Kaiserliche Träume – II

[TekcoR]

-Advisory- This After Action Report may see less frequent updates than previous TekcoR writings. Due to reallife issues, updates will occur in more, slow manner. Most likely one update a week. -Advisory-

Kaiserliche Träume – II​

Chapter Ein​

Fallen Sie Von Anmut (Fall From Grace)​

After the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand on June 28th, 1914, elements of the Austro-Hungarian government had a plausible excuse to declare war on Serbia. On July 28th, one month after the assassination, Austria-Hungary declared war on Serbia. Serbia had a guarantee of independence from Russia, who proclaimed themselves the protector of the Slavs.

In 1884, Kaiser Wilhelm II decided not to renew the alliance between his Germany and the Czarist Russia. The alliance between Austria-Hungary and Germany remained strong. With the alliance between Russia and Germany broken, France and the United Kingdom signed an agreement with Russia. The decision of 1884 would prove a fatal error in the Kaiser’s regime.

At the time of the declaration of war against Serbia, Russia threatened to declare war against Austria-Hungary. However, Austria-Hungary had the backing of Kaiser Wilhelm II’s Germany. In the first weeks of August 1914, the world found itself in what would become known as ‘World War’, but at the time known as ‘The Great War’.

Major Events of 1914​

8/1/1914 – Germany declares war on Russia.
8/3/1914 – Germany declares war on France.
8/4/1914 – Germany invades neutral Belgium.
U.K. declares war on Germany.
8/23/1914 – Japan declares war on Germany.
10/29/1914 – The Ottoman Empire joins the Central Powers.
​

The war was a costly matter to the rather young German Empire, founded in 1871 after the Franco-Prussian War. Although the initial advances into France were successful, the German Army had been checked by the French and British Armies at the Battle of the Marne.

In 1917, the Czarist Russia crumbled to Revolution and ceased to exist. At first a Provisional Government took over. That government soon fell to the Soviets led by Lenin, who signed a rather humiliating peace agreement with the Central Powers.

In the spring of 1918, the situation in the west proved hopeful for the Germans. With ‘fresh’ divisions arriving from the eastern front, the time to strike arrived. Throughout spring of 1918 and into the summer, numerous German offensives pushed to within 50 miles of Paris. But the effort was all in vain…

…On November 11th, 1918, an armistice was signed between Germany and the Allied Powers. Kaiser Wilhelm the II had abdicated from the throne, the first democratic government in German history was now calling the shots.

Hope though, remained strong…one day Germany would re-emerge from the ashes of glory and restore the grace she deserved.

 

[Mettermrck]

So far, so good. Look forward to see where you take this.

 

[unmerged(10971)]

-Advisory- This After Action Report may see less frequent updates than previous TekcoR writings. Due to reallife issues, updates will occur in more, slow manner. Most likely one update a week. -Advisory-

That's okay. It's certainly a lot more often than I usually update.

 

[TekcoR]

Kaiserliche Träume – II​

Chapter Ein​

Grausame und Menschliche Taten (Cruel and Humane Acts)​

With the Central Powers defeated, a vengeful France wanted to punish Germany back into the Stone Age. France had suffered the blunt of ‘The
Great War’. Nearly two million French men had died, while nearly one and a half million Germans had died. With the ‘defeat’ of Germany, France regained the Alsace-Lorraine region, which Germany had received in the Franco-Prussian War.

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In the beginning of Germany, the dream of a colonial empire was widespread. An empire that would possibly rival that of Great Britain. Part IV of the Versailles Treaty answered the possibility of a German Empire.

Part IV
German Rights and Interests Outside of Germany
Article 118
In territory outside her European frontiers as fixed by the present Treaty,
Germany renounces all rights, titles and privileges whatever in or over territory
which belonged to her or to her allies, and all rights, titles and privileges
whatever their origin which she held as against the Allied and Associated Powers.
Germany hereby undertakes to recognize and to conform to the measures which may be taken now or in the future by the Principal Allied and Associated Powers, in agreement where necessary with third Powers, in order to carry the above stipulation into effect.
In particular Germany declares her acceptance of the following Articles relating to certain special subjects.

Article 119
Germany renounces in favor of the Principal Allied and Associated Powers all her rights and titles over her oversea possessions.​

The German Army, the strongest during the war, would be reduced to a mere shadow of itself. France, the ‘Devil of the German People’, did not want Germany to maintain an army. Britain however, had other ideas.

Part V
Military, Naval and Air Clauses

Article 159
The German military forces shall be demobilised and reduced as prescribed
hereinafter.

Article 160

(1) By a date which must not be later than March 31, 1920, the German Army must not comprise more than seven divisions of infantry and three divisions of
cavalry.

After that date the total number of effectives in the Army of the States
constituting Germany must not exceed one hundred thousand men, including officers and establishments of depots. The Army shall be devoted exclusively to the maintenance of order within the territory and to the control of the frontiers.

The total effective strength of officers, including the personnel of staffs,
whatever their composition, must not exceed four thousand.

(2) Divisions and Army Corps headquarters staffs shall be organised in accordance with Table No. 1 annexed to this Section. The number and strengths of the units of infantry, artillery, engineers, technical services and troops laid down in the aforesaid Table constitute maxima which must not be exceeded.

The following units may each have their own depot:
An Infantry regiment; A Cavalry regiment; A regiment of Field Artillery; A
battalion of Pioneers.

(3) The divisions must not be grouped under more than two army corps headquarters
staffs.

The maintenance or formation of forces differently grouped or of other
organisations for the command of troops or for preparation for war is forbidden.

The Great German General Staff and all similar organisations shall be dissolved
and may not be reconstituted in any form. The officers, or persons in the position of officers, in the Ministries of War in the different States in Germany and in the Administrations attached to them, must not exceed three hundred in number and are included in the maximum strength of four thousand laid down in the third sub-paragraph of paragraph (1) of this Article.​

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Germany would have to pay a harsh price for ‘The Great War’. The Navy was reduced to another shadow of its former strength. The majority of the vessels would be interned into Allied Ports and later scrapped. France, it seemed had totally demoralized the German nation…
…but soon enough, such glory and grace could return.

To find out more about the Versailles Treaty, please visit: http://history.acusd.edu/gen/text/versaillestreaty/vercontents.html.​

 

[TekcoR]

Kaiserliche Träume – II​

Chapter Ein​

Bändigen das Wasser (Taming the Water )​

The Washington Naval Treaty limited the naval armaments of its five signatories. It was signed by the United States of America, the British Empire, Japan, France and Italy in Washington, DC, on February 6th, 1922. The defeated Central Powers, Germany, Austria, Hungary, Turkey and Bulgaria were not invited to the conference or Soviet Russia.
The Washington Naval Treaty was designed to limit the naval powers around the world, in order to help prevent future arm races, and possibly future wars. Each of the five signing countries would voluntary reduce the size of their navies to the allotted tonnage (or metric tonnage).

Part 4 --- Definitions of Ships​

CAPITAL SHIP
A capital ship, in the case of ships hereafter built, is defined as a vessel of war, not an aircraft carrier, whose displacement exceeds 10,000 tons (10,160 metric tons) standard displacement, or which carries a gun with a calibre exceeding 8 inches (203 millimetres).

AIRCRAFT CARRIER
An aircraft carrier is defined as a vessel of war with a displacement in excess of 10,000 tons (10,160 metric tons) standard displacement designed for the specific and exclusive purpose of carrying aircraft. It must be so constructed that aircraft can be launched therefrom and landed thereon, and not designed and constructed for carrying a more powerful armament than that allowed to it under Article IX or Article X as the case may be.

STANDARD DISPLACEMENT
The standard displacement of a ship is the displacement of the ship complete, fully manned, engined, and equipped ready for sea, including all armament and ammunition, equipment, outfit, provisions and fresh water for crew, miscellaneous stores and implements of every description that are intended to be carried in war, but without fuel or reserve feed water on board.

The word "ton" in the present Treaty, except in the expression "metric tons", shall be understood to mean the ton of 2240 pounds (1016 kilos).
Vessels now completed shall retain their present ratings of displacement tonnage in accordance with their national system of measurement. However, a Power expressing displacement in metric tons shall be considered for the application of the present Treaty as owning only the equivalent displacement in tons of 2240 pounds.

A vessel completed hereafter shall be rated at its displacement tonnage when in the standard condition defined herein.

To learn more about the Washington Naval Treaty, please visit: http://www.ibiblio.org/pha/pre-war/1922/nav_lim.html.

 

[TekcoR]

Kaiserliche Träume – II​

Chapter Zwei​

Kapp Putsch (Cap Coup)​

In March 1920, one of the first notable coups took place. Doctor Wolfgang Kapp and General Ludendorff along with with five thousand marines seized Berlin. One of the objectives of the coup was to restore Kaiser Wilhelm II to the throne. However, the coup failed due to a general strike by the Commuist workers.

Advisory: The history lesson ends.

Two months later, Doctor Kapp, General Ludenorff and Field Marshal Hindenburg led a coup to overthrow the Weimar Republic and restore the Kaiser to his rightful throne. Aided by twenty thousand soldiers, Berlin, Munich and Frankfurt-am-Main were seized. On May 5th, 1920, the Weimar Republic ceased to exist.

Doctor Gustav Stresemann, a politican since 1907 with great knowledge in commerce was appointed the new Chancellor. Kaiser Wilhelm II, was asked by the new government to return from exile in Holland and reclaim his rightful throne.

Wilhelm returned to a differnt Germany, a war-ravaged, occupied land. No longer could he rule over the people without question, a constitution was signed granting the citizenry of all classes significant rights.

The State of the German Armed Forces​

Heer
7 Infantry Divisions
3 Cavalary Divisions

Airforce
No military aircraft.
Devlopers such as Junkers, Messerschmit.

Navy
Majority of in Allied Ports.
​

The new Reich with Kaiser Wilhelm II at it's head, had a lot of work to do. Revenge was kept deep within the heart, if the Allied Powers had any idea of what would one day come, the new Reich would find itself non-existant.

But Germany had found itself again, that was all that mattered at the moment.

 

[unmerged(9046)]

So how much different will Kaiser 1930's Germany be?

Nice start.

 

[TekcoR]

Kaiserliche Träume – II​

Chapter Drei​

Wirtschaftswachstum (Econmic Growth)​

One of Chancellor Stresemann's first acts was to call off the strikes within the Ruhr region. The strikes were not aganist the new government, but rather that of the occupying French. The French had wished to occupy the Ruhr, taking nearly 80% of Germany's raw materials away, thus crippling Germany forever.

Next, the Chancellor created the Rentenmark in order to help stablize the economy. Rentenmark was guaranteed by a mortagage on all real property in Germany.

Stresemann sent a delegation to begin negotiating with the Reparations Commission about the payment of reparations. In 1924, a committee under the chairmanship of the American banker, Charles G. Dawes, formulated a new plan for reparations payment. The "Dawes Plan" as it became known, was acceptall to all parties. French troops soon left the Ruhr region.

An Act of Kindness​

In 1926, Germany was invited into the League of Nations. Kaiser Wilhelm II accepted the invitiation, along with Chancellor Stresemann.

In 1928, Germany signed the Briand-Kellogg Pact by which the world's major nations renounced war as an instrument of national policy. Eleven nations originally signed the Pact. Sixty-two nations ultimately signed the pact.

Yet, many Germans were unsatisified with the new diplomatic gains. Nearly three million Germans were still within the borders of Poland, Czechoslovika and Austria. Germany was forbidden to unite with Austria.

In a personal plea to the King of England, the Kaiser expressed his concern. He believed that the fate of Germany depended on the return of Germans to Germany. Traditional German land should be reincorporated back into Germany.

On April 1st, 1929, England, Germany signed the "Agreement of Danzig", Poland reluctantly signed. In the agreement, Germany would annex all of it's pre-1914 land from Poland. Addititionally, Germany would sign a non-agression pact with Poland.

Although France widly protested the expansion of Germany, her concerns went unheard by the United Kingdom and the United States of America. Secretly, the British wished the French would let bigons be bigons or watch the Germans march over the French.

Within the "Agreement of Danzig", the British government would allow the reconstruction of the German Hochseeflotte. The British additionally agreed to scrap the "Washington Naval Conference", as the Japanese had already done.

Germany it appeared was re-emerging into a peaceful empire.

 

[Sir Humphrey]

I can't believe I have not read this yet. Great stuff alround.

 

[unmerged(10971)]

Hm... already looking outside your borders, eh? Get at it, but be careful!

 

[cthulhu]

Cool.

 

[gosam]

Germany it appeared was re-emerging into a peaceful empire.

yeah, a peaceful empire he said.

anyway, good stuff.

 

[TekcoR]

Thank you for all the positive replies. The updates shall continue in a more mannerly fashion, since I have more time now.

 

[TekcoR]

Kaiserliche Träume – II​

Chapter Drei​

Stören Sie und Rückgewinnung (Trouble and Recovery)​

By 1929 production was over the pre-war levels, thus proving that the German economy was in good shape. With the economy expanding at a decent pace, the German workers were able to enjoy new luxuries rarely seen. A pay increase was given to them, one of several to come.

However, the German economy had three major flaws.

The Flaws of the German Economy​

I. Foreign loans, mostly from the United States, provided most of the working capital. They might be withdrawn at any moment.

II. Her economic prosperity depended upon export trade and not on an expansion of the home market. Any contraction of the overseas market might lead to industrial slump in Germany.

III. Unemployment in Germany never fell below a million. Thus German economic prosperity rested on flimsy foundations.

To combat the unemployment in Germany, the Kaiser asked the newly elected Reichstag - which acutally spoke for the people - about funds for the reconsutrction of the Hochseeflotte. The Reichstag agreed, if the Germany people were employed, the less likely they would be to join a political party to overthrow the government.

Certain political party leaders had seen their sentences increased in the twenties, regardless of their war status. By 1928, the majority of the German Workers' Party (later Nazi) leadership was in jail on sentences ranging from 15 to 20 years.

On July 29th, 1929, around Germany, the construction of six capital ships began.

The Hochseeflotte's "Z-Plan"​

Aeroplane Carrier
Barbarossa
The Barbarossa was originally a battleship laid down in Danzig, 1898. It was scrapped in 1919.​

Battleships
Friedrich Wilhelm
Friedrich Wilhelm was originally a battleship laid down in 1890. In 1910 it was sold to Turkey and sunk by the British in 1915.

Kaiser Wilhelm II
Kaiser Wilhelm II was originally a battleship laid down in 1896. It was scrapped in 1922.​

Battlecruisers
Hindenburg
Hindenburg was originally a battlecruiser laid down in 1913. It suffered the same fate of many German ships, it was scuttled in Scapa Flow.

Mackensen
Construction of the Mackensen began in early 1915. However construction of it was never completed because the war ended. It was scrapped in 1923.

Prinz Eitel Friedrich
Along with the Mackensen, an additional ship began construction. However it suffered the same fate, it was never completed and scrapped in 1920.​

The new Hochseeflotte would be an impressive force, if the Z-Plan could be completed. The Z-Plan said the entire fleet would be completed by 1940 at the earliest. One could only hope.

 

[unmerged(10971)]

II. Her economic prosperity depended upon export trade and not on an expansion of the home market. Any contraction of the overseas market might lead to industrial slump in Germany.

Remember, this is 1929. I think we all know where this is going.

 

[unmerged(28944)]

Oh, I'm in like Flynn on this one ( and I agree with Sir Humps about not reading this before now!)!

*subscribes furiously*

I like the return of Danzig to Germany and the rapprochement of the British and German Empires. This should prove to make things quite interesting a few years down the line.

Oh, Judas...

Remember, this is 1929. I think we all know where this is going.

Not necessarily! Mind you, we have the Kaiser back and not the Wiemar Republic!

 

[TekcoR]

Once again, thank you for all the posts. It's quite interesting acutally reading post-Great War Germany and manipulating it into the story before it starts.

 

[TekcoR]

Kaiserliche Träume – II​

Chapter Vier​

Die Große Depression (The Great Depression)​

On October 24th, 1929 share prices in the New York Stock Market collapsed catastrophically, setting off a chain reaction of bankruptices. The news of the Stock Market quickly spread oversears, which triggered a world-wide depression.

After years of economical stablity under Chancellor Stresemann and Kaiser Wilhelm II, the German economy faced a new problem. Although Germany's economy now only partly based on American money. Within one month of the stock market crash, Germany's unemployment went from a half a million to one and a half million. The unemployment rate was expected to climb, unless drastic measures were taken.

Stresemann consulted with the Kaiser and his cabinet about the risky solution that could, most likely save the German economy. Although certain businesses, the government still had a good control over the economy.

On November 11th, 1929, on the 11 Anniversary of Armistice Day, the Reichstag ordered the training of ten infantry divisions, along with a fully operational headquarters division. The training was expected to be complete by mid-1930.

Projected Heer Standing
20 Infantry Divisions
3 Cavalry Divisions
1 Headquarter​

Additional measures would be taken, if needed, but this would be the first.

 

[Sir Humphrey]

And so it begins!

 

[TekcoR]

Kaiserliche Träume – II​

Chapter Vier​

Die Große Depression (The Great Depression)​

With the effects of the Great Depression still ravaging Germany, additional measures had to be taken. Although the expansion of the army was helping, one million German males were still unemployed. In late 1930, the Reichstag issues another edict to help the German populace in recovering from the depression.

In the beginning of January, 1931, the construction of eight ships began.

Heavy Cruisers
Stettin
Originally a cruiser, by the end of the war it was delivered in England in 1920 and later scraped.

Stuttgart
Originally a cruiser, by the end of the war it was delivered in England in 1920 and later scraped.

Dresden
Originally a cruiser, it was scuttled in 1915 at Mas a Tierra.​

Light Cruisers
Königsberg
Named after the city in East Prussia, never entered service before or during World War 1.

Köln
Named after the city in western Germany, never entered service before or during World War 1.

Elbing
Named after the city in East Prussia. Was originally a cruiser that sunk on August 1st, 1916 after a collision.

Albatross
A minelayer during World War One, was scrapped in 1921 at Scapa Flow.

Natilus
A minelayer during World War 1, was scrapped in 1928.​

The eight new ships were projected to enter service by the end of 1931. Additional ships were planned, but a slower pace was preferred, not to alarm Germany's neighbors, espically France.

If France was truly displeased by the German re-armament, she would most likely march troops over the border and stop the reformed Reich. However, France was troubled in the Great Depression with no signs of recovery.

The ten new infantry divisions were nearly complete with their training, which would bring the Heer's strength up to 20 infantry divisions, 3 cavalry divisions and one headquarters.

The Kaiser secretly wished for more, by 1936 it was his objective to have atleast 40 infantry divisions, 6 cavalry divisions and perhaps one or two armored divisions. He also had promised the Airforce the build-up of military planes.

But for now, the construction of the Airforce was secondary to the expansion of the Imperial Navy and Army.