Now we see why this game doesn’t start in 1939:
POLAND
The double invasion of Poland by Germany and USSR in 1939 seems to break ALL the neutrals rules discussed above.
Since both invaded Poland MUST have been a strict neutral, but somehow the attacks went unnoticed in Buenos Aires.
Maybe Poland should be considered an ABSOLUTE neutral; that is one that is so independent minded that no other neutral cares about it. After all Polish partisans fought both sides and continued to fight Soviet occupation well into the 1950s, as did groups in Ukraine. Yugoslavia could be considered in the same light.
Indeed, if we look at the list of “pro-Allied neutrals” there are problems with most of them.
The examples of Iraq and Persia I’ve mentioned before, and consider that they should each be aligned the other way around.
Yugoslavia, in 1940, is hardly pro Allied:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yugoslavia#1934-1941
It was only a popular coup in 1941 that placed a pro-Allied regime in power, and this indeed prompted a German invasion.
The Republic of Ireland was pro-allied only in so far as many Irish citizens volunteered to join the British army. It’s government even turned down the seeding of Ulster in exchange for the Allies leasing bases on the Irish coast, and Prime Minister de Valera famously signed the book of condolence for Hitler at the German embassy.
Again, there is such ambiguity in regard to taking the attitude of governments, or that of the majority of citizens, as the basis for awarding “pro” status, that some form of “diplomatic approach” option may have been more authentic and actually less complicated.
It seems to me that the strict neutrals declare war rule should only be invoked in the following circumstances:
1. Latin American Unity.
An attack on one Strict neutral in Latin America results in a declaration of war by all the others.
2. Colonial Loyalty
As discussed elsewhere, an attack on Spain brings Spanish colonies into the war, same for Portugal and it’s colonies, and for Greece & Crete.
And shouldn’t Mexico, Cuba and Central America start pro-Allied rather than be treated as American colonies?
EDIT: Looking again at the Yugoslavia example, I’m reminded that there were 2 factions of “anti-fascist” partisans in the country, which spent as much time fighting each other as attacking the Germans and Italians.
I think there is a case for some neutrals to be Pro-British, Pro-American, Pro-German etc; rather than being loyal to an entire Alliance, thus avoiding the Mongolia example cited above.
Or maybe Anti-German etc…
