German Red Prince

Page 99

The saying "I'd rather give to a friendly nation than to my own slaves" is shameful to even say.

The indemnities they paid have even managed to feed the great powers that are chasing after China. How dare he ascend the throne as emperor in the north? He should really hang himself from a crooked old tree.

"I really hope that one day we can see that China also has such an army, as strong as steel."

"Maybe soon." Xu Tingyao smiled.

"I hope so." Zhang Zhizhong stopped talking and watched as the formations below passed by one by one.

“I’m not saying this to comfort you,” Xu Tingyao said, looking at Zhang Zhizhong.

"You know, Wenbai, when I listen to this music, I have a strange feeling that we might be able to use this piece in the near future." After saying that, he started singing along to the melody.

"Forward, we are full of vigor and sharpness, ready to scare away tigers and wolves. Forward, our steps are firm and resounding, and we stand tall in the wind and rain."

"He comes from a wealthy family, after all; he sings quite well," Zhang Zhizhong joked. One of them is from Chaohu, Anhui, and the other is from Wuwei, Anhui, so they can be considered fellow townsmen. Given their long-term relationship, they actually have a very good connection.

"Aren't you better than me in everything? You're completely incompetent now?" Xu Tingyao laughed as she looked at Zhang Zhizhong.

Duklo looked at the passing Tank Number One with obvious disdain. He had heard that the Kingdom of Rhine had recently started to pay attention to tanks, and this was the thing they built.

But that's exactly what Thorne wanted to see. He had to keep something as a trump card, right? The specific direction for future tank construction was still a secret within the kingdom; the commune members couldn't know about it.

Thorne wanted to give the Commune the illusion that the Kingdom was still focused on upgrading and developing its infantry, thus deceiving France. Otherwise, if the Commune saw the tanks that he planned to mass-produce in the future and started competing with him, it would be a real problem.

Another reason he was worried was that the French might get angry and, seeing that the Rhine had developed a tank similar to their own so quickly, declare war immediately. That would be interesting, since no one could predict their temperament.

Thorne never intended to go to war with France; in fact, they were going to become socialist brothers in the future.

Although no tanks were released, Thorne still possesses a force that the commune should be wary of, such as the phalanx that will appear next, an armed force that Thorne himself has invested money to cultivate.

The parade was nearing its end, and Regoye was carefully storing his film. He had taken so many photos; they would be busy tomorrow.

But the troops that appeared next stunned everyone present.

Chapter 162 First Appearance

With the armored formations finished, everyone thought the Rhine Kingdom's military parade should be over. But just as everyone was preparing to leave, another formation approached from afar.

Regoyer initially glanced at it casually, but immediately forgot about packing up the film and picked up his camera.

Not only him, but everyone present was somewhat bewildered. Was the army that had marched over truly from this era?

"Next up is the Kingdom's Special Operations Formation. As the Kingdom's elite force, they have been protecting the Kingdom's security from the shadows."

"First to arrive is the Kingdom's Ministry of State Security, the Stasi and Signal Flags. Since their establishment, the Stasi and Signal Flags have cracked several operations against the Kingdom, protecting it from external threats."

The military branches in this era were relatively simple, not as diverse as in later generations, so they were quite shocked to see units like the Signal Flag and Alpha.

To maintain secrecy, the Stasi and the members of the Signal Flag wore masks, revealing only their eyes. Not only them, but everyone in the following formation was also masked. Moreover, the commentators didn't provide much information about them, only briefly mentioning what they had done.

As the saying goes, the fewer the words, the bigger the matter. The Rhine people know this principle well. The reason they are not doing this now is because of this. The newspapers discuss it at length every day, but everyone goes on with their lives as usual.

But if one day the newspapers suddenly reduce their focus on the commune, then the Rhine people should be careful. Back then, the day before the Kingdom of the Rhine chose to participate in the war, the kingdom's official announcement was very simple, less than a hundred words long.

These troops seemed very mysterious, and everyone was very curious about them. When they passed by, the people present no longer felt the excitement they had before. Coupled with the January temperature, the audience only felt a cold chill.

"Next up are the State Secret Police and the Alpha Group. Their duty is to protect the peace of the kingdom and eliminate any destabilizing factors within it."

As he watched the advancing formation, Regoye kept adjusting the best shooting angle. These soldiers were clearly the elite of the elite. He hadn't expected the kingdom to still have these trump cards up its sleeve.

Looking at these troops, Regoye was somewhat moved. The Star Western Strike Force and the Gestapo Strike Force were dressed in dress uniforms, while the Signal Flag and Alpha were dressed in combat uniforms. Clearly, this unit had a very complete system, with both civilian personnel and dedicated combat personnel.

To what extent has the kingdom's military technology developed to be able to assemble such an army?

These two armies, one inside and one outside, acted like the kingdom's sword and shield, protecting the country's security. He could hardly imagine how much power and trust the kingdom had given to the leaders of these two armies.

Regoyer's camera then turned to the reviewing stand to see the reactions of the representatives from various countries upon seeing the army, especially the representatives of the French Commune.

This was the first time Duclos had ever seen an army like this. Although most countries of a certain size had intelligence agencies, he had never seen an intelligence agency paired with a dedicated army. Judging from this, the army must be quite elite, but he couldn't make a conclusion just yet.

It seems that it is too early to take action against Germany. The Commune does not yet have an absolute advantage over Germany. Although it may achieve significant results in the early stages, the Rhineland's armor may not be as good as France's, but their army is indeed among the world's best.

If the Commune had gone to war with Germany during this period, it would have at most only advanced to the vicinity of Frankfurt, and then engaged in a protracted war of attrition with the army of the Kingdom of the Rhine.

Once the war becomes bogged down, France's advantage will diminish, and the Rhineland will be depleted. When Germany recovers, Paris will be in danger again.

Regoyer took several photos of the French observation group, and judging from their expressions, it was clear to anyone with eyes that they weren't very happy. Now, the French would have to think twice before taking any action.

On the viewing platform, King Otto was also full of curiosity about the army below. Thorne had mentioned earlier that he was running some kind of security organization, and King Otto had also heard that they cooperated with relevant departments of the kingdom.

Unexpectedly, things have turned out quite well. It seems he can really rest assured. Even if Thorne is unwilling to become king, with his assistance, Andreas will have a much easier time.

Thorne, of course, had no idea what Otto was thinking. He was inspecting the troops below with Thomas and Heydrich behind him.

Although the number of his protégés, whom he had cultivated through more than a year of hard work, was relatively small, they were absolutely top-notch in this era when it came to maintaining a respectable image.

In the first few years after my transmigration, I was so busy running around that I didn't have much time to take care of things back home. I was lucky to have Thomas and Heydrich watching over things for me, otherwise it would have been a real hassle.

Fortunately, I've covered most of my travels, so I can now shift my focus to work in China.

With wolves in front and tigers behind, neither the Commune nor Prussia harbored good intentions towards the Rhine. No matter how much he talked, it was useless if he didn't have a strong fist. Although he said he wanted to start a revolution, he didn't want to place too much hope on the French Commune.

Although he is now the elder brother of socialism and might help me during the revolution, who knows what will happen after the revolution succeeds?

The current ruling party is a neutral faction. If someone else comes to power next, will they bring up past grievances and make Germany "tighten its belt"?

Only by possessing sufficient advantages can one avoid being manipulated by others. Although the history of this world is different from his own, Thorne still possesses enough advantages.

Germany's survival in the war was the best natural condition for its development in the previous stage. If it had been handled properly, it wouldn't have been difficult for it to overthrow the Kaiser.

Thomas and Heydrich stood behind Prince Thorne and saluted the crowd below. Looking at their uniforms, Regoye suddenly had a very bold hypothesis.

These two were standing so close to Prince Thorne, whose prestige in the Rhineland had been steadily rising lately. Rumors were circulating that the Crown Prince would relinquish his claim to the throne to Prince Thorne, and that he had been involved in various affairs of the kingdom these days. Could they be...?

Regoye suddenly wanted to take back his previous comment. His position was perfect; he could get a perfect shot of the viewing platform, and the angle was just right. The two people standing behind the prince, judging by their attire, were clearly important figures.

"It seems this time the harvest is really quite large," Regoye exclaimed after taking the photos. He had a feeling that the scene would be incredibly exciting when the photos were published in the newspaper tomorrow.

"Striving into a new era, as we step into the 1930s, the Kingdom's army is also striding forward. Defending the Rhine is the sacred mission of all soldiers of the Kingdom. The Rhine army of the new era will continue to write a magnificent epic of the Kingdom."

With Helena's closing remarks, the Rhine Grand Parade truly came to an end.

Thorne didn't want to bring out the Mobile Squad, because the Mobile Squad was his most elite force, and their equipment was hard to explain, so he didn't want to show it off. Besides, it was always better to keep a few trump cards up his sleeve.

This parade also marked the first public appearance of the Stasi Gestapo.

Everyone now knows that in the shadows of the kingdom, a pair of eyes are watching over all forces that have any designs on the kingdom, guarding the lights of every household.

Chapter 163 Friends

As the last few formations passed by, the military parade in the Kingdom of the Rhine came to an end. Judging from the reactions of the audience, the parade was a great success.

"Thank you all for your hard work."

Fritz opened a bottle of soda and celebrated with everyone. Months of preparation, hundreds of revisions to the plans and schemes, but it was all worth it, and the filming was a great success.

We shot so much footage today, enough to edit into a groundbreaking movie, but it will probably be a while before it's released.

Thorne's request was to strive for a three-month release so that people all over the world could see the Rhine's splendor.

Editing was an even more massive undertaking than filming; Fritz and his team had to cut out a roughly ninety-minute film from a large number of rolls of film.

"Thank you all for your hard work, this photoshoot was a great success."

"cheers."

The photography team raised their glasses in celebration. They were exhausted from the day. It was an official shoot, and everyone was on edge. Fortunately, Fritz was there to manage things, and nothing went wrong. All that was left was to edit it and then report back to the kingdom.

"Mr. Duklo, what do you think of the soldiers of the Kingdom of Rhine?"

After the parade, the various military observation groups got busy trying to get information from the official members of the Kingdom of Rhine. However, Thorne was more concerned about the commune's thoughts, since the parade was mainly for the commune's benefit, and everything else was secondary.

"Very good. The soldiers of the Kingdom of Rhine have excellent morale and are very strong. They are a force with faith," Duclos praised.

"You flatter me. These soldiers are only duty-bound to defend the country."

"Defend the country? Were they defending the Frankish Kingdom a decade or so ago?" Duklo smiled at Thorne.

"Aren't the French the same? It's just that in some ways, we all failed."

Thorne sighed, "To be honest, I don't like the current situation. You mentioned protecting the Frankish Kingdom, and it suddenly occurred to me that we were one family more than a thousand years ago."

"Your Highness is quite humorous," Duclos couldn't help but laugh when he heard Thorne's words.

"Yes, we were one family more than a thousand years ago. It's just a pity that we separated later. More than a hundred years ago, we tried to do the same thing. Didn't your King Charlemagne not want to come back?"

“But you seem to have succeeded,” Duclos said meaningfully. “You have revived a nation even more powerful than the Frankish dynasty.”

"Do you really think we've succeeded? An empire, a German empire?"

Thorne sat beside Duklow, watching the sun gradually set outside.

"Everyone hoped that the great war more than a decade ago was a war that could end all wars, but now it seems that was just a beautiful fantasy."

Thorne glanced at Duklo as he spoke. Everyone knew how deep the conflict between Germany and France had become. The war might never end, and the great war might just be a psychological expectation for everyone in the world.

"I really envy China, where dozens of ethnic groups can live peacefully on the same land."

"We Europeans have used various methods to divide and differentiate their various ethnic groups, attempting to cause internal divisions, but have we succeeded?"

"Although China is a backward country now, and its territory is divided into countless large and small forces, all of these forces are just large and small warlord forces."

"Their ethnicity was not divided, and the warlords' ultimate goal was to unify China, otherwise they would have been quickly annexed or eliminated. It's truly enviable."

"What's there to envy? Didn't you Germans almost unify Europe?"

"Unification? I already said it was just a German empire. If this empire were to suddenly collapse one day, would those other peoples who once lived under its rule miss this country and think that one day this country could be reunified?"

"Germany has been trying to get along with Poland for hundreds of years, and things are still the same, aren't they?"

"When Charlemagne I chose to join the North German Confederation and the Empire, it was because King Charlemagne did not want to see people of the same nation continue to kill each other. The three kingdoms chose to merge and become the German Empire we know today."

"But in the great war, the Kingdom of Rhine, which was the first to engage in battle, lost nearly 600,000 soldiers. What did it gain? Huge reparations? Vast colonies? Sorry, the kingdom only gained one mausoleum after another and a pile of ruins in this war."

"If there are such contradictions within a country or a nation, it goes without saying that the integration of different countries and different nations is even more difficult."

“You’re an interesting person,” Duclos said. “I wish we were friends.”

"To become your friend? According to you socialists, does that mean you have to call me comrade?"

“Haha, that’s true.” Duklow didn’t say much more. The two were silent for a while, and then Duklow said goodbye to Thorne.

"Take this with you, consider it a gift from me."

Thorne had several cases of Fanta delivered. "I think the lads really enjoy it. Take some back with you, make some friends. If there's a chance, you're welcome to come to Frankfurt for beer, but don't come in a tank."

“You’re an interesting person,” Duklow repeated, without directly answering Thorne. “Since you’re so kind, I can’t be stingy with my own words.”

"I left in a hurry and didn't take anything valuable with me. This fountain pen has been with me for five years. I'm giving it to you. I hope you won't mind."

"Thank you."

Thorne took the pen and bid farewell to the French observers, hoping that this military parade and talks could ease the Commune's hostility towards the Kingdom of the Rhine. Thorne did not want to fight another pointless war with France.

"Your Highness, King Otto is still talking with the Prussian observers."

After seeing off the commune delegation, almost everyone except those who were negotiating business with the Rhine military had left. Unexpectedly, the Prussian people were still there.

Many military observer groups from various countries, especially the French Republic, were discussing business with the Rhineland military after watching the parade.

This wealthy African nation is currently engaged in a fierce battle with the Ottomans, creating a huge demand for arms. Naturally, the kingdom is treating them with great courtesy, eager for them to sit down and have a proper chat.

But what are the representatives of the Kingdom of Prussia still doing here? They're not buying Rhine equipment, so Thorne can't think of any other reason besides wanting to probe the kingdom's true strength.

Recently, Wilhelm II has been sending more and more people to the Rhineland, and Thorne has a bad feeling. He fears that one day, instead of the French attacking, Prussia might stab him in the back.

Chapter 164 Three Kingdoms, One Show

Thorne didn't really have a good impression of Prussia. In other words, the Rhine people didn't have a good impression of Prussia. As a federal country, the grudges between the three kingdoms could go on for days and nights.

Bavaria was forced into Germany by the Prussians through force, who compelled it to join the German Empire.

To appease Bavaria, Prussia granted it many privileges, while Bavaria also maintained its own cultural uniqueness, emphasizing its distinction from Prussia.

Although the Kingdom of the Rhine voluntarily joined the German Empire and, like Bavaria, retained considerable autonomy in politics, economy, diplomacy, and military affairs, its joining was solely for the purpose of forming a unified nation, not out of goodwill towards Prussia.

The outbreak of the war, in particular, made the Rhine people's impression of Prussia extremely bad. During the reign of William I, there was Chancellor Bissmann mediating between the various kingdoms, and the relationship between the kingdoms was actually not bad.

However, since Wilhelm II became Emperor of the German Empire, the relationship between the various kingdoms has become delicate.

Wilhelm II was quick-tempered and acted very impulsively, making decisions that seemed to be made without thinking.