So, you may be familiar with my short-lived TL ...And Our War is Never Won..., which involves a fascist takeover of the United States.

Well, I have some good news and some bad news.

The bad news is that, due to the fact that it's a near-future history TL, it's going to have to deal with how America got there, and that means broaching modern politics, which, with my record, would probably get me banned.

The good news for fascist takeover junkies is that I'm now trying to brainstorm another TL, one which doesn't deal with modern politics.

Welcome to Europa ist Braun, a timeline with a post-1900 but pre-1940s POD in which fascism takes over (almost) the entire European continent.

It's going to be kind of unrealistic, story-focused, character-focused, and slightly pulpy, but I'll still try to stay somewhat realistic and avoid anything that's completely ASB.

Now, for the research part. Here's the stuff I need to know:
  • Someone more reasonable than Hitler who could take over Nazi Germany if Hitler was assassinated and keep them from doing anything too stupid, but who was still evil AF (Speer was pretty evil, but he won't do).
  • A fashy Pole who could be in charge of a German puppet government in Poland.
  • A fashy Belorussian who could be in charge of a German puppet government in Belarus.
  • A fashy Ukrainian who could be in charge of a German puppet government in Ukraine.
  • Some notable fascist figures from the Baltic Nations who could potentially become dictators in their respective states.
  • Someone to lead fascist France who isn't fucking Philippe Petain.
  • A fashy Yugoslav who could be in charge of an Italian puppet government in Yugoslavia.
  • Notable Greek fascists who could potentially become buddies with Mussolini without becoming an outright puppet state.
  • Potential fascist dictators for Bulgaria (from either the Union of Bulgarian National Legions or the National Social Movement). A non-Fascist, but still collaborationist Bulgaria won't do.
  • Scandinavian (and Finnish) fascist dictators who aren't just Nazi puppets.
  • A fashy Dutch boy who isn't just a Nazi puppet.
  • A huge fucking asshole who could lead South Africa and make things go from bad to worse for non-whites (I know South Africa isn't in Europe).
  • Someone other than Stalin or Trotsky who could lead a battered, bloodied, but determined Soviet Union after a pretty major, but still far from total, defeat (that'll be in the lore). Must be a somewhat decent guy. The Soviets are the good guys in this one, albeit edgier than the Irish and Americans.
  • A good socialist politician to lead Ireland. Must not be a fucking tankie.
  • A more liberterian socialist to lead the United States.
I'll be doing some research on my own, of course, but help and suggestions would be very much appreciated.

More teasers will be released as I develop the story, world, and lore.
 
Konstantin von Neurath, Hitler’s Foreign Minister, favored a more prudent foreign policy, so he’s one possibility:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Konstantin_von_Neurath

As for Soviets, I’d look at Alexander Shliapnikov or Mikhail Tomsky:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alexander_Shliapnikov

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mikhail_Tomsky

Thanks for the suggestions! I'm leaning more towards Tomsky for leader of the USSR, but I'll have to do more research before I come to a definite conclusion.
 

JSchafer

Banned
  • Someone more reasonable than Hitler who could take over Nazi Germany if Hitler was assassinated and keep them from doing anything too stupid, but who was still evil AF (Speer was pretty evil, but he won't do).
  • A fashy Pole who could be in charge of a German puppet government in Poland.
  • A fashy Belorussian who could be in charge of a German puppet government in Belarus.
  • A fashy Ukrainian who could be in charge of a German puppet government in Ukraine.
  • Some notable fascist figures from the Baltic Nations who could potentially become dictators in their respective states.
  • Someone to lead fascist France who isn't fucking Philippe Petain.
  • A fashy Yugoslav who could be in charge of an Italian puppet government in Yugoslavia.
  • Notable Greek fascists who could potentially become buddies with Mussolini without becoming an outright puppet state.
  • Potential fascist dictators for Bulgaria (from either the Union of Bulgarian National Legions or the National Social Movement). A non-Fascist, but still collaborationist Bulgaria won't do.
  • Scandinavian (and Finnish) fascist dictators who aren't just Nazi puppets.
  • A fashy Dutch boy who isn't just a Nazi puppet.
  • A huge fucking asshole who could lead South Africa and make things go from bad to worse for non-whites (I know South Africa isn't in Europe).
  • Someone other than Stalin or Trotsky who could lead a battered, bloodied, but determined Soviet Union after a pretty major, but still far from total, defeat (that'll be in the lore). Must be a somewhat decent guy. The Soviets are the good guys in this one, albeit edgier than the Irish and Americans.
  • A good socialist politician to lead Ireland. Must not be a fucking tankie.
  • A more liberterian socialist to lead the United States.

Not familiar with answers to all the questions but the ones I know would be>
1. Reinhard Heydrich would fill both the extremely capable and evil niche you require. Man had huge intelligence and ability to get any job done without remorse. He is also young enough to live longer and avoid senility.
2. Break Yugoslavia up into its constituent parts, its much easier to control that way. Place Dimitrije Ljotić in charge of Serbia, Slavko Kvaternik in Croatia, Husejin Biščević in Bosnia, Anex Slovenia, Give Macedonia to Bulgaria and Vojvodina to Hungary. Dalmatia to Italy. These 3 would have hated and feared each other and thus would be loyal to Germans and it would prevent organized resistance.
 
What happens to Britain in this scenario ?

It's a monarcho-fascist state under the combined rule of our royal Nazi boy Edward VIII and the man, the myth, the legend Oswald Mosley, who declares direct rule from London.

After some radical fascist "reforms", Canada and Australia declared independence from the British Empire, South Africa goes full fascist, and India, Guyana, several Carribean Islands, and British Malaya take the opportunity to go into full rebellion. Several other colonies also try to rebel, but are... well, less successful.

Then, British Malaya ends up being conquered by Japan and becomes Japanese Malaya, so...

Not familiar with answers to all the questions but the ones I know would be>
1. Reinhard Heydrich would fill both the extremely capable and evil niche you require. Man had huge intelligence and ability to get any job done without remorse. He is also young enough to live longer and avoid senility.
2. Break Yugoslavia up into its constituent parts, its much easier to control that way. Place Dimitrije Ljotić in charge of Serbia, Slavko Kvaternik in Croatia, Husejin Biščević in Bosnia, Anex Slovenia, Give Macedonia to Bulgaria and Vojvodina to Hungary. Dalmatia to Italy. These 3 would have hated and feared each other and thus would be loyal to Germans and it would prevent organized resistance.

Sounds great, except that they're actually Italian puppets, not German puppets.
 

JSchafer

Banned
It's a monarcho-fascist state under the combined rule of our royal Nazi boy Edward VIII and the man, the myth, the legend Oswald Mosley, who declares direct rule from London.

After some radical fascist "reforms", Canada and Australia declared independence from the British Empire, South Africa goes full fascist, and India, Guyana, several Carribean Islands, and British Malaya take the opportunity to go into full rebellion. Several other colonies also try to rebel, but are... well, less successful.

Then, British Malaya ends up being conquered by Japan and becomes Japanese Malaya, so...



Sounds great, except that they're actually Italian puppets, not German puppets.

Then just replace Germany with Italy and it all still holds true. As long as you can keep them hating each other, but keep them out of ability to commit genocides they'll be productive.
 
Not familiar with answers to all the questions but the ones I know would be>
1. Reinhard Heydrich would fill both the extremely capable and evil niche you require. Man had huge intelligence and ability to get any job done without remorse. He is also young enough to live longer and avoid senility.
2. Break Yugoslavia up into its constituent parts, its much easier to control that way. Place Dimitrije Ljotić in charge of Serbia, Slavko Kvaternik in Croatia, Husejin Biščević in Bosnia, Anex Slovenia, Give Macedonia to Bulgaria and Vojvodina to Hungary. Dalmatia to Italy. These 3 would have hated and feared each other and thus would be loyal to Germans and it would prevent organized resistance.

I must say I disagree with Ljotić, as he was a very unpopular guy that an incredibly large amount of the populace would vehemently dislike. I'd pick Milan Stojadinović if it were up to me, as he already had aspirations to mould Yugoslavia in Italy's image IOTL but due to his short tenure as Prime Minister he was fairly unsuccessful in his endeavors. He also had a rather successful career beforehand as a decent economic advisor (also becoming one of the youngest Yugo ministers at the time of his ascendance to the position, being 34 at the time).
 

JSchafer

Banned
I must say I disagree with Ljotić, as he was a very unpopular guy that an incredibly large amount of the populace would vehemently dislike. I'd pick Milan Stojadinović if it were up to me, as he already had aspirations to mould Yugoslavia in Italy's image IOTL but due to his short tenure as Prime Minister he was fairly unsuccessful in his endeavors. He also had a rather successful career beforehand as a decent economic advisor (also becoming one of the youngest Yugo ministers at the time of his ascendance to the position, being 34 at the time).

I’d think you need relatively unpopular guys who depend on you to keep their position as puppets lest they start developing ambitions of their own
 
Now, for the research part. Here's the stuff I need to know:

You forgot a strange little Kingdom between Mosley county and Hitlersreich: BELGIUM
in 1930s it was mess, next economic crisis, were struggle between French Walloons and Dutch Flemish
the Rise of Socialism to a political mafia.
the Catholic Church who wanted expand there influence on Belgium
and King Leopold III show sympathy for fascism
In this Mess rise a Political extremist party to Power the "REX-movement"

REX ideology is the "moral renewal" of Belgian society through dominance of the Catholic Church, by forming a corporatist society and abolishing liberal democracy.
REX had proposed to Transform Belgium in Fascist State im Style of Franco Spain or Italy under Mussolini
The King on top follow strong Leader and with blessing of Catholic Church
Lucky the leader of the Belgian Church Cardinal van Roey vigorously opposed REX

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rexist_Party
 
I’d think you need relatively unpopular guys who depend on you to keep their position as puppets lest they start developing ambitions of their own

I wouldn't necessarily see it that way, honestly. It depends on a multitude of factors we do not know beforehand, such as how much and what exact territory Italy took from Yugoslavia (which is likely, given OP's constraints) because as long as the fascists left some of the coast to Yugoslavia, the only ones getting seriously screwed over in such a scenario are the Slovenes and the Croats, as most of the Serbs (who are the majority ethnic group in the Kingdom population-wise) live inland.

As long as you make the Serbs happy and compliant the Croats and Slovenes would be stuck in between a rock and a hard place, as neither Italy nor the Belgrade government would be sympathetic towards them.

Ljotić's problem was that he was seriously unpopular even with his own people, so Italy would have to always be on its guard for a potential civil war or uprising within its orbit of influence, while Stojadinović seems like a much more palatable choice.
 
You forgot a strange little Kingdom between Mosley county and Hitlersreich: BELGIUM
in 1930s it was mess, next economic crisis, were struggle between French Walloons and Dutch Flemish
the Rise of Socialism to a political mafia.
the Catholic Church who wanted expand there influence on Belgium
and King Leopold III show sympathy for fascism
In this Mess rise a Political extremist party to Power the "REX-movement"

REX ideology is the "moral renewal" of Belgian society through dominance of the Catholic Church, by forming a corporatist society and abolishing liberal democracy.
REX had proposed to Transform Belgium in Fascist State im Style of Franco Spain or Italy under Mussolini
The King on top follow strong Leader and with blessing of Catholic Church
Lucky the leader of the Belgian Church Cardinal van Roey vigorously opposed REX

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rexist_Party

I didn't forget it. I intentionally left it out for reasons I contemplated telling you, but decided not to, since I want to encourage speculation or something.
 
  • Francois De La Roque is the perfect choice for your fascist France. While a reactionary conservative, he was against antisemitism and wasn't as pro-German as the rest of the Colaborationists
  • I recommend Per Engdahl as the leader of fascist Sweden. He was a big player on neo-fascist movements of the Cold War
  • If you want someone decent for the URSS, the choice is either Zhukov or Molotov
  • Pretty hard to get an actual socialist on the USA, but if you want someone from the Progressive sphere I recommend Fiorello La Guardia or Burton Wheeler (no ah.com pun intended)
  • For Ukraine, Stephan Bandera, leader of the Ukranian Nationalists
  • For Bulgaria, Hristo Lukov, Leader of Union of Bulgarian National Legions
I hope this helps
 
Someone other than Stalin or Trotsky who could lead a battered, bloodied, but determined Soviet Union after a pretty major, but still far from total, defeat (that'll be in the lore). Must be a somewhat decent guy. The Soviets are the good guys in this one, albeit edgier than the Irish and Americans.

Had similar issue in My "Kaserreich a TL"
In end it became TL version of Stalin the fictional General Boris Invanoivch Zhestkov
Together with Yakov Mikhallovich Sverdlov and Leo Trotsky are the leaders of USSR in that TL

Sverdlov would be good choice for your TL
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yakov_Sverdlov
 
If you're doing fascist Poland it would be awesome for more Szukalski influences! He moved away from it when the war started but his original contributions to the Polish ultranationalist movement were very interesting.
 
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