German Red Prince

Page 131

Old William was gathered with others in front of the radio listening to the broadcast when Holman's loud shout made them all turn to look at him.

"Everyone."

Holman took a breath and held up the latest notice from the General Labor Union.

"Fellow workers, our General Union has a new announcement." He read aloud from the notice in his hand, "After joint discussions and planning, our Darmstadt General Union will form a new political party."

"The Socialist Labour Party, a political party founded by the General Confederation of Labour, is dedicated to the interests of the vast majority of workers and advocates for the right of workers to be represented. One of the party's major tasks is to improve the social status and treatment of workers and to fight for more rights for us."

"Similarly, as long as we join this party, we can enjoy many benefits, including employee benefits, unemployment relief, and social security. I am here to inform you all. Would you like to join this Labor Socialist Party, which was formed by the General Labor Union?"

How can a political party be without members? If they want to gain a place in the upcoming Kingdom Conference, they must first ensure that their party has a certain size.

As mentioned before, party members can join individually or as a group. In several large-scale factories in Darmstadt, the organizational structure has been completely transformed, and there are also party organizations of the Communist Party of Germany in the factories. They are very suitable to join the Socialist Labor Party as a group.

"I am willing!"

As soon as Holman finished speaking, someone raised their hand. In fact, once they heard that it was organized by the General Labor Union, these people would basically not refuse. They were able to have their current lives because of the General Labor Union.

Holman then distributed the notice, and after reading it, more and more people raised their hands. Although their working group was large, they had always lacked someone to speak up for them. Now that a political party had stood up, how could they not support it?

After reading the announcement, old William also signed his name on it, because he knew that perhaps one day, an era that belonged to them would truly emerge.

245. Adalbert's Dilemma

As we approached February 1928, although there were occasional discordant voices internationally, the overall situation remained relatively stable.

There are many discordant voices, such as another war breaking out on one side or another, another conflict erupting in another country, or another conflict occurring in some inconspicuous corner.

However, these news stories or events are merely topics of conversation for Europeans during their leisure time. They might chat about them briefly after breakfast or lunch, since the war is something from many years ago for them.

Most Europeans still believe that war will not break out, or that it will only be a local conflict. After all, the great war fourteen years ago had made the whole of Europe realize the enormous destructive power of war.

That war left everyone exhausted. Britain, France, Germany, Italy, Russia, Austria-Hungary—these major European countries had bled dry for the war, and their people would likely find it difficult to support another war.

Many people still believe that the new order led by the German Empire will last for a long time. After all, the last established empire, the British Empire, lasted for hundreds of years, so this young and newly established empire should not be too bad.

It's not just Germans who think this way; most Europeans think this way, especially those countries at the heart of the Reichstag and the Central European Economic Union.

In their view, this German-dominated economic and political center would remain in a dominant position for a long time, controlling Central Europe and half of Eastern Europe, and even the once-powerful European gendarmerie would have to obey German orders.

The economies of these countries are firmly in Germany's hands, and German factories have sprung up throughout the sphere of influence it leads.

Wilhelm II once proudly told his beloved Imperial Chancellor Tirpitz in private that these enterprises were like powerful needles piercing the skin of those countries, squeezing their blood to provide a powerful impetus for Germany's progress.

There's a joke that's been circulating in Eastern European countries: Why are Germans so arrogant? It's because they have a powerful motherland behind them.

With the world's leading army, navy, and air force, and vast overseas colonies, it learned from the lessons of the war and indirectly controlled the whole of Eastern Europe through economic means, avoiding the disadvantage of fighting on two fronts. It also had many allies and auxiliary forces.

Aside from those who are farsighted and worry about the next war, how could the average person, seeing this situation, possibly believe there would be another war?

Even if they did, the intensity of the next war would be far less than the last one. Although the French Commune was indeed very successful, Germany already had such a significant advantage.

Furthermore, France also has to face the old Allied powers as an enemy. With such a huge disparity in strength, how could France possibly lose when the Flying Dragon is on the front lines? If things go wrong, then we can only say that the Commander-in-Chief was brilliant.

Of course, in order to control the surrounding countries, Germany also adopted its own methods. It was very simple: it "parachuted" its nobles into these countries to supervise the situation on behalf of the German Emperor.

These princes or nobles who were parachuted in seem to be very powerful, at least much better than staying in their home countries. But if Thorne had to choose, he would rather stay in Germany and live a life of leisure.

Although Germany may appear to have integrated these countries, the dire situation in those countries cannot be resolved overnight.

If war is a reshuffling of the world order by major powers, then for small countries it is a reshuffling of their domestic power structures.

The relatively weak governments of these countries were unable to control the domestic situation in a timely manner, so as the war progressed, things at home became increasingly worse.

Various factions and forces expanded their power in this murky water, and by the time the war finally ended, these forces had become uncontrollable by the government.

However, it seems they didn't need to worry about it. Just when they were about to free up their hands to deal with it, the Germans arrived and took over the mess. These officials and nobles from Germany obviously didn't know the dangers of the remote and impoverished areas and easily "blew into cahoots" with the local forces.

The more tragic example is that prince who went to Poland, who was also a relative of Wilhelm II. In the end, he was still subjected to the wild imaginations of the revolutionaries.

Solving local problems is always a difficult task, especially for princes and nobles who are transferred there with no prior knowledge of the situation. If they encounter any problems while handling the situation, they may be put out of business.

This can also be understood as a tactic employed by Wilhelm II: sending his own people is always more trustworthy than sending locals.

At the same time, leaving them with a bunch of domestic issues to handle will keep them in line and allow them to focus on doing a good job domestically, so they don't start having ulterior motives or trying to take advantage of Germany once they get to their destination.

This method of controlling vassal states by Germany was both fortunate and unfortunate for Adalbert.

Fortunately, as Wilhelm II's third son, he was unlikely to become the next German Emperor; not every crown prince is like Andreas.

However, as mentioned before, Adalbert was lucky; although he could not become the German Emperor, he became the new King of Flanders-Wallon.

Belgium was a victim of the entire war, even though it had enjoyed the status of a "permanently neutral country" for more than seventy years. But war is no joke.

Without sufficient military force, regardless of whether you are a neutral country or not, others can take you down at any time.

In order to implement the Schlieffen Plan, Germany deployed more than 700,000 troops to the border. At that time, Belgium only had about seven divisions, with a force of about 120,000 men. Moreover, the troops were poorly equipped, poorly trained, and had rifles of different calibers. Even the sabers of the cavalry divisions were different models.

How could this armed force possibly stop the advancing German hordes? This tiny country suffered a crushing defeat in the World War, and King Abel I went into exile in Canada with the British royal family.

After its defeat, Belgium lost the land on the right bank of the Meuse River, but at the same time gained the Dunkirk region of France. Abel I fled the country, and Adalbert became the new king.

Adabert was fortunate to be the king of a country, especially the king of Flanders-Wallon, where the people were far more civilized than the barbarians of Eastern Europe, and he didn't have to worry about being hanged one day.

However, Adabert is also unfortunate. Although Flanders-Wallon has fewer problems, that doesn't mean it has none.

Adabert longed to make a difference, but the harsh realities of life repeatedly thwarted him. To resolve this issue, he felt it necessary to return to Germany once again.

246. Flanders and Wallonia

Because it is located in the northernmost part of Europe and is influenced by warm ocean currents, the weather in Flanders-Wallon in January is not extreme and is usually rather cold and damp.

Although the temperature may sometimes drop below zero, it will not have much impact on life. Compared to the sub-zero temperatures in Siberia, it's just a matter of wearing an extra coat.

To be honest, if he weren't a damned border guard, Fuchs would quite like staying here. The hills and forests, the newly thawed canals and lakes, the temperature was quite low, but it wasn't a problem to wear thick clothes. In Fuchs's opinion, this was simply a vacation paradise.

But he was a damn border guard. Even the best scenery gets boring after a while. Fuchs had been here for three years. At first, he quite enjoyed it, patrolling the border on a bicycle. It was actually quite romantic.

However, as time went on, he changed his mind. There was nothing but woods here, and hardly anyone else. He had already worn out three bicycles. He was getting tired of this unchanging life.

"Hello, sir."

Just as Fuchs pedaled his bicycle back to the camp, a dazed-looking young man ran over to greet him.

The other people in the camp were playing cards. When they saw the silly boy waving at Fuchs, they stopped playing and watched the scene as if it were a joke.

"Hello, sir."

The kid gave Fuchs Fuchs another military salute, a comical gesture that made his card-playing comrades laugh repeatedly. It was probably the funniest thing they had encountered in a while.

Fuchs was also amused by the young man; the recruit seemed a bit silly.

"New recruit, what's your name? Where are you from?"

“Sir, my name is Anatol, and I’m from Dunkirk,” the recruit replied, standing at attention.

"Oh? From Dunkirk?"

Fuchs took off his heavy military overcoat and hung it on the wall. It wasn't as cold inside as outside, but after sitting for a while, he felt his chest getting hot and stuffy.

"Go and bring the kettle over."

After listening to Anatol's introduction, Fuchs didn't continue. Instead, he stretched his aching legs, pulled up a chair, and went over to watch the other people's card games. After all, this was one of the few relaxing and entertaining activities for the border guards.

"Sir, here it is."

Upon hearing the order, Anatol quickly took the boiling water off the stove.

"Make the coffee on the table and bring it over."

It's not unusual for a border post to have one more or one less person; the only unusual thing is that Anatole was originally French.

After placing the brewed coffee on the table, Anatol remained standing there, waiting for instructions.

"Sir, is there anything else?"

"Ugh, Carter, what a terrible hand you have!" Fuchs slapped his thigh and cursed, not paying any attention to what Anatole was saying.

"My grandma plays better than you!"

"Then come!"

Carter was also annoyed by Fuchs's harassment. Fuchs was holding a chair and kept buzzing next to him, which made him lose his mood.

Just as Fuchs took the cards and was about to make his move, Anatol shouted again.

"Hello, sir!"

Everyone looked towards the doorway in the direction of the sound. Well, it seems the game is over now.

Loft stood at the doorway, looking at the row of soldiers in front of him. He was furious at their nonchalant attitude.

"Who are we facing? The French Commune! A bunch of red devils! And you still have time to play cards here? Dereliction of duty! You should all be court-martialed!"

Fuchs felt like Roft's saliva was about to spray all over his face, but he still acted like he didn't care. These Flemish bastards acted like they were superior to their German masters.

Belgium is home to two major ethnic groups, the Flemish and the Walloons. These two groups have been in constant conflict since the time Belgium was established. Now, under German rule, the situation has not only failed to improve but has intensified.

The main conflict between the two ethnic groups has long been a linguistic one, which is also a concentrated manifestation of ethnic tensions. The Flanders region is located in the north, so the language is mostly Dutch, while the Walloon region is in the south of Belgium, and the language is mostly French.

The two nations also had different attitudes toward the war. Germany's further occupation of Belgium exacerbated the conflict between the Dutch-speaking Flanders and the French-speaking Walloons.

The Flemish people repeatedly and publicly supported the Germans as invaders, believing that they had freed them from the brutal rule of the Walloons and that the Germans were the saviors of the Flemish.

In order to reorganize the Belgian government after the war, reduce contact between the Flemish and Walloons, and avoid unified resistance from the entire Belgian population, the German government initially considered establishing two independent states for Flanders and Wallonia, and had already formulated corresponding plans.

However, fearing that an independent Wallonia might be influenced by the French Commune and rebel, German experts, inspired by Destre's speech, decided to adopt a federal model to restructure the government.

Because the Flemish provided some assistance to Germany during the war, they held a higher status than the Walloons in the newly formed federal government. Of course, Germany did this to create conflict; if everyone were of one mind, they would all fight against Germany.

In order to control the unstable Walloon region, Germany implemented a "pro-Flanders policy," which it proclaimed as a rebalancing of national status. This reversed the situation in which Walloons held a dominant social position and gained unanimous support from the Flemish people, but of course, it also aroused strong resentment from the Walloons.

For example, nowadays, there are more and more Flemish people in the army in Wallonia, and many of them hold high positions. This is the power that the Germans have given them. Now the Flemish people can be said to have risen from slavery and are singing songs of triumph, helping the Germans keep a close eye on Wallonia.

"Just last week, two soldiers deserted to France. How exactly are you patrolling? Are you just watching our men escape every day? Or are you all French spies, working for the French? You Walloons should all be shot!"

"Now, get on patrol immediately! Don't let me see you slacking off again!"

Loft angrily shook his hand and left. As he left, the people in the room began to curse and swear.

"This damn German lackey, he doesn't even know what kind of bullshit he's spouting."

Carter cursed and put on his coat. Most people in Wallonia speak French, while the Flemish speak Dutch. Loft had just been swearing a lot, but they didn't really understand much of it.

"Let's go, they're definitely sending us on patrol. These German lackeys are getting more and more arrogant." Fuchs, who had just returned, was about to go out again and followed behind, cursing.

"What are you standing there for? New guy, hurry up and get ready to go on patrol."

Putting on his hat, Fuchs kicked Anatol, who was still in a daze, in an annoyed manner.

"Yes, sir!"

Anatol didn't understand a single word of what Loft had just said, no matter how much he talked.

In recent years, the number of Flemish officers in the Walloon region has increased significantly, causing considerable disruption to the military.

The fact that Walloon soldiers could not understand the Flanders officers' meaning and orders, and even refused to obey them, undoubtedly led to a decline in the army's combat effectiveness.

Of course, the Germans didn't care about the fighting capacity of their army. The more internal turmoil they caused, the happier they were. As long as Flanders-Wallon kept obedient, that was enough for them.

247. Everyone has the right to pursue happiness.

For ease of management, Flanders-Wallon adopted a federal model of governance. However, to further facilitate control, Germany intervened, resulting in what is now a rather strange so-called federal state.

Although it was a federal state, this so-called federation did not guarantee fairness. The Walloon region was deliberately suppressed by Germany. After the Flemish people gained power, they were grateful to Germany and, in order to consolidate this hard-won power, they also helped Germany to suppress the Walloon region.

Because the Walloon region is close to France and is predominantly French-speaking, Germany strictly controlled the area to prevent the French Commune from infiltrating it.

First, under the guise of restoring order in the occupied territories, they annexed a piece of land from the former Belgian city of Arell. In order to incite conflict between them and France, they also transferred Dunkirk to Flanders-Wallon.

However, these actions by Germany did not have a real effect. On the contrary, these policies exacerbated the divisions in Flanders and Wallonia. Because the German government favored the Flanders region, Wallonian nationalism was weakened.

The current buffer zone in Flanders-Wallon has reached a boiling point. Because of their current status, Walloons are gradually coming into contact with the French Commune and shifting from their original nationalism to French communism.

The Flemish people, who received benefits and favors from the Germans, never actually considered the Germans as their own. The vast majority of Flemish people actually wanted to join the neutral Netherlands. Although they had not reached an agreement due to religious reasons, most Flemish people still believed that there was a chance of success.

There are two relatively large "rebellious forces" in Flanders-Wallon today. Although these two rebel forces have been suppressed by the police and security departments, they have never been completely eliminated. The Belgians are not actually enthusiastic about German rule.

These two "rebel forces" consisted of Belgian nationalists and monarchists, mostly based in the Flanders region, who sought to restore Belgium's borders to their 1914 state. They also believed that only Abel I was the legitimate king of Belgium, and that the current king was merely a usurper from Germany, and strongly called for the return of Abel I from Canada.

Another rebellious force, of course, was the Belgian communists, who were a constant source of trouble for Germany. These people seemed to haunt them, appearing wherever they went. The Belgian communists were deeply influenced by Britain and France, seeking a workers' revolution and the establishment of a socialist regime modeled after the French Commune.