In the occupied territories of China, World War II was waged using methods that went far beyond conventional military confrontation. In the headquarters of the Japanese North China Area Army, a strategy was formulated that aimed not just to defeat enemy troops, but to totally scorch the very human environment itself.

This doctrine entered history under the name “The Three Alls Policy” (Japanese: 三光作戦 — Sankō Sakusen), which literally translates to: “Kill All, Loot All, Burn All.”

History

Prior to 1940, the Japanese command attempted to use classical counter-insurgency methods but was met with fierce resistance. Chinese guerrillas literally “dissolved” among the peasantry, receiving food, shelter, and intelligence from them. For the Imperial Army, the answer became obvious: if you cannot catch the fish, you must drain the ocean.

General Yasuji Okamura (pictured) authorized the transition to scorched-earth tactics. Officially, in Japanese documents, this was called the “Strategy of Clean-up and Destruction,” but soldiers on the ground knew it by three simple verbs:

1. “Kill All” (Satsu-kō): Any resident of a village in the operation zone—be it an elderly person, a woman, or an infant—was automatically equated to a guerrilla or their accomplice. Populations were often exterminated preemptively and entirely.

2. “Loot All” (Raku-kō): From those peasants who were not killed, absolutely everything was seized: food, livestock, clothing, and seed grain. Entire regions were condemned to man-made famine to deprive the guerrillas of any means of supply.

3. “Burn All” (Shō-kō): Residential houses, barns, Buddhist temples, and other structures were committed to the flames. The land outside Japanese fortifications was to be turned into a lifeless wasteland.

The Mechanics of the Void

The implementation of this policy bore little resemblance to the Nazi “death conveyor” (industrialized killing); it more closely resembled a locust raid. Japanese punitive detachments would surround villages, herd the residents into one place, and carry out mass executions—burying people alive, machine-gunning them, or locking them in barns and setting them on fire. Those who managed to flee into the forests died of cold and hunger, as their homes and food supplies had been turned to ash.

Furthermore, the “Three Alls Policy” was actively combined with the use of biological and chemical weapons. Special units (including the infamous “Unit 731” and its branches) poisoned wells with cholera and typhoid pathogens and dropped plague-infested fleas over agricultural lands to permanently establish “dead zone” status for rebellious provinces.

The Price of Silence

According to historians’ estimates, more than 2.7 million civilians were killed during the implementation of the Sankō Sakusen policy in the northern provinces of China alone. Millions more became refugees, and the economic infrastructure of entire regions was wiped off the face of the earth.

The tragedy of the “Three Alls” policy also lies in the fact that, for a long time after the war, these crimes remained in the shadows. The Tokyo Trials focused primarily on the Nanjing Massacre and crimes against Western Allies. Many officers who planned and carried out the scorched-earth tactics in China safely returned to civilian life in postwar Japan.

The Geography of Terror

The Sankō Sakusen policy was officially and purposefully applied by the Japanese mainly in Northern China (in provinces like Hebei, Shanxi, and Shandong), where the guerrilla movement was strongest. This means that the 2.7 million deaths were the result of extermination within a relatively localized territory, rather than across the entire country.

Description

“New Poland” represents the remnants of the surviving government of the Republic. They live in a state of comfort unattainable for others, maintaining access to electricity, clean water, high-quality goods, medicine, and advanced technology. Their ultimate goal is to wait until the surface is cleared of radiation and restore the Polish state.

They consider themselves the only legitimate heirs to civilization and the sole carriers of “pure genetic material.”

History

1. Origins: The Legacy of the Third Reich and Billions of Euros (1997–2013)

The history of “New Poland” began long before the nuclear warheads fell. In 1997, during the catastrophic “Millennium Flood,” Polish authorities received an unexpected gift from a German researcher: a map of secret Nazi underground facilities beneath Wrocław. It was revealed that in 1945, SS forces had built a vast, sprawling network of tunnels under the Fortress of Breslau.

Starting in 1998, the Polish government began a secret study of these sites under the codename “Project Abyss.” In 2001, a large-scale, highly classified modernization of the bunkers began. Billions of euros were siphoned from the state budget under the guise of highway construction. The goal was simple: to create an absolutely autonomous super-shelter for the elite—the country’s top political, financial, and military leadership (designed for approximately 1,000 people).

Simultaneously, in the Owl Mountains, the state completed and modernized another massive German site—the legendary “Riese” (The Giant) complex. The official date for the formation of the unified organization under the codename “New Poland” is considered to be 2013, when the entire infrastructure of the super-bunkers was finalized and mothballed in preparation for the Apocalypse.

2. The Nuclear Strike and Isolation (Post-2013)

When the nuclear conflict erupted, things did not go according to plan. The strike was so sudden that the evacuation plan in Wrocław failed by 70%. Only about 300–350 people—politicians, officials, scientists, and a handful of military personnel—managed to descend into “The Abyss.” Slightly more reached the Owl Mountains (“The Giant”)—about 1,075 selected citizens.

Isolated from the world, these people quickly developed a rigid ideology. They declared themselves the “sole legitimate heirs of civilization.” They despised the ordinary people surviving in metro tunnels and stations, viewing them as “sub-humans” and “genetic trash” (reminiscent of the Enclave from the Fallout series).

In the early years, the leaders of “New Poland” attempted to go to the surface. However, embittered survivors dying of radiation, seeing clean, well-fed officials, hunted them down and brutally executed them. Following this, the organization went deep underground and shifted to a tactic of secret conspiracies.

#Administrative Structure and Political Model

By structure, “New Poland” is a totalitarian technocracy with elements of caste segregation. Society is strictly divided into “Citizens” (pre-war elite, scientists, military, and their purebred descendants) and “Subjects/Slaves.”

Higher Caste: The Nomenklatura Elite

At the top of the pyramid were the survivors of the pre-war government and high-ranking military officers. In “The Giant” complex, absolute dictatorial power belonged to Colonel Andrzej (a former political strategist); in Wrocław’s “Abyss,” it was held by Katarzyna Bondarczuk. This layer lived in luxury: drinking elite pre-war alcohol, using silverware, and engaging in political power games.

Middle Caste: Citizens (“Purebloods”)

This group included rank-and-file scientists, engineers, and technicians who maintained the bunkers’ life-support systems, as well as regular army soldiers. They had access to quality medicine, clean water, and proper nutrition.

Psychological Note: Most ordinary citizens were victims of internal propaganda. The leadership skillfully hid the most horrific details of their operations. For instance, citizens in the Owl Mountains sincerely believed that the blind workers serving the bunker were “mutants” whom the elite had “nobly rescued” and were gradually curing in hospitals.

Lowest Caste: “Skoptsy” (Bio-robots)

The most disenfranchised and numerous category. These were former surface dwellers captured by “harvesting squads.” Their social status was that of a living tool. They were deprived of names, personal space, and basic human traits. They were surgically deprived of their eyes and vocal cords. The Skoptsy were at the bottom of the hierarchy, performing grueling physical labor on dynamos and water pumps in exchange for food and security.

Enclaves (Geography) The faction is decentralized into two main enclaves:

The General Command Headquarters (Complex “Riese” / The Giant): Located in the Owl Mountains, this is the supreme political center ruled by Colonel Andrzej. It houses the main military forces, archives, surviving art pieces, and the strategic leadership for expansion. The Wrocław Sector Administration (Complex “The Abyss”): Located directly beneath Wrocław and led by Katarzyna Bondarczuk. “The Abyss” serves as a forward outpost, a R&D hub, and the primary “resource collection point.”

Propaganda and Mind Control

Social stability was maintained through psychological pressure managed by scientists:

Internal Lies: Colonel Andrzej used his pre-war PR skills to build a system of fake news. Any dissent was suppressed, and information about the outside world was strictly filtered to maintain the illusion that they were the last island of civilization on Earth.

Audio-Hypnosis for Slaves: To prevent riots among the blind Skoptsy, “sweet propaganda” was broadcast 24/7 via megaphones. A calm, soothing voice convinced the mutilated workers that their injuries were a “temporary quarantine measure” and that after 1,000 days of faithful service, their sight and speech would be restored, their children returned, and they would become full citizens. This mental conditioning was more effective than torture. Economy and Logistics

“New Poland” controls the Kamionki valley in Lower Silesia, where they grow oats and vegetables and raise poultry on radiation-cleared fields. The farmland is protected by machine-gun nests, moats, and powerful searchlights.

The energy needs of “The Giant” are met by fuel reserves. Their armored trains, operated by the “Shadows” unit, made dangerous runs to Czech oil terminals (Unipetrol refineries), crossing zones of extreme radiation and biological contamination.

Military

Abyss Garrison: They wear hazmat suits and are armed with Beryl assault rifles (5.56 mm), Glocks, and grenades. Despite their superior gear, they lack combat experience; their commander, Major Wydrzycki, has never been in a real battle.

Giant Garrison: They use camouflage (sometimes with ghillie elements), HK416 rifles, night vision, and Apple-branded radios. Their armored trains are equipped with “Scorpions”—automated ballistae firing iron rods—and heavy flamethrowers for clearing tunnels. The Shadows: An elite unit (commanded by Łukasz Dąbrowski) responsible for high-risk railway missions.

Science and Technology

**Electronics:**They use salvaged computers and radios protected from the EMP. Engineers daily intercepted shortwave broadcasts from a Russian radio amateur in Moscow (Artyom Chyorny).

Medicine: Despite expired medicines, they have professional surgical tools and anesthesia. They test the healing properties of mutated flora on rats.

Biological Warfare: Scientists in “Riese” developed the “Grey Plague” and poisonous neon mushroom spores, used to clear tunnels and control the population of survivors in Wrocław. Notable Representatives

The Abyss:

• Katarzyna Bondarczuk: Head of the complex, spy network curator.
• Maciej Wydrzycki: Special forces Major, military commander.
• Izabella Mędrecka: Quartermaster for the civilian sector.
• Tesla: An elderly scientist in charge of electrification and radio.
• The Healer: A former veterinarian turned chief surgeon who operates on slaves.
• Ania (Iskra): A young spy posing as a scavenger/stalker.

The Giant (Riese):

• Andrzej: Supreme leader, Colonel, former political strategist.
• Tamara: Manager and the Colonel’s mistress (later seized power).
• Adam (The Madman): Former commander of the “Shadows,” imprisoned and later released in 2035.
• Łukasz Dąbrowski: Lieutenant, current commander of the “Shadows.”

Interesting Facts

“New Poland” is the Polish equivalent of the “Invisible Watchers” from Moscow, the “Federals” from Omsk, or the “UK Government” from London.

The leaders possess the authentic Amber Room, which was lost during WWII and hidden by Nazis in the tunnels of “The Giant.”

Colonel Andrzej’s pre-war career involved “black PR” on the internet and creating fake scandals to discredit political opponents.

The “Skoptsy” are told they will be “healed” after 1,000 days of service—a blatant lie used to maintain productivity and prevent suicide.

I did it by eye. I made it from the outer ring of a bearing (which is why my blade is 5 mm thick). I cut it in half, heated up one half, and forged it into a straight flat bar. Then I cut out the shape using an angle grinder (the teeth on the spine of the blade and fitted the shape for the handle) and sharpened the blade on a bench grinder. I made the holes in the blade using a drill press.

I did it by eye. I made it from the outer ring of a bearing (which is why my blade is 5 mm thick). I cut it in half, heated up one half, and forged it into a straight flat bar. Then I cut out the shape using an angle grinder (the teeth on the spine of the blade and fitted the shape for the handle) and sharpened the blade on a bench grinder. I made the holes in the blade using a drill press.

And as a trader of Nuka-World, henceforth until the day you die, all day, every day, you will be sellin’ junk to suckers, turnin’ trash into caps. Now, when you get there, they gonna take away your name, give you a junk stall and say, ‘Get to work!’ One word of sass, they cut out your tongue. And they good at it, too. You won’t bleed out. Oh, they does that real good! They gonna work ya all day, every day 'till your back give out. Then they hit you in the head with a hammer, and throw your ass down the shitter.

Headwear: Marine Combat Helmet (Far Harbor DLC)

Outfit: Courser Uniform (Institute)

Weapon: Handmade Rifle with a suppressor (Nuka-World DLC)

Apparel: Modular Military Backpack (Creation Club)

Headwear: Marine Combat Helmet (Far Harbor DLC)

Outfit: Courser Uniform (Institute)

Weapon: Handmade Rifle with a suppressor (Nuka-World DLC)

Apparel: Modular Military Backpack (Creation Club)

And as a trader of Nuka-World, henceforth until the day you die, all day, every day, you will be sellin’ junk to suckers, turnin’ trash into caps. Now, when you get there, they gonna take away your name, give you a junk stall and say, ‘Get to work!’ One word of sass, they cut out your tongue. And they good at it, too. You won’t bleed out. Oh, they does that real good! They gonna work ya all day, every day 'till your back give out. Then they hit you in the head with a hammer, and throw your ass down the shitter.

While in the first installments of the game trilogy, the character of Miller was a fictional synthesis of various traits, in the final chapter — Metro Exodus — a real person named Pyotr Sherekin became the prototype for the colonel’s refreshed appearance.

In real life, Pyotr Sherekin is the Kyiv-based chairman of the Interregional Association of Special Forces Veterans and a USSR Master of Sports in hand-to-hand combat. He has real-world combat and service experience, which in many ways helped him become the perfect visual prototype for the rugged Colonel Miller.

Sherekin, much like Miller with his “Sparta,” was at the very roots of creating an elite formation. In the early 1990s, within the structure of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of independent Ukraine, the Republican Special Purpose Detachment — ROSPRIZ — was being formed. Pyotr Sherekin became its first commander.

Later, this unit became the foundation for the creation of the famous Ukrainian “Berkut” in January 1992. However, during major political changes and personnel reshuffles within the ministry at the time, Sherekin left the service and fully dedicated himself to training bodyguards, the veteran movement, and running his own business.

Note: The Ukrainian ROSPRIZ (much like the later “Berkut”) is conceptually very close to American regional SWAT or State Police tactical units. This provides a better picture of the type of formation Pyotr Sherekin both founded and commanded.

I think Charlie from Tim Burton’s Charlie and the Chocolate Factory is a total non-character. Just utterly blank.

Take Augustus, for example. His ticket was even half-bitten. Sure, he’s a German tub of lard. A total fatso. But! He wants to eat chocolate, so he eats it. He doesn’t worship Wonka, and he doesn’t give a damn about the golden tickets. He just does what he does best, while everyone else was clearing the store shelves looking for a ticket. PLUS, HE SPEAKS WITH A GERMAN ACCENT! He’s the only kid who learned a second language (English) to a conversational level.

So, why did Charlie even win?

Because he didn’t stick his nose in anything.

And why didn’t he stick his nose in anything?

Because he wasn’t spoiled like Veruca Salt?

Yes!

BUT! He is also completely devoid of initiative—unlike Violet and Mike Teavee:

Violet: An absolute leader, an athlete, hyper-focused on winning. She tries the experimental gum because she’s used to being first in everything and pushing new boundaries.

Mike Teavee: Just think about it—a 12-year-old boy hacked an un-hackable contest created by an eccentric billionaire, using probability math and supply-chain ballistics. In our reality, this kid would already be scouted and escorted away by recruiters from the NSA or MIT. Mike isn’t just some ‘angry gamer’; he’s an intellectual titan. Making a child’s outstanding intellect his main vice is a really bizarre message for a children’s movie.

And who wins in the end? Spineless Charlie. A boy whose ambitions are so atrophied that when a crazy chocolatier offers him an industrial empire, he… refuses. He’s too afraid to step out of his cozy, warm little swamp.

Or maybe that was the plan all along? Perhaps Wonka needed a blank slate—a compliant yes-man who wouldn’t argue, wouldn’t remodel the factory to fit his own vision, and would just blindly follow orders. In essence, Wonka chose the perfect heir for his slave-labor empire (because, let’s be real, his Oompa Loompas work for food).

Charlie Bucket will never innovate, never automate the Oompa Loompas’ labor, and never optimize taxes. He will just sit in his chocolate paradise, just like his father sat in that freezing shack.

Speaking of his dear old dad!

A man who has four grandparents rotting on a single bedsheet in his house loses his job as a toothpaste cap-screwer (literally, his job was to screw caps onto toothpaste tubes). And what does he do? He just sits in his hovel and whines.

BUT! In the finale of the film, we see this ‘Mr. Bucket’ calibrating and repairing the exact machine that replaced him. This is a key detail. It means he isn’t just some uneducated, unskilled laborer. He is a skilled mechanic. An engineer. A man who understands kinematics and automation. In an industrial world, a skilled mechanic is a king. As long as the gears are turning, engineers will be in high demand.

But this guy… he just didn’t look for work. He found it much more comfortable to play the victim of progress, waiting for his destitute son to bring home some dirt-cheap cabbage-leaf soup.

If someone is capable of disassembling, repairing, and upgrading a highly complex industrial robot, they are a top-tier specialist. In the real world, a person like that wouldn’t sit around in a crumbling shack watching his family starve. His passivity isn’t a ‘tragedy of poverty’—it’s a professional paralysis of will. He was just waiting for the world to solve his problems for him.

And this movie presents this family to us as paragons of virtue?