| From: | Doctor Doom <JCH8169@*****.TAMU.EDU> |
|---|---|
| Subject: | Deutschland, Deutschland, Ueber Alles! |
| Date: | Tue, 26 Jan 93 23:35:46 CET |
Due to some prodding by a few of my associates, I have decided to post my own
personal (and un-official) version of the history of Germany in ShadowRun.
For this project I essentially embraced the tendency in ShadowRun for the past
repeating itself, e.g. the Lord Protector's office in England, the new
Japanese Imperial State, and Italy once again reverting to quarrelsome city-
states. Another reason for this approach was that German history happens to
be my passion, and thus I could not resist the temptation of expressing my
sentimentality.
For those of you who will question its plausibility, let me remind you that
the realms of possibility have been significantly broadened, especially when
one considers the events in other areas of the world.
Another point that should be noted: This history conforms to the few
references to Germany as written in the first ShadowRun manual. A few aspects
were changed for the Second Edition, but I have not yet incorporated them into
this history. Further, I have not read the profile of Germany as presented in
the Harlequin module, and it will thus probably not conform to the information
presented there. But enough with disclaimers...
Presented For Your Approval (or not), The Fourth Reich.
DAS VIERTES REICH
By the beginning of the Euro-War in 2031, the death-knell of Soviet
domination in Eastern Europe had already sounded: The Crash of '29 sent the
Soviet Union reeling (as well as many of the other Major Powers), and it tried
desperately to maintain control. During the period of instability that
followed, the Warsaw Pact attacked Western Europe. The deadlock after a year
of fighting looked to be the beginning of the end of the conflict; a quick,
diplomatic resolution seemed imminent. However, with the Republic of Moscow's
surprise attack on Hamburg in 2032, the struggle started anew. The British
sent troops to the Low Countries to "protect their interests." Further
escalation seemed inevitable.
But events underwent an abrupt and bizarre change of course. On the
cold night of January 23, 2033, Swedish tracking stations picked up several
squadrons of British-made FA-38 Nightwraith fighter-bombers streaking across
Northern Europe. In short order, the main command and communication centers of
the NATO and Warsaw Pact forces were destroyed. (1)
The Euro-War was over, and with the removal of the Soviets, the two
Germanies could reunite. Almost as a backlash to the suppressing of Prussian
and German culture during the Communist Regime, a nationalistic and militar-
istic revival of culture and ideals took hold of the former Prussian kingdom.
Indeed, many of the old landed aristocratic families came out of the woodwork
to lead the new movement. A new German Armed Forces was organized around the
hard core of the Prussian Army, which appeared as inexplicably and suddenly as
a specter from the long past just waiting to return. A call was heard all
over Germany to restore the great Reich, as it had been forged under
Chancellor Otto von Bismarck in 1870. Thus, for the fifth time in history,
Germany took advantage of the weakness of its eastern neighbor, Poland, and
abruptly launched an attack to recover the provinces it lost during the First
and Second World Wars. The Unification War ended in a matter of weeks when
Poland, its southern areas already devastated from the previous war,
capitulated. The Germans also occupied the sliver of East Prussia taken by
the Russians in 1945. Powerless to prevent them, Poland could do nothing but
concede to the German's demands, as the former Soviet Union was in no
condition to help.
The rest of the European nations turned a blind eye, as they were
having problems of their own, and weren't going to help out a former Eastern
Bloc nation keep lands that were German before the World Wars. Thus, with the
removal of the few remaining Poles, the re-absorption of the former Polish
lands, and the formal return of the dominance of the Junker class to Northern
Germany, the Viertes Reich, or Fourth Reich, was proclaimed, with the House of
Hohenzollern once again at the head. Frederick IV of Hohenzollern was crowned
King of Prussia and Kaiser of the German Empire at Koenigsberg (recently
renamed from the Russian Kaliningrad) on January 18, 2034, on the anniversary
of the Proclamation of the Second Empire in 1871. Due to the damage done to
the Federal Republic of Germany in the Euro-War, democracy did not have much
of a chance in the new Reich; it was swept under the rug as a bad memory that
had sapped Germany's greatness. Germany reverted to the old Imperial
Administration over a federation of monarchies, most of which were re-
established as well. The Hohenzollern Kaiser, however, seemed to revert to the
ways of the Prussian King Wilhelm I, namely that of allowing his chancellor to
amass a great deal of power, and this has been most notable with the present
Reichskanzler (Imperial Chancellor), Margrave Alexander von Hohenzollern und
von Doom III, who has been running the government for the last several years,
since his appointment by Frederick IV in 2041.
Although the Empire has been established for only twenty years now,
the amount of progress made by the German people is astounding. From the
damage wreaked on Germany during the Euro-War, it emerged, as a Phoenix from
ashes, stronger than before. Projects were launched for the rebuilding of
industry in the West, as well as the revamping and scrapping of the
inefficient systems of the East. Once again, the military became the most
important single entity in the state, subject to the monarchy. Also, in line
with the resurgence of Prussian culture, many of the old monuments and
landmarks from the Second Empire and before were restored or rebuilt. The
Garrison Church, original resting place of Frederick the Great and his father,
Frederick William I, was rebuilt, and the Kaiser Wilhelm Cathedral, San
Soucci, and Charlottenburg were all restored, just to name a few. Koenigsberg
and Berlin, as well as the rest of Prussian provinces and cities, were
returned to the form they had when originally ruled by the Hohenzollerns.
The governments's general attitude towards the MegaCorporations is one
of limited tolerance, but no-nonsense. At its inception, the administration,
learning from the mistakes of the United States, was determined not to be
subordinate to businesses on its own soil. As a result, it was seen to that
the corporations lack the legal footing for the activities in they so freely
engaged in in North America. The restrictions are particularly harsh, and
there are minor grumblings from the business community about "ruling with an
iron fist" on the part of the government. As a result, activities are
decidedly more subdued in Germany, as all are quite eager to "avoid any
Imperial entanglements." What keeps the corporations there are the undeniable
business opportunities afforded by Germany's position in Europe, along with a
few economic policies implemented in the past several years.
As far as daily life is concerned, the regulations could best be
compared to those of Great Britain; extremely strict. Weapons, cyberdecks,
magic, everything is regulated to some degree. This is viewed as necessary
by the Reich to maintain order, ("Immer Ordnung", as the old saying goes) and
there are those who feel, considering the chaotic state of affairs of he
world, such measures are warranted. There are, of course, those who say that
the Empire is nothing more than a police state with noble trappings.
(1) Some have proposed the theory that it was, in fact, the Junker families,
or agents thereof, that orchestrated the Nightwraith strike which brought
about the end of the war. It is true that no one has yet been pronounced
responsible for the sudden attack that night; however, many have doubts as to
the Prussian aristocracy's ability to organize such a surprise strike.
Admittedly, they stood a great deal to gain from the end of the war; the
events following the termination of hostilities prove that much. But the real
question is, where would they get the hardware?
The majority of the old families that survived the collapse of the
Reich in 1918 were immensely wealthy, but buying military equipment on that
scale seems be beyond their means, say the theory's critics. Supporters
respond by citing the surprise and immediate build up of the Prussian Army,
which almost seemed to come out of nowhere. Mobilization and arming funded
by, they say, securities and investments of the aristocracy. If follows,
then, that they could, or had procured weapons systems and other equipment
previous to the re-establishment of the Empire, and had used some of them to
bring about a swift end to the war.
Most critics reply by saying that there are some people in this world
who will attach a conspiracy theory to just about anything.
SHADOWTALK ------------------------------------------------------------------
>>>>>[ Incidentally, this year marks the twentieth anniversary of the
Proclamation of the Empire. Just a scant eight days ago, to be exact.
]<<<<<
-- Doctor Doom <11:00:00/01-26-54>
>>>>>[ The author, whoever he may be, is gravely deceived: There is no
doubt
that Germany is a police state which only exists for the repression and
subjugation of people's rights! ]<<<<<
-- Mr. Fantastic <11:45:06/01-26-54>
>>>>>[ OH, can the revolutionary drek! You are just upset you got caught
trying to sneak something by customs! And as far as the "police state" is
concerned, let me say this: It's a fair sight SAFER there than in most
countries I've visited. ]<<<<<
-- Jack Hack <11:45:13/01-26-54>
>>>>>[ What about this mystery of the Nightwraith strike in 2033?
]<<<<<
-- Hangtime <11:48:30/01-26-54>
>>>>>[ It is a theory purported alternately by most amateur historians and
journalists (read: scandal-mongering idiots) attempting to generate some
publicity. Their arguments lack any substance. ]<<<<<
-- Doctor Doom <11:49:01/01-26-54>
>>>>>[ No, man, I'm telling you, I've got evidence this time! I looked at
a
copy of the Declaration of the Empire, and if you go and circle certain
"secret" letters in each line it reads: "We are responsible for the
Nightwraith
attack." ]<<<<<
-- Shadows, NN Reporter <11:49:35/01-26-54>
>>>>>[ Secret letters??? ]<<<<<
-- Darkwatch <11:49:40/01-26-54>
>>>>>[ Is the "secret" letter message in German?
]<<<<<
-- Doctor Doom <11:49:45/01-26-54>
>>>>>[ Errr, no. In English. ]<<<<<
-- Shadows, NN Reporter <11:50:00/01-26-54>
>>>>>[ Shadows, I think that theory needs a little work.
]<<<<<
-- Doctor Doom <11:50:09/01-26-54>
>>>>>[ Yeah...with a blowtorch, maybe. ]<<<<<
-- Hangtime <11:50:15/01-26-54>
Copyright 1993 -- Doctor Doom, Doom Technologies & Weapon Systems
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Und das ist alles. Ich hoffe, dass es Ihnen gefielen.
Colonel Count von Hohenzollern und von Doom, DMSc, DSc, PhD.
Doom Technologies & Weapon Systems -- Dark Thought Publications
>>> Working on solutions best left in the dark.
<<<
[ Doctor Doom : jch8169@********.tamu.edu ]
^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^
"Attack, attack, and when in doubt, ATTACK!" -- Frederick the Great of Prussia
