History of The Reign of The 8th

## 1936

King George V of the United Kingdom passes away on the 20th of January. That same day, Prince Edward ascended to the throne as King Edward VIII.

In November, King Edward expresses his wish to marry Wallis Simpson to Prime Minister Stanley Baldwin. Baldwin informed him that his subjects would deem the marriage morally unacceptable, largely because remarriage after divorce was opposed by the Church of England, and the people would not tolerate Simpson as queen. Baldwin then presented Edward with three options: give up the idea of marriage; marry against his ministers' wishes; or abdicate. King Edward then told the Government his intentions to marry and Baldwin resigned.

In December, Edward announced the closing of Parliament and that he would take 'executive leadership of the nation'. Violence erupted in London as members of the Royal Navy and British Army loyal to Prince Albert stormed into London in an attempt to evacuate Albert and his family as well as evacuate as many loyalists in the Government. They fled to Canada who declared Independence on the 17th of December. Neville Chamberlain became the First Minister of the Crown as an advisor to Edward.

President Roosevelt is re-elected for a second term and announced that the USA would support Canadian Independence and the British Exiles. Roosevelt expressed concern with the state of Britain under Edward.

The Spanish Civil War begins. German Troops are sent to support Francisco Franco's Falangists. The Soviet Union assists the Republicans.

## 1937

On the 12th of May, King Edward is coronated as King. Wallis Simpson and Edward marry and she becomes Queen Consort. He announces that the United Kingdom would become officially known as The British Empire.

The Empire of Japan begins it's invasion of China.

## 1938

Germany annexes Austria, a move supported by The British Empire. In June, Britain invades Ireland in the Anglo-Irish War. By the end of the year, Britain annexes Ireland.

Edward and Hitler meet in Berlin to discuss trade agreements and an treaty of non aggression between the two countries. Hitler declares him ambitions to control the Sudetenland of Czechoslovakia, an area with ethnic Germans. The Czechs were protected by the British but Edward stated that they would turn a blind eye over the issue. France denounces Edward and stops trade with the British, they also declare that if the Germans attempt an invasion of Czechoslovakia then the French will come to the aid of the Czechs.

Germany invades on the 5th of August and France declares war on Germany. Britain stays neutral in the war. The Second World War begins. By the end of the year, the Czechs capitulate to the German Reich leading to a period in the war where nothing happens, 'the phony war' as it would be called. The French didn't want to push into Germany and instead stayed in the safety of the Maginot Line.

Due to the high Anglo-German Relations, Mussolini's Italy begins to oppose the Germans and starts to form alliances in the Mediterranean, notably withy Turkey and Franco's Spain. Italy and Turkey begin helping Franco in the Civil War.

## 1939

In January, The German Reich invades Denmark and Norway, the two countries fall to Germany within months. Germany makes a deal with the Soviet Union in February called the Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact where they would both invade Poland and partition the country. They invade Poland in March and the country falls by the end of April.

In April, France attempts to conduct bombing raids against the Germans which is countered by them and results in the destruction of a third of the French Air Force. Hitler begins drawing up plans to invade France through the Benelux Region.

Edward consolidates power in the Empire by directly annexing the British Colonies still loyal to the Crown. The Indian Revolt occurs which is brutally suppressed by the British Forces.

In September, Hitler invades The Netherlands, Luxembourg and Belgium. By November, the German Panzers cross into France and begin to destroy the French Forces who rushed into Belgium to stop the Invasion so that the war wouldn't be fought on French Soil.

In November, the Soviet attempt to Invade Finland would fail drastically and would sour German-Soviet Relations.

## 1940

The French 2nd Army is completely destroyed in Belgium and the Benelux Nations surrender. Paul Reynaud announced a withdrawal of all French Troops to Africa as German Tanks began approaching Paris. He stated that he would allow Paris to fall in order to spare suffering. But he declared that the war would not be over and that they shall continue the war from their overseas colonies.

As the French prepare their new war in Africa, Edward finally announces that Britain would enter the war on the side of the Axis Powers against France. He deployed the Royal Navy and defeated the retreating French Navy at the Battle of the English Channel. The British also invaded French Africa and eventually Reynaud announced the French Surrender. The Empire of Japan invades and annexes French Indochina and all French Colonies in Asia as Turkey and Britain both invade French Syria and Lebanon. As for all French lands in the Americas, Reynaud signs a treaty with Canada to host French Exiles and in return France would give Canada their American holdings.

The Spanish Civil War ends with a Fascist Victory.

In the United States, John Nance Garner wins the Democrat nomination over Roosevelt and wins the 1940 Election. As Garner was politically staunch isolationist, America had no intention of joining the war or even supporting France. Doubts also arose within Canada as to whether America would continue to support them but Garner said Canada still had 'limited American support'.

## 1941

The German Reich stages a false-flag incident on the border with the Soviets, prompting an Invasion in May. Stalin refuses to accept that the Germans would be invading and instead stayed in his office for a week. Field Marshall Zhukov would lead the Soviet Army who were in a very poor shape and on the retreat. Hundreds of Thousands of Soviet Troops were encircled in Minsk, Kiev and Smolensk as the German Army pressed closer to Moscow.

Stalin announced that every man must serve and no step back will be ordered. This came as Finland entered the war in August and linked up with German Troops to surround Leningrad. In the south, Romania entered the war and with German Troops, they began to push toward the caucuses. Edward announces that the British would not enter the war.

In the Mediterranean, Italy, Spain and Turkey form the Mediterranean Entente in order to dissuade German Aggression. The Kingdom of Greece joins and the Italians invade Yugoslavia and Albania as a buffer against the Axis Nations in the Balkans. This leads to the Balkan War where the Mediterranean Entente Members engage in conflict with Yugoslavia who are joined by Bulgaria and therefore the Axis, the only two Axis Members to fight were Romania and Bulgaria.

## 1942

The Battle of Stalingrad begins in June as German Troops surround the city and over 250,000 Soviet Troops. Leningrad falls on the 6th of July.

The Battle for Moscow begins on the 7th of October. The Soviet Army begins to convene on Moscow which would lead to the fall of Stalingrad in late October as Stalin ordered a full defence of Moscow. However this was too late as by the end of November, German Forces began encircling the City. Zhukov ordered a counter offensive to cut off the German Encirclement in the Spring of 1943.

The Balkan War ends after Entente Forces capture Belgrade and Greek Forces invade Southern Bulgaria which causes Bulgaria and Romania to agree to a ceasefire. Peace is signed and a Greek Occupation of Southern Bulgaria is established and Italy annexes Yugoslavia and Albania. Hitler is furious about the result of the war and threatens action against Italy once the War in the East ends.

In August, the Empire of Japan accepts the surrender of the Republic of China and the other warlords. Japanese Hegemony descended over Asia as they began redrawing the borders and establishing puppet governments and carving the Continent.

## 1943

Zhukov's Attack fails in May due to a sheer lack of supplies and men able to fight. On the 30th of April, Joseph Stalin commits suicide and the Soviet Union capitulates. Zhukov takes all remaining forces east of the Urals to form the Soviet Revolutionary Government. The German Army attempts to follow the retreating Soviet Army but are decisively defeated at the Battle of Zlatoust where the Soviet Army crushes the Germans who attempt to capture the only railway supply line across to the Urals. With the Germans defeated, Zhukov begins a counterattack and pushes the Germans back before having to stop at Gorky due to a declaration of war by The Empire of Japan who invade Siberia.

## 1944

The Soviets and the Germans sign a ceasefire which creates a tense border and Adolf Hitler's paranoia leads him to believe that the Russians will return and take back their land ,but also aware that the German Army can't afford to push into Russia again, so he authorises regular Luftwaffe bombings across Soviet controlled land. With the war against Japan being a marginal disaster, Lavrentiy Beria launches a coup using NKDV Forces against Zhukov and executes Zhukov for crimes against the Soviet Union and High Treason along with several high ranking Soviet officials. Beria then makes peace with Japan in order to keep what's left of the Soviet Union in tact. During Beria's Coup, several countries secede from the Union and form their own states. These become known as the warlords of Central Asia and constantly are involved in smaller skirmishes with each other over territorial disputes.

## 1945

In June , the June Revolt occurs in the now German Lands of Poland. Jewish Slaves in Poland forced into harsh labour and death camps by the German Reich rise up in revolt and are brutally crushed by the Waffen-SS. This brutal crackdown and massacre of the rebels led to calls from officials within the Wehrmacht and higher positions within the German Government , such as Albert Speer and Wilhelm Keitel, demanding that the Waffen-SS is demobilized and effectively dissolved. This has led to a split within the Nazi Party between the Himmlerites, the Wehrmacht/Reformist/Democratic Coalition known as the Mitternacht Coalition.