The European War

[FONT=&quot]I decided to do my own version of a Alternate WW2. It'll have a few POD's and differences that what you usually see. I don't know that much history about World War 2 since a lot of what I find (oddly) is conflict. If you have anything to say tell me. Any mistakes or things I have to take out or edit would be helpful.
[/FONT]


[FONT=&quot]Onward!
[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]
[/FONT]

[FONT=&quot]July 20, 1936[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]Estoril, Portugal[/FONT]

[FONT=&quot]“Everything is ready, yes?” General Sanjurjo asked, his tone indicating that heads would roll if the pilot told him no. The short, heavyset man looked at the wooden biplane with anticipation. “I cannot wait much longer! España is waiting for my return! The time I waste here is a time home cannot afford to waste!”[/FONT]

[FONT=&quot]With a fearful and nervous look on his face, Juan Ansaldo paced back and forth, his agitation growing with every stride. His face became long as he watched a few of his General’s aides shove two large trunks into the back of his biplane. “Those look heavy,” he said at last after a very short internal argument. “What’s in them?”[/FONT]

[FONT=&quot]“They hold his uniforms,” one of the aides said. “On the eve of his march into Madrid, he cannot arrive without uniforms!” He sounded scandalized by the very mention of it. Sanjurjo had chosen his aides very well. [/FONT]

[FONT=&quot]Nervously, he lit a cigarette. Who was he, a simple major, to tell Spain’s most prestigious General what to do? He’d placed himself at the feet of the Nationalist Front in 1934, drawn to the action and change they promised to bring. And when Sanjurjo flew from Portugal to Burgos to take charge of the rising against the so-called Spanish Republic, he would embody that same Front he had pledged loyalty to. [/FONT]

[FONT=&quot]But Burgos?[/FONT]

[FONT=&quot]The center of where Franco’s Nationalist Government was, Burgos was where his esteemed General was going to take command. But Burgos was so far away from Estoril, and with all the cargo being put on his tiny Biplane, he wasn’t sure if they could make it all the way. The plane was only a two-seater and had only so much fuel and so strong a motor. He gulped and crushed his cigarette beneath his boot. [/FONT]

[FONT=&quot]“General Sanjurjo...”[/FONT]

[FONT=&quot]“What is it?” Growled the man nicknamed ‘Lion of the Rif’ for his great victories in the Rif War of 1909. “My flags await me in Spain,” he boomed, “Are things done here Major? Are we prepared to fly?”[/FONT]

[FONT=&quot]“General, there is an issue-”[/FONT]

[FONT=&quot]“What? What issue?”[/FONT]

[FONT=&quot]“Sir, those trunks are too heavy. I need full power to fly you to Spain, and I don’t think we’ll get far with those trunks aboard.” He leveled his hand at his plane. “My plane can only fly so fast, General.” [/FONT]

[FONT=&quot]The General seemed affronted. [/FONT]

[FONT=&quot]“I need to wear proper clothes as the new caudillo of Spain,” he declared, his voice deepening like nothing Ansaldo had heard before. By those few words alone, the Spanish pilot almost abandoned his protest, but he forged on instead. He could not be dissuaded by anything. [/FONT]

[FONT=&quot]“Sir, those uniforms will weight us down dramatically,” he protested, knowing he was probably going too far. By the look from the General’s aides, he probably was. But he didn’t want to die, and he didn’t want Sanjurjo to die either because of some clothes. It was an undignified way for a man to go. [/FONT]

[FONT=&quot]To his luck, the General merely frowned. “I cannot fly to Burgos like this, now can I?” He brushed at the gray linen of his sleeve. Ansaldo almost nodded in agreement, but caught himself at the last moment. [/FONT]

[FONT=&quot]“Your Excellency, my plane isn’t fit for transporting you,” he insisted.[/FONT]

[FONT=&quot]“You are a fine aviator! You will not fail me, or our nation!” Ansaldo felt his spirits plummet at that. Why did the General not understand? But by the graces of God, one of the aides intervened at that moment. [/FONT]

[FONT=&quot]“Your Excellency, what about the Dragon Rapide you flew in from los Canarias Islands? Surely it can fit all of your uniforms in it. ”[/FONT]

[FONT=&quot]“What?”[/FONT]

[FONT=&quot]“I am needed in the fight,” the Major pressed on, “The pilot who will fly you may not possess the same daring as I do, but it is not his job to fight. My purpose is above the battlefield, fighting for our liberty!”[/FONT]

[FONT=&quot]The General didn’t waste time thinking. His mind had already been made up. “Take my uniform to the Rapide,” he barked, “hurry, hurry! Time is of the essence for even as we wait here, my people are led by Franco! My people cry! They cry dearly for my leadership!”[/FONT]

[FONT=&quot]The aides nodded.[/FONT]

[FONT=&quot]Ansaldo smiled wearily. [/FONT]

[FONT=&quot]“Viva Sanjurjo! Viva España!”[/FONT]
 
Last edited:
It looks "a bit" similar to Turtledove´s "Hitler´s War", lets see where this takes your history.

Good luck
 
Question: Does anyone have any suggestions on how this might affect the Spanish Civil War? I read somewhere that Sanjurjo was more likely to make a treaty with Republican Spain.
 
[FONT=&quot]What do you think? Anywhere I can improve?
[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]
September 18, 1937[/FONT]

[FONT=&quot]El Mazuco, Spain[/FONT]

[FONT=&quot]Francisco Franco was unhappy.[/FONT]

[FONT=&quot]Before 1936, he had been in command of the Nationalist Front, and he enjoyed his rule, his power.[/FONT][FONT=&quot] Then Sanjurjo arrived in full uniform, and was blessed by the people to usurp command. He knew Sanjurjo didn’t like him that he didn’t approve of him for whatever reason that was; although he was sure it was something stupid. [/FONT]

[FONT=&quot]Sanjurjo he had done things he wouldn’t have, things that he had considered to be insignificant to the cause. An example would be the prisoner trade of [/FONT][FONT=&quot]Jos[/FONT][FONT=&quot]é[/FONT][FONT=&quot] Antonio Primo de Rivera. The man had been rotting in jail because he had been discovered with a cache of weapons in his house. He scowled-the man had to be un Tonto. [/FONT]

[FONT=&quot]But no, Sanjurjo had come and exchanged prisoners for him.[/FONT]

[FONT=&quot]He didn[/FONT][FONT=&quot]’[/FONT][FONT=&quot]t like the man at all-he was too close to Hitler and Mussolini. Oh yes he was grateful for their help, but they wanted him to be officially on their side, and he knew by the time this war ended, Spain would be in no state to wage war again. The war against the communists had cost Espa[/FONT][FONT=&quot]ñ[/FONT][FONT=&quot]a [/FONT][FONT=&quot]dearly. It would never be in a shape to join the eventual war he saw brewing in Europe. He could see Hitler[/FONT][FONT=&quot]’[/FONT][FONT=&quot]s ambitions.[/FONT]

[FONT=&quot]You had a fool to not be able to see them. [/FONT]

[FONT=&quot]Of course, the British and French were tonto[/FONT][FONT=&quot]’[/FONT][FONT=&quot]s [/FONT][FONT=&quot]as well. They had abandoned the Republicans, and the Republicans were propped up only by the Russians. The Nationalist Front had the armies of Germany and Italy behind it. And the Front also had leaders far greater than those corrupt old fat men who commanded the Republican armies. [/FONT]

[FONT=&quot]In the distance, he saw the plumes of smoke rise up as artillery fire bombarded the Republican front. He didn’t like being so close to the front lines, but Sanjurjo had ordered him there. They may be equal ranks, but he knew that Sanjurjo, by the blessings of the people, held real power. [/FONT]

[FONT=&quot]And yet, he could not deny Sanjurjo was a blessing. [/FONT]

[FONT=&quot]The charisma he and [/FONT][FONT=&quot]Antonio possessed had convinced thousands of Republicans to join their cause, and come they did. The token force that defended the three summits of Pe[/FONT][FONT=&quot]ñ[/FONT][FONT=&quot]as Blancas[/FONT][FONT=&quot] was a shadow of what they could have been. Still, Rivera threatened his position. While he wasn’t a commander, his power over the Falange Española threatened his own movement, Carlism. For the moment, he would wait. When the time came, he would return. [/FONT]

[FONT=&quot]“Dios Mio!”[/FONT]

[FONT=&quot]Another ‘string’ of aircraft, a combination of German and Italian airplanes, flew overhead, preparing for another bombing. The aircraft had gone in a constant flow the moment the sky had become acceptable for flight. [/FONT]

[FONT=&quot]“General Franco!”[/FONT]

[FONT=&quot]“Que?”[/FONT]

[FONT=&quot]“The Navarrese have broken through. The Republicans are fleeing, abandoning their defenses.”[/FONT]

[FONT=&quot]Franco smiled. [/FONT]

[FONT=&quot]‘Perhaps Sanjurjo isn’t a fool as I hoped he would be,’ Franco thought. He had predicted that the Republicans would last for at least another week. But he had more soldiers, many of the Republican’s flocking to his side. And the Germans had increased their support. The Russians had done the same, but they were further away. [/FONT]

[FONT=&quot]He heard artillery rain down. “There are still pockets though,” Franco growled, “no matter though. We have what we want. Move all our forces to take the town.” He grunted, “Contact Sanjurjo.”[/FONT]

[FONT=&quot]“Sí señor.” [/FONT]
 
Top