Part 133: Hearts of Iron II: Chapter 30 - Epilogue: Peace in Our Time: Mar 1945 - Jan 1946

Epilogue: March 1945 - January 1946: Peace in Our Time

The military base of Merida is selected as a target. A sparsely populated area of the Yucatan, it is a strategic target that will have high military - but low civilian - casualties.

The attack is preceded by a wave of V2 rockets that take out Merida's anti-air defenses.


Next is a wave of Messerchmitt fighters, clearing the air of Mazulan planes.


Finally, the bomber carrying the nuke arrives, dropping it on Merida, utterly destroying its military base and the two Mazulan divisions stationed there. The death toll is estimated at twenty to thirty thousand, the majority of it military personell and their dependants.


As Mazula reels from the taste of its own medicine, news reach Frankfurt of a major breakthrough for the Oriental Axis in Siberia. Russia is the verge of defeat.


In order to further show the Mazulans we mean business, eighteen divisions land in Belize city and attack Merida and Guatemala.



Unfortunately, before they can get far, Mazulan reinforcements pour in, forcing an ignoble retreat back to the ships.



Heisenberg completes design of a more powerful semi-fission bomb in May, though it will be at least nine months before we have another nuke ready.


In June, Mazula finally signals that it is ready to talk peace after intense pressure by its population to seek peace to avoid nuclear war and further bloodsheld on Mazulan soil. We agree to hear them out, and the negotiations begin in Dublin a week later.


Ljansitar surrenders in August, bringing much of Africa under Lombard control and taking out the last League outpost outside America.


Russia also finally sues for peace the same month, ceding Manchuria and their entire pacific coast to a triumphant Japan.



In mid-October, after months of negotiations, a peace deal both sides can live with is finally brokered. Germany retains its absolute dominance in France, but has to agree to allow Iberia and Britain independence, though only as strictly neutral states with authoritarian governments arranged to Germany's liking.


Mazula recognizes Europe as a German interest sphere and binds itself to respect the religion of its American subjects, and to allow the exiled American government members to return with their properties and freedom, while Germany agrees to end its alliance with Gustavia and recognize the New World as a Mazulan interest sphere in turn. There is some grumbling, but for the most part, the peace agreement is met with widespread celebration on the streets of Frankfurt and Mazula City both.


Many blame Germany's weak response to the nuclear attack on Essen for the lack of better peace terms, and while its certainly true that Germany would have been negotiating from a better position, its just as likely that the peace talks could have failed altogether. And the terms could always have been worse...



As peace is signed and the guns go silent, the world holds it breath. After years of global war, can peace finally be here? Or is it just a temporary reprieve? As for Germany, rebuilding begins. The devastated merchant fleet is expanded, manpower and resources are sent to Essen to rebuild the city and slowly, the soldiers begin to return home.


The nuclear arms race continues, of course, but for the moment at least, another nuclear attack seems unlikely.


In December, Iberia violates its neutrality agreement by requesting formal membership in the HRE as a full member nation, and are accepted. Mazula protests, but has no further will to intervene in what is clearly an attempt by Iberia to make peace with the old enemy once and for all.


On christmas eve, as the snow falls over its cities, Germany celebrates christmas at peace for the first time in seven years. A rememberance speech is held in Frankfurt by Emperor Waldemar for all those who gave their lives to safeguard Germany's future and usher in a new era of peace and prosperity.


The long war is finally over.

It is peace in our time.



Okay, coming up next is the final state of the world and write-up epilogue, and after that, it's all over and done. Four games, 120 chapters, and countless hours of converting, modding, playing and writing.

It's been fun, time-consuming and frustrating. But mostly fun.

Thanks for reading!