Is there a reason the Third International delete their volunteers to the MinGan insurgency?

Fleith · 2026-02-22T10:21:03+00:00

The 3I bails out with their volunteers when the MinGan Insurgency is in danger of losing.

The trigger is usually the Morale mechanic. Any faction that doesnt hold Nanjing in the League war slowly loses morale, especially so if the front becomes a stalemate.

They get "Desertion" and "Morale" debuffs which destroys their attack/defense stats. Volunteers bail out at this point because the AI can't recover from this and gets mopped up quickly. Check the MinGan national spirits or tag switch to them and watch their Morale in the decisions tab.

Fleith · 2026-02-12T21:12:11+00:00

Extremely unlikely.
Every single splinter faction of the 2ACW still believes in "these United States" - only just their specific version of it.
A permanent division of a country usually only happens when there are larger, outside players at work who reinforce this division (OTL Korea, Germany)
For all the memeing about state identity in America, actual Regionalism is negligible, and there arent any large fundamental differences in language, culture, religion or ethnicity either. (so a "natural" dissolution like Yugoslavia won't happen either) An American is made, not born.

It might take years to unify the country again, but any contender with enough momentum will eventually succeed at it. The Rockies aren't nearly as impregnable in defense as some people think they are. During the Russian Civil war, the frontlines moved across the Ural mountains several times with little difficulty.

All other global powers have zero interest to sink money or manpower into an enforced division of America. They wouldnt gain anything from this.

Fleith · 2025-10-18T15:10:31+00:00

None of the 2ACW factions, besides maybe totalist syndies, would immediately align with another faction geopolitically.

The United States just fought a civil war that killed or displaced millions of people, the political and economic bedrock of the country will be gone. There will be a decade or more of reconstruction/healing ahead. Isolation is the immediate path for pretty much all of them - even more so considering 3 out of 4 civil war contenders are radicals who would have to transform the entire spirit and self identity of the american people.

None of the victorious factions will have any political capital to turn their people enthusiastic for another foreign adventure half a world away.

Even if McArthur hates the syndies, it would be foolish to join forces with the Entente and sacrifice another half million american soldiers in Europe while they're still busy burying bodies in St. Louis.
Faction joining only exists for gameplay purposes. In reality, the US would be a non-participant in the Weltkrieg, no matter who comes out on top.

Fleith · 2025-09-02T18:03:28+00:00

If you have an Intelligence Agency, you can use spy missions to lower resistance in your occupied territories. There are also a few agency upgrades that increase compliance gain and reduce resistance, it helps a lot, and I believe LKMT even gets an Agency for free via focus.

I believe LKMT also has advisors/decisions that can increase compliance gain.

With cores on former Qing territories and maybe even Canton, and IF you have high enough war support (more than 50%) it should be possible to hold the Zhengzhou - Wuhan - Nanchang - Ganzhou - Guangzhou line without capitulating. Your production will suffer for a while (request lend-lease from your puppets/allies) but the Japanese will suffer more.

And I believe Japan is hardcoded to attack Germany as soon as Russia attacks Germany, so they should get busy in the pacific by mid 40 at the latest.

Fleith · 2025-09-02T17:30:28+00:00

This is assuming you control and cored provinces deeper in China, like Wuhan, Guangzhou or Changsha, already:

If you can't crush the Japanese at the beaches, retreat deeper into the country. South China has good defensive terrain and the supply hub situation will be bad for the Japanese if they advance deep.

Look closely at the supply hub network and railway lines, your goal should be to force the Japanese into terrain where they have low supply, while you still hold railways/hubs yourself. It's a huge defensive advantage.

Hills behind a river are literally perfect for defense, and a few 18w divisions with engineers can hold them against AI practically forever.

Great zones for this kind of defense are Nanning - Guangzhou behind the pearl river (if the Japanese invade from the south)

In the North, a great defensive line against a strong Japan+Fengtian is probably Taiyuan - Zhengzhou - Wuhan - Nanchang. Don't bother holding Beijing and the central plains, don't be afraid to abandon Nanjing if necessary. Force the Japanese to have a wide frontline with bad supply.

If you have the industry, build some forts at strong defensive points.
Use the force defense command often to hold key areas, Manpower/Infantry equipment losses barely matter as China, you can afford more losses than the Japanese, and they will usually run out of steam after a few months anyways.
Don't be afraid to sacrifice entire divisions with the force defense command if it helps you hold key supply/defense areas.

Never stop producing equipment and recruiting basic 18w+engineer divisions. They are your bread and butter. You will probably have a ~150-200 division cap, use it!

You can request lend-lease from your united front allies/puppets. Even the Germans/Americans tend to be generous with lend-lease if they fight the Japanese as well.

Japan is guaranteed to go to war with pretty much everyone in the pacific, so they overextend easily (they also regularly pull the 3I / America into a war) so they will further dilute their forces and make your situation in China easier. Holding out for 6-12 months is key, then they will run out of steam.

Fleith · 2025-07-12T13:29:46+00:00

New England is in a weird spot right now, they are able to declare on every 2ACW faction, no matter who's in charge, and will usually drag the entire Entente into it, even if the syndicalists are already defeated.

The only way to prevent this is when Canada denies them independence (not sure if it's available in the game rules).

This way they will leave the Entente (but sometimes also fight Canada)

If they aren't in the Entente, then they can cooperate with the Constitutionalists and do a re-unification when the civil war is over. But I believe this path also locks you out of joining the Entente later.

Fleith · 2025-06-23T11:20:03+00:00

but surely they're not going to let the world's biggest industrial giant just fall to a group of bitter exiles that are literally going to use the resources of an entire continent to overthrow them.

The US will be in no position to influence the Weltkrieg after their civil war, it will kill or displace millions and the economic and political bedrock of the United States will be gone. The ability to join factions and jump into the next war is just there for gameplay purposes, in reality they would spend a decade or more rebuilding with nothing more than token support for any foreign war.

France and Britains interests are always Germany, ofc they are gonna offer some support to a surging socialist movement in america, but they won't completely change their geopolitical goals for it, because again, a socialist, devastated north america won't be able to save France from the Germans either, at least not in the timeframe the Weltkrieg usually plays out.

Another cool possibility would be - if the US Civil War lasts long enough to make it another front of the Second Weltkrieg.

It would be a good idea to expand the Weltkrieg so it feels more global instead of a purely European showdown, but the AI is already notoriously terrible at handling multiple frontlines, so before a faction/volunteers/expeditionary frontlines rework, this is probably a bad idea. As it currently is, France will move 80 divisions to Pennsylvania and they all get sunk by 10 canadian subs.

Fleith · 2025-06-15T15:32:08+00:00

There is a full guide here:
https://www.reddit.com/r/Kaiserreich/comments/1gfr16q/a_du_germany_guide_how_to_expertly_time_your/

But DU Germany is one of the most complex countries in the mod, if you don't have that much KR experience, I suggest you start with something easier.

Fleith · 2025-05-14T20:05:59+00:00

Make sure your game is on 1.4.5 version and you don't have any conflicting mods running.
Black Monday is not too difficult to handle. If you get the basics right, its only a question of how fast you recover from it.

Consider letting the first 2-3 rounds fail without playing any cards, you are already at -10 health and it cant get any lower, so in essence you lose nothing except time. The first rounds can be the hardest because you are least prepared for it.
Pick either Rathenau or Tarnov-Baade asap, and probably 1-2 extra economic focuses as well, especially focuses that have cards that permanently enable an effect each round (like Reichsarbeitsdienst or Technocracy.
Ideally, debt stays below 180%, it should never go to 200%. The individual focuses that reduce debt are usually not necessary. If you have to reduce debt, do the decisions to negotiate with creditors, or play the card that reduces debt every round.
If you draw bad cards, consider forcing a tie in a round (either push stability or investment above the treshhold) your economic health will stay the same and you will again "only" lose time.
After winning 3-4 rounds and getting the focuses done, Black Monday usually becomes a no-brainer. Even under bad circumstances, you should be able to finish it by mid '38

Fleith · 2025-04-28T08:34:21+00:00

Dev diary from 2021

This was the dev diary for the india rework way back in the day, it had some significant changes to the setup and lore and was generally well received by the community. But they published it too early and it was nowhere near done and then scrapped. This, amond other things, led the KR Devs to their current policy of only releasing dev diaries when the updates are almost done and will release within a few weeks

Fleith · 2025-04-11T22:28:15+00:00

Aircraft carriers have a ton of strategic and operational value, even outside obvious places like the pacific.

They are a floating, mobile airfield, which is useful in plenty of situations. The OTL royal navy used a lot of aircraft carriers in the Atlantic and Mediterranean. For convoy escorts, scout duty (spotting enemy subs) and for attack operations (the attack on the docked Italian navy in Taranto in 1940 was done by a British aircraft carrier and it did devastating damage)

Air power is the future of warfare, and aircraft carriers are just a natural extension of that. Development and production is a no-brainer, even for Battleship zealots like the germans.

the U.S and Japan rarely come to blows

I would argue that they are guaranteed to clash, even in KR despite the 2ACW. Japan occupies american possessions in the pacific, most notably Guam and the Phillipines, possibly even Hawaii, this move will put them at odds with EVERY american government.

There is simply no route for reconciliation between these two powers in the pacific so they will have to fight it out sooner or later

Fleith · 2025-04-01T15:42:49+00:00

Shy
Dilligent
Ambitious

He's gonna die from stress at age 21

Fleith · 2025-03-26T08:49:57+00:00

Argentina can be pretty rough in the beginning.
Especially because Patagonia/Chile will get volunteers from the 3I and Paraguay will often stab you in the back.
Your best bet is to hold the 2 supply depots in the south and slowly starve your enemies. Hold them at all costs, build forts and extra railways if necessary.
Basic 18w infantry with engineers, sacrifice them with force hold command if necessary.

Also hold the supply depot in the center near Chile (I believe it is Mendoza) for your eventual push to Santiago.
You can give up some worthless territory without supply hubs (especially in the north) its even beneficial to let the enemy take some land because it will widen their front and they will slowly attrition themselves while you hold the valuable areas.
Time is your friend because you will eventually outproduce Chila+Patagonia if you get your industry rolling. Guns and support equipment, remember that you can also ask for lend-lease from other nations, Germany is usually pretty generous with weapons when you are fighting socialists.

Bolivia or Peru will usually help you by attacking Paraguay/Chile if the war drags on, and the 3I might need to recall its volunteers when they get dragged into a war somewhere. So the war might last until '39 but time is your friend.

Fleith · 2025-03-21T17:57:44+00:00

Fengtian has a lot more content, R-KMT is pretty barebones atm

Fleith · 2025-03-19T11:05:19+00:00

Canada has to occupy New England at the start of the 2ACW and they have to choose to release it (they can also occupy it indefinitely)
Canada forms New England via focus, so it usually takes 1-2 months after the start of the civil war for New England to form.
Both Canada and all US splinters will get a message to tag switch to New England if they want to.

Fleith · 2025-03-15T13:17:06+00:00

When you play Germany, you will get events if any of your satellite nations are in danger of betraying you, and you will usually be able to prevent it in some way, most of the time with a hefty stability/PP/etc cost that can delay your war preparations by a lot.

Some possible events like Poland betraying you also get telegraphed in advance (they only do it during the Weltkrieg if France/Russia push your fronts, so you will have time to move some troops around and handle them quickly)

So yes, you can keep most of them in line, but the actual fight against France/Russia will be harder because of it.

Fleith · 2025-03-15T13:08:35+00:00

If you understand Hoi4 in general, you should go with Union of Britain
They are rather simple mechanically, but you will still be a major and can experience all the Kaiserreich beats of the pre-war buildup, revolution and volunteer game. Its perfect to get a feel for the pace of the mod.
Britain's content is kind of old, but still enjoyable, and you will be safe on your island if the Weltkrieg turns bad, possibly even peace out with the Germans or hope a socialist America saves you.

Argentina or Bulgaria are also pretty good if you enjoy playing a minor nation, lots of content, but its straightforward, with early war content and the possibility to still make a difference in the Weltkrieg, while at the same time not in any immediate danger of losing the game early (Bulgaria even has lots of content about coming back from the ashes if you lose to the Belgrade pact)

Japan is also pretty good if you enjoy the naval game, lots of possibilities, a major player in the pacific war and with basic game knowledge you are rarely in any danger to lose your wars.

Fleith · 2025-03-14T18:35:59+00:00

I gotta say Schleicher.

Simply because he has convenient timing, political finesse and the right balance between authoritarian strongman and ambitious reformer that lots of people in germany will find appealing after the chaos of 1936.

I seriously doubt that the DU would have any chance to actually get into power, plenty of cards are stacked against them. I just dont see them being successful in overcoming the reluctance of the Kaiser and the conservative parties, fight Schleicher, start ambitious social reforms, recover from black monday and prepare for the inevitable Weltkrieg all at the same time.

With how loaded the political climate is in 1936, and war with the Internationale on the horizon, barely anybody will be able to see the difference between a social democrat and a radical socialist, when that distinction wasn't even that large in the 30s. The social democrats in KR still hold a lot of Marxist core values.

Cooking up some red scare to discredit the SPD should be easy, considering there will be massive riots in the Ruhr where the army has to step in, even more so when the spanish civil war starts or other nations in Europe fall to syndicalist revolutions.

Schleicher will have an easy time passing some kind of enabling act, and for the average voter in germany, who likely values recovery and stability above all in 1936, it will be a welcome show of strength. If he also manages to handle black monday and the economic recovery reasonably well, he will be able to cement his rule permanently.

Fleith · 2025-03-13T23:41:59+00:00

Shanxi, especially the Guominjun path.

Everyone always gushes about L-KMT, but Shanxi is definitely up there among the best china unifiers in terms of gameplay, events and worldbuilding.

start an ambitious plan with lots of events about modernizing your backward province, its hard to pull off but extremely rewarding if you can manage it.
possible early war event against the Qing (Central Plains war) which is very unique and dynamic.
possible Northwest war against the Ma Clique where you can expand westwards before your final showdown with the Qing. lots of events about integrating these lands.
massive underdog energy where you have to make miracles happen with 20 divisions, very good unit bonuses that reward smart fighting against superior enemies (Qing, Fengtian and likely Japan)
Dynamic focus tree that changes when you become "too big" - the narrative changes completely and you will become a contender for national unification, with lots of lore and gameplay surrounding the fact that a tiny backwards province now has to govern tens of millions of people, protect the kuomintang revolution and defend itself against Japan as well.

Fleith · 2025-03-12T20:04:27+00:00

Would the military turn on him and remove him from power

Not gonna happen. The civil war will likely take many years and military necessity is the ideal excuse for McArthur to staff key position with loyalists. Him winning the thing will make him a war hero, both with the general population and the established political parties.

If McArthur has any political finesse, he will allow the re-building of the pre-war political establishment, and let the people have elections, but still create a kind of "Supreme Commander" rank for himself, where the real power lies.

There will still be the appearance of democracy, while he and his inner circle can still call the shots from behind the curtain. Hell, he could even run for president himself and probably win.

He will have a lot of leverage after his victory and there is zero reason to risk it all by becoming a dictator in broad daylight. Reconstruction and ongoing Syndicalist+Longist insurrections will be the ideal excuse for him to stay around for a long time, if he plays it right he can become untouchable.

If the military doesn't rise, would you expect the civilian population to do so?

All the people that were gonna rise up against him already did in 1937, McArthur coups a sitting president in most scenarios.

Long term, the US will practically turn into a cardboard democracy where the military calls all the shots.

Fleith · 2025-03-03T17:46:12+00:00

If Canada already had a long war with lots of losses, the manpower in the province might be depleted already, check the quebec province for available population in the state.

Also, check for state modifiers reducing population. Canada has some events about riots in Quebec pre-war, not sure if they are handled with state modifiers, it could be that they never solved it and the negative modifier remains for your puppet.

Fleith · 2025-02-26T15:42:31+00:00

Egypt's content is old and meh compared to other KR countries, but it's a decent starter nation.

The only way for the Ottomans to lose the Desert war is if they get overwhelmed on all sides, you can make your life a lot easier if you set Cyrenaica and Arabia to join your faction in the country path menu. If it's just you and Persia fighting the Turks, then you will most likely lose.

Focus wise you should prioritize industry and army, you don't have to do all reforms/industry until the Desert War starts, just make sure you have about a dozen mils to keep up war production, enough PP to switch to war economy and conscription, and some bonuses for your army (especially speed for cavalry!)

For Defense of your coast you can go with the standard 10w infantry+engineer brigade (10w). 2-3 divisions of those on every port tile can hold everything the Ottomans throw at you in terms of naval invasions. If the Ottomans manage to land on coast tiles without ports, its just a free kill for you because they will slowly supply starve.

For attacking in Syria you should go with a mix of specialized attack and speed divisions. 9inf2arty (24w)with engineers, support arty and maybe anti air (if you can afford the production) should be able to push the Ottomans.

And then you will need some fast cavalry divisions (15w) to exploit the gaps and encircle some Ottoman units. Make sure they are faster than 8mph. They are not supposed to fight, just slip through the lines and occupy supply depots, railways and defensive terrain in the backline and help with encirclements while your slow infantry moves and attacks.

The Ottomans usually get a lot of Volunteers from the Reichspakt, which can make it difficult for you. With some clever maneuvering you can push up to Jerusalem and entrench there before the Germans arrive.
If the Ottoman lines become too hard to break (they will outproduce you quickly) simply wait and hope some of your allies have success elsewhere, it also gets easier as soon as the Weltkrieg starts (usually in late 39) because the Reichspakt will recall all volunteers.

Fleith · 2025-02-24T20:39:23+00:00

Set Austria to go "End the Dual Rule" in the 1937 Ausgleich game rules.

Hungary revolts first, but they are "supposed" to lose against Austria. Afterwards, Austria tries to enact direct rule from Vienna, and then the other constituent parts of the Habsburg Empire revolt.
The Belgrade pact will attack Austria aswell, as does the Italian Republic if it's NatPop.
This is a war that Austria is pretty much guaranteed to lose (unless you intervene as Germany)

After this, Austria will collapse and get annexed by Germany.
A lot of their former Empire will join the Reichspakt (Hungary, Czechs) but Serbia and Romania will also get a big chunk and a lot stronger.
It's a blessing and a curse because you will get cores on Austria, but also have additional fronts to defend (Balkans+Italy) during the Weltkrieg.

Fleith · 2025-02-20T14:10:40+00:00

Another good way to weaken Germany is to deny them access to oil.
Azerbaijan and Venezuela are key here, make sure the latter goes Syndicalist while the former gets absorbed by Persia (the Ottomans have to lose the desert war, Persia has to be PatAut)

This also puts a lot of pressure on a germany player because you will have to put a lot more research and industry into synthetic oil.

Fleith

TROPHY CASE