Chapter 1: Awakening the Giant
Bogota, Colombia January 1st 1936
President Alfonso Pumarejo woke out of bed, he seemed to still be phased from last nights party, celebrating his inauguration as president. It was the start of a new year, time to start fresh but all that remained was last years baggage, Brazil, Argentina, and Uruguay along with the Peruvian government-in-exile currently residing in Brazil, were calling for the elimination of the new democratically elected government. Now was horrible time, it seemed as though everything had fallen upon President Alfonso, the Colombian economy was recovering but still heavily debilitated and the new tensions along the border seemed to make stock holders jumpy. In Europe, a continent that had only two decades ago had experienced one of the most destructive wars in human history was falling into the abyss, as Hitler showed no end to his campaign for "the betterment of the German people". In Asia war between the Chinese and the Japanese seemed inevitable as tensions over Manchuria rose and the Chinese Civil War dragged on and on. It seemed that while 1936 was a new year it was only bringing more of the same. War.
--------
The Re-militarization of the Rhineland had occurred on March 8th 1936 was a, as many say, a pivotal event that served as a catalyst for the rest of Nazi Germany's actions in the Interbellum period before World War II.
Under Articles 42 and 44 of the 1919 Treaty of Versailles—imposed on Germany by the Allies after the Great War—Germany was "forbidden to maintain or construct any fortification either on the Left bank of the Rhine or on the Right bank to the west of a line drawn fifty kilometers to the East of the Rhine". If a violation "in any manner whatsoever" of this Article took place, this "shall be regarded as committing a hostile act...and as calculated to disturb the peace of the world".
The Locarno Treaties, signed in 1925 by Germany, France, Italy and Britain, stated that the Rhineland should continue its demilitarized status permanently. Locarno was regarded as important as it was a voluntary German acceptance of the Rhineland's demilitarized status as opposed to the diktat (dictate) of Versailles.
The Versailles Treaty also stipulated that the Allied military forces would withdraw the Rhineland in 1935, although they actually withdrew in 1930. The British delegation at the Hague Conference on German reparations in 1929 (headed by Philip Snowden, Chancellor of the Exchequer, and including Arthur Henderson, Foreign Secretary) proposed that the reparations paid by Germany should be reduced and that the British and French forces should evacuate the Rhineland. Henderson persuaded the skeptical French Premier, Aristide Briand, to accept that all Allied occupation forces would evacuate the Rhineland by June 1930. The last British soldiers left in late 1929 and the last French soldiers left in June 1930.
As the German Wehrmacht entered the Rhine only formal protests were sent by Britain and France, the Age of Appeasement had just begun and so had Hitler's plan for Europe and the world.
---------
40 miles for Medellin, Colombia July 17th 1936
"Honey wake up! Your father needs help in the fields!" Yelled Mrs. Caballero
The 14 year old boy slowly rose out of bed and put on his working clothes, getting ready for another long day in the fields.
"I'm 14 years old and yet I work as if I were a man of 40, when is it going to be time for me to go be a kid maybe even go to school damnit." Said Humberto Caballero
Although only 14 Humberto had been out of school for 4 years as his family had been hit hard by the Depression and found they could not find the money to pay for his education. At the age of 14, Humberto had been a working "man" for three of them.
After ten minutes Humberto rushed downstairs and ate his breakfast two scrambled eggs and a quarter of a glass of milk. Half because his father had already drank the rest.
"What a moron," thought Humberto
"He could have at least left some for mom."
Humberto left his milk alone and told his mother to drink it.
"No Humber its fine drink it yourself." She said plainly while smiling but Humberto new that the heart reveals what the smiles betray; in other words she wanted the milk
"No its fine" said Humberto after he finished his eggs
"You'll need your strength today" Said his father
"No its okay she can drink it" Humberto said coldly
Most of Humberto's problems with his father stemmed from the fact that he was the town drunk and had last night arrived drunk from the tavern his family earned so little and half of it was squandered in booze. Not to mention the man was an asshole, plain and simple.
"Boy didn't you hear me, drink the milk" said Mr. Caballero
"No, I don't want any, thanks, mother can have it." replied Humberto without breaking his stride for the door, big mistake.
"LOOK AT ME WHEN I TALK TO YOU!" yelled Mr. Caballero with such a fury that the house shook
Humberto payed no attention and went and grabbed the newspaper, something that always saved him his father had the attention span of a squirrel when he had the news paper.
It read in big bold letters
SPANISH CIVIL WAR