[OOC] Precipice of War - The Big Leagues of NRP (Only generous tippers need apply)

[Vilageidiotx]

@Shyri Wait, I fixed the dates? The Great War ended 1929? I still imply that in my CS, I haven't changed anything.

@BingTheWing

Ended in 1921. 1929 was a goof. We made fun of Aaron mercilessly for it until he changed it.

[Letter Bee]

Map of the Alternate Vietnamese Civil War

Red - Lady Trung, the Syndicalist Candidate for Vietnam, is the second daughter and fourth child of Phan Bội Châu (IRL, Phan only had two sons and one daughter). During the French Third Republic's collapse and exile to Indochina by Socialist revolutionaries, Phan led revolutionary forces in Vietnam but was killed in battle, leaving Lady Trung (whose original name remains unknown) to lead the democratic forces, which soon took a Syndicalist bent. Allying with a slew of revolutionary leaders, including Ngo Dinh Diem (who would later betray her), she would make several trips to the liberated Philippines to gather support, forging a close relationship with Priscilla Aglipay-Rizal, who, after the death of her birth mother, became Lady Trung's 'mother-in-spirit'.

The betrayal by Ngo Dinh Diem at the very gates of Saigon drove her back into the north, where she led Priscilline Syndicalist forces in fierce resistance, supplied by the Philippines with all the latter can smuggle to her...



Gold - Ngo Dihn Diem, backstabbing scumbag who betrayed Lady Trung's trust at the very gates of Saigon, and allied with the French Remnant. The most powerful person in Vietnam on paper, his forces are suffering from declining morale as Sulu pirates carrying 'Letters of Marque and Reprisal' are attacking his' and the French Remnant's shipping.

Blue - The French Third Republic Remnant, hopeless reactionaries who are barely clinging on to life, but all the more ruthless because of it. Relatively technologically advanced and with a small navy of French ships, they are supporting Diem even as Sulu pirates are staging increasingly blatant attacks on their shipping; slowly overextending their resources...

@Dinh AaronMk@Vilageidiotx

[Chapatrap]

Okay, now that time's come up, I will be interesed as playing the Hellenic Socialist Republic

@Chapatrap I'm interested in collabing on some shared history with Greece and the Ottomans

@Nerevarine

Cool. I've been saying Greece basically conquered the Aegean Islands and Cyprus after the Great War but I'm fluid on what form Greece has taken (Neo-Byzantine or otherwise). Basically, Ottomans and Greece don't like each other and a certain streak of irrenditism is currently going through Ottoman government.

[BingTheWing]

@Letter Bee I think Laos and Thailand would have something to say about this.

@GMs by the way, am I cleared to make my first IC post?

[Letter Bee]

@Letter Bee I think Laos and Thailand should have something to say about this.

@GMs by the way, am I cleared to make my first IC post?

@BingTheWing

We can discuss Laos and Thailand right now if you like? And Lady Trung is a fellow leftist, so they shouldn't complain much.

[BingTheWing]

@Letter Bee Due to their acquisition of Cambodia, southern Thailand directly borders the French Remnant's territory. Perhaps they could strike a deal with the Philippine-Vietnamese coalition about concessions in return for military aid?

[Letter Bee]

@Letter Bee Due to their acquisition of Cambodia, southern Thailand directly borders the French Remnant's territory. Perhaps they could strike a deal with the Philippine-Vietnamese coalition about concessions in return for military aid?

@BingTheWing

Yes, they can.

[BingTheWing]

@Letter Bee Right, when exactly did the fighting start? My first IC post will probably be about sending off an envoy to Hanoi about this.

[Letter Bee]

@Letter Bee Right, when exactly did the fighting start? My first IC post will probably be about sending off an envoy to Hanoi about this.

@BingTheWing

Well, basically, the initial revolts started in in 1925 - 1929, then continued in ever-increasing intensity for the next few decades, with Lady Trung's father, Phan Boi Chau, dying in the 30s or 40s. In the 50s, Lady Trung began rising into power, leading her own group sometimes, combining with other groups at other times, and eventually joining with Diem to besiege Saigon in 1959.

Then, this year, 1960, she got betrayed and forced back to the mountains...

[BingTheWing]

I adjusted the timeline so that the People's Republic was founded in 1921. I will be getting up a first IC post soon.

People's Republic of Thailand

Name

People's Republic of Thailand

Territory



_{Image courtesy of @Shyri}

Head of State
Grand Premier Thornthep Radchawat

History

The Kingdom of Siam joined the First World War in 1914 as a nominal member of the Allies, initially to gain favor with Britain and France. In response to numerous pleas by the British and French, King Rama VI formed the Siamese Expeditionary Forces, which at first was a single 1,300-strong motor and medical division, but as the war dragged on became a 20,000-strong infantry unit that saw numerous action in offensives into the German and Ottoman Empires. The Royal Siamese Navy also assaulted military installations in German New Guinea, and by May 1921 had almost reclaimed the entire archipelago. The early 1920s were a period of grand military action for Siam, but were also times of civil unrest and anti-Westernization.

King Rama VI, a Western-educated eager young man, was constantly under fire by pro-German elites, pacifist Buddhist groups, and of course, the section of the general populace whose sons were being sent off to die in a place ten thousand miles away from home. Anti-war sentiments increased when towards the late 1910s, the Germans intensified naval warfare in the Pacific. By this time, about 2,300 Siamese had died in the European and Ottoman Fronts, and the promise of reparations by the Allies were becoming a distant memory. All of this was accentuated by the economic recession caused by Central Power navies limiting trade to the Allied European nations. In 1917, Khana Ratsadon, a left-wing revolutionary group, was founded by university students in Bangkok whose main goal was to pull Siam out of its useless war, wrest power from the Westernized elites, and bring it back to the Siamese people through democracy. By 1918, the movement was already organizing large rallies and protests all across Siam.

In late 1919, protests became heated when Royal Siamese Army soldiers fired on protesters outside the royal palace, injuring 13 and killing 3. The three dead protesters, all of them students, became martyrs and figureheads for the revolution. Armed insurrection unofficially began in 1925 in some northern provinces, and back in Europe, members of the Expeditionary Forces were already joining their European comrades in desertion. On December 23 1919, members of the Khana Ratsadon armed with stolen Army rifles attempted to storm the Royal Palace, but were (barely) beaten back by the royal guard with 18 dead.

In February 1921, another coup was launched in the capital and was overwhelmingly successful, with even the royal guards aiding in the attack. The royal family, anticipating this, boarded a private ship for France, and were granted asylum there. The new People’s Republic of Thailand’s first order of the day was, of course, to withdraw all of its troops from the Great War. This was heavily opposed by the Allies, and incidents even occured where French soldiers threatened to fire upon Thai soldiers boarding departing ships, but the new people’s government was adamant in their goals - not a single Thailander would remain in Europe by Easter. By April 1921, this wish was granted.

The People’s Republic quickly set about arresting and detaining members of the ‘elite’ who had supported the war, were ‘cronies’ of the royal family, or had stolen from the Thai people - a practice that still continues somewhat today. In a new constitution, Khana Ratsadon would be the only political party, but elections would be held every four years. The legitimacy of these elections, however, has varied from time to time. As the 20th century marched onward, Thailand set upon establishing trade partnerships with other socialist nations in Southeast Asia and around the globe, and by 1952 had become a formidable economic power in the region. However, the European powers were slow to acknowledge the new Thailand’s very existence, and to this day are still reluctant to even open embassies in the country. The country’s human rights record is sketchy at best, and Western journalists are frequently imprisoned and/or deported. In 1941, under the pretense of foreign saboteurs, Thailand invaded and annexed a European-backed Cambodia, much to the outrage of the global community and causing a slight dip in the economy. In 1960, it frequently skirmishes with Laos over border disputes, has earned the ire of the British Empire over its holdings in Burma and Malaysia, and is known as one of the most belligerent nations in Southeast Asia.

[Letter Bee]

@BingTheWing, so, what concessions would you like? Philippines has Chromium Ore while Vietnam has iron.

Edit: Also, we can make a defensive alliance...

[BingTheWing]

@Letter Bee Probably iron, as Thailand desires more war materials. Unless chromium has any military applications.

The alliance will almost certainly be agreed to, but whether it will be kept is another story altogether.

[Letter Bee]

@Letter Bee Probably iron, as Thailand desires more war materials. Unless chromium has any military applications.

The alliance will almost certainly be agreed to, but whether it will be kept is another story altogether.

@BingTheWing

Chromium is what makes Stainless Steel 'Stainless'. So yeah, it has military applications.

[Katabasis]

After a bit of consideration, I think I'll lay claim on Canada. I'll be working under the assumption that in the 1930's, spurred on by unrest and economic decline, a brief but fierce Second English Civil war occurred, resulting in a British Republic dominated by socialist and left-wing interests, resulting in the exile of the Royal family along with large flocks of conservatives, government officials, significant elements of the Royal Navy, and others. Hopefully the result ends up interesting. With the instability of its neighbor and different, more active King in the form of a determined Edward VIII, Canada should be on a much different trajectory than OTL.

[Nerevarine]

Hellenic Socialist Republic

Leader:
Premier Markos Vafiadis - A major leader of the Communist Party in Greece, Vafeiadis was a natural choice for leadership of the State of Greece following the success of the communist takeover. Born in the Ottoman Empire on the Island of Chios, Markos and his family became Greek nationals when the military invaded and took control of Chios during the Great War. With the island devastated by the war, Markos moved to Thessaloniki with his family in 1923. Vafiadis became actively involved in politics and quickly became a leading figure in the Communist party alongside fellow leader Nikos Zachariadis. The two conducted the military campaigns against the Kingdom of Greece during the Civil War, and Vafiadis was elected to the possition of Premier with the creation of the new State

History:

Incessant revanchism lead to the entrance of the Kingdom of Greece into the Great War, fighting on the side of the entente with the promises of concessions of historically Greek lands as rewards for their contributions to the war effort. The Greeks actively participated in the invasions of the Ottoman Empire, taking control of Eastern Thrace and completely occupying the Aegean. Fueled by the promise of the fulfillment of the Megali Idea, the country was devastated when they were shorthanded in their share of spoils of the dying Ottoman State. While taking control of Cyprus, the Aegean Islands, and much of Eastern Thrace, the Greeks were spurned their ambitions in Anatolia, and perhaps most insulting of all, the city of Constantinople remained firmly in the control of the Turks.

With the conclusion of the war, Greece began to enter into a period of economic decline, along with the commencement of a trend of radicalization of the general public. When the Ottomans once again were vulnerable during Ataturk's uprising, the Greeks seized upon the opportunity to take what they felt was rightfully Greek land.

Using the Aegean Islands as a base, the Greeks attempted an outright invasion of Anatolia. However, they had gravely misunderestimated the power of their enemy, and the Greek invasion was badly defeated, quickly exorcized from Asia Minor, and never once entering into Constantinople. As a concession for their defeat, the Greek Kingdom was further humiliated in being forced to cede all of Eastern Thrace to the Ottomans. With this defeat, the dream of the Megali Idea died forever, and the reputation of the then ruling Liberal Party fell into the darkness.

1936 saw a severe split in the Greek public opinion, with the population nearly entirely radicalized towards the Far Right and Far Left. Elections saw the final fall of the moderate parties, with the parliament being split nearly 55/30/15% Communist, Nationalist, and Other parties respectively. It was around this time that a former general during the Great War named Ioannis Metaxas, with support from then King George II, and the backing of the Nationalist Party, took control of the Government in Athens, putting the country into a state of martial law and instituting a purge of those elements that were deemed enemies of the Greek State, most notably Communists, Socialists, Ethnic and Religious minorities (particularly Turks and Muslims), and anyone else he saw as a threat to his power, legitimsed under the auspices of the King.


Greek Civil War, 4 August, 1936

With the seizure of power by Metaxas, the Communist Party and supporters quickly reorganized and relocated to the north of the country, forming the Democratic Army of Greece in Thessaloniki with volunteers as well as turncoats from the Greek Army, and forming a powerful opposition to the Nationalist forces, and declaring a Hellenic Socialist Republic. For the next five years, Greece would be consumed by a violent civil war, with public opinion of Metaxas falling with the increasing brutality of his rule. On 4 August, 1941, The Democratic Army of Greece entered into Athens, capturing Prime Minister Metaxas and having him quickly tried and executed by hanging. King George II fled to exile in Britain, with the communists declaring the abolition of the Monarchy.

With the creation of this new socialist state, the Greek government set about fixing the state after the civil war, with massive seizing and redistribution of privately owned land prior to the revolution, and the establishment of social programs to improve the quality of life of the average Greek citizen, as well as the gradual purging of the influence of the Greek Orthodox Church from the legislation of the country, with increasing restrictions on public expression of The Church. The new government also turned it's attention towards its neighbors, with the new mission to spread the socialist revolution to all Greeks. Greece renewed its claims to Eastern Thrace, much to the chagrin of the Ottomans, and Greek espionage forces fomented the revolt of Northern Epirus and its pledge of integration into the Hellenic Socialist Republic, with Greek forces occupying the area in 1951, though the area is still recognized as a part of Albania by much of the international community.

Entering into the 1960s, the Hellenic Socilist Republic is a budding new state, a strongly socialist government that seeks to reclaim those areas it feels it has lost to the Ottomans. Having finally recovered from the scars of the civil war, the future has endless potential for Greece.

Other:

Greek espionage is active throughout the Balkans and Anatolia, especially in areas of heavy Greek popluation, such as in the borderlands with the other Balkan States and in western Anatolia and Eastern Thrace.

Greece and Albania entered into a ceasefire in the 50s that continues to this day, however the Epirus Incident remains a point of tension between the nations.

The Communist Party of Greece exists as the only legal political party in the country

Greek is the sole official language, however Turkish, Albanian and "The Romanian dialects" (Romanian, Aromanian and Megleno-Romanian) all have special minority status, thus allowing for state funding of institutions such as schools using these languages as mediums, in designated minority areas.

Demographics

The population of the state as a whole is 8.5 Million, the vast majority of which are ethnic Greeks (90%), with Turks being the second most populous group at 6%, followed by "Slavic" (2%), Albanians (1%), Romanis (0.8%) with all others making up about 0.2% of the Greek population. Greek is the mostly widely spoken language, spoken as the native langauge of about 95% of the population and understood by all, with Turkish coming second with 4% speaking it as a mother tongue, and about 13% of the country understanding it as a second language. French is the most widely studied foreign language in the country with 60% of students taking a course in it, and about 30-45% of the population capable of speaking it, followed by English, studied by 30% of students and spoken by about 20% of the population.

The state is forbidden from collecting data on religious adherence, but it is estimated that 80% of the country is Christian, (further subdivided into Eastern Orthodoxy at 95% of Christians, with Catholics at 3%, and all others at 2%), 10% Atheist/Irreligious, 8% Muslim (nearly all of which are Sunni Muslims), 2% all else. The Government of Greece officially promotes State Atheism, and all public expressions of religion are heavily restricted.

While the south is nearly entirely Greek due to extensive deporations and ethnic cleansings during the Metaxas regime and after the civil war, the north of the country is notable for its vibrant Turkish minority community, many of whom can trace their ancestry all the way back to the Ottoman period. Many other Turks are leftist aligned immigrants from the Ottoman Empire. And while some may fear assimilation of future generations into the predomiant Greek culture, the Turkish minority is ironically perhaps the most patriotic and supportive group of the communist regime.

The north of the country is notably more left-leaning and liberal than the south, which is characterized as a strongly conservative area, the Peloponesse being a particularly conservative area. Thessaloniki is known as the most liberal of cities, while Sparta has a reputation as a stronghold of conservativism.

Military

The Democratic Army of Greece

Symbol of the Democratic Army of Greece

The Democratic Army of Greece (Greek: Δημοκρατικός Στρατός Ελλάδας, DSE (ΔΣΕ)) is the standing military of the Hellenic Socialist Republic. Formed in 1936 as a response to the royally sanctioned military takeover of Ioannis Metaxas and attrocities commited in his name, the DSE was based out of the City of Thessaloniki, where its main headquarters can still be found today. While at its height in the Greek Civil War, the army had membership of 50,000, Today the military is comprised of about 34,000 members.

The Popular Civil Guard
The Popular Civil Guard (Greek: Λαϊκή Πολιτοφυλακή, PL, (ΛΠ))is the Military Police force of the Hellenic Socialist Republic. The Guard is a feared force by many, known for its acts of domestic surveillance, removal of dissidents, and espionage activities. Behaving as a kind of Secret Police, the PL is tasked in keeping the domestic integrity of the state strong, as well as carrying out acts of spying and to instigate socialist uprisings in neighboring countries. Seemingly omnicient, the people of Greece are not without good reason to fear the Popular Civil Guard.

Important People

Defense Minister Nikolaos "Nikos" Zachariadis - Greek Minister of War - Born as the son of a tobacco farmer in East Thrace, Nikos Zacharadis would go on to become a major military commander of the Communist forces of Greece. Once the civil war was completed, Zacharadis was appointed as the head of the Ministry of National Defense. Now an old man, Zacharadis can no longer participate on the battlefield, but his experience makes him a valuable asset in the military ambitions of the Greek State.

General Dimitrios Partsalidis - Head General of Democratic Army of Greece - An exile from Treibizond who was forced out during the Pontic Greece genocide, Dimitrios Partsalidis acts as a second brain in the actions and planning of the Democratic Army of Greece along side Zacharidis.

Stephanos Papayannis - Head of the Popular Civil Guard - Papayannis is the head of the Popular Civil Guard, and a man known for his zealotry in regard to Communism and his brutal, draconian policies.

Vasilis Bartziotas - Appointed Successor of PCG - Second in command to Papayannis

[Letter Bee]

@Chapatrap, you know, you might actually get the Greek Orthodox Church and conservative Greeks supporting the Ottomans if you play your cards right...

[Vilageidiotx]

After a bit of consideration, I think I'll lay claim on Canada. I'll be working under the assumption that in the 1930's, spurred on by unrest and economic decline, a brief but fierce Second English Civil war occurred, resulting in a British Republic dominated by socialist and left-wing interests, resulting in the exile of the Royal family along with large flocks of conservatives, government officials, significant elements of the Royal Navy, and others. Hopefully the result ends up interesting. With the instability of its neighbor and different, more active King in the form of a determined Edward VIII, Canada should be on a much different trajectory than OTL.

@Katabasis

Don't make too many assumptions about England. You can break off, but its probably best you not take off with the King too. We might end up with an English player later on who wants the monarchy.

Make your own King. King Red Green or some shit.

Hellenic Socialist Republic

Leader:
Premier Demitrios

@Nerevarine

@Chapatrap's gonna hafta sign off on it. When he says go, you're good.

[Katabasis]

<Snipped quote by Katabasis>

Don't make too many assumptions about England. You can break off, but its probably best you not take off with the King too. We might end up with an English player later on who wants the monarchy.

@Vilageidiotx

I may end up going with another country, in that case. I completely understand the logic behind that, but the idea of the King-in-Exile and the massive changes in the Canadian government and society that would be brought over with him and the other exiles were somewhat central to the idea.

However, if necessary I can do something similar to what I had planned (minus the Royals) in a post-Commonwealth Republic of Australasia. The main obstacle standing in my way is my utter lack of knowledge about Australia and New Zealand beyond the little bit of research I've done on the area recently. Still, it could be fun- just a bit challenging for me personally.

Just let me know. I'm alright with doing either, I'm just a little partial towards Canada under a pseudo-Social Credit government. I can work with people here if you guys have an idea of what you think a British Republic could look like in this universe, or have any ideas to make it a bit more open for a future player.

[Vilageidiotx]

<Snipped quote by Vilageidiotx>

I may end up going with another country, in that case. I completely understand the logic behind that, but the idea of the King-in-Exile and the massive changes in the Canadian government and society that would be brought over with him and the other exiles were somewhat central to the idea.

However, if necessary I can do something similar to what I had planned (minus the Royals) in a post-Commonwealth Republic of Australasia. The main obstacle standing in my way is my utter lack of knowledge about Australia and New Zealand beyond the little bit of research I've done on the area recently. Still, it could be fun- just a bit challenging for me personally.

Just let me know. I'm alright with doing either, I'm just a little partial towards Canada under a pseudo-Social Credit government. I can work with people here if you guys have an idea of what you think a British Republic could look like in this universe, or have any ideas to make it a bit more open for a future player.

@Katabasis

Generally its best that, if you're existing requires major changes to a country that isn't taken, you find a way to downplay or ignore the details of that country. It's hard to do that when you yoink the monarchy of another country. If you think there are ways you can pull it off without describing anything about Britain besides Canada's independence from it, then do it that way.

I'd be okay with you taking Australia and New Zealand. So long as you don't make off with something outside of those countries.

[Dinh AaronMk]

Hellenic Socialist Republic

@Nerevarine

As Vilage said, putting off until input by Chapa comes through. We wait for the Irish bastard.

<Snipped quote by Vilageidiotx>

I may end up going with another country, in that case. I completely understand the logic behind that, but the idea of the King-in-Exile and the massive changes in the Canadian government and society that would be brought over with him and the other exiles were somewhat central to the idea.

However, if necessary I can do something similar to what I had planned (minus the Royals) in a post-Commonwealth Republic of Australasia. The main obstacle standing in my way is my utter lack of knowledge about Australia and New Zealand beyond the little bit of research I've done on the area recently. Still, it could be fun- just a bit challenging for me personally.

Just let me know. I'm alright with doing either, I'm just a little partial towards Canada under a pseudo-Social Credit government. I can work with people here if you guys have an idea of what you think a British Republic could look like in this universe, or have any ideas to make it a bit more open for a future player.

@Katabasis

As Vilage said, if you're going to need to perform broad, sweeping changes to someone else then it's going to be an issue. And last time something like this happened to Canada in the last RP things got awkward so I'm naturally hesitant on turning Canada into something that sounds like it might evolve into a proto-fascist state, under its known proto-fascist king.

If that's the case then I would say to sign up as Britain itself and we'll just hand the Commonwealth nations to you in a sort of relationship as Poland is to Germany. Effectively autonomous and independent, but in service to the Crown. And as such someone else could play as them, but they'd be in service to you. That's how I've thought of the Empire at least.