Greater German Reich

Overview
The Greater German Reich is the founder of the Warschauer-Pakt and major nation. The ideology of the Government is National-Socialist. Albert Speer is the official Head of State and Reichskanzler. Based on a 1970 consensus, the population of the direct territories is 121,322,000. The Greater German Reich is a developed nation and holds the title as the second biggest economy in the world behind the United States of America and slightly ahead of the Empire of Japan.

The Greater German Reich is the direct state of the Deutschland NSDAP. Volksdeutsches Belgien, Volksdeutsches Böhmen-Mähren, Warschauer Vertreibungszone, Volksdeutsches Polen, Westukrainische Autonomie, and the Italienische Operationszone are areas within the Reich which hold some resemblance of autonomy and local government.

Pre-War Period (1918-1936)
The Großdeutsches Reich is a Socialist Ethno-State created after the Reichstag Fire in February, 1933. After Germany's defeat in World War One, several elements and organizations wished to see Germany back on the world stage. One such organization was the German Workers' Party (DAP). Operations ceased in 1920 but a successor party was established. The name of the Party mimicked it's predecessor. It was the National Socialist German Workers' Party (NSDAP). Although this party had gained very little support, one avid Nationalist set the stage. His name was Adolf Hitler, the soon-to-be Fuhrer of Germany. After many elections, the NSDAP was able to garner a sizeable following. After a failed Coup in Munich and imprisonment,

Adolf Hitler came back to the political stage. This time, instead of advertising the Party as Revolutionary Socialist Party, it was rebranded as a professional, nationalistic party wishing to expand the German Race across Europe. Elections passed and finally, the NSDAP was able to gain enough votes for President Hindenburg to appoint him Chancellor.

After Hindenburg's passing and the Reichstag Emergency Fire, Hitler and the NSDAP gained nearly unlimited power in the political landscape of Germany. The Weimar Republic had ended and with it, was the Treaty of Versailles.

The Reich militarized the economy, remobilized the Reichswehr, and underwent a economic miracle that increased the quality of life. Poverty decreased and unemployment went down in record numbers. Public works and projects were created and with it came Economic Prosperity.

Early-War Period (1936-1940)
This was only a cover for the true horrors going behind closed doors. Jewish and Minority Persecution began being publicly endorsed by the Government. The first concentration camps were created and Germany was gearing up for war. Germany's Economy was not able to sustain itself long-time and the NSDAP knew. On March 12th, 1938, the Reich annexed Austria and remilitarized the Rhineland over a year before. This was obviously going against the Treaty of Versailles. The British and French Governments sat back as they saw newsreal images of German Boots in Vienna and Graz. The Czechoslovakian State was not safe from the Reich. The Sudetenland, the ethnic-german border regions of Czechia were annexed in the Munich Agreement. Even after this agreement had been signed, guaranteeing the freedom of Czechoslovakia, Germany marched into Bohemia without a gunshot running loose. The nation was partitioned between the new State of Slovakia and the German Reich.

This was the final straw for the West. France and Britain mobilized along the Maginot, getting ready for the worst. Memel was ceded, Danzig was under the NSDAP Party, and the Reichswehr had rearmed into the Wehrmacht. Neville Chamberlain announced to the British Public, "we are at war with Germany." German aerial assaults alongside rushing Panzers shocked the Polish Infantry and Cavalry. Soviet and German Forces moved into the interior of the nation. Within days, Warsaw fell and Polish Officials fled into Exile in London. Germany had signed the Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact just days before, ensuring a partition of Poland. Germany's next target was Norway. Narvik, Oslo, and Trondheim were all invaded simultaneously by German Forces. The Allied Armies in Norway pulled out after high casualties and retreat after retreat. The event gained national attraction in Britain and was known by the public as a humiliating defeat.

The Wehrmacht had geared up for a new type of warfare. This was called "Blitzkrieg" and it was to be unleashed onto the Netherlands and Belgium. On May 10th, 1940, Operation Fall Gelb was commenced and began with aerial bombing of Brussels, Amsterdam, and the border regions of the two nations. Minutes into the operation, combined assaults of Light-Panzers alongside Infantry swept through the small nations. France and Britain sent troops to the territory but this did not stop the assault through the ardennes by Armored Divisions. This shocked France to it's core once news was reached that they had broken through. Hours went by and the panzers did not stop until the coast. Virtually half of the armies of France and Britain were encircled and the only way out was a retreat across the English Sea, back to England.

This came as a large blow against Neville and much of his Cabinet. Neville left office and in his place, came Winston Churchill. When it was realized that there were not enough ships to return the BEF home, Prime Minister Churchill called upon the population to help however they can. Hundreds of civilian ships came to the rescue and helped the BEF evacuate from the naval port of Dunkirk. As the BEF arrived home, German Boots marched through the city of Paris, mimicking the March through Paris during the Franco-Prussian War over 50 years earlier. While much of the French Government fled to Bordeaux and later on, Algiers, many in France including World War One Hero, Phillipe Petain created a Provisional Government in the mainland. This Government was soon to be known as "Vichy France" and soon after, they excepted the 2nd Armistice, announcing France had been defeated and had acknowledged the conditions for peace.

France was now split in two. The Vichy Regime stretched from Syria to Bordeaux whilst the Free French Administration held control over nearly all of it's colonial holdings outside of Asia. This was the beginning of the end for the British Empire. President Charles Lindbergh had announced to the U.S. Population that neutrality in foreign affairs would be reaffirmed and that "not a single American will die fighting a war we don't belong in."

Mid-War Period (1940-1941)
By 1940, much of Europe was secured under the Axis Powers. Transylvania was peacefully divided, Britain's Military Might was crippled, and the Africa Front had been secured. Although the USSR was getting stronger by the day, German Delegations to Istanbul finally signed the Ankara Agreement. Turkey was now in the Axis. Istanbul was remilitarized, Krupp and Siemens poured assets into Turkey. Over 275,000 forces were sent to reinforce turkish lines. Turkey's Government finally marched into Syria and Iraq without a declaration of war. Iraq declared independence soon after and joined the Axis, fearing an attacking from Kuwait. Syria's French Garrison was demolished and more than half defected to the Vichy Regime. SS Legionary Divisions alongside Turkish Infantry breached through the defenses of Jerusalem and pushed forward. It is noted that this is the site and day of the Palestine Genocide. The defenses of the Suez were poorly managed as scattered battalions formed crude lines for defense. The Axis forces breached across the Suez, leading to a possible route to Cairo. British-India was now logistically cutoff from the British mainland.

British Forces in El-Alamein were ordered to withdraw but it was too late. The army was practically encircled with no logistics coming in or out. The British Fleet abandoned their position to help the Greek Government against the Italian Front. Major British Generals and Officials were captured. One such leader was Farouk I, King of the Egyptian Protectorate. In a radio speech addressed to the Egyptian Population, Farouk I of the Egyptian Protectorate announced that the Egyptian nation had secured independence.

Back in Britain, the so-called "Blitz" destroyed countless key points for arms and civilian manufacturing. The discriminate bombing of factories and airfields severally crippled Britain's capabilities to produce new equipment and arm the RAF. Soon after, Greece fell the forces of the Wehrmacht, Bulgaria, and Italy. Soon after, efforts were put on the damage of dockyards especially around Dover and Portsmouth.

The time was ready. Final preparations had been made for the invasion of the Soviet Union. On June 22, 1941, Adolf Hitler launched his armies eastward in a massive invasion of the Soviet Union: three great army groups with over three million German soldiers, 150 divisions, and three thousand tanks smashed across the frontier into Soviet territory. Although the OKW largely agreed on a central focus toward Berlin, several including Adolf Hitler opted for securing the South, ensuring grain from Ukraine and oil from the Caucasus. Behind Hitler's back, the OKW pushed for forces to dig straight ahead. Although this plan seemed like it was going to work, once Fuhrer Adolf Hitler learned of this, he demoted the Generals and stripped their positions on the Eastern Front. German and Turkish forces attacked through the plains of Iran, bypassing most of the mountainous terrain leading up to Baku. This fortunately gave a easy route toward the strategic city of Baku. Soviet Garrisons in Georgia were withdrawn, risking encirclement while the stationed forces in Baku burned the oil fields to the ground. This was catastrophic for a short period of time since the oil needed to be refined. German Engineers, Scientists, and Architects including Albert Speer agreed that it would take nearly 6 months to rebuild the infrastructure.



Late-War Period (1941-1951)
By August of 1941, Army Group Centre sealed off Soviet resistance into pockets at Bialystok, Novogrudok and Volkovysk. Famine within the Soviet Populous and Army created discontent over the Government. With the strain put on the NKVD to manage rebellious territories and oversee the hunger-stricken Red Army, moral plummeted even as propaganda continued to turn out. Skirmishes and brawls between the Red Army and NKVD Officers eventually boiled over, leading to widespread infighting in the Winter of 1941. The Wehrmacht seeing the anarchy, decided to strike. Operation Fall Blau was launched and the Southern Fronts were linked, making logistics better yet still difficult. Stalingrad and Astrakhan fell to German hands meaning the logistical situation for the Soviet Union was dire in the South.

By January 1942, Moscow was within 200 miles of German lines. The Red Army launches Operation Uranus. Poor management and desertion led to the failure of Operation Uranus. By this time, the NKVD had split into several groups. One of such was the NKVD Revolutionary Contingency, a rebellious force wishing for the end of the Stalinist Regime. With a poorly-led and ill-equipped Red Army on the brink of collapse, several SSRs and Oblasts within the Soviet Union announced Independence. By February 21st, Kazakhstan, Turkmenistan, Karelia, Kamatcha, and Amur all declared Independence. It was clear the Soviet Union was falling apart and during the ensuing chaos in the Battle for Moscow, the Red Army crumbled into several remnants. Joseph Stalin had fled days before and a new, provisional government in Kazan was formed under the State Defense Committee. Unfortunately, Stalin as well as his escort was caught and slaughtered by remnants of the. In Kazan, a new temporary figurehead took power. His name was Georgy Malenkov. Moscow, and much of the Kazakh Plains were held by Reich. The overstretched lines of the Wehrmacht eventually stabilized. The war in the East still officially raged on but across all front, sounds of gunfire deafened to a eerie silence. As the ravaged territories of the former Soviet Union tore each other piece-by-piece. The National-Socialist State prepared for one final conquest: Britain.

Karl Donitz's New Naval Program although overly-ambitious, provided the fundamental base for the invasion of Britain. After the collapse of the USSR, over 800,000 Wehrmacht and SS Troops were called upon to prepare for an invasion of the British Isles. Within the course of 3 years, the German War Economy outproduced the British to a ridiculous level. Foreign Labor combined with the efficiency of German Corporations led to Britain being overwhelmed from the sheer firepower coming from the air. London was in ruins, Britain's Royal Fleet was dwindling, and the British Public was demoralized. This was Germany's time to strike and on August 6th, 1945, Operation Sea Lion began with a firebombing of Military and Naval Bases. Thousands of German, French, and Italian Ships supported the invasion. Within 4 hours, bulkheads were established on British Shores. Dover, and Plymouth was poured with German Troops. The Government in London made preparations for an emergency evacuation to Canada. German Heavy Equipment including new technology like the STG44 armed the greatly superior Wehrmacht. Three days after the initial landings, Glasgow and London were under siege. The entire British Government in London was evacuated. The entirety of England, Wales, and lower-Scotland stood under German Occupation. Although the Government of Westminster had fled, Edward VIII was recalled from exile to govern the territories of Britain. Freedom Fighters within in the Scottish Highlands started a war of attrition between Wehrmacht Forces.

By mid-1951, Adolf Hitler in a rally within the city of Nuremburg, announced that the war had been won. The day of the rally became known as the 'V-Day' to the Reich. Although an official peace treaty was hadn't been signed until 1953, the remaining Allied Forces had called upon a truce. The Reich now faced serious issues regarding the newly acquired territories and the war ravaged economy. A new policy of demobilization was continued by the Reichsminister, Albert Speer. The economy continued to struggle but by 1953, had recovered to a quality of life exceeding that of 1940. Unfortunately, Adolf Hitler had fallen upon bad health. The war had taken toll on his health. Upon Hitler's doctor appointment, it had been apparent that the Fuhrer had case of Parkinson's Disease. By 1954, Hitler had died, appointing Josef Goebbels as 'Reichskanzler und Oberster Befehlshaber der Wehrmacht' and Karl Donitz 'Reichspräsident'.



Early-Cold War Period (1951-1962)
Later that year, Adolf Hitler died, suffering a stroke and subsequent assisted suicide. Not all shines upon the Reich and it's inhabitants. Schutzstaffel Commander, Heinrich Himmler planned to seize control of Neu Berlin in an Operation to assassinate the successors of the Reich. Targets included Hermann von Goring, the economic minister and Martin Bormann, former-secretary of Hitler. The Operation was codenamed "Valkyrie" and was commenced on February 23rd 1954 by SS Forces within Germany. The Wehrmacht decisively intervened, fearing the Schutzstaffel's Authority. A Civil War took place within and out of the Reichstag, causing several SS Forces to declare neutrality, causing many to break away and form their own states. One of such is the "Freistaat Rostov", a state created by joint forces of the SS and Wehrmacht within the city.

Fighting lasted for weeks with the final battle of Munich resulting in a Wehrmacht and NSDAP Victory. Although the Reich won, massive swaths of territory in the East including much of Kazakhstan were lost. A defeated Heinrich Himmler and victorious Josef Goebbels signed the "Wewelsburg Agreement", leading to the Schutzstaffel being exiled to the castle of Wewelsburg alongside Heinrich Himmler and other SS Leaders. Over 700,000 members of the SS were honorably discharged and many SS Commanders were put on trial at the Putsch Beerhall within Munich. Casualties in the war included Hermann von Goring due to assassination and over 140,000 SS and Wehrmacht Troops. The suspected number of civilian casualties is classified but is thought to be over 100,000 by outside sources and estimates.

Although Goebbels had survived the SS assassination attempt, health problems combined with polio had made him permanently bedstricken. After several weeks of combating the disease, Goebbels finally succumbed to the disease next to his family. A power vacuum had ensued after the death of Goebbels. Karl Donitz began a process of eliminating candidates to the position. At first, Erwin Rommel was seen as the top contender but after a scandal involving money laundering, the General was put under house arrest. Four candidates remained for the position. Although Albert Speer had been seen as 'radical' for his political and economic liberalism, many within the new generation vouched for the candidate. A contentious debate was held between whether the Reich should reform or keep the status quo. The debate was eventually concluded with the reformists coming on top, making Speer's Influence much greater. Although Goering had died due to assassination, in his place came Otto Ernst Remer. A member of the OKW and a strong supporter of the continuation of the War in the East. The battle had been narrowed down to just three contenders. Himmler, Remer, and Speer all held considerable power within the Reichstag. After Himmler's exile in Wewelsburg, the Munich Agreement had been dissolved, giving Himmler the power to reassert influence. Although Himmler appeased to Donitz, promising a large increase on expenditure on the Kriegsmarine, Donitz eventually came to terms with Himmler's fanatical spiritualism, wiping Himmler off the list of contenders. The final struggle between power came to Remer and Speer. Donitz, seeing Speer's obvious liberalism, picked him to be the Reichskanzler of the Reich. Shortly after, Felix Kersten had died and shortly after, so did Heinrich Himmler.

Albert Speer was shortly after, coordinated as Reichskanzler in the capital, Neu Berlin. Speer along with major support from the Reichstag, planned to finish the demolishment of Neu Berlin and establish a new mega-city atop the ruins. The city was called "Germania", named after the name Julius Caesar gave to coin the region associated with the modern lands of Germany. Construction began in December of 1955 with the remodeling of the Berlin streets. In August of 1956, American Forces had intervened in the Vietnam War. Germany, seeing an opportunity, began sending military equipment to the forces of the State of Vietnam. A combined force of Japanese and Vietnamese Forces began the Tet Offensive, pushing American and Viet Minh Forces back to Hanoi. The American Expeditionary Force, Task Force Smith, had been decimated and withdrew from the nation, leaving a trail of shame for all Americans to see at home. By 1957, the United States approved the usage of a Hydrogen Bomb on the Vietnamese City of Hue. Warfare changed that day... The first nuclear attack resulted in devastating civilian losses. The German Government immediately started a nuclear programming, spending billions each year. By late-1957, the first Hydrogen Bomb had been created and tested in Sub Saharan Africa. Although German-Italian Diplomacy had thawed out, the Government in Rome approved German Bombers to have air access to reach Sub Saharan Africa.

After 1957, the German Government focused on the the Germania Project, diverting funds out of the Wehrmacht and expropriating them towards the project. By 1960, it was thought that the Germania Project was within reach of completion but due to the extreme nature of welfare and spending on the mega projects, the money had dried and the national debt added up. A economic crisis ensued within the Reich as the Centralized Economy struggled to stay afloat. The nation was now divided between left and right forces of the NSDAP. Much of the reformers in the Reich wished Germany's transition into a more Free Market System. Much of the conservatives and warhawks proposed a second war with the Russian Remnants in order to propel the German Economy and gear it up for "a final struggle against Judeo-Capitalism". Seeing very little choice, Speer and Donitz agreed to liberalize the Reich. Although this had given Germany a boost, the Conservative Wing of the NSDAP was not happy. By 1959, the SS and Conservative Wing of the NSDAP had formed a coalition in the Reichstag. Fearing this, the Reichstag was temporarily dissolved. The situation further escalated with the coalition threatening to start a second Civil War. In this time, Reichskommissariats such as Norway and Britain declared Independence.

Karl Donitz, fearing the worse, abdicated his position giving it to Albert Speer. Speer was now the total head of state with the backing of the Wehrmacht and respect of the Kriegsmarine. The Luftwaffe had aligned itself with the Conservatives, threatening the balance of power. Speer began a crackdown, purging all SS and Conservative Forces within the Reich. Although the Reich had began to become more morally upstanding, the evils of Speer's regime doubled each day. Slave Labor in Germania became common place, the SS and Luftwaffe were purged and filled in with incompetent leaders, protests were brought down by using armed force. In the course of a day or two, the purge had eliminated nearly all of Speer's opponents. The event was nicknamed "The Second Night of the Long Knives". After this period, the Reich returned to relative stability with welfare cut and the Debt going down. Although the quality of life went down for some time, wages and small business skyrocketed by 1961. It is also noted that the nation had a severe wealth inequality problem at the time. While the price of goods and services remained stable, the quality of life and wages went up year-by-year. During this time, a new type of foreign policy had developed.

Cold War Period (1962-1970)
National Socialist and Despot Forces all over the world had started to pop up. In 1947, Bernard Baruch had coined the term 'Cold War' to describe the fight between Democracy and Fascism in the world. The term was more important than ever in this time. On October 16th, 1962, the Mexican Government had agreed to station German Nuclear Missiles on the Yucatan Peninsula. The American Government under John F. Kennedy went into panic. The US Strategic Air Command was placed on Defcon 2. Within minutes, German High Command ordered their nuclear weapons to on alert in case of war. This was the beginning of the "Yucatan Missile Crisis". America immediately responded, sending a invasion force of U.S. Backed Rebels to invade the Yucatan Peninsula and hopefully, remove the missiles. On the orders of Robert McNamara and John F. Kennedy, the invasion was commenced. At the last second, American air support pulled back, not wanting it to escalate the situation. Within 2 days, the invasion miserably failed. Seeing no alternative, American and German Diplomats met within Stockholm to discuss the conditions of removing the warheads. An agreement was proposed and reached. American Warheads stationed in Norway were to be removed and so were the German Warheads in the Yucatan. On October 28th, the crisis ended with audiences all over the world breathing a sigh of relief. Shortly after, a 2nd coup in Mexico occurred.

Although the Empire of Japan and the Greater German Reich had broken ties, the German Embassy in Tokyo asked the Prime Minister if a formal agreement of non-aggression could be passed. Prime Minister Hayato Ikeda responded with a letter to Germania, stating that a non-aggression agreement would be favorable. By Early-1963, German and Japanese Relations became warm with a non-aggression agreement being signed between the Showa Emperor and Albert Speer in Tokyo. Speer returned to Germania, signing the '1963 Rebalancing Act'. This rebalanced the budget of the nation, investing more in Welfare Programs and the Germania Project. Members of the OKW were disgruntled with the act and many sought to assassinate the leader.

The Wehrmacht was now underfunded and the maintenance of nuclear warheads could not be kept. The funds went to the continuation of Concentration Camps along with the funding of Germania's Infrastructure. Heavy taxes put a burden on private enterprise and many big companies within the Reich started to outsource. Speer did not listen to his economic advisors, citing that he had ran the War Economy. Speer grew increasingly demanding of an economic miracle to his advisors but it would never come. By 1964, America's involvement in the Philippines had pushed Speer to invest more in the Wehrmacht and Luftwaffe. Many officials of the Kriegsmarine including Karl Donitz asked Speer himself to invest more. Speer would say no too many times for the liking of the Kriegsmarine and soon after, Kriegsmarine Sailors defected to the United States in droves. To prevent this, the German Government began creating a naval blockade along the English Channel. This plan worked, stopping defectors from entering the United States but by 1964, the cost of maintaining the blockade was putting a burden on the German Taxpayer. The French State is also cited to have apart. The Free French Government in Algiers had relocated to Paris, reestablishing their hold on the mainland. Protests in Hamburg and Germania erupted, demanding the end of the high taxes. In retaliation, the Reichstag agreed to send the Ordnungspolizei without the knowledge of Albert Speer. Within hours, the crowds of Hamburg and Germania dispersed. Several protesters were killed and more injured. The German Public was outraged and riots all over the nation began. Hamburg, Munich, Stuttgart, Germania, Breslau, and Cologne all burned as lootings and crime became rampant. The economy took a major plunge as Reichskommissariat Moskau collapsed. Shortly after, communications with Reichskommissariat Caucasus ceased to exist. It was later discovered that the Reichskommissariat plunged into unrest. Georgian and Armenian Rebels soon secured major sectors and the capital, Baku, was under siege by Azerbaijani Forces. Freikorps Elements within Baku soon declared a 'German-Baku Cooperative State'.

Although the Wolga-Don Region had been designated Reichskommissariat Moskau Territory, the area stayed under local Wehrmacht control. German Commanders in the region formed a council. The Don-Wolga Region was now "Reichskommissariat Wolga-Don", a Military-State led under a provisional council of Wehrmacht Officials. With the Lebensraum Program going very unsuccessful, settlers within Moskau and the Caucasus returned to a radically different Germany. Albert Speer began to pass reform, cutting spending and drastically lowering taxes. Although Speer envisioned a Industrialized Germany, the idea of agrarianism was adopted due to the vast stretches of farmland in the east being lost. Farming subsidies were provided to the newly acquired settlers from the East. Unfortunately, the whole of the East fell with Ukraine becoming a sovereign Republic. Under Albert Speer, negotiations were held and Ukraine agreed to stay with Germany in return for more autonomy. The breadbasket of Europe was secured for the Reich's plundering. In Reichskommissariat Ostland, the Schutzmannschaft was able to restore control of nearly the entire country. The remnants of the Soviet Union was able to capitalize on the chaos and secured territory near Moskau.

Although the Reich was deeply weakened, German Olympians in the 1964 Tokyo Olympics did very well, coming out on top as the 2nd best team. Back in Germany, the economy returned to stable levels. Social and economic reforms hit the Reichstag, all proposed by Speer. With the majority of the Reichstag being under a Status Quo NSDAP Bloc, most reforms failed to pass. Speer was outraged and used 'emergency powers' to enact all proposals. The reconstruction of Germania after the riots was pushed and a majority of the protester's demands were achieved. It had seemed that the Reich had gone through the hardest and that the sun would shine upon Germany once again. For the next 5 years, Germany remained stable and prosper. This would change in 1969. Although the United States remained unstable after the Woodstock Massacre and the War in the Philippines, the Cold War still continued. The fabric of Germany Society remains divided as the newer generation demands social reform. The warhawks and conservatives within the Reichstag push for a Civil Crackdown. It is only a matter of time when the mess spills over into a crisis or even worse. The Greater German Reich remains defeated in the Space Race after American Astronauts land on the moon in late-1969. One Scientist by the name of Werner von Braun wishes for Germany to go even further, to Mars.



Germany remains at a crossroads... reform or stability are the two remaining options the Reich has left. Albert Speer's Germania Project is almost complete but invaluable resources and money had been spent constructing it. The national debt of Germany remains high after the spending on the Space Program. Unemployment and poverty starts to creep back into German Society and the Government has been proven ineffective in combatting it. With the impending oil crisis and 1972 Olympics on the way, only god knows what is next for Speer.