Overview
Spartakus is an upcoming alternate history modification for the popular strategy game Hearts of Iron IV. It is set in a universe where multiple post-Great War communist revolutions in Europe succeed, most notably in Germany.
Now, the world stands deeply divided along ideological lines. The British Empire, seeing themselves a "bulwark" against the revolution, have expended much of their interwar resources on preventing additional revolutions across the globe. However, in 1929, the already struggling post-war economy had enough. In the infamous London Market Crash, whatever was left of the prosperity of Britain has withered away. Now, its Empire is threatened with collapse as its allies continue to distance themselves. In Burma, disgruntled socialists and nationalists have risen up in a full scale revolt against the crown, and it seems likely that British rule in India will face great troubles in the coming years.
In the Soviet Union, the party continues to struggle after the sudden death of Vladimir Lenin in 1927. Divided among various internal cliques, revolutionary politician Lev Kamenev has taken the reigns of the Soviet Union for the moment. How long his shaky reign over the party will last is up for question, but nonetheless an end to this power struggle is necessary for the Soviet Union to ever recover from the Russian Civil War.
In Germany, the destruction of both the Great War and the Civil War is still quite visible. The Rhineland remains occupied under a French collaborationist regime, and Baden-Württemberg is under the local restored monarchies. Red Germany, or the FSRD, continues to dedicated most of its resources towards building Germany back to its former glory under the reign of revolutionary leader Rosa Luxemburg. This extended plan, however, has generated much discontent among the various represented groups, including the "Bolshevik" faction within the KPD, as well as the anarcho-syndicalist FAUD and the democratic socialist USPD.
It is now New Years Day, 1932. With communist and socialist regimes rooted in the Soviet Union, Germany, Hungary, Slovakia, Poland and Mongolia, it is becoming quite clear that Marx was correct to say:
"A spectre is haunting Europe — the spectre of communism."
Brief Lore
With the Russian Revolution in 1917 ending Russian involvement in the Great War, a red tide across Europe seemed inevitable. Under the guidance of revolutionary Vladimir Lenin, the Red Army clashed with the opposing White Army in what would become known as the Russian Civil War. This started a wave of revolutions from Germany, to Hungary, to Italy, to Persia, to Spain, to Portugal and beyond.Brief Lore
In 1918, a battered German Empire signed an armistice with the Entente following the intervention of the United States in the previous year. With this, their fate was sealed. On the 9th of November, Emperor Wilhelm II abdicated, and the Weimar Republic was declared. This was not, however, the end. In the February 1919 elections, the Communist Party of Germany (KPD) emerged with nearly 20% of the vote. On May 1st 1919, a bloody year long Civil War would erupt, with the communists initially on the losing side.
However, 1920 brought new hope, for the Red Army had emerged victorious in the war with Poland. With the Russian Civil War coming to a close, the Red Army swept into Germany, turning the tide rapidly. The unprepared western allies, economically battered with a war weary population, were unable to intervene until the very last moment, upon which a treaty was the only option. On the 19th of November, the final remnants of the "White Army" in Germany were defeated at the banks of the Rhine, and victory was declared by the KPD.
Germany would now be known as the Free Socialist Republic of Germany.
Why start in 1932?
The reason 1932 was chosen was to give a relatively long "prelude" time of roughly four years, where most of the events that will shape the eventual meat of the game occur. This means that Civil War's will occur, power struggles will ensue, coups and revolutions will topple governments and colonies will rebel. Each and every event will ultimately shape the politics of every nation on the map one way or another. The goal is to include content lasting until at least 1945-1950, and the AI will be modified accordingly so it does not throw out mass amounts of divisions and slow down the game before the actual conflicts break out. With that said, you should not be expecting the major conflicts to take until 1939 to break out, as many will break out much earlier.Why start in 1932?
What systems will it use?
Developer Applications
Applications for developers are currently open and to apply you must only fill out this short form: https://goo.gl/forms/VcSAlQgJTldM4RPm2
Resources
Thanks for reading! There is plenty more to check out related to the mod. Please look at some of the links below to find some extra information and to talk with the devs:
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