El Pip I love how you can think up such radical changes in history yet still have the research and creativity to make it believable.
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Excellent, Pippy! I'd type more, but I'm holding my new daughter (also why I'm so slow responding).
Vann
Vann
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El Pip said:Bafflegab - The French have suffered too long under the oppressive weight of self-rule, Britain has a duty to lift that heavy burden and run the country as a colony. For their own good naturally.
While reading this line, the tea I was drinking did a great job of cleansing my nasal passages...
El Pip said:
I personally am very curious about how the Japanese are viewing the more interventionist/belligerent UK, and how they feel that will affect their own expansionist tendencies. Are they likely to think that an agressive UK is not worth trifling with, or are they likely to think that the UK's actions have opened the door for any other government with desires for a colonial empire?
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Bafflegab said:While reading this line, the tea I was drinking did a great job of cleansing my nasal passages...
One of these days I must really make a WC game as britain.
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C&D - The Swedish infidel are indeed a part of the next update, they need keeping a close eye on....
Jalex - Thank you for such praise sir. All the research is clearing paying off, although I still think the time spent working out how the Swedish Riksdag worked in the 1930s will probably be wasted.
Vann the Red - Congratulations sir! Such events are to be celebrated heartily, naturally your new family member deserves your undivided attention. At least until the novelty wears off!
Inkana - Always nice to receive such praise, even if I really can't believe this is 'brilliant'. Still who am I to judge, I only write it.
Bafflegab - At present Japan is indulging in a great deal of inner wrangling at the two great military factions try and absorb all that has happened (the complete failure of the London Talks, the more interventionist Britain and the failure of fascists Italy, etc). Hence no 2-26 coup attempt (yet?), but the pressures are still there, how they errupt will be in the Eastern update.
trekaddict - The biggest challenge is clearing the peacetime IC mod, that and the achingly low manpower, a problem not helped by a Paradox bug which means you get nothing from overseas manpower while at war (not even India or other national provinces). One of the many crimes for which Paradox must pay...
Jalex - Thank you for such praise sir. All the research is clearing paying off, although I still think the time spent working out how the Swedish Riksdag worked in the 1930s will probably be wasted.
Vann the Red - Congratulations sir! Such events are to be celebrated heartily, naturally your new family member deserves your undivided attention. At least until the novelty wears off!
Inkana - Always nice to receive such praise, even if I really can't believe this is 'brilliant'. Still who am I to judge, I only write it.
Bafflegab - At present Japan is indulging in a great deal of inner wrangling at the two great military factions try and absorb all that has happened (the complete failure of the London Talks, the more interventionist Britain and the failure of fascists Italy, etc). Hence no 2-26 coup attempt (yet?), but the pressures are still there, how they errupt will be in the Eastern update.
trekaddict - The biggest challenge is clearing the peacetime IC mod, that and the achingly low manpower, a problem not helped by a Paradox bug which means you get nothing from overseas manpower while at war (not even India or other national provinces). One of the many crimes for which Paradox must pay...
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Now if I was France's Foreign Minister (or Intelligence Director) I'd push like a demon for an independent Basque country, living under the Trois Couleurs' protection, and giving me a base of operations in the peninsula.
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Atlantic Friend - It's not a bad plan, however I think the Republicans will have to fairly desperate to consider it, although the Basque would love the idea, I can't see the Monarchist openly fighting a French protectorate, or their Anglo-German masters allowing them to.
However France would have to wait for the Republican's blessing unless they're prepared for huge, possibly fatal damage to Franco-Spanish relations. Just announcing a large part of someone elses country is independent and under your protection is normally considered rude.
One final point, when the newly independent Basques ask for the French part of the Basque country back what does France say? 'We support your independence, but not that much'
Now to the shock of one and all I present the next update!
However France would have to wait for the Republican's blessing unless they're prepared for huge, possibly fatal damage to Franco-Spanish relations. Just announcing a large part of someone elses country is independent and under your protection is normally considered rude.
One final point, when the newly independent Basques ask for the French part of the Basque country back what does France say? 'We support your independence, but not that much'
Now to the shock of one and all I present the next update!
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Chapter L: Fallout and Aftershocks Part I - Scandinavia.
Chapter L: Fallout and Aftershocks Part I - Scandinavia.
The summer of 1936 was an exceptionally busy one politically, although there was activity from Washington to Tokyo and even down to Wellington, it was in Europe that the activity was so frenetic. With one war fought and won, one war narrowly avoided and a civil war still ongoing on the continent this should not be surprising, what should surprise is how many nations not directly involved in any of those events ended up experiencing such serious after effects. The events described here did not all neatly occur at once, instead they occurred over wildly varying time-scales ranging from the slow burning crisis in Greece, which had been simmering since the 1935 elections, to the sudden pre-election changes in Sweden. Such is the nature of politics, events that in one country act as a catalyst to explosive action in others are a retardant that allow cooler heads to be heard.
We begin this overview in Scandinavia, the Nordic nations excellently demonstrating how similar stimuli can have varying results even on close neighbours. In Finland the various events were noted but considered relatively unimportant, save for the confirmation of the comprehensive toothlessness of the League of Nations in the face of armed aggression. Overall however Finland's foreign policy remained almost exclusively devoted to watching east. It was less than twenty years since Finland declared independence from Russia and they rightly feared a resurgent Soviet Union may attempt to claw back it's lost territory. Compared to that threat very little else even registered as worthy of attention. That said the government was not inactive, efforts were made to improve relations with Sweden and try and improve pan-Scandinavian relations in general, the hope being to crack Swedish neutrality and form a defensive alliance to deter the Soviets and any other aggressor. In contrast Norway was broadly unbothered by the Soviets, having neither the history nor borders of Finland it was obviously less on an issue, she was however intently concerned about Germany. Despite leaning towards Britain in the Great War Norway had remained officially neutral, this had not stopped German submarines from sinking over half the national merchant fleet and killing almost 2,000 crew. Although the fleet had not only recovered but expanded in the years since, by the summer of 1936 it was the world's fourth largest by tonnage and contain almost a fifth of the worlds tankers, such events were not forgotten. Consequently the revelations of Hitler's desire for the Baltic to become a German Lake, patrolled by a new large fleet a third the size of the total Royal Navy, were especially dis-concerting, a feeling only reinforced by German actions over the Rhineland. The cumulative effect was to chip away at Norwegian neutrality, the lone voices arguing for a defensive alliance with Britain grew in number and strength. It would only take one more crisis or threatening move to bring the issue to a head, two things the future promised to provide plenty of.
The position of Sweden was somewhat more complicated and consequently events were considerably more turbulent. The ruling Social Democrats were well disposed to the Soviet Union, despite the leaderships purge of the extreme revolutionary left in the early 1930s there remained a hard core of party members who sympathised with the Soviets. While this lead to an under-estimation of the Soviet threat, much to the disgust of the Finnish ambassador in Stockholm, it did allow the country to focus it's attention onto Germany, a country that was both the a huge potential threat and a lucrative export market. Yet external issues were not dominant in Swedish politics, the autumn general election and the collapse of the governing coalition held that honour. The collapse was almost solely due to internal issues, a falling out between Prime Minister Hansson's Social Democrats and Axel Pehrsson-Bramstorp's Farmer's Party. In essence Hansson was trying to extend worker friendly labour laws into agriculture while at the same time cutting, or at least freezing, agricultural subsidies, a lethal combination to Swedish farming. With the three month campaign under way the King of Sweden, Gustaf V, appointed Pehrsson-Bramstorp as interim Prime Minister who, after unsuccessfully attempting to build a new non-socialist coalition, turned his attention to the lingering problem of the air forces new bomber. Applying direct rural logic to the issue, he reasoned that, as either choice would upset someone, the obvious solution was just to buy the best bomber. This straightforward and honest approach would, he believed, defuse any political impact the choice would have by making it a purely commercial decision. While considered by naive by many Foreign Office veterans, men who saw political subtext in the choice of cutlery at an embassy reception, it had the advantages of being easy to explain to parliament and the public and finally sorting the matter out, not to mention ensuring the air force got the best deal.
A Handley Page Hampden HP 53 awaiting evaluation at Malmslatt in Sweden. Essentially a standard Hampden, the HP 53 was fitted with the new Napier Dagger VIII 'H' block engines and various refinements based on 'lessons learnt' after the Abyssinian War
The problem was getting the air force to decide, whereas previously the Air Board had been united behind the German Ju-86, the Abyssinian War enable the Hampden salesmen to play the ace card - combat experience. It is difficult to overstate the advantage this gave, the Ju-86 was a converted airliner that had never dropped a bomb nor fired a gun in anger, while the Hampden was presented as a combat tested design. Not only that but Handley Page offered a design full of tweaks and changes, for example a change to twin Vickers 'K' machine guns in the turrets and an improved cockpit layout, all based on recommendations from Royal Air Force pilots who'd flown it over North Africa. Moreover the original doubts about the Ju-86 had resurfaced, while it was still the better handling of the two it was had the shortest range and had the lightest bomb load. Not unimportant considerations for an Air Board that had started the search by looking at medium bombers such as the Douglas B-18 and the Heinkel He-111, aircraft far close to the Hampden than the Ju-86. In the end these doubts, combined with the lure of a combat proven design, overcame worries about the Hampden's cramped interior and tipped the balance in favour of Handley Page. True to his word Pehrsson-Bramstorp duly agreed to the Air Board's recommendation and ordered the defence ministry to sign the contract.
The news was naturally warmly welcomed in London, not only for the significant export success but also for the attendant training and support contracts, work which it was firmly believed could only strengthen Anglo-Swedish relations. While careful not to offend Swedish sensitivities about the contract, the deal was announced to Parliament by the President of the Board of Trade Walter Runciman, rather than the Foreign Secretary Anthony Eden, in an attempt to emphasis the commercial and economic angle, there was as much celebration in the Foreign Office as Handley Page's Headquarters. Naturally this reaction was mirrored in Berlin, the frustration adding to the growing catalogue of failed Foreign Ministry initiatives, ironically strengthening not weakening the Foreign Minister, Konstantin von Neurath, as he had consistently argued against most of them only to be over-ruled. Only in Spain had Germany achieved any kind of overseas success, even then it had been through covert means, moreover the long term outcome was still very much in the balance, both for Spain in general and Germany's proxy Franco in particular.
In the next update we will look at Northern Europe, obviously focusing on the Rhineland fallout, but also looking at the reactions in the Low Countries and Eastern Europe.
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El Pip said:Atlantic Friend - It's not a bad plan, however I think the Republicans will have to fairly desperate to consider it, although the Basque would love the idea, I can't see the Monarchist openly fighting a French protectorate, or their Anglo-German masters allowing them to.
However France would have to wait for the Republican's blessing unless they're prepared for huge, possibly fatal damage to Franco-Spanish relations. Just announcing a large part of someone elses country is independent and under your protection is normally considered rude.
It certainly is - but if the Republic is going to go belly up anyway, the French FM could say France is "preserving a bastion of Spanish democracy" in the North. The trigger could be the Spanish Republic's belssing....or its imminent demise.
One final point, when the newly independent Basques ask for the French part of the Basque country back what does France say? 'We support your independence, but not that much'
Obviously, French support for an independent Euzkadi depends upon Basque acceptance that French Pays Basque is off-limits. If OTL is any indication, that would be a very reasonable risk for France, as autonomist revendication in the French Pays Basque is practically nonexistent when compared to what it is in the Spanish-held Euzkadi.
The way I see it, the Spanish Republic might not have a choice - if the Northern Pocket is isolated from the rest of the Spanish Republic, the Basques themselves will be tempted to transform a de facto independence into a de jure one, and to seek support from Paris. If things go badly for the Spanish Republic anyway, the French Cabinet might decide keeping a friendly Euzkadi beyond the Pyrénées is better than having an Anglo-German sponsored Fascist state.
Just my two pesetas here...
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El Pip said:
Goody! Let's hope the Abyssinian war, defused Rhineland crisis and inflated Spanish Civil War strengthened Wilhelmina's royal cabinet to let it rearm more quickly. Dutch weaponry did perform quite well given the odds...when there was ammunition to fire it.
Need help with the weapons employed and developed in the Netherlands?
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Very interesting. A poorer and much more frustrated Hitler regime looking to replace it's trade gaff's possibly with other 'yet-to-emerge' markets. Could there be a political and social alignment in the offing, with a very similar economy half-way round the globe? Dissaffected populous, under-developed industry, poor, yet ideologically strong and intensely conservative.....El Pip said:
I can see the social consequeces of his failed foreign policy under-mining his tenuous grasp on power though and maybe see him getting swept away by the winds of change. Or could it go the other way and strengthen German resolve instead? Precarious indeed!
Churchill is working away like a tyrant in the Air Ministry it seems. What a coup for him in securing the resources of a neutral economy to the betterment of British military technology. That man is surely going to go places
All in, a great update Pippy. I've been lurking recently as the Iberian squabble is really just a side-show compared to the much wider turmoil about to envelope your Alternative TimeLine. I can't wait to see your next 2 updates to see how it all shakes out. Pip Pip!
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I'm looking forward to see how this Sweet, Swede Tension is going to play itself out, particularly given the rant a couple of pages back.
At any rate, kudos to Handley-Page that is a sweet deal, and good for the future of technological development of aircraft within the Empire.
Great update as usual Pip!
At any rate, kudos to Handley-Page that is a sweet deal, and good for the future of technological development of aircraft within the Empire.
Great update as usual Pip!
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Atlantic Friend - Now now, you are still making the assumption Monarchist Spain is going fascist. Sure that's what the German's want, but you can put money Britain will do (almost) anything to stop it. A war with fascist Italy would surely convince even the most blinkered that fascism is not reasonable and shouldn't be encouraged.
That said I will bear this in mind, if the pocket stays intact and separate in the long term I'll consider the possibility of a French 'rescue'.
C&D - The Dutch will indeed react, and not just by re-arming faster....
scubadoobie2 - Ahhh, when I said two more updates I forgot to allow for the Pip inflation factor. This factor turns a planned couple of sentences into several paragraphs. Frankly my revised estimate is for Europe alone to take three updates.
As for Germany, Hitler's reputation has taken an absolute hammering while the cautious doves of the Foreign and War Ministries appear far sighted sages. That said Gobbels is spinning for all he is worth and domestically little has practically changed (wounded pride aside) so I can't see him becoming that unpopular. However his next ambitious venture will be far more fiercely resisted.
Bafflegab - Sweden will have bad things happen to it, I've already decided that, all I need to do is work out how to work it into the story.
Exports are indeed always handy, well they are in my book and luckily this AAR is my book so that works.
Alexus - Read faster! No, faster than that.
That said I will bear this in mind, if the pocket stays intact and separate in the long term I'll consider the possibility of a French 'rescue'.
C&D - The Dutch will indeed react, and not just by re-arming faster....
scubadoobie2 - Ahhh, when I said two more updates I forgot to allow for the Pip inflation factor. This factor turns a planned couple of sentences into several paragraphs. Frankly my revised estimate is for Europe alone to take three updates.
As for Germany, Hitler's reputation has taken an absolute hammering while the cautious doves of the Foreign and War Ministries appear far sighted sages. That said Gobbels is spinning for all he is worth and domestically little has practically changed (wounded pride aside) so I can't see him becoming that unpopular. However his next ambitious venture will be far more fiercely resisted.
Bafflegab - Sweden will have bad things happen to it, I've already decided that, all I need to do is work out how to work it into the story.
Exports are indeed always handy, well they are in my book and luckily this AAR is my book so that works.
Alexus - Read faster! No, faster than that.
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Hmmmm..........
Hitler's position is indeed interesting. If the Spanish Civil War stalemates (or if the British engineer an accident for Franco), he becomes even more isolated.
Hitler needs to be able to conjure up a "victory" from somewhere and reoccupation of the Rhineland might be tried again. Possibly with the gobbling up of Luxemburg as well? Just how much stamina will the French government have for a new conflict?
Hitler's position is indeed interesting. If the Spanish Civil War stalemates (or if the British engineer an accident for Franco), he becomes even more isolated.
Hitler needs to be able to conjure up a "victory" from somewhere and reoccupation of the Rhineland might be tried again. Possibly with the gobbling up of Luxemburg as well? Just how much stamina will the French government have for a new conflict?
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If I'm understanding Pip's rhetoric correctly, is it such a dead-cert that Hitler is going to be given the time and space to become the tyrant that he was in OTL? I might even venture to ask the question: In the present circumstances, why is it that Germany should retain the marker of warmonger and tyrant?Derek Pullem said:
You know, they all look so dashing in their shiny new uniforms though, and those bold ensignia's are really just harking back to an era of greater European unity and prosperity.....
Anyway...Spain is such a lovely distrac.....*ahem* I mean, a horrible conflict..I'm sure that once its all over, everyone will have much greater understanding of their newly developed technol....*cough* Spanish political idealism's so that Europe can then become a much happier place.....
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El Pip said:[Bafflegab - Sweden will have bad things happen to it, I've already decided that, all I need to do is work out how to work it into the story.
What about forcing them to use Ikea furniture. They foist that garbage on us, it seems only fair that they should have to endure the maze (once you go into the store,they won't let you out... It is a freaking shopping jail) and furniture incabable of supporting the body weight of an average 3 month old...
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We're awfully sorry about that, but let's face it; we had to do something to get rid of that trash, and dumping it all on you foreigners seemed like the least painful course of action. It's a bit like the British Empire in that regard.Bafflegab said:What about forcing them to use Ikea furniture. They foist that garbage on us, it seems only fair that they should have to endure the maze (once you go into the store,they won't let you out... It is a freaking shopping jail) and furniture incabable of supporting the body weight of an average 3 month old...
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Derek Pullem - Precisely, Hitler will be casting around for some form of foreign success. However the question will be how much stamina the Reich Foreign Ministry and the Army have for a new conflict.
Historically Hitler's gambles paid off, hence he faced less opposition over each new gamble as people began to think he was infallible. That is clearly not the case here, he's been checked several times and could have ended up at war with France in the Army hadn't pulled back when they did. When you've been wrong the last few times it's hard to say 'It'll work this time' convincingly.
For all that the man was a gambler and did have a firm domestic power base so I can see him being able to push through at least one more throw of the dice, the question is where.
scubadoobie2 - As above really, overseas it's all going wrong but domestically things are pretty good. The economy has picked up (it's a giant debt fuelled binge actually, but the public don't know. Yet.) and people have food and jobs (mainly jobs in the army, making arms or building roads for armies to march on, but jobs none the less). Plus Goebbels is pumping out endless propaganda hiding most of what's actually going on so people don't really know the truth.
In that situation Hitler is probably hard to unseat so he will remain in office for the timebeing, however the opposition against his foreign adventures will be very well marshalled and very determined.
Bafflegab - For the correct way to deal with Sweden see this AAR;
Furious Vengeance
By some unknown genuis.
Eams - The British Empire left behind tea, democracy, railways, trial by jury and most of the world's international sports. Ikea leaves behind pain, misery and badly designed tat. The two are utterly different in every conceivable way.
Apologies for delays with the update, I've been doing a spot in Dr Gonzo's Amazing Aeroventures. Which you can see Here
Historically Hitler's gambles paid off, hence he faced less opposition over each new gamble as people began to think he was infallible. That is clearly not the case here, he's been checked several times and could have ended up at war with France in the Army hadn't pulled back when they did. When you've been wrong the last few times it's hard to say 'It'll work this time' convincingly.
For all that the man was a gambler and did have a firm domestic power base so I can see him being able to push through at least one more throw of the dice, the question is where.
scubadoobie2 - As above really, overseas it's all going wrong but domestically things are pretty good. The economy has picked up (it's a giant debt fuelled binge actually, but the public don't know. Yet.) and people have food and jobs (mainly jobs in the army, making arms or building roads for armies to march on, but jobs none the less). Plus Goebbels is pumping out endless propaganda hiding most of what's actually going on so people don't really know the truth.
In that situation Hitler is probably hard to unseat so he will remain in office for the timebeing, however the opposition against his foreign adventures will be very well marshalled and very determined.
Bafflegab - For the correct way to deal with Sweden see this AAR;
Furious Vengeance
By some unknown genuis.
Eams - The British Empire left behind tea, democracy, railways, trial by jury and most of the world's international sports. Ikea leaves behind pain, misery and badly designed tat. The two are utterly different in every conceivable way.
Apologies for delays with the update, I've been doing a spot in Dr Gonzo's Amazing Aeroventures. Which you can see Here
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