Hans Speidel (The New Order: Last Days of Europe)

Hans Speidel is a minor antagonist in the Hearts of Iron 4 The New Order Last Days Of Europe mod.

A proud Wehrmacht general, Speidel gained prominence in the Wehrmacht due to his past acts of pacification of mutinous SS and German militarists in recent decades.

Biography[]

Early Military Career[]

Speidel began his military journey during World War I, serving as a company commander at the Battle of the Somme. This formative experience shaped his understanding of warfare and military leadership. Following the war, he remained in the Reichswehr, continuing his military career during the interwar period. Unlike many of his contemporaries, Speidel maintained a professional approach to military service, focusing on his duties as a soldier rather than political ambitions.

During World War II, Speidel served under General Erwin Rommel, participating in the invasions of France and the Low Countries. His administrative and tactical skills earned him positions of increasing responsibility, eventually leading to his transfer to the Eastern Front. His performance during these campaigns cemented his reputation as a capable and disciplined officer.

Confronting the SS and Preventing Coups[]

Perhaps Speidel's most significant contribution to the stability of the Reich came in saving Hitler's life by playing a crucial role in foiling an attempted SS coup d'état. While the Wehrmacht was busy fighting Russian partisans, SS units attempted to seize power. Speidel rallied loyalist forces and launched a decisive counterattack that dispersed the rebellious SS elements. Some units, including the infamous Dirlewanger Brigade, fled deep into Russia to escape his forces.

This was not the only internal threat Speidel neutralized. He was also instrumental in preventing a militaristic conspiracy led by his arch-rival Ferdinand Schörner, who sought to radicalize the Wehrmacht and use it as a tool of political power. This intervention earned Speidel the nickname “Retter des Reichs” (Savior of the Reich) and a promotion to Generalfeldmarschall and Chief of the OKW as a reward for his loyalty.

The Germania Crisis and Civil War[]

When civil war erupted in Germany, Speidel took a bold stance that revealed his true priorities. Rather than aligning with any of the contenders, he marched his forces into Germania and declared neutrality in the conflict. Standing on the steps of the Reichstag, he issued a stern warning that any faction attempting to attack the capital would face unshakable resistance.

During this period, Speidel invited his old friend Erwin Rommel, who had retired from military service more than a decade earlier, to help him protect the capital. Despite being 72 years old, Rommel answered the call and served as Speidel's head of government throughout the crisis.

Speidel's forces in Germania, though relatively small in number, consisted of elite, well-trained, and highly disciplined soldiers. Unlike the other factions whose military might had been worn down by prolonged fighting, Speidel's troops remained fresh and ready for action. This quality-over-quantity approach reflected his military philosophy, which stood in stark contrast to Schörner's preference for overwhelming force regardless of casualties.

Navigation[]

Hearts of Iron IV Mods Villains

1984
Big Brother | Immortal Father | Mother Russia

Kaiserreich's Outdated Contents
William Dudley Pelley | Hermann Göring

Old World Blues

Caesar's Legion
Caesar

Super Mutants
The First | Shale | Cerberus | Juggernaut

The Enclave
The Secretary of the Interior | Douglas Granite | Colonel Santiago | Special Agent Johnson| Brian Gallagher

The Brotherhood of Steel
The Immortal | Father Elijah

The New California Republic
Cassandra Moore

Communist Sympathizers
Amy Teresee

Other/Unaligned
Bad Karma Chosen One | Santa Anna | The Putrid Mother | Salt-Upon-Wounds

Enclave Reborn/Enclave+ Submod
The Sierra Enclave | Douglas Granite | Franklin Anderson

Red Dusk
Union of Soviet Socialist Republics
Communist Party of the Soviet Union
President: Gennady Yanayev
Market-Socialists: Nikolai Ryzhkov
Militarists: Dmitry Yazov
Conservatives: Boris Pugo
KGB: Vladimir Putin

Republic of Iraq
Ba'ath Party: Saddam Hussein

Republic of South Africa
Military Junta: Constand Viljoen

SFR Yugoslavia
Alliance of Communists of Yugoslavia: Slobodan Milošević
Patriotic Party: Vojislav Šešelj

The Fire Rises

United States of America
American Constitutional Government: Donald Trump | Michael Flynn | JD Vance
Union of America: Joe Biden (American Caligula) | Michael Bloomberg | Hunter Biden | Richard Spencer
National Socialist Movement: Burt Colucci
Patriot Front: Thomas Rousseau
American People's Liberation Army: Caleb Maupin | Gloria La Riva
Atomwaffen Division: Brandon Russell | James Mason | Joshua Sutter | Jordan Jereb
League of the South: Michael Hill
Loyal White Knights of the KKK: Chris Barker
Army of God: Donald Spitz
Cascadian Provisional Authority: Mike Ma | Rinaldo Nazzaro | Bob Avakian

Republic of Belarus
Lukashenko's Authority: Alexander Lukashenko

French Republic
Renaissance: Emmanuel Macron (Jupiter)
National Rally: Jordan Bardella | Pierre de Villiers
Reconquête: Éric Zemmour
Latinists: Jordan Bardella | Jean-Christophe
Far Right: Yvan Benedetti | Lafayette

Federal Republic of Germany
European Union: Klaus Schwab
Neo-Nazis: Frank Franz | Klaus Armstroff
Communists: Sahra Wagnknecht (Ostalagist)
Reichsburger Movement: Heinrich XIII Prinz Reuss

People's Republic of China
Centrists: Xi Jinping
Nationalists: Li Zuocheng
New Left: Lu Hao | Bo Xilai

The New Order: Last Days of Europe
Africa
Central Africa: Siegfried Müller | Wolfgang Schenck | Hans Hüttig

Antartica
Neuschwabenland (Germany): Rudolf Mayr | Erich Schumann | Konstanty Gutschow | Viktor Lutze
Argentine Antarctica (Argentina): Emilio Edurado Massera

Caribbean
Dominican Republic: Rafael Trujillo

Brazil
1965 Election: Carlos Lacerda | Adhemar de Barros
1970 Election: Plínio Salgado

Argentina
1969 Election: Cipriano Reyes
Failed Colorado Coup: José María Guido | Rodolfo Martínez
Peronist Regime & Successors: Juan Domingo Perón | Isabel Martínez de Perón (José López Rega)
Argentina Armed Forces: Juan Carlos Onganía

China
Japan's Puppet States
Republic of China: Lin Baisheng | Gao Zongwu | Chen Gongbo
Pseudo-Manchuria: Aisin Gioro Puyi
Pseudo-Mengjiang: Demchugdongrub | Dugursulong
State of Guangdong
Chief Executives (1962-1964): Suzuki Teiichi | Matsuzawa Takuji
Chief Executives (1964-1972): Ibuka Masaru | Matsushita Masaharu | Morita Akio | Komai Kenchirou
Regional Warlords
Lu Han | Xia Wei

Germany
Großgermanisches Reich: Adolf Hitler | Albert Speer | Martin Bormann
Schutzzone Germania & Wehrmacht: Hans Speidel | Ferdinand Schörner | Otto Ernst Remmer | Alexis von Roenne
Göring's Germany: Hermann Göring
Heydrich's Germany: Reinhard Heydrich
Posthumous: Joseph Goebbels

Italy
Duces: Geleazzo Ciano | Carlo Scorza
Prime Ministers: Giorgio Almirante
Fascist Coup: Junio Valerio Borghese | Edgardo Sogno | Giovanni De Lorenzo

Japan
Emperor: Hirohito
Prime Ministers (1962-1963): Ino Hiroya
Prime Ministers (1963-1972): Ikeda Mananosuke | Takata Sokichi | Kaya Okinori
Post-Kaya Prime Ministers: Shinna Etsusaburo
Special Prime Ministers: Higashikuni Naruhiko | Muto Akira
Politicians: Higashikuni Naruhiko | Kishi Nobusuke
Occupiers in China: Tsuji Masanobu | Nagano Shigeto

Kazakhstan
Post-Midnight: Safa Gaziz

Mexico
President (1962-1964): Adolfo López Mateos
Presidents (1964-1970): Gustavo Díaz Ordaz | Raúl Salinas Lozano | Carlos Alberto Madrazo

Reichkommissariat Moskowien
Government: Odilo Globochik | Bornislav Kaminski | Mikahil Oktan

United States
Presidents (1961-1965): Richard Nixon
Presidents (1964 election): George Wallace
Presidents (1972 election): Francis Parker Yockey | Gus Hall
Presidents (unelected): Strom Thurmond

TNO's Outdated Contents
British Isles
King: Edward VIII
Kingdom of England: Arthur Kenneth Chesterton | Bernard Montgomery | Margaret Thatcher | Rab Butler
HMMLR: Arthur Harris | Reg Birch
Wales: Julian Cayo-Evans

Russia
West Russia: Mikahil Oktan

Pax Britannica
Republic of France: Jacques Doriot | Joseph Darnand

Russian Empire: Moscow Circle

Extermis Ultimis
James Haddock |Jade Emperor