Tyranny of Steel



It had been decades since the de Valois dynasty was executed, and the Kingdom of France was partially annexed as the Dominion of Frankia. And during this time, the German Reich had spent an enormous amount of effort and resources converting the local population into Germans.

By now, plenty of German men had moved to Frankia, and married French wives, where they imported their culture and customs to the French people. And after nearly thirty years of this process of Germanization, the Kingdom of France and the French culture were nearly dead.

What remained was a strictly German populace, speaking the German language, and partaking in German customs. And because of this, Hans now stood in the city of Paris, where he raised the flag of the German Empire over the old castle where the previous ruling dynasty lived.

It had been decades since Aubry and his siblings were executed, and by now, the name King Aubry de Valois was a name spoken only with disgust by the Frankish people. A dark page in Frankia's history, when they were ruled by degenerates of a foreign culture. Or so the German Propaganda machine had led the youngest generation to believe.

Hans was standing among a crowd that was no different from those within the fatherland. He stood on a podium with a wide smile on his face, as he announced the deconstruction of the border defenses between the German Reich and the Dominion of Frankia. And when this wall fell, it would symbolize that the Franks were truly German once more.

"Decades ago, my father came to this land, not as a foreign conqueror, but as a friend of the good people of Frankia. He supplied the rebellion of the masses against a corrupt regime ruled over by a house of degenerates. I need not say what went on within the hallowed halls of this castle, but many of you know the truth.

In the time since, Germany had done everything it could to help rebuild this mighty Kingdom, and restore the legacy of your ancestors, who share the same blood as my people. And after thirty years of this process. I can successfully say that the day has finally come, for the wall that stands between us to finally be dismantled.

Over the coming weeks, I will have my corps of engineers dismantle the wall, remove the barbed wire, and get rid of the landmines, which have plagued our borders for years. And though it may have been a necessary measure several decades ago, when the possibility of war between our two people was very real. Today, such extensive measures are no longer necessary, and only act a way to keep a united people apart.

Along with announcing here today that I will be opening the borders, I will also be declaring that the full annexation of the Dominion of Frankia is now complete. From now on, the Frankish territory will be split into a series of small duchies, counties, and principalities, much like the fatherland is.

Furthermore, we will be investing in the reconstruction of Frankish infrastructure, so that it is at a level comparable to that of the fatherland, and the rest of the German Reich. I believe you will all enjoy the many benefits that come with such a transformation. One which will take another five to ten years to complete.

Thank you all for coming here today, and to show my appreciation to you all for your years of effort, I will be throwing a massive feast for the entire city of Paris to enjoy. You have all earned at least this much!"

The crowd that had gathered went wild with applause for the German Kaiser, and the promises he had made on this day. No doubt turning France from a society that was at the pinnacle of pre-industrial technology, to a modern state with technology on par with the early 21st century, was no doubt going to be a massive undertaking. But it was a necessary measure that the German Crown had long since prepared to make, even prior to Hans' ascension to the throne.

The German Kaiser enjoyed a feast with his new people before departing back to Kufstein, which had become the center of the world. Once within the thriving mountain metropolis, Hans returned to his family's home, where he was greeted by his five wives and many children.

Since taking his father's advice several years ago, about working less, and spending more time with his family. The rift that had formed between his children had since begun to mend.

And currently, Hans' eldest sons were no longer on the verge of potentially killing one another, and had instead begun to compete in a more friendly manner.

With France's Germanization completed, Hans had concluded that which his father had set out to achieve decades prior. This, along with the former Kingdom of Bohemia, were the two regions that had been fully Germanized as a result of Berengar's interference within the timeline.

But this was not the only places which Hans had set his eyes upon, Poland would be the next to lose its distinctive culture, language, and ethnicity. And after that, the Rus and Baltic would follow shortly thereafter. Creating what was essentially a Germany which spanned across most of Europe.

After stepping foot into his palace, Hans immediately got out of his ceremonial attire and dressed in something more comfortable before visiting the dinner table, where his family was waiting for him with a rather substantial meal.

The house cooks had gone out of their way to prepare a feast to celebrate the big occasion, not being aware that Hans had already filled up while in Frankia. However, for the sake of entertaining his family, and making sure their hard work did not go to waste, he decided to sit down and have a small bite, along with a flagon of lager.

There was a particularly warm smile on Veronika's face as she asked her husband how his day was.

"So, how did it go? Did the people of Frankia rejoice for this day of unification?"

If there was anyone akin to Linde among Hans' harem, it would be Veronika, who had practically been raised by the redheaded temptress since a young age, to be her successor. Even still, Veronika did not actually succeed Linde as the Director of Intelligence, and instead spent her entire day looking after her exceptionally large family. Thus, she was naturally unaware of the celebration that was happening across the border.

Hans gazed upon his loving wife, and matched her smile with one of his own, as he nodded his head before confirming that indeed the people of Frankia were content with the new order.

"Of course, they were practically weeping with joy as I announced that the border would soon be opened, and that we would be investing into the modernization of their lands. It is honestly hard to believe that most of the world still live such a primitively lifestyle. It was like stepping in a time machine, and going back to my early childhood, when the only lands my father had under his control was the county of Tyrol.

Sometimes it is hard to believe all that has been accomplished in such a short time. The fact that we are now repeating this venture in Frankia is interesting, to say the least. But I suppose we have gained enough experience in construction to finish modernizing the region within a decade rather than the four it took to build Germany into what it is today. But enough about me. How was your day?"

Veronika smiled, and began to explain how her day was, which was followed by Anne, and the Noemi, and Natalia, and finally Klaudia. They all shared the details of their day, along with those of their children, and Hans, who was the most powerful man in the world, took the time to speak with each member of his large family about their lives.

In that regard, he had most certainly surpassed his father, who spent most of the years that his kids were children, either at war or in his office. It was only later in life, when they were all teenagers, that Berengar had made any real effort to get to know most of his children. Because of this, there were several who were his favorites.

But Hans did not have this mentality. He loved all of his wives and children equally, and because of this, he ensured to be a part of each and every one of their lives. All while working six to eight hours a day to run the world's largest and most powerful Empire.