In Moscow Stalin concentrates on firmly establishing the Polish communist regime as a buffer against invasion from "Hitler and his fascists". The purges and crack downs throughout Poland are harsh, with Jews suffering more than their Polish counterparts. Meanwhile Stalin and his inner circle are not feeling completely satisfied with their victory in Poland. The Soviet Union wants more buffer space between it and it's hated German enemy. Stalin wants Finland, and he wants Romania.

But Hitler has other plans. The Iron Guard Nazi part in Romania is the perfect puppet through witch Hitler begins seeking to influence Romania. Gestapo and German military intelligence assets are directed to begin to infiltrate the Iron Guard party in preparation for the events to come. The political maneuvering in eastern Europe is about to ignite into something altogether non-political. Revolution,violence, and war.

Hitler secretly commands German industry to accelerate it's large-scale arms buildup in order to have Germany ready for war with the Soviet Union by the following year. Large-scale production of the Mk3 panzer begins as well as many other later model panzer and armored car designs. Hitler tells several in his inner circle, "We will be at war with the Bolsheviks by 1939"

German agents begin funneling money and small arms to the Iron Guard Nazi party in Romania. Soviet agents have been aiding socialist elements in Romania since before the Polish War. The Romanian King's centrist coalition party is trying to keep the Soviets and Germans at bay as they sit precariously in the middle.

Emboldened by his victory over "reactionary elements" in Poland Stalin orders the Red Army to prepare for operations against Finland. In preparation Soviet forces began slowly massing around Leningrad.

The Polish "Home Army" detonates a bomb outside an NKVD headquarters in Warsaw. In retaliation the Soviets kill one hundred suspected "Home Army" members and begin a harsh crackdown in Warsaw and other major Polish cities. More Soviet troops are brought into Poland to help quell any potential major uprisings.

100,000 Soviet troops cross into Finland.

Hitler reluctantly agrees with the German General staff whom recommend that Germany not declare war on the Soviet Union. Germany is not yet quite ready to engage the Soviets. Germany immediately begins shipping arms, supplies, and "volunteers" via the Baltic Sea into Finland.

In a key battle Finish troops repulse Soviet forces in a humiliating defeat for the Red Army.

1st Battle of Taipale

After grinding forward with little success and remarkably high casualties the Red Army halts it's advance into Finland but now holds a significant chunk of eastern Finland. Stalin vows to crush Finland before the year is out.

A clash between German and Soviet aircraft over the Baltic Sea nearly sparks war. Several planes on both sides are damaged but no pilots are killed.

Field testing of the newer German Mk4 panzer prototype begins

T-34 tanks begin appearing in Red Army units stationed close to Germany and Romania.

The Iron Guard Party wins a slight majority in the Romanian parliament. The King dissolves the new Nazi led parliament and calls for new elections. Large-scale riots break out in several major cities.

In Spain Franco enters Madrid as the victor of the long and bloody Spanish Civil war. Spain becomes a fascist nation and is offered entry into the Axis powers. Franco declines the invitation.

Spanish Civil War

A full scale civil war has broken out in Romania with the German backed Iron Guard fighting the loyalist forces of the Romanian monarch.The media in the west begins calling it "The Spanish civil war all over again".

Large portions of the Romanian military announce their support for the fascists, citing fear of Soviet dominance as their reason for doing so.

In the chaos the Iron Guard seizes the Romanian capital with the aid of several fascist-loyal infantry divisions, and sends the king into exile. A fascist government is declared. Soviet backed socialists resist the Iron Guard Party by calling on strikes and taking to the streets.

The Soviets, fearing that the strategic oil fields in Romania will fall into German hands, begin to mobilize along the Romanian frontier.

The new fascist government in Romania requests entry into the Axis Powers.

German forces mobilize and begin to enter Romania which has been admitted to the Axis. Germany declares that a Soviet invasion of Romania would be an act of war against all the Axis Powers.

Colonel Erwin Rommel stood silently on the low crest which overlooked the Hungarian - Romanian border. Through his field glasses the column of Mk2 panzers leaped into clear view. A few Romanians had gathered around the border check points to cheer on the German armored troops. Some of the panzer commanders, with their heads poking through the top hatch, waved back. Others stoically ignored the civilians. Overhead the Luftwaffe was active as well, a flight of fighters droned on overhead and over the Horizon to the east.

Rommel had not known this feeling since the first heady days of the Great War. Germany would be at war, of this he was certain. At war with the great enemy to their east. The communist Soviet Union with their deadly efficient T-34's. The reports out of intelligence about those beasts were not good. Sloping frontal armor, cannons with real kick, and crudely easy to operate and easy to build. Rommel could barely contain a shudder at the thought. He'd better get some of the new Mk3's before the real fighting starts. Good thing, he thought, that the Soviets didn't know how to use their superior panzers properly.

Down on the road German panzers continued to roll east into Romania.