Things I've Learned...

...from playing Hearts of Iron 3: Semper Fi - Iron Cross Edition (Mod)!

As you can follow in my latest AAR, I am playing as the USSR. The Mod for this game includes a TON of new events that occurred historically. For instance, there have been about a dozen Espionage/Spy events between the Russians and Japanese, all historical, where I have received bonuses due to the New German Ambassador (forget names) since he is/was friends with mine, located in Japan, given my spy/ambassador further access to the Japanese.

I am also learning a lot more about the Russian-Japanese Conflict in the area and just how close they came to all out war (which they were technically waging when Zhurkov went to Khalkin Gol and whooped their butts. Quite interesting, as each events pops up an information box about what happened and in a few instances gives me some options. For instance, when I sent Zhurkov free to attack the Japanese, I could have declared outright War on them. A month or two later, when the Ceasefire event trigged, I could have rejected it and declared full out War on the Japanese (their local commander WAS planning a counter-attack at the time).

The one thing I disliked about the events was the Winter War with Finland. I can understand and see where it was a stalemate, but having 'foresight' I sent a Tank Army (2 Tank Regiments, 2 Motorized Regiments = 1 Division, 5 Divisions = 1 Army) along with additional troops (only about 600K in total, as opposed to the 1-Million IRL) that literally took the entire country (right around March too!) but the option to Annex was not possible as the Finn's were only ceding territory to me. Either way, it gave a good deal of my troops some experience, which will be helpful against the Germans in the coming months.

I am also awed by the sheer vastness of Russia, especially the location of Stalingrad. It is quite easily the width of Europe away from the current German border in Poland. Speaking of Poland, I was unaware that they had agreed that the 'middle' part of Poland would not be annexed, but ruled by a German Council (of sorts) which explains why theres a little portion of Poland that never seems to surrender in the game (it is the Occupied portion). And Historically, the Polish troops were virtually vacant on the Russian front during the taking of their Country...apparently historically they had agreed not to shoot at the Russians?

 

Only problem i have with mods like ICE is that they are hell bent ore making you replay WW2 as it happened and often take out some of the what-if factors or if they leave them in, they make it so that it can only occur in specific ways.

 

Well, you're supposed to play 'historically' until 1941, at which point you're given free reign to do as you will. As a major nation, that of course happens. But if you look at the events i've been choosing the outcomes of - the USSR twice can choose to go to outright war against the Japanese. I simply chose not to, due to the RL factors - Germany building up in the West.

 

i suppose

 

Well, when you're thinking "In 1940/1941 Germany is going to try and steamroll me" you spend the intervening years slowly building up your technology and forces on the Western Front to prepare for such things. East Asia is a loooong way away and getting the option to DOW Japan had never crossed my mind. It was tempting, but I only had the bare minimum of forces stationed along Manchuria and Mongolia. A war with Japan in China would be very interesting, but I would only be able to field a half dozen divisions and the war certainly wouldn't be over before the German Juggernaut comes knocking. The little historical blurbs on the situation were exactly what was going through my head at the time too - too much stuff going on in the West to concern myself with Japan.

 

oh i'm not denying that, i suppose i just enjoy having (mostly) complete freedom over my "what-if" scenario as opposed to "mirror real world with only a few deviations"

 

Well, I certainly could have declared war on Japan, but that would have meant the death of me, given the manpower needed to devote to the Far East and Eastern Europe. I just signed a Neutrality Pact with the Japanese though, so things are starting to heat up (Paris has fallen).