Finland

What of the Finns?
 
 :-))))) 
 
 That is really a totally different language.
 Truly, it is said the finnish language has common features with what
 is spoken in Hungary.
 
 And lets now try to bend this topic back to dippy :-)

Finnish is also like Estonian.  It is therefore quite obvious that the 
Tsar's annexation of these two offshoots of the Hungarian people should 
be reversed and my Austro-Hungarian march through Warsaw and St Pete
to Livonia and Finland should be regarded as a cultural visit and not 
an invasion.  :-)

		Graeme

Anyone know why Calhamer gave Bulgaria a south coast?


Julian Giles:

Consider this nightmare Russian scenario, pretty standard stuff...

Rus                     UK                      Ger
f stp/sc - gob          f edi - nwg             f kie - den
a mos - ukr             f lon - nth
                        a lvp - yor

followed by the worst possible start for our beloved Russians...

Rus                     UK                      Ger
f gob - swe             f nwg - bar             f den - swe
                        f nth c a yor - nor
                        a yor - nth - nor

Standoff in Sweden, UK all over you. Ever seen this happen?
I have, on several occasions. T'is not looking good in the North... If allowed, a build in STP goes in. But then what?
STP must be defended, else A nor - stp supported by F Bar 
gets St.Pete, so...

Rus
a stp h
f gob s a stp...

Apart from giving up hope of Sweden (never, ever, allow the German player to deny you it at start; promise that you'll 
use every unit to ensure his downfall along with your own), Russia is still subject to further punishment as follows:

                        UK
                        f bar s a edi - nor
                        a nor - fin
                        f nth c a edi - nor
                        a edi - nth - nor

sets up UK for STP in Fall 02. Ouch. Bye bye mother Russia.

However, if at start, Russia opened with F stp/sc - FINLAND, the above defends STP to British attack (baring German pressure - he may decline to support the UK further).

Food for thought.

Julian Giles. 

Finland is very important in a russian northern opening.
Let's analize when its importance is real.

Suppose a german attack:
Fleet Stp - Gob
Army War - Sil
Army Mos - Stp

And suppose a common german opening:
Fleet Kie - Den
Army Ber - Kie
Army Mun - Ruh

If the german is megalomaniacous, he will open Fleet Kie-Hol to try Ruh-Bel.
Let's analyze both openings possibilities.

Let's suppose two possibilities regarding the English:
Fleet Edi - Nth
or
Fleet Edi - Nwg
Fleet Lon - Nth

There are four general results.

Finland becomes important when the english comes north (Fleet Edi-Nwg, Fleet Lon-Nth): Army Stp-Nor does not work, then Army Stp-Fin, allowing a stp build!

If the german did not go Den, Swe is guaranteed, the russian smiles.

If he did, the Russian has two options to the Gob fleet: bounce Swe or Fleet Gob-Bal, the Maagdenburg opening. In any case, Sweden is russian in 1902.

Let's not forget that well worked diplomacy may blow all theory down.

Cristiano Corte Restitutti