German Red Prince

Page 129

I remember when I first arrived here. Darmstadt is a well-known industrial city in the Kingdom of the Rhine, so it should have been developing well. But when Thorne actually came here, he found that it was not like that at all. Both the environment and the city's development were extremely bad.

What's even more alarming is that Darmstadt is less than a four-hour drive from Frankfurt, right under its nose, and it's engaging in such serious problems right under its nose, yet it still manages to be named a "Civilized City" every year. After this incident, Thorne no longer believes in any of these rankings.

Human variables are too numerous. Compared to people, Thorne believed more in systems and rules. Why was it not enough for him to establish the Stasi? Why did he specifically instruct Heydrich to create the Gestapo? It was because Thorne did not believe in so-called "rule by man".

Without proper oversight, people will eventually become corrupt. Thorne's Gestapo was the eyes of the kingdom, overseeing the government from the shadows.

However, the Gestapo is currently too bloated, and Thorne is considering splitting it up. It is taking on too many responsibilities and is becoming overwhelmed. Thorne plans to further subdivide the Gestapo when the time is right.

"Comrade Thallman, what do you think of the place now?"

Walking down the streets of Darmstadt, Thorne asked Thälmann why Darmstadt was completely different from when they first arrived.

When they first arrived, Darmstadt was in a terrible state. The streets were filthy and littered with garbage. Thorne can still recall the stench; it was so overpowering.

"This is what a city should look like."

Looking at the current environment, Thames sighed in admiration. Clean, orderly, everything was so well-organized; this is what a city should be like.

"Comrade Thälmann, the Kingdom of the Rhine is now investing less in Darmstadt than before, but the city is more vibrant than ever. What does this mean?"

"This is the power of the people."

Thälmann gave his answer: after dealing with the government corruption case and the Unity German Party riots, Thorne and his team launched a series of reforms in Darmstadt, so the city is now much better developed than before.

"Our urban reforms began in Darmstadt, and the various urban development plans there served as a reference, providing lessons for our later socialist model."

The democratic management currently being implemented in Darmstadt is a pilot project by Thorne and others, which helps to build the foundation of the future East Germany's political system. Therefore, it can be said that Darmstadt is the first city in East Germany.

"Since the last factory reform, we have also established a trade union in Darmstadt. This trade union is now the biggest source of political power we have, and we must make good use of it."

After Thorne proposed the concept of building a completely new political party, he thought of the General Labor Union in Darmstadt. In terms of its nature, the class nature of the labor union was within an acceptable range, and at least it would not cause a rejection reaction after it merged with the Communist Party of Germany.

Secondly, in terms of loyalty, the Darmstadt General Confederation of Labor was established by Thorne and Thälmann, and it is not just a figurehead like typical German labor unions.

This union is truly for the workers; most of its members are also workers engaged in manual labor, genuinely on the front lines, rather than those so-called union representatives who sit in offices all day doing nothing.

Thorne was excited just thinking about establishing a political group that represented the interests of the vast majority of people, with the Darmstadt General Labor Union at its core.

If such a party gains a majority of seats in the parliament, their work will be easier. They can't wait until a revolution breaks out and then have to struggle around in their own home for half a day first.

"Comrade Thorne, so your idea is to establish a political party based on this union?" Thallman asked. Establishing a political party is a relatively complicated matter. Could Thorne, a novice with little experience, really form a political party that can function properly?

"Yes, this is the fastest way, and we can't find any other organization more suitable as the basis for building a party than the General Labor Union."

"The Darmstadt General Labor Union has also undergone a period of development, and its organization is more mature than before. During this period of development, the General Labor Union has also passed various welfare policies and attracted a lot of members. These members have a very deep affection for the union, which means that we have the basic foundation to establish a political party."

"Darmstadt is an industrial city with a very strong working class. The city has experienced many upheavals, and other forces within it have been largely eliminated."

“Our Party has been rooted here for some time and has been working in this area for a long time. The whole city is already biased towards us. With such a political and mass foundation, can you find another party like us in all of Rhine?”

After hearing Thorne's description, Thälmann knew how well prepared he had been. The two of them had arrived at the gates of the Darmstadt General Labor Union. Now that everything was ready, they could get right to work.

240. The Workers' New Life

The notice posted on the wall of the trade union was somewhat damaged, and the writing on it was becoming illegible due to the elements.

One worker was carefully peeling off the notice and holding it in his hands, while another worker prepared a box, marked the date on the notice, and then put it into the box.

The two people moved very smoothly, and there seemed to be many similar notices in the box, indicating that they had been doing this for a long time and were now so proficient.

After the two workers put the notice into the box, they took out a brand new one, repainted it, and showed satisfied expressions after completing the task.

It has been about eight months since the last Darmstadt overhaul.

Even after all this time, that rectification report is still posted in the same place, although it's unclear how many times it has been changed.

These workers took the notice very seriously because it marked the start of their day.

"What are you all doing?" Thorne asked the two workers, looking at the newly posted notice.

"Your Highness Thorne?"

The two workers seemed excited upon seeing Thorne, as they both knew who had brought them their current lives.

In order to investigate the actual situation in Darmstadt, His Highness Thorne went to the factory to experience it firsthand for a period of time. Only then did he obtain enough evidence to carry out sweeping reforms to the city, which led to the vibrant new scene we see today.

"We're changing the announcement."

The two workers showed Thorne the notice, explaining that it marked a new beginning for the city, representing the start of a new era, and that the union had decided to keep it.

"His Highness Thorne once said that forgetting history is tantamount to betrayal. We always keep this in mind, so this notice has never been taken down and has always been hanging on the guild's wall, so that future generations will know where our current life comes from."

"His Highness Thorne also said what the purpose of the union is. The purpose of the union is to give voice to the vast working class and not to become a tool. The working class is also a part of the Kingdom of Rhine and must have a channel to speak for themselves. You also promised that the union will always be in the hands of the real workers, and we keep that in mind."

Thorne felt very gratified listening to the workers' words. Only when the workers themselves awakened could it be considered a true awakening.

The fact that these workers are now able to spontaneously fight for their rights and no longer be manipulated by others shows that they have truly awakened and become staunch proletarian fighters. If all the workers in Germany were like this, they could fight for their own liberation at any time.

“Very good. It’s good that you have this awareness. This is also the purpose of my initial establishment of the union. After the union was established, how is your life? Are there any difficulties in your daily life?”

"Compared to before, our living conditions have improved significantly. With the supervision of the trade union, the factory owners in the city no longer dare to act recklessly. They no longer dare to keep us after get off work for so-called 're-study,' otherwise the trade union will come knocking on our door the next day."

"If they dare to do that again, the union will immediately organize a strike. Workers can continue to live without capitalists. We can still live well without capitalists, and the union will still pay us our wages during the strike."

"However, there is no capitalists' association here. Even if there were, it probably wouldn't pay those capitalists. These capitalists probably wouldn't survive a week without the workers."

The workers' faces were beaming with smiles. In Thorne's view, this was true confidence. A successful country does not rely on diverting various conflicts to make its people feel that they are living a happy life. A truly successful country does not need to boast about how perfect its political system is, because people have already felt it in their daily lives.

"After we joined the union, we have job security, and we can receive treatment immediately if there is an accident. We also just had a physical examination recently."

Darmstadt's finances were in a mess because the mayor colluded with some capitalists. It's hard to imagine that a city so close to Frankfurt, the political and economic center of the Kingdom of the Rhine, could be developing so poorly.

However, after this period of development, the city's income and expenditure have reached a balance. Even with the provision of many welfare benefits, the city's finances can still operate. This is probably a virtuous cycle.

The benefits are plentiful, which has boosted the workers' enthusiasm. Even if the working hours are shorter, it won't have a significant impact.

"Work is much easier than before, and we now have more free time to do what we want."

The two workers pointed to the union. This union was built by Thorne after he confiscated the mayor's ill-gotten gains. The building was quite grand, so Thorne simply converted it into a union.

Because the space is large enough, the trade union can actually do many functions. There are also many books here, so workers can come in to study and improve themselves during their free time.

Why do people always have stereotypes about workers, thinking they are rude, mean, and uncultured? It's because you don't even look at what time they get off work. Don't workers want to improve themselves?

They get home late every night, and who has time to care about anything else? They're constantly exhausted. Even when they have time to rest, they choose to take a "revenge rest" by going to bars to drown their sorrows or gambling, using these methods to stimulate their tired nerves. Over time, this has given people this stereotype.

Now that Thorne has tightened working hours and provided weekends off, workers have had enough free time, and their drinking and gambling have decreased significantly.

Darmstadt's workers' club is packed every weekend, where workers gather to study and have fun, and the city's workers' football team always attracts a large crowd.

This is something that workers should have been able to enjoy, but now they have to fight for it to enjoy it.

As producers, they are exploited everywhere. They want the donkey to run but don't feed it. The government, in collusion with capitalists, oppresses the workers. Thorne will never allow such a thing to happen here.

"Your Highness Thorne, Dr. Goebbels has arrived."

While he was chatting happily with the workers, a Stasi came over to report that it was better to arrive at the right time than to arrive early. They had just arrived in Damstadt, and Goebbels was coming over at that moment. The matter of establishing the party could be resolved today.

241. Free German Youth

Time flies, only a few months have passed, but William can still clearly remember what his life was like eight months ago.

Williams still feels somewhat desperate when he thinks about his family situation at the time.

After his father contracted that disease, all the burdens of life fell on his shoulders. Working from dawn till dusk every day, Williams used the idea that hard work could lead to a better life to numb himself.

Anyone else would have considered starting over after such a desperate life, but Thorne's arrival changed everything. The city regained its vitality, or rather, this was how life should be.

After quickly resolving the issues at the city's top levels, Darmstadt underwent a series of reforms. Although in the early stages the Kingdom of the Rhine mobilized a large force to impose martial law on the city, causing widespread panic and fear that everyone would be arrested at the slightest provocation.

However, these soldiers did not do anything else after declaring martial law in Darmstadt; they simply maintained order. Their arrival temporarily stabilized the city. The presence of so many regular troops in the city prevented many serious incidents from occurring, and the residents felt much more at ease with them there.

Williams still vividly remembers seeing such a large-scale operation for the first time. It was also the first time he had ever seen so many soldiers on the street. He was a little scared at first, but after a while, everyone got used to it. These soldiers usually just patrolled or stood in front of shops all day.

Everyone had expected a bloodbath to break out in the city, but it turned out to be surprisingly calm, which put everyone at ease. However, Williams heard that the Kingdom was still taking action, and he sometimes saw people wearing black or gray uniforms on the streets.

These men walked with a swagger, and in his eyes, they seemed much fiercer than ordinary soldiers. Although these men were not usually armed—at least Williams hadn't seen them carrying rifles like ordinary soldiers—they were clearly of a much higher rank than the soldiers patrolling the streets. People in the city were saying that sometimes they could hear gunshots in the middle of the night, as if these men were carrying out some kind of mission.

There is a building in the city that is said to be the headquarters of these people. You can only see people going in, but never see them coming out.

Rumor has it that there is a bottomless prison beneath this building, holding the most heinous criminals. Williams doesn't know if these rumors are true, but every time he looks at the building from afar, he feels a pang of anxiety and tries to avoid it if possible.

Life gradually returned to normal, and Williams was no longer burdened by those heavy responsibilities.

The kingdom invested heavily in restoring Darmstadt's economy and order in the early stages, and the Williams family's tuberculosis was cured thanks to the doctors' efforts.

Old William is recovering very well now and doesn't look sick at all. Who would have thought that just a few months ago he couldn't even get out of bed?

Daisy has recovered well and can now play freely like other children.

The Kingdom's medical investment in Darmstadt was not short-term, as Darmstadt's tuberculosis situation was typical throughout the Kingdom. Therefore, the Kingdom also sent many professionals to conduct regular checkups in the city, which is what the aforementioned physical examinations were.

The health of urban residents is checked every once in a while. After Old William's health improved, he found a job at the machinery factory. In addition to the periodic physical examinations, the factory also organizes regular physical examinations.

After old William recovered from his illness, Williams no longer had to work in the factory from dawn till dusk every day. Moreover, the kingdom strengthened the relevant laws, and people his age could no longer work in factories. Even if he volunteered, no factory would dare to hire him. If someone reported him, he would be locked up for a long time.

To make it easier for workers to take care of their families, the facilities near the factory were very comprehensive. Williams attended school not far from the machine factory, where many workers' children received their education. Williams' academic performance at school was quite good.

Their family's life is much better now than before, largely because his father, William Sr., joined the union, and Williams himself worked as a laborer for a time, a profession to be proud of, especially now that the status of workers is rising.

However, he had higher aspirations. While the workers were striving to improve themselves and become ordinary workers, this was not Williams's goal. His aim was to be admitted to the Technical University of Darmstadt, the most outstanding university in the Rhine Kingdom in the field of industry, which would allow him to become a great engineer who would make outstanding contributions to the kingdom in the future.

After school that day, Williams was about to return home as usual, but he was stopped by the teacher as he was leaving. In addition to Williams, there were some other students who were taken to the teacher's office.

Besides them and the teachers, there were some people Williams had never seen before in the office. These people wore red badges on their chests and looked quite amiable.

Thorne understood this very well: whoever controls the youth controls the future of a nation. To win the revolution in the future, Thorne had to win over the youth.

In future revolutions, youth will be of paramount importance, for they are the future of a nation. As the instructor said, youth are like the sun at eight or nine in the morning, full of vigor and ideals. The future Communist Party of Germany must also have its own reserve of youth.

Although Thorne failed to join the Communist Party in his previous life, he still became a member of the Communist Youth League. However, in peacetime, the identity of a member of the Communist Youth League seems to have lost its original meaning.

He had also seen people with no faith infiltrate the ranks, so in this life he was quite strict in his screening of Communist Youth League members.

At least these first batch of Communist Youth League members absolutely cannot have any problems. Thorne does not want opportunists to infiltrate the ranks so early. The purity of the revolution must be guaranteed so that the fruits of the revolution can be preserved.

Of course, it can't be called the German Communist Youth League yet. This youth group is temporarily associated with the newly established political party, so it can't be called the German Free Youth League for now.

However, although the name is not very direct, it does not mean that the qualifications for joining the Youth League have been relaxed. Those who join the Youth League must be young people aged 14 to 25 who have ideals and aspirations.

Like Williams and others, after a period of assessment, they were among the first batch of qualified members of the Communist Youth League.

242. Socialist Labor Party

Goebbels did not linger after receiving Thorne's notification.

After saying goodbye to Adolf and explaining things to the people at the newspaper and consulting agency, he hurriedly left Berlin and rushed over to meet with Thorne.

"Dr. Goebbels, you've had a long journey here, having called you all the way from Berlin."

Looking at the slightly tired Goebbels, Thorne felt a little emotional. Goebbels in this timeline was really working hard, with so many things to do in Berlin, and he still had to ask him to come and help him with things.

“It’s alright, Your Highness Thorne. Everything I do is meaningful, and I’m happy to do it. My life is much more fulfilling now than before.”

Goebbels smiled. Life was more meaningful now than before. At least he saw hope and knew that what he was doing could one day truly come true.

"Your Highness Thorne, what brings you here?"

“Of course there’s something, otherwise we wouldn’t have gone to all this trouble to invite you here.” Thorne patted Goebbels on the shoulder. “Our party needs you now. We have an important task to entrust to you.”

“Yes, Comrade Goebbels,” Thallman said from the side. “After our party held a meeting, we made some adjustments to our policies. Comrade Goebbels, your political awareness and ability are sufficient, so we called you here.”

"Come on, let's go in and talk."

Thorne led Thälmann and Goebbels into the Darmstadt General Labor Union. Although the union looked very grand from the outside, it was unusually simple inside.

Inside the union's office, the tables and chairs were brought from the homes of union representatives. The room wasn't decorated much, except for a notice posted on the wall.

Although the office was spacious, it had very few furnishings, making it look somewhat shabby. It was a bit awkward to have a bunch of people crammed in there. In such a large office, there weren't even enough chairs, and some people had to stand to listen.

A group of people gathered in the office to listen to Thorne's speech. Some of these people were veteran Communist Party members who had been involved in the revolution for many years and had firm beliefs, so there was nothing wrong with them.

There are also some veteran workers at the grassroots level. Their quality is naturally impeccable. Those who can sit here for a meeting are people we know well and can trust.

With these people as the core force, and then recruiting workers' groups as party members, that's how Thorne is planning. Anyway, isn't the Kingdom of Rhine currently in a special meeting period?

This is a good time to get the party up and running, and then, through our own efforts, we can gain more seats in parliament, which will make subsequent actions easier.

"Comrades, fellow workers, we are going to establish a brand new political party. We are going to create a brand new political party in the Rhine Kingdom that speaks for the majority."

The audience listened quietly to Thorne's explanation of a completely new political party, a party that speaks for the majority.