The New Roman Empire: An Italian AAR

Objectives:

• Conquer Ethiopia.
• Consolidate Forces to Italy and Libya.
• Upgrade Technology to Modern Standards.
• Reclaim Albania.
• Conquer Spanish Territories during Spanish Civil War.
• Ally with Germany and Japan.
• Conquer Gibraltar and Malta and the Suez Canal from the UK.
• Conquer Souther France and Tunisia from France.
• Aid the AXIS War Efforts.

Potential Problems:

• British are Militarily Superior.
• Attacking Gibraltar and Malta can/will be costly if possible.
• France can prove Problematic without German aid.
• Air-Force is small and outdated.
• Navy is small but modern (vs. Allies).
• African Colonies can not be defended.

​

 

January 1st, 1936 saw Mussolini on his Balcony, talking to the masses. He spoke of rebuilding the glorious Roman Empire, returning Italy to its former glory after its humiliation during The Great War. It would start, he said, by getting revenge on the Ethiopians, who had defeated an Italian Army in 1898. Mussolini also promised a modernization of Industry and Technology to mimic that of their modern Navy.

It was also at this time that several Generals were reassigned to new posts, Armies were renamed and reformed, and the attack on Ethiopia began.

The Opening Moves:


The planned Attack on Ethiopia was rather simple: Aim straight for the heart of Ethiopia for a quick victory, while also preventing its troops from forming defensive positions in the Capital. The Infrastructure in the region is poor, which would cause the invading troops to take much longer in reaching their objectives.

By January 9th, Denakil is occupied by the 3rd East African Militia and the 2nd East Africans. The 3rd EA Militia then proceeds to engage hostile forces in Dese. Two days later, they occupy Dese.

January 14th saw Dire Dawa occupied along with Adwa. Italian forces were unstoppable! Ethiopian forces were just a bump in the road to victory! This was exactly what Mussolini had promised!

The 17th of January saw a victory in Moyale by more Italian Troops, even as the 2nd EA made its move on Addis Ababa, the Ethiopian Capital! But movement was slowing down as the poor infrastructure began to have its effect.

Gonder was occupied on the 21st, while Dese was only finally occupied on the 27th - Moyale on the 29th. The Ethiopian Army was in disarray and crumpled before the oncoming Italians, culminating in the annexation of Ethiopia at 10:00 Hours, February 6th.



The next two weeks would see a reshuffling of the Armed forces again, as most of the East African contingent was expected to be recalled to Italy of Libya as European tensions mount.

February 16th saw Mussolini take another step in his promised return to glory, as the 1st Light Armored Division began to be built!

The 28th of the Month saw an irate Mussolini storming through Roma. Some of the Cabinet Ministers were not performing as expected, so Mussolini appointed some new ones in their place.



March 29th saw the first of the new Technologies developed - Early Anti-Tank Artillery - and the beginning of Early Field Artillery. Research was going ahead at full steam.

April 6th saw the 4th EA Militia broken down into the 1st, 2nd, and 3rd Home Defense units once it arrived in Italy. Mussolini also order the construction of another Light Armored Division.

On April 20th, the 2nd EA was merged into the 1st Africa Korps, tripling the unit in size. Even as this was happening, an Italian Spy managed to infiltrate France without being detected!

Mussolinis promised to upgrade the Industrial sector came to fruition on May the 1st as Basic Machine Tools were completed and Improved Machine Tools were begun, increasing the Industrial Capacity of Italy by 5%!


Italian Technology as of January 1st, 1936 (Not Updated!)

 

Some Thoughts: Italy is fast approaching a time of turmoil. The Italian Empire has expanded with the Annexation of Ethiopia, the Army is rapidly modernizing and upgrading. Industrial Capacity is at an all time high. Things are looking good in Italy. But Il Duce and the people want more. But where to go? And Germany, a powerful country to the North, more advanced then the Italians, would make a worthy ally. The technology gained would be impressive, but such actions risk war with other countries, namely the UK and France. What to do, what to do?

March 4th saw the 2nd Mountain Division created out of the 4th Army, with a Commando Lt. General taking over command. Much of the next two months saw little development in any sector, the Army and Navy and Air Force having been renamed and repositioned. Only May 20th stands to note, as Early Fighters are developed and Basic Interceptors are started.

June 7th brought tidings of war in Asia, as Guangxi Clique declared War on Nationalist China and its ally Xibei San Mar. A week later, Italy developed Basic Cavalry Divisions and started on Early Static Anti-Air. The thought behind this was that Italian Industry needs to be defended, so having powerful Flak installations would help with this.

June 23rd also saw Early Field Artillery Developed, and Rear Area Supply Dumps started. War is certainly on the horizon, and having a good supply system is key.

July 9th saw the completion of the first Light Armored Division, which was deployed to form the 1st Tank Korps. An Early Artillery Detachment was begun as upgrades continued to be made on existing Detachments.

Despite all the news of Wars in 1936, nothing caught the headlines as much as what happened on July 18th. Spain, in turmoil for years, finally descended into anarchy as a Civil War sprang up between Nationalist and Republican forces. Mussolini immediately called a meeting with his Cabinet as to what course of action should be taken, deliberating for four days before reaching a decision.



On July 22nd, word reached Italy that Germany had decided to Intervene by sending supplies and volunteer units to fight for the Nationalists. This action definately influenced the undecided members of the Cabinet, and a few hours later Mussolini announced that he would send supplies and volunteer units to help Franco fight the Republicans.

A week later, as the Volunteer units arrived in Spain, another L. Armored division was completed (and another started) and deployed to the 1st Tank Korps. On the 30th, the Early Artillery was produced and deployed to a unit in the 7th Army, destined for Africa.

September 1st saw Early Static Anti-Air completed and Operational Destruction Doctrine started. Upgrades began immediately. Reports began to filter in from Spain that despite some initial setbacks, the Nationalists had recovered some of their lost territories and were mounting an offensive.

This reports were soon changed. The Nationalists in Spain were on the Defensive and falling back, the noose slowly tightening around their necks. This is what the Civil War looked like on October 4th:



Could the Nationalists turn things around? Mussolini grew anxious with each report, despite the fact that October 18th saw Italy's Industrial Capacity improve with Improved Machine Tools. Basic Light Tanks were then begun in the homes of improving Italian Armored forces.

On the 27th, Rear Area Supply Doctrine was completed and Semi-Motorized Cavalry was begun. A doctrine of fast, powerful attacks was beginning to take root in the minds of Italian Generals.

As November rolled around, no good news was coming from Spain. On the 4th, word reached Italy from the USA that FDR had been elected President. On November 9th, Basic Interceptors were completed and research began on Basic Fighters.


On the 10th, news that Nationalist Spain had almost been defeated reached Italy.



Italian and German Volunteer Units were reportedly trapped in the province of Saragoona. Would they be able to break out? Or would they face certain death at the hands of the Republicans?

December, it seemed, would be the decisive month for the foreign units in Spain. On the 1st, however, Operation Destruction Doctrine was completed and Strafing Doctrine was begun. On the 26th, Nationalist China annexed Xibei San Ma. Nationalist Spain was still clinging on, though reports that the foreign troops in Saragoona had been massacred began flooding in. These claims were backed up when the Republicans announced that Nationalists only remained in 2 Provinces in Spain. The situation was not looking good, and Mussolini vowed war against Republican Spain for revenge, and if they defeated the Nationalists. 1937 promised to be a year of more war.

 

1937 The Year of Spanish Subjugation

January of 1937 saw Italian forces mobilizing. Once the last Light Armored division was deployed to the 1st Tank Korps on the 20th of January, all military personnel were required to report for duty. Nationalist Spain was close to capitulation. It would not fall, however, for another month. February 19th, 1937 saw Nationalist Spain defeated, its territories annexed.



Mussolini was outraged by this tragic loss and ordered the Invasion Army to board ships immediately. As they moved into position a few days later, off the coast of Spain, Mussolini declared War on Republican Spain! The Date: February 21st. National Dissent rose to 4.36% over this - hardly anything to be concerned about.



Even as these World Events occurred, Semi-Motorized Cavalry Divisions were researched and work began on Basic Field Artillery.

The 24th saw Barcelona occupied by Italian forces, even as the Transport Fleet continued to bring Italian troops to Spain. The 25th saw the first Naval engagement of the War, between Italian Ships and Republican Ships. The Italians proved their superiority by sinking the ARE Libertadi(CL) at no Italian Losses.



Tarragona, an important Naval and Air Installation Province, was taken on the 29th as Italian Ships forced Republican ships to flee the area. With the capture of this Air Field, the 1st Ground Attack Wing and the 1st Interceptor Wing rebased from Northern Italy to Tarragona.

March 1st saw the Flotilla Villapordo(TP) sunk by Italian ships while victories were scored in Tarragona and Castellon. Three days later, Italian troops had secured Castellon and two days after that, the 1st Tank Korps rolled into Valencia. Even as they occupied Valencia, a victory was won in Guadalajara. The 1st Tank Korps would also concur and occupy Alabacete by the 12th of March, even as the 7th Army was shipped from Italy to Valencia.




The 16th saw Siguenza occupied and on the 18th of March, the newly arrived 7th Army saw victory in Murcia.

The 19th of March saw the all important Battle for Madrid take place. 1st East African and 5th Army directly assaulted Madrid, while the 6th Army provided supporting fire from nearby. The fighting would last for 2 more days before Italian Victory was declared despite the ease of the battle. Even as this occurred, the 1st Cavalry Army was securing important Provinces in the North of Spain. Madrid was occupied on the 23rd, followed by Murcia the following day.

The 26th of March saw the 5th Army victorious in Valladolid while the 1st Tank Korps moved into Huelva, now having traveled the entire width of Spain. The Battle for Salamanca occurred on the 29th, where outnumbered Italian forces proved superior to the Republicans and won the battle with light losses.

April 1st marked another victory for both 7th Army and 1st Tank Korps, moving into Almeria and Seville respectively. The 1st Cavalry Army destroyed a Republican Division operating in the North in Sarragonza.

The 5th of Aprul saw 1st Tank Korps move into Malaga, effectively ending the last resistance of the Spanish Armies. On the 9th of April, Republican Spain was Annexed!



The following two weeks saw the commission of more Infantry Divisions, the Anti-Commitern Pact signed by Germany, Italy, and Japan, along with the formation of the 2nd Cavalry Army and movement of troops through the New Italian Empire.

May 3rd also saw Strafing Doctrine completed and Rear Area Repair started.

 

1937
May 15 - Basic Light Tank -> Logistical Strike Doctrine
May 19 - 1st EA renamed 2nd Afrika Korps - East Africa Corps renamed North Afrika Command

June 17 - Garrison deployed to Roma
June 22 - Basic Fighter -> Basic Tactical Bomber
June 25 - Basic Field Artillery -> Early Marines
June 30 - Marco Polo Bridge Incident - Japan DOW China

July 11 - 3x Serial Fighter
July 22 - Liberated Nationalist Spain as Puppet, Guarantee Independence

August 8 - Basic Artillery deployed to 1st Afrika Korps - 3x Serial Artillery Started
August 16 - Logistical Strike Doctrine -> Battlefield Interdiction Doctrine

September 9 - Rear Area Vehicle Repair -> Mass Assault Doctrine

October 29 - Soviet Aid Nationalist China in Operation Zet

November 18 - Battlefield Destruction Doctrine -> Early Tank Destroyer

December 5 - Fighter deployed to 1st Fighter Wing - Artillery Deployed to 5th Army
December 12 - Basic Tactical Bomber -> Early Self-Propelled Artillery
December 22 - Infantry Deployed to 3rd Afrika Korps - 3x Serial L.Arm
December 28 - Early Marine Division -> Basic Mountain Division

Some Thoughts Thus Far...
I decided to Liberate Nationalist Spain for a few reasons. They can research Techs that I am not currently working on and produce their own modern military units. As my puppet, i receive a portion of their supplies every day too. I will also hopefully be able to force them to join the Axis once war breaks out (and I will join too).

You might be wondering why I researched Marines. Malta is an island fortress, heavily fortified, and amphibious assaults give massive penalties to non-marine units. So really the only reason I researched them is to assault Malta. And perhaps Turkey on my way to Russia. We'll see.

Otherwise, I am trying to build up an Air Force and good Armored Core to deal with the British. I am expecting the French to be a complete roll-over like always, especially once German Troops push into France.

Once again, I will slow things down once War starts and give more detailed reports. I did include some major events, but not all, as they generally reoccur throughout all my AARs. I will be updating this one next (instead of last) since it is a Year behind the other AARs.

 

Prelude to Global War

1938
Artillery Deployed to 4th Army
Early Tank Destroyers -> Improved Light Tank
Mass Assault Doctrine -> Early Hospital System
Anschluss of Austria
Fighter Deployed to 1st Fighter Group
Early Self Propelled Artillery -> Basic Infantry Division
2nd Tank Korps Formed
Basic Mountain Division -> Agrichemistry
Improved Light Tanks -> Basic Encryption Devices
Early Hospital Systems -> Night Strafing Doctrine
Agrichemisty -> Advanced Machine Tools
Basic Encryption Devices -> Advanced Construction Engineering
Basic Infantry Division -> Basic Motorized Divsion
Night Strafing -> First Strike Doctrine

1939
Advanced Machine Tools -> Basic Self-Propelled Artillery
First Strike Doctrine -> Dispersed Fighting Doctrine
Czechoslovakia Annexed by Germany -> Slovakia Granted Independence + Puppet of Germany
Germany Claims Memel Peacefully
Advanced Construction Engineering -> Production Control
Ultimatum Sent to King Zog -> King Zog Refuses -> DOW against Albania -> 2nd Cavalry Army Lands in Tirana -> Albania Annexed (All in one week)
Basic Motorized Division -> Basic Anti-Air Brigades
Dispersed Fighting Doctrine -> Frontal Missions Doctrine
Basic SP Artillery -> Basic Escort Fighters
Basic AA Artillery Brigades -> Production Planning
2nd Tank Korps to Afrika
2nd Fighter Group Formed
Production Control -> Improved Oil Refining
Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact (Historical Outcome)
Germany DOW Poland -> Slovakia Joins Axis
France DOW Germany (Allies DOW Axis - September 2nd, 1939)

0100 Hours, September 5th, 1939, Italy Allies with the Axis and Joins the war against the Allies. Nationalist Spain Also Joins War on the side of the Axis.


Thoughts Thus Far...
All Major Upgrades have been completed, luckily in the nick of time, as World War II has officially started in this Campaign. The next installment will contain the opening moves, my strategy and plans, images, and lots of dead Frogs (hopefully). Exact losses can not be kept as far as I know, though I will post Naval losses.