Central Powers

Main members of the Central Powers, 1941

The Central Powers is a powerful military alliance established in Central Europe to combat the threat of the east and west. It was originally formed in 1914 before the Great War, consisting of just Germany, Bulgaria, Austria-Hungary and the Ottoman Empire, where they were defeated by the Triple Entente, and later reestablished after the revival of the German Empire.

## Member states

The Central Powers is headed by the revived German Empire, which is the most powerful nation in the world by 1940, both economically and technologically. Kaiser Wilhelm took great steps to strengthen its borders and allies with their experimental technology, vowing to never let what happened during the Great War happen again, and quickly established itself as a superpower.

After imperial sentiment was rekindled, the revived Austro-Hungarian Empire rejoined the alliance in early 1938 and helped in the invasion of Czechoslovakia, where they were granted Slovakia. In late 1938, the Kingdom of Bulgaria joined the alliance after seeing the power of Germany's technology.

In early-1939, the Poles started to feel the danger of the growing power of the Bolsheviks, who were massing on their eastern border. German diplomats arrived in Warsaw to negotiate a guarantee for the Polish people. It was agreed in return of Danzig, Poznan, and the Silesian Voivodeship that the German Empire would provide military support for when the Red Army invades. Germany managed to save Finland from a massive Soviet attack by bringing them into their alliance, effectively ending the Winter War. Yugoslavia joined the alliance after Soviet soldiers started to amass on their border. Following the successful Frisian Revolution, instigated by German spies, the Kingdom of Frisia joined the Central Powers in late-1939.

During 1940, the originally neutral United States became furious upon the acceptance of the fascist C.S.A into the Allied Powers and immediately broke the neutrality agreement, seeing the alliance as a violation of the treaty and an insult that a fascist state would be accepted into the alliance when their terms were originally rejected. In late 1940, the Franco-British Union invaded in what is known as the American-Union War, as an act of aggression to prevent the neutral Americans from ever joining the Central Powers, using captured dragons from the Berlin Incident as a secret weapon. This invasion was stopped thanks to the efforts of Colonel Miller Washington and led to the occupation of Ireland by American forces. Seeing themselves surrounded on all sides, the Congress voted to join the Central Powers, sparking global controversy and outrage, thus becoming the only country outside Central Europe to join the alliance. The United States mainly contributed to their own continent but later decided to send troops beyond the Gate as a show of cooperation.

## Foreign relations

The Allied Powers are completely hostile to the Central Powers, seeing the balance of power shift completely on Germany's side, especially with the unveiling of technological wonders, and have since tried to consolidate their power by recruiting many nations to their cause. Embargos on the Central Powers were placed in an attempt to cut off outside help.

The Comintern too is hostile to the evergrowing power of the Central Powers to the point they invaded Finland and Romania to gain an edge over eastern Europe.

Despite being a staunch anti-capitalist, Germany favors bringing the U.S.A into the existing alliance, most likely as a way to counter the C.S.A in the Americas to create multiple theatere.