The World To War (1935-1940)
The Global Depression led to revanchism growing in powers, mainly the 2 powers of Germany and Russia that both hoped for renewed glory and expansion, resentful of their fall in status. The KDP ended German democracy in all but name, operating the trade unions and the government on its own de facto even if not yet de jure. Meanwhile the RSFSR under Stalin becomes increasingly vengeful and paranoid with Stalin starting a great purge to purge the Trotskyist plot once and for all and swearing to retake the motherland from the Polish Fascist clique some day.
In the Saar Plebiscite, the workers are sent left-wing Propaganda and along with being German, it results in an overwhelming victory for unification with Germany. Germany, encouraged by the end of the occupation of the Ruhr and the result of the Plebiscite attempts a remilitarization of the Rhineland, arguing it is their territory and with the Allied alliance being in a crisis, no military response results, allowing them to send troops into the Rhineland. Meanwhile Japan suffers greatly from the great depression, suffering a major recession that forces it to consolidate its hold and leaving it unable to support the Transamur Kingdom, its client state and Russia exploits this and invades Transamur, which Japan having withdrawn cannot sufficiently support, with Russia annexing it and many of the Whites fleeing to Japan.
Turkey tired of defeats invades Armenia in conjunction with Russia, promising them parts of northern Armenia. A large expulsion of Armenians commences resulting in the expulsion of Turkey from the League of Nations. It also results in tensions flaring with Greece who suffer many Turkish riots in Greek Anatolia and resulting in greece allying defensively the Pact of Rome (Italy, Spain, China). Portugal under spanish influence also joins the Pact of Rome. The People’s Republic of China in response to China joining the Pact of Rome joins the Comintern. Turkey starts holding talks with the USSR about defeating Greece. Thus across Europe and Asia, old tensions flare and rival alliances form up. UK, isolationist from Europe after the rhineland debacle meanwhile announces it’s alliance with Japan, as the new tensions in europe and asia made both powers decide to once again ally each other, as other states succumb to communism or fascism in 1935.
France meanwhile suffers from further instability as it resents the UK for abandoning it in Rhineland and although a facade of democracy remains, hostility towards Germany results in a strong surge for the Authoritarian right-wing movements that wish to join the Pact of Rome.
The World is at a fragile cross roads as fascism and communism rise up in popularity across the world. It is now only a matter of when for the 2 ideologies to meet and clash in flames and war, the likes of which haven't yet been seen.
Russia and Germany hold top secret meetings in which they plot the partitioning of “fascist Commonwealth” to unite the socialist revolution and be able to strike at the fascist alliance. In the meetings they prepare to attempt to destabilize the Commonwealth by supporting the anarchist movement in Ukraine and destroying the anti-comintern alliance. They secretly start a program of militarization, hidden from the outside world and publicly Germany demands the Ruhr area back and due to the allied split, eventually they are given the Ruhr back. Germany also remilitarizes the Rhineland with muted response from the west and give industrial support to Russia who under Stalin started mass industrialization, through the power of masses to industrialize Russia within 5 years. This program causes mass famines and millions of death but industrializes Germany rapidly.