Pressuring Poland

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I'm on turn 3 of 3.4d and there's no TO to "Pressuer Poland to attack the USSR" - is this a glitch?

The French have extended the Maginot...
 

Mantis

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Might be that it doesn't appear until after the 3rd turn. What turn did the French use the 'extend Maginot' TO? As I recall, the game doesn't really start until the third turn, and just as a guess, if the housekeeping has just done the Maginot extension, maybe you don't get the TO until the following turn?

Grasping at straws here... :) Is this the CoW version?
 

Mark Stevens

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What you should be looking for is the Axis TO on turn 3 "Eastern Crusade? & SELECT 'Declare War on Soviet Union"

Do please tell me that it's there?

(The resulting New String is something like "Hitler pressures Poland to attack USSR" - is that what you were thinking of?)

Mark prepares to swallow poison...:upset:
 

Mantis

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Bloody hell, my face has turned fat!
That's because you're prematurely stuffed your copy of TOAW III in there...

Cut that out, Mark! I fully intend to be playing EA 23.7(z) when I'm a senior... :laugh:
 

nemo

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What you should be looking for is the Axis TO on turn 3 "Eastern Crusade? & SELECT 'Declare War on Soviet Union"

Do please tell me that it's there?
It is, in the TOAW III version from the sticky post - just tested it.

(The resulting New String is something like "Hitler pressures Poland to attack USSR" - is that what you were thinking of?)
Could it be: "Polish government collapses under pressure: joins Axis!"?
 
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Yes thank you. There is indeed the Eastern Crusade option as well as a simple DoW on the USSR option.

Now to pressure Poland - must I choose the Eastern Crusade? Or can I only DoW on USSR - I'd rather not give the USSR anymore units if I can.

Also, what does the Axis gain from the Eastern Crusade option?
 

rasmus

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Yes thank you. There is indeed the Eastern Crusade option as well as a simple DoW on the USSR option.

Now to pressure Poland - must I choose the Eastern Crusade? Or can I only DoW on USSR - I'd rather not give the USSR anymore units if I can.

Also, what does the Axis gain from the Eastern Crusade option?
A delay on war with the western powers?
 

Mark Stevens

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The 'Eastern Crusade' is meant to represent a possible response by Germany to an extension of the Maginot Line in the 1930s. It's the most radical of the alternative history options in the scenario.

The theory is that, faced with a France effectively walling itself off from the rest of the Continent, the Central European and Balkan Powers are forced to ally with Germany. Bulgaria, Hungary, Rumania and the Croats and Slovaks eventually did, of course. The EC option assumes that Hitler was also able to pressure Poland and the Baltic States into an anti-Bolshevik alliance, with a view to invading the USSR before moving against the West.

To stop waffling and answer your question:

Axis benefits -
The 'Allied' Polish units are withdrawn and replaced by similarly sized 'Axis' Poles
The Baltic States mobilise as pro-Axis Allies and will no longer disband when (if?) France falls
Rumania and Hungary will mobilise as pro-Axis Allies (Rumanians get an extra mobile corps, assumed to be extra German equipment)
Finland (50%) and Bulgaria (25%) may mobilise as pro-Axis Allies
The Western Allies are not able to declare war on Germany until 25 - 55 turns into the war (25% chance after 25 turns, rising to 100% after 55)
The German reinforcements usually triggered later by the Russo-German War start to come on
The 25% chance of Belgium joining the Western Allies disappears.

Allied benefits -
The USSR gets four 'Red Cavalry' Armies, each of one HQ and two '3 - 4' cavalry corps
The Stalin Line is extended by 20 more '2 - 5' static units along the existing fortified areas (i.e. wily old Uncle Joe sees it coming in the 1930s)
The - eventually massive - Russian reinforcements usually triggered later by the Russo-German War start to come on
The Maginot Line is extended all the way to the North Sea/Channel

Other things to bear in mind -
The Germans still have the 'Barbarossa' bonus
Iran may (75% chance) join the Germans after about two months
The fierce winter of 1939 will still stop ALL combat as usual between turns 24 - 37 (slight variable): this may allow the USSR to regroup

I think that's most of it. It will be nothing like what really happened in WWII, but it can be an interesting alternative. There's no point triggering the Eastern Crusade if you don't fancy this sort of game.

The alternative is to move West as usual (you'll still need to knock out the pro-Allied Poles first) and be prepared for a tough slog against the improved Maginot Line, although it isn't invunerable. Maybe a move through Switzerland or Italy, which aren't covered by the Line, or more naval landings in the Channel ports?

Most players agree in advance whether they want to play an Eastern Crusade game, in which case the Allied Player extends the Maginot Line in agreement with the Axis Player.
 
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