A Danubian Christmas [Kaiserreich mod]

[Unit101]

This AAR will be about the Danubian Federation, the start date is April 3, 1937.

Background:
Early in 1936 Austria invaded its own puppet of Bohemia, officially in order to prevent a separatist movement from gaining momentum. This act provoked a congress on the future of Austria & Hungary and their associated puppets. The Danubian movement dominated this congress and finally Hungary and Austria agreed to merge into a Danubian federation, without any bloodshed their client states joined as well.

At this time the total IC of the Danubian federation was only 100 IC, its army is strong but greatly outnumbered by Germany, France and Russia (which is now the Soviet Union). Another concerning development is the Socialist revolution in the Ukraine which is now in a full military alliance with France.

The nationalists and separatists were prevented from having serious political power because the government appeals (or at least tries to) to Conservative elements in all nations. Being only a nominally democratic state with autocratic tendencies means it will have support from the aristocratic elite and the military, however it will have to justify its international decisions (military actions) to the general public (in-game: belligerence is required for declaring war on neighbors).

The first military adventure of the newfound Danubian Federation was its active role in the Fourth Balkan War between Bulgaria and Serbia, and the Serbian allies Iron Guard Romania and Greece. Shortly after the declaration of war, the Danbubian Federation used a dubious legal matter to pressure Serbia in becoming a Danubian puppet.

The Serbs were convinced of their allied victory against Bulgaria, and expected the Danubian federation to dissolve in the unstable months ahead. They refused what they called a second "July Ultimatum".

Otto von Habsburg is the leader of the Danubian federation, and he has given Chief of Staff Wilhelm Zehner full powers to enable Otto van Habsburg's political ambitions through the use of the Danubian military! Otto von Habsburg's dream is a conservative pan-European political entity with no syndicalists nor nationalist populists. One of the many men in the military of Wilhelm Zehner is Lieutenant Friedrich Karšen. Friedrich Karšen is born in the Duchy of Carniola, his father is part of the German-speaking Gottschee community, his mother is an ethnic Slovene.

This AAR will follow his adventures in the 1. Alpenjägerdivision, under command of General Ringel.

 

[Davisx3m]

Cool never seen a danubian AAR! Good luck!

 

[Unit101]

Currently having some game-related problems... possibly related to the game not being used to the Danubian Federation being around.

 

[Davisx3m]

Currently having some game-related problems... possibly related to the game not being used to the Danubian Federation being around.

If there is anything we can do please post about it on our own forum

 

[Unit101]

If there is anything we can do please post about it on our own forum

http://forum.paradoxplaza.com/forum...aiserreich&p=13219457&viewfull=1#post13219457

Thanks a lot! Either way, tomorrow or tonight I will post my first report so far. I consider this problematic situation to be temporary

 

[Unit101]

Chapter I: the Fourth Balkan War
August 12, August 27
Dear Christina,

I write this letter to you knowing that I will not be able to wire it. It’s been weeks since we entered Serbia. Their utter refusal of our demands and their war of aggression against Bulgaria has left our military no choice but intervene for the sake of peace, stability and European unity.
The Serbian military collapsed almost immediately, [censored]yet we failed to take care of them as quickly as hoped, for two reasons: we had to divert many men to fight the Iron Guard henchmen in Romania, who were harassing our people in Transylvania, second the Serb nationalist fighters, Četniks, proved tougher than expected.[/censored]

It was at the battle of Niš where we first encountered the Četniks in large numbers. We swarmed the area with many divisions, resistance was heavy, but my unit suffered few casualties Christina. I cannot give you too many specifics, but what we have here is the finest alpinists of our federation equipped with the newest weaponry and tools. The old man should have seen this, is he still using that old rifle he captured from a French officer?, ha!

During the battle of Niš we also saw the works of the Bulgarian artillery, our armies were both fighting the last Serbian pockets of resistance. [censored] It should be noted that to my knowledge there’s no official coordination between our two armies[censored], and I am glad we did not point our artillery at each other!
This morning I saw thousands of Serb prisoners of war, regular soldiers and Četniks. When will they be able to return home? Are they longing for their loved ones as much as I am? One of the privates in my unit remarked: tomorrow they will be given their guns back, and we will fight the Bulgarians side by side next week!

Have you heard? The Bulgarians refused to leave Bucharest after they occupied it! Our military has demanded them to leave southern Romania at once.
I am sure you read the news, while we are fighting for justice and stability the Syndicalists are fighting their war of terror in Spain, [censored]and their Leftist friends overthrew the former German ally of the Ukraine![/censored]

How is the little one? Does he say mom already? In Slovene or in German?

Signed, your husband, climbing the mountains of Europe for the sake of our little one’s future!

Next: Fourth Balkan War continued, some photos and maps!

 

[Davisx3m]

:O Stupid Balkans!

 

[Kurt_Steiner]

Ah, the old Austrian habit of kicking Serbian asses...

 

[Unit101]

^what's this?


Chapter II: From Thessaloniki to Mecca
August 12, August 27

Christina, my sweetheart!

Damn those Bulgarians! I thought the Bulgarians would bless us with flowers and sweets for our war against their Serb and Romanian allies. Instead the Bulgarians refused to leave Bucharest! Their military presence threatens our full control of the Danube, and without the Danube how can we be the Danubian federation?
We were tasked with cutting off Bulgarian units in the south-west by going from Niš to Thessaloniki. The landscape is beautiful, the people who live here are Bulgarians, Greeks and Macedonians.

A Macedonian church

By the time we reached Thessaloniki we heard that the Greeks were advancing into south-west Bulgaria. [censored]They must have heard about our advance! For there would be no reason for the inferior Greek troops to attack the Bulgarians if they were not cut-off from the rest of Bulgaria![/censored] Our time in Thessaloniki did not last long. Once Bulgaria surrendered we were ordered to attack Greece immediately: they supported Serbia and the Iron Guard in their vicious plans against our federation. Athens fell on April 19. It’s really a beautiful city Christina! When the war is over I will show you around.

The Siege of Istanbul

We are not sure what happened in the last month, our commanders say the Ottomans refused to let our navy enter the Black Sea. The Ottoman Empire supported Bulgaria in the Balkan War, and we found evidence of Ottoman weaponry in Bulgarian hands. [censored]Then again, in the first weeks of our invasion of Serbia we were told of left-over equipment being sold to the Bulgarians as well.[/censored] By the time were transported from Athens to the Ottoman border, we heard about the Kurdish uprising. On June 3 I was walking in the Topkapı palace, I cannot imagine a man having so much wealth, and so many Christinas, ha!

Cretan brigands loyal to the former Ottoman Empire...

I cannot elaborate on what exactly happened these months, but I am writing to you from [censored]Damascus[censored]! Have you heard? Our Bosnian-Muslim units took over Mecca and Medina from the Ottomans, what a great day for them!

Tomorrow our unit will return to our home base in Carinthia to recuperate. Perhaps I will find a way to visit you!

(Christmas break, next update will be somewhere next week!)

 

[Davisx3m]

Bring Christianity to the Arabs!
Or perheps you are a secular nation?

 

[Unit101]

Well the Danubian Federation hosts many nations, so neither secular nor a state religion. Bosnians are fighting in the same army as Austrians and Czechs. I will post an update with several maps after Christmas, let's just say the world is at war and by now the Danubian Federation outnumbers Germany in divisions and IC, and the river Thames might as well be the Danube...

 

[Unit101]

Chapter III: Journey to Moscow

Chapter III: Journey to Moscow
September 1941

Dear Christina,

I was filled with joy to meet you, our reunion was intense but unfortunately short. The aggression of the Syndicalists prompted our government to ban their parties. I cannot believe these closet Communists were allowed to walk around in the first place!

The Germans were fighting a tough battle against the French communists. [censored] Rumor has it the French are in control of Nancy and Metz![/censored].

Our silence against the Syndicalists was killing the fate of our children! That is why our government decided to liberate the Ukraine from the Totalist regime. This was a tough battle indeed! Although we barely met resistance in western Ukraine, soon the Soviets positioned their forces along the Dnieper , Kiev and the Crimea. We were vastly outnumbered, but we managed to drain the Soviets of entire military units [censored] by allowing them to re-conquer encircled areas. These encircled areas were then cut-off from the rest of the Soviet army.[/censored]

By the time our forces were in control of all major cities in the Ukraine, the country was in total chaos! Because Ukrainian units surrendered they abandoned essential rear positions, and rural Ukrainians refused to help the Soviets inside their country. I have never seen such masses of men, rows of prisoners extending to the horizon and beyond!

They told us the majority of the Soviet military was captured by us in the Ukraine. From the steps of Turkestan the Soviets were harassed by hordes of cavalry carrying old Russian rifles. Meanwhile our capture of Moscow seemed imminent, despite the logistic challenges [censored]and Russian partisans attacking us wherever they could.[/censored]

Encirclements of dozens of Soviet divisions

Soviet prisoners of war

Two obstacles or now in our way of crushing the Syndicalists in Paris: the risk of aligning ourselves with the [censored]declining[/censored] German Empire and the utter refusal of the Pope to allow us to march through Northern Italy.

From Moscow to Madrid this European homeland shall be empty of these Syndicalists, even if the waters of the Danube will have to turn red!
I hope to be reunited with you shortly, from what I heard my unit is heading to the Alps again.

Yours forever,

Friedrich Karšen

Coming up:
The Italian Campaign
Fall of Spain and France
End of Syndicalism in Europe
Surrender of Germany
Final surrender of the Soviet Union
March towards Mittelafrika, the refuge of the German Empire...

 

[Ivir Baggins]

Interesting. Keep it up!

 

[Unit101]

Chapter IV: The Italian Campaign
March 1942
Dear Christina,

Aosta Valley

I’m writing you from the Aosta Valley in Northern Italy. What a beautiful place this is! Me and other officers are preparing our alpine troops for the long awaited assault on the French alps.

Preparing for an "intervention" in the Italian Federation.

The Italian campaign started with the refusal of the Pope to allow our troops to march through the Italian federation. As much as I respect the Pope as a Catholic, I believe he is afraid of the evil forces surrounding his Papal state. We pushed the Italians out of Milan and south towards Rome. We tactically agreed Papal troops would maintain a neutral buffer zone between us and the Syndicalists. But obviously, our strategic goal is the capture of the Italian alps and the entire border with France.

Meanwhile other troops moved down south, I heard the battle of Rome was tough. But finally the Pope retreated into the Holy See and the city is ours! After the fall of Rome papal troops either surrendered or defected to the Italian Syndicalists. The French were in no position to help the Italians, and our airforce intimidated the whole world with the first successful airborne assault in history!

Siege of Rome

Airborne invasion of Palermo

Christina, I know this may not reach you but I have to write down my concerns. The Syndicalists invaded Portugal, [censored]and the Soviets in Siberia are slowly winning ground against Turkestan, they say one day we will have to fight them again![/censored]

There’s an awkward silence in this beautiful place. We know the French are waiting for us, let them wait, when our assault comes, it will be the end of the Syndicalist brutality on the European continent!

Danubian troops, including alpine troops, preparing for their assault on the ligne alpine.

Friedrich Karšen

 

[Unit101]

These new ships should guarantee my navy’s control beyond the waters of the Mediterranean.

Chapter V: Paris, London and Berlin

Paris, August 11 1942.
Dear Christina, I’m in the city of love without you!

The road to Paris

The road to Paris was easier than expected. Our division entered French-occupied Geneva and the Savoie region and were met with tough but futile resistance. Our commanders continued to stress the importance of arriving in Paris before the Germans would, and they were well on their way to Paris!
Paris was stormed by 18 army divisions, and they were coincidentally supported by a simultaneous attack from the German side. I heard some of our troops also participated in liberating Spain and Portugal from the Syndicalist maniacs.

Danubian forces enter Madrid

The following letter was never sent as Friedrich Karšen’s unit was overrun by surprise by a British commando unit. They were taken back to Britain hours before the Danubian government decided to annex France.

The end of France

The Danubian navy was not capable of launching an amphibious assault on the Union of Britain and England was too well defended. That is why the Danubian air force in coordination with the navy launched a surprise attack on Ireland, in order to use the airport of Dublin as a launching pad for an airborne attack on Scotland and the rest of the Union of Britain. By the time London was captured a large armada of Syndicalists departed for Mozambique, where Syndicalists were still holding out. Among these were prisoner ships with all officers captured during the war, including Friedrich Karšen.

Airborne landing from Brest, soon after Ireland was swarmed with dozens of divisions which then invades Scotland after another airborne asault. As the Union of Britain amassed tens of divisions in Scotland, southern England was invaded as well

German demands to divide Paris between the Danubian Federation and the German Empire were ignored. And skirmishes between the two occupying forced were increasingly common in northern France. This and other reasons led to a full-scale war between the two by July 1943. A few months later Berlin was in Danubian hands and the German Empire fled to Mittelafrika. The German empire collapsed, with several nations occupying parts of its empire. Thailand took control of Singapore, Yemen took control of Aden, Egypt took control of the Suez canal and Ethiopia took control of German Somalia.
France, Germany, Britain and most of European Russian are now under Danubian control.

Germany was attacked from Bohemia, Northern France and Austria.

The bulk of the German army was encircled in Belgium and Northern France, two years later the German Empire would have only two army divisions left.

Yet war did not end in Europe, nor would war be restricted to the European theater.