The 2nd Great War

  • Thread starter Deleted member 1487
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Though Germany remained a republic, in practice Fuchs was able to pass through any law or action he needed in parliment.
It remained a republic in OTL, too, of course, right up to 1945, when it stopped being.
Perhaps you mean something like 'Though Germany remained a democracy in theory, in practice Fuchs was able to pass any law or action he needed through the Reichstag'?
Republic=/=Democracy, after all.
Regardless of any such nitpicks, interesting timeline.
 

Deleted member 1487

You are right about the situation as far as OTL history. But yes, Fuchs still has to deal with parliment and act within a democracy. Just wait until Japan invades China ;), things really pick up.
 
You are right about the situation as far as OTL history. But yes, Fuchs still has to deal with parliment and act within a democracy. Just wait until Japan invades China ;), things really pick up.

Hmmm should be interesting. Maybe instead of an American volunteer group, we have a German one instead? Fw-190 vs. AM6 Zero :D
 

Deleted member 1487

1937

With the coming of the new year, the German economy was on the rise. Trade was resuming at a increasing rate and foreign investments in German industry were creating unprecedented expansion of production. Volkswagen was on its way to becoming the largest automotive manufacturer in Europe. The new vehicle, known as the Bug or German model T, was quickly becoming ubiquitous on the Autobahn and in many eastern European nations. Opel was also significantly the most common truck model east of Strasbourg. Despite all these economic successes, serious political issues were rising in Western Europe.

Within Britain, increasing numbers of people dissatisfied with the defacto coalition with Germany were rallying around a politician, Winston Churchill. Opposed to German rearmament, he rallied several conservative groups to his cause, including the maligned British Fascist Union. Though as yet a minority, their power was on the rise. In France, conservative factions were calling for more money for the military to counter rising German power. Informal links were made with men like Oswald Mosley, who was able to pass information and messages to Churchill. Though the grand coalition was maintained in France, the foundation was increasingly shaky and the country was quickly becoming polarised. Figures like Charles de Gaul would provide a face to the counter culture to the Socialist current running through the nation. Within the French military, there was concern that with Britain falling into a understanding with Germany, new allies would need to be found. The Italians seemed to be a solid choice, with a history of anti-German sentiment, but they would prove to be coy. Poland still seemed to be an ally of sorts, but had signed a treaty with Germany. Romania and Czechoslovakia could be lured back into the little Entente with work. But without Britain, even a coalition of small nations would not be enough to check German power. Finally it was decided that links with Britain would need to be renewed, but new leadership was necessary. Quietly French conservative groups would begin to fund Churchills efforts.

In the Wehrmacht, new ships were being constructed, with heavier ships for control of the Baltic being built. The German navy was still small, but was well poised to lock up access to the North Sea. Efforts for the creation of a Uboot force was still in its infancy, and was Doenitz was still pushing hard for extra boats and money. Fuchs still was unwilling to commit, the relationship with Britain still foremost in his mind.
The Luftwaffe was stuck in a furious debate with the army over the tasks it should be developed for. Fritsch and Blomberg demanded that the LW be a tactical service that supported the Army as flying artillery. Wever however wanted an independent service with a focus on strategic bombing. The issue became increasingly heated, as Wever refused to adapt his vision. Already the LW had given up so much of its responsiblities such as the paratroopers and their transport, which were made army units. Also the navy had inherited naval bombing units, with their own research and training. Fuchs himself was forced to intercede and order a compromise. He ordered Wever to focus on a tactical service, but have a strategic group to retaliate in case of attacks on German cities. Though upset, Wever would fulfill his orders. The army was increasingly becoming motorized and mechanized. 3 Panzer divisions were completed with half compliments of tanks. The panzer I (equilivalent to the Pz II OTL) was available, but the panzer II (Pz III OTL) was still under development. The decision to focus on a 50mm gun had delayed production. 3 more divisions were being formed, but were no where near completion. The motorized divisions were enough to fill a large corps and more were being formed, but gas was still a concern. Synthetic production and domestic pumping were increasing, but slowly. Later that year a book written by a Major General Heinz Guderian caught Fuchs' eye. After reading about the potential of armored forces, he gave Blomberg the task of emphasizing their production. He was heavily influenced by his own experiences in the War, many of which were mentioned in the book 'Achtung Panzer'.

Finally, the invasion of China by Japan shook up the League. Germany led the call for sanctions on Japan, which prompted the Japanese withdrawal from the League. As no other nation was willing to enforce the trade sanctions, Germany felt compelled to act. The expeditionary force arrived within the first month of the war. Soon German Me 109's were dogfighting with Japanese Zeros. The condor legion was led by Werner Moelders fought extremely well, wracking up crushing totals with up to 10:1 victories. The tactical bombing forces were valuable in cultivating experience for the development of a variety of close air support units and tactical logistic bombers. The armor formations were able to act unopposed by serious Japanese competition, cutting a swath disproportionate to their numbers. Links were developed between LW and armored units, with armored forward observers accompanying the Panzers for better coordination. The Japanese would come to fear the sirens of German dive bombers, causing even the vaunted Imperial Guard to flee before its awful wail. The addition of cluster, napalm, and phosphorous bombs would make the LW a hated and effective organization, admired by the Chinese. US observers would carry the lessons learned and their respect for the LW back to the States with them. The Japanese were stuck in a vicious quagmire.
 
Hmm I wonder what is the superior plane, the AM6 or the Bf-109? The 109 has advantages in armament and protection. Would the Zero be more manuverable?

Back on topic, very nice. The quick adoption of the Panzer II and III is smart. The next generation should consist manily of Panzer IVs, armed with their long barrelled 75mm. For heavier opposition a Panther either with a 75 or 88mm would be prefect (Work out techincal defects. However should be easy since it shouldn't be rushed into development).

Great stuff!
 

Deleted member 1487

1938

The world was once again caught up in wars of conquest and civil strife. In China, things progressively became worse, as the best trained Chinese troops were being continually called upon to man the breach time after time. Their numbers dwindled as their missions grew. But the Japanese were in the same situation. The war was much more brutal than the generals had thought and Tokyo lost control over those officers. They started the war and were intent on finishing it, regardless of what the weak emperor thought. Japanese airplanes were bombing civilians in an attempt to break Chinese spirits. But with every atrocity, it seemed that the resolve of their enemy was strengthened. Cities would fall after brutal street fights only to be retaken by determined Chinese counter attacks. Even with most of the northern coast seized, the war only ground on. Chiang refused to negotiate until all of China was liberated and the Japanese generals refused to lose face by retreating.

Though technically not at war, German and Japanese troops clashed where ever a major offensive struck. A Panzer and infantry division plus numerous smaller units made up the expeditionary force, as did numerous advisers for Chinese army. Honing their tactics, men like Guderian, Rommel, and Manstein slashed with the IJA. Above, the Luftwaffe defended Chinese cities and bombed attacking Japanese divisions. The invaluable experienced gained was related by rotating units that returned to Germany. Additionally, in relatiation for the bombing of Chinese cities, experimental units of heavy bombers would strike Japanese cities, such as Nagasaki. These pilots would be hansomly rewarded by Chiang Kai Shek for their efforts. These threats would force the Japanese to withdraw fighters to defend the homeland, but this would prove wildly inadequate as there simply was not enough air squadrons to go around. The Zero would also prove incapable to shooting down these bombers without massive numbers of hits, as the guns were underpowered for such armored units. Though painted with Chinese markings and techinically owned by the Chinese airforce, these strikes would nearly cause an all out war with Japan. For diplomatic reasons, they would be discontinued quickly. But important lessons were learned about targeting cities and the necessity of long range escorts. The war in Asia would prove to be a boon to the Wehrmacht, one that would continue to season German troops for years.

In Spain the conflict still raged without decision in sight. The Communist party had started to gain control in the Republican side, aided by the Soviet purges of opposing factions. The Nationalists were still solidly supported by Mussolini and Italian military units, unwilling to give up. The political situation would isolate the Fascists from most European nations, but trade would still flow over the Alps. Italy was also able to seek out support with other nations, including Romania, with whom Italy had a special connection. This tie would expand into a greater relationship, as the tiny nation sought allies against the Soviets and Hungary.

But the most important event was the Sudeten crisis. Since late 1937, Abwehr (german intelligence) had sought to aggravate tensions within the multiethnic nation to support the annexation of the province. As nearly 3 million ethnic Germans lived in Czechoslovakia, it was of great importance to Fuchs to reunite them with the only German speaking nation in Europe. Also, by annexing the border region of Czechoslovakia, the tiny nation would be defenseless and under German economic control. Fuchs also would have enormous support in Central Europe for this play, as all nations surrounding Czechoslovakia had claims on its territory. After the minorities on all sides had been agitated enough to openly rebel against the government. Fuchs had the League call a meeting in Munich to discuss the revision of borders. Once again France was appalled, was were conservatives in Britain, but most nations supported the revision of borders, as the treaty of Versailles had been grossly unfair to many ethnicities that currently resided in the small country. Germany would be awarded with the Sudeten and would receive a large number of immigrants moving from other enclaves outside of the annexed region. Hungary would gain nearly 500,000 new citizen from the Slovakian border and Poland would gain the valuable coal mines from the Polish majority Teschen region. In one act, Czechoslovakia was neutered and defenceless. The valuable Skoda works still remained in Czech hands, but the resources necessary for its industry were required from its neighbors.

France once again committed to rearmament and modernization, but also a propaganda effort in Britain. Advertising was paid for to highlight a newly aggressive Germany and its threat to Europe. Many in Britain thought such efforts silly, but a growing minority agreed and flocked to Churchill's banner. More money flowed into his efforts at gaining power from French wallets, but the fight was difficult. However, this would prove to be the beginning of Winston's rise in British politics, as more people began to listen to the conservative faction.

Within Germany, Fuchs was planning his next goal....Poland.
 

Deleted member 1487

After the resolution of the Sudeten crisis, Fuchs made plans for the reacquistion of the Polish corridor. After the experience at Munich, most of the German diplomatic corps concluded that Britain was a defacto ally. In almost all of the crises of the 1930's Britain had cleved to Germany and increasingly eschued the French entente. Banking on this support and France's increasing inablility to find continental allies, Fuchs okayed the Abwehr mission to create unrest among the German minorites in Poland. Long viewed as the most onerous clause of the Versailles Diktat, Fuchs planned to regain this strip of land to connect Germany with the Prussian oblast. By cutting of Poland from the sea, she, like the reduced Czechoslovakia, would be at the mercy of German economic dominance. This influence would be used to force an eastern alliance against the Soviets. Fuchs did not see Poland as the destiny of Germany, rather, it would be Germany's buffer against the Communists. It was hoped that by organizing a coalition of Eastern states under the German aegis, a version of Mitteleuropa would be created that would form an economic colony of Grossdeutschland. As the Western states looked increasingly weak to the newly formed states of the East, the growing power of the Soviets would force these small nations to turn to a strong ally, Germany. As it was, nations like Lithuania could be bullied at will to give Fuchs what he wanted. When he 'requested' Memel back in March, Lithuania returned it without argument, as they rightly concluded no one would stand up for their claim on the province.

Abroad, Fuchs had a very high reputation, especially in the US. The German intervention in China boosted his 'good guy' credentials, as most Americans viewed the Japanese invasion and actions in China as dispicable. This view was also aided by a famous American film "from here to eternity" that depicted the German Luftwaffe's attempts to defend Chinese cities from arial attacks. Said film also included a love story of a dashing pilot falling for a Chinese girl that he must defend. It would win an academy award and the hearts of many American youths. Additionally, trade and investments between the two nations came to strengthen ties, as would the personal relationships between Jewish members of the brain trusts of both nations. Many extremists in Germany would complain that Fuchs favored the Jews too much in his government jobs, to which he would retort "Give me a Christian that can do the job better and I will hire him!" This expression would be significant to the Jewish community in Germany, as it showed the Chancellor viewed the community as German, rather than a seperate people within Germany.

The economy continued to expand and came to dominate, being the 2nd largest GDP in the world. The popularity of Fuchs began to wain in Britain as economic competition began to cost Britain jobs. This hostility would build over the course of the next several years, driving a resurgence of conservate parties in Parliment. To help the flagging British economy, members of Churchill's party managed to pass a bill to begin rearming the British military. The winning argument had to do large expendatures on arms in the other major powers in the world. Germany was becoming increasingly more powerful, as was France. Britain could not fall behind.

The situation in Spain began to wind down, as Nationalist forces managed to break the Republican lines in many places. Most analyists expected the war to end by November. They would not be disappointed. Spain would spend over a decade recovering from the war and would not achieve societal unity until the death of Franco. In China, the war continued unabated. The Japanese were bogged down in occupation duties in the vast country, and still had to fight the increasingly veteran armies of China and the German legion. The tunnel only seemed to darken the further it went.



T\\
 

Deleted member 1487

State of the Armed forces 1939

The German military stood at varying states of readiness. The German army was the best prepared, with nearly 800,000 men, but nearly 150,00 were still in training. The German army had the longest training cycle of any nation in the world, starting with basic training, moving to advanced specialties, and finally finishing with a training regiment in the assigned division. Though German infantry divisions would technically have a triangular structure, with 3 regiments, a 4th regiment would be a training unit that would prepare incoming replacements with the men and officers they would serve with before entering the division proper. This cycle would ensure that the German army would have the best trained soldiers in the world, but naturally it took time. Overall there were 40 regular Infantry divisions, but several were still forming. The German Panzer formations were also stuck in the expansion phase. While technically 9 divisions existed, only 6 were fully formed. The adopting of advanced designs had slowed the production process, as the first models began rolling off the assembly lines in 1937. The process was streamlined, as there were only 3 basic models, which would have several specialized variants. Additionally, the rearmament board required that the models all be mass producible, so many features were streamlined to make manufacturing faster. Overall the Heer was the most experienced force in the world, as many of the leaders and soldiers in most formations had combat experience in China.

One special unit that would go on to pioneer many of the most important technical and doctrinal advances were the paratroopers. Originally they were a Luftwaffe formation, but were handed over to the Heer by 1937. Training was taken over by the army, but most of the radical leadership was still in place. As this unit was to be dropped behind enemy lines and cut off until reinforcements arrived, it was decided that a better battle rifle be designed. A mix was needed between the power and range of the rifle with the speed of the machine pistol. The Stg 40 would be the very first assault rifle that would go on to influence all armies of the world. It was also small enought to jump with, which allowed the FJ troops firepower immediately on the ground. Initially only a Fallschirmjager weapon, the Heer would later adopt it for use in mobile formations. Additionally, the forward observers of the FJ division would be the best in the business, pioneering much of the doctrine later used by the Panzer divisions and regular infantry. They were also assigned a Luftflotte (air fleet) for support when they landed. Being very valuable troops, they were given very large amounts of fire power. It was also recognized that they were vulnerable to armored vehicles, so an effort to equip them with anti-tank rifles was made. This weapon was inadequate against most modern tanks, therefore an effort was made to design a new, more effective weapon. The initial version was called the Panzerschrek, a rocket weapon that could pierce all tanks of the day. But this experimental weapon would not be available until 1941. A disposable, smaller version would be designed as well, but came even later.

The Luftwaffe was also an extremely effective organization with years of combat experience. Equiped with fiersome weapons, such as the Stuka, Bf110 ground attack craft, and the Me440 gunship, the LW was capable of taking on the more heavily armored ground forces. Additionally, the tactical bombing force, the terror of the Japanese, was just as capable in its role. The strategic bomber force was a least funded of the Luftwaffe, but with nearly 500 heavy bombers, was still a force to be reckoned with. As German doctrine was primarily focused on tactical bombing and the no terror bombing policy prohibited an independent role for these bombers, they would mostly be involved in deep logistic bombing, and the occassional carpet bombing of pockets of enemy troops that the Panzers and mobile infantry had left behind. The LW numbered nearly 4500 combat aircraft by November of '39 and would be one of the largest airforces in the world.

The navy was the step child of the Wehrmacht. With mostly light surface units, it was tasked with only the bottling up of the baltic, and the denial of any other force entry or exit. It also included an air arm that would work in conjunction with ships in this goal. These would mostly be land based. But the Kriegsmarine would later go on to field 2 escort carriers with 40 aircraft capacity. The Uboot service was also small, with only 50 boats, half being costal models. Experiment long range models existed in development, but none were in service yet. The understanding with Britain had made their existence of limited usefulness, mostly to strike at the Soviets or French if needed. The capacity existed for expanded production, but this was more of a contingency rather than a future plan.
 
So the Germans have the Stg. 44 early, very good. Does this prompt Britian or anyone else to push forward their own assault rifle?
 

Deleted member 1487

No, this isn't exactly the Stg44, and it has extremely limited distribution. One division of special forces to be exact. And the same reasons for every nation to hesitate to adopt automatic rifles is still in effect...ammo wastage. Every nation in Europe was very concerned about ammo usage and thought that wide spread automatic weapon usage without special training would result in extreme wastage of limited stocks of valuable ammunition. This mentality would take years to break OTL. Here, the idea is that the FJ's are going to need massive firepower to counter act being surrounded and out numbered. It won't make an appearance in combat until '41 here.

Another important point is that the Abwehr (German Intelligence) is firmly supportive of Fuchs. OTL Canaris was passing information to the British, to the point that Churchill mentioned him in an address to Parliment in 1945. He was a decisive source of intel for the Allies, but this won't happen here. They will prevent the leaking of the Stg 40 to the allies.
 

Deleted member 1487

1940...the start of war

By March of 1940 the war in Spain had finally ended. The Nationalists had finally taken the last hold outs and exacted a brutal peace. After the targeted executions, the prison camps were built. For years political rivals would be imprisoned in Spain. In China the war continued, but the German presence was drawn down. The demands of training required more instructors than presently available, so the contingent fighting in China was reduced to make up for the shortfall. The Japanese were becoming weaker as casualties mounted. However, the Chinese were becoming more powerful as their proficiency and experience increased. The German presence had resulted in increased training and better leadership for the Chinese troops. The training schools set up were by this time able to function without the Germans, so their presence was not missed.

In Europe, the situation in Poland had reached a breaking point. The German minorities were rioting and protesting Polish rule on a weekly basis. The subversive efforts of the Abwehr had paid off. This would allow Fuchs cover to call for another conference to discuss the final revision of the corridor. By now the League of Nations was seen as an ineffectual group that served the interests of the Major European powers. They had shown no qualms about dividing up smaller nations when the need arose. Fuchs seemed to think that the organization was his own council for border revisions. The balance of power had shifted though. In Britain, Chamberlain was suffering from cancer and stepped down. In the 1940 elections, Churchill had led his party to victory in the elections and had become the Prime Minister. Openly attempting to revive the French entente, Britain was no longer seeking an understanding with Germany. With Churchill, Britain had taken a more confrontational stand. France was, as always, still anti-German. So when Fuchs attempted to repeat the success with Czechoslovakia with Poland, he met resistance within the League. But when Danzig rose in open revolt and was retaken by violence by the Polish army, Fuchs was backed into a corner. He had ratched up tensions with Poland so high that to back down would destroy his position in German politics and make Germany look weak on the international scene. So when confronted by the actions of Poland, he declared war.

To be continued....(I'm just too lazy to finish right now, but there is a lot more for this year!)
 
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So when confronted by the actions of Poland, he declared war.

To be continued....(I'm just too lazy to finish right now, and there is a lot more for this year!)

AUCTUNG PANZER!!! :D

Wiking this is great. Enjoy the holidays!
 

Deleted member 1487

The major consequence of the unilateral Germany invasion was the collapse of the League of Nations. It had been a farce for years and the descent of Europe into armed camps sealed its fate. Italy and the associated Fascist nations became interested spectators with a bias towards Germany. They would continue to trade with Germany and offer clandestine support, such as intelligence. Additionally, the US continued to trade with Germany, despite the invasion. Ties had grown between the two nations and with the experience of WW1 in memory, it was made clear to Britain that no embargo was to be tolerated. Also, in addition to free trade, America made clear that it had a cash and carry policy with no credit being offered to either side. Although American shipping companies could be used, any action against them would be punished. This policy was the product of German Jewish ties to Jewish members of Roosevelt's brain trust. They had developed strong relationships that were deeper than trade or co-religious inclinations. Fuchs had promised to help fund Zionist groups after being lobbied by his brain trust, which helped influence American Jewish good will.

With in France and Poland, there was a unanimous war fever. In Britain, the enthusiasm was muted, with a bare majority supporting action. With Churchill at the helm, the issue was decided without argument. Though there was a great concern that the Americans were not supportive of the war effort, Churchill was not concerned, as Germany was surrounded on all sides by enemy powers and had no allies. It seemed that the intervention in Poland would allow the Allied powers to end German aggression before it had a further chance to rearm. German shipping was cut off from the rest of the world and critical resources for a sustained war effort were lacking. Germany also lacked foreign exchange, as rearming had strained government finances, so it was hoped that the defacto embargo would bankrupt the enemy before they could seriously threaten Allied war making potential.

German leaders were aware of the weaknesses of their nation. Sharp, quick wars were exactly what the Wehrmacht was designed for. It was a great shock though when Britain declared war. Fuchs had banked on
Britain supporting him, and when it did not, it was believed that at least they would still stand aside. When both France and Britain announced their declarations of war, the issue had gone too far. Now Fuchs was planning on simply crushing Poland quickly and presenting a Fait to the Allies. He would claim that now Poland was free of its military dictatorship that was oppressing Germans, Ukrainians, Lithuanians, and Poles alike. But the issue of the Soviets remained. They would not lightly acquiesce to the dismemberment of its neighbor. So Constance von Neurath made a special trip to Moscow and negotiated a deal in which Germany and the Soviets would divide up their neighbor. As Stalin was wary of the Western Powers, he agreed. The Allies had spurned his offer of an alliance earlier that year, once it became apparent that Germany would seek to carve up Poland. But once burned, twice shy. To hedge his bets and watch the Westerners smash each other, he made the deal and stood back to watch.

When the Wehrmacht rolled across the border, the world held its breath. But within days it was apparent that Poland was losing, badly. Within the first week a pocket was formed of the the Polish first army and the world witnesses Blitzkrieg in action. The American press was quick to announce the special new German way of war, but this mystified the Germans. To them, this was simply Bewegungskrieg, a war of movement. This was just the distillation of their WW1 doctrine with modern technology. The combat experienced forces of the Wehrmacht ripped through the unprepared Poles and experienced what the Japanese had for years. As large pockets were formed, the Luftwaffe would pound the trapped forces into submission. Even heavy bombers carrying napalm bombs would carpet bomb the unfortunate Polish troops. Within 3.5 weeks, Warsaw was surrounded and refused to surrender. German tanks had taken a bit of a beating trying to storm the city, so it was decided to let the Strategic bomber force decide the issue. After the first 500 bomber attack, the Poles surrendered. The world was stunned as bomber advocates were vindicated in their doctrines, so they thought. The world was also horrified at the horrific effects of terror raids, but after 4 weeks, the war in Poland was over. Soviet troops had marched in after 3 weeks, stunning the Allies. They had thought that Stalin would oppose the Germans, but here they were supporting them!
The French and British militaries were barely mobilized and the initial French attack into the Saar had failed miserably. The situation had degenerated into a stalmate. Germany had expended most of their munitions in Poland and had enough for defence only. The allies were not willing to risk a full attack just yet. Their style was based on attrition and economic warfare. They just needed to wait for Germany to collapse internally and then finish the Wehrmacht off. Fuchs needed to wait until the supply situation was resolved and then attempt to force a resolution. Apparently the Allies were not going to back down, so Fuchs would have to win the hard way. Back in Poland, the border revisions were begun with the 1914 border being restored. Additionally the ethnic cleansing of occuped lands were begun. Poles were shipped out and ethnic German minorities were brought in. The revision would take years, but it would be through. The details were not made public for decades. For the moment, the western front remained quiet.
 
First Wiking let me give my compliments on a great timeline, a couple questions.

1. you talk about ethnic cleansing of poles, are they killed, used for slave labor or what?

2. So with no discrimination against jews, do we see a earlier german atomic program?

3. How well led is the german military better then in nazi germany or around the same?
 

Deleted member 1487

Thanks guys.
To answer your questions:
1.Ethnic cleansing is meant that they are shipped out into Poland on trains. They are not killed, but lose most of their property to ethnic German minorities that want to come live in the Fatherland or others that want free farmland or whatnot.

2.I forgot to add information about the atomic program earlier. The answer is no. It is incredibly expensive for a return years down the road. Regular rearmament is more important to the Military than a miracle bomb. Also it horrifies Fuchs and many in the scientific community are against it. There are no Nazis in charge anywhere, so the impetus for people to put aside their qualms does not exist. It will be a post war development.

3.The Wehrmacht is led about the same. However, there are no yes men in charge. Hitler's pets like Brauchtisch and Keitel are not around, but men like Blomberg and Fritsch are. My impression of these men is that they were old school in that they were willing to let the subordinates do what they needed to to win, but were also open minded about new tactics and weapons. Overall the campaign in Poland went the same as OTL, but the Polish army had a chance to mobilize more forces. The German army had better tanks, in more divisions, but less Panzers overall. The lack of Czech equipment is being felt, but this resulted in the overall number of Panzers per division being smaller than this point historically. Basically during Poland there were too many tanks per division and after the initial taste of combat the number was reduced by half. Essentially one of the 2 tank regiments was removed and formed into another division OTL. But here there are more infantry to protect the tanks and the men are better trained and have combat experience. So they move faster and smash the unmotorized Poles. Even the limited tank to tank combat is a slaughter. It also helps that the Luftwaffe has new and deadly toys to hunt with, like gunships (I don't have a name yet) and bf110 ground attack craft with 40mm flak cannons and explosive rounds. Also, tactical aircraft are dropping napalm, phosphorus, and cluster bombs, a brutal mixture.

Overall the Luftwaffe is completely better led. The images of the knight of the air with the uberace running each squadron is not present here. Each ace has to rotate to training schools periodically instead of flying until one dies. The quality of the Luftwaffe is higher now than historically, with better equipment. I may have the same names for planes, but they are slightly different, as the leadership of the LW has no qualms about demanding revised equipment if it doesn't meet their standards.
Another important factor is that the LW also develops radar quicker, but more on that in the next post.
 

Deleted member 1487

The remainder of the year left Europe divided into camps. While officially Germany had no allies, for all intents, Eastern Europe was Germany's economic background. Many of the resources of the region flowed into Germany, and manufactured goods flowed out. Germany was unable to achieve a total war economy, due to the need to manufacture goods for trade. It did manage stringent rationing and cut most consumer goods. The situation still did not favor Germany. The world's markets remained open to the Allies, but the Germans had to ship everything from the outside world with American shipping companies, the only country still able to trade with German aligned Europe. Overall, the time was taken to resupply the Wehrmacht and prepare for the invasion of France. The military leadership had taken stock of the lessons of the invasion of Poland and had made adjustments in doctrine, organization, and training to take into account this new experience. This would be one of the most ambitious and successful reorientations in the history of military formations (this is historical too, OTL). The Allies had missed their chance for the quick strike to end the war. While the majority of German forces were engaged in Poland, the Western border was relatively undefended. Few experienced units remained on the French border; the majority were still in training. Fortifications were mostly rudimentary and hand made. That is why it was such a surprise that the initial French attacks were beaten back. Essentially the 'attack' was really a reconnaissance in force that met heavy resistance. The new antitank mines heavily aided the under-trained defenders, which helped disable the heavily armored French infantry tanks. The attack came as a worrisome lesson for the Germans, as it was discovered that the antitank weapons that the average unit was equipped with, were unable to penetrate the French armor, unless they were within 400 meters. Intelligence confirmed that there were many more of these vehicles in the French armory. Plans were made to upgun the German antitank weaponry, but this would take more time than was available before the start of the planned invasion.

The planning for the invasion was difficult for as the only viable idea to the General Staff was a variation of the Schlieffen plan. However, when they presented this idea to the Chancellor, they were severely rebuked. Remembering the horrors of battle when he took part in the original plan, Fuchs remonstrated the generals for devising a plan that didn't work when the French were not expecting it, and now they would be prepared for exactly this kind of repetition. He ordered another revision, but was presented with a similar plan. Frustrated, he took a leave of absence from the planning and retired to his villa in the Rheinland. There he received a request from two junior generals for an audience. He obliged and was struck to see that von Manstein, a man he met 6 years earlier on the road to Vienna, arrived to present him with an alternative. The Manstein plan would be the exact idea he desired. It would take advantage of the allied prejudice that the Schlieffen repeat was coming and strike form the unexpected direction of the Ardennes. Like Manstein and Guderian (the second general) he had fought in that region and remembered the dense road network. Armed with this strategy, he returned to Berlin and had Fritsch and Oberkommando der Wehrmacht impliment this idea. The diversionary strike would come through the Netherlands and Belgium, lead by the Fallschrimjager and 3 Panzer divisionen and sweep south to draw the Allied forces north. The knock out blow would come when Kleist's army would strike west from the Ardennes, led by Guderian's Panzer corps. The strike would unhinge the allied lines and leave the majority of the allied armies cut off in Belgium (it was hoped).

Once again, Allied war plans perfectly meshed with German efforts to crush them. The Dyle plan, a version of a Schlieffen plan counter effort, would see the bulk of the Allied armies rush into Belgium and set up on the Dyle river and wait for the German armies to batter themselves against these defenses. The Ardennes would be the barrier to the south that would allow more forces to concentrate to the north. Several 2nd rate units would guard the forest in case a move came through the dense forests and mountainous ground. The road network was thought to be inadequate to run motorized units through, and any infantry formation would be too slow to cause the Allies any discomfort. This position would prove tragicly flawed.

In China both sides were hurting and the lines were pretty much stable by this point. For the Japanese, the war was draining the economy and with the new laws passed in the US, their source of important resources was cut off. European possesions in Asia looked quite attractive, but the effort to seize them was not looking like a beneficial action at the moment. Despite the ground war in Europe, the Allied forces were still too strong for the Japanese to take on alone. The Soviets also proved a threat as the border battles in the region had shown. The result did not favor Japan, but the situation had quieted down. For the moment Yamamoto planned a great offensive to seize the necessary territory for the Greater Asian Coprosperity sphere.

The final significant event in Europe for 1940 was the latest deal between the Soviets and Germany. In return for allowing the Soviets to annex the Baltic states, Stalin would provide Germany resources for her industry. This would also require Germany to provide manufactured goods, but that point was acedemic, as the Soviets would only receive them later in 1943. For now, Germany would essentially be receiving everything on credit. This deal was unknown to the Western powers or indeed most Germans at the time. The effects of this trade deal would be made clear later. For now, German industry had a glut of necessary resources. This allowed for more military equipment to be manufactured. The balance had tipped against the allies further, as the industries of much of Eastern Europe had also signed contracts to build weapons for the Germans. More men were inducted into the Wehrmacht and the nation girted itself for the great struggle to come.
 
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