Guest Post: The Kaiser's Final Broadcast

 This post first appeared on Today in Alternate History, inspired by Eric Oppen and Jeff Provine.

 

Dungavel Estate, Scotland,  15 May, 1941

Inevitably, given their direct involvement in WW1, the military plan for the forthcoming invasion of the Soviet Union was the main topic of a private conversation between two great German has-beens: the exiled Kaiser and the former Deputy Fuhrer. They were living on the Duke of Hamilton's property for the same reason: their opposition to another veteran of that earlier conflict, Adolf Hitler. As a man they could never hope to replace, they had thrown away what remained of their tarnished reputations in order to stop his insane dreams for the German Reich.

Still being something of an unapologetic narcissist, Wilhelm had relished the chance to broadcast propaganda on German channels for the BBC. He proposed to interview his fellow German as a guest several days later in what would prove to be his final broadcast. He died of a pulmonary embolism on 4 June, 1941, at the age of 82.

Given the Kaiser's long record of accidental mis-statements, this Final Broadcast was a considerable risk; however, Churchill was keen to benefit from his questionable decision to provide him with asylum. The fearless Hess took the opportunity to reveal details of some stunning espionage: that the Red Army outnumbered the Germans and their allies 1.4-to-1 in infantry and artillery, 2.6-to-1 in aircraft, and stunningly more than 3.8-to-1 in tanks.

This revelation backfired disastrously, having the unforeseen effect of Hitler calling off Operation Barbarossa in favour of a renewed attempt to conquer Great Britain. This was facilitated by the Quisling-like machinations of the Duke of Hamilton whose goal was to bring Edward VIII back from Bermuda and put him on the throne. But, with the notable exception of capturing the ring-leaders Hess and Churchill, Hitler's invasion of Britain quickly turned into a quagmire of resistance and sabotage of nearly every public work. Although he briefly held Western Europe in his grasp, the Allied counter-attack through Africa enabled Britain to be liberated by the D-Day landing at Devon, June 6, 1944. Churchill himself would re-appear from his imprisonment in Spandau Prison, following televised trials for war crimes including the area bombing of Germany.

Thanks to the bizarre chain of events occurring in May 1941, much of the continent would remain occupied, not to be liberated until 1987. The Red Army swept across Europe, meeting with American and British allies after they had taken Berlin and continued toward the Western Front, spreading as far as France and Italy. A new generation of Western leaders encouraged the Soviets to relinquish their control of Europe as soon as order could be maintained, but Stalin decided to stay.

An Iron Curtain fell from East France to North Italy and across the Soviet Balkans, an empire that looked to expand through the Middle East, Africa, even Latin America, and absorb Chinese Communism into the Soviet-led World Community. Any opposition to the world superpower had to be covert, such as escapes across the Swiss border and arming of Afghan guerillas, as no nation could stand against Stalin's legacy until it eventually collapsed into corruption and civil war.

Author's Note:

In reality, the Kaiser declined an offer from Churchill of asylum in Britain, preferring to remain at Huis Doorn. Meanwhile, Hess died in Spandau Prison in 1987 the year we date the Soviet collapse in this timeline.