Member
DEPARTMENT OF THE ARMY
HEADQUARTERS, 128th INFANTRY REGIMENT
HEADQUARTERS, 128th INFANTRY REGIMENT
PREPARED 14 JANUARY 1937
018782
Mrs. Elsie Seidell
2558 Mutchler Rd
Fitchburg, WI
Dear Mrs. Seidell:
I wish to express my deepest personal and formal condolences regarding the death of your son, Private Markus Seidell.
Private Seidell displayed exemplary heroism and fortitude at the Second Battle of the Corunna Road. A proud member of the 32nd Infantry Division, his company made an assault against the Nationalist positions. Dispatching a number of treacherous forces from a tower, he, along with the loyal members of his platoon, held the insurrectionists at bay for much of the night. At approximately 01:55 local time, 13 January 1937, Private Seidell was killed in action as a result of an explosion. Surrounded by enemies, the tower his platoon had fortified was destroyed by an explosive device detonating at its base. The incident occurred at Villanueva de la Cañada, Spain.
Given the conditions of his service, Private Seidell has been deemed worthy of a Purple Heart posthumously, as well as eternal commemoration as a defender of freedom in these most difficult times. You may be justifiably proud of your son's service to his country.
Sincerely,
JOSEPH R WILCOX
Major General
On a sunny Sarajevo afternoon in June 1914, a man is shot. The world consequently plummets into a spiral of war and death. Alliances were tested, cries of nationalism were emboldened, and decades of militarism were released in a storm of hellish conflict. The path of history is forever changed, for that man is Archduke Franz Ferdinand, heir presumptive to the Austro-Hungarian throne. For the next two years, a back-and-forth between the Entente of Britain, France, and Russia, and the Central Powers of Germany, Austria-Hungary, and Ottoman Turkey ensues, slaughtering millions of soldiers and civilians alike.
As the War raged onward an ocean away, the politicians of America debated their involvement in the conflict. Although technically neutral, the United States supplied resources to Britain and her Entente allies. While the nationalists and Anglophiles pushed for war, the decision ultimately came down to Congress. The contentious topic of the 1916 Elections came down to who would best lead America in the Great War; in the end, the people chose to re-elect President Woodrow Wilson over the pro-war Roosevelt. Elected upon the very principle on neutrality, President Wilson vehemently opposed sending American troops into what had already turned out to be a bloodbath for British and Canadian forces. This decision gained traction particularly among German-American and Italian-American citizens, who were reluctant to fight a war against their ethnic brothers.
While the Americans considered their position in the war in Europe, Germany questioned what to do with the States. Certain propositions were brought before the Kaiser: in favor of heightened aggression, the Foreign Office suggested a telegram to Mexico to form an anti-American alliance. As well, the Imperial Navy suggested an unrestricted policy on submarine warfare, allowing them to attack any pro-British merchant ships. In the end, Kaiser Wilhelm decided against such policies, in concern of severe American retaliation.
As the War dragged into 1917, casualties mounted to little avail. Without fear of American reprisal, the Germans and Italians mounted an ambitious offensive into the heart of France. With Austrian support, the Italian Alpini forces overcame the French Chasseurs Alpins at the Battle of Mont Blanc, pushing all the way to the Rhône. Further north, the Entente failed catastrophically at the Nivelle Offensive, falling back to the Somme. This, combined with the American commitment to neutrality, sparked the Spring Offensive for the Germans. With rematches at Verdun and the Somme, the Germans continued to break through, finally capturing Ypres in June and Amiens in August. Meanwhile, on the Eastern Front, the Russians attempted to break through with the Kerensky Offensive. This was countered by Austro-Hungarian defenses in the south and Germans in the north; on top of that, the Bolshevik Revolution caused the Imperial Russian Army to implode. Such new, sudden changes in the Russian political climate would affect their involvement in the still-ongoing conflict.
With a French surrender in October 1917, the Germans rushed east to eat up the unprotected, now-Soviet land. This culminated in the Treaty of Brest-Litovsk in December, which cut up swathes of Russian land. New subordinate states such as Livonia, Poland, Ukraine, and Finland were formed; these republics were also useful as compliant 'buffer states' between the German and Slavic circles of Eastern Europe.
As the War raged onward an ocean away, the politicians of America debated their involvement in the conflict. Although technically neutral, the United States supplied resources to Britain and her Entente allies. While the nationalists and Anglophiles pushed for war, the decision ultimately came down to Congress. The contentious topic of the 1916 Elections came down to who would best lead America in the Great War; in the end, the people chose to re-elect President Woodrow Wilson over the pro-war Roosevelt. Elected upon the very principle on neutrality, President Wilson vehemently opposed sending American troops into what had already turned out to be a bloodbath for British and Canadian forces. This decision gained traction particularly among German-American and Italian-American citizens, who were reluctant to fight a war against their ethnic brothers.
While the Americans considered their position in the war in Europe, Germany questioned what to do with the States. Certain propositions were brought before the Kaiser: in favor of heightened aggression, the Foreign Office suggested a telegram to Mexico to form an anti-American alliance. As well, the Imperial Navy suggested an unrestricted policy on submarine warfare, allowing them to attack any pro-British merchant ships. In the end, Kaiser Wilhelm decided against such policies, in concern of severe American retaliation.
As the War dragged into 1917, casualties mounted to little avail. Without fear of American reprisal, the Germans and Italians mounted an ambitious offensive into the heart of France. With Austrian support, the Italian Alpini forces overcame the French Chasseurs Alpins at the Battle of Mont Blanc, pushing all the way to the Rhône. Further north, the Entente failed catastrophically at the Nivelle Offensive, falling back to the Somme. This, combined with the American commitment to neutrality, sparked the Spring Offensive for the Germans. With rematches at Verdun and the Somme, the Germans continued to break through, finally capturing Ypres in June and Amiens in August. Meanwhile, on the Eastern Front, the Russians attempted to break through with the Kerensky Offensive. This was countered by Austro-Hungarian defenses in the south and Germans in the north; on top of that, the Bolshevik Revolution caused the Imperial Russian Army to implode. Such new, sudden changes in the Russian political climate would affect their involvement in the still-ongoing conflict.
With a French surrender in October 1917, the Germans rushed east to eat up the unprotected, now-Soviet land. This culminated in the Treaty of Brest-Litovsk in December, which cut up swathes of Russian land. New subordinate states such as Livonia, Poland, Ukraine, and Finland were formed; these republics were also useful as compliant 'buffer states' between the German and Slavic circles of Eastern Europe.
After German infantry marched through the Arc de Triomphe, France and Britain scrambled for surrender terms. At the Treaty of Potsdam, the Entente's colonial powers were forced to either grant autonomy to the majority of their colonies, or surrender them to the Central Powers. A large part of Africa, once primarily French and British, was now partitioned between Italy in the north and east, and Germany in the south and west. South Africa, now at the mercy of the Germans and Dutch, was forced to grant autonomy to an independent Boer state. The British colonies in the East Indies were also handed to the Netherlands (aside from East New Guinea, which, along with the British Pacific Isles, was granted to Germany). Colonies such as Canada, Australia, India, and New Zealand were granted independence without question, as was Ireland, whose liberation was promised by Germany. The Romanov family, on the run from the Bolsheviks, was brought safely to Germany, finding exiled refuge in the region of Holstein.
Not only did the nations between Germany and Russia have practical application, but they also saw historical significance. The term 'Livonia' refers to the Livonia region, which made up most of the United Baltic Duchy, as it was officially known. In wake of civil unrest and disarray during and after the War, the Second Polish Republic was created. Though more independent and powerful than the other newborn nation-states in this region, Poland was still on good terms with Germany. After all, the Polish nation had not existed for over 100 years, since the Kościuszko Uprising. Livonia and Poland, combined with the Ukraine and Finland, were referred to as the 'Intermarium' region, as Polish leader Józef Piłsudski noted stretched from 'Baltic Sea to Black Sea', parallel to the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth.
These massive shifts in the global scene significantly contributed to the fall of the empire, and rise of the nation-state. Although the Central Powers asserted their power on the global scale, they still wished to maintain a strong relationship with strong neutral countries. Hoping to forge a new alliance with such burgeoning, sovereign powers, they founded the Weltbund. An international organization founded upon diplomacy and negotiation (as noted in its Proclamation), the Zurich-based international congress was to be the foundation of Germany's new world power. The world had found a new hegemon in Germany, and it seemed it would be that way for some time.
Not only did the nations between Germany and Russia have practical application, but they also saw historical significance. The term 'Livonia' refers to the Livonia region, which made up most of the United Baltic Duchy, as it was officially known. In wake of civil unrest and disarray during and after the War, the Second Polish Republic was created. Though more independent and powerful than the other newborn nation-states in this region, Poland was still on good terms with Germany. After all, the Polish nation had not existed for over 100 years, since the Kościuszko Uprising. Livonia and Poland, combined with the Ukraine and Finland, were referred to as the 'Intermarium' region, as Polish leader Józef Piłsudski noted stretched from 'Baltic Sea to Black Sea', parallel to the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth.
These massive shifts in the global scene significantly contributed to the fall of the empire, and rise of the nation-state. Although the Central Powers asserted their power on the global scale, they still wished to maintain a strong relationship with strong neutral countries. Hoping to forge a new alliance with such burgeoning, sovereign powers, they founded the Weltbund. An international organization founded upon diplomacy and negotiation (as noted in its Proclamation), the Zurich-based international congress was to be the foundation of Germany's new world power. The world had found a new hegemon in Germany, and it seemed it would be that way for some time.
While her soldiers marched triumphantly in the streets of Berlin, Germany's leaders considered their new positions as heads of the new world power. Out of the splendor of victory arose two competing factions in the Reichstag. On one side of the poltical spectrum, the German Democratic Party, abbreviated DDP, took hold of liberal values. Aiming for what they called a 'night-watchman state', the DDP advocated for limited government involvement in the economy, as well as a revival of Bismarck's pragmatic Realpolitik foreign policy. On the other hand, the monarchist German National People's Party (DNVP) considered such beliefs to be anti-German and complicit in a plot to topple German influence. A coalition of right-wing parties, the DNVP upheld the Kaiser's Weltpolitik policy by demanding a strong military and foreign presence. They easily took power, denouncing the left-leaning Social Democratic Party (SPD) as Marxists and quickly upheld Germany's position as an overseas power. This move would consolidate support within the German-speaking realms, although it seldom garnered favor abroad.
While the empires of Germany and Italy flourished in Europe, others faltered. Britain and France fell into disarray, while the Ottoman and Austro-Hungarian Empires dissolved entirely through referendum and popular resistance. New, smaller republics- specifically, Austria, Czechoslovakia, and Turkey, were formed, with Yugoslavia and Hungary becoming independent kingdoms. In the wake of Czech revolutions, Germany saw an opportunity to seize the German-speaking Sudetenland, incorporating it into the German Empire. Most of this transition was peaceful in reality, with the Czechs and Germans agreeing to each other's claims.
The implications of a strong European foreign policy soon made themselves clear. On top of a transfer of power from mostly English and French colonies to German and Italian, the new colonial heads wasted no time consolidating their power and tightening their fists. This culminated with the Revolutions of the 1920s, where nationalists in Britain, France, and Italy seized power from their formerly republican and monarchist heads. This also spurred colonies to rise up against their masters, such as Vietnam and Ethiopia against Italy, Indonesia against the Dutch, the American-controlled Cuba and Philippines, German East Africa. Most rebellions proved at least somewhat successful due to the spread-out nature of the empires, as well as the exhausted European manpower from the Great War. By 1926, a large swathe of formerly colonial land was now sovereign, free to ally with whomever they pleased. Now, they imposed a crucial question upon the heads of the large powers: should empires double their efforts and hold on tightly to what they have, or allow for a more relaxed foreign policy?
While the empires of Germany and Italy flourished in Europe, others faltered. Britain and France fell into disarray, while the Ottoman and Austro-Hungarian Empires dissolved entirely through referendum and popular resistance. New, smaller republics- specifically, Austria, Czechoslovakia, and Turkey, were formed, with Yugoslavia and Hungary becoming independent kingdoms. In the wake of Czech revolutions, Germany saw an opportunity to seize the German-speaking Sudetenland, incorporating it into the German Empire. Most of this transition was peaceful in reality, with the Czechs and Germans agreeing to each other's claims.
The implications of a strong European foreign policy soon made themselves clear. On top of a transfer of power from mostly English and French colonies to German and Italian, the new colonial heads wasted no time consolidating their power and tightening their fists. This culminated with the Revolutions of the 1920s, where nationalists in Britain, France, and Italy seized power from their formerly republican and monarchist heads. This also spurred colonies to rise up against their masters, such as Vietnam and Ethiopia against Italy, Indonesia against the Dutch, the American-controlled Cuba and Philippines, German East Africa. Most rebellions proved at least somewhat successful due to the spread-out nature of the empires, as well as the exhausted European manpower from the Great War. By 1926, a large swathe of formerly colonial land was now sovereign, free to ally with whomever they pleased. Now, they imposed a crucial question upon the heads of the large powers: should empires double their efforts and hold on tightly to what they have, or allow for a more relaxed foreign policy?
The aforementioned split was spelled out in the further political changes of the world. On one hand, Germany (now with a hefty DDP majority) and America opted for expansion of the liberal democratic approach: ease up on aggressive expansionism, with a new focus on diplomacy and self-defense. While they collaborated in economic and technological developments, this came at the expense of the mercantilism that offered direct, cheap resources from other nations. To compensate for this, these such nations united into a 'Grand Alliance', tightening their bonds of trade and cooperation. This Alliance comprised of the German Empire (now more of a constitutional monarchy) and the United States, although several other nations joined in. Japan, a resource-thirsty empire with historical ties to America, joined in to help alleviate its thin supplies. Ireland, a free republic thanks to Germany, entered to gain a military ally against Britain. The Republic of China, suddenly fighting a Communist revolt, pledged their allegiance in return for Allied military support. As well, previous German allies such as the Netherlands, Austria, Czechoslovakia, and the Intermarium region (Finland, Livonia, Poland, and Ukraine) declared admission into the Alliance to maintain their connections.
This military alliance developed political capital, but also meant collaboration between the industrial and technological powerhouses of America and Germany, which produced weapons such as the Mauser Karabiner 29 bolt action rifle, the semi-automatic carbine (with the American M1 Garand and the German Walther G34 models), and the Thompson M1928A1 submachine gun, the civilian model of which was already a staple of gang culture. Known collectively as the 'Allies', these nations were soon considered the bastion of liberty and freedom in the world. Through this, they were forced to tackle several issues together, both economic and diplomatic.
In October of 1929, following over a decade of rapid economic growth, the New York Stock Exchange suddenly crashed over the course of a day. The cause is unknown—theories vary from a lack of government regulation to inflation of credit supply—but the facts are that it devastated the international economy. Over the next few years, the Allies managed to scrape by with increased free trade and wise policy, but in the meantime, the rest of the world was thrown into the Great Depression.
More hardline and cynical than the Allies, a movement for a strong, neo-imperial government started with Italy in 1922. In light of the revolutions scarring the nation's colonies, Italy fell into civil unrest. Benito Mussolini rose to power through this, marching upon Rome and declaring a Fascist state. This new government, determined to crush all opposition, declared a rebirth of the Roman Empire: a wide, strong state, enforced by one Duce. Although their defense efforts had mostly laughable failures in the further colonies of Vietnam and Ethiopia (both backed by Soviet interests), they did manage to hold on to their Mediterranean coastlines. This was to some extent due to proximity, but had to do with modernization. At home, infrastructural and military projects provided jobs, growth, and more importantly, national strength. With ambitious plans for the armed forces, Italy begun to modernize their guns, planes, and ships, managing to retake their previously lost land. Perhaps most importantly, the Italians still controlled the Holy Land in the Middle East, considered sacrosanct to Italy's Catholic citizens. For all the economic slumps of the Great Depression, the Italian Fascist model seemed to be a beacon of hope and strength, especially for the most afflicted states.
Following Italy's lead were Britain and France, who took the brunt of the Great War. Suffering heavy losses in manpower and economic strength, they turned to Mussolini as a role model. France, in hopes of restoring the days of Napoleon, found themselves led by the PPF in 1928, with Marshal Philippe Pétain leading the way. Promising to inevitably restore French strength in Europe, Pétain's neighbors took hasty note. Britain, sorely feeling the losses of colonial resources, elected Oswald Mosley of the British Union of Fascists in 1929, who promised a stronger military, economy, and restoration of British glory. as the stock market had taken a These three powers, according to Mussolini, formed a "European Axis", which he stated to be an unbreakable coalition. Behind closed doors, Italy had expected Germany to follow suit, but such endeavors were fruitless. In November 1923, an Austrian-German Fascist by the name of Hitler attempted a coup d'etat in Munich with his SA paramilitaries. The 'Beer Hall Putsch', as it was known, was swiftly cut down by Imperial German soldiers, as Hitler and his co-conspirators were shot for treason. Almost immediately, the Axis Powers came into conflict with the Allies, when the United Kingdom demanded the reinstatement of the Commonwealth. While Germany and America put up surprisingly minimal resistance, Britain's former colonies responded with a resounding 'no': Canada and Australia/New Zealand had found new allies in America and Japan, respectively, while India was content with neutral independence.
Not all nations followed the paths of liberalism and fascism. In accordance with the Marxist ideals of the Soviets, several communist states were installed by Russia: Vietnam, Cuba, and Ethiopia all eventually took up Soviet alignments and became interests of the Soviet Union. The Soviets also attempted to influence Chinese revolutionaries to take control; this effort was eventually shut down by an Allied coalition. Mostly American, this coalition also meant the new member-state of Australia saw Allied action for the first time. However, despite their differences, talk slowly begun between a Soviet Bloc-Axis pact.
Near the end of the Chinese Civil War in 1936, conflict also struck Spain. The Spanish Republic, which had been declared following the King's death in 1931, fought against Nationalist rebels aiming for a military coup. The Nationalists took several victories home initially, backed by Italian and French troops: by January 1937, all that was left of the Republic were the eastern regions, in a rough line from Madrid to Barcelona. By then, the Allies saw need for intervention, as the first waves of American and German support begun to pour in. Both Axis and Allies provided heavy support, at times even clashing directly, but war was never officially declared. Allied troops now begun the process of pushing the Nationalists out, but matters were further complicated when the Soviet Union declared support for the Nationalists, by creating a socialist pact with the Axis. While politically, this raised several issues in the Weltbund, this made little impact: French and Italian troops pulled out of Spain, in preparation for another offensive. The Nationalist revolt had failed, but the threat of Fascism in Europe was far from over.
This military alliance developed political capital, but also meant collaboration between the industrial and technological powerhouses of America and Germany, which produced weapons such as the Mauser Karabiner 29 bolt action rifle, the semi-automatic carbine (with the American M1 Garand and the German Walther G34 models), and the Thompson M1928A1 submachine gun, the civilian model of which was already a staple of gang culture. Known collectively as the 'Allies', these nations were soon considered the bastion of liberty and freedom in the world. Through this, they were forced to tackle several issues together, both economic and diplomatic.
In October of 1929, following over a decade of rapid economic growth, the New York Stock Exchange suddenly crashed over the course of a day. The cause is unknown—theories vary from a lack of government regulation to inflation of credit supply—but the facts are that it devastated the international economy. Over the next few years, the Allies managed to scrape by with increased free trade and wise policy, but in the meantime, the rest of the world was thrown into the Great Depression.
More hardline and cynical than the Allies, a movement for a strong, neo-imperial government started with Italy in 1922. In light of the revolutions scarring the nation's colonies, Italy fell into civil unrest. Benito Mussolini rose to power through this, marching upon Rome and declaring a Fascist state. This new government, determined to crush all opposition, declared a rebirth of the Roman Empire: a wide, strong state, enforced by one Duce. Although their defense efforts had mostly laughable failures in the further colonies of Vietnam and Ethiopia (both backed by Soviet interests), they did manage to hold on to their Mediterranean coastlines. This was to some extent due to proximity, but had to do with modernization. At home, infrastructural and military projects provided jobs, growth, and more importantly, national strength. With ambitious plans for the armed forces, Italy begun to modernize their guns, planes, and ships, managing to retake their previously lost land. Perhaps most importantly, the Italians still controlled the Holy Land in the Middle East, considered sacrosanct to Italy's Catholic citizens. For all the economic slumps of the Great Depression, the Italian Fascist model seemed to be a beacon of hope and strength, especially for the most afflicted states.
Following Italy's lead were Britain and France, who took the brunt of the Great War. Suffering heavy losses in manpower and economic strength, they turned to Mussolini as a role model. France, in hopes of restoring the days of Napoleon, found themselves led by the PPF in 1928, with Marshal Philippe Pétain leading the way. Promising to inevitably restore French strength in Europe, Pétain's neighbors took hasty note. Britain, sorely feeling the losses of colonial resources, elected Oswald Mosley of the British Union of Fascists in 1929, who promised a stronger military, economy, and restoration of British glory. as the stock market had taken a These three powers, according to Mussolini, formed a "European Axis", which he stated to be an unbreakable coalition. Behind closed doors, Italy had expected Germany to follow suit, but such endeavors were fruitless. In November 1923, an Austrian-German Fascist by the name of Hitler attempted a coup d'etat in Munich with his SA paramilitaries. The 'Beer Hall Putsch', as it was known, was swiftly cut down by Imperial German soldiers, as Hitler and his co-conspirators were shot for treason. Almost immediately, the Axis Powers came into conflict with the Allies, when the United Kingdom demanded the reinstatement of the Commonwealth. While Germany and America put up surprisingly minimal resistance, Britain's former colonies responded with a resounding 'no': Canada and Australia/New Zealand had found new allies in America and Japan, respectively, while India was content with neutral independence.
Not all nations followed the paths of liberalism and fascism. In accordance with the Marxist ideals of the Soviets, several communist states were installed by Russia: Vietnam, Cuba, and Ethiopia all eventually took up Soviet alignments and became interests of the Soviet Union. The Soviets also attempted to influence Chinese revolutionaries to take control; this effort was eventually shut down by an Allied coalition. Mostly American, this coalition also meant the new member-state of Australia saw Allied action for the first time. However, despite their differences, talk slowly begun between a Soviet Bloc-Axis pact.
Near the end of the Chinese Civil War in 1936, conflict also struck Spain. The Spanish Republic, which had been declared following the King's death in 1931, fought against Nationalist rebels aiming for a military coup. The Nationalists took several victories home initially, backed by Italian and French troops: by January 1937, all that was left of the Republic were the eastern regions, in a rough line from Madrid to Barcelona. By then, the Allies saw need for intervention, as the first waves of American and German support begun to pour in. Both Axis and Allies provided heavy support, at times even clashing directly, but war was never officially declared. Allied troops now begun the process of pushing the Nationalists out, but matters were further complicated when the Soviet Union declared support for the Nationalists, by creating a socialist pact with the Axis. While politically, this raised several issues in the Weltbund, this made little impact: French and Italian troops pulled out of Spain, in preparation for another offensive. The Nationalist revolt had failed, but the threat of Fascism in Europe was far from over.
The Soviet alliance with the Axis Powers was designed to put pressure upon the Allies, and it did just that. In the weeks following Stalin and Mussolini's declaration of an alliance, Germans called for armament and defense programs. The Rhine Province and Alsace-Lorraine were quickly bolstered with both solid defenses and Army forces, in the event of an all-out war. Allied nations on the border with Axis powers mobilized their troops, preparing for conflict. The American forces stationed in Spain shipped up to Ireland, in anticipation of a British assault. But of all places, the war did not begin in Europe.
Although the fire of Communism had long cooled in Asia, the Soviets prepared for a rekindling. Mao, the head of the People's Liberation Army in China, was brought back into action, spurring an uprising in Manchuria. Reprisal from the Kuomintang, China's ruling republican party, served as a pretense for Stalin to strike south, invading China from the northwest and northeast. The Allies wasted no time warning Russia that further action would lead to war, although it was already too late. Weeks later, the Communist-backed Korean People's Army initiated a series of 'liberation revolts' in Japanese-occupied Korea, giving the Soviets yet another casus belli to strike into Korea. With this, the War had officially begun, on August 3, 1938. Japan and China, along with the Allies, declared war on Russia, which led the Axis nations to declare war in return. The British referred to the conflict as the "Second Great War", as a continuation of the fight with France and Russia against Germany, while official American documents used the term 'Second World War'. The latter gained traction in the public eye as 'World War Two', or 'WWII'.
Not all nations were swept up in the conflict. In Europe, Spain licked its wounds from its Civil War, which had ended mere months ago. Hungary, Turkey, and the Balkan nations in between maintained a shaky, but neutral stance, leaving the war to their neighbors. In fact, Romania and Yugoslavia declared a friendship in neutrality soon after independence, dubbed the 'Little Entente' in their skepticism of German-Austrian hegemony. Canada, unwilling to choose between either Britain or America, stayed out of the conflict, maintaining trade relations with both countries. Much of Africa, disenfranchised with European powers alike, stood away from the colonizers' war, but some groups saw the fighting as an opportunity to reprise their uprisings of the 1920s.
On the morning of August 3, Europe had transformed overnight. Soviet forces, prepared beforehand, begun their assault upon the Intermarium states. Germany, having provided arms and defenses in advance, committed a fraction of her troops to supporting the local defense forces. Britain and France, with a sudden ally in the form of Belgium, broke through the Belgian-Dutch border, inflicting heavy casualties into the Dutch forces. Axis troops also cut through Luxembourg, a small principality that entered into a 'protection contract' with the Allies, as well as the German border, but made little progress against the fortified German defenses. Further south, Austria came under attack from Italian Alpinis, fighting them off with German and Czechoslovakian support. While the Axis made use of tanks and aircraft in an orthodox manner, used strategically to support ground forces, the other Allies took notes from Germany. While their offensive tactics were yet to be revealed, they employed swift, sharp air raids, using Stuka dive bombers to wipe enemy vehicles out, and surgically precise bomber runs on key supply routes and munitions hubs.
China and Japan, meanwhile, were locked into a multi-pronged Asian front with Communist forces. Able to quickly mobilize with joint German-American weaponry and vehicles, the Russian offensives at Sinkiang and Manchuria were slowed, but not stopped. Japan fared quite well on the Korean frontier, overwhelming the Korean Communists and Soviets with unprecedented ferocity, forcing the invaders back to the Tumen River. In the south, a Communist-led Vietnam attacked China, forcing Western intervention. Australian Army troops, as well as U.S. Marines, mobilized from the Allied port of Singapore, striking Vietnam from the south end. In a rapid turn of events, Vietnamese forces circled back south to defend their own country.
By Winter 1938, the Western Front stalled at Den Bosch, Nijmegen, Aachen, Luxembourg, and the Vosges. The Axis dug in their trenches for a repeat of the First Great War, and initially, the Allies seemed to in return. The Russian front ground to a similar halt in most of the Intermarium, save Finland, where the defending Finns drove the Red Army out over the course of the winter. This was partially thanks to a Finnish sniper dubbed the 'White Death', who accumulated over 500 kills over the course of the invasion. Aside from an ever-growing American presence in Ireland, the War in Europe seemed to be a stagnant war- which the Germans auspiciously dubbed the 'Sitzkrieg'.
Although the fire of Communism had long cooled in Asia, the Soviets prepared for a rekindling. Mao, the head of the People's Liberation Army in China, was brought back into action, spurring an uprising in Manchuria. Reprisal from the Kuomintang, China's ruling republican party, served as a pretense for Stalin to strike south, invading China from the northwest and northeast. The Allies wasted no time warning Russia that further action would lead to war, although it was already too late. Weeks later, the Communist-backed Korean People's Army initiated a series of 'liberation revolts' in Japanese-occupied Korea, giving the Soviets yet another casus belli to strike into Korea. With this, the War had officially begun, on August 3, 1938. Japan and China, along with the Allies, declared war on Russia, which led the Axis nations to declare war in return. The British referred to the conflict as the "Second Great War", as a continuation of the fight with France and Russia against Germany, while official American documents used the term 'Second World War'. The latter gained traction in the public eye as 'World War Two', or 'WWII'.
Not all nations were swept up in the conflict. In Europe, Spain licked its wounds from its Civil War, which had ended mere months ago. Hungary, Turkey, and the Balkan nations in between maintained a shaky, but neutral stance, leaving the war to their neighbors. In fact, Romania and Yugoslavia declared a friendship in neutrality soon after independence, dubbed the 'Little Entente' in their skepticism of German-Austrian hegemony. Canada, unwilling to choose between either Britain or America, stayed out of the conflict, maintaining trade relations with both countries. Much of Africa, disenfranchised with European powers alike, stood away from the colonizers' war, but some groups saw the fighting as an opportunity to reprise their uprisings of the 1920s.
On the morning of August 3, Europe had transformed overnight. Soviet forces, prepared beforehand, begun their assault upon the Intermarium states. Germany, having provided arms and defenses in advance, committed a fraction of her troops to supporting the local defense forces. Britain and France, with a sudden ally in the form of Belgium, broke through the Belgian-Dutch border, inflicting heavy casualties into the Dutch forces. Axis troops also cut through Luxembourg, a small principality that entered into a 'protection contract' with the Allies, as well as the German border, but made little progress against the fortified German defenses. Further south, Austria came under attack from Italian Alpinis, fighting them off with German and Czechoslovakian support. While the Axis made use of tanks and aircraft in an orthodox manner, used strategically to support ground forces, the other Allies took notes from Germany. While their offensive tactics were yet to be revealed, they employed swift, sharp air raids, using Stuka dive bombers to wipe enemy vehicles out, and surgically precise bomber runs on key supply routes and munitions hubs.
China and Japan, meanwhile, were locked into a multi-pronged Asian front with Communist forces. Able to quickly mobilize with joint German-American weaponry and vehicles, the Russian offensives at Sinkiang and Manchuria were slowed, but not stopped. Japan fared quite well on the Korean frontier, overwhelming the Korean Communists and Soviets with unprecedented ferocity, forcing the invaders back to the Tumen River. In the south, a Communist-led Vietnam attacked China, forcing Western intervention. Australian Army troops, as well as U.S. Marines, mobilized from the Allied port of Singapore, striking Vietnam from the south end. In a rapid turn of events, Vietnamese forces circled back south to defend their own country.
By Winter 1938, the Western Front stalled at Den Bosch, Nijmegen, Aachen, Luxembourg, and the Vosges. The Axis dug in their trenches for a repeat of the First Great War, and initially, the Allies seemed to in return. The Russian front ground to a similar halt in most of the Intermarium, save Finland, where the defending Finns drove the Red Army out over the course of the winter. This was partially thanks to a Finnish sniper dubbed the 'White Death', who accumulated over 500 kills over the course of the invasion. Aside from an ever-growing American presence in Ireland, the War in Europe seemed to be a stagnant war- which the Germans auspiciously dubbed the 'Sitzkrieg'.
As December rolled into January, the front lines cooled. The Western Front was reduced to patrol skirmishes, resupply, and training on both sides. The Eastern European and Asian fronts still saw some fighting, but noteworthy battles such as Baranovichi were harsh and far-between. Thus, the focus of the Western War turned to naval combat, as the Allies and Axis struggled for control of the North Sea.
In 1918, the Treaty of Potsdam declared an absolute surrender of Entente naval assets, off the coast of German-owned East Frisia. While most of the ships were scuttled in defiance, the fleets of Britain and France were gone regardless. This meant that Britain slowly had to rebuild their navy from the ground up. After over 12 years of democratic inaction, it took a Fascist military program in 1930 to get the Navy back together. This program was ambitiously scaled, and although it had amassed nearly a hundred craft by 1939, it was severely behind-schedule and slow, on pace to completion by 1950. In comparison, the German Navy had only grown since 1917: with nearly 800 surface craft and 250 submarines, this empire-scaled Navy was now primarily focused on the North and Baltic Seas. U-Boats wrought havoc upon British ships in the North Sea, as well as Axis forces in the Strait of Dover and North Mediterranean; as a result, the Allies now had go-ahead to begin an ambitious, unprecedented assault.
American paratroopers, specialized infantry tasked with jumping from transport planes onto targets, shipped out for Ireland in early 1939, after months of hellish training. After friendly bombers laid waste to anti-aircraft guns and defenses in the way, the paratroopers, along with their German Fallschirmjäger equivalents, made their first combat jump into the Isles of Scotland. Codenamed 'Operation Thunderbolt' (Unternehmen Donnerkeil), the Americans dropped into the Hebrides, taking the local coastal defenders by surprise. Successfully securing the archipelago after weeks of fighting, the Germans took off from the Hebrides, landing into the Northern Isles during Unternehmen Hellebarde (Operation Halberd). This two-pronged approach meant direct contact with American and German troops, which would boost morale in future missions involving the two nations.
With the Scottish Isles secure, the U.S. Army begun moving troops around Britain and into Germany. Taking the same transport boats that brought them across the Atlantic, a joint U.S.-German naval escort offered mobile support during the journey. But the British had one last ace up their sleeve: a last-ditch naval strike. At Scapa Flow, on March 4, the former Royal Navy home base in the Northern Isles, a handful of British destroyers struck at an opening in the American convoy. The destroyers were all inevitably sunk, but at the price of thousands of American lives. This incident fueled support for the war effort in the United States, and before the remaining Army elements even landed in Amsterdam, enlistment skyrocketed in all 48 states.
With the U.S. Army deployed in Europe, and the beginning of spring, Germany finally put their attack plan into action. Making an overnight move on the French front on March 12, the German Panzer tanks made their offensive debut. With dive-bomber support, the Panzers overran the entrenched French lines with relative ease, reaching the River Meuse by the 16th. With the French Army in full retreat, and the British Expeditionary Force fighting the Americans off further north, the Germans backed their tank lines up with motorized infantry. In the course of a week, the French abruptly found themselves on the run, scrambling to either fortify their Meuse lines or relieve pockets trapped behind enemy lines. This new method of fast-moving, hard-hitting German offense was called 'Blitzkrieg', or 'lightning war'- a play on the uneventful 'Sitzkrieg' of the past winter.
Meanwhile, the Americans pushed south, through the Netherlands. Crossing the Waal on the 14th, the U.S. Army and British Army clashed for the first time since the War of 1812 at Tilburg. Spearheading the American lines was the 82nd Airborne Division, who were the first to open fire on the British. After the U.S. linked up with a German flank from Aachen in Mechelen, Belgium, on the 26th, the British had been surrounded. With the Americans surrounding Antwerp and the Germans surrounding Belgium by the end of the month, Prime Minister Mosley had his British troops retreat further west, in an attempt to abandon Europe and escape to England. Belgium, now unprotected, surrendered to the Allies on April 9, less than a month after the initial counter-attack.
The Allied Blitz was successful, but not out of sheer luck. The British and French, who expected to grind the Allies into a defensive repeat of the First Great War, were overrun by a fast-moving, hard-hitting enemy. America and Germany gambled on one lightning offensive, and saw immense success. In raw numbers, forces were around the same. By April, America had 18 infantry divisions and 6 armored divisions. Germany had 90 infantry divisions and 7 Panzer divisions to spare, the remaining 10 and 3 deployed in the Intermarium and Austria. In contrast, the British Expeditionary Force peaked at 13 infantry divisions (with an initial 10), with just one Armoured Division. The French held 98 infantry divisions and 3 armored divisions, but were left with the equivalent of 60, all split and worn. This numerically even matchup was not balanced in practice, and that was thanks to philosophy. The Axis dug in pre-made forts and trenches, as well as sent their tanks in to support infantry, in a scattered formation. The Allies, employing Blitz theory, struck first with unified tank divisions, then mechanized infantry and special forces, then a support wave of infantry. This contrast in fighting styles only went to show how outdated the former Entente forces had become. If they were to somehow turn the tide, the Western Front Campaign would be a harsh lesson for them.
With American and German infantry marching through Belgium, and Panzer divisions slicing through the French lines, the British and French had little to do but run. Anti-Pétain insurgencies rippled throughout France, and some French troops even turned against their own brothers in a bid to topple the fascist government. British and loyal French forces attempted an evacuation at Dunkirk on April 16, with the remaining British/French navies pulling as many soldiers out as possible. Stiff Allied pressure led to mounting Axis casualties, yet there were strict orders to spare civilian and medical ships. In response, a wave of civilian craft from Dover crossed the Channel, saving strictly British forces- the French were 'left to deal with their own problem', as one American remarked. Despite the rescue of several men at Dunkirk, Britain still found its army in a much smaller piece than what it had shipped off with -- not to mention the complete loss of France as an Axis collaborator.
Meanwhile, Italy and Austria were locked in an Alpine stalemate. Inspired by the airborne capture of the Scottish Isles, Mussolini hurried together an ersatz division of paratroopers, and attempted an airborne capture of the crucial Brenner Pass, which ran through the Alpine border. The attempt, which fell on May 1st, was mostly a failure, due to the hurried training, poor equipment, and geography of the mountainous Alps. While Italian forces did advance as a result of the combat, they suffered strong losses in both the drops and advances. Without the strength (outnumbered nearly five-to-one) nor initiative to make a Blitzkrieg, the Allied troops were forced to hold a long mountain line and prepare for an onslaught of Italian forces. Careful not to fall into a rout like France had, the Austrians lined the Alps with forts and anti-tank measures, in a line they dubbed the Alpenwand: 'Alpine Wall'.
In 1918, the Treaty of Potsdam declared an absolute surrender of Entente naval assets, off the coast of German-owned East Frisia. While most of the ships were scuttled in defiance, the fleets of Britain and France were gone regardless. This meant that Britain slowly had to rebuild their navy from the ground up. After over 12 years of democratic inaction, it took a Fascist military program in 1930 to get the Navy back together. This program was ambitiously scaled, and although it had amassed nearly a hundred craft by 1939, it was severely behind-schedule and slow, on pace to completion by 1950. In comparison, the German Navy had only grown since 1917: with nearly 800 surface craft and 250 submarines, this empire-scaled Navy was now primarily focused on the North and Baltic Seas. U-Boats wrought havoc upon British ships in the North Sea, as well as Axis forces in the Strait of Dover and North Mediterranean; as a result, the Allies now had go-ahead to begin an ambitious, unprecedented assault.
American paratroopers, specialized infantry tasked with jumping from transport planes onto targets, shipped out for Ireland in early 1939, after months of hellish training. After friendly bombers laid waste to anti-aircraft guns and defenses in the way, the paratroopers, along with their German Fallschirmjäger equivalents, made their first combat jump into the Isles of Scotland. Codenamed 'Operation Thunderbolt' (Unternehmen Donnerkeil), the Americans dropped into the Hebrides, taking the local coastal defenders by surprise. Successfully securing the archipelago after weeks of fighting, the Germans took off from the Hebrides, landing into the Northern Isles during Unternehmen Hellebarde (Operation Halberd). This two-pronged approach meant direct contact with American and German troops, which would boost morale in future missions involving the two nations.
With the Scottish Isles secure, the U.S. Army begun moving troops around Britain and into Germany. Taking the same transport boats that brought them across the Atlantic, a joint U.S.-German naval escort offered mobile support during the journey. But the British had one last ace up their sleeve: a last-ditch naval strike. At Scapa Flow, on March 4, the former Royal Navy home base in the Northern Isles, a handful of British destroyers struck at an opening in the American convoy. The destroyers were all inevitably sunk, but at the price of thousands of American lives. This incident fueled support for the war effort in the United States, and before the remaining Army elements even landed in Amsterdam, enlistment skyrocketed in all 48 states.
With the U.S. Army deployed in Europe, and the beginning of spring, Germany finally put their attack plan into action. Making an overnight move on the French front on March 12, the German Panzer tanks made their offensive debut. With dive-bomber support, the Panzers overran the entrenched French lines with relative ease, reaching the River Meuse by the 16th. With the French Army in full retreat, and the British Expeditionary Force fighting the Americans off further north, the Germans backed their tank lines up with motorized infantry. In the course of a week, the French abruptly found themselves on the run, scrambling to either fortify their Meuse lines or relieve pockets trapped behind enemy lines. This new method of fast-moving, hard-hitting German offense was called 'Blitzkrieg', or 'lightning war'- a play on the uneventful 'Sitzkrieg' of the past winter.
Meanwhile, the Americans pushed south, through the Netherlands. Crossing the Waal on the 14th, the U.S. Army and British Army clashed for the first time since the War of 1812 at Tilburg. Spearheading the American lines was the 82nd Airborne Division, who were the first to open fire on the British. After the U.S. linked up with a German flank from Aachen in Mechelen, Belgium, on the 26th, the British had been surrounded. With the Americans surrounding Antwerp and the Germans surrounding Belgium by the end of the month, Prime Minister Mosley had his British troops retreat further west, in an attempt to abandon Europe and escape to England. Belgium, now unprotected, surrendered to the Allies on April 9, less than a month after the initial counter-attack.
The Allied Blitz was successful, but not out of sheer luck. The British and French, who expected to grind the Allies into a defensive repeat of the First Great War, were overrun by a fast-moving, hard-hitting enemy. America and Germany gambled on one lightning offensive, and saw immense success. In raw numbers, forces were around the same. By April, America had 18 infantry divisions and 6 armored divisions. Germany had 90 infantry divisions and 7 Panzer divisions to spare, the remaining 10 and 3 deployed in the Intermarium and Austria. In contrast, the British Expeditionary Force peaked at 13 infantry divisions (with an initial 10), with just one Armoured Division. The French held 98 infantry divisions and 3 armored divisions, but were left with the equivalent of 60, all split and worn. This numerically even matchup was not balanced in practice, and that was thanks to philosophy. The Axis dug in pre-made forts and trenches, as well as sent their tanks in to support infantry, in a scattered formation. The Allies, employing Blitz theory, struck first with unified tank divisions, then mechanized infantry and special forces, then a support wave of infantry. This contrast in fighting styles only went to show how outdated the former Entente forces had become. If they were to somehow turn the tide, the Western Front Campaign would be a harsh lesson for them.
With American and German infantry marching through Belgium, and Panzer divisions slicing through the French lines, the British and French had little to do but run. Anti-Pétain insurgencies rippled throughout France, and some French troops even turned against their own brothers in a bid to topple the fascist government. British and loyal French forces attempted an evacuation at Dunkirk on April 16, with the remaining British/French navies pulling as many soldiers out as possible. Stiff Allied pressure led to mounting Axis casualties, yet there were strict orders to spare civilian and medical ships. In response, a wave of civilian craft from Dover crossed the Channel, saving strictly British forces- the French were 'left to deal with their own problem', as one American remarked. Despite the rescue of several men at Dunkirk, Britain still found its army in a much smaller piece than what it had shipped off with -- not to mention the complete loss of France as an Axis collaborator.
Meanwhile, Italy and Austria were locked in an Alpine stalemate. Inspired by the airborne capture of the Scottish Isles, Mussolini hurried together an ersatz division of paratroopers, and attempted an airborne capture of the crucial Brenner Pass, which ran through the Alpine border. The attempt, which fell on May 1st, was mostly a failure, due to the hurried training, poor equipment, and geography of the mountainous Alps. While Italian forces did advance as a result of the combat, they suffered strong losses in both the drops and advances. Without the strength (outnumbered nearly five-to-one) nor initiative to make a Blitzkrieg, the Allied troops were forced to hold a long mountain line and prepare for an onslaught of Italian forces. Careful not to fall into a rout like France had, the Austrians lined the Alps with forts and anti-tank measures, in a line they dubbed the Alpenwand: 'Alpine Wall'.
From the Baltic Sea to the Black Sea, the Intermarium (Latin for 'between seas', from the original Polish coining of Międzymorze) Allies saw brutal fighting against the Red Army's war machine. Backed by German weapons and power, some saw themselves as descendants of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth, uniting from sea to sea to fight Russian aggression. Others, such as Finland and Ukraine, found an opportunity to prove their might in battle as a sovereign state. With this combined Allied force clashing against the similarly-equipped Soviets, the Red Army slowed their push west, even as the snow melted and reinforcements rolled in. Russia was facing internal problems, forcing their offensive to stall.
While their superior numbers and production meant advance was inevitable, the extreme casualties and defection rates caused by the Allies led to drops in frontline morale for the Russians. Soviet propaganda kept the poor numbers away from the larger population, but each wave of reinforcements was quickly awakened to the truth of the war, if not slain outright. Millions of men were killed in the first year alone, so the Red Army's generals opted to hold back until a major offensive was possible. As well, the rising need for production and armament took a heavy burden upon their planned economy. The newly-industrialized Russia simply could not afford to feed their population and send their men to war, giving only more reason to halt. Furthermore, they were already busy somewhere else: Asia.
Slowly but surely, the Allies begun to push the Red offensives back. The might of the Imperial Japanese Army was unleashed upon the corners of Russia. Launching an invasion of Northern Sakhalin and the Kuril Islands, the Japanese Special Naval Landing Forces landed from the sea, making marine attacks. This, combined with the American capture of the Aleutian Islands, cleared the way for the Imperial Japanese Navy to make unfettered combat in the Sea of Okhotsk. Surrounding Vladivostok from land and sea by August, Japan held the city for ransom. Battered and forced to bargain, Russia pulled out of the Chinese front after months of baring the Siege of Vladivostok. By winter 1939, the Allies were able to focus their might south.
Caught on both sides, the Communist Vietnamese forces took to hellish jungle warfare. From the south, Marines surrounded Saigon, but were under a constant onslaught of Vietnamese troops, striking from well-concealed positions on numerous occasions. A similar fate came upon the Allies attacking from the north. After winning the war in Siberia, Chinese and Japanese troops initiated a full-scale offensive, occupying Hanoi within weeks of deployment. Despite their advantages in numbers and technology, the Allies saw frequent losses at the hands of the Vietnamese locals, who understood their area better and had higher tolerance to the heat of the summer jungle. Even by January 1940, Vietnamese troops had a foothold in the central part of the country, still in control of Hue and Da Nang. This ferocious defense was seen as a strategic and political victory for the Comintern, who seldom found success in war.
While their superior numbers and production meant advance was inevitable, the extreme casualties and defection rates caused by the Allies led to drops in frontline morale for the Russians. Soviet propaganda kept the poor numbers away from the larger population, but each wave of reinforcements was quickly awakened to the truth of the war, if not slain outright. Millions of men were killed in the first year alone, so the Red Army's generals opted to hold back until a major offensive was possible. As well, the rising need for production and armament took a heavy burden upon their planned economy. The newly-industrialized Russia simply could not afford to feed their population and send their men to war, giving only more reason to halt. Furthermore, they were already busy somewhere else: Asia.
Slowly but surely, the Allies begun to push the Red offensives back. The might of the Imperial Japanese Army was unleashed upon the corners of Russia. Launching an invasion of Northern Sakhalin and the Kuril Islands, the Japanese Special Naval Landing Forces landed from the sea, making marine attacks. This, combined with the American capture of the Aleutian Islands, cleared the way for the Imperial Japanese Navy to make unfettered combat in the Sea of Okhotsk. Surrounding Vladivostok from land and sea by August, Japan held the city for ransom. Battered and forced to bargain, Russia pulled out of the Chinese front after months of baring the Siege of Vladivostok. By winter 1939, the Allies were able to focus their might south.
Caught on both sides, the Communist Vietnamese forces took to hellish jungle warfare. From the south, Marines surrounded Saigon, but were under a constant onslaught of Vietnamese troops, striking from well-concealed positions on numerous occasions. A similar fate came upon the Allies attacking from the north. After winning the war in Siberia, Chinese and Japanese troops initiated a full-scale offensive, occupying Hanoi within weeks of deployment. Despite their advantages in numbers and technology, the Allies saw frequent losses at the hands of the Vietnamese locals, who understood their area better and had higher tolerance to the heat of the summer jungle. Even by January 1940, Vietnamese troops had a foothold in the central part of the country, still in control of Hue and Da Nang. This ferocious defense was seen as a strategic and political victory for the Comintern, who seldom found success in war.
While the Red Army was containing losses in Siberia and slowly creeping up the Intermarium, the Soviet High Command (Ставка, Stavka) grew steadily impatient. Starting in the late stages of 1939, they begun searching for ways to distract the Allies while they prepared for a resurgence in Asia, and a charge in Europe. On May 24, 1940, Stalin approved a solution that would heavily divert Allied manpower while expending only aid and resources: a Communist International Uprising. Harking back to the Congress of Soviets in 1916, he urged the people of the world to "struggle by all available means, including armed force, for the overthrow of the international bourgeoisie and the creation of an international Soviet republic as a transition stage to the complete abolition of the state". The once-American colonies of Cuba and the Philippines were soon headed by Communist military juntas, taking note of Vietnam's 'success'. This diverted American and Japanese focus towards putting such regimes down, as well as other smaller ones across the world. One downside was that this affected African nations in the Italian sphere, bringing revolts upon one of Russia's strongest allies.
In the aftermath of the French Campaign, Britain soon became vulnerable to invasion. The German Army and what remained of the American ground forces prepared for landings as early as the fall of 1939. The remaining American forces, as well as the freshly-shipped recruits, based themselves in Ireland, making a crossing through the Irish Sea possible. (On a more trivial note, the U.S. Army base in Tipperary led to American use of "It's a Long Way to Tipperary", a Great War song of British origin.)
With his Scottish-based navy crippled and undermanned, Mosley turned to coastal and aerial defenses. Thus, air superiority became a prerequisite for the Allies to make an invasion. From Ireland, the U.S. Army Air Corps looked towards Scotland, North-West England, and Wales. Using B-17 bombers and P-39 or P-40 fighter escorts, the Air Corps did battle in the sky over munitions factories, airfields, and military bases. In the other parts of Britain, a line stretching from Brittany to Hamburg posed an aerial threat. From here, the German Luftwaffe struck English defenses, factories, and ports. Armed with Do 17, He 111 and Ju 88 medium bombers, the fearsome Ju 87 Stuka dive bomber, and Bf 109 and Fw 190 fighters, the Luftwaffe had a massive array of planes at its disposal, dealing critical damage to the British war effort.
To defend their homeland, the British had several means of protection. In the air, the Spitfire and Hurricane fighters were quickly roused from their bases in a fashion coined as 'scrambling'. At home, King George VI declared a state of emergency after the Docks of London were bombed. Signs were painted over, in hopes to confuse the incoming troops. Non-essential citizens in the coastal areas were evacuated, and bomb shelters were erected in every city. Large guns and forts were built on the coastline, and explosives were set up beside incoming roads and bridges. Most notably, the British had the help of an unknown technology to track and assess inbound bombers. A secret well-kept from Allied intelligence, this helped make the most of the rapidly thinning Royal Air Force.
As summer turned to fall, the air raids of Britain inflicted rapidly growing damage. Despite the ruin of the once-proud Royal Air Force, Mosley's Britons persisted nonetheless. The Home Guard, a secondary defense force, saw over a million volunteers otherwise ineligible for military service. Hastily trained and armed, the men of the Home Guard were redeployed to their home counties. But for all their optimism and refusal to hold an armistice, the odds were stacked heavily against them.
The RAF was beaten down in morale and manpower, granting the Allies unfettered reign in the area. The English Channel was cleared of British mines, and the Strait of Dover was cut off at both ends by German mines. The coastal zones between France, Ireland, and England were dominated by heavy artillery and 'Channel Guns'. The Royal Navy was bruised by dive-bomber and torpedo attacks, making defense impractical. The stage was set for America and Germany, and the only question was when a crossing would occur.
In the aftermath of the French Campaign, Britain soon became vulnerable to invasion. The German Army and what remained of the American ground forces prepared for landings as early as the fall of 1939. The remaining American forces, as well as the freshly-shipped recruits, based themselves in Ireland, making a crossing through the Irish Sea possible. (On a more trivial note, the U.S. Army base in Tipperary led to American use of "It's a Long Way to Tipperary", a Great War song of British origin.)
With his Scottish-based navy crippled and undermanned, Mosley turned to coastal and aerial defenses. Thus, air superiority became a prerequisite for the Allies to make an invasion. From Ireland, the U.S. Army Air Corps looked towards Scotland, North-West England, and Wales. Using B-17 bombers and P-39 or P-40 fighter escorts, the Air Corps did battle in the sky over munitions factories, airfields, and military bases. In the other parts of Britain, a line stretching from Brittany to Hamburg posed an aerial threat. From here, the German Luftwaffe struck English defenses, factories, and ports. Armed with Do 17, He 111 and Ju 88 medium bombers, the fearsome Ju 87 Stuka dive bomber, and Bf 109 and Fw 190 fighters, the Luftwaffe had a massive array of planes at its disposal, dealing critical damage to the British war effort.
To defend their homeland, the British had several means of protection. In the air, the Spitfire and Hurricane fighters were quickly roused from their bases in a fashion coined as 'scrambling'. At home, King George VI declared a state of emergency after the Docks of London were bombed. Signs were painted over, in hopes to confuse the incoming troops. Non-essential citizens in the coastal areas were evacuated, and bomb shelters were erected in every city. Large guns and forts were built on the coastline, and explosives were set up beside incoming roads and bridges. Most notably, the British had the help of an unknown technology to track and assess inbound bombers. A secret well-kept from Allied intelligence, this helped make the most of the rapidly thinning Royal Air Force.
As summer turned to fall, the air raids of Britain inflicted rapidly growing damage. Despite the ruin of the once-proud Royal Air Force, Mosley's Britons persisted nonetheless. The Home Guard, a secondary defense force, saw over a million volunteers otherwise ineligible for military service. Hastily trained and armed, the men of the Home Guard were redeployed to their home counties. But for all their optimism and refusal to hold an armistice, the odds were stacked heavily against them.
The RAF was beaten down in morale and manpower, granting the Allies unfettered reign in the area. The English Channel was cleared of British mines, and the Strait of Dover was cut off at both ends by German mines. The coastal zones between France, Ireland, and England were dominated by heavy artillery and 'Channel Guns'. The Royal Navy was bruised by dive-bomber and torpedo attacks, making defense impractical. The stage was set for America and Germany, and the only question was when a crossing would occur.
DEPARTMENT OF THE ARMY
USAAC STATION LILLE-SECLIN, 505th PARACHUTE INFANTRY REGIMENT
SCHEDULE FOR MISSION BOSTON, 20 OCTOBER 1940
USAAC STATION LILLE-SECLIN, 505th PARACHUTE INFANTRY REGIMENT
SCHEDULE FOR MISSION BOSTON, 20 OCTOBER 1940
0000 - Up for D-DAY
0030 - Breakfast
0115 - Load into C-47
0150 - H-HOUR
0200 - Formation around Drop Zone O
0300 - 3rd Battalion secures outbound road
0330 - 2nd Battalion secures inbound road
0430 - 1st Battalion secures Ash
1155 - Defenses re-purposed, fortifications operational
PREPARED 18 OCTOBER 1940
BRIGADIER GENERAL JAMES M GAVIN
Name: Ryan James Seidell, born Rainer Jakob Seidell
Date Of Birth / Birthplace: April 7, 1920 / Fitchburg, Wisconsin
Height / Weight: 5'10" / 138 lbs
Hair Color / Eye Color: Blonde / Blue
Unit: Baker Company, 1st Battalion, 505th Parachute Infantry Regiment, 82nd Airborne Division
Rank: Private First Class
Physical Description:
Likes:
Dislikes:
Strengths:
Weaknesses:
Personality Description:
Backstory:
Other:
Ash, Kent, England
September 10, 1940 | 01:04 GMT
September 10, 1940 | 01:04 GMT
It could all end today.
Never mind the flak guns, machine guns, and whatever other guns lay
Never mind the flak guns, machine guns, and whatever other guns lay
