German Red Prince

Page 170

374. Speer Building

The reversal came swiftly. Following Hess's last speech, the Kingdom of Rhine gradually relaxed its border restrictions, allowing anyone who met the requirements to live in the Kingdom of Rhine.

In an instant, countless Germans rushed to the Rhineland border to register. Everyone could see that life in the Kingdom of the Rhine was now like two different worlds; they were still maintaining the prosperity they had before their collapse.

Although border checks have been relaxed, one restriction remains unchanged: if people violate the laws of the Kingdom of the Rhine, they will be deported from afar. The sudden influx of people needs to be absorbed, and the conflict between the Rhine people and these "outsiders" must be handled.

In these difficult times of economic hardship, any spark can ignite conflict. Thorne certainly won't consolidate his rule like Hess did by inciting hatred and conflict.

Instead, he needed to unite the Germans who were coming to the Rhine from all over the world. The more people who came, the greater his advantage would be, proving that the unification of Germany was the will of the people.

The resettlement of these people is a major problem. Thorne had thought about this issue long ago. Before the economic crisis broke out, Thorne began the construction of prefabricated houses. These houses can be built quickly and are very cheap. The key is that they can provide a very good place to shelter from the wind and rain. If a civil war breaks out in Germany in the future, these houses will be a very good choice if the country wants to rebuild its infrastructure in a short period of time.

The Khrushchev and Brezhnev buildings from the Soviet era are very suitable for reconstruction work during wartime, and they can be used as practice materials now. Thorne has been exploring the localization of the Khrushchev and Brezhnev buildings, and has hired a large number of architectural and art experts for this purpose.

Soon a young architect stood out. Speer, who was only in his twenties, quickly took over the massive project. His talent impressed many veteran architects. Thorne subsequently appointed him as the chief architect, and Speer continued to work on the huge project.

Comfort, affordability, and good privacy were the basic requirements stated by Thorne and Speer. After adjustments and improvements by this brilliant architect, the current "Speer House" in the Kingdom of the Rhine offers better comfort and privacy compared to Soviet-style houses, representing a significant step forward from the path laid by their predecessors.

The construction of these buildings also requires a lot of manpower and time. Fortunately, these jobs can be provided to ordinary people who have just arrived in the Rhineland and are penniless. Thorne also understands the principle of work relief. As for infrastructure construction, it goes without saying that any time, any country, any ideology, and any form of ideology will engage in infrastructure construction during economic crises, economic depressions, and periods of low employment.

Large-scale infrastructure projects are necessary during economic crises to boost employment, enhance people's purchasing power, drive the development of various industries, and solve the problem of overcapacity.

Public works projects such as the "Franco-German border defense project," the "highway project," and the "Rhine Railway" require a large workforce and can provide a huge number of jobs. The Kingdom of the Rhine now has the capability to organize these projects, so it naturally won't miss out.

However, in order to absorb the huge population, Thorne also did one thing: expand the army and add these foreign people into the army. In this era, joining the army was a good idea. Although the enthusiasm for militarism had dissipated, it still had influence in Germany. Besides, the army had food, clothing and welfare, which was better than begging on the street, right?

Because Fährmann's wife's relatives worked in the Rhine, they were able to enter the Kingdom of the Rhine without any problems and were also assigned housing without any problems.

Fährmann's wife's relative worked in the government and was also a member of the Socialist Labor Party. In order to expand the party's support, the Socialist Labor Party and the Communist Party of Germany did a lot during the depression. The Communist Party of Germany's trade unions were established at the grassroots level to recruit workers, while the Socialist Labor Party was responsible for grassroots relief and management. The two parties cooperated with each other to increase their influence.

The Fellman family was assigned to one of the first buildings completed, the "Speer Building." The 50-square-meter apartment was neither too big nor too small, but it was certainly enough for the family of three. These apartments were not for sale but were provided for rent. For economic reasons, no fees were required for the first month. The kingdom would arrange jobs for these people, and fees would be charged once their employment was stable.

Because Fährmann was a skilled worker before, after registering his identity, he was not sent to construction sites of major infrastructure projects like others, but instead went to work in a machine factory. After registering with the trade union under the leadership of the Communist Party of Germany, Fährmann became a formal worker in the Rhineland.

This period of work also turned Fährmann into a "Rhineland fanatic," and at the same time, it taught him a lot. The Rhineland was not as Hess had previously claimed. After spending some time together, he found that the Rhinelanders were not xenophobic, and there were posters and slogans like "Help our German brothers" posted everywhere.

Hess initially said that the economic crisis in Germany was caused by the isolation of the two kingdoms, but after living there for a while, Feuermann realized that if the Kingdom of the Rhine and Bavaria did not maintain a certain degree of independence, the crisis would be even more serious, and then the whole of Germany would have nowhere to go.

Although the Rhineland provided some economic protection, it was not as ruthless towards the Germans as Hess described. Not long ago, the Rhineland government even provided funds to help Prussia recover its economy. Now, there are rumors that this economic crisis is a conspiracy, a conspiracy by the Kingdom of the Rhineland to deal with Germany, otherwise why could they recover so quickly?

The saying goes, "Those involved are often confused, while bystanders see things clearly." Many people in Prussia believed this explanation, but Feuermann, who lived in the Rhineland, knew it was utter nonsense. The root of the crisis was the government's lack of regulation of the financial industry, leading to a series of chain reactions after the stock market crash.

The Kingdom of the Rhine had long ago made great efforts to reform the financial industry. The Kingdom had also reminded the Empire, but at that time, the whole of Germany was obsessed with making money in the financial industry, and obviously no one paid attention to the Kingdom's advice. This can only be described as good advice being useless to those who are destined to die. They didn't listen to the warnings before, and now that something has gone wrong, they are blaming others, as if they have no problems at all.

Moreover, those who went to other kingdoms were portrayed as "traitors," abandoning their compatriots who had shared hardships and fleeing ahead of time. This propaganda was practically a purification. After reading these reports from Prussia, Fellman had no intention of returning. He had previously thought the National Party was good, but now it seemed to be all lies.

As for the National Party, due to the need for purification, its supporters are becoming increasingly supportive, while its opponents are naturally becoming utterly opposed. However, the opponents are mostly no longer within Prussia, meaning that most Prussians now strongly support the National Party, partly because they are misled by its rhetoric, and partly because of Prussia's increasingly deteriorating economy.

Unlike the Schacht in the defeated German timeline, this Schacht did not revive the German economy. On the contrary, his intervention caused the German economy to deteriorate further, and the Prussian populace's anti-government sentiment had evolved into anti-Emperor sentiment.

Why is Germany's economy in such a bad state? Because Kaiser Wilhelm dismissed Tirpitz and promoted the incompetent Vestap. Most people believe that Tirpitz's retirement was inextricably linked to Kaiser Wilhelm, who must have forced him to retire. Of course, the National Party's instigation also played a significant role. The rising populism of today is no longer something a monarchy can withstand. With just a small incident, Wilhelm might lose his throne.

Now, Prussia alone can no longer solve the economic problems. Wilhelm is now aware of the seriousness of the problem, so the Three Kings Conference was once again put on the agenda. In order to solve Germany's economic problems, Wilhelm II invited the kings of the other two kingdoms to Berlin to discuss solutions.

This has given the National Party an opportunity to make its move. East Prussia has now made contact. Although Hess has his own ulterior motives, Ludendorff's army is key to the future civil war, and cooperation is the most important thing right now.

The East Prussian army was ready to go, and the internal arrangements of the Prussian army were also in place. This conference would be the last Three Kings Conference, and Germany would only have one victor in the future.

375. From Beggar to Prime Minister

In the months since the Berlin economic crisis broke out, it seems like nothing has happened, yet it also seems like everything has happened. The world situation appears peaceful, but undercurrents are already surging.

To guard against a surprise attack by the French Commune, the Kingdom of the Rhine has now amassed more than half of its troops on the border. In preparation for the crisis, the Kingdom of the Rhine has carried out large-scale war preparations. Since war is inevitable anyway, it might as well send people in as soon as possible.

The partially mobilized Kingdom of the Rhine has now expanded to nearly 500,000 troops. This expansion to 500,000 troops in a short period of time does not include the reserve second-line troops and the defense forces already stationed on the Franco-German border. These troops are sufficient to deal with the civil war at this stage.

Moreover, the Kingdom's new-style army was far larger than that of Prussia and Bavaria. The civil war needed to be resolved quickly, so Thorne and his men secretly devised a plan. In the process of planning, they discovered that the biggest variable was actually the Kingdom of Bavaria.

The Kingdom of Bavaria has always been flirting with the Austro-Hungarian Empire. When the civil war breaks out and the Kingdom of the Rhine and Prussia are fighting with all their might, not to mention whether Bavaria will stab them in the back, if the situation turns bad, they might suddenly secede. If they want to intervene then, it will not be easy.

If Bavaria were to declare independence, even if the German Reich Anti-Secession Law ruled it illegal and allowed the use of force, the law still speaks through force. Germany suffering heavy losses in a civil war would be something all European countries would be happy to see.

An independent Bavaria could be wooed into Austria-Hungary. Although Austria-Hungary was a crippled power, it still had strength, and there was no guarantee that it would abandon dealing with the Balkans and try to carve out a large piece of the German territory. If it succeeded, Austria-Hungary would have achieved a major strategic victory.

After fighting for German legitimacy for so long, taking Bavaria from Germany would be a huge win. It would also solve domestic problems, and Austria-Hungary could really become a huge threat to Germany in the south. Moreover, if something happens in Bavaria, the civil war will inevitably be prolonged. Although France's focus is on the Iberian Peninsula, it doesn't stop them from getting involved.

Therefore, Guderian's tactics were modified to some extent. As long as war broke out, the Rhine Kingdom's army had to quickly advance to Bavaria and then encircle Prussia. So now the main direction of the Rhine Kingdom's reinforcements was actually towards Bavaria.

The Bavarian army was neither particularly strong nor weak. It contributed a lot during the war, but it didn't have many outstanding achievements. The Bavarian region was relatively conservative, and the people there generally stayed at home and lived their own lives. However, if someone were to go to war with Bavaria, they would have to give a reason, right? It couldn't just be because they didn't like you.

The most troublesome situation is if Bavaria maintains a neutral stance in the civil war. You have no reason to attack them, and a war without any justification will have a very negative impact on the future regime. This is truly a headache.

However, a plan had been devised. Wilhelm II was now inviting the King of the Rhineland and the King of Bavaria to Berlin, ostensibly to reaffirm the great friendship between the three kingdoms, but the real reason was clear to everyone: to help his brother out of respect for the Empire.

Prussia's economy is currently in dire straits, with almost all the damage being absorbed by the country. To mitigate risks, Prussia has resorted to ruthlessly exploiting Eastern European nations, leading to a surge in popular opposition in these countries. This is partly due to the previous color revolutions. In any case, guerrilla resistance forces are now surging in Eastern Europe, with red guerrilla groups everywhere. The old Bolsheviks have also become active, establishing party organizations in various regions.

Eastern Europe is at risk of spiraling out of control at any time. If Prussia loses Eastern Europe, its economy will inevitably suffer even more. Domestic cooperation is now imperative; it cannot sit idly by and wait for its demise.

The kingdom needed to maintain a semblance of unity, and the two kings agreed to go to Berlin. Thorne also needed to check on Adolf's situation, so he went along as well. He wasn't sure how long he would stay in Berlin, but at least he could get an idea of ​​the current situation.

The restaurant I was running in the Berlin area has closed down. It's become too big for its own good, and there's a lot of hostility between the Prussian people towards the two kingdoms. This place was originally a secret intelligence gathering spot, and there were people causing trouble every few days. It's obvious that I can't use this place as a base anymore.

Anyway, there are plenty of places to stay in the Berlin area, so they can continue to live by changing places. However, this is a hardship for Himmler and Ribbentrop. This economic crisis has caused them heavy losses. The two of them lost all their principal and interest, and even sold their factory. Now they can only work as assistants for Adolf and "wash their faces in tears" every day.

Adolf can directly command the Gestapo and the Stasi in Berlin. Thorne also learned some things. After these few months of economic crisis, the National Party has become much stronger and can be said to be the only dominant party in Prussian politics. The Conservative Party can no longer control the National Party's power.

Especially in the Prussian populist regions, the National Party has strong financial backing, giving it a very high level of support among the people. Due to Vestager's poor performance, he has now been effectively abandoned by the Kaiser.

William has appointed Hess, who currently enjoys the highest approval rating, as the Prime Minister of the Kingdom, to govern Prussia. According to past practice, the Prime Minister of the Kingdom of Prussia usually also serves as the Imperial Chancellor. However, William does not trust Vestap at all. Without the power of the Prime Minister of the Kingdom, the Imperial Chancellor is just an empty shell.

The real power in Prussia was already in Hess's hands. It's hard to imagine how much determination William had to make to appoint Hess as prime minister. Putting aside the position of national representative, Hess didn't have any noble status. He wasn't a nobleman, but just came from an ordinary merchant family. It's amazing that William's stubborn temper would allow such a "grassroots" person to come to power.

However, Hess did bring some positive effects to society after taking office. After becoming prime minister, he gave a speech in which he openly revealed his identity as a beggar to prime minister, and his speech caused a huge sensation.

Hess's methods were far more sophisticated than those of the nobles. Having worked his way up from the bottom for so long, he naturally knew what ordinary people liked to hear and how to do it. The banner of Wilhelm II allowed him to unite the nobles, while his own status allowed him to unite the grassroots. In this way, all classes in Germany were united on his side.

Wilhelm II was effectively an "offline monarchy," though he was unaware of it. For instance, Hess had been secretly contacting Crown Prince Wilhelm III and had already expressed his support. The old man should step down.

William's health is poor. If something were to happen to him now, he could either keep his death a secret or directly support William III, and the army would pledge allegiance again. With Hess's full support for William III, he would naturally indirectly control the Prussian army.

Listening to Adolf's description, Thorne realized the seriousness of the problem. It was like putting a bomb on a fire. Hess had become the person in power behind Prussia, and this trip to Berlin was obviously full of danger.

Thorne gave Adolf a simple order: mobilize all forces in Berlin and be ready to act at any time. War was not far off. Thorne was now quite certain that what followed this meeting would not be peace, but a full-blown war.

376. The Old Times

William is now aging just like the empire. With the Three Kings Conference being held in Berlin this time, William is no longer as triumphant as he was during the last Polish campaign. The economic crisis has caused the empire to fall apart internally, and he can only try to minimize the losses.

Wilhelm II was accompanied to the meeting by Vestape, as he was the Imperial Chancellor and could only handle these trivial matters. Hess, the Prussian Prime Minister, did not attend because he had a very important task to do: to appease the people.

This is the most difficult time for Prussia, but also a rare opportunity. Hess's approval rating in Prussia is now second only to Bissmann and Tirpitz, and he has even overshadowed these two imperial chancellors.

“I come from you, I am one of you, and like most people in Germany, I am a very ordinary person. I have no illustrious background, no enviable talent. Ten years ago, during the great war, I joined the German army and fought against the French and Russians.”

"On the battlefield, I didn't have any remarkable achievements. I was seriously wounded twice, and it wasn't until the end of the war that I was promoted to reserve lieutenant. But someone like me has now become the Prime Minister of Prussia. I am not a general, not a marshal, and not a nobleman. I am just one of millions of ordinary Germans. But today, I, one of the people, have become the Prime Minister!"

"I come from you, so I will lead you out of this predicament. Like all Germans, I am filled with love for my homeland and my nation. I was seriously wounded twice for the Reich, but I also received the honor I deserved—the Iron Cross of the Reich! This is the Reich's answer to me. The crown will not fall, and the Reich will surely rise again with the support of the people! This is my promise!"

This is what Hess said to all the Prussians. Unlike many successful people who deliberately conceal their past identities after achieving fame and success, he directly told everyone that he was just an ordinary person before. There were no extraordinary events in his life. He said that if he could get to where he is today, others can too.

The effect of this speech was also very obvious. It is no exaggeration to say that this "Prime Minister's Speech" of Prussia was much more effective than the "King's Speech" of the Kingdom of the Rhine. Hess's persona is now very much to our liking.

A first-ever commoner prime minister, a prime minister who truly rose from the bottom, and Hess also vigorously promoted his past, exaggerating it in a series of ways, but all in a negative way. In his description, his past was incredibly dark.

His family went bankrupt, leaving him homeless. He lived abroad until he was fifteen, in Cairo. He wasn't even very fluent in German at the time because his family was bankrupt and he had to eat.

This series of exaggerated propaganda was deliberately created with a very strong purpose. His family was not actually that bad; they were well-off, and his father was a well-known businessman. Although their life in Cairo was not that good, it was still above average. However, who would investigate these things? No one cared about the truth; they just believed what they believed.

These publicity campaigns were designed to create his "from beggar to prime minister" persona. The stark contrast naturally attracted a lot of interest, and major newspapers also used this as a selling point to promote it extensively. That's how his fame spread.

Thorne listened to Adolf's description at the time. He even looked at Adolf sitting to the side. Why did Hess's experience feel so familiar? Whose true teachings did he receive?

In short, Hess is currently enjoying very high approval ratings in Germany, and his brilliance has even overshadowed Wilhelm II. As the saying goes, when people have tempers, there will naturally be targets, and Wilhelm II is the first to bear the brunt. If he hadn't forced Tirpitz to retire and appointed the incompetent Vestap, would we be facing this crisis today?

However, Hess himself always showed great respect for Wilhelm II and praised him on various occasions, which made Wilhelm II feel that everything was under control. As he got older, he became more and more confused. He did not realize that he had been completely sidelined by Hess, or that he simply looked down on this prime minister who came from a commoner background.

Hess made the most of his position as prime minister, lobbying major economic figures in Prussia and promising them various benefits. Thanks to their support, Prussia's economy did indeed show signs of improvement. However, Hess's motives were certainly not as simple as others might think.

In the political arena, Hess has already gained an absolute advantage. All that remains is the military. Prussia cannot completely resolve the issue with its current actions alone; it will inevitably collapse sooner or later. There is only one way to completely resolve the issue: to unify Germany and use the resources of the other two kingdoms to revitalize Prussia. If this is the case, war will be inevitable. However, what Hess truly desires is a complete and thorough war.

Wilhelm II did not see through Hess's thoughts. Even this shrewd man had his moments of confusion. The Prussian Guards Division, which was under the command of Schulteheim, had been transferred to Berlin to take charge of garrison duties. This Guards Division had actually been taken over by the National Party. The transfer to Berlin was for better future operations.

Hess had been secretly in contact with William III, supporting him both openly and covertly. Now that the army was loyal to William III, Hess was difficult to control, so the solution was to address the problem at its root by replacing the emperor with a different one.

Wilhelm II was very proud. Although Tirpitz was retired, he could have easily invited him back. However, if he did that, it would confirm that his decision to retire Tirpitz was a mistake, which would be tantamount to slapping him in the face. He would not have the face to ask Tirpitz to come back.

Unsurprisingly, this Three Kings Conference was similar to all the previous ones, with no substantial progress made. Everyone was vague about the key issues, and the problems were not fundamentally resolved. Just at the end of the Three Kings Conference, another very bad news came from Prussia.

On a very peaceful morning, German Imperial Navy Grand Admiral Tirpitz, the father of the German Ocean Fleet, Prussian Chancellor and Imperial Chancellor, died at his estate at the age of eighty.

This made the already depressed Germany even more sorrowful, as the evidence of the Golden Age was gradually disappearing. Tirpitz was highly regarded by both commoners and nobles, and not only in Prussia, but also in the other two kingdoms, where his status as Imperial Chancellor was admired.

Tirpitz's death was a tragedy for all of Germany. The news was quickly relayed to Wilhelm II, who remained silent for a long time upon hearing it.

Because of this unexpected situation, Thorne and his group were unable to return immediately. The funeral would be held a few days later, which made Thorne understand what it truly meant to witness history. He witnessed the complete end of an old era.

377. Special Train

Tirpitz's death came as a complete surprise, catching everyone off guard, much like the current economic crisis. The passing of such an elder naturally drew great attention from the Berlin media, and Hess also expressed his condolences for the veteran and hoped that Germany could emerge from its predicament soon.

The funeral was held at Tirpitz's estate, and it was not a large affair, as he had emphasized that everything should be kept simple during his lifetime. Most of the people invited to the funeral were from the navy rather than the political world. As the father of the German Navy, Tirpitz still had a huge influence in the navy.

Besides those who were invited, there were also people who came on their own. These people who came on their own carried much more weight, so although the scale was not large, the influence was definitely significant.

The King of the Rhine and the King of Bavaria both attended the funeral to mourn the prime minister, but William III was absent this time, just as he had been absent from Bissmann's funeral decades earlier. William II did not attend the funeral to mourn the old man who had helped him seize power. After hearing the news of Tirpitz's death, William II hesitated at the time, but ultimately did not go. At this funeral, only Crown Prince William was allowed to attend to pay his respects.

Thorne could only sigh at the chancellor's contributions to Germany, which were evident to all. Thorne was also relieved that at least the old man did not live to see the collapse of the German Empire; perhaps he already knew everything that followed.

There was a reason why Wilhelm II didn't go: his health wasn't good either. Ever since he had fainted once, his health had been deteriorating. These days, so many things had happened, which had dealt him a heavy blow. He was finding it difficult to handle so many things on his own, and he had to delegate many of them to others.

Wilhelm II felt increasingly powerless. He stood up unsteadily and glanced at the enormous palace.

"Call William over..."

These were the last words Wilhelm II spoke before he fell into a coma.

The news was immediately blocked. This time, William's condition was worse than ever before. The doctor who came to examine him was trembling. William II's condition was extremely dangerous.

The more difficult the times, the more troubles arise. We just lost an imperial chancellor, and now we've lost an emperor. Does God really like the Germans that much?

Spreading the news rashly would surely cause a commotion, so apart from the top few people, no one knew what was happening in the palace. They were pawns in the whole game, while the players had already begun to make their moves.

Schulteheim's Guards Division reinforced the defenses of the Berlin area, and in addition to them, many other garrison troops were brought in. These troops were also supporters of the National Party. Crown Prince Wilhelm and Hess held secret negotiations for a long time. No one knows what they said, but the two sides must have reached an agreement.

Parliament held a special election, and the National Party won an absolute majority of seats. After rounds of fierce fighting, the Conservative Party's political grand coalition was completely controlled by the National Party, and the entire Parliament was under their control. In other words, apart from the Emperor, the person with the most influence now was Hess.

Then, news was released from within the government that William was unwell, and power was temporarily transferred to Crown Prince William to replace William II. William was indeed unwell and was still in bed. The first thing Crown Prince William did was to dismiss Vestap and send him home, and appoint Hess as the Imperial Chancellor.

"In order for our country to get through this crisis smoothly, we must use urgent and extraordinary measures to solve the problem. We don't have time to argue and bicker. The most important thing is to get Germans back to work as soon as possible and to ensure that the German people have enough to eat."

"Power must be transferred to capable people, and all power must be subject to the central government. In order to resolve this crisis as soon as possible, the whole of Germany must act immediately. This is in the name of the Empire, in the name of the Emperor. Any objection is an objection to the German Empire!"

The National Party is currently at the height of its power, and no one would oppose it. Soon, Parliament passed the Parliamentary Authorization Act, which strongly emphasized the concept of a government, a country, and an emperor.

With ample funds, the National Party operated more freely within the military. Hess did not allow the military to cooperate directly with him, but rather to obey the Crown Prince's orders. After all, at this critical juncture, every day Wilhelm II remained unconscious increased the danger.

Fearing the emergence of another Ludendorff, Wilhelm II consistently suppressed the military after Ludendorff's dictatorship. Therefore, Hess's method of gaining support was exceptionally simple: grant the Wehrmacht power. Initially, Wilhelm disagreed, but they could relax the restrictions. Even if Wilhelm later came to his senses, it would be too late to change the rules.

Most of the military had also sided with Hess, and the opponents were no longer a threat. With the support of the military, political parties, and the government, he already possessed absolute power. Prussia had been dormant for ten years, and everyone seemed to have forgotten what the former premier army in Europe looked like.

Besides the military, civilian support is also crucial in war. Before the war, it is essential to unite the people of the country to secure stable support. In order to further influence the masses, the National Party has also taken action. They are now the largest party in Prussia and have a very high media presence.

During the curfew at night, groups of stormtroopers carrying torches and party flags roamed the streets, singing "The Victor's Laurel" loudly as they went.

You can laugh at the National National Party for being a street party before, but now it has defeated all the established parties and become the biggest winner in this crisis. Its rise to the top of power is not due to luck, but to strength, and the National National Party has that strength.

Taking advantage of Wilhelm II's coma, they seized complete control of Prussia in less than a week, unifying politics, military, and political parties. They successfully divided the army in just three days, allowing their supporters to gain an absolute advantage.

A large number of young officers were promoted, and these officers were mostly fervent advocates of war. Now the situation had reached a point where it was inevitable to act. The Kingdom of the Rhine was also receiving frequent intelligence reports about the frequent troop movements of the Prussian army on the border.

The Kingdom of Rhine expressed strong protest, as this was clearly a provocative act intended to create friction and escalate the situation. Hess was indeed looking for this opportunity, and soon they found it.

Because the kingdom had many affairs to attend to, King Otto and Thorne often traveled to various regions. This time, however, a very serious accident occurred during their trip, so serious that it could potentially cause the kingdom to collapse instantly.

The kingdom's special train has derailed.

378. Derailed