The Coldest War (Alt-Hist Cold War RP - OOC)

[Sao Nova Europa]

APPLICATION
NS Name: Mozaka
RP Name: Spanish State

ACCEPTED

[South Americanastan]

APPLICATION
NS Name: South Americanastan
RP Name: Colony of Southern Rhodesia
Flag:
(Image)
Capital: Salisbury
Territory: IRL Southern Rhodesia
Population: 2,550,000
Official Language(s): English
Ethnic Breakdown:
WHITE-450,000 (17.64%)
BLACK-2,100,000 (73.36%)
Religious Breakdown:
80% Christian
15% Muslim
3% Ba'a'i
2% Other

Type of Government: Parliamentary Republic
Head of State: Queen Elizabeth II
Head of Government: Prime Minister Godfrey Huggins
Legislature (the name of your national legislature): Parliament
Legislative Houses (if your legislature is bicameral): Senate (Upper House) House of Assembly (Lower House)
Party in Power: United Rhodesia Party (URP)
National Issues:
Pro-African insurgencies
-Source in Mozambique
British Rule
Dependence on Chromium and Tobacco industries
Public Goals: Build up economy and become more self sufficient
Private Goals: Maintain White rule at all costs

GDP (nominal): 250 Million Rhodesian Pounds
Currency: Rhodesian Pound
Economic System: Free Market
Major Trade Partners: United Kingdom, South Africa, North Rhodesia, Belgium, France
Alliance(s): None; Protectorate of Britain

Military Branches (names of official Armed Forces Branches): Rhodesian Security Forces

Active Duty:
15,000 Standard Army
30,000 BSAP Police
Reserve Duty:
25,000 Reserve Army
Total Manpower:
70,000
Land Forces:
15,000 Standard Army
30,000 BSAP Police
15 Marmon-Herrington Armored Cars
20 T17E1 Staghound Armored Cars
76 Artillery Guns of various models
8 T-55 Tanks
30 Universal Carriers
SMALL ARMS:
Austen SMG
Browning Hi-Power
Enfield Revolver
Bren Gun
Browning M2
Browning M1919
Ithaca 37 Shotgun
Armscor M963 Grenade
Air Force:
30 De Haviland Vampire aircraft
22 Supermarine Spitfire aircraft

Naval Forces:
n/a
Other Military Information:
The RSF is highly trained and experienced, being one of the few colonial armed forces to be funded by the colony itself alone. They place a major focus on light infantry, allowing them to fight effectively in the bush environment of Rhodesia.
History:

The Colony of Southern Rhodesia was officially established in 1923, when it was annexed from the British South Africa Company by Britain. It quickly became one of the richest colonies in Africa due to it's gold reserves, and it's riches attracted immigrants from Britain. By the time the gold reserves had become irrelevant, Southern Rhodesia had already built up a stable economy based on Tobacco and Chromium. The Great Depression hit Rhodesia relatively lightly, and the territory entered a boom in the late 1930s and early 1940s.

When the Nazis began to win World War 2, Europeans fled en masse to Rhodesia due to it's economic prosperity and distance from the Germans. This resulted in a massive boon to the Rhodesian economy, with the White population in Rhodesia doubling twice over. The Rhodesian economy reached 250 Million Rhodesian pounds by 1952, and it continues to grow to this day. The University College of Rhodesia was finished in 1951 due to increased funding, and is the largest University in Southern Africa in 1952.

The Rhodesian Security Forces, meanwhile, served with valor in World War 2, playing large parts in British delaying actions against Germany. Rhodesian pilots earned the most medals out of any participating force, while the Army gained invaluable experience during the war. The RSF serves as the gold standard for African armed forces, and is currently rapidly expanding.

RP Example(s):
viewtopic.php?p=38847735#p38847735
Do not remove - 1952RP

Application is done!

[Sao Nova Europa]

APPLICATION
NS Name: South Americanastan
RP Name: Colony of Southern Rhodesia

ACCEPTED

[Sauros]

Would the U.S. drift leftwards in this TL politically, due to the "Brown Scare" instead of the "Red Scare"? Also, would the CPA/SPA not be driven underground like OTL due to the HUAAC presumably targeting right-wingers instead of communists/socialists?

Indeed, that would be one possibility. I would also expect extreme right-wingers to be treated suspiciously due to the 'Brown Scare'.

Do you want me to reserve you the US?

Yes, please.

[Mifan]

RESERVATION
NS Name: Mifan
RP Name: Japan/State of Japan
Territory: Japanese Home Islands/Modern Day Japan

Do not remove - 1952RP

[Great Confederacy of Commonwealth States]

A work in progress! History coming up.

APPLICATION
NS Name: GCCS
RP Name: Commonwealth of Workers' Unions and Councils (Содружество рабочих союзов и советов), the Chelyabinsk Soviet
Flag: There are several flags used in the Commonwealth, as every union, every council and every militia ususally has a flag of their own. The basis, however, is the blood-red worker's flag; a plain red flag.

Capital: The Commonwealth does not have a capital and a seat of government in the traditional sense. The Congress of Industrial Workers, the representative meeting of one of the most powerful labour unions in the Commonwealth, takes place in Sverdlovsk and Chelyabinsk in alternating years. The Union of Rail and Train Workers has their headquarters in Sverdlovsk, and so does the Union of Researchers and Higher Educational Staff. Chelyabinsk, however, is the seat of many military councils, including the Council of Tank Militias and the Federative Union of Defence Industry Workers. The Supreme Parliament sits in Sverdlovsk, and it is also where the Great Workers' Congress is held.
Territory:

Population: 40.000.000

Official Language(s): Russian and Tartar (and other Turkic languages)
Ethnic Breakdown: Russians (66.2%), Tatars (13.4%), Bashkirs (4.3%), Chuvash (4.3%), Mordva (2%), Udmurt (1.7%), Mari (1.6%)
Religious Breakdown: In the Commonwealth, religion is still seen as suspect, although there are no longer general purges against the religious. Atheism and agnostisism are the biggest official groups, but there are sizable communities of Christians, Jews and Muslims, although they generally keep to their own communities and don't organise into larger hierarchical structures.

Type of Government: Anarcho-syndicalist commune
Head of State: n/a
Head of Government: n/a
Legislature (the name of your national legislature): The Supreme Parliament, the Great Workers' Congress and the Supreme Council of Militias. The Supreme Parliament is directly elected by the inhabitants per district of the Commonwealth, and are more there to give guidance and overarching strategy to the other bodies of the Commonwealth. They have no legislative powers per se. The Great Workers' Congress is made up of representatives of each of the unions, and make decisions based on consensus. It has limited legislative authority within matters that the Congress Constitution has delegated to it, like in matters of consumer safety and environmental protection. The Supreme Council of Militias is the deliberative body of all the different soldier's councils. The militias are made up of a small core of instructors, who are also united in a union of militia supporting personnel, but the vast majority is made up of volunteers who also have other jobs day-to-day, and who train in the weekends.
Party in Power: n/a, though there is an unofficial Communist Party which is not represented in the Surpreme Parliament, but where intellectuals come together to discuss the merits of ideas within the communist system, and how communism is to be achieved. The Communist Party also organises a large number of social events. There are also other, smaller parties, with differing views on communism. The lack of hierarchical structure, however, means that these parties cannot compete in elections.
National Issues:
The Black-Brown menace - Moscow, Saint Petersburg, Kiev, Minsk... All are under the sway of the genocidal, kleptocratic and hypercapitalist regime of Nazi Germany. The victory of fascism stands in direct opposition to the victory of the Red Left, and they stand in the way of not only the liberation of Russia, but the liberation of all the workers in the world. The very existence of a fascist world power in Germany is a danger to the working class, and its eviction from Russia, followed by its complete destruction and the liberation of Europe, is one of the major issues of the day. The Commonwealth is, in its entirety, living towards that day.
The Shadow of Stalin - Most of Stalin's Red fascist yoke has been thrown off. Yet, those who still believe in the vision of the old dictator still live. While they hold no structural power, they live in the dark, underground. Sometimes, people disappear, and it is generally understood that these disappearances are the work of secret agents working towards the re-establishment of Stalinist power. Their existence has led to general paranoia, and keeps the Commonwealth from being truly unified.
Involuntary autarky - Cut off by the Germans to the West and chaotic Siberia to the East, as well as violently anti-left regimes in China and Asia, the Commonwealth has trouble importing many of the goods it requires. Even then, since the Commonwealth lacks internal currency, it would be hard to do business with corporations, as the Commonwealth generally can only barter for trade. The Commonwealth is internationally unrecognised as an equal to a State, and that diplomatic isolation means that it depends on its own resources. Food, iron and coal are abundant, as is natural gas and oil, but the Commonwealth does not produce silk, chocolate, tropical hardwood, coffee, tea... The finer things in life. Foreign art has to be smuggled in too, since Hollywood does not license its movies for the Commonwealth and does not produce Russian subtitles.
Public Goals: The overthrow of the dictators of the world, from Berlin to Washington D.C.; the liberation of Russia and Europe from fascist yoke, breaking the chains of the working class.
Private Goals: Pretty much the same as the public goals.

GDP: n/a
Currency: n/a
Economic System: Decentralised socialist distribution, planned syndicalist expansion, inter-union collaborative efforts.
Major Trade Partners: n/a
Alliance(s): Possibly other anarcho-syndicalist states and Russian leftist states, depending on who apps.

Military Branches: The militias can generally be divided into a few categories, though it would be inaccurate to describe them as 'branches', which implies top-down organisation. These branches are the infantry militias, the tank militias, the air militias and the naval militias, with logistics and engineering forming their own semi-seperate branches since both are more linked to their respective unions than any military council.

Active Duty: 10.000 (border militias and support personnel)
Reserve Duty: 1.000.000
Total Manpower: 10.000.000 (all men and women of military age and in fighting condition)

Land Forces: The land forces consist mainly of the infantry and tank militias, as well as additional artillery and support militias. These militias work in close collaboration with the producers of their equipment, and many tank militias are made up of the people that have spent time producing those tanks, mainly based on the proximity of their councils to the factories. Besides their training, they have intimate technical knowledge of their machines, and this works in both ways; allowing tanks to be operated more efficiently, but also leading to improvements in tank design based on the direct experiences of tank crews. The same goes for any piece of equipment, from rifles to pistols to grenades to binoculars.

The main issue of this system is that these militias are not controlled top-down, but devise strategy bottom-up, with the 'high command' consisting of representatives that make decisions by consensus. While this would seem impractical at first, it is actually not unworkable, as shown by Catalonian militias. The problem is actually not that these militias are incapable of properly engaging the enemy in a tactical manner, but that they are too fierce, more willing to engage in frontal assaults than other soldiers. This leads to higher losses than necessary. And while the system leads to better strategy overal, since commanders in the field are actually listened to, it has little room for one-man sparks of genius that can sometimes happen in rigid command structures. The military councils also have to convince factories to supply them, and while this is generally not an issue, it can lead to out-of-the-box thinking being underappreciated. Still, since during times of war the Councils unite in a War Congress, there can still be the strategising and logistical operation that other nations have, just with less of a hierarchy.

Air Force: Similarly to the ground forces, the air forces are also organised in militias. The smallest unit in this system is either a wing of fighters or a bomber crew, who operate under the superivision of their respective air councils. The cooperation between air forces and land forces is similar to that of other nations. Similarly to tank crews, pilots often have intimate knowledge of the mechanics of their own aircraft, and are often capable of repairing their own craft, being able to apply their craft in a limited capacity in-flight. Similarly, the handling characteristics are much improved by the pilots also being heavily involved in the design of their own aircraft. Some war pilots are also daytime pilots, flying civilian flights for instance, while others are 'hobbyists', working in the aircraft factories or in some other field.

As far as you can speak of an air doctrine, it is generally more in the battle support category than strategical bombing. Attacking civilian targets is not favoured by Commonwealth pilots. They can attack some forms of infrastructure to prevent goods from being delivered, but straight up attacking population centres or even military factories is seen as counterproductive and immoral. However, they are not above attacking government institutions, which is often seen as a war crime abroad.

Naval Forces: Very little; some patrol boats on the Caspian sea keeping an eye out for errant German fishing boats. The hope is that, once Sevastapol and the Crimea are liberated, that naval personnel will flock to the Red Banner and allow the Commonwealth to field a navy.

Other Military Information: Since most soldiers are part-time soldiers, and many workers are themselves part of a militia, there is less friction between civilian life and the military. While coups are very much a possibility, there is no military hierarchy with a high command that seeks to overthrow a civilian government. The unions and soldiers councils very much work together towards a common goal.

History: In January 1942, Moscow went dark. German troops had been advancing towards the city from October onwards, and in December, had even approached within 30 km of the city. Now, they were master of it. Josef Stalin was still in the city when the defences fell, but whether he made it out in time was unknown. Many parts of the government made it out, including Lavrentiy Beria, head of the NKVD. Yet, they were quick to retreat east, beyond the Urals, and in their retreat the lines of communication were easily severed. This, among other things, resulted in mass confusion along the Southern Front, which until then had been halting the Germans at the Rostov-on-Don line. Germans pouring into central Russia, however, meant those lines were to be dislodged, and being threatened from the North, the Southern Front split into its constituent parts: the Caucasian Front mounting a defence towards the South, with allied goods arriving from the South, and the Stalingrad Front, moving quickly east to take up positions along the Volga.

Now, conflicting orders from the NKVD made this fighting retreat hard to accomplish, especially given Order 227 "Not a step back". Having received no clear orders to retreat, NKVD rear battalions began first to order soldiers to remain at their positions, then started arresting officers, and when the Red Army soldiers began fighting to defend or release their officers, the NKVD blocking divisions began engaging Red Army troops. This was a mistake on their part, owing to their fear should communications with Stalin's cabinet be reinstated, but the resulting battles were a walkover for the Red Army. Blocking divisions were not meant to engage in front-line combat with armoured troups and guard rifles, and those blocking divisions often gave up under the slightest pressure. This resulted in a sort of counter-purge, where anyone associated with the NKVD was either captured or killed outright. When new and often conflicting orders came in via the various parts of the government that had reinstated itself, some from STAVKA high command and some from Beria and his civilian government, those orders were denounced and any attempt to restablish credible threat by the NKVD was viciously supressed.

Now, as soon as the Stalingrad Front had crossed the Volga, it split in two; those units from other parts of the Soviet Union, like Moscow, Saint Petersburg or Eastern Europe, dug in for the defence. Units from the trans-Urals, however, including Tartar soldiers and other minorities, continued heading east, the official hierarchy melting away and being replaced by local militias. These militias, having elected their own commanders, bashed their way through whatever reserve units did not join their advance. NKVD offices were raided and burned, with all staff, even support staff, being executed or imprisoned. And with each NKVD archive raided, and with each city cleared for Stalinist loyalists, it became clearer and clearer what kind of dictatorial rule Stalin had been effectuating throughout the USSR. As soon as the statues of Stalin were toppled, a new all-red flag was hoisted, and the various cities began looking to their own devices, supported by the anarchist militias that had just liberated those cities. Now, the transfer of power was absolutely not clean or orderly, and many innocents lost their lives. Some tried to either establish capitalist democracies, but clearly the local population would have nothing of that: they were still communists, but not Leninists or Stalinists.

In response to the collapse of central control from Moscow, the various councils began to reorder themselves. New trade unions were formed to made demands to the military government of the militias, and while these militias were at first hesitant, it took only a few local general strikes to ensure that these soldiers were subservient to a new style of democratic socialism. The militias, meanwhile, feeling safe behind the Urals, melted into the civilian population (as many soldiers were from that region to begin with). New socialist newspapers were printed, and once-forbidden writing was spread among the population again. This wealth of theory, far broader than the party line, would result in a revivication of theoretical debate, and the formation of a new civilian 'government', or rather, a commonwealth of cooperating labour unions and soldier councils.

While this was happening, what remained of the Stalingrad Front (swiftly renamed to the Volga Front) engaged the approaching German armies. Luckily for the disorganised and undersupplied army, the German offensive focused on the oil fields instead of the city, and during the first months, the fighting was still mild. It slowly picked up, however, as German command of the Volga river depended on control of Volgograd; the defeat of Red forces there would dislodge the whole South, and defeat one of the last Soviet strongholds that side of the Urals. So, general Paulus turned his gaze towards Volgograd, and nearly managed to capture the city after fierce fighting, with huge casualties on both sides. Unrest on the Russian side also meant that reinforcements and supplied could not be reliably delivered, and the Red Air Force was undermanned, meaning the Luftwaffe had almost unrivalled dominance over the skies.

In the winter of 1942, however, the tide began to turn. First the raputitsa, the Sea of Mud, and then the harsh laid bare the problems in German supplies so far east, especially because the Soviets had torched all their factories in the retreat. Without logistics having been improved yet, German soldiers were underequipped and lacked winter clothing. This ensured at least a standstill, and allowed the Russians to regain some footholds on the western banks of the Volga. Then, in early 1943, the tide turned further. Having now established total control over industry and civilian life in the major industrial centres, and having achieved the blessing of the new Union of Railway Workers and Operators, goods started arriving at the front in boatloads. With them came a new type of soldier: the militia of free citizens, volunteered to join the fight. Among them were veterans, but also new recruits, even a handful of women's militias. It took some time for the army to learn how to operate with these militias, and many soldiers were killed in all-out frontal assaults they organised themselves. However, after some weeks, it was quite clear how these militias operated best; with their own initiative. This put enormous strain on the German chain of command, which could not defend every front at once, while militia squads made inroads every time a part of the line was weakened, just because they acted solely on their own initiative. A daring raid by armoured troops towards the rear guard of the German army threatened to cut off supplies, and without orders to retreat, Paulus could only watch his army starve. He and his army were subsequently captured. Draftees and prisoners of the army were released; volunteers were sumarily executed. Paulus himself was hanged.

Volgograd could not be maintained, as the Volga river provided the defence needed to actually maintain a coherent line, and the army of Volgograd, now the People's Red Army of Volgograd, had no means to effect any kind of offensive action. Instead, it retreated, and dug in along the Volga, destroying bridges and turning what was left of the city to rubble. It was a prize Hitler would not have. And while sporadic fighting continued, ensuring the city would not be rebuilt, that front settled after it became obvious that the Commonwealth was in no position to retaliate or mount any major offensive. Meanwhile, it was obvious to the German high command that no offensive could be launched into the Urals, where the main production facilities were, and that their supply lines were too long to push over the Volga effectively. The problems of the Wehrmacht laid bare, and the Air Force Militia regaining control of the air east of the Volga, German doctrine could not be succesfully implemented.

And so, the Commonwealth settled into peace, with many soldiers returning to civilian life. In many ways, the Commonwealth and the US mirror each other, with both having lost soldiers, and many more coming back physically or emotionally hurt. Meanwhile, both received an influx of refugees, both from the rest of Siberia but also from German-controlled Russia, as the vast tracts of land could not be fully closed off. Such a large front allowed for European dissidents to cross the Volga. At the same time, new technology meant that infrastructure could be improved. That, however, is where the similarities ended. Throughout the late 1940s and early 1950s, while the US was allowing Robert Moses to destroy American cities for highways, the Commonwealth allowed its citizens to build coop buildings; generally of medium density, and meant for mixed use, these cities did not turn into cores with sprawling suburbs. At the same time, lacking the necessary rubber for car tires (until rubber could be synthesized), and not really having the means to give every citizen a car, the Commonwealth expanded its railway network, as well as expanding tram access. Sverdlovsk even has the beginnings of a metro. Mechanisation in agriculture has ensured that enough food is produced every year to freely feed all citizens, and homelesness has largely been eradicated. Every child has opportunity to go to school, and housing is free.

The question is: is this only the aftermath of the wartime spirit? Or will this system collapse in prolonged peacetime? Will capitalism naturally find its way back? And even if Germany is defeated, will that defeat allow the wider spread of this system, or is it only practicable on a smaller scale? Only time will tell.

Do not remove - 1952RP

[Sao Nova Europa]

RESERVATION
NS Name: Mifan
RP Name: Japan/State of Japan
Territory: Japanese Home Islands/Modern Day Japan

Do not remove - 1952RP

Reservation Noted

Japan and USA added to reservation roster.

[Sao Nova Europa]

A work in progress! History coming up.

Nice app. So far looks pretty good.

[Greater Liverpool]

Is there an American player in this?

[Great Confederacy of Commonwealth States]

Sao Nova, when you write in the OP that the USSR government retreats beyond the Caucasus, do you mean they went south to the Caucasus or that they went east over the Urals?

[Sao Nova Europa]

Sao Nova, when you write in the OP that the USSR government retreats beyond the Caucasus, do you mean they went south to the Caucasus or that they went east over the Urals?

Gaffe on my part.

I meant that the Soviets retreated east over the Urals, not Caucasus. Will edit my app's history and opening post.

[Sao Nova Europa]

Is there an American player in this?

The US is currently reserved. Is there any other country you wish to join?

[Southrn Levnate]

Will the IC one be free before the one week reservation for already accepted members or will It be after the 1 week phase?

[Great Confederacy of Commonwealth States]

A work in progress! History coming up.

APPLICATION
NS Name: GCCS
RP Name: Commonwealth of Workers' Unions and Councils (Содружество рабочих союзов и советов), the Chelyabinsk Soviet
Flag: There are several flags used in the Commonwealth, as every union, every council and every militia ususally has a flag of their own. The basis, however, is the blood-red worker's flag; a plain red flag.

(Image)

Capital: The Commonwealth does not have a capital and a seat of government in the traditional sense. The Congress of Industrial Workers, the representative meeting of one of the most powerful labour unions in the Commonwealth, takes place in Sverdlovsk and Chelyabinsk in alternating years. The Union of Rail and Train Workers has their headquarters in Sverdlovsk, and so does the Union of Researchers and Higher Educational Staff. Chelyabinsk, however, is the seat of many military councils, including the Council of Tank Militias and the Federative Union of Defence Industry Workers. The Supreme Parliament sits in Sverdlovsk, and it is also where the Great Workers' Congress is held.
Territory:

(Image)

Population: 40.000.000

Official Language(s): Russian and Tartar (and other Turkic languages)
Ethnic Breakdown: Russians (66.2%), Tatars (13.4%), Bashkirs (4.3%), Chuvash (4.3%), Mordva (2%), Udmurt (1.7%), Mari (1.6%)
Religious Breakdown: In the Commonwealth, religion is still seen as suspect, although there are no longer general purges against the religious. Atheism and agnostisism are the biggest official groups, but there are sizable communities of Christians, Jews and Muslims, although they generally keep to their own communities and don't organise into larger hierarchical structures.

Type of Government: Anarcho-syndicalist commune
Head of State: n/a
Head of Government: n/a
Legislature (the name of your national legislature): The Supreme Parliament, the Great Workers' Congress and the Supreme Council of Militias. The Supreme Parliament is directly elected by the inhabitants per district of the Commonwealth, and are more there to give guidance and overarching strategy to the other bodies of the Commonwealth. They have no legislative powers per se. The Great Workers' Congress is made up of representatives of each of the unions, and make decisions based on consensus. It has limited legislative authority within matters that the Congress Constitution has delegated to it, like in matters of consumer safety and environmental protection. The Supreme Council of Militias is the deliberative body of all the different soldier's councils. The militias are made up of a small core of instructors, who are also united in a union of militia supporting personnel, but the vast majority is made up of volunteers who also have other jobs day-to-day, and who train in the weekends.
Party in Power: n/a, though there is an unofficial Communist Party which is not represented in the Surpreme Parliament, but where intellectuals come together to discuss the merits of ideas within the communist system, and how communism is to be achieved. The Communist Party also organises a large number of social events. There are also other, smaller parties, with differing views on communism. The lack of hierarchical structure, however, means that these parties cannot compete in elections.
National Issues:
The Black-Brown menace - Moscow, Saint Petersburg, Kiev, Minsk... All are under the sway of the genocidal, kleptocratic and hypercapitalist regime of Nazi Germany. The victory of fascism stands in direct opposition to the victory of the Red Left, and they stand in the way of not only the liberation of Russia, but the liberation of all the workers in the world. The very existence of a fascist world power in Germany is a danger to the working class, and its eviction from Russia, followed by its complete destruction and the liberation of Europe, is one of the major issues of the day. The Commonwealth is, in its entirety, living towards that day.
The Shadow of Stalin - Most of Stalin's Red fascist yoke has been thrown off. Yet, those who still believe in the vision of the old dictator still live. While they hold no structural power, they live in the dark, underground. Sometimes, people disappear, and it is generally understood that these disappearances are the work of secret agents working towards the re-establishment of Stalinist power. Their existence has led to general paranoia, and keeps the Commonwealth from being truly unified.
Involuntary autarky - Cut off by the Germans to the West and chaotic Siberia to the East, as well as violently anti-left regimes in China and Asia, the Commonwealth has trouble importing many of the goods it requires. Even then, since the Commonwealth lacks internal currency, it would be hard to do business with corporations, as the Commonwealth generally can only barter for trade. The Commonwealth is internationally unrecognised as an equal to a State, and that diplomatic isolation means that it depends on its own resources. Food, iron and coal are abundant, as is natural gas and oil, but the Commonwealth does not produce silk, chocolate, tropical hardwood, coffee, tea... The finer things in life. Foreign art has to be smuggled in too, since Hollywood does not license its movies for the Commonwealth and does not produce Russian subtitles.
Public Goals: The overthrow of the dictators of the world, from Berlin to Washington D.C.; the liberation of Russia and Europe from fascist yoke, breaking the chains of the working class.
Private Goals: Pretty much the same as the public goals.

GDP: n/a
Currency: n/a
Economic System: Decentralised socialist distribution, planned syndicalist expansion, inter-union collaborative efforts.
Major Trade Partners: n/a
Alliance(s): Possibly other anarcho-syndicalist states and Russian leftist states, depending on who apps.

Military Branches: The militias can generally be divided into a few categories, though it would be inaccurate to describe them as 'branches', which implies top-down organisation. These branches are the infantry militias, the tank militias, the air militias and the naval militias, with logistics and engineering forming their own semi-seperate branches since both are more linked to their respective unions than any military council.

Active Duty: 10.000 (border militias and support personnel)
Reserve Duty: 1.000.000
Total Manpower: 10.000.000 (all men and women of military age and in fighting condition)

Land Forces: The land forces consist mainly of the infantry and tank militias, as well as additional artillery and support militias. These militias work in close collaboration with the producers of their equipment, and many tank militias are made up of the people that have spent time producing those tanks, mainly based on the proximity of their councils to the factories. Besides their training, they have intimate technical knowledge of their machines, and this works in both ways; allowing tanks to be operated more efficiently, but also leading to improvements in tank design based on the direct experiences of tank crews. The same goes for any piece of equipment, from rifles to pistols to grenades to binoculars.

The main issue of this system is that these militias are not controlled top-down, but devise strategy bottom-up, with the 'high command' consisting of representatives that make decisions by consensus. While this would seem impractical at first, it is actually not unworkable, as shown by Catalonian militias. The problem is actually not that these militias are incapable of properly engaging the enemy in a tactical manner, but that they are too fierce, more willing to engage in frontal assaults than other soldiers. This leads to higher losses than necessary. And while the system leads to better strategy overal, since commanders in the field are actually listened to, it has little room for one-man sparks of genius that can sometimes happen in rigid command structures. The military councils also have to convince factories to supply them, and while this is generally not an issue, it can lead to out-of-the-box thinking being underappreciated. Still, since during times of war the Councils unite in a War Congress, there can still be the strategising and logistical operation that other nations have, just with less of a hierarchy.

Air Force: Similarly to the ground forces, the air forces are also organised in militias. The smallest unit in this system is either a wing of fighters or a bomber crew, who operate under the superivision of their respective air councils. The cooperation between air forces and land forces is similar to that of other nations. Similarly to tank crews, pilots often have intimate knowledge of the mechanics of their own aircraft, and are often capable of repairing their own craft, being able to apply their craft in a limited capacity in-flight. Similarly, the handling characteristics are much improved by the pilots also being heavily involved in the design of their own aircraft. Some war pilots are also daytime pilots, flying civilian flights for instance, while others are 'hobbyists', working in the aircraft factories or in some other field.

As far as you can speak of an air doctrine, it is generally more in the battle support category than strategical bombing. Attacking civilian targets is not favoured by Commonwealth pilots. They can attack some forms of infrastructure to prevent goods from being delivered, but straight up attacking population centres or even military factories is seen as counterproductive and immoral. However, they are not above attacking government institutions, which is often seen as a war crime abroad.

Naval Forces: Very little; some patrol boats on the Caspian sea keeping an eye out for errant German fishing boats. The hope is that, once Sevastapol and the Crimea are liberated, that naval personnel will flock to the Red Banner and allow the Commonwealth to field a navy.

Other Military Information: Since most soldiers are part-time soldiers, and many workers are themselves part of a militia, there is less friction between civilian life and the military. While coups are very much a possibility, there is no military hierarchy with a high command that seeks to overthrow a civilian government. The unions and soldiers councils very much work together towards a common goal.

History: In January 1942, Moscow went dark. German troops had been advancing towards the city from October onwards, and in December, had even approached within 30 km of the city. Now, they were master of it. Josef Stalin was still in the city when the defences fell, but whether he made it out in time was unknown. Many parts of the government made it out, including Lavrentiy Beria, head of the NKVD. Yet, they were quick to retreat east, beyond the Urals, and in their retreat the lines of communication were easily severed. This, among other things, resulted in mass confusion along the Southern Front, which until then had been halting the Germans at the Rostov-on-Don line. Germans pouring into central Russia, however, meant those lines were to be dislodged, and being threatened from the North, the Southern Front split into its constituent parts: the Caucasian Front mounting a defence towards the South, with allied goods arriving from the South, and the Stalingrad Front, moving quickly east to take up positions along the Volga.

Now, conflicting orders from the NKVD made this fighting retreat hard to accomplish, especially given Order 227 "Not a step back". Having received no clear orders to retreat, NKVD rear battalions began first to order soldiers to remain at their positions, then started arresting officers, and when the Red Army soldiers began fighting to defend or release their officers, the NKVD blocking divisions began engaging Red Army troops. This was a mistake on their part, owing to their fear should communications with Stalin's cabinet be reinstated, but the resulting battles were a walkover for the Red Army. Blocking divisions were not meant to engage in front-line combat with armoured troups and guard rifles, and those blocking divisions often gave up under the slightest pressure. This resulted in a sort of counter-purge, where anyone associated with the NKVD was either captured or killed outright. When new and often conflicting orders came in via the various parts of the government that had reinstated itself, some from STAVKA high command and some from Beria and his civilian government, those orders were denounced and any attempt to restablish credible threat by the NKVD was viciously supressed.

Now, as soon as the Stalingrad Front had crossed the Volga, it split in two; those units from other parts of the Soviet Union, like Moscow, Saint Petersburg or Eastern Europe, dug in for the defence. Units from the trans-Urals, however, including Tartar soldiers and other minorities, continued heading east, the official hierarchy melting away and being replaced by local militias. These militias, having elected their own commanders, bashed their way through whatever reserve units did not join their advance. NKVD offices were raided and burned, with all staff, even support staff, being executed or imprisoned. And with each NKVD archive raided, and with each city cleared for Stalinist loyalists, it became clearer and clearer what kind of dictatorial rule Stalin had been effectuating throughout the USSR. As soon as the statues of Stalin were toppled, a new all-red flag was hoisted, and the various cities began looking to their own devices, supported by the anarchist militias that had just liberated those cities. Now, the transfer of power was absolutely not clean or orderly, and many innocents lost their lives. Some tried to either establish capitalist democracies, but clearly the local population would have nothing of that: they were still communists, but not Leninists or Stalinists.

In response to the collapse of central control from Moscow, the various councils began to reorder themselves. New trade unions were formed to made demands to the military government of the militias, and while these militias were at first hesitant, it took only a few local general strikes to ensure that these soldiers were subservient to a new style of democratic socialism. The militias, meanwhile, feeling safe behind the Urals, melted into the civilian population (as many soldiers were from that region to begin with). New socialist newspapers were printed, and once-forbidden writing was spread among the population again. This wealth of theory, far broader than the party line, would result in a revivication of theoretical debate, and the formation of a new civilian 'government', or rather, a commonwealth of cooperating labour unions and soldier councils.

While this was happening, what remained of the Stalingrad Front (swiftly renamed to the Volga Front) engaged the approaching German armies. Luckily for the disorganised and undersupplied army, the German offensive focused on the oil fields instead of the city, and during the first months, the fighting was still mild. It slowly picked up, however, as German command of the Volga river depended on control of Volgograd; the defeat of Red forces there would dislodge the whole South, and defeat one of the last Soviet strongholds that side of the Urals. So, general Paulus turned his gaze towards Volgograd, and nearly managed to capture the city after fierce fighting, with huge casualties on both sides. Unrest on the Russian side also meant that reinforcements and supplied could not be reliably delivered, and the Red Air Force was undermanned, meaning the Luftwaffe had almost unrivalled dominance over the skies.

In the winter of 1942, however, the tide began to turn. First the raputitsa, the Sea of Mud, and then the harsh laid bare the problems in German supplies so far east, especially because the Soviets had torched all their factories in the retreat. Without logistics having been improved yet, German soldiers were underequipped and lacked winter clothing. This ensured at least a standstill, and allowed the Russians to regain some footholds on the western banks of the Volga. Then, in early 1943, the tide turned further. Having now established total control over industry and civilian life in the major industrial centres, and having achieved the blessing of the new Union of Railway Workers and Operators, goods started arriving at the front in boatloads. With them came a new type of soldier: the militia of free citizens, volunteered to join the fight. Among them were veterans, but also new recruits, even a handful of women's militias. It took some time for the army to learn how to operate with these militias, and many soldiers were killed in all-out frontal assaults they organised themselves. However, after some weeks, it was quite clear how these militias operated best; with their own initiative. This put enormous strain on the German chain of command, which could not defend every front at once, while militia squads made inroads every time a part of the line was weakened, just because they acted solely on their own initiative. A daring raid by armoured troops towards the rear guard of the German army threatened to cut off supplies, and without orders to retreat, Paulus could only watch his army starve. He and his army were subsequently captured. Draftees and prisoners of the army were released; volunteers were sumarily executed. Paulus himself was hanged.

Volgograd could not be maintained, as the Volga river provided the defence needed to actually maintain a coherent line, and the army of Volgograd, now the People's Red Army of Volgograd, had no means to effect any kind of offensive action. Instead, it retreated, and dug in along the Volga, destroying bridges and turning what was left of the city to rubble. It was a prize Hitler would not have. And while sporadic fighting continued, ensuring the city would not be rebuilt, that front settled after it became obvious that the Commonwealth was in no position to retaliate or mount any major offensive. Meanwhile, it was obvious to the German high command that no offensive could be launched into the Urals, where the main production facilities were, and that their supply lines were too long to push over the Volga effectively. The problems of the Wehrmacht laid bare, and the Air Force Militia regaining control of the air east of the Volga, German doctrine could not be succesfully implemented.

And so, the Commonwealth settled into peace, with many soldiers returning to civilian life. In many ways, the Commonwealth and the US mirror each other, with both having lost soldiers, and many more coming back physically or emotionally hurt. Meanwhile, both received an influx of refugees, both from the rest of Siberia but also from German-controlled Russia, as the vast tracts of land could not be fully closed off. Such a large front allowed for European dissidents to cross the Volga. At the same time, new technology meant that infrastructure could be improved. That, however, is where the similarities ended. Throughout the late 1940s and early 1950s, while the US was allowing Robert Moses to destroy American cities for highways, the Commonwealth allowed its citizens to build coop buildings; generally of medium density, and meant for mixed use, these cities did not turn into cores with sprawling suburbs. At the same time, lacking the necessary rubber for car tires (until rubber could be synthesized), and not really having the means to give every citizen a car, the Commonwealth expanded its railway network, as well as expanding tram access. Sverdlovsk even has the beginnings of a metro. Mechanisation in agriculture has ensured that enough food is produced every year to freely feed all citizens, and homelesness has largely been eradicated. Every child has opportunity to go to school, and housing is free.

The question is: is this only the aftermath of the wartime spirit? Or will this system collapse in prolonged peacetime? Will capitalism naturally find its way back? And even if Germany is defeated, will that defeat allow the wider spread of this system, or is it only practicable on a smaller scale? Only time will tell.

Do not remove - 1952RP

Finished my app!

Sao Nova, when you write in the OP that the USSR government retreats beyond the Caucasus, do you mean they went south to the Caucasus or that they went east over the Urals?

Gaffe on my part.

I meant that the Soviets retreated east over the Urals, not Caucasus. Will edit my app's history and opening post.

No problem, both were plausbile, but the Urals were more likely.

Also, interesting pick on Speer as a chancellor! I read his memoirs, man he was lucky that all the other Nazis died. Allowed him to really whitewash his convo's.

Actually, coming to think of it; could I maybe write an attempted escape of a German communist intellectual to the Commonwealth? Like, beginning in either France of Germany, and travelling East? I think that could showcase the state of the Third Reich, and while it is your baby, of course, it is something I would really enjoy doing. Especially if it started in Speer's Berlin.

[Sao Nova Europa]

Will the IC one be free before the one week reservation for already accepted members or will It be after the 1 week phase?

Once the IC thread begins, those who have been accepted will be able to post. At the same time, the OOC thread will still be open to new applications.

I aim to begin the IC thread in the next five or six days.

[Sao Nova Europa]

Also, interesting pick on Speer as a chancellor! I read his memoirs, man he was lucky that all the other Nazis died. Allowed him to really whitewash his convo's.

Actually, coming to think of it; could I maybe write an attempted escape of a German communist intellectual to the Commonwealth? Like, beginning in either France of Germany, and travelling East? I think that could showcase the state of the Third Reich, and while it is your baby, of course, it is something I would really enjoy doing. Especially if it started in Speer's Berlin.

No problem. Actually that sounds like an interesting idea, so you've got my approval.

And yes, Speer is an interesting character and that's why I chose him. I plan on RPing him as someone who presents a reformist persona in public but at his heart he is a Nazi. He puts a 'pretty' public face on the monstrous Nazi regime.

[Great Confederacy of Commonwealth States]

Also, interesting pick on Speer as a chancellor! I read his memoirs, man he was lucky that all the other Nazis died. Allowed him to really whitewash his convo's.

Actually, coming to think of it; could I maybe write an attempted escape of a German communist intellectual to the Commonwealth? Like, beginning in either France of Germany, and travelling East? I think that could showcase the state of the Third Reich, and while it is your baby, of course, it is something I would really enjoy doing. Especially if it started in Speer's Berlin.

No problem. Actually that sounds like an interesting idea, so you've got my approval.

And yes, Speer is an interesting character and that's why I chose him. I plan on RPing him as someone who presents a reformist persona in public but at his heart he is a Nazi. He puts a 'pretty' public face on the monstrous Nazi regime.

He was one of the few party members that enjoyed traveling abroad, and he had good international understandings, so he would be perfect as a chancellor for repairing foreign relations.

[Sao Nova Europa]

[box]APPLICATION
NS Name: GCCS
RP Name: Commonwealth of Workers' Unions and Councils (Содружество рабочих союзов и советов), the Chelyabinsk Soviet

ACCEPTED

[Rei Khan]

APPLICATION
NS Name: Rei Khan
RP Name: Patagonian Empire
Flag: https://www.crwflags.com/fotw/flags/ar_pbo.html
Capital: Buenos Aires
Territory: Argentina and Chile
Population: 63 Million

Official Language(s): Spanish, English
Ethnic Breakdown: European (mostly Spanish and Italian descent) and mestizo (mixed European and Amerindian ancestry) 97.2%, Amerindian 2.4%, African 0.4%
Religious Breakdown: 62.9 percent of the population is Catholic; 15.3 Protestant, including evangelical groups; 18.9 percent no religion, which includes agnostics; 1.4 percent Jehovah's Witnesses and The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints

Type of Government: Fascist Autocracy
Head of State: Juan Rodriguez de Herrera
Head of Government: Juan Rodriguez de Herrera
Legislature (the name of your national legislature): Congreso de la Nación Patagonia
Legislative Houses (if your legislature is bicameral):
Party in Power: Partido Nacionalista
National Issues: Rebellion of Santiago (Chile want secession), Rising tensions with North American Democracies, Rise of Patagonian Socialist Party
Public Goals: Provide world peace, for all nations
Private Goals: Unify South America under one flag

GDP (nominal): 445.4 billion USD
Currency: Patagonian Peso
Economic System: Capitalist
Major Trade Partners: Germany, Italy, Vichy France
Alliance(s): None currently

Military Branches (names of official Armed Forces Branches): Ministry of Defense, Army Navy Air Force Ministry of Security, National Gendarmerie Naval Prefecture

Active Duty: 70,000
Reserve Duty: 6,000
Total Manpower: 84,000

Land Forces: 40,000

Air Force: 5,000

Naval Forces: 5,000

Other Military Information:

History: In 1930, Juan Rodriguez de Herrera came to power through a military coup. Following the example of Germany, He used his influence in Patagonia to begin marching on Buenos Aires. In July of 1934, Buenos Aires fell. Many men were lost, numbering in the millions. Once the capital fell, the rest of Argentina fell. Then, they began moving West. They quickly took Southern Chile. The war ended in 1945, with the Siege of Santiago. In 1947, Santiago began rebelling. They took Northern Chile, and still hold it.
RP Example(s): It was a sunny day in Buenos Aires. But sun does not equal happy, not all the time. For dark clouds gathered in the Western provinces of the Empire. Santiago, the final city to fall, was rebelling. Taking Arica, the Northern parts of Chile wanted independence. And they would certainly fight for it. Already, troops marched out of Buenos Aires and Northern Argentina to close with the rebel army.

Juan Rodriguez de Herrera pursed his lips, looking out the balcony of his Imperial Palace. Perhaps waiting to join the Axis had not been wise. He knew the Fuhrer needed a foothold in the new world, and Patagonia was the best option. But he had not wanted to anger the United States. They would be a massive problem if riled. And worse, Brazil might have gotten involved. So he had bided his time.

Do not remove - 1952RP

[Great Confederacy of Commonwealth States]

Shouldn’t the population of Argentina and Chile combined be more like 24 million?

[American Pere Housh]

RESERVATION
NS Name:American Pere Housh
RP Name:The Kingdom of Italy
Territory:All Italian Territory held in 1952 plus Greece

Do not remove - 1952RP

[American Pere Housh]

APPLICATION
NS Name:American Pere Housh
RP Name:The Kingdom of Italy
Flag:Italian Flag
Capital:Rome
Territory:All Italian Territories held in 1952 plus Greece
Population:65 million

Official Language(s):Italian
Ethnic Breakdown:90% Italian, 9% Greek, 1% Other
Religious Breakdown:Christian( Primarily Roman Catholic) 95% unaffiliated 5%

Type of Government:Absolute Monarchy
Head of State:King Victor Emmanuel III
Head of Government:King Victor Emmanuel III
Legislature (the name of your national legislature):Parliament
Legislative Houses (if your legislature is bicameral):Senate and the Chamber of Deputies
Party in Power:Italian Royalist Union
National Issues:Corruption, growing insurgency in Sardinia, Growing anti German support among the population Mention three (3) issues - domestic and foreign - that plague your nation and which you need to tackle in order to prosper.
Public Goals:Continue to expand the economy and the military of Italy, eliminate all rebel group on Sardinia
Private Goals:Distance Italy from Germany, Grow closer to both the United States and China

GDP (nominal):750 billion USD
Currency:Italian lira
Economic System:capitalism
Major Trade Partners:Germany, Spain, the United States, China
Alliance(s):Germany

Military Branches (names of official Armed Forces Branches):Imperial Italian Army(Esercito Imperiale Italiano), Imperial Italian Navy(Marina Imperiale Italiana), Imperial Italian Air Force(Aeronautica Imperiale Italiana), Imperial Italian Marine Corps(Corpo dei Marines Imperiali Italiani), Imperial Italian Coast Guard(Guardia Costiera Imperiale Italiana)

Active Duty:1,500,000
Reserve Duty:1,500,000
Total Manpower:2,500,000

Land Forces:750,000

Air Force:350,000

Naval Forces:400,000

Other Military Information:In this time, Italy uses its own equipment which is considered better quality than IRL and German equipment.

History:Same as OP except mussolini dies in a car accident in August 1944 leading to King Victor Emmanuel III to take full control of Italy. The Italian Fascist Party throw their support behind the king and is renamed the Italian Royalist Party. While they publicly support the Germans in private, they wish to distance themselves from Hitler and his racial policies. The king and his advisory board seek closer ties with America and China but is done in secret.
RP Example(s):https://forum.nationstates.net/viewtopic.php?f=31&t=508424

Do not remove - 1952RP

[Holy state of Belma-Cossa]

RESERVATION
NS Name: Holy State of Belma-Cossa
RP Name: Far Eastern Soviet Republic
Territory: From Ulan-Ude to Kamchatka and up to north to the sea.

Do not remove - 1952RP

[Sauros]

Shouldn’t the population of Argentina and Chile combined be more like 24 million?

Yeah, also I don't get how simply having Mussolini dying in a car accident could end up causing Greece to get invaded by Italy.

I'm also struggling to figure out specific things to change around in order for SocDems/DemSocs to be more popular in America. Literally the only thing I've got is what was already established in the OP regarding the "Brown Scare". Do you have any ideas?

[Great Confederacy of Commonwealth States]

Shouldn’t the population of Argentina and Chile combined be more like 24 million?

Yeah, also I don't get how simply having Mussolini dying in a car accident could end up causing Greece to get invaded by Italy.

I'm also struggling to figure out specific things to change around in order for SocDems/DemSocs to be more popular in America. Literally the only thing I've got is what was already established in the OP regarding the "Brown Scare". Do you have any ideas?

For the latter, I think that's believable. The second Red Scare does not happen, and is replaced by a scare of fascist influence.

This can of course be debated; there were reasons other than foreign policy that the second Red Scare was implemented, and the US was never really afraid in the same way of fascists. But I think it's believable that at least in the public consciousness, socialism is a lot more acceptable.

In reality, you could argue that if a large fascist state existed in Europe, and US companies were allowed to continue investments in Europe and the British Empire, there would not be a cold war at all, and something more of an alliance. But I don't think we're here for a Marxist materialist view of history.