The Rise of Germany

[Genseric]

Hi all....long time lurker and veiwer, first time poster. I thought it might be fun to actually write a story based on Civ 3 so here on is. Its based on a WW1 scenario i downloaded, i forget who the creator is but its a good scenario. The story begins a fair way into the game, when a massive wide scale war threatens to erupt between the two super powers of Germany and Russia. Well, here it is. I hope someone here enjoys it.



German Military Command- Berlin

Despite the late autumn afternoon, sweat drenched the head of Prime Minister Wilhelm the second. In front of him, Germany’s foreign minister Otto Schneider addressed the high level gathering which consisted of the Minister of War Gunther Von Spee and high level military commanders.

It should be noted at this time that there was a severe shortage of oil around the globe, rendering tanks and aircraft useless

(To be truthful, the only oil supplies were well beyond the reach of all Civs, except mine which had a city on top of one oil supply out the back of Russia but not yet connected)

News reached the Kaiser’s ear that Russian Tsar Nicolas the second had placed demands upon Germany to supply them with Aluminum. Several deposits rested within Germany and the country had ample reserves. Couple this with Uranium and this enabled the manufacture of nuclear weapons for Russia, which would seriously alter the balance of world peace. It was unknown whether Russia could obtain Uranium, as the only noted supply of worth existed within Germany once again. The Kaiser had allowed the development of 11 Tactical Nukes for defense.

The Kaiser insisted on the use of nuclear weapons as a last measure of defense to reach out at enemy cities near the borders of Germany. Wilhelm abhorred the use of these weapons in a conventional assault. German scientists were currently working on long range nuclear weapons (Satellites) capable of hitting any hostile city within Europe, Africa and Western Asia. It would be enshrined in legislation to ensure that no German military commander could access these weapons without prior approval of parliament.

“Nicolas looks certain to wage war this time, sir. His last threats appeared to be merely testing us out, but our intelligence inside the Kremlin suggests Nicolas is fully mobilizing troops to near our border with them” reported Schneider.

“We cannot allow Russia access at all to our Aluminum stockpiles at any cost” stated Spee. “It would be utterly dangerous, they could access Uranium and create nuclear weapons as leverage for whatever they want”.

“Of course Mr. Spee, nothing of the sort will happen” replied Wilhelm. The thought for a moment, furrowing his brow. “So now it seems that war with Nicolas and his teeming masses is inevitable. Tell me Schneider, should Nicolas call upon conscripts, how many divisions can he call upon?”

“At least 25, maybe more. Unlike us, they appear to have an unlimited manpower reserve in which to call on. We are not sure how many men we are looking at, but the overall figures could be at least 10 million men at arms, numbering some 200 divisions which are smaller than ours in structure. Thankfully, their artillery is in poor condition and nowhere near matching our numbers” noted Schneider.

“Sir, I suggest we do call on conscripts to bolster the army, perhaps men between 18 and 45. We can there about match Russia in numbers to an extent” chimed in Spee.

“That may be the war to go. Thankyou Mr. Spee”. The Prime Minister turned to his esteemed Generals to hear an appraisal on their numbers and combat readiness. These men were the finest leaders to come out of Germany, having been battle hardened in the years gone by.

All had been involved in Germany's wars against Serbia, Bulgaria and Norway, which Germany prosecuted with ruthelessness. Serbia and Bulgaria were integrated under German rule, yet Norway was allowed to remain independent, despite the loss of two of its cities.

Russia now appeared to be threatened by Germany's growing power, with its large military and increasing territory. France and Italy watched on nervously, still maintaining freindly relations with Wilhelm. Austria-Hungary, though polite to Germany, sought protection from Russia. All were worried about Germany's tactical nuke arsenal but felt that the Kaiser would not use them.

 

[Genseric]

First was General Jorgen Kosch, who was a platoon sergeant in the invasion of Serbia, now under German control. He was in charge of the Northern Sector that neighbored Kaunas of Russia. “So General, what do you have at your disposal?”. Clearing his throat, the general began. “Well sir, I have some 20 divisions split into three Army Corps, backed by artillery. My sectors have more than enough fire power to prevent enemy formations from approaching German territory”. The Kaiser nodded, thought for a moment and asked “If needed, can you go on an offensive if the time is right?”

“Of course sir. We have more than enough troops to divert into an offensive role”.



The next general was Willem Kordes, a veteran of the Norwegian campaign and also the invasion of Bulgaria. Kordes was a canny general who placed heavy emphasis on trickery and deception on his opponents. The fire eating general was popular with men under his command. Recently he had been transferred from Serbian/Bulgarian Germany to co-ordinate the eastern sector abutting Austria and Russia. “General Kordes?” asked the PM. “Sir, I have a full compliment of three Army Corps, ready for immediate offensive manouveres. A lot of the men are well versed in offensive roles, been veterans of Serbia. Our guns are trained on numerous Russian positions, particularly their supply lines. We can cut off access to at least three of their armies based in the region. First we can siege them with a terrible artillery barrage then attack at their weakest. Our intelligence suggests that garrisons are weak and would be overrun easily”.

“Excellent general. I do expect your Corps to be the main attacking body. We can push back the Russian borders and claim an extension of our Empire”.

Intelligence analyst Adolf Marcks asked to speak. The Kaiser allowed to do so. “Gentleman, I feel it is important to know that in both sectors, there are heavy concentrations of Russian Marine Divisions heavily fortified along Warsaw and Lodz. Several of these divisions are expertly trained from the Turkish war. They are experts at concealment in the tall grasslands, even in open plains. They appear like phantoms from nowhere to attack and are deadly shots. It appears that artillery barrages would be useless apart from destroying woodlands in which they might be hiding. Our northern sector is mainly bloated with young green men, totally untried in battle. They might be well trained but are at risk to these men. I should suggest we re-create our old special forces for this kind of war to crack their defense”.

All the Generals thought hard for a moment. A man by the name of Karl Gunther spoke first. “You mean the Sturmgruppen?”.

“Exactly. We have enough experienced men from the Serbian and Bulgarian garrisons well versed in the kind of warfare we will face in Eastern Russia. They wont have to do it alone, as small commando units are already in Lodz, Warsaw and Kaunas covertly gathering military information on troop movements. They are also engaging in acts of sabotage to slow things down somewhat”

Prime Minister Wilhelm liked the idea. “So General Gunther, how many men in your sector can you re-assign to the now new 1st Sturmgruppen?”. Gunther was the chief of operations, encompassing Serbian Germany and the small part of Bulgaria under German control. “Probably at least 1,500 hardcore fighting troops for your elite unit. It would be wise to operate these men in small battalions for better maneuverability and to heavily arm them with guided rocketry. Those Russian marines from Turkey are no pushover. I’ll arrange transfer immediately so training can be carried out”.

Elsewhere in the country, Germany had 17 fortified Infantry Divisions backed by Cruise missile fire and strong gun batteries. The borders of Holland were strongly garrisioned, as it was thought that the Kaiser would entertain a broadening of the war and to seize Dutch territory so Germany could expand their base of operations and improve a somewhat sagging Navy. They had a handful of battleships and at least 15 destroyers. When it came to priority, it appeared the Navy lagged well behind.

 

[mrgenius]

nice. keep it comin.

 

[Genseric]

Marching, marching, marching, thought Gerald Kosch, a Private in the newly created 1st Sturmgruppen Division. His K Company was marching to position to link up with the rest of the companies within the 4 Battallion Division. So far his company had encountered sporadic fire but not from the Marines they were expected to engage.

The Sturmgruppen consisted of battle hardened troops brought in from the Serbian and Bulgarian fronts. They were trained in covert warfare and forceful attacking manouveres. These men looked every bit of the elite attacking unit they were, men looking like they were chiseled from granite and eyes that were cold and calculating. The Sturmgruppen of today, 2004, differed greatly from those of the Great War. In the great offensive of 1918, young men were thrown against British and French lines with success. Today, they were far better trained and supplied, backed by guided missiles and pinpoint artillery barrages guided by sattelite and at times forward observers.

Kosch’s mood was somewhat glum, as was most of the foot soldiers. It was hard to fathom the lack of motorized transport in these day and ages considering the rapid development in smart weapons, efficient power sources and the like. Some years back there had been promise of the new advances in tanks, troop transports, fighters and bombers. All this depended on oil which was hard to find. Germany had situated New Konigsberg on top of a massive oil well, yet getting it on line was tough. Now that the war was under way, it was impossible. Russia could seize the town as it was guarded by a single infantry division and backed by a few heavy guns but Russian intelligence appeared to overlook minor things.

K Company had been no more than eight kilometers from their objective when word came back from command to halt and fall back to the border. Other companies received the same orders. Dismayed, the men marched on back, but not before resting an hour or so. Late afternoon came when columns of men began arriving at Fort Konigsberg. Confusion was rife amongst the ranks for their commanders had not let on yet at this stage what was going on. A briefing was going to be held the next morning, after weary troops had been rested.



“Achtung!” bellowed a rigid, square jawed General to the assembled men over the Forts vast P.A system. “Listen up, our objectives have now been changed by high command. In approximately 25 minutes, missiles will be launched upon three Russian cities simultaneously from Tactical Missile Command in Berlin.”

T.M.C? Oh my god! Thought Kosch to himself. They are going to launch nuclear weapons! Others there knew what was about to happen. Hundreds of thousands of civilians and military personnel would die in an instant, thousands more would die from acute radiation poisoning in the coming hours and the toll would be almost incalculable in the coming generations.

“You were pulled back to completely eliminate any chances of radiation fallout. This decision was a last minute alteration by command. You will be given more detailed instructions by your respective commanders but essentially, you will be issued with personal radiation protective suits as you will be marching upon the devastated cities to secure them. From there, nuclear contamination cleanup teams will work to clean up the mess”

Kosch could not believe what he was hearing. To his friend to the left, “Can you believe this? Imagine the fallout across the world, and I don’t mean nuclear”. Private Rath merely shrugged. “Oh well, too bad for poor Russia. They have brought it on themselves. As far as what the rest of the world thinks, I care even less. We are just soldiers Gerald, we fight for our countries and not worry about what happens outside our unit. Its easier that way”.

Fair point, he thought. No point arguing with his rational friend yet the thought still horrified him. What would become of Germany when other nations condemned the Kaiser's actions and perhaps declared war. Just how would Germany cope with multiple nations bashing on their door looking for justice. It happened once before and Germany fell down. What about now?It was all too much for Gerald to contemplate so he moved his mind elsewhere. The assembly had finished and now men moved to their respective platoons/battalions/divisions to prepare for the coming invasion.

The former Polish city of Lodz was on the hitlist to start up. In prior time, both Germany and Russia laid claims to the territory of Poland. Since no resolution could be sought and leaders did not want conflict, Poland was ordered to submit half their territory to both countries. Unable to resist, Lodz and Warsaw went to Russia and Wroclaw and Poznan went to Germany. Now it was time to unify the remaining cities.

 

[RowAndLive]

This is a very good start. Keep it up!

 

[Kamilian]

wait - i thought this was World War 1 scenario.
whatever. it's good keep it going.

 

[Genseric]

Yeh, well it is a world war 1 scenario but all the action just happened to occur well into the game. Oh well, you get that. Cheers for the replies though


Intermittent showers fell through out the morning as divisions marched on their target Lodz. Kosch and his L Company with four other companies were en route to outlying villages near Lodz. He could see shattered buildings and upturned earth from prepatory barrages. They were off to counter an expected surge from elements of the Russian Marines. Along the way German troops engaged and beat regular army soldiers, who were no match for the elite division.

The advance was going well as they traversed a wide road that was half bitumen, half dirt, having been shattered by misplaced shells. As the column advanced, several distinctive’ ploops’ could be heard. “Off the road!” yelled a platoon sergeant. Men dived left and right into culverts running either side of the road. Several seconds later, earth lifted upwards, as did several men, too slow to move. They were green recruits in their first combat situation.

Russian Marines were firing mortars only several hundred meters ahead, inside the bombed village. The mortars continued as heavy machine guns erupted along the front. Recognising the need to keep moving, a Luitenant urged his men forward. “Keep moving! Keep moving! Your sitting ducks if you stay here!”. Reluctantly, men got up and moved, machine guns trained to their eyes and shooting at moving targets in the village. L Company set up mortars in a protected ditch. Behind them, hideous shrieking noises whirred over their heads as modern day Nebelwerfers had been brought forward after requests for heavy fire support.

Kosch and members of a platoon had advanced forward, dodging in and out of shattered walls of concrete and abandoned vehicles. He noted the green-tan uniforms of the Marines pulling back in the direction of Lodz. He fired a burst from his weapon, cutting down several figures. As rockets rained down on parts of the village and bullets whipped through the air, Russian forces were forced out of the advantage point and several hundred prisoners were dispatched to the rear. Companies, battalions and divisions began arriving to be re-supplied and refitted before the assault on Lodz.

Elsewhere, Germany’s campaign was moving smoothly. Russia attacked the 2nd Army near Warsaw with a devastating artillery barrage. It looked for a time that desaster would befoul General Kordes and the men who formed a 50 mile front. Yet they held of a number of attacks before counter attacking and isolating a number of Russian companies. Little action was witnessed near Kaunas, aside from the odd shot from the heavy guns. Most of the main forces concentrated on the main armies driving their way south east.

Several months passed before the Armies began breaking Russia’s resistance after unseasonably heavy rainfall halted major infantry advances. As it was, within several days Lodz, Warsaw and Kaunas would be captured. The units marched through the devastated cities, quickly securing them and beginning the cleanup. For some, the fighting was not over, as commands eyes were turned Grodz. As for those running the country, they had big problems. Half of Europe declared war on the same day as the nuclear weapons dropped on Russia.

 

[Genseric]

As well as having to contend with Russia and Austria-Hungary, Germany had to contend with Holland Great Britian, Norway, Sweden, France, Spain-Portugal, Romania, Greece and Turkey. All had declared war after the nuclear strikes. The only country yet to jump in was Germany’s ally Italy. Yet that would soon change. Just when the world thought the horrors of nuclear war had abated somewhat, the Kaiser, irrational as it seemed, had launched weapons on France, Austria, Holland and Denmark. Now Italy turned its back. It was clear that the world had gone mad. In the months to come, incredibly, the allies would bicker amongst themselves. Even more astonishing, some would declare war on one another.

Whilst Russia was besieged from the west, its imposing armada of battleships would reign shells upon Norway. It would then attack Romania then its old enemy Turkey. France began assaulting major Italian cities along the border, paving the way for a future revengeful attack by Germany. Great Britain would have a shot at France. Poor old Greece. Having had half its territory seized by invading troops, it would be targeted again by Russia and Austria. Their only two cities remained on islands away from prying eyes. Turkey copped a battering from Austria and Russia again as half of Europe attempted to end the 600 year old Ottoman Turk empire. Later in the war, Turkey would surrender three of its cities to Germany. It would become confined to a narrow strip along the coast, its collapse imminent.

To his immediate staff, the Kaiser appeared to be cracking under the strain. After all, he disregarded legislation to fire the weapons. Yet the Prime Minister was still strong willed and resolute, determined to fight of the aggressors. His aides and military commanders were in conference to gather updates and to devise strategies. Despite his determination, Wilhelm harbored some doubt as to whether Germany could repel invaders. The Minister for War Gunther Spee could see the doubt in his eyes when he asked “What is our overall status Mr. Spee. Are we capable of holding up?”

The Minister appeared almost dismissive of the situation as he spoke. The short man had a somewhat superior air about him. “Sir, you need not worry about the coalition against us. Our war production in our major cities is ahead of demand. We have surplus supplies in fact. All troops are fully supplied and all conscripted men are available for deployment.”

“There is an important fact I wish to point out. The Coalition as you know is racked by in-fighting and this works massively to our favour. Whilst they engage each other, our forces can attack at their weakest and seize territory. This relates particularly to Italy who are under siege from France. Given Italy’s treachery, we can advance on Italy whilst they are occupied. They are too weakened to put up little more than a token resistance so we cannot waste time to move against them”

All nodded in agreement. Gilloti could not go unpunished. It was decided that men would be diverted from Russia, Holland and former Serbia/Bulgaria. Kampfgruppe Italy would comprise of three over strength Army Groups, flush with veteran troops from Russia. Eyes were turned away from Austria, who actually inflicted a defeat in an attempt to capture Salzburg. In any case, Austria-Hungary was too weak to pose a threat. Their equipment was 25 years old and their artillery was small in numbers and ineffective

As the months passed in planning, fighting continued in Russia and along the borders with Italy. Major breakthroughs in peace were gained when some of the smaller countries agreed to peace. Denmark, Sweden, Turkey, Greece and Roimania dropped their vendetta and soon after lifted embargoes. Not before long, German people celebrated when Russia finally relented and called for peace talks.

 

[Genseric]

The mighty Russia was left bloodied and battered by a smaller nation who took to the task of defending their country. Weakened by what some would say cowardly nuclear strikes, Germany moved in and mowed down hundreds of thousands of Russian troops under incessant artillery barrages, pinpoint rocket attacks and withering machinegun fire. The Russians wanted to end the bloodshed in which Russia suffered from greatly. The only thing Russia could claim was a Naval victory. Its formidable armada of battleships destroyed Germany’s small fleet of destroyers. Then again, its Navy was pretty weak to start with.

As the Kaiser and the Tsar signed documents to end war, both sides pledged a new era of co-operation, particularly Russia. Wilhelm himself promised to scale down his nuclear program, but that was never going to happen if certain advisers behind the scene had anything to do with it. It was seen as the perfect deterrent. Besides millions upon millions of dollars had been ploughed into the long range ballistics program and would not want to see it wasted.

As conflict was slowly scaling down, other nations traded punches in their own personal battles. As it was, the massive war that engulfed much of Europe came to an end after a shocking 15 years in which millions died and suffered. Now, as Germany began repairing the losses it suffered in the war, Wilhelm turned his eyes to Italy. Genoa, Milan and Vieneza would be on the hit list. The plan allowed for General Kosch to drive his 2nd Army, containing several mobile artillery divisions with infantry divisions armed with guided rocketry, on towards Firenze after their main defenses had been splinted. This would leave the capital city of Rome within reach. Italy would have to face France from the west, who were also knocking on Genoa and Torino’s door. Beyond the rampage through the peninsula, the top military strategists were working on several plans that centered around control of the coastal regions. In the way were Holland and Denmark. This time, Wilhelm thought to himself, no one will dare stop us.

 

[Genseric]

The high speed military train rolled through pristine countryside, with seemingly endless plains of deep green grass blanketing every square inch of land. Trees appeared to be fighting to break through the green carpet, like a suffocating blanket. An odd sheep or two grazed as midday sun beat down upon the land. On board the trained was Wilhelm Kordes, now Supreme Commander of the entire German Army. His train was en-route to Zurich, the staging point were troops would advance through the Alps into Italy for the massive invasion. Kordes was perusing through documents supplied by Rhinemetall Industries, Germany’s chief military hardware designers and manufacturers. Kordes liked what he saw. They were designs for the Leopard battle tank. The hefty vehicle would weigh in at 55 tonnes and carry an impressive 120mm gun that would shatter anything in range which would be up to 3,000 meters away. It could race into battlefields at 75km/hr in an efficient blitzkrieg manner. There was the troop combat vehicle, the KUKA M12 (mechanized infantry) for defense and to replace the current artillery, there would be the self propelled Panzerhaubitze 2000 howitzer armed with a 155mm cannon capable of firing up to 40,000 meters with enhanced range projectiles. It is basically a ‘shoot and scoot’ weapon, capable of moving quickly into place then retreating back to battalion command.

These developments would render the rest of Europe’s armies obsolete. Sadly the vital materials were in short supply (rubber) and would not be available for the offensive. Kordes advisors were working on detailed plans for a monumental invasion titled Operation Barbarossa. This would see German forces attack Russia in force, utilizing several cities ‘stolen’ from the Russians to fly in infantry regiments for defense and offensive maneuvers to the key city of Astrachan who had supplies of rubber. The new Luftwaffe would play a key role with Stealth fighters and bombers. Such a massive invasion required intense planning. This would not take place until Holland and Denmark were taken care of.

At the moment, the air force had only six stealth bombers and a handful of fighters. Jet vapors could be seen above. This was the signal that the assault was about to begin as the bombers would drop laser guide bombs on strategic targets, namely factories. It seemed almost simultaneous that 105 mm artillery guns opened up and began shelling Milan and Venezia. Columns of infantry marched through the rough terrain, as yet un-accosted by Italian troops. The 1st Army Group (1st, 2nd and 3rd Army Corp made up of 25 divisions) sieged Milan.

After several weeks troops converged on Genoa and made good headway as it approached the outer suburbs until street fighting began. Artillery made a mess of the beautiful city as Germany suffered casualties in trying to take the city. Thousands were killed, wounded or captured by determined Italian rifleman. The 1st Sturmgruppen here suffered a severe setback, unable to take the city. The forces commander Colonel Ralph Hickman requested and was given permission to abandon the city. They were then integrated in the 1st Army Group for Milan which was gradually wearing down under heavy shelling and fighting with German troops. Small straggling companies of Italian soldiers had been encountered around the major cities, those lost from fleeing battalions.

Venezia was no better off as laser guided rockets and bombs dropped from aircraft did untold damage. Here ground units were able to make better headway. In no time Venezia threw up the white flag, much to the disgust of those resisting troops who were able to escape the encirclement and regroup in Firenze. Units were diverted to intensify the seige on Milan which succumbed only after ferocious fighting through the rubble strewn streets, reminiscent of urban warfare of ages gone by. After much blood shed on both sides, Milan had the German flag flying high. General Kordes met his chief officers and begun re-dividing the forces.

Firenze was much tougher as Milan and Venezia were on flatter land. Mountainous terrain would make things tougher. Bombs raked the mountains, showering the area with rubble almost non-stop. Large scale divisions began assaulting the city which held resistors from other cities. Yet the weight of German power overwhelmed the city. Germany added three more cities to its empire, ever insidiously expanding its empire. It could not take Genoa and Torino, instead the French took them. Rome was about to be sieged when last minute peace talks were conducted as artillery cannons were been loaded with shells. Gilloti surrendered the cities treasury, unwilling to surrender any more territory. Wilhelm did not push the issue further. Italy had been punished enough and his forces were somewhat overstretched so the attacking forces were demobilized and defense was organized in the new cities.

The rest of the Army were redistributed north to Denmark, some to push further north into the weakly held cities of Arhus and Alborg. Others would be part of an amphibious invasion to Kopenham and Reykjavik. Other divisions were assembled to push into the lowlands and seize Holland and Belgium. This would open up the seas to the expanding Kreigsmarine.

 

[Genseric]

From the outskirts of Arnhem, one could see the horizon in an orange illumination. Occasional tracers could be seen with the odd flash of light as artillery smashed into fortified Dutch positions. Holland was in the process of collapsing to a renewed German offensive. Battalions from the Danish conflict were re-enforcing the 11th Infantry Division’s attack on Rotterdam. It was not long now before victorious German troops would march the cities of Rotterdam, Amsterdam and Bruxelles. The North Sea would be fully open to the Kreigsmarine to roam at will. Maybe it was the open path to an invasion of the hated British.

News of an official surrender made its way to the German offices. The Dutch laid down their arms as German troops moved through all major city centers. Broqueville of the Dutch surrended his entire treasury and handed over a far flung community in the frozen north. War was over again but inside the intelligence bureaus, advisers were put to the task of sending its armed forces back into the battlefield. Men were crowded around a center table that had an oversized map of Europe. The center was abuzz with conversation between uniformed officers who had chests seemingly overcrowded with military honours.

Supreme Commander Willem Kordes was peering at the map, investigating the area around Venezia which would stage the 1st Army, split into two Corps. Its commander, General Erick Becker was pointing around the hilly terrain which surrounded Ljubljana, formerly of Yugoslavia but taken by Austria-Hungary by force in 1890. His Colonel, Carl Hoffman listened intently as Becker pointed out the difficulties if Austrian forces engaged them in a guerilla style campaign which could hurt Germany.

At that point entered the Foreign Minister For War, Gunther Von Spee with several advisors carrying folders. The men in the room saluted sharply as Von Spee returned the salute.

“Gentleman, I bring you good news on two fronts. Firstly, our top level meetings with Spain/Portugal provided us with a grand opportunity to greatly improve our forces. The Spaniards were most kind in revealing the application of smart weapons for military uses. This means that Rheinmetall’s self propelled howitzer, the Panzerhaubitze 2000 will be immediately available for production. I am sure you know full well the benefits its 150 mm cannon will bring in the battlefield.”

Only traces of smiles could be seen on the men.

“Due to budget constraints from the deal, at this stage the 1st Army Group will receive twelve to replace our old .88’s. Other Army Groups will receive their compliments in due time. The invasion in not scheduled for some time yet”.

He begun handing men documents relating to his second piece of news. “Secondly, a rather canny Sergeant within the Bundeswehr Reconnaissance Center by chance discovered some interesting with the jungle you see before you. Some of you might notice on the close-ups trees that have performed a vital role for many a century for peoples of the world. They produce rubber. Put simply, Germany will be having a Panzer Corps before long"

Now the men smiled. It had been along time coming for the introduction of tanks and armored vehicles. Success in the battlefield had been won with infantry slogging matches and ruthless artillery barrages. Now the Army could implement armored tactics to force upon cities and defended positions. Commander of the 1st Panzer Division would be General Marcus Shultz, who would see the Leopards drive their way over the battlefield. Meanwhile, a small taskforce of engineers and a detachment from the 3rd commando regiment was been sent as an escort, the A and B Companies. In all cases it was a race to beat the Italians who could just stroll on down there and capture the supplies and leave Germany in the cold.

 

[Genseric]

The Prime Minister looked up at his intelligence chief Jorgen Schaeffer and simply asked “Are you sure of this Mr. Schaeffer?” Minute beads of sweat formed on his forehead. “Yes sir, the British Fleet are advancing on the Ligurian Sea. Activity at their Cumae base on the Corsican Islands is increasing. All attempts to hail the fleets Captain have gone on ignored.”

Wilhelm bored into the Intelligence chief. “So it seems that Great Britain are looking for conflict. Do you have any idea of their intentions Jorgen?”

“It seems so far that they are going to launch Naval bombardments around Firenze, perhaps to knockout infrastructure around that area and keep down missile production their sir. That would be their first aim we guess as we can reach out and immobilize them with rocket attacks”

“Anything else? What about closer to English territory?”

“Well, part of their Northern Sea Fleet is moving towards Christiansand and perhaps beyond through the Skagerrak Straights. Their intentions are unclear, though our cities around there are lightly defended”.

The Kaiser looked at reports, nodding as he went. “Yes, there are only small garrisons there. It seems our obsession with Austria may be to our detriment. I guess we will have to re-assign our forces. Take men from the Austrian border and re-enforce the coast and station aircraft their.”

They had no hope of stopping the English ships as no fleet existed at all in the Mediterranean Sea and the northern fleet was puny and hardly a deterrent for an invasion. Admiral of the Kreigsmarine could scarcely hide his contempt for the Kaiser’s neglect of his force. The Bundeswehr was Wilhelm’s pride and joy, not to mention the increasingly powerful Lufftwaffe. War didn’t seem to occur with nations around the Navy’s immediate spear of influence. He would not have the capabilities to launch an invasion of England if it was warranted. So he had to bite his tongue and hope that Wilhelm could change his mind and start paying attention to the Kreigsmarine.

 

[Michael York]

As an independent consultant to you, Kaiser "Genseric" Wilhelm, I congradulate your government's historian on an excellent job so far.

 

[Genseric]

Thank you Mr York for your favourable independent evaluation.

The agency had missed it somehow, several British destroyers that nosed its way through the narrow straight between old Denmark and Sweden. On board, a detachment of Great Britain’s Royal Infantry regiment were to land on the island of Copenhagen. They achieved this amphibious landing with complete surprise. There was a small regiment guarding the city and to their horror they belatedly saw the landing.

“How could this have been missed?” spluttered Wilhelm, overcome with anger

“We don’t know sir, it was well, done with total secrecy that our agents were completely fooled” replied Schaeffer.

“Fooled indeed! Fools they are also Schaeffer. This is a disaster for us! Copenhagen was to be setup as our chief base for the Kreigsmarine” stormed the PM. Wilhelm looked at Colonel Walter Kos of the 14th Field Artillery brigade who did not wait for instructions.

“Sir, I can move several Panzerhaubitze’s to a point off Alborg, its narrowest there with Copenhagen. We can play havoc with the ‘raiding’ party and also rockets can attack their destroyer convoy”

“Very well Colonel but one thing remains. We simply can only stall the attack as they will overrun the city. I can’t allow Asquith a foothold here. So we will abandon the city”. They all looked at each other and then back at the PM, as if he had gone mad. Yet the decision made sense and with in an hour, engineers would begin demolition important structures. Yet there would be no way of evacuating the garrison. They would have to be sacrificed. Wilhelm decided to award Iron Crosses for all there, posthumously.

Small skirmishes continued with the British. Before long, a new development arose in this war. Sweden waded in to the battle, against Germany. All bad things seemed to come in groups it appeared. The Supreme Commander and the PM were not too concerned with Sweden as its army was armed with several divisions of riflemen and artillery. They did not have the technology that matched Germany. Yet they had paid attention to their navy, building battleships that would play havoc in the far eastern reaches of the Mediterranean. The old Ottoman Empire city of Balikiser was attacked from the sea. Germany begun moving artillery to the coastal areas off the Saros Korfezi to attack the Battleships.

Major German cities were removed from their wealth strategies and placed into military production. A plan was enacted that had been created in case of such events; Operation North Wind. A plan in which Germany would bring the war onto Swedish soil. Whilst this was put into effect, aircraft raided Gothenburg and Malmo to destroy the rail system and its farming industry. Aircraft were moved further north to coastal German cities to begin other attacks on Kalmar.

The Kaiser received one bit of good news that would help a lot, Great Britain agreed to an armistice in fighting. It couldn’t have come at a more important time. Chaos gripped German cities as war protestors took hold. Civil disorder had wrecked havoc upon civic structures as several major cities burned. It was the Kaisers biggest crisis of his tenure. Now peace with England eased the pressures somewhat but still Germany would have to prosecute the war with Sweden to its conclusion. But that was not all, Spain was convinced by Sweden to take its shot at Germany and soon ships began barraging Firenze all over again. Hastily North African cities were re-enforced with troops and aircraft and small raids were carried out on the Spanish mainland.

 

[Genseric]

Ive decided to revive my first story after my Persian save totally died in the backside, something to do with a missing knightdeath.wav file. Quite why it was missing i dont know, as it was in the folders and that. Nevermind, ive been slowly working at this and in my opinion it gets better (this post not included), full of intrigue, assasination, war and assorted carnage



“…was a typical blitzkrieg, the perfect co-ordination of armor which crushed the Austrian forces under foot. Add to that the incessant artillery and rocket barrages, Austria Hungary wilted under the German offensive. German government has been effectively established and now the Austrian parliament has fled to Tampere, situated in the far north of Russia”... Click.

A man sighed heavily. He looked away from the T.V to the men seated in a small room, brightly lit but sparsely furnished. Much like the banality of a hospital. “Ok gentlemen, we must stop the bloodshed and speak peace with the Germans. What do we have to offer?” said Franz Joseph Ferdinand.

His loyal assistant Prime Minister Heinz Clinker spoke softly. “Not a lot sir, not a lot at all, other than our meager treasury and our Mediterranean cities. We can hand over two and that is it”

“Very well then, call the German P.M and see if he is ready to talk. We can be safe here surely with Russian protection”.



Tampere was once part of Finland before the Russians moved in and applied ownership to the small nation. Some years ago, Sweden went to war with the mighty nation and claimed Tampere and then Helsinki before losing it to invading Austrian forces. Now, Austrian government resided in Tampere as German forces literally knocked on the door having seized Helsinki with Leopard tanks. They were stuck in the cold north whilst their picturesque homeland burned. The government still had some land holdings but they were many thousands of miles to the south. The ancient city of Istanbul, formerly Constantinople in the times of the Byzantines, had been the capital of the Turk empire for over 500 years before war and internal strife racked their holdings. Austria moved in and captured the capital. They also conquered Askara, Ankara, Corum, Cayseri and Adana before they were captured in turn by the Germans. Now all that remained in Asia Minor was their small city of Giza located near Armenia held by two small divisions of infantry.

 

[das]

Really interesting. Map? Screenshots? Or at least JUST HOW THE HELL DID THE WORLD WIND UP THAT WAY?

Is the scenario Europe-only?

Anyway, like your style.

 

[Genseric]

Thanks das...ok, i'll try and provide a coherent explanation. The resulting conflagration is quite difficult to explain. It is just a European scenario, a WW1 in fact. The game officially came to life when Russia declared war on me (refer to first post) and I fought back...with nuclear weapons. In the process other countries declared war on me so some were attacked with said nuclear weapons, therefore inciting an all in Euro rumble which everyone wanted a peice of Germany. Anyway, this forged new rivalries as nations attempted to obliterate one another (Turkey having already been removed), namely Spain and France (to came later in the story), Great Britian became a regular enemy of me, Spain and Britian tried to obliterate Italy, Greece fought off regular British onslaughts, Sweden and Norway suffered under Germany. All of this happened over one lousy nuclear bomb lobbed on some insignificant Russian village.

Prior to this, the world was relatively peaceful besides the dismantling of the Ottoman empire and the destruction of the Serbs and Romanians at my hands. Clear enough? Christ, im confused myself!

As for screenshots, I dont know. I do have one lined up, specifically as a kind of military planning map showing invasions (its pretty amateurish) but I will see what happens. Now, on with the show...

 

[Genseric]

Roughly a week after the war had ended, a great reception was held as German emissaries were accepted into the Greek parliament as friends of the nation in the capital city island of Mithilini with in the Aegean. It was an historic occasion, as both sides had not formally met in a couple of decades, maybe less though both sides had retained cordial relations. It was not always so, going back to the Great War, which consumed all of Europe and lasted a cruel fifteen years. Greece had been targeted in this war when the coalition created to destroy Germany imploded. Rival factions then begun declaring war on each other. The Austrians and the British, who launched their attacks from their Egyptian territories, targeted Greece. Prior to this, Britain had warred on numerous occasions. The British army was too strong for the Greeks, whose Navy was old and dilapidated and the army had ineffective artillery. The British captured Iraklion, whilst the Austrians claimed most of mainland Greece. Sweden controlled Thessaloniki.

To ensure their survival, Greece entered into disadvantageous trade embargos against Germany with other nations. The once proud Greek nation had been reduced to no more than a feeble pitiful state, seeking refuge on the small islands the Brits could not take, hemmed in by the aggressive Austrians, a Swedish satellite state formerly of Serbia, British Egypt and the now defunct Turkish empire.

The economic sanctions against Germany were put behind them as both nations came together following the conclusion of the Germany-Austria/Hungary war. Germany was to make a momentous step towards repairing its tarnished image. Having captured Athens and Larissa, Prime Minister Wilhelm took the unusual step of turning over these cities back to Greece. The Greece nation was stunned to its core. It could not be happening surely. The modern day version of the Roman Empire was relinquishing its territorial gains. King George was baffled too until communications came through from Berlin stating its full intention of returning all former Greek territory over. Once it had been established this was indeed true, Greek commanders began working with their German counterparts in handing over the batons. Today was official conformation complete with ceremony as the towns respective governors prepared to head back, as did many families with histories in the cities.

“I am sure that I speak for all of Greece in offering our many thanks to the kind and generous German nation. This will do much to restore our relations Wilhelm” gushed the King.

Wilhelm nodded. “I feel it is our duty to return your ancient lands to your administration. I am sure that German occupation would have not gone down well with the populous there. We will offer our full co-operation in helping rebuild Kalamai”

“What of your forces in the area?”

“Well for the time been, they have been transferred to our airbase outside Kalamai to await further orders. We do anticipate a furious reaction from Britain from this. They warned us not to collaborate with you in this manner. However Asquith will not bully us. We are not afraid of him. Between you and I, I do anticipate war in the next few weeks. They still have significant holdings in the Mediterranean”

“What do you plan to do Wilhelm”

“Why, capture Iraklion. Transports are moving to pick up forces from Serbia and the ground forces at the airbase and move. Our stealth bombers can easily reach the city. With a little luck, we will attempt to keep damage to a minimum in preparation for another handover”

George smiled, “The ancient island of Crete, birthplace of western civilization as we know it. This would swell the hearts of all Greeks in knowing the island is once again ours.”

“Do not worry George, soon we will be rid of the British menace in the area, including Turkey with luck”

 

[Genseric]

As predicted by Wilhelm and his staff, the reaction of Asquith came to bear. However, it was not several weeks before anything happened. It took just three days. Three days and Germany was once more at war with England.

Asquith sat stony-faced listening to the report from the M-I6. “The Germans are intending to attack us at Iraklion sir. It appears that they have cemented their friendship with Greece with a encompassing military alliance. Reports suggest that the Greeks asked for uranium and imports of fine goods plus nearly 50 million pounds in finance” summed up the intelligence officer. “However, it seems to our sources within Berlin that the assume threat to Iraklion has little substance”

“Can you be sure of this?” queried Asquith.

“Not 100% sir” admitted the officer. “Then we must make Germany pay for their consequences. Implied or real, we must protect our interests at home and abroad!” argued the prime minister.

The Foreign Minister Jack Straw spoke up. “With all due respect sir, I don’t think it would be wise under the present circumstances”

“And what are these present circumstances Minister?” asked the PM with a touch of irritation in his voice.

“These circumstances relate to a certain Teutonic precense close to our waters, yet within Norwegian boundaries. The Germans have a fleet roaming the waters complete with several full divisions of marines and armored battalions. They have two carriers complete with Stealth bombers, two large transport ships protected with destroyers and carriers. They have six submarines within this convoy, making it dangerous to our shipping. The coastline in northern Scotland is ripe for incursions. Be careful with what you decide, it could backfire”

A thin wiry man with horn rimmed glasses spoke up. “Given the nature of this armada sir, I will insist upon you for a declaration of war. Their intentions here are quite obvious”

“Yes Admiral Houghton, I share your concerns” he replied without looking “Why are you standing in the way Straw?”

Straw was becoming exasperated with Asquith. “In antagonizing Germany, we risk facing serious ruin from a far better equipped army. A declaration of war is not something to be made lightly sir”

“We have the best fighting men in Europe. They will go through hell barefoot to protect and promote the interests of the British empire. We have stood up against the might of those Teutonic war mongers in the past and this will be no different” blustered the PM.

Straw remained calm but was burning inside at the PM’s foolish insistence. “With the greatest of respect, this is not of the ancient era of courageous warriors against elite Roman armies. We are talking of high tech stealth bombers and fighters, advanced artillery and rocketry and above all else armoured warfare. The Germans are equipped with the finest technology money can create. We lack the resources Germany control and the military applications firms. I don’t deny our lads fighting spirit, it is second to none but we face a loosing battle before its begun”

“We have our own secret weapon minister” replied the PM, unperturbed. He stood up and eyed Straw. “The Germans may have their smart weapons, their storm troopers etc. They have Wilhelm Kordes as their supreme commander. However…” he hung on the word momentarily “we have General Bernard Montgomery”

Monty, as he was known in the elite circles of British politics, was as eccentric as military commanders came. Fame came to the wiry general in the invasion of Syria and southern Turkey. He was at the head of the brilliant amphibious invasion that secured the island city of Iraklion in Greece.



“Judy, please send in General Montgomery” Asquith spoke into the intercom, connected to his secretary’s desk. “One moment sir”. Straw got up and paced the Prime Minister’s office in the several minutes it took for the General to enter the office. He strolled in as if he owned the place, with that recognizable air of British upper class superiority. "General, please take a seat,” gestured the prime minister. “Just what can I do for you?” queried the general. “Well, I am sure you are well briefed on foreign affairs, in particular the recent Greece-Germany summit where the Germans cemented ties with the Greeks. According to our position it constitutes a declaration of war against England” explained Asquith

“I am familiar on such matters. I do believe we must act in accordance to policy”

“Good. I am having trouble convincing Mr. Straw here of the need to act against Germany. This is where come in. Mr. Straw seems to be most concerned about the fleet in the North Sea”

Straw bored into the Generals eyes. Montgomery stared back and offered a patronizing smile. “Don’t worry old boy, your concerns are unfounded. A declaration of war would draw the Germans into our waters were we can blast them into bits of scrap metal and flesh to litter the ocean floor”

Straw looked at Montgomery quizzically. “I sense your confusion. Our destroyer fleets are off in the Mediterranean doing untold damage to Italy. That’s where our submarines come into play” Straw spoke up “But what of the submarines of the Kreigsmarine? They are second to none. The fleet has a few on escort and search and destroy capabilities”

“Ah…nothing like been outnumbered. They can’t hunt down and kill all our subs can they Minister? It just so happens the Royal Navy has relocated a submarine base to Scapa Flow and there are numerous subs on exercise in the northern parts of the North Sea. Those subs carry on per usual whilst the Germans move in”. How convenient, Straw thought sarcastically to himself. “So it would seem our esteemed Prime Minister and his commanders having been itching for a fight with the Germans for some time now. Why else the reallocation of naval resources? Do you think that the Kaiser is stupid?”

Asquith rose from his seat. “For goodness sake Jack, don’t forget your history. The Germans tore away many of our fine young men in a senseless war on conquest many, many years ago. They bombed our houses and set fire to our cities. For some of us the pain is as if it occurred only yesterday. Revenge has long played on the minds. The time has never really presented itself, but now here is the chance to inflict harm upon those ruthless warmongers!” The fire burned within the PM.

Straw sat heavily in his chair. Why bother? The prime minister was as war orientated as the Germans where. After all he refused to end the war against Italy out of sheer cruelty as the poor citizens of Rome suffered the under the naval shells that shattered homes, destroyed workplaces and obliterated fields. What the Germans helped rebuild in Rome, Asquith ordered to be destroyed again. It was madness. Why did he not invade the Italian peninsula and put the Italians out of their already deep misery? He sat in silence, not looking at anyone. Asquith took it for defeat.

Montgomery looked from Straw to Asquith. “I can have several nasty surprises in store for the Germans should they still get their men ashore. Which ever way you look at it my good man, the Germans wont be going home anytime soon”

 

[Genseric]

Irregular sounds of turning pages broke the monotonous drone of low-level noise from electrical appliances. Sitting at a teak desk, a chubby man idly flipped through a military magazine, not focusing on any particular article. It was clear other things were on his mind. Breaking the tedium, the intercom on his desk buzzed four times. Calmly he placed the magazine in one corner of the desk. Shifting his tubby frame, he made his way to the elevator; the only way into the room, called it up and entered it. It took several minutes for the elevator to move silently down the shaft and to the basement floor. Ping…the doors slid effortlessly open and the man stood out of the elevator and into three men, towering walls of muscle who were not to be trifled with.

“Has all been taken care of?” queried the tubby man; beady eyes attempting to penetrate the dark sunglasses on the middle mans face.

The middle man spoke in a surprisingly high-pitched voice “It has been done. A vehicle awaits and a private jet is ready to leave the landing strip upon you boarding”

“There is no chance of detection?” It was more a statement than a question

“With the appropriately placed decoys, inside agents and generous payments, the authorities will not cotton on…only when it is too late when they plan to raid your premises and you have long left the country” The middle man smiled with the warmth of a Northern winter storm. “You have the most loyal men to carry out your instructions. They are committed to helping establish a fourth empire and will do whatever it takes to realize this dream”

The rotund man smiled inwardly. The Fourth Empire was in the works. The Third Empire came to an end at the hands of a relentless American invasion to end the tyranny of the then ruling Nazi regime. In the ensuing years, the Nazi party existed in a clandestine manner, using cloak and dagger tactics to evade detection and ensnarement from the authorities. The beginnings of the Fourth Empire would take place in a far off country before been unleashed upon Germany once again.

“I do not doubt their loyalties at all. What of my lieutenants?”

“They are been escorted to their respective flights as we speak. Come sir, we must not delay our departure any longer” the middle man beckoned towards the waiting car, parked alongside the elevator in the underground parking lot, its engine idling. The man adjusted his spectacles and entered the car in the passenger side and took the middle seat, flanked on both sides by the other two men. The driver of the black Mercedes gunned the V8 engine, the throaty roar of the power surge reverberating in the parking lot and 225 KW of grunt sent the car up the ramp and out in the clear morning Munich air.