Germany does not seek survival

"Company commanders and higher-ranking commanders must constantly monitor soldiers on foot, horses and riders, drivers, and vehicles. They are responsible for ensuring prompt assistance to men and horses and providing competent care during rest periods and in bivouacs. Properly timed alternation between trotting, walking, and long treks effectively reduces losses of livestock due to stress..."

"What's the point of a breakaway offense?"

"The key is to take the enemy by surprise, to deploy the breakthrough force in a sector that is most suitable for the penetration of the assaulting infantry into the enemy's territory, and to have a strong offensive force after the breakthrough. The attack must be launched along a wider front than the expected breakthrough section, so as to tie down the enemy on both sides of the breakthrough point. In addition, the attackers must also tie down forces in other sections of the enemy's defenses. A wider breakthrough section will form a deeper penetration wedge. Reserves must be brought in to repel enemy counterattacks on the flanks of the breakthrough force..."

Faust was amazed by Paulus's professionalism in military knowledge. Faust's own memory was already exaggerated, but that was because Faust was by no means an ordinary person. As a normal human being, Paulus had a memory that was no less than Faust's. He could recite all kinds of manuals, regulations, and rules of the German army by heart, which was very exaggerated.

No matter what questions Faust asked, Paulus answered them fluently. When he asked the last question, Faust could not help but sigh: "Captain Paulus is really a genius. This is the first time I have seen someone with such a good memory. With your ability, you are definitely more than qualified to be an operational staff officer in the General Staff."

Paulus smiled wryly and said, "Being a good combat staff officer is not that easy. My colleagues have been exposed to this field since childhood and have been immersed in it for many years. When I was a law student at the University of Munich, they had already mastered all the essentials of staff work under the guidance of their parents."

Faust was a little surprised. "Captain Paulus, are you also a student at the University of Munich? I am the same. I study history at the University of Munich."

Paulus shook hands with Faust and said, "I applied to the military academy, but was rejected because I didn't have Junker blood. I failed the exam and had to study at the University of Munich instead."

Paulus's background is actually very similar to Rommel's. Both came from ordinary civilian families and had no prominent aristocratic or military family background. It was entirely due to his personal intelligence and talent that he was able to become a combat staff officer, which was monopolized by the Junker aristocracy.

Faust's heart was moved, and he said with a smile, "Captain Paulus, are you not satisfied with your current position? In fact, with your professional ability, you should definitely go somewhere where you can better utilize your talents and have more opportunities to make achievements."

Paulus shook his head: "If there really is such a position, how could it be the turn of a civilian officer like me?"

Faust saw the lack of confidence in Paulus's character, and seemed to understand why Paulus in Stalingrad was so timid and unable to firmly refuse the mustache man's order to prohibit the breakout.

Faust knew very well that the national conditions of Germany and Russia were completely different. The Tsarist Russian army was extremely corrupt, so the Red Army temporarily organized by Lenin could defeat the White Army. However, at this point in time, the German army was definitely the world's strongest army. If such an elite force wanted to temporarily organize workers' armed forces outside, it would not be a match for the German army.

If we want to achieve the success of the German revolution and avoid the disastrous consequences of Weimar and the Nazis, there is only one way, that is to adopt the method of the Xinhai Revolution, use entrenchment, infiltrate the German army, develop a revolutionary party within the German army, and finally instigate the revolutionary-leaning troops in the German army to revolt.

For hundreds of years, the Junker aristocracy built the German army into a closed iron empire, which was extremely difficult for revolutionaries to infiltrate.

However, during World War I, the German army expanded by millions, and the number of Junker nobles was limited, so they had to absorb a large number of civilians into the officer class.

These civilian officers, like Rommel and Paulus, were generally suppressed and excluded by the Junker aristocracy in the middle-level army. The situation was really similar to that of the New Army of the Xinhai Revolution.

The New Army was excluded by the Eight Banners, and the civilian officers of the German Army were excluded by the Junkers. However, because Germany had a training system created by Scharnhorst and Moltke the Elder, the Junker aristocracy who monopolized military education resources were definitely much better than the Eight Banners in the late Qing Dynasty.

But these two do have some similarities in essence.

These commonalities are the foundation of the German military revolution.

Faust now had a comprehensive plan for the development of the National Socialist Party within the German army.

At the soldier level, Faust uses his reputation as a war hero and his poor family background to unite the conscripted soldiers from among the workers and peasants;

At the officer level, Faust would attract civilian officers like Rommel and Paulus by offering broader channels for advancement and expressing his hatred for the aristocratic families.

Civilian officers have clean family backgrounds and almost no connection with the traditional forces of the German army. At the same time, the fact that they can become officers despite having an unfavorable background also shows that these people themselves have good abilities and character.

Faust wanted to break free from the many shackles of the old empire and wanted to build his own German revolutionary army in the future. He certainly couldn't do it alone. If he wanted to train a group of new officers from scratch, he would definitely be no match for the shrewd and brave Junker nobles.

The German Emperor's Army was not the Qing Army or the Beiyang Army of the late Qing Dynasty, or the KMT new warlords of old China, nor was it the White Army of Tsarist Russia. Such an elite German army, relying solely on the Workers' and Peasants' Red Army formed from scratch, would probably be easily destroyed by the German army in the initial stage of the uprising, and there would be no room for upgrading and development.

Faust understood that in order to form a revolutionary army in Germany that was capable of fighting, he had to be strategic.

Chapter 23 Losers

Faust looked at Paulus with a smile, his eyes full of tender concern:

"Captain Paulus, His Royal Highness Crown Prince Rupprecht has decided to form a new type of Jäger corps. This unit will undoubtedly become the Empire's top ace. I can find a way to convince the Crown Prince and Lieutenant General Claus, who is in charge of this project, to transfer you to the new Jäger battalion."

Faust is handsome, has a graceful manner and is very friendly. Not only German women who value men's appearance, but even ordinary men are likely to have a good impression of Faust.

Because of Paulus' family background and his timid personality, even though he had strong professional skills, he was still discriminated against in the German army and looked down upon by the arrogant Junker nobles.

If it were someone else, it might not be easy to be moved by Faust so quickly, but people like Paulus lack the attention of others, and a little bit of attention can win Paulus' gratitude.

Paulus' eyes flickered as he looked at Faust carefully for a long time. Faust remained calm and just kept smiling with a look of concern on his face.

Paulus didn't know he was about to board Faust's pirate ship. He was only slightly moved by Faust's proposal and said sincerely:

"This is definitely a great opportunity. Not only can I join the new pilot unit, but just having His Royal Highness see my name is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. However, we don't have a particularly close relationship, so I wouldn't ask you to go to His Royal Highness and secure this opportunity for me."

Faust said calmly, "We are all classmates at the University of Munich, Senior Paulus! You are also my instructor. The friendship between classmates and teachers is not enough? We, the students of the University of Munich, should unite in the army and help each other. No one will suffer any loss."

Paulus weighed his words carefully, his expression becoming increasingly serious. "It's rare that you're willing to help me. It's just that the matter His Royal Highness is concerned about is related to some high-level personnel struggles. His Royal Highness and Prince William don't have a good relationship. They're also fighting for limited military train cars and logistical supplies on the Western Front. We're just minor players, so we should be mindful of this and avoid getting involved."

These words were truly insightful and heartfelt. The relationship between Faust and Paulus suddenly became much closer. Faust also spoke to Paulus in the carriage:

"Please rest assured. We only handle military matters. As for the struggles at the army and army group levels, honestly, they're too advanced to involve us anytime soon. Furthermore, if the Crown Prince loses in the high-level struggle, it won't be a short-term event. At least during this period, we can live better. I promise you, I'll find a way to transfer you to the New Jäger Battalion. Ideally, Captain Paulus will become its Infantry Division Operations Staff Officer."

Faust's words made Paulus feel that he was frank and sincere. Paulus clenched his hands, thought nervously for a moment, and then said, "I believe you. If this can be done successfully, no matter what problems you encounter in the future, Mr. Faust, I will support you."

To put it bluntly, a person with a personality like Paulus is the kind of person who is easily bullied in the workplace. In addition, Paulus is so outstanding in his business ability. Such a person is simply a natural scapegoat.

Faust smiled and said, "God is the witness of our friendship. It is a promise, Captain Paulus."

Faust has no intention of bringing Paulus into the National Socialist Party yet. With Paulus's temperament, you can't expect him to have much courage and bravery, but at the same time, with Paulus's temperament, once he is coerced, he will have no resistance at all.

As they were talking, the carriage had already arrived in Liège. There was a hill on the outskirts of the city, with a majestic iron lion on top. Faust originally thought it was a sculpture commemorating the German army's capture of the Liège fortress. Paulus explained:

"The soil for the hill was taken entirely from the battlefield of Waterloo. During the Napoleonic Wars, Napoleon promised Liège autonomy, so the people of Liège supported him. After the French army was defeated at Waterloo, the Allies punished the people of Liège by forcing their women to carry soil to build the hill as punitive labor."

There is an inscription under the iron lion commemorating Waterloo. Faust walked up and read it. It was a short poem written by the Belgian poet Guido Herzle.

"The wheat waves whisper,

Bending his waist and sighing...

They are all souls of the dead,

Still breathing in the wind."

Faust commented: "Look at this poem. The Belgians do not hate the French, nor do they hate the British. War has become history, and history has become poetry without any distinction between justice, evil, right or wrong."

Paulus, also a highly cultured law student at the University of Munich, said: "Aristotle said that poetry is more real and universal than history. The ruins of the Waterloo battlefield were originally controlled by the victors, but strangely, almost all tourists venerate the loser on the white horse. I asked some Belgian prisoners, and they only knew Napoleon, not Wellington."

Faust said, "As time passes, the bloody smell of war will gradually fade. Future generations will only remember the comparison of wills, the competition of wisdom, and the clash of personalities. Victory and defeat will also be relegated to a very secondary position."

Napoleon's deeds are indeed more legendary than Wellington's. Even a solitary horse at sunset, a lone roar in the wilderness, is shrouded in tragic beauty. The aesthetic psychology curve is a long parabola, starting with a remarkable, singular and powerful presence. People have long admired Napoleon, especially his legendary journey from exile to Paris to reclaim the throne, which even those who dislike him can marvel at.

Waterloo was just the end of that beautiful journey. Although Wellington won, there was only a point but no line. Who has such good eyesight to pay attention to a lonely point? Therefore, it is no wonder that the Belgians do not understand Wellington’s victory but are familiar with Napoleon’s failure.

The city of Liege is located near the Meuse River, which runs through Belgium. The city itself has no fortifications, but there are 12 modern fortresses nearby, which are arranged in a circle around the city, 7 to 8 kilometers away from the city center.

These fortresses have a total of more than 400 cannons, which are protected by reinforced concrete turrets and armored turrets. They can withstand heavy artillery bombardments of most calibers, even the 210mm heavy howitzers equipped by the German army group.

Three years ago, in order to capture the Liege fortress, the German army specially prepared a 420mm caliber railway gun named "Big Beta".

Even with the use of these heavy artillery, and the fact that the commander of the German attack on the Liege fortress was Ludendorff, the most capable genius in the German army during World War I, it still took the German army more than a week to capture Liege.

Paulus said: "As far as I know, before the war the General Staff believed that Belgium would surrender without a fight if the war broke out, so they did not make sufficient preparations at all. As a result, our army was stuck in Belgium for a week and missed the window of opportunity to attack France."

Faust said, "Germany's nationalist fighting spirit is so strong that it's unreasonable to believe that other peoples would cowardly surrender. Strong nationalism in one country will inevitably stimulate equally strong nationalist sentiments in its neighbors. That's why the Belgians refuse to surrender or concede defeat. Look, most of Belgium is now occupied by our army, yet tiny Belgium has still managed to mobilize an army of 200,000 with only a small corner of Ypres left."

During World War I, Belgium had a total population of only over 7 million, and soon after the war broke out, 95% of Belgium's territory was occupied by the German army. With only 5% of its territory left, Belgium, with a population of 7 million, actually mobilized more than 200,000 troops to participate in the war.

The nationalist sentiments among the countries involved in World War I were truly terrifying.

German nationalism is an unparalleled divine sword. Later history has indeed proved that with this divine sword, it is enough to sweep across the world and be invincible.

However, this sword is also a double-edged sword. Every swing of nationalism will inevitably stimulate the boiling nationalist passions of the opponent. Therefore, even if Germany occupied most of Europe, it would still face resistance activities one after another.

Germany's utilization of resources in the occupied areas was extremely inefficient, while the enemy became increasingly tenacious. Eventually, the sword of the gods broke, and Germany was attacked by the United States and the Soviet Union, and was shattered. It completely lost hope of competing for world hegemony. Only then did it understand the two-sided nature of extreme nationalism, but by then, it was too late.

If Germany relies on nationalism, it will only have tens of millions of Germans at best, and the Germanic people in a broader sense will be less than 100 million. This number of people is not enough to compete for world hegemony. If Germany wants to rise, it must build a new community based on nationalism that can unite more people.

This new community can be a nation, a country, or a class. However, it is unrealistic to just want to build a new super-large nation or country.

The Soviet Union has a successful example in history of building a new community based on the proletariat.

Compared with Russia, Germany has many advantages, which are enough to avoid the various drawbacks of the Soviet Union in the middle and late stages.

Even from a utilitarian point of view, nationalist Germany has learned from historical failures, so why not try the revolutionary attempt of Red Germany?

Chapter 24: The Main Enemy is at Home

Faust once heard a very philosophical saying: The greatest selfishness is to think that everyone else is selfless.

This is also the paradox of nationalism. The shortcoming of extreme nationalism is that its proponents always ignore their enemies, who may also breed the same extreme nationalism.

During World War II, France surrendered for a time out of fear of the huge casualties in World War I. However, with the rule of German nationalism over France, the cowardice of the French gradually turned into courage. In 1944, the French rose up in rebellion. The German army had the Normandy landing outside and the resistance of the French mainland army inside. Under the pincer attack from both inside and outside, it took almost a month for the whole of France to be liberated.

As a result, Germany lost France just as quickly as it won over it.

In Liege, Faust could vaguely feel the local people's hostility towards the occupying forces. All the Belgian shops on the streets were closed, and only a few shops were reluctantly opened for business at the request of the German army.

There were almost no pedestrians on the roadside. Most citizens stayed at home day and night. Many people moved to the countryside before the German army occupied Liege.

On the streets, you could see some shop fronts burned, their facades charred black. Paulus explained, "In the early stages of the war, our army's discipline was very good. However, as time went on, the seemingly endless war and the huge casualties soured the soldiers' morale, and various acts of looting and vandalism gradually increased."

The actions of the German occupation forces could only arouse the Belgians' stronger will to resist. No wonder Belgium lost 95% of its territory but was still able to mobilize an army of 200,000.

Among these 200,000 people, most are exiles who fled to Ypres from the occupied areas. They must have been longing to return to their hometown.

"A war like this," said Faust, "will never end."

Paulus, who was born an honest man, did not dare to criticize the German army as sharply as Faust. He became nervous when he heard such words. He honestly took Faust to the temporary school for reserve officers in Liege and arranged accommodation and classrooms for Faust.

As for the textbooks, Faust had almost memorized them by heart at his "quantum speed".

In the temporary school for reserve officers in Liege, in addition to Faust, there were other grassroots veterans who had made meritorious contributions on the Western Front. There were more than 500 people in the entire training class.

Almost all the veterans who participated in the training had heard of Faust's name to some extent. The veterans admired brave warriors, let alone a character as brave as Faust.

As soon as Faust reported to the school, many veterans surrounded him curiously, and many even asked for his autograph. Faust received even more warm welcome than when he was in the 7th Company and the 16th Infantry Regiment.

Paulus had to help Faust block the crowd. After he maintained order, he explained the situation to the veterans who were studying at the reserve officer school. When everyone knew that Faust would receive two months of training together at the reserve officer school, their enthusiasm became even higher.

However, Faust still smiled and said, "Comrades, I certainly hope to return to the front lines to fight as soon as possible. So, in less than two months, I will complete the course as quickly as possible, take the exam as soon as possible, and return to the front lines to fight as soon as possible."

Paulus knew that Faust was not being polite. With Faust's memory and comprehension ability, he certainly wouldn't need to spend two months studying. At most, it would take one month or half a month for Faust to pass the reserve officer examination.

Faust also planned to go faster. He set himself the goal of passing the reserve officer exam in a week.

There was no snow in the Belgian winter, but it was constantly rainy. The winding trenches outside Liege were filled with water, and the municipal facilities in the city were also dirty due to lack of maintenance. However, the Reserve Officer School was located behind the front line, and the situation was much better than at the front line. The veterans in training could also receive packages and letters of comfort from home.

Christmas was approaching, and Faust had no family left, so naturally, no gifts from home. His time was completely devoted to studying. During breaks, he would sit on his cot and study the combat manual, and in class, he would ask Paulus a lot of strange questions.

The other veterans in training all agreed that Faust was a weirdo who worked too hard, but no one thought that Faust had a bad character because after arriving in Liege, Faust quickly distributed all his allowances, extra food rations and spoils to his classmates at the Reserve Officers' School.

There is only a little over a month left until Christmas, which will be the third Christmas since the outbreak of the war. Everyone in the Reserve Officers' School is discussing how many Christmases are left in this war. Only Faust knows that after this Christmas, there will only be one Christmas left in 1917.

Then, if nothing unexpected happened, Germany would lose the war before Christmas 1918.

After the defeat, Germany became a paradise where all kinds of extreme left-wing and extreme right-wing forces competed for freedom in the frosty sky.

The days at the military reserve school were a bit boring for Faust, but fortunately he heard good news from Paulus the next day.

Previously, a comrade-in-arms whom Faust had met in the 16th Bavarian Reserve Infantry Regiment was also allowed to come to the Reserve Officer School in Liege for training. At first, Faust thought this person was a man with a mustache and was very surprised. However, after seeing the person, he found out that the person was Corporal Richard Sorge from the 16th Regiment.

The damp fog in Belgium was filled with the scent of rotten leaves. As soon as Sorge arrived in Liege, he immediately came to find Faust. He respected Faust very much and also learned from the soldiers of the Seventh Company on the front line that Faust's favorite newspaper was "The Spartacus Letters" published by the left wing of the Social Democratic Party.

When he saw Faust again this time, Sorge brought more than ten issues of "Spartacus Letters" that he had collected and gave them to Faust.

Because the imperial government had very strict restrictions on anti-war newspapers and periodicals such as "Spartacus Letters", there were many pamphlets in the dozen or so that Sorge sent that Faust had never seen before.

Faust was delighted to receive the letter and said, "Thank you for your gift, Corporal Sorge, and congratulations on becoming a reserve officer."

Sorge acted a little shy in front of Faust: "I should thank you. It is entirely because of the miracle of Saint-Quentin that I have the opportunity to make meritorious deeds with your help, and then I have the opportunity to come to Liège."

Faust said, "I am still surprised that you have collected so many volumes of the Spartacus Letters. You are so lucky. Have you not been questioned by the gendarmes?"

Sorge smiled. "The gendarmes, the gendarmes are also very tired of the war. They won't seek trouble."

The issues of "Spartacus Letters" sent by Sorge included a speech by Liebknecht that was strictly blocked by the empire, the speech that sent Liebknecht to prison.

The main enemy is at home!

Liebknecht was the leader of the left wing within the German Social Democratic Party, and his prestige was no less than that of Luxemburg, another leader of the left wing of the Social Democratic Party. Both of them were pragmatists, so he had more prestige than Kautsky and Bernstein, two other theoretician leaders of the center-left within the Social Democratic Party.

The content of Liebknecht's speech was extremely fierce in terms of words and tone. He first criticized Germany's failed Triple Alliance Treaty, which forced Germany to protect the burden of Austria-Hungary and did not allow Germany to obtain any reliable guarantees from Italy.

Moreover, the opinions of the German people were never consulted when the Triple Alliance Treaty was signed or renewed. Therefore, when the Triple Alliance Treaty failed, the German top leaders should have taken full responsibility and resigned.

Liebknecht clearly stated that

“The main enemies of the German people are in Germany: German imperialism, the German war clique, and Germany’s secret diplomacy. The German people must work together with the proletariat of other countries to defeat imperialism in their respective countries through political struggle.”

“The main enemy of the proletarians of every country lies within their own country!”

This speech undoubtedly aimed to transform the war for hegemony among imperialists into a revolutionary war for the proletariat to overthrow the domestic feudal and bourgeois rule.

So as soon as the speech was made, Liebknecht was immediately imprisoned like Rosa Luxemburg, and the content of the speech was also banned. It could only be seen in a few copies of the "Spartacus Letters" pamphlet that were circulated in small quantities.

Sorge actually had this article in his hands, which seems to indicate that he also supported the anti-war stance of the left wing of the Social Democratic Party.