1938: Prelude To War (OOC/AH/Open)

[Zostra]

Nation Name: Poland (currently deciding on official name/government type)
Territory Reserved: You should be able to tell which is Poland
155

Reserved

Nation Name:
The New Empire of Roma
Territory Reserved:Is this okay? (the green) if not then Italy, Tunis, Thrace
155

I'm generally trying to keep non-historical conquest to a minimum unless it's from the result of an actual conflict taking a different course (Greece winning the 1919-1922 War or French intervention in Spain for example) as it takes lands away from potential players and it's more interesting to put it into the actual IC thread. Those territories in the map put you into conflict with the French reservation as well (I assumed he included all historical French colonies in his reservation). So I'll reserve Italy and Thrace for you for now. Presumably the irl Italian colonies circa 1938 are included?

Nation Name: The Russian Union (not set on this name yet)
Territory Reserved: Same as USSR pre-WW2
155

Reserved

And also I'm assuming WWII went somewhat similar to reality? Because that would be a major influence on histories.

WWI you mean? If so, generally yes. I have Germany losing the war in my history so there's no successful Schlieffen plan or something like that. Something like the Treaty of Versailles being different or the Russian Revolutions being altered are fine though.

[Sanabel]

Reserve the Kingdom of Iraq.

[Zostra]

Reserve the Kingdom of Iraq.

Reserved

[Pied Noirs]

(with a socialist germany, i thought it could be cool to have all the nobles/fascists/others flee east and with the baltic germans take over)

Nation Name: Königreich der Ostens
Territory Reserved: Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania
155

[Zostra]

(with a socialist germany, i thought it could be cool to have all the nobles/fascists/others flee east and with the baltic germans take over)

Nation Name: Königreich der Ostens
Territory Reserved: Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania
155

That could work, Konigsberg and East Prussia was a right-wing stronghold in my history so they could have fled through there. Reserved.

[Narintia]

Nation Name: State of Livonia
Territory: Estonia and Latvia
Population: 1.2 million
Flag:

Head of State: President Konstantin Päts
Head of Government: Kaarel Eenpalu
Government Form: Presidental Democracy
Ideology: Liberty,State Capitalism
Description of Government: Livonia is a free democracy, with votes for all people aged 16 and over. It's parliament is split into 1 section, the House of the People.
Foreign Policy: Livonia is isolationist.

Military Branches: The Livonian Armed Forces is split into 3 forces: The Livonian Army, Livonian Navy and the small Livonian Airforce.
Military Size: 32,000 (elite) Mobilization brings it up to 40,000.
Description of Military: The Livonian Army's strength is it's overwhelming training time. Choosing quality over quanity, the state sponsors a style of Hybrid Warfare that dictates for defending the state, and only making small pushes, as well as maintaining air superiority.
Description of Economy: The economy is completely free market. No state sponsoring.
Primary Imports: Wheat, foodstuffs, strategic materials (coal,iron)
Primary Exports: Luxury metals, ship parts, fish.

History:
The Livonian State was established in Estonia in 1918, as the Russian Civil War broke out, the Baltic people finally saw their chance for independence... and took it. The Livonian State united with Latvia in 1919, as German-Baltic troops marched into Riga. Thankfully, the state managed to push them out, but at enormous casualties. The risk of further Russian invasion pushed Livonia to aid Poland in the Polish-Russian War, ultimately resolving into a unsteady peace. But finally, after the war was over, the Baltic people enjoyed peace. Land was given back to the peasants, Baltic Germans were forcibly relocated to Prussia, and Livonia finally started to rise off the bleak that was the Great Depression. The Vepa movement, however, was the biggest threat to peace. They demanded: the removal of all communist parties, and the restoration of the Monarchy. These were hard times, but the Vepa movement was destroyed in 1937, as a goverment crackdown ensued.
RP Sample: yup
255

[Pied Noirs]

Narintia would you be open to perhaps having Estonia but splitting Latvia with me?
I'm sure you will want Riga, but I would quite like Courland and the western bits of Semigallia

[Prevnina]

How's my Poland looking?

Nation Name: Rzeczpospolita Polska (Republic of Poland)
Territory: Here
Population: Polish - ~23 million
Ukrainian - ~4 million
German - ~2 million
Jewish - ~2 million
Belarusian - ~1 million
total - 32 million(ish)
Flag: Here

Head of State: President/Marshal Adam Koc
Head of Government: Prime Minister August Utta
Government Form: "Democracy"
Ideology: Nationalist, militarist, fascist
Description of Government: The Polish Republic's government consists of a President, Prime Minister and a single house of parliament, the Sejm. Each of the 104 Polish districts automatically has one member, with extra allocated for higher populations, an extra twenty members appointed directly by the President as a cabinet, twenty elected independently of the other elections by the ethnic German districts (they have two elections there), and twenty appointed by the military as their representatives. The President is chosen every six years in a general election between candidates set forwards by the parliament, he appoints his own prime minister from the ethnic German block of parliament members and has near absolute power, though usually they are not actually used, and legislature is left to the Sejm and local bodies.
Foreign Policy: Because of the extremely anti-communist, anti-socialist and anti-Jewish stances of the current government, the Polish Republic has almost cut off relations entirely with what they call "Jewish Occupied Germany", and has similarly poor relations with other socialist nations, as well as the United States thanks to it's large Jewish lobby. The new Poland is isolationist, intent of defending it's integrity from the schemes of the Jewish communists, presumably the Russians, and whoever else may want to invade.

Military Branches: Wojska Lądowe (Ground Forces), Wojska Lotnicze i Obrony Powietrznej (Air Force), Marynarka Wojenna (Navy), Selbstschutz (German self-defense units)
Military Size: Ground Forces - 300,000 men
Air Force - ~600 aircraft of all types
Navy - 5 submarines, 4 destroyers, various support and smaller vessels.
Selbstschutz - 50,000 men
Reserves - 500,000 men
Description of Military: The Polish army is well trained and experienced thanks to fighting against communists and nationalist guerrillas in the East of the country, though not so well armed and equipped when compared to some other armies, mostly using old rifles, machine guns and artillery pieces which were inherited from the arsenals of various Empires Poland was carved out of. The tanks and armoured vehicles mostly come from local factories or the Skoda works in Czechia, and are fast with medium sized guns but not entirely adequate armour if set against heavy targets.
The major weakness of the army would be it's discipline outside of battle, while they haven't ever had any real problems with morale, they are known to lose their heads and loot/pillage, murder, etc., and don't have much respect for politicians, or anyone outside of the army, so if the President (and current head of the army) were to be replaced by a non-military man they might not do everything they were told to do.

Description of Economy: (overall structure, government policy, level of prosperity, etc.) The vast majority of Poland's exports went not to it's immediate neighbours (who account for a mere fifth of such products) but to overseas markets, such as the United States. With the anti-Polish lobby in the United States resulting from anti-Jewish and other actions taken by the Polish government, these exports have shrunk and the Polish economy has receded quite a bit. With smaller markets come smaller profits. Also, much of the infrastructure, factories, etc., built and operated until recently has been destroyed, and many foreign investors have withdrawn their funding of Polish projects in protest against the government.
This has all lead to a decline of living standards in Poland, and large numbers of economic migrants have left the country to Germany, the United States and other nations. Still, things could always be worse, and things aren't as bad as they were during the Great Depression or any of the various famines of the Russian Empire.
The majority of the population are engaged in agriculture, although since large numbers of Ukrainian and Belarusian peasants have fled the country in the last few years, and they were even more disproportionately agricultural, it's probably only 60-65% of the working population. The rest of the people work in the coal mines of Silesia, oilfields of Gorlice, shipyards of Gdynia, factories of Krakow, Warsaw and a dozen other industrial centers, etc.
Primary Imports: Weapons, technology, crude oil, iron
Primary Exports: Food, coal, textiles, refined oil, farm equipment

History: Following the defeat of the Russian Empire (or this timelines equivalent) in the Great War, the Polish people finally became free after generations under various Germanic and other boots. The first few years of independence were chaotic, a full third of the people in this new nation weren't Polish and didn't want to be, the government was in disarray, etc., until the Pilsudski coup of May 1926.

Under the leadership of Jozef Pilsudski, via his front man Moscicki, a better Poland was built, infrastructure, the economy, corruption, potentially rebellious minorities, the army, the borders with Germany and (whatever current Russia/USSR is), he had a way to fix everything. Pilsudski's Poland became the new player on the block, with it's neighbour to the west too busy with infighting and civil war and it's neighbour to the east the usual backwater, it was Poland which many of the central European states began to see as the local power.

This is no longer Pilsudski's Poland.

Not long after the success of the leftist forces in Germany, a number of far-right Germans fled to Poland, mostly to ethnically German areas of Poznan and Pomerania. Polish authorities attempted to close the border but were rather lax, and the influx of German nationalists caused a sudden rise of support for the Deutscher Volksverband and other similar groups. Far-right, fascist and nationalist parties also got more popular with the ethnic Polish population, with the National Party, the new Falangist Party and several others winning local elections. Communist and socialist parties also got a boost from their comrades successes in Germany, and the countries politics became more polarised.

In early 1935, a small group of men from the Yidisher Arbeter Bund (Jewish Labour League) detonated a series of bombs in and around the Sejm while it was in session, killing more than one hundred people, importantly including Pilsudski, his front man Mosciscki and a number of high ranking officials and generals.

An investigation found that Szlomo Wajdenfeld, Godel Folkin and Chaim Zibering, all members of the Polish Army, under the direction of a German national and known communist named Ignaz Vogel, had over a period of time stolen explosives from their base's arsenal, built several devices and with help from a few sympathetic politicians (who just happened to have been getting some fresh air when the bombs went off) planted the devices in the parliament just before it was to meet.

In the time that followed, chaos reigned in Poland, with so many of the politicians and officials killed, and many others severely injured, a group of officers under the direction of Marshal Rydz-Smigly, who had survived the attack, temporarily took control of the nation, only to be overthrown by a communist revolt in Warsaw, an anti-communist one in Poznan and a seemingly meaningless one in Krakow.

The formerly German areas of western Poland fell under the control of the Deutscher Volksverband and their leader August Utta, and his Polish allies in the National and Falangist parties lead by Bolesław Piasecki. The center was a mess with most supporting the government, through with large numbers of communists, lead by suspected agitators sent from Germany and local Yiddish and other trade union leaders. The east and north of the country had small scale guerrilla fighting as local Ukrainians, Belarusians and Lithuanians saw an opportunity and the south of the country had it's own revolution, but to this day nobody is quite sure what they were intending to do, as they were quashed immediately by local army units lead by a Colonel Adam Koc.

After a terse period during which nobody was quite sure what was going on, the Fascist/Nationalist alliance in the west united with the loyalist army in the south and the pro-government forces in the rest of the country and slowly but surely defeated the leftist and separatist forces. Set battles, street fights and anti-partisan activities continued for eight months, the government and allied forces committed a number of atrocities against Jews, Ukrainians, Belarusians, Gypsies and generally anyone they came into contact with, burning down villages suspected of protecting guerrillas and clearing out ghettos and neighbourhoods known or suspected of being home to communists.

The commanders of the Fascist/Nationalist/Army/Government remnant alliance declared victory over their enemies in May 1936, and announced the creation of a new Polish Republic, with a new constitution outlawing all socialist and communist parties, splitting Poland up into 104 districts, outlawing the use of Yiddish, Ukrainian, Belarusian and the Hebrew and Cyrillic alphabets, giving the ethnic German community a guaranteed twenty seats in the parliament and that an ethnic German must always be Prime Minister (this was insisted upon by Herr Utta), as well as twenty seats given to the military (insisted upon by now self-declared Marshal Koc), and a number of other clauses.

For the last two years, this coalition of fascists, Germans, career soldiers and officials from the former government, have secured their power by expelling any and all suspected communists, socialists, separatists and others. The anti-Jewish and anti-Ukrainian/Belarusian laws have also encouraged a general exodus of the non-German minorities, which the authorities haven't exactly been intent on stopping. As a result of this, the Jewish, Ukrainian and Belarusian populations have all dropped significantly, although by no more than 30%.

Now rather than being a bright, tolerant, rising star Poland is dark, suspicious and militant. The population is split between the severely oppressed and the severely oppressive, the officials are almost too crooked to even be considered corrupt, the infrastructure and industry built up by Pilsudski and his followers was all either destroyed or abandoned, the economy has collapsed, with millions of irreplaceable workers having fled the country and almost all outside investment cut off.

Whether things will get better, or even worse, remains to be seen.
RP Sample:
255

[Zostra]

How's my Poland looking?

The app looks good, the country looks like not too great a place. Depending on the form Russia ends up taking, this Poland will be in an interesting position.
Accepted

[Zostra]

- snip -

Unfortunately Pied Noirs reserved those territories already. If you two can work out a history then please do, but they get precedence.

[Narintia]

Narintia would you be open to perhaps having Estonia but splitting Latvia with me?
I'm sure you will want Riga, but I would quite like Courland and the western bits of Semigallia

Sure, thats a great idea.

[Great Confederacy of Commonwealth States]

Nation Name: The United Kingdom of Austria, Hungary and Bohemia (The Kingdom of Austria, in the common tongue)
Territory Reserved: Austria, Czechoslovakia, Hungary
155

[Trotza]

Nation Name: Finland
Territory Reserved: ...Finland
155

[The New Byzantine II]

Nation Name: The Scandinavian State
Territory Reserved: All of the Scandinavian countries (except Finland, Iceland, and Denmark)
155

[Zostra]

Nation Name: The United Kingdom of Austria, Hungary and Bohemia (The Kingdom of Austria, in the common tongue)
Territory Reserved: Austria, Czechoslovakia, Hungary
155

Nation Name: Finland
Territory Reserved: ...Finland
155

Nation Name: The Scandinavian State
Territory Reserved: All of the Scandinavian countries (except Finland, Iceland, and Denmark)
155

All reserved.

[Kratu]

Nation Name: Confederation of Syndicalist Socialist Republics
Territory:

Population: 129.8 Million
Flag:

Head of State: President John "Jack" Reed
Head of Government: Premier James P. Cannon
Government Form: Federal Socialist Republic
Ideology: Revolutionary Socialism/Syndicalism
Description of Government: The Constitution of the CSSR (1935) delegates all power to the hierarchy of syndicates, with the Continental Congress of Syndicates on top. This means the Continental Congress of Syndicates has the authority to alter the constitution, resolve trials, sentence people, change the government, confiscate property, reform language and appoint any official by simple majority. Decisions of the councils are not required to be ratified or undersigned by any other body or person. The President, who is directly elected by the populace, acts only as a ceremonial head of state. Enshrined in the Constitution of 1935 is freedom of the press, workers rights, women's rights, racial equality, and worker ownership of the workplace.
Foreign Policy: The CSSR provides active and vocal support to socialist nations as well as revolutionary movements abroad, supplying aid and funds in order advance the socialist cause. This is particularly notable in Latin America where the CSSR has given particularly strong support to the numerous socialist movements throughout the region.

Military Branches:
-Workers' and Farmers' Red Army
-Workers' and Farmers' Red Navy
-Workers' and Farmers' Red Marine Corps
-Workers' and Farmers' Red Air Force
-Workers' and Farmers' Red Guard
Military Size:
-Active: 500,000
-Reserve: 700,000
-Militia: 1,300,000
-5 Aircraft Carriers
-12 Battleships
-35 Cruisers
-266 Destroyers
-92 Submarines
-1950 Aircraft
Description of Military: The Armed Forces of the CSSR follow the historical precedent of America having a small peacetime military, however recently the military has been upsized due to aggressive overtures by capitalist and fascist nations in the wake of the Second American Revolution. Currently all standing and reserve forces are made up of volunteers, with the Red Guard (organized by local syndicates) providing supplementary homeland defense. The Red Navy possesses perhaps the most important role in the defense of the CSSR of any branch given the location of the CSSR. Consequently the Red Navy is one of the largest and most capable navies in the world, and has undergone continuous expansion and upgrades. The Red Air Force, however, is incredibly undersized and outdated when compared to the air forces fielded by other Great Powers.

Description of Economy: The CSSR operates on a Syndicalist model, wherein industries are organized into confederations or syndicates by trade unions. Industry in the syndicalist system is run through co-operative confederations and mutual aid. Local syndicates communicate with other syndicates through labour exchange which would cooperatively determine distributions of commodities. Since the establishment of the CSSR living conditions have begun to recover from the lows of the Great Depression. Unemployment has also dropped drastically since the Second American Revolution.
Primary Imports: Mineral Ores, Iron Ore, Rubber, Other Rare Materials
Primary Exports: Oil, Corn, Wheat, Steel, Machinery, Vehicles

History: When the 1912 National Convention of the Socialist Party opened in Indianapolis on May 12, the supporters of the left wing felt they were on the verge of a breakthrough. Bill Haywood was on the National Executive Committee, and they believed the success of the Lawrence Textile Strike was perceived as their vindication. However the right wing entered the convention determined to rid to party of Syndicalist tendencies, bolstered by electoral successes throughout 1910 and 1911. The 1912 National Convention was to serve as the battleground between the Syndicalists and the Reformists.

The 1912 Socialist National Convention would be a resounding victory for the Syndicalists, Industrial Unionism was enshrined in the preamble of the platform. The delegates also voted to begin further cooperation with the Industrial Workers of the World. A member of the left wing, Lewis Duncan of Montana, was elected permanent chair of the convention. Eugene Debs and Dan Hogan would be nominated by the party as the candidates for President and Vice President of the United States of America.

Eugene Debs was to campaign in his usual fashion, traveling the United States by train giving fiery speeches from decrying capitalism and calling for a cooperative commonwealth. His campaign in 1912 would be his most successful. The Socialist ticket would net over 6% of the popular vote with nearly 1 million ballots cast for Eugene Debs and Dan Hogan. Additionally 2 Socialists were elected to the House of Representatives, with narrow losses in several other districts, showing further growth.

From 1912 to 1916 the Socialist Party and Industrial Workers of the World would continue to grow in size with both having over 200,000 members each in January 1916. The Socialist delegation in the House of Representatives would also expand to 5 seats, while Ashley Miller of Nevada was elected to become the party's first Senator. Furthermore in the 1916 Presidential Election, the Socialist ticket of Arthur Le Suer and Kate Richards O'Hare would win over 10% of the popular vote. Additionally the Socialist Party expanded their representation in the House to 9 seats.

While America was still at peace war raged on the other side of the Atlantic. Renegading on his campaign promises President Woodrow Wilson would drag the United States into war in the wake of the Zimmerman Telegram and the resumption of unrestricted submarine warfare by the Germans. As a result of the American declaration of war in April of 1917 the Socialist Party would call for an Emergency National Convention in St. Louis. There the party declared itself to be resolutely against the war. Repeatedly the party would join in Anti-War protests. In the municipal elections of 1917 the Socialist Party would win several mayorships across the Midwest and Northeast, notably coming in second place in the New York mayoral election.

Early in 1918 the Socialist Party would make additional breakthroughs in it's opposition to the war. In March, Victor Berger, would win his race for the vacant Senate seat in Wisconsin. The later congressional races in 1918 would be evidence of the extent of the Socialist support from the war. The parties delegation in the House surged to 23 seats. In the Senate another Senator was elected in Oklahoma putting the party at 3 seats in the Senate.

With the 1919 National Executive Committee elections the radicalized base of the party would finally fully seize the party apparatus in taking control the National Executive Committee. The Syndicalist wing of the party won 10 of 15 seats on the NEC enabling them to steer the party as they pleased. During this time the party began to fully affiliate with the increasingly powerful IWW. At the beginning of 1920 the Socialist Party had reached a membership of over 400,000 and the IWW numbered over 600,000 strong.

The 1920 Presidential Election would see the return of Republican dominance with the election of General John Pershing after the postwar recession and Wilsons push for joining the League of Nations. James Cox, an Arch-Wilsonian, would lose in a landslide against Pershing. The Socialist Party as if to cement it's Syndicalist and Industrial Unionist position nominated Bill Haywood to much acclaim, choosing Tom Clifford as his running mate. The party managed to increase it's vote share even further, winning 18% of the vote and winning the states of Wisconsin, Oklahoma, and Washington. Socialist Party representation would also increase drastically in the House to 42 seats and in the Senate rose from 3 to 5 seats.

Over the course of the 1920s, as the Democratic Party faded outside of the South, the Socialist Party would supplement them as the secondary party in American politics. Additionally the IWW would grow drastically when the AFL in 1925 attempted a purge of the Socialist unions from it's ranks. Many unions supporting the Socialist Party began to affiliate with the IWW instead. In 1928 the Socialist ticket led by Norman Thomas would gain over 34% of the popular vote and there sat 154 Socialists in the House of Representatives and 29 Socialists in the Senate. However the Republicans held onto power in much of the United States during the period of widespread growth.

Then in October 1929 the crash happened. Stocks fell and continued to fall. Rapid inflation occurred alongside vast unemployment. At it's peak unemployment in the United States sat at over 25%. Then in 1930 as evidence of what was to come the Socialist Party won 215 Seats in the House of Representatives, winning a plurality of the vote and seats in the Congressional elections only 3 seats short of a majority. In the Senate the Socialists won 38 seats only 11 short of a majority.

The Socialist campaign of 1932 was the most vigorous yet, in a National Convention that was the largest in the parties history Norman Thomas and John Reed were chosen to lead the Party to victory. Thomas demolished his Democratic and Republican opponents, winning in a landslide victory that November. Thomas won 54% of the popular vote and over 400 electoral votes. However the victory of a radical party such as the Socialist Party would not go unheeded by forces of reaction within the United States.

On February 26th, several days before the inauguration of Norman Thomas, Douglas MacArthur and George Mosley declared the elections to be void and declared the United States to be under martial law. Thomas, who was in D.C. at his hotel room, was arrested by a group of regulars and promptly executed on the evening of the 26th. The leaders of the Socialist Party and Industrial Workers of the World quickly gathered in Chicago. John Reed, leader of the Central Committee of the IWW, declared the establishment of the Confederation of Syndicalist Socialist Republics in Chicago on March 5th, 1933. In the statement was an appeal to the American workers to rise up against the MacArthur regime in a Second American Revolution.

Through the IWW many Syndicates were established across the United States, particularly in the Rust Belt. Red Guards were formed by the CSSR wherever it managed to establish control. Particularly notable was the Bonus Army (later renamed the Red Army) a group of Great War veterans that had been camping in Washington asking for their bonuses early. The group was led by Dwight Eisenhower who would later become distinguished during the revolution as a leader in the Red Army. Large portions of the United States Navy also defected to the CSSR.

From 1933-1934 the United States would be engulfed in war. The Red Guards managed to defeat the Regulars in the pivotal Battle of Pittsburgh that resulted in a route all the way to Washington. Upon the fall of Washington with the MacArthur and Mosley were forced to recognize that the CSSR was in control of most of the continental United States and it's industry. Continuing the war in their current state the "Whites" would only be able to continue for another 6 months at most, with even the Southern United States being racked by black guerrillas supporting the CSSR.

On October 15th, 1934 the United States conceded control of all American territory to the Confederation of Syndicalist Socialist Republics. Thus October 15th would be known as Victory Day.

In March of 1935 the Central Committee of the IWW and the National Executive Committee of the Socialist Party of America called for a constitutional convention to be held in the newly christened Debs D.C. The Constitution of 1935 would ultimately outline the form of direct democracy practiced by the CSSR and the rights of it's citizens. The Elections of 1936 saw John Reed, a hero of the revolution, elected President by over 70% of the vote. The new Continental Congress of Syndicates would select James P. Cannon of New York as the Premier of the CSSR. The 1938 elections saw little change in the Continental Congress of Syndicates save for the establishment of official parties. The Socialist Party of America continued to govern with over 60% of the seats while the largest opposition party, the Left Democrats controlled only 26% of the Congress.

RP Sample: Probably the most recent nation RP I did
255

[Great Confederacy of Commonwealth States]

Nation Name: Vereinigtes Königreich Östenreichs, Ungarn und Böhemen
Territory:

Population:31.300.000
Flag:


Head of State: His Majesty, king Franz II of Austria
Head of Government: Prime Minister Jan Malypetr
Government Form: Constitutional monarchy, representative federative democratic republic
Ideology: Conservatism, multiculturalism
Description of Government: The Austrian (I will use Austrian because of convenience) form of government is a result of four distinct legal documents. First, there is the Ceasefire between the Entente Powers and Austria of 1916. Then, there is the Imperial Edict of 1917, which cannot be seen as wholly separate from the Peace of Przemyśl of 1917. Then, there is the Constitution of 1919, which limited the powers of the sovereign and added Bohemia as a kingdom on par with Austria and Hungary, while formally ending the Austro-Hungarian Empire for good and giving rise to the United Kingdom. Finally, the Constitution of 1932, which gave even more power to the various national governments after a botched communist revolution, inspired by the one in Germany. With more decentralised power, the government hoped that a single revolution could not take out the entire nation, like it had in Germany. This was also done with a mind for the ailing health of the king, who was beginning to show signs of age-related degradation.

In short, the government is more a federal government than a centralised one. The king has the power to veto both federal and local legislation, although his signatory is no longer a requirement. Only if the king demands it does a legal document require his signing. Mostly, the king keeps on the side lines of politics, only vetoing legislation the government finds very objectionable, and always with a surge of protests and cynicism. The army is also controlled centrally, but only during wartime. During peacetime, the various republics have control over their own armed forces. Finally, while before the constitutional change of 1932 only the federal government could introduce a bill, now both parliament and the national governments can put forward planned legislation. This has made the country and her three constituent nations far more democratic and republican, to the point that the UKAHB is sometimes called a ‘Pretentious Republic’ because of her royal leftovers.
Foreign Policy:Reasonably peaceful. While in the beginning of the kingdom, she was more aggressive towards her southern neighbours, nowadays she is more content to manage her own internal affairs. The government is generally pro-democracy and pro-monarchy, although she likes fascist nations better than communist ones. She keeps an alliance with the Poles to the North, always keeping an eye on the socialist German state.

Military Branches:
The Imperial Defence Force (the only imperial remnant, together with the postal services and the railway services), consisting of:
Österreichisches Bundesheer
Magyar Honvédség
Československá armáda
Military Size:
300.000 men under arms
500.000 reservists
Description of Military: The Austrian Military has not been updated really since the end of the 1st world war. While tanks have been adopted in reasonable numbers, the doctrine is still very infantry-based. Commanders are very adept in what they believe to be ‘modern warfare’, although this does not calculate in the devastating effect of modern mobile warfare. They still work in the parabellum mind-set, learning mostly from French military scientists. They have expanded various large forts inside their own territory, hoping to be able to win defensive wars rather than offensive ones. Austria has learned from her last debacle, though. Training during peacetime has increased, and there is now a conscription for all men between the ages of 18 and 22 to learn them how to use a rifle. Furthermore, they help the nation set up defensive works, and after WW1, they helped with the construction of more formalised railway systems. So, in short, well-trained soldiers with idiot commanders.

Description of Economy: The economy of the Three Kingdoms varies somewhat between nations. While Austria is more urban, relying more on services and industry, both Hungary and Bohemia are agricultural in nature. The government doesn’t really concern herself with the economy, at least when compared to Marxist nations. She lets trade flow, while just keeping an eye on the legality of it all. They are trying to promote industry and large-scale agriculture, though, while making sure the lower classes don’t get too upset.
Primary Imports: heavy industrial goods, colonial goods
Primary Exports: Foodstuffs, armaments, small-scale industrial goods

History: The whole history of Austria changes with the lunch decision of a single man. In the late spring/early summer of 1914, Gavrilo Princip and his Black Hand buddies failed in assassinating Arch Duke Franz Ferdinand, Heir Presumptive to the Austrian Empire, with their grenades. While many of the perpetrators were arrested, Princip got to escape, only to wander the streets of Sarajevo on his own. Defeated, he chose to drink a few in a local pub, downing at least three glasses before he left. When he did so, he walked right into the open car of the Arch Duke and his wife, who were traveling to a local hospital. Immediately, Princip drew his pistol, but his aim was off. The alcohol had started to go to his head. He pulled the trigger, managing to shoot Sophia fatally, while the second bullet grazed the shoulder of Franz. He was immediately wrestled to the ground by the guards. Franz Ferdinand escaped with his life, and returned to Austria a broken man. While he was in mourning over his beloved wife, his uncle, the emperor, used the assassination attempt to get his revenge on Serbia. While he didn’t care much about the life f his nephew, he did care much about Austrian prestige. He wanted Serbia destroyed, partitioned, and added to his realm.

An ultimatum was sent, which basically demanded that the Serbians gave up sovereignty over their own land. Austria was to have police powers in Serbia, with free access to her borders. Serbia was to ban the Black Hand organisation, while she had to open man hunts within her own parliament. This was too much for little Serbia, who, strengthened by their alliance with the Russians, declined. Then, the dominoes started to fall. Austria declared war on Serbia, Russia declared war on Austria, Germany invaded Russia. Meanwhile, Germany invaded France via Belgium, Britain guaranteed the independence of Belgium, and declared war on Germany. Before long, the whole continent was at war. This, despite the ardent objections of Franz Ferdinand, who didn’t want the heritage of his wife to be an all-consuming war. He was played out by the German emperor, by Conrad von Hötzendorf, and by his own uncle. The war would go on.

And the war was disastrous. After two years of fighting, Serbia was finally occupied, while the Serb army mounted a stern defence in the mountains. There had been some success against the Russians, but there wasn’t much headway there. The Italians had fought back the Trentino offensive, and the Isonzo river was still the front, as it had been since the beginning of Italian involvement. It was then, in 1916, that the whole deck of cards collapsed. First, the Russians launched a successful attack under general Brusilov, which knocked through the lines like a hot knife through butter. Low morale made Austrian men thrown down their weapons after only short engagements. On the Italian front, the Italians broke through the Isonzo lines, capturing various towns in the neighbourhood. All the while, Germany was not in a position to assist. This could only hold for so long, and in late august, with no help in sight, Austria finally sued for peace. In early September, the ceasefire was signed. Austria had to withdraw from Serbia and Italy, and all German army elements within her borders were arrested.

While peace talks were in their early stages, in November 1916, emperor Franz Joseph died. He was succeeded by his nephew, Franz Ferdinand, in a coronation that could only be called ‘hasty’. Nobody knew if the monarchy was going to endure, what Russia was going to demand of Austria. There were secessionist rumours in all states, and even Austria itself had people talking about leaving the empire. In the end, the ascension of Franz Ferdinand was probably the best thing to happen to Austria. While he wanted to keep the empire together, his view for a future empire aligned with the Russian view. With him on the throne, the Russians thought that they would have a stable and peaceful monarch on the throne. Accordingly, they didn’t press too hard for the dissolution of the empire. Italy got to have some territory that historically belonged to them. Austria would have to let go of Croatia, Slovenia and the Balkans, what caused the conflict in the first place. She would have to give more freedom to her constituent peoples, and as insult to injury, she had to let go of her imperial name after a certain amount of time, with various political reforms. This was actually done to placate the democratic forces within the Russian government itself.

The war ended officially in 1917, with the signing of the treaty. Immediately following, Franz II, emperor of Austria, issued an edict wherein he outlined the first changes of his new state. Bohemia was to become an equal part of the empire, for starters. He gave more power to various parliaments, and created a modern system of government in Austria. As an additional piece to his edict, he opened investigations into the start of the war, blaming the loss and the defeat on his predecessors. Those responsible had to be tried according to their guilt, and those most responsible were to be tried for treason.

This began the so-called Hötzendorf-affair. In late 1918, Conrad von Hötendorf was found guilty of treason by the High Court in Vienna. The sentence for that offence was execution. While his legal defence had failed, the old Supreme Commander made a public request for absolution. This turned into the biggest government crisis of the year. Most of the government was in favour of absolution, as were many of the commanders. After all, von Hötzendorf had only done his patriotic duty. Could ones duty become treasonous because of a lost war? Many of the common people and many Hungarians were in favour of the execution, though. Von Hötzendorf had committed many atrocities, and his failing command had cost the lives of many friends and family. Eventually, Franz Ferdinand chose not to pardon Von Hötzendorf, who was hanged on the 11th of November, 1918. The last ties with the old empire were severed with the death of Conrad.

With his control over the government firmly established, Franz II began to reform. Under his guidance, the empire prepared for the Constitutional Change of 1919. In it were the much-needed changes to imperial bureaucracy as well as the emancipation of minorities within the empire. As a symbolic gesture, the Austro-Hungarian Empire was renamed to the United Kingdom of Austria, Hungary and Bohemia. This was only symbolic, though. The real change came with national parliaments, national armies, and the emancipation of languages. Liberals applauded the changes, which brought about a separation of powers, and independent judiciary, and a true codified rule of law. Much was to be desired, but they were gracious first steps. Franz II was named king, and most parliaments voted with overwhelming majorities to accept Franz as their king. Of course, that was merely symbolic, as such a vote was not required. Only the socialists, small in number in parliament, voted against the changes. This would remain a sore point for many years.

The next point of great contention would rear its head in the thirties. In 1932, inspired by revolts in Germany, various ‘People’s Armies’ took to the streets in revolution. In Hungary, socialist forces captured the parliament building. In Prague, various city blocks were captured, and Prague Castle was secured. In Vienna, important government buildings were secured, like the Imperial Postage Ministry and the foreign ministry, where the revolutionaries captured a minister. Franz II escaped capture, though, and with his chief of staff, he coordinated the counter offensive. Prague was secured after two days, with Prague Castle holding out for another week. Hungary was somewhat more of a problem, as the revolutionaries there had already proclaimed a Hungarian People’s Socialist Republic. Their power didn’t really extend beyond Budapest, though, and even there it was wobbly. After a week of street fighting, the ringleaders were caught and executed as deserters. This gave some credibility to the HSR, but all those who claimed such a thing were quickly arrested themselves.

After this move, the retaliation was swift. Socialist movements were banned from parliaments, forcing such politicians to either join other parties or go underground. While the army and police cracked down on socialists, the government began to reform. More say was given to the national parliaments. Every state would get more say over their own army, to combat socialist elements in their societies. Royal authority was re-established, but with more delegation of power to the lower governments. To appease leftist sentiment, the separation of church and state was officially codified, and more liberal changes of the constitution were made. The government was suddenly not above the law anymore, which it always had been. This led to a backlash from right-wing groups, though. Currently, socialists and nationalists are still at each other’s throat. The nationalists are divided, however. Austrian nationalists want a return to imperial glory. Hungarian nationalists want these people to sod off, and for the king to keep his nose out of affairs. Bohemian nationalists want to be called Czech nationalists, and they fight for total independence. The socialist are more united, although they fight among ideological lines. Especially the Leninists and Marxists struggle among themselves. Democratic forces look on, meanwhile, hoping that the tension will decrease over time. They are still the majority, although nationalist forces have begun to creep up the ladder of power. Seyss-Inquart, for example, has made it to the Austrian parliament, and Hitler (who recently escaped into Austria from Germany) is a major public speaker. The path is yet undetermined, as the world grows towards a darker place.
RP Sample:

Black Sea Fleet Headquarters
Submarine Ballistic Command
Moscow
Russian SSR
T – 300 seconds

Was this how it felt? The approaching end of the world? The beginning of that new age? A bright future that was to be cemented in nuclear fire, and the cleansing of a thousand detonations? Georg didn’t feel it. There was something off about the day. He sat there, behind a small metal desk, armed with nothing but his service pistol and a telephone. Elsewhere in the room, soldiers were quickly walking between various radio stations and computers, watching a multitude of screens. It looked more like a regular day in the office than anything else, if it weren’t for the blank stares on everyone’s faces. Although the looks might have deceived anyone at face value, the atmosphere did not lie. The air was thick and dark, burdened with the lives of millions. A tear ran down the face of a lieutenant, who oversaw a particular group of submarines in the Adriatic.

“All launched accounted for. Strategic deployment of the missiles are inbound to Vienna, Venice and Bonn. It should lay the path for future ground operations” the lieutenant said, somehow not putting any efforts into his words. Who was he trying to fool, anyway? Most likely himself, if Georg gauged his feelings correctly. All of them knew that, whatever happened, there would be no more ground offensives after today. Whatever happened, the way was shut. For, when the USSR chugged her missiles at NATO, NATO was chugging their own ordinance right back. There would not be a genius move, a strike at the heart of the west. There would be stalemate at best, and total annihilation at worst. A corporal walked up to the desk of the admiral, saluting at he arrived.

“Comrade admiral, all launched have been accounted for. All submarine ballistics have been spent.”

Georg nodded, but only slightly. His chin was buried in his hands, his brown eyes stared into some unknown, vague distance. Somehow, in his mind, he looked right through the walls of the ministry. He could see Moscow, going about her day. In the distance, he could see the traces of missiles shooting skywards. They would be mistaken for jet liners by the common people, and for the better. If they were to die in the name of the revolution, their death had better be as dignified as possible.

“Good, comrade corporal” Georg said, looking at the man. He saw the wet traces of tears on his cheeks, with red eyes still telling the tale of momentary panic. Had he not held his hands tightly behind his back, no doubt that he would’ve blinded himself.

“Order all elements to go into a dive. They will keep radio silence, and rendezvous with the main fleet once… once the dust has cleared. From that point, they will receive new orders.”

The corporal made a small bow, and turned around. He walked towards his superior, with whom he had a quiet and hushed conversation. The lieutenant nodded. Was it strange for the admiral to give orders for a war he knew was never going to happen? Perhaps, but it was no stranger to him than any other drill or exercise. Somehow, the threat of nuclear annihilation made it even more abstract. There was only that moment of total madness, when the world was engulfed in flames. After that, there would be nothing. His actions had no consequences, and the thought of a world in ash was so foreign to him that accepting it was just too much to ask. It was with this line of thought that the admiral reconciled himself with his actions, as the same lieutenant he saw before met him at his desk.

“Comrade admiral, all necessary actions have been taken. Further occupation of Ballistic Command is unnecessary. I therefore move that we enact protocol 88, and move to the shelter”

Georg needn’t do anything more. A simple nod was enough, although it seemed that the lieutenant had already sprang into action before that. On the wall, he pushed a big red button covered by a glass pane, which was shattered. Immediately, an alarm started to wail, and a female voice rang through the intercom system.

“All personnel is to move to their designated bunkers. All actions ordered have been superseded. Report with your commanding officer as soon as possible. All personnel is to move…”

Within seconds, all staffing stood up from their consoles. They started pulling plugs, loading paperwork unto carts, and assembling their stuff. There were a few bunkers strategically placed under the ministry, with a few smaller ones scattered all around. Of all the places inside the Kremlin, the ministry of defence was probably best equipped with nuclear bunkers. Somewhat strange, of course, as that ministry was probably both most responsible and the least useful in that situation. How different had the world been if the ministry of defence had received no bunkers whatsoever? Had they then been as trigger happy? Accompanied by the lieutenant and the corporal, the admiral started to make his way down the hall. He had a bunker for himself and his staff, hidden away beneath his personal office. High Command had deemed it appropriate that the commanding officers got their own bunkers, in case the men were not so pleased with having caused Armageddon on their orders. With purpose, the three men walked the corridors of the ministry, headed towards the basement. Along the way, the lieutenant came to walk alongside the admiral.

“Comrade admiral” he started, clearing his throat.

“My brother serves with bomber command, in the west wing of the building. Do I have your permission to join him in the western bunker?”

The admiral didn’t even look at his subordinate. Normally, he would’ve reprimanded the man for making such an absurd request. His place was with his CO, not with his family. The Red Navy was his family. However, because of the circumstances, there was some leeway to make.

“No, lieutenant. I need you at my side. God knows what world we wake up to tomorrow.”

He sounded stern, but the follow-up sentence was more lenient in tone.

“But when the all-clear is sounded, you’ll have free reign to go look for him, alright?” he added, knowing full well that due to the EMP blast, there might not even be an all-clear the following day. However, that was not what the man needed to hear. He needed confirmation, and the admiral was more than happy to oblige.

A minute or so later, the steel bulkhead door of the personal bunker closed behind them. Unlike his office, the bunker of the admiral was not lavishly decorated. There were no paintings of battles or ships on the wall, there were no cabinets with antiques. There was a picture of Lenin on the wall, a soviet banner in a corner and another picture on the opposite wall of the Kutusov, the first ship Georg had served on. There was a small kitchen in the back, stuffed to the brim with canned foods and water. The lighting was electrical, but in parallel there hung a small kerosene lamp for emergencies and EMP blasts. The furniture was steel, cold, and uncomfortable. A second side-room held four beds, only three of which were properly prepared. Finally, the room held a weapon cache with four AK-74 submachine guns. Once the three men had settled, they began quietly conversing, probing the conversation for what was and wasn’t seen as proper conversational material.

“How would an atomic blast feel inside here?” The corporal asked. This could be seen as mere morbid curiosity, but the admiral recognised it as a purely informational question. After all, how would they know the bomb had struck down there?

“I don’t know” the admiral answered, staring blankly at the concrete wall.

“I guess… it’s like an earthquake. It depends on if it’s a ground burst or an air burst. An air burst would feel like a shudder, but a ground burst… Well, we won’t miss it, that’s for sure. Do you have family, corporal?”

The corporal sat back, leaning on the back two legs of his steel chair. He clacked his tongue, staring at a moth prancing around the ceiling lamp.

“Yeah… Yeah, I have a father and mother. They live with my grandmother just a few blocks from here. You can actually see the Kremlin from the living room! You know, when I was a boy, I used to..."

His recollections were cut short by a light shudder of the bunker, the steel door rattling against the concrete walls. The electronic lamp dangled a bit to and fro, flickered, and then went out. The shudder slowly disappeared, leaving only an ash tray and a few cans of soup to recall the vibration. It took nearly a minute for the lieutenant to get the kerosene lamp to work in the pitch black, but after some trial and error, he finally got it to glow. It illuminated about half as good as the electrical lighting, but it would do. Under the reddish-orange glow of the lamp, the admiral nodded.

“So, airburst. I guessed so much, it was what I would’ve done.”

Then, a second shudder rocked the bunker, although this one about half as powerful as the one before.

“Hmmmm…” the admiral mused.

“Backdraft. The vacuum of the explosion collapsed in on itself. Judging by the time… It’s probably a 9 megaton warhead. Titan-II, if I’m not mistaken. Only the largest would do for Moscow, I guess…”

255

[Sanabel]

Hmm. What to do with Iraq...

[Great Confederacy of Commonwealth States]

Hmm. What to do with Iraq...

Knock yourself out!

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kingdom_o ... .80.931941

[Conchabira]

Since America is socialist I'm going to reserve a fascist/monarchist Russia.

[Kratu]

Since America is socialist I'm going to reserve a fascist/monarchist Russia.

In that case without the Soviets as influence I might make America in a more fully Syndicalist direction.

[Sanabel]

Hmm. What to do with Iraq...

Knock yourself out!

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kingdom_o ... .80.931941

I know, id love to have an early nationalist Iraq under Rashid Ali, I just cant figure out how to have him defeat the Brits.

[PLESSUR]

Tag, but not sure what to reserve yet.

Geiger-Wankish count: high

[Trotza]

Nation Name: Republic of Finland
Territory: Finland
Population: 3,834,700
Flag:

Head of State: President - Kyösti Kallio, President of Finland
Head of Government: Prime Minister - Aimo Cajander, Prime Minister of Finland
Government Form: Republic
Ideology: Agrarianism, Conservatism
Description of Government: Under the Constitution of Finland, the 200-member unicameral parliament exercises supreme decision-making authority in Finland. Sovereignty belongs to the people and that power is vested in the parliament. It passes legislation, decides on the state budget, approves international treaties, and supervises the activities of the government. It may alter the constitution, bring about the resignation of the Council of State, and override presidential vetoes; its acts are not subject to judicial review. Legislation may be initiated by the Council of State, or one of the members of the Eduskunta. To make changes to the Constitution, amendments must be approved twice by the Eduskunta, in two successive electoral periods with a general election held in between.
Foreign Policy: The foreign relations of Finland are the responsibility of the President of Finland, who leads foreign policy in cooperation with the government. Within the government, preparative discussions are conducted in the government committee of foreign and security policy, which includes the Prime Minister and at least the Minister of Foreign Affairs and the Minister of Defense, and at most four other ministers as necessary. The committee meets with the President as necessary. Laws concerning foreign relations are discussed in the parliamentary committee of foreign relations. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs implements the foreign policy. It currently maintains an official policy of neutrality.

Military Branches: Army, Navy, and Air Force
Military Size:
Number of Infantry - 250,000
Number of Tanks - 64
Number of Fighters - 133
Number of Light Cruisers - 2
Number of Submarines - 5
Description of Military: The strength of the Finnish army lies in its ability to use its local advantages in defensive tactics. The harsh winter weather makes foreign troop movements slow and dangerous. The sprawling forests and lack of transport infrastructure prevents sweeping tank attacks, preventing massive blitzkrieg style assaults into their territory. And all these features can be used by guerrilla fighters to give them an edge over forces that might seem better prepared. The weakness of their military is basically focused on the technological disadvantage they face. The lack of modern equipment keeps them from strengthening their air force, navy, or armored divisions, all of which are small and mostly low quality. Much less actually trying to go on an offensive. Their economy as well isn't exactly in the position for any kind of massive industrial mobilization.

Description of Economy: The revolution of 1917 in Russia and Finland’s independence cut off Russian trade, which was devastating for Finland’s economy. The food situation was particularly difficult as 60 percent of grain required had been imported. Postwar reconstruction in Europe and the consequent demand for timber soon put the economy on a swift growth path. The gap between the Finnish economy and Western economies narrowed dramatically in the interwar period, although it remained the same among the Scandinavian countries, which also experienced fast growth: GDP grew by 4.7 percent per annum and GDP per capita by 3.8 percent in 1920–1938. The investment rate rose to new heights, which also improved labor productivity. The 1930s depression was milder than in many other European countries because of the continued demand for pulp and paper. Many of the people are still involved in the agrarian sector of the economy, even though it has had less success in the less fertile environment. But tariff protections and other policies securing land for tenant farmers and farm workers have ensured that they'll soon be able to produce almost as much grain as they need for consumption.
Primary Imports: grain, machinery parts, textiles
Primary Exports: timber, sawmill products, pulp and paper

History: The October Revolution of 1917 turned Finnish politics upside down. Now, the new non-Socialist majority of the Parliament desired total independence, and the Socialists came gradually to view Soviet Russia as an example to follow. On November 15, 1917, the Bolsheviks declared a general right of self-determination "for the Peoples of Russia", including the right of complete secession. On the same day the Finnish Parliament issued a declaration by which it temporarily took power in Finland. Finland after 1917 was bitterly divided along social lines. The Whites consisted of the Swedish-speaking middle and upper classes and the farmers and peasantry who dominated the northern two-thirds of the land. They had a conservative outlook and rejected socialism. The Socialist-Communist Reds comprised the Finnish-speaking urban workers and the landless rural cottagers. They had a radical outlook and rejected capitalism.

From January to May 1918, Finland experienced the brief but bitter Finnish Civil War. On one side there were the "white" civil guards, who fought for the anti-Socialists. On the other side were the Red Guards, which consisted of workers and tenant farmers. The latter proclaimed a Finnish Socialist Workers' Republic. The Reds lost the war and the White peasantry rose to political leadership in the 1920s–1930s. After the civil war the parliament, controlled by the Whites, voted to establish a constitutional monarchy to be called the Kingdom of Finland, with a German prince as king. However, Germany's defeat in November 1918 made the plan impossible and Finland instead became a republic, with Kaarlo Juho Ståhlberg elected as its first President in 1919. Despite the bitter civil war, and repeated threats from fascist movements, Finland became and remained a capitalist democracy under the rule of law.
RP Sample: viewtopic.php?f=31&t=384212
255

[Zostra]

Nation Name: Vereinigtes Königreich Östenreichs, Ungarn und Böhemen

That version of history would probably result in an earlier defeat of Germany, but otherwise I think WWI would remain as it was in OTL.
So Accepted.

Since America is socialist I'm going to reserve a fascist/monarchist Russia.

The territories of the USSR are already reserved, sorry.

In that case without the Soviets as influence I might make America in a more fully Syndicalist direction.

Even if the Bolsheviks don't end up coming to power you'd still have the influence of the German council communists, depending on your timeline of course.

Nation Name: Republic of Finland

Accepted