Russia/Paths

This article concerns gameplay, and as such does not need to conform to the "Perspective" and "Tone" sections of Our Rules and Our Style Guide. In other words, it does not cover in-game lore and may include information about events after January 1st 1936.

Alexander Kerensky, head of the Russian Provisional Government in 1917 after the fall of the Empire, was pushed by the ruling White General clique to become the first President of the Republic in 1922 when the new constitution was promulgated. The leader of a democratic Russia after Weltkrieg had ended, Kerensky was initially a capable statesman, surviving a coup in 1925, and making initial gains in improving the Russian economy. The latter did not hold up when the American Depression caused an economic downturn in the Russian economy. It was the deciding factor in his loss in 1934 to ultranationalist Boris Savinkov of the Union for the Defense of the Motherland and Freedom (SZRS).

Hold Firm (Republic)[]

If the government holds firm, Savinkov will flee Moscow owing to the protests raging out of control. He will not make it very far as, was most likely the work of a disgruntled member of his security detail, he will be assassinated. Viktor Chernov, as Chairman of the Senate, will be sworn in as Interim President as constitutionally mandated. He will attempt to negotiate the formation of a temporary government, and can strike a deal with the left or the right.

If he strikes a deal with the left, hawks in the army will grow weary over the inclusion of socialists in the government, and push for his and the socialist ministers' arrest.
- If the generals go through with their coup, it will backfire. (See Hold Firm (Third Revolution) below).
- If the generals back down, Chernov will announce the formation of a new government, and new elections will be scheduled for a year’s time. (See Republican Elections below).
If he bows to the right, Chernov will step down as Interim President in favor of Grand Duke Dimitry Romanov. New elections will be scheduled for a year’s time. (See Republican Elections below).

Dimitry has two paths available to him:

Empower the Senate, thereby shifting the political power of the legislature (and country) to the Senate. The focus of the same name must be taken before elections are held in a year or Dimitry will be voted out of office. (See Republican elections below).
Restore the Monarchy. Hailing from the former Empire’s ruling family, Dimitry can restore his family to the throne of a reconstituted Russian Empire. (See Restoring the Tsar below).

Hold Firm (Third Revolution)[]

Chernov striking a deal with the left will anger the hawks in the army who will demand the arrest of Chernov and the government's socialist ministers.

If the generals go through with the coup it will not go exactly as planned. Led by Lavr Kornilov, the army will make initial gains by securing the Kremlin, successfully arresting Interim President Chernov, and dissolving the Duma. But many in government will escape and flee to Petrograd, and not all units will support the coup. Seen as acting against a legitimate, democratic government, support for the coup will fall.

Led by Aleksey Rykov, the opposition in Petrograd will declare a rival government, forming a untied Anti-Kornilov Front. Calling on all Russians to topple the Kornilov regime, Kornilov will soon find himself outgunned and surrounded, and he and his co-conspirators will be arrested. Rykov and the Socialist Party will assume leadership temporarily of the newly established Russian Socialist Republic.

Socialist Elections[]

The Party is made up of three factions, each competing with each other for influence in the Assembly when it votes for the Premier of the Russian Socialist Republic. Whichever faction secured the most votes will take the reins of the Revolution.

The first is to continue with Rykov’s People’s Socialist Party (rad soc), who advocate a gradual evolution to socialism with cautious industrialization. If his faction has the votes, either he can be kept in office, or the Premiership go to Nikolai Bukharin, or Maria Spiridonova.
Then there is the Trade Union Socialist Party (syndie), preferring trade unionists over peasants. If it gets enough votes, Aleksander Shlyapnikov or Aleksandra Kollontai can become Premier.
Lastly there is the Communist People’s Liberation Front (totalist), which supports the development of five-years plans as the best way to achieve Primitive Socialist Accumulation. If it gets enough votes, Karl Radek, Yakov Sverdlov or Grigori Zinoviev may be elected Premier.
To get Grigori Zinoviev you first need to make Kamanalev your second in command in the first in command which will activate radicalism. Make it as high as possible and make unity go down, the next step to getting Zinoviev is completing the focus "Tackling the political opposition" which needs the spirit "Fury of the Unions" which is obtianed via a random event that will pop up sometime after Kamanalev takes power. When beggining the political oppposition a chain of events will occur for which you need to take the correct options which are these for all the events: Women event: Undercontrol | Militia event: admirable option | Elders decable: once tantrum ends option | Sumilov's offer: overseen by Zinoviev | Zinoviev's proposal: Okay grishka show your deck | Increasing radicalism within communists: Zinoiev can get the job done | After these events and taking the mentioned options you should get Zinoiev in "The rise of the people's dictator".

Call on Wrangel[]

If the government calls on General Wrangel, instead of moving against the protesters he will instead move against the President! Personally arresting Savinkov, Wrangel’s troops will secure the capital and arrest Savinkov’s allies. With the Duma dissolved, he will lead a junta as the Chief of State until the situation in the Republic stabilizes.

Wrangel has two paths available to him:

Keep the Junta. Simply keep the Junta in place (A Firm Hand -> Legacy of the Whites) to rule the country until the country is stable.
- If A Firm Hand is completed before April 1938, in office for almost two years as Chief of State, Wrangel will be given the opportunity to restore the Russian monarchy, but not with a Romanov. Instead he may crown himself as Pyotr IV. If he chooses to be a constitutional monarch, elections will be held (see Restoring the Tsar below).
Restore the Monarchy. A monarchist, Wrangel can restore the Russian monarchy with a member of the old Imperial dynasty. Whether constitutional or autocratic, he will invite Kirill Romanov to take the throne. (See Restoring the Tsar below).

Call on Denikin[]

If the government calls on General Denikin, instead of moving against the protesters he will instead move against the President! Arresting Savinkov, Denikin’s troops will secure the capital and arrest Savinkov’s allies. With the Duma dissolved, he will lead a junta as the Chief of State until the situation in the Republic stabilizes. Denikin has two paths available to him:

Keep the Junta. Simply keep the Junta in place (A Firm Hand -> Legacy of the Whites) to rule the country until his death in 1947.
- Upon his death the country will either:
  - return to democracy and hold elections for the Presidency (with it going to Prince Nikolai Trubetzkoy in the Interim) (See Republican Elections below),
  - restore the monarchy under Vladimir III, son of Kirill, as either a constitutional or autocratic monarch. (For a constitutional monarchy elections, see Restoring the Tsar below).
Restore Democracy immediately. Denikin can use his new found power to immediately transition back to democracy and hold elections for President by completing the focus 'The Republic Survives'. (See Republican Elections below)

Call on Kornilov[]

If the government calls on General Kornilov, he will do exactly as asked and violently put down the protests. With many opposition members arrested for supposed connections to the failed ‘Bolshevik Revolution,’ the government’s Act on Protection of the Government will easily pass the Senate and give the President near absolute power during a state of emergency. Russia will be legally turned into a dictatorship.

Through the focus ‘A New Russia’, Savinkov completes his hold over the state by merging the offices of President and Prime Minister. The Russian Republic will be transformed into the Russian State, complete with a flag change.

Restoring the Tsar[]

Restoration of the Tsar (and Constitutional Elections)

The Monarchy can be restored by Wrangel crowning Kirill Romanov or himself; by Dimitry Romanov crowning himself or his cousin Kirill; or Vladimir, son of Kirill, after the death of General Denikin.

When restoring the Tsar, he can rule as a constitutional monarch, or an autocratic one.

A constitutional Tsar will hold elections, and while the country leader will not change, the parties will. Elections will be a contest between the soc lib Social-Revolutionary Party (PSR), mar lib Kadets, (officially the Constitutional Democratic Party, Kadety), the soc con Russia Union (RS), or the auth dem Octobrists, (officially the Union of October 17).
An autocratic Tsar will not hold elections and the sole political party will be the pat aut Russian Monarchist Union (RMS).

In the case of a President Dimitry Romanov, he will only crown himself as an autocratic Tsar. If he reinstates a constitutional monarchy, his cousin Kirill will be named Tsar instead.

If Kirill ended up as Tsar he will be succeeded by his son Vladimir when he pass away in Oct 1938.

Republican Elections[]

Though the next elections were not supposed to take place until 1939, they are held earlier if the Republic is to survive. Denikin will hold them immediately once ‘The Republic Survives’ is completed, while Chernov and Dimitry Romanov will hold them one year later.

If as Dimitry, ‘Empower the Senate’ is completed BEFORE the elections take place, he and his party will stay in power, pushing back the elections five years. In those and all succeeding elections Dimitry’s Octobrists, allied with the remnants of Savinkov’s NRPR, will handedly win. If Empower the Senate is NOT taken before then, Dimitry will have no chance of winning and will lose out to one of the other parties/candidates.

The other candidates for the Presidency available in full democratic elections include:

Irakli Tsereteli, leader of the Mensheviks, the soc dem Russian Social Democratic Labour Party (RSDRP)
Viktor Chernov, leader of the soc lib Social-Revolutionary Party (PSR) following Kerensky’s death.
Pavel Milyukov, leader of the mar lib Kadets, the Constitutional Democratic Party (Kadety)
Prince Nikolay Trubetzkoy, leader of the soc con Russia Union (RS)

All succeeding elections, held five years later, will include the same parties and candidates. But Milyukov will die in March of 1943 and will be succeeded as party leader by Vasily Maklakov. Trubetzkoy will retire at the beginning of 1942, and in any elections held that year or later the RS will be led by new party Ariadna Tykovar.

German Peace Deal[]

If the Russian Republic/State/Empire finds itself losing the war with Germany (having lost Moscow and with a surrender rate above 75% with Germany’s below 30%) the Germans will be able to offer a peace-deal to end the war.

Savinkov will not live to see it as he will be killed first by German artillery when fleeing Moscow. Pyotr Wrangel will fill the void, assuming control of the government.

If the deal is taken, up to two months later the government will collapse after a series of protests over the government handling of the war. Politics will shift from right to left or from left to right, and if Russia was a monarchy the Emperor will be overthrown and the Republic restored.