June 22nd, 1944 – Russians launch Operation Bagration, with the aims of crushing Army Group Center.
July 17, 1944 – Erwin Rommel, the fabled German general, comes close to getting killed when an Allied Spitfire strafes his staff car as he travels to Army Group B's headquarters. He miraculously escapes injury, but is left with a sudden and undeniable realization of Germany’s coming fate.
July 19th, 1944 – Adolf Hitler is shot and killed by a rogue unit of Wehrmacht officers en route to the Wolf’s Lair in East Prussia. The assassins are killed in the ensuing gun battle.
July 20th, 1944 – Wehrmacht launches military coup. Civil war erupts as Waffen SS divisions attempt to reassert their authority, but are badly outnumbered.
July 21st, 1944 – Leading Nazi Party officials including Hermann Goering and Dr. Paul Josef Goebbels are arrested as they attempt to flee Berlin.
August 16th, 1944 – After an intense and bitter civil war, the SS are defeated in a string of battles and driven into Austria.
August 20th, 1944 – Erwin Rommel emerges as Germany’s defacto leader, with popular support. He goes on to form a Military Council consisting of several decorated officers, such as Erich von Manstein and Gerd von Rundstedt.
August 21st, 1944 – Rommel offers unconditional surrender to the Western Powers, on the understanding that they save Germany from the Soviets. The West declines, stating that Germany must unconditionally surrender to both.
August 22nd, 1944 – Rommel issues order 341, prompting Operation Verlorene Liebesmüh (Forlorn Hope).
Operation Verlorene Liebesmüh was in essence, an order to all German forces within occupied states to return to the Fatherland. In a magnificent feat of logistics and cunning, the Wehrmacht in France, Holland and Belgium withdrew its men and material to Germany’s west borders. Despite the Allies’ best efforts to intercept the withdrawal, they were unable to prevent much of the Wehrmacht’s western strength from fleeing to the safety of the Rheine.
Likewise in the east, the German army made a massive retreat. Much like on the Western Front, the rout was orderly and paced to save as much equipment and munitions as possible. By September, the Wehrmacht had consolidated itself within Germany’s borders, leaving Finland, Romania and SS-riddled Austria to fend for themselves. Though still defeated forces, the Wehrmacht and Luftwaffe were able to coordinate a deadly defensive effort against the Allies and the Soviets.
As 1944 drew to a close, and 1945 began, neither the Soviets nor the Allies had managed to penetrate Germany’s borders. It was a war of attrition however, and though Rommel and his staff were effective battlefield commanders, they were running out of industry and food with which to power their army – not to mention the widespread starvation of the civilian population.
In February, Romania and Austria fall to the Soviets after a brief but collected campaign. Rommel admits to the international community that death camps had existed under Nazi rule, and that a great many people died as a result. He promises to release everything related to the practice, and to hand over all of those involved and implicated, in return for a conditional surrender. Both the Soviets and the Allies outright refuse.
March 19th, the Soviets launch Operation Burning Star, with the aim of breaking through the German border and taking Berlin. After a week-long barrage of some 5,261 howitzers, the Russians make their attempt. Millions of soldiers, and thousands of tanks and planes are dedicated to the assault. However, a reformed Army Group East rises to the challenge and using its large reserve of tank destroyers, trenches, minefields and a combat-effective Luftwaffe, it smashes the Soviet spearhead and encircles 500,000 Russians outside of Berlin in homage to Operation Barbarossa’s early triumphs. Attempts are made to restart the offensive, but German reserves prove too deep to make ground. The trapped Russians breakout of the encirclement, back to the safety of Soviet lines. The German army has won a round, but at a great cost, and the Military Council secretly concede that another offensive of that size might not be beatable.
In the West, the Allies probe and plot, but are not eager to launch a full scale offensive. Germany’s Army Group West has some 3,000,000 men, and 1,300 combat ready tanks; though still gravely outnumbered, it is coherent and battle tested. Although fuel is becoming increasingly difficult to source, Rommel’s defensive plan requires little mobility but maximum firepower, and with the Luftwaffe concentrated and therefore still at large, Allied air superiority is making less and less impact on Germany’s ability to produce weaponry. Russia’s failure to break the Germans, and the Allies’ hesitation, leads to a fallout between Stalin and the Western leaders.
Rommel makes another plea to the West for a conditional surrender. This time his words are contemplated by the United States President and the British Prime Minister. The Soviets announce that any form of agreement without them involved will lead to war between Russia and Western Europe. In response, Rommel declares Germany’s western borders “open” and moves Army Group West to the Eastern Front. Allied troops cross into western Germany, and begin occupying the territory in the wake of Germany’s retreating army.
Stalin considers this a sly political attempt to bring the whole of Germany under western control, despite prior agreements. He declares war on the West in response.
So that's the background I have. It's probably full of holes, in terms of realism, but hey, this is the Rp Guild so FU. Also I haven't proof read yet, so any grammar gurus can go away.
What I don't know is, is what I should do with it? Nation RP or nitty-gritty soldier RP? Any ideas? Also if you think this is all rubbish feel free to say so. I just had an idea and wanted to write it down, and then brand your eyes with it.
(This should have been an evil laugh, the smiley makes it way too creepy!!)
