Doppelgänger: the Untold Story of the Third Reich

Uriah · Oct 14, 2012

Construction work on Haus Wachenfeld – the Führer will be in his element watching his dream house being built.

Since I was hired as a “double” for the Reichskanzler back in the tumultuous days of 1933, there has never been even a rumour of my existence. None of Hitler’s political associates have ever suspected that sometimes the person with whom they are discussing sensitive matters is not the head of the Party but a simple history teacher with a remarkable likeness to the Führer. And a burning desire make his own history.

I smile as I think of how naive I was when approached in early 1933 by someone close to Ernst Röhm, head of the Sturmabteilung. Somehow the SA had heard of my likeness to Herr Hitler, and it was “suggested” that it was my duty to serve. Of course I was only too willing to see what it was like to make history rather than just study it. It wasn’t long before I realised I could do far more than just watch history made: this was an opportunity to be involved myself in the future not just of Germany, but of Europe. Maybe the world. I started to make myself indispensable to the Führer, taking more and more responsibility and allowing him to do as he wished. Soon he was taking adice from me and allowing me to make a few decisions in his place. Time for the next step.

Herr Röhm was a nasty piece of work, so I was not at all guilty about dropping the odd hint to Hitler and a few of his less attractive associates that the head of the SA was plotting a coup. When Röhm and most of his crew were disposed of in 1934 I didn’t shed a tear, and I doubt anyone else did. “The Night of the Long Knives” also had the beneficial side effect that all official knowledge of my existence disappeared. As far is the Reich is concerned, I just vanished in 1933. Stage 1 of my plan had been completed without a hitch.

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Ernst Röhm before his downfall – Himmler looks as though I have recently spoken to him about Herr Rohm's loyalty

I am not sure when I first realised exactly how great was opportunity I had been given. It probably just developed gradually, as I came to understand that Adolf was not interested at all in the details of running a country. He loved making speeches and dreaming of the future, but he was not too keen on working. Although officially my job was to act as his double on particular occasions where security was an issue, it was easy to suggest that I also take over a few “boring” duties as well. Such as attending Cabinet meetings. Or briefing public servants.

Initially I would be told what to say or do, but over the past year the instructions have become less frequent and less detailed. Hitler often just says “You know my policies – just make sure they are followed”. And of course he can never be bothered to check. He has enough to do preparing his speeches and sitting on the balcony of Haus Wachenfeld gazing at the Austrian mountains and visualising his “1000 Year Reich”.

The balcony where Hitler passes many hours, leaving me to take care of “the details”.

Now it is time to put my policies into play.

There are a few facts that will govern all my decisions. Hitler’s “Ein Volk” may be strong, but they are not supermen. Nor are their numbers infinite. Germany can have a large army but we will never have enough men to outnumber our foes. We must rely on technology and skill to achieve victory.

This leads to the leadership: there is also a limit to the number of men with the ability to carry out ground-breaking research or to lead our armies. We must ensure every one of these young men is encouraged to perform his duty.

And the lesson of the last war is plain. We cannot take on the whole world at once. We must move slowly, and defeat our enemies one at a time. Above all, we must keep the USA neutral until Europe is secure.

Objectives

First I must set out my objectives. It is not enough to just state that Germany will dominate the world. I must have clear targets. After a great deal of thought I have come up with a list of 15 measures of success. Achieving a dozen of these will be enough to rightfully claim I have succeeded.

Regretfully I have decided that Germany alone cannot achieve all I desire. So I need allies. My first objective therefore is to bring Herr Mussolini and Italy to join with us in an Axis of Steel.

The main goal will be in the East. That is where Germany’s future lies. So my second objective is to launch a massive attack on the Soviet Union. I already have a name, obvious to a history teacher. Unternehmen Barbarossa will see us destroy the Russians for once and for all.

The other objectives are cities, geographical points to measure the level of success. Moskva, Stalingrad, Leningrad, Kyiv and Archangelsk will are the boundaries in the east. In the west, Paris is the key goal. Ploesti and Beograd are essential to the south-west.

We must also make sure that the power of the Commonwealth and the USA are held in check. Singapore, Manila, Batavia and Shanghai must be taken. This will require an ally in the Pacific. China is possible as Germany has a history of involvement in that country’s armed forces, but I am inclining to the belief that Imperial Japan is a better choice. To assist in driving the Commonwealth from Asia and the Pacific, we will make sure the Suez Canal is closed to them.

Politics

Now I am clear what I need to do, I must clear the decks of unwanted and unproductive Cabinet Ministers. The only minister safe is Rudolph Hess, the Deputy Führer. He is far too close to Hitler and I would never be able to convince the Führer that replacing him was his own idea. The others, however, are all able to be moved – a quiet word or two about loyalty or ability is all it needs.

Von Blomberg is not bad as an armaments minister, but I have my eye on young Hjalmar Schacht. We are going to enter a period of unprecedented building and manufacture, and Schacht has a gift of squeezing more out of our existing industrial capacity than anyone else. Blomberg won’t complain – I will make sure that he becomes Chief of the Army, replacing von Fritsch. Blomberg has a reputation for cracking down on waste, and every Reichsmark he can save supplying the army will allow me to spend it elsewhere.

Frick is not too bad as a Security Minister, but Goebbels will be far better. His ability to encourage more of our brightest to dedicate themselves to careers in diplomacy, intelligence, technological research or the military is priceless. (And he needs something to do. The devil makes work for idle hands, and Goebbels reminds me of Cassius with his “lean and hungry look”). Frick will be no problem: he can become Minister of Intelligence. Admiral Canaris is not likely to support my policies: he is far too cautious.

I have watched the career of Fritz Bayerlein for some time. He has been responsible for several papers on military supply organisation that have reached Cabinet level, and from what I gather is seen as our best thinker on the subject. I anticipate our new Wehrmacht will consume supplies and fuel at a rate presently inconceivable, so getting supply to the troops will be critical. So General Beck must go. (I have my doubts about his stomach for total war anyway). Bayerlein will be the new Chief of Staff.

The others can remain, not because I think they are doing a good job, but because there is nobody better.

Intelligence

Hitler’s indifference to the grind of daily detail extends to reading reports. For some years now he has left it to me to deal with most of the paperwork, including top secret intelligence updates. I have been alarmed to discover that foreign agents have infiltrated every area of government and administration. Effective immediately, all intelligence assets are to be devoted to internal counter-intelligence. (I have had a lot of experience at signing the Führer’s name, helped by the knowledge it will never be questioned. In fact, Adolf signs so few papers these days it is likely it would be his signature that was held to be a forgery!).

The Wehrmacht

While a vast improvement on the tiny force we had in 1930, our armed forces are nowhere near sufficient for the task ahead. The Wehrmacht has 252 battalion equivalent units, but they are equipped with little better than they had in the last war. Support battalions other than artillery are virtually non-existent. Our four panzer divisions appear impressive on paper, but are made up of little more than armoured tractors.

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The “Leichtraktor” – we must do better than this

The Kriegsmarine is small and dated. 2 elderly battlecruisers with a couple of cruisers are barely sufficient to control the Ostsee, let alone worry the Royal Navy or the Royale. And our few submarines would not trouble the Commonwealth’s shipping lanes even if they could reach them. Admittedly we have several ships under construction: the battleships "Gneisenau", the "Scharnhorst", the heavy cruiser "Admiral Hipper" and several destroyer groups, as well as some U-boats, but we need more.

The “Schlesien”: launched in 1906, she is showing her age.

The Luftwaffe is in the best condition, due mainly to Reichsminister Göring’s exercise of influence. Our aircraft are fairly modern (or at least will be when the He 51 fighters and Ju 86 bombers are replaced with new Messerschmitt Bf 109C and Do-17 aircraft. 8 bomber geschwader is a good base for the role I see the Luftwaffe playing in the coming war. Germany cannot afford to lose good soldiers – the last war showed that in a war of attrition we will lose against the tens of millions the Russians and Americans can field. So I intend to use aircraft to cripple the enemy without running the risk of heavy casualties.

Industry

In order to pick off our enemies one by one, we must dissuade any attempt by the French or the British to attack us while we are occupied elsewhere. A start must be made on fortifications on the borders and coasts. I signed approvals for construction of pill-boxes and defensive works in Lörrach and Wilhelsmhaven. This will give our people some experience in practical construction works, as will road works in 5 provinces in East Prussia and a new industrial complex in Königsberg.

HQ defence units and anti-aircraft regiments are essential to protect our command centres. A completely new sort of division, the "Festung", will be formed. They will have two standard infantry brigades with a super heavy artillery regiment (armed with the 35.5cm Haubitze M1) and flak. I intend to completely line our border with France with these units. Although I am not happy with our existing panzers, I have reluctantly given the nod to a new division, equipped with the Pzkpfw 1A. We will upgrade these later when we have designed better tanks.

Our ground troops will need more protection than these 2cm Flak 30 anti-aircraft guns can provide, but they are best we can produce

Göring will be kept quiet with a new geschwader of interceptors. He is insistent that he wants a force of the new dive-bombers and I tend to agree. But I will wait until I have seen how our economy handles the strain before allowing more expenditure.

The way of the future: the dive-bomber

The Kriegsmarine is the poor cousin, mainly because we are so far behind in technology. Until we develop better ship building techniques we will restrict ourselves to a single ship. I don't expect any complaints from Admiral Raeder however. That ship will be the "Bismark" the greatest battleship the world has ever seen.

Our production pipeline. Unfortunately I have approved so many projects not all can be seen: the construction jobs (forts, factories and infrastructure) are missing.

Technical Research

I was shocked to find that not a single researcher has been assigned to develop new weapons, tactics, training procedure or manufacturing techniques. There is so much to do. To make matters worse, in many areas our skill is either non-existent or so low as to be useless. After much thought I have decided that at least to start with we must concentrate on quick results. (And to catch up with the rest of the world.)

Medicine is an obvious choice - we must protect our manpower. So it is also obvious to improve our anti-tank weapons. We must anticipate meeting enemy tanks. Light artillery for our regular infantry divisions, camouflage designs to minimise casualties. All units will benefit from motorised support, and small calibre tank cannon and MGs and work on tracks and suspension for our armoured fighting vehicles will lead to better tanks.

We must improve the abilities of the Luftwaffe. Light weight aircraft construction techniques and the development of new bombs and fuel tanks will give us better planes, and studies of dogfighting tactics will help our fighter pilots. Heavy AA guns may be needed to protect our cities.

The Kriegsmarine is the arm that is in worst shape from a technical point of view. New torpedoes are essential, as is new main armament for our destroyers and light cruisers. Before doing more, we must increase our naval engineering skills. I have assured the Minister that his desire for an aircraft carrier has been noted: he just needs to be patient.

HMS “Furious” – one day we will produce an aircraft carrier as modern as this - but we need to increase our skill in naval engineering first

Minister Schacht has insisted that our factories need to study steel armour casting, and who am I to argue.

Finally, military theory. Difficult to do in peacetime, but a price we must pay. We cannot learn at the cost of casualties. The generals must be dragged into the 30s, but first we must learn the lessons of the last war. Studies into attrition warfare, infiltration, artillery unit and direct fire training and overall Great War warfare are to be a priority. We will also develop a way of deploying garrisons and super-heavy artillery by rail for less cost.

In all, 22 separate research projects. This will leave less talent for officer schools, the diplomatic service and our intelligence service, but research is essential.

My list of research projects: too many for a single page.

Today is the beginning of a new era.

The writer lays down his pen and gazes back out the window. The sun is now shining brightly, reflecting off the sheets of snow, still largely untouched. Berlin looks pristine, as if it were brand city just waiting for inhabitants. But signs of activity are becoming apparent. Cars are on the road, a few pedestrians are strolling in the crisp air. A new year is starting.

Belgiumruler · Oct 14, 2012

Looks good, do you use costum game mode??

Uriah · Oct 14, 2012

Thanks for the compliment and apologies for not stating the format. Here is what I posted in the AAR library thread.

Pleased to announce the birth of "Doppelgänger: the Untold Story of the Third Reich".

Link http://forum.paradoxplaza.com/forum/...he-Third-Reich

Historical Narrative Gameplay with (as always) maximum detail the human mind can take without meltdown.

Base TFH with Realsitic Progression Mod Lite (the "cosmetic" version that just puts historical models in place - no game play changes). Slight change by me to get it to work with TFH.

Germany 1936: I know, its been done before (and by me) but I find it gives me more opportunity to make things up.

Normal level of difficulty - as someone who was once defeated by Poland I don't want to be embarrassed publicly.

AI control at Army level of all units (except a very few). I am going to let it run the Kreigsmarine: this could be the end of the Reich's naval ambitions.

First post: 14th October 2012.

Goal(s)
To entertain
To show what the AI can do
To act as a sort of living tutorial
To amuse me
To show what is was like to live in Europe in the middle of the 20th Century

Uriah · Oct 14, 2012

Another belated post.

I have been asked politely if I would put this reminder on my AAR, and I was once taught always to do something if asked politely. (Well, not everything, but I can't ask me long deceased grandmother to redefine her advice.)

unmerged(174081) · Oct 14, 2012

YAY another AAR from Uriah !

I like your approach with a Führer double.

Smudge · Oct 14, 2012

Welcome back

I have to pop in and say welcome back. Im in the process of reading you first aar. It blew me away the point of view you came from was brilliant. So i wont read this until i finish that first. Im a long time fan of hoi. Reading your aar got me back into the game again. I wonder what you have install for this one. Keep up the good work. Wish i had your talent to do one myself.

Gen. Marshall · Oct 14, 2012

This is interesting... (And not "interesting..." the British way)
I can't help but wonder if anyone could have even the slightest resemblance to Hitler, though. The man really was one of a kind.

Uriah · Oct 15, 2012

This post was updated on 17th November 2012: edited to allow for changes in using Black Ice mod and first TFH patch. Not just cosmetic - big changes.

Doppelgänger: the untold story of the Third Reich

It is late afternoon on March 31st 1936. The eyes and cameras of the world have been on Adolf Hitler for the past few weeks as he tirelessly travelled the country making speeches and holding rallies. The election and referendum of 29th March have both been successful and the Führer is basking in the adulation of the masses as he tours the Rhineland. Politicians around the world are in awe of his political brinkmanship.

Back in Berlin it is quiet. The Party entourage has moved west with the Führer, only a dedicated few remain at their desks. In the living quarters of the Reichskanzlei, officially empty, a lone figure is writing. He appears relaxed, a glass of beer at his side. Perhaps this is because the pressure of constantly playing a part has been relieved, if only for a few weeks. His pen moves swiftly across the page of his diary.

This has been a hectic but enjoyable time. Everything has been going smoothly, and a lot has been achieved. There were a few unexpected events, but my masquerade has gone undetected. Adolf himself has no idea what is going on. I think the poor fool actually believes that the Re-Occupation of the Rhineland was his idea and that he was the one with the steely determination to outstare the French while holding nothing better than a pair of twos.

As I expected, my Cabinet changes went through without trouble. Maybe some people were disgruntled, but they were too clever to let it be known they disagreed with the Führer’s wishes!

There were immediate benefits: Herr Goebbels was able to provide enough new scientists and engineers for several new research projects. Steel production and oil refining technological advances are the most urgent, even though they will take a considerable amount of time to complete. (We will be breaking new ground her). As a sop to Admiral Raeder, a group of Kriegsmarineswerft engineers are to look into the issue of suitable engines for an aircraft carrier. And Minister Schacht was able to fine tune the economy enough to provide a boost to our production.

I was not forced to rely only on Schacht's cleverness, however. When I started to go through the paperwork piled on the Kanzler's desk (Really, what did that man do in here? Look out the window all day?) there were plenty of things to be done to kick-start industry.

Minister Schacht is keen: he is expects every citizen to want to expand our economy

Key officials in many departments had sent suggestions, questions, recommendations. There was some important stuff here, and it needed to be sorted. No point in bothering the man himself - he had had his chance. First to go was some legislation: a three year draft for all able bodied men is now in force, as is a directive for all government offices to direct the economy towards mixed industry. That was easy.

Next: priorities for the Wehrmacht: balanced. No favouritism - equal access to funds and factory space. A request from Himmler to form some of his men into a military force? I knew what he was up to, but if he wanted to create an elite fighting force, that was fine by me. I will make sure it follows my (or should I say the Reich's) orders, not his. Formation of the SS: approved. Several Gauleiters wanting to set up local fascist militias. Again, something to watch, but I anticipate we may need a lot of men to occupy territory in the years to come. These rag-tag units could be useful. They can always be upgraded if necessary, but they show a talent for keeping civilians controlled. Approved. A long scientific argument about the relative benefits of basing the Wehrmacht on diesel or gasoline fuel. Skip to the conclusions: attack speed versus ease of supply. Another quick decision - we will have problems enough with supply. Attack speed can be addressed in other ways. Gasoline it is. Should our factories concentrate on cast steel or welded? Speed of construction or quality? Welded: our men must have the best. Body armour? A significant investment of steel, but if we do it later it will cost far more. A slashing signature - done. Who knows how many lives saved?

This was getting quite enjoyable. The next file was a little harder. A submission, obviously prepared on Hitler's orders, to set up a "Führerprinzip" to operate as a guiding principle to all government and military decisions. Effectively, it made him the God-Emperor of the Reich. I hesitated for some time before putting in my pocket. The Führer could have the privilege of signing this one himself. It would cost a few officers and men to put in place, but it should provide a lasting benefit. Perhaps most importantly, I was sure Hitler would enquire about it, and I could not think of a way of dissuading him from insisting on it being implemented. And it might be useful: with the Führerprinzip in place, no-one would question a document issued from the Reichskanzlei.

With all these decisions made in less than a day, we had far more industrial capacity available for military purpose. Raeder may not have been too happy, but I had seen a couple of papers written by one his subordinates, Admiral Dönitz. Dönitz argues that with a enough long-range U-boats we could cripple the United Kingdom despite the power of the Royal Navy. It is worth looking into. U-boats are cheap, even if they take a long time to build. It is important that while the Heer and the Luftwaffe are occupied in the East that the United Kingdom is otherwise occupied. Maybe it will work, maybe it won't. But it is probably more likely than that the Kriegsmarine, even with the Regia Marina and the IJN, can destroy British naval power. So a flottille of new Type VII U-boats will be formed. Raeder will have to be satisfied with another "Hipper" class heavy cruiser: the "Blucher".

Göring will get his dive-bombers, though many in the Luftwaffe think the Hs 123 has too small a bombload to be effective. I note that the pilots are concerned that it has tendency to either lose its wings or plunge into the ground. Not to worry. It is only a stop gap until something better comes up. In any case, I also approved another geschwader of D0-17 level bombers.

The Heer was not forgotten. Two infantry divisions are to be called up, one motorised. Even as reserves these are hideously expensive, but we must start now. Not only have we a long way to go, but by building units now we will benefit from the experience gained. Later divisions will be cheaper and quicker to obtain.

Production increases: our pipeline at the end of March 1936

What occupied me for much of the past three months was trade. An examination of our resources sector revealed the shocking fact that we cannot produce the steel we need to run at full production, let alone the tungsten, cotton, aluminium, rubber, wool, pharmaceuticals etc. And don’t talk to me about oil and fuel! That idiot Hitler and his day-dreaming! What good is it fantasising about massive tank armies when our stockpiles of iron ore are vanishing? How can we make fleets of modern aircraft with no aluminium?

Wool stocks – we need more to make sure we can clothe our armies

I took personal control of our trade missions, and was clear on priorities. Luckily the coal mines of the Ruhr produce more than we can possibly use, so if I could find markets for that I could generate cash to pay for imports. What cash was available was to be spent – what good is paper money to me? The goal was to at least stabilise our stockpiles, and hopefully start to build up our reserves. At some point I know the world will isolate us: at that time we must be able to function economically on our own, if need be for years.

Deals to sell coal to Portugal, Bulgaria, Romania. Chile, Brazil and many others were made over the past months. Imports of iron and other commodities were arranged with a range of countries, including vast amounts from the USSR. The cost of imports far exceeded the demand for our coal, but I found that we had plenty of spare military supplies to sell. Nationalist China was a keen purchaser. Not a perfect solution, but beggars can’t be chosers. Even with our diplomats working their hardest, however, we could not generate enough sales to furnish funds for all our purchases. The Reich was running a financial deficit.

Loading a Chinese freighter at Segelschiffhafen

Luckily for me, a few things occurred to help.

First was the setting up by the Allied nations of the Bank for International Settlements. I think their intention was that it be used to convert goods to cash to pay reparations, but that is not my intention. What is important is that we can sell huge amounts of production for money. Opportunities are not frequent (only about every six months) and the return is far less than commercially available, but it is a solution. On 22nd January we made our first deal: 10,000 units of supplies for 1,000 trading credits.

Secondly, a routine review of the status of the Kriegsmarine passed across the desk. Raeder again asking to recommission some old pre-Dreadnaught battleships. To his horror, not only did the Reichskanzler knock back the request, but orders were sent to scrap the "Hannover" and "Hessen". Thousands of tonnes of steel and other metals were retrieved. I suspect he is hiding any other old rust-buckets he has salted away.

The "Hessen" sails in happier days. Now she is gone, converted into precious steel and hard to get materials

Then there were events in China. At the beginning of the year, the reckless Chiang Kai Shek declared war on the Communists. How he expected his ramshackle Kuomintang to fare matched against the deeply committed soldiers of the People's Army I have no idea. I had thought that Mao Zedong might be content to hole up in his mountain fastnesses, but I misread the man. He led his troops south, pushing the Nationalists to the Wei River. It may be coincidental, but on 23rd March, we received a request from Nanjing, asking for a Sino-German alliance. Von Neurath nearly sent a nasty reply, but he knows better than to make a decision like that before checking. The Nationalists were offering an amount of metal equal to 15% of our total steel production! A polite acceptance was soon on its way.

The situation in China - not only must the Kuomintang hold the advancing Communists,, but there is insurrection in the south

This surge in foreign negotiations placed huge demands on von Neurath’s supply of diplomats (which was already under pressure as I had ordered a concerted campaign to placate the USA) and led to a resulting drop in army officer recruitment. Again, not something I wanted to do, but we must build up our stockpiles, and we need to start now. We can recruit more officers later.

King George V: lying in state at Westminster Hall, his sons standing guard

The death of the King of England on 20th January occupied Adolf’s attention for some time. He was most taken by the ceremony and all the pomp. I was able to get him a copy of the BritishPathe news film and he watched it for hours. He was particularly impressed by the fact that more than 300,000 British subjects queued to pay homage to their dead king. “Do you think the German people will turn out in such numbers for my funeral?” he asked. “I have no doubt” I replied. It is best to keep him happy.

The funeral procession leaves Windsor Castle

All was not well, however. Goebbels and Frick have been busy, and reported at the beginning of February that we must begin to be harsh against potential insurrection. Internal security police activity must be increased to keep the population under control. I was not happy about this, but there was no choice. Government suppression of various forms was instituted, with the predictable result that productivity decreased, volunteers for the Wehrmacht dropped sharply, the financial markets fell and dissent began to simmer. Not good news.

While I contemplated this by-product of dictatorial rule, Hitler was in his rooms at the Reichskanzlei, getting ready for the opening ceremony of the IV Olympic Winter Games, scheduled to for February 6th. I told him that there were problems with the population and that strong measure had been impelemted but that I could handle it. He barely acknowledged my presence: a brief nod and he went back to working on his speech.

I heard Adolf did a good job in Garmisch-Partenkirchen: the Bavarians were very pleased with the turn-out. He was much taken with the Winter Olympics, and when he returned kept telling me of all the events he saw: Sonja Henje winning the figure skating (again) and the British beating the Canadians at ice-hockey! I am glad that the fact the Germany was now a totalitarian state did not interfere with his enjoyment. I was more impressed by the administrative displayed. 500,000 people participated in the closing ceremonies using public transport– I must locate those responsible for this feat of organisation and make sure they are used effectively.

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Beautiful weather for the opening ceremony in Bavaria

The reoccupation of the Rhineland was to be the jewel in the first 6 months of my plan. I had intended to slowly exert pressure on the workforce by cutting civilian expenditure, and then to evaporate all that dissatisfaction with joy at the realisation that Germany was once again a force in the Europe, able to defy the countries that had humiliated it after the last war.

Unfortunately I had to accelerate my plans. My trading strategies did not work out quite as planned and the Reichsbank warned that soon we would default on our import contracts. On 27th February I scribbled a fair facsimile of the Führer’s signature on a movement order. General von Brauchitsch , commander of V Armeekorps, was to instruct General Haase to march 5.Infanterie Division into the Rhineland, to Offenburg.

5.ID starts its momentous march towards the Rhineland. Note the French divisions massed on the border

The next few days, as the troops slowly moved west, were a test of nerves. Some of the Cabinet showed they were able to wait the outcome with equanimity while others were in a state of panic. Luckily Hitler himself was relaxed, perhaps not realising that the French Army could crush our forces in the west in a matter of days. He was also busy preparing for the launch of the “Hindenburg” at the Zeppelin dockyards at Friedrichshafen. After five years of construction, it is ready for its maiden test flight. I do wish the Americans had agreed to supply us with helium: I have a nagging worry about using hydrogen for lift.

“Hindenburg” takes to the air for the first time on 4th March 1936

There was another minor distraction while Haase and his men headed to destiny. Our liaison officer with Badoglio’s Army in Ethiopia told us of a major Italian victory. Over the past few days the Eritrean and II Corps crushed the armies of Ras Seyoum and Ras Kabba at Tembien. The generals have fled but their armies are no more. Only Haile Selassie’s own troops can protect the capital, Addis Ababa. Our man predicts the war will be over in a few months.

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Some of Badoglio’s artillery before the 2nd Battle of Tembien. With Badoglio also able to deploy bombs and mustard gas, the Ethiopians were unwise to attack the Italians, despite a huge numerical advantage.

The morning of the 7th of March was the day of decision. The lead battalion of Haase’s unit moved into Offenberg. I was there, among the crowds packing the streets cheering as the Wehrmacht reclaimed occupied Germany. (It was safe to leave Adolf in charge in Berlin: it had been made quite clear to von Blomberg that at the first sign of French retaliation Haase was to withdraw at full speed. Under no circumstances was he to offer resistance). From my position I could see the young infantrymen as they swung past me, every man in step. Their young faces were flushed with pride as they attempted to keep their eyes forward, but most could not resist a glance at the enthusiastic Rhinelanders throwing flowers and kisses. It was the reaction of the officers, however, that I wanted to check. Yes, they were nervous, and I could see the more senior men showing a tendency to check every cross street for an enemy barricade. There was also the occasional flicker of eyes to scan the rooftops, as though they expected to see snipers or artillery observers silhouetted against the clear spring sky. They were professional, however, and the shouted orders were clear and delivered with confidence. Overall, a creditable performance for the Wehrmacht’s first offensive action since 1918. I can build an army with men such as this.

Here I am, back in Berlin. Adolf was keen to have a reason to get out among the people while they were so filled with patriotic ardour, and his suggestion of a poll and referendum was actually quite astute. Aggressive? The Reich? Never – the Wehrmacht was just carrying out the democratic wishes of the people.

Having the time of his life, and safely out of the way, the Führer in the Rhineland

Not that there is much to do here for now. The Rhineland has brought an influx of cash, enough to solve our trade issues for a while. I did authorise more road works in East Prussia, and the start of infrastructure renovations on the border with France. More significant perhaps, I have realised that we have enough technical assets to start a couple of additional research teams. Krupp is to look ito better barrels and ammunitionfor our artillery, while a team of military theorists are to study lessons learnt in the last war about reconnaissance unit co-ordination.

Technical research at the end of March 1936

Himmler is beside himself. I don't think I have ever seen that cold fish so excited. His first Waffen SS units have arrived here in Berlin. "Deutschland", and "Germania" are acceptable names for military units but "Liebestandarte Adolf Hitler"? The man has no shame in crawling his way into the Führer's good books. I must admit, however, that the units looked impressive. That doesn't mean that I won't keep a close eye on Herr Himmler. He has a "lean and hungry look".

Despite a few uneven moments, after three months I am pleased with progress. Not outstanding, perhaps, but a solid start. Unlike many of my fellows, I am content to wait for the right moment. I think I deserve a moment’s rest.

Some sort of signal must have been made, for an orderly silently enters and refills the now empty glass. The seated man raises the glass in salute and drinks deeply. He looks like a man enjoying a rest after a strenuous day. A man who deserves a few hours of relaxation.

Outside the hum of the city is steady. Men and women bustle up and down the streets and the number of vehicles has increased since winter. A solitary airliner banks as it approaches Tempelhof. Things are starting to move in the capital of the Third Reich.

Brad1 · Oct 15, 2012

Another Uriah AAR! Nice! I'll be following this for sure!!!

Jagdpnzr · Oct 15, 2012

Very entertaining. Hitler doing what he does best, appearing in public. He amuses the crowds, similar to a clown

unmerged(174081) · Oct 15, 2012

A fine update Uriah. I can't wait to see how you will set up the various bits of the Wehrmacht. Like your rank and file AAR you have chosen an unique and interesting approach to the game. The storytelling of the prewar buildup is very entertaining. (and the bit you enjoy the most?) Keep it coming.

Caezaire · Oct 15, 2012

Having followed your last AAR to the end I am very exited with this one starting.

Avindian · Oct 15, 2012

All right, another Uriah AAR!

Warspite_TW · Oct 15, 2012

I am very glad to see another AAR from Uriah. Subscribed.

robw963 · Oct 15, 2012

Very cool! I'm excited to be able to see this from the beginning. *subscribed*

Malurous · Oct 15, 2012

Uriah, I have removed the second to last picture in that update as it had a swastika. Remember, it has to be zero tolerance about them. Feel free to put the image back in if you edit it to remove the swastika.

darthkommandant · Oct 15, 2012

The rpm air units also work for TFH if you want them. I should know I made them work for it. Germany is also the only fully complet country with the air units but other countries have upgrading and named models as well. It has been made available to the public for about a week so if you want it check the rpm thread.

Great aar concept as well good luck.

Uriah · Oct 15, 2012

Malurous said:
Uriah, I have removed the second to last picture in that update as it had a swastika. Remember, it has to be zero tolerance about them. Feel free to put the image back in if you edit it to remove the swastika.

You must have eyes like a hawk.

I check all the photos and I remember being surprised that one did not have a single banner or armband. Didn't notice the little square on the car.

I did get the ones on the tail of the Zeppelin.

Sorry - I would like to say it won't happen again, but I'll say I'll try to not do it again.

Malurous · Oct 15, 2012

No worries, can't really ask for more than taking out what you can see.

TBH missing that one was hardly a shocker if you ask me.

Nicegil · Oct 15, 2012

Nice AAR. I'll be following this one with as much interest as your last one !

BTW, we all (AAR authors) have forgotten some symbols to one moment or another.
People or Mods tells us kindly ; we remove them ; over ! No big deal. "Errare humanum est"

Doppelgänger: the Untold Story of the Third Reich

"The Verbose"

Comrade Belgie

"The Verbose"

"The Verbose"

Second Lieutenant

Second Lieutenant

Generalfeldmarschall

"The Verbose"

Lt. General

First Lieutenant

Second Lieutenant

First Lieutenant

People's Commissar of the Navy

Captain

How it Feels to be Something On

Field Marshal

RPM Imterm Air Guru

"The Verbose"

Field Marshal

Major