If we are lucky, the tsar's legitimacy will have suffered a great blow from losing the war thus paving the road towards a civil war. That said, a civil war does not gurantee a pro-german government rising to power in Russia, perhaps, it might even give rise to some kind of rabidly nationalistic and revanchist government.
Springtime of Nations II: A European Republic Quest
- Thread starter Etranger
- Start date
- Original Alt. History
- Location
- USA
We're unlikely to be occupying St. Petersburg but it's very likely that the post-war peace settlement, which will almost certainly shave off all of Poland and most of the Balkans, will prove mortal wounds from which the throne is unlikely to recover.
- Location
- Phoenix, Arizona
- Pronouns
- She/Her
What'd we tell you? Vienna by Christmas!
Regency
PFP by vanathema (previously yubishines)
- Location
- Morioh Town, Mt. Ebbot
- Pronouns
- They/Them
He could also, er, die in this war after being conscripted by Russia...or die fighting for Germany where he fled to from the Okhrana. I'm kinda dreading it after Marx got got in 1848 as part of SoN's points of divergence (PoD).
Thankfully, there are other potential Russian revolutionary leadership that could take the space Lenin vacates as figurehead should he perish. Not necessarily Bolshevik either - might be a Socialist Revolutionary like Spiridonova, the less terrible Menshevik like Martov, an anarchist like Makhno, or a Tsarist defector like Brusilov. Or even an OC, whether or not Etranger opted for the PoD date to butterfly away any historical figures born after it. Edit: As an aside, Karl Liebknecht exists (or an "althist cousin/sibling" with the same name), and he was born after SoN's PoD.
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camloste
Corsair
- Location
- the dreams i left behind
god forbid women do anything
They hate to see a girl-boss winning
War Planning: September 1898-November 1898
- Location
- the Republic
- Pronouns
- He/They
War Planning: September 1898-November 1898
As the war nears its second year, the curtain opens on a far different stage.
By seizing Brno and Lvov, the Alliance has thrown the Imperial League into disarray verging on panic, as Russian armies are stranded in Austria and supply shipments intended for Austria are left sitting idle in Russia. The coming season therefore presents an imperative to the League forces: reopen the supply corridor, lest they slowly wither away ahead of the German juggernaut.
In liberated Prague, following a free and fair (albeit somewhat rushed) national election with the tacit approval of occupation forces, Czech and German delegates gather to celebrate their newfound freedom from Austrian imperial oppression. Though Bohemia was one of the more-favored kingdoms in the Quadruple Monarchy, the constant repression of radical thought, periodic crackdowns on Czech identity, and subtle official encouragement of tensions between the two populations combined to make such favor seem incidental at best.
The Prague Assembly issues its first diplomatic communique: a request for annexation by the German Republic, provided that they receive guarantees that the promotion of Czech culture and national identity within the Republic will not be infringed.
Whether they're overcome with revolutionary fervor, conscious of their potentially fatal divisions as an independent republic, fearful of German separatism, or otherwise enacting a carefully-designed stratagem to commit the Republic to their continued liberty, this annexation request represents the considered will of a strong majority of the Prague delegates, and must be considered seriously.
What is to be done?
Bohemia
[] [BOHEMIA] Accept the request.
Bohemia-Moravia will be integrated as part of the German Republic, subject to reconstruction efforts as determined by the National Assembly, with ironclad guarantees for its Czech citizens' cultural and ethnic autonomy. This will be viewed with some concern internationally and will infuriate the Austrians.
[] [BOHEMIA] Defer a decision until after the war.
The request will be tabled until after the conclusion of hostilities. The situation within Bohemia may change substantially between now and then.
[] [BOHEMIA] Decline the request.
The Assembly determines that Bohemia will not be annexed or incorporated into the Republic in any fashion; this issue will not be revisited. The precise nature of its status will be determined following the war.
Military Movements
[] Strengthen defensive positions in Poland.
Army Group Poland will focus on building up defensive positions and logistical support within occupied Poland, while restricting its movements to repulsing incursions.
[] Strengthen defensive positions in Austria.
Army Group Austria will focus on building up defensive positions and logistical support within occupied Austria, while restricting its movements to repulsing incursions.
[] Reallocate troops toward the Austrian front.
In addition to defensive and logistics efforts, send two or three armies from Army Group Poland to reinforce Army Group Austria.
[] Reallocate troops toward the Polish front.
In addition to defensive and logistics efforts, send an army or two from Army Group Austria to reinforce Army Group Poland.
[] Initiate an offensive toward Konigsberg (Gold).
As well as being the former capital of Prussia and home to numerous Republic-sympathizing Germans, Konigsberg is a major supply port for the Russian Baltic Fleet, and losing it would further hamper League maritime efforts.
[] Initiate an offensive toward Minsk (Green).
Minsk is over 500 kilometers away from Warsaw, and it's unlikely that anything but the most dedicated effort would see the Landwehr anywhere near there by the end of summer, but Bialystok and Grodno are both in the line of advance, and pushing deeper into Russia proper would certainly upset the League's defensive strategy.
[] Initiate an offensive toward Kiev (Red).
The capital of Russian Ukraine and the industrial and urban heart of the region. This offensive would be a broad, sweeping motion intended to roll up as much rich Ukrainian farmland as possible, with the city itself almost an afterthought given the enormous strategic value of seizing the Russian breadbasket.
[] Initiate an offensive toward Pressburg (Orange).
The largest and most prosperous city in Slovakia, the capture of Pressburg would be the first incursion of the war into Transleithania, open the way to the Hungarian plain, and further the encirclement of Vienna. However, Pressburg is well-defended by the Carpathian Mountains, as well as its proximity to Vienna, and will be a difficult target.
[] Initiate an offensive toward Vienna (Pink).
Vienna is very well-defended, but it is also the beating heart of the entire Habsburg empire. Even seriously threatening it would force the League forces in Austria to reorient their entire strategic outlook, and taking it could prove deadly to the Austrian imperial project.
[] Initiate an offensive toward Klagenfurt (Purple).
The rail junction at Klagenfurt is the lifeline of the Austrian Alpine defensive line. Attacking it would be very risky, because any offensive force could potentially be caught between the defenders on the line and the League armies outside Vienna, but if successful, the Alpine line would crumble, freeing up the Italian and Spanish forces for their own invasion of Austria.
Italian Front
[] Ask the Allies to stay on the defensive.
Allowing the Italian and Spanish armies to fortify and rest over the winter will help ensure that they're fully prepared for a spring offensive.
[] Ask the Allies to put pressure on the League.
Asking the Allied forces to make attacks against League fortifications in the Alps likely won't accomplish much in terms of territory taken, but it will pin the defenders in place.
[] Ask the Allies to initiate a full offensive.
A serious effort to take the Alpine line would be costly and difficult, but as part of a larger strategy, it could result in overrunning those defenses and moving into Austria and Slovenia proper, paving the way for a joint Allied attack.
Baltic Front
[] Maintain the Baltic blockade.
Keeping the Allied combined fleet on station in the Sound and around Denmark will maintain its position and continue constricting League trade without incurring any major risk.
[] Deploy the Allied fleet to contest the eastern Baltic Sea.
The Allied combined fleet is the dominant force in the Baltic, and moving east to threaten Konigsberg or Klaipeda could be quite useful strategically, and support an offensive against those coastal cities as well. This will also maintain the blockade of the Sound and the western Baltic.
Mediterranean Front
[] Ask the Allies to maintain the situation in the Mediterranean.
By maintaining the blockade on the Austrians, the Allied Mediterranean fleet can keep the pressure on without serious risk.
[] Ask the Allies to threaten the Dalmatian coast.
Dalmatia is singularly unfriendly to any sort of amphibious operation, but after Hoarfrost, even a threat to the region may serve to dislodge some Austrian troops and force them to defend the long, complicated coastline, which could prove strategically useful.
Welcome to the next phase of the Great Eastern War. The following update will encompass September 1898 through November 1898. Autumn is the final season before the snows hit. By fighting during harvest season, you create both tension at home and opportunity in the field.
Each offensive option includes a colored arrow on the map indicating its general direction of advance. Additional territory besides that in the way of the arrow may be taken.
Please vote separately for the Bohemia question, then vote for all the other choices in the form of a plan. Each plan must include one and only one choice from each of the categories, except for Military Movements. Each plan must also include at least one and no more than three choices from Military Movements. Choosing one option indicates full commitment to that choice, with a concomitant greater efficacy. Choosing three options will put substantial strain on your logistics and material support, reducing each choice's efficacy. Choosing two options has the normal chance of success or failure and no positive or negative benefits.
All planks include full utilization of Allied resources, including additional mobilizations, domestic resistance movements in enemy territory, and common sense. Suggestions are welcome but non-binding.
Here, have an example set of votes:
[] [BOHEMIA] Defer a decision until after the war.
[] [PLAN] Case Ostrich
-[] Strengthen defensive positions in Poland.
-[] Strengthen defensive positions in Austria.
-[] Ask the Allies to stay on the defensive.
-[] Maintain the Baltic blockade.
-[] Ask the Allies to maintain the situation in the Mediterranean.
24-hour moratorium to make plans, then 24 hours to vote.
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- Location
- the Republic
- Pronouns
- He/They
I've updated the vote post to separate the Bohemia vote from the war plan. Please vote for your Bohemia choice separately.
- Pronouns
- he/him
alrighty, time for me to try my hand at this planning thing edit: oops, hangman was the last case name, new one
Plan: Case Guillotine
-[] Initiate an offensive toward Konigsberg (Gold).
-[] Initiate an offensive toward Vienna (Pink).
-[] Ask the Allies to initiate a full offensive.
-[] Deploy the Allied fleet to contest the eastern Baltic Sea.
-[] Ask the Allies to maintain the situation in the Mediterranean.
and as to bohemia,
[] [BOHEMIA] Accept the request.
Plan: Case Guillotine
-[] Initiate an offensive toward Konigsberg (Gold).
-[] Initiate an offensive toward Vienna (Pink).
-[] Ask the Allies to initiate a full offensive.
-[] Deploy the Allied fleet to contest the eastern Baltic Sea.
-[] Ask the Allies to maintain the situation in the Mediterranean.
and as to bohemia,
[] [BOHEMIA] Accept the request.
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DracoDracul
Transbian Communist
- Location
- Austin
- Pronouns
- She/They
[] Accept the request.
It's both the moral thing to do and likely to stir resistance groups in the Empire
[]Case Shield and Dagger
-[] Strengthen defensive positions in Poland.
-[] Initiate an offensive toward Vienna (Pink).
-[] Ask the Allies to initiate a full offensive.
-[] Deploy the Allied fleet to contest the eastern Baltic Sea.
-[] Ask the Allies to threaten the Dalmatian coast.
We need to keep their lines divided and because we're out numbered in the Russian front forcing them to attack us will be far more exhausting to to them. Additionally the focus should be on cutting the heart out of the Empire.
It's both the moral thing to do and likely to stir resistance groups in the Empire
[]Case Shield and Dagger
-[] Strengthen defensive positions in Poland.
-[] Initiate an offensive toward Vienna (Pink).
-[] Ask the Allies to initiate a full offensive.
-[] Deploy the Allied fleet to contest the eastern Baltic Sea.
-[] Ask the Allies to threaten the Dalmatian coast.
We need to keep their lines divided and because we're out numbered in the Russian front forcing them to attack us will be far more exhausting to to them. Additionally the focus should be on cutting the heart out of the Empire.
- Location
- America
[] [BOHEMIA] Accept the request.
[] Plan: Long Promised Vienna by Christmas
-[] Initiate an offensive toward Konigsberg (Gold).
-[] Initiate an offensive toward Vienna (Pink).
-[] Ask the Allies to initiate a full offensive.
-[] Deploy the Allied fleet to contest the eastern Baltic Sea.
-[] Ask the Allies to threaten the Dalmatian coast.
For the military options, I'm not 100%, a defensive stance in Poland rather than an Offensive against Konigsberg might be a good idea considering word reaching us of a planned Russian counterattack to relieve Austria.. Or if we want to play a little risky, perhaps all three?
On the other hand though, the Russians have not had the best showing on the offensive, and if they're trying to attack us, then their defenses around Konigsberg will be weakened, and they are getting better on that front.
[] Plan: Long Promised Vienna by Christmas
-[] Initiate an offensive toward Konigsberg (Gold).
-[] Initiate an offensive toward Vienna (Pink).
-[] Ask the Allies to initiate a full offensive.
-[] Deploy the Allied fleet to contest the eastern Baltic Sea.
-[] Ask the Allies to threaten the Dalmatian coast.
For the military options, I'm not 100%, a defensive stance in Poland rather than an Offensive against Konigsberg might be a good idea considering word reaching us of a planned Russian counterattack to relieve Austria.. Or if we want to play a little risky, perhaps all three?
On the other hand though, the Russians have not had the best showing on the offensive, and if they're trying to attack us, then their defenses around Konigsberg will be weakened, and they are getting better on that front.
- Location
- Te Ika-a-Māui
- Pronouns
- She/Her
[] [BOHEMIA] Accept the request.
This is a no-brainer, imo.
[] Plan: Case Republicsberg
-[] Initiate an offensive toward Konigsberg (Gold).
-[] [ITALY] Ask the Allies to stay on the defensive.
-[] [BALTIC] Deploy the Allied fleet to contest the eastern Baltic Sea.
-[] [MED] Ask the Allies to maintain the situation in the Mediterranean.
This is a no-brainer, imo.
[] Plan: Case Republicsberg
-[] Initiate an offensive toward Konigsberg (Gold).
-[] [ITALY] Ask the Allies to stay on the defensive.
-[] [BALTIC] Deploy the Allied fleet to contest the eastern Baltic Sea.
-[] [MED] Ask the Allies to maintain the situation in the Mediterranean.
I am thinking that at this point it might be worth considering Klagenfurt. It's risky but if we pull it off then what are the chances that the Austrians want to spend a winter in the mountains with no supplies? Potentially whatever they have up there might just surrender, saving us from any serious battles in the Alps at all.
I do also think we should accept the request, we should respect self -determination whenever possible.
I do also think we should accept the request, we should respect self -determination whenever possible.
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- Pronouns
- It/Its
Vienna is tempting but tbh I think an attack on Klagenfurt combined with an Italian/Spanish offensive would be more rewarding long term
- Pronouns
- She/They
I feel like we definitely should go defensive in Poland because Russia's going to throw everything they have at Galicia. Strategically, they can't not, and it's a broad front to defend against the full might of the Russian Empire.
Victory parade through vienna, pile all enemy wardead in the center of the city;.
Regency
PFP by vanathema (previously yubishines)
- Location
- Morioh Town, Mt. Ebbot
- Pronouns
- They/Them
Well damn didn't expect the entirety of Bohemia-Moravia to vote for inclusion. II think we should accept. Bohemia is probably one of the only places where a religious social-radicalism could actually be popular. The Taborite Hussites legacy could also legit become the core of republican Czech identity & values if we help foster social radicalism among Hussite Czechs.
They're totally gonna try to retake Lviv, we gotta shore up defenses there.
Okay, although we could do three strategic moves I was advised that their effectiveness would degrade. Let's stick to 2 strategic moves like before the Austrian & Polish fronts joined.
That's why
This plan has my vote
IMO we need leave the decision to guillotine or exile towards an Austrian Assembly. Otherwise, onwards!
Vienna would make Klagenfurt much easier, but that would potentially mean no Klagenfurt until summer next year, which is a long time to keep Italy and Spain essentially out of the war.
Regency
PFP by vanathema (previously yubishines)
- Location
- Morioh Town, Mt. Ebbot
- Pronouns
- They/Them
A simultaneous Italian offensive against an increasingly thinning out Alpine defenses - as mentioned in the updates up to the August 1898 one - while we occupy Imperial forces' attention with an expected strike against Vienna really raises the likelihood of Italo-Spanish forces achieving a breakout into Austria.
- Location
- Your pantry
- Pronouns
- He/Him
We should probably prioritize Klagenfurt, while Vienna is really nice to have, getting the Italians and Spanish to help us man the Ostfront or clean up Austria seems invaluable. Our forces are only getting more and more stretched as the front widens, after all.
- Location
- France
- Pronouns
- She/They
I'm going to second this.
The update makes it very obvious Russia is going to try a desperate attack to get its connection to Austria back. We want to be ready for it. Konigsberg might be okay as it's a short push and tightens our line but I'm afraid their offensive will be in the south and that's where our forces should be too.