Update 13 Year 1914
Global Events:
Black Scare fills the world. Fearful that the Black Army will overrun India and strike someone else instead, the people panic everywhere. The British, Brazilian, Oceanian, Cuban and Liberian governments have expressed deep concern that the Black Army will strike them next. Some voices in Russia, India and Oceania are calling for peace with the other side and to unite against the Black Army, but the nations trust each other less then they do the Black Army.
The British back Japanese claims on the Victory Islands, but the Germans back the Sioux claims, leading to long negotiations that are not over yet. The fighting quiets down, but the rumors are that it may soon resume and that both sides are just preparing for something big.
A communist propaganda campaign has begun to take toll on Cuba. Previously unpopular socialist party is rising in influence and is now likely to win the next elections. A more radical movement is rising as well, thinking that the Partida de Socialista isnt going far enough.
Iago II declares martial law in Brazil, fearful of the Black Army. African militia is put on high alert. The move is soon followed by the Cuban Republic.
The Iberians, having drafted more men, have unleashed a vicious counter-attack against the DSE forces. Nevertheless, the DSE reinforcements and superior training have prevented Iberia from retaking the Gibraltar.
(-8 Iberian divisions, -3 Iberian air wings, -6 DSE divisions)
The Empire Retreats. The British decide to abandon various parts of their empire to concentrate on the main fight. While no peace was signed, the British withdraw from France and South Africa, allowing local rebels to overrun the positions. British population is split between those criticizing that move and those approving it. British island possessions are now ungarrisoned as well, it seems.
Something that was only discussed by British alternate historians before, such as Lord Winston Churchill, has happened an Islamic invasion of Ireland. Indeed, the Turks and the Arabs have landed in the lightly-garrisoned Ireland, the Arabs taking a beach head in the south and Turks in the west. The British, obviously, did not expect that, and soon retreated. This plunged the island into anarchy the Arabs and Turks advanced only insignificantly in Ireland, the British were forced to retreat to Ulster, and Irish Catholics, Protestants, Nationalists, Communists Royalists, Pro-British and Pro-Arab factions have clashed in chaotic struggle in the middle, as all factions fought each other and confusement reigned.
(-1 Arab division, -1 British division)
PRG and Burgundy are at war again. The Germans have executed a skilled operation (DONNERSCHLAG) in Holland first, a small force entered it to attract the attention of Burgundian intelligence. Then, an amphibious landing was executed, thus threatening the newly-arrived large Burgundy army to be cut off, especially after the bulk of German army invaded from the east. While the land forces were more or less equal, the Burgundians have suffered a horrible defeat due to two factors the German air superiority which allowed entire divisions to be bombed into nonexistence (and which managed to destroy a large amount of Burgundian planes with bombing and air fights as well) and the Burgundian technological backwardness (which, though not nearly as bad as before, still remains as the Germans are already used to MMA technology and have somehow better tanks, weapons and planes). This allowed the Burgundian forces to be crushed in the Battle of Assen, though the local Burgundian commander (General Charles Auvergne) was an able one and managed to pull his forces out and even keep control over a part of Holland.
(-11 Burgundian divisions, -12 Burgundian air wings, -7 German divisions, -7 German air wings)
Occitanian Civil War is, for the most part, over. As the Occitanian Nationalists are at the breaking point, their final defeat comes when Andreus II and Petain were killed by a sniper. Though the Burgundian volunteers fight on, the Nationalists capitulate and the Communist Nation of Occitania is declared. The volunteers, after suffering numerous defeats and casualties, and after becoming a target for a horrific guerrilla campaign, have pulled out as well.
(-entire Nationalist military, -7 Communist divisions, -6 Burgundian divisions)
Scandinavia Falls.
(read below)
DSE sells the eastern half of Hungary to Russia. The HLA seems to have stopped its campaign for now, and declared that it is allied to Russia. It was converted into ten divisions that promised to fight for Russia if Hungary is granted autonomy under king Lajos Ungeren.
Former Occitanian colonists in Algiers have rebelled against the Libyan bandits, as they call them. They ask for British assistance and offer the British to establish a protectorate there. British response is so far unknown.
Most Indian forces withdraw from Somali. This does not do much to damage the Allied war effort as the British and Sudanese are pushed out of Abyssinia despite the British reinforcements. Abyssinians welcome the Russians as their liberators.
(-4 Russian divisions, -1 Indian division, -3 British divisions, -8 Sudanese divisions)
The British Empire proves that it still rules the waves, despite all. Using the relatively new aircraft carriers, the British have launched an aerial and naval attack on the Russian fleet based in the Petrov naval base in Somalia. The Russians were taken by surprise, and the British managed to sink a good deal of ships and withdraw, though taking some comparatively light casualties.
(-9 Russian task forces, -6 Russian air wings, -2 British task forces, -3 British air wings)
Madagascar now has the best tanks in the world. It now begun nuclear research.
Strange, black planes bombarded the Russo-Arabian positions in Sector Gaza. While that sector was unimportant, and the casualties werent very high, the Russo-Arab forces in the whole region are rather demoralized, connecting this to the Black Army in India.
Realizing that they could not break through in Sinai, the British have decided to do something different. They landed in Palestine, like the Iberians and Occitanians not too many years ago, and like the Crusaders many centuries into the past. Only this time, the British have acquired the support of Jews, who were promised an independent state in Palestine. Soon, Zionists from all over the world and the local Jews have formed ten Irgun divisions that assisted the invasion. Having faced no opposition save for the local guerrillas and militia (the latter were suppressed by artillery and aerial bombardment), the British, led by Lawrence of Judea, took Jerusalem despite its fortifications and cut the Russo-Arab forces off in Sinai. It is believed that this could turn the war around.
(-1 British division)
Despite all the best Russian and Indian efforts to defeat the Black Army, it turns out that it is not only expertly trained, but also huge, outnumbering the forces sent against it. The aerial bombardment does not give the expected effect against the guerrilla tactics that the Black Army uses. Thus the Black Army, ignoring casualties, broke through towards Travancore (the Emperor fled to Bombay just in time), occupying a large area. There, they committed atrocities unheard of before, destroying cities AND slaughtering their entire populations, impaling the citizens. This leads to much fear in India...
(-4 Black Army divisions, -1 Black Army air wing, -5 Indian divisions, -3 Russian divisions)
Attempts to find out anything about the Black Army made by the Russians have failed. Their weapons and vehicles combine designs from all over the world, and every soldier has the will and the wide variety of ways to commit suicide if captured. This, again, raises doubt over the Japanese non-involvement, but there WERE Japanese forces fighting alongside the Indians against the Black Army.
Random Events:
Due to a stroke of luck, Pakistani leadership has been apprehended by the Indian military, stopping the terrorist campaign, for the moment at least. When interrogated, one of the Pakistani leaders has cracked up and revealed (whether these claims are true or just an attempt to ruin the Indian foreign relations is unknown) that Russia, Oceania, Arabia and Cuba were sending lots of equipment, supplies and, in some cases, officers to assist the Pakistani cause and that Cuba and Russia offered refuge to the Pakistani leadership. This causes quite a scandal in India and abroad, especially after it somehow leaked to the British and Japanese press (Indians kept quiet on the whole issue so far)
The Chinese Reconstruction project has finished early (project finished) and due to the enthusiasm of the Chinese people. Furthermore, it improved the economy a little better then expected (+1 Economy).
Spotlight:
Fall of Scandinavia
Ladies and gentlemen, Scandinavia just flew to hell.
- King Chris I, upon receiving the first reports on the destruction of St. Petersburg. 1913.
By 1914, Scandinavia was pretty much finished. Finnish forces were advancing from north and south, the fleet surrendered to the Finns in January, and the Russians were rather mad at the Scandinavians, searching for war criminals everywhere and finding a lot, including Warlord Karl. And to add to that, Denmark was invaded and fell without a fight, apart from Copenhagen.
After the METO War, Fascists were not the only ones whose popularity rose. As the economy was ruined by war and reparations, the communists have grown in popularity. With Finnish backing, the communists have rose up, and soon enough Peoples Republics of Scania (including Copenhagen) and Norway (its northern territories were given up to Finland) were declared independent. Danish Jutland communists have decided to join Germany.
Thus by the middle 1914, the war was over leaving Russo-Finish forces occupying Sweden, Scania+Copenhagen and south Norway independent if under German influence, and Jutland became a part of Germany. The Scandinavian War was over, and now all was left was to divide the spoils
NPC Diplomacy:
From: GB
To: PRG
We believe there is no backing down over these islands. The Japanese have agreed to pay compensation to the Sioux, if you persuade them to agree.
*secret*
From: French Rebels
To: PRG
We are now ready to attack the Burgundians. In exchange we ask for some of their territories after we form a nation. Agreed?
*secret*
From: Finland
To: Russia and PRG
We have signed peace with the communist rebel factions, as they are on our side and we believe that a Scandinavia divided into several states would be the desired result of the war. Any objections?
We also believe that a special committee should be formed to discuss the fate of Sweden. First of all, we believe that Russia should keep the islands it gained in the previous war. We also believe that Sweden should be occupied for some time. After that, we think it should either join Scania, either become independent, either form a federation with Finland, as all three possibilities were discussed with democratic and communist underground leaders in Sweden. Again, any objections?
From: Scania, Norway and Occitania
To: PRG
We would like to join the Comintern.
From: Sioux
To: Finland, Russia and PRG
While we did not participate in the war, we believe that we have a legal claim on the Scandinavian Arctic Ocean possessions. Will we be allowed to take control?
From: Congo Separatists
To: Finland, Russia and PRG
We would like to create our own country in the former Scandinavian colony in Africa. Do we have the right to do so?
From: Communist Nation of Occitania (CNO)
To: Burgundy
Withdraw from Corsica and Sardinia IMMEDIATELY.
From: Cuba
To: India
We deny the claims made by the Pakistani leadership. We do not cooperate with terrorists, and believe that they just wanted to put doubt into you while dealing with our small country.
*secret*
From: GB
To: India
I hope now you understand who is your ally and who is your enemy. You must protect your nations integrity, must you not? And then you ally with those who assisted separatists and who are intent on violating our territorial integrity just as well. Now you should see whose cause is right and whose is wrong
*secret*
OOC: Everyone, sorry about any quality issues.
Erik Mesoy, dont expect to get into the next age before 1920. Come on, you could just make some minor research, like better tanks, mines, rifles, flamethrowers and stuff that would help you in the battle