Katharina looked at the pile of books in front of her. Her assignment seemed impossible, but she was determined to try.
How was Germany shaped by the events of 1936 onwards into the modern state. She sighed as she watched the cursor blinking on her computer, the essay title all that was on the document. 'Well, staring at the books won't get the work done' she said to herself. She reached to the first one reading the title:
Minutes of the Hitler Cabinet January - February 1936. Sighing she opened the book and began to read:
Friedrich Hoßbach opens the cabinet meeting. The minutes of the previous meeting are read out and discussed... Katharina let her mind wander as she read...
'The German Reich is Strong!' Wilhelm Frick's voice rang out across the room. 'Our industry improves each day as we show the world how to recover from this economic crevice that the world was plunged into. The old powers collapse into themselves, but we are guided by the Führer, in his infinite wisdom, who has risen Germany up above all others! Our next step is to further improve our production. We look to make new advances in electronic mechanical engineering, utilising new technologies and paving the future. We also look to improve our production by modernising our construction methods.' he bowed his head to the top of the table before sitting.
Hitler motioned towards Friedrich Hoßbach. He stood and turned slightly so he was speaking directly to the Führer 'With regards to our military, we have identified a need to improve our artillery. Whilst we are exploring several new models but a decision has yet to be reached. We will therefore look at improving our existing models, ensuring they are ready for the modern war. Our brave men and women are not to be forgotten! Whilst the MG 08 is an older gun, production was halted at the end of the Weltkrieg. We must bring these back into production, giving our heroes something whilst we await the Fürer's decision on the next generation of infantry equipment' Friederich bowed his head to the top of the table, before he sat down. Hitler nodded to him, slowly standing. 'Thank you all' Hitler looked around the table as he spoke. 'We must now look to the future. We have slowly cast off the shackles imposed upon Germany by that diktat! Now, we must work towards reuniting our country! Too long have foreign powers told us what we must do with our own land, where we may go! Too long have they imposed this upon us! We will retake the Rhineland!' As cheers erupted across the table, several military officers exchanged glances...
Our initial research Initial construction First focus
Katharina rubbed at her eyes. She had established that German production was strong, that seemed obvious from the minutes of the cabinet meetings. It was, however, very dull reading! She put it to one side and picked up the next one,
Moving in the Shadows: Activities of the Abwehr vol. 1 (1936 - 39). This should be more interesting! She thought to herself. Spies always interested her, tales of their daring exploits as they moved behind enemy lines.
Though originally formed in 1921, the Abwehr were subverted by several high ranking German military officers into acting against Hitler's dictatorship. Driven by a desire to avoid unnecessary war, these officers utilised the Abwehr to ensure their activities remained undetected. They did not play an active role in the civil war that followed, however, leading to some scholars suggesting that the organisation may have been playing both sides as they waited to see who would emerge victorious. Katharina was disappointed, to say the least. It was hardly the tales of daring that she was hoping. She put it to one side. Maybe it would be more helpful once she had gotten past the civil war.
The Abwehr may prove vital in the future.
We had to move quickly. Hitler had support in much of the army and many men would be swayed to his cause if we were not decisive. The situation was delicate. As I looked about the table I realised how few of my colleagues I could trust. Even those that were there, I was uncertain if they could be swayed. Many of them refused to meet my eyes as I spoke to them. Men will die unnecessarily! I told them. It seemed to move a few of them, Erwin in particular. He had always been a man to lead from the front, to support his troops and was loved by them in return. I noticed the glances that flowed between him, Kurt and Albert. These three... If I could convince them, we had a fighting chance. I looked at the time, conscious that several close allies should be meeting with leaders of the Kriegsmarine and Luftwaffe as well. A silence had fallen around the table, dragging into being uncomfortable. A small cough made me lift my head, Erwin had leaned forward and finally met my eyes. I can trust my troops, he had told me. I let out a sigh of relief, I remember that much. Kurt began to unroll a map as Erwin spoke, a silent decision seemed to have been reached between them. I thanked them and, almost as one, the twenty five of us that I trusted, so few in the grand scheme of things, but we had a chance. Alea iacta est. Katharina lowered the book, carefully putting a post-it note to mark the page. She had heard of von Mackensen, of course, everyone had. The man that had engineered and led the rebellion against Hitler. Several admirals and generalobersts had also joined, bringing their vital support into the war, though it was on land that the war would be fought and won. Managing to rally a large support of the population Mackensen was supported by Generalfeldsmarschall Günther von Kluge along with Generals Erwin Rommel and Albert Kesselring, among others. She put the Mackensen's diary to one side. It was definitely an interesting read.
We are now at war! Our next focus, whilst we prosecute this war
With Germany embroiled in a bitter, ideological war, the rest of the world seemingly took it as a sign of changes to come. It was shortly after the start of this war that Great Britain decided to look at their imperial policies. The Empire had suffered great financial strain following the end of the Great War. Though the various treaties that had ended that war included a series of payments from the defeated powers, Hitler's rise to power had seen an end to these payments. Whilst the loss of these payments had little initial impact, the Wall Street Crash and the Great Depression that followed on from it had hit the Empire hard. The suffering that had followed led many to campaign for equality for all peoples of Empire and, finally, this had been heard by Prime Minister Stanley Baldwin, who had hoped that the former subjects would join a new Commonwealth of Nations. Ah, yes, Baldwin's Great Plan. Though initially this had little effect on Germany, it would come to affect things in the future. Katharina put the book,
The destabilisation of Europe in the mid-twentieth century, to her read-later pile.
What will happen next for the UK?
Katharina looked over her work so far:
Whilst the war in Germany raged on, Britain had taken the move towards decolonisation, looking to establish the former Imperial subjects as independent nations. On the first of May 1936, the Second London Naval Treaty was signed. Despite an agreement eventually being met, the meeting turned heated and revealed tensions hidden just below the surface, with France, Britain and the US clashing with Italy over Ethiopia and Japan over their ambitions and desires to be recognised as a equal power. These two events would later have repercussions. The London Naval Treaty was short sighted at best, with the hope of avoiding a war as ruinous as the Great War to be short lived, despite the best intentions of the signatories. It was also widely debated at the time as to how strictly the signing countries actually stuck to the restrictions placed upon them. She pondered the paragraph. It would suffice for now, though further research may well mean she will have to edit it later.
Luckily, we in Germany are not constricted by such worries.
Mutter, I hope this finds you well. Katharina read the letter, written by gefreiter Wolfgang Spörrer in May 1936.
We have fought hard in the south, and won many victories. I am currently sat just outside of Munich, remembering when you took me there as a child. It looks so different now. General Rommel gave us a rousing speech after we took the city, promising how it would be rebuilt as a testament to freedom when we had won this war. He then showed us some of the new equipment that we had secured with the city, some new maschinengewehr and upgrades for our artillery. This will greatly aid us in the war. As we have almost finished in the south, the General sent some to those fighting in the north, currently holding the line until we can join them. It was also during this time that we heard of the fall of Ethiopia. I worry what this will mean. We fight for a Germany safe from war, yet all around us conflict rages. Maybe that is our destiny, to fight an endless war, our punishment for not turning away from sin. Be safe, back home, mutter, give my love to Elise, tell her I fight in our father's memory and I will see her soon. The enemies of Germany will not last long against us. Love from your Son, Wolfgang, Gefreiter 3. Kompanie, 2. Armee. She looked at the date again. The war had gone well, so far, for the German Military Junta, she noted. However, what was interesting to note was the date, when the news had broken about Italian victory in their war against Ethiopia. Italy was fast becoming a rising star at this point, poised to aid in the rapid destabilisation that was about to happen in Europe.
The fall of Ethiopia.
Katharina picked up Mackensen's diary once more.
It was at this point that we decided it was best to tackle the growing problems of fascism and communism. We were embroiled in a war with the fascists, but much of the population we had liberated still believed the lies spouted by the NSDAP or had turned towards the propaganda that came out of the Soviet Union. We believed there was a core that held on to democracy. We were fighting to establish a fair and true German state, and it was for the greater good that we took the decisions we did. Those few soldiers we could spare were sent out among the populace to raid properties, with orders to destroy propaganda related to those ideas that slowly poisoned our society. We also took the decision to ban fascism, breaking up meetings and rallies. We stopped just short of martial law, the people had to have freedom, but the German state had been dragged down by extremism and we would never allow such a thing to happen again. We had risen up to once again establish a democratic state and, as such, were we not justified in being the agents that decided what that state should be? The entry was dated 20th May 1936. She pondered how to use this information, those that rebelled against Hitler's rule believing they were acting on behalf of a greater good.
Taking the Anti-Communism, Anti-Fascism and Ban Fascism decisions to get an early boost to democratic support.
The US firmly believed in isolationism to the point that they made the decision to pass the Neutrality Act on the 23rd May 1936. This act was designed to ensure that the US would not get actively involved in any brewing European conflict, an indication that the US had foreseen what was to come. The reality would, as always, be different from the intentions. By this act, the US instead aided in the coming conflict. Many countries in Europe were relying upon the US to support their independence. The news that the US would not, in fact, support them led a power vacuum within the region. An argument could be made, however, that the perceived promise of support from the US would make little difference in the long run. There was little to stop the US going back on that promise and, even if they should support it, the promise of support did not deter the German Empire from invading Belgium in 1914, whose independence was guaranteed by the British Empire. The US, however, felt secure in their belief that this act would keep them out of the war. Katharina was pleased with her work here. She paused after reading it, pondering if it was too narrative driven rather than analytical. She sighed, pushing her hair back with both hands. 'I'll have to see how it reads at the end, when it's all put together' she said aloud.
Indeed, how well did neutrality defend Belgium?
It is with pleasure that I can inform you that we have liberated Berlin. That heinous criminal, Adolf Hitler, did not even attempt to face us. It was reported to us early on in our attack on the city that he had committed suicide and I was most pleased to discover that this rumour was true. We found him in his private bunker, shut away from the rest of the population. The people he had abandoned seemed cheerful to see us, the hardships that they had endured at last over. I have no doubt that there are individuals who still side with the NSDAP, and we will ensure that they are routed out. Heinrich Himmler now leads, though we know that the end is near for them. The importance of radio could not be underestimated. Katharina knew that it's use as a propaganda tool was unparalleled in the wars that followed its invention. It was surprising to her, though, that one of the first uses as a military communication tool was to announce the death of Adolf Hitler. Rommel's early adoption of it to communicate to his troops aided in his future successes. She made some notes on her paper pad about this, noting the book,
The use of radio as a military tool, as she did so.
(Didn't get the screenshot of Hitler's death, however Himmler is now in charge)
'What you reading?' Karl sat down next to Katharina. He looked at the spine of the book 'Ah, the race for Austria. It's an interesting book I found.' Katharina nodded slightly, lost in her paragraph. The book discussed the return of the Habsburgs to power, with Otto von Habsburg being crowned on the 9th October 1936. With Germany still stuck in their civil war, they were unable to look beyond their own borders. Whilst it was the ambition of many a German politician to unite with Austria as part of a Greater Germany. Katharina finished her paragraph then looked up at Karl. 'Yes, very interesting. Dr. Patricia Fitzsimmonds manages to highlight the complexity of the issue, whilst keeping the overall analysis quite simple.' Karl smiled as she spoke, nodding slightly. 'Yes, she's very good at explaining things. I managed to catch her lecture at the Humboldt Museum, it was brilliant. I really recommend it.' Karl looked at her piles of books. 'Anything good?' he asked, pointing at them. She shrugged, sighing. 'There is, but this essay is killing me! It's so vague a question and the word count!' Karl laughed in response. 'I know. Hence, I'm here to join you. I seriously need to knuckle down on this myself. I'll be back, see if I can find anything more' he wandered off as he spoke, leaving Katharina to continue her book.
Well, this is annoying...
3rd November 1936. We had won the war, but the country needed securing. Despite our best efforts, many still clung to Hitler's promises and beliefs. Many more, however, were glad of our victory. There were celebrations in the streets of the major cities, many going on for several days. During this time, the military leadership met several times. Whilst I was content to lead an interim government, I was too old and too set in my ways to be able to offer what was needed by the people of Germany. They needed a fresh perspective. We punished those that had pushed us to this, perhaps judging many too harshly. What began as a series of trials soon turned into summary execution, crowds baying for blood. Looking back on it now, it was almost frightening. I have fought in wars for my country, faced enemy soldiers, but those early days chilled me to my core. We all got caught up in it, I am ashamed to say. I do not doubt many of those deserved their punishment, but it haunts me to consider how many innocents may have gotten caught up in it all. Still, we must now look to the future. I write this looking out from the Kroll Opera House at the ruins of the Reichstag. Such a building should be restored, a symbol of our commitment to our people. I do not know my future, or the future of Germany, but I trust that the dark days are behind us. We must now build a time of peace. Katharina looked up as she finished the entry, looking out of the window. From the Library of the German Bundestag, she looked over the Spree at the Reichstagsgebäude, the glass dome reflecting the sun onto the river. These diaries were definitely something she would seek out on completion of her assignment. Still, the early research was complete. She read through her opening paragraphs, quickly chronicling the civil war and other significant global events. Yes, she thought to herself, a definite start to her work.
The end of the civil war.