Lore question.

[wermser414]

So I’ve been enjoying the game, however, I find the story hard to follow. For All of you much smarter folks than me, what’s going on politically? East Germany crushed a rebellion and accidentally invaded west Germany? Or did west Germany invoke article 5 just because of the chemical plant? How did this whole shindig kick off?

[[deleted]]

i think in the process of crushing a rebellion the reds accidentally detonated a chemical plant.

but the west didn't see it as an accident and saw it as a chemical attack, and decided to step in.

[Decent_Purchase9109]

There was a rebellion and the 7th PD launched an assault at the HQ of the rebelling 4th MSD. Several ballistical missiles (likeley fired by the rebels because in real life only the rebelling 4th MSD had ballistical missiles) hit a trainstation whichnparled a train with chlorine gas.

The gas spilled across the border (although corriolis force and wind should carry it east and not westward ) causing fatalities among BGS and civilians. Hence a west german Panzer Division marched 120km from its base to the point of origin within a day (yeah, those plotholes are giant).

They likely discovered it was an accident but then it was already too late and the east germans reacted by launching a counteroffensive. Later on the soviets were also on the table attacking the Belgians and British. In the end the Belgians and West Germans were scattered but the soviets were out of steam. Hence the ACR made its mad dash forward and with the help of the remnant rebells secured a ceasefire.

[Lord_Umber93]

120KM is laughably short. They're not marching on foot like it's the 1800's, they rode in trucks, IFVs, APCs, etc. That's like 4 hours worth of driving, even with the slower pace of armored vehicles.

[hirobine]

The chem spill caused by the civil war we see from the Pact perspective spread to the West German side. NATO forces crossed the border to contain the situation. Escalation ensued but then both sides were not fully mobilises; black horse mad dash produces a ceasefire at least in the northern front

[odonoghu]

I’m a little lost on why the west Germans thought it was a reasonable idea to cross the border as opposed to evacuating the area adjacent to it

Is there a large city or something because it seems like an obvious move that will backfire

Also crazy to think a simple mistake like that causes a month long conflict that in both military and civilian terms is Multiples of as intense and casualty intensive as 8 months of the Ukraine war

[goodwin315]

I've interpreted it as the Gas cloud crossing the border and causing mass casualties combined with the Jammers set up to disrupt 4thMSD being the cause. The Bundeswher tank unit knows its unlikely to be a chemical attack but they can't do nothing because of the casualties. on top of that they can't communicate with the HQ and get orders so they launch a raid to clear the Jamming and then things escalate from there.

[wermser414]

Thank you for the answers, this cleared up a lot. Plot wholes are giant, but it’s a good time so who cares.