The Iron Eagle II - Days of Strife
- Thread starter Kaiser of Brazil
- Start date
The star-spangled banner fluttered over the heads of the people of the world, not some authoritarian rule. The US Army must march to avenge the sons and daughters of Kościuszko and Pulaski.
Man, this was a good chapter, and like always, Nazi Germany lost a potential ally in Japan, burning bridges like always, well, let's see what happens with Mao's own Cultural Revolution...
Though come to think of it, will Helmsman Mao of the Revolution also culminate in a radically motivated war like Goebbels' Revolution did with the Nazi-Isreali war?
Which nomad?I hope mao's son will pull a redeemed Zuko after meeting a tibetan nomad...
The problem is, are people willing? After all the wars? Remember, democracy...
The better one is in a court getting chewed out and given life in prison with no sunlight, only given newspapers about Germany becoming diverse and socialist and slowly losing it.
Gaúcho Maldito
Banned
Nah, this is just a way to be merciful and soft while trying to sound badass and edgy.
You say like thats a bad thing!
But in all honesty I think it can be very horrifying if you were to think of it the opposite way, like a anti-nazi person only kept alive to see what they would do to Germany and Europe as a whole
EPILOGUE
THE IRON EAGLE
DAYS OF STRIFE
EPILOGUE
DAYS OF STRIFE
EPILOGUE
It was hard to admit, but not everything that Goebbels taught was worthless, there was one thing that she watched engulf Germany, one thing which she could use: The Youth. Her generation grew up with great expectations, a generation that grew in a triumphant nation, they were meant to have the world and that was stolen from them. The Ural War? That was only a sickly patient showing symptoms of a disease that long festered it's insides, the greed and corruption of the Party, of the leaders of the Reich that millions were meant to inspire themselves from, the stagnation and decline, a rot festering everywhere. What Goebbels did was cauterize a wound with fire, but damage had been done, they were no longer the Reich of Hitler, but the Reich of his decadent successors. The insane Hess, the corrupt Wegener, the Sadistic Goebbels, the weak Speer, and now the "Stahlführer", a military man who has no passion to inspire in others. That rot would destroy Germany from the inside, their struggles for power, their self-destructive policies, their reckless plans and the constant flirt with Nuclear Annihilation would destroy all her father had built.
But she would not let that happen, the youth would not let that happen, theirs was the future and soon theirs will be the triumph.
The German woman had long been ignored as nothing but a child bearer, a vital role and yet a limiting one compared to it's true potential, in each of the wars, the German woman served as their husbands, sons and fathers went to fight on the frontlines against the Slavic and Jewish hordes alike, but after the war, their contributions were ignored. Many accepted it, considering it just as a temporary role before returning to their homes, others kept working in more menial services, but for Klara that was not enough. The Nationalsozialistische Frauenschaft, the female wing of the party, had millions of members, it was perhaps the largest female wing of a political party outside of Asia, and it was just so limited in potential. If this enormous mass could be mobilized behind her, she would not be ignored by Remer.
Klara had once been appointed as the Honorary Führerin of the League of German Girls (BDM), but with her marriage to Goebbels, that position was automatically rescinded. He did give her a "comfort", however, by appointing her as the Reichsfrauenführerin, the leader of the female wing of the National Socialist Party, at the young age of 18. In practice she did not exert that function for a long time, first because she was stuck with Goebbels in the Schwanenwerder, then she had to take some time away in the Berghof, there was then the whole Ostkrieg which led to the Totalen Krieg policies that put all organizational policies and events under a de facto halt, but now the war was over, and it was time to make herself known.
Klara went to Germania with Ernst by her side, but there was not much to talk about on the way there. The married life did not have the charm she expected when she was a young girl, her first marriage made sure to break that. What mattered now was practicality, having someone by her side to appear to keep her expected image, but at the same time having someone she could trust to not harm her was more important than any feeling. When she refused to have any children, at least for the moment, Ernst had felt frustrated, even surprised that she had rejected him, but it was important to deny, to say no and make sure he would never get the idea that she could treat him like she was a common woman.
Germania had changed as the year of 1968 arrived, the war was over but there was no feeling of celebration, it just felt like they fought to live another day and eventually die in the next war. The Russians did an unacceptable damage, for a moment there were even Slavic troops in the Dnieper, it was such a desperate situation that even the "Ostarbeiter" had been conscripted into some Wehr units. The East was an empty husk from what she had heard, tens of millions of workers were lost, either because they fled, or died, or were crippled beyond the ability to work, it was such a terrible situation that at leadt three million workers who were in German factories were being sent to the east to replace the losses, a cup in a bucket if you could call that. No Eastern workers were admitted to return, out of fears that they would spread their diseases.
In the city itself, as she watched from the car, there were changes since the Angriff and the War, Goebbels' statues were removed, there were not any more public executions or lynchings, the Volkssturm banners were torn down with it's crimson swastika cast into history, forbidden as a symbol of a traitorous organization by Remer. Speaking of Remer, it looks like he had been trying to overcompensate from his own pathetic sense of inferiority by placing statues of himself in Goebbels' place, naturally steel was used in their making, he wanted to associate himself with that metal as much as possible. Ernst commented it with some joke, she returned a smile, but it was not a very feeling one, she was more concerned over what she was about to do.
It was Muttertag, the Mother's Day, a day when Remer would be celebrating the German mothers and give medals for those who had four or more children, but that became so common for a time that, under the excuse to use the metal for the war, Rudolf Hess had increased it to five or more children. It was the 12th of May, a quiet Sunday with a cold sun and amicable weather, and that day they went to the Volkshalle, where the Ceremony would be held. It looked as if Remer wanted this to be a day of repair for the many women who became widows, who lost sons or fathers in the war which ended last year. That is why there would be a new medal, the medal of "Martyrs" which would be awarded to the immediate family of those who lost their lives in this conflict, after all something had to be made out of the excess of metal from the shells.
Klara's Mercedes, one she received as a gift for the wedding, stopped in front of the Volkshalle. Yes, there would be a crowd and that was the plan, she intended to be seen and not just enter the backdoor. She was well guarded by at least a dozen SS agents, all provided by her father-in-law. When people got glimpses of her, they all turned their eyes to watch. It was a rare thing for her to have ever been seen in public, something she ought to change, it was a curiosity to the people, all that was left of the flesh of Adolf Hitler. She had her eyes fixed ahead, attempting to look determined, but there was a pile of nerves inside of her.
Klara made a few speeches in the past, but only the Reichstag compared to the magnitude of what she would do today. But somehow it was easier in that day, she had been caught by surprise but spoke with all the built up hatred she held for Goebbels. Here she had to play calmer, she had to be more centered and plan her speech accordingly. It wasn't meant to be something big, the Chief of Chancellery Globke had assured her and gave just a short few minutes. But she knew no one would stop it if she took a little longer, she knew that the moment she began to speak, that crowd would be on her side, after all she was a Hitler, this had to be good.
She would enter the back chamber where the offices were, ascend the elevator to the speaking floor up above, and step out of it with Ernst a few steps behind. She chose her clothes on purpose, even the hairstyle was on purpose. It was combed the same way he used to have, she was wearing grey just like he did, everything was meant to make the women down below to see her as if she were him. That was the appeal, because everyone of those watchers had been raised to worship her father in a way that all that was lacking was calling it a religion. And those old enough to not have that ingrained in their minds? Goebbels showed the whole German people that the Reich would remember them when the next madman was in charge.
Remer greeted her, as well as other new ministers of his', the man was a ball of stress from look alone, the last two years have devastated his appearance and the dark bags under his eyes. He needed glasses, those were left by his desk and he squinted his eyes all the time, but still she would greet him as he deserved, with a handshake. She was treating him as an equal, which is better than he ever deserved from her. The man was so insecure of himself that he never even corrected those near him who didn't give a proper salute. He was used to correcting soldiers, but in the party ranks, he was as low as the intern who served coffee.
His speech was what one may expect from a military man, it was short, technical, spoke well about the sacrifices and Martyrdom of the German Volk in this last war. There was little in that speech that even referred to Mother's Day. When he was done, there was applause, some loud "Heil Remer" shouts and salutes from the crowd. She did not know how passionate the crowd really was over him, she would only learn the difference now as Remer introduced her and her name to ascend the podium. Television cameras all registering the moment, the radio transmitting the event across Europe... and she said nothing.
Klara did not freeze, she only remembered the endless hours hearing and watching her father's recordings, her lessons with psychologists, all the rehearsings to find her style and adapt it to her father's. Like him, she stayed quiet until everyone was silent and the whole building was consumed by silence. That's when she spoke loud and clear, at first with a calm voice, a calm voice that slowly began to build up energy, locking the crowd to her words, locking not only those 100 thousand who were in the building today, but everyone who watched or listened. If there is one thing she may be thankful to have inherited, is a more deep voice that would get more attention to a more high tune, as well as the capacity of changing her tone to captivate the people.
And so she spoke for five minutes, then ten, then twenty, after half an hour, way past her own time, she had the Volkshalle in hands. No one dared to cut her microphone, and nobody even bothered about that, it wasn't like Remer placed much importance on controlling the oratory and timing of these events. She did speak of Motherhood, she spoke of the sacrifices that German women went through during war and peace alike. She broke protocol and spoke of a quite taboo topic that many women wanted to say but never dared to: Violence at home. So many veterans and even non-veterans who returned from the war and unleashed violence against defenseless women and children. She didn't specifically talk down on the soldiers, after all the Wehrmacht practically ruled the Reich, but many of those women still felt connected to her by this message. And how could she not talk about that after her own marriage?
But then the speech picked up and so did she, she had to fix her hair several times during the speech, sometimes on purpose just to appear closer to him. She spoke with passion and out of personal experience to call upon all of the German volk to gather together under the banner of National Socialism. She called upon women to take up the fight of National Socialism together with men and their children, so that the German Volk would rebuild the Reich after such a vicious era, after these "Days of Strife" there needed to be an "Struggle for Reconstruction". As Remer spoke of the Martyrs, the lost soldiers, she instead spoke of the present and the future, and for once, the German people heard from a leadership figure that their situation was not perfect, that there needed to be sacrifice and reconstruction to rebuild from all the losses. That's what made so many look at her when she spoke that day, it wasn't a speech of hatred like they were used to under Goebbels, but something that would prove far more insidious.
And when she was over, the crowd erupted in such a way that Klara could tell that Remer did not make the same impression. They were spontaneously raising their arms and shouting Heil Hitler, which wasn't uncommon, the Reich did officially accept the Hitler salute, it was a way of generally saying "Hail Germany". But not this time, this time they were truly speaking the name, they were hailing a Hitler.
"Professor Wheeler, may I have a moment of your time?"
Wheeler wished he had said no to that, he usually did shoo away journalists and writers like him, but this time he did not. He figured he had nothing better to do at home, the lecture had ended a little earlier than he expected today. The Constitutional Law course of the Montana University was quite flexible with his timing, it was part of the arrangement he made with the direction of the institution, everyone wanted a former President to lecture students if only for sake of prestige, more people joined to get a law degree these last few years because they wanted to see his classes than because of any passion for the subject.
He had spent years keeping a low profile since being fired from the position of Secretary of State. That snake, Huey, claimed he was too passive and outdated in his ideas, rich coming from the man who agreed with all he said. Wheeler was called a coward for sparing millions of lives, he liked to believe he had prevented a world war and the Annihilation of America itself when he advised Long not to strike Europe after Hitler's death. Truthfully, his greatest regret was backing Hull's name in 1944, that bastard wasted almost a million lives when he could have just blockaded Japan.
The interview would probably be like the others, he followed the young man, a journalist writing for a local newspaper. That was good, he figured, at least it wasn't one of the vultures of the New York Times or the Longist, pardon, the Washington Post. The retired statesman who once led the most powerful nation on earth in it's deathless war was now headed to his house with the interviewer following him.
He arrived at his humble abode, sustained by his own funds and what he could get with his law practice and lecturing. Sometimes he gave interviews, but he despised doing that to large newspapers or with those who just wanted to attack with their questions. He spent time enough in politics to avoid these people nine times out of ten. Hardly did he realize this was the one time out of ten where he missed a hostile one.
"Don't you regret your responsibility in weakening and isolating the United States of America?"
They had hardly started and he received that question as they sat face to face by the table, with the young man pulling out a notebook with the American flag drawn on it. He was one of those Republicans, not respectable enemies like Nixon or Rockfeller, but more of the Goldwater type, or worse, from the obsession with the flag, the red, white and blue tie, all the symbolism that the elder missed, he could tell this was one of the members of those damned "Sons of Liberty".
"In my time in office, I did all that was within my reach to combat the unemployment and productive crisis, and I responded accoedingly to the Japanese aggression."
He figured he could entertain him, why not? After all, he had nothing better to do. Maybe it would not be best for his image to have this stamped on "The Liberty Herald". But he already invited him in and the coffee was already served. So he would continue to endure this farse of an interview. Besides, he was an attorney, being combative was in his spirit contrary to what his opposition claimed.
"But as Secretary, you opposed the fight against Nazism."
"No, as Secretary of State, I served my duties as expected of me, I was no longer a policy maker. Furthermore, I despise Nazism now just as I have then, a vile anti-christian ideology of supremacism and tyranny that goes against all we hold in our values. What I did oppose was a direct invasion of Europe as many in government advocated."
The journalist scribbled down on his notes and Wheeler smirked seeing it, the humor of this whole situation was getting to him. That smirk made the man across raise an eyebrow and look up to him.
"What?"
"Why did you bother coming to me, boy? I suppose to just confirm your bias against me? I know you work for the Liberty Herald."
An awkward silence descended on the room, the young man feeling a little speechless. He was really new when it came to journalism and this wasn't a good time to be one in America. Wheeler could see that, he did not truly have an ill intent, he was reading the questions he was meant to ask and, seeing from up close, the questions had been written by someone else.
"Sir, I-"
"It's okay, you are not the first one, the Press is so filthy these days that no one can trust anything. The government? You cant trust them either. The courts? The police? Your neighbor's dog?"
The journalist was left silent, now he little facade of trying to sound inquisitive and acting like one of those bold journalists who dared face the powers that be was over, he took a full minute to compose himself and Wheeler realized that he was rather harsh to the young man, it was as if he was intimidated by him and that is not something the former POTUS wanted. It is one thing to intimidate a politician, sometimes you have to be tough to survive in Congress or in the White House, but intimidating a boy who still had one or two pimples in his face was a little too far for his liking.
"Sir, I apologize I... I had told them if they gave me the job I-I could ask you questions."
"Perhaps I was harsh, but so were you... so how about we act civilized now?"
With a nod, the Journalist proceeded and nervously flickered to the next question, but then Wheeler would interrupt him by clearing his throat loudly.
"Not this propagandist nonsense, ask your questions."
"Mr. President, is there... anyone we can trust? You said before no one can trust anything."
"What is your name, boy?"
"Lewis, sir, Lewis Werner."
"Werner... German grandparents?"
The Journalist nodded as if that was reason for embarrassment, his grandfather arrived in America just a year before the Great War, he had to learn English and lose his accent quite quickly after 1917, his father himself did not enjoy the best sideglances from people ever since Hitler, and now he was really trying to hide this last name, for very understandable reasons, German names were not well seen in America.
"In the Great War, I had to do a lot to prevent people from being arrested for sedition just for having a name like yours. I have always been skeptic when the government gets too much power to prosecute citizens, I got off the Long train and never joined the Populists, the moment he began to talk about packing the courts was the moment I decided to break, the foreign issue was just an excuse. If you want to trust someone, then trust the American people, not anything that goes out of DC."
That was a quite harsh lesson, but one thing everyone needed to hear, this country could not rely on the politicians who were there, he could count on his fingers who was actually running politics for the people and by the people. How many of them actually wanted to reduce the size of the Supreme Court? How many of them would go to repeal laws like the American Protection Act or the National Security Act? How many were willing to curb their own powers for sake of the democracy that took almost two centuries to build? Probably such a person would not be able to even walk near the White House.
"I... thank you for your time, sir. Sorry for-"
"Forget that, Lewis, do you want any more coffee?"
Mexico, when he heard that this would be their next deployment, Major General Maxwell enjoyed the certain irony of it. He had been to Mexico before, with his wife in their honeymoon, they saved up money after the wedding and took a trip down to their Capital, Mexico City. Sure, it was not the expected place for a couple to go, some even mocked that he did not want to go to a beach in Yucatan or Cuba. But he could not set foot on a beach, not since the day he had to go through that hell in Miyazaki, when he and his Army unit had to retreat after a whole day of pointless bleeding under the fire of the Japanese. Mary understood that, she was a person he did not deserve to have by his side, she remained loyal and waited for him to return for three years, they exchanged letters every time they could, despite everything she stuck by his side, even when he opened up with just a glimpse of what he saw in the fight for Kyushu.
Mexico City was a cultural experience, it was exotic in a way, he was amazed by just how much their neighbors could offer. One should expect a Texan to know Mexicans better, but Ethan rarely interacted with the Mexicans back in Houston, at most there was a kind couple that ran a grocery shop back in his childhood, even with the depression ongoing, he got some sweets from them for free. The trip was something nostalgic, even after the war he could sense that there was joy in the world, the food, the language and it's accents, the hints of old Mexica culture, even the opulent Catholic churches were a marvel to look at, even if he himself was no Catholic. And to think that now they were going to be deployed to destroy all of this.
He had seen what war became, in the Ural War he served as a volunteer in the expeditionary force, facing the wrath of the Nazi horde together with the Russians and so many others. He had been in the Israeli War, that is when he was promoted during the battle for Jericho, a truly religious experience to order an airstrike against a place you read about in the bible. With a higher rank, he got to see what the reports said of the carnage in Eastern Europe, the fight against the Nazis just seemed to never end. But he was not facing Germans, despite what the government said about the Sinarquists and their radicalism, he was fighting the wrong enemy for the sake of a government rejected by it's own people that was clinging to power no matter what. After coming back from the Middle East as a Major General, he had hoped he could change things back home, but he could not.
The order was given and they were meant to follow, American troops, himself being the BG serving in the 36th Infantry Division, crossed into Mexico slowly, a trickle down to not frighten the locals as if it was an invasion. When his division crossed the Rio Grande, they quickly established themselves in Monterrey, which has been serving as the temporary capital of the Mexican Government since they fled the Capital weeks prior. The advance of the Sinarquistas is just a sign of something Ethan could see that most did not: The people were siding with them, the countryside was with them, the PRI was not a legitimate government in the eyes of the Mexicans and now they were meant to prop them up. Tens of thousands of American troops, a total of at least 9 divisions, would cross into Mexico just that month, with far more to come.
They were not meant to be here, Maxwell felt filthy just of the fact they were being sent down south when their true enemies were recovering, licking their wounds for the next assault. But the problem was in the lower ranks of officers, these men were not supposed to be so outspoken about their politics, their beliefs, that is just one place where discipline was lacking. That was not even the main issue, their equipment was, the government spent over a decade neglecting much of the needs of the armed forces, just some select few had the shinny new toys and those were the ones sent to conflict zones like Israel or Russia. The ones that stayed back home like the 36th were not that much better from the days of the Second World War, there were soldiers who barely even knew how to use the M14 Rifle, and that was standard issue, they just used the M1s until recently.
These new recruits being sent had nothing but theorical training, the Veterans were kept back in the mainland and the greenest of the greens were being sent to fight in a place like Mexico, his father remembered the time of Pancho Villa, the US Army could not keep that idea that they were getting into an easy deployment, especially when facing fanatics who believed themselves chosen by God. He had seen men like these in Israel, he had seen fanatic units of Arabs and Hebrews alike and they took no prisoners or were never taken prisoners, perhaps that is why Maxwell was the only one in the staff meeting who was aware of how dire this conflict will be, not just because of the fanaticism or the likely radicalization of a people who already had a certain resentment of Red, White and Blue flags waving over their territory, but the terrain. From deserts like Sonora, to the hills and mountains of Zacatecas and going down the jungles of Yucatan, Mexico was not only diverse but it was so massive that 9 divisions would never be able to subdue it.
Officially? They were just advisors to the Mexican Government. In practice, so many in the armed forces had defected or abandoned the combat that these "Advisors" would have to engage in the main combat. God help them when they go down south, and God help the President see sense in his next decisions. The die was cast and all that was left for them was to fulfill those orders, even if they were now fighting the wrong foe.
History could not remember him as a loser, it could not register him as a man who did nothing while America descended into Tyranny. Even if he was outside of Congress, Barry Goldwater was hardly inactive, in fact he did anything but stay inactive these last four years, because the election of this vile brute into the White House was only the start of the agony of these last four years. History for sure would remember Gerald Smith as the worst President in American History, his assault on private liberties was so outrageous that Goldwater could no longer call this place as the Land of the Free. Just recently he approved such a strict ban on contraceptives that you would think the man was going to send a police officer to follow behind every couple when they got home.
That was still the least of the outrages of this government, all that was left was for Smith to declare himself Jesus reborn and start the Second Coming, but if it was only Smith then this would be manageable, Congress could have stopped him if the Congress was not in the hands of his damned Master. Why couldn't that corrupt crook just do everyone a favor and go rot in some Louisiana swamp house? Better yet, he could croak and die tomorrow and Goldwater would have no shame in saying that he would throw a confetti. Huey Long, the damned Devil to Smith's demons, he was the one that was allowing all of this nonsense to go through Congress and get approved, all to keep the little priest distracted with some moral crusade or his Jesus theme park. Long was the one who still had the cabinet, the FBI, the whole Federal government was in his hands through Smith, this could very well be called as Huey Long's 4th term, and some in the GOP said that in a mockery way.
There was no mockery for Barry, he saw the danger of this all-encompasing government and that reflected on the economy, the free enterprise was being choked to death ever since the Nationalization of the Federal Reserve. Then you have anti-trust laws, the absurd tax rates for companies and wealth that went beyond even what Commies wanted, the ludicrous interest rates in an attempt to stop the rampant inflation brought by the Government spending to the last penny in inefficient and corrupt programs, and of course there was the Socialist healthcare system and the National Education system which served for the government to give jobs for political favors or indoctrinating children with their textbooks. The damned bastard put his face in Mount Rushmore WHILE he was still in his mandate! A Third Mandate!
The assaults on Liberty were the worst, not only in the pockets but in thoughts, the press was bribed or harassed, some newspapers shut down under flimsy excuses with their legal processes being left to rot in the archives, and whenever the lawsuits were brought to the higher courts, guess what... they belonged to Long! It was bad enough when he expanded the court to 11 justices, but now Smith was intervening in State Courts in a clear break of the 10th Ammendment and the Congress did nothing, the SCOTUS did nothing, that man should have been impeached at least seven times during his term but Long would never put that proposal up to a vote in the House, and even if he did, he knew it would never pass. The Democrats, once a party Goldwater held in some esteem, fell down to the level of being beggars at best, accomplices at worst to the Populists, kept together by Long's firm grip.
1968 was arriving and Smith planned to run for re-election, one election Goldwater knew he would likely win unless something desperate happened. The Republicans needed a candidate and he had to be that candidate, because he was the only one in the GOP who could be trusted with the banner of liberty (according to himself of course), but winning the nomination after already being defeated would be a challenge, especially as the GOP still was suffering with the schizophrenic identity crisis that plagued the party for almost 3 decades. They had to be more than just anti-Longists, they needed a platform compromised with Liberty, and that required very unsavory compromises for Goldwater himself. But what other choice did he have? Seated on his chair at home, he reached for the telephone and called the number he avoided calling for a year.
"Ed, yes it's me, listen... you won, alright, I will form a ticket with you. But we need to win, did you hear me? Whatever it takes, for God's sake we need to win this. Yes. Yes, full ticket, we split the Cabinet. No, don't- Ed you have to- fine fine, but you get the rest of your people into this, we won't win the nomination otherwise. I will talk to you in person for the details, but you are in, aren't you? Yes. Alright, good day."
Who knew the devil could be so rude?
That was still the least of the outrages of this government, all that was left was for Smith to declare himself Jesus reborn and start the Second Coming, but if it was only Smith then this would be manageable, Congress could have stopped him if the Congress was not in the hands of his damned Master. Why couldn't that corrupt crook just do everyone a favor and go rot in some Louisiana swamp house? Better yet, he could croak and die tomorrow and Goldwater would have no shame in saying that he would throw a confetti. Huey Long, the damned Devil to Smith's demons, he was the one that was allowing all of this nonsense to go through Congress and get approved, all to keep the little priest distracted with some moral crusade or his Jesus theme park. Long was the one who still had the cabinet, the FBI, the whole Federal government was in his hands through Smith, this could very well be called as Huey Long's 4th term, and some in the GOP said that in a mockery way.
There was no mockery for Barry, he saw the danger of this all-encompasing government and that reflected on the economy, the free enterprise was being choked to death ever since the Nationalization of the Federal Reserve. Then you have anti-trust laws, the absurd tax rates for companies and wealth that went beyond even what Commies wanted, the ludicrous interest rates in an attempt to stop the rampant inflation brought by the Government spending to the last penny in inefficient and corrupt programs, and of course there was the Socialist healthcare system and the National Education system which served for the government to give jobs for political favors or indoctrinating children with their textbooks. The damned bastard put his face in Mount Rushmore WHILE he was still in his mandate! A Third Mandate!
The assaults on Liberty were the worst, not only in the pockets but in thoughts, the press was bribed or harassed, some newspapers shut down under flimsy excuses with their legal processes being left to rot in the archives, and whenever the lawsuits were brought to the higher courts, guess what... they belonged to Long! It was bad enough when he expanded the court to 11 justices, but now Smith was intervening in State Courts in a clear break of the 10th Ammendment and the Congress did nothing, the SCOTUS did nothing, that man should have been impeached at least seven times during his term but Long would never put that proposal up to a vote in the House, and even if he did, he knew it would never pass. The Democrats, once a party Goldwater held in some esteem, fell down to the level of being beggars at best, accomplices at worst to the Populists, kept together by Long's firm grip.
1968 was arriving and Smith planned to run for re-election, one election Goldwater knew he would likely win unless something desperate happened. The Republicans needed a candidate and he had to be that candidate, because he was the only one in the GOP who could be trusted with the banner of liberty (according to himself of course), but winning the nomination after already being defeated would be a challenge, especially as the GOP still was suffering with the schizophrenic identity crisis that plagued the party for almost 3 decades. They had to be more than just anti-Longists, they needed a platform compromised with Liberty, and that required very unsavory compromises for Goldwater himself. But what other choice did he have? Seated on his chair at home, he reached for the telephone and called the number he avoided calling for a year.
"Ed, yes it's me, listen... you won, alright, I will form a ticket with you. But we need to win, did you hear me? Whatever it takes, for God's sake we need to win this. Yes. Yes, full ticket, we split the Cabinet. No, don't- Ed you have to- fine fine, but you get the rest of your people into this, we won't win the nomination otherwise. I will talk to you in person for the details, but you are in, aren't you? Yes. Alright, good day."
Who knew the devil could be so rude?
Antoun "Al-Zaim" Saadeh was usually a man easy to make smile, but not in these days, especially not now. He was seated in his office in Damascus, awaiting for the arrival of his supposed subordinate, General Shisha- oh, correction, Field Marshal Adib Shishakli, recently promoted for his victory in the Anti-Zionist War of 1965 and given the recently created, and German-sounding, title of Marshal. Shishakli had been the one calling the shots of the military like a damned warlord these last years, there was not much Saadeh himself could do to the officer or he risked that him and his little Germanophile clique in the armed forces turn on the government. But these last reports of the so-called "Military district of Palestine" were so alarming that Antoun had to face the Marshal.
The Field Marshal was summoned to Saadeh's office in Damascus, a man still riding high on his triumphant horse and showing that with all the medals he had on his black uniform, some of the medals recommended by himself of course. When Shishakli arrived, he would feel somewhat intimidated, there was a change in the guards, Saadeh had taken the liberty of expanding his personal guard from 100 to almost two thousand men, responsible for the defense of the Capital district and receiving both armament and military instruction, most of them were war veterans, others were ideologically committed, others were Iraquis recommended by Saadeh's governor in Baghdad. The Capital changed since the war and Shishakli personally did not like the Al Zaim's newly found "independence".
"Marshal, can you give me some clarification of your last report?"
Saadeh asked as Shishakli came in and gave a salute that he almost seemed to have forgotten, the tension between the two men was palpable in the room, as if one wrong move would end up in a shootout. Saadeh was seated, he did not stand when the Marshal entered and instead just looked at him with the report resting on his desk, wide open to show the attrocious figures.
"The restoration of the land from the Jewish plague can be a sordid affair, Sir."
"Liquidation? Is that what a transferrence means? Because these reports keep saying they were... transferred to Beirut, but I don't see anything about new traffic in Beirut or even elsewhere, except in Homs, in the Industrial district. Furthermore, I gave explicit orders to leave the infrastructure intact, so why are your men rampaging through these Kibbutzims?"
"They were Germans, sir, they were acting as auxil-"
"YOUR men are the auxiliaries to the Wehrmacht, you certainly showed that in this last war. How can you dare to claim victory when all you did was give your forces to Peiper without any resistance?"
Saadeh's reprimand made Shishakli's face look red in fury, that was true but he did not wish to have anyone tell that to his face, nevermind from the one person in the country he could not hit with a rod or a whip over this dishonor. As for Antoun, he had wanted to say this for a long time, but he had reason to be angry. He wanted the expulsion of the Zionists, the Jews themselves... while problematic, they could be managed in low numbers. But what Shishakli was doing was creating a military administration as a farce for a foreign occupation of Syrian territory so that the Germans could do as they wished to the remaining Jews in the area, and of course Shishakli could benefit by claiming these Jews as a threat to Syria that is being sent to Homs to die in the factories like slaves.
"This is not what I called you here for, I spoke with Governor Hussein and I believe he has an interesting plan. Have you seen the reports from Egypt?"
Shishakli recomposed himself and felt satisfied that Antoun was not pressing the issue, or at least not yet.
"Nasser seems to be about to lose his head, serves him well for his betrayal I'd say."
"Yes, but once he dies, it is likely that the Brotherhood will rise in his' stead. The last thing we need is that this mentality spreads to Syria, it is an unnatural threat of tribal fanatics that will destroy our modern nation. Which is why I believe we should take a stronger stance to prove ourselves to our people before they are infected as well. Have you thought about Kuwait?"
Kuwait did have an interesting situation happening, the British have been keeping a tight hold over the protectorate despite the growing activism for Independence, many of the previous liberties curtailed for sake of the continued British control over Petroleum. During the Anti-Zionist War in 1965, a large portion of the Syrian and Iranian armies were on the watch for British moves in Kuwait and since then most of those forces were demobilized. The leading advocates for Independence seemed to be the Pan-Arabists, but that would not last with the UAR so close to collapse.
"I spoke with the Shah, Hussein believes that a joint assault on the Trucial States and Kuwait, if quick enough, could not only cripple the British influence, but add to us a natural Syrian province and possibly the majority of the petroleum fields of the Gulf. The Iranians were quite... enthusiastic about the idea of controlling the straits of Hormuz. It is also possible that we may seize the Saudi coast, another natural part of our Greater Syria."
Saadeh knew that offering a conquest like that to Shishakli was like offering fresh meat to a tiger, and if he was distracted enough in the east, then perhaps he could deal with the Palestinean occupation himself by ending the Military administration of the region, a more organic ressetlement would be only natural for their society. By the look in Adib's face, he could tell that the idea was firmly taking root, but of course he would play hard.
"I see, the Staff has elaborated plans for this occasion, but we cannot leave the Israeli border unguarded, the Jew is treacherous, sir."
"I doubt they will be striking so soon after this recent war. Besides, the Trucial regions are sparsely populated and well within range for us. The British are a naval power, even if they can amass forces to stop us at sea, it will be impossible for them to dislodge our troops once we take Kuwait City."
"What of the Indians?"
"What of them?"
Saadeh said in an almost mocking manner, the Hindus were closer, and they did have economic deals with the Trucial States, but it was hardly a military alliance or a protectorate. To send land forces, they would have to cross through Iran, and to send naval forces? They were hardly the best seamen in the world and would face the same problem of the British. The local garrison in Kuwait could not hold against a full assault from Damascus and Tehran together and, of course, if the local separatists could be enlisted, then the British would face an enemy within. To Antoun, a man with a lot of political experience, this seemed like a simple conquest which would place Syria as the foremost petroleum producer in the world, rally the Crescent and shield his people from the insidious influence of religious fundamentalists. To Shishakli, a man with a lot of military experience, this seemed like a relatively simple and fast invasion by the two foremost military powers of the Middle East against a declining and overstretched Empire that would restore the prestige of the Syrian Army as an autonomous force, as well as setting aside the accusations that he was just a mere auxiliary of Germania. All of that showed that there were enormous rewards in a quick war through the desert against a few micro states, what could possibly go wrong?
The Field Marshal was summoned to Saadeh's office in Damascus, a man still riding high on his triumphant horse and showing that with all the medals he had on his black uniform, some of the medals recommended by himself of course. When Shishakli arrived, he would feel somewhat intimidated, there was a change in the guards, Saadeh had taken the liberty of expanding his personal guard from 100 to almost two thousand men, responsible for the defense of the Capital district and receiving both armament and military instruction, most of them were war veterans, others were ideologically committed, others were Iraquis recommended by Saadeh's governor in Baghdad. The Capital changed since the war and Shishakli personally did not like the Al Zaim's newly found "independence".
"Marshal, can you give me some clarification of your last report?"
Saadeh asked as Shishakli came in and gave a salute that he almost seemed to have forgotten, the tension between the two men was palpable in the room, as if one wrong move would end up in a shootout. Saadeh was seated, he did not stand when the Marshal entered and instead just looked at him with the report resting on his desk, wide open to show the attrocious figures.
"The restoration of the land from the Jewish plague can be a sordid affair, Sir."
"Liquidation? Is that what a transferrence means? Because these reports keep saying they were... transferred to Beirut, but I don't see anything about new traffic in Beirut or even elsewhere, except in Homs, in the Industrial district. Furthermore, I gave explicit orders to leave the infrastructure intact, so why are your men rampaging through these Kibbutzims?"
"They were Germans, sir, they were acting as auxil-"
"YOUR men are the auxiliaries to the Wehrmacht, you certainly showed that in this last war. How can you dare to claim victory when all you did was give your forces to Peiper without any resistance?"
Saadeh's reprimand made Shishakli's face look red in fury, that was true but he did not wish to have anyone tell that to his face, nevermind from the one person in the country he could not hit with a rod or a whip over this dishonor. As for Antoun, he had wanted to say this for a long time, but he had reason to be angry. He wanted the expulsion of the Zionists, the Jews themselves... while problematic, they could be managed in low numbers. But what Shishakli was doing was creating a military administration as a farce for a foreign occupation of Syrian territory so that the Germans could do as they wished to the remaining Jews in the area, and of course Shishakli could benefit by claiming these Jews as a threat to Syria that is being sent to Homs to die in the factories like slaves.
"This is not what I called you here for, I spoke with Governor Hussein and I believe he has an interesting plan. Have you seen the reports from Egypt?"
Shishakli recomposed himself and felt satisfied that Antoun was not pressing the issue, or at least not yet.
"Nasser seems to be about to lose his head, serves him well for his betrayal I'd say."
"Yes, but once he dies, it is likely that the Brotherhood will rise in his' stead. The last thing we need is that this mentality spreads to Syria, it is an unnatural threat of tribal fanatics that will destroy our modern nation. Which is why I believe we should take a stronger stance to prove ourselves to our people before they are infected as well. Have you thought about Kuwait?"
Kuwait did have an interesting situation happening, the British have been keeping a tight hold over the protectorate despite the growing activism for Independence, many of the previous liberties curtailed for sake of the continued British control over Petroleum. During the Anti-Zionist War in 1965, a large portion of the Syrian and Iranian armies were on the watch for British moves in Kuwait and since then most of those forces were demobilized. The leading advocates for Independence seemed to be the Pan-Arabists, but that would not last with the UAR so close to collapse.
"I spoke with the Shah, Hussein believes that a joint assault on the Trucial States and Kuwait, if quick enough, could not only cripple the British influence, but add to us a natural Syrian province and possibly the majority of the petroleum fields of the Gulf. The Iranians were quite... enthusiastic about the idea of controlling the straits of Hormuz. It is also possible that we may seize the Saudi coast, another natural part of our Greater Syria."
Saadeh knew that offering a conquest like that to Shishakli was like offering fresh meat to a tiger, and if he was distracted enough in the east, then perhaps he could deal with the Palestinean occupation himself by ending the Military administration of the region, a more organic ressetlement would be only natural for their society. By the look in Adib's face, he could tell that the idea was firmly taking root, but of course he would play hard.
"I see, the Staff has elaborated plans for this occasion, but we cannot leave the Israeli border unguarded, the Jew is treacherous, sir."
"I doubt they will be striking so soon after this recent war. Besides, the Trucial regions are sparsely populated and well within range for us. The British are a naval power, even if they can amass forces to stop us at sea, it will be impossible for them to dislodge our troops once we take Kuwait City."
"What of the Indians?"
"What of them?"
Saadeh said in an almost mocking manner, the Hindus were closer, and they did have economic deals with the Trucial States, but it was hardly a military alliance or a protectorate. To send land forces, they would have to cross through Iran, and to send naval forces? They were hardly the best seamen in the world and would face the same problem of the British. The local garrison in Kuwait could not hold against a full assault from Damascus and Tehran together and, of course, if the local separatists could be enlisted, then the British would face an enemy within. To Antoun, a man with a lot of political experience, this seemed like a simple conquest which would place Syria as the foremost petroleum producer in the world, rally the Crescent and shield his people from the insidious influence of religious fundamentalists. To Shishakli, a man with a lot of military experience, this seemed like a relatively simple and fast invasion by the two foremost military powers of the Middle East against a declining and overstretched Empire that would restore the prestige of the Syrian Army as an autonomous force, as well as setting aside the accusations that he was just a mere auxiliary of Germania. All of that showed that there were enormous rewards in a quick war through the desert against a few micro states, what could possibly go wrong?
The couple exchanges glances... 😏
Knocking on the door 🎶
The Couple opens the door:
Name drop!
Uh oh
Getting Adolf flashbacks here
Well that means things will go better from there onwards right?
Oh shit
What indeed
Britain is screwed, a fading power among giants. Britain itself will never have the demographic and economic base to match The Reich, America, Russia and China.