Out of the Deserts, an Empire rise....

[Hashasheen]

Link to the discussion thread

Part I: Meeting the Stranger
1900 Mecca, Hejaz....
Husayn Bin Ali was returning from the evening prayers to his home, wondering about the fate of his family with the ever greedy and hostile Young Turks in power. Not for the first time did he curses the rise of the Ottoman Empire, and not for the first time did he lament about what he could do to change it.

Besides the Ottomans to the North, there were the British protectorates all around the Peninsula, The Al Rashid held much of the land around his own, while Al Saud cowered in Kuwait. All he could do was to hope to survive the storm, and possibly take with him a few of his enemies with him before meeting his Maker.

"Peace be upon your soul and that of your lineage my good friend" called out a voice in front of him. Husayn drew his dagger and attempted to make out the person in front of him.

"Peace be to he who enjoys the gifts of Allah, the most merciful and kind. Who are you my brother to be wandering about at night, for it will soon become cold as the harsh winter nights pierce our rooms"

The stranger chuckled, causing Husayn to grip his dagger tighter "I wish to speak with you of many troubling things, and how they may benefit you and your family."

Husayn straightened, wondering what course to take next. The man could be an assassin sent to murder him from his numerous rivals, even here in the Hejaz. Alternatively he could be a friend of his sons in Damascus, a member of their Pan-Arabist meetings here with some ill tidings. At the last he made up his mind "come with me to the house, where an old man may enjoy a cup of tea and get out of the cold."

The stranger nodded his acceptance and followed me as I walked past him. As soon as we entered my home I bade him to sit down as I made the tea. After a few moments where he attempted to collect himself, I asked the obvious question "So tell me, son of the dunes, what brings you to my humble home?"

He took a sip of the tea before responding "I have been sent here by divine reasons my Amir, least of which is that war draws on the horizon. I come from a future so dark and terrible that the world split itself asunder, and the 3 Holy Cities were destroyed."

It was here that my shock and disbelief came through "you expect me to believe such tales? Clearly you had better pawn your tales at the local bazaar, where you would fetch a better audience." He raised his hand "If I may present you something that would prove me true?"

I nodded, anxious to get the madman out of my house before certain omens came to stay. He drew a circular plate out of his woven bag and placed it before me, a strange light moved upwards from it as he began to tell his tale, providing images of horrendous things yet to come.

"In less than 14 years, a Great War breaks out, destroying much of Europe and Asia over the avarice and ill will of a few men. It is here that the Great Arab Revolt rose, supported by the hopes of a few idealists, hoping to create a new Arab kingdom, stretching from the Empty Quarter to the hills of Lebanon. They failed unfortunately, with the leaders only receiving a barren backwater as thanks.

After the Great War ended, the British and French colonial administrations took over, placing the region under their control, and with it, leaving the Muslim heartland under Christian control for the first time in centuries. However, a seeping poison took over the forgotten deserts, and it grew in strength and power. It was known as AL Saud.

Less than 2 decades later, a new Great War breaks out, between the numerous hateful and decadent ideologies of the West, killing more than 100 million people. The world was now divided into 2 camps, those supporting an way against God based in the bitter wastelands of the North in Russia, while the other, a decadent and corrupt nation rose to power thanks to the deaths of others, America. They fought against each other and used the Arab people as their tool, while their Lapdog; a newly created Jewish nation, massacred the people of Palestine.

After the destruction of the Russian domain, thanks in a major part to the tireless works of Arabs fighting across the world, Al Saud and their followers turned their sights to America, with their demagoguery and racism turning every nation in the world against us after several massacres of civilians in the West. As punishment Mecca, Medina and Qum were nuked, leaving Quds to be taken by the Jews as their new capital, a gift for years of servitude.

The Remainder of us swore revenge and went underground, hoping for something that could turn the tides before they even happened, and prevent the destruction of the most holy of places. We realized that in the end, the fault lay with us, for we had allowed the Al Saud to rise to power, and their disgusting vitriol that they call true Islam to spread. We need you to destroy Al Saud and every trace that remains, as well as to reunite the world under the Banner of Islam."

It was at that point he handed me his sack filling several curious items. "In this sack are 5 rings able to transport anyone to any area on the face of the earth, 3 alchemy plates capable of copying any substance you wish, ranging from gunpowder to gold, another 5 earrings capable of swaying large audiences to your side and finally 2 major texts detailing the entire modern history of the world up until the destruction of the Holy cities. Good Luck your Highness, for the fate of Islam and the world depends on your actions" and with that the man disappeared, leaving me confused, scared and very honestly in need of a change of clothes.

"Uniting the World under Islam to save Islam? Allah aid the weak" I moaned.

[Hashasheen]

Part II: The Preparations made

Husayn sent missives to his sons, biding them to return to learn of what the Stranger had foretold was to come. Ali, Zeid, Faisal and Abdullah all good men, if a bit naïve at times about the political threats they faced. Each son took one of the rings and an earring, promising to spread the word covertly in Damascus and across the Ottoman Empire, with Zeid even declaring that he would enlist as an officer in the Army to spread the word as well as to gain experience as an officer should the Rebellion go as planned.
Husayn interrupted “but there are several officers that need to be taken care of, least of all Mustafa Kemal, this officer who so easily held his own against the Italians and became the leader of a Turkish Republic. Besides him we need to take care of Fakhri Pasha, Ismail Enver, Aziz bin Al Saud, and Ali Fuat. Besides these, I have noted information that many loyal officers gradually took power for themselves, crippling the chances of a unified Islamic nation. There is much to do in preparations and we must accomplish them quickly. Zeid and Ali are to join the Ottoman Army, as leaders of Cavalry and Infantry. I will leave that to you to decide upon.” He then turned to Faisal and Abdullah while the other two argued over who would join which service “Faisal, your services are required in the diplomatic field, the small and weak protectorates of Britain need to be taken and if done quickly the opposing Sheiks could be killed before the British know what is going on. Abdullah, I need you to raise a dozen assassins as covertly as possible and prepare them to perform their duties as soon as war breaks out, be it with Al Saud or with the Rashid’s.”

[Hashasheen]

Part III: The beginning moves
Hejaz Emirate, 1904…
“My brothers, my comrades, not less than a mile away lies the heretical Ibn Saud of Nejd, with his cowardly bandit army. They have pillaged and sacked much of the Ha’il Emirate, killing innocents and the infirm. This is not the way of Islam.” Husayn stopped to take a breath “this is not the way of Islam, and this is not the way of the Prophet!” The men cheered quietly, hanging on their leader’s every word.
“What he and his men do defiles Islam, defiles the accomplishments made by our forefathers. He claims that he alone is the rightful successor of the Rashidun, and that his Islam is the Truth. But I ask you brothers, what would an uncultured and rabid dog know of Islam?” there was some laughing and jeering at that “I am descended from the same Lineage as the prophet, he who brought the Way to these lands, now corrupted by uncouth and dishonorable dogs. I am a follower of Islam, that which is dedicated to both the Greater and Lesser Jihad’s, unlike this liar, who claims violence is the only way. I am a true child of Allah, unlike the idolatrous spawn of Iblis that wanders these dunes. And I am only as good as those who follow me, so what does that say of you?” the men puffed up at this, pleased at the compliments given “and you are those who should be rewarded for your loyalty and dedication to the faith my brothers, for upon the victorious end of this campaign, each warrior is to receive 300 pieces of gold for cleansing this earth from these decadent apes and a further 200 pieces for he who brings me the head of Ibn Saud!”

The men cheered and charged on, intent on killing as many as possible, intent on proving to themselves and to their leader of their bravery.
Husayn had a different idea in mind.
With the remnants of Ibn Saud’s men veterans, he had taken those most resistant in the Garrisons to the earrings and bought them off, with their ranks replaced by his own men. They were for the most part fresh recruits turning tale for additional gold to supplement their pay, which they would earn at the moment.
Behind him stood over a hundred of his elite guard the freshly dubbed “Ikh-wat al Islam”, manning several howitzers brought along with the host of men. Loaded with grapeshot and placed at the only exit for the hidden valley, they laid in wait for any escaping Ikhwan.
He now watched coldly as the Ikhwan and the Ottoman garrison troops came to blows, with the Ikhwan being pushed to the end of the camp by weight of numbers. They held their own there, with their backs to the walls and able to hid behind the looted supplies. After several hours, the last of the Ikhwan fell, and the severely bloodied and weakened troops, now numbering around a hundred or so, marched back to the entrance, light jokes and weak laughs filling the place.
The troops fell in line with the guard, and began marching back to Mecca, with Husayn intent on claiming the glory of defeating Ibn Saud all for himself.

[Hashasheen]

Part IV: the fallout
1905…
The political capital made had been enormous, with the powerful Rashidi Clan embarrassed, his former enemy dead and the Ottoman Empire gifting him with the title of Emir of the Hejaz and the Nejd. I had in turn also taken the title of Imam, mine by both right of conquest over Al Saud, and as an heir to the Prophet and Guardian of the two most holy cities of Islam. My son Abdullah had taken over the position of Sharif of Mecca, and was running his spy operations against Ha’il from there.
While the Young Turks had not been so thrilled over that, they had been placated with the loot taken from Al Saud, which had a double effect of putting him in the Ottoman Empire’s good graces, something not completely wanted in these days and depriving Al Saud of much of their funds.
The family still remained in Kuwait, under the protection of Sheik Al Sabah, while the Rashidi clan was forced to concede the former Saudi lands to me, thus surrounding the braggarts on two sides. My covert army has begun to increase rather quickly, with former followers of Al Saud dead, more are willing to follow my banner. For this, I was quickly becoming a nuisance similar to the Pasha of Egypt had been before declaring independence. I will have to watch my step from now on.

[Hashasheen]

Part V: The Jews change course…
1900….
“Mr. Herzl, We need to have a little chat” I spoke, cloaked in darkness at Herzl’s home.
“Who are you? What are you doing in my house?” Arrogant fool; did he really expect me to answer such questions.
“I serve the Emir of Mecca, who has a vested interest in allowing the Jews a homeland, indeed he in fact he chosen to support the Jewish National Fund with a large donation of 40,000 pounds.” The fool’s eyes lit up at the amount, greedy bastard he was. One had to wonder about the Stereotype of the money-hungry Jew when this was an easy example. “And what does the Emir of Mecca wish in return for such a benevolent gift?” A smart one, though with recognition that the gift given has several strings tied to it.
“A different location as to where a Jewish homeland may come to be, He humbly suggests that Yemen, a known land with a large Jewish minority become the homeland for the Jewish people.” The Jew grows angry; this will make it easier. “The Jewish people’s home will always be in Judah and Israel, despite whatever a lowly Bedouin may think!”
A grin crosses my face, though he cannot see it “You misunderstand, it wasn’t a request” drawing the Colt pistol from his holster, he pointed it at the now cowering Zionist President, while it changed into its true form.
A hand-held mind modifier.

“No, please. I implore you, sir.” begged Herzl.

“You won’t die, Theodore, I’m just here to make sure you’ll do the things requested of you.” I fired it twice, once to erase the memory and the second to place the orders he will follow. I must be going now, so many minds to modify, so little time…

[Hashasheen]

Part VI: The Great Arab Revolt, Hashasheen style…
1914…
I stand before the Army of the Hejaz, preparing my speech “Brothers, we are on the edge of making History! You are the warriors who defeated the ferocious and lawless Ibn Saud, you are the warriors who seated me on the Emirates of Hejaz and Nejd, who defeated the legions of Ha’il; a people so conflicted that every succession is fought by every possible member. ” They laugh and cheer, well. “The Ottomans are worse, attempting to have Turkish as the main language for the Koran” here is the anger; their devotion is good “They attempt to have us speak Turkish, serve in their armies and bleed in their wars against the People of the Book, who do us no harm. We are in the right and we are the ones who God gives his blessings. Glory to Islam! Glory to the Prophet! Allah hu Akbar!” The men cheer and prepare to move, Yemen has already been assured, with the Ottoman Army there already on the move against Ha’il, with Jewish auxiliaries along. The changes done to the Zionist Congress was impressive, with the President and the other members most willing to consider the offers made thanks to the earrings. Syrian and Iraqi Armies were in the process of revolting against their commanders, and the armored cars bought to supplement the cavalry would be tested under fire.

The War is beginning, and in the end, one Caliphate will rise, and one will fall….

[Hashasheen]

Part VII: Articles of the Hashemite-Etente agreement entering the Hashemites into the Etente…
I. The Hashemite Republic shall receive the territories of the former Ottoman Empire and in these lands shall a new Caliphate be established under Husayn Bin Ali.
II. The Etente recognizes the Hashemite Caliphate as the true successor to the Prophet (PBUHN) and the Rashidun Caliphs, and deems the Ottoman Empire as usurpers.
III. The Etente vow to attempt no interference in the Hashemite Caliphate post-war of either the economical or military variety.
IV. The Etente shall make no promises regarding the lands claimed by the Hashemite Caliphate to other nations.
V. The Etente recognizes the creation of a Jewish national home in Yemen, and recognizes the established government.
VI. The Hashemite Caliphate will guarantee the rights of Christians in pilgrimage to Nazareth, Bethlehem and Jerusalem.
VII. The autonomous millet of Lebanon will become a protectorate under the aegis of the Republic of France
VIII. The Hashemite Caliphate recognizes Imperial Russian influence over the Caucasus and the right for an Armenian national home under Imperial Russian aegis.
IX. The Hashemite Caliphate reaffirms the rights of the People of the Book within its territories and agrees to be under the laws of their respective religious leaders.
X. The Etente will aid the Hashemite Caliphate in equipping and training its army along modern lines. In exchange, the Hashemite Caliphate will provide forces to serve on the Western Front alongside Etente armed forces.

[Hashasheen]

Part VIII: WW1, the Hashemite s kick ass….
History Books…
The speed in which the Hashemite family has risen to power has shocked many a politician and geopolitical thinker. In a fairy tale story, a small noble family fallen on hard times had risen to become a regional power, and then in an act of defiance that seemingly bordered on madness, the Hashemites rebelled against their overlord, the Ottoman Empire.

Their surprise rebellion against their Turkish overlords came swiftly and efficiently, advancing their cause and influence all the way to what is the now the border of the Turkish Emirate of the Hashemite Caliphate. One reason for the swift advance among the deserts and the grasslands of the Fertile Crescent was the amount of time spent cultivating contacts with the Ottoman Armies. The Ottoman military at the time possessed 6 army groups, 3 of which had an Arab majority as the file and rank, and Turkish commanders as the officer class. These Turkish officers were in turn led ably by German generals and commanders loaned to them by the Second Reich under Kaiser Wilhelm.

Within weeks of the revolt beginning, every single Turkish and German officer in these 3 army groups was dead, dying or missing. The Ottomans and the Central Powers later called this a cowardly move by an enemy that had used the shadows and subterfuge to advance its cause. The Hashemites simply called it thinking ahead. What cannot be doubted was the effectiveness in crippling the Ottoman military and denying it the resources of Syria and Iraq against the Hashemite army. This is seen as the early beginning of the Hashasheen, famed assassins serving the will of the Caliphate, recreated from the barbaric and now dead Shia sect of Islam that slaughtered Muslims and Christians alike during the crusade.

Yet the Hashemites and the Ottomans were not the only combatants in the Revolt. The Jewish Expeditionary Forces were raised in Yemen and funds to procure weapons to arm them came from all over the world, thanks to the Jewish Diaspora. The Ha’il Emirate was another vassal of the Ottoman Empire, lead by the Rashid Clan, which often fought amongst itself as to who would be the successor to the emir. There were Arab irregulars who joined the campaign as the battle neared their area, and Armenian rebels who used guerrilla tactics against the Ottoman Empire.

The Ottoman Army based in Yemen was the first to revolt, with its mainly Albanian and Turkish officer class killed or captured without a fight, moving in concert with the JEF on Ha’il. Hejaz and Nejd were fully secured from Ottoman garrisons, and there was a house to house fight in Medina, with the commanding officer Fakhri Pasha executed after the battle. The Syrian and Mesopotamian Armies revolted in the field against the Hashemite advancing elements, gaining an early advantage against the Ottoman Empire.

Not to be denied, another Army was raised and put under the personal control of Enver Pasha, who planned to push the Arab rebels back to Mecca. A battle around Mosul resulted around June 1914, and the result was a close victory for the Hashemite Caliphate, bolstered with French and British technical advisors and weapons. The much needed morale boost served to increase recruiting numbers and the Mesopotamian Front settled around the Kurdish highlands, beginning the trench warfare aspect of the war.

The battle in Ha’il however was not going as well, with near fanatical Rashid resistance and remnants of the Saudi war bands raiding supply lines. Al Qassem and Al Jawf were taken within the early phases of the liberation, while the defending force at Ha’il holding the capital for 2 months before surrendering. The Rashid’s were given a choice between safe passage to Turkey and remaining under Hashemite rule.
Most fled to Turkey and became puppets for the few Arab regiments still serving in the Ottoman Empire, and used as a government in exile by the Ottomans in relation to the Hashemites. Others traveled to America with their retinues, founding some of the early Arab communities on the East Coast, and growing to be a somewhat significant lobbying group up until World War 2 and the entrance of the United States into the war.

The Hashemites advanced into Ankara late 1915, with Turkish resistance eroding and the entrance of Greece into the War….

[Hashasheen]

Part VIV: The Greco-Hashemite War…
“Those damn Greeks will be the death of us, when will they learn!” I muttered. We had not yet began disarming the remaining Turkish divisions and they send troops into Ionia! As my sons came in, I took the time to look at their faces, and besides Faisal, they were all wearing expressions of anger.
“My sons, how have been your individual tasks going?” I asked, curious to see what latest drama befallen us now.

Faisal took the lead, no doubt to soften the blow. “I have recovered the artifacts from Constantinople, father, and they are being placed into the newly built Museum at Amman as we speak.”

“Good, Good, there is indeed a silver lining to every dark cloud. What of your brothers Faisal, how have their tasks gone, for they do not seem to be as joyous as you.”

Ali took his turn “The British and French have refused to allow our forces in France withdraw, stating that they are needed for the next offensive at the Germans. This is despite the fact that their Army of Salonika is rapidly packing up and heading to Marseilles to fight on the Italian and Western Fronts. I have sent a missive to Berlin stating the matter at hand, and informed our men to stand their ground and not fight. It remains to be seen if our “allies” will turn their guns on us.”
Bad, but not what I had not foreseen “Zeid?”

“The Greeks have advanced their forces up into Ionia and have taken Thrace; and Constantinople is under siege as we speak, while our agents in Albania have been able to rustle up a few irregular brigades to hold them off for the time being.” This on the other hand was not so good. “And the latest update on the Caucasian Front?” He winces, this does not appear to look good “the Armenians are resisting heavily in our attempts to annex the area, and there are some White forces assisting them.” I sigh and then lay out his specific orders “We currently have 3 Army groups resting from our recent uprising against the Ottomans; send one to bolster our forces in Armenia. Deploy another in Anatolia and re-arm the Turkish divisions to fight against the Greeks. As for the last one, send it to the Sinai, and inform the British that we would like our men back. Send the same news to the French with a few divisions on Lebanon.”

And now to Abdullah “What news on your current assignment, my son?” Abdullah started after gathering himself “we have some problems concerning the takeover of infrastructure and upgrading some obsolete equipment, but with a steady stream of supplies bought from the Americans, we should be able to begin building our own weapons and factories, as well as expand on our agricultural backbone to be able to become a breadbasket for the region. We are exploring industries to work on in the Caucasus but until the war is over we are limited to expanding the current infrastructure.”

Good news and bad all together “Now that the gritty details are out of the way, how are you all settling into your emirates?” Ah, there is the smiles and laughter I so enjoy seeing my sons.

Faisal “Syria is an easier place to work on considering all the work the Ottomans put into it, but there still are some niggling things to take care of, and the local police force is doing rather well.”

Zeid “Iraq was the poorest province of the Ottoman Empire for a reason, and the problems between Shia and Sunni are something that we will need to work on later, but there is much promise to the province. It doesn’t hurt that Ha’il was incorporated into the province.”

Ali “Hejaz is well and quiet, and while Nejd is a rather troublesome territory, what with their long anti-Hashemite stance, but the oil deposits there are worth it. If need be, I’ll exile them all to America and rely on some of the tribes we are relocating from Yemen.”

Abdullah “Turkey is proving to be most difficult, but the secular factions have been drawn out and blamed for the current losses against the Greeks, which is doing us some benefit. We may have to expand our group somewhat when we take Thrace and Macedonia back.”

Indeed, some wise words from the mouth of a babe. “We can easily have one of the generals take control of Macedonia, while Thrace gets made into a province for Turkey. I suggest we sleep on the matter until tomorrow, good night my sons.”

[Hashasheen]

Part 10: The Emirate of Turkistan…

“What if Enver Pasha remained on his throne as Emir of Turkistan? How would he have responded to the Lenin Letters?” anonymous poster at ChangingHistory.net

One thing that is somewhat surprising was the rise of the Emirate of Turkistan, at first under Enver Pasha, former Minister of War for the Ottoman Empire. Throughout the 20’s and the 30’s did the former Minister attempts to rebuild a Pan-Turkic state take hold, and even then it was thanks to a somewhat influential family. The Al Saud had been hiding out in Iran in the midst of the Great War and afterwards, somewhat protected by the Shah, who worried about his new rivals, the Hashemites.

Understanding their precarious position at the Shah’s court, they gathered what they could and made haste to Turkistan, where they made contact with the self-proclaimed Emir. Under his eye did Wahabism spread strongly among the conservative rural Muslims. Unfortunately, it also strengthened the position of Al Saud, who with numerous victories against Red and White forces, giving them the confidence to revolt against Enver Pasha and claim the Emirate for their own.

One must wonder what would have been Enver Pasha’s response to the offer made by Lenin after the creation of a communist state in Russia. The Lenin Letters as they are now famously called; created one of the most bizarre arrangements in history. The summary of the Letters were a back and forth diplomatic argument between Lenin and the head of Al Saud, over the possibility of an autonomous religious state within the newly created and officially atheist Soviet Union, to remaining an independent nation with a non-aggression pact towards the USSR. Ultimately reality drove both sides to sign an agreement, with the Emirate of Turkistan being formed as a protectorate of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics, and allowing Soviet forces to be stationed in bases around the country. It also forced Al Saud to send soldiers to fight in the Soviet-Polish War and the pacification of the Ukraine. All in all a perfect lord-vassal relationship, despite the disavowals of links to Feudalism by the Soviets.

Meanwhile, while this bizarre sideshow went on, the real battlegrounds were in Greece and Europe, where the Etente and Central Powers were busy rushing troops from their now ending fronts, and rushing them to the French border, where the Arab Expeditionary Forces were being interned by their own allies….

[Hashasheen]

Part 11: A twist of fate, and a whisper in the wind…

The threat made by Caliph-Imam Ali Bin Husayn concerning the Sinai and the Suez canal worked, with the British empire unsure on whether or not to redeploy their troops to Egypt to fight off their “ally”. The British High Command decided in the end to release the Arab Expeditionary Forces back to the Caliphate, which was already combating the Greeks in Ionia and relieving Constantinople.

The Army of Syria; led by Emir Faisal, pushed the Greek military back into the original territory they had taken at the beginning of the war, and was waging a war of deportations, sending nearly all of Ionia’s Greek inhabitants packing to Athens, where an angry populace demanded victories against the Moslem “aggressor”. With the Army of Iraq and the Hejazi Guard already moving in Thrace against lone Greek regiments and heavy raiding on their supply lines, Greece was doomed to lose the war.

At least, that’s what everyone except the Greeks thought. The British and the French were often demanded of additional supplies and extensions of credit, while the Greek Diaspora around the world sent in arms, money and men to war against a battle-hardened foe.

All of it was for naught, with the Hashemite armies marching towards Greek positions in Thrace and completely obliterating; ignoring the south and repeating Hannibal’s failed campaign against Rome, by massacring as many armies and military units as possible, while internal forces served their whims. Greece finally capitulated after the entire Thessaly region was taken, and Athens itself was threatened.
In the end, the terms were harsh:

Hashemite-Greek Peace Treaty, Signed at Milan:

1. The Kingdom of Greece shall withdraw all its citizens and military units from Ionia, Macedonia, Thrace, Pontius and Albania. The Hashemite Caliphate shall do likewise in Greece.
2. The Kingdom of Greece shall pay indemnities of 1,000,000 pounds per annum for a period of 10 year. The Kingdom of Greece will also take the blame for the war, and issue a formal apology to the Hashemite Caliphate.
3. The Regions of Thessaly and Crete are to remain demilitarized regions, and under no circumstances are any military units of any nation to be in the region.
4. The Jewish citizens of Greece are to be expatriated to the Hashemite Caliphate, and settled in the territories of, Pontius and Macedonia.

One of the stranger clauses was the handing over of all Jewish citizens of Greece. While many moved to Macedonia and found the rich communities found until today, many other traveled Yemen, now renamed Himyar, and joined the bustling Jewish Republic.

[Hashasheen]

Part 12: The changes set in motion…

After the end of the Great War, few nations had come off better than they had entered. Those who had had either been far away from the eye of the storm, or came in at a later date. Those nations were the United States of America, The Hashemite Caliphate, and the Empire of Japan (Nippon). France had suffered the most, with a large portion of its male population buried in the battlefields of northern France and Alsace Lorraine. It had gained the new Lebanese protectorate in the Middle East, far from the lofty aspirations of dominating the region as held by right-wingers in government. Britain had maintained its grasp on Egypt, and it’s protectorates in Kuwait and the Oman Trucial States, but had sacrificed the Kingdom of Greece to do so. The Russian Empire had collapsed, with the Bolsheviks, the Finns and the Moslems dividing up the empire as they willed. The Bolshevik government was forced to sign over large portions of lands to other nations, and with the Caucasus lost to the Hashemites and Outer Manchuria to Japan, suffered heavily throughout the Booming Twenties. Italy, having lost so much blood on the mountains of Izono, had only gained the Ionian isles of the Ottoman Empire, and the public was furious over the formation of a Yugoslavian kingdom with land claimed by them. Even more furious were they on the rise of the Hashemite Caliphate, which had been accorded more respect than an old and true ally!

Greece had been torn apart by the Hashemites, with Macedonia and Thrace forever lost to them, and the idea of a Greater Greece now dead. A small-scale civil war was now occurring between the republicans and the royalists, with British arms being sent to support the Royalists. Serbia had become the basis of the new Yugoslavian Kingdom, but was still bitter over the lack of support to be had from the Hashemite Caliphate against the Bulgarian and Austrian foes.

The winners on the Entente side had gained much; America its place on the world stage with a weakened Europe, the Hashemites their desired lands and a new Caliphate under them, and Japan the former territories of Germany in the Pacific and Outer Manchuria on the mainland.

As for the Central Powers, Germany was disarmed of most of its army and forced to pay reparations, while Austria-Hungary was ripped apart to sate the wishes of Serbia, Italy and Romania. Bulgaria had lost much of the land in their southern provinces to the Hashemites, and the indemnity forced on them nearly destroyed what was left of the economy. It was the Ottomans who had come off the worst from the entire CP, having lost their entire nation and their remaining elite fleeing to America and Turkistan, forming anti-Hashemite camps for a while.

[Hashasheen]

Part 13: Education in the Caliphate…..

The Hashemite Caliphate took heavy measures after the war to rid their new provinces of illiteracy, ordering the best sages of the tribes to enter a uniform school system and teach their new pupils how to speak and write formal Arabic. Homework assignments often consisted of memorizing parts of the Quran or old poems and stories and then reciting them in front of the class. The “high school” and college level classes were somewhat different, with 3 buildings built for different courses: the Arts, Sciences and Religion. In the Arts were languages, literature, business & economics, Studio & Performing Arts, Drama and Theater, Dance and several other classes. Sciences dealt with mathematics, biology, physics, chemistry, psychology and alchemy. Religion dealt with the Quran and the Hadith’s, as well as the Sunna. They also reconstructed older texts pertaining to Islam and dealt with Philosophy, Law, Archaeology and History.

All males were required to perform 2 years of service in military, be it the more funded Army or the fledgling Navy. The Army consisted of the Army of Iraq, Turkey, Syria, Macedonia, Albania, Nejd and Hejaz. There was also the Islamic Guards Corps, in charge of the defense of every holy city in the Caliphate, and under the personal command of the Caliph, along with the religious cities in question. They were also used when the time for Hajj came near, handling the major routes and maintaining order in cities.

While conscripts filled the ranks of the Hashemite armies easily, there was always a long-term regular military of 300,000 with several reserve divisions for each regional army, and special units for the emirate in question. The Macedonians and the Albanians for example trained elite alpine divisions in their provinces, while the Hejazi’s, Syrians and the Iraqis trained for desert warfare along with regular trench warfare. The Turks relied on tanks and the like, thanks to the expanding automobile factories.

[Hashasheen]

Part 14: Politics in the Hashemite Caliphate…

The Caliphate and its emirates held parliaments for local elections to pass laws and involve the daily citizenry in the government. That their main requirement was a recommendation by the local priest that the person in question was a good Muslim did not matter to most. What did matter was that women were allowed the right to vote. Despite the riots and noise raised about it, the Caliph Husayn Bin Ali refused to stand down and reminded the reactionaries of the Prophet Muhammad’s (PBUH) record on rights for women, along with what was mentioned on the matter in the Quran and the Hadith’s. Shamefaced, they withdrew their objections and the election went ahead smoothly, with a few complaints of irregular voting. The MP’s were mostly males, with a smattering of females from the Turkish emirates, but never the less it was a start.

Parliament had the right to pass the yearly budget, adjust taxes if needed, and debated over their role and the limits of power they had. Due to the fact the position as Caliph was a hereditary position for the most part and its holder was said to be the regent for the Prophet (PBUHN) of God on earth, there weren’t many dissenters attempting to limit his office.

There was also the formation of the Islamic courts, which was under the rule of the Imamate, which was declared from now on to be held concurrently with the Caliphate, giving him an enormous amount of power. He had the right to create new laws, edit elder ones; providing that there was no confliction with the Quran, rescind fatwa’s made by younger priests and convened the yearly Islamic congress, inviting the top minds of Islam to a series of meeting where practically anything was debated.

[Hashasheen]

Part 15: A Shia rebellion…

During the Great Arab Revolt, the Shia’s of Yemen were grumbled and were discontent with their lot in life. Their lands were being bought by immigrant Jews, and while they enjoyed their original Jewish neighbors company, the new ones were loud, obnoxious and pushy, ignoring traditions and customs laid out in the land since time forgotten in favor of their own. With the revolt by the Hashemites against the Ottomans and both their forces gone, the Yemeni’s felt free to take their revenge against their new Jewish neighbors. What they did not count on was the cunning of the Caliph Husayn, who had specifically left behind several battalions of the JEF to defend Jewish communities and isolated homes, easily repelling the unorganized Yemeni attacks.

After the end of the Great Arab Revolt, the Yemenis were forcibly moved to Nejd, where many of them became honest workers, once there was no Jews to quarrel with, and that they finally got preference over the locals who still had some Wahabist sentiments. Those that still made problems were ejected to the Omani Trucial States; where they occasionally raided Judah border towns, or to Iran, where they made themselves a new life under the Shah, now used to receiving refugees from the Caliphate next door.

[Hashasheen]

Part 16: Baron Von Ungern…
1921…
I am currently crouched behind a small hill, waiting for the Bloody Baron Roman Ungern von Sternburg to make his appearance. With him was his contingent of White Russian troops marching with him to take on the Bolshevik force, all I needed I needed was for them to march into the heavily mined field, and within minutes, all that would be left were charred corpses for whatever predators this backwater of the world had. My contacts in Ulan Bator had easily managed to raise a force of men loyal to the Bogd Khan, and their numbers would be reinforced by the Chinese mercenaries I had hired to ensure no problems were to be had. Lenin had agreed to leave the backwater alone to the Buddhists in exchange for a steady stream of weapons supplies to deal with the Poles on their western border. His “Highness” the Emir Faisal of Turkistan was sending his own troops into East Turkistan as a part of his attempt to placate his Basmachi backers over having to become a vassal to the Soviet Union, and had been forced to sign a non-aggression pact with the Bogd Khan.

[Hashasheen]

Part 17: The meeting of the minds…

“My brothers” I started, hoping to set their minds at ease “I am Husayn Bin Ali, descendant of the Prophet Muhammad, Peace be upon him. I am the ruler of Mecca, Medina, Quds, Basra, Najaf, Damascus, Constantinople, Damascus, Baghdad and Haifa. I am the protector of Himyar, where our cousins the Jews live safely. I am the Sultan of Turkey, and the Sovereign of House Hashim. But most important of all I am the Caliph for the Prophet of God, and the Commander of the Faithful.”

At here began the noise, with priests and delegates from Persia, Afghanistan, India, Egypt, Somalia, Indonesia, and the Maghreb all shouting. I had not invited the Turkistani priests, due to the presence of Al Saud in their lands; I did not trust him not to attempt something. The noise is starting to get annoying; I shall have to quiet them.

“Silence!” Good, now they’re all quiet and sullen. “On what matter do our Persians brothers deny me and mine their right? Or have they fallen so far from Islam that they would not recognize descendants of the Prophet? After all was that not the original cause for our Shia brethren? To see the line of Ali, Husayn and Hassan regain their rightful place?” The gentlemen in question begin to sputter and make apologies, I must press while the time is right “As for our brothers under western control, have I not proven my worth? I have defeated the sons of Osman, those who would taint Islam with the dark light of secularism. I have defeated the men of Al Saud, who cower now in Turkistan, making deals with Satan’s own.” At this point do the Afghani delegates nod. They have realized the threat that Faisal provides to their kind, and they hope that should they support me, I would in turn help them push back the Wahabist menace. “I have humbled the men of Britain, of France and of Greece. I have sent the sons of Russia and Bulgaria home to their grieving families, dead and wounded. I am he who would unify Islam once more, and you are those who would deny the Mahdi his return.”

They mutter among themselves silent and wondering on what is to happen. Finally one of the delegates from Indonesia takes the lead “You speak of your accomplishments with great gusto and arrogance Husayn bin Ali, and they are indeed impressive, but why should we listen to you on the matter of religion? We have long lived our lives without the interference of a Caliph, and we may choose to continue to do so.”

“Rightfully so have you lived without Caliph’s looking over your shoulders, when all they did was demand gold and tribute. But I request neither from you. I wish that you would accept me as your rightful sovereign and for all of you to work together to create a unified Islamic code, workable for this day and age.”

The impressive agreement laid out Husayn Bin Ali and his lineage recognized as Caliphs of nearly every Islamic territory in the world, from the Maghreb to Indonesia. He was seen as their overlord and laid down the religious laws effecting daily life with the assent of the local leaders. This was to prove of great importance come the civil war in Persia and World War 2….

[Hashasheen]

Part 18: Jews of the world unite!

After the creation of the Republic of Himyar by Ashkenazim Jews, and the increased anti-Semitism against Jews in Eastern Europe, there was an increasing will among local Jews to immigrate to the lands under the Hashemite Caliphate. The Jews of the former Russian Empire came in strength to the Caucasus, where dissenting Georgians and Armenians were expelled into Bolshevik Russia and left to fend for themselves, leaving much land for the incoming Jews to live in. Indeed, in the mid 30’s the entire area was renamed the Republic of Khazaria after the incoming Jewish population swamped the local Muslims. Jewish immigrants also settled in Macedonia, the northern coast of Turkey, and the Kurdish territories of Turkey. While the settlements made into the latter areas caused some trouble with the local Mizrahim, the Caliph made sure to have the new immigrants feel welcomed, and in response the local economies grew by leaps and yards, and the Ashkenazim and Mizrahim learned to put aside their differences in faith, culture and tradition and welcome each other as fellow Jews.

Settlements were prepared for old Jews who wished to die in the Promised Land in Palestine, while permission was gained from the British and Egyptian administrations for pilgrimages to Mount Sinai, where a strong Jewish community was beginning to take hold. Indeed Mount Sinai later became the location of the Third Temple after World War 2, when the most heinous of crimes against humanity were committed. Immigrants even came from the United States, which gave the fledgling communities the know-how and skills to improve their homes and businesses and repay the Caliph for his kindness.

[Hashasheen]

Part 19: Civil War in Persia….


After the agreement among the local religious leaders to recognize Husayn Bin Ali as their lord and Caliph, instead of the Shah of Persia, the tide had turned against the autocratic king. Shia all over the country wondered why they should serve a despotic and harsh leader, when their brothers in Iraq and Nejd were under the benevolent rule of Beit Hashim. Supported by Ayatollahs’ in Qum and Tehran they demanded a union of their nation to that of the Caliphate.


The Shah refused, stating that he was the rightful ruler of Persia, and would remain so, under the oversight of the Caliph, his lord and master. The nation erupted into riots and rebellion, with the loyal secret police and army units fighting against tribal militias and the like. Across the border in Turkistan did the Emir Faisal look on with interest, wondering if it would be his time to intervene. Fortunately did the Caliph send his Islamic Guards into Persia, overthrowing the Shah and declaring Persia to now be a part of the Hashemite Caliphate.

He declared himself to be Shah of Persia, and moved to mend to broken ties between Sunni and Shia Islam, saying that he would bring them back together as brothers, as they were in the time of the Prophet (PBUH). His other vassals looked on with wariness and caution, most especially the King of Afghanistan, who was now stuck between 3 behemoths, and none willing to back down. Britain in particular was enraged, due to their interests in the south, but was forced to back down when the Caliph deployed troops to the Indian and Egyptian borders.


In the end he paid a large amount of money as compensation to the businessmen who had lost a large portion of their money in the Revolution, while Britain recognized him as Shah of Persia, and Persia as an integral province of the Caliphate. Despite this, relations weakened between the French, British and the Hashemites, now seen as troublemakers and a problem to the Allies. Aid to Greece, Turkistan and Yugoslavia consequently soared.

[Hashasheen]

Part 20: The Great Depression….
No one knew why the Great Depression happened, or the specific problems leading up to it. What we do know however was the effects made on numerous nations around the world.

Australia: the local economy which had relied so much on agricultural and industrial exports had suffered massive unemployment rates reaching 25%. The only thing preventing it from reaching into the thirties was the huge demand of industrial equipment from the Caliphate.

Canada: Canada’s unemployment reached 20% of the entire population, and once again, only massive demand from the Hashemite Caliphate prevented it from rising, with their need to feed a consumer-hungry population that demanded the latest things.

France: The relative self-sufficiency of France meant that France was protected from the economic damage dealt around the world, but there was an upswing in members of the socialist Popular Front.

Germany: Germany was hard hit; and with the loans made by Americans banks demanded to be paid back in full, the German economy collapsed, and they were unable to pay the reparations demanded by the Allies, and with the rise of the Nazi party…

Japan: Japan responded to the problem by deficit spending, most notably in the field of armaments and munitions. Loans from the Hashemite Caliphate also helped the economy, and prevented devaluation of the currency. Heavy industry increased in Japan, most notably based in the Korean colony, while Light industry remained stronger in the Home Islands.

Italy: Italian economy sharply weakened, with numerous disenfranchised men and women turning to the Socialist and Fascist parties, while a former Italian veteran of World War 1 began to plan his March…

Latin America: Because of high levels of United States investment in Latin American economies, they were severely damaged by the Depression. Within the region, Chile, Bolivia and Peru were particularly badly affected.

Netherlands: the Netherlands suffered greatly from the Depression, which lead the heavy influence of the Nationalist-Socialist party, the NSB. Their influence over Dutch politics grew exponentially, and was a major influence to their joining the Axis powers in World War 2.

South Africa: while demands for South African agricultural exports declined, their new mineral market was the Hashemite Caliphate, anxious to modernize their new territories in Persia and Macedonia. Nevertheless, over 2/5ths of the adult African population lived as paupers.

Soviet Union: The Soviet Union’s apparent immunity to the Great Depression boosted local Socialist and Communist parties around the world, despite the fact their economic strength had been gained at the cost of millions of lives.

Britain: The effects on the industrial areas of Britain were immediate and devastating, as demand for British products collapsed. By the end of 1930 unemployment had more than doubled from .7 million to 2 million (15% of the insured workforce), and exports had fallen in value by 45%.

USA: The United States suffered most of all, having millions of men and women unemployed, most of its industry laying in tatters, and the continuous union strikes against the government, with Pinkerton Agents and the police breaking up strikes, and the entrance of FDR into the White House…

Hashemite Caliphate: The Hashemite Caliphate had barely suffered at all, and as a new nation, began expanding its home markets to an incredibly pace barely rivaled by the economic boom to be had by the United States in the twenties. The economy continued to grow through the Second Great War and several years after, with numerous millions thrown into projects, updating antiquated infrastructure and modernizing education, tax and military systems sometimes left unchanged for over a century. The Hashemites also took the time to solidify their emirates, with the Emir Faisal now in charge of the Macedonian and Albanian Emirates; the Emir Zeid now in charge of both Syria and Iraq; the Emir Ali in charge of Hejaz and Nejd, and the Emir Abdullah in charge of Turkey. The Caliph Husayn ruled over the holy cities under his charge and the new addition the Caliphate, the Emirate of Persia, whose human and mineral resources would prove integral to the Caliphate’s struggle against the Italian and Turkistani foes…

Turkistan: The Khanate of Turkistan (changed after the recognizing of Husayn Bin Ali as Caliph) proved to be most resilient and with Soviet aid, became a strong supplier of oil, precious metals, and foodstuffs and to the Soviet Union, receiving in exchange enough investment to build up its military and industry. Military shoot-outs along the Chinese and Hashemite borders occurred, with heavy-scale raids lead into Chinese territory to gather slaves, maintain their local superiority, and eventually purge the land for Turkistani immigrants to live on.

[Hashasheen]

Part 21: Wrangel’s Fleet….

With the defeat of the White land forces on ground, the remains of the Black Sea Fleet under Admiral Wrangel fled with as many refugees as it could hold through the Straits of Thrace, and landed his fleet at Constantinople, where he plotted out the course of what was to become the largest mercenary force in the world…

I must accomplish this quickly “Admiral?” inserting a bit of hesitancy in my words
The foolish man looks up from his desk, face red with fury at being interrupted “Yes? What is it?”
“Smile for the mind-modifying pistol, Ruskie”’ I grinned as the fool went for his side-arm. Two shots to the head and my current assignment was complete.

Admiral Wrangel decided after refitting his ships in Constantinople, to declare his fleet mercenary and while nominally under the wing of the Grand Duke Cyril, now seeking refuge in France, it’s members held more loyalty to Wrangel; who had bothered to rescue them and their families, than a distant Romanov,. The new naval group was rebuilt with money sent by Russian émigrés in Western Europe, and the gold looted from Russia before the fleeing of the White forces. Renamed as the Free Russian Liberation Navy, and along with the Russian All-Military Union, the Brotherhood of Russian Truth, and the Holy Synod in exile in Yugoslavia, they swore their allegiance to the Russian Imperial Family. Russian refugees constantly filled the ranks of the expanding navy, which spent much of its time harassing Soviet coastal provinces and rescuing refugees and resistance members from the NKVD.

The Holy Synod was allowed to establish itself as a Patriarchate in Antioch, with the Russian Church’s holdings in the Hashemite Caliphate handed over to them, with most European nations recognizing them as the real Church, instead of the Church of Moscow that was being ripped apart. The new Patriarch crowned Duke Cyril as Tsar and Autocrat of all Russias. Wrangel was established as First Marshal of the Russian Peoples and Grand Admiral of the Free Russian Liberation Navy. The formation of a Free Russian Liberation Legions happened during the 5 Year Plans, when numerous Cossacks, Ukrainians and Russians suffered under the heavy weight of Stalin’s rule and fled with the aid of FRLN forces, along whom were many former veterans of the Civil War, of any particular side. These men were reenlisted into the FRLL, and the best of the crop made up the Russian Imperial Guards, responsible for the protection of the Royal Family. The military was funded by donations from the White Russian Diaspora all around the world, as well as several sympathetic powers, such as France, Britain and the Hashemites (though the Hashemite Caliphate has been their biggest supporter, recognizing the Imperial Family as the rightful leaders of Russia).

The Yugoslavian Kingdom were the Russians second largest ally, with the Patriarchy of Belgrade being instituted as an alternative to the now atheist Moscow. Greece was also a close ally (under the Patriarchy of Athens), with Russian troops backing up nationalist forces in the deadly civil war engulfing their land. It was thanks to Russian aid that the civil war in Greece ended, albeit with in the strangest fashion. With the Nationalists unable to accept a democracy to appear in Greece, sure to be dominated by the socialists, and the Republicans unable to accept a return of the monarchy, the war continued and the people suffered.

A compromise was made, resulting in a constitutional monarchy for Greece, with the only problem being who to pick as the King. The Old Royal Family was disliked heavily by most of the populace and was sure to attempt to rebuild their powerbase, and neither the Italians nor Yugoslavians were wanted, due to the dislike of a strong foreign influence. In the end a stunning proposal was to be had and made, and Duke Nikolai of the Romanovs was made King of the Greeks. It was a shot in the arm of the fading Romanov cause, and numerous Russian refugees arrived to Greece to begin their new lives. The possible problem of their not being enough land to share had been softened by the Great Greek Diaspora after the war against the Caliphate, sending tens of thousands of Greek Families to America, and settling in the Mid West primarily, which had numerous towns known as Little Greece. The result of a new Orthodox Church being focused on the Balkans lead to a stronger Living Church, under the control of the Soviets, who took great pains to erase the religious influence, had on the populace.

With the Greeks now having a stable government funded heavily by their former enemy the Hashemite Caliphate; peace was to finally be had in the region, and would remain so until the Italian-Hashemite War, and the Second Great War following on its tail.

[Hashasheen]

Part 23: The Mongolian Confederacy….

The Mongolian Khanate had existed under the Bogd Khan for 9 continuous reincarnations, sometimes under Russian “patronage” and sometimes under Chinese rule. After the Russian Civil War, Mongolia prospered, taking for the first time enemy territory, as it annexed Tannu Tuva and fended off the White Russian forces of Baron Ungern. In the Manchurian War of 1931/1932, the Mengjiang rebels under Prince Teh Wang (Demchugdongrub) were granted independence by the Nationalist Government of China, due to the treaty of Pyongyang, and were formed into the Mengjiang Confederacy for the remained of 1933. After the quick invasion of Mongolia by the Kwantung Army by Commanders Kenshin and Ursrai (who had a strange fetish involving Mongolian camels)as one of their final campaigns, Mongolia and Mengjiang were unified into the Confederate States of Mongolia, with the Bogd Khan as Head of State and Government, and beneath him the Mengjiang princelings. In exchange for swearing fealty to the Emperor of Japan, and allowing the placement of a Mongolian Garrison Army under Commander Shimabukuro Dai'ichi, a commander who had distinguished himself in the Manchurian War against the Dragon Army. The creation of the Mongolian Confederate Army was also made, with a conscripted army of 29,000 men under the control of Prince Teh Wang, who was raised to position of Commander in Chief. There was also a small Confederate fleet of 10 aircraft, donated from both the Japanese and the Hashemites, one of the heavier funders of aerial warfare.

This force was used mainly in fighting off CCP elements wishing to gain easier victories and humiliate the Nationalists and the Dragon Army. The Nationalists had rebased themselves in Chongqing, while the Dragon Army had taken Shanxi, Hebei, Shandong, Tianjin and Beijing, resulting in the First Marshal Zhang declaring himself Emperor under the Heavens. He was mockingly recognized as such by the Japanese and Mongolians, who offered to send a delegation to the Forbidden City. The Ma clique was supported by the Japanese and Hashemite Governments against the CCP, who were wiped out in a concentrated campaign between the Ma, the Dragon Army and the Nationalists.

Mao Zedong was captured by Chiang Kai-shek, earning him a large morale boost among the citizenry. The invasions of the Ma territories by the Turkistani Khanate lead to a whole different playing field, with the Mongolian Garrison Army skirmishing heavily on the Mongolian border. This also resulted in increased skirmishing between Chiang Kai-shek and Zhang Xueliang, who each sought to solidify themselves as the true leader of China.

The Mongolian Confederate Army preformed well alongside the Mongolian Garrison Army, and the Turkistani’s were forced to come to the table and pay compensation. The MCA also aided the encirclement campaign against the CCP, with their greatest victory being against the remnants of the Fourth Red Army.

[Hashasheen]

Part 24: the Sun dawns on the Italian Empire….

Under the years of the Great Depression, Italy had been transformed from a constitutional monarchy to a Fascist Dictatorship under Il Duce who had sadly been assassinated in the late 20’s by an Irish woman known as Violet Gibson. After a short power struggle, Italo Balbo rose to become Prime Minister of Italy. Perhaps had there not been war, Balbo could have lead Italy to greatness among the nations of the world, with his close ties to the American people and well played tactics.

Unfortunately the first attempt by the Italians to expand their empire was met with defeat on the fields of Abyssinia, and Balbo was anxious not to repeat failed expansions into areas that were not cash crops or without control of areas with loyalty to the Italian army. Consequently, his greatest feat was to push for Italian colonization of Eritrea and Italian Somalia, along with Libya, called the Fourth Shore of the Empire.

Due to militarists in the governments demanding military victories, the first aggressive incident of the Italians was to provoke the Romanov Kingdom of Greece into war over the Ionian Islands. Crete was conquered and taken throughout 1937, and despite the threat of war by the Hashemite Caliphate; Britain and France eventually sided with Italy, hoping to keep Italy on their side in a possible war with Germany. While Greece and the Caliphate were furious at this manipulation, Italy was ecstatic, as Italian immigrants swarmed over Crete, expelling Greek citizenry back to the mainland.

This would not be the first time the Italians tested the limits of the Etente demand for an Italian ally, culminating in the invasion of Ethiopia around 1939 and the annexation of the Baleares.

The divisions in Spain were always very deep, with Monarchist pitted against Republican; Catholic against Secular, Spaniard against Basque, and Fascist against Socialist against Anarchist. This ultimately came to a head after the abdication of the king, and the creation of a Republic. In the latter half of the 1930’s, Generalissimo Franco (then General) plotted a revolution against the left-leaning republic. With aid granted by the Italian Empire to ship his elite forces to the mainland from Morocco in exchange for a handover of the Baleares, the Civil War had begun.

The Nationalist side was bolstered heavily by German and Italian arms and “volunteers” who were well trained and experienced, having fought in the Greek Crisis of 1937, as well as training the National Revolutionary Army and their auxiliaries that faced off against the Kwantung Army. On the Republican side were numerous groups, from the International Brigades raised across the world, to the vengeful Greeks who saw this as their chance to bleed the Italians for the loss of Crete. Supporting the Greeks was the FRLL and the FRLN, who had over the course of the 20’s bought the remaining military hardware of Germany for training purposes and then sale to China, but to also buy their own ships from Hashemite shipyards. The FRLL and the FRLN eagerly faced off against the Germans who had less than 2 decades ago had cost them their homes, with the unofficial motto of the FRLL being “take no prisoners”.

While the intervention in Spain had great support among the Italian Catholic population, the people grew weary of a war which their ultimate gains (the Baleares) had already been gained. While inexperienced troops were shuffled into the battlefields to allow veteran brigades to return and man the defenses on Crete and the mainland, this had also cost a larger loss of life. The death knell for the Republican cause when the Communist branch of the Republican Front attempted to declare a Soviet Republic in Galicia, diverting precious resources and men from a front crumbling before a joint Spanish-German offensive towards Madrid.

The new Nationalist government proceeded to seat the former King of Spain back on the throne as a constitutional monarch, and was proclaimed King of the Iberians, an act unsettling to their Portuguese neighbors next door. While the British delivered a stern warning prohibiting any aggressive action against their age old ally, the Iberians contented themselves with rebuilding their military and infrastructure, with heavy pacification programs ordered in the Northern provinces.

The Italians had gained a Pyrrhic victory of sorts, with a new naval base for the Regia Marina, and a strengthened and now veteran military (that had a more capable reserve system). The victories of Greece and Spain had renewed the military in the public’s eye, with thousands signing up to serve in the military. Most signed up in the regular military and served a 5 year term of duty on Greece or the mainland, or served 2 years in the newly created Italian African Corps, specifically being trained for desert warfare and fighting native tribes. The Italian African Corps had a larger fleet of aerial craft, due to the closeness of the hostile Hashemite Empire, along with the area being an important place for ongoing trade from the Pacific.

The large increase in the Italian African Corps without a logical reason resulted in suspicion from the Ethiopian and British; both well aware of Italian designs on East Africa, demanded answers from the Italian government. However, due to the eruption of the Second Great War, British power of the area waned, as the Italian government prepared for its latest expansions in the Dark Continent.

[Hashasheen]

Part 25: the shots heard around the world…

The union with Austria had been allowed by the Etente, despite the wishes of Italy, who was busy consolidating the Cretan territory into their empire. Despite hypocritical Italian protests, they were silenced by their French and British allies, hoping the German giant would be satisfied with this offering. As the Sudeten came next and Britain heralded it and its signatories as the men who stopped a war from happening, so too did they cry against the treachery of Hitler as he annexed Bohemia and Moravia, and turned his hungry gaze towards the Poles.

The British, the French and the Italians were all prolific supporters of Poland, threatening war against Hitler should the barrier of Communism fall. Used to harsh words and little more leveled at him, Hitler invaded Poland in conjunction with the Soviet Union, looking for an easy victory. Despite the hard fought victory gained, this succeeded in doing several things. One: The Tsarists now refused to show any sort of support towards the Germans, and threw their lot in with the Etente. Two: several Polish divisions managed to disperse into the wilderness, creating an effective guerilla network on both sides of the new border. Three: This lead to the entering of the Netherlands into the war, declaring war on Belgium and easily over running it thanks to German made armaments sold to their military.

France fell quickly under the might of the smaller yet fully motorized Germany Army, with British forces heavily mauled at Dunkirk, despite government propaganda making it to be a great victory of sorts. The only thing keeping up the Churchill government was the declaration of a large loan granted to the British government in exchange for British Somalia. The buyer was none other than the Hashemite Caliphate, interested in gaining a foothold in the Red Sea area.

Balbo was stunned by this measure and considered leaving the Alliance system to take care of the Hashemite problem. And thus did the greatest betrayal in the entire war occur. The Italian government received a communiqué from the German Reich, offering French territories in exchange for joining their side. Uninterested by offers made by both sides, the Italians declared neutrality leaning towards the Etente, as the Italian Army preformed operations to prepare for the Illyrian campaign.

The quick defeat of the French armed forces led Balbo to take a huge risk and declare war on the newly created puppet government of Vichy France, which was forced to hand over the provinces of Nice, Savoy and Corsica. The territories of French Africa were also to be handed over, but with a declaration of war against the Germans and Vichy France, Djibouti was swallowed up quickly by the war-anxious neighbor. The French Fleet was able to flee under Rear-Admiral Darlan, carrying with it important dignitaries, France’s gold reserves and much of the French military. Declaring a government in exile in Britain, Free French forces bravely fought alongside Polish, Russian and British forces against German attacks. The Netherlands attempted to maintain a position as a neutral state, as had Italy in the beginning of the war, allowing it to transfer needed supplies from outside nations to Germany.

It was rewarded with a revolt in Indonesia, with the leaders of the revolt declaring fealty to the Caliph, who responded by sending forth an entire group of the navy, as well as numerous bureaucrats and engineers to bring the new territories up to Hashemite standards. While Japan was both irked and pleased that a close ally had entered the region in force, they were worried for the day the Hashemites turned on them. Till then, they amused themselves with a declaration of war on Vichy France, conquering Indo-china and then buying the land in a peace agreement. Hainan was also librated from local warlords and bandits, as the Chinese locals welcomed law & order once more.

The Soviet Union ordered increased focus on the increased conscription of men and women to perform in the Winter Campaign against Finland. While the campaign demonstrated the flaws of the Soviet generals, it also gave way to increased focused on the Stalin Line as means of preventing the rapid German military from turning their eyes on the now deflating Red beast.

The Italians declared war on Yugoslavia, with their better equipped and well experienced army, was well able to take advantage and within the year the Yugoslavians were forced to cede Slovenia and Croatia to the Italians, quickly placed under less trusted members of the Royal Family, and were ordered to incorporate the “Illyrian” provinces into the empire as soon as possible, raising divisions of local soldiers to provide for counter-guerilla operations and policing the new territories. When times grew desperate in the later parts of the war, the Italians conscripted thousands of Illyrians to serve as cannon fodder against the Hashemite horde.

[Hashasheen]

Part 26.A: the Hashemite march to war….

Rome’s greatest rival for influence and expanded territory was always the Hashemite Caliphate. From the prevented war against a weak Greece (despite the fact they still got away with Crete)to the “volunteer” brigades facing down the Italian war machine in Spain, the Caliph had always been a thorn in the way of Italian imperial dreams. While Italo Balbo maintained a moderate course as Prime minster of Italy, he had always been pushed by Italian reactionaries in the navy and the foreign ministry to face off against the Hashemite Caliphate. With increased funding to defend the far flung empire, the Italian African Corps were ordered to provoke the Ethiopians, and with the Walwal incident, the IAC swiftly overran the border contingents. Britain and the Free French both remained silent because they needed Italian arms to be turned against Germany, and because they were too focused on the German bombing of Britain to support the Ethiopians.

The Hashemite responded with an allowance for volunteers to flow through from the Hashemite Somalia, along with much needed arms and ammunition. The front slowed down around Axum and the Warieu Pass as a result, and the furious Italian commanders conspired to weaken the Hashemites with a fatal blow. An innovative tactic formulized by the Prime Minister was to be used, involving the entire Italian Navy currently not in use, much of the IAC’s air force, and several chemical weapons were picked. And what were their targets?

The 2 most holy cities of Islam; Mecca and Medina, the offensive to coincide at the time of pilgrimage, and when all Muslims set aside their differences to perform a Pillar of Islam. (This isn’t going to end well…:D)

In retrospect, it is hard to see what drove the Italians to such a measure, knowing that it would only rouse a sleeping beast. The Prime minister in particular is a great confusion, seeing as how he showed great respect to the Caliph before the current problem arose. Never the less, the plans were put forward, and the troops were called up from reserve to be trained in secret.

While the Italians reluctantly agreed to maintain a month long truce to allow the Hajj to continue peacefully, the commanding officers in charge of the attack cheered. Moslem Italians were planted all over the Caliphate, shipped explosives to take care of local garrisons and to make contact with possible underground groups. Albania and Hashemite Somalia were chosen as where offensive campaigns were to be launched if needed. The prevailing view among the Italians was that the Hashemites were similar to the Soviets, a braggart military only taking on weakened and crippled foes (Conveniently forgetting their part in the Great War, as well as their volunteer brigades in Spain) and would crumble under the boots of Roman soldiers.

The bombings kicked off precisely at the noontime prayers, with an entire battleship group bombing Mecca and the Kaaba. Thousands were killed due to the fired canisters of Sarin, along with other agents, though the Caliph escaped harm. Bombings set off in every port had in the Caliphate and in port ships getting attacked resulted in a lot of damage. Italian African Corps attacked their surprised opponents who despite no orders, held their ground against overwhelming numbers.

When the dust had settled down and the numbers were had, Hashemite anger rose to unknown levels. Before a furious crowd of a million in Qum, the Caliph promised that the by the end of the war, the Italian language would only be spoken by the dead. The cowardly attack on Mecca and the slaughter of civilians would be returned in favor, as the Caliph promised to sack Rome and salt the ground beneath it.

He reported already of an invasion of Albania and Somalia, and exhorted all to contribute to the war effort and to avenge the dead of Mecca. He called upon reserve soldiers of the Caliphate to prepare for battle and take no prisoners. He asked the mandate from the people of the Caliphate to prosecute the war to its fullest extent.

Responses from Britain and France denounced the affair and avowed all knowledge of the affair. The United States cut off all contacts with Italy and removed its ambassador from Rome. The Japanese had followed suit, and in short order, most of the free world denounced the actions of the belligerent and aggressive Mediterranean power. Italo declared this to be “The Final War of Defense our great people need in order to assure their safety”.

In the offices of Damascus, a rather interesting recipe was given the Hashemite High Command….

[Hashasheen]

Part 26.B: Hashemites fight back….

The cowardly and barbaric attack by the Italians had severely ruined their credibility and standing across the world, with only Hitler willing to support their actions, something hardly helpful. As the standing Hashemite Mediterranean, Black, Dead and Red Seas and Persian Gulf fleets were crippled, Italian diplomats expected to hand out a severe peace towards the Hashemites.

Their terms were as such:
1. The Hashemite Caliphate is to cede their Somalian and Albanian territories.
2. The Hashemite Caliphate is to apologize for provoking the Italian Empire
3. The Hashemites are to pay compensation of 1 billion liras per year
4. The Hashemites are to give major subsidies of oil and other materials to the Italian Empire.

The Caliph’s response?

He had them all shot before dragging them through the streets. He refused to rest till rubble in Rome was below the Dead Sea, and swore that for every Hashemite life lost, 10 Italian lives would be taken in return. He ordered the return of the Pacific fleets back to the homeland, and with numbers overflowing for recruitment, ordered the creation of 3 new armies, while reforming the older ones. The Hashemite Army expanded to fit 13 million, easily outnumbering the Italians, while American and Czechoslovakian bought blueprints resulted in a heavily mechanized and equipped military force. The Navy was hurriedly rebuilding its forces, but a strong navy capable of launching strikes at Italy would not be available till 1942, even with the aid of Greek and Free Russian naval forces. The Air force however was immediately able to respond, bombarding Italian Somalia and the Boot of Italy as often as possible, with military research being focused on usage of rockets similar to the V1’s bombarding Britain.

Italian forces in Africa faced a massive uprising on their hands, once local Moslems received news on what happened. Mass defections occurred daily, with the Italian Army forced to bring more of its reserve forces to continue fighting on a two front line. An Italian invasion of Albania stalled rather quickly, while a full blown rebellion occurred in Algeria where local militiamen broke into stores of military arms and took the capital by force.

Hashemite strength quickly grew throughout 1940, and with the successful retaking of East Africa (and a treaty signed with the Emperor of Ethiopia ceding all of Somalia to the Caliphate in exchange for as much help as possible rebuilding his country), the Caliph turned his eyes towards Italian North Africa, where Italian African Corps fought with militiamen and a strong militant movement among local youth, called the Taliban. The Taliban were stalwart supporters of the Caliph, provoking riots in the cities, raiding Italian arms and neighborhoods, as well as tying down numerous battalions of Blackshirts who had taken over the local police duties after they had joined the militias.

The Hashemite invasion of North Africa was code-named Operation Hayedar, after the sword of the Imam Ali. It consisted of a 3 pronged attack, a naval group to launch raids on the Italian mainland in a bid to make the Italian military intelligence believe they were forgoing the southern provinces in favor of sacking Italy (while this had been suggested by numerous generals, the Caliph remained resolute in his wish draw out the punishment as much as possible). A second naval group was to attack Crete; supported by paratroopers and Greek and Free Russian auxiliaries (the latter later decided to move its forces against Soviet Russia after operation Barbarossa). The third and last naval group was to assault Cyrenaica as a foothold to drop off most of the ground forces that would set up camp, before blockading the rest of the coast from Italian supply lines and relief forces.

The invasion of North Africa had unfortunately been stalled once because of the declaration of war by Bulgaria, seeing a chance to recover the territory lost in WW1. While Bulgarian units fighting alongside Germany in Russia were unable to withdraw to aid in the defense of their homeland, Romanian units were more than happy to march in their lands; taking over much of the Northern provinces. Bulgaria attempted to settle terms with the Hashemites, but their anger at Italy spilled over to Bulgaria, and much of the people were sent fleeing towards Romania and Serbia; which had taken the far most western province as a buffer.

Operation Hayedar went off without a problem, with the recreated Hejazi Army being the tip of the Spearhead that punched through the Italian African Corps and pushed all the way to the Tunisian province. The Italians held that area throughout 1941, despite little reinforcement and supplies getting through, and the near daily bombardment through artillery and bombers. The Tunis pocket finally collapsed November 1941, and every resident behind the front was butchered and put in mass graves.

With the African front now cleared, and 2 of the Italian armies completely butchered, Hashemite guns turned towards Italy and Illyria…

[Hashasheen]

Part 26.C: Hannibal is eternal….

Less than 2 years ago, Italy stood supreme in the Mediterranean. Its armies numerous, its land rich and bountiful, it people happy and sated .And then came the Hashemite Caliphate, a vengeful and angry beast. Smiting Italian infrastructure and soldiers in their African colonies, massacring every single Italian they could get their hands on, the armies of the Caliphate plowed on, regardless of losses or problems. When trucks broke down, they ran. When they ran out of ammunition, they resorted to rocks and their own hands and teeth. When they were wounded they ignored the pain and plowed forward. By 1941, Italy was cowering in the mainland, with the hope that Italian coastal fortifications and their navy would keep the infidels out of their beloved homeland.

At first glance, the Italian military was not so heavily hurt. While two armies had been lost in Italian Africa, they had raised several corps to compensate for it, and Blackshirt battalions were being called up from all around Italy to serve. The Italian Imperial Guard remained fully intact, along with much of the Imperial Navy and the Air force. There were the Slovakian and the Croatian Home Guards, along with the Iberian Fascist volunteers sent by Prime Minister Franco of Iberia.

When a deeper look was given; the truth gave way: the majority of the troops called up had only a few weeks of training, were used to counter-guerilla operations, serving in their local Blackshirts as secret police, and many were nervous about being called up to serve for the first time, used to pushing around what remained of the communist presence, and marching in parades.

Facing this motley crew of soldiers and volunteers was the well rested and equipped Hashemite Armada; the regional armies of the Emirates of the Caliphate, and the Islamic Free Corps from Moslems all around the world. Against an ill trained force of fewer than 4 million men, nearly 4 times their numbers marched.

The invasion of Italy was called Operation Badr, after the historical battle between the Medinians and the Meccans. It would commence with the Hejazi Army being among the first barges, while Albanian and Macedonian troops faced off against the undefended Illyrian provinces, in an effort to cut off as much Italian logistics and armaments as possible.

The landings at Apulia and Calabria had heavy losses among the first few waves, due to Italian defenders having gained experience since the landings of Sicily and Sardinia. There, local leaders and regiments had revolted with the support of the local Mafia, and a civil war had erupted before the Syrian Army had landed. Usage of Nerve gas on military holdouts would have provoked outrage on the diplomatic stage, had there not been a news blockade around the islands. The local governors declared the creation of the Sardinian and Sicilian Republics, and exhorted upon Sardinians and Sicilians in the Italian military to defect. Though a few regiments did, the basis of their military was the local Blackshirts pressed into service, and were armed with the remains of local Italian arms. There was some furor over this in the Umma, but the Caliph ruled them to not be Italians any more, and declared their respective dialects to be “Sardinian” and “Sicilian”.

The Hashemite advance went steadily towards Lazio, with a Second battle of Cannae being the straw that broke the camel’s back. Involving 2 divisions of the Praetorian Guard to back up the regular divisions of the Italian Army, they were completely decimated when the Macedonian and Albanian armies pushed them into a pocket and nerve gassed the entire group.

The advance stalled before Rome, as Praetorians, Blackshirts and everyday civilians conscripted frantically fought off the enemy that so easily clove through their praised armies. The only greater urban battles were those of Kiev and Beijing. The stalemate around Lazio resulted in increased morale for the Italians, with volunteers, arms and encouragement flowing in from all corners of the Empire (that were not conquered by the Hashemites). Resistance grew within occupied Italian territory, and the Republics of Sicily and Sardinia were reconsidering their affiliation with the Hashemite Caliphate. Well aware of the troubles ensuing because of unprecedented Italian resistance; the Hashemites turned to their greatest weapon.

An interesting dossier of information concerning the makings of a nuclear bomb had been submitted to the Syrian office of the Caliphate. Gathering all the nuclear scientists currently in the Caliphate, Khazaria and Himyar; they were ordered to work as fast as possible on building a functional bomb. They experiments with dirty bombs, using small yields of uranium manufactured from the sizable potassium deposits in Syria, and mass manufacture of these in form of artillery shells and bombs lead to mass panic among Italian civilians. They would however herald the greatest weapon of the war, aptly named Project Vengeance.

The detonation of a Bomb in the Empty Quarter (later the area for any and all nuclear tests) led the Caliphate to believe this would be how they would gain vengeance against the Italians. Unfortunately, it took a great deal to enrich the potassium into working material, and by the time the invasion of Italy had been launched, they had only been half way there to standardizing the process. By the time of the siege of Rome, the bomb had finally been built, the process standardized and the chosen city ready: Venice.

He had made it. He had flown over most of Croatia and Slovakia, having volunteered for what he knew to be a suicide mission. He had lost his family at Mecca, and by the grace of Allah, they would be avenged this night of nights.
“You do know that flying requires a sense of focus, and not become nonsensical mumbling don’t you?” what the hell do they teach pilots here?

“In the name of the Prophet, who are you and how did you get into this plane!”

He’s going for the side-arm; better nip this in the bud. “Who am I? I am the stranger whose name is whispered across the stars. I am he who has faced the wrath of the holy and the divine and conquered. I am the son of fire and the hater of earth. I am he who felled the First of Man and tempted the First of Woman. I was there when Christ was crucified, and when Muhammad ascended to heaven. I am he who caused the Flood of Noah, and tempted Judas to turn. I am the Tempter of Islam and the Doom of it. I am Belial, Legion, Satan and Shaitan.”

The Pilot freezes as I throw him a smirk, unnoticing that in the entire hubbub, he had a bomber mission that would define the fate of the war. “You seem to be unable to continue the duty required of you Mousa. Shall I take your place?” I don’t bother for whatever retarded response he gives as I slip the knife through his chest, quickly ending his life. “You’re dying a hero either way Mousa, just accept it.”

I move him out of the seat and take his place before the plane crashes into the countryside. Wouldn’t be good for me to miss out on all this carnage and havoc to spread. I angle to plan over the rapidly approaching horizon of Venice, intent on doing this as quickly as possible, crashing the plane somewhere, and getting back to the Chinese whorehouse I was in before this shit started up.

The attack on Venice shocked both Italy and the world of the Caliphate’s military capabilities. Nazi, American and Japanese teams worked furiously to expand their own projects, but all lacked a vital ingredient that the Caliphate had: Jews. The Jewish scientific community had been deeply interested in fission, with Albert Einstein one of the main scientists on the project, having immigrated to Himyar in the 1920’s.

The Royal Family fled to the north, where Hitler had taken advantage of the crisis and moved a recently activated corps to march through the alpines, joined by the remainder of the Praetorian Guard and remaining Blackshirts. The Declaration of the Kingdom of Savoy was made while Hashemite troops marched into a surrendered Rome and executed Italo Balbo and the remaining leaders for Crimes against Humanity.

Treaties signed with the nearest authority (Governor of Lazio) effectively destroyed what remained of Italian glory. Lazio was ceded to the Vatican and reformed into the Papal States. Southern Italy was renamed the Republic of Naples, while Northern Italy remained under the Savoy, with the Caliphate vowing to take care of them after they managed to put down several insurrections flaring around the occupied territories. The occupation of Naples by the Caliphate existed till 1946, and even then, several divisions were “invited” to stay on former Italian bases for a 2 decade leash. Savoy was conquered in 1944, ending the Savoy royal line, and resulting in the creation of the Republic of Lombardy.

[Hashasheen]

Part 27: King of the Iberians and the War for France….

After the civil war, the Nationalists reigned supreme, for though they were a unwieldy lot ranging from those wanting a fascist dictatorship to those wishing for an absolute monarchy, they were united, if only in name. The monarchists had their King, the fascists had their dictatorship, and they both wanted to expand. In this was Portugal the enemy chosen by the people, as was their designated moniker of Lusitania.

The Portuguese-Iberian War stretched on from early 1939 to the end of 1940, despite the clear Iberian advantage in numbers, equipment and experience. Thanks to aid sent from an unknown source (though many believed the USA or Britain to be the one) Portugal held out significantly longer than expected, and when it finally collapsed, the major leaders escaped and made their way to Britain, where an anti-Iberian resistance group was formed. New Blueshirt divisions were raised in Lusitania and were used as the local policing force, weeding out dissidents and troublemakers.

Despite British protests and appeals, they were hardly able to do much, while under the weight of the Nazi menace. A secret deal made between Britain, Free France and Spain entered Spain into the Etente, leaving Portugal to its fate. The King was declared King of all the Iberians, with Blueshirt efforts aimed at pacifying dissidents and communists, while the regular military declared war on Vichy France and Germany, with British and Free French troops joining them in the Bordeaux Offensive, which reclaimed much of France, and lead to Hitler allowing the expansion of the Vichy French Metropolitan Army under Brigadier General De Gaulle, and having a general conscription ordered through the satellite state. They were ordered to face down the Maquis and the FFI, as well as serve alongside German troops in the Pyrenees and the Soviet Union. They surrendered en masse after the fall of Vichy and many chose to enter the Free French Forces alongside the Maquis and FFI who they had fought through much of their service.

The fight to reclaim France stretched on till 1943, with much of the German strength tied up in fighting the Soviets and various resistance groups. After the war, French demands were vindicated as Germany was torn asunder and France had finally defeated her century old enemy.

[Hashasheen]

Part 28: Stalin, Roosevelt and Hitler….

The Ribbentrop-Molotov Pact of 1939 had divided much of Eastern Europe between Nazi Germany and Stalinist Russia. The former turned its eye towards the French and British forces facing them in the west, while Stalin immediately took several measures to insure the safety of the Soviet Union, which were critical in the development of the war. Following military advice, he chose to focus on the Stalin Line as the primary means of defense should the border provinces fall. While Soviet Armies were placed on the border to face off against the Nazi menace, their main task was to build up the more dispersed and weaker Molotov Line, which was to stretch through southern Ukraine up until the southern Baltic region. The need for a strengthened Stalin Line was shown with the debacle of Finland, with the Soviet military laughed at all over the world. It also gave the Khan of Turkistan thoughts on how to take care of his Soviet overlords….

The war against the Soviet Union began in early 1942, just after the early spring thawed much of the roads. Proclaimed to be Operation Barbarossa, 50 strong motorized corps of German soldiers (the majority of the German troops had been de-activated in favor of a far more maneuverable military) crossed the new border and demolished several Russian Corps that lay in waiting. This was exactly what Stalin had been expecting, and while orders were to perform rearguard actions in retreat to the Molotov Line, their first line of defense, much of the Soviet army had already fallen prey to the advancing Nazis.

All was not lost however, with the Soviet forces now holding the Molotov line with a determination proclaiming that they would not take one more step back. A concentrated campaign to overwhelm the Molotov line took place from mid-1942 to early 1943, and the remaining defenders either fell back to the heavily fortified Stalin Line, or melted away to form resistance groups. Sadly, it was here that the Romanov’s came in. invited by Hitler to Berlin to discuss terms concerning a possible takeover of German Occupied Territory, which included but was not limited to; White Russia, the Ukraine and the Baltic’s. The Baltic provinces were taken by the Reich and incorporated as Protectorates with their own “independent” military forces (that were of course more than pleased to fight against the Bolshevik Horde).

The Romanov’s were immediately given control over the Ukraine, and in exchange were forced to supply food, ammunition and clothes for the occupying German troops. They were ‘allowed’ to raise their own military, use their own laws and control taxes. Thus was the short-lived Kingdom of the Ukraine’s fate, to be used by the Germans and later incorporated into the vast propaganda campaign against the Romanovs.

Throughout 1943 and 1944, German troops attempted to push past the Stalin Line, even attempting to circumnavigate it through Finland. This was what led to the strangest twist the entire War, where the Khan of Turkistan revolted against his Soviet Overlords, and with German officers, attacked Siberia and Soviet bases in Turkistan.

Forced on two fronts in a war that was turning for the worse, Stalin sent a message to the Caliphate. What was written in the message is unknown to this day, but the response it provoked was incredible. Within the week, The Caliphate declared war on Germany, Vichy France, Turkistan, and the Ukraine, pushed through the Kingdom of Savoy, and began launching attacks on Austria and Vichy France. Germany now had the pleasure of fighting 3 powerful enemies, with a 4th one to soon follow…

While the Business Plot of ‘33 had been relatively unknown in most circles and areas of society following its introduction to the US government, the second attempt planned by Prescott Bush and Charles Lindenburg was far more infamous. Using sympathetic Klansmen and former veterans of the Great War, the powerful businessmen placed them around Washington D.C at the State of the Union Address. December 7th, 1943, the Plot erupted, with D.C police and local army units exchanging fire with the plotters. Despite several attempts to push to the White House and capture FDR, most of the plotters had been killed and the rest put in interrogation. Houses raided revealed information that there were SS links, and a plan to place Lindenburg as President of the USA. There was also information of a possible alliance with Nazi Germany, with Canada and the West Indies becoming USA territories. Using this as proof of Nazi duplicity and attempt to overthrow the duly elected government, Roosevelt declared war against Germany, Vichy France, Turkistan, and the German protectorates. Anger at the America First groups rose as reports on dead and injured civilians rushed all around the nation, thousands of men enlisted to fight against the German foe who would so threaten their democracy. The Lend-Lease plans to Britain and the Soviet Union were increased, and Soviet forced began to take their first few tentative offenses against the Nazi menace.

[Hashasheen]

Part 29: Axis members and their objectives….

While Germany had been the linchpin for the Axis, providing most of the manpower and using up most of the resources, each individual nation had its own different and often conflicting objectives.

The Kingdom of Savoy: A battered and unhopeful people; the Kingdom of Savoy of 1942 was a far cry from the powerful and respected Italian Empire of 1939, who had been courted by both sides of the Great War, been dominant in the Red Sea and had achieved Mare Nostrum. All that had failed, fallen and withered away as the braggarts stung the giant and aroused his anger. Germany’s Italia Corps were the only thing keeping the kingdom from crumbling at the advancing Hashemite forces. At worst, the Royal Family wished to keep its control over Northern Italy, and at best wished to regain all of Italy; finally recognizing the impossibility of retaking their African colonies after the idiocy of attacking the Holiest Sites of Islam.

The Republic of Vichy France: Led by Marshall Petain and its military forces by Brigadier-General DeGaulle, Vichy France was perhaps the most reluctant ally of Nazi Germany, with its greatest foes being its own countrymen. Petain wished a recovery of Northern France, a return of Corsica, and its African colonies (Madagascar and Indo-China being simply too far away to bother with). Its Metropolitan Army fighting the Maquis and the FFI as well as the Free French Army, Vichy France was the first ally to crumble under the weight of the well equipped and trained Allied juggernaut.

The Kingdom of Romania: One of the more powerful members of the Axis (recently bolstered by its easy invasion of Bulgaria), the wishes of the Romanian government was to recover Moldavia and (…), and avenge themselves against the Soviets. While Moldavia would be recovered for the duration of the war, Romania unfortunately crumbled after the Soviet/Hashemite Offensives of ’45. It was later reformed into the Socialist Republic of Transylvania and the Kingdom of Wallachia.

The Kingdom of the Ukraine: The Kingdom of the Ukraine was one of the more short-lived states of WW2, and was the most criticized after the war. Cobbled together from the remains of the Ukrainian SSR, The Romanov Family, the FRLL and the FRLN; the kingdom was more of a puppet state for the Nazi war machine, forced to provide labor battalions, foodstuffs and materials to the forces holding the Molotov Line (renamed the Goering Line). Its wishes were to expand control into the rest of the Soviet Union, and to become a truly independent nation of its own accord. Those dreams were crushed by the Soviet Army at the siege of Kiev, where the remaining non-Greek Romanov Family was killed, and their claims to the throne of Russia crushed.

The Republic of Hungary: Under the control of Regent Admiral Horthy, the ideals of Greater Hungary arose, and Hungarian eyes turned greedily towards Czechoslovakia and Yugoslavia. After the dissolution of both and the rapid rise of Germany, Hungary became little more than a toady, and besides several “adjustments” on the Slovakian and Romanian border; Hungarian territorial demands a mere dream at best, and its reputation nothing more than a complete mockery. Hungarian independence finally collapsed at the end of the Second Great War, when a new government was installed under the eyes of the watchful Soviet Union.

The Slovak Republic: the apparent wishes for Slovakian nationalism sated, Slovakian desires were to maintain its own independence from both Germany and Hungary, as well as to improve the local economy. Its gains were primarily with the Poles after the loss of territory after Munich. The Peoples Republic of Slovakia was later set up after the war, under the watchful guns of the USSR.

The Baltic Protectorates: Under the protection of Germany, the Baltics suffered the most of all the allies of Nazi Germany, as with the advancing Soviet forces, many fled towards Germany proper, and their homes were re-settled by Russian immigrants and the like.

The Republic of Finland: Finland’s aims were to recover Karelia and perhaps portions of the Baltic, and punish Stalin for the Winter War. They managed to escape the war with little destruction, but were forced to kowtow toward the USSR for the rest of their miserable existence.

The Khanate of Turkistan: the Khanates campaign aims were to evict Soviet forces currently based in Turkistan, as well as expanding its resource-plundering ways to Siberia and the Transcaucasia. The Khanate lost large amounts of territory to Soviet Russia, The Empire of Japan and the Caliphate, was forced into humiliating surrenders and was overall pretty much a shadow of its former self by the end of the war.

The German Reich: The war aims of Germany were not so hard to follow; rule over European Russia, its “living space” as the Fuhrer put it, and overlord of West Europe, ensuring an Aryan nation stretching from Bordeaux to Omsk. It took till early 1946 for the might German war machine to crumble, and even then it was hardly an easy going. Perhaps it was the fact the German Army was in control of much of Central Europe and Russia, giving it an easy base of labor resources, weapons and men. For while the German army itself was motorized and smaller than the opposing armies (giving it additional mobility for it blitzkrieg); that was also its undoing, for waging campaigns on 3 different fronts for much of the war had stretched their capabilities. Germany fell, and with it, the ideals of a united German nation; so ironically supported by Hitler.

[Hashasheen]

Part 30: The defeat of House Savoy….

With the entrance of the Caliphate against the Reich, the armies currently occupying the Republic of Naples were ordered to head north and push out all German elements out of the former Italian Empire as part of a concentrated offensive on all sides. Iberian, Free French and British troops were advancing from the Pyrenees, while the long-awaited Soviet Offensive began; punching through several concentrated German formations and fortified holdouts in Belarus and the Ukraine.

The armies in Italy proper were the Syrian, Persian and Indonesesian Armies, the latter green but still very eager to punish the Italians for their crimes. In Thrace; the Albanian and Macedonian Armies prepared to march against the Romanians, with the Serbians anxiously waiting to scavenge what remained. While Croatia was now under Hashemite occupation, Slovenia and … were a complete with Hungarian and Italian divisions fighting anything that moved, freedom fighters and anti-fascist resistance under every bush behind every tree; it was also too much for the rapidly obsolete Serbian military.

As Hashemite forces pushed through to the north, they found their major stumbling point to be the supply line and various and scattered Italian military holdouts, raiding a few smaller camps here and there, killing patrols and poisoning wells. The Imperial Guard; once more the most intact organization in the Italian military, was sidelined as Germany’s Italia Corps were busy fighting the Islamic forces. While rivers, mountains and other geographical changes were used to delay the Horde of Husayn, their losses were ignored and they pushed forward. The Italian armed forces were also busy attempting to keep Corsica away from Free French elements, both on the island and in the water; as what remained of the Italian fleet fought for its life.

While attempting to escape to Germany proper, the Italian royal family was captured by a group of Slovenian freedom fighters, who were more than happy to turn them over to the Hashemites in exchange for additional supplies and turning a blind eye to some of their more consolidated areas.

The entire Royal family was then executed on live television, with the Caliph sternly warning the nations of the world that this was what would happen to those who challenged the Regent of the Prophet of God on Earth.

[Hashasheen]

Part 31: The Holocaust….

The Holocaust has always been one of the more frightening displays of how cruel man can be to his fellow man. While one could never consider Hitler in the right state of mind, even mass genocide organized on such a scale was not expected from him. Considering how he often chose specific groups for the gas chambers, one must wonder how early in his life did his fragile psych crack and break into so many pieces. While the Jews were his favorite target, the fact that most of them now resided safely in distant locations meant different ethnic groups were to be killed. Roma, Belgians (or as they were called; Flemish), Poles, the French living within Germany’s borders, etc…

But the greatest source of his ire was those of Slavic origins. Considering that most of his allies one way or another had Slavic heritage, this was a rather confusing conundrum. Poles, White Russians and Russians alike were deported en mass to the gas chambers; killed, worked to the bone, and purposely starved.

Once discovered and broadcasted to the world, the fighting will of the Soviet people grew in leaps and bounds, while Ukrainians under the Romanovs revolted, killing German soldiers, poisoning their food supplies and being general problems. As any general problem was treated Nazi style, they were killed, gunned down and deported to the gas chambers. Nations all around the world were stunned at the utter barbarity of the German race, and from then on, the vow of unconditional surrender was made. This also aided post-war demands of compensations from Soviet peoples, even as they stripped all they could from East and Central Europe.

The Jews of Himyar and Khazaria realized that this would have been their fate had the Caliph not generously offered them a home. The result was increased loyalty to the Caliph, and an even greater connection between the Wandering Jews and their Moslem Brothers. But for how long would this loyalty last.

[Hashasheen]

Part 32: The Conference of Alexandria…

It was in Alexandria that the Great Powers of the world met and decided upon how the post-war world would move. The USSR demanded compensation from Germany, the right to form democratic (read communist) commissions in East and Central Europe. The British demanded an end to German aggression and aid to deal with its rapidly deflating economy. The Americans wanted an end to Hitler, and better dialogue with its European allies. Free France wanted a crippled Germany, and for its African colonies to be returned. The Hashemite Caliphate; arguably the kingmaker in this little meeting, demanded rights over Italy, the annexation of the North African colonies of France, and much of Turkistan.

In the end these were the compromises stamped out:

1. Russia would have control over the commissions currently in Eastern Europe, from Poland to Hungary.

2. The Protectorates of Kuwait and Oman are ceded to the Caliphate, with several interest free loans to be made to the British government.

3. The colonies of France in North Africa are to be ceded to the Caliphate, in exchange for additional monetary aid and handing over the protectorate of Phoenicia

4. The Hashemite Caliphate has the right to station troops in Naples and Piedmont, and the right to intervene in local politics.

5. Unconditional surrender was the only answer to be had for the Nazi government

6. Germany was to be divided back into several nations which were: Austria, Bavaria, the Rhine Federation, and Prussia. All of these nations would be under Allied occupation till responsible and democratic governments were formed.

7. Since Romania had turned and joined the Allies, ceding the illegally gained territory of Moldavia back to the USSR; it would keep its own government, on the condition that an election be formed to decide the fate of how the government would end up; democracy, constitutional monarchy, absolute monarchy or socialist.

[Hashasheen]

Part 33: End of a War, and the beginning of the next….

As the Allies plodded on, fighting in the Alps, the north of France and the plains of the Ukraine, Germany grew more desperate. While its elastic defense on the Eastern had managed to buy more time, the Western and Southern Fronts were not going as well, with Romania; its largest ally having turned on them and begun fighting Hungarian forces on the border. German forces and auxiliaries were rapidly building up fortifications on the Ardennes, having had the foresight to reuse the Maginot Line as a primary line of defense. Strangely enough, post-war documents showed no evidence of any specific office or leader ordering the Line to be retrofitted against possible advancing armies.

Nevertheless, while this postponed Western Advancement, it did no such thing to Soviet and Hashemite campaigns, which marched through the old 1939 borders and Austria; with a problematic siege of Vienna and Krakow being the major stumbling blocks. The only thing stalling the Soviet Army’s advances was the unexpected Home Army revolt in Poland, officially due to Soviet mistreatment of the locals and several atrocities committed in the earlier war. This severely slowed down Soviet movement, giving British, French and American forces time to push into Germany proper, despite several weak German offensives. At the same time, the Netherlands received a revolution, with the Royal Family removing the NSB from power, and declaring war on Nazi Germany, giving the Allies yet another source of men, arms and easier access into Germany.

Germany finally crumbled in February 1946, after German generals overthrew Hitler and his inner circle and surrendered to the Western Allies. Though they threatened to start up the war again upon hearing about the planned divisions of Germany, they realized their situation was untenable. The Soviet Union, still fighting in Poland was furious about this turn of events but was tied up in gobbling up as much territory as possible.

This would directly begin the Cold War, with the Soviet Union and its satellite states on one side, and Western Europe and the USA on the other side. The opening blows were in the former Axis member Romania, where an election was scheduled to take place.

[Hashasheen]

Part 34: The Romanian Civil War….

“Could the Romanian Civil War have gone differently? Could the Hashemite Caliphate aided the Royalists into retaking Transylvania, or would this have sparked a new war?” an anonymous poster at ChangingHistory.net


The Kingdom of Romania had suffered greatly at times. Losing its king to a fascist dictatorship (who’s saving grace was that they kept the Prince as Heir to the throne), to going to war with the Soviets and the Caliphate. They; unlike their former allies had taken the easy way out, and a royalist overthrow, managed to survive the plundering of their country.


So when the election came to Romania to decide its future, people were decidedly divided. Many supported the monarchy that had protected them through thick and thin, while others (funded by the Soviets, Fascist leftovers and the Hashemites) attempted to establish democracies, communist nations or re-assert the fascist dictatorship over the country. Ultimately, the vote was too divided for a clear majority, and civil war erupted, with the monarchists and the communists being the largest factions.


With the Soviets able to supply their communist allies with both German equipment as well as their own, Transylvania quickly became a communist stronghold. On the other hand, thanks to Western pleas, the Caliphate sent several volunteer divisions into Romania, as well as rearming much of its Romanian prisoners of war to form the basis of what would become the Kingdom of Wallachia.


Though fighting continued from 1946 to early 1948, the borders had been set between the People’s Republic of Transylvania and the Kingdom of Wallachia. This was the first blow to Western Allied cause, and resulted in fears of a new war with an aggressive Soviet Union. And had it not been for the fact the Caliphate was still allied with them, perhaps it would have occurred. The fear of another nuclear bomb being dropped was more than enough to have Stalin cool off. This allowed time for the Western Allies to form a military defense organization, consisting of the following: France, Britain, Iberia, America, Canada, Rhine Federation, Republic of Piedmont, Norway, Netherlands, Slovenia and Croatia. Its main principles were to come to each other’s aid in case of a defensive war, and was specifically focused on the Soviet threat, which later created the Budapest Pact in 1951 (coinciding with the creation of a Soviet Atomic Bomb), consisting of the following: the USSR, Poland, Bulgaria, Transylvania, Slovakia and Finland; forced to enter the pact after a meeting with high ranking Soviet leaders. A third; relatively unknown pact was made, referred to as the Damascus Pact, involving the Caliphate, the kingdom of Serbia, the Republic of Naples, Sardinia, Sicily, Greece, Afghanistan, Ethiopia, Himyar and Khazaria. There was also an unofficial defensive alliance between Japan and the Caliphate, relating to Japanese-American problems concerning spheres of influence in the Pacific.

In 1948, the balance of power changed once more, as the United States dropped the bomb…

[Hashasheen]

Part 35: War’s done; what now?

The Second Great War in a century had devastated Europe, and its results were clear to all:

No less than 3 Great Powers had fallen and two more on the way. Germany, Italy and France were currently in the form of rebuilding, and were in no shape to be an obstacle to be surpassed, even in several decades. Romania was destroying itself through civil war, while Britain was having problems maintaining what was left of the Empire.

Muslims activists in India; the Crown Jewel of the Empire, were demanding to return to the Kingdom of Afghanistan, a close Hashemite Ally and on the rise with new territories gained in Turkistan. Australia, Canada, New Zealand and South Africa were turning to their own destinies, and were quickly welcoming alliances with the USA. The British economy wasn’t looking too good either, and despite the promises of aid by the United States and loans owned towards the Hashemite Caliphate, Britain’s sun had finally set.

It had taken a decade from Mid-WW2 till 1953, but India was finally a free country, and Afghanistan was welcoming its new citizens with glee, despite a few remote provinces like East Afghanistan (OTL Bangdalaesh). There was a small localized conflict between the new Republic of India and the Kingdom of Afghanistan, with hundreds of thousands of Muslims and Hindus moving to their new respective homelands. Afghanistan had managed to secure itself as a Great Power, but there was still issue with its fealty to the dominant Caliphate.

While all sides of the new geo-political world attempted to get the Bomb, the Hashemite Caliphate had come out first once again, having gained complete access to Nazi projects and information (thanks to its elite espionage corps) attempted and left unfinished during the war. The Caliphate was the first to take advantage of this wealth of information, finally building a large submarine force based off the designs of XX series of U-boats. Piston engine, jet-engine and rocket-propelled aircraft were built in large numbers and discarded as newer ones came through, and the Hashemite rocket program took off with massive funding from the Caliphate, with a unofficial aim of being able to reach the moon by 1970. There was some focus on superguns in the early fifties, but after the rocket program proved more efficient, it was dropped and the products of the program were entered into military museums around the Caliphate.

Britain and the USA were worried about a fiercely expanding Caliphate, with so much additional territory and resources gained in the acquisition of North Africa. The recently discovered massive oil deposits in the Middle East and the uranium deposits in the Sahara were only the tip of the iceberg, as the Caliphate’s economy expanded and its people immigrated to North Africa for new jobs and lives. Despite both Allied and Soviet entreaties for the Hashemite Caliphate to join either side, the Caliphate became stubbornly isolationist, holding court with only its close allies and through the embassies.

Without the Caliphate as a balance to either side in Europe, NATO and the Budapest Pact were created, drawing the line in the sand between Democracy and Communism.

The Pacific had become a very tense area, with convoys of Hashemite supplies and equipment being sent to the Japanese Empire, currently focused on building up its oil refineries in Manchuria. US forces were being stationed in the Territory of the Philippines, where local leaders had decided not to leave the United States and face the tender mercies of the Japanese alone. The Japanese were focused on maintaining their control over their more distant territories of Indochina and Hainan, where increased anti-Japanese resistance was costing them the lives of many brave soldiers and loyal citizens.

Japan, The Caliphate, the USA and the USSR were the major powers of late, and each with their own Achilles tendon. Japan its ongoing war to pacify the Chinese dissidents in its domain, the USSR surrounded by hostile; and in the Caliphate’s case apathetic powers, intent on isolating it from “expanding the revolution”, a Trotskyite sentiment now ironically supported by the Kremlin. The USA was forced to keep an eye on the Americas while supporting their West European allies, and maintaining their democratic ideals, even in the face of rising red support on the home front, as atrocities waged on the Slavs of the East came out through intensive investigation of German documents. Information on rightwing groups in America; ranging from the KKK and the segregationist branch of the Democratic Party to media magnates and business leaders was given out freely to the press and the American public. While the Business Plot of ’43 had actually not been supported by the Nazis, there were several close ties between leaders of right-wing and racist organizations and the S.S, notably between Lindenburg and Goering. Finally, the Hashemites had little trust among the nations of the world, and even less among its own allies, most of convenience, barring the Jewish republics of Himyar and Khazaria. Simply put, if the Caliphate attempted further expansion, it would face the wrath of every nation in the world not tied to them by religion, force or money. This was a fact well known by the Hashemite political leadership, and a major worry for the military leadership, who were slightly unsure of their ability to take on every opposing power and be victorious.

[Hashasheen]

Part 36: America; a divided nation….

“We cannot have a nation within a nation, nor a private military. The AASP’s actions has torn apart this nation and destroyed countless lives.” President Dwight Eisenhower on sending the National Guards into black communities.

America had come out of the Second Great War a deeply divided nation. While right wing and segregationist groups had been given a heavy blow due to their links to the Nazis; their core group was still holding strong. On the other hand the left was growing stronger and more popular in some minorities, most notably African Americans. In 1948, the African-American Socialist Party was formed, at first with the intent of creating a fair society for its fellow Negros. Its main aims were to end segregation and improve the living standards of all Negros in the United States. The formation of such a political group did not go over well with several areas of society, notably the segregationist wing of the Democrats and the United States government, wary of a fifth column in its own country.

The battle for ending segregation and laws aimed at keeping African Americans down was often violent as the AASP quickly turned to more radical forms of action, with riots starting in one end of the South and continuing all the way to the other end. The creation of an allied paramilitary force; the Afrikan Brotherhood, who fought with National Guard units, armed homeowners and police units was both a success and a disaster. While providing protection to Negro communities and individuals who were gaining the confidence to fight back against segregation, it also hurt their cause as a peaceful political group and increased FBI harassment. A major target of the FBI was Harlem, seen as the headquarters of both the Afrikan Brotherhood and the AASP. Continuous police raids and attacks turned the area into a self-contained fortress, where AASP volunteers grew food in gardens and public parks in an attempt to be self-sufficient.

While a leftist black centered political party dominated the news in America, it was Cuba that took the cake as Cuban rebels overthrew the Dictator Batista and declared a new republic under Fidel Castro. The Soviet Union was able to capitalize on having such a close ally around the USA, immediately pouring aid, weapons and infrastructure support into the new Cuban economy. While this was a direct provocation to the US government, internal troubles with the AASP needed a direct hand, and until the Cuban crisis, ignored the happenings in Cuba….

[Hashasheen]

Part 37: Japan as a nation….

Japan had stayed silent during the Second Great War, consolidating its holdings and busying itself with a new offensive against the Dragon Emperor of China, Zhang Xueliang (who had defeated Chiang Kai-shek in a series of campaigns to win the hearts and minds of the South); to be lead by Generals Shimabukuro Dai'ichi and Kenshin of the Japanese Army of Manchuria and the Mongolian Garrison Army respectively, as well asColonel Ursrai; commander of the Phoenix Army of Chosun and Prince Teh Wang, Commander in Chief of the Mongolian military forces. Besides the new campaign planned against Zhang, political and bureaucratic changes were instituted within the Empire, the greatest of which was the Star-System:

Ranking of Japanese Ethnic System (created as of 1949):

Gold Star: Japanese, Koreans and Manchurians. Comprised of the most loyal citizens of the Empire; they are granted the best uses of its infrastructure and are the only ones considered for holding public office. Silver Star ethnicities are allowed to rise based on an individual level. Gold Star communities are located mainly in the East and North, with large scatterings in the South.

Silver Star: Mongolians and Indo-Chinese. Comprised of somewhat loyal citizens living in vassal states; they are granted secondary use of infrastructure if there is a Gold Star community existing alongside them. Silver Star communities are located in the North of the empire solely. They are allowed to serve in the armed forces and if preformed well, would be raised to Gold Star level.

Bronze Star: Chinese. Comprised of disloyal citizens living in military zones; they are granted minimal use of infrastructure and are usually herded off into ghettos to make way for incoming upper-tier Gold Star settlers. Bronze Star citizens are used in labor battalions for mines, farms and human shields against rebels. Few members have been raised to Silver Star status, due to their suspect nature and the fact that most rebel forces are comprised from this Rank.

The Star-System because a major criticism of the Japanese Empire in the reformed League of Nations, citing it as a human rights violation and reminiscent of Nazi policies (Japan’s response to this was to point out American and South African treatment of its black populations). While Japan did not gas its undesirables, it did indoctrinate them into Japanese society as a means of removing all forms of dissidence, and use them in the most demeaning of ways. Bronze Star areas were often rebel ruled and supported by the Red Dragons, an underground organization consisting of former Dragon Army veterans and funded by the Zhang regime. Bronze Star areas in rebellion were often evicted to China, and minor sieges and army action used on the more independent and self-sufficient areas.

This treatment of Chinese angered Zhang, who with Soviet aid pouring through Turkistan, planned to launch a new war of vengeance. His scientists were fervently researching the atomic bomb in an attempt to balance out the numerous advantages Japan held; foreign aid, a more versatile and veteran army, the Bomb and complete impunity in concerns towards naval forces. Zhang did hold some advantages however; he had managed to build a massive industrial force to equip his men in the western provinces of China (safe from Japanese depredations and well defended to withstand Mongolian offensives), the loyalty of rebel leaders in Japanese territory, a significant numbers advantage, and to counter the overwhelming Japanese aerial advantage; a massive arsenal of Katayusha’s bought from the Soviet Union. Only time would tell if these advantages would be of any use….

[Hashasheen]

Part 38: The Cuban Crisis….

Fidel Castro was the most powerful man on Cuba, excluding Che Guevara, a close confidante and rabble-rouser of the peasants of South America. Unlike his friend, Fidel was of the pragmatic sort, and his alliance with the Soviet Union was to offset the overwhelming influence America had on the Caribbean nation. Military aid by the fleet was poured into Cuba as an attempt to create a credible fighting force capable of withstanding the American juggernaut. Cuba was arguably the best ally the USSR had, and the two nations shared any and all information had on the United States. But despite this, not a single nation expected the USSR to deploy nuclear missiles on Cuban soil. When the news was broken to President Lyndon Johnson that several missile sites on Cuba had been discovered, he took measures to cordon the island nation from any additional supplies to pass through, while informing the newly reformed League of Nations of this discovery. While the League dithered and talks stalled, Johnson was forced to resort to a surgical airstrike on the sites, killing several Soviet advisors along with several battalions of Cuban soldiers guarding them. When news of this came to the USSR, they had thought that Lyndon had decided to kick off a new war(due to incomplete information on the strikes, making it appear as if a invasion of Cuba was being planned), while troop movements were reported in Prussia.

A complete offensive against Western Europe were ordered; along with what small arsenal of nuclear bombs the USSR had deployed on both the European mainland and America, kicking of WW3. The USA responded by a heavy bombardment of the Soviet Union, resulting in nothing short of complete dissolution of law and order across two continents. Several nuclear missiles that had been aimed at the Caliphate beforehand failed to launch, detonating within their bases and adding to the confusion and destruction. When the dust had settled, the greater part of Europe and North America was ruined and local governments struggling to reestablish order. For the fourth time in a century, the balance of power was irrevocably leaning to the Hashemite corner….

[Hashasheen]

Part 39.A: The Aftermath…..


With the destruction of most of the First World and no less than 2 Great Powers crumbling, other nations rushed into fill the space. South Africa, Australia and New Zealand received a flood of West European refugees, with South Africa in particular taking advantage to “rescue” as many as possible. Arethpied kicked off with much greater success, with the Bantustans actually being enforced by South African military forces, augmented by what remained of the British military abroad. South Africa was not the protector of much of Britain’s former colonies. That is not to say that the Hashemite Caliphate was sleeping all the while. Morocco, Egypt, Sudan, the Congo, Kenya and Uganda were all taken, tens of thousands of settlers and billions in infrastructure pouring in, keeping the economy going as its major buyers withered under nuclear radiation. As a gesture to the Jews, a new Jewish nation was formed; the Republic of Judah in the Sinai Peninsula; with shared control of the Suez Canal with the Caliphate (The Third Temple would eventually be built in Sinai at the site where Moses ascended to speak with God, and would become the center for when Jewish populations around the world sent delegates to reaffirm their unity as an ethnicity and a faith). A second gesture to the Ethiopians gave them southern Sudan or Nubia. Due to the areas oil reserves, this would go a long way in affirming Ethiopian trust in the Caliphate. Greece also took the time to retake Cyprus from British hands, giving the current government a little bit of national pride to help it through the next election.


In Europe, warlordism took effects as surviving provincial governments cut deals with local military forces (which occasionally ended up in a military government taking power) or building up its own militia with Home Guard stores from the Second Great War. The Irish Republican Army continued its fight in Northern Ireland; and between British Loyalists and Irish separatists, the entire area became a massive killing field that the Republic of Ireland was all too happy to ignore. Scotland and Wales had largely survived the initial attack, and despite attempts to reform the British Empire or at least the U.K from these surviving areas; each area went its own way, with Celtic influences growing among the hilly provinces. The mainland was worse off; with mass starvations abound. A Second Dark Age had descended upon Europe, and with the war still continuing in many areas, it was unlikely a Second Renaissance would follow suit.


On America and Japan: The greatest fragments of the American juggernaut were in 3 places: Panama, the West Coast and the Philippines; where Japan’s Moment of Destiny occurred. Hashemite and Japanese fleets moved in on the Philippines dividing it in half. Talks with the US Navy and Army stationed there were favorable, as the servicemen were anxious to return home and see if their families survived. Japan also decided that Alaska would be a lovely addition to the Japanese Empire as well as a way of giving the occasionally mutinous IJN things to do. Hawaii on the other hand was a wasteland, with the only bomb that landed on the biggest island having wiped out most of the population. The Mongolian Garrison Army was ordered north into Siberia, mimicking the original war in the 1920’s. In less than 2 months, most of the provinces had been recovered, and a few surviving Soviet bases wiped out. While Japan was campaigning in the north and the east, a threat rose in the south…

[Hashasheen]

Part 39.B: America…

After the destruction of many of America’s population centers and bases, change was in the air. The Afrikan Brotherhood and the AASP planned a major exodus to the south, mirroring the exodus of the Jews from Egypt. And who would be this great messiah, leading them to the Promised Land? None other than Martin Luther King Jr. a man of great morals and great organizational skills, as convoys were put together and sent south. The Afrikan Brotherhood raided US army bases to procure additional transports, fuel and weaponry to protect the convoys. While MLK disapproved of these raids, Warmaster Malcolm X was still cautious about going back to the south, where the KKK and similar racist organizations were expanding their numbers among the destroyed lives of whites (there was talk of creating a New Confederacy). The coming exodus was sure to be as bloody as the Jewish one. Several National Guard units in the south were still intact, and their loyalties would be just as dangerous as any other, no matter the cause. On the West Coast, the Church of the Latter Day Saints was experiencing a massive number of new followers, most notable among them being conservative Republican Ronald Reagan, later President of the Republic of Desert, and commander in chief of the Nauvoo Legions.

The Great Exodus took over 3 years to complete, moving every single healthy Afrikan to the south. Males were conscripted into the Afrikan Brotherhood and trained to protect the convoys going south from bandits, white folk and civilians. By the time they reached “New Afrika” in strength, the New Confederacy had already been formed in the Deep South; Louisiana, Mississippi, Arkansas. Georgia and Carolina were their next focus; all they needed was an excuse. The Great Exodus gave them one.

The War of the Races stretched on for 4 years, with the New Confederacy gaining the upper hand thanks to timely assistance of US naval forces whose servicemen’s families lived in the New Confederacy. However; Hashemite assistance lead to the New Afrikans declaring the independence of their new home; The Union of New Afrika.

As for US naval forces returning from abroad; many immigrated to Panama henceforth declared New America, or to the Republic of Desert, where their lives were just a little easier thanks to the maintained infrastructure there, as well as a remnant of the former United States, having suffered lightly under Soviet attacks. All the new nations still required food supplies from the Hashemite Caliphate, all too willing to full up the agrarian monopoly formerly had by the USA.

[Hashasheen]

Part 40.A: The Caliphate rules Supreme….

While it had taken the Caliphate another 20 years in which their Oriental allies bled themselves allies, they had succeeded. Europe in its entirety was now theirs. From Scotland to Russia to Spain to Greece, Europe was theirs. What had failed to be accomplished by the Moors of Spain was now accomplished by the Arabs of Hejaz. People everywhere welcomed order, law and prosperity into their lives. While there were a few holdouts who rejected the Way and the Truth, they were left alone to starve. In less than 20 years, most of Europe had converted to Islam. It had not taken much in fact. Simply pointing out the benefits that citizens of the Caliphate received in comparisons to the “kill or be killed” society most of Europe lived through had helped the majority convert, thinking that if their God refused to answer to them, perhaps this generous Allah would protect them better?

Afghanistan was warring with an India intent on distracting its people from their horrible economic situation. The War would end with the Afghani flag flying over Sri Lanka, Bombay and Hyderabad. Later a marriage between a male heir of the Hashemite family and a female heiress of the Afghani family would result in the Afghani Kingdom rejoining their Arab brothers into the Caliphate.

Africa and North America were two other areas of interest to the Caliphate. While South Africa held much of the former British Empire in its grasp, it suffered from wide-spread black terrorism (many of whom converted to Islam as a means of rebelling against the Christian Afrikaans), a lack of trading partners besides unstable Latino governments suffering from Guevrist guerilla movements, and a hostile military force ready to move at the slightest provocation. With aid pouring to ANC rebels by the tens of thousands of tons, chaos; was as ever the only thing that could accurately describe Africa.

In North America, the rival nations and warlords managed to gain access to former US nuclear weapons, bombing the continent into a larger mess. Never had North America been so devoid of humans since the Ice Age, with a minimum of tens of thousands deaths occurring daily. Written off as too deadly for a minimum gain, the Hashemite Caliphate bore all its economic power into annexing the South African territories. Year by year, province by province, South Africa diminished till all but the original Transvaal state was left. Soon only South America and the Pacific were left….

[Hashasheen]

Part 40.B: War of the Toryu….

While Japan’s armies campaigned across the world; into Siberia, Alaska and the Philippines, their greatest foe the Dragon Emperor Zhang Xueliang plotted and planned. The majority of their information on nuclear technology had been gained through the Soviets, and with this fount of information gone, the race to gain a nuclear bomb slowed down to a crawl. The emperor panicked, for while the Japanese intelligence hadn’t picked up on his research facility, it was only a matter of time. Not thinking rationally, he ordered army units to deploy to the Mongolian and Indo-Chinese borders, intent on crippling Japan’s vassals before pushing into Manchuria. The war went well at first (with Red Dragons in Japanese territory revolting and tying up Japanese units; as well as a comprehensive air defense formation on the ground preventing heavy scale bombing) thanks to Japanese arrogance in their belief that inferior race would not be able to pull off a surprise attack. This doctrine of racial superiority would be a hamstring towards the Japanese war aims at times, often giving the Chinese a chance to launch a new offensive or shorten their defensive lines.

The Mongolian Confederate Army (MCA) wasn’t trained to fight against the Chinese hordes on its own, having been trained to serve alongside the numerically and technologically superior Mongolian Garrison Army (MGA). Nevertheless, it put up a mighty struggle, with the Chinese only reaching Ulan Bator in the 4th month of the initial campaign. The Bogd Khan was forced to kneel and swear loyalty to the Dragon Emperor, a significant event and a humiliation to Japan. This was also the last moment of Mongolian sovereignty, as Mongolia was annexed by China once more in its history.

In Indo-China, the Japanese held on easier thanks to a short line of defense, more stumbling blocks for an offensive force, and a still strong guerilla movement called the Vietminh led by a charismatic leader known as Ho Chi Minh. A gentlemen’s agreement between the Vietminh and the garrisoning Japanese Army of Indo China led to a focused front against the Chinese, despite the Vietminh’s negligible role in fighting them head on, and taking much of the credits for combined victories. After the war ended, the Vietminh were able to seize a victory in the local Silver Star elections, with many members of the organization granted Gold Star status for their services.

The Toryu War stretched on from 1957 to 1970, ending with the Third Siege of Chongqing, and the utter occupation of China. Japanese losses had been severe, stretching into the hundreds of thousands, forcing the Oriental nation to incorporate vassal militaries as garrison forces in China proper, hire African and European mercenaries through its Hashemite ally, and levy a general conscription of all males above the age of 16 in the Empire. The Dragon Emperor himself had escaped with a retinue of his guards to Burma, where escaping Chinese soldiers, upper class citizens and scientists migrated to. With a steady flow of Chinese citizens arriving to overwhelm the local population, the Dragon Emperor felt confident enough to re-ignite the war. With his loyal cadre of Imperial Guardsmen taking care of what little dissent there was (with every immigrant there having lost at least one member of their family, a wish for revenge was often expressed.) he created a conscript army out of the natives, and with covert foreign support, invaded what was once southern China.

The Fourth War of Chinese Liberation stretched on from 1974 to 1980, when Japan finally resorted to using nukes on the mainland and washing its hand free of the matter. 12 nukes were to be dropped across the breadth of China in conjunction with numerous firebombing and rockets attacks from Taiwan; the closest staging point for the IJN, the Japanese forces having been pushed off the former nation for good and desperately defending Mongolia and Manchuria; the industrial centers of their empire.

Unfortunately, all did not go as well as planned. It appeared in the irradiate aftermath that several other missile sites had received orders to fire. What was strange was the fact that sabotaged fuel tanks resulted in the missiles detonating at the precise best altitude in the air, directly over Japanese airspace. The resulting damage wiped out most of the Home Islands, with in an ironic twist of fate, the Japanese Imperial Family fleeing to Manchuria. With much of their population and agricultural centers gone, not to mention most of their missile sites, Japan was once more on an equal base with the Chinese, a position not heartily welcomed. Though it took the Chinese two more years of blood, sweat and tears, Manchuria, Mongolia, Indo China and Korea were finally regained, and their Japanese citizens put to the sword. Despite this overwhelming victory, the entire Chinese court was massacred, when a man wearing a porcelain masked man who called himself “Guy Fawkes” detonated a hydrogen bomb in the sewers of Hong Kong, the best city still salvageable in the entirety of East Asia. The greatest centers of cultural, history and arts in East Asia were now destroyed, and thousands of years of accomplishments ended in less than a century.

The Orient descended into anarchy, death and destruction and over it stood the man who had engineered it all. A man whose roots in history were so twisted, so changeable to unknown that the only men to see his true colors did not exist…..

[Hashasheen]

Part 41: the Stranger is revealed….

“My brothers!”

The resulting cheer drowns out the mutterings of the courtiers behind me. They are the same as under my father and his father. A bunch of simpering sycophants whose duty to the people is often mismanaged and forgotten in their need to gain a Wasta and their dreams of becoming a part of the hierarchy.

“We are the Caliphate of the Nile, of the Holy Cities, of Europe and Asia. We are the sons and daughters of a legacy accomplished in less than a century. We are the defining nation and the only nation of any importance. Under my father, we welcomed our Berber brethren. Under his father, we recovered the Holiest Cities and laid loose the heresy that was to infect our faith. Under me, Africa and Europe have bowed to the inevitable and accepted the unity of the Umma. Over 3 billion people are Moslems, and the fact that so many are united in a common cause is thanks to you, our workers and faithful who have toiled day and night for the right to see this day. On this day; when 80 years ago, the Caliph Husayn Bin Ali declared war on the Ottoman Empire with the intent of liberating his people. 80 long years have passed, and we are the stronger for it! The Orient has fallen to its own decadent desires, the West to his aggressiveness and paranoia, but lo and behold! We are dominant. We are eternal. Allah Hu Akbar!”
“Allah Hu Akbar!”

The tears of joy stream on the faces of many, as for the first time since the Prophet; all of Islam has been united under one nation, one leader and one center of power. We have accomplished what no other has even claimed to do, and for that, I am proud. This day will remain a day burned in the minds of all present and watching. After several speeches by relatives, military commanders and members of parliament, I move indoors with the heat growing somewhat intolerable. Seated in an air-conditioned office I blink, only to see a well dressed man sitting on the couch across me, smoking a hookah.

“Very rude of me, would you like some?” How arrogant.

“Who are you and what are you doing here?” The security guards would enter if I raised my voice, and there is hardly a person who could afford a man of this caliber to assassinate me.

“Of course. I was an acquaintance of your grandfather. I don’t imagine he spoke much about me, besides with your father and his brothers.” An acquaintance of my grandfather? What is this cur implying?

“Let me explain. If it wasn’t for me, you wouldn’t be Caliph right now, and instead would be dead.” He goes on to explain these strange things, how he was the one to give my grandfather the device, how he altered the history of the world, his dealings with Russians, Americans, Japanese and Chinese alike. But it was how he unleashed his own private Armageddon, with no lack of concern over the dead.

“How can you be so uncaring of the dead? Those were families now gone because you decided to flip a switch. You unleashed a war that cost millions of live in the Far East, tricked the USSR and the USA to destroy each other utterly so that we would be able to pick up the pieces. How do you sleep at night?” I need answers!

“Easy, I did it all for the lulz.” What?

“The… lulz?” What is this strange word?

“The lulz, a joke, for a lark, because I felt like it.” What!

“It was hilarious to see happen, plus I got plenty of awesome explosions for my home system to watch later. So listen, I’ve got places to be and places to see. Here’s some places I’d like you take a look at, you know for something to do, and who knows, maybe we’ll meet again?” These locations, this information…. Who is he?

“Who are you!” I must know!

He turns back to me, his face the picture of seriousness before it breaks into a grin.

“Call me Hash, everyone does.”

Fin