Greece Holds: A Tale of a 3-Way Cold War
- Thread starter The Red
- Start date
Now I see the connection from the threat title to the POD. Looking forward to this TL!
November 1942 - June 1943
With large numbers of new troops and equipment under his disposal, Rommel finally crosses the Suez canal on November the 10th, where he quickly pushes British forces out of Palestine, and moves with great speed into Iraq and Syria, with Allied forces in the area completely outnumbered and outclassed and with Arab revolts to contend with, the Germans secure much of the area and it's resultant oil wealth. By March, German troops are spilling into Saudi Arabia.
For Churchill, although American entry into the war has given morale a much needed boost, the situation is still dire. Increased German U-Boat production has made the blockade on Britain on Britain even tighter, and the Luftwaffe continues to bombard British cities, even heavier than in the worst days of the Blitz. The arrival of masses of USAAF planes halts this to some extent however casualties are still are incredibly high amongst civillians. With the Germans coursing through the middle east like an unstoppable Juggernaut, questions begin to be raised about his leadership and in Febuary he is finally cast out after a vote of no confidence. For the Germans there is elation. For a few days it seems that the new British government may make peace. However Churchills replacement, former foreign secretary Anthony Eden is no fool and promise to continue the war with even greater vigour.
And at as his premiership starts in early 1943, it seems like things are finally beginning to look up for the allies. With dangerously overextended supply lines Rommel is decisively halted by Allied forces in the Arabian desert. And in the Pacific, Allied forces, predominantly American, landed on the islands of Guadalcanal, Tulagi, and Florida in the southern Solomon Islands with the objective of denying their use by the Japanese as bases to threaten supply routes between the U.S., Australia, and New Zealand. The Allies overwhelmed the outnumbered Japanese defenders, who had occupied the islands since May 1942, and captured Tulagi and Florida. This put an end to Japanese advances in the Pacific, now American forces begin a long and grinding island hopping campaign.
Also the the first major American operation in Europe goes underway with Operation Eclipse, hitting the beaches of Tunisia in late March. Within weeks, the Allies three-pronged amphibious landing had seized the key ports and airports of Morocco and Algeria simultaneously and an advance eastwards into Tunisia follows. With Vichy French support collapsing to a pro-allied coup, the German occupy southern France finally putting to an end the myth of an independent state. Rommel finds that he has to now divert forces from his over extended middle eastern offensive to Tunisia to check the allied advance however his request to retreat back towards the Suez canal is denied. He will have to make do holding two fronts which are now thousands of miles apart.
With the situation in Africa bogging down into stalemate as Allied commanders prepare to build up resources for a final push on both fronts the Soviets suprise everyone at the start of the summer. Although many in the German high command feared that they would enter the European conflict on the allied side they are proved wrong. German forces on the eastern front remain massive and are more than capable of holding Eastern Europe from the Red Army. For Stalin thee is no glory in distracting German efforts whilst the allies reap all the rewards. Instead in early June Massive Soviet forces begin an offensive into Manchuria and Sakhalin, pounding the inferior Japanese defenses.
For a moment, it seems as though it is the beginning of the end for Fascism...
With large numbers of new troops and equipment under his disposal, Rommel finally crosses the Suez canal on November the 10th, where he quickly pushes British forces out of Palestine, and moves with great speed into Iraq and Syria, with Allied forces in the area completely outnumbered and outclassed and with Arab revolts to contend with, the Germans secure much of the area and it's resultant oil wealth. By March, German troops are spilling into Saudi Arabia.
For Churchill, although American entry into the war has given morale a much needed boost, the situation is still dire. Increased German U-Boat production has made the blockade on Britain on Britain even tighter, and the Luftwaffe continues to bombard British cities, even heavier than in the worst days of the Blitz. The arrival of masses of USAAF planes halts this to some extent however casualties are still are incredibly high amongst civillians. With the Germans coursing through the middle east like an unstoppable Juggernaut, questions begin to be raised about his leadership and in Febuary he is finally cast out after a vote of no confidence. For the Germans there is elation. For a few days it seems that the new British government may make peace. However Churchills replacement, former foreign secretary Anthony Eden is no fool and promise to continue the war with even greater vigour.
And at as his premiership starts in early 1943, it seems like things are finally beginning to look up for the allies. With dangerously overextended supply lines Rommel is decisively halted by Allied forces in the Arabian desert. And in the Pacific, Allied forces, predominantly American, landed on the islands of Guadalcanal, Tulagi, and Florida in the southern Solomon Islands with the objective of denying their use by the Japanese as bases to threaten supply routes between the U.S., Australia, and New Zealand. The Allies overwhelmed the outnumbered Japanese defenders, who had occupied the islands since May 1942, and captured Tulagi and Florida. This put an end to Japanese advances in the Pacific, now American forces begin a long and grinding island hopping campaign.
Also the the first major American operation in Europe goes underway with Operation Eclipse, hitting the beaches of Tunisia in late March. Within weeks, the Allies three-pronged amphibious landing had seized the key ports and airports of Morocco and Algeria simultaneously and an advance eastwards into Tunisia follows. With Vichy French support collapsing to a pro-allied coup, the German occupy southern France finally putting to an end the myth of an independent state. Rommel finds that he has to now divert forces from his over extended middle eastern offensive to Tunisia to check the allied advance however his request to retreat back towards the Suez canal is denied. He will have to make do holding two fronts which are now thousands of miles apart.
With the situation in Africa bogging down into stalemate as Allied commanders prepare to build up resources for a final push on both fronts the Soviets suprise everyone at the start of the summer. Although many in the German high command feared that they would enter the European conflict on the allied side they are proved wrong. German forces on the eastern front remain massive and are more than capable of holding Eastern Europe from the Red Army. For Stalin thee is no glory in distracting German efforts whilst the allies reap all the rewards. Instead in early June Massive Soviet forces begin an offensive into Manchuria and Sakhalin, pounding the inferior Japanese defenses.
For a moment, it seems as though it is the beginning of the end for Fascism...
IMHO this timeline is not realistic.
The Germans don't have to fight the Soviets and the Allies still manage to beat them in 1943?
With what forces?
The entire German war production is basically supporting only the air & sub campaign against Britain and the Rommel formations in the Middle East.
And still the Germans manage to get beaten by the Allies in 1943?
The Germans don't have to fight the Soviets and the Allies still manage to beat them in 1943?
With what forces?
The entire German war production is basically supporting only the air & sub campaign against Britain and the Rommel formations in the Middle East.
And still the Germans manage to get beaten by the Allies in 1943?
June 1943 - June 1944
With alarming speed, the Soviet offensive tears through the Kwangtung Army much like a pair of scissors through paper. The operation was carried out as a classic double pincer movement over an area the size of Western Europe. In the western pincer, the Red Army advanced over the deserts and mountains from Mongolia, far from their resupply railways. This confounded the Japanese military analysis of Soviet logistics, and the defenders were caught by surprise in unfortified positions. Communication infrastructure was poor, and communication was lost with forward units very early on. However, the Kwantung Army had a formidable reputation as fierce and relentless, At the same time, Soviet airborne units were used to seize airfields and city centers in advance of the land forces, and to ferry fuel to those units that had outrun their supply lines. The Soviet pincer from the east crossed the Ussuri and advanced around Khanka Lake and attacked towards Suifenhe, and although Japanese defenders fought hard and provided strong resistance, the Soviets proved overwhelming. By the end of summer, the Red Army had completely overran Manchuria, northern China, seized Sakhalin, and almost all of Korea despite a few desperate pockets of resistance who were only holding out of necessity, the Japanese high command had ordered that resistance on the mainland should be fought to the last man so as many of their retreating comrades could escape as possible.
The world response was first that of disbelief. Initially Hitler was happy about the Soviet entry into the Pacific War, hoping that they would suffer the same setbacks and high casualties as the western allies, However with the quick rout of the Kwangtung Army it now seemed that if anything the Soviet attack would enforce a quicker Japanese surrender. Of course despite Japanese pleas there was no real chance of Germany attacking the Soviet Union. To launch Babarossa now would be suicidal for the German military, the Red Army remains massive on the eastern front and the allies are continuing to build up in Tunisia and Saudi Arabia.
In the skies above Europe, the situation is turning into a bloodbath. After the ineffectiveness of strategic bombing, the USAAF and RAF tun to all out area bombing of cities. The toll on German industry and civilloans is high but so is the toll on Allied aircraft. A significant portion of German industry has switched from vehicle production to air production and pilot training programs are brought in for new conscripts. By early 1944, it's clear to Allied planners that the bombing offensive just isn't working and is postponed indefiantely. Air assets are becoming increasingly focused on the upcoming offensive on the African front.
Said offensive finally goes ahead in early Febuary from two directions. A western advance from Tunisia and a northern advance from Arabia. Although the Arabs had originally welcomed the Germans as liberators from oppressive European rule, the actions of the occupiers, rounding up thousands for forced labour and imposing harsh racial policies. By the time the allied offensive begins, several small scale revolts break out as the allied advance begins, the new M24 Lincoln tanks[1] prove to be superior to the newest variation of the Panzer IV and with air control over the deserts the allies quickly advance towards Iraq and Kuwait. The incredibly long pincers of their desert advance allow them to cut off several German divisions in the Arabian desert and by early June, allied troops enter Jerusalem for the first time in almost two years. In their wake the Germans have used severe scorched earth tactics, destroying million of barrels of oil in their wake.
In North Africa, the mountainous terrain favours the defender, however American troops have gradually become more battle hardened in the constant combat aginst the their Axis counterparts and now for the first time win success, advancing east into Libya at a steady rate albeit suffering heavy casualties. The Axis find it increasingly hard to supply troops against overwhelming allied opposition as allied navies in the Med are increasingly disrupting shipping, By June Tripoli has fallen and the Axis position in Africa begins to look increasingly fragile.
In the Atlantic as well, the allies are enjoying success. Although the increased numbers of German U-Boats had initially threatened to break Britain, improved anti-submarine tactics allow the allies to close the gap and allows them to bring increasing supplies of men and material to Europe for the next stage in Europe's liberation once the Axis have finally been pushed out of Africa, which seems close to everyone.
Meanwhile the in the Pacific theater things are looking grim for the Japanese. The Allies are now speedily advancing northward and have retaken many of the original Japanese gains and by June stand ready to invade Okinawa, with the nest step being the southern home islands. In the northern front the Soviets invaded Hokkaido in early January, only to encounter vicious and desperate Japanese resistance. With the IJN stretched across the Pacific, the defenders find it increasingly hard to repulse the greatly enlarged Red Pacific Banner Fleet and resort to deploying suicide tactics against ships, the casualties of these attacks are tragic for both sides in terms of losses. With Japanese tanks like toys against the now Soviet IS-1 and T-34/56 tanks and the Soviets now firmly lodged in the north of the island, mustard and chlorine gas are deployed against the invaders.
The Soviet response is of the standard brutality. In the following weeks dozens of Japanese cities are bombed with gas. Casualties are in the hundreds of thousands. By March 1944 Hokkaido has fallen although bitter resistance continues internally. Now no more ships of food will arrive in Honshu from the island, it seems that Japan could slip into famine within months. The situation for the Japanese now seems to be hopeless, the Soviets are gearing up to invade northern Honshu and the western allies are now essentially in control of Okinawa after bitter jungle combat and preparing to invade Kyshu and southern Honshu.
Japan unconditionally surrenders to the Allies and Soviets in July 1944, with Soviet occupation agreed to not extend past Hokkaido, apart from an agreed sector in Tokyo. However in many ways the allies have recieved the short straw. It is now their duty to try and bring some sort of stability to a nation fallling into famine...
With alarming speed, the Soviet offensive tears through the Kwangtung Army much like a pair of scissors through paper. The operation was carried out as a classic double pincer movement over an area the size of Western Europe. In the western pincer, the Red Army advanced over the deserts and mountains from Mongolia, far from their resupply railways. This confounded the Japanese military analysis of Soviet logistics, and the defenders were caught by surprise in unfortified positions. Communication infrastructure was poor, and communication was lost with forward units very early on. However, the Kwantung Army had a formidable reputation as fierce and relentless, At the same time, Soviet airborne units were used to seize airfields and city centers in advance of the land forces, and to ferry fuel to those units that had outrun their supply lines. The Soviet pincer from the east crossed the Ussuri and advanced around Khanka Lake and attacked towards Suifenhe, and although Japanese defenders fought hard and provided strong resistance, the Soviets proved overwhelming. By the end of summer, the Red Army had completely overran Manchuria, northern China, seized Sakhalin, and almost all of Korea despite a few desperate pockets of resistance who were only holding out of necessity, the Japanese high command had ordered that resistance on the mainland should be fought to the last man so as many of their retreating comrades could escape as possible.
The world response was first that of disbelief. Initially Hitler was happy about the Soviet entry into the Pacific War, hoping that they would suffer the same setbacks and high casualties as the western allies, However with the quick rout of the Kwangtung Army it now seemed that if anything the Soviet attack would enforce a quicker Japanese surrender. Of course despite Japanese pleas there was no real chance of Germany attacking the Soviet Union. To launch Babarossa now would be suicidal for the German military, the Red Army remains massive on the eastern front and the allies are continuing to build up in Tunisia and Saudi Arabia.
In the skies above Europe, the situation is turning into a bloodbath. After the ineffectiveness of strategic bombing, the USAAF and RAF tun to all out area bombing of cities. The toll on German industry and civilloans is high but so is the toll on Allied aircraft. A significant portion of German industry has switched from vehicle production to air production and pilot training programs are brought in for new conscripts. By early 1944, it's clear to Allied planners that the bombing offensive just isn't working and is postponed indefiantely. Air assets are becoming increasingly focused on the upcoming offensive on the African front.
Said offensive finally goes ahead in early Febuary from two directions. A western advance from Tunisia and a northern advance from Arabia. Although the Arabs had originally welcomed the Germans as liberators from oppressive European rule, the actions of the occupiers, rounding up thousands for forced labour and imposing harsh racial policies. By the time the allied offensive begins, several small scale revolts break out as the allied advance begins, the new M24 Lincoln tanks[1] prove to be superior to the newest variation of the Panzer IV and with air control over the deserts the allies quickly advance towards Iraq and Kuwait. The incredibly long pincers of their desert advance allow them to cut off several German divisions in the Arabian desert and by early June, allied troops enter Jerusalem for the first time in almost two years. In their wake the Germans have used severe scorched earth tactics, destroying million of barrels of oil in their wake.
In North Africa, the mountainous terrain favours the defender, however American troops have gradually become more battle hardened in the constant combat aginst the their Axis counterparts and now for the first time win success, advancing east into Libya at a steady rate albeit suffering heavy casualties. The Axis find it increasingly hard to supply troops against overwhelming allied opposition as allied navies in the Med are increasingly disrupting shipping, By June Tripoli has fallen and the Axis position in Africa begins to look increasingly fragile.
In the Atlantic as well, the allies are enjoying success. Although the increased numbers of German U-Boats had initially threatened to break Britain, improved anti-submarine tactics allow the allies to close the gap and allows them to bring increasing supplies of men and material to Europe for the next stage in Europe's liberation once the Axis have finally been pushed out of Africa, which seems close to everyone.
Meanwhile the in the Pacific theater things are looking grim for the Japanese. The Allies are now speedily advancing northward and have retaken many of the original Japanese gains and by June stand ready to invade Okinawa, with the nest step being the southern home islands. In the northern front the Soviets invaded Hokkaido in early January, only to encounter vicious and desperate Japanese resistance. With the IJN stretched across the Pacific, the defenders find it increasingly hard to repulse the greatly enlarged Red Pacific Banner Fleet and resort to deploying suicide tactics against ships, the casualties of these attacks are tragic for both sides in terms of losses. With Japanese tanks like toys against the now Soviet IS-1 and T-34/56 tanks and the Soviets now firmly lodged in the north of the island, mustard and chlorine gas are deployed against the invaders.
The Soviet response is of the standard brutality. In the following weeks dozens of Japanese cities are bombed with gas. Casualties are in the hundreds of thousands. By March 1944 Hokkaido has fallen although bitter resistance continues internally. Now no more ships of food will arrive in Honshu from the island, it seems that Japan could slip into famine within months. The situation for the Japanese now seems to be hopeless, the Soviets are gearing up to invade northern Honshu and the western allies are now essentially in control of Okinawa after bitter jungle combat and preparing to invade Kyshu and southern Honshu.
Japan unconditionally surrenders to the Allies and Soviets in July 1944, with Soviet occupation agreed to not extend past Hokkaido, apart from an agreed sector in Tokyo. However in many ways the allies have recieved the short straw. It is now their duty to try and bring some sort of stability to a nation fallling into famine...
A lighter and faster version of the OTL M26 Pershing.
Their amphibious ability isnt massive, however naval production had increased greatly due to their being no land war with Germany going on. This coupled with the bulk of the IJN being occupied in the south pacific allowed the Soviets to capture Hokkaido.
Sorry, but I thought it had been established in innumerable threads that the reason Rommel never had adequate forces wasn't because of the priority given to Barbarossa but rather because of (a) the lack of Axis shipping in the Med, (b) the limited capacity of Axis ports on the African shore, and (c) the extremely limited infrastructure (no rail line, just one single carriage road) along which the army's supplies would have to travel. These problems are not going away in the ATL, and in fact deploying a larger army to North Africa is going to make these problems *worse* (to take one trivial fact, more men meens more food being shipped and less of everything else). As Wellington said about the french in the Peninsula, "large armies starve and small armies get beat".
Not to mention that, and this is a very common oversight in Mediterranean strategy Naziwanks, but there will be no "quickly pushes British forces out of Palestine" and certainly no "moves with great speed into Iraq and Syria" because these guys are going to make sure the defence of Tel Aviv, Haifa and Jerusalem makes the Warsaw ghetto look like a child's tea party. they'll delay the German campaign by weeks at the least and by the end of the fighting the survivors will be in no shape to move anywhere, at great speed or otherwise. The Nazis may well win in the end, but pretending it'll be quick or easy is ASB.
Oh I agree, but of course with Babrbarosa being delayed indefinately the German have much more chance to invest and produce adequate shipping. Unfortunately the German should also be able to rely on enough Arab support to counter Gurions men. But you are correct, maybe I have overestimated their capacity for success for the sake of the later scenario, I may change the timeline to give them more limited success. Thankyou for your input.
Wyragen-TXRG4P
Banned
Teh Empyre will nevarh surrendher!! Nevaaaaarh!!!
What would happen to turkey?
How do you think the axis armies kept advancing with the poor road systems and rail lines dismantled during operation Barbarossa´and the year after? IOTL, British forces under the command of General Bernard Montgomery, went from Egypt all the way into Tunisia, getting through the Mareth Line. What can go one way can go the other.
So exactly, why would they send less trucks, less carriage animals and not construct rail lines when they know these would be more needed?
Axis doesn´t have the shipping? Come on, there isn´t that much distance between mainland Italy and Sicily and Sicily and Lybia.
Simple, have these cities blockaded while the bulk of the German army keeps moving if they cause any problems. In all likehood hovewer, they would get pwned quickewr than Yugoslavian armed forces.
What would happen to turkey?
How do you think the axis armies kept advancing with the poor road systems and rail lines dismantled during operation Barbarossa´and the year after? IOTL, British forces under the command of General Bernard Montgomery, went from Egypt all the way into Tunisia, getting through the Mareth Line. What can go one way can go the other.
So exactly, why would they send less trucks, less carriage animals and not construct rail lines when they know these would be more needed?
Axis doesn´t have the shipping? Come on, there isn´t that much distance between mainland Italy and Sicily and Sicily and Lybia.
Simple, have these cities blockaded while the bulk of the German army keeps moving if they cause any problems. In all likehood hovewer, they would get pwned quickewr than Yugoslavian armed forces.
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June 1944 - June 1945
Throughout the rest of the summer of 1944, what is left of the Axis holdings in Africa continue to crumble under increasingly capable Allied forces. On the eastern front, Cairo is retaken in early August whilst American forces have reached the Egyptian border. Which much of North Africa back in allied hands, including the recapture of the Suez Canal Allied navies in much vaster numbers return to the Mediterranean and quickly retake control from the weaker Axis navies, effectively blockading the remaining Axis forces left in Africa. With the situation hopeless, the Axis begin to retreat in good order into the remaining North African ports where tens of thousands of Axis troops manage to escape to Sicily. Although this puts a dampener on celebrations, the fact that Africa, after four bitter years of conflict, is in Allied hands brings great elation.
The boost in morale comes as a welcome relief for the British government especially, since July London and southern England have been bombarded by V-1 "vengeance" rocket bombs, mounting up casualties not seen since the second blitz of 1942. And then further complications arise. If there was any advantage in the V-1's it wsas that they were inaccurate, noisy and pretty easy to handle if caught in mid flight. However throughout September and October, new complications arise. The German bring two new "Vengeance" weapons into the fray. The V-2 is another rocket based weapon, however it's speed makes unstoppable and it's payload is much more deadly than the V-1. It also silent making it virtually undetectable until it strikes. The V-3 on the other hand is a much more unconventional weapon, utilising a high pressure pump to bombard London with shells. Although much more inaccurate than the rocket bombs, it can be fired frequently often firing dozens of shells on a daily basis. Casualties soon mount into the thousands.
Enraged, the British people demand action and by early 1945, the first war protests have began appearing. The object of these protests are not to end the war, which remains unthinkable but merely protesting it's conduct. At the same time the Eden government is growing impatient and proposes restarting the strategic bombing campaign over Germany, halted due to the severity of the Allied casualties. However the new B-29's are coming in increasing numbers and are basically unreachable t the German defenders.
Thus an extensive fire bombing campaign goes ahead and German civillian casualties begin to mount, one raid in Munich where napalm is used extensively for the first time, 20,000 people die. These raids are controversial in the United States however to the British people still being bombarded with rockets and shells, it just seems like adequate revenge. The allies meanwhile, are on the verge of creating a new "ultimate weapon" which will make the German "Wunderwaffe" look obsolete in comparison. The massive allied undertaking known as the Manhattan is gaining steam and scientists working on the project promise that they will have a bomb ready to test by the summer. Meanwhile the Germans have multiple projects going on, the most prominent going on under Werner Heisenburg.
There were at least two separate instances where Heisenberg was in danger of being assassinated. The first was really aborted before it got anywhere. As one of the assassins was trying to place Heisenberg’s exact location they stumbled upon some correspondence between him and another scientist. In it, Heisenberg outlined what he had been working on, and none of it had to do with creating a bomb. Reports like this had gotten through before, and it was never seen as being watertight evidence. The European allied agencies determined that he wasn’t a threat, but the Americans wanted to err on the side of caution. Something else happened, though, that really stopped the plan dead in its tracks. The American’s had split the atom. Once that happened, Heisenberg seemed like less of a threat.
Oddly, the OSS changed its mind and sent former Red Sox catcher Moe Berg to find out what Heisenberg was up to. They gave Berg a rudimentary education on nuclear physics and a list of keywords and phrases to pay attention to and sent him on his way. A symposium was arranged in Zurich, Switzerland and Heisenberg was invited to attend as a guest speaker. If any of those keywords or phrases that Berg learned were said at the speech, indicating that Heisenberg was working on an atomic bomb, Berg’s orders were to kill Heisenberg right then and there. However Heisenburgs speech seemed to imply that the Nazis were at least years behind the Americans and probably couldn't match the Manhattan project whatsoever. Heisenburg lived.
Of course, the outcome might have been different that day if the lecture was taken by Kurt Diebner...
Meanwhile, although there was heavy damage to German industry in the firebombing raids, the German resolve is not broken. It is agreed finally that an invasion of Europe may well be necessary to finally crush Germany. But where? France and Italy are too heavily fortified with German troops, and although there is a large scale resistance in the Balkans, the terrain and the general distrust the communist partisans have of the western allies do not make that a viable option either. It seems that neutral Spain is the best option.
Although there is some resistance to invading a neutral nation, Spain has been aiding the Axis throughout the war to the allies fury and Franco although respected by many is a vile dictator who is still fighting a guerilla war in his nation. Thus vast amounts of Allied troops and equipment are shipped to North Africa in what Axis intelligence gathers is for an invasion of Southern France.
On June 6th 1945, American, British and Canadian troops hit the beaches of Southern Spain.
Throughout the rest of the summer of 1944, what is left of the Axis holdings in Africa continue to crumble under increasingly capable Allied forces. On the eastern front, Cairo is retaken in early August whilst American forces have reached the Egyptian border. Which much of North Africa back in allied hands, including the recapture of the Suez Canal Allied navies in much vaster numbers return to the Mediterranean and quickly retake control from the weaker Axis navies, effectively blockading the remaining Axis forces left in Africa. With the situation hopeless, the Axis begin to retreat in good order into the remaining North African ports where tens of thousands of Axis troops manage to escape to Sicily. Although this puts a dampener on celebrations, the fact that Africa, after four bitter years of conflict, is in Allied hands brings great elation.
The boost in morale comes as a welcome relief for the British government especially, since July London and southern England have been bombarded by V-1 "vengeance" rocket bombs, mounting up casualties not seen since the second blitz of 1942. And then further complications arise. If there was any advantage in the V-1's it wsas that they were inaccurate, noisy and pretty easy to handle if caught in mid flight. However throughout September and October, new complications arise. The German bring two new "Vengeance" weapons into the fray. The V-2 is another rocket based weapon, however it's speed makes unstoppable and it's payload is much more deadly than the V-1. It also silent making it virtually undetectable until it strikes. The V-3 on the other hand is a much more unconventional weapon, utilising a high pressure pump to bombard London with shells. Although much more inaccurate than the rocket bombs, it can be fired frequently often firing dozens of shells on a daily basis. Casualties soon mount into the thousands.
Enraged, the British people demand action and by early 1945, the first war protests have began appearing. The object of these protests are not to end the war, which remains unthinkable but merely protesting it's conduct. At the same time the Eden government is growing impatient and proposes restarting the strategic bombing campaign over Germany, halted due to the severity of the Allied casualties. However the new B-29's are coming in increasing numbers and are basically unreachable t the German defenders.
Thus an extensive fire bombing campaign goes ahead and German civillian casualties begin to mount, one raid in Munich where napalm is used extensively for the first time, 20,000 people die. These raids are controversial in the United States however to the British people still being bombarded with rockets and shells, it just seems like adequate revenge. The allies meanwhile, are on the verge of creating a new "ultimate weapon" which will make the German "Wunderwaffe" look obsolete in comparison. The massive allied undertaking known as the Manhattan is gaining steam and scientists working on the project promise that they will have a bomb ready to test by the summer. Meanwhile the Germans have multiple projects going on, the most prominent going on under Werner Heisenburg.
There were at least two separate instances where Heisenberg was in danger of being assassinated. The first was really aborted before it got anywhere. As one of the assassins was trying to place Heisenberg’s exact location they stumbled upon some correspondence between him and another scientist. In it, Heisenberg outlined what he had been working on, and none of it had to do with creating a bomb. Reports like this had gotten through before, and it was never seen as being watertight evidence. The European allied agencies determined that he wasn’t a threat, but the Americans wanted to err on the side of caution. Something else happened, though, that really stopped the plan dead in its tracks. The American’s had split the atom. Once that happened, Heisenberg seemed like less of a threat.
Oddly, the OSS changed its mind and sent former Red Sox catcher Moe Berg to find out what Heisenberg was up to. They gave Berg a rudimentary education on nuclear physics and a list of keywords and phrases to pay attention to and sent him on his way. A symposium was arranged in Zurich, Switzerland and Heisenberg was invited to attend as a guest speaker. If any of those keywords or phrases that Berg learned were said at the speech, indicating that Heisenberg was working on an atomic bomb, Berg’s orders were to kill Heisenberg right then and there. However Heisenburgs speech seemed to imply that the Nazis were at least years behind the Americans and probably couldn't match the Manhattan project whatsoever. Heisenburg lived.
Of course, the outcome might have been different that day if the lecture was taken by Kurt Diebner...
Meanwhile, although there was heavy damage to German industry in the firebombing raids, the German resolve is not broken. It is agreed finally that an invasion of Europe may well be necessary to finally crush Germany. But where? France and Italy are too heavily fortified with German troops, and although there is a large scale resistance in the Balkans, the terrain and the general distrust the communist partisans have of the western allies do not make that a viable option either. It seems that neutral Spain is the best option.
Although there is some resistance to invading a neutral nation, Spain has been aiding the Axis throughout the war to the allies fury and Franco although respected by many is a vile dictator who is still fighting a guerilla war in his nation. Thus vast amounts of Allied troops and equipment are shipped to North Africa in what Axis intelligence gathers is for an invasion of Southern France.
On June 6th 1945, American, British and Canadian troops hit the beaches of Southern Spain.
They aren't anti-war, they're disapproval of the conduct of the war.
Non-Belligerent Spain, as Franco said.
Who said they were close?
You're not taking this very seriously are you?
Well I am trying to pull off a Germany survives TL here, give me some credit.
Enjoying it so far?
Aye, go on. Interested to see how Nazi Germany ends up postwar (or post-Reich)...
The Second War (Part 1 ) : June 1945 - August 1945
"It is always a very peculiar moment for scholars of history such as myself to consider an enduring conflict between two sides as two wars. Of course there are times when it is appropriate to state that one war entered into another when both the combatants became involved in another conflict which became more important, for instance the Chinese and Japanese for many years before the Japanese attack of Pearl Harbour were involved in their own brutal conflict until they formally entered the second world war on the side of the Allies and Axis respectively.
However for one conflict between essentially the same sides after the Japanese surrender to be seen as two wars by so many people takes a particularly strange occurence and the sinister and horrible change in the tactics of both sides after the events of late 1945 fits this bill perfectly."
From "Inferno: An Objective Analysis of the Second War" by David Blair
For the first month of the campaign, the Allied invasion of Spain went according to plan. Landings near Cadiz and Barcelona quickly managed to establish beachheads and then advance north. Although Spanish troops were battle hardened veterans of the Spanish Civil War they lacked proper equipment and suffered severe strains with their supply lines due to allied domination from the air. Also many republicans who had gone underground since 1939 rose up once more and along with partisans who had never stopped fighting in the mountains they added further strain to the already over burdened Spanish army. By July large parts of Catalonia and Southern Spain were in Allied hands.
Franco, now realising that he had failed to keep his country neutral, saw only one way to save his regime. In early July 1945, with a heavy heart, he openly asked for German assistance and formally joined the Axis. However despite Hitler's elation at being able to repulse the allies from the continent again, German troops were experiencing difficulties in transporting troops to the parts of Spain still under Franco's control, essentially a rump of western Spain largely protected by the mountains. The allies held a strong grip over Catalonia and this was preventing them from entering through southern France and allied naval domination prevented shipping troops to the Spanish western coast. Furiously he ordered a vast relocation of troops from the east, by late July over 200,000 extra German troops were arriving in Spain along with hundreds of the new Panther tanks and jets. Also Field Marshal Von Rundsted who had been coordinating the weak counter attack was replaced with Rommel, the recently promoted hero of the middle eastern front.
Along with the fact that Spanish troops were beginning to mount increasingly effective resistance in western Spain, this massive German build up put panic into the two main field commanders of the Spanish front, Generals Patton and Montgomery as well as Supreme Commander Marshal. It seemed as if the Germans would be able to push the allies back into the Med with increasing numbers of men coming from the east. By August 1945 there were half a million Germans preparing to smash the Allied presence in northern Spain.
However even more important events were taking place on the American homefront. In July 1945, the world was left stunned when Franklin Delano Roosevelt, who had been American president for more than a decade, was found dead in his bed. This thrust Harry Truman into the office of one of the most powerful nations in the world. He was famous for being more hawkish than his predessescor and this became apparent when he heard of the successful Trinity test in New Mexico. Now America had an Atomic bomb and he was positive that it should be used immediately.
Although Patton had pleaded for the first bomb to be used on the German build up in Southern France, Truman judged it too risky to detonate such a powerful bomb so near Allied troops. It was decided that a city would be the best target to try and ensure German surrender without the need for continued bloodshed on the frontlines. A strong argument was put for attacking Berlin, however it was decided that it would be best not to incinerate the Nazi government completely leaving a nation in anarchy which the Soviets could easily conquer. Thus Munich was chosen to receive the first bomb, codenamed "Little Boy".
During the string of allied fire bombings, Munich had managed to survive serious damage. It seemed this would continue when on the radio reports were coming in of massive bombing raids on Berlin and Dresden. Apart from the natural concern of the residents who had friends and relatives in those cities the city continued to go through it's average day of mothers collecting the rations whilst workers worked busily in the factories.
Even when 2 B-29's calmly buzzed over the city there seemed to be no great cause for alarm, there was no way that the USAAF would launch a raid with only two bombers. The Luftwaffe seemed to agree, they had enough trouble with the two other raids than to worry about two seemingly peaceful bombers. Captain Paul Tibbets doesn't share the calm of the Hamburg residents. He knows that the bomb he is about to drop will kill thousands of people, whihc will include him and his crew if he doesn't pull off the correct escape his crew will join them.
As the bomb falls from the plane the switches needed to control the highly unstable uranium are activated. Tibbets knows he can make it, if he can just get a little higher...
All of a sudden the cockpit is engulfed in flame, the crew shout and scream at each other as they begin to burn up and then all of a sudden the Enola Gay and it's crew are torn apart. In Munich, the fireball melts steel and stone almost instantly, with the shockwave tearing through the city like a mega tsunami crashing into an unwitting port. The survivors, shocked and dazed find themselves transported into hell as everyone around them becomes surrounded in flame.
Blinded, maimed and completely terrified they try to fumble there way to safety as everything around them seems to have dissolved into piles of rubble. Even though they have survived the blast they have virtually no chance of surviving what's to come.
The world has entered the atomic age.
"It is always a very peculiar moment for scholars of history such as myself to consider an enduring conflict between two sides as two wars. Of course there are times when it is appropriate to state that one war entered into another when both the combatants became involved in another conflict which became more important, for instance the Chinese and Japanese for many years before the Japanese attack of Pearl Harbour were involved in their own brutal conflict until they formally entered the second world war on the side of the Allies and Axis respectively.
However for one conflict between essentially the same sides after the Japanese surrender to be seen as two wars by so many people takes a particularly strange occurence and the sinister and horrible change in the tactics of both sides after the events of late 1945 fits this bill perfectly."
From "Inferno: An Objective Analysis of the Second War" by David Blair
For the first month of the campaign, the Allied invasion of Spain went according to plan. Landings near Cadiz and Barcelona quickly managed to establish beachheads and then advance north. Although Spanish troops were battle hardened veterans of the Spanish Civil War they lacked proper equipment and suffered severe strains with their supply lines due to allied domination from the air. Also many republicans who had gone underground since 1939 rose up once more and along with partisans who had never stopped fighting in the mountains they added further strain to the already over burdened Spanish army. By July large parts of Catalonia and Southern Spain were in Allied hands.
Franco, now realising that he had failed to keep his country neutral, saw only one way to save his regime. In early July 1945, with a heavy heart, he openly asked for German assistance and formally joined the Axis. However despite Hitler's elation at being able to repulse the allies from the continent again, German troops were experiencing difficulties in transporting troops to the parts of Spain still under Franco's control, essentially a rump of western Spain largely protected by the mountains. The allies held a strong grip over Catalonia and this was preventing them from entering through southern France and allied naval domination prevented shipping troops to the Spanish western coast. Furiously he ordered a vast relocation of troops from the east, by late July over 200,000 extra German troops were arriving in Spain along with hundreds of the new Panther tanks and jets. Also Field Marshal Von Rundsted who had been coordinating the weak counter attack was replaced with Rommel, the recently promoted hero of the middle eastern front.
Along with the fact that Spanish troops were beginning to mount increasingly effective resistance in western Spain, this massive German build up put panic into the two main field commanders of the Spanish front, Generals Patton and Montgomery as well as Supreme Commander Marshal. It seemed as if the Germans would be able to push the allies back into the Med with increasing numbers of men coming from the east. By August 1945 there were half a million Germans preparing to smash the Allied presence in northern Spain.
However even more important events were taking place on the American homefront. In July 1945, the world was left stunned when Franklin Delano Roosevelt, who had been American president for more than a decade, was found dead in his bed. This thrust Harry Truman into the office of one of the most powerful nations in the world. He was famous for being more hawkish than his predessescor and this became apparent when he heard of the successful Trinity test in New Mexico. Now America had an Atomic bomb and he was positive that it should be used immediately.
Although Patton had pleaded for the first bomb to be used on the German build up in Southern France, Truman judged it too risky to detonate such a powerful bomb so near Allied troops. It was decided that a city would be the best target to try and ensure German surrender without the need for continued bloodshed on the frontlines. A strong argument was put for attacking Berlin, however it was decided that it would be best not to incinerate the Nazi government completely leaving a nation in anarchy which the Soviets could easily conquer. Thus Munich was chosen to receive the first bomb, codenamed "Little Boy".
During the string of allied fire bombings, Munich had managed to survive serious damage. It seemed this would continue when on the radio reports were coming in of massive bombing raids on Berlin and Dresden. Apart from the natural concern of the residents who had friends and relatives in those cities the city continued to go through it's average day of mothers collecting the rations whilst workers worked busily in the factories.
Even when 2 B-29's calmly buzzed over the city there seemed to be no great cause for alarm, there was no way that the USAAF would launch a raid with only two bombers. The Luftwaffe seemed to agree, they had enough trouble with the two other raids than to worry about two seemingly peaceful bombers. Captain Paul Tibbets doesn't share the calm of the Hamburg residents. He knows that the bomb he is about to drop will kill thousands of people, whihc will include him and his crew if he doesn't pull off the correct escape his crew will join them.
As the bomb falls from the plane the switches needed to control the highly unstable uranium are activated. Tibbets knows he can make it, if he can just get a little higher...
All of a sudden the cockpit is engulfed in flame, the crew shout and scream at each other as they begin to burn up and then all of a sudden the Enola Gay and it's crew are torn apart. In Munich, the fireball melts steel and stone almost instantly, with the shockwave tearing through the city like a mega tsunami crashing into an unwitting port. The survivors, shocked and dazed find themselves transported into hell as everyone around them becomes surrounded in flame.
Blinded, maimed and completely terrified they try to fumble there way to safety as everything around them seems to have dissolved into piles of rubble. Even though they have survived the blast they have virtually no chance of surviving what's to come.
The world has entered the atomic age.
The Second War (Part 5 ) : August 1945 - July 1946
A ground level photo taken in Dornach moments after "Little Boy" hit Munich
It only took minutes before German authorities knew had something terrible had happened in Munich. All radio stations and telephone lines had instantaneously been cut and reports from nearby towns flooded in about a massive explosion in Munich. Hours after the event the refugees coming out of Munich, many badly scortched, vomiting and with clumps of their hair falling out, seemed to confirm this. Soon Luftwaffe observation planes were flying over the city. After seeing the burning desert of sand and rubble beneath them, there was no doubt any longer. At 6 O'Clock on Wednesday of August the 6th, 4 hours after the bomb had been dropped, German radio issued an emergency broadcast and a follow up by Goebbels describing the massacre and promising immediate retribution.
Authorities and survivors attempt to try and clear the dead from the ruins
The allied reaction was one of immediate elation. The ultimate weapon worked and Munich had been erased from the face of the earth, they were sure that German and Axis surrender would come immediately after a show of such awesome power. The loss of the Enola Gay and it's observation plane were a blow to an otherwise flawless victory however steps were taken to keep the public in the dark for the sake of morale. Another B-29, nicknamed 'Cathy' was repainted as the Enola Gay and Tibbets and his crew would die tragically in separated incidents. Stalin's reaction was that of great concern, although he had known from Fuchs that the Americans had successfully completed and tested a bomb, seeing the effects of one on a real city was something else. However he could take solace in the fact that the Soviet bomb project, with limitless Gulag "volunteers", men like Sakharov and Kurcatov and Fuchs' spywork, was going well itself. Beria has promised a bomb by the end of 1945, especially with Stalins encouragement of an all expenses paid trip to Siberia if he doesn't.
However, to allied disappointment the Axis do not surrender. However Hitler knows that if the allies have more of these weapons, the Reich needs to strike fast. He thus orders Rommel to begin his advance in Northern Spain early so as to put German in a better position to make a conditional peace. He also gives the Soviet Union a generous offer of alliance where he would extend the Soviet side of the Molotov Ribbentrop pact greatly in exchange for the Soviets joining the war on the Axis side. However this offer is refused blankly, Stalin has no appetite to be on the receiving end of Atomic bombs, especially with the Soviet Union unable to retaliate. Hitler also orders advances in Germany's own WMD's. With allied control of the air in Britain he demads progress in Areosol warheads for the A4 as well as the new A9/10 which will soon be coming into production. The item which the Fuhrer is most interested in is how Germany's own nuclear research is going. The main project headed Werner Heisenburg at the Kaiser Wilhelm institute for Physics has little to report, his reactor is still not online and most of his research is mainly aimed at nuclear energy. Kurt Diebner in the HWA Versuchsstelle at Gottow had his reactor online since March but can only promise enough plutonium for bombs by the next year at the earliest. Although Hitler is disappointed it is better than nothing and Diebner soon finds that his funding has been increased tenfold.
Despite needing to advance early Rommel still believes that he has enough power to sufficiently push the allies out of Catalonia and reconnect with fascist forces still fighting a desperate battle in the western rump of fascist Spain. His offensive begins on August 20th and enjoys immediate sucess, pushing the Allies out of the small sliver of southern France they managed to occupy with great speed. The allies seem to be evaporating, which is odd for such a famously stubborn commander such as Patton. By the end of August he is triumphantly entering Perpignan, close to the Spanish border. He wonders whether he'll have such an easy job in Catalonia. It is the last thought Erwin Rommel ever has.
"Rommel...you magnificent bastard, you didn't mention those in your book!"
General George. S. Patton
The Nazi government is stunned once again. All of a sudden Rommel's seemingly successful offensive has been smashed. tens of thousands of troops who were moving through Perpignan lie dead and thousands of others are now trapped to the south without supplies or leadership and are being slaughtered by the counter attacking Americans. By early September the Allies are firmly back in southern France and the German defenders are left in ruins. Enraged, Hitler orders a string of counter attacks using Tabun and Sarin stockpiles on allied lines and bases. Several of the new Arado jet bombers also begin nerve gas raids over southern England, especially London. Allied civillian and military casualties of these horrible weapons are in the tens of thousands. In response, for the first time in history, the new Allied B-36's deploy Amthrax against the German cities of Hamburg and Nurmeburg, ensuing in thousands more deaths. A savage air war develops with the Axis and Allies both attempting to cripple each others air forces before the other can spring more WMD attacks on the other.
[]iGerman troops expecting mustard gas attack just a few miles ouside of Perpignan
The frontlines remain oddly stationary as well. The Wehrmarcht fear that anywhere they advance the allies will drop another atomic bomb and both sides are also making heavy use of anthrax and nerve gas attacks against each other as well as more conventional mustard and chlorine gases. The death toll continues to increase but no one moves. To their horror, both sides find that they are entering back into a deadly form of trench warfare. Realising that no immediate surrender seems to be on the cards, the Allies decide to switch to a new strategy of nuclear bombing every major German city one by one until the Nazi regime collapses.
Although the Luftwaffe are increasingly wary of every allied plane over Germany, vast allied distraction campaigns on the day of December the 11th, historic for the day that Germany declared war on America 4 years before, manage to keep the Luftwaffe occupied. Singluar bombers are seen heading for every major German city along with 3 major raids heading for Nuremburg, Colonge and Berlin. The luftwaffe actually become less concerned about these raids due to the fact that they indicate conventional or at worst chemical bombing, but not the worst option. The vast majority of the singular bombers are picked off, whilst Nuremburg and Colonge are heavily bombarded again with Anthrax. Meanwhile just outside Berlin, the mass of allied bombers disperse in all directions just outside the city. This becomes evident to the Luftwaffe too late. Berlin is incinerated.
Hitler is alive. He and most of the Nazi government had previously moved to their alpine redoubt after Munich, However he is still seething mad and Air Marshal Goering soon faces a firing squad for his incompetence. The nerve gas raids against Britain continue, as do the reprisals. Germans now flock out of the major cities in their thousands. It was bad enough when the allies were fire bombing cities but now they can reduce an entire city to ash using one bomb! Concerned about the severe impact this is having on war production, the SS are ordered to block escape from the major cities for workers doing vital war work. Riots begin to break out all over Germany as people continue to desperately try to escape. Their horror is magnified when on the same day, nuclear devices are used on both Dresden and Kiel.
It is at this point that the Krieslau circle spring into action. The successes of the Axis had led to them getting little support before but now with it seeming increasingly clearer that Germany will soon be an atomic wasteland they soon gain significant allies. However they continue to fail to get support from the full German general staff with men such as Manstein refusing to take any part in the coup. Although they lack full support, they see it better to die attempting to save Germany better than waiting around whilst it is destroyed. Thus on Febuary the 4th, 1946 Hitler armoured train America is stopped on the rails whilst passing through the forests around Bamberg. Facing it on the rails is a newly produced Panther 2 with an 88mm gun and surrounding it are men and partisans loyal to the circle, heavily armed. The assault of the trains is an easy success. Despite the fanatical defence of it's SS guards, the Kreislau circle report that they have destroyed the train and have the Fuhrers body. The circle declare that the SS are launching a coup and immediately initiate operation Valkyrie, a plan which allows the military to take control of Germany.
What they never realise is that Hitler was never on the train. He had travelled from one safe house to another that day by air with his body double in the armoured train. Whilst the Circle are still trying to convince OKH to join their coup, Hitler announces on the radio that he remains alive. The coup collapses with many of the plotters soon facing firing squads and interrogation. For a moment in the confusion it seemed that Hitler might be dead and Germany would be spared after all. The populations hopes are dashed after his speech. Martial law is thus put in place along with a curfew. Slowly but surely Nazi Germany is becoming even more totalitarian.
Soon however an even bigger event develops. In the far eastern Soviet Union, the sky is lit up with the test of the Soviets first atomic bomb. There are now two nuclear powers. The allies panic, how did the Soviets get the bomb so fast? Soon an immediate inquiry of the Manhattan Project is put in place, putting a serious strain on bomb production. Hitler meanwhile is initially overjoyed. He desperately again tries to get Stalin to join the Axis, offering significant leases on German bases as well as German secrets in rocketry and jets. Stalin refuses again. Addressing the world shortly after the detonation of the Soviet device he states that he urges both sides to seek and end to this imperialist, capitalist war but that the peaceful workers and peasants of the Soviet Union will not become affiliated with either side which he views as both aggressive. This move to full neutrality is a massive disappointment for the Nazis but Hitler shrugs, what can he do? At least Stalin seems dedicated to not attacking.
Yet.
The Soviets close the gap
A ground level photo taken in Dornach moments after "Little Boy" hit Munich
It only took minutes before German authorities knew had something terrible had happened in Munich. All radio stations and telephone lines had instantaneously been cut and reports from nearby towns flooded in about a massive explosion in Munich. Hours after the event the refugees coming out of Munich, many badly scortched, vomiting and with clumps of their hair falling out, seemed to confirm this. Soon Luftwaffe observation planes were flying over the city. After seeing the burning desert of sand and rubble beneath them, there was no doubt any longer. At 6 O'Clock on Wednesday of August the 6th, 4 hours after the bomb had been dropped, German radio issued an emergency broadcast and a follow up by Goebbels describing the massacre and promising immediate retribution.
Authorities and survivors attempt to try and clear the dead from the ruins
The allied reaction was one of immediate elation. The ultimate weapon worked and Munich had been erased from the face of the earth, they were sure that German and Axis surrender would come immediately after a show of such awesome power. The loss of the Enola Gay and it's observation plane were a blow to an otherwise flawless victory however steps were taken to keep the public in the dark for the sake of morale. Another B-29, nicknamed 'Cathy' was repainted as the Enola Gay and Tibbets and his crew would die tragically in separated incidents. Stalin's reaction was that of great concern, although he had known from Fuchs that the Americans had successfully completed and tested a bomb, seeing the effects of one on a real city was something else. However he could take solace in the fact that the Soviet bomb project, with limitless Gulag "volunteers", men like Sakharov and Kurcatov and Fuchs' spywork, was going well itself. Beria has promised a bomb by the end of 1945, especially with Stalins encouragement of an all expenses paid trip to Siberia if he doesn't.
However, to allied disappointment the Axis do not surrender. However Hitler knows that if the allies have more of these weapons, the Reich needs to strike fast. He thus orders Rommel to begin his advance in Northern Spain early so as to put German in a better position to make a conditional peace. He also gives the Soviet Union a generous offer of alliance where he would extend the Soviet side of the Molotov Ribbentrop pact greatly in exchange for the Soviets joining the war on the Axis side. However this offer is refused blankly, Stalin has no appetite to be on the receiving end of Atomic bombs, especially with the Soviet Union unable to retaliate. Hitler also orders advances in Germany's own WMD's. With allied control of the air in Britain he demads progress in Areosol warheads for the A4 as well as the new A9/10 which will soon be coming into production. The item which the Fuhrer is most interested in is how Germany's own nuclear research is going. The main project headed Werner Heisenburg at the Kaiser Wilhelm institute for Physics has little to report, his reactor is still not online and most of his research is mainly aimed at nuclear energy. Kurt Diebner in the HWA Versuchsstelle at Gottow had his reactor online since March but can only promise enough plutonium for bombs by the next year at the earliest. Although Hitler is disappointed it is better than nothing and Diebner soon finds that his funding has been increased tenfold.
Despite needing to advance early Rommel still believes that he has enough power to sufficiently push the allies out of Catalonia and reconnect with fascist forces still fighting a desperate battle in the western rump of fascist Spain. His offensive begins on August 20th and enjoys immediate sucess, pushing the Allies out of the small sliver of southern France they managed to occupy with great speed. The allies seem to be evaporating, which is odd for such a famously stubborn commander such as Patton. By the end of August he is triumphantly entering Perpignan, close to the Spanish border. He wonders whether he'll have such an easy job in Catalonia. It is the last thought Erwin Rommel ever has.
"Rommel...you magnificent bastard, you didn't mention those in your book!"
General George. S. Patton
The Nazi government is stunned once again. All of a sudden Rommel's seemingly successful offensive has been smashed. tens of thousands of troops who were moving through Perpignan lie dead and thousands of others are now trapped to the south without supplies or leadership and are being slaughtered by the counter attacking Americans. By early September the Allies are firmly back in southern France and the German defenders are left in ruins. Enraged, Hitler orders a string of counter attacks using Tabun and Sarin stockpiles on allied lines and bases. Several of the new Arado jet bombers also begin nerve gas raids over southern England, especially London. Allied civillian and military casualties of these horrible weapons are in the tens of thousands. In response, for the first time in history, the new Allied B-36's deploy Amthrax against the German cities of Hamburg and Nurmeburg, ensuing in thousands more deaths. A savage air war develops with the Axis and Allies both attempting to cripple each others air forces before the other can spring more WMD attacks on the other.
[]iGerman troops expecting mustard gas attack just a few miles ouside of Perpignan
The frontlines remain oddly stationary as well. The Wehrmarcht fear that anywhere they advance the allies will drop another atomic bomb and both sides are also making heavy use of anthrax and nerve gas attacks against each other as well as more conventional mustard and chlorine gases. The death toll continues to increase but no one moves. To their horror, both sides find that they are entering back into a deadly form of trench warfare. Realising that no immediate surrender seems to be on the cards, the Allies decide to switch to a new strategy of nuclear bombing every major German city one by one until the Nazi regime collapses.
Although the Luftwaffe are increasingly wary of every allied plane over Germany, vast allied distraction campaigns on the day of December the 11th, historic for the day that Germany declared war on America 4 years before, manage to keep the Luftwaffe occupied. Singluar bombers are seen heading for every major German city along with 3 major raids heading for Nuremburg, Colonge and Berlin. The luftwaffe actually become less concerned about these raids due to the fact that they indicate conventional or at worst chemical bombing, but not the worst option. The vast majority of the singular bombers are picked off, whilst Nuremburg and Colonge are heavily bombarded again with Anthrax. Meanwhile just outside Berlin, the mass of allied bombers disperse in all directions just outside the city. This becomes evident to the Luftwaffe too late. Berlin is incinerated.
Hitler is alive. He and most of the Nazi government had previously moved to their alpine redoubt after Munich, However he is still seething mad and Air Marshal Goering soon faces a firing squad for his incompetence. The nerve gas raids against Britain continue, as do the reprisals. Germans now flock out of the major cities in their thousands. It was bad enough when the allies were fire bombing cities but now they can reduce an entire city to ash using one bomb! Concerned about the severe impact this is having on war production, the SS are ordered to block escape from the major cities for workers doing vital war work. Riots begin to break out all over Germany as people continue to desperately try to escape. Their horror is magnified when on the same day, nuclear devices are used on both Dresden and Kiel.
It is at this point that the Krieslau circle spring into action. The successes of the Axis had led to them getting little support before but now with it seeming increasingly clearer that Germany will soon be an atomic wasteland they soon gain significant allies. However they continue to fail to get support from the full German general staff with men such as Manstein refusing to take any part in the coup. Although they lack full support, they see it better to die attempting to save Germany better than waiting around whilst it is destroyed. Thus on Febuary the 4th, 1946 Hitler armoured train America is stopped on the rails whilst passing through the forests around Bamberg. Facing it on the rails is a newly produced Panther 2 with an 88mm gun and surrounding it are men and partisans loyal to the circle, heavily armed. The assault of the trains is an easy success. Despite the fanatical defence of it's SS guards, the Kreislau circle report that they have destroyed the train and have the Fuhrers body. The circle declare that the SS are launching a coup and immediately initiate operation Valkyrie, a plan which allows the military to take control of Germany.
What they never realise is that Hitler was never on the train. He had travelled from one safe house to another that day by air with his body double in the armoured train. Whilst the Circle are still trying to convince OKH to join their coup, Hitler announces on the radio that he remains alive. The coup collapses with many of the plotters soon facing firing squads and interrogation. For a moment in the confusion it seemed that Hitler might be dead and Germany would be spared after all. The populations hopes are dashed after his speech. Martial law is thus put in place along with a curfew. Slowly but surely Nazi Germany is becoming even more totalitarian.
Soon however an even bigger event develops. In the far eastern Soviet Union, the sky is lit up with the test of the Soviets first atomic bomb. There are now two nuclear powers. The allies panic, how did the Soviets get the bomb so fast? Soon an immediate inquiry of the Manhattan Project is put in place, putting a serious strain on bomb production. Hitler meanwhile is initially overjoyed. He desperately again tries to get Stalin to join the Axis, offering significant leases on German bases as well as German secrets in rocketry and jets. Stalin refuses again. Addressing the world shortly after the detonation of the Soviet device he states that he urges both sides to seek and end to this imperialist, capitalist war but that the peaceful workers and peasants of the Soviet Union will not become affiliated with either side which he views as both aggressive. This move to full neutrality is a massive disappointment for the Nazis but Hitler shrugs, what can he do? At least Stalin seems dedicated to not attacking.
Yet.
The Soviets close the gap