German Red Prince

Page 166

359. Combat readiness

"Welcome back."

The uniformed prosecutor stamped the document with a red stamp and then returned the certificate to Redel.

"To serve the kingdom."

Redel took the certificate, smiled, and walked into the military camp. The Kingdom of Rhine was now on a state of war preparedness.

These retired officers were notified to return to the barracks, and his intuition told Redel that something was definitely going to happen, but he didn't know what it was.

The cancellation of leave by the army caused some soldiers to complain. They found it hard to understand why their leave was suddenly canceled when everything was calm. However, orders were quickly issued one after another. Leave was canceled and troops were continuously transferred to the front line, where a large number of defensive fortifications began to be built.

In fact, we can see some of the current situation from daily life. The kingdom has begun to centralize the control of resources, and the purchase of things like flour and sugar has been limited, which has caused some panic among the people. Is war about to break out?

However, the current purchase restrictions are not very strict and are still within an acceptable range, so there is no problem for citizens to stock up on food. If all else fails, you can go to Prussia and Bavaria to buy food, where supplies are still normal.

The Kingdom of the Rhine is currently frantically stockpiling all sorts of strategic materials. Fortunately, some discoveries have been made in North Africa, otherwise the army's massive equipment wouldn't be enough to keep up with demand.

Redel returned to the camp. He hadn't been away for long, and his rank before discharge hadn't dropped much. Soon they were assigned tasks, which seemed rushed. Before he could even settle in, orders came in to move troops to the front lines.

The military camp was bustling with activity. Different commands could be heard, officers were assembling their respective units, and people were running around delivering various documents. Several officers with the rank of lieutenant colonel or higher could be seen gathered together, holding reports and discussing something. Lieder guessed it was probably a matter of troop deployment.

They would occasionally issue orders to the officers on one side, and different officers would run towards them to pass on various documents; they looked very busy.

Redel didn't know the reason for the sudden war alert, because everything was fine just a few days ago, and the war alert order was issued and immediately put into effect.

There was no buffer time. Judging from the busy state of the military camp, these people had probably just received the news. The order must have been issued just a few days ago, without any prior preparation.

It seemed that something big was about to happen. Riddle thought it was going to the Alsace-Lorraine military district, where something had happened before, and it was a sensitive area of ​​the kingdom. However, he was obviously wrong. The train was heading east.

Border cities are also reinforcing their defenses, with air raid sirens sounding every few days and curfews being imposed. Major factories have been equipped with anti-aircraft firepower, and the current economic system is slowly shifting towards a wartime economy, with everything serving the war effort.

Although he hadn't been away for long, Redel still sensed something different about the army. For example, during the army's relocation, he saw many different units.

The uniforms of these troops were different from theirs, and the weapons they carried were also different from theirs. Although it was not obvious, the intuitive feeling was that they must be elite troops.

Another aspect is the structure of the military. Now, the military has added a position called military judge, whose main responsibility is to maintain military discipline and conduct some political propaganda.

This is quite similar to what happened a long time ago. The addition of such a position in the military is beneficial to the development of the military, as it will enable better organization of grassroots troops.

However, what Redel didn't know was that most of these military judges came from the Socialist Labor Party. If he had known, he would probably have been even more surprised. The ruling party in the Kingdom of Rhine takes turns, and the Socialist Labor Party is not currently in power; it's just that it has a lot of influence. It's hard to imagine that such a party would be allowed to develop its power in the army.

The recorder is documenting the tanks being loaded onto trains. The tanks are covered with tarpaulins, making them unrecognizable. Trains depart from various cities and head towards the border.

With such a commotion in the Rhine Kingdom, it's no wonder that others were aware of it. However, many didn't take it to heart. Tirpitz's retirement did indeed have a significant impact on Germany's political landscape, and their reaction is understandable. The disruption of a stable political environment that had lasted for over a decade was bound to cause panic.

Moreover, it wasn't just the Kingdom of the Rhine that made moves; Bavaria to the south also made some moves. Tirpitz had just gone to the Kingdom of the Rhine and then announced his retirement, making it hard not to suspect that there might be some unknown deals involved.

Bavaria also heard some rumors that Tirpitz went there to reaffirm some century-old friendship. Although German reunification has not been sixty years yet, Prussia and the Kingdom of the Rhine reaffirmed their friendship. Why didn't they come to Bavaria to reaffirm their friendship?

This reminded them of the fear of being dominated in the past, so they could reasonably guess that Tirpitz's trip to the Kingdom of the Rhine was to unite them against Bavaria.

The call for German reunification has always been very popular in Germany, and Bavaria's performance is arguably the most rebellious. Southern Germany's identification with Prussia is not strong; they used to associate with the Habsburgs.

Faced with the frequent troop movements of the Kingdom of the Rhine, Bavaria also actively mobilized its troops to defend the border between the two kingdoms and actively contacted the Austro-Hungarian Empire. If a war were to break out, having an ally would greatly increase their chances of winning.

Dealing with Prussia might be a bit difficult, given their vast overseas colonies. However, they should be able to put up a fight against the Kingdom of the Rhine. The two kingdoms still have many unresolved historical issues, including the old problems from the Confederation of the Rhine.

The Kingdom of the Rhine is not only worried about a sudden bombing in Germany, but also about an attack by the French, so its troops are being mobilized very frequently. Bavaria is afraid that Prussia will unite with the Kingdom of the Rhine to divide them up, so it has also made adjustments to its troops and has increased its contact with Austria-Hungary.

Of the three kingdoms, two were on war preparations, but Prussia surprisingly did not react at all. There was no mobilization, no war preparations, and the government was even busy bickering.

If we were to name the worst decision Prussia ever made, it would undoubtedly be the annexation of Polish territory. After the Polish uprising, the governor-general's office was replaced and placed under direct German control. This effectively tied down most of Prussia's military forces to Poland, and the need for a large army to be stationed there for counterinsurgency operations left Prussia somewhat disoriented.

It is estimated that Bavaria and the Kingdom of the Rhine are blocking the way to the west and south, so even if foreign countries attack, they will have time to react. Wilhelm II does not realize the seriousness of the problem, or perhaps he has always been like this. During Tirpitz's time, the prime minister took care of the government's affairs, and Wilhelm only needed to issue some orders, and the prime minister could also make adjustments.

Wilhelm is not aware of the true situation in Germany; his understanding is still based on what happened about five or six years ago, during Germany's most powerful era.

He was unaware that Germany was on the verge of collapse, its economy fluctuating wildly like a rollercoaster, with a group of Germans caught on without any safety nets.

It seems that William has wielded enough power, and Vestap is his yes-man. He will approve almost any of William's orders unconditionally. But that's all there is to it. Vestap doesn't have enough prestige, so these approved orders are like waste paper. Who knows what will happen if they are carried out any further?

Moreover, Vestap, who had no prestige, was in even worse shape economically, which led to increasing distrust of him in parliament. Arguments frequently broke out in the meetings, but what these people didn't notice was that the National National Party almost never participated in them; these people were more skilled at street politics.

The current political atmosphere is actually more relaxed than before, which has given the National National Party a better opportunity to develop. They are not William's tools. As their scale continues to expand, the National National Party clearly has a bigger conspiracy.

360. Planning

As mentioned before, because the event happened so suddenly, not only did the lower levels not react in time, but even the higher levels did not react in time. The current war preparedness order of the Kingdom of Rhine was indeed a temporary decision, and it was made only after Tirpitz left Rhine.

The troops were hastily assembled and then dispatched to various locations to await orders, while the officers were urgently summoned together to make detailed strategic plans.

Because of the gravity of the matter, even Paulus, who was in Africa, has returned. The kingdom's army is now basically on standby at the front lines, and the next step is to further deploy the following plans.

"The Kingdom has a standing army of 100,000, most of which are deployed in the front lines of Germany and France. The Alsace-Lorraine military region has 20,000 troops in its home territory. We have transferred 30,000 troops to the military region, so we have about 100,000 troops on the French border. Due to the agreement with the Kingdom of Flanders-Wallon, we have now reduced our troops in the Luxembourg region to only 5,000."

"The remaining troops, numbering around ten thousand, are on the border between Bavaria and Prussia, while the rest are scattered in other cities of the kingdom."

"Now that the initial mobilization has been completed, the number of our standing army is increasing. According to the kingdom's instructions, the number should be increased to 300,000 in the short term. Although the time is a bit tight, it is still within our time limit. We just don't know if the weapons can keep up."

The officer in charge of mobilization reported the detailed data to everyone. This was the current mobilization situation in the Kingdom of Rhine. Although there was some pressure on personnel in the short term, it was still manageable. However, there might be some difficulties with weapons. Mobilizing so many soldiers in a short period of time would strain the supply of ammunition. Hopefully, the shortage could be filled as soon as possible.

Furthermore, this mobilization seems to have been carried out too hastily. The army only received the notification recently, and the kingdom did not discuss this period with the army much. The sudden expansion of the army's size puts considerable pressure on the finances.

Thorne was also very troubled after hearing so much. Mobilizing people was easy to say, but there was a lot to prepare.

It's not like the Steel IV incident, where everyone just works together to implement a bill. It requires coordination among many departments, but we have no choice but to do it now. If we wait until the economic crisis breaks out and then mobilize, it will be too late. They'll be devoured by France.

If you shout "Brother, don't do it, I'm a Communist too," they probably won't even give you a second glance. Once you're branded as a revisionist, you're as good as dead. Of course, you can't expect outsiders to help you achieve national liberation.

Being a puppet is no fun. Germany won a major war and got France to support a socialist regime. How could ordinary people willingly become dogs? Their fate would probably be similar to that of the Weimar Republic. They could just wait for the next Mustache to come up.

"Many people may not understand the mobilization now. After all, we have already won the war. Given the current strength of the French, they would not dare to challenge German hegemony rashly. But we are mobilizing now not because of France, but because of internal factors."

Upon hearing Thorne's words, some officers began to whisper among themselves. Was this commotion for France's sake? Or was it for internal reasons? Could it be...?

"As everyone knows now, Reich Chancellor Tirpitz has retired, and the current Reich Chancellor is Vestap. Vestap's qualifications are clearly not enough to keep Berlin in check, so we must be prepared."

"Throughout the German Empire, Prussia was the most vocal advocate for German reunification. The Prussians believed that since they had unified the previously suppressed regions, they were entitled to a second reunification. The Kingdom of the Rhine voluntarily joined the German Empire for the sake of national and ethnic unity, but this does not mean that the Prussians can take advantage of us."

"Germany wants to achieve peaceful reunification, but the process will certainly be extremely complicated. Obviously, some people in Berlin can't wait any longer. They want unification by force. Because of the spread of this idea, war is already inevitable. At that time, Chancellor Tirpitz was in power, and it was only through his prestige that the war was repeatedly postponed. Now, war is imminent."

"According to our intelligence in Berlin, some political parties in Berlin are already actively preparing for this war. Once the gears of war start turning, they cannot be stopped by a single order from Wilhelm. At that time, no one will be able to control the course of the war. That is why I say the reason for this mobilization comes from within."

"The main force mobilized this time will all be secretly transported to our border with Prussia. As for the French side, we just need to make some noise and let them conduct more exercises. It will also be good for us to show the country and make the French nervous, giving them some free time to do something."

After giving some more instructions, most of the officers left. Many of the mobilized soldiers were actually transported in a roundabout way. On the surface, they were being transported westward, but in reality, they were arranged near the border between the Kingdom of the Rhine and Prussia.

The officers who remain are naturally people Thorne trusts. Over the past few years, he has also built up a considerable force within the army through various means. It's more reassuring to have an army at your disposal when it comes to fighting.

"Gentlemen, we have successfully infiltrated the naval camps in Hamburg and Kiel. However, the conditions are not yet ripe. Nevertheless, we have successfully developed a number of downstream agents. The German Civil War is inevitable, and we must strive to gain as many advantages as possible."

"The naval port in Hamburg is currently of utmost importance to us, and we have deployed the most personnel there. If war breaks out and we are unable to take control of the naval port, we must ensure that we can take Hamburg as soon as possible."

"Rest assured, Your Highness, we have deployed enough troops in Bremen. If any unforeseen circumstances arise, we will be able to occupy Stadt immediately, cut off Hamburg's connection with the north, and then seize the naval port."

Thorne's biggest worry was this fleet on his doorstep. The Prussian fleet had a huge advantage over the Rhine. The Rhine Kingdom's navy was far inferior to the high seas fleet in both quantity and quality. He could only hope for the best outcome. Thorne also did not want these ships to be taken to Africa by William.

"This is our battle plan." At this moment, Guderian stepped forward. They had already formulated a detailed battle plan for the future, which was, of course, top secret.

"The war for German unification must be a swift victory, and at the same time, we must shorten the battle lines as much as possible. Therefore, the first target should not be Prussia, but Bavaria."

"Bavarian stance is not firm, and we cannot determine whose side they are on. Their strength is weaker than Prussia's. Prioritizing dealing with them will reduce a lot of trouble for us and allow us to further narrow the front line. Prioritizing control of southern Germany and the Schleswig region is the only way we will have a sufficient advantage."

Guderian explained the battle plan in detail to everyone, emphasizing the importance of delivering this right hook. If the war dragged on, Bavaria would inevitably seek help from Austria-Hungary, which would change the nature of the war due to foreign intervention. In any case, Bavaria should be the first target.

These plans are still classified. All three countries have probably considered the idea of ​​unifying Germany by force. The Rhine Kingdom does not yet know what the other two will do, so in the end, it will only be a contest of who can move faster.

361. External Environment

German reunification was practically achieved by the end of the war.

Due to the war, Germany mobilized a large army. After defeating France, these troops were not immediately disbanded and made a brief stop in the Kingdom of the Rhine when they withdrew from France.

Although it was described as a short stay, this stay was actually quite long. Prussia explained that a full return at once would have a negative impact on the country, so they decided to send everyone back in batches.

During their absence, these troops were dispersed throughout the Rhineland. Prussia built many bases in the Rhine to house these soldiers, and to avoid burdening the Rhineland, they thoughtfully took charge of the troops' food, lodging, and other arrangements.

At first, there was nothing wrong with it, and everyone thought they would finish their journey soon. However, as time went on, the number of Prussian troops withdrawing from the Rhine decreased with each batch, and the withdrawal date was postponed for longer and longer periods.

After the war ended, the focus shifted to economic recovery. Since the main battlefield was in the Kingdom of the Rhine, the reconstruction required even more funds. Because the Prussian army did not withdraw, it regularly paid a large sum of money to the Kingdom of the Rhine, which the kingdom used to rebuild and develop its economy.

At first, the kingdom obviously agreed, but later the Prussian army showed more and more signs of refusing to leave, which was dangerous. Prussia had troops stationed in the kingdom, and now that the war had just ended, it would be easy to take action now, or even directly change the kingdom's name and support someone from the Hohenzollern family to take the throne.

We also have to thank Bavaria, who were even more skilled and daring. The German army helped Austria-Hungary deal with the Balkan issues on the southern front. Most of these southern front troops were Bavarian soldiers. When they returned home, the Prussians did not know that there were many Austro-Hungarian officers and soldiers among them, who also came to Bavaria.

Because the Rhine Kingdom's strength was severely weakened during the war, Bavaria naturally believed that the final battle would be a showdown between itself and Prussia. They wanted to use Austria-Hungary's help to launch a surprise attack on Prussia in the south and use political pressure and military force to complete the unification of Germany.

At this time, Prussia was focused on dealing with the Kingdom of the Rhine, hoping to take it over by stationing troops there. Suddenly, news came that Bavaria was amassing a large army in the south, including officers and soldiers from the Austro-Hungarian Empire. This greatly alarmed Prussia, as they were terrified if Bavaria were to launch another surprise attack.

Therefore, the troops stationed in the Kingdom of Rhine were quickly recalled. After a period of maneuvering, the idea of ​​unification by force came to nothing. This shows that as long as the strength of any of the three kingdoms of the empire is significantly weakened, the remaining two candidates will act quickly.

The Rhine Kingdom was severely weakened by the war, which gave Prussia and Bavaria the idea to take advantage of the opportunity to unify the German region. After the war, no one wanted to continue fighting. As long as one side had enough momentum and could press on, victory would be certain.

However, this time both sides clearly had many concerns. They started fighting before the cake was even divided, which was obviously a very wrong choice. It would be better for everyone to sit down at the table and have a good talk. Thus, negotiations for reunification began, which gradually led to the current national situation. However, due to Bavaria's interference, relations between Austria-Hungary and Germany have not been good since the war.

The political landscape has changed. After so many unification talks without results, a military unification seems more efficient. Bavaria is also taking active steps. Thorne's biggest worry now is that Bavaria will bring Austria-Hungary into the picture. Germany also has a lot of problems at home, and if Austria-Hungary gets involved, it will be very difficult for Germany to deal with them.

Although the Austro-Hungarian Empire was far weaker than Germany, lacking a dominant ethnic group, having a complex military composition, and several official languages, the size of post-civil war Germany was certainly no match for such a unified nation. Thorne was now confident that France would not interfere, but he was still unsure about Bavaria's attitude.

If this king were to act rashly and adopt a "if I'm not doing well, no one else will either" mentality, the entire plan would be disrupted. With Austria-Hungary interfering, even if the war is won, the subsequent reconstruction will be extremely difficult. Therefore, we need to find a way to divert Austria-Hungary's attention and prevent them from interfering when the German Civil War begins.

This was also a major reason why Thorne summoned Paulus. He was in North Africa, on the front lines of the war between France and the Ottomans, and he needed to understand the current situation of the war in North Africa. If he wanted to distract Austria-Hungary, he naturally had to start from their backyard. Thorne wanted to know how the Ottomans were doing, and he wanted to find a way to reignite the fire in the Balkans.

News of Kemal's assassination attempt had spread. The Ottoman government claimed that Kemal was unharmed, but the fact that the Ottoman leader had not been seen in public for a long time had aroused speculation. The Ottoman government also did not provide specific information about the attack. All of this could only mean that Kemal's condition was very bad.

Most importantly, the Ottoman Empire was still at war, and North France was still fighting the Ottomans. If something happened to Kemal, it would have a great impact on the front lines. And indeed, this was the case. The troops commanded by de Gaulle had repeatedly defeated the Ottoman army on the main battlefield and had become the new French war hero.

"Your Highness, the war in North Africa is still far from over. Although de Gaulle's army has won many victories, they are still fighting with great restraint. This is probably due to the depletion of resources, and also because France's current national strength does not allow them to further expand the scale of the war."

"However, even with restrained fighting, the Ottoman army has clearly lost its previous edge. The situation in Tripoli is still unknown, but according to the Senussi Order's caravan, the Ottomans are supplying North Africa less and less, and there is a high probability that the Ottomans will abandon North Africa."

The Ottomans' decision to abandon North Africa was definitely not good news for Thorne, because once they abandoned North Africa, the French army would quickly reach the border of Cyrenaica, and dealing with a country that had lost its backing would be a piece of cake.

The Rhine Kingdom's oil reserves largely come from here. If this gets out, the problem will be serious, putting them in a dilemma. If they want to divert Austria-Hungary's attention, the Ottoman Empire is a very good choice, as they can easily stir up trouble in the Balkans. However, things are not so easy with France.

Approximately how many people are currently in Cyrenaica?

Around 20,000.

"Paulus, when you return this time, you must put great effort into training the Cyrenaica native troops. Make sure they are proficient in using all kinds of weapons and arm them into a sizable force. If Tripoli falls, let the Cyrenaica take over."

We can only rely on these forces in Africa: the indigenous army plus a force of 20,000 men. Once the Ottomans withdraw from North Africa, Cyrenaica will take over. They might have some difficulty dealing with France, and we'll need to cause them some trouble. Morocco, as an African country that has joined the Imperial Pact, is very suitable for this task.

The Balkans have been quite turbulent lately. If a mini-Balkan war could be triggered, it would definitely attract the attention of Austria-Hungary. We should also think of ways to get Morocco to keep France in check. Before the civil war, the international environment must be favorable to us.

362. National Ethnic Party

Germany's political scene has always been dominated by power politics, and there are very few emperors left in continental Europe.

Germany can be described as the most reactionary bastion. Such a country needs a strong political leader to keep it in check. Without such a figure, the country's development is prone to various problems.

The current situation is similar; the lack of a strong political leader allows society to reflect various problems quite well.

Previously, Tirpitz had effectively managed the party alliance he had organized, but Vestap, who had expanded the conservative forces, no longer had the ability to do so, and various factions within the conservative alliance began to act to gain their own power.

Germans can clearly feel that their society has become more free, which is directly reflected in political freedom. Various editorials are also spreading among the public, and political parties of all sizes are more active than ever before.

The streets and alleys are plastered with all sorts of posters, all political propaganda from these parties. They distribute leaflets everywhere, instilling their ideologies into the public. Among them, the National National Party is the fastest growing.

After the merger of the National Socialist Party and the National Workers' Party, the newly formed National National Party grew significantly stronger. The party's leader was still Hess, as the National Socialist Party had a larger base compared to the National Workers' Party.

They have now firmly established themselves in Berlin, but they are still showing considerable restraint. The time is not yet ripe, so they cannot act recklessly. Of course, Hess also has his own ideas.

"Party leader, news has arrived from East Prussia."

A member of the National Socialist Party came to Hess with a document. Although the National Socialist Party and the National Workers' Party had merged, many important positions within the party were still held by members of the National Socialist Party, after all, they had many secrets that could not be told.

"East Prussia wants us to act quickly; the documents mean we should start the plan as soon as possible."

"Start the plan sooner?"

After listening, Hess put down his pen. "Start the plan as soon as possible? It seems those people in East Prussia are already impatient and want to jump out now."

"It's too early now. Our organization isn't really rooted in Berlin yet. Besides, it's difficult for our party to spread out in Berlin in the current situation. Our influence is only around Berlin, and at most it extends to Brandenburg. It would be very difficult to expand any further."

"Furthermore, it's not that we don't want to take action, but what about the Kingdom of the Rhine and Bavaria? Do the old men of East Prussia still want to fight them again? Our current actions still face many difficulties. Don't forget our actions in the Kingdom of the Rhine; we have already been uprooted there."

Hess's words were not without reason. Although the National Party is developing very rapidly, it still cannot support a major operation. It cannot even organize the operation in the Kingdom of Rhine back then.