German Red Prince

Page 201

Stroheim is actively contacting those Junker aristocratic officers who neither want to go to Eastern Europe nor to Austria-Hungary.

When the group got together, Africa was the most suitable place. When Stroheim contacted them, the group grasped at straws and rushed to the palace, crying and shouting that they would swear allegiance to him.

Watching these people wailing and crying, Wilhelm II was already disheartened. These guys didn't say a word when Hess was around, and they didn't say a word when Ludendorff came up. Now that they're about to run away, they've only remembered that there's an emperor named Wilhelm II.

Wilhelm II experienced the coldness of human relationships, but there was nothing he could do. Now, Wilhelm II could only rely on them and trust them. If he could not even trust the Junker nobles, then Wilhelm II would truly become a lonely figure.

"Your Majesty William, we have made contact with Central Africa and everything is ready. We can depart at any time."

Stroheim reported to Wilhelm II, and because of his efforts, Wilhelm II bestowed upon him the title of nobleman. Stroheim finally rose through the ranks and became a nobleman.

"It's time to leave."

Wilhelm II sighed. Now, William was old and frail, completely unlike the energetic man he was three years ago. He could only sit in a chair most of the time and even standing up was difficult for him.

Leaning on his cane, William struggled to his feet. He walked out of the palace and took a good look at the current scenery of Berlin. Perhaps this was the last time; who knew when the next time would come.

"What a beautiful view, what a beautiful view."

After glancing at it, William turned back to the kingdom. Even though he was reluctant to leave, he had to prepare to depart.

"His Majesty William is leaving. Once I see him off, my mission will be complete."

Rundstedt smiled at Manstein. How long would Brandenburg hold out? Of course, it would be until His Majesty successfully evacuated. After Wilhelm's successful evacuation, it would be Manstein's turn to defend Berlin.

453. Farewell, Berlin

"Your Majesty, we should go."

Stroheim put on his coat and pushed open the palace gates.

"Is it already autumn?"

Wilhelm II slowly walked out, leaning on his cane. He looked so old that he didn't resemble a monarch at all, and needed someone to help him out.

"Yes, Your Majesty, it is already autumn."

Stroheim saluted as he watched the leader of the empire slowly emerge.

“I used to take a walk on Bodhi Street every autumn, but now it seems I won’t have that chance anymore.”

Wilhelm II raised his head and looked ahead, as if trying to see the equestrian statue of Frederick II on Bodhi Street, but even with great effort, he could not see the bronze statue at the end of the street.

"Okay, let's go."

Wilhelm II seemed to have resigned himself to his fate and stopped struggling. He sighed slowly and walked down the steps, where a special vehicle was already waiting to take him out of Germany.

It was too late to leave now. The Rhine army had occupied Schleswig and was continuing its advance. If he was any later, he wouldn't even make it to the port. The car carrying Wilhelm and his entourage slowly left Berlin. Rundstedt stood by the window, smoking. With Wilhelm gone, his mission was complete.

"They're all gone, they're all gone."

After extinguishing his cigarette, Rundstedt muttered to himself, "It's good that they're all gone. He won't have to work so hard anymore. Brandenburg has held off the Rhine army for two weeks now."

The army here is the most elite in all of Prussia, except for Berlin. If Brandenburg is captured, no other city will be able to withstand the Rhine.

The city of Berlin was in a state of panic as the Rhine army drew ever closer. Manstein was actively making final preparations for the city's defenses. Many Berliners were packing their belongings, wanting to leave, and Manstein didn't stop them; he was much more principled than Ludendorff.

These citizens would be cannon fodder if they stayed in Berlin. War is a matter for soldiers, and ordinary people should not be involved. But even if Manstein tacitly allowed them to leave, where should these Berlin citizens go?

Bavaria has long been liberated. Running south to Austria-Hungary? Getting there is a problem no matter where you go. Going north? There is fighting in the north. Rhine troops are advancing from Hamburg and Hanover to blockade the coast and encircle Berlin in all directions.

Manstein allowed them to leave, but there were some connections to make it happen. The Berliners whose families had ties to the Rhine were the most excited. At first, they didn't dare to utter a sound, but now that they could leave, they were overjoyed and were trying to contact their relatives and friends in the Rhine so that they could be safely taken to the Rhine-controlled area, which was certainly safer than Berlin.

After sending his family away, Sheriff York was restless and hadn't heard from them for several days. He even suspected that Adolf might be a Prussian and had come to trick him, but then he thought, why bother? Why would he try to trick a mere sheriff in Berlin? He wasn't some high-ranking government official.

After being distracted for several days, York was knocked on his office door again. He jumped up from his chair, tucked his pistol into his belt, and began having nightmares about being discovered and arrested by the Prussian army.

"Hello, Sheriff York."

Adolf took off his hat, and when Chief Inspector York saw that it was Adolf coming over, he breathed a sigh of relief, slowly sat back down in his chair, and put his pistol into the drawer.

"Mr. Adolf, you really scared me to death."

"What? Someone came looking for you?"

"No, it's just that I've been having nightmares lately, and it's making me a bit uneasy."

York rubbed his eyes; he hadn't slept well for days.

"Is it about your family? That's why I'm here today. Sheriff York, your family has been successfully delivered to Rhine. Here's the letter they sent you."

Adolf took out the letter, and York quickly took it, opened the envelope, and read that his family had arrived in Hanover and were very safe there. Seeing that his family was alright, Sheriff York finally relaxed completely. It was good that his family was safe; he had no more worries and could focus on his work.

"Chief York, I've come to tell you something: the Rhine Revolutionary Army has liberated Brandenburg and is now only a step away from Berlin."

"Brandenburg has been occupied? Where did you get that news?"

Brandenburg has held out for two weeks, which is quite remarkable considering that Prussian troops are currently at a significant disadvantage in terms of manpower.

"The news that just came from the front, which I think the citizens of Berlin will soon know, is that the faint sounds of gunfire have stopped. Can't you infer anything from this?"

"Berlin is next, isn't it, Mr. Adolf? What would you like me to do?"

"The Rhine army will arrive soon, and our operations in Berlin will begin soon as well. Sheriff York, please accept this. When the Battle of Berlin begins, you only need to display this flag."

Adolf pulled out a red flag, and York took a closer look. Good heavens, wasn't this the red flag of the Berlin KFC? It had an old man embroidered on it, and the only difference from the original Berlin store sign was that a hammer and sickle had been embroidered next to the old man.

“Yes, Mr. Adolf, I understand.”

Sheriff York nodded, took the flag, and knew the war was about to end.

......

The Rhine Revolutionary Army and the International Brigades are entering Brandenburg in an orderly fashion. It is truly admirable that the city was able to hold out for two weeks against the two armies of Model and Guderian. The Rhine soldiers are taking down the eagle flag and the Imperial flag that were hanging on the wall and replacing them with the tricolor flag and the red flag of the revolutionary government.

The captured Prussian soldiers hung their heads as they watched the Rhine soldiers change their flags. They knew that an era had ended and the empire they had fought for was about to disappear forever.

"I am the deputy commander of Brandenburg. On behalf of the garrison of Brandenburg, I surrender to the Rhine Revolutionary Government. I hope you will abide by international conventions and treat the citizens of Brandenburg and the surrendered Prussian soldiers with kindness."

An officer with a face covered in ash pulled out his sidearm and surrendered to Guderian. They had already exceeded their mission by holding out for two weeks; Rundstedt's orders to hold out for five days were to be fulfilled.

"You can hold us off for two weeks; you are true Prussian soldiers."

Guderian had never taken that man's sidearm. As a former Prussian officer, he had been utterly astonished by the performance of the Prussian army since the start of the war. Was this the Prussian army? How could it have become such a monstrosity in just ten years? It was nothing like the first army in Europe.

Only this army truly resembled the Prussian army, managing to hold off the Rhine's chariots for two weeks despite being outnumbered. Guderian greatly admired them for having a worthy opponent.

"Where is your city defense commander?"

"He killed himself."

After listening, Guderian remained silent for a while, then sighed and committed suicide. He was quite a figure.

"You can handle his remains yourselves. He was a respectable opponent."

After Guderian finished speaking, he left. Brandenburg had been liberated, but the troops could not stop. He had to go back. After three years away, he was going back to Berlin. The next battle would be the Battle of Berlin.

Arahan planted the red flag on the building. Standing on the rooftop, he looked into the distance and could vaguely see Berlin, the place he had dreamed of countless times. He was determined to plant the red flag in Berlin.

"Forward, troops! Liberate Berlin!"

Guderian jumped into the car. Thorne and his men had entrusted Guderian with the task of attacking Berlin, which was a great honor.

This was actually Thorne's way of compensating Guderian, since in their timeline, Guderian was the only general who never became a marshal.

454. Invitation Letter from the Comintern

The Rhine army had successfully liberated Brandenburg, so the revolutionary government's headquarters could no longer remain in Frankfurt.

It's too far from the front lines. Now that the Rhine army has already advanced, it's natural for them to move forward.

After discussions, the headquarters of the revolutionary government was moved to Magdeburg, which is only a little over 100 kilometers from Berlin. The distance Hess had initially advanced was unexpectedly the limit of the Prussian army's advance, and now the revolutionary army was about to liberate Berlin.

"Leipzig was recently liberated, and troops from Bavaria are continuing their advance toward Dresden. It shouldn't be long before they arrive."

Goebbels picked up the document and looked at it. The battle was getting easier as it went on, and the Prussian army's fighting capacity had plummeted.

Before, they could hold out for a while, but now they are surrendering in droves. At least Rundstedt maintained the qualities of a soldier; he did not organize any desperate attempts to create a People's Storm. If it were Hess or Ludendorff, it would be hard to say.

"Our army grows larger with each battle, while the enemy's army dwindles with each battle."

Thälmann laughed as he looked at the battle report. As the front line continued to advance, the number of soldiers on the Rhine side increased. The surrendered troops were reorganized and put into the fighting order, and their fighting power was much stronger than when they were the enemy.

The Bavarian army had been reorganized. Rommel had been fighting guerrilla warfare there, so when Bavaria was liberated, their army still maintained a certain size. After the reorganization, these troops were now mainly responsible for the southern front, the Leipzig and Dresden areas, and many cities in the south were liberated by them.

"Guderian's troops have successfully liberated Brandenburg, and our deployments in Berlin over the past few years will soon come into play."

"Berlin is the center of Germany. Although it was the heart of German imperialism, we cannot destroy it too much, otherwise the postwar reconstruction will be very difficult. We still have a lot to do."

Goebbels did not want the war to destroy Berlin. Although it is true that out with the old, in with the new, Berlin was a world city that Wilhelm II had built over nearly ten years with a large amount of war reparations. If it was damaged too badly in this battle, the revolutionary government would not be able to spare enough money to repair it.

"War is inevitable. Berlin is a very important city. We know that, and they know that too. A peaceful transfer is unlikely to be possible, and an uprising here will not be as easy as in Munich. Berlin is under much stricter control than other cities. Our covert operations in Berlin can only play an assisting role. We can work together from the inside and outside to minimize the damage."

Now we're in a dilemma. If we liberate Berlin, Prussia will be all we have left. If we take Berlin, the war of liberation will be basically over. Rhine could bring all its heavy weapons here, bomb them before attacking, and then storm in.

However, this would inevitably damage a large number of Berlin’s infrastructure, including many ancient buildings. Berlin is also the center of Germany and the entire Reichstag, a veritable political and economic center. If it were damaged, it would not be a good thing for the Rhineland. In addition to investing a lot of money in repairs, economic development would also be slowed down.

This reminded Thorne of the People's Liberation Army's liberation of Shanghai, where they fought with limited freedom and sacrificed many soldiers. Thorne did not want too many people to fall on the eve of victory. Adolf and others, who were infiltrating Berlin, played an extremely important role in this battle.

"Berlin is too dangerous now. I hope Adolf is alright. The casualties in this battle depend entirely on Adolf."

Goebbels still fondly remembered his good brother. Several years had passed since they parted in Berlin, and he hoped that his brother was alright and that he was fighting on the covert front, where his brother had made great contributions.

"Adolf is a good comrade. When the time comes to broadcast the declaration of liberation of Germany, I think we can let Adolf come."

After the liberation of Berlin, the Rhine Revolutionary Government was to be officially renamed the German Democratic Republic. The glorious task of announcing the establishment of the German Democratic Republic and the liberation of Berlin on the radio should be entrusted to Adolf; it was his duty.

"I agree. Without Comrade Adolf's efforts in Berlin, in the heart of the enemy, we would not have made such good progress."

Thallman also agreed with Thorne's words, saying that this honor was indeed deserved by Adolf and that he should be the one to announce it.

"By the way, Comrade Thallman, what is the attitude of the French Commune and the British Union? Have they agreed?"

"I agree with Comrade Thorne. The special envoy sent by General Secretary Maurice has already spoken with me. After we liberate Berlin, the French Commune will recognize our legal status and will invite us to join the Comintern. The same goes for Britain; they will all send representatives to participate in our founding ceremony."

With the revolutionary army's continuous victories, the revolutionary government's focus could no longer be limited to the domestic sphere; it needed to find friends internationally. Thallman had been busy contacting socialist countries and organizations these days.

France was very straightforward. Germany becoming a socialist country was like a dream come true. Avoiding war was a great thing. After the war, no one wanted to shed blood again. Maurice readily agreed to the future East Germany joining the Comintern and even reserved a place for them at the international conference.

Joining the Comintern had many benefits. Germany would certainly need to rebuild after the civil war. Previously, Germany and France had a very serious divide due to ideological issues, and they had never traded with each other.

France was self-sufficient, while Germany relied on its vast overseas colonies. Each went its own way. Now that the German Democratic Republic has been established, they certainly can no longer enjoy the resources of those colonies. They can only complement each other. Although France is the leading socialist power, its industrial strength still lags behind that of Germany.

It would be perfect to have Germany's industry and France's agriculture complement each other, allowing everyone to get what they need and develop together. After joining the Comintern, they could also receive assistance from international socialist forces. Experts from all walks of life would come to Germany to help with the construction, making it an absolutely wonderful start.

"We've been fighting this war for almost a year, it's time to end it. Now it's time to focus on development. Hopefully, there won't be another major war in Europe."

Just like Ludendorff thought, the revolutionary government's current task was indeed only to liberate all of Germany. They didn't have the energy to deal with the satellite states in Eastern Europe for the time being, and could only do so after the reconstruction was completed. In other words, Ludendorff could stay in Eastern Europe for a while longer.

"Speaking of which, the Communist International Congress is about to convene, right? I'll be able to meet a lot of old friends then."

The timing was perfect; the conference was expected to be held shortly after the liberation of Berlin, and leaders of various socialist ideologies from around the world would likely come to Paris to attend. Thorne was excited just thinking about it and knew he had to go and see it for himself.

"This is an invitation letter from the French Commune. Can we sign it now?"

Thälmann produced the invitation letter from the Communist International, in which the Communist International Congress invited East Germany to become the fourth member state of the Communist International, and also a permanent member state, and to have the right to participate in future world communist activities.

"A new era is about to dawn, an era belonging to communism."

The three men signed their names, and a new era began in Germany, and a new era was about to begin for the world.

455. Twenty-four-hour ceasefire

Having liberated Brandenburg, the Rhine Revolutionary Army is now at the gates of Berlin, which is completely surrounded from three sides and awaits only a command.

The Battle of Berlin was quite interesting. Guderian and Model, the vanguard, were all former Prussian officers who had returned after more than two years away. It's quite a poignant story.

Thorne entrusted the main attack to Guderian, which was a tremendous honor. As the first unit to enter Berlin, this unit would certainly be a force of honor in the future.

Besides Guderian, the soldiers in the unit were also very excited and couldn't wait to charge into the city.

But the main force is currently stationed outside Berlin. Guderian has not ordered an attack, and the two sides are in a strange stalemate, making the soldiers inside and outside the city very nervous. The officers above the city have repeatedly ordered the soldiers outside the city not to attack, and some of the gunners are anxious. All the parameters on their devices are set, and they can fire as soon as the shells come.

The soldiers below were also anxious, all clamoring to volunteer and be the first to break in, saying they were not afraid of death. However, their requests were rejected. The commander at the top had not yet given the order, so they could only wait.

Guderian did not give the order to attack the city. The whole army was in a state of panic. He knew what his soldiers were thinking. After this battle, they would win. He also wanted to rush in as soon as possible. However, because of Ludendorff's policies and the speed of the Rhine's advance, there were still many civilians in Berlin who had not been evacuated.

Guderian could easily give the order, but what about the civilians? Artillery shells don't discriminate between good and bad people. It wouldn't take him long to take Berlin; he could just bombard the ground for two or three hours and then his troops could rush in.

But then what? Their mission was to liberate Berlin, not to capture it. The bombardment was exhilarating, but the cleanup afterwards would be incredibly difficult. If too many civilians died, the revolutionary government would struggle to win back public support, making the cleanup extremely challenging.

Because of all these considerations, Guderian did not rush to attack, but instead ordered a rare ceasefire. The garrison commander on the other side was Manstein. Since the Rhine had ceased fire, he could roughly guess what the other side was thinking. Sure enough, a while later someone came and delivered a letter from the opposing army.