32. DECLARATIONS OF WAR

32.1  OVERVIEW:

32.11  Major powers may declare war on opposing major powers at the end of the crisis phase if they exceed the threshold requirement for declaring war and are otherwise permitted to declare war. This determination is made separately for each declaring major power and each major power upon which war is being declared.

32.12 If a pre-emptive declaration of war is threatened, the target major power may prevent the declaration of war by making concessions, provided the major power making the declaration of war isn’t fully mobilized (32.83).

32.2  RESTRICTIONS:

32.21  BASIC RESTRICTIONS: The basic restrictions for major power declarations of war are set out in the following table:

A. GERMANY: Germany may declare war on Britain and France, and on Russia, if the Nazi-Soviet Pact has not been signed.

B. ITALY: Italy may not declare war on other major powers.

C. BRITAIN: Britain may declare war on Germany and Italy.

D. FRANCE: France may declare war on Germany and Italy.

E. RUSSIA: Russia may declare war on Germany if the Nazi-Soviet Pact has not been signed.

32.22  ADDITIONAL RESTRICTIONS:  Major power declarations of war are subject to the preconditions set out below in the specific rules dealing with each major power’s declarations of war.

A. GERMANY:

• May not declare war on a major power until it has remilitarized the Rhineland.

• May not declare war on a major power in the same turn as the Allies declare war on Germany or Italy in response to an Axis aggression.

• Germany may not declare war on Russia if the Nazi-Soviet Pact has been signed

B. RUSSIA: Russia may not declare war on Germany if the Nazi-Soviet Pact has been signed.

32.3  THRESHOLD REQUIREMENT:

32.31  The threshold requirement for declaring war on a major power must be exceeded to permit the declaration of war. This determination is made separately for each declaring major power and each major power upon which war is being declared. The specifics for each major power are set out below. In calculating whether the threshold requirement for declaring war on a major power is met, the following factors are taken into account.

A. BALANCE OF POWER: The Axis-Allied balance of power.

B. SUPPORT LEVELS: The support level of the major power declaring war compared to the major power against which war is being declared.

C. EUROPEAN AGGRESSION INDEX: The EAI for that turn. A positive EAI favors declarations of war; a negative EAI impedes declarations of war.

D. MINOR COUNTRIES: The resistance level of a minor country that is the target of aggression, if a major power is declaring war in support of that minor country (28.11).

E. GERMANY’S EASTERN NEIGHBORS: The resistance level of Czechoslovakia and Poland, if unconquered, and, for German declarations of war on the Allies if no Nazi-Soviet Pact has been signed, Russia’s war readiness (32.42D) modify declarations of war by Germany (32.4). The greater the resistance levels and Russia’s war readiness, the less Germany is able to declare war.

F. FLAGS IN RUSSIA: Axis and Allied flags in Russia modify declarations of war by Russia (32.7).

32.32  BALANCE OF POWER:  The ability of Germany, Britain and France to declare war is modified by the overall Axis-Allied balance of power.

A. The Axis-Allied balance of power modifies the ability to declare war on a 1:1 basis (a +1 balance of power advantage gives the favored side a +1 towards declaring war; a +2 balance of power advantage gives the favored side a +2 towards declaring war; a +3 balance of power advantage gives the favored side a +3 towards declaring war, and so on).

B. If the Axis-Allied balance of power favors the Axis, German declarations of war are easier and Allied declarations of war are more difficult.  Similarly, if the Axis-Allied balance of power favors the Allies, German declarations of war are more difficult and Allied declarations of war are easier.

32.33  SUPPORT LEVELS:  The support levels of the major power declaring war and the major power against which war is being declared are compared.

A. If the support level of the major power declaring war is greater, the ability to declare war is increased by that amount.

B. If the support level of the major power against which war is being declared is greater, the ability to declare war is decreased by that amount.

32.34  EUROPEAN AGGRESSION INDEX: The EAI at the time war is declared is applied. The EAI may modify the ability to declare war by +5 to -5.

32.4  GERMAN DECLARATIONS OF WAR:

32.41  RESTRICTIONS: Germany may declare pre-emptive war on a major power only if:

A. RHINELAND: Germany has remilitarized the Rhineland.

B. NO ALLIED DECLARATION OF WAR: The Allies did not declare war on Germany or Italy in response to an Axis aggression.

C. FULL MOBILIZATION: Germany is fully mobilized. If Germany is not fully mobilized, it may threaten to declare war on a major power, but that major power has the option of preventing the declaration of war by making concessions (32.83).

32.42  GERMAN DECLARATIONS OF WAR ON THE ALLIES:  Germany may declare pre-emptive war on Britain and France if Germany has fully mobilized, having converted all its idle and civilian factories to military use, and the net total of the following modifiers is at least +1 with respect to both countries. Germany may not declare war on only one of Britain or France; it must declare war on both or neither.

A. BALANCE OF POWER: The overall Axis-Allied balance of power.

B. SUPPORT LEVELS: The German support level and the greater of the French or British support levels.

C. EUROPEAN AGGRESSION INDEX: The EAI.

D. GERMANY’S EASTERN NEIGHBORS:

• The resistance levels of Czechoslovakia and Poland, if unconquered, based on modifiers 28.2-28.4 (no 28.5 random tile draw is made).

• Russia’s war readiness, if no Nazi-Soviet Pact has been signed, being the net value of:

• Russia’s support level;

• Flags in Russia (32.72C); and

• Bordering minor country diplomatic results, treating Poland the same as the other three bordering minor countries (32.72D).

32.43  GERMAN DECLARATIONS OF WAR ON RUSSIA:  Germany may declare war on Russia if the net total of the following modifiers is at least +1, provided the Nazi-Soviet Pact is not in effect and Germany controls either Poland or the Baltic States:

A. BALANCE OF POWER: The overall Axis-Allied balance of power.

B. SUPPORT LEVEL: The German support level and the Russian support level.

C. EUROPEAN AGGRESSION INDEX: The EAI.

D. CZECHOSLOVAKIA AND POLAND: The resistance levels of Czechoslovakia and Poland, if unconquered, based on modifiers 28.2-28.4 (no 28.5 random tile draw is made).

32.44 THREATENING PRE-EMPTIVE WAR: If Germany is not fully mobilized, but otherwise meets the requirements for declaring war on the Allies or Russia, it may threaten to declare war. The Allies or Russia, as the case may be, have the option of avoiding war by making concessions (32.83), or allowing the declaration of war, ending the game.

32.5  ITALIAN DECLARATIONS OF WAR:

32.51  ITALIAN DECLARATIONS OF WAR PROHIBITED:  Italy may not declare war on major powers.

32.6  ALLIED DECLARATIONS OF WAR:

32.61  RESTRICTIONS: British and French declarations of war are subject to the following restrictions, based on the aggressiveness of the Axis major power upon which the Allies wish to declare war:

A. AXIS AGGRESSION: If the target Axis major power is committing an aggression, either Britain or France (or both) may declare war on the aggressing major power as follows:

• Joint declarations of war: If Britain and France both exceed the threshold value for declaring war, both may declare war.

• Unilateral declarations of war:  If only one of Britain and France exceeds the threshold value for declaring war, that major power may declare war provided that its positive result is not fully offset or exceeded by the other Allied major power’s negative result.

EXAMPLE:  France’s result is +2; Britain’s is -1. France may declare war because the overall result is positive (+1); Britain may not, because its result is negative. If Britain’s result was -2, neither Allied major power could declare war, because the overall result would be 0.

B. NO AXIS AGGRESSIONS: If the target Axis major power is not committing an aggression, Britain and France may declare pre-emptive war, or threaten to declare pre-emptive war, subject to the following restrictions:

• Joint declarations of war required: Britain and France must both meet the threshold requirement to declare war; a unilateral declaration of war by only one Allied major power is not permitted.

• War only against the more aggressive Axis major power: Britain and France may only declare pre-emptive war against the more aggressive Axis major power (Germany if tied).

• No aggressions in the turn of the declaration of war: Neither Axis major power may have committed an aggression in the turn in which pre-emptive war is threatened or declared. An Axis major power that backed down in a crisis after attempting an aggression is considered not to be committing an aggression for the purpose of this rule. The British and French threshold requirement calculations are made normally, without considering the resistance level of the minor country that was the target of the Axis major power’s initial demand.

Germany cannot prevent an Allied pre-emptive declaration of war by making an aggressive demand, then backing down. When this happens, the penalties for a failed aggression will later apply, but the legality of an Allied pre-emptive declaration of war is determined as if the aggression attempt had never occurred.

• Allies not fully mobilized: If Britain and France are not both fully mobilized:

• The Allies may only threaten a pre-emptive declaration of war against the more aggressive Axis major power if it has carried out a second aggression.

• The Axis target of an Allied pre-emptive declaration of war may avoid war by making concessions (32.83).

• Allies fully mobilized: If Britain and France are both fully mobilized:

• The Allies may make a pre-emptive declaration of war against the more aggressive Axis major power whether or not it has carried out a second aggression.

• The Axis target of an Allied pre-emptive declaration of war may not avoid war by making concessions (32.83).

• Definitions:

• The “more aggressive Axis major power” is the Axis major power with the higher aggression total (Germany if tied).

• The “aggression total” is the cumulative value of each Axis major power’s successful aggressions (Italian aggressions against Greece and Yugoslavia count once the aggressive demand has been made without triggering war with the Allies):

• Germany: Rhineland (1), Austria (2), Sudetenland (1), Danzig and the Corridor (1) Baltic States (2), Czechoslovakia (including the Sudetenland) (3), Poland (including Danzig and the Corridor) (4).

• Italy: Ethiopia (1), Albania (1), Greece (2), Yugoslavia (3).

• A “second aggression” is:

• a German aggression other than the Rhineland.

• an Italian aggression other than Ethiopia.

• “Fully mobilized” means all British and French idle and civilian factories have been converted to military use.

• Temporary support increases not counted: Temporary Allied support increases from Axis aggressions and pre-emptive declarations of war (10.71B, 10.81B) are not taken into account in determining whether Britain and France meet the threshold requirement to declare or threaten to declare pre-emptive war in a turn in which neither Axis major power is committing an aggression.

32.62  SEPARATE CALCULATIONS FOR BRITAIN AND FRANCE: The ability of Britain and France to declare war on Germany or Italy is calculated separately:

A. BALANCE OF POWER: The overall Axis-Allied balance of power (32.32).

B. SUPPORT LEVELS: The British or French, and German or Italian, support levels, as the case may be (32.33).

C. EUROPEAN AGGRESSION INDEX: The EAI (32.34).

D. MINOR COUNTRIES:  The resistance level of a minor country that is the target of aggression in the turn in which war is being declared.

32.63  GERMAN DECLARATION OF WAR ON RUSSIA:  If Germany declares war on Russia, Britain and France may retaliate by declaring war on Germany if they meet the threshold requirement. Russia’s war readiness (32.42D) is added to the Allied totals.

32.7  RUSSIAN DECLARATIONS OF WAR:

32.71  RUSSIAN DECLARATIONS OF WAR:  Russia may declare war on Germany if the net total of the modifiers in 32.72 is at least +1, provided the Nazi-Soviet Pact has not been signed and at least one of the following conditions is met:

A. Germany is carrying out an aggression against Poland, the Baltic States or a minor country containing at least one Russian flag;

B. Germany controls Poland or the Baltic States as a result of aggression in a previous turn;

C. Britain and France declare pre-emptive war on Germany in the same turn; or

D. Russia has reached full cohesion.

32.72  THRESHOLD VALUES:  Russia may declare war on Germany if the net total of the following modifiers is at least +1:

A. SUPPORT LEVELS: The Russian support level and the German support level.

B. EUROPEAN AGGRESSION INDEX: The EAI.

C. FLAGS IN RUSSIA: +1 for each Allied flag in Russia; -1 for each Axis flag in Russia.

D. MINOR COUNTRY DIPLOMATIC RESULTS:

• Finland, Rumania, Turkey and Poland: -1 for one or two Axis flags, -2 for an Axis trade pact; +1 for one or two Russian flags, +2 for a Russian trade pact; Allied flags are ignored. Poland is treated like the other three countries unless it is the target of German aggression in the turn in which Russia seeks to declare war, in which case 32.72E applies instead.

• Russian flags in non-border countries: +1 for one or two Russian flags, +2 for a Russian trade pact.

E. MINOR COUNTRY RESISTANCE:  The resistance level of a minor country that is the target of aggression, if the target of the aggression is Poland or the Baltic States, or a minor country containing at least one Russian flag.

F. ALLIED NEUTRALITY: -2 for each Allied major power that is not at war with Germany, either as a result of a German or Allied declaration of war in the current turn. An Allied declaration of war on Italy does not negate this modifier.

32.73 Russia may not declare war on Germany if the Nazi-Soviet Pact has been signed.

32.8   PRE-EMPTIVE DECLARATIONS OF WAR:

32.81 THRESHOLD REQUIREMENT MUST BE MET: Provided war did not break out as a result of a crisis and the declaring major power meets the threshold requirement for declaring war:

A. GERMANY: Germany may declare war on Britain and France (32.42) or Russia (32.43), whether or not it carried out an aggression, provided the aggression did not lead to a declaration of war on Germany. An Italian aggression that does not lead to an Allied declaration of war on Italy also does not prevent a German pre-emptive declaration of war.

B. ITALY: Italy may not declare war.

C. BRITAIN AND FRANCE: Britain and France may declare war on Germany or Italy in a turn in which the target Axis major power did not carry out an aggression (32.61B). An Allied declaration of war on one Axis major power after an aggression by that Axis major power does not prevent an Allied pre-emptive declaration of war on the other Axis major power. Both Britain and France must be able to declare war.

D. RUSSIA: Russia may declare war on Germany in any turn in which it meets the requirements of 32.7.

32.82 TIMING: Pre-emptive declaration of war legality is determined at the end of the crisis phase, after all secret support events have been revealed and after any Allied declarations of war on an Axis major power that conducted an aggression have been made.

32.83 THREAT OF PRE-EMPTIVE WAR: If Germany or the Allies threaten pre-emptive war when not fully mobilized, the major power threatened with war has the option of making concessions to avoid war. If the major power threatened with war declines to make the required concessions, war breaks out, and the game ends.

A. CONCESSIONS TO AVOID PRE-EMPTIVE WAR: The concessions required to avoid a pre-emptive war depend on the extent to which the declaring major power exceeds the declaration of war threshold. Each concession, up to a maximum value of 3, is treated as a negative modifier in determining whether the declaration of war threshold is met. The support level of the declaring major power is increased by the amount of the concession and the support level of the major power(s) making the concession is decreased by the same amount.

• +1: If the declaring major power exceeds the declaration of war threshold by one, concessions to prevent war increase the support level of the declaring major power by +1 and decrease the support level(s) of the major power(s) making the concessions by -1.

• +2: If the declaring major power exceeds the declaration of war threshold by two, concessions to prevent war increase the support level of the declaring major power by +2 and decrease the support level(s) of the major power(s) making the concessions by -2.

• +3: If the declaring major power exceeds the declaration of war threshold by three, concessions to prevent war increase the support level of the declaring major power by +3 and decrease the support level(s) of the major power(s) making the concessions by -3.

• +4 of more: If the declaring major power exceeds the declaration of war threshold by four or more, the declaration of war may not be prevented by making concessions.

B. EFFECTS OF CONCESSIONS IMMEDIATE: Concessions to avoid a pre-emptive war modify support levels in the turn in which they are made and have no effect on the next turn unless they trigger a tile point deficit (10.41C).

C. GERMAN-ALLIED EFFECTS:

• If Germany threatens pre-emptive war against Britain and France, the concession level required to prevent war is based on the amount by which Germany exceeds the declaration of war threshold against the Allied major power with the higher support level, because if Germany is unable to declare war on one Allied major power, it may not declare war on either (32.42). The Allied major power with the higher support level makes the concessions.

• If Britain and France threaten pre-emptive war against Germany or Italy, the Axis concession level is based on the amount by which the declaration of war threshold is exceeded by the Allied major power with the lower support level, because if one Allied major power may not declare war, neither may the other (32.61B). The Allied major power with the lower support level benefits from the concessions.

EXAMPLE: France is fully mobilized; Britain is not. France and Britain threaten pre-emptive war against Germany. France draws a good support random event and exceeds the declaration of war threshold by 4; Britain exceeds the declaration of war threshold by only 1. To avoid war, Germany would have to make a concession of 1 to Britain, preventing it declaring war, which would also prevent France from declaring war.