German Red Prince

Page 100

According to the "Three Kings' Declaration" signed by the three kingdoms, if the German Empire wanted to wage war against a country of comparable strength, it had to obtain the consent of all three kingdoms; otherwise, the other kingdoms had the right to refuse to participate in the war.

By 1910, the smell of gunpowder from the war was already quite strong. The various principalities within the German Empire had discussed the matter, and all of them except Prussia opposed the war, because everyone knew that Germany was not ready.

Besides the Kingdom of the Rhine, Bavaria also strongly opposed it. They even publicly warned that if Prussia wanted to start a war, they would immediately withdraw from the German Empire, as no one wanted to be cannon fodder with Prussia.

However, an unexpected event occurred: both King Ludwig II and King Otto I of Bavaria suffered from mental health problems. When Ludwig III became King of Bavaria, he began to fully support Wilhelm II's ideas.

The reason is quite simple: Bavaria was invaded by Prussia, so it was not convinced by Prussia. War could weaken Prussia's power and allow Bavaria to grow stronger. Perhaps then Bavaria could dominate the entire German Empire.

At the same time, if war breaks out, the power of the Kingdom of the Rhine will certainly be weakened. The two countries originally shared the same origin. Bavaria was the largest state in the entire Rhine Federation at that time, while the Kingdom of the Rhine was just an unknown nobody.

Bavaria had once been very successful following France, acquiring land and transforming from an electorate into a kingdom. After Napoleon's disastrous Russian campaign, Bavaria wisely joined the anti-French coalition and together they defeated France at the Battle of Leipzig.

After the Battle of Leipzig, the Kingdom of the Rhine, as a rising power, quickly unified the former Rhine Federation region. This made Bavaria somewhat resentful, as it had previously been the first state in the federation, but now the Rhine had been unified by an insignificant little country.

Therefore, Bavaria has always liked to cause trouble for the Kingdom of the Rhine. Including the outbreak of the war, when Wilhelm II was very happy to have Ludwig's support, he actually declared war on France without informing the Kingdom of the Rhine, and in the name of the German Empire, not the Kingdom of Prussia.

This made things very awkward. The Kingdom of the Rhine did not sign the declaration of war of the German Empire, but it was declared in the name of the Empire. France could attack the Kingdom of the Rhine. At the same time, as the western gateway of Germany, the Franco-German war had to pass through the Rhine. Therefore, the Kingdom was dragged into the war.

After the war began, the two countries fought on the border. However, Prussia and Bavaria, the two signatory kingdoms, did not send any reinforcements in the early stages of the war. In the early stages of the war, the kingdoms were completely fighting against the attacks of the two countries and suffered heavy casualties.

For a time, if you asked Rhine people which country they disliked the most, they would all say Prussia without hesitation.

After the war, Prussia also compensated the kingdom by ceding all the land it had received from France to the Kingdom of the Rhine, excluding the colonies.

This ironically shifted all of the French people's hatred for Germany onto the Kingdom of the Rhine.

The Kingdom of the Rhine is now building defenses on the border and holding military parades, but it's all Prussia's doing, and the Kingdom of the Rhine is cleaning up the mess. Many people say that if it weren't for the Kingdom of the Rhine, it might have been the Germans who signed the surrender agreement in 1918.

"Are these Prussians still here? Are they planning to stay for dinner?" Thorne couldn't help but complain.

"Let's go check on them. They're still here. We should at least greet them."

Thorne grinned wickedly. Prussia had been making more and more of these little tricks lately, so he had to take this opportunity to teach them a lesson.

"Your Majesty, it is a great pleasure to see that the German Empire has such an army."

"You flatter me. Compared to the Prussian army, we still have a lot to learn."

At that moment, Thorne suddenly walked in, first bowing to King Otto, and then addressed the Prussian delegation.

"Greetings, Your Highness Thorne." Erich bowed to Thorne, then praised King Otto.

"I have to admire His Highness Thorne's ability to give us such a spectacular military parade. I believe that after this parade, the French will seriously consider the gap between the Commune and the German Empire."

"That's not the key point."

Thorne glanced at Erich and the Bavarian representative sitting beside him. “The Kingdom of the Rhine faces the threat of the Commune directly, and the pressure on national defense is immense. When will the defense budget promised by His Majesty William arrive? The Kingdom of the Rhine does not want to risk the lives of its soldiers to stop the French attack when the next war comes.”

"Your Highness, rest assured, the Deutsche National Bank has prepared the budget and will send it over soon," Erich said calmly, his expression revealing neither joy nor anger.

"The Rhine Kingdom's last army is indeed impressive. I didn't expect Germany to have such a powerful army. However, I don't know if they can fight against the French. If the Rhine can't handle it, Prussia and Bavaria will definitely do everything they can to help."

"Well, you've got your plans all figured out so quickly, already focusing on these armies."

Thorne couldn't help but grumble inwardly, "Offer help? How could they be so kind? If we really let them help, they'll probably see right through us, even our underwear."

"No need, Mr. Erich. Although these troops are the elite of the Rhine, the kingdom has other trump cards to deal with France, but they are too advanced to be displayed."

King Otto ended the topic with a single sentence, from which Erich understood the meaning: it seemed that there was an even more threatening force hidden in the shadows within the kingdom.

After exchanging a few words, Erich bid farewell to King Otto. At that moment, Thorne suddenly called out to Erich.

“Mr. Erich, the Kingdom of the Rhine is currently building a border defense line, and it seems that quite a few Prussians are also interested. However, these people don’t seem to know the way very well. Since you’re here today, let’s take them back together.”

Thorne smiled innocently. In the past few months, more and more people had infiltrated from Prussia. At first, he wanted to give them face and just keep an eye on them, but they became more and more rampant. So he couldn't blame him for tearing off the mask.

In the months leading up to the parade, Thorne began removing obstacles under the guise of maintaining order, and these unidentified Prussians were naturally arrested and imprisoned.

"It's just a defensive line; it doesn't need so many people watching it."

Erich understood Thorne's meaning, thanked him, and then left with his men.

Watching the departing Prussian and Bavarian delegations, King Otto sighed, his feelings a mix of emotions.

"Three kingdoms make a drama; the history of Germany is truly fascinating."

Chapter 165 Summary Report

When Thorne heard Otto sigh, he was truly afraid that with an emperor like Wilhelm II, his own people would start fighting each other before the French even attacked.

"The Rhine Kingdom's army has excellent organization and operational capabilities, and they still possess formidable military strength. The Rhine Kingdom's royal family still maintains strong control over the local people. If we rashly launch a war against Germany now, it will be difficult for us to gain the support of the local people."

"Even though I am a staunch advocate of war, I still have to admit that attacking Germany now would be a very unwise choice."

“We are likely to encounter the same situation as ten years ago. At most, we can advance to Frankfurt, but we still cannot guarantee that we can defeat the Kingdom of the Rhine. If the war becomes a protracted war of attrition, it will be a devastating blow to France and the international communist movement.”

"I support Professor Bonkul's theory that to defeat Germany, we must completely isolate it internationally, continuously weaken its control over the world, and encourage nations oppressed by Germany to rise up and resist German rule. We must rely on world revolution and people's war to put a tight noose around Germany's neck."

On his way back, Duklo wrote a summary of the expedition, concluding that military matters were secondary; the support of the people was the most important thing.

During this parade, Duklo witnessed the Rhine Kingdom's strong organizational capabilities and the Rhine people's support for the royal family. If they were to declare war on Germany at this time, they would be invaders, not liberators. If they failed to win over the local people, their future work would be a major problem.

"If we want to defeat Germany, the first enemy we must deal with is the Kingdom of the Rhine," Duclos continued. The Kingdom of the Rhine is like an inescapable nightmare for France, created by the French and fought against by them for over a hundred years.

Moreover, since the establishment of the Kingdom of the Rhine, France has completely lost its position as the hegemon of Europe. France's several efforts have been thwarted by the Kingdom of the Rhine, which has become the biggest stumbling block on France's path to dominance. Many French people lament that their country has created a demon, a demon that has ended France's future.

"Judging from this military parade in the Kingdom of the Rhine, we still have a certain degree of military advantage over the Rhine. They are still obsessed with the research on the army and the mobility of the army. However, the Rhine's military thinking is also transforming, and their tanks are also exploring and developing in the direction of ours. This is very dangerous. We must accelerate the improvement of theory and the development of military equipment. We cannot let the Germans surpass us."

"The Kingdom of the Rhine is the strangest of the three kingdoms of Germany. It is more difficult to deal with than Prussia and Bavaria. Ordinary strategies cannot overthrow it from within. To deal with the Kingdom of the Rhine, we must adopt other methods."

Closing the notebook, Duklo rubbed his eyes. The Kingdom of Rhine was a very special country, which he could sense from his conversation with Thorne. Thorne did not regard communism as a monstrous threat, but rather talked to him naturally.

This is understandable. Even Marx had various connections with their royal family. It is said that the first copy of "Communist Propaganda" was given to King Charlemagne. Duclos couldn't help but sigh that the Rhine royal family was simply a bunch of freaks.

A feudal emperor who was well-versed in Marxism-Leninism? Would you call them friends or enemies? If you're going to implement feudalism, why not learn from Prussia and do it thoroughly? That way, the communes would be easier to deal with. Instead, you've created this hybrid mess. If a Communist is wanted in Prussia, his first choice would be to seek refuge in the Kingdom of the Rhine.

King Charlemagne was known as the second eagle of the kingdom. He was deeply influenced by his father, had an open and progressive mind, and was friends with his mentor. Many of his policies had a strong "socialist" character, and these policies basically laid the foundation for the kingdom's political structure.

A feudal state that implicitly contains "socialism" within its democracy—what an ultimate Frankenstein's monster! Duclos felt a headache coming on; this was truly a formidable opponent.

At this moment, there was another person who shared the same idea as Duclos: Wilhelm II, who was listening to Ehrlich's report. On the surface, they were loyal to each other, but behind their backs, they betrayed each other. The competition among the three kingdoms far outweighed their cooperation.

As the dominant power in the German Empire, Prussia had to maintain its greatest advantage. Otherwise, if one day the other two kingdoms came and said, "The emperor's throne rotates, and today it's my turn," and Prussia couldn't deal with them, wouldn't it lose all face as the big brother?

"Your Majesty, the power of the Kingdom of Rhine has now developed to a terrifying level, and it is difficult for us to guarantee that we have the full strength to deal with the threat from the Kingdom of Rhine."

Erich analyzed for Wilhelm II that Erich von Schutroheim, as a proponent of the Greater Germany theory, strongly supported the integration of all forces within the empire.

Erich believed that the existence of three kingdoms within Germany seriously hindered the country's development. One nation, one people, that was his ultimate pursuit. As a young Junker nobleman, he was almost completely loyal to the German Emperor. Erich was fanatical and radical, a typical radical figure among the nobility.

This was something Wilhelm II greatly appreciated, as he saw a reflection of his own youth in Erich.

Ehrlich was much more energetic than those old nobles and very loyal, a close confidant of the emperor. Wilhelm II had grown distrustful of these old nobles after the Hindenburg and Ludendorff coup, and even Tirpitz was no exception.

Wilhelm II actively courted young nobles, whose power base was not deep, and these nobles could be cultivated into his own forces. Erich was undoubtedly one of the best among them.

In terms of seniority and ability, Ehrlich initially served as an interventionist in suppressing the Russian Revolution and made great contributions in the battle to eliminate the Bolsheviks. During the Polish uprising, Ehrlich was at the forefront of the battle and inflicted heavy losses on the insurgents in the early stages. The mountains of corpses and seas of blood paved the way for his future.

“Once the Kingdom of the Rhine loses control, it will be difficult for us to guarantee Bavaria’s position, and the German Empire could fall into chaos at any time.”

Dealing with internal affairs of the kingdom is far more complicated than dealing with international relations. William was at a loss for what to do. He couldn't very well go to the other side and kill them.

"What did you see during your observation trip to the Rhine? What aspects of the Rhine Kingdom should we pay attention to?"

"They have some very strange troops. I tried to get some clues out of them, but they were unwilling to answer. Moreover, the Kingdom of Rhine is currently developing its armored forces. They have a lot more armored troops and are researching new types of tanks."

Upon hearing this, Wilhelm II remained silent and slowly stood up. Erich followed behind Wilhelm II without saying a word. After a while, Wilhelm II suddenly turned his head away.

"Notify Krupp and Heinkel to come over tomorrow."

"Yes!" Erich saluted Wilhelm II and left the palace.

After the war, Prussia seemed to have forgotten to move forward, and this military parade made Wilhelm II uneasy.

Perhaps one day, a Sarajevo-like event will unfold in Germany.

Chapter 166 Heroes of the Kingdom

Although the military parade was over, the competition among the newspapers was not. Reporters took a lot of photos at the military parade in the Kingdom of the Rhine, and the news articles could almost fill several briefcases.

If no major events occur, it is estimated that for a long time, the front page of various newspapers will be about the Kingdom of the Rhine.

This military parade also allows many countries around the world to see the Rhineland and leave an impression. At least in the eyes of those "democratic" countries, the Kingdom of the Rhine is quite free compared to Prussia. This military parade demonstrates the kingdom's strength, and perhaps the kingdom will have more business opportunities in the future.

Regoyer was hunched over his desk, organizing the photos he had taken that afternoon and the news articles he had written, sorting them by importance so he could determine the order in which the newspapers would be published.

Unlike other newspapers, the Citizens' Tabloid was a very small newspaper, with only eight people including its editor-in-chief, Delt. The newspaper it published was just a tabloid.

Most of them are about small things and trivial aspects of daily life, with little brand recognition and little chance of being considered high-end, resulting in dismal sales.

Before Regoyer joined the newspaper, Delter's small business was on the verge of bankruptcy several times, and the newspaper at that time only had four people.

To save money, Delt, the boss, took on multiple jobs, but his income was barely enough to make ends meet.

One day, while Delte was drinking alone in a tavern, he met Regoye, who was also feeling down. Because of his interests, Regoye did not pursue a career in journalism after graduating from university, but instead chose to become a journalist.

However, interest was clearly not enough to qualify him. After being rejected by several newspapers, Regoye was disheartened and was drinking alone in a tavern when he ran into Delte, who was also feeling down. The two disheartened men quickly started chatting, fueled by alcohol, and found themselves getting along very well.

The two sides quickly reached an agreement, and Regoye joined Delter's newspaper as a full-time reporter and editor-in-chief of the "Citizens' Gazette." Delter was no longer required to hold multiple positions, running around every morning and reviewing and editing articles every evening.

As it turned out, Regoyer was indeed very promising. The previous Citizens' Tale had only mediocre sales and could barely make ends meet, but after Regoyer joined, everything began to improve.

Regoyer's writing was actually quite good. Inspired by the Rheinische Zeitung, he started a new section in the newspaper to write short stories, which successfully saved the newspaper from crisis. With the joint efforts of several people, the scale of the "Citizens' Tale" gradually expanded, and everything was steadily improving.

Therefore, this military parade is a major turning point. As long as we seize this opportunity, a turnaround is just around the corner.

Working late into the night, Regoye finally finished organizing the content to be published the next morning. He was very confident that the newspaper could turn the tide through this opportunity.

Thorne was equally busy. Although the parade was over, there were still many things to deal with. While the parade might deter France from attacking Germany for a while, it would also prompt some actions from Prussia and Bavaria. The balance could be easily broken, and Thorne needed to act immediately.

Before dealing with these matters, Thorne had to visit one person first—Friedrich Krauss.

Friedrich Krauss, Chancellor of the Kingdom of the Rhine, was instrumental in Germany's so-called Golden Decade after World War II, a period during which the Rhine's economy and culture developed rapidly.

Friedrich Krauss was born in 1858 into a wealthy lawyer's family in Frankfurt. He received a good education in his childhood and later entered the University of Cologne to study law. After graduating, he became an outstanding legal expert and the youngest member of parliament in Frankfurt.

In 1898, Friedrich Krauss was appointed as one of the court advisors to the Kingdom of the Rhine. He quickly gained the trust of King Frederick III and became a leading candidate for prime minister.

After the death of King Frederick III, Otto I became the new King of the Rhineland, and in 1900, Friedrich Krauss was appointed by Otto I as the Prime Minister of the Rhineland.

During Klaus's tenure as prime minister, the Kingdom of the Rhine made significant progress in the economic, cultural, and political spheres, with the "Klaus Five-Year Plan" being the most commendable.

The Chancellor's keen political acumen gave the Rhine nearly five years to prepare for the war, which successfully prevented a disaster.

Klaus is now a seventy-year-old politician, no longer as active as before, and has repeatedly asked to retire citing health reasons, but all his reports have been rejected by King Otto II.

However, King Otto still gave him a lot of freedom. Klaus is now in a semi-retired state, living in the manor built for him by the kingdom, and his students help him with his daily affairs.

Frankfurt was bustling in the early morning. On his way to the estate, Thorne bought a few newspapers. It seemed the event was a great success, as the newspapers were mostly filled with reports about the military parade.

This has successfully boosted the overall social atmosphere of the kingdom, and at least for the foreseeable future, the people of the kingdom will be very united.

Flipping through the newspapers, I found they were all pretty much the same, basically praising the kingdom's formidable military strength while simultaneously disparaging the French Commune.

Thorne quickly lost interest in reading further; one article like this was fine, but reading too many would become tiresome.

He casually tossed the newspaper aside and picked up another one, but this one caught his eye. At least one of the articles wasn't just full of praise.

"The Citizens' Gazette? That's an interesting name."

After reading the article in the newspaper, I noticed that the newspaper didn't immediately start by discussing the kingdom's military strength and then shower it with various embellishments.

This article takes a different perspective, moving from the individual to the collective and then to the nation, praising the ordinary people who silently watch over the Rhine.

"Young soldiers bid farewell to their parents and rushed to the front lines; the warriors who guard the lights of thousands of homes are just a group of children..."

Looking at the photos in the newspaper, Thorne had an indescribable feeling. Even the greatest country is built brick by brick by its people.

The same applies to the Kingdom of the Rhine. Even if King Charlemagne had great abilities, without the support of the people, he would soon disappear into the annals of history.

Unfortunately, these people are easily overlooked, and their contributions are taken for granted, turning them into "consumables" that can be used to create "miracles" that do not belong to them.

"The Watcher," what a wonderful name. Every person who contributes silently is the hero of the kingdom, and the "Rhine Dream" is also their dream.

Thorne had heard a saying long ago: in war, politicians provide ammunition, the rich provide food, and the poor provide their children. After the war, politicians take back the remaining ammunition, the rich grow more food, and only the poor search for their children's graves.

Thorne had experienced war almost immediately after transmigrating, but his perception of war was far less brutal than the reality.

As the person in charge of this military parade, Thorne knew every unit. Wasn't the unit in the newspaper the border guard of the Kingdom of Rhine?

In such extraordinary times, border guards are in the most danger. Since the crisis began, both Germany and France have been on high alert, and there have been at least ten minor border clashes in Thorne alone.

Now that the situation has eased somewhat, it's time for these heroes to go home and visit.