Germany does not seek survival

Under the party's organizational discipline, everyone had to vote in favor of the draft war budget. Opponents would be expelled from the party and imprisoned.

Kautsky pondered this problem for three years. Today, it seems that the answer Kautsky came up with to solve the rigidity problem brought to the Social Democratic Party by the Ebert system was that Kautsky wanted to leave, split the party, and establish a new Social Democratic Party.

Faust murmured in his heart that Kautsky was still too young and too naive. He was afraid of the "Ebert system" like a flood and a beast. No wonder he would fall out with Lenin in the future.

If these people had lived another twenty years and witnessed with their own eyes the complete implementation of Nechayev's "Catechism of a Revolutionary" by Stalin, one really wonders what kind of expressions they would have on their faces.

Faust treated Kautsky's invitation in the same way as he treated Ebert's invitation. He neither accepted nor rejected it outright, but just said a few euphemistic words.

Faust, with good intentions, reminded Kautsky: "Mr. Kautsky, if you are truly more sober than Chairman Ebert, you should realize that the centrists and leftists of the Social Democratic Party must unite. Internal struggle will only lead to your total failure."

Kautsky did not understand Faust's intention and simply said, "Liebknecht and I were lifelong friends. The dispute between me and Rosa was merely a quarrel of personal feelings. Otherwise, I would not have tried so hard to rescue them."

Faust shrugged his shoulders. Before the violent revolution, there was still such warmth between revolutionaries with different political views. However, after the storm came, in the bloody rain, warmth always gave way to blood and fire, swords and guns.

At this time, night fell, and all the lights in the banquet hall were lit up. The lights were bright and the brilliance seemed to be inside a golden palace.

More distinguished guests continued to take their seats, and the number of people grew. Kautsky wanted to sit at the same table with other centrist members of the Social Democratic Party, so he said goodbye to Faust first.

Faust left with Lieutenant Colonel Rundstedt. Rundstedt told Faust, "You still have some time before His Majesty comes to the stage. Do you want to go and see him?"

Faust asked, "Would you like to meet any guest?"

Rundstedt laughed and said, "You don't know yet! This gossip has been circulating in Berlin for a long time. His Majesty is trying to match you up with a Habsburg princess."

Faust was not particularly surprised by this. What he was curious about was that William II was indeed famous for being a matchmaker. For example, when the Krupp family had only one female heir left, Bertha Krupp, William II was busy looking for a German diplomat as a husband for Krupp's eldest daughter.

Later, when Bertha Krupp held her wedding, because Bertha's father had passed away, William II attended Bertha Krupp's wedding in the name of his father.

This was naturally not because William II was so compassionate, but because the Krupp family was too influential. His Majesty the Emperor did not want Bertha to get married after she grew up, so that the Krupp company would fall into the hands of outsiders. Therefore, William II had to personally select someone who was in line with national interests to marry Bertha and thus control the Krupp company.

It is not surprising that His Majesty the Emperor suddenly jumped out to stir up trouble over Faust's marriage. In the past, the Habsburg family's marriages with Germans were almost limited to the royal level. Not to mention commoners like Faust, even ordinary Junker families could not marry women from the Habsburg royal family. Only the Hohenzollern royal family and several other princely families in Germany had the opportunity to marry.

When Faust thought of the Habsburg royal family, the first thing that came to his mind was the famous "Habsburg chin".

This most prestigious royal family in European history has been practicing inbreeding for generations, resulting in everyone inheriting a shoe-horn face that is highly similar to the folk portrait of Zhu Yuanzhang. In severe cases, the large chin is said to make it difficult to bite, affecting drinking and eating.

Faust touched his hair, feeling apprehensive. "I've seen quite a few portraits of the Habsburgs... That chin is truly famous."

Rundstedt couldn't help but laugh. "Not bad! Ever since Queen Theresa, the Habsburg lineage has shifted. After Queen Theresa married the Duke of Lorraine, the Habsburg bloodline has improved significantly. That famous big chin has disappeared."

The big chin gene of the Habsburg dynasty is actually mainly concentrated in the Spanish branch, while the situation in the Austrian branch is much better.

Moreover, since the female heir Empress Maria Theresa, the orthodox branch of the Habsburg dynasty has actually become extinct. After Theresa married Duke Franz Stephen of Lorraine, the full name of the Habsburg family should be the Habsburg-Lorraine family.

Duke Franz Stephan of Lorraine was a famous handsome man. After his generation and Queen Theresa, the appearance of the Habsburg family had indeed greatly improved. The portraits and photos of the royal family in subsequent generations were much better looking than in the previous era of big chins.

The old Emperor Franz Joseph I of the Austro-Hungarian Empire later married the stunning Princess Sissi. Their daughters all look very beautiful in photos.

There were only two heirs, one was Crown Prince Rudolf who committed suicide for love, and the other was Archduke Ferdinand who was assassinated in Sarajevo.

The old Emperor Franz Joseph I died last year, and now the Emperor of Austria-Hungary is the old emperor's great-nephew Charles I.

Faust also didn't know which Habsburg princess Rundstedt was talking about. Since she was called a princess, she was probably the daughter of the old Emperor Franz Joseph I, or the sister of the young Emperor Charles I.

Lieutenant Colonel Rundstedt also had some gossip: "I heard that the daughters of the old Austro-Hungarian emperor all inherited the beauty of Princess Sissi. They are all great beauties."

Faust counted on his fingers: "You're taking gossip seriously. Besides, the old emperor's daughter is so old!"

"Hahaha! Just follow me. They definitely want to see what a hero you are."

The Habsburg royal family has always married into the Germans, and only into the royal family and the royal family. In the past, Crown Prince Rudolf committed suicide with a baroness for love. However, now the times have changed, and the Habsburg royal family has to put aside their airs and include war heroes of commoner origin like Faust in the category of selecting women.

Faust himself knew that what Rundstedt said was just gossip, and he did not believe that the Habsburg royal family would really choose to marry a commoner.

Even if William II were to grant Faust noble status today, the possibility of a marriage would be very low.

But the fact that such rumors can be spread among the people is enough to show that the old era is gone forever. In Germany's total war, social structures such as dynasties, princes, and aristocrats cannot be maintained for a long time after the war, even if Germany wins.

The civilian class has been rising irresistibly under the extremely high mobilization rate of total war. No one can resist this historical trend.

Lieutenant Colonel Rundstedt took Faust to the garden in the backyard of Charlottenburg Palace, where there were lush vegetation and precious flowers. On the lawn, there were several noble ladies in palace dresses, sitting sideways on the snow-white horses, pulling the reins and trotting.

Lieutenant Colonel Rundstedt said that someone wanted to meet Faust. Faust was thinking, could it really be a Habsburg princess?

When we actually saw the person, it was certainly not a princess, but her identity was even more surprising than that of a Habsburg princess.

Faust stood next to a bunch of blue-purple cornflowers. In front of him, a beautiful woman in a long dress that dragged on the ground had her back to the crowd. She turned around after hearing the footsteps. She had pearls and jade in her hair, and was very luxurious. She was wearing a bright open-collar dress that half exposed her chest, showing a particularly plump figure.

Lieutenant Colonel Rundstedt lowered his voice and muttered, "Look, it's the Queen Mother who said she wanted to see you before the banquet begins."

The Queen Mother?

This word does not seem like a word from the early 20th century. It is full of classical colors. The beautiful woman in front of Faust has well-maintained skin, and wears luxurious jewelry and graceful and luxurious palace skirts. She is extraordinarily gorgeous in her gorgeous attire, and does not seem like a woman of the "Queen Mother's" age.

In 1917, the only person who could be called the Queen Mother in Germany was Queen Josephine of Saxony, the mother of the young Emperor Charles I of Austro-Hungary.

Queen Mother Josephine was also a German. She was born into the royal family of the Saxon princes and later married into the Habsburg royal family of the Austro-Hungarian Empire. Because the old emperor's two sons, one committed suicide for love and the other became a landmark building in Sarajevo, the throne of the Austro-Hungarian Empire fell into the hands of Queen Mother Josephine's son Charles I by coincidence.

If history had not changed, a year later, after the defeat and disintegration of the Austro-Hungarian Empire, the young Emperor Charles I would have thrown away this most valuable crown in European history before he could even get used to it.

Chapter 89 Princess

"This must be Major Faust, right?"

The lawn of Charlottenburg Palace glows like a velvet carpet in the April sunshine, and lavender forget-me-nots dot the neatly trimmed grass stems.

Queen Mother Josephine was graceful and elegant. She stood on the white steps of the garden beside the lawn, surrounded by a group of royal princesses and noble ladies. She moved with dignity, and a corner of her black lace veil was lifted by the breeze, revealing her gorgeous and calm face. Perhaps it was simply because of her noble status that her temperament and appearance were indeed better than those of the young noble ladies.

Several court maids of noble birth, all holding small parasols with ivory handles, were shielding Queen Mother Josephine from the sun.

Faust was of course respectful in front of the Empress Dowager of Austria-Hungary, just as he was good at flattering in front of William II.

Faust also actively flattered the Queen Mother. He first introduced himself and then praised the beauty of Queen Mother Josephine. The Queen Mother's eyes were deep and pure. After hearing Faust's series of nice and cheap words, she also smiled, showing a very elegant smile.

"Is the Queen Mother also here to congratulate Princess Louise on her birthday? The enduring friendship between Germany and Austria is due to the Queen Mother serving as the bond between these two great nations."

Queen Mother Josephine was born into the royal family of the Saxon princes. After she married into the Habsburg family, it is said that her life was not easy. Her husband, Otto Franz, was a famous playboy with many romantic affairs and an exaggerated number of mistresses, which he did not hide at all. Various gossip scandals were caused in Vienna almost every month.

Sometimes he was streaking in a hotel restaurant, and sometimes he was caught breaking into a widow's private residence. Before the war broke out, the Queen Mother's husband died of syphilis and never got to see their son ascend the throne of the Austro-Hungarian Empire.

The Queen Mother herself was the complete opposite of her husband. She was an extremely devout Catholic, which was somewhat rare in that era. She was able to tolerate her husband's extraordinary debauchery and her level of faith was truly incomparable to ordinary people.

After seeing Faust in person, Queen Mother Josephine was very impressed by the young war hero. She called Faust to her side and smiled gently: "What a handsome boy! German soldiers are all as brave as you. No wonder they won such a glorious victory."

The German army performed far better than the Austrian army, but Faust couldn't say so directly. In front of the Empress Dowager of Austria-Hungary, Faust remained humble: "Austrian and German soldiers are equally excellent. During the three years of war, our two armies have cooperated closely, especially on the Eastern Front, where I personally served, and I often relied on the Austrian army's help."

Queen Mother Josephine's tone and manner of speech were gentle and elegant, and she looked unhurried. From a distance, she seemed majestic and dignified, but up close, she felt like a spring breeze.

The Queen Mother was particularly pleased with Faust. Her smile was pure and beautiful, as if she treated Faust as her own child. "You are now a major, right? Austria should learn from Germany and open up opportunities for advancement to truly knowledgeable and capable people, allowing more capable people to join the officer rank."

Faust said: "The national conditions of the Austro-Hungarian Empire and Germany are different. I think we can't easily copy Germany's practices."

On the lawn in front, several royal ladies were still riding horses and laughing. The atmosphere was very cheerful. Queen Mother Josephine smiled and introduced the many ladies to Faust: "That one, the princess riding on the white horse, you haven't seen her in person, but you should have seen her in person."

The noble lady that Queen Mother Josephine referred to was riding a white horse, wearing the old-style hussar uniform of the Prussian army, a bearskin high military cap on her head, her long hair fluttering, and she looked heroic. This was of course the first time Faust met this princess, but he had indeed seen her portraits in many places in Berlin.

"Princess Victoria Louise."

Princess Louise was the daughter of William II. As a princess of the German royal family, she was also one of the candidates for the future head of the Kingdom of Courland.

In addition to Princess Louise, there were several other royal ladies who were able to ride horses with Princess Louise, laugh and play together. I think their identities were also very prominent.

Queen Mother Josephine couldn't help but glance at Faust. Faust remained calm, expressionless, and without a trace of emotion on his face. The Queen Mother saw Faust's expression, but without changing her smile, she pointed to another person.

"Princess Agnes is my youngest daughter. His Majesty invited us to Berlin specifically to use this event to arrange a marriage for Agnes."

Princess Agnes, riding on a black horse, was laughing like a silver bell. The hem of her skirt was blown up by the wind, revealing the pearl buttons on her boots, each of which was the size of a pigeon egg.

Princess Agnes was much more beautiful than Princess Louise. Even Faust had to exclaim "stunning". If she were in the Middle Ages, she might have become a beauty who was so beautiful that her name would be recorded in the annals.

The young princess gallops on her horse. She sits sideways on the horse's back in a ladylike posture and can even control the horse to leap. Her riding skills are actually very advanced.

The Queen Mother's eyelashes trembled slightly, and the corners of her mouth curled up slightly under her veil. "His Majesty William's daughter has always said that she wants to be a female cavalry officer. Look, the way she holds the reins really has some hussar-like posture."

Faust complimented her, saying, "Princess Agnes's riding skills are exemplary even in the German army."

Princess Agnes, with her golden hair, rode forward like a dancing flame in the sun, the light swirling and dazzlingly beautiful.

In the distance, the sound of silver horse bits clattered, and the two princesses' horses stopped abruptly beside the fountain. The water splashed on the black horses, and Princess Agnes's horse suddenly reared up. The girl cried out in surprise, and the princess's riding hat tilted to one side, and even the pearl hair ornament on her head rolled onto the grass.

Everyone around was shocked. In shock, the white horse raised its front hooves again and almost threw Princess Agnes out.

Only Faust was quick-witted and quick-handed. Before everyone could react, Faust appeared beside the horse in the blink of an eye. He reached out and grabbed the reins, controlling the horse in an instant. Before Princess Agnes fell off the horse, Faust held her waist with his hand.

Princess Agnes was on horseback and was startled at first, but after being supported by Faust, she immediately smiled again: "Thank you, Major!"

Faust carefully helped Princess Agnes back onto the horse: "Princess, please be careful. Do you know me?"

Princess Agnes showed her tiny fangs, her charming manner tinged with cunning. "Major Faust, your picture has appeared in so many newspapers. Saint-Quentin's epic poem is being sung on the streets of Vienna. Your picture can even be seen in Schönbrunn Palace."

Princess Victoria Louise of Germany rode up slowly on horseback. She apologized for frightening Princess Agnes: "This beast, how could it be so easily frightened? Agnes, I will take care of this horse."

Princess Louise then laughed again. She motioned for the servant to bring her the sugar bowl, dropped some sugar into the tea held by the maid, and then gave it to Princess Agnes. "Thank God, Agnes is fine."

Princess Agnes raised her face, her eyelashes casting fan-shaped shadows under her eyes. "Louise! Come and see! It's Major Faust, Major Faust of Saint-Quentin."

Princess Louise, dressed in military uniform, the German dragoon woman and the stunning and lovely little princess of Vienna are indeed two completely different people.

Princess Louise dismounted and stood in front of Faust. She was not much shorter than him and her stature was surprisingly tall. No wonder Engels always teased German women about their strength.

The attendants came in one after another holding silver trays, bringing iced strawberries and cream. Princess Louise took the dessert from the silver tray and gave it to Princess Agnes. She took a bite, and the cream stuck to the tip of Princess Agnes's delicate nose. The little princess immediately laughed so hard that she fell backwards.

That cheerful and lively demeanor easily reminds people of Princess Marie Antoinette of the Palace of Versailles.

Faust's handsome appearance can easily attract young girls like Princess Agnes, and also make a forty-year-old woman like Queen Mother Joseph feel good about him.

However, Princess Louise had just gotten married and was still in love with her husband, so it was not likely that her mood would change significantly because of Faust's appearance.

Princess Louise did not take Faust seriously. In her opinion, German soldiers were nothing more than servants of the Hohenzollern royal family. What's more, Faust did not even have a noble title.

Princess Louise walked straight past Faust and took Queen Josephine's hand. "Aunt, I'm so grateful that you and Agnes came all the way from Vienna to Berlin to celebrate my birthday. Today is the happiest day of my life in recent years. Agnes and I haven't seen each other for ages, and I just can't help but want to play with her."

William II and Queen Dowager Josephine's husband, Archduke Otto Franz, were not related by blood, but they still called each other cousins. Queen Dowager Josephine, as a German, joined the Austrian court and was treated as his own sister by William II. That is why Princess Louise of Germany called Queen Dowager Josephine "Aunt."

"During wartime, we should pay more attention to etiquette and upbringing."

Queen Dowager Josephine walked towards Faust, her eyes beneath her veil as clear as a lake covered in winter snow. "Major, when Agnes was still in Vienna, she often said she wanted to see with her own eyes what the hero of Saint-Quentin looked like. She even had a portrait of you in her collection."

Faust didn't even know when he had a portrait of himself. It was probably some painter who painted it based on his photo.

"We all fight for the grace of both Your Majesties."

Faust showed no expression, and Queen Dowager Josephine was very satisfied with the answer. The Queen Dowager then pulled the lively and naughty Princess Agnes over and whispered to her that she should pay more attention to safety when riding in the future.

Princess Agnes still seemed heartless. She touched the tip of her nose covered in cream and laughed at herself.

Chapter 90: Meyer? Goering!

Being able to attend Princess Louise's birthday party at Charlottenburg Palace was already a great honor. Before the outbreak of the war, it was hard to imagine that a child like Faust, who came from a single-parent family in the slums of Munich, would have the opportunity to have a meal at Charlottenburg Palace.

William II probably also wanted to use this event to clear up the low morale of the German people since the Turnip Winter.

That was why they had to hold a grand dinner, even more extravagant than before the war. In addition to the royal relatives of the Austro-Hungarian Empire, many royal members and nobles from Bulgaria and Turkey were invited to attend.

At first glance, it looks so magnificent and golden, and it really does give off an atmosphere of peace and prosperity with singing and dancing.

Faust only looked at the Charlottenburg Palace, and within the palace, he could hardly imagine that just a few hundred kilometers away from Berlin, millions of soldiers were sleeping on the ice and drinking the snow, fighting a bloody battle all day long.

After all the invited guests were seated in the banquet hall, Queen Mother Josephine arrived with a group of noble ladies. As soon as the many princesses and grand duchesses, dressed in gorgeous attire, appeared on stage, they aroused applause in the banquet hall.

The Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra, which was responsible for performing the music, also played Beethoven's symphony at the right time. Finally, it was Emperor Wilhelm II who appeared wearing a pointed helmet with an eagle on it and a very exaggerated large cloak.

When William II walked out of the corridor, there were two rows of officers in dress uniform on both sides. They raised their swords high and formed an arch with their swords to welcome His Majesty the Emperor.

When William II passed through the Arch of Swords, he threw his shoulders back and his cloak flew up. He looked like an angry rooster. He was not French, so Faust found it inexplicably funny.

Faust had just left an autograph for Princess Agnes in the backyard. Princess Agnes took a portrait of Faust cut out of a newspaper and asked him to leave a monogram on the lower left corner of the portrait.

In fact, Faust was born in a poor family and had never written any monogram. He just couldn't refuse the little princess's kindness, so he scribbled a few cursive words on it without any arrangement. In fact, it couldn't be considered a monogram at all.

Queen Mother Josephine admired Faust very much. Before entering, she looked kind and mentioned Faust's deceased mother. With the compassion unique to devout Catholics, she recited a prayer for Faust's deceased mother.

Faust secretly complained that if his mother were still alive, she might really be moved by the Queen Mother's prayers.

However, my mother is dead, and she died in the boring war started by these royal relatives...

Princess Agnes seemed very interested in Faust, like a little fangirl chasing a star. I wonder how many exaggerated knight stories she had heard in the newspapers, and she couldn't wait to stick to Faust.

There is no such thing as etiquette and laws in the courts of European countries. Catholic countries are more cautious about relationships between men and women, while Protestant countries are much more relaxed.

Princess Agnes was a Catholic, so she still needed to abide by some rules. However, these rules were just some empty words on paper to the nobles. Princess Agnes's father, the husband of Queen Mother Josephine, was a womanizer and died of syphilis.

Faust is really a little worried now. Will His Majesty the Emperor arrange any arranged marriage?