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February, 1931
Berlin
Reichstag Building
Sitting near the front of the vast group of legislators in red, Yankel Leibowitz, Foreign Minister of Germany, turned to Reinhard Heydrich, the Security Minister. "The Feuhrer's really going to pull something, eh, Comrade Heydrich? Been in power only two weeks, and already he's going to make a more decisive move than anyone in the entire history of the Weimar Republic."
Heydrich grunted. "If we're really gonna stamp out the Brownshirts, it won't be here in the Reichstag. It'll take my boys on the streets."
Both men hushed up when Hitler strode out onto the floor. He sneered as he gazed at the empty seats on the rigt side of the chamber. Hitler had planned this session to finally crush the Brownshirt militias, and the NSDAP and DNVP members had both absented themselves en masse. The CDU and Zentrum were present, though the Zentrum members looked quite glum.
Hitler stepped astride the podium, and began to speak, calmly. "Legislators of Germany. The people elected me chancellor by wide margins less than a month ago. They did not elect me to follow the path of certain other chancellors," Hitler sneered, "to allow neglect to take its toll on the German worker and sometimes lend a hand to the forces of capitalist oppresssion. I was not elected to bow to the demands of the corrupt regimes of the West who fought the long, futile war with our imperialist, monocled failures and traitors half a generation ago. I most definitely was not elected to legitimize and arm brutal gangs that would harass and murder innocent German people on the streets! I was not chosen to ally with the forces that want to turn Germany into a slave of that Italian imperialist Mussolini, the so-called Fascists. The National Socialists."
Hitler's lip turned up in an expression of contempt. The Chamber sat in breathless silence, waiting in hope or fear, or both, for the Chancellor's bombshell. "I was eected to fight those forces! The forces of stupidity, of treachery, of brutality! The nature of mankind is to progress, never retreat, and those Strasseites are dragging the most advanced society on Earth back into the feudal era!"
Hilter's eyes were aglow with passion. His voice had risen louder and louder and was now a hypnotic yell. "And so I will use the mandate that has been granted me. I motion that the Reichstag act now to ban the monstrous gands allied to the NSDAP and DNVP factions, who chose not to present themselves in this chamber today. It is time for their oppression of the german people to end!"
Before anyone could say anything, one solitary Reichstag member stood. He had clearly broken the Feuhrer's mesmerizing grip, if he had ever fallen under it. It was Konrad Adenauer. "I motion that we also consider the Red Brigades in this vote. They are equally bad, Herr Chancellor, and you know it!"
Hitler stared at Adenauer in fury. "Very well, What do the legislators of Germany think of the capitalist's idea?"
The mass of red let loose a stream of nein!'s, easily overpowering the Zentrum and CDU parliamentarians. Hitler spoke tiumphantly. "How dare you equate the legitimate protectors of the people with those swine!? I resubmit my previous motion."
The KPD members rose with a roar of approval. The CDU, led by Adenauer, reluctantly approved the motion as well, and even the majority of Zentrum backed the measure. Von Papen and a loyal bloc of his supporters were the only opponents.
Hitler nodded. "Than it is settled. The Brownshirts are no more. Their government, backed by their people, calls for their immediate dissolution."
Suddenly a commotion was heard outside. Shouts and shots rang out just beong the Reichstag's walls. A few Security Police in field gray rushed into the building, Heydrich rose up and ran over to speak to them. He than ran over to Hitler in the center of the room and spoke quietly to Hitler. Hitler surveyed the Reichstag from his posium, than spoke again, with cold steel in his voice. "It seems the Brownshirts wish to prove, once and for all, their low, evil, anti-German character. The Strasserites have launched a putsch against this government.
To be continued
Berlin
Reichstag Building
Sitting near the front of the vast group of legislators in red, Yankel Leibowitz, Foreign Minister of Germany, turned to Reinhard Heydrich, the Security Minister. "The Feuhrer's really going to pull something, eh, Comrade Heydrich? Been in power only two weeks, and already he's going to make a more decisive move than anyone in the entire history of the Weimar Republic."
Heydrich grunted. "If we're really gonna stamp out the Brownshirts, it won't be here in the Reichstag. It'll take my boys on the streets."
Both men hushed up when Hitler strode out onto the floor. He sneered as he gazed at the empty seats on the rigt side of the chamber. Hitler had planned this session to finally crush the Brownshirt militias, and the NSDAP and DNVP members had both absented themselves en masse. The CDU and Zentrum were present, though the Zentrum members looked quite glum.
Hitler stepped astride the podium, and began to speak, calmly. "Legislators of Germany. The people elected me chancellor by wide margins less than a month ago. They did not elect me to follow the path of certain other chancellors," Hitler sneered, "to allow neglect to take its toll on the German worker and sometimes lend a hand to the forces of capitalist oppresssion. I was not elected to bow to the demands of the corrupt regimes of the West who fought the long, futile war with our imperialist, monocled failures and traitors half a generation ago. I most definitely was not elected to legitimize and arm brutal gangs that would harass and murder innocent German people on the streets! I was not chosen to ally with the forces that want to turn Germany into a slave of that Italian imperialist Mussolini, the so-called Fascists. The National Socialists."
Hitler's lip turned up in an expression of contempt. The Chamber sat in breathless silence, waiting in hope or fear, or both, for the Chancellor's bombshell. "I was eected to fight those forces! The forces of stupidity, of treachery, of brutality! The nature of mankind is to progress, never retreat, and those Strasseites are dragging the most advanced society on Earth back into the feudal era!"
Hilter's eyes were aglow with passion. His voice had risen louder and louder and was now a hypnotic yell. "And so I will use the mandate that has been granted me. I motion that the Reichstag act now to ban the monstrous gands allied to the NSDAP and DNVP factions, who chose not to present themselves in this chamber today. It is time for their oppression of the german people to end!"
Before anyone could say anything, one solitary Reichstag member stood. He had clearly broken the Feuhrer's mesmerizing grip, if he had ever fallen under it. It was Konrad Adenauer. "I motion that we also consider the Red Brigades in this vote. They are equally bad, Herr Chancellor, and you know it!"
Hitler stared at Adenauer in fury. "Very well, What do the legislators of Germany think of the capitalist's idea?"
The mass of red let loose a stream of nein!'s, easily overpowering the Zentrum and CDU parliamentarians. Hitler spoke tiumphantly. "How dare you equate the legitimate protectors of the people with those swine!? I resubmit my previous motion."
The KPD members rose with a roar of approval. The CDU, led by Adenauer, reluctantly approved the motion as well, and even the majority of Zentrum backed the measure. Von Papen and a loyal bloc of his supporters were the only opponents.
Hitler nodded. "Than it is settled. The Brownshirts are no more. Their government, backed by their people, calls for their immediate dissolution."
Suddenly a commotion was heard outside. Shouts and shots rang out just beong the Reichstag's walls. A few Security Police in field gray rushed into the building, Heydrich rose up and ran over to speak to them. He than ran over to Hitler in the center of the room and spoke quietly to Hitler. Hitler surveyed the Reichstag from his posium, than spoke again, with cold steel in his voice. "It seems the Brownshirts wish to prove, once and for all, their low, evil, anti-German character. The Strasserites have launched a putsch against this government.
To be continued
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The alt-politics has been great fun in this AAR/TL so far. Getting to make up my own ideology was a unique experience and loads of fun. And although I do think the American system works better, the parliamentary system is truly entertaining for a politics buff. Both the internal struggles of Hitler to dominate an existing party structure from the inside (he did this historically, but on a much much smaller scale) and to lead that party to dominance throuh crafty coalition tactics defined the first parts of this AAR, and I got to include some aspects unique to Weimar Germany- the thug warfare, the crumbling center, the desperation and the demagoguery. Then there is the character of Hitler- a man who casts an odd fascination on us all, even as he repels. Whatever it is about him, I tried to harness that essence for my story.
As you can tell in that last post, things are going to get very exciting, very quickly, at least for a while. You didn't really think Strasser and the Nazis were going to take a pwerful communist chancellor lying down, did you?
I suppose most of you have also noticed that the last two updates were only weeks apart, and the next will be somewhere between minutes and days later (haven't decided yet). This does not necessarily mean the AAR will always continue at this slower chronological pace. I will do whatever fits for my alt-Germany, and even I rarely know what that will be till shortly before, sometimes during, my writing of the updates.
I'm actually dreading the start of my portrayal of the game itself. I'll be hard pressed to keep world-shattering wars as interesting as the more subtle, seductive path for Hitler to attain his first goal in the famous slogan; "today Germany, tomorrow the world". I believe the German is, Hoyte Deutschland, Morgen ze verld. Well, that might not quite be true...
Anyway, I hope to have substantially more of this AAR done (finished is probably far too lofty a goal) by the time my semester starts at Brandeis. I'm going to be a Southern Republican Zionist fish in a very liberal college in the most lefty state in the Union while they're running a man for president and right after his convention there. Yeah, aren't I crazy? Easier to be a CDUer in early 30s Berlin...
Well anyway, bear with me. You know by now I'm not the speediest AAR writer on the planet, but if you've stuck with me this long I hope you'll stay for a while longer. I hope the quality of the AAR makes up for the wait. I hope to plunge back into the AAR from last update's cliffhanger ending sometime this long holiday weekend. You can spend your July fourth rooting for Adolf Hitler and the commies! Tell your friends, they'll think you're nuts but whatever.
And please, talk about alt-politics, real politics, and most of all, my AAR on this thread. I do not consider it to be spam, I take it as a complement.
Gee, I've rarely even written an update this long... Anyway. Till next post.
As you can tell in that last post, things are going to get very exciting, very quickly, at least for a while. You didn't really think Strasser and the Nazis were going to take a pwerful communist chancellor lying down, did you?
I suppose most of you have also noticed that the last two updates were only weeks apart, and the next will be somewhere between minutes and days later (haven't decided yet). This does not necessarily mean the AAR will always continue at this slower chronological pace. I will do whatever fits for my alt-Germany, and even I rarely know what that will be till shortly before, sometimes during, my writing of the updates.
I'm actually dreading the start of my portrayal of the game itself. I'll be hard pressed to keep world-shattering wars as interesting as the more subtle, seductive path for Hitler to attain his first goal in the famous slogan; "today Germany, tomorrow the world". I believe the German is, Hoyte Deutschland, Morgen ze verld. Well, that might not quite be true...
Anyway, I hope to have substantially more of this AAR done (finished is probably far too lofty a goal) by the time my semester starts at Brandeis. I'm going to be a Southern Republican Zionist fish in a very liberal college in the most lefty state in the Union while they're running a man for president and right after his convention there. Yeah, aren't I crazy? Easier to be a CDUer in early 30s Berlin...
Well anyway, bear with me. You know by now I'm not the speediest AAR writer on the planet, but if you've stuck with me this long I hope you'll stay for a while longer. I hope the quality of the AAR makes up for the wait. I hope to plunge back into the AAR from last update's cliffhanger ending sometime this long holiday weekend. You can spend your July fourth rooting for Adolf Hitler and the commies! Tell your friends, they'll think you're nuts but whatever.
And please, talk about alt-politics, real politics, and most of all, my AAR on this thread. I do not consider it to be spam, I take it as a complement.
Gee, I've rarely even written an update this long... Anyway. Till next post.
_Astolph_ said:
Orwell technically never abandoned Socialism/Marxism. At least, he never publically dismissed it. Granted, he offered information to the government in his later years about fellow writers who had 'cryto-Communist' leanings, but this can be seen purely in the light of his staunch anti-Stalinism.
It's notably ironic that the most ardent anti-Communists, the type of people who go on about all Communists always being inherent baby eaters, always bring up Orwell's work, when he was himself pretty much a life-long Socialist/Marxist.
C.V. Mannerheim said:*Alarm sounds* WHOOOP COMMIE ALERT, COMMIE ALERT
"An ad hominem argument, also known as argumentum ad hominem (Latin, literally "argument to the man"), is a logical fallacy that involves replying to an argument or assertion by addressing the person presenting the argument or assertion rather than the argument itself. A (fallacious) ad hominem argument has the basic form:
1. A makes claim B;
2. there is something objectionable about A,
3. therefore claim B is false."
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Continued from last update
February 1931
Later that same day
Berlin
Hitler, Leibowitz, and Heydrich assembled in the bar from different routes through the streets of a Berlin wracked by violent combat. Red, Brown, and Gray were involved in a brawl such as even Germany had never seen, and the stakes were as high as they come. For once staying out of sight, the three greatest leaders of the KPD were able to make it to this impromptu safehouse, surrounded by brutish looking elite Red Brigades thugs. Heydrich spread out a series of German city maps on the table and began placing pegs on them.
"Tell me what we know of the situation", Hitler ordered, cutting quickly to the point.
"Well, mein Feuhrer, this is the nastiest thing I've ever seen, and I've seen a lot." Yankel nodded, Hitler gestured for him to continue. "They've sprung up in their traditional Berlin haunts, which they have garrisoned pretty nicely, but the srprise here in the capital is the major attack on the government buildings on and near the Wilhelmstrasse. We're just barely holding the Reichstag, and the Reichskanzlery and the president's resdence have been taken. We think Hindenburg may have been killed accidentaly in the fighting. Strasser has proclaimed himself interim Chancellor of Germany, and that treacherous old schveinhund Ludendorff has assumed the office of President, from his old friend and commander he helped to murder. Goebbels is with Strasser, broadcasting his warped version of events across the country, something we are trying to counter.".
Yankel was unable to suppress an audible gasp. Hiter merely looked briefly thoughtful, than demanded, "who is on which side?"
"To the best of our knowledge," Heydrich resumed, "the SA, Berlin police, and even the Imperial guards have stayed loyal to the government. Odd bedfellows, eh? Strangely enough, von Papen and his crew really seem to have had no foreknowledge of the putsch, and while Hugenberg seems to have made preparations that show he was expecting it, he has stayed out of the thing militarily."
Hitler pointed to a Redshirt standing inobtrusively to the side. "Round up von Papen and his Zentrum loyalists. have them thrown in prison, one out of the Strasserites' reach." The man nodded and left.
Yankel looked inquiitively at Hitler. "Comrade Feuhrer, what of the DNVP?"
Hitler's answer was blunt. "Best to leave Hugenberg alone for now. If he keeps his thugs out of this fray, we can divide and conquer. Herr Heydrich, what is going on beyond Berlin?"
Heydrich pointed to another map. "Bavaria is boiling over with Nazis, it would seem. Roehm personally organized the Munich part of the putsch from some beer hall. They've caught us off guard, but we are regrouping." Heydrich paused grimly before continuing. "The worst part is that their party headquartes in Nurenberg has been completely overun. The SA has set up a loose defensive perimeter around the area, but they could break at any moment if the Brownshirts pushed 'em. The reason they haven't is the don't have the men to take the entire Bavarian countryside quickly. They're waiting on events in Munich and, especialy, Berlin. Oh, and Yankel, that new Soviet ambassador, the brooding, unreadable fellow, wants to meet with you about these events."
"I'll talk to him. What of the rest of the country?" asked Leibowitz.
"Nothing at all, not one lousy Brownshirt. Seems like they've been secretly organizing their men in Berlin and Bavaria, almost exclusively. This probably happened immediately after the elections, but before you assumed power. And they did it right under our noses". Heydrich had an animal expression on his face as he stared at the brown pins on his maps with disgust.
Hitler nodded curtly. "That should free up many of our loyalists, especially from the industrial burgs of the Rhineland and Upper Saxony. Have them moved into postion as quickly as possible. This whole situation calls for a general redeployment of forces."
Leibowitz nodded. "It may mean more than that, Hitler. Absolute authority- in time of crisis, with a firmly loyal Reichstag- the time may have come to truly jumpstart the revolution."
Nurenberg
Heinrich Himmler was a terrifying man, a creature of cold, hard, dark passions. The man who faced him appeared much more normal, with the facial and behavioral type of a clerk. But Himmler knew he had his own terrifying dreams and abilities.
"Well, Herr Eichmann, the city is ours. How long can we hold out here?" Himmler felt powerful in the knowledge that only he had fully taken a city in the opening of the ptsch, unlike his superiors, Strasser and Ludendorff in Berlin and Roehm in Munich. Yet he knew the situation was far from comfortable.
Adolf Eichmann looked up from a series of papers he had been using to make calculations. "Our liability is food. We are surrounded by some of the richest farmland in the vaterland, but to take the towns and rural areas would overextend us and lead to our collapse."
Himmler nodded. "If Strasser had solidified the government district in Berlin and captured Hitler and his gang, like he was supposed to, this thing would be over by now. As it is... can we hook up with Roehm?"
Eichmann shook his head. "Nein. If Roehm had control of the city, it would be a possibility, though an extremely risky one. However, he has failed far more miserably than Strasser. I believe it is now only a matter of time before our men in Munich crack."
Most other men would have cursed, or uttered some other expletive. Not Heinrich Himmler. "What is our best option, then?"
Eichmann paused. "We can't hold out here forever. We will need food in the end. But we can hold out for a good deal of time, enough to let Strasser take Berlin. I must stress that I view this as still within the realm of possibility, unlike the Munich situation, which is likely unsalvagable in the long run."
Himmler hesitated an instant, than said what had to be said. "And if he fails?"
Eichmnann's eyes glittered with their own secret hatreds and desires. "Than we must give the world something to remember us by."
February 1931
Later that same day
Berlin
Hitler, Leibowitz, and Heydrich assembled in the bar from different routes through the streets of a Berlin wracked by violent combat. Red, Brown, and Gray were involved in a brawl such as even Germany had never seen, and the stakes were as high as they come. For once staying out of sight, the three greatest leaders of the KPD were able to make it to this impromptu safehouse, surrounded by brutish looking elite Red Brigades thugs. Heydrich spread out a series of German city maps on the table and began placing pegs on them.
"Tell me what we know of the situation", Hitler ordered, cutting quickly to the point.
"Well, mein Feuhrer, this is the nastiest thing I've ever seen, and I've seen a lot." Yankel nodded, Hitler gestured for him to continue. "They've sprung up in their traditional Berlin haunts, which they have garrisoned pretty nicely, but the srprise here in the capital is the major attack on the government buildings on and near the Wilhelmstrasse. We're just barely holding the Reichstag, and the Reichskanzlery and the president's resdence have been taken. We think Hindenburg may have been killed accidentaly in the fighting. Strasser has proclaimed himself interim Chancellor of Germany, and that treacherous old schveinhund Ludendorff has assumed the office of President, from his old friend and commander he helped to murder. Goebbels is with Strasser, broadcasting his warped version of events across the country, something we are trying to counter.".
Yankel was unable to suppress an audible gasp. Hiter merely looked briefly thoughtful, than demanded, "who is on which side?"
"To the best of our knowledge," Heydrich resumed, "the SA, Berlin police, and even the Imperial guards have stayed loyal to the government. Odd bedfellows, eh? Strangely enough, von Papen and his crew really seem to have had no foreknowledge of the putsch, and while Hugenberg seems to have made preparations that show he was expecting it, he has stayed out of the thing militarily."
Hitler pointed to a Redshirt standing inobtrusively to the side. "Round up von Papen and his Zentrum loyalists. have them thrown in prison, one out of the Strasserites' reach." The man nodded and left.
Yankel looked inquiitively at Hitler. "Comrade Feuhrer, what of the DNVP?"
Hitler's answer was blunt. "Best to leave Hugenberg alone for now. If he keeps his thugs out of this fray, we can divide and conquer. Herr Heydrich, what is going on beyond Berlin?"
Heydrich pointed to another map. "Bavaria is boiling over with Nazis, it would seem. Roehm personally organized the Munich part of the putsch from some beer hall. They've caught us off guard, but we are regrouping." Heydrich paused grimly before continuing. "The worst part is that their party headquartes in Nurenberg has been completely overun. The SA has set up a loose defensive perimeter around the area, but they could break at any moment if the Brownshirts pushed 'em. The reason they haven't is the don't have the men to take the entire Bavarian countryside quickly. They're waiting on events in Munich and, especialy, Berlin. Oh, and Yankel, that new Soviet ambassador, the brooding, unreadable fellow, wants to meet with you about these events."
"I'll talk to him. What of the rest of the country?" asked Leibowitz.
"Nothing at all, not one lousy Brownshirt. Seems like they've been secretly organizing their men in Berlin and Bavaria, almost exclusively. This probably happened immediately after the elections, but before you assumed power. And they did it right under our noses". Heydrich had an animal expression on his face as he stared at the brown pins on his maps with disgust.
Hitler nodded curtly. "That should free up many of our loyalists, especially from the industrial burgs of the Rhineland and Upper Saxony. Have them moved into postion as quickly as possible. This whole situation calls for a general redeployment of forces."
Leibowitz nodded. "It may mean more than that, Hitler. Absolute authority- in time of crisis, with a firmly loyal Reichstag- the time may have come to truly jumpstart the revolution."
Nurenberg
Heinrich Himmler was a terrifying man, a creature of cold, hard, dark passions. The man who faced him appeared much more normal, with the facial and behavioral type of a clerk. But Himmler knew he had his own terrifying dreams and abilities.
"Well, Herr Eichmann, the city is ours. How long can we hold out here?" Himmler felt powerful in the knowledge that only he had fully taken a city in the opening of the ptsch, unlike his superiors, Strasser and Ludendorff in Berlin and Roehm in Munich. Yet he knew the situation was far from comfortable.
Adolf Eichmann looked up from a series of papers he had been using to make calculations. "Our liability is food. We are surrounded by some of the richest farmland in the vaterland, but to take the towns and rural areas would overextend us and lead to our collapse."
Himmler nodded. "If Strasser had solidified the government district in Berlin and captured Hitler and his gang, like he was supposed to, this thing would be over by now. As it is... can we hook up with Roehm?"
Eichmann shook his head. "Nein. If Roehm had control of the city, it would be a possibility, though an extremely risky one. However, he has failed far more miserably than Strasser. I believe it is now only a matter of time before our men in Munich crack."
Most other men would have cursed, or uttered some other expletive. Not Heinrich Himmler. "What is our best option, then?"
Eichmann paused. "We can't hold out here forever. We will need food in the end. But we can hold out for a good deal of time, enough to let Strasser take Berlin. I must stress that I view this as still within the realm of possibility, unlike the Munich situation, which is likely unsalvagable in the long run."
Himmler hesitated an instant, than said what had to be said. "And if he fails?"
Eichmnann's eyes glittered with their own secret hatreds and desires. "Than we must give the world something to remember us by."
Great stuff!
I always enjoy alternate history AARs, especially when they are as well-written as this one
Rafiki
I always enjoy alternate history AARs, especially when they are as well-written as this one
Rafiki
Henry v. Keiper said:Which reminds me, is this thing given up on? BOO!
More is on the way, I'm just working on something else right now, an RPG I am GMing online. Strasser's putsch will be completed, one way or the other, sometime next week.
I need players, badly, for the RPG linked in my sig. Check it out, will ya? Read the first post there, the rules post in the middle of page 7, and the map on top of page 10. You will need to register at the host forum, but that's no hassle.
Currently have positions open for Araby and Latin America. Please check it out. Once I get the game running, I can update this AAR. Thanks.
Currently have positions open for Araby and Latin America. Please check it out. Once I get the game running, I can update this AAR. Thanks.
They don't except in turns of MY time commitments. But I'm at my wits end looking for players, three people dropped out after the turn was due yesterday and I've only replaced one. Please try it out, Latin America is still open, I know you like that Greven! AIM me at MikeRGoldman if you have questions.
Ok OK you've talked me into it. A shame that I have to actually be somebody real Ah well could be fun.
Ah well could be fun.