[HEADING=2] Entry 3 - The Coming Storm [/HEADING]
With the success of Operation Empire under my belt, I kick up my industry. Factories take a while to set up, and I want them in place by the time I face major-scale warfare.
On a similar note, I also get the final Anti-Aircraft guns in place, and reorder the fleet - I take ships from the Baltic out to the North Sea, and combine my Submarine force into a single, strong Wolfpack, hidden from prying eyes behind Denmark.
Speaking from a naval perspective, I want to present no threat at all - while I cannot avoid drawing eyes to my tanks on the continent, I want my ultimate attack on the Royal Navy and subsequent raids on their trade routes to be a total shock.
Panzer genius, Heinz Guderian, is given the command of a small force for a Baltic Offensive, leaving behind a detachment in Warsaw to quell local partisan activity.
This is the simple plan for Operation : Northern Ice. The mobile tank divisions will move on the key ports and supply zones, while the main force takes the major cities and capital of each state in turn. Given my enormous advantage in numbers, technology and armour, I do not foresee any difficulties in this plan.
Meanwhile, the rest of the Eastern Army redeploys on the Czechoslovakian border in preparation for the simultaneous invasion, Operation : Mountain Strike.
This force will face a new type of warfare in the mountains of our border with the Sudetenland, with the topography and the strongly fortified positions of our Southern neighbours. Given the geographic nature of this country, it is key that we win the initial battles, for after they pull back from their line of defense, they have no area of retreat.
As such, the real victory here will be in the air. The Czechoslovakians have no air force to speak of, and we will have free reign of their skies to bomb the defenders of those forts into submission.
All goes as planned, and unlike the Poles, the Lithuanian government sees sense in not fighting against such odds, and surrenders to their new German administration.
It has to be said that I have no interest in owning anything the Baltic states have to give me, I just would rather the invasion of Russia was as smooth as possible.
Today is a good day for the German people - under heavy bombardment, the Sudeten line of defense is beginning to crumble.
Immediately after the forceful strike at their border, the Czechoslovakians fall back, with their forts falling into our hands, leaving them rather trapped.
German troops now commence the attack on the capital, the target having been softened up for them by relentless air attack.
And the Czech capital falls into German hands! We now roll straight on to the next key city?
With all major strongholds taken, they finally surrender. The war went pretty well, although I admit, I thought they would surrender before now.
Unfortunately, Europe is not the only Theatre of War. In the Orient, the Japanese invade China - forcing our hand as regards our alliance.
Which do we want? The raw military might of the Japanese, or the essential pipeline of Chinese resources?
It is with a heavy heart that I declare the bonds between Germany and China broken, and with a bitter taste in my mouth that I ?support? the Japanese invasion.
It?s also around this time that I look into heavier, stronger tank designs, to match those of France and the United Kingdom, and the idea that instead of ?Motorised? Infantry using trucks and other large vehicles, that we should design a new type of mobile Infantry brigade, utilising a unique ?half-track? design, allowing far more combat versatility to our infantry on wheels.
This is in no small part inspired out of fear of coming war, as a result of our actions in the East, many nations of Europe are mobilizing their armed forces.
It cannot be known if this is out of fear of German invasion, or preparation for an invasion of Germany from the Western Allies.
Meanwhile, in the North, our well armed forces run rings (almost literally) around the outmatched forces of these isolated nations.
And before long, Latvia follows Lithuania, and is accepted into the German Empire.
And, the final target, Estonia, caves to our fantastic might, concluding our current military operations by the 18th of September, 1937.
Now is the time to consolidate - with various goals in the East reached, and with the growing military presence of our Western neighbours, it is time to start work on my weakened Western Front.
With this in mind, we begin production of our new, heavier series of tanks, hopefully in time to man our border with France.
In keeping with our policy of fully occupying those nations we conquer, I leave behind military presence as I move my army back West, for redeployment on our greatest problem - the Western Front.
It?s a little hard to see in this screenshot, but I thought I?d take this opportunity to point out that the Polish government, the one that I am at war with and the one that is encouraging an uprising in my country, is leaning towards joining the Axis.
This is primarily due to our ?proximity? it seems. Our proximity is presumably so high because I literally occupy their country .
I guess in this sense of the word, I could leave the whole Army in Poland and they?d be completely orgasmic.
At least I chose the right side in the East - the Japanese have annexed the Northern Chinese state of Shanxi.
I still don?t forgive them, though. I?m losing money hand over fist in order to pay for those resources I lost as a result of their bloody war.
Bastards.
On that tone, here I can restore the damaged forts I took from the Czechs, at a not-insignificant cost in resources, or I can scrap them and take the materials myself.
It?s an easy choice - the forts are strategically pointless, and don?t defend Germany from anyone likely to invade me. I happily pocket the free stuff.
On the Global Stage, Franco?s Nationalist uprising in Spain has been put down. I really don?t regret not intervening - one government is as useful as the other, to me.
Aha! I knew it was worth leaving some guys behind! This Czech uprising is unlikely to cause much harm, as it?s right next to my military presence in that province.
Predictably, I put it down within days. It?s not a pleasant war to fight, though - their losses are 10 times greater than ours. I have to feel sorry for these guys.
In other news, I?ve put over half a million men on my border with France and the Low Countries. Not too shabby for a country whose army had been only 100,000 conscripts only a few years previously.
My enormous industrial investment is starting to pay off, with a huge rise in employment and factory complexes popping up all over German cities.
For a few, very good, reasons, I shift my industrial focus back from the economic to large, mobile tank armies.
I now really, really fear war with the Allies. My Threat (a measure of how much they dislike you/how much actual threat you present to them) is enormous, and despite a strong anti-war stance, they are almost at a stage where any single event might plunge Europe into vicious, bloody war.
It?s right now that I am presented with a choice - the reunification of Germany and Austria.
It?s a huge sore point for Germany, requires no real effort, and would restore further pride and honour to my damaged people. On the other hand, if I do it, it might be the final straw to convince the West that I must be dealt with immediately, with terrible consequences?
END OF ENTRY 3
With the success of Operation Empire under my belt, I kick up my industry. Factories take a while to set up, and I want them in place by the time I face major-scale warfare.
On a similar note, I also get the final Anti-Aircraft guns in place, and reorder the fleet - I take ships from the Baltic out to the North Sea, and combine my Submarine force into a single, strong Wolfpack, hidden from prying eyes behind Denmark.
Speaking from a naval perspective, I want to present no threat at all - while I cannot avoid drawing eyes to my tanks on the continent, I want my ultimate attack on the Royal Navy and subsequent raids on their trade routes to be a total shock.
Panzer genius, Heinz Guderian, is given the command of a small force for a Baltic Offensive, leaving behind a detachment in Warsaw to quell local partisan activity.
This is the simple plan for Operation : Northern Ice. The mobile tank divisions will move on the key ports and supply zones, while the main force takes the major cities and capital of each state in turn. Given my enormous advantage in numbers, technology and armour, I do not foresee any difficulties in this plan.
Meanwhile, the rest of the Eastern Army redeploys on the Czechoslovakian border in preparation for the simultaneous invasion, Operation : Mountain Strike.
This force will face a new type of warfare in the mountains of our border with the Sudetenland, with the topography and the strongly fortified positions of our Southern neighbours. Given the geographic nature of this country, it is key that we win the initial battles, for after they pull back from their line of defense, they have no area of retreat.
As such, the real victory here will be in the air. The Czechoslovakians have no air force to speak of, and we will have free reign of their skies to bomb the defenders of those forts into submission.
All goes as planned, and unlike the Poles, the Lithuanian government sees sense in not fighting against such odds, and surrenders to their new German administration.
It has to be said that I have no interest in owning anything the Baltic states have to give me, I just would rather the invasion of Russia was as smooth as possible.
Today is a good day for the German people - under heavy bombardment, the Sudeten line of defense is beginning to crumble.
Immediately after the forceful strike at their border, the Czechoslovakians fall back, with their forts falling into our hands, leaving them rather trapped.
German troops now commence the attack on the capital, the target having been softened up for them by relentless air attack.
And the Czech capital falls into German hands! We now roll straight on to the next key city?
With all major strongholds taken, they finally surrender. The war went pretty well, although I admit, I thought they would surrender before now.
Unfortunately, Europe is not the only Theatre of War. In the Orient, the Japanese invade China - forcing our hand as regards our alliance.
Which do we want? The raw military might of the Japanese, or the essential pipeline of Chinese resources?
It is with a heavy heart that I declare the bonds between Germany and China broken, and with a bitter taste in my mouth that I ?support? the Japanese invasion.
It?s also around this time that I look into heavier, stronger tank designs, to match those of France and the United Kingdom, and the idea that instead of ?Motorised? Infantry using trucks and other large vehicles, that we should design a new type of mobile Infantry brigade, utilising a unique ?half-track? design, allowing far more combat versatility to our infantry on wheels.
This is in no small part inspired out of fear of coming war, as a result of our actions in the East, many nations of Europe are mobilizing their armed forces.
It cannot be known if this is out of fear of German invasion, or preparation for an invasion of Germany from the Western Allies.
Meanwhile, in the North, our well armed forces run rings (almost literally) around the outmatched forces of these isolated nations.
And before long, Latvia follows Lithuania, and is accepted into the German Empire.
And, the final target, Estonia, caves to our fantastic might, concluding our current military operations by the 18th of September, 1937.
Now is the time to consolidate - with various goals in the East reached, and with the growing military presence of our Western neighbours, it is time to start work on my weakened Western Front.
With this in mind, we begin production of our new, heavier series of tanks, hopefully in time to man our border with France.
In keeping with our policy of fully occupying those nations we conquer, I leave behind military presence as I move my army back West, for redeployment on our greatest problem - the Western Front.
It?s a little hard to see in this screenshot, but I thought I?d take this opportunity to point out that the Polish government, the one that I am at war with and the one that is encouraging an uprising in my country, is leaning towards joining the Axis.
This is primarily due to our ?proximity? it seems. Our proximity is presumably so high because I literally occupy their country .
I guess in this sense of the word, I could leave the whole Army in Poland and they?d be completely orgasmic.
At least I chose the right side in the East - the Japanese have annexed the Northern Chinese state of Shanxi.
I still don?t forgive them, though. I?m losing money hand over fist in order to pay for those resources I lost as a result of their bloody war.
Bastards.
On that tone, here I can restore the damaged forts I took from the Czechs, at a not-insignificant cost in resources, or I can scrap them and take the materials myself.
It?s an easy choice - the forts are strategically pointless, and don?t defend Germany from anyone likely to invade me. I happily pocket the free stuff.
On the Global Stage, Franco?s Nationalist uprising in Spain has been put down. I really don?t regret not intervening - one government is as useful as the other, to me.
Aha! I knew it was worth leaving some guys behind! This Czech uprising is unlikely to cause much harm, as it?s right next to my military presence in that province.
Predictably, I put it down within days. It?s not a pleasant war to fight, though - their losses are 10 times greater than ours. I have to feel sorry for these guys.
In other news, I?ve put over half a million men on my border with France and the Low Countries. Not too shabby for a country whose army had been only 100,000 conscripts only a few years previously.
My enormous industrial investment is starting to pay off, with a huge rise in employment and factory complexes popping up all over German cities.
For a few, very good, reasons, I shift my industrial focus back from the economic to large, mobile tank armies.
I now really, really fear war with the Allies. My Threat (a measure of how much they dislike you/how much actual threat you present to them) is enormous, and despite a strong anti-war stance, they are almost at a stage where any single event might plunge Europe into vicious, bloody war.
It?s right now that I am presented with a choice - the reunification of Germany and Austria.
It?s a huge sore point for Germany, requires no real effort, and would restore further pride and honour to my damaged people. On the other hand, if I do it, it might be the final straw to convince the West that I must be dealt with immediately, with terrible consequences?
END OF ENTRY 3
