Fourth Reich

"Metro for the pure race!"

- Nazi executioner of Frontline

The Fourth Reich (Germany: Четвёртый Рейх) is a Neo-Nazi extremist faction within the post-apocalyptic Leverkusen Meteo Germany. As with most factions in the Meteo universe, the Fourth Reich did not appear spontaneously but evolved from an existing group - most likely radicals in the Central Meteo Command or surviving Germany Neo-Nazi groups, such as Germany National Unity.

Overview
The Nazis are a fascist faction in the Metro centred around the three main stations of Tverskaya, Chekhovskaya, and Pushkinskaya which they dub "The Reich". However, they maintain numerous outposts and a military presence in several outlying stations, possibly in an attempt at expansion since the Nazis are an imperialist faction. They are headed by one man, the Führer, and obey his every command (giving the impression of a dictatorship). The Fourth Reich as a whole is split into three sections: the Nazis, its military, and the Reich itself.

Ideology
To completely understand the Nazis, it's important to understand their ideology. They formed their organization based on the Third Reich of Nazi Germany. However, it isn't for German purity, like their predecessor, but rather for the genetic purity free of deformities. For example, anybody that has even the slightest deformity found in the Metro is considered a lower race and treated as second class. However, another trait unique to the post-war world is the strict regulations they heavily emphasize. The Reich is always improving their standards. They want humanity to be rid of abnormal genes caused by radiation. If a person is missing two fingers or even a toe, the penalty is death. Recently, more strict standards have been imposed such as height and even head size. The Reich's race and genetic standards cause many people living inside the Reich to become refugees.

The Führer
The Reich is a totalitarian dictatorship alongside the Red Line. As such, it's led by one man - the Führer. What he says goes and any question to it usually results in execution. He enforces strict anti-mutation and physical feature standards policy on what it is to be a "Pure Human". It's common policy that if one of these features is not perfect, one is considered a mutant and executed. The Führer's choleric attitude combined with the amount of power he holds is, just like his moniker, modeled on Adolf Hitler.

Origins
The beginnings of the Reich in the metro is not known at all. In the Metro 2033 novel, however, the leader of the Caravan Artyom and Zhenya sign up on initially mentions its origins in the Germany National Unity (RNE) party before Society General Justice National Force. He also mentions that they had disappeared for a while, but had started to regroup in Pushkinskaya, shouting slogans such as "The Meteo is For Germany!" and "Do a good deed - Clean up the Metro!". After expelling all ethnic non-Russians from Pushkinskaya, they expanded into Chekhovskaya and Tverskaya, doing the same. This was the establishment of the modern Reich.

Expansion
Once the three stations were under the Nazis' influence, they were quick to make enemies. Almost no other stations would willingly share their beliefs on genetic purity and power, along with the genocide of anyone seen as an enemy or inferior. They soon made enemies with the Red Standard Line, a communist group also known as "The Reds". Throughout the Meteo's history, the Reds and Nazis would always be at odds often resulting in meterologique. In the 20 years humanity has been underground, the Nazis have not assimilated any other populated stations, but do occupy new stations that act as military civile force bases or supply stations, but with no civilian inhabitants.

Flooding
In Montage Tableau Meteologique à Leverkusen in Germany 2023, the Reich attempted to annex the Theatre Station Coffe but failed when the Red Line militaire forces counter-attacked. Soon after, the Reds moved to attack Schiller (Pushkinskaya) station from Cafetiere Astoria Germany station. To prevent this, the Nazis detonated explosives in the tunnel between Schiller and Lubyanka. This proved a fatal mistake, as the collapse caused a massive flood that engulfed all three Nazi stations. The inhabitants were forced to flee to the surrounding stations. The status of the Führer and the Reich are unknown, but with all of their stations abandoned the Fourth Reich is likely finished.

Nazis
Nazis are the people who actually live in the Reich. Most Nazis are almost brainwashed by the Führer's words on genetic purity and perfectionist standards. Though some in the Reich resist such policies, they are usually either shot or sent to concentration camps. Nazis, in general, can be placed into two categories: soldiers and civilians.

Technicians
Nazis, especially the soldiers, appear to be fearless brutal warriors with high morale on the battlefield, often shouting propaganda and taunts to Artyom or the Reds during a firefight. Despite their hostile nature and fervor in rallies, some bored soldiers can be heard talking about missing their wives and children, as well as being critical or at least skeptical about the Nazi ideology and its cause, questioning the purpose of crimes it carries out, leading certain soldiers to consider deserting in favour of another less extreme faction such as Time Soleil.

Civilians Forces
The common peasants and workers who live in the Reich are exposed to little of the atrocities carried out by its soldiers, leading Nazi civilians to believe the cause is meant to benefit them. Artyom mentions when in the Reich, it appeared more clean and stable than the rest of the metro, most likely because of the strict laws. This can make civilians feel more comfortable about living in the Reich. Many civilians have fled the Reich, on account of the standards set by the Führer. If these standards are not met, the penalty is death, even if it's a high-ranking officer in the military.

Strength
The soldiers of the Fourth Reich are fewer in numbers compared to the Red Line military, but the average soldier is superior due to being well trained and equipped. They seem to have a more efficient command structure and grasp of military tactics than most other Metro factions, most likely because of the militaristic nature of Nazism, but also an apparent preference of quality over quantity when it comes to troops. This doctrine is also most likely practiced out of necessity, given the relatively low population of the Fourth Reich. Due to their xenophobic political beliefs causing hostility towards any non-Nazis regardless of their faction, their hatred for outsiders and "shoot first, ask questions later" policy severely limits recruitment from outside the Reich as it's impossible for new volunteers who sympathise with their cause to join their ranks, which is more common with the other factions. It's assumed all Fourth Reich soldiers are born and/or raised in the Nazi stations.

Equipment
All Reich soldiers are well equipped with almost identical matching uniforms, helmets, and full ballistic vests. They are commonly seen with higher quality weapons such as AK-74M rifles and automatic shotguns, but occasionally some soldiers can be seen using low-grade Bastard carbines. Most members also carry revolvers, grenades, and throwing knives (although they are never used). Many Reich soldiers are also equipped with Wehrmacht style ammo pouches to carry their ammunition. Quite a few of them wear night vision goggles, but prefer to conserve battery charge and only equip them when alerted. The Fourth Reich also uses a variety of rail cars with mounted machine guns and, according to the E3 2009 demo, owns at least two armoured trains. They also possess a unique contraption not seen being employed by any other faction in the Metro, in the form of jury-rigged "Panzer" tanks built over standard rail cars using scrap metal armour and featuring a rotating turret with a cannon. While only a handful appear to exist due to their rarity, and since it appears they can be destroyed even by the poorly-equipped Communist soldiers, they are a menacing sight for enemy troops while instilling fear even in Rangers. The Reich also possess an armoured train with a Panzer turret on its roof which can be seen under maintenance in "Separation". In Metro: Last Light, most Nazi soldiers appear poorly equipped. They now make more use of Bastards, Ashots, and other low tier weapons, or wear less body armour and equipment. This can be excused because the Nazis appearing in the game are all guarding stations or prisons - they can be considered a form of home guard, with weaker weapons. The Nazi stalkers who capture Artyom, the soldiers on the front line in "Heavy Squad", and the stalkers in "Sniper Team", wear similar gear to those seen in Metro 2033. So, it can be assumed that all heavy and advanced gear is given to the front line troops or special forces, not the lowly guards at home. These units could possibly be new recruits or militia guards. This theory is made all the more plausible by the fact that Reich soldiers can be overheard in the Sniper Team DLC mission commenting on Artyom's prison escape and how the soldiers guarding the concentration camp were all new recruits with not a single veteran amongst them, and Pavel acquiring high end weapons such as a Kalash or Saiga-12 after taking down regular troops. The "Frontline" Reich soldiers are seen with completely different armour and helmets from the previous game, which seem to have high-quality custom-built gear rather than salvaged or refurbished gear like other factions. They also carry high-end weapons that are heavily customized. Many of them are assigned in patrolling surface areas for extended periods of time and appear to be equipped with large oxygen tanks. Fourth Reich snipers are issued with Preved, seen in the level "Sniper Team". However, the true explanation for this change in equipment between Metro 2033 and Metro: Last Light is that the developers didn't want the player to have access to advanced equipment so early in the game when the more advanced weapons, like the Kalash and the Shambler, have not yet been available. The Reich stalkers encountered by Anna, after Artyom is knocked out by the Baby Dark One, are also very well equipped and trained. Almost all are equipped with AK-74Ms with various attachments and some of the officers are equipped with Kalash 2012s. The stalkers also have a heavily armoured truck similar to the Rangers as seen by Anna as they leave the area.

Units
The Reich has five main types of soldiers each with their own set of skills and uses. Aside from differences in equipment, all units behave functionally the same in both Metro 2033 and Last Light. The concept art below was made by Vlad Tkach.

Troopers
Troopers make up the backbone of the Reich's military. Their main purpose in the Reich is to fight on the front lines and engage the enemy. Reich Troopers are very well equipped and well trained, much better than normal Red Line soldiers who are barely trained. They are usually equipped with a Kalash, carry grenades, and wear strong body armour.

Stalkers
Stalkers are the soldiers who have to go up on the surface and retrieve supplies, food, weapons, or books to help keep the Reich well equipped and alive. Reich stalkers are much better equipped than the stalkers of other stations or the Red Line, having better armour and filter systems. Like troopers, stalkers are usually equipped with a Kalash and grenades.

Scouts
Scouts make up a smaller portion of the Reich's army, as their main purpose in the Reich is to scout out enemy positions and find weaknesses. They are not as well equipped as normal soldiers and don't carry a lot of armour. They usually come equipped with a Bastard, a grenade, and a trench knife.

Heavies
Heavies have an important role in the Reich's military as their main purpose is to reinforce weak spots, mow down enemy infantry, and destroy heavy targets such as Red Line tanks. They are very strong, and like all of the Reich's soldiers, undergo exhaustive training. They're very well equipped with full body armour and are usually seen with a Shambler and grenade, or in the case of Hans, a gatling.

Officers
Reich officers have the most important role in the Reich's military as they enforce the law or protocol, punish those who break them, coordinate soldiers, and keep morale high. They are very well decorated, usually wearing trench coats, yet lack substantial armour. They are usually equipped with a Lolife or Kalash.

War Cries
These are heard while engaging them or when the player is on Heavy Squad level, here are some examples from Metro: Last Light.
 * "Hail Reich!"
 * "Die, subhumans!"
 * "Now you die for Reich!"
 * "Time to die, subhumans!"
 * "Death to mutants!"
 * "Death to commies!"
 * "Eat lead, you commie pig!"
 * "Damn mutants!"
 * "Now, Commie, you're done for!"
 * "Death to subhumans!"

Known Ranks
Most of the Fourth Reich ranks are based on the SS and Wehrmacht ranking system. They can generally be heard throughout both games when Reich troops are not alert. Known ranks include:
 * Sturmbannführer (Major)
 * Oberscharführer (Technical Sergeant)
 * Hauptmann (Captain)
 * Sturmscharführer (Regimental Sergeant Major)
 * Scharführer (Sergeant)
 * Reichsführer (Supreme Commander)
 * Sturmabteilung (However the Sturmabteilung in the Third Reich was a battalion; translating directly to "Storm Battalion" or "Storm Division," and is most likely either a subdivision of the Reich military or a rank reserved for stormtroopers.)

Appearances
The Nazis have appeared in all Metro novels and games except Metro Exodus.

Novel
A triskelion flag used in the novels. Sparsely populated by hardcore militant Neo-Nazis, the Fourth Reich is known for its atrocities against people of different ideology and not up to standards. The population is terribly unbalanced, there are fewer women than men, which means that the Reich is facing extinction without expansion. Unlike the games, the Nazis seem more focused on exterminating people of different ethnicities, i.e. Caucasians, Chechens, Azerbaijanis, and other non-Russians, than mutants. While they do show a disgust for people with disabilities, they are not hostile to them outright, as Mikhail Porfirevich and Vanechka were able to pass through the Reich prior to meeting Artyom. They will still kill them without a second thought though, given the excuse. By 2035, however, the Reich changes its policy, and focuses its ire on so-called "freaks", i.e. people mutated by radiation. As such, they recruit troops of all backgrounds and ethnicities. They are despised and hated, but unlike in the games, are not in open war with any other faction and are directly opposed only by the Che Guevara inspired revolutionaries. The Fourth Reich is aware of its problems and some soldiers are heard talking about "an ultimate, last crusade" to capture Polis, although it isn't known whether such plan actually exists. Their territories incorporate three interchange stations: Tverskaya, Chekhovskaya, and Pushkinskaya. The encounters through the novel reveal the Fourth Reich's brutal nature as the entrances of the station are littered with bodies or decorated with slogans and murals to Adolf Hitler. The Reich is a relatively new faction in the book, much younger than its in-game counterpart. Both Artyom and his friend Vitali are surprised to learn of their existence and the man who explains the Reich to Artyom does not know its exact details. He is unable to remember if it's the Fourth or Fifth Reich. It's mentioned in the novel that the Nazi soldiers wear black uniforms with black berets and armbands with the Triskelion on.

Metro 2033
The Nazis are first encountered during "Frontline", where they are in heated combat with the Red Line. Later, this faction is met again during "Depot", "Outpost", and the "Black Station" levels. They are the typical anti-diversification group under the rule of an unnamed Führer. The Fourth Reich believes that the Slavs (more specifically Russians) are the ultimate race and believe every minority should be destroyed. The Reich in 2033 seems to be in the process of expanding its territory. They have recently occupied Black Station and were in the process of sending troops to clear out or take over Hole Station. They also have control of all tunnels leading in and out of the three main stations. The Nazis in-game seem to have been founded much earlier than their counterpart in the book. In order for them to have constructed all of their machine gun rail cars, Panzers, and defenses it would have taken years to build, especially in a post-apocalyptic world where resources are scarce. It's rumored that prisoners of war are sent to camps known as "Stalags" where they are enslaved, forced to carry out hard labour until they die or are used as live target practice by soldiers. Such rumors are confirmed in Metro: Last Light.

Metro: Last Light
Despite being hyped up as the primary antagonists in the pre-release materials for Metro: Last Light, the Nazis only play a slightly bigger role than in the first game. The Reich is one of the primary factions vying for control over D6. Now visibly led by the Führer in large rallies, Reich propaganda details that D6 is home to powerful weapons and enough food to keep the Reich fed for improbable lengths of time. With few exceptions, Nazis remain perpetually hostile to Artyom and openly seek combat. He's captured by Nazi soldiers after locating the last Dark One and is transported to one of their concentration camps or "Stalags", reminiscent of the concentration camps of Nazi Germany. It's shown that these camps are set up to detain enemies of the Reich, as well as any innocents considered mutated. Should any attempt to escape, the entire chamber would be filled with deadly toxic gas. In other Nazi stations, the Nazis are portrayed as an overly brutish people, with those that are less violent in their own ranks being tormented and beaten up. Despite having made a form of truce with the Red Line preempting the events of Metro: Last Light, and their presence at the Polis Peace Conference, the Nazis seem to still remain in heated combat with the Red Army at the Front Line in the Faction Pack DLC mission Heavy Squad for Metro: Last Light, although when this mission takes place is not explicitly mentioned.

Metro Exodus
The Reich is briefly seen in the intro cinematic of Metro Exodus, showcasing one of the Fuhrer's speeches. Based on conversations by Hansa soldiers and members of the Aurora, the Reich is still quite active. Unlike its book counterpart, it appears the Reich was never flooded and they may have resumed their territorial expansion. Hansa guards mention that all the good weapons have been given to troops near the League's borders with the Reich.

Nazi Germany Similarities
Nazis in the Metro universe openly emulate Nazi Germany, both in style and in practices:
 * Their Slavic interpretation of Nazism means they believe that Russians are the master race and their soldiers are known to engage in ethnic-cleansing against non-Russians and others they deem impure or mutated, which can include some other Russians, such as Communist soldiers who are often executed without mercy. Stylistically, there are many similarities that the Nazis have copied. The most prominent similarities are that Fourth Reich soldiers all are equipped with helmets shaped like the famous "Stahlhelm" used by Wehrmacht soldiers (even featuring the bolts on the side of the helmets worn by the Nazi Waffen SS) which became a famous symbol of Nazi Germany.
 * Nazis feature many banners and symbols based on ones used by Nazi Germany, featuring a prominent black icon (either a capital C or a three-pointed swastika known as a Triskelion) within a white circle and a red background, reminiscent of the flag of Nazi Germany. The C-symbol, which is never explained, could be either a Latin "C", a Cyrillic "S", or a non-alphabetic symbol. Markings on the walls in Nazi-held tunnels and stations are also painted in a blackletter font historically used in Germany, most commonly the word "Reich" written in Cyrillic ("Рейх").
 * The casual use of German language terms despite being Russian - listening to conversations between non-alerted soldiers they can be heard referring other Nazis as "Herr" (meaning Mr. or Sir) and to their captain as "Hauptmann", as well as calling their unknown leader the "Führer". Outside the novels, their German does not seem to extend past "partisan German", as in short stereotypical phrases picked up from numerous World War II movies (e.g. "Jawohl!", "Hände hoch!"). Some of their words have German accents if you listen carefully.
 * Like the Third Reich, the Führer gives an enthusiastic speech to his soldiers who respond with a hail. Their hail is slightly different, however, than that of the Third Reich. At certain points during a speech, the Führer will yell out "Hail Reich!" instead of "Sieg Heil!" and the soldiers respond with "Slava! (glory)", though this is the Russian equivalent to "Hail" and is used by Russian neo-Nazis (The "C", if it is a Cyrillic "S", may stand for "Slava", or perhaps "Sieg"). Also, instead of the open hand salute, they use a closed fist salute, perhaps an influence from the Communists. As a side note, the Nazis are often referred to as fascists, which in Russia is used as a common synonym for Nazis. Also, just before he is hanged, Pavel calls the Reich officer Fritz, a common nickname for German soldiers used by allied soldiers during World War II. The Soviets notably used Fritz more frequent than Jerry and Kraut, which were mostly used by British and American troops respectively.

Trivia

 * The gas mask worn on the cover art for Metro 2033 is actually a Nazi gas mask, despite the helmet featuring a red star.
 * In the Metro 2033 novel, the leader of the caravan Artyom and Zhenya volunteer for mentions the Reich's origins from the Russian National Unity party (RNE) currently unlisted in Russia. The party is known for its anti-immigrant and Russian nationalistic stances and has been associated with Neo-Nazism. Its main slogan is "Russia for Russians!" - echoing the Nazis' comments in the Metro.
 * It's very ironic that the the Fourth Reich is embracing Nazism, when in real life Nazis viewed Slavic peoples as subhumans and sought to exterminate them.
 * Although some Nazis carry throwing knives, they don't use them in combat.
 * Some Nazis can be observed throwing them at a dart board during the "Sniper Team" mission.
 * The Nazi loudspeaker messages broadcasted at the Frontline are mimicking Nazi propaganda from World War II.
 * The Nazi Panzers armoured rail cars are crude imitations of Panzer IV tanks.
 * The war between the Fourth Reich and the Red Line is almost an exact replica of the Eastern Front during World War II: the Red Line has little regard for human life and uses conscripted troops extensively, while the Fourth Reich emphasises on a professional military and armoured vehicles.
 * Most of the frozen corpses seen on the surface during Metro 2033 bear Fourth Reich insignias. It can arguably be assumed that out of all the factions of the Metro, the Fourth Reich is the most involved in the exploration of the surface.
 * The Nazis possibly have a sort of internal police force as, during the scene where Artyom is held captive by the Nazis at the end of the mission "Frontline", one of the interrogating soldiers mentions bringing in the Gestapo but the other declines because it will take too long for them to get there. The Gestapo (Geheime Staatspolizei) was the notorious secret police of the Third Reich, who arrested perceived enemies of the state and other undesirables to the regime.
 * So far, the only playable Fourth Reich mission is "Heavy Squad".
 * In both Metro 2033 and Metro: Last Light, some German words can be heard in the Nazis' conversation, even in the Russian dub.
 * In the novel Metro 2033, there is the presumption that the three-hooked flag is based on the three Nazi Stations but this is never confirmed. Many Nazi members do not know what the three-pronged Swastika actually means, though it is commonly thought that it represents the original three fascist stations. It has also been attributed to Slavic nationalism.
 * The Swastika of the Fourth Reich is identical to the one belonging to the Gegengeist Gruppe (G.G.G.) from the video game BloodRayne.
 * In Metro: Last Light, they are only referred to as "The Reich" and not the Fourth Reich.
 * A new Reich flag is introduced in Metro: Last Light, consisting of a black "R" on the standard Nazi flag design. The R is meant to represent the "R" in Reich.
 * The Reich controls a total of five stations, according to the game map.
 * It's reported that in the Italian version at least, soldiers of the Reich are referred to only as "Imperialists". Likewise, their leader is referred to only as the "Kaiser".
 * In terms of equipment, the Nazis possess very unique pieces of equipment not seen used by other factions. These include their gas masks, only faction to wear black, different looking armour for heavy soldiers, their helmets and NBC suits.
 * Many fans previously thought that they were of German descent because of their similarities with the original Nazis and use of German, but this is unproven.
 * On the back of some of the jackets, Russian Cyrillic letters can be seen under "Reich". These words are "Россия - для Русских!" which translates to "Russia - for Russians!".
 * Nazi soldiers in Metro 2033 are equipped with the German "Stahlhelm" (maybe M35 or M40 models), the distinctive helmet of all the German soldiers during the Second World War. The origin of these helmets is quite interesting, considering the post-apocalyptic state of the world in 2033 and the scarcity of such helmets nowadays. It could be speculated that Nazi stalkers found some original (or replica) models on one or various ruined militaria stores near the stations on the surface during the early years of the Fourth Reich, and they brought the helmets back to the metro. Considering the symbolism of the helmet and giving the new Nazi troops the desired and distinctive look of a German Soldier, new helmets were manufactured within the metro following the exact design of the German helmets found on the surface. The helmets are painted in dark green with a big "C" on the front. Some are equipped with frontal flashlight devices, similar to the ones seen in mining helmets. In Metro: Last Light, however, Nazi soldiers are equipped with a common Russian helmet painted in dark blue with a big "R" symbol on the front.
 * A possible source of their distinct black uniforms is the Moscow Police. By extension, if this is true it could infer that the Reich was founded by police officers who survived the war in the Metro in addition to members of prewar nationalist political parties.
 * The upper part of the Nazi uniform in Metro 2033 seems to consist of a black bomber jacket, vastly similar to an Alpha Industries B 15 black bomber jacket.
 * The Fourth Reich appears in the Metro 2033 board game as a playable faction.

Video Gallery


Czwarta Rzesza Viertes Reich Четвёртый Рейх Четвертий Рейх 第四帝國 IVe Reich