And we're back for the next chapter, also known as where the fun begins...
Chapter 9 (The German Civil War Part 1)
With the German Monarchists having declared Independence and declared war on the Weimar Government, the German Civil War officially began on the 19th of November 1923. The Imperial Army was reformed as many veterans of the Great War pledged allegiance to the reformed Monarchy.
However, the war meant that the official restoration of the Kaiser would have to wait. For now it was decided to appoint Hermann von Kuhl, a retired General and Hero of the Great War, as Regent. Not long after Walther von Luttwitz, one of the leading figures behind the failed Kapp Putsch of 1920, was appointed Chancellor. Luttwitz had left the country after that putsch and went to live in Hungary before returning to Germany following the establishment of the Monarchist State and had promptly been appointed Chief of Staff for the Imperial Army. With the appointment of Luttwitz as Chancellor the Monarchist State of Germany would function as a Military Dictatorship.
It wouldn't be long before the French & Belgians responded to these latest events in Germany and began sending material aid and advisors to help their lackeys in the Weimar Government. However, the Allies lack of direct intervention showed how much they feared a fight with Germans who would not bow to them at every opportunity.
However, the Monarchists got some support too as the Austro-Hungarian Empire sent materials and volunteers to help their wartime ally regain control over their former territory. Meanwhile the first major battle of the Civil War took place as Weimar Forces launched an attack to capture Dresden and regain control over Saxony.
Meanwhile the Weimar Government gained even more foreign support as both Britain & Czechoslovakia announced their support for the Federal Forces and began sending aid. But there was good news for the Monarchists as the Weimar attempt to capture Dresden ended in failure.
The failure to capture Dresden was a blow to the Weimar cause and the Monarchists took advantage of their indecisiveness afterwards to launch a general offensive West across the entire front. The main objective was of course the capture of Berlin but the Imperial Army also seeked to push into Bavaria and Schleswig-Holstein not to mention push towards Hamburg where the Communist Uprising continued but was not far from collapse by now, the continued distraction was welcome to the Monarchists but they would be sure to show no mercy towards the hated Communists once they entered the city.
However, there was a major blow for the Monarchists to the East as the Intermarium decided to take advantage of the Civil War to occupy East Prussia. Monarchist Forces knew they could not prevent the powerful Intermarium from doing this especially with the ongoing Civil War. This greatly angered German people on both sides but for now the region would have to be left under foreign control.
Closer to home the Monarchist Offensive continued virtually unopposed in the North where in many places the Imperial Army were greeted as liberators. Further south things proved more difficult as stiff Weimar resistance prevented Monarchist troops from capturing Leipzig. Although successes for the Weimar Forces where few and far between as they continued to lose large amounts of land to the Monarchists.
However there was soon more bad news for the Monarchists as the League of Nations decided to follow up their support for the Weimar Government by imposing sanctions against the Monarchist State. However, many countries ignored the League and continued trading normally with the Monarchists.
Despite these measures by the Allies, the Civil War continued to go extremely well for the Monarchists as by the end of November the Imperial Army had captured Potsdam as well as Frankfurt an der Oder and had almost completely isolated Berlin from Weimar Forces to the West.
Not long after, seeing that the Weimar Government was firmly on the back foot against the ongoing Monarchist Offensive, troops of the Rhenish Republic moved into Weimar territory to prevent the Monarchists from gaining control of it when they win. Rhenish Forces moved as far North as the coastal town of Wilhelmshaven and also crossed the Rhine and occupied Frankfurt am Main. This action was obviously sanctioned by the French who in their fear of a restored Reich allowed their puppets west of the Rhine to annex territory vital to the future Kaiserreich.
Around the same time, a Weimar Government launched an offensive on Potsdam in an effort to relieve the growing pressure on Berlin. However, the offensive proved weak and was repelled rather easily by Monarchist defenders in the area. If this is the best the Weimar Forces can manage then this Civil War may prove to be shorter than expected.
Apparently it wasn't just the German Monarchists that realised how weak the Weimar Forces were as on the 5th of December the State of Bavaria declared Independence from Germany and would also declare neutrality in the ongoing Civil War. Around the same time Troops of the Imperial Army entered Bayreuth preventing the cities capture by the newly Independent Bavarians. For now the Monarchist State decided to leave Bavaria alone while concentrating on the Weimar Government but the Independent State of Bavaria is unlikely to last long.
By this point in the Civil War the result already seems to be a foregone conclusion with Monarchist Forces winning almost every major battle and continually advancing west with the Weimar capital of Berlin on the verge of being encircled. While German territory has been lost to foreign powers and their puppets as a result of this Civil War, those losses shall only be temporary as once this Civil War ends the Monarchists will work tirelessly towards restoring a powerful Kaiserreich that will have the power to force the return of their rightful territories. The League of Nations had better watch out as this was only the beginning of the return of German power.
