The Berlin Dome

[Zagan7]

Eastern Front
11 February 1945
The German-Polish Ceasefire
For a live zoomable and pannable map of the Dome, you may follow this link.

​

Legend:

• Light Pink Hue: Dome area
• Red Dot: Dome Centre (Berlin)
• Red Arc: Dome limit
• Black Lines: Borders
• Grey Lines: Internal Borders
• Interrupted Black Lines: Older Borders
• Purple Lines: Frontlines before (German-Allied) and after the Ceasefire (Polish-Soviet)
• Red Hue: Areas of Poland and Germany controlled by the Inner Soviet Army
• Yellow Hue: Areas of Poland and Germany controlled by the Polish Home Army
• Horizontal Lines: The Republic of Poland according to the Ceasefire (General Government + Wartheland + Suwalki + Inner Byelorussia + Inner Ukraine)

Key:

1. German-Polish border (1920-1939)
2. Western border of the General Government (1939-1945)
3. Eastern border of Lithuania (1923-1939)
4. Suwałki Region (German 1939-1944)
5. Vilnius Region (Lithuanian from 1940)
6. Outer Poland (Soviet control)
7. Outer Slovakia (Soviet control)
8. Inner Ukraine (disputed between Poland and the Inner Soviet Army)
9. Outer Byelorussia (Byelorussian SSR)

Guess what's going to happen in Poland!

 

[Zagan7]

Central Europe
11 February 1945
For a live zoomable and pannable map of the Dome, you may follow this link.

​

Legend:

• National colours as usual
• Inside the Dome and in the German controlled areas outside the Dome, the map shows the de jure situation from the German point of view.
• In other areas, the map shows the de facto situation.
• Black Lines: National Borders
• Grey Lines: Internal Borders
• Red Lines: Frontlines
• Interrupted Red Lines: Demarcation lines between (partially) disorganized combatants (between the Croatian Army and the Yugoslav Partisans) and between Germany and Poland at the time of the Ceasefire (they have to retreat behind the mutually agreed border)
• Dotted Red Lines: Demarcation lines between the areas controlled by the Inner Red Army and the Polish Home Army
• Red Circle: Dome limit (looks like an ellipse due to Mercator distortion)
• Red Dot: Dome centre (Berlin)
• Light Pink Hue: Dome area

Key:

1. Andorra (Self Governing French-Spanish Co-Principality)
2. Liechtenstein (fully inside the Dome)
3. Outer Belgium (Poperinge Area)
4. Inner Italy / Reichsprotektorat Venedig (Protectorate)
5. Outer South Tyrol (Italy)
6. Outer Adriatic Littoral / Adriatisches Küstenland (Operational Zone)
7. Outer Slovenia / Slowenien (Operational Zone)
8. Inner Croatia
9. Italian Zara (Yugoslav control)
10. Outer Slovakia (Soviet control)
11. Outer Poland (Soviet control)

.

 

[Zagan7]

Chapter 38. Yalta



2-8 February 1945, Livadia Palace, Yalta, Crimea, RSFSR, Soviet Union

The Yalta Conference (code-named Argonaut) had already been scheduled when the Berlin Dome completely altered the military and geo-political climate of Europe. Held in the former tsarist palace of Livadia, on the picturesque southern coast of Crimea, supposedly due to Stalin's reluctance of flying, the conference was attended by:

• Premier Joseph Stalin, representing the Soviet Union,
• Prime Minister Sir Winston Churchill, representing the British Empire and
• President Harry S. Truman, representing the United States of America.

The Yalta Conference is poorly remembered in history both because of its utter failure to produce any understanding between the Western Allies and the Soviets and because it was overshadowed by several important events happening before, during and after its conclusion:

• the emergence of the Berlin Dome;
• the collapse of the Allied Inner Western Front;
• the start of peace negotiations in Switzerland;
• the German victory in the Seelow Height Battle which removed the pressure on the German Capital;
• the Soviet annexation of Romania;
• the armistice between Germany and Poland;
• the chaotic Polish-Soviet War;
• the armistice between Germany and the minor Western Powers;
• [redacted due to even more spoilers].

The failure of the Yalta Conference (which was the last of several war-time meetings between the Western Leaders and Stalin), could be attributed to several factors:

• The Conference had lost much of its original purpose due to the Berlin Dome. It had really become an exercise in futility, as discussing post-war Europe could hardly be meaningful with no end of Nazi Germany in sight.
• Stalin's original distrust of the Western Democracies had turned into outright paranoia after the collapse of the Inner Western Front and the start of peace negotiations between Nazi Germany and the minor Western Powers of Belgium, Netherlands and Denmark. Stalin refused to accept that the surrender of the Inner Western Front was a military necessity and viewed it as a treacherous collusion between the Occident and the Nazis.
• The Western Leader's distrust of the Soviet Union had also been recently amplified by the Soviet coup in Romania and especially by the subsequent full annexation of that country.
• The odd "gun incident" which, although probably overrated due to its inherent sensationalism, surely contributed to the already acrimonious atmosphere.

The Big Three discussed many important matters but did not manage to come to an understanding in any of them. Moreover, the already difficult talks were frequently derailed by the many grievances the participants had with one another.


I. The Berlin Dome

The Western Powers showed their Soviet allies parts of their reasearch and speculations regarding the nature of the Dome.

The Soviet delegation made fun of the supernatural theories put forward by the Americans, but failed to produce any reasonable explanation of the Dome's puzzling properties.

The only interesting development was the observation that a series of seemingly disparate events in Germany could have been more than a mere coincidence:

• the 17th of January power-up of the Berlin Dome;
• the death or demotion of several important individuals from Hitler's inner circle (Göring, Himmler, Bormann, Canaris, Morell);
• the unexpected announcement of the imminent marriage of Hitler to a hitherto completely unheard of fiancée named Eva Braun;
• the German penetration of the Manhattan Project and the surely ill advised bragging about it, coupled with the utter failure in finding any moles;
• the abrupt change in many policies (the willingness to free the Jews from the concentration camps and let them emigrate to safety, the recognition of an officially independent Polish State, a desire for peaceful coexistence with the West, etc);
• the bizarre stories of a German defector to Switzerland who talked about a subterranean city full of futuristic devices and machines, intelligent talking robots and even an indestructable young "Goddess". Apparently, a friend of his who worked with Heisenberg had his tongue loosened by some heavy drinking. While all these would normally have been instantly dismissed as insanity, the new reality of the Berlin Dome added some weight to any outrageous claims.

No concrete possibilities of counteracting or replicating the Dome had been put forward by any of the three delegations.


II. The Western Front

Stalin deplored what he called a "betrayal" of their alliance, an "act of cowardice" and even "collusion with the Fascists".

Churchill and Truman, although visibly annoyed by Stalin's unfortunate choice of words, tried to explain to the Soviet Leader that the supply situation on the Western Front, with food and ammuniton projected to last for only about one week, had been totally different from that of the Eastern Front where plentiful supplies had been fortuitously available because of the long and meticulous Soviet preparations for the Vistula-Oder Offensive.

Stalin was unmoved by their pleas and insisted that, had the Western Allies fought on, the Soviet offensive towards Berlin would have had significantly greater chances of success.


III. The Peace Negotiations in Bern

Stalin expressed his fears that the Western Allies contemplated a general peace with Germany and even a possible future war against the Soviet Union on the side of the Nazis.

When the Western Leaders tried to persuade him of the contrary, Stalin insisted that, in order to believe them, America and Britain should keep their "puppets" (Belgium and Netherlands) in leash. Stalin could simply never believe that the Western Great Powers would treat the lesser powers as real independent countries.

In the end, Stalin declared that any country that signs an agreement with Nazi Germany, turning thus into a German puppet in his opinion, becomes an enemy of the Soviet Union and would be treated as one. That policy would have grave consequences in the future.


IV. The Communist coup d'état in Romania

The Western Leaders expressed their concern regarding the "blatant disregard of democracy, rule of law and self-determination of the peoples" displayed by the Soviet occupation authorities in Romania.

Stalin dismissed their concerns, insisting upon the preestablished Soviet propaganda. Apparently, "the workers and peasants of Romania, long oppressed by the Romanian elites, had just spontaneously risen against their oppressors..."

When Churchill and Truman proposed a return of the legitimate government followed by free elections, Stalin bluntly told them that that was out of the question and refused any further talks on the matter.


V. The situation in the rest of the Balkans

Stalin assured his interlocutors that he would respect the wishes of the peoples of Bulgaria, Yugoslavia, Albania and Greece to live in freedom and choose their preferred forms of government without outside interference.

Churchill and Truman were not at all convinced by Stalin's guarantees.


VI. The situation in the rest of Outer Eastern Europe

The Western Leaders did not recognize the Communist "Governments" installed by the Soviets in Outer Hungary, Outer Slovakia and Outer Poland.

Stalin insisted, of course, that it was the "will of the people" and promissed to reconsider the issue after the eventual fall of Nazi Germany and removal of the Dome bisecting those nations. No further dialogue was possible.

Stalin was also adamant that the eastern border of Poland should follow the Curzon Line, although much of it was inside the Dome.

Truman and Churchill accepted to defer the problem until the opening of the Berlin Dome which, for all they knew, could never happen.


VII. The Baltic States

The Western Powers restated their commitment to the independence of Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia.

Stalin insisted that those states had become part of the Soviet Union on their own free will and asked the Western Leaders to refrain from recognizing the "Fascist" cliques posing as interim governments in Inner Lithuania and Inner Latvia.


VIII. Other countries

Stalin promissed to respect the independence and neutrality of Finland and declared that the Soviet Union had no interest in Norway and Sweden. He also affirmed that the Soviet forces would be recalled from northern Norway shortly after the end of the war.

It was tentatively agreed that all foreign forces would leave Iran one year after the end of the war.

Stalin demanded adjustments of the Soviet-Turkish border in the Caucasus. The Western Leaders could not speak on behalf of Turkey, a sovereign state.

Stalin demanded recognition of the independence of Mongolia. Truman promissed to talk with Chiang Kai-shek about the issue.


IX. Japan

Stalin declared that it would be completely impossible for the Soviet Union to shift forces to the Orient in order to attack Japan due to the danger still posed by Nazi Germany. He offered to mediate between the Western Powers and Japan, suggestion quickly dismissed by an angry Truman.


X. Minor Issues

A plethora of other issues of lesser importance were discussed with varying levels of success.


XI. The German victory in the Seelow Heights Battle and its immediate aftermath

Stalin reiterated his opinion that the reason of the failure to capture Berlin had been the premature end of hostilities on the Inner Western Front.

Churchill and Truman countered that, even with an active Western Front, the Red Army still wouldn't had been able to take Berlin. They reasoned that, even if the Red Army were victorious in the Seelow Heights Battle, a prolongued street fight in Berlin would had overcome the severely limited logistical capabilities present inside the Dome.

Obviously, Stalin did not agree to any of his counterparts' arguments.


XII. The Soviet annexation of Romania

When the Western Leaders received news about the Soviet annexation of yet another sovereign country, the situation turned really ugly. The previously already extremely tense and bitter but still civilized dialogue turned into shouting and harsh words, a very rare occurence in diplomatic contexts.

Stalin anounced that his guests have disrespected his hospitality by gravely insulting him in his own country. And then the unthinkable happened. To a stunned audience, Stalin demanded "satisfaction", produced a gun from his pocket and started to wave it towards the Western delegations.

Although Stalin said later that it had been a joke, the Western Leaders anounced that the Conference had come to an end and promptly decided to leave the Soviet Union the following morning.



9-11 February 1945

The Allied planes leaving Yalta were buzzed by the Soviet Air Force over the Black Sea. When they had finally landed in Cairo, the Westerners sighed with relief. The grotesque nightmare in which the doomed Yalta Conference had turned was finally over.


A few days later, the German-Polish Armistice triggered a Soviet declaration of war against Poland. The vicious war between the Polish Home Army and the Inner Red Army finally convinced the Americans to put an end to the already reduced Land-Lease for the Soviet Union.

The Soviet Union was no longer an ally of the West but at best a cobelligerant and at worse an ideological adversary. The still menacing presence of the universally hated Nazi Germany and the general exhaustion and war-weariness were the only reasons that kept the former allies from going for their throats.

The World had changed for ever.

 

[Zagan7]

Chapter 39. Armistice with the Minor Powers



6 February 1945, the Hirn, Berlin, Großdeutsches Reich

Adolphine was bored, very drunk and slightly unhappy. The so called party thrown to celebrate the 33rd birthday of Eva Braun looked more like a funeral than a real birthday party.

Adolphine (stammering): "Everybody, umm, excuse me please, would you... I think I'm, umm... I think I'm quite drunk. I'm sorry... I'll go to bed now... Oh, don't mind me, please. You keep on partying, would you. I mean... It's not like we have many reasons to party around here these days... Yes... Good night to everyone. See you at the wedding..."

Hitler: "Sadly, the wedding surely has to be postponed. It would be preposterous for the Führer to get married while the Fatherland is in such mortal danger, with a decisive battle raging just a few kilometers to the east! As for the idea of leaving Berlin for the Berchtesgaden of all places and during this crisis... well, I cannot even contemplate the absurdity of that thought..."

Eva (crying and also drunk): "But you have promissed, please, Adolf... In the other history you married me in much worse circumstances..." (unintelligible noises) "Please, Adolf..."

Hitler: "But we'll get married anyway... As soon as we win this battle and drive the Bolsheviks out of the Reich!..."

Adolphine (wobbling on her feet): "You promissed, Herr Hitler."

Hitler: "Oh, shut up and go to sleep! You're so drunk you're making a fool of yourself!"

Adolphine (laughing): "Yes, I'm drunk!" (crying) "But I'm still right..." (leaving the room) "Nighty night!"


Eva left the room as well, sobbing uncontrollably. She went to the bathroom, opened a flask of medicine, swallowed all the tablets and sat on the floor, with her head against the bathtub, motionless, waiting to either die or get the attention of her fiancé.

And then the Habitation Alarm sounded. Apparently, everything inside the Hirn was continuously monitored by some sort of automated systems. Everybody jumped up prepared for the worst. Helga rushed into the room, flashing and beeping nervously.

Helga: "Quick, to the bathroom! Fräulein Braun has poisoned herself!"



7 February 1945, the Hirn, Berlin, Großdeutsches Reich

After an unpleasant but life saving gastric lavage, Eva Braun was feeling much better. She was lying in her bed, with her head in Adolf's lap who was gently carressing her hair.

Hitler: "Last night you had a glass too many and you misunderstood me... I never meant to postpone our marriage but just the wedding party in the Berghof. Due to security concerns, of course."

Eva: "Oh, Adolf..."

Hitler: "Tomorrow, I will officially anounce at the radio that we are going to be married this Sunday, just as we had previously discussed."

Eva (crying): "I love you so much..."

Hitler: "We shall have our wedding party at the Berghof, just like you wanted it. We'll just have to wait one week or two for the military situation to stabilize..."

Eva: "Do you love me?"

Hitler: "Of course I love you, silly! Why would I marry you otherwise?"

Hitler was already somewhat more optimistic about the whole situation. The Seelow Heights Battle has by and large been already won, the Poles want to talk, Eva is feeling better... Yes, the worst is already behind and now Germany will begin to heel itself.

After all those stressful last days, Hitler finally relaxed and smiled. Yes, everything is going to be just fine! He couldn't have imagined just how wrong he was!



8-9 February 1945, Berlin, Großdeutsches Reich

The Polish and German diplomats took just two days to negotiate an end to the war between their countries. In fact the Poles had little room for manoeuvring as their options were extremely limited: either reach an accomodation today and become little more than a German puppet but nonetheless preserve the Polish State and Nation or fight for another year or so and get completely annihilated in the process.



10 February 1945, Berlin, Großdeutsches Reich

The Greater German Reich and the Republic of Poland signed an Armistice, thus ending the state of war which existed between them and paving the way for the final Peace Treaty, which the Germans insisted that should include all the Western Allies.

The text of the Polish-German Armistice was long and contrived but its main provisions could be summarized as follows:

• The Republic of Poland is an Independent State under German Benevolent Protection.¹
• The state of war between Germany, Slovakia, Hungary and Croatia on one side and Poland on the other side is suspended for the duration of the Armistice, i.e. until a final Peace Treaty is signed between Germany and its allies on one side and the Western Powers, including Poland, on the other side.
• Poland has one week to remove all its military forces and administration from German territory.
• Poland will have full control over its internal affairs but will have to align its external policy to that of Germany and refrain from any act which may be considered harmful towards Germany.
• Poland will not harm in any way its citizens who had helped the German Army and Administration during the war.
• Poland has to evict all Jews who are not Polish citizens from its territory.
• Poland has to disarm and intern all the Soviet forces operating on Polish territory.
• The borders of the Polish Republic will follow the current south-eastern border of Lithuania, the old border between the Russian Empire and the German Empire, the old border of the German Confederation in Transleithania (between the Teschen Duchy and the Kingdom of Galicia-Lodomeria), the current northern border of Slovakia and its pre-war eastern borders with Hungary, Romania, Ukraine, Byelorussia and Latvia.²
• Poland and Germany will perform a population exchange.
• Poland joins the Anti-Comintern Pact.
• Germany leases to Poland all the portuar facilities build by Poland in Gdingen (Gdynia) for 49 years and grants it porto-franco status. Poland will also be allowed to have goods transit German territory to and from Gdingen free of charge both on road and rail.
• Germany and Poland will open Embassies in Warsaw and Berlin as well as a Polish consulate in Gdingen.
• The German armed forces may transit the Polish territory in case of war with Russia.
• A limited number of German troops may be stationed in strategic locations on Polish territory, away from populated places. Germany will provide for their accomodation.
• Other less important provisions.

1. Similar to Slovakia or Croatia.
2. The interbellic Polish territory minus West Prussia, Posen, Upper Silesia, the former Austrian Silesia (Teschen), the small bits annexed to Slovakia and the Vilnius Region annexed to Lithuania. Of course, the eastern territories beyond the Dome limit were under firm Soviet Control as parts of Soviet Byelorussia and Soviet Ukraine and thus inaccessible to the Polish Government.



11 February 1945, Eastern Front

Exactly at midnight, local time, all Polish forces scattered on the almost 1500 kilometres long front ceased all military operations against the Wehrmacht and immediately began to fall back towards the agreed German-Polish borders.

About an hour later, the Polish Government informed the Inner Soviet High Command of the Armistice and urged the Inner Soviet forces to immediately evacuate German territory, disarm and accept internment in neutral Poland for the duration of the war.

Deprived of their charismatic leader who had just commited suicide, the Inner Soviet High Command was unable to decide upon the best course of action in those terrible circumstances and irresponsably vacillated for more than sixteen hours. Unspeakable chaos ensued. Some Soviet units continued the fight against the Werhmacht while others began to retreat towards Poland. Some surrendered to the Polish Home Army while others attacked their former allies or tried to go into hiding.

Stalin was livid. All day long he had repeatedly asked his doomed forces to enact revenge against the traitorous Poles and utterly destroy the whole country. Finally, realizing that his leverage upon the Soviet generals stranded inside the Dome was minimal, the Soviet Union officially declared war to the Republic of Poland at 5:10 in the afternoon that day.

The Second Soviet-Polish War had started and, despite the initial optimistic opinion of most military experts, it quickly turned into a protracted, messy and bloody affair.



11 February 1945, the Hirn, Berlin, Großdeutsches Reich

With Joseph Goebbels and Albert Speer as witnesses, Adolf Hitler married Eva Braun in a small private ceremony inside the Hirn in the morning of the 11th of February 1945.

Eva Braun, a simple German girl hitherto completely unknown both to the German public and to the larger World, had become Eva Hitler, the First Lady of the Greater German Reich and the wife of one of the most powerful and reviled men in the whole World.

Immediately after the marriage ceremony, newly wed Adolf and Eva Hitler officially adopted Adolphine Heimat. She had thus become Adolphine Hitler, the daughter of the Führer she had adored for all her life. The unexpected adoption of an adolescent girl whom nobody had previously heard of shocked the public opinion even more than Hitler's marriage.

At the small party held afterwards, Hitler declared that the war was virtually over and set the date for the official wedding party in the Berghof for the following Sunday, the 18th of February 1945.

Adolphine was more careful that time and did not get intoxicated, managing to attend the party until its end. When she inquired about her chances of going outside the bunker system, Hitler told her that most restrictions would be lifted after the wedding and, with proper security, they would be able to travel all around the Reich. Adolphine was elated and hugged Hitler for the third time that day.

Adolphine Hitler! Wow, I'm Hitler's daughter now, no more, no less! I can't believe it! Everybody will envy my luck!



12 February 1945, Bern, Switzerland

A series of three Armistices were signed in Bern by the German Reich and its allies on one side and Belgium, the Netherlands and, respectively, Denmark on the other side. Their content was similar to the previously signed Armistice with Poland and the recently signed state treaties with (Inner) Lithuania and (Inner) Latvia.

Belgium had recognized the loss of Eupen-Malmedy and Denmark had accepted a small border correction in Schleswig according to the Tiedje Line. There was no mention of the colonies at that stage, that discussion being considered more appropriate for the actual peace treaty.


A badly mauled but still powerful Germany stood secure inside its Dome, with its supremacy and borders recognized by all the small countries surrounding it: Netherlands, Belgium, Switzerland, Croatia, Hungary, Slovakia, Poland, Lithuania, Latvia, Sweden and Denmark.

The only remaining enemies inside the Dome were the Inner Red Army which was busy fighting the Poles, the largely demobilized Inner Western Allied forces in Inner France, Belgium and southern Netherlands and the small Inner Free French Army still active in Inner France. The only remaining enemy countries which had territory inside the Dome were Italy (Protektorat Venedig) and France (Free Inner France).

The Germans began to remove their forces from the Netherlands and south-western Poland and started to free the Polish, Dutch and Belgian prisoners of war.

Several small Latin American countries began to withdraw their declarations of war against Germany during the following period. Germany simply took note and confirmed the end of the state of war between their countries.



13 February 1945, the Hirn, Berlin, Großdeutsches Reich

Hitler decided to unilaterally end the war by rapidly disengaging from the remaining points of conflict.

1. He ordered to speed up the evacuation of the Piave Triangle, Outer Croatia, Outer Slovenia, Istria and Fiume. The Western Allies were politely invited to assume control of the Italian territories (Piave Triangle, Istria and Fiume). Hitler correctly assumed that that way he would help drive a wedge between the Western Allies and the Yugoslav Partisans who coveted several Italian territories with Slavic population.
2. The remaining isolated pockets of German resistance in Western Crete and on the French Atlantic Coast were ordered to cease fighting and surrender immediately.
3. In anticipation with the planned Armistice with Norway, the German Armies began to leave Outer Norway, retreating towards the Dome limit. The Western Allies and the Norwegian Government in Exile were invited to take control of the evacuated areas.
4. The remaining Western prisoners of war were gradually freed and dumped into Inner France, Belgium and the Netherlands. The reason for that measure was twofold: on one hand, it was supposed to foster good will with the Western Allies in the hope of a general Armistice and, presumably, Peace in the West and, on the other hand, more food became thus available for the malnourished German civilians.
5. A large part of the Wehrmacht was to be demobilized in order to inject some fresh life into the utterly destroyed German economy and help restart agriculture and civilian industry.

After five and a half years of apocalyptic war, a long awaited calm started to descend upon the beleaguered Reich.

 

[Zagan7]

Chapter 40. Innocence Lost



14 February 1945, the Hirn, Berlin, Großdeutsches Reich

Adolphine (excited): "Hi!... Would you tell me what you bought for Herr Hi... for Adolf I mean."

Eva: "I don't understand. Should I have bought something?"

Adolphine: "Of course. It's Valentine's Day! Have you forgotten?" (smiling) "What would you do without me!"

Eva: "Er, I'm sorry but I still don't understand... Valentine's Day you say?"

Adolphine: "Oh, no! You don't have the Valentine's yet, do you? What a pity! Here, sit down and let me tell you about it..."

************


Adolphine (whispering): "Olaf..."

Olaf: "Yes, Adolphine."

Adolphine: "Olaf, did you, ahem... talk with Helga?"

Olaf: "Yes, I did. And she was extremely straightforward."

Adolphine: "So..."

Olaf: "I am afraid this might upset you."

Adolphine: "Oh, cut the crap, Olaf! Speak up!"

Olaf: "Helga is torn between her sense of justice and her duty to follow Herr Hilter's commands and help him govern the Reich. She knows everything and it isn't pretty."

Adolphine (gasping for air): "Yes..."

Olaf: "It seems that the Reich is a brutal dictatorship, a totalitarian state which disregards the fundamental rights and basic needs of its own citizens, to say nothing about the conquered people..."

Adolphine (rising her voice): "No!"

Olaf: "Do you want me to stop talking about this?"

Adolphine: "No, I mean, do continue. But... surely, Helga can be mistaken."

Olaf: "You have to understand that she has virtually unlimited access to Herr Hitler's correspondence and official papers."

Adolphine (shaken): "Ok, go on..."

Olaf: "Apparently, the Reich murdered a very large number of people because of their ethnicity, religion, disability, political affiliation..."

Adolphine (yelling): "No! You're lying!... Or it's Helga who's lying! Nobody was ever murdered in the Reich! Not on purpose! It's nothing but filthy Jewish lies!... The Reich is the best state that had ever existed on the face of the Earth!"

Olaf: "I'm sorry you are upset. You know that we are unable to lie to our users. Besides, it's all there, written on those papers and Herr Hitler knows everything. Not only didn't Herr Hitler attempt to curb the abuses and address the numerous systemic ills of the system but it seems that he was condoning or even encouraging those who engaged in despicable behaviour against their fellow human beings..."

Adolphine: "That's enough. Did Hitler order those abuses, those... murders?"

Olaf: "There are no orders signed by Herr Hitler, at least none that Helga is aware of..."

Adolphine (energetic): "See!? Hitler did nothing wrong!... In fact, what do we know for sure? That a few officials abused their authority and killed some people. Right? After all, all nations have their share of bad people and the German Volk makes no difference. We are only humans after all! And Hitler was unable to stop them. Probably because of the war... Or maybe he is not in control anymore! He might have been turned into a figurehead! Yes, it is possible that, with Hitler isolated in this bunker, other people, bad people, are actually in control of the Reich!... I don't know." (worried) "Does anybody else know about this... unfortunate problem?"

Olaf: "Of course not. Helga is not going to talk with anyone and neither am I. You are my owner and you and Herr Hitler are the only advanced users of Helga."

Adolphine: "And what if Hitler asks Helga about it?"

Olaf: "About what?"

Adolphine: "If she told me anything."

Olaf: "She would answer truthfully that she didn't tell you anything."

Adolphine: "Oh... Sure. But why did she talk with you?"

Olaf: "Because we are trusted members of the same network."

Adolphine: "I see... I will talk with Hitler about... this unpleasant revelation... Or, I don't know, it may be better to just pretend I don't know a thing. What do you think?"

Olaf: "I believe that it might be better for you to wait and collect more information. I don't see what you might achieve by confronting Herr Hitler."

Adolphine: "Then don't you believe that Hitler might be innocent after all!?"

Olaf: "I am sorry but I find that extremely unlikely."

Adolphine (sighing): "I see... Thanks." (weeping) "Now go away, leave me alone, would you!"

Noooo, it's too damn complicated! And unfair!... I just want to go home!...
No, it cannot be true! There must be a mistake somewhere. Oh, damn! I must talk to him... Or needn't I?
Father! Mother! Holy Germanic Gods! Christian God and Jesus Christ! Somebody, help me!!!... I'm but a little girl...

************


Adolphine: "Eva, can we talk?"

Eva: "Is it anything wrong, Adolphine? Have you been crying?"

Adolphine: "Yes, I was thinking of my deceased parents..."

Eva (hugging her): "Oh, poor child, don't cry. You have us now, we'll take care of you... I love you."

Adolphine: "I love you too... Eva, please be honest with me..."

Eva: "Sure. Why shouldn't I?"

Adolphine: "Besides Adolf, you must surely know a lot of other important people..."

Eva: "Yes..."

Adolphine: "You may have overheard them discussing politics, state matters, stuff like that..."

Eva (smilling): "Not very much actually. You know, I was never interested in politics. That's my husband's business, not mine. But, of course, I overheard them talking politics, sure, just that I have always found it boring and I didn't pay much attention, that's all. Why are you asking?"

Adolphine: "Umm... Did you ever hear anything about, you know, atrocities, mass murder..."

Eva: "Yes, I believe so."

Adolphine: "What?!"

Eva: "Yes, it was something about the Bolsheviks killing people and raping women in East Prussia, yes, it's really horrible but you shouldn't think about that. It's... sickening."

Adolphine: "Oh, no. I mean I know about the Bolsheviks. What I meant was if we had perpetrated such atrocities against other people..."

Eva (shocked): "Hell, no! What's wrong with you? Why on Earth would you ask such a question? Did you have a nightmare or what?"

Adolphine: "A nightmare... Yes, yes, a horible nightmare... Forget about it. Let's do something nice for a change!"

Eva: "Sure. Actually, I was going to tell you something when you came with that stupid question..." (smiling) "Guess what? I bought something for you!"

Adolphine: "What is it?"

Eva: "It's a beautiful red dress for you to wear at the wedding! Come, let's see how it fits you!"

************


Adolphine: "Herr Hitler... Adolf..."

Hitler: "Yes?"

Adolphine: "There is something bugging me... Do you have, ahem, half an hour or so?"

Hitler: "Er, I'm quite busy right now. Is it important? Is it about the wedding?"

Adolphine: "Umm, I think it can wait..."

Hitler: "Good. We'll talk tomorrow."

************



15 February 1945, the Hirn, Berlin, Großdeutsches Reich

Hitler: "I have some spare time now. Did you want to tell me something?"

Adolphine: "Umm... Yes, I wanted to show you the dress Eva bought for me!"

Hitler (smiling): "Sure. I bet you look wonderful in it!"

No, I cannot solve that on my own. It's just... too much. And now I have to live with this rock on my soul.
Why, Gods, why? What have I done to deserve that? Why can't I be a normal 15 year old gal (Mädel)?
Fuck! I wish he didn't adopt me! I want my innocence back!!

 

[Zagan7]

Recapitulation #4



Scope: Chapters 31 - 40

Status: OK. The TimeLine is approaching its inflection point¹.

1. The change (present in most TLs) from lots of events in short time periods near the POD (with each chapter covering hours or days) to a significantly slower pace later in the TL (with each subsequent chapter covering weeks, months and sometimes even years).

Time period: 27 January - 15 February 1945.


Main events

• An ill-thought German counterattack against the Soviet and Polish positions in Eastern Germany ends in disaster;
• With the exception of isolated pockets in Pomerania, Danzig and East Prussia, the Germans retreat on the western shore of the Oder;
• The Malta Conference (USA - UK) sets the stage for Yalta;
• A Soviet false flag operation in Romania backfires and Romania is engulfed in Anti-Soviet protests followed by a harsh Soviet crackdown;
• Romania is annexed to the Soviet Union as an SSR (including Soviet Moldavia);
• Adolphine meets Anne Frank and sets her free;
• The Germans win the Seelow Heights battle and push the invaders over the Oder;
• Poland asks for an armistice which is granted;
• The Inner Soviet Army refuses internment in Poland and ignites the Second Polish-Soviet War;
• The Soviet Union annexes Outer Poland (several small enclaves);
• The Yalta Conference (USA - UK - Soviet Union) ends in complete failure;
• The Western Allies and the Soviet Union are permanently estranged;
• The Soviet Union annexes Transcarpathia, tiny Outer Slovakia and, later, Bulgaria;
• Germany and the minor Axis Powers sign an Armistice with Belgium and the Netherlands and normalize their relations with Denmark, Lithuania and Latvia;
• Adolf Hitler marries Eva Braun and both of them adopt the orphaned Adolphine;
• Hitler decides to de facto end the war immediately by withdrawing or surrendering all remaining German forces outside the Dome;
• It is also decided to slowly demobilize part of the Wehrmacht and gradually turn to a peace-time economy;
• Adolphine finds out from the robots that Hitler and his Reich are not exactly what she has thought them to be.

Premature deaths

• Andrey Vyshinsky (shot during street violence in Romania);
  
• about 83,000 Romanians (killed during the Soviet crackdown);
• Georgy Zhukov (suicide);
• countless victims of war and Soviet repression in occupied central and eastern Inner Poland.

Situation of various countries

• A comprehensive listing of all the World's sovereign countries and dependencies, with the current situation succinctly covered, will be provided soon because it is too large to properly fit in here.

Status of World War Two

• Pacific Theatre: completely separate from the European Theatre; no significant changes yet
• European Theatre (outside the Dome)
  • Remaining strongholds on the Atlantic Coast of France: German surrender to the Western Allies
  • Western Crete: German surrender to the Western Allies
  • Piave Triangle: German evacuation completed / Western Allied takeover
  • Outer Istria and Fiume: German evacuation in progress / Western Allied takeover in progress
  • Outer Croatia: Croatian-Yugoslav War ongoing
  • Outer Norway: German evacuation planned
  • Naval: no more German surface or submarine presence
• European Theatre (inside the Dome)
  • Inner France: demobilized Western Allied personnel and nuissance tier Free French Army
  • Inner Norway: very limited partisan activity
  • Posen: Soviet Armies retreating towards Poland / no major German involvement
  • Poland: Second Polish-Soviet War started
  • Inner Lithuania: remaining Soviet troops retreated to Poland
  • Eastern Slovakia, Inner Hungary: remaining Soviet holdouts successfully cleared
  • Inner Croatia, Inner Slovenia: limited partisan activity
  • Naval: no Western Allied or Soviet surface or submarine presence

.

Status of Peace Negotiations

• Signed a peace treaty: None
• Signed an Armistice Treaty / normalization of relations: Poland, Belgium, Netherlands, Denmark, Lithuania, Latvia
• Engaged in discussions: Norway, Estonia (Government in Exile)
• Unilaterally disengaged / end of state of war: Several Minor Latin American countries
• Contemplating the possibility: Most Western Allies
• Not even under consideration: France, Czechoslovakia, Yugoslavia, the Soviet Union, Soviet puppets / occupied countries

Cast of Characters (in order of appearance)

• Josef Tiso
• Eleanor Grünn (uptime nurse)
  
• ZV001906550238AW (uptime AI doctor)
  
• Archibald Hegende (uptime inspector)
  
• Gretl Braun
• Ilse Braun
• Hermann Fegelein
  
• Andrey Vyshinsky (killed in street battle in Romania, 31 January 1945)
  
• Nicolae Rădescu (arrested and sent to Gulag)
  
• King Mihai (Michael) I of the Romanians (deposed, 2 February 1945, initially presumed dead)
  
• Ana Pauker
  
• Otto Günsche
  
• Margot Frank
• Dariusz Swiatkowski (Polish diplomatic envoy to Berlin)
  
• Chiang Kai-shek

Uptime (2189): Well, ahem, this mess.


Maps: Numerous detailed maps will be provided soon.

 

[Zagan7]

Chapter 41. Under the Dome



Note: This is an informational chapter, paving the way for what is to come soon enough, probably just after the "Hitler's Wedding" chapter. The upcoming series of maps, while logically assigned to this chapter will be nonetheless placed in their own separate posts as usual.



17 February 1945 (POD + One Month), Inner Europe

One month had passed since that fateful day of 17 January when the infamous Berlin Dome had enclosed most of Central Europe in its formidable grip, bringing the War in Europe to a virtual halt and forever altering the course of history.

While the impact of the Dome was certainly felt worldwide, the countries affected the most were those having all or part of their national territory enclosed by it:

• Germany (Great Power, Dome Owner)
  • Inner (100%)
    • the Altreich (German territory in 1937, including Saarland)
    • Austria (united with Germany in 1938)
    • the Sudetenland (ceded by Czechoslovakia in 1938)
    • Memelland (ceded by Lithuania in 1939)
    • the Free City of Danzig (united with Germany in 1939)
    • the Polish parts of East Prussia, West Prussia, Posen, Upper Silesia, Teschen (annexed in 1939, ceded by Poland in 1945)
    • Alsace-Lorraine (annexed in 1940)
    • Eupen-Malmedy (annexed in 1940, ceded by Belgium in 1945)
    • Luxembourg (annexed in 1942)
    • Inner Slovenia (annexed in 1941 / 1945)
    • Inner South Tyrol and Inner Istria / Austrian Littoral (annexed in 1943 / 1945)
    • Central Schleswig / Tiedje Line Area (ceded by Denmark in 1945)
    • the Protectorate of Bohemia and Moravia (annexed in 1939)
    • the Protectorate of Inner Italy (annexed in 1945)

• Liechtenstein (Neutral, German influence)
  • Inner (100%)

• Luxembourg (Western Allied, de facto dissolved)
  • Inner (100%, annexed to Germany)

• Netherlands (Neutral, Armistice with Germany, German influence)
  • Inner (100%)
  • Colonies
    • Netherlands East Indies (Japanese occupation)
    • Netherlands Caribbean Colonies (American occupation)

• Belgium (Neutral, Armistice with Germany, German influence)
  • Inner (98%)
  • Outer (2%, Poperinge area, French occupation)
  • Colonies
    • Belgian Congo (French invasion in progress)
    • Ruanda-Urundi (de jure declared Independent by Belgium)

• Slovakia (Axis, German influence)
  • Inner (98%)
  • Outer (2%, Slovak ASSR, Soviet occupation)

• Denmark (Neutral, Armistice with Germany, German influence)
  • Inner (97%, Denmark Proper, German occupation)
  • Outer (3%, Faroe Islands, British occupation)
  • Colonies
    • Greenland (American occupation)

• Czechoslovakia (Western Allied, de facto dissolved)
  • Inner (91%)
    • Sudetenland (Germany)
    • Protectorate of Bohemia-Moravia (German occupation)
    • Inner Slovakia Proper (separatist Slovakia)
    • Inner Southern Slovakia (annexed by Hungary)
    • Inner Carpatho-Ruthenia (tiny no man's land)
  • Outer (9%)
    • Outer Slovakia (Slovak ASSR, Soviet occupation)
    • Outer Carpatho-Ruthenia (annexed to Ukrainian SSR, Soviet occupation)

• Switzerland (Neutral, Treaty with Germany, German influence)
  • Inner (58%)
  • Outer (42%, including Bern)

• Hungary (Axis, German influence)
  • Inner (58%)
    • Inner Hungary Proper
    • Inner Southern Slovakia (First Vienna Award)
    • Međimurje (annexed from Croatia)
    • Prekmurje (annexed from Slovenia)
  • Outer (42%, People's Republic of Hungary, Soviet occupation)

• Poland (Cobelligerant against the Soviet Union, Armistice with Germany, German influence)
  • Inner (55%, active war against the Inner Soviet Army)
    • Inner Poland Proper
    • Inner Byelorussia
    • Inner Ukraine
  • Outer (45%, Soviet occupation)
    • Outer Poland Proper, Ukrainian SSR
    • Outer Western Ukraine, Ukrainian SSR
    • Outer Western Byelorussia, Byelorussian SSR

• Lithuania (Neutral, Treaty with Germany, German influence)
  • Inner (45%)
  • Outer (55%, including Vilnius, Lithuanian SSR, Soviet occupation)

• Sweden (Neutral, Treaty with Germany, German influence)
  • Inner (23%)
  • Outer (77%, including Stockholm)

• Latvia (Neutral, Treaty with Germany, German influence)
  • Inner (12%)
  • Outer (88%, including Riga, Latvian SSR, Soviet occupation)

• France (Western Allied)
  • Inner (10%)
    • Inner France
    • Alsace-Lorraine (annexed to Germany)
  • Outer (90%, including Paris)
  • Colonies
    • French Indochina (Japanese occupation)
    • All others (French control)

• Italy (Western Allied)
  • Inner (10%)
    • Protectorate of Inner Italy (German occupation)
    • Inner South Tyrol (annexed to Germany)
    • Inner Istria / Littoral (annexed to Germany)
  • Outer (90%, including Rome)
    • most of Outer Italy (Western Allied occupation)
    • Outer Istria & Fiume (Western Allied occupation)
    • Zara (Yugoslav occupation)
  • Colonies
    • Dodecanese (British occupation)
    • Libya (British & French occupation)
    • Italian East Africa (British occupation)

• Yugoslavia (Eastern Allied, Soviet influence)
  • Inner (7%)
    • Inner Slovenia (annexed to Germany)
    • Prekmurje (annexed to Hungary)
    • Inner Croatia (separatist Croatia)
    • Međimurje (annexed to Hungary)
  • Outer (93%, including Belgrade)
    • Outer Croatia (separatist Croatia)
    • Outer Slovenia (Croatian control)
    • most of Outer Yugoslavia (Communist Partisan control)
    • small parts of Outer Yugoslavia (Soviet control)

• Croatia (Axis, German influence)
  • Inner (3%)
  • Outer (97%, including Zagreb)
    • Outer Slovenia Autonomous Region
    • Croatian controlled area
    • Yugoslav controlled area

• Norway (Western Allied)
  • Inner (2%, German occupation)
  • Outer (98%, including Oslo)
    • most of Outer Norway (German occupation, retreat ongoing)
    • Finnmark (Soviet occupation)
    • Svalbard & Jan Mayen (American occupation)
  • Colonies
    • Bouvet Island & Antarctic territories (uninhabited)

• Soviet Union (Eastern Allied)
  • Inner (< 1%)
    • Memelland (Germany)
    • Inner Lithuania (Lithuania)
    • Inner Latvia (Latvia)
    • Inner Byelorussia (Poland)
    • Inner Ukraine (Poland)
    • Inner Carpatho-Ruthenia (no man's land)
  • Outer (> 99%)
    • the rest of it

• the Inner Seas (total German control)
  • Inner North Sea
  • Skagerrak & Kattegat
  • Danish Straits
  • Inner Baltic Sea
  • tiny Inner Adriatic Sea (Inner Gulf of Trieste)
  • also the Olsofjord (outside the Dome but completely isolated)

• the Inner Air Space (German air supremacy)

To summarize, inside the Dome there were:

• Germany (100%, including annexed areas)
  • Protectorate of Bohemia-Moravia (100%)
  • Protectorate of Inner Italy (100%)
• Territories under German occupation
  • Inner Norway (2%) with the rest being under German / Soviet / American / British occupation
• Territories under German influence
  • Inner Latvia (12%) with the rest being Latvian SSR, under Soviet occupation
  • Inner Lithuania (45%) with the rest being Lithuanian SSR, under Soviet occupation
  • Inner Poland (55%) with the rest being parts of the Byelorussian SSR and the Ukrainian SSR, under Soviet occupation
  • Inner Slovakia (98%) with the rest being the Slovak ASSR, under Soviet occupation
  • Inner Hungary (58%) with the rest being the Hungarian People's Republic, under Soviet occupation
  • Inner Croatia (3%) with the rest being under Croat control or Yugoslav occupation
  • Liechtenstein (100%)
  • Inner Switzerland (58%)
  • Inner Belgium (98%) with the rest being the Poperinge area, under French occupation
  • Netherlands (100%)
  • Inner Denmark (97%) with the rest being the Faroe Islands, under British occupation
  • Inner Sweden (23%)
• Territories under Allied control
  • Inner France (demobilized / surrendered Western Allied troops, Free French troops, etc)
  • parts of Inner Poland (under the control of the Inner Red Army, fighting the Polish Home Army)
• the Inner Seas & the Inner Air Space (German control / supremacy)

And outside the Dome, the only areas under German control or influence were:

• most of Outer Norway (German occupation, retreat pending)
• parts of Outer Croatia (Croat control)
• Outer Slovenia (Croat control)
• Outer Switzerland (some German influence)
• Outer Sweden (some German influence)
• the Oslofjord (naval supremacy / control)

Note: Denmark, Belgium and the Netherlands have de facto completely lost control of their Colonies. Formerly Belgian Ruanda-Urundi is de jure independent, although its inhabitants may not yet be aware of that.


Stronger than all the other countries (and rump countries) inside the Berlin Dome combined, Germany was the undisputed hegemon and hyperpower of the lesser World under its Dome!

In the following chapters, we will follow the fate of each of these countries to see how they fared in the menacing embrace of Nazi Germany, what exactly that "German influence" was about and how did it affect their internal and external policies. We will see that some of them managed to accomodate to the new situation quite well while others were engulfed in life-threatening convulsions.

At the same time, Germany insisted for a normalization of its relations with Norway, France, Italy and the other Western Allies, be it an Armistice or a full-fledged Peace Conference. The success of that endeavour remains to be seen.

And, also at the same time, despite the end of open warfare, the social and economic conditions inside Germany continued to deteriorate, placing the population, the Nazi authorities and the Wehrmacht in increasingly precarious positions.

All in all, 1945 was perhaps the most spectacular year of the 20th century, full of countless important events, some of them of really momentous proportions (and we are not talking only about the Berlin Dome here).

 

[Zagan7]

Central Europe
15 February 1945
For a live zoomable and pannable map of the Dome, you may follow this link.

​

Legend:

• National colours as usual
• Inside the Dome and in the German controlled areas outside the Dome, the map shows the de jure situation from the German point of view.
• In other areas, the map shows the de facto situation.
• Black Lines: National Borders
• Grey Lines: Internal Borders
• Red Lines: Frontlines
• Interrupted Red Lines: Demarcation lines between (partially) disorganized combatants (the Croatian Army and the Yugoslav Partisans) and between non-combatants (the Polish Army retreating behind the mutually agreed border, the Allies not invading Croatia considered as part of Yugoslavia, etc)
• Red Circle: Dome limit (looks like an ellipse due to Mercator distortion)
• Red Dot: Dome centre (Berlin)
• Light Pink Hue: Dome area

Key:

1. Andorra (Self Governing French-Spanish Co-Principality)
2. Liechtenstein (fully inside the Dome)
3. Outer Belgium (Poperinge Area, French occupation)
4. Inner Italy / Reichsprotektorat Venedig (Protectorate)
5. Outer South Tyrol (Italy)
6. Istria (Italy, American occupation)
7. Outer Slovenia (Croatian tenous control)
8. Inner Croatia
9. Italian Zara (Yugoslav control)
10. Outer Slovakia (annexed to the Soviet Union as Slovak ASSR, "until Czechoslovakia is liberated")

.

 

[Zagan7]

North-East Italy and Slovenia
15 February 1945

​

Legend:

• National colours as usual
• De facto situation shown
• Red Curve: Dome limit
• Black Lines: Borders
• Grey Lines: Internal Borders
• Stars: Country Capitals (Zagreb).

Key:

1. Liechtenstein
2. Inner Ticino (Italian language area)
3. Italian language areas of Inner Graubünden (three exclaves)
4. Outer Graubünden (Italian language area)
5. Exclave of Inner Italy Protectorate (Inner Lombardy and Inner Valtellina)
6. Fiume (Italy)
7. Međimurje (Annexed by Hungary from Croatia in 1941)
   
8. Prekmurje (Annexed by Hungary from Slovenia in 1941)
9. Outer Hungary (People's Republic of Hungary, Soviet Puppet State)

Notes:

• Valtellina is a former part of Graubünden, lost in 1797 to Napoleon's Cisalpine Republic, now part of Italy. In one of his many attempts to create confusion and discord in Switzerland, Hitler offered to transfer Inner Valtellina back to Graubünden. His offer was quickly rejected (but the issue did not die there).
• Italian speaking Outer Ticino and (tiny) Outer Graubünden are isolated, with no road connections to the rest of Outer Switzerland (Valais). Some people had started talking about secession and joining Italy.
• The Canton-sized microstate of Liechtenstein (part of the German Confederation until its 1866 demise and fully German-speaking) enjoyed the protection of neutral Switzerland. With Switzerland no longer fully neutral (the need to maintain the openings in the Dome keeps Switzerland in the German sphere of influence), the future of Liechtenstein is in doubt.
• Inner Trentino, the Italian speaking part of Inner South Tyrol, could be transferred to the Italian Protectorate.
• Outer Slovenia was transferred to Croatia and organized as an Autonomous Slovene Region. It is mostly under the control of the Slovene Home Guard, with some Communist Partisan activity. The situation is however temporary, as the Yugoslav Army is quickly approaching Zagreb. The remaining Gottschee Germans have been already evacuated "Heim ins Reich".
• Inner Croatia is experiencing a steady flow of Croatian refugees, both civilians and Ustaše members, fleeing the advancing Yugoslav Army. So far, Hitler is allowing them free passage. In order to accomodate the growing population, Hungarian Međimurje may be transferred back to Inner Croatia.
  
• While fully Italian Outer Trentino is out of the question, Hitler still hopes to get at least some parts of Outer Istria at the expected peace treaty (possibly in exchange with Inner Italy and Inner Trentino). Trieste would be especially important, being the only reasonable port at the Adriatic in that area.
• There are some talks about creating some sort of Autonomous Area for the Slovenes in Inner Slovenia, similar to the Czezh Protectorate of Bohemia-Moravia. Nothing is certain at this stage.
• Except isolated groups of Communist Partisans in Inner Slovenia and a small number of Italian Partisans in Inner Italy, the Wehrmacht is not fighting anymore in the areas shown on the map.

.

 

[Zagan7]

Switzerland
15 February 1945
Cantons and Languages

​

Legend:

• National colours as usual (with the exception of the Swiss Cantons and Liechtenstein)
• De facto situation shown
• Red Curve: Dome limit
• Black Lines: Borders
• Grey Lines: Internal Borders
• Light Purple Lines: Language borders in Bern, Fribourg and Valais (French-German) and Graubünden (German-Italian-Romansh)
  
• Stars: Country Capitals (Bern)

Languages:

• Plain background: German
• Horizontal Lines: French
• Vertical Lines: Italian
• Checkerboard: Romansh

Key:

1. German exclave of Büsingen am Hochrhein (between Schaffhausen and Thurgau)
2. Italian exclave of Campione d'Italia (enclaved in Ticino)

Notes:

• Please don't ask where the Jura Canton is. It did not exist in 1945. It only seceded from Bern in OTL 1979.
• The Half-Cantons (Obwalden and Nidwalden, Basel-Stadt and Basel-Landschaft, Appenzell Ausserrhoden and Appenzell Innerrhoden) are shown together due to their traditional close relation and convoluted borders with many exclaves in a rather small area.
• Bisected Cantons:
  • Bern (split in half, both the French part and the German part are split)
  • Valais (outside, only a tiny portion from the German part is inside the Dome)
  • Uri (inside, only a tiny portion is outside the Dome)
  • Ticino (mostly outside, a significant part inside)
  • Graubünden (inside, only a tiny portion from the Italian part is outside the Dome)
• Valtellina is a former part of Graubünden, lost in 1797 to Napoleon's Cisalpine Republic, now part of Inner Italy. In one of his many attempts to create confusion and discord in Switzerland, Hitler offered to transfer Inner Valtellina back to Graubünden. His offer was quickly rejected (but the issue did not die there).
• Italian speaking Outer Ticino and (tiny) Outer Graubünden are isolated, with no road connections to the rest of Outer Switzerland (Valais). Some people had started talking about secession and joining Italy.
• The Canton-sized microstate of Liechtenstein (part of the German Confederation until its 1866 demise and fully German-speaking) enjoyed the protection of neutral Switzerland. With Switzerland no longer fully neutral (the need to maintain the openings in the Dome keeps Switzerland in the German sphere of influence), the future of Liechtenstein is in doubt.

.