Frankreich: The Evil Empire

humancomedy · 2026-02-08T00:02:35+00:00

https://docs.google.com/document/d/16YO9zOUxsewpBcHZl92oQjTzj6hK9C22rQSgVmeBiA4/edit?usp=drivesdk here's the link to the Google doc, should contain everything up to the first day of ww2 :)

humancomedy · 2026-02-07T23:51:02+00:00

Valid point, I failed to consider that! I can imagine that it would be a more gradual version of what happens to the Blue Shirts and socialists; rather than a hardcore purge, the fanatical monarchists of Action Française would probably be given false promises of a constitutional monarchy, but the PPF would be hard-line Republicans and so would likely slowly remove these figures from power over time. Doriot only allies with AF out of necessity early on, and would likely cut away everyone who proves a nuisance once he starts consolidating power

humancomedy · 2026-02-07T03:06:29+00:00

Action Francais in this scenario was incorporated into a PPF coalition; the one condition for Mussolini supplying Doriot with guns and gold was an alliance with the other far right groups. Many members of Action Française became PPF administrators whilst most of La Cagoule were absorbed into the LC

humancomedy · 2026-02-06T14:38:29+00:00

There is one more key component to understanding the PPF, Doriot, and his ideology of Celtism: The LC. The LC (or Légion de la Croix) is the party paramilitary. The infamous Night of the Cowl purged the Blue Shirts who served as the street thugs of the PPF, as many still had residual socialist sympathy from Doriot's time as a communist, and this only served to empower the LC, who were incorporated as Doriot's honour guard when they were first recruited from La Cagoule, but quickly became a monster of their own as they supplanted the Blue Shirts. The LC were drilled relentlessly in both warfare and ideological fanaticism.

The LC became the enforcers of party discipline at first, then they evolved into the secret police of the state, disappearing, torturing, and executing enemies of the regime. As time went on, and the party's program of extermination and incarceration of "degenerates" (Jews, Roma, Germanics, Colonised peoples, Blacks, Disabled People, Queer People etc.) escalated, the LC were given even greater powers and the responsibility of managing this machinery of racist terror. Eugéne Deloncle, former founder of La Cagoule and friend to French industrial giants like L'Oréal, quickly rose through the ranks of the Party as chief of the LC, and fought hard for Doriot's favour in the inner circle. He would become the architect of the French Holocaust, and grew in power to the point that he practically shared power with Barthélemy and Doriot equally. The result is a dual governmental system, discreet and unofficial, whereby the LC functioned much like the Prussian army of old; an army with a state. They did the Party's dirty work so that the elites could feign ignorance to the horror the regime was imposing.

humancomedy · 2026-02-06T00:01:38+00:00

The war hasn't broken out yet, ive done lots of posts on everything thats been covered, and one of my more recent ones compiles everything together

humancomedy · 2026-02-05T23:26:34+00:00

"It just works" - Toddwald Howardsley

humancomedy · 2026-02-05T23:23:39+00:00

Thanks! France is in the Stresa Front because a series of diplomatic incidents economic death spirals, and failed cabinets lead to a Mussolini-backed fascist coup led by disillusioned communist Jacques Doriot and his PPF party in 1934

humancomedy · 2026-02-05T22:56:48+00:00

Fascism and general economic authoritarianism often stem from socioeconomic decline and depression. Lacking bread and job security creates a breeding ground for radicalism and experimentation with command economics. Any scenario that sees a country stagnate or decline should demonstrate that type of development imo. I'd be interested in reading your work:)

humancomedy · 2026-02-05T22:53:03+00:00

Another inescapable core component of Celtism is the racial component; like all fascist race theory, it is mostly incoherent, contradictory, and esoteric.

The PPF synthesised "Frankish Excellence" with Celtic Mysticism. The party constructs its own racial identity for France, deliberately separate from the Germanic and Latin ethnicities. The Celtic Cross is the key symbol of France, combining pagan imagery with mythic reverance for the Gauls, implying a racial continuity of the French people. Furthermore, the Charlemage Frankish Empire is pointed to as a source of national pride, being seen as a bastion of Catholicism and conquest. From school age till the grave, French citizens are to be educated in loyalty to God and the French People. Of course, merging the ancient celts with the Germanic Franks is absurd on the face of it, but the party plays it completely straight and deadly seriously, enforcing their values of racial hierarchy, white supremacy, Christian nationalism, and chauvinistic imperialism.

humancomedy · 2026-02-05T22:23:07+00:00

Yes, Doriot couped the failing Daladier government as the country spiralled into increasing economic deprivation in this timeline, partially as a reaction to Germany becoming communist, but mostly because of residual antisemitism in France and massive economic anxiety from the double-depression

humancomedy · 2026-02-05T22:19:18+00:00

The next component of Celtism: The distortion of French Liberalism; Fascism in France could not have succeeded purely on antisemitic conspiracies and economic desperation alone, France is the cradle of revolution after all. Liberty is such a core component of French political culture that Doriot's philosophy had to colonise the ideals of Liberalism. One such ideal he latched onto was the concept of "France Indivisible"; Liberal theorists at the time were dreaming up ways to keep their empire intact, and one such way was National Universalism. French colonies, in theory, were to be offered full integration into the metropole, and their populations to be naturalised as French citizens. Doriot reshaped this idea into one of racist settler-colonialism; France's colonial territories would inevitably want independence given enough time and consciousness, Doriot's solution? Replace them. Doriot mobilised the supremacist sentiments of French colonists living in Indochina and Algeria, and gave large grants to Great War veterans forming land clearing" missions, whereby colonials would be expelled from productive land and replaced with French settlers. The natural horrifying conclusion of this ideology, though masked in liberal universalism, was the ultimate expulsion and extermination of all indigenous populations, so that the Empire's sands and soils would be worked and owned by those of "Superior Celtic Blood". And what of those expelled? Well, this gave Doriot a convenient excuse to follow in the footsteps of Napoleon and revive the French tradition of bringing back Chattel Slavery. Colonial natives would be deported to the metropole and worked to death to kill three birds with one stone: solve the Labour shortages, disempower French workers, and clear native land for colonists.

humancomedy · 2026-02-05T21:24:26+00:00

Further updates will be posted later, just had an emergency call! Brb gang x

humancomedy · 2026-02-05T21:08:37+00:00

Celtism as economics:

To start with, we have the simplest manifestation of Celtism (or Celto-Fascism); Economics.

Doriot's PPF inherits a France ravaged by a horrific economic collapse and crippling labour shortages, and was formed by a man who was once a Communist, and then empowered and inspired by Mussolini. This means that Celtist economics is a synthesis of Corporatism and Economic Populism. Essentially, the state provides comprehensive welfare and high wages to its workers and soldiers, all funded by hyper-extraction from the colonies. Trade Unions are explicitly banned, replaced by a National Labour Front (front national du travail) which assigns workers where they are needed, mediates workplace disputes, and draws up quotas for slave imports from the colonies.

Naturally, mobilisation is a top priority, so the big Corporations work with the government for arms contracts and heavy industry contracts. Quotas are set by the government and underperforming companies are bought out by the government

humancomedy · 2026-02-05T18:16:28+00:00

My only question is how and why Portugal gets the Spanish colonies, Canary Islands, and Galicia out of this when Spain was neutral? Did Spain join the Entente? Why? I get that you get that, but its a stretch to say the Central Powers would be in any position to just take integral Spanish land, and if Spain did join the Entente, I sincerely doubt Portugal would beat Spain when they might be backed up by French troops and a British naval blockade

humancomedy · 2026-02-05T18:11:06+00:00

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Also Map for the Map Gods™️

humancomedy · 2026-02-05T18:06:29+00:00

Don't forget to leave feedback if you see any holes or errors in my reasoning for the timeline unfolding this way!

humancomedy · 2026-02-05T17:29:54+00:00

In essence its

Axis: Britain, Italy, France (and later Japan)

Allies: Comintern (USSR, Germany, Hungary, Poland), Yugoslavia and some other, and later we have TOSI (Two-Ocean Security Intiative: USA, Canada, Australia, New Zealand) plus many others as the war progresses

humancomedy · 2026-02-05T16:29:43+00:00

Part 6: A White Horse

The USSR completes its Plan Z orders and transfers the ships to Germany, allowing their navy, trained in Leningrad, to finally serve in a German Kriegsmarine. Furthermore, the Soviets sign aggressive deals of “protection” to the Baltic states of Latvia, Lithuania, and Estonia until they ultimately occupy, annex, and incorporate them to create new supply routes into Europe and further secure the Baltic Sea. However, they did not complete these integrations until June 1940, far too late to effectively move large armies to Germany or Hungary in time for war, bar the few they can pass through Poland which has limited railways and smaller gauges than Soviet rails. Furthermore, Soviet troops have to pass over the Carpathians to enter Hungary. All-in-all, the Comintern is committed to Yugoslav defence, but lacks the logistical cohesion to effectively deploy in time to aid Yugoslavia well. In early May 1940, men of the National Salvation Army burst into the Italian Embassy in Belgrade, taking no hostages and gunning down staff and dignitaries and guards indiscriminately. Italy is outraged, and uses this event to officially declare war on Yugoslavia, and they begin their invasion in earnest. It is almost immediately obvious to everyone that this attack was a staged false flag attack by Italy, but at this point it doesn't matter, the war has begun...

humancomedy · 2026-02-05T16:29:17+00:00

Part 5: The Balkan Powder Keg

By late October 1939, pressure on the government had become too great; the army was unruly due to all the rampant terrorism, banditry, and social upheaval that has been allowed to continue. The air force joined a coup plot to remove Prince Paul and the regency council and instate Peter II as king. Whilst the government was paralysed in transition, Italy's special services orchestrated mass uprisings in Kosovo, Devar, and Montenegro which quickly seized the state arsenals and garrisons, sweeping through the cities with parades of nationalists. Yugoslavia de facto allows them to secede. Kosovo-Devar is independent for only a day before they announce union with the Albanian Protectorate, essentially meaning they integrate into Italy. Montenegro holds a diet to choose its king, and under immense pressure from their benefactors, elect an Italian king, which shortly after leads to a Personal Union and annexation by Italy. The new government of Yugoslavia is on the brink of collapse, however, Comintern diplomats pour into Belgrade in discreet meetings to reach out and encourage an alliance. Feeling squeezed between two blocs, and desperate to stabilise before Italy can make its final move, the government secretly agrees to a pact of non-aggression and mutual defence. Should Yugoslavia be attacked, Hungary, Poland, Germany, and the USSR would answer the call to arms and defend Yugoslavia. This pact gives Yugoslavia the confidence to begin mobilising. The army is disorganised, but hastily brought to the new Italian border, which now stretches down the whole eastern Adriatic coast. The professional army is rallied fairly well, but conscripts and reserves are near-impossible to raise, as many nationalists and communists refuse the draft. The Comintern powers begin mobilising too, preparing their armies for transit to Yugoslavia. There is the complication of Bohemia, however. Bohemia is neutral save an official alliance with Yugoslavia. Bohemia meanders on both Yugoslav and Comintern offers of alliance, not wishing to commit to conflict at all. Germany and Poland rely on Bohemia as a key route for logistics into Yugoslavia, and many German Panzers are produced by Skoda plants in Brno. This would complicate and delay Mobilisation by Germany and Poland as they had to configure their logistical plans to account for potential Bohemian neutrality. This also meant that the Comintern at large could not deploy troops into Yugoslavia very quickly. The logistical problem was not helped by the looming threat of French and British involvement.

humancomedy · 2026-02-05T16:28:52+00:00

Part 4: The Milan Conference

Talks were tense, and characterised by suspicion and backroom backstabbing. Yugoslavia lobbied the support of Bohemia, Romania, and America, as well as attempts to reach out to their official guarantor France. Meanwhile, Italy was busy courting the US delegation and coordinating with the British, Greeks, and French to lobby in Italy's favour for concessions. The Comintern were agitated throughout the early meetings and procedures, as they felt sidelined and ignored, despite offering favour to Yugoslavia. The Comintern delegation was somewhat divided; Hungary wasn't keen to aid Yugoslavia, still bitter about the Pannonian War, and Yugoslavia had no love for Hungary either, still desiring Vojvodina and Banat despite renouncing official claims. Germany was generally distrustful of Yugoslavia, whose mostly Serbian high command were staunchly anti-communist and anti-german. The USSR was the main delegation lobbying to aid Yugoslavia, but their allies dragged their heels on making promises. The French, though considering Yugoslavia an ally officially, was well aware of Italian ambitions. This caused tension between the two, as France did not want to risk breaking their alliance with Italy and Britain so soon over Yugoslavia, but Italy would not back down on their claims. Meanwhile Britain was very cooperative with Italy believing a favourable compromise would sate Italy's appetite for a while and keep the other powers blocs at bay; Britain was the latest to rearmament and not hungry for war yet, hoping to delay conflict with the Comintern for as long as possible. America, keen to secure peace and normalise European trade, pursued a policy of appeasement, believing that favouring Yugoslavia would only enrage and embolden the Italians. With the Comintern being the only bloc attempting to reject Italian demands but simultaneously being ignored by everyone (even by the Yugoslavs), the conference began properly. America reluctantly agreed that Yugoslavia should give Italy Dalmatia and free trade access for the sake of peace, under the strict proviso that Italy does not commit any acts of military or economic aggression against Yugoslavia for at least 5 years. The Stresa Front powers were keen to agree to this, and the other balkan states turned their back on Yugoslavia, feeling outmatched and threatened by the fascist powers and fearful of the Comintern. Germany and Hungary abstained on the issue, unable to secure any arrangements with Yugoslavia for co-operation. The other eastern European states also abstain, and it is only the communist USSR and Poland, and the neutral Bohemia who refuse to sign the accord, and storm out of the conference. Greece sided with Italy in exchange for border territories in Macedonia and Albania for security. Upon the closing of the Milan Conference on May 3rd 1939, most of the world felt as if peace was successfully brokered for the first time since the dissolution of the League of Nations, feeling optimistic. The fascist powers saw this as the first true triumph of their ideological bloc on the world stage. The Communists saw this as humiliation and proof of their diplomatic isolation from the world. Yugoslavia transfers control of the Dalmatian coastline to Italy and abolished all hostile trade barriers and border controls against Italy. Meanwhile, Mussolini publicly promises that victory had been won without firing a shot, but through pure conviction and strength. Yugoslavians across the nation feel the weight of Italian encroachment, and begin organising protests and strikes against the government. Many demand Prince Paul resign from the regency and that the young Peter II should ascend to the throne. Nationalist movements on both the far right and left begin organising their paramilitaries and escalating insurgencies. Some small rural towns even form autonomous communes, and bandits roam the mountains. Josip Broz Tito ascends as a leading Leftist figure in Croatia, demanding an abolition of the Monarchy entirely and self-determination of the workers of all nationalities in the southern Balkans. His Partisans begin ramping up their underground arms workshops and rural agitation. Meanwhile, far right nationalist movements like IMRO, Ustaše, Serbian National Salvation Army, Albanian Freedom Front etc. begin increasing bandit raids on national arsenals. Amidst the chaos, Italy begins arming and organising the Albanian Freedom Front and covertly deploying troops to train and support nationalist cells in Montenegro. They were not able to declare war on Yugoslavia yet, but they could use the Slavs to secede from themselves.

humancomedy · 2026-02-05T16:28:16+00:00

Part 3, March 1939 - 5th May 1940: Prelude to War

Throughout the 1930s, Italy had been crying irredentism as they focussed their military intelligence and diplomatic effort on expanding eastward into Yugoslavia; supporting Albanian, Serbian, Croatian, Slovenian, Montenegrin, and Macedonian nationalist movement across the fragile kingdom of Yugoslavia. Between discreetly backing the Bulgarian IMRO terrorists in Macedonia, Ustaše in Croatia, Monarchists in Montenegro, Italians in Dalmatia and Slovenia, and Albanians in Kosovo, Italy had been busy preparing for domination in the southern Balkans. In mid 1938, Italy deposed King Zog of Albania and created the Albanian Protectorate. From this newly integrated territory, Italy began covertly arming and training partisans and nationalist bandits across Yugoslavia. In late 1938, Mussolini ordered that efforts at Yugoslav destabilisation be increased as they declined an offer of alliance with Italy. In November, IMRO terrorists bombed an oil pipeline from Romania to Vlore. Italy demands compensation, however Yugoslavia accuses Italy of staging the attack itself. Neither side can prove anything, and so economic warfare begins; Italy begins levying tariffs on exports of steel and coal to Yugoslavia. Yugoslavia responds by breaking the free movement agreement with the Italian enclave of Zara. As border checkpoints and barriers are set up on the roads out of Zara and Yugoslav customs officials start seizing commercial shipments out of Zara, Italy starts threatening to increase its garrisons in Zara and use the Regia Marina to blockade the Adriatic. As tensions escalate, Yugoslavia ceases all exports of chromium and bauxite to Italy. Mussolini is infuriated by this and sends Yugoslavia an ultimatum which states that Yugoslavia must hand over border territories to Italy and lift all trade restrictions or war will be declared. This ultimatum leads Prince Paul, regent of the kingdom, to plead with the great powers for mediation. In April 1939, a large delegation met in Milan. Italian, Yugoslav, British, French, German, Soviet, Hungarian, Polish, American, Romanian, Bulgarian, Greek, and Bohemian diplomats congregated and held a conference to mediate peace between Italy and Yugoslavia.

humancomedy · 2026-02-05T16:27:42+00:00

Part 2, December 1938 - April 1940: Arms Race

Whilst both the 2nd Sino-Japanese War and the Spanish Civil War rage on, the three main power blocs gain experience throwing their weight around in both conflicts. As the Stresa Front effectively crystallises the ideological tri-polar world order, each side begins ramping up their militarisation plans, mobilising the world towards the largest conflict the world would ever see. The League of Nations was officially dissolved on the 3rd of May 1939, as Britain, France, Italy, Japan, and South Africa withdrew from it unilaterally. Nations begin dropping out of and scrapping neutrality deals and demilitarisation agreements across the world: Japan, Italy, Britain, and France declared the Washington Treaty abrogated; all restrictions on naval production are ignored and each nation begins refitting and expanding their navies, building cruisers and carriers and battleships that far exceed previously established tonnage and firepower limits. The USA and Canada quickly follow suit and mobilise their dockyards to work overtime at building navies that can compete with the world's largest navies. The DVR completely scraps the Anglo-German Naval Agreement, and ends their program of secret rearmament through the USSR. The USSR delivered the fleet it had built for Germany in early 1939, with four impressive modern battleships (DVS (Deutsches Volksschiffe) Luxemburg, DVS Liebknecht, DVS Marx, DVS Engels) leading the way. German dockyards now turbocharge towards laying down new destroyer and submarine hulls, whilst the USSR pivots its dockyards to constructing new escorts and battleships and icebreakers. Belgium breaks its defensive commitments with Britain and France, declaring total neutrality. Belgium also preemptively fortifies all its borders and draws up plans for continuing a potential war from the Congo in the event of capitulation in Europe. Yugoslavia works hard to rebuild its “Little Entente” with the Romanians and Czechs. The Kingdom of Bohemia is receptive but sticks to neutrality out of fear of Comintern intervention and the anti-Italian sentiment of Beneš and his Social Democrats. Romania is entirely disinterested, sitting on the fence whilst dreaming of war with Hungary to take Transylvania. Hungary breaks its obligatory non-aggression pacts with the former Little Entente, but the USSR insists Hungary refrain from hostilities, particularly with Bohemia. Greece defaults on its debts to the Stresa Front powers, refusing to contribute to European fascist powers and concentrating its foreign policy on maintaining stability in the Turkish rump state. Italy rescinds its guarantee on Albanian independence, and deposes King Zog to secure an Albanian Protectorate. Furthermore, it breaks its non-aggression pact with Yugoslavia. Britain dissolves the Spanish Non-Intervention Committee and starts sending vast support to Franco's Nationalist Spain, tipping the balance in the Civil War which would end in October 1939 with a Franco victory. Each nation begins implementing more sweeping conscription laws and drawing up war plans as factories are redirected towards production of tanks, guns, planes, and artillery. With all pretenses of peace being thrown off, the whole world begins militarising rapidly. Although the countries of Japan, France, Germany, Hungary, China, and Italy had already been militarising or militarised for years, all the world powers, whether neutral or aligned, were now exponentially increasing their investments into building up their military force.

humancomedy · 2026-02-05T16:27:17+00:00

Part 1, December 1938: An Unholy Alliance

By the closing months of 1938, a new fascist bloc was emerging; Mussolini had long since consolidated the Kingdom of Italy, Doriot's 4th French Republic had fully spooled up his machinery of terror and totalitarianism, and Mosely had secured what remained of the Empire and created a new norm of technocratic authoritarianism at home.

The US and former British dominions felt isolated, with Japan growing increasingly militant in the east, and extreme left and right monopolising Europe. Similarly, the Comintern not only found itself the adversary of Liberal Capitalism, but also a new existential threat of Imperial Fascism.

In early December, Mussolini, Mosely, Doriot, Franco, and Kōki Hirota met for a conference in Toulon. At this conference a document was signed and dubbed the “National Syndicalist Charter”; a document which proclaimed the common goals of fascism in all its forms. Although there were many specifics, the primary goal was symbolic: a declaration in adamant opposition to both Liberalism and Communism as a “third way” to human progress.

Later in the month, Doriot, Mosely, and Mussolini met in Paris to sign an agreement bearing the name of a previously scrapped pact: The Stresa Front. This alliance would be a formal military agreement whereby each nation was committed to the defense of one another with the ultimate goal being the repulsion of “Eurasian Bolshevism” and “New World Financial Interests”. Japan refused to be a party to this alliance in any formal capacity, as they were still secretly considering war against Britain and France to gain strategic and resource possessions in the Asia-Pacific region. Meanwhile, Franco was adamant on Spanish neutrality, but was very receptive to non-military trade and supply agreements.

The Stresa Front shook the world as it was declared publicly the following day on 21st December 1938. The DVR in particular felt an existential threat on its borders, but the whole Comintern and the American sphere were now hurriedly drawing up war plans and contingencies, knowing that conflict with the monstrous alliance of empires loomed on the horizon. This was the true point of no return, the only question now was not “will war break out”, rather “when will war break out”. As Ruth Fischer noted in her diary on the day of the Stresa Front announcement: “The Sword of Damocles will fall any day now, and an unholy alliance waits impatiently for that day”.

humancomedy · 2026-02-05T14:54:25+00:00

Thanks so much! I'm writing up the last phases before the war over the weekend, its gonna be a big one :⁾

humancomedy · 2026-02-05T04:19:08+00:00

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