The Peoples Führer

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The Peoples failed revolution

The Kommunistische Partei Deutschlands (KPD) was formed in December of 1918 from the Spartacist League, which originated as a small factional grouping within the Social Democratic Party (SPD) opposed to the First World War on the grounds that it was an imperialist war in which the working class had no interest. The faction was led by Rosa Luxemburg and Karl Liebknecht. Both wanting the SPD to embrace its communist roots the party was initially founded on. But from 1914 on the SPD supported the war both politically and finically.
Technically, its first incarnation was as the Internationale, based on a journal of that name which was swiftly suppressed by the authorities. The faction became known as the Spartacus League after a series of letters written by Luxemburg, its preeminent theoretician, which she signed "Spartacus".
When the tide of popularity turned against the war, sections of the SPD turned leftwards and broke away to form the Independent Social Democratic Party of Germany (USPD). The Spartacus League joined the new party as an autonomous faction. However, a debate was underway as to whether a new Communist party should be formed in Germany that would ally itself with the Bolsheviks in Russia. As well as the Spartacus League, the International Communists of Germany (IKD), who had their theoretical point of origin in the pre-war Left Radical tendency, were to take part in the foundation of the Communist Party.

The Spartacus League, Rosa Luxemburg center​

The party was first led by Rosa Luxemburg and Karl Liebknecht, though large portions of the membership opposed their views. Some even formed a splinter organization, the Communist Workers Party. The failed Spartacist Uprising in Berlin was carried out one month after the KPD's formation, in January of 1919, against the specific instructions of Luxemburg and Liebknecht. The right wing Freikorps militias joined with the remnants of the German army and the Social Democrats to suppress the revolt. Liebknecht and Luxemburg were captured, tortured, killed, and dumped into a canal.
This left the party in the hands of Karl Levi, who sought to win over social democratic workers. These efforts were rewarded when a substantial section of the Independent Social Democratic Party joined the KPD, making it a mass party for the first time. Other prominent members included Leo Jogiches, Clara Zetkin, Paul Levi, Willi Münzenberg, Franz Mehring and Ernst Meyer, who joined between 1920-1924.

A leader is born

Adolf Hitler was born on April 20, 1889 at Braunau am Inn, Austria.He was the fourth of six children of Alois Hitler (1837–1903), a customs official, and Klara Pölzl, Alois' niece and third wife. Of these six children, only Adolf and his younger sister Paula reached adulthood. Alois died on January 3, 1903, at 65. Adolf was 16 at the time. Doing poorly in school and desiring the life of a painter he left school.
From 1905 onward, Hitler was able to live the life of a Bohemian on a fatherless child's pension and support from his mother. After he was rejected twice by the Academy of Arts in Vienna (1907–1908) for "lack of talent"—which he resented deeply—he did not try to find a different job or learn a profession. He was told he should become an architect, since he had some flair for painting buildings. On December 21, 1907, his mother Klara died a painful death from breast cancer. He gave his share of the orphans' benefits to his younger sister Paula, but soon after inherited some money from an aunt. He worked as a struggling painter in Vienna, copying scenes from postcards and selling his paintings to merchants and tourists (there is evidence he produced over 2000 paintings and drawings before World War I).
After the second refusal from the Academy of Arts, Hitler gradually ran out of money. By 1909, he sought refuge in a homeless shelter, and by the beginning of 1910 had settled permanently into a house for poor working men. He made spending money by painting tourist postcards of Vienna scenery. He was given a small inheritance from his father in May 1913 and moved to Munich.
Moving to Munich also helped him escape military service in Austria for a time, but the Austrian army later arrested him. After a physical exam (during which his height was measured at 1.73 m, or 5"8') and a contrite plea, he was found unfit for service and allowed to return to Munich. However, when Germany entered World War I in August 1914, he immediately enlisted in the Bavarian army.

Hitler on the far left.​

Hitler saw active service in France and Belgium as a messenger for the 16th Bavarian reserve infantry regiment, which exposed him to enemy fire. He also drew some cartoons and instructional drawings for the army newspaper. He was twice cited for bravery in action, receiving the Iron Cross, Second Class, in December 1915 and the Iron Cross, First Class in August 1918. (This was an honor rarely given to corporals. The fact that he was not a German citizen at that time, and therefore could not be promoted beyond corporal, might have been significant.) In October 1916, in northern France, Hitler was wounded in the leg. At the beginning of March 1917 he returned to the front. When Germany surrender Hitler took it extremely hard. He like most other Germans at the time believed the army was undefeated, he quickly clung to the “stabbed in the back” theory of defeat.

Changes in ideology


After the war, Hitler remained in the army, which was mainly engaged in suppressing socialist uprisings breaking out across Germany, including Munich, where Hitler returned in 1919. He took part in "national thinking" courses organized by the Education and Propaganda Department (Dept Ib/P) of the Bavarian Reichswehr Group, Headquarters 4 under Captain Mayr. A key purpose of this group was to create a scapegoat for the outbreak of the war and Germany's defeat. The scapegoats were found in "international Jewry," communists and politicians across the party spectrum.
In July 1919, Hitler was appointed a V-Mann (Verbindungsmann is the German term for a police spy) of "Aufklärungskommando" or Intelligence Commando of the Reichswehr, for the purpose of influencing other soldiers towards similar ideas and was assigned to infiltrate a small nationalist party, the German Workers' Party (DAP) in September.
Hitler never made it to one meeting of the party. On September 9 Adolf got off the S-Bahn train in Munich, and while crossing a busy intersection was hit by a car. He was not injured badly but he had cracked two ribs. While Hitler laid on the ground, according to him, the driver of the car yelled back as he drove off, “Get a job and out of my way.”
The army gave him sick leave, for three weeks to heal. During that time Hitler roamed around Munich. Having more time on his hands then he had in years, he began writing down his thoughts in between painting his aparment and a Pomeranian dog his neighbor owned. Hitler spoke of how Germany looked to him, “Every where I looked men and women had their shoulders slumped forward. The bright and eager expressions they had during my younger days were gone. The only one who seemed to be smiling were my enemies.” Many historians argue over whether or not Hitler being hit by the car would have changed his opinion concerning the “enemy” of Germany. He formed a deep loathing of the upper class, and even the middle class, who Hitler accused of not fighting in the war, and reaping the benifits of the lower classes struggles.
Having a week left before having to report to the army, Hitler went through Munich in late July. According to his writings he saw a poster that said in simple words, “Fight the Rich.”

It was a poster for the KPD, Hitler became obsessed with the slogan. Finding the earliest meeting, he sat in and heard Dieter Kuhn, the deputy of the Munich communist party, speak to the crowd. Hitler was said to be moved by the speech which bashed the upper class who forced Germany into war then surrendered when it was no longer profitable, spoke of the once great Germany built on the backs of workers, and how foreigners decided the fate of the nation.

Hitler tried signed up immediately, but the party was suspicious of him. He was unashamedly in the army, and boasted of his iron cross. Many within the Munich party felt such things against the Marxist doctrine. Kuhn not wanting someone with military connections to be angry with the party, informed Hitler that he should think it over before signing up.
Given a copy of the Communist Manifesto, Hitler went home and poured over the book. Reading it from cover to cover. It fascinated Hitler, according to the army the book was filled with anarchist phrases made to enflame and destroy civilization. But here in simple print was not only the answer to life’s problems but solutions. Overthrow the capitalists, and replace it with the people. Resigning from the army, in a rather uncommunist way, citing his chest still bothered him when he slept. The doctors not being able to disprove such things allowed Hitler to retain a years’ worth of pay after he quit.
Hitler went back to the Munich party meetings, he took part in the discussions, gave his opinions about how the doctrine could be used alongside that of the Comintern. Kuhn at first took to liking Hitler, but as the Austrian corporal, who was not even a member of the party, was asked more and more to lead the meetings a split formed between the two. On October 12, 1919 Hitler became the 1623rd member of the Munich communist party.

 

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Battle lines

To the east the Russian civil war ended in the favor of the Red army. And down south Benito Mussolini became the facist dictator of Italy, and by 1923 French and Belgian troops had occupied the Ruhr. Strikes were called for in Germany, and passive resistance was encouraged. The strikes had to last for eight months, which caused the German economy to suffer, and importing had to begin. Since striking workers also had to be paid by the state, additional currency was printed, which fuelled a period of hyperinflation. The value of the Mark declined from 4.2 per US dollar to 1,000,000 per dollar by August 1923 and 4,200,000,000,000 per dollar on November 20. On December 1, a new currency was established at the rate of 1,000,000,000,000 old marks for 1 new mark, the Rentenmark.

El Duece before his rise to Italian power​

As this occurred the communist party thrived, especially after the Red army had won their civil war. These led to the official creation of the Soviet Union of Socialist Republics (USSR). The KPD in Germany sent numerous men and women to Russia to view the inner workings of a communist state and attend the first World Congress. Lenin welcomed them all explaining his personal view that the revolution can only succeed by the least developed nations embracing the doctrine and banding together.
To the Munich communist party this was an amazing time. Germany was at an all time low, ripe for revolution. Within the party itself numerous people asked to go Russia to attend the congress. Hitler was one of them, he was promised a position on the nine man delegation. Dieter Kuhn stepped in and took Hitler’s place, not wanting his rival to gain any more prestige. Taking this as a betrayal Hitler fumed for days on end.

French troops enter the Ruhr, after Germany failed to make a payment.​

Between March 7th and April 12th the world congress hammered out the details of how communism will work throughout the world. Hitler on the other hand was secretly plotting within the Munich party. He had a small cliché which followed him adamantly. Carl Severing, a handsome man with a fine Prussian profile, was a sergeant in the war, who deserted after the battle of the Argonne Forrest. Severing was an organizer of the Volksjagers da Munich (VJM) or “peoples fighters.” Albert Grzesinski, who most referred to as “Grezie,” worked at a printers shop. Knowing how to use the equipment he was placed in charge of created the political posters early on in the party. But perhaps the most important was Hienrich Lanzer. The Munich Police department was filled with men sympathy for the communist cause. Lanzer was forty-five, and in charge of investigations. He had many men under him and access to weapons, nationalist meetings, and plots to “sweep” the Munich party meetings.
Many within the party found it odd that the elderly Lanzer would follow the young 32 year old Hitler around. But Lanzer confused on numerous occasions that Hitler had a passion for the cause like no other. In fact many believe that Hitler’s uncompromising belief in the revolution succeeding gave him many allies within the party.
These allies where called upon on March 13th around Six o’clock at night. Hitler called a meeting of the Munich party leadership. After making a stirring speech about the direction of the party, he requested a vote on he being declared the new deputy. Of the twenty men assembled fifteen voted to keep Kuhn. Seven hours later all of the men who voted against Hitler were placed in jail, the charges being disorderly conduct.

The emergency meeting of the KPD.​

Hitler called an emergency meeting of the Munich party by 2am. Everyone assembled listened to tales of police taking communist party members to jail, and a roadblock for construction the next day was misinterpreted as preparations for an attack. With the deputy, and leader of the VJM in Russia something had to be done. Hitler asked that he be appointed leader.
Most fell into line, and at 2:47 am on March 14th Hitler was made the leader of the Munich Communist party. Severing was appointed the leader of the VJM, he quickly stripped the ranks of any who did not have prior military, police, or security experience. Grzesinski put on the party payroll with a larger staff, quickly purchased a printing press and set out a steady stream of leaflets praising the new face of the party. Lanzer did nothing, he stayed in the shadows and directed his men to break up nationalist, and reactionary elements near the party rallies. Hitler consolidated his power base, most saw the increase of men in white shirts and red arm bands as a sign that their communist districts were protected from outside forces.When Dieter Kuhn returned he was pushed to the back of the party,while furious he quickly noticed his power base was in jail or saluting Hitler.

The Party

The roaring twenties hit the communist party hard. No longer did images of the proletariat rising up seem a likely occurrence. During this time Hitler rose in political circles. Sitting in the KDP yearly meetings, Lenin himself set a signed photo of himself to the young Hitler (Although claiming it was a special gift to such a loyal communist Lenin sent such photos to every leader of Communist parties), his face became the image of communism in Munich.
Dieter Kuhn and his shrinking group tried to move out into the country side and increase his own power base in Bavaria. Hitler set forth a policy that the cities were to be won, and the farmlands tilled. He was very careful not to mention collective farms in public, for such statements typically scared off farmers.
Lanzer during the twenties saw to it that the majority of Munich’s citizens understood how the system worked. The “system,” as he liked to put it, was that anyone who was an active communist party member would receive police protection. While today such things sound absurd, it was common practice in Germany at the time. By 1923 over 500,000 people where voting communist. The rest of Munich was divided between nationalist, ultra-nationalist, and the Social Democrats. Bavaria itself was not strongly socialist being low in industrial centers.

Ernest Thälmann speaking, Severing in his uniform, Grzesinskion second form the left, and Lanzer the farthest on left with a bald head.​

While Lanzer scared citizens into the party, Severing was given a long leash by Hitler to seek out and dismantle counter-revolutionary parties. The VJM had adopted a simple uniform: black pants, white shirt, and a red arm band. Severing was ruthless in hunting down political rallies, when his men met up with other parties it normally ended in a bloodbath with the VJM walking away winners.
Grzesinskion the other hand was setting up the image of the "humble" party. Mass rallies, party functionaries on every corner. His leaflets and posters covered almost every wall of Munich. Severing had given him fifty odd men as gaurds. Grzesinski had a few stay behind at his printing press, the rest were sent out to tear down political posters, and disrupt street speakers.

Doctrine of German

After Lenin's death in January 1924, Stalin, Kamenev, and Zinoviev together governed the party, placing themselves ideologically between Trotsky (on the left wing of the party) and Bukharin (on the right).
During this period, Stalin abandoned the traditional Bolshevik emphasis on international revolution in favor of a policy of building "Socialism in One Country", in contrast to Trotsky's theory of Permanent Revolution. Stalin would soon switch sides and join with Bukharin. Together, they fought a new opposition of Trotsky, Kamenev, and Zinoviev.
Hitler is said to have disappeared from public life in 1924. He would appear at meetings, and some rallies, but never at the level of interaction he once enjoyed. Hitler during this time spent most of his days in the small apartment he shared with his sister Paula. Around August of 1925 Hitler published Da Kommunistische Kompf ( The Communist Struggle) came out. Within the 167 pages he tore apart the logic of Stalin and his hatred of the rich. Citing numerous flaws in Stalin’s military, political and economic plans. The biggest of them all concerning the Soviet Union assuming control of the revolution. Lenin preached nations banning together to survive, Stalin on the other hand cared more for the future of the USSR. Hitler proposed a unified communist nation, in which Germany was the center of Communist Thought, and security of the nation at large. The education and technological level of Germany, as well as the superior quality of its army made it the perfect nation to launch the revolution world wide. Russia on the other hand had neither the knowledge or the means of committing forces world wide.
But in order to achieve his goal Hitler insisted that German technology and Russia manpower unite. The revolution would spread out into surronding states to increase manpower, as well as give more farmland. His greatest fear was becoming a Soviet state with no autonomy, so to counter act this he insisted upon a strong military and civilian population.

 

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The Crash

By the Great Depression of the 1930s, the institution of the Weimar Republic as such was blamed by many for the economic problems; this is apparent in the election results where the political parties that wanted to disband the Republic altogether on both the right and the left wings made a democratic majority in Parliament impossible.

In this context, the Versailles treaty was considered by the German people as a punishing and degrading document, which forced them to surrender resource-rich areas and pay massive amounts of compensation. These punitive reparations caused great consternation and resentment from the German populace. The actual economic damage resulting from the Treaty of Versailles is difficult to determine. Though the official reparations owed by Germany were considerable, in actuality Germany ended up paying only a small fraction of its debt. In fact, more money flowed into Germany in Allied loans than Germany paid in reparations. However, the reparations did damage to Germany's economy in that they discouraged loans, thus forcing the Weimar government to finance its deficit by printing more money, contributing to rampant hyperinflation. This was the perfect breeding ground to spread communism as well as the Fascist ideology going about nationalist groups.

A step up

At the 12th party congress of the KPD from 9th to 15th June 1929 in Berlin-Wedding, Ernest Thälmann steered a clear course of confrontation with the SPD after the events of "Bloody May", in which 32 people were killed by the police in an attempt to suppress demonstrations which had been banned by the Interior Minister, a Social Democrat.

Hitler looked out of place in the faux military uniform, while the other men present wore cleanly pressed suits. While Thälmann spoke, Hitler stood up in the middle of his speech and began his own. Many in the room had Da Kommunistische Kompf, and took strongly to Hitler-Leninism. Thälmann tried in vain to regain control of the congress, Hitler yelled in his strong voice that the party must be one. “Germany will not have communist parties, the Fatherland will have the party!”
At that moment Hitler’s VJM lead by Severing moved into the hall and aligned the wall singing The Internationale. Amidst the shouts of “Hitler!” Thälmann sat down and clapped alongside the rest. Two days later he resigned from the party post. Unlike Kuhn from years earlier Thälmann held no bad thoughts toward Hitler. He was clearly the better choice for the KPD.

Adolf’s first years

Hitler at the reins of the KPD made quick and amazing changes. Every single communist party, with the exception of the German Peoples Alliance, merged with the KPD. Severing was given orders to turn the VJM to the Volksjager Deutschlands (VJD). He went about the various socialist street fighter groups, police departments, and even the military to find men. Each major city was said to have at least 500 VJD fighters. The “Redbands” as they where called came to symbolize much of the clash between nationalist and communist forces. With close to 50,000 men under his control, more then a third with military experience, Severing had assembled a mighty political army for Hitler. Lanzer on the other hand shrunk his “private” police force, in favor of his personal friend Major General Horace Kolbin, the army officer in charge of the army division outside of Munich. Hitler played both men against each other, giving party funds to one, then to another almost ensuring neither would speak to each other on respectable terms.

Severing inspecting the VJD Hitler Gaurd.​

In 1931, knowing an election was almost a year away, Stalin urged the Comintern to steer the KPD into a conflict with the moderates. With the moderates out of the way, it was either the communists, or the nationalists which could be easy to over throw according to Stalin. Hitler on the other hand paid no attention to the whims of the Comintern. While most saw the moderate’s as a threat, Hitler claimed to know better. The economy was going down, people where losing their jobs, Hindenburg then appointed Franz von Papen as new Reichskanzler in April and the Social Democrats offer of “wait for the economy to settle” wasn’t taken very well. The nationalists had answers, flimsy half hearted answers, but Hitler told his followers “ the bigger the lie the more easily it will be believed.”

The Stalin in pictures was a far more impressive man then in person.​

 

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oy.... I can't believe I mispelled the title.

 

[Sir Humphrey]

Really great AAR! I mean really great. Absolutely top show.

 

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The end of Weimar

The last years of the Weimar republic were stamped by even more political instability than in the previous years. On March 29, 1930, the finance expert Heinrich Brüning had been appointed the successor of Chancellor Müller by Paul von Hindenburg after months of political lobbying by General Kurt von Schleicher on behalf of the military. The new government was expected to lead a political shift towards conservatism, based on the emergency powers granted to the Reichspräsident by the constitution, since it had no majority support in the Reichstag.
The following Reichstag general elections on September 14, 1930 resulted in an enormous political shift: 25.3% of the vote went to the KPD, eight times the percentage compared to 1928. This had devastating consequences for the republic: there was no longer a majority in the Reichstag even for a Great Coalition of moderate parties. The nationals parties banded together giving them 18.6% . The SDP held onto 50.5%, the remainder of 5.5% going to the fringes of both the left and right.
From 1930 to 1932, Brüning attempted to sanity the devastated state without a majority in Parliament, governing with the help of the President's emergency decrees. During that time, the Great Depression reached its highpoint. In line with liberal economic theory that less public spending would spur economic growth, Brüning drastically cut state expenditures, including in the social sector. He expected and accepted that the economic crisis would, for a while, deteriorate before things would improve. Among others, the Reich completely halted all public grants to the obligatory unemployment insurance (which had been introduced only in 1927), which resulted in higher contributions by the workers and less benefits for the unemployed -- not exactly a popular measure to adopt
This was not the case. The November 6, 1932 elections yielded 33.0% for the KPD: it lost over four percent. Hitler decided it was time to step up his actions. The VJD marched down the streets at all hours of the night, Lanzer arrested party members for the nationalists. Hitler while his men moved out to cause havoc, snaked his way through level after level of government officials until on January 4, 1933, when Hitler met secretly with von Papen at the house of the Cologne banker Kurt von Schroeder. Papen instantly disliked the Austrian with the funny mustache. Originally Papen assumed it was Hitler’s attempt at a coup, and had Hindenburg and the army on semi-high alert. A simple plan was arranged the communist forces would back the moderates in the up coming election. Hitler asked that agricultural posts be filled with communists, and the general assembly of parliament should be headed by Ernst Thälmann.

Hindinberg accepted Hitler at his side, but only for brief moments.​

Papen was amazed, and quickly took up the offer. Later he told his aides that Hitler was a fool. Papen later presented Hindenburg with this plan, who appointed Hitler to be the new under secretary to the President on January 30, 1933. Although Hindenburg was fiercely anti-Communist and had defeated Hitler in the 1932 presidential election, he reluctantly agreed to von Papen's theory that with the KPD on the wane Hitler would be easy to control.
In perhaps the greatest ruse of our modern era, at 5am May 1st 1933 the coup began. The parliament was arrested by Lanzer, who through Hitler’s back channels had been made Police commissioner of Berlin. Severing had the VJD in every city take charge of city halls, and hunt down counter-revolutionaries. The leaders of the Wehrmacht, including Heinz Guderian, had already joined with Hitler after his promises of maintaining a large professional army. Various levels of the army moved eliminating or imprisoning the elements which wished to fight the new regime.
By 6 o’clock that day Hitler was in control of Germany. Papen, Hindenburg, and many more were placed under arrest. Deutschlander Rahf the national radio station, addressed the nation telling them of the regime change. Hitler spoke to the German people, “Today the proletariat of Germany has thrown off the shackles of the Bourgeois oppressors. No longer will we be held accountable for the actions of the rich who throw us into war, and make us pay for it. Germany shall be strong again, it shall be the beacon of the world wide revolution!”

The first six months

By May 3rd the outside world learned of what occurred within Germany. England, France, plus various other nations expressed outrage, that a democrat nation was overthrown in favor of a dictatorship. Italy mobilized its forces that day but the order was recalled once heads cooled. The Soviet Union, and Stalin in particular was jubilant. The Comintern opened his accounts and pumped what funds it could into the German state.

Many rallied under the communist flag, following the coup.​

The first act of Hitler was to perform mass arrests. An armed assortment of the VJD went through German cities arresting those who they had listed down as reactionary, counter-revolutionary, or just having the bad luck of making an enemy within the party. Between May and July small pockets of resistance were broken up by the army and the VJD. Lanzer was in charge of the peoples court which over saw the numerous prisoners. It was a show trial, but from a propaganda stand point it did wonders. Hindenburg himself was sentenced to hang, after Papen testified that he sent troops into an impossible situation just so the General could have a better view from his villa. Within the first five months of the revolution 1,697 people where sentenced to death, while 25,765 where sent to work camps, later to be sent to work on farms.

VJD gaurds denying entry to Krupp Steel.​

Around July the western powers had a conference, which Italy insisted it sit in on, to decide how to deal with another communist state. By June 6th the KPD was clearly in control of Germany. The western powers at that time sent a delegation to meet with Hitler and learn of his intentions. Hitler refused the entire thing, instead sending a letter to the respective governments. The letter made no real promises about his intentions, but he repeated again and again how peace and security was his goal.

 

[Sir Humphrey]

This is going from strength to strength. Goody.

 

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The first six months
By May 3rd the outside world learned of what occurred within Germany. England, France, plus various other nations expressed outrage, that a democrat nation was overthrown in favor of a dictatorship. Italy mobilized its forces that day but the order was recalled once heads cooled. The Soviet Union, and Stalin in particular was jubilant. The Comintern opened his accounts and pumped what funds it could into the German state.

With the assistance of the army the VJD militia groups formed quickly with expert supervision.​

The first act of Hitler was to perform mass arrests. An armed assortment of the VJD went through German cities arresting those who they had listed down as reactionary, counter-revolutionary, or just having the bad luck of making an enemy within the party. Between May and July small pockets of resistance were broken up by the army and the VJD. Lanzer was in charge of the peoples court which over saw the numerous prisoners. It was a show trial, but from a propaganda stand point it did wonders. Hindenburg himself was sentenced to hang, after Papen testified that he sent troops into an impossible situation just so the General could have a better view from his villa. Within the first five months of the revolution 1,697 people where sentenced to death, while 25,765 where sent to work camps, later to be sent to work on farms.
Around July the western powers had a conference, which Italy insisted it sit in on, to decide how to deal with another communist state. By June 6th the KPD was clearly in control of Germany. The western powers at that time sent a delegation to meet with Hitler and learn of his intentions. Hitler refused the entire thing, instead sending a letter to the respective governments. The letter made no real promises about his intentions, but he repeated again and again how peace and security was his goal.

The revolution had many state sponsered executions against the upper classes.​

Tearing down the walls

The German Democratic Republic (GDR) was formed under the communist party in 1933. Hitler was General Secretary. Severing retained control of the VJD, which was renamed the Deutsches Freiwilliges Verteidigungsgmbh (DFV) . Thälmann was given control of the party itself, which he filled with men loyal to the communist cause, and therefore Hitler. Grzesinski was put in charge of the recently created Hauptinformationenministerium . It was the state propaganda department. Finally Lanzer was repaid for years of loyalty. The Berlin police force, which for years acted as Lanzers personal attack dogs, was transformed to the Konterrevolutionäres Untersuchend Ministerium von Deutschland (KUMD).

The newly formed KUMD went to work tracking down enemies of the state.​

The army was in an odd position, its ranks had swelled with new recruits, funds for more weapons and weapons research poured in, but the higher ups feared a purge of its ranks by KUMD agents. By April of 1933 Hitler preformed his first “Cleansing” of the army ranks. Everyone above the level of Major General, who had not pledge support to the party before the coup were arrested. Gone were the old elite’s of Prussian Junker aristocracy. Guderian streamlined research into tanks, aircraft, and new tactics. The uniform was changed to match that of the soviet, the distinctive German helmet stayed, but only for practical reasons.
Every major business was put under government control. A few private business’s allowed to remain, but with strict enforcement on lower prices in accordance with the government’s standards. In March of 1934 farms where given the “sharing” quota. If a farm did not meet its yearly yield, then a parcel of land was given to another group of farmers, under state supervision, to ease the burden. More often then not the yield was impossible to meet.

With the quota system in place Farmers produce more then thye had in years.​

1934 was also the year of Hitler’s first five year plan. Production went up in both industry and agriculture. The quotas the state put on factory managers caused them to hire as many as possible. Farmers had to accept new tractors, and motorized threshers to meet their own quotas. The economic status of German quickly ended its depression. Very few materials came into Germany, but almost eight hundred tons come out of Germany every day. The standard of living went up, by 1935 the wealth distributed from the upper class, and the jobs made available for the lower class gave each working man 600 marks a year, and a woman 250 marks a year. In 1929 it was 400 marks for a man and 100 to 200 marks a year.
Power plants spread out along the country side, hospitals became staffed with more and more doctors. Perhaps the most embraced changes were Radio für Arbeitprogramm (Radio for work program), and the Automobile für Familien Reihenfolge 12 (Automobile for workers order 12). In exchange for a cut of 10% per month in pay, or 3% per day any working man or women would receive a radio after either three months, or two months. Automobiles were available for larger families, but they had to come up with a quarter of the 350 marks it costs. The Volkswagen (Peoples car) was cheap to make and could hold a good sized family.

Before the car was even put into production, thousands of Volkswagens had been ordered.​

 

[Jape]

Im loving this. Keep it up

 

[Bacon King]

Another grand AAR from Fenwick!

 

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1936: a year of games and plans

The Games of the XI Olympiad were to be held in 1936 in Berlin, Germany. Berlin's bid was preferred over Barcelona. Although awarded before the Communist Party came to power in Germany, the government saw the Olympics as a golden opportunity to promote their Socialist ideology. Hitler was ready for the games. Ordering the finishing touches on the massive sports complex which would hold the games. But as this was being worked on in 1935, Albert Serraut's government began in France.
Serraut a staunch anti-communist asked if such a nation could hold the Olympics. Neville Chamberlain the British Prime Minister as well as Anthony Eden the new foreign secretary, met with the Olympic board in secret. By December 5th a decision was made to move the games to France, who already had a stadium from the previous Olympics. Publicly the western nations backed each other, citing that the Olympics were chosen for a nation they had officially recognized.

Eden alongside Churchill, and James Marquios the French ambassador to the League of Nations.​

Hitler was furious, he saw it as yet another example of the western powers plotting against him. Stalin offered his condolences, writings from his secretary show him deeply disturbed by the west acting such a way toward the new Communist nation. There was some talk of a state visit being made to discuss solidarity between the Russian and German peoples. But Hitler quickly forgot of such things when Grzesinski came forth with a plan.
Instead of Olympic games, why not the Peoples Games? With a stadium built, and not in use Grzesinski told Hitler how the communist parties of the world could send athletes to compete against one another. Hitler jumped at the idea, giving Grzesinski control of the project.
After rushing the remainder of construction on the stadium complex, Hitler announced the May Day games. Between May 1st and May 8th men and women from around the world would come together for a festival of strength, will, and brotherhood. The Comintern quickly made a list of countries with people willing to compete. Stalin was said to be irked by Hitler assuming he could plan such an event without Comintern consent. But he said nothing, he prepared not to go, but the best of Russia would arrive to put Hitler in his place. The games were a success, twelve countries participate Germany taking the Gold in almost every event. Although a boxing match between Hienrich Volga and the Russian Demtri Agolviskotoc lasted exactly 7.8 seconds. The German gave an uppercut to the Russian and he passed out, securing the German gold. Many thought the game was fixed, but nothing supports the claim.

But against the backdrop of world games, which gave the world an image of a powerful, strong, and peaceful Germany, Hitler and his various henchmen set about creating an army. Calling upon general conscription for men between the ages of 18-45. With a large professional army to call on training was quick and simple. As the army bulked up, and tanks rolled out of factories, almost a quarter of the German budget went to the creation of the Western wall. The wall was a complex set of fortifications strung out from the border of Netherlands to Switzerland. Instead of true forts, a system of permanent field pieces, and concert bunkers were expected to slow the enemy while the army prepared.

The Marx line facing towards France.​

The Eagle and the Bear

In 1935 Stalin openly and constantly spoke to German diplomats. A long and in depth correspondence between Stalin and Hitler began around this time. Both respected the other for the belief in the Revolution. Yet each seemed to annoy the other. Many around them found this odd, for both had striking similarities. But Stalin as well as Hitler every so often would mention cooperation. There was an unspoken agreement that Russia, as well as Germany, would help each other in case of war. Plans had been made for technicians to arrive in Moscow, under DFV supervision, once there they would teach their Russian counterparts what leaps had occurred in science. A wild haired elderly man, named Albert Einstein was in charge of the German Physics Group. He was to be the first of these scientists loaned to Russia.

Perhaps the greatest example of the German Soviet relationship was their intervention in the Spanish Civil War in 1936. The Republican army fighting Francisco’s forces had the backing of Russian supplies, and German technology. A army division was sent in to assist in the defense of Madrid. The western world was shocked at the horrors of modern war. Hitler watched in amazement, seeing the weakness of the Imperialist powers he stepped up the army knowing the day would come when the Western world wouldn’t stand for the Communist’s intervening.

For legal reasons a "volunteer" division was created and sent to Spain. While regular army, they were armed with a mixture of Russian, Mexican and German rifles.​

 

[Sir Humphrey]

This gets better and better!

 

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The world prepares

As Germany grew stronger the European world grew more suspicious . Italy had taken Ethiopia, Japan was spreading out past Manchuria and into China itself. The Allies went around a general build up in military forces. Russia eyed here former territory, as did Germany. In June of 1937 Hitler had the German general staff create plans for a future war. The French and British were always a concern to Hitler, but the string of alliances Italy had made with Hungary, Bulgaria, and hinting at Austria joining as well.
Hitler saw Germany encircled by enemies. Russia shared no border with its fellow communist power. Generals Wilhelm Keitel, Walther von Brauchitsch, and Claus von Stauffenberg, created a plan for a limited war against either Lithuania and Latvia, or Poland. The goal was to make a direct link between the Germany and Russia. Hitler changed its original name Polish Liberation to the rather absurd Ackerland Wachstums Ausbreitung und Anti reaktionäre Tat IX (Farmland Growth Expansion and anti reactionary act IX). Ernst Thälmann did not care much for the way the two greatest socialist powers tiptoed around each other. Vyacheslav Mikhaylovich Molotov his Russian counterpart felt the same way. During the eighth World Congress (May 1st-May 15th), Molotov and Thälmann spoke in secret. They liked each other immensely. Thälmann having dinner with Molotov and his wife, Polina Zhemchuzhina,on more then twelve occasions. Both men over the course of seven days drew up the proposal, Deutsch-Russe Abkommen von mutal Verteidigung und Wirtschaftswachstum ( German-Russian Pact of mutal defense and economic growth). The pact was to make a formal agreement that both nations would, come to each others aide.

Stalin upon learning of the pact is said to have not spoken to Molotov for six weeks. Party functionaries within the Russian part are said to have moved hand written notes between Stalin and Molotov. Some lasting as long as twenty pages, this took many hours to complete even the simplest of discussions. Hitler on the other hand had given Thälmann the task of securing Russia’s assistance. The pact looked to do well if offered, but Hitler on the advice of his staff decided to wait for Russia to instigate the discussions. Stalin still was not a fan of Hitler and his “Bourgeois Revolution,” the title he gave to Germany electing a communist and not fighting for it.

Living space

Throughout the Summer and Fall of 1936 Germany made numerous offers to begin discussions for an alliance with the USSR. Hitler pushed for the alliance to scare off the western powers. He had planed to invade Poland by April of 1937. With Poland gone, a direct route between the nations would open up, letting the Germans send their supplies, and advisors over quickly, and the Soviet Union would be able to transport raw materials. Plus in the case of war the Russian troops could reach Germany without using the Germany navy for transport.

Logistic wise the German-Soviet Alliance was not the best of plans.​

On October 28th Stalin agreed to a military alliance. Soviet and German generals met on numerous occasions between October and early March. The decision was made to attack Poland in early Fall. The Germans would push forward to the North, South, and West to pull Polish soldiers towards the superior German lines. As the Polish forces clashed with German, the Russian 1st army under General Zuchov would move down the Polish Corridor. Hopefully between the full onslaught of Soviet and German armies would break Poland by early winter.
As the details of war where mapped, and measured, Hitler issued no less then forty-six directives. The DFV and the KUMD stepped up their actions, going after the more moderate communists, and the growing majority of labor union leaders wanting more control in politics. Among those arrested was Dieter Kuhn. As a way of revenge Hitler allowed Kuhn be in control of the Munich branch of the communist party. Publicly speaking out against Hitler, and his radical right-wing communist preaching. Two KUMD agents came to his loft, broke the door down and arrested him. He spent six months in a work camp given latrine duty for the section of the camp with dysntary.
Karl Hurst the minister of armaments was forced to rethink his original plan for the army. At first Hitler had given him until the end of the first five year plan to make 45% of the weapons, and vehicles. But now Hurst had until the end of next year. Quickly diverting funds from research a vast force of 20mm tanks, enough for twelve divisions, along with the new Volkswagen utility truck. With some fear Hurst was forced to tell Hitler that the mighty army he envisioned would not be anywhere close to par. But Hurst was lucky, Hitler was in a good mood after seeing the newest ME109E fighters do maneuvers. Stressing tanks over trucks, and fighters and dive bombers over tactical bombers. By August ten divisions of tanks had been created, plus the 28 infantry divisions bolstered by 15 militia divisions. Hitler was ready for war.

Preliminary Moves

On the night of August 23rd, German Foreign Minister Karl Stepenov agreed to the final revision of the German-Soviet Defensive Treaty. Poland originally was to be divided along the Narew, Vistula and San Rivers. But it later changed to a first come first serve plan. Stalin assumed the Russian forces would easily sweep up the weaker elements as the Germans took the bulk of resistance. The treaty went into effect as soon as it was signed.
In July 1937 under the fiction of conducting summer maneuvers, strong German forces moved into assembly areas near the Polish Frontier. Other forces were dispatched to East Prussia ostensibly to participate in the twenty-fifth anniversary of the Battle of Tannenburg. In a last minute attempt to intimidate Hitler, the Polish, fearful of both nations having so many troops on their borders announced on August 25th that they had requested a full military alliance with Britian and France. It was of no avail however as on August 31st, Hitler signed Directive No.1 for the Conduct of the War. That night KUMD units staged incidents along the border, with agents in Polish unifroms, it also included a phony raid on a German farming town. Overall sixty civilains, mostly elderly couples and women died from the "Polish" raiders. Before sunrise the next morning, September 14th 1937 Operation Backdoor began.

German tanks rolled onto Polish soil.​

 

[Sir Humphrey]

Great one. Very good indeed.

 

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War Plans

Poland’s strategic position was weak as she lay between Germany and the Soviet Union. She was further hampered by fact that more than ten million of her thirty-seven million people were non-Poles, her industrial base was weak and she included in her boundaries on the north and east, territories to which Germany and the Soviet Union had strong historical claims.

The Polish army was well equiped, but to fight World War I​

Polish commanders had two options, a forward defense of the borders, or an interior defense based on the major rivers. The forward defense would protect industry, communications and major population centers but it left the army vulnerable to being outflanked, surrounded and destroyed in detail. An interior defense avoided the potential loss of the covering forces but cost Poland most of its industrial areas and some major cities. In the end the Polish High Command decided on a compromise. The Army would deploy forward but only long enough for mobilization to be completed. Once that had occurred the Army would fight a delaying action to the south-east. The Poles counted on France to begin her attack within the two week time frame after any intail attack. This caused the Army to position itself even farther forward so that any German attempt to seize disputed territory would hopfully trigger France into the war. The fundamental concept of the German war plan was to fight a short war that would be over before France or Britain could put their forces in the field should they decide to fight for Poland. The plan was given its final form in an order issued June 15th by Army High Command (OKH). This order provided for two army groups, Army Group North commanded by Col. General Fedor von Bock, and Army Group South, commanded by Col. General Gerd von Rundstedt.
Army Group North was to attack eastward into the Polish Corridor with one of its two armies, the 4th, while the other, the 3rd Army, would strike west from East Prussia into the corridor. After the armies had made contact in the corridor they would turn southward in the general direction of Warsaw. Army Group South with three armies, the 8th, 10th and 14th was to advance from the Silesia and Slovakia toward the Northeast. The 10th Army, strongest of the three, would strike directly toward Warsaw while its flanks were covered by the 8th Army on the left and the 14th on the right. The junction of the 10th Army with elements of Army Group North at Warsaw would complete the encirclement and destruction of any enemy units not destroyed before then. The meeting of these two forces would presumably end the campaign. General von Bock suggested extending the arms of the encirclement east of Warsaw to prevent the escape of Polish troops into the Pripet Marshes. This suggestion was acted upon in phase two of the actual campaign..

The campiagn

At dawn on September 14th, the Luftwaffe struck at Polish airfields destroying most of the planes before they could get off the ground. With control of the skies assured the Germans began the systematic destruction of railroads and the few communications nodes. From the very outset the Poles mobilization plan was seriously compromised. Before the day ended, chaos reigned at Polish Army Headquarters.

The first phase of the campaign, fought on the frontiers was over by October 13th and the morning of the 15th found reconnaissance elements of Red Panzer Gaurd just 36 miles southwest of Warsaw. Meanwhile, also on September 5th, Bock’s Army Group North had cut across the corridor and turned southeast for Warsaw. Units of the People’s 1st Army reached the banks of the River Narew on September 23rd, just 67 miles South of Warsaw. The fast moving armored spearpoints of the German attacks left the elite of the Polish army on the run. But it was not fast enough, the technological gap was large, but Polish anti-tank weapons halted almost every push the Red Panzer Guard made into Radom.

The destruction of Polish forces was accomplished in the second phase of the campaign in January of 1938. Intelligence reports indicated that large numbers of Polish troops had fled east of the Vistula. OKH (the eastern campiagn office) in accordance with von Bock’s earlier proposal, ordered a second deeper envelopment to the line of Bug River.
Meanwhile the closing of the inner ring at Warsaw witnessed some tough fighting as the Polish Poznan Army, bypassed in the first week of the new year, changed heading and attacked toward Warsaw to the southeast. The German 1st and 2nd Armies were put to the test as they were forced to turn some divisions completely around to meet the desperate Polish assault. In the end the gallant attack fell short and by March 24th the Poznan Army surrendered some 100,000 men and Poland’s last intact army. As this was occurring the second, deeper envelopment led by General Heinz Guderian’s panzers took the city of Brest-Litovsk on April 2nd, and continued past the city where they made contact with the 1st Army spearhead at Wlodowa 30 miles to the south. The war, for all practical purposes was over by April 3rd. Warsaw held out until April 11th and the last organized resistance ended October 6th with the surrender of 17,000 Polish soldiers at Kock.

The campaign had lasted more than eight months and ended in the destruction of the Polish Army and the fourth partition of Poland. German losses were surprisingly heavy considering the brevity of the campaign. German casualties total some 48,000 of which 16,000 were killed. Fully one quarter of the tanks the German committed to battle were lost to Polish anti-tank guns. The Luftwaffe was forced to write off some 550 aircraft. It was not a cheap victory by any means but it did confirm to the generals of the Wehrmacht that the military machine that they had built was indeed the best in the world and worthy of their confidence.


Unreliable ally

Initially the Germans requested that the Russians be ready to move by September 18th. This proved to be impossible and it wasn’t until October 12th that two Soviet army groups, the White Russian Front in the north and Ukrainian Front in the south marched into Poland. They met effective resistance and spent much of their time trying to take the eastern frontier. Stalin was furious, and blamed it on poor leadership. Many claim this was what led to the first officer corp. purge. As if to make up for flaws on the battle field Red Army and NKVD units arrested and executed numerous “counter-revolutionaries.”

German and Soviet soldiers shaking hands, outside of Warsaw.​

 

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Changes in the landscape
In 1938 the Austrian 9th army, was a tough highly trained Mountain Brigade under the command of General Arthur Rilke. Before the German revolution his army was stationed in the mountain range around Bregenz. During the great war he led the only successful attack on the Italian Alps. So when Austria joined the Italian Anti-Communist Alliance, it hit him hard. As Austria rebuilt itself slowly, Rilke saw the amazing feats of Germany.

In 1935 Rilke joined the underground Communist Party of Austria (CPA), back in 1928 Austria made the communist party illegal. He rose quickly through the ranks, secretly promoting communist officers, so by 1936 the entire 9th army was under the control of CPA party members. The French and English, the most powerful of capitalist nations did not intervene to stop German and Soviet expansion. The CPA decided by January of 1938 that a revolution should come to Austria. He sent a young reporter, the 23 year old Wolfgang Schüssel, to Berlin. There he went through numerous back channels, until he met with Lanzer on February 16th.
Lanzer went to Hitler with the proposal of assisting Rilke and his forces. Hitler informed Lanzer that he did not want any German associated with a failed revolt. Publicly Hitler was against such things, but an unspoken order was given to Lanzer and his KUMD forces. If the revolt worked, send troops. If it didn’t leave them alone.
On April 23rd, the 9th army was ordered to move to the German border along the Austrian Alps. Rilke decided this was the perfect opportunity for a coup. Using the relocation as a cover his entire army moved onto Vienna. It was hardly noticed, he issued three day passes to a third of his army saying “the men deserved time off while the bulk of equipment was moved to secure the North.”
Securing the North was actually holding a large corridor open for possible German troops to move in. On May 1st, in time for the May Day celebrations Rilke took 5,000 men to the Vienna capital and secured it. Executing President Heinz Fischer, by his own hand Rilke the declared the Peoples Republic of Austria.
Very quickly Italian and Hungarian troops poured over the border, by May 5th the entire Austrian nation was under its control. Rilke was executed on the spot. Hitler while publicly spoke out against the violent way Rilke attempted to take control , privately he wished he committed troops sooner. But the expansion of the border as well as the needed resources to secure another 200 hundred or so miles of the border would seriously hamper the plans already under way in Poland.

Moving into the future

After Poland fell the Wehrmacht saw the flaws in its forces. Hitler prior to the invasion of Poland had stressed the build up of the army, Generals Wilhelm Keitel and Walther von Brauchitsch sent a proposal through the correct channels to change the German military goals.
According to Keitel the technological gab between German, Polish, and Soviet forces was practically non existent. Hitler decided to have a sit down with the Wehrmacht and hopefully discredit such claims. On July 5th of 1938 an in-depth meeting involving the highest field marshals, Lanzer’s KUMD paramilitary leaders, Karl Sezberger, and Johan Belkes, as well as Hitler. For over eight hours evidence of that Polish equipment was almost at the same level as the Germans was shown. Hitler changed his mind during that meeting, for the Polish campaign was to last three months at the most. The Soviets proved themselves useless as an ally, and they moved far to slow to even assist in attacks.
On July 12th Hitler met with the Jewish Communist Science League. While Hitler being an anti-Semite has been speculated upon, history shows no matter what his beliefs he put the good of the German state first. The meeting with Otto Hahn the chairmen of the League, was said to be a quick one. An agreement was made so that Hahn would merge the League with the Science Bureau of Berlin. Every available scientist in Germany was encouraged to create, and refine the equipment of the military. Hitler ear marked certain projects to get the most funding, among them tanks, aircraft, and field medical services.

Hitler in his signature red arm band, alongside German army generals.​

As Hitler worked to create the most advanced army, Severing given the title Begrenzen Sie Verteidigungsminister (Border Defense Minister). Working along the borders of Czechoslovakia, Italy, and France massive fortifications were built, each one manned by a mixture of KUMD, DFV, and Wehrmacht personal. As the build up went on he cut the amount of Militia groups from 21 divisions to 12. What men were taken from the Militias got put into the regular army. Four armies were made, each one consisted of nine divisions: one engineer, one anti-air, one anti-tank, two artillery, and four regular divisions.
By August the German army increased by 30%. Hitler planned on attacking another nation by 1939 at the latest. It was either to go North and take Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania, or go into the Balkans. If any of these plans were to work the wars needed to be fast. Lanzer had spies within France, Italy, and various other nations governments, they reported on the Western worlds growing fear of German and Soviet military build up.

To the North

As Germany awaited tanks, and other weapons of war, Hitler eyed the “Democracies” within the backyard of Russia and Germany. On June 12th, 1939 the 2nd Red Guard army crossed the border into Lithuania. By 2pm June 13th the army reached Kaunas. Even though the Red Guards out numbered the Lithuanian forces by almost 2 to 1 the battle raged on for three days. Moving from street to street trying to encircle the Lithuanian 1st, and various Militia groups who held out in the center of the city. General von Kuchler on June 16th fearful of what the General Secretary would do if taking the small nation took longer then the five days he promised, had his artillery fire in the center of the city. By 8am every building in a straight line was destroyed. Using what tanks they had von Kuchler passed forward taking the capital by 4pm that day. Lithuania was made into a puppet state.
KUMD forces moved up behind the 2nd Red Guard unit. By now Lanzers’ police force had mastered counter-revolutionary tactics. Making mass arrests, and dismantling the government until proper communists could be found for the new republic.

To keep the pace up Hitler declared war upon Latvia by June 20th. Once again the 2nd Red Guards would commence the attack. As the Lithuanian militia held the rest of the nation, the Red Guards moved into Daugavpov, by June 26th. The province was taken quickly, but by this time Stalin had grown tired of Hitler. Precieving Hitler not as an ally by a potential threat to his power, he commited no less then forty divisions to Latvia. He annexed the small nation by July 20th.

Hitler was furious as if to make up for the loss of Latvia he ordered the creation of 40mm medium tanks. The Lenin panzer was considered the most modern of tanks, stressing speed, armor, and firepower of anything else.

 

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Securing our Borders

With the German army at its highest since July 1914, Hitler looked forward to 1940. On August 21st Thälmann, Hitler, General Wilhelm Keitel (who after his push for military modernization was given control of the Western camp again when it arrived) and Lanzer met outside of Bavaria. The decision was made to spread the revolution west to England and France. Keitel favored using the Schlieffen plan from the last war. Hitler wanted the war to go as smoothly as possible. It was assumed, at least by Lanzer and Keitel, that if any action was taken against the two mighty imperialist powers the Anti-Communist Alliance would declare war upon Germany and Russia. August 22nd around noon Hitler discreetly asked if Stalin would send troops to assist in liberating the proletariat of western Europe. Stalin immediately said no, commenting he had to reclaim Former Russian territory before he could help a minor Comintern partner with his whims.

After the Austrian incident, Czechoslovakia was to become Hitler's next target. Hitler's strategy was to exploit the existing Communist minority problem as a pretext for German penetration into eastern Central Europe. In 1939 neither Britain nor France desired war. France, not wanting to face Germany alone, subordinated itself to Britain. British prime minister Neville Chamberlain became the major spokesman for the West.
Lanzer considered the most skilled in dealing with Hitler, other than Thälmann who was busy overseeing agriculture plans for the next two years. After sitting down with Hitler the decision to secure the South was given precedent over the defeat of the West. The initial plan “Operation Ferdinand” was to send the first through third Red Guards, along with the Peoples Panzer armies into Austria, Hungary then Italy. As this happened, if the Allies attacked the fortifications Severing had built up would easily allow a small army to hold off the French and British forces.
But once Keitel learned of the plan he quickly rewrote it to include the invasion of Czechoslovakia. Keitel feared the bulk of the army would be busy South, as the Czech army crossed into the German heartland. Operation Heritage was finalized later that day.

Southern Campaign
On August 20th a German delegation went to President Benes asking that the Czechoslovakian Communist Party (CCP) leaders be released from prison. The reason brought forth by Thälmann was that these men and women needed to inspected to quell rumors of mistreatment. Benes however, resisted pressure to move toward autonomy or possible reemergence of the Communist party. He himself championed the bill to make the communist and socialist parties illegal.
Lanzer used his contacts in various newspapers and radio stations around Europe to spread the rumors, and doctored pictures of “the horrors within the Sudetenland.” Czechoslovakia quickly felt the pressure from the outside world. Britain said publicly and privately that any action taken by Germany to investigate the crimes of the Benes administration will not be intervened upon. Emil Hacha, the foreign affairs minister, convinced Benes that giving up the six CCP party leaders was easier then facing Germany alone.
The Czechoslovak capitulation precipitated an outburst of national indignation. In demonstrations and rallies, the Czechoslovaks called for a strong military government to defend the integrity of the state. A new cabinet, under General Jan Syrovy, was installed, and on September 13th a decree of general mobilization was issued. The Czechoslovak army, highly modernized and possessing an excellent system of frontier fortifications, was prepared to fight. Benes, however, refused to go to war without the support of the Western powers. War, he believed, would come soon enough.
Hitler spoke with Severing, the conversation was short, Severing was to use the DFV to Czechoslovakia and cause as much damage as possible before the German army arrived. Lanzer was some what angry at this. His KUMD was better trained in dealing with covert operations. He saw Severing as a threat to his Private Police force. But Hitler eased Lanzers tension by allowing him to plan covert operations in the west.

Lanzer was seen as Hitlers surgeon, striking with precision and grace. Severing was the bulldog, big, mean, and ready to kill for his master.​

 

[Mettermrck]

In a forum full of great alternate histories, this is one of the most imaginative. Nice work so far, Fenwick. I can't wait to read more.

 

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Ahhh praise....... *does his dance of glee which only makes him look more the fool*

 

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So Herr Hitler is going to go west?

How far west?