German Red Prince

Page 186

Although Herman spoke very softly, it sounded like a thunderclap to Rudolf. "Yeah, they don't treat us like human beings. Let's just rebel against them. It doesn't matter who we fight for. The other side is still speaking for the lower classes. They naturally know who to support."

410. Rommel, the God of War

"If you want to die, don't drag me down with you. When you're shot, don't let my blood get on you."

Rudolf, upon hearing Hermann's shocking remarks, quickly tried to distance himself. This was terrifying; damn it, this was rebellion! Although Bavaria was already incapable of fighting, and although Bavaria seemed to be on the verge of collapse, you can't be so direct.

"What are you afraid of? What can I do if I say it right here? How many people don't want to? Damn it, they're telling us to sit here on the front lines and wait to die, what about the officers? They've been thinking about running away for a long time. How many officers do you see here? Anyone with even a little bit of connections is thinking about running away."

Hermann took out another cigarette and began to explain in more detail.

"Look at our army, those officers with aristocratic backgrounds, have they shown their faces lately? Aren't they all trying to run away? Have you heard of that Friedrich?"

"Damn it, this guy has a powerful background. He was originally in charge of the Battle of Allen, but guess what? He was transferred away the day before yesterday. Where was he transferred to? He was transferred to the border with Austria-Hungary. That place used to be a tough job, but now I don't know how many people with connections are going there, thinking of running to Austria-Hungary."

"He had just left when Rommel annihilated Arun's garrison the very next day. That unfortunate division commander was killed the day after he arrived. They don't value our lives, so why should we risk our lives for them?"

"They have parents and sons, but don't we? We weren't the ones who started the war. Now look what's happened. They don't solve the problems they caused, but we have to solve them. They ran away. What kind of logic is that? Germans don't fight Germans. That's a tradition that's been passed down since the old days. Prussia is causing trouble, and our king is also acting recklessly. We can't be dragged down with them."

"What are you going to do?"

Rudolf sniffed and began to get agitated as well. He listened to Hermann's words and they made more and more sense. Why should they bear the responsibility for the problems that were exposed by those above? It didn't make any sense.

"The other side is now a republic, speaking to us. Shouldn't we go over there? Why should we die for a monarch who doesn't care about our lives? We should fight for our power. A republic is much better than this so-called kingdom of ours, isn't it?"

"Besides, do you really expect our king to unify Germany? Even if he does, will we be able to live a good life? We're here, and our superiors don't care whether we live or die. We're definitely not the only ones who have grievances. In that case, let's all just surrender."

"Since you put it that way..."

Rudolf also made up his mind. They were no match for Rommel, and there was no way they could hold out. All Germans wanted to end this pointless conflict as soon as possible, so wouldn't their uprising be in line with the will of the people? So there was no need to feel guilty.

......

"Because of the Rhine regime's large-scale offensive, Prussia is temporarily unable to send reinforcements in order to maintain the Hanover defense line. His Majesty Wilhelm is also considering the Bavarian Kingdom's request for reinforcements. Although we cannot provide military assistance to the Bavarian Kingdom for the time being, Prussia will send reinforcements towards Leipzig. Once the Rhine Kingdom launches an attack on Bavaria, we can send reinforcements at any time."

"In short, there is a way if we hold firm. Surely His Majesty is not afraid of Rommel? Rommel was just a captain during the war, while His Majesty is a field marshal of Germany. As fellow German brothers, Prussia will not abandon Bavaria. Bavaria is in the world, God bless us."

Upon reading the reply, Rupprecht's blood pressure soared once again. What the hell! Bavaria didn't want brotherhood now; they wanted aid and an army. Yet Prussia's reply was just a firm defense and they could get things done. What did that mean?

Prussia's letter may have been motivated by a desire to see Bavaria make a fool of itself. The two countries have never gotten along, and Prussia was quite happy to see Bavaria get its comeuppance this time. Remaining steadfast in the face of trouble for its allies is a fine tradition inherited from the National Revolutionary Army.

"Ludendorff! You alone! Let's see how you stop the Rhine's attack! You bunch of bastards!"

Rupprecht was so angry that he tore the letter to shreds. Rommel had made it clear that he wanted to attack Nuremberg and told Rupprecht directly that he was going to attack there and that Rommel was willing to stop him. Rupprecht wanted to move, but the Ulm army was holding him back, forcing him to heavily guard Munich.

If reinforcements are sent to Nuremberg, Rommel might be able to launch a surprise attack directly, since he can't predict whether Nuremberg or Munich will be the main force of Rommel's attack.

The paratroopers' surprise attack on Ulm allowed the Rhine to capture the strategic location at a very low cost. To put it more vividly, it was like a vibrator inserted into Bavaria's ass. Rommel only needed to press a button and make the army move slightly to give Rupprecht an "orgasm" and stimulate the defenders of Munich.

Prussia told Bavaria to hold firm and that there would be a way. This was clearly abandoning Bavaria. When disaster strikes, everyone flies away. I have other things to do. Good luck to you.

Austria-Hungary refused to help Bavaria, and Prussia stood by and watched it crumble. Now Bavaria had to rely on itself. Back in the day, Bavaria could still cause trouble for the Rhine, but now it looked like a complete clown.

Nuremberg is a major city in northern Bavaria. If the Rhine cuts off from here, then Bavaria will really be surrounded. It must be defended, but not enough troops can be transferred there, and he cannot go there in person. After thinking it over, Rupprecht came up with an idea.

Since he couldn't go himself, he sent his son instead. Prince Albrecht was indeed unlucky; he had been in poor health since the assassination attempt and now he had been given such a dangerous mission. In fact, Rupprecht was already showing signs of giving up. This German field marshal no longer cared about tactics; he had been checkmated by Captain Rommel.

Prince Albrecht was sent by his father to Nuremberg to oversee the battle and boost morale. Almost all the nobles and people with connections were heading south, but this crown prince was heading north, which made him seem somewhat out of place.

Rupprecht could no longer control the people below; everyone wanted to escape. No matter how powerful the king was, it was useless. This could only be a hopeless charge for Albrecht.

Hermann and Rudolf had already mobilized, and their mobilization was very fast, because the soldiers at the front had long been unable to stand it anymore, and all the officers had fled. What were they fighting for? Just as everyone had agreed to wait for Rommel's troops to come and surrender collectively the next day, these people got a huge advantage.

Why come to the front lines of Nuremberg? There are so many places to go, why come here? Albrecht actually came to Hermann's trenches. Isn't he jumping into a fire pit?

Unsurprisingly, the soldiers who had already revolted surrendered the guards' weapons. Taking such a bargaining chip to surrender was a great gift. There was no need to wait until the next day. Under the cover of night, the soldiers stationed there ran away. As for why no one cared, their superiors had already gone south to supervise the battle. There wasn't a single high-ranking officer at the front.

Bavaria became the place where Rommel racked up victories. Last time, he captured nearly a thousand soldiers in an organized manner. This time, he did not take the initiative to attack, but those soldiers actually came to him on their own, bringing with them a crown prince. In Bavaria, Rommel became synonymous with the god of war.

411. List of War Criminals

Of all the officers in the Rhine, the one with the best record so far is Rommel, who is in charge of Bavaria. He has captured a force of a thousand men without suffering any casualties, and now he has also captured Bavarian Crown Prince Albrecht.

King Rupprecht sent the crown prince to the east to oversee the war, which must have been partly his own decision, but more likely it was a moment of madness; he was throwing away all the cards he had up his sleeve.

With the crown prince captured, the war had essentially lost its meaning. Rupprecht only had this one son, and he was still alive and well. With no one to carry on the throne, Bavaria had little reason to resist.

Prussia watched from the sidelines, and Austria-Hungary was powerless to help. This marshal of the empire during the great war was completely outmaneuvered by a captain.

The mutiny, in which the troops surrendered with the crown prince as their captor, once again shocked the Bavarian army. They realized that this was how things were done, and once this precedent was set, many others followed suit. Although they couldn't take the crown prince with them, they could take the officers who were supposed to be sent to their deaths with them.

The Bavarian army had lost its will to fight, and no one was keen on civil war, especially since the empire had been nominally unified for decades.

This made Rommel's offensive much easier. Only a few people still had the will to resist, and the rest of the troops surrendered after firing a few shots. In particular, the armored forces charged. Bavaria's military strength was not as good as Prussia's, and the Rhine relied on the Ruhr to support almost half of the German Empire's industrial capacity. Now that the war had begun, the other two kingdoms were blockaded.

Prussia, backed by Eastern Europe, could hold on, but Bavaria could not. It had no colonies or blood banks, and the Rhine blockaded it, so it could only seek help from Austria-Hungary. In terms of overall strength, Bavaria was also unlikely to win.

Facing the Rhine army, the Bavarian army's morale was significantly lower. After the Rhine became a republic, the morale of its army rose even higher, making Bavaria far behind. Previously, Bavaria had many troops that dared to confront Rommel head-on, but now they were almost nowhere to be seen.

When news of the situation in Bavaria reached Rhine, Thorne was naturally delighted. During wartime, officers were promoted very quickly. Rommel was able to fight so smoothly in Bavaria, and there would be absolutely no problem in promoting him to major general after the war.

Although this major general is only in his thirties, no one would question his abilities.

"Comrade Thälmann, Erwin has brought us more good news. It seems Prussia is determined to betray its allies. They've captured Albrecht, and it won't be long before Bavaria falls into their trap."

Thorne was very pleased when he saw the report. It seemed that there should be no problem in Nuremberg. With reinforcements and Prussia's abandonment, Rommel should be able to take it over soon.

"Comrade Thorne, judging from the current situation in Bavaria, the scales of victory have tipped in our favor. It seems impossible for Rupprecht to win. We now have the Bavarian crown prince in our hands, so their resistance is completely meaningless."

Thorne was somewhat surprised to find Albrecht captured. He hadn't expected Rupprecht to send his son north when everyone else was fleeing south. What did that mean? Was he trying to demonstrate the spirit of the Bavarian royal family?

Another thing that surprised Thorne was Rommel's record. Rommel did a really good job in Bavaria. He commanded the entire Bavarian front. To achieve such results, one aspect was that the Bavarian army was indeed not strong. But even if it was not strong, commanding his own side still required some skill, right?

Rommel did not annihilate many enemies in Bavaria. Unlike Prussia, where Prussia was really fighting the Rhine in the early stages, under the Hess government, and the Rhine fought several annihilation battles, encircling and defeating many of them, it was only under Ludendorff that things calmed down.

Rommel mainly captured prisoners in Bavaria. After all, it was a civil war, and the fewer people who died, the better. Apart from those stubborn troops, the Rhine rarely used annihilation warfare against Prussia and Bavaria. When they were kingdoms, they had conducted joint military exercises many times, and they had even shared a trench during the war.

Many Rhine officers maintained good relations with Prussian or Bavarian officers, and no one would really go to their deaths.

For example, during the Battle of Gnarenburg, the city was like a nail. Model's front-line troops had already reached Bremerfield, but the city had not yet been captured. Later, he learned that the city's commander was his student. Unexpectedly, they met again on the battlefield many years later.

After holding out for three days, the commander surrendered to the Rhine with his troops. When Model learned of the situation, he did not order an encirclement and annihilation, but mainly tried to persuade the commander to surrender. After the commander surrendered, Model greatly admired him, at least he could actually spar with his teacher.

However, he still kicked him later because this guy was using tanks as fixed artillery emplacements. Whenever he organized those tanks to come out and charge, Model would have to send the front-line troops back to defend.

On the Prussian side, the Rhine had captured nearly 10,000 people since the start of the war, and in Bavaria, the number reached 20,000. Throughout the war, the Rhine captured nearly 40,000 troops. This further shows that if Hess hadn't gone crazy for no reason, although most people hoped that Germany could be reunified, no one really wanted to fight a civil war.

"We have stabilized the situation in France, and we don't need to worry about the external situation for the time being. In the end, every German wants the war to end as soon as possible, and we don't want innocent people to continue to be hurt because of this war. We welcome those who are willing to have peace and support the Republic."

“We can issue a proclamation that in this war, only the ringleaders will be removed. Those who are willing to communicate with the Republic will be treated leniently. The resistance in Bavaria is not strong. They are not being helped by Austria-Hungary outside, nor by Prussia inside. I believe the people of Bavaria already understand the outcome of the war.”

“We are a republic, and a more enlightened society awaits them. The people of Bavaria are the people of Germany, and we must distinguish them from those war criminals. We can win them over.” Thorne thought for a moment and came up with a good idea.

"Comrade Goebbels, besides Adolf, you have the best eloquence in the party. Now we need your help."

“Of course, the sooner we unify, the less disaster Germany will suffer.” Goebbels nodded; he was also prepared.

"Our enemies are the reactionaries, not the German people. We can broadcast this to the public so that the people are not kept in the dark by those reactionaries. This is where we need your help."

Thorne picked up a pen, wrote a list, and handed it to Goebbels, making it clear that the newly formed revolutionary government would not point its guns at the people.

"A list of war criminals from the Reich German government?"

Thorne wrote down several war criminals of the German Reich government on a piece of paper; many of them were familiar names.

"Yes, these people are criminals against the German nation and against the liberation of Germany. Announce this list and tell the people the truth. If they are willing to lay down their weapons, the People's Government will treat them leniently; otherwise, they will only face death."

This list of war criminals is also quite interesting. The first and biggest war criminal is Hess, which is understandable, since he started the war. The second is Ludendorff, who insisted on continuing the civil war. Only Wilhelm II is ranked third. This old emperor was really unlucky. He was used as a pawn while lying in bed and now he can't even speak properly.

Thorne made it very clear that if they were willing to lay down their weapons, the future Republic would try to treat them leniently, but if they insisted on going their own way, they would only face certain death.

412. To fight or to make peace?

Munich is in a state of constant anxiety. As the cultural and artistic center of southern Germany, Munich is now rather deserted. There are few pedestrians on the streets, sandbags are piled up everywhere, and houses and street corners have been reinforced. Who knows when the Rhine army will attack?

King Rupprecht has not appeared in public for a long time, not only in public. Logically speaking, now is a time of national crisis, and he should say something. However, Rupprecht has not given a single speech since the war, especially after Rommel successfully occupied Ulm. Rupprecht stopped speaking, and when the crown prince was arrested not long ago, he simply disappeared from the sight of all the marshals and generals.

As a nobleman, Rupprecht's pride was undoubtedly quite strong, and he was indeed capable. He simply couldn't understand why Rommel, who had been an Imperial Marshal during the Great War and commanded armies and groups of hundreds of thousands, had never commanded a force of more than a thousand men during the Great War. Perhaps he had even commanded this guy.

As a result, this officer, who was unknown during the war, was now being utterly defeated in Bavaria. Rupprecht personally commanded several battles, but was completely outmaneuvered by Rommel's guerrilla warfare, which broke him down. Rupprecht lost all confidence in the war, the king began to give up, not to mention the generals below him.

It was a civil war to begin with, and the soldiers at the bottom didn't want to put in any effort. If the soldiers at the bottom didn't want to put in any effort, it would be even more difficult for the higher-ups to command. As a result, the defense line was as fragile as paper and crumbled at the slightest touch. Soldiers surrendered in droves, and officers deserted in droves.

Rommel's military operations in the north were something everyone guessed he was up to, but there was nothing they could do. It was impossible to move troops from the south, and at this point, no one wanted to run north and wait to die. Everyone could only hope for a miracle, in case news of a "Great Victory at Nuremberg" came.

The good news didn't come as everyone expected. Instead, even worse news arrived: Nuremberg was declared undefended, and the city was peacefully taken over by Rommel. The soldiers stationed there were also peacefully reorganized. In other words, Rommel occupied this important city in northern Bavaria without firing a single shot.

When all the senior military officers in Munich heard the news, their faces darkened. They all looked like they had just swallowed a bitter melon. Although they were used to bad news, this was a bit too bad news.

"Should we tell His Majesty the King this news?"

Someone asked cautiously, but he quickly regretted it because everyone was looking at him.

"Are you going to go and tell them? That Nuremberg is lost?"

Bavaria's strongest fighting power was at the very beginning, when it could at least put up a fight against the Rhine Kingdom. However, with Austria-Hungary refusing to participate and Prussia abandoning Bavaria, many people realized the situation. Bavaria had lost friends both internally and externally, and it was clear who the scales of victory were tipping in its favor.

Regarding the morale of the armies of the three kingdoms, the most influential factor was actually the economy. After the economic crisis broke out, all three kingdoms were affected. Prussia was able to hold on because of the support from its overseas colonies. The Rhineland had intervened in the economy early on, so it was less affected. Bavaria was more unlucky, as it had neither intervened early nor had any colonies to support it.

If they can't sustain their economy, their morale will certainly be lower than the other two kingdoms. Moreover, with the Rhine now having the Republic's boost, Bavaria has no chance of winning in terms of weapons, tactics, and morale.

The tens of thousands of troops stationed in Nuremberg surrendered to Rommel without firing a single shot, which even Rommel did not expect. They actually surrendered. He had even prepared tanks and was ready to fight a tough battle. However, the surrender was good, and everyone was happy that there were no losses.

In Nuremberg, the blue and white striped flag of Bavaria has been replaced. The Rhine garrison is taking over the city, so it is very busy. Although the citizens of the city have not left their houses, they are all watching silently from home as this brand-new army arrives.

Rommel's army had marched rapidly and had just been transferred from the Rhineland before being urgently dispatched here. Although they had not encountered any battles, they were all very tired. One advantage of peacefully accepting the city was that the army was in good physical condition; everyone was dressed cleanly, and their overcoats and helmets made them look very elite.

The armored forces entered the city first, with tanks and armored vehicles driving through the streets. This was also Rommel's performance; some tanks were driven several times to mislead the officers there. The Rhine had made ample preparations for attacking Nuremberg, and if they resisted, the city might really be destroyed.

There are still many people here who haven't been evacuated, and there aren't many historical sites. If they're destroyed, no one can bear the responsibility, and no one wants to be a sinner against this city.

The citizens watched the troops cautiously. After the armored troops passed by, the army troops followed. The flag carried by the leader was not the flag of the Kingdom of the Rhine, but the new tricolor flag, a republican government. This made everyone look forward to it. When the Rhine was still a kingdom, the political atmosphere was always more relaxed than other kingdoms. Now that it has become a republic, will they also be able to enjoy rights that they did not have before?

Nuremberg had few defenders. After Rommel took control of the city, he checked and found that they didn't even have many heavy weapons. For example, they only had three large-caliber cannons. To defend such a large city, they only had three large-caliber cannons.

To avoid conflict, the army prepared leaflets and posters before entering the city and posted them everywhere. Because the supply lines were cut off, food in Nuremberg had been rationed and famine had already occurred. Now that the city was peacefully liberated, food could be transferred from the rear. With enough food, the situation could naturally stabilize.

Having secured the peaceful liberation of Nuremberg, Munich is now surrounded on three sides. Bavaria's actual control extends only to the southern region. If they want to press on, they certainly can, given their overwhelming numerical superiority. If casualties are disregarded, they could even end the war within a week.

However, Rommel saw another possibility in the peaceful liberation of Nuremberg. Bavaria did not have a war fanatic like Hess, and people still wanted to live a peaceful life. Although the relationship between southern Germany and Austria-Hungary had always been good, Austria-Hungary's refusal to participate this time disheartened many people. The people and the army did not want to fight. So, could we promote peace talks and win over Munich to achieve the peaceful liberation of Bavaria?

Rommel made the next deployment, and the troops continued south from Nuremberg, making it seem as if they were going to liberate Regensburg and the Ilm River. The western army was divided into three routes to first surround Augsburg.

This war should not cost innocent lives any more. Rhine hopes to promote peace through negotiations, but if Bavaria continues to refuse, the Republic's army will show no mercy in the final battle.

With troop deployment complete, the army temporarily halted its offensive. A letter arrived in Munich, giving them three days to make a final decision on whether to fight or make peace.

413. Preparations for the Uprising

After the Rhine army occupied Nuremberg, its actions in Augsburg, Regensburg and other areas did put considerable pressure on the Bavarian army. The entire front line was further compressed. If Rommel really wanted to continue advancing, it probably wouldn't be long before he could take Munich.

However, before the army took action, Rommel sent them a message that the problem could be resolved peacefully, and that the German war should not result in any more casualties.

Of course, although they were willing to negotiate, it didn't mean they had no advantages. In fact, Bavaria didn't have much strength left for the next battle.

At the start of the war, the Bavarian army was completely unprepared, not even ready to mobilize. The Rhine launched a fierce counterattack, sweeping away everything in its path.

Bavaria has yet to complete its mobilization efforts, and the same applies to its weaponry. Not only has weapon production lagged behind, but weapon distribution has also fallen short. Despite a long period of peace, Bavaria's research in military industry is clearly inferior to that of the other two kingdoms.

The army had a low rate of heavy weaponry, outdated equipment, and a pitifully small size. Surrounded on three sides, Bavaria simply did not have enough troops to consolidate its defenses. If any one place was targeted for a major attack, it would be impossible to hold.

Prurecht already knew about the fall of Nuremberg, but to save face, his generals did not tell him the truth. Instead, they used a more euphemistic story: they fought Rommel's army, but the enemy's advantage was too great, and they were defeated, which led to the fall of Nuremberg.

Rupprecht did not get angry upon receiving the news, or rather, getting angry would be useless now. He simply nodded calmly and then dismissed the generals.

Everyone thought the decisive moment had arrived. Munich had begun its tense preparations, but it had no troops available and could only speculate on Rommel's main attack direction.

"Rommel's main offensive line must be in the north. We should strengthen the defenses north of Munich. Rommel's army captured Nuremberg without any losses, and the troops behind him were replenished from here. According to the information sent, there are quite a few troops in the Nuremberg line, and they are quite elite. He will definitely attack from that direction. We should concentrate our main forces to improve the northern defense line."

"Rommel's fighting style is very peculiar. Sometimes he fights quite conservatively, and sometimes he fights quite aggressively. We cannot judge Rommel's actions with traditional military concepts. I think he will launch the main attack in Ulmfom. Compared with Nuremberg, it is closer to Munich, and there is only Augsburg as a defensive line in front of Munich. Obviously, attacking from here is more in line with the Rhine's idea of ​​ending the war quickly. Therefore, I judge that this is the main direction of the Rhine army's attack."

In the General Staff Headquarters, many generals gathered around the map to study it. Some believed that the main line of defense was in the north, while others believed it was in the west. Each had their own reasons, and the reasons were so compelling that it was almost impossible to refute them.

"Gentlemen, is it possible that both of these directions are Rhine's main attack directions?"

A chief of staff who had not spoken before slowly explained his point of view. As soon as he spoke, the atmosphere in the room became heavy, and everyone looked at him with resentment.

Both directions are the main lines of attack. Didn't they think of that? The Rhine Army is now strong and well-equipped. Why would they need to consider where to launch their main attack? It's just that they can't spare the troops to organize two lines of defense. They can only hold one place. They've been arguing for so long, hoping that the main force will be transferred to their direction so that they won't have to sit in their defensive line and wait to die.

"Never mind what I said." Seeing everyone's reaction, the staff officer wisely kept quiet.