German Red Prince

Page 126

"Socialism and capitalism are bound to clash. At that time, we can use the power of France to lead a socialist revolution in Germany, and work together with our French comrades to complete our revolutionary mission."

Hearing what Thälmann said, Thorne understood why Thälmann had sighed earlier. It turned out that he was considering the domestic situation and wanted to use external forces to promote the socialist revolution in Germany. Although this method had some feasibility, its flaws were also very obvious.

The idea of ​​placing one's hopes on others is problematic in itself. A revolution must be led by oneself. If everyone wants to rely on others for revolution, then communism is probably a long way off.

Besides, even if it succeeds, will Germany, after the revolution, truly be politically autonomous?

With French assistance, Germany achieved revolutionary victory. But after the revolution, could German politics truly be controlled by the German Communist Party? Humans are inherently self-interested, and Thorne certainly wouldn't completely trust France.

France's greatest enemy is now the German Empire. But once Germany turns red, can France really let down its guard against it?

Currently, the mainstream political parties in France are neutral. However, once a new political party takes over, France's attitude towards Germany will certainly change.

The dragon slayer will eventually become a dragon. Thorne understood this principle very well. In his previous life, when the Soviet Union was first established, it was full of ideals. But what happened afterward? The Soviet Union later became a red empire with an extremely strong desire for control.

During World War II, the Soviet Union swept all the way to Berlin. Within its sphere of influence in Eastern Europe, those socialist countries only became communist thanks to Soviet intervention. After becoming communist, did they achieve political autonomy? Weren't they still remotely controlled by Moscow?

One reason why the Soviet Union collapsed was its extremely strong desire for control in its later stages. As the big brother of socialism, it demanded that all socialist countries obey its commands. If any reforms were not carried out in accordance with the central government in Moscow, tanks would immediately be driven into the streets.

If the Soviet Union acted this way, could France do the same? France is the elder brother of socialism; can it really be so magnanimous as to allow a socialist country with comparable potential to develop and threaten its own position?

We cannot place our hopes on others. Only when we take the initiative in the revolution can it be a true revolution. Otherwise, if we end up having to rely on others to approve everything we do, what is the point of the revolution?

What will France become in the future? If Germany is defeated, France will have completed half of its mission of world revolution. Does it really want to see an independent and sovereign Germany?

How will France deal with Germany then? Will the working class still be as united as it is now?

229. Abandon illusions, prepare for battle.

"I believe that with the help of our French comrades, the future of the German revolution will be incredibly bright."

"Our next stage of revolutionary task is to consolidate our party so that we can unite more proletarian brothers. France's present is our future. Under the guidance of Marxism, we will surely win the victory of the entire nation!"

After Thälmann's report concluded, the delegates present applauded, for this would serve as the action program for the Communist Party of Germany for the foreseeable future.

However, in Thorne's view, there were some problems with this idea and approach. He also found that, because of the success of the French Revolution, the communist parties in Europe at this time and place had basically worshipped the French model to the point of superstition.

They all admired the French experience and had an almost mystical trust in France. Most European countries believed that the success of a revolution required the participation of France and that victory could be achieved through external forces, and the same was true in Germany.

However, in Thorne's view, the Communist Party of Germany was not a son party of the Comintern and could not rely on French help for everything. The Communist Party of Germany was an independent party and had to rely on its own strength to achieve victory for the entire nation.

Although in this timeline, the French Communist International does not excessively interfere in the revolutions of other political parties, but only provides them with certain suggestions, other communist parties in Europe regard the suggestions provided by France as "bibles" due to France's successful struggle experience.

They blindly listened to and adopted any advice from the French, regardless of its suitability, treating the French model as a universal template. Just like the Warsaw Uprising that Thorne encountered when he first traveled through time, the Polish Communist Party misjudged the revolutionary situation, blindly listened to the advice of French advisors, and launched an armed uprising in advance, which resulted in its brutal suppression in less than two weeks.

France's success in overthrowing its bourgeois regime was somewhat accidental. Europe had just experienced the World War, and the power of the French bourgeois government was severely weakened. War-weariness and distrust of the government had reached new heights.

Meanwhile, Germany, which had just won a victory, was also undergoing economic recovery and urgently needed a force to restrain the French Republic, so it also provided assistance to the Commune militia.

At that time, all of Europe had just experienced a major war and did not have enough power to interfere with the French Revolution. If a few more years had passed and the economies of European countries had recovered, the French Revolution would most likely have failed.

Just like Russia, although the October Revolution was victorious, once Germany recovered, armed intervention forces immediately went to suppress the Russian revolutionary forces.

Now that the European order has been consolidated and the international situation is completely different from before, blindly following the French experience would likely have little chance of success. Germany has already integrated almost half of Europe, and even if France came to help, victory would not be guaranteed.

"I believe that in order to win over more working-class brothers, we must actively fight against capitalists, fight for more rights and power for our working brothers, unite the strength of the workers, and gain their support."

After Thaler finished speaking, the other committee members present also began to give their reports. This was Thorne's first time attending the meeting, so he simply sat and listened.

He couldn't take advantage of his status as a time traveler to say that everyone present was wrong, stand up and criticize them indiscriminately, and then tell them what should be done. He had only seen some answers in advance, and these answers were also discovered by these predecessors. Thorne could only tell them the correct path summarized by later generations in advance, and he had no right to stand up and educate these predecessors.

"Our current effective form of struggle, a general strike by workers, is, in my opinion, the most suitable form of long-term struggle for us right now."

"To force capitalists to compromise, increase our influence, gain more political support, and give us a greater voice in the government."

Although the Communist Party of Germany has been established for ten years, it is clearly lacking in experience in struggle, has not yet withstood the iron fist of a reactionary government, and is still too immature.

This is also a common problem among left-wing factions in some developed capitalist countries in Europe and the Americas. They always think about cooperating with the government or peacefully transitioning to the next stage. Of course, there are reasons for this. In some other places, they are basically engaged in armed struggle. In hindsight, armed struggle is indeed a very correct path. Political power comes from the barrel of a gun. However, Germany's political and economic conditions at the time do not allow them to engage in these things.

Germany is too small, and its terrain is almost entirely plains. It lacks the conditions for guerrilla warfare and protracted struggle, as well as the foundation for establishing bases. If you occupy two cities in the morning, the army can come and encircle and annihilate you in the afternoon. Unless it is a special period, launching an armed uprising now is a dead end.

The main struggle of the Communist Party of Germany now is to unite the working class and organize a general strike, which is also the most radical form of struggle commonly used by European communist parties. However, judging from the current situation, the general strike has not been very effective and is more like a form of protest than a form of struggle.

Strikes are the highest form of "legal" protest within a bourgeois government. The greatest victory they can achieve is only to force the government to make temporary compromises and concessions; they cannot overthrow the entire government. Is it necessary to strike? Absolutely.

This is the only way for the proletarian party to unite the proletariat, but will continuous strikes be effective? Capitalists can back down because, after careful consideration, they can still reap considerable profits even after agreeing to your demands.

When the strike forces the capitalists into a corner, they will no longer choose to compromise. The violent organs of the bourgeoisie will carry out the most violent retaliation, and in the end, we may be back to square one.

To truly seize power, strikes should only be a supplementary means, not a "killer move." Without a radical revolution, how can power be easily seized? Besides, there are plenty of scabs among the workers. These livestock raised by capitalists profit by selling out the interests of their own class, and they are even more hateful than the capitalists.

Abandon illusions and prepare for battle. The current Communist Party of Germany has clearly not yet found the right path. Avoiding detours is a task that every time traveler must bear. The right path has not yet been found. After exploration, perhaps the future Communist Party of Germany will find a path suitable for the national conditions, but that will certainly come at a great cost.

Since Thorne has traveled through time, what he needs to do is help the current German Communist Party avoid some detours.

230. The Iron Curtain and the Cold War in Europe

The future of the Communist Party of Germany (CPD) is what the top leaders of the CPD are discussing now. They have made many attempts, but all have ended in failure.

France's success spurred every high-ranking member of the Communist Party of Germany (CPD). The French and German Communist Parties were established around the same time, and while the French Communist Party had already begun leading the French people on their next historical mission, the German Communist Party remained inactive. As a result, there were still quite a few radicals within the German Communist Party who wanted to quickly stage an uprising to overthrow Imperial German rule.

There are two main strategies now: one is to expand the mass base and gain a voice in the government, and the other is to wait for the French attack, seize the opportunity, launch a rapid revolution, and achieve success.

These two methods seem to have no problems, but there is still one major variable involved, namely France.

Waiting for France to attack and then achieve victory could lead to two possible outcomes: either France wins or Germany wins. Although the impact of these two outcomes is different, neither would be a good result for the Communist Party of Germany.

This period was still a time of rampant nationalism. When Germany and France went to war, telling the people to oppose the imperialist war and not to fight for the bourgeois government was far less appealing than the slogan "fighting for the German homeland." Coupled with the deep contradictions between Germany and France, the people obviously wouldn't care much about what the German Communist Party was promoting.

In the end, if Germany wins, the international communist movement will be completely defeated. One reason why the Communist Party of Germany (CPD) is a legal political party is that it is next to the French Commune, so the German government cannot easily target the CPD. If France loses, the CPD will definitely be thoroughly purged.

Without France as its big brother backing it up, the communist parties in other European countries could basically fall apart. Under the government's propaganda, the communist ideology in France was portrayed as a monstrous flood.

Discussing the superiority of communism on the streets of Germany is like talking to strangers in France about the superiority of capitalism—the ideologies differ, and most Germans remain wary of communist ideology.

By then, Germany had won both World War I and World War II, and the people's adoration for the German Emperor would have reached an extreme. Wouldn't that just prove the "superiority" of the German system?

Otherwise, how could France, with its perfect political system, have lost to Germany? After Germany's victory in World War II, the general public did not have any objections to the purge of communism.

What if Germany were to lose? Thorne felt that if Germany lost World War II, the social atmosphere at that time would be similar to that of Germany's defeat in World War I.

Germany's defeat by France would be completely unacceptable to Germans with their strong sense of self-esteem, who would be defeated by an opponent they had lost to twice before.

How could a powerful Germany be defeated? It's not the army's fault; the blame lies with the German Communist Party, which was constantly stirring up trouble within the country.

The German army will not lose. It must be those Communist Germans who took money from France who are causing trouble in the country every day, creating social unrest and making it impossible to effectively support the front line. These "reactionaries" colluded with the French government to sell Germany off cheaply.

Under the influence of strong national sentiment, everything else seems powerless. Even if the Communist Party of Germany (CPD) successfully comes to power, in the eyes of the German people, it is a traitorous government, a puppet government that only knows how to please its French masters. In the future, the CPD may become the unpopular Weimar regime.

"So, you still have to rely on yourself."

While the delegates were still discussing, Thorne sat alone in a corner and quietly sighed. He thought no one would notice, but Thallman still managed to catch him.

"Comrades, please be quiet for a moment." Thallman walked to the front of the stage and gestured for everyone to quiet down.

"Comrades, at this meeting, I would like to formally introduce a comrade to you. He is probably the youngest among us, but his revolutionary will is the most steadfast. For the sake of the revolutionary cause, he is willing to give up his comfortable life in the future. He once told me that he wanted to bury this old era with his own hands."

"Comrade Thorne's joining has injected fresh blood into our Communist Party of Germany. At the same time, he has actively used his position to secure many opportunities for us and has brought great convenience to our various actions. Let us welcome Comrade Thorne to the Party!"

Applause erupted, and Thorne stood up, feeling embarrassed. He had thought he would only be able to listen in, but he hadn't expected to be singled out for a separate introduction.

"Comrade Thorne also has insightful views on the current international situation and the development of our Party. Let us welcome Comrade Thorne to speak."

Encouraged by Thälmann, Thorne also stepped forward. Many of the people present were bigwigs from the real world of the German Republic and the future East Germany. To be honest, Thorne was still a little nervous.

"From the Strait of Dover to the Po River Plain and then to the Adriatic Sea, an iron curtain has descended across the European continent. Behind this line lie the capitals of ancient Central and Eastern European countries: Brussels, Warsaw, Kiev, Minsk, Vilnius. All these famous cities and their inhabitants were under the sphere of influence of German imperialism."

"They not only succumbed to the influence of German imperialism in one form or another, but were also subjected to increasingly repressive control from Berlin..."

Thorne was a little nervous at first, but he quickly got into the zone and began his speech by quoting Churchill.

"Distinguished delegates, I believe that a new war has already begun. Unlike the wars we know on the battlefield, this is a social war, an ideological war. We are now experiencing a new form of war, which I call the Cold War."

"cold war?"

The representatives present were clearly still somewhat confused about Thorne's meaning. They had heard of hot wars, but what did this cold war mean?

"Distinguished delegates, the Cold War is a new form of warfare." Thorne pointed to the map. "It is a political, economic, and military struggle between the capitalist camp in Europe, led by Germany and the Reichstag, and the socialist camp, led by France and the Comintern."

"Because the strength of the two camps is not much different at present, neither side will easily start a war. Both sides are trying their best to avoid a large-scale war on a global scale until one side gains the upper hand."

After listening to Thorne's speech and seeing the map he brought, the representatives in the audience also did some analysis.

It seems that's really the case. Although Germany and France have friction every day, both countries are trying their best to avoid war. Thorne was right about that.

Seeing the convinced expressions on the faces of the representatives, Thaler breathed a sigh of relief. Thorne did have some talent. He had been worried that Thorne was too young and wouldn't be able to win people's respect, but now, judging from everyone's expressions, his worries were unnecessary.

231. The Cold War and Local Hot Wars

"Comrade Thorne, if that's the case, what is the current state of the Cold War? Who has the advantage and who has the disadvantage?" A representative raised his hand to ask Thorne.

"The current situation?"

Thorne appeared very composed in the face of questions from the committee members. He pointed to the huge map hanging on the wall and looked at everyone.

"Judging from the spheres of influence marked on the map, who do you think is in a superior position and who is in a inferior position?"

Hearing Thorne say this, the representatives below the stage fell silent. Although they didn't want to admit it, it was obvious.

The global communist movement is still too small. Its largest sphere of influence is only in Europe, and it is scattered in other places. Compared with the vast Imperial Covenant, it is at a great disadvantage.

The Comintern's power was limited to Western Europe. Although France did its utmost to aid the world revolution, the effects were limited; these scattered efforts were barely worth mentioning.

The most successful armed force aided by the French Commune to date is probably the Chinese Nationalist Government. The two successful cases of French Commune aid to the Indian Commune and the Nationalist Government in Asia have been analyzed to death in China and are used for propaganda every day.

"As we can see, both Germany and France are trying to gain as many allies as possible around the world in order to gain more advantages. The current situation is a full-scale Cold War and localized hot wars."

"The socialist camp, led by France, and the capitalist camp, led by Germany, are engaged in a long-term cold war. Because the two sides are evenly matched, neither dares to fire the first shot easily. However, due to the strong ideological conflict between the two sides, this cold war situation will not last long, and a full-scale hot war will definitely break out afterward."

"However, before a full-scale war breaks out, the two sides should maintain peace for a considerable period of time. Based on my prediction, if things continue as they are now, the peace should last for another ten years."

"So the current situation is a full-scale cold war and localized hot wars."

"A full-scale Cold War or localized hot wars?"

The delegates listened to Thorne's words and began to ponder. It must be said that Thorne's analysis of the current world situation was very thorough. Of course, this also shows that those involved are often confused while bystanders see things clearly.

The current global environment does resemble the Cold War of later years. Except for the lack of nuclear weapons as a deterrent, Thorne made the judgment that a full-scale hot war was about to break out. Neither Germany nor France has gained an absolute advantage over the other, so both sides are now "not giving up an inch of ground" and expanding their influence around the world.

In the world today, wherever Germany is influenced, France also has influence. Although they cannot directly wage war, the two countries can fight to the death in other parts of the world.

"I have already explained the full-scale Cold War, and I believe you all understand the concept of localized hot wars."

"Germany and France cultivate their own influence around the world, and they often stand behind and support those countries in their conflicts."

"To give a very simple and intuitive example, the conflict between the Nationalist government and the eight-province coalition perfectly illustrates what a local hot war is."

"The Nationalist government had direct support from the French Commune, and France even sent its International Brigades. As for the Eight Provinces Union, Germany also provided them with a large amount of weapons and ammunition, and had previously trained a group of German-style troops for the Eight Provinces Union."

"From this, everyone can see what a localized hot war is."

"Even after the Eight Provinces Alliance completely failed, Germany did not directly intervene in the war. Even when Chiang Kai-shek of the Nationalist government shelled German warships, the Yangtze River Fleet only retaliated. In the end, they only blockaded the Yangtze River and organized the revolutionary army to continue the Northern Expedition, without further escalating the incident."

In the rivalry between Germany and France, both sides knew the rules of the game and neither would break them first. In the process of vying for spheres of influence around the world, both countries had their share of victories and defeats.

Germany thwarted many revolutions within the Commune's sphere of influence, and the Commune also successfully established many revolutionary armed forces in areas where German rule was weak.

"Only by correctly and objectively analyzing the current domestic and international environment can we make the right decisions on our next policies. Blind pessimism and blind confidence are both undesirable. I think Comrade Thorne's analysis of the current domestic and international environment is very accurate."

After Thorne finished speaking, Otto Grotewohl, the representative of the German Communist Party in Lower Saxony, expressed his agreement and approval. This comrade from the royal family of the Kingdom of the Rhine was indeed extraordinary in his thinking and vision.

"Comrade Thorne's analysis can provide a good reference for our next policy formulation, allowing our policies to be more targeted and better implemented domestically," Grotevo said slowly. "I believe that this high-level integration of the current international situation is also very important to our French friends, and this theoretical framework can also help them."

Many delegates agreed with Grotevo's words, since in most people's eyes, helping France was helping themselves, and many delegates still held the view that "everything will be fine as long as the French Commune's army launches an attack."

"Comrade Thorne, according to your statement, the general situation in the world now is that Germany is on the offensive and France is on the defensive. Socialist forces still do not have an advantage in the world. After ten years of peace, German imperialism has clearly gained the upper hand, which is not good news for the world communist movement."

"From the perspective of the power distribution map, the socialist forces are not like the Reichstag controlled by Germany, which integrated many countries together. The socialist armed forces supported by France can only survive effectively in areas where German control is relatively weak."

"This cannot truly threaten the foundation of German imperialism. We all know that Germany's center of power is in Europe, and Central and Eastern Europe are the real threats to German imperialism. We can also see from the lessons of Poland how difficult it is to truly shake the foundation of German imperialism."

"Without shaking the foundations of German imperialism, France's chances of winning a future war will be very small, which is not good news for us either. Comrade Thorne, do you have any good suggestions for our future course of action?"

A representative raised his hand and asked a question. He had just heard what Thorne said, and Thorne's description of the future war seemed very pessimistic. Was there no way to salvage the situation?

232. Color Revolution

"Comrades, let's not be discouraged." Thorne smiled. "Didn't Representative Grotewo just say that we can't be blindly optimistic, but we also can't be blindly pessimistic?"

“Analyzing the current situation, the future form of revolution and struggle does not seem very optimistic. However, we must not lose our fighting spirit because of this. Revolution requires an optimistic spirit, and as communist fighters, we must also make good use of the wisdom of Marxist philosophy and give full play to our subjective initiative.”