1933-1939 (Dixie ain't Dead)

The Second World War

1933: Well, De Gaulle be damned, the spark didn’t occur in France, it occurred far from where the problem began, on the Ukraine-Austrian border. The incident occurred when, after a fugitive fleeing from Ukrainian officials crossed into Greater Austria only to be stopped by an Austrian patrol. The Ukrainians, not knowing they were crossing the border, continued to chase after him and ran into the Austrian patrol, shots were fired, and soon a full fledged brawl takes place, with the Ukrainians all being killed including the fugitive, and several Austrians being killed. The bodies of the Ukrainians are taken to the local military base and ID’d. The Austrian President-General responds by ordering a full fledged military invasion of the Ukraine, causing the Slavic Alliance to declare war, beginning the Second World War.

Austrian-Ukraine Front: With invasion of the Ukraine, President-General Trotsky orders a full invasion of the Ukraine from the east, starting with massive artillery bombardments against the Ukrainians, West Russian and Austrian troops advance rapidly until they run head on into the Ukrainian fortifications 30 miles inside the border, stopping the Communal advance there and allowing the Ukraine Army to hold off the enemy until the reserves are fully mobilized.

West Russian-Northern Slavic Front: While the Communal Powers made some limited success in the south, they were forced to a bitter standstill in Finland and actually stopped at the Baltic and Belorussian borders due to massive concrete structures and steel frames inside the concrete. Artillery helps little, but the Slavic Alliance is slowly being beaten back and isn’t expected to hold when spring comes next year.

Russian Front: While West Russia is mostly occupied in Eastern Europe, East Russia’s new Prime Minister Alexei Talmosct orders a full scale invasion of West Russia using sea transports to go around the Ural Mountains and surprise attack the West Russians in the north while smaller amounts of East Russian troops cross the Urals on foot and attack that way.

Other: Germany, Britain, and Italy declare neutrality in the current war. The CSA begins testing on planes that can be used to transport troops and supplies to areas where needed. The first Canal is completed in Nicaragua, and Confederate trade begins to flow through the Canal, cutting travel time from New York to San Francisco by more than half. Poland signs a defensive pact with Germany and secretly signs a pact with the Ukraine. The Confederate-German Alliance is renewed.

1934: Austrian-Ukrainian Front: The Ukraine finally mobilizes its entire reserve forces and draft is enacted, and fresh recruits begin to flow into the army while testing of American warplanes begins, allowing recon and rare bombing missions to take place behind enemy lines. Zeppelins also begin to be used as enormous bombs when a accidental crash behind enemy lines partially damages the Austrian Military base in Galicia in a huge fireball. It is soon decided to use Zeppelins and fill them with Hydrogen, with a few fighter planes escorting the Zeppelin to its target here it will be detonated and fall on its destination, destroying the location in a huge inferno. These “Zepelibombs”, as they begin to be called, will wreak havoc against the Austrian and the N.C.R.R. for the remainder of the war. Meanwhile on the battlefield the Ukrainians are pushed back 50 miles into the nation’s heartland by the Communal Powers on both fronts. The Ukraine begs Poland to enter the war, but Poland’s President continues to insist that it must wait till next year, as the Austrians are getting cocky and may soon try and take revenge on Germany and Italy, bringing the war into the Slavic Alliances favor. With no other choice, the Ukraine agrees to wait.

North Slavic Front: Belorussian and Baltic fortifications fall to Communal troops, and the two nations are soon beat back to a thin front 30 miles from the two nation’s capitols. As a last minute ditch and showing how the two nations acting together for the past two years has been forever embedded on the populace, the Kingdom of Belarus and the Baltic Federation unite as the Federated Kingdom of the Slavs.. The newly integrated Slav Army, in a burst of new nationalism and moral, defeat more than 7 Communal Powers offensives. And while moral is though to have been the reason, the new Zepelibombs are given much credit to the victory, as they caused roughly 46,000 Communal casualties Finland is pushed back more than 65 miles from the border, and the government is evacuated to Stockholm, where Sweden allows the Finnish government to continue governing from.

Russian Front: The Tsarist forces launch another offensive against the Nationalist Commune Republics of Russia, taking some limited gains before the NCRR forces manage to halt the enemy advance. With the exception of a few occasional skirmishes on the front, the two Russia’s will have little conflict for remainder of the year.

Other: Austria begins a buildup on the Polish border to take back parts of Galicia which it believes are Hapsburg ancestral lands. The Germans and Polish begin to due so as well. East Russia completes its Barrel research, and mass production begins while plans are sent to the Ukraine, Finland, and the Kingdom of the Slavs, Germany, Italy, and Poland. These nations begin mass production as well. The Confederate States completes the Panama Canal, and secretly begins sending weapons to aid the Slavic Alliance. Italy, Spain, and the Ottoman Empire form the League of Armed Neutrality.

1935:  Feeling confident of a coming victory in the Ukraine, the Austro-Hungarian Empire declares war upon Poland, launching an invasion of Polish Galicia. The Emperor states that Poland occupies Hapsburg ancestral lands, and thus invasion is justified. What the Emperor didn’t know was that Poland was allied with Germany, who was in turn allied with the Confederacy. Germany soon declares war upon Austria, France, and the Nationalist Commune Republics of Russia, and the Confederacy soon follows, sending thousands of soldiers, planes, and newly constructed barrels. A new front has opened, and the Slavic Alliance has been given a lifesaving boost.

Franco-German Front: The Netherlands and Belgium grant right of passage to Germany, allowing the German Army to invade northern France while German forces invade from Alsace-Loraine as well, taking the French  along there entire eastern border. Confederate troops land near Brest in northern France and Biarritz in the south. Confederate barrels and planes, using the two war machines in unison, plow through western France and link up at Niort. Meanwhile German forces plow through northern France an advance to the Seine River once again. By November, the front stands still as the two sides settle in for the winter. In a panic, the French government flees to Bourges, where they set up shop.

Austro-Slavic Front: Germany and Poland repulse the Austrian invasion, and launch a counteroffensive directed at Vienna and Budapest, but success is limited to a small number of minor battles a few miles from the border in northern Austria. Most of this can be explained due to Germany sending most of its barrels and planes to either France or the core Slavic Alliance members. The Ukraine is soon forcing back the Austrians from there territory, and by early December, Austria will be out of the Ukrainian heartland, and being followed by Ukrainian soldiers.

Slavic-NCRR Front: German troops, barrels, and guns arrive in the Slavic Alliance’s lands, and a universal offensive pushes out the Nationalist Commune Armies from Finland, the Ukraine, and the Federated Kingdom of the Slavs. The offensive soon turns into a full fledged invasion of the NCRR, but after about a 3 mile advance into NC Russia, the High Command orders a halt and the building of fortifications in case of a reversal of fortunes.

Russian Front: Confederate troops, barrels, and planes arrive in the Tsardom of Russia via the North Atlantic and Arctic Ocean in the West while in the east Confederate forces arrive in Siberia and using railways for land forces while the planes fly to the front. Confederate forces soon begin a massive buildup in accordance with here Tsarist allies, waiting for ext year to launch a full attack.

Other: Britain, South Africa, Australia, New Zealand, Canada, and Nunavut form the Commonwealth of British Nations, and plans begin to have India join the Commonwealth begin while plans for British Africa are put on the shelf until after the war is over. The Filipino Insurrection begins against Spanish rule in the Philippines. But of more importance, the Berlin Convention meets with the leaders of Tsarist Russia, the Confederacy, Germany and the Ukraine (or Big Four), meeting in order to decide the post World Order.