The Gestapo captures a British spy who had been operating deep within the SS command structure. The British, of course, deny any connection with the man. A kangaroo court quickly sentences the spy to death.


In Denmark, German-backed fascists storm and capture the capitol building in Copenhagen and proclaim a Fascist Danish Republic. Denmark's King orders the military to restore order. Fascist elements around Denmark rise in support of the coup, taking to the streets in some places.


After a day of chaotic fighting, protests, and riots, government troops re-take the capitol building and begin to crush fascist elements around the country. Leaders of the fascist movement in Denmark call for German intervention. German forces have been massing at the border with Denmark since the previous day. British and French military leaders and hardcore anti-fascists call for direct intervention to aid Denmark against German aggression. Chamberlain hesitates and decides to wait before over-reacting, his calls to Hitler go unanswered. France, taking its direction from Britain, also refrains from mobilizing in Denmark's defense.


Germany invades Denmark in a lightning 12 hour campaign. The Luftwaffe destroys the small Danish air force in under an hour and proceeds to bomb military bases. While German panzers and infantry crash across the narrow border paratroopers land further north to sew chaos and block any Dutch forces from mobilizing. A combined force of paratroopers and marines sieze Copenhagen. By the end of the day all organized resistance in Denmark has been crushed.


The King of Denmark, captured by German forces in Copenhagen, surrenders to the Third Reich and abdicates the throne. Less than 100 German troops die in the campaign, mostly paratroopers who died in the air drops. Germany announces the annexation of Denmark despite the heavy condemnation from the Alliance and the U.S.


Around the Alliance anti-fascists condemn the leadership of Britain and France for failing to react to the German invasion of Denmark. Churchill and others in Britain slam the ailing Chamberlain and begin to call for his resignation. In France, the leftist elements within the coalition government call for a new government to replace the current one which they deem as too soft on the Axis Powers.


France and Britain agree to send more forces to bolster Norway which now seems under more threat than ever. Greece, surrounded on all sides by Axis nations, has also begun to clamor for more aid from Britain and France. The Alliance for Democracy, as a whole, breaks all diplomatic relations with the Third Reich. Even the neutral U.S. recalls its ambassador to Germany for 'consultations'. Hitler, realizing he has got away with grabbing Denmark, breathes a sigh of relief. He knows he is not ready for war with the Alliance but the unrest in Denmark was too much of an opportunity to let pass - so he rolled the dice. With the fall of Denmark, Portugal and Switzerland remain the only neutral nations in Europe.


Franco makes a hostile speech calling for "unification of the Iberian peninsula".  He makes ominous hints that this unification does not necessarily have to be peaceful.


Seeing what happened to Denmark, Portugal decides to take its chances with the Alliance and formally requests entry. Franco rages against the development and asks Hitler for aid to invade Portugal. Hitler, realizing he just got lucky once, politely refuses the offer but encourages Franco to take care of matters on his own. Spain, still weak from the Spanish civil war, nevertheless begins to mass forces at Franco's command.


Royal Marines begin to disembark in Portugal as Royal Air Force planes begin to land at Portuguese airports. Later in the day Portugal is granted full membership in the Alliance for Democracy, to the stunned outrage of Franco.


Not willing to war with Britain and France, and under heavy pressure from Hitler to keep the Axis away from confrontation with the Alliance, Franco reluctantly orders his forces to stand down even as more British and French troops continue to arrive in Portuguese ports. Switzerland is now the only neutral nation in Europe, the rest being Alliance or Axis.


The first true all-Jet Luftwaffe squadron enters service in northwest Germany near the border with the Netherlands. The jets, Me-275's, are vastly superior to anything the Alliance can throw against them. They are much faster, more agile, have much higher operating ceilings, and are well armed as well. Britain has begun test flights of its 'Meteor' jet design but it is inferior to the Me-275 and still months away from becoming operational. The Me-275's only weakness is its very short operational range, its jet engines burn a lot of fuel.

To imagine the Me-275 think of the Me-262 of OTL, then give it a reliable jet engine, real landing gear, and all-around increased reliability and efficiency. It is a sleek and deadly fighter, a match for the jet aircraft that the U.S. was fielding in the early 1950's in OTL, except that the U.S. jets of the early 1950's would have superior electronics and more range.


Winston Churchill becomes Prime Minister of Britain, replacing Chamberlain whose health is deteriorating.


Experimental German rocket-powered aircraft enters the record books by officially breaking the 'sound barrier'.


Robert Goddard dies but his budding U.S. rocketry program lives on. The U.S. is close to mass production of a ballistic missile with a range of 150km and a warhead of 1000 pounds. The U.S. Army envisions the missile, named the BM-1, as a forward 'long-range-artillery' type weapon and a means to retaliate in the field against  hypothetical missile attacks from enemy nations. The U.S. has also kick-started a jet-aircraft development effort that is far behind the Germans and the British.


The U.S. Army purchases 75 helicopters from Igor Sikorsky's upstart company for use as forward supply, medical, and scouting craft. To meet the contract Sikorsky begins to seek financial backing to expand his company and greatly increase his production line capacity.


Italy has increased its forces in Ethiopia by 200% but the Ethiopian rebellion refuses to die and British small arms and supplies continue to flow into the region to the growing frustration of the Italians. Italian casualties are mounting in the suppression of the uprising.


A German destroyer sinks a British civilian vessel in the North Sea just outside of German waters. The transport had been attempting to evacuate Jews, government officials, and other endangered people from occupied Denmark. All 5000 people onboard the vessel are killed. Shortly after the sinking, two British frigates enter the area and
exchange fire with the German destroyer. An hour later the British frigates engage three German destroyers, nearly sinking one destroyer and lightly damaging another. 14 German sailors are killed and more injured, the British suffer 1 death and 8 injuries. Nightfall prevents further escalation and the ships from both sides leave the area. Both Britain and Germany are on the brink of declaring war but midnight arrives with neither side making such a declaration. Churchill and Hitler slam each other via radio broadcasts and both sides place their militaries on full alert.


In the blackness of night, illuminated only by stars and the moon, dozens of Lancaster bombers drone on a generally eastern flight path, ready to turn north or south. Bombs secured and ready, crews tense, surrounded by swarms of RAF fighters, the heavy bombers await their orders.

In Britain crews man anti-aircraft guns, civil defense officials begin to distribute gas masks, fighters scramble and land from RAF bases, ships sortie out of Scapa Flow, radar waves reach out through the darkness, and mighty battleships churn the waters of the North Sea.

Further south, in France, troops manning the Maginot line stare east across the border into Germany where guards manning border posts stare back. Heavy artillery pieces receive shells, tanks mass in motor pools behind the mighty defensive line receiving fuel and ammunition. Low flying bombers skim the border while civilians stream west in  fear of German artillery and bombers.

Across western Europe blackouts are ordered, emergency radio broadcasts are commenced, civilians close to Axis borders are ordered to remain indoors, and reserves begin to be called up.

On the other side of the world, in bases in Australia, French Indochina, Singapore, and elsewhere, Alliance forces step up their readiness, prepared for any offensive moves the Japanese might make if war erupts in Europe.

The Alliance for Democracy is on the verge of war. Underneath London in a recently constructed steel reinforced concrete command bunker, Winston Churchill makes a decision.

"We will not open hostilities, we will let the Tyrant make the first move and then we shall unleash everything we have upon them"

For a tense hour, Europe awaits.

To Be Continued...

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