Chapter 1 (Part 2) - Cold Comfort and Joy
Erich Von Manstein did not need a visit from Santa Claus this year.
The little corporal and his fat sidekick were both dead, and his incompetent regime were scattered to the winds, even some of it's most loyal subjects were now chanting the slogans of the new German Empire. Stalins regime had survivied unfortunately but he had been keptt out of eastern Europe and maybe one day a German controlled anti-communist union could begin another march to eliminate Bolshevism altogether, if practical. But right now both Stalin and Manstein realised that there was no logic in continuing the Great Patriotic War, no matter how much they despised each other. It now seemed to be a waiting game, how quickly couldhe establish a lasting peace with the west before Stalin became powerful enough to renew his ambitions in Europe.
The war with the west was going along well, Wacht Am Rhien had achieved inital success, smashing the inferior allied tanks with his experienced panzer divisions with an eastern front gusto that the western allies would come to dread. The massed AA guns on the Meuse and Gallnds new jets also promised to negate their advantage in the air whilst Brinkmann's new submarine types looked like they might actually be able to cut the Americans off from Europe. Britain looked to be on her knees, despite Churchills rhetoric and he was sure that they would accept the fair peace that he would offer them, the British bases in the Baltic had seemed to interest the ear of Lord Halifax through his abwher whisperers.
The only fly in the ointment was the tragic death of Skorzeny, a war hero and a living legend. Of course he didn't believe the allied propaganda that it had been at the hands of Clark but evenif it was true it only confirmed his beliefs that the allies had a private as supreme commander not a gentleman officer.
The new German Empire seemed to be in safe hands indeed.
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Moscow, December 1944
The men huddled in Stalins office in the darkness of the night looked like a gang of conspirators planning to ovethrow a government. It was something Bolsheviks had never really lost habit off. Now the assembled generals and politicians were the most powerful men in the Soviet Union although none were more senior or more formidable than Joseph Stalin, a man now preapring to take full advantage of his betrayal of the west
STALIN: "Comrade Marshal, do you have the reports from the latest round of inspections?"
KONIEV: "Yes Comrade, there will be a full briefing tomorrow, however it will relay the basics just now. The Germans are apparently sticking to the Stockholm agreement and they seem satisfied that we are too. They are exploiting every loophole possible, for instance leaving exceedingly large quantities of fuel and ammunition than they would need for 30 divisions and training civillians in the area in basic combat but that is to be expected. All in all they seem generally interested only in defence. Of course I would advise caution, that's what we're saying as well after all."
*chuckles around the room*
STALIN: "Did you meet with Clark as arranged?"
KONIEV: "Yes Comrade, he seemed...
pissed off to say the least. “
ZHUKOV: “And for good reason, the allies are likely going to face encirclement at the hands of Manstein, they can't cope with a real German offensive"
STALIN: "I wouldn't call it a real German offensive, but still it will be interesting to see how the allies find a real war. Maybe they will then understand what we had to go through. How did you find Krebs?"
KONIEV: "His usual self, all things considered he seemed quite affable if distracted"
STALIN: "By the situation in the West?"
KONIEV: "Possible Comrade, although I doubt it, he seems antagonistic to many of his won staff, more so than he was to us in fact. I don't think Mansteins new Germany is as united as the Germans claim to be."
STALIN: "Comrade Beria, you have had similar findings have you not?"
BERIA "Yes Comrade Stalin, it seems that although the plotters were united in their hatred of Hitler, they have split over the fact that the common enemy is no longer there and the pragmatic means in which Manstein has pursued his domestic and foreign policy has left them split. The main leaders of the so-called Kreislau Circle had wished to purge the Nazi regime entirely, whilst Manstein has kept large parts of it intact for the sake of stability. Many also wished to make peace with the allies or at least continue to fight the Soviet Union. Manstein has burst their bubble."
STALIN: "Because he knew that he could win a war with the west but not against us?"
BERIA: "Precisely Comrade"
STALIN: "So the main leaders of Mansteins junta are opposed to the general direction which Germany is taking but they do not openly revolt because they rely on the army for continued stability?"
BERIA: "Exactly, the army is largely loyal to Von Manstein as well and thye fear that his junta would become even more fascistic if they were to be removed. Thus they have stuck so far to verbal protests due to their lack of power and the fear of the consequences. Ironically their best form of resistance would be in alliance with the SS faction of the new order but that is unthinkable to people like Gordeler. Thus Manstein’s rule is eerily similar to Hitler’s, he is sustained by dividing all his potential challengers on both sides of his apolitical junta."
STALIN: "Very ironic, would assassination bring the junta down? A destabilised junta would make it easier for the inevitable workers and peasants revolution to come about."
BERIA: "It's definitely possible, I would advise against it though, we cannot allow the risk of being caught in the act."
STALIN:" I concur, we shall wait and see how things develop, until then we shall exploit the allies misfortune as much as possible!"
ZHUKOV: "Things are coming along excellently on that front Comrade Stalin, whilst the our former allies suffer in France our preparations for both Troika and Dawn proceed even better than expected. We shall have 60 divisions in Finland and 80 in Siberia by the Spring. We outmatch and outnumber both the Finns and the Japanese in every aspect. Victory is assured."
STALIN: "How have the Finns and Japanese responded to our requests Comrade Molotov?"
MOLOTOV: "Considering the hopelessness of their situation, quite antagonistic Comrade. They still seem to think that either the Germans or the Americans will come to the rescue"
STALIN: "And what do you think of that?"
MOLOTOV: "Very little Comrade, Roosevelt or Von Manstein may wish too but political and military realities make it impossible."
STALIN: "Excellent Comrades, the liberation of Scandinavia and China will provide excellent staging posts for the future revolutions in Europe and Asia especially when we return to settle old scores with our friend Von Manstein."