The Thousand Year Reich : Chapter 12, Drang Nach Osten

As the panzer division rush towards Stalin BF-109's keep a constant eye on the unit. Stalin will not escape. We will give him the death he seeks.

In Purehk another brutal battle is fought, even as the Soviet Union is on the verge of collapse they continue to resist to the bitter end spurred on by the news that Stalin himself is joining the fight.

In Kamenka a large force of Russians are herded together and resist us in a small town surrounded by a forest. The Advisor found the situation amusing and Hitler not having learnt his lesson asked him why the response of “Hopefully they get a better spawn next time.” Didn’t enlighten Hitler as what was so amusing about a trapped horde of Russians in a small town called Kamenka.

By the 19th of August Panzer Division ‘Ostmark’ made entirely out of former Austrians engage and defeat Stalin’s bodyguards. As they retreat Panzer Division ‘Schlesien’ hurries to intercept them to the northwest.

The overall situation on the 20th of August 1943 the resistance inside of the northern pocket is random but harsh. In some places they retreat in others they stand their ground.

On the 21st Panzer Division Ostmark reports that the entire unit designated as Stalin's bodyguards was destroyed as Panzer division Schlesien intercepted from the north. They were then put on the arduous task of searching through 10.000 dead men and hundreds of destroyed tanks and other vehicles for one special man. Yet within 8 hours his body is found on the very edge of the destruction in a wrecked staff car. His lower body is mangled but his face can be seen clear as day. Pictures are taken and dropped over any Russian unit that can be found. “Stalin is dead! Surrender or die with him!” reads the propaganda paper with a picture of Stalin’s dead body attached to it.

Yet Moltov the infamous foreign minister of the USSR announces the struggle goes on. “We will never surrender to the genocidal fascists!”

The situation in the north pocket is at a complete collapse for the Soviets, millions have been taken prisoners and huge gaps have opened everywhere. Resistance is almost completely over.

Yet in Casablanca an enormous American force lands. The poor men of Tangier must hold on for more reinforcements against a force outnumbering them now some 15-1.

Pictured is the very popular Sherman tank that arms the majority of American divisions taken outside of the Tangier Defense Line

Another 100.000 Soviets taken out of action, starving with no ammunition Molotov’s eternal struggle seems less and less realistic. The war is finally approaching its end.

As the mud starts setting in over the front the Heer continues to advance, victory is so close!

Everywhere our units advance forward Soviet resistance has collapsed completely both in the north and east. The Soviet state cannot supply the few remaining units as they try to stop our advance.

As our units close in on the new Soviet capital of Sverdlovsk the government is struck inside of the city. Large Stuka squadrons patrol the city outskirts. Any car, truck or train is bombed or strafed into oblivion and so the last of the Soviet government awaits their capture by our panzers.

And so on the 20th of September the Soviet Union surrenders. The peace treaty of Perm signed by Molotov himself who was captured by Finnish forces by Lake Ladoga ends the war. The peace treaty hands over huge tracts of land to Germany. Drang Nach Osten, our yearning for the east is finally complete. The size of Germany ten times over is in our hands. The sacrifice given by the millions of young German soldiers who gave their lives for this dream can rest proudly in heaven.

More plans from the west arrive and detail a planned invasion of Pas-de-Calais. This being the closest stretch over the channel seems much more realistic of an invasion plan and defenses are mustered. Many of the men in the east are sent west.

Meanwhile in the east Molotov is sent to the new capital of Novosibirsk by train. The new capital is only some 375 kilometers from our border as stipulated by the Treaty of Perm. Putting it at a easy striking range if need be.

For their aid in the eternal struggle against the Soviet Union Finland, Romania and Hungary receives large tracts of land. The Romanians receive land up to the Buh River while Finland receives everything north of the Svir River and east of the Belemoro River. Hungary meanwhile is given a part of Galicia.

In the east a great ‘Ostwall’ is to be established to separate us from the communists. It will drain our industry but the Führer refuses to budge. Even in northern Siberia the line is extended. Here work is harsh in the cold weather. Yet the men are just happy they don’t need to fight the Russians anymore.

In India meanwhile the Slovakian Korps continues to clean up Ceylon.

In Denmark locals see the way the wind is blowing. Germany is hailed as the destroyer of communism by many and collaboration increases.

In Russia however huge events have taken place during the last weeks. On the 28th of the September Andrei Vlasov, leader of the Russian Liberation Army took his men numbering some 40.000 haphazardly equipped men over the German-Soviet border. Hoping to take the capital of Novosibirsk before any resistance could arrive he and his troops marched at a rapid pace. He vows to free Russia of the communism.

By the 3rd of October the Russian Liberation Army is engaged in heavy urban fighting in Novosibirsk against Guards units. It is becoming clear that without aid the coup attempt will fail.

Shown is Russian Liberation Units using a now antiquated Pak-36 in direct fire support in Novosibirsk.

As such Eicke leader of the SS Panzer Division ‘Totenkopf’ leads his elite division numbering some 30.000 men across the border. By the 5th of October the Totenkopf division has reached Novosibirsk and with their experimental new Panther tanks they clear out the city alongside the Russian Liberation Army.

On the 6th of October Germany recognizes Andrei Vlasov as the Russian head of state shortly after Novosibirsk has been cleared of communist resistance. The remaining army units largely declare loyalty to the new regime.

By the 7th most of the remains of the USSR is under Russian rule.

The new cabinet of Russia is a mix of Russian loyalists and German men sent to keep the state under control. The support of Eicke has led to him being appointed minister of Security and Chief of Staff. The Head of Government is Hans Heinrich Lammers, a dedicated National Socialist he will keep this state loyal and continue the work on the Final solution even this far east. The rest is headed by Vlasov and his Russian ministers.

The new Russian state is rather pathetic. A small industry and no huge population to call on the new Russia is more of a border state between Germany and Japan.

The exhausted Russian manpower pool will take a long time to recover.

Of interest is the enormous Russian officer corps. Their current army size of around 400.000 troops most of which are still being searched for undesirables in German Russia warrants on German estimates an officer corps of around 35.000. The previous Soviet officer corps is an astonishing 240.000! The officer corps had largely fled east as their units collapsed leaving their soldiers behind to be captured by us. It is clear that the Soviet state had lost all semblance of control or structure during our long war.

In Morocco our war goes on while for many the heavy fighting is over for the men of the Tangier zone is has just begun. Another five divisions are rushed to Tangier to keep our control over the area.

In India the resistance of the British is approaching collapse as we close in on Nepal. Our army group of nearly half a million men is facing scattered resistance totaling around 100.000 in India.

In Burma huge Japanese and Chinese puppet units rush forward to claim more of India.

The Bismarck and the Tirpitz are used to provide naval bombardment for the Slovakians trying to breach Trincomalee.

In Morocco the Americans have crossed the Moylouya River but Vichy units are now closing in and forming a front against the Americans.

Delhi, the capital of British India falls after a short battle.

The Americans continue their attempts to breach the Tangier Defense Line but are repelled with heavy loss of life on both sides. Our infantry are especially outmatched and frequently forced to retreat after taking heavy losses. We will need to rethink our army structure to face the Americans who are nearly entirely mechanized or motorized.

And so Germany stands triumphant in the east. It took more than two years of heavy fighting costing millions of German, Romanian, Italian, Hungarian, Slovakian and Finnish lives with many other western nations playing a small part. What had first seemed to be another easy German victory soon devolved into a long and harsh conflict, as Gerd von Rundstedt the hero of Rotterdam said during the winter of 1941 the vastness of Russia seemed to devour us. Yet the German army went on achieving huge victory after huge victory. Barbarossa, Case Red, Case Blue, Operation Edelweiss, Operation Zitadelle and finally operation Summer Awakening will all be studied by future military leaders in how a smaller but better equipped and led army can not only beat but surround and capture a numerically superior enemy.

With the victory in the east a huge ceremony was held, promotions, medals and heroic titles were bestowed on some of the greatest military leaders :

Erich von Manstein, Hero of Voronezh. For his detailed and well executed plan of Case Blue which inflicted a crushing defeat upon the Soviets. It would be studied by future military minds and his strategy of the ‘Backhand Blow’ was made a large part of future German doctrine.

Walter Model, Conquer of Leningrad and Moscow. Led the combined effort of the Fortress Buster and Waffen-SS in the taking of Leningrad and Moscow, his concentration and good use of heavy equipment to clear out the harsh urban environment saved many lives.

Paul Hausser, The Miracle Man. For his astonishing ability to lead the Waffen-SS over harsh terrain and often outnumbered and still achieving victory. His title is seldom used and many prefer to call him The Reaper, leader of the Black Death (The SS).

Heinz Guderian, Panzer Heinz. For his creation of the panzer arm and development of the doctrine of deep penetrations and pocketing of enemy units.

Many more titles were handed out and individual units were also rewarded titles. The 5th Fallschirmjäger Division for example would be known as the ‘Arkhangelsk’ Division for their capture and holding of the city during Operation Summer Awakening.

Yet the war was not over. In the west The Americans and the British still resisted now comes the time for reorganization and preparation for the expected Allied invasion of France. One giant has been defeated but the world only holds room for one super power and it will be Germany.

Author’s Note : This chapter signals the start of a shift in this AAR. With the defeat of the Soviet Union I will be using a variety of modding and save game editing to attempt to build a believable alternative world around my game. It is no longer exclusively Black Ice but rather my edited version of it. I will never use it to give myself an advantage but you will see stories about events in my alternative world supported within the game. This is largely to keep the game interesting in downtime and to keep myself interested in the game. Russia is the first example of this.