Western Europe Timeline

## Western Europe Before 1950

### 1918-1930

When the German Empire strode through Brussels, carved out the East, and Marched through Paris the world gasped in awe. The question had seemed forever settled by 1918. All the world’s splendour and glory belonged rightfully to Berlin. A place in the sun had been secured! Yet what the victorious Kaiser, the English Prime Minister, and the French President could never anticipate was that the “Great War” had actually been the  “Great Suicide”.

As Marx prophetically predicted, the inherent crises of capitalism brought about its downfall. The “Imperialist” war had slaughtered millions casually. Husbands, Fathers, and Sons were discarded like trash; foot soldiers in a jostling match waged between competing domineers. According to the Socialist movement, In exchange for control of markets and colonies the masters of Europe had traded blood.

It was on the back of this rhetoric the general strike in Paris would spiral into a revolution that heavily utilised disaffected soldiers. Then the Italian workers rose too, following the example of their continental brothers. Next came old Albion, brought to heel by simple Welsh Miners and particularly radical members of the Labour party. In just three years the titans of western Europe were no more. The Red Flag flew triumphant.

### 1930-1936

As the 1930’s arrived the European Proletariat began to mature. While the international workers struggled towards their example, European toilers began to reorganize their bases of operation. From the meek and feeble English Labour Republic arose Oswald Mosley, saving the nation from a budding coup. Where others had reacted he had acted. The adoration of the Public was enough to overshadow any concerns about his disregard for democracy.

In Paris, the local prosperity of the Syndicalist system was haunted by broad scale dysfunction and the threat of German domination. Pierre Semad and his radical Jacobins would win the ‘36 election in an upset. Their ambitious goals were released in the “Year of Changes''.

The “French Communal Federation” would begin its slow evolution into the “French Social Republic.”  The convoluted economy was streamlined, the military was bloated to what some may have considered absurdity, and the stigma against intelligence agencies done away with. Despite such radical changes, France would still retain most of its democratic structures. The state had become a well oiled machine, but the ideals of the federation were not abolished. With the exception of the Anarchistes, the Disparate factions of the CGT were content to permit some radical changes if they brought about great benefit. Yet the tendencies of Semad would not become the only opinion in France.

### 1936-1939

The late thirties saw another global revolutionary wave as a result of Black Monday. The international peasantry and proletariat chased the European example. French and British troops saw action across the world during this time and the military experience gained would become invaluable. The crowning achievement of this period was Spain, whose working class utilised massive French aid to clutch victory from Liberals, Carlists, and Reactionaries of all stripes. Yet Portugal would remain independent after intervention was narrowly avoided.

Tensions would flare between the Germans and French for the last time in 1939 following the “Alsetian incident”. The workers of Alsace Lorainne mounted a massive General strike in the hopes of ending the brutal working hours and clearly malicious quotas imposed upon them. With the Police overwhelmed and accusations of French support running wild the German Army would move in. A standoff on the border ensued. On the fifth day of said standoff a platoon of German soldiers would engage a group of rowdy militiamen, who fled to the Alpine town of Besançon. Communard Troops stationed there opened fire and the ensuing battle would leave several casualties on both sides. With War now seeming inevitable, Paris flew a squadron of Bombers over the region the next day with an ultimatum. Alsace Lorainne in its entirety was demanded, and Berlin countered with claims that the entire ordeal had been a false flag operation by the Bureau. Discerning truth from reality was as impossible as the ultimatum actually being fulfilled. The Second Great War had begun. Germany sought a full scale invasion of France.

Berlin had greatly underestimated their opponent, and French armoured units began to assault the Ardenne and Artillery pounded the Rhine. A program of subterfuge known as Operation Lumiere would be carried out by the then nascent “Bureau for the Suppression of Counter Revolution and Sabotage”. To say the operation was a success was an understatement. Socialist and Nationalist Partisans emboldened by Black Monday worked to wage a guerilla war from within the Empire. This was most effective in Flanders-Wallonia where it allowed a breakthrough of the French Army in what was known as the “12 Days of Brussels”. Soon the entirety of Belgium came under French control.