Odd that instead of a beach I'm picturing them in a Berlin pub chugging beers and watching the Hertha game.
Marc A
Stupid Luck and Happenstance, Thread III
- Thread starter Peabody-Martini
- Start date
Marc A
Just as Kat was there for Kiki when she got her first period, Kiki is there for Marie.
This may push Kiki in to becoming an OB/GYN which is both logical on a personal level for Kiki and on the story level as in the future if Kiki does become an OB/GYN then she is going to be the one to explain things to Nella and Nan at the behest of Charlotte and later for the other characters that have young girls.
This may push Kiki in to becoming an OB/GYN which is both logical on a personal level for Kiki and on the story level as in the future if Kiki does become an OB/GYN then she is going to be the one to explain things to Nella and Nan at the behest of Charlotte and later for the other characters that have young girls.
I can just see the her superiors now:
Senior Officer: "But your in the military, the FSR... you can't be an OB/GYN!"
Kiki: "And just how many women serve in the armed services these days?"
We saw something very similar in the Space Program a few chapters back. The need for this is obvious, if unacknowledged.
I suppose it's depending who's paying for the drinks? Schultz quite liked holidaying in Havana as I recall and did a lot of business in South America. Von Wovogle was never a fussy drinker and Horst would probably be happy sitting in a deckchair in the sun reading the newspaper and putting the fear of God into any passing angel that made him lower his paper....
As much as Kiki was moulded as a person by Kat von Mischner, as a Doctor in training, she’s been guided by Dr Nora Berg and in some mysterious way by Peter von Holz’s deceased colleague (and coodabeen lady love) whose name escapes me.
I wonder how the rest of the world is viewing this "police action." It could look like Hungary 1956 or it could look like the National Guard restoring order after the 1992 LA Riots, depending on how Polish actions beforehand were reported. Did the German press bury the events of New Years day to avoid international embarrassment?
Either way, the Polish diaspora is probably trashing German car lots all over Canada and the US. Also, expect a lot of money to come in to "fund the struggle" a la Sinn Fein.
Either way, the Polish diaspora is probably trashing German car lots all over Canada and the US. Also, expect a lot of money to come in to "fund the struggle" a la Sinn Fein.
I mean, this is Hungary '56 levels.
Just because we "know" Germany is in the right, doesn't make this any less of an international PR clusterfuck. Expect the next major US election to involve a lot of questions about why the administration didn't take a hard line against Germany.
Hell, I'd expect a hardening of "anti-German" sentiment across Europe, especially France considering the deep historical ties between Poland and France.
-edit-
Actually, scratch the Hungary '56 above, this is more on the lines of Afghanistan '79 if we want to talk Soviet actions.
Just because we "know" Germany is in the right, doesn't make this any less of an international PR clusterfuck. Expect the next major US election to involve a lot of questions about why the administration didn't take a hard line against Germany.
Hell, I'd expect a hardening of "anti-German" sentiment across Europe, especially France considering the deep historical ties between Poland and France.
-edit-
Actually, scratch the Hungary '56 above, this is more on the lines of Afghanistan '79 if we want to talk Soviet actions.
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While I am sure that the situation is far from good for Germany, remember that Poland is independant of Germany. Sure they are integrated into the Empire to a very large degree, but outside of Louis being the nominal King, with whatever powers that brings, we know little about the actual set up and situation.
So should Louis and Germany have done more and earlier? Sure! But if the Poles were not forthcomming with information and are in fact drumming the independance drum, what could Louis have done?
Again we do not really know what powers he has, but I remember that the Poles were happy his father was King as long as he did one speach a year and then buggered of.
Add that the Polish Gov. was actively trying to cut out the German Kaiser and seems to have backing from a good portion of the population, could Louis have intervened before this? Becasue if he does that, it will look far more like Prague in OTL then right now.
So should Louis and Germany have done more and earlier? Sure! But if the Poles were not forthcomming with information and are in fact drumming the independance drum, what could Louis have done?
Again we do not really know what powers he has, but I remember that the Poles were happy his father was King as long as he did one speach a year and then buggered of.
Add that the Polish Gov. was actively trying to cut out the German Kaiser and seems to have backing from a good portion of the population, could Louis have intervened before this? Becasue if he does that, it will look far more like Prague in OTL then right now.
Hoyahoo9
Donor
I'm not so sure whether Hungary '56 is an accurate parallel. Hungary was a functionally occupied and suppressed, humorlessly clamped-down authoritarian state that had been thoroughly and disdainfully puppetized by the USSR. While a small sliver of communist true believers and those who played along benefitted from the system, the vast majority of the population was fearful, oppressed and resentful. The short term flowering of nationalistic, comparatively liberal government inspired the yearning people to take to the streets.
In sharp contrast, this timeline's Poland has been given a large degree of self-determination and independence, albeit within a federated empire type structure. There are massive economic benefits to this close affiliation with the German Empire; and I dare say the majority of Polish people are (and know they are) far better off because of it. They have been incentivized through personal experience and economic success to appreciate the status quo.
That said, nationalism is a funny, dangerous thing that makes otherwise rational people do seriously irrational things (I'm looking at you, my fellow Americans). Its certain that even those Poles whose lives are infinitely better off in the German Empire still harbor wistful thoughts of a gloriously independent Poland in their hearts. But for the most part, this will merely manifest itself in tavern bravado declarations, or prejudicial feelings and actions against post-WWII settlers in the south. Now, there are also still a significantly large minority who will want to push this farther and, against all reason, think they can win glorious independence for Greater Poland. Unfortunately, these geniuses make up the government in Warsaw. They may be calling the shots on this s*#t show and have deluded themselves into thinking they can pull it off, but I seriously question whether the hearts and minds of even a bare majority of their own people are solidly behind them.
In sharp contrast, this timeline's Poland has been given a large degree of self-determination and independence, albeit within a federated empire type structure. There are massive economic benefits to this close affiliation with the German Empire; and I dare say the majority of Polish people are (and know they are) far better off because of it. They have been incentivized through personal experience and economic success to appreciate the status quo.
That said, nationalism is a funny, dangerous thing that makes otherwise rational people do seriously irrational things (I'm looking at you, my fellow Americans). Its certain that even those Poles whose lives are infinitely better off in the German Empire still harbor wistful thoughts of a gloriously independent Poland in their hearts. But for the most part, this will merely manifest itself in tavern bravado declarations, or prejudicial feelings and actions against post-WWII settlers in the south. Now, there are also still a significantly large minority who will want to push this farther and, against all reason, think they can win glorious independence for Greater Poland. Unfortunately, these geniuses make up the government in Warsaw. They may be calling the shots on this s*#t show and have deluded themselves into thinking they can pull it off, but I seriously question whether the hearts and minds of even a bare majority of their own people are solidly behind them.
The response to this crisis from the United States is going to be interesting as there is a large Polish-American community and a large German-American community that will be vying for the sympathy of the American people and there is going to be a lot of different stories being told in order to sell their viewpoints with a lot of facts being left out and a lot of sob stories being left in.
The fact that after what happened in the Balkans when the phrase "Ethnic Cleansing" was introduced to the world and that apparently is the announced goal of the Polish Nationalist government the Polish government is not going to get a lot of support from the American people.
The fact that after what happened in the Balkans when the phrase "Ethnic Cleansing" was introduced to the world and that apparently is the announced goal of the Polish Nationalist government the Polish government is not going to get a lot of support from the American people.
Not sure if the Poland crisis really maps to anything IOTL, but the reactions should be interesting. I think its going to depend on if the problem seems solved by the end of it. If it is, then the USA at the very least is going to come off seeming second best due to their perennial race issues and their inability to solve it. It will be interesting to watch because the reaction is going to have to be based on if what the Empire does works or not... and if it does the precedent going forward is going to cause a major divergence between mores IOTL and ITTL, beyond whats already happened that is.
Part 113, Chapter 1859
Chapter One Thousand Eight Hundred Fifty-Nine
23rd July 1968
Kattowitz
There were a lot of headaches involved with this operation as Hans was discovering because it was entirely his show and his temporary headquarters was a hive of activity as they prepared for the upcoming mission. The Commander of Army Group North, Dietrich Schultz, had caused Hans no end of trouble from afar. He had a hard time squaring the man on the phone with the man who had occasionally come around as the husband of one his sister’s dear friends. The 5th and 8th Armies were collectively aghast at being under the command of what they regarded as a complete lunatic along with the presence of the Marine Infantry Divisions who they were now considered on par with. There was also General Schultz’s rather unorthodox ideas in how to carry out the campaign that made the more conservative among them really howl. Hans figured that if Schultz got the same reaction from the Poles in a few days then he would be doing something right.
Then there was his dear sister who had learned that her youngest daughter had passed a major life milestone without her because of the crisis. Hans was afraid of what Kat was capable of when came to making the Polish Government pay for that. He knew from past experience that expecting her to do something insane when she got angry was in fact underestimating her. Cranking the insanity up to ten and then setting the dial on fire was probably closer to what was about to happen as the KSK went into Poland.
Here in Silesia it was a different story, Hans had the 2nd, 3rd, and 6th Armies under his direct command. He had been surprised to see that his former command, the 3rd Landwehr, based in Silesia had greeted him with a lot of fanfare. They had been tasked with setting up the logistics ahead of his arrival and clearly remembered him. He had also received word from Kurt Knispel that the Bohemian Panzer Corps was prepared to jump across the border into Galicia as soon as he did. Hans would need to correct Kurt as soon as he saw him. The disputed territory was legally a part of Poland until the political process played out. Talk about this matter where it seemed like they were taking sides would complicate the mission and Hans didn’t want that.
“Sir, your notes for the press conference are ready” One of his aides said upon entering his office. “Do I need to go over the points with you again?”
Of all the things that Hans had ever thought that he had needed, a team of Public Relations Officers had not exactly been too high on the list. They were the ones who had insisted on coaching him in how to answer questions from the press without actually telling them anything of any importance. Join the Army and learn a trade, Hans thought to himself sarcastically.
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Meeting the Tigress earlier that week had been unexpected. Fürstin von Mischner had arrived at 7th Recon’s bivouac and had requested to meet with Christian personally. It seemed that she had known his Uncle Karl decades earlier and hoped that Christian would prove just as brave and resourceful as he had been. Naturally, he had a lot of questions with his father’s oldest brother having died years before Christian had been born. The Fürstin had been happy to answer them, stating that Christian’s Uncle had been an explosives expert in the Heer before he had been recruited by Abwehr. That included being part of the team that had worked directly for Jacob von Schmidt and led by Johann Schultz. Those were two names that Christian was familiar with. She had then mentioned that Christian’s Uncle had attempted to disarm the bomb in the basement of the Reichstag while the evacuation had been going on throughout the building. When the Knight’s Cross of the Iron Cross had been instituted in 1944, Karl Weise had been the first soldier to be awarded the medal, posthumously.
Christian’s Uncle Karl had been a face in a photograph that his Grandmother kept on the mantlepiece and no one had ever talked about him. The Fürstin had described him as a fun prankster, the sort who could make a bomb out of nearly anything and had been all around the world. He had also been someone who had gone into a dangerous situation to save lives, knowing that the odds were heavily stacked against him, without any thought for himself.
All of that had left Christian rather thoughtful as the 7th Recon prepared to be one of the first elements of the 2nd Army to cross into Poland. He had recently been promoted to Gefreiter and when the 7th had gotten orders for movement, he had been a bit put out. Manny was stuck babysitting the Emperor, taking part in the elaborate rituals that took place at the Imperial Residence and the Neue Wache for the next year so that tourists could gawk at him. He was going to be out where the real action was. Manny told him not to worry about it and had been amused by Christian’s introduction to his Aunt Kat. It seemed that there was an entirely different side to the woman who he had met a few days earlier.
Looking at the Iltis that would be his ride for however long this thing lasted, Christian’s personal hope was that his luck would be far better than his Uncle’s had been. He hated to think of it that way, but that really was his present lot in life.
23rd July 1968
Kattowitz
There were a lot of headaches involved with this operation as Hans was discovering because it was entirely his show and his temporary headquarters was a hive of activity as they prepared for the upcoming mission. The Commander of Army Group North, Dietrich Schultz, had caused Hans no end of trouble from afar. He had a hard time squaring the man on the phone with the man who had occasionally come around as the husband of one his sister’s dear friends. The 5th and 8th Armies were collectively aghast at being under the command of what they regarded as a complete lunatic along with the presence of the Marine Infantry Divisions who they were now considered on par with. There was also General Schultz’s rather unorthodox ideas in how to carry out the campaign that made the more conservative among them really howl. Hans figured that if Schultz got the same reaction from the Poles in a few days then he would be doing something right.
Then there was his dear sister who had learned that her youngest daughter had passed a major life milestone without her because of the crisis. Hans was afraid of what Kat was capable of when came to making the Polish Government pay for that. He knew from past experience that expecting her to do something insane when she got angry was in fact underestimating her. Cranking the insanity up to ten and then setting the dial on fire was probably closer to what was about to happen as the KSK went into Poland.
Here in Silesia it was a different story, Hans had the 2nd, 3rd, and 6th Armies under his direct command. He had been surprised to see that his former command, the 3rd Landwehr, based in Silesia had greeted him with a lot of fanfare. They had been tasked with setting up the logistics ahead of his arrival and clearly remembered him. He had also received word from Kurt Knispel that the Bohemian Panzer Corps was prepared to jump across the border into Galicia as soon as he did. Hans would need to correct Kurt as soon as he saw him. The disputed territory was legally a part of Poland until the political process played out. Talk about this matter where it seemed like they were taking sides would complicate the mission and Hans didn’t want that.
“Sir, your notes for the press conference are ready” One of his aides said upon entering his office. “Do I need to go over the points with you again?”
Of all the things that Hans had ever thought that he had needed, a team of Public Relations Officers had not exactly been too high on the list. They were the ones who had insisted on coaching him in how to answer questions from the press without actually telling them anything of any importance. Join the Army and learn a trade, Hans thought to himself sarcastically.
----------------------------------------------------------------
Meeting the Tigress earlier that week had been unexpected. Fürstin von Mischner had arrived at 7th Recon’s bivouac and had requested to meet with Christian personally. It seemed that she had known his Uncle Karl decades earlier and hoped that Christian would prove just as brave and resourceful as he had been. Naturally, he had a lot of questions with his father’s oldest brother having died years before Christian had been born. The Fürstin had been happy to answer them, stating that Christian’s Uncle had been an explosives expert in the Heer before he had been recruited by Abwehr. That included being part of the team that had worked directly for Jacob von Schmidt and led by Johann Schultz. Those were two names that Christian was familiar with. She had then mentioned that Christian’s Uncle had attempted to disarm the bomb in the basement of the Reichstag while the evacuation had been going on throughout the building. When the Knight’s Cross of the Iron Cross had been instituted in 1944, Karl Weise had been the first soldier to be awarded the medal, posthumously.
Christian’s Uncle Karl had been a face in a photograph that his Grandmother kept on the mantlepiece and no one had ever talked about him. The Fürstin had described him as a fun prankster, the sort who could make a bomb out of nearly anything and had been all around the world. He had also been someone who had gone into a dangerous situation to save lives, knowing that the odds were heavily stacked against him, without any thought for himself.
All of that had left Christian rather thoughtful as the 7th Recon prepared to be one of the first elements of the 2nd Army to cross into Poland. He had recently been promoted to Gefreiter and when the 7th had gotten orders for movement, he had been a bit put out. Manny was stuck babysitting the Emperor, taking part in the elaborate rituals that took place at the Imperial Residence and the Neue Wache for the next year so that tourists could gawk at him. He was going to be out where the real action was. Manny told him not to worry about it and had been amused by Christian’s introduction to his Aunt Kat. It seemed that there was an entirely different side to the woman who he had met a few days earlier.
Looking at the Iltis that would be his ride for however long this thing lasted, Christian’s personal hope was that his luck would be far better than his Uncle’s had been. He hated to think of it that way, but that really was his present lot in life.
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After the Balkans, and the failure of the LoN to stop the slaughter, there is no way in hell that the Germans are going to allow anything that approaches those atrocities occurring right next door. You can be damn sure that they are loudly proclaiming that very loudly in the world press, reminding everyone that the Polish government has been driving this confrontation and rebuffing every attempt by the Polish King to peacefully settle the disputes.
Well, Tilo does have a lot in common with Kat when it comes to battle. "Rule book? What rule book?"
Hans is still underestimating Kat himself, I see. Although he is closer than anyone else.
Kat, Hans & Tilo handle the military side of the conflict while Nancy handles the far messier PR campaign.
Exactly how far and wide has Kat's reputation as a terrible swift sword spread? Because if it were me I'd use that to maximum effect in PsyOps. "Soldiers of Poland, the Tigress and her Posse is coming for you. Surrender now and be spared of her wrath." <-- you know, leaflets and broadcasts along similar lines.
Do you want Karol Wojtyla, Governor of Poland? Because that's how you get Karol Wojtyla, Governor of Poland.
Marc A