Thread necromancy conducted, this is not over yet...

The Syndicalists of France and Italy have awaited it since the revolutions began, the day when the worker's revolution will expand and topple Mitteleuropa. The revolutions in India, America and Spain may have failed, but the large standing armies of the Commune of France and the Republic of the Sicilies are at last strong enough to spread Syndicalism to the rest of Europe. The first step to achieving this would be the destruction of the Catholic Italian Federation; the Italian duchies under the authoritarian rule of the Pope that signify all that stands in the way of Syndicalism.

In late March, 1941 the Republic of the Sicilies and the Commune of France declared war on the Italian Federation, seeking to destroy the Catholic state. A hasty counterattack by the Italian army drives deep into Naples, but is cut off and surrounded by the Sicilian army. Large French armies pour through the Alps, capturing some territories of Northern Italy.

The German and Austrian Empires, weary of the spread of Syndicalism, respond to the invasion. On April 2nd, 1941, the anniversary of the Great War (again), the German and Austrian Empires, along with Carlist Spain declare war on the Commune of France and the Republic of the Sicilies.

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The Second Great War has begun!

The German army has long been preparing for another war on the French front. Defeating the French in 1870 has taken nearly 8 months, in 1916 it has taken 1 year and 2 months; both of those wars has been long and costly, and the German army will be hard pressed to defeat France quickly in order to avoid another such war.

While the French army is theoritcally bigger than the German army at this point, large parts of the French army is heavily engaged in Northern Italy or are in the process of redeploying to break the Italians in the Alps, and thus can't . Arrayed across the German and Flemish border are some 30 divisions, heavily entranched in the French fortification line, extending from the Swiss border to the English Channel. As soon as news of the outbreak of war with Germany, dozens more divisions are recalled from Italy.

Opposing this is the full might of the combined armies of Mitteleuropa,. While most of the German army is composed of foot infantry divisions, several corps of armoured, motorized and mechanized forces are ready to put modern armoured exploitation doctrines to the test. Many divisions of the German army are also experienced, having seen combat in the Austro-Hungarian War and in the Second Balkan War. In addition to the German army, a major Austrian army is ready to attack in the south, while several Flemish corps form the majority of the northern force.

German bombers and artillery pound French positions along the frontier throughout April 2nd. At 04:00 of April 3rd, 40 divisions of the German, Austrian and Flemish armies, including 12 armoured divisions of III. and IV. Panzerkommandos and 6 motorized divisions of X. Armeekorps, attack Reims on the central front in a mighty combined arms attack. The 7 French divisions defending the fortifications at Reims are overwhelmed by the weight of the Austro-German attack and break within hours, starting to retreat out of the region. The armoured and motorized formations charge through the broken French lines while the foot infantry are left to mop up the survivors.

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In order to cover the flanks of the advancing German army in the center, an attack on Chaumont is ordered several hours later in order to threaten French reinforcements coming from the Italian front.

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Reims is secured by April 4th and III. and IV. Panzerkommandos, along with infantry of X. Armeekorps proceed to cross the Seine at Troyes. 2 understrength French divisions are cought completely by surprise at the speed of the German advance, but manage to resist the crossing for a day until they are overrun.

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In the north, von Kleist's I. Panzerkommando, comprising 1 armoured and 1 motorized division, which has been tasked with supporting the Flemish army, is ordered to march to the coast and attack Dunkerque.

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With the German army across the Seine at Troyes, the French hastily divert 3 divisions, including some French armour, to defend Paris. 5 more divisions are thrown into a doomed counterattack against the German breakthrough at Troyes in an attempt to thrawt the German advance.

Early in the morning of April 6th, the Panzerkommandos attack the French capital, having outrun the infantry of X. Armeekorps, meeting stiff resistance in the streets of Paris.

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At the same time, I. Panzerkommando secures Dunkerque in the north. The small mechanized corps is ordered to drive for the Seine and not stop until Paris is in sight. Flemish and German infantry is brought forward to protect the rear of the advancing Panzerkommando.

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The offensive in the south continues on April 7th. 11 French divisions are attacked in Dijon and defeated, but French reinforcements arrive and halt the advance before it captures the city.

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2 French divisions recapture vacated Calais on April 8th, cutting off I. Panzerkommando's supply line just as it reaches Le Havre. A hasty counteroffensive by German-Flemish troops throws the French out of Calais once more and reestablishes the mechanized formation's supply.

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Paris is finally captured by 18 divisions on April 9th, one week after the start of the war. German troops celebrate the fast capture of the French capital. In addition to securing the Commune of France's center of power, the capture of Paris also seals the first large French pocket, with dozens of French divisions trapped between it and the Flemish border. A general advance is ordered to annihilate the pocket.

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The French capital in German hands, the French army in disarray, French troops broken and France itself attacked from all directions. It was rapidly becoming clear following the first week of the war that France has been defeated in one of the most stunning victories since Napoleon. Despite this, the Syndicalist French government orders all workers of France to resist the imperialist invasion to the last.

Ahead of the German mechanized formations lay the shattered rear of the French lines, defended only by scattered divisions struggling to form a coherent front. With the foot infantry mopping up the French to the east and the Austro-German army advancing into the Alps near the Swiss, the armoured troops are ordered to charge through France and not stop until they reach the sea.

von Kleist's I. Panzerkommando's first task is to encircle Normandy and cut off the Cherbourg peninsula at Avranches. Following this, von Kluge motorized cavalry corps, the last such formation of the German army, would attack and clear Normandy while Kleist's Panzerkommando drives on.

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By April 12th, the French pocket has been reduced to 11 disorganized divisions still capable of fighting in Compiègne, which are soon broken and annihilated.

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In the south, Carlist Spain's outdated army makes a brave show, attacking and counterattacking along the Pyrenees. While not much ground is captured by the Spanish, large parts of the French army are forced to remain there in order to prevent a collapse.

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1 day later, von Manstein's III. Panzerkommando attacks and takes Orléans from 3 French divisions. With the road south open, the rest of the German armoured and motorized formations are ordered to advance.

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By April 19th, the Breton peninsula has been taken by I. Panzerkommando, IV. Panzerkommando has crossed the Loire river at Tours and V. Panzerkommando has reached as far south as Clermont-Ferrand.

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While V. Panzerkommando moves to the Mediterranean coast in order to cut France in half, III. and IV. Panzerkommandos attacked west to relieve the Spanish army. On April 20th, another pocket is sealed as French troops on the Loire are cut off by IV. Panzerkommando's taking of La Rochelle. I. Panzerkommando is ordered south to crush the pocket.

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On April 21st, Model's V. Panzerkommando has reached the Mediterranean at Nîmes. Not giving the French army any respite, it is ordered east to the Italian border in order to seal the French army in the Alps.

The Cholet pocket is crushed 2 days later by von Kleist's troops and the mechanized divisions of XXI. Armeekorps.

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With 20 divisions defending the new provisional French capital in Bordeaux, von Manstein's III. Panzerkommando is ordered to thrust south in order to link up with the Spanish front. An attack on Toulouse is attempted, but French troops vacate Auch and stop the attack with 16 divisions. Before the German attack could be redirected, the French form a defensive line across the river and stop the offensive.

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The attack in the Alps is resumed on April 24th with the French position deteriorating as they attempt to break out of the encirclement. 2 days later, Model's V. Panzerkommando reaches Nice and seals the gap. A general offensive is launched in the Alps to reduce the French army.

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