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Feb 18, 2003
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well i've been reading most of the aar's here and i've decided to do one of my own to see how it turns out...

i've selected sweden, even though i know very little about the politics of the country at the time, so I've made up some 'Scandanavian National Identity' really just as a cover for war....
i'm well aware sweden was an advanced democracy even back then - I'll make a more realistic aar perhaps next...

oh yea i'm no expert at this game so I might be asking u experts some questions along the way :cool:
 
Sweden – 1936 [Normal / Normal]

Introduction

Sweden had weathered the Great Depression and by 1936 was looking optimistic as the worlds first welfare state was introduced to eradicate poverty and deep hardship. This wouldn’t have been able in the first place without the means to fund it and with the Swedish economy now running smoothly, the new Government Treasury under Mark Josev, announced plans to expand the Swedish economy.

Sweden had vast room for expansion; the surplus of coal and steel meant more factories were constructed and the remote undeveloped regions went through a period of great expansion as investment from public and private sectors sought to develop the area. Many armament firms expanded during this time as the Government began looking into how production could be increased from the Swedish arms manufacturing base.

As Sweden prospered, an age old longing for a united Scandanavia began to reemerge, from 1936 onwards the movement gained momentum and political power in all Nordic nations. As war grew closer many Scandanavians thought it was their right to protect themselves from aggresors – in the East the Soviet Union grew restless and edgy on the Finnish border whilst the rising Germany yearned to overturn the Schleswig Agreement with Denmark in the South.
 
1936:

Armed Forces:
Sweden hadn’t fought a war for over 100 years. It’s current forces were ill-equipped and under-trained, and many in Parliament wanted it to remain this way.
Only the frenzied actions of Josev and supporters wanted to truly reform the army and only through desperate speeches and lobbying did a new way of thinking emerge for the Swedish army. Knowledge of the battleground and flexibility were the keys to success in Scandanavia, mountain ranges and vast forests would stand in the way of most armies but if the entire Swedish army could be trained to operate in these conditions then the advantage gained would be enormous.

So the first major expansions in the Swedish army began as a new mountain corps were to be created and the southern command expanded for more artillery.
The naval situation seemed to be satisfactory for the moment, with the Svenske Flotten stationed in Visby.
The Swedish Air Force was non-existent, future plans for expansion were discussed but put off for the future.

So the aim in the Swedish Cabinet was to raise an army to give aggressive nations second thoughts on attacking Sweden or her Nordic partners....


World Events in ’36:

All through the year Britain and France attempted to woo the Dutch and Belgium Governments closer to the Allies as Germany alarmingly expanded her frontiers in Austria and rearmed. Speculation that the Allied Governments had learnt their lesson from the first war was all the talk even as the French reinforced their Maginot line....

Ethiopia eventually fell to the Italians despite limited backing from Sweden (techs)

September – Republican Spain wins the civil war and Democratic elections are held, the Allies are buoyed by having a potentially new ally in their midst...

The Czech Republic forges closer ties with France and Britain as German demands on territory are refused.

November - Franklin D.Roosevelt is re-elected.
 
1937:

The year started with a meeting of all Scandinavian Nations, Finland raised the most alarm when it disclosed intelligence of the Soviet build up on its border. However there was nothing immediate that could done and the population were certainly against any Swedish forces backing the Finns up.

Early in the year Government passed plans allowing the army to be fully equipped with new arms, such as the new 30mm infantry gun which was nearly in its finishing stages and a new rifle to be adopted by all troops.


January:
the 1st stage of the expansion of industry was complete, the Government and especially Mark Josev in the Treasury could show off a boost in the nations productivity by a third.
Orders were made to double the size of the mountain corps as volunteers rushed to join the new army

February:
A new artillery unit was commissioned to bolster the army as further orders to raise an engineer unit were made.

March:
Dissent among a small amount rose as anti-war cries and strikes were heard around Sweden
2 days after these demonstrations the Swedish army unveiled its new 30mm infantry gun, designed to be easily manoeuvrable for infantry.

April:
The new Swedish rifle was introduced and distributed to all troops, evidence suggested it had superb durability even in extreme colds.
Orders from the Treasury were made to industry instructing and advising on a plan to prepare Swedish industry to turn out more vehicles to the military

May:
Allied hopes for an alliance with Spain were dashed after a sudden coup brought in a new Communist Government, 3 days later Spain joined the Comitern


September:
The Swedish army announced the creation of new commands for the new army, the regular army would be split into southern, central and northern commands whilst the mountain corps would remain as one.

December:
In China the Japanese army made huge gains, in the same month Japanese advances ensured the chinese communist state was broken up and divided.
 
I hope the independent Swedish Mountain Corps will see a lot of fighting. What are your goals, conquer all of Scandanavia or make sure that all Scandanavian countries stay independent.
 
1938:

January:
Major battles in central China as many Chinese armies collapse, communist influence is destroyed on the 7th.
Nationalist China appears unable and unwilling to fight as there is virtually no opposition to the Japanese advance.
Later on in the month the main China army in Luoyang is nearly cut off and destroyed.

February:
The Nationalist army in Luoyang is forced to retreat southwards under constant attack; it was very nearly cut off and surrounded at Changsha until another break out.

March:
Further industrial growth in Sweden as reports indicate a readiness to mechanize the army.
The only resistance left in China is now trapped in the south as Japanese forces reach the north Vietnamese border.
Again the massive Chinese army is defeated and retreats to Liuzhou.

April:
New orders for the Swedish army; the 1st mechanized division and more artillery were trained for northern command. Orders for the improvement of Swedish equipment were also approved.
15th Japanese forces push again, China is now effectively under complete Japanese control.
18th The official end of war in China is announced. Japans highly trained army proved quantity is no match for quality...

May:
Swedish influence grows over the rest of Scandinavia as the United Scandinavia movement continues to grow and accepted into the political system by all Nordic states.
A new south China state – Sinkiang is created.

June:
Swedish infantry bolstered the introduction of the new 70mm infantry gun and improved land mines.

July:
Sweden’s 1st mechanized division is created.

September:
A plan to create a Scandinavian aircraft industry is drawn up; realistic reports indicate much research must be done.
The Sudetenland is ceded to Germany as the Czechs only line of defence is taken away, a world looks on stunned...
 
1938

October:
New artillery division added to the southern command

November:
War declared by Allies upon Germany and Italy, initial contacts made by the British as they bomb German industry.
8th – Belgium and Luxembourg join the Allies.
German armour punches the weak French southern line at Colmar.
Italy pushes into northern French Alps.
12th – outnumbering the French defenders 3 to 1, the Italian army captures Grenoble.
13th – Dijon taken by Germany.
Luxembourg taken later in the day
21st – Italian offensive pushes north to Besancon and links up with the Germans.
German offensive pushes on to St.Etienne
Other German offensive pushes into Belgium
British bombing of the Ruhr continues with increasing effectiveness.
26th – Belgium counterattack takes back Belgium lands,
28th – Lyon captured
30th – German southern offensive takes Rodez as the northern offensive pushes to Brussels.

December:
1st – Rodez is counterattack by French forces
2nd – Italy takes Marseille as 4 French divisions are trapped in Toulon.
4th – German offensive on Troyes driven back.
9th – Southern German offensive halted north of Dijon as Strasbourg falls.
10th – Brussels taken
11th – In North Africa Italian forces push into Tunisia and as far as Algiers.
The Italian army in Ethiopia advances in all directions, Khartoum, Dijbouti, Berberra, Mombassa and Dar es Salaam fall.
12th – Nancy falls.
17th – intense fighting in Troyes and Chaumont threatens to trap 16 French and Belgium divisions in Metz and Arlon.
18th – Troyes captured
19th – Italian offensive on Toulon, taken on the 20th.
23rd – Sweden announces its new 90mm gun and halftrack carrier to be distributed
24th – Italian push on Nimes over the Rhone.
25th – Reims taken by Germans, fighting in the outskirts of Paris.
26th – the French counterattack finally drives the Germans out of Rodez.
27th – Nimes taken by Italians.
30th – German success as Amiens and fortress Metz are taken in the same day.
 
1939

January:
3rd – French launch a counterattack north of Paris at Amiens and taken in the same day. There is continued resistance by a trapped unit of French armour in Sedan.
4th – Italians take Montpellier
7th – Paris falls
8th – Arlon falls
9th – FRANCE SURRENDERS
Germany now owns northern and western France as Italy loses its gains, the Vichy Government is set up to run France
In North Africa Italian advances have made the Mediterranean southern coast Italian.
Italian Cavalry advances to just south of Cairo.
Britain continues to pound German industry
19th – Nordic nations meet at the Aaland Islands. Denmark and Finland look for promises of help and assistance if they enter a war.
23rd – Northern Command is doubled with a new infantry division.
24th – last Allied territory in Antwerp falls
28th – artillery division added to the Mountain Corps

March:
15th – end of Czechoslovakia as Slovakia is formed and enters alliance with Germany. The rest of the Czech territory is given to Germany.
26th – Germany ends its demands on Lithuania for Memel.
Italy demands Albania, a flat refusal is given.
27th – Cairo falls to the Italians.
30th – Poland enters the Alliance

April:
5th – Alexandria falls to Italy. Britain’s only forces in North Africa are split

May:
10th – Brit forces west of Alexandria pushed back and captured, only Port Said left.

July:
New tactics are being practised by the army as more effort goes into producing light aircraft and tanks.

August:
Italians cross the Suez
15th – battle rages in Jerusalem.
20th – British reinforcements arrive in Jerusalem.
24th – Molotov-Ribbentropp pact
30th – Poland enters the war

September:
1st – Italian reinforcements arrive in Jerusalem.
6th – Holy land taken by Italians.
18th – German forces take Danzig
29th – Warsaw falls
 
1939

October:
10th – Germany annexes Poland
11th – mechanized corps doubled
12th – Eastern Poland given to the Soviets
14th – bomber airframe research complete
16th – Axis declare war on Yugoslavia as they join the Allies
20th – A daring assault that excites the world is made by the Yugoslavian army as it crosses the Italian border and captures Venezia
26th – The Yugo army continues its advance north and captures Bolzano and the Brenner Pass
27th – German forces cross into Ljubljana
Italian counter attack hits Bolzano.

November:
4th – German reinforcements arrive in Ljubljana as its taken on the 7th
9th – Bolzano finally recaptured by the Italians with massive air support from Germany. Italians keep pushing for Venezia
10th – pre war borders fought back
12th – again the daring Yugo army crosses intoVenezia
14th – USSR declares war on Finland
15th – research into main tank parts complete
Zagreb and Rijeka captured, but 8 Yugo divisions remain fighting in Venezia
19th – Soviets cross the border on all fronts in Finland.
21st – Sweden makes a monumental decision to send troops to assist.
26th – Soviets push the frontier back in Finland as the mountain corps are sent to defend Nordic land.
27th – Joensuu falls to the Soviets.
29th – Vipurii retaken by Finnish reinforcements.

December:
1st – Swedish troops arrive in Helsinki, limited transport fleet means it takes time to gather a force.
Germany annexes Yugoslavia
2nd – Damascus taken by Italy
Finnish underground forces on the frontier emerge and cut off many Soviet troops.
5th – Fresh counterattacks by the Soviets as their reinforcements arrive.
6th – The island of Visby is taken by Spain!
The remaining division of Mountain Corps artillery is ordered to retake the island
8th – The assault force lands in the south of the island and encounters opposition from regulars of a Spanish division
The Spanish navy reappears and the Svenske Flotten is ordered to engage
12th – Swedish forces are victorious as the Spanish troops are captured
13th – Vipuri is won back by Finnish troops but a massive Soviet army is in Leningrad.
14th – The Swedish fleet engages the Spanish transport flotilla and badly damages them.
The Mountain Corps continue to organise themselves for combat in Helsinki.
16th – A second Spanish landing occurs at Malmo as the mechanized corps and southern command are rushed to the front.
17th – Second engagement with Spanish ships drives them back again, a decision is given out to seek out and destroy the transport group.
18th – The Mountain Corps are finally ordered to the front at Vipuri
The mechanized infantry engage Spanish colony troops in Malmo
Germany annexes Albania
19th – Malmo retaken
21st – Spanish transport flotilla engaged again
The Mountain Corps reaches the front line at Vipuri just in time for a large assault by the Soviets.
25th – The Swedish and Finnish forces have beaten off a Soviet offensive!
 
1940

January:
2nd – The Spanish fleet is sunk in the Gulf of Finland.
8th – Norway and Denmark join the Allies and Germany declares war on them.
11th – The Swedish cabinet met and agreed on a course of action to defend Scandinavia without an extremely costly war with Germany. Norway was to be captured quickly so no German landings could occur.
12th – The Nordic lands of Iceland and Greenland were given to the US, many Government members remained furious at the Danish Government
14th – Joensuu is now back in Finnish hands after a strong counter attack
15th – Soviets push closer to Vipurii from the north
18th – Germans cross the Danish border
19th – The Swedish Government declares war on Norway on the hope that Scandinavia can be united quickly to defeat foreign aggressors.
20th – Swedish units cross the border heading for Oslo
21st – Southern Command and the Mechanized Corps reach opposition from Norwegian infantry in Oslo
22nd – Oslo captured
27th – the Mechanized drives into Norway capturing Kristiansand as the Norwegian army retreats
30th – The Mechanized Corps reaches the Atlantic at Stavanger with little opposition, whilst Southern Command advances as far as Hamar.
German forces take Copenhagen but remainder is stuck in battles in Southern Denmark
Beirut falls to the Italians

February:
2nd – Swedish forces have secured southern Norway and are now advancing northwards
4th – Bergen attacked by the Mechanized, only a 2 hour fire fight and the city is taken.
6th – Denmark capitulates as the last resistance in Aarhaus gives up.
7th – Southern Command attacks Norwegian positions around Roros. Taken next day
10th – Mechanized continue advance northwards
15th – Norwegian resistance broken
22nd – The Soviets launch a heavy air attack on Swedish and Finnish positions in Vipuri
23rd – New infantry division is raised
25th – A new Mountain Corps artillery unit has been raised and will be sent to the Finnish front
26th – The Norwegian army seems to be defending Trondheim
30th – That defense is broken and destroyed

March:
7th – The Norwegian army is pursued to Moi-I-Rana and attacked, they are finally driven back on the 9th.
17th – Narvik taken by the Swedish army after a 4 hour fire fight in the city
18th – Finnish armies take Murmansk and advance southwards
19th – The Norwegians surrender at Kiruna in northern Sweden, the Scandinavian nation is one step closer now
28th – German forces have landed in southern England at Portsmouth.

April:
4th – the Axis declare war on the USSR
7th – The controversial command to recall Swedish troops from Vipurii and all Finland is made. Most Swedish army units are ordered to the Swedish/Finnish border at Kiruna
 
1940

May:
German forces engage the British all over southern England as a passionate defence forced the Germans back into a small pocket in Portsmouth, 1 week later the Germans would be driven out
12th – political manoeuvring by the Swedish Government states the aims to always protect a united Scandinavian people
17th – Minsk taken by the Germans
Swedish declaration of war on Finland, the northern lands have the potential to be a bloodbath if heavy resistance is met, so speedy capture of certain provinces must be made
18th – ironically the Finnish army stood at the start of a war with Sweden at its strongest point, Murmank and the might city of Leningrad were under their control.
22nd – a plan is drawn up to revitalise the Norwegian economy
26th – the German offensive swings south
29th – Soviet forces reach Murmansk and attack the Finnish positions
30th – Murmansk taken

June:
6th – Odessa taken, more fighting around Smolensk
8th – Petsamo taken by Swedish forces
11th – The Soviet forces finally drive the Germans back southwest of Smolensk
Finnish forces continue their advance south from Leningrad and take Novogrod
12th – Soviet forces halt their advance on Smolensk
13th – Soviet counter attack on Odessa
16th – The only Swedish forces in Finland are counter attacked in Petsamo
17th – the attack is beaten off by the Northern Command
German and Finnish lines meet at Pskov
18th – A new plan to capture the Aaland Islands is drawn up; the Royal Guard, Goteborg Corps and an engineer division will form the ‘Viking Strike Force’
20th – Germans push into central Russia
21st – the new 30mm anti-tank gun is introduced to all troops, mainly as a means to destroy Finnish and Soviet armour
The German army launches an attack on northern Spain
22nd – The Viking Strike Force lands just south of Mariehamn
24th – A clean, textbook operation takes Aaland.
27th – Romania cedes some of its northern states to Russia
30th – The Soviet counter attack on Odessa is beaten off as the German central attack pushes as far as Bryansk

July:
3rd – The main Swedish army attacks northern Finland, Finnish reinforcements are rushed to stop the advance
10th – heavy fighting comes to an end with many units now at half strength, the resupply of these combat units may take some time
Novogrod is retaken by the Soviets
11th – A new 100mm field artillery gun is introduced to the Swedish army
A decision is made to land the Viking Strike Force in Turku as quick as possible
13th – Turku taken by the force
17th – Kiev falls but Smolensk is retaken by the Soviets
18th – The Finns try a second counter attack against Swedish positions
19th – The attack is beaten off as the Finns take high casualties
22nd – A Swedish envoy for peace with the Soviet Union is rejected
23rd – The German army pushes from Kiev
24th – Swedish forces are reported to be ready to move, the Mountain Corps is ordered south to capture Oulo
25th – Kharkov and Smolensk taken by the Germans
30th – The Mountain Corps reaches Oulo and takes it in the same day
A new divisional signal command system is introduced to the Swedish army
 
1940

August:

1st – The Mountain Corps is counter attacked in Oulo, northern Finland. Finland appears to be willing to fight to the end for its independence...
3rd – More Finnish reinforcements arrive; the entire north of Finland is now an intense war zone.
4th – The Italian advance into central Africa continues with the capture of Belgian Congo, the only resistance is shown in Leopoldville by 1 Belgian infantry division
11th – German armies keep advancing in the north and the south where Rostov has been taken
18th – German armour drives towards Stalingrad, opposition is minimal all the way..
Soviets win an armour clash in Kharkov but are cut off by the immense German advance
A bizarre landing by Canada captures the island of Ronne, north of Germany – the Germans don’t really appear to care...
A stunning victory by the Spanish army has driven the Germans right out of Spain, only Barcelona is still under fire

21st – The Germans drive north and south of Moscow threatening to entrap the city, this push is of much assistance to both Sweden and Finland as Soviet supplies to the area must now take a slower route to the north.
German armour drives to just north of Stalingrad

23rd – The Mountain Corps is bolstered by the addition of a new anti-tank division, it is given orders the same day to advance south to take Vaasa
29th – The Soviets hastly assemble a force to counter attack the Germans north of Stalingrad
30th – The Mechanized Corps reports that it is in place to launch an invasion of Murmansk, the Government holds them back for now.

September:
1st – German tanks reach the outskirts of Moscow as the relentless Germans drive onwards through all fronts
A 2nd peace resolution to the Soviets has been rejected.
The Mechanized Corps are recalled south to create a combined push with Southern Command
3rd – Soviet armour and infantry drives back the Germans north of Stalingrad!
9th – The inevitable happens, Moscow falls, however a huge Soviet army remains over a huge distance. The Soviet Union declares to fight the fascists to the end...
10th – The Swedish army engages Finnish armour in Pori, after a 9 hour fight the Finns are driven back
The Mountain Corps are ordered to close in on Seinajoki

17th – The Germans push the Soviets back to Stalingrad
19th – The Belgium army is captured in Congo.
22nd – A new 40mm anti-tank gun is introduced to the newly combined armies of Sweden and Norway
29th – Stalingrad is now under attack

The newly formed Nordic Government takes a decision to if possible take Soviet territory to the east, especially in view that it is collapsing under the German army.
For now the conquest of Finland is the main priority and to establish it into the new Scandinavian State

30th – The Scandinavian army is strengthened with the addition of an anti-tank division

Stalingrad falls...