Would anyone be interested in a PtEAP reboot?

[Korsteeni]

Mostly just poking around, don't really have anything concrete yet

So, in the days when HoI2 still reigned supreme there was this mod called Peace to End All Peaces that I greatly enjoyed. The premise was that due to Alexander I of Serbia not getting killed in 1903 the Black Hand never rose to prominence and a Great War in Europe between 1914 and 1918 never happened due to no assassination of an Austrian Crown Prince in Sarajevo. In 1936 the map of Europe looks mostly the same as in 1914, but there are still old enmities bubbling under and the old alliances could very well become moot should things come to blows.

As I said, I really liked the mod, but it felt slightly incomplete. Thus, I started to work my own magic on the premises.

I added a proper ending to the U.S.-Britain War.
I added a French Civil War in 1937, to have something interesting happen if the player decided not to restore the monarchy.
I added a second U.S. Civil War. cliche, I know, but at least they had to lose a war badly for it to happen

Then, I lost it all when my computer got a virus. Rarely during my modding career have I ever felt so pissed off.

Others went on to make mods inspired by PtEAP, such as The Bonaparte Legacy and The War That Never Was. However, I always liked the more compact timeframe of the original - just 30 years of alternate history, not seven decades or God knows how much.

So, my fellow Paradoxians, would there be any interest whatsoever in a PtEAP reboot for Darkest Hour? I personally would probably have no problems with anything except the AI [FN1] - BTW, I remember there was a notorious bug in the original mod that sometimes caused Spain to declare war on Britain in 1937/38, flushing the whole intended event and alliance system down the toilet. Never really found a solution to that... see what I mean?

[FN1] Okay, I'm not that well versed with the DH event commands, although my knowledge of the original HoI2 event code is really good.

 

[Gukpa]

I not only support the idea, but I volunteer myself to make a trailer to the mod!

 

[Khor]

It sounds very interesting. Just on thing. Please add some new countries or flags. Even a single new and lonely state would be great.

 

[Korsteeni]

It sounds very interesting. Just on thing. Please add some new countries or flags. Even a single new and lonely state would be great.

I agree wholeheartedly. Maybe the situation in China could be fleshed out further this time... or maybe Korea is never 100% subjugated, the point of divergence is 1903 after all...

I also had an idea of including a Russo-British war/skirmish in the 1920's as a part of the backstory of the mod, so maybe there could be a small independent Central Asian state this time around?

 

[Khor]

Than I propose the Korean Empire. (Technically it could work. A Korean Empire allied to some Manchu warlords could hurt the Chinese. For once the Koreans could actually do something in a mod. How about a mighty Korean fleet? The Manchu warlords would leave them alone from the north, and a naval race would have happened between the Korean, and the Japanese. The Russo-Japanese war would be a Japanese defeat, because the Koreans allied with the Russians (the naval race would be after this.)
This would cripple the Japanese fledgling economy, which would culminate in a Civil War between a hard right faction of tradition (even more than in ww2), and the socialists (practically the democratic factions allied with the radical left.)
Korea could actually slowly take over the Japanese colonies.

 

[Tera Brandford]

It sounds good.

 

[yeastmobile]

Sounds Nice.

 

[Korsteeni]

Than I propose the Korean Empire. (Technically it could work. A Korean Empire allied to some Manchu warlords could hurt the Chinese. For once the Koreans could actually do something in a mod. How about a mighty Korean fleet? The Manchu warlords would leave them alone from the north, and a naval race would have happened between the Korean, and the Japanese. The Russo-Japanese war would be a Japanese defeat, because the Koreans allied with the Russians (the naval race would be after this.)
This would cripple the Japanese fledgling economy, which would culminate in a Civil War between a hard right faction of tradition (even more than in ww2), and the socialists (practically the democratic factions allied with the radical left.)
Korea could actually slowly take over the Japanese colonies.

I like the idea of that, but I think the Russians should lose the war to not make them too powerful in the years between 1905 and 1936... problematic.

It sounds good.

Sounds Nice.

Thank you, gentlemen. I guess I could start creating the scenario files in the near future.

Now, does anyone have any ideas what should be done with China? In the original mod the European powers (and Japan?) restored the Qing in 1926 after all of China had fallen into anarchy, but that was seen as highly implausible by some. (I personally know very little about Chinese domestic situation during the era.)

 

[suchy12kk]

I like the idea of that, but I think the Russians should lose the war to not make them too powerful in the years between 1905 and 1936... problematic.





Thank you, gentlemen. I guess I could start creating the scenario files in the near future.

Now, does anyone have any ideas what should be done with China? In the original mod the European powers (and Japan?) restored the Qing in 1926 after all of China had fallen into anarchy, but that was seen as highly implausible by some. (I personally know very little about Chinese domestic situation during the era.)

China was on a total mess during that period. Have you seen THE GREAT WAR channel episode about China in WWI?

Zdrówka!

 

[Khor]

Restoration of the Qing is not so unplausible, but it has as much of a chance, as Yuan Shikai remaining an Emperor. You could have a civil war still raging on. The Ma clique was always royalist, so if you have some kind of Emperor, than they would be happy to be a part of the Empire. Long Yun if he is alive could take the role of Chiang Kai-Sek and lead a republican side (republican, but highly autocratic.) The Mongols have a free reign, if the Russians lost some land and wars, and China is unstable. They could annex the claimed Inner Mongolian lands and Tannu Tuva.

 

[Korsteeni]

Restoration of the Qing is not so unplausible, but it has as much of a chance, as Yuan Shikai remaining an Emperor. You could have a civil war still raging on. The Ma clique was always royalist, so if you have some kind of Emperor, than they would be happy to be a part of the Empire. Long Yun if he is alive could take the role of Chiang Kai-Sek and lead a republican side (republican, but highly autocratic.) The Mongols have a free reign, if the Russians lost some land and wars, and China is unstable. They could annex the claimed Inner Mongolian lands and Tannu Tuva.

Hm, seems that I wasn't completely off the mark when I made this. I'm not sure about the inclusion of an independent Yunnan, but Sichuan I'd like to keep, otherwise it's a bit too, uh, convenient with a just a Qing north (probably ruled by Zaifeng Prince Chun like in the original mod) and a Republican south.

Spoiler

Of course there's also the issue with Korea again...

 

[Khor]

Not just independent Yunnan. Long Yun could take on the role of the autocrat democrat and also annex the Guangxi clique. If you would like to restore some empire I could list a few choices.

For the Qing there is a number of princes.
For Ming you could have https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zhu_Rongji or http://baike.baidu.com/view/2429604.htm the "accepted and official" Ming descendant
For Zheng dynasty (who ruled Taiwan) https://zh.wikipedia.org/wiki/鄭愁予 (he would be a small child in the mod start, but that's not a big deal with a regent.)
For descendant of Confucius: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kung_Te-cheng (a bit young, but older than the Zheng descendant.)
For Yuan dynasty: https://zh.wikipedia.org/wiki/袁克定

And I think that's all for now. There could be more, but that's already a lot. Feel free to choose an Emperor or more.

 

[Korsteeni]

Not just independent Yunnan. Long Yun could take on the role of the autocrat democrat and also annex the Guangxi clique. If you would like to restore some empire I could list a few choices.

For the Qing there is a number of princes.
For Ming you could have https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zhu_Rongji or http://baike.baidu.com/view/2429604.htm the "accepted and official" Ming descendant
For Zheng dynasty (who ruled Taiwan) https://zh.wikipedia.org/wiki/鄭愁予 (he would be a small child in the mod start, but that's not a big deal with a regent.)
For descendant of Confucius: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kung_Te-cheng (a bit young, but older than the Zheng descendant.)
For Yuan dynasty: https://zh.wikipedia.org/wiki/袁克定

And I think that's all for now. There could be more, but that's already a lot. Feel free to choose an Emperor or more.

I think I'll go with the Qing, they have the most street cred of the bunch.

By the way, I think I've nailed the Korea problem: since the situation in Europe is already created by an assassination never happening, why not have a similar situation for Far East Asia as well? I am of course talking about the assassination of Itō Hirobumi, the Resident-General of Korea, in 1909. Since he was against outright annexation of Korea maybe his survival could lead to Korea being a mere puppet state with the Emperors still ruling, albeit subject to the Chrysanthemum Throne bossing them around? (They could still break free, should the right situation come...)

 

[Khor]

Yeah that could work. A puppet Korean Empire, that is building up for years now.

 

[Korsteeni]

All right, here's a draft of the history between 1903 and 1936-ish

1903: Alexander I of Serbia survives his assassination attempt.

1909: Itō Hirobumi, Resident-General of Korea, survives his assassination attempt. The would-be assassin An Jung-geun is shot to death on the spot.

1910: the Empire of Korea becomes a vassal state to Japan.

1912: Thomas R. Marshall is elected President of the United States.[FN1]

1916: Franz Joseph I of Austria-Hungary dies. He is succeeded by Archduke Franz Ferdinand, who takes the regnal name Franz II.

1917: the Austrian Ausleich negotiations manage to please all parties. The groundwork for the Danubian Federation (Donauföderation) is formed.

1920: Itō Hirobumi dies aged 78.

1926: Franz II dies in an automobile accident in the Austrian Alps. He is succeeded by Karl I.

Emperor Sunjong of Korea dies. He is succeeded by his half-brother Yeong.

1927: the Ausleich negotiations formally create the Danubian Federation. A new flag (and anthem?) is adopted.

192?: Russia attacks Persia, but British aid turns the tide against the Russians and a peace treaty status quo ante bellum is concluded. The Russians expend quite a lot of their budget on the war.

Afghanistan breaks free from British domination, creating a neutral buffer state between the two superpowers.

(These two could also be reversed, so that the Afghans attacking the British would be the catalyst for Russian aggression in the region)

1929: the Wall Street Stock Market crash. Due to stronger economies around the world the only country significantly affected is the United States.


1935: Third Balkan War. Greece defeats Bulgaria in the one-on-one war and takes the Bulgarian part of Aegean Sea coastline.

[FN1] I hate Woodrow Wilson, that's why.

If you have any suggestions do not hesitate to say them out loud.

 

[Gukpa]

but I think the Russians should lose the war to not make them too powerful in the years between 1905 and 1936... problematic.

actually it is the opposite, it was the defeat in the russo japanese war that led a sense of urgency to modernize the russian empire

Edit: What about this: The Russians lose the sino japanese war as OTL, but then they turn mongolia into a protectorate after china falls into civil war, that way the mongolians could push more and more into manchuria and China with russian help

 

[Korsteeni]

actually it is the opposite, it was the defeat in the russo japanese war that led a sense of urgency to modernize the russian empire

Edit: What about this: The Russians lose the sino japanese war as OTL, but then they turn mongolia into a protectorate after china falls into civil war, that way the mongolians could push more and more into manchuria and China with russian help

That could work. There'd be *counts with his fingers looking stupid* FIVE different blocks vying for power in China (refer to the map):

- the Qing in the north (plus the Ma Clique kinda-sorta)
- the Republic in the south
- the warlords - Sichuan, Yunnan (?)
- Japan (naturally)
- the Mongolians backed by the Russians

I was thinking that while the European powers initially support the Republic Germany could switch their support to the Qing to ire the Russians - something of an analogue to the recalling of General von Falkenhausen in real life.

 

[Gukpa]

The chinese prime minister could be Zhan Zuolin, since he was the last warlord to try to restore the qing dynasty before he was killed by the japanese

And well, if the situation of the qings get unsustainable (translating = they lose beijing), this could make the russians declare war on them and grab manchuria, also giving some of the provinces there to mongolia

 

[Ericafaq]

His son(Last leader of Fentigan) had a same ideological position.Moreover,he died in 2000

 

[Korsteeni]

The chinese prime minister could be Zhan Zuolin, since he was the last warlord to try to restore the qing dynasty before he was killed by the japanese

And well, if the situation of the qings get unsustainable (translating = they lose beijing), this could make the russians declare war on them and grab manchuria, also giving some of the provinces there to mongolia

I was thinking of placing Lu Zhengxiang as the Qing prime minister since he was Yuan Shikai's prime minister in real life, but Zhang could work too.

His son(Last leader of Fentigan) had a same ideological position.Moreover,he died in 2000

Designated successor to the office of prime minister, maybe...?