TL-38: Darkness over Earth

Chapter I

September 11th 1938

Soviet foreign minister Vyacheslav Molotov flies to Prague where he assures President of Czechoslovakia Edvard Beneš that the Soviet Union mutual military assistance treaty with Czechoslovakia signed in May 16th 1935 will be guaranteed (Soviet foreign minister Vyacheslav Molotov never flew to Prague on this date making this the POD for the TL-38 timeline).

September 12th 1938

Adolf Hitler during a speech at a Nazi Party rally in Nuremberg on the Sudeten crisis, condemns the actions of the government of Czechoslovakia in endangering peace in Europe with their actions against the Germans, Hungarians, Poles, and Slovaks population living in Czechoslovakia.

September 13th 1938

United Kingdom Prime Minster Chamberlain and leader of Germany Adolf Hitler meet at Hitler's residence in Berchtesgaden together with Konrad Henlein leader of the Sudeten German Party (SdP), a branch of the Nazi Party of Germany in Czechoslovakia.

September 14th 1938

Josef Stalin leader of the Soviet Union orders the Soviet Army to prepare for possible war with Germany.

September 15th 1938

Konrad Henlein leader of the Sudeten German Party is arrested by Czechoslovakian police when he arrives back into Prague after having meat with United Kingdom Prime Minster Chamberlain and leader of Germany Adolf Hitler two days earlier in Germany (in OTL he was never arrested but here the Czechoslovak government believing that Germany will not go to war with them due their backing of the Soviet Union decided to remove in their eyes a threat to Czechoslovakia).

Adolf Hitler is informed of the arrest of Konrad Henlein by Czechoslovakian police, while furious he decides to use the arrest to show the United Kingdom and the French Republic is a danger to all Germans living in Czechoslovakia. The same day he calls French Prime Minister Édouard Daladier where he make it clear that Germany will not stand by much longer while Germans are oppressed in Czechoslovakia.

September 16th 1938

French Prime Minister Édouard Daladier having a heated telephone discussion with Adolf Hitler flew to London where he meet British officials to discuss a course of action concerning the arrest of Sudeten German leader Henlein a day earlier. When the discussion ended, two proposals where made that the British and French hopped the Czechoslovak government would agree on (1) the United Kingdom and the French Republic demand the immediately release of Konrad Henlein and (2) Czechoslovakia is to cede to Germany all those territories where the German population represented over fifty percent of the Sudetenland's total population. In exchange for these two concession, the United Kingdom and the French Republic will guarantee the independence of Czechoslovakia.

September 17th 1938

The British-French proposals made a day earlier is rejected by the Czechoslovak government and opponents of it in United Kingdom and the French Republic itself.

Adolf Hitler orders the establishment of Sudetendeutsches Freikorps (English: Sudeten German Free Corps, a paramilitary organization that successor to Freiwillinger Schutzdienst, also known as Ordnersgruppe, an organization that had been established by the Sudeten German Party in Czechoslovakia.

September 18th 1938

Italy's leader Benito Mussolini in a speech in Trieste, Italy declared "If there are two camps, for and against Prague, let it be known that Italy has chosen its side," (this implication makes it clear that Mussolini will supported Germany in the crisis going on in Czechoslovakia).

During a meeting between Neville Chamberlain and the recently elected Premier of France, Édouard Daladier, and Daladier's Foreign Minister, Georges Bonnet, it becomes apparent neither the British nor the French governments are prepared to go to war over the Sudetenland.

September 19th 1938

The Czechoslovak government announces that they will not release Konrad Henlein on the ground that he was the former head of the Ordnersgruppe, an organization implication in large number of terrorist activities.

September 20th 1938

Czechoslovak government has announced the leaders of the United Kingdom, French Republic and Germany come to d Czechoslovak to discusses way to reduce the tensions.

September 21st 1938

United Kingdom Prime Minster Chamberlain, French Prime Minister Édouard Daladier and Germany Führer Adolf Hitler meet President of Czechoslovakia Edvard Beneš in Prague. During one meeting that evening with only Prime Minster Chamberlain and Führer Adolf Hitler and their interpreters attending Hitler asked Chamberlain "Does the United Kingdom fully back the transfer of the Sudetenland to Germany", Chamberlain responded "Precisely", to which Hitler responded by shaking his head, saying that with the arrest of Konrad Henlein by Czechoslovakia, Germany could only be satisfied by Czechoslovakia to be completely dissolved and its territories redistributed to Germany, Poland, and Hungary, and told Chamberlain to help him with this or face the consequences. Chamberlain was shaken by this statement. Hitler went on to tell Chamberlain that since their last visit on the 15th, Czechoslovakia's actions, which Hitler claimed included killings of Germans, the arrest had made the situation unbearable for Germany.

September 22nd 1938

During the Prague Conference President of Czechoslovakia Edvard Beneš makes it clear to them that any military action by the Germans against Czechoslovakia will result in the Soviet Union supporting Czechoslovakia independence. Despite attempts by both Prime Minster Chamberlain and Prime Minister Édouard Daladier to seek a solution to the crisis the Prague Conference ends in failure as neither Germany or Czechoslovakia want to comprises.

September 23rd 1938

Adolf Hitler issues the Sudeten Memorandum, which demands that Czechoslovakia release Konrad Henlein and to cede the Sudetenland to Germany no later than September 28th in order to avoid war.
Unaware that the Soviet Union has plans to invade them, the Polish army masses along the Czech border.

September 24th 1938

A new Czechoslovakian cabinet, under General Jan Syrový, is installed who first decree is to begin general mobilization of the Czechoslovak army in responses to the German ultimatum. The Soviet Union also announce that unlike the United Kingdom and the French Republic, the Soviet Union is willing and able to come to Czechoslovakia's assistance.

September 26th 1938

United Kingdom Prime Minster Chamberlain sends Sir Horace Wilson to carry a personal letter to Hitler declaring that the United Kingdom and the French Republic want a peaceful resolution to the Sudeten crisis. Later that evening, Hitler gave his reply in a speech at the Sportpalast in Berlin, in which Hitler again made it clear, Czechoslovakia has until September 28th to release Konrad Henlein and cede the Sudetenland to Germany or face war.

September 27th 1938

British Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain makes a national radio broadcast, where he makes it clear that the United Kingdom will not go to war with Germany over Czechoslovakian independence.

Soviet Army divisions begin massing at the border with Poland, the Soviet plan to aid Czechoslovakia is simple invade Poland and seize control of Poland and make it a buffer state and prevent it from falling in the German sphere of influence and link up with the Czechoslovak army to assist them in driving out the Germans out of Czechoslovakia.

Read more: TL-38: Darkness over Earth
 
Chapter II

September 28th 1938

At 08:00, The German Army launches Operation Fall Grün (English: "Case Green"), the German plan for an aggressive war against Czechoslovakia. Large numbers of Heinkel He-111 bombers escorted by Messerschmitt Bf-109 fighter aircraft bomb the Czechoslovakian capital of Prauge, Plzeň, Karlovy Vary, Brno, Ostrava and Bratislava, more than 1,600 people are killed by the bombings. While the Heinkels are bombing cities across Czechoslovakia, German artillery and Junkers Ju 87 Stuka dive bombers began hitting military installations behind the border fortifications, such as communication centers, artillery and armor concentrations. First German troops cross into Czechoslovakia where they face heavy resistance from Czechoslovakia defenders.

At 9:40, Stalin is informed of the German invasion of Czechoslovakia, orders the Soviet Army to begin operations against Poland.

At 10:00, Adolf Hitler addresses the Reichstag where he condemns Czechoslovakia for oppressing and terrorizing the Sudeten Germans, when the address is over Hitler is informed that the Soviet Union has invaded Poland with the aim of linking up to Czechoslovakia.

At 10:35, the Soviet Union began their invasion of Poland , Soviet Radio announces that the invasion of Poland is in responds to liberate the Ukrainians and Belarusians living in the eastern part of Poland who are being prosecuted by Marshal Edward Rydz-Śmigły de facto leader of Poland and that the Soviet Union fears that Poland will side with Germany in their war against Czechoslovakia. The Soviet Army, who while still suffering from the aftermath of Joseph Stalin's Great Purge of 1937 is still larger in terms of men, tanks and aircraft than the Polish Army.

At 13:00, Czechoslovakian President Edvard Beneš and Prime Minister Jan Syrový meet at a secure location somewhere in Prague where they discuss the political and military situation, now that war with Germany has broken out. Czechoslovakian President Edvard Beneš tells Prime Minister Jan Syrový that he never believed that the Soviet Union would attack Poland in order to come to their aid, now that the Soviets have launch their own invasion of a country friendly to the United Kingdom and the French Republic, President Edvard Beneš fears that they will not come to the aid of Czechoslovakia in their struggle against Germany.

September 29th 1938

British Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain and French Prime Minister Édouard Daladier issue a joint statement condemning both the Germany invasion of Czechoslovakia and the Soviet invasion of Poland but make it clear that due the delicate situation neither the United Kingdom nor the French Republic will go to war with either of them.

German foreign minister Joachim von Ribbentrop tells Józef Lipski, the Polish ambassador to Germany that Germany is willing send military aid and volunteers to Poland to aid them against the Soviets, ambassador Lipski informs foreign minister Joachim von Ribbentrop that he will convey the offer to Marshal Edward Rydz-Śmigły.

September 30th 1938


Marshal Edward Rydz-Śmigły Commander-in-Chief of Poland's armed forces and de facto leader of Poland is notified of the German offer to send troops into Poland to aid them in their fight against the Soviets, to one of his aids he will later comment, " If we accept the German offer for help, they will never leave, but if do not accept Poland as we know it will be gone ". Marshal Edward Rydz-Śmigły decides to accept the German offer but under the stipulation that only military aid and volunteers are to be send to Poland as he knows that if regular German units are send, they will never leave his country.

October 3rd 1938

The first German volunteers and military aid consisting of vehicles and artillery begin entering into Poland to aid the Polish Army in their fight against the Soviet army.

October 4th 1938

At the Kremlin, Moscow, the leader of the soviet Union, Josef Stalin is informed that German volunteers have cross into Poland, As a result he orders the Soviet Army not to attack German territory so not provoke the Germans as for the time being his focus is capturing Poland.

October 8th 1938


The Soviet Army advance into Poland after ten days is in some places 100 kilometers but Polish and German resistance is fierce.

October 10th 1938

In a secret location in the bather capitol of Czechoslovakia, Czechoslovakian President Edvard Beneš and Prime Minister Jan Syrový discuse their option who are not looking good, with the Soviet Army still fighting in Poland and not able to come to their aid in time, the unwillingness of the United Kingdom and the French Republic to aid and the hug loss of live makes it impossible for them to fight on, therefore the come to the conclusion to save the lives of their citizens and soldier who are still fighting they must surrender.

October 14th 1938


In order to save his country, Czechoslovakian President Edvard Beneš announces on radio that his country surrenders unconditionally to Germany, ending the Czechoslovakia-German War.

October 13th 1938

Polish and German forces begin to regroup in central Poland but Soviet forces continue to advance steadily. Soviet Army elements are within 25 km of Warsaw.

October 17th 1938


The battle of Warsaw begins as after 19 days of fighting its way across Poland, the Soviet Army (Belorussian Front) has managed to surrounded Warsaw and begun to hammer the city with artillery fire and air bombardment. The Polish and German defenders who are still in the city continue to put up fierce resistance however.

October 18th 1938

Soviet Army (Belorussian Front) reach the border with East Prussia but as they have no orders to cross into German territory they simply dig in in alongside the border in order to prevent any more German volunteers and military hardware from reaching the Polish Army. Some polish units flee into German East Prussia where the German army is massing as a percussion against a possible Soviet aggression against Germany.

October 27th 1938


Polish forces and German Volunteers launch a frontal assault in order to relieve the brave Polish defenders hold up in a surrounded and devastated Warsaw who is pounded by Soviet artillery and air strike around the clock.
 
Chapter III

November 1st 1938

Polish troops after managed to link up with the defenders in the besieged city of Warsaw have as a result depleted much of their forces in order to relieve the capitol of Poland, the Polish Army is shocked to discover that new Soviet troops numbering some serval hundreds of thousands have entered into the fight, with that number the brave but outnumber Polish Army simply melts away under the force of the Soviet steam roller that they are facing.

November 3rd 1938

The Second Battle for Warsaw is fought between the Polish Army and Soviet Army.

November 5th 1938

The Second Battle for Warsaw is turning into a huge defeat for the Polish Army who faced against the Soviet Army who using their superior numbers have been able for the second time to surround the Polish capitol Warsaw by a Soviet ring of steel.

November 13th 1938

The Remains of Polish resistance near the German border are defeated by the Soviet Army, more than 600,000 Polish soldiers surrender. Despite the Soviet siege the brave Polish defenders hold up in the city of Warsaw continue to resist despite.

November 15th 1938

Top Polish government officials including Polish President Ignacy Mościcki and Commander-in-Chief Edward Rydz-Śmigły leave Poland for Romania.

November 17th 1938

Polish President Ignacy Mościcki and those who managed to escape with him travel from Romania to the German province of East Prussia where the plan to establish a government-in-exile.

November 20th 1938

After having hold out for more than 17 days the Second Battle for Warsaw is over as the Polish army in Warsaw surrenders to the Soviet Army.

November 26th 1938

The Democratic Polish People's Republic is installed by the Soviet Union as the new government of Poland.

November 30th 1938

With the 2nd Polish-Soviet War and the Czechoslovakia-German War over both the Germans and the Soviet Union have learned a lot regarding things like tactical and strategic issues.
 
Intirisrong start but I believe in 1938 Maxim Litvinov was Minister of Foreign affairs. He was dismissed in 1939.
 
Japan will be flipping its lid over this, what they've always suspected of the USSR being an aggressor has just been proven true.

Britain and France seem remarkably quiet considering they just witnessed the dissolution of Poland.
 
Britain and France seem remarkably quiet considering they just witnessed the dissolution of Poland.

The are in no mood to go to war with the Soviet Union over Poland if Germany does not join them.

Intirisrong start but I believe in 1938 Maxim Litvinov was Minister of Foreign affairs. He was dismissed in 1939.
In OTL he was replaced because German media derided Litvinov about his Jewish ancestry, referring to him as "Finkelstein-Litvinov, because relations between Germany and the Soviet Union are not good in this timeline Stalin saw no need to replace him.
 
The are in no mood to go to war with the Soviet Union over Poland if Germany does not join them.


In OTL he was replaced because German media derided Litvinov about his Jewish ancestry, referring to him as "Finkelstein-Litvinov, because relations between Germany and the Soviet Union are not good in this timeline Stalin saw no need to replace him.
But you had Moloto to fly to Prague.
 
I call bullshit on Poland losing to the Soviets, for one thing the Poles had very good intelligence on the Soviets in 1938. For another, Poland would never have sent it's entire Army to the Czechslovak Border in such a massive strategic blunder. They didn't even commit their entire force against Germany in 1939, leaving two armies to Guard against the Soviets even while being actively invaded.

For a third thing, the Soviets were deficient in Materiel and men in 1938 compared to 1940 You have to remember that the Soviet Union did not have millions of men to put into the field in the IOTL winter war, at most they would have the same amount of troops and equipment they did against Finland. 900,000. The Polish Army was some 1,000,000 men strong in September 1939 and it wasn't even fully mobilized at that point.

For a fourth thing, Polish Equipment was superior to the pre-war soviet equipment like the T-26 the Soviets initially used in 1940. Remember that the Polish 7TP tank was better than the German Panzer II, having the same armor, suspension, and engine performance, but a better gun. The Soviets would have not been able to keep up there.

Finally, the Poles had several fortification lines on the Soviet Border. They would have been at least enough to Stall the Soviet Troops for some time.
 
I call bullshit on Poland losing to the Soviets, for one thing the Poles had very good intelligence on the Soviets in 1938. For another, Poland would never have sent it's entire Army to the Czechslovak Border in such a massive strategic blunder. They didn't even commit their entire force against Germany in 1939, leaving two armies to Guard against the Soviets even while being actively invaded.

For a third thing, the Soviets were deficient in Materiel and men in 1938 compared to 1940 You have to remember that the Soviet Union did not have millions of men to put into the field in the IOTL winter war, at most they would have the same amount of troops and equipment they did against Finland. 900,000. The Polish Army was some 1,000,000 men strong in September 1939 and it wasn't even fully mobilized at that point.

For a fourth thing, Polish Equipment was superior to the pre-war soviet equipment like the T-26 the Soviets initially used in 1940. Remember that the Polish 7TP tank was better than the German Panzer II, having the same armor, suspension, and engine performance, but a better gun. The Soviets would have not been able to keep up there.

Wouldn't also Germans after Soviet attack on Poland need to put some of their better troops and some Luftwaffe units to Prussia just in case?

Finally, the Poles had several fortification lines on the Soviet Border. They would have been at least enough to Stall the Soviet Troops for some time.

However as far as I remember Poland didn't mobilize in 1938 which would distventage them. Secondly their armored brigade and some other elite troops were concentrated against Czechoslovakia.

On Czechoslovakia on other side. I don't think they would capitulate only after some 2 weeks. Especially with Soviets in war.
Plans well to abandon western Czech lands if necessary. Weather in early October was not favorable for liftwaffe operations.
It was app 160 km from Soviet border to Czechoslovak. Even with slower Soviet advance Czechoslovaks could retreat to Slovakia and fight it there. It took Germans 2 months to defeat Slovak army in 1944 while Slovaks were still armed mostly with 1938 Czechoslovak weapons and attacked from all sides.

However question is what Romania would do as it had alliance with Poland in case of Soviet agression. Wouldn't Soviets wait for Polish aggression against Czechoslovakia in order to sale war against Poland? This could make Romanian decission harder.

Small pick is that Czechoslovak President and government would be evacuated to Slovak town Liptovsky Mikulas and General Staff to location in Moravia.
There were no plans for them to stay in Prague.
 
Interesting scenerio though. Fall of Poland and Czechoslovakia.

Would Germany occupy whole Czechoslovakia?

Or in case as I proposed when Czechoslovak army standing Slovak teritorry will be som Socialist Republic of Slovakia declared?
It would bit interesting change situation in case some operation Barbarossa is planned.
 
However as far as I remember Poland didn't mobilize in 1938 which would distventage them. Secondly their armored brigade and some other elite troops were concentrated against Czechoslovakia.

On Czechoslovakia on other side. I don't think they would capitulate only after some 2 weeks. Especially with Soviets in war.
Plans well to abandon western Czech lands if necessary. Weather in early October was not favorable for liftwaffe operations.
It was app 160 km from Soviet border to Czechoslovak. Even with slower Soviet advance Czechoslovaks could retreat to Slovakia and fight it there. It took Germans 2 months to defeat Slovak army in 1944 while Slovaks were still armed mostly with 1938 Czechoslovak weapons and attacked from all sides.

However question is what Romania would do as it had alliance with Poland in case of Soviet agression. Wouldn't Soviets wait for Polish aggression against Czechoslovakia in order to sale war against Poland? This could make Romanian decission harder.

Small pick is that Czechoslovak President and government would be evacuated to Slovak town Liptovsky Mikulas and General Staff to location in Moravia.
There were no plans for them to stay in Prague.

Doesn't matter, they'd have known an invasion was coming and mobilized accordingly. You can't hide 900,000 men massing on the border like that.
 
Okay, I'm sold on this to just from chapter 1.
If one person already likes it then i am a happy person, therefore, i present to you:

Chapter IV

December 6th 1938

Supreme High Command of the German Army orders mass production of the Panzer and Panzer IV in responds to lesson learned during the 2nd Polish-Soviet War and the Czechoslovakia-German War.

December 7th 1938

German Foreign Minister Joachim von Ribbentrop visits Paris, where he is informed by French Foreign Minister Georges Bonnet that France now recognizes all of Eastern Europe as being in Germany's exclusive sphere of influence as France sees Germany despite the Czechoslovakia-German War as a major force in preventing the Soviet Union from getting more influence in Eastern Europe.

December 16th 1938

At Prague Castle, former residence of the president of Czechoslovakia, Adolf Hitler issues a proclamation creating the Protectorate of Bohemia and Moravia and Reichsgau Slowakei thereby ending Czechoslovakia that had existed sins 1918.

December 17th 1938

Adolf Hitler believing that the Soviet Union is not done with conquering other countries in the region begins a diplomatic offensive to bring the countries who share a border with the Soviet Union into one major alliance headed by Germany.

January 27th 1939

Adolf Hitler orders Plan Z, a 6-year naval expansion program intended to provide for a huge German fleet capable of crushing the Royal Navy by 1945 (in OTL the plan was to have a fleet able capable of crushing the Royal Navy by 1944 but the after effect of the 2nd Polish-Soviet War and the Czechoslovakia-German War has moved that a year back in order to allow more production of tanks to happen).

January 28th 1939

In the German city of Munich, Germany, Italy, Hungary, Bulgaria and Romania sign a an agreement called the Munich Pact winch sees the five countries form an alliance with the main goal is to counter the Soviet Union.

February 6th 1939

British Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain states in the House of Commons that any German attack on France will be automatically considered an attack on the United Kingdom.

February 27th 1939

The British and French governments recognized General Francisco Franco's regime in Spain.

March 17th 1939

The nationalist governments of Spain and Portugal sign the Iberian Pact in Lisbon, pledging mutual defense of the Iberian Peninsula and neutrality in the event of a general European war.

March 18th 1939

Virgil Tilea, the Romanian Minister in London, spreads false rumors that Romania is on the verge of a Soviet attack.

March 19th 1939

Germany and other members of the Munich Pact begin mobilization of their armed forces after getting word that Romania believes that they are on the verge of a Soviet attack.

March 20th 1939

Foreign Minister of Germany Joachim von Ribbentrop informs Foreign Minister of Lithuania Juozas Urbšys that his country has two choices allow German forces into Lithuania to protect the country from any Soviet hostile act or Lithuania is to give up the Klaipėda Region (also known as the Memel Territory), which had been detached from Germany after the Great War, if Lithuania allows German troops to be garrisoned in Lithuania than Germany will not demand the Klaipėda Region.

Hungarian Foreign Ministry informs the Germans that the rumors that Romania is on the verge of a Soviet attack turn out to be false and where made up by the Romanian Minister in London who has been recalled back to Romania. After the Germans are inform that no soviet attack is going to happen it ends the mobilization of its armed forces, soon after other Munich Pact also end the mobilization of their armed forces.

March 23rd 1939

Fearing of losing their only port and also seeing the soviet Union winning the 2nd Polish-Soviet War, Lithuania comes to the conclusion that the garrison of German forces is the lesser of two evils and such Lithuania agrees to the garrison of German troops in their country.

March 25th 1939

The German-Lithuanian treaty of protection is signed by Foreign Minister of Germany Joachim von Ribbentrop and Foreign Minister of Lithuania Juozas Urbšys allowing Germany to station up to 50,000 troops in the country.
 
Doesn't matter, they'd have known an invasion was coming and mobilized accordingly. You can't hide 900,000 men massing on the border like that.
Of course it does not matter they need to abandon their plans for Czechoslovakia and move their as far as I know only tank brigade across whole Poland to face Soviets. Of course it does not matter they didn't mobilized.

In my opinion on other side it is serious problem even if they can inflict heavy casaulties on Soviets.
 
Of course it does not matter they need to abandon their plans for Czechoslovakia and move their as far as I know only tank brigade across whole Poland to face Soviets. Of course it does not matter they didn't mobilized.

In my opinion on other side it is serious problem even if they can inflict heavy casaulties on Soviets.

The Point is that they WOULD have mobilized when their intel assets tell them of the fucking huge amount of men on their Border. They SHOULD have mobilized against just the Czechs, who have the best Tanks and most automatic weapons in their army in 1938.

But no, they pick up the Idiot Ball for the Sake of the Story.

I'm saying it now, them losing to the Soviets is Implausible.
 
The Point is that they WOULD have mobilized when their intel assets tell them of the fucking huge amount of men on their Border. They SHOULD have mobilized against just the Czechs, who have the best Tanks and most automatic weapons in their army in 1938.

But no, they pick up the Idiot Ball for the Sake of the Story.

I'm saying it now, them losing to the Soviets is Implausible.
So why they didn't, unless I am mistaken when Soviets put troops on the border OTL in September 1938?

Them loosing against Soviets if nobody else is involved as this TL describes is more plausible then unplausible. It would cost Soviets a lot but well job would be eventually done.
 
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