On December 11th, 1945, an atomic bomb was detonated on Washington DC, forcing the capitulation
of the remaining allied powers and ending the Second World War.
In the peace that followed, the victorious Axis partitioned their conquered territories
between them, ushering in the single greatest geopolitical shift since the Mongol conquests
of the 13th century.
This New Order is now dominated by the largest empire the world has ever seen; The Greater
Germanic Reich.
A single-party totalitarian dictatorship, the Reich is based around the tenants of “national
socialism” which incorporates a pseudo scientific racial hierarchy with pan-German nationalism.
In this system, citizens from every part of society are expected to subordinate their
personal interests to the “common good”.
Any form of religion, speech or art deemed incompatible with the National Socialist regime
is strongly repressed with those in possession of such material harshly punished.
Individuals considered to be a drain on society; due to their ethnicity, political beliefs,
religion or sexual orientation are systematically eliminated through either euthanasia, forced
sterilization or other means.
Even loyal citizens of the Reich, if afflicted with certain medical conditions or disorders
are subject to this same policy.
The capital of the Reich is Berlin, nearly completely reconstructed following the conclusion
of the war to the specifications of Albert Speer.
The city is based around a series of monumental architecture, most notably the immense domed
Volkshalle or “People’s Hall” which houses some of the most important governmental
ministries and provides a venue where the state’s leadership can address an assembly
of over 150,000 people.
The Volkshalle is also the official residence of the führer, who serves as the Reich’s
supreme authority.
Other important state bodies include the Reichstag, the legislative branch which convenes in a
neighboring building of the same name, reconstructed following its destruction by supposed communist
elements during the tumultuous 1930s.
The German armed forces are known as the Wehrmacht and consist of the Heer, Luftwaffe, and Kriegsmarine,
the army, air force, and navy respectively.
These organizations are often at odds with several paramilitary groups, most notably
the Schutzstaffel, which operates its own military divisions and intelligence services.
These units operate outside of Wehrmacht authority and are subordinate only to the leadership
of the National Socialist party.
The Greater Germanic Reich’s territory is enormous, stretching from the Ural mountains
in European Russia to the Amazon river in South America.
Rather than administering all these territories directly however, the state makes use of several
puppet governments, tasked with enforcing the directives of the Greater Reich.
Many of these administrations, such as the governing body of North America maintain their
own capitals, armed forces and even national insignia, but remain completely subordinate
to the Greater Reich and must acquiesce to organizations like the SS whenever required.
These territories are also heavily dependant on the Greater Germanic Reich economically,
and provide large markets for German innovations such as jet aircraft, advanced public transit
systems and rocketry.
The Reich’s technological edge has been the primary method by which it established
itself as the most powerful nation on Earth.
Since its formal victory in 1945 and the suppression of the last resistance elements in the Americas
in 1947, the only genuine threat to its continued existence has been the Japanese led Greater
East Asia Co-Prosperity Sphere.
Tensions have risen since the end of the Second World War and these once nominal allies are
now locked in an ideological struggle to determine the fate of mankind.
The Reich maintains a sizeable technological lead and remains in sole possession of atomic
weaponry and it is for this reason that many within German High Command propose a preemptive
strike on the Japanese before this advantage disappears.
Amidst this crisis, different factions within the Greater Germanic Reich jockey for position
as the health of the führer begins to deteriorate all while citizens across the Americas nervously
go about their lives, knowing full well that in the event of any conflict between these
two superpowers, their cities would be amongst the first targets.
Even as the Reich edges closer to nuclear war, a curious new threat has emerged that
might be more devastating than any atomic bomb.
A series of films have been uncovered that show a world that might have been, a world
where in 1945 the victorious allied forces achieved total victory over Germany and its allies.
Too sophisticated to be simple forgaries, these newsreels have become highly sought-after
by Adolf Hitler himself, horrified by what he sees and what these films might represent.
For fate is fluid, but destiny is in the hands of men.
The Templin Institute investigates alternate worlds and realities.
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