The NACOS:  Nationalist Communist Party, and the Current state of Germany.


The National Communists are a cross between the Nazis and a typical 
Marxist-Leninist Dictatorship of the Proletriat brigade, to use the Real 
World (TM) equivalents.  

History of 'Modern' Germany :


Anthology Project Timeline.

16th century:  The 'Holy Roman Empire' recieves the last blows to any 
hope of it becoming a framework for a German nation:  The Reformation 
divides the component states into Catholic, Lutheran, and 'Reformed' 
(Calvinist) camps.  The Hapsburgs are defeated by the alliance of France 
and the Lutheran and Reformed Leagues of princes, who are aided by many 
German sorcerors.  The reformer Alberich Gross articulates the first 
Christian theology to fully accept magic as an acceptible Christian 
practice.  The Palatinate, home of one of the Electors of the Holy Roman 
Empire becomes a major German center for magical studies.

1618-1648:  The Thirty Years War begins as Frederick, the 'Winter 
Prince', elector of the Palatinate and son-in-law of James I of England, 
is elected King of Bohemia.  War breaks out and soon the entire Empire is 
at war with itself.  Gradually, many of the neighboring monarchies are 
drawn into the war.  The final result is the Peace of Westphalia, which 
legalizes magic across the empire, and establishes control of religion 
firmly in the hands of the territorial princes.  The Holy Roman Empire is 
effectively dead as a political unit.  

18th century:  Germany remains a pawn between the French, Russians, and 
Hapsburgs for control of Europe.  However, the state of Prussia begins to 
rise in power, gradually consolidating more and more of the Empire under 
its control.

1772, 1792, 1795:  The Three Polish Partitions gradually dismember 
Poland, bringing chunks of it under control of the Prussian state.

1789:  French Revolution begins.

1792-1815:  The wars of the French Revolution and Napoleonic Wars.  
Germany is laid waste by marauding armies.  The Holy Roman Empire is 
extinguished in 1806 after the Prussians and Austrians are crushed by 
Napoleon.  Finally, the Congress of Vienna realigns Germany into 15 or so 
independent states.

19th century:  Industrial activity begins in Germany.  Several 
unsuccessful attempts are made to unite the German states.  Finally, 
Bismark and the Prussian King Frederick William II defeat Austria in 
1866, then crush the French in 1871, and thus convince the other German 
states to unite with Prussia in the new German Reich.  Germany becomes 
one of the major props of the corrupt and crumbling Byzantine Empire.

1886:  Dr. Victor Frankenstein found adrift in Arctic waters alone on a 
boat, refuses to explain the circumstances.

Late nineteenth century:  Germany gets into the collonial rush fairly 
late, and only picks up a few islands and a little bit of Africa.
Various Revolts force Byzantium to give up parts of the Balkans to the 
states of Romania and Serbia.  Byzantium retains control of Bulgaria, 
Macedonia, Greece, due to German financial, technical, and magical aid.

1909:  Polar explorers discover the Antarctic enterance to the hollow 
world inside the earth.  Germans attempt to mount a colonizing 
expedition, which is never heard from again, until 1916, when one lone 
survivor returns, telling a tale of woe.

1914-17:  Ireland revolts against British rule.  Russia goes to war with 
Byzantium again.  World War I breaks out when Gavarillo Princip assassinates 
Archduke Ferdinand. But Britain and Russia remain nuetral.  The war drags 
on until Hermetic sorcerors working for the two sides complete the 
"Munich" and "Rouen" projects respectively, creating spells of immense 
destructive power.  Large chunks of the landscape are blasted to powder, 
and further use of the dweomers are banned.  Mob action against the 
participating sorcerors prompts some of them to flee to Byzantium, who 
puts the magic to work stopping the Russian onslaught.

1917:  Russian loans help Germany start to rebuild.  Germans imprison 
various Russian would-be revolutionaries in exile in Germany in thanks.  
Lenin, Trotsky, and Stalin rot out the rest of their lives in German 
Prisons.  The war ends with a negotiated peace as the nations of 
continental Europe try to rebuild.  The Locarno pact bans further use 
of the mega-destructive dweomers developed during the war.  Byzantium 
is forced to sign the pact as well.  Ireland gains its independance.

1918:  Unrest in Germany results in formation of the Weimar Republic.  
Germany is heavily devastated and heavily dependent on Russia for 
financial aid.  The devastation of the Rhineland leaves Germany in a BAD 
economic position and Germany never really recovers.

1919:  The German Army sends Seargent Hitler to infiltrate a small body 
of malcontents in Bavaria calling themselves the 'National Socialist 
Workers' Party'.  It is really little more than a bunch of cranky German 
'good old boys' looking for someone to blame, a mere front for an occult 
organization known as the Thule Society, which is not much more 
sophisticated than its pawns.  However, Sergeant Hitler throws in his lot 
with this group and steps onto the path he will eventually follow to power.

1921:  Hitler is initiated into the Thule society and begins his training 
in occult secrets.

1923:  The Beer Hall Putsch.  Hitler is thrown in jail, with Lenin as his 
cellmate.  He is inspired by Lenin, combining his old ideas and Lenin's 
into a powerful mix...

1925:  Hitler is released from Prison and becomes a 'illuminated master' 
in the Thule Society.  

1929:  The great Depression begins.

1932:  Riots in Germany as industrial unrest and depression build to a 
climax.  The National Communist Party under Adolf Hitler seizes control 
of Germany on a wave of riots.  The Nationalist Communistic Republic of 
Germany is born.  The still surviving Trotsky and Stalin are freed, and 
go to Russia where the Tsar's men catch Stalin and execute him.  However, 
Trotsky is still on the loose...

1935:  Now.

Ideology of the National Communist Party of Germany:

The communist idea of the unity of workers has been reinterpreted to 
operate on a national level.  All the workers of a single nation must 
band together to overcome the oppression not just of Capital, but of the 
workers of other nations, who seek to compete with them.  Until the 
revolution is complete, a revolutionary vanguard must lead the 
nation.  This vanguard must hold all power until the world is made to 
bow before the German nation and the global revolution is complete.  All 
Germans are equal in social status if they are of pure Aryan bloodlines.  
Other nations are inferior to a greater or lesser degree.  Some are so 
inferior that they must be purged for the good of the superior Aryan 
nation.  

From each according to their abilities, to each according to their 
needs and racial merit.  Ultimately, all property is owned by the people, 
and in practice controlled by their representative, the 'NACO' party, 
which is the vanguard of the Proletarian revolution.  The party itself is 
controlled by 'Democratic centralism', which means each level of party 
control operates as a democracy, but each level gives absolute obedience 
to the one above it.  Ultimately, the party answers to the 'Fuhrer', or 
'Leader', who is chosen by the High Party Council, a body of fifteen men 
who are themselves theoretically elected by the party committees of the 
component states of the Reich.  Yeah, right.  Basically, whoever has the 
most bullyboys, money, or charisma ends up on the council.  Hitler has 
bee the Fuhrer continuously since 1925, and is likely to remain so.

Despite the ideology of communism, in practice, the NACO takeover has 
mainly resulted in greater freedom for Unions, and some limited 
nationalization of companies, mainly operations such as Railroads, Power 
companies, and other industries that have little or no competition and 
tend to not be privately owned.  The situation is similiar to that in 
Russia under Lenin in the 'real world'.  


Branches of the NACOS:

The party consists of three major branches:
A.  The main party, which is organized much like political parties 
everywhere.
B.  The Brown Shirts:  These are the mobs of street thugs employed as a 
paramilitary wing of the party.  
C.  The Blue Shirts:  These are the magical thugs of the party.  Magi who 
join the party usually end up in the Blue Shirts.  They perform several 
functions:
1.  Provide magical protection and offensive power for the Brown Shirts
2.  Magical bodyguarding and protection for Party Leaders.
3.  The Wasteland Reclamation project (See below)
4.  Search for magical artifacts.

The Blue Shirts grew out of the old 'Thule Society' and are organized 
simililarly to it, with ranks of initiation.  The nickname Blue Shirts 
comes from the trademark blue uniform of those within the society who 
are 'on duty' so to speak.   Hitler is the Grand High Master of the 
Order of Thule, the formal name of the Blue Shirts, while 
his second in command, the High Master of the Order, is a man named 
Gunther Schloss.  There are eight ranks of initiation:

The number in () is the Theoretical Maximum # of holders of that rank. A 
rank without () could have any # of initiates.

1.   Applicant--In Theory, the entire world fits into this category :)
2.   Initiate
3.   Seeker of the Mystic Flame
4.   Page
5.   Squire
6.   Knight Errant
7.   Master
8.   Master of Mystic Philosophy
9.   Master of Wisdom (144)
10.  Illuminated Master (12): Forms the executive council of the order.
11.  High Master(1):  The Second in command and effective leader, since 
Hitler, the Grand High Master doesn't take much direct control of 
affairs.  Currently Gunther Schloss
12.  Grand High Master (1):  Supreme boss of the Order, currently Adolf 
Hitler.

Life in the Nationalist Communistic Republic of Germany:

     Germany is still pretty economically depressed, but things are 
starting to get better.  The universities are in the process of being 
purged of 'capitalists', those of 'poor racial background' and anyone 
else who objects to NACO policies.  Jews, gypsies, blacks, and other 
'inferior' peoples are being persecuted.

      For most people, life goes on.  The NACOs are still too weak to 
persecute anyone too badly unless the general spirit of the nation is 
against them.  Brown Shirt Thugs hold marches and general rallies are 
held, which are very popular.  

      One benefit for the German nation has been the drafting of all Magi 
by the state, who has forced them to either join the Party, join the 
Army, or leave.  The coherent focused use of magic has helped to speed 
the process of rebuilding the nation and the economy.  One major project 
of the NACOS has been slowly reclaiming the devastated areas of western 
Germany, though at the current rate of progress, it will take about 30 
years, unless more resources are dedicated.

      One drawback of this, however, has been 'Mage flight' as many magi, 
especially those belonging to persecuted groups, have packed up and fled 
Germany for greener pastures.

      The average German remains hopeful for the future and proud that 
his nation is starting to pick itself up from the rubble.  Many share the 
racist ideas of the NACOs, while many others either don't care, or are 
fearful of the Brown Shirts, or more dreadfully, the Black Shirts.


Religion:

     Most Northern Germans are Lutheran or Calvinist, most Southern are 
Catholic.  There has been no formal religious persecution since the early 
1800s.  There is roughly a 30/30/40 split percentagewise of the 
population between those groups.  The Churches are running scared, 
fearing confiscation and persecution by the NACOS, who have, however, 
taken no overt actions...yet.


Fraternal Orders and Mystic Socities:

      Fraternal orders, on the lines of Masons, Shriners, Elks, etc, are 
common, mainly focusing as a release for charitable efforts and drunken 
fun.  Those of a mystical bent are being suppressed, with those posessing 
real talents being integrated into the Order of Thule/Blue Shirts.