1921
Operation Caged Lion
Djibouti, The French Empire, 1921
Following the continued slaughter of French citizens in the region that was French Somaliland, a French expeditionary force was sent to Abyssinia to end the civil war, and protect French citizens the region. The French Expeditionary Force (FEF) was aided by a Spanish force (SEF). The French navy blockaded the Abyssinian coast, and was aided by several smaller Spanish vessels. Taking Djibouti was the main goal of the incursion.
Naval guns from French ships blasted the city, while Spanish Zeppelins took off from Spanish destroyers to bomb the city from the skies. The Abyssinians, helpless against the air and sea attacks, retreated to the countryside, while French rebel groups secured the docking areas of the city, to allow for the debarkation of several thousand French soldiers. The surrounding area quickly fell to the French forces. Much of the infrastructure originally built by the French (airfields, ports, railroads) were still intact, and quickly utilized by the French forces. A couple dozen Bordeaux 19' Fighters were sent to the region, to help push the French advance.
The few remaining Abyssinian units, not completely torn apart by the civil war, didn't have much hope against the French forces. Many of the Abyssinian units were relying on shields and spears, with even fewer groups of men armed with British riflers, from their take over of the Sudan. Most of the Abysinian regulars had little training, and simply surrendered to the French, in the face of Franco-Spanish air dominance. A short seige of Addis Ababa was broken when Spanish zeppelin's supported by French Bordeaux 19' fighters bombed the city, destroying most of it.
The French forces were incredibly ruthless in their take over of Abyssinia. Any native found with a weapon was killed. Any native that took up arms against the French military was murdered, as was his family. Many Abyssinians just gave up all hope, in the face of French brutality, allowing for the French advance to reach the White Nile by July, at which point they began sweeping down south.
Spain meanwhile, began its own excursions into the southern region of Abyssinia, where a bulk of the Abyssinian nationalists took root. The nationalists were in much better fighting condition then the remnants of the Abyssinian Imperial Military, and as such, held onto territory with more vigor then their imperial counterparts, exacting several thousand casaulties on the Spanish. But, as French forces moved down the White Nile, and began to hook around Southern Abyssinia, it became obvious that all hope was lost for the African nation.
Generalissimo Estuardo, and Emperor Napoleon jointly declared the action in Abyssinia over on November 4th.
(-4 French Divisions, -5 Spanish Divisions, -Abyssinia)
Population Boom in Sierra Leone
Freetown, The Spanish Empire, 1921
As encouraged by the Spanish government, a max exodus of Spaniards continued, as thousands began to pour into the newly aquired Spanish colony this year. In fact, the colonial officials were wildly unprepared by such large numbers of Spaniards, that entire shanty villages had to be constructed, almost instantly. The mass population growth led to many new citizens somehow finding their way into Liberia, angering many Liberians, since the trials that took place last year. Many of the Spanish citizens in the nation are being discriminated against, but in some cases, it's the Spanish citizens that were causing the trouble.
Egyptian Freedom!
Cairo, Egypt, 1921
After decades of being ruled by other empires, Egypt has finally been granted its freedom, after a series of political discussions, between Germany, and Italy. The German Empire, had been building a massive railway, spanning throughout Germany's new African Empire, and across Italy's North African Empire. The railway, slated to cross through Italian held Egypt, continuesly hit road bumps during its construction, the most prominent of which, was attacks on the railroad, by Egyptian nationalists. Several dozen German railway workers will killed in the attacks, angering the German's, who petitioned that the Italian government place soldiers in the region.
Though the Italian government promised they would help defend the railway, no soldiers were sent to guard the German workers, and the attacks once again repeated themselves, temporarily shutting down that portion of the railroad. Kaiser Wilhelm, who finally seemed to of had enough, sent Italy a list of requests, of which detailed the protection of the German railway, and the independence of Egypt.
After some initial refusel, and an international argument taking head, Germany tweaked some conditions, and Italy finally accepted. Egypt was granted independence on January 2nd, 1921. The government was quick to establish friendlier relations with the German Empire, and soon thereafter the Italian Empire.
The German Windhoeck-Berlin railway finally made it to Constantinople this year, and a bit into Ottoman Europe.
The Russian Civil War
Moscow, Soviet Russia, 1921
This year, in Russia, the Bolshevik party finally seems to of come out on not, with intervention from the Great Powers finally ending. The “Condor Legion”, as it was called, began leaving Russia in the midst of the winter, and finally, completely exited the region by March. The Soviet forces managed a counter attack in early spring, but by that point, only a few Italian divisions remained, who bore the bulk of the fighting.
In the South, the joint Spanish-French Foreign Legion, withdrew, much in the same manner, giving large chunks of land, off the Sea of Azov to Crimea, and a bit to Persia, who also began its withdraw from Caucasia, and Central Asia. The Bolshevik forces in the region, taking advantage of the withdrawel, almost completely eradicated Monarchist forces in the region.
In fact, the scene repeated itself over and over, across Eurasia. As the troops from the European and Asian powers retreated, the Bolsheviks found themselves overwhelmingly supported by the people of the occupied lands. The Monarchist threat to Russia, now, Soviet Russia is all but done. Without mass support, or even a military to prop it up, only small hold outs remain throughout Russia.
Lenin has already begun the process of rebuilding, aided in part by the Socialist Crimean government to the south, with what sparse money it could manage to send. The Monarchist holdouts are expected to fold within the next year, with increased pressure on the enclaves becoming the priority of the Red Army. Meanwhile, smaller groups of Bolshevik-inspired communist groups, began appearing across Persia, the Ukraine, and even in parts of the Ottoman Empire.
(-20 Monarchist Divisions, -23 Soviet Divisions, -1 Italian Division)
The Austrian Empire In Shambles
Vienna, The Austro-Hungarian Empire, 1921
The Austro-Hungarian Empire seems to of reached its breaking point, as it's citizens finally began revolting en masse. The Empire recently conquored the Ukraine, and Serbia, during the Great War, only to have both regions rebel almost instantly on the teetering empire. Serbia, though annexed, still maintained large portions of its military, that instantly took up arms against the hated Austrians, in the previous years. The Ukrainians too filed suit, using left over weapons used by the Imperial Russian army during the Great War, to tie up the Austrian military. The Austrian military, in an attempt to fight two very well armed insurrections began resulting to brutality, and Germanization, to regain control of the regions.
For the past two years, it has not gone well for either side, as Austrian brutalities grew more brutal, and the rebel groups began gaining more support. This year, a raid by the Ukrainians on a German weapons depot on the Russian border supplied the Ukrainian rebels with mass amounts of weapons, and modern ones at that. The Serbians meanwhile, began receiving supplies, clenching onto the Macedonian region, as Austrian offensives began to make headway into the area.
But, more rebellions began throughout the empire. The Croats, refusing to comply with Austria's Germanization program began rising up, against the Austrians, encouraging similar revolts by Slavs, Poles, Romanians and Czechs across the Empire. The Austrian military began losing numbers, as small rebellions began appearing everywhere, remenscent of what had happened in Russia. The rebels were supplied, in part by outside (and thus far, unknown) sources, and in part, by raids on Austrian military depots. Weapons used by the rebels, ranged from state-of-the-art German guns, to old Italian and Romanian rifles decades old.
What is becoming abundantly clear is that the Empire is indeed fracturing- even the Hungarians seem to be willing to go their own way, as the Austrian aristocracy is more interested in turning the other cheek, and allowing the military to handle the problem.
(-33 Austrian Divisions)
The Growing Automobile Industry
London, The United Kingdom, 1921
For the last several years, since the end of the Great War, the peoples of Europe have been shifting their focus to a newer technology, that has begun to finally catch on- Automobiles. Automobiles, have long served a military purpose, but the citizens of many European nations are finally seeing the use in such objects.
The Swiss, have, for long been the only nation actively encouraging the trade, sale, and production of automobiles, initiated with the Swiss Highway, that was built throughout the Great War, as other nations were busy killing themselves on the battlefields of Europe. But now that the bloodshed is over, many nations seem intent on following in Switzerland's footsteps. Britain seemed to of taken the second step, after Switzerland, by starting government run automobile factories, across the isle. In fact, Lloyd George's government has started an annual car show in London, to show off Britain's newest cars, and best drivers.
Germany too quickly followed, this year, spending massive amounts of money in the growing industry. The Kaiser has begun sending money to small car companies, to jump start the production of their cars, so that before long, the cars would become cheap, and easy to make. In order to keep up with the growing automobile industry, the German government also began hiring large amounts of construction companies to build newly paved roads, stretching across the nation.
