Great Purge civil war

[🐾Humulus🐾]

Hello all,

During the great purge as the SU you got the option not to purge your officers. As the game says a civil war will inevitably break out. Is this civil war managable or is it wiser to purge the officers anyway. If yes after you won the civil war do you keep Stalin as head of state and do you keep your officers?

[Daliena]

I think not purging means Trotsky comes into power, or at least can - it's been a while. If he does, he becomes the new Head of State and Stalin is killed, and some officers will be unavailable. Some the same as the ones that Stalin would purge, others different ones. If you don't purge at all, either by not running the NF or running it and refusing to actually kill anyone, the civil war is pretty tiny as I recall.

[bun]

Originally posted by Daliena:

I think not purging means Trotsky comes into power, or at least can - it's been a while. If he does, he becomes the new Head of State and Stalin is killed, and some officers will be unavailable. Some the same as the ones that Stalin would purge, others different ones. If you don't purge at all, either by not running the NF or running it and refusing to actually kill anyone, the civil war is pretty tiny as I recall.

So it's better to just do civil war?

[Daliena]

Originally posted by Amellis ^-^:

Originally posted by Daliena:

I think not purging means Trotsky comes into power, or at least can - it's been a while. If he does, he becomes the new Head of State and Stalin is killed, and some officers will be unavailable. Some the same as the ones that Stalin would purge, others different ones. If you don't purge at all, either by not running the NF or running it and refusing to actually kill anyone, the civil war is pretty tiny as I recall.

So it's better to just do civil war?

Well, depends on things like whether you want Trotsky or Stalin. As I recall T-dawg has reduced political power gain, but subversive activities like spreading commie influence into other nations and starting revolts are cheaper for him.

[Zimbabwe Salt Co.]

When it comes to the civil war you get two options, one as Daliena said gives you Trotsky who is geared up for the world revolution and the other keeps Stalin.

Trotsky's civil war is pretty small and easy to do. Never actually done Stalin's civil war but I used the console to activate the event so see what the game means by "massive" and it more or less means most of Western Russia turns hostile.

[IrationalFear]

Mimd the difference between not taking the Purge focus at all, and taking it but choosing the civil war options.

In the first case, you will be given a pop-up in late 38-early 39 asking if you want Trotsky to take over, or to have a larger civil war. Picking Trotsky gives a small civil war run buy Konev, and purges some of your officers and ministers (Zhukov most notably). It is entirely manageable, as the front size is far too big for the AI to deal with. Trotsky gets a focus to remove his penalties. If you take that, AND take NKVD, subversive activities costs drop to zero; Justifying War Goals is technically a subversive activity in the game, allowing you to declare war on anyone in a very short amount of time.
Saying no to Trotsky lets you keep Stalin, and may lock out some national focuses; on the bright side, you don't lose anyone in the Purge. The downside: About half of your territory rebels, and has a very real chance of joining the Axis. This is your worst possible civil war scenario, but is the only one to have no technical penalties or officers purged (picking Trotsky still give you that negative modifier).

The second case is taking the Purge focus, but choosing the bottom option every time. This gives you a civil war of similar scale to picking Trotsky, but it's run by low-level generals instead of Konev, and you don't lose and major generals or ministers doing this; this also doesn't lock you out of any national focuses. Be aware that this is the only route that doesn't get SMERSH completed for free.

If you want Trotsky, take the purge.
If you want to keep all your generals and ministers, take the purge, and choose the civil war options.
If you want a real civil war with a high chance of foreign intervention, but no officers penalty, Don't take the Purge and say no to Trotsky.

[Hero123]

@IrationalFear: Thanks for tips on taking the Purge.

[🐾Humulus🐾]

Originally posted by IrationalFear:

Mimd the difference between not taking the Purge focus at all, and taking it but choosing the civil war options.

In the first case, you will be given a pop-up in late 38-early 39 asking if you want Trotsky to take over, or to have a larger civil war. Picking Trotsky gives a small civil war run buy Konev, and purges some of your officers and ministers (Zhukov most notably). It is entirely manageable, as the front size is far too big for the AI to deal with. Trotsky gets a focus to remove his penalties. If you take that, AND take NKVD, subversive activities costs drop to zero; Justifying War Goals is technically a subversive activity in the game, allowing you to declare war on anyone in a very short amount of time.
Saying no to Trotsky lets you keep Stalin, and may lock out some national focuses; on the bright side, you don't lose anyone in the Purge. The downside: About half of your territory rebels, and has a very real chance of joining the Axis. This is your worst possible civil war scenario, but is the only one to have no technical penalties or officers purged (picking Trotsky still give you that negative modifier).

The second case is taking the Purge focus, but choosing the bottom option every time. This gives you a civil war of similar scale to picking Trotsky, but it's run by low-level generals instead of Konev, and you don't lose and major generals or ministers doing this; this also doesn't lock you out of any national focuses. Be aware that this is the only route that doesn't get SMERSH completed for free.

If you want Trotsky, take the purge.
If you want to keep all your generals and ministers, take the purge, and choose the civil war options.
If you want a real civil war with a high chance of foreign intervention, but no officers penalty, Don't take the Purge and say no to Trotsky.

That's what I actually ment. Next time I will take the purge and choose the civil war. This way I keep my officers and advisors. What about the negative modifiers, do they disappear?

[IrationalFear]

Originally posted by Salarmax:

That's what I actually ment. Next time I will take the purge and choose the civil war. This way I keep my officers and advisors. What about the negative modifiers, do they disappear?

You will still have the "officers purged" penalty, but it will be at level 4 compared to level 10 from doing the historical purge choices. Meaning, the penalty is -4% to doctrines and organization instead of -10%, and it is naturally removed in 2 years' time instead of 5 years. So, if the limited purge is the very first thing you do, it will be 1% or gone by the time the civil war starts.

[🐾Humulus🐾]

Originally posted by IrationalFear:

Originally posted by Salarmax:

That's what I actually ment. Next time I will take the purge and choose the civil war. This way I keep my officers and advisors. What about the negative modifiers, do they disappear?

You will still have the "officers purged" penalty, but it will be at level 4 compared to level 10 from doing the historical purge choices. Meaning, the penalty is -4% to doctrines and organization instead of -10%, and it is naturally removed in 2 years' time instead of 5 years. So, if the limited purge is the very first thing you do, it will be 1% or gone by the time the civil war starts.

Thanks for the replies!

[DMKI]

I have chosen the Purge, got every answer right, but 10 days before it ended I've got civil war. Absolutely idiotic game design.

[Mikey]

You don't need to do the purge, if you don't do the focus you will eventually end up in the civil war due to the trotskyite plotting which means you don't get officers purged at all.
The civil war is set to start at a rough date

DMKI, it is not the games fault that you chose to start the purge late though I do agree starting the focus should put the civil war on hold until the focus is completed.

[lubed_assassin]

Originally posted by DMKI:

I have chosen the Purge, got every answer right, but 10 days before it ended I've got civil war. Absolutely idiotic game design.

its a weaker civil war.

Trostky is cool but the game really isn't for him, he can stage coups around the world pretty easy then u use ur 6-7 super panzers to win every coup.

However, a civil war before the war with germany only destroys troops. would be interesting to see a fortress strategy holding them at moscow and couping all there allies lol.