Xen
Banned
I have been writing on this timeline for over a year, and I suppose I will continue writing it until I iron out all the kinks, so this is take III for me and this. I have read the criticisms of those who have read my previous two attempts, and enjoyed their praises. Thank you for both guys, I don’t mind criticism unless its not constructive, just lambasting all of someone’s hard work because it somehow violates your belief of what will happen as impossible is not needed, or appreciated. However if you know something that I missed or simply did not know please inform me on it, and provide sources, eventually I will get all the kinks worked out and come up with one of the absolute best timelines on this board, this is my goal, so I speak it so it be done.
PART I: A World Soaked in Blood
The point of divergence in this TTL is having the Spanish join the Axis Powers by declaring war on the United Kingdom sometime in 1940. Francisco Franco initially balked at the German offer of joining the war; Spain was still recovering from a brutal Civil War and could not afford to go to war especially against a major power like the United Kingdom. Franco’s demands for an alliance with Germany were outrageous and in the opinion of the Fuhrer absurd. It took some convincing but many top Generals in the Wermacht managed to convince Hitler to give Franco what he wanted, if Gibraltar fell, the Mediterranean Sea would be closed off to the British, giving Germany and her allies exclusive access to oil rich fields in North Africa, as well as leaving the British defenders in Egypt cut off from being resupplied, which will allow the European Axis Armies to easily take the Suez Canal, and the Middle East. After losing the Mediterranean the British would be forced to withdrawal and sue for peace. Franco was assured that even if the British took the Canary Islands, they would be returned to Spain after the war as well as gaining French Morocco and having a free hand against Portugal. Convinced that Germany will regain its former African colonies from the United Kingdom as well as gaining Persia and Iraq as new German vassals to be used as staging grounds against the next war with the Soviet Union, Hitler gave into Franco’s demands.
British intelligence however always seemed to be one step ahead of their Nazi foes, as the Germans and Spanish gathered their forces for an assault on Gibraltar, the British and her Imperial allies bolstered the cities strength and passed word onto Portuguese dictator Antonio Salazar of Spain of Germany’s plans for a future invasion. Salazar formed an alliance with the United Kingdom in which British Special Forces would secretly take up positions along the Spanish-Portuguese border. The Portuguese military was also provided older British made armaments including tanks, and fighter planes to use in the upcoming fight with the Germans and Spanish.
Obviously aware that the Portuguese are onto their secret alliance with Spain to conquer the nation, the Germans are forced to divert the troops intended for Gibraltar to Portugal, rather than laying siege to Gibraltar, a full scale invasion against Portugal takes place on the evening of March 11, 1941, a small contingency of German, Italian and Spanish troops are kept near Gibraltar to prevent the British from trying a counter attack into Andalusia. Prime Minister Salazar vows to remain in Portugal until the last invading Axis soldier in Portugal draws breath. Over the next few weeks Royal Marines seized the Canary Islands and secured the Spanish Sahara, while the RAF bombed the Axis positions near Gibraltar with devastating firepower.
At first the Portuguese and British allies win major victories defeating German Panzer forces at Braganca and Castelo Branco, unfortunately these victories are short lived, the Germans eventually overwhelmed these positions forcing the long retreat to the sea, Portuguese and British troops were withdrawn from port cities such as Porto and Aveiro, the Germans finally proclaimed final victory over Portugal and Britain at the Battle of Lisbon on June 28. The Free Portuguese and British soldiers fled to the sea in a fashion similar to Dunkirk. Battle hardened British soldiers and Free Portuguese arrived in Gibraltar to bolster the already near impenetrable defenses of the city. Portuguese Prime Minister Salazar was killed attempting to flee Lisbon when his plane was shot down while en route to the Azores Islands by the German Luftwaffe. A “Free” Portuguese government was established in the Azores, allied with the British and protected by the Royal Navy.
The Axis turned their attention to Gibraltar hoping their plans of conquering the rock, though delayed could still succeed. Fortunately most of the civilians had long been evacuated; the elderly, women and children were placed in refugee camps in British occupied Spanish Sahara. The city was defended by soldiers of Britain, ANZAC, Canada, South Africa, Free France, Free Poland, Free Portugal, and Republican veterans of the Spanish Civil War. The siege of Gibraltar began on July 2, 1941 and lasted until September 18, 1941; the city never fell, for the first time since the war began Hitler’s war machine had failed. The great victory of Gibraltar bolstered morale in the United Kingdom with Winston Churchill giving the highest praises to the guardians of the city. The battle also caught the hearts and minds of millions of Americans across the pond as well with the movie Gibraltar being released in late 1942 starring Ronald Reagan as a leader of a small group of American’s who helped defend the city calling themselves the Roosevelt Brigade.
Hitler changed his focus from capturing the British stronghold in Gibraltar to containing the British to the Straights, but denying them access to the Mediterranean. Much to his frustration and disappointment he would have to delay his offensive into Russia another year to avoid being caught in the Russian winter. Forced Jewish and British POW labor extended the Atlantic Wall across the coast of the Bay of Biscay. In September 1941 the British began their invasion of the Balearic Islands, taking complete control of them by mid-November. As winter set in, little action in the war in Europe occurred.
On the Chinese Front the war had stalemated by 1941, with Japan controlling much of northern and central China, the Kuomintang retreated to the interior and set up a provisional capital at Chungking while the Chinese Communists retained control of Shaanxi. Japanese aggression against the retreating Chinese Army was constantly stalled by the terrain in southwestern China. Finally in an attempt to discourage the Japanese from making any further incursions into China, the United States, United Kingdom and the exiled Dutch government (which retained the Dutch East Indies) stopped selling oil and steel to Japan. The Japanese government took this as an act of aggression, without these resources, Japan’s war efforts would have to cease.
On December 7, 1941 Japan launched a surprise attack on the US Naval Base at Pearl Harbor, the following day Japan invaded Hong Kong, Macau, Shanghai, and the Philippines. The United States; and United Kingdom declared war on the Empire of Japan. President Franklin Roosevelt wished to enter the fray in Europe by declaring war on Nazi Germany, he knew he could not get the measure passed through Congress where an overwhelming majority voted to declare war on Japan, and increase its productivity and sells to the United Kingdom and allies. For his part, Adolf Hitler wished for war against the United States but knew such a war could prove disastrous for his planned invasion of the USSR, he would have to wait. The United States had committed itself fully to winning the war in the Pacific and even allowed itself to be allied with the British in the war against Japan.
The Japanese continued the offensive into the spring of 1942, using Vichy Indochina as a base against Malaysia. Singapore fell to Japan in February 1942, and much of the Dutch East Indies was occupied by the beginning of March. In the Philippines US and Filipino forces put up a fierce resistance until the beginning of May when over 80,000 surrendered and were forced on the Baton Death March. General Douglas MacArthur had been relocated from the Philippines to Australia quipping “I shall return.”
As Japan expanded its Empire across the Pacific, the Wermacht began its invasion of the Soviet Union; Stalin had been convinced the German troops amassing at his border were intended to be used in an invasion of the United Kingdom, German spies infiltrating the Soviet Intelligence convincing the already paranoid Stalin many of his top generals were plotting a coup d'état. During the winter of 1941-42 the Red Army suffered through yet another purge of its brightest and best high ranking officers. Unprepared and poorly led the Red Army was overwhelmed by the Germans in the late spring offensive, culminating in the great battle of Moscow. Believing the only person who could save the capital (not to mention himself) Joseph Stalin assumed direct control of the city’s defenses. Important positions were poorly defended, allowing the Germans to take the city. When it became clear the battle was lost, Stalin attempted to flee from the advancing German lines. His speeding vehicle flipped attempting to take a sharp turn, killing the Soviet dictator. A month to the day after Moscow fell, Leningrad shared its fate. The Red Army had begun to melt like snow before the sun. Fearing Hitler would gain access to the oil fields of the Caucasus the RAF destroyed them rather than having them used against their armies. Pockets of Russian resistance sprang up across the country against the brutal treatment received by the German occupiers. The final nail in the grave of the old Soviet Union culminated in Stalingrad when the last vestiges of the Red Army were annihilated by the Wermacht, to add insult to injury; the Germans renamed the city Hitlersburg, after the Fuhrer.
The tide of war in the Pacific began to turn in June 1942; the United States achieved a major victory over the Empire of Japan at the Battle of Midway sinking four Japanese aircraft carriers. With major American victories at the Battle of Coral Sea and Midway, the Pacific allies began the New Guinea campaign with major operations in the Kokoda Track campaign, the Battle of Milne Bay and the Battle of Buna-Gona. The entire might of the US military and most of its industry was being thrusted upon the Japanese who could not withstand its continuous assault.
After the fall of the Soviet Union, Hitler planned to claim Iraq and Iran’s oilfields for Germany, and to seize control of the Suez Canal. With tensions between Germany and the United States rising, many in the Wermacht believed a knock out blow to the United Kingdom could end the war in Europe before the US could really get involved and possibly hamper a favorable peace for Germany. German High Command began to revisit the plans for Operation Sealion, hoping a successful landing would scare the British populace into forcing the government to sue for peace, and keep the United States out of European affairs.
PART I: A World Soaked in Blood
The point of divergence in this TTL is having the Spanish join the Axis Powers by declaring war on the United Kingdom sometime in 1940. Francisco Franco initially balked at the German offer of joining the war; Spain was still recovering from a brutal Civil War and could not afford to go to war especially against a major power like the United Kingdom. Franco’s demands for an alliance with Germany were outrageous and in the opinion of the Fuhrer absurd. It took some convincing but many top Generals in the Wermacht managed to convince Hitler to give Franco what he wanted, if Gibraltar fell, the Mediterranean Sea would be closed off to the British, giving Germany and her allies exclusive access to oil rich fields in North Africa, as well as leaving the British defenders in Egypt cut off from being resupplied, which will allow the European Axis Armies to easily take the Suez Canal, and the Middle East. After losing the Mediterranean the British would be forced to withdrawal and sue for peace. Franco was assured that even if the British took the Canary Islands, they would be returned to Spain after the war as well as gaining French Morocco and having a free hand against Portugal. Convinced that Germany will regain its former African colonies from the United Kingdom as well as gaining Persia and Iraq as new German vassals to be used as staging grounds against the next war with the Soviet Union, Hitler gave into Franco’s demands.
British intelligence however always seemed to be one step ahead of their Nazi foes, as the Germans and Spanish gathered their forces for an assault on Gibraltar, the British and her Imperial allies bolstered the cities strength and passed word onto Portuguese dictator Antonio Salazar of Spain of Germany’s plans for a future invasion. Salazar formed an alliance with the United Kingdom in which British Special Forces would secretly take up positions along the Spanish-Portuguese border. The Portuguese military was also provided older British made armaments including tanks, and fighter planes to use in the upcoming fight with the Germans and Spanish.
Obviously aware that the Portuguese are onto their secret alliance with Spain to conquer the nation, the Germans are forced to divert the troops intended for Gibraltar to Portugal, rather than laying siege to Gibraltar, a full scale invasion against Portugal takes place on the evening of March 11, 1941, a small contingency of German, Italian and Spanish troops are kept near Gibraltar to prevent the British from trying a counter attack into Andalusia. Prime Minister Salazar vows to remain in Portugal until the last invading Axis soldier in Portugal draws breath. Over the next few weeks Royal Marines seized the Canary Islands and secured the Spanish Sahara, while the RAF bombed the Axis positions near Gibraltar with devastating firepower.
At first the Portuguese and British allies win major victories defeating German Panzer forces at Braganca and Castelo Branco, unfortunately these victories are short lived, the Germans eventually overwhelmed these positions forcing the long retreat to the sea, Portuguese and British troops were withdrawn from port cities such as Porto and Aveiro, the Germans finally proclaimed final victory over Portugal and Britain at the Battle of Lisbon on June 28. The Free Portuguese and British soldiers fled to the sea in a fashion similar to Dunkirk. Battle hardened British soldiers and Free Portuguese arrived in Gibraltar to bolster the already near impenetrable defenses of the city. Portuguese Prime Minister Salazar was killed attempting to flee Lisbon when his plane was shot down while en route to the Azores Islands by the German Luftwaffe. A “Free” Portuguese government was established in the Azores, allied with the British and protected by the Royal Navy.
The Axis turned their attention to Gibraltar hoping their plans of conquering the rock, though delayed could still succeed. Fortunately most of the civilians had long been evacuated; the elderly, women and children were placed in refugee camps in British occupied Spanish Sahara. The city was defended by soldiers of Britain, ANZAC, Canada, South Africa, Free France, Free Poland, Free Portugal, and Republican veterans of the Spanish Civil War. The siege of Gibraltar began on July 2, 1941 and lasted until September 18, 1941; the city never fell, for the first time since the war began Hitler’s war machine had failed. The great victory of Gibraltar bolstered morale in the United Kingdom with Winston Churchill giving the highest praises to the guardians of the city. The battle also caught the hearts and minds of millions of Americans across the pond as well with the movie Gibraltar being released in late 1942 starring Ronald Reagan as a leader of a small group of American’s who helped defend the city calling themselves the Roosevelt Brigade.
Hitler changed his focus from capturing the British stronghold in Gibraltar to containing the British to the Straights, but denying them access to the Mediterranean. Much to his frustration and disappointment he would have to delay his offensive into Russia another year to avoid being caught in the Russian winter. Forced Jewish and British POW labor extended the Atlantic Wall across the coast of the Bay of Biscay. In September 1941 the British began their invasion of the Balearic Islands, taking complete control of them by mid-November. As winter set in, little action in the war in Europe occurred.
On the Chinese Front the war had stalemated by 1941, with Japan controlling much of northern and central China, the Kuomintang retreated to the interior and set up a provisional capital at Chungking while the Chinese Communists retained control of Shaanxi. Japanese aggression against the retreating Chinese Army was constantly stalled by the terrain in southwestern China. Finally in an attempt to discourage the Japanese from making any further incursions into China, the United States, United Kingdom and the exiled Dutch government (which retained the Dutch East Indies) stopped selling oil and steel to Japan. The Japanese government took this as an act of aggression, without these resources, Japan’s war efforts would have to cease.
On December 7, 1941 Japan launched a surprise attack on the US Naval Base at Pearl Harbor, the following day Japan invaded Hong Kong, Macau, Shanghai, and the Philippines. The United States; and United Kingdom declared war on the Empire of Japan. President Franklin Roosevelt wished to enter the fray in Europe by declaring war on Nazi Germany, he knew he could not get the measure passed through Congress where an overwhelming majority voted to declare war on Japan, and increase its productivity and sells to the United Kingdom and allies. For his part, Adolf Hitler wished for war against the United States but knew such a war could prove disastrous for his planned invasion of the USSR, he would have to wait. The United States had committed itself fully to winning the war in the Pacific and even allowed itself to be allied with the British in the war against Japan.
The Japanese continued the offensive into the spring of 1942, using Vichy Indochina as a base against Malaysia. Singapore fell to Japan in February 1942, and much of the Dutch East Indies was occupied by the beginning of March. In the Philippines US and Filipino forces put up a fierce resistance until the beginning of May when over 80,000 surrendered and were forced on the Baton Death March. General Douglas MacArthur had been relocated from the Philippines to Australia quipping “I shall return.”
As Japan expanded its Empire across the Pacific, the Wermacht began its invasion of the Soviet Union; Stalin had been convinced the German troops amassing at his border were intended to be used in an invasion of the United Kingdom, German spies infiltrating the Soviet Intelligence convincing the already paranoid Stalin many of his top generals were plotting a coup d'état. During the winter of 1941-42 the Red Army suffered through yet another purge of its brightest and best high ranking officers. Unprepared and poorly led the Red Army was overwhelmed by the Germans in the late spring offensive, culminating in the great battle of Moscow. Believing the only person who could save the capital (not to mention himself) Joseph Stalin assumed direct control of the city’s defenses. Important positions were poorly defended, allowing the Germans to take the city. When it became clear the battle was lost, Stalin attempted to flee from the advancing German lines. His speeding vehicle flipped attempting to take a sharp turn, killing the Soviet dictator. A month to the day after Moscow fell, Leningrad shared its fate. The Red Army had begun to melt like snow before the sun. Fearing Hitler would gain access to the oil fields of the Caucasus the RAF destroyed them rather than having them used against their armies. Pockets of Russian resistance sprang up across the country against the brutal treatment received by the German occupiers. The final nail in the grave of the old Soviet Union culminated in Stalingrad when the last vestiges of the Red Army were annihilated by the Wermacht, to add insult to injury; the Germans renamed the city Hitlersburg, after the Fuhrer.
The tide of war in the Pacific began to turn in June 1942; the United States achieved a major victory over the Empire of Japan at the Battle of Midway sinking four Japanese aircraft carriers. With major American victories at the Battle of Coral Sea and Midway, the Pacific allies began the New Guinea campaign with major operations in the Kokoda Track campaign, the Battle of Milne Bay and the Battle of Buna-Gona. The entire might of the US military and most of its industry was being thrusted upon the Japanese who could not withstand its continuous assault.
After the fall of the Soviet Union, Hitler planned to claim Iraq and Iran’s oilfields for Germany, and to seize control of the Suez Canal. With tensions between Germany and the United States rising, many in the Wermacht believed a knock out blow to the United Kingdom could end the war in Europe before the US could really get involved and possibly hamper a favorable peace for Germany. German High Command began to revisit the plans for Operation Sealion, hoping a successful landing would scare the British populace into forcing the government to sue for peace, and keep the United States out of European affairs.
