German Red Prince

Page 77

The newly formed French Commune defeated several foreign counter-revolutionary intervention forces in succession, which made Germany somewhat worried. Fortunately, the French Commune did not want to launch a war immediately. Their leaders were still clear-headed and did not immediately start any world revolution.

At that time, both Germany and France had reached their limits. Germany was in great chaos due to the war, its economy was in trouble, and armed demonstrations were frequent.

At that time, several red revolutions had already occurred in Germany, so Germany could not immediately take action against the French Commune. Neither country wanted to start a war immediately, so they each took a step back.

In 1920, in order to avoid another war, the two sides began discussions and negotiations on postwar relations. Although the French Commune demanded that Germany refuse to recognize the puppet government of North France, Germany played a trick and recognized the French principle at the conference, acknowledging the legitimate status of France.

However, Germany did not explicitly state whether it recognized the French Republic or the French Commune, which foreshadowed the diplomatic disputes between the two countries later on.

After negotiations, the two countries finally signed a new Treaty of Versailles. In the treaty, Germany significantly reduced the amount of reparations owed to France and agreed to allow France to maintain its army.

However, the French army must be no more than 40 percent the size of the German army, and the German army must maintain a sufficient numerical advantage. France must also establish a demilitarized zone on the border, prohibiting its troops from entering.

In this peace treaty, both Germany and France made concessions. Germany did not provoke France further, and France also complied with the agreement by disbanding a large number of its regular troops.

However, both sides played tricks. Germany stated in the treaty that it could provide aid to France, but did not specify which France. In fact, most of the aid from Germany went to the French Republic in Africa.

France agreed to disarm the French regular army in the treaty, but the treaty only referred to the regular army. After a large number of people were disbanded from the army, some of them joined the police force, some joined the border guards, and many more became militiamen.

The treaty did not state that France could not retain militia forces, so a large number of regular army soldiers joined the militia, and some became instructors to train ordinary people. In fact, the actual armed force of France was the militia.

This led to an interesting situation: Germany prohibited the French regular army from equipping itself with a large number of heavy weapons, but as time went on, the French regular army, the Wehrmacht, gradually dwindled to only four divisions, with a total strength of less than 20,000 men, and they were all infantry.

For Germany, which had a standing army of nearly 300,000, this was indeed a strict adherence to the Treaty of Versailles.

However, the French militia numbered around 200,000, and the militia forces near the Franco-German border were equipped with tanks in addition to artillery.

Despite repeated protests from Germany, they maintained that these were not regular troops, but merely ordinary militia responsible for maintaining order in the city.

The Treaty of Versailles clearly outlines restrictions on the French army, yet they do not recognize the militia as a regular army.

Both countries exploited loopholes in the Treaty of Versailles, leading some to argue that it wasn't a peace at all, but merely a twenty-year truce.

The peace treaty was originally agreed upon, with both countries exploiting loopholes to their advantage, but the agreement remained a tattered facade. Now, for some reason, France decided to tear down the facade and publicly announce its rearmament.

Germany no longer wants war. After enjoying a comfortable life for so long, if another war were to break out, many people within the country would immediately rise up in opposition. The peaceful life has also calmed down the warlike Germanic people.

So why did the French Commune suddenly announce its rearmament? This has to do with their meeting a few days ago.

"Comrades, I believe my plan is sufficient to defeat the German army."

Flanivi took out a document from his briefcase and looked at everyone. "The Germans originally stipulated the demilitarization of the border areas in the Treaty of Versailles. Although this stipulation has been relaxed in recent years, if it provokes the German government, they will definitely react."

Flavini began to express his conjecture: "For a long time, the Germans would not actually launch an attack on us. They paid a huge price to win that war, and Germany did not want to shed blood a second time. Even if Wilhelm wanted to fight, the German people would not agree to his idea."

"We can take advantage of Germany's psychology. At least for now, Germany will definitely try its best to avoid war because their army is completely unprepared, while our soldiers, after so much training, are not much worse than the Germans."

"Faced with this situation, if war breaks out, Germany will definitely take the initiative to defend. At that time, it will be a matter of who can't hold on and launch an attack. Germany has a lot of advantages, so they will definitely keep defending. We will take advantage of this and make them defend well."

Flavini then pointed to the map, saying, "As I mentioned before, Germany built fortresses along the Franco-German border, but they didn't put in much effort. Let's make them bleed."

"These are some of my thoughts."

Flavini distributed the documents to the seated officers. “The Maginot Line Defense Plan? What is this?” Duclos looked at the report with some confusion.

"The Maginot Line was a defensive line built along the long Franco-German border from the Lorraine Plateau to Burgundy, and defensive operations were carried out along this line."

"Relying on this to fight the German army, isn't that the same as what Marshal Gamelin said? You can fix this, but you don't fix it properly, what do you mean by that?" Marshal Björth asked.

"This is the key point I want to make: strategic deception. This defensive line is just a facade. We can repair it, but we won't seriously repair it. We'll just do it for show because that's not the real purpose of our operation."

"Our real objective is not on the Franco-German border, but in Flanders Wallonia."

"In the next war, Germany's real goal will definitely be to completely destroy us, so they will be more inclined to a long war of attrition. We should pretend to cater to them and make it seem like we will be in a long standoff at the border again."

"But our real objective is to break through from Belgium?" Marshal Gammon asked.

“That’s right, we need to break through from Belgium and quickly penetrate into the heart of Germany.”

"But don't forget, Germany thought the same thing during the war. Their Schlieffen Plan was to break through Belgium and quickly defeat us, but they failed. Do you think they would let us break through the Belgian defenses so easily?"

Marshal Gamelin, having experienced this firsthand, held a pessimistic view of Flavini's strategy. He believed that this tactic was something Germany had already used before, and if it were actually implemented, Germany would know the French army's intentions immediately, which would have disastrous consequences.

Moreover, Flanders and Germany are now closely allied, and as far as he knows, many fortresses have been built along the border between the two countries, making it quite difficult to break through.

Others also expressed skepticism about Flavini's idea, arguing that it was a tactic Germany had already used before, and that people would know what he was thinking. Once they figured it out, the war would be over, and it was simply playing with the fate of the nation.

"Gentlemen, this strategy is indeed very similar to the Schlieffen Plan, but there are also differences. Aren't we researching a new type of weapon, the tank, in our country? We can use this weapon for offensive purposes."

Although Germany was the first country to develop tanks during the war, it did not continue to study tank tactics in depth after the war. They continued with the ideas from the war, focusing on infantry and using tanks to support them. Therefore, the German tank design philosophy was thick armor, slow speed, and powerful firepower.

Germany did not continue to explore other tank tactics, while the French Commune began a new research path for tank tactics.

While Germany prioritizes firepower and protection, France leans more towards speed. France's current main research focus is on transforming tanks into a rapid mobile force. However, they only aim to convert tanks into mobile forces and have not yet envisioned forming a large tank battle group.

French tank development prioritizes speed, sacrificing firepower and protection. Therefore, the main research direction is to form a mobile force centered around tanks. While Germany focuses on equipment revolving around infantry, France focuses on equipment revolving around tanks, with mobile artillery and mobile infantry, trying to find ways to make traditional infantry keep up with the speed of tanks.

"After a long period of observation, I discovered that although Germany built a large number of fortresses in the Flanders Walloon region, they overlooked one place, namely the Ardennes Forest. They set up almost no defensive positions there. This was a fatal oversight, enough to allow us to defeat Germany quickly."

"As long as we can get our tank-led mobile forces through here quickly, even if there are a certain number of German troops in Belgium, we can quickly encircle them with this mobile force. Once our tank forces break through to the Antwerp line, then only death awaits the Germans."

"Once the enemy forces in the encirclement are eliminated, we can move south along the Rhine River through this breakthrough and continue to encircle the soldiers on the Franco-German border. By then, Germany's strength will have been greatly weakened. Our troops will advance at an extremely fast pace, and I think we will be able to capture Berlin in less than a month."

Hearing Flavini's words, the generals in the armed forces fell silent. His idea was far too audacious. Putting aside everything else, could tanks even break through the Ardennes Forest? If they were surrounded there, the entire plan would be over before it even began.

"Gentlemen, I have been studying this plan for a long time, and I have been conducting exercises on this topic with our mobile forces recently. I believe this plan will lead us to success."

This is indeed the most effective method so far. Previous strategies almost all involved confronting Germany, and some even considered using Italy and Austria-Hungary as a route to wage war against Germany, which was too unrealistic.

This plan is highly feasible and makes good use of the tank mobility force that France is currently building. If a defensive line is built on the border, it will start an arms race between Germany and France, forcing them to invest a lot of money in building a useless fortress. Such a drain would be very beneficial to France.

After lengthy discussions within the armed forces' top ranks, most people agreed to the plan.

At a subsequent high-level government meeting, the French Commune announced its refusal to fulfill any of the demands of the Treaty of Versailles, declared the formal commencement of rearmament, and pledged to invest approximately five billion francs in building a fortress along the Franco-German border.

World tension +5

They sharpened their weapons and prepared for war, restoring military strength.

Chapter 119 Tractor Number One

"Heinz, have you read the newspaper?"

Model picked up his cup, blew on the still-hot coffee, and looked at Guderian beside him.

"Of course, it seems you're referring to things in France, right?"

How could he not know about something so important happening in France? However, there was one thing Guderian was curious about: why, after France made such a high-profile announcement of rearming, did it only build a defensive line on the border, just like Germany? What was the reason for this?

If France wanted to fight Germany, shouldn't it have been quietly building up its strength in secret? Why did it so publicly declare the abrogation of the Treaty of Versailles?

This peace treaty was a symbol of peace between the two countries back then. The war had already caused so many casualties. Tearing up the treaty would mean another war was about to break out. Is France really not afraid of the condemnation of world opinion?

"Walter, what do you think about France building a defensive line? They blatantly broke the agreement just to spend billions of francs to build a defensive line? I don't think it's necessary at all."

"Is rearming just to build a defensive line like this? The French really haven't learned any lessons from the war."

“That certainly raises suspicion.” Model took off his glasses and wiped them. “The French government also said they would expand their army by a million. They’re building defenses and expanding their army. They’re really more extravagant than Germany. Where does France get so much money?”

“If their government hasn’t gone mad yet, then there must be a problem here. After all, the French Commune is not like the previous republic. The current Commune has no colonies at all. After the war, it ceded territory and had to pay reparations to Germany. Now their Comintern has to go and aid a large number of countries. It’s impossible for them to complete such a huge task all at once.”

"The fact that he dared to publicly abolish the treaty shows that France knew Germany wouldn't dare to act. If they did, they must have been prepared. Heinz, let me ask you, if Germany were defeated, what preparations would they have made beforehand to openly announce the abrogation of the treaty?"

"What if Germany is defeated? This..."

Guderian hesitated for a moment. If Germany were defeated, it would likely face even more restrictions. The fact that Germany dared to so blatantly abolish the treaty could only mean one thing.

"If Germany dares to so blatantly abolish the treaty after its defeat, it must have been because Germany had already determined that Britain and France would not go to war with it, and had made sufficient preparations for the war beforehand."

Hearing what Guderian said, Model nodded and then began to analyze slowly, "The French Commune dared to so openly abolish the peace treaty, which must mean that it was certain that Germany would not easily start a war. After the last world war, no one wants to be the first to start a war now."

"Germany gained enough from that war, so it is the least willing to fight. Moreover, France's recent announcement of the abrogation of the Treaty of Versailles is also very interesting. It announced the formation of a million-strong army. Do you think that's possible?"

"Given the current state of the Commune, I feel that forming an army of two million is already the limit. How could it possibly reach eight million? With so many young and able-bodied men enlisting, who will run the factories and production? Everyone knows that war is impossible at this stage, at least not before the 1930s. France has absolutely no need to mobilize so many people."

Model believed that France was rearming its military because they had determined that Germany would not dare to attack prematurely. This led them to act so recklessly, completely disregarding the feelings of neighboring countries, and announcing the construction of a million-strong army as a form of deterrence against Germany.

“I feel more like this is a statement from France to Germany,” Guderian thought for a moment. “I think France is afraid of a preemptive German attack.”

“We are all in the military and we know the German army’s fighting capabilities. Although their fighting capabilities are not as strong as before, Germany has so many resources. If a war were to break out suddenly in the future, Germany would be the most likely to win.”

"It must be clear that France has more than just us as its enemies. The British navy is not what it used to be. If the British royal family in Canada and the German Emperor successfully negotiate and Britain is occupied, France will be the only one left on the European continent, facing enemies on three sides. France cannot possibly win."

"I think that publicly rearming now is a declaration to Germany. Previously, France was always an armed militia, and the Germans never knew how many armed forces France actually had. If they had intelligence that the French army outnumbered the German army, then even if Germany was unwilling to go to war, it would have to start targeting France."

"Now that France is preparing a regular army, the army that was previously operating in the shadows will be brought into the open, letting Germany know the true strength of France's defense. Germany will not initiate war unless absolutely necessary. If France maintains a level of military capability that Germany is satisfied with, Germany will absolutely not initiate a war."

"Moreover, the first step in France's rearmament is to spend billions to build a defensive line. This also fully demonstrates that France does not want to provoke Germany. It has kept the conflict within a controllable range. Now France can arm itself without being afraid of the Germans launching an offensive. They are waiting for the right time."

Model found Guderian's explanation reasonable; it made sense that after rearming, France did not provoke Germany further but instead appeared ready to confront Germany on the border.

This made Germany nervous, but also prevented him from having any wild thoughts, so that Germany would not attack France out of fear of being threatened.

“I didn’t expect France to be so thoughtful,” Model sighed. “This is more like a gesture of goodwill towards Germany. There won’t be a war now, but who knows what the future holds? Heinz, are you ready?”

"You mean the next war?" Guderian smiled. "Of course we're prepared. Didn't we each bring a student with us?"

"But, do you think the empire is ready? Or, on a smaller scale, the kingdom?"

Hearing this, Guderian hesitated again. "I came here because I saw His Highness's blueprints. His Highness said that the tanks from the Kingdom of the Rhine could be arranged for me."

"But I've also seen them, and the tanks in the kingdom are far from what I expected. I've been teaching at the academy since I arrived here, and I don't know when my tanks will be assigned to me."

Guderian looked at Model and said, "Walter, do you know what? I've taught a lot of armored officers at the school, and I've trained at least one tank regiment in the army. All that's missing are the tanks. I don't know when they'll be ready."

“I think His Highness is deliberately avoiding me. Look, he went to Darmstadt as soon as he came back, and then went abroad. I even suspect that His Highness Thorne is deliberately avoiding me.”

Seeing Guderian's worried expression, Model laughed. "Heinz, don't worry, His Highness wouldn't lie to you. Be patient. You're just too impatient. We've only been here a short time. You're making things too difficult for His Highness, aren't you? His Highness said he would give you a new type of tank, and he will definitely deliver it to you. Don't rush."

“I hope so,” Guderian said with a wry smile. “But let me tell you, His Highness has a really good eye. That Hannah is exceptionally talented. This young woman is even more impatient than I am. Although she is just a little girl, I bet that if she were to go to the battlefield, she would definitely become a marshal within two years.”

"The first female field marshal in German history? That's really remarkable. She'll probably become Germany's Joan of Arc. But compared to my student, she's probably still a bit lacking." Model also began to boast about his student, "Dudmann is only in his twenties now. I've almost finished teaching him. He will definitely become a shining star in German history in the future."

The two of them walked towards the academy's teaching area, laughing and teasing each other about their abilities.

France's war machine has begun to turn; is Germany ready?

The Supreme Command meeting continued, and the room was filled with heated arguments. Some advocated for an immediate war against France, arguing that such an action would severely provoke the dignity of the German Empire. Others opposed an immediate war, arguing that Germany was not ready and that even if it won, the cost would be enormous, and that the matter needed to be carefully considered.

"Your Majesty, I believe it is imperative to begin preparations for the next war, which is now inevitable."

At this moment, Field Marshal von Mackensen stood up, and the meeting room immediately fell silent. This old marshal was a hero of the great war, and everyone naturally shut up when he stood up.

"The commune has begun to rearm, but they haven't done anything except start building defenses on the border, which shows that their government is not prepared for war."

"The French government is not ready for war, and neither are we. The next war must completely destroy France, and we do not have that capability yet."

"France needs time, and Germany needs time too, but France must understand that time is on Germany's side. If things drag on, Germany will definitely gain the upper hand. So we must guard against a surprise attack from the Commune."

He began pointing to the Franco-German border, saying, "I think it is very necessary to discuss this matter with the Kingdom of the Rhine. The Kingdom of the Rhine has already demonstrated their strength in the last war, and France will definitely be very wary of them this time. If war breaks out, the Kingdom of the Rhine will definitely be the first to be attacked."

"The Rhineland army is a very important part of the German armed forces. They are facing the first attack from France. We must ensure that the Rhineland army can hold out as soon as possible in order to buy us time."

“My idea is to build a defensive line on the border between the Rhine and France to prevent a sudden attack from France. The Empire and the Rhine can build this line together, with the Empire contributing most of the funds. If the line is completed, we will have enough time to deal with a French attack. Once a stalemate is reached, it will be the end of France.”

William liked what he heard. Building a defensive line on the border, especially within the Rhineland, would mean that if the line was completed, the main battlefield would remain in the Kingdom of the Rhine, just like the great war, and the biggest losses would be suffered by them. If a stalemate could be formed there, it would also deplete the strength of the Kingdom of the Rhine.

Prussia will never surrender until the last drop of blood is shed in the Rhine. If the strength of the Kingdom of the Rhine can be weakened, then the entire German Empire will be under Prussia's control, and the Hohenzollern family will be able to completely control Germany.

“That is indeed the case.” Wilhelm II nodded in a perfunctory manner. “It is necessary to discuss this with the Kingdom of the Rhine. This is a war that concerns the entire German nation, and we must not afford to lose it.”

"Go and contact the Kingdom of the Rhine to see what they intend to do. At the same time, we must also begin preparations. We haven't been very involved in Africa and Eastern Europe before, but now we are about to face a major war. Germany must be fully prepared. We should also inform our friends in Africa and Eastern Europe to get together."

With a single sentence from Kaiser Wilhelm, the gears of war in Germany were about to begin to turn.

The gears of war have begun to turn, but now a few people are looking at the turning gears with a puzzled expression.

"Is this the agricultural tractor His Highness Thorne was talking about?"

Several engineers circled the large metal contraption in front of them, wondering what kind of family could afford such a tractor.

Thorne has never forgotten Guderian's long-cherished dream of tanks, but what year is it now? It's a bit absurd to pull out a Panzer IV and a T-34 now.

Armored tactics are still largely theoretical in most countries, or not even a concept at all. The French Commune was probably the only country that seriously studied new tactics using tanks.

The maturation of tank tactics requires a long period of training and exploration. We are still in the nascent stage. It is obviously unnecessary to spend energy studying equipment that will be available decades from now. We should at least be familiar with it before equipping it.

What Thorne needs now is a light tank that can be used for training, to train the armored forces' capabilities. After much thought, he decided to first develop the German Panzer I tank.

Because the original Panzer I tank was a training vehicle used by the German army when it was developing a new generation of armored combat and technical tactics, it continues to serve its purpose in the world as a classic tank.

In that timeline, Germany also began developing the Panzer I tank in the early 1930s. At that time, Germany was also subject to sanctions and restrictions in many ways. However, Germany in this timeline was not subject to sanctions in the post-war military field, so the finished product of its research in the 1920s should not be much worse than that of the earlier ones.

Besides, the Panzer I was developed by Germany through trial and error and underwent a long period of upgrades and modifications. Thorne had won over the time traveler, so he could definitely avoid these problems and go straight to the most complete version.

Moreover, he doesn't need to spend time on design; he has the blueprints, although they aren't complete. But with some research and discussion from the experts, these minor issues should be solvable.