A War of Blood and Steel [Althis|PT|OOC|Ended]

by **Tracian Empire** » Sat Oct 02, 2021 1:45 pm

Hanovereich wrote:Since I see Danzig is already reserved, just ignore whatever I said on it.

The Baltic states, part of Belarus and part of real life Poland's interwar eastern voivodeships are still free, but that's about it.

This is the latest version of the map.

by **The Cascade and Saint Islands** » Sat Oct 02, 2021 2:21 pm

Hey, if no one has claimed it yet, can I add Jerusalem District of Isreal to my claims? I just realized that I only claimed half of Jerusalem (the part in west bank), and I have no way to justify why I only control half the city.

by **Wansul** » Sat Oct 02, 2021 2:28 pm

Reservation

Nation Name: República Argentina
Territory: Argentina(including the claims made in the Antarctic)
Tech Tree: Argentinian
#JDMZVUM1QC (Do not delete this, it is used to keep track of the apps)

*Note: Reservations will last for 48 hours. The OP board reserves the right to be subjective in regards to accepting and removing reservations.

by **Tracian Empire** » Sat Oct 02, 2021 2:29 pm

The Cascade and Saint Islands wrote:Hey, if no one has claimed it yet, can I add Jerusalem District of Isreal to my claims? I just realized that I only claimed half of Jerusalem (the part in west bank), and I have no way to justify why I only control half the city.

I'm not 100% sure how that would look on the map but yes

by **Tracian Empire** » Sat Oct 02, 2021 2:29 pm

Wansul wrote:
Reservation

Nation Name: República Argentina
Territory: Argentina(including the claims made in the Antarctic)
Tech Tree: Argentinian
#JDMZVUM1QC (Do not delete this, it is used to keep track of the apps)

*Note: Reservations will last for 48 hours. The OP board reserves the right to be subjective in regards to accepting and removing reservations.

Reservation accepted

by **The Cascade and Saint Islands** » Sat Oct 02, 2021 2:33 pm

Tracian Empire wrote:
The Cascade and Saint Islands wrote:Hey, if no one has claimed it yet, can I add Jerusalem District of Isreal to my claims? I just realized that I only claimed half of Jerusalem (the part in west bank), and I have no way to justify why I only control half the city.

I'm not 100% sure how that would look on the map but yes

Thanks. Also, did the Great War end on the same year as the real timeline?

by **Tracian Empire** » Sat Oct 02, 2021 2:35 pm

The Cascade and Saint Islands wrote:
Tracian Empire wrote:I'm not 100% sure how that would look on the map but yes

Thanks. Also, did the Great War end on the same year as the real timeline?

It most likely did, though like with the Great War of real life, it is very likely that some conflicts that were born out of it continued for a year or two after it

by **Sao Nova Europa** » Sat Oct 02, 2021 2:47 pm

Since IC is up, does this mean we can start posting?

by **Tracian Empire** » Sat Oct 02, 2021 2:52 pm

Sao Nova Europa wrote:Since IC is up, does this mean we can start posting?

Yep

by **Wansul** » Sat Oct 02, 2021 2:55 pm

I noticed Antarctica is not on the map- are claims or IC operations there not allowed or will they just not be shown on the map?

by **Tracian Empire** » Sat Oct 02, 2021 2:57 pm

Wansul wrote:I noticed Antarctica is not on the map- are claims or IC operations there not allowed or will they just not be shown on the map?

They will not be shown on the map, the variant of the map that we’ve been using doesn’t have it, and it hasn’t usually been needed because very rarely do players do much there.

But IC operations there are allowed, and will be taken into account.

by **Mifan** » Sat Oct 02, 2021 3:24 pm

Should have my app up by tonight or early tomorrow morning.

by **Kenobot** » Sat Oct 02, 2021 3:57 pm

Tracian Empire wrote:
Kenobot wrote:Finally completed the app. Let me know if you need me to flesh anything out further
Nation Application

Full Nation Name: The Union of India

Short Nation Name: India

National Symbols: National Flag
National Emblem
Seal of the Parliament of India
Coat of Arms of the Union of India

Capital: New Delhi

Territory: India, Pakistan, Burma, Bangladesh

Form of Government: Westminster system Parliamentary Constitutional Monarchy

Head of State: King George V (Represented by the Governor-General, His Excellency The Most Honourable The Marquess of Linlithgow, Governor-General of India, KT, GCSI, GCIE, OBE, TD, PC)

Head of Government: Prime Minister Sikandar Hayat Khan

Ideology: Conservative Unionist (Liberal [Swaraj] Opposition)

Population: 399, 305, 300

Military Description:
The Indian Army

The Indian Army, reformed from the British Indian Army in 1920 upon Home Rule, is an all-volunteer force standing some 200,000 strong. Armed and equipped through the Royal Arsenals of Delhi, Bombay and Calcutta, the Indian Army is primarily armed with the Lee–Enfield No. 1 Mk V, with 2000 Lee-Enfield Rifle No. 4s also in trials before full-scale production begins. 2000 Thompson Sub-machine guns were acquired from the US in 1935 and are currently only in limited service with the Governor-General’s Bodyguard Regiment.
The Indian Army has begun to receive the first of their 50 Cruiser Mk1 tanks, with 10 having already arrived from Britain. Begun in 1920, the Indianisation of the Indian Army has been a long and slow process, but the process is expected to be completed by 1940.

The Royal Indian Air Force is a small and inexperienced force; perhaps the most underdeveloped Part of India’s armed forces, but should war come to the Indian subcontinent, the great hope is that Britain and India’s fellow dominions will come to their rescue.

The Royal Indian Navy is no laughing matter, while an inexperienced force and largely staffed with Anglo-Indian Officers, their ships are numerous and strong. Upon independence in 1920, Britain gifted the new Dominion three ships to serve as the anchor for any future force; the former HMS Emperor of India (Now HMIS Hindustan), Former HMS Ajax (Now HMIS Bombay) and former HMS Tiger (HMIS Calcutta). Since then, the Royal Indian Navy has acquired half a dozen small frigates, with plans afoot to acquire a cruiser and three destroyers.

Tech Tree: British

Economic Description: Upon independence in 1920, the Indian economy initially suffered a collapse as the structural features of the economy fractured overnight. With assistance from Britain and a booming commodities market throughout the rest of the 1920s, the Indian economy had managed to recover by 1927, with new investments in the Indian industrial capacity from both private capital, provincial governments and the government in Delhi. With the crash of 1929, India like most other nations, suffered immensely, with over a million dying in a famine in Bengal. After reading the works of Lord Keynes in 1933, the opposition Unionist Party led by Sikandar Hayat Khan adopted many of the ideas advocated by Keynes in his book The Means to Prosperity. Following election victory in 1934, Khan put these policies into action; growing the Indian economy to reap the taxation value from this growth. In 1936, the Indian economy grew an amazing 8% in that year alone.

Goals: Continuation of British influence in South and East Asia, Grow Indian economy, Maintain the balance of power in the region.

Point of Divergence: Following the conclusion of the Great War, the colonial authorities follow through on their promise of Home Rule for India. Princely States were abolished and princes compensated.

History: When Britain was at her most desperate during the Great War, she called upon the British Indian Army to come to her aid, and if they did, India would be granted Home Rule like the other dominions. From Gallipoli, Egypt and Palestine in the East to Ypres, the Somme and Cambrai in the West, India delivered Britain her best and more, coming through on her promises. Following the end of the war, negotiations were held between leaders of the Home Rule movement in India, the colonial authorities and the British government over how Home Rule India would look. Months were spent researching and negotiating a result, but in the end India would become a dominion of the British Empire. In 1931, Britain enacted the Statute of Westminster which released its dominions from many of their previous obligations to Britain and established the independence of dominion legislatures from that of the United Kingdom. India was one of the first dominions to enact this proposal.

Have You Read, Understand, and Agree with the OP Posts & Rules In Detail?: Yes
#JDMZVUM1QC (do not delete this, it's for keeping track of the apps)

Overall the app looks pretty great. Some changes to the history might have to be done depending on what the British player decides to go with for a PoD, but the history can be altered later on. The only thing that needs to be changed here is the tech tree, to comply with the rules it should be "Indian", since through Indian we'd understand that you're not claiming ownership of the British tech tree but merely using licensed equipment from Britain.

Other than that, accepted.

Thank you. Updated the app just now for the tech tree.

The Traansval wrote:
Tracian Empire wrote:Britain is certainly free. Do you want me to also give you the British colonies that are still free?

Yeah I'd like that. Specifically what I can of Africa, Canada and the West Indies, and more importantly British Malaya. With the loss of India, Singapore is going to become very important for me in Asia.

You haven't lost India so much as we've become a Dominion that has enacted the Statute of Westminster. We're still a loyal dominion (depending on your history of course) so nothing to worry about.
Let me know how you go with your POD, etc so we can fit our histories together (and if you'd like me to make any changes)

by **The Traansval** » Sat Oct 02, 2021 4:02 pm

Tracian Empire wrote:
Hanovereich wrote:Since I see Danzig is already reserved, just ignore whatever I said on it.

The Baltic states, part of Belarus and part of real life Poland's interwar eastern voivodeships are still free, but that's about it.

This is the latest version of the map.

Making Britain bright Pink is a war crime

by **Monsone** » Sat Oct 02, 2021 5:23 pm

Nation Application

Full Nation Name: Kingdom of the Netherlands (Koninkrijk der Nederlanden)

Short Nation Name: The Netherlands, Holland

National Symbols:

Capital: Amsterdam (Official Capital), The Hauge (Seat of Government)

Territory: All IRL unclaimed Dutch territory controlled as of 1937

Form of Government: Constitutional Parliamentary Monarchy

Head of State: Queen Wilhelmina of the Netherlands (Sovereign/Monarch)

Head of Government: Jaques de Kadt (Prime Minister of the Netherlands)

Ideology:

Population: 76,317,100 (Of which; 8,684,000 in the Netherlands)

Military Description:

Tech Tree: Dutch (A mixed tech tree with a fair amount of self-sufficiency regarding the armaments industry, but with a tendency to purchase armaments from abroad if they are: deemed absolutely essential, superior to anything available from a Dutch company, or simply being purchased to curry favor with another nation).

Economic Description:

The Dutch economy is best separated into three separate sections. First, the metropolitan Dutch economy, second the economy of the Dutch East Indies, third, and lastly the economies of other Dutch territories. The metropolitan Netherlands is a very wealthy nation by global standards with a high standard of living and a sizable middle class. Heavily industrialized and home to large global companies like Fokker, Royal Dutch Shell, Werkspoor, and Philips, the metropolitan Netherlands is by far the wealthiest part of the Netherlands.

In contrast, the Dutch East Indies is a highly unequal part of the Netherlands, with the Dutch colonial overlords living comfortably off the backs of the natives. With rich agricultural lands, sizable oil reserves, and a diverse economy based on trade, the Dutch East Indies are rich in resources and wealth. Alas, that wealth is concentrated in the hands of the colonial elite, with only the last two decades seeing efforts to improve the living conditions and opportunities for the native population of the overseas territory.

Much like in the Dutch East Indies, other Dutch overseas territories like Curaçao and Suriname are highly stratified societies with the colonial elite holding most of the wealth and power within them. And like the Dutch East Indies, natural resources like oil, gold, and bauxite dominate the economies of these territories. However, Suriname, Curaço, and the other Dutch territories are slightly more equal and more developed than the Dutch East Indies, mainly due to their very small populations. Hence, the Dutch economy is both a highly industrialized and developed economy focused on finished goods and the service sector, and also extremely reliant on the extraction of raw resources and agriculture.

Despite the Great Depression, the Dutch economy overall has remained quite stable and less affected than the economy of other nations thanks to the use of the gold standard up until 1933 and the implementation of policies focusing on reducing unemployment and aiding job stability (albeit these programs are mostly in effect in the metropolitan Netherlands and Dutch territories in the Caribbean). This stability has come at the price of slower economic growth compared to other nations, which prompted the abandonment of the gold standard in 1934, causing moderate turmoil in the Dutch economy which was mostly overcome by early 1936. And yet, the Dutch economy is not out of the storm that is the global economy thanks to the prospect of growing inflation and a loss of value in the Gulden threatening to undo economic progress in the Netherlands.

Goals: Addressing the ailments of the Dutch economy, improving the standards of living in the overseas territories, the continued reclamation of land, strengthening the Netherland's military position in the Dutch East Indies against any possible invasion force, creating "Fortress Holland" to preserve Dutch neutrality, maintaining Dutch neutrality in any future conflict.

Point of Divergence: January 1st, 1900

History:

NOTE: Anything not mentioned below occurred just as IRL. Everything mentioned below involves changes in the timeline with some context provided for the changes.

1900-1914: Prior to the Great War, the Netherlands was stuck in a spot of turmoil both societally and militarily. The growing strength of the Social Democrat Worker's Party (SDAP) increasingly challenged the old order, and the Dutch military with its entanglements in the East Indies was stuck in a cycle of playing perpetual catch-up to the larger colonial powers at the time. While not an untenable position for the Netherlands to be in, it was clear (especially following the Russo-Japanese War) that threats surrounding the Netherlands could no longer be ignored. Germany to the east, France to the South, Britain to the west, and Japan looming large over the East Indies. All four nations were eyeing up the comparatively weak Netherlands and what fate would befall them in the case of a major global war. While being officially neutral, the Dutch government was not deluded enough to believe that merely claiming to be neutral was sufficient.

Hence, in the latter half of the 1900s and into the early 1910s, policies were put in place to ensure Dutch neutrality by securing trade with all major neighboring powers and expanding the Dutch navy. Culminating this pre-Great War expansion was the 1913 Battleship Proposal which would eventually lead to the first and so far only modern class of Dutch battleships. However, like many nations around the world, the outbreak of the Great War would cause major economic, political, and societal upheaval that would put many ambitious plans on hold, and even result in the cancelation of a not insignificant few. Alas, the next four years would bring war uncomfortably close to the Netherlands and reinforce the Dutch view that neutrality was the necessary policy to follow; albeit even this was to change in time.

1914-1931: With Europe collapsing into war, neutrality would have its merits and its pitfalls. Saving the Netherlands from getting overrun and eventually turned into a war zone like Belgium was an obvious benefit. But a general distrust of the Dutch by the Entente and pressures from the four surrounding great powers would mean that throughout the war the Netherlands would try to please everyone and often please nobody. Aiding German troops during their retreat in 1918 angered the Entente, as did the smuggling of goods into occupied Belgium. Meanwhile, the seizing of downed aircraft and military equipment that managed to stray into Dutch territory managed to infuriate both the Entente and the Central Powers. With the Netherlands, a hotbed of spy activity, facing an influx of Belgian refugees and forced to maintain a fully mobilized army, food shortages occurred in mid-1917 which led to riots in Amsterdam and Kattenberg. These riots led to a spike in support for the SDAP thanks to the SDAP arguing that a more efficient method of food distribution would have avoided the shortages and riots. Something the government would hotly contest.

Despite the war, the 1913 Battleship Proposal would become the 1915 Battleship Project -- the Koning Class -- with the first four ships entering service following five years of construction in 1920 and the last two following a similar amount of time in 1922. Due to the war and advents in naval technology, the next decade would see a spending splurge for the Dutch navy and healthy investment in the aerial arms of the army and navy in part due to the arrival of Anthony Fokker to the Netherlands in 1919. The interwar would be generally good years for the Netherlands with the emergence of a strong aviation industry and the establishment of airlines like KLM enabling the linking of the Netherlands to its colonies in record time. Despite all this progress, the Netherlands would not experience the huge economic boom experienced by other nations with instead more modest economic growth being recorded. in part because of this, the SDAP would continue to grow in strength, fueled by the disillusionment of workers with the lack of a social security network and high levels of inequality that remained persistent. This was only furthered when in the early 1930s the effects of the Great Depression began to grip the Netherlands.

1931-Present Day: Growing unemployment combined with the takeover of the SDAP by its more conservative and less radical faction headed by Jaques de Kadt allowed the SDAP to win 32 seats in the 1933 elections, leading it to form a coalition with the Liberal State Party, Free-Thinking Democratic Leauge, the Communist Party Holland and the Christian-Democratic Union. Focusing on economic recovery and the wellbeing of the lower and middle classes, Kadt's government would undertake reforms like ending the gold standard, and partly nationalizing key industries in conjunction with the creation of a wide-reaching social security network. These policies have allowed the Dutch economy to recover ever so slightly at the cost of the stability given by the gold standard. Now, with more and more threats rising around the Netherlands in a way reminiscent of that prior to the Great War, the fears of another Great War are growing by the day. Now with 1937 as an election year, the question is, what will the future hold for the Netherlands.

Have You Read, Understand, and Agree with the OP Posts & Rules In Detail?: Yes
#JDMZVUM1QC (do not delete this, it's for keeping track of the apps)

by **Costa Fierro** » Sat Oct 02, 2021 5:59 pm

The Imperial Warglorian Empire wrote:
Costa Fierro wrote:
The Rhenish Republic has the benefit of having possession of the Krupp and Rheinmetall factories within its territory but that severely limits whoever plays as Germany. Alternatively Germany has all the major aircraft and small arms manufacturers which limits the Rhenish to be dependent on the French for what they can't produce themselves. I kinda don't want to hamstring the German player by essentially having both major armaments factories, but at the same time it would be interesting to RP.

Bavaria has the benefit of both being German, existing in a way that could become a sour point between the two entities as well as having potential access to both tech trees (although the Czechs have some decent stuff already, but mainly Austrian as well as some Swiss armaments). There's also few limitations on the German player save for no access to BMW or Messerschmitt (both of which are Bavarian companies).

It's a case of how hamstrung does the German player want to be.

Well, obviously, I’d rather not have the Rhineland disappear on me: that’d definitely leave me very hamstrung. At the same time, however, it could be the perfect opportunity to balance out the fact that my Germany is Socialist and therefore is likely to side with the USSR. At the same time, however, losing the Rhineland just makes me even MORE likely to become a puppet of the USSR as I become reliant on their industrial capabilities, which doesn’t bode well for the balance of power in Europe.

Though thinking about it, having the Rhineland get taken from me would also make sense if I became DNVP or Valkist Germany (considering the whole Revanchism thing) and open me to other potential avenues of alliance I wouldn’t have as a Socialist.

I think the Bavarian State would probably be the most middle ground one: it weakens Germany by a decent amount but doesn’t cripple it (I mean yes, losing Messerschmitt is a bit of an arse, but I still have Focke-Wulffe) which allows me to create a Socialist Germany not reliant on and so more likely to oppose the USSR, which is better for the long term balance of power.

And Transylvania? No offence to Tracia, but it doesn’t seem like a place you could do much of anything frankly, and I wouldn’t want to force a boring game onto you .

Overall, I don’t really mind (I mean, yes, I do personally mind, might even be slightly annoyed, but it won’t go beyond that).

Well I'd rather not unintentionally upset the balance of power in Europe, so an independent Bavaria will make for a nice common ground.

Also that leaves you with literally every other German aircraft manufacturer minus Messerschmitt, so there's plenty of decent 1930's fighter aircraft the Socialist Republic can use. Plus I think with the history I have planned for Bavaria it's going to have an interesting knock-on effect.

by **The Imperial Warglorian Empire** » Sat Oct 02, 2021 6:24 pm

Costa Fierro wrote:
The Imperial Warglorian Empire wrote:Well, obviously, I’d rather not have the Rhineland disappear on me: that’d definitely leave me very hamstrung. At the same time, however, it could be the perfect opportunity to balance out the fact that my Germany is Socialist and therefore is likely to side with the USSR. At the same time, however, losing the Rhineland just makes me even MORE likely to become a puppet of the USSR as I become reliant on their industrial capabilities, which doesn’t bode well for the balance of power in Europe.

Though thinking about it, having the Rhineland get taken from me would also make sense if I became DNVP or Valkist Germany (considering the whole Revanchism thing) and open me to other potential avenues of alliance I wouldn’t have as a Socialist.

I think the Bavarian State would probably be the most middle ground one: it weakens Germany by a decent amount but doesn’t cripple it (I mean yes, losing Messerschmitt is a bit of an arse, but I still have Focke-Wulffe) which allows me to create a Socialist Germany not reliant on and so more likely to oppose the USSR, which is better for the long term balance of power.

And Transylvania? No offence to Tracia, but it doesn’t seem like a place you could do much of anything frankly, and I wouldn’t want to force a boring game onto you .

Overall, I don’t really mind (I mean, yes, I do personally mind, might even be slightly annoyed, but it won’t go beyond that).

Well I'd rather not unintentionally upset the balance of power in Europe, so an independent Bavaria will make for a nice common ground.

Also that leaves you with literally every other German aircraft manufacturer minus Messerschmitt, so there's plenty of decent 1930's fighter aircraft the Socialist Republic can use. Plus I think with the history I have planned for Bavaria it's going to have an interesting knock-on effect.

Sweet

by **The Imperial Warglorian Empire** » Sat Oct 02, 2021 6:44 pm

Nation Application

Full Nation Name: German Socialist Republic (Deutsche Sozialistische Republik)

Short Nation Name: GSR/DSR

National Symbols:

Kriegsflagge

Capital: Berlin

Territory: Remaining territory of the Weimar Republic (minus Bavaria), West Prussia, Danzig and Luxembourg

Form of Government: Federal Parliamentary Social Democratic Republic

Head of State: Volkspräsident Paul Levi

Head of Government: Premier Rosa Luxemburg

Ideology: Luxemburgist Socialism/Revolutionary Social Democratism

Population: 63,408,000

Military Description: The Nationale Volksarmee is composed of four branches; the Volksheer (Army), the Volksmarine (Navy), the Luftwaffe (Airforce) and the Rote Armee (National Guard). In terms of leadership and training, the Nationale Volksarmee still retains the previous famed Prussian Staff Colleges and Kriegsschulen, curriculum training and all, of the old regime, albeit with the significant difference of being accessible to ALL levels of society as long as you could progress meritocratically, with tuition being covered by the state.

The Volksheer originated from the Imperial German Army remnants which had defected to the side of the Communist Uprising during the Second German Revolution. Despite the fact it serves a Socialist state, due to this origin, the Volksheer retains a strong Prussian tradition of strict discipline and professionalism, one of the last real visible remnants of the old Imperial Order. Rigorously trained and (at least officially) meritocratic, the Volksheer retains an active professional army of 630,000 soldiers. Additionally, the Volksheer's reserve force holds a pool of 951,000 that can be called up at any time.

Yet there are some issues concerning leadership, as more than a few higher-ranking officers were promoted more based on their political loyalties to the Socialist cause and their backgrounds than pure military capability.

The Volksheer also has a decently sized tank force, composed of 900x Panzer Is, 600x Panzer IIs and 400x Großtraktor and Neubaufahrzeug medium tanks; though because of the obsolescence of the Großtraktor and the unreliability of the Neubaufahrzeug, they're expected to be phased out and replaced by the upcoming Panzer III. The Volksheer also has a reserve stockpile of some 400x Leichttraktor light tanks, though these have been entirely phased out by the Panzer II.

The Volksmarine is unique in that it was one of the only branches that defected in almost its entirety to the Communists during the uprising, due to released plans entailing the High Seas Fleet to go on, for all intents and purposes, a suicide attack to try and break the British blockade. Because of this, it is perhaps the most experienced arm of the NVA. The Volksmarine, knowing that it could never go ship to ship against most of its neighbour's navies in conventional warfare, nor does it have any interest to, has adopted a doctrine of mostly Convoy Raiding and Coastal Defence. Currently, it holds a naval strength of:
-6x Battleships (Great War era)
-4x Battlecruisers (Great War era)
-10x Heavy Cruisers
-24x Light Cruisers (12x Great War era, 12x Modern)
-90x Destroyers (40x Great War era, 50x Modern)
-150x U-Boats

The Luftwaffe by far was the most brain drained of the four original branches, with most of the old Luftstreitkräfte defecting to the Conservatives. The loss of Messerschmitt and BMW to the Bavarian state only further crippled the early German Airforce and for the longest of times, the Luftwaffe proved to be the most inexperienced, ineffective and disorganised of the Military branches. This all changed, however, when Erhard Milch was appointed the new Head of the Luftwaffe. A half-Jew veteran of WWI who was among the few Luftstreitkräfte veterans who decided to stay in Socialist Germany, mostly due to the state's progressive stance on race, Milch helped reform the Luftwaffe, streamlining aircraft production and reorganising the branch into an effective modernised fighting force. Yet despite the reforms of the "Father of the Modern Luftwaffe," it remains untested. Time will tell whether this changes or not.

The Luftwaffe currently possesses:
-200x Junkers Ju-87 Stuka Dive Bombers
-200x Heinkel He 111 Medium Bombers
-100x Dornier Do 17 light bombers
-600x Heinkel He 51 Biplane Fighters
-200x Arado Ar 68 Biplane Fighters

Note that the Biplanes are to be phased out by the more advanced He 112 monoplane and that the Luftwaffe is also concentrating on the development of Heavy Bombers under the guidance of Walther Wever.

The Rote Armee is the fourth and the oldest of the four branches, having come from the original paramilitary and militia forces that first rose up in the Spartacist Uprising. Since then, however, the Rote Armee has been reorganised from a peasant militia into a nationwide National Guard. In times of national emergency, the Rote Armee can raise a citizen militia of approximately 3,170,400, with the responsibility of organising each local unit of the Rote Armee falling to the various elected local Worker's Councils and Governments.

Tech Tree: German

Economic Description: Unlike other Communist states, the DSR has a mixed economy, with a heavy emphasis on social welfare to prop up and protect the lower classes, such as insurance and free healthcare. Corporations, though allowed to remain private, are beholden to a heavy set of laws and restrictions to ensure workers wellbeing and furthermore are forced to heavily cooperate with respective Labour Unions on equal footing, though promises of government funding somewhat soften this blow. The Socialist Republic inherited the heavily industrialised nature of its predecessor and has only further built this up, developing industrial sectors further in a fashion reminiscent of the Soviet 5-year-plans.

Yet Germany has also worked to further develop, expand and industrialized its agricultural sector as well, desiring to avoid a repeat of the Great War where the German population was rendered starving due to the British blockade. And, like its previous predecessor, Germany relies on importing many resources in order to feed and fuel both its population and its economy, primarily from her fellow Socialist countries.

The German economy specialises in the production of consumer goods, vehicles and machinery, and primarily uses those, as well as fine meats and coal, as trade goods. The alcohol industry, unfortunately, has been crippled due to the loss of Bavaria.

Goals: Build Germany into an economic powerhouse and beacon of socialism and progress in Europe, spread the Socialist revolution to other corners of the continent, reclaim and unite ethnically German land, defend the German Socialist Revolution against both the Capitalists to the west and, if necessary, the Bolsheviks to the east.

Point of Divergence: The German Empire doesn't surrender in the aftermath of the Hundred Days Offensive.

History:

1918-1919: As the Imperial Germany Army is pushed back to the Franco-German border they'd originally crossed four years beforehand, German High Command decides to adopt a last stand stance rather than try to negotiate, believing that if they managed to bleed the Allies enough they'd be forced into a stalemate and from there a less severe peace could be established. As November passed by into December and then into 1919, the Allied armies pushed deeper and deeper into core German territory. Militia units were raised en masse as the German Army was crushed further and further into dust in the following months. Soon, civilians who were suffering from shortages and borderline poverty now further suffered from full-on street fighting and combat in their backyards. Morale plummeted, and even the staunchest loyalists in the German Army could no longer deny that the war was completely and utterly lost; and that furthermore, that both High Command and the Kaiser didn't seem to give a damn about them.
1919: As the months have passed, German High Command realises their mistake and immediately calls for a ceasefire with the Allied armies as 1919 comes around. Yet this call for peace comes too late as the Spartacist Uprising occurs; yet this time with most of the German Army remnants joining in with the Socialist-Communist revolutionaries, calling for the downfall of both High Command and the Kaiser who, in their eyes, had betrayed them to an unnecessary prolonged death on the Western Front to save their own hubris.

The uprising spirals into a full-blown Civil War as Communists fight against a broad coalition of Conservatives; with a large majority of the former Imperial Navy joining with the Revolutionaries and the remnants of the Imperial Army split unevenly between them—from fighting the foreign invader to fighting each other. As the war for the very ideological soul of Germany continued, the Conservative Coalition (who in the eyes of the world were considered the legitimate government) accepted the Treaty of Versailles and further begged the former Allied nations to support their efforts in Germany. Yet with both France and Britain exhausted by war and busy with their own affairs, the Conservative Coalition would be left to mostly fight by themselves. The so-called "Second German Revolutionary War" would last just under a few months, as popular public support from the combined mixed with the military organisation and leadership provided by Army defectors allowed the Revolutionaries to crush the Conservative opposition. The Conservative downfall was only hurried as more and more men defected to the Revolutionaries: from common soldiers to even the SPD who had opposed their splinter faction, all seeing the way the wind was blowing. Eventually, the last remnants of Conservative resistance would either be crushed or forced to flee the country. As Karl Marx had first envisioned, the hammer and sickle flew over Berlin.
1920-1930: The next ten years would see the nation begin to rebuild itself, predominantly at the command of the Communist KPD. As the years progressed, Germany would rebuild its burnt cities while also planning new development projects such as new infrastructure and taking inspiration from their Soviet counterparts by heavily investing in the industrial sector; albeit at a more reasonable rate as to avoid certain famines. The nation would attempt to re-integrate itself into the global trade economy, albeit with rather limited success due to Germany's understandably frosty relations with the rest of the mostly Capitalist, Monarchist and Nationalist world, relying more on trade with fellow Socialist countries like the USSR and Scandinavia. This turned out to be a blessing in disguise, as when the Great Depression hit Germany was relatively unaffected by the crash.

This was not to say that the decade was purely reconstruction, as the Socialist Republic would attempt to flex its own military muscle. For one, the Germans would help their Socialist brothers in Luxembourg take power, and bring it under the Republic's sphere of influence as a protected state. Most notably, German forces would begin skirmishing on the newly created German-Polish Border, and would even make some minor advances into Polish territory, taking advantage of the Polish-Soviet War. On their last legs against the Soviet Juggernaut, the last thing the Poles wanted was a two-front war, and so offered to relinquish control of the so-called "Polish Corridor" back to Germany in return for a non-aggression pact. The Germans, who were bluffing anyways and by no means had the military capabilities to make any major advances into Poland at the time, agreed, reconnecting East Prussia back to Germany.
1930-1937: The 1930s saw Germany enter a new era of relative prosperity, with a flourishing industrial economy and high standards of living. Yet despite this state of peace, not all has been well. The previous decade of insecurity and chaos had ensured the forced unity of the various left-leaning factions in order to survive the Revolution's enemies, both reactionary and foreign. Yet as Germany has cemented its position in Europe, this coalition has begun to split at the seams as various factions have begun to rise up. Most notable are the National Vanguardists, who advocate a more Ultranationalist Militant variant of Communism known as "Vanguard Socialism" that states only the German people are truly capable of spearheading the Worker's Revolution, and have gained a large following among the population under their charismatic Volksführer Joseph Goebbels.

The future of the German Worker's Revolution lies ambiguous.

Have You Read, Understand, and Agree with the OP Posts & Rules In Detail?: Yes
#JDMZVUM1QC (do not delete this, it's for keeping track of the apps)

by **The Cascade and Saint Islands** » Sat Oct 02, 2021 10:37 pm

Nation Application

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Full Nation Name:The Second Ghassanid Kingdom of The Holy Lands, The East Bank of the Jordan River, An Nafud and Northern Hejaz

Short Nation Name:Ghassanid/Palestine

National Symbols:Flag: A Roman cross, red in color, in the center of a black background. (Dimensions 2:3)

Capital:De jure: Jabiyah; de facto: Ramallah

Territory:Modern rl Gaza, West Bank, Jordan, the Southern and Jerusalem districts of Israel, and the Tabuk, Al Jawf and Al Hodud As Shamaliyah provinces of Saudi Arabia

Form of Government:The Second Ghassanid Kingdom is a Constitutional Monarchy. The balance of power is spread between the king, the parliament, and the senate. There are also mayors and governors but they have little to no power in the national government. The king is an unelected, hereditary position. The parliament is made up of 500 elected members. Every four years on the 1st of April, a parliamentary election is held, and new members of parliament can be elected. Parliament members are elected from parliamentary districts, which are redrawn right after the census to fit the population growth. All people who have been residents of the country for more than five continuous years can vote in a parliamentary election. However, only people who are born in the country can become members of parliament. There is no limit on how many times a member of parliament can be reelected. The senate is also made up of elected members, called senators, but they hold hold their positions for life. There are 100 senate positions. After a senator dies, the position remains vacant until the next parliamentary election, during which a new senator is also elected. Senate elections differ from parliamentary elections in that only citizens of the country can vote in this election or become a senator. To become a citizen of the Ghassanid Kingdom, a person must be over twenty years of age and either a former Roman citizen, a Christian who was born in the country, or a Christian who has lived in the country for ten continuous years. Then they can apply to become a citizen at an Identification Center (IC). All law proposals need a majority of the parliament and the senate to become a law. If between 51% and 75% of the parliament or the senate vote "yes" on a proposal, the king must approve of the proposal or it will not become law. If more than 75% of both the parliament and the senate vote "yes" on a proposal, the kings approval is not needed for the proposal to become law. Only the king can propose a declaration of war. If the declaration gains a majority of the senates votes (parliament doesn't vote in this election), the declaration becomes official. All people over twenty years of age who have been living in a town for more than five continuous years can vote in the mayoral election of the town they reside in. Mayoral elections happen at the same time as parliamentary elections. All people over twenty years of age who have been living in a province for more than five continuous years may vote in a provincial election. Once someone moves to a different town or province, they are no longer allowed to vote in the town or province they previously resided in.

Head of State:King Jabalah VIII ibn Al-Chemor

Head of Government:King Jabalah VIII ibn Al-Chemor

Ideology:
Parliament: New Levant Party(center-right, Christian, Pan-Arab Nationalism, pro-monarchy, pro-industrialization):218 seats; Sharia Party(far right, Islamic, Pan-Arab Nationalism, traditionalist, anti-monarchy, pro-Sharia, militarism):94 seats; Reunification Party(center-left, secular, pro-Roman reunification, anti-monarchy, pacifism):89 seats; Minority Representation Party(centrist, secular, Pro-monarchy, pro-industrialization, pacifism):39 seats; Arab Party:(center-left, Islamic, pacifism, pro-industrialization):32 seats; Armenian-Assyrian Party(center-right, Christian, pro-Roman reunification, pacifism, pro-industrialization, traditionalist): 2 seats; independent parliament members: 26 seats

Senate: New Levant Party:74 seats; Reunification Party: 19 seats; Armenian-Assyrian Party: 5 seats; Minority Representation Party: 1 seat; independent senate members: 1 seat

Population:Total: 2,489,000 (estimate; unable to get accurate data from An Nafud)

By ethnicity (Data does not add up due to double counting of mixed-race people... or triple counting, or quadruple counting...):
Arab:2,104,000

Greek:280,789
(The following are Greek sub-groups)
-Palestinian (Ancestors lived in Palestine before Islamic conquest):60,112
-Roman (Ancestors lived in the Roman empire before Islamic conquest):251,382
--Laconian:11,365
--Tsakonian:34
--Achean:1,864
--Arcadian:477
--Attic (Athens and surrounding regions):49,532
--Chioisan:18,419
--Epirusan:1,901
--Cretan:32,748
--Macedonian:36,144
--Rhodesian: 2,873
--Constantinopolian: 175,860
--Ionic:23,353
--Aegean (Other than Crete, Rhodes, or Chios):16,302
--Ionian (Islands):1,650
--Cappadocian:19,977
--Pontic:9,265
--Other:30,245
-Italian:2,980
--Sicilian:1,304
--Calabrian:2,031
--Other:307
-Other:21,762

Armenian:71,934
(The following are Armenian sub-Groups)
-Palestinian:22,845
--Armenian Quarter:12,366
--Other:26,887
-Levantine (excluding Lebanon and Palestine):28, 121
-Araratic:15,397
-Vanic: 4, 891
-Anatolian (Excluding Cilicia and Pontus):11,589
-Cilician:26,219
-Pontic:1,385
-Karabakhi:53
-Constantinopolian: 2,995
-Lebanese: 3,212
-Other:7,556

Assyrian:62,315
(The following are Assyrian sub-groups)
-Zagrosian:2,692
-Mesapotamian:23,149
-Syriac:35,974
-Roman:29,877
-Other:4,685

Jew:512

Copt:11,575
(The following are Coptic sub-groups)
-Sahidic: 7,590
-Bohairic:5,892
-Akhmimic:1,009
-Other:2,715

Kurd:5,016
(The following are Kurdish sub-groups)
-Kurmanji:3,951
-Persian (Southern, Gorani, and Sorani):112
-Zaza:890
-Other:419

Druze:71

Other:34,880

By religion:
Christian:1,028,000
-Eastern Orthodox:797,000
-Latin (Roman Catholic):153,000
-Oriental Orthodox:58,000
-Other:20,000

Muslim:1,461,000
-Sunni:1,401,000
-Shia:21,000
-Other:39,000

Druze:71

Other:7,000

Military Description:The Ghassanid army is equipped with the Romans' Great War Era weaponry. The Ghassanid Kingdom produces these weapons in its new factories despite the fact that the equipment is all outdated. The government is currently trying to get weapons production licensing rights from certain European and American countries. The Ghassanid navy is made up of all of its old ships that weren't sunk during the Palestinian Civil War. Most of the ships are captured North Hejazi ships, which, in turn, are converted civilian ships. The Ghassanids have also converted a few of their own civilian ships, which are confiscated from criminals. The navy is very ill-maintained and more than half of the ships are forbidden from leaving port due to safety issues.

Tech Tree:Persian/Iranian which means most of the produced weapons will be developed by other countries.

Economic Description:The economy, if you could call it that, is mostly sheep, goat and camel herding.(Do you herd camels?) The horse breeding, weapons manufacturing, blacksmithing, and agricultural industry are currently the fastest growing industries. The government is currently trying to move to a Industrial Revolution style manufacturing process (a century too late, but hey, at least they're trying their best).

Goals:Convert Arabia to the Christian faith, Create prosperity for all Middle Eastern peoples

Point of Divergence:1591-1815(Ghassanids Come to Palestine)

History:

1591-1815, Ghassanids in Palestine: Some members of the Al-Chemor clan (descendants of the Ghassanids) move to the newly reconquered Palestine. There, they helped stabilize the region and helped defend against Jihads. Many of them rose to prominent positions in Palestinian Christian communities and they became a well known and respected clan.

1918, The Roman loss of Palestine: As the dust of the Great War settled, the people of Palestine watched as a new flag flew over their country; one of a distant foreign nation. What will happen? Will their new rulers be kind, cruel, uncaring? It soon became clear. They were treated like animals, herded together to be counted, slaughtered for the slightest misstep. To the invaders, the Palestinians were little more than slaves. Soon, the people of Palestine had had enough. Christians, Muslims, Greeks, Arabs, all of them banded together and drove the occupiers out.

1919, The Beginning of the Palestinian Civil War: The western Levant was destroyed. After the European Empire lost Palestine, there was a bit of a pause, a calm before the storm, one could say. After four agonizing years, one of the deadliest wars in human history had finally come to an end. Then, they were no longer under Constantinople, but some distant European power. Now, they were finally free. It gave them a moment to think: after all of this, the death, the suffering, the fires of war that had ravaged them, what do they do? In the end, their humanity got the better of them; blood and tears swept through Palestine once again. The New Umayyads, the Islamic Brothers, the North Hejaz Republic, the Arab State, the Islamic Resistance Movement, Restored Sharia Palestine, the Free City of Amman the Palestinian National Movement, the New Chechen Caliphate, the Roman Reunification Movement, The State of Jerusalem, The Armenian Quarter, and the Second Ghassanid Kingdom made the Jordan run red with the blood of innocents.

1920, Armistice: The Ghassanids, led by King Jabalah VII ibn Al-Chemor, had the upper hand right from the beginning. It, had managed to get its hands on the Romans' old, left behind Great War equipment. It had managed to peacefully annex the Armenian Quarter and took over the rest of the Holy City when the State of Jerusalem fell to internal disagreement. It drove the Arab State out of West Bank and crushed the disorganized Palestinian National Movement and Restored Sharia Palestine, but slowed its rampage when faced with the Islamic Resistance Movement, who also got ahold of old Great War weaponry. Soon, with only four left, everything slowed to a stalemate. There seemed to be no winning, no losing, only blood draining to the the Red Sea, finally making it live up to its name. The people were tired; they demanded peace, truce, or anything that would just make it stop. The warring powers relented, and for a year, one New Year to the next, the fighting would stop. They hoped this peace would last, but alas, it was only the eye of the storm.

1921, The Peace Ends: The four powers, the Ghassanids, the Islamic Resistance Movement, North Hejaz, and the Arab State, returned to the war with the confidence that they'd finish the war before the year's end. That's what they always say. "It'll be over by Christmas" was still ringing in the people's ears. The Islamic Resistance, located in the Negev and Gaza, was the first to fall. Being pushed by the Ghassanids to the north and the other two powers from the east was enough to destroy their dream.

1922, The End of the War: Eventually, the three remaining nations came to a stalemate. Each power watched the other two, waiting for the slightest moment of weakness. Then, the moment came. The corrupt government of the Arab State was toppled by its own people on September 28, 1922. As North Hejaz jumped on this opportunity and invaded the East Bank, it naively moved soldiers stationed on the Ghassanid border to its newly occupied lands. This would not go unnoticed; the Ghassanid Kingdom put the full force of its army into invading North Hejaz in a last ditch effort to end this war once and for all. At last the Ghassanids managed to storm the North Hejazi capital on Christmas Day of 1922. The war had finally ended, but for years to come, the people would wonder whether the it was worth it: the corpses floating on the Dead Sea in a failed river crossing, the Great War Era ships and crew sitting at the bottom of the ocean, the thousands innocents in unmarked graves. Maybe in a few decades, when the wounds are healed and the blood is washed away, they would see the war for what it was: the beginning of a Beautiful Future. For now, though, all they can see is death.

1923, The New King: The stress of the war was to much for the King, and in the end, it all came down on him. During the early hours of '23's New Year, the King became horribly ill. The king was weak and seemingly resigned himself to the death bed by the third morning of his illness. He died on January 6, 1923. His son and heir, King Jabalah VIII ibn Al-Chemor, became the new king. He changed the focus of the nation from the civil war to forming a modern, industrialized nation that would be respected by its neighbors. Long live the king!

1932, Industrial Revolution: The king's industrialization proposals finally gain the support of a major party, the New Levant Party, and with a coalition of the New Levant Party, the Arab Party, the Armenian-Assyrian Party, and the Minority Representation Party supporting him, the king is able to begin passing laws that will encourage industrialization.

Have You Read, Understand, and Agree with the OP Posts & Rules In Detail?:
#JDMZVUM1QC (do not delete this, it's for keeping track of the apps)

by **Mifan** » Sun Oct 03, 2021 12:07 am

Nation Application

Full Nation Name: Empire of Brazil

Short Nation Name: Brazil

National Symbols:
National Flag
Grand Imperial Arms

Capital: Rio de Janeiro

Territory: Brazil

Form of Government: The Imperial Government is a Constitutional Monarchy with power being shared between both the Emperor and the General Assembly. The General Assembly is divided into two chambers. The Senate and the Chamber of Deputies. The Senate is made up of 50 Members. The Chamber is made up of 513 Members. The Emperor, as the Head of State, holds much more power over the Prime Minister, who answers mainly to the General Assembly.

Head of State: Emperor Pedro III

Head of Government: Prime Minister Rafael Maia Ribeiro

Ideology: Authoritarian and Conservative

Population: 38 Million

Military Description: The Brazilian Armed Forces is broken down into four different branches. The Army, Air Force, Navy, and National Guard. Conscription is active within Brazil, with every male, once they turn 18, being required to serve in the military for at least a year. While this gives Brazil a large number of reserves, most of the soldiers are poorly motivated due to being forced to serve.

The Army is the second biggest branch, but also the most important. It is mainly organized on the Division and Brigade level in order to provide maximum flexibility. There are 6 Divisions, each numbering around 15,000 men. 2 Cavalry Brigades numbering around 3,000 each, as well as 6 Ranger Brigades, numbering 4,000 each. The Rangers are some of best trained men in the military, trained to fight in the massive Amazon rainforest. While most of the Army is given some form of training to fight in the Amazon, as it plays within many defensive strategies of the military, only the Rangers could be called elites in the matter.

The only Corp sized unit is the Imperial Guard, numbering 50,000. After the coup against the Emperor, the Imperial Guard was formed to provide protection from any sort of action again. The Guard is the only unit within the military that doesn't conscript, instead wishing only for volunteers as they are much more motivated than their conscripted counterparts. Recruiting only from Rio de Janeiro, itself, the Guard prides itself in being the best unit within the army, and has trained heavily in urban combat, ready to defend the capital if needed.

The National Guard is a paramilitary force, designed to centralize the various militias and other local groups into a centralized chain of command. Numbering 300,000, the National Guard is the largest branch, mainly used to assist in police actions or handle local unrest if law enforcement is no longer able to handle the situation. These are not frontline troops, and is seen by many as an area where reservists, who wish to continue serving, go.

The Navy is the next branch. The Brazilian Navy is not large, despite the massive coastline the nation holds. Most of the Navy is mainly tasked with patrolling the territorial waters of Brazil, and nothing more. It numbers 8 Corvettes and 2 Destroyers.

The Air Force is the final branch. It's very obsolete, even more so than the Navy. With only around 40 fighters and 12 Bombers, the Air Force isn't much threat to anybody.

Tech Tree: USA

Economic Description: Brazil is a semi-industrial nation. While some industrialization has occurred within the large cities of the nation, much of the country is still agrarian. Brazil follows a state capitalist model, controlling much of the economy in order to effectively subsidize and grow various sectors where needed.

Goals: Become the dominant power within South America. Continue to modernize and industrialize. Stay neutral in international affairs as much as possible.

Point of Divergence: 1847-Pedro's sons do not die within this timeline. IRL their deaths led to him not wanting the monarchy to continue which led to him not fighting back against the coup against him, despite the massive popular support he had.

History:

Much of Brazil's history stays the same until 1889.

1889: The Army leads a bloodless coup against the Imperial Family. While the Army deposed the Imperial Family, popular support amongst the people, as well as the desire to avoid a military junta having complete control over the nation, led to an uprising against the army. Shots were fired and soon the Army was seen as the enemy of the people. The Provisional Government that was created the same day, collapsed, and soon, many of the traitors turned tail and ran; many going into hiding to avoid the consequences of their actions. The Imperial Family was restored, and Pedro II, having seen that the Army was against him and his family, prepared to retaliate, with the backing of the General Assembly.

1889-1891: Massive purges within the military was carried out, with many leaders being arrested or killed. Power began to shift more towards the Imperial Family and less in the General Assembly as laws were passed to grant Pedro more power. Much of Pedro's last years was spent consolidating power within himself and his family. When he died in 1891, he died as a popular ruler, who fought against the tyranny of the military.

1891-1920: At 46 years of age, Alfonso became the third emperor. Succeeding his father, he continued to push for various reforms against the military to avoid another coup from happening. He wished to see Brazil continue down the path of modernization and industrialization. Brazil was still a very agarin nation and many landowners did not wish to see power taken from them and transitioned to the cities. Many politicians, even some of the Imperial allies, also didn't wish to see Brazil's biggest sector, it's agriculture, become sidelined by industry. The rate of industrialization was slow and painful, for whatever little progress was made, there was pushback from the landowners. In 1908, landowners in northern Brazil rebelled after a new factory was constructed in the area. The National Guard had to be sent in and quash the rebellion. After more than two years, the rebellion was put down. Massive amounts of criticism was levied against Alfonso for the war and his heavy handed tactics. The media was censored more, in hopes that it would put the Emperor in a more positive light, but the censorship was noticed and a massive drop in support was noticed. Alfonso was not as loved as his father.

When the Great War kicked off, Brazil declared it's neutrality, not wishing to become involved in a war. On the other side of the world. However, when German submarines attacked neutral Brazilian ships, Alfonso used the opportunity to gain favor amongst the people, and declared war. However, no troops were sent to fight, as the declaration of war was a symbolic gesture. When the war ended, nothing had changed for Brazil. Alfonso would live until 1920, where he would die peacefully in his sleep.

1920-1937: Pedro III became the new Emperor, and carried his father's wish to industrialize Brazil. However, he was not naïve, and knew such change would be met with much opposition. He didn't wish to have a rebellion on his hand, opting to instead focus on building up the agricultural sector in order to gain support amongst the landowners. The 1920s saw a great economic boom in Brazil, with a higher quality of life within the nation. Many people were happy and government support skyrocketed. However, great things weren't meant to last and soon, the Great Depression hit the nation in the 30s. Unemployment skyrocketed. The government failed to fix the situation and soon, opposition parties gained enough power to threaten, namely the Liberals and Socialists. With 1937 now arriving; many wonder whether the monarchy and its allies will continue to control the nation, or if a new chapter will take hold.

Have You Read, Understand, and Agree with the OP Posts & Rules In Detail?: Yes
#JDMZVUM1QC (do not delete this, it's for keeping track of the apps)

by **Hanovereich** » Sun Oct 03, 2021 2:25 am

Nation Application

(You should read the OP completely prior to filling this out)
(Fill it out as requested.)
(Erase all words in rounded brackets before posting the app)

Full Nation Name: Kingdom of Belgium

Short Nation Name: Belgium

National Symbols: Flag

Capital: Brussels

Territory: OTL Belgium, Belgian Congo

Form of Government: Federal parliamentary constitutional monarchy

Head of State: His Majesty, Leopold III, King of the Belgians

Head of Government: His Excellency, Paul-Henri Charles Spaak, Prime Minister

Ideology: N/A

Population: 22,491,100 (Congo: 10,304,100; Belgium: 8,387,000; Ruanda-Urundi: 3,800,000)

Military Description: The Royal Belgian Armed Forces is split into two branches- the Army and the Navy. The Army also includes the National Guard and the Royal Aviation Brigade.

The Royal Belgian Army has some 80,000 soldiers. Of them, 11,000 are in the National Guard and 2,000 in the Aviation Brigade. The rest are split into 30 regiments and 6 independent brigades. The regiments include 1 armoured and 2 motorised ones. The National Guard acts as the gendarmerie and border guard of the Kingdom, and are almost a branch in its own right, with an aviation company and a special operations unit. The Royal Aviation Brigade's 2,000 aviators fly from one aerodrome and two other flying bases. They employ some 40 biplanes and 90 fighters, mainly SABCA designs.

The Royal Belgian Navy has 12,000 sailors. Their ships are primarily trawlers, auxillaries and some frigates. Whilst small, they are looking to modernise by requesting vessels from allies. However, they lack the funds, resources and personnel to gain larger ships.

Tech Tree: Belgian equipment, which includes equipment from allies (unless they block production)

Economic Description: Belgium is industrialising rapidly. Brussels is a centre for Belgian investment, industry and finance, with 22% of the GDP coming from that city. The government is encouraging private sectors to expand their companies, whilst the public sector is trying to catch up with limited resources, funding and personnel.

Goals: To keep neutral, whatever happens in Europe. To expand their military. To improve and further industrialise their economy.

Point of Divergence: Belgium is hit hard by the Great War, and arguably harder than OTL. This leads to a series of events that still affect the country today.

History:

1914-1919: The Great War. Belgium is invaded and Germany advances as far as the Meuse. The Belgian population are massacred everywhere. Namen, Luik and Givet are captured. Some of the military join the German cause, whilst other units stage coups across the Kingdom, some of them lasting for a few months at most. Some of the Congo fall to rebel independence movements, as thousands of colonial troops are sent to defend the Kingdom. Belgium is on the brink of collapse. It is only with the military generalship of Louis Bernheim, combined with tens of thousands of troops from the Congo, that the country is saved.

1920-1929: Albert I of Belgium starts to turn his country around. Belgium's GDP at this point is at just 50 billion US dollars. Within 5 years it would have jumped to 110 billion. With a succession of skilled Prime Ministers, and a popular King, Belgium will join in the prosperity of the 1920s.

1928: Albert I dies peacefully. The country mourns the loss of their monarch who, in the words of Leopold III, 'led the country in battle, and led the country on the world stage'. Leopold III continues his father's policies.

1928-present:Belgium, thanks to two kings and 6 Prime Ministers, has grown into a nation of prosperity. But as the Great Depression hits, just a few months into Leopold's reign, all this disappears. Once again the Belgian colonies in Africa fall to independence movements, and soldiers from Belgium proper have to be deployed to the Congo, damaging the economy and public morale. Leopold promises to turn the country around. But even now the country is still recovering. The GDP has fallen, risen and fallen in 17 years. To add to that, the Congo is still needing thousands of soldiers and millions of dollars to maintain and to keep. Finally, the republican movement has gained ground after what the public has perceived to be a failure in Leopold's reign- the Great Depression.
Have You Read, Understand, and Agree with the OP Posts & Rules In Detail?: Yes
#JDMZVUM1QC (do not delete this, it's for keeping track of the apps)

by **Tracian Empire** » Sun Oct 03, 2021 3:07 am

A small announcement before I begin reviewing apps - for those people whose reservations are about to go through that 48 hour deadline, please at least post a WIP app or tell us why you need an extension. Otherwise, such reservations will be removed later today.

by **Tracian Empire** » Sun Oct 03, 2021 4:29 am

Hanovereich wrote:
Nation Application

(You should read the OP completely prior to filling this out)
(Fill it out as requested.)
(Erase all words in rounded brackets before posting the app)

Full Nation Name: Kingdom of Belgium

#JDMZVUM1QC (do not delete this, it's for keeping track of the apps)

Belgium would have had a much higher population including that of Belgian-Congo. Are you also sure that you don't want to claim Ruanda-Urundi?
Your army numbers are a little confusing. Belgium can have a slightly larger standing army, numbers wise, but you have too much armor. 3 armored regiments could have hypothetically as much as 450-500 tanks, while Belgium only had 200 at the time of the invasion in 1940. So 3 armored regiments are too much, unless they're understrength regiments, in which case you should mention that. Even if your industry was better, or even if you had a larger military budget than Belgium in real life, having more than double the tanks the nation had IRL three to four years earlier is too much.
There are also a few things with your history that I'd like you to clarify. First of all - the part about the Great War. 1916 is a weird arbitrary date to end it, seeing as the war in Belgium lasted until 1918, with the European war potentially lasting until 1919. Similarly, even if the Belgian army had units which became rebellious, it's unlikely that they would have come warlords, as Belgium would have been occupied by the Germans. Moving on, about the economic recovery - I haven't been able to find any GDP numbers for Belgium, nor any reference to some sort of a Miracle on the Marne, which would seem to imply that this is alternative history, and that you want Belgium to have had a stronger economic recovery. Which alright, fair, but in that case you do need to have a Point of Divergence, otherwise we'll assume that you are trying to play IRL Belgium. And economically speaking, ending your history in 1930 is a little problematic because the Great Depression still happened in this timeline - so you need to take it into account.

by **Tracian Empire** » Sun Oct 03, 2021 4:43 am

The Traansval wrote:
Tracian Empire wrote:

The Baltic states, part of Belarus and part of real life Poland's interwar eastern voivodeships are still free, but that's about it.

This is the latest version of the map.

Making Britain bright Pink is a war crime

It was 1 am, I was trying to find a color for Britain that would make it stand out, and I remembered that Britain used to be light pink in AltDiv

I'll try to find another one, if you have any ideas feel free to share them

by **Tracian Empire** » Sun Oct 03, 2021 4:46 am

Costa Fierro wrote:
The Imperial Warglorian Empire wrote:Well, obviously, I’d rather not have the Rhineland disappear on me: that’d definitely leave me very hamstrung. At the same time, however, it could be the perfect opportunity to balance out the fact that my Germany is Socialist and therefore is likely to side with the USSR. At the same time, however, losing the Rhineland just makes me even MORE likely to become a puppet of the USSR as I become reliant on their industrial capabilities, which doesn’t bode well for the balance of power in Europe.

Though thinking about it, having the Rhineland get taken from me would also make sense if I became DNVP or Valkist Germany (considering the whole Revanchism thing) and open me to other potential avenues of alliance I wouldn’t have as a Socialist.

I think the Bavarian State would probably be the most middle ground one: it weakens Germany by a decent amount but doesn’t cripple it (I mean yes, losing Messerschmitt is a bit of an arse, but I still have Focke-Wulffe) which allows me to create a Socialist Germany not reliant on and so more likely to oppose the USSR, which is better for the long term balance of power.

And Transylvania? No offence to Tracia, but it doesn’t seem like a place you could do much of anything frankly, and I wouldn’t want to force a boring game onto you .

Overall, I don’t really mind (I mean, yes, I do personally mind, might even be slightly annoyed, but it won’t go beyond that).

Well I'd rather not unintentionally upset the balance of power in Europe, so an independent Bavaria will make for a nice common ground.

Also that leaves you with literally every other German aircraft manufacturer minus Messerschmitt, so there's plenty of decent 1930's fighter aircraft the Socialist Republic can use. Plus I think with the history I have planned for Bavaria it's going to have an interesting knock-on effect.

If you could make an official reservation for Bavaria with the reservation form then I can accept it.

But like Exil has said, you do have the possibility for both of you to choose German tech in accordance with your rules, so you could both use that tech regardless of where it was produced within Germany. Alternatively you could have Bavaria use Swiss tech with maybe some Danubian licenses and ignore Messerschmitt and BMW.

Or if you two want to use such limitations and keep track of German military producers which had their factories in Bavaria, I'll talk with Exil and see what we can do about the tech rules.

A War of Blood and Steel [Althis|PT|OOC|Ended]

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