BMN/FasterThanRaito's Hoi4/Paradox inspired maps
I generally stay away from overhaul mods, because they tend to slow down performance on my computer
I also usually avoid user-made focus trees, because they tend to be full of unfair advantages and not well-balanced
However, I am always open to new ideas for a playthrough, so if you have a specific setting/country in mind, I’ll consider mods.
I’ve not played with the France Rework mod (I literally just found it and thought it would be fitting), but I don’t think it overhauls France’s focus tree. As for Imperial Germany Compatibility, the only thing it adds to the focus tree is the ability for Germany to restore the Ottomans to Turkey, like they already can in Italy, as well as begin to influence Bulgaria since they were also in the Central Powers.
29. Netherlands - Neutral/Monarchist
A world of extremes; the rising tide of revolution and progress, and the rallying of counter-revolutionary reactionaries to oppose them.
At first, it seemed the confluence of capitalist militarism would produce the counter to socialism. However, despite the early successes of fascism, the surviving antebellum elites managed not just a comeback, but a spread of the distrust in republicanism and populism. Monarchist plotters set forward in their grim task.
First, the assassination of Hitler. From there, lack of German support allowed the Spanish enough time to recruit french help against the franco-ist rebels.
The British king defied his court and government to marry a commoner of his choice, managing to twist the political chaos into a fresh set of government appointments of men more loyal to the god-given ruler.
In Japan, the Emperor attempted the same, but the army was ready for political struggle and takeover. A prominent general became Prime Minister, and rewrote the constitution to wrest away all trappings of power. In essence, reviving the bakufu system of military governorship of the country behind a ceremonial puppet.
Due to the split between monarchists and fascists, socialists were able to triumph over the fascists in Southern Europe.
The next battleground would be the Balkans. The King of Romania had been divorcing himself from responsible kingship, creating an atmosphere of regime change. Germany, which was attempting to integrate all of conservative europe into an anti-Soviet alliance, discovered a plot to depose the king. The German army, with the help of Austria-Hungary intervened. In response to the invasion, Romania appointed a soviet-friendly government. Germany's fears were realized, and the dominoes began to fall. A fascist coup in Bulgaria triggered a Greek invasion. The lines were drawn, and the armies of Europe began to move...
Germany could have had a larger alliance, but ever resentful and distrustful of the English, kept their alliance as a continental Central Powers. This isolation from the largest other imperial power would prove to be a fatal mistake.
In Asia, Japan attempted to invade China. When the offensive stalled, the Manchurian court betrayed their Japanese handlers, and after a quick internal purge, were able to strike off the shackles of the Kwangtung Army, and could have joined the Chinese in nationalist liberation... if only Puyi hadn't also declared war on the nationalist government due to his claim of the Dragon Throne. Japan joined the Central Powers, thus the Soviets intervened to rescue China on behalf of the CCP.
Meanwhile, Mexico had a communist rebellion, which attempted to takeover central America. On the short-term this was unsuccessful, as combined Anglo-American intervention crushed the uprising. However, the result was a unified central America, and the spread of a bolivarian communist ideology that took hold in South America, converting nearly all of Latin America. In Mexico itself, a fascist counter-revolution occurred. However, nationalist fervor saw them attempt to retake the Mexican sessions from the USA, which went predictably poorly.
As the Americans and their fellow Commonwealth democracies settled down into hemispheric defense and reintegration of Mexico, Great Britain and the Netherlands went about reconquering Africa and Asia. Also, the Netherlands managed to reunite all the Low Countries, finally achieving the borders originally intended in 1815.
By 1944, Europe is in reconstruction mode, while the war drags on in China. Japan, despite being propped up by the British, is loosing its grip on China, and has since lost the north, including manchuria and Korea, to the communist advance.
The Anglo-Dutch have called to mediate a ceasefire between the Japanese and Sino-Soviets. Will the Southern Chinese be able to retain their independence? Can Tibet remain a neutral buffer? Only time will tell, once either Japan or China has recovered enough to rekindle adventurism...
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30. Tibet - Communist
It seems that mexican politicians have a potency to them them that makes them irresistible. Even after loosing a war to Guatemala, the entire American hemisphere was thrown into chaos when Mexican propaganda convinced almost all countries to participate in the Latin American Uprising. After a few years, the revolutions were crushed, and both the conservative and liberal powers took the fight to the source... Russia.
Meanwhile, a scandal saw the toppling of the Tibetan monarchy, replaced by the paradoxical rule of a communist monk class who managed society not just through labour, but through worship. The monastic communist party sought to enlighten as much of China/Himalayas as possible. Unfortunately, Nepal and the Islamic SanMa put up stiff resistance, resulting in bloody trench warfare in the ravines between the high mountains. Then, there were the long slow marches across parched deserts, where equipment broke down before it could even be used in battle. And finally, the KMT had mostly unified the rest of China under the model of western secular democratic reform, precluding support for a true revolution, religious or communist. Still, the borders between Tibet, the Republic, and the Shanxi Soviet remains heavily guarded on all sides...
However, not all was bloody struggle, as India did join the ranks of Tibet, securing their diplomatic access to the rest of the world...
Plus there is always the chance that the Japanese Empire might change its mind about invading China, giving Tibet an opening. But ever since the Soviet capitulation, Japan seems content to feast upon its Northern Resource Area.
I forget what path it was since I've not played as South Africa, but IIRC you can bring in Edward VIII to rule South Africa assuming he's abdicated from the British throne. That could be an interesting campaign, with the goal being to unite Africa.
A Democratic Germany run could be fun as well, especially if you set Hungary to still go down the path to restore Austria-Hungary so they can be one of your main allies.
A Democratic Germany run could be fun as well, especially if you set Hungary to still go down the path to restore Austria-Hungary so they can be one of your main allies.
Thats, Fascist south Africa. It bothers me that it is SA, the most rebulican of all the domions, which has this ability. It whould make more sense given to Canada or New Zealand...
What was South Africa's relationship with the UK like during this time, just out of curiosity?
31. South Africa - Fascist
[converted from a victoria 2 ENG campaign]
After the end of the Napoleonic Wars, and the restoration of the Bonapartist dynasty to France, relations between the British and French suddenly turned around for the better. Rather than compete they divided the world (and Germany) between themselves.
However, four other powers emerged. The Americans, with their failed democracy. The Russians and Japanese, with their modernizing empires. and Germany, resurgent and angry.
Though the British did democratize their monarchy and parliament, movements to integrate natives from the empire backfired in South Africa. Rather than allow equality with the colonized, the local upper classes organized a separatist movement. They imported a disgraced king to be their own rival crown, and set about the conquest of Africa. The British were distracted with their cataclysmic war with Russia, and France the same with Nazi Germany.
Unfortunately for the South Africans, their industry simply was not prepared for the realities of modern warfare. Also, racist policies unsurprisingly prevented them from using local manpower to their full advantage. The Democracies triumphed in Europe and Latin America, although the USA, Japan, and SAF managed to hold a stalemate in their respective continents.
32. Germany - Democratic
Germany, isolated at first, slowly grew into its position as defender of European freedom. First, with getting rid of Hitler, then guaranteeing Poland, then allying with various others to take the fight to the communists, who were distracted in the Commy-Japanese Circum-Pacific War.
Unfortunately for the Germans, economic mismanagement and the devastation of the civil war with the fascists meant that the war economy was not ready in time. Furthermore, the Americans had gone and turned the Roosveltian New Deal into a total restructuring of American society towards anti-capitalist leftist democracy. The USA gave much aid to their new Soviet allies. Consequently, Germany and all its allies could only evenly match the endless red hordes. Back and forth the frontlines crept over Ukraine and Belarus, but the fighting had no end in sight. It was a total repeat of the First World War Western Front, only multiplied by the magnitude of Russia.
In the meantime, France replaced Italy as the dominant militarist power in Southern Europe. The British imposed their new monarchy on the empire, except for India and Australia, the former having gone independent during the confusion of the dissolution of Parliament, and the latter taking up a new ideology under Japanese protection.
After a decade of non-stop war, the economies of both Germany and the Soviet Union collapsed. A tentative armistice was reached, and the future remains uncertain...
33. China - Communist / Yugoslavia - Fascist
This is my first playthrough that I consider a real failure.
I tagswitched between PRC and YUG every year. The result was that China badly messed up the japanese war while I was away. Luckily, Yugoslavia managed to not get itself into too much trouble, staying nice and subservient to Germany. However, this also meant that I didn't achieve the goal of uniting the Balkans, settling for just reclaiming Tsargrad from Turkey after a long brutal struggle against the Soviet commintern, which ironically included PRC until their capitulation when an incompetent field marshal moved all units out of the Xi'an base area defenses, allowing a single Japanese cavalry division walk right in and capture the leadership of the CPC.
If only Mao had been left in charge (as the Spirit of the Nation intended), things could have turned out very differently...
The war between the Axis and Allies has not concluded, but has reached a point of factory, army, and naval parity where no one can gain an advantage. So we've reached yet another stalemate, NAAW style.
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34. Gran Colombia - Fascist
I hadn't forgotten your initial request, it was just a little too vague for me. So I combined these two together, plus a little extra.
All nations decolonized, all focus trees fascist, with Colombia aiming to restore Gran Colombia.
The first surprise was when France joined the Axis in early 1937. More and more of Europe joined Germany, preparing for the great crusade against Soviet Russia, which had already lost half of its territory and population to independence.
When the Germans and their various european allies of all ideologies (except Socialists, of course) ivaded, it looked like Russia's days were numbered.
The next major surprise was when MacArthur's Loyalist faction gave lend-lease to the Commie Russians. He had launched his own civil war against Roosvelt to get rid of leftists and progressives in his own country, yet he also wished to annex Canada, which was allied with Germany. So MacArthur supported the underdog, hoping they would bleed and distract Germany before the final confrontation. He was dead wrong.
The last major surprise was when the Russian Red Army stopped the German/European advance, launched a coup in Finland, which trapped many fascist soldiers in Leningrad. With this act, the momentum of the war took a decisive turn, and the Russians slowly pushed back into Ukraine and Estonia. Then, the German war effort collapsed, and the Russians buldozed their way to Berlin, then sped their way to Paris, Madrid, and Rome.
By the end of 1945, the Russians had liberated all of Europe (except Britain) from fascist influence.
Meanwhile, China saw extended fighting between the Easterners (Japanese, Koreans, Manchus), the Communists, and Nationalists. The Easterners aimed to assert their independence from China, along with their anti-communist crusade against Russia. The Communists allied with Russia to liberate all of Asia. The Nationalists sought to reclaim the territories that rightfully belonged to China, under a non-communist, non-imperial, government. After 10 years of bitter struggle, the frontlines have barely moved, mostly due to the balanced three-way dynamic of the war, and the occasional expansion of the war through new participants as a pressure release.
Meanwhile, the Colombians let the allied Americans be distracted in Mexico and Central America, while they waged a gloriously successful reunification against short-sighted Venezuelans. However, the famous Colombian jungle cavalry managed to sneak around enemy lines and quickly captured Venezuelan cities before they could respond properly. Once they had the combined industry of both countries, Colombia turned towards the other peripheral territories, taking over Ecuador, Peru, Brazil, Bolivia, some neighboring Caribbean islands, and the Guianas. Peru resisted the most ferociously. In the battle of Lima, over 300,000 Colombians and many more Peruvians perished in the 6-month long struggle that saw intense month-long artillery bombardments and huge air battles over the besieged city. After the epic struggle, final victory in Latin America was achieved for the American-Colombian alliance, and the new Bolivarian Empire of Gran Colombia was proclaimed at last!
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35. Russia - Democratic
Converted from Victoria 2
The conservative, imperialist Octoberists guided Russia through continental domination, secularization, and limited democratization. Expansion West into Eastern Europe came at the expense of Germany, Austria, and the Ottomans, who collapsed in a communist revolution. Expansion south through Persia, then along the African coast led to the start of a colonial empire. Expansion East saw the acquisition of much of oceania for coaling stations for the global Russian Navy.
The main competitors were the Germans, British, and French. Japan managed to remain a steady friendly power, reaching agreements on how to divide chinese spheres of influence. Other great powers, such as the USA, kept to their corner without stirring trouble.
However, the world order was dreadfully unstable. The beginning of the 20th Century saw the rise of fascism in countries who had been sidelined out of their glorious position as previous world leaders. After a series of bloody wars between Germany and France, the German Empire was forcefully turned into a peaceful democracy. However, what remained of Austria prepared for revenge...
China went from the tyranny of the Qing, to the dystopian Christian tyranny of the Taiping Dynasty, to warlord anarchy, to unification under the even-more-dystopian Nazbol tyranny of the KMT.
In 1920, the rise of monarchial power in Britain led to discontent in commonwealth countries. Canada declared full independence to preserve their democracy. A rebellion in New Zealand was crushed. The resurgence of militarism and authoritarianism lead to the establishment of a fascist regime.
The Netherlands, crushed under the weight of colonial rebellions in Indonesia, was quietly incorporated into the British Empire following an Act of Union in 1936.
Then, in 1940 Austria and Italy went to war over border disputes. Italy drew the USA and other allies into the war, while the Austrians sided with their fellow British fascists.
The war took place mostly in Austria and Africa, as American Liberia drive the British out of Ghana, and the Italians defended Nigeria from British Chad.
However, Eventually the British position was weakened, and the Near East Union invaded British Egypt, ending the war. The British lost most of their African holdings, but not much else as their navy held strong compared to their enemies.
Meanwhile, Russia was continuing the process of Democratization. This effort was spearheaded by democratic socialists, who the conservative Octoberists despised. The conservatives attempted to launch a coup, to reinstate Czarist power. They convinced the majority of the navy to mutiny, ruining plans to intervene in the British War. But the army stayed loyal to the people, and Civil War was largely prevented. However, the Indians did take the opportunity to rebel, turning traitor on those who had freed them from the British Raj. Eventually, they were subdued.
The world has returned to an uneasy peace. In the Americas and Europe, the Russian American Democratic powers and Britain are settling to a Cold War, from which the French and Scandinavians remain blissfully neutral. In Asia, Japan continues to exert influence on the anti-colonial revolter states with one hand, while keeping China out of their concession cities with the other. In Africa, colonialism continues undisturbed. Only in the Near East Union is there any hope or justice for marginalized peoples... so long as the oil continues to flow into Turkish hands.
The conservative, imperialist Octoberists guided Russia through continental domination, secularization, and limited democratization. Expansion West into Eastern Europe came at the expense of Germany, Austria, and the Ottomans, who collapsed in a communist revolution. Expansion south through Persia, then along the African coast led to the start of a colonial empire. Expansion East saw the acquisition of much of oceania for coaling stations for the global Russian Navy.
The main competitors were the Germans, British, and French. Japan managed to remain a steady friendly power, reaching agreements on how to divide chinese spheres of influence. Other great powers, such as the USA, kept to their corner without stirring trouble.
However, the world order was dreadfully unstable. The beginning of the 20th Century saw the rise of fascism in countries who had been sidelined out of their glorious position as previous world leaders. After a series of bloody wars between Germany and France, the German Empire was forcefully turned into a peaceful democracy. However, what remained of Austria prepared for revenge...
China went from the tyranny of the Qing, to the dystopian Christian tyranny of the Taiping Dynasty, to warlord anarchy, to unification under the even-more-dystopian Nazbol tyranny of the KMT.
In 1920, the rise of monarchial power in Britain led to discontent in commonwealth countries. Canada declared full independence to preserve their democracy. A rebellion in New Zealand was crushed. The resurgence of militarism and authoritarianism lead to the establishment of a fascist regime.
The Netherlands, crushed under the weight of colonial rebellions in Indonesia, was quietly incorporated into the British Empire following an Act of Union in 1936.
Then, in 1940 Austria and Italy went to war over border disputes. Italy drew the USA and other allies into the war, while the Austrians sided with their fellow British fascists.
The war took place mostly in Austria and Africa, as American Liberia drive the British out of Ghana, and the Italians defended Nigeria from British Chad.
However, Eventually the British position was weakened, and the Near East Union invaded British Egypt, ending the war. The British lost most of their African holdings, but not much else as their navy held strong compared to their enemies.
Meanwhile, Russia was continuing the process of Democratization. This effort was spearheaded by democratic socialists, who the conservative Octoberists despised. The conservatives attempted to launch a coup, to reinstate Czarist power. They convinced the majority of the navy to mutiny, ruining plans to intervene in the British War. But the army stayed loyal to the people, and Civil War was largely prevented. However, the Indians did take the opportunity to rebel, turning traitor on those who had freed them from the British Raj. Eventually, they were subdued.
The world has returned to an uneasy peace. In the Americas and Europe, the Russian American Democratic powers and Britain are settling to a Cold War, from which the French and Scandinavians remain blissfully neutral. In Asia, Japan continues to exert influence on the anti-colonial revolter states with one hand, while keeping China out of their concession cities with the other. In Africa, colonialism continues undisturbed. Only in the Near East Union is there any hope or justice for marginalized peoples... so long as the oil continues to flow into Turkish hands.