German Red Prince

Page 196

Hamburg, as a port city, is one of the most important cities in the north. As a strategic center, it naturally has a considerable naval force.

Sailors are more open-minded than traditional army soldiers; they are more receptive to advanced ideas.

Because of this trait, Piqué's propaganda work went very smoothly, as the Rhineland had transformed from a kingdom into a republic, and this institutional progress further piqued the interest of the Hamburg sailors.

The ideas of democracy and equality began to spread among the sailors, and the Communist Party of Germany also successfully established a party organization within the sailors.

Before leaving, Ludendorff wanted to destroy all of Hamburg's infrastructure, leaving the Rhineland as a ghost town and implementing a scorched-earth policy, which was naturally something the locals did not want to see.

Upon receiving the news, the sailors were immediately in an uproar, and the party organization within the sailors also sprang into action, organizing a mutiny.

"Comrades! The Prussian army wants to destroy our city! Just like Napoleon burned Moscow, they want to raze Hamburg to the ground!"

"We Hamburgers are members of the Hanseatic League! For the unification of Germany! We voluntarily joined the German Confederation back then, and we have made so many contributions to German unification. Now these Prussians want to treat us like this! They actually want to destroy this city without hesitation!"

"We will absolutely not allow this kind of atrocity to happen in this city! Defend Hamburg! Defend our city!"

With such inflammatory language, riots quickly broke out and spread from one camp to another.

The rank-and-file sailors returned to the warehouse and began distributing weapons. These men, wearing red ties, quickly rushed to various key locations in the camp, their first goal being to take control of the sailors' barracks.

"What are you doing! This is a riot! This is a rebellion against the Empire!"

Seeing the sailors rushing in, the officer quickly stood up, staring nervously at the dark muzzle of a gun.

"It is not our rebellion against the Empire, but the Empire's betrayal of us! And, sir, please understand, this is not a riot, this is a revolution!"

The sailors who launched the uprising occupied key positions in the sailors' camp, partly because the Prussian army wanted to destroy the city, and the entire sailors' camp encountered almost no resistance.

The tricolor flag of the empire was taken down, and the red flag of the revolution was raised by a group of soldiers over the military camp. Hamburg officially declared its secession from the German Empire and established the Hamburg Provisional Government. Hamburg was about to "welcome the royal army" here.

Pique watched the uprising escalate, hoping that Rhine's troops would arrive soon. Otherwise, if the city's army reacted and a conflict broke out, the consequences would be extremely unpredictable.

"The vacation is over, comrades!"

The Rhine barracks are also very lively now, as Rommel's troops have been on leave since the end of the Bavarian War.

These troops didn't even participate in the Battle of Flanders or the Northern Encirclement. Seeing other troops winning battle after battle, these men were bound to be restless.

After the liberation of Bavaria, they seemed to be "idled." Although Rommel volunteered several times, he was rejected by his superiors on the grounds that "there are bigger tasks to be done in the future."

Rommel was also a restless person, while Kesselring was much more composed, spending his vacations fishing and such.

Rommel was also a member of the "Shorne Officers' Corps," and during this German Civil War, the officers in the corps all shone brightly.

After the conferment of ranks, Guderian and his men continued to win one victory after another, while Rommel had no battles to fight after the Battle of Bavaria. Anyone would be anxious in that situation.

Everyone was eager to get started, so Rommel couldn't sit still after receiving the order. It was a very challenging task, because their troops not only had to quickly cooperate with the local authorities to liberate Hamburg, but also had to rush to Kiel and blockade the Schleswig region.

This front, stretching over eighty kilometers, could easily advance towards Hamburg and Kiel; the key was how to secure this long front.

Although Prussia's main force in the north has suffered heavy losses, there are still several key cities in the rear, and failing to capture them poses a threat.

The Hamburg uprising had set a good example, and most cities in the Schleswig region were now members of the Hanseatic League.

Since Hamburg has taken the lead, there needs to be another leader. The rest of the work will be very simple. When Ludendorf gets angry, he can use poison gas and set his own city on fire. What else can't they do?

These actions not only resulted in major strategic errors, but also left Prussia morally bankrupt.

Ludendorff's actions resulted in lower approval ratings for the entire empire than during Hess's time. Hess should have stopped acknowledging that everyone was German.

Ludendorff probably felt that his days were numbered, and he had abandoned all moral standards. All he could see was victory, victory at all costs.

The supply line from Hamburg to Kiel is rather long, so attacking Lübeck is clearly more cost-effective. This would greatly shorten the supply line and prevent the weak defense from being breached.

Moreover, Rommel already knew about the major uprising in Kiel. Since a major uprising was about to take place in Kiel, Rommel didn't actually need to send many troops there.

Therefore, Rommel devised a very risky plan: after liberating Hamburg, mobile forces would rush towards Kiel without stopping, in coordination with the uprising there.

The main force advanced towards Lübeck, while the troops heading to Kiel had to arrive before those in Lübeck. After cooperating with the local insurgents to liberate Kiel, they needed to quickly head south with the sailors to support the troops in Lübeck.

Rommel was essentially using sailors as elite infantry. There were also many uprising troops in Hamburg, and they could be replenished here. So, although this plan seemed risky, upon closer analysis, it was actually quite prudent.

The Hamburg sailors had stormed out of their barracks, and the Prussian army was planting bombs. Of course, they couldn't be allowed to succeed, and fierce clashes broke out in major locations throughout the city.

Sailors wearing red scarves even began distributing weapons. Hamburg is everyone's city, and defending Hamburg certainly cannot rely on sailors alone; it also requires the local people.

The citizens also learned what Prussia was up to, and the militant citizens took up arms and began to defend their city alongside the sailors.

With a loud bang, the Prussian army began to destroy the bridge. Hamburg, known as the city of a thousand bridges, has a complex network of waterways. Once these bridges are destroyed, it will cause great trouble for the troops that follow.

"Defend the bridge!"

Prussia had begun to destroy the city, and more and more citizens chose to join the uprising. Workers and citizens, armed with guns, followed and went to key locations in the city to fight with the Prussians.

The entire city descended into chaos, which greatly hampered the destruction process and bought Rommel a lot of time.

"Comrades! Raise our flag! Liberate Hamburg!"

The Rhine Revolutionary Government displayed its tricolor flag; their uniforms and helmets were distinctive and easily identifiable. The addition of the Rhine Army accelerated the Prussian army's defeat.

These troops were originally prepared to withdraw, and there weren't many troops left in the city to carry out sabotage and cover the rear. The arrival of the revolutionary army caused the Prussian army in the city to completely collapse.

Long live the revolution! Long live Hamburg!

The Prussian army collapsed completely, and the citizens and mutinous sailors cheered loudly. They had successfully defended their city, and Hamburg had completely sided with the Rhineland because of Ludendorff's policies.

Thanks to the efforts of the insurgent troops and the people, the city was largely undamaged, and the red flag and the tricolor flag flew high above the city.

After liberating Hamburg, the army did not rest for a moment. Rommel rallied the insurgent troops, and next, they liberated Kiel! Then, they liberated Lübeck!

441. A cannon blast brought socialism.

Almost no one could believe that Hamburg would revolt. This was the first large-scale uprising in Prussia, and Hamburg's declaration was very clear: to secede from the Prussian Empire and establish a provisional revolutionary government.

However, that's not what everyone is concerned about right now. Compared to the Hamburg uprising, what everyone is more concerned about now is the news that broke out after the Hamburg uprising. Why did they revolt? It was because Ludendorff ordered the city to be destroyed.

Because of Ludendorff's tactical blunder, he wanted to burn down this important city in northern Germany, which was what ordinary German citizens cared about.

Today he can wipe out Hamburg with a single order because of a tactical mistake. If he can't control Berlin tomorrow, will he also set it on fire? Napoleon didn't burn Berlin down. You're even more powerful than Napoleon, aren't you?

The mutiny of the Hamburg sailors completely thwarted Ludendorff's plan. If Hamburg and Hanover were successfully destroyed, it would take Rhine enough time to settle the people there, and that would be Rhine's opportunity. By the time they were settled, Rhine would have accumulated enough strength to set up a battle and fight again.

"Marshal! Hanover, Hanover has been captured..."

As if things weren't going to go wrong, after the Hamburg uprising, Hanover was subsequently occupied. This brought them no advantage whatsoever, and instead gave them ammunition. Ludendorff couldn't understand why the Rhineland had reacted so quickly. It seemed Prussia had many weaknesses; where was the enemy? The enemy was right beside them.

After the Hamburg uprising, it was quickly liberated by Rommel and his men. In fact, the garrison in Hanover had enough time to destroy the city, but the news from Hamburg made them hesitate. If Hamburg were still standing, at least they would have someone to accompany them. Now that Hamburg was liberated, they would be all alone. In the end, their names would be nailed to the pillar of shame.

It would be too lonely to be a sinner for all time without anyone to accompany you, so they deliberately slowed down. Everyone knows how fast Rhine is. They heard something coming from Hamburg, so they figured they'd be there soon too. The commander here is very quick-witted and started slacking off. If they can't blow up the city, they'll definitely have a hard time when they get back.

He then led his men to defuse bombs in the city. As they defused the bombs, the Rhine people arrived, and he naturally surrendered. The title of a sinner for all time was placed on his shoulders, a burden he could not bear.

With Hamburg and Hanover liberated, Prussia's western gate is now wide open in front of the Rhine, which could potentially storm Berlin in the coming weeks if it so chooses.

With the Rhine's western gates breached, the next key point for Prussia's defenses will be how the Rhine's army will act.

The Rhine army has now advanced its front line by more than 100 kilometers, and is less than 300 kilometers away from Berlin. Hamburg, Hanover, and Kassel are now the three key cities on the Rhine front. Both Prussia and the Rhine want a quick victory. Prussia has just fought a major battle and has not yet recovered its strength, so the only option left is Ludendorff's most familiar tactic of camping.

Having captured Hanover, if the Rhineland wanted to end the war quickly, they only needed to start from Hanover and advance all the way to Brunswick, Magdeburg, and Brandenburg. Once they captured these three cities, the next battle would be the defense of Berlin.

After these battles, Ludendorff also became familiar with Rhine's tactics, which relied on mobile forces to encircle and penetrate enemy lines. Almost all of Rhine's victories were based on this strategy. They liked to outflank and encircle their opponents. As long as they were well-positioned and had a strong enough defense, Rhine had no way to stop them.

Hanover and Göttingen alerted Ludendorff. Rheinland was likely to continue his tactics, encircling and taking over Brunswick. This time, the deployment could not be risky; the last risk had already caused a disaster. Every step from now on had to be taken with caution. Unrest had already broken out in Berlin, and the military and police had arrested many people. If a few more unrests were to occur, Ludendorff could be forced to step down.

Ludendorff was now regretting coming back. Who knew that in such a short time, the Prussian army would be so far behind the Rhineland army? When they were fighting France together, their levels were about the same, but after he left Germany, they were worlds apart?

Ludendorff focused all his attention on quickly organizing the next line of defense. He believed that Hanover would be Rhine's main target, but in fact, Rhine's main objective in this operation was to completely blockade the north.

Rommel lingered in Hamburg for a short while, then quickly set off after allocating his troops, heading towards Lübeck and Kiel respectively. Heydrich had received the news and was preparing for an uprising, but then he was ordered to hold back for the time being. This was as frustrating as urinating halfway through, and it kept Heydrich from sleeping well for the past few days.

During this period, the Gestapo had established many secret workers' committees in Kiel and recruited many members of the Socialist Labor Party and the Communist Party of Germany. In the navy, Heydrich personally took charge, and many sailors' clubs in Kiel had recruited members.

Heydrich also secretly established the Kiel Harbor Sailors' Committee, which would serve as the command center for the future uprising, which could now finally begin.

News of the Hamburg uprising's victory quickly reached them, and Heydrich also learned that Rhine troops were rushing towards them at full speed. This time, there was no need to wait; the telegram clearly stated that they should immediately launch an operation to cooperate with the army in liberating Kiel.

Heydrich also had to thank Ludendorff for his assist. The news that Ludendorff planned to destroy Hamburg and Hanover was intentionally or unintentionally spread by Heydrich, who added some details: Ludendorff's scorched earth policy meant that if the warships did not evacuate in time when the Rhine attacked Kiel, they would have to be scuttled in the port.

Once this news came out, it would be strange if things didn't get chaotic. Heydrich wasn't worried at all; the news would only get more and more exaggerated as it spread. He just needed to wait here to reap the rewards.

Things are going much as Heydrich had predicted. Now the news has spread that if the Rhine army attacks, warships can fire on the city.

The long-term rationing and curfew policies since the start of the war have greatly dissatisfied the soldiers and local residents. Everyone wants the war to end as soon as possible. Prussia has had three leaders: Wilhelm, Hess, and Ludendorff, but things have only gotten worse.

They couldn't win a war, and their economy couldn't compare either. During the financial crisis, the Rhine's economy was much better than Prussia's, at least that's how it appeared. Without comparison, there's no harm. The Rhine also changed its political system, which naturally made those highly educated sailors feel the need for comparison.

The other side changed its system and their lives are getting better and better, while their lives are getting worse and worse. Why can't they also change their system? Even if Prussia wins, they might not live a good life, so why help them? They might as well rebel!

The members of the Socialist Labor Party and the Communist Party of Germany have really gone to great lengths to incite the sailors' emotions. Now, discontent has spread throughout Kiel, and those who have been infiltrating the area are basically aware of the situation. It's as if a single spark could set things off.

This spark quickly emerged. Due to martial law, sailors were prohibited from gathering in groups, but that night a group of sailors on the Thuringian got together. Because of the infiltration of the German Communist Party, the sailors had many secret study groups, and many of them had "Little Red Books" from the Rhineland hidden under their beds.

A group of progressive individuals, who had been recruited, gathered together to study. The Rhine army had just liberated Hamburg, and these people were naturally very happy to hear the news, as the power of the people was one step closer to them.

For some unknown reason, perhaps due to excitement, this secret study session alarmed the officers. Seeing a group of people on the ship holding "little red books," only the officers themselves knew how shocked they were. Good heavens, there are actually communist elements on this ship? This is outrageous!

To avoid alerting the enemy, he immediately summoned his trusted men to surround them with soldiers and began a martial law search to find out how many "red elements" were on the ship. However, he did not expect that his trusted men were also red elements.

Upon hearing the news, Heydrich was so excited he wanted to hug him. "You came at such a perfect time! I'm starting to suspect you might be an undercover agent too!" After receiving the order, Heydrich cooperated fully, contacted the Navy Committee, and immediately assembled the troops. "Operation Rainbow, here we come!"

"There are too many people with them, and not many communists."

Seeing that Heydrich had brought so many people, the officer thought it was too many; there were only a few people in total, and it was unnecessary to bring so many.

"Not necessarily, these red molecules are very good at hiding."

How many are there in total? The people surrounding him are all communists.

The entire operation changed. Seeing so many gun barrels pointed at him, the officer understood what Heydrich meant. Good heavens, he was now all alone.

"Operation Rainbow begins! Send the signal immediately, move out, seize key positions in the port, and take control of all those officers!"

"fire!"

Adjusting its cannons, the Thuringian roared. Following the Hamburg Mutiny, the Kiel Mutiny had begun. The fundamental purpose of the Hamburg Mutiny was to defend the city, but Kiel was different; it was a pure red revolution.

The firing of the Thuringian brought socialism to Prussia.

"This is the final battle! Unite for tomorrow! The Internationale will surely be achieved!"

The entire city remained awake that night. Upon hearing the signal for the uprising, sailors and workers in the port and throughout the city immediately sprang into action.

The insurgent troops, carrying red flags, marched through the streets, planting revolutionary banners in every corner of Kiel. Although this Kiel port uprising was not the first shot fired in Germany, it was the prelude to the Prussian revolution, and this revolution would not fail.

"Operation Rainbow...successfully..."

Frankfurt quickly received the news that the mines Thorne had planted in Prussia had exploded one by one. He wanted to see how long Ludendorff could hold out.

442. Blockade of Schleswig

"This is the final battle! Unite until today..."

One warship, two warships, three warships—the revolutionary tide spread rapidly, and sailors on different warships were called upon to begin uprisings on their ships.

Apart from a few warships that fled when the winds turned against them at the very beginning of the revolution, most of the sailors not only mutinied but also successfully defended their respective warships.

The sailors' mutiny not only gave Rhine a bunch of soldiers for free, but also a bunch of warships. Thanks to our Prussian buddy.

Kiel, an important port in the north, is now under Rhine's control. With its liberation, Kiel essentially controls the Baltic Sea and directly blocks the harbor.

By blockading this area, Germany's access to the sea in northern China is effectively blocked. If Prussia ultimately suffers a defeat, Emperor Wilhelm will have to think twice before attempting to escape.

The naval forces acted swiftly, and despite the precedent of the Hamburg naval mutiny, they were not prepared for any such incidents.

This uprising was no accident. After the Kiel uprising, Prussia will probably develop a "fear of water" and become paranoid, and will even investigate those naval ports that are perfectly fine.

Rhine would certainly not be polite if it could cause trouble for Prussia. If the Prussian government became suspicious, it would inevitably provoke conflict between the government and the navy.

Even if they don't intend to revolt, constantly pressuring them and forcing them to rebel is exactly the situation Rhine wants to see.

The sound of the cannon fired by the Thuringian was no less significant than that of the Aurora in Tsarist Russia, marking the first uprising in Prussia.

Once is never enough; Ludendorff did a series of disastrous things and came up with many foolish ideas, and his power in Prussia was already declining.

The Kiel uprising set a good example for other cities. If Ludendorff continues to act inhumanely, the workers might take to the streets with weapons.

This time, the sailors had a great haul. They fought for control of the warship, arrested the officers on board and imprisoned them, then disembarked and rushed into the military base below.

The insurgent troops were very excited. They kicked open the doors and went in with their guns. Clearly, none of them were prepared for this sudden uprising.

After taking control of the military base, the high-spirited sailors rushed into the streets and joined up with the mutineers in the city.

Soldiers and workers, singing the Internationale, quickly seized key areas of the city. Although they encountered some resistance, it was sporadic. By daybreak, the insurgent forces had successfully taken control of the area.