Part 129: Hearts of Iron II: Chapter 26 - Mop-Up: Aug 1943 - Jan 1944

August 1943 - January 1944: Mop-Up

After much debate and discussion, Waldemar accepts the Advisory Council's recommendation for a grand gesture of benvolence - after all, there will be a time after the war when Germany's reputation might once more matter, and the idea of clinging onto the title of Roman emperor in the 20th century seems outmoded. Germany is Germany and Holy Roman Emperor is ultimately a symbolic title.


This gesture naturally goes over well with the Byzantines and the Oriental Axis, who swear to repay the gift with 'eternal friendship'.


Heisenberg makes a major breakthrough in September with the development of a theoretical model for a fission bomb - a weapon with the power to sunder the atoms themselves. Though some of his researchers express concern that such a weapon could ignite the earth's atmosphere, Waldemar instructs Heisenberg to press ahead with the development of a prototype - still expected to be a year or so away.


A new generation of ballistic missiles with the range to reach Mazula's shores is also under development.


The push into Arabia continues, despite peace overtures from the Comintern - with the Byzantine situation defused, Germany sees little reason to make peace on any other terms than unconditional surrender.



The Far East fleet is attacked and wiped out by a Mazulan fleet in October, a defeat of little consequense as its ships were ancient and slated for decommission in a few years regardless.


On October 14th, German troops enter Jerusalem for the first time in almost five hundred years.


Egypt, shrunk into the immediate territory around Cairo but still holding, is relieved a few weeks later as German and Austrian divisions pour across Suez.


The strategic bomber fleet is finally finished, though the constant backlogging has resulted in the planes being outmoded from the moment they left hangar, and time is now needed to upgrade them to standard.


A naval operation to force the Comintern to surrender is launched, with troops landed along the Western African coast, seizing vital ports and deploying six armored divisions into Morocco.



The armored divisions push up through Morocco and into Algeria, speeding towards Constantine.


Mecca falls in late November, the remaining Comintern forces in a state of complete disintegration and offering practically no resistance.


The only remaining holdout outside of Africa is a tiny enclave in Central Asia which iis quickly being closed in on by Byzantine troops.


On December 8th, German tanks enter Constantine and the Union of Rome surrenders unconditionally.



A few days later, the North Africans follow their example, and finally, on December 30th, the United Arab Republic falls.



The Comintern is no more.