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How wonderful it must have been to have a German Olympics not smeared by Nazi racism.:)
 
Chapter XI: For the defence of Democracy


After the government received the tragic news of the outbreak of the Spanish Civil War, Chancellor Wels decided to convene an emergency meeting with members of the government to decide the position to be taken by Germany in relation to the conflict. On the one hand, most of the members of the Zentrum were betting on a policy of non-intervention and neutrality, while the SPD believed it was necessary to defend Spanish democracy but with disagreements on how to do it. Outside the Government, the right wing parties expressed their support for the military coup, while the KPD called for direct military intervention to restore order in Spain. Finally, and after a series of private meetings between Wels and Crispien, the chancellor declared that "Germany would defend the Spanish Republic to prevent the nightmare of fascism in another European country", requesting the approval of the Reichstag to this statement.

After intense debate, most members of the KPD and the SPD voted affirmatively, plus some left-wing parliamentarians of the Zentrum led by Minister Stegerwald. The decision would create some controversy among more conservative sectors of society, but both the Chancellor and the Foreign Minister were convinced that fascism had to be stopped at this point to avoid greater conflicts in the future. However, the Chancellor promised that "in any case the nation will not intervene directly in this conflict," and after a series of meetings with the High Command, it was decided that the aid would would consist in sending several squadrons of bombers and interceptors, a brigade of tanks and substantial logistical help to alleviate the economic hardship on the Republican Government.


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A German pilot before departing to Spain


Unaware of the danger that fascism posed to the stability of Europe, the governments of the United Kingdom and France avoided the question and denied any support to the Republican side, which in the eyes of most European countries made ​​them appear as mere hypocrites and false democrats. Different would be the response of the Soviet Union, which would send materials and volunteers to the Republic and of Italy, who stated its support for the coup and sent a corps of volunteers and an air squadron. Fortunately, such troops and air forces would be deployed in southern Spain and not in the central area, and no direct combat between German and Italian forces would occur.



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Mussolini invaded Ethiopia recently


It would not be the only action contrary to international law taken by Mussolini, who announced that the war between Italy and Ethiopia was a reality. Most western countries condemned the action following a complaint from Haile Selassie to the League of Nations and broke their trade agreements with Italy, but the fascist troops penetrated the Ethiopian territory and got their first victories near Adwa. The world kept watching in horror how war extended all around, specially after Japan used a border incident to declare war on Chiang Kai Shek´s China, who refused to surrender even after the Japanese capture of Beijing.



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A Chinese propaganda poster against the Japanese invasion


In the rest of the world, Greece suffered a coup that placed Metaxas in power, while Roosevelt was elected for a second term in the United States ,thus legitimizing his doctrine of the "New Deal". In the UK, the monarch was forced to abdicate due to a controversial marriage and was succeeded by George VI, while the Soviet Union announced the approval of the "World's most democratic Constitution" despite the alarming rumors about terrible reprisals and summary trials against its own population and military commanders.

The intervention in the Spanish Civil War had its effects on the diplomatic side, as various nations began to see Germany as the only country truly committed to the defense of democratic values ​​and principles of the League of Nations. This was the case of Czechoslovakia, who through his ambassador probed the possibility of entering the Axis. After a series of intense meetings between the diplomatic corps of both countries the Munich Pact was finally signed, according to which Czechoslovakia would relax border controls and would approve a special status for German immigrants in its territory with tax and economic benefits for their return to Germany or to ease their integration in Czechoslovakia. Germany had a new ally and the Axis was becoming the dominant force in continental Europe. For its part, the contacts with the Kingdom of Yugoslavia continued, although the King was still unsure of the need to enter the German sphere.



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Czechoslovakia has entered the Axis


The Wehrmacht rearmament was beginning, and the first fully equipped divisions were placed under the command of General von Stülpnagel in Saarland. Similarly, Rear Admiral von Nordeck received its first submarines, which were deployed at the naval base of Kiel, while the Army looked forward after receiving the new models of armored vehicles ready to be assigned under the command of Heinz Guderian. The Wehrmacht kept investigating new components and doctrines, such as specialized amphibious troops, new naval transports and a new type of aircraft escort to protect the bombers.



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New troops and ships arrive


In Spain, the fascist troops regrouped in the south of the country and managed to take Cordoba, connecting the southern front with the center of the country and its capital Burgos. After a series of horrific bombings and and the takeover of nearby locations, General Mola launched the final assault against Madrid with the intention of breaking the Republican defense and taking control of the capital. The first wave of attacks seemed unstoppable and fascist troops managed to enter the capital, but President Azaña refused to leave Madrid and gave the order to defend the city at all costs. Such a decision would be providential, as he managed to raise the morale of the Republican troops, who organized a strong defense of the city around the Puente de los Franceses and all the Manzanares river, where Mola troops would be finally defeated after weeks of intense battles. The capital was saved, and the fascists were forced to retreat after the Republican capture of Segovia and the general counterattack launched by generals Rojo and Lister with the invaluable help of German aviation. In late 1936, the Republican victory seemed near.



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The defence of Madrid was corageous and key for the republican cause


But again the German diplomacy kept an ace up his sleeve. In early 1937, Arthur Crispien appeared before the League of Nations and called for the holding of a plebiscite in Austria, "undeniable according to the principle of self determination recognized by this organization." Despite some protests, neither the English nor the French government managed to find a valid reason for refusal, and fixed the date of January 22th for the referendum. The result would leave no doubt, for 99.73% of the Austrian population decided to vote "Yes" and join the Reich, ending the unjust separation forced by the Treaties of Versailles and St. Germain. On January 25th, German troops entered Vienna and Austrian troops marched in Munich, symbolizing total union between Germanic people, and were applauded by a happy and jubilant crowd .



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Finally, Austrian and German brothers are no longer separated
 
Now you might actually get superior Czech tanks in real numbers :D
 
So, what plans are for the future? Non-ideological war with the old Entente?
 
So, what plans are for the future? Non-ideological war with the old Entente?

Well, the immediate plans are to keep with the rearment (since my Army is still very reduced) and try to gain more allies, specially in Europa; this last one could prove difficult unless the mod has some events to make Hungary or Bulgaria join, since they are dictatorships and right now there is no chance of them joining the Axis, but I would not be surprised if the mod has events regarding that like the vainilla ones (for instance, the "align romania" one).

As for the long term plan, there are some possibilities. First, I would like to clarify that unless it has been changed the mod forces you to pick a side in 1940; I believe that does not mean you have to quit your own alliance, but that you will be figting one side or another. Then, the alternatives are:

- Crusade against communism: it is a very attractive one in terms of rpg, but it also has its problems. First, germany would probably have to renounce any claims about Lorraine, Alsace or Danzig. Also, since probably Poland would be in the same alliance almost all territorial gains against the SU would benefit them and not Germany, a thing that would piss me off. And finally, it is probably the hardest way to go, and even though I am a veteran player I am no master and perhaps I´ll prefer a more "relaxed game".

- Side with the SU to recover what is ours and partition Europe: an easy alternative to play, not very crazy if we think about the Molotov-von Ribentropp Pact, and would grant Germany all the lands stripped by the Treaty of Versailles, colonies included. This can also be done without the SU help, which would leave the possibility of attacking them once France and the UK had been dealt with.

- If it is possible, keep on on our own without having to pick sides and follow a semi-historical path: non-ideological war as you say against the Allies, and later crusade against communism, even Allying the US if its possible. It would be my #1 choice due to the lots of writing possibilities it offers, but I don´t know if I will be allowed.


Well, as you see I still haven´t made up my mind since I don´t want to decide it before I have some news about the events regarding the lands that must be recovered and the "picking sides" events, but I will also run a paralel game to see what happens. In the meantime, this evening or night I will post another update.
 
Chapter XII: Good times, bad times


Despite having won the elections of 1937 and the clear increase in popular support towards his figure, Chancellor Wels decided it was time to depart temporarily from active politics due to a serious disease for which it was necessary a more quiet life. After a thrilling and emotional standing ovation from the Reichstag, the Chancellor announced his resignation and requested the President to call for new parliamentary elections. While many voices thought of Arthur Crispien as his natural replacement, the Foreign Minister decided to accept the prestigious post of ambassador to the Soviet Union and gave the opportunity to participate in the elections for chancellor to the SPD´s General Secretary Hans Vogel, a widely recognized politician for their deeds as one of the ideologists of the social democratic party. For his part, Joseph Wirth announced that he would lead the Zentrum list once more, while Thalmann, Goebbels and Hugenberg repeated as heads of their own political parties.


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Once again, the Germans had to vote


Most newspapers and analysts were betting on a wide victory of the SPD, which undoubtedly had achieved a full recovery of the German economy and the social peace promised by Wels four years ago. What many failed to foresee was the incredible collapse of the NSDAP and the KPD, but the German populace was generally happy with the state of things and extremist ideas were already much less welcome in the country. The day of the elections the SPD obtained 281 deputies and the Zentrum 206, consolidating bipartisanship as the dominant force in German politics. The NSDAP could only get 63 seats, while the DNVP achieved 57, the KPD scored only 38 and the BVP was left with only two representatives.


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Results of the 1937 elections


Following the results, Joseph Wirth announced that "due to the democratic loyalty necessary for the development of freedom in our country", he would not oppose choosing Vogel as chancellor, as long as the previous agreements between the Zentrum and the SPD were respected. Thus, in early 1937 Hans Vogel was named Reichskanzler and formed a new Ministry with Wirth himself as the new Minister of Foreign Affairs and the renowned socialdemocrat economist Rudolf Hilferding as Minister of Economy and Armaments. Due to the great work done in recent years, both Gessler and Stegerwald were confirmed in office, and the new cabinet was ready to lead the country to a better future.


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The Vogel Ministry


The last phase of industrial expansion planned by the previous government came to its end, and the Germans watched with pride as their industrial capacity equaled that of any other nation on the globe. The success of this program allowed the government to concentrate all its capacity in the restoration of the Army so needed for a country that claimed to be the leader of democracy in occident. Without any delay the Wehrmacht began to train massively land, air and sea units, and High Command predicted that Germany would have a fully functional and modern army in mid-1939.


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German rearment was now unstoppable


The release of the assets that had been dedicated to industrial expansion led to increased grants to researchers from public universities, who had recently announced the creation of the first computer and the development of a new class of tremendously effective submarines: the Type VII . As both the Reichsmarine and the Luftwaffe had consolidated their goals, the Heer could now devote ample means to achieve fully modernization, and new types of tanks and aerial maneuvers were investigated with the help of Czechoslovak technicians. At the same time, IG Farben and other automotive industries began to experiment with new pharmacological drugs and vehicle assembly lines. Similarly, Guderian continued instructing officers in his mobile doctrine, and ensured that the Wehrmacht would fall against its enemies as a “lightning”.


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The Wehrmacht was given plenty of resources to investigate


In Spain, the first quarter of 1937 would bring a number of very important victories for the Republicans, who managed to recover all of Andalusia after Miaja Menant attacked and captured Seville, and an accurate offensive led by Batet Mestre recovered the city of Huesca and captured more than 4,000 fascist soldiers. In May, General Rojo tried to conquer Burgos, the fascist capital, but a fierce defense organized by Mola and the counterattack led by Italian light tanks allowed the national side to regain some ground. By mid-year, an uprising of the CNT-FAI militias broke in Andalusia and Mallorca, capturing Almeria and other nearby locations. Azaña's government, that some months ago was close to victory, should now quell the revolt and deal with an enemy who in spite of having lost much ground still managed to escape alive and was concentrating his troops in Burgos and Leon for a massive counteroffensive.


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Will the Republicans defeat the fascists and end the civil war?


Things were not more stable in the east, where the Japanese penetrated into Chinese territory and controlled large parts of the country. The Kwantung Army offered once again a surrender treaty to Chiang Kai Shek, but the Chinese rejected it and trusted in a long attrition war to defeat the Japanese. However, the world would laugh upon Mussolini's Italy, which after more than a year of war had not only failed to capture Addis Abeba, but had suffered a serious defeat that forced General de Bono to retreat. The Duce promised a total victory in the coming months, but in other European countries he started to look just like a barking buffoon.


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War in Ethiopia and China


In Athens, a delegation from different countries meet at the Balkan Conference to coordinate its foreign policy and its relationship with both Germany and the Allies, while in Hungary the government of Regent Horthy tried to arrest Ferenc Szalasi and most member of his pro-nazi party. The same month, a Muslim insurrection broke out in Albania and the Pope published an encyclical against communism, and the Japanese refused to pay any compensation after sinking several British and American vessels in China. Gradually, the Japanese regime was gaining enemies, and its aggressive foreign policy began to unsettle the West.


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The US population slowly started to grow weary with the Japanese attitude


Finally, the new Minister of Economy and Armaments denied the creation of new taxes, as according to Hilferding "now that the welfare state was fully implemented it was necessary to grant to all hard working Germans that hard work would pay off“. However, the country would tremble in the aftermath of what occurred in New Jersey, where the German airship Hindenburg suffered a terrible accident that costed 35 lives and ended any dream of using Zeppelins as transport airplanes in the future.


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Hindenburg´s disaster
 
At this rate there will NEVER be another world war. Harumph. :(
 
I for one support the crusade against communism path, it'll provide some interesting stories to tell

We will see! For now, I don´t think there are not enough elements in the timeline of our game that could lead Germany to one side or the other. For one side, the allies have been more or less coperative and have tolerated the rupture of the Versailles Treaty, and in the other one we have warm relations with the SU.

At this rate there will NEVER be another world war. Harumph. :(

There will be another war, that is for sure. But I find more interesting (and that was the purpose of the AAR) the years and events that will lead to that conflict. Patience is the key!

Never say Never...

Well said!
 
I object to the Hindenburg crashing! German airships were dependent on hydrogen so they could be lifted into the air, as opposed to the far safer alternative, helium. Which the U.S. had in droves. The Nazi regime wasn't on good trading terms with the U.S., so they were forced to use hydrogren. I'm guessing a democratic Germany would still have a decent trade arrangement with America, and thus more helium.

Edit: Oh, and this is an excellent AAR, btw.
 
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I object to the Hindenburg crashing! German airships were dependent on hydrogen so they could be lifted into the air, as opposed to the far safer alternative, helium. Which the U.S. had in droves. The Nazi regime wasn't on good trading terms with the U.S., so they were forced to use hydrogren. I'm guessing a democratic Germany would still have a decent trade arrangement with America, and thus more helium.

Edit: Oh, and this is an excellent AAR, btw.

Well, it was not that I added it for flavouring, but that an event box explaining the accident and giving me some dissent appeared in-game. And since it is a well-known disaster, it was one of the minor events that I added to the update. However, i must recognize I had no idea of what you explain, and it is always nice to learn new things about the WW2 era. And thanks for the active support!


Apart from that, I will post the next update tomorrow, since today I had a very busy day at work, and this one will cover more time than usual since nothing really relevant has happened inside Germany. However, I am facing an important problem: my Manpower is quite low (about 300) and I still need to build a lot of divisions to have the same as France or the UK. That would normally be easily resolved by enacting partial mobilization, but here comes the problem. As a democracy, I can only enact partial mobilization if:

a)country is at war or
b)dissent is below 5/capital is in Europe/have 450 supplies at pool and The event "Treaty of Munich" Has occured

Since I have allied Czechoslovakia that event will not happen, and therefore I cannot enact partial mobilization before starting war (which is needed with Germany), which is a game-breaker. That would be easily solved with just a little solution I have in mind, but would like to hear some oppinions first: load the game as an unimportant nation, dow Germany, reload as Germany, enact partial mobilization and then force a white peace via acceptall. I know that from a strict point of view it is a cheat, but I fear it is the only way to correct what clearly is a bug. So, what do you think, dear readers? :eek:o
 
Hmm, I'd lean more towards "Is Mussolini currently doing something that's objectionable and requires military intervention? (What about the Ethiopians! Think of the Ethiopians!)"

At least that's what I always do as a Democratic Germany.

Kick Mussolini's shins for South Tirol and the freedom of Italy's colonies.

Plus you could justify it with escalating tensions in Spain when some Italian and German forces do clash after all - I don't know, but Mussolini must go.
 
Hmm, I'd lean more towards "Is Mussolini currently doing something that's objectionable and requires military intervention? (What about the Ethiopians! Think of the Ethiopians!)"

At least that's what I always do as a Democratic Germany.

Kick Mussolini's shins for South Tirol and the freedom of Italy's colonies.

Plus you could justify it with escalating tensions in Spain when some Italian and German forces do clash after all - I don't know, but Mussolini must go.

Well, I don´t guarantee the independence of Ethiopia and Italy has not enough belligerance to be dowed by me, so once again we return to the same problem. But it is a good idea anyways, so let´s see what the secret services say about their belligerance...
 
I would say mod the game, but that does not seem to be an option... You may consider using cheats to lower your neutrality slider so you can DoW someone...
 
Chapter XIII: A World in flames?



While the nation was still recovering from the Hindenburg disaster, the international scene was not improving at all. In Spain, the brief Republican dream of winning the war in a few months faded once more after another failed attempt to recover Burgos, and although the revolt in Andalusia was put to an end by the Cuerpo de Seguridad Interior, no one thought possible to break the fascist defensive line that extended from Leon to Cantabria. With horror, the Republican generals contemplated how a long line of trenches was etched on the front, and the conflict increasingly remembered the Great War that shook Europe decades ago.



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The Spanish front by November 1938



In the Maghreb, the difficult economic situation that France was suffering caused a sharp decline in the standard of living of the natives, who tired of colonial rule took up arms under the figure of King Mohammed V and proclaimed their independence from France. Since the Légion étrangère was formed largely by Muslims, the government was forced to send troops from the metropolis, allowing the rebels to occupy several cities and forming a provisional government. Some months later, the French expeditionary force in Morocco restored order, but the world watched how the colonial order started to fracture.


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Is this the first step towards the end of colonialism?


The brightest exception resided in Ethiopia , where the Italians were unable to recover from the initial defeat and ceded more ground to the Ethiopian defenders. Furious, Mussolini dismissed De Bono and placed Rodolfo Graziani as new commander in chief, but the innovations in the campaign proposed by the new leader would only worsen the situation by creating chaos within the Italian lines. The Ethiopians snapped up the opportunity, and after a guerrilla campaign to harass the Italian troops, the final assault led by Birru Ayalew´s mountaineers forced the Italians to withdraw to their initial positions in the north; in the south, the well equipped division commanded by Leul Ras Imru Haile Selassie surrounded the Italians and captured nearly 9000 prisoners. Within months, the Ethiopian army would take control of Somalia and Eritrea, forcing a general surrender of most Italian troops in those areas. Blaming the cowardice of his generals, the Duce declared that the war would continue "until the annihilation of the enemy" , but he was gradually losing the support of both the Italian people and his own military.



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Ethiopia has managed to take control of all the Italian assets in the area



For its part , Japan landed in southern China and began to encircle the Chinese armed forces, who nonetheless refused to surrender and fought for every inch of ground. In late 1937, the Japanese would capture Nanjing after days of intense combat and started a despicable slaughter against the defenseless population of the city, causing more than 250,000 civilian casualties. The newspapers around the world would echo the news, the Japanese regime gained enemies day by day. In a vain attempt to appear as liberators of the Chinese people, Japan guaranteed the independence of Inner Mongolia, but it was clear that Mengjiang was just another Japanese puppet state. The world would contain its breath when news reported that a skirmish between Japanese and Soviet forces had occurred at the border, but luckily both countries downplayed the tension and decided to sign a non-aggression pact.


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Despite their efforts to appear as liberators, the world starts to notice the japanese crimes


Back in Europe, Poland demanded to Czechoslovakia and Romania the cession of Teschen and all Romanian territories in Ruthenia, but the German government stated that they would not accept any Polish territorial expansion and forced them to give up their claims. Such international tension caused a coup in Romania, but luckily the new government declared its intention to continue to comply with all its international obligations and to remain in his current alliance. In Brussels, representatives from different countries gathered to try to find an end to the war in China, but the absence of Japan prevented any truly effective agreement.


The current course of events all around the World forced Vogel and Wirth to decide that it was necessary to expand German interests not only in Europe but in every continent, in order to ensure the presence of stable and peaceful regimes in each region of the world. This policy of the "Stability Axes" would begin with a clear approach to Brazil, Argentina, Saudi Arabia and Persia, while the entry of more European countries into the Axis of Democracy would still be pursued. In order to respond effectively any situations that might arise, the intelligence services directed by Gessler received a greater share of the state budget. The minister finally decided to reorganize the Abwehr, who would now have a department of internal security and a larger one engaged in foreign espionage: the Amtsgruppe Ausland.



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Wilhem canaris will be in charge of the Amtsgruppe Ausland


Meanwhile, Guderian announced that the German army could be considered as the most advanced in the world, and continued to research new developments in tanks, bombers, antiaircraft guns and fighters. However, all military ranks were surprised by the new radar stations installed in strategic positions of the border, which would detect the presence of both ships aand enemy aircraft even before being seen. More secretly remained the development of a new type of elite division: the Fallschirmjäger, fit to be deployed behind enemy lines in order to capture key positions bypassing any enemy defenses.



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A radar station deployed near Wilhelmshaven


However, not all the news from the Wehrmacht were good, as the chief of the OKH, General Ludwig Beck, warned the government that by the end of 1939 all human assets of the Army would be depleted. According to Beck, Germany was still far from reaching the numbers of soldiers of France, whose Army nearly doubled the German one. According to Beck, it was necessary to establish a partial mobilization of the German people in about six months, but it was a difficult decision for the Government. One option would be to declare such mobilization with the support of the conservative parliamentary groups, coping with the popular discontent generated by such a decision and hoping it would would disappear with time. But on the other hand, the German people would clearly understand the need to serve the country if Germany was involved in a conflict considered fair and necessary. Undecided, Chancellor Vogel decided to postpone the decision a few months, but it could not be delayed much more...


OOC: Sorry about the size of the pictures, but I have had problems with internet all this morning. If possible, please don´t forget to state your oppinion about the mobilization-Treaty of Munich problem.