German Red Prince

Page 8

However, I heard that a lot of people will be coming that day, and it is said that Wilhelm II will also be coming to observe.

Thorne scratched his head. This Wilhelm II was just like Chiang Kai-shek. Both considered themselves military geniuses and liked to interfere in the decisions of their subordinates.

They made up things like issuing airdrop orders and moving machine gun positions five centimeters to the left.

Schlieffen's original plan was disrupted by his intervention, causing delays for the entire army and ultimately leading to the plan's failure.

During the Battle of Verdun, he insisted on interfering again, refusing to come to the front lines to command. Ludendorff and Hindenburg, who had received advance notice, were so angry that they hung up the phone and cursed him.

Based on their understanding, if the German Emperor were to come and take command, the already low chances of winning would become even smaller.

Ludendorff and Hindenburg hoped to end the battle before the Kaiser arrived, which led to Frank's ten death charges, and they finally broke through Verdun before the Kaiser's arrival.

According to their recollections afterward, because of the Kaiser's actions, they suffered at least 200,000 casualties, all of which could have been avoided.

It's no wonder that after the war, the two thought of undermining the German Emperor, after all, he was an unreliable figure.

It can be said that Germany's achievements today have little to do with him; he simply happened to be born in this era.

Thorne now needs to do one more thing: visit someone.

"Lieutenant Colonel, someone is looking for you." The secretary pushed open the door and came in.

"I don't recall having any guests today. Who came to see me?" the lieutenant colonel asked, puzzled.

“It is Prince Thorne of the Kingdom of Rhine,” the secretary replied.

Thorne was led to the door and politely knocked.

"Please come in."

Upon entering the room, Thorne bowed respectfully.

"Hello, Lieutenant Colonel Guderian."

Chapter Ten: Armor Theory

Guderian had recently encountered a lot of troubles. In 1922, he was transferred to the Transport Corps Inspectorate of the Ministry of Defense, where he served as a staff officer.

Through long-term practical work, he deeply felt the power of motorization and realized that the future mode of warfare would inevitably undergo earth-shattering changes.

So he began his research on the tank, a new type of weapon. During his four years in office, he also studied the works of Liddell Hart and others, and began to conceive of the operational theory and feasibility of tanks and armored forces.

To Guderian’s great unease, he unexpectedly acquired a rare copy from France, titled “Attention, Tanks!”

Although the book was incomplete, Guderian was already terrified after reading it.

The author of this book has a very thorough understanding of armored warfare, which shows that some people in France have begun to pay attention to the role of tanks.

He then went to Munich to intern at the 7th Motorized Transport Battalion. Upon returning to Berlin, he reported his experiences to General Chischwitz.

Although the Ministry of Transport recognizes the concept of motorization and mobility, it still limits it to transportation and transfer speed.

Therefore, Guderian's assigned task was merely to study various issues related to motorized transportation, rather than how to utilize it effectively on the battlefield, as he had hoped.

Guderian was forced to desperately search for a solution. After studying motorized vehicle transport, he realized the potential and value of motorized forces. This allowed him to refine his theories more and more thoroughly.

However, what struck him most was that when he accompanied the Inspector General of Transport, Natzmer, to observe a military exercise, he suggested to the Inspector General that an armored force be formed. The Inspector General replied rudely, "Damn it, what kind of combat force is this! They are only fit to be mules for the army in the rear!"

This greatly disappointed Guderian at the time, and he even considered giving up.

His armored vehicle dream seemed destined to shatter, never to become a reality.

"Lieutenant Colonel Guderian, do you think we'll still see cavalry charges in future wars? I believe future wars will be dominated by motorization and mechanization, and tanks will become the kings of land warfare!"

Seeing Guderian in a daze, Thorne continued, "I have some theories that are not yet fully developed that I would like to discuss with you. I believe that tanks should not be appendages of cavalry or infantry. They should not be dismantled and scattered in various military camps, but rather brought together to become an iron fist on the battlefield."

As Thorne finished speaking, Guderian's eyes lit up.

Guderian's theories are constantly being supplemented and improved, and there are still many immature and insufficient aspects that need to be polished over time.

Thorne's words gave him a lot of inspiration and hints. His mind was suddenly opened up, the mystery was solved, and he was quite excited.

Yes, that's right. Guderian really wanted to go up and hug Thorne.

Since the victory in World War II, Germany's military theoretical education has seen almost no reform. Drills and exercises have consistently adhered to traditional manuals, with virtually no progress.

His articles published in the Army magazine did not generate much of a response, and his letters to the War Department all went unanswered.

Many high-ranking generals have publicly expressed their distrust of tanks.

They believed that these slow-moving, high-failure-rate behemoths would only become easy targets for artillery on the battlefield, and could not be compared with highly mobile cavalry.

Cavalry will not disappear from the stage of history, and tanks will never become the main protagonist of war. Their consensus is the consensus of the War Ministry and the consensus of the entire German Army.

Tanks cannot become the primary offensive weapon!

Seeing that Guderian was interested, Thorne thought there was a chance and continued, "In future wars, we should make full use of the speed advantage of airplanes and tanks to defeat the enemy through surprise attacks. First, we should use airplanes to bombard the communication centers of the enemy's important strategic facilities, destroy the enemy's planes at the airfields, gain air superiority, and paralyze the enemy's command system."

"I believe that future wars will be a combination of surprise attacks and rapid strikes, striking the enemy like lightning! This will demoralize the enemy under the sudden threat, causing them to collapse immediately after the first major blow!"

"In the future, time will be the army, time will be victory, and gaining time and seizing space will be important aspects of military confrontation. A powerful strategy combining appropriate timing, unexpected main attack locations, deception, and new tank tactics will crush the enemy like lightning, so I call it the Blitzkrieg theory."

A new door opened, and Guderian felt as if he had entered a new world.

However, the light in his eyes dimmed again.

"Your Highness, is this all the way you've come to say? It's no use telling me. You should talk to those people in the Army Ministry."

Thorne shook his head. "No, no, no, my dear Lieutenant Colonel Guderian, don't you think the stage here is too small? Do you think your talents can be fully utilized here? Would you like to stay in this place for the rest of your life?"

After listening to Thorne's words, Guderian sized up the young man in front of him.

"Your Highness, what do you mean?"

“The stage here is too small; it’s impossible for you to unleash your full potential. Come with me to the Rhine,” Thorne said, revealing the purpose of his visit.

"Go to the Rhine with you?"

Guderian hesitated. As a lieutenant colonel in the Imperial Transport Service, would going to the Rhine be too...?

Thorne noticed his hesitation and continued, "Do you really think your rank will only reach lieutenant colonel? Don't you want to show off your skills?"

"If you come to the Rhine, I guarantee that no one will disturb your research, and you can also call upon the armored forces of the Kingdom of the Rhine at any time."

"The Kingdom of Rhine has countless brave soldiers who have crawled out of mountains of corpses and seas of blood from the great war. You can call them at any time, and I guarantee they will obey your orders."

Guderian gave a wry smile. If he wanted to go to the Kingdom of the Rhine, he would have to apply for retirement. The Empire did not allow officers and soldiers to be transferred arbitrarily between kingdoms.

The army also despised this behavior, believing it violated a soldier's beliefs and tarnished the loyalty that soldiers are proud of.

As a member of a military family, Guderian would have to retire from the military if he wanted to join the Kingdom of the Rhine. Applying for retirement was already humiliating enough; to transfer his military status would be an even greater disgrace.

Thorne saw Guderian's concerns. "Don't worry, Lieutenant Colonel. No one will know about your change of nationality. We will keep it strictly confidential, and no one will care."

His biggest obstacle right now is his own mental one. Thorne pulled out his ultimate weapon and placed it on Guderian's table.

"I hope you'll think about it after reading this." With that, he left.

Guderian looked at the table.

"Armored Warfare, by Nicholas von Thorne?"

There's also a blueprint; if a time traveler were nearby, they would definitely recognize it as the famous Panzer IV tank.

Thorne laughed as he stepped outside. "You little brat, I don't believe I can't take you down." Thinking that he would eventually defeat the future Armor Master, Thorne couldn't help but dance with joy.

"Newspapers for sale! Newspapers for sale! Major event in East Asia! Major event in East Asia! The German Far East has been damaged, and the Reich will respond! Newspapers for sale! Newspapers for sale!"

Hearing the newsboy's words, Thorne's heart skipped a beat. After all, this was different from his timeline, and he couldn't know what the future would hold.

After buying a newspaper, Thorne quickly began to read it, and saw several lines of large characters written on it.

"Shocking!! The Yangtze River Incident!!! The East Asian Revolutionary Government Army has brazenly shelled our Imperial Navy. In German East Asia, the German office in Qingdao has begun emergency mobilization!"

East Asian Past

Chapter Eleven: The Revolution in Guangdong

"Marshal! Marshal!"

Sun Chuanfang, who was resting inside, was startled awake. "Damn it, which idiot is he!" Seeing that it was still dark outside, he couldn't help but curse.

"Commander! Commander!" The bodyguard pounded on the door. "Open the door, Commander! Something's happened!"

Sun Chuanfang, thoroughly annoyed, threw on his clothes, got out of bed, opened the door, and kicked the soldier down the steps. "What are you yelling about in the middle of the night? Have the revolutionaries rebelled?"

The soldier who had been kicked down ignored the pain and quickly got up.

"General! Sun Yat-sen is dead!"

"What did you say? Dead? Where did you hear that?"

Sun Chuanfang was clearly shocked at this moment. Without thinking, he immediately ran down the steps, staring wide-eyed at the soldier.

"How did you know? Is he really dead?"

"General, it's absolutely true! Our brothers in Guangdong sent it overnight; Sun Yat-sen is indeed dead!"

"Hahaha, good! Good!" He plopped down on the ground and burst into laughter.

"Great, great! There's a reward, a very big reward! Go and collect three hundred silver dollars! I'll go and find you a wife!"

"Thank you, Commander!" The guards excitedly withdrew.

Sun Chuanfang sat alone in the courtyard, looking at the stars in the sky. After a long while, he stood up, put on his clothes, and muttered to himself.

"It's time for a change of events."

Eight Provinces - Guangzhou

Sun Yat-sen lay on his sickbed, determined to dedicate his life to building a democratic and free republic, but at this moment he was completely defeated by illness.

The pain of the disease made him look haggard, but what bothered him most was this divided and fragmented country.

Sun Yat-sen couldn't help but sigh when he thought of the people still living in dire straits.

Looking at the group of high-ranking revolutionaries in the room, Sun Yat-sen, despite his serious illness, sat up.

"Comrades," he said, leaning weakly against the cushion with a smile.

"It seems I'm not up to it. From now on, you must unite and work hard to build a democratic and powerful country as soon as possible."

The group remained silent, their faces filled with sorrow.

He tried to reach out again, but he had no strength left.

"Peace...Struggle...Save...Save China."

At 9:30 a.m. on March 12, 1925, Dr. Sun Yat-sen, a great man of his generation, the founder of the Guangdong Revolutionary Government, and the great pioneer of the Chinese Revolution, passed away at the age of 59.

Liao Zhongkai succeeded him as the General Committee Member of the Guangzhou Revolutionary Government.

The following day, Sun Chuanfang, the governor of eight provinces, lowered the flag to half-mast and sent a telegram of condolence. He stated that Mr. Sun's death was a major blow to the cause of democracy and freedom in China and praised him as a pioneer of the Chinese revolution.

Following this, Jiangsu, Zhejiang, Fujian, Jiangxi, Anhui, Hunan, and Guangxi also sent telegrams expressing their condolences and paying high tribute to Mr. Sun.

In the early hours of April 12, a group of armed "workers" suddenly attacked the Zhejiang Revolutionary Government branch, resulting in the deaths of approximately 30 innocent civilians. The conflict quickly escalated and its impact continued to expand.

Sun Chuanfang published an article expressing his doubts about the prestige of the revolutionary government. The "Eight Provinces Communiqué" pointed out that if the revolutionary government could not guide the workers' movement correctly and effectively, then its legitimacy was questionable.

The Political Movement Observer went further, criticizing the revolutionary government as a violent organization that seriously threatened the stability of the eight provinces. It stated that "abolishing the revolutionary government would bring lasting peace to the eight provinces."

On the 13th, Sun Chuanfang issued an investigation order, confiscating firearms from revolutionary governments in various regions and arresting a large number of revolutionaries within the provincial army.

The Hangzhou Revolutionary Government branch refused to surrender its weapons, prompting workers and students to organize a demonstration. Clashes ensued with the 26th Army of the Allied Provinces, resulting in over 500 casualties.

On the evening of the 13th, the United Provinces issued a notice: the legal status of the Guangdong Revolutionary Government was revoked, and all provincial revolutionary governments were listed as illegal organizations.

The April 12 Incident marked the formal break between the United Provinces and Guangdong, just one month after Mr. Sun Yat-sen's death.

"Everyone, let's say something," Liao Zhongkai broke the silence in the conference room.

The revolutionary governments in Nanchang, Changsha, Hefei, and Nanjing successively lost contact. At this critical juncture, the revolutionary army faced a life-or-death situation, and this meeting determined whether the revolutionary achievements of Mr. Sun Yat-sen's lifelong struggle would vanish like a bubble.

"Damn it, that son of a bitch Sun Chuanfang! We're such cowards! Let's fuck him!" Chiang Kai-shek, sitting to the side, slammed his fist on the table and shouted.

"Fight! Fight! Fight! We should have said we were going to fight sooner. Why have we dragged this out for so long! An accident? What accident? The branch is about to be completely lost! Is this still an accident?"

As Chiang Kai-shek watched more and more branches being shut down and the fruits of the revolution jeopardized, he, who considered himself "Sun Yat-sen's prized student," was the first to panic.

"I agree with Chiang Kai-shek. I think it's time to take action." At this point, Wang Jingwei also spoke.