German Red Prince

Page 128

Forming a political party is a troublesome matter, especially since this is a subsidiary party of the Communist Party of Germany, which makes it even more crucial to handle it carefully.

To form a completely new political party, it must have its own party constitution and discipline. It would take several months to truly complete the party platform and discipline. At the same time, the party must also have a theoretical foundation; it can't just pop up out of nowhere.

A political party also needs an organizational structure, personnel to be appointed for positions within the party, and funds for the party organization. More importantly, the party must be under the control of the Communist Party of Germany. If, after all the hard work of establishing it, it does not obey its commands and opposes the Communist Party of Germany in every way, then that would be terrible.

Most importantly, since this party is going to participate in the election openly, its base must be much larger than that of the Communist Party of Germany. Otherwise, it might end up being integrated into the Communist Party of Germany, and all its efforts will be in vain, leaving it as a substitute.

Thorne was certainly aware of these problems, and he had his reasons for proposing the idea. Otherwise, starting from scratch would take a long time, and with 1930 fast approaching, he couldn't afford to wait.

A center-left party is still acceptable in Germany. The Social Democratic Party still maintains considerable influence in Berlin. Although it was previously banned by Bismarck, it still has a large mass base. If the political environment in Berlin allows the Social Democratic Party to develop, then it goes without saying that it is in the Rhineland.

The political climate in the Kingdom of the Rhine was much more relaxed than in Prussia, which provided a social foundation for the development of this new political party in Thorne. The Social Democratic Party was originally the General German Workers' Association, which grew to its current size by relying on trade unions.

It just so happens that Thorne had also established a trade union in Darmstadt, and many of its cadres had already joined the Communist Party of Germany. Based on this trade union and with its members as the backbone, it would be enough to create a brand new and loyal political party.

236. The Party needs you.

Goebbels had been conducting research in Berlin during this period, and Thorne's instructions certainly had their own purpose.

In this timeline, Goebbels' abilities are in no way inferior to those of his original timeline. In his previous life, Goebbels didn't follow the right path, so in this timeline, Thorne will help him turn things around.

In this timeline, Goebbels has embarked on the right path and possesses a solid theoretical foundation. However, his teachers in the East pointed out the importance of practice back then. Even if one's theoretical skills are perfect, without practical experience, it's just empty talk. Only by truly combining theory and practice can one unleash real power.

In any country where a revolution takes place, the first generation of leaders are often the most capable because they have seen the true state of society and know the living standards of the people below; you can't fool them.

Thorne encouraged Goebbels to travel more, which would allow him to understand more about the social situation and make decisions based on that understanding. Seeing the real lives of the lower classes would also strengthen his faith.

At the same time, Goebbels is probably best known for his oratory and propaganda skills, which are no less than Adolf's. Oratory requires long-term refinement to be genuine and to truly move the people. Going to the grassroots level was a good opportunity to hone this ability.

West Berlin is a notoriously impoverished area of ​​the city. If Mitte and Friedrichshain are the heart of Berlin, then West Berlin is its main artery. The prosperity of the entire city is supported by the workers here.

However, countless impoverished workers lived along this vital artery of Berlin, facing numerous arduous tasks every day. Even though these people supported the prosperity of Berlin, they were still contemptuously referred to as "parasites" by the noble lords.

People in the upper class will never understand the struggles of the lower class. They won't know why workers would stage a major strike to fight for an hour or two of rest, or why they would resort to violence or even clash with the police if their demands for a pay rise were not met.

Of course, they wouldn't know, nor would they want to know, what meaning it would have for them to care about these things. They would be more interested in organizing a horse race. Lowly, rude, irritable—these are the stereotypes they use to describe workers, and they can spew out a string of words from their noble mouths.

A gust of cold wind blew by, and Goebbels instinctively shrank his head, put his hat back on, and looked at the busy street. Goebbels' memory seemed to return to two years ago, also in winter, when he met Thorne and began a new journey.

At least now he's not fighting alone. Before, facing so many problems alone, even with his best efforts, he still felt somewhat overwhelmed.

Things are different now. More and more like-minded people are joining in, and he feels that his current struggles are becoming more and more meaningful.

Come to think of it, didn't Adolf write his autobiography in the tavern when he had free time? Well, that's not entirely accurate; Adolf was writing their story.

"Our Struggle"—the title sounds quite interesting. Goebbels once jokingly said that if they failed, would their autobiography have been written in vain? Adolf replied with a relaxed expression that even if they failed, their autobiography would inspire more people to stand up.

This statement left a deep impression on Goebbels. Even if they failed, it would be good if people remembered them. At least it would let future generations know that there was a group of people who had fought. Since Adolf was writing a book, Goebbels certainly couldn't be idle. He had also obtained a doctorate at the university, so he naturally had to show off his skills.

Adolf wrote the book so that people would remember them and that it would inspire more people to rise up in rebellion. Since people were going to rise up in rebellion, they would certainly need theoretical guidance. This is what Goebbels needed to do: leave a reference document for future generations to help them analyze the situation correctly.

"Analysis of the German Social Classes" is what Goebbels has been busy with recently. Through visits and research, he analyzed the situation of various social classes in Germany, hoping to provide a reference for future generations and help them carry out their revolution.

Having visited the area several times, Goebbels had become quite familiar with it. After this period of investigation and analysis, he discovered that the revised German Work Law, which supposedly increased the weekly rest time, was a lie and merely a smokescreen to quell the workers' discontent.

In reality, the weekly working hours remain virtually unchanged. This law is essentially a formality, merely used to illustrate the government's attitude, with no concern for its implementation. Workers have to make up for this so-called rest time every week, sometimes making their lives even more miserable.

At this time of day, most workers have already gone to work, so these residential areas appear rather deserted. Unlike the tall buildings in downtown Berlin, which is the pride of the empire, the buildings here are very low, and the mottled bricks seem to tell stories from decades ago.

The streets were full of potholes, clearly having not been maintained for a long time. Goebbels even doubted whether vehicles could pass through them. Low houses were surrounded by fences, and children played in this small world inside the fences. Slightly older children gathered on the roadside. Anyway, no cars passed by, so there was no danger. At most, only a few bicycles would pass by.

The various scenes here seem out of place in the bustling city of Berlin. Goebbels's work is a report on the various classes, and of course, he analyzes each class. The expenses of the upper class who frequent high-end places in one night may be the annual expenditure of a working-class family.

After Germany's golden age of economic prosperity, the problem of income inequality has become increasingly serious. The average gap is no longer dozens of times, but has reached hundreds of times, and it is developing in the direction of the poor getting poorer and the rich getting richer. If this trend is allowed to continue, it will have very serious consequences.

As he was pondering these questions, a small ball rolled to Goebbels' side and stopped after hitting his shoe.

"Hey sir, can you throw the ball over here?" the boy called from afar.

"of course can."

Looking at the boy in the distance, Goebbels picked up the small ball from the ground and threw it to him. These children shouldn't have to live in such a place their whole lives, in such a dirty place where their lives are insecure. He wanted to change this situation.

Raising his camera, Goebbels stood at a distance and took a picture of the boys, hoping that the next time they smiled, the background wouldn't be that dilapidated house.

“Dr. Goebbels, a letter from Frankfurt.”

Upon returning, the Stasi handed a letter to Goebbels.

"For me?"

Upon receiving the letter, which came from Frankfurt, one wondered if His Highness Thorne had given him new instructions to complete in Berlin.

Upon opening the envelope, I found only a short sentence inside.

"Dr. Goebbels, please depart for Frankfurt immediately. The Party needs you."

237. Gun barrel

"Comrade Thorne, your speech this morning was really helpful to us. It opened another window for us. With your participation, I believe that the victory across the country will be very quick."

Thorne's speech at the morning meeting provided many of the top leaders of the Communist Party of Germany with a great deal of inspiration. These suggestions were very helpful for the upcoming struggle, so the Central Committee members of the Communist Party of Germany had a particularly high opinion of Thorne.

After this speech, everyone affirmed Thorne's abilities. The Central Committee will probably hold a meeting to discuss it after they return. Currently, Thorne only holds the title of the Communist Party of Germany and does not hold any official position within the party.

This person is capable, and he voluntarily joined the Communist Party of Germany from the royal family. He also supports the party's activities very much. It would be unreasonable not to give him a position.

"The current situation is very unfavorable to our party, which is why I came up with these solutions."

There are many reasons for the failure of the Communist Party of Germany in history, such as a lack of unity and excessive naivety. These problems are also reflected in the Communist Party of Germany in this era. However, perhaps due to the French Revolution, the Communist Party of Germany has also made some references, so the problems are not too serious. With some direction pointed out, it can still move forward.

I was worried that my suggestions on stage might not be adopted because of my background and experience, but to my surprise, they were all unanimously approved by the delegates at the meeting.

At the meeting, Thorne's "Cold War theory" and "color revolution theory" were affirmed by the committee members and representatives. Thorne's Cold War theory can be said to be the best explanation of the current international environment. With this set of scientific theoretical analysis, the German Communist Party will have a basis and reference when making decisions.

The theory of color revolutions is even more formidable. Such a powerful weapon, once implemented, could inflict devastating damage on the German Emperor. Relying on this theory, the German Communist Party was able to export its ideology for a long time, causing chaos in the Emperor's inner circle.

Thorne's speech during the day did indeed greatly help the Communist Party of Germany (CPD), and Thorne's reputation also rose significantly at the conference. However, that alone was not enough. The CPD still had a long way to go, so many future plans were still needed. This was why Thälmann was still awake late at night; he wanted to continue planning the CPD's various policies with Thorne.

"Comrade Thälmann, what do you think the German Communist Party is still lacking if it wants to truly develop?"

Thorne rubbed his dry eyes and opened the window. The cold wind blew in from outside, which cleared his groggy head considerably.

"What's missing? There's a lot missing."

Thälmann sighed. The current German Communist Party was far too passive in Germany, which was located in the heart of imperialism. Looking at other communist parties, they all basically had armed forces and were waging guerrilla warfare against the government.

The Communist Party of the United States is probably the best-developed communist force outside of France. It has directly occupied the Great Lakes industrial region, has its own armed forces, and boasts one of the largest numbers of party members. The vast majority of workers who participate in labor unions have joined the Communist Party of the United States.

Aside from the Communist Party of the United States, the Communist Party of China (CPC) is probably the best-performing party in this period. The Comintern is very concerned about the development of the CPC. The armed forces under the CPC's control are probably the strongest outside of the three socialist countries of Britain, France, and Italy, and are also probably the largest in number outside of these three countries.

Thälmann greatly admired the development of these communist parties. Their founding dates were later than those of the Communist Party of Germany (CPD), yet they were able to achieve so much in a short period of time. In the first few years after its founding, the CPD was basically fighting with the Social Democratic Party (SPD) and did not actually develop. In this respect, the CPD even started later than these parties.

The Party's meetings a few years ago reflected on these mistakes and conducted serious summaries, which led to a slightly better situation in recent years. However, development has certainly slowed down considerably because of those events.

"You have to make up for what you lack. It's not too late now, and you can still make up for the mistakes you made before." Thorne also heard about some of the things that had happened before after he transmigrated.

The Communist Party of Germany was founded by Karl Liebknecht and Rosa Luxemburg. Later, due to a misjudgment of the situation and the rise of radicals within the party, Karl Liebknecht and Rosa Luxemburg resigned from their party positions. Perhaps because of Germany's victory in World War I, the movement of the German working class was not as intense as it had been in history.

In the early stages of the war after the victory in World War I, Germany appeased various classes to varying degrees and provided workers with certain benefits. This made the workers' fighting spirit less intense than in the past. Perhaps for this reason, the Hamburg Uprising and many other riots did not occur.

In the original history, the German Communist Party launched many uprisings of varying degrees, but the results were similar, with almost all of them failing. In this timeline, Germany's economy improved significantly due to its victory in World War I, so there were not as many large-scale uprisings.

The victory in World War I and the temporary low ebb of the workers' movement caused the far-left leaders within the party to lose power, and most of them were subsequently purged from the Communist Party of Germany. It was at the subsequent meeting that Thälmann was elected chairman of the party.

Because the current situation is not suitable for armed uprisings, the German Communist Party's policies are relatively moderate and there is no further provocation of the government. For example, their current direct goal is to improve the living conditions of the working class and raise their political status as much as possible.

They prioritized this more moderate political viewpoint as their primary goal, rather than directly proposing the establishment of a proletarian dictatorship. In order to ensure long-term development, the activities of the German Communist Party were somewhat constrained, and they dared not act freely.

A prime example is the 1926 conference of the Communist Party of Germany, where the movement to launch and lead a popular movement to confiscate aristocratic property without compensation was rejected in order to avoid provoking the government and thus retain the few seats in parliament that were essentially just there to make up the numbers.

According to Thorne, these policies were adopted simply because the Communist Party of Germany (CPD) was too weak and had no choice but to compromise with the government. However, the CPD is now gradually showing signs of improvement.

When the economic crisis broke out, all of Germany's problems were exposed at once. At that time, the Communist Party of Germany should have a golden period of development. In fact, even if Thorne had not traveled through time, the rise of the Communist Party of Germany was only a matter of time. All he had to do was accelerate the pace of this rise.

As the great man said, political power grows out of the barrel of a gun. At this stage, the German Communist Party cannot openly engage in armed conflict. However, why not use what is readily available? A few more wicked ideas popped into Thorne's mind.

238. To persuade the military

Which branch of the military was the most revolutionary during this period? The answer to this question is probably clear to everyone.

Looking back at history, in the turbulent modern era, armed uprisings were almost commonplace. Workers' uprisings and peasant uprisings were also frequent occurrences. These uprisings were understandable; if they couldn't survive, they would definitely have to make revolution, otherwise, would they just wait to starve to death?

However, there is another type of uprising: military uprisings. This may be hard to understand. Logically speaking, the military is a violent institution that maintains the rule and order of the country. How could it then carry out a revolution to overthrow the government?

In modern military uprisings, the navy is probably the most frequently mentioned. In modern revolutions, the navy is also a common participant. In this historical context, Russia was still brought about by the first shot of the Aurora, which led to the October Revolution.

In France, the Le Havre naval uprising sparked the Second French Revolution. Even in this world's British Revolution, the navy fired the first shot. The Portsmouth mutiny ignited the British Revolution, with the Royal Navy participating in the revolution. This was something Thorne hadn't expected. There was no Royal Army to begin with, and now the navy was getting involved too. Thorne wondered why George V, who was in exile in Canada, didn't remove the title of Royal Navy. Was he afraid of losing face?

The navy has always played an important role in revolutions. Unlike the army, where anyone can be picked up from the street, trained for a few days, and then taken to the battlefield with a gun, the navy has certain requirements for quality and education. This makes the navy more open than the army and more receptive to new ideas than the traditional army.

Thorne remembered hearing a story before that after the German sailors mutinied, the British government did not allow the German submariners docked in British ports to go ashore, let alone communicate with anyone.

Even the daily food purchases were written on slips of paper and handed to designated people, who delivered them every day. No communication was allowed during this time, for fear that revolutionary ideas would spread from these people to Britain.

In this timeline, Germany's victory in World War I makes it seem as if the Kiel Mutiny never happened in history. The Kiel Mutiny of 1918 can be considered the final straw that broke the back of the German Empire.

Sailors took to the streets to protest, triggering a series of chain reactions. Workers also took to the streets to strike, which led to the famous November Uprising. Armed uprisings broke out in major cities across the country, and Soviets of Workers' and Soldiers' Deputies were established. The Kiel sailors' uprising contributed to the November Uprising, forcing Germany to stop the war and declare an armistice. It also catalyzed the birth of the Communist Party of Germany.

Although the Kiel mutiny did not occur in this historical timeline, it doesn't mean it can't be replicated. When Germany experiences an economic crisis, the scenario will likely be similar to that after the defeat in World War I. Thorne will have to make good use of the navy's excellent traditions.

“Our party cannot openly organize armed forces yet, but we can use what we already have.” Thorne smiled at Thaler, and Thaler knew from Thorne’s expression that he must have some ideas.

"Use what's readily available? Comrade Thorne, what are your thoughts?"

"Comrade Thallman, could you analyze what the revolutions in Russia, France, and England had in common?"

"Common ground?" Thallman thought for a moment. If you were to go into detail about these common grounds, there would be too many to list. "I wonder what kind of common ground Comrade Thorne is referring to?"

"In terms of the military, which armies participated in the revolutions of the three countries?"

"The revolutions in all three countries involved the navy."

Upon hearing Thorne's words, Thälmann immediately realized that the navy had played a role to some extent in the revolutions of all three countries. Was Thorne implying that the German revolution would also rely on the navy?

“The Navy is different from the Army. Due to the special nature of this branch of the military, the Navy generally has a higher level of education and is more receptive to new ideas. So we can try to win them over and get them to help our revolution.”

"Winning over the navy? Us?"

Thallman found this audacious idea somewhat fanciful. Even if these people were highly educated and of higher quality, making them more receptive to new ideas, was directly recruiting them into a revolution...?

"I certainly don't mean trying to win over those naval officers, or trying to incite a few officers to riot. What we want to win over is the vast majority of sailors, to win them over, and to get these people to accept our ideas."

Thorne certainly wouldn't just try to win over a few high-ranking naval officers and get them to stage an uprising or revolution. That would be too risky, with all sorts of random events that could happen, making it too unpredictable. What Thorne wanted to do was awaken the rank-and-file sailors, to awaken their minds, and to get them to spontaneously develop a revolutionary consciousness from their hearts.

In this way, when the time is right, without saying much, these people will take action on their own initiative. When they cooperate with the leadership of the Communist Party of Germany, they can form a formidable fighting force.

Back in the day, weren't the most formidable fighters on the battlefield the elite troops in their sailor uniforms? When sailors fight on land, these trained sailors are no less capable than hastily assembled militia. If their minds can be awakened, then the Kaiser's navy will be the vanguard of revolution.

Imagine the sight of elite soldiers in sailor uniforms charging forward with red flags – it would terrify Wilhelm II.

"The navy is easier to work with than the army, and it also has many natural advantages in the revolution compared to the air force. Win these people over, and they will become our vanguard in the next revolution."

"Germany's naval ports are also in the north, which will allow them to form a pincer movement with our troops, encircling Berlin in a crescent shape and leaving Wilhelm nowhere to escape."

"This task is very important. It will give us a powerful ally in the later stages of the battle. Therefore, we need a reliable comrade to lead the work. Heydrich is from the navy and is now working for the Gestapo. It is obviously very suitable for him to guide the German Navy."

"However, Heydrich is still too young. We need a reliable veteran to take charge of this work. Comrade Thallmann, do you have any suitable candidates?"

Although Heydrich is capable, he is too young and overconfident. Furthermore, he is not yet a member of the Communist Party of Germany. If he were to take charge alone, things might go wrong. He would need a senior party member with extensive experience to guide him.

“I think Comrade Piqué is very suitable. He is a veteran member of our Party and also a member of the Central Committee. He has worked in the Politburo for a long time. He is currently in charge of work in Prussia. It is very appropriate to entrust such an important task to this veteran Party member.”

After a moment's thought, Thälmann suggested a suitable candidate: Piqué was senior enough, had extensive political experience, and was responsible for party work in the Prussian region, so he was familiar with the situation there.

It would be very appropriate to have him guide Heydrich's work.

239. Planning the founding of the Party

About half a year later, Thorne returned to Darmstadt. It can be said that when he traveled back in time, the two things that impressed him the most were the battlefields of Poland and Darmstadt.

The Polish battlefield left Thorne with the deepest impression of life and death, allowing him to experience the cruelty of the battlefield immediately after his transmigration. If Thorne enjoyed the thrill of shooting games before his transmigration, after experiencing the battlefield, he probably would never touch such games again in his life.

The sound of bullets whizzing around him, the pounding of his own heart, and the Polish soldier he had stabbed to death—these scenes often appeared in Thorne's dreams.

I only spent less than five hours on the battlefield myself, and I already have this kind of trauma. It's no wonder that veterans on the battlefield suffer from PTSD.

Therefore, Thorne is trying his best to avoid conflicts with other countries. When going to the battlefield, he wants to minimize casualties and end things as quickly as possible. Thorne is currently overseeing a comprehensive upgrade of the kingdom's military equipment, and he will try to avoid war until the upgrade is completed.

The Battle of Warsaw taught Thorne what war was, while the situation in Darmstadt made him realize what real society was, what real life at the bottom was like, and just how corrupt a society could become.