Calling in the Old Guard: Austria 1936

Lights illuminate Ethiopia, North Afrika, and the Middle East.

[AUSTRIAN NORTH AFRIKA KORPS]
It's a hard-fought war for us!

[AUSTRIAN NEAR EAST EXPEDITIONARY FORCE]
It's a hard-fought war for us!





[HAILE]
'Steada aided,

[A.N.E.E.F.]
We get left!

[HAILE]
'Steada supplied,

[A.N.A.K.]
We're bereft!

[ALL]
It's a hard-fought war!
Got assigned this worthless front,
Now we've gotta bear the brunt!

[HAILE]
Starved divisions,

[A.N.A.K.]
'Steada fed!

[HAILE]
Anarch armies,

[ETHIOPIANS]
[appear in front of Haile] 'Steada led!

[ALL]
It's a hard-fought war!

[HAILE]
Don't it feel like the Brits are always thinkin'?

[A.N.E.E.F.]
Don't it seem like there's nothin' you can do?

[A.N.A.K.]
O'er the horizon, you see your transports sinkin',

[AUSTRIAN DIVISION]
[on board the sinking transport] At least they sank before they loaded you!
Glub, glub!

[HAILE]
No one's here when the British get so vexing!
No one knows or cares if we just break down!
Sometimes it seems that God made us for annexing!


[ETHIOPIANS]
And the major powers just toss us around!

[ALL]
Ach!!!!!!!



Empty belly war!
One 'gainst twenty war!
Overwhelming war!
Allied realming war!

[A.N.A.K.]
We're on Austria's ignore

[HAILE]
Austria?
Are they at war?

[ALL]
Our allies say we can get bent
Here, on the Dark Con-tinent!

[A.N.E.E.F.]
[spoken] Actually, it's not so bad over in this part of the world...




[ETHIOPIANS and A.N.A.K.]
All fall back! Give up land
Dig entrenchments...

[HAILE]
...if you can!

[Ethiopians run past him, carrying shovels that aren't technologically sufficient for digging in]

[ETHIOPIANS and A.N.A.K.]
We exist on but a strand

[VIENNA STAFF]
Save our manpower! Disband!

[A.N.E.E.F.]
[speaking] This ain't so bad!
The Brits are gone!
I think this front might just be won!

[ETHIOPIANS and A.N.A.K.]
It's a hard-fought war for us
It's a hard-fought war for us
No one finds your purpose grand
Fighting in I.C.-wasteland

[ETHIOPIANS]
It's a hard-fought war



[A.N.A.K.]
It's a hard-fought war

[A.N.A.K. troops disappear, becoming one with the manpower pool]

[HAILE]
[in a plane, flying from Ethiopia]

It's a hard-fought war!

[LEAD TENOR STORMTROOPER]
It's
Springtime for Hitler and Germany
Deutschland is.....






The music fades away as the camera pans south, where French and Austrian border guards stand opposite each other, staring each other down. The Austrian troops have several cuts and bruises from earlier, failed assaults on the French line. In the distant backdrop, a French banner can be seen waving.

[AUSTRIAN GENERAL]
The line'll advance
Next season
Bet your last korona
That next season
We'll succeed!

[AUSTRIAN SOLDIERS]
Just gearin' up for
Next season
Just give us one breakthrough
No other reason
No other need!

[FRENCH SOLDIERS]
When righteous war drags
And lags,
In trenches,
We just hold on our best.
The rest
Soars with our flag

[The French line breaks; the Austrians begin marching, their steps on beat with the music]

[AUSTRIAN SOLDIERS]
The front'll advance!

[FRENCH SOLDIERS]
Next season!
We've gotta hang on

[AUSTRIAN SOLDIERS]
No reason!
Just fall down!

[Suddenly, the French stop retreating and the Austrians stop advancing simultaneously. The French flag in the distant background has been gradually descending, and now a new flag has risen in its place.]



[AUSTRIAN SOLDIERS]
Next season! Next season!
We'll face ya next season!
You've only
Prolongued
Your tag!

[French step forward to their original line. The Austrian soldiers, one by one, grab unto a strategic redeployment train heading east]

Next season! Next season!
We'll break ya next season!
You've only
Prolongued
Your tag!



[The train continues to the east, heading toward Ottoman territory]





* * * * * * * * * *MEANWHILE * * * * * * * * * *




[PILOT]
General de Gaulle, we shall be arriving in London shortly.



[CHARLES]
Beut euf ceurse. Freum theure, Uh sheull reully theu Freu Freunch peuple teu theu ceuse euf leubeurteu. Leubeurteu, Euqueuleuteu, Freuteurneuteu!

[The pilot starts to turn in confusion, but he shakes his head and continues flying. After a moment, something outside the plane's window catches Charles' attention.]

[CHARLES]
Meuseur Peuleut! Meuseur Peuleut! Theure iz eu meun eun theu pleun!

[PILOT]
What?

[CHARLES]
Uh MEUN, yeu beuffoon! Uh MEUN eun theu PLEUN! Heu eus reught theure! REUGHT THEURE! EURE YEU BLEUND?!!

[PILOT]
Stop yelling! I can't understand you!

[CHARLES]
LEEUUUK! [points]

[PILOT]
What? Oh! There's a MAN on the plane.


[The plane begins falling apart from the outside, crashing to the ground. Before it crashes, a mysterious figure paradrops to safety.]


NOTE: Giraud is the only option left for Free France's leadership.