Let The Eagle Scream!

[pattontank12]

I'll admit I was kind of disappointed that we didn't see some like Ugern-Sternberg running Russia and we still have Hitler running Germany. It just feels like it's steering to close to OTL for my tastes when the pod was reconstitution. I would have preferred someone like Baron Richthofen or Lettow-Vorbeck has chancellor.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Roman_von_Ungern-Sternberg

 

[Goldwind2]

I'll admit I was kind of disappointed that we didn't see some like Ugern-Sternberg running Russia and we still have Hitler running Germany. It just feels like it's steering to close to OTL for my tastes when the pod was reconstitution. I would have preferred someone like Baron Richthofen or Lettow-Vorbeck has chancellor.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Roman_von_Ungern-Sternberg

I agree about Hitler. I liked this guys,s idea about hitter creating greamany,s largest comic company and getting Germany hooked on super heroes.

 

[Jim Smitty]

Honestly I doubt Germany would be the largest economy ITL. 2nd without a doubt, but first? Nope. Not seen than that. Also I wish you would found a pic of Hitler in a suit instead of that uniform shit he wore.

That said this is still fun to watch

 

[ramdomperson]

The Ruskies will likely try to invade Alaska out of revanchism, and destroying their invasion fleet will be a great way to cripple their war effort.

An alternate plan presents itself. Let the Russians invade Alaska, let them find out the lack of resources, industry and infrastructure to support further incursion into North America. Let the insanity of ultra-orthodox nationalism play out as they commit more soldiers and equipment to Alaska. Let them bash their heads against the Rocky Mountains. Then cut off the invader's supply routes and laugh as they starve.

 

[M. A. Dickens]

How’s the situation in China right now? Have any of the factions made headway into unifying China?

I think (as I have suggested to M1776) Sun Yat-sen had American backing and united most of China, but is now beset by Russian/Japanese-backed warlords and bands of guerrillas. Still better than OTL though.

Marc A

 

[Whiteshore]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Roman_von_Ungern-Sternberg

I'm sure even if he doesn't lead Russia directly, he's probably one of the most powerful men in the UCOS outside of Stalin.

 

[Murica1776]

Presidential Briefing: The National Republic of France

Introduction: The France of today is not the liberty loving nation the world once knew. Thanks to Pujo and his cronies, today's France is a violent menace to itself and the world, hell-bent on "Frenchifying" the world.

Politics: Pujo and his Unitists have managed to exert total power over France, destroying the previous republic. In its place is the new "National Republic" a Unitist dictatorship that grants Pujo tyrannical amounts of power. However, there is a great deal of infighting among the brass, which can be exploited.

Ideology: France, alongside a few other Unitist powers, is not terribly racist. Instead they are "cultural supremacists." The French believe that if they convert their heathen subjects to Catholicism, make them learn French, and forget their old culture, then skin color is irrelevant. To go along with this attitude is a worship of Napoleon as the "Ultimate Frenchman." His neo-Roman aesthetic has been appropriated by Pujo, and the crazed dictator talks of building a new Napoleonic empire.

Economy: The French economy has seen better days, but it's still stronger than you'd think thanks to military buildup. Plus, since France is still somewhat more self sufficient than say Great Britain, it has been somewhat less affected by it's loss of territory. However, attacking trade in the event of War is still a good strategy.

Military: The French military is very large, but relatively inexperienced. The French Army is the centerpiece of the modern French military, being one of the largest in Europe, as well as being well equipped and led by Great War veterans. Avoiding land battles with the French is probably a good idea for the time being.

French Ambitions: The French, like the rest of the Unitists have some pretty grandiose imperial ambitions. They want all their old colonial territories back, as well as Thailand, Liberia, Alsace-Lorraine, and Belgium. They also desire to turn all of Europe (aside from their Unitist allies of course) into puppet states, ala Napoleon. So, needless to say, the French really dislike us and the Germans for "stealing their space."

Basic War Plan: In the event of war with France, the key to the whole thing will be Africa. Utilizing our Liberian brethren to make French governance of their African lands hell will be an easy way to drain their resources. Utilizing our naval advantage would also be wise, and strangling trade will definitely hurt them. Another thought to keep in mind about war with France is it's unifying potential. While former French colonies, such as Indochina, are generally content with our more benevolent leadership, racial and cultural tensions are still an issue. In the event of war, use propaganda that depicts the "Family of American Races" battling the "despicable cheese gobbling imperialists."

Maurice Pujo preparing to make a speech

 

[Murica1776]

"A bit", I feel, is quite an understatement. Let The Eagle Scream!, while not implausible, is definitely playing a bit more towards the Rule of Cool rather than hard realism. And it's not a criticism (unless realism is what you were aiming for), but I'm just a little observant and I'm getting a good kick out of this.

If only I could find the motivation to make multiple updates to a TL per day.



That, and Irish-American Heritage would be something interesting to look at, especially when you consider Orwell's Britain and the implications of what will probably happen to them.

Relations postwar between Britain and Ireland MIGHT be closer to OTL's Japan-Korea relationship, but that depends on how the United States and the German Empire feel about the partitioning of the Unitist powers in the postwar world. (Not to mention Russia's interests, too.)

As long as it's plausible, I don't care too much for hard realism. I prefer using the bends and twists of history to makes a TL that's still realistic, but has lots of Rule of Cool style stuff.

Oh yeah, Irish-American heritage will be a big deal, especially up North. I don't feel like the South would romanticize it as much because their big thing is adoring "noble aristocrats," not a people that kinda got the crap beaten out of them for years.

I'll admit I was kind of disappointed that we didn't see some like Ugern-Sternberg running Russia and we still have Hitler running Germany. It just feels like it's steering to close to OTL for my tastes when the pod was reconstitution. I would have preferred someone like Baron Richthofen or Lettow-Vorbeck has chancellor.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Roman_von_Ungern-Sternberg

Honestly, if I thought about it, I might have done that for Russia. I'll admit that my knowledge of Russian history before really digging into this TL was really a rough sketch.

Honestly I doubt Germany would be the largest economy ITL. 2nd without a doubt, but first? Nope. Not seen than that. Also I wish you would found a pic of Hitler in a suit instead of that uniform shit he wore.

That said this is still fun to watch

That's fair. I'll update that in a bit. I only did the uniform bit to cover my ass in the future if I wound up posting a pic of Hitler with a swastika (because he was around them a lot). However, I will definitely be trying to portray a more suited up, less militaristic Hitler (he's a Churchill analog after all).

 

[Whiteshore]

Honestly, if I thought about it, I might have done that for Russia. I'll admit that my knowledge of Russian history before really digging into this TL was really a rough sketch.

But we can always say he's one of Stalin's main subordinates, right?

 

[Whiteshore]

Speaking of Russia, what became of Boris Savinkov in this world, I may ask?

 

[Murica1776]

But we can always say he's one of Stalin's main subordinates, right?

Oh yeah, absolutely. I'm trying to think of what I want his position to be.

Speaking of Russia, what became of Boris Savinkov in this world, I may ask?

Probably purged, unfortunately

 

[Whiteshore]

Probably purged, unfortunately

What about Russia's other Vozhd, Pyotr Wrangel? Was he too liberal for the UCOS (he was a pretty chill guy IOTL, which is why Savinkov replaced him as the Vozhd in KR)?

 

[Murica1776]

Remember however that durning world war 1 in this timeline that all these regional divides were squashed and local German dialects creating only a American identity

Yeah, no one really speaks German anymore, and an American identity is emphasized over all else. However, it would be practically impossible for America to wipe out the unique cultural identities of each region of the US. To do such a thing would require a dedicated authoritarian state with decades worth of time to do so. However, a lot of the belligerent political regionalism that is an issue OTL has been clamped down on as borderline treasonous.

How’s the situation in China right now? Have any of the factions made headway into unifying China?

China is a bit of a mess right now, although Sun Yat-Sen's successors have made headway.

 

[Murica1776]

What about Russia's other Vozhd, Pyotr Wrangel? Was he too liberal for the UCOS (he was a pretty chill guy IOTL, which is why Savinkov replaced him as the Vozhd in KR)?

Yeah, I imagine that anyone who was pretty chill OTL didn't survive Stalin or Denikin's purges ITTL.

 

[Jim Smitty]

 

[Whiteshore]

Sun Yat-Sen's successors

Who succeeded him ITTL, anyways? Jiang Jieshi? Wang Jingwei (I think it would be cool if he leads China's war of resistance against Japan instead of becoming the arch-hanjian he was IOTL)? Liao Zhongkai? Soong Qingling? Someone else?

 

[Whiteshore]

Yeah, I imagine that anyone who was pretty chill OTL didn't survive Stalin or Denikin's purges ITTL.

Another reason why Wrangel would be a victim of Deninkin's purges would probably be how he argued with Deninkin over military strategy during the civil war.

 

[Murica1776]

Presidential Briefing: The Empire of Japan

Introduction: Let's be blunt Mr President: the Japs are resource starved, heavily armed, and supremely convinced of their superiority. That means these folks are trouble with a capital T.

Politics: Technically speaking, Japan is a constitutional monarchy with a Parliament and whatnot. In reality, it is controlled by a clique of ultranationalist/Unitist military officers who have made Emperor worship an official state ideology. Our best hope of subverting the totalitarian structure of the Japanese government is to exploit the deep rivalry between Army officers and Navy officers.

Ideology: Today's Japan is under the sway of a toxic ideological mix that is in many ways crazier than both the Brits and Ruskies. The Japanese believe in a mystical corruption of Shintoism that states that the Japanese race has been uniquely ordained by the gods to rule mankind, and Asia specifically. A corruption of the Samurai code of Bushido has also become prominent, as the government has transformed an ancient honor code into a jingoistic death cult. Millions of Japanese are being brainwashed to believe that suicidal resistance is better than surrender to the "Western devils." Essentially, the whole nation has been made to be a form of self-worshiping cult which will annihilate anyone who "humiliates" it.

Economy: The Japanese economy is efficient, but resource starved. In fact, their current aggression can be explained by a need to achieve autarky, and reduce vulnerability to resource shortages. However, the Japs are an ingenious bunch of rascals, and their economy still punches above its weight. Like with most other foreign powers, targeting trade routes is a great way to squeeze em till they squeal.

Military: The Japanese military is heavily navy based. In fact, they have the world's 3rd largest navy, although maintaining that is starting to strain resources. The Japanese army is also surprisingly large, although their equipment is inferior to our own. What the Japanese might lack in quality or quantity of equipment, they make up for in ferocity. Japanese troops are possessed of suicidal courage, and will engage in insane "Banzai" charges, even when on the verge of annihilation. Even crazier, sometimes the bastards actually succeed in these charges. Regardless, our boys should shoot first, and ask questions never.

Japanese Ambitions: The Japanese desire complete hegemony over Asia. They essentially want to turn the entire region into colonies or puppet states. Japanese colonization would then begin, and the native populations would be exploited, before "disappearing." Needless to say, this conflicts with our current Asian empire, and future ambitions.

Alliances: The Japanese are very close with the British and French, and share an alliance with them. The other Unitist powers are treated with respect, but not kept very close. They also have a wonderful rivalry with the UOCS, which could be useful to exploit.

Basic War Plan: The Joint Board has concluded that war with Japan is essentially inevitable. There simply isn't enough room in Asia for both our ambitions. Therefore, these preparations and plans should ideally be taken under immediate advisement. Our first priority must be rallying our colonial natives in the Philippines and Indochina. Make sure that they know the Japs are nothing but trouble, even if they are Asian. If there's a revolt against our authority in these places, we're screwed seven ways to Sunday. Priority #2 will be fortifying these territories. We can't allow the Japs to seize them by force, which is a possibility due to the lack of troop concentration in these places. Priority #3 is destroying the IJN. Without their navy, the Japanese go from being an efficient empire able to transport goods and soldiers to isolated pockets of Japanese control. Priority #4 is removing the Japanese from as many territories as possible, to tighten the noose and decrease morale. Finally, we have to be prepared to literally starve these people to death via blockade. It's sad, but short of some sort of wonder weapon, our strategists don't see how we can make the Japanese understand they can't win without literally starving them to death.

Japanese soldiers in China

 

[Murica1776]

Who succeeded him ITTL, anyways? Jiang Jieshi? Wang Jingwei (I think it would be cool if he leads China's war of resistance against Japan instead of becoming the arch-hanjian he was IOTL)? Liao Zhongkai? Soong Qingling? Someone else?

I think Wang Jingwei would be a good pick

 

[Murica1776]

Presidential Briefing: The Kingdom of Italy

Introduction: Italy might be the nation everyone least expected to become a Great Power, yet here they are. In the wake of the Great War and the dissolution of Austria-Hungary, Italy is larger and more powerful than it has been since the Roman days.

Politics: Italy is a constitutional monarchy under King Antonio I and Prime Minister Guido Meloni. Mr. Meloni is very similar to his German counterpart, being a moderate, somewhat expansionist conservative who hate Unitism. However, there are some major differences. Whereas Chancellor Hitler is against government intervention in the economy, Mr. Meloni has wedded the Italian government to big business, and major businessmen wield considerable clout in the government. More alarmingly, there are rumored ties between Meloni and the Italian mafia. While disappointing, this is not unexpected, as there is a history of mafia involvement in Italian politics. Meloni is notoriously stubborn as well, but our people think that threatening to reveal his extramarital liaisons to his wife ought to make him more pliable.

Economy: The Italian economy is in pretty good shape, partially due to the close relationship of government and business. The territories they've acquired from both the War and the collapse of Austria-Hungary have been a small but helpful boost as well. While not exactly an economic powerhouse, the Italian economy is stronger than many might first assume.

Military: The Italian military has historically been a bit of a laughingstock. Corrupt, incompetent, and ill equipped were the words used to describe the Italian military for years. Even during the Great War, some of these traits were still evident. This is not the case today. Today's Italian military is an efficient and effective fighting force under the command of a young, nationalistic, German trained officer corps. In fact, the modern Italian military might well be the least corrupt, most effective institution in the nation's history. The Italian Navy dominates the Mediterranean, and is helping keep the Greeks at bay. The Italian Army is world renowned for its desert fighting capabilities, honed in the Great War, as well as its skill at keeping the Serbs away from their Croatian lands.

Mafia Connection: A key concern to both our government and the Italian one is the connection between the Sicilian Mafia and the American one. The Italians are smuggling quality wine to their American brethren in return for American firearms, which are much better than most of what can be bought in Italy. We lose tax revenue, they have a more violent Mafia. Plus, since organized crime isn't exactly picky about who they sell too, we could see Japanese or Russian troops with American firearms. This is obviously unacceptable, and harsh (some would say authoritarian) measures must be taken to crush this threat.

Alliances: Italy is the junior partner in Germany's world straddling empire. They have very close relations with their Teutonic neighbors, and also exercise a fair amount of control over German satellite states in Europe. In the future, Italian desires to break free of Germany's shadow could be useful. For the time being, they're Germany's allies, and our allies too. Keep em close, and for God's sake, make sure they don't do something stupid.

Italian Ambitions: The Italians have grown more ambitious in recent years, thanks to their wave of expansion. They desire France and Spain's North African lands, as well as Corsica. However, their real ambitions lie in the "Near Orient" (the Middle East), as well as Greece. The Italians desire to turn Turkey into a puppet state, and begin colonization schemes in Greece. They envision a "Greco-Roman" race taking hold there and uniting with Italy. The Italians also have designs on Arabia, Iran, and Palestine. None of these are terribly threatening to the United States, so they aren't a concern.

Basic War Plan: In the unlikely event of war with Italy, the first goal must be to convince the Germans to stay out of it. That alone is the difference between a massive global slugfest vs us just grinding the Italians to dust. If that is impossible, see the Basic War Plan for Germany. If the Germans agree to stay out, things become easier. Using Liberia as a base, we can deploy large invasion forces to Sicily and North Africa. Destroying the Italian Navy should not prove too difficult, as long as appropriate force is utilized. From there, invading the Italian mainland shouldn't be too problematic.

Prime Minister Meloni in his military dress uniform.