Timeline

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The following is a brief summary of some of the major historical turning points in the Case Amber universe. Bolded events are points of divergence from the original timeline.

1940s

1930s

Year Date Event Location Context
1935 August 1 1935 Reichstag Bombing German Republic German Reich The nationalist paramilitary and veterans organization Der Stahlhelm bombs the Reichstag in an attempt to overthrow the Weimar government. The violence ultimately does not achieve its goal. After militants were suppressed by government forces, extreme elements of the monarchist German National People's Party (DNVP) were implicated. It was argued that the some DNVP leaders approved the attack in response to the in response to the SPD-Centre Grand Coalition's abnormally stable government (3 years to that point). This caused the Conservative People's Party (KVP) to rapidly grow in membership as the moderate wing of the DNVP jumped ship. Paul von Lettow-Vorbeck was installed as KVP chairman to instill public confidence, as the monarchist cause was then associated with terrorists. The KVP would form a coalition with the Centre Party as a junior partner to unseat Otto Wels' SPD government in the 1936 federal election.

The Reichstag bombing coincided with the pan-Germanic nationalist putsch in Austria, which was successfully suppressed by the Fatherland Front with diplomatic support from Fascist Italy, France and Germany.

1932 July 31 1932 German federal election German Republic German Reich The SPD-Centre Grand Coalition (SPD–Z–DDP–BVP) unseats the DNVP's Nationalist Coalition (DNVP—DStB—DDP—BVP). Otto Wels (SPD) becomes Chancellor of Germany. Center-left moderates capitalized on the failures of the DNVP's pro-elite response to the Great Depression and major tensions caused by rightist paramilitaries briefly but very publicly reoccupying the Rhineland half a year after France left.
March 13/April 10 1932 German presidential election German Republic German Reich Joseph Wirth (Centre) is elected President of Germany. To ensure the defeat of the DNVP candidate, the SPD agreed to support the Centre Party on the second ballot provided it was an agreeable candidate like Wirth.
1931 4 January Paramilitaries Reoccupy the Rhineland German Republic German Reich Less than 6 months after France withdrew from the Rhineland, armed nationalist paramilitary groups reoccupied it. This was desperate bid to stoke nationalist sentiments. While denied by Hugenberg’s DNVP government, it was an open secret that the DNVP had financed the operation (possibly with Hugenerg's personal funds). Nationalist commentators stoked hype that soon it would be the military following in their steps. It was known to France and the UK that the paramilitaries were being used as proxies for official state action.

The reoccupation was heavily opposed by Centre and SPD due to causing a massive international incident and showing Germany to be acting in bad faith. It was opposed by the military due to the generals knowing they weren’t ready for a war with France, and it threatened their plans to remilitarize in the late 1930s to challenge Poland. After a stand-off and threats from the French to invade the Rhineland once more, the DNVP government secretly called back their mercenaries and denied involvement. The incident was seen by the public as an embarrassment.

1920s

Year Date Event Location Context
1923 November 8-9 Beer Hall Putsch German Republic German Reich The Kampfbund attempt to seize Munich is violently suppressed by Bavarian police. NSDAP leader Adolf Hitler was shot and killed. The Nazi Party was banned, although other rightist militant groups (primarily focused on restoring the monarchy) replaced it.
1922 June 24 Attempted assassination of Walther Rathenau German Republic German Reich Erwin Kern, Hermann Fischer, and Ernst Techow attempt to murder German Foreign Minister Walther Rathenau on the orders of Hermann Ehrhardt, but are shot dead in the attempt. Rathenau escapes with moderate injuries from a grenade blast outside his car. While Rathenau normally sent away his guard because he did not like having shadows spying on him and disturbing his guests[1] this time two were with him at the insistence of Chancellor Wirth and a plain clothes police officer guarding his villa was also present. Rathenau's speech before the Reichstag on bandaged and on crutches preached unity and moderation among the left.

Notes

  1. Felix, D., Walther Rathenau and the Weimar Republic: The Politics of Reparations, (Baltimore: Johns Hopkins Press, 1971), p. 168-169. Internet Archive Books,