Our Fathers' Weeping [IC/AH/OPEN]

by **The V O I D** » Sun Dec 13, 2020 8:27 pm

OUR FATHERS' WEEPING
AN ALTERNATE HISTORY

OUT OF CHARACTER THREAD || MAP || OFFICIAL DISCORD

STAFF:
Co-OP: Kannap

Office of the President, Presidential District
Sacramento, Central California
The California Republic

January 1, 1950

Earl Warren was nearing sixty years on this Earth, and he could not bring himself to regret a single one of them. Having been elected for two terms - his first, from 1942 until 1946; and his second, from 1946 until this year, an election year - the President of the California Republic felt proud of what he had accomplished. Earl had always been on the left side of Californian politics, though he usually tried to push softly in that direction until his election as the Republic's President.

Under his terms of office, the Republic had seen numerous reforms that had helped keep close ties to the main allies that the nation had: that of the relatively newly formed UAC to the east, and of the Empire of Japan to the west. Though he privately detested the situation between Japan and China, he knew that he would not be able to drum up enough support in the Congress to take any further actions other than offering only a neutral stance in the League of Nations.

Earl also knew of a growing sentiment within the Republic to either release the Kingdom of Hawaii from Protectorate status, or to integrate it fully as a “state” within the Republic. Earl personally saw the former as practically handing Hawaii over to Japan, which he was mildly wary of personally, and the latter he saw as potentially being too much of a threatening gesture that Japan's governmental leadership might take as a potential for hostility; thus, any movement in either direction was hung in limbo under his terms of office.

But both of the primary candidates running for the Presidency this year, the moderately left former Senator Robert Kenny and the borderline far right former Representative William Riker... made Earl nervous. Earl had long since decided to throw his lot in with the former Senator, mostly because even if he wasn't sure of his stance on furthering socialist policy in the Republic, he definitively did not support the cause and was an active agent against white supremacy as promoted by Riker and the One California Party that he was going to be running for.

Disrupting his thoughts was a knock on his office door, as he was reviewing the latest legislation that had crossed his desk.

“Come in,” Earl called out. His Vice President, Goodwin Knight, entered the room. Earl put down his pen and gave his full attention to the man, “Oh, Goodwin! What brings you?”

“Riker and the OCP,” Goodwin replied, sounding shaken, “they're hosting a rally here in a few hours for his campaign. There's... lots of tension. Do we want the National Guard on this?”

Earl paused, considering.

“...yes. Yes, I think we do,” Earl said, disgruntled, “I can't believe that man would come here, to one of our most diverse cities, and spout some of the things that party advocates for. Is he trying to incite violence?”

“Probably,” Goodwin muttered in answer to the rhetorical question, “alright, sir, I'll handle it. Oh, right, one other thing; do we want to host our annual State Dinner with the Empire and the Commonwealth?”

Earl simply nodded, and with that, Goodwin left. It had been a while since they'd had a State Dinner, mostly as a result of some internal tensions and the public outcry from Japan's more... aggressive moves from some parties within the nation. Hopefully, nothing bad would come of this. But Riker entering Sacramento made Earl a bit nervous.

by **Kannap** » Mon Dec 14, 2020 2:05 pm

Labour Rally
London, UK
1 January, 1950

A crowd of thousands of Londoners gather for the Labour rally, the first one of the year, and await eagerly to hear what the leaders of the party have to say. Reporters are present and the rally will be broadcast on the radio for the world to hear. The crowd quiets down as they watch a man, Hugh Gaitskell, deputy leader of the Labour Party, walk to the podium.

Hugh stands and looks out upon the crowd below, smiling, "Good morning, I'm glad you have decided to join us here today. It is my honor to look upon this crowd before me and see that the future of Britain looks promising. I know, with all of you, we shall have the privilege, the duty of building this nation into a better place for everybody to live. This responsibility we all bear and we will continue to bear it together. It is my honor to present the leader of the Labour Party to you, Herbert Morrison!"

The crowd cheers as Herbert Morrison walks up to the podium, pausing only to shake hands with Hugh as he steps to the side. Herbert looks out upon the crowd and smiles brightly, "And a good morning to all of you too!"

"This election is a matter of utmost importance. I presume you are all here because you know and believe the truth that is front of our faces: Prime Minister Frederick Marquis cannot win re-election. He has failed to uphold the values that this nation stands for, he has failed to ensure a good quality of life for the citizens of this great nation, for all of you standing before me. He has failed you."

Herbert looks to the sky before looking back down on the crowd and continuing his speech, "Far and wide throughout this world, he has sent our young men to die for foolish causes. First in India, where two separate rebellions have arisen. Instead of negotiating an agreement to allow the independence of India and Pakistan, Marquis has insisted on putting these rebellions with the full force of the British military and he was led thousands of our best and brightest young men to their untimely deaths. He is responsible for every British man, husband, son, and brother who has died in this Indian war."

"He insists that we continue sending our young men to die to save his own pride. He would rather save his pride, at the cost of our sons, than anything else. This is how he has failed you time and again. And now, he's brought the war to our islands, to Ireland. He's send our sons and young men to die while trying to continue subjugating our brothers and sisters in Ireland. Again, hundreds of young British men dead, and more being sent to keep our Prime Minister's pride alive."

"Here's our duty: to bring these wars to an immediate end rather than dragging them onward. The independence of British lands is not a new or revolutionary ideal, we granted this right to our brothers and sisters in Canada, Australia, and New Zealand. We are not worse off for doing these things, perhaps we are even better off. In their three decades of independence, they have continued to do brilliant and splendid things in honor of our Majesty the King, and they have remained as some our closest allies in times of crisis. Now we must extend these freedoms our brothers and sisters in Ireland and to those living in India."

"They seek to follow on the coattails of Australia, New Zealand, and Canada, and they will not be the last to do so. And not only for our empire, but the French, Germans, Belgians, and Dutch, their colonies will follow this growing wave of independence. We are entering a new world, and for people like Prime Minister Marquis it may seem like a scary new world. One that people like him will seek to violently reject and desperately try to hold onto the old world. I am asking you to make the right decision this February, to welcome the progress the world is throwing our way and embrace the new world that we get to forge for our children and grandchildren, the world that they will inherent. Do the right thing, do your duty, for them. Vote Labour. Thank you."

Herbert and Hugh walk from the podium together and into the nearby Labour Party headquarters.

by **Monsone** » Mon Dec 14, 2020 2:36 pm

Berlin, The Royal Palace, January 1st

Berlin, the city as infamous as it was famous. A melting pot of cultures and a city of sciences and cultural advancements, a modern city with forward-thinking politicians, and a city that had voted for the Social Democrats since the end of the last century. Known as both the economic, academic, cultural, and social capital of Germany, the city gives its visitors a distorted glance into the machinations of the German Empire. Despite Entente propaganda about Germans that portrayed them as bloodthirsty and puritanical savages, the reality of both the German people and Germany was quite different. In fact, if one had listened solely to the propaganda, a visit to Berlin would be like a punch to the face in terms of its shock factor.

Despite being ruled by a monarchy with near-dictatorial powers and home to a parliament controlled by centrist and right-wing parties, Germany feels oddly free. Newspapers, films, and TV shows that are critical of the government are easily accessible to the common man, and the nightlife of Berlin puts to shame even Paris's in terms of opulence, extravagance, and sheer scale. But away from the bustling Mitte district, the city becomes oddly silent and calm. Aside from the purr of a car engine or some casual chatter, the streets are near dead silent. It was on cold winter nights like this one when Crown Prince Wilhelm of Prussia was allowed to tour the city in his black Horch 853A cabriolet with a bodyguard.

Despite the icy weather and obvious security risk, Wilhelm always chose to drive with the top down. With the silent purr of the smooth Horch engine leading the way, the car navigated itself around Berlin. For several hours Wilhelm would drive around Berlin while staying away from the busy central areas of the city. While one could view this as a pure indulgence or even a flaunting of the Hohenzorllens riches, it was anything but that. The Kaiser was dying and Wilhelm could not take the constant reminders that his turn on the throne was coming up very quickly. Kaiser Wilhelm III had been suffering for over five years from gall and liver problems which were eating away at him. The press didn't know, and the whole thing was treated with the secrecy of a military project. Ont a word was ever leaked to the press.

While on New Years Day, one would be expected to spend time with their family, Wilhelm found doing so insufferable. His father was chair-bound most of the time and could not walk without the aid of a cane. The drugs given to him to drown out the pain caused by his ailing body made him have mood swings and turned him into an unpredictable madman or crying child at the snap of a finger. Wilhelm of Prussia (or as his official name would be once he became Kaiser; Wilhelm IV) had been preparing for the day that his father dies for over a decade. But perhaps what Wilhelm of Prussia most dreaded about his father's death would be the funeral. Like that of his grandfather, representatives from the royal families of the UK, Russia, Spain, and Austro-Hungary as well as several heads of state could be expected to show up or at least send their regards.

As the car headed back into the Mitte area and the busy streets, Wilhelm of Prussia put the soft top back up and pulled into the royal palace. The car blended in perfectly in this part of Berlin, and no one could tell that royalty was riding in the car. Pulling into one of the courtyards of the palace, Wilhelm parked the car and got out. After waving goodbye to the bodyguard and hanging him a Leica camera as a New Years' gift, Wilhelm headed into the palace in the early hours of the morning.

Windhoek, January 1st

Unlike Berlin during New Years', Windhoek was broiling. The hot summer winds warmed the city ferociously and kicked dust up on the high plateau of the Khomas Highlands. It was in one of the hillside villas that one could find the Chancellor of Germany, Konrad Adenauer vacationing. Lounging by a pool, the hot summer sun was relaxing and complemented well the ice-cold riesling. Half-asleep from the party the day before, Adenauer was in no mood to work or attend to official business. But like so many other things, work had a way of wrecking even the most well thought out plans for rest and relaxation.

A shrill ringing jolted Adenauer from his half-asleep state. Reaching over with his right hand, he grabbed the telephone receiver and put it up to his ear.

"This is Adenauer." He said.

"Konrad." Said vice-Chancellor Franz von Papen in a tense tone of voice.

"What is it, Franz?" Asked Adenauer with moderate concern.

"It is the Kaiser." Was Franz's somber reply.

"Is he?" Adenauer inquired in shock as he grabbed his glass of riesling.

"No, not yet." Answered Franz before adding on: "But he will be any day now. It would be wise if you were to return to Berlin immediately."

"I see." Sighed Adenauer.

"He is in well...a long nap he may well never recover from," Franz said in a hushed tone of voice.

"Are you at the royal palace?" Adenauer asked confusedly.

"Of course!" Franz snapped back. "I'm in the corner of a room with the family staring at me with piercing eyes like vultures circling their prey."

"Dear God." Was Adenauer's reply as he rolled his eyes. "I'll be there as soon as I can."

"Please hurry. You know that if well...worse comes to worst, the military might get involved." Franz stated with concern.

"Talk to Göring, or Paulus if you need to consult the military." Adenauer spat into the phone as he then placed the receiver back onto the phone itself.

"What was that?" Asked Adenauer's wife, Auguste.

"It's the Kaiser. Von Papen claims he is at death's door, so off to Berlin we must go." An annoyed Adenauer said.

"Christ. That is the last thing this country needs, another dead monarch, and another monarch to take his place." Auguste said in a disgruntled tone of voice.

"I know they are redundant. It's kind of a fact of society. But they keep a lid on things for the moment. And getting rid of them could have serious political fallout." Replied Adenauer.

"Look, the new Kaiser will be a lame duck. You and Papen should push for the monarchy to get rid of all it's non-ceremonial power. Seize that power for yourselves, and make Germany into a better place." Auguste urged her husband.

"If anything a new Kaiser means a new slate when it comes to diplomacy. It will be time to try and change the diplomatic course perhaps, and maybe be more ambitious on the world stage. But that is all speculative. I could also be out of a job when the next Kaiser takes power, you know." Adenauer explained.

"Regardless. Let's focus on getting to Berlin." Auguste said.

by **Union Princes** » Mon Dec 14, 2020 10:07 pm

Patriarchal Cathedral of Saint Confucius, Commerical District
Nanjing, Jiangsu
Republic of China

January 1st, 1950

Sweat trailed down the brow of Hou Tao as he navigated his way through the packed streets of Nanjing. The city was hardly ever idle given its status as the center of China’s economic and social growth as its inhabitants traveled from district to district looking for work and homes. Hou and his wife, Liang Tao, were no different as the young couple moved here recently for the same job opportunities. Originally from Hong Kong, the British-educated Hou Tao moved here to become part of the growing bureaucracy of Chiang Kai-shek’s government as a government clerk.

But this day specifically, Hou brought his wife to follow a particular crowd towards an Orthodox cathedral situated in the commercial district. It was the biggest Eastern Christian church in all of the Republic of China and if the rumors were true, a personal thank-you gift to Patriarch Joseph Stalin from President Chiang-Kai-shek. It was the Cathedral of Saint Confucius and as Hou could see, service thousands of faithful every day. With his quick eyes, he easily spotted a few Russians, either priests or veterans of the Five Year War of Resistance (2nd Sino-Japanese War). Given their graying beards, Hou was willing to bet a few Yuans that they were both.

Despite growing up as a Buddhist, he felt the calling from God at the end of the 2nd Sino-Japanese War. After seeing his neighbors, former classmates, and friends being baptized and convert to Eastern Orthodoxy, Hou thought he could follow President Chiang’s example and be baptized as well.

After a dreadfully long period of waiting, it was finally his turn to go. When Hou was in front of the bath, he realized he was standing before Patriarch Joseph Stalin, looking as passionate as ever despite doing baptisms for the past three hours.

“Are you ready, my son?” His Beatrice asked gently, his Georgian accent thick beneath his Cantonese. His massive mustache wiggling like a giant furry caterpillar.

Hou nodded and soon he felt the cold water splash against his face three times.

“May your new life begin as a child of Christ.” Patriarch Joseph Stalin blessed Hou Tao.

It was a breath of fresh air. Gone were the years of war and reconstruction, now let this be a new decade of peace and prosperity.

by **Zelent** » Mon Dec 14, 2020 11:01 pm

Svenska Rike
Stockholm, January 1st, 1950

"....That is why, my country men, my brothers and sisters of Sweden, and the Nordic Race. With this new decade! We will find not only a continuation of our glorious, revolutionary, prosperity, but for it to expand ten fold, and for our greatness to shine from the cold seas of the Barnets, to the gentle plains of Jutland, to the imposing fjords of Trondheim, and reflecting in every valley, off every lake and shimmering through the forests, and its brightness apparent in the homes

andlives of our folk. What we, have accomplished, is only a fraction of potential that your, superior, grand race has to offer. We stand, as the blessed race, the true adventurers and leaders of the Humankind. What we shall accomplish in this decade will outweigh what we accomplished last, and the decade before that. Before long, we will be without challenge, our blood will be preserved and our soil will be clean and our national will be the truest undertakers of her destiny!!
Sven Olav Lindholm, the Rikskanzler of the Swedish people, finnished his 45 minute long address, with the typical fire and fury that capped off his speeches. His speech had been lined with, mostly implied, grandiose promises, that this would finally be the time, the age for long awaited Nordic unity. To any casual observer, nothing of his words indicated a more then optimistic proposition of deeper unity, and cooperation among the Nordic people, but to those paying attention to the dogwhistles, it was apparent that he fully meant a single, transatlantic nation of the Nordic Race, that is, a Nordic Rike and not a Swedish Rike. Stockholm was in a joyous frenzy at their Rikeskanzlers words. He descended from his tall podium, making his way through the people, without security, a intentional show of his confidence that he was not afraid of his people, and a statement of his solidarity with the common folk. Returning to the stage, he sat with other major Party leaders, flanking the King himself, who oddly enough, had only spoken briefly at todays events, in summary to wish his fellow Swedes, Nordics, and the World a happy, and blessed new year of a new decade, and to thank the people of Sweden for their continue commitment to the national cause. Any journalist intending to speak in regards to the Kings appeared declining health would be promptly censored. In any case, everyone in Sweden new better. The King was old, and with the respect for old aged comes an understanding of the strenuous requirements of daily tasks. The cheering, vociferous crowd came to a respectful silence, as a orchestra of trumpets sounded the adjutants call for the next stage of events, the parade. At the front, on horseback marched the Chiefs of Staff of the Swedish military led by three standard bearers. Coming marching down the center of the square came companies in two columns, notable and honored companies of the Swedish military whos members had spent most of last month, and sacrificing a shortened Christmas leave, in order to be present today. At the end of the square and before the stage, they pivoted right and left, all the while the Kings Swedish Army Band triumphantly played the March of the Army, some 5,000 soldiers goose-stepped onto the square and going round about, presenting themselves to some 80,000 Swedes in attendance that day and many more listening over the radio. Each unit was announced with its name and the name of its commanding officer. What an honor. There was also a military fly over, led by the first wing to be fully equipped with jet fighters, the F 8 Fighter Wing, having only recently completed the transfer to the Saab J29 in September, preformed a flyover in formation, with all 36 fighters, in a display of Swedens newly developed jet capability.
The celebration and fan fair continued early into the afternoon, ultimately concluding with the march away of the soldiers and Lindholm and his staff waving to their beloved people. Regardless of the pomp and circumstance and formalities, the underlying message to todays fanfare was that Sweden was on one hand, patting its self on the back, and on the other, sharpening her claws for the fight to the top.

January 3rd, 1950, Copenhagen
It was the start of the new year, perfect time for the D-NSAP to get to work with its usual tricks. Until now, NSAP's central committee had come to a conclusive narrative, the D-NSAP was in a firm enough position before the next election that it could be taken as a major force in Danish politics, one the rest of the parties would have to ally with one-another in order to defeat. As things currently stood, it was the largest opposition party in the Folketing, and if polling data was to be believed, this election year would not make any major yields of new seats. Central Committee in Stockholm was reluctantly ready to throw everything it had into ensuring a National Socialist victory in Denmark this year, but D-NSAP Kanzler was insistent that he had things under control, provided he recieved what support he actually needed. For his plans, this would put to use his support among the blue collar workers, some sectors of the military, and certain departments within the government. Lembcke had privately held resentment with the Swedes reluctance throughout the 40's to establish a Nordic Union by force, and viewed this opinion as being entirely driven by the failure of the N-NSAP to preform well enough in its elections until their own last cycle. The plan he drafted involved a march on København, ostensibly to exercise their political rights, and expose a vast corruption scandal within the Danish government. If those implicated in the scandal refused resignation, they thought they might, tentatively, be supported by Fredrick IX. Indeed, previously, Fredrick IX had in recent years, seemed more open to the concept of a Nordic union, provided certain assurances. A NSAP agent within the Royal Court had facilitated some discussion of the matter between Fredrick IX and the NSAP, while Fredrick IX had spoken privately at some point last year regarding the matter with Gustaf V. The king would be overly reluctant to step in, having witnessed his father barely scathe his way through the Easter Crisis of 1920, which nearly pushed the Danish monarchy out. With or without the Kings public support, the time was now.

Envelopes were anonymously sent to major news papers around Copenhagen, containing some real, others forged evidence of corruption within the Danish civil administration and MPs. Those implicated ran far and wide, across the political spectrum, even some D-NSAP members that the party intended to purge for wavering commitment to the Nordic race. Alleged and proven crimes ranged widely; fraud, embezzlement, money laundering, bribery, quid pro quo, and also included non money making offenses, not all of which illegal, but some that would disgust the Danish public so deeply. Homosexuality, Infidelity, Alcoholism. Surely, when all went to print, the Danish people would be outraged. The day after, the membership of NSAP politicians involved would be suspended under investigation, in order to make the NSAP look both uninvolved with the accounts, but the fastest to take action.

Any sluggishness to respond by the Government would only add more fuel onto the NSAPs fire. By the 6th, tens of thousands of NSAP protestors would be called upon to come out into the streets of Copenhagen and other major cities in Denmark, demanding the resignation of the current government.

Greenshirts on the march on the outskirts of Copenhagen.

by **TENNOHEIKA BANZAI NIHON** » Wed Dec 16, 2020 2:30 am

Imperial General Headquarters; Supreme War Council
Tokyo, Japan
January 1, 1950

As New Year's day was just beginning, the Supreme War Council was meeting, unlike much of the nation, who had just spent the night celebrating the new year. Normally, sitting in the room was just the Prime Minister, the Minister of Foreign Affairs, the Minister of the Navy, and the Chief of the Navy General Staff, however today, they were joined by several top commanders from the Army and Navy. Unlike other administrations, Tojo was his own War Minister and Chief of the Army General Staff, leading to him having greater control of the military. The tone was all rather serious as Marshal Admiral Yamamoto spoke first. "Gentlemen, I have come to report on the work of out ballistic rocket program, after the Ohka rockets proved a success. Our experts say that we are less than a two years away from the development of a production model and say so far prototypes have done well except from some minor issues. We need more funding for the project if it is to continue."

Field Marshal Terauchi stood, "Of what use are the rockets if there are no suitable targets in Russia, Burma, or Shina (China), we should be pursuing the Army's nuclear project instead!"

Admiral Nagumo muttered, "And to what degree of success have you had with that?"

Terauchi could be seen almost smirking as he replied. "Actually, the Army has recently discovered uranium near the Shandong Peninsula. With sufficient heavy water being produced at the Korean Hydro Electric Company at Konan, we can now move on to meaningful research, and an atomic weapon is nearly in our grasp. This is the closest we have ever been."

Some nods could be seen from the Supreme War Council, so Terauchi continued. "All we need is more personnel and funding. We have begun extraction of uranium near the Chinese border, although my suggestion would be that we make a move to seize more land nearby, where our experts believe there is more uranium. We already have developed our delivery method for the weapon; our Nakajima G10N which will be ready for production this year."

Prime Minister Tojo broke the moment of silence. "The Navy and Army will get its funding for their projects, do not worry about that. While we cannot act against Shina at the time being, the presence of uranium is a good reason I can present to my cabinet for carrying out a Third Shina Incident. The Emperor is supportive of our holy war in Shina, and I fully intend to fulfill my promise I made the day I took office. I will bring a end to the Shina Incident once and for all, on our terms."

He stood up and walked to Terauchi and Field Marshal Hata. He whispered, "Draw up plans for a Third Shina Incident and present them to me by next week. Never forget, we act with the blessing of his Holiness the Emperor, and thus we will not fail. Have the plans be only for coastal regions. You are dismissed."

As Army generals filed out of the room, Tojo walked to Yamamoto. "Have your men draw up plans for a limited strike on Russia. We should not need to resort to this, but it would be best to be prepared should I need to make the decision on a moment's notice. I have heard Britain plans to have India become independent. If that is so, we will not have to concern ourselves in the South Pacific."

Yamamoto simply bowed and replied, "Field Marshal Tojo. I fear a strike on Russia would be very dangerous to our allies in Manchuko and Chosen (Korea), we should not take this planning lightly."

Tojo nodded. "Later this week I will consult with his Majesty Emperor Hirohito. He will approve of our Shina plans, but do not fear, if Russia doesn't intervene then we will maintain status quo with the Russians."

Tachikawa Airfield
Tokyo, Japan
January 2, 1950

Surrounded by Imperial Guardsmen, Prince Yasuhito, brother of Emperor Hirohito and a Major General in the Imperial Japanese Army, walked towards the Nakajima G8N Bomber, as he prepared to fly to the California Republic and join Ambassador Kichisaburō Nomura at their state dinner. He had never really recovered from his illnesses, however, he had volunteered to attend the event in hopes of warming relations to better allow Japan's ambitions for Asia to be completed. As he got to the plane, he was greeted by Masaharu Homma, his former aide-de-camp and the former Governor-General of the Philippines. The two exchanged bows and before long, were on the plane, its pilots getting ready for take off.

Homma smiled towards Yasuhito, "Your Imperial Highness, it is an honor to once again serve alongside you."

Yasuhito nodded. "I heard you came out of retirement."

"Your Imperial Highness, the Ministry of War takes your security very seriously. They wanted me to personally oversee your protection and to assist you in any policy decisions while abroad."

Prince Yasuhito motioned out the window towards the four Mitsubishi A6Ms. "Is that what those are for?"

"Your Imperial Highness, we have this planned out very well. We already sent one armed bomber ahead of us, to act as a scout and report anything suspicious. Our three transport G8Ns that are unarmed will fly under escort of two armed G8Ns and the A6Ms. When the A6Ms have to turn back, we will be escorted by planes from one of our carriers. At every stop, we will have new pilots take over so we can reach Sacramento as fast as possible."

Yasuhito gave a small grin. "Good. I would expect nothing less."

East Japan Sea (East China Sea)
January 2, 1950

Captain Kagayama Hokao sat at the bridge of his ship, the cruiser HIJMS Myōkō gazing out towards the sky, watching A7M fighters being launched from the light carrier HIJMS Ryujo that his ship and several others were escorting. He had gotten word that the aircraft would be escorting Prince Yasuhito's plane, a diversion from their original mission.

Usually, the Japanese Navy kept all of its capital ships in reserve, located in bases near Japan, ready to deploy to any crisis point, however recently it had been stepping up patrols in the China area. The fact Japan was deploying its carriers to the area showed a new form of readiness, and presumably heightened tensions. But that was not unusual to Hokao. Just yesterday, on a patrol alone, the Myoko had encountered several Chinese fishing boats in the "Greater East Asia Exclusive Economic Zone" so he had given orders to force the ships away. And that was typical, although younger captains or crewmen were known to play with the Chinese even more, sometimes cutting their nets or spraying high powered hoses towards the Chinese fishing boats.

His train of thought was interrupted as he heard the Prince's planes rumbling overhead, and the horns on the ships being sounded in salute. Captain Hokao glanced at his watch. 12:45. In 15 minutes, The Ryujo would depart with its escorts, and the Myokyo and the Ibuki would be on their own again, conducting patrols around the East Japan Sea. Hokao called to one of his sub-lieutenants. "Cruising speed! We move north to patrol off Shanghai in 10 minutes."

by **New New Sriker** » Sat Dec 19, 2020 2:45 am

Washington DC, United American Commonwealth
January 1st, 1950
The Meeting

Tukhachevsky sat in his chair drinking his tea as he read the daily mail, he sat the paper down then looked around the table and around him were the highest ranking officers of the ARRA, many Commonwealth government officials, and the General Secretary, Upton Sinclair himself. Tukhachevsky took another sip from his tea and then spoke to everyone at the briefing.

“Welcome Comrades and comrade General Secretary, today I will be covering this briefing thanks to our comrade Patton’s flu getting the better of him. We have three topics of discussion today: first is comrade Oppenheimer’s project, second is the California State Dinner , and third is our ally China, Comrade Oppenheimer go ahead.” Said Tukhachevsky with a thick Russian accent, Oppenheimer stood up, wearing a light brown suit, and pulled his pipe out of his mouth and began to speak.

“The Project has made a lot of progress since the last briefing, the constant uranium supply bought from Colorado and New Mexico has assisted us greatly in the production of the first two prototypes, one of which will be tested. The testing for the first prototype will be detonated in the Jornada Del Muerto desert as discussed in the last briefing. Also thanks to the hard work of our construction crews, the testing area is almost done with construction and with all of the needed precautions finished and double checked, the first test can begin soon” Said Oppenheimer with a slightly optimistic tone, the entire room was filled with whispers from Generals and State Officials, until the General Secretary spoke up.

“Excellent work Doctor Oppenheimer, but if I may ask how soon is soon Doctor?” Said Sinclair looking at the Doctor, Oppenheimer smiled at Sinclair the responded

“With the team’s current progress, testing can start effectively in late February or Early March thanks to the amount of progress me and the team have had.” Said Oppenheimer said, the room was then filled with applause as all of the Generals and some of the State Officials congratulated the Doctor on his Progress. After a minute, Tukhachevsky continued the briefing.

“Now let’s continue our discussion, the next topic is the State Dinner with our friends in California, General Secretary you may take over.” Tukhachevsky said, he then sat down as Sinclair began to speak.

“After much talk with my wife and a few of you in this very room, I will not be attending the State Dinner but in my absence I will be sending comrade Milton Wolff and I expect him to be a fine representative of our Commonwealth and our fight for Socialism.” Said Sinclair while standing up at the table.
“Now Let us move on to the discussion on China” Said Sinclair, Tukhachevsky stood once more and then began to pass out files on the situation in China.

“Our Chinese comrades have been in a constant struggle against Japanese Imperialism for decades and now more than ever is their sovereignty and ideology under attack by the Imperialist and oppressive Empire, now I would like to explain what Marshall Patton’s plans for China are. Patton wishes for approval of the General Secretary to increase the amount of military support to the Republic of China and for the establishment of an American military base in China to prevent any unneeded violence between Japan and China.” Said Tukhacevsky, Sinclair thought about the idea and responded.

“Patton’s idea of increasing the amount of support sent to our Chinese comrades is a good proposition but I think that the establishment of an American military base will only cause more worry and could just cause the dragging of America into a possible 3rd Sino-Japanese war and the American people do not need a violent war on their minds.” Said Sinclair

“General Secretary, I respect your decision but personally I believe that if America were to show off her strength to the Japanese they would simply not attack the Chinese out of fear of our intervention in a conflict” Chimed in General Eisenhower.

“The Empire, no matter the circumstance will always ignore the risks of their actions, I believe they will just do the same if America were to intervene in a crisis, for the beast always ignores signs of danger.” Said Wolff while staring at Eisenhower, Sinclair stood and looked at the generals

“We will be sending additional military equipment and that’s it for now, someone get Tukhachevsky a pen so he can inform our chinese allies of the incoming gifts” Said Sinclair.

by **Monsone** » Sun Dec 20, 2020 3:11 pm

Berlin, January 4th
Kaiser Wilhelm II Airport (Tegel Airport)

A Focke-Wulf Fw 300 airliner landed on the clear winter day on one of the long asphalt strips that served as the airport's runways. Unlike many of the other planes at the airport, the colors of Lufthansa, LOT, or any other German airline did adorn the aircraft. Instead, the plane was all silver save for its tail which was adorned with the flag of the German Empire. And on its fuselage in a gothic typeface was written, Deutsches Reich.

Instead of heading for the terminal, the plane taxied towards a bevy of black Mercedes-Benz limousines and sedans. Coming to a halt, the engines spooled down, and stairs were wheeled up to the aircraft's right-hand main door. With a hiss, the door popped out of its seal and opened. From the door emerged Konrad Adenauer and his wife Auguste. They walked down the stairs and were saluted by military personnel. Meanwhile, the government officials climbed into their cars and opened the doors to the armored Mercedes-Benz limousine the Adenauers would ride in. The two of them climbed into the car, and with a loud thunk, the car door closed behind them. Then, the convoy of cars drove off.

Reichstag, Berlin

Standing as a symbol of German democracy and power, the Reichstag was also a symbol of the limits of Germany's parliament and its democracy. As the convoy of Mercedes-Benz came to a halt, the door to the car the Adenauers were riding in was opened by a doorman, and out stepped Konrad Adenauer. He walked swiftly up the steps and into the building itself, where he was greeted by one of his many aides. They shook hands before the aide addressed him.

"Mr. Chancellor, there is a meeting of your closest confidants that awaits you." The aide said.

"Good. Are they in the usual room?" Adenauer asked.

"No, sir. I'll take you to the room, sir." Was the aide's reply as the two of them began walking.

After walking up a few flights of stairs and casing through several hallways and corridors, the aide and Adenauer reached the room. Opening the door, Adenauer was greeted by Von Papen, as well as Hermann Göring, the defense minister. From the room, a perfect view of the Königsplatz and Berlin was given. Adenauer took a seat at the head of the table and took a sip of water while adjusting his tie and then taking a glance at the folder that was placed before him. After glimpsing through the folder, Adenauer put it down and spoke to the room.

"The first order of business, the succession of the monarchy," Adenauer said with a sigh.

"Yes, yes. I talked with the family, and all is in order. Now we wait for the Kaiser to drop dead." Replied Von Papen.

"Good. The next order of business in Denmark. The country we affectionately call our airbag." Adenauer said with a chuckle.

"Denmark is in an interesting position. From what I can tell, the situation is being aggravated by the Swedes. But I am not certain about the exact causes and conditions of the whole issue." Explained Joachim von Ribbentrop, the foreign minister.

"We could intervene to restore stability within Denmark," Göring suggested.

"It could spark a war with the Swedes." Warned Von Ribbentrop.

"The Swedes dare not fight with us. It would end in their defeat." Remarked Heinz Guderian, the Inspector General of the Armed Forces.

"Yes, but they can still wreak havoc on us. If it weren't for the Kiel Canal, the war would be fatal to our economy." Stated Ludwig Erhard, the Minister of Economics. "The Danish Straits are critical to shipping between the Baltic and the North Sea, and any disruption would be fatal to the German and Russian economies. The Kiel Canal would be ill-equipped to handle the amount of shipping that would be disrupted by war."

"So we don't aid Denmark?" Asked Göring.

"No, we do. But we do to not put shipping via the Danish straits in jeopardy." Replied Erhard.

"On the note of Denmark and Sweden, there is the Uranprojekt. specifically its Norwegian component." Von Papen said with some concern. "Dr. Heisenbegr, would you mind explaining."

"Esteemed colleagues, as the chair of the German Atomic Energy board, it is my job to supervise both secret and public aspects of the many nuclear programs of Germany. For these projects, many rare components are needed." Explained Dr. Werner Heisenberg. "Specifically Uranium and heavy water. Our supplies of Uranium is of concern to me as there is plenty in mainland Germany, our African colonies, and in Austro-Hungary-Croatia. On the other hand, heavy water is a different story. The majority of it comes from the Vemork Power Plant in Norway. And while there is a plant under construction in Tanganyika as well as two smaller facilities being built in Germany proper, they won't be sufficient to allow for the ramp-up of nuclear projects being demanded. More heavy waters need to be secured, ideally from Norway as it is the closest source of the water."

"So we need to invade Norway?" Asked Adenauer.

"Perhaps just put a friendly government in place, though ideally complete control of the plant is ideal." Replied Dr. Heisenberg.

"Understood. And how far is the Uranprojekt from a functional nuclear reactor for civilian use?" Asked Erhard.

"No more than two years. But that is based on a consistent supply of heavy water to supply the project." Was Dr. Heisenberg's reply.

"Good. Very good. And what about a fissile device?" Asked Guderian as Göring sneered.

"That is hardly a toy you can hope to get your hands on," Göring said as Guderian chuckled.

"Absolutely, but having some in the arsenal cannot hurt, right doctor?" Guderian responded as he addressed his question to Dr. Heisenberg.

"Absolutely correct." Replied the doctor stoically.

"So what timeframe are we looking at, Dr. Heisenberg?" Inquired Göring.

"Perhaps around five to seven years." Replied Dr. Heisenberg meekly. "The process is having unexpected stumbling blocks, especially with the heavy water supply. My colleagues have identified that it would take an incredible nine tonnes of heavy water to create a single fissile device. Let that sink in. Even with the Tanganyika plant which will have a capacity of one-thousand tonnes per year as well as the two German plants, we will have a mere one-thousand two hundred tonnes."

"I see." Von Papen said with interest.

"Denmark and Norway." Adenauer mussed before replying: "Consider it a done deal."

Somewhere in the Namibian Desert, January 4th

"The bloody heat." Moaned the famed test pilot, Otto Kittel.

"I hardly think that is going to be the worst part of today." Replied his colleague Gunther Rall.

"You know well enough this is the only place we can perform aircraft tests." Willy Messerschmitt stated.

"Flightplans gentlemen. Get ready for some fun." Said a mildly excited Kurt Tank.

"Woah! This, this is serious the plan?" Asked Rall.

"You two are crazy!" Exclaimed a shocked Kittel.

"Really? You can reach 1,000 km/h at 10,000 meters with ease. The aircraft can take it." Said Messerschmitt excitedly.

"Is that a dare?" Asked Kittel.

"Perhaps," Rall said with a smirk.

"Would you do it for 100 RM and a bottle of Reisling, each?" Asked Tank.

"Deal." Replied the two pilots.

An hour later, the two pilots were back on the ground, giddy with excitement. They had exceeded the demands made by Messerschmitt and Tank with ease. So much so, they had set a new record for aviation. Their aircraft (a Messerschmitt P.1101 and Focke-Wulf Fw 183 respectively) had broken the sound barrier in a 25-degree dive and eventually maxed out at 1,200 km/h in a 50-degree drive. While the aircraft could take the strain, the 50-degree drive had shown that extreme vibrations could occur in a steep dive at supersonic speeds. Regardless, with glee, the two pilots gladly took their 100 RM and bottles of Reisling from a somewhat shocked Tank and Messerschmitt.

German-Danish Border, January 5th

Campsites in the Belt had been taken over by the German Army. Overnight and across the whole border, 45,000 troops had been trucked in. Despite the bitter cold, they were in a jovial mood because of the recent holiday celebrations, and of course because of the holiday bonuses every soldier received. The troops sipped coffee and consumed their rations while they killed time by playing assorted sports. Some smoked, others played soccer, and the more daring went skiing. Regardless of the fun being had, the troops knew that at a moment's notice they might have to pack up and march into Denmark.

Berliner Morgenpost
January 5, 1950

John Rabe
1882-1950

It saddens us to report the death of John Rabe, a representative of Siemens in China from 1910 to 1938 as well as the unofficial German ambassador to China and a friend of the Chinese people. Mr. Rabe died of a stroke in his Berlin home surrounded by his family and friends at 00:25 in the morning of January 5. Best known for his acts of heroism and bravery during the Nanking Massacre and his attempts to protect civilians from harm, Mr. Rabe was well regarded within China for these acts despite not being a German government official. Outside of China, Mr. Rabe was known as being a well-regarded businessman held in high regard by his employer and by his employees.

John Rabe left behind his wife and children as well as many dear friends. German Ambassador to China, Wilhelm Zaisser has stated:

"The death of Rabe is a solemn moment for the deep and long-standing friendship between China and Germany. Rabe will be warmly remembered by those who met him and by those whose lives he changed. He lived as a good citizen and as a good person who truly cared for human life. I extend my condolences to the Rabe family, and to the Chinese people, for the loss of Rabe, is the loss of a dear friend in Germany."

by **TENNOHEIKA BANZAI NIHON** » Tue Dec 22, 2020 2:59 am

Kinmen Military Headquarters
Kinmen, Japan
January 4, 1950

Captain Sato of the Taiwan Special Naval Landing Forces (SNLF) and Colonel Mukai from the Tenth Area Army stood at a table surrounded by loyal officers in a room, laid before them a map of Amoy Island, just a few miles away. The plan? Plant explosives on a Japanese patrol boat and frame the Chinese, then proceed to act upon the "attack" by launching an invasion of Amoy Island to start a Third Shina Incident.

Colonel Mukai smiled towards Sato as he handed the captain a note he just received. "General Andō has just authorized the deployment of more artillery to Kinmen. I believe we will be ready to act soon."

Sato nodded. "Yes, I just got word from my friend from the Naval Academy, Captain Hisaguchi, he is willing to go along with our plan and his ship, the Ibuki, will arrive next month to provide naval support. If we act in time, we can also receive support from the Ryujo strike group which is just 50 miles from here."

Mukai studied the map. "Very good. Everything is falling into place. Shina will finally respond to our provocations, and we will bring glory once again to our Empire. Just like the Mukden Incident, we will bring honor to our unit. Sato! Let's go over the plan again."

Sato passed out papers to all of the officers. "Since we have approval of the Governor-General, we have transports, 200 artillery pieces, 2,000 men from the SNLF, and 1,500 men from the Army. We estimate the enemy has no more than 1,000 men defending Amoy, and none in equal caliber to our elite and devoted marines. First, Lieutenant Hiroshi will plant a small amount of TNT on his patrol boat while in dock, and we will detonate it. Immediately after, we will blame the Chinese side and report so to our command and the newspapers. At dawn, we will attack, raining down artillery from our batteries and our naval support. Within minutes of ceasing our artillery, troops will land on the beaches. The marines will flank from the west while the army will make a head on assault. We will take the island in hours, and we expect a Chinese counterattack which will start an all out war. There is no sense in planning further, as General Headquarters will take on from there."

Mukai walked to the front of the room to give a final remark before the men would be off preparing, "Gentlemen, what we do is for the good of our Empire, and the Chinese people. Peace is impossible with their communist regime, and we must fight to honor his Holiness the Emperor. We can wait no longer. Tenno Heika Banzai!"

The officers in the room raised their hands into the air with a joyous cry, "TENNO HEIKA BANZAI!"

Imperial General Headquarters
Tokyo, Japan
January 8, 1950

"I just spoke with the Emperor, he has given approval to move forward with the Shina plan." declared Prime Minister Tojo as he walked into his office, where Field Marshals Terauchi and Hata sat alongside Marshal Admiral Yamamoto.

Terauchi was the first to speak. "Our operation would be simple. At the outbreak of hostilities, bombers from the navy and army would launch a first wave of strikes all across China, aimed at disabling their airbases, air defenses, and communications. A second wave will hit depots and factories. All subsequent waves will hit their cities, to minimize resistance under the guise of destroying their industrial capabilities. Meanwhile, the navy will sortie to destroy the Chinese fleet entirely, before moving to a stance where it could respond to any further threats. Cruisers and submarines will sink all Chinese merchant shipping and any other Chinese civilian vessels they come across. We expect this to take only 3 days. As this is all occurring, on the ground, the China Expeditionary Army alongside troops from Chosen, the Reorganized ROC, and Mengjiang will attack from the north with overwhelming strength as forces from the Southern Expeditionary Army Group move from the south, with support from Higashiindo Okoku, and the Kingdom of Thailand. We also expect elements of the Free Indian Army to join them. By my estimates, due to our overwhelming navy and air support, we will crush the Chinese within 3 months and take their coast. Advancing inland will be another issue, however I believe once we hold the coast, we can finally be satisfied."

Hata pointed to the map. "Of course, there is Russia and Britain, whom we must be careful of. I doubt they will be willing to attack us, but we plan to hold the Thai Army in reserve in the south and the Kwangtung Army in the North. My recommendations are that we order the Nakajima G10N bombers into production immediately. Even a few of them will be suitable. Their range is long enough to cover all of China, and even Europe in a suicide raid. In addition, it would be best that we move our jet fighter squadrons from the homeland to bases in Manchuko, and send them armor reinforcement."

Tojo nodded in approval. "You have permission to make an order of 3,400 of the G10N bombers. They have a very good bomb armament, an I believe it will be good enough to bring even the Chinese interior to its knees. I suppose we can move the 2 armored divisions from General Defense Command to the Southern Expeditionary Army Group, and send 5 Type B divisions as well to the China Expeditionary Army. That will increase their troop strengths significantly."

Yamamoto finally spoke. "Regarding Russia, the Navy has decided the best attack would occur in winter, when the Russians were stuck at their bases. They would make easy targets for our land based bombers, and they would be unable to move. I believe..."

An aide walked into the room quickly, whispering to Tojo who replied, "Tell the General I applaud him for his loyalty."

Tojo now stood walking towards a detailed map of China on the wall.

"What is it sir?" came Terauchi.

"I just got word from General Andō. It appears some of his officers are planning a provocation against China, set to take place next month. He decided to report this to me, however urges that this be allowed to continue." said Tojo.

Terauchi gave a small grin. "Sir this could be our chance. It will speed up our timeline, however this could be the provocation that sets our plan into motion. Where will this take place? Taiwan I presume."

Tojo nodded. "Yes, in Kinmen Prefecture. The officers and Diet must not know of it, but I will support them. Marshal Admiral! Deploy elements of the 6th and 1st Fleet to the area on 'exercises'. Once the events occur, they will be conveniently nearby. If the operation succeeds in creating hostilities, we will be able to find some justification to attack. We can discuss the main operation in detail closer to date. Right now, I must go an speak with his Holiness the Emperor about our plan. Farewell gentlemen."

Our Fathers' Weeping [IC/AH/OPEN]

Our Fathers' Weeping [IC/AH/OPEN]

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