SS Rebellion

SS Rebellion
Part of The Cold War
SS Troops in Germania, 1955.
Date	1950s
Place	Germany
Result	Coup fails SS splits into the German and Burgundian Schutzstaffel Creation of the Order-State of Burgundy
Belligerents
Germany Wehrmacht Schutzstaffel
Leaders
Adolf Hitler Hans Speidel Heinrich Himmler Reinhard Heydrich Oskar Dirlewanger (MIA)

The SS Rebellion, or the Schutzstaffel Rebellion, was an armed insurrection led by Heinrich Himmler and the leadership of the Schutzstaffel during the stagnation of the Reich in the 1950s and at the height of the West Russian War.

Background

The victory over the Allies in the Second World War brought significant wealth and prestige for the Germans. The empire's economy underwent rapid growth and expansion due to the Reich's vast conquest of land across Europe and former colonial holdings in Africa.

However, this prosperity and economic growth was short-lived, as ambitious projects sought by Adolf Hitler and Albert Speer drained the German treasury, which inevitably caused economic stagnation and financial crisis.

The Schützstaffel, led by Heinrich Himmler, slowly became disgusted with what they saw as political and social degeneration of the Reich. Soon, plans were laid out by the SS's Leadership to seize power in a coup d'etat and run Germany on their own terms.

The Plan

The plan was simple. Taking advantage of the chaos sown by the West Russian War, SS Units began to prepare for the coup. By shifting key Waffen-SS forces just behind the frontlines of the Wehrmacht under the guise of enacting anti-partisan activities, they could take Heer units by surprise. Meanwhile, locally-quartered SS garrisons seized the capital of Germania and ousted Hitler from his position as Fuhrer.

The Revelation and Collapse

Unbeknowst to the Schützstaffel's leadership, Heer General Hans Speidel with other generals in the Oberkommando des Heeres (OKH) discovered the Schützstaffel's plan to divide and conquer Germania. Seeing no other choice, Heer units across the front attacked the SS who were planning to strike from their rear, driving many SS units to either surrender or flee; the 36th Waffen Grenadier Division of the SS was pushed deeper into Russia by the Heer's counterattack.

Hitler's Compromise

Hitler, having been notified directly by OKH about the SS Coup and the plans, summoned Himmler. Hitler showed the plans to Himmler, and openly told him that he had committed treason against the Reich. However, Hitler knew that the SS had gained so much influence and power that any punitive action taken against Himmler would kickstart a civil war between Germany and the SS.

As a compromise, Hitler told Himmler that he and his staff would be sent off to Reichskommissariat Belgien-Nord Frankreich, which had recently ceded new territories from the French State. The SS would be split in half, with Himmler's Staff taking half, and the other half of the SS remaining in Germany, under the command of Reinhard Heydrich. Himmler agreed, and set off, forming SS State of Burgundy shortly after. The coup had effectively been cut short.

Consequences

Himmler's SS was effectively exiled to the Reichskommissariat in Burgundy and the German SS was reshuffled. Significant numbers of loyal Waffen-SS divisions still remained in Germania under Reinhard Heydrich. Although distinct from the Burgundian SS, many speculate that Heydrich's leadership is just a ruse, with Himmler still being de facto leader of the German SS.

Due to the effects of the coup, Wehrmacht Officers and personnel still distrust the SS for their attempted coup, with many speculating that Himmler didn't truly end his quest to cleanse the Reich, and is planning to launch a second attempt from Ordenstaat Burgundy, away from the prying eyes of the rest of Germania.