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General Cultural Notes

The culture of the 1930s was quite different from the culture of today. Different values were held and different prejudices exhibited. This does not mean that we still maintain these prejudices today, but to run a game in this time line players must deal with them.

Many of the views presented in this section are generalizations. Characters may or may not hold these views, but it must be acknowledged that they exist in this period of world history.

African-Americans

In the 1930s, before the time of the Civil Rights movement, black people were treated poorly to say the least. Segregation was often the answer under the incorrect idea that black and white people would have separate but equal facilities. This was at the more liberal end of the spectrum. In practice, African-Americans were treated as second class citizens lucky to receive the scraps from the white American's table. This is not to say that they did not have opportunities, but they took risks and had to work much harder to have the same privileges that white people took for granted. A black doctor would be able to make a living but only treating black patients. For that matter, to become a black doctor was rare, due to all the prejudice that one would face in concern of one's skin color.

The state of racism was far worse in the south of the United States than in the north. The Klu Klux Klan (KKK) had a growing amount of power in the south and was reaching out across the U.S. and into the government. In 1920, Warren Harding was elected president of the United States. He was a card carrying KKK member. He did not condone the violence that was to come, though he continued his membership until his death in 1923.

The KKK was likened to many of the fascist states arising between the World Wars in its tactics and recruiting methods. Many Americans joined the Klan for different reasons. Some joined due to fear of the race riots of a dissatisfied black populace, more joined to be a part of a larger club that enforced dominance over a segment of the population. For whatever reasons, it must be acknowledged that the KKK played a major role in the suppression of non-Christian/ African-Americans in the United States.

In other parts of the world, people of color were treated differently. This does not mean they were treated well, but they often received rights and opportunities that African-Americans did not.

The "Negro Renaissance"

The Negro Renaissance was a period in the 1920s when African American writers and artists gave voice to many of the injustices they had suffered before World War I and after returning. This began to break down many of the stereotypes and ignorance of the other cultural groups of the U.S. towards the Black culture. It also was an expression of a returned self pride and reliance which had been stripped from many African-Americans of the time. Amongst the darkness of racism, the Negro Renaissance was a shining light.

National Assoc. for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP)

This organization was formed in 1909 by Mary White Orvington and William English Walling (both white socialists) in response to racial injustices being inflicted on blacks in the North. They published their own magazine called "Crisis" in 1910 and by 1919 they were circulating 100,000 copies. This organization did much to promote the rights of African-Americans. It came to odds with the UNIA (see below) in its approach for being too moderate.

Universal Negro Improvement Association (UNIA)

The UNIA was founded by Marcus Garvey in 1914 in Jamaica. When he came to the U.S. in 1916, he toured the country to take stock. In 1917 he formed the first American branch of the UNIA and began publishing the Negro World, a journal that promoted his African Nationalist ideas. In 1919, Garvey formed the Black Star Line to ship trade goods produced by black owned American companies to Caribbean and African buyers. The Company made two successful trips before it ran out of money. This was enough to let Marcus Garvey help restore the pride of black people everywhere. After the failure of the Black Star Line in 1922, the UNIA formed the Black Cross Navigation and Trade Co. In 1925 Garvey was convicted of fraud and sentenced to 5 years in prison. After half of the sentence had been served, President Coolidge commuted Garvey's sentence. He was then deported in 1927 and never returned to the United States. The UNIA lost a great deal of its membership but survives to this day.

The UNIA was one of the most militant of African American groups of this period due in large part to the times and to its charismatic leader. It was a world wide organization meant to build pride of the black person and it did just that. Many experts today cite Marcus Garvey and the UNIA as one of the pivotal turning points in black people's struggle for self-realization and black cultural pride.

Women

Women of this period were treated differently depending on the nation they were in. In the Spanish Civil War, women fought alongside men in the Loyalist army. For that matter, in Spain, after King Alfonso vacated the throne, women attended college, held meaningful positions in various professions and were able to vote as they saw fit. In the United States, women received the right to vote in 1920, but the social change was long in coming. Their right to vote assured by the 19th amendment did little to assure that they were not discriminated against. In much of the world, necessity drove the acceptance of women into the traditionally man's world. The 1920s China had a communist movement which welcomed women as fighters for the people's cause. Often women would be fighting side-by-side with their male counterparts. The 1920s and 30s were decades of change.

In primitive societies, the role of women and men are often defined by tradition and reinforced by tribal law. This was still true in the 20s and 30s in places like the South Pacific, areas of Africa and South America. Much of the world still had untouched and primitive societies working within their traditions. These societies often had both a more primitive, sometimes harsh, view of a woman's role.

Immigrants

Immigrants to the United States were treated as cheap labor in a number of cases. The Caribbean Islands supplied a number of black immigrants who fled oppressive governments and poor living conditions. There were also a number of Jewish and German immigrants. While these people usually brought serviceable skills, they were still persecuted for the actions of their native country. The next largest group of immigrants were the Italians and specifically the Sicilians fleeing the hunt for mafia members and the bloodshed that resulted. In all cases, one of the highest hopes of the immigrants was to come to the `land of opportunity' and build a new more prosperous life.

Out of these immigrations came a number of organizations to help and aid immigrants. The Jewish people had an organization and support network with their religion. The Italians often looked to the Mafia while Germans looked to their churches for support. Many of the European immigrants left their homelands due to the break up of the Austro-Hungarian Empire after the First World War.

Social Class

In the age of nationalism and social revolution as outlined in the dogma of Trotsky and Lenin, class became an important issue. The Harding Administration had shown itself to be corrupt at the highest level and that corruption could be directly linked to the wealthy. The wealthy, on the other hand, saw the 20s as a time of opportunity until the Depression started in 1929. Then it became a crusade to guard their remaining fortunes until the storm was over. The storm, though, would last for ten years. In this time, many of the wealthy treated the common U.S. workers as little more than animals. Labor unions gained support again after getting lax in the prosperous 20s. In many countries, like Spain, Russia and Bolivia, these class tactics erupted in violence.

Social revolution walked hand in hand with political revolution when the world seemed to be turning red. During this time, called the Red Scare, communists were seen behind every curtain and in every doorway. Many kings and dictators had real fears since they often represented the essence of the upper class. Strangely enough, it was not always the lowest of the social class, the peasant, that was swayed by the communists. It was often the case that the middle class intellectual was recruited. That is not to say that the peasant did not fight, but it was often with a political officer urging him on.

Class strife also took less violent forms in that not much association was common between the different classes. The middle class would look down on a waiter, those with servants were condescending to those without, etc. Strangely enough, the "lower class" individual just accepted this as the natural way of things. This was particularly rampant in the African-American population and one of the reasons that such organizations as the NAACP were formed.

Isolationism in the U.S.

The U.S. has always harbored a strong isolationist attitude, but the period from 1900 - 1940 was one of the high points of this sentiment. President Wilson delayed U.S. involvement in WWI with the argument that it was a European affair and the U.S. had no reason to involve itself. A very similar argument would keep the U.S. out of WWII until directly attacked by the Japanese.The reasons for this isolationism are complex and varied.

The U.S. was in the depths of the Depression when it passed the Neutrality Act, which stated it would neither involve U.S. forces nor ship material to any of the belligerents in Europe. The Neutrality Act was amended in 1936 and 1937 to disallow the loaning of money and the extension of the Act to cover civil wars (a reaction to the Spanish Civil War). However, in 1939 it would be revised again to allow a "cash-and-carry" policy for warring nations to purchase armaments.

As one can see, the U.S. went to great lengths to rationalize their neutrality and isolationism. Many of the American citizens felt it had been a mistake to enter WWI, and many of those people were veterans. This made the mood of the 1930s towards the European wars as one of apathy mixed with a greater concern for the troubles at home.

Jews

Prejudice against the Jewish people extended to many parts of the world. In Europe, they were persecuted as hoarders of wealth and even to the point of being called a cult. The U.S, while having no official laws against Jews, had a strong cultural bias towards Christianity. Often this set them on the path of fearing that which was different. Violence was not common but discrimination and slurs were.

Germany's programs to systematically destroy the Jewish people are well known. They started in 1933 at Dachau and were to become one of mankinds lowest moments.

Communism/Nationalism

Throughout the world a wave of nationalism was set off when the Russian Communists won their revolution in 1917. Much of the world lived in a state of poverty and were literally owned by a noble or so linked to the land as to be effectively owned. The idea of communism, where the workers owned their own land, spoke to the common people. With the success in Russia, the peasant could now hope to have something more. Few nobles could anticipate the chain reaction which would sweep through the nations of the world like a wildfire. The belief in a Trotsky "World Social Revolution" was difficult for them to imagine. Even more difficult was the thought that a Leninist socialist revolution within a country could have support, much less any success. However, communism changed the way virtually every European country treated its workers, even if the party failed to gain political prominence.

Chronology

The setting for Shades of Earth revolves around Earth history. The following table is meant as a quick reference.

1900
Anglo-Boer War in South Africa; First National Teamsters Union
1912
South African Native National Congress formed
June 28, 1914
Arch Duke Ferdinand assassinated by the Black Hand, a Serbian independence group, beginning World War I.
1917
U.S. Enters WWI
Nov. 11, 1918
German armistice signed marking the end of hostilities
Jun. 29, 1919
Treaty of Versailles signed marking the official end of World War I for Germany
Oct. 10, 1919
Treaty of Saint Germain signed marking the end of World War I for Austria.
1920
Women win the right to vote; National Prohibition enacted.
Formation of the League of Nations.
Sept 18-19, 1931
Japan occupies Mukden, Manchuria; War with China begins
Sept 15, 1932
Japanese puppet state of Manchukuo established
1933
National Prohibition reversed.
Jan 30, 1933
Hitler named Chancellor of Germany
Mar 24, 1933
Reichstag gives supreme power to Hitler
Mar 27, 1933
Japan leaves League of Nations
Oct. 21, 1933
Germany Leaves League of Nations
Aug. 2, 1934
German President Paul von Hindenburg dies, Hitler is named Reichsfuehrer and assumes duties of both Chancellor and president
Sept 18, 1934
USSR joins the League of Nations
Mar 16, 1935
Germany reinstitutes the military draft
Apr. 14, 1935
The Stressa accords on status quo in Europe signed by France, U.K. and Italy
May 2, 1935
Franco-Soviet mutual assistance pact signed.
Jun. 18, 1935
U.K. and Germany sign naval treaty without France
Mar 7, 1936
In direct violation of the Treaty of Versailles, the Rhineland is reoccupied and re-militarized by Germany
Oct. 3, 1935
Italy invades Ethiopia
Jul. 18, 1936
Spanish Civil war begins
Oct. 25, 1936
Rome-Berlin Axis established
Nov. 25, 1936
Japan-Germany Anti-Comintern (Anti-Communist) Pact signed
July 7, 1937
Japanese-Chinese hostilities resume
Nov. 6, 1937
Italy joins Anti-Comintern Pact with Germany and Japan
Dec. 11, 1937
Italy leaves the League of Nations
Mar 13, 1938
Anschluss joins Austria to Germany
Sept 26, 1938
Germany sends ultimatum to Czechoslovakia
Sept 29-30,1938
At the Munich Conference, Germany and Italy sign the Munich Pact dividing Czechoslovakia
Oct. 1, 1938
Germany annexes the Sudetenland
Oct. 2, 1938
Poland annexes Teschen
Nov. 2, 1938
Hungary annexes Slovakian territory
Feb. 2, 1939
Pope Pius XII dies
Mar 15, 1939
Hitler enters Prague
Mar 16, 1939
Czechoslovakia becomes protectorate of Germany
Mar 27, 1939
Spain joins the Anti-Comintern Pact
Apr. 1, 1939
Franco announces the end of the Spanish Civil War
Apr. 7, 1939
Italy invades Albania
Apr. 28, 1939
Hitler denounces British-Polish Pact and claims Danzig
May 8, 1939
Spain leaves the League of Nations
May 18, 1939
U.K. begins military draft
July 26, 1939
U.S. denounces trade agreement with Japan singed on July 11.
Aug. 23, 1939
Nazi-Soviet Pact signed
Aug. 24, 1939
Britain mobilizes
Aug. 25, 1939
Britain and Poland sign mutual assistance treaty
Sept 1, 1939
Germany invades Poland; Italy declares neutrality
Sept 3, 1939
Britain, France, Australia and New Zealand declare war on Germany
Sept 6, 1939
South Africa declares war on Germany
Sept 9, 1939
Canada Declares war on Germany
Sept 15, 1939
Japan sign cease fire with USSR
Sept 17, 1939
USSR occupies eastern Poland
Sept 24, 1939
Warsaw bombed
Sept 27, 1939
Warsaw surrenders
Sept 28, 1939
Polish army surrenders
Oct. 3, 1939
U.S. declares neutrality
Nov. 4,1939
U.S. enact "cash and carry" amendment to Neutrality Act allowing European countries to purchase armaments
Nov. 30, 1939
USSR attacks Finland
Dec. 14, 1939
USSR ousted from League of Nations
Jan 19, 1940
French parliament bars communists from entry
Jan 22, 1940
Vatican condemns German indemnity demand on Poland
Mar 12, 1939
Soviet-Finnish peace treaty signed in Moscow
Mar 28, 1940
French and U.K. agree not to make separate peace with Axis
Mar 30, 1940
Pro-Japanese Wang Changwei government installed in Nanking
Apr. 9, 1940
Germany invades Denmark and Norway
Apr. 15, 1940
British, French and Polish troops land in Norway
May 10, 1940
Germany attacks the Netherlands, Belgium and Luxembourg. French and British move troops into Belgium
May 14, 1940
Germans break through French lines at Sedan
May 15, 1940
Dutch Army surrenders
May 21, 1940
British counterattack at Arras
May 22, 1940
Germans and Rumanians sign oil pact to assure Germany all of Rumania's oil production
May 26 - Jun. 4, 1940
Evacuation at Dunkirk
May 28, 1940
Belgian Army surrenders
June 9, 1940
Norwegian forces cease fire
June 10, 1940
Germans cross the Seine at Rouen; French government flees; Italy declares war on France and Britain; Allies evacuate Norway
Jun. 14, 1940
Paris surrenders
Jun. 15-17, 1940
USSR occupies Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania
Jun. 16, 1940
French front collapses
Jun. 22, 1940
German-French armistice signed
Jun. 24, 1940
Italian-French Armistice signed
Jun. 26, 1940
USSR demands cessation of Bessarabia and northern Bukovia from the Rumanians and it is granted on July 2
Jun. 28, 1940
DeGaulle is recognized as leader of free France
July 1, 1940
French Vichy government established
July 3, 1940
British destroy French navy at Mers el-Kebir
July 4, 1940
Italy attacks Sudan
Aug. 4, 1940
Italy occupies British Somaliland

Noteworthy Events

Several events are worthy of more detail. In order to create a character or campaign it is necessary to understand the history and events around the period. It would be difficult to create a knight in a fantasy game if you did not know what codes a knight maintained or whether knights even existed in the setting. The same applies here. It is hard to make a war hardened veteran if you do not know what conflicts he might have been involved in.

World War I

World War I scarred the world in a way that no other war in history could up until that time. It has been said of WWI that our technological progress had outpaced our maturity. In many ways this is true since the tactics and weapons employed in the war killed, maimed and wounded in mass quantities and with efficiency never seen before. Those that returned from this war were changed for the rest of their lives.

There are many different views on the cause of the first world war but most historians agree that the June 28, 1914 assassination of the Arch-Duke Ferdinand by the Black Hand, a Slavic nationalist group seeking independence from the Austro-Hungarian Empire, is the key event that set events in motion. In response to the assassination, Austria-Hungary declared war on Serbia. Some historians will claim this was a carefully orchestrated plan to expand the Austro-Hungarian Empire. Whatever the true cause, these events sparked one of the bloodiest conflicts in human history.

Due to a feeling of isolationism and that the war in Europe is not a U.S. affair, the United States avoided entering the war until April 1917. With the sinking of the Lusitania in 1915, a shift came in public opinion supporting the war. President Wilson began building up the military that eventually lead to the entry of the U.S. into WWI.

By the end of the war, Germany and her allies were on the verge of collapse and a change in government became inevitable. Despite a professed desire for peace and for healing to begin, Britain and her allies set about a disastrous campaign of vengeance and nation building. This set the stage for the very conflict that they professed to wish to avoid at all costs, World War II. Out of this desire for peace, the League of Nations was born with the charter of resolving disagreements through diplomacy. It did not succeed.

The League of Nations

The League of Nations was made up of Britain, France and their allies with the exception of the United States. Its goal was to disarm the world and make a forum for the peaceful resolution of conflicts around the world. During its run, from 1920 to 1946, it had more success in the 1920s than during any other time. Founded in part by President Woodrow Wilson and based on his 14 Points of Peace, the United States would never become a member. For its part the League did many good things in terms of creating commissions to deal with social affairs, labor and world health as well as resolving political conflicts in South America and Europe.

Members of the League came and went over the 26 years of its existence. Although the U.S. never joined, Germany, Italy and Japan all joined for a period of time before leaving. The USSR joined in 1934 only to be expelled in 1939 for the invasion of Finland.

The League of Nations laid the groundwork for the United Nations and held many of the same beliefs and hopes. Its greatest successes were when the members had a strong shared idealism, which was best exemplified in the 1920s. In the end, between 1939 and 1946, the league did not assemble again and in 1946 dissolved permanently.

Prohibition

Prohibition began in January of 1920 and lasted until 1933. Over this period, illegal organizations of bootleggers and mafia sprang up to fill the demand for alcohol. Gin Joints and Speakeasies opened to serve a private clientele. There had been many reasons proposed for the banning of liquor in the United States at that time but most common is a perception of rampant alcoholism calling for a means for combatting excessive drunkenness.

Prohibition did not happen all at once. The gradual build up over a century's time to National prohibition started as early as 1619, over 150 years before the United States were formed. An important point to note is that prohibition did little to decrease consumption of alcohol and actual increases were recorded. In the post-1933 prohibition days, the level of alcohol consumption would never return to pre-1920s levels.

The Great Depression

The Great Depression is often viewed in terms of the U.S. alone, but in fact it effected the entire world and set a number of things in motion. On October 29, 1929 the U.S. stock market crashed marking the beginning of a world wide economic disintegration. At the peak of the Depression, 1933, unemployment was as high as 25%. With the start of World War II and the drafting of a large portion of young men, the labor pool shrunk, adding to the recovery.

It can be argued that if the depression had not occurred, Hitler's National Workers Party would not have gotten the support it did amongst the German people. Spain's economy suffered, opening the path to the Spanish Civil War and Franco's limited support of Germany. The destabilization was widespread and felt, in some way, by everyone in the civilized world.

During the depression, the cost of goods increased while the buying power of the dollar decreased. People were not only unable to purchase the goods they needed to survive (food, clothing, housing) but also unable to find work to supply even the smallest of revenue. To help the people of the U.S. the government enacted a series of programs entitled "New Deal." This program was administered by the Work Projects Administration (WPA).

The WPA hired workers to perform a wide range of tasks from building schools, bridges and other structures to hiring artisans to build displays for museums. This program solved one side of the equation but increased prices still caused a great deal of hardship. This period of economic weakness did not end until the beginning of World War II.

When the U.S. amended the Neutrality Act to allow the sales of munitions to European countries, the U.S. economy began to recover. Workers were put into gainful employment in the production of munitions. Still, much of the rest of the world would take years to recover to pre-depression levels.

Spanish Civil War

After World War I, Spain was ruled by a dictator named Primo de Rivera. He was a benevolent dictator who spent his first seven years in power building up Spain's infrastructure and international ties. He continued to keep King Alfonso on the throne as a symbol for his people. Then the depression hit and Spain faced tough economic times. The dictator became less benevolent and began exiling and imprisoning his critics. Primo was eventually removed from power and exiled to England in 1930, and the parliament was restored to power.

Although there were failed attempts at revolution, elections were held in 1931. The republican government took power and demanded King Alfonso's abdication. Alfonso refused, and instead of stepping down voluntarily left Spain, leaving the throne vacant. In his manifesto he stated that, "I do not wish a single drop of blood to be spilt over me." With this statement, Alfonso simply left and the Spanish Republic was born.

Monarchists vs Anarchists

The Republic was made up of several parties mostly comprised of lawyers and professors. They proclaimed a government for the people, but they all had different views of what form this government would take. Many still believed in the monarchy and the strength of Spain through faith in the Catholic church. These people were called the Monarchists. The Anarchists believed that political reform had taken place but that social reform, demonstrated in an imperfect form in Russia, had yet to happen. A riot on May 10 was the beginning of violence between the two parties. During the four days of rioting, a great deal of convents, churches and monasteries were destroyed. By the end of the violence, the Primate of Spain was replaced by the Vatican with a more moderate Cardinal.

Anarchists give way to Communists

As the new Republic proceeded, holding elections and creating a new constitution, the Communists were busy building their numbers. They were more organized than the Anarchists, and this lead to a falling off of the number of Anarchists.

There was trouble within the provisional government as well. When the president of the provisional government did not enact many of the anti-clerical laws such as the expelling of the Jesuit Order, the seizing of their properties, and the removal of the Catholic Church as the state religion, he was voted out and replaced with Azana, a strong anti-clerical. He enacted all the anti-church laws and much more. He guided the new constitution to dictate that there was no state religion.

New governments were voted in and out of power roughly every two months. This chaos continued for six years, until the inevitable war broke out.

General Francisco Franco

The leftist party, called the Popular Front, had come to power in 1935 and had been calling the shots in the government for about a year when General Franco of the Moroccan Foreign Legion sided against them. Franco represented the return of the old Spain without the monarchy. He would be the dictator and rule all of Spain. His army consisted of young men of position and means backed by the Roman Catholic Church. His enemy was the Republic which now embraced the communists and Popular Front along with many of the leftist movements. The enemy movement was called the Loyalists and received much aid in the form of International Brigades. The Nationalists, as Franco's movement was called, received aid from Italy and Germany as they expected to form a powerful ally by doing so.

The conflict began in 1936 and continued until 1939 when Franco successfully defeated the Loyalist forces and took the capital of Madrid. Franco ruled Spain for the next 30 years.

China

From the eastern point of view, World War II started in July 7, 1937, when Japanese troops crossed the Marco Polo Bridge and took Peiping. However, the foundations for the war started many years earlier. Revolution which had overthrown the Manchus in the 1920s only set the stage for nearly 20 years of petty warlords and struggles of a weak central government to fend off Communism from inside and the Japanese from without. Chiang Kai-shek struggled throughout the 1920s to solidify the Chinese government under one party with him at the lead. Chiang led the Kuomintang, or nationalist party. They violently opposed Mao Tse-Tung and Chou En-lai who represented the younger generation and the communist movement.

Campaign after campaign were sent after the communists and the successes were limited. In 1930, a major offensive in south-east China's Kiangsi Province pit the forces of Kai-shek's Kuomintang army against 90,000 communist peasant militia, only a tenth of which had rifles. This precipitated the "Long March" of 6000 miles to the northwestern province of Shensi. Those with weapons held off the enemy while the others disassembled the communist factories and hand carried them to a new base of operations. Only about half of the communists survived.

A Change of Heart

During all this, the Japanese took more and more of China. In 1932, they formed the state of Manchukuo where Manchuria had once stood. Dissension from his generals enraged Kai-shek but he did not waver from his orders to eliminate the communists from China. Finally, in 1936, one of Kai-shek's generals kidnapped him and forced him to meet with the communist leaders. The two enemy factions reached a truce and banded together to fight the Japanese who were invading their country.

Beginning of World War II

Although relations between China and Japan had been strained, to put it mildly, Kai-shek had been more interested in destroying the communists than in stopping Japanese encroachment. When the Kuomintang and the Communists teamed up, the Japanese knew they had to move quickly. Within a month most major cities fell to their forces. By 1937 over 600,000 Chinese lay dead from the conflict. They had almost no way to defend their major cities, and the Japanese army was cruel in its victory, resorting to looting, rape, and general mayhem. The carnage was complete in all ways.

Japan occupied much of the coastal regions of China and controlled many of her cities for the period of the war. The effect of the Japanese modern army against the primitive communist forces and the poorly trained Kai-shek forces was devastating. Ironically, the troops that Kai-skek had which were trained and equipped as a modern army had received that training from the Germans.

Pre-war Germany

An almost religious fanaticism in the nationalist ideology swept the world in the 1920s and 30s. Many of the downtrodden peasants and workers of the post-WWI world looked for something more, and a life worth living. Many were inspired by the Russian revolution and by the powerful world social revolution preached in the writings of Trotsky. Germany was no exception. A world of economic woes faced Germany. It was being bled white with war reparations, many of the economic reforms were crashed by external powers bent on punishing Germany for its part in WWI, and all its colonies had been stripped from its possessions. The National Socialist German Workers Party arose with Hitler as an active member. Many factors contributed to the success of the Nazi party, not the least of which was the Great Depression. A harsh economic situation combined with long work days and unbearable conditions drove many to the party.

By 1928, the Nazi party moved to the fore in German politics. The opposition was strong and in many cases recognized the Nazis for just what they were, but the party's tactics were far too effective and the efforts of the government too late. The Nazis used the nationalist movement to appeal to the youth of Germany, and by 1933 Hitler was in absolute power. From there on the Nazis went about rearming in violation of the Treaty of Versailles and building towards what they knew to be an inevitable war.

Africa

Africa had been divided up by the European colonial powers in 1885. By 1900 Africa was entirely claimed by the colonial powers except for Ethiopia and Liberia. In 1900, the Anglo-Boer war broke out in South Africa between the British and the descendants of Dutch settlers in the area. The war lasted two years and cost many lives. Although called the "White Man's War," many native African people were killed or affected. The base reason for the British initiative was to acquire the gold and diamond resources of the Boer Republics. In this way, Britain became the major power on the African continent.

In the first two decades of the 19th century, Marcus Garvey formed the African Communities League and the UNIA. These organizations helped lead the African nations to freedom in the 1950s. Still, from the vantage point of the early part of the 1900s, Africa was a bleak place for indigenous people.

In 1912, the South African Native National Congress, the forerunner of the African National Congress, was formed. It was a non-violent civil rights organization that joined the black people of South Africa without regard to tribe or religion.

When World War I began in 1914 it was initially thought of as the European's war but it did not take long to spill over into Europe's African colonies. Over a million Africans were conscripted to fight in European armies.The French Army was most noted for this practice and a Senegalese regiment was amongst the most highly decorated.

By 1921 communism had come to South Africa and the South African Communist Party was founded. Communist Russia played a big part in the struggle against colonial domination. The SACP continued to play a major part in the struggle for labor reforms beyond the colonial period.

When Italy, via Benito Mussolini, set its sights on an empire in Africa, the logical choice was apparent. Ethiopia was an independent country located adjacent to the Italian Somaliland. When Italy conquered this country in 1936, its ruler fled to England and beseeched the League of Nations to do something, but his cries fell on deaf ears.

When World war II broke out the French immediately conscripted 60,000 Africans for the war effort. They served as laborers through much of the war, digging trenches and driving trucks, fighting in a war that dealt little with Africans.

In all, during the period from 1900 to 1940, Africa was a dangerous and exploited continent. Her native peoples had little to do with shaping their own lives, fates and countries. Colonial powers held sway while they subjugated or outright enslaved entire native populations. Businessmen from foreign countries came seeking the mineral wealth of the interior. The worst of these was the Belgian Congo where Emperor Leopold sanctioned the enslavement of entire communities to work in mines, on plantations and in the ivory trade. Africans held only two countries, Abyssinia (Ethiopia) and Liberia. Tribes of Africans, like the Zulu, fought to hold their territory but were mostly overwhelmed by the superior arms of the Europeans.

Latin America

During the period between 1900 and 1940 the population of Latin America more than doubled due to European immigration after World War I and a general internal migration of peasants to major cities. This increased the importance of the emerging cities and a middle class not formed around plantations. Women's suffrage was supported by labor movements and left wing political parties. This powerful combination drove eight countries in Latin America to grant women's suffrage between 1914 and 1945.

South America also felt the eruption of the nationalist and communist movements directly. During World War I, at the urging of the United States, Latin American countries either broke off diplomatic relations or declared war with Germany. Despite this, the period from 1916 to 1929 was a boom of trade dealing with the export of natural resources. After World War I, the U.S. began to invest heavily in Latin American countries both in raw materials extraction and industrialization in the more advanced countries. Nationalists resented the foreign investors, fearing their countries would be drained of their resources for the profit of the United States. This led to a number of revolutions throughout the Latin American nations, as evidenced in Bolivia.

Bolivia became the major supplier of tin to the world, but social improvements did not follow. Miners tried to form labor unions in response to harsh working conditions and low pay. The army responded with murders and arrests. Throughout the 1920s unrest continued to grow but did not culminate until the "Veterans of Chaco" overthrow the government in 1936. However this was a thinly veiled military revolution, and did not truly serve the needs of the common people. Not until 1946 did the workers, soldiers and students rise up and overthrow the oppressive government made up of the wealthy. The resulting government was a federation of Trotsky-like communist/socialists. In the end though, even this attempt at improving the condition of workers in Bolivia would be preempted by the military.

In Central America there were several attempts at a Central American Federation, but none succeeded due to political unrest in the participating countries. Between 1923 and 1926 a treaty of neutrality was ratified by the major states denouncing hostilities towards each other.

Much like Africa of the period, Latin America saw the rise and fall of many countries and the exploitation of her natural resources. The difference was that much of the ruling body came from established immigrants. The original Spanish settlers, having lived there for centuries, inflicted these atrocities on fellow descendants and native populations. This same ruling class welcomed foreign powers, mostly the U.S, into their countries and assisted in the exploitation of their people. A great deal of opportunity for wealth was available in South and Central America but little hope for their native populations.

The Pacific

The Pacific in the 1920s and 30s was very undeveloped. Japan looked to expand her empire, and colonial powers looked to protect their investment. The native population was little affected by this policy and for the most part lived their life as they had, simple and free.

World War I did little to change this. Although Australia, New Zealand and Japan conquered the German possessions in the Pacific, they favored outright annexation of the territories. The U.S. opposed such a move and was able to prevent it. The peaceful times lasted only until World War Two, when Japan reclaimed these territories under the pretense of keeping law and order.

India

India was a colonial possession of Britain during World War I and provided troops and money for the war effort. This support waned as the war continued and high prices and taxation were felt by the common citizen. The Indian legislators met to develop an agreement called the Lucknow Pact in 1916 which outlined an increased level of self rule. The Lucknow Pact was much more than that though, it was an agreement between the Muslim and Hindu members of the legislature. It was also the first time that the Hindu Legislature recognized the Muslim as an independent political party representing the Muslims of India.

Still, many of the Indian legislators were not pleased with the speed that the British government moved towards self rule by Indians. As tensions grew, Mohandas Ghandi called for a fast and a work stoppage (hartal) throughout India. Sadly many were ignorant of Ghandi's pacifist approach and violence broke out, resulting in the death of five Englishman and the savage beating on one English woman. Within a month the Amritsar Massacre occurred, where 370 unarmed Indian civilians were killed and 1200 wounded. Mass unrest followed as the commander of the forces, Gen. Reginald Dyer, was given only mild censure. In addition to all this, the third Anglo-Afghan war erupted in 1919. The new Emir Amanullah called for Muslims of India to rise up against the British. The Mantagu-Chelmsford Reforms were also introduced by the British but rejected by the Indian National Congress.

Despite Ghandi's urgings and teachings, violent terrorist actions arose. Many fundamentalist groups took hold. Violent bloodshed between Muslims and Hindu landlords followed throughout the 1920s. In an uprising in 1922, Indian Nationalists leading insurgent peasants killed 22 policemen at the Chauri Chaura station. Ghandi was arrested along with the leaders of the uprising and sentenced to six years imprisonment. Due to Ghandi's failing health, he was released early in 1924.

The communist party began to make itself felt as they organized strikes in the textile and railroad industries in 1928. The Communist Party of India was founded in 1923 and slowly built a following from the disillusioned Indian worker. The Meerut Conspiracy Case of 1929 where 31 communist leaders were arrested raised great amounts of sympathy for their cause.

For all the communists involvement though, this still remained Ghandi's and the Nationalists' movement to free India. In 1930, Ghandi was again arrested and jailed without trial. This time he was held less than a year before being released in the beginning of 1931. Unfortunately, in this same year a massive Hindu-Muslim riot took place over the execution of Bhagat Singh, a convicted bomber. Throughout the 1930s, incidents of this nature persisted. On the one hand, Ghandi stood for a peaceful path to freedom. On the other, the violent factions which had existed in India for centuries felt this was the time to strike for their own causes.

As more men were jailed (up to 60,000 in one year), women began to play a larger role in the movement. They donated their jewelry, and sometimes their dowry, to fund the cause. They took on jobs normally filled by men and took on leadership roles within the Indian National Congress. In spite of the violence of the times, this was a great step forward for equality for the women of India.

Scenario Ideas

Setting is very important to a scenario and can be motivated by a number of factors. If a group or GM enjoys a certain period of history, then it would be good to set a campaign or scenario in that time period. The periods that Shades of Earth can be used in are quite wide. By subtracting rules (i.e. firearms for a medieval Japanese setting) you can set Shades of Earth into most any time period. The setting information included in this book allows for moving the setting forward to about 1945 and as far back as 1915. Much further than this will require modification of weapons and equipment available along with minor modifications to skills and classes. Shades is meant to accommodate this through easy customization.

The following are some setting ideas for a campaign. There are many different time periods and locations that would serve as excellent scenario settings. Please check the Hinterwelt Web site (www.hinterwelt.com) for more setting ideas.

Thuggee Encounter

The Thuggees have risen again and are making a bid for the city of Delhi. The year is 1919 and they are taking advantage of the Anglo-Afghan war to infiltrate the political structures and make their presence know. Their leader, a man named only Radhi, has pushed the envelope and has the British Viceroy in a delicate position. He has kidnapped his daughter and has demanded the secret cooperation of the viceroy Chelmsford and the British government. Even if a group of brave individuals are to return the viceroy's daughter Priscilla, will she have been affected by the Blood of Kali?

German Base

The party, a group of German soldiers and Gestapo, must investigate the base outside Klagenfurt in Austria. The year is 1938 and the base was working on secret means to create super soldiers using capture vampires. This is not likely to be good. The commander of the party, is Hauptmann Heinrich Fallststein, a decorated member of the Gestapo. The base is located in a deep mountain valley that gets limited exposure to the sun. Many of the "failed" experiments were kept for further study.

The party's mission is to scout the situation and make an evaluation of the feasibility of saving the experiment and facility. If all is well and it is merely a downed telegraph line, then so be it. If not, then there is a self destruct which will incinerate the entire facility. The secondary mission is to save the head scientist, Hans Gruppens, and his research. All other personnel are expendable.

Dr. Gruppens was experimenting on increasing strength and regenerative capabilities while keeping the subject alive and able to eat in a normal fashion. All experiments resulted in the subject still being sensitive to sunlight. The party will be supplied with a U.V. prototype generator. It weighs 50 lbs and requires two people to operate, but should be able to destroy one of these creatures in under three rounds.

Lost City on the Savannah

The year is 1936 and a wealthy Italian investor has come upon information of a city which was spotted by some deep Italian military probes into the Congo. It was purported to be of a design never seen before. The investor, Giorgio Capelli, has discovered that it might well be the City of Pearls, Idantos, mentioned in an ancient Greek text of a colony city built in the far south. If it is truly Idantos then it was known for two things, the first being its supposedly boundless libraries describing the ancient world in detail and the second being a near limitless supply of sapphires. Capelli will claim to be interested only in the libraries, but will insist on an 80-20 split with the party.

The problem he faces is that the Italian government wishes the city for itself and will be launching a joint expedition with the Germans. Giorgio will scramble to employ any people he can to get to the city first. Some will be Rogues, some will have no knowledge of Magic at all, but all will need the skills it takes to survive in the jungle.

Prohibition

Racketeering is big in 1928 and even more so in New York. A new power has arrived on the scene and her name is Jinny McCall. For all appearances she is the most beautiful and toughest customer around. She has no reservations about eliminating the competition and she has an edge. Jinny and her chief lieutenants are werewolves. The stand to upset the balance along the whole eastern seaboard and the party needs to do something about it.

The party belongs to a strange mix of Department 12 and Mafia families. They know that Jinny and her gang, the Irish Gang, are more than trouble, they are a foot hold for something far more evil. Some of the Mafia families have already gone over to them for protection. Others will have nothing to do with resisting them but will also not side with the Irish Gang. The party has their work cut out for them as they need to infiltrate the Long Island estate of Jinny and her pack to get the lowdown on the "Big Shipment" coming in from overseas.

Character Ideas

Players should also keep in mind the period that their character is in. Will they play a soldier? Is that soldier a veteran? If so, then of what war? All these questions will be driven by the period that the character is in as well as the events that they might have been involved with.

Organizations

Some organizations will not exist in certain periods of time. This means that if a player really wants to play a Dept. 12 character, they must play after 1934, the year of the creation of the Department. Some organizations, like the Dragon Clan, could be played at any time in history.

A character who is part of an organization will have certain advantages. One of these is the cloak of legitimacy. It will allow the character to function with some authority, although they will be bound by rules as well. Any organization will require their members to behave in a certain way and abide by certain rules. A character will also have access to help. They will be able to call on reinforcements or stay at a safe house or request equipment.

Ideas for the types of characters depends on the organizations. For instance, it could be quite entertaining to investigate the evil side of this period by playing a Gestapo agent. It could be equally challenging to be playing one that believes strongly in Germany and chooses to be ignorant of the darker side of the Reich. This is human nature. Alternatively, a Dragon Clan member could be equally driven to do what she believes is right, as opposed to the will of Baoshi. She will question the wisdom of the actions she carries out while she is driven to do as she is commanded by a lifetime of training. Often the gathering of information and items is done to maintain the illusion that magic does not exist in the world. All of this could be complicated by the occupation of the Japanese or the local rule of various warlords throughout China.

Prohibition

Prohibition gives a rich setting for a number of character ideas. The obvious are Mafia, bootlegger and a proprietor of a speakeasy. On the other side of the law you had policemen, FBI agents and treasury agents. The less well known, but every bit as interesting, would be to play a teamster running the gin or an engineer bent on building the better still. A small party of rogues could be centered around the building of a gin joint and the troubles that go along with it.

The heads of these cartels of alcohol were often involved in all manner of illegal activities and had very long arms. Some would be involved in Europe or South America. This brings the chance for players to bring in characters from all walks of life and all places in the world.

Pre-War

The world before the start of World War I and World War II was a different place. People saw that war was coming but often hoped it would not actually precipitate. Into this setting a player can choose to play a number of characters, but a choice character would be the spy. Spies went through a number of different phases between WWI and WWII. They were most often information gatherers and only occasionally assassins. This was also one of the professions that women had opportunity to participate in. Amongst other professions, a period of exploration and expansion made Africa and Australia prime areas. Europe laid claim to almost all of Africa and large parts of Asia. This created resentment amongst many of the native populations. Opportunities for soldiers abounded to aid in the suppression of revolts.

History


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