Josef Berhmann

**Josef Ludwig Behrmann** (b. 19th March 1921) is the serving Emperor of The Imperium after The Emperor's Death in 1998. He previously served in the German Army and has served the Imperial Army since 1941. He would reach the rank of High Field Marshall in 1971. Behrmann is a very controversial figure in The Imperium.

He is seen as a radical and follows Germanic Imperiumism which he has been rapidly reforming the Imperium into. He also has been reforming the Armed Forces of The Imperium and The Economy which have had catastrophic effects for The Imperium. As such, Behrmann has been responsible for numerous Imperial withdrawals across the now crumbling Imperial Realm.

## Biography

### Early Life

Josef Behrmann was born on the 19th of March 1921 in Munich, Weimar Germany. His father was a former WWI Soldier but Behrmann was not interested in an Army Career. He wished for a career in the Navy as an officer. He would apply to the Kriegsmarine under the new Nazi Government in 1938. However he would be rejected by the Navy and was instead drafted into the German Army in 1939. Behrmann would however join as an officer in the 16th Infantry Division.

### War of Liberation

As a Second Lieutenant, Behrmann would be on the ground during the German Invasion of Poland sparking the Second Great War. Commanding a platoon of soldiers, he would be present during the fall of Warsaw. After the fall of Warsaw, the 16th would be moved to the Western Front along the Alsace-Lorraine Border now a Lieutenant.

He would hear of the Imperiumist Takeover's beginning in January and was one of the first officers to change allegiance folllowing General Gotthard Heinrici's pledge to The Emperor. Behrmann was immediately hooked on the ideology and became a fanatic Imperiumist. He would continue to fight for the rest of the war and the 16th and his unit would help take Paris. He was then promoted to Captain for his service in the war.

### Nazi Insurrections and Invasion of the USSR

Immediately after the war's conclusion, a new conflict broke out. The Nazi Insurrections would begin in the wake of the collapsing German Reich. The 16th Infantry Division would be reorganised into the 9th Imperial Guards Division which would be sent to combat an Nazi Uprising in Danzig during the Initial Uprisings. However, the unit was unable to prevent the fall of Danzig. In 1943, his unit would be moved to the Eastern Front in preparation for the Invasion of The Soviet Union.

Behrmann , now a Major, would serve with great courage and determination in the war. He fought bravely at the Battle of Minsk where he led his men in a charge which would capture a vital supply depot. He would once again fight bravely during the Siege of Leningrad where he would spend the rest of the war. For his actions in the war, he was promoted to Colonel and was deployed to support Atlantean Soldiers in the War of the Pacific. He would be in charge of training and advising a Battalion of Atlantean Soldiers.

### Rise as a General

After the War of The Pacific, Behrmann was put forward by General Gunther Smend ,who was in charge of the Imperial Advisor Force in the War, for a promotion to a Major General. On the 19th of August 1960, Behrmann would be promoted to Major General and would be placed in charge of the Imperial Forces in Africa.

He quickly proved himself to be a competent General and reorganised the weak Imperial Colonial Soldiers into a semi-decent force. By 1962, he had made himself a proven commander and at the outbreak of The Last Great War, he was transferred to command the Legendary 2nd Army which was formerly commanded by General Fromm.

His Army was heavily involved all the way through the war and Behrmann became a very skilled commander in tough terrain and harsh climates. In 1966, his army would help break the Katsuro Line and would capture Vladivostok. Behrmann was present in Tokyo for the signing of the treaty. Behrmann's display of competency and skill gave him a promotion to Field Marshall.

3 Years Later, and Behrmann would be tasked by The Emperor to command the Imperial Forces during the Fourth Latin War. Behrmann took the assignment personally and used his wide arsenal of resources to destroy the Argentine Forces and made capturing Goebbels alive his first priority. Goebbels would be captured in a Raid during the fall of Buenos Aires. Behrmann was a leading figure in the planning of the operation to capture him and requested the 1st Battalion of the 1st Imperial Storm Division to be used to capture him.

The Emperor was greatly pleased with Behrmann's Successes and named him High Field Marshall and Chief of the Army, meaning he was in charge of Imperial High Command and the Imperial Army, which was a position previously held by Rommel. The Emperor also designated Behrmann as his Imperial Successor with Rommel now in charge of the Atlantic Imperium.

In 1982, Behrmann would also be commanding Imperial Forces during the Imperial African War following Heydrich's Death. Although many African Nations managed to secede from the Imperial African Territories, Behrmann's efforts still helped incredibly and he realised that the secession actually benefitted the IAT as a state. It is believed this is when he formed his beliefs on the direction of the future of The Imperium and that devolution was a step the Imperium needs to take to secure the future. It's also believed he formed his Germanic Imperiumist views in this time.

Behrmann would once again be a leading commander in The Gulf War, however in 1991 due to The Emperor's failing health, Behrmann would leave the field and would return to Imperia City to take administrative duties in place of The Emperor. He would leave Military Command of the Gulf War to Generals Eberhard Zorn and Volker Weiss. But he would take command of all Administrative matters. The Emperor would however decline Behrmann's offer to form the Coalition and meet with the other Heads of States in 1992.

### A New Leader of The Imperium

In 1995, Behrmann would take an executive decision to withdraw from The Gulf War in light of the recent failures and new uprisings. His withdrawal threw the state of the war into a dangerous place. The Imperial HQ in Cairo could no longer be used and The Turkish moved the HQ for Coalition Ground Forces to Ankara and the Coalition Political Headquarters was moved to Ankara. This soured Imperian-Turkish relations and also made Behrmann unpopular among his own Military Officers. Behrmann's surrender was seen as a betrayal to The Imperium and was seen as humiliating. Many Imperial Generals lost trust in Behrmann's leadership.

Then in March 1998, The Emperor would pass away and Behrmann would immediately assume the title of Emperor. However, he introduces major reforms. He began to Germanise the Imperium and began denouncing systems the Emperor put into place. Many in the Imperiun began fighting each other. Behrmann begins to change how The Imperium works and withdraws support from the Imperial Puppet states who begin to collapse.

He tries to push the Imperium away so that their economy is focused on maintaining their stable core territory. He begins leaving regions which he deemed as invaluable and began sinking the economy into areas he deemed as Germanic. He also made rapid changes to The Imperial Armed Forces and essentially crippled the Imperial Army and Navy. He made the Airforce cut down but it didn't face such a big cut. The Imperial Military Senior Officers have also grown a mistrust against Behrmann as he failed to pass on the rank of High Field Marshall and kept it for himself.

As a result of all of this, The Great Collapse of 1998 occurred, the Imperial Based Economies of the world collapse and many Imperial Realm Countries fall into chaos. The 4 Territories ruling over Russia collapse into Russia Warlord States and many Wars take place, the biggest and most significant of these being the West Russian War and the War of the Caucasus.

The British Empire under Queen Elizabeth II also declared independence in the British War of Independence. The Italian Empire collapses into warring states and the Imperial Economy tanks and they can no longer afford to control their vast territories. In 1999, Behrmann launches a series of withdrawals from Africa, The Middle East and various overseas colonies.

The Imperium would refuse to support any of her former allies and allowed the Imperial African Territories to fall into anarchy. In the Middle East after The Imperial withdrawal , The Persian Imperium is subjugated into the Powers of the Middle East. The Kurdish Empire takes a majority of the land and the Arab Republic takes a lot as well. Behrmann placed the Imperium at odds with each other.

Many in the Imperium see him as a traitorous fool where others see him as a heroic revolutionary of the New Imperiumism. However, his ambitions and beliefs have caused the beginning collapse of The Imperium. His Army want him dead, many in the Imperiumist Party wish to see him removed and the Imperian People are on the verge of civil uproar.