The Eastern European and Balkan countries fought bravely, but were eventually ground down by superior enemy numbers and industrial capacity. Also, Mussolini had miscalculated in the the British promised to guarantee the Yugoslavs, this was ignored, and Britain declared war. However, Romania did offer resistance, and together with Czechoslovakia, Yugoslavia, Poland the Cordon Sanitaire formed an Anti-Soviet and Anti-Fascist defense pact. Indeed, the French supported Italian claims on Yugoslavia, so Soviet and Italian foreign ministers came up with a plan to divide the Balkans.

Stalin was convinced that he could push his claims on eastern Poland and Romanian Bessarabia without Western Intervention. Frightened by the display of might, Lithuania and Latvia were occupied without a fight. The Winter War with Finland was a great success and the Finns gave in to Soviet demands quickly, allowing them to retain their independence. Stalin made claims on Eastern European lands, to reintegrate the Baltics and secure a buffer around Leningrad. Fearing German resurgence, French nationalists followed Mussolini into making France fascists, ultimately resulting in a Latin Alliance between France, Italy, and Spain. In France, the militarization of Germany during the war and subsequent takeover of the SS convinced France that Versailles was dead. Not wanting to repeat the disaster in German, the coup was prevented. In Spain, Franco was able to make a deal with the government and peacefully took over power through elections. The German armed forces would remain relatively small, and German leadership would focus on internal reconstruction, abandoning expansionism. The Wehrmacht was disbanded, and as the country had lost the appetite for war, all military and defense roles were taken up by the SS.

Lacking outside help, the Heer putschists were defeated by the Nazis. Over one and half million Germans died in but a few months of heavy fighting. The Wehrmacht tore itself apart in the ensuing civil war. Although the dictator was assassinated successfully, the Nazis were able to get reorganized and secured much of the country.

1936 Opened with bang, when German military units conspired to remove Hitler.

Bourgeois dictatorship victoria 2