Last year, we were contacted by our good friend Randy Lein from Legion Wargames about a new project called Werwolf: Insurgency in Occupied Germany, 1945-1948, which is a COIN Series inspired multi-faction game taking a look at a what if situation at the end of World War II with various possible insurgencies. He asked if we would be interested in doing some coverage through an interview and possibly some other mediums, such as our Event Card Spoilers format that we have used in other games, and we were immediately intrigued by the concept and the fact that the game uses some of the elements of one of our favorite series. I have been in communication with one of the designers Clint Warren-Davey since that time and he has shared lots of information with me, including the rules and some of their background work on this one, and I wanted to make sure we gave it some light to give you a chance to understand what the game is so that you can make an informed decision about whether you plan to order this one or not. Clint has been great to work with and has agreed to write a series of short articles on the Event Cards and their basis in history as well as how they are used in the game.

If you are interested in ordering Werwolf: Insurgency in Occupied Germany, 1945-1948, you can pre-order a copy for $72.00 from the Legion Wargames website at the following link: https://www.legionwargames.com/legion_WER.html

#21 Red Jackets

The Red Jackets were Nazi war criminals imprisoned at Landsberg Prison in Bavaria by the U.S. military following the Nuremberg trials and similar trials. 300 men were executed there between 1945 and 1948, and those awaiting the death penalty wore red jackets, which gave them their nickname and provides the title for this card. Landsberg was also famous as the place where Adolf Hitler was imprisoned after the failed Beer Hall Putsch of 1923 and where he wrote his famous manifesto, Mein Kampf.

In 1950-51, thousands of Germans came to protest the “American lynch laws” at Landsberg and demonstrate sympathy for the Nazis condemned to death there. Their wishes were granted, largely due to the pressure of pro-amnesty political parties (who compared the imprisonment of former SS camp guards as equivalent to the Holocaust) and the need to recruit ex-Nazis for military and intelligence work in the Cold War. The new West German Federal Republic released the remaining prisoners at Landsberg and they were given a warm welcome by the Bavarian population.

This card gives us a fascinating glimpse into the mind of post-war Germany. Denazification, which was partially a counter-insurgency measure, was pursued ruthlessly in the immediate aftermath of the war. American attitudes to Nazism had softened considerably by the early 50’s though. As power was being transferred to the new Federal Republic, the Allied occupation forces were willing to turn a blind eye to the promotion of ex-Nazis to top military and government roles.

In the game, this card allows the Allied faction to release the prisoners at Landsberg or drastically shorten their sentences, which will make them much more popular among the people of Bavaria. Alternatively, the Red Jackets could have their death sentences carried out, creating more resentment and hatred of the occupiers among pro-Nazi populations. Bavaria (or Bayern on the map, as the map uses German spelling) is a critically important province due to its high population and central location. When this card appears, it is highly likely to be played for one of these events.