German Red Prince

Page 158

"The most important task for helicopters now is to enhance the combat capabilities of ground forces. As an airborne combat order, I hope that it can provide effective output for ground forces, so its firepower must be strong."

"Of course, this is also my current idea. After all, we are still in the initial stage and cannot take too big a step. Helicopters are basically a kind of air transport force, so my idea is that they can be developed into larger ones in the future, carrying more soldiers or supplies to provide effective support to the front line."

"I understand, Your Highness Thorne. What you said has been very helpful to me, and I will study it carefully in the future."

Sikorsky put down his pen. Thorne's suggestion had given him a direction for helicopter research. Highly mobile air power is best suited for cooperation with ground troops and is much more convenient than ordinary fighter jets, making it suitable for deployment in small battlefields.

High firepower output and large size are the directions he will research in the future.

324. Next Steps

Thorne has had a lot to deal with these past few days. After finishing with Sikorsky, there are still many things waiting for him to handle.

Thorne has given Sikorsky a lot of advice. Following these methods, Sikorsky at least has a research direction and should soon have some results.

Besides these matters, there were many other things for Thorne to attend to. Adolf in Berlin had written him a letter explaining the current situation in Berlin.

Thorne felt a chill run down his spine as he read the contents of the letter. This Wilhelm II is really something else. He dares to come up with something like this. Isn't he afraid of dying one day?

Berlin's sudden relaxation of restrictions on political parties will certainly impact established parties, diluting their power. However, it will also cause many other very negative consequences, such as making these parties more difficult to control.

We are in a time of peace now, not a time of turmoil. Only when there is great turmoil can the political arena "bloom with a hundred flowers," but chaos will inevitably follow.

In times of peace, the most important thing is order and social stability. This is a complete blunder. Relaxing restrictions on political parties has even made the Kingdom of the Rhine hesitant to do anything about it. What exactly is William's purpose in doing this?

On the surface, these small and medium-sized political parties may seem harmless and insignificant, and they may not appear to pose much of a threat when the ban is first lifted. But let's not forget how many people Adolf's Nazi Party had when it was first founded.

Wilhelm II's purpose in doing this was likely to disperse the power of the major parties and then consolidate that power in his own hands. This was a clever plan, but unfortunately, Wilhelm may have underestimated the influence and destructive power of these smaller parties.

The starting point was good, but the problem was that it started.

In his letter, Adolf mentioned a recently emerging political party in Berlin, which was rising very rapidly.

It started as an obscure little party, but recently merged with other parties, and somehow its influence suddenly skyrocketed.

This party already has a certain influence among the people of Berlin, with quite a few supporters. They take to the streets of Berlin every day whenever they have time, and the police don't stop them.

Adolf's letter stated that this party could have a very terrible impact. On the surface, this party stands on the side of the middle and lower classes and supports German unification, seemingly a left-wing party. However, the predecessor of this party, the Workers' Party alone, put forward racial theories. Is that still left-wing?

This is a party that is nominally left-wing but actually right-wing. Right now they may be speaking out for the lower and middle classes, but what will happen when they come to power? Moreover, the supporters behind this party are government officials and William's people.

To put it bluntly, this guy is like a dog that the German government is keeping around, biting whoever he can catch. Right now in parliament, the biggest role of this party is to attack the old-established parties in Germany. The Reich Party and the Centre Party have almost become their mortal enemies.

But has Wilhelm considered whether he can maintain control over this party in the long run? Right now, the party is relatively weak and may listen to him, but what about in the future? Once the party has grown stronger, will it still be at the mercy of the Kaiser?

"Raising a tiger will only bring trouble."

Thorne sighed after seeing the letter Adolf sent. He was truly fearless. If the Kingdom of Rhine had acted this way when Thorne transmigrated, his first thought would have been to quickly find a way to escape.

Such a dangerous political party, and Wilhelm II actually funded them. They really have no fear of death. Thorne doesn't even want to comment.

He's already so old, shouldn't he retire? How long is he going to sit here? He thinks he can control himself, but in the end, isn't he just digging a pit for Crown Prince William?

The situation in Berlin is indeed a big problem. Thorne had previously thought of calling Adolf back to Cologne to organize the construction of the Labor Party, but now it seems that Berlin needs him more. Only Adolf can keep things in check in Berlin, and Thorne doesn't trust anyone else.

Thorne was also curious to see how the leader of the Nazi Party in their past life would "fight" with this kind of political party in this life. Suddenly, he found the whole thing somewhat amusing and wanted to laugh. Adolf was, after all, a pioneer of the right wing, but unexpectedly, he had become a vanguard of the left wing here.

Indeed, the world is full of wonders.

Since Berlin still needs Adolf, Thorne isn't in a hurry to bring him back. As for Cologne, there's no rush; let's leave the matter to someone else for now.

Thorne actually had his own selfish reasons for wanting to transfer Adolf over. Right now, everyone is a comrade because they have a common enemy. Once that enemy is eliminated, then it will be time to start ranking people by seniority.

In the future, those with higher seniority will undoubtedly wield greater influence within the party. Take Goebbels, for example; he's now been transferred back to Frankfurt by Thorne.

He is the official leader of the Socialist Labor Party. Although the party's current role is to cover up the Communist Party of Germany, his position will definitely not be low once it seizes power.

Adolf is deeply rooted in Berlin, working as a small pub owner. Although he is the head of the Berlin liaison office, this starting point is too low.

Although Thorne was reluctant, he knew that factions would definitely form within the party later on. Without factions, all sorts of strange things would happen. He was worried that Adolf might encounter some problems in the future, which was why he wanted to promote him as soon as possible.

Now that Adolf has written a letter voluntarily refusing to take up the post in Cologne, it seems Thorne is too petty. These revolutionary predecessors have a level of understanding that Thorne cannot match.

Since Adolf was not going, Thorne could not force him to go, but he still made some adjustments. Adolf was now the head of party affairs in the Berlin area, and he was responsible for more things. He also sent more people there. Whether it was the Stasi or the Gestapo in the Berlin area, Adolf could directly give orders and assign tasks.

Berlin is in a dangerous situation. If its political landscape collapses, it will affect the whole of Germany, so it must be stabilized.

That party in Berlin, though it hasn't made any big moves yet, is definitely not going to produce anything worthwhile.

We can't alert them yet; we can only have Adolf keep a close eye on them and report to Thorne as needed. We also need to expedite the plans for the navy, as Thorne senses that a major upheaval is about to befall Germany.

Bavaria is pro-Austria, and Austria is currently facing a lot of problems domestically, with several political parties fighting each other. I've also heard of an Aryan party that has been strongly advocating for the unification of Germany and Austria.

Austria lost the last German war, but if they seize the opportunity now, they will surely start the next war immediately.

With a host of things happening both domestically and internationally, all Thorne can do now is try his best to make arrangements and minimize the losses. Fortunately, that party in Berlin hasn't created a stormtroopers yet.

However, there are no major problems domestically for the time being. The more important thing now is the external environment. We need to break William's legs before we can engage in armed conflict.

The strategy of infiltrating Eastern European countries, which was discussed at previous meetings, has been ongoing and seems to have had some effect.

In various Eastern European countries, many small groups have begun to emerge, and Thorne looks forward to the day when they can unleash amazing power.

325. Alas, Germany.

Europe is not synonymous with developed countries. Only a handful of countries in Europe are truly developed, and most remain very poor, especially those vassal states of the Reichstag that were still under German control.

"Eastern Europe nourished the poisonous cornflower of the German Empire with blood and sweat."

This is a common saying in Eastern European countries, and it is also a true reflection of the entire Eastern European country. Isn't it ridiculous that a major food-producing country would suffer from famine and starve to death every year?

Besides nourishing the German Empire, these countries were also oppressed by domestic reactionary forces. The common people could not imagine how many nobles there were in the whole country, why there was always not enough food, and why they had to pay so many miscellaneous taxes. Did these people have to eat ten meals a day? Couldn't they be fed three meals a day?

Using legal means to exploit people is the most rogue tactic, because they illegally collect the people's blood and sweat, yet they can define those who have objections as illegal. This kind of legal plunder is playing out in all Eastern European countries.

Is it a legitimate government simply because it is? Who granted it its legitimacy? Did the people consent to it?

Can a puppet regime supported by Germany be considered a legitimate state?

Did the people of this country agree? What good is it if that small group of nobles agrees? They are traitors who sold the country off cheaply, mere dogs kept by the Germans. Why can they lead this country so openly?

"Have you heard? There's some news coming out next week."

"I heard that the village chief was summoned to town a few days ago. I guess it's something else."

Several farmers were chatting in the village tavern. Planting time was approaching, and they wouldn't have so much time to chat then.

"What else could it be? It's probably about spring planting. I'm afraid the grain tax we have to pay this year will go up again."

Bulzin seemed calm. Over the years, how many of the notices he received were good news? The grain requisitioned has been increased every year, and who knows how much it will rise in the future. Fortunately, there haven't been any wars or disasters in recent years, otherwise it would be terrible.

"Why do these Germans eat so much food? Aren't Germans Europeans? How can they have such a big appetite?"

"You don't understand this."

Brzezin seemed very knowledgeable, and after taking a sip of wine, he began to analyze things for the group in a very logical and insightful manner.

"We are a member of the German Reichstag and also a member of the EU-China trade agreement, aren't we?"

"Yeah, so what? We're still just dogs for the Germans."

"Which country in the entire trade circle can compare with our Ukrainian grain? The output and quality are the best in the entire Reichstag, so the Germans want to keep a tight grip on us."

"Hold us in check? Isn't that just supporting a few puppets? Our government is completely controlled by the Germans; we have almost no autonomy whatsoever."

"I really don't understand. We need the Germans' approval to do things in Ukraine. What kind of nonsense is this? I wonder if those people in the government have any shame, or even know they are Ukrainians. They've sold out their country so thoroughly."

Kosygin remarked that he had had enough of farming for these noble lords.

“You’re oversimplifying things,” Brzezin said.

“We are the reserve granary of the Reich Pact, and the Germans dare not do anything to us. However, in order to control our economy, they will forcibly requisition our grain and then sell it back to us, using this to control our country.”

Brzezin's words make some sense, but they're not entirely accurate.

Ukraine was the third largest economy of the empire after Central Africa, and enjoyed greater autonomy in its own affairs than its Eastern European neighbors. Ukraine was considered the breadbasket of the German Empire, producing most of the Union's grain.

In fact, Ukraine is much wealthier than the other countries in the Imperial Pact. It exports grain on ships built in its large shipyards and also profits from the shipbuilding industry. These ships are used to transport goods to both its own export markets and other markets.

Central Africa is vast and sprawling, and its distance from Germany makes it difficult to manage. In contrast, Ukraine, thanks to its thriving export market, received substantial German aid to expand its economy, which has maintained a strong agricultural sector.

The Ukrainian leadership is not, as they believe, a complete puppet of the Germans. Leveraging Ukraine's important position in the Reichstag, the current Ukrainian president has signed several economic treaties with Berlin, making far-reaching concessions to Germany, which have also brought many benefits.

To ensure goodwill with Ukraine, Germany provided substantial foreign aid to Kyiv, demonstrating its "benevolent" side. The Ukrainian government received this aid and quickly put it to good use.

Industrial activity has begun to grow in major cities such as Kyiv and Odessa, and the government has also developed plans to continue industrial expansion in eastern Ukraine and Crimea.

Just recently, the Minister of Economic Affairs also used German funds to launch a rural modernization campaign as a prelude to appropriate land reforms.

After pilot programs in some areas, the government’s campaign has been remarkably successful, and experts estimate that if it is rolled out nationwide, agricultural output will increase significantly.

However, the plan still faces many difficulties, failing to satisfy both progressive pro-land reform supporters and the old agricultural conservative elites, and also due to the presence of numerous resistance groups in Ukraine.

Therefore, the final outcome of the project has remained uncertain, and the government has been discussing and debating the matter.

On the world stage, the German-Ukrainian alliance appears to be one of the most powerful alliances in the world. In order to secure its own breadbasket in Eastern Europe, Germany has shown more goodwill towards Ukraine, and the two countries are intertwined in almost all matters.

Trade flows freely between the two countries, their armies frequently conduct joint exercises, and Ukraine even has a law currently being promoted as "Ukraine-Germany Friendship Day," which would designate the time when German troops are stationed in Kyiv as a national holiday.

Although they appear to be inseparable on the surface, behind the scenes, Ukrainian President Skoropadsky is nothing more than a puppet of the German Emperor, a puppet with loose strings, who, despite having some freedom, remains essentially a puppet.

"You know so much? Where did you hear all this from?" Kosygin asked Brzezin.

“From the newspaper, the Ukrainian Observer,” Brzezin said, sounding somewhat smug.

"You should read more of this newspaper when you have time. It's quite good. I didn't realize our country had so many problems."

"Alas, Germany."

Kosygin sighed.

"Germany has exploited us too much. Does Ukraine have any future?"

"If there were no future, would you still be drinking here?"

A few people were chatting when suddenly someone next to them spoke up.

"If it weren't for the Germans and President Skoropadsky, would you still be able to drink here in peace? The Russians would have killed you all long ago!"

Two camps exist in the minds of Ukrainian peasants: some believe that Germany is Ukraine's savior and that the Ukrainian state would not exist without them, while the Allied Powers would rather Ukraine remain a subject of Russia, and the Bolsheviks are not trustworthy.

However, another mindset in the country is that Germany is merely another host of services, and Ukraine is not truly free.

If even a small tavern is rife with disagreements, imagine what the whole country is like.

Thorne has already begun his plans in Eastern European countries. As the most important country in Eastern Europe, Ukraine will definitely be the first place Germany will deal with if problems arise. Once Berlin's forces are dispersed, his advantage will be greater.

Furthermore, we could also try to provide financial assistance to the resistance forces in Eastern Europe.

326. Building a Government

Where there is oppression, there is resistance; this saying is very apt to describe the Eastern European countries today.

For the past one or two centuries, Eastern European countries have had almost no independent autonomy at any point in time. In the past, they had to obey Moscow's orders, and the Russians maintained a strong control over Eastern Europe.

In the aftermath of the war, while Russia was embroiled in internal strife, Eastern European countries briefly enjoyed a period of independence.

While the Russian Civil War raged on the border, undercurrents began to stir in the countries of Eastern Europe. Many of these countries had once been part of the vast Tsarist empire, but now they had suddenly gained independence, and their domestic political circles were still in a state of flux.

These newly independent states became temporary havens for various white activists, conservative military officers, and former Russian imperial politicians.

Among these people were many ambitious individuals, and many officers maintained close ties with the Germans. They formed an army and began marching from Ukraine to southern Russia.

With German support, the so-called "Southern Army" was formed at the end of 1918 under the leadership of General Nikolai Ivanov and went to the North Caucasus region to support the soldiers of Pyotr Krasnov in the neighboring Don region, as well as the volunteers of Lavr Kornilov and Anton Denikin.

Some chose to leave Eastern Europe, while others chose to stay and develop their careers. Faced with the movements of both left-wing and right-wing politicians, Skołopádsky was unwilling to commit his army to help the white movement. Instead, he preferred to focus on reducing instability in Ukraine, especially given the increasing frequency of peasant uprisings in rural areas, which often lasted for months.

However, this independence did not last long. As it turned out, without the help of major powers, it was wishful thinking for these countries to develop in a short period of time. After breaking free from Russian control, Eastern European countries quickly fell into internal strife. Numerous forces had been lurking within these newly independent countries, and now that they were free from control, all of these forces stepped forward to fight, starting a new round of chaos.

During this unstable period, Hermann von Eichhorn, the German official in charge of the occupying forces in Ukraine, and Fyodor Keller, the highest-ranking general in Ukrainian and White Russian forces and the designated commander of the Northwest Army, were assassinated by Russian left-wing revolutionaries and Ukrainian nationalist fighters, respectively.

However, this chaotic conflict soon came to an end because a new master arrived. After resolving the issue of establishing postwar rules, the Germans brought their order to Eastern Europe and took over the region.

Germany brought new rules that differed from those of Russia. Compared to Russia, Germany's rules were more popular. Compared to the Tsar's simple and brutal plunder, Germany's plundering methods were more covert, somewhat like boiling a frog in lukewarm water. This is why some people consider Germany to be the new liberator, helping them get rid of the Tsar's cruel plunder.

Of course, many people disagree. They believe that the only difference is the change of masters; plunder is still plunder, and there's no such thing as anyone plundering less. The people of Eastern Europe must liberate themselves to achieve true independence. They don't need masters; the people of Eastern Europe are the masters of their own country.

Of these countries, Ukraine is undoubtedly the one that is causing the most trouble right now.

The Poles were the first to rise up in resistance against German tyranny, but Poland's geographical location was unfavorable, being too close to Germany, which meant they had no time to prepare for their uprising.

During the Warsaw Uprising of 1926, countless revolutionaries were killed. In the final reckoning by the Germans, even many Polish nobles were executed because they "sympathized" with the rebels.