Death in Tehran - A Successful Operation Long Jump TL

Interlude 5 - Nazi Archives on the Assassination in Tehran Found (5 August 1945)
Interlude 5
NAZI ARCHIVES ON THE ASSASSINATION IN TEHRAN FOUND

New York Times, 5 August 1945

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Otto Skorzeny, mastermind of the operation.

The recent arrival of the forces of the United Nations in Berlin and the surrounding area has allowed the discovery and declassification of many Nazi archives. One of the Abwehr archives that was discovered in suburban Berlin was related to the German spy network in Tehran, including a report regarding the assassination of the three great leaders back in November 1943.

Aside from intel relating the execution of the operation like the network of Nazi spies and Iranian collaborators that allowed the arrival of the mysterious group in Tehran, there was also information on the identities of the assassins. Despite the use of codenames, the fact that the United Nations gained access to most Abwehr intel has allowed the world to learn the true identities of the group.

The mastermind behind the entire operation, which was named as “Weitsprung” (meaning long jump), was none other than Otto Skorzeny. Skorzeny was an Austrian-born SS member who helped the Nazis develop unconventional commando warfare, and commanded the 502nd SS Jäger Battalion. He participated in several missions before organizing Weitsprung. During Weitsprung, he was dropped by parachute in Iran together with 4 other SS troops and organized the mission. He managed to escape using a plane in Iran and later received an award for his outstanding performance in the mission. He was a member of the plot to overthrow Hitler and was later caught by the Red Army days before the surrender of Germany.

As for the four assassins, their identities were also discovered. The first to shoot, who was immediately killed by the NKVD, was one Vladislav Zaytsev, a Russian volunteer for the SS Sturmbrigade RONA also known as the Kaminski Brigade. He fought in the Eastern Front, before being chosen by Skorzeny as an ideal candidate for Weitsprung due to his familiarity with Russian culture and language, as well as his performance on the front. The same was the case for Aleksandr Vlasov, relative of the known Russian collaborator Andrey Vlasov who was personally recommended by the commander of the RONA. He was also killed during the operation.

The third assassin, who was able to get away together with Skorzeny, was Nikolas König. König was a native German, but was chosen for the mission due to the fact he had spent time in Russia, meaning it was easy for him to infiltrate the NKVD as well. He returned to Germany following the mission, but surrendered to the United Nations armies following the German surrender a few days ago.

Finally, a much more mysterious case is Hryhoriy Vyshinsky. Vyshinsky was born in Ukraine but aligned himself with the Nazis as soon as they invaded. He was one of the first members of the 14th Waffen Grenadier Division of the SS, known as the Volunteer Division “Galizien”. Following the mission, he was able to escape, but from that point no one heard of him again. With the only evidence of his identity being vague accounts from NKVD troops, it was practically impossible to track him down. During the Romanian Civil War, the Red Army caught a man from the Galizien Division who claimed to be the assassin as a prisoner of war, but he later escaped. Now, with the end of the war in Europe and the Abwehr archives in Allied hands, Vyshinsky was found in Dresden. He was executed yesterday after a brief trial. After almost two years, justice has been served to the men who caused the deaths of the Big Three.
 
Chapter 16 - Downfall of the Rising Sun (1942 - April 1945)
Chapter 16 - Downfall of the Rising Sun

The war of Japan against the Allies began on December 7, 1941. The Rising Sun had been fighting a war in China for over four years by then, and was desperate for resources, especially with the American embargo. And so, on the day which would live in infamy, Pearl Harbor was attacked while invasions of many European colonies in Southeast Asia and American islands in the Pacific began. In the following months, Japan invaded and occupied many territories: Malaya, the Dutch East Indies, the Philippines, Papua New Guinea and Burma all fell for the most part. The tide began to turn against them, however, with the Battles of the Coral Sea and Midway.

The Japanese suffered clear defeats in these two battles, which were critical to stalling the advance of the Rising Sun. Additionally, the Allies were re-grouping and began fighting bloody campaigns in Papua New Guinea and Guadalcanal.

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American Marines crossing the Matanikau River on the island of Guadalcanal.

Later, as 1943 was ending, the Allies were considering an operation to free Burma of Japanese occupation. Specifically, there were plans for Operation Anakim, an amphibious assault in the Irrawaddy Delta west of Rangoon. Once Eden took the position of Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, he gave the green light for the operation which was in the planning stage at that point. This was considered one of Eden’s mistakes early in his term as he lacked experience in directing war strategy.

Nevertheless, Operation Anakim was to be carried out. Despite problems with the lack of landing equipment due to Overlord and other operations in the Pacific theater, proper numbers and equipment were gathered as the logistical situation in Burma improved. The British were under pressure in regards to time, as in May the monsoon season would begin, and so launched the operation in March, early enough to also transport the amphibious equipment back to Europe for Overlord.

The initial landings were extremely bloody, and the climate and terrain didn’t help. It took weeks for the fierce Japanese resistance in the landing area to be cleared out and for a proper beachhead to be established. Even then, the Allies were not in a position for large-scale offensives. The beachhead in Burma stood firm, but monsoon arrived, making offensives much more difficult. The stories of the soldiers of the Anakim beachhead are stories of pain and hardships, and often, death.

The Western Allies were disappointed by the results of Operation Anakim. The landings only forced them to send more soldiers there, in order to keep the beachhead stable. The only success that Britain would see in Burma happened in July, when Rangoon was recaptured after a bloody one-month long battle in the jungle and the city.

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British forces approaching the city of Rangoon.

Once the monsoon was over in October, the British immediately took action. With the help of Chinese troops in Yunnan, they launched an offensive pushing back the Japanese and Thai forces in Burma town by town. It took a long time, but by spring next year, all of Burma bar the Tanintharyi region in the south and parts of the Shan states fiercely held by the Thai Army was in British hands again. The liberation of Burma, or at least most of it, had taken one year.

Burma would remain in British military history as one of the most bloody campaigns of the Second World War, with approximately 200,000 casualties. Nevertheless, the colony had been liberated and further offensives were being discussed. Specifically, there were plans for Operation Seagull, a three-part plan to liberate Malaya and perhaps even more.

Meanwhile, while the British were having trouble in Southeast Asia, the Americans were making progress in their island-hopping campaign: there were landings on the Philippines, New Guinea was cleared of Japanese troops, and, perhaps most importantly, the island of Iwo Jima fell after weeks of bloody fighting. The battle was devastating for both sides, as the Japanese made use of suicide attacks and many captured IJA soldiers opted to commit suicide instead of surrender. However, the lessons learned in the Battle of Iwo Jima would be quite useful for the next, and perhaps last, battle of the Pacific Theater: the Battle of Okinawa.
 
Burma has been retaken early. I expect that the Thais are sweating rather badly right now.
The end of the Pacific War will be covered in the next chapter. However, keep in mind that the liberation of Burma was extremely costly, and Britain may not be able to launch more offensives in Southeast Asia.
 
I wonder if Thailand is going to get a rawer deal than in OTL—both British and Chinese blood have been split by them, and the Free Thai uprising probably isn't just going to sit around.
 
I wonder if Thailand is going to get a rawer deal than in OTL—both British and Chinese blood have been split by them, and the Free Thai uprising probably isn't just going to sit around.
Things in South-East Asia will be more bloody, and from April '45 until Japan surrenders Britain will have time to fight some more, so Thailand falling is likely.
 
Chapter 17 - The End of the Second World War (April - September 1945)
Well, after a one-month hiatus, here is the next chapter:

Chapter 17 - The End of the Second World War

The Battle of Okinawa began on April 8, with landings of American troops on the island part of the Ryukyu archipelago. The Japanese had already began an operation for large-scale kamikaze attacks, with more than 250 Japanese planes conducting suicide attacks of US naval forces in the area to prevent the landings. A big reason that these strikes did the damage they did was because the number of assets on the island of Formosa was severely underestimated by the Americans. In the sea, a naval attack by submarines on the navy also failed, although some damage was caused.

Okinawa was a key island for the Allies, as it would allow American bombers to be stationed near the Home Islands and intensify their bombing campaigns. Additionally, it would be the last island and the staging ground for the possible invasion of Japan, codenamed Operation Sunset. Therefore, it was critical for the US to take it whatever the cost may be.

The first landings were not on Okinawa itself, but the nearby Kerama islands, which would be important as a port for the fleet. The small islands were quickly captured, and preparations for the big landing in mid-April continued. Throughout April, there was combat in Northern Okinawa as US forces faced the well-prepared and entrenched Japanese troops, which often engaged in suicide attacks. However, slowly but surely, the northern part of the island was cleared of organized resistance, and American troops moved to the south. With May came the monsoon period, and warfare bogged down. Soldiers fought in jungles, covered in mud and blood, attacking or defending fiercely. The casualties kept increasing and increasing, and the battle became one of the most bloody in history. In late June, after one and a half month of trials and tribulations, the last organized Japanese resistance ended on the island, which came under US occupation. Still, Japanese holdouts who refused to surrender would continue fighting for weeks, months, or even years.

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US Marines landing in Okinawa.

Japan was losing on more than one front. Overseas, combat in Southeast Asia and China continued. The Chinese nationalists mounted an offensive in the south, aimed at retaking the Guangxi region. Lasting from April to August, the Chinese managed to defeat all IJA forces in the area that had been conquered last year, and began preparing for further offensives as the Rising Sun crumbled. Meanwhile, the British were also making progress in Indochina.

Burma had fallen after an extremely bloody campaign, which had rendered future offensives more difficult. In April 1945, however, tensions in Thailand reached a boiling point. Thailand had been under a military dictatorship led by Luang Phibunsongkhram (commonly known as Phibun), and had become allies with Japan. This also allowed them to regain territories lost by colonial powers, in Shan, Malaya, Cambodia and Laos. However, by 1945, Thailand was in a bleak situation. The Japanese were increasing their authority in the country, the Allies were conducting bombing raids and Phibun’s popularity was plummeting. In August 1944, a coup against him had established a civilian government never seen in the last 12 years. The main leaders of this movement actually had links with the Seri Thai, the Free Thai Movement. The Free Thai were a group that coordinated with the US and UK in organizing resistance. Now, the government was becoming increasingly anti-Japanese, while Allied agents were actually allowed into the country.

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Thai dictator Phibun in his last address to the people of Bangkok, August 2 1944.

In June 1945, the UK was considering its options for Southeast Asia. It was clear that the Thai government could switch sides, but it would be difficult with Japanese presence. To encourage the Thai government to join the Allied cause, Operation Maniac was launched. The plan involved a British landing in Malaya, specifically in Port Swettenham. The city would be an important point to capture, as it was the colony’s main port. In the end, on July 2, landings were made north of the port which was soon captured. Japanese defenses in the area were weak, and a general offensive followed. There were two options: either move south to liberate Singapore, or move north to capture the rest of Malaya and reach Thailand. In the end, the second option was seen as more crucial at that moment and so British units moved north.

Most of Northern Malaya was swiftly captured, and Thai territories were soon reached. At that point, Bangkok issued a declaration, declaring its treaties with Japan null and void, while also declaring war on their former allies. Japanese troops in the country were swiftly disarmed, while the Allies continued advancing in Burma and the Kra Isthmus. The IJA tried to reorganize in Indochina, as the situation was desperate. Similar to what had happened in Italy, Allied troops moved through Thailand to fight the enemy, while the civilian government continued functioning in its territory. Now, the Rising Sun had been cornered in Indochina.

The USA was now planning to deliver the final blow for the Japanese to surrender. Initially, Operation Sunset was the plan, but the development of the atomic bomb changed the situation. Already dropped on Berlin on July 28, a new bomb was being prepared to be dropped in mid- to late August. The bomb would not be a uranium gun-type, as was the one dropped on Germany’s capital, but a plutonium bomb. Its parts were transferred to Guam in early August, where it was assembled. On August 19, less than two weeks after the German surrender, a B-29 carried the bomb, and dropped it on the city of Kokura.

In the days after the bombing and before the Japanese surrender, all forces involved in the Pacific Theater took initiative. The British were able to push into Indochina, even capturing Saigon. Commonwealth forces finished the invasion of Borneo and took other islands, while the US did the same in the Philippines. China launched another massive offensive, taking Shanghai, Nanking and finishing off much of the IJA in China. One country that sat idly by was the USSR. With the German surrender only being two weeks ago, the Soviets were in no position to make any attacks against the Japanese. Their promise for entering the war three months after VE-Day was never fulfilled.

In August 26, the Showa Emperor of Japan informed his cabinet that he would surrender unconditionally to the Japanese. After a failed coup attempt by militarists, Hirohito announced the unconditional surrender of Japan in a radio address. The day would become known as VJ-Day. The formal surrender was signed on September 18, as the first American troops landed in the Home Islands. In the next two months, Japanese troops in East Asia and the Pacific would be cleared, aside from some holdouts. After more than 5 years of death and suffering, the Second World War had ended, and the planet was in peace again.

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American troops in Paris celebrating the end of the war.

~~~

And so ends WWII, after 17 chapters! Now, it is time to move on to the post-war world, which will undoubtedly have massive divergences. If you want any specific area covered, please let me know!
 
A very good end to WW2. Less Soviet interference in world affairs, which is good. Could you cover what will be happening in South America in the next years, please? I'm sure that Wallace have some plans for it.
 
A very good end to WW2. Less Soviet interference in world affairs, which is good. Could you cover what will be happening in South America in the next years, please? I'm sure that Wallace have some plans for it.
Yes, the USSR's lack of intervention in the Pacific Theater will change a lot of things in East Asia. I will explore South America in the future, since Wallace had some ties there and there would probably be more friendly relations.
 
Chapter 18.1 - A New Order (part A)
Hey everyone! I am sorry for the hiatus, but I am back. With the end of the war we will be taking a look at the new order in Europe. As you will see, things are quite similar in the west, but as we move eastwards more ... interesting things will happen.

Chapter 18.1 - A New Order (part A)


The Second World War had ended, and the Allied powers had to decide on the future of Europe. The negotiations that took place during 1944 and 1945 resulted in a common decision on the fate of Europe.

Western Europe

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It was easily agreed to that the countries liberated in the West by Allied troops would have their previous governments reinstated. In their first years of freedom, the countries took different directions, both in domestic and foreign affairs.

In France, Charles De Gaulle led a provisional government. In 1944, days before D-Day, the CFLN which was effectively the core of Free French government announced the creation of the Provisional Government of the French Republic, the GPRF. This was done to ensure the French retained their sovereignty even during the Allied invasion. Once the country was liberated, a “national unity government” uniting all French parties and movements was formed. Elections for a National Assembly, which would draft a constitution, were held in December 1945. The leading parties in the elections were the PCF (Communist Party of France), the SFIO (French Section of the Workers’ International), and the recently founded MDP (Popular Democratic Movement). As much of the pre-war right was discredited due to collaborationism with Petain, they were quite weak. The leader of the country itself was none other than Independent Charles De Gaulle.

Luxembourg saw the withdrawal of the American garrison regiment and the reinstatement of the constitutional monarchy the same day the German armistice accords were signed. The parties contesting for leadership were all new, as the pre-war ones were no more, and in the end, the Christian-democratic CSV (Christian Social People’s Party) won a comfortable victory. However, after the intervention of Grand Duchess Charlotte, a “National Unity Government” covering the entirety of the political spectrum, similar to France, was created.

The political stage of post-war Belgium was dominated by the Royal Question, the issue of whether King Leopold III should return to the country after having surrendered to the Germans. For the first years of the post-war period, the question remained unanswered. Meanwhile, in the 1946 elections, the Catholic Party was narrowly defeated by the increasingly popular PSB/BSP (Belgian Socialist Party), with the communists and liberals also rising. This allowed a coalition government between the Socialists and Communists, led by Paul-Henri Spaak.

Just as in its neighboring countries, the Dutch elections organized led to a grand coalition. The KVP (Catholic People’s Party) won, but formed a coalition with the PvdA (Labour Party) to govern the country.

Denmark was peacefully liberated, for the most part. The Danish government had surprisingly been allowed to continue functioning under occupation from 1940 to 1945. Following liberation, a unity government, the Buhl cabinet, comprised of both politicians and resistance leaders was formed in August 1945, until the elections in February 1946. As expected, Hedtoft’s Social Democrats won comfortably.

Norway also saw a victory for its Labor Party in the 1946 elections. Throughout 1945 and 1946, there was a large-scale backlash against the collaborationists, as thousands were arrested and a few were even executed. This included the most prominent collaborator, Vidkun Quisling.

In general, these countries in Western Europe saw reconstruction, the reinstatement of former governments, and a rise in the left-wing, especially as the Soviets were seen with a more sympathetic point of view.

Italy

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In Italy, the Kingdom that had defected to the Allied side had taken up governance of the nation while American and British troops were also present in its territories. Partisan groups from the left had also evolved into proper political factions. In 1946, a double vote was held: one for whether the monarchy should remain or not, and one to elect members of the Constituent Assembly that would be responsible for writing a constitution. In the end, the monarchy was abolished, while Alcide de Gasperi came to lead a surprisingly stable coalition of Christian Democracy, the Italian Socialist Party and the Italian Communist Party, and received support from the European states and the USA.

Yugoslavia

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The end of the war found Yugoslavia in a very odd situation. The country seemed like an extreme version of Greece, as Chetniks, the PFO and Partisans all competed for dominance, while British and Soviet troops also interfered. Each side had different goals in mind, making joint agreements practically impossible. The Soviets were also quite reluctant to begin negotiations on the future of the Yugoslav state. As a way to force them to do so, the British with American support launched Operation Crow. Crow involved a direct military intervention on the side of the PFO against the Partisans, in order to weaken them and bring them and their eastern benefactors to the negotiating table.

The operation begun in December 1945, as British aircraft left their bases in Italy and occupied Dalmatia, and began intense bombing raids against the Partisans in Bosnia and Serbia. The Partisans, led by Tito himself, continued normally, hoping to get the Yugoslav people on their side against the PFO and the British. This included creating “branches” of the National Liberation Army composed of different ethnicities, in order to attract supporters from Croatia, Slovenia, etc. However, in January, the PFO went on the offensive before the Partisans were fully prepared, and with intense British aerial support scored many small-scale victories. It should also be noted that many former Chetniks were re-armed to help in the struggle against the Partisans. In the end, after two months of conflict, the different factions began negotiations.

The negotiations were difficult and required complex diplomatic maneuvering, with Eden and Molotov also often taking part. The US government didn’t involve itself too much in the negotiations, usually only supporting a peaceful agreement and a common solution between the two factions. The final verdict was decided on April 1946; the PFO, Partisans and the Big Three signed the Belgrade Agreement. Under the agreement, all military action in the country would cease, with all factions coming together to form a government and a constituent assembly elected by the people. Additionally, the monarchy would be abolished (this was a major concession to the Partisans for them to agree) and all political groups would be allowed to participate in the country’s politics. Whether the country would fall under American/British or Soviet influence was yet to be seen.
 
I was under the impression that the Japanese only surrendered because of USSR war and nothing to do with the nukes.

Otl they wanted the USSR to mediate peace, why didn't they go for that here?

Also what's going on in China? No Stalin has massive implications in Xinjiang and Mongolia.

Also since the triumvirate seem to be much weaker and push overs compared to Stalin I expect the downfall of the USSR to be closer to the horizon. Especially if France isn't sidelined. The USSR will likely fall to third power far sooner than otl and the USSR will struggle to export communism far more. Churchill was the biggest advocate of war with the USSR immediately but here its going to seem a much better option as they seem weaker.

If the Republic wins the Chinese civil war then they might even attack the USSR to get Mongolia.
 
I was under the impression that the Japanese only surrendered because of USSR war and nothing to do with the nukes.

Otl they wanted the USSR to mediate peace, why didn't they go for that here?
I think that's a debated issue among historians, so I wasn't sure, but remember that here they were much worse off and even more war-weary when they got instant sunshine.

Also what's going on in China? No Stalin has massive implications in Xinjiang and Mongolia.
That's true, and it probably will be one of the first areas explored once post-war Europe is covered.

Also since the triumvirate seem to be much weaker and push overs compared to Stalin I expect the downfall of the USSR to be closer to the horizon. Especially if France isn't sidelined. The USSR will likely fall to third power far sooner than otl and the USSR will struggle to export communism far more. Churchill was the biggest advocate of war with the USSR immediately but here its going to seem a much better option as they seem weaker.
The troika is suffering from infighting and disagreements, which has reduced the USSR's capabilities as has been shown. However, who says it will last that long? Troikas weren't particularly known for their longevity ;). What's interesting, though, is that all three leaders OTL lived to the 70s and 80s, with Malenkov and Molotov even getting to see the first years of Gorbachev's reign.

If the Republic wins the Chinese civil war then they might even attack the USSR to get Mongolia.
Yup, without the Soviet intervention in Manchuria, or at least an early intervention in Manchuria, the communists might lose a base of power that was quite useful in the civil war, so the RoC might have a shot to win.
 
The implications start even earlier, since it was Stalin who told Mao to join the United front and he barely supported the communists until after ww2 because he thought they'd lose. A different leader who supports Mao more could be good or bad for the Chinese communists
 
Would people rather if I first covered post-war European countries before doing any chapters, or should I mix nation profiles and normal chapters?
 
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