German Red Prince

Page 195

"The French Commune's elections are over, which means they've ended their internal strife. France can now focus its energy on other things. The election of General Secretary Maurice is good news for us, but it also means we must speed things up. Revolution waits for no one; dragging it out will only lead to more problems. It's time to end it."

Thorne discussed with Goebbels and Thälmann that the encirclement had been broken and the Rhine army was taking the time to rest. Thorne and his men had not paid any attention to Flanders Vallon in the west. Shortly before the siege ended, news came from the rear that Liège had been successfully liberated.

With the Walloon uprising, the liberation of Liège, and the crushing defeat in northern Prussia, Adalbert should no longer harbor unrealistic fantasies. He should be thinking about how to escape, lest he be caught.

"The war in the Flanders direction should be over soon. So, as a token of our gratitude to France, could we invite the International Brigades to join our forces in the attack on Berlin in the subsequent campaign?"

Thälmann had a brilliant idea: Berlin was not only the center of the Reichstag Pact, but also the center of the entire German imperialist system and the common enemy of the working people of the world. Inviting the International Brigades to liberate this reactionary stronghold would be a good symbol.

“I think it’s a good idea. The International Brigades represent the working people of the world, and our German revolution is also part of the world revolution. I think we can invite them to participate in the liberation of Berlin.” Goebbels also agreed with Thälmann’s suggestion. It was indeed a very good idea and an important step in repairing relations with France.

“Since you two have said so, how could I possibly object? It is indeed a good idea. I estimate that the situation in Wallonia will be over soon. Once the Battle of Flanders is over, we can extend an invitation to the International Brigades.”

Next, we should discuss the most crucial issue: the end of the Northern Campaign means that Ludendorff's so-called Hamburg-Hanover-Leipzig defensive line has completely collapsed.

This is a very good opportunity. Rheinland has already begun a long-term infiltration in Hamburg and Kiel, and Piqué and Heydrich have been telling Frankfurt that they are fully prepared and just waiting for orders. Now it seems that the time has come, and Rheinland can begin to close the net.

"Hamburg and Kiel are both important cities in Prussia, and Ludendorff had been in Eastern Europe before, so he was completely unaware of the specifics of German politics and was still in the dark. We can take advantage of this gap and mobilize the sailors in Hamburg and Kiel to launch a major uprising."

"The Hamburg garrison has been annihilated by us. Prussia cannot spare so many troops to defend the front line for the time being. After the Battle of Munich, the Bavarian front troops have been resting and reorganizing. The northern defense line has just experienced a major battle and cannot continue to carry out rapid maneuvering. So let the Bavarian Front take over."

"Let them join forces with the Hamburg insurgents and advance all the way to Kiel, blockade the Schleswig region, and send the troops that have finished their rest and reorganization in the Northern Campaign to attack Hanover, so as to completely sever our chain of arms to Berlin."

The general battle plan has been finalized, and now it's time for the generals to put it into action. Heydrich, who had been waiting in Kiel for a long time, finally received the coded message he had been eagerly anticipating.

"rainbow"

"Pass down the message: Operation Rainbow is about to begin. Everyone, get ready."

Heydrich lit the note and looked at the tranquil Kiel harbor. Soon, a storm would break out here, a storm of revolution.

438. Scorched Earth Policy

Ludendorff is probably in a worse mood than Hess, and his situation is also worse than Hess's.

At least when Hess was there, Rhine never broke through the northern defenses. Now it's different; they wiped out all the main forces in the north in one fell swoop.

They finally got to gamble once, but now they've lost so badly that they're piling up their chips and giving them all to Rhine.

Some people now suspect that Ludendorff might be a spy for Rhineland-Palatinate, otherwise how could he have sent away all of his main players in one fell swoop?

"Ludwig! He should be court-martialed! He should be executed!"

In the office, Ludendorff was in a frenzy of hysteria. This time he had truly broken down. The last time he was this furious was when he was dismissed due to a scandal. This time it was an even bigger mistake that was irreversible. The main force in the north had been lost. How could they fight against Rhine?

The only good news was that Manstein escaped with a small number of troops, and his decision to retreat south to Hanover was undoubtedly very correct.

When Ludwig was surrounded, he tried to break out from all directions. His first thought was to break through Rothenburg so that he could run all the way to Hamburg.

However, Rhine had already given a strict order beforehand: even if the dumpling skin broke, the army could not be allowed to retreat north. Hamburg was the next key target. It was better to let them rush to Hanover than to let them go to Hamburg. Rothenburg was a key area for Rhine's defense. If they failed to break through after several attempts, they would naturally be surrounded and annihilated.

Manstein stumbled into the fray by accident. He reacted quickly, fleeing with his troops as soon as he learned of the fall of Höldenhagen. Before the troops in the Ningburg direction could react, most of the troops here had followed Guderian and rushed forward, and reinforcements had not yet arrived.

However, Guderian's goal was to escape, not to occupy the area. After breaking through Ningbao, he did not linger for a moment and headed towards Hanover. Then came the news that his main force in the north had been completely annihilated.

Hamburg and Hanover were now isolated cities. Even if Manstein knew that Ludwig was surrounded, he couldn't go up. The Rhine had already set up an impenetrable defense. If he rushed forward now, he would only be sending the troops he had just rescued back. He could only stay in Hanover and wait for further instructions.

Now Manstein's troops are one of the few remaining forces on the front lines. There is no need to continue defending the northern line, and there is simply no time to mobilize troops. The only option is to abandon these two cities. Ludendorff decided to recall Manstein's troops, as they might still be needed in the future defense of Berlin.

"Manstein's successful breakout should be recorded as a merit, he should be promoted to colonel, and he should be allowed to lead his troops to withdraw from Hanover and return to Berlin."

Ludendorff rubbed his eyes. When he heard that the main force was surrounded, he almost fainted like Wilhelm II.

The bad news is that he recovered quickly and did not remain in a coma for several months. Wilhelm II is now in a terrible state; the supreme leader of the empire is under house arrest in the palace and is aging rapidly.

Having been sidelined by two people, one can only imagine the old emperor's feelings. He simply couldn't believe that Germany was actually in civil war, and that during the time he was unconscious, such a powerful empire was about to be defeated by him.

Ludendorff wanted Manstein to return to Berlin and was also making further arrangements. The northern defense line had become a joke. The Leipzig troops had not suffered any losses, but going to Hanover now would be like handing them over to the enemy, and there was no guarantee that the Rhine would not attack from the Bavarian direction.

Flanders sent telegram after telegram requesting reinforcements. Not long ago, Liège had fallen to the Rhine, and an uprising was taking place in Wallonia. Ludendorff's ambitious northern pincer movement vanished in an instant.

Prussia was already struggling to make ends meet, so how could it have time to care about Flanders? It could only pretend that such a request was unacceptable. This time, it wasn't that Prussia didn't want to help, but that it truly couldn't. Prussia could only sell Adalbert out with tears in its eyes.

"Continue to mobilize troops from Eastern Europe. Although Rhine has won a small victory, don't forget that he is going against the whole of Eastern Europe. We still have more than 100,000 troops in Eastern Europe. The current retreat to the front line is only temporary. We will come back sooner or later!"

This statement essentially means abandoning Hanover and Hamburg, taking advantage of the Rhineland's rest period to withdraw troops, tighten defensive lines, and await the second wave of Eastern European troops.

Ludendorff won't leave the Rhineland with two intact cities; if you want to occupy these places, you'd better be prepared.

"Notify the troops to cause as much destruction as possible during the withdrawal. Destroy everything that can be destroyed. Take the equipment that can be taken with you, and blow up the equipment that cannot be taken. Blow up the railways and highways, destroy the facilities in the city, and set the city on fire. Since Rhine wants to occupy this place, then give him an empty city."

Hearing Ludendorff's remarks, the other generals exchanged bewildered glances. Had they heard correctly? Destroy all facilities? This was Germany! This was a German city being burned! These were their own country's people!

"Marshal, Hanover and Hamburg are both major industrial centers of Prussia. Wouldn't destroying them be inappropriate? Besides, there are many German civilians living there. If these cities are destroyed, what will happen to the local population..."

Before he could finish speaking, Ludendorff interrupted him, saying that he hadn't started the war, but Hess had. Hess was able to launch the war because most of the Prussians supported it. Since they supported the war, they should be prepared to face the consequences.

"The war was chosen by the Prussian people. Since they chose to wage war, they should naturally be prepared for it. Immediately notify them that the Rhine cannot get here; all they will get are two ruins."

"We are becoming the sinners of Germany..."

Seeing Ludendorff's unyielding expression, the officers could only sigh. If this order were carried out, they would all be traitors to Germany.

"The only thing we can pray for now is for Prussia to win this war."

The higher the rank, the more powerless one becomes, especially when it comes to orders from the overall commander of the entire war. As his subordinates, they naturally had no choice but to relay Marshal Ludendorff's orders to the front lines.

"Send this telegram out. Remember, this is an order personally given by Field Marshal Ludendorff."

The order personally issued by Field Marshal Ludendorff is open to speculation. It could be interpreted as an attempt to "pass the buck." The label of "traitor to the nation" is too heavy for them to bear; whoever gave the order should take the blame.

The officer took the telegram, glanced at it, and his face darkened. However, he didn't say anything, but saluted the two officers and walked out with the coded message.

Ludendorff is a madman. He's even more insane than Hess. First, he violated the convention by using poison gas, and now he even wants to set fire to and destroy these two cities with a population of millions. This is outrageous. This is no longer a civil war. How can he treat Germans like human beings?

After turning around a few rooms, the officer did not rush to the telegraph room, but went to another officer and told him the news first.

"Inform Mr. Adolf that Marshal Ludendorff has ordered Prussia to destroy Hanover and Hamburg before the Rhine attack."

The officer who received the message didn't speak, but simply nodded, and then quickly left. As the war progressed to this point, many people in Berlin were already looking for a way out, and the efforts to win over Prussian officers continued.

Some officers were aware that the Gestapo were around them, but they all tacitly chose to pretend not to know, and even intentionally or unintentionally leaked some reports.

There was no other way. From Hess to Ludendorff, they had been fighting Prussia for so long and it seemed like they had no chance of winning. If they didn't think about a way out, they would be shot later. Those big shots could run around everywhere, but where could they run to?

Everyone was looking for a way out for themselves, so the Rhine learned some intelligence faster than the Prussian front-line troops.

With the Gestapo and the Stasi in hand, Adolf's Berlin underground intelligence station will soon become a sharp blade in the heart of the enemy.

439. Defend Hamburg

What are your thoughts on this intelligence?

Thorne placed the intelligence on the table and looked at Thälmann and Goebbels. This intelligence, secretly sent from Berlin, truly opened the eyes of everyone present.

Thorne never expected that a war hero, a highly respected old marshal, could do such a thing. The last person to do something like this was Chiang Kai-shek, who set fire to his own city. You've really got guts.

"It seems this old guy is really out of options, otherwise why would he think of such a foolish method?"

Goebbels just smiled as he looked at the intelligence report on the table. He really didn't expect that this man, a hero of the Great War, would do something like this now. Who could understand it?

Speaking of war heroes, Pétain was a French war hero, but he also betrayed his country and became the leader of Vichy France. Thorne just thinks the world is really strange; many things that happen in this time and space are quite similar to those in their world.

"Setting the city on fire is indeed a stupid method. Anyone who carries out this plan would be a sinner against the German nation. If Ludendorff could really do such a thing, I would admire him."

Thallman naturally scoffed at Ludendorff's behavior; wasn't this just a joke?

Setting fire to his own city—if he had set fire to a city in the Rhine, Ludendorff could understand it, but this was his own Prussian city, inhabited entirely by Prussians.

He burned the city to the ground. Would the Prussians still support him? Would they still want to fight in future wars?

"In any case, this intelligence came from Berlin, from Adolf, so it should be true. It seems that Ludendorff was not the kind of soldier with principles we thought he was. We thought too highly of him."

Ludendorff's move is truly "too extreme"; he's attempting to de-urbanize Prussia.

If he can burn down two cities today, can he burn down two more tomorrow? And if he sets fire to them the day after tomorrow, will he eventually be able to burn down even Berlin? That would be even more awesome than Napoleon.

"We cannot allow Ludendorff to destroy these two cities. Our enemy is not the people, but the reactionary German imperialists. Sending him is also an enemy of the German people. From Ludendorff's current insane actions, we can clearly see how hypocritical German imperialism is. They do not hesitate to harm their own compatriots."

We must not let Ludendorff succeed in setting these two cities on fire. These are both important major cities, and if they are destroyed by fire, the reconstruction work will be delayed for who knows how long. We must act immediately and take these two cities before Ludendorff makes a move.

"We cannot disclose Ludendorff's plan to set fire to these two German cities for the time being, otherwise it may expose our intelligence agents in Berlin. Leaking this information could also alert the enemy, and Prussia might speed up its operation, at which point things would become uncontrollable."

Thorne's plan was simple: now that they knew about Ludendorff's shocking plot, they had to act ahead of time.

It's fortunate that he remembered to set fire to Hanover and Hamburg. There's no need to worry about Hamburg for the time being. It's good that Ludendorf set fire to Hamburg. If the news of his long-term preparations in Hamburg were to "leak" even slightly, the insurgents would probably be even more determined.

There's no need to worry about Hamburg; the main focus now is on deployment in the Hanover direction. It seems the troops' rest and reorganization will have to end ahead of schedule, and Guderian's troops need to advance towards Hanover immediately.

Burning down a city—whoever dares to do that will be condemned for life. Even if frontline officers hear the news, they can't act immediately. If Guderian is fast enough, it gives these people a way out. He originally wanted to burn it down, but the Rhine army arrived too quickly and he didn't have time.

"Then let's expedite the uprising in the Hamburg direction, allow Rommel's troops to advance quickly to provide support, and have Guderian's armored forces cease their rest and liberate Hanover?"

Thälmann looked at the map thoughtfully. These two cities were like ripe traps, just waiting for Rhine to reach out and pick them.

“That’s right. The uprising in Kiel can be delayed a little, because what happened in Hamburg is an unexpected event. We need to deal with the problem here first. We can inform Heydrich to wait for news from Hamburg. If Rommel and Rhine’s troops can liberate Hamburg in a short time, then Kiel should not hesitate to cooperate with our advancing troops in the uprising.”

Thorne was still somewhat unsure, so he didn't dare to start an uprising in Kiel immediately. Hamburg and Kiel were both pawns that had been in place for a long time, and he was afraid that something might happen in Hamburg.

If Kiel is exposed, that would be disastrous. This battle of the Rhine is intended to completely destroy Prussia. Does he still want to wait for Eastern European soldiers to support the front lines? No need, let's save them to defend Berlin.

"Haha, giving orders is easy enough. Heydrich will probably be cursing us in Kiel."

Goebbels joked, saying that they had said Operation Rainbow had started, but now they had to wait again. They had been lying in wait for so long, just for this one moment. Who could hold back?

"In a revolution, some things must be rushed, but some things cannot be rushed. I think Heydrich will understand."

Thorne sighed. There was nothing he could do; plans couldn't keep up with changes. He could only have Hamburg start operations ahead of schedule. Historically, Kiel was a center of the German Revolution. Although the arrangements there would be a little later, Thorne believed that Heydrich would give him a surprise.

Piqué was in charge of liaison in Hamburg. Although he couldn't directly infiltrate the sailors' camp, the underground organization of the German Communist Party had successfully infiltrated it. Unlike Heydrich, who went directly in and is now a leader, Piqué mainly engaged in political infiltration, using ideology to influence the sailors.

He was very successful; many sailors had been influenced by the underground organization of the German Communist Party, and some had even joined the German Communist Party.

He also received a message from Frankfurt that the Prussian army wanted to burn Hamburg, which was definitely a bombshell and would add fuel to the fire.

"The garrison in Hamburg was recently wiped out by the Rhine, and now the city is mainly inhabited by sailors. It's time for us to take action."

Ludendorff wanted to destroy Hamburg, and these sailors were certainly the first to object, so the underground operation began very quickly.

The garrison in Hamburg had received orders to evacuate and destroy the city's main facilities. Hamburg is not a small city, and even if it were destroyed, it would take time. This gave the sailors the perfect opportunity.

"Ludendorff wants to blow up the hamburger."

"There are bombs planted in the ground in Hamburg."

"Ludendorff wants Hamburg to disappear from Germany"

The news became increasingly exaggerated, but it all boiled down to one thing: Ludendorff was going to destroy Hamburg.

People were initially skeptical of the news until the troops preparing to evacuate handed the explosives to the sailors.

"The Marshal has ordered that all important facilities, including ports, bridges, and warehouses, be destroyed before the troops withdraw. The deployment must be completed within the next two days, and the troops must withdraw from Hamburg immediately after the destruction."

This is solid proof; these guys really wanted to blow up the hamburger. Who can tolerate that?

"A bunch of lunatics! We don't need to act immediately; we can't let them destroy this city!"

The time is ripe; even if Pique and his team do nothing, this powder keg is about to explode.

"Defend Hamburg!"

Hamburg and Prussia don't really get along. Hamburg is the largest city in northern Germany and was formerly a free city and a member of the Hanseatic League.

Napoleon occupied this area for eight years and implemented democratic reforms, so the region's intellectual development was ahead of other parts of Germany.

More importantly, Hamburg already suffered a major fire in 1842 that burned down a third of the city. It was only after a difficult rebuilding process that you started another fire? What are you trying to do? This is one of the most important cities in the German Empire.

"Defend Hamburg! Defend the city!"

The sailors, shouting slogans and carrying weapons, stormed into the warehouse where the explosives were stored. They wanted to take control of most of the city's key areas before the Prussian troops withdrew, and prevent them from destroying the city.

As more and more sailors wearing red scarves rushed out shouting slogans, many civilians realized that these troops, unable to win the war, actually wanted to bomb their city!

The citizens also joined the uprising. Ludendorff's move was absolutely disastrous. He completely lost the hearts and minds of the people here. He used them and then discarded them. What did he take these cities for?

"Unite! Defend Hamburg!"

The sailors who led the uprising waved the red flag. This was not a simple mutiny; it was an uprising, a revolution. Hamburg declared its independence from Prussian control and established a provisional democratic government.

440. Long live the revolution!

Sailors are the most prone to mutiny, and they have been the main force in most of the uprisings in Europe throughout history.