The Golden Eagle, A Napoleonic France after the Peace of Vienna

What do you think of this TL so far ?

  • Vive L'Emperur ! Keep going !

    Votes: 305 84.3%
  • Okay I guess ?

    Votes: 20 5.5%
  • Change back to the Mexican Empire TL

    Votes: 25 6.9%
  • Stop it ! Before it is too late !

    Votes: 12 3.3%

  • Total voters
    362
Name: Alejandro Sarmiento
Home: Batangas, the Philippines
Age: 46 (1935)
Gender: Male
Culture: Filipino
Politics: Apolitical Filipino Nationalist
Background: Admiral Alejandro Sarmiento is amongst the "rising stars" of the Filipino Navy, having joined the Imperial Filipino Navy during the Great War and quickly distinguishing himself during the Battle of the Spratly Islands with his bravery in said battle. After the war, he gradually rose through the ranks of the Imperial Filipino Navy and took an interest in new naval technology, which led to him seeing the aircraft carrier as the "capital ship of the future". Despite his superiors initially refusing to consider his proposals/ideas, they eventually relented in 1926 with the conversion of the Steelcruisers Lapu-Lapu and Diego Silang to aircraft carriers on the slips, which was followed by the first purpose-built Filipino carrier, the Palaris, a 10,000 ton ship in 1931, which was followed by the Pedro Almazan of 1935, a 19,000 ton carrier.

Name: Arthur Michaux
Home: Calais, France
Age: 53 (1935)
Gender: Male
Culture: French
Politics: Conservative Nationalist
Background: Arthur Michaux rose from humble working-class beginnings from a family of fishermen to become one of France's main naval figures due to his heroism in the naval battles of the Great War earning him distinction and leading to him staying in the Kingdom's navy after the war. Despite his ambivalence towards National Unitarianism and its crazier aspects, he tacitly supports them out of a feeling that they have enabled France to become a major power again. As the Commander-in-Chief of the French Navy's surface fleet, Arthur Michaux often clashes with Francois Darlan, Chief of Staff of the French Navy, over the course of French Navy's surface fleet with Michaux pushing for more carriers as part of a Nouveau Jeune Ecole and Darlan pushing for steelships with the French Navy currently having 2 steelcruisers and three aircraft carriers.
 
The Hitler way of Politics
The Hitler way of Politics
The German Empire during the Hitler Chancellorship is subject to many different views depending on who you ask. Some claim that it was a quasi-dictatorship not different on the rule by the Military staff in the Great War, others claim that despite Hitler's authoritarian leanings, his government is considered the zenith of Germany and his relationship with the Kaiser was similar to that of Otto von Bismarck and Wilhelm I or Frederick von Bismarck and Heinrich I. Some economists say that without Hitler's decisive intervention on the economical affairs, the Depression would drag for maybe a decade in the entirety of the Reichspakt. His government initially saw the dominance of the DKP during the 1920s, with the Party being hit by the depression and Hitler getting forced to negotiate and balance these new parties as to prevent them from growing too powerful.

In the Conservative era, Hitler led a coalition of the Catholic Zettrum, the Junker DKP, and the Nationalistic DNVP. The 1920s in Germany saw suppression of Pelletists, Czech Separatists, and female suffragists. But things started to get interesting in the 1930s, during the hardships of the depression, when the Novaists and the Weissists showed up.

Novaism was a strange creature created by Gunther Westermann, combining Democratic Pelletism with a radical social progressivism. It managed to get 10% of the Reichstag during the height of the depression in the 1930 elections. They became close associates with the SPD, but their radical ideas would make it an irrelevant party at the same rate it rose.

Weissism was another beast: It was created by the new head of the Weiss Industries, Frederick Weiss, after his sister was fired by the company shareholders and arrested by the German police due to suspicions of homosexuality (Which was a crime until Heinrich I's reign and was latter reintroduced by Hitler). Many historians claim that she was either set up by the Krupp industries or his own brother. Weissism was a radical interpretation of Adam Smith's Liberalism, believing that government intervention on economical affairs made by Hitler's government caused the Depression. It advocated for the end of corporate taxes, environmental and industrial regulations, it also demanded increased powers to State governments, cutting back workers' rights and Syndicate powers. While it didn't get good electoral results, Weissist supporters inside Hitler's government, like Albert Speer (Minister of Cities), held great sway on the Chancellor.

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(Hitler and Speer looking at one of Speer's project buildings)

Hitler's coalition suffered a massive electoral defeat in 1930, holding just a small majority in the Reichstag over the SPD. Between 1930 and 1933, Hitler had to compromise for most of his proposals. That was the moment he had to deal with the Czech separatism. Ever since the Unification, the Czech minority was subject to increased attempts of Germanization, especially in the Sudetes. Which increased the resentment of the locals against German rule, causing terror attacks and unrest especially during the Great War and the early 1930s. It is said that a revolt was being planned for 1915, and it was days away from starting when Petrograd was destroyed. Now the Czechs were protesting for autonomy, end of the Germanization, and election of local Czech representatives for a State government. Instead Hitler sent Reinhard Heydrich, a War Veteran of the German navy that was discharged after an injury at the Battle of the English Channel, Heydrich entered in State administration and caught the Chancellor's attention due to his ruthless efficiency and pragmatism. Hitler now designed him as Governor of Bohemia, with the task of ending Czech rebelliousness, which he carried out as usual.

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((Reinhard Heydrich))

Heydrich declared Martial Law immediately when he arrived on the 1st of March of 1931, sending army and paramilitary units to disperse the protesters by gunpoint. Press censorship closed down over a hundred newspapers and radio stations, and known oppositors of the government were arrested. Heydrich also improved the life of the Czech workers, supporting worker's laws and implementing Savinkov's corporativism to mediate better deals between Unions and Corporations. On the other hand, he used the Martial Law to impose extra-judicial killings of several terrorists and their families, his method involved retaliation killings: If one German was killed by a Czech, 3 random Czechs were killed in his place, if one family member becomes a terrorist, the whole family is arrested. And it worked, Czech radicals were silenced, crime was the lowest in the entire Reich, and not a single protest or strike was made.

Hitler's government was attacked by the SPD for the brutal actions in Bohemia, some even called for the prision of Heydrich and resignation of Hitler, comparing those actions to the French domination of Catalonia in the 19th Century. But those screams fell on deaf ears: Most of the Germans were indifferent at best with the Czech situation, some even applauding Heydrich's efficiency in "putting them back at their place". And without the Bohemian votes thanks for the Martial Law, and the economical recovery, Hitler's coalition won a victory, gaining back several seats. As 1935 approached, Hitler would have to turn on foreign politics as Delacroix started to make his moves.
 
Name: Philippe Leclerc de Hauteclocque
Home: Belloy-Saint-Léonard, Somme
Age: 33 (1935)
Gender: Male
Culture: French
Politic: National Catholic
Background: Philippe Hauteclocque is a scion from a noble family, he's Catholic and nationalist, after the defeat of his country he decided to study everything that would allow him to become a great military commander, with success since he climbed the rank of French army, he's a former member of the National Unitarians but leave them because of their authoritarian drift.


Name: Henri Giraud
Home: Dijon, France
Age: 56
Gender: Male
Culture: French
politic: National-Unitarist
Background: Born from an Alsatian family, he leads a regiment of colonial troops during the last war, captured by the German army during the world war, he managed to escape from one of their hospitals join back his troops and lead them again. He helped the French Algeria army, during a conflict against the local population to test new strategies before coming back to France.


Name: Didier Lefebvre
Home: Normandie, France
Age: 38 (1935)
Gender: Male
Culture: French
Politics: National Unitarian
Background: Didier Lefebvre, former student of Charles Maurras and fan of history, he lied on his age and volunteered to join the world war, he never accepted the defeat of his country and put the blame on corrupted people, jewish the Catalan, and the French decadence. He wants to purify France of these defects to return to the Frankish origins of his country.


Name: Baron von Wien
Home: Paris, France
Age: 38 (1935)
Gender: Male
Culture: German
Politics: National Unitarian
Background: Few know his true name, according to legend it's a former German catholic aviator and an ace of aces, disgusted by the German decadence after the war, the Protestantism religion and the rise of Weiss party. Von Wien leave the country to join Edouard Delacroix, and would give him many useful advice concerning the reorganisation of the French aviation, allowing him to climb the rank. He's currently Director General of Aviation.
 
Dangerous Game
Dangerous Game

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In 1932, Edouard declared that the victorious powers of the Great War were "Glass Gigants", they seemed mighty and powerful, but would easily be knocked out by even a small rock. On the next year he declared the Treaty of Berlin dead, claiming that the bonds that held the Frankish Empire back were broken. He had already broken the treaty when the army started to Be rapidly expanded and modernized, a surface fleet was raised, and the Air Force Modernized. It was time to put them into test, in 1935, the Frankish Empire would take back their rightful place as one of Europe's leading powers.

Ever since the takeover of Delacroix's regime in Paris, Britanny was a nation desiring to join it, but prevented by their King and British troops. Baldwin's government started Austerity measures to fight the depression in 1933, which included a cut in military spending. Britanny was seen as a burden that costed millions to sustain and was held for sake of Prestige only. And in 1935, the local National Unitarian party decided to act.

With the British Garrison cut back and the depression continuing to worsen, the King's popularity was in a all-time low for both the people and the local militias. On the 16th of February of 1935, the people went to protest in Nantes for jobs, the numbers increased along the day and by the 18th, there was over a hundred thousand protesters. Using the opportunity, the National Unitarians organized a March in Nantes, where they were saluted by the people and the local police. British troops made their stand outside of the Royal Palace, a deadly stalemate started, and the King fleed, fearing for his life. With the King gone, British troops received orders of London to evacuate, and on the 21st of February, Frankish troops entered Britanny.

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((Border checkpoint being removed))
Prime Minister Baldwin and Chancellor Hitler sent protest letters, but not much more than that. Baldwin understood that there was little that could be done to take back Britanny, and he secretly was grateful that the rebel region was gone. While Hitler did not desire to start a war for a British protectorate, instead he thought that the Franks would instead turn south on the Pelletists, which would make them a useful cannon fodder to throw at the Reich's enemies. For Delacroix, that was a bold move that resulted in victory, further emboldening the Frankish Emperor. Hitler's prediction was right, he would turn south, but not to where the Chancellor thought.

Ever since the Napoleonic wars, Switzerland was a neutral country, abdicating of their right to wage war. Their neutrality was ensured by making the invasion of their country too costly to be worth it, that's why it hadn't joined the South German Federation and managed to stay neutral during the 19th and early 20th centuries. But that would not work with Delacroix, that turned his attention to the recently retaken Western Countries of the Confederation (awarded by the Coalition after the Great War). Romandie was a French-Majority region, and had a powerful National Unitarian movement. In 1936, Delacroix started to plan the takeover of these regions, making rousing speeches on how Switzerland was an artificial state that held the Franks away from their rightful homeland. National Unitarians started to make parades and pro-unification speeches all over Romandie and even some in German-Majority counties.

The Swiss government received an ultimatum on the 5th of August of 1936, demanding the return of the Western counties to their rightful homeland. Not surprisingly they were refused, and Hitler moved to protect Switzerland, the two states were on the brink of War. Sweden offered to mediate a deal of Germany and the Franks (without Switzerland), proposing a referendum on the counties to solve the issue based on popular sovereignty. Both sides agreed, and Switzerland lost the French counties to a landslide (there was also expressive voting in German counties but none had a majority). Delacroix had another victory, and as Hitler predicted, he turned south to his brother's domain.

The Mediterranean Worker's Union was watching carefully the advances of Delacroix, especially Charles Delacroix. His dominance of Southern France was tenuous, Pelletism was not as popular as he thought, and the streak of victories of his northern brother while he remained inactive (even seen as a Italo-Spanish puppet) did not improve his image. National Unitarians started to grow back on the underground, helped by his brother's agents, and the People's Republic was about to blow.
 
Armand Jodoin
Home : Algers, French Algeria
Age: 45 (1935)
Gender: Male
Culture: French
Politic: national Unitarian
Background: A French Algerian notable that have a particular passion for Berber culture, he managed to climb the social ladder of the country and became President due to his neutrality and lack of charisma. Jodoin is famous for his economic policy that brings back prosperity (to the price of dozen of thousand Algerians dies as slaves) and would benefit significantly from the rise of authoritarianism and pan-Frankist ideology. He launched many megalomaniac projects as the design of an inland sea between Tunisia and Algeria.
 
Guerre éclair I
Guerre éclair I

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The First phase of the Second Great War, known also as the Mediterranean War, was a carefully planned invasion of the Mediterranean Worker's Union by the Anti-Pelletist alliance. The war was known for its brutality and as a preview of what was to come, the war started with Operation Thunderbolt, the invasion of Southern France by the Frankish Empire. Followed by a Portuguese invasion of Galicia and the Roman strike on the Italian Navy in Taranto. The Casus Beli of the Franks was a work of the "Securite de l'Etat" (SE), the Secret Police of the Emperor headed by Jacques Doirot, in organizing a large pro-Reunification protest on the 1st of November of 1938, provoking a harsh response by Charles Delacroix's Red Guards. Claiming to be defending the Frankish peoples of Southern France against their Pelletist regime, Edouard Delacroix declared war against his brother's regime on the 6th of November. The starting move, called "Operation Thunderbolt", involved the Invasion of Toulouse and a push to the city of Montpellier to cut the Pelletist forces in half and prevent Italy and Spain from supporting one another. And it was a success with no precedents, with the invasion going faster than even the most optimistic expectations.

It was all thanks for the "Guerre Éclair" (Lightning War), the French tactic of rapid movement of War Trucks, Air Support, and Motorized Infantry to surprise and encircle the enemy before they knew what hit them. It managed to take the city of Toulouse within the first week, and reach the Mediterranean in two. With rapid movements, the Frankish forces managed to encircle several pockets of Pelletist troops, over a third of the army was captured in a series of battles at the south of Toulouse, even many joining willingly into the Frankish forces. The Pelletist regime was unpopular in Southern France, Charles was very different from his brother in governance and politics, being said to be suffering of Paranoia. He did several purges between 1934 and 1937 that crippled the armed forces, and the news of the Frankish successes in the North in contrast with the increasingly unstable and weakened southern government increased the popularity of National Unitarism. Besides, many started to see the Pelletists as puppets of Mussolini, being used only as a bridge to connect with the Spanish.

Portugal started well, taking Olivenza and La Coruña thanks for the modernization of the armed forces led by the Regent Antonio Salazar (King D. Manuel II was just 4 at the time). With Galicia taken, the objective of the Portuguese according to the War Plan was to draw the Spanish troops and hold them at bay until the Franks stuck from the Pyrenees and the Romans invaded by the sea. Meanwhile, the Romans waged a island Campaign. Most of the Regia Marina had joined the King when revolution stuck Italy, and adding the destruction of much of the Italian navy at the attack on Taranto (the first with mass use of Carrier aircraft and naval bombers) it allowed the Romans to dominate the sea. An invasion was launched against the Island of Sardinia, the campaign to take the island would take 2 months and just ended when the last Pelletist troops fled to Corsica on the 6th of February of 1939.


Next step was to take Provence, the heartland of the Southern French Government. The province was defended by Franco-Italian forces and turned into a fortress, but Frankish General Phillipe Leclerc had a plan. On the 8th of March of 1939, an attack was launched to the cities of Valence and Grenoble, that was a feint attack with the majority of the 3rd Corps of the Frankish army, while 2 divisions of War Trucks struck from behind at the city of Montelímar, quickly capturing it and the village of die. The Italian military command noticed the maneuvers and started a retreat from the two cities, only to be stopped by a Frankish attack in Chambery that cut their retreat, the siege would last 2 weeks until the Franco-Italian forces surrendered. That brilliant maneouver was one of the best examples of Guerre Éclair of the First phase of the War, capturing over 130,000 men and crippling the reserves of the Italian army in France.

After the victory at the twin battles of Valence and Grenoble, the French morale collapsed. The rearguard of Marseille and Toulon were now exposed, and an attempt to flee to the city of Nice in Italy was frustrated after the battle of Sisteron, resulting in the capture of Cannes and the encirclement of the French Red Army. On the 29th of April, Marseille fell after heavy bombardment and a attack of the Frankish forces and Charles Delacroix was captured after a failed suicide attempt. He was brought to his brother in Paris and was determined to be held prisioneer on the Tulleries until the war was over. The first Pelletist nation was down, the next target was Spain.

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((Part of Marseille after being hit by the full force of the Frankish Air Force as an attempt of force a surrender))
 
Inside Longmerica
Happy 4th of July, this episode is being made for Americans to appreciate their freedoms, because everything could've gone wrong with few changes in History.

Inside Longmerica

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Huey Long's power would become a reality at the 1938 mid-terms. In 1937, Huey Long's supporters defected from the Democrats and Republicans and created the new "America First Party" (AFP), while Long left the Whigs and declared himself independent from political parties. The AFP would become Long's power in the congress, and using of bribery, blackmail, shameless populism, and his own Charisma, it got a landslide victory. The Big-Tent Party of Long supporters had from Ultranationalists to Social Pelletists and Progressives, achieving control over a majority of the House and Senate. Over the following decade, Long also appointed his minions in the Supreme Court and increased his majority every year, having undisputed control over America.

Long's regime was a strange mix of radicals from both sides of the spectrum into a Populist coalition held by his personal charisma. Long's inner circle was divided: There was a group of Businessmen led by John D. Rockefeller forming the "Corporations Clique", they desired to protect the interests of the American industrial complex and were supporters of an Interventionist atitude and watering down the "Share the Wealth" program. The Second group was the "Progressive Clique" led by Henry Wallace, supporting Social security and implementation of the "Share the Wealth" program, they also were proponents of Social progress and Isolationism. The Third one was the "New America Clique" led by William Dudley Pelley, leader of the American Silver Legion, the clique grouped together several Ultranationalist movements, supporting a Savinkovist economical system and American Manifest Destiny, while keeping Isolationism from Europe, if not Symphaties for the Frankish Empire. At last there was the "Technocratic Clique" led by Howard Scott, supporters of a Technocratic political and economical system, while also supporting Intervention in Europe. All these figures that would be at eachother's throats otherwise, were united by Long's charisma and Political influence.

Long's government would stamp down dissidents, using the FBI as the government's secret police to arrest thousands and send them to prisioneer camps around the country, the most infamous one being the Island Prision of Alcatraz in the San Francisco Bay. Freedom of speech was restricted, with newspapers being censored and radio being used to distribute government propaganda to all the country. The first Gun control legislation was also imposed in 1939, demanding all gunowners in the US to be registered in a government national registry. While Long removed guns from his enemies, he armed his allies: After the coup attempt at Washington and the response of the Citizen Militias, Long created the "Minutemen", a paramilitary militia of supporters to protect himself and his regime from both rebels and the military. Long would also finally end Prohibition, also enforcing law and order on mafia cities like Chicago, New York, and Detroit.


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((Alcatraz island))
But not everyone was brainwashed by Long's pretty face. Rebel fighters created guerrillas around the nation, using the vastness of America to hide themselves from Minutemen and the military. The most famous and large one was the "Sons of Liberty", included several groups around the nation, and was led by young men and sometimes even women. Some included the Californian group led by Ronald Reagan, the New York group of John Seymour, and the Arizona "Rangers" led by Jack Norton. Rebel groups would differ in tactics, from terrorism to Pacific resistance, all them were united in bringing down Longmerica, but they never had enough strength to actually threaten the regime, being mostly a nuisance for the Federal and State governments.

Economically, Long's initial desire to "Share the Wealth" was confronted by reality, he noticed that every new limitation, there was a flight of businessmen and vital industries to other countries. With his radical dreams of making "Every man a King" shattered, Long had to be content with the implementation of a moderate Progressive plan inspired by the "Fair Deal" of Quentin Roosevelt, creating social security and several welfare benefits and working laws. He enacted a progressive taxation policy, but nowhere as radical as the "Share the Wealth" policy.
 
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Vendetta
Vendetta
The fall of the French People's Republic was followed by a stalemate in the Alps between Mussolini and Delacroix, as the Frankish forces moved against Spain. But on the 15th of August of 1939, Mussolini made it personal, invading the International city of Ajaccio, sacking and burning Napoleon's home town. It was a personal challenge against the Frankish people to destroy the house of one of their heroes, and Edouard would answer to that challenge.

On the 19th of August of 1939, the 3rd Air Fleet, with 630 Fighters, 140 Heavy Fighters, and over 300 bombers took off from the Air Base in Toulon. The destination was Rome, arriving at the 14:32 PM, sirens warned the people that sheltered in their homes, expecting a bomb attack. The local Air Garrison desperately tried to take down the waves of bombers, but the Frankish planes were considered some of the best in Europe, flying in innovative formations with new tactics. Very few bombers were shot down before they hit the city and dropped their payload, but less than half of them were carrying bombs, something much worse was coming.

Little over half of those bombers had larger bombs, that were dropped and exploded before hitting the ground. The people of Rome were warned on the chance of Gas attacks, so they used masks to protect against a gigant cloud of Mustard gas that covered the city. But a worse gas was there, invisible and mixed with the yellow cloud, one that there was no defense against no matter the mask: Sarin Gas.

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((Gas shells))
The Sarin Gas effects were from horror stories, causing difficulty to breathe, loss of consciousness, constriction of pupils, loss of control of the muscles, asphixy spasms, and a quick torturous death. It was created as an Inseticide in 1933, quickly being adopted as a mass production Gas weapon. The Franks held their chemical weapons as State secret, working to develop a counter to it (or at least attempt one). The Rome Raid of 1939 was the first test of the weapon, with shocking success. Dozens of thousands of people died, Hospitals were overflowing with people dying in the corridors, even Mussolini's family didn't escape, Edda Mussolini, the Leader's favorite daughter, was killed by the Sarin, while his eldest son Vittorio, was sent to a Hospital due to the Mustard Gas. Even Mussolini himself had to make a surgery in his left leg after being hit by shrapnel of the bomb and would have to use a walking stick for the rest of his life.

The world watched in horror and repulse, from Huey Long to Savinkov, from the Kaiser to the Heavenly King, all had their eyes on the Mediterranean. A new Power was arising, no longer being able to be ignored, the nations of the world now were watching the return of a New France, and they had to choose: Ally them or Stop them.
 
Wow, the story is gittin gud!

How large is the army of France? Since they have 100 million people ITTL compared to OTL's 40 million they surely must have a larger army. And how many tanks do they have. just curious?
 
Wow, the story is gittin gud!

How large is the army of France? Since they have 100 million people ITTL compared to OTL's 40 million they surely must have a larger army. And how many tanks do they have. just curious?
Well, I planned to do the army composition comparation between Franks and Germany once this war was over, also its more like 60-70 million, because you are including the Rhineland and Belgium.
 
Quick Reminder
Just remember that sometimes I end up mixing up the names of the American political parties. Remember:

There are 3 parties: America First, Republicans, and Whigs (That I have so many times confused with the Democrats since they are the OTL Democratic Party). If I get them mixed up, remember that the Whigs=Democrats.
 
Guerre éclair II: Valencia
Guerre éclair II: Valencia

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The Spanish phase of the Mediterranean War lasted until November 1939, it resulted in the collapse of the Spanish Worker's Republic to the combined Anti-Pelletist offensive. It started with the Invasion of Galicia by Portuguese forces, the first moment was a essentially a Hispano-Portuguese War, with Spanish forces attacking the small nation that resisted bravely. Then Spain became the main target of a invasion by Frankish and Roman forces, with the fall of the French forces, Spain was invaded in Catalonia and Navarra, while a Roman invasion attacked Morocco and Granada. That was followed by a counter-attack by Portuguese forces in Andalusia.

The Catalans had a new home after the War, with Valencia becoming an autonomous city-state protected and supplied by the Spanish Republic. After the Pelletist takeover, the Spanish Pelletist party started to exercise their influence over Catalonia, threatening to cut supplies if several reforms favorable to the local Catalan Pelletist Union weren't made. During the 1920s, Pelletist influence grew in the Catalan Parliament, resulting in a coup by the Red Guards and the foundation of the Valencia Commune, under protection of the Spanish. But as the Franks started to push, going past Catalonia and heading to Valencia, fears were rising that a second Genocide was coming, if Delacroix's speeches were any indication. The city was fortified, all men between the ages of 20 and 50 were armed and even children over 12 were put to work in barricades and fortifying the city. This time, they wouldn't go down without a fight.

The Siege of Valencia would last longer than Spain itself, Valencia was called by Prime Minister Chamberlain as the "Most stubborn city of the World". While the rest of Spain was overwhelmed and taken by enemy troops, the city stubbornly resisted to bombardment from Sea and land until the 4th of December. When Madrid fell in October and the Spanish surrendered on the 7th of November, the Valencia Commune tried to negotiate a peace with General Henri Giraud, but he was ordered by Delacroix to refuse it, the Catalans would pay for stabbing the French in the back.

The battle of Valencia started on the 5th of December of 1939, the Frankish Air Force bombarded the city with Mustard and Sarin gas, that was followed by a Roman naval bombardment and the attack of the new Frankish artillery: The "Martel" gun.

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((The largest and most powerful artillery piece of the world))
The city was ruthlessly bombarded with gas and guns, indiscriminate civilian air bombardment was made on large-scale for the first time in history. Delacroix said he wanted Valencia "become a crater, sunk in the bottom of the ocean", for 2 weeks it was attacked ruthlessly, until finally a attack started on the 20th of December with Infantry troops. Frankish forces saw children fighting with bolt-action rifles using grotesque piles of dead bodies as cover, Valencia became the definition of hell on earth, but it still continued to fight, citizens from the age of 8 to 80 fought for their own survival during the cold Christmas. On the 1st of February of 1940, the gunfire stopped, the city population either fled as refugees or died in the destruction, with a few thousand survivors in the basements. The Catalans never surrendered, preferring to die before letting the Franks exterminate them, the Catalan people fought against French domination for over a century, and died resisting against the French. Very few prisioneers were taken, and only a handful thousand Catalans managed to escape and disperse across the newly occupied Iberian Peninsula.

Now, Mussolini was the last one left.
 
Guerre éclair III
Happy Bastille day, fellow citizens of the Fatherland, in the name of Karoulos Magnus, we shall strike at the heart of the Pelletist snake, while racing to take the Holy city before that new Crazy Roman guy.

Guerre éclair III

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((Remains of a bombed Italian city))

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((Roman soldiers pushing against Italian fortifications))

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((Julius Evola, Caesar of Rome))
While the invasion of Spain was ongoing, the Alps entered a Stalemate. Despite Mussolini's attempts to push against the Frankish forces, it only led to costly offensives with no gains, the Franks bid their time instead, being satisfied with killing endless waves of Italians for now. Further south, the Caesar of Rome, Gabrielle D'Annunzio, died of natural causes, the Grand Senate in Tunis elected Julius Evola, a radical and unorthodox Ultranationalist. Evola wanted first of all to retake Italy, and for that he mobilized a massive force of half-million men to invade Sicily. The Sicily campaign was what Mussolini feared, he coordinated a defense of the Island as he knew that losing Sicily would mean a Southern invasion, over 240,000 men organized into 8 divisions, would stand against the Romans.

Mussolini quickly discovered that his regime was despised by more than outsiders, when the Rome raids stuck, Roman troops invaded Sicily. Mussolini had centralized the entire command chain in himself, and not just that, he also purged several of his brightest generals, all of that to protect himself from a coup. But as a side effect, the Italian general of Sicily, Luigi Maria D'Ambrosio, couldn't move his divisions to stop the landings, if he moved without permission, he feared that he could get purged himself. As result, the Romans created a bridgehead, and would take Palermo by the 30th of August, and finally taking the Island with 53,000 prisioneers on the 9th of October. General Ítalo Balbo would set his sights on the mainland, while Mussolini's regime was reaching the bottom of it's popularity.

With the invasion of Italy itself on the 25th of October, Mussolini panicked, he saw traitors everywhere, and in his paranoia he would purge the Air Force command and send over 700,000 men to stop the Southern advance, leaving only 400,000 to guard the Franks. Seeing the opportunity, General Charles de Gaulle seized the chance, and with a quick push in Nice, he would break the undermanned Italian defenses and take the city of Turin by the 12th of December. Italian forces attempted a retreat, but the fast Frankish War Trucks would cut off their retreat from the Acosta Valley, these forces bravely tried to fight on, but would surrender on the Christmas Eve of 1939.

As 1940 arrived, Mussolini conscripted from children as young as 13 to elders as old as 70, armed with outdated rifles, and hoped to stop the Frankish advance. Their bodies would only slow down the Frankish War Machine, and when Milan fell, he heard the news: German troops had invaded and occupied Venice, the locals didn't even put up a fight. That was a growing pattern, local citizens hailed the Romans and Franks as liberators from Mussolini's regime, and as a final insult to Mussolini, masses were made every day until the fall of Rome, people celebrating the end of the anti-Christian laws. Thousands of soldiers were defecting, and some officers refused to engage the enemy and instead joined them.

Mussolini's regime managed to alienate all but the most hard-lined Pelletists, and by the 28th of June of 1940, Lazio was the last region left. And Rome was surrounded on the 10th of July, for 4 days, Mussolini's most fanatic followers put up a fight against Frankish forces for 4 days. One of the most remembered events was the battle for the coliseum, where the 4th Guardia Roja batallion ran out of ammunition, grabbing swords and bayonets to meet the Romans in a vicious melee combat. On the 14th of July, it was Bastille day in the Frankish Empire, where parades and displays of nationalism were made as celebration for the end of the Bourbon regime (while all other references of Liberalism and Revolution against the Feudal system were quietly deleted from history) and the beggining of the Rise of Napoleon. On this day, Delacroix announced a telegram of General de Gaulle: The fighting for Rome ended, Mussolini and his family committed suicide, Togliatti ordered the soldiers to ceasefire, and the War was over.

The Treaty of Bordeaux would be signed on the 28th of July of 1940, ending the Mediterranean War. Italy would be split between the Romans and Franks, Venice would be transferred to the German Reich, France would be fully annexed by the Frankish, and Spain would be partitioned. There was a great dispute for the control of the city of Rome as the Lazio was given to the Franks. Evola wanted the city that named his Empire, while it was Frankish arms that took the city. It was decided that the city would be divided by the Piazza Venezia, the North being given to the Franks and the South to the Romans.

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((Division of Spain: Blue (Frankish), Red (Roman, including Morocco), Green (Portuguese), Purple (Spanish State under General Franco), Orange (State of Valencia), and Light Green (Basque State under Frankish protectorate).

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((Division of Post-War Italy, Corsica and other previously French regions were given to the Franks))
 
The Fox of the Pampas
The Fox of the Pampas

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Between the end of the Great War in 1916, and the rise of Vargas in 1934, the Brazilian Empire lived two realities. In a starting period , the war fueled the Industrialization of the nation, the threat of British blockade and the mere fact that much of the world market was not accessible forced the nation to adopt a new tactic: Import Substitution. While the nation already had considerable industry thanks for the Mauá family and incentives of the Emperor, it was after the War that it finally started to blossom. Not only that, but thanks to the Amazon rainforest, the Empire controlled a large portion of the World's rubber industry, adding to the rise of automotive industry, the empire had the resources it needed to fuel its Industrialization.

Of course, the more rubber, the better. And that became the main drive of the Brazilian actions against Gran Colombia and Peru-Bolivia in the early 1900s. Between 1890 and 1900, thousands of Brazilians went to the Acre territory in search of rubber, the border was not demarcated due to the nature of the place (literally). In 1901, the Peru-Bolivian government of the recently elected President Martin de Sucre decided to end the Brazilian "invasion". Imposing taxes on the region while sending military units to the area, this provoked a violent reaction of the Brazilian settlers that rebelled against the Peru-Bolivian government and repelled the military units. Under leadership of Plácio de Castro, the Brazilians declared the Acrean Republic, while both Brazil and Peru-Bolivia mobilized for war. Then came the "Rio Branco" or "Rubber" Diplomacy, spearheaded by the Baron of Rio Branco José Maria Paranhos, Foreign Minister of the Pinheiro Machado Government. By appealing to popular sovereignty over the occupied areas, ancient Portuguese forts, and Brazilian force of Arms, the Empire took control of the Acre region in the Treaty of Petrópolis of 1903. Similar events would result in the occupation of Maribatanas by Brazil and it's annexation from Colombia in the Ortiz-Mangabeira Treaty of 1908.

But while the country had an expansionist glorious era without shooting a bullet, in the south, the first signs of Gaucho problems started to arrive, under the leadership of Asis Brasil. The southern states of the republic were ruled by caudillos influenced by Rationalism and Autocratic principles, one of them was called Borges de Mendeiros, the de facto dictator of Rio Grande thanks for electoral fraud and a personality cult that allowed him to be forever reelected. In 1921 it blew up, with the victory in another electoral victory being announced, the opposition leader Asis Brasil refused to accept the clear electoral fraud (in some cities, Borges received a number of votes larger than the double of its population) and started an armed uprising against Borges. The Gaucho Civil War lasted 2 years, covering from the State of Transplatina (also known as Entre Rios) to the city of Desterro (OTL Florianópolis). The revolt ended with the intervention of the Emperor, while Borges' mandate was assured, he would not be allowed to run again. That would soon open the way for the rise of a new name for the "Partido Rio-Grandense": Getúlio Dornelles Vargas.

Vargas was born in 1883 in the small city of São Borja, son of the Platinean War veteran Manuel do Nascimento Vargas of the powerful Vargas family, he was raised in the harsh Gaucho environment, becoming a lawyer and marring Darci Saramanho in 1911. He entered politics in the Partido Rio-Grandense, admiring the Rationalist and authoritarian politics of the party. In 1920, he became a representative of Rio Grande do Sul in Rio de Janeiro, and in 1925 he became minister of economy under the government of Antonio Carlos, leaving in 1927 to run for Governor of Rio Grande do Sul. He would become State President until 1934, when he was called by the Emperor as President of the Coucil of Ministers.

But why did D. Pedro III call him ? Between 1928 and 1934, Brazil had 5 governments (Antonio Carlos, Julio Prestes, Otávio Mangabeira, João Mangabeira, and the military Cabinet of Goís Monteiro) that failed in addressing the increased radicalization and economical crisis. When the Berlin Market fell and brought the world down with it, Brazil's Industrialization came to a grinding halt as several factories and banks closed, a general strike in 1929 caused the downfall of Antonio Carlos' government and the following 2 cabinets failed to address the strikes, only João Mangabeira (known for his Pelletist symphaties) was able to negotiate a settlement with several working rights like 10-hour work limit and paid leave being given in the Ouro Preto agreements. As result, many called Mangabeira as a secret Pelletist that plotted the implementation of a Pelletist Republic similar to the Spanish example, which resulted in his assassination by the Paulista student Carlos Lacerda in 1932.

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The assassination of João Mangabeira threw the country into chaos, it represented the increasingly polarization of the Brazilian politics. There was a sharp rise of Far-Left radicals led by an ex military officer called Luis Carlos Prestes, as well as the Far-Right "Patrianovista" movement, led by Plinio Salgado, a movement that desired the creation of a "Organic Empire" with full powers restored to an Emperor guided by a council of like-minded citizens and the Catholic Church, based on the Trinity of "Deus, Pátria, Imperador" (God, Fatherland, Emperor). To prevent these 2 movements from rising, the military (led by General Goís Monteiro), was called to restore order, but even the military cabinet was falling apart due to internal discussions and the increased pressure of the low economy and rising unrest from Gaúchos threatening secession from the Empire. On the 12th of January of 1934, Goís Monteiro went to Petrópolis to talk with the Emperor.

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((D. Pedro III, rose to the throne after his father's death in 1921 due to Tuberculosis))

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((Goís Monteiro, General and Temporary President of the Council of Ministers))
"Your Majesty, I came here to deliver my resignation." Said the General as he handed his resignation letter to the Emperor, being visibly exhausted of 2 years being bombarded from all sides. It wasn't an easy time to be a Brazilian politician, especially if you weren't one.

"I see, I am not surprised of that General, no one wants to form a government at this time. Maybe it is time to take care of this myself, that's what the "Moderador" power exists, to take care of the country when everything else fails. My father never had to face such a situation, I fear to have the same fate of my Great Grandfather and overuse my powers. This country is falling apart, General, and I honestly don't know what I should do."

"Sire, maybe you know the answer to that."

"I don't want to use the War Trucks, remember what happened in Spain ?"

"If you don't, maybe the fate of Italy will happen. I have asked your majesty to declare Martial Law and crack down on those radicals several times, now I ask again, not as the President of the Council of Ministers or as General of the Army, but as a friend."

"Maybe there is one chance left, there is a Governor in the Rio Grande Province, I don't know how but he not only keeps the unrest low, but he also controls one of the few states that continue to grow even with the crisis. What was his name ? Gerúndio ? Gaucho ? Getúlio ! Yes, I will invite him to form a government, he might be our only hope."

"As you wish, your majesty, but if he fails, the War Teucks will be ready."

"I hopefully he can save us General, but if he doesn't, prepare your men to a war."

And with that decision, the fate of Brazil changed.
 
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