The Struggles of Italy

[blklizard]

Hi everyone! This is blklizard and this is my first HOI3 AAR. This will also be my first HOI3 game so I could easily lose it all given my lack of knowledge for the game. I accept all advice for gameplay mechanics and strategies as the scenario for this game will be very different from the Vanilla map along with any critiques to my writing.

I will be using HOI3: TFH with no mods. However, I will be modding the map to suit the scenario I have in mind. The scenario is influenced by a Victoria 2 game I played but, with no prior experience to modding the map, my maps might appear ugly with certain borders just out of place. I apologize beforehand for the terrible borders but I am still modding it and working on some other minor modification. There might be some events added to the game but it depends on my success or failure with the map.

While I do the finishing touches to my scenario, I'd like to introduce some backstory to this AAR. I prefer narrative/historical (or whatever people classify my style as) style for my AARs. I'd like to start with basically the (alternate) Great War that led to the political landscape of 1936. I will be introducing all the major powers, how they got their ideology and what awaits the world. As the title suggests, I will be playing as Italy but their territory will be vastly different from historical ones. Let's just say I'd like a fighting chance since this is my first game and the challenges should teach me much.

I will avoid saving/loading unless I need certain things accomplished like forcing a nation to declare war on another for the sake of the story. If I seem to be losing this game, then I will accept it and continue without reloading. My Italy will follow a similar path at the start as the historical USA where the nation will avoid participating in conflicts unless pulled into it without any other choice. Depending on how the wars go, Italy could enter early or late. Therefore, I'm in the dark like everyone else as to when I will be participating. For roleplay and the backstory I have in mind, delaying my participation will probably make the most sense. As for other nations, there might be similar events happening but the modding of territory and stuff could just see a very different scenario play out early on.

Anyways, I present to you my first (easy difficulty) HOI3 game as Italy where the ride could get very bumpy.

 

[blklizard]

Reserved!

 

[blklizard]

The Great War - Part I

Chapter 1

The Great War, known to many as World War I, was the first conflict in human history which happened at a global scale. Every part of the world felt the impact of the war, whether directly or indirectly, and the effects were still felt in the the decades to come. No one could exactly agree on where this conflict originated at. There was already a lot of tension in many parts of the world paving the war for this war unheard of in the past. Most historians agreed that the spark for this global war began in Europe.

While the spark was certainly important to setting everything in motion, one needed to understand the situation of Europe first. Europe was entering an era where a number of great powers had risen up. These great powers were leaders in technology, industry and other aspects used to compare the nations. When as many as seven great powers and a number of secondary powers occupy practically all of Europe, rising tension and large conflicts were inevitable.

For the Italians, this era was certainly an interesting one. The history of this nation actually began with a number of Neapolitan sailors exploring for a route for India as they competed with Spanish and Portuguese sailors. They were later shipwrecked in Southeast Asia and, defying all odds, created a colonial empire, known as Nuova Italia, that would control half of the New World and a good portion of both Southeast and East Asia. Yet, this nation, despite being led by descendants of Italians, possessed no Italian lands.

The leaders of the nation worked to solve this problem by first conquering three key islands. The islands were Corsica, Sardinia and Malta. They would serve as the launching pad which the Italians intended on using to conquer Italy. Yet, fate had already planned out a path for these Italians. Their path would be much more bloodless as their empire, being already widely accepted throughout the world, was seen as the one and true Italy.

Instead of using soldiers to conquer the lands, the leaders of Nuova Italia spread propaganda throughout the Italian Peninsula. The people there had already grown tired of their government which was more of a theocracy than anything. The people pushed for change and, when the government threatened to respond with violence, Nuova Italian officials threatened to intervene. Under pressure, the Italians got their wish and Nuova Italia became Italy. The descendants of the Italians who were stranded in foreign lands for roughly four centuries were finally home.

 

[sebas379]

Ah, you have stated, excellent! Good luck with your first HOI3 AAR!

 

[blklizard]

Ah, you have stated, excellent! Good luck with your first HOI3 AAR!

Thanks! I think I have a lot of learning to do.

The Great War - Part I

Chapter 2

With the birth of Italy for the first time in history, the European landscape was bound to change. The Italian Peninsula had been largely divided since the collapse of the Roman Empire so the unification of the peninsula was a rare event which Italians celebrated. While the celebrations were going on, the new Italian government had matters to worry about like the Italian cores occupied by foreign nations.

These cores were considered integral to the Italian nation but the nations wrongfully occupying them refused to return them. If anything, they weren't even acknowledging the new Italian nation with the presumption that the nation would collapse shortly after to rebellions. It was becoming very obvious that, unless Italy showed her military might, she wasn't going to be taken seriously by the other European powers.

It certainly didn't help that the two nations controlling Italian cores were Great Powers. France was expanding her influence over the decades and was growing to be a dominant power in Europe. The other nation was Austria which had been steadily expanding as well, though at a lesser rate than France. Neither nation was a pushover so the Italians were facing some difficult challenges if they wished to reacquire their cores.

The Italian government bid its time while the Italian armies were steadily built in the Italian Peninsula. The majority of the soldiers were actually transported from East Asia where the greater manpower ensured faster recruitment. Following the completion of the Suez Canal, these troops were brought to Europe much sooner allowing the Italian nation to field an impressive military force prepared to retake the Italian cores.

The first Italian campaign occurred when Austria was at war with Prussia. With Austrian forces distracted, the Italian government declared war and attacked their undefended territory. This war concluded rather quickly as the Prussians exited their war only a few months in. The Austrians, with some internal problems, were unwilling to drag out the conflict seeing a few Italian cores returned to their proper owner.

 

[sebas379]

The first steps on the road to reconquering the peninsula.

 

[blklizard]

The first steps on the road to reconquering the peninsula.

I would have preferred not challenging them.

The Great War - Part I

Chapter 3

As the Italian forces grew stronger, the Italians grew bolder thinking they could take on Austria. France was a far stronger foe so, without a powerful ally, there were doubts regarding if the Italians could take on the more technologically advanced French. Once the soldiers were deployed across the border, the war on Austria was declared and, this time, Italy was alone in her war without Austrian forces distracted in another war.

Given the large front Austria had with her numerous neighbors, her forces were scattered throughout the Austrian territory. This gave Italian forces a significant edge since they could concentrate near the Italian-Austrian border where they could launch an attack at once. The Austria army at the border wasn't on alert so the Italians had the element of surprise giving them a significant edge to the first battle of the war.

The Austrian army routed following heavy losses but the Italians didn't give chase. They began laying siege to a number of Austrian provinces along the border while the idle armies remained in neighboring provinces ready to reinforce friendly forces that were attacked. The Austrian forces took a month to start showing up and they didn't hesitate to attack. As the Italians reinforced their positions, more Austrians also entered the province to tip the battle in their favor.

While the enormous battle was taking place, Italian forces, who were far more numerous than their Austrian counterparts, had spare armies to continue besieging Austrian territory. There were small Austrian armies trying to reinforce the key battle but they were picked off due to the help of Austrian deserters. With more of their territory occupied, the Austrians were growing desperate since they couldn't convince other Great Powers to assist them against the Italians.

When the critical battle ended with an enormous Italian victory, the war was finally concluded with the Austrian government accepting the demands of the Italians. In addition to returning Italian cores, the Austrians also gave up their Croatian provinces. Italy had won a great victory and they suddenly became noticed by other European nations, especially France who still controlled Italian cores. It was only a matter of time before they came in conflict.

 

[sebas379]

Ah the Italian Unification Wars, driving the Austrians out. Comparable to the 19th century Italian Unification Wars, a very interesting period indeed. Drive those habsburgs out!
(the only difference is the French dont help but hinder you as well)

 

[blklizard]

Ah the Italian Unification Wars, driving the Austrians out. Comparable to the 19th century Italian Unification Wars, a very interesting period indeed. Drive those habsburgs out!
(the only difference is the French dont help but hinder you as well)

Ya, those French are a serious problem requiring the cooperation of two Great Powers.

The Great War - Part I

Chapter 4

The Italian cores wrongfully in the hands of the French were retrieved in time following an alliance between Italy and North German Federation. The North German Federation had grown enormously over the last two decades and looked to retake their own cores controlled by the French. The two Great European Powers shared a common goal and a common enemy which made the alliance easy. With their troops in position, war was declared on France.

The French, having anticipated a possibility of war upon learning about the alliance, had made deals with the Ottoman Empire in the east. The Ottomans and the North German Federation shared direct border in the Romanian region so, should war break out, German soldiers had to fight that front as well. With only the Suez region bordering the Ottoman territory, the Italians mostly just had to worry about their French counterparts.

The French government made a huge mistake when it dedicated most of the French armies on the border shared with the North German Federation. Their logic was that, given that the Germans were more advanced and were much more industrialized compared to the Italians, they would be a bigger threat. The French forces would win a swift victory against the Germans before sending their forces to deal with the Italians.

Their miscalculation was in how long the battles dragged out with the Germans. The French might have boasted more soldiers initially but a few unfavorable battles and the reinforcing of German troops soon forced the regional engagements into a stalemate. Meanwhile, the Italians met limited resistance as they occupied all of Southern France in a few months. With their capital threatened, the French realized that they had lost and agreed to the peace deal.

The peace deal saw Italian cores returned to Italy and the Rhineland was returned to the North German Federation. France was, for the time being, defeated but their industrial strength was mighty and their manpower was still plenty. The French looked to exact their revenge against Italy and North German Federation once they finished recovering from the war that went poorly for them.

 

[racebear75]

A big, colonial Italy, sounds interesting. Subbed.

 

[sebas379]

A bit like an escalated mix of the Italian unification wars and the Franco-Prussian war then. A French-Ottoman alliance could mean trouble, depending on how strong the Ottomans still are in this timeframe.

 

[blklizard]

A big, colonial Italy, sounds interesting. Subbed.

I certainly have a lot to learn with my colonial empire. Welcome!

A bit like an escalated mix of the Italian unification wars and the Franco-Prussian war then. A French-Ottoman alliance could mean trouble, depending on how strong the Ottomans still are in this timeframe.

The Ottomans are quite powerful at the start of the Great War. I'll show maps after some more updates.

The Great War - Part I

Chapter 5

In North America, the United States of America had been steadily regaining the land she viewed as her cores. There was much opposition but, with the Europeans too busy with their own conflicts in Europe, the USA was free to pursue her agenda whenever possible with limited resistance. Around the time Italy regained all of her cores, the USA only had two opponents who stood between her and all her remaining cores.

The first nation was Italy which had established a colonial empire at one point controlling vast territory in the New World. That was something of the past but Italy still controlled the west coast of North America which included some land the Americans viewed as their core. There was a relatively strong presence of Italian forces after the brutal revolts that saw so much territory lost.

The other opposition to the Americans to their Manifest Destiny was the Netherlands who still controlled a large portion of central North America. These two nations stood between USA from unifying all her supposed cores but it was obvious that the Americans wanted all of North America. While the quest for all of North America would face some serious opposition throughout Europe, the reconquest of their cores, as seen by the Italian wars, was legitimate reason for war.

As the Americans recruited men and readied for conflict, both Italy and Netherlands did the same in response. They weren't about to let the Americans do as they pleased since neither nation wanted to lost further territory in the Americas. The Dutch had already lost some territory in the past to the Americans so they also had some score to settle and land to retake after the unjust war declared by the Americans.

With the rumors of the Italy and Netherlands possibly forming an alliance to fight USA, the Americans were more hesitant to make a move. Both European nations were enjoying peace at the moment so, should war break out, they could dedicate all their forces which greatly outnumbered what the Americans could field. The American politicians told their soldiers to stand down as they patiently bid for their opportunity to strike.

 

[sebas379]

A powerful colonial netherlands allied to italy, very interesting!

 

[blklizard]

A powerful colonial netherlands allied to italy, very interesting!

I wouldn't call it an alliance. More like a small coalition to keep the Americans in check.

The Great War - Part I

Chapter 6

While the Americans looked to dominate North America, there was a growing power in South America who was encountering limited resistance to her expansion as well. Like North America, South America was simply too far for the European powers to do much other than expanding their influence somewhat. When conflicts arose, none of the European powers was in a position to intervene resulting in the birth of the Brazilian Empire.

The history of Brazil went way back to the day when the Portuguese first colonized South America. Despite being a tiny nation, Portugal had surpassed all expectations by creating an enormous colonial empire on par with that of Castille, Holland and Italy. The colonies in South America provided plenty of silver which the Portuguese used to fund their great fleet to maintain their empire.

As decades went by, Portugal found herself engaged in a number of conflicts which were draining her treasury rapidly. To continue funding her campaigns, the Portuguese government implemented new laws which required much more silver to be delivered to Lisbon. These laws were not only terrible burdens to the natives forced to work in horrific work conditions but also severely punished the Portuguese citizens who couldn't deliver the amount.

As the Portuguese citizens in South America grew tired of the unfair treatment they were getting after sacrificing so much to come to the untamed South America, they rose up in revolt and decided to create their own nation which would eventually be known as Brazil. Portugal, being already involved in so many conflicts, couldn't put down the revolts and lost all of her colonies in the New World delivering a huge blow to the European nation.

The first decade for Brazil was a difficult one considering how so much of her political structure depended on Portugal. After much hardship, the Brazilian government was formed and Brazil was well on her way to industrialization and greatness. To secure more land and resources to further strengthen Brazil, wars were declared and Brazil grew to be a dominant South American nation destined to possibly one day unite all of South America.

 

[sebas379]

A powerful Brazil in the south, a possible counterweight to the USA perhaps. Or the start of a powerblock to rule the continent, you never know.

 

[blklizard]

A powerful Brazil in the south, a possible counterweight to the USA perhaps. Or the start of a powerblock to rule the continent, you never know.

Brazil will surely play a key role in both the Great War and the Second World War.

The Great War - Part I

Chapter 7

While Brazil was arguably the strongest South American nation, Argentina wasn't too far behind. The Argentinian government weren't content with being second and they had long disliked their neighbor. Remaining second meant that, when enough time passed by, they too would be fighting Brazil in a losing war where they would ultimately be integrated into Brazil. This wasn't a fate they wanted.

To stand against Brazil would be foolish at this point when Brazil commanded a stronger industry and military. Therefore, the Argentinian government searched for allies who could assist them in fighting the South American giant. They first allied themselves with the other smaller nations in South America who feared Brazil more than Argentina. With most of them losing land to Brazil in the last few decades, it was quite easy to convince them in joining the coalition.

However, there were doubts such a coalition could even stand against Brazil. All the Brazilian army needed to do was hold their line against Argentina while they systematically attacked the small nations until they capitulated. Eventually, they could turn their focus on Argentina and finish her for good. The Argentinian government wanted better odds so its officials looked abroad to North America.

They found their ally in the United States of America who shared a similar ambition as them regarding their respective continent. The USA weren't too friendly with Brazil either since, despite the influence they expanded in South America, Brazil often intervened and, most of the time, USA couldn't do much about it. With the offer on the table, American officials began to weigh the pros and cons.

The Americans knew the Brazilians would never cooperate with them so the destruction of Brazil was good. Argentina, if becoming the new dominant South American power, might just become a second Brazil. However, their participation in South America could give the Americans the opportunity to shape the continent in their favor. The American officials argued for a month before they came to their final decision.

 

[sebas379]

When you cannot fight brazil on your own, find like minded nations and hit them from all sidew. Seems like a good idea.

 

[blklizard]

When you cannot fight brazil on your own, find like minded nations and hit them from all sidew. Seems like a good idea.

It they could get an ally like USA, it's even better.

The Great War - Part I

Chapter 8

Japan, once a backwards nation embracing isolationism, underwent great changes that would ultimately see her rise to Great Power Status. During her isolation, Japan remained on her islands and stayed away from the main continent. When Japan finally opened herself to western ideas, there was plenty of resistance which the Japanese Shogunate brutally put down with his iron fist.

The westernization of Japan was a process that started slow but quickly picked up pace when all the resistance to change was crushed by the shogunate. The shogunate who began this great change for Japan would not live to see the fruits of his labor. His successor would not put the changes to waste as he soon prepared an invasion of the continent which was unheard of only a decade ago.

The new Japanese Shogunate targeted the Korean Peninsula as his first target. The location of Korea made it easier to defend and, unlike a lot of land bordering this nation, the Korean territory was more civilized and, for now, the Japanese didn't want to deal with savages in the wilderness. After a few months of preparation, the Japanese fleet set sailed for Korea with a very much modern army ready to conquer.

The war was sudden and the Koreans were ill-prepared for the conflict. They rallied their forces but they paled against the modern Japanese soldiers who were drilled with discipline. Despite being often outnumbered four to one or even five to one, they rose out on top after inflicting massive losses to the Koreans while suffering much fewer losses. The conquest of Korea proved to be an easy feat with the Korean ruler soon capitulating.

Following the conquest of Korea, Japan proceeded to expand into the north and soon established a puppet in Mongolia slightly west. There were plans to attack the Chinese state, Manchuria, but the possibility of Italian intervention stopped them in their tracks. Unwilling to have European power competing in Asia for land, the Japanese looked to strike an alliance with the Nationalist China.

 

[sebas379]

Japan takes korea and allies china against the italians, an interesting development. I wonder how this eastern powerblock will stand up against the others.

 

[blklizard]

Japan takes korea and allies china against the italians, an interesting development. I wonder how this eastern powerblock will stand up against the others.

I can assure you that some changes are about to take place after the Great War.

The Great War - Part I

Chapter 9

Travancore, the dominant Indian state, had remained relatively passive since she rose above all the other Indian states. The nation was in a series of modernizing that was met with a lot of resistance which had hindered her progress. Progress to westernize had been slow and her neighbors viewed this as weakness. The smaller Indian states were plotting to divide Travancore among themselves so they could control larger territory.

The dominant Indian state was in an awkward situation where she wasn't fully westernized. There were still many regions embracing the old ways and people there viewed the government with hostility. Rumors were spreading about these people contacting nearby smaller Indian states to work out deals on how to divide up the land. These were troubling news for the Travancore government which didn't need more hostile people to deal with.

During the hardship of high resistance to change, the Travancore government found an ally halfway across the world. This ally had invested a lot of resources in the changes in Travancore and, to assist the Indian nation in putting down her rebellions, ally forces were sent to keep the order. This ally was the United Kingdom and her influence in the Indian Peninsula would have an impact for the decades to come.

The presence of foreigners were looked down upon by the other Indian states whose people viewed the British with distrust. As a result, they were claiming that the Travancore government was siding with the enemies who wished nothing more than enslaving the Indian people. The presence of British troops only further supported their suspicions and the anti-British sentiment was rising in the peninsula.

When the rumors of a coalition forming against Travancore spread across the Indian Peninsula, the Travancore were worried their British allies would abandon them during their times of need. Little did they know that, having no say in the matter, the British soldiers stationed in Travancore were about to remain in the region for awhile due to what was developing in the continent of Europe.