Lithuanian AAR.

[Zardnaar]

Big Bear Problem (BBP)

This is my first real attempt at an AAR with pictures this time. For the most part I don't play micro powers but have had fun with New Zealand and Lithuania in recent weeks. I have something special planned and hopefully it hasn't been done before and isn't to gamey I have played numerous mini games over the last few days trying to figure out whats best for Lithuania's destiny. I'm playing straight out of the box Armageddon 1.1 from HoI Anthology.

I'll see what I can do with tiny Lithuania. My goals are.

1. Have fun
2. Go forth and pillage erm liberate
3. Survive the bear.

I have tried numerous starting strategies and slider moves and have allied with the Allies, Axis and Japan and tried to go it alone. Lithuania is stuck betwwen Nazi Germany and the USSR which will invade you in June 1940 or so if the Ribbentrop/Molotov treaty is signed. The easiest way to avoid this is to ally with Germany and DoW Poland before the pact is signed in late Aug39.

Howeverthis lets you survive but is very boring. The Germans will over take you and you don't really have the manpower to slog it out on the eastern front. You are an Axis poodle and the German AI sucks and odds are the Bear will eat you a few years later, or the Eagle comes from the beaches of Normandy.

Most of the Baltic region also have alliances so and early war vs Estonia and Lativa isn't fun and the Soviets may smack you down. Scandinavia and Denmark are always options but once again high risk of smackdown from everyone or your transports have to dodge destroyers and lt cruisers. Even if successful you have around 6 divisions or so and alot of provinces with high dissent.

The Allies don't seem to like you but you can bribe your way into their alliance. You will have to leave before the 30 August 1939 though and then the Bear eats you in 1940 if you don't become a German footstool. They may give you some blueprints but maybe not.

Japan make a great Alliance and give you good deals and free blue prints. You can even sail over their and gain experience in China. Your nice experienced troops may make it back to Lithuania just in time for the Bear to eat you. Or you stay in Asia and get smashed by the Americans later on-after the Bear has eaten you.

Lithuania has a BBP it seems. But I have a plan.

Armageddon 1.1
Normal Difficulty (I'm a newb and its Lithuania).
Tech Team Takeover On
Full IC takeover on.

I usually have the IC and Tech teams off. My excuse is I'm Lithuania- with a Big Bear Problem.

 

[Zardnaar]

It was a chilly winters day in Kaunas, and Jonas had a headache. It wasn't easy being Chief of Staff. He hasd just retuned from the forests in the east after an exciting day hunting bears. He had a less than pleasant cabinet meeting lined up.

Walking into the parliment buildings he had some disturbing thoughts. The the east the Soviets hordes were a constant threat and Lithuania had only recently gained independence from the Russian Empire and he had no desire to join the Soviet one. To the west a Bavarian corporal was rearming the Germans and seemed opposed to the Bolsheviks.Not that he trusted Herr Hitler as far as he could throw him and Jonas doubed he could even lift him.

He walked intoThe room and every eye turned upon him. Jonas announced "Greetings gentlemen thank you for taking time to see me. As you may no we find outselves surounded by hostile regimes of the Nazi and Communist menace. Even Poland has a dim view of us. Our army is small and outdated and is in no shape for any foreign adventures. All surrounding countries are in alliances or are to strong. Our nearby neighbours over the sea are either stronger than us or have guarantees of independence from the Germans, Soviets and the United Kingdom. A careful path we must walk. I suggest we act as diplomats and walk carefully amoung the giants".

"I have also taken the liberty of assigning one of our fine technical teams to improve our farming practices freeing up men for the army should we decide to expand later on. We are also workig on a 4 year plan for a centrally run economy. BTW Antanas we have also disbanded the airforce, sorry bout that old chap.

"Stasys how does the economy look and what can we do about it"?

As you can see Jonas our industry is currently producing various goods for export. As you can see we are short of energy, metal and money. We will require resources to gain influence and prestige over seas".

"Most of the world finds our rulership less than ideal but we have decent relations with the United Kingdom and Finland. After approaching the UK foreign office I have decided to accept this proposal".

"I will trade the excess energy in several smaller trades with countries such as Canada, Italy, Germany and espicially the USA. We do not wish to trade with the Soviets as we do not wish to aid them in any way. I will use the money to improve relations with the United Kingdom".

Lithuanian Foreign Policy 101. Typical trade with numerous countries.

"Excellent thank you for your efforts Stasys". After readinearlier reports out mighty armed forces consist of 3 somewhat obsolete infantry divisions dating from the Great War and a single transport flotilla. No further expansion of our armed forces is needed for the next year or so.

 

[unmerged(50292)]

Suddenly, there is an outburst of Lithuanian into the picture! Even in my Mongol game now, i'm "working" on the Lithuanians now I wish the Lithuanians in this AAR a better future than in my AAR!

 

[Zardnaar]

Watch this space. The Lithuanian empire is about to be born

 

[Zardnaar]

A few months later.

"Jonas come see this. The English have responded to an offer I have made". Stasys seemed rather excited.

"Good news sir, they have accepted. Oh joyous happy day". They have also agreed to this

"Which means"

"In addition before the alliance was made we have also guarnteed the independence of Albania, Luxembourg and Poland as you never know when war can break out and small countries have to stick togather. Foreign relations with the USA in particular have increased dramatically due to trades. We wil continue to trade with the UK for a few more weeks to build up some funds and then I will cancel the supplies being traded, in order to free up production for more units. We will only import critical supplies and enough energy for further trades with countries we wish to have good relations with I will also continue to aquire blueprints".

A few weeks later a contract was awarded to local shipyards........

 

[gianlucad]

Why transports, isnt it better to prepare for the war with land troops?

 

[Zardnaar]

All will be revealed. Assuming Lithuanian expansion doesn't get smashed down by any of the major powers you still have provinces with high dissent, low IC and your TC will be a mess and you will either end up as a German bootlicker, or crushed by the Soviets. Manpower is also a big problem although in pne of my previous games I got a +100 manpower random event which was awesome. You still have to fight on the eastern front for the Germans or you have a few more men to die when the Soviets attack.

I even tried joining in on the Finnish winter war in order to get a peace treaty with the Soviets and hopefully bypassing the Molotov/Ribbenrop pact. Got the treaty and the USSR still attacked. German stooge, Russian bait. hopefully I can avoid either fate.

 

[unmerged(174159)]

Are you going to go and invade Cuba?

 

[TRP]

All will be revealed. Assuming Lithuanian expansion doesn't get smashed down by any of the major powers you still have provinces with high dissent, low IC and your TC will be a mess and you will either end up as a German bootlicker, or crushed by the Soviets.

Baltic nation games are so much fun, most minor WC are after all.
First thing you have to do is build infantry, spam it until your manpower pool is dry, it shouldn't be long before you can go after your fellow Baltic nations.
As for tech, go for infantry '36 and then continue with the manpower techs.

As for future invasions, Denmark is an obvious choice, they should still have only 1 division, watch their navy though.
After that, Norway, Sweden, Finland, Poland, the Balkan, Turkey, Italy, Germany, the Allies, the Reds.

Good luck!

-Laurence

 

[Zardnaar]

KaiserMuffin no. Your getting warmish though. One day maybe. No convoys built and the men would starve to death, Or I could invade late 38 I suppose. Any expansion will be late 36/early 37.

TRP That was my ideal game, but I still don't know how you would avoid the MR pact unless you DoW Poland probably in alliance with Germany summer 39 s there a way to avoid the MR pact without allying with the Germans (or anyone)or getting stomped on by the Germans/Russians/Allies or starting an early WW2 in eastern europe?

 

[unmerged(174159)]

Could reload till the MR pact fires but one side doesn't accept it. Or just mod the AI file and give Stalin some Communist principles.

 

[Zardnaar]

Bit gamey that and I don't want to mod (not that I know how). I feel bad having full IC and tech team takeover on.

 

[unmerged(174159)]

I would suffer gameyness for an excellent story!

 

[Zardnaar]

I'm a newb but I'll see what I cna do. I has a plan. Some of the exploist may be gamey depending on ones point of view- using puuet troops, taking cotrol of allies, invading certain countries and taking advantage of the stupid AIs deployment etc.

 

[unmerged(142211)]

phew, i thought this was another kaiserreich AAR... I'm starting to get tired of so many of them popping up. someone should make another draka AAR, perhaps from the draka point of view.
also, subscribed! looks promising so far

 

[Zardnaar]

On one fine cold winters day the following was observed at Memel

Foreign obeservers were a bit puzzled. With Lithuanian exports, and the known size of their navythere was no way they could be supplied overseas. Observers assumed they were being redployed to help guard the frontiers of the British Empire. The new Anglo-Lithu alliance didn't realy concern anyone as the Lithuanian army was still obsolete, fielding equipment form the last war and they had no airforce, tanks, artillery. What could 2 obsolete divisions do anyway. The few attaches asking questions were assured the troops were going on training exercises.

A few weeks later they had arrived at their destination.

the Bermuda defence force had arrived.

 

[Zardnaar]

Kaunas Dec 7/12/36

"Our forces are ready Jonas shall I give the order to attack"? inquired Chief of Army Rastikis

"By all menas be my guest" Replied Jonas. The liberation was about to begin.

"You do realise we can't supply our troops in the field or garrison them even if we win". Rastikis was worried about a premature end to his military career if this fiasco went belly up. "What about the Americans"?

"They are weak and easily corrupted. A large amount of bribes have been placed and the current administration is reasonably positive towards us. They won't be happy but I don't expect them to react-yet. Give the order to attack".

Luckily for the Lithuanians the beaches seemed undefended. Orders were to suppport the follow up amphibious assault with the remaining Lithuanian division.

 

[Zardnaar]

Venezula was ours.

Lithuanian occupation policy. Entertainment and goodies the populace doesn't need. A large amount of oil was also captured

 

[unmerged(145464)]

:rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl:

Lithuania just abused the Monroe Doctrine

 

[unmerged(142211)]

this was unexpected
what do I do now?
could we start again, please