Paradox Part #99 - Hearts of Iron II: Chapter 1a - Prologue: The Dublin Conference

Part 99: Hearts of Iron II: Chapter 1a - Prologue: The Dublin Conference

Hearts of Iron II
Prologue: The Dublin Conference

Germany in 1936 is a troubled nation, torn apart by ideological differences sparked by the economical turmoil of the Great Depression. Three major camps have emerged in the chaos: On the right wing are the Reactionaries, who aim to preserve the monarchy of Emperor Waldemar VII. The moderate Liberals, who wish to reform Germany along the lines of constitutional monarchies such as Iberia and the UK. Finally, the growing extreme left is a mix of anarchists, socialists and communists whose only common goal is to unseat Waldemar from his throne.

The German monarch is also the Emperor of the Holy Roman Empire, a title that has been in sharp decline since the loss of Italy and the final dissolution of the system of member states as codified in the Golden Bull of 1399. Waldemar has made several attempts to polish its image, publically defining the Empire as consitant of Germany's political sphere of influence and claiming Austria, Lithuania, Scandinavia, Lombardy and Switzerland as member states, a move that has not been entirely popular with the rulers of said nations. But with Germany's allies surrounded by enemies and rivals eager for expansion, they have seen little option but to go along with Waldemar's prestige play.

To the east, the Lithuanian Commonwealth, or Lithuania-Poland as it is more commonly known, defends its vast border with Russia. It has a large and well-equipped but poorly trained army. In addition to Russia's claims on a large part of Lithuania's border, Lithuania is facing trouble from within with Polish, Ukrainian and Baltic nationalism on the rise.

Isolationist and prosperous, Scandinavia is a relatively free society and has been a leading developer of industry and arms for over a century. Its lack of any serious external threads has served to distance it from the rest of the Empire, and there is open talk of breaking with Germany on the Scandinavian political scene.

To the southeast, Austria and Romania border the Union of Rome in the balkans, and should it ever come to arms with the communists, those nations will likely suffer the worst of it. Austria is a German satellite, its monarch a vassal of the Holy Roman Emperor in what most Austrians call an archaic remnant of feudal ties. Romania was given autonomy by Lithuania and is ruled by a Lithuanian strongman who ruthlessly exploits the country to fund its oversized military.

The Lombard League, or 'Free Italy' as it likes to style itself, is the only part of the Italian peninsula not under Union rule. It is governed by Guiseppe III Tittoni who actively agitates for war with the Union in the hopes of realizing his claims to all of Italy. The final member state, Switzerland, is something of an odd man out, a market liberal democracy in a sea of monarchies. The need for protection against an aggressive France has kept it in line so far, but with elections coming up, there is no way to know for sure if the Swiss will continue to throw their lot in with Germany.

In Africa, the Empire consists of the German colony of Free Congo, the Lithuanian colony of Angola and the tiny Scandinavian protectorate Friland. Both the League and the Comintern have their own colonies and protectorates, and any war between the alliance blocs is likely to plunge Africa into chaos, as well.

Conversely, Asia is largely a German sphere of influence, though the United Kingdom still maintains several Asian colonies. Out of the four regional powers, Imperial India's interests seem firmly entrenched in Greece, while Japan has been a steadfast friend of Germany over the years, though such things tend to change when national interest comes into play. The chinas are more uncertain - war between the mongol Yuan dynasty and the republicans Nationalists seems inevitable, and whoever comes out on top will be a force to be reckoned with.

Internally, Germany's resources are largely devoted to combating internal dissent and keeping its existing troops supplied - new construction projects have been put on hold for now.

Technological development continues unimpeded, though expenses are becoming a problem and will likely require Germany to seek a trade deal with one of the financially stronger democracies.

Diplomatically, Germany's position is strong, with a vast network of allies and friends to call on. Politically, Waldemar VII had to make several concessions to the moderates when appointing his cabinet, including the appointment of the liberal politican Robert Schuman as Chancellor. The unofficial leader of the moderate faction is Prince Frederick, Waldemar's younger brother, who is also Germany's minister of internal security. In recent months, Waldemar has been leaning ever more towards the reactionaries and stepping up rhetoric on foreign matters. A break with the moderates seems likely to happen soon unless something hcanges.

An opportunity to turn the focus away from domestic policy for some time presents itself with the Dublin Conference, an event several months in the making at the initiative of Iberia, the leader of the League of Democracies. The Iberian prime minister Ali Azim, a proponent of the balance of power and the status quo, has proposed the conference as a way to address the worsening relations between the power blocks. All of the recognized Great Powers of the world have been invited, even the insular leadership of France, and all see the event as a chance to win prestige and foster relations with potential future allies.

Iberia is a country with a tumultous history, having produced the single most controversional figure in history - the revolutionary Zuhriman. As the leader of the League of Democracies, Iberia's foreign policy has been to support the preservation of the status quo with one hand, while building up its military and arming its Occitanian puppet with the other. Currently governed by a pair of brothers, the immensely popular Rashid II and Prince Ali Azim, Iberia is set to be a major player in the events to come regardless of the outcome.
Head of State: Sultan Rashid II (Popular Figurehead)
Head of Government: Prince Ali Azim (Political Protege)

The second major country of the League, Russia, is a Social Democratic Republic with strong roots in the political left. It has a long rivalry with Lithuania going back to when the nation freed itself of the Lithuanian Czar's rule in the 1848 revolutions, and lost a large stretch of border territory in its last war due to German invasion. The country has since lurched further to the left, and has even begun to build up relations with the Union of Rome, making its future allegiances uncertain. So far though, the moderate President Chernov has been able to keep Prime Minister Bukharin and the radical socialists in line.
Head of State: Viktor Chernov (Die-Hard Reformer)
Head of Government: Nikolai Bukharin (Silent Workhorse)

The glory days of the British Empire are long past, its colonies in Siberia, Africa, Australia and America lost to war or revolution. However, it still holds on to a few of its old colonies and its position as the third major country of the League gives it greater diplomatic influence than its modest economy and armed forces would otherwise allow. The sitting government of Britain is deeply unpopular and looks set to lose big in the '36 elections, but regardless of the electoral outcome Britain seems likely to remain steadfastly aligned with the League.
Head of State: James VI (Weary Stiffneck)
Head of Government: Stanley Baldwin (Backroom Backstabber)

The Union of Rome, despite its Communist ways, has been a nation the older Great Powers have been able to deal with, and in a few cases even recognize. The Union has foregone European interests in favor of industrialization and expansion eastward, and has emerged strongly from the Great Depression with the world's largest industrial sector. Its system of government is divided into a Consul, elected by the party leads, and the People's Tribune, elected by the broad masses. The veto of the tribunes has served as an effective check on the power of the party and inspired a more moderate line of socialism. Even the strength of the Union economy has not immunized it to the wave of radicalization sweeping the world, and the radical left wing of the party is growing stronger, particularily in Italy where the people long for a rejoining with Lombardy. With Consul Siantos having stated his intentions to resign due to failing health, and elections for People's Tribune coming in 1937, the future path of the Union seems uncertain.
Head of State: Consul Giorgios Siantos (Insignificant Layman)
Head of Government: Tribune Militiades Porphyrogins (Ambitious Union Boss)

Insular and hostile, the Democratic People's Republic of France is a democracy in name only, and is in reality an absolute dictatorship ruled over by Communist Party Head Maurize Thorez, whose radical industrialization programs and ideological purges have claimed millions of French lives. Still, the programs have allowed French industrial output to exceed that of its British neighbour for the first time in centuries, and its new army, formed around fast-moving armored spearheads, is eager for another chance at revenge against the hated Germans.
Head of State: Maurice Thorez (Power-Hungry Demogogue)
Head of Government: Marcel Cachin (Silent Workhorse)

The Republic of Mazula, spanning a full half of the North American Continent, has seen a period of decline in recent years, its unregulated markets hit harder than any other by the Great Depression and its army soundly defeated in North American War by the American Federation, throwing the country into political turmoil. A new president, Hamid-el-Hamman has promised to restore both the economy and military and drive the Americans out of Mazula, but it remains to see whether he can keep his promises without sacrificing some of the liberties Mazulans cherish.
Head of State: Hamid-el-Hamman (Barking Buffoon)
Head of Government: Danial Mahmoud (Naive Optimist)

The American Federation has long been a weak state plagued by decentralization and political instability, as well as the constant tampering of its powerful Mazulan neighbour. The rise of J. Edgar Hoover to the presidency, the dissolvement of American democracy and the ushering in of a new fascist state has seemingly cured the nation of those problems, and the utter defeat of Mazula in the North American War has made the government wildly popular. With the American people now firmly behind him, many believe that Hoover will seek to realize his dreams of an american nation stretching from coast to coast.
Head of State: J. Edgar Hoover (Ruthless Powermonger)
Head of Government: Robert E. Wood (Silent Workhorse)

When the ancient Byzantine Empire fell to the communist revolution of the Union of Rome, its exile government managed to seize control of its former colony in India, allying with local elites and inviting greek exiles to settle in India. After several decades of consolidating its power, Imperial India now believes itself ready to challenge the Union for possession of the homeland and reclaim Constantinople, the city of Emperors. While its army is impressive on paper, in reality it lacks the industrial capacity to fight the communists alone, and it seems obvious that the Byzantines need allies, though who they will turn to remains an open question.
Head of State: Manuel XXVI (Ruthless Powermonger)
Head of Government: Panagis Tsaldaris (Flamboyant Tough Guy)

As the Dublin Conference begins, several major questions of foreign policy come up that require Waldemar's judgement. Always keen to shore up his base among the entrenched elite, Waldemar turns to the influential Reichstag, asking for advice. With the current instability of the world, it may not be advisable to take a belligerent position unless one seeks war to come sooner rather than later. Of course, with Germany's political division, it always helps to have a few outside enemies to rally people against, and neutrality or acquiesence to foreign interests is not popular in any camp right now.

(Some choices here will have a major influence on which war scenarios are likely to happen and when)

Vote 1 - Foreign Policy
The first question to come up is what stance Germany should take publically in regards to its claims on Italy.

Option A - Reinforce our claim to Italy

Option B - Retain claims but make no mention of it

Option C - Renounce our claims on Italy

Vote 2 - Military Disarmament
The next question is a proposal from Iberia for a general demobilization of the armed forces of the various Great Powers.

Option A - Publically oppose the proposal

Option B - Vote it down without comment

Option C - Support the proposal

Vote 3 - Diplomatic Opportunities
The next question is whether we should make use of the conference to initiative a diplomatic reapproachment with one of the other two power blocks.