We thank you. As everybody knows, Japan is a firm defender of the rule of law and stability in Asia.
As for investment, we would be happy to have Swedish capital and expertise assist in our industrialization projects. Investment will be under normal terms, and the advice and recommendations of Swedish firms will of course be taken into account. However, due to the sensitive political situation and importance to the Japanese state of the projects, Mangyo will have the absolute say in a project's direction
By early 1936, it was becoming clear that the presidential campaign that would dominate the years' headlines would be unlike any other. There was a palpable sense that a dramatic shift was in the cards – all of the energy, all of the momentum, and much of the press coverage was with the insurgent candidates. Unlike in 1932 when they were regional phenomenons, by 1936 both the Popular Front and National Unity were considered mainstream, having controlled wide swathes of Congress for half a decade. The New York Times, among other regional press outlets, sent a cadre of reporters to take up semi-permanent residence in Birmingham's Redmont Hotel, a block away from the NUP's headquarters, to cover the comings and goings of the Huxley campaign.
Writing for the Times, columnist J.B. Hipper described candidate James Huxley as 'man of many contradictions' In his early life, he was derided as a 'scallywag' (a derogatory term for a Southerner who had fought for the Union) who was little better than a traitor. This would normally be an absolute disqualifier for Southern politicians. Huxley spoke with conviction, never passing judgment, but also never expressing regret for the side he chose to fight on. He was also well tuned into the problems facing the South in the war's aftermath, and the disaster of the Depression. His fiery oratory and nationalist, blood and soil entreaties appealed to many an ex-Confederate. Huxley was quoted before a large rally in Biloxi, MS, as saying "Thirty years ago or so, half the people in this crowd were shootin' at me. For the other half, it was their daddies. If I can convince themthat I'm right, I can convince anyone in the country."
When he booms at the microphone, his southern accent undisguised, the crowd instinctively knows 'Hux' is one of their own. - JB Hipper, NYT June 13, 1936
Huxley privately demonstrated little patience for bushwhackers, lost-causers, and in particular the Klan, though he undoubtedly knew that some elements of those groups were intermixed with his supporters. He kept racism to the level of a dog whistle, mainly railing against 'Nechayists' and 'Leftist gangs' while not openly acknowledging that, in the South at least, a disproportionate number of members of those PF-sponsored organizations were black.
Huxley leads a Legion march through Richmond, VA. September 2nd, 1936
The real backbone of Huxley's operation was the National Legion of America. The growth of that organization over the course of the preceding decade had been unprecedented, and after the 1934 mid-terms and the launch of Huxley's 1936 campaign it pulled in even more new members. The Blackshirts, as they were colloquially known, demonstrated a remarkable level of personal loyalty to their "Chief" and Huxley used this advantage wherever he could – they marched, they rallied, they provided security for his campaign events, and they recruited in towns and cities across the country. Scenes of violence between the Blackshirts and counter-protestors organized by the Popular Front occurred sporadically over the course of the campaign.
Jed Greene speaks at a campaign rally in New York- August 9, 1936
While Huxley's legions were on the march in the South and throughout rural America, Judson "Jed" Greene and the Popular Front were locking down the votes of the urban poor and working class, large numbers of blacks who had fled the South, and a sizeable chunk of what had been the Farmer-Labor movement in the northern Midwest and Great Plains states. The Integralists attempted to make inroads amongst the trade unions and in the rural counties, and there was heavy competition for these voters, which the Popular Front appeared to be holding onto for the time being. The coalition was broad, though, and there were intraparty disagreements to sort out, between the more mainstream Socialist Labor Party members and the radicalized Societist Workers Party who were the most recent additions to the Popular Front. The SWP was the more activist faction – they didn't have the national organization of the Legion of America, but organized city by city instead. Overall it was a more chaotic effort on the left, but it didn't lack for energy.
A Popular Front march in Chicago
The respective establishments of both mainstream parties were beside themselves. Several desperate ideas were tossed about, including a proposal to partition the giant state of Montana into as many as 4 different states to increase its voting weight in the Electoral College (defeated by Montana voters by a wide margin in a referendum) to floated idea of a Republican-Democrat unity ticket (neither party would defer to the other)
The GOP Convention
A half-dozen Republicans vied for their party's nomination with no clear frontrunner. In the dozen-odd states that held primaries, Patrick Meacham, the liberal governor of Massachusetts, won a few in the northeast, while others were carried by regional 'favorite son' candidates. The delegates met in Indianapolis in July, and after a dozen inconclusive ballots, the party bosses went into the smoke-filled rooms. When they emerged, they had settled on one of their own, Connecticut senator Aaron Pierce.
Aaron Pierce, GOP standard-bearer
Pierce was establishment with a capital "E". A New England blue blood through and through, the patrician Pierce was a scion of the famed Samuel J Pierce, the founder of Pierce Shipbuilding, and was one of the wealthiest men in Congress. In other words, he was exactly the worst kind of candidate to run against a populist insurgency. In the words of one disgusted delegate: "We have nominated a man holding a candle, while the public wants to vote for the guys with the blowtorches."
In an effort to balance some of Pierce's obvious deficiencies, the delegates nominated a non-politician, retired Army Lt. General Jay Stinson, for the VP slot. A gruff, plain spoken Texan, Stinson was a military careerist and Union war hero (Texas was the only state in the South which had remained loyal to the Union during the Civil War) and had spent the last 20 years in charge of Army Command Southern. For the Republicans, this selection had several things going for it – it balanced the ticket geographically, and was meant to appease GOP hawks who were unimpressed with Pierce's military resume (He had served on a coastal defense ship during the war that hadn't seen combat) There was also some hope that he could flip Texas to the GOP. There were issues with the selection, though – Stinson had shown no previous inclination to enter politics, and had to be lobbied heavily to accept the nomination. He and Pierce had no chemistry whatsoever on the stump, and ended up campaigning apart most of the time.
General Jay Stinson (ret), GOP running mate
Twilight of the Democrats
It had become apparent by mid-1936 that Rollins' re-election campaign was doomed, and that the narrow victory in 1932 had been a poisoned chalice. Opinion polling was still in its infancy, but which polls did exist painted a grim picture for the incumbent. There was a last minute effort at the Democrat convention in Baltimore to push forward another candidate, but Rollins had too much pride to stand down. He gamely campaigned, but appeared listless on the stump at times, in the words of one staffer – "a goose who knows he's cooked." By the fall, Congressional Democrats were distancing themselves from Rollins in a last-ditch effort to save their seats, which would in most case prove to be too little, too late. Come November, there would be a reckoning.
The Dems are in such bad shape they don't even get a picture for this update.
To: Reformistas cc: Nativists
From: United States
cc: Mexico@emberofshadow. Japan
*A courier from the American Embassy delivers the following message*
An agreement has been struck to restore the rightful government of the Kingdom of Hawaii. In short, you're through. You have no international support, and your estates are forfeit to the Kingdom of Hawaii. We encourage you to lay down arms and restore the King, before the forces of the United States and Japan arrive to enforce the agreement. If you do, we'll see to it that you and your families can return to Mexico unharmed. If you force us to fight, things will go...not as well.
Prime-Minister Pearsson has announced his intentions to seek a new mandate as Swedish Prime-Minister in the upcoming 1936 General Election for the Swedish Social Democratic Party. Right now polls point towards a new majority being done however the rise of the Swedish Nordic Front (The Pro-Integralist Party) has ocurred in polls with them scoring 8% of the voting intentions in the latest polls.
Gustav Andersson Leader of the Swedish Nordic Front and the major responsible for the rise of the Party and Integralism Movement in Sweden. Many in the opposition especially the Societists acuse him of being a Prussian Agent.
In other news the recent deals between Sweden and Japan on Steel in Manchuria were well received by the Riksdag. While they are concerns naturally about Japan's conflicts with China amongst some of the more hardline leftists the general view is that the recent deals will strengthen Sweden economically and with a common threat to both in Societist Russia Sweden gains a lot from staying friendly with Japan.
Meanwhile Prime-Minister Pearsson has announced that on the last year of his mandate he will embark on a short one week tour of North America visiting the United States but plans are also being put for a similar visit to be done to Canada as well provided the Government in Ottawa accepts.
As you probably heard our Prime-minister Karl Pearsson will be embarking on a one week tour of North America the following year where he will visit the United States. We were wondering if the Canadian Government would be open to a visit by our Prime-Minister as well. Canada hosts quite a large community of Swedish as well so we would like to meet with your Prime-Minister and the Local Swedish.
Excellent! Perhaps a mutual lowering of tariffs, to encourage mutual trade and investment, would be a good starting place, as well as a state visit by Prime Minister van der Zee?
Excellent! Perhaps a mutual lowering of tariffs, to encourage mutual trade and investment, would be a good starting place, as well as a state visit by Prime Minister van der Zee?
Secret:
We find nothing wrong with that! We shall extend our warmest welcome to the Prime Minister. Also we have much to discuss regarding Albion and her interactions with the Axis...
Dutch Internal Event Rhineland Germans preparing to depart for Nieuw Holland
Following the end of the Great War, and the Dutch acquisition of the Rhineland from West Germany, the Netherlands has on occasion had to deal with ethnic German citizens who are less than enthusiastic about being ruled from Amsterdam. Various programs and education initiatives have done much to integrate them into the general population, but there remains a lingering resentment amongst certain ethnically German communities. While this has never escalated into a full blown insurgency or protest movement, year after year there are occasional spikes in protests, demonstrations, and the occasional riot or two.
It is with this in mind that the Dutch government today announced the Nieuwe Vaderland (New Homeland) initiative. Ethnic Germans who are unsatisfied with life in the United Kingdom of the Netherlands can, instead, choose to emigrate to the Dutch colony of Nieuw Holland in Australasia. There, they will receive subsidized loans from the colonial government in order to establish themselves as permanent residents of the colony. Those ethnic Germans who choose to remain are free to do so, but with the knowledge that it is expected that they integrate themselves more fully into the existing population.
Secret:
We find nothing wrong with that! We shall extend our warmest welcome to the Prime Minister. Also we have much to discuss regarding Albion and her interactions with the Axis...
Well, while we are not of the opinion that joining the Axis lays in the interests of his Majesties government, we do recognize the Axis and The United Kingdom represent the foundation of stable functioning European democracy and share generally cordial relations with one another, we feel it is important Britain make the first steps in establishing a dialogue concerning mutually relevant affairs.
The first of these subjects we'd like to discuss is the situation in Ireland...
As you probably heard our Prime-minister Karl Pearsson will be embarking on a one week tour of North America the following year where he will visit the United States. We were wondering if the Canadian Government would be open to a visit by our Prime-Minister as well. Canada hosts quite a large community of Swedish as well so we would like to meet with your Prime-Minister and the Local Swedish.
To: UKGB
From: Republic of Ireland
SECRET
And what would you have us talk about? As we have said many times in the past, we will not be outright surrendering Ulster to Britain.
Dutch Internal Event Rhineland Germans preparing to depart for Nieuw Holland
Following the end of the Great War, and the Dutch acquisition of the Rhineland from West Germany, the Netherlands has on occasion had to deal with ethnic German citizens who are less than enthusiastic about being ruled from Amsterdam. Various programs and education initiatives have done much to integrate them into the general population, but there remains a lingering resentment amongst certain ethnically German communities. While this has never escalated into a full blown insurgency or protest movement, year after year there are occasional spikes in protests, demonstrations, and the occasional riot or two.
It is with this in mind that the Dutch government today announced the Nieuwe Vaderland (New Homeland) initiative. Ethnic Germans who are unsatisfied with life in the United Kingdom of the Netherlands can, instead, choose to emigrate to the Dutch colony of Nieuw Holland in Australasia. There, they will receive subsidized loans from the colonial government in order to establish themselves as permanent residents of the colony. Those ethnic Germans who choose to remain are free to do so, but with the knowledge that it is expected that they integrate themselves more fully into the existing population.
To: The Netherlands
From: Nieuw Holland Colonial Gov't
We would like to lodge an official protest with the central government regarding the "Nieuwe Vaderland" initiative. While we understand Amsterdam's desire to see a troublesome minority gone, it will not end well for Nieuw Holland if they are simply shunted to our territory to make trouble.
To: UKGB
From: Republic of Ireland
SECRET
And what would you have us talk about? As we have said many times in the past, we will not be outright surrendering Ulster to Britain.
From: UKGB
Secret:
Well it is impossible to deny the fact that the attitude of the people of Ulster is certainly not with remaining a part of the Republic of Ireland. The United Kingdom is finding it quiet hard to ignore the situation.
To: Ulster Rebels
From: UKGB
Secret:
You boys look like you could use some much needed help.
Trade Unions and Syndicates of the Popular Republic of Brazil - I
Members of the COB protesting the government during the Amazon War
Confederação Operária Brasileira (COB)
Following the revolution of 1928, Brazilian trade unions, marginalized and often criminalized under former governments, have become the major force in organizing the economy of the new popular republic. The oldest and most prestigious, but by no means largest, union is the Confederação Operária Brasileira (Brazilian Workers Confederation / COB), whose members have been on the forefront of the societist struggle for thirty years. Even with the swell of support for the societist cause in the past decade, the COB remains the most radical supporter of the revolutionary bend within the societist spectrum. Composed of mostly industrial and transportation unions, the COB is strongest in the large cities of the east and their policies have a clear pro-industrialization and urban bias. The fact that the current general secretary of the Organização Nacional dos Sindicatos (National Organisation of Trade Unions / ONS), Adriano João Neto, is a former representative of the COB, further underlines the importance of the COB within the OSN and the new Brazilian state.
Confederação de Sindicatos de Plantação (CSP)
Rivalling the COB for economic influence is Confederação de Sindicatos de Plantação (Confederation of Plantation Trade Unions / CSP), one of the newest, but already the largest trade union confederation within the ONS. Representing a multitude of rural workers, small farmers and new collective plantations, the CSP is the least politically homogeneous of Brazil's trade union confederations. Former plantation workers, returning victorious and radicalised from the urban slums after the revolution, stand next to pious rural workers, who only learned about the revolution after its victory and remain wary of societist's atheist rethoric, and farmers, who joined the CSP in an attempt to retain their own land in the face of the dispossessed poor returning from the cities. The struggle between die-hard societists and conservative elements somewhat hampers the effectiveness of the CSP and the agricultural sector as a whole. Even armed conflicts between different CSP aligned groups and collectivisation of private farms at gun point are not unheard of and several members of the government wonder whether an intervention into this conflict is justified and, if so, what form it should take.
As the election of 1936 drew near, the Democrat-Republican establishment was growing increasingly concerned. Polling was something of an inexact science – most major polling was done by mail surveys, which took a while to perform and tended to skew towards respondents in higher income brackets, so was more friendly to the establishment parties. Even these raised red flags, though.
Pierce had the clearest path to victory. In 1932 the GOP had flipped several northern states that Grasso and Longpark had carried back from the Democrats. Flipping the rest would allow them to win - The trouble was that the Popular Front was strongest in the industrial Midwest – between the trade unions in the major cities and factory towns, and the farmer-labor voters, Greene had the momentum here. The Democrats and NUP had a smaller footprint in the North, but the latter at least was competitive with the Republicans for the votes of hawks and anti-societists, and attempted to compete with the PF for farmer-labor voters and trade unionists with varying degrees of success. As the election drew close, nervous Governors mobilized National Guard units, expecting unrest.
In the Deep South, Huxley cleaned up as expected, largely at President Rollins' expense. The incumbent ended up carrying only his home state of Georgia. But the NUP also carried a much broader swath of the country than expected – sweeping the border states and scoring unexpected victories in the Plains states of Kansas and Nebraska. With the popular vote split four ways, in many states, pluralities in the 35-45% range were enough to carry a state and its electoral votes.
Pierce performed strongest in New England, and on the West Coast. But the industrial Midwest, on the strength of the urban vote, broke largely for Greene and the PF. On election night, both New York and Pennsylvania were too close to call, but by then it was clear that no candidate would have a majority. In the end, Greene wound up winning PA by about 1.3%, and Pierce took NY by 0.8%.
When the tallies were complete, the electoral vote count stood as:
As no candidate had won the 264 electoral votes needed to secure a majority, under the rules of the 12th Amendment, the election would be settled by Congress for the first time in more than a century.
In the congressional races, the incumbent's unpopularity and the 'throw the bums out' mentality that had permeated the electorate took its toll on the establishment parties. The Democrats faced cataclysmic losses, shedding nearly half their remaining House seats and leaving the party a shell-shocked rump in a distant fourth place. The losses in the South were almost universally at the hands of the NUP. The Republicans lost a dozen house seats as well, as the PF continued to grow. In the Senate, all 25 seats up were held by the Democrats and Republicans, as the insurgent parties had only won their first Senate seats 2 years prior. Of these, 19 were lost, 11 by the Democrats to the NUP and 8 by the Republicans to the PF. Despite the losses, the staggered nature of the Senate elections meant the Democrats still barely held a narrow plurality in a heavily divided chamber.
Projected balance of Congress: House (450 seats) NUP – 168 PF - 110 R - 101 D – 71
Senate (76 seats) D – 25 R – 20
NUP – 17 PF - 14
The first item on the docket for this Congress when they took their seats in January 1937 would be the election of the next President and Vice President of the United States.
From: UKGB
Secret:
Well it is impossible to deny the fact that the attitude of the people of Ulster is certainly not with remaining a part of the Republic of Ireland. The United Kingdom is finding it quiet hard to ignore the situation.
To: UKGB
From: Ireland
SECRET
It is an internal Irish matter, one that does not place British citizens under direct threat. Thus, we will be handling the situation in an orderly and just manner, but thinly-veiled threats will not get Britain any piece of sovereign Irish territory.
To: UKGB
From: Ireland
SECRET
It is an internal Irish matter, one that does not place British citizens under direct threat. Thus, we will be handling the situation in an orderly and just manner, but thinly-veiled threats will not get Britain any piece of sovereign Irish territory.
To: UKGB
From: A number of disparate Ulster Unionist groups
SECRET
You could say that. If you're offering that help, we'd be very appreciative.
Sublime Iranian Empire- 1935-36
Name: Sublime Iranian Empire Head of State: Shahanshah Rahim Khan Qajar, Supreme Shah of all of Iran, and Defender of the faith Head of Government: The Prince of Baghdad Mohammed Khan Qajar, Prime Minister Type of Government: Constitional Monarchy Population: 36,500,000 Capital: Tehran
Domestic
Internal Events:
Shah Rahim visits the Governorate of Palestine meeting with the leaders there. Including his youngest brother, the governor of Jerusalem, Prince Omar Khan Qajar.
While in Jerusalem Rahim speaks to the people of the nation. Promising to expand the economy and make Iran into the most powerful economy in the world.
Mohammed Khan Qajar the Prince of Baghdad is chosen by the parliament to be prime minister of Iran.
History:
The Great Shah of Iran is Rahim Khan Qajar, the second son of Sultan Mohammed Ali Shah Qajar. Rahim seized power from his brother Ahmed in the coup of 1901. Ahmed had become Sultan of Iran after the death of his father when he was hit by a shell while visiting the war in the west.
Although only 17 the young leader was a masterful tactician. Knowing that the Ottomans had a much better army than him. He knew that without local support he couldn't take over Iraq. So he withdrew troops from Northern Iraq and focused on the Shia south. He began to made many alliances with powerful Shi-ites in Iraq. Large rebellions supported by him in Iraq sprung up It would be several more years before sunni leaders supported him, but for now all he needed was rebellions to disrupt the Ottoman supply chains. By the time he marched his troops in he was able to capture nearly the entire Ottoman eastern army with a force half its size. After the battle of Baghdad in 1904 the rest of the Ottoman east fell. Rahim then moved his eyes west. In late 1904 Rahim made a powerful alliance with the emir of Jordan. Rahim's eldest daughter was married to him and as a result much of the Sunni rebels backed him. Once the Ottomans were defeated Rahim consolidated his power.
He divided his empire into 8 regions. Each ruled by a prince in the Qajari family except for the Emirate of Jordan which is ruled by the Hashemite family and the Sultanate of Syria which was given independence in 1918. Below are the regions by relative power.
Name/ruler
The Sultanate of Persia/Shahanshan of the Iranian Empire Rahim Khan Qajar
The Governorate of Mosul/Prince of Baghdad Mohammed Khan Qajar
The Emirate of Jordan/Emir Abdullah Hashemite II
The Governorate of Kuwait/Prince of Kuwait Osman Khan Qajar
The Khanate of Turkestan/ Khan Hamid II Qajar
The Governorate of Armenia/Prince Ujarak Shah Qajar
The Governorate of Palestine/Prince of Jerusalem
The parliament of Iran has relatively little power. The Qajar dynasty rules over Iran with an Iron fist. There is a relatively high level of regional autonomy, however since each region is ruled by the Qajar it is mostly the same wherever you go. But because of the lower centralization regional leaders have more power and they are better equipped at dealing with problems than Ottomans of the past.
The primary method of control though is through the economy. The Qajar own Iranian Petroleum United. One of the largest privately held companies in the world. In spite of their heavy handed monarchy the country actually is very modern with the average citizen having a good amount of rights.
In some areas regionalism is becoming a problem. The Qajari are afraid that they may have to hand over control of some of the regions to local governments, similar to the Emirate of Jordan.
Economic Status:
-Good
-The economy of Iran continues to expand as Iranian Petroleum United increases oil production. Iran is becoming one of the larger producers of oil in Asia.
-The Shah signs a into law a bill that allocates 10% of the profits from oil to expand infrastructure. Up from 5% in the 1932 law.
Military
The shah expands the numbers of the Royal Guards to 750.
Army:
Royal Guard
750
Royal Iranian Defense Force
Eastern Army
46,000 active
30,000 inactive
190 tanks
Western Army
40,000 active
55,000 inactive
400 tanks
Northern army
14,000 active
20,000 inactive
150 tanks
Southern Army
50,000 active
61,000 inactive
300
Iranian Reserve Forces
107,000
850 tanks
Navy:
TBA
Air Force:
TBA
Alliances, Agreements, Pacts, and Trade:
Aleppo Pact (Iran, Turkey, Syria)
Allied to France
Diplomacy:
To: France
From: Empire of Iran
secret:
We have grown tired of your continued support of Arabia. We wish to continue to remain your ally, however your continued dealings with Arabia are worrisome to us. We need our allies to support us and not our greatest enemies. We continue nearly all of the oil in the middle east. Surely our friendship to you is more important than that of the Arabian Desert. We would like to discuss closer ties between our nation, both militarily and economically, but we cannot do this for as long as you prop up Arabian government.
Representatives from Italy, Croatia, the Netherlands, and France all shaking hands after the conclusion of the conference of Milan. No longer would the "Axis Powers" be known as so, instead the conference marked the beginning of the European Axis Society (EAS).
Officials and engineers from France, Italy, Croatia, and the Netherlands met in Milan to discuss future plans for the Axis Powers. After a conference that lasted about three months numerous ideas were proposed in order to increase the overall cooperation between the Axis factions. Of the many ideas presented, these were singled out to become the first set of reforms for the alliance;
Enlargement of the Axis to potential member states
Standardization of military terminology and procedures
A united fund to be created between the member states for the purpose of "regional redevelopment aid" to assist members lagging behind economically
Annual Axis military exercises between the member states
These reforms are hoped to increase the effectiveness of both the joint militaries and the economies of the Axis Powers. The standardization of Axis military terminology and procedures began immediately after the conference as this has been deemed most important. Roughly 1,100 Standardization Agreements were made to codified many of the common practices that the militaries of the Axis take part in. Things like aircraft marshaling signals and naval communications were standardized, so that any Axis aircraft could land at any Axis base. Other standards such as the phonetic alphabet have been created in order to better coordinate radio calls between the numerous factions. Plans to issue 280 modernization loans to mining industries within the Axis is said to help the industry to improve output and reduce costs.
Federalist Party voters surround the exterior of the Leadership Contest following the loss of reform candidate Bonifacio Salcedo
The Federalists looked on at the chaos of the National Conservative Party, the ongoing struggle between the Nationals and the Conservative elite had taken headlines all over the country and the nomination of businessman Domingo Terrazas was a historical event of epic proportions in Colombia, and believed that their victory this year would be all but assured. They were wrong. The Leadership Contest was a mess, constant clashes between reformists and establishment politicians roars to a head when the convention hall is taken over by violence when accusations begin to fly that Hector Cabello, the current Minister of Finance and establishment favorite, and his campaign have been attempting to rig the delegate count in his favor against reform favored candidate Bonifacio Salcedo.
A fistfight degenerates into a massive disturbance among delegates and campaigns. The police are called, order is restored, and the vote count is postponed for three days. In these three days, Bogota sees large, peaceful demonstrations in favor of Senator Salcedo by generally poor and rural masses that haven't been swayed to the National Conservatives yet, decrying the establishment and calling for Cabello's arrest due to rumors of corruption that have followed his career for some time. When the recount would declare Cabello the final winner and the official Federalist Party nominee, the party began to rapidly unravel. Violence once again broke out, and the convention hall was surrounded by a sea of protestors armed with machetes and pitchforks.
While the police restore order after a night of rioting and violence in Bogota and numerous (much smaller) disturbances being felt in other cities, Bogota will recover. The Federalists will not. Senator Salcedo burns his Federalist Party membership card along with several students attending the University of the Andes, Bogota and many Salcedo supporters across the country follow suit. Declaring himself an "Independent Federalist", Salcedo has decided to run an independent campaign. National Conservative candidate Domingo Terrazas seizes on the opportunity to denounce what he calls the "Party of the Oligarchy", calling Cabello a "massive fraud" and a "complete idiot" who needs his wife balance his checkbook.
Next up is the Colombian Workers Federation and their People's National Assembly...
The Bloodiest Luau: Japanese-American Intervention in Hawai'i Japanese SNLF troops land on O'ahu
For the Reformistas, the Mexican-European dominated rebellion, the worst had happened: the Mexican government, their primary benefactors, had succumbed to international pressure and refused to aid them, and now the Nativists had bent a knee to Japan and the United States and were now planning to take back the islands with their military backing. Seeing no alternative, the Fusileros dug in for a fight.
Forces:
US Task Force (Flagship: USS Indianapolis)
1 Cruiser
3 Destroyers
1 Seaplane tender +3 seaplanes for reconnaissance
1,200 Marines
Nativists
Unknown number of native irregulars
~300 Japanese irregulars
"Real" Nativists
Unknown number of native irregulars
Reformistas
~500 Hawaiian Royal Army regulars
~700 Fusileros and other affiliated militia groups
The Intervention
As per their agreement with the Hawaiian Nativist movement, the US Navy and the IJN launched a collaborative effort to oust the Reformistas and restore the native-led government to power.
The heaviest fighting would occur on Hawai'i—the "Big Island"—and on O'ahu, the island that housed Honolulu. These islands had effectively been Reformista strongholds since the coup, and the Fusileros and other allied militia groups had dug in for a hard fight since Mexico abandoned them. The Big Island took several days to secure due to its relative size, but the main population centers and strategic locations were taken with minimal casualties for the US and Japan. The Reformista government on the island surrendered on the fourth day of fighting, and the Fusileros and a number of Reformista officials fled inland to continue a guerilla resistance.
O'ahu was an even tougher nut to crack. Most of the population, defenses, and, naturally, military targets were in and around the capital of Honolulu, and thus naval bombardment and heavy artillery were out of the question; the Fusileros made good use of this handicap, setting up defenses in and around areas of major Western settlement. Still, despite this, the end result was inevitable; after a day of street fighting, the US Marines and the Japanese SNLF laid siege to the Royal Palace, forcing the Reformista government to surrender. With O'ahu in the hands of the intervention force, King Kalākaua was restored and a Nativist-led "governing committee" took power in lieu of an elected government.
The Nativist Split
Of course, not every Hawaiian native was happy with the new arrangement. Almost as soon as the Nativist leadership signed the agreement with Japan, the US, and Mexico, a cabal of Nativist leaders, led by former Assemblyman Francisco Ōpūni, declared that they would not accept the agreement and broke from the main movement. The fracture stole a significant amount of manpower from the Nativists, creating a new thorn in the side of the restored Hawaiian government and the intervening powers.
The Aftermath
With the Reformistas crushed militarily and much of their political leadership captured, the Real Nativists took up the mantle of the primary insurgent force on the islands. Driven underground, the remaining Reformista leaders resisted the restored Nativist government any way they could, but the most prominent was through propaganda. From parts unknown, the Reformistas had gotten ahold of a number of small printing presses and the requisite supplies, and began churning out pamphlets and leaflets blasting the "blatant imperialism" and "foreign perfidy" of Japan and the United States. The pamphlets struck a chord with the Mexican-Hawaiians, who had come out of the whole affair the worst; subjected to brutal reprisals on the part of Nativist forces, despite the efforts of US and Japanese troops, humiliated by Mexico City's abandonment, and generally treated as pariahs by natives, Japanese-Hawaiians, and other Western-Hawaiians, they proved the least cooperative group of people for both the newly-restored royalist government and the occupying US and Japanese troops.
Summary
· King Kalākaua II has been restored to the throne and the Refomista government has been overthrown.
· Minimal casualties for the US and Japan.
· Moderate casualties for the Nativists.
· Moderate casualties for the Reformistas.
· Moderate civilian casualties.
· Brutal reprisals against Mexican-Hawaiians have to be actively put down by the intervening forces.
· The Nativists have split, with the "Real Nativists" continuing a guerilla war of their own against the US and Japanese occupation.
· The Reformistas continue to conduct an underground propaganda campaign against the intervening powers.
While it didn't go perfectly, we're basically satisfied as to how the Hawaiian operation concluded. Our SNLF soldiers had nothing but good things to say about the skill and conduct of your Marines. Now comes the question of what to do moving forward. The Hawaiians previously wanted us to depart soon, but we suspect that their views might have changed in the meantime. Additionally, with the continuing instability, we're reluctant to leave our co-nationals unprotected again. We propose to leave our presence in the islands temporarily as a measure to protect our respective communities. While the government forces hunt down the insurgent groups, we can continue to provide support with heavy weapons, training, and occasional amphibious/shock attacks on strong points that the native forces might be incapable of taking. Do these proposals mesh with your ideas, or do you propose something different?
While it didn't go perfectly, we're basically satisfied as to how the Hawaiian operation concluded. Our SNLF soldiers had nothing but good things to say about the skill and conduct of your Marines. Now comes the question of what to do moving forward. The Hawaiians previously wanted us to depart soon, but we suspect that their views might have changed in the meantime. Additionally, with the continuing instability, we're reluctant to leave our co-nationals unprotected again. We propose to leave our presence in the islands temporarily as a measure to protect our respective communities. While the government forces hunt down the insurgent groups, we can continue to provide support with heavy weapons, training, and occasional amphibious/shock attacks on strong points that the native forces might be incapable of taking. Do these proposals mesh with your ideas, or do you propose something different?
To: Japan @bigseb31213
From: United States of America
Secret:
Yes, we are of similar opinion. Clearly we would be remiss in leaving our nationals and other Western-Hawaiians unprotected from Nativist reprisals.
King Kalākaua owes both his restoration and probably the continuance of his rule to our presence. Officially, they are already treaty bound to accept basing of our forces. A slightly enlarged military presence and role shouldn't be something they'd balk at, at least until this present instability is behind us.
With the withdrawal of French troops from mainland Ukraine, the Ukrainian Civil War suddenly took an unexpected turn. Not only shaking political circles across Europe, it was also cause for shock among the French and Eurasian military establishments. As Royalist troops withdrew, Hetmanate and Societist troops poured in—prompting one of the bloodiest campaigns of the Civiul War so far.
The Withdrawal
The removal of Axis troops was unexpectedly sudden, and as a result a large number of Ukrainians who had supported the Royalists were up the creek without a paddle. The French escorted a number of high-ranking Royalist officers and politicans, but they could not take the population of every hamlet and village that had supported them as well. The resulting withdrawal created a logistical and humanitarian crisis of epic proportions, as thousands of Ukrainians jammed the roads trying to flee the advancing Hetmanate and Societist armies.
The glut of refugees hampered both the retreat of the French and the attempts of the Hetmanate to sweep into former Royalist territory as agreed; while the Hetmanate had an "open arms" policy for Royalist deserters, in practice this was difficult to enforce. Reprisals, while those who perpetrated them were punished severely, still occurred at the hands of Hetmanate forces, and the logistical nightmare slowed the Prussian-backed faction in its advance.
Royalist refugees flee south
The Societists faced similar issues, although they were even more unprepared for the sudden shift than the Central Powers were. Their advance into former Royalist territories were speedy, but also confused and disorganized, a situation not helped by the civilians clogging the roads.
Hetmanate Advances
The primary objective of the Hetmanate, at least for the present year, was the elimination of the Societist rebel enclaves in their territory, especiually the enemy forces in and around the city of Rivne. While the Societist rebels fought tenaciously, in the end there was little the main Societist government or their Eurasian backers could do to aid them. Cut off and starving, the rebel pockets were gradually ground down over the course of several months. Near the end of 1935, Hetmanate forces triumphantly raised their flag over the shattered city of Rivne.
In other areas, the Hetmanate—supported by the Prusso-Polish "volunteer" Falcon Legion—launched an offensive towards the Dnieper River to secure Royalist territory on that side and prevent the Societists from consolidating their forces.
The advance across the Ukrainian plains, aided by Prussian and Hungarian-built aircraft and tanks, was generally a success; the Societist advances into former Royalist territories were disorganized and somewhat piecemeal, and thus it was a relatively simple matter to cut off and destroy their forces. This period saw the largest loss of territory for the Reds during the Civil War so far; the Societists lost not only much of the territory they'd gained, but also a large portion of the western Dniepertovsk and Cherson regions.
Hungarian Toldi II tanks in action with the Falcon Legion, March 1936
By the end of 1936, the Central Powers had reached the Dnieper, and halted their advances despite the protests of Hetman Skoropadskyi. The Societists took the time to shore up their defenses and replace their losses, and now the country was neatly divided along its largest waterway.
The Battle of Kiev
The lynchpin of this year's battles would be the former capital of Ukraine, Kiev. Once barely held by Royalist forces, with both Hetmanate and Societist forces entrenched on the outskirts, the Hetmanate's forces began an advance to seize the city before the Societists could take advantage of the situation. Of course, the Societists had made the capture of the city a priority of their own, and the Hetmanate advance came up against fierce Societist resistance.
The battle devolved quickly into brutal urban combat, with the initiative seesawing between the Hetman's forces and the Reds. As with much of the Civil War until this point, the Dnieper River dictated the style of the battle; neither side could effectively drive the other from their banks. An early Hetmanate attempt to use the city's bridges to cross the river ended in disaster, as Societist artillery and planted explosives obliterated all but one of the crossings, leaving hundreds of Central Powers troops stranded on the other bank. A Red attempt to cross the river with a fleet of makeshift boats was similarly disastrous,with a large number of Societist troops massacred before they'd even gotten halfway.
Societist Red Guards attempt to cross the Dnieper
It became clear that the stalemate could not be broken in the city proper, and with the Hetmanate unwilling to expend large amounts of troops at the present time to cross the Dnieper elsewhere and encircle the city, it would remain that way for the time being. As such, 1936 ended with the two sides peering at each other from across the river and occasionally pounding each other with artillery.
Summary
The Hetmanate effectively controls Ukraine west of the Dnieper, but have been unable to advance further.
The city of Kiev has been effectively pulverized by a year of constant fighting and shelling. The stalemate remains unbroken.
To: France
From: Empire of Iran
secret:
We have grown tired of your continued support of Arabia. We wish to continue to remain your ally, however your continued dealings with Arabia are worrisome to us. We need our allies to support us and not our greatest enemies. We continue nearly all of the oil in the middle east. Surely our friendship to you is more important than that of the Arabian Desert. We would like to discuss closer ties between our nation, both militarily and economically, but we cannot do this for as long as you prop up Arabian government.
Secret: I beg your pardon, but it sounds like you are referring to us in the same fashion a instructor would regard his student with. If this is true, then we ask that you reconsider your 'attitude' towards our partnership with Arabia. We have a long history of cooperating with both your nations, after all, Iranian and French soldiers shared the same battlefields many times during the Great War. To throw away our relationship because of our dealings with a foreign nation is beneath you. We are willing to continue our excellent relations with you, but not at the expense of our friends. We recommend the Iranian foreign ambassador turn a blind eye to the subject, before it causes even further damage to our relationship.
Also, even though you control 'nearly all' the petroleum in the middle east, you do not run a monopoly on the resource. We get more than enough from nations like Mexico, Eygpt and our friends in Arabia.
In the interests of achieving a peaceful and equitable solution to the current conflict in China, the undersigned powers agree to not allow imports of weapons, military equipment, or military-related goods in ports which are under international concession, and classified as "conflict zones" (see appendix).
The undersigned powers reaffirm the inviolability and continued application of relevant commercial treaties with China.
Appendix: the few ports controlled by the Qing are absent from the list
The Japanese Empire
The United Kingdom of Great Britain
The French Empire
The United States of America
