German Red Prince

Page 60

These warlords and lords, large and small, all had their own power and none of them were willing to submit to the others. Therefore, they had to elect the strongest one to gain the support of the people. So, at the assembly, they elected Osman Ali Khan, the prince of Hyderabad, who was the most powerful among them, as the first leader of the princely federation, calling him "King of Kings".

Osman Ali Khan's election as leader was indisputable, both in terms of status and power. He was originally the king of a princely state in India and was extremely wealthy.

Legend has it that many large trucks filled with gold could be seen coming and going from his palace, and that his gold and silver jewels, if piled up, could circle Piccadilly Circus in England.

Although he was rather stingy, as a highly educated upper-class person, he still had political acumen. Faced with the aggressive Indian central government, he had to produce something, otherwise he would have nothing left when they attacked.

However, Osman Ali Khan only needed to "slightly" part with some money, after all, this tycoon was simply too rich.

Good news kept coming in, and the German Empire also extended an olive branch. In order to completely defeat the once-fallen giant and become the new hegemon, the German government was willing to provide weapons to the Royal Confederation and help them train their armies.

With the Germans backing them up, these nobles felt more confident and relaxed, no longer afraid, since they already had a powerful backer.

In the subsequent "Great Victory of Odisha," they overwhelmingly defeated the Indian central government's army, inflicting a huge defeat on the Congress Party and forcing it to withdraw from the area.

However, the Maharajas' forces did not attempt to garrison the area after their victory. They did not want to get bogged down in a protracted war with the Indian central government and felt it was more important to protect their own territory. So, they left quickly after defeating the central government's army.

The armies of the Mandate of Heaven were unwilling to intervene, the central government of India had not yet recovered and had no energy to manage it, and the remaining British forces in India were in disarray and had no capacity to intervene.

This is such a large piece of land, and now nobody wants it. It's in a temporary power vacuum. Nobody wants it, huh? Well then, here comes France!

The French Commune, which emerged after the success of the revolution, had a strong sense of crisis and put forward a slogan at the First Congress of the Communist International.

"Unite all forces in the world that can be united, liberate all oppressed countries and peoples, and defend the fruits of the revolution by all means."

These "three everythings" later became the guiding principles of the Communist International, and the Third International forged ahead under the banner of the "three everythings".

The red forces of the French Commune also entered the Indian chessboard. With French support, local left-wing guerrillas quickly sprang up like mushrooms after rain as the regular army withdrew.

Chandra Bose, a leading figure of the left wing in India, subsequently gained basic control of the region and announced the establishment of the Indian Commune. This marked the formal establishment of the French Commune in India, and the red revolutionary ideology began to spread in South Asia.

However, British influence in India did not completely disappear. The then Governor-General of India, Viscount Frederick Cecija of Chelmsford, did not flee eastward with the British army.

He and several British legions were separated from the main force by the rebels and forced to retreat north. He formed a new government in northern Delhi. Due to the cutoff of communication with the outside world, he was unaware of his recall. He continued to command his subordinates as the "Governor-General of India" and proclaimed himself Prince of India, attempting to reunify the Indian region.

The remnants of British forces fled to Calcutta to preserve their strength, and the political situation of the "British Empire" only stabilized somewhat after the British royal family moved to Canada.

Even a starved camel is bigger than a horse. With its current strength, this empire can still barely manage these colonies and continue to pursue its imperial dream.

However, the decline of the British Empire and the rise of the new German Empire caused a huge psychological gap for many British nobles, especially since they had lost the British Isles and could only go to cold Canada to suffer indignities and have to be subservient to the American bumpkins.

"Damn it, how did the country become like this!"

A middle-aged man looked at the map and couldn't help but curse. Reality was so cruel that he could only reminisce about the past by remembering the old empire.

Britain now needs to break free from this situation and launch a counterattack! It needs to rise again! The unrest in the colonies is becoming increasingly frequent, and the empire is barely able to control them. Action must be taken.

"I need to see His Majesty the King."

Churchill picked up the written plan and went outside. The colonies needed to be put to the test, so let's start with India.

Chapter 88 Joseph's Experiences

"Hello, Mr. Dzhugashvili."

Upon hearing Thorne's words, Joseph felt a chill run down his spine. How did he know his name from so long ago?

Joseph immediately became alert. Had he been discovered? Or had he been betrayed all along? Impossible, how could he have been discovered?

This operation was top secret. He was only transiting through Darmstadt. The order from the Third International was given in Berlin. Comrade Thälmann would never betray his beliefs.

Although Joseph was somewhat flustered, he remained calm and pretended not to understand Thorne's words. He surveyed his surroundings, thinking of a way to escape, and if all else failed, he would kill Thorne.

But after observing for a while, Joseph realized that he couldn't escape. This was clearly a trap, and the group of people who pushed him over there had obviously done it on purpose.

These people look like they're watching the game, but they've actually surrounded him. They'll probably pounce on him the moment Joseph makes a move.

Joseph sighed. Was this the end of his life? He had already suffered a huge setback in Russia and was just about to make a name for himself when he was exposed in Germany. Was he destined to achieve nothing in his life?

Although Lenin's assassination had nothing to do with him—there were enemies among the masses—Joseph still felt guilty. He was right next to Lenin at the time and could have easily blocked the bullet with a simple sidestep, but he was a beat too slow and watched helplessly as his mentor fell.

Thorne looked at Joseph sitting there, his eyes clearly saying "Do whatever you want, it's up to you," his face resolute. Joseph was indeed thinking the same thing at that moment; he was prepared to sacrifice himself for the revolution. If he were captured, his only thought was whether he could take someone else with him.

“Sir, don’t be nervous.” Thorne was a little scared when he saw Joseph looking like he was about to strangle him. His small body couldn’t withstand Joseph’s communist chokehold.

“Sir, we are not enemies,” Thorne said to Joseph. “I am with Comrade Thallman.”

After he finished speaking, he pointed behind him, and there Talman was indeed there.

"Let's go, I'll take you to see him."

Thorne got up and left, with Joseph following behind him. The people in the stands didn't do anything to him.

"How do you know who I am?"

“I knew who you were the moment you stepped into the Kingdom of Rhine,” Thorne said, feigning profundity. “Don’t worry, we’re not enemies. Let’s be friends.”

When Thallman saw Joseph approaching, the two exchanged a code word and, after confirming their identities, clasped each other's hands tightly.

"Comrade Joseph!"

"Comrade Thallman!"

After exchanging greetings, Joseph voiced his doubts: Who was the young man beside him? How did he know his identity? And why was Thälmann in Darmstadt instead of Berlin? Joseph had a million questions in his mind; he couldn't understand what had happened in Germany.

“That’s a long story,” Thallman sighed. “But Joseph, don’t worry, you’re absolutely safe here.”

"The reason I'm here instead of in Berlin is because there was a traitor in the organization after I returned from my last trip to Britain."

“His rash organization of the operation resulted in the arrest of a large number of our core members by the army. The party organization in Berlin was impacted, and many comrades lost contact. In order to temporarily avoid the army’s large-scale search, I had no choice but to leave Berlin and come here.”

"However, the Party organization is now being restored, and most of the comrades in Berlin have been contacted, so I plan to go there in a few days."

“We have sent people to contact Comrade Karl Liebknecht and Mrs. Rosa Luxemburg in Hamburg. They will send representatives, and we will reorganize the party organization in Berlin and then resume daily activities.”

"As for this one," Thallman scratched his head, finding it difficult to explain.

"Let me put it this way, without him, our work would be even more difficult."

"Then he is..."

"Hello, Comrade Joseph, I am the second prince of the Kingdom of Rhine, Nicholas von Thorne."

"Royal family?"

Joseph frowned. How could there be royalty around Thallman?

"Don't worry, Comrade Joseph, Mr. Thorne is one of us. Thanks to him, we have been able to continue to develop in the Kingdom of Rhine."

“Look at Darmstadt now,” Thälmann said, pointing to the workers playing and watching the game.

"Do you know what this place was like before? It was in a terrible state. Although His Highness Thorne is a prince, he was able to set aside his status and come to inspect the place himself after learning about the situation. He personally visited the factory to understand the lives and conditions of the workers. This alone shows that he is different from other members of the royal family."

Seeing that Joseph still didn't believe him, Thallman stood up.

“Come on, Joseph, I’ll show you around.”

He led Joseph down the street. After Heydrich's Gestapo raid, the remaining forces of the Unifying Germany Party had been basically wiped out. So there were far fewer soldiers patrolling the streets now. The army had basically withdrawn, and most of the work was being done by the Gestapo and the Stasi, which was also a way for them to get some experience.

The streets are very clean; you would never guess how dirty this place used to be. The stench still makes Thalman's head spin when he thinks about it.

The daily lives and production of the citizens have basically returned to normal, and there are more people around. Thälmann pointed to the house next door.

“Look, the homeless people from before have all been sent here. At least they have shelter from the wind and rain in the shelter. They will learn some skills here so that they can become self-reliant and then reintegrate into society.”

"You know, Joseph, Darmstadt used to be a lifeless city. Tuberculosis was very serious there. If you randomly picked a few people, you would definitely find someone who had tuberculosis."

"After Comrade Thorne took over, he began to treat tuberculosis. The hospitals and sanatoriums here have been admitting tuberculosis patients on a large scale. The medical personnel who came here have recently been researching effective drugs, and there have been major breakthroughs."

"It is estimated that the patients here will be able to return to normal life soon. The cost of these treatments has been reimbursed by Comrade Thorne, so the people here can receive treatment with peace of mind and have no worries."

"I only wanted to get to know His Highness Thorne after reading the newspaper. Joseph, have you read it? This is the editor-in-chief of the Rheinische Zeitung. You didn't expect that such a newspaper was published by the royal family."

Thallman smiled. "I also had many questions and was very confused before. Why would a royal family give up their peaceful life and start a revolution? It wasn't until I saw what he did with my own eyes that I understood that revolutionaries don't care about status. Anyone with firm beliefs can become a comrade."

"Comrade Thorne showed me this principle through his actions: the eight-hour workday, the two-day weekend, the workers' club, and the labor association—these were all thanks to his efforts."

"We have also brought many comrades here, and have already trained a regular armed force. You can ask any worker how much their lives have changed since Comrade Thorne arrived."

"Revolutionaries don't need to be defined by their social status; anyone with a firm belief can become a comrade."

Joseph pondered this statement, and it was indeed true. During the Russian Revolution, many of his comrades were born into noble or wealthy families, yet they abandoned these privileged circumstances to join the revolution. They betrayed their own classes to actively participate in the revolution. Could it be that they were not trustworthy?

Thinking of this, Joseph couldn't help but sigh. How were his other comrades from the Russian Revolution? Where was Comrade Felix? How was he now?

“I didn’t say I didn’t trust him,” Joseph smiled.

“Hello, Comrade Thorne.” He extended his hand.

“Hello, Comrade Joseph.” Thorne also extended his hand.

"Then let's go to Berlin. We need to complete the tasks assigned by the Comintern."

“Okay, we’ll go together in a few days,” Thallman replied.

“But…” Joseph looked at Thorne, “how did he recognize me?”

"How did you recognize them?" Thallmann asked, looking at Heydrich and Thomas who were walking over.

"With those two around, there's almost nothing in the Rhine Kingdom that they don't know."

Chapter 89 The Embryonic Formation of the National People's Army

Comrade Karl Liebknecht and Mrs. Windsor Luxemburg in Hamburg have received the news that they have sent people to Berlin, and the plan to reorganize the Berlin party organization has been put on the agenda. Thälmann has also met with Joseph and will be heading to Berlin soon.

Thorne also planned to go to Berlin. He had been away from Berlin for some time and wondered how Adolf and Goebbels were doing. He was also surprised to hear that Himmler had opened a fried chicken restaurant called HFC Fried Chicken.

I wonder if Himmler can realize his dream of opening his fried chicken shop all over the world. He's already much better off than in the OTL world. In this timeline, Himmler is a completely sunny, positive, ambitious, and energetic guy compared to Himmler in the TNO world. He's practically a saint.

If the Knights of Burgundy had to choose, they'd probably prefer selling fried chicken with Himmler rather than facing daily gas chamber warnings or trying to establish some kind of Aryan superhuman nation with that madman. As a compromise, selling mustard-flavored fried chicken wouldn't be a bad idea. Standing in front of a restaurant is always better than standing in front of a concentration camp. Living a down-to-earth life is much more realistic than dreaming of some earthly paradise.

Adolf told me that things are getting better in Berlin; KFC is doing well and making good profits. Meanwhile, Domark and Chain's research on streptomycin and penicillin in Thorne is becoming increasingly successful; the next step is to increase production and reduce costs.

With large-scale exports, they can probably make a lot of money. Only with enough capital can Thorne smoothly carry out his next actions.

So far, Thorne's current endeavors are still small-scale. He hasn't even started the real money-burning projects yet. He lured Guderian all the way here, but we haven't even seen a glimpse of a tank yet. He just dumped Guderian at the military academy and fled to Darmstadt. If he doesn't start anything soon, Guderian will probably come with a gun when he loses his patience.

The military project must now be put on the agenda. Thorne's sense of crisis is growing stronger. The current domestic and international situation is making him increasingly uneasy. In his world, the economic crisis that triggered a world war is likely to happen in this world as well. Thorne must act quickly.

Having a sword in your hand and not using it are two different things. If the world falls into chaos, who cares about your identity? Even if you haven't chosen the wrong side, who knows if you'll be invited to a basement to listen to some report during a major purge?

Goebbels's ideological work is also quite good, and it has already attracted a lot of people. According to Adolf's report, even foreigners have come to listen, which makes Thorne admire him. He did not expect that it could attract international friends.

It has to be said that Adolf and Goebbels are really strong and their abilities are top-notch. Thorne's luck in being able to draw these two SSRs right after arriving can be described as truly incredible. Once those people awaken, Thorne's power will increase even more.

Now that the power is there, Thorne's first task is to arm them. He must cultivate a loyal revolutionary army to protect the fruits of the revolution. This new type of army must be different from other current armies, break through the traditional army model, and become the template for future armed forces.

If we want to distinguish them from other armies, the most obvious way is by looking at their uniforms. After the German Empire was established in 1871, it began a series of policies for the military unification of the German states, including the uniformity of military organization and uniforms.

The Kingdom of Prussia played a leading role in the unification of Germany, and therefore the Prussian military structure was also incorporated into the armies of other states.

The German Imperial Army was mainly composed of the armies of the three major kingdoms, while other weaker states, fiefdoms, and city-states were responsible for providing troops for the army.

After unification, the military uniforms of the three kingdoms gradually merged, but each retained its own characteristics. Other small states used the same military uniforms as Prussia, which also gave them some space to retain their own traditions in the details of their uniforms.

In 1914, when the war broke out, the German Imperial Army uniformly wore field gray uniforms, abandoning the previously distinctive and brightly colored uniforms, and began to adopt a more understated style, seeking uniforms that were more practical and concealed.

After years of experimentation, the Reich Army introduced a practical field grey uniform in 1907, and the uniform was redesigned in 1915 and 1916. These innovations completely changed the face of the German Army and also changed the design philosophy of the uniform thereafter.

Regarding helmets, the German Empire abolished the traditional pointed helmet during the war and began to gradually equip itself with new steel helmets.

The M1916 and M1917 helmets gradually replaced the traditional standard helmets. The Imperial Army is now mainly equipped with the new M1918 helmet, while the Kingdom of the Rhine is equipped with the Kingdom M1916 helmet. These helmets can more or less show the appearance of the classic M35 helmet in the future. However, in order to differentiate itself from the traditional army, Thorne decided to redesign a helmet.

He first went to the Rheinmachinery factory to see how his new helmet design was coming along. He took a walk around the factory and found the previously appointed factory director, Grete. This old comrade who had followed Thälmann was still very reliable. He had developed a lot of activists within the factory, and these people were now potential party members, which was very valuable in the early stages of the revolution.

At this moment, Gretel was discussing something with several workers. Since the implementation of the Rhine Enterprise Management Law, the atmosphere inside the factory has improved a lot. Now everyone in the factory is equal, there is no hierarchy, and workers can also discuss and exchange opinions with managers. The factory's efficiency has increased significantly.

Upon seeing Thorne, Gretel and the others stopped and bowed to him.

"Hello, Your Highness Thorne."

"Hello everyone," Thorne greeted them.

"What do you think of this helmet?" Thorne asked.

"Well, it's weird." The designer next to him scratched his head, not understanding why Thorne would design such a helmet.

In his view, this helmet was an aesthetic disaster, far inferior in appearance to modern helmets.

Thorne took the helmet, which was the M56 steel helmet of later generations. Although it was not very good-looking, the M56 steel helmet was known as the "strongest helmet in the alloy era". At a distance of 15 meters, the M56 steel helmet could not be penetrated by 9mm Parabellum pistol bullets and 7.62mm pistol bullets. It was the helmet with the strongest protection before the advent of Kevlar material.

The origins of the M56 steel helmet can be traced back to World War II. During Germany's blitzkrieg against Poland, the Special Steel Research Division under the Imperial Academy began to study the protective performance of steel helmets. They conducted numerous small arms and artillery shell fragment tests on steel helmets from various countries at the time, including the German M35 steel helmet.

Although tests showed that the German M35 helmet outperformed other countries' standard helmets in overall protection, it still had many shortcomings. After discovering that no other country's army had a helmet with impeccable protection, the Imperial Academy of Defense Technology immediately began a completely new design project aimed at developing a new helmet whose ballistic protection surpassed all previous models.