Germany does not seek survival

Sleeping is one thing, but for Faust, marriage is another. He wants to be the standard-bearer of the revolution. Not to mention being a princess of the Habsburg Millennium Dynasty, even marrying into another noble family is really a bit disgusting.

Faust sat at the officers' table. Besides him, there were several other war heroes on the front line. Lieutenant Colonel Rundstedt introduced them to Faust one by one. It was a pity that Red Baron Richthofen was still at the front line, carrying out an important military mission, and was unable to attend the banquet.

Rundstedt then called up a young officer in a lieutenant's uniform and introduced him, "Faust, this is the representative of the pilots on the Western Front. Because Richthofen couldn't get back to Berlin right away, the front line jointly elected him as the heroic representative of the pilots."

This man, like Faust, has a neat hazelnut hairstyle, a high nose bridge, deep and bright eyes, and a tall and straight figure. He is a rare handsome man.

Rundstedt stood between the two men and took their hands. "Lieutenant Hermann Göring, the 'Iron Hermann', the pilot representative of the Western Front, and Major Witt Faust, the 'Siegfried of Saint-Quentin', the war hero of the Eastern Front, are both now national idols of Germany."

Hermann Göring?

In 1917, Goering was still a handsome star pilot. He had not turned into a fat man named Meyer because of drug addiction. With such an appearance, it is no wonder that there are rumors that in the early days of the development of the Nazi Party, Hitler relied on letting Goering sleep with noble ladies to raise enough party dues.

"Lieutenant Goering, there's an officer in our Grossdeutschland Regiment who's particularly fond of you." Faust suppressed a smile. "He's my adjutant, Adolf Hitler. If I have the chance, I'll definitely introduce you two to each other."

At this time, Goering was still a solemn and iron-blooded man. He did not understand what Faust meant. "Adolf Hitler? Very good, Major Faust. Since he is your subordinate, he must be a calm and good soldier."

Faust blinked an eye. "Calm, not quite calm, but you two will get along very well, I assure you, Lieutenant Goering."

Rundstedt also knew Hitler, and he was a little surprised why Faust suddenly mentioned the little mustache, but soon, everyone's attention in the banquet hall was attracted to William II and a group of princesses and ladies.

Today is Princess Louise's birthday party. She has changed out of the hussar uniform she wore when riding and is now wearing a palace dress with extremely complicated workmanship and a huge bustle. It looks like a nine-layer almond cake.

William II loved his daughter very much and kept praising Princess Louise to all the guests, saying how smart Princess Louise was when she was a child and how politically intelligent she was when she grew up.

Then, it was time for the most eye-catching part of the entire birthday party, which was the ceremony that everyone had heard of: William II would confer nobility status on several war heroes at the banquet.

In addition to Faust, there were several other soldiers at his table.

Led by the royal maids, everyone walked to the front stage. The little maid Lala finally changed into a brand new dress. She walked in front of Faust, holding a golden staff, leading the way for several officers.

Faust met an acquaintance and whispered, "Lala, you're cooking in my apartment and taking care of so many things at Charlottenburg Palace. Can you handle it?"

Although Lala is young, she has many years of work experience in the palace. She is proud: "Whether I serve Major Faust or the court, I work for the welfare of the German people. How can I be too busy with work like this? No matter how tired I am, I just feel very happy because I am contributing to our great country."

Faust was silent. He had just met Princess Agnes on the lawn in the courtyard. He was afraid that any one of the jewelry decorations on her dress was something that Lala could not buy with her entire life's work. No one in the glorious empire cared about what she thought was her contribution.

On the stage, William II held a golden sword and placed it on everyone's shoulders one by one according to the ceremony of enthroning nobles in the Holy Roman Empire in the Middle Ages, and read the words of enthronement.

The war heroes on the front line had to kneel on one knee and bow down before William II.

Most officers were granted the lowest level of knighthood. Of course, although it was the lowest level, they also had the privilege of adding the character "Feng" to their names. From then on, they were like fish leaping over the dragon gate and were no longer from humble backgrounds.

Finally, it is Faust's turn.

Kaiser Wilhelm II stroked his mustache and, just as he raised his golden sword, began to speak, "Major Faust has a brilliant record. From the Western Front to the Eastern Front, you have achieved unprecedented and dazzling military exploits, becoming the embodiment of the German spirit. Based on your accumulated military achievements, the General Staff has just decided to promote your rank from Major to Lieutenant Colonel."

Faust stood in front of William II and did not curtsy, that is, he did not kneel on one knee.

He just bowed slightly and accepted the substitute of military rank, because according to the ceremony, he only needed to kneel on one knee when formally accepting the golden sword. Faust did not kneel now, which was not considered a violation of the ritual.

Although, according to convention, Faust, as a commoner, should kneel when accepting the reward in front of the emperor.

There were other people in the audience who sensed that the atmosphere was not right and started whispering to each other. William II also frowned slightly, but the Emperor probably thought it was normal for Faust, a commoner from the mountains, not to understand the customs of the imperial court, so he did not take the matter to heart.

"I heard, Major Faust... from now on you should be called Lieutenant Colonel. I heard that you lost your father at a young age, and your mother also died during the war, so you are still unmarried. Is that true?"

Faust nodded and said, "Your Majesty, it is true. I have not married because the war is not over yet. My personal life is far less important than the interests of the country."

Faust interrupted William II a little, but the Emperor continued to do as he pleased, as if he had not heard Faust's answer.

"Very well! So many distinguished guests have come to Charlottenburg Palace today, many of whom are your admirers. I am always happy to match young people. Lieutenant Colonel Faust, you can take a look and see if there is anyone you like."

William II was arrogant and laughing heartily. His demeanor was indescribably funny.

"Every one of the ladies present here is worthy of you, Lieutenant Colonel Faust. I promise I will not make the wrong choice for you today."

Chapter 91: Your Majesty, I Refuse

As soon as William II said this, there was indeed a burst of surprise in the palace. His Majesty the Emperor had a hobby of being a matchmaker, but the Emperor would not be a matchmaker for ordinary people. In the past, the person who had been a matchmaker under William II was at least at the level of the heir to the Krupp Company.

Queen Mother Josephine was sitting at the main table, and next to her was Princess Agnes. When the little princess heard the emperor's words, her eyes lit up and she was so eager that she wanted to run up immediately.

It was the Queen Mother who stopped Princess Agnes and said, "Don't make a fool of yourself. Even if you like such an officer, you should be reserved."

Princess Agnes was in the audience, feeling unhappy. "Who wouldn't like a handsome man like Faust? I think he's more handsome than any of the famous actresses at the Vienna Opera. Who knows who the Emperor might choose if he arranges a marriage for him?"

Queen Mother Josephine covered her mouth and chuckled. She still felt that her youngest daughter Agnes was still just a child. She was so naughty and it was far from the time for her to get married. She was only fifteen years old. Even in royal families, it was rare to get married at this age until the beginning of the 20th century.

On the main stage of Charlottenburg Palace, it was still Faust who performed. He politely declined the marriage arranged by William II: "Your Majesty, for a soldier, Germany is my wife. Apart from my motherland, during the war, as a soldier, I really don't have any extra energy to devote to anyone else."

Faust's answer inevitably made the old nobles in the banquet hall feel that he was not very sensible, but it made many other elites of the General Staff smile.

Ludendorff stood up directly from his table, which was actually a serious violation of court etiquette, but Ludendorff was just that kind of person. His family was a poor, lowest-level noble family, only slightly related to the Junkers. He had a poor background, a dull and stubborn personality, and in Ludendorff, it was true that "the German army was his wife."

Ludendorff stood up, applauded Faust, and said, "Your Majesty, the Empire needs more soldiers like Lieutenant Colonel Faust. The Empire's elite are meaningless if they cannot kill the enemy on the battlefield and cannot contribute to the war."

Ludendorff's sudden interruption must have made William II very unhappy. Seeing the emperor's unhappy expression, Marshal Hindenburg quickly pulled Ludendorff to the back and changed the topic to ease the atmosphere in the palace.

"Your Majesty, Lieutenant Colonel Faust has not yet obtained noble status. If you want to arrange a marriage for him, you must first grant Faust a title!"

Marshal Hindenburg was an old man with good popularity and high prestige among the old aristocrats and aristocratic families. As soon as he appeared, he chatted with several princes around him, and the whole atmosphere immediately eased.

William II no longer cared about Faust and Ludendorff's disrespectful behavior before the emperor, and continued to place the golden sword on Faust's shoulder: "Lieutenant Colonel Faust, your contributions on both the eastern and western fronts are invaluable, unmatched by ordinary soldiers. The Empire shall reward you with special honors. In addition to the title of knight, you shall also be granted the honorary status of baron."

At Princess Louise's birthday party, according to the original procedure, His Majesty the Emperor awarded Faust the title of Baron, which was the most eye-catching part of the event.

When everyone's eyes were focused on Faust, waiting for him to kneel on one knee and accept the empire's extraordinary grace, Faust suddenly turned around, stepped aside the golden sword that William II had put down, faced the crowd, and said loudly:

"I am deeply grateful for your Majesty's grace and the Imperial honor. How can a mere Faust deserve such a high honor? Millions of soldiers are still fighting on the front lines of the Empire, both in the West and the East. They are staking their claim on the bloody soil of the Marne, braving the cold winds of the Vistula and Bug rivers, and in the ice and snow of the Alps. Some are lying on the ice and drinking the snow, while others are wrapped in horsehide, sacrificing their flesh and blood to our Empire. In these chaotic times across Europe, every mark the Empire saves on military spending increases our chances of winning the war. An honor like the baron title is unbearable for me, Faust. I would rather Your Majesty announce to the world that this honor be bestowed upon all German soldiers."

Faust actually refused William II's offer of knighthood on the spot. His Majesty the Emperor was of course furious, and all the distinguished guests in Charlottenburg Palace were also shocked. Where did this madman come from? He actually said such embarrassing words in front of the Emperor and so many nobles.

Because Faust's words had already put everyone present on a very high pedestal, no one could criticize or blame anyone. Even if some nobleman came forward to accuse Faust first, he would certainly be accused of not being sympathetic to the military situation on the front line.

The entire audience was shocked, everyone pale in comparison, except Princess Agnes, who was practically jumping for joy: "Mother, has Mr. Faust rejected Your Majesty? It seems he won't accept Your Majesty's arranged marriage!"

Queen Dowager Josephine quickly covered Princess Agnes's restless mouth and said, "You really don't know the seriousness of the matter. Now is not the time to say such things."

At this point, Ludendorff's eyes widened. He wasn't shocked by Faust's breach of etiquette, but rather he was filled with admiration: "This is a true defender of the country. This is what a German soldier should be like."

Marshal Hindenburg, fearing the Emperor's wrath and the situation would get out of hand, quickly stepped forward and said, "Your Majesty, what do you think? Perhaps this is the way to go. Lieutenant Colonel Faust's suggestion is truly sincere. We should confer this honorary title of nobility not on Faust alone, but on the entire army. Specifically, we could bestow it on the Great German Regiment, which Faust leads, so that all the soldiers in this unit can share in Your Majesty's grace."

Marshal Hindenburg was truly a seasoned figure, and only he could grasp Kaiser Wilhelm II's emotions. After Hindenburg's reminder, Kaiser Wilhelm II finally realized that he couldn't lose his composure in Charlottenburg Palace. He coughed twice and then asked Faust again, "The old marshal's suggestion is a good one, Faust. Is that what you think?"

Faust certainly had his own deep considerations when he refused William II's personal offer of knighthood.

The National Socialist Party's revolutionary path was already on the verge of being launched. As the revolutionary commander of the National Socialist Party, Faust did not need to be a baron of the Second German Empire. It was hard to say whether that was a positive or negative asset for the revolutionary cause.

In addition, Faust is indeed a nationally renowned idol now, but to a large extent, Faust is just like the Red Baron Richthofen, more of a symbolic star than a political leader with real influence. In this regard, Faust's influence is far inferior to that of Liebknecht and Luxemburg, who were imprisoned for several years.

Not to mention comparing himself with Albert, the top giant in the imperial political arena.

Faust needs an opportunity to make his fame greater and transform his influence from that of a star into a real political figure.

William II's investiture ceremony was the best stage for Faust to perform politically.

Faust did not kneel down in front of William II at this moment. He walked straight to the German flag in the middle of Charlottenburg Palace and knelt on one knee facing the German flag.

"Your Majesty, please grant this grace to the Greater German Regiment, please grant this grace to the German soldiers, because all my achievements were made together with my comrades on the front line, and they were made possible by the food cultivated and weapons produced by the people in the rear. Every bit of my glory should be shared with the 60 million German people!"

William II himself was very embarrassed and had awarded Faust the title of baron with great fanfare. However, Faust did not appreciate it and spoke a lot of chicken soup for the soul, putting himself on a high pedestal and making it impossible for anyone to refute him.

William II had no choice but to follow Hindenburg's quick-witted suggestion and change the title of baron to that of Faust, granting it to the Greater German Legion, making it an empty and purely honorary title.

"Then, this title shall be bestowed upon the Great German Regiment. From now on, the Great German Regiment will be able to use this honorary designation: the 1st Guards 'Faust-Great German' Jäger Assault Regiment."

Hindenburg barely managed to control the farce, allowing Princess Louise's birthday party to continue.

Only Ludendorff was particularly pleased with this unexpected event. He was only concerned with how Germany would conduct this total war. Ludendorff's motto at the General Staff was "None of this concerns me, but someone has to do it. If I don't do it, no one will."

Ludendorff wanted every person and every resource in German society to be invested in the war effort. Germany lacked human resources, not only in the army but also in domestic production. Therefore, Belgian workers were forced to transfer to German factories to work, Polish and Courland conscription was required, and unrestricted submarine warfare was resumed.

Ludendorff only had war in his eyes. He had intervened in diplomatic affairs, entered the political arena, and even interfered with industrial management. His motivation for doing so did not seem to be to expand his own power, but to win the war. He was extremely disappointed with the inertia and incompetence of the German ruling system, so he admired Faust's extraordinary behavior today.

Faust was not afraid of any retaliation for his behavior of showing off.

He understood the political rules of Germany and was well aware that the power in Germany today was not in the hands of the emperor and the nobles, but was concentrated in the hands of the military dictator Ludendorff. Faust also knew Ludendorff's character very well, and he would not do anything just to dissatisfy the emperor or the nobles.

Ludendorff was truly a pure warmongerer.

But if Germany did not have this warmongerer, relying on a group of stupid and incompetent nobles, it would not have been possible for Germany to continue the war until this year.

Chapter 92: German Duel

Is the name of the Greater German Corps Faust?

This question already has a clear answer.

The 1st Guards "Faust-Greater Germany" Jäger Assault Regiment is now really named Faust.

Faust gave up the baron title, which would be worthless after the war, in exchange for awarding this honor to the entire army. It can be said that he gave up sesame seeds to pick up watermelons and showed favor to the entire army.

Even those soldiers from other units who were unable to share this honor with the officers and soldiers of the Great German Regiment would know that there was a war hero named Faust in the German army, who gave the baron title granted by His Majesty the German Emperor as an exception to his comrades.

Faust's kindness is not over yet, and his prestige among the soldiers is bound to grow day by day.

The banquet was finally able to continue. The music ended and the curtain rose. The opera performed today was called "The Hohenzollern Dream", which tells the story of a prophetic dream of the hero, Elector Frederick William.

The Elector laid the foundation for the Brandenburg-Prussian regime. He forced Poland to give up its suzerainty over the Duchy of Prussia, won the title of King of Prussia, and connected Brandenburg's fragmented territories as much as possible, making it the hereditary core territory of the Hohenzollern dynasty.

It was from the time of Elector Frederick William that the Brandenburg-Prussian regime stood out from the hundreds of principalities of the Holy Roman Empire and was able to sit at the table of the European hegemony.

On stage, the Elector's actor sang loudly, expressing his concerns about the lands.

The Elector's military and civil achievements are a thing of the past, and he worries about the future of his domain. What will become of the territories he entrusted to his sons? Will they be worthy successors? What will become of the Hohenzollern dynasty?

Frederick William, a tall, thin, and cold figure, is now played by a short, fat, and amiable actor. A man who is cruel and ruthless in real life becomes a good man who needs sleep on stage.

The Elector fell into a deep sleep on the throne. The god of the future, who could predict the future, appeared behind him and told him about the glory that the Hohenzollern dynasty would usher in in the next few hundred years.

As soft music played, the Elector asked the God of the Future to guide him. The God of the Future then presented him with five dream scrolls, reassuring him that his great achievements would be cherished and protected.

The first picture in the dream was that the Soldier King expanded the Prussian army. The Soldier King turned Prussia into a country truly owned by an army, with flags flying, bayonets standing in rows, and under the glory of the Iron Cross. After the Elector brought Prussia to the poker table, the Soldier King gave Prussia the capital to play cards.

In the second dream picture drawn by the God of the Future, Frederick the Great, the son of the Soldier King and the greatest god of war in Prussian history, emerged. He seized Silesia and defeated the three major powers of Austria, France and Russia. On the card table left by his grandfather and father, he used limited capital to achieve the most incredible record.

The third scroll is about Frederick William III. Under the impact of the French Revolution, Prussia was once on the verge of extinction. A gust of wind from Jena almost blew away the entire Prussia.

But after learning from its mistakes, Prussia also ushered in a complete transformation under the leadership of Frederick William III. Chancellor Stein liberated the serfs, Scharnhorst established the general staff system, and Humboldt built Prussia's education system. The chariot was already on the road, ready to gallop.

As soon as the curtain of the fourth scroll was opened, the guests in Charlottenburg Palace burst into applause, because William I, Chancellor Bismarck, Moltke the Elder...

The great figures who established today's German Empire appeared one by one in order, and each character's singing drew applause one after another.

The world presented by the future god is perfect. The Elector is very pleased with the happy ending of his dynasty. He claims that he is tired of war and is happy to see peace.

But this opera has not yet reached its true end. At the very end, all the actors who have performed before come out together facing a huge portrait of William II. Everyone sings hymns together and celebrates the world hegemony that William II will bring to Germany with laughter.

This scene made the dignitaries very happy, and His Majesty the Emperor also smiled. It was obvious that he was particularly satisfied with the opera. Among the people in the audience, Faust noticed that Ludendorff, Albert, Kautsky... there were only a few people, but they were all very important figures, and they all showed disdain for this opera.

After the opera, it was time for a ball. Noble men and women began to dance the waltz one after another. Faust, holding a glass of wine, sat down next to Mr. Kautsky.

Among the many fools in Charlottenburg Palace, even though Kautsky's political views are actually some distance away from Faust's position, Kautsky can be regarded as the person most acceptable to Faust.

Faust sat down, and Kautsky, still maintaining his scholarly smile, said, "Colonel Faust, on such a grand occasion, you have stubbornly refused His Majesty's offer of a knighthood. You will become famous, but His Majesty will not let you off."

Faust said nonchalantly, "Your Majesty, can Your Majesty still interfere with the General Staff? I've heard that Your Majesty can't even mobilize a single guard from the General Staff."

Kautsky was still very wary of the military's dictatorship. He turned serious and said, "I imagine General Ludendorff would make such an assessment of this opera, Lieutenant Colonel. The German unity portrayed in the opera is not to be guaranteed by the opera, but by the army."

Faust said, "Old Moltke said that the security of the throne depends on poetry. And Schiller, the greatest German poet, also said that once Germany has a national theater, Germany will become a nation."

Kautsky said: "Unfortunately, Schiller's prediction did not come true. The reality of history is that foreign wars have become national theaters, and the steel knife has replaced the pen, bringing unity to the German nation."

After Faust's political performance, more and more German officers liked him, but there were also quite a few nobles who hated Faust.

As the ball was in progress, the lights were dazzling. Princess Agnes of the Habsburg dynasty, who admired Faust, wanted to find an opportunity to invite Faust to dance with her, but the arrival of the provocateur interrupted the little princess's plan.

The provocateur was of course the aristocrat, Wilhelm von Habsburg, the cousin of Princess Agnes and the great-grandson of Archduke Karl, a famous general. He was tall and strong. Faust was already very tall, and Archduke Wilhelm was even taller than Faust.

In Berlin, an Austrian nobleman came to provoke the German war hero. Archduke William seemed to have forgotten that the Austro-Hungarian Empire, which is still lingering on today, can still survive in Europe thanks to German soldiers like Faust fighting on the battlefield.

Archduke William was the Austrian fencing champion before the war. He invited Faust: "Lieutenant Colonel Faust is so admirable for refusing the Emperor's offer of a knighthood. I heard that German officers must learn fencing, otherwise they would be considered cowards. Lieutenant Colonel Faust can fence, right?"

Faust put down his glass. "German fencing isn't competitive fencing, it's German-style fencing. You must have heard that in German-style fencing, you can't wear any protective gear on your face, and you can't move your body. Anyone who moves loses."

German fencing, which is popular among Germans, emphasizes masculinity, so several rules are deliberately set, the goal of which is to leave scars on the face.

Bismarck, Marx and other people in history all had this kind of fencing experience and left sword scars on their faces. The reason why Germans are so popular with big beards is, to a certain extent, that when they get older, they feel that the bravery and aggressiveness of their youth are not good, so they use a big beard to cover up the sword scars on their faces.

Archduke William was truly courageous in challenging a war hero like Faust.

He probably thought that professional fencing was not the same as fighting on the battlefield, and that as a professional fencer, he must be better than Faust.