Todesmarsch

A surprising spring offensive of the GGR almost defeats the Central Powers.

It was an utter shock for the world. Nobody expected the GGR to be able to do anything even remotely like it. It fought on the front with forces that weren't very different from what Imperial Germany used. It was a stalemate, once again. Of course, there was very little information left concerning the GGR territory - it was essentially black hole due to the mass brainwash - but that didn't mean much to the powers opposing it.   The first warning that they were mistaken was a massive gas attack that struck the Austro-Hungarian army in several key positions. It carried the Death Gas. It scattered around a special type of gas - thaumaturgic in origin - that killed and immediately ressurect fallen soldiers as Walkers.   The effect was an almost complete collapse of the frontline, as Austro-Hungarian forces were fleeing east, together with many bavarians (both local militias and citizens). Right behind them, were regular forces of the Republican Army, freikorpses and many new techmaturgic tanks and other warmachines that nobody in the Entente - nor in Central Powers - had ever seen.   It was a complete shock. The Central Powers didn't collapse merely because of improvised offensives from the north (by Polish-German forces under Hindenburg), and the fact that Italian Federation moved in, marching north through western Austria and attacking the German Republic from the flank.   It was a rather brief cooperation that almost sparked war between the Entente and the Italian Federation. It was also something that brought a lot credence to 'delusional ramblings' of pope Benedict about Hell stnading behind GGR. After all, the world already went insane. With GGR employing things such as these, most of neutral countries (and both Entente and Central Powers) had to agree that something was terribly wrong with the GGR and that it had to be stopped. Accepting the papal claims was still something else, however.   The main offensive of the Todesmarsch - targeted at central Hungary- was halted during the Battle for Vienna, however the other two offensives - at Czechia and the Western Balkans succeeded. The Western Balkans fell, forces of the Federation (after heavy fighting) were pushed back into Italy after the front was broken between them and the Austro-Hungarian forces, and almost all of Czechia fell into the hands of GGR.