German Red Prince

Page 122

Ludendorff took an interest in the young man. Youth meant a lack of experience, and the fact that Wilhelm II had personally summoned such a person, especially before he fell into a coma, meant that this person must be of great use to Wilhelm II.

Before falling into a coma, the first thing he shouted for wasn't to summon the crown prince, but to see a young military officer. The implications of this are enough for others to ponder for a while.

"What's that officer's name? Have you checked his background?"

"It's been investigated; his name is Erich von Schutroheim." It must be said, these Nazi Party members are incredibly fast at gathering information; they figured out the whole situation in a single day.

"This person is a rising star in the German high command. He was part of the Prussian delegation at the military parade in Mainz, Rhineland a while ago, and he also participated in the revolutionary intervention against Russia back then."

"Does he have any political leanings?" Ludendorff asked again. Young people often lack political experience, and since Wilhelm II values ​​him so much, perhaps some means can be used to win him over.

"He was a supporter of the Greater Germany theory, hoping to use coercive means to complete the integration of Germany internally, so that Germany could truly become a complete country, an emperor, a government, and a nation. He also had great ambitions externally, hoping to integrate the Austro-Hungarian Empire by force and complete the true unification of Germany."

"He has now joined the German Fatherland Party, which has strong racist tendencies and believes that the German people are superior to other races."

"Young people are really full of vigor."

After listening, Ludendorff couldn't help but sigh, but he was also relieved. It seemed that this young man didn't have much political experience and dared to express his political views so easily.

He was a supporter of the Greater Germany theory, and it was thanks to Wilhelm II's support that he was able to secure his political death sentence. Not content with completing the integration of Germany, he even wanted to integrate Austria-Hungary. Who gave him the audacity to do that?

Ludendorff was convinced that no one could achieve such a feat for the next few centuries, because it was simply too difficult.

Internal integration within Germany is a fatal flaw in German domestic politics; whoever touches it dies. The reason why Ludendorff's dictatorial government collapsed was because he recklessly touched this taboo, and the government, which had been in power for so long, collapsed so easily.

In the beginning, his dictatorship was limited to the Prussian region, which is why he was able to seize power so easily in the early stages.

After taking control of Prussia, the benefits to the other two kingdoms were actually greater.

During the years he controlled Prussia, the Kingdom of the Rhine and Bavaria reclaimed much power from the German government, so both kingdoms tacitly approved of, or even supported, his dictatorial behavior. However, when Ludendorff wanted to extend his reach to the other two kingdoms, their attitude immediately changed.

Initially, Ludendorff only hoped to establish some of the empire's companies in the other two kingdoms, such as the Ruhr industrial region, the most developed industrial region in Germany. Ludendorff hoped that the empire's companies could also participate in development and production.

As a result, this action alerted both kingdoms, and what happened next was quite simple: an Eastern relief scandal broke out, and because of this small incident, he was brought down.

It's surprising that someone Wilhelm II valued so highly had such low political awareness. I don't know what he was thinking, but this made Ludendorff's subsequent actions easier.

The predecessor of the National Socialist Party, the Unity Party of Germany, had a political program that aimed to achieve the integration of Germany. Although it has now changed its name, some of its specific policies remain the same.

More and more people in Germany are now yearning for genuine unity within the country. In addition, the Nazi Party also follows a mass line, aiming to win over the lower and middle classes, so its support rate is quite good. If they can connect with this young man, or even recruit him, it will make Ludendorff's next actions much easier.

"Win him over, win over this young man," Ludendorff commanded. "Although he is of noble birth and may not support the current political stance of the National Socialist Party, he should agree with some of its theories. If we can win him over, we can definitely win him over."

"Yes, General, I will go back and report immediately." The Nazi Party member saluted and left the manor.

Ludendorff returned to the estate with a shovel, thinking that if his family could plant a mine in the upper echelons of Berlin, it would surely have a miraculous effect.

Chapter 217 The Inevitable Trend

Goebbels is the editor-in-chief of the Rheinische Zeitung, and he is based in the Berlin area. In order to stay informed about what is happening in Berlin, Goebbels has been quite busy lately, often going from street to street and visiting several neighborhoods to get a better understanding of the situation.

Thorne had previously predicted that the world would undergo great changes in the next few years, which would be the best time for a German revolution. Goebbels believed Thorne's words without a doubt, because he could also clearly feel the current situation in Germany.

Germany is now like a car without brakes. For the past few years, Germany has been pressing the accelerator, but now it has found that it can no longer slow down.

Vehicles traveling at high speeds are very prone to accidents. The driver who is now in control of this car that is about to go out of control is the Imperial Chancellor Tirpitz. He was the one who stepped on the accelerator in the first place, and now it is much more difficult to slow down than it was when he was accelerating.

However, with Tirpitz still in charge, the situation in Germany remained relatively stable. It was just a pity that the chancellor's health was deteriorating. It was hard to imagine what would happen if the chancellor were no longer in charge of Germany, or whether he had already chosen a successor to take over the reins of Germany.

Goebbels has been busy investigating public opinion in the Berlin area recently, something he has been doing for a long time. Only by truly understanding what these people want can his work become meaningful.

Goebbels was most proud of his two abilities: public speaking and propaganda. He had honed these abilities to perfection and knew how powerful they were if he understood people's true thoughts.

Of course, it can be very effective when used for good, but it can also be very dangerous if it is used by people with ulterior motives to incite public sentiment.

When Goebbels first met Thorne, Thorne told him a story about Germany's defeat in the war.

According to Thorne's account, after the defeat in the war, Germany quickly became unified internally. Wilhelm II fled, Bavaria and the Kingdom of the Rhine were integrated, and the German Empire was replaced by a new democratic state called the Weimar Republic.

However, unlike the democratic countries that Germans yearn for today, in Thorne's story, Germans have nothing but so-called democracy. A loaf of bread costs 500,000 marks, the Rhineland has become a demilitarized zone, and the German army was completely disbanded after the defeat in the war.

Germany had once been the world's second-largest economy, but after a major war, the lives and status of the German people were immediately plunged into dire straits, and all their pride became insignificant.

The profound sense of psychological disparity deeply affected every German. They had had enough of this so-called democratic "traitorous" government and began to yearn for the emergence of a strongman.

Nationalism is the fastest way to unite a group of people. After listening to Thorne's description, Goebbels understood this statement more and more. Appropriate nationalism can play a positive role in the progress of a country, but if it is not kept in a proper balance, nationalism can plunge a country into an abyss.

The Nazi Party in the story rose to power by inciting ethnic conflicts. Although it achieved some success in the early stages, it was built on crooked means and was bound to suffer a backlash in the end. Germany did indeed suffer a backlash and became a puppet of a major power.

Thinking of this, Goebbels couldn't help but sigh. In the story, the Nazi Party relied on inciting national antagonism to cover up its own economic problems and to achieve internal unity and shift the focus of its problems. In reality, if a political party were to do this, it would be either stupid or malicious.

In Goebbels' mind, the root of all problems was the class problem. Only by properly handling the issues between classes could the contradictions be truly resolved, rather than by inciting the masses to achieve his goals.

The tavern wasn't crowded; people were gathered in twos and threes, drinking. Goebbels, who had been visiting various places, also chose to sit down here and organize his documents.

Goebbels' research revealed that most ordinary people in the Berlin area are now clearly beginning to pay attention to the issue of German integration, and more and more Germans are beginning to yearn for Germany to truly achieve unification, to wage a fourth dynastic war, and to unify the internal structure of Germany.

Whether the people in the Rhine Kingdom and Bavaria have this idea or not, the Prussians are certainly becoming increasingly interested in this issue.

Such ideas don't appear out of thin air. The fact that more and more people in Berlin are starting to pay attention to this issue must have a significant political background. If this had happened five years ago, certainly not so many people would have been paying attention to it.

“It’s still an economic problem,” Goebbels muttered to himself.

During the period of rapid economic development in Germany, most Germans did not think about the issue of German reintegration. Although the relatively independent economic development models of the various kingdoms at that time made Germany's economic development not very coordinated, these problems were masked by the booming economy.

More and more Germans are now feeling the pinch in their lives. With the economic downturn, all sorts of problems have come to the fore. Germany's national structure really does have problems.

Would internal integration in Germany be beneficial to the country? The answer is yes. If Germany were to truly complete integration, the French Commune would likely declare war the very next day, ready to fight Germany to the death, because they also know how terrifying a fully integrated Germany would be.

A fast-paced and efficient government would allow Germany to devote more energy and resources to dealing with colonial issues, and they would also have ample time to suppress revolutionary forces in these regions. France's international strategy would be severely impacted, and Germany would no longer be on the defensive.

Once Germany recovers, it will certainly deal with its biggest threat, the French Commune, first. If Germany gains a strategic advantage in the early stages, France and the Third International will immediately be isolated and helpless.

Various counter-offensives and retributions will begin. The old Allied powers will certainly get a share of the spoils, and the British and French governments in exile in Canada and North Africa will make a comeback. The international communist movement may also come to an end.

Since the integration of Germany would bring such a huge advantage to Germany, why not try it internally? Recently, the gap between the several kingdoms has been widening, and they have begun to "separate" economically and politically, becoming three countries with one title.

The answer is that Germany also tried it. When the German Empire was established, there were already signs of integration within Germany. However, unlike now, most Germans at that time were very opposed to the unification, and the majority of people still wanted to retain the three kingdoms.

The German Empire had just been established and was nominally led by Wilhelm I. At that time, Bavaria's political inclination was still towards Austria to the south, and the Kingdom of the Rhine also had some concerns about the Prussian system.

The three newly unified German kingdoms still distrusted each other, each fearing they would be taken advantage of. The people of each kingdom were afraid that their treatment would worsen after true unification. After the creative proposal of "one emperor, three rule," the integration process was delayed until now.

If Germany's politics continue to be divided, civil war is only a matter of time. Goebbels sighed. If he wanted to resolve this issue smoothly, he could only wait and see at the upcoming Leipzig Conference.

Unification has become a historical trend and an inevitable outcome.

"Feel sorry."

As he was leaving the beer hall, Goebbels accidentally bumped into someone.

"It's ok."

The man waved his hand, walked into the tavern, looked at the people in the tavern, took a deep breath, sat down and drank a beer to bolster his courage. He was about to begin the first speech of his life.

Chapter 218 The Rise of the Demon

"Joachim, what do you think of the beer here?"

Himmler took a sip of his beer and asked Ribbentrop, who was sitting opposite him.

"It tastes pretty good, but it's still not quite as good as ours." Ribbentrop leaned back in his chair and smiled easily.

"No wonder there aren't as many people here as there."

After listening to Ribbentrop's words, Himmler laughed. The two of them had been busy with their small business lately. Himmler was no longer just selling chickens raised on his farm; he had also started a fried chicken business, partnering with Ribbentrop to open his own fried chicken shop.

Fried chicken paired with beer, along with their homemade Snow Beer, boosted beer sales and improved business significantly. However, the two did not decide to stop there but actively expanded their business, traveling to various places to "inspect" different areas.

The two of them came here to find a place to rest for a while. They had just gone out for a walk and finalized a few collaborations, so they were both in a pretty good mood.

The owner of this beer hall could never have imagined how many "influential figures" who would one day turn Germany upside down were gathered in his pub.

This was Alfred Rosenberg's first speech, so he was still a little nervous since he came in, and even bumped into someone just now.

Not long ago, Rosenberg joined the German National Socialist Workers' Party, a political party that is now somewhat well-known in Germany. Although the party is not large and has few members, Rosenberg was attracted to its theories and emphasized the unification of Germany.

Rosenberg disdained joining the major political parties in Germany and, for the sake of so-called political correctness, remained silent on the issue of German integration. Such weakness and hypocrisy disgusted Rosenberg.

Therefore, as a racist, even though the views of the German Fatherland Party aligned with his own, he was unwilling to join it. The Fatherland Party was too bloated, and if he wanted to make his mark, he needed to join a young and energetic party that aligned with his views.

The National Socialist Party (NSS) perfectly met his requirements. Rosenberg was not short of money, and after giving the NSS a large sum of money, he also obtained a high-ranking position within the party. However, the party is still relatively small now, and its influence among the German people is not particularly significant.

Many people in the party were busy running around and spreading propaganda, and Rosenberg naturally couldn't be idle either. In the Nazi Party, it wasn't enough to just have money; you also needed ability and self-improvement in order to realize your ambitions.

However, he was still somewhat insecure at this moment. He sat in his seat looking at the manuscript he had prepared the night before, constantly reciting it to himself. He was still a little nervous, his nose twitching and his hands trembling involuntarily.

"Germany's economy is being damaged, and Berlin's economic situation is not as good as before. In order to alleviate our current bad situation, it is necessary for us to strengthen economic exchanges with Bavaria and the Kingdom of the Rhine."

A middle-aged man with a manuscript stood in the crowd, reading what was written on it. However, his speech did not seem to attract much attention. Most people were still sitting in their chairs smoking and drinking beer, completely ignoring what he was saying.

"We have no other choice but to strengthen cooperation among the three kingdoms..."

"Waiter, two beers."

Himmler waved to the waiter, completely ignoring what the man had just said; he was leaving after resting for a while.

“Our government must make certain concessions in order to make cooperation between kingdoms go more smoothly.”

"idiot."

Rosenberg, who was reciting his prepared remarks below, couldn't help but curse after hearing the person on stage say that.

"Although we are under the same national framework, the systems between kingdoms still differ, so compromise is necessary..."

“We are all Germans,” Rosenberg interrupted the man’s speech again.

"Although there are cultural similarities, but..."

"Germany is a unified empire, as stated in the imperial constitution."

Seeing Rosenberg's constant interruptions, the speaker on stage lost his temper, saying, "Young man, I'm talking about truth, not fairy tales."

"You are talking about the purity of Germany. Germany is not a separate country now; Germany is a complete empire!"

As Rosenberg got more and more carried away, he involuntarily stood up. Although he had forgotten everything written on the manuscript, he felt as if countless words were stuck in his chest.

"So what are your thoughts? Please share them."

The man on the stage stepped down, wanting to hear what Rosenberg had to say.

Rosenberg stood up as if by some strange twist of fate. Looking at the crowd below, he suddenly became nervous, his hands trembling uncontrollably, and his voice stammering.

“Germany, Germany is a, a complete empire,” Rosenberg stammered.

“Speak louder,” a member of the National Socialist Party sitting next to him reminded him.

Rosenberg was somewhat at a loss, staring blankly at the people drinking below the stage, who clearly didn't take what he was about to say seriously.

“Germany is a complete empire, and we should also have a complete history book.” As Rosenberg gradually calmed down, he stopped stuttering and spoke much more fluently.

However, the people in the audience still didn't take him seriously, continuing to do what they were doing, making noise and some even dozing off.

"Our government is becoming increasingly distrusted, and our economy is entering a difficult period, but these problems are of our own making..."

Is anyone listening?

Looking at the indifferent crowd below the stage, Rosenberg couldn't help but shout.

"Isn't the problem obvious now? Everyone is so indifferent. They talk a big game, but nobody cares! Doesn't anyone think that if we don't address this problem, we'll perish?"

"Where has the German pride gone! What we need now is strength, not self-deception! Did our ancestors gain their present glory through self-deception?!"

As Rosenberg spoke, he became more and more excited and forgot his nervousness. He began to gesticulate wildly on the stage, venting his emotions.

"The unification of Germany was achieved through iron and blood! It was achieved through the sword in our hands, through our great strength! Decades ago, we had such courage; are we to live only through compromise and charity decades later?"

"Germany's enemy is right in our midst." Rosenberg scanned the crowd around him with a sharp gaze.

A demon, a German demon, thus rose.

Chapter 219 New Designs and Tactical Shifts

If you were to ask the top military leaders in Berlin what they've been discussing most lately, they certainly wouldn't say it's the Franco-German conflict or the preparations for the latest equipment upgrades, but rather the military's rising star, Erich von Schutroheim.

It's unclear what Emperor Wilhelm saw in this young man, but his status in the army rose rapidly, and Wilhelm II personally promoted him two ranks, from a major to a colonel.

I doubt any German officer could be promoted as quickly as Erich, especially during peacetime, when it is much more difficult to get promoted than during wartime. What exactly did His Majesty see in him?

However, Erich ignored the gossip and continued to faithfully carry out the tasks assigned to him by Wilhelm II. After the last Rhine Parade, the Prussian army also began to redesign its own tanks.

Researchers at Krupp and Heinkel were somewhat baffled by Ehrlich's description.