German Red Prince

Page 123

They listened to Erich's description of the new tanks of the Kingdom of the Rhine and saw the design of the tanks. Was it really necessary to call so many of them over in such a grand manner for these light tanks with riveted armor?

"Colonel Erich, is it really necessary to gather so many people in such a hurry to design this tank?"

One designer raised a question: if Rheinland could build such a tank, they certainly could too. Besides, the German army already had quite a few light tanks like this, so there was no need to redesign one.

Currently, the average weight of German tanks is between 20 and 30 tons, and the ratio of light to heavy tanks is also very balanced. When the engineers who came over looked at the tanks in the photos, they thought that instead of spending money to research such tanks, it would be more cost-effective to use the money to improve their existing tanks.

After listening to the designer's words, Erich did not rush to refute him. As a professional armored commander, he naturally had his own considerations.

The fact that Ehrlich was appreciated by Wilhelm II at least shows that he was not a fool in politics. However, it is clear that political acumen alone is not enough; without professional qualities, it is all for naught.

As an armored commander, Ehrlich had a very solid understanding of tanks and also paid great attention to the application of tank tactics. Before Guderian went to the Kingdom of the Rhine, Ehrlich had read all the reports and papers he wrote, and he also agreed with Guderian's thoughts on the future use of armor.

During his trip to the Kingdom of Rhine to participate in their military exercises, Erich noticed that the Kingdom of Rhine was paying increasing attention to tanks, because they were not only exhibiting tanks, but also corresponding armored grenadiers. He was certain that the tanks being researched by the Kingdom of Rhine were definitely not as simple as they appeared on display.

As an officer, Eriechi was well aware of the principle that "too advanced to be displayed is inconvenient." Since the Kingdom of the Rhine had shown off their latest light tank design, they must have also studied other tank models. After all, their enemy was another tank superpower, the French Commune, and the Kingdom of the Rhine must still have some trump cards up their sleeves.

Erich was a very perceptive man. When he heard that Guderian had left the army for the Rhine, he knew that this matter was not simple. Although the military did not care much, Erich often read Guderian's articles and was very familiar with his theoretical ideas.

It is said that Guderian was personally invited by the prince of the Rhine Kingdom, indicating that the Rhine Kingdom began to value the mobility of tanks rather than their firepower and protection.

At present, the mainstream of German tanks still focuses on the protection and support firepower of tanks, which are essentially an auxiliary force. The main force used for breakthroughs and rapid maneuver is still the cavalry. At this time, the Kingdom of the Rhine began to change its philosophy and began to focus on the mobility principle of tanks, which is bad news for them.

If a conflict were to break out between the two sides in the future, would they expect cavalry to charge tanks? The thought terrified Ehrlich. As an armored commander, he felt it was necessary to push for reforms in German armored tactics.

Since those old guys in the army aren't doing anything, let him slowly change this terrible situation.

Faced with the question, Erich did not deny it. Indeed, Germany no longer needed to produce such tanks, as they already had many similar types in their own army.

"You're right, our German tanks are already very powerful. There's really no need for us to design this somewhat shabby little tank," Erich said slowly.

"My purpose in coming here today is not for this tank. I just want to explain a situation to everyone: the Kingdom of Rhine has begun to adjust its tank tactics. They are moving in a more scientific direction, so we must now design a tank that can adapt to the future battlefield environment."

"Does the colonel mean we should design a new type of tank?"

“That’s right, His Majesty Wilhelm supports the design of a tank suitable for the future battlefield, and the design of the new tank must be kept secret.” Erich said solemnly. He did not want the Rhine Kingdom or Bavaria to know about the research. If it were discovered, they would likely be at a disadvantage after several rounds of competition.

"The advantage of the next generation of tanks lies in their mobility, rather than simply being used to support infantry. Our tanks need to be able to move around and be deployed quickly and flexibly on complex battlefields."

"Our next tanks should focus on firepower and speed, not just sit there like lumps of iron." As a front-line commander, Erich clearly understood what the tanks needed now.

"Our new tanks should be equipped with appropriate armor, and then firepower. The role of a tank is to strike the enemy to the greatest extent possible, so the firepower requirement must be met."

After saying that, he looked at the designers at Krupp and said, “Our new tank will be equipped with a 75mm gun, and the caliber must be increased. We also need to have the ability to replace it with a 100mm tank gun later.”

"A 100mm tank gun?"

Hearing Ehrlich say this, Krupp's designers thought he had gone mad. Tanks didn't have much armor these days, so why equip them with such a large caliber cannon? Was it like using a cannon to kill a mosquito? That was such a waste.

"Future tanks will only have thicker armor. As we progress, so will the enemy. Therefore, it is essential to equip them with large-caliber cannons."

"If we install such a large-caliber cannon, the tank's tonnage must also increase," one of the designers said.

“Yes, the new tank needs to weigh around 30 tons, and its firepower, speed, and armor must be optimized together.” Erich nodded.

Since the client has made the request, they must begin the design and construction process.

Developing a new tank from scratch is a complex process. After receiving the requirements, the designers rushed back and began their research on the new tank.

Chapter 220 The Wonderful Beer Hall

The beer hall was quiet, and Rosenberg's voice seemed to still echo in everyone's ears. The people present no longer looked at Rosenberg on the stage with a mocking attitude.

People who were just dozing off woke up, and the beer hall became quiet, transforming into a stage for Rosenberg's speech.

Himmler and Ribbentrop also noticed this man, and, intrigued by his speech, left their seats and sat near Rosenberg.

"Excuse me."

Himmler greeted the people next to him, found an empty seat and sat down. They wanted to see what this Rosenberg had to say.

"Germany's enemy is right among us!" Rosenberg's sharp gaze swept over the crowd.

"Kingdomists, compromisers, these people are destroying our homeland. If we don't act now, they will take everything from the Empire. Losing our lives is not terrible; losing everything is terrible. If we let their conspiracy succeed, in the end, the German people will have nothing!"

Rosenberg waved his hands excitedly, "We spent a century unifying the German region, are we just going to watch it perish in our hands! If we do nothing, how will we face the soldiers who lost their lives for the unification of the empire!"

"During the war, I also fought on the front lines for the Empire. I believe that many of you here, like me, contributed to our country in some way during the war."

"Do you really hope that in the end, the empire you've fought for will suddenly disappear, and all your efforts will become a joke? Separatists are plotting to overthrow us, and now there are still people who want to compromise and become their accomplices? Fellow countrymen, those who support or clamor for the kingdom's independence, if they are nobles or powerful people, then it's understandable, but if they are ordinary people, I'm sorry, I will curse you fiercely!"

"Those who support the kingdom's independence are all rich and powerful! They may gain more after independence, but what about us? What will we get if the empire is divided? Do you really think that everyone's life will be better after the empire is divided?"

"Ordinary people like us must support the complete unification of the empire! This is not for anything else, but for our future!"

Upon hearing this, the audience erupted in cheers and applause, clearly captivated by his speech.

Seeing the audience's reaction, Rosenberg had never felt so exhilarated. He was overjoyed to receive such a response. So this is what it's like. He began to enjoy the speech.

"Who! Who should be held responsible for misleading our people and causing our country's situation to worsen!"

"He's a compromiser!" someone in the audience shouted as they stood up.

“That’s right, he’s a compromiser!” Rosenberg continued his speech amidst cheers from the crowd.

"They call themselves nationalists, claiming everything is for the country, but they are a bunch of cowards, now and in the future! They should never be welcomed, never be needed, but right now, they're everywhere!"

"Their compromises are corrupting our nation and robbing every German citizen of a better future! They want to destroy our great country, my friends. I tell you, this is a war! A war that is already underway! A war without gunfire! None of us can stand aside. These compromisers around us are our enemies! Tell me, how should we face our enemies?"

"Destroy them!"

"That's right, eliminate them! Only by completely eliminating them can such voices no longer be heard in our country. We must use their blood to nourish a new and great nation, a completely unified German Empire!"

"We can no longer compromise! Iron and blood! We must use our swords and our mighty force to eliminate any forces or organizations that attempt to divide our country. Glorious Germany will not yield to these people!"

"Germany is a great country, and the Germanic people are a great people. We cannot be bound by ourselves; we should set our sights on the wider world!"

"Our glorious nation has defeated all our enemies. As a superior nation, we have a duty to reshape the entire world order! We have this need, but more importantly, we have this capability!"

Rosenberg began to insert his own agenda into his speeches. As a racist, he firmly believed that only the German people were worthy of being the masters of the world and leading the world order.

"We need to reshape the world order. Those inferior nations should be dominated by us! They should do what they ought to do for the advancement of Germany!"

As Himmler listened to the second half of his speech, he lost interest. The first half was alright, but now the call for unifying Germany was no longer just a minority voice; most Germans strongly desired to unify Germany into a truly complete nation.

Himmler also hoped that Germany could be completely integrated. Who wouldn't want Germany to be completely unified? But who would unify Germany? The Prussians wanted them to unify it, but didn't the Rhine and Bavarians want that too?

After he brought up race, Himmler lost interest and left with Ribbentrop. In his long career, he was also influenced by Goebbels and knew that most people with such extreme ideas were somewhat abnormal. Even if his slogans were righteous, as long as he raised the banner of extreme racism or extreme nationalism, it meant that he definitely had other purposes.

"Fortunately, he didn't say to throw all the other races into the incinerator."

Himmler suddenly had this thought: things haven't gotten that extreme yet; there might still be hope.

"Please deliver this to that gentleman for me."

Although Himmler disliked this approach, there were quite a few who approved of it, such as Erich.

He handed the waiter two hundred marks and asked him to deliver the beer to Rosenberg. He had taken some time to relax and happened to run into Rosenberg giving a speech there.

As a theorist of Greater Germany and a racist, he also strongly agreed with Rosenberg's words that the enemy was right beside them, that there were too many parasites within Germany, and he began to have some interest in the party.

As soon as Rosenberg sat down after finishing his speech, a waiter handed him a beer and two hundred marks.

"It was delivered by a gentleman who wants to be your friend."

"Please thank him for me."

Rosenberg, who had just stepped off the stage, suddenly became nervous again. His legs trembled involuntarily. He downed his beer in one gulp. The speech he had just given was truly exhilarating.

"Well done, Rosenberg."

A member of the National Socialist Party standing nearby encouraged him, saying that he had just handed out a lot of leaflets, and that this would probably expand the National Socialist Party's influence considerably.

"I'll go back and tell the party leader that it's wonderful to have you on the team!"

"Hello, friend, can we have a chat?" At that moment, a person sat down next to Rosenberg.

"I'm very interested in what you just said. Can we have a proper chat?"

Seeing that Rosenberg did not react, the man introduced himself, "Let me introduce myself, I am Greg Strasser, the leader of the German National Workers' Party."

This small beer hall was filled with so many brilliant minds on this day.

Chapter 221 Rectification

There will always be people who dream of getting rich overnight, regardless of the era or country.

The victory in the war led to rapid economic development in Germany, with all sectors flourishing. The German economy seemed to have been given a shot of adrenaline, and its growth rate was astonishing. During this period, some people successfully seized the economic opportunity, and many became rich overnight.

However, not everyone is so lucky. Only a minority of people get rich overnight. It seems like money comes from thin air, and people get rich every day. That's just public propaganda.

Newspapers are filled with reports like these every day: stock market novices make five million marks, 100 marks double to one million marks, as if any idiot could make money. These reports are either hype to boost sales or just deliberate propaganda by the government.

If this really made you rich, why bother with a job? Just invest all your money in stocks and lie at home counting your money. Only a small percentage of people get rich overnight. There are also some newbies who actually make money, but they are a tiny minority. If you really believe those lies, you might as well go back to starving.

However, only a minority of people believe in this approach. The prospect of making quick money is very attractive to ordinary people. Otherwise, the stock investment and stock consulting industries wouldn't be so popular. Seeing this situation reminds Thorne of a story.

During the American Gold Rush in the West, those who ultimately became wealthy were not the gold miners, but rather the people who sold them various equipment.

Germany's financial industry is currently in a state of near-complete disorder, rife with chaos and lacking proper regulation. Thorne is certain that if the financial sector is left unregulated, the Rhine economy will collapse in a few years, and then it won't be him leading the revolution, but rather others coming to overthrow him.

According to Thorne's memories from his previous life, a global economic crisis will break out around 1929, which can be said to have lit the fuse for the later world war.

It was during that economic crisis that the protagonists of the next two decades of the world took the stage, beginning a performance that lasted for two decades.

Of course, this is the history of the original world. Thorne doesn't know how the history of this world will unfold. This is probably his biggest weakness as a transmigrator. The laws of history were disrupted decades ago, so Thorne certainly doesn't know how history will proceed.

However, history has a strong inertia. What happens in the middle may be disrupted by a "little butterfly," but it will still rely on the strong historical inertia to correct its course and return to its original path. Thorne has a deep understanding of this.

Just like now, even if Germany wins World War I, World War II will inevitably break out as time goes by. That's the scary part. History has arranged for Germany to win World War I, but its old enemy France has been greatly strengthened in this timeline. If a real war breaks out, it won't be as simple as a month in the original timeline.

Although it's hard to say for sure, Thorne still needs to make some preparations. Better safe than sorry. Who knows what might happen next year? The closer it gets to the 1930s, the more worried Thorne becomes, especially given his situation. He has only a vague understanding of the future and cannot fully predict it, so he can only make more preparations to prevent what might happen next.

Thorne went to great lengths to weather the potential economic crisis, and to mitigate risks to the greatest extent possible, he had to take coercive measures against the financial industry.

Although Thorne wanted to take measures, he was not a professional after all, and he did not want to mess up the economy after his micromanagement. In addition, the kingdom's economic problems were not something he alone had the authority to deal with. He was just a prince, and in principle, he was not qualified to manage these matters.

He needed the king's permission to get involved, but fortunately, the Kingdom of the Rhine was not like Prussia, and King Otto was not like Wilhelm II. After hearing Thorne's suggestion, Otto quickly agreed and even assigned professionals to negotiate and organize.

"Your Highness Thorne, I don't think we need to impose such strict restrictions on the financial industry."

At the meeting, a financial expert raised a question, arguing that the restrictions proposed by Thorne were too strict. He believed that if they were actually announced, the economy of the Kingdom of Rhine could suffer a severe blow, and it would take a long time to recover.

“A serious illness requires strong medicine, and chaotic times require severe measures. The financial industry in the Kingdom of Rhine has too many problems right now. Who can guarantee that the economy will be as normal as it is now in a year or two? We don’t have much time left, and we must take the most forceful measures.”

"Our stock market is overheated. Every year, countless people invest their wealth in it, causing stock prices to skyrocket. Speculators and investors from all walks of life are buying stocks like crazy. These stocks have lost their reasonable price and formed a bubble. If it bursts one day, what should we do? Have you thought about the terrible consequences of a stock market crash?"

“Your Highness Thorne, you are exaggerating. Our economy is not yet beyond repair.”

Most people remain very confident. Although the economy of the Kingdom of Rhine is currently in a slump, it is by no means hopeless. How could it possibly collapse suddenly?

"Did I exaggerate? Do you even know what our financial industry is like right now?"

Thorne looked at the experts sitting below the stage. He had comprehensive intelligence gathered by the Stasi. Thorne never fought a battle unprepared. After deciding to rectify the regulations, he began to have people search for evidence.

"In order to obtain a higher objective evaluation and attract stock investment, many companies have committed accounting fraud. Some companies that appear prosperous on the surface are actually riddled with problems, and there are also many shell companies that are just putting up a name. There are quite a few such companies."

"Our banks, in pursuit of greater profits, are providing large amounts of loans to companies and borrowers with low credit ratings. If we don't regulate this, what will happen if a crisis occurs in the future and we can't withdraw money from the banks? Who will give us an explanation when faced with angry crowds?"

Seeing that everyone was silent, Thorne continued his explanation, "Our financial industry is too chaotic. Besides these, there are all kinds of insider trading. They are sucking the blood of the kingdom. Without proper regulation, and if these people are allowed to operate at will, can our economy really continue to thrive?"

After listening to Thorne's explanation, everyone fell silent. Thorne had provided a lot of detailed information, down to which company and which bank it was. The level of detail was alarming, as the economy of the Kingdom of Rhine was indeed in a state of chaos.

“Your Majesty, I agree with Prince Thorne’s point of view. The economy of the Kingdom of Rhine does indeed need to be regulated, and the guidelines set by Prince Thorne are very appropriate and suitable for implementation.”

Under his leadership, more and more people expressed their agreement, believing that such problems were not limited to the Kingdom of the Rhine; Prussia and Bavaria must also have issues. If they did not make adjustments, all three kingdoms would collapse, and what would be the point of playing?

"Let's do it this way then. We'll release it after the specifications are revised."

After receiving King Otto's approval, the Kingdom of Rhine began to reform the financial industry.

Chapter 222 Turning the Elbow Outwards

Thorne was busy with more than just financial matters during this period. As a time traveler, he had a general idea of ​​what the future would hold, so he also had many other things to consider.

To others, Thorne seemed to be always busy, meddling in everything. In reality, every task he did was highly purposeful, yet Thorne still felt he couldn't keep up with the schedule and was afraid that if he was late, he would be hung up by the streetlights.

During this period, Thorne dealt mainly with political and kingdom development matters, paying little attention to hardware, except for the thin-skinned Type 1 tank and the Type 2 tank which was still under development.

"I need to focus my energy on military matters," Thorne muttered to himself.

Thinking about how Germany, despite being sanctioned in later generations, still possessed a significant amount of advanced technology from World War II, and then looking at Germany today, Thorne felt somewhat powerless. Indeed, a sense of humiliation is the best medicine to motivate people to strive forward.