Years earlier...
The following events took place August 12, 1925, Rostock, Germany
The small bar was damp and crowded. Summer had come to wartorn Germany, bringing with it a heatwave with unseen precedence. The small and sturdy houses, built for the strong winds of the Northern lands moaned under the excessive heat, as men walked around frantically wiping their foreheads with pieces of cloth, their elegant suits covered in dust and glued to their bodies. In some cities, supply lines had been devastated by the war, turning the dry bars more into places of frantic political discussions than drinking establishments. One such bar in Rostock was famous for holding a large amount of high-ranked World War One veterans, spending their days hiding away from Nazi and communist repression. Controlled by several bands of Freikorps under leadership of Field Marshall Eichmann himself, Rostock was spared of most of the war’s destruction, as the veteran military units kept a tight watch on the city, to keep it safe from the communist and fascist uprisings across the country. Among the men sat one of their younger followers, a lieutenant by the name of Stauffenberg.
An older general bashed his glass into the table and shouted “I just say we take our damn armies and march straight into Berlin. The Reichstag is ours, damnit!”
Another general responded in kind “Aye! I’ve got some artillery brigades stationed at the east of the city, I say we just bomb out those communist rats and let the mess be the mess. We are better armed than they are, we can win!”
Instantaneously, the men began shouting through each other, raising their fists and shaking them at imaginary enemies filling the bar. In the center of them, a single one raised his hand, and the room grew silent. It was Field Marshall Eichmann, the de facto leader of Rostock, called “Free Germany” by more romantic citizens.
“Moving now would be a bad idea. The Communists have gotten Berlin in a stranglehold in Berlin, and moving in with a third party would just cause chaos and suffering to our poor countrymen.”
“What should we wait for then? There is always chaos, always war. It’s not like peace is around the corner. We must claim it!”
“We will wait for rifles and cannons, and a chance to strike.”
It was not Eichmann who had responded.
In unison, the entire bar turned towards the opened door, where none other than Field Marshall Van Geyte stood grinning, as he strode in spreading an aura of cunning and arrogance. The men were stunned.
“Sir... we thought you where dead? How is... this is a miracle!”
“The rumours of my death have been... greatly exaggerated.” The Field Marshall exclaimed, before climbing onto a table and addressing the generals.”
“Now be quiet, and listen to me!” He yelled, while several of the men made a respectful bow. A barman quickly closed the door and locked the bar, and the room grew silent, the atmosphere heady with anticipation of what the Field Marshall was about to say.
“Germany lies in ruins. The Kaiserpartei, the last hope of me and many others here for a strong and righteous Germany in the future, has been crushed. Deluded communists and vile fascists now fight over the remains of her carcass, both claiming that they are the ‘righteous’ government of this country. I say, to hell with them!”
The men roared, raising their empty glasses and fists.
“Germany is OURS. It belongs to us, we who have bled on the fields of Verdun. We who were slaughtered in Ostpreussen. It was us that made this country great, and I swear by god, it will be us that claim hegemony over her!”
More roars from the audience, as the entire bar was carried away by the devoted words of the Field Marshall. Van Geyte grinned, and knew that this country would be his. It would require all his might and cunning, but it would be his.
“We will reunite the Kaiserwehr and march to Berlin! We have rifles, and cannons, and by god, we have our pride and veterancy. The Communist rats and Fascist pigs believe that they rule this country, but we will prove them WRONG! We. Are. Germany!”
More roars, while another general yelled “But how will we unite the army!?”
“We will order them to take up arms, and fight!”
“But will they swear allegiance to you?”
“They will swear allegiance to me, for I shall demand it!” Van Geyte continued, pointing at a map of Germany hung on the wall “Those pigs have killed my friends! My family! But they will not kill Germany! I have suffered for this country, I have lost for it. We all have. But it is our turn now, the table has been set. Come with me, brothers, and let us form a Front. The Reichsfront, that will reunite this broken land!”
Driven by pure passion, the generals stood up roaring, holding their rifles and pistols into the sky.
“We will crush the fascists! We will crush the communists! And all of Germany will know this: VAN GEYTE. HAS. RETURNED!”
An eardeafening collective bellow shook the bar in it’s very foundations. The Reichsfront was born.
Years later...
To Grand Admiral De Nil of the Royal Navy
Vincent,
If you have a Havana left, light one up for me. The Reichstag is ours! It was a glorious day, without doubt. I rode a tank into the heart of Berlin itself, as we pushed out the last of these Communist and Fascist swine. I have captured Hitler and made him Fuhrer of the German Empire. While the NSDAP seems to be in control of this country, my Reichsfront has secretly dissolved Hitler’s party and replaced them with a shadow government loyal to me, including among others our old friend Eichmann, and a young promising general called Stauffenberg. Hitler can boast all he wants, but Germany is mine! I have taken office just outside the Reichstag and promoted myself to Field Marshall of the Wehrmacht. Now it is time for Germany to recover from this awful war, but I promise you this: I’ll be in Paris in less than 10 years. The bastard Russians and French will pay for Germany’s humiliation in the Great War.
As we have discussed, the time is approaching to officially sign the Channel Pact. I suggest we do this three years from now, after Germany has recovered. I have the feeling that 1936 is an important year, the beginning of a new age for Germany. I will leave you to inform Mosley, because now, I have many matters to attend to.
The world shall be ours!
Yours truly,
Field Marshall Van Geyte of the Wehrmacht
March 12 1933