German Crisis (Semper Idem)

The German Crisis (German: Deutsche Krise) were a series of conflicts and protests between multiple political factions, namely pro-European Union and pro-European Intermarium demonstrators, beginning with clashes in Hamburg. While the original conflict itself was small, the crisis quickly ballooned as intensified media reports exaggerated the situation. The German government attempted to keep order and quell the protests, but failed in most regards. It lasted from early 2036 to late 2038, with the breakup of Germany and the establishment of the Compass Collective and related states.

Background
Despite being the de facto leader of the European Union and related organizations since the Maastricht Treaty, the collapse of the major political parties in the late 2020s led to heightened Intermarium and nationalist sentiments throughout parts of Germany. Despite being a major supporter of a more unified Europe, after the Eastern Walkout and the near collapse of the Union, Germany adopted a more neutral approach in European affairs, being in the center of all the chaos. This neutral approach led to clear fault lines being drawn in Germany, as the country was split in two over the country's position in European affairs. Union supporters were mainly located in western Germany and Berlin, while Intermarium supporters were most prevalent in eastern and southern Germany.

The leadup to the 2036 federal elections were a tense point, as the main pro-EU and pro-EI political coalitions led a heightened campaign throughout Germany. An investigation from the New York Times suggested foreign interference in the elections, however when the pro-EU German Democratic Coalition won a plurality of the seats in the Bundestag, securing the position of Prime Minister, it announced Germany would be seeking closer ties to the EU, prompting protests to break out in major cities, with rioting quickly spreading as clashes began in the streets.

Aftermath
In 2038, after years of riots and protests, a severe economic recession caused by the crisis, and the inability of the German government to control the situation, Union and Intermarium negotiators in Paris were able to negotiate a "temporary" peace agreement on September 24 that would effectively split Germany between the two sides. While fighting between the several German political factions did not cease, it did restore some semblance of order. The "Peace of '38" would lead to the creation of the North German Commission and the South German Commission (grouped together as the "Compass Collective"), as well two other states; Brandenburg and Saar. Eventually, both nation states of the Compass Collective would be dissolved into smaller and more manageable nations, and facilitate the rebuilding of Germany's economy.

The European Oversight Council was created to oversee the German states and eventually reunify the nation, however it was dissolved after the start of World War III.