Hallo zusammen,
 
in the protracted Battle for Madrid arms shipments through Portugal gave
the Caudillo's forces sufficient oomph to rout the poorly equipped
Republican militia defending the capital (the historical Battle for Madrid in
late 1936 arguably ought to be rated as a simple bounce). Following this
critical victory, many countries have chosen to recognise the Franco's
provisional government, much enhancing its diplomatic clout (i.e. garnering 2
DPs for 1937).
 
While the socialist camp has thus fared poorly in Spain, Stalin's apparent
focus on matters closer to home following his "socialism in one country" motto
does seem to be paying off. Both Latvia and Finland have been "invited" to
join the USSR, while the Shah has accorded the Red Army basing rights
in his realm. This establishes the Soviet Union as a regional player in the
Near East, while Kemal's Turkey has colluded with Egyptian anti-imperialists in
reclaiming the Suez Canal Zone. Considering how the British Empire has failed to
make gains elsewhere, it remains to be seen whether Downing Street's influence
in the region shall survive cuts to naval expenditure.
 
Similarly, the other long-established colonial power, France, has been
forced to cede French Algeria to a resurgent Italy. Yet at least closer to home
the Président can boast of some success in that a French counteroffensive in the
Maritime Alps has pushed the Franco-Italian frontline down into the Po Valley.
However, in the Low Countries France was no more successful than Britain in
getting a foot into the door.
 
Another flashpoint of greater power rivalry was Sweden. While Poles and
Soviets amicably agreed upon Latvia's fate, it appears the two powers weren't on
the same page when it came to Europe's leading exporter of iron ore. And it
looks like the Reichschancellor was mindful of maintaining Sweden's neutrality,
perhaps in view of securing future shipments of all that Swedish iron ore to
German industry.
 
And talking of the German Empire, Berlin has managed to exploit the
Sudetenland Crisis to good effect as the international community's attention is
squarely preoccupied with other matters. Prague's gold reserves shall surely
help swiften the pace of German rearmament.
 
A note regarding retreats and adjustments: Obviously any dislodged unit has
the option to disband. So I won't expressly point that out in adjucations.
Any builds or removals subject to whether or not a unit disbands rather than
retreats are marked with a question-mark.
 
A reminder: Since retreats and adjustments are adjucated together, orders
for both need to be jointly submitted. Adjustments may be made conditional on
any retreat orders. Say: "If X retreats to Y, build a fleet in Z. If not, waive
the build." I trust you get the idea...
 
I'm always rather curious at what rate minor powers are gobbled up by
larger fish in the pool. Eight have succumbed this year (plus the ungarrisoned
Madrid SC). That a whole lot less than in my earler 1926 playtest. 13 minor
powers bit the dust in the first year in that game. This very high rate was the
result of an IMO rather unusual degree of cooperation among the seven
players and to a lesser degree the on account of the 1926 map used for that
game making minor-power conquests in the Balkans easier. My view is
that 1936's minor powers have somewhat greater staying power as a whole than was
the case in that 1926 variant version. 
 
The Winter 1936 Retreats/Adjustments are
due to me NLT 6PM CET on Wednesday, 28 April.
 
Thanks for being so mindful of CCing me on negotiations. It's been most
instructive to watch. I'm curious how things shall further develop!
 
Liebe Grüsse,
 
Charles
 
----------
PLAYERS:
    BRITAIN: Michael Thompson <psychosis(at)sky.com>
    FRANCE: Joao Queiros <jlqueiros3(at)hotmail.com>
    GERMANY: Ghostine, Jimmy <Jimmy.Ghostine(at)vtmednet.org>
    ITALY &
NAT. SPAIN: Dirk Knemeyer dirk(at)knemeyer.com   
    POLAND: Kyle Overby-Lee <tomjnkns.IL(at)gmail.com>
    SOVIET UNION &
REP. SPAIN: Nigel Phillips <nephilli99(at)hotmail.com>
    TURKEY: Repu Maoni <wesaq(at)list.ru>

HEADLINES:
    o ANGLO-FRENCH RIVALRY ON DISPLAY IN
LOW COUNTRIES
    o FRENCH COUNTER-OFFENSIVE ACROSS ALPS SUCCESSFUL
    o SUDETENLAND CRISIS LEADS TO GERMAN OCCUPATION OF ALL
BOHEMIA
    o DUCE CELEBRATES CONQUEST OF ALGIERS
    o RUMANIA SEEKS CLOSER TIES WITH THE
RZECZPOSPOLITA
    o LATVIA AND IRAN ENTER STALIN'S ORBIT
    o TURKS SEIZE SUEZ CANAL WITH EGYPTIAN AID
    o ASCENDANT NATIONALISTS STORM MADRID

PRESS:
 
Pic of the Day: A man, wearing the uniform of the
Falange Española de las JONS [Spanish Fascist Party], holding a sledge hammer
aloft to smash a Communist red star emblazoned with a white hammer and
sickle.
 
 

Quote of the Day: "Nothing gives one person so much
advantage over another as to remain always cool and unruffled under all
circumstances." -Thomas Jefferson
 
ORDERS:
 
Britain:
F Suez Hold (*Dislodged*)
F English Channel - Picardy
(*Fails*)
F North Sea - Netherlands (*Fails*)
F South-Western Approaches -
Morocco (*Fails*)
 
France:
A Algiers - Southern Algeria (*Dislodged*)
F Brest - English
Channel (*Fails*)
A Marseille - Piedmont
A Picardy - Belgium
(*Fails*)
A Syria - Palestine
 
Germany:
A Austria Supports A Saxony - Czechia
A Saxony -
Czechia
F Baltic Sea Supports F Sweden
 
Italy:
A Piedmont - Marseille (*Dislodged*)
A Rome - Slovenia
A
Southern Algeria - Algiers
F Tyrrhenian Sea Supports A Southern Algeria -
Algiers
 
Poland:
A Lithuania Supports A Byelorussia - Latvia
A Transylvania -
Rumania
F Gulf of Danzig - Sweden (*Bounce*)
 
Turkey:
A Bulgaria - Rumania (*Fails*)
A Istanbul - Thrace
F
Eastern Mediterranean - Suez
 
USSR:
A Byelorussia - Latvia
F Finland(sc) - Sweden (*Bounce*)
A
Stalingrad - Persia
 
Nationalist_Spain:
A Burgos - Madrid
 
Republican_Spain:
A Valencia - Madrid (*Fails*)
 
Belgium:
A Belgium Supports F North Sea - Netherlands (*Cut*)
 
Czechia:
A Czechia Hold (*Disbanded*)
 
Denmark:
F Denmark Hold
 
Egypt:
A Egypt Supports F Eastern Mediterranean - Suez
 
Greece:
F Greece Hold
 
Hungary:
A Hungary Hold
 
Iraq:
A Iraq Supports A Stalingrad - Persia
 
Latvia:
A Latvia Hold (*Disbanded*)
 
Morocco:
A Morocco Hold
 
Netherlands:
F Netherlands Supports A Picardy - Belgium (*Cut*)
 
Norway:
F Norway Hold
 
Persia:
A Persia Hold (*Disbanded*)
 
Portugal:
F Portugal Supports A Burgos - Madrid
 
Rumania:
A Rumania Hold (*Disbanded*)
 
Sweden:
F Sweden Hold
 
Switzerland:
A Switzerland Supports A Marseille - Piedmont
 
Yugoslavia:
A Croatia Hold
A Serbia Supports A Transylvania -
Rumania
 
PENDING RETREATS:
 
French A Algiers can retreat to Tunisia.
Italian
A Piedmont can retreat to Rome or Milan.
British F Suez can retreat to Libyan
Sea or Arabian Sea or Atlantic Ocean.
 
ADJUSTMENTS:
 
Britain:
Remove?
 
France:
Remove?
 
Germany:
Build
Build
 
Italy:
Build
Build?
 
Poland:
Build
Build
 
Turkey:
Build
Build
 
USSR:
Build
Build
Build
 
Nationalist_Spain:
Build
 
SUPPLY CENTER OWNERSHIP:
    Britain(4): Edinburgh, Liverpool, London,
Suez.
    France(5): Algiers, Beirut, Brest, Marseille,
Paris.
    Germany(3): Berlin, Hamburg,
Munich.
    Italy(4): Milan, Naples, Rome,
Tripoli.
    Poland(3): Cracow, Gdynia,
Warsaw.
    Turkey(3): Ankara, Istanbul,
Izmir.
    USSR(3): Leningrad, Moscow, Stalingrad.
    Nationalist Spain(1): Burgos
    Republican Spain(1): Valencia
   
Minor Powers(23): Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia (Yug.), Czechia, Denmark,
Egypt, Finland, Greece, Hungary, Iraq, Latvia, Lithuania, Madrid, Morocco,
Netherlands, Norway, Persia, Portugal, Rumania,
    Serbia
(Yug.), Sweden, Switzerland.

DEADLINE SCHEDULE: (all orders are
due NLT 6PM CET (GMT+1)...not local time)
    o
Winter 1936 Retreats/Adjustments: 28 April
    o Spring 1937 Moves: (1) 3 May

 
ORDERS MAP:
 
RESULTS MAP: