Vorwärts!: A History of the Third Reich

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Welcome to my latest AAR! The rest of this post will be devoted to boring background stuff, so I'll just go ahead and post the game settings before you go to sleep:

Platform: Doomsday 1.3
Scenario: Germany in The Road to War '36
Settings: Normal/Aggressive
Goal: WORLD DOMINATION. MUHAHAHHAHAHAHA.
Cheats: None
Modding Ability: None
Ability to take screenies: None
Gaminess: None
Allies: Only historical. All others shall be crushed through conquest.
Humor: Possible

Well, now for the boring bits:

I've had HOI2 for quite a while now, and I've finally worked up the nerve to start an AAR. I can't promise anything ont he scale of some of the truely great AARs out there, but still I hope to at least mildly entertain you. I've chosen Germany for simplicity and a challenge-I've never actually taken Germany to total world domination (only getting so far as Seelowe), but hopefully by the time '53 rolls around the big blue blob will be firmly under the heel.

The AAR will be presented mostly via sources from various counterfactual Nazi texts, with some narrative and maybe even a wee bit of humor thrown in for good measure. Pictures will be included, with hopefully at least two an update. The gameplay will most likely be spruced up and often altered a bit so as to enhance the narrative.

Disclaimer: Please note that I in no way agree with any part of the ideology of National Socialism and in no way think that the world this AAR will hopefully create would be a pleasent one to live in. This AAR will be written in the style of Nazi propaganda simply for historical flavoring and entertainment value. No offense is meant, and hopefully none is taken.

Now that that's finished, please enjoy

Vorwärts!: A History of the Third Reich​

 

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Table of Contents​

Book I: The Road Not Taken (1936/37)

Chapter I: The Task At Hand

 

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Prologue: A New Dawn​

...If you were to ask the man on the street what the most critical year in the rise of the National Socialism and the fall of the old order was, you would most likely get a myriad of different answers. 1933 would probably be common, as would 1939, 1942, and 1951. All of these, to be sure, marked seismic changes in the political world as the Third Reich marched ever on to its rightful place atop the world.

And yet I will attempt to put forth the thesis in this book that, in fact, the most defining steps took place in 1936. Thought he events of that year are largely forgotten today, it was in fact during this year that Deutschland for the first time since Versailles was able to take to the stage of Europe as a true power, unfettered by the restraints imposed by the former Entente.

Up until that fateful year, the Reich, by necessity, had been forced to largely respect Versailles. The Wehrmacht of 1933, suffering from the depredations of a decade and a half of Weimar mismanagement (intentional and otherwise[1]), and was in no state to march into the Rhineland, let alone into Paris. Though the new leadership of Germany skillfully managed to rearm substantially from 1933 to 1935 (among other things creating the Luftwaffe), it was done quietly and under the pretense of respect for Versailles.

That all changed in 1936. The Rhineland, so long under the thumb of French domination, was fully rejoined with the Reich. When the communist regime in Madrid was challenged by popular rebellion, the Reich had no qualms in intervening to assure a satisfactory outcome. 1936 marked the start of the glorious military successes that would follow the Reich for the next two decades through the Second War[2], the Great Eastern War[3] and ultimately the Final War[4].

It was also in this year that the Reich at last began to search for Allies to align with in a common cause. Romania, Hungary, and Bulgaria, each emasculated as Germany had been in 1919, began to drift to the newly confident Reich. Italy at last began to come around to the idea that they had more in common with Berlin then with Paris and London, where they had been previously aligned. By the end of the year, there was no doubt: the German people had stood up [5].

Indeed, one need look no further then the start of the year to see the change that began to overtake the Reich, with the cabinet reorganization and the Rejoining of the Rhineland...

-From Rhineland to Raleigh: A History of the Reich At War, 1936-1953 by Heinrich Kleinman




1) It is a commonly held assumption in this world that the Weimar Republic intentionally kept the Wehrmacht understrength and disorganized for paranoia of a coup.
2) A common (and rather incorrect) name for the initial round of war against France, Britain, and Poland in 1939-41.
3) The war with the Soviets.
4) The last war against the Western powers.
5) With sincere apologies to Mao.

 

[SovietAmerika]

This will be very interesting. I look forward to reading it.

 

[unmerged(62170)]

Nice to see a new German AAR - look forward to the next update.

 

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Book I: The Road Not Taken

Chapter I: The Task At Hand​

AN: I don't believe any of my photos violate forum rules, but feel free to point out any that do.

...Any discussion of the events of 1936 must begin with the infamous cabinet shakeup of that year.

Though relatively small, with only two new ministers being appointed, the shakeup reflected a seismic shift in the governance of the Third Reich. With the threat of the SA and Roem's treachery safely in the past, Der Fuehrer was ready to establish a new government, a model government, a practical cross between pure Nazi ideology and pragmatic appointment of skilled administrators.

On December 26th, 1935, Werner von Blomberg, Minister of War, and Wilhelm Frick, the Minister of the Interior, were both calmly informed that they had six days to clear their offices. It is recorded that the decision came as a shock to both men; von Blomberg, a member of the Prussian military establishment, was by no means close to Hitler but very much was believed to have a secure position in the Reich, while Frick had been a member of the NSDAP from nearly the beginning and was well-ensconced in the hierarchy of the Reich.

Wilhelm Frick and Werner von Blomberg were extremely surprised to find themselves out of jobs​

While both men were to find employment in the Reich (indeed, von Blomberg went on at Hitler's personal request to take a field command and to find great glory in the wars to come), they were both to become overshadowed by the men who replaced them.

Hjalmar Schacht, perhaps the most famous administrator in German history, had quite a bit of experience in governance by 1936. At the helm of the central German bank, the Reichsbank, under the Weimar, Schacht had a reputation both as a superb economist and overseer and as an extremely loyal Nazi. Already the Minister of Economics, on New Year's Day 1936 Schacht formally assumed the duties of Minister of War just as that office began the most turbulent period in its history. It would be up to Schacht to complete German rearmament and finance the wars to come.

Dr. Hjalmar Schacht, a rising star within the NSDAP​

Though the decision seemed sudden at the time, recently released personal papers of the Fuehrer reveal that he had long-standing doubts as to Blomberg's capabilities as a bureaucrat, and as early as 1934 thought him more suited to a field command. Hitler also had been apprehensive since the Night of Long Knives of the possibility of infighting within the Party and State, and its negative impact upon the nation as a whole, and felt that a better War Minister such as Schacht was needed for the times to come.

The second change also stemmed from fear of internecine difficulties. Wilhelm Frick, though a stolid Party member from the beginning, had since 1933 been embroiled in a losing battle for influence with Heinrich Himmler, the incredibly powerful head of the SS and Gestapo and largely regarded as among the most powerful men in the Reich. Frick's effectiveness as Interior Minister declined as he became more authoritarian and markedly unpopular with the German public, with Hitler ultimately deciding that he had to be replaced in order for stability and order to reign in the Reich. For Frick's replacement, he chose Franz Gürtner, a longstanding justice and Minister of Justice under Franz von Papen, the second-to-last Chancellor of Weimar. Gürtner had long had a schizophrenic relationship with the Party, but in the waning days of 1935 spoke often and privately with Hitler, and was ultimately accepted into the inner circle of governance. While many of the duties of the Interior Ministry were transferred to Himmler's command, Hitler made it perfectly clear that the civilian judiciary was under Gürtner's auspeices.

Franz Gürtner was to run the internal affairs of the Reich, replacing the unlamented Wilhelm Frick.

The annual Party New Year's Day meeting proved that the shakeup was no isolated event-the Fuehrer was ready to take Germany in a new direction. His address to the Cabinet, recorded fully by the presiding Secretary, was described by those who were there as one of his most powerful, if not his longest. Prefacing his plan for the years to come, the Fuehrer gave one of his most famous quotes:

“For too long has Germany struggled under oppression, be it Russian, Polish, French, or British; if we are to escape the fate of our predecessors, gentlemen, we must create a Germany which could truly take on the powers of Europe and come out unbloodied and triumphant.”

Hitler's New Year's address promulgated a radical plan for the years to come​

In his speech, Hitler announced that the first phase of rearmament had ceased, and that the Reich, under the new management of Dr. Schacht, was to embark upon “A Two-Year Program” to “create a new German industry ready, if called upon, to provide the arms to defeat any three of the great powers of Europe.” Meanwhile, a new branch of the Economic Ministry, the Reich Economic Council (Reichswirtschaftsrat, or RWR) was created to better organize rearmament and co-ordinate with the major German arms corporations. Scientific research, both industrial and military, was to be emphasized, and a new rocket testing site was to be built in specially designated land near Munich.

Hitler also took time out of his address to outline the foreign policy that the Reich would follow for the next few years. The Reich would do its utmost to “prevent the spread of the abominable cancer of international communism”; all governments participating in this battle would be supported. In harmony with “the combined will of the single German people”, the long-desired Anschluss with Austria was to be actively pursued, as would the reunification with the Sudetenland. The occupation of the Rhineland, “which has kindly provided us for many years with a blatant example of the true purpose of Versailles: the enslavement of the German race”, was to be tolerated no longer.

The final major segment of Hitler's speech was on the matter of internal disputes. As noted, the problem had been festering in the Fuehrer's mind at least since the Night of Long Knives, possibly before. It had influenced his replacement of von Blomberg and Frick, and he took the issue on directly on New Year's address. The relevant passage is here quoted:

“The formation of the perfect National Socialist state cannot be accomplished if the men charged by the people to build it are more concerned with petty squabbles...no competition can be accepted. We shall bring a united Germany into the new age, or we shall fall apart and leave Germany divided and open to renewed oppression, foreign and natural-born.”

Though not mentioned by name, the speech was largely aimed at Heinrich Himmler and Hermann Goering, the heads of the SS and the Luftwaffe respectively. Both extremely powerful and respected (and feared) members of the party brass, Himmler and Goering had long been rivals. The temporary alliance against the SA of Ernst Roem had long since past, and the pair had fallen back to bitter rivalry. It would take much cajoling over the coming year to push the pair to grudging co-operation.

Many thought that the new year would be marked by change and turbulence. They would be proven right scarcely over a week later, when German troops once again marched into the Rhineland...

From Rhineland to Raleigh: A History of the Reich at War, 1936-1953 by Heinrich Kleinman


Game Notes: Firstly, if you haven't figured it out, the in-game actions are thus: construction of a Rocket Test Site and a bunch of new factories, a step towards Central Planning, and the replacement of the two ministers.

Also, to extrapolate on my purpose here: my goal, as I realized as I wrote this update, isn't to do something groundbreaking with the game itself. It is to take the stereotypical successful German grand campaign and turn it into a plausible timeline in which the Nazis come out successful, starting with Hitler being struck by inspiration and becoming 57% more pragmatic and generally sane in late December 1935. I don't know how well I'll succeed, but I'll try my best!

In RL, Schacht remained Minister of Economics until his replacement by Walter Funk in January 1938, while Frick stayed at a marginalized Interior Ministry until 1943. Internal conflict indeed dogged the Nazis from the beginning, becoming especially bad by late in the war (when party officials were treating their various offices as fiefdoms), and no concerted effort was made to solve the problem until the time of Albert Speer. Himmler and Goering remained icy until the end of the war.

The RWR and the accompanying Two-Year Program are fully fictional.

Comments, concerns, death threats?

 

[c0d5579]

Red x on the last picture.

"Brett" for "board" in this case is more board as in plank. You're probably looking for "Rat," or "council" (e.g., Reichsforschungsrat, or "Reich Research Council"). The closest thing that comes to mind is Reichswirtschaftsrat, but that's literally "Reich Economic Council," rather than "industrial." "Reichsindustriesrat" just doesn't feel right for some reason. Someone whose German is more functional than mine would probably be more useful for a direct translation. When my limited German vocabulary fails me, I usually go with Leo (http://dict.leo.org) for my translations. It's easier to pick through than to try Babelfish.

 

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Red x on the last picture.

"Brett" for "board" in this case is more board as in plank. You're probably looking for "Rat," or "council" (e.g., Reichsforschungsrat, or "Reich Research Council"). The closest thing that comes to mind is Reichswirtschaftsrat, but that's literally "Reich Economic Council," rather than "industrial." "Reichsindustriesrat" just doesn't feel right for some reason. Someone whose German is more functional than mine would probably be more useful for a direct translation. When my limited German vocabulary fails me, I usually go with Leo (http://dict.leo.org) for my translations. It's easier to pick through than to try Babelfish.

Fixed.

Thanks for the German tip. I'll definately use Leo for future updates.

 

[SovietAmerika]

This is already getting spicy and interesting. I look forward to updates.

 

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Dr. Gonzo, SovietAmerika: Thanks! I'm glad you're along for the ride.

Book I: The Road Not Taken​

Chapter II: The First Step​

...Before we relate the tale of the Rejoining of the Rhineland and its significance in the rise of the Third Reich, we must examine the historical background that led to this chain of events in the first place.

Long a center of Germany, the Rhineland had also been one of the most heavily industrial areas in Prussia (and then Germany) since the industrial revolution. During the Great War[1], as in countless wars past, it was to the factories of the Rhineland that the armed forces went for the machinery needed to keep the war going.

A factory in the Rhineland, shortly before the Great War.​

After the war, the diplomats gathered at Versailles began to bang their heads against a very hard problem: how to utterly cripple Germany and prevent her from ever redressing the treaty while avoiding actual division or other blatant tactics that would cause widescale revolution in Germany.[2]

Not satisfied with their initial idea (the imposition of a foreign, unpopular, illegitimate government in Berlin), the Entente devised a new plan: to deny German control of their own industry. The Rhineland, the beating industrial heart of Germany, was to be fully removed of any German military personnel, and was left open to foreign occupation. Indeed, as early as 1923, upon Germany's failure to pay reparations in full, the Rhineland was cooly occupied by French troops, setting off a firestorm of inflation that further weakened the Weimar.

French troops in the Rhineland​

The Third Reich was at first tentative about the Rhineland issue. Early rearmament, though limited in scope, was severely hampered by the inability to take full control of the factories of that area. As the years went on, though, the main cause for conservatism (fear of Entente aggression) seemed more and more unfounded, as all reports indicated the Entente was caught up in internal affairs and didn't have the stomach to contest the Rhineland.

After a short consultation with Dr. Hjalmar Schacht, the soon-to-be Minister of War, in December 1935 Hitler ordered the Heer to began shipping troops to the border of the Rhineland. On January 4th, 1936, as New Year festivities wound down and the Party was still riveted by Hitler's great speech four days earlier, Hitler calmly announced to Germany and Europe that German troops were marching through the Rhineland as he spoke. The Entente was caught flat-footed, and by the time they had served a weak diplomatic protest the operation was complete.

German troops in the Rhineland​

The Rejoining of the Rhineland proved an unimaginable boon for the Reich. At last, the factories of that area could resume open arms production, just in time for the Two-Year Program. The Party's popularity, already sky-high due to the successful reduction of unemployment, rose even higher. The last whispers of some kind of army putsch vanished, as the Heer more then any others celebrated their bloodless victory over the Entente.

At last, the task of building a new Germany could begin in earnest...

-From A Return to Glory: The Remaking of Germany, 1933-39 by Ernst Kalmuth

...The months following the Rejoining were relatively quiet for Germany. The Two-Year Program began in earnest, with Dr. Schacht overseeing the beginning of a massive industrialization program across the breadth of east Germany. On April 11, chemical giant IG Farben announced that it had finished developing a new set of machine tools, followed on May 10 by Siemens' report on improved farming techniques.. Unemployment, already low, disappeared, falling below 1 percent by July. It was truly a time of peace, quiet and prosperity in Germany, a sharp contrast to the days to come.

But, of course, things weren't always as peaceful as they appeared. Wilhelm Canaris, head of the Abwehr, Germany's espionage service, had been given a program of his own; he had two years to root out all major spy rings operating in Germany. Ruthlessly efficient, Canaris's agents penetrated deep into every branch of the Reich, often working with Himmler's SS to root out spies. A certain Interior Department official was discovered to be in league with France and shot; also taken care of was a Polish spy ring that was discovered to have been feeding Germany's official codes to their homeland was broken up. By early 1938, Canaris could declare his mission complete. (3)

Wilhelm Canaris, the man who so efficiently rooted out foreign saboteurs and spies​

Of course, the activity in Europe never ceased. The Rejoining, while proving a domestic boon, had chilled relations with the former Entente. Hitler, who wasn't ready for war, masterfully maneuvered relations with Britain especially back to normal with a combination of trade packages and a heartfelt eulogy for Britain's beloved King George V, who died on the 21st of January.

More fortuitously, on February 17 a general election was held in the Spanish Republic. Though most thought nothing of the event, it would soon become clear that the election's aftershocks would shake Europe to her core...

-From Rhineland to Raleigh: A History of the Reich at War, 1939-1953 by Heinrich Kleinman

...The election of February 17, 1936 marked the end of the democratic experiment.

The Second Republic had long billed itself as a leftist, democratic Spain for a new age, almost from its inception in 1931. For half a decade, Spain was in chaos, a chaos typified by the rebellion of October 1934, in which communists and socialists banded together to almost seize power.

By early 1936 it seemed that the Second Republic might survive, and indeed some were even predicting that it would thrive. The left had failed to decisively seize control, and the right and center had banded together under the aegis of the National Bloc, while the Popular Front (which like its brother organizations in most cases took orders straight from Moscow) seemed to be in decline.

And yet when the people went to the polls, it was the FP that came out with a majority in the Congress of Deputies, and it was Manuel Azaña, a noted radical and leader of the , who came to power in a government that included many of those who had 17 months earlier tried to overthrow the government.

Manuel Azaña was to head the new Spanish government​

Needless to say, the right, especially the army, was furious. In back alleys and bars, plans began to be made; Spain had to be saved from communism, whatever the cost...

-From A History of the Second Spanish Republic by Juan Ramirez

1) Which is still given that name in this world, as the wars we would call “World War II” are regarded as a set of interconnected conflicts rather than a single mammoth war.
2) This isn't very close to the actual situation, but what the heck; if Nazi propaganda can't bend the facts, what can?
3) There may be a narrative update somewhere in there, if my legions of loyal readers so desire.

Author's Notes: Whew, this is taking longer then I thought; we have one more update before we reach the Spanish Civil War, and then we have the rest of 1936 and all of 1937 to get through before we even reach the Anschluss!

The next few updates will be textbook style, but I'll do a narrative at latest after the second Spanish Civil War update, possible before.

As you probably can guess, I've discovered Basic Machine Tools and Agrichemistry.

A quick note about Wilhelm Canaris: I've been very unfaithful to his character, mostly out of necessity. In RL he hated the Nazi regime and did his very best to undermine it, and he probably would have tried to find a way to protect every foreign spy he found. Modeling this wouldn't be very fun in HOI2 (you would just dismiss him and that would be that), so I made the executive decision to make him a loyal Nazi in this world.

The Reoccupation of the Rhineland is happening two months early, as an astute reader would note. The entire passage on Spain could have come from an RL book, albeit one biased against the Second Republic.

All comments are welcome.

Really.

Please.

Comment, goddamnit, comment!

 

[SovietAmerika]

It's your AAR, but you could replace Canaris if you feel like he;s out of place. Perhaps put in a loyal Political or Industrial Specialist? It's what I tend to do, but solely since I don't really like Canaris's bonus. Up to you, though.

 

[c0d5579]

Canaris might have been loyal to a "sane Hitler" regime, given that he was a thoroughgoing authoritarian. He would have preferred a Hohenzollern, but a strong but sane dictatorship would have worked.