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
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PLAYERS:
BRITAIN: Michael Thompson
FRANCE: Joao Queiros
GERMANY: Ghostine, Jimmy
ITALY & NAT. SPAIN: Dirk Knemeyer dirk@knemeyer.com
POLAND: Kyle Overby-Lee
SOVIET UNION & REP. SPAIN: Nigel Phillips
TURKEY: Repu Maoni
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
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