Chapter XXVII: Morgenröte (III)
As Soviet troops advaced towards the German capital, the Government found itself in the need to make desperate choices that were unthinkable just a few years ago, but essential in the present context. After much debate within the OKH, Chancellor Vogel finally agreed to the proposal of Marshal Model, who standed for the creation of a number of popular militias to defend those points where the Russian advance could end up being more critical. While the majority of these troops would consist of teenagers and pensioneers not included in the reserve (which would not hamper the capacity of reinforcing the current regular divisions) and most of its equipment consisted of antiquated rifles and some of the cheap and effective Panzerfausts, the Government hoped that such troops would fight tirelessly to defend not some distant and void ideals, but their own homes and families.
A group of German pensioners armed with Panzerfausts for the future defense of Berlin
However, the first of these units would not be ready for deploy until some weeks had passed, and meanwhile the Soviets continued their relentless advance across the eastern and southern borders of Germany. Trying to distract the Wehrmacht from the real objectives, the Red Army launched a series of diversive attacks in Czechoslovakia and Poland, but finally the OKH was right to predict that the real targets were the cities of Prague, Regensburg and Lublin. Instead of just sending more troops to each of these provinces to ensure its defense, the High Command relied on the advice of Rommel, who proposed instead an scheme of "active defense" with various counterattacks, thus surprising the Soviets at their own game. After some quick preparations, the Heer launched different assaults on Chelm, in Poland, and Waldenburg, in Bohemia.
Soviet attack on Lublin and the German counter-offensive in Chelm
Regretfully, the air battle over Germany seemed definitely lost. On the Atlantic coast, the once invincible Focke Wulf aircrafts remained almost unvincible in battle, but just could not make the required number of daily departures to stop all the allied bombers and fighters that were currently attacking the German troops stationed in France. On the eastern front, German interceptors could barely stop the dive bombers in combat zones, and in the other provinces the Russians bombed both troops and civilians, and even managed to bomb some parts of Berlin for several days. Fortunately, the Flaktowers installed years ago annihilated almost all enemy planes, and the enemies of the Reich would think twice before bombing the capital again.
One of the Flakturme regiments in the victorious Air defense of Berlin
The German air force would receive a fatal blow when the Allies, in an unprecedented move and almost suicidal move, captured the German city of Konigsberg in an amphibious landing and dismantled the city's airport and numerous aircraft stationed there. Overcoming this terrible new , Admiral Dönitz manged to sink more than ten enemy transports in their way to the Prussian city, and one armored unit led by Dennerheim recpatured Konigsberg and the entire motorized division commanded by Montgomery. The allied Prussian adventure had cost the lives of more than 100,000 British and American soldiers.
Even though the allies captured several German aircrafts, Dönitz and Dennerheim captured or killed more than 10 British divisions
The good news would come with the success of Rommel's plan and the defeat of the Soviets in Chelm. This action ensured also the victory in the defense of Lublin, and OKH was able to redistribute the troops in the Polish city all along the front. Similarly, the counteroffensive in Czechoslovakia would quickly capture the cities of Waldenburg or Gleiwitz, trapping more than twenty Soviet divisions in Czestochowa. The STAVKA realized the grave risk in which such units were now, and decided to answer with a series of massive attacks on virtually all border provinces. While this action earned them the opportunity to go further and to capture Regensburg and other provinces in Poland, Soviet efforts were unable to relieve pressure on the surrounded divisions, who finally surrendered in front of the attack carried out by Guderian.
Soviet troops encircled in Breslau and Czestochowa
But another unpleasant surprise was yet to occur. Exhausted by years of a futile war against Ethiopia and an economy devastated by the complete militarization of all the production sectors of the economy, the Italian society said enough to the tyranny of Mussolin , and Italian partisans helped Soviet troops into the Italian peninsula. The news of the arrival of the Russians served as a warning to all the Italian Communists, who quickly took control in most Italian cities and accepted to be put under the military control of the NKVD. With his regime collapsed, Benito Mussolini asked for asylum to the German authorities, but such request was finally denied to prevent that anyone could accuse the Reich of collaboration with his evil and bloodthirsty fascist regime. Finally, the Duce would be recognized by partisans near Milan trying to flee to France, and was lynched by an angry mob and hanged from a gas station as a mockery to his body and criminal life.
"Se la Patria è perduta è inutile vivere"
These were terrible news for Germany, which was now threatened by the possibility that the Petain government collapsed just as Fascist Italy, thus opening a new front on the Mediterranean coast . After tense discussions, the Government finally decided to run "Operation Attila", taking effective control of Vichy France in just a few hours. While some of the French military leaders showed discontempt with this measure, most French population accepted it with resignation, knowing that otherwise they would be quickly absorbed by the Soviet steamroller . Meanwhile, the Allied powers were able to gain control of the French colonies in Africa, and realized too late what a German defeat would mean for Europe: the full spread of communism in the old continent.
The red menace threatens all of Europe and now also Africa, a thing that the Allies refused to understand for years
I am in that awful moment every DH player has experienced, when your screen is filled with reports about enemy air raids, the enemy seems to redeploy units by teletransportation...you know what I mean, I´m sure 
