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Second Lieutenant
Mar 2, 2003
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The Pride of the Empire (a UK AAR)

Well, this is my first attempt at an AAR, so please let me know how I'm doing.

The storyline picks up in the second post. First post is more of an introduction.

I will update as I play. I am playing with Stony Road, Hard/Normal, and the year is 1936...

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January, 1936
Following the devastating losses of the Great War, an extensive research program was established, focused primarily on land technologies, including infantry, armour, doctrines, artillery, as well as industrial advancements that will maximize industrial output in the years to come. Three destroyer groups were ordered for construction with the intention of protecting the Empire's numerous convoy routes. Additionally, a fleet of cruisers and one battleship were sent to Singapore to protect the colonies (with their extensive resource output) from any future enemies.

July, 1936
The Spanish Civil War has begun. Seeing the devastation caused by German bombings in support of the Nationalists, the United Kingdom decided to isolate itself from the conflict and refused to send any sort of material aid.
In the same month, Fascist Italy annexed the inferior African forces of Ethiopia, thereby expanding its Empire and causing worry about the UK's African assets among British politicians.

May, 1937
Neville and his conservative party are elected to office.

October, 1937
Nationalist Spain wins the horrifying civil war, which had been raging for over a year. As a result of its negligence a year earlier, the UK now faced yet another ideaological enemy, a Fascist Spain.

March, 1938
Early in the month, Germany annexes Austria, in what many people called an inevitable Anschluss. After all, the extent of German forces built up on the Austrain border left Germany's southern neighbor with no choice but to capitulate. Hungry for more, Germany demanded numerous provinces from its neighbor
Czechslovakia. These demands were eventually met with open hands in October of the same year, when Czechslovakia ceded its territories and at the same time joined the axis. Recognizing the danger of a fascist Eastern Europe, the United Kingdom began use its diplomatic influence to prevent Romania from falling into the Axis' hands.

July, 1938
As a result of increased tensions on mainland Europe, Chamberlain ordered the beginning of his Military Expansion Program. The program was started with 9 infantry divisions, each containing Engineer brigades, that would be sent to guard the French mainland from any possible hostile German actions.

November, 1938
The first phase of Neville's MEP was completed, and 3 armies were sent, as previously promised, to aid French defenses. Only a short while later, in December, Germany guaranteed that it would respect Benelux neutrality. Perhaps the fear of a war in the West was a false call...

March, 1939
Germany claims the territory of Memel, thereby adding to the already increasing tensions with the UK and France.

September, 1939
Germany demands Danzig from Poland, threatening war if the fascist power's demands are not met. Poland, recognizing the superioity of the German armed forces, gave in and ceded Danzig.

December, 1939
France, appalled by continuous German hostilities, declared war on the Axis, much to the surprise of its British allies. Seemingly, this declaration of war surprised the Germans just as much as it did the United Kingdom, for the Wehrmacht was forced to hastingly send its infantry and armoured divisions from the Polish border to the French, Belgium, and Dutch borders.

In the following few months...
Germany began an extensive program to attack the UK's convoys around the English channel and Gibraltar. Luckily this problem could be dealt with, to a certain extent, with the destroyer escorts that had been constructed in '36 already.

January, 1940
Soon after the Allies' declaration of war, Germany threw its guarantee of Benelux neutrality out of the window, with Hitler claiming that it was a result of "French hostility". The war in the West had begun.

February, 1940
Only a month or so after the beginning of the war, Luxembourg was already annexed by Germany, following an 8-division army invasion by the Wehrmacht. Emergency tank reserves were released by the UK, sending them in 3-division armies to the French mainland. At the same time, the German conquest of the
Netherlands had begun, with Germany taking the first province in a matter of 1 week. The English Engineer Infantry armies were sent to Belgium to halt a possible invasion by the Germans, for surely they had enough sense not to attack the Maginot line.

September, 1940
After a long stalemate, and a much needed troop buildup by both sides, Belgium led an assault force into Koeln, with the support of French expeditionary infantry divisions. The battle seemed pretty even until the UK hurried in its tank reserves and added the much needed firepower to win the battle. And so, Koeln was claimed by Belgium. Only shortly thereafter, the encircled army in Luxembourg was attacked form three directions by British tank divisions, causing the inevitable surrender of 80,000 or so Wehrmacht soldiers. It seemed as though the war was progressing in the Allies' favour, with the German conquest of the Netherlands also coming to a standstill. This called for a massive buildup of quick armoured divisions that could push through German defenses (about 10 divisions or so per province), and bring a quick end to this war.

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Well, that's it for now. Let me know what you think.
 
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Continuation

Well, after reading many other AARs, I decided to add more of a storyline to mine. Hopefuly it'll make it more enjoyable. Please give me some feedback (don't be scared to be honest)!

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September-December, 1940
The increasing buildup of forces on both sides of the border caused a stalemate that was to last for almost half a year.

January 28, 1941
Today marked the creation of the VII Corps, under General Alanbrooke. The VII Corps was to become the pride of the Empire's armed forces. Six infantry divisions, supported by the extra firepower of three armoured divisions, was to lead the Allies' first major offensive of the war: an inland drive into Germany. Morale was as high as could be, Alanbrooke was described by his soldiers as "a bloody genious", and due to the fact that the war had been turning in the Allies' favour, the British public remained at ease.

alanbrooke.jpeg

General Alanbrooke

January 30, 1941
As the troops of the VII Corps marched proudly and surely to the front lines, Alanbrooke had meanwhile travelled back to London to consult with Chamberlain and his miltary staff. As Alanbrooke entered the room, all rose. As discussions about offensive strategies commenced, Sir Montgomery Massingberd, the UK's Chief of Staff and Army, soon made clear that his intentions were different than those of Alanbrooke. Nonetheless, he remained calm as the General made his presentation:

"What we have here, gentlemen," pointing to a map, "is the Rhine River, the natural boundary between Southern Germany and France. The city of Freiburg and surrounding regions, right across this river, is being garrisoned by a mere 2 German infantry divisions. According to intelligence reports, fortifications are still in the process of construction, and in their current state would not provide the anmount of protection that the Germans desire. What I propose is a push into Freiburg with the VII Corps through Colmar, supported by armour from the 5th Corps, who would arrive slightly from the North, through Strasbourg. Capturing Freiburg would allow us to pour reinforcements into the German mainland without having to fear attack by the largest parts of the Wehrmacht, which are concentrated farther North, particularly on the Dutch border. This would then allow us to push northward and encircle the remaining German divisions along the Belgian, French, and Dutch borders."

Sir Montgomery rose and offered his response:

"What you forget, my dear Alanbrooke, is that we want to make this offensive quick and clean. Imagine the public's response if our troops get caught by a German counter offensive in Freiburg, failing to push northwards, or if they even failed to cross the Rhine, particularly in the hilly terrain surrounding Freiburg. For that reason my response is, quite simply, no. We will push quickly to the West, through our already established foothold on Koeln, and using our armoured units, we will reach Berlin within a month."

"But sir-" started Alanbrooke.

"It is final, this conversation is done. Alanbrooke, I will trust your judgement in determing a proper launch period for our offensive. However, I do wish to start this before May comes around. Dismissed."

"Damned fool," whispered Alanbrooke to his aid as they left the room. Early the next morning, he caught a ferry to France and rejoined his troops.

February 28, 1941
As the sun rose, the men of the VII Corps finally reached their campgrounds near Koeln, following an exhausting march through the Ardennes, into Brussels, and then into the first German soil claimed by the Allies in the war. As soon as his HQ was set up, Alabrooke called Lieutenant General Bond, who was to support the VII's offensive with his army of 30,000 men. They were to move in to Essen simultaneously with the VII Corps, thereby forcing the Germans to defend two different lines. Hearing that Bond's men were ready and eager to go, Alanbrooke decided that as soon as the snow storms cleared and the ice melted, he would begin the first phase of his offensive.

March 1, 1941
Snow falling steadily around his tent, Alabrooke sent an urgent wire to Lt. Bond. It read:

METEOROLOGISTS CLAIM CLEARUP NEXT WEEK. AWAIT ORDERS

March 6, 1941
And, in fact, the meteorologists were right. As the sun pounded the snow covered grounds for the third day in a row, Alanbrooke made a rendezvous with Bond for the city of Essen in the morning of the 11th.

"I'll see you soon," he proclaimed.

Meanwhile, a new 3-division armoured Army, under Lt. General Christison was on its way form the UK to the French/German border.

March 8, 1941
Early in the morning of the 8th, Bond wired Alanbrooke, claiming that due to the Dutch anticipation of a German invasion, many roads had been blocked, and so he would have to delay his rendezvous with the VII by 3 days.

March 9, 1941
Alanbrooke looked in shock at the reports that landed in his hands. Snow was reportedly falling once again over Essen. Considering what it would do to the men's morale and desire to fight, he disregarded notions from his aides to delay the attack once more. And so they marched on...

March 12, 1941
Back in London, Chamberlain jumped with joy when he received the news that the US' Lend-Lease Act shipments had finally arrived.

March 14, 1941
And the battle begins...

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What's kind of funny here, is that I was actually planning on using the tactics proposed by Alanbrooke, but after writing the dialogue between him and the Chief of Army, I was forced to launch this suicidal offensive.
 
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I'm watching this with a special interest, since I'm currently playing the Brits myself. You seem to be doing quite nicely. :)
 
I like the introduction of the story line to your AAR. I lookforward to hearing how your battle went
 
And the battle:
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March 14, 1941
At the break of dawn, Alanbrooke and his VII Corps began their much anticipated assault on the region of Essen. Fortunately, the terrain was primarily flatlands, thereby preventing any further complications that could have arisen in conjunction with the ice that had built up over the past two days. Despite the ice, Alanbrooke remained confident in the ability of his men, and with the added support coming from the North, he remained confident, despite the intelligence reports of the German's recent technological advancements in the field.

As the battle commenced, it soon became clear that the day was turning in the German's favour. Icey grounds prevented advances by the 11th, 79th, and the 100th Armoured divisions. A lack of anti-tank brigades rendered the remaining infantry divisions near useless against the heavy German Panzer divisions. After three long days of fighting, it became clear to Bond and Alanabrooke that a break through could not be achieved, especially in this weather. Throughout the course of the first day alone, 12,000 men had become casualties, primarily in wave after wave of assault troops who were mowed down by German MG nests. Additionally, the superior German artillery, having had a chance to dig in, continuously rained down shells on the British troops, demoralizing even Alanbrooke himself. And so, Alanbrooke called the retreat. But this did not stop the Germans. Cold-blooded scouts massacred troops upon retreat, inflicting almost 2,000 post-combat casualties.

As both the VII Cops and Bond's 1st Corps reached campground in Koeln, casualty reports came pouring in. 11,684 dead or missing, 15,129 wounded. German casualties were estimated at merely 2,000 or so. Alanbrooke sighed, and wondered whether this was the end of the short lived pride of his VII Corps. Surely Montgomery had to reconsider his plan now, for another assault on German entrenchments in Essen would be suicide.

March 19, 1941
Lt. Christison and his men had recently received orders that they would be reinforcing their comrades of the VII Corps at the German front. Having heard nightmares about German brutality, the men were at low morale, despite not yet having seen any combat.
 
Britain, ofcourse, is my favourite nation (as I am British-note my name) and I must say that this is a very interesting British AAR indeed.


Looking forward to the next update:)
 
Frankie: Thanks. This is actually my first "real" game as the UK, so I don't really know myself how it's going to turn out.

Exterous: Thanks, good to know somebody is enjoying this!;)

Lord British: Next update coming soon! I'm not much of a history buff, so I appologize if some (or a lot) of what I say doesn't seem truely British, but I'm doing the best I can!:D
 
March 21, 1941
"Give me an update on our reinforcements," said Alanbrooke to his aide, Sgt. Coldwell.

"Well, sir, all divisions have been reinforced to full strength, only by the Empire's finest. Of course it won't be same for the others, fighting side by side with strangers. With all due respect sir, Montgomery seems to be completely thick-headed, ordering an attack like he did. And since Freiburg was strengthened nearly a month ago, we can't even use your original plan as an alternative."

Back in London, the Polish ambassador to the UK kindly refused the British invitation into its so far Western alliance. "Though we are confident in our armed forces, we do not think that a war would go well with the people. But then again, since when have we cared about the people?" The ambassador snickered. "Anyway, it seems as though the Russians have stationed over one million men along our border. Should a war come, we will need as many troops as possible to put an end to Russian aggression swiftly."

"Damned Poles," muttered Anthony Eden, British Foregin Minister, as the ambassador left the room.

March 24, 1941
Alanbrooke was awoken by the sound of a ringing phone. "What could possibly be so important?", he asked himself as he looked at his watch. It was three in the morning.

"My appologies for waking you at such an early hour, Sir, but I think you will want to hear this." It was First Lieutenant Yorkshire, head of the VII Corps' intelligence service. "We have reports coming in from field agents that the German army of almost 100,000 men that was recently sent to reinforce Freiburg is moving out. They seem to be in quite a hurry, moving towards the city of Stuttgart. We don't know if this could be the first phase of a counter offensive, but whatever the cause, it leaves Freiburg very vulnerable."

"Thank you, John." Alanbrooke hung up the phone, got out of bed, and rushed to his HQ. "To hell with Montgomery. I'll show him how we will win this war."

As Alanbrooke drew out preliminary plans for an offensive in Freiburg, Coldwell entered the room and briefed him on the readiness of the troops. "You do realize that Montgomery isn't going to like this," he said after he finished his briefing. "Well, my dear Coldwell, I'm not fighting this war to earn a place in the Chief's heart. If he doesn't like what I do, so be it, but I'm going to win us this war."

Alanbrooke's plan called for an early morning invasion of Freiburg and surrounding regions, as detailed in his presentation two months earlier. He ordered the restationing of his Army in Colmar, and requested support from Lt. Gen. Bucknall and his armoured divisions, who would launch an attack from Strasbourg.

Intelligence Report, April 3, 1941
ATTN: Sir Montgomery Massingberd, Chief of Staff, Chief of Army
Movement behind enemy lines has been increasing in the past few days. German, Hungarian, and Czech divisions are being repositioned all across the Allied-German border. This high level of troop movements may be indicative of some sort of planned offensive. I recommend keeping armies on high level of alert.
-Sir Hugh Sinclair


April 4, 1941
"Please send note to Alanbrooke that he is to keep his troops on high alert, and make plans for the possibility of reinforcing any neighbouring armies in the case of a German assault." These were Montgomery's instructions to his aid, who nodded his head and then left the room.
 
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April 5, 1941
Alanbrooke stared at Montgomery's note in disbelief. To make matters worse, Freiburg had been reinforced once again, so the attack was called off. Bucknall and his armour would remain in Strasbourg, in order to be in striking distance should the German defenses become so vulnerable once again. The VII Corps, however, was on its way back to Köln.

Montgomery received news of Alanbrooke's expedition just before he left office that evening. He was appalled at Alanbrooke's decision to take matters into his own hands, and worried by the fact that if the Germans would attack Köln within the next few days, the French militia, currently on defense, would collapse. He ordered Alanbrooke to contact him as soon as he got access to his phone at his Köln HQ.

April 6, 1941
"Sir, this is Alanbrooke, reporting from Köln. Contact with local militia has been established in order to co-ordinate defenses in the case of an assault."

"Glad to hear. Now, why don't you tell me about your little excursion. The one that you didn't find important enough to notify me about, despite the fact that you moved 90,000 men off of our front lines, dangerously exposing us to the might of the Wehrmacht."

Alanbrooke explained his plans, and offered his justification. Montgomery was infuriated. He ordered Alanbrooke's immediate return to London in order to face a military court for what he had done. The VII Corps lost its well respected leader, the leader that had lead it into its first combat. Everyone was confident that Alanbrooke could not be replaced, for his personal values set him aside from other equal ranking officers. But it came as no surprise that General Alexander would come as Alanbrooke's replacement. His extensive experience with the logistics of warfare were an added benefit that the VII Corps had not enjoyed under the leadership of Alanbrooke. Montgomery, however, realized the value of such a skilled General such as Alanbrooke, and therefore made sure that he would not be convicted, and would be able to return to some sort of command later on.

April 7, 1941
Montgomery's morning intelligence report indicated that there may be yet another lapse in German defenses in Freiburg. Though the VII Corps would probably not be able to reach the lines in time, Bucknall and his armour, as well as six British infantry divisions, were stationed right across the border. Should the Germans make the mistake of pulling out defenses once again, they will pay, he decided. Perhaps Alanbrooke's plan wasn't so bad after all. He notified Alanbrooke of his decision, and promised that if the offensive does materialize and turns out well, Alanbrooke will once again receive a commanding position.

In the meantime, Bucknall's 5th Corps, and the newly formed, six-division 11th Corps, were placed on the highest level of alert. Should the orders form the High Command come in, they were ready to begin their assault.

April 12, 1941
The orders to attack Freiburg were issued, based on the withdrawal of nine German divisions into more Northern regions. What remained were two infantry divisions, as well as a Panzer division. It would take a while for the 11th Corps to move so many men, vehicles, and supplies to the front, so an April 19th rendezvous date was established. Montgomery and the rest of the Western world could only hope that the Germans would not pick up on the troop movements, for a reinforced Freiburg would means suicide for the Brits.

April 16, 1941
Heavy rainfall was reported above the regions of Strasbourg and Freiburg. The offensive, however, continued.

April 19, 1941
In the early morning hours, Bucknall's 5th Corps reached enemy lines, and were surprised by the presence of a second German Panzer division, which had not been reported by intelligence. The first few hours of combat, before sunlight, went in the German's favour. But it was only a matter of hours before the infantry would rush in from the South, surprising the Germans and forcing them to re-establish defense lines. The break of dawn would also allow the British armour to fight much more effectively, despite the infrared night vision technologies that had only recently been implemented.

At approximately 1 PM, the 11th Corps met the German lines in Freiburg. Though day light would only last a few hours longer, the Germans were caught with complete surprise, their organization being respectively low. At this time, Bucknall, whose forces were meeting fierce resistance, order tactical bombing raids to further disrupt German defenses.

April 20, 1941
At 10 AM, one German armour division was reported to be retreating, due to being caught between the two British assaults. If this was any indication of what was to come, then the English had reason to be happy.

A few hours later, bombing squadrons were heard attacking the German defenses. Bucknall's requested air support had arrived.

In the early evening hours, troops cheered as they learned of the retreat of two further German divisions, both infantry who hadn't been stationed long enough to complete their entrenchments. Thus, their casualties would be huge if they didn't withdraw immediately.

As the 11th Corps secured Freiburg city, meeting little to no resistance, the 5th Corps continued its fierce firefight with the one remaining German Panzer division. By nightfall, the three British divisions combined had lost 41 tanks to the Germans, whose armour and anti-tank equipment seemed to be technologically superior.

April 21, 1941
At 2 PM British time, 3 PM at the front lines in Germany, Montgomery picked up his ringing phone.

"Yes?" he asked.

"Sir, reports have come in that the Germans have abandoned their defenses in Freiburg, and that the city and surrounding regions are in full British control."

"Thank you." And with that, he hung up the phone. So Alanbrooke had been right after all, in his assessment of German defenses.

Later in the day, Montgomery and his aides had a meeting to wrap up the battle in Freiburg and discuss how they would proceed. After covering casualties, which lay at around 5,600 dead, missing, or wounded, the men moved on to the bigger picture of the war.

Montgomery's intelligence aid started:
"Well, sir, reports indicate that the fall of German defenses in Freiburg has left the entire Southern region of the German mainland completely exposed. I assume that nobody expected such an assault from us, and thus no backup plans had been drawn up. My recommendation is that we send Sir Bucknall and his armour southwards towards Konstanz. If they reach the region early enough, they can secure it from any German attempts at reinforcement. This would be a big blow to the Germans, due to the industry and coal stockpiles located in this area."

"Fine then," responded Montgomery. "Have the 5th Corps secure Konstanz," he shouted across the room to an aid who left immediately and had the orders telegrammed to Bucknall.

Without having a chance to be reinforced with new tanks, equipment, and men, the 5th Corps received its orders to move out. Soldiers were woken, engines turned on, and soon enough the armoured divisions were on their way. It would take an estimated four days to reach and secure the area. "Let's just hope the Krauts don't get there before us," Bucknall was purportedly heard saying.
 
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April 25, 1941
The 5th Corps reached Konstanz at 9 AM, only to meet three divisions, including armour, who had been waiting for them (but not for very long, for they had apparently been caught in the process of unloading their supplies and establishing preliminary defense lines when the Brits arrived). As the British armour moved forward and assaulted the waiting Germans, Bucknall noticed the lack of German organization, as well as the poor quality of the Czech infantry that was aiding the Germans. Therefore, he ordered continuous artillery fire and tank assaults on German positions, even throughout the night, with the hope that a fierce preliminary battle would prevent the Germans form establishing a foothold, and thereby drive them out.

April 27, 1941
In the early afternoon, reports indicated that the Germans and their Czech allies were withdrawing. Montgomery jumped with joy as he heard of the news, saying to his secretary that "this could be the turning point of the war".

April 29, 1941
A German counter-attack in Konstanz was crushed. The four German infantry divisions had apparently been expecting to reinforce their comrades, and thus were surprised to meet the force of British armour.

May 5, 1941
Eleven French divisions arrived in Konstanz to support Bucknall with almost 90,000 militia and 20,000 regular infantry. Though the militia was not in any sort of considerable fighting condition, Bucknall was relieved to be reinforced, for the threat of a fierce German counter-attack was growing by the day.

uk1.JPG


May 6, 1941
"Please, have a seat" offered Montgomery to Alanbrooke as the two men entered his office. "I want to discuss the possibility of assigning you to a command position, and having all charges against you dropped. You were right about Freiburg, and I am indebted to you. Would you be willing to take me up on my offer of commanding the 11th Corps?"

"I appreciate your kind offer, sir, and accept it with open arms. The men in the 11th have proven to be fine soldiers, and I look forward to serving them." With that, Alanbrooke dismissed himself and made travel arrangements for immediate transfer to France, and then Germany.

May 7, 1941
Early in the evening, Bucknall was startled when an intelligence agent burst into his HQ, panting as though he had run for miles just to reach him. "What is it?" the commander asked.

"Sir, I have been ordered to pass you this note from intelligence Headquarters with extreme urgency."

"Thank you, dismissed." Bucknall opened the note:

250,000 GERMANS MARCHING TOWARDS KONSTANZ! EXPECT OFFENSIVE

His suspicions had been right after all, and the Germans were finally launching the much anticipated counter-attack. Bucknall had doubts about his ability to hold his lines, for the Germans would most likely open four different fronts, and the French militia could certainly not be counted on to hold any of them. Therefore, he made an urgent call to London, requesting any support he can get. The 11th Corps was sent in response. Perhaps Alanbrooke would see his first combat with his new unit. That is, unless he arrived too late.

May 10, 1941
As Alanbrooke entered Konstanz, he was surprised and alarmed by the lack of defensive preparations that were being undergone. He pulled up in his jeep next to Bucknall's HQ, entered the office, and demanded what was going on.

"It's good to see you again, Sir," started Bucknall. "You mustn't have any fear. The German offensive was called off. We assume that they received word of your arrival. Fools, if you ask me. They would have had us out of here within a matter of days."

"Well, I guess we can consider ourselves lucky. Since we don't have too much to worry about, I think I'm going to get some rest. That damned jeep of mine doesn't allow for the most comfortable sleeping, though I must say that these German Autobahns sure do offer a smooth ride!"
 
great AAR so far, just one question, do you have military control of the french, uit seems amazing to me that the AI would make a sensible decision like reinforcing you, they usually do the stupidest things.
 
Thanks for the commnets MuckyPup. I do not have military control over anybody. Surprisingly the French and the Belgians have reinforced every province that I have taken (although it has only been three so far). Both countries have built up huge numbers of militia divisions (France has over 100), which also seems to be keeping the Germans from attacking.

With that said, I am already abandoning my first AAR. Thanks to those who have read and even commented. The reason I am giving up on this one is the following:

Suspicious over my easy wins in the South, I decided to try an all out assault on the Germans, just throwing everything I have into every province, without much co-ordination. And, you know it, I won all battles. It was just a matter of 2 game months before I controlled all of Germany. I don't know why this happened, since my forces weren't particularly strong.

I have noticed that in several Stony Road games, the Germans build up their forces, but don't go on any sort of offensive. However, in one game that I play as the United States, the Germans went crazy (as they did in real life), munching up all of France and the rest of Europe within a matter of several months.

I don't know what's causing the German AI to do this. Anybody have any ideas?

I'm going to start a new game as Italy, and write an AAR afterwards (using my Game History), as long as the game doesn't end up too easy. I will try a harder difficulty setting this time, however.

Thanks again to verybody, and any comments about the AAR (writing style or organization) or German AI issue would be appreciated.
 
love the style but cant believe your giving up, i love this one!

oh well, ill read your next one!