NationStates Jolt Archive

(OOC: This is not alternate history in the sense of being unrelated to NS. Neither this is an excuse to have a FT NS as Soviet Union or Nazis in space. It's really the FT Intro for this NationState. Also, roughly once this thread reachs 10 posts, which is not a coincidence being the number of posts necessary to solve the "thread must be approved first" issue, I'll give instructions on how exactly you can participate, if you're interested.)

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5th of August of 1944

It was in the most hid cellars of an abandoned home, the former home of now likely dead family of Jews, damp and rotting after years of abandonment, with its spacious interiors, that two lamps hanged from the walls sustained by strong cords, shook from the occasional shot of mortar that hailed from the surface as the battle intensified. Monolithic electronics occupied the entirety of one of its corners where operators, with some of their assistants as young as twelve years old, received multiple messages. A map of the city (http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/d/dc/Warszawa_Powstanie_1944-08-04.jpg/483px-Warszawa_Powstanie_1944-08-04.jpg) stood, hanging in the wall, with the signs of the victoriously held sections of Warsaw clearly visible in red. In the center of the minimally lit room, an old wooden table, filled with maps and plans of war stood, with seats layered around it. The symbol of the Polish Underground (http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/0/03/Zoska_odzn_bt.png/150px-Zoska_odzn_bt.png) hanged, built of crude leather, next to the map of their city, and such simple building was all that they had as a headquarters, to face the fury and ruthlessness of Hitler armies.

Antoni (http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/c/c9/Chrusciel_antoni.jpg/300px-Chrusciel_antoni.jpg) Chruściel stood next to his superior, and head of the very Armia Krajowa, Tadeusz (http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/8/89/Tadeusz_Bor_Komorowski.jpg/300px-Tadeusz_Bor_Komorowski.jpg) Komorowski, as they observed the situation of the uprising and traced plans to prolong the fight against the overwhelming forces of the falling Reich. With control over sections of the city west of the Vistula river, they still hoped for the eventual arrival of the Red Army to force their enemies into retreat, which would be their first and last opportunity to ensure that Poland would again become a truly independent state. They knew it, and both veterans of many wars looked at the maps where rough sketches of the enemy mobilizations were made, were the positions of barricades were drawn, and where the sacrifice of many became nothing but symbols of a battlefield. Such was the very nature of war, of commanding thousands, one had to ignore the individual and focus on the whole. If Poland was liberated, they would have a future, otherwise, they would be nothing but puppets to the whims of the Soviets. A long discussion held among both men, as the operators and technicians of radios continued their task of attempting to keep the communication lines among the fronts, backed by brave men who transmitted encoded letters to the leaders of companies awaiting for battle. One bullet, one German was the rule, for their supplies were scarce, and the likelihood of Allied support seemed to dim since the first day of the uprising.

"Commander Bór." Antoni, known as Monter, started. "As you already is aware sir, and only to perhaps put some highlight into our situation, our forces have managed to secure parts of Wola and Wochota, while we have pockets into the Old Town, Żoliborz, where some of us had to retreat through the woods, Dolny Mokotów and our soldiers in Praga have arrived to the underground. The East of Vistula is no longer viable for an offensive, and our enemies are advancing fast through the west. If Wola and Wochota fall before the Soviets arrive, everything could be over. Thus, I believe that we should shorten our fronts, and secure a stronghold right next to the Vistula river, from Wochoat and Wola to the riverside."

As he spoke, he gestured and traced lines in the map with a rough pen, indicating his belief on what seemed to be the best approach. The river was a natural defense, and if they managed to keep a safe passage for the Soviets, they could likely negotiate the sovereignty of their people. However, as both commanders knew, a general of the infamous SS was soon to arrive in their holdings from the west and the truculence of such men was enough for them to expect what would happen to their people in that neighborhood of Warsaw, should they fail to hold on. Bór, with the experience of the Great War and awareness of the risks involved into such decision, then questioned Monter about it, pointing his argument over why such concentration of forces would not work.

"General Monter, I understand your point. We have managed to conquer much of our city, but I fear that we have been too optimistic on the willingness of the Soviets to advance. We must be able to resist for a prolonged time, and to this, we cannot abandon any ground in the conventional sense, for we must come in and out of the underground and resist. The people have a deep trust into the competence of our Home Army, and to retreat prematurely could be a dangerous move, thus we shall continue holding what we have to the best of our tactical skills, if we centered into a single area, all of our enemies would have a very clear target. With our access to the sewers, we can maintain ourselves for the necessary time and effort to ensure we shall stand. Have no fear, for the Germans are clearly losing this war. We will hold them off, no matter how many lives it shall cost for Poland to be free. We have prepared for years to achieve this, and now we must hope for the best. Perhaps the Soviets shall advance further, and even if they don't, we shall still fight."

It was a complicated mission. The fate of Poland lied in their hands, together with the fate of hundreds of thousands of lives. They have trusted too much the Soviets, who seemed less than willing to advance and liberate their nation, and now the murderers of the SS marched from the west. The people of Warsaw were determined to fight to the bitter end, weary of years of poverty and oppression in the hands of the Nazi scourge, but the question of whether such effort would be fruitful or in vain could not yet be answered. The burden of the massive responsibility weighed on both commanders, aware that they were writing the very history of their nation, and looking at his superior, Monter then replied in agreement, as he understood the point Bór raised. One wrong move would bring disastrous consequences to all of them, and thus, being more bold than to secure what they have secured against a superior enemy would likely not work. The "German-exclusive" areas of the city stood intact, as did many of the infamous death camps, even though Gęsiówka was very close from their lines, and was a potential target of advanced in the brutal street fights of their time.

"Commander Bór, I understand it sir. We must not fight as soldiers, but as a people, to stand with the aid of our very neighbors and inhabitants to secure our victory, and to face what they bring with all our determination and courage, ready to retreat and fight back. I only pray to God that our soldiers and people will not falter again in the hands of the Panzers, and I believe we shall not until the time of our liberation..."

It was then, that the relative silence of the place was broken, as a small figure ran from the upstairs towards them, with clear signs of joy, like if bearing very good news for them. It was an young boy, of about fourteen years, with a simple brown cap and with a letter in his hand who enthusiastically announced to the room, with a wide grin of joyfulness:

"The Germans are retreating! The Germans are retreating! Warsaw is free again!"

The boy stopped right next to Monter, and saluted him as he offered the small, old piece of paper to the general, speaking:

"Sir, our scouts have spotted thousands of the Heer retreating en mass from Warsaw, and our defenders in Wola are no longer in battle. I don't know why sir, but they have simply decided to give up on holding our city. We have won sir, I do not know..."

Skeptic, Antoni slowly got up from the wooden chair he sat at, and turning at the boy, he took the message with him, where in clear words, it was written that the SS forces advancing against Wola have retreated, and that all of their forces seemed to be in a hasty, nearly desperate retreat, like if the Allies have managed to break through the heart of the Reich and were at the very doors of Berlin at such moment, something which however seemed very unlikely. The signature was clear, and it could not be a fraud, but nonetheless he wondered if SS thugs have forced the boy to send in such false communication at gunpoint, and looking at the boy, he then said:

"Boy, this location is safe. If you have been coerced into forging a lie by our enemies, know that you can be at ease here and that they will not harm you. So, if you have done it, it's your patriotic duty to tell us that this message is not true, for it seems to good to be true."

"It's true sir!" the boy emphatically said with a great air of confidence, "I have not been threatened by our enemies, it is real as ever. You can get to the rooftop of this house and see it by yourself sir, if you would like to."

"No need for that boy" Antoni said, as he nodded to one of the radio operators, who in turn immediately began to operate the device and say, asking for confirmation from the soldiers at the front, which would in turn either confirm or deny the completely unexpected news. In truth, Antoni hoped that the boy was speaking the truth, for if the Germans were truly forced to abandon the city to defend their homeland from the Allies, then perhaps the very goal of Operation Tempest could be accomplished.

"This is Warsaw Command to Wola, requesting situational update of the front and of our enemy movements. I repeat, this is Warsaw Command to Wola, requesting situational update."

Suddenly a message seemed to come, and from their position next to the planning table, both commanders and the boy could hear the answer to the request of the radio operator, which would put an end to their doubts about the veracity of the message the boy brought to them. The answer was very clear:

"This is Józef Szczepański of the Batalion Parasol. It's unbelievable, but the front is clear and the Wehrmacht is retreating en mass to the west, leaving anything that is damaged or in maintenance behind, there are hundreds of Panzers simply leaving. Also, we received confirmation that our forces are advancing with no resistance towards the east of the Vistula. Soon the our flag will fly again in the restored Branicki Palace!"

There was only one explanation to such improbable event. The Germans have seriously underestimated the advances of the Allies following with the D-Day months ago, and likely many advances recently happened through the western front, prompting them to immediately pull back all their forces to a more manageable front. Considering the madness of their leader, the situation was certainly very dire for those who before believed in a thousand year Reich. Panzers in need of repairs but still usable were deliberatedly abandoned, which was the clear sign, for Antoni, of a retreat that mirrored the despair of the British in Dunkirk. Something however seemed strange. He could not believe that the Allies would have managed to break through so strongly through the Siegfried to force such hasty retreat, although there was no other logical possibility to explain it. The Soviets although well prepared in manpower lacked the naval power for a proper amphibious assault, and thus, although simply very unlikely, it seemed like such war would end sooner than many hoped for, and that Eastern Europe would hopefully not be swayed away by the tide of the Red Army.

Never in his life, Antoni has felt so much joy and emotion, stepping into the outside, among ruined and derelict buildings of Warsaw, with the marks of shells and bullets painting the scenery, he knew that the opportunity to reestablish Poland as a free nation has come. And now it was the time to prepare for the clearing up. However, considering the manner the retreat was made, perhaps few clues still lied into the former administrative building of the reach, and as with his superior, they prepared the orders for moping up and identifying everything that their enemies have abandoned, he looked at the skies, completely clear of any airplane, and wondered, protecting his eyes from the sunlight with his right hand, how they have did it.

No division of the Allies could have advanced fast enough to bring up such consequence in the Eastern front, and as he tried to consider possibilities like a successful amphibious landing in the Northern Baltic to Hamburg, he was halted by the logistical gaps that such advances would make, and by the fact he heard nothing about such major conquest of the Allies. Yet, there was no other plausible explanation to the move taken by their enemies.

Such thoughts were swayed away from the mind of the commander by the simple, joyful realization that once again, Poland was free. Millions of lives were lost, countless atrocities were done, but now, it was the time to look into the future, to rebuild what have been destroyed, and to secure the necessary recognition of the Allies as an independent nation. The Soviets would now have nothing hindering their advance further, and there was nothing but to negotiate a formal military access and logistical support treaty with them as a sovereign nation in exchange of the recognition of their independence. If the Allies back them up, perhaps the reds would not dare to force their failed system into the Polish people.

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5th of August of 1944: Poland becomes sovereign again.

Flames extinguished the last Swastikas of the administrative building, as the white and red flag was risen into a mast next to it, waving as the most clear symbol of that Poland has returned to the international scenario. Both generals of the Home Army stood there, observing as a soldier rose their flag, while crowds vandalized the Nazi symbols into the building to reflect the crumbling of the Third Reich.

However, its actual infrastructure was still left intact, for it housed a much more effective contact with the outside world. Suddenly a soldier came off the building with a Nazi document in his hands, and saluting Antoni, he then said:

"Sir, I have found this document. It might be their retreat order, but I do not know their language." and handed the paper over to the general. Supported by his superior, Antoni then replied:

"Dismissed soldier. Now join the team accounting of abandoned Panzers. Tomorrow we want them under our banner and the service of our cause, so perhaps we may support the Allies into the final blow against the Nazi monster in retribution to what they have done in our aid."

"Yes sir." the soldier said as he walked to meet others of those who were scouting the position of maintenance and repair-needing but otherwise functioning Panzers across the city. The survivors of the Holocaust were being freed, as medics and others promptly visited the now abandoned legacies of the Nazi occupation in their land. Political prisoners, ethnic minorities and other of the former "undesirables" would at last meet freedom, while that Antoni began to read the note, with the official seal of the Reich. It was an evacuation order, reading as following:

By the direct orders of the Fuhrer, all the units of the Wehrmacht, all the Reich administrative units and all units of the SS in the eastern front, including Konigsberg, Elbing and Memel, are to retreat immediately to Oppeln with maximum haste. The future of the Reich and the survival of the Aryan race depends upon your compliance with this order. No higher treason would ever equate the refusal to follow up with this command and to ensure the fastest possible march towards Oppeln.

It was a somewhat enigmatic phrase, specially because of the mention that the survival of what they considered to be their "master race" was claimed to be at stake. The idea of the Allies ever repeating the atrocities of the Germans was absurd, and thus, the enigma of the message stood. Perhaps it was merely another example of outrageous propaganda, something which was the most likely explanation in Antoni's thoughts, for he could not think on anything that could explain how the German people were threatened to be wiped off the world. There was simply nobody interested into another genocide. Perhaps it was the fear of interracial breeding becoming commonplace in the future, but if it was that, military forces would do nothing to prevent it, and the fate of the Third Reich has already been sealed in the Eastern Front. It did not make sense if taken out of the context of propaganda. It was then that Antoni realized that a contact with Britain would probably remove all the doubts about what has happened in the Western Front. And then, guiding himself to the communications room of the former symbol of power of the Reich, he waited for operators to come and assume control of the telephone, while Tadeusz prepared to address the British Empire through it.

"God has truly blessed us today, commander Tadeusz." Antoni said as they awaited for the arrival of a telephonist. "I feared what would happen to the residents of Wola should this have not occurred, but now it seems that Poland is entirely free again." he said, thinking that perhaps soon a pronouncement would have to be made to the confused population, from Warsaw to Krakow, announcing the good news to their people.

"Let not be hasty general, I have an ill omen about this event," Tadeusz then replied, putting into perspective some of his worries, as he continued with an expression of uncertainty, "it is too surreal, too absurd that the high command of Germany would make such a bold decision to abandon an entire front. There is something wrong, and the Allies could not have managed realistically to pull them out."

"Perhaps it is a miracle sir, perhaps God smiled to Poland, and it was His will that our nation should be free. Commander, the Winter War also seemed like an impossible outcome, but it happened as we know it now. Sometimes things that we least expect to happen happen." Antoni then replied, as his superior looked around and said:

"Lets leave our prediction attempts on what happened for later. Now our prime worry is to rebuild our nation and our diplomatic ties with Britain, and perhaps with the Americans as well. If we manage to gather their support, we will have a shield against the communist pretensions over our country. Now... at last, our telephonist is coming."

The footsteps were heard from the hallway, with the wooden beamed room eventually receiving a new presence as the man saluted both and sat next to a large telephone machine, switching wires over it as Tadeusz took a telephone and awaited for the work of the telephonist. Eventually, Poland would make the first contact as a sovereign nation again. From the supreme commander of the home Army, the first words of the new Polish nation-State would arrived to Britain, in his limited English:

"Telephonist, here is Tadeusz Komorowski of the Polish Home Army. We have successfully secured Warsaw and now I stand as a temporary representative of the new Polish State, I'd like to, if possible, speak to Mister Churchill or to a member of his Cabinet."

"I apologize, but mister Churchill has traveled to Berlin for cease-fire negotiations." answered the attendant.

"Cease-fire negotiations? Are you authorized to give an explanation? If not, could you direct me to someone who is?" Tadeusz then replied, clearly surprised, as he realized how the enigma became greater rather than smaller the more information he gathered about it. If the Allies were truly breaking through the heart of the Axis, they would not be willing to negotiate a cease-fire. Something was truly wrong, terribly wrong. Mentions of a supposed threat to the very survival of the Germans, and now the seeking of a cease-fire with an enemy which defeat was inevitable in the hands of Allies and of the Comintern.

"I am redirecting your call to the minister of Interior, please wait sir."

And thus, with every second, the mind of Tadeusz and of Antoni, hearing the surprised expression of his superior, crossed into an attempt of understanding what was the reason behind so many seemingly insane and completely out of place military and diplomatic decisions. Using common sense, Antoni realized that only one thing could have led to all of this: a mutual enemy. However, no nation had the power to challenge both the Allies and fledging Axis, and thus, again he ended into another logical discontinuity in his attempts to foreshadow what was all of it about.

Then, the phone ringed for a while, until that a voice came to the ears of the commander, announcing himself:

"Hello, I am Foreign Secretary Anthony Eden. I presume you are Tadeusz Komorowski of the Home Army."

"Yes, I'd like to reestablish relations with the British Empire on behalf of Poland, but first, I am intrigued to what has been happening in the West. I have heard unconfirmed hearsay that a cease-fire is going to be signed. It crosses my mind why, so may I ask: why does Britain seek peace with Hitler, if his forces were on the brink of defeat?" Tadeusz answered to the telephone, as Antoni and the telephonist paid attention to the conversation. The Foreign Secretary of Britain would soon answer back:

"First I wish you good luck with the restoration of your nation, but I believe that I cannot fully answer your question. I know the why, but what is behind what is happening."

"What sir? Are you sure you did not mean who is behind it?" Tadeusz then asked, as something began to form up in his mind. Perhaps his thoughts about the issue were wrong, but so far, all evidences pointed that maybe there was more than what he expected behind this.

"Yes, it is what. The situation is critical, commander Komorowski, and concerns the entirety of the world. A week ago, multiple unknown objects were spotted falling from the sky, with reports of attacks from unknown forces shortly coming from south Italy, East Africa, and according to the Soviets and to America, Primorsk and Phoenix in the United States West Coast has been struck. Now, from our knowledge, this force has already conquered most of Italy to the south of the Po river and is breaking through the Soviet Union, in a speed that no known vehicle or aircraft of this know world could achieve, and they have destroyed much of the German air forces: nothing even their turbojets could stand." replied the foreign secretary, with a shocking revelation of what was their new enemy. Something likely much greater than any threat posed by the Soviets, or than the threat of Germany in nineteen thirty-nine

"Wait mister Eden? Are you telling me that our world is being invaded by beings from the outer space that are much ahead of us in their sciences? Please mister, tell me that today is April First." Tadeusz replied, realizing then the irony behind the chain of events that led to the "liberation" of Poland.

"I am afraid that this is entirely serious, commander Komorowski, and the very future of the human race is at stake here. The reports from the Italian refugees are not very heartening, although seemingly they have ignored many towns in their rapid advance, and our soldiers, while suffering heavy losses in the first days of combat, have reported to have brought very few losses to giant automatons that shoot bullets capable of killing a man instantly no matter where they hit, of which we have no idea of what controls. I advise you to prepare your people, for the war we are about to face now will define the future of humanity. We shall bring what we can of aid should it become necessary, but our forces are struggling in North Italy now, and I fear for the fate of Europe."

Poland military was in shambles. With nearly no air force other than the left-overs of the Wehrmacht, and with nothing but sparse Panzers as their armors, coupled with the scarcity of resources, she would now face the greatest challenge of her entire history. A enemy infinitely more dangerous and powerful than the full might of the German Blitzkrieg, which advanced through many fronts with an unequaled speed. Their victory into holding Warsaw for a few days could not have been more bitter, and now, with a new enemy that threatened the very survival of not only their people, but of all the peoples of Earth. The general looked at his superior, as the telephonist also looked, and asked:

"Commander, I can't believe this, but sir, what should we do now?"

With weary eyes, in contrast to the cheerful mood of before, as they realized the reason why the Eastern front was completely abandoned by the forces that fought in it, Tadeusz then looked back at Antoni, who, in spite of all, still let a small hope lit in him.

"We must reinforce our borders with the Balkans, and, maybe, do not be mistaken general, but in extraordinary conditions like these, extraordinary measures might have to be taken. I am afraid that maybe we will have to fight together with the very men who starved, murdered and oppressed our people, if the situation is as dire as the foreign secretary of the British Empire has said. Honestly, I'd rather to still be facing the SS in the streets right now than to become aware of such news. We must warn and ready our people, for much hard work will be necessary if we are to survive as a nation."

The Second World War thus was over, as the Battle of Earth has began. Perhaps it would be hopeless, but humanity would not give in their very home, the home where they have fought among themselves for before, without first standing to the last able man against such threat. The world would never be the same again, the fate of Poland, of all the nations of the world and of mankind were at stake. And to sum to the events of such fateful 5th of August, the fate of the Polish soldiers in the Italian front was, as of now, unknown.

OOC: TG for interest. When will this be open and what will you be looking for?

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With its recently regained sovereignty, the nation of Poland must now face the greatest challenge history has ever given to any nation, as a new invader stands right to its west, slowly dominating the last territories of a nation which once defeated them, while it advances from the east with an incredible speed, nearly unopposed by the forces Soviet Union has scrounged up. Very little seems to favor the possibility of victory, but perhaps this time, it may become the first to fight, and succeed.

Old panzers, Stukkas and Messerschmitts now painted with Polish roundels and symbols were positioned strategically. It was known that such machines were not invulnerable, only extremely difficult to be hit by the guns able to damage them, too tough for the weapons that could hit them easily, and too fast firing back for anything to aim properly against them. An operational conundrum which made any tactic other than delaying them futile so far, was not something that could easily be broken. As after all, if even men like MacArthur and Patton have not succeeded, how could Tadeusz and his comrades find a way to change the course of what perhaps was the last history: the history of how mankind ended.

First to fight and succeed they may not become, but after all that happened, the resolve and love for their country has grown so strong, that there was a general feeling that no matter what happens, no matter how hopeless it seems to be, they will stand to their last, for never again they would falter, to live as refugees or prisoners in their own land.

The mountainous surroundings of Krakow were not inviting for a conventional enemy to use as their focal point in an invasion, but if reports could be trusted, the only geographic barrier that truly delayed such invaders was water. Lodz, Danzig and surrounding regions however were of greater worry, for their plains would allow for the incredibly fast advance of such enemies to occur at its fullest, giving no time for retreat, let alone preparations. The Vistula river was the last line of defense, should everything else fail, but if they advanced as fast as they could, there would be no army to defend what lied to the east of the river.

Poland's finest hour thus begun.