German Red Prince

Page 132

These two groups are not on good terms. They both have their own holidays for demonstrations, protests, and strikes. The communists, in particular, love to strike, and although they are always suppressed, they still enjoy it.

To commemorate the French Revolution and the founding of the Paris Commune, communists would sing the banned "Internationale" during marches. On the anniversary of resistance against foreign rule and the birthday of King Albert I in exile, nationalists and monarchists would also sing the banned Belgian national anthem, "The Song of the Brabant."

In the Walloon region, heavily influenced by the French, communists were the majority. When these communists demonstrated, the local army did not actually stop them, since these people were also opposed to German rule.

They supported whatever the Germans opposed, and when the Flemish officers were making a ruckus, the Walloon soldiers would pretend not to understand and let them hold their demonstrations.

Anatol followed behind Fuchs on his bicycle. Their daily routine consisted of riding around the border, because the French Commune was actually trying to win over Wallonia and break it from German control, so their attitude towards Wallonia was quite positive.

Having suffered various setbacks in reality, the Walloons were also moving closer to France. This tacit understanding resulted in almost no conflict at the border. Aside from a seemingly dilapidated layer of barbed wire, there weren't even landmines along the border, precisely to facilitate the Walloons' frequent escapes to the French Commune.

This made Fuchs and his team's patrol work somewhat boring. Every day they would just ride their bicycles around the border a few times. Although the other side was the largest city in northern France, their side was mostly woodland where they hardly encountered anyone.

"Ring ring ring"

Carter, who was at the front, suddenly rang the bell on his bicycle. Hearing the bell, the others behind him gradually slowed down and then jumped off their bicycles.

Anatol didn't understand what was happening when he saw them push their bicycles into the woods and hide them, then walk towards an old man by the roadside.

Carter paid the money with practiced ease, took the jars from the old man's hands, and ran into the bushes with them.

"It's still warm."

Carter touched the jar and smiled at everyone.

As long as you don't give up, there are always more solutions than problems. Although those lackeys from Flanders come over every day to cause trouble and try to drive them out, they are not animals to be commanded by these lackeys. They have plenty of ways to slack off. If they are not allowed to sit inside for a while, they will come out and continue to slack off.

The relationship between Walloon and the Commune was pretty good, and there were no conflicts. The only thing was that some people ran from Walloon to the other side, but what could they do? It was better to avoid trouble, and they couldn't be bothered with these things.

These seasoned veterans were used to this kind of life, but Anatol was still a little unaccustomed to it, looking at the crowd sitting on the grass with a bit of a loss.

"New recruit, stop standing there, are you going to be a target for others?" Carter scolded him to sit down. If he just stood there, he might get caught again. Although he couldn't understand the Flemish people's swearing, he wasn't happy to keep listening to them scolding him.

Anatol sat down stiffly, but still cautiously observed his surroundings, gripping his rifle tightly in his hand.

"Sir, there are people over there!"

Suddenly Anatol shouted, startling Fuchs, who thought the inspector had arrived. The scalding coffee nearly scalded him to death.

"What happened?" Fuchs covered his mouth, tears streaming down his face from the heat.

"Sir, there are people over there!"

Anatol pointed to a spot not far away, and Fuchs picked up his binoculars and looked. It was a young man running towards the border.

"Damn it, I thought they came to check up on me."

Fuchs saw that it was just a young man preparing to cross the border and cursed, saying that such a small matter almost scared him to death.

"Sir, shouldn't we go and stop him?" Anatol picked up his rifle, eager to go up and take the man down.

"Eat your food and don't worry about anything else."

Fuchs gave a casual reply, which surprised Anatol. He just let him go like that?

"Everyone has the right to pursue happiness; just take care of yourself."

Although Anatol discovered the Walloons preparing to flee to the other side, apart from his excitement, everyone else went about their business as usual, completely ignoring it.

Wallonia was suffering from both German oppression and Flemish discrimination, and many people were struggling to make ends meet. Since the French were willing to take them in, why should they object?

248. Left and right combined

"Repeal the Treaty of Versailles! Glory to Belgium!"

On the streets of Brussels, demonstrators carrying red flags are chanting slogans.

"Abrogate the treaty! Reclaim Arell! Long live Belgium!"

When the war ended in 1919, the Treaty of Versailles was formally signed after discussions among representatives of many countries. When this extremely humiliating treaty reached Belgium, all Belgians were outraged.

The Germans harbored resentment towards Belgium's fierce resistance, so much so that they imposed very harsh sanctions on Belgium in the Treaty of Versailles.

In this agreement, French troops were required to destroy French fortifications built on the Belgian border, and the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg was annexed by Germany, with the Kingdom of the Rhine administering it post-war.

Belgium and Luxembourg, the southern province of the Kingdom, will be "temporarily entrusted" by the German Empire until "order in the region is restored" for further discussion. This region and the city of Arell are nominally handed over to Luxembourg, but in reality, they are under the unified administration of the Kingdom of the Rhine.

Besides losing some territory, Belgium's politics and military were also firmly controlled by Germany, leaving it with almost no autonomy.

The Kingdom of Belgium must allow German troops unrestricted access to its military installations and the port of Antwerp.

All Belgian institutions will be reorganized and rebuilt under German guidance to form the Kingdom of Flanders-Wallon under the leadership of the German King. The Congo colony in Africa will also be taken over by Germany.

Since the signing of this treaty, numerous protests have erupted in Belgium. As a result, Belgium has completely lost its autonomy and become a puppet of Germany. Who can bear such humiliation?

However, the protests were of little use. At that time, who in the world could withstand another German attack? The numerous protests in Belgium were also brutally suppressed. But things are different now, because the French Commune became the first country to break through the restrictions of the Treaty of Versailles.

Fellow countrymen!

A man with a red cloth strip tied around his arm jumped onto the square, looked at the huge crowd below, and began to give a loud speech.

"Fellow countrymen, the people of France, through their own efforts, have broken through the limitations of the Treaty of Versailles. Now they no longer have to live at the mercy of others and can develop completely independently."

"Fellow countrymen! The French people are our role models! The French Commune is our role model! We, the Belgian people, must also break free from the shackles of the Treaty of Versailles! Let the light of freedom and independence return to this land!"

"This is the final struggle. Let us unite for tomorrow, and the Internationale will surely be realized!"

After speaking, the person on the stage sang the Internationale loudly, and the people below the stage also became excited, waving red flags and singing the Internationale together.

"Fellow countrymen, Belgium is a free country. We have defeated countless invaders, and this is a source of pride for every Belgian. King Albert also led us in fighting against the invaders. The brave Belgian people are not afraid of tyranny! The flame of freedom is burning in Belgium, and glory will forever belong to us!"

While the red flags were waving enthusiastically on one side, the other side was not to be outdone and began giving speeches. Yellow flags fluttered in the air. Such a scene is probably rarely seen in one's lifetime. Socialists and monarchists did not fight, but stood together waving flags and shouting against German rule.

The surreal scene of a left-wing and right-wing coalition actually happened; two groups that would normally tear each other apart whenever they met were united by the Germans.

The two sides demonstrated in the streets, which soon attracted the police. Almost all of Brussels' police were mobilized because the march was getting bigger and bigger and they were heading towards the Royal Palace.

"Long live Belgium! Long live Belgium!"

Police officers on tall horses blocked the front of the palace, preventing the procession from moving forward. Upon seeing the police, the marchers also stopped advancing. Since they were already far enough away, they began to protest loudly towards the palace.

"Abolish the Treaty of Versailles! Reclaim the lost territories!"

"Independence! Belgium wants independence!"

These protests traveled through the walls into the palace, where Adabert I heard them clearly.

"Your Majesty, should we order these people to be driven away?"

Adabert I looked out the curtain at the procession outside with a gloomy expression, clearly not feeling well. The Minister of Security, seeing his expression, cautiously inquired about his condition.

When he became the new King of Flanders and Wallonia, there were three different discussions about his royal title: one was "King of Flanders and Wallonia" based on territory, and another was "King of the Flemish and Walloons" which was closer to Belgium.

However, after debate, the third title, "King of Flanders and Wallonia," was chosen to highlight Germany's privileged status.

However, contrary to the tradition of monarchy, he was not crowned. Instead, he took an oath to become the new king in the new parliament elected by the German authorities. This made Adabert feel extremely regretful, so much so that he remained resentful even after taking power and held onto it tightly.

In order to gain acceptance as the new king, Adabert made various gestures. To get closer to the people, he even converted to Catholicism.

However, these efforts failed to win over the hearts of the Belgians. Adalbert harbored resentment over his coronation, which led him to favor a more autocratic monarchy than the current system. Coupled with long-term German oppression, anti-German sentiment was high among the people, making Adalbert deeply hated by ordinary citizens.

Watching the protesters confronting the police in the streets, Adalbert's feelings were extremely complicated. He really wanted to gain the approval of the Belgian people and be a good king. He even relaxed his control over the monarchists and socialists in the country, allowing these guys to take to the streets to protest.

But it seems these people have no sense of gratitude. They were just released from restrictions, and they immediately came to cause him trouble. This made him feel very frustrated and like he was doing a thankless job. He really wanted to get rid of these guys as soon as the Minister of Security suggested it.

"Just drive them away, don't go too far." With that, Adalbert left, disappearing from the window.

The police then received orders to disperse the marching crowds in the streets. Adalbert wanted to make one last attempt to gain the approval of the Belgian people.

"Get ready, we're going to the Kingdom of Rhine."

249. Now is fantasy time.

"Soldiers from Flanders-Wallon defected to the French Commune? That's quite interesting."

Thorne looked at the news in the newspaper and sighed. After completing the components of the Socialist Labor Party, he could finally put one of his worries to rest, so he had some free time recently.

Now, with Goebbels leading the organization and Thorne providing covert support, the Socialist Labour Party is developing very rapidly, and its membership is growing quickly.

If this trend continues, it shouldn't be long before the Socialist Labor Party completes its first phase of tasks, quickly amasses a substantial membership, and gains an advantage within the government.

Everything is proceeding according to plan. Goebbels's abilities are beyond question; his oratory skills and eloquence are almost at their peak.

Thorne also accompanied Goebbels to several of his lectures, where the atmosphere was so enthusiastic that almost everyone rushed to join the Socialist Labour Party after the speeches.

Thorne could imagine that if Goebbels had selfish motives, he could have easily seceded from the Socialist Labour Party and formed his own party, in which case the Communist Party of Germany might not necessarily be his match.

However, Goebbels' party loyalty can still be tested, which is why Thorne was able to hand him over here. Otherwise, if it were someone else, he would really be afraid that in the end, all of this would just benefit someone else.

With Goebbels and the others taking care of things, Thorne had a bit more free time and could also check what had happened recently.

There haven't been many major international events lately, except for the fact that the French Republic is still at war with the Ottoman Empire in Africa.

At first, people paid some attention to it, and almost all the headlines in the newspapers were about the North African battlefield. Many experts also paid close attention to this matter.

However, some time has passed now, and people don't care much about it anymore. The hype has gradually died down, and newspapers rarely mention it anymore. The two sides have been fighting for so long, but it's still in the same place. What's so interesting about this?

The biggest news right now is from Flanders-Wallon, the neighbor of the Kingdom of the Rhine.

Wilhelm II's third son is now the King of Flanders-Wallon, but he usually has little presence in the public eye, and Flanders is almost invisible on the international stage, although he has made a few headlines recently.

Recently, a number of soldiers from Wallonia have defected to the French Commune on the Flanders-Wallon border.

Moreover, defections have been occurring more and more frequently lately. It's said that in one border region, an entire company deserted, and Flanders is covering it up to prevent the news from being reported.

These reports are a mix of truth and falsehood, and Thorne cannot completely believe them, but the information pieced together from these reports shows that some things have indeed happened in Flanders-Wallon recently.

There have always been some ethnic conflicts in Belgium, but they are not very serious and can be resolved through government mediation.

Since Germany began military control over Belgium, ethnic tensions in Belgium have intensified. In order to maintain German rule over Belgium, the German government will certainly not try to resolve ethnic conflicts in the same way that previous Belgian governments did.

Conversely, under the government's deliberate guidance, national antagonism in Belgium has intensified, which, while maintaining German control, has also brought considerable pressure to Adalbert's rule.

Ethnic tensions are increasingly dividing Belgium, and Adabetel, while carrying out orders from Germany, must also try his best to reconcile the conflicts between the two nations.

Adabert wanted to prove himself competent in governing the country, after all, he was the son of Wilhelm II, which often resulted in his policies pleasing neither side.

Adalbert's policies were somewhat presumptuous, and coupled with his control over power, what he considered reasonable policies were actually implemented very poorly.

This third prince wanted to fulfill the German Emperor's mission while also being loved by the Belgian people. If you think about it carefully, you'll realize that this is impossible because the two things are inherently contradictory.

"It seems that the French Commune took advantage of the internal conflicts in Flanders-Wallon."

It's obvious that the Commune was involved in the large-scale defection of Walloon soldiers to France. Most Walloons speak French, and their political standing in the country is not what it used to be. Given such favorable conditions, the Commune would definitely try to win them over.

Belgium is now a federal country, with two regions: Flanders and Wallonia. The Wallonia region does not have an equal status within the federation. The Flemish people have more power in Wallonia, and in order to prevent Wallonian rebellions, the Flemish people also have a lot of power in the Wallonian army.

The more this happens, the more the Walloons will come into contact with the Commune. Thorne glanced at the map and realized that if they could win over Wallonia, half of Belgium would be at the Commune's beck and call. Then France would have two options for its war strategy: a breakthrough through the Ardennes or a direct counter-Schlieffen operation.

With half of Belgium willing to obey the Commune's orders, the French will find it much easier to execute the Schlieffen Plan than Germany had before. In addition, the French Commune is now conducting research on armored warfare, so the future of the war is truly unpredictable.

The current situation means that if Flanders-Wallon does not resolve its domestic problems, Germany will suffer the most in the end. If Germany is attacked by the French, the Kingdom of the Rhine will be the first to suffer.

Belgium is a very important strategic location for Germany. Keeping it in their hands would save them a lot of trouble, but if someone else were to take it over, it would pose a huge threat to the German right wing.

Although Thorne is planning to turn Germany red, what if France can't wait?

If they had waited until the time was right, their self-initiated, German-led independent socialist revolution would have become a socialist revolution supported and assisted by France.

Both revolutions are called revolutions, but they are completely different in nature, which relates to whether Germany still has independent sovereignty after the revolution.

Sovereignty is the core of a nation, and Thorne does not want the future East Germany to be like the present one, merely a shell, a puppet of the Soviets executing the will of the Soviet Union.

This kind of East Germany was not what the German revolutionary forefathers had hoped for from the very beginning, and Thorne did not want the country he was fighting for to end up being just a puppet of some regime.

Wilhelm II wasn't in a hurry about the problems in Flanders-Wallon, but the Kingdom of the Rhine was. King Otto was even preparing to go to Brussels to meet with Adabert and discuss the relevant issues in detail.

"Your Highness Thorne, His Majesty the King requests your presence," a servant said as he knocked on the door.

"Looking for me? What's up?"

"King Adabert of Flanders-Wallon is going to the Kingdom of the Rhine, and King Otto has summoned His Highness to discuss the matter."

"What is Adabert doing here? If he wanted to see someone, he should have gone to see Wilhelm II. Why is he looking for us?"

Thorne curiously opened the document sent from Flanders-Wallon, and the first item on it made Thorne somewhat uneasy.

Re-discussing the border issue between the two countries and having specific discussions on the status of Luxembourg—goodness, is this an attempt to seize territory?

Did Adabert really think he could gain the support of the Belgian people through this? Why not go to the Imperial government and instead try to take advantage of the Kingdom of the Rhine?

All I can say is that this is a time for fantasy.