German Red Prince

Page 188

Seeing François's puzzled expression, Thérmann stepped forward. There was no need to hide anything now; speaking frankly would be better for everyone. Thérmann explained to François the events surrounding the German Revolution and told him that the prince had actually been a communist long before.

It is not uncommon for nobles to join revolutions. During the Russian Revolution, there were many nobles among the Bolsheviks. However, it is hard to believe that a prince of a kingdom could participate in a revolution. It is difficult to imagine how much enlightenment it would take for him to give up the power that was within his grasp and devote himself to a revolution with an uncertain future.

"Hello, Comrade Thorne."

François grasped Sauron's hand, unable to believe that he was actually the driving force behind this revolution.

"Comrade François, we already know about the volunteers. The revolutionary government welcomes all friends who are willing to help. Long live the world revolution."

The two sides exchanged views, and François understood the attitude expressed by the other side. The provisional government welcomed the French volunteers and was quite looking forward to restoring relations with France in the future. What excited François even more was that the revolutionary government discussed the Alsace-Lorraine issue, indicating that after the success of the German revolution, it would renegotiate the issue with France.

This place is a hot potato for both Germany and Rheinland. The management costs are too high, so it would be better to return it. Rheinland spends a lot of military funds here every year, so returning it would be a good deed.

"I wish you success in your revolution. The French volunteers are ready and can come to help our German comrades at any time."

"Thank you. Let us wish for the enduring friendship between Germany and France." Thorne smiled. "By the way, Comrade François, it just so happens that our heroic commanders from the front are returning today. How about we celebrate together?"

Saône invited François to the officer promotion ceremony, hoping to show him the spirit of the National People's Army and allow the French Commune to have a more objective evaluation of the revolutionary government.

417. Reconciliation Signal

Guderian was somewhat displeased that he hadn't fought any major battles recently. Although Hess on the other side was good at politics, he was really bad at fighting. Guderian was a former Prussian officer, so he was very familiar with what the Prussian army was like.

But even he hadn't expected that the Prussian army had fallen to such a low level. Political interference might have a negative impact on the army's development, but the Prussian army's current combat effectiveness was certainly inseparable from its stagnant and conservative post-war mentality.

Having been away from Berlin for several years, the Rhineland had developed too rapidly, and Prussia could no longer keep up with its pace. However, Hess had stepped down in the recent coup, and Prussia was now in the hands of the old Marshal Ludendorff. This roused Guderian's spirits. After all, he was a veteran general, and Guderian was very well prepared. However, the other side did not make any major moves.

The old marshal's defenses were meticulously planned and extremely secure, leaving Guderian unable to find any weaknesses for the time being, and the front lines remained in a stalemate.

As officers from Prussia to the Rhine, Guderian and Model were not exactly "one of their own." Thorne's decision to let them lead troops, and to dispatch them to the front lines immediately after the start of the war, demonstrated his trust in the two men and conveyed a message to the officers in the Rhine.

Both men were previously officers in Prussia, so they had a good relationship after arriving in the Rhine. In this operation against Prussia, they were both responsible for the northern front and cooperated a lot on the battlefield.

They didn't care about the political objectives of the war, which was a tradition of the German army. Soldiers didn't get involved in politics; they just did their jobs. Although they were officers in Prussia before, they were officers in the Rhineland. They showed no mercy on the battlefield, and their encirclement and infiltration tactics drove the Prussian soldiers on the front lines to despair.

However, the two men differ in that Guderian places great importance on military traditions and has never expressed his political stance. He served as an officer in the Kingdom of the Rhine and became an officer in the Republic after its transition. Model, on the other hand, has a keen political sense and joined the Socialist Labor Party long ago.

Although his move made some people in the army uncomfortable, it must be admitted that it did provide a lot of help to Model's path to promotion. Whether the party commands the gun or the gun commands the party, or whether they are separate entities, is a problem that the future republic will also have to solve.

The military cannot maintain its so-called pure neutrality forever. In fact, the military has always had its own stance. The future republic will definitely be one where the party commands the gun. Now that Model has joined the Socialist Labor Party ahead of schedule, although it is not the Communist Party of Germany, this attitude speaks for itself. Model is very likely to be among the first marshals of the republic.

Model and Guderian had a lot in common because they were also leading their students. Dudmann and Hannah were also performing very well on the front lines. Hannah's armored tank company performed exceptionally well in the offensives of Friedland and Rothsdorf, and also had a remarkable performance in the Battle of Göttingen.

Although Dudman didn't fight any major battles under Model's guidance, he did a very good job of cleaning up the rear. His troops were the first to cross the Weser River, and their defensive battle was outstanding. Model was very proud of having trained such a student.

"Heinz, which direction do you think the old marshal will attack from next?"

They still habitually referred to Ludendorff as the old marshal. As one of Prussia's top generals during the war, Ludendorff was indeed much more difficult to deal with than Hess.

"Attack? I don't think Prussia will attack. With the Rhine's momentum so strong right now, Marshal Ludendorff's first priority will definitely be to avoid the brunt of the attack and organize a defense. Especially since we have already taken Bavaria, which means we can free up more troops to deal with Prussia, they will be even less likely to launch an attack."

"I don't think Prussia will launch an attack on us first. On the contrary, they should be waiting for us to launch an attack. Although the old marshal has not commanded an army for more than ten years, who knows what he is thinking in his manor in East Prussia? Ludendorff is not like that brainless fool Hess, who would like to send out all his troops for a full-scale attack."

"Back then, the old marshal was the overall commander of the Eastern Front and was quite familiar with total war. He knew how to fight a total war. Rhein's fists have already landed several blows on Prussia's face. Ludendorff will definitely not be foolish enough to rush back. What he should do now is to block and block Rhein's fists, and then consider the next step of the battle plan."

Guderian had his own insights into the future course of the war. He did not believe that Prussia would take the initiative to attack, as evidenced by his several probing attacks, which showed that Prussia's defense was very tight.

"You're right, Heinz."

Model picked up his glass and swirled it. Although they had conquered Bavaria, they absolutely could not let their guard down. Their enemy was not just Prussia, but the whole of Eastern Europe.

"The old marshal's influence in Eastern Europe is beyond our imagination, Heinz. Do you know that our troops captured Eastern Europeans on the front lines not long ago? This shows that the old marshal had been waiting for this war for a long time, and the Eastern European troops have already entered the fray."

Model was the first of all the units to engage the Eastern European legions. Although their combat effectiveness was not great, it was still worth being wary of. They were not Germans and would not have any scruples in the fight. Moreover, it was still unclear how many Eastern Europeans had come.

Just as the group was discussing the matter, Thorne and Thaler's men walked in from outside, and to everyone's surprise, there was also a French officer among them.

"Heroes of the Republic, thank you for your sacrifices on the front lines. Let us raise a toast to the revolution."

Long live the Republic!

"Our ultimate goal is to liberate the oppressed German people and the whole of Germany. Now we have successfully liberated Bavaria and are one step closer to success. Thank you for your efforts."

The scene immediately became lively as the promotion ceremony began. This time, the Republic's first batch of major generals were being promoted, and of course, these were all familiar faces.

Rommel performed exceptionally well in this campaign, leading the liberation of Bavaria and being awarded the rank of Major General, nearly ten years earlier than previously thought. His son was also almost a year old, and he was granted leave upon his return to reunite with his family for a while.

Although Kesselring's paratroopers did not perform particularly well throughout the campaign, they did not suffer significant casualties in their first mission, and their ground combat performance in subsequent operations was also quite outstanding, earning him the rank of major general.

Following closely behind were Guderian, Model, and others, all of whom were awarded the rank of Major General. This promotion can be seen as a transition, with the older generation of officers from the Kingdom of the Rhine stepping down to the second line and a new generation of officers from the Republic growing up.

In addition to these, groups or individuals who made outstanding contributions during the war were also commended. Although some of them are on the front lines and cannot return at present, the medals have already been awarded, and a series of follow-up measures will be arranged.

Ropol and his men were just in time for the reorganization and were invited to participate in the awarding of medals. They were awarded the Republic Defense Medal for their outstanding performance in the Battle of Dransfield. Thorne recognized Haigar, whose brother had died on the Chinese battlefield. He didn't expect that Haigar had also participated in the battle. This made Thorne think of the group of Germans fighting in foreign lands. He was determined to bring them home when the revolution was victorious.

"Your brother is a hero, and so are you."

Thorne grasped Hyjal's hand. With such a man in the fight, how could they possibly fail?

After the medal-awarding ceremony, Thorne introduced the officer from the French Commune to everyone. Although they were enemies in the past, things are different now. They all have the same enemy and the same goal for the future. The relationship between the two countries should be thawed.

François promised to send two volunteer divisions, totaling about 10,000 men, to participate in the German people's struggle against the monarchy. This was a moderate number, neither too many nor too few, and the number was within a range acceptable to both sides, thus demonstrating France's sincerity to the revolutionary government.

Thorne and his men certainly wouldn't let this opportunity pass them by. As François announced the news to the public, the revolutionary government immediately responded by reducing its troops on the Franco-German border, signaling its willingness to convey goodwill to France.

French volunteers boarded the train, never imagining they would step onto German soil in this capacity.

418. Without any bottom line

Lucas didn't know how long he had traveled by train, all the way from Eastern Europe to help the Germans fight the Germans; it felt like a dream to him.

The world's most powerful empire suddenly and inexplicably started a civil war, which has been going on for so long. Unexpectedly, even those who were just watching the show couldn't escape it and were all dragged to Germany by their officers.

During the war, they were Germany's enemies, fighting alongside Russia against Germany and experiencing firsthand Germany's fighting prowess. On the Eastern Front, Ludendorff commanded the forces that virtually annihilated Tsarist Russia. Now, Ludendorff is still in command, but this time it's them who are fighting against the Germans. One can't help but marvel at how amazing the world truly is.

Even after so much time has passed, the shadow cast by the Germans still lingers. However, there is still some psychological comfort: on the Eastern Front, the Prussians were mainly responsible, while on the Western Front, the Rhinelanders and Bavarians were responsible. It was also the Prussian army that fought against these Eastern European countries.

The formidable fighting power of the Prussian army had greatly impressed these men. Now that they were standing with him, Lucas naturally believed that Prussia was the strongest force in Germany because Wilhelm II was the Emperor of Germany, and that they were likely just logistical support troops.

Ludendorff was well aware of the fighting capabilities of the Eastern European army; they were only fit to be a vassal army. If they were sent to the front lines, they would probably flee after two rounds. Like many soldiers from Eastern European countries, Lucas was not very clear about the situation at the front. They had not paid much attention to the German civil war before they came.

I heard that the Kingdom of the Rhine successfully occupied Bavaria not long ago, which allowed them to transfer a large number of troops from the Bavarian battlefield to the front lines. Prussia originally planned to launch several offensives, but seeing the situation in Bavaria, they immediately withdrew.

Fortunately, Lucas was not transferred to the front. He had already heard that some troops had been captured by the Rhine. Ludendorff had a long reach in Eastern Europe. These Eastern European allied forces included Poles, Baltic peoples, Belarusians, and Ukrainians, but mainly people from the three Baltic states.

With no major battles, these soldiers from Eastern Europe stayed in the rear. Their presence made things much easier for the Prussian troops. They took over most of the usual tasks. Although Lucas and his men didn't go to the front lines, they did a lot of odd jobs, such as reinforcing the defenses and loading and unloading ammunition. They even had to bow and scrape to the German officers, and most importantly, these guys didn't give them a friendly look.

They couldn't beat the Rhine people, so they took out their anger on them. They had nowhere to reason with them because they were vassal states. Weak countries have no diplomacy, and these small countries were born to work for others.

It was bad enough that he had to work for others, but the food was also bad. Lucas was fed up with the same monotonous meals every day. He knew what he would eat as soon as he opened the pot.

Lucas looked at the pot of potato, bean, and radish stew, and he felt like throwing up just looking at it. They had come all this way, and this was what the Germans were feeding them?

"Damn it, Yu is eating this stuff again."

People around couldn't help but complain; no one could stand eating this every day.

"When we were unloading today, I saw a lot of canned goods and supplies being delivered. I thought these Germans were so kind as to share some with us. But what we got was just a pot of this stuff. I ate so much that I turned yellow."

With so many more people suddenly appearing on the front lines, the supply of materials became strained instantly. Prussia's current war relies entirely on supplies from Eastern Europe, with food being transported from there. The supply lines are very long, and these Eastern Europeans haven't had meat for a long time. However, perhaps there's no need to worry too much. Once the front lines reach Berlin, the supply lines will be shortened, and they will probably be able to eat meat again.

Every day, Lucas would eat black bread dipped in potato soup. He would prop his head up with one hand and stir the soup in his lunchbox with the other. The conditions here were even harsher than when they were in Eastern Europe, but at least they didn't have to eat such tasteless food every day.

“They’re calling us to fight, but they won’t even give us a bite of meat. They expect us to fight for them. Why should we fight for the Germans and shed our blood for them? Just for this bowl of potato soup?”

"Keep your voice down, eat your food. It's good that you have a bowl of potato soup. Who knows if there won't even be potato soup when the war starts? We're just cannon fodder. We fought for the Russians before, now we fight for the Germans, and who knows who we'll fight for in the future."

Some people have resigned themselves to their fate. This is probably the tragedy of small countries: they have little presence and are constantly being bossed around.

"We're unloading cargo for the Germans today, and wow, they've got a lot of stuff this time." Everyone whispered among themselves, thinking that the Germans were about to launch an attack.

"The Germans are really something. We probably don't have that many cannons in the whole country. Good heavens, I saw at least thirty of them being transported here. And that's just in our area. Who knows how many more there are in other places? All kinds of weapons and shells are being brought over by train. This is going to be a big war. I wonder if the Germans can share some good stuff with us. Otherwise, we'll really be cannon fodder on the battlefield. With cannons that big, just one shot can take us all down."

“What you’ve seen is nothing compared to what I’ve seen today.”

Bodel looked around. It was lunchtime, and there weren't many Germans around. He beckoned everyone closer and told them the secret he had seen.

"When I went to unload the goods today, the Germans were keeping a close eye on one shipment. A group of them followed us as we moved it, so I kept an eye on it to see what it was. And I actually saw it! Can you guess what it was?"

"Stop keeping us in suspense, just tell us already." Everyone was very dissatisfied with his behavior of only saying half of what he meant; how could he keep people in suspense like that?

"It's poison gas."

"what?!"

Shh! Keep your voice down, don't let the Germans hear us, or we're all doomed.

"Holy crap, are these Germans really that ruthless? Using poison gas on their own people?"

After hearing Bodel's words, everyone began to discuss quietly. If it was poison gas, then the Germans were too ruthless! These were their own people, how could they use poison gas? Did the Prussians have no bottom line when it came to fighting?

"I was just making things up. I made no promises. Just pretend you didn't hear anything. Everyone has put on their gas masks. This is all I can do for you."

Bodel then issued a disclaimer, saying that he was just talking nonsense, and that everyone had completely lost their appetite. Poison gas was too terrifying. What if Prussia released poison gas and the other side got angry and released it too? They had to check their gas masks carefully so they wouldn't die in a daze.

To win this war, Ludendorff was indeed ruthless. Since the Rhine had declared itself a republic, they were no longer on his side, and this had become a war between two countries. Using poison gas seemed to make sense. Ludendorff gathered a portion of his troops at the front, but did not rush to attack. He was waiting for an opportunity.

With Rhine focusing all its efforts on the east, its rear must be vulnerable. Flanders-Valona is also a member of the Imperial Pact, and they are eager to reclaim the Luxembourg region.

Ludendorff has already made contact with them and is planning a surprise attack on the Rhine from behind. Ludendorff's abilities are far superior to Hess's. As soon as Flanders launches an attack, Prussian reinforcements can immediately enter the fray to provide support, aiming to launch a pincer attack and take down the Rhine in one fell swoop.

419. Adalbert's Choice

If there were no real vested interests involved, people would be quite happy to watch this civil war in Germany. Only when the old order collapses can a new order emerge. If the German order collapses, this vacuum period can become the stage for powerful countries to take over.

This war has disrupted the situation in Central and Eastern Europe, and even Southern Europe has been affected to some extent. Some countries in the Balkans are showing signs of restlessness.

It's unclear how long the Austro-Hungarian emperor can maintain this policy. The enormous economic problems have revived populism and various right-wing ideologies, and the Austro-Hungarian Aryan Party is seizing this opportunity. Something is bound to happen in Southern Europe in the future.

During the German Civil War, Flanders-Wallon, sandwiched between Western and Central Europe, was in a very awkward position. This location has always been a strategic point of contention for military strategists. At the beginning of the civil war, Adalbert I was very alarmed because their location was too important. Germany could pass through here to attack France, and France could naturally pass through here to attack Germany.

In short, no matter who it is, Flanders Wallonia could become a battlefield. Although Flanders Wallonia has a very healthy industrial system in Europe, the domestic situation is still very bad due to the impact of the economic crisis. Flanders are pro-Dutch, and Walloons are inclined to the Commune France. This German king is not welcomed by either side, unless he can take back the Luxembourg region that was annexed by Germany.

Many Belgians wanted to welcome back the old king, and many demonstrations broke out in the country, but they were all suppressed. However, it was very clear that Adalbert was indeed unpopular in Flanders. Even though he wanted to be an accomplished monarch, his political dependence on Germany sealed his fate.

When Hess launched his attack on the Kingdom of the Rhine, Adalbert had hoped to discuss the Luxembourg region with the Rhine. Although the two countries had previously negotiated and defined the region as a "special zone," making some progress on this issue, it was clearly insufficient and had not yet met the conditions for acceptance by Flanders Wallonia.

Adalbert had no fondness for Hess. There was a natural barrier between nobles and commoners. Even though Hess held a high position of power at the time, Adalbert particularly disliked him because Hess had done something to the Kaiser. He once thought that Wilhelm II had been ruined by Hess and would continue to exercise dictatorial rule, just like Ludendorff had done.

The events in Germany were dizzying. Just when everyone thought Hess was safe, Field Marshal Mackensen suddenly stepped forward to oppose Hess's dictatorship. Before he could finish, Ludendorff returned, and several governments were replaced in a short time, leaving Adalbert completely bewildered.

In the early days of Hess's reign, Prussia held the advantage over the Rhineland. At that time, Adalbert was thinking of forcibly taking back the Luxembourg region. His political goal was not the entire Rhineland, but only the Luxembourg region. The Kingdom of the Rhineland certainly did not want to be attacked from both sides, so he sent more troops to forcibly take it back and everyone would be fine.

Just as Adalbert was making preparations, he really wanted to launch a military campaign. At the same time, Bavaria also wanted to discuss border territorial issues with the Rhine. As a result, Bavaria was beaten down by the Rhine and eventually surrendered. This frightened Adalbert greatly. There was an uprising in Munich, and he was right next to the commune. He couldn't withstand such an uprising.

Adalbert hadn't expected the Rhine to be able to fight two opponents at once, and to capture Munich in such a short time. Flanders Wallonia was still smaller than Bavaria, and the army that had just been mobilized was immediately disbanded. Adalbert then went back to a wait-and-see attitude.

Prussia is currently in a standoff with the Rhine, and the arrival of the Prussian envoy has completely extinguished Adalbert's desire to watch the spectacle; now it is time to make a choice.

Berlin sent a special envoy with a letter from Wilhelm II. The letter was brief: unite with Prussia to attack the Rhine. Prussia had withdrawn a large number of troops to the front lines, and the Rhine would also withdraw many troops to confront Prussia, leaving their rear vulnerable. Flanders should launch an attack now, and Prussian troops could immediately reinforce them.

Attacking the Rhine's rear, the Ruhr industrial base is very close to Flanders. Once they attack, they will have to go back to defend. The Rhine front line, which is in a hurry to return to defend, will inevitably have a weakness. With this combination of attacks, the Rhine will collapse on all fronts.

Ludendorff sketched out this very promising strategic picture to Adalbert, as if to say that everything would be fine as long as Flanders launched an attack.

"I cannot guarantee that the army of Flanders can defeat the Rhine, nor can I guarantee that the French will launch an attack while we are attacking."

When the special envoy arrived, Adalbert expressed his concerns. He didn't really trust Ludendorff, the dictator, whose reputation was not good at all.

“Your Highness, the Prussian army will provide you with ample assistance. We will supply Flanders with soldiers and ammunition, and Marshal Ludendorff has already drawn a large number of troops from Eastern Europe. There is no need to worry about our offensive failing. His Majesty Wilhelm II also attaches great importance to this operation.”

Now that Wilhelm II has been mentioned, Adalbert is somewhat hesitant. Attacking the Rhineland at this time is indeed a very good opportunity. Bavaria has just been occupied, and the political situation there is not very stable. The Rhineland will definitely have to devote a lot of energy to taking care of it.

The Rhine must have also noticed the Prussian soldiers sent to the front lines in Eastern Europe. Ludendorff directly and indirectly controlled nearly 100,000 armed men in Eastern Europe, which put considerable pressure on him.

"We first need Prussia to provide us with enough weapons. We are severely lacking in heavy weapons. Flanders Wallonia needs more artillery and armored vehicles."

"Of course, Marshal Ludendorff has already made preparations. The munitions have been loaded onto ships and will arrive in Flanders Wallonia soon."

"Okay, I will seriously consider this matter."

Adalbert hadn't expected Ludendorff to be so agreeable, with weapons already loaded onto the ships. It seemed Ludendorff was determined to bring him into the fray and fight alongside him. In fact, Adalbert had to join the fray as well. Prussia held the advantage, and as a Prussian nobleman, he should stand with them. The Rhine held the advantage, as they were now a republic, and if they unified Germany, their own lives would be far from easy. Adalbert also had to join the fray.

"Robert, regarding the joint border patrol, keep an eye on things. We can't let Rhine discover our current movements. We'll draw troops from Flanders first."

After the envoy left, Adalbert began issuing orders to reorganize the troops and take over the Luxembourg region.

Feudal monarchy and republic are inherently opposed. Now that the Rhine has become a republic, no matter how good their relationship is, they must turn against each other on this continent. This is a struggle between two ideologies, a life-or-death struggle.

420. International Brigades