[WarInEur] An awkward question

[sgminfo]

Kent & Sue Haunschild wrote:
> Steve, of course it's Allied bashing, but in a good way.
>  
> The while mid-east political scene is underplayed in WiE. but you are 
> right.  At a minimum the Allied player should be prevented from:
>  
> Entering Iraqi until after the uprising with either French or CW 
> units. (Start the game with Iraq Neutral and it will take a DOW of a 
> minor to enter it before the uprising.)
>  
> Entering the Levant or other NA colonies with CW troops.
>  
> Entering Egypt, Jordon, or Palestine with French troops.
>  
> On the turn of the Iraq uprising:
>  
> make both Iraq and the Levant Active Axis (All hexes convert to Axis 
> control)
>  
> the Axis are able to trace air power from mid-east hexes
>  
> the Vichy divisions in the Levant become Axis
>  
> the Iraq receive 2x1-4 divisions in Bagdad.
>  
> This would more closely model the reality.  The British did not have a 
> military presence in Iraq and were afraid to station a division there 
> for fear of provoking nationalist feelings into an open uprising. 
>  
> The arabs (used as a generic term) wanted the British to support their 
> claim to a united arab country free of a British protectorate.  In 
> turn they would provide troops to help defend Egypt from the Italians 
> and the Levant from Turkey. 
>  
> (Of course there were lots of desenting views within the arab 
> community.  The house of Saud wanted the Levant as a Princedom, Jordon 
> wanted all of Palestine, Iraq wanted, the Levant and Kuwait, the 
> Egyptians just wanted the British out.
>  
> When they were rebuffed by the British, they offered their support to 
> the Axis instead. The Germans refered them to the Italians as this had 
> been agreed to be their sphere of operations.  The Italians were hard 
> pressed to offer much help, and wanted to take the whole region over 
> under autonomous local governments, but under an Italian 
> protectorate.  Essentially out with the British and French an in with 
> the Italians.  Other than that, business as usual.
>  
> When the Iraqi uprising did occur, the British had to send troops to 
> quell it, which took several months and then maintain a garrison to 
> prevent another.  The French commanders in the Levant allowed the Axis 
> to send planes and weapons through the Levant and into Iraq in support 
> of the revolt.  It was in retaliation for this that the British 
> attacked the Levant.  I think this is most easily modeled by just 
> having the Levant become Axis on the turn the revolt occurs.
>
>     Now i don't wish this to seem like 'allied bashing'#
>      
>     But as units gathered on the Egyptian frontier in May 1940,
>     something kept nagging...
>      
>     The presence of 3rd republic troops in Egypt.
>      
>     Since the 1880's leading up to Fashoda and the incident there,
>     British foreign policy was, and would be, extremely touchy about
>     Egypt. Egypt was nominally an independent country, yet under
>     oversight by the British, and part of the imperial family
>     (willingly-or otherwise).
>      
>     Seeing as it a cornerstone of foreign policy pre WW1 not to allow
>     any foreign troops on Egyptian soil, particularly French troops
>     (who also maintained a claim to oversight of Egypt), It might not
>     be unduly restrictive to ban the presence of 3rd Republic troops
>     on egyptian soil. FF forces might not be an issue, being vewed
>     almost as junior partners in the coalition and almost dependent on
>     British goodwill.
>      
>      This , in turn, might serve to explain the makeup of allied
>     forces defending the Frontiers of Egypt, both to the north West,
>     and deep into the Sudan. And the ungamer like inactivity itrw.
>      
>      
>     -|steve|-
>
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