Last game as France:
- 1936: Nothing, really just build up enough factories (We only had 6 land factories at the beginning) . Rushing to turn France red to intervene in the Spanish civil war. By August, Communists took over in a bloodless revolution (I was hoping for a democracy in which the socialists took power, but apparently HOI4 have no place for social democrats).
- 1937: CDG led 2 infanterie and 2 char Corps across the pyrenees in a mind-boggling-slow 14 days. Being the only armor present in Spain, the tanks handily defeated Falangists. Internally, we are now on full red mode so we are gaining 1 PP per day.
- 1938: Decided not to sign the Munich Agreement - so that we leave the allies. We guaranteed the Czechs but they hated a red protector. CDG rode to rescue but is of no use.
- 1939: We once again decided to intervene in Poland. There was no Phoney war - UK is in full mobilization. CDG sent 7 Corps but they were holed up in Danzig and retreated once Warsaw fell. This bought a few precious months for the UK to organize an actual defense of the Netherlands. On the other hand, Cairo fell easily. Molotov-Ribbentrop signed. Soviets Guaranteed us - crucial. Fascist Romania blobbed.
- 1940: Hell finally broke loose. The Italian and Belgium walls were built - both probably unnecessary in the hindsight. We had also built up to some 120 Corps, mostly infanty (a costly mistake later on) on the German/Belgian front, and 65 mostly mountain infantries on Italy. I didn't even touch the overseas territories. Land Factory count: around 80 before war. Mainly for small arms and towed antitank each division. I should opt for a combined arms approach and build more chars. Germany don't stand a chance at the war: the Russians were literally flooding from the east, while we made good progress on the Italian alps. Charging through the Maginot is considered risky so only 10 char corps were sent to the Netherlands as a relief force. This didn't stop the Dutch from capitulating, but Under the command of CDG they are brutally effective in asserting french control of the Netherlands. UK offered us to join the allies again and we accepted as the only communist country among them. Spain joined the Comintern and called into war by USSR, mainly operating on the African and Italian fronts. Japan was expelled from China (this happened very frequently in HoI4). Naval and air supremacy in Western Europe asserted. Turkey joined Axis.
- 1941: Germany finally dowed Belgium, joining the Dutch and French fronts, and my Belgian line units are now actively participating in the war. The Benelux fronts were exceptionally brutal, with France soon on the top of the casulty list, out of manpower, and mainly comprised of foot infantry. War in Italy proceeded at snail pace as mountain troops are no match against mechanized forces in the Po valley. Genoa held out for another year. Spain handily beat Italy in Africa. US joined the allies.
- 1942: Germany capitulated as the red army marched through Berlin with ease. A lack of tacitcal mobility and manpower means the French were just barely across the Rhine when soviet and french forces met. Italy capitulated as French mountaineers Marched into Rome. Iran joined the Axis.
- 1943: Brits and Yankees carried out Operation Downfall, followed up by 50 French corps. Iran fell next. The resulting negotiation clearly favoured the USSR: Japan was a Communist puppet and retains Manchuria, Takasago and Korea. Most of Eastern Europe and half of Turkey gobbled up or puppeted by USSR. Germany was divided into three parts while France got Mossburg. The Chinese civil war broke out and France dumped a glut of obsolete equipment and 17 corps to Chiang. Without Manchuria or foreign support, Mao didn't stand a chance.
- 1944: Saved the game and quit as it looks like a cold war situation.