German Red Prince

Page 3

To Thorne's surprise, General Ludendorff and Field Marshal Hindenburg were also at the banquet, marking their first public appearance since the Eastern Aid scandal.

Wilhelm was in high spirits today, recalling that Ludendorff was in fact the de facto dictator of the German Empire between 1916 and 1923.

Together with Hindenburg, he almost turned the emperor into a mascot. Power was not returned to Wilhelm until his arrest and resignation following the outbreak of the aid scandal.

"Victory!" Wilhelm II said, raising his glass.

"Victory!" The group raised their glasses in celebration.

The palace was filled with a cheerful atmosphere.

Thorne was clearly not interested in the banquet and quietly moved to the back, hiding in the crowd.

"Hey Fred, why are you holding the cup like that? Don't embarrass us, okay?"

Dudman whispered instructions to Fred, who was standing nearby.

"You should be like me."

He held the wine glass between two fingers, tilted his head back like a swan, and drank the red wine. He then showed off to those around him, saying, "See? This is how nobles drink. Don't act like a country bumpkin."

"Pfft."

Thorne couldn't help but laugh and walked up to Dudman.

"There's no such thing as aristocratic drinking etiquette. You can hold the glass however you like. Look at His Majesty William, he's holding the glass with his hand too."

Dudman's face instantly turned red, and he scratched his head. The other two couldn't help but chuckle.

“I just saw the people next to me holding it like that,” Dudman explained in a low voice.

“Everyone has their own way of doing things, why bother copying them?” Thorne scoffed.

"Come, let me toast you all, to thank you for letting me meet you."

"Cheers." The group downed their drinks in one gulp.

"Thorne."

Hearing someone call his name, Thorne instinctively turned his head.

A tall, slender man stood before him, a tailor-made suit that made him appear even more distinguished. Gold-rimmed glasses perched on his nose, and a light mustache hung below, which, far from making him look older, actually enhanced his spirit.

"Father."

Thorne bowed slightly in greeting. The man before him was his adoptive father, Nicholas Rudolf Otto, one of the three giants of Germany.

"You guys did a great job!" Otto said with a smile, patting him on the shoulder.

"The three of you, I'd like to propose a toast."

Otto raised his glass to the three stunned men to thank them.

Thomas reacted quickly, bowing slightly and raising his glass in reply: "It's all thanks to Your Highness. Without Your Highness's command to break through, the three of us wouldn't have been able to escape."

"Yes, it's all thanks to Your Highness," the other two echoed.

“Don’t be modest, gentlemen.” A gentle female voice came from the side. “Thorne told me everything, thank you all.” After saying that, the woman bowed to them.

None of the men had ever seen anything like this before. They were so nervous that they were sweating profusely, and they hurriedly returned the greeting.

"Thorne, you must get along well with them from now on."

"Okay, Mom." Thorne nodded.

“Martha, let’s go, let’s not disturb these young men’s conversation.” Otto took her hand and slowly walked forward.

"Fred, I must be dreaming." Dudman was dizzy and could only rely on Thomas to support him from behind to prevent him from falling.

Wilhelm II and Otto had to discuss Polish affairs with a group of generals, so they left early.

The banquet was again hosted by the current Chancellor of the Reich, Alfred Peter Friedrich von Tirpitz, who had played a significant role in handling the Ludendorff scandal and enjoyed the Emperor's deep trust. He was so influential that he earned the nickname "Tirpitz Forever."

"Greetings, Your Highness Thorne." Tirpitz greeted Thorne.

Thorne returned the greeting earnestly. This Chancellor, known as Germany's Golden Cygnus, had developed great courage and ambition through his naval career. Since he took office, Germany had experienced an unprecedented period of economic growth.

By mid-1924, just one year after he became Reich Chancellor, the German economy had achieved a milestone development, entering one of the largest periods of economic growth since the founding of the Reich, with GDP growing by an average of 8%.

The two major events of the 1925 American economic collapse and the establishment of the German European market also brought new impetus and confidence to the German economy.

Germany’s unprecedented economic and political stability has enabled the Deutsche Mark to replace the British pound and the US dollar as the world’s most prestigious and powerful currency.

"I've heard about Your Highness's performance on the battlefield; indeed, heroes emerge from among the young." Tirpitz smiled on his serious face.

"I dare not accept such praise. Your Excellency's feat of commanding the defeat of the British Royal Navy is still celebrated today, and the German economic miracle you have brought about is unparalleled. These are all things that I must learn from." After saying this, Thorne bowed respectfully again.

"Hahahaha." Tirpitz laughed so hard his beard trembled, as if he were recalling his glorious days.

“I’m an old man now, and the future depends on you guys.” He then quietly pointed to Ludendorff and Hindenburg in the corner.

“A stick can’t be the only measure; people also need carrots. Otherwise, they’ll end up like them, all skin and no flesh.” With that, he patted Thorne on the shoulder and left.

The banquet lasted until late at night, and Thorne also stayed in Berlin temporarily to deal with the Polish issue. Fred and the others had disappeared somewhere to have fun, and his adoptive father had also been summoned by Wilhelm II, leaving him alone and bewildered.

"Butler Hammer, I'm going out for a stroll." Thorne jumped out of bed, deciding to explore Berlin in this world.

"Do you need me to come with you?" Hamo asked, looking down.

"No need, Berlin is quite safe, I'll just walk around by myself." Thorne changed into casual clothes and pushed open the door.

Berlin—the city of freedom.

Thorne took a deep breath, shook his head, and started wandering around aimlessly.

"Sir, would you like a ride? It'll only cost 50 pfennigs."

His thoughts were interrupted; he was now completely disoriented, wandering the streets of Berlin.

“Okay.” Thorne jumped into the car.

The carriage slowly made its way through Berlin’s labyrinthine streets, and Thorne became acquainted with the driver, Miller, who was from West Berlin.

As they walked, Miller introduced Berlin's architecture, from the Frederick's Triumphal Arch, the Reichstag Park, and the German Imperial Museum, to the beer halls and local snacks in each neighborhood. He knew everything about Berlin like the back of his hand.

“It seems you’re a long-time Berliner,” Thorne couldn’t help but remark.

Miller smiled. "I'm sorry to disappoint you. I come from a rural area near Hamburg and only moved to Berlin two years ago."

"You have a really good memory."

“I used to be a scout for the Empire.” Miller straightened his back instinctively.

"The Empire treats veterans quite well, so why are you still pulling a carriage?" Thorne asked curiously.

Miller's straight back slumped again, and he sighed, "During the French Civil War, I went to fight as a volunteer and was captured by the French Red Army and imprisoned for three months." This experience made him somewhat embarrassed.

Thorne also regretted asking the question. Back then, the Empire provided aid from both sides, sponsoring the French Red Army and sending volunteers to the French government, thus maximizing the depletion of France's strength. So now, while outwardly maintaining harmony with the French Commune, they were actually irreconcilable enemies. Miller had experienced this before, and the army would not allow him to stay any longer.

“I was discharged early, or to put it more nicely, early discharge,” Miller shrugged.

"To avoid unnecessary trouble, I moved to West Berlin, a notorious slum."

No one noticed me there. With my savings, I bought a horse-drawn carriage and used it to run errands for others and show tourists around Berlin.

In my spare time, I do my carpentry work at home, and I can make a living that way.

Miller, driving the carriage, showed no sign of displeasure in his tone. "And you, sir? What is your name? What brings you to Berlin?"

"My name is Karl. I'm here on business. This is my first time in Berlin, and I'm unfamiliar with the place," Thorne said, making up an excuse.

"Doing business in Berlin is tough; the people there are very shrewd!" Miller couldn't help but purse his lips.

Thorne nodded. As he passed a movie theater, he was drawn to a movie poster hanging outside. "War hero Adolf? What movie is this?"

Miller, seeing this, explained: "Sir, you know what, I worked with this guy during the war. He has a very strange temper, always wants to be on the front line, and is always full of energy."

And guess what? He came all the way from Austria-Hungary to join the army, and during the Battle of the Somme, he saved more than a dozen comrades, charging into battle even with his eyes damaged by poison gas.

Miller stretched. "This guy is really strange. After the war, he refused all the rewards, only keeping a medal from the Reich and his German citizenship. Now he runs a beer hall in West Berlin."

"The person you're talking about? It's not Adolf Hitler, is it?" Thorne was a little incredulous.

"How did you know, sir?" Miller was somewhat surprised. Adolf was usually very low-key, and no one was willing to go to the slums to find this "war hero." The film was also mediocre, so Adolf wasn't very famous. Only a few people knew him.

Thorne felt a little awkward and changed the subject, "Um, where does Mr. Adolf live? I'd like to pay him a visit." Thinking of the mustache in history, Thorne became increasingly curious about what the mustache would be like in this timeline.

“Not far, just ahead.” Miller pointed to the street corner ahead, where there was an extremely inconspicuous beer hall.

Braunau Beer Hall, Thorne knew that Braunau was where Adolf was born.

Pushing open the door, the interior of this small tavern was old but very clean. Several workers with oil stains on their clothes were sitting on chairs drinking.

"Hello, sir," the person standing behind the bar greeted.

Looking at the iconic mustache, Thorne was certain of the man's identity. However, compared to the madman-like mustache in history, this man appeared remarkably calm.

"Do you need anything?" Adolf asked.

"Give me a stout." Thorne finally realized what was going on.

"Are you Adolf Hitler?" Thorne asked.

He handed over the beer, and Adolf looked at the young man in front of him. "Yes, I am Adolf." The young man nodded.

"The difference is too big!" Thorne thought to himself.

"Weren't you a citizen of the Austro-Hungarian Empire? Why did you choose to become a German citizen?"

This question was obviously a bit blunt, but Thorne still wanted to know the inside story.

"Because the corrupt Austro-Hungarian Empire could not protect the dignity of Germany, nor could it protect the German people when invaded by foreign enemies; only the Empire could." Adolf wiped the cup in his hand.

“My parents loved me very much and supported my continued education. They also taught me to love the German nation, so when the war started, I left the art academy and went to Germany to take up arms to defend my nation.”

"So it was a family issue." Thorne realized that, unlike in history, Adolf in this timeline had a happy childhood and was not so crazy, which shows how much influence parents have on their children's development.

“After the war, I returned to my hometown, but my mother soon died of illness, so I decided to settle in Berlin and open a tavern in the West End,” Adolf said to himself.

The door was pushed open again, and an old man in tattered clothes walked in.

"Hello, Grandma Helen."

Adolf went to greet him. "I'm sorry, sir, I have some things to attend to." Adolf apologized to Thorne.

"Please make yourself at home." Thorne didn't disturb him and found a seat.

Adolf led the old woman toward the back of the house.

"What is Mr. Adolf doing?" Thorne asked the workers around him who were drinking, puzzled.

The group glanced at Thorne and said, “You’re obviously not a local. Mr. Adolf is known for his kindness. Some poor people can’t afford to have their pictures taken, and they die without any memories. Mr. Adolf paints their portraits for free, without charging a penny. He also sells his paintings from time to time to raise money and donate it to the elderly and orphans. He’s a truly good person.”

Thorne found these things increasingly interesting and couldn't help but become interested. "Where are Mr. Adolf's paintings? I'd like to see them."

The group pointed to a pile of paintings on the side, saying, "They're all there. Pick a few you like and buy them."

Thorne walked over, picked up the scroll from the ground, and said, "I'll take them all."

Everyone was taken aback. "Mr. Adolf is very strict with himself, so each of his works is expensive, and very few people buy them. You've bought so much..." The crowd was embarrassed to continue.

“It’s alright, I can afford it.” Thorne tossed the banknotes into the box.

"Tell Mr. Adolf that the cost of the drinks is included in the bill." Thorne left the tavern with the painting in his arms.

Adolf had painted the old woman's portrait and discovered that Thorne had already left. A worker drinking nearby pointed to the box and said, "Mr. Adolf, that man bought all your paintings and paid for the drinks too."

Adolf opened the box and was shocked; it contained a full thousand marks.

Chapter Five Hannah

After leaving the beer hall, Thorne asked Miller to take him to see the West End.

After Tirpitz took office, he implemented massive economic reforms, and economic growth provided further opportunities for the average working class to rise in rank. Businesses were opening and expanding at an astonishing pace. Germany has the world's largest automotive industry, and the expansion of the German automotive, aerospace, and financial sectors has resulted in record employment and unparalleled wages.

Economic prosperity has spurred the development of ideas. Compared to the more conservative consensus of the previous decades, Germans today are also trying a freer way of life. The increased prosperity has greatly strengthened the power of the ordinary working class.

Tirpitz firmly believed that the combination of rewards and punishments was crucial for inducing ideal behavior in a population, and he was inspired by the Iron Chancellor Bismarck.

While Bismarck suppressed the socialist movement, he also established the freest social welfare system on Earth.

Therefore, Tirpitz believed that Bismarckian pragmatism and realpolitik should be his most important reliance in governing national affairs.

In public events, Tirpitz would present himself as a typical populist, claiming to be "the voice of ordinary people" and a mouthpiece for the interests of all ordinary people.

The growing middle class and working class were increasingly dissatisfied with the aristocracy and insisted on further reforms.