We are now seeing the long, grinding scrum of the endgame.
Turkey’s weight of numbers begins to tell in the Balkans. If you’re wondering what happened to the Italian army in Serbia, and why it couldn’t retreat to Trieste, it’s because Tri was contested in a standoff in the S1906 turn, and a province where there was a standoff is not a valid retreat destination. It will be interesting to see Di Graspi explain this debacle, though I understand that Italy is now ruled by a military junta so he doesn’t have to answer to anyone.
France has now started to retaliate for the sneak attack by Italy, and is cooperating with the Turkish army trying to break north from Naples. We’ve seen a second Miracle of Rome, but the sound of guns is getting closer and ruining the mornings of people taking espresso and biscotti in the cafes. Maybe time to go visit Milan or Florence, where it’s safer?
England is playing a patient game. Did it just betray the Sultan by occupying Moscow? And what is that Fleet in the English Channel doing?
Perhaps the next issue of the Daily Dissembler will shed some light on this confused picture.
Players, Fall 1906 orders by Monday, 1 December, midnight EST please.
MP
Results for Spring, 1906 (Movement)
General Notices:
All dislodged units destroyed; advancing to next phase.Order
resolution completed on 28-Nov-2014 at 09:20:54 EST
Order Results:
England:
F bal - pru; A ber Supports A kie
F den - nth; F hel Supports A kie; A kie Holds
A lvn Supports A stp -mos; A lon Holds F nth - eng; A stp -mos
France:
A bel - pic; A bur - par; F hol - bel; A ruh - hol;
A spa - gas Bounced with gas (1 against 1).
F tys Supports A nap - rom Support cut by Move from Tunis.
Germany:
No order for unit at Silesia. Hold order assigned.Germany:
A sil Holds
Italy:
The Army in Serbia cannot retreat; unit destroyed.
A bud Supports A ser - rum
A gas Supports A pie - mar Support cut by Move from Spain.
A pie -mar; A rom Holds;
A ser - rum Bounced with con (2 against 1). Dislodged from gre (3 against 1).
F tun - tis Bounced with tys (1 against 1).
A tyr - ven Failed because Italy: F ven - tri failed.
F ven - tri Bounced with adr (1 against 1).
Turkey:
F adr - tri Bounced with ven (1 against 1).
F aeg - ion; A alb supp A gre - ser
F bla Convoys A con - rum; A bul Supports A gre - ser
A con - rum Bounced with ser (2 against 1). Convoy path taken: con- bla- rum.
A gre - ser; A nap -rom Bounced with rom (1 against 1).
F sev Supports A con -rum; A war Holds
Clash of Titans...
ReplyDeleteCommentary by General (rtd) Sir Erasmus Blatt, for the Rioters News Agency.
Never would your friendly commentator upon military and geopolitical topics have imagined such a debacle that has descended across all Europe these last couple of years. Yet perhaps after all the violence all the violence, blood-letting and all round nastiness will lead to the Elysian fields of a second , more effective, post-war Pax Brittanica. Of this, more anon.
Italy is now frankly engaged in a two-front war that she must lose. But there will be but one winner; Turkey. Having lost Moscow - or traded the place away - The Sublime Porte can write of Warsaw as well as totally untenable. I still think the garrison's move at once in the New Year to Galicia would have gained a march for the total conquest of the erstwhile Austro-Hungarian Empire by the end of the 1906 year, or early 1907. That might yet be achievable without the Army of Warsaw before the winter snows of 1907.
How Italy is standing off the combined forces of Turkey and France in the ankle of Italy proper is nothing short of miraculous ... or brilliant. It is now clear that Italy has provoked the Republic into at least some sort of retaliation. But how is France even to resist further Italian gains at her expense?
To offset the loss of the Spanish resources, and the isolation of its valuable Army of Iberia behind the mountains of Portugal - at least over the winter months - perhaps Turkey and France could strike a bargain over who gets to enter Rome. It is not altogether against Turkey's interests if France is allowed the honour. Turkey can quietly take over the Holy City early in 1907.
But a good alternative from Turkey's point of view is to support the French Fleet in wresting Tunis from the last remaining Italian Navy. Combined with Turkish gains elsewhere (Austria-Hungary) at Italy's expense, such a success would spell the likely end of the last vestiges of Italian naval power.
Would Turkey accept either of these courses of action? Hard to say. All would do is maintain France's strength, Italy would also have kept up its ability to support its armies and fleets, and Turkey would gain nothing in the fall. Incidentally, though the move from Warsaw to Galicia would have been a fine Spring move, I am much less sanguine about it during the Fall. But if England's policy is now bent on conquest, Warsaw can not be held - not without the Kaiser's extremely unlikely help...
As it transpires, the only way I can see Turkey gaining a supply base this Fall is if the French fleet supports the Porte's own campaign against Tunis. With Republican cooperation, that is a guaranteed success, the Italian fleet cut off as it is from all support of relief. France might not be so happy about this: losing a supply base, Italy maintains its status quo, Turkey gains one (or at least does not lose one). The net effect of France's being permitted a success is to maintain the material status quo across the board (give or take Warsaw, of course).
Altogether some delicate negotiations seem likely between the Sublime Porte and La Troisième République. Whatever the outcome of these, Italy is putting up a magnificent fight between its powerful foes.
Clash of Titans, continued...
ReplyDeleteWhat of England whilst all this is going on? It is just possible England has struck a deal with Italy - indeed such a deal might well already have been in effect for at least the last twelve-month. That would go far to explain the Peninsular Kingdom's apparently rash strike, whilst already at war with Turkey, against the 'Gallia Narbonensis', and subsequent preparations for crossing the Pyrenees.
England's played a very canny game in Europe, not only conquering the coast from Murmansk to Kiel, but landing thereon sufficient land forces for a credible strike into the Continental interior (Warsaw!). Withal, sufficient forces have been retained in local waters to pose a serious menace to French holdings from the Low Countries to Brest. France must already be feeling the squeeze from both flanks.
From appearances at any rate, your indefatigable correspondent is of the view that the Anglo-French Entente has expired, as has the distant amity between London and Constantinople. Instead, two power blocs have emerged, England-Italy and France-Turkey. It is a peculiarity of these alignments that the members of neither are in direct contact with each other. Meanwhile, the Kaiser can look on, powerless to influence events or even to prevent the final dissolution of his realm.
July 1, 1906
Shedding for this comment the political correspondent persona, I'm finding the situation that has emerged extremely intriguing and fascinating. Hell of a mess. I reckon England has 'got' this one pretty much in the bag, yet there is still plenty of action to come. I do hope the other players - even the Kaiser - continue to play their parts: this is more than a game; this is a story - a drama.
ReplyDeleteThe extent to which the Franco-Turkish Alliance (if indeed there is an alliance) can hold off England and at the same time overwhelm Italy will determine the outcome. England's pan-European conquest is not a gimme, not yet. I rate the situation about 60-40 in its favour, possibly a little more. It certainly has swung its way quite a bit in the last two game turns. It might yet swing back.
I do feel (and I hope I'm not upsetting anyone by saying this, bearing in mind I could easily be mistaken at that) that Turkey could have done a bit better over the last two game turns. Not so much in terms of supply bases taken by now, as in its position to take out at least one, probably two and even possibly three supply bases come the 1906 Autumn turn. Mind you, its Russian holdings would have been no more tenable than they are now, but those gains elsewhere would have offset their loss.
That still would have meant a net gain overall to England. I am expecting two builds at least for England in the coming Fall move. As England's only real rival right now, Turkey's situation is complex and difficult, tactically as well as diplomatically. From a tactical point of view I think I know what I would do, but some things would depend upon the outcome of talks with France in particular.
Game on.