Strange Game
I started a game as South Africa, intending to conquer Africa. After building up a few groups of cavalry, I declared war on the Allies in late '36 and proceeded to conquer about half of their African territories. My hope was that once their war with Germany began, I would have a nearly free hand to finish off the rest of Africa. Well, 1939 rolled around and I happened to catch a glimpse of the Germans backing down over Poland. A quick looksy at Europa showed that Germany had taken Austria and Memel but had stopped short of taking Sudetenland and Czechoslovakia. The next 3 years had me slogging through more and more Allied units slowing my advance to a crawl. Finally, in early '42 someone joined my war against the Allies. Japan declared war on the Philipines and U.S., prompting a DOW from the Allies and bringing the U.S. into the Alliance. I sued for peace with the Americans quickly after they joined the war....I don't need that kind of hurt right now. Checking over Asia to see how badly the Japanese are going to get stomped, I see that they've taken all of China and are proceeding to hand the French their asses in Indochina. Currently, in mid 1942, the India-Japan border looks more like the Russian front with the number of units involved. 45 Japanese divisions in their one province compared to 60 British, French, and American units spread through their 3 border provinces with more American units coming ever day. No other wars are going on, with Germany and the Soviet Union quiet.
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In June of 1943, the Allies DOW the Soviet Union, followed shortly by Germany. I don't know how or why, but Germany loaned Belgium a crapload of their divisions. Italy is at war with Yugoslavia, and I'm still gobbling up Africa, thanks to the new distractions in the world. The India-Japanese border hasn't moved despite the fact (or because) Japan has 80 units and the Allies have at least 100. It does look like a United Nations conference with so many flags on the Allied side.
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The Soviet war isn't going well for the Axis or the Allies...the Soviet Union has just about finished Poland off by late '43, as well as East Prussia. Up North, Finland is being steadily pushed back as well and Romania is on its last legs in the south. Looking at the National Army Comparison, the U.K. is strangely in the lead with 189, followed by Soviet Union, Germany, USA, and Japan. Most of those U.K. divisions are reinforcing the Indian front against the Japanese. I'm being pretty much ignored except for a few small landings every once in a while. This suits me just fine.
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As 1944 rolls around, Finland, Poland, and Romania are all gone. Annexed by the Soviet beast. The front lines have stabilized close to Berlin. If the Soviets manage to break through, they pretty much have Europe. The Allies have very few forces in France, Belgium, and the Netherlands. By March, the Soviet Union has taken Berlin and is steadily pushing west. That's what they get for giving the Russians another two years to build up their forces before attacking. The Soviet army has taken Hungary and opened up another front through Austria.
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May 18. The date of the surrender of Germany. SU has pushed into the Benelux nations and have a pretty easy path to the Atlantic. The Allies can pull their forces from India or Africa, but they'll lose ground to me or the Japanese.
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By June, 1945 the Soviet Union has annexed Norway, Denmark, Luxembourg, Belgium, Netherlands, and have France divided into three small pockets. Just for fun, I give them Combat Transport Procedure and hope they'll take out Great Britain.
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By October, the Soviets are the unquestioned masters of Continental Europe. The U.S. has taken Greenland away from them, but no landings in France have been attempted yet. Japan has a toehold in the Southern Phillipines but look to be pretty much bottled up for now. In January, 1946 France attempts a 2 division landing in Lille, but they are pinned down by Soviet bombers and disentegrate. In February, India gains independence, as Sweden apparently decides to lose theirs by joining the Allies. All of the Allied units in India are gone, giving the Japanese a chance to use those 80 divisions somewhere useful, and hopefully giving the Allies their chance to reclaim France. In Iceland, the U.S. has completed half of its liberation of Iceland. By March it completes its liberation, and by July the Soviet Union has "liberated" Sweden". Italy and Yugoslavia are still stuck in a neverending, nevermoving war. By the time the end of the game rolled around, no other territory had been exchanged, although Afghanistan was days away from being the newest Soviet Socialist Republic. Syria has become New France, being one of the last bastions of French territory left in the world. Britain had the home islands, Egypt, Iraq, Kuwait, and a few trinkets in the Indian Ocean. Russia rules most of Europe. Japan rules China and Indochina. South Africa rules all of the French and Portuguese African possessions and the majority of British ones. Lastly, Albania and Czechoslovakia are alive and well.
I started a game as South Africa, intending to conquer Africa. After building up a few groups of cavalry, I declared war on the Allies in late '36 and proceeded to conquer about half of their African territories. My hope was that once their war with Germany began, I would have a nearly free hand to finish off the rest of Africa. Well, 1939 rolled around and I happened to catch a glimpse of the Germans backing down over Poland. A quick looksy at Europa showed that Germany had taken Austria and Memel but had stopped short of taking Sudetenland and Czechoslovakia. The next 3 years had me slogging through more and more Allied units slowing my advance to a crawl. Finally, in early '42 someone joined my war against the Allies. Japan declared war on the Philipines and U.S., prompting a DOW from the Allies and bringing the U.S. into the Alliance. I sued for peace with the Americans quickly after they joined the war....I don't need that kind of hurt right now. Checking over Asia to see how badly the Japanese are going to get stomped, I see that they've taken all of China and are proceeding to hand the French their asses in Indochina. Currently, in mid 1942, the India-Japan border looks more like the Russian front with the number of units involved. 45 Japanese divisions in their one province compared to 60 British, French, and American units spread through their 3 border provinces with more American units coming ever day. No other wars are going on, with Germany and the Soviet Union quiet.
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In June of 1943, the Allies DOW the Soviet Union, followed shortly by Germany. I don't know how or why, but Germany loaned Belgium a crapload of their divisions. Italy is at war with Yugoslavia, and I'm still gobbling up Africa, thanks to the new distractions in the world. The India-Japanese border hasn't moved despite the fact (or because) Japan has 80 units and the Allies have at least 100. It does look like a United Nations conference with so many flags on the Allied side.
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The Soviet war isn't going well for the Axis or the Allies...the Soviet Union has just about finished Poland off by late '43, as well as East Prussia. Up North, Finland is being steadily pushed back as well and Romania is on its last legs in the south. Looking at the National Army Comparison, the U.K. is strangely in the lead with 189, followed by Soviet Union, Germany, USA, and Japan. Most of those U.K. divisions are reinforcing the Indian front against the Japanese. I'm being pretty much ignored except for a few small landings every once in a while. This suits me just fine.
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As 1944 rolls around, Finland, Poland, and Romania are all gone. Annexed by the Soviet beast. The front lines have stabilized close to Berlin. If the Soviets manage to break through, they pretty much have Europe. The Allies have very few forces in France, Belgium, and the Netherlands. By March, the Soviet Union has taken Berlin and is steadily pushing west. That's what they get for giving the Russians another two years to build up their forces before attacking. The Soviet army has taken Hungary and opened up another front through Austria.
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May 18. The date of the surrender of Germany. SU has pushed into the Benelux nations and have a pretty easy path to the Atlantic. The Allies can pull their forces from India or Africa, but they'll lose ground to me or the Japanese.
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By June, 1945 the Soviet Union has annexed Norway, Denmark, Luxembourg, Belgium, Netherlands, and have France divided into three small pockets. Just for fun, I give them Combat Transport Procedure and hope they'll take out Great Britain.
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By October, the Soviets are the unquestioned masters of Continental Europe. The U.S. has taken Greenland away from them, but no landings in France have been attempted yet. Japan has a toehold in the Southern Phillipines but look to be pretty much bottled up for now. In January, 1946 France attempts a 2 division landing in Lille, but they are pinned down by Soviet bombers and disentegrate. In February, India gains independence, as Sweden apparently decides to lose theirs by joining the Allies. All of the Allied units in India are gone, giving the Japanese a chance to use those 80 divisions somewhere useful, and hopefully giving the Allies their chance to reclaim France. In Iceland, the U.S. has completed half of its liberation of Iceland. By March it completes its liberation, and by July the Soviet Union has "liberated" Sweden". Italy and Yugoslavia are still stuck in a neverending, nevermoving war. By the time the end of the game rolled around, no other territory had been exchanged, although Afghanistan was days away from being the newest Soviet Socialist Republic. Syria has become New France, being one of the last bastions of French territory left in the world. Britain had the home islands, Egypt, Iraq, Kuwait, and a few trinkets in the Indian Ocean. Russia rules most of Europe. Japan rules China and Indochina. South Africa rules all of the French and Portuguese African possessions and the majority of British ones. Lastly, Albania and Czechoslovakia are alive and well.