Characters / Kaiserreich Germany

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German Empire

^{War Ensign/Flag of the German Empire (Bauer)}

^{Flag of the Free Socialist Republic of Germany}

^{Flag of the German Republic/State}

Official Name: German Empire, German Republic (Secret republican path or Non-socialist puppet state), German State (Dictatorship puppet state), Free Socialist Republic of Germany (Socialist puppet state)

Ruling Party: März-Koalition - Kabinett Dirksen^note March Coalition - Dirksen Cabinet

Ideology: Social Conservatism

The preeminent Great Power of Europe and the World, the Deutsches Kaiserreich, fresh from their victory in the Weltkrieg, has in the years since served as the "responsible" guiding hand of global politics. However, the Empire's unparalleled global hegemony has also blinded it with arrogance: Imperial politics and economics have turned sickly under their healthy surface, and competing power blocs—be it socialist, nationalist, or revanchist—have gathered forces beyond the Empire's borders. The old Empire is in a new age, and it might not even be aware of it until the day the house of cards falls.

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General Tropes

• Allohistorical Allusion:
  • The German Empire has many similarities with its OTL version but also with the France of our reality in the same period since both countries are in the same situation as a victorious power of the First World War having to face a revengeful neighbour. Similarly, the German economic alliance, Mitteleuropa, has much in common with the European Union.
  • Germany can intervene in the Spanish Civil War by sending a "legion" of German troops to their prefered faction, which they did OTL.
  • Germany can perform the Anschluss, annexing Austria, should the Austro-Hungarian Empire collapse.
  • After winning over the Syndicalists during the Second Weltkrieg, Germany will enact a policy of "De-Syndicalisation" in its new puppet states, echoing the OTL Denazification of Germany.
  • A victorious post-Second Weltkrieg SWR-led Germany will create a new political party, the DNVB, one word away from the OTL DNVP with which they ideologically share much in common.
  • The first focus of the puppet state tree is named "Risen From The Ruins" after the national anthem of OTL East Germany.
  • The National Committee for a Free Germany will be created alongside a non-socialist puppet Germany. Ironic as the OTL organization was a creation of the Soviet Union.
• Anti-Climax: The Ludendorff Dictatorship ended in one when he handed his resignation to the Kaiser, sure it would be rejected, only for it to be accepted.
• Balkanize Me: A defeated Germany can be split into four chunks at most: Hanover, Prussia, Bavaria, and Rhineland.
• Cool Ship: The Kaiserliche Marine is one of the foremost proponents of aircraft carriers, starting with two on active duty in the Mediterranean and the Pacific and three in the reserve fleet. That said, the majority of their ships are from the Weltkrieg and are in need of replacement.
• Declining Promotion: Dirksen's Vice-Chancellor Heinrich Brüning refuses to becomes Chancellor after Dirksen resigns due to the office essentially becoming a poisoned chalice.
• Democracy Is Bad: The DVLP and its SWR coalition are openly hostile to democracy and the universal suffrage, having the possibility of abolishing both in their focus tree.
• The Dictatorship: Germany experienced a period known as the "Ludendorff Dictatorship" lasting from 1916 to 1920 during which the civilian government found itself sidelined by the extremely powerful supreme army command (OHL) controlled by generals Hindenburg and Ludendorff.
  • Kurt von Schleicher will seek to turn Germany into a militarized and corporatist one-party dictatorship controlled by a small clique of military and civilian officials centered around the Chancellorship.
• Earn Your Happy Ending: While the hardest path for Germany^noteMuch of the difficulty comes from the democratic coalition's mini-game. To win, the player must take focuses to win their coalition partners' loyalty, pass laws that will push back the extremeists' revolt, and pass constitutional amendments to secure voting rights and a truly representative parliamentary republic... all the while as the 2WK gets nearer and nearer, every focus spent passing laws and holding the coalition together is a focus not spent on military reform, securing world alliances or rebuilding the economy from Black Monday. By the time war breaks out, Germany could very well be behind the power curve on preparedness if the player has not managed this balancing act., the Democratic Union path is the only path for the country that can turn Germany into an actual democracy.
• The Empire: With their victory in the Weltkrieg, the fall of France and United Kingdom to Syndicalism and the USA facing a persistent economic crisis, there was no other country with capability to rise in the power vacuum other than the German Empire. Although they don't control a vast territorial empire, they have colonies through all continents and virtually all countries in the world have economical, political, social or cultural ties with them.
• Failure Is the Only Option: Siegfried von Roedern, succeeding von Dirksen as Reichskanzler, cannot save the March Coalition from collapse if he tries.
• The Friend Nobody Likes: Alfred Hugenberg, former chairman of the DVLP and media mogul who bankrolls the party is unliked even by the party leaders and most likely to be a thorn in the side of the player on a SWR run.
• Hegemonic Empire: The German Empire leads the Reichspakt military alliance, granting it significant influence around the globe.
• Kaiserreich: After their victory in the First World War, the German Empire continued instead of becoming a republic and later a fascist dictatorship. That said, the actual political structure of the Reich is more likely than not to change, for good (the Democratic Union path) or ill (Kurt von Schleicher's scheming can undermine the Reichstag and set up a dictatorial junta or the DVLP could become the dominant faction of the SWR coalition).
• Keystone Army: Though militarily powerful on its own, much of Germany's strength stems from the Ostwall, the eastern countries created by the Treaty of Brest-Litovsk from great swaths of imperial Russia and installed with German-aligned governments. Though they can't defeat Russia on their own, they are vital to holding the east until Germany can deal with the western front and without them, Russia will begin the war on Germany's doorstep and holding them and the Internationale back at the same time would be almost impossible. In earlier iterations, a majority were ruled by German monarchs, but more recent reworks, particularly Poland and Ukraine, have retconned matters to have governments that are German aligned, but not necessarily German loyal. Recent mechanics for the reworked nations allow for a variety of paths, including Syndicalist takeovers, civil wars, or degrees of benign or hostile independence, as well as opportunities for outside nations to intervene. Countries opposed to Germany would make good use of the pre-war years by breaking the Ostwall free of German hegemony.
• Mini-Game: Germany has what is easily the most unusual way of dealing with Black Monday. A huge majority of affected countries have a specific recovery focus tree that will over time reduce the debuffs. A few others have minigames that tie into their political situation, managing numbers for one faction or the other. But Germany has a card game to solve Black Monday, where the player must play cards representing financial solutions where every round presents a new "crisis", with a score that the cards must match or beat to win the round. However, playing cards accumulates debt, and the player will lose if debt gets too high. A small focus tree allows the player to add new cards to their deck and reduce their overall debt levels. And in this game, card games really are serious business: Losing means defaulting on your national debt, giving Germany the single biggest debuff in the game.
• Modern Stasis: Not in terms of technology but in governance. Germany's victory in the Weltkrieg is almost singlehandedly responsible for keeping a strong centralized monarchy as a form of national government viable in the present day. In older versions, Germany imposed a monarchy on most former Russian territories and even after recent reworks, several still remain (Poland, Flanders-Wallonia, the United Baltic Duchy). Others can be imposed through victory in the 2WK (primarily the UK or a splinter England, among others), though not as many now as in previous editions where it was a Running Gag among the fandom to joke about how many Germany nobles could rule over European countries. It came into play during the Chinese intervention where one of the main German conditions for their aid was installing a monarchy over China. The Chinese collaborators, not quite believing what they were hearing but willing to humor Germany in exchange for guns and supplies, took former Emperor Pu Yi and placed him at the top of a puppet monarchy with no real power. Similar situations can occur in German East Asia and other colonial kingdoms, leading to large swaths of the 20th century world being ruled by 18th century governments.
  • Very much downplayed in the Germany rework. The country begins as Social Conservative rather than Authoritarian Democrat, representing the lessened power of the monarchy. The interbellum years have seen several parliamentarian governments rise and fall outside of the Kaiser's control, and the Kaiser's own role in ruling has been greatly diminished by the constant, if unstable, center-left political coalition.
• Paper Tiger: Where many nations will hold out until their capital is overrun, or even beyond that, there's a good chance that Germany will simply collapse if a number of important cities are taken, even if the vast majority of the country (including several major industrial centers) are still in German hands. While their army is still large and generally well-equipped, all it takes to win is to break their lines a few times and secure a corridor to a few cities.
• Path of Most Resistance: The Democratic Union path is said to be the most difficult of all of Germany's paths, the developers even recommending against trying it as a first playthrough. But it is also the path offering the greatest rewards, with the Reformisten branch of the military’s powerful bonuses and the multitude of focuses granting factories and production bonuses that going DU can offer the player.
• Puppet State: Germany runs a large number of friendly governments around the world. But can also become subject to one should it be defeated in a war.
• Secret Level: Germany possesses two secret paths. Both requiring to be at more than 50% surrender progress during a war and fewer divisions than both France and Russia while still holding a coastal state, resulting in the Kaiser fleeing the country and a new government taking power.
  • Under Schleicher this will result in a putsch by Max Bauer, a former associate of Ludendorff, who will turn Germany into a totalitarian nationalist dictatorship.
  • Under the SPD a Republic will be declared but it is possible after winning the war for Wilhelm IV (or Wilhelm III if he refused to flee as Crown Prince) to get himself elected president and restore the Empire.
• Short-Lived Leadership: Siegfried von Roedern, who succeeds Herbert von Dirksen (Germany's starting Chancellor), is merely the leader of a caretaker government until a new chancellor is appointed following the election.
• Shout-Out:
  • As the March Coalition falls apart, the DVLP will demand "a government of action, not words, ruling by strength, not committee".
  • The focus tree for German post-war foreign policy contains a pair of focuses named Kalter Krieg and Rote Nacht.
  • Another focus in the same tree declares "The Oil Must Flow".
  • One event on the occupation of Syndicalist territory by Germany will mention an Oberstleutnant von Degurechaff.
• A Taste of Power: Germany begins with enough divisions to round out several armies, including a handful of tank divisions, an immense number of civilian factories, and national spirits reflecting an economic boom. The player has just enough time to queue up several new factories and watch that sweet production come rolling in... just in time for Black Monday to strike and all construction to come to a screeching halt for at least the next year.
• United Europe: This will be one of the biggest objectives of Germany, which already has planted the first seeds with the Reichspakt as a common defense alliance and Mitteleuropa as a common economic zone. Depending on whether Germany goes democratic, this can either become The Empire or The Alliance through going down the Mitteleuropa branch.
• Vestigial Empire: While they are the most powerful empire on the planet, and still own a ton of overseas territories in 1936, they are definitely slipping by 1936. As one user analyzes, Germany has a lot of issues: they have a lot of allies, but no major allies-they alienated the Entente when they went in and occupied their former territories. The German colonial management of Mittelafrika and East Asia is in short, a total disaster. Their overcommitment to foreign intervention have stretched their forces too thin to have any kind of reasonable support to their colonies when they rebel. Their poor management of their economy is what directly caused the Black Monday economic crash. In the end, the collapse of Mittelafrika and German East Asia is almost unavoidable.
• We Hardly Knew Ye: Reichskanzler Herbert von Dirksen resigns a couple of months after gamestart.
• Won the War, Lost the Peace: Victory in the west is a much closer affair and results in a treaty very close to a status quo ante bellum. In the east, the victory over Russia is as total as before, but with other recent reworks of Reichspakt nations like Poland and Ukraine allowing for more alternate paths, their hold over their client states is tenuous as best. It takes less than a decade after the Weltkrieg for the mood of brimming confidence of a continental hegemon to again be replaced with one of being a potential target surrounded by enemies and rivals.

The Emperors

Wilhelm II

Role: Emperor^note Country Leader

Party: März-Koalition - Kabinett Dirksen^note March Coalition - Dirksen Cabinet

Ideology: Social Conservatism

German Kaiser and King of Prussia, Wilhelm II's nearly five-decade reign has seen the German Empire go from strength to strength, with its triumph in the Weltkrieg securing his place in history and in his people's hearts as a hero without peer. While he wields much more personal power than his rival in the British Empire's Westminster-style constitutional monarchies, in the decades since the war the Kaiser has largely stepped out of the political limelight, leaving the details of governance to the Chancellor and the legislature.

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• Big Bad: The Kaiser is seen as the symbol of the German hegemony and imperialism all around the world and opposed by anti-German forces and particulary the Syndicalist world.
• Big Good: The German people looks upon him as a strong ruler who brought prosperity and victory, while the elites of Reichspakt countries see him as the guarantor of their power and stability of their countries.
• The Emperor: The Kaiser of Germany rules over the largest empire in the entire world.
• The Good King: In contrast to his real life reputation, which is usually not the most flattering one, in KR, history remembered Wilhelm more fondly for leading the German people towards the victory in Weltkrieg and achieving for Germany a place under the sun. He can at least claim that he helped break the Ludendorff Dictatorship and enact the March Constitution, inching Germany closer to actual constitutional monarchy rather than the facade put up by the founders of Imperial Germany.
• Reluctant Ruler: After the Weltkrieg, he prefers more to spend time with family rather than rule over Germany and usually comes to the Reichstag just to approve the decisions of the Chancellor.

Wilhelm III

^{Wilhelm III in his uniform of Generalfeldmarschall}

Role: Military Commander (Second Weltkrieg), Emperor^note Country Leader (Wilhelm II succession or Secret republican path, Empire restored), Reichspräsident^note Country Leader (Secret republican path, Crown prince refused to flee)

The eldest son of Kaiser Wilhelm II, Wilhelm acceded to the German imperial throne as Wilhelm III on his father's death in 1941. Field Marshal of the German army and veteran of the Weltkrieg, the new emperor is a reactionary and former supporter of the dictatorship of Paul von Hindenburg and Erich Ludendorff. Partisan of an aristocratic power, Wilhelm III is very close to General Kurt von Schleicher, a major opponent to German parliamentarianism.

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• Big Bad: As Emperor of Germany, Wilhelm III is the embodiment of German imperialism and a symbol to be torn down by his country's enemies, the Third International in particular. Moreover, after acceding to the imperial throne in 1941, his country could be at war with Russia, Japan and even the Entente, thus making Wilhelm III the man to be destroyed for much of the world. Finally, his anti-parliamentarianism also makes him a threat to Germany's semblance of democracy and an enemy to all Germans who support universal suffrage.
• Democracy Is Bad: Kaiser Wilhelm III is a reactionary opposed to German parliamentarism and a supporter of power controlled by a minority of aristocrats.
• The Emperor: On the death of his father in 1941, Wilhelm becomes the new Emperor of Germany under the name of Wilhelm III.
• Historical Badass Upgrade: While in our reality Wilhelm never became Emperor of Germany and did not hold any important position after 1918, in Kaiserreich he can become Emperor of Germany and one of the most powerful men in the world if he manages to win the Second Weltkrieg.
• Historical Villain Downgrade: The real Wilhelm III supported the Nazi Party in the early 1930s in the hope of an imperial restoration. Here, Wilhelm III merely wants to make Germany a country where power is exercised only by the Emperor and a handful of aristocrats.
• Meet the New Boss: With the death of Wilhelm II in 1941, Wilhelm III becomes the new Emperor of Germany.
• Rightful King Returns: If Germany becomes a republic, the deposed Crown Prince Wilhelm can choose to remain in the army as an officer. After the Second Weltkrieg, his fame as a war hero can propel him to the presidency and possibly restore the empire.
• Tyrant Takes the Helm: While his father was not so concerned with German politics and gave the Chancellor and the Reichstag a great deal of room to manoeuvre, Wilhelm III is his exact opposite. After Wilhelm II dies, he takes the throne and attempts to assert the monarch's power by appointing a new Chancellor agreeable to him but is stymied in all directions. The Social Democrat path stops him from subverting the democratically elected will of the people, the SWR stops him from bypassing their own ideologically conservative choice, and Schleicher stops him because he becomes a dictator who doesn't share power.
• War Hero: Downplayed – Wilhelm III is considered a war hero by many Germans for his role during the Weltkrieg. However, in reality, he had little influence on military operations due to his lack of experience.
• Warrior Prince: After the Second Weltkrieg erupts, Wilhelm III joins the army, becoming a general with average stats.

Wilhelm IV

^{Wilhelm von Preußen}

Role: Emperor^note Country Leader (Overlord keeps monarchy in puppet Germany or Papen restored monarchy or Secret republican path, Empire restored or Bauer Putsch, Empire restored), Reichpräsident^note Country Leader (Secret republican path)

Party: Nationalkomitee Freies Deutschland^note National Committee for a Free Germany, Deutscher Block^note German Bloc (Papen restored monarchy), DVP (Secret republican path), Regierung der nationalen Rettung^note Government of National Salvation (Bauer Putsch, Empire restored)

Ideology: Authoritarian Democracy, Market Liberalism (Secret republican path), Paternal Autocracy (Bauer Putsch, Empire restored)

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• Puppet King: Wilhelm IV gets put into on the German throne should any non-socialist nation or Max Bauer after his putsch decide to keep the Hohenzollerns in power, and is forced to go along with whatever his puppet master does.

The Chancellors and Other Leaders

Kurt von Schleicher

Role: Prussian Minister of War, Reichskanzler^note Second in Command (1936 election)

Party: Kabinett Schleicher^note Schleicher Cabinet, Deutschnationale Einheitsfront^note German National Unity Front (Establish the National Unity Front focus)

Ideology: Authoritarian Democracy

After no majority is found in the 1936 elections, Schleicher is appointed as Reichskanzler by the Kaiser as a moderate compromise candidate. However he possesses his own militarist and centralizing agenda.

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• Allohistorical Allusion: Kurt von Schleicher can pass an 'Enabling Act' marking the first step towards a dictatorship.
• Emergency Authority: Kurt von Schleicher answers the socialist revolution occurring in Brunswick with an Enabling Act giving him unprecedented powers and and suspending the ability of his opposition to start a vote of no confidence against him.
• Evil Chancellor: Schleicher's endgame is the creation of what is essentially a German Shogunate where the Reichskanzler is the true seat of power and the Emperor his puppet.
• Let No Crisis Go to Waste: The best outcome for him personally is actually to let the ongoing labor strike crisis rage and radicalize, neither becoming too strong to pose an actual threat nor too weak to fail to justify taking authoritarian measures to defeat it that conveniently further his aims of centralizing all powers in himself.
• Red Baron: He is known as the Red General due to his support for trade unions despite being otherwise a committed anti-socialist.
• Red Scare: Schleicher motivates his policies in order to deal with the threat posed by the French Commune and its ideology.
• Secret Police: Schleicher will nationalize the Prussian Secret Police and give it authority over the whole of the Empire.
• Short-Lived Leadership: If Schleicher fails to secure his position as Reichskanzler before the Democratic Union or the SWR Coalition can gather enough votes to make a motion of no confidence against him, he can quickly get removed from office by the Reichstag, with events noting history will barely remember him or his (potentially pretty consequential) brief time in office.
• Shout-Out: A focus of his tree compares him to The Man in the High Castle.
• Take a Third Option: Not unlike Huey Long in America, despite being an anti-syndicalist, Schleicher enjoys some popular support from his willingness to enact social democratic policies to take the teeth out of syndicalist movements. His eclectic blend of right and left wing political views is why he's described as "the Red General."
• Well-Intentioned Extremist: Also not unlike Huey Long, Schleicher seeks to centralize all power in himself, and if he manages the balancing act long enough (and if his rivals make enough mistakes organizing against him), he'll pass the Enabling Act to secure total control and sweep away the vestigial growth of German democracy in favor of ruling as an effective dictator.

Hermann Müller

Role: Reichskanzler^note Second in Command (von Schleicher removed)

Party: Sozialdemokratische Partei Deutschlands^note Social Democratic Party of Germany

Ideology: Social Democracy

Reichskanzler of the Democratic Union coalition.

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• Internal Reformist: While still an explicitly Marxist party in this timeline, the SPD adheres to a revisionist and controversial form of socialism that tries to achieve socialism through parliamentary politics, rejecting revolution and instead working within the mechanisms of liberal democracy. In gameplay, they are classified as Social Democrats, instead of any of the actual left-wing ideologies.
• Timed Mission: The Demand for Action timed mission demands from the player it fulfills the objectives of the Liegnitz Programme. Should the player fail to do so before the countdown reaches 0, the SPD will rebel against its own government and enforce a more aggressive outlook, causing the collapse of the government and its replacement by a liberal one.

Ewald von Kleist-Schmenzin

Role: Oberpräsident of Pomerania, Minister-President of Prussia^note Political Advisor (Prussian snap election), Reichskanzler^note Second in Command (von Schleicher removed)

Party: Kabinett Kleist-Schmenzin^note Kleist-Schmenzin Cabinet

Ideology: Paternal Autocracy

Reichskanzler of the Schwarz-Weiß-Rot coalition, chosen as a compromise between the DkP and the DVLP.

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• Evil Chancellor: Von Kleist-Schmenzin restores the Privy Council in order to exert more influence of the Hohenzollerns and force the SWR agenda on them.
• A Lighter Shade of Black: The DkP represents the moderate path due to being only moderatly anti-democratic compared to the DVLP.
• Politically Incorrect Villain: One of the decisions of the Anti-Socialist Campaign is to foster anti-socialist antisemitism, associating socialism and Jews as twin evils.
• Red Scare: The SWR will renew the anti-socialist laws with the ultimate aim of destroying social democracy and banning the SPD.
• We ARE Struggling Together: Von Kleist-Schmenzin's path involves maintaining the balance between the two main parties of the SWR coalition, the DkP and the DVLP, and the unity of the coalition lest it collapses.
• Young and in Charge: He became the youngest Oberpräsident of Pomerania ever in 1931.

Ulrich von Hassell

Role: Political Advisor (Kleist-Schmenzin cabinet), Reichskanzler^note Second in Command (Kleist-Schmenzin succession, DVLP dominant or Post-Welkrieg election)

Party: Deutschnationaler Volksbund - Rechte^note German National People's Union - Right

Ideology: Paternal Autocracy

The chairman of the DVLP.

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• A Lighter Shade of Black: Not by much. Von Hassell is more willing to address the social question and work with non-Protestants compared to his more reactionary predecesors in the DVLP.
• Democracy Is Bad: Von Hassel and the DVLP are the most anti-democratic party of the SWR coalition which can take power, its part of the focus tree even concluding with the abolition of the universal suffrage.

Max Bauer (UNMARKED SPOILERS)

Role: Supreme Commander^note Country Leader (Bauer putsch), Second in Command (Bauer restores the monarchy)

Party: Regierung der nationalen Rettung^note Government of National Salvation

Ideology: Paternal Autocracy, National Populism (A New Germany)

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• Allohistorical Allusion: Bauer can opt to not restore the Kaiser and instead maintain himself as the sole leader of his totalitarian Germany (switching him to National Populism), just like Adolf Hitler refused any restoration of the Hohenzollern dynasty.
• A Nazi by Any Other Name: The closest parallel that Kaiserreich has to Adolf Hitler at present, Bauer establishes a totalitarian ultranationalist dictatorship and seeks to greatly expand Germany's territory. His focus tree also contains several references to OTL Nazi Germany.
  • The name of its party, the Government of National Salvation, is shared with the OTL Nazi puppet state in Serbia.
• Evil Chancellor: Bauer becomes the power behind the throne if he chooses to restore the monarchy, selecting Wilhelm IV as the new Emperor precisely because he wants a pliable puppet.
• Persecuted Intellectuals: One focus of Bauer's tree is to disband the universities and impress the students in the army.
• The Purge: Bauer will institute a "Black Terror" after taking power.
• Shout-Out: One focus of his tree is named Triumph of the Will.

Puppet Leaders

Erwin von Witzleben

Role: General, Country Leader (Dictatorship puppet state)

Party: Nationalkomitee Freies Deutschland^note National Committee for a Free Germany

Ideology: Paternal Autocracy

Erwin von Witzleben is a German general and a potential Chief of Staff of the German military and Chief of the Heer, the German army. He can also become the leader of a puppeted Germany if it capitulates to a dictatorship.

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• Allohistorical Allusion: In Kaiserreich, Erwin von Witzleben is a potential chief of staff of the German armed forces, a position he should have had historically if the 20 July 1944 coup against Adolf Hitler had been successful.
• Historical Downgrade: Historically, Erwin von Witzleben was a major figure in the German resistance to Hitler. A former field marshal in the German Army, he took part in the coup of the 20 July 1944 against Adolf Hitler and was to become the supreme commander of the Wehrmacht if successful. After this failure, von Witzleben was arrested by the Nazis and executed on 8 August 1944. In the game, Erwin von Witzleben is a simple general in a Germany where Hitler was just a soldier who died in 1920.

Friedrich Paulus

Role: Country Leader (Non-socialist puppet state)

Party: Nationalkomitee Freies Deutschland^note National Committee for a Free Germany

Ideology: Authoritarian Democracy

Friedrich Paulus can become the leader of a rival German government and/or of a puppeted Germany.

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• Allohistorical Allusion: The real Paulus, after surrendering at Stalingrad, joined the Soviet-sponsored, anti-Nazi National Committee for a Free Germany before becoming an East German citizen. In Kaiserreich this is upgraded to possibly becoming the leader of a (non-socialist) puppeted Germany.

Franz von Papen

Role: Country Leader (Non-socialist puppet state, Election)

Party: Deutsche Zentrumspartei^note German Centre Party, Deutscher Block^note German Bloc (Non-socialist puppet state, Election)

Ideology: Authoritarian Democracy (Non-socialist puppet state, Election)

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• Historical Downgrade: In OTL, Franz von Papen was Chancellor of Germany in 1932 for just over 5 months. In Kaiserreich, he was never chancellor and is only the leader of the Prussian Zentrum. He can possibly become Chancellor of a democratic puppet Germany after winning the election.
• Historical Villain Downgrade: In our reality, Franz von Papen played a key role in Hitler's rise to power and was his vice-chancellor from 1933 to 1934. In Kaiserreich, von Papen is a conservative politician close to the reactionary elements of the DkP.

Marie-Pierre Koenig

Role: Country Leader (Commune of France puppet state)

Party: Kommunistische Arbeiter-Partei Deutschlands - Vereinigte^note Communist Workers’ Party of Germany - United

Ideology: Radical Socialism

Marie-Pierre Koenig is a general of the Commune of France, who is in charge of the German Socialist occupation government and waits until a proper government can be created before returning back to France.

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• Allohistorical Allusion: In OTL Koenig was military governor of the French occupation zone in Germany after the end of WW2 and can occupy a similar position in Kaiserreich.

Georgy Zhukov

Role: Country Leader (Socialist Russia puppet state)

Party: Kommunistische Arbeiter-Partei Deutschlands - Vereinigte^note Communist Workers’ Party of Germany - United

Ideology: Radical Socialism

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• Allohistorical Allusion: In OTL Zhukov was military governor of the Soviet occupation zone in Germany right after the end of WW2 and can occupy the same position in Kaiserreich.

Willi Münzenberg

Role: Chairman^note Country Leader (Münzenberg becomes leader of Socialists)

Party: Kommunistische Arbeiter-Partei Deutschlands - Vereinigte^note Communist Workers’ Party of Germany - United, Kommunistische Partei Deutschlands^note Communist Party of Germany (Radical Socialist puppet state), Bund der Kommunisten^note The League of Communists is a minor radical tendency within the German far left, born out of the Hamburg tendency of the KAPD and originally led by Heinrich Laufenberg and Fritz Wolffheim — two trade union leaders and party leaders in Hamburg. They advocate for what they call "national communism" and "national syndicalism", and have sympathies towards German nationalism. (Totalist puppet state)

Ideology: Radical Socialism, Syndicalism, Totalism

A German Socialist political activist who leads the Free German Socialist Republic after the election with KAPD is underway.

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• Authority in Name Only: Münzenberg is placed in power as a figurehead with the actual government aligning with the ideology of Germany's overlord.
• Commie Nazis: The Bund der Kommunisten, created by Heinrich Laufenberg and Fritz Wolffheim (who were OTL National Bolsheviks), advocates for "national communism" and "national syndicalism", a synthesis of Communism and German nationalism, and may attempt to recruit from German ultranationalist parties after being put in power.
• The Purge: The Totalists will purge the rival Syndicalists.

Friedrich Wilhelm V

Role: Emperor^note Country Leader (Tsarist Russia puppet)

Party: Nationalkomitee Freies Deutschland^note National Committee for a Free Germany

Ideology: Authoritarian Democracy

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• Naturalized Name: Boris Vladimirovich Romanov adopts the much more German regnal name Friedrich Wilhelm V upon becoming Emperor.
• The Usurper: Grand Duke Boris Vladimirovich is a member of the Romanov family that replaces the Hohenzollern dynasty should a monarchist Russia puppet Germany.

The Military

August von Mackensen

August von Mackensen is a living legend in Germany. A veteran of the Franco-Prussian War of 1870, he continued his military career until he became one of the main leaders of the German army during the Weltkrieg. After the war, von Mackensen became the head of the German army despite his old age. But at the age of 87 in 1936, the Generalfeldmarschall's physical and mental capacities are no longer what they were and many feel that von Mackensen should retire soon.

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• Improbable Age: Despite being 87 years old, Mackensen is one of the leading German field marshals and head of the Deutsches Heer.
• Old Soldier: August von Mackensen fought in the Franco-Prussian War before becoming one of the leading German generals of the Weltkrieg.
• Red Baron: The Generalfeldmarschall is known as "The Last Hussar".
• War Hero: In addition to his service in the Franco-Prussian War, Mackensen served with distinction during the Weltkrieg and distinguished himself in campaigns in Galicia, Serbia and Romania.

Rupprecht von Bayern

King of Bavaria, Rupprecht von Bayern is also a Generalfeldmarschall of the Deutsches Heer. Heir to King Ludwig III of Bavaria, he was put in charge of various armies as a nobleman when the Weltkrieg broke out. However, Rupprecht von Bayern quickly proved that he was one of the best generals in the German army. He was promoted to the rank of Field Marshal in 1916 and became King of Bavaria in 1921. Since then, Rupprecht von Bayern has been a monarch committed to Bavarian institutions and is ready to defend the interests of his kingdom within Germany.

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• The Good King: Rupprecht von Bayern is genuinely concerned with the interests of Bavaria and respects the constitutional status of his kingdom.
• Old Soldier: The heir to the Bavarian throne served with distinction during the Weltkrieg and became one of the most decorated officers in the German army. Now the 60-year-old continues to exercise his commands in the Deutsches Heer.

Gerd von Rundstedt

Gerd von Rundstedt is a German general of the Deutsches Heer who is appreciated by his colleagues for his skills and experience. Moreover, he is considered to be the most apolitical officer in the German General Staff.

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• Generation Xerox: Von Rundstedt followed the family tradition and made a career in the German armed forces like all the men of his family.
• Historical Villain Downgrade: The real Gerd von Rundstedt had no connection with the NSDAP, but nonetheless turned a blind eye on the massacres committed by his troops on the Eastern Front. After the war, he was prosecuted for his role in the extermination of Jews in the East and the summary execution of British prisoners of war in the West. In the world of Kaiserreich, von Rundstedt is an apolitical officer who serves a regime at peace that is not involved in war crimes or crimes against humanity.
• My Country, Right or Wrong: Being apolitical, Gerd von Rundstedt serves his country first and foremost and considers that a Prussian officer never mutinies, no matter who rules Germany.
• Old Soldier: Downplayed — Von Rundstedt served during the Weltkrieg. However, he worked in staff positions and did not fight at the front.

Albert Kesselring

A general of the German army, Albert Kesselring is a potential leader of the German Air Force.

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• Allohistorical Allusion: Albert Kesselring's career is similar to the one he had at OTL. A general in the German army, he joined in 1933 a Luftwaffe that was being created.
• Historical Villain Downgrade: Like so many other German generals, Albert Kesselring was involved in the war crimes of Nazi Germany. He was accused of ordering the execution of Italian civilians at the end of the war. In Kaiserreich, Kesselring serves an imperial regime at peace and quite different from Nazi Germany.

Erich Hoepner

The German general Erich Hoepner is a potential Chief of Staff of the German military and Chief of the Heer, the German army.

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• Historical Downgrade: Erich Hoepner is a controversial historical figure. General of the Nazi army, he participated in the invasion of the Soviet Union in 1941 and collaborated with the Einsatzgruppen. However, Hoepner later joined the German resistance to Hitler and was executed by the Nazis for his role in the July 20, 1944 coup. In any case, in Kaiserreich, Erich Hoepner is a mere general, far from the role he had in our history.

Erich von Manstein

A German general, Erich von Manstein is a veteran of the First World War and a newcomer in the German General Staff. In the years following the war, he travelled around Europe studying the military tactics of other countries. Since then, von Manstein has been a proponent of reforming the Deutsches Heer to place greater emphasis on mobile warfare. He is a potential Chief of Staff of the German military.

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• Historical Villain Downgrade: In our reality, Erich von Manstein was one of Hitler's best generals. Moreover, he participated in Nazi Germany's war crimes. For example, his French biographer, historian Benoît Lemay, proved in 2006 that von Manstein ordered several units of his 11th army to help the Einsatzgruppen to exterminate the Jews in Crimea in 1941-1942. In the world of Kaiserreich, Erich von Manstein is an ordinary German general who committed no crime.
• Internal Reformist: Von Manstein stands out from his peers by his desire to modernise the German art of war.

Heinz Guderian

A German general, Heinz Guderian is a potential Chief of Staff of the German military.

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• Historical Villain Downgrade: Like so many other generals of the German army in our reality, Heinz Guderian was involved in the crimes of the Nazi regime. During the invasion of the Soviet Union in 1941, his troops carried out numerous massacres without any protest from Guderian. In Kaiserreich, where Germany was not controlled by the Nazis, the general is not involved in any war crimes or crimes against humanity.

Erich Raeder

An admiral of the German navy, Erich Raeder is a potential supreme commander of the German Navy

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• Historical Villain Downgrade: While in our reality Erich Raeder played an important role in the rearmament of Germany and in Adolf Hitler's military plans, in Kaiserreich he is a mere admiral who is far from any plans to commit war crimes or crimes against humanity.
• In Spite of a Nail: Erich Raeder can become supreme commander of the German Navy like in real life from 1928 to 1943.

Karl Dönitz

Party: Zentrumspartei^note Created in 1870, the Zentrum (Centre) has always represented the interests of German Catholics. The party was the main enemy of Bismarck during the Kulturkampf, with it later becoming more and more integrated into day-to-day ruling. The Zentrum was a main architect of the Reichstag’s Peace Resolution of 1917, under the guise of the leader of the parliamentary faction, Matthias Erzberger. The Zentrum was opposed to the Ludendorff dictatorship, though it refrained from supporting protests. The party tried to widen its appeal in 1923, however this failed massively, causing the rise of the centrist Wilhelm Marx, however he was unable to turn the fortunes of the party, with the Zentrum losing another election in 1932.
With both the leftists and centrists within the party discredited, the right-wing under the leadership of Franz von Papen took over, pursuing an unitarian vision, which caused many defections from the party, with him also causing the left-wing of the party to jump ship and form the CSRP. The party is strongly aligned to the DKP, however there Heinrich Brüning is leading the opposition towards von Papen’s leadership, wanting a return to the original federalist elements of the Zentrum, with him also wishing to reunite the Zentrum with its splinter parties.

Ideology: Social Conservatism

Karl Dönitz is a German admiral as well as a member of the Zentrum, a Catholic political party. He is one of Germany's potential economy ministers if the Zentrum comes to power and a potential leader of the German Navy.

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• Artistic License – History: The Protestant Dönitz can become a high-ranking member of Zentrum, an almost exclusively Catholic party both in real life and in the mod.
• Historical Villain Downgrade: In the game, Karl Dönitz is just an admiral and member of a conservative party, whereas his real life counterpart was a major actor of the Nazi war effort during World War II, leading the Kriegsmarine from 1943 on. Moreover, he was a fervent anti-Semite and supporter of Hitler, and even succeeded Hitler as President of the Reich for a few days in May 1945.

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