Part 113: Hearts of Iron II: Chapter 11 - Advancing Fronts: Jun - Jul 1939

June 1939 - July 1939: Advancing Fronts

Leaving the southern and eastern fronts to their allies, the German High Command turns their attention to the French front and the pre-war invasion plan made ready long ago for this eventuality. Some cabinet replacements are made, with Alfred Jodl taking over as Chief of Staff and Carl von Schubert appointed Head of Military Intelligence.



A counter-attack is immediately launched against the French offensive into Cologne, driving the French out of Cologne and taking Aachen.



Iberia sends its fleet to harrass Germany, with an inconclusive sea battle fought in the English Channel and Iberian submarines attacking German convoys returning from the colonies.



Jadakal decides to cast its lot into the war, attacking Qtizi.


Imperial India declares war on the Union, and unfortunate Turkestan is caught in the crossfire as it refuses to grant Indian troops free access through the country.



Russia moves to bring Turkestan into the League, but with two fronts to already cover it's doubtful if they can spare any resources to protect the nation.


German troops push into the weak point of the French front - the Netherlands. Guderian's light armor takes Antwerp, as German infantry push into Arnhem and Groningen.


A french counter-attack retakes Antwerp, but the French troops in the Netherlands are quickly being boxed in in Amsterdam.


Meanwhile, the French have concentrated their troops to Luxembourg in the south, and High Command moves to exploit this weakness and create a pocket.


The attack is a success, and six French divisions are surrounded and captured.


The French re-deploy and concentrate their forces to the south, launching a major attack into Mühlhausen.


A naval disaster strikes as the Mediterranean fleet, attempting to make a breakout towards Suez, is attacked and nearly wiped out by the Union navy, a full fourth of the German fleet and many of its most modern ships sunk.


Iberian troops take full control over Occitania at the end of June, the OLF guerillas and Occitain militia proving little match for the Iberian army.


As June ends, the situation is looking grim for France - Iberia is pushing up unopposed through the south, while German troops continue to advance in the north. The question is only what will happen when the two advancing fronts meet.


The Italian front is static, the Lombard League having taken a good chunk out of Occitania but failed to make much headway into Italy.


The Austrian line is holding, but the Romanian front is collapsing, and Union troops are threatening to advance unopposed into Lithuania.


The Russian front is going well, and though the Russians have broken through here and there, several of their divisions are trapped in pockets, and Moscow is under Lithuanian control. Still, the fight is not out of them yet.


The Americans have made a little headway into Mazula, but the front there is largely static, the two sides very evenly matched - the Mazulans learned their lessons from the last war well.


Egypt has advanced across Suez and into the Arab Republic, hopefully forcing a future shift of Union troops to protect its puppet.


Naval-wise, the Mediterranean is lost, but the Union navy is still boxed in by Suez and Gibraltar, and the HRE fleets control the waters around Britain, having prevented several attempts by British troops to cross into france.


Anything can happen.