German Red Prince

Page 214

Many political parties are also opponents of the Aryan National Party, which claims to have been established for the well-being of the people and the future of the empire.

Interestingly, most of their opponents also come from these same groups. A significant number of working-class groups are staunch opponents of the Aryan National Party, and their influence is considerable, but the Social Democrats are unwilling to unite with them.

This includes the newly formed Communist Party of Austria. These people were originally the left wing of the Social Democratic Party, and now they have broken away from the left wing to form an independent party. Austrian Marxists have always claimed that they have united most of the left-wing forces, but with the departure of the Social Democratic Party's left wing and the establishment of the Communist Party of Austria, it shows that it is not as united as it claims.

The Communist Party of Austria is also a staunch opponent of the Aryan National Party. Although it is a newly emerging political force, it wields considerable influence and could be a potential ally. However, given the current situation, it is clear that the Social Democratic Party has not chosen to unite with these individuals; they have their own agendas.

Arthur rejected the Social Democratic Party's offer of amnesty, and Libenfels also decided to participate in the operation, calling for a general mobilization of the Aryan National Party throughout the country, with the SS marching into Vienna, and appointing Arthur as the leader of the SS to oversee the operation.

The whole of Austria had gone mad. This movement could not be stopped by a single word. At the leader's call, the SS members throughout Austria set off from their homes to join the movement's march toward Vienna. In this wave, even Arthur could do nothing. He was swept up in the movement and had no choice but to win.

"Support the Führer, support the leader" is a major slogan of the SS. The reason these people are so fanatical now is because no one has stopped them along the way. The procession has been very smooth and has not encountered any obstacles along the way. Even if there were any, they were small-scale and not worth mentioning.

After the failure of his attempt to win over the enemy, Powell began to promote his theory of "defensive violence." At this critical moment, the theory of defensive violence was described as "a combination of wise and realistic policy and revolutionary enthusiasm." This theory represented Austrian Marxism and was an important exploration of the Austrian Marxist school.

"Defensive violence"—is it really as miraculous as Powell makes it out to be? We can see this from the Social Democratic Party's current policies. They claim to be practicing socialism, but their actual actions hardly resemble socialism at all. Politically, they still exhibit bourgeois democracy, and economically, they remain in a free market.

His remarks and actions were merely disguised as "leftist" actions. Powell was still very worried that the vast proletariat would actually gain control of weapons and power because of their low level of education. He believed that once these people had weapons, more serious conflicts would inevitably erupt, and things would get out of control. He claimed to be a proletarian party, but he didn't even trust the real proletariat. Whose interests did he represent?

Powell worried that the armed workers would become uncontrollable, and he still relied on the state apparatus. The Austrian Communist Party united the workers to stop the Aryan National Party's advance, but was instead targeted by the Social Democratic Party, which struck hard against them. What does "pacifying the internal before resisting the external" mean? Compromise and concessions remain one of their characteristics, and their weakness is fully exposed.

The Social Democratic Party knows that reconciliation is hopeless, so they have no choice but to take drastic measures. Previously, some officers refused to stop the Aryan National Party, but now it is a mandatory order. They are, after all, a legitimate government. How could they not control the army? You won't leave when we try to persuade you, but don't cry when we beat you.

The Vienna Daily News issued a final notice, ordering the Aryan National Party's SS advance into Vienna to stop at St. Bernstein. This was the final warning; if they stopped there, everything would be fine, and the government would not pursue the participants too much. But if they went any further, they would have to bear the consequences.

The Vienna Daily News featured the Social Democratic Party's ultimatum, followed by an article about the parliament's passage of the "Defensive Violence Bill," which explained what defensive violence was and what the government would do. The article was very warning-like, indicating that the government was serious.

Artur did not stop. He knew he could not stop now. This was the climax of the movement. If he stopped, there would be no way to succeed. Stopping would mean utter failure. The order for general mobilization was still in effect, and tens of thousands of SS soldiers were still on their way to Vienna.

Artur did not let his guard down despite the warning. This time, he was determined to achieve victory in the national revolution. The Social Democratic government might really be desperate and take drastic measures. Artur had to be prepared to deal with it. The other side might send troops to suppress the rebellion, and he would also need to find some help.

In such an environment, there were quite a few supporters of Aryanism within the military, and many soldiers participated in the march on Vienna.

Most of the people involved in this movement are a mob, but there are also many capable elites among them. If a conflict really breaks out, we will need their help. If the Social Democratic Party wants to escalate the conflict, then so be it.

As the former ruling party of Germany, the National Party controlled the state apparatus for a period of time. After its defeat and fall in Austria, it lost political power, but it was not lacking in weapons. They had everything from small items like submachine guns and rocket launchers to large items, such as several armored vehicles and even tanks.

This time, it was also mentioned that Artur's "peace march" was actually an armed pilgrimage. The SS also had weapons, and the main purpose was to deter others. If you really dare to take action, I am not afraid. Although most of them were a rabble, they were numerous. Ants can really kill an elephant.

After the Vienna Daily issued the announcement, some people were indeed a little scared and left the main force, but the majority still insisted on marching towards Vienna to eliminate the traitors.

Sester did not leave the main group. As the original team, he could not abandon the journey halfway. After walking for so many days without incident, he believed that this was just a bluff by the government. When they were about to reach St. Bernard, the team took a break. Suddenly, a group of strangers appeared on their side, along with many large weapons. Sester was even given a submachine gun.

The team leader also gave a speech, saying that there were still more than fifty kilometers to go, and those bastards in Vienna would not be able to stop the great SS from advancing through intimidation.

The atmosphere was a little off; the speech felt more like a general mobilization, as if they were really preparing to take action. After adjusting their strategy, they arrived in St. Bernd, and sure enough, the area was under martial law.

"Stop advancing! Or we will attack!"

An officer held a megaphone, surrounded by soldiers with rifles, and a menacing armored vehicle followed behind. His warnings did not stop them from advancing. The leader of the column sang the SS anthem loudly, carried the flag, and continued forward, with the others following him.

"Oh!"

It's unclear who fired the first shot—perhaps from the other side, or perhaps someone on our side fired it accidentally out of nervousness. In any case, both sides were stunned for a few seconds, and then almost simultaneously, a barrage of gunfire erupted, marking the official outbreak of armed conflict and the infamous St. Bernstein massacre in Austria.

492. The Victory of the Mob

Sester held a gun in his hand. He didn't think anything out of the ordinary would happen. After all, he had come all the way from Linz and hadn't seen the other side do anything for so long. This time would most likely be the same.

The Social Democratic Party's announcement in the Vienna Daily may just be a bluff; with so many SS men, how could these guys really take action?

Weapons were being developed in all countries, with most still in the exploratory stage. The 1930s were a period of modernization for the world's major military powers.

Germany also benefited from the civil war, as its weaponry was rapidly updated and improved, and even the Nationalist Party members who fled Germany were able to use the latest German equipment.

The submachine gun in Seist's hand came from Germany. During the German Civil War, a large amount of munitions flowed out, and it was not difficult for the National Party to acquire some. Compared to the Austro-Hungarian army, which was still using manual bolt-action rifles, the German army, which had a certain number of submachine guns, had a great advantage.

Equipped with drum magazines, these submachine guns are deadly weapons. Even if there are a dozen or twenty soldiers with bolt-action rifles on the other side, one submachine gun is enough to stop them. That's why the Aryan National Party wasn't so worried about this march.

In addition to submachine guns, those in the team who have received professional training are also equipped with rocket launchers. As a quasi-armed force, they already have the strength to rival the regular army.

When the SS march reached St. Bernstein, there were no flowers or cheering crowds. The Social Democratic army had placed the city under martial law, and the main road to Vienna was lined with troops, police, and armored vehicles with their engines roaring.

"This is your final warning! Return immediately, or you will be committing treason!"

"Patriotism is not a crime!"

The SS's momentum did not wane. With a shout from their leader, they continued to advance with resolute steps. Vienna was just a step away, and they could not stop there.

"Stop advancing immediately! Continue!"

The officer on the other side was still shouting through a megaphone. He was exasperated with these stubborn guys. Did they really think he was joking? This was for real; this was their last chance.

These SS men were indeed very intimidating. I don't know who they were, maybe they were SS soldiers or local police. They were a bit too tense in this environment and accidentally pulled the trigger. The gunshot shocked everyone. Everyone was on edge, and after the gunshot, things became even more chaotic.

"Under attack! Open fire! Open fire!"

The military police blocking the road began attacking the advancing SS. These people were quite honest and didn't actually raise their guns. The SS only looked intimidating; most of them were far less disciplined than regular troops. After hearing the gunfire, they scattered and fled in terror.

Sester, holding the submachine gun, didn't even think about firing it. The street was already in chaos. He held the gun in one hand and covered his head with the other, and quickly ran towards some cover.

The sound of bullets ricocheting off the wall was terrifying, so much so that Sester dared not open his eyes. He now regretted not leaving with the others. In this era of politics, bloodshed was unavoidable, and Sester had come to realize just how terrifying it truly was.

The military and police are, after all, part of the regular army. When it comes to fighting, this group of hastily organized armed men is like child's play. Fortunately, Artur had made preparations in advance. In Austria, marching into Vienna is more difficult than Mussolini's march into Rome, but easier than Hitler's march from Bavaria into Berlin.

They encountered military and police resistance on the way, but his SS were stronger and outnumbered the SA. The first wave of attacks by the military and police did not break up the SS ranks. The counter-attack personnel selected by Artur played a very important role.

Watching the SS soldiers scatter and flee ahead, the armored vehicle started up and slowly advanced. Once this first batch of people was wiped out, the rest of the main force could go home. Just as they breathed a sigh of relief, an unexpected event occurred: a rocket-propelled grenade came from a distance. Armored vehicles of this level simply could not withstand the impact of such a rocket-propelled grenade.

"Oh!"

The enormous explosion sounded even more amplified in the already quiet street. The commander in charge of the ambush stared in astonishment as he saw his armored vehicle destroyed. What kind of equipment did the enemy have? How could they destroy their armored vehicle so easily?

Before he could even react, the intense gunfire began to overwhelm them, making it impossible for them to lift their heads. The submachine guns with drum magazines were much more satisfying to fire than bolt-action rifles, and the soldiers and police were taken down in droves before they could even react.

"Hidden! Hidden!"

The opposing side wasn't spineless either. Seeing the fallen soldiers, the commander quickly issued orders. He thought a round of gunfire would make them scatter like birds and beasts, but he didn't expect the other side to fight back so hard. More importantly, his own firepower was no match for theirs; their firepower was clearly superior.

There were only a few dozen people on our side, relying on armored vehicles to hold the line. Now those armored vehicles have been blown up. The firepower of a few dozen people is no match for the SS's submachine guns and rocket launchers. All weapons can be used against infantry. After the SS rocket launchers destroyed the armored vehicles, they started attacking the infantry. This is not a job that ordinary police should be doing. Where is there such an exciting battlefield?

"Retreat! Retreat!"

The enemy's firepower was clearly too much for their few dozen men to handle, so retreating was the wisest choice. Otherwise, it would be quite a sight if they were all wiped out here. After leaving behind a few corpses, the military and police officers hastily retreated, and the entire street gradually returned to silence.

"We've won! Hooray!"

The gunfire gradually subsided, and an SS soldier crawled out from a corner, looking at the few corpses left behind by the enemy and shouting excitedly. The other scattered SS soldiers also poked their heads out, and sure enough, there was no movement from the other side, and only a few corpses on the street. They had actually won.

The SS, who had just been panicking, immediately became as energetic as if they had been injected with chicken blood. They actually won against the regular army, even though their casualties were much greater than the enemy's. They had won and repelled the military and police. What did this mean? It meant that no one could stop them from continuing their advance.

Sester, clutching his submachine gun, hid in a corner without firing a single shot, but that didn't stop him from celebrating with everyone. It was fortunate he didn't fire; if he had fired blindfolded, who knows what might have happened. Most of the SS casualties were caused by their own shooting. Sester had dozens of bullets in one drum magazine; if he had fired, he would have taken down at least a dozen of his own men.

The main reason was that the rocket launcher shot was well-placed, destroying the enemy's armored vehicle before the enemy's military and police could react. Coupled with the dense barrage of submachine gun fire, the Social Democratic Party never expected the SS to have such strong combat capabilities. In their minds, these people were just thugs with sticks.

In the Saint-Bertten massacre, the SS suffered 40 deaths and up to 100 injuries, while the police suffered 10 deaths and about 8 injuries. Ironically, most of the SS soldiers were killed by their own men, but Artur certainly wouldn't have attributed it to his own people.

Although more than a hundred people were killed or wounded, the movement was still a victory. The SS did not stop at St. Bernten, but continued to advance towards Vienna.

493. Compromise

The bloodshed at St. Berten did not deter the SS; instead, it emboldened them. Powell's "defensive violence" policy could only continue if they defeated the enemy, but they were driven away in the first round.

The Aryan National Party acted swiftly, publishing the list of fallen SS members in the newspaper "The Aryan" and praising their bravery.

In terms of public opinion, the Social Democratic Party's action actually boosted the support rate of the Aryan National Party by a lot, because the government had actually lost. Now these SS soldiers really became fighters against oppression and petitioning for the people.

St. Bernstein did not stop the SS advance. With only fifty kilometers left to go before Vienna, and just one day to go, the SS's march on Vienna was a complete success.

The suppression failed, and the government's prestige was almost completely destroyed. This operation had a huge impact on the Social Democrats. They didn't succeed; instead, it emboldened them even more. Emperor Karl was almost driven mad by the Social Democrats' brain-dead actions.

He supports this group so much, do these people even have brains? They keep making stupid moves. They only sent a few dozen policemen to stop the SS troops heading to Vienna. If they're going to use force, they should have given them a good beating. Why didn't they send hundreds of people to suppress them?

Now what are we going to do? The first round of crackdown has failed, and public opinion is already on their side.

Because of this action, many supporters of the Aryan National Party have emerged in Vienna. Due to the Social Democratic Party's disastrous actions, public opinion has been drawn to the Aryan National Party, and the balance of power has shifted. If the Social Democratic Party wants to carry out further suppression, it will have to consider many things.

The SS soldiers of the Aryan National Party were taking their final rest in St. Bernstein, while the Social Democratic Party in Vienna was on high alert. It's ridiculous that they couldn't stop them! What's next?

"It's terrible! Did you see it? The announcement in the Aryan newspaper."

A member of parliament rushed in from outside, looking terrified, holding a brand-new copy of the "Aryan Al-Ahram" newspaper. It contained Liben Fils' "final notice," demanding that the Social Democratic Party hand over the illegally acquired power by 10:00 AM the next day. The Aryan National Party had already mobilized the entire country, and if the Social Democratic Party did not relinquish power, they would fight to the end.

The Social Democratic Party previously wanted to ban the Aryan Party, but now that the Aryan Party has gained control of public opinion, they also want to ban the Social Democratic Party. The decision is now in your hands. We don't want bloodshed; we just want you to peacefully hand over power.

"Damn it, this is outrageous! These bastards!"

The Aryan Party's report is full of smugness and is, to put it bluntly, meant to disgust the Social Democratic Party. Isn't this announcement a direct response to their previous ban notice?

"We must suppress them! We absolutely cannot allow them to seize power. Our people have been deceived by them, and this group will surely drag the entire country into the abyss!"

Powell's stance remained firm; he was already considered a hardliner within the Social Democratic Party, advocating for continued attacks on the Aryan Party. However, given St. Berten's disastrous handling of the situation, most Social Democratic members remained silent. If the conflict escalated, not only Austria but the entire Austro-Hungarian Peninsula would be in jeopardy, and further fighting would certainly lead to its disintegration.

"How about we discuss it with them again? All they want are positions in the government, right? Let's give them a few. The government can't be allowed to act recklessly, or we'll become the ones who commit crimes."

After a sleepless night, the Social Democratic Party itself was in an uproar. The Aryan Party demanded that the Social Democratic Party relinquish power, and they were serious about it. After Libenfels issued the mobilization order, the Aryan Party and the SS in the western states of Austria had begun a general mobilization, and party members across the country marched toward Vienna.

The deadline for the Aryan Party was 10 o'clock, but by 9 o'clock, the Social Democratic Party had not made any move. While they were not making any moves, the Aryan Party had already packed up their equipment and gear. The Social Democratic Party's biggest asset was the Royal Army.

If the Royal Army were to intervene, these seemingly powerful SS units would be easy to deal with. However, to mobilize the Royal Army, His Majesty the Emperor's personal approval was required. With the deadline fast approaching, the Social Democratic Party's high-ranking officials couldn't come up with a solution and could only consult Emperor Karl, hoping to order the Royal Army to come to the rescue. This was their last trump card.

Emperor Karl had learned to some extent about the Aryan Party's actions in Vienna. After the bloodshed at St. Bernstein, Vienna saw a surge in Aryan Party supporters, with posters of support visible everywhere on the streets. Some people even took to the streets to campaign, and more and more people in Vienna were taking to the streets.

"Your Majesty, please order the mobilization of the Royal Army, otherwise our country will descend into utter chaos."

"Chaos? Did I cause this chaos?"

Karl is very unhappy. He had such high expectations for these Social Democrats and had done so much to help them get elected, but they have ruined him.

"No, no, Your Majesty."

"If it wasn't my fault, then why are you coming to me? And why do you want me to mobilize the Royal Army? What are you doing? How can I trust you? And what have you done? You've led these lunatics all the way to Vienna!"

Karl berated the men who had come, saying that the situation was out of control and that if the Royal Army intervened, a civil war could break out, causing the entire empire to fall apart.

The big brother in the north is still watching. Although they have just gone through a civil war, with the help of the French Commune, dealing with a falling empire is not too difficult.

“I am responsible to Austria and the entire Reich, not to pay for your foolish mistakes. Austria does not belong to you! Austria belongs to the Habsburg family! The country will continue to function without you!”

Karl shoved the Social Democratic Party representatives out and slumped into a chair. He had failed, utterly failed. He had hoped the Social Democrats could at least put up a fight, but they hadn't expected to be so easily defeated by the Aryan Party. Karl was helpless. The Royal Army couldn't get involved; he couldn't predict the risks ahead.

The choice between removing the Habsburgs from the throne and allowing a party that respects them to come to power was easy to answer: it was simply a matter of changing the party. The Social Democratic Party had been given a chance, but they failed to live up to expectations. Emperor Karl made a compromise, making one of the most helpless decisions of his life.

"Your Excellency Libenfels, His Majesty the King has invited you to Vienna to invite you to form a new cabinet..."

At 9:40 a.m., a telegram arrived in Graz, and the government compromised. Twenty minutes later, the telegram reached all Aryan party organizations across the country, including the SS troops resting in St. Berten. Yes, they had won, and the future of Austria belonged to them.

494. Internal contradictions

Emperor Karl could not gamble with Austria's future; he was responsible to the whole of Austria, not just the Social Democratic Party. The fate of the Royal Army was acceptable, but it would only lead to further divisions in Austria.

Austria belonged to the Habsburg family, and the division of Austria was the last thing Karl wanted to see; he did not want to see the Austro-Hungarian Empire buried in his hands.

The Social Democratic Party's poor performance proved their incompetence, and Emperor Karl gave up the struggle, choosing to let the Social Democratic Party step down gracefully and inviting Libenfels to Vienna to participate in the formation of a new cabinet government.

In real history, a mustachioed man from Austria changed Germany. In this timeline, a political party that is extremely similar to the Nazis but even more fanatical appeared in Austria and defeated all its competitors, becoming Austria's sole winner.

Although the Austrian Communist Party had the support of some workers, it was extremely powerless to resist the powerful Aryan National Party without the backing of the government. However, the Austrian Communist Party was not stupid. The Social Democratic Party was losing ground, and the Aryan National Party would surely take over. The Austrian Communist Party had prepared for underground operations, and most of its party organizations had successfully moved. They were ready for a long struggle.

Austria and Emperor Karl had many opportunities to defeat the Aryan National Party, but unfortunately they failed to seize any of them. If they had seized even one of these opportunities, they would not have suffered such a crushing defeat.

The joy of the victorious advance made the entire Aryan Party ecstatic. They had actually managed to seize power so successfully, which was simply unimaginable. Even the members of the National Party had not expected that their adventure would actually succeed.

Germany is currently busy rebuilding and improving relations with France, and has no immediate plans to pursue them. This period of relative calm is also the best time for Austria to develop. Their northern neighbor will attack sooner or later, and they will have to fight back sooner or later. The sooner they seize power, the sooner they can accumulate strength. The Austro-Hungarian Empire must be integrated into a single, unified entity to stage another decisive battle for Germany and determine who truly claims to be the German hegemon.

His Majesty the Emperor invited them to Vienna to form a cabinet, and the high-ranking members of the Aryan Party were overjoyed. They bid farewell to their leader as he traveled to Vienna. Arthur had played a crucial role in Libenfels' successful power grab. Had it not been for his risky organization of the march, the Aryan Party might have lost its advantage under the Social Democratic Party's offensive. Therefore, Libenfels also invited Arthur and his SS to Vienna to attend this victory celebration.

The general public supports the Aryan National Party. There's no way around it; their economy is indeed doing well. Keynesian economics is showing results, while the Austrian economic measures show no signs of economic recovery. Although they keep advocating giving the government some time and having some confidence, this group can't produce anything of substance, so how can anyone have confidence?

A large part of the Aryan National Party's success was due to the presence of Keynes, a specially appointed economist. It was Keynes' economic policies that made their political propaganda so successful. Without such an economic luminary, the Aryan National Party would never have received so much support.

The majority of the Austrian public supported the Aryan Party. When they heard that His Majesty the Emperor had invited Libenfels to Vienna, propaganda slogans were already posted. Supporters of the Aryan National Party in Vienna held a grand parade and even ran to the front of Emperor Karl's palace, shouting "Long live the Emperor!"

Libenfels' arrival in Vienna caused a huge sensation. Almost everyone in Vienna came out to welcome the leader. The SS stood on both sides, Libenfels was in the middle of the procession, and the Royal Army was responsible for maintaining order on the perimeter.

The deafening cheers seemed to lift the roof off Vienna, with fervent supporters chanting slogans incessantly. Some journalists, witnessing the scene, exclaimed that Libenfels' influence had even surpassed that of Emperor Karl; he was the uncrowned king of Austria.

Emperor Karl's invitation to Libenbergfels to form a government was a last resort; he had no other choice but to watch Austria fight a civil war.

Soon, Libenfels was appointed head of government to oversee national affairs. As promised, he swore allegiance to Emperor Karl, indicating that the Aryan National Party still recognized him as emperor. However, Libenfels had become the de facto dictator of Austria.

To demonstrate the Aryan National Party's leniency, Libenfels did not retaliate against the Social Democratic Party. However, this was merely a facade. They certainly intended to exterminate the Social Democratic Party, but having only recently seized power and not yet consolidated their rule, rash action would only create chaos and be detrimental to them. The Aryan National Party needed to pretend to be acting in the best interests of the country and its people, waiting for the opportune moment to wipe them out.