Burgundy
SS-Ordensstaat Burgund | |
|---|---|
 Flag of Burgundy | |
 | |
| Capital | Nanzig |
| Ruling Party | 
Nationalsozialistische Deutsche Arbeiterpartei - Himmlerite (Tr: National Socialist German Workers Party - Himmlerite) |
| Head of State | Reichsführer Heinrich Himmler |
| Head of Government | Gottlob Berger |
| Sphere |  Grossraum Kontinentaleuropa |
| Foreign Alignment |   Ordensstaat, Einheitspakt |
| GDP | $5.06B |
| Credit Rating |  Junk |
| Market Type |  Burgundian System |
The SS-Order State of Burgundy (German: SS-Ordensstaat Burgund) is probably one of the most nightmarish realms The New Order has to offer. Located in western Europe and formed out of what was previously northwestern France and Belgium, the Ordensstaat borders Germany proper and Switzerland to the east, Reichskommissariat Niederlande and the English Channel to the north, France to the west, and they also have a short border with Italy to the south. Although the country itself is part of the Reich on paper, in reality it is a completely separate entity.
Burgundy is run by a native branch of the Nazis' fanatical paramilitary force, the Schutzstaffel (SS), who profess complete and undying loyalty to the SS's head, Heinrich Himmler. The country itself is a totalitarian state that preaches a fundamentalist version of National Socialism known as the Burgundian System. This ideology sees traditional National Socialism as corrupt, decadent and inefficient, and seeks to revitalise it through a system of state spartanism and extreme militarism.
The Burgundian authorities control their population through fear and brutality, and it is said the state plays host to more work camps than houses - anyone who speaks against the Burgundian state is forced into these camps. The country's military is one of the world's best, second only to the superpowers, and the country is also working on its own nuclear weapons at game start.
In-game description[edit | edit source]
Much of northern France remained under direct German occupation when the Second World War ended. Life there was cruel and oppressive, but eventually settled into something resembling normalcy. But it would not last. After his failed coup during the West Russian War, Heinrich Himmler was given northern France and Belgium as his fiefdom by Hitler, hoping it would leave him content to no longer meddle in German politics. But what was meant to be a sinecure became a staging ground. The land of the nascent SS-Ordensstaat Burgund is clay in Himmler's hands, free for him to mold as he sees fit. And with his plans growing more audacious and destructive by the day, the "Shadow State" will soon play host to greater and greater dangers to the Reich, Europe and eventually the world.
History[edit | edit source]
Initial proposal[edit | edit source]
Although the name "Burgundy" has been used for hundreds of years to refer to a region in western France, the concept of Burgundy as an SS-ruled state was first proposed by the SS, notably Heinrich Himmler, following the 1940 Franco-German armistice. Ultimately the proposal did not go anywhere and the lands of Belgium and Northwestern France would be annexed into the Reich proper upon the conclusion of the war.
SS Coup and the Ordenstaat's formation[edit | edit source]
The concept of Burgundy as an SS-ruled state would be revitalised following the West Russian War and the subsequent SS rebellion against Hitler. After this rebellion was defeated the Führer offered Himmler a deal - he would be granted Reichskommissariat Belgien-Nordfrankreich and neighbouring areas of France as his own personal fiefdom in exchange for staying out of German affairs. Himmler accepted this deal, and the SS-Order State of Burgundy was born.
Gameplay[edit | edit source]
Burgundy itself is a very isolationist and secretive state to the point it does not have any interactions with the outside world whatsoever, with the exception of France and certain victors of the German Civil War. Indeed, the country is so secretive that unless they are being controlled by the player, all of their national focuses will read "STRENG GEHEIM" (German for "TOP SECRET"). The most notable interaction Burgundy has with the outside world is an invasion of France that they will launch once the German Civil War has broken out - a war that, given the sheer power disparity between the two, Burgundy is guaranteed to win. They are also heavily involved in Reinhard Heydrich's pathway should he win the Civil War.
Their gameplay mainly focuses around maintaining the Ordensstaat's internal stability employing a series of investigations, mainly against the Red Poppy Movement, the main resistance group operating within Burgundy's borders.
Burgundy starts with the following national spirits:
| Name | In-Game Description | Effects |
|---|---|---|
| The Shadow State | Within the Ordensstaat, if we do not have total control then we have nothing. All information leaving our territory is closely monitored and highly restricted, with all media sources within controlled by the state. Foreign visitors are non existent, with access only rarely granted to high ranking officials from the wider Reich. They will know us only from what we want them to know. We are the Schattenstaat, or Shadow State, in the heart of Europe. | Political Power Gain: +10%
Encryption: +20% Trade Deal Opinion Factor: -80% |
| Purge The Rot | There are two great enemies to society, decadence and degeneracy. They are a disease, infecting all they touch, and left unchecked will bring calamity the likes of which we have seen across the Reich. The Fatherland may be lost, but we will burn this disease out. The degenerate French and Belgian languages are to be entirely destroyed, their cultures relegated to history, and all elements of decadency purged from both our own ranks and the population at large. | Monthly Population: -25%
Stability: -20% Effects of Partisans on Us: -30% |
| The Three Realms | Whilst the Ordensstaat is unified in its loyalty, we are not a unified race. Collaborationist French and Belgians play an important role in our administrative and domestic espionage efforts, with our military supported by several volunteer Waffen-SS divisions such as Charlemagne, Langemarck and Walloon. Given the choice of service, slavery or total annihilation, all have made their choice. They may hate us for it, but we do not ask for their love, only their fear. | Division Organization: +10%
Recruitable Population Factor: 5% Division Defense on Core Territory: +5% |
Trivia[edit | edit source]
Prior to the Unfinished Business update Burgundy was much larger than its current extent at game start, starting with the territories it presently controls after the invasion of France is complete - and after the invasion, prior to the update it could seize control of the Normandy, Centre Val de Loire, Auvergne and Limousin regions, relegating the French State to the southern third of the French metropole.
Originally Burgundy played a much greater role in the TNO universe. Through a series of Globalpläne, designated as Kondor, Wolf, Löwe, Bär, Drache, Sonne, Adler, and Puma, Burgundy could destabilise the currently existing global order in an attempt to bring about the world-ending thermonuclear war, which would wipe out "degenerate races" and leave Aryans as the sole inhabitants of Earth. These were ultimately removed for realism purposes, Globalpläne still exists in some form in the final game but they are just minor ideology upticks.
Originally Burgundy was represented in-game as a German puppet state, but this was ultimately reworked because of the HOI4 mechanic that allows puppet masters to request troops from their puppets - if Germany requested troops from Burgundy and then sent them somewhere remote (such as Africa), it could lead to Burgundy getting defeated by France during the invasion, which would derail the mod's Burgundy lore.
If Burgundy collapses at the start of 1970, Germany will be allowed to intervene in the Burgundian Civil War provided the Führer is either Speer or Bormann. After Burgundy's defeat, France will demand the return of its territory, and Germany will be given the option to return the land in exchange for influence over France or set up a collaborationist state known as Paktkommission Frankreich, This Option is not granted if the Americans Intervened as well
- However, if the Red Poppy Movement wins the Burgundian Civil War, this choice is not granted - instead the Burgundian territories will be immediately annexed by France.
Strangely, if one looks in the file folder where Burgundy's leader portraits are stored, they will find a portrait of American video game designer Todd Howard in an SS uniform. Given that Howard was not born until 1970, this is likely a mean-spirited jab at him.
