A Shift in Priorities

[Kelenas]

Hm... Madlstajn was the girl/women who ended up founding a female bodyguard firm after her experiences in Poland, iirc? Or was one of the women employed by the company?

And Senor Grande is probably a certain, well-travelled Communist...

- Kelenas

[ANARCHY_4_ALL]

Originally Posted by Kelenas

Hm... Madlstajn was the girl/women who ended up founding a female bodyguard firm after her experiences in Poland, iirc? Or was one of the women employed by the company?

And Senor Grande is probably a certain, well-travelled Communist...

- Kelenas

I'm sure that's what the U.S. government would want the general public to believe. I'm sure your real culprit may still be residing in Panama. But I'm not very sure though.

[Peabody-Martini]

It seems that in TTL Europe becomes more socially liberal as the US retreats into isolation and grows ever more conservative. When considering the tendency for hypocrisy amongst many conservatives (seems that not a month without an anti-gay gay politician or preacher getting caught) there is a great potential revolving around J. Edgar Hoover and his secret files. There are many other other avenues as well. This TL could grow very entertaining in the near future. So bolt down those irony meters, its going to be a fun ride.

[ANARCHY_4_ALL]

Originally Posted by Peabody-Martini

It seems that in TTL Europe becomes more socially liberal as the US retreats into isolation and grows ever more conservative. When considering the tendency for hypocrisy amongst many conservatives (seems that not a month without an anti-gay gay politician or preacher getting caught) there is a great potential revolving around J. Edgar Hoover and his secret files. There are many other other avenues as well. This TL could grow very entertaining in the near future. So bolt down those irony meters, its going to be a fun ride.

That's another thing I love about this TL. It's content seems to seemingly mirror the current state of OTL.

[nerdknight01]

¡ HI ! ¡ MAGIC !.
I really like the fact that "womans war group" are teaching to the rest of the womans of the world that how to say, other works options are posible, in some years this class of womans be the example for female liberation movements and i liked. Who knows, maybe in this timeline in the 40´s be creating magnificent war movies based in this war platoon.
If i remember correctly, the tales and legends to the emigration of the american wild west are funny tales of adventures and posibilities, why i have the idea that in this timeline will see a really gigantic and sad emigration of american´s peoples to the East. Inmagine that, very big numbers of peoples from the west, milwest of USA because the Dust Bowl, because the economic disaster, the fear of the latinoamerican war, the enviromental tragedy,etc... how to say, now be making big population movements of groups,and are be going to the East, to the ports, and to the "new lands of oportunities": and that be all of EUROPE. Thanks and good luck.

[rast]

The charging of his enemy was but the work of a moment.
(Don Quixote – part I, book 1:5)

“The Battle of Lérida can justifiably be called the most decisive battle of the Spanish Civil War. If the armed forces of the Democratic Alliance proved unable to reverse General Sanjurjo’s advance to the Pyrenees, their territory would remain split in half. It was foreseeable that the Rebel Generals then would proceed by first eliminating the Zaragoza – Huesca pocket, before finally turning to Catalonia, the last free region of Spain.

General Sanjurjo’s force comprised four infantry divisions, two independent brigades and one cavalry division. None of the infantry divisions was at nominal strength, because many conscript soldiers had deserted. The two brigades, however, both had a full complement; one was manned by Carlist Requetés, the other by Falangist militias. There were no tanks, and only a handful of makeshift armoured cars. The artillery was weak and completely lacking heavy calibres. The cavalry division, on the other hand, was overstrength, because it formed the amalgam of the pre-war regular cavalry division, the mounted units of the Guardia Civil and the mounted units of the Carabineros de España, the border police.

The Democratic Alliance’s force, commanded by General Juan Hernández Saravia, consisted of various militias, formed by communists, socialists, anarchists, liberal-democrats and separatists, plus one international brigade – and one French and two Italian infantry divisions. Co-operation and co-ordination between the different elements was one of the major problems facing Hernández. On the other hand, the foreign divisions were strong in artillery – they clearly outmatched Sanjurjo’s gunners – and in machine guns, which the militias were lacking almost completely; and in addition they had engineer battalions, which were to play an important role.

Sanjurjo had taken Lérida in December 1931, but due to inclement weather the thrust northwards along the valley of the Segre had soon bogged down in the foothills of the Pyrenees. Nevertheless, he had succeeded in effectively disrupting communications between the Zaragoza – Huesca pocket and Catalonia.

Hernández initially had intended a direct attack on Lérida. His problem, however, was that the town was situated on the westbank of the Segre, the river providing an excellent cover for Sanjurjo’s HQ situated on the city ridge overlooking the flat fields in the east.
Eventually, he decided to attack at Torres de Segre, south of Lérida, because this little town was situated on the east bank of the Segre. If he succeeded in forcing the river and taking Soses on the west bank, he could strangle Sanjurjo’s supply lines.

The operation, called La Muleta (the red cloth of the bullfighter), commenced on January 12th, 1932. Buenaventura Durruti’s anarcho-communist militia pierced the putschist line at Aspa, conducting a surprise attack in the early morning.
Through this gap, other militias poured, widening it to the north and the south.
By noon, the breach had been extended to a width of five kilometres. Now, the two Italian divisions were to advance on Torres de Segre, take it and start building war bridges, over which the French division was to march on Soses.

But the Italians failed to arrive in time. Their artillery battalions, bridge trains and supply columns had got entangled on the few and bad roads, while their infantry, marching cross-country, partially had lost direction.
Only with several hours delay, just before dusk, did the first two infantry battalions nose through the gap in direction of Torres de Segre.

The morning of January 13th saw the Italian vanguard at Sunyer, still five kilometres east of Torres. At least they had now aligned their combat troops, artillery and columns – and were advancing as a whole.
But Sanjurjo had thrown his Requetés into Torres over night – and was pushing south with two regular divisions from Lérida.

The Requetés, supported by two armoured cars, forcefully denied the Italians access to Torres. The latter, however, warned by aerial reconnaissance, were now making front to the north and preparing to battle the upcoming regular putschist divisions. The positions opposite Torres were taken over by Durruti’s militias until noon.

When, by 15:00 hours, the putschist vanguards made contact with the Italian pickets, the decisive phase of the battle was about to start.”

Taken from: “The Spanish Civil War” by Antony Beevor, Orbis Publishing Ltd., London, 1982

[ANARCHY_4_ALL]

So, now the Spanish Democratic Alliance are making the advance without the help of the foreign interventionists. Durruti seems to be doing what I would expect from it. I hope TTL concedes to his survival. As a possible leader in the Spanish Congress(I suppose thats what it would be) after the war. As I've said I can see this ending with a coalition government of leftists and moderates.

[rast]

History is the propaganda of the victors.
(Ernst Toller)

Rosita was accustomed to being raped; whether her drunken stepfather did it – or some fetid Requetés – was only a matter of comfort. Her stepfather usually stalked her in the girls’ chamber and humped her in bed; the Requetès had gang-banged her in the barn.
They had screwed her sister Estrella as well – and her mother. Estrella, barely twelve years old, was the everyday witness of what the stepfather did to her elder sister; nevertheless, she now crouched sobbing in a corner. Their mother had offered doughty resistance – and had severly been beaten; she lay bleeding and motionless in the yard. Their stepfather was nowhere to be seen.

They had been seven guys; and one of them had even done it twice. It still hurt; they had been much more roughshod than her stepfather, who always caressed and kissed her clumsily while ramming his awful dick into her vagina.
They had shot the dog – and taken away the hens, and the ham and the sausages.
Rosita probed with her finger; she was not bleeding, it was the sperm of the Requetés dripping out of her. How repulsive!

She rose gingerly and walked over to Estrella.
“So, now you know exactly how it feels. – Don’t worry, you’ll survive it. – Get up! We must look after mother.”

Their mother’s lips had been smashed, and she was bleding from the nose. It looked worse than it actually was. There was a huge bruise forming at the back of her head, but her breathing and her pulse rate were normal.
The girls lifted the woman from the ground and dragged her into the house. But despite some water splashed on her face, Iñes Garcia wouldn’t wake up. Blood was seeping down her legs.

Estrella was still sobbing. “It hurts…” she muttered repeatedly.
“Yeah, it does. – You’ll get used to it. – Stay here, I’ll go for the doctor.”
It was an hour’s walk to town. But when she just was passing the gate, she saw another bunch of soldiers approaching. She hurried back into the house.
“More of them are coming!”
Estrella wailed in panic; but there was no place to hide. Rosita bit her lips. Where was this bugger of a stepfather?

Two soldiers entered the room, their rifles pointing at the girls.
“Good day! I gather the putschists have been here. Where did they go to?” one of them said.
Without hope Rosita – suddenly aware of her torn blouse and her bared breasts – told what she knew, while Estrella was whining in fear.
But these soldiers obviously weren’t out for rape; they were looking for the Requetés in order to vanquish them.
“Is there a way into Torres de Segre from here? One that avoids being spotted by the putschists?”

There was one, a small path along the Segre, hidden by shrubs, reeds and trees.
“Can you lead us?”
Rosita nodded, then looked down on her naked bosom.
“Yeah; you should change before we leave.”

More soldiers had gathered in the yard, about one hundred – or so… There was thunder in the air, but no clouds. The soldiers explained to her that this was the sound of the guns in the north, where a big battle was taking place. They led her to their leader, an ugly man with sharp nose and wide-set eyes.
“This lass knows a hidden path to Torres, Comandante. She’s agreed to guide us. – The Requetés have raped her, her little sister – and her mother…”
“Are you okay?” asked the ugly Comandante. “Strong enough to lead us into town?”
“Let’s go.” answered Rosita.

[Peabody-Martini]

So the conduct of the putschist solders leads to a situation where a local is willing to give up critical information. If in the postmortem it is revealed that a lack of discipline and mistreatment of the locals swings the battle one way or the other, hopefully it's a lesson learned by the armies of the world. I'm not holding my breath, but hopefully.

[nerdknight01]

¡ HI ! ¡ WHOA !.
Yep, that class of hate and attacks to the weaks is very common in civil wars, but this situations cross the limits. I really, really like to se the Riquetes totally crush and destroyed.
Because this class of "incidents", why not in Spain be born the firsts international trials against the violation of human rights, how to say, something good need to be born and leaned for this human disaster.
I wonder the "womans war platoon" be doing against the riquetes, when be captured. And finnally, i wonder what it be that ugly german official, thanks and good luck.

[Kelenas]

Well, the Germans seem to have picked up on that already, though it is not yet completely integrated into their entire military thinking; IIRC the commander of their intervention force's spearhead gave the order to be careful with the civilian population even in the face of guerilla attacks, but a number of local commanders went against it with heavy-handed "scorched earth" reprisals and the like.
Makes sense that they'd be the first ones, as pretty much all of their military deployments post-Great War were interventions in other countries' civil wars; Russia against the Bolshewiks (iirc), humanitarian intervention in Poland, military blockade of Greece, the British Civil War...

It's far from perfect, but at least on some levels the knowledge seems to be there.

- Kelenas

[ANARCHY_4_ALL]

SCW getting very intense I still stick to my original conclusion. Durruti continues to impress me I hope he survives the war. But on a different note what's up with the various international and national sports ITTL?

[rast]

Everything in war is very simple. But the simplest thing becomes difficult in war.
(Carl von Clausewitz)

“When a strong detachment of Buenaventura Durruti’s anarchist militia, led by Durruti himself, suddenly attacked the defenders of Torres de Segre from the rear, the resistance of the Requetés quickly crumbled. For his surprise attack, Durruti had approached the town on a well hidden path alongside the Segre River, known to the local population but not recorded in the maps of the putschists.
With Torres de Segre in possession of the militias of the Democratic Alliance, the International Brigade now forced the river and secured Soses and the hill crest on the west bank of the river.

In the north, the Italians had manned hasty defensive positions along the south bank of the Riu de Set. Despite their superiority in artillery, they were driven back by the initial onslaught of the two putschist divisions. Alfés and Aspa were lost; and one Italian regiment panicked and fled from the battlefield.
The tense situation was resolved when the French division attacked into the left flank of the putschists and took Artesa de Lérida. The French commander, Général de Division Gaston Billotte, had disregarded Hernández’ order to march on Soses, seeing that the Italians were congesting all roads, and had positioned his division for a flank attack on the putschists.

With pressure easing, the Italian corps commander, Tenente Generale Rodolfo Graziani, managed to rally his forces. A counter attack secured Aspa again, but bogged down in front of Alfés. At about the same time, an assault of the Falange Brigade pushed the French out of Artesa de Lérida again.

The decision came when General Sanjurjo committed his cavalry division for an attack on Soses. If he could contain the enemy on the east bank of the Segre, his lines of communication to the south would remain open – and he could use his superior numbers for attriting Hernández’ razzle-dazzle units.

In the early morning of January 14th, 1932, General de División Miguel Cabanellas’ horsemen staged a mounted attack on Soses. Cabanella had used the night for positioning his division on a hill line west of the village, while the International Brigade had dug in expecting an attack from the north.
Surprise and poor visibility before dawn enormously aided the riders. Three squadrons fell upon the Italian engineers, who were busy constructing a bridge across the Segre, and butchered them without mercy. Soon, what had already been completed of the bridge was burning brightly.

In and around Soses, the internationals were fighting for their lifes. The initial mounted assault had cut down some units already, who had just been assembling for breakfast. Now, the putschist horsemen had dismounted and were trying to dislodge those still clinging to their trenches or some houses.
In terms of numbers, there were about 2,500 internationals facing approximately 6,000 putschists.

The German Battalion, led by Ernst Thälmann, a left-fringe PDS member, was the strongest international formation still intact with about 1,000 fighters. When Thälmann was killed leading a spirited but ill-fated counter-attack, one of the company commanders, Erich Mielke, another ultra-left PDS man, took over.
Defending its trenches and foxholes, the battalion was able to keep the Spaniards at bay; however, reports soon started reaching Mielke stating that ammunition was getting scarce rapidly.

The Scandinavian Battalion, led by Hugo Sillén, was the second large formation still in combat as a whole. Together with the Heymshtot Company, the Swedes, Danes, Norwegians and Finns were engaged in fierce house-to-house combat in Soses, but constantly losing ground – and finally pushed out of the village and pitiless decimated on open ground.

The English Company had been overrun early on; however, one of the platoon leaders, Polly Brown, one of the few females in the International Brigade – and veteran of the British Civil War, had had the luck to escape sudden death – and had had the brains to go looking for reinforcements.
Wading and swimming through the icecold Segre, she finally managed to warn Buenaventura Durruti about what was happening at Soses.

Using the rafts and rubber dinghies of the Italian engineers, Durruti landed his brigade south of Soses – and attacked at 15:30 hours. Caught between this new enemy and the Germans still holding out in their positions, Cabanella’s division – already weakened by grievous losses – quickly broke.

At dusk on January 14th General Sanjurjo had to realise that his attack had failed. The forces of the Democratic Alliance had cut his supply lines – and he was about to be encircled.”

Taken from: “The Spanish Civil War” by Antony Beevor, Orbis Publishing Ltd., London, 1982

[Jotun]

Interesting installment, there. I am looking forward if you have a bigger role planned ITTL for Mielke and if it is going to be as radically different from OTL as that of Hitler...after all, he is one of the more despicable protagonists of OTL. That was an understatement.
Another thought: what about a Mittelafrikan volunteer company in the SCW?

[Bmao]

Originally Posted by Jotun

Interesting installment, there. I am looking forward if you have a bigger role planned ITTL for Mielke and if it is going to be as radically different from OTL as that of Hitler...after all, he is one of the more despicable protagonists of OTL. That was an understatement.
Another thought: what about a Mittelafrikan volunteer company in the SCW?

A Mittelafrikan company would go over very badly with the Spanish locals, for even the most left-wing of them are likely to be extremely racist. Its something, unfortunately, that the putchists would be able to use as a rallying cry to drive public support to its side.

[Monty Burns]

Originally Posted by Bmao

A Mittelafrikan company would go over very badly with the Spanish locals, for even the most left-wing of them are likely to be extremely racist. Its something, unfortunately, that the putchists would be able to use as a rallying cry to drive public support to its side.

Sad, but true.

Nevertheless, there might be training missions of Mittelafrikans to Europe for "non-standard" fighting as on Hispaniola and countering insurgencies.

And, of course, a certain von Bauer by now should have "secured" Spanish Equatorial Africa...

[rast]

Brave, unconcerned, mocking, violent – thus wisdom wants us; she is a woman, and only loves a warrior.
(Friedrich Nietzsche)

Rudolf Höß was an experienced soldier. In the Great War, he had volunteered for service – and been accepted despite his junior age of merely fifteen years. He had fought in Iraq and Palestine – and, aged seventeen, been promoted to Unteroffizier. Afterwards, he had fought as a volunteer in the Russian Civil War.
When peace finally broke out in Russia, Höß had returned to garrison service in Germany. Unfortunately, although brave beyond reason, he had no talent as an instructor and teacher. Thus, his application for service in Middle Africa had been turned down. Neither had he passed any examinations for becoming an officer candidate, nor had his superiors found him apt for a promotion to Wachtmeister, the position of a squadron sergeant major in the cavalry.

Therefore, the German Army, because Höß showed absolutely no potential for a higher career, had honourably discharged him as a Vizefeldwebel after twelve years of service in 1927.
Decorated with the Iron Cross first class and the Russian Cross of Saint George first class, Höß quickly had found a job as policeman in Karlsruhe, the capital of Baden. But this was dull, even duller than garrison service in the army… He was not interested in dealing with drunken people, petty thieves, prostitutes, parking violators and neighbourhood quarrels. Of course, he would do his duty; he always had done his duty – but it was utterly dull.

The Spanish Civil War finally had provided an opportunity to escape boredom. Getting administrative suspension from police service for fighting as a volunteer in Spain had been easy; the socialists ruling Baden had made it possible.
Although a lot of German communists and socialists were serving in the German Battalion of the International Brigade, there also were several men with a background similar to Höß’. They formed the sober backbone of the force – and made it viable militarily…

The fighting at Soses was the proof how effective Höß and his fellow veterans had been. The German Battalion was the only unit of the brigade to come through the ordeal in a body.

The sun was going down, while Höß and his platoon were still searching the battlefield for wounded soldiers. This was a grim task, because neither the International Brigade nor Durruti’s anarchists had any functional medical service. At present, one could only collect the casualties at Soses – and wait for the Italian medics to show up – or see the wounded die.

Höß was working methodically, corpses would be piled up in neat stacks for later identification, and the wounded would be carried away. As no specific orders had been given, injured putschists were treated like members of the brigade.

When his men found the woman, they called for Höß. Stepping closer, Höß recognized her: This was Kompanie Firer Mandlstajn of the Heymshtot Company. She had been hit in the chest and in the left thigh – and already lost a lot of blood. Höß did not think that women should participate in war; their place was at home. Nevertheless, the unconscious Mandlstajn aroused his pity. Cursing, he handed his personal dressings to his men.
“Here, see that you stop the bleeding, before carrying her to the village. – And if any Italian doctors have already turned up, see that she is treated immediately!”
Silently, he watched his men follow orders. They knew him – and surely would take great pains to do what he had told them.

The search went on all though the night. When in the next morning an exhausted and tired Höß approached Soses, he saw the white tents and red crosses of an Italian dressing station being set up.
So, the Makkaroni had finally arrived. Well, of course the Italian engineers had to organise a ferry service first, before any medics could possibly arrive.

Mustering up his platoon, Höß noticed that the men he had tasked with carrying away Mandlstajn were missing. They reported back two hours later, waking Höß from sleep. – After arriving at Soses, they had found no Italians – and thus had appropriated a raft and transported the wounded woman to the east bank of the Segre. There, they had forced the Italian engineers to cede a motor car. Mandlstajn was now in the Italian field hospital at Alcanó – and would live…
On the way back, they had passed a field kitchen of the battalion – and coaxed it to Soses, the Italians now having constructed a makeshift bridge. Breakfast for the platoon was ready.
“Well done, lads. – I knew, I could rely on you.”

[Peabody-Martini]

If this guy is who I think he is, having him go out of his way to save a jewish woman counts as yet one more ironic twist within this TL.

[trekchu]

Originally Posted by Peabody-Martini

If this guy is who I think he is, having him go out of his way to save a jewish woman counts as yet one more ironic twist within this TL.

Jesus Christ you are right!



*takes cover*






*comes out*

*cough cough cough*

[Jotun]

He is who you think he is.
Reading about him and stacked corpses in a completely different context and saving a Jewish woman is strange indeed. Luckily, I had my irony meter at the shop for recalibration...
Wow. Just...wow.