Germany does not seek survival

The lyrics of "The Devil" after Faust's re-writing became the story of the uprising of Spartacus, a gladiator in ancient Rome. Galadia stood on the stage and sang. The stage slowly darkened. Her high heels tapped on the wooden floor, and the clicking sound stopped when the chandelier lit up again.

Miss Galadilla had a silver flute in her hand and began to play the music of "The Devil". The flute sounded sometimes melodious and beautiful, sometimes mournful and sad. At the end, Galadilla put away the flute, raised her head, and sang the last new lyrics composed by Faust:

"Over a hundred years later, the captives are still in the arena,

The sound of ankle shackles colliding stirred up a wave of heat in the entire arena;

The Colosseum in Rome stands in the center of the city, weathering the frost.

No one remembers the slaves, only Vespasian...

More than a thousand years have passed, and the only traces of the struggle are the warm soil.

On the relief carvings of the merit columns, were there ever any images of slaves busy at work?

Trajan's sword points, the name of the wise emperor attracts people's attention,

Who knew that the empire was also built on blood..."

When the song ended, the music suddenly stopped.

When Galatea finished her song, Faust, completely satisfied, clapped his hands. "I think a hundred years ago, the Swedish nightingale was no better than this. Miss Galatea's voice is truly pure and refined. Her voice is truly captivating and captivating."

Galatea walked down from the stage and sat next to Faust. When you look at her closely, you will find that in addition to her melodious voice, even her normal speaking voice is equally intoxicating.

"The lyrics of your new piece, Colonel, are based on the Spartacus uprising. But didn't this famous gladiator have a tragic end?"

The singer's voice was sweet and melodious, yet also tinged with a sense of boredom. Faust simply narrowed his eyes and smiled, "I know. It's said that Spartacus and thousands of other rebel prisoners were crucified all the way from Rome to Capua."

As Faust spoke, he burst into laughter. "Isn't this ending exactly the same as Jesus Christ's? Hahaha, I always think that maybe the person on the cross wasn't the Jewish Jesus, but the Thracian slave Spartacus!"

At this time, footsteps were heard behind Faust, and Hitler walked in.

Hitler leaned close to Faust's ear and whispered, "Venice has fallen."

"Ok!"

Faust stood up from the sofa and asked, "Where is Marshal Conrad?"

Hitler replied: "On his way back to Innsbruck. He should be back tomorrow."

"Ha! The Austrians are still defeated."

After the Austrian army failed in its river crossing operation, the Italians immediately launched a counterattack. At this time, the Austrian army was short of ammunition and weapons, officers were not at their posts, soldiers' morale collapsed, and they had no combat capability at all. In the eyes of D'Annunzio and Mussolini, this battle was simply a leisurely stroll.

Italian casualties were minimal, the Austrians offered little resistance, and D'Annunzio's troops were advancing relentlessly, sweeping across the battlefield from east to west as far as the eye could see. The scene looked more like a carefully choreographed spectacle than a major military operation.

Or as D'Annunzio and Mussolini later described it, the scene, in simple terms, was like a painting.

D'Annunzio led his troops north from Chioggia. Before the Italian infantry arrived, the Austrian troops blocking their way were blown away, leaving only a number of huge craters on the ground.

Suddenly, a gray horse galloped past. Before D'Annunzio could give any order, Mussolini, the reporter who was accompanying the army, took action immediately and pulled the horse back with his head held high, proving that Mussolini's so-called discharge due to injury and disability had not actually affected his health at all.

The horse was laden with a treasure trove: two fine blankets, a raincoat, a jar of butter, a box of cigars, a compass, a packet of cigarettes, a bag of candy, a porcelain pipe, and other sundries.

Seeing this, D'Annunzio smiled happily: "The Austrians have so little supplies, and now they can't even take care of supplies. They have given up resistance. Let us advance boldly!"

This was the first time that the Italian army felt so good. The road ahead was littered with weapons abandoned by the Austrian army. Most of the Austrian defenders fled. Until D'Annunzio led his troops all the way to Venice, they did not encounter any decent resistance.

By dusk the next day, the main fighting was over. The Italian army captured tens of thousands of prisoners and seized countless artillery and supplies. Most of the things lost to the Austrian army in the defeat on the Po River were taken back this time.

Through this war, Italy also conveyed a message to the Austro-Hungarian Empire: Italy has regrouped, but the Austro-Hungarian Empire has become the weakest link among the great powers in the war.

The Italian army advanced too fast. Marshal Conrad refused to believe that the Italians could attack so quickly. He was determined not to withdraw from Venice. As a result, the Italian army actually attacked his headquarters directly in one breath.

If it were not for the tenacious resistance of the headquarters staff and civilian personnel during the street fighting, Marshal Conrad would have almost become a prisoner of the Italians.

Venice fell quickly, and the Italian army continued to advance, but Conrad had lost most of his troops. He could only order the remnants of the Austrian 11th Army to retreat to Tyrol, and he himself fled back to Innsbruck.

When Faust saw Conrad again at the Holy Roman Emperor's Palace in Innsbruck, the old marshal's eyes were blank and he looked half-dead, with no energy at all.

Faust had to help him up and continued to ask: "Old Marshal, how many troops are left in the 11th Army?"

This question nearly brought Marshal Conrad to tears. "My army... my army! It's all gone. Only three divisions managed to retreat to Trento intact. The rest, cut off by the Italians, couldn't retreat to Tyrol. I could only order them to retreat towards Trieste and Fiume."

"Only three divisions left in Trento?"

"Except for the Dalmatian Mountain Division, the 11th Infantry Division, and the 22nd Territorial Defense Army Division, the rest of the troops were completely routed and nowhere to be found."

Conrad arranged for the last three remaining divisions of the Austrian 11th Army to be stationed in Trento, a city that controlled the main road from Italy into the Tyrolean mountains and was a battleground for military strategists.

"But Trento probably can't be defended either."

Marshal Conrad's face was filled with despair and sorrow. "I've ordered the Dalmatian Mountain Division to withdraw to Innsbruck. We need to establish a second line of defense in Tyrol. I estimate that given the current situation, Trento may not be able to hold out for a week."

Faust was not very worried that Marshal Conrad would transfer the Dalmatian Mountain Division back to Innsbruck. This unit had been severely damaged after Conrad's mischief. Even if they fought head-on, they might not be a match for the Grossdeutschland Regiment.

There were also some members of the National Socialist Party within the Dalmatian Mountain Division.

Marshal Conrad was still howling, "Defeat is certain! Woe betide Austria!"

"The 11th Army suffered a crushing defeat. Such a massive defeat, with so much territory lost, would undoubtedly have disastrous political consequences..."

Conrad was overcome with emotion. "I don't know what happened. I remember it clearly. The Italians were not much more numerous than us. What happened was that as soon as the enemy attacked, we were broken through and forced to retreat. Since then, it has been a series of defeats. The army is at its end, and the senior officers have been killed or wounded."

Conrad was even a little hysterical: "It doesn't mean anything else! It means that we have lost!"

Faust comforted Conrad. He now knew very well that both the German Empire and the Austro-Hungarian Empire were at the end of their lives. National Socialist Party, it was time to take action.

The cross has been erected, who is Spartacus?

Chapter 138 Regicide Operation

As late as August 1918, the Habsburgs seemed to be on the verge of victory, or at least to be satisfied with it. No foreign soldiers set foot on Habsburg territory, while Austria-Hungary occupied large tracts of Ukraine, Serbia, and northern Italy.

Had Kaiser Wilhelm II heeded the Austrians' earlier appeals for an armistice, the Habsburgs might have survived. But the autumn brought only disaster.

In September, the Serbs, with the support of France, made a comeback and quickly recaptured their capital, Belgrade. Then Italy counterattacked and annihilated a large number of Austrian troops. A few days later, Romania returned to the battlefield, invaded the Habsburg province of Bukovina, and occupied its provincial capital, Chernivtsi.

There were reports that a general strike had broken out in Berlin and that Germany was impotent. Defeat, compounded by famine, war weariness, and suffering, had led to widespread rebellions among ethnic minorities and the establishment of new nation-states within the monarchy. After eight hundred years in power, the Habsburg dynasty was finally falling apart.

Suddenly, the dynasty became worthless, or even worse.

Austrian Prime Minister Ramasi and Interior Minister Perl drove to Schönbrunn Palace in Vienna. When they met Emperor Charles I, they took out a prepared declaration and asked the emperor to sign it.

In the declaration, the emperor needed to promise not to participate in state affairs in the future, which meant not only that the emperor had to give up the throne, but that the entire Habsburg family had to give up their right to rule.

Prime Minister Ramasi was extremely anxious. "Your Majesty, the situation is dire everywhere. The Romanians have already entered Bukovina. The Imperial Army was almost unable to resist and surrendered upon hearing the news. The Ukrainians in Lviv rioted this morning, occupied the city government, and issued a telegram declaring independence. Similar riots have also occurred in Sarajevo..."

"Your Majesty! Please sign immediately. If you sign sooner, there will still be a chance. If you delay, the minority who choose to support Your Majesty will be overthrown, and Your Majesty and all members of the royal family will suffer the same fate as the Tsar and his family."

Interior Secretary Pell also urged: "Your Majesty, please sign quickly. US President Wilson said that only if Your Majesty abdicates will the Allies be willing to negotiate with us. Sign quickly. The declaration is scheduled to be issued throughout Vienna at 3 pm."

The two ministers were terrified, but the young Emperor Charles I refused to sign. The emperor shouted, "How can I sign this if you won't even let me see it?"

Afterwards, the Emperor read the declaration and turned to seek the opinion of Queen Mother Josephine.

The Queen Mother was both disappointed and angry at these ministers who had no loyalty at all. "The Habsburg crown, which has stood for eight hundred years, cannot be destroyed in the hands of our generation. A monarch will never voluntarily abdicate. His throne may be deposed, and his imperial power may be stripped away. This is forced by force, and there is no other way. As for voluntary abdication, it is absolutely, absolutely, absolutely impossible!"

Prime Minister Ramasi pointed directly at the Queen Mother and cursed, "Queen Mother, if Your Majesty does not sign, I am afraid you will all die without a burial place!"

The usually graceful and steady Empress Dowager lost all her decorum at this moment. She slammed the table and said, "I would rather die here than abdicate. Even if we perish here, there are still many Habsburgs who will carry on our legacy and defend the throne!"

The palace staff, including the court dignitaries, advised the young emperor: "Your Majesty, signing the declaration does not formally abdicate. The document also reserves a constitutional path for the restoration of the dynasty in the future. As for now, madness controls the times, and there is no place for a monarch in a lunatic asylum."

Prime Minister Ramasi then threatened: "If Your Majesty does not sign, I am worried that the guards will rebel and Your Majesty's personal safety will not be guaranteed."

Queen Mother Josephine was extremely angry. Her eyes were red as she said, "You have failed the motto that Queen Theresa left for the Empire: loyalty is priceless!"

Minister of the Interior Per said: "Well, the car is waiting. After Your Majesty signs the document, you can leave Vienna by car."

The young Emperor Karl I was terrified: "Leaving Vienna? Where can I go?"

Interior Minister Per said: "We have arranged a villa for Your Majesty in Salzburg, so Your Majesty can hide in the countryside."

Queen Mother Josephine was extremely disappointed, but the little emperor could no longer hold on under the intimidation of many ministers. He picked up a pencil and signed his name on the declaration.

The Prime Minister then arranged for personnel and cars. There were only two cars for all the royal family members, so they had to squeeze in. The cars didn't dare drive directly out of the palace's main gate, but instead drove along the wide gravel road parallel to the main building to the east gate. After the cars slipped out, they would follow a special route to leave the capital.

The streets of Vienna were still crowded with jubilant crowds. When everyone heard the news of the little emperor's abdication on the radio, they all laughed and talked.

Because according to US President Wilson, as long as the emperor abdicates, the Austro-Hungarian Empire should be able to obtain good armistice terms!

The little Princess Agnes was also sitting in the carriage. She hugged the Queen Mother tightly, her eyes filled with tears. She looked delicate, pitiful and helpless, like an abandoned and scarred little bird, with all its feathers fallen off, groaning and struggling in the wind, with only half a breath left.

Queen Mother Josephine tightly grasped Princess Agnes's hand. She looked out the window at the Viennese citizens celebrating the emperor's abdication, her eyes filled with anger and hatred. "No, this won't end! We must come back. The Habsburgs will punish all those who betrayed it. Every one of these pariahs deserves to die!"

Princess Agnes had never seen her mother look so horrible. The Queen Mother's face was filled with twisted hatred that went deep into her bones. This royal lady, who had always been gentle and generous, was filled with frustration and hatred in the turbulent times. She really didn't know where to vent!

In the note, Wilson demanded that the Allies end their autocratic rule. Only then would he give the Allies a decent peace, both with Austria-Hungary and with the German Empire.

"Bulgaria has surrendered! Türkiye has begun unilateral negotiations, and Austria-Hungary will follow suit. It won't be long before our country is the only one left fighting alone in Europe!"

In order to negotiate with the Allied Powers, the most dovish prince in Germany, Prince of Baden, has been appointed Chancellor. Prince of Baden immediately told Ludendorff and Hindenburg that Germany's allies were collapsing and it was impossible for Germany to fight alone.

Hindenburg replied: "Now, the German people face two choices: to fight for national honor to the last man, so as to secure a chance for revival in the future; or to give up the desperate battle, surrender while there is still strength, and bring about their own destruction!"

The Prince of Baden was furious: "The war has already been lost, and the military is going to lose it again and hold us responsible for it. That's impossible."

William II could only convene a council of the Imperial Court. During the council, Prince of Baden pointed out: "Your Majesty, there is clearly a wave of anti-monarchical public opinion within the Empire. Many people want you to abdicate."

William II interrupted, "I know! But there's no such thing as abdication among the descendants of Frederick the Great! Wilson is truly a hypocrite, finally showing off! His goal is to destroy the German royal family and overthrow the monarchy."

The Prince of Baden then asked Ludendorff and Hindenburg: "Marshals, does the army still have any way to deal with the Allies?"

Ludendorff avoided the question and claimed that if he was given another 600,000 reinforcements, he would be able to stabilize the Hindenburg Line. Hindenburg was more honest and simply responded with silence.

The Prince of Baden sighed helplessly, "Your Majesty, some Social Democrats firmly believe that as long as Your Majesty abdicates, Germany can achieve a decent peace. If Your Majesty does not abdicate voluntarily as soon as possible, the Social Democratic-controlled unions may launch a riot. Of course, if Your Majesty cannot make a decision immediately, then the only choice is to break with Wilson, and then everyone can take off their helmets and pray silently."

Ludendorff then sang a high-sounding tone, saying: "Abdication is absolutely impossible. The only way is to break with Wilson and fight to the end. The military is ready to fight to the death for Your Majesty."

That's what he said, but in fact Ludendorff had already ordered the German army to suspend all actions. Now Ludendorff was mainly thinking about how to shirk responsibility. He also felt that Germany was bound to lose, so he wanted to clear the German army of responsibility for the defeat.

Prince Baden was helpless. At this moment, his secretary suddenly walked in. It turned out that it was a call from Berlin. After hearing the news, Prince Baden's face suddenly changed. He told everyone present at the Imperial Conference:

"Your Majesty, Marshals, something terrible is happening. The general strike in Berlin has escalated into violent clashes, and the police are unable to control the situation."

Then came many more telegrams, the first of which was from Prince Ernst of Hohenlohe-Langenburg, a distant cousin of the Prince of Baden, who had been negotiating with American representatives in Switzerland about the issue of prisoners of war.

The content of the telegram stated: "Not long ago, I learned from a reliable source that Wilson's note actually has only one conclusion, that is, except for the abdication of the German Emperor, all other peace terms are unacceptable..."

The telegram continued: "Thus the lifeblood of Germany will be preserved. There is a view that the Kaiser alone is the chief obstacle to peace. If this view spreads—even if it does not spread itself, the Allies will spread it—and if Your Majesty does not abdicate, then Germany will be in danger of overthrow not only now but forever."

The last content of the telegram was a warning: If we continue to delay and struggle, the United States will regard this as new evidence of the military's control over the government, becoming more suspicious and distrustful of Germany's constitutional reforms.

Later, the Prussian representative in Munich also sent a telegram, stating: "I convey the unfortunate news to His Royal Highness. Yesterday, Wilson's reply was made public here. According to the Bavarian authorities, the last paragraph is directed directly at Your Majesty..."

The telegram continued: "Therefore, the Chancellor of the Kingdom of Bavaria and the Minister of War of the Kingdom demand that the German Emperor be told directly that the enemy will not accept any terms of peace unless Your Majesty voluntarily removes the crown. Your Majesty will become the benefactor of the German people and will go down in history as a man of the highest, noblest, and most selfless spirit."

In the afternoon, another piece of intelligence advocating the emperor's abdication came. This intelligence came from General von Celius, who had served as a special aide-de-camp and had served the German emperor for many years.

Celius received intelligence from Belgium: the German Emperor must abdicate, otherwise Germany will have to accept harsh armistice terms and usher in a tragic peace; in order to save the dynasty and the country, His Majesty has no choice but to make great sacrifices.

William II was really pissed off by all the civil and military officials in the court. It turned out that all the princes of the empire wanted to urge him to abdicate as if they were urging him to die?

"Abdication is out of the question. But I, along with the German states, endorse the plan for reforming the representative parliament and am determined to do all I can to help ensure its full implementation..."

William II reluctantly kept pace. He was still unwilling to back down, but he said that constitutional monarchy reform could be carried out in Germany, which would also abolish autocratic rule and win the favor of the United States.

Prince Baden was greatly disappointed and the imperial conference ended in a bad mood.

That night, the front continued to retreat. In order to understand the domestic situation clearly, Hindenburg quickly sent a telegram to Manstein. Early the next morning, Manstein took an express train to see his uncle.

As soon as they met, Manstein immediately said: "Your Majesty must not be allowed to abdicate. Your Majesty is weak in will and may succumb to the growing demands for abdication. However, once Your Majesty abdicates, the country will fall into the hands of the Social Democratic Party."

Hindenburg frowned: "If your Majesty abdicates, the Prince of Baden should take power!"

Manstein shook his head. "The Prince of Baden doesn't have much power. He just has a good relationship with SPD Chairman Albert. He can use this relationship to prevent the SPD's unions from revolting. But if Your Majesty abdicates, the Prince of Baden will undoubtedly lose control of the situation. The SPD will then legitimately take over power, and all of us Junkers will lose power."

Hindenburg stood up, holding the marshal's baton, and paced back and forth in front of the window. After a long moment, he said gloomily, "Regardless of life or death, honor or disgrace, I will only follow Your Majesty. What can you do?"

Manstein said: "In any case, the army is still stationed on enemy territory and cannot be forced to take the responsibility of surrendering to the enemy."

"What should we do?" Hindenburg, who was good-tempered, rarely yelled.

Manstein calmed down and said calmly, "I suggest that Your Majesty return to Berlin and take charge of the Imperial Capital to prevent a rebellion there. Your Majesty can speak directly to the striking workers in the Imperial Capital and use your charm to win them over. The army should remain calm and continue to defend until it can hold out. The army must also prepare in advance. In the event of a rebellion in the Imperial Capital, we need to prepare a small, reliable and capable force that can quickly travel to Berlin to suppress it."

Hindenburg looked incredulous. He felt that this idea was totally unreliable, especially asking William II to persuade the strikers. Given William II's style, personally coming out to talk would only make the workers angry.

Hindenburg rejected it out of hand: "No, this is a mess. It won't work at all."

Manstein understood that his uncle was still a die-hard royalist and respected the emperor very much, so he would never use such a risky tactic.

Because Manstein's method, to put it bluntly, is to put William II in the same dangerous situation as Tsar Nicholas II, let William II stay in Berlin, let him come into contact with the workers, and then it would be best if William II died in the Berlin riot!

The army only needs to be responsible for military affairs and will not care about other matters. When the new government that comes out after the riot goes to negotiate with the Allied Powers, the army will prepare a capable army. Once the new government's negotiations are over, it will use this army to launch a coup in Berlin to seize power.