August Wind
- Thread starter Jim Smitty
- Start date
I like the flag, but... Things done OTL aside, on an entirely practical level it's a terrible idea for Japan to directly hold territory on mainland China, surely? Guerrilla war, hostility, etc.
Then again, my opinion's always been that if Japan wants to be a major power in Asia, the best plan is buddy up to SE Asia. Get them to become allies and trading partners (preferably by evicting their colonial masters, evicting but not trying to replace
)
This could be an opportunity. America and Japan are on OK terms, and America took Indochina but...I doubt they'd be annexing it. Odds are America will establish a friendly regime in Indochina and pull out... Which leaves the way open for Japanese business interests. And with business comes diplomacy...
Then again, my opinion's always been that if Japan wants to be a major power in Asia, the best plan is buddy up to SE Asia. Get them to become allies and trading partners (preferably by evicting their colonial masters, evicting but not trying to replace
)This could be an opportunity. America and Japan are on OK terms, and America took Indochina but...I doubt they'd be annexing it. Odds are America will establish a friendly regime in Indochina and pull out... Which leaves the way open for Japanese business interests. And with business comes diplomacy...
To be fair there is a lot of Ethnic Cleansing happening in these areas that Japan annexed. But then again it happened in Europe. In Canada its more people leaving who don't want to live under Washington's rule. Ditto for the Caribbean islands annexed by the US. For the Africans it really didn't matter its just new colonial masters.I like the flag, but... Things done OTL aside, on an entirely practical level it's a terrible idea for Japan to directly hold territory on mainland China, surely? Guerrilla war, hostility, etc.
Then again, my opinion's always been that if Japan wants to be a major power in Asia, the best plan is buddy up to SE Asia. Get them to become allies and trading partners (preferably by evicting their colonial masters, evicting but not trying to replace
This could be an opportunity. America and Japan are on OK terms, and America took Indochina but...I doubt they'd be annexing it. Odds are America will establish a friendly regime in Indochina and pull out... Which leaves the way open for Japanese business interests. And with business comes diplomacy...
Also to all my readers who didn't follow me in my past ASB TLs I'm entering my busy season at work. Oh the joys of working grocery retail
. So updates will be slowing down some till at least the turn of the new year.German Empire: 1962
Head of State: Kaiser Wilhelm IV
Head of Government: Chancellor Dr. Joseph Goebbels, leader of the German First Party
Germany was without a doubt in the aftermath of the Second Great War the unquestioned master of Europe, a stable Europe no least. A feat not even Napoleon Bonaparte was able to master. Germany under the leadership of Chancellor Konrad Adenauer worked to forged what everyone at the time would be a lasting peace at Potsdam. However, at Potsdam Adenauer planned the seeds for Germany to lose her allies. A fact that wouldn’t show itself for a few years. Potsdam did make Germany the second strongest nation on the face of the Earth after the United States.
In the far right of Germany they felt they had been stab in the back. This stab in the back wasn’t at Potsdam, but Philadelphia. Adenauer understood that the British were losing the war, but they weren’t defeat. To regain all the colonies lost to the British and their Dominions would mean spill rivers of bloods and spend mounts of national treasures to get to the point they could regain these colonies. It further meant that the Seattle Pact would have to do the same. Adenauer understood perfectly well that the Seattle Pact wasn’t willing to do this and the cost would been too great for Germany do to it on her own, and the British could had possibly turn the tide again. A fact the hard right under the leadership of Crown Prince Wilhelm overlooked.
As the hard earned peace started in the early 1940s all of Germany looked forward to the promise of a place in the sun and started working on building up the former French territories as well as re-populate these areas with German settlers. They were also working on Germanizing the areas outside of Austria that were annexed in the aftermath of the collapse of the Austro Hungarian Empire. Work was also on going to bring the Baltic States and Belarus into the German Empire by the mid-1960s. Even the reforms started by Adenauer made it seem that Germany was well on its way to make itself a lasting Great Power/Superpower that would be a world leader for generations in the future as well.
However, there was an under current to this. Adenauer and Crown Prince Wilhelm hate each other. Adenauer viewed the Crown Prince as a loose cannon and failed to understood the geo-political world. Crown Prince Wilhelm viewed Adenauer as weak who wouldn’t guide Germany to being the most powerful nation on the fact of the Earth. A boat that Adenauer thought had already sail for a least a few generations at least. However, with Kaiser Wilhelm III in power Adenauer had a powerful shield. Crown Prince Wilhelm turned to politics and the far right and founded the German First Party with his friend Joseph Goebbels as its leader.
It wasn’t till the early 1950s till the German First Party started really perform well at the polls. The cause of its boost at the polls was the fact the United States of America and to a lesser degree Russia was pushing for decolonization and Germany was losing its allies as well. Japan was the first to leave in 1945 when it’s treaty of alliance ran out. Then the Italians who were still sore over not getting a few pieces of Austria Hungary decided to leave their alliance with Germany and ally with the British. It was also at this time the rest of the world decided it was time to move on and end the occupation of France. The Italians withdrew from their occupation duties in 1950 a year after signing a treaty with the British. Adenauer withdrew the German occupation force in 1953.
For Adenauer this came at the wrong time. Kaiser Wilhelm III died six months later. With the rise of Kaiser Wilhelm IV Adenauer knew his time was number. However he still played every card he had, before he was forced out after the 1954 election. It was this election that brought Dr. Joseph Goebbels to become the Chancellor of Germany. Once in power Goebbels and the German First Party started undoing the reforms of Adenauer and Solf. However in foreign policy the rise of the German First Party and Wilhelm IV unnerved many. With Italy and Japan already gone, the last major ally left that wasn’t a puppet was Brazil. This came undone in 1961 as talks were underway to renew the alliance. As the radical foreign policy of Goebbels and Wilhelm IV were taking shape many were asking did they honestly want to fight another Great War?
Alliances: The Netherlands, Denmark, Ottoman Empire, Kingdom of Shandong, Wallonia, Croatia, Slovakia, Hungary, Poland, Belarus, Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania
Head of State: Kaiser Wilhelm IV
Head of Government: Chancellor Dr. Joseph Goebbels, leader of the German First Party
Germany was without a doubt in the aftermath of the Second Great War the unquestioned master of Europe, a stable Europe no least. A feat not even Napoleon Bonaparte was able to master. Germany under the leadership of Chancellor Konrad Adenauer worked to forged what everyone at the time would be a lasting peace at Potsdam. However, at Potsdam Adenauer planned the seeds for Germany to lose her allies. A fact that wouldn’t show itself for a few years. Potsdam did make Germany the second strongest nation on the face of the Earth after the United States.
In the far right of Germany they felt they had been stab in the back. This stab in the back wasn’t at Potsdam, but Philadelphia. Adenauer understood that the British were losing the war, but they weren’t defeat. To regain all the colonies lost to the British and their Dominions would mean spill rivers of bloods and spend mounts of national treasures to get to the point they could regain these colonies. It further meant that the Seattle Pact would have to do the same. Adenauer understood perfectly well that the Seattle Pact wasn’t willing to do this and the cost would been too great for Germany do to it on her own, and the British could had possibly turn the tide again. A fact the hard right under the leadership of Crown Prince Wilhelm overlooked.
As the hard earned peace started in the early 1940s all of Germany looked forward to the promise of a place in the sun and started working on building up the former French territories as well as re-populate these areas with German settlers. They were also working on Germanizing the areas outside of Austria that were annexed in the aftermath of the collapse of the Austro Hungarian Empire. Work was also on going to bring the Baltic States and Belarus into the German Empire by the mid-1960s. Even the reforms started by Adenauer made it seem that Germany was well on its way to make itself a lasting Great Power/Superpower that would be a world leader for generations in the future as well.
However, there was an under current to this. Adenauer and Crown Prince Wilhelm hate each other. Adenauer viewed the Crown Prince as a loose cannon and failed to understood the geo-political world. Crown Prince Wilhelm viewed Adenauer as weak who wouldn’t guide Germany to being the most powerful nation on the fact of the Earth. A boat that Adenauer thought had already sail for a least a few generations at least. However, with Kaiser Wilhelm III in power Adenauer had a powerful shield. Crown Prince Wilhelm turned to politics and the far right and founded the German First Party with his friend Joseph Goebbels as its leader.
It wasn’t till the early 1950s till the German First Party started really perform well at the polls. The cause of its boost at the polls was the fact the United States of America and to a lesser degree Russia was pushing for decolonization and Germany was losing its allies as well. Japan was the first to leave in 1945 when it’s treaty of alliance ran out. Then the Italians who were still sore over not getting a few pieces of Austria Hungary decided to leave their alliance with Germany and ally with the British. It was also at this time the rest of the world decided it was time to move on and end the occupation of France. The Italians withdrew from their occupation duties in 1950 a year after signing a treaty with the British. Adenauer withdrew the German occupation force in 1953.
For Adenauer this came at the wrong time. Kaiser Wilhelm III died six months later. With the rise of Kaiser Wilhelm IV Adenauer knew his time was number. However he still played every card he had, before he was forced out after the 1954 election. It was this election that brought Dr. Joseph Goebbels to become the Chancellor of Germany. Once in power Goebbels and the German First Party started undoing the reforms of Adenauer and Solf. However in foreign policy the rise of the German First Party and Wilhelm IV unnerved many. With Italy and Japan already gone, the last major ally left that wasn’t a puppet was Brazil. This came undone in 1961 as talks were underway to renew the alliance. As the radical foreign policy of Goebbels and Wilhelm IV were taking shape many were asking did they honestly want to fight another Great War?
Alliances: The Netherlands, Denmark, Ottoman Empire, Kingdom of Shandong, Wallonia, Croatia, Slovakia, Hungary, Poland, Belarus, Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania
Has Japan's attitudes towards the "lesser races" changed OTL? If not, what we saw OTL in China be done by the Japanese can entirely be expected to occur more or less the same.
Also, the Japanese naval ensign is pretty terrible. Would've been better if they used the imperial ensign, maybe.
Count Valerian
Banned
Inappropriate...only members of the Imperial Family are allowed to use that. And the naval ensign is fine as it is, but you're entitled towards your opinion I suppose.
As for Japanese attitude...it's probably better to an extent, given that Japan hasn't gone fascist. Probably typical of how other countries view minority racial groups in their territories ITTL, which is probably better given that civil rights got a massive boost with colored contributions during the Second Mexican-American War, and the republicans keeping a strong grip on power throughout the 1910s.
It's going to look similar to British rule of India, which was pretty fucking terrible. Nominal freedoms allowed, absolute exploitation of peasants, sporadic massacres, etc.
As to Japan and its minority racial groups, well its complicated. It really depends on what territory you are talking about. Korea is different from Manchuria and Hainan. As for the new territories annexed at the end of Second Great War, well they forced a lot of the people living there out. Remember between 1937-42 ITL was something very close to the OTL Flight and expulsion of Germans (1944–50) in Europe and China ITL only it was French, Hungarians, and Chinese instead of Germans.
If I may ask, how differently are Koreans treated than residents in Manchuria or Hainan?
Count Valerian
Banned
That's still a massive improvement over OTL though. Formosa and Hainan are probably quite well-off though, as Japan enacted cultural assimilation programs en masse there ever since 1916 ITTL. Considering that in OTL Japanization of Formosa was actually quite successful, in this scenario with a loss-hostile Japan it's not out there that it works with even more success. The mainland - especially Korea - more iffy, but considering ethnic cleansing...yeah I imagine Manchuria's going to be a really hot issue.
TBH, in case of decolonization working in full, I only see Japan keeping island territories in the long-term: the Home Islands, Karafuto, Hainan and Formosa. If only partial-decolonization, then Home Rule for Korea (which is going to be much hotter than Northern Ireland) and Manchuria (which is probably Japanese-majority by now) with lots of agitation along the southern border and the island territories directly-integrated into the Home Islands.
Count Valerian
Banned
Probably better-treated than in OTL - Japan's not so fascist, they want to play nice with America, so probably while there are war crimes on a small/individual scale, there's nothing like the officially-sanctioned, large-scale nightmarish events of OTL.
Apart from ethnic cleansing of course, though America turned a blind eye to it, it seems, much like it did in OTL to the ethnic cleansing of German residents in Eastern Europe after WWII.
Being "fascist" probably has much less than we'd expect to do with ethnic cleansing, at least for Japan. Because if it bases its colonisation/occupation policies on the British as OTL then there will continue to be similar "incidents" that arise in mainland China.
Count Valerian
Banned
No arguments there. Manchuria is the only mainland Chinese territory remaining with Japan in the long-term I see working out (and only because ITTL it's Japanese-majority), and even then it's a long-shot. China proper is going to be a money/manpower-sink for Japan.
More on that when I get to Japan, but it has more to do with the ethnic make up of the three areas. Korea is still a majority Korean where Manchuria and Hainan have become a majority Japanese.
German Military
Army
The German Army is one of the largest armies in the World and largest in Europe. The Russian Army would have this title if they had their whole army in European Russia, but with its need to defend Russian Asia as well the German Army has the honor of being the largest army in Europe. Many view the German Army as the best equipped and trained army in the world.
Force Structure:
21 Infantry Divisions, 15 Mechanized Infantry Divisions, 6 Armor Divisions, 3 Mountain Divisions, 3 Airborne Divisions, 3 Foreign Legion Divisions
Service Rifle: OTL Ag m/42B
Service Pistol: OTL Walther P38
Service Machine Gun: OTL MG 42
Service Submachine Gun: OTL Uzi
Anti-Tank Weapons: OTL M67 Recoilless Rifle, OTL Towed 12.8 Pak 44, OTL SS.10 (Entering Service)
Anti-Air Weapons: 25mm Autocannon, 40mm Autocannon, OTL 8.8 cm Flak 41 (Being phased out of service), OTL 12.8 cm Flak 40, S-25 Berkut (Entering Service)
Artillery: Mortars ranging from 5 to 12 cm, Howitzers ranging from 10 to 21 cm, Field Guns ranging from 7.7 to 15 cm
Light Tank: OTL AMX-13-75
Medium Tank: OTL Panzer 58 (90mm armed)
Heavy Tank: OTL T-10 (Main gun is based off the 12.8 Pak 44 through)
German Navy
The German Navy maintains two fleets (Home and Mediterranean) along with two squadrons (Atlantic and Pacific) as its major fleet organization goes. However neither fleet nor squadrons are able to support each other in the event of war. The German Navy is one of the largest navies in the world as well as one of the best equipped.
Battleships
-12 with 3 held in reserve
All German battleships are equipped with 46 cm main guns of various calibers. They all have a top speed of at least 31 knots and good armor set ups. The last battleship in Germany was commissioned in 1959. All in Home or Mediterranean Fleets.
Fleet Aircraft Carriers
-14, 3 more being built, with 2 being held in reserves
German fleet carriers are the heaviest armored carriers in the world. This effects their carrier air wings with even the newest carriers commissioned into the German Navy having the ability to carry 60 aircraft. All in Home or Mediterranean Fleets.
Light Aircraft Carriers
-4, 2 more being built
The light carriers within the German Navy are meant to show the flag mostly and serve as flag ships in the Atlantic and Pacific Squadrons. They are small even for light flat tops carrying only 18 aircraft which reflects the German need to have heavy armor their flap tops.
Helicopter Carrier
-0, 1 being built
A test helicopter carrier is being built to test the idea of helicopters being used in the ASW role.
Cruisers
-28 (Heavy) and 49 (Light), 2 (Heavy) and 6 (Light) being built, 8 (Heavy) in reserve
Destroyers
-130, 23 more being built
Submarines
-80 Fleet, 32 Coastal, 2 Hunter-Killer, 12 Fleet, 8 Coastal being built
Naval Aviation
Fighter: OTL de Havilland Sea Vixen
Attack: OTL Douglas A2D Skyshark (Replacement in testing)
ASW/Maritime Patrol: OTL Grumman S-2 Tracker
Air Force
The German Air Force is also the largest in Europe. It maintains five air forces in Europe and another divided between Africa and the Pacific.
Fighter: OTL MiG-15 (Being moved to reserves) OTL MiG-17 (Main stay of its fighter force), OTL MiG-21 (Entering service)
Close Air Support Aircraft: OTL Saab 32 Lansen (Main stay of the CAS Force) OTL Sukhoi Su-7B (Entering Service)
Tactical Bombers: OTL Ilyushin Il-28 (Main stay of the Tac Bomber force), OTL Ilushin Il-30 (In prototype phase of testing)
Strategic Bomber: OTL Tupolev Tu-95 (Being withdrawn from Service), OTL Tupolev Tu-16 (Main stay of the Strategic Force), Convair B-58 Hustler (Entering Service)
Medium Range Ballistic Missile: SS-3 Shyster (Entering Service), equipped with nerve agent warheads, nuclear warheads planned
WMD Programs
Nuclear
Germany became the second nuclear great power in 1954 when it tested its first bomb in German Middle Africa (central Chad OTL). Currently the German Empire maintains a force of 21 nuclear weapons in the 40 to 60 kiloton range with the ability to make six to eight a year.
Chemical
Germany as the most advance Chemical Weapon program on the face of the Earth. It has both persistent (VX) and non-persistent (G-series) types. Its persistent agents are what is equips the Ballistic Missile force in the Air Force.
Bio
Germany doesn’t maintain a bio weapon program.
Army
The German Army is one of the largest armies in the World and largest in Europe. The Russian Army would have this title if they had their whole army in European Russia, but with its need to defend Russian Asia as well the German Army has the honor of being the largest army in Europe. Many view the German Army as the best equipped and trained army in the world.
Force Structure:
21 Infantry Divisions, 15 Mechanized Infantry Divisions, 6 Armor Divisions, 3 Mountain Divisions, 3 Airborne Divisions, 3 Foreign Legion Divisions
Service Rifle: OTL Ag m/42B
Service Pistol: OTL Walther P38
Service Machine Gun: OTL MG 42
Service Submachine Gun: OTL Uzi
Anti-Tank Weapons: OTL M67 Recoilless Rifle, OTL Towed 12.8 Pak 44, OTL SS.10 (Entering Service)
Anti-Air Weapons: 25mm Autocannon, 40mm Autocannon, OTL 8.8 cm Flak 41 (Being phased out of service), OTL 12.8 cm Flak 40, S-25 Berkut (Entering Service)
Artillery: Mortars ranging from 5 to 12 cm, Howitzers ranging from 10 to 21 cm, Field Guns ranging from 7.7 to 15 cm
Light Tank: OTL AMX-13-75
Medium Tank: OTL Panzer 58 (90mm armed)
Heavy Tank: OTL T-10 (Main gun is based off the 12.8 Pak 44 through)
German Navy
The German Navy maintains two fleets (Home and Mediterranean) along with two squadrons (Atlantic and Pacific) as its major fleet organization goes. However neither fleet nor squadrons are able to support each other in the event of war. The German Navy is one of the largest navies in the world as well as one of the best equipped.
Battleships
-12 with 3 held in reserve
All German battleships are equipped with 46 cm main guns of various calibers. They all have a top speed of at least 31 knots and good armor set ups. The last battleship in Germany was commissioned in 1959. All in Home or Mediterranean Fleets.
Fleet Aircraft Carriers
-14, 3 more being built, with 2 being held in reserves
German fleet carriers are the heaviest armored carriers in the world. This effects their carrier air wings with even the newest carriers commissioned into the German Navy having the ability to carry 60 aircraft. All in Home or Mediterranean Fleets.
Light Aircraft Carriers
-4, 2 more being built
The light carriers within the German Navy are meant to show the flag mostly and serve as flag ships in the Atlantic and Pacific Squadrons. They are small even for light flat tops carrying only 18 aircraft which reflects the German need to have heavy armor their flap tops.
Helicopter Carrier
-0, 1 being built
A test helicopter carrier is being built to test the idea of helicopters being used in the ASW role.
Cruisers
-28 (Heavy) and 49 (Light), 2 (Heavy) and 6 (Light) being built, 8 (Heavy) in reserve
Destroyers
-130, 23 more being built
Submarines
-80 Fleet, 32 Coastal, 2 Hunter-Killer, 12 Fleet, 8 Coastal being built
Naval Aviation
Fighter: OTL de Havilland Sea Vixen
Attack: OTL Douglas A2D Skyshark (Replacement in testing)
ASW/Maritime Patrol: OTL Grumman S-2 Tracker
Air Force
The German Air Force is also the largest in Europe. It maintains five air forces in Europe and another divided between Africa and the Pacific.
Fighter: OTL MiG-15 (Being moved to reserves) OTL MiG-17 (Main stay of its fighter force), OTL MiG-21 (Entering service)
Close Air Support Aircraft: OTL Saab 32 Lansen (Main stay of the CAS Force) OTL Sukhoi Su-7B (Entering Service)
Tactical Bombers: OTL Ilyushin Il-28 (Main stay of the Tac Bomber force), OTL Ilushin Il-30 (In prototype phase of testing)
Strategic Bomber: OTL Tupolev Tu-95 (Being withdrawn from Service), OTL Tupolev Tu-16 (Main stay of the Strategic Force), Convair B-58 Hustler (Entering Service)
Medium Range Ballistic Missile: SS-3 Shyster (Entering Service), equipped with nerve agent warheads, nuclear warheads planned
WMD Programs
Nuclear
Germany became the second nuclear great power in 1954 when it tested its first bomb in German Middle Africa (central Chad OTL). Currently the German Empire maintains a force of 21 nuclear weapons in the 40 to 60 kiloton range with the ability to make six to eight a year.
Chemical
Germany as the most advance Chemical Weapon program on the face of the Earth. It has both persistent (VX) and non-persistent (G-series) types. Its persistent agents are what is equips the Ballistic Missile force in the Air Force.
Bio
Germany doesn’t maintain a bio weapon program.