You refer to “The Russians” as thought he Bolsheviks simply staged a coup and took over the whole of the Russian Empire.
In fact “Whites” still held large areas of the south and Siberia, and the Allies wanted to help them keep the war going.
The Bolsheviks did want to get out of the war, but not at any price. Hence the treaty of Brest-Litovsk.
The simplest way to represent this is that the Bolsheviks evacuate the areas ceded to German influence (essentially those areas which are now independent of Russia), and the Germans and their Allies are free to move into them. In effect the partition of 1939 is pre-created, though the line is father east.
But non-Bolsheviks had no part of the treaty, and should be free to continue attacking the CP and Bolsheviks at will. The Allies should have the choice of supporting the Whites as much or as little as they wish. Full support might aim at restoring Imperial Russian authority by capturing/liberating Petrograd and Moscow and so restoring Russia as a full Allied partner; partial support simply at threatening German gains in Ukraine etc; no support would accept the Revolution as a fait accompli, and concentrate on the battle in the west.
So… a full set of “Red” pieces, representing revolutionaries in any country that breaks down according to certain criteria. Whatever conditions apply to Russian order collapsing should apply to all the beligerent powers. Revolts might occur in individual tts, if the local population is largely of a different nationality, placing “Blacks” (nationalist) factions in power. Almost all countries had to face rebellions of some kind.
In Russia, then, we might end up with Red Bolsheviks controlling Moscow and central Russia; Germans and Austrians occupying the Baltic States and Poland; Black Nationalists in power in the Ukraine; White Russians in the south and Siberia; and forces from 5 Allied powers occupying coastal provinces in the North. All very interesting, and totally historical.
If the Central Powers crack first, there could be a German Soviet government in Bavaria (reds); an independent Poland carved out of provinces from 3 falling empires(blacks); French troops occupying the Rhineland; and the emergence of extreme nationalist Germans fighting the reds on the streets. Again, not entirely unhistorical.
But this then becomes a little complicated; who controls the Bavarian communists?
All we need to accomplish this is new sets of “Red” and “Black” units; the Whites will be the original Russian Imperial units.
@Imperious:
So, you’re saying that in November 1917 Russian goes off and fight its own civil war, so we just ignore it?
The Russians were in control of affairs relating to the fighting against Germany until the time they folded and effectively surrendered. The Bolsheviks concluded peace with Germany and Russia had no further part of the Great War.
You only need rules dealing with when Russia falls, and that is hastened by German occupation of key areas. The Bolsheviks didn’t want any part of the war, they just wanted to be out of international wars and maintain control of the government.
To include them as a allied faction fighting with the central powers is a complete misguided connection; the Russian player is either fighting Germany or not. Once they are not they are out of the game to fight their own internal divisions. The analogy regarding China is only partially plausible. IN China’s case, both factions fought the Japanese. The Bolsheviks had no interest in fighting Germany and being part of that war. I don’t know of any historian who links the Great War with the Russian Civil War. They are separate conflicts and to bring them into the Great War is just adding stuff to have “more pieces to play with for craps and giggles” type of thing.
