August 8, 2017
By Austin Pearson
It's been exactly a year since German Fuhrer Gottfried Bekker ascended to the most powerful position in the most dangerous state. In the course of that year, he has drastically reshaped internal German politics, knocking off dozens of powerful rivals within the ruling NSDAP, while consolidating more power in his hands than Reinhard Heydrich, or even Adolf Hitler.
And just a week ago, he demonstrated that his power doesn't stop at Germany's borders. The removal of French Chief of State Pierre Durand, according to the Free French government and many international analysts, was ordered by Bekker in order to send a message to Germany's satellite states in the European Axis that any deviation from Germania's line can result in overthrow at best and German troops at worst. With this blatant interference in another country's internal affairs, it seems only a matter of time before Bekker seeks to pursue an aggressive foreign policy that is reminiscent of Hitler and Heydrich.
Humble Beginnings
If one were to look at Bekker's origins, one would not believe that this man would one day become the most powerful man in Germany.
Born in Hamburg in 1957 to a working class family, Bekker was born only weeks before Fuhrer Heinrich Himmler was overthrown following his disastrous and unpopular 100 day rule by Reinhard Heydrich. Bekker was said to be an average student at school, and performed his mandatory military service in the Wehrmacht in Reichskommissariat Kaukasus, where he reportedly took part in counter-insurgency operations against Armenian and Azeri partisan groups.
Rise
Leaving the Wehrmacht in 1980, Bekker joined the Nazi Party, and used his connections to get into university at Kiel as an engineering student.
In 1983, Fuhrer Heydrich died, and his hand-picked successor, Ludwig Konig, launched a campaign to promote younger, more technocratic minds within the ruling Nazi Party. Among these young minds was Gottfried Bekker, who soon found himself rising through the party ranks, before becoming Deputy Gauleiter of his birth city of Hamburg in 1995.
Bekker was said to be a very hard worker, strictly obeying internal party rules while advising the Gauleiter on issues concerning the population, catching the attention of higher ranking officials, particularly Chancellor Adam Scholl, the first Norwegian-born NSDAP official to reach national office. With Scholl's help, Bekker was able to gain control of Hamburg in 1999.
Bekker continued his ascendance to the top, becoming Vice-Chancellor in 2003 following Konig's death and Scholl's rise to Fuhrer.
In 2015, he was promoted to Chancellor, a sign to many that the 68 year-old Scholl was grooming him to become his successor.
Supreme Power
With Scholl's death in 2016, Bekker was named the new Fuhrer of Germany. In his first speech to the Reichstag, he warned against corrupt forces within the German government who would undermine the Nazi Party and blamed them for Germany's lagging behind the United States in the arms race.
What happened soon after was a far-reaching anti-corruption campaign, far more extensive than similar campaigns launched by Konig or even Scholl. The biggest catch was the incumbent head of the powerful Staatsschutzkorps, Matthias Weiss, who was removed, arrested, and executed on charges of bribery, abuse of power, and disobedience. Others who were liquidated included DAF leader Hans Schroeder, OKW Chief of Staff Adolf Barth, and Waffen-SSK Commander Freidrich von Sternberg.
While the anti-corruption campaign was going on, Bekker also sought to consolidate power in the hands of himself. His taking of the office of Chancellor in January of 2017, alongside the execution of 100 imprisoned dissidents last month, was an obvious sign to international analysts and ordinary Germans alike that Bekker was seeking to exert a level of control over Germany not seen since the Hitler, or even Heydrich era.
What Now?
With Germany flexing its muscles once again, the only appropriate response the international community can afford to give is one of unity and strength. By keeping Germany contained to Europe, and condemning every provocation and incident initiated by Germany, the UN can demonstrate to Germania that the glory days of Hitler are gone and that their policy of violating the sovereignty of other nations will no longer be acceptable. Thankfully, this is the strategy taken, with the UN Secretary General releasing a statement condemning Germany's interference in France's internal affairs. While the statement was purely symbolic, as neither Germany nor France are UN members, it serves as a warning to Bekker that the world has moved on from the isolationism that allowed Hitler to invade Europe and commit acts of evil, and that any attempts to relive those days will be met with a strong and unified response.