalin in the upcoming Congress. Such things are known from Nadya, Lenin's wife, as well as from Lenin's Testament (a testament that should be noted, trashed every leading Party figure, but would have harmed Stalin the most as his removal was the only practical suggestion in the document). The only reason the truth wasn't released was because Stalin had already formed an alliance with Bukharin, Zinoviev and Kamenev against Trotsky and the Left Opposition and had firm control over the bureaucracy of the Party. In a short period of time the Left Opposition was crashed, Nadya isolated, the Testament silenced, Zinoviev and Kamenev removed then arrested, followed shortly by Bukharin, and then finally all of them killed in Stalin's massive and horrific purges. Now if we imagine that it's the 30's and Bukharin, Zinoviev and Kamenev along with the others have been caste aside and know what to expect from Stalin and his new ring of allies and supporters, there is a very real chance they would have extended their hands out to their old friend (and at times rival) Trotsky along with other Left Oppositionists, not in political unity but rather in another united Opposition. As I mentioned before, this would be nothing like inviting Trotsky to come head the whole revolutionary state the next day, but it would mean a reconvening of the Partiy's Old Guard (minus Stalin).

 

[unmerged(88606)]

My apologies for beating this subject to death.
I'm very impressed by how quickly we've filled this page up.
Anyways, as Amallic and myself suggest we would just like to see the possibility of other situations involving Trotsky and the Left Opposition come about. As the lovely thing about this mod is the ability to choose your path you won't be forced to do anything you don't want to, either for historical or political reasons. I hope you agree with that.