[HOI3]AAR German Reich Guide
This is probably the longest [AAR] in twc for Hearts of Iron or possibly anygames. I've gathered almost 100 screenshots of only 3-4 years of fighting but it is so indepth it can be treated as a guide. So without a further a due here we go! (ps: this was all done in very hard difficulty with the latest patches which make it even harder)
Pre-War Notes & Aquisitions
January 1936 up until early 1938...
Germany industry had been at a halt since Adolf Hitler rising to power. No factories were producing anything other than a couple of Destroyers and U boats, and the German army was scattered all across the map. First decisions enacted include a broad industrialization of both Leipzig and Magdeburg; the reason being that both provinces contained three resources at a high count, as well as being far from Allied Strategic bombing missions. Spy missions were being sent across Europe, with the primary focus of bringing down Morale between French and the low countries. Secondary objectives were to make sure the Nationalists in Spain won, and that Switzerland would not join the allies.
Nationalist Spain was quietly overrun in 1938 which greatly shocked German leadership. Spain wouldn't give us transit right's of any kind to help them. A tetriary objective was to align Austria towards us by applying the 'support our party' mission. By early 1937 the Aunschluss occured and along with the remilitarization of the Rhine, helped bring a fresh pool of manpower. Massive infrastructure missions were enacted along the north eastern coast of Germany as well as parts of Austria, such as Innsburg since it had industry, to bring the infrastructure level to 100%. This greatly helped increase IC as well as production efficiency. By now the army was around 600,000 soldiers and counting without mobilization.
Slowly coming, the Munich pact helped Germany secure a foothold by the Sudetenland and control all of bohemia and Moravia. Months later German troops would redeploy to the Polish Border as well as into Northern Moravia, as a means of securing the German southern Flank. Mainly focusing on construction projects and infrastructure, the economy built rapidly and so the German army, or Berlin HQ was renamed as 'Oberk der Wehrmacht' and had General Hadler as it's new Chief of Staff, as well as Hoepner becoming the new Minister of the Army.
Bitburg HQ would later be renamed as well, to 'OB West' a simply yet perplexing name. It contained over 450,000 soldiers while OBW had 650,000 totalling to around 1,100,000 active soldiers without mobilization.
WAR POLAND May 27 1939-June 18 1939
However peace would interrupt in May, 1939 when the sounds of war erupted through continental Europe...
In this picture Poland is making the first move and also German units on the flanks are attempting to attack Polish units in order to form a Pincer unit. (I also forgot to mobilize my troops)
The center of the army seems stable and cutthroat with their strategy. Polish units seem inexperienced as well as incapable of withstanding this assault. German high command structured units differently to make them more effective. Armies would either be entirely composed of infantry-artillery-or ground units or of armour units and cavalry aside.
Almost immediately (which was very strange), French troops invad the Rhineland in an attempt to knock me out of the war. In a switch and sneaky move I establish a foothead in a Dutch river crossing to help the flow of troop movement in the low countries in the near future...
OPERATION 'FALLWEISS' AUGUST 1939-SEPTEMBER 1939
Nearing the end of the month, French troops overpower many German divisions and Ob West is facing total obliteration. Maastricht is captured to establish another Foothead; the Dutch do nothing.
By July the German army quickly overwhelmed Polish defenses and caused the government to escape through Rumania and back to Britain to form a government in exhile. The conflict had suprisingly lasted from May 27,1939-June 18, 1939; not even a month later.
At haste around 600,000 now experienced and combat ready troops make their way through the lush fields of central Germany, passing the old castles and fortresses of the Elbe, and through the pixy towns and evergreen forests of the Westerwald.
Meanwhile the situation darkens for 'Ob West' as the French begin to capture the Siegfried line. Commander Rundstedt authorizes 'Oder Gotterdammerung' which is meant for the German army to retreat behind the Rhine and to establish a defensive foothold, while reinforcements come.... sadly most of the Rhine is captured by French forces, and only a few pockets are left. The center is thoroughly defended, which forces French troops to move northward towards Achern and Frankfurt am main.
German high command felt the time was right, and began a full scale blitzkrieg on Holland. The capture of around 90% of the Dutch center happened in only 2-3 weeks of combat. Mostly due to river crossings, but thanks to Maasricht a whole Army of around 50,000 troops would be able to cross the river by Early September.
German troops began to assaults fronts everywhere along the Dutch border and pour into Belgium. The main targets of this operation or, 'Operation Fallweiss' was Antwerpen; Brusselles; and the Haag. With the Haag in possession it is almost guaranteed that German units can outflank the French correctly and take Normandy in an instant! Below the Haag is the province with the sea fortress guarded by merely 1 division of some thousand troops. Using Eupen as a route of attack German panzers evaded the river and hit the provinces Eastern Flank with much discression.
By this time German troops were flowing past the entrenched French main army that was at the Rhine, and began pouring into Northern France, unoffended...
Operation 'Oberfall' begins in Southwestern Germany. Made by General Kietel it had the following phases and objectives:
Phase I- Recapture Saarlouis and adjacent provinces, thus preforming a pincer movement and cutting of three French units, totalling around 40,000 French casualties:
Pincer movement successful.
Phase II- Push French back to the Maginot.
Phase III- Link up to the rest of the Wehrmacht (Pending)
Now the German army is pounding Northern France. Through a series of stalemates the Germans actually manage to take Paris relatively fast, but lose it due to lack of troops. In a few months time new armies arrive from Belgium and the Germans begin their final push towards French defeat.
to be continued.
Im still playing this game, but by now Im deep in the soviet union so yeah Im too lazy to write paragraphs, and ps its only may 1941, and I have moscowtrust me the scenario I set up is a lot more harder then the war I think, but I think like a General so yeah.
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