Hoi 4 Chapter 5

Chapter 5 - Jun 1939:

The North German Federation is a peaceful country between Lotharingia and Poland, with a rather large army for its size. Unfortunately, its government, a monarchy, is infested with Fascists. Intelligence suggests that up to 41% of the German nation supports a potential future Fascist government. King Hessen of the NGF is, for the moment, indifferent to the idea of Fascism. He has toyed with the idea of joining the Covenant of Steel but has thus far kept his nation neutral.

Unbeknownst to anyone, the Fascists in the NGF government have been receiving aid from Lotharingia. Soon, they will be able to take control of the nation...

To the East, the United Baltic Provinces have been largely quiet this half of the decade. They have expeditionary troops sent to Sweden, Castille, and Eretna, but they have not participated in any other diplomatic or military actions. Their current Prime Minister is a socialist named Brunis Pumpurs. However, the UBP upperhouse is 37% communist and 40% democratic. The UBP is also estimated to have around a million troops. This means the world could see a communist great power in the near future.

The War in Asia continues, and Korea is further pushed back. Then, on the 22nd of June, Hungary, stating border grievances, and with the diplomatic support of Lotharingia, declares war on Poland.

The US, Britain, Russia, and Sweden denounce the invasion, but they do no more than that. Then, in a shocking move, Poland joins the Stali Pact. Sweden and Castille join the war against Hungary, but Russia and Prussia do not.

Russia joins the war in August, as Poland loses ground. Hungary quickly makes progress in taking Russian land. Eretna still has not joined, so Hungary can focus the majority of its efforts on the Russian front.

Late in August, President Dunaden is approached by Ruben Rijk of the Antillen Rebellion. The Rebellion has thus far done nothing but hold onto its small chunk of land. Jacobweller had been unwilling to aid militarily, but Rijk asks Dunaden whether he would change that. Dunaden agrees to Rijk's request for aid, but he does not declare war just yet. Sharing the same island as De Nederlandse Antillen is the Dominican Republic. The small nation is in the Anglo Alliance, and it has only 13 divisions, whereas Antillen is estimated to have over 40. Before declaring war, Dunaden tells Rijk the US will station troops in Santo Domingo.

The 18 division strong 1st Army, led by General Lucas Luc, is sent. 12 divisions assigned to the Pacific Army are reassigned to the Atlantic, and General Alvious Kon is given command. They will be responsible for securing the smaller Antillen islands in the Caribbean.

A few days later, Provence, a fairly weak Fascist nation south of Lotharingia, joins the Covenant of Steel.

Prime Minister Gratz makes his first move at reforming the Empire on the 1st of September. at 5AM local time, Carinthia declares war on Lombardia, and troops flood over the border.

Lombardia is a peaceful constitutional monarchy just to the west of Carinthia. The threat of Carinthia, Provence, and Lotharingia have always loomed close, but being a monarchy, neither the Anglo Alliance nor the Stali Pact have been willing to let Lombardia in.

A few days later, Eretna joins the war against Hungary. Now Hungary must face great powers on two fronts.

2 weeks later, Lombardia capitulates, and Carinthia annexes the nation completely. To the east, Hungary loses ground against Russia and Eretna. Seeing the overwhelming odds against Hungary, Prussia joins the war as well. Now Hungary is completely surrounded.

By mid October, Hungary is on the brink of collapse. Russia, Eretna, and Prussia have pierced to the heart of Hungary. What many begin contemplating is what will happen to Hungary after the war is over.

The War in Asia has trudged on slowly the past few months, and Korea and Japan have been showing fierce resistance.

On the 25th of October, 1939, the US joins the Antillen Civil War on the rebels' side. The expeditionary forces in Asia are withdrawn, as the US Army Air Corps begins bombing Antillen troops and infrastructure. The US 1st Navy also begins blockading the island.

The combat is intense, and it takes nearly a month for the first break through the line. By this time, the US has 15 thousand casualties, and the Dominican Republic 14 thousand. Meanwhile, it takes several allied ships to bring the Antillen navy down. By mid November, only one enemy ship remains afloat.

Hungary capitulates on the 30th of November, as as the last of the resistance are captured by the Russians. In the ensuing peace conference, a few small provinces in Galicia are taken by the Russians, and a faux democratic government, led by the Russian puppet Kelemen Dessewffy, is put in power. Then, Hungary is given entrance into the Stali Pact. Russia's alliance is now hugely powerful and controls a large part of Europe.

Christmas day brings with it the gift of another province of progress against Antillen. This war is far more difficult than originally predicted.

Several tank divisions arrive to aid in capturing the island, and progress speeds up. By the end of January, US troops march into the Antillen capital of Port Au Prince. With the fall of the capital, the rest of the enemy troops surrender. The rebels declare themselves victorious, and the government is reformed as a democracy based in Saint Lucia. The US troops are sent home.

In Asia, Korea capitulates, and Japan seizes control of the rest of the peninsula, but they are fighting a losing battle.

The next few months are uneventful. Delhi invades and annexes Sindh, finally gaining access to a coastline, and Turkestan invades the southern part of Afghanistan.

Tension builds across Europe. Lotharingia makes no moves, yet Meenen's desire to do something is obvious. In early May, during a rally in Luxembourg, he riles up his people with talk of an expanded German Empire. The Lotharingian nation is too small for such a numerous and prosperous people. The state of Wallonie alone, he says, has 20 million people. Lotharingia is too crowded, and perhaps more room can be found elsewhere.

Picardy is in a dire situation, and the Picardian king is indeed glad that Great Britain has agreed to defend the small nation against any Lotharingian threats.

But the spark does not come from Europe. It comes from North Africa. On the 28th of May, 1940, Arabia invades the Teutonic port of Al Rif, determined to oust the imperialist Order from Africa.

Suddenly, the full force of the Covenant of Steal is unleashed on the Teutonic Order.