East Africa 1930: An ORBAT Quest

[4WheelSword]

It is the dawn of 1930. The Combined Defence Committee of Reewiin has selected you to establish its military as pre-eminent in East and Central Africa. It is up to you and your fellow members to take a poorly organised and equipped gendarmerie and turn it into a modern fighting force that will survive the coming years and decades.

Reewiin is a state that has existed, in one form or another, for centuries. Named in a northern Somali dialect for the first clan to inhabit the area, it has since grown through conquest, adoption, and peaceful integration into a thriving African nation.

Stretching from Kismayo and the Webi Jubba river on the Eastern coast to Lake Turkana in the West, Reewiin is a vast stretch of land that contains a host of varied biomes. Populated primarily on the coast and along the rivers and lakeside, it is a shining jewel that has long since drawn the attention of European colonisers.

How did Reewiin handle the Conquest of Africa?
[ ] You became a colonial subject of:
- [ ] Italy
- [ ] Britain
- [ ] France
[ ] You maintained your de jure independence, but are de facto dependant on:
- [ ] Italy
- [ ] Britain
- [ ] France
- [ ] Write-In

Spoiler

• If you select subject, you have better access to equipment, resources, and trade networks. However, you are tied to your colonial overlord diplomatically, who will view serious moves toward becoming a power in your own regard with suspicion.
• If you select independence, you lack a direct colonial relationship to a European power, granting you freedom of choice in diplomacy, trade, and more. However, certain resources and industries will be difficult for you to access, and more military equipment will have to be licensed or designed domestically. Additionally, lacking a formal colonial relationship with an imperial power does not mean you lack an informal one as well; like it or not, nobody is free from the core's grasp.

As the 19th Century came to an end, Reewin's traditional industries were thriving. Subsistence fishing and farming had begun to modernise, allowing the backbreaking toil of the working classes to become less of a hand-to-mouth matter. Meanwhile, the middle classes were burgeoning, making their money through a boom in the old industries of…

What is Reewiin traditionally known for? Choose two
[ ] Mines, in the volcanic West.
[ ] Cash Crops, grown in the fertile valleys.
[ ] Trading Ports, in the population centres on the Eastern Coast.
[ ] Pastoral Farming, between the rivers that lead to Kismayo
[ ] Nitrates, in the desert along the Northern border.

Spoiler

While all of these things will exist to some degree in Reewiin, this question is about what the nation has focused on in its industrial past.

• Mines will allow you improved access to metals, coal, gypsum, and oil.
• Cash crops will improve financial resources.
• A large population leads to there being more manpower to draw on for recruiting.
• Horses are vital for transport and supply in both civil and military fields.
• Nitrate harvesting is helpful for agriculture, firearms, and explosives production.

Hanging on to the trailing edge of the Industrial Revolution, Reewiin is working to develop industrial production that can compete with the rest of the world, fuelled by cheap local resources and labour. The most significant industry so far has been…

What is the current industrial focus of Reewiin?
[ ] Shipbuilding and freight.
[ ] Heavy engineering and metals.
[ ] Light engineering and automobiles.
[ ] Aeronautics.
[ ] Consumer goods.

Spoiler

Unlike the last question, which is about general resources available to the state, this is about specific, focused industry.

• Shipbuilding and freight will enable more trade and development of the navy.
• Heavy engineering will lead to steel production, casting, and cheaper construction.
• Light engineering will encourage domestic production of light logistics and reconnaissance vehicles.
• Aeronautics may be the hardest to support, but will create a local aircraft design and production industry.
• Consumer goods will give people a better quality of life and improve the lot of all Reewiin's people.

This, like all votes, will be a plan vote.

Authors Note 1: There are five of us working on this project! Me, @Hakazin @FrangibleCover @Eukie and @xthetenth .

Authors Note 2: We are cognisant that we are all white people working on a game set in East Africa. We are taking measures that will hopefully ensure this project proceeds sensitively.

 

[4WheelSword]

Reewiin, Japanese East African Protectorate with other foreign influences
Population: ~4,500,000 - Employable population: ~2,700,000
Fit, military-age male population: ~120,000

Key Locations:

• Bur Gaabo, the capital city and trade port.
• Kismayo, second city and trade port.
• Lake Turkana, marking the west-most border.
• Mount Marsabit, a silent volcano that's home to a wealth of animals.

Resource Exploitation -

• Sumitomo Mining (Western Division) - Iron, Gypsum, Zinc

Industrial Developments -

• Kaguya Heavy Industries - Iron smelting
• Lloyd Triestina sub-office - Shipping and Freight

 

[Hakazin]

Spoiler: National Information

Reewiin, Japanese East African Protectorate with other foreign influences
Population: ~4,500,000 - Employable population: ~2,700,000
Fit, military-age male population: ~120,000

Key Locations -

• Bur Gaabo, the capital city and trade port.
• Kismayo, second city and trade port.
• Lake Turkana, marking the west-most border.
• Mount Marsabit, a silent volcano that's home to a wealth of animals.

Resource Exploitation -

• Sumitomo Mining (Western Division) - Iron, Gypsum, Zinc

Industrial Developments -

• Kaguya Heavy Industries - Iron smelting
• Lloyd Triestina sub-office - Shipping and Freight

So, what is this quest? Simply put, we will be modernising, re-equipping, and reforming Reewiin's military. To do this, you - the voters - will be taking the role of members of the Combined Defence Committee, who possess full, democratic powers over the various branches of Reewin's armed forces. You will have control over equipment orders, recruitment drives, the make-up of the army, navy, and air force, and even an influence on the military aspects of diplomacy.

Importantly, this will not be an exercise in map painting, or even a game where we are likely to win wars. We will spend many years making the best of what we have. But what's a plan quest without a little challenge?

---

The last decade of the 19th Century and the first of the 20th were intensely formative for the small East African nation. With the Conquest of Africa in full swing, it stopped being a question of if Reewiin would bow to a larger power; it became a question of when and how.

While colonisation proper was avoided, concessions still had to be made. How else could the small nation avoid the predation of their European near-neighbours? Thus a treaty was signed with the Empire of Japan, a binding agreement that would keep Reewin safe and benefited the larger state in a myriad of ways.

Now both major cities, Buur Gaabo and Kismayo, play host to enclaves of foreign citizens. While many are merely citizens of their own empires playing at coloniser, some small few are in Reewiin purely as the last few players of the Great Game. Italy and Britain maintain private piers in Kismayo's port.

How did Reewiin become a protectorate?
[ ] A defence treaty signed during the Italo-Ethiopian War (1887) to help secure the border between Reewiin and Italian Somaliland.
[ ] A trade treaty signed after the collapse of the Imperial British East African Company (1896) to ensure those resources now flowed East.
[ ] It was made a protectorate at the end of the barrel of a battleship's guns to ensure the Japanese had a base in the Western Indian Ocean (1915).

The 1930's are due to be a time of significant change for Reewiin. The influence of British mining companies, Japanese heavy industry, and Italian trade firms combined to lead the state to form a new government - questionably democratic but fundamentally revolutionary. These new leaders brought new ideas for how to run the small but resource-rich nation.

A core tenet of these reforms was the establishment of centralised councils that would modernise the nation and bring it truly into the 20th Century. The Combined Defence Committee was one such council, a unification of procurement and doctrine for the Army, Provincial Guard, and Navy in a single, semi-democratic body.

What sort of government has been established?
[ ] Japan-supported Monarchist revivalists.
[ ] Patriotic Social-democrats led by a president.
[ ] Parliamentary Conservatives with limited representation.
[ ] Nationalist Isolationists.

The last government is poorly regarded by the new; their failings are ones not just of policy but of the person as well. Lackadaisical in their support of the arms of the state, Reewiin and her military was in dire straits. At least, that's what you tell the new rulers. No matter the truth of things there have been years of mismanagement and it is up to you to put that right.

What was the previous government's greatest failing?
[ ] A failure to consider the importance of tradition.
[ ] A failure to consider the importance of security.
[ ] A failure to consider function rather than form.

 

[FrangibleCover]

The Kismayo Treaty
Presented to the then government of Reewiin in 1895 and agreed upon in 1896, the Kismayo Treaty is the reason the small state is what it is today. After the collapse of the Imperial British East Africa Company (leading to the Kenyan and Ugandan protectorates), the natural resources of Reewiin were under-exploited by larger powers. Japan, seeing an opportunity for access to–amongst other things–higher quality iron, stepped into the power vacuum.

The Treaty was more than a mere trade agreement. It guaranteed first rights of exploitation to Japan for major natural resources, including Iron, Zinc, Phosphates, and - in the unlikely event of discovery - Oil. It allowed free investment in the nation by Japanese businesses leading to the establishment of the Kaguya Steel smelting plant on the coast. It also promised Japanese support for Reewiin's military, providing advisors, equipment, and even training in the Japanese Home Islands for a select few officers.

The Kismayo Treaty is a source of much tension and anger in the Reewiin political establishment. While it has undoubtedly been useful, jump-starting heavy industry and mining in several sectors, it also leaves the nation beholden to its Pacific ally.

The Government of Reewiin
The new government of Reewiin is a three-arm structure with a President as the Executive, a House of Representatives as the Legislature, and the multi-layered and complex Court system as the Judiciary.

The President is a seat selected by the largest party in the House or, in the current case, by the largest coalition of representative parties. Currently, this is the Patriotic Social Democrats, a coalition of four smaller parties with a generally progressive, inclusive vision for the future of Reewiin.

The House is comprised of 60 seats, each filled by a democratically elected representative from a tribal, district, or constituency zone, depending on where in Reewiin they are from. This has led to difficulties in melding the various understandings of governance and rule, particularly among some Coastal Somali representatives who feel they are ceding power to the rural interior. The current House makeup is as follows:

Reewiin House of Representatives 1930

• Patriotic Social Democrats - 29 seats
  • 12 members of the Patriotic Democrats (Bur Gaabo)
  • 11 members of the PSD Party (Kismayo)
  • 4 members of the Patriot Workers Party
  • 2 members of the Social Democratic Patriot Party
• Monarchist Revivalists - 19 seats
  • 14 members of the Gelebi Revivalist Group
  • 5 members of the Imperial African Party
• Nationalist Isolationists - 2 seats
  • 1 member of the Reewiin First Party
  • 1 member of the Gelebi Return party
• Tribal Leaders - 10 reserved seats
  • 3 members from Southern Reewiin
  • 3 members from North-Western Reewiin
  • 2 members from North-Eastern Reewiin
  • 1 member from the Oromo
  • 1 member from the Bantu (Somali member for Bantu)

Meanwhile, the Judiciary operates at multiple levels, tasked with navigating Reewiin's various competing and complex sets of laws while enforcing legislation from the House and the President.

Ethnic division, geography, and tension
Reewin is a melting pot of a wide variety of African ethnic, tribal, and cultural groups, though primarily these fall into three main groups - the Somali, the Oromo, and the Bantu.

The Somali people of Reewiin are primarily clustered along the coast and in major cities. Historically, they have been the rulers and nobility of several small nations and empires along the coast of East Africa, including the Sultanate of Geledi, which bordered and controlled part of modern-day Reewiin. All ethnically Somali people in Reewiin are afforded citizenship and the right to vote and run for local and state office. They are also free to volunteer as a member of the Army and the Carabinieri.

The Oromo, primarily found in the North-Western region of Reewiin, are an East African ethnic group like the Somalis, who in previous generations were prized as captives, slaves, bureaucrats, and wives. Considered separate but equal to Somali people, many found great personal freedom in the Somali-ruled regions. Any ethnically Oromo person can apply for citizenship, and is afforded the right to vote and run for election to local or tribal office. They are free to volunteer for service in the Army and the Carabinieri and are not segregated while in service.

The Bantu are an ethnically diverse group taken from across Central and South-Eastern Africa. In Reewiin, they are primarily settled in the south. Originally entirely made up of slaves and captives, the Bantu peoples in Reewiin have taken up a position as free but fundamentally unequal populations in the nation. Bantu people cannot apply for citizenship without long Military or Civil service, cannot vote unless they are a citizen, and cannot run for election at any level above tribal office. They are free to volunteer for service in the Army, but are organised into separate platoons led by Somali officers. They are also free to serve in the Carabinieri.

Tensions between the powerful, wealthy Somali populations and Oromo - and especially the oppressed Bantu groups - are not helped by their geographic semi-segregation. Equally, while the Army is almost entirely Somali, the Carabinieri in the South is heavily populated by Bantu people, and this is sometimes a cause for intra-national strife.


The Reewiin Army
The Army is primarily tasked with defence of the state and providing policing inside the capital, Kismayo, and other coastal towns. It is split into three regiments, though only two are rounded fighting units.

To the outside observer, the 1st (Reewiin) is a ceremonial guard formation that favour fashionable uniforms and neat drills over effective training. They maintain the largest single collection of artillery in the Army (twelve old 75 mm guns) and the Bur Gaabo Spahi, a parade-perfect cavalry unit.

Meanwhile, the 2nd (Kismayo) and 3rd (Bur Gaabo) are the true fighting power of the Army. With five infantry battalions between them, each with organic machine-gun and light artillery formations, they number over five-thousand men. The 2nd also maintains the Army Training battalion, responsible for the effectiveness of the Army as a whole, but few recruits outside of the 2nd ever see it.

The army is comprised of volunteers, with a minimum service term of four years. Many choose to stay for twelve to access the small state pension available to long-service soldiers, and a select few serve the maximum of twenty-four years. Officers, barring a small number who are offered training in Japan, are taught their craft in Kismayo and serve for a minimum of eight years (twelve for those who train overseas). Some of the Army's officers, especially senior artillerymen, are attached from the IJA as Reewiin lacks an established school for teaching the discipline.

Armament is consistent but old. Most of it comes from Japan, with the Type 30 rifle chambered in 6.5x50mm Arisaka as the standard service rifle. Machine guns are split between the Italian Fiat-Revelli 1914 and the Japanese Type 3, while the artillery consists of 70mm Type 92 battalion guns and Krupp M.06 75mm mountain guns. Most of these guns, as well as ammunition for the machine guns, are towed by Sanga cattle, though the 1st have horses for their guns, and other units rely entirely on porters.

In theory, it is the Army's responsibility to man border forts at key crossing points, but in recent years this responsibility has been handed off to the Provincial Carabinieri.

The Reewiin Army (~6300 men, 200 horses)

• 1st (Reewiin) Regiment (~1150 men)
  • Regimental HQ & Signals, including baggage and medical (~300 men)
  • 3 x Infantry Company (~200 men and 2 HMG's each)
  • 1 x Cavalry Company (~100 men and 150 horses)
  • 1 x Artillery Detachment (12 guns, ~150 men and 50 horses)
• 2nd (Kismayo) Regiment (~3200 men)
  • Regimental HQ (~150 men)
  • Signals Company (~100 men)
  • 3 x Infantry Battalion (~900 men, 6 HMG's and 2 guns each)
  • Training Battalion (~250 men and 2 HMG's)
• 3rd (Bur Gaabo) Regiment (~1950 men)
  • Regimental HQ (~100 men)
  • Signals Company (~50 men)
  • 2 x Infantry Battalion (~900 men, 6 HMG's and 2 guns each)

Equipment:

• 4000 Type 30 Arisaka rifles, 6.5×50 mm Arisaka
• 600 Moschetto Modello 1891 carbines, 6.5×52 mm Carcano
• 32 Fiat-Revelli 1914 HMGs, 6.5×52 mm Carcano
• 6 Type 3 HMGs, 6.5×50 mm Arisaka
• 12 Krupp 75 mm horse drawn guns
• 10 Type 92 70 mm pack howitzers

The Provincial Carabinieri
The Provincial Carabinieri is responsible for maintaining law and order outside the major coastal population centres. The Provincial Carabinieri is divided into regional brigades covering the North, North-West, and South. Each brigade is typically divided into five to six companies, led by an officer, and typically seconded to a regional civilian administrator.

Owing to cost and local circumstances, companies tend to vary wildly in size, from just over two hundred to over nine hundred. As payroll is not handled centrally, exact numbers are unavailable. Carbineers are volunteers and typically serve for 2-6 years, and the local civilian administrator handles pay.

Armament is eclectic, but most weapons are Remington rolling block rifles. An exception can be found in the Northern Brigade, whose companies are typically armed with Japanese Type 13 Murata rifles. A handful of machine guns can be found in special brigade-level companies co-located with training units.

Aside from a small number of horses used for patrolling and about a dozen boats the North-Western Brigade operates on Lake Turkana, the Provincial Carabinieri travels everywhere by foot. When operating at a larger scale than sub-company manoeuvres in villages, each soldier requires about 1.5 porters on average to carry company and brigade supplies.
When seconded to local administration, the Carabinieri acts as local police, strikebreakers, and security for ranches, in addition to their paramilitary roles of border guard and national defence.

The Provincial Carabinieri (~11,000 men)

• Northern Brigade (~5000 men)
  • Training & Machine Gun Company (~250 men, ~6 Perino 1908 HMGs, ~6 Vickers HMGs)
  • 5x Carabinieri Company (~950 men each)
• North-Western Brigade (~3500 men)
  • Training & Machine Gun Company (~250 men, ~6 Perino 1908 HMGs)
  • 4x Carabinieri Company (~650 men each)
  • 1x Carabinieri Company (~12 boats, ~650 men)
• Southern Brigade (~2500 men)
  • Training & Machine Gun Company (~250 men, ~4 Maxim HMGs)
  • 4x Carabinieri Company (~550 men)

Equipment (estimated)

• 6000+ Remington Rolling Block rifles, .43 Egyptian
• 2500+ Murata Type 13 rifles, 11×60 mm Murata
• 1000+ Lee-Metford rifles, .303 British
• 500+ Vetterli-Vitali Mod. 1870/87, 10.35×47 mm
• 1000+ other firearms
• 12 Perino 1908 HMGs, 6.5×52 mm Carcano
• 6 Vickers HMGs, .303 British
• 4 Maxim HMGs, 7.92×57 mm Mauser

A Precarious System
Reewiin is in a state of political and institutional flux, and the military arms reflect that. Underequipped, poorly organised, and with a confused approach to doctrine, they are sorely in need of reconfiguring. However, the Defence Council is not free to act - the Government and the General staff all have their own desires for this new era.

The President and his (majority share) party would like to see the Carabinieri reformed into proper second-line troops rather than a semi-regular police force.

The main opposition, the Japanese-backed Monarchists, wish for the 1st Reewiin Regiment's reformation into a Royal Guard regiment. They are unclear as to what precisely this entails, but they are very insistent on it.

Others call for the unification of the Army and the Gendarmes, reforming the three regiments into smaller regional forces, or even combining them into a single deployable brigade.

Meanwhile, the general staff is concerned with issues of logistics, doctrine, training, and equipment. The Army's guns are old, and the Carabinieri are even older. Only one insufficient training company exists, and no staff or artillery college exists. The Army fights with mixed cartridge types of similar sizes which can lead to logistical errors and weapon malfunctions. In summary, there is insufficient logistical support for the Army, which the general staff insists must change immediately.


This is the current situation you face. Your job is to think about how to go forward: discuss what should be done and formulate Write-In Plan Votes describing the long-term objectives you recommend to the Ministry of Defence. You can ask questions, and will receive those answers that would be reasonably known to the council.

While you almost certainly want to make many changes, you are constrained by unpredictable budgets and practical realities. Therefore, each Plan Vote should focus on up to five major undertakings for inclusion in the next Defence Act or recommendation to the general staff:

What does the council recommend to the government and military high command? Please create a plan including at most 5 of the following options, those you consider the highest priority:
[ ] Choose a single cartridge for the military
[ ] Modernise the machine gun units.
[ ] Modernise the artillery units.
[ ] Reform the Army
[ ] Reform the Carabinieri
[ ] Unify the Army and the Carabinieri
[ ] Disband the Carabinieri
[ ] Establish a Bersaglieri group
[ ] Establish a Remount Service to supply horses to the Army
[ ] Establish a Waystation Service to improve communications
[ ] Establish an Air Force
[ ] Establish a Naval Service
[ ] Reform the 1st Reewiin into the Royal Guard
[ ] Find a way to improve Logistics through Horses
[ ] Motorise Logistics
[ ] Establish an infantry training school
[ ] Establish an officer training school
[ ] Establish an artillery school
[ ] Establish a Military Information and Analysis Office
[ ] Establish a Council-controlled Information and Analysis Office
[ ] Write-in


Once again, this vote will determine your broad, long-term objectives. The process of implementing these objectives–also your responsibility–will be covered across turns that cover a number of weeks or months of in-story time dependant on the exact circumstances involved. We will always be clear about how long the next turn will last. While you are welcome–and in fact encouraged–to detail your plan beyond these options, the implementation of those details will still be voted on in later turns. Inclusion is not guaranteed, and this should be expected.

For example, suppose as part of choosing to focus on standardising a single cartridge for the military, you drag out the NATO symbols and create a full TO&E for Reewiin's new model rifle battalion. In that case, the QMs will almost certainly be willing to include the plan as the Defence Council's proposal for battalion reform, alongside other options presented by other parties during the relevant turn vote. If nothing else, it means far less work for us!

 

[yeastmobile]

Map!

 

[Xepheria]

qm requested threadban.

@ILSergenteSalv has been removed from the thread at the request of the QM.

On SV, questmasters have the power to remove any user from their threads for any reason, so long as the reason is not itself against the site rules.

 

[4WheelSword]

Spoiler: Vote Winner

[X] Plan: Foundations for Maneuver (Manufacturing Remix)
- [X] Write-in: Develop a nationalized arms industry.
- [X] Establish a Remount Service to supply horses to the Army
- [X] Find a way to improve logistics through horses
- [X] Establish a Council-controlled Information and Analysis Office
- [X] Reform the Carabinieri

Internal Tension Levels
Government Tension: -10
Military Tension: 30

It is January 1930, and the easy part is done. Having determined your current long-term objectives, what awaits you is the hard work of implementing them.

Good luck.

---

Welcome to the turn structure of the ORBAT quest. This system will be used for the majority of votes from hereon, with the exception of certain key decisions that may need to get made. Each turn you will have a number of points you can spend on options listed below - ways to expand your military, its support structures, and the Council itself. These points represent the investment of time, money, and political will into each part of the plan.

The vote is segmented into a number of sections. Currently, there are two - Industry and Logistics, and Doctrine and Organisation. These are separate areas of focus for the Defence Council and have a maximum number of allocatable points. The Council currently has a maximum of 5 points to spend per turn. A maximum of 3 can be spent in any one section.

All votes also have an Investment category, representing how long the point will be allocated to that particular project. As turns will often cover a period of 3 months, a 3-Month Investment means that the point will be free to use the next turn, a 6-Month Investment means the point will be free after two turns, and so on.

Of particular note are Constant Investments; these require ongoing allocation of a point (representing the Defense Council establishing permanent organizational structures) in exchange for major, ongoing benefits to a given category. This can take the form of bonus, limited-use points, new voting options being unlocked, greater chances of success in the relevant section or sub-section, and so on. Additionally, a point allocated to a Constant Investment can be removed during later turns by taking an applicable voting option, at the cost of losing any bonuses accumulated.

Finally, if a single vote option receives a plurality but not a majority of votes (that is, more than any other but less than half), whether individually or as part of a plan, then the government will send the plans back to the Council for further rounds of voting until a majority is reached. We would encourage you to create plans that are inclusive of as many points of view as possible so as to ensure you reach a majority vote share.

Industry and Logistics

• Armaments

The arms industry in Reewiin is near non-existent. Barring a small factory in the heart of Bur Gaabo producing old, outdated bullets all weapons and ammunition are bought from overseas. These come from all over the world, though Japan has recently taken a more active interest in arming their ally.

[ ] A New Office For A New Industry - Given the time and effort involved in creating an entire arms industry almost entirely from scratch, some on the Defence Council have proposed establishing a dedicated Ordnance Office under our direct jurisdiction. This will allow us to delegate much of the day-to-day administrative work while retaining final decision-making power. (Constant Investment. Effects activate in 3 months, will open up further options in weapon analysis, testing, and doctrinal guidance for use.)

[ ] Modernise The .43 Egyptian - Reewiin's single ammunition factory is dedicated to producing .43 Egyptian for the Carabinieri's Remington rifles. Expanding production and modernizing the round to use smokeless powder will offer immediate dividends at a low cost. (3-Month Investment. Initial production will be low-rate, and improve over time.)

[ ] Production Licencing: Ammunition - Buy the tooling for one calibre of ammunition currently in service or soon to be in service. Expanding the .43 Egyptian factory will not be cheap, but it will be worthwhile. (6-Month Investment. Initial production will be low-rate, and improve over time.)
- [ ] 6.5 mm Arisaka
- [ ] 6.5 mm Carcano
- [ ] .303 British
- [ ] Write-In

[ ] Production Licensing: Rifles - Attempt to buy the rights to produce a rifle design. Include a weapon available in 1930 as a Write-In. Some will be easily acquired, others will be immediately refused. (12-Month Investment. Initial production will be low-rate, and improve over time.)

[ ] Production Licensing: Machine Guns - Attempt to buy the rights to produce a machine gun design. Include a weapon available in 1930 as a Write-In. Some will be easily acquired, others will be immediately refused. (12-Month Investment. Initial production will be low-rate, and improve over time.)

• Breeding and Working

Reewiin has few, if any, large herds of working horses and donkeys. Low-quality pastoral land and the constant threat of endemic horse diseases makes maintaining populations difficult. Nonetheless, it is part of the Defence Council's long-term plan to establish a Remount Service that can provide significant numbers of equines to the Army.

[ ] Establish a Veterinary Oversight Office - Bringing hundreds of horses into Reewiin and establishing breeding programs will require extensive oversight, administrative effort, and coordination. As the Council is largely unfamiliar with the subject, forming an office of qualified professionals to manage the project would be of great use. (Constant Investment. Effects activate in 3 months, will enable better handling of the various breeding programs and equine care in Reewiin.)

[ ] Equine Acquisition: Purchase Arabians - Buy Arabian horses for service en masse from Egypt. They will be monogender, and we will not be able to maintain the line if they're used for breeding stock. They also may not be resistant to AHS/ASS. (3-Month Investment. Sufficient mass of horses should be available in as little as one year.)

[ ] Equine Acquisition: Donkeys & Mules - Buy partially resistant donkeys and mules for service en masse from South Africa. This sturdy stock will immediately enable us to improve our logistical and supply services while being somewhat resistant to AHS/ASS. (3-Month Investment. Sufficient mass of donkeys and mules should be available in as little as one year.)

[ ] Equine Acquisition: Stud Farms - Buy a small number of Arabian studs from the United States. These will make good breeding stock for future programmes. (3-Month Investment. A breeding programme can begin within the year.)

[ ] Equine Acquisition: Requisition Locally - Requisition local Borana horses from the cavalry and agriculture for breeding stock. (3-Month Investment. A breeding programme can begin within the year.)

[ ] Government Action: Push for Equine Conscription - While pastoralism is not exactly a major industry in Reewiin, there are a large number of animals that could put to wartime use were they assessed in a proper census. (3-Month Investment. Implementation will occur at the government's pace.)

• Lanes, Trains, and Automobiles

Reewiin currently has a single railway, a 3'6'' (1067mm) narrow gauge line running from the port of Kismayo out to the mining areas of the West. The line was only ever intended for bulk goods transport and has received no recent investment since its construction by a Japanese firm. If Reewiin is to be brought into the 20th Century, modern transport infrastructure must be prioritized.

[ ] Rail Expansion: Kismayo to Turkana - Improve the train line from Kismayo to the mining regions and extend it to Lake Turkana. The Japanese will likely invest in this project. (6-Month Investment. Construction will begin during this time.)

[ ] Rail Expansion: Bur Gaabo to Mogadishu - Establish a train line from Bur Gaabo, through Kismayo to Mogadishu. The Italians will likely invest in this project. (12-Month Investment. Construction will begin during this time.)

[ ] Rail Expansion: Mombasa to Kismayo - Establish a train line from Mombasa, through Bur Gaabo to Kismayo. The British will likely invest in this project. (12-Month Investment. Construction will begin during this time.)

[ ] Rail Expansion? No! - Request that funds earmarked for rail expansion be used for the roads instead. (Constant Investment. Effects activate immediately, reduces investment time for Road Expansion projects by half. Prevents voting for any Rail Expansion project.)

[ ] Road Expansion: Somali Coast - Build some metalled roads connecting major towns and cities. (6-Month Investment. Construction will begin during this time.)

[ ] Road Expansion: Inland Networks - Improve the unimproved road network to be more extensive and less vulnerable to flooding in the wet season. (6-Month Investment. Construction will begin during this time.)

[ ] Doctrinal Shift: Beasts of Burden - Replace the porter system with draft cattle and other suitable animals. This will require buying or conscripting herds of animals, but can be much simpler than equine husbandry. (3-Month Investment.)

Doctrine and Organisation

• DCIRRO

The Defence Council Informational Research and Review Office of Reewiin (DCIRRO)1 is located in a small side room of the Council's own Bur Gaabo offices. Consisting of a handful of researchers, administrators and non-uniformed experts, their mission is to provide the Defence Council with the information needed to make actual, effective decisions as time goes on.

1. مجلس دفاع رِوين - مكتب الأبحاث والمراجعة (مدرمأا)​

[ ] Establish the Information Review Team - This group will be tasked with drafting reports on various arms of the internal structure of Reewiin. (12-Month Investment. Will enable additional work in this specific area, including write-in Information Review requests.)

[ ] Establish the Analytical Research Team - This group will be tasked with drafting reports on external threats, on internal dynamic shifts and on other non-standard areas of intelligence. (12-Month Investment. Will enable additional work in this specific area, including write-in Analysis requests.)

[ ] Information Review: Army - Determine the state, readiness and mood of the Army. (3-Month Investment.)

[ ] Information Review: Carabinieri - Determine the state, readiness and mood of the Carabinieri. (3-Month Investment.)

[ ] Information Review: Government - Determine what the civilian government wants out of their armed forces. (3-Month Investment.)

[ ] Analysis: Immediate Improvements - Develop and implement 'quick win' organisational changes to improve the Armed Forces. (3-Month Investment.)

[ ] Analysis: Ethiopia - Long-term analysis of the optimal army to defend Reewiin against our eternal enemy, Ethiopia. (6-Month Investment.)

[ ] Analysis: Britain - Long-term analysis of the optimal army to defend Reewiin against our eternal enemy, Britain. (6-Month Investment.)

[ ] Analysis: Italy - Long-term analysis of the optimal army to defend Reewiin against our eternal enemy, Italy. (6-Month Investment.)

[ ] Analysis: The Foreigners Have Some Good Ideas - Form overseas observation teams to take the best ideas from foreign nations. (12-Month Investment.)

• Reforming the Carabinieri

The Carabinieri are the nation's first line of defence against threats both internal and external. It acts as a guard against rebellion and crime in Reewiin's vast interior, and against invasion along the border. Although many feel the organization is outdated or ineffective at its job, nobody seems to agree on exactly how, or even what it should be doing.

[ ] Establish the Carabinieri Oversight Office - No one really keeps an eye on the paramilitary police force that keeps watch over the nation. If the force is to be reformed and re-established in a new role, then oversight is needed at the very least. (Constant Investment. Effects activate in 3 months, will enable a better understanding of both the current issues facing the Carabinieri and of the best ways to enact change.)

[ ] Reform means Reform - Define a new doctrinal goal for the Regional Carabinieri. Are they police? A military force? The Council must decide. (3-Month Investment. Details will be determined by write-in and further votes.)

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There will be a 6-hour moratorium on voting to encourage discussion. The vote will close in three days.

 

[Eukie]

Internal Tension:
Government Tension: 5
Military Tension: 25

Ongoing Projects:
[X] Rail Expansion: Kismayo to Turkana - Improve the train line from Kismayo to the mining regions and extend it to Lake Turkana. The Japanese will likely invest in this project. (3 Months Remain) ☑◻
[X] Establish the Ordnance Office - Developing an arms industry from scratch will take time and effort. An Ordnance Office will allow us to delegate some of that work to specialists.. (Constant Investment.)
[X] Establish the Analytical Research Team - This group will be tasked with drafting reports on external threats, internal dynamic shifts, and other non-standard areas of intelligence. (9 Months Remain) ☑◻◻◻
[X] Establish the Carabinieri Oversight Office - No one really keeps an eye on the paramilitary police force that keeps watch over the nation. If the force is to be reformed and re-established in a new role, then oversight is needed at the very least. (Constant Investment.)

January 1930
International Headlines:
- Rome: Crown Prince Umberto marries Marie José of Belgium
- Lahore: The Indian National Congress votes in favour of a resolution condemning the assassination attempt on the Viceroy.
- Basra: The leaders of the Ikhwan have surrendered to Ibn Saud and British forces. This comes after several years of open rebellion against the colonial British and the collaborationist Ibn Saud.
- Antarctica: The British Australian New Zealand Antarctic Research Expedition explores new territory on the icy continent.
- Berlin: Clashes and assassinations continue between communists and nationalist socialists.
- Watsonville: A fight outside a dance club escalates to a four-day riot between Filipino and white citizens.
- London: The Five Power Naval Disarmament Conference opens in London.
- Mexico City: The Mexican government announces cessation of diplomatic relations with the Soviet Union.
- Madrid: Miguel Primo de Rivera resigns as Prime Minister of Spain.
- Hamburg: Police and communists exchange gunfire at march agitating for general strike. Seventy-six communists are arrested for plotting to stage a riot.

Local Rumours:
- Ethiopia: Ras Gugsa Welle, husband of Empress Zewditu of Ethiopia, stands in open revolt against Ras Tafari, nominated heir to the throne. Rumours suggest he has gathered 30,000 regulars and levies in north-eastern Ethiopia and will be joined by three other members of the nobility. There may be open conflict in the north before the summer comes.

February 1930
International Headlines:
- Mexico City: Pascual Ortiz Rubio assumes presidency of Mexico. A gunman fires six shots at his car, wounding the president in the jaw.
- Rome: Pope Pius XI condemns persecution of Christians in the Soviet Union.
- Paris: A riot breaks out at the Vincennes race track.
- Bogota: Enrique Olaya Herrera is elected president of Columbia.
- Yen Bai: Mutinying forces of the French colonial forces in French Indochina defeated.
- Nanking: An international committee has agreed to bring international lawyers and courts under the jurisdiction of the Chinese government.
- Paris: Camille Chautemps is appointed Prime Minister of France. His government dissolves within a week after a failed attempt to form a left-wing coalition with the Socialist Party.
- Tokyo: The Constitutional Democratic Party attains a majority in the Japanese parliament, ending the previous deadlock. The promised reduction in internal spending and switching to a fixed exchange rate will likely benefit Reewiin in the short and long term.
- Santo Domingo: Rebel forces led by General Rafael Trujillo enter Santo Domingo. The president of the Dominican Republic, Horacio Vásquez, flees.
- Madrid: Spanish government restores censorship of the press and public meetings.

Local Rumours:
- Ethiopia: Mulugeta Yeggazu, Minister of Defence in Ethiopia, has apparently managed to raise a mere 16,000 men from the provincial levies. Worse still, it seems even fewer have actually arrived at their muster point in Dessie. The government of Ras Tafari is weak. With weakness, there is vulnerability.

March 1930
Project Development:
Beast of Burden: A thousand head of cattle have been bought, conscripted, and shipped into Reewiin to serve as the basis for the new logistics corps. They cannot replace the porters entirely, but where the Army used to utilise almost double their number in men, now they use a little under a fifth in oxen. This will not be cheap to maintain, but it will be vital in a potential war.

However, some in the military high command are concerned the cattle will not be able to keep up with troops on the march, and it will still be necessary to hire large amounts of porters in times of war.

Rail Expansion: The first expansions of the line between Kismayo and the mines of Marsabit have been laid, and trains going up the line are now carrying building materials instead of only ballast.

The Japanese have promised significant investment as long as the new line remains in the old 3'6'' (1067mm) gauge and that engines be bought from Japan. All the better to maintain a steady flow of raw materials, their ambassadors say. In return, they will provide enough money to run the track all the way to Lake Turkana and the Western border.

Bureaucratic Growth: The Defence Council has requisitioned three new offices, two new secretarial pools, and another records room to establish the Ordnance Office, the Carabinieri Office, and the Analytical Research Team. Members of the government have voiced concerns that we're spreading our footprint without actually achieving anything.

International News
- Rio de Janeiro: Júlio Prestes is elected president of Brazil.
- Paris: André Tardieu is appointed prime minister of France.
- Santo Domingo: Horacio Vásquez resigns from the presidency of the Dominican Republic. Acting president Rafael Estrella Ureña replaces him.
- Berlin: Following experimental surgery by Erwin Gohrbandt, a Danish painter has become a woman.
- Ebenhausen: Grand Admiral Alfred von Tirpitz dies at age 80.
- Lahore: Followers of former Indian National Congress president Mohandas Gandhi announce a resolution saying they will achieve independence or go to jail.
- Ahmedabad: Former Indian National Congress president Mohandas Gandhi leads followers in a march protesting British salt taxes.
- Washington: Former US president William Howard Taft dies aged 72. President Herbert Hoover announces a thirty-day mourning period.
- Flagstaff: Astronomer Clyde Tombaugh of the University of Kansas announces discovery of Planet X.
- Manilla: Nine US sailors are injured in riots involving local Filipinos.
- Warsaw: President Ignacy Mościcki of Poland refuses resignation of cabinet.
- Philadelphia: Notorious American gangster Alphonse Capone is released from prison after serving ten months for illegal possession of a firearm.
- Rome: Pope Pius XI announces campaign against the Soviet Union's persecution of Christians before a congregation at the St. Peter's basilica.
- Berlin: German chancellor Hermann Müller resigns. Paul von Hindenburg appoints Heinrich Brüning as new chancellor.
- Constantinople: Turkish government announces that Constantinople should be called Istanbul in official communications.
- Tehran: Persia adopts the gold standard.
- Addis Ababa: Succession crisis in Ethiopia! Ras Tafari sends troops to suppress rebellion in the north. The Empress appeals to her husband to stand down.

Events:
Battle in the North: Ras Mulugeta Yeggazu is on the march! With him go the Aircraft of the ETAF! Gugsa Welle musters his forces in Debre Tabor! Battle will be joined before the month is out!

Roll 1d100 to determine the course of the Battle of Anchem (31st March)

Northern Expansion: A debate rages in the President's Office, the House, and military high command. Ethiopia's current crisis has left it weak and vulnerable, and the Army considers this a perfect time to strike. The Northern border is porous and lightly guarded–even the Carabinieri could take control, goes the argument.

The representatives, wary of an extended war, are fighting amongst themselves over how much of Ethiopia can be taken in a swift strike. The Ethiopian Chitet may have only raised ten thousand levied soldiers, but that's still more troops than the Army maintains.

The President has questioned publically if this is the time to liberate the oppressed Oromo in Southern Ethiopia, and has sent a simple query to the Offices of the Defence Council:

"Does the Defence Council consider the Army and the Carabinieri ready to support war and occupation if the government chooses that option?"
[ ] Our military is more than ready to engage and defeat the Ethiopian Army
[ ] Our military is ready to seize parts of Southern Ethiopia and hold it against counterattack
[ ] Our military is not ready for the kinds of operations the Army or government has in mind.

 

[4WheelSword]

Defence Council Divided!
The Council seems unable to come to a firm decision on the matter of readiness. The President asks once more on the eve of possibility: Is the military prepared?
[ ] The Army and the Carabinieri are ready for deployment North
[ ] The Army and the Carabinieri are not ready for action

You have 24 hours to vote.

 

[Eukie]

Scheduled vote count started by Eukie on Dec 16, 2022 at 3:58 PM, finished with 87 posts and 43 votes.

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  19 people have voted

  [X] The Army and the Carabinieri are not ready for action

  • Polgas
  • Wilgus04
  • Lonosic
  • Potato Anarchy
  • Traveller76
  • IamtooSleepy
  • Fission Battery
  • Rat King
  • Havalt300
  • ArvisPresley
  • maelstrom.seeker
  • Redhead222
  • Shadowhisker
  • Silver Gambit
  • dreameater
  • Halocon720
  • Acc. No. 1409
  • C_Z
  • Mortenkam

  14 people have voted

  [X] The Army and the Carabinieri are ready for deployment North

  • Just Some Guy
  • Theaxofwar
  • Woltaire
  • DanganMachin
  • Haruhi is Waifu
  • Hroll
  • Rui
  • Moon
  • Taut_Templar
  • Tabascoheath
  • Mad_Sage
  • Parzival95
  • Blackgold211
  • DeepFriedMarsBar

  6 people have voted

  [X] Our military is not ready for the kinds of operations the Army or government has in mind.

  • LuxemburgLover69
  • RookDeSuit
  • always_confused
  • OldGlory76
  • Inquiring Mind
  • TheyWhoFight

  4 people have voted

  [x] Our military is ready to seize parts of Southern Ethiopia and hold it against counterattack

  • Physici
  • sunrise
  • MordredRaal
  • Volkoff122