In almost ten months, Russia has failed to defeat a much smaller Ukraine. Is Vladimir Putin now trying to take down his Western enemies by engineering domestic coups?
German security agencies recently claimed to have busted a conspiracy by some of its citizens to wage war on the democratic government and install a king to rule the country. The group behind all this is called the 'Reichsbürger', or the 'Reich Citizens'.
THE PLOT
Investigators say that the group wanted to storm the German Parliament building using its military unit. Members of Parliament would have been "handcuffed and arrested". The terrorist group allegedly wanted to damage and deactivate the country's electricity network. Its members had allegedly acquired €20,000 Iridium satellite phones to communicate even when there was no electricity.
They had also planned a 'homeland security' unit to maintain control over the country, according to the authorities. Investigators also claimed to have found a 'hit list' with names of politicians and journalists. These included the name of the current foreign minister. Interestingly, the group also allegedly used fortune-tellers to verify its plans and the loyalty of its members.
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So, what is the Reichsbürger, and why did it want to overthrow the government?
THE PLOTTERS
Reichsbürger has been accused of being an extremist group wanting to establish a monarchy in Germany. It allegedly has around 21,000 members, with 5% labelled as 'rightwing extremists'. Authorities blamed them for more than 1,000 extremist crimes in 2021. Reichsbürger calls the German Constitution and the government illegitimate, claiming that the 'Reich' or empire of 1871 still exists.
The group's name refers to the pan-German nation established by King Wilhelm I and Otto von Bismarck in 1871. The group calls Germany's partition after World War II illegal. However, Reichsbürger distances itself from Hitler's 'Third Reich'. But 'Reich Citizens' have been known to work with neo-Nazis.
The anti-government sentiment propagated by Reichsbürger has been fuelled in recent years by Covid restrictions. Alleged members of the terrorist group include soldiers and police officers, making it more dangerous.
In the recent raids, authorities arrested many of the alleged ringleaders of the group.
THE LEADERS
The biggest face of the Reichsbürger is claimed to be Heinrich XIII. He is a 71-year-old businessman who was projected to rule the nation if the group came to power. He calls himself a prince despite the abolition of royalty in Germany. He claims to have descended from the formerly-noble House of Reuss.
Another high-profile arrest was that of Birgit Malsack-Winkemann, a judge in Berlin who would have been the Justice Minister in the 'Reich' government. She is a former lawmaker from the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) party. She has been accused of giving details of the Parliament building to the conspirators.
Then there is Frank Heppner, a celebrity chef whose daughter is dating Real Madrid footballer David Alaba. He was allegedly a commander of the Reichsbürger military unit, and responsible for recruitment and weapons. He was arrested from work at a 5-star hotel in the Austrian ski resort of Kitzbühel.
Authorities also arrested Michael Fritsch, a former police officer, from Hanover in north Germany. As a cop, he had been tasked with protecting Jewish communities from terrorists. He had been sacked from the police force for protesting with Covid deniers.
The activities of Heinrich XIII, the wannabe king, have raised suspicion of Russia's hand in the entire affair.
THE RUSSIA LINK
Investigators say that Heinrich XIII had reached out to Russian officials as he allegedly wanted to discuss his coup plans with Moscow. Also, the sole non-German person arrested in the raids is a Russian citizen named Vitalia B.
Experts say that 'Reichsbürger' members have a soft spot for Russia, and they are also vulnerable to Russian propaganda and disinformation.
Here's how Berlin launched a mammoth operation to stop the Reichsbürger conspiracy.
THE BUST
A taskforce named Kangal was set up to counter the threat. Operation Schatten, which means shadows, began in September. It is being called the largest terror surveillance operation in Germany's history. It involved the monitoring of more than 50 suspects after a tip-off.
Simultaneous raids at 150 spots were conducted on 7 December. 3,000 cops were part of international raids in Germany, Italy, and Austria. The target sites included an ex-MP's home, a car repair shop, and a carpenters' studio. 25 people were arrested, and weapons were found at 50 locations. These included guns, knives, swords, night vision tech, and combat helmets.
Authorities didn't say whether the group could've launched a coup attempt in reality.
So, what's next in Germany?
THE NEXT STEP
The government is planning to tighten gun laws in the country. Weapons have been seized from 1,000 'Reich Citizens' so far, but around 500 other members are believed to have gun licenses. Also, the government wants stricter disciplinary rules for civil servants so that it can quickly sack then and withdraw their pensions if they are found to be engaging in such activities.
Two years ago, America saw how dangerous fringe groups can be, when rioters stormed the Capitol Hill, claiming that the Presidential elections were rigged.
Germany was potentially staring at a similar, but much more organised incident.
As the danger of conspiracy theorists turning militant grows more serious, governments are yet to find ways to nip the threat in the bud.
