World War II - Multiplayer
This is an account of our Hearts of Iron first multiplayer v1.03b game. (Actually this is a restart from our first 1.03 attempt)
February 17, 1936 - The war in Ethiopia comes to an end. There is some international outrage over the rumors of Italian forces using mustard gas.
German military advisers have been observed visiting Italy often throughout 1936 and into 1937. The Italians appear to be reciprocating by sending "entertainment" to Germany. German shipping was observed delivering oil and rubber to the Italian mainland.
March 8, 1936 - Germany reoccupies the Rhineland, triggering concern in Europe.
June 1936, Concern grows in the Soviet Far East Command over Japanese intentions in the Northern Pacific.
July 1936, Russian naval units have been observed departing the naval bases at Murmansk and Leningrad destination unknown.
Summer 1936, Intelligence assets of Bulgaria, Romania, Hungary and Poland have noted an increase in military construction along the Russian border.
July 18, 1936 - Civil war breaks out in Spain. Germany and Italy send aid to Franco (Nationalist Spain). France & Russia sent aid to Republican Spain. UK has refused to get involved.
August 19, 1936 - German diplomats assure Poland that they should not fear German activities.
September 9, 1936 - Italy and Germany form the Axis alliance.
September 23, 1936 - France sent the 3rd Fleet as a loan to Albania.
British MI6 agents report significant scientific funding within the Third Reich. Details are sketchy but it's clear that German ingenuity is being well funded.
Fall 1936, German Foreign Office East has noted an increase in rubber purchases by Russia on the world market. Does this mean that soviet industry has a severe shortage of raw materials, or are they attempting to stockpile scarce resources for an impending conflict?
Winter 1936/37, German Foreign Office East has lost track of several cavalry, infantry, and air units on the eastern front. Has there been a possible shifting of combat assets to the Far East Command in the Vladavostok area? Have these units moved elsewhere? Have these units been disbanded to conserve scarce supplies or are they being upgraded at training bases deep in the Urals?
November 4, 1936 - FDR elected in the USA.
December 23, 1936 - France sent the 5th Fleet as a loan to Turkey.
March 2, 1937 - Rumors of widespread purges in Russia.
March 27, 1937 - Nationalist Spain is victorious, Spain becomes facist.
June 2, 1937 - More officers have been shot in Russia.
June 6, 1937 - A coup in Poland is crushed, rumors are that Germany was backing the coup attempt.
June 24, 1937 - A French corps goes on tour in Austria as a gesture of goodwill. France encourages Austria to not join the Third Reich.
August 2, 1937 - more violence in Russia.
August 18, 1937 - Major worker strike in Germany.
September 26, 1937 - German scientists invent nylon.
November 4, 1937 - Spain refuses to join the Axis powers.
French diplomats have been extremely busy in Albania trying to convince the Albanians to break their ties with Italy.
March 2, 1938 - A communist coup attempt failed in Romania.
March 25, 1938 : Anschluss of Austria, 99% of Austrian voters support becoming part of greater Germany.
June 26, 1938 - Romania enters into a military alliance with the Soviet Union.
June 27, 1938 - A German spy was captured and executed for stealing technology from Hungary.
July 20, 1938 - Panzer divisions parade through Berlin making a big impression on the press and foriegn diplomats.
July 23, 1938 : Romania grants military access to the Soviet Union.
July 27, 1938 - The pride of the UK navy visits Rome. The Italian leadership is furious over the Pope's blessing of the UK ships.
September 30, 1938 : The Treaty of Munich grants the Sudetenland to Germany. Czechoslovakian citizens are shocked. As German troops occupy the Czech mountain forts the rest of Czechoslovakia lays naked, vulnerable to German invasion.
Switzerland insists they will remain neutral in any conflict. Any invader will be met with lethal resistance. Switzerland insists their airspace also be respected and warns any overflying aircraft will be shot down.
January 21, 1939 : Soviet Union failed to stage a coup in Bulgaria
March 15, 1939 - Germany insists they will honor the Munich agreement and will take no hostile action against Czechoslovakia. Relief is felt worldwide. War may yet be avoided.
March 24, 1939 : Lithuania cedes Memel to Germany.
March 27, 1939 : Germany and Italy declare war upon Bulgaria. Germany insists the pro-communist attitude of Bulgaria is an insult to the Third Reich.
April 3, 1939 - Italy and Germany declare war upon Albania. Italy insists that Albania is rightfully an Italian colony.
April 9, 1939 - German and Italian fleets engage the Albanian navy and their fleet on loan from France. The French and Albanian ships are quickly sunk. Italy annexes Albania.
April 10, 1939 : Germany and Italy declare war upon Yugoslavia.
May 28, 1939 - Yugoslavia falls and is split between Italy and Germany.
June 5, 1939 - Bulgarian troops attack but are repulsed on June 14th, by the German forces backed by Italian infantry.
June 28, 1939 - Bulgarian mountain defences are taken and German armor pours through sweeping across Bulgaria to the Black Sea.
July 23, 1939 - Bulgaria is defeated and becomes German territory.
August 15, 1939 - Nervous of the military success of Germany, France and England negotiate an agreement for UK military access to French soil.
November 23, 1939 - World wide oil shortages drive the price of oil up.
January 15, 1940 - Germany and Italy declare war on Greece.
January 17, 1940 - German troops cross the Greek border in coordination with paratroops securing key locations. The allies in response declare war upon Germany and Italy.
January 18, 1940 - The Greek forces are in full retreat as German panzers persue them. Italian forces have met strong resistance and are stalled at the border.
January 20, 1940 - A Greek counter attack is repulsed easily by the Wehrmacht.
January 22, 1940 - A brief skirmish in the Gulf of Danzig, between the German navy and British naval forces favors the Germans. The Italian navy blockades Greece, convoys to Greece are cut off.
January 24, 1940 - Off the coast of the Netherlands the German navy hands the British another defeat. Greek forces counter attack the Italians and cut off a large portion of the Italian army.
January 26, 1940 - Massive French airforce formations fly into German territory attacking the German positions. French divisions cross into Freiburg and attack.
January 28, 1940 - The French are routed and sent fleeing back to the Maginot line.
January 30, 1940 : Another French force goes on the offensive in Saarbrücken.
February 1, 1940 - The French are sent into full retreat at Saarbrücken.
February 3, 1940 - France attacks Tripoli; Italian forces are slogging their way into Egypt. Germany sends shiny new Fw190 fighters to provide air cover for the Italians in Egypt. The antiquated British aircraft are no match for the fine Germany technology.
February 6, 1940 - British Prime Minister Churchill calls upon the world to rally against the Axis forces. Most governments respond with polite diplomatic double talk, not wishing to bring down the wrath of the Axis upon themselves. The Soviet Ambassador remarks with amusement over the capitolist fools making war upon each other.
February 11, 1940 - Experienced German paratroopers drop into Crete and quickly secure the island.
February 13, 1940 - Italian troops are making good progress on all fronts. Greek resistance is waning. The French are in full retreat toward Tunis and the British are being pressed at Alexandria.
February 14, 1940 - German subs wreak havoc in the English Channel.
February 19, 1940 - Germany annexes Greece.
February 20, 1940 - A French fleet engages the Italian navy just southwest of Italy. The battle goes solidly in the favor of the Italians. A German fleet catches the retreating French fleet. The French fleet puts up a good battle and then reverses direction to be caught and decimated by the Italian fleet.
February 24, 1940 - French armies go on the offensive against Italy in the alps and in Tunisia.
February 29, 1940 - Germany declares war on Luxemburg.
March 1, 1940 - Italian troops fight their way ashore at Malta. Field Marshall von Rundstedt leads six infantry divisions into Luxemburg and quickly defeats the two Luxemburg divisions. A large British fleet arrives at Malta to counter the invasion and bring much needed supplies.
March 3, 1940 - von Rundstedt's infantry pushes forward into Metz with General von Manstein's motorized forces following. French armor is repelled in the Italian alps.
March 4, 1940 - French armies counter attack in Metz but are easily defeated by von Rundstedt's infantry. Italy is pressed hard by the British at Malta, Italian leaders express their concern they will lose the battle - it's one tough rock!
March 5, 1940 - The tide turns and Italy is able to capture Malta, the British fleet retreats. Meanwhile German u-boats are sinking a significant amount of shipping in the English channel.
March 6, 1940 - A French army goes on the offensive against Freiburg, invading Germany. A bold move indeed! The German high command is amazed and finds the French daring more humorous than dangerous. General Kruger's mountain divisions are well dug in and the battle is clearly immediately in Germany's favor. Three German paratroop divisions, lead by Lt. Gen. Skorzeny, are dropped into Nancy and quickly secure vital positions. The Luftwaffe has clear air superiority over France.
March 9, 1940 - France attempts to cut off the German thrust with another attack at Metz (again easily repelled by von Rundstedt). Nine panzer divisions under the command of General Erwin Rommel roll easily into Dijon completing the pocket. Half the French army is trapped in the Maginot line and their bold offensive into Germany. French armor races north and engages Rommel's panzers. The French armor is shocked by the skill with which the German Pz III tanks are employed and the French quickly retreat again.
March 10, 1940 - The French continue their attempts to break the pocket at Metz and Dijon and are soundly defeated in several battles.
March 11, 1940 - The German breakout begins as panzer divisions begin to race across France unopposed. The remaining French armored divisions flee to Paris to attempt a last stand.
March 13, 1940 - Italian forces land at Nicosia and capture the British fleet in the harbor intact.
March 16, 1940 - German forces reach the channel coast at Caen, the French defense is reduced to a disorganized ineffective effort, the French are unable to stand up to any battlefield encounter. Gamelin's main force in Freiburg fights valiantly but to no effect, the French losses are horrendous.
March 21, 1940 - Rommel's panzers roll into Paris in the night, the French make a bloodly last stand but there never was any doubt over the outcome and the battle is over by morning.
March 25, 1940 - Germany offers to create a Vichy government to administer France, the French politicians refuse even though there is no French army left to put up a battle. Rogue French elements attempt to surrender France but Germany doesn't recognize their authority to speak for the entire French military and government.
March 30, 1940 - von Rundstedt leads an assault on the Canadian pocket of Chaumont, Sedan and Lille.
April 12, 1940 - The retreating Canadian forces attempt to evacuate at Lille, unfortunately for them the German Kriegsmarine prevents the allied transports from reaching the coast. Hundreds of transports are lost and the Canadians finally surrender. France is now held uncontested except for a few insane partisans creating uprisings across the mainland.
April 18, 1940 - The French government attempts to reform in Africa, there is very little left of the French forces. The United Kingdom stands alone against the Axis powers. It is a dark day for democracy.