German Red Prince

Page 58

Joseph nodded thoughtfully. He didn't stop him this time because he was going out to carry out a mission that wouldn't affect the interests of the Russian faction. He had been in France for so long and had already learned enough. Now that the Russian faction in Paris didn't like him, he might as well go out on his own and avoid this humiliation.

“I will go and re-establish the contact points.” Joseph raised his hand and stood up after making his decision. “I will go and rebuild the contact points for the Polish comrades.”

"Very good. Since Comrade Joseph has volunteered, then you shall carry out this mission. Be careful, comrade." The chairman of the conference praised Joseph. "You are the only one making contact this time because we are not sure if this is a conspiracy. Comrade, you must be vigilant."

"Understood!" Joseph replied. He then received the intelligence, learned the contact point, went back to pack his things, and prepared to set off.

Next stop, Berlin, Germany.

Chapter 82 Göring's Struggle

Hermann Mayer, or rather, Hermann Göring, was a top-tier combat ace pilot who was awarded the Iron Cross Second Class and the Iron Cross First Class, a true combat hero.

In October 1917, Göring was awarded the Royal Order of Hohenzollern with Sword and Knight's Cross of the Order of the Rhine by Nicolas Charlemagne.

Then, on June 2, 1918, Kaiser Wilhelm II personally awarded Göring the Medal of Merit, the highest honor for ordinary soldiers, in recognition of his merit in shooting down 18 enemy aircraft.

Generally, the Blue Max is awarded to pilots who have shot down at least 25 aircraft. However, Göring was considered an exceptionally outstanding soldier at the time, so as an exception, his awarding of the medal was quite a topic of discussion at the time, causing a stir in Germany and encouraging many people to join the army. This also gave Göring a small boost in fame.

Throughout the war, he shot down a total of 22 enemy aircraft. As an air combat hero, Crown Prince William personally received Göring and took a photo with him. The Kingdom of the Rhine also awarded him a commemorative medal—the Order of the Rhine Eagle—in recognition of his heroic fighting experience in the skies over the Rhine.

In 1918, as the war was drawing to a close, Göring was suddenly notified of his promotion. He was subsequently appointed as the commander of the 1st Fighter Wing, also known as the "Richthofen Wing." This appointment elevated his passion for the Luftwaffe to a new level.

The first commander of this wing was Baron Manfred von Richthofen, nicknamed "The Red Baron." The Red Baron's achievements in the air force are unparalleled by later generations—he had a record of 80 enemy aircraft shot down. This eagle, who soared in the blue sky and possessed a noble chivalrous spirit, was highly respected even within the Allied camp.

However, he was shot in the heart and killed on April 21, 1918. His successor, Wilhelm Reinhardt, also died a few months later when his new fighter plane broke apart in mid-air during a test flight at the Second Adorashio Fighter Competition.

The loss of two ace pilots in a few months dealt a significant blow to the German Air Force, and people began to speculate about who would be the next captain.

Everyone thought the next squadron leader would be chosen from Ernst Udet and Erich Rowenhart, who ranked second and third in kills, but to everyone's surprise, Göring was chosen as the next squadron leader.

Although Göring had shot down quite a few aircraft, he was not particularly outstanding in this wing full of talented people. The top fighters usually had a kill record of more than thirty aircraft, so when he was selected as the captain, not many people were optimistic about him. Many people in the wing were dissatisfied and felt that this was an insult to the Richthofen Flying Wing.

When he was first appointed captain, Goring was also very embarrassed. You are the captain, commanding your subordinates, but the kill records of those men are all in Goring's hands. Are you going to command and instruct them? Are you going to teach a class by a student?

Göring discovered that the atmosphere in the Rhine Kingdom's army was different from theirs. There, officers and soldiers got along very well, and there were not many barriers between them. They treated each other like friends. Officers did not have any special privileges and ate and lived with the soldiers. Officers cared for their soldiers, and soldiers respected their officers. They worked together in unity, which made the fighting power of the Rhine Kingdom's soldiers one of the best among all the states in Germany.

Göring understood this deeply, so when he was the captain, he did more than give orders; instead, he sought opinions. He never put on airs, treated new recruits very politely, and often discussed tactics with other pilots.

At the same time, he would often go to the Rhine Kingdom's ace pilot, Little von Ernst, to take lessons. This pilot could be said to be the second most powerful war god after the Red Baron.

Ernst, nicknamed "The Rhine Eagle," shot down a total of 78 aircraft during the war. He and Richthofen were known as the twin stars of the German Air Force.

This senior's combat experience can be described as very rich, so Göring would listen to every discussion. There is a tradition in the Rhine Kingdom's army that after each battle, there is a battle debriefing meeting where officers and soldiers discuss and summarize the details of the war, discuss their respective experiences and gains, find out if there are any tactics that can be promoted in this battle, and improve the shortcomings.

Discussions are open to all ranks. Even a new recruit can discuss and summarize the battle with the general after it ends, and improve unreasonable tactics. There are no hierarchical restrictions here, and everyone can speak freely. Although Göring is not part of the Rhine Air Force, they do not exclude him. On the contrary, they welcome him to come and summarize the battle together.

Göring learned a great deal from these discussions and couldn't help but admire the wisdom and prowess of King Charlemagne, who was like a divine being sent from heaven. Even more than seventy years later, his ideas were still influencing the Rhineland and Germany.

Göring learned in his studies that individualism would never lead to great success in battle. Only by uniting together and cooperating closely with teammates could combat effectiveness be fully unleashed. War tests not individual bravery, but the team's ability to cooperate.

Therefore, Göring demonstrated his leadership in the battle. Unlike other pilots who pursued shooting down enemy aircraft, he valued teamwork rather than individual kills. Göring emphasized teamwork and often gave up the opportunity to shoot down enemy aircraft to other pilots, providing newcomers with many opportunities for practical training.

These actions quickly earned Göring the respect of everyone in the team, giving him a reputation comparable to that of the first captain, Richthofen.

Many of the wing's ace pilots were willing to follow his orders, and under Göring's command, the wing's casualty rate dropped to an all-time low, largely thanks to Göring's successful teamwork.

In terms of both fighting spirit and combat skills, Göring was virtually flawless. He became one of the best German pilots and earned the nickname "Iron Man Hermann".

Compared to the easily overlooked army and navy, the newly formed air force ace pilots received more attention, becoming stars throughout the German military, and photos of air wing members appeared in various newspapers.

In short, the later years of the war were the years when Göring was most famous. During that period, there was a need for war heroes to inspire people, and the story of Göring leading a legendary air wing to fight the enemy in the skies of the Western Front was obviously very appealing to the public.

Göring's photographs began to circulate among the public, and the story of Richthofen was made into a movie, which caused quite a stir at the time.

Just as Göring was feeling triumphant and ready to make his mark, the war suddenly ended, and this damned war came to a close.

When the Kaiser announced the end of the war on the radio, the entire army cheered, including him. But Göring felt a lot of resentment. Why did the war have to end at this time? He hadn't even had a chance to show his talents. Without war, it was much harder to gain recognition in peacetime. After all, not many people could get the approval of those old fogies.

As he expected, people like him with no background were quickly forgotten in the Air Force. People were busy living good and happy lives and enjoying the benefits of war. These war heroes gradually faded from public view. After all, the war was over, and the new era no longer needed them.

The Richthofen Regiment was eventually disbanded for various reasons, and former comrades-in-arms would go their separate ways. At the disbandment ceremony of the Richthofen Regiment, Göring said with deep emotion: "Now Germany is left with only a tarnished reputation, a forgotten glory, and officers who are ridiculed, but I believe that our achievements will live on forever! The spirit of Richthofen is with us!"

"We are only temporarily forgotten. Richthofen United will always be honored, whether in wartime or peacetime!"

"Now is a brand new era, an era belonging to Germany. We have won! Ladies and gentlemen, stop looking so glum, let's have a drink! Cheers! To our motherland! To Richthofen United!"

Göring then downed his drink in one gulp and smashed the glass. The other team members followed suit, but then they all hugged each other and wept bitterly. Although the regiment was disbanded, Göring would never forget his comrades who fought alongside him.

Göring later left the Air Force and studied at the University of Munich from 1922 to 1923, majoring in political economy and history. His disappointment in the military led him to be influenced by left-leaning professors at the university, and he gradually began to lean towards socialist ideas.

Another matter deeply affected Göring. His father, Heinrich, was a rare liberal among the high-ranking officials of the German Empire. When he served as governor in a region, he often spoke out for people of color who were colonized by Germany, which put the central government of the empire in a difficult position. As a result, after he returned to Germany, he was labeled a socialist and had to retire early.

Göring lived in Berlin with his father. Although his father had served as governor of a region in Africa, he was not wealthy despite having many children, and he lived a very frugal life. These factors influenced Göring's thoughts and habits to varying degrees, especially when he heard his father talk about how the local government oppressed people of color in Africa.

Exploitation, oppression, surplus value—these words gradually began to influence Göring. Göring was astonished that in faraway Africa, not only were the black people oppressed, but even the lower-class Germans were oppressed in the same way.

This made him begin to doubt the German system and the correctness of the perfect system the Kaiser spoke of. Even if this system helped Germany win the war, was it necessarily correct? Were the German people truly happy under this system?

Göring then began to work hard to pass the civil service exam. He wanted to understand the system from within, and to see if the so-called perfect system of the German Emperor was truly perfect.

More importantly, Göring wanted to know if the ideas his father and teachers spoke of were correct, and whether Germany needed a more advanced system to guide its progress.

Chapter 83 That Bearded Man

Joseph did not go directly from France to Germany. Although Germany and France are adjacent, they have very little interaction except for trade, and cultural exchange is even less likely. In order to prevent the infiltration of French ideology, Germany strictly prohibits the inflow of any French film or cultural products.

The two countries are irreconcilable in the cultural sphere. France satirizes German art as decadent and "the decadent music of the bourgeois," while Germany satirizes France for having transformed from the cultural center of Europe into a vulgar country where barbarians can only swing hammers on stage.

The two countries were locked in a fierce battle in various fields, trying to prove their superiority, which in turn promoted the development of the times. The culture of that era was truly flourishing, with one country's art taking a more sophisticated approach and the other a more popular one, both contributing to the rapid development of the cultural field to varying degrees.

In short, the border checks between the two countries are very strict, and it is very unsafe to go directly across. Joseph had no choice but to take a detour, starting from France and going to the Netherlands first.

The Netherlands remained neutral during the war and posed no ideological threat to Germany, so it was safer to detour through the Netherlands.

Joseph would travel from the Netherlands through Belgium, then into Germany. France had forged a false identity for Joseph, so he would have to stay in the Rhineland for a while before heading to Berlin.

Some social researchers and most people in France believe that Germany is bound to collapse from within. They argue that the numerous state-states within Germany will inevitably lead to internal chaos in the long run, so the best course of action now is to wait for Germany to collapse on its own. This view has considerable support.

Another view holds that now is the time when capitalist and socialist forces are closest, and it is imperative to wage a thorough war against Germany as soon as possible to defeat this source of evil in Europe. If the confrontation with Germany continues for a long time, it cannot be guaranteed that the corrupt bourgeois ideology will not infiltrate the country and cause the revolution to fail.

Therefore, at every Third International Conference, whenever this issue was discussed, a fierce argument would always break out. Joseph had witnessed such a scene, which resembled a quarrel between farmers in the countryside.

But there was no other way. The Third International Congress was like a hodgepodge, with all sorts of left-wing factions. Without a unified ideology, they all went their own way to reach the same goal. What seemed like a very united camp actually had internal crises.

Adding to the internal turmoil within the French government, the French Revolution was originally a united front revolution, with the left-wing coalition overthrowing the rule of the bourgeois government. Even after the revolution, the left-wing coalition continued to govern. Now, the French government is divided into many parties, and over time, the drawbacks have become apparent. Without a relatively large party, it is impossible to effectively control the French political arena. Different government positions are held by people from different parties, which inevitably leads to mutual obstruction due to differences in ideology.

The current leader of France is a moderate, which is actually detrimental to the political situation in France. A moderate leader is unlikely to effectively control the French political situation and spends most of his time trying to smooth things over.

Joseph was not optimistic about this form of government organization. He believed that the proletariat needed to unite to accomplish great things, and that a unified ideology, unified leadership by a single party, and a strong government were essential for a country to truly unleash its potential.

Now that Joseph has arrived in Germany, the stronghold of reactionary forces in Europe, he could be captured by the henchmen of capitalism if he is not careful. Therefore, Joseph must be extremely careful. He is currently staying in the Kingdom of the Rhine. He originally wanted to live in Frankfurt, but in Frankfurt, he always felt that there was a pair of eyes watching him.

As a revolutionary, Joseph trusted his intuition and judgment. Having been on the front lines of the revolution, he possessed the vigilance expected of a grassroots revolutionary. He sensed that Frankfurt was extremely dangerous, so he quickly left Frankfurt and went to Darmstadt, which was some distance away from Frankfurt.

On the way, he casually bought a newspaper and boarded the bus to Darmstadt.

"The Rheinische Zeitung? Interesting."

Joseph chuckled at the newspaper's title, "Rheinische Zeitung." His bearded mentor's newspaper was also called "Rheinische Zeitung." Joseph looked at the contents of the newspaper and found that the articles were very popular and lacked the "artistic" content that the German government had been promoting.

Joseph found the story increasingly interesting. This "Quiet Rhine" was clearly using the guise of a historical story to promote other rather "forbidden" content. The protagonist in the book seemed to be fighting against Napoleon, or more accurately, fighting against feudal and reactionary forces. He was very curious how such content could be published in the newspaper. Wasn't he afraid that the police would knock on his door one day?

At this moment, Thorne was walking on the streets of Darmstadt, discussing with Thälmann the formation of a workers' party. They needed to establish an effective party to unite the workers.

Thälmann is an old revolutionary with experience, and he was also a former workers' leader, so he was mainly in charge of organizing things. In addition, he contacted his comrades in Berlin through a secret liaison department, so the work of forming a workers' party is going relatively smoothly so far.

"Comrade Thälmann, regarding the matter of reorganizing the workers' party, it's not just us who need to find a solution. We have comrades in Berlin. In a few days, we'll go to Berlin to hear their suggestions and discuss it together."

Thorne said thoughtfully, "Adolf and his men are still in Berlin. Goebbels must have done a good job there. They have considerable influence in Berlin, and they will surely be able to exert great power in the struggle to come."

"Yes, that's necessary. We need to unite all forces that need to be united. We also need to listen to Comrade Berlin's suggestions. And I'm going to Berlin soon; the Comintern is coming to give instructions."

"An instruction from the Comintern? What's wrong? Do they want you to attend a meeting?"

"No, he's going to Berlin to meet a comrade. The Comintern has given him new instructions, and he has a mission."

"Oh? How do you contact me then?"

As they talked, the two walked to an open space. It was the weekend, and the workers' club was holding an event. A group of workers were playing football on the newly built open space. Thorne usually organized these kinds of activities to enrich the workers' lives.

"We'll have a code word and a designated place, so we can make contact then."

"Aren't you afraid of mistaking someone for someone else, or that an enemy is impersonating someone else?"

"That's unlikely. It's kept strictly confidential. Besides, I do know a little about that person's features. He's Russian and has a big beard."

"Kick the ball over here!" a worker shouted to Joseph, who was standing there.

"Workers? Why would they have time to play football?" Joseph asked, puzzled.

"Hey, bro, kick the ball over here!" the workers shouted again.

This is where the benefits of Joseph's studies in Paris became apparent. He had become fluent in German and could understand what they were saying. He kicked the ball over, and the workers thanked him before continuing the game. The scene was quite lively.

"A Russian? The bearded man?" Thorne raised an eyebrow, sat down in his chair, and then pointed ahead. "You mean that guy?"

Although Joseph had also put on makeup, the face was too familiar to Thorne. This person couldn't possibly be here unless he was the Russian.

"That person?" Thallman looked over in confusion.

He really does have a big beard!

Chapter 84 Youth Study

Goebbels has been incredibly busy lately, with countless matters to handle. He's arguably Berlin's only pro bono legal advisor, helping workers protect their rights. Goebbels has lost count of how many related issues he's dealt with in recent days.

Almost no one would help these workers protect their rights, since they couldn't be squeezed out of them much. But he couldn't handle it all by himself; he had many things to do, and answering these inquiries every day took up a lot of his time.

He was also responsible for editing the Rheinische Zeitung and distributing it in Berlin, as well as doing ideological work with some workers in the vicinity.

With limited energy, Thorne suggested that he expand his team and hire lawyers who still held onto their ideals to help him with some tasks, giving him more time to work.

Adolph's old pub was transformed into a KFC restaurant and underwent several major renovations and refurbishments. Now it's much more lively, not only selling KFC products, but also beer and soft drinks.

Himmler and Ribbentrop's shops were also there. After Ribbentrop successfully developed his beer, he used the remaining money to open the Snow Breweries and continued to focus on his liquor business.

Himmler is no longer just selling his chickens; he's also started a fried chicken business, launching his own HFC fried chicken line. His best-selling item is his spicy crispy fried chicken, which is very popular with the locals.

Now, under Adolf's management, the KFC in Berlin is growing bigger and bigger, attracting many customers every day. All sorts of information flows into the restaurant, so Thorne also attaches great importance to it.

Many Gestapo and Stasi personnel were stationed here to record intelligence and relay it to Thorne. The KFC here served as Thorne's eyes and ears, allowing him to quickly learn about the situation in Berlin even in the Rhine Kingdom.

Goebbels returned as usual and greeted Adolf, who was keeping accounts, "Hi, Adolf, have Heinrich and the others returned?"

“No.” Adolf looked up at Goebbels. “Himre and the others probably won’t be back until tonight. Those two are really energetic.”

“You too.” Goebbels smiled, took off his hat and hung it on the wall, walked to his familiar spot, and was about to begin his lecture.

There were still quite a few people here today. After Goebbels hired an assistant, his workload was much lighter, so he had more time to come here to give lectures every day. Soon, he attracted a large number of loyal listeners. Many people came specifically to listen to Goebbels' lectures. They would usually order a beer or a soda and sit here quietly waiting for Goebbels.

Goebbels was pleased to see so many people here today. He believed that these people would gradually awaken after listening to his lectures, and once they were awakened, they would call upon even more people. In the future, wave after wave of people would awaken and unleash astonishing power.

He always tried to awaken the public, so he talked about class and the nature of their labor, and also talked about the legal knowledge that they could use.

To Goebbels' surprise, among the audience of his lectures was an Asian face. This person was a regular attendee, almost never missing a lecture. However, Goebbels didn't pay much attention to it; it was a good thing to be able to influence even one more person.

Cao Yu had been in Berlin for some time. He wanted to maintain his political awareness while studying there, but Berlin was very strict about this, and it was generally difficult to find a place to study. During a casual stroll, he stumbled upon this restaurant, never expecting it to hold such a secret.

Surprisingly, people in Berlin are still talking about this, and it hasn't been banned yet. Through conversations with other people, I learned that the shop belongs to a prince of the Kingdom of the Rhine. When there was a strike in Berlin, the prince even sheltered workers who were trying to avoid arrest. In short, this shop is quite friendly to ordinary people like them.

At the time, Cao Yu was just listening, but as he listened, he sensed something was wrong. Goebbels was talking about things that were "forbidden," yet the police hadn't come to arrest him—it was truly amazing. However, Cao Yu had finally found a place where he could continue studying political thought, so he came to class almost every day without missing a single session.

Cao Yu believes that such regular lectures are very beneficial for cultivating young people's political awareness and political literacy.

He felt that this model would definitely have a good effect if it were implemented in China, where the literacy rate was very low and the streets were basically full of illiterate people, which was very detrimental to the revolution.

Revolution must awaken people's inner consciousness and make the masses understand the meaning of revolution. If this model can be promoted and spread throughout China, it will certainly have a very good effect.

Especially for the education of teenagers, young people are the pillars of a country. Only when they truly rise can the country truly become strong. Therefore, opening these kinds of study classes for teenagers to awaken them will surely add many more backbone forces to the revolutionary ranks.

Cao Yu took out a pen and began to take notes: "Establishing study classes to help young people learn, improve their political and ideological awareness, cultivate steadfast communist fighters, and strengthen the revolutionary reserve force..."

Cao Yu looked at the notes and wrote a summary, naming the program "Youth University Study".

Seeing Cao Yu listening to the lecture again, Pan Xiaoyu sighed. The unpleasantness between him and Cao Yu last time still lingered in his mind.

Although he was a young master, he was not arrogant or malicious. He just liked to play and was very easygoing. After meeting Cao Yu last time, he went to the home of his worker friend in Berlin. It was the first time that Pan Xiaoyu had seen the lives of people at the bottom of society. If a German person at the bottom of society lived like that, what about a Chinese person at the bottom of society?

He also attended several of Goebbels' lectures, which stated that "the power and wealth of the upper class are built on the blood and corpses of the lower class, and if they want to rise up and become masters of their own destiny, they must completely eliminate them."

Pan Xiaoyu felt his heart pounding as he listened to these words. He felt that he just liked to enjoy life and live a carefree life, and there was no need to go to such extremes. He hadn't done anything wrong, so why was he being hung from a street lamp?