The Butterfly Effect: A British AAR

[El Pip]

Duritz - Hoped you'd notice the chapter title. What can I say it seemed appropriate.

The USSR is indeed offering aid, including extra matches to help burn down churches with people locked inside and plenty of bullets so all the 'enemies of the people' can be efficiently shot after a sham of a trial before a kangaroo court. Not that the Monarchists are any better, but really "Forces of good and light".

Bafflegab - Were it not so serious it would be amusing. Actually it is amusing which may say more about me than the situation.

Neither side has really got to grips with actually being at war and maybe the best time for internal squabbles is after the war is won. The first side to really pull together will have a massive advantage.

 

[Nathan Madien]

The Mancheguian Flag, banner of those who rallied to La Mancha regionalism. Primarily a reaction against pan-Castilian sentiments they represented a sub-faction of a faction, too large to ignore but too small to deserve the diplomatic efforts needed for effective co-ordination. The Mancheguian militias were tightly grouped around Albacete, Cuenca and Toledo...

I thought for a moment El Pip suddenly lost his marbles and took us to China. Alas, we are still in jolly ole Spain...where I sense things are about to become more jolly.

 

[Faeelin]

I'm sad. I want to cheer for the republicans, but I know they'll never win and they aren't as cool as OTL's Republicans. And even if they do win, the Grand Army of the Republic will just be used to create an empire of evil.

 

[Duritz]

Duritz - Not that the Monarchists are any better, but really "Forces of good and light".

Hoped you'd notice that line.

Anyway, it helped you justify your little rant about those evil Commies! I'd have written it as such;

The USSR is indeed offering aid, including to help end the reactionary influence of the church and hold the enemies of the people accountable for their crimes and purging them from the body politic.

or even;

The USSR is indeed offering aid, including the means to destroy the infrastructure of the insurgency and assisting with the setting up of people's courts to hold the traitors to the Republic accountable.

but yours was just as funny!

 

[Davout]

War is normally like a Monet - up close, it doesn't make sense, but when seen from a distance, it all comes together.

Your Spanish Civil War is pure Picasso Cubism. From any angle, it is pure chaos.

 

[cdcdrr]

From that last part, I sense Franco is going to have some difficulty. From static, regional armies, refusing to coordinate or even move outside their province? This Franco dude is vastly overrated.

 

[unmerged(34050)]

Hmmm... to mangle a famous phrase, seems the Spanish fight like donkeys and are led by donkeys, on BOTH sides.

 

[daemonofdecay]

Man, this AAR just gets better and better. Its seems more like a well written Alternate-History story than a simple AAR!

 

[merrick]

Love the comment Davout!

In game terms, this is the initial period of the war, when armies are few and the two sides blunder about gaining and losing undefended provinces with little hint of strategy or even of a front line.

In story terms, this is the initial period of the war, when anyone who thought it would be either quick or easy gets a very nasty lesson. And the Powers of Europe stand ready to make it all even nastier - it's not a good time to be Spanish.

 

[El Pip]

Nathan Madien - From the moment I found that flag I knew I had to include it because it is fantastic. Though not quite as marvellous as the idea of La Manchan independence, I imagine parliaments held in windmills under the leadership of an errant yet moral knight.

Faeelin - I'm glad someone noticed that, though I confess I wonder why you think the Republicans are less 'cool' in TTL? I'd be interested to know so I can work in a bit of depth to the Republican leadership beyond 'divided church burners trying to play France of the Soviets for maximum gain'

Duritz - Fine propaganda Comrade. You will go far in your mission to educate the proletariat on the finer points of socialist justice!

Davout - Thanks. I think. Not sure there are enough Minatours in this AAR for it to be a proper 1930s Picasso but I'll still take it as a compliment.

But yes chaos was the aim, neither side has the unity or indeed capability to probably organise so any grand plan dissolves long before it gets anywhere near the enemy.

C&D - I wouldn't say Franco (the general) is over-rated, but only because I'm not sure he ever was rated in the first place. Solid enough low-mid level commander but not really that good at high command was, I thought, the prevailing opinion of General Franco.

Politician Franco is a very different matter, but in TTL he's facing different circumstances, which will crop up in the very next update.

DonnieBaseball - I wouldn't say they fight like donkeys, more like... jaguars? Fighting hard for their own territory but refusing to leave it or help the person next door. That metaphor may need work but I think you get the gist.

As to the leadership, well when the 'professionals' only experience is the Rif War (which was a string of Spanish disaster before being rescued by the French) I think donkeys is being very generous to most of the commanders present.

daemonofdecay - Such compliments. They do mean a lot and I'm very appreciative of such kind words.

merrick - Pretty much nailed it on all three paragraphs. In game terms a lot more happened in the North than I described; reinforcements arriving, events firing and troops being dumped all over the place by strategic deployment.

But rather than stretch credibility I skipped the tales of provinces swapping hands twenty times and just worked the final results into one, comparatively, simple story.

 

[Nathan Madien]

But rather than stretch credibility I skipped the tales of provinces swapping hands twenty times and just worked the final results into one, comparatively, simple story.

Sometimes, simple is best. I am looking forward to it.

 

[Vann the Red]

Fascinating, Pippy! Whomever can unite the most factions here might win the war. Be interesting if there are some tangible benefits to more sides getting to test their toys in Spain.

Vann

 

[Duritz]

Whomever can unite the most factions here might win the war.

Lets hope Pippy knows that nothing unites people like a bottle of vodka and an NKVD thug at your back!

 

[Cloudyvortex]

Aaand... I'm caught up. Masterful AAR, El Pip. Too excellent for words. Reads more like a standard AH than an norm AAR. No wonder it was recommended at the AH forums. I'll be keeping an eye on this one.

 

[El Pip]

Nathan Madien - Alas simplicity doesn't prevent writer's block, merely transforms it into writing block, I know what I want to say I just can't put it into words.

Vann the Red - Spain was an odd one in that regard, so many of the weapons of Blitzkreig being tested in a war that was mostly grinding trench warfare. As to the toys this time around, well plenty of people have a great deal invested in winning so will be keen to send things. Conversely however no-one wants to send their latest and greatest out in case the other side capture and copy it. Fortune will favour the side with the bravest backer.

Duritz - The executions will continue until morale improves.

Cloudyvortex - Recommendations from AH foruums you say? Marvellous. I occasionally venture there, then I realise I'm short of time as it is and can't afford to get dragged in elsewhere. A shame really, but one day I may win the lottery and be able to become a gentlemen of leisure.

 

[unmerged(62857)]

A shame really, but one day I may win the lottery and be able to become a gentlemen of leisure.

I am all about the life of leisure and also hope for the afforementioned lottery luck, but alas, no luck, skill or other fortuitous result will ever be able to make me a gentleman...

Hope your writers block gets cleared soon as we in the audience are keen to know the rest ofthe story!

 

[Nathan Madien]

Nathan Madien - Alas simplicity doesn't prevent writer's block, merely transforms it into writing block, I know what I want to say I just can't put it into words.

I know how you feel. I hope it gets better for you.

 

[El Pip]

Bafflegab - Past evidence would suggest a great deal of money gets you a long way towards being a gentleman.

Nathan Madien - Well I've written the update (mostly) I'm just not sure about it. Still it should be done by the weekend when I'll probably just post it anyway, I doubt it will improve with constant fiddling.

 

[cdcdrr]

I am all about the life of leisure and also hope for the afforementioned lottery luck, but alas, no luck, skill or other fortuitous result will ever be able to make me a gentleman...

If you can't be a gentleman, aim a little higher and be an aristocrat. Then filth, perversion and bad manners will seem refined instead of detestable.

 

[unmerged(62857)]

Bafflegab - Past evidence would suggest a great deal of money gets you a long way towards being a gentleman.

If you can't be a gentleman, aim a little higher and be an aristocrat. Then filth, perversion and bad manners will seem refined instead of detestable.

Looks like both Pip and C&D have found my solution to joining the higher echelons of society! Now it is just that pesky matter of having the requisite cash flow...