German Red Prince

Page 204

"Man-eating monsters set out from Hanover," "An unspeakable, cruel army approached Brunswick," "Despicable traitors occupied Magdeburg," "Heinz Wilhelm Guderian entered Brandenburg," "General Guderian approached Berlin"...

"This was produced by our newspaper."

Hearing the Gestapo's questions, Charlie nodded shakily. He was probably done for this time. No wonder they came to tell him to come to work; they were here to take his life.

"very good."

After receiving a positive reply, the Gestapo officers nodded in satisfaction. It seemed they had come to the right place. Charlie felt very aggrieved. Before the Rhine Revolutionary Army arrived, there were countless newspapers reporting similar stories. Why did they come to him?

Charlie was unaware that these newspapers published by their agency had Thorne so engrossed in reading them that he had ordered that the newspaper be located after the liberation of Berlin, because he had come up with a very interesting plan.

“Mr. Charlie, please relax. We are not here to cause you trouble. We just hope that your newspaper can get back to normal today. We need you to publish a brand new newspaper.”

"A brand new newspaper?"

Charlie was dumbfounded when he heard this. They weren't here to cause trouble, but they wanted them to send out another new newspaper?

"Yes, sir. Can it be completed today?"

"Yes, yes, yes, definitely." Charlie nodded repeatedly, he had to agree quickly, even if he couldn't, he had to do his best to get it done.

"What kind of newspaper are you requesting, sirs? What should the front page be?"

"Find this one to send."

The officer took out a piece of paper; the content for the front page was already prepared, and all they had to do was publish it. Charlie took the paper and quickly went into the newspaper office to get busy and rush to finish the newspaper.

Guderian's troops were the first to storm into Berlin, and having them organize the liberation of Berlin was tantamount to handing them the credit. Guderian was naturally very grateful, so after entering the city, he strictly disciplined his troops to ensure that no accidents occurred.

Adolf is now the head of Berlin appointed by the revolutionary government, and Guderian mainly assists him in maintaining order throughout Berlin. Guderian is, of course, very familiar with Berlin, but this time he has broken in. Looking at the Brandenburg Gate, he still feels a bit emotional. He never thought he would return here in this capacity.

"General Guderian, please come here."

A reporter with a camera asked Guderian to come over and take a picture. The reporter was also very puzzled because the order came from the headquarters of the revolutionary government and was to take this picture.

The reporter led Guderian to the newspaper office. As the entire newspaper rushed to finish printing, the newspaper was printed, and Charlie handed the first copy to the Gestapo officers.

"General, please stand at the entrance of this newspaper office with this newspaper in your hand."

The freshly printed newspaper was still warm when the photographer held up his camera and had Guderian stand by the gate holding the newspaper.

On the newspaper rack to the side were the same few newspapers from before. Watching a group of people busy at work, Guderian was completely bewildered. Why did they specifically pull him over to take a picture?

The camera flash went off, and the reporter breathed a sigh of relief, finally having completed his task.

"Alright, General, thank you."

Only then did Guderian pick up the newspaper and read it carefully, and the headline on the front page was none other than himself.

"Our troops have arrived! General Lightning has liberated Berlin! Long live the revolution!"

This photo makes up for Thorne's regret; it's the German version of the Napoleon legend.

The newspaper office was preserved in this location during the subsequent development of Berlin.

The East German government also erected a bronze statue of Guderian holding a victory newspaper, which has since become a "lasting" tourist attraction.

461. Rising from the Ruins

Thanks to the Gestapo's tireless efforts day and night, and the help of the Berlin garrison, the German capital was almost completely tidied up. Adolf hadn't slept for days, rushing to get Berlin ready before Thälmann and his men arrived. Next came the crucial founding of the nation, and things couldn't go wrong.

The troops stationed in Berlin were on rotation, so it was mainly Heydrich who was busy. Thanks to Adolf's control over Berlin, Heydrich could learn a lot of things in advance and just go and arrest people.

The moles Ludendorff planted were pulled out before they could even take effect. Many of those who had contacted Adolf in advance to save their lives had already told him most of the situation. There were also intelligence ministers who had been turned. A large group of people had been discovered from the very beginning when they started their disguise, and now they were waiting to be caught.

This time it was Haigar's turn to rest. Berlin is indeed a big place, making him, who came from Frankfurt, feel like a "country bumpkin," let alone the others.

The Berlin Zoo has been completely preserved and is now open to the public. Many citizens come to visit, and there are also many soldiers in uniform. Haigar even saw the soldier who stood in front of the park in a daze when Berlin was liberated. Now that Berlin is liberated, he can finally visit it up close.

"Hello friend, could you take a picture for us?"

Haigar overheard someone speaking broken German nearby. Arahan and his companions had been "checking in" at Berlin these past few days, visiting all the famous landmarks: the Brandenburg Gate, Wilhelmplatz, the Reichstag Building, the Imperial Conference Center, and Unter den Linden. They wanted to take photos at all these places, otherwise their trip would have been in vain.

"Hey! Comrade Haigar, let's take a picture together!"

Upon seeing Haigar approach, Arahan quickly gestured for him to wait, then beckoned for Haigar to join him for a photo, which they took at the entrance of the Berlin Zoo.

"Berlin is a great place, and we can come here more often in the future."

"Of course, the revolutionary government welcomes our socialist brothers. From now on, we are comrades. The conflict between Germany and France ended the moment the imperial government collapsed. German imperialism was not only overthrown by us, but also by fighters like you from all over the world."

The first thing East Germany will do in its diplomacy will definitely be to ease relations with France. Franco-German reconciliation is the first step towards peace in Europe. If these two continental powers reconcile, a single red flag will truly sweep across the world in the future.

"The Central Committee will soon be moving to Berlin. I really look forward to our future friendship."

"Welcome to Paris, it's a very nice place."

The liberation of Berlin coincided perfectly with Maurice's efforts to sway public opinion within the Commune. The timing was impeccable; several major newspapers of the French Commune were reporting the news extensively. The change of ownership of Berlin was already big news, but the even bigger news was that the French Commune's friends would be the next masters of Berlin—truly fantastic news.

The Comintern congratulated the Communist Party of Germany, and the French Commune, which had previously offered no comment on the Rhine Revolutionary Government, also congratulated them. This can be seen as a warm-up before the establishment of diplomatic relations. This series of diplomatic actions was all meant to show all French people that the future German government would be their friend and comrade-in-arms standing in the same trench.

There were even celebratory parades in the streets of Paris, where exiles from Germany held celebrations for the liberation of Germany and the impending formation of a new government. Bukharin seemed even more excited about the liberation of Germany than about the liberation of Russia. One domino had fallen, and it was their turn next. Russian exiles would soon hold their own celebratory parades as well.

Most of the soldiers who fought their way through came from the Rhineland, but their commanders came from Prussia. And it wasn't just their commanders; many high-ranking members of the German Communist Party came from Berlin. Britzt had hung up a sign in the West End before the war, and only after the war did everyone realize how important that sign was.

The West District was the center of the German Communist Party's activities in the past, and it would be a great pity if it were destroyed. As a "historical site", it used to be visited by many people, and soldiers would take photos with it almost every day in front of the beer hall.

Hannah fought her way back to her hometown, where she recognized many of the people. It was the place where she had lived back then, with the sign that Blitzt had put up in front of the door. This place had become a popular photo spot for the 502nd Armored Battalion.

If it weren't for discipline, this group of people would have driven their tanks and lined up to take a group photo. The only group photo with a tank is now with Blitzt. Fortunately, he was well-prepared, and he is the only one in the entire armored battalion with a tank in the photo.

The situation in Berlin has stabilized, and the central government of the revolutionary government has moved here. Thälmann still finds it hard to believe that what follows is a completely new Germany.

"It feels like a dream. I never thought we would actually succeed."

According to Thälmann's vision, it would take at least ten years for the German Communist Party to succeed, by which time the international communist forces would have matured and Germany would have accumulated a certain amount of strength. After he met Thorne, this vision became a reality in just over two years.

"Comrade Thälmann, we must now look forward to a brand new era, an era that belongs to the people. The people of Germany are still waiting for us, and we cannot let them down."

"A brand new era has begun. German hegemony has only benefited a small group of people. We want to make German development benefit all people, so that everyone can truly realize that they can create even greater wealth by relying on their own hands, without relying on hegemony."

There are still some regions in Germany that have not been liberated, but the most important thing right now is to affirm the legitimacy of the German Democratic Republic. Thälmann has invited representatives from different socialist countries to participate in this founding parade, which will be a new beginning.

Having shaken hands with Adolf, and with everything ready, Thorne returned to Berlin in a completely new capacity. Goebbels and the representatives of the socialist countries discussed in detail the upcoming events in Germany, while Thälmann came to inform Adolf that he would broadcast the news of the establishment of the German Democratic Republic to the world.

"Comrade Adolf, now that the troops are ready, you may begin."

A group of people first arrived at the broadcast tower. Before the official parade, they had to give a briefing inside the broadcast tower, and then proceed to the Brandenburg Gate for the parade.

Holding the manuscript, Adolf was a little nervous, with so many cameras pointed at him. He took a deep breath and began to read out the news of the establishment of the new government, word by word.

"Fellow countrymen, comrades, the Central Government of the German Democratic Republic is established today! The people of Germany! Rise from the ruins!"

Rising from the ruins

462. The Victory of the World Revolution

Thälmann stood on the high platform, and only at this moment did he truly realize that the German revolution had succeeded and a brand new Germany was about to be born. Thinking of this, he couldn't help but feel his eyes redden. He would only know how incredible it was when this day became a reality.

"Dear German people, we used to regard each other as enemies, but now we will all live together. We are not perfect, but the ideals we believe in continue to inspire people all over the world. In the future, we may sometimes lose our way, but we will strive to correct our course. What we believe in, communism, is not just a vision of the future, but also about making a better tomorrow a reality."

"To overthrow the old order, we will build a free and equal Germany, bringing to the working people a social liberation program to break free from the shackles of capital, striving for the national liberation of the German working people, and breaking the shackles of oppression with the hammer of the dictatorship of the proletariat. Our Germany should become a truly great and happy country. People of Germany, you will see that our great motherland will truly rise from the ruins!"

"Sweep away the ruins, rebuild our homes, and spread our wings to face the future. For your noble cause, for a unified Germany, we will not let the old disasters return. For this, we are united. We will let everyone see the unprecedentedly brilliant sunshine, illuminating the sky of our motherland, illuminating the sky of our motherland..."

The melody of rising from the ruins resounded once more, and after Thorne sang it, the song undeniably became the national anthem of the future German Democratic Republic.

No song can capture the current situation and predicament of Germany. In any other country, this song could apply to any newly liberated nation. This is probably the international nature of communism.

By clearing away the ruins and rebuilding homes, socialist Germany will achieve even greater glory than imperialist Germany.

It is worth noting that Johannes Becher and Hans Eisler, the original lyricist and composer of "Rising from the Ruins," were both present. Coincidentally, these two had been in Berlin and had been recruited into secret party members by Adolf. When he saw them, Thorne, as the "plagiarist," naturally couldn't bear it and invited them to the viewing platform.

Berlin had rarely been this lively. Everyone was quite excited. The workers no longer had to hide. They could openly stand up and hold rallies, openly hold up portraits of Marx, Engels, and Lenin, and openly march in the streets waving red flags.

Youth League members in blue uniforms carried red flags as they passed the podium. Their will and hope for the future lay in a bright and prosperous country, an independent and democratic republic.

Compared to East Germany under Thorne, Germany here is indeed very fortunate, having established itself more than 20 years earlier and without much external constraint.

After conquering a country comes the task of maintaining it. After the fall of a country comes the task of rebuilding the German government. Having just ended the war, Germany had to recover as quickly as possible. The liberation of Berlin meant the instant collapse of the Reichstag Pact. Resources from Africa, food from Eastern Europe, and abundant goods from Asia would not be easily obtained in the future.

The new government must take proactive action. The people are living a good life because of them. If their lives are worse than those of the imperial government, then their trip will have been in vain, and they will be driven back by the people sooner or later.

The most important thing to do first is to handle your own affairs well. Only by uniting internal forces can you get things done. Apart from the Communist Party of Germany, the largest political party is actually the Socialist Labor Party. Even the long-established Social Democratic Party does not have the influence of the Socialist Labor Party.

This largest political party in the Rhineland still exists today, and Goebbels remains the chairman of the Socialist Labour Party.

Many members of the Socialist Labor Party are also members of the Communist Party of Germany. The first step is to integrate all forces, and the initial merger process can begin. The Socialist Labor Party and the Communist Party of Germany will merge and reorganize to form the future ruling party of the German Democratic Republic—the Socialist Unity Party of Germany.

All members of the Communist Party of Germany and some members of the Socialist Party of Labor will be merged into the Socialist Unity Party, with Thälmann serving as the General Secretary of the Socialist Unity Party. The Socialist Party of Labor will participate in political activities through the National Democratic Union, along with other left-wing patriotic parties in Germany.

Here, Goebbels continues to serve as chairman of the Socialist Labour Party, meaning that Goebbels will be responsible for most of the work of the National Democratic League, since the Socialist Labour Party is the largest of the many left-wing patriotic parties.

The establishment of the German Democratic Republic also meant that the provisional revolutionary government could be dissolved, and Germany was now beginning its transition to a socialist state.

Thorne no longer needs to be the "honorary president" and can temporarily step down to continue working in the State Council.

Wilhelm Piek served as Secretary of the Political Bureau of the Socialist Unity Party in the new republic. Goebbels' special status allowed him to lead the National Democratic Union as Chairman of the Socialist Labor Party and serve as Chancellor of East Germany as a member of the Socialist Unity Party.

The current government system is still kept simple, and will be gradually enriched in the future. It would be a waste not to let Adolf use his identity for politics and propaganda. Now he is in charge of specific matters in politics, propaganda and diplomacy. In this sense, his and Goebbels' identities in this world have actually been reversed.

Regarding postwar reconstruction, the German National Construction Committee has been established. Thorne brought Speer all the way from Frankfurt to Berlin. Hopefully, this talented player can train Himmler and Ribbentrop well.

The SS leader who was ruthless and cruel has become a "sunny and cheerful young man" here. With his experience in managing chicken farms, he may make great achievements in the army's logistics department in the future.

A political conference can't be concluded in just a day or two. There are many left-wing parties in Germany, and there are many issues to discuss, such as the constitution of East Germany and the government's platform.

There was also external work to be done. The newly formed German government was surrounded by crises: the Austro-Hungarian Empire, the White Army in Eastern Europe, and threats from overseas. They needed to make contact with France as soon as possible and band together for mutual support.

Besides discussing these matters, there was one more thing Thorne would never forget. He kept it in mind: just hours after the establishment of East Germany, the East German government immediately issued a notice.

The East German government welcomes back those international fighters who were once expelled from the country by the imperial government because of the revolution. Their status will no longer be considered illegal in Germany. East Germany will welcome them with flowers and applause, welcoming these great internationalist fighters home.

The establishment of East Germany injected a powerful boost into the world socialist movement; the order of the Imperial Pact collapsed, and the iron chains of Germany were about to be broken.

In the far East, Chairman Mao, having received this news, knew the time had come and issued a notice to the entire National Revolutionary Army.

At that moment, he was standing beneath the walls of Nanjing, on the front lines of the Northern Expedition, gazing upon the vast Yangtze River.

The Nationalist government had been preparing for the Northern Expedition for so long, and was eager to take action, hoping to decide the fate of the nation in one battle.

"The National Revolutionary Army, Northern Expedition!"

The collapse of the German Empire forced the German fleet on the Yangtze River to hastily withdraw. They had an even more powerful enemy: Japan, which had long coveted Germany's rich colonies in Southeast Asia.

With the booming of cannons, ferries on the Yangtze River set sail, and Chairman Mao was determined to be the second person to unify the country from south to north.

The Zhongshan Mountains are shrouded in wind and rain, and a million soldiers are crossing the Yangtze River. However, this time they are crossing from south to north, and it has been a full twenty years ahead of schedule.

463. Provisional Constitution and Trials

"Two hundred and thirty votes in favor! Zero votes against! Zero abstentions! I hereby declare the Provisional Constitutional Outline of the German Democratic Republic officially adopted!"

As the committee member on the stage announced loudly, thunderous applause erupted in the room. After such a long period of solicitation and discussion, the bill had finally been passed.

The constitution stipulated that the newly formed German Democratic Republic was a worker-peasant socialist state, led by the worker-peasant alliance and a Marxist party, and composed of working people in both urban and rural areas.

Although Adolf and Thälmann announced the establishment of the German Democratic Republic, the republic was not yet complete and not entirely socialist in nature. The entire country still needed to transition before entering the socialist system.

This is the transition period for the country, from a democratic republic to a socialist state. Various sectors are being reformed and reorganized. Germany will be a socialist country from now on, so it certainly cannot continue to use the Constitution of the German Empire, nor can it use the laws and regulations of the Kingdom of the Rhine.

After dealing with the various political parties within the government, a provisional constitution was drafted to be applicable during the transition period and to prepare for the subsequent Constitution of the German Democratic Republic. The future constitution would be based on socialism and Marxism-Leninism as its core and guiding ideology, and would completely break away from the old laws and systems.

Drafting such a constitution might be quite difficult. If we're talking about socialist laws, then we can only refer to the French Commune. In order to preserve some of the characteristics of Germany as much as possible, and to absorb the advantages of various parties, we can only ask another world for help. Thorne brought out the Weimar Constitution, the early constitution of East Germany, and its subsequent amendments.

Looking at the legal framework of Germany in another world might offer some inspiration. To be honest, I had never seen this political system in France before – the socialist French Commune, where the ruling party even changed hands.

The French Commune contained many socialist parties, and these parties were not very powerful on their own. They often had to form alliances to participate in elections and govern. The only party that did not need to form alliances was probably the Labour Party.

The Labour Party was the organizer of the entire revolution. The French Revolution after the war was organized by the Labour Party. However, after the revolution succeeded, for some reason, the party did not continue to grow in prestige due to the revolution. Instead, its influence continued to decline.

Even with its declining influence, the party operated smoothly for ten years. Thorne was simply surprised that France's political model, where socialist parties took turns in power, was something he had never seen before. Even among the socialist countries in the world, only France had this system.

Perhaps this is the democratic model that makes the French proud. Thorne will not comment on whether this model is reasonable. It works in France, but it is hard to say about other countries. Germany should stick to the safe path of having the Socialist Unity Party in power and other parties participating in politics.

The French Commune's method of leadership transition led to rapid shifts in government policy. Although the different parties were all proletarian in nature, they also had their own interests. A large part of the reason why the Labour Party was able to govern for ten years was that it strictly adhered to neutrality.

During the ten years of the French Commune, it did not interfere much in foreign affairs, but mainly focused on restoring the domestic economy and supporting the world revolution without direct intervention. Instead, it provided support through international brigade formations in the form of Comintern conferences. Now, the Workers' Party has stepped down, and the Solidarity Front has come to power.

The two parties within the Solidarity Front, the Jacobins and the Sorel faction, were both radicals. They can be simply understood as one being radical externally and the other radical internally. The Jacobins were absolute supporters of the world revolution, and supporting the world revolution was one of their party's principles. The Sorel faction, on the other hand, focused on the interests of the French Commune. While they also supported the world revolution, the Sorel faction was concerned with how much benefit France could gain in the process of the world revolution.