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The Germans again managed to capture Lille and finally destroyed the Entente forces pocketed in the area. It was a hard-fought battle, and the French people show no signs of submission.
The Austro-German attack beat the Italians, and we are back where we started. I do not plan to press further at the moment; as you can see, an easy victory is a pretty rare sight from now on, and I have to keep my strength focused on the most critical areas.
Despite their horrific tactics, the Russians are still defeated, hurting their National Will while boosting the Turks'.

In the West, the Germans will attempt to cross the Somme to increase the pressure even more.
In the East, the Austro-Hungarians will try to liberate more territory in Galicia, while the Germans swing north.
On the Romanian Front, the 3rd Army will begin moving to liberate Kronstadt, while the 6th Army, supported by the Bulgarians, will attack to drive the Romanians to the other side of the Arges River.

wow! what a great idea for an aar! btw, thanks for the heads-up - will read everything. yeah, go! precious gold edition!!!

Metalist wrote: Fri Feb 06, 2026 10:12 am

jcrohio wrote: Thu Feb 05, 2026 9:45 pm Enjoying this and getting back to WW1G. Unfortunately, I am in FL for 3 months with a Windows 11 computer. WW1G will not install on it. The other problem is that my home computer is on its last legs and a new one means Windows 11.

Random
I couldn't tell from one of your earlier posts if you could not get Centennial to load on Win 11 or WW1G. If you got WW1G to install would love to know how you did it. Any help would be appreciated.

Jack

Sorry to kind of hijack the thread!!

No worries, I hope someone can help you, I know I can't since I play the game on Linux. I recommend giving a bit more details about the issue, and AI tools like Gemini or ChatGPT are also helpful when it comes to technical issues, you may want to write the problem to them.

A new computer might also mean Linux

+1 for linux!! great aar!! ufff, back to reading. ... oh, and great to see randomizer giving some great comments - splendid!!

In the West, the Germans managed to cross the Somme River, reaching as far as Rouen. Despite indicating a victory in the city, my only surviving wounded cavalry corps was just forced back to the rear lines. A retreating Entente unit perhaps dislodged it as it was too weak, but I do not know.
Being on the offensive hurts very much, but it is WW1 after all.
Another Pyrrhic victory in Romania.

The war is taking its toll on all nations.
Germany attempted to increase the intensity of submarine warfare, but it failed. Now that the US is already pro-Entente, I do not care if they get angry or not, as long as the British are hurt even more.

thek3mu wrote: Tue Feb 24, 2026 10:26 am +1 for linux!! great aar!! ufff, back to reading. ... oh, and great to see randomizer giving some great comments - splendid!!

Cheers

Soon War Weariness could become a real issue for all the major belligerents.

The Political Actions regime in WW1G is so well thought out and adds so much depth to the game but it's a shame that a few do not function entirely as designed. One example of this is the Entente Army to Salonika action which may result in the Entente expeditionary army becoming isolated since the port remains Greek and if Greece is still neutral, supply becomes a problem. The fix is to edit the save so that the port becomes controlled by Britain or France.

Nice to see that the U-Boat campaign is hammering the UK economy and National Will. In one of my games, as the Entente, it triggered a British revolution that dumped the monarchy and caused a separate UK peace. Very cool!

-C

I do not post much about diplomacy anymore since, apart from the USA, only minor powers that are not really game-changers are left. Still, both sides are performing diplomatic missions.
In the West, the Germans will try to capture Beauvais to increase the pressure on Paris.
In the East, the collapse of the front provides a much-needed opportunity for the Central Powers to drive deeper into Russia. It is especially important to finally capture Warsaw.
Hopefully, in Romania, slow and steady will win the race.

Randomizer wrote: Tue Mar 03, 2026 1:00 am Nice to see that the U-Boat campaign is hammering the UK economy and National Will. In one of my games, as the Entente, it triggered a British revolution that dumped the monarchy and caused a separate UK peace. Very cool!

-C

Nice to hear that the AI is capable of this; I've read some remarks that the AI can't play the Central Powers that well.


By the way, for those interested, the game is on sale for $2 right now: https://www.gamersgate.com/product/worl ... l-edition/

As air technology advances, air squadrons can be used for strategic bombing as well. Germany has an edge here, as she can utilize zeppelins to perform the task. The Entente cannot intercept them until they discover "High Altitude" technology.
The Germans suffered a heavy defeat in Beauvais, signaling the end of their offensive maneuvers in the West. That said, I am pleased with the progress made.
In the East, the Germans managed to defeat the Russians in Warsaw, and the siege immediately succeeded thanks to a heavy commitment of artillery. However, the attack on the northwest of Warsaw failed with heavy losses. The arrival of the new Russian units most likely means the end of the German advance in the area due to the threat to their flanks, but the Austrians might try a bit more, having crossed Lupkov Pass. The battles you see are the major ones; there were also minor ones with mixed results.
The Romanians finally seem to be softening in their resistance.

Some NW changes. Austria-Hungary is rewarded 10 points for successfully conducting its grand offensive—a much-needed boost.
Both the Entente and the Central Powers are successful in their diplomatic missions. Important news is that now Spain is going to provide supplies to Germany. From the manual: "The U-boats are supplied in Spain. Germany has a 50% chance each turn of receiving a bonus on the submarine warfare resolution (to be ignored if France surrenders)" (pg 211).
The Austro-Hungarians and Bulgarians will finally move to capture Bucharest. As the city does not have a fort, victory in the field will automatically mean occupation.
Against the Russians, final maneuvers are being made before winter kicks in.

It is hard to say that the air war is going well.
The British attacked in Palestine but were repulsed.
The Romanians did not attempt to defend Bucharest, and it is now occupied by Austro-Hungarian forces.
The final attacks against the Russians were costly victories.

Wilson defeated Hughes and was elected President. This is a worse outcome for the Central Powers, since Hughes would have maintain neutrality a bit longer, and the German minority test would have +1 under his leadership (on 6+ the American level goes up 1 point close to CP). Wilson's Fourteen Points will hurt Austria-Hungary as well.
The Entente had a minimal impact on the Netherlands. The CP, on the other hand, made a strong move on Spain, and now the French are going to have to waste some units.
Tanks are now available for Austria-Hungary. I made a mistake here by not assigning these projects to Germany, as Austria-Hungary currently lacks the EPs to produce them. Hopefully, it will not take too long to share this technology with the other Central Powers. Even when tanks are deployed, they initially do not provide any support value, as they are experimental assets and require combat experience. Additionally, each battle requires tests to determine their support value, which is valid only for that specific engagement.
Only two battles have occurred: a desperate counter-attack by Romania was easily thwarted, and the UK failed again in Palestine.

Austria Hungary is doing pretty well and nice to see General Sir Aylmer Hunter-Weston commanding in Turkey. He is, by design, one of the worst ground commanders in the game and, although a British leader, is usually a great asset to the Central Powers.

-C

Submarine warfare intensifies:
Here is a look at the frontlines as we enter 1917, starting with the Western Front. Note that a strike has broken out in the UK. A strike causes an NW hit and increases civil production by one point (which consequently decreases EP generation) for as long as it lasts. The country must successfully implement the "Restore Order" political action to end the strike.
The Eastern Front:

The Balkans:
The Caucasus:
The Middle East:
The Italian Front:

And finally, the overall stats of the major powers. The Entente is pretty motivated to fight on.

Randomizer wrote: Wed Jun 03, 2026 1:36 am Austria Hungary is doing pretty well and nice to see General Sir Aylmer Hunter-Weston commanding in Turkey. He is, by design, one of the worst ground commanders in the game and, although a British leader, is usually a great asset to the Central Powers.

-C

Indeed they recovered almost all the territory lost to Russia previous years, and their army is in a good shape.

Germany is now able to build tanks.

I underestimated the Entente forces encircled around Le Havre.
The Germans managed to capture Saint Mihiel, and the subsequent breakthrough attempt was also successful, so Toul is now under siege.
The Bulgarians keep driving into Romania, while the Serbs still maintain a fighting force.
As Turkey is in a pretty precarious situation already, I decided to launch a grand offensive against the British before things get worse. However, the Entente had the initiative and struck first. The victorious Turks should be ready for their own attack next turn.

Costly victories against the Russians. The Germans did not arrive in time to provide support in the Battle of Lubieszow.
The Bulgarian advance is facilitated by the mutinies occurring in the Romanian army.
The Ottomans managed to beat the British, but it was definitely a Pyrrhic victory. I will also attempt to form a new government during the next interphase. It will harm the parliament's mood, which is already bad at this moment, but I can't do much with such a low National Will since it affects combat as well (a -2 malus to combat rolls as it stands at an awful -5).

Well, it was too late for the Turks. Mutinies and the subsequent rebellion in the capital kicked them out of the war. When a country surrenders, its army is entirely disbanded, and its territory is open for movement, functioning the same as friendly territory in terms of logistics. Specifically, the UK will now receive 10 Economic Points from Turkey as war indemnities. Moreover, all Entente members receive 6 NW points, while all members of the CP will suffer a 4-point NW hit. But the worst part is that a considerable number of Russian and British units are now freed up in Palestine and the Caucasus.
France initiated peace negotiations. I immediately said "no," thinking I was acting on behalf of Austria-Hungary (which would make the decision meaningless in a 2-player campaign—why would I let my ally go?). But after checking the manual, it appears I was choosing whether Germany would take part in the negotiations. Because I said "no," Austria-Hungary will negotiate alone and can conclude peace with the Entente powers. If I had said "yes," it could still conclude the same way, but with a lower chance. So it seems to make sense for Germany to join the negotiations, but then there is a risk that the offer is actually a bluff and would cost me some NW points. I can also invite Russia to the table the same way (i.e., as a bluff or sincerely). Here is some info from the manual:
"By playing Political Action “Negotiate Peace”, you may propose peace negotiations to the opposite side. More precisely, you attempt to negotiate with Russia (if you are Central Powers) or with Austria-Hungary (if you are Entente), to conclude a Separate peace. All the powers on your side must choose this action simultaneously (except Turkey). Your proposal may be sincere or it may be a bluff. This choice is secret.

If your proposal is sincere, a Peace Test is rolled. The peace will be accepted or rejected irrespective of what your opponent thinks or wants (yet, he may influence this decision).

If your proposal is a bluff, no Peace Test is executed. The real purpose was to “trap” the enemy, and make him lose NW.

NB: On the Western Front, no Separate peace is possible, only an unconditional surrender.

If your opponent answers no, the United States level goes up by 1 (if you are Central Powers) or down by 1 (if you are Entente)."

And here are the rolls for Russia:

-2 the opponent answered “yes” (France and Britain take part in the
negotiations)
-1 if 2+ Russian cities are occupied. [This does not make sense to me, why would occupying Russian cities increase possibility of the rejection? Shouldn't it be the opposite?]
-1 Allied Grand Offensive on the French Front, at least 2 rounds
-1 per additional turn, starting with the 4th turn of the Allied
Offensive
-1 the Western Powers have given 40 EP to Russia (current year)
-1 city or former fortress (German or Austrian) controlled by Russia
+/-? Russian Parliament (reverse the value: -1 becomes +1, etc)
+1 Russian defeat during a German Grand Offensive on the Eastern
Front
+1 Petrograd or Paris controlled by the German player (+2 both)
+1 Russia’s regime is M or -2 if Kornilov leads Russia
+1 Sixte de Bourbon-Parme event has occured

And for Austria-Hungary:

-2 the opponent answered “yes” (Germany is part of the
negotiations)
-1 if 2+ Austrian cities are occupied. [Same concern here]
-1 Entente made promises to Italy (Trentin and Istria) or to Romania
(Transylvania) (-2 for both)
-1 Masaryk Czech Committee is recognized by Entente (event #46)
or the Wilson proposal is in effect (-2 for both)
-2 German or Austrian victory on the Russian Front, or on the Italian
Front (if Italy in Entente)
-1 Germany has given 60 EP to Austria-Hungary (current year)
+/-? Austrian Parliament (reverse the value: -1 becomes +1, etc)
+1 Austrian defeat during a Russian or Italian Grand Offensive
+1 Russia has signed the peace (ignore this modifier if the Masaryk
Committee has been recognized)
+1 Italy is not hostile to Central Powers (either at peace or on Central
Powers’ side)
+2 Budapest or Vienna occupied by Russia (+4 both)
+3 Sixte de Bourbon-Parme event (#57)
It was a busy turn in terms of diplomacy. The USA joins the war! This is certainly troubling news, but it will take quite some time before we face the Americans in the West, since their army is rather weak initially. Hopefully, the war will be won by then.

In the West, the First Army manages to beat the defenders of the French capital and fulfills our promise (Nach Paris!)—somewhat late, of course. Meanwhile, the Second Army secures the Beauvais region, just north of the capital. The fall of Paris is surely a big blow to French morale; all the boost they received from the Turkish surrender is effectively nullified. Yet, at this stage of the war, the capture of an enemy capital in no way guarantees victory.
The German plan to capture Nancy is quickly abandoned in the face of strong French forces.
The Romanians can no longer offer serious opposition to the Bulgarians. The lack of Russian forces in the area makes a Romanian collapse imminent.
The Italians suffered a heavy defeat: