NationStates Jolt Archive

Hi! Inspired by the new Earth RP, I've been thinking of a new alternate history campaign, starting in 1932. There is one crucial difference between real life and the Weimar Alternate History campaign: in this game, Hitler died from mustard gas poisoning in 1918 (yay!). The game will start in 1932, with Germany on the brink of civil war. Each player will lead their faction (political party, militia or foreign power) to control Weimar Germany. If you are interested in participating, please post below! Possible slots are:

SPD (Social Democratic Party of Germany) - the largest party when the game begins. Left-wing in politics. (Cr4zYn4t10n)
DNVP (German National People's Party) - a far-right party (Yuwait)
DVP (German People's Party) - a centre-right party
NSDAP (National Socialist German Workers' Party) - an extreme-right fringe party (AshG)
KPD (Communist Party of Germany) - this is mine, hands off! (Demo-Bobylon)
Centre Party - a Catholic party (Khymru)
DDP (German Democratic Party) - pro-Republic, left-wing party (Vietnamexico)
BVP (Bavarian People's Party) - moralistic right-wing party, Bavarian wing of DVP
Freikorps - a right-wing, anti-communist militia (WinTrees)
Steel Helmet - a right-wing militia of half-a-million veterans (Hirgizstan)
Ruhr Red Army - a communist militia of 50,000 troops operating in the Ruhr valley (Comstan)
Bavarian People's Army - a communist army campaigning for an independent Bavaria (Skinny87)
The Reichswehr - the German army (consisting of 100,000 men) (Moorington)
The United States of America (Halberdgardia)
British Empire (Gibraltarland)
Italy (Yuwait)
USSR (Ravea)
France (Drakkari)
Czechoslovakia (Shadowthone)
Austria (Drakkari)
Poland, Switzerland and neighbouring countries

All slots (except KPD) are open! The game is currently underway here (http://forums.jolt.co.uk/showthread.php?p=9501267#post9501267).

Can I be President von Hindenburg?

I want to be....
The Reichswehr - the German army (consisting of 100,000 men)
If that is okay with everybody,
I like the sound of it execpt the part that there is Soviet Union but no NATO....But I am not complaining,

NATO wasn't formed until after the Second World War, IIRC. This is set in 1932, and there may not even be a WW2 - it all depends on your actions...

Would you like a brief description of your factions? It'll tell you what your politics are, what armed forces you have, etc.?

sure, that would be helpful.

Faction: President von Hindenburg
Leader: Paul von Hindenburg
Summary: Hindenburg has been Reichspraesident (Head of State) since 1925. He is a war hero, but also an old man. He is conservative and fiercely anti-socialist: he has made it clear that neither the SPD nor the KPD will be allowed in government. This has only tightened the political deadlock.
Forces: Hindenburg is the Commander-in-Chief of the Reichswehr, which can be used to put down any potential rebellions. However, the army is not always loyal to the Republic...

Faction: The Reichswehr
Leader: General von Schleicher
Summary: The army has been severely limited by the Treaty of Versailles, and there is a strong imperialist, anti-Republic feeling in the forces. General von Schleicher has had his eye on becoming Chancellor for some time. However, the army has to compete with a variety of paramilitary organisations operating in Germany.
Forces: Under the Treaty of Versailles, there can be no conscription and the army is limited to 100,000 men. Submarines, dreadnoughts, an air force, chemical weapons, tanks and heavy artillery are all prohibited. The Navy consists of just 6 battleships. The Rhineland is a demilitarised zone.

OOC: What's the U.S. look like at this point?

OOC: Strong, economically and militarily. But they've got an isolationist policy - they don't want to involve themselves in Europe's problems unless they have to.

OOC: I'll take the U.S., then.

Faction: The USA
Leader: President Hoover
Summary: The US is a superpower in terms of military and economic force, although it (like the rest of the world) has been heavily hit by the Wall Street Crash. It is currently involved in wars with Latin American countries, and since the bloodshed of the First World War, has followed an isolationist foreign policy. America does not want to be involved in Europe's affairs, but it may soon have to.
Forces: Not sure, I'll post it up when I get some figures. A strong military, generally. Consider the military strong enough to take on most other countries with relative ease.

Does anyone know the size of the US Army in 1932? Roughly even?

Added two more slots: the Ruhr Red Army and the Bavarian People's Army.

I'd like to take the Freikorps please. It should be a nice reminder of A-level history (brrr :P)

I'll take those beer swilling fools the NSDAP, lets see if I can do a better job than Adolf.

Faction: The Freikorps
Leader: General Ludwig Maercker
Summary: Although the Freikorps were disbanded in the 1920s, they have now reappeared as a violent, anti-communist front against the KPD's new popularity. General Maercker sees the Freikorps as the only true force capable of stopping a communist revolution.
Forces: Around 30,000 volunteer rifles stationed around Germany. Many are well-trained former soldiers, but can lack discipline.

Faction: The NSDAP
Leader: Gregor Strasser
Share of vote: 8.9%
Summary: The NSDAP, or Nazi Party, is a shambles of disorganisation, petty competition and bureaucracy. Its methods lack legality. There are constant battles for the leadership from Himmler and Göbbels, and the party rarely is united. In the 1920s, the party never gained more than 1% of votes: after the Wall Street Crash, however, people are prepared to look for more extreme measures.
Forces: 12,000 SA "brown shirts". These are unarmed, but are often involved in street battles with communist groups.

I'm surprised no-one wants the largest party!

Of course after Hindenburg dies (historically August 2, 1934 two months short of his 87th birthday) I will have to choose another faction untill then I know the following:

Historically: source: (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paul_von_Hindenburg)

In 1925, he succeeded Friedrich Ebert as president during the turbulent period of the Weimar Republic. Hindenburg had no interest in running for public office. In the first round of the 1925 presidential elections, no candidate had emerged with a majority and a run-off election had been called. The Social Democratic candidate, Prime Minister Otto Braun of Prussia had agreed to drop out the race and had endorsed the Catholic Center Party's candidate, Wilhelm Marx. Since Karl Jarres, the joint candidate of the two conservative parties, the German People's Party and German National People's Party was regarded as being too dull, it seemed likely that Marx was going to win the presidency. One of the leaders of German National People's Party, Admiral Alfred von Tirpitz visited Hindenburg and told him that only his candidacy could stop Marx. Hindenburg demured the request, but Tirpitz applied stong pressure in several meetings, and ultimately Hindenburg broke down, and agreed to run. Through Hindenburg ran during the second round of the elections as a non-party independent, he was generally regarded as being the conservative candidate. Largely due to his status as Germany's greatest war hero, Hindenburg won the election.

In 1932 was recently re-elected though is passing in and out of senillity.

On January 30, 1933 he had appointed Hitler (now maybe a different man) to become Chancellor of Germany.

Hindenburg himself was said to be a monarchist who favored a restoration of the German monarchy. Though he hoped one of the Prussian princes would be appointed to succeed him as Head of State, he did not attempt to use his powers in favour of such a restoration, as he considered himself bound by the oath he had sworn on the Weimar Constitution.

OOC: Hmm, good point. If you want, you can have another faction like the NDVP provided you RP them separately. When the game begins, the SPD is the largest party, followed by the KPD, but between them they do not have a majority to form a coalition. No party has overall control, which creates a stalemate similar to the one in real life, and there is growing violence which could turn into a civil war...

OOC: Hmm, good point. If you want, you can have another faction like the NDVP provided you RP them separately. When the game begins, the SPD is the largest party, followed by the KPD, but between them they do not have a majority to form a coalition. No party has overall control, which creates a stalemate similar to the one in real life, and there is growing violence which could turn into a civil war...

Hmm, maybe I'll try the Ruhr Red Army (will eventually coordinate with KPD of course) And if I do I promise to RP them seperatly and impartially of course.

I'd be interested in the Steel Helmet.

[I'm Modern-Tech and not at all active in any of the Earth Threads- in case you need to be an Earth nation to participate.]

(This is great idea btw, well done to Demo-Bobylon, good luck with it).

When can official actions be taken for our factions?

IC: The Reichswehr trains it troops for urban combat and asks the Friekorps to pre-pare for a rally against the communists. Also in neigborhoods that are pro-Rheichswehr are being rallied towards the NDVP party. You can limit the boost it gives that party in political votes.

Faction: Steel Helmet
Leader: Theodor Duesterberg
Summary: Steel Helmet (or to give it its full name, Steel Helmet League of Front Soldiers) is a large, anti-Versailles paramilitary group made up of disgruntled former soldiers. The leader, Theodor Duesterberg, has been encouraged to run for Chancellorship, but the organisation is loosely connected to the DVP and DNVP, encouraging a monarchist attitude.
Forces: Around 500,000 veterans, some ageing, but most well-equipped with rifles.

Faction: Ruhr Red Army
Leader: Wilhelm Diesmann
Summary: The Ruhr Red Army is a re-formed version of the 1920 Red Army. It is comprised mainly of discontent miners and industrial workers, organised into a resistance by labour unions. They are popular in the region, and led by Wilhelm Diesmann, chief of the largest mining union in the Ruhr. The Ruhr valley is the largest source of coal in Germany and economically vital, which gives the Red Army an undeniable advantage.
Forces: Around 50,000 workers. Although most have access to firearms, they are inexperienced. In the eventuality of an open attack, the local townspeople may assist the miners.

The Reichswehr also extends greetings to the Stell Helments and hopes an exchange of trining knowledge can be achivied.

@ Abassia: I look forward to concocting evil socialist plans with you...
@ Hirgizstan: Welcome, and don't worry: you don't have to be an Earth nation. All are welcome!
@ Moorington: You can RP a few developments, but until we have more sign-ups, please don't do anything too dramatic. Should I set up another thread for the RP?

Oh, better let people know what my party's like:

Faction: KPD
Leader: Ernst Thaelmann
Share of vote: 22.4%
Summary: The Kommunist Partei Deutschlands (Communist Party of Germany) is a revolutionary party advocating the violent overthrow of the capitalist system. Since the Wall Street Crash, it has attracted millions of disillusioned workers and the unemployed. It now faces a dilemna: should it attempt to put into action its plan of revolution and risk annihilation, or seek greater legality in its methods?
Forces: The Anti-Fascist Front has around 20,000 riflemen. Various workers councils in Berlin, Potsdam, Munich, Frankfurt-am-Main, Köln and Weimar have around 300,000 members, but most are unarmed. It could seek alliance with the Ruhr Red Army, Bavarian People's Army or even the Kremlin.

A page entirly devoted to the RPing section would make this thread alot better. Just edit you orignal post and put the link there for all of us sheep to follow it too. A.K.A Yes

Done.

I'll be an international faction...

The British Empire

Welcome! There's a link to the RP thread in the first post. Would you like a faction description, or don't you need one?

Please can i be italy, or spain if its not available

Faction: Italy
Leader: Benito Mussolini
Summary: Italy is under the iron fist of fascist dictator Mussolini. He is currently hoping to expand his empire in North Africa, but is worried about British resistance. Allies, an a right-wing government in Berlin, are in his interest if he wants to reach this goal.
Forces: The military is re-arming with aircraft and tanks, but is not yet strong enough to take on a major power.

The Soviet Union sounds appealing...

Faction: USSR
Leader: Josef Stalin
Summary: At present, Russia is undergoing huge economic reform through the Five Year Plans. The Soviet Union is not ready for a war. The Politburo, however, is keen to extend communist policy abroad, and direct links are maintained with the KPD. A rising power, Russia will almost definitely have a part to play in the future of the Weimar Republic.
Forces: Just over one million soldiers backed up with artillery and tanks. However, they are not fully equipped for war, and ongoing Purges have killed off many of the officers.

mhm since I can't be the KPD, I'd like to have the SPD, if that's ok?

Fine!

Faction: SPD
Leader: Hermann Muller
Share of vote: 24.1%
Summary: The SPD is the largest party in the Reichstag, but it still faces many problems. The KPD have been campaigning against the SPD for some years now, and key voters have been lost to them. Due to the Kremlin's infuence, they are generally hostile to a KPD-SDP coalition. Even if a left-wing coalition existed, a majority will still be elusive. Can the SPD save Weimar politics?
Forces: Black-Red-Gold has around 25,000 members, but violence is frowned upon by party leaders, who wish to encourage legality.

I'd like the Bavarian Peoples Army, bitte. This could get interesting...

btw. I didn't find the DDP(Deutsche Demokratische Partei, since 1930 Deutsche Staatspartei) in your list.
They were part of the Weimarer coalition (together with SPD and Centre Party) so they could be quite "usefull" ;)

Welcome! There's a link to the RP thread in the first post. Would you like a faction description, or don't you need one?

A description would be helpfull.

Faction: Great Britain and the British Empire
Leader: James Ramsay MacDonald (PM)
Summary: Many colonies are calling for independence from Britain, and the country's deeply pacifist population do not want to see another war in Europe. A communist government in Berlin, however, would worry the top brass, although the Labour government would be less hostile. All in all, they wish to protect their borders and their Empire above all.
Forces: A large army, experienced army spread across the globe. However, many are stationed in colonies, and if removed to fight in a European war, the local populace may rebel. Tanks are aircraft are being rapidly developed, so that too hasty re-armament would be a poor option.

@Cr4zYn4t10n: The DDP and BVP have been added just for you. ;)

Hi...

Any chance of me being the Bavarian Peoples Army?

Of course!

Faction: Bavarian People's Army
Leader: Ernst Toller
Summary: After the First World War, Bavaria was briefly a Soviet Republic, before it ws crushed by the Freikorps. Since that time, support for the communists has re-grown and the people are once again calling for an independent Bavaria. The headquarters of the NSDAP, however, are also in the region, and there are frequent street battles in Munich.
Forces: Around 18,000 members, many armed with pistols and a few rifles. Previous battles have shown the People's Army to be no match for the Freikorps, but an intelligent commander may learn from previous mistakes.

Good to have more players! I would also like to have the largest political force be taken by someone....

I think itd be a good idea to get someone to play as austria as well

The largest party's been taken, but we have no right-wing parties other than the NSDAP. And yeah, I think we need more neighbouring countries, especially Switzerland and Austria if Italy is smuggling weapons into Germany.

Yeah get Austria as a nation. Czechoslovakia as well. Czechoslovakia was under Benes, and Austria was under Schuschnigg, at least i think they were, i'm going by what leaders were present in the later 1930s during the Nazi moves to take over those two countries.

Switzerland, i think, is kind of stupid because it is a neutral country and really did nothing during the entire 20th Century, never mind doing anything at the time of Weimar Germany.

Yeah get Austria as a nation. Czechoslovakia as well. Czechoslovakia was under Benes, and Austria was under Schuschnigg, at least i think they were, i'm going by what leaders were present in the later 1930s during the Nazi moves to take over those two countries.

Czechoslovakia also contains key weapons factories, but I think first we really need to fill up the remaining party slots.

Switzerland, i think, is kind of stupid because it is a neutral country and really did nothing during the entire 20th Century, never mind doing anything at the time of Weimar Germany.

I don't know, those army knives could really hurt someone...:)

Lol, good point.

Can I play as Czechoslovakia?

Can I be the Centre Party pleasE?

Can I be the Centre Party pleasE?
Yes just don't expect anykind of military inside your faction. (Wait for the final rule though)
Can I play as Czechoslovakia?
Not sure but I would think it is okay.

Don't need military I can influence italian/vatican, polish, balkan and bavarian thinking and people!!
MUCH BETTERER.

Sorry, I was away. Shadowthone and Khymru have been added to the character list, I'll post the descriptions up later.

Actually the Centre Party had very little sway outside of Catholic Germany and Austria. Poland wanted nothing to do with Germany as they were dealing with their own problems due to the Depression. The Balkans were busy wondering what to do about their reduced Grain exports and the growing strength and threat of Soviet Russia and in Bavaria the Communists and the Right Wingers held the people's allegiance, not the Catholic Centre Party, although they did, without doubt, have some support in Bavaria as there were many Roman Catholics.

The Vatican would be a port of call for the Centre Party, but what could the Vatican do? Also Mussolini disliked the influence of the Catholic Church, although he did successfully seek an allegiance with the Vatican. Mussolini always supported the Right Wing elements in Germany, notable the DNVP and the NSDAP.

This is not to 'rain' on anyone's parade, by the way, I'm simply writing this so that we can have an accurate alternate history.

Faction: Centre Party
Share of vote: 13.4%
Leader: Heinrich Brüning
Summary: The Zentrum Partei represents the considerable Catholic population of Germany. It adopts moralistic centrist policy and has co-operated in the past as part of the Weimar coalition, but has fallen out with the SPD over the Social Democrats' secular stance. It is currently supporting Hindenburg for President.
Forces: The Centre Party has no paramilitary forces.

Faction: Czechoslovakia
Leader:Thomas Mazaryk
Summary: Czechoslovakia is a divided nation. Created from the remains of the Austro-Hungarian Empire, it is a land of many nationalities; mainly Czech, but significant groups of Slovaks and Germans. It fortunately inherited the vast majority of Austro-Hungarian industry (perhaps as much as 80%), which is richly concentrated in the Sudetenland. However, much of the infrastrucure is owned by German banks, and other areas of the country are without any form of industry.
Forces: The Czech army is well equipped with weapons from Sudeten factories (the country is one of the top ten industrial powers), and can hold out reasonably well against a conventional invasion. However, the army is not prepared for blitzkrieg tactics.

Isn't the point that it didn't go quite according to history. I am sure there will be cases for furthering the party in many parts of Germany at the expense of the extremists!!
The vatican will support whoever is likely to be helpful to them (and semi autonomous catholic regions would be to their liking)..
Saying no more as not to spoil the actual rp.

Yes, that is the point but i don't want things to get way far out. The Centre Party was never really a force to be reckoned with, but due to their Catholic support and power-base they had a lot of potential across all of Germany, it just wasn't the right time in real-life because Hitler and the Nazis and other extremist groups were what people turned to in the desperate times after the Wall Street Crash, thus after 1930 the Centre Party was losing a lot of its supporters to extremists due to conditions.

Hmm, Ravea (playing the USSR) isn't replying to my telegrams and hasn't posted (he is still active). We may need to replace him, but first I'd like to get the other party slots filled up.

hmm, schleider rejects chancellorship, either the good soldier who will valiently defend the republic against its enemies, or the mighty ceaser who will cross the rubicon after all of this is over...

anyway, the president is too old(as long schleider is not a red then he's a soldier), anyway I don't know who to choose for chancellor, so I was wondering If any one knew any good candidates??

In the write up, the Steel Helmet leader Dueseterberg had been up for the Chancellorship on behalf of the DNVP, I think.

I think that was the presidency:
From wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Theodor_Duesterberg

In 1932, Duesterberg was nominated by the Stahlhelm and DNVP to run for President of Germany, but the Nazis ultimately destroyed any chance Duesterberg had of gaining mass support from the German people when they revealed he had Jewish ancestory. This revelation caused Duesterberg to poll poorly in the first ballot of the election, and he eventually withdrew from the race. Ironically, Duesterberg was offered a position in Hitler’s cabinet when Hitler became Chancellor of Germany in 1933, but Duesterberg flatly refused the proposal. Franz Seldte, however, did enter Hitler’s cabinet, which undermined the Stahlhelm and Duesterberg’s authority over the organization, and thus he resigned his leadership position in 1933.

Yes but now there is no Hitler, and the Nazis poll very poorly. Duesterberg also heads the biggest military force in the country, his power potential is immense if you think about it. The Army (100,000) presents the biggest threat to all other militia groups, but the Steel Helmet, due to its formation and leadership, can operate without fear of retribution from the Army.

What does your link mean, its from the new Earth 1900-2000 RP that recentl got underway. It has nothing to do with Wikipedia??

Oops! my mistake...

For such a powerful man if his ancestary is revealed he will lose support...

Any other candidates??

Why would he lose support exactly? There is no anti-semitic influence in Germany, the Nazi Party is tiny and the Jews hold an excellent position in German society, throughout all professions. Indeed Hindenburg himself passed a law stating that Jews who had fought or lost relatives in WW1 were exempt from the persecutions that the Nazis heaped on them in 1933 and early 1934. Thus Hindenburg himself was amenable to Jews who had served their country and was amenable to Jews in general as they were an integral part of German society, and in our RP, still are as Nazi influence on society is tiny. As well as that his history would be wrapped up in years of family trees, taking maybe years to iron out. At this point it would be the last thing on the Nazis mind, as well as that if they even hinted they had such information it would spell the end for the NSDAP as Duesterberg would simply kill every Party leader and member, citing treason and being supported by the Army and the President, who hates the Nazis. Duesterberg is one of the most powerful men in Germany with much public support due to his DNVP and Military ties.
Methinks the Chancellorship would be a less powerful position than the one Duesterberg already holds.

Ok let me get this straight, I'm now going to review the history of Theoder Duesterberg one of the two leaders of the Stahlhelm, Bund der Frontsoldaten (German: "Steel Helmet, League of Frontline Soldiers") the largest of the paramilitary Freikorps organizations (the other being Franz Seldte the founder), just tell what did and did not happen:

-Born October 19, 1875 (now 57 years old)

-Entered the Prussian Army in 1893 after training in the cadet corps.

-Resigned from the army in protest over the Versailles Treaty

-Entered politics and joined the DNVP in 1919

-After various disagreements with the party leadership, however, Duesterberg left the DNVP in 1923 and joins the nationalistic and pro-monarchy Stahlhelm, Bund der Frontsoldaten, which largely consisted of ex-servicemen disgruntled with the Weimar Republic

-Duesterberg quickly moved through the party hierarchy and by 1924 was one of two of its federal leaders (the other being Franz Seldte)
In the late 1920s, Duesterberg allied the Stahlhelm with the Nazi Party and other right wing groups and actively protested in 1929 against the Young Plan(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Young_Plan).

-The Harzburger Front attempted to bring about the downfall of Heinrich Brüning and the Weimar Republic, but it eventually dissolved due to Adolf Hitler’s unwillingness to subordinate the Nazi Party to such a vast right wing coalition on a long term basis. (unless stated otherwise, I will assume that the current Nazi Leader held the same view so the front dissolved anyway)

-After the dissolution of the Harzburger Front, Duesterberg continued to lead the Stahlhelm and maintained the organization’s alliance with the DNVP.

- In 1932, Duesterberg was nominated by the Stahlhelm and DNVP to run for President of Germany, but the Nazis ultimately destroyed any chance Duesterberg had of gaining mass support from the German people when they revealed he had Jewish ancestory. (considering that the Nazi's are not very orginised then I suppose they failed in doing this and so Duesterberg came third after Hindenburg (1st) and Thaelmann (2nd).

Well in this history Duesterberg, according to the write up, did not ally with any political group and merely ran for the Chancellorship on behalf of the DNVP but couldn't find enough support at the time, as the DNVP were not a very large party. In this history he never allied with the Nazi Party, thus everything to do with the Nazi party and the Steel Helmet never happend, the Nazi Party remains a fringe group and the Steel Helmet remains the largest miltia, having just been recognised as legitimate and legal by the German Army.

Oh Ok, in that case there is a good chance the president will appoint him Chancelor. You must realise also Hindenburg is a weak old man and he is easily influenced by his advisors. At the moment one of the most influential persons is General von Schleider (incidently, this historical is untill he started dealing with the SPD (to get a majority) after this he fell out of favor with the president and von Papen again had his ear and advised him to appoint Hitler as chancellor) anyway if he was to recomend Duesterberg to the chancellorship he will have a very strong chance of attaining it.

of course, you could alwasys wait for the president to die, or retire (of course he can be forced into doing one of these) and then run for president if you think you have enough support...

Well I'd be running on behalf of Von Scleicher's new Party so support is not solid as it is a new party. But from what I understand Duesterberg is fairly well known in Germany as a war hero, militia leader and former Chancellor candidate.

I would like to RP as the GDP

Well I hope you are not confusing President (Reichspräsident) with Chancellor (Reichskanzler) where The constitution of the 1919 Weimar Republic said that the Chancellor was appointed by the German President, but that the parliament had the right to dismiss a chancellor or any of the ministers. So Duesterburg is a former president candidate...

But tell me what are you aiming for now president or chancellor? although being the latter (and doing a good job) will help you reach the former.

I meant the DDP

Abassia, I'm not really aiming for anything per say. To appoint Duesterberg as Chancellor, at this point, would be a very bad idea, due to the fact that the Prussian Party of Germany have no electoral showing in the Reichstag due to the fact that the Party came into existence after the election. Thus, even if i wanted the Chancellorship it would not be at all prudent to go for it. In any case President Hindenburg's decision (i.e. your decision) is final.

Sorry, Vietnamexico, misread your post. I'll post up the faction description tomorrow, if that's OK.

Sorry, Vietnamexico, misread your post. I'll post up the faction description tomorrow, if that's OK.


It is all good

Sorry, I forgot. I'll do it tomorrow.*

*Registered slogan of Demo-Bobylon.

Is there any chance i could swap playing italy for one of the german factions? becuase id really like to get more involved in this RP (iv just started doing the Weimar Republic at school for A level) but playing a foreign power means im a bit restricted.

If you've got the time, you can take both!

Ok! :)

Can i take the DNVP?

Faction: DDP
Leader: Erich Koch-Weser
Share of vote: 1.4%
Summary: The Deutsche Demokratische Partei was a leading party in the early stages of Weimar politics and was vital in government. However, since then, it has fallen in popularity, and with the Wall Street Crash, its moderate pro-Weimar stance has not proved successful with the voters. Can you restore its power?
Forces: None.

Faction: DNVP
Leader: Alfred Hugenburg
Share of vote: 15.9%
Summary: The DNVP is a far-right conservative party, and represents the interests of the rich industrial and capitalist class. Hugenburg has recently moved even further to the right, among fears of communist revolution, falling profits and anti-Republic fervour. It is the largest conservative party in Weimar Germany.
Forces: The DNVP is loosely connected to the Stahlhelm "Steel Helmet" paramilitary fighters.

Faction: DNVP
Leader: Alfred Hugenburg
Share of vote: 15.9%
Summary: The DNVP is a far-right conservative party, and represents the interests of the rich industrial and capitalist class. Hugenburg has recently moved even further to the right, among fears of communist revolution, falling profits and anti-Republic fervour. It is the largest conservative party in Weimar Germany.
Forces: The DNVP is loosely connected to the Stahlhelm "Steel Helmet" paramilitary fighters.

OOC:

Who is going to play the Ruhr Red Army now Abassia is gone? Shall we say they were either disbanded after their catastrophic losses in the gas attack or were folded into another left-wing militia RP'd by someone else?

I was going to RP them because their interests are very similar to the KPD, but if anyone wants them, they're up for grabs!

OOC:

Ok, sounds good. Just remember there aren't many of them left!!

OK, AshG's nation has been deleted. We really need players for the following slots, so if you'd be interested, or you'd like to take on more than one role, please post below!
Nazi Party
France
USSR

If you're a new player, I'll give you a quick description of everything that's happened so far.

I will RP as the Ruhr Red Army. Tell me what has happened so far and leader, share of votes, summary, and forces.

Faction: Ruhr Red Army
Leader: Wilhelm Diesmann
Summary: The Ruhr Red Army is a re-formed version of the 1920 Red Army. It is comprised mainly of discontent miners and industrial workers, organised into a resistance by labour unions. They are popular in the region, and led by Wilhelm Diesmann, chief of the largest mining union in the Ruhr. The Ruhr valley provides three quarters of Germany's coal and is economically vital, which gives the Red Army an undeniable advantage.
Forces: Around 50,000 workers. Although most have access to firearms, they are inexperienced. In the eventuality of an open attack, the local townspeople may assist the miners.

A covert gas attack on the miners, who had called a general strike and seized control of their mines, killed and wounded many of the faction's forces. Minus these losses, only 40,000 miners remain. Stahlhelm ("Steel Helmet") right-wing militia have been called into the area to aid the wounded miners, but also to keep them under control.

BUMP For more people to join!

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ooc: Oh yes. Being midway through a German history degree this is Bang up my alleyway. smack me in, I'd love to play Austria/France, whichever is more needed, have some great ideas for both!

If you want and have the time, you can play both! Some people (the USSR, the Nazis, the DNVP and the SPD among them) are inactive, so you can choose one of those factions if you wish instead - just tell me which one(s) you'd prefer and I'll post up a description. (Not that you sound like you need one!)

ok I'll play both, problem solved. Post them up, I want to get involved asap! :)

Faction: The Austrian Republic
Leader: Federal Chancellor Otto Ender
Summary: Once the home of the mighty Austro-Hungarian Empire, the country is in turmoil. Like most European nations, it has been hit hard by the Wall Street Crash, creating high unemployment and great economic instability. Worse still, the government is facing problems from Austrian far-right groups calling for the annexation of Austria into Germany (Anschluss, in direct violation of the Treaty of Versailles) and troubles could still over into civil war.
Forces: The Treaty of St. Germain limits the army to 30,000 volunteers. Other conditions are similar to the Treaty of Versailles.

Faction: The French Republic
Leader: Président Paul Doumer
Summary: Following the First World War, there have been strong feelings of distrust towards the Germans, and a sentiment to enact revenge for the French lives lost during the war. As a result, France received billions of Marks from Germany in reparations, and is pouring 3 billion francs into the Maginot Line defence against a German invasion. For many, a strong Germany is something to fear.
Forces: Around 2 million soldiers, and 2,000 tanks. However, the French Army has dismissed the idea of Blitzkrieg and their tactics may soon be outdated, focusing on a static war as in 1914-18 rather than a modern assault.

A super-fast summary of everything that's happened
The most recent elections have resulted in political stalemate
In response to violence from the Stahlhelm ("Steel Helmet") right-wing paramilitaries, the KPD declared a general strike
In the Ruhr, Rhineland and Saarland areas, miners and workers have seized their factories
The Stahlhelm have covertly organised a gas attack on the Ruhr miners to break their strike, killing hundreds of people
The same day, President Hindenburg dies of natural causes
In outrage at the deaths of the miners, a demonstration takes place in Berlin but is fired upon by armed police and dispersed by cavalry. Thousands are killed or wounded.
Ernst Thaelmann, the KPD leader, is arrested and assassinated in prison. He is replaced by Walter Ulbricht.
Communist militia have seized areas of major cities, including central Berlin and much of the Ruhr area
They are receiving help from the USSR
The Stahlhelm are receiving aid from Italy, and the communists have ben forced to retreat from Bavaria (but not before torching a few factories and the harvest).
A communist attack on Essen, the Stahlhelm base in the Ruhr, is in progress...

That should bring you up to speed!

Cool someone is Austria! I am the Rhiechswehr and have happly been with this thread since the beggining, well except for that part about dropping it. It has certainly picked up now.

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Yes! Someone be Italy please. So you can jump right into the fighting.