February – May, 1936

The French elections continued, though what ramifications these policies have is hard to decipher, because it all seems to be communist gibberish without substance.


Whatever this means, it's unlikely to be good.

Unfortunately, credence is given to their ideology on what immediately became known as Black Monday, when the Berlin stock market crashed. This had effects within hours in the neighboring Netherlands, who relied almost completely on German markets to sustain their economy.


Hopefully this won't create too much discord globally.

Perhaps buoyed by the troubles in Germany, the Commune of France declares its ambitions in foreign policy in a rather stark manner. Their intention was to take revenge against Germany for the defeats of 1871 and 1919. Despite their commitments to international syndicalism, their primary focus was evidently going to be across the Rhine. How Germany will react to this is not yet known.


Ruh-roh!

Closer to home, things are somewhat better. King Edward VIII makes a radio address to the Canadian population, and many Americans tune in as well. He reaffirms his commitment to democracy in Canada, and states that “Despite my obligation to liberate the mother country, I am and shall remain King of Canada, and I shall look to the interests of Canadians as much as British.” In Canada this was met with generally positive reactions, though the British expat community had hoped for a more strident line against the Union of Britain. Americans also felt comforted by this, having a sense of common heritage despite their differences, and finding the King a likable man.


It's a long road to London.
In the US, the training of the militia units is proceeding without incident. Volunteer numbers are low, but easily sufficient for this expansion. The first two militia units were immediately deployed to Chicago and Atlanta – President Hoover was sending a clear message that he would brook no anarchistic or rebellious uprisings in the USA. The deployments were met with protests but little more than that and the sporadic vandalizing of US Army equipment or structures. The other four units would, by mid-April, have been deployed to Detroit, Pittsburgh, Miami, and New Orleans, all strongholds of either the Syndicalists or the Kingfish's populists. Once they were completed President Hoover ordered the raising of three proper infantry divisions, better equipped and trained than the militias were.


Intimidation from D.C., or attempting to keep the peace?


Proper training takes much longer than throwing some farmers into uniforms and giving them rifles.

In Europe, the effects of Black Monday would soon spread across the Continent, from Spain to Russia. The despair was palpable; the economy had hardly been superlative to begin with, and whilst America rejoiced the weakening of Germany and her unreasonable domination of trade, they also feared that what few markets they did have would be eradicated.




The effects are quick and dramatic.


Poland just says “Smurf it, it can sort itself out”

American fears are compounded by the launch of the Reichswagen in Germany. Motor firms in the Northeast were one of the few industries which remained somewhat profitable, as America was incontestably the car manufacturing capital of the world and their products were in demand worldwide. If this new car, specifically designed to be affordable for the everyday German middle classes, took off that could spell disaster for Ford and his ilk.


Ford Motor Company quickly denounces the car as slow and uninspiring.

More bad news for democracy comes in early march, as political chaos in the Australasian Confederation is quickly crushed by Billy Hughes, who ensures that no more clamor for democracy will emerge anytime soon. Hoover and King Edward both condemn this, but are both acutely aware of the need to keep the Confederation onside.


Authoritarian Aussies and Kiwis, who'da thunk it?

Trouble also emerges in German-controlled China, where a rebellious uprising put the Algostasien GmbH's headquarters to the torch. Rebuilding is quick to begin, with considerable security at the site.


A taste of things to come?

Drama erupts in the British Isles in March, as an attempt by the Union of Britain to intimidate the Irish Republic into staying neutral backfired completely. Not confident of Entente power, Ireland swallows her pride and seeks the protection of the Kaiser against UoB aggression. Kaiser Wilhelm II agrees immediately, and it isn't hard to see why – it gives the Reich the ability to encircle Britain and France and to project naval power into the Atlantic with considerably greater ease. President Hoover is infuriated by the news, which he sees as the senseless provocation of a neutral country into a rival camp. Faces are red in London for some time over this.


One of the debacles of our times.

Back at home, there is some surprise when the Vatican fails to send an anticipated communique to D.C. In the south, Charles Coughlin had aligned with Huey Long and had been broadcasting some rather firebrand shows which had stirred up a lot of resentment and giving the Catholic church something of a bad name. He was the prototypical demagogue and at times his broadcasts reached half the country. Despite the desire to see him silenced, Pius XI had apparently decided not to pressure the American government over this, which Hoover and Curtis were deeply thankful for. Had the issue been forced, they could see no way out which didn't upset someone.


God praise the Pope!

Vice-President Curtis guessed that the Pope had probably more pressing concerns, such as the imminent elections in the Socialist Republic of Italy, which controlled the southern half of the peninsula, as well as Sicily.


Papacy or Communists, make your choice.

In Spain, things are almost as bad as they are in the United States. The Carlist claimant of the Spanish throne dies in late March, then in April the legitimate monarch and his state apparatus ban the CNT-FAI – the Federation Anarquista Iberica. It does not take long for the CNT to grow rather unhappy about this, and the police were sent in as a response.


How will his heir guide the movement?



Remember kids, repression always works and never backfires.

South of the border, Mexico's president dies and a military junta takes power. Their current ambitions remain unknown but Washington D.C. heard the word “Intervention” more than once as this crisis erupted. Hoover knew the country was in no shape for a fight like that, and the issue quickly faded into the background. Autocracy continues to march in Russia as well.


Instability in Mexico? Never!


Petr Wrangel continues to impose his will, making a new and loyal bureaucracy to govern Russia.

May was a month of crisis after international incident. First, Panama acceded to the suggestion of the United Provinces that they join the latter country. This puts a country hostile to the US a stone's throw from the Panama Canal Zone. Hoover decides that one of the new infantry units will be deployed to defend the Canal and supplement the existing troops.


Don't even think about it, buster.

In the Far East, Sternberg makes his first move, provoking the Ma Clique into a war. He had secretly sent an envoy to Tibet, who convinced the mountain domain to join in Mongolia's expansionist path, through what means we do not yet know. In any event this places Xibei San Ma in a difficult position, located between Mongolia to the north and Tibet to the south. No help seems forthcoming for the Mas and their hinterland state.



Green is Ma, Red is Mongolia and Tibet.

The French continue to provoke the world, by loudly declaring that it will indeed go ahead with the planned Third International, a meeting of all the major players in the global syndicalist movement. The expected array of guests declare their intention to attend, including the Union of Britain, Bengal, and an American delegation led by John “Jack” Reed.


Problem, Kaiser?


This'll end well.

As the International gets underway, a piece of news is passed to President Hoover's desk which makes him break out the good drink for the first time in months, celebrating with Henry Kaiser and Charles Curtis. One of the projects he contracted at the beginning of the year has yielded fruit, as Union Carbide reports considerable progress on their agrichemistry research. The results will not be fully felt for some time, but the increased efficiency will help the country produce more food and to hopefully do so on somewhat more marginal land. Other projects would also finish in May, one presenting a new standard firearm for infantry use and the other an improved tank model, which the country was in no state to build at the time, but definitely wanted to have in reserve.


The press, of course, barely mentioned the President's achievements except to call him a dirty syndicalist and imply he is Catholic.


Projects as they stood at the end of May.

The major syndicalist powers, France and Britain, waste no time in antagonizing the various powers of the world. Over the course of the International they pledge support for revolutionaries in Spain, America, South America, and Bengal, whilst condemning any country who has ever arrested or even investigated a leftist for any reason. The French also pledge their support for the Socialists in Italy when the time came for their attempted reunification of the peninsula.







Ah, the radical left. Bastion of international cooperation and friendship among men.
The American delegation was of particular note to the President, unsurprisingly. Jack Reed gave a long but admittedly powerful speech about the failures of capitalism in the United States, having a great many statistics committed to memory to support his case, and not shying away from grim stories of the harshness of poverty. Of course, he could have had all the charisma of a damp, eggy fart and France and Britain would have supported him; they knew well that America could prove to be the key element in the future of the world. Still, Reed pledged himself to the democratic process for the time being, and claimed the American experiment in democracy could transition without bloodshed to the syndicalist cause. This was met with incredulity.

In Germany, the government decides to ban the FAUD, the foremost anarcho-syndicalist trade union in the reich. Clearly a response to Syndicalist provocations over the month of May, the French are quickly whipped into an uproar over this. Cooler heads prevail and the Commune leadership is well aware that the time to confront the German Reich has not yet come, as hungry for it as they may be.


We'll have less of that, sonny jim.


French courage on display.
Attention turns to Japan as civil disobedience erupts in Niigata. The government wastes little time in deploying troops to break this up, but it symbolizes a deeper unhappiness in Japan that may not be so easily curbed.


Have you tried... not being repressive?
The months until June were mixed for the USA. Internally, things went relatively well, with the St. Patrick's Day flood only providing the government a chance to appear like it really does care about the citizens, and the Indian Citizenship Act gaining a little sympathy for the administration as well. The minor heart attack suffered by Charles Curtis was big news for a short while, but his rapid recovery seemed to dispel that. Jobs are very slowly increasing and unhappiness decreasing. The situation remains very fragile; nevertheless President Hoover is convinced that a steady and calm hand can keep the ship of state from sinking.


Slow and steady wins the race.

Sidenote: I only discovered when I came to writing this up that the in-game screenshot button does not take screenshots if you have event dialogue onscreen. The three major things missed by this were the St. Patrick's Day Flood, the Indian Citizenship Act, and Vice President Curtis' heart attack, but none of these have significant effects on the situation.

Also, I cannot keep my friggin' tenses straight, I have no clue why. I do apologize.