Here it is! The revival of the Chronicles that I promised earlier today. As I explained in my announcement, this will be less about the game and more about the story. Obligatory Warnings and Disclaimers: This story contains mild language and semi-graphic violence. I don't own World of Tanks. All characters are either historical or of my own creation.
It all could have been so different. In another world, the governments of the Western European powers might have objected to the German invasion of Poland. They didn't. On September 1, 1939, the German army surged over the Polish border. Three days later, the British parliament voted not to get involved, leading the French to follow suit. In the two great western powers, isolationism had won, and within a month Poland was subjugated. With no opposition from the west, Hitler's ambitions turned towards the Soviet Union. Believing the Soviets to be unprepared for a war, the German forces rushed to take as much territory as possible before the onset of the brutal Russian winter. The Red Army, far from unprepared but very much on the back foot, made life as hard as they could for the attackers but were continually forced to give ground. By mid-November, winter started to set in, and with it the German advance began to falter, but they had pushed deep into Soviet territory. The battle lines stretched from Narva in the north through Minsk, Kiev and south to Odessa. The Germans were racing to capture as much territory as possible before the winter storms halted all progress, but with every mile taken Soviet resistance became fiercer. With just weeks before the worst of winter began to set in, the pressure was on the Germans to score a decisive victory and finally break through the massed defenses. Success would mean a clear shot at Moscow and Stalingrad.
Elsewhere in the world, Germany's main ally, the Empire of Japan was bogged down by fiercer than expected resistance in China. The Italians had promised support in the event of a war in Europe but lacked the expansionist drive to start the fight themselves. With the other world powers remaining isolationist, the conflict stayed far more limited than many in Germany had feared. The Red army was all that stood between the Nazis and control of Eastern Europe…