War of '41

The War of '41 is a term in Skgorria given to the period of 1941-44 when Olgich Peter seized power and ruled an independent Skgorria.

Skgorria in 1941

Before 1941, Skgorria was a province in the Soviet Socialist Republic of Brzno, a client state of the Soviet Union and had been so since the 1920s. The National Socialist Brznovian People's Party enjoyed a large ammount of support amongst the Skgorrian populace, though most of it was covert due to the fact the party was outlawed. At the head of the NSBPP was Olgich Peter, a figure about who compartively little is known save that he was a former soldier in the Tsarist Army. Olgich Peter kept the party out in the countryside, away from the urban centres where the Russians controlled, and with support from peasants began to arm the NSBPP in readiness for an armed uprising. At most the NSBPP had a militia that was a few thousand strong that was lacking in both tanks, artillery and aircraft.

The Soviet authorities cemented their control in the few cities in Skgorria, such as Skgorria City where the Soviet administration was centred. Defending Brzno was The Brznovian Red Army, a mixed force of Skgorrians, Atopians and Grosstapians that was officered by Russian officers. The equipment for this army was second-rate, but more than enough to hold off the NSBPP's occasional incursions on the towns and cities.

Although the numbers of the NSBPP were rising at a slow but steady rate, there had been no large-scale violence and whilst the stand-off was tense, it was stable until the invasion of Russia in 1941.

German Liberation And Occupation

In 1941, Operation Barbarossa swept through the USSR and threw the Soviet heirachy into chaos. As the German advance neared the borders of Brzno, the Soviets attempted to mass the Brzno Red Army to attack the Germans but a combination of German and NSBPP propaganda prompted a mass mutiny. The Skgorrians, Atopians and Grosstapians buried their differences and sided with the Germans as the Nazi war machine plunged into the heart of the Soviet Union.

Riding a wave of Skgorrian nationalism, Olgich Peter was swept to power and he led his nation in direct collaboration with Nazi Germany. The NSBPP assumed direct control of Skgorria, forming a National Socialist dictatorship government modeled closely on the German model. Atopiana and the other Brznovian regions were largely left to their own devices due to a lack of manpower. A minimal German garrison was kept in Skgorria to ensure that the Skgorrians remained faithful, yet this armed prescence was scarcely needed as the Skgorrians soon proved themselves fanatical followers of Nazism and even formed their own Einsatzgruppen, Special Action Division.

Skgorrian-German Military Operations 1941-43

The Skgorrian army was in a poor shape following the German liberation, but due to overwhelming support for the NSBPP and large ammounts of donated captured Soviet war material by the Germans, the Skgorrians were quickly able to re-arm and re-equip their army and even formed a fledgling air force. Whilst German commanders initially scoffed the idea of having to rely on the Skgorrians, the loss of momentum and losses of men and material in the winter of 1941 soon changed their outlook and orders were given for 3 Skgorrian divisions, one of motorised infantry and two regular infantry divisions, to move up to the front and be placed under the command of Army Group South. The Skgorrian divisions performed admirably given their inexperience, but were soon decimated due to supply problems and superior Soviet numbers and firepower. In the summer of 1942 a Waffen SS Panzergrenadier division was formed that comprised of ethnic Skgorrians and given the title 'Landstorm Skgorria'.

Above: A Waffen-Grenadier of 'Landstorm Skgorria' in Skgorria City, 1942

As quickly as Skgorrian divisions could be formed, both the Germans and the NSBPP sent them to the front. These formations were given increasingly little training and equipment as the situation on the front detiorated, and thus were not enough to break the deadlock between the Axis and Soviet forces. Most of Skgorria's manpower was squandered in forming these substandard divisions , and as the Soviets closed in on the borders of Skgorria in late 1943 Olgich Peter began drawing up plans for the defense of Skgorria.

Skgorrian-German Operations 1944-45

With the Germans and their allies being pushed back on all fronts and supplies and equipment running low, the military situation was grim for Olgich Peter and the NSBPP. As the Soviets rolled across the border, they were met by a determined and furious counter-attack by the Skgorrians. The attack ultimately failed due a lack of armour and aircraft and the Skgorrians only avoided total destruction by the timely arrival of two German panzer regiments that delayed the Soviet advance and allowed the Skgorrians to retreat in good order to secondary positions. A further assault smashed the Skgorrian forces utterly to the extent that the Skgorrian armed forces were unable to ever again sending any major resistance to meet the Soviet advance, with the exception of the 'Landstorm Skgorria' division who launched constant harassment attacks on the Soviet vanguard as it ploughed through Skgorria.

Above: The stress and fatigue is evident on the face of this SS-Grenadier as his squad move up to engage a Soviet formation.

Isolated pockets of resistance were easily crushed by the Soviet war machine, and most of the NSBPP heirachy and Skgorrian SS were captured or killed during the battle for Skgorria City. As many as 35,000 men fled to the western border and linked up with the remains of 'Landstorm Skgorria', who could only watch in dismay and vow revenge as their homeland was once again overrun by the Soviets. The Skgorrians were taken behind the lines and formed into three divisions, 'Landstorm Skgorria' , 'Grand Skgorria' and 'Black Standard' and entitled 'I Skgorria Corps.' These units were then assigned to Army Group Vistula, the 'Grand Skgorria' and 'Black Standard' divisions were encircled and destroyed during the Vistula-Oder Offensive, whilst 'Landstorm Skgorria' was reduced to little over a regiment of mixed infantry and ended the war fighting in Berlin.