Tyranny of Steel

Berengar gazed upon a map of Europe, which was sprawled out across the table in his war room. This map contained the current German Empire and its neighbors. From the Baltic to the North Sea, and all the way down to the Adriatic, his Empire stretched, uniting the German peoples of Europe into a single Empire. There was one notable exception: the House of Burgundy currently held onto the other half of the low countries, where the majority of its citizens were ethnic Germans.

However, this was not a major concern to Berengar, as he just received word from the Papacy. Emperor Vetranis had predictably stabbed him in the back and ceded over control of Egypt, including the Kaiser's Pass to the Crusaders. Pope Julius informed him that he must withdraw his forces from the region, and surrender control of the Canal or face total invasion.

After years of preparation, the borders of Germany were secured by a force of three hundred thousand Border Guards, with an additional five hundred thousand soldiers in the Army capable of being deployed via trains at a moment's notice. The Majority of his military was still issued the old G-22 Single Shot Bolt Action rifles, while his Reichsgarde, an armed force of seventy-five thousand men, were equipped with the latest weapons.

Berengar moved the pieces representing his soldiers on the map to their desired locations. In the west, he stationed a concentration of fifty thousand men on the borders of Frisia, where he intended to launch an invasion into the lowlands, and seize the region for himself.

The Duchy of Burgundy's army was currently deployed in the Middle East and would be forced to Land in Italy and push through his forces in Lombardy in order to return home. Thus, Berengar needed relatively few men to capture the lowlands. Two divisions would suffice.

Meanwhile, in Northern Italy, the twenty-five thousand men of the Lombardic Army would be supported by one hundred thousand German soldiers in their Attempts to Push into Rome and bring the Pope to heel. Naturally, the Kingdom of Naples would be one of the two major staging points of the Crusader Army, and they would do everything in their power to prevent Germany's advance into the Holy See.

In the East, on the borders of Hungary, Berengar stationed two hundred thousand men. He knew that at the start of the war, the Kingdom of Hungary would withdraw its forces from the Dinaric Alps and assault Germany's Eastern Borders. Unfortunately for them, Germany had an Alliance with the Byzantines, and the forces of Palladius who had fought long and hard against the Hungarian Knights would invade from the south at the same time as Germany, smashing the Hungarian Army in between the two armies.

Finally, in the Sinai Peninsula lie the final theater of war. Berengar had already ferried fifty thousand members of the Reichsgarde, who were previously stationed in Iberia, to the Kaiser's Pass. They had a single purpose, defend the region from the Crusader armies at all costs. Naturally, what little remained of Berengar's chemical weapons stockpile was taken with them.

As for the ongoing war in Iberia, there were still twenty-five thousand Reichsgarde who would work alongside the Andalusian Army to bring the rebellion to heel. After gazing upon this split of his armed forces, Berengar had just one question. Where should he deploy? Naturally, he picked up the figure which represented himself and hovered it over Northern Italy. He would lead the charge into Rome, and personally see the Papacy destroyed.

Berengar wore a wicked grin when he thought about what this meant. For the first time in nearly nine hundred years, the Germans would be returning to Rome to sack the holy city for all its worth, and to put an end to the tyranny of the Catholic Church. While he was staring sadistically at the map, Linde knocked on the door, and witnessed the sight. She took a deep breath to calm her nerves before speaking up.

"So, you're really going out there again? To battle I mean..."

Berengar scoffed when he heard this, before nodding his head. He slammed the figure that represented himself onto the location which marked Rome, before shifting his gaze to the busty redheaded beauty who stood in his doorway.

"I've waited a long time for this moment. Finally, we will be rid of the menace that is the Catholic Church. Once I have defeated their armies, I will establish a new era of peace and prosperity for our Empire. A Pax Germania, if you will. Nobody will ever be able to challenge our Empire on the field of battle, or the seven seas again. We shall rule the land, sea, and sky, and all shall pay tribute to our Great Empire. It has taken me nearly ten years, but I can finally achieve my life's ambition."

Linde wore a bitter smile as she heard this before asking the question that immediately came to mind.

"And what then? After you have established this Pax Germania of yours, what shall you do?"

Berengar smiled as he heard this and approached his woman. He kissed her on the forehead before announcing his plans.

"I intend to bring Germany into an era of technology that it should not have for another five hundred years! By the time I die, it is my dream to have established such a level of technological prowess that the German Empire has at least sent a man-made object into orbit.

In the meantime, there will always be people to conquer, and land to settle. However, they will pose no threat to our forces, who will sweep through the jungles of the Amazon, the plains of North America, the Savannahs of Africa, and the islands of Australasia! We will conquer far and wide, and establish a living space for our people. What can these stone age savages do against a modern army? It is the dawn of a new era, my love, and it would not have been possible without your efforts.

When I come back from this war, I will give you everything you deserve and more for assisting me in accomplishing my life's dream. Whatever you want, so long as it is in my power, I will give it to you. However, until then, continue your efforts, and help me win this war like you have done all others."

Linde was excited when she heard this news. It appeared Berengar was truly no longer angry with her. The truth was, she already had everything she could ever want. However, if there was one thing she desired, it was for the man to take a break from his work now and then and spend more time with their family.

Though Berengar had begun taking off weekends to spend with his family some time ago, it was still not as much as Linde desired. The man left most of the parenting of their children up to her, and she wanted him to be a bigger part in their lives. She figured once this war was over, she would ask him to take more time off from work.

After all, nobody would blame the man if he only worked six hours a day, five days a week, for the rest of his life. After everything Berengar had accomplished, he had earned it. Thus, she kept this in mind as she nodded her head and hugged Berengar before sending him off to make the Public Declaration of War against the Catholic Church.

"I love you. Please come back in one piece. I couldn't bear to live without you..."

Berengar smiled as he kissed the woman on the lips before responding to her concerns.

"I'll be fine. I learned my lesson about recklessly charging into battle a long time ago. However, since you have asked so nicely, I swear that I will return to you alive and well. Farewell for now, my love."

After saying this, Berengar stepped out onto the balcony of his War Room, where an army of men were gathered in the streets below. They were dressed in their Uniforms which resembled those used by the German Army in the later days of WWI. The men all saluted as Berengar stepped onto the balcony and began to chant their war cries.

"Hail victory! Hail Victory! Hail victory!"

Berengar immediately raised one hand to silence the men, and after he could hear not a single sound in the Palace's courtyard, or the surrounding streets, he issued his speech.

"As many of you know, for some time now I have had a conflict with the Catholic Church, since the days when I was but the son of a lowly Baron, the Papacy has conspired to remove me from power, and claim my life. They worked alongside my brother Lambert in these endeavors, and in doing so thoroughly provoked my wrath.

It is no secret that at every turn; they have tried to foil my ambitions, and at every opportunity I have bested them. This Crusade against the Byzantine and Timurid Empires has ended in a failure on our ally's behalf. In doing so, Emperor Vetranis Palaiologos, my father-in-law, has betrayed me.

Previously, it was agreed upon that I would cancel the debt that the Byzantine Crown owed me in exchange for ownership of the lands that, through the efforts of the German people, now exist as the Kaiser's Pass and the surrounding regions.

However, like your typical Roman, Vetranis has backstabed me and sold off those lands to the Papacy in exchange for peace. Pope Julius now demands that I withdraw my forces from the lands that I rightfully own. Lands that countless hours of German sweat and toil have built into a prosperous trade route.

For the sake of the workers, and their years of labor, for the sake of German Prosperity, I hereby reject the Pope and all Catholic claims on my lands. If you want them, come and take them, but I assure you and your ilk will be met with the might of German Steel!

As Kaiser of the German Empire, I hereby declare war on the Catholic Church and all nations who support their claims over the Kaiser's Pass. If it is war that you want, you shall have it! And I will take on this war, the same way I always have, and that is fight until the very last!

We, the German people, will fight you until the very foundations of your rotten Church are dismantled, and your authority over Europe is forever diminished! Go forth, my armies, and destroy the enemies of the Reich!"

With this said, the crowd once more erupted into their battle cries. Germany officially began its war with the Catholic Church. A War that would determine the future of Europe. Whether the continent would become a tributary of the Church or the Reich would ultimately be determined in this conflict.