Operation Valkyrie: A Mini-Mod for Darkest Hour

[RedPhalanx]

One of the more overlooked events, from a modding perspective, is the July 20th assassination attempt on Hitler and the failed military coup. Not only was there a reasonable chance that the attempt would succeed, but there was support from many sections of the military, including the highest levels of the Heer and Abwher.

The mini-mod intends to include the following:

• A “floating date” for the assassination and coup attempt
• A multi-pathed chain of events, detailing the effects of the coup, provisional leaders, etc…
• A potential negotiated truce and peace with the Allies and USSR
• The fate of Czechoslovakia, Poland, Austria, and more will be resolved
• New German leaders and ministers, where needed
• Compatibility with as many larger mods as possible
• And more…

 

[RedPhalanx]

FAQ:

When will the mod be released?
Expect a slew of alpha releases about a week after April 5th. Expect tons of bugs an lack of compatibility for a few more weeks.

That's too long! Can I help speed things up?
If you're interesting in helping, send me a PM, post in this thread, or an e-mail.

Will this mod be available for anything besides Darkest Hour?
No. This mod intends to use some of the event improvements that come with Darkest Hour, and will only work with the "DH Full".

Does a successful coup require the Germans to negotiate?
In theory, no. However, most of the coup leaders wanted to immediately try and end the war.

Doesn't it seem unlikely that the USSR will want to negotiate a peace?
The USSR will have a low chance of agreeing to negotiate (the Allies will have a slightly higher chance), and their demands may be excessive. As the war continues the likelihood of a negotiated peace will increase.

Could the coup fail? (i.e. Hitler is killed, but perhaps Himmler takes over)
This outcome will likely be available in a later (Post April) release.


Previews
Note: Until DH is released, some testing is being done in WIF-Titanium. This mod when completed will only be compatible with Darkest Hour.


Just one possibility...


Another possibility...Germany players will have multiple choices for each cabinet position.


A postwar possibility. Keep the military in power or allow open elections (or have the Allies force them upon you!)


Retirement events into the late 1950's. Historically, Heusinger held that position from 1957-1961.

 

[Kung Zog]

sounds very interesting.

 

[^_AC_^]

Interesting, indeed!

 

[Easy1]

Love the moview and will definitely try this one

 

[RedPhalanx]

Alright, I've come to a bit of a problem regarding the peace process. My current plan is that, should the coup succeed, a first "round" of negotiations leads to a possibly peace event ~30 days after the coup. If the first round fails (either because the Allies/USSR refuse to negotiate, or the Germans refuse the terms) then a decision for Germany to try another round becomes available about 6-8 months later. This cycle continues until needed (up to 3 rounds will be coded at start), with every round the Allies/USSR becoming more likely to negotiate and the final terms being more favorable to Germany.

Here is the problem. My original plan was to have ~80% of the terms decided beforehand, with a few issues (fate of Austria and the Sudetenland being the main two) decided later, after there is total peace. However, that could often lead to, for example, a peace between Germany and the Allies, but the war still rages in the East, possibly for many more months or years. I wonder how likely a separately negotiated peace was after late 1943.

The question I pose is this: Is it reasonable to assume that a separately negotiated peace between Germany and the Non-Soviet Allied Powers (or the other way around) would be possible after June 1943?

 

[Akaki]

According to Ian Kershaw's "Walkyrie", till the end of 1943 Goerdler's peace treaty plan was:
-eastern borders: more or less 1914 borders;
-southern borders: Sudetenland, Austria, southern Tirol up to Bozen-Meran;
-western borders: a)independent Alsace-Lorraine; b)partition of A-L according to ethinic/language borders;
-northern border: similar, ethnic border

Poland should get Lithuania in exchange for Wielkopolska/Pomorze.

 

[Easy1]

Alright, I've come to a bit of a problem regarding the peace process. My current plan is that, should the coup succeed, a first "round" of negotiations leads to a possibly peace event ~30 days after the coup. If the first round fails (either because the Allies/USSR refuse to negotiate, or the Germans refuse the terms) then a decision for Germany to try another round becomes available about 6-8 months later. This cycle continues until needed (up to 3 rounds will be coded at start), with every round the Allies/USSR becoming more likely to negotiate and the final terms being more favorable to Germany.

Here is the problem. My original plan was to have ~80% of the terms decided beforehand, with a few issues (fate of Austria and the Sudetenland being the main two) decided later, after there is total peace. However, that could often lead to, for example, a peace between Germany and the Allies, but the war still rages in the East, possibly for many more months or years. I wonder how likely a separately negotiated peace was after late 1943.

The question I pose is this: Is it reasonable to assume that a separately negotiated peace between Germany and the Non-Soviet Allied Powers (or the other way around) would be possible after June 1943?

The use of the term was revived during World War II at the Casablanca conference when American President Franklin D. Roosevelt sprang it on the other Allies and the press as the objective of the war against the Axis Powers of Germany, Italy, and Japan.[2] The term was also used at the end of World War II when Japan surrendered to the Allies. Both Winston Churchill and Joseph Stalin disapproved of the demand for unconditional surrender, as did most senior U.S. officials (except General Dwight D. Eisenhower). It has been estimated that it helped prolong the war in Europe through its usefulness to German domestic propaganda that used it to encourage further resistance against the Allied armies, and its suppressive effect on the German resistance movement since even after a coup against Adolf Hitler there was no "assurance that such action would improve the treatment meted out to their country". It has also been argued that without the demand for unconditional surrender Central Europe might not have fallen behind the Iron curtain.[3]

After 1943 unconditional surrender was in principle the only peace term the Allies and Soviet would find acceptable. That is to say a German surrender without conditions to either side was a demand (If Hitler is dead or not did hence not really matter) . This agremment between the Allies and Soviet was found even before it was clear they would win the war.

I still think it's possible that the allies could have canceled the unconditional surrender strategy if most of the nazi leadership was taken out of business though. The question I'm wondering about is if Stalin then would have continued the war (and hence possibly entered WW3 against a coalition of Germany and the Allies who after a separate peace essentially would be in an alliance) or simply negotiated his own peace terms with Germany.

 

[RedPhalanx]

My understanding is that Churchill and Stalin were at least willing to considered something less than unconditional surrender. Also, in this case Hitler would be dead, and most of the Nazi leadership would be dead, imprisoned, or otherwise no longer in charge, and that the Beck/Goerdeler administration is actively pushing for peace.

If I go forward with the separate peace options, one side agreeing to peace without the other would reduce relations between them and make the other more likely to settle.

 

[Easy1]

My understanding is that Churchill and Stalin were at least willing to considered something less than unconditional surrender. Also, in this case Hitler would be dead, and most of the Nazi leadership would be dead, imprisoned, or otherwise no longer in charge, and that the Beck/Goerdeler administration is actively pushing for peace.

If I go forward with the separate peace options, one side agreeing to peace without the other would reduce relations between them and make the other more likely to settle.

Reasonable. As I understand WW2 the only thing preventing war between Soviet and the Allies before the war, and probably in 1943 too, were Germany. Germany preserved the balance of peace between them. Most European countries in addition to Churchill seem to have had more hatred towards communism and Stalin than Hitler and facism.

 

[unmerged(189717)]

Wouldn't Stalin be afraid of an Anglo-German anticommunist alliance? IIRC, he was before the MR pact.

 

[Inner Circle]

Wouldn't Stalin be afraid of an Anglo-German anticommunist alliance? IIRC, he was before the MR pact.

Maybe a little ahistoric Version of Operation Unthinkable?

 

[tuore]

Very interesting. I recognised you from our previous cooperation in a specific AoD mod...

 

[Dutchemperor]

According to Ian Kershaw's "Walkyrie", till the end of 1943 Goerdler's peace treaty plan was:
-eastern borders: more or less 1914 borders;
-southern borders: Sudetenland, Austria, southern Tirol up to Bozen-Meran;
-western borders: a)independent Alsace-Lorraine; b)partition of A-L according to ethinic/language borders;
-northern border: similar, ethnic border

Poland should get Lithuania in exchange for Wielkopolska/Pomorze.

eastern border= 1914 + the polish border stripe.

how about the baltics? back to SU, or independent, United Baltic Duchy (i like that, but then a United Baltic Republic). Ukraine, has to be independent. I assume that Germany wil became a republic, but i think under black-white-red banner, wich was prefered by Strauffenberg.

here is a map on what i think: warning, big map.
http://img34.imageshack.us/img34/2787/metip.jpg
mostely in favor of Germany, wich still had much of SU and Northern Africa. i dont know about Czechslovakia, but both independent is more logical.

 

[unmerged(189717)]

So that would be Europe after the Allies fought back the Soviets with German help? That could lead to a very interesting conflcit between the USA (which have less worldwide influence now) , Britain (which is weakened, but not as much as in our timeline), Germany and Nationalist Russia/USSR.

 

[Dutchemperor]

So that would be Europe after the Allies fought back the Soviets with German help? That could lead to a very interesting conflcit between the USA (which have less worldwide influence now) , Britain (which is weakened, but not as much as in our timeline), Germany and Nationalist Russia/USSR.

Europe wich Valkyrie Germany makes peace with the western allies and later with the SU.

What could happen to SU? Does it change into national bolshevik? or another civil war?

 

[chepaeff]

eastern border= 1914 + the polish border stripe.

how about the baltics? back to SU, or independent, United Baltic Duchy (i like that, but then a United Baltic Republic). Ukraine, has to be independent. I assume that Germany wil became a republic, but i think under black-white-red banner, wich was prefered by Strauffenberg.

here is a map on what i think: warning, big map.
http://img34.imageshack.us/img34/2787/metip.jpg
mostely in favor of Germany, wich still had much of SU and Northern Africa. i dont know about Czechslovakia, but both independent is more logical.

Why would SU accept leaving it's prewar territories to Germany? Allies combined power is overwhelming, Germany is not in position to demand any territories. Remember Goering's saying in 1942 "We'll be lucky if we get out of war with 1933 borders". So, 1938 borders at best

 

[unmerged(189717)]

Wouldn't the Allies (after a separate peace with the European Axis powers) wait for the war in the East to end and then kick the butt of whoever is left? And, in the meantime, beat Japan?

 

[RedPhalanx]

The current plan is that the earliest Valkyrie can trigger is July of 1943. Historically, this is right at the end of the Battle of Kursk, and after the Casablanca Conference (where Roosevelt proposed fighting until the unconditional surrender of Germany), but before the Moscow Deceleration, Operation Bagration, D-Day etc. It would make sense that the Allies would be more likely to negotiate if they lacked a foothold in France at the time. In the east, I don't think Stalin would have accepted giving up the Ukraine or the Baltic States, at least not right away. Can someone involved in DH tell me if a United Baltic Nation will come default (i.e. releasable, with ministers etc...)?

Another problem is the fate of Axis-aligned Eastern Europe. I find it hard to believe that Romania, Hungary et. al. could reasonably resist a Soviet invasion without German aid (since historically they could not even with help). To simplify things for me, when Germany reaches an agreement with the USSR, the Axis-aligned Eastern European nations get an automatic GAME OVER. Italy is something I still have to resolve.

P.S. I'll keep posting preview pictures in the 2nd post.

 

[unmerged(189717)]

Italy is something I still have to resolve.

IMO, Italy would have been one of the major losers. Pre-1938 borders at best. A British occupation of Somalia and maybe Libya seems more likely.