Greater German Reich

Germany, officially the Großgermanisches Reich (English: Greater German Reich) is a country in Central Europe that stretches from the English Channel to the Urals. It is bordered by Vichy France, Italy, Hungary, Finland, Romania, Croatia, Turkey, Persia, and the Siberian Republic. Germany also controls the colony of Mittleafrika and Palestine, the puppet states of Iceland, Croatia, Serbia, and the Quisling Regime, and the Reichskommissariat of Ukraine, Kaukasus, Ostland, and Moskowien

Germany is a totalitarian dictatorship under the rule of Führer Adolf Hitler, who took power in 1934. Germany is currently the most powerful nation in the world, ruling with an iron fist most of the eastern hemisphere. It is also the most technologically advanced, recently creating the first jet powered place for military and civilian use. After the Second World War, Germany gained large colonies in Africa. Germany also leads the Axis Powers, a military alliance between the fascist states around the world

Nazis seize power (1933)
Despite rising in popularity immensely, Adolf Hitler and the NSDAP failed to win the 1932 German election, losing to the independent Paul von Hindenburg. However, under pressure from politicians, industrialists, and the business community, Hindenburg appointed Hitler as chancellor of Germany on 30 January, 1933. In the following months, the NSDAP would come to bring all aspects of life in Germany under their control. After the Reichstag was set on fire on February 27, the Reichstag Fire Decree was put into place, revoking most civil liberties. Finally, in March 1933 the Enabling Act was passed, giving Hitler and his party the ability to pass laws without consent from the Reichstag or President, virtually making Hitler dictator of Germany

Austria and Czechoslovakia (1938)
In February of 1938, Hitler emphasized to Austrian Chancellor Kurt Schuschnigg Germany's need to secure its frontiers. Schuschnigg scheduled a plebiscite regarding Austrian independence for 13 March, but Hitler demanded that it be cancelled. on 11 March, Hitler sent and ultimatum to Schuschnigg demanding that all power be given to the Austrian NSDAP or face invasion, and the Wehrmacht entered Austria the next day, officially annexing the country into Germany

Next on Hitlers list was Czechoslovakia, which contained a large number of German minority, mostly in the Sudetenland. Hitler soon decided to incorporate all of Czechoslovakia into the Reich, which prompted the government to begin a large propaganda campaign to generate support for an invasion. This led France, Czechoslovakia, and Britain to prepare for war. Attempting to avoid a war, British Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain. This resulted in the Munich Agreement, forcing Czechoslovakia to give up the Sudetenland to Germany. Chamberlain proclaimed "peace for our time". Six months later, the rest of the Czech territory was annexed, and a German puppet state was created in Slovakia.

Poland (1939)
In March of 1939, Hitler demanded return of the Free City of Danzig and the Polish Corridor, which separated East Prussia from the rest of Germany. Britain announced it would come to Poland's aid in the event of an attack, but believing the British wouldn't take action, Hitler ordered an invasion plan to be ready by September. Germany reaffirmed their alliance with the Italians, signed non-aggression pacts with Estonia, Latvia, and Denmark, and formalized trade links with Norway, Romania, and Sweden. Germany also signed the Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact with the Soviet Union, which formed a non-aggression pact between the two nations as well as protocols dividing Poland and the Baltc's between Germany and the Soviet Union.

Outbreak of the War
Germany invaded Poland on September 1st, 1939. Two days later, Britain and France declared war on Germany. World War II had began. Poland fell quickly, with the Soviets attacking from the east on September 17th. No major military operations commenced in Western Europe until May. This period would be known as the "Phoney War".

However, in the north, Hitler ordered attacks on Denmark and Norway to protect iron ore shipments from Sweden. Denmark lasted less then a day, while Norway lasted just over two months.

Conquest of Western Europe
More Info: Western front On May 10th, 1940, Germany began its invasion of France and the Low Countries. The Benelux countries surrendered by the end of May, while France lasted until the 25th of June. Hitler attempted to make peace with Winston Churchill, but these were rejected. In response, Hitler ordered the Luftwaffe to attack airbases and radar stations in Britain in preparation for the eventual invasion. These attacks would continue until the British surrender in August of 1945. On the seas, the Kriegsmarine was allowed to incorporate captured vessels into their ranks while German dockyards in the Baltic Sea mass produced U-boats.

Mediterranean
in September of 1940, the Madrid Deal was signed, allowing Germany to use Spanish airfields, ports, and bases for the duration of the war. This lead to the Fall of Gibraltar and later Malta, virtually eliminating the Allies chances of naval supremacy in the Mediterranean.

After Greece fell to the Italians in February of 1941, both Hitler and Mussolini saw Yugoslavia as a possible staging point for an Allied attack, and agreed to launch a joint invasion. The invasion was launched in April of 1941, and in just one week Yugoslavia collapsed under the might of a combined Axis force

Africa
More Info: African Campaign

Commanded by Erwin Rommel, the German Afrika Korps Arrived in Tripoli on February 7th, 1941. Immediately, they worked with the Italians to open a route to Italian East Africa, causing heavy Allied casualties, most notably In Khartoum, where the entire British 7th Armored Division was destroyed.

The Axis continued pushing south, forcing the surrender of Allied forces in East Africa, and taking Johannesburg in July. The Allies retreated to Capetown for a last ditch defense, unable to evacuate any soldiers.. However, the Allies were able to hold off the Axis attacks for just under a month until Allied reinforcements and supplies arrived. After another month of fighting, the Axis were pushed out from the city as an Allied counter-offensive began soon after. An Axis victory in the Middle East was achieved in October of the same year. The Allies would retake as far north as the Congo, but ultimately would be forced back past Johannesburg come wars end.

War with the Soviets
More Info: Eastern Front On June 22nd, 1941, Germany declared war on the Soviet Union. Romanian and Hungarian Soldiers invaded from their respective borders with the USSR, while Bulgaria, Italy, Slovakia, and Vichy France sent volunteer divisions. By September 1st, Minsk, Vitebsk, and Tallinn had fallen to the Axis, Leningrad was encircled by the Germans and Finns, and Moscow was well within reach. 900,000 Red Army soldiers had already been captured or killed, and the non-existent Soviet air presence allowed near constant air raids by the Luftwaffe.

On October 7th, 1941, Germany began its assault on Moscow. However, heavy snowstorms immobilized the German panzers and without armored support, the infantry was unable to take the city, being pushed just outside Moscow in December.

Despite not taking Moscow, the Axis still took large amounts of territory from the Soviets. By the end of the year, Minsk, Vitebsk, Tallinn, Kharkov, and Kursk were taken, Leningrad, Sevastopol, and Kiev were under siege, and Moscow was well within reach. Finland had also signed the Tripartite Pact, forcing the Soviets to divert forces North. The next step for Germany was Stalingrad. If captured, it would open a clear gateway to the oil rich Caucasus region

The next major development of the Eastern Front was the fall of Kiev in February of 1942, followed by the fall of Sevastopol in May. The short lived "Stalemate On the Eastern Front" had ended, and German forces were preparing for the assault on Stalingrad.

Beginning in July of 1942, Case Blue, as it was officially called, was Germany's plan for a conquest of the Caucasus and the crucial city of Stalingrad. Backed by the Hungarians and Romanians, Germany attacked Stalingrad in August of 1942. At first, little progress was made by the Axis, as the large population of civilians remaining in the city forced the Red Army to fight harder in their defense. After over a month of fighting on the cities outskirts, heavy bombing of Soviet defenses allowed small amounts of Axis soldiers to trickle into the city until fighting moved to the suburbs. As the Reds were pushed further and further to the Volga river, civilian men and boys were conscripted into the army while the death toll reached an estimated 430,000. German divisions from other parts of the Eastern Front were redeployed to Stalingrad in a desperate attempt to break the Soviet lines. This culminated in the German assault on the Stalingrad railway station, lasting a day, where 10,000 soldiers were killed by the time of the stations capture by the Axis. The Axis were then able to encircle the city. The same day, Leningrad fell in the north.

North of Stalingrad, supplies meant to go to the city were stuck in Kamyshin due to the encirclement. Soviet soldiers in Kamyshin and Stalingrad, in a desperate attempt to get supplies to the city, worked together to break the encirclement in the north. This attack succeeded, albeit costing the lives of 87,000 Soviets, and for a month allowed supplies to pass through to Stalingrad.

The opening was closed by the Hungarian Second Army in early January, and was followed by an all out attack by German and Romanian soldiers. Finally, on February 11th, 1943, the Soviets surrendered in Stalingrad. After 6 months of fighting, the death toll for both sides was an estimated 1.67 million. Soviet POW's were sent to labor camps, while Russian civilians were placed under house arrest.

Still, the Soviets held on to Moscow, seen as most as the final pillar holding up the Soviet Union. With Japans peace with the Allies, Hitler demanded Japan attack the Soviets from the east, which they did in April of 1944. As the far east was lightly guarded by the Soviets, the Japanese quickly swept through Eastern Siberia, taking Vladivostok in 2 months.

In the west the Axis had again reached Moscow, first shelling the city constantly for 4 days. Immediately after the artillery ceased, their attack began. Although battered and weak, the Soviet defenders put up a bitter resistance to the Axis attackers for the entirety of August, until just a few hundred remained trapped in the Kremlin. Efforts were made to force these soldier out, but once it became clear they wouldn't surrender, German commanders set up explosives around the building and reduced the Kremlin to rubble. Moscow had fallen, and with it, the Soviet Union.

The Soviets surrendered the next day. Finland and Romania were given small amounts of territory along their former border with the USSR, while Germany took everything else west of the Urals, and Japan takes Eastern Siberia. Between the two the Soviet Union remained, but its communist government was peacefully overthrown just weeks later, forming the Siberian Republic. A month later, Stalin was executed by hanging in Berlin.

Pacific
More Info: Pacific Theater

Japan brought the United States into the war with their attack of Pearl Harbor in December of 1941, arguably starting the war in the Pacific. In an act of solidarity, Germany and the rest of the Axis declared war on the United States. However, virtually no support was given to Japan, aside from a small U-boat detachment sent by Germany.

United Kingdom
If victory were to be achieved, Hitler considered the fall of the United Kingdom necessary. The Luftwaffe secured the skies of Britain in July of 1942, virtually destroying the RAF. With this air superiority, the Luftwaffe assisted in targeting Allied trade in the waters around Britain

The English Channel was secured by the Kriegsmarine in November of 1944, although Allied navies still had a small presence in the channel until the Royal Navy was destroyed.

In the event that an invasion of the United Kingdom was deemed necessary, the German government began attempts at cooperation with Ireland. Although never resulting in a direct alliance, under German pressure the Irish government allowed Germany access to its bases, airfields, and ports, much to the disdain of the Irish people. However, German troops were never present in Ireland until the final months of the war.

In August 1943, German marines landed on American occupied Iceland. Unprepared, the Americans stationed on the islands put up little of a fight, and the German marines easily claimed their first victory. For the rest of the war, Iceland was used as a launching point for U-boats fighting in the North Atlantic. The following attempts by other Allied vessels to break through would fail. One final attempt to break the German blockade commenced on January 11th, 1945 in what is now known as the Battle of the Blockade. The few remaining ships of the Royal Navy and hundreds of civilian vessels attempted to open a gap, but ultimately failed.

By September 1945, the British were starved and tired and demanded an end to the war. Winston Churchill refused peace and was replaced by Clement Attlee in the 1945 British election. Attlee pursued peace talks, resulting in the Treaty of Luxembourg City. The European Allied Powers accepted the terms presented by Germany, ending the war in Europe.

The war with the Allies across the Atlantic continued for another 7 months, when a final peace treaty was signed. The war had ended in German victory.

Post war and Invasion of Switzerland (1947)
Shortly after the end of war, the Global Fascist Movement was created with the goal of spreading fascism abroad by funding revolutions in democratic nations. From the start, Germany had done little to help the organization in fear of it potentially sparking another major conflict, which the German High Command has no desire to start, and eventually left the organization entirely

In April of 1947, Italy and Germany launched a joint invasion of Switzerland. Lasting until May, the Axis took heavy losses against the Swiss in the Alps, but were able to claim victory after over Switzerland after over 60,000 dead.

Iran Crisis (1948)
Since the Honolulu Conference, relations between Japan and Germany had been on a rapid decline. The boiling point was reached in August of 1948, when Japanese troops marched into Tehran, seeking to add Persia and Afghanistan to their sphere of influence. Germany, not wanting a land border with the Japanese, demanded the Japanese pull their troops out of the two countries. With no response given German ballistic missiles were aimed at Japan, while the Japanese Navy blockaded the Persian Gulf

The Luftwaffe stationed in the Persian Gulf began circling Japanese warships as the Kriegsmarine began to engage. Realizing Japan had no chance of winning a war against the Germans, Hirohito demanded the creation of an independent buffer state in the Middle East. Hitler agrees to these terms, and Iran and Afghanistan were forced to merge and become Persia. Japan left the Axis the same day, and diplomatic relations between the two superpowers has ceased to exist.

Present Day
Present day, Germany is actively combating rebel groups in occupied territories. Most prevalent of these is the Russian Liberation Army, recently starting the Soviet Continuation War, taking a heavy toll on the Wehrmacht.

Colonies and puppets

 * Mittleafrika
 * German Palestine
 * Iceland
 * Quisling Regime
 * Independent State of North Croatia
 * Serbia

Government
Germany is a Nazi one-party totalitarian dictatorship ruled by Führer Adolf Hitler. Although the situation has never presented itself, in the event of the death of Adolf Hitler the current haeds of the Heer, Luftwaffe, Kriegsmarine, and SS are to be the four candidates for the position of the führer. High ranking German officers and officials would vote, and the winner becomes the next führer of Germany.

Recently, Wehrmacht officials have been increasingly vocal with their disdain for Nazism, while the SS continue to support it. This has led to conflict between the two factions, and many are weary of the future of the Nazi ideology.

Reich Ministers

 * Reich Foreign Minister (Joachim Von Ribbentrop)
 * Reich Interior Ministry (Heinrich Himmler)
 * Reich Minister for Public Enlightenment and Propaganda (Joseph Goebbels)
 * Reich Ministry of Aviation (Herman Göring)
 * Reich Minister of Finance (Lutz Schwerin von Krosigk)
 * Reich Labor Minister (Franz Seldte)

Foreign relations
With the establishment of the European Confederation, the Reich and its allies have been striving for warmer relations with Ireland, Sweden, and Portugal. With the independence of the Confederations members being guaranteed by a collective defensive agreement, as well as a reorganized European economy. These have lead increased relations on a continental scale, as well as a more favorable view of Fascism in the neutral states of Europe. The United Kingdom has been blocked from joining, putting the country in a deep economic depression, much like the Weimar Republic after the First World War

Germany has mostly isolated itself from the Western Hemisphere, with almost no communication occurring since the end of the Second World War. However, Germany's exit of the Global Fascist Movement have led some to believe that the Reich seeks warmer relations with the West, even if only slight.

Relations with their close former ally Japan have also plummeted after Japans separate peace, and the two powers spheres of influence clashing, nearly leading to war in 1948 before both nations cut relations with each other, starting one end of the Cold Wars.

Economy
The German economy is dominated by major corporations with good relations with relevant Reich minsters. Most of the German economy goes towards military production, and the term 'guns and butter' is seen as an accurate statement of the Reich's economic policy. Businesses operated by non-Germans face higher taxes and more restrictions then those run by Germans, and most Germans stay clear of non-German shops.

In March of 1948, the Reich established the 'European Confederation', with the objective to increase relations with Ireland, Portugal, and Sweden, partly through trade. The EC has led to a reorganized European economy, turning it into a single market with little to no trade barriers for its members.

In the Reich, all corporations and businesses are directly controlled by the state.

Major Corporations
Friedrich Krupp AG (Naval and Military Production)

Thyssen AG (Steel Production)

IG Farben (Chemical and Pharmaceutical Production)

Blaupunkt (Electronics Production)

Damiler-Benz (Automobile Production)

Volkswagen (Automobile Production)

Junkers Flugzeug- und Motorenwerke AG (Aircraft Production)

Messerschmitt AG (Aircraft Production)

Demag AF (Heavy Equipment production)

Science
Germany leads the world in scientific developments, being the first to develop an ICBM, nuclear bomb, and jet plane. Currently, German scientists are working on a satellite and ai program for combat use

Scientific experiments are often carried out on prisoners in death camps throughout the country. These experiments are described as being extremely unethical, and once the subject is killed their body is dumped and burned. These experiments are so frowned upon that even Germany's closest ally, Italy, has condemned the experiments, calling them "Uncivilized on the highest levels".

Military
Main Article: Wehrmacht

Heer
The Heer has been the land forces component of the Wehrmacht since 1935. The German Army currently has roughly 3,871,000 soldiers in active duty, with another 2 million or so in reserves. Generalfeldmarschall Wilhelm Keitel is the current commander of the Heer.

Most of the German Army is stationed in Europe. The Afrika Corps have been turned into an anti-partisan force after Rommel left to oversee the African colonies. A small brigade has also been sent to the Italian controlled Middle East to combat the Iraqi Rebels.

Luftwaffe
The Luftwaffe is the air component of the Wehrmacht. The Luftwaffe is easily the most advanced and largest air force in the world, having recently developed a jet fighter, and German pilots are among the most renown. Large fighter and bomber squadrons have also been sent to air bases abroad, such as Madrid and Sofia. Reichsmarschall Hermann Göring is the current commander of the Luftwaffe.

Kriegsmarine
The Kriegsmarine is the naval component of the Wehrmacht. Like all other service branches in Germany, the Kriegsmarine is the largest, most advanced, and most powerful navy in the world. During the Second World War, since the Kriegsmarine had virtually no chance against the larger and highly advanced Royal Navy, the main focus of German naval construction was the building of a large number of u-boats in the Baltic Sea, away from the danger of the Royal Navy. The U-boats would starve British supply lines while the main fleet, although not nearly advanced as the Royal Navy, would fight the British fleets with overwhelming numbers. Großadmiral Karl Dönitz is the current commander of the Kriegsmarine

Social Classes
In German culture, there are three classes of people. At the top are 'Honorary Citizens of the Reich', a spot reserved for government officials, the rich, and citizens that have served at least 5 years in the military. Beneath these are 'Civilians of the Reich', which are made up of Germans that are loyal to the Reich and its people, but have not yet taken up a government or military position or do not have the proper wealth to be an honorary citizen. The lowest tier, 'civilian', consists of non German citizens, and petty criminals. Civilians face weekly house searches, being shot on sight if anything illegal is found, as well as being widely discriminated against by the other classes.

Youth Programs
The Hitler Youth is the leading youth organization in the Reich. Male members are taught the basics of surviving on the battlefield and in nature. Activities of the Hitler Youth go from friendly expeditions found in other youth organizations like hikes and camping trips, to the more extreme like running in full combat gear and taking cover under machine gun fire. These activities prepare them for their eventual draft into the Army. Female members are taught everyday tasks like cooking and office work, and female membership is much lower then male. Although Hitler Youth isn't necessary, it is highly frowned upon to keep the child out of the organization.

Health
Health care in the Reich depends on a persons social class. Honorary Citizens of the Reich are given universal health care, Civilians of the Reich are covered for minor injures, and Civilians have no coverage whatsoever.

The Reich has a surprising strong anti-tobacco movement, as pioneering research by Franz H. Müller in 1939 demonstrated a causal link between smoking and lung cancer. Smoking has been banned in many workplaces, on trains, and among on-duty members of the military. Government agencies also work to control other carcinogenic substances such as asbestos and pesticides. Government-run health care insurance plans are available, but depend on a persons social class.

Medical experiments, many of them pseudoscientific, are performed on concentration camp inmates. This was brought to international attention in late 1947 by the Free Russian Army when they encountered one of Germany's death camps in the area surrounding Yaroslavl, prompting global backlash, even from Germany's closets ally Italy.

Education
An antisemitic legislation passed in 1933 led to the removal of all Jewish teachers, professors, and officials from the education system. Most teachers are required to belong to the Nationalsozialistischer Lehrerbund (NSLB; National Socialist Teachers League) and university professors are required to join the National Socialist German Lecturers. Teachers must take an oath of loyalty and obedience to Hitler, and those who fail to show sufficient conformity to party ideals are often reported by students or fellow teachers and dismissed.

Books deemed unacceptable to the regime are removed from school libraries. Indoctrination in National Socialist thought was made compulsory in January 1934. Students selected as future members of the party elite are indoctrinated from the age of 12 at Adolf Hitler Schools for primary education and National Political Institutes of Education for secondary education.

Primary and secondary education focuses on racial biology, population policy, culture, geography, and physical fitness. The curriculum in most subjects, including biology, geography, and even arithmetic, is altered to change the focus to race. Military education has become the central component of physical education, and education in physics is oriented toward subjects with military applications, such as ballistics and aerodynamics.

Resistance to the Regime
Despite no organized movement actively resisting the Nazi government, acts of defiance such as sabotage and labour slowdowns do occasionally take place, as well as attempts to overthrow the regime. When these do occur, it is usually on the fringe of the German heartland, as any resistance in a major city or even on ones outskirts would be suicidal. The banned Communist and Social Democratic parties set up resistance networks in the mid-1930s. These networks achieved little beyond fomenting unrest and initiating short-lived strikes, and have ceased to exist in post-war Germany.

Press Censorship/Media Rights
All news stations and media outlets in the Reich are run by the state. They are used to broadcast propaganda to German citizens, and most of the news reported on is fabricated and never really happened in the first place.

Sports
Throughout all of the Reich football is the most played, with over 23,000,000 Germans thought to be involved with the sport. The German national team is regarded as the best in the world, beating the Hungarians 4-0 in the 1948 World Cup Finals, held in Germany. On top of this, the German national team has only ever lost 3 matches since 1947, two to Italy, and one to Romania.

Racial Ideology
Natives of former Allied countries (France, Belgium, Denmark, etc.) are forced into the ghetto or slums of their city, while those of an Axis decent are allowed wherever, although they generally stick to the city center. Special treatment for Axis descendants, however, ends there. Non-Aryans aren't allowed residence in the Reich, and any travel through the country must be completed in 7 days and a check in must be made at a Gestapo station once a day. If these requirements aren't met, the travelers will be detained.

The "subhumans" (Jews, Romani, and Slavs) are considered by Hitler to be enemies of the state. Although most of the German heartlands have been cleansed of these races, the former Russian territories still contain large numbers of these people. In these areas, Jews, Romani, and Slavs are deported to camps every Sunday night, mostly unbeknownst to the general population. At these camps, captives are subjected to slave labor. Once they reach the point where they are no longer able to work, they are sent to death camps. Here they are exterminated in gas chambers or subjected to brutal experimentation by Nazi scientists.