File talk:Ashanti.PNG

Ethiopia's been busy. --Sikulu 23:34, 30 March 2006 (PST)

Yes. Actually, I've three questions regarding that:

• The maps says that Batavian West-Africa (Leeuwenbergland) was captured by French Guinée in 1944. How so?
• According to the map, Gambia was an Ethiopian puppet state. How do you explain that? It is an old colony of Veneda/the RTC. When Veneda itself was captured by the Germans, I figure that part of its army went underground, another part started fighthing under Allied command (like *here*), and part retreated to Gambia. The way I see it, Gambia was all that was left of Veneda, so they definitely wouldn't have let go of it so easily. Even with a potent and hostily neighbour like Ethiopia they'd definitely put up a good fight!
• On a related note: I noticed that you made Socotra part of the Batavian Kingdom between the Great Wars. Is there a reason for that? To the best of my knowledge, it has always been English *there* (or FK, anyway). ~

—IJzeren Jan ^Uszkiełtu? 00:31, 31 March 2006 (PST)

As for Ethiopia being busy, the map is not fully correct now as the Ethiopian-occupied areas as well includes all the puppet states and heavily pro-Ethiopian local regimes. Ethiopia probably did not reached the Atlantic Ocean in the west Africa on itself. I haven't yet decided on the names and exact territories of these puppet regimes and whhen they were established, therefore now the area is just generalised as one conquered by Ethiopia.

As for Gambia, Ethiopia regarded all the former colonies of the fallen European states as "terra nulius" and thus eligible to occupy. With the Ethiopian victories, in most of the colonies it had its supporters who seeked liberation and Ethioppia supported them in civil wars, so I assumed that the government was probably deposed by the locals with the help of Ethiopians in Gambia as well as Veneda fell. You are right however that if for example Venedic government had retreated to Gambia and it was supported by foreign powers, then most likely such an invasion would have been not possible nor needed (anyways, Gambia is a small portion of land), so then it would have stayed non-conquered.

As I see it *there* with the strong Ethiopia, Socotra had been incorporated into Ethiopia together with Somalia probably (see Ethiopia) and before possible FK colonisation. Then it was leased to Batavia to build a port there; after First Great War it became permanently a part of Batavia, similarly to other ports. Then it was annexed by Ethiopia in the Ethiopian Liberation War, later declared independence with the Somali uprising and was not reannexed. After the Second Great War it stayed independent, although associated itself with FK at some time in exchange for support (or maybe Socotra was invaded too in the Second Great War (as after all it supported Ethiopia more or less) and then made a part of FK after being defeated; I am still not decided on that).

Guinea was no longer French by the time - Ethiopian-initiated civil war, similarly to similar events in the other colonies, started and the native government was established ("Independent Guinea"). This native government, seeing the actions of Ethiopia and Ashanti, decided to expand its territory as well (as I see it, Ashanti wanted Guinea to strike Pepper Coast instead, but Guinea refused as it seen the unstable Batavian colony to be easier to occupy). I am not fully decided on Guinea however - this might change if there are some suggestions or if the Batavians also had great number of troops stationed there for some reason.

In other words, Ethiopia and allies led a kinda similar policy to that of Japanese in the World War 2 of the real world (officially it was "Asia for Asians" and included capturing many foreign colonies, which was easy with the colonies of fallen regimes in Europe, such as France, and not hard with colonies of not-yet fallen, but fighting in Europe, regimes as well (British colonies of Malaya, Singapore)). Japan however as well valued resources and strategic interest more than it actually wanted to liberate the Asia probably, although many opinions exist. Abdul-aziz 01:31, 31 March 2006 (PST)

All very interesting ideas. I must say, I very much like the parallel between Ethiopia *there* and Japan *here*. Africa being a primary scene in the war just like Asia, it all makes perfect sense!

As for Gambia, I wouldn't mind if it were conquered by Ethiopia too in 1944 or 1945 or thereabouts, and if some puppet state were installed there. In the years before that, it could still have played the role I described.

Socotra: no objections against what you write, but if you want to be sure, ask Padraic. He's the Big Boss of the Commonwealth of Nations, of which Socotra is part.

Guinea: OK. —IJzeren Jan ^Uszkiełtu? 02:19, 31 March 2006 (PST)

Edited picture a bit - I decided that Gambia was probably annexed into Ethiopia (namely the West Sahara condominium of Ethiopia and Mali) rather than become a puppet state. See the new map of Africa in Dec 1945 that I have created (Africa4.PNG). Abdul-aziz 03:38, 2 June 2006 (PDT)