Post by lordroel on Feb 17, 2017 16:37:59 GMT
This timeline is written by LongVin and was posted on his forum called LongVin's Writing Den, with his permission and my pleasure i will post the timeline in all its glory.
This timeline is a “what if,” on what if Mussolini was a smarter, shrewder politician in the realm of international relations from 1936 onwards. The point of divergence is the conquest of Ethiopia by Italian forces on May 5th 1936.
Chapter I (May 5th 1936 to June 10th 1941)
May 5th 1936
In Rome Mussolini, Victor Emanuel III and the Grand Council of Fascism are pleased with the success of the invasion of Ethiopia and the formation of Italian East Africa. However this war has left a bitter taste in the mouths of the western powers and has left Italy diplomatically isolated. There is also Hitler’s Germany a politically similar regime that is rapidly gaining power, but Mussolini does not trust the Austrian artist.
Mussolini decides on a dangerous course he will attempt to forge closer relations with both parties secretly and see which side will offer him the best deals.
May 15th 1936
Count Ciano the foreign minister of Italy and son in law to Il Duce begins a diplomatic blitz with France and the United Kingdom trying to drum up support for the Ethiopian war. Ciano even goes as far to offer both France and Britain reduced prices on any exports produced from the Ethiopian colony.
June 30th 1936
Haile Selassie the former Emperor of Ethiopia speaks in front of the League of Nations and delivers a scathing speech against the blind Imperialism of the Italian Empire and warning “It is us today, It will be you tomorrow.” His warning falls largely on deaf ears as Britain and France though still displeased with the actions of Italy see possible gain from it.
The League of Nations votes to condemn the attack but offers no sanctions in effect basically letting Italy off the hook.
* Note: I believe that with the lackluster sanctions placed in OTL without any damage control efforts by Mussolini that in this timeline there will be even less desire to for sanctions since Italy has attempted to smooth things over.*
July 1936
The Spanish civil war starts with Francesco Franco attacking mainland Spain from bases in Africa. By the end of the month Italy(and Germany) begins supplying Franco’s nationalists with supplies and volunteers against the Republicans.
This action has once again hurt the international image of Italy to the western powers and Ciano is again sent on a tour of nations to attempt to rectify it. This time however it is much less successful with Italy currently out of any bargaining chips.
August 1936
Despite the economic strain of both the Spanish Civil War and the recurring costs from the Ethiopian campaign Mussolini orders the construction of two railroads in Italian Africa. The first being an east west railway in Libya linking the major cities. The second is a railway linking the major cities of Italian East Africa. They are expected to be completed within two years.
October 25th 1936
Mussolini meets secretly with Hitler and they agree to aid each other in secret. Hitler at first insists that any alliance be a public one but Mussolini holds firm and insists that Italian interests can not allow such a public display. Hitler’s hand is also forced on a technology exchange between Italy and Germany. Mussolini specifically requests German engineers to aid in the construction of synthetic oil plants within Italy. As a concession Italy shall sell a large percentage of the oil(around 40%) to Germany at a reduced rate.
A few German military officers are also sent to Italy to instruct Italian officers and NCO’s in new training measures and drills.
December 1936
The construction on the first of four synthetic oil plants begin.
July 1937
The first Synthetic Oil Plant comes online with an initial production output of 10% of its full capacity. Over the next six months it will gradually work towards full production and begin research on its own methods for oil production. The second plant is currently 50% of the way to completion and the remaining two are 25%.
The German advisors have trained a core base of Italian NCO’s and officers who will go on to train the Italian army as a whole.
September 1937
Through constant diplomacy and agreements for future economic benefits with the sale of cheap oil the relations with Britain and France are once against returned to “normalcy” the governments of both nations are still wary of Italian aggression but they have their own problems to be concerned with at this time.
November 11th 1937
Mussolini issues a proclamation asking that all true Italians who emigrated overseas to return to Italy(or one of its colonies,) and work towards making the land of their ancestors great. Incentives of free housing and jobs are offered to those who chose to return home. Mussolini is hoping that the influx of foreign more valuable money into the Italian economy will help keep everything trotting along until more viable sources of income can come online fully(i.e. the oil plants.)
March 12th 1938
Anschluss occurs in Austria. Italy neither condemns or offers praise to Germany officially but Mussolini secretly gave his consent to Hitler for the annexation(Mussolini originally opposed Hitler’s first attempt.) Hitler in a state of joy for the smooth turnover of power is heard to remark in a staff meeting “Tell Mussolini I will never forget him for this...never, never, never, never...”
Though the call for all true Italians to return to Italy was issued months before very few of the millions of emigrants or their children have returned. Only a few thousand have made their way back to Italy.
September 30th 1938
The Munich agreement is signed between Great Britain and Germany giving Germany control of the Sudetenland in Czechoslovakia. Prime Minister Chamberlain gives his speech of “Peace for our time...”
December 1938
Enrico Fermi, Italian physicist wins the Nobel Prize. He praises Mussolini and the Grand Council for the funding he received while working in Rome and returns home to parades and other publicity events.
*Note: It may seem strange that I have Fermi return to Italy but so far in this timeline there is no reason for Fermi to defect to the United States. Historically he left Italy because of the enaction of anti Semitic laws since his wife was Jewish. Without those laws and without close public ties to Hitler, Fermi has no reason to uproot himself.*
January 1st 1939
For the most part the construction of two railways in Africa are complete and in Ethiopia mining and other economically strengthening activities have begun. The synthetic oil plants are nearly running at full production and plans are made to expand the number to six by 1941. Mussolini enacts a program to grant licenses for mining and logging rights to Italian corporations to increase production of raw materials.
March 1939
Hitler invades and annexes the rest of Czechoslovakia.
Count Ciano is sent to Albania to give a set of extremely unreasonable demands to King Zog. Zog naturally turns down the offer and Rome gives an ultimatum to Zog to accept the terms by 12:00 PM April 6th.
Mussolini and Hitler have another secret meeting to discuss future relations. It is quite clear that Hitler is preparing for a war which Mussolini wants no part of, nor could Mussolini afford another war. They do agree to extend the terms of trade between Germany and Italy in secret. This trade will consist of only raw materials and generally untraceable goods to Germany in exchange for gold and technology schematics.
April 1st 1939
The Spanish Civil War ends in a victory for Franco and Italian troops which number over 37 thousand begin returning home. The war reveals defects in Italian military command that Mussolini orders to be corrected with all due haste.
April 7th 1939
The deadline has come and gone for Albania and the Italian fleet has begun shelling of the Albanian coast. By the end of the day 2 divisions would be on the shore and Albania would fall within a week and have King Zog fleeing to Greece.
May 1939
In conjunction with the German training previously received and lessons learned in Spain the Comando Supremo has ordered a restructuring of the Italian military by implementing a new doctrine of warfare. Over the course of 1939 Italy will retrain its troops for the use of Blitzkrieg style warfare.
Army supply depots are established in northern Italy along the German Italian border to keep trade covertly flowing with Germany freely even if Italy has to declare a trade embargo against the Reich.
September 1st 1939
Following a staged attack on a German radio station Germany declares war on Poland and launches a massive invasion of the country. Britain and France immediately condemn the attacks and Italy proclaims her neutrality. Mussolini even offers that Rome be used as a site of a conference to work out a peaceful solution to the unnecessary war. Of course this request is refused by Hitler but the gesture helps to increase his diplomatic standing with the Allies.
September 3rd 1939
Great Britain and France declare war on Germany.
September 17th 1939
The Soviet Union invades Poland in accordance with the Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact.
October 1st 1939
Poland is completely conquered by the forces of the Third Reich and the Soviet Union.
November 1939
A treaty for Britain and France is drafted up that promises Italy will cut all economic and political ties with Nazi Germany in return for a Sphere of Influence over the Balkans, Eastern Mediterranean and Mideast(Minus British and French Protectorates.) Presented secretly to those governments the treaty is immediately rebuked.
January 1940
Nazi gold begins flowing into Italy as Germany starts purchasing stores of supply for renewed offensives in a few months.
Italian tank production is on the rise as a result of the brilliant use of tanks in Poland.
Meanwhile plans are being made for an Italian invasion of Yugoslavia. Though Italy does not have the assurances of Britain and France over Italian dominance in the region Mussolini is confidant that soon the Allies will be too distracted to care what Italy does.
April 9th 1940
Germany invades Norway and Denmark and both nations fall quickly.
Italy enters into negotiations with Bulgaria for an invasion of Yugoslavia. The tentative date is set for early 1941 so both nations can prepare their armed forces.
May 10th 1940
Germany Blitzes Belgium and France! Allied defense is shattered nearly from the start of the campaign.
June 10th 1940
With almost all of France nearly in German hands and the British forced to retreat back to England Mussolini once again submits the treaty of Italian neutrality to Britain and France. In chaotic Paris the treaty goes ignored but in Britain it is reluctantly signed by the new government under Churchill.
June 11th 1940
Italy breaks all economic and diplomatic ties with Germany citing their unlawful invasion of Belgium and France. The Italian government enacts measures to protect Italian industry by purchasing goods originally bound for Germany. On paper this is a dramatic act, in practice there is little or no effect on trade with it now just being conducted completely by the government in exchange for untraceable currency and technology designs.
June 22nd 1940
With Paris and two thirds of France under German control France is forced to sign an armistice with Germany. The neutral Vichy government is established in Vichy.
July 1940
The Battle of Britain begins in the skies over England.
November 1940
The Italian military reforms are largely completed their effectiveness is still unknown but they will soon be tested in Yugoslavia. An invasion date is set for early April.
After months of constant gold trading it was time to launder the funds into the economy and have Italy benefit from the sales. Mussolini begins approving plans for funding from a multitude of government organizations and private institutions. Most of which have a military value. One such request comes from the University of Rome for grant money to research the possibility of achieving nuclear fission and outlines the possible uses, one of which catches Mussolini’s eye which is the military aspect. It is quickly signed with a large “M” for his approval and the Italian Nuclear Program officially begins.
*Note: Some may see it far fetched that Italy would begin a nuclear program on it’s own but I believe that with Fermi still residing in Italy, the lack of Italian entry in the war and the influx of funds from Germany an Italian program is inevitable. Of course this program will take many years since Italy does not have the same amount of funds to devote to it as the United States nor the infrastructure to support the operation. We are looking at a development of at least 9 to 10 years.
December 1940
The Vatican issues a Bull condemning the Nazi subjugation of good Catholic people in Western and Eastern Europe. It goes on to condemn the Nazi especially the Catholics and states that they must reconsider what it means to be Christian. It does however ask for leniency in occupation to be granted to the people of occupied Europe as they are good Christian stock and should be treated humanely and fairly.
The Bull has little actual effect with most high level Catholic Nazis only paying mere lip service to the Church. In the predominately Catholic areas of Germany there are minor protests to their governments behavior and actions but these are limited and disperse The only real effect is a harsher crackdown on Catholic Priests who preach against Nazi Ideology.
In Italy construction begins on two more Synthetic Oil Plants.
January 1941
Ethnically Italian troops are recalled from the colonies back to Italy leaving the African possessions with large amounts of native troops and only a handful of divisions of Italians. In Italy they are being reequipped and retrained to fight in a European theater of war.
Italy and Bulgaria negotiate the division of Yugoslavia. Bulgaria will gain all land east of the Morava River south of Belgrade and Italy will gain all lands to the west as well as Macedonia. The date for the invasion is set at April 14th. When asked what would be done if England attempted to intervene the Italian military commanders revealed the facts of the Italian Neutrality Treaty which makes the Bulgarians very nervous about the future of their state.
February 1941
The Battle of Britain has been raging for nearly eight months now and though the British have gained the upper hand there is no end in sight and the British people are beginning to grow anxious and uneasy with talks of asking for a peace treaty emerging. Churchill and his cabinet realize they must open up a new front where victories can be gained. Norway was the logical choice for the attack and British planners are given the task of organizing it.
At the same time in Germany, Hitler and his men prepare for the invasion of the Soviet Union.
Bulgarian government officials meet secretly with the Turkish government and agree to a defensive pact to ward against Italian aggression in the region. The Turks also wish to see a reoccupation of the lands stolen from them by Greece but that matter is left undecided.
March 1941
Italy and Bulgaria begin mobilizing their forces for the attack against Yugoslavia. The Italian attack will consist of 3 Armies of 125 thousand men apiece. 1st army will be positioned in northeastern Italy near Trieste with its mission to attack through the Slovene territories and keep any defensive forces from the Northern border off balance. 2nd Army will strike out of the Istrian peninsula and will head towards Belgrade. 3rd Army in Albania will strike along the Western side of Lake Skodar and capture the coastline. In addition marine landings will be conducted at Bar and Split with Paratrooper landings occurring in Tivar and Rijeka. Over 800 tanks(most of which outdated,) and 600 aircraft are being devoted to the success of the operation.
In Bulgaria a force of 200 thousand men are being prepared along the border to open up a second front.
April 5th 1941
The Bulgarian Ambassador to Rome informs Mussolini that the current agreement between Rome and Sofia is no longer satisfactory and that a new arrangement has to be agreed upon. Bulgaria insists that Macedonia be divided into two with the eastern half being made a puppet state of Bulgaria to serve as a buffer from the Italian border. Mussolini is outraged by this demand but his hands are tied, he needs the Bulgarians to pull off the attack and he is forced to agree to the new terms.
Later in the day to his private aides he swears he will get revenge upon the treacherous dogs to the East.
April 7th 1941
High flying recon flights are sent over Yugoslavia and prompt an official protest from the government. The Italian government issues a press release that the overflies were due to an error in a flight plan but this does not explain the continued overflies later in the day and the following days. The government orders a mobilization of troops along the Italian border as a precautionary measure. The mobilization will be complete within two weeks.
April 14th 1941
5:00 AM Local Time
Across the airfields of Italy hundreds of fighters and bombers are taking flight heading eastwards. Off the coast of the Kingdom of Yugoslavia the Italian fleet sits in wait silently for the signal to be given. Hundreds of artillery crews are opening up sealed envelopes with their target coordinates and sight their guns.
5: 45 AM Local Time
A short message is telegraphed to the Yugoslav government stating that the Kingdom of Italy can no longer stand their destabilizing influence in what is Italy’s Sphere of Influence and that a state of war now exists between the Kingdom of Italy and the Kingdom of Yugoslavia.
Hundreds of Italian telegraphers and radiomen relay messages to units across the front ordering them to commence operations.
5:50 AM Local Time
Battleships and cruisers open fire against enemy cities and fortifications in preparation for the army’s advance and marine landings. The Italian fleet is broken up into four groups. With concentrations near the Albanian border, Istrian border, and the two marine landings at Split and Bar.
Belgrade sends out emergency alarms to their military installations ordering all forces to go on full alert. They have not been able to fully prepare but they will make sure to give the Italians one hell of a fight as they ready their forces.
5:55 AM Local Time
Italian fighters and bombers sweep into Yugoslav airspace and break off towards their individual targets. Most of the bombers are assigned to knocking out enemy border fortifications and critical communications and road and rail junctions leading to the front to keep the Yugoslavs off balance. Fighters are to establish air superiority preferably by destroying the aircraft on the ground, of course if that is not possible they will blast them from the sky.
Along the borders most of the air bases are hit before they have a chance to get aircraft airborne but further inland the bases with more warning manage to launch their own aircraft including 4 of the 6 operational IK-3's.
The squadron tasked with clearing that base was taken completely by surprise as they were beset upon the extremely agile and well built fighters. Immediately two planes went down as they entered into combat in the predawn light over Yugoslavia. The radioband was filled with chatter declaring their confusion:
“I can’t see him! Where is he!”
“He’s on your tail pull up!”
“I got him...Shit! I missed! He’s turning to tight!”
“Someone get him off me!”
For nearly twenty minutes the conflict went on before the Italian fighters with their numbers(and the help of a two Aces from the Spanish Civil war responding to their calls for help) they managed to down the four IK-3's at the loss of eight of their own.
6:00 AM Local Time
Hundreds of artillery guns unleash a mighty barrage into Yugoslavia as the Italian armies advance into the confused enemy lines. 1st army attacking along the northernmost route have Alpine troops leading the way and flanking the spearhead to guide the rest of the force.
2nd and 3rd army have their tanks lead the way on the more favorable terrain(600 of the 800 tanks are assigned to these two armies.)
Landing craft depart from their motherships and head towards the outskirts of the targeted cities(bar and split,) with a total of 5,000 troops attacking each.
6:15 AM Local Time
The meager border defenses of the Yugoslavian forces are shattered and the Italian armies roll across the divide freely preparing for a quick victory over their enemies.
Paratroopers drop out of the sky in the areas around the cities of Tivar and Rijeka. 4,000 men are dropped for each city. Most of the Paratroopers are misdropped and dispersed around the countryside. Luckily for them there are very few defenders in these regions since they were considered to not be in the path of an Italian invasion.
*Note: The Comando Supremo is not using the paratroopers in a combined arms offensive with the regular army but instead as separate units in different roles. This will have both positive and negative effects on the campaign as a whole.*
6: 30 AM Local Time
Bulgaria officially declares war on Yugoslavia in support of their Italian allies. Over 200 thousand troops start the attack on the Eastern border of the kingdom.
Italy issues an official press release to its people and the world citing the reason for the invasion which is the Yugoslav crown infringing on Italian influence and attempting to incite uprisings throughout the territory of Albania.
9:00 AM Local Time
Along all fronts the offensives have become bogged down after initial advances of 10-15 miles but they are now against concentrated defensive lines. At first the tanks are sent ahead to break the enemy lines but they are soon repulsed. Most of the tanks are not up for the task being outdated and the few “modern” ones are too few in number to decisively change the course of battle.
Italian commanders attempt to radio in for Close Air Support but there are a severe lack of planes available and those that are, are usually incapable of the task. When CAS can respond the results are usually mixed. One thing is apparent though that the current Italian dive bombers are not up to par.
The Bulgarian front meets with much greater success as there are nearly no defenders along this front. They make massive initial gains but are soon slowed down not because of defenders but because of the outdated supply and transportation system present within the army. As the Bulgarians attempt to reorganize their forces and get them moving they give the enemy time to organize a coherent eastern defense.
Not all news is gloomy though the paratroopers and marines have succeeded in capturing their target cities and are now preparing defenses for any counter attack.
11:00 AM Local Time
Governments worldwide begin releasing statements most of which condemning the attacks. All major world powers(except England) voice their opposition to the attacks but offer no support for Yugoslavia. England issues a half hearted response which basically states: “It is unfortunate that Italy wrongfully abuses its power over the Balkans while the world at large is occupied with greater concerns.” This time statement would come to haunt the Churchill government as it makes the government look weak and appeasing
Oddly enough the harshest response attack comes from the German Reich which said that Italy has grossly overstepped its bounds in the world of international relations. Upon hearing of the invasion Hitler flew into a rage on the Italian actions. His anger was twofold first he felt(perhaps rightly so,) that the Italian war took valuable resources away from his own campaigns. In the past weeks Italian oil and munition sales dropped nearly 40%. The second reason was Hitler believed that by using the Bulgarians in the attack Italy has deprived Germany of an ally in the upcoming battle with Russia.
12:00 PM Local Time
Italy establishes near full air superiority over the skies of Yugoslavia only the most eastern territories are not under patrol by fighters.
Bombers are being refueled and rearmed for a massive ground attack mission against the forces facing 3rd army.
2:30 PM Local Time
150 bombers provide CAS for 3rd army as they attempt to smash through the Yugoslavian defenders.
6:00 PM Local Time
The renewed offensive out of Albania have put the defenders on the retreat. 3rd army prepares to link up with the men in Bar and Tivar and press the offensive further north.
The massed air attack tactics employed here will be used on the two northern fronts in the upcoming days.
April 22nd 1941
After a week of retreating the Yugoslav army has reestablished defensive positions. They lost most of their coast as well as their fleet from a combination of being sunk and others being captured in port before being able to get underway.
3rd army turns eastwards to support operations in Bosnia and to tighten the noose that is forming around Belgrade.
Italian troops are outside the city of Ljubljana which is heavily fortified and preventing 1st army from advancing any further.
2nd Army is making good progress across Croatia but is not encountering stiffer resistance as they get closer to Serbia.
The Bulgarian front has reached the Morava river and both sides have established defenses on the opposing banks. Neither side is willing to commit the necessary troops for such an operation and the Bulgarians are banking on the Yugoslavs pulling troops out first to reinforce the west.
The current success comes with a high price. Over 20% of the Italian armored corps is wiped out in the first week of fighting and that number is expected to rise as the defense mounts. Tank crews have taken to mounting sandbags across the front of their tanks to add an extra layer of projection against high velocity weapons. Back at home this has already prompted the government to order the P.40(Note: The P.40 would be comparable to a Panther.) to enter into production as soon as possible to both replace losses and provide Italy with a reliable tank.
The Bulgarians have suffered even higher loses, fighting primarily with World War I tactics they have lost over 20,000 men already and are looking at a bloody grind towards Belgrade.
In Belgrade the mood is grim but with a tinge of optimism. The army has halted the attacks and established new defensive lines in favorable terrain but they were still outnumbered and soon would be running low on necessary supplies. They did have one ace up their sleeves on a front neglected by Italy. Unbeknownst to the Italians 5 divisions gather in Kosovo preparing to invade Albania.
April 23rd 1941
Despite heavy air bombardment 2nd army’s advance has been halted as they attempted to enter into Serbia proper.
To the North a massive air raid is conducted against Ljubljana as 20 thousand Italian soldiers conduct an assault against the city. Ljubljana is the last obstacle to cutting Slovenia in half and can serve as another route towards Belgrade.
April 24th 1941
5 divisions overwhelm the almost non existent border defenses along the Albanian borders and drive towards the coastline. The Italians in Albania are primarily supply troops and garrison divisions. 30 Thousand troops from 3rd army and the Paratrooper and Marine detachments are rerouted south to seal the breach. The Yugoslavians only objective is to capture the Italian supply depots at all costs. The Italians must hold the supply depots at all costs. The most important battle of the Yugoslav conflict is about to begin.
April 28th 1941
After heavy fighting the city of Ljubljana falls to the numerically superior Italians. With this victory most of the Slovene lands are now firmly in Italian hands.
The hemorrhaging of the defense line in Albania is finally halted with the arrival of the first relief columns from the North. The Yugoslavian front was a half mile from the city of Shkordra and nearly cut off Albania from Yugoslavia but they failed in their goal of capturing much needed supples except for a few minor depots that were for the border troops.
Bombing raids are now being conducted around the clock against the rear area supply dumps of the Yugoslav army and any intact rail and road junctions.
May 1st 1941
Renewed Italian offensives have begun on all fronts to drive through the Yugoslavians. The 3 main armies once again manage to pierce the enemy defensive lines and are now making good speed towards Belgrade. The newly formed Albanian front is largely stable with the Italians possessing enough numbers to prevent the larger Yugoslavian force from advancing any further but not enough to launch attacks against them.
Thousands of troops guarding the Morava River are pulled westward to establish new defensive lines against the Italians.
While a corridor of retreat is still available the Yugoslavian government and the young King Peter II begin their escape southwards by truck to Greece.
May 3rd 1941
The Bulgarians launch a massive attack across the Morava overtaking the depleted defenders on its western shore and attempt to take as much land before the Italians can to show the strength of their army.
Peter II and his government arrive in Greece and establish themselves in exile. Peter issues a plea to the nations of the world asking for support against Italy.
In Italy after months of preparation the research team for Project Jupiter has been fully assembled with Enrico Fermi in the lead. It consists of top Italian scientists across many fields and most of Fermi’s students. Fermi has already begun work on much of the theoretical and conceptual designs for the nuclear device. A complex for Nuclear Studies is under construction outside of Rome.
May 4th 1941
The world remains silent to the pleas of Peter II, prompting Mussolini to boast to the press using an ancient saying “While Rome is free, the world is afraid.” This statement would come to haunt him as it soon would be used as a rallying cry for anti Fascist forces.
May 14th 1941
A full month after the invasion began most of Yugoslavia has fallen to Italian and Bulgarian troops. Only tiny pockets remain in the south holding out along the Macedonian-Greek border and in the mountains of Albania. In the north, Belgrade and everything north of it is still free but it is clear it won’t be for much longer. What is left of the Yugoslavian army is preparing to make a final stand in this area.
Italian soldiers raid a factory responsible for the production of the IK-3 and transport the finished parts and partially constructed planes as well as the designs back to Italy where an Italian version of this remarkable aircraft is to be produced.
May 15th 1941
Operation Barbarossa begins! Over 3.5 million German soldiers are utilized in the Blitz against the Soviet Union. Soviet defenders are caught off guard and quickly defeated.
In other news the tomb of Timur of the Timurid Empire is opened by Russian anthropologist Mikhail M. Gerasimov. On the tomb a warning was carved that whoever disturb this tomb would bring the demons of war to his land.
*Note: Without the distractions in North Africa, and the Balkans Germany is able to concentrate its entire war effort on opening this new front meaning it will launch at it’s originally proposed date. It will also have a lot more troops than it historically did with the number being close to 4 million. The Germans also have a much stronger supply base because of this and because of oil coming from Italy.
I also bumped up the date of opening the Timur tomb so the same bizarre coincidence of events stays intact.*
May 20th 1941
After resting for a week the combined might of 1st and 2nd army launch their assault north into Belgrade and the remaining unoccupied lands. The tired and exhausted defenders stand little chance against this final assault and surrenders en masse become common.
May 24th 1941
Belgrade falls. The remaining Yugoslavian government and military officials are forced to sign an Unconditional Surrender of Yugoslavia.
May 28th 1941
The end to major fighting in Yugoslavia and the full conquest of the country.
While Italy proved victorious in its war it has come at a heavy cost. Over 10 thousand Italians are dead with nearly 30 thousand wounded. Nearly half of the Italian tanks committed to the operation are destroyed or damaged. The military is still below par and is in serious need for better equipment and better training.
May 29th 1941
The armies assigned to the invasion are being rotated out of the front towards rear area rest centers and back to Italy as 100 thousand occupation troops are brought in to replace them.
June 1st 1941
Sofia once again sends its Ambassador to Mussolini stating that the current agreement can not stand and that a new border realignment must be made. The Bulgarians new demand is a divided Kosovo with two puppet states. The west with a third of the land under control of Rome and the eastern two thirds influenced by Sofia. They also demand a northern puppet state of Serbia encompassing Belgrade and everything north of it and a 40 mile strip of land going south west of the Morava river. Mussolini refuses to budge on this matter and threatens to enact the original agreement of division.
Both sides commit perhaps their greatest under estimations to date. Filov believes that Italy has lost the will to fight and has suffered more loses then they can hope to recover from. He believes with enough posturing and a show of support from the other Balkan nations he can force Italy to stand down. Mussolini does not believe that tiny Bulgaria will attempt to challenge Italy head to head and when it comes down to it Bulgaria will back off.
June 2nd 1941
Taking a political and propaganda stab at the Bulgarians the titles to be given to King Victor Emanuel III for the new crowns acquired have been consolidated into one “King of All Slavs.”
The Bulgarian government requests a conference with Italy in the city of Pristina. They also request that Italy temporarily conforms to the proposed border. Mussolini seeing no reason to disagree to a conference where he can force his demands readily agrees to both counts. He believes that by allowing the temporary border change it will only serve to overextend the Bulgarian army in case action needs to be taken.
June 3rd 1941
The date for the conference is set for June 10th.
Italian occupation troops pull back to their new positions. All leave for the army is cancelled and the armies are redeployed to the front. 2nd and 3rd are posted in Montenegro and Croatia respectively. 1st Army is divided in two and redeployed to Italian controlled Kosovo and Macedonia.
The paratroopers who landed at Bar are sent to a base in Albania, once again are preparing for a drop.
June 4th 1941
Bulgaria offers one final betrayal to the agreement and invites other nations to partake in the conference. Turkey agrees to send an envoy. Hungary and Romania now both firmly in Germany’s camp politely refuse. Greece is not invited.
June 5th 1941
The government of Greece enters into a panic and fear the ramifications of not being included in the upcoming conference. King George II sends an envoy to Great Britain publically asking for Churchill’s government to issue a guarantee of independence. Britain still bound by the Italian Neutrality Treaty states that “It is not in our interest to issue such a guarantee at this time.”
This move is profoundly unpopular in Britain and nearly results in a vote of no confidence being called against Churchill.
For now Greece is isolated and without friend’s or allies but is surrounded by enemies.
June 8th 1941
Facing the most difficult decision of his reign to date George II signs the arrest warrants for the exiled Yugoslavian government. Prime Minister Koryzis advised him that unfortunately it was the only sound thing to do. Greece needed to gain a friend in the region and their only two choices were the Italians or the hated Turks. Neither option was good but one was less unsound. A curtain of sadness hangs over the Greek court as they sell their soul.
June 9th 1941
At 12 midnight Greek soldiers raid the quarters of the exiled Yugoslav government place them under arrest for war crimes. The government in exile is disbanded and later in the day a Greek envoy approaches the Italian Ambassador informing them of their actions and state they are ready to extradite the prisoners whenever Italy is ready.
Mussolini informs the Greeks that he will accept the prison transfer as soon at it is convenient for the Greeks to transfer them and that he will look very favorably upon the Greeks.
June 10th 1941
The conference that will decide the fate of Yugoslavia is held. Representing Italy is Count Ciano. He is under orders not to give any concessions to the Bulgarians and enforce one of the preexisting agreements.
It becomes immediately clear to Ciano that the Bulgarians and Turks do not wish to negotiate, only impose demands each more outrageous than the last. They first want the crown to rescind the title “King of All Slavs,” and take it as far that the Italian crown not taken any titles from the conquest.
The demands continue that Italy even withdraw from the proposed puppet states and only allow for native peacekeepers to patrol them. Furthermore they want Italy to not get involved in the affairs of the Balkans outside of their territory.
After two hours of this nonsense Ciano walks out of the meeting. The Bulgarian and Turkish envoys stay to discuss their future plans, one of which is very important to Turkey which is a proposed invasion of Greece.
Aboard his plane Ciano radios Rome and calmly informs them that “Negotiations have broken down, begin the operation.”
4:30 PM Local Time
The Bulgarians and Turkish envoys were still speaking and were just about to go to an early dinner when the drone of dozens of planes could be heard. Outside shouting could be heard which was soon followed by the sound of heavy guns.
As tense minutes passed that noise was soon joined by the sound of small arms. The shouting came closer they could hear yelling in Bulgarian...and in Italian. Bullets tore through the wooden door of the hall and the clump of two bodies falling to the ground could be heard...seconds later Italian paratroopers stormed in shouting at the delegates to halt.
They were lined up against the wall and they all knew what was going to come next...except it didn’t. Long minutes passed than an officer approached the most senior delegate and handed him a stack of papers. “Sir,” he spoke in very good Bulgarian “I believe this agreement is most favorable.”
The ambassador began reading it and realized it was surrender documents for all of Bulgaria. “I can not...” he started.
“Sir. If you do not sign it I have orders to kill you.” The officer removed his pistol from its holster.
The ambassador looked back to his fellow diplomats and with resignation signed the treaty. He had no other choice. His government pushed Italy too far and now they all would suffer.
“Take them away!” Came the final order from the officer.
The Third Balkans War has begun...
This timeline is a “what if,” on what if Mussolini was a smarter, shrewder politician in the realm of international relations from 1936 onwards. The point of divergence is the conquest of Ethiopia by Italian forces on May 5th 1936.
Chapter I (May 5th 1936 to June 10th 1941)
May 5th 1936
In Rome Mussolini, Victor Emanuel III and the Grand Council of Fascism are pleased with the success of the invasion of Ethiopia and the formation of Italian East Africa. However this war has left a bitter taste in the mouths of the western powers and has left Italy diplomatically isolated. There is also Hitler’s Germany a politically similar regime that is rapidly gaining power, but Mussolini does not trust the Austrian artist.
Mussolini decides on a dangerous course he will attempt to forge closer relations with both parties secretly and see which side will offer him the best deals.
May 15th 1936
Count Ciano the foreign minister of Italy and son in law to Il Duce begins a diplomatic blitz with France and the United Kingdom trying to drum up support for the Ethiopian war. Ciano even goes as far to offer both France and Britain reduced prices on any exports produced from the Ethiopian colony.
June 30th 1936
Haile Selassie the former Emperor of Ethiopia speaks in front of the League of Nations and delivers a scathing speech against the blind Imperialism of the Italian Empire and warning “It is us today, It will be you tomorrow.” His warning falls largely on deaf ears as Britain and France though still displeased with the actions of Italy see possible gain from it.
The League of Nations votes to condemn the attack but offers no sanctions in effect basically letting Italy off the hook.
* Note: I believe that with the lackluster sanctions placed in OTL without any damage control efforts by Mussolini that in this timeline there will be even less desire to for sanctions since Italy has attempted to smooth things over.*
July 1936
The Spanish civil war starts with Francesco Franco attacking mainland Spain from bases in Africa. By the end of the month Italy(and Germany) begins supplying Franco’s nationalists with supplies and volunteers against the Republicans.
This action has once again hurt the international image of Italy to the western powers and Ciano is again sent on a tour of nations to attempt to rectify it. This time however it is much less successful with Italy currently out of any bargaining chips.
August 1936
Despite the economic strain of both the Spanish Civil War and the recurring costs from the Ethiopian campaign Mussolini orders the construction of two railroads in Italian Africa. The first being an east west railway in Libya linking the major cities. The second is a railway linking the major cities of Italian East Africa. They are expected to be completed within two years.
October 25th 1936
Mussolini meets secretly with Hitler and they agree to aid each other in secret. Hitler at first insists that any alliance be a public one but Mussolini holds firm and insists that Italian interests can not allow such a public display. Hitler’s hand is also forced on a technology exchange between Italy and Germany. Mussolini specifically requests German engineers to aid in the construction of synthetic oil plants within Italy. As a concession Italy shall sell a large percentage of the oil(around 40%) to Germany at a reduced rate.
A few German military officers are also sent to Italy to instruct Italian officers and NCO’s in new training measures and drills.
December 1936
The construction on the first of four synthetic oil plants begin.
July 1937
The first Synthetic Oil Plant comes online with an initial production output of 10% of its full capacity. Over the next six months it will gradually work towards full production and begin research on its own methods for oil production. The second plant is currently 50% of the way to completion and the remaining two are 25%.
The German advisors have trained a core base of Italian NCO’s and officers who will go on to train the Italian army as a whole.
September 1937
Through constant diplomacy and agreements for future economic benefits with the sale of cheap oil the relations with Britain and France are once against returned to “normalcy” the governments of both nations are still wary of Italian aggression but they have their own problems to be concerned with at this time.
November 11th 1937
Mussolini issues a proclamation asking that all true Italians who emigrated overseas to return to Italy(or one of its colonies,) and work towards making the land of their ancestors great. Incentives of free housing and jobs are offered to those who chose to return home. Mussolini is hoping that the influx of foreign more valuable money into the Italian economy will help keep everything trotting along until more viable sources of income can come online fully(i.e. the oil plants.)
March 12th 1938
Anschluss occurs in Austria. Italy neither condemns or offers praise to Germany officially but Mussolini secretly gave his consent to Hitler for the annexation(Mussolini originally opposed Hitler’s first attempt.) Hitler in a state of joy for the smooth turnover of power is heard to remark in a staff meeting “Tell Mussolini I will never forget him for this...never, never, never, never...”
Though the call for all true Italians to return to Italy was issued months before very few of the millions of emigrants or their children have returned. Only a few thousand have made their way back to Italy.
September 30th 1938
The Munich agreement is signed between Great Britain and Germany giving Germany control of the Sudetenland in Czechoslovakia. Prime Minister Chamberlain gives his speech of “Peace for our time...”
December 1938
Enrico Fermi, Italian physicist wins the Nobel Prize. He praises Mussolini and the Grand Council for the funding he received while working in Rome and returns home to parades and other publicity events.
*Note: It may seem strange that I have Fermi return to Italy but so far in this timeline there is no reason for Fermi to defect to the United States. Historically he left Italy because of the enaction of anti Semitic laws since his wife was Jewish. Without those laws and without close public ties to Hitler, Fermi has no reason to uproot himself.*
January 1st 1939
For the most part the construction of two railways in Africa are complete and in Ethiopia mining and other economically strengthening activities have begun. The synthetic oil plants are nearly running at full production and plans are made to expand the number to six by 1941. Mussolini enacts a program to grant licenses for mining and logging rights to Italian corporations to increase production of raw materials.
March 1939
Hitler invades and annexes the rest of Czechoslovakia.
Count Ciano is sent to Albania to give a set of extremely unreasonable demands to King Zog. Zog naturally turns down the offer and Rome gives an ultimatum to Zog to accept the terms by 12:00 PM April 6th.
Mussolini and Hitler have another secret meeting to discuss future relations. It is quite clear that Hitler is preparing for a war which Mussolini wants no part of, nor could Mussolini afford another war. They do agree to extend the terms of trade between Germany and Italy in secret. This trade will consist of only raw materials and generally untraceable goods to Germany in exchange for gold and technology schematics.
April 1st 1939
The Spanish Civil War ends in a victory for Franco and Italian troops which number over 37 thousand begin returning home. The war reveals defects in Italian military command that Mussolini orders to be corrected with all due haste.
April 7th 1939
The deadline has come and gone for Albania and the Italian fleet has begun shelling of the Albanian coast. By the end of the day 2 divisions would be on the shore and Albania would fall within a week and have King Zog fleeing to Greece.
May 1939
In conjunction with the German training previously received and lessons learned in Spain the Comando Supremo has ordered a restructuring of the Italian military by implementing a new doctrine of warfare. Over the course of 1939 Italy will retrain its troops for the use of Blitzkrieg style warfare.
Army supply depots are established in northern Italy along the German Italian border to keep trade covertly flowing with Germany freely even if Italy has to declare a trade embargo against the Reich.
September 1st 1939
Following a staged attack on a German radio station Germany declares war on Poland and launches a massive invasion of the country. Britain and France immediately condemn the attacks and Italy proclaims her neutrality. Mussolini even offers that Rome be used as a site of a conference to work out a peaceful solution to the unnecessary war. Of course this request is refused by Hitler but the gesture helps to increase his diplomatic standing with the Allies.
September 3rd 1939
Great Britain and France declare war on Germany.
September 17th 1939
The Soviet Union invades Poland in accordance with the Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact.
October 1st 1939
Poland is completely conquered by the forces of the Third Reich and the Soviet Union.
November 1939
A treaty for Britain and France is drafted up that promises Italy will cut all economic and political ties with Nazi Germany in return for a Sphere of Influence over the Balkans, Eastern Mediterranean and Mideast(Minus British and French Protectorates.) Presented secretly to those governments the treaty is immediately rebuked.
January 1940
Nazi gold begins flowing into Italy as Germany starts purchasing stores of supply for renewed offensives in a few months.
Italian tank production is on the rise as a result of the brilliant use of tanks in Poland.
Meanwhile plans are being made for an Italian invasion of Yugoslavia. Though Italy does not have the assurances of Britain and France over Italian dominance in the region Mussolini is confidant that soon the Allies will be too distracted to care what Italy does.
April 9th 1940
Germany invades Norway and Denmark and both nations fall quickly.
Italy enters into negotiations with Bulgaria for an invasion of Yugoslavia. The tentative date is set for early 1941 so both nations can prepare their armed forces.
May 10th 1940
Germany Blitzes Belgium and France! Allied defense is shattered nearly from the start of the campaign.
June 10th 1940
With almost all of France nearly in German hands and the British forced to retreat back to England Mussolini once again submits the treaty of Italian neutrality to Britain and France. In chaotic Paris the treaty goes ignored but in Britain it is reluctantly signed by the new government under Churchill.
June 11th 1940
Italy breaks all economic and diplomatic ties with Germany citing their unlawful invasion of Belgium and France. The Italian government enacts measures to protect Italian industry by purchasing goods originally bound for Germany. On paper this is a dramatic act, in practice there is little or no effect on trade with it now just being conducted completely by the government in exchange for untraceable currency and technology designs.
June 22nd 1940
With Paris and two thirds of France under German control France is forced to sign an armistice with Germany. The neutral Vichy government is established in Vichy.
July 1940
The Battle of Britain begins in the skies over England.
November 1940
The Italian military reforms are largely completed their effectiveness is still unknown but they will soon be tested in Yugoslavia. An invasion date is set for early April.
After months of constant gold trading it was time to launder the funds into the economy and have Italy benefit from the sales. Mussolini begins approving plans for funding from a multitude of government organizations and private institutions. Most of which have a military value. One such request comes from the University of Rome for grant money to research the possibility of achieving nuclear fission and outlines the possible uses, one of which catches Mussolini’s eye which is the military aspect. It is quickly signed with a large “M” for his approval and the Italian Nuclear Program officially begins.
*Note: Some may see it far fetched that Italy would begin a nuclear program on it’s own but I believe that with Fermi still residing in Italy, the lack of Italian entry in the war and the influx of funds from Germany an Italian program is inevitable. Of course this program will take many years since Italy does not have the same amount of funds to devote to it as the United States nor the infrastructure to support the operation. We are looking at a development of at least 9 to 10 years.
December 1940
The Vatican issues a Bull condemning the Nazi subjugation of good Catholic people in Western and Eastern Europe. It goes on to condemn the Nazi especially the Catholics and states that they must reconsider what it means to be Christian. It does however ask for leniency in occupation to be granted to the people of occupied Europe as they are good Christian stock and should be treated humanely and fairly.
The Bull has little actual effect with most high level Catholic Nazis only paying mere lip service to the Church. In the predominately Catholic areas of Germany there are minor protests to their governments behavior and actions but these are limited and disperse The only real effect is a harsher crackdown on Catholic Priests who preach against Nazi Ideology.
In Italy construction begins on two more Synthetic Oil Plants.
January 1941
Ethnically Italian troops are recalled from the colonies back to Italy leaving the African possessions with large amounts of native troops and only a handful of divisions of Italians. In Italy they are being reequipped and retrained to fight in a European theater of war.
Italy and Bulgaria negotiate the division of Yugoslavia. Bulgaria will gain all land east of the Morava River south of Belgrade and Italy will gain all lands to the west as well as Macedonia. The date for the invasion is set at April 14th. When asked what would be done if England attempted to intervene the Italian military commanders revealed the facts of the Italian Neutrality Treaty which makes the Bulgarians very nervous about the future of their state.
February 1941
The Battle of Britain has been raging for nearly eight months now and though the British have gained the upper hand there is no end in sight and the British people are beginning to grow anxious and uneasy with talks of asking for a peace treaty emerging. Churchill and his cabinet realize they must open up a new front where victories can be gained. Norway was the logical choice for the attack and British planners are given the task of organizing it.
At the same time in Germany, Hitler and his men prepare for the invasion of the Soviet Union.
Bulgarian government officials meet secretly with the Turkish government and agree to a defensive pact to ward against Italian aggression in the region. The Turks also wish to see a reoccupation of the lands stolen from them by Greece but that matter is left undecided.
March 1941
Italy and Bulgaria begin mobilizing their forces for the attack against Yugoslavia. The Italian attack will consist of 3 Armies of 125 thousand men apiece. 1st army will be positioned in northeastern Italy near Trieste with its mission to attack through the Slovene territories and keep any defensive forces from the Northern border off balance. 2nd Army will strike out of the Istrian peninsula and will head towards Belgrade. 3rd Army in Albania will strike along the Western side of Lake Skodar and capture the coastline. In addition marine landings will be conducted at Bar and Split with Paratrooper landings occurring in Tivar and Rijeka. Over 800 tanks(most of which outdated,) and 600 aircraft are being devoted to the success of the operation.
In Bulgaria a force of 200 thousand men are being prepared along the border to open up a second front.
April 5th 1941
The Bulgarian Ambassador to Rome informs Mussolini that the current agreement between Rome and Sofia is no longer satisfactory and that a new arrangement has to be agreed upon. Bulgaria insists that Macedonia be divided into two with the eastern half being made a puppet state of Bulgaria to serve as a buffer from the Italian border. Mussolini is outraged by this demand but his hands are tied, he needs the Bulgarians to pull off the attack and he is forced to agree to the new terms.
Later in the day to his private aides he swears he will get revenge upon the treacherous dogs to the East.
April 7th 1941
High flying recon flights are sent over Yugoslavia and prompt an official protest from the government. The Italian government issues a press release that the overflies were due to an error in a flight plan but this does not explain the continued overflies later in the day and the following days. The government orders a mobilization of troops along the Italian border as a precautionary measure. The mobilization will be complete within two weeks.
April 14th 1941
5:00 AM Local Time
Across the airfields of Italy hundreds of fighters and bombers are taking flight heading eastwards. Off the coast of the Kingdom of Yugoslavia the Italian fleet sits in wait silently for the signal to be given. Hundreds of artillery crews are opening up sealed envelopes with their target coordinates and sight their guns.
5: 45 AM Local Time
A short message is telegraphed to the Yugoslav government stating that the Kingdom of Italy can no longer stand their destabilizing influence in what is Italy’s Sphere of Influence and that a state of war now exists between the Kingdom of Italy and the Kingdom of Yugoslavia.
Hundreds of Italian telegraphers and radiomen relay messages to units across the front ordering them to commence operations.
5:50 AM Local Time
Battleships and cruisers open fire against enemy cities and fortifications in preparation for the army’s advance and marine landings. The Italian fleet is broken up into four groups. With concentrations near the Albanian border, Istrian border, and the two marine landings at Split and Bar.
Belgrade sends out emergency alarms to their military installations ordering all forces to go on full alert. They have not been able to fully prepare but they will make sure to give the Italians one hell of a fight as they ready their forces.
5:55 AM Local Time
Italian fighters and bombers sweep into Yugoslav airspace and break off towards their individual targets. Most of the bombers are assigned to knocking out enemy border fortifications and critical communications and road and rail junctions leading to the front to keep the Yugoslavs off balance. Fighters are to establish air superiority preferably by destroying the aircraft on the ground, of course if that is not possible they will blast them from the sky.
Along the borders most of the air bases are hit before they have a chance to get aircraft airborne but further inland the bases with more warning manage to launch their own aircraft including 4 of the 6 operational IK-3's.
The squadron tasked with clearing that base was taken completely by surprise as they were beset upon the extremely agile and well built fighters. Immediately two planes went down as they entered into combat in the predawn light over Yugoslavia. The radioband was filled with chatter declaring their confusion:
“I can’t see him! Where is he!”
“He’s on your tail pull up!”
“I got him...Shit! I missed! He’s turning to tight!”
“Someone get him off me!”
For nearly twenty minutes the conflict went on before the Italian fighters with their numbers(and the help of a two Aces from the Spanish Civil war responding to their calls for help) they managed to down the four IK-3's at the loss of eight of their own.
6:00 AM Local Time
Hundreds of artillery guns unleash a mighty barrage into Yugoslavia as the Italian armies advance into the confused enemy lines. 1st army attacking along the northernmost route have Alpine troops leading the way and flanking the spearhead to guide the rest of the force.
2nd and 3rd army have their tanks lead the way on the more favorable terrain(600 of the 800 tanks are assigned to these two armies.)
Landing craft depart from their motherships and head towards the outskirts of the targeted cities(bar and split,) with a total of 5,000 troops attacking each.
6:15 AM Local Time
The meager border defenses of the Yugoslavian forces are shattered and the Italian armies roll across the divide freely preparing for a quick victory over their enemies.
Paratroopers drop out of the sky in the areas around the cities of Tivar and Rijeka. 4,000 men are dropped for each city. Most of the Paratroopers are misdropped and dispersed around the countryside. Luckily for them there are very few defenders in these regions since they were considered to not be in the path of an Italian invasion.
*Note: The Comando Supremo is not using the paratroopers in a combined arms offensive with the regular army but instead as separate units in different roles. This will have both positive and negative effects on the campaign as a whole.*
6: 30 AM Local Time
Bulgaria officially declares war on Yugoslavia in support of their Italian allies. Over 200 thousand troops start the attack on the Eastern border of the kingdom.
Italy issues an official press release to its people and the world citing the reason for the invasion which is the Yugoslav crown infringing on Italian influence and attempting to incite uprisings throughout the territory of Albania.
9:00 AM Local Time
Along all fronts the offensives have become bogged down after initial advances of 10-15 miles but they are now against concentrated defensive lines. At first the tanks are sent ahead to break the enemy lines but they are soon repulsed. Most of the tanks are not up for the task being outdated and the few “modern” ones are too few in number to decisively change the course of battle.
Italian commanders attempt to radio in for Close Air Support but there are a severe lack of planes available and those that are, are usually incapable of the task. When CAS can respond the results are usually mixed. One thing is apparent though that the current Italian dive bombers are not up to par.
The Bulgarian front meets with much greater success as there are nearly no defenders along this front. They make massive initial gains but are soon slowed down not because of defenders but because of the outdated supply and transportation system present within the army. As the Bulgarians attempt to reorganize their forces and get them moving they give the enemy time to organize a coherent eastern defense.
Not all news is gloomy though the paratroopers and marines have succeeded in capturing their target cities and are now preparing defenses for any counter attack.
11:00 AM Local Time
Governments worldwide begin releasing statements most of which condemning the attacks. All major world powers(except England) voice their opposition to the attacks but offer no support for Yugoslavia. England issues a half hearted response which basically states: “It is unfortunate that Italy wrongfully abuses its power over the Balkans while the world at large is occupied with greater concerns.” This time statement would come to haunt the Churchill government as it makes the government look weak and appeasing
Oddly enough the harshest response attack comes from the German Reich which said that Italy has grossly overstepped its bounds in the world of international relations. Upon hearing of the invasion Hitler flew into a rage on the Italian actions. His anger was twofold first he felt(perhaps rightly so,) that the Italian war took valuable resources away from his own campaigns. In the past weeks Italian oil and munition sales dropped nearly 40%. The second reason was Hitler believed that by using the Bulgarians in the attack Italy has deprived Germany of an ally in the upcoming battle with Russia.
12:00 PM Local Time
Italy establishes near full air superiority over the skies of Yugoslavia only the most eastern territories are not under patrol by fighters.
Bombers are being refueled and rearmed for a massive ground attack mission against the forces facing 3rd army.
2:30 PM Local Time
150 bombers provide CAS for 3rd army as they attempt to smash through the Yugoslavian defenders.
6:00 PM Local Time
The renewed offensive out of Albania have put the defenders on the retreat. 3rd army prepares to link up with the men in Bar and Tivar and press the offensive further north.
The massed air attack tactics employed here will be used on the two northern fronts in the upcoming days.
April 22nd 1941
After a week of retreating the Yugoslav army has reestablished defensive positions. They lost most of their coast as well as their fleet from a combination of being sunk and others being captured in port before being able to get underway.
3rd army turns eastwards to support operations in Bosnia and to tighten the noose that is forming around Belgrade.
Italian troops are outside the city of Ljubljana which is heavily fortified and preventing 1st army from advancing any further.
2nd Army is making good progress across Croatia but is not encountering stiffer resistance as they get closer to Serbia.
The Bulgarian front has reached the Morava river and both sides have established defenses on the opposing banks. Neither side is willing to commit the necessary troops for such an operation and the Bulgarians are banking on the Yugoslavs pulling troops out first to reinforce the west.
The current success comes with a high price. Over 20% of the Italian armored corps is wiped out in the first week of fighting and that number is expected to rise as the defense mounts. Tank crews have taken to mounting sandbags across the front of their tanks to add an extra layer of projection against high velocity weapons. Back at home this has already prompted the government to order the P.40(Note: The P.40 would be comparable to a Panther.) to enter into production as soon as possible to both replace losses and provide Italy with a reliable tank.
The Bulgarians have suffered even higher loses, fighting primarily with World War I tactics they have lost over 20,000 men already and are looking at a bloody grind towards Belgrade.
In Belgrade the mood is grim but with a tinge of optimism. The army has halted the attacks and established new defensive lines in favorable terrain but they were still outnumbered and soon would be running low on necessary supplies. They did have one ace up their sleeves on a front neglected by Italy. Unbeknownst to the Italians 5 divisions gather in Kosovo preparing to invade Albania.
April 23rd 1941
Despite heavy air bombardment 2nd army’s advance has been halted as they attempted to enter into Serbia proper.
To the North a massive air raid is conducted against Ljubljana as 20 thousand Italian soldiers conduct an assault against the city. Ljubljana is the last obstacle to cutting Slovenia in half and can serve as another route towards Belgrade.
April 24th 1941
5 divisions overwhelm the almost non existent border defenses along the Albanian borders and drive towards the coastline. The Italians in Albania are primarily supply troops and garrison divisions. 30 Thousand troops from 3rd army and the Paratrooper and Marine detachments are rerouted south to seal the breach. The Yugoslavians only objective is to capture the Italian supply depots at all costs. The Italians must hold the supply depots at all costs. The most important battle of the Yugoslav conflict is about to begin.
April 28th 1941
After heavy fighting the city of Ljubljana falls to the numerically superior Italians. With this victory most of the Slovene lands are now firmly in Italian hands.
The hemorrhaging of the defense line in Albania is finally halted with the arrival of the first relief columns from the North. The Yugoslavian front was a half mile from the city of Shkordra and nearly cut off Albania from Yugoslavia but they failed in their goal of capturing much needed supples except for a few minor depots that were for the border troops.
Bombing raids are now being conducted around the clock against the rear area supply dumps of the Yugoslav army and any intact rail and road junctions.
May 1st 1941
Renewed Italian offensives have begun on all fronts to drive through the Yugoslavians. The 3 main armies once again manage to pierce the enemy defensive lines and are now making good speed towards Belgrade. The newly formed Albanian front is largely stable with the Italians possessing enough numbers to prevent the larger Yugoslavian force from advancing any further but not enough to launch attacks against them.
Thousands of troops guarding the Morava River are pulled westward to establish new defensive lines against the Italians.
While a corridor of retreat is still available the Yugoslavian government and the young King Peter II begin their escape southwards by truck to Greece.
May 3rd 1941
The Bulgarians launch a massive attack across the Morava overtaking the depleted defenders on its western shore and attempt to take as much land before the Italians can to show the strength of their army.
Peter II and his government arrive in Greece and establish themselves in exile. Peter issues a plea to the nations of the world asking for support against Italy.
In Italy after months of preparation the research team for Project Jupiter has been fully assembled with Enrico Fermi in the lead. It consists of top Italian scientists across many fields and most of Fermi’s students. Fermi has already begun work on much of the theoretical and conceptual designs for the nuclear device. A complex for Nuclear Studies is under construction outside of Rome.
May 4th 1941
The world remains silent to the pleas of Peter II, prompting Mussolini to boast to the press using an ancient saying “While Rome is free, the world is afraid.” This statement would come to haunt him as it soon would be used as a rallying cry for anti Fascist forces.
May 14th 1941
A full month after the invasion began most of Yugoslavia has fallen to Italian and Bulgarian troops. Only tiny pockets remain in the south holding out along the Macedonian-Greek border and in the mountains of Albania. In the north, Belgrade and everything north of it is still free but it is clear it won’t be for much longer. What is left of the Yugoslavian army is preparing to make a final stand in this area.
Italian soldiers raid a factory responsible for the production of the IK-3 and transport the finished parts and partially constructed planes as well as the designs back to Italy where an Italian version of this remarkable aircraft is to be produced.
May 15th 1941
Operation Barbarossa begins! Over 3.5 million German soldiers are utilized in the Blitz against the Soviet Union. Soviet defenders are caught off guard and quickly defeated.
In other news the tomb of Timur of the Timurid Empire is opened by Russian anthropologist Mikhail M. Gerasimov. On the tomb a warning was carved that whoever disturb this tomb would bring the demons of war to his land.
*Note: Without the distractions in North Africa, and the Balkans Germany is able to concentrate its entire war effort on opening this new front meaning it will launch at it’s originally proposed date. It will also have a lot more troops than it historically did with the number being close to 4 million. The Germans also have a much stronger supply base because of this and because of oil coming from Italy.
I also bumped up the date of opening the Timur tomb so the same bizarre coincidence of events stays intact.*
May 20th 1941
After resting for a week the combined might of 1st and 2nd army launch their assault north into Belgrade and the remaining unoccupied lands. The tired and exhausted defenders stand little chance against this final assault and surrenders en masse become common.
May 24th 1941
Belgrade falls. The remaining Yugoslavian government and military officials are forced to sign an Unconditional Surrender of Yugoslavia.
May 28th 1941
The end to major fighting in Yugoslavia and the full conquest of the country.
While Italy proved victorious in its war it has come at a heavy cost. Over 10 thousand Italians are dead with nearly 30 thousand wounded. Nearly half of the Italian tanks committed to the operation are destroyed or damaged. The military is still below par and is in serious need for better equipment and better training.
May 29th 1941
The armies assigned to the invasion are being rotated out of the front towards rear area rest centers and back to Italy as 100 thousand occupation troops are brought in to replace them.
June 1st 1941
Sofia once again sends its Ambassador to Mussolini stating that the current agreement can not stand and that a new border realignment must be made. The Bulgarians new demand is a divided Kosovo with two puppet states. The west with a third of the land under control of Rome and the eastern two thirds influenced by Sofia. They also demand a northern puppet state of Serbia encompassing Belgrade and everything north of it and a 40 mile strip of land going south west of the Morava river. Mussolini refuses to budge on this matter and threatens to enact the original agreement of division.
Both sides commit perhaps their greatest under estimations to date. Filov believes that Italy has lost the will to fight and has suffered more loses then they can hope to recover from. He believes with enough posturing and a show of support from the other Balkan nations he can force Italy to stand down. Mussolini does not believe that tiny Bulgaria will attempt to challenge Italy head to head and when it comes down to it Bulgaria will back off.
June 2nd 1941
Taking a political and propaganda stab at the Bulgarians the titles to be given to King Victor Emanuel III for the new crowns acquired have been consolidated into one “King of All Slavs.”
The Bulgarian government requests a conference with Italy in the city of Pristina. They also request that Italy temporarily conforms to the proposed border. Mussolini seeing no reason to disagree to a conference where he can force his demands readily agrees to both counts. He believes that by allowing the temporary border change it will only serve to overextend the Bulgarian army in case action needs to be taken.
June 3rd 1941
The date for the conference is set for June 10th.
Italian occupation troops pull back to their new positions. All leave for the army is cancelled and the armies are redeployed to the front. 2nd and 3rd are posted in Montenegro and Croatia respectively. 1st Army is divided in two and redeployed to Italian controlled Kosovo and Macedonia.
The paratroopers who landed at Bar are sent to a base in Albania, once again are preparing for a drop.
June 4th 1941
Bulgaria offers one final betrayal to the agreement and invites other nations to partake in the conference. Turkey agrees to send an envoy. Hungary and Romania now both firmly in Germany’s camp politely refuse. Greece is not invited.
June 5th 1941
The government of Greece enters into a panic and fear the ramifications of not being included in the upcoming conference. King George II sends an envoy to Great Britain publically asking for Churchill’s government to issue a guarantee of independence. Britain still bound by the Italian Neutrality Treaty states that “It is not in our interest to issue such a guarantee at this time.”
This move is profoundly unpopular in Britain and nearly results in a vote of no confidence being called against Churchill.
For now Greece is isolated and without friend’s or allies but is surrounded by enemies.
June 8th 1941
Facing the most difficult decision of his reign to date George II signs the arrest warrants for the exiled Yugoslavian government. Prime Minister Koryzis advised him that unfortunately it was the only sound thing to do. Greece needed to gain a friend in the region and their only two choices were the Italians or the hated Turks. Neither option was good but one was less unsound. A curtain of sadness hangs over the Greek court as they sell their soul.
June 9th 1941
At 12 midnight Greek soldiers raid the quarters of the exiled Yugoslav government place them under arrest for war crimes. The government in exile is disbanded and later in the day a Greek envoy approaches the Italian Ambassador informing them of their actions and state they are ready to extradite the prisoners whenever Italy is ready.
Mussolini informs the Greeks that he will accept the prison transfer as soon at it is convenient for the Greeks to transfer them and that he will look very favorably upon the Greeks.
June 10th 1941
The conference that will decide the fate of Yugoslavia is held. Representing Italy is Count Ciano. He is under orders not to give any concessions to the Bulgarians and enforce one of the preexisting agreements.
It becomes immediately clear to Ciano that the Bulgarians and Turks do not wish to negotiate, only impose demands each more outrageous than the last. They first want the crown to rescind the title “King of All Slavs,” and take it as far that the Italian crown not taken any titles from the conquest.
The demands continue that Italy even withdraw from the proposed puppet states and only allow for native peacekeepers to patrol them. Furthermore they want Italy to not get involved in the affairs of the Balkans outside of their territory.
After two hours of this nonsense Ciano walks out of the meeting. The Bulgarian and Turkish envoys stay to discuss their future plans, one of which is very important to Turkey which is a proposed invasion of Greece.
Aboard his plane Ciano radios Rome and calmly informs them that “Negotiations have broken down, begin the operation.”
4:30 PM Local Time
The Bulgarians and Turkish envoys were still speaking and were just about to go to an early dinner when the drone of dozens of planes could be heard. Outside shouting could be heard which was soon followed by the sound of heavy guns.
As tense minutes passed that noise was soon joined by the sound of small arms. The shouting came closer they could hear yelling in Bulgarian...and in Italian. Bullets tore through the wooden door of the hall and the clump of two bodies falling to the ground could be heard...seconds later Italian paratroopers stormed in shouting at the delegates to halt.
They were lined up against the wall and they all knew what was going to come next...except it didn’t. Long minutes passed than an officer approached the most senior delegate and handed him a stack of papers. “Sir,” he spoke in very good Bulgarian “I believe this agreement is most favorable.”
The ambassador began reading it and realized it was surrender documents for all of Bulgaria. “I can not...” he started.
“Sir. If you do not sign it I have orders to kill you.” The officer removed his pistol from its holster.
The ambassador looked back to his fellow diplomats and with resignation signed the treaty. He had no other choice. His government pushed Italy too far and now they all would suffer.
“Take them away!” Came the final order from the officer.
The Third Balkans War has begun...