Book Synopsis
Book Tags
Donation Rankings
Comment
0 Comments
You May Also Like
墨書 Inktalez
On a stretched Lincoln car, Strasser leisurely stretched and asked General Ludendorff beside him, "I thought we weren't due for the banquet yet. Why are we early?"
"Naturally, Hindenburg's actions made me feel it was necessary to speed things up."
Ludendorff looked at the lieutenant in front of him and said, "I had to put in a lot of effort to bring you a big shot this time, so you must seize this opportunity." Strasser knew that he finally had a chance to get involved with the National Defense Forces. Previously, whether it was Rom's stormtroopers or the special operations team he had formed, they were merely militia organizations.
Although there are many people, they can only engage in street brawls and assassination activities. If it came to a real fight, they would probably be no match for even a single regiment of regular troops. Even though historically, the Rom had developed their stormtroopers to a maximum of two million, they would still be utterly defeated by a hundred thousand National Defense Forces.
"Who could it be?"
Strasser began racking his brain to recall those famous German generals and influential figures within the National Defense Forces throughout history. After all, there were only a few who could rival Field Marshal Hindenburg.
Soon, they arrived at their destination—the Waldorf Astoria Hotel. The doorman at the entrance immediately opened the car door and respectfully invited Ludendorff and Strasser to the private room on the second floor. Strasser was somewhat amazed by the luxurious decor; he opened a bottle of red wine and sat down. It seemed he had underestimated the influence of the Juncker nobility in Germany. Even though the Juncker nobility had declined, they still held significant power in Germany, much like a centipede that, though dead, does not stiffen.
"Are you not bringing your subordinates with you? Lieutenant, I remember you have a short one named Goebbels. I've heard his speeches; they are very persuasive. You know, convincing those Juncker nobility is not an easy task," Ludendorff asked.
Strasser found it somewhat amusing. Fortunately, Goebbels was not here; if he heard Ludendorff call him short, he would probably draw his pistol and challenge the general to a duel.
"I've arranged for them to make some small preparations. I will let those Juncker nobility know that my support within the party is greater than Hitler's."
Nightfall is approaching, but the streets of Berlin are still brightly lit. A long line of cars is forming outside the Waldorf Astoria Hotel, a rare sight in 1920s Germany. However, outside the hotel, there is orderliness. The street is filled with members of the National Socialist Party, dressed in uniform brown attire, stationed at regular intervals to clear the street of unrelated individuals. These party members are the handiwork of Goebbels, who believes it is necessary for the aristocrats to see the influence of the National Socialist Party in Berlin in order to gain their support.
Currently, the effect is good. These party members wearing uniform have left a deep impression on Juncker nobility.
"Grandpa, what are these people outside doing?"
In a Germany-branded vintage car, 19-year-old Anna von Sievers asked curiously. This was her first time attending a banquet, and her two small hands were placed neatly on her skirt, looking a bit constrained and excited.
"That's the hotel's waiter. Don't run around later, Anna, or I won't take you out next time," Seeckt said sternly.
She was his only granddaughter. Anna's father died on the front lines of World War I, and her mother, upon hearing the news, passed away prematurely from grief and indignation. Therefore, Seeckt doted on his granddaughter exceptionally. This time, he even broke his usual routine to bring her to this banquet.
Anna stuck out her tongue, made a casual sound of agreement, and looked out the window.
"Welcome, welcome! Your arrival brings great honor to us, General Siket."
Strasser, who was greeting the guests at the door, was somewhat surprised. He did not expect Ludendorff to really invest so much this time by inviting Johannes Friedrich Leo von General Siket, the current Commander-in-Chief of the National Defense Forces. He is a central figure in reorganizing the German Army and the founder of the hundred-thousand National Defense Forces plan.
"Lieutenant, Ludendorff told me you are a very ambitious young man. He has high hopes for you, so I hope you can show me something different," Seeckt maintained the cautious demeanor typical of German soldiers.
"That's natural. Who is this person beside you?" Strasser looked at the young and dignified German girl hiding behind Seeckt with some confusion; he remembered that historically, Seeckt had no distant relatives by his side. "My granddaughter, Anna von Sievers."
"Nice to meet you, Mr. Gregor."
Anna lifted her skirt and curtsied, a gesture so characteristic of aristocracy that it nearly made Goebbels, who was beside Strasser, laugh out loud.
"Ahem!" Ludendorff cleared his throat deliberately.
“Goebbels, take Miss Anna upstairs for a stroll. Make sure to take good care of her and treat her with the same respect you show me, understood?”
“Yes, Führer.” Goebbels immediately complied.
“Please follow me, esteemed Miss Anna.” The latter happily followed Goebbels out of the hall, and before leaving, Anna turned back to smile at Strasser. At that moment, Strasser had not yet become the overweight figure he would later be known as; he still embodied the image of a classic German handsome man, which was quite appealing to innocent young girls.
"Is this the Goebbels under your command? Truly, one cannot judge a person by their appearance; I never expected such an unremarkable individual to be your propaganda master." Ludendorff remarked with some emotion. Strasser responded with a smile.
"Let's get straight to the point," the impatient Seeckt stated as the group entered the hotel room.
"Let me see how you differ from those politicians in Germany."
"If I say that once I become the Chancellor of Germany, Germany must expand its military and tear up the Treaty of Versailles, then General, you would certainly not be surprised."
Seeckt nodded slightly; tearing up the Treaty of Versailles was a necessity that had become a consensus within the National Defense Forces. Many politicians had advocated for this point, so what Strasser said was not new to him.
"However, when it comes to tearing up the Treaty of Versailles, I have a different view. I think we should unite with the Soviet Union in the east."
"Oh, tell me more about your idea," Seeckt became interested.
"As is well known, after the end of the European war, both Germany and Russia were excluded from the Versailles system and were isolated by the Anglo-French alliance. At that time, Germany and the Soviet Union had military cooperation. The Rapallo Treaty signed in 1922 eased the Soviet-German relations, and we began to test our tanks and planes with the help of the Soviet Union."
"How did you know?" Ludendorff beside him had already changed his expression.
"Go on," Seeckt said expressionlessly. Although the classified information Strasser was sharing was something he shouldn't know, he still intended to hear what Strasser had to say.
"Since the Anglo-French are restricting Germany's armament, and we have had cooperation with the Soviet Union, we can completely continue to leverage the Soviet Union to bypass the Treaty of Versailles and secretly develop our own military capabilities."
"Then what? Do you want to ally with the Soviet Union to go to war against the Anglo-French? What can those Russians, who were utterly defeated by us in the European War and were beaten badly by Pilsudski during the Soviet-Polish War, do to help us? We would still have to face the British, the French, and even the Americans on our own." Seeckt clearly did not believe that the Soviet Union's army could provide any assistance to Germany.
Strasser knew that these two generals underestimated the combat strength of the Soviet Union due to their experiences in World War I, and indeed, the Soviet Union currently had little military power. Therefore, he shifted his analysis in a different direction.
"Setting aside the military strength of the Russians for now, the Soviet Union can provide us with a vast amount of resources: grain from Ukraine, minerals from Donetsk, and oil from Baku. With these resources, even relying solely on Germany, we could defeat the Anglo-French."
"Youth, are you sure you're not talking nonsense? Relying solely on Germany to fight the Anglo-French, the outcome has already been demonstrated in 1918," Seeckt said with some skepticism.
"General, the model of future warfare has changed. Please give me a chance to prove it; I will show you that Germany alone can defeat the Anglo-French."
Seeckt studied Strasser for a long time and ultimately decided to give this confident lieutenant an opportunity.
"Three days later, we have a military simulation game at the General Staff of the Army. You can prove your point there. You are not a military professional, I can assign a few staff members to help you familiarize yourself with military chess exercises in advance."
"General, I don't need the General Staff of the Army's staff, I need you to find a few people from the National Defense Forces to assist me."
Seeckt was somewhat surprised.
"Are you sure? The staff of the General Staff of the Army are the most professional in Germany. Although the soldiers of the National Defense Forces are elite, they definitely cannot compare to their capabilities." However, seeing Strasser's confident gaze, he compromised, "Alright, I agree. I hope you can show me something different." "I want Erwin Rommel, Fedor von Bock, Gerd von Rundstedt, and Kurt Student."
Strasser was waiting for Seeckt's words; he had summoned all the famous generals of Germany that he remembered under Seeckt's command.
"Ludendorff, you take care of this matter," Seeckt inquired.
"Sure, I'll arrange it tomorrow. No, I'll take care of it right after the banquet," Ludendorff shot a fierce glare at Strasser, indicating that he had done everything he could. If this lieutenant disappointed him, he would make him pay for it. He didn't think this lieutenant had any special military talent; in fact, Strasser really didn't have any. However, he did possess ideas that were fifty years ahead of his time.
"Well, I will go to the lower hall with Ludendorff to chat with the aristocrats. You can accompany my granddaughter for a stroll or do something else if you prefer." Seeckt shook his wine glass, indicating for Strasser to feel free.
Comment 0 Comment Count