The Nazi flag is raised over New Jersey following the West Point Peace Treaty.
World War II, also known as the Second World War, was an international conflict fought between the Axis Powers and Allied Forces. In the timeline of The Man in the High Castle, this war ended with the defeat of the Allied Powers, resulting in most of the world, including the United States of America, being divided between the Japanese Empire and the Greater Nazi Reich.
History[]
On February 15, 1933, President-Elect Franklin D. Roosevelt of the United States is assassinated by Giuseppe Zangara, resulting in Vice President-Elect John Nance Garner taking office, then Republican challenger John Bricker succeeding him in January 1937. Both presidents failed to enact Roosevelt's New Deal and pull America out of the Great Depression. With an ineffective economy, and in-turn, a less powerful military, America was unable to successfully support their allies from the rise of the Axis Powers, and it would ultimately end in their own demise.
European Theatre (1939-1945)[]
Just as in the real world timeline, World War II begins after years of aggressive German expansion under the rule of the Nazi party and the Führer, Adolf Hitler. Germany was able to annex the Saarland Basin, Austria, Czechoslovakia, without any Allied interference as to avoid a major war in what was known as appeasement. Unlike Germany's prior annexations, when they invaded Poland on September 1st, 1939, the United Kingdom and France declared war, thus initiating World War II.
With Europe collapsing into war, Adolf Hitler was confident he would succeed. To secure Germany's tactical edge, Hitler forged alliances with Italy and the Japanese Empire, and also signed the Molotov-Ribbentrop act with the Soviet Union. Within a few weeks of invasion, Poland would fall to German and Soviet forces. After over eight months of relative calm in Western Europe, known as the "Phoney War," France avoided attacking Germany due to fears of retaliation. This allowed for Germany to invade Denmark and Norway to seize valuable resources, which led to the resignation of Neville Chamberlain, with him being replaced by Winston Churchill as Prime Minister in May 1940. Within a few months after, Germany was able to overrun and occupy the Low Countries and France.
Despite the fall of France, Britain remained in the war, following Churchill's cry to "never surrender." However, without support from the United States, the Royal Air Force was decimated in the Battle of Britain, along with several major cities. Despite major strides made by the Luftwaffe, Hitler's all-out invasion of Britain (Operation Sea Lion) was postponed due to their inferior navy. Britain's morale collapsed after the assassination of Winston Churchill, who was replaced by Anthony Eden as Prime Minister. With the war now leaning in the Axis' favor, Italy launched a campaign into British North Africa, along with a more successful invasion of Greece. With the writing on the wall, even more nations joined the Axis, including Romania, Bulgaria, and Finland, the first democratic nation to join the Axis.
By 1941, Germany breaks the Molotov-Ribbentrop pact with the Soviet Union, launching an all-out invasion of the Soviet Union, justified by the accusation that the Soviets plotted against Germany. The invasion of the Soviet Union, known as Operation Barbarossa, had the goal of achieving German Lebensraum "Living Space," and securing the Caucasus region's plentiful oil supplies. In North Africa, Germany reigns supreme against the British at the Battle of El Alamein, pushing Allied forces into Palestine. To suffocate British troops, Turkey is convinced to join the Axis and help liberate Iraq and Iran from the British. They also help the Germans in taking the Caucasus and capturing the Russian city of Stalingrad. This capture results in the total collapse of the Red Army, and the eventual fall of the Soviet capital of Moscow. Compounded by Japanese invasions of Siberia, the Soviet Union finds itself on the verge of capitulation, and in April of 1943, Joseph Stalin retreats to central Siberia as the Soviet government surrenders, resulting in the total collapse of the nation, and the Axis powers carving up its territory. The following month, central Siberia as well as many of the Central Asian states in the USSR (like Kazakhstan and Turkmenistan) all achieve independence. The western Soviet Union is placed under German control, while the remainder of the USSR is incorporated into the Eurasian Neutral Zone.
Seeing Germany's massive victory over the Soviets, Spain joins the Axis, along with Portugal and Ireland, whose government was overthrown by the Irish Fascist Blue Shirts. With most of Europe now under Axis control, Germany then focused on Africa and, with help from Italy and Vichy France, quickly breaks through Allied defenses and pushes even deeper into Allied territory. The Axis continues to ravage the Allies in Africa until they finally conquer the continent, liberating the South African Boers from British Rule. By May of 1945, Germany besieged London, and with the British Empire crumbling, Britain officially signed their surrender, marking a clear victory for the Axis in both Africa and Europe.
Pacific Theatre (1932-1945)[]
Before World War II, the Japanese Empire was already in a state of aggressive expansion, rapidly industrializing and expanding its empire. In 1932, Japan invaded Manchuria from the Republic of China, sparking a major war between the Chinese and Japanese. The war in Manchuria expands to the entirety of China, when Japan launches an all-out invasion of the nation in 1937 to further plunder its resources and secure Japan's position as a great power. After securing an alliance with Nazi Germany, Japan successfully invaded Allied territories in Southeast Asia, including British Hong Kong and Malaya, French Indochina, and the American-occupied Philippines. In April of 1941, to keep their biggest rival in the Pacific out of the war, Japan bombs the American naval base of Pearl Harbor in Hawaii, obliterating their entire Pacific Fleet, and crippling the American response to Japan.
Without American opposition, Japan is able to conquer most of the Pacific, overrunning New Caledonia and Vanuatu, and invading the South Pacific to sever British trade with the Americas. The Japanese also took over the Midway and Aleutian Islands in Alaska, using them as a jump-point to invade Hawaii. In November of 1942, Japan invades New Zealand, but Hawaii is reclaimed by the Americans. Despite what seems like a change of fortune, the Japanese manage to reclaim Hawaii and cut off Australia from foreign aid. Japan also invades the Soviet Union's far east, resulting in it being placed under Japanese control following the Soviet Union's surrender. After seven years of fighting, the Republic of China finally surrenders to Japan in August of 1944. Following this massive victory, Japan finally launches their campaign into Australia and the British Raj and, following Britain's surrender to Germany in June 1945, Japan takes over most of Britain's Asian colonies. Britain's surrender leads to the signing of the Treaty of Berlin, although the United States still has not surrendered just yet.
The Treaty of Berlin (June 1945)[]
The Treaty of Berlin sees the effective end of World War II in Europe and Asia. Following the surrender of Free France in March 1945 and the British Empire in June, this treaty is signed, carving up the lands held by these great powers between the Axis. Its contents include:
- Many of Britain, France & Belgium's former colonies including British Rhodesia, Nyasaland, Tanzania, French Equatorial Africa, Madagascar, Their islands off the coast of East Africa & Belgium's former African colonies are ceded to Nazi Germany.
- The Netherlands, Belgium, Denmark, Norway and the western USSR are officially inducted into the Greater Nazi Reich as Reichkommisariats. while The UK, Vichy France, Slovakia, Croatia, Serbia and Iceland are Nazi Puppets
- Namibia, Bechuanaland (Botswana), Lesotho and Swaziland (Eswatini) are ceded to South Africa which is run by the Boers
- In the Middle East, Eastern Syria and Kuwait is given to Iraq, while Northern Syria and Cyprus are ceded to Turkey and Iran is awarded independence for cooperating with the Axis.
- Lesser Axis states, including Hungary, Romania, and Finland, keep annexed lands and maintain sovereignty.
- Northern Ireland is ceded back to Ireland.
- Morocco is ceded to Spain.
- Greece and Montenegro become puppets to Italy. Along with that, the majority of Britain and France's former colonies in North Africa. (excluding Algeria & Morocco) become Italian colonies. Italy also regains their former colonies in East Africa. Sudan, Kenya, Uganda, Transjordan & the rest of Syria is also ceded to Italy.
- China, Manchukuo, Mengjiang, Tibet, Nepal, Bhutan, India, and the rest of Southeast Asia are turned into Japanese satellite states. Oceania and Eastern Siberia are ceded to the Japanese Empire. Pakistan becomes independent and a part of the Eurasian Neutral Zone.
Invasion of the Americas (1945-1947)[]
After the end of the war in the Old World, many of the former Allied governments flee to the Americas in exile. To avoid the Axis using these territories as jump-points for an American invasion, the United States quickly claim these territories for themselves. For the majority of 1945, there is an uneasy peace between the United States and the Axis, with an arms race ensuing to create an atomic bomb. The race ends on December 11th, 1945, when Germany drops an atomic bomb, known as the Heisenberg Device, on the American capital city of Washington, DC. Most of the American high command, including President John W. Bricker, are killed. Japan then lands troops in and invades the American West Coast, while Germany invades the East Coast. With a collapsed government and a ravaged military, as a result of the overwhelming joint invasion by Germany and Japan, the United States government is forced to surrender. But while the government has surrendered, American citizens form a fierce resistance and fight back against the Axis armies.
With the ruins of Washington, DC now captured by the German Wehrmacht, by February 1946, other Allied states in Central and South America are taken over by the Axis as they continue their push against the resistance in the United States and Canada. Soon, Argentina joins the Axis, and then Venezuela does as well after a Pro-Axis coup topples their existing government. Brazil would be the last major allied power in South America to surrender. As Germany and Japan secure the Atlantic and Pacific coastlines and push deeper and deeper into the American mainland, the resistance is squished in the American interior. After two years of harsh fighting in North America, the resistance surrenders in September 1947. Germany celebrates the day of their surrender as VA (Victory in America) Day. Thus, the Second World War has concluded with an Axis victory.
Aftermath[]
In February 1946, the West Point Peace Treaty was signed by George Patton and Erwin Rommel, two months after the Reich used the Heisenberg Device to decimate Washington, DC. Göring and Rommel represented the Germans, while Patton, assuming the role of President, represented the United States. The peace treaty demanded these terms:
- The unconditional surrender of all American soldiers still fighting against the Axis.
- The United States' eastern coast and midwest would be ceded to Germany as the Nazi American Reich, a German puppet state.
- The United States' western coast would be ceded to Japan as the Japanese Pacific States.
- While Patton and the American delegation had no power in negotiations, their only request was the establishment of an unoccupied Neutral Zone along the Rocky Mountains, which was accepted.
Although the treaty formally dissolved the United States of America, many citizens and soldiers did not accept the conditions and kept fighting. Others accepted the terms and joined the new administration after seeing the destruction of Washington, DC and being offered food and shelter.
With the end of World War II in 1947, Germany and Japan had no opposition left to threaten their hegemony. Nazi Germany conquers Liberia and gives it to Vichy France, Italy annexes Northern Yemen while Switzerland, Sweden and Saudi Arabia fall under Nazi influence and Tibet, Nepal and Bhutan fall under Japanese influence.
Notable Figures (Films)[]
Winston Churchill[]  Sir Winston Leonard Spencer-Churchill was a British statesman and the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom during the war. He was also an officer in the British Army, a non-academic historian, a writer, and an artist. He was assassinated in 1940. Joseph Stalin[]  Joseph Vissarionovich Stalin was the leader of the Soviet Union from the mid-1920s until his death in 1949. When the Nazis won the war, Stalin was executed, his death effectively caused the collapse of the Union. |
Franklin D. Roosevelt[]  Franklin Delano Roosevelt never managed to become President of the United States. He was assassinated in 1933 by Giuseppe Zangara, an Italian anarchist who apparently expressed a "hate for all rulers". As a result, the USA never recovered from the Great Depression and was incapable and unwilling to help the Allies during World War II, which led to a German victory in Europe and Africa, and a Japanese victory in Asia and the Pacific. The TV series offers little information about Roosevelt, although it does mention he was assassinated before taking office. While the TV series doesn't specify the identity of the murderer or when the assassination took place, it's generally assumed to be the same as in the novel. The characters in the TV series occasionally discuss Roosevelt's demise. They privately wonder if the world would be a different place if he had survived his murder. In Season Four, it is confirmed that Franklin Delano Roosevelt was assassinated in 1933 by Giuseppe Zangara. |
