By 1946, the Heer—the land branch of the Third Reich’s armed forces—stands as the backbone of German military power. After years of victorious campaigns in Western Europe, the British Isles, and the Eastern Front, the Heer has become the largest, most experienced, and technologically advanced army in the world.
The victory over the Soviet Union left the Heer hardened by brutal warfare under extreme conditions. Its armored divisions, supported by a modernized Blitzkrieg doctrine, played a decisive role in the capture of Stalingrad and the collapse of the Soviet regime. Since then, the Heer has shifted from being a purely offensive force to an instrument of occupation, repression, and power projection across the vast territories under Reich control.
The army maintains a permanent presence in key regions such as Eastern Europe, Scandinavia, France, and the British Isles, acting both as a security force and a symbol of German supremacy. Elite units—like the Großdeutschland Division and veteran Panzer formations—have become legendary, serving as enforcers of the new world order.
Organizationally, the Heer has incorporated technological advancements in weaponry, logistics, and communications. Next-generation armored vehicles, more sophisticated automatic weapons, and limited use of rocket prototypes and experimental technologies keep it at the cutting edge of modern warfare. The army is also undergoing a slow transition toward full professionalization, reducing its reliance on mass conscription.
However, the Heer is not without challenges. The occupation of vast territories has stretched its logistical lines thin, and it faces active resistance movements—especially in the East and former Soviet regions. War fatigue, declining morale, and a heavy dependence on a plunder-based economy and brutal repression remain ongoing concerns.
Despite these issues, in the geopolitical landscape of 1946, the Heer remains the iron fist of the Reich and the primary military threat to the United States and its allies.
Feldmarschall Walter Model – Oberbefehlshaber des Heeres (Commander-in-Chief of the German Army)
By 1946, Field Marshal Walter Model serves as the Commander-in-Chief of the German Heer, overseeing the largest ground force in Europe. Known as the “Führer’s Fireman” during the war for his skill at stabilizing collapsing fronts, Model rose through the ranks thanks to his tenacity, loyalty, and defensive genius.
In this alternate timeline, Model survived the Eastern Front and was instrumental in organizing the great counteroffensive against the Soviet Union following the fall of Britain. His leadership during the push to Stalingrad and the eventual dismantling of the Soviet government earned him immense prestige within the Wehrmacht and the Nazi Party.
Post-War Role and Philosophy
Now at the helm of the Heer, Model leads a vast, modernized army tasked with maintaining order in the German-dominated continent and preparing for a potential conflict with the United States. While loyal to the Reich, Model is known for prioritizing military pragmatism over ideology. He has pushed for professionalization of the Heer and better coordination with armored divisions and military technology units.
Model maintains strict discipline, champions veteran officers, and is wary of SS interference in army affairs, especially after clashes during the chaotic Slavic Revolts of 1944.
Legacy
To the Reich, Feldmarschall Model is a national hero—the general who held the line and then crushed Bolshevism. To his enemies, he is a cold and calculating tactician. Regardless of viewpoint, his command marks the transformation of the German Army into a hardened, modern force at the heart of a Europe under German control.
Example of the Uniforms of the Heer
Freikorps “von Epp”
Heer Division and Bastion of National Socialist Militarism
The Freikorps “von Epp” was a distinctive formation within the Heer, created as an ideological and military alternative to the Waffen-SS without ever breaking from the core doctrinal foundations of National Socialism. Commanded by the veteran Franz Ritter von Epp, the unit functioned as a carefully calibrated political and military instrument: nationalist, disciplined, and fiercely loyal to the Reich, yet deliberately less radical and more “Prussian” in character than the SS formations.
Origins and Purpose
The name was no coincidence. It directly evoked the postwar Freikorps of 1919–1923, in which von Epp himself had been a central figure. In the context of total war and German imperial expansion, the high command saw value in reviving that spirit: professional soldiers, ideologically reliable, but not doctrinal fanatics.
The division was conceived with three clear objectives:
- To act as a political counterweight to the Waffen-SS without openly confronting it.
- To serve as a tool of occupation and “controlled” repression, less chaotic than SS rule.
- To embody the ideological model of the “classical” National Socialist soldier: disciplined, obedient, and martial.
Leadership: Franz Ritter von Epp
Von Epp, already elderly but still influential, was not a frontline commander but a living symbol. His authority stemmed from his past:
- Colonial veteran
- Militant anti-communist
- Old-school German nationalist
Under his guidance, the division became an armed ideological academy, where military honor, hierarchical obedience, and duty to the state were considered as vital as battlefield effectiveness.
Ideological Identity
In contrast to the Waffen-SS, the Freikorps von Epp:
- Rejected excessive racial mysticism
- Did not compete for ideological purity, but for efficiency and institutional loyalty
- Presented itself as the direct heir of the Imperial Army and the Freikorps, not as a revolutionary order
Its internal discourse emphasized:
- Order
- Sacrifice
- A strong state
- Militarism as the backbone of the nation
It was National Socialism without theatricality: harsh, austere, bureaucratic, and armed.
Composition and Training
The division was composed of:
- Heer veterans deemed politically reliable
- Officers with backgrounds in the Freikorps or the Reichswehr
- Nationalist volunteers rejected by the SS for “insufficient radicalism”
Training emphasized:
- Conventional warfare
- Disciplined counterinsurgency
- Territorial control and internal security
- Cooperation with Reich civilian authorities
Operational Use
The Freikorps von Epp was primarily deployed in:
- Politically sensitive occupied territories
- Regions facing nationalist or communist resistance
- Areas where Berlin sought order without the brutal chaos associated with the SS
For the high command, the division was a surgical instrument, whereas the SS was a hammer.
Relationship with the SS
The relationship was tense but functional:
- The SS viewed them as “old reactionaries”
- The Freikorps regarded the SS as “ideologues without discipline”
Nevertheless, both shared a common enemy and ultimate loyalty to the Reich, preventing any open rupture.
Situation in 1946
By 1946, the Freikorps von Epp had consolidated itself as an ideological bastion of National Socialist militarism, representing what many Heer officers considered the true German spirit: order, authority, and armed force in service of the state.
It was not the most feared division.
But it was one of the most respected.
