"Our Struggle": What If Hitler Had Been a Communist?

[Tannenberg]

And so an enemy becomes a friend.

My God, it's hard to think of Hitler being so personable, so relatable, so good at winning people over to like him and trust him and believe that he selflessly cares about them. Most people in Western society, and especially those of ethnic background like mine, are prone to thinking of him as more demon than man, like a great and terrifying natural disaster that crashed down upon us. Of course he must have been able to be like this, at least in the early years when he was still rising to power, or else he would never have been Führer in the first place and the 20th century would not have happened as it did; but it's not a thought that comes naturally to me.

This is, and remains, superb AH of the best sort: the sort that makes you learn and think more about OTL.

The movie He is Back is good at showing the more charismatic side to Hitler and how he is capable of attracting people to his side

 

[cortz#9]

Of course Hitler could be personable and even likable, he was a man of many talents, how else could a high school, hell a middle school drop-out become the absolute ruler of a modern nation like Germany?
it would be a gross mistake to think Hitler was just an evil carpet chewing monster as depicted in films, books and TL's. A big mistake and one that could repeat itself if we don't learn the real lessons of history.

 

[mudhead]

...half-written letter addressed to an “Eva”...

IOTL Adolf and Eva first met in late '29, when she worked for the Party photographer Hoffmann. Of course, could be someone else - common enough name.

There was now something impish in the General Secretary’s grin.

“After all, I’m not a demagogue.”

Lol. As others have remarked, Hitler had his charming side - he couldn't have risen to the top of the Party, and won power in Germany, on a diet of floor coverings (presumably not wool).

 

[The Red]

Woah, impressive!
I really enjoy this TL.

I also like the way you write, wish I could write like that in English as well.

Thanks! It's always nice to get a compliment about my writing but also something of a relief as well. This is my first big project written almost entirely in the narrative so I'm always wary about whether or not people are enjoying it.

And so an enemy becomes a friend.

My God, it's hard to think of Hitler being so personable, so relatable, so good at winning people over to like him and trust him and believe that he selflessly cares about them. Most people in Western society, and especially those of ethnic background like mine, are prone to thinking of him as more demon than man, like a great and terrifying natural disaster that crashed down upon us. Of course he must have been able to be like this, at least in the early years when he was still rising to power, or else he would never have been Führer in the first place and the 20th century would not have happened as it did; but it's not a thought that comes naturally to me.

This is, and remains, superb AH of the best sort: the sort that makes you learn and think more about OTL.

Thanks so much, this one was difficult to write. Anyone who's read into accounts of Hilter will probably know that he could turn on the charm when we wanted to win someone over but with Gerda he's also channelling something unique to his OTL persona, their shared experience of fighting for lost causes and suffering the consequences.

The movie He is Back is good at showing the more charismatic side to Hitler and how he is capable of attracting people to his side

I was actually somewhat inspired by a scene taken from the book when writing this update, but the movie's brilliant as well. It's the right sort of adaptation, it goes in its own direction and is one you can watch without feeling that the book's been spoiled afterwards.

 

[Bookmark1995]

Thanks so much, this one was difficult to write. Anyone who's read into accounts of Hilter will probably know that he could turn on the charm when we wanted to win someone over but with Gerda he's also channelling something unique to his OTL persona, their shared experience of fighting for lost causes and suffering the consequences.

It is difficult to remember that underneath a monster is a human being, with hopes and dreams. Very few people ever think of themselves as evil, and you do a good job it pointing that out.

I bet in another alternate reality, you are a propagandist for a totalitarian regime, because you make one of history's villains so...human.

 

[judaspaladin]

Happy to finally be caught up!

I've really enjoyed the journey so far, I'd say more but I feel others have done a better job articulating this timeline's strengths. I await whatever may come next!

 

[IntellectuallyHonestRhino]

As always, brilliant update @The Red.


As a fellow Hitler writer TL, I have a soft spot for your TL, and it is very interesting to see how you have transformed Red Hitler and how he bounces from situation to situation.

Here, Hitler plays the role of the manipulative villain perfectly. He captures the heart this time not the crowd but the individual, a different and equally hard task. You have done a great job creating a different Hitler with his own unique villainy. Superb update.

 

[jerseyguy]

It will be interesting to see how a communist regime in Berlin affects Eastern European frontiers, there may be less pressure to regain the Polish corridor and other areas in the east without the Junkers' influence on foreign policy.
The warsaw pact regimes suffered serious problems with legitimacy in the eyes of their populations, but nationalism was able to provide a useful fix for this, especially in Poland. During the rigged "three times yes" referendum that brought the Polish communists to power, the question on accepting the new borders was the only one with the support of the population (I think the other two were collectivization of industry and a new constitution).

A red hitler could make the antisemitic purges of Rakosi in Hungary, Pauker in Romania, etc. happen earlier or much worse. I assume the holocaust would't happen if Germany is communist, so marxist-leninist nationality theorists are going to be left scratching their hands nationalities policy for Europe's Jewish communities.

In the 1960s the Soviet government almost paved over Babi War and built a soccer field there, in the '70s they grudgingly built a monument to "Murdered Soviet citizens" and explicitly Jewish symbolism wasn't added to the memorial until the '80s. Members of the politburo and higher ups like Kaganovich might have had Jewish ancestry, but they didn't see themselves as part of a Jewish culture or religion, we could see more bizarre Birobidjzan esque Yiddishland experiments, the attempt to found a red israel, or a much louder and fiercer Refusenik movement if a free Israel exists.

In the interwar period the Polish communist party was almost exclusively made up of Belarusians and Volhynian Ukrainians in the east who felt suffocated by the policies of Warsaw. The predominance of minority got to the point where Stalin ordered the promotion of the few Polish members they had as figureheads in order to make recruitment among Poles in West Galicia and former Congress Poland possible. Without the Nazi invasion and territorial gains it will be much more difficult, perhaps impossible, for a Polish communist government to not portray itself as the branch office of a foreign power or a reincarnation of Congress Poland's autonomy on paper.

The party ended up taking Trotsky's side in the Trotsky-Stalin split, leading Stalin to expel the party from the comintern for a time. A communist Germany will make for a significant amount of intrigue in the other parties, and could make the Comintern more of a red UN than a soviet dominated front group.

 

[jerseyguy]

@The Red I like the way you've integrated art into this timeline, it adds a unique touch that makes this stand out in the crowded field of 20th century Germany timelines. It ties in with Hitler's personal attempts at art, and provides a great showcase of German society at the time. The Otto Dix works really fit the narrative about WW1 for this TL's German communist party.

 

[The Red]

It is difficult to remember that underneath a monster is a human being, with hopes and dreams. Very few people ever think of themselves as evil, and you do a good job it pointing that out.

I bet in another alternate reality, you are a propagandist for a totalitarian regime, because you make one of history's villains so...human.

Thanks for the...compliment?

In all honesty I really do appreciate that the human elements do shine through. They aren't the easiest thing to write and always good to see that people are getting something out of them. Hitler doesn't consider himself as evil but he would probably admit that he has enemies he wants to destroy perhaps with this as primary goal rather than the society that might be built afterwards. Hitler IOTL was always keen to emphasise that he believed he was fighting a life or death struggle, as if he had been forced to invade almost every country in Europe with great reluctance, whereas ITTL Hitler doesn't have the same sentimentality. He doesn't care whether or not he's seen as the aggressor, only that he wins.

Here, Hitler plays the role of the manipulative villain perfectly. He captures the heart this time not the crowd but the individual, a different and equally hard task. You have done a great job creating a different Hitler with his own unique villainy. Superb update.

Thanks! I think his ability to manipulate Gerda largely lies within the fact that they can empathise with each other, even if there's no sympathy there. He knows that the standard spiel won't work with her but that an appeal to finally getting something along the lines of Communism into place after some many defeats and humiliations will appeal. In a way, he's basically admitting that he's not a Good Person but he is the guy that knows what is to be done. I think that Gerda could buy into an appeal like that, and it helps that it leads to her being taken off of the 'People To Be Purged' list.

The warsaw pact regimes suffered serious problems with legitimacy in the eyes of their populations, but nationalism was able to provide a useful fix for this, especially in Poland. During the rigged "three times yes" referendum that brought the Polish communists to power, the question on accepting the new borders was the only one with the support of the population (I think the other two were collectivization of industry and a new constitution).

I think nationalism will come in handy ITTL as well, indeed it's an overt component of German Ideology that a country should be aware of its nationality (even if in a complimentary way rather than integral) when planning on how to build Socialism.

A red hitler could make the antisemitic purges of Rakosi in Hungary, Pauker in Romania, etc. happen earlier or much worse. I assume the holocaust would't happen if Germany is communist, so marxist-leninist nationality theorists are going to be left scratching their hands nationalities policy for Europe's Jewish communities.

In the 1960s the Soviet government almost paved over Babi War and built a soccer field there, in the '70s they grudgingly built a monument to "Murdered Soviet citizens" and explicitly Jewish symbolism wasn't added to the memorial until the '80s. Members of the politburo and higher ups like Kaganovich might have had Jewish ancestry, but they didn't see themselves as part of a Jewish culture or religion, we could see more bizarre Birobidjzan esque Yiddishland experiments, the attempt to found a red israel, or a much louder and fiercer Refusenik movement if a free Israel exists.

As mentioned a while back Hitler's antisemitism is more "restive" ITTL so I'm doubtful that he would see any purge of "rootless cosmopolitans" as a priority. That said, the question of nationality could end up being acted on by more zealous adherents of German Ideology. I suppose the natural answer would be to embrace Bundism but perhaps take it a step further with deliberate attempts at Germanising the Jewish minority. I did consider the Lehi making a deal with the Comintern but at the moment it feels like courting the Arab world would be seen as a far greater prize, as the Soviets eventually did IOTL.

A communist Germany will make for a significant amount of intrigue in the other parties, and could make the Comintern more of a red UN than a soviet dominated front group.

That's an interesting point, although I'd wager that even a more pluralistic Comintern would still be hostile to overt Trotskyism.

@The Red I like the way you've integrated art into this timeline, it adds a unique touch that makes this stand out in the crowded field of 20th century Germany timelines. It ties in with Hitler's personal attempts at art, and provides a great showcase of German society at the time. The Otto Dix works really fit the narrative about WW1 for this TL's German communist party.

Thanks, it was just meant to be a gimmick at first because of the important part art plays at the beginning of the TL but it now feels like it's part of the prject and I always enjoy looking for new pieces to showcase. I'd say Otto Dix is probably my favourite.

 

[Nyvis]

That's an interesting point, although I'd wager that even a more pluralistic Comintern would still be hostile to overt Trotskyism.

Trotskyism is hostile to Trotskyism. It's not a hard bar to reach. And being less hostile to the less overt divergent left currents could bear fruits. As long as they speak like the Germans, arguing that a different way is right for their conditions rather than in absolutes, maybe?

I doubt overt critics of the anti-democratic nature of the leading nations in the Comintern will be welcome anytime soon, but the spectrum of accepted communist parties may expand a little.

 

[IntellectuallyHonestRhino]

One thing interesting about Hitler here is that as a communist he has a lot less friends in high places, especially in Germany. He can't really on any von Papen or any partial judges that sympathize with his right-wing nationalistic views.

 

[MernStahl]

I have wondered if Stalin will turn on Hitler in the final days of the war. Given that I suspect there will be rivalry between the two (as existed historically between communist nations but also with Hitler's "Germany is in a more advanced state of consciousness") I wouldn't be surprised if Stalin, concerned that the...Allies? Entente? will march all the way to Berlin and then on to Moscow (particularly if they have secured the A-bomb, though this isn't guaranteed). Could happen - "blame Hitler, it was all his idea, I don't even dislike capitalism, besides we fought Germany in the last war, eh comrades?" So you could rather hilariously still ended up with a divided Germany.

I know some people thought fascism would be acceptable ITTL but I'm not so sure - one of the sources talks about Mussolini falling to fascism, which suggests it is still regarded in the negative. In addition, the way Mussolini was talked about sort of implies fascist Italy acts like the USSR did for the Allies in OTL - the Token Evil Teammate as it were (though I doubt Italy will be able to make as big a contribution as the Soviets did). Maybe.

Given the war starts in 1936, I wonder if it has anything to do with Spain? I mean if the Spanish civil war does kick of and sources indicate the....Hitlerists (is their an equivalent of the name 'Nazi' ITTL?) takes control of France, so I could see him trying to drive into the Iberian peninsula if the Spanish civil war kicks off. I wonder where the main theatres of fighting will be - likely not the USSR. This could further the Italy-as-USSR idea. Hitler might not also be able to score those early lightning victories he got before - the conquest worker's liberation of France could take much longer, for example.

There's also been speculation about how many people Hitler would kill....I doubt he would reach Nazi levels jut because there's no need for a Holocaust and no war of extermination in the East. He could still kill a lot of people - if you throw in purges, mass executions, possible famines and forced labour camps I could see it - he wouldn't murder the European bourgeoisie outright but could have them all sent to forced re-education camps where they all die from horrible conditions. He could commit some atrocities via taking a heavy-handed approach to partisan warfare maybe - given he still has some racism, if, say, North Africans aren't as receptive to Hiterlism as he likes he might think they're "culturally backwards" and decide to take a 'firmer-hand' - more collective punishments for partisan attacks, forced labour and re-education and so on. Thus I suspect his "red holocaust" (assuming this happens, which is actually not necessarily a given even if it seems a reasonable guess) will be far lower than OTL - maybe 1-2 million at the low end, 3-4 million high end. Still nasty (and of course it will seem greater because there's no Holocaust to compare it to) but not quite as much.

Thanks for the...compliment?

In all honesty I really do appreciate that the human elements do shine through. They aren't the easiest thing to write and always good to see that people are getting something out of them. Hitler doesn't consider himself as evil but he would probably admit that he has enemies he wants to destroy perhaps with this as primary goal rather than the society that might be built afterwards. Hitler IOTL was always keen to emphasise that he believed he was fighting a life or death struggle, as if he had been forced to invade almost every country in Europe with great reluctance, whereas ITTL Hitler doesn't have the same sentimentality. He doesn't care whether or not he's seen as the aggressor, only that he wins.

Wouldn't Red Hitler regard the question of aggression as irrelevant anyway since he believes that the class struggle is real, so for him launching attacks is "aggression" in the same way a slave attacking their slave-owner is "aggression"? That's what I got from the German Ideology.

I really like the German Ideology btw - it's probably one the best original ideology I've seen in fiction (even if it is based on real ones) - most fictional ideologies are just real world ones with a new coat of paint or are rather out-there and illogical, making it unclear why anyone would ever follow it in large numbers without guns being pointed in their face. Marxism-Leninism-Hitlerism manages to be convincingly different and advocate red militarism while still being something that you could see a communist movement supporting, even if it requires a bit of pressing and cutting to make it fit. Fantastic work The Red !

 

[The Red]

The authority of Leninism has been and is decisive. It should be established in such a way as to purge erroneous views everywhere and in radical way. There is no other way out for us communists. If there are things that must and should be said outright, just as they are, this should be done now, at this Conference, before it is too late. Communists, we think, should go to bed with a clear conscience, they should strive to consolidate their unity but without keeping back their reservations, without nurturing feelings of favoritism and hatred. A communist says openly what he feels in his heart and matters will be judged correctly.


~ Enver Hoxha
​

​

Adolf Hitler exhaled deeply as he observed the car carrying Gerda driving off from the window of Johann’s flat

“We’ll need to keep a close eye on her, even if she does have enough brains to realise that my plan is the only chance we have.”

“At this rate we’re going to have to keep a close eye on more people than we have eyes to see with.” Johann remarked, as he picked up a crushed cigarette from his desk and tried to wipe away the dent it had made. Hitler laughed with a wheezy bark.

“Well that won’t do, will it? That’s why tomorrow we’re going to move on every Thalmann associate we know and have them expelled from the party.”

“But you don’t control the Zentrale yet.”

“I will remove the members of the Zentrale who cannot prove their loyalty to the German worker. Yes, and I’ll speak with that Bulgarian lackey of Moscow Dimitrov as well, he’ll be put in his place!”

“Be careful with him, he’s very intelligent by all accounts.”

“Yes, too intelligent to believe the audacity of what I’m planning. Thalmann has the gall to tell him I’m deranged?! I’ll boil up a stew for them that they won’t soon forget!”

Johann recognised the man who had ordered him to burn Castle Wetter to the ground, and for a moment it felt as if the General Secretary was back there with him in that guerilla war.

“I am grateful that you have allowed me to use your apartment for this affair, it’s important that we throw off any potential traitors who may be trying to discern our whereabouts.”

Johann waved the thanks off bashfully, it was about as good a compliment his leader had given him and he wasn’t sure how to react other than with modesty.

“I suppose I wouldn’t be in Berlin if it wasn’t for you.” He finally blurted out

“Yes, I still remember those days in the Ruhr. With us and the French. You were one of the first.” The contemplation seemed to give Hitler a sense of renewed optimism, and he smiled a savage grin that reminded Johann of the one he used to reserve for dying French soldiers.

“I realise that this is not your natural environment but those times will soon change. You used to fly didn’t you?”

“Not for years,” Johann laughed, “There isn’t much call for a Red Front air wing.”

“Soon there will be!” Hitler announced with great relish, “And it will have to be far larger than anything you might have contemplated when you were flying against bands of Freikorps!”

“Soon?” Johann asked with some scepticism.

“Sooner than you might think,” Hitler replied, the calm returning to his voice.

“But first, we need to clear house. Be ready for the call.”

“Always.” Johann raised his fist, but Hitler didn’t return the salute.

“Always?”

“Always, Leader!” Johann shouted out of embarrassment, he still hadn’t got used to that.

Hitler smiled and left with a reminder to be ready for what was to come.

Alone now, Johann returned to what he had been working on the night before. A letter to the journalist he had met at the riot, she had seemed keen to see him again and had given him her name, Eva Braun, an address, and a telephone number of all things. He hadn’t been sure what to do with the phone number but had begun composing a letter in earnest. It had helped to take his mind off events before, but now they seemed to be interfering with his writing skills.

Holding the half-finished letter in his right hand, and the phone number she had given him for her newspaper in the other, Johann suddenly laughed before he headed out towards the telephone kiosk across the street from his flat. What he had to tell her could no longer wait.


---


A blonde woman typed away at the proceedings, Dimitrov seemed to recognise her but if she was aware of it she knowed no emotion, merely typing away as the denunciations of the “Thalmann gang” were read out aloud by the stable but seething General Secretary.


Eva focused her eye on the scene in front of her and took the shot, her heart stirred slightly as the camera clicked. She thought about the chance of exclusivity in being able to take pictures of what seemed to be some sort of abortive coup taking place in the Communist Party of Germany. Unlike the previous oustings of party members this coup seemed to be as much about patriotism as it was about ideology, although she was sure that, as with most of these matters, personality was the real motivating factor.

“Ernst Thalmann’s associations with Moscow have attempted to turn this party into nothing more but a branch of the Comintern, an organisation the Communist Party of Germany admires but does not need to be ruled by, hence he is no longer a member of this party, nor are his associates.”

These condemnations were being read out aloud to Georgi Dimitrov, who sat and took the rant in an affected but distant manner, in the same way a man in terrible debt might listen to a friend complain about how they stubbed their toe.

“This does feel like a rather reckless decision Comrade General Secretary, and this public venue makes it seem especially rash, there are reporters here!”

“Only socialist journalists, I’ve been assured.” Eva felt Hitler’s eyes fall on her and she shuddered involuntarily, looking instead at the blonde woman who continued to gaze at Dimitrov with the same curious, dispassionate look. Her eyes met Johann’s and he gave a supportive smile, before continuing to tear possessions out of a set of desk drawers.

“All the same, this matter of links to the Social Democratic Party is rather embarrassing for you, I thought you might wish to have a tad more discretion when explaining yourself.”

Hitler shook his head.

“I’m more than happy to explain myself,” he replied coolly.

“Our concern is the German worker, and whilst we stand in solidarity with the international working class it must be remembered that our goal is to bring the German worker to power, not to act in the interests of Moscow.”

“That is the concern of the Comintern as a whole Comrade Hitler, as you should well know.”

Dimitrov reminded him with a frustrated tone.

“But the Comintern is no longer fit for purpose!”

Dimitrov, who had been almost sedate beforehand, now stirred with an exasperation that matched the scene.

“This is Trotskyism, Social Fascism!” Dimitrov barked back, having seemingly lost his cool at last and compensating for it with an indignant rage.

“This is patriotism! Love of our country and love of the German worker, as Marx intended for it to be! If the Comintern stands in the way of that, then the Communist Party of Germany will no longer associate itself with such agents of obstruction!”

There was an audible gasp at Hitler’s declaration, causing even some of the Red Front members raking through the desks of pro-Thalmann party members to stop momentarily. Eva couldn’t help but feel it was a perfect moment for another photo but before she could get in focus Dimitrov was already up on his feet, and it looked as if the two men might be about to get into a brawl, before the Bulgarian picked up his papers.

“This is insanity.” He muttered audibly, before leaving alongside those Thalmann supporters who had already been ejected from the KPD’s offices.

Hitler stood in silent contemplation for a moment, waiting for silence as his Red Front leapt to attention.

“Comrades, this has been a day of great anguish I admit, but it has been a reckoning that will see our party grow stronger than ever. No longer yoked to the incompetent and out of touch directives from Moscow we shall forge our own path, one in which we shall lead the German worker to triumph!”

There was a cheer that reverberated around the room as Hitler’s momentary rage now became the bombastic joy of a man who had not only survived, but appeared to be redeemed. Eva took another picture of the grinning, leering face and wondered how this would be presented to the outside world.

If the triumph of the German workers was truly beckoning, there would be more than a few people who would take heed of Hitler’s words as a sign that they had to act to put a stop to it.



---


Near Brenner, The Future,



Rosa focused her eye on the scene in front of her but in the end she decided not to take the shot. She trusted the sight on her rifle and her own aim, but it was better not to let the Italians know that a German could get this close to them, at least until it was too late.

After all, she was there to survey, not to hunt.

Having taken a few more notes on the Italian position she decided that it was dark enough to slip away, something that was hard to do without attracting attention to herself even with her assorted costume of camouflage and foliage. She had been stuck observing in the same position for several hours and her sudden movements caused to back to give her sharp pains and relief at the same time in an odd mix of protest and satisfaction. Rosa simply ignored the sensations, they were always the same, and worming her way through the clay and mud of the mountain springtime was her sole focus until she could be sure she was out of sight of the enemy that the Rote Armee had been sharing these Alps with for far too long.

There would be a reckoning soon, she assured herself, comforted that she had managed to slide down a ravine without breaking anything. Finally able to stand on two feet without becoming a target, she jogged back towards the German line as quietly as she hoped was possible without having to ditch her cumbersome Vollmer machine gun.

After the strain of returning to her comrades, the red banner of the Hammer, Rifle, and Star was always a comforting sight. Shouting out her allotted codeword she was called over and given a curt nod by the sentry instead of a salute, she might have scolded him for it if they weren’t both aware that salutes were excellent sniper bait. Rosa’s Stabsgefreiter rank allowed her that privilege even if she had heard that to achieve it all you had to do was learn the words to the national anthem.

She had always laughed at such jokes, it meant she wouldn’t have to admit that she tended to hum along when it came to singing Dem Morgenrot Entgegen.

All the same, she had been through her Heeresbergführer training as part of one of the first all-woman classes and at the end she had come out with a rank and an allocated task, one that allowed her to be as close to the frontline as possible even if she would be restricted in what she could actually do to land a blow directly against the International Financier Plot. Scouts carried rifles, even if they weren’t supposed to shoot them. That had been good enough for her.

Walking through the German encampment to make her report she approached a welcoming glow and noticed an artillery crew had made a fire to try and ward off the cold. Their scarlet insignias matched her faces as they tried to keep warm.

“Fanatical or not they’re doomed all the same, when we hit them they’ll either run or get caught up in our barrage and we’ll be in Rome in no time, just wait and see.” One of the artillerywomen was announcing to her comrades with a reassuring optimism. Apparently they had been discussing the rumours that there were Italian mountaineering troops nearby, the dreaded Alpini.

“It’s Milan for me,” one said in a more sing song voice, “wine and risotto in Milan, I’ve been dreaming of that ever since we first reached this muddy wasteland.”

“Milan will be much the same by the time we get there, another complained, the whole country’s falling to bits if the radio is to be believed, and by the time we’ve fought over it we’ll have a crisis on our hands. No Italian waiters to serve you Risotto, just millions of starving people who we’ll need to look after.”

“You’re a bit of a pessimist for a volunteer aren’t you?” Rosa shouted, causing them all to turn suddenly as if the Volksfuhrer himself had suddenly appeared. The Rote Armee was keen to get as many women as possible into roles that would free up men for the front but the law stipulated that they still had to volunteers. It had led to many awkward conversations between devoted patriots and their parents, Rosa’s mother had certainly been one of them, but it usually meant that there was at least good morale when they reached the front.

“I’m not pessimistic Comrade,” She replied with some hesitation, “It’s just that...this war was inevitable, the fascists and imperialists brought us into it, as the Volksfuhrer said they would, and we need to fight it. But that doesn’t mean I have to like war or buy the claptrap that it’s somehow glorious or an opportunity for tourism.” She sought a look at the Milan enthusiast who merely shrugged in response.

“We all have our ways of getting through this war, Comrade.” Rosa retorted wearily as she took off her camouflaged stahlhelm. “We don’t have to pretend we like war but we can take pride in what we’re fighting for. And I have heard that Milan is beautiful.”

“It will be a worker’s city soon!” The initial optimist added.

“And I doubt you’ll get to see it unless you get this fire out right away, remember you’re at the front now. Mosquitoes come at night.” Rosa shifted to her authoritative Not-Quite-NCO tone and one of the artillerywomen reluctantly threw a bucket of dirt over the once-thriving fire.

Soon it was dark and cold once more, the only brightness coming from the headlights of the Kombinant trucks approaching the encampment on their way to the front. Rosa’s fellow Gerbigsjager happily sang Wenn Wir Marschieren in good cheer as they went off to face the enemy in their mechanised flotilla.

Rosa wondered how many of them would be in good spirits after their first round with the Alpini, yet she envied them all the same.


---


The painting is The Breakup by Brittni Emery.

I hope everyone has a Merry Christmas!

 

[cortz#9]

Merry Christmas to too Red.

 

[Tannenberg]

It seems that the flashforward was from the Italian Front and it's very likely that its on the beggining of the war: after all everyone seems pretty optimistic. Is interesting that female integration is more common on the German Red Army than on other Armies on OTL. That or they accept female voluteers. How ironic is that Mussolini will probably be remembered in a fairly good light (as a pretty controversial character of course) for fighting against Hitler. How long will last his stand against him is on the air yet

 

[Youngmarshall]

It seems that the flashforward was from the Italian Front and it's very likely that its on the beggining of the war: after all everyone seems pretty optimistic.

I'm not sure how early it is. Rosa says the germans have been sharing these mountains with the enemy for 'far too long' and then later that she wondered how the newbies optimism will stand up once they encounter the 'dreaded' alpini in battle.

I'd guess around somewhere around six months to a year of fighting with little progress, myself. And the new troops are part of one big push that's supposed to end it.

 

[Tannenberg]

I'm not sure how early it is. Rosa says the germans have been sharing these mountains with the enemy for 'far too long' and then later that she wondered how the newbies optimism will stand up once they encounter the 'dreaded' alpini in battle.

I'd guess around somewhere around six months to a year of fighting with little progress, myself. And the new troops are part of one big push that's supposed to end it.

Maybe is a reference to the fact that the Germans and the Italians have been sharing the border of the Alps (Anchluss probably stil happens) for a considerable amount of time. The phrase could be a reference to the existent military tension on the German- Italian border on the time period prior to the war. Following this train of thought, the battle is about to resolve this tension and the Alps would be on the full control of one side or the other

 

[MernStahl]

The comments by the soldiers imply the war has just begun, since they talk in the present tense yet not much has elapsed.

Maybe I was right about Musolini? Then again, apparently Italy is filled with chaos, so will she fall sooner rather than later? Then again, we are only told that this news came from the radio, so we have no idea how true it actually is. I have to wonder if "we'll be in Rome in no time" will become the equivalent of "we only have to kick in the door". Good lord, a TL where fascist Italy will actually kick some arse. Move to ASB .

The fact that the soldier says they were brought into the war makes me wonder if Germany kicks it off in reaction to another event. If Germany were attacked I think the soldier would've said so but the comment indicates Germany felt she was "forced to join".

And the International Financier Plot carries currency amongst the Rote Armee. Consistent with what I said earlier I have a feeling this will be used to justify suppression of the civilian population with hand-wavy arguments about it being necessary to stop the IFP and its allies. The line about looking after the populace of Milan is also consistent with the idea that DAR will probably be less brutal than the Nazis were however, though this could ramp up over time (especially if she starts to lose the war).

I wonder how Anschluss happened. And what will happen to the Sudeten Germans. Given Hitler's still extant German nationalism I wonder if he will aim to "liberate" the Sudeten Germans.

And Merry Christmas!

 

[akoslows]

The fact that the soldier says they were brought into the war makes me wonder if Germany kicks it off in reaction to another event. If Germany were attacked I think the soldier would've said so but the comment indicates Germany felt she was "forced to join".

Well, with what little knowledge we have of TTL’s WW2, it’s entirely possible this is just information the soldier got from state propaganda.