Germany does not seek survival

Hindenburg's five divisions brought back from the front greatly stimulated the Republicans' nervousness. The five divisions were reduced to only 500 people, which made William II feel infinite fear.

One side is nervous, the other side is afraid.

The center of the vortex of the German revolution, the eye of the storm, Berlin, is burning.

Chapter 160: Berlin Winter

On the afternoon of November 9, 1918, thick snow had covered the entire city, but the sky was still overcast, a bad omen.

This heavy snow, which occurs only once in fifty years, has been falling for several days in a row since November and seems to be continuing. Yesterday evening, the snow on the streets of Berlin had accumulated to a thickness of ten centimeters, causing traffic jams and chaos.

In addition, the number of striking workers increased, and barricades were built on some important roads. Even Unter den Linden would have been occupied by the troops holding red flags if it had not been blocked and protected by the Royal Guards.

Many theaters have been turned into temporary hotels for people taking to the streets to stay. Some churches are crowded with striking workers who are spending the night there. Even more people have set up sheds in the square outside the church to keep out the snow.

Because they were worried that the wind and snow at night might cause the workers sleeping on the streets to die suddenly, and if there were a large number of deaths, the situation in Berlin would definitely become even more tense, so the new Chancellor, Prince of Baden, who had just taken office, had to beg for money everywhere and barely got a batch of blankets to distribute to the demonstrators to keep them warm.

However, this was of no avail. The relationship between the government and the people grew increasingly tense. Rumors were rife: one rumor claimed William II had fled to the Netherlands, another that the military was sending troops to Beijing to suppress the rebellion, and even another that the Allied forces were about to reach Berlin.

In Berlin, which was covered with heavy snow, most of the ordinary citizens who were not from the working class spent their time in front of the bulletin boards of various newspapers, waiting every day to see the latest news from the front.

What would be the outcome of the armistice on the Western Front? Would the Emperor abdicate?

In the Chancellery, the Prince of Baden had just stopped the General Staff's plan to send planes to bomb the port of Kiel. He was now staying with the Social Democrats and controlled the Berlin police razor Noske, who was by the Prince of Baden's side.

Noske persuaded the Prince of Baden: "Your Highness, we have no choice now. If you want the Social Democrats to remain in the government and to prevent more and more people from joining the ranks of the revolutionaries, there is only one way: urge His Majesty the Emperor to abdicate immediately."

Prince Baden was in agony, squeezed between various factions, unable to please either side. "I... I have done everything I can. To prevent civil war in the Empire, I have frankly told Your Majesty that only abdication can ease the volatile situation."

The Prince of Baden sighed deeply. "The German people blame Your Majesty for all the blood shed during the war. This is unfair! But people do believe that if Your Majesty's abdication can prevent civil war or worse, the Hohenzollern dynasty can still live on."

"But," the Prince of Baden said helplessly, "Marshal Hindenburg refused to accept it. He did not agree with Your Majesty's abdication. Your Majesty also refused to give in and vowed to use force to restore order in the country."

Noske looked nervous. This Social Democratic Party razor did not care whether the emperor would send troops to suppress the striking workers on the streets outside. He was more worried that if the emperor's suppression failed and civil war broke out, the Social Democratic Party might not be the final winner in the chaos.

For the SPD, the most favorable situation would be for the emperor to abdicate to appease public anger, and then the Prince of Baden would authorize the SPD to form a new government. In this way, the German political power would be able to be peacefully transferred to the SPD with certainty.

This is the safest and most reliable option. As long as the emperor is persuaded to abdicate and the SPD obtains authorization from the Prince of Baden, who represents the old imperial government, at the time of abdication, the SPD will surely become the ruler of post-war Germany.

But unfortunately, no one knows who persuaded Marshal Hindenburg to firmly support the emperor. After receiving Hindenburg's firm support, William II also toughened his attitude and just issued a statement saying that he would never leave Berlin no matter what the situation was.

The streets of Berlin were in turmoil. Potsdamer Strasse and Unter den Linden were lined with sandbags, machine guns were mounted at the ends of the streets, and several battalions of imperial guards were said to be ready for battle. Every square had a central speaker, each gathering thousands of followers. There were also large numbers of violent gangs, pickets from the Social Democratic and Revolutionary Unions, gangs, deserters from other places pouring into Berlin, and revolutionary sailors rushing in from the port of Kiel...

It is a scene full of vitality and everything is flourishing.

Ebert, the leader of the Social Democratic Party, is now the most powerful person in Berlin. Even though more and more workers in Berlin have turned to the revolutionary trade unions, the Social Democratic Party still controls at least two-thirds of the workers in Berlin.

Berlin's police system is also under the control of the SPD, and the Prince of Baden is willing to cooperate with the SPD, which means that Berlin's administrative system also belongs to the SPD.

Ebert was also most worried that the emperor would send troops to suppress the striking masses, because once suppressed, the situation would almost certainly escalate. If a civil war broke out, the SPD lacked sufficient military talent and strength, and its chances of winning were not high, at least not as high as if the emperor or chancellor directly transferred power.

Albert called Noske again from his official residence. He urged Noske on the phone to put pressure on Prince of Baden and force William II to abdicate.

Noske informed the Prince of Baden of Chairman Albert's demands: "Your Highness, the SPD's patience is reaching its limit. If it weren't for our party's assistance in maintaining stability, the masses would have overthrown Berlin long ago. However, the SPD cannot hold the masses in check indefinitely. You must now issue a statement publicly requesting the Emperor's abdication in the name of the Imperial Government."

Prince Baden could only make a bitter face. He believed that once he made such a statement on behalf of the government, it would mean that the Chancellor was leading a coup against the empire, which was unacceptable in any way.

Noske's face darkened immediately, and he scolded the prince: "Do you know that last night the Independent Party and the Spartacus League called for a general strike in the Berlin area?"

Noske handed Albert's phone to Prince of Baden.

Albert asked on the phone: "Prince, has the Emperor agreed to abdicate?"

Prince Baden picked up the phone: "Sorry, not yet."

Chairman Albert's attitude when speaking was no longer like that of treating an imperial prince or chancellor, but rather like lecturing his secretary.

"How did you do it? This is a complete dereliction of duty. It shouldn't be done this way, Prince. I can only wait another three hours. If he hasn't abdicated by then, I will lead all the Social Democrats out of the government."

The Prince of Baden hesitated and said, "Please give me more time. Perhaps I can convince Your Majesty in the evening."

Albert raised his voice and shouted, "I don't have that much time to wait, Your Majesty! Please tell Your Majesty, three hours. If you don't announce your abdication in three hours, I will resign immediately, and all Social Democrats will leave the government. Within a quarter of an hour, you will receive hundreds of resignations. If you delay any further, it will be too late to regret it."

Prince of Baden had no choice but to call the palace fifteen minutes later. However, the person who answered the phone was not William II, but Lieutenant Colonel Manstein, the representative sent by Marshal Hindenburg to Berlin.

Manstein said gently on the other end of the phone, "Prince, don't worry. The army cannot and will not support Your Majesty in a civil war. We will not send troops to suppress the Berlin masses."

Prince Baden breathed a sigh of relief and said, "In that case, there is no other option but to abdicate."

Manstein, however, refused to back down on the question of abdication, deliberately using ambiguous terms: "Abdication, yes, in order to avoid civil war, the army is trying to persuade Your Majesty to abdicate. However, this matter cannot be rushed. Within a month, Your Majesty will certainly abdicate in an appropriate manner."

Prince of Baden truthfully conveyed these words to Noske, who then passed them on to Albert.

Albert was such a cunning politician that he knew as soon as he heard that the military was not sincere and the army had no good intentions.

"It's too late! Once a spark has spread, there's no way to avoid it. The storm is coming. I think the Berlin garrison could be in trouble today or tomorrow. If even a small unit of the garrison revolts and joins the strikers, the situation will be out of control. By then, I'll have no other choice. If the SPD doesn't want to lose its power to lead the masses, we have no choice but to join the revolution."

Prince Baden's legs trembled. "That's horrible. Is it really necessary to do this?"

On the other end of the phone, Albert said grimly, "If Your Majesty doesn't abdicate today, the situation will be like this. The Social Democratic Party can't help you control the masses forever. The masses hate William II. This liar, why is this guy just refusing to leave?"

Albert's words and deeds showed that he had no respect for His Majesty the Emperor. He didn't even bother to pay attention to the superficial title and started to curse William II. The relationship between the monarch and his subject was gone and he didn't even pretend.

Noske also said, "Prince, we have always believed that the Emperor would voluntarily abdicate. If His Majesty does not abdicate before tonight, the Social Democratic Party may issue a statement demanding the removal of William II from the throne. For God's sake, Prince, in these last few hours, please make every effort to fight for it."

Chapter 161: The Royalist Lingwu Succession

The Berlin City Palace was surrounded by guard posts of the Imperial Guard. Soldiers piled up sandbags, placed balls of barbed wire, and set up machine guns in the square in front of the Berlin City Palace. This intimidated the striking workers on the streets of Berlin and prevented them from attacking the palace.

The palace had become the only reliable base for German monarchists in Berlin. William II hid on the second floor of the Berlin City Palace, daring not to go anywhere. Last night, the telephone downstairs rang for a long time. In addition, officers and orderlies were almost noisy, and sabers and boot spurs clashed and clanged against each other.

William II was anxious. Whenever he had time, he would call Hindenburg, Ludendorff, the Prince of Baden... and everyone he thought could save the Hohenzollern dynasty, but the responses he received were all very pessimistic.

The emperor's adjutant, old General von Plessen, had a worried look on his face, but when he saw that William II's eyes were slightly red and he was almost crying, he still pulled himself together and told William II a "good news".

"Your Majesty, very important good news."

A hint of joy finally flashed across William II's mournful face. "What's the news? Have the Allies given up on my abdication? Or is the Social Democratic Party willing to step in and calm the masses?"

"No, no, that's not the news."

General von Plessen stroked his beard. "It's news from the Austro-Hungarian Empire. Some royalist officers have launched an uprising in Salzburg in support of the Habsburg royal family. It's said that the rebels have successfully taken control of the city."

William II was immediately disappointed. "Austria! Salzburg! This can't help me! General Plesson, next time, please distinguish clearly what good news I need to hear."

At this point, William II was still dissatisfied: "The revolutions that broke out in Austria-Hungary and Germany are destined to threaten the whole of Europe. It is ridiculous for the Allies to continue the war! Who can tell the Allies? This crazy momentum must be stopped by a solid barrier. Our enemies must understand that now the whole of European civilization is facing the threat of revolution."

William II clenched his fists, pounded the table, and vented his anger at the old general again: "General Pleasant! You, those of you who swore allegiance to the royal family, can't you pick up your rifles and drive away the rebels surrounding the palace first? You are so cowardly and useless. What's the point of keeping you around?"

General Plesson was insulted by the Emperor and his face turned pale. He clenched his fists and his eyes were red. He seemed to want to say something, but finally left William II's bedroom dejectedly.

Outside the gate of William II's palace, Lieutenant Colonel Manstein was waiting there.

As the representative of Marshal Hindenburg, this little fox now has a lot of say in the Berlin City Palace. Everyone in the palace regards Manstein as the last straw.

"Is His Majesty the Emperor still the same?"

General Plesson nodded dejectedly. "Your Majesty is unable to demonstrate the heroism expected of a German man... Oh, I'm sure I'm not the only one disappointed. It's very likely that Your Majesty will bring shame to the glorious Hohenzollern family..."

As General Pleasant spoke, his voice choked and he became speechless, with tears streaming down his face.

In addition to General Plessen, Crown Prince Wilhelm's chief of staff, Count Schulenburg, and Crown Prince Rupprecht also rushed back to Berlin at this time.

Crown Prince Prurecht's face was gloomy. As soon as he saw Manstein, he asked, "Lieutenant Colonel Manstein, you know Faust, right? I remember very clearly that you once worked with Faust. What do you say now? Faust rebelled in Tyrol, and it had a very bad influence! He is such an ungrateful person. Has he forgotten that I promoted him?"

Of course, Manstein was busy shirking responsibility. He knew very well that a lot of "bad news" had come from Bavaria in the past two days. The followers of Crown Prince Prurecht who stayed in Bavaria were either driven away by Faust's army or simply became prisoners.

In the storm of revolution, even if Bavaria successfully gained independence, there was no place for Crown Prince Prurecht in the new country.

Rupprecht grew increasingly angry. "Your Majesty, why hasn't you abdicated yet? The army is hopeless. The national government relies entirely on the Social Democratic Party. Some troops have already defected and joined the rebels. In reality, the army can no longer hold the front lines. It's difficult for us to mobilize troops back to Berlin."

The curtains in the room were drawn tightly, and the room was freezing cold. Only the fire was burning in the fireplace. Count Schulenburg, a close confidant of Crown Prince William who had rushed back from the Western Front, was leaning against the stove, shivering due to the cold weather and his inner anxiety.

Count Schulenburg whispered, "I disagree with His Royal Highness the Crown Prince's assessment. The majority of the army remains loyal to the Emperor, and civil war can be avoided. General Seeckt commands two divisions of rapid-fire troops in Potsdam. These two divisions can enter Berlin at any time to suppress the civil unrest."

General Pleasant was also excited when he heard the good news: "His Majesty the Emperor cannot succumb to the revolution so easily! The German Empire cannot succumb to the revolution so easily!"

Crown Prince Rupprecht's plan was for the emperor to abdicate quickly to avoid a full-scale revolution and civil war, so that he could keep as much property as possible in Bavaria.

If a full-scale civil war breaks out, the royalists have little chance of winning, and all the property of Rupprecht and his royal family in Munich will probably be confiscated by Faust immediately.

Of course, at this time, Crown Prince Prurecht did not know that Faust, whom he had single-handedly promoted, had now formulated a decree in Munich to confiscate the property of the nobility. Without the outbreak of a full-scale civil war, the property of the Wittelsbach family had already fallen into the hands of the National Socialist Party.

"This is nonsense," Crown Prince Prurecht angrily declared. "If we dispatch troops to Beijing to suppress the rebellion, fighting will break out among the troops, and the result will be an all-out civil war."

"His Majesty the Emperor doesn't realize that the entire revolution is directed at him. If only His Majesty abdicates, everything will be fine."

This remark infuriated Count Schulenburg, a close confidant of Crown Prince William. Count Schulenburg looked at Crown Prince Rupprecht with rage in his eyes. "Your Highness, have you not taken the military oath before His Majesty the Emperor?"

"Under the present circumstances, Count, the oath is but empty words."

Schulenburg was furious: "With the enemy at our doorstep, neither officer nor soldier will abandon their monarch. To do so would be treason!"

Crown Prince Rupprecht also shouted loudly: "Who can guarantee the loyalty of the army? It is difficult to guarantee the loyalty of the new troops sent to Beijing."

Manstein interrupted at this moment, saying, "General Seeckt's two divisions of rapid troop formations are newly reorganized troops to suppress the civil unrest. Please rest assured that the officers and soldiers of these two divisions are staunch royalists. The General Staff can assure the princes that the newly built 1st and 2nd Mobile Divisions in Potsdam are absolutely reliable troops."

The emperor's adjutant, General Plessen, and the crown prince's chief of staff, Count Schulenburg, were both staunch royalists and refused to accept the idea of ​​abdication. The General Staff represented by Manstein also took the same stance at the time.

The ideas of these people basically represent the ideas of the military top brass. Crown Prince Rupprecht was helpless and could only retract his words that he hoped the emperor would abdicate as soon as possible.

Manstein believed that General Plessen and Count Schulenburg were not of sufficient status. He repeatedly persuaded Count Schulenburg to let Crown Prince Wilhelm return to Berlin to take charge of the situation.

Finally, Count Schulenburg listened to Manstein's words. Shortly after their verbal battle, Crown Prince William's car drove to the Berlin City Palace. Although he encountered strikers blocking the way, fortunately, the guards fired shots into the air, allowing Crown Prince William to pass through the roadblock smoothly.

Without waiting for Crown Prince Wilhelm to greet the others, Manstein hurried forward and informed the Crown Prince of the situation of the fast troops in Potsdam.

After hearing this information, Crown Prince William's originally sallow and haggard face finally calmed down a little. "Very good, Manstein, you made some preparations in advance. That's great. Otherwise, without fast troops, I really don't know what I would do."

Crown Prince William then said to everyone: "If my father really cannot avoid abdicating as the German Emperor, then he should at least continue to serve as the King of Prussia."

Schulenburg strongly agreed with this view and believed that in the most dangerous times, His Majesty the Emperor could try to go to Königsberg, the capital of East Prussia, and establish a small royalist Prussian regime there.

The German princes and nobles did not know the history of the Qin Dynasty, otherwise they would know that during the chaos at the end of the Qin Dynasty, even though Ziying demoted himself from emperor to king of Qin, he was unable to stop the advance of the rebel army of the six states.

Manstein's eyes rolled around, and he also agreed with the idea of ​​taking refuge in East Prussia in times of crisis.

However, Manstein immediately proposed: "Your Highness, the most important thing now is to control the rapid troops. I suggest that we go to Potsdam now to take charge of the troops. Staying in Berlin will not only be of no avail, but may further anger the citizens. If the people spread rumors that you have fled from the front to Berlin and become a deserter, the reputation of the Hohenzollern dynasty will be further tarnished."

Manstein had no good intentions. His plan was very clear. As long as the 1st Mobile Division and the 2nd Mobile Division entered Berlin to suppress the revolution, a full-scale civil war would surely break out immediately.

By that time, William II, who was still in the palace, was doomed to death. The area around Berlin was no longer suitable for the royalists to stay. Manstein had to prepare in advance to take the crown prince to East Prussia and Courland to establish a new central government.

Manstein was fully prepared for Lingwu to succeed him.

Chapter 162: Three Cheers for the Republic

On Wilhelm Street in Berlin, a truck with a red flag and a machine gun mounted on it drove through the street. The crowd outside the Chancellery saw this and immediately burst into cheers.

Throughout the morning, Prince Baden was like a rat in a bellows, caught in a dilemma. At the end of the day, there was still no good news. William II refused to abdicate, and the strikers outside became more and more excited. The crowd surrounding the Chancellery and the Imperial Palace had reached hundreds of thousands. It was a huge crowd, and almost all the young and middle-aged people in Berlin had turned to the revolutionary camp.

Now the Prince of Baden had to make a choice: either continue to wait or take action and bear the consequences himself. Under the urging of Chairman Albert, the Prince of Baden had no choice but to send a statement in his own name:

"...His Majesty the Emperor is considering abdicating. The Imperial Chancellor will remain in office until the issues concerning the Emperor's abdication, the Crown Prince's renunciation of the Imperial and Prussian succession rights, and the establishment of a regency system are resolved..."

Albert then urged the Prince of Baden: "One more statement is needed, Prince. Please make a public statement authorizing me, Albert, to form a new government to maintain peace and order."

The Prince of Baden hesitated: "Yes, but the new government must support constitutional monarchy."

Albert said mercilessly: "The new prime minister is a difficult position, but I am willing to take it. As for the monarchy issue, it is too late now. I cannot make a statement in support of the monarchy."

Albert's followers immediately chimed in like a Greek chorus: "Too late! Too late!"

That scene really looked like a scene from a musical.

The Prince of Baden had no choice but to hand the seal of the Imperial Chancellor to Albert: "Chairman Albert, whether you want to be the Imperial Chancellor, the Prime Minister under a constitutional monarchy, or the President of the Republic, I can only support you. At the very least, please make sure that Germany does not become the second Soviet Russia."

"Mr. Albert, I entrust the fate of the German Empire to you."

Albert made a special trip from the SPD official residence to the Chancellery just to take over the seal from the Prince of Baden. He believed that this was a highly symbolic historical moment.

The cunning and treacherous Ebert took over the chancellor's seal with trembling hands. His subordinates, Noske, Scheidemann and others, hurried out and began to announce to the outside world: Ebert has become the new head of the German government, and the Social Democratic Party will officially take over the Berlin government!

A large crowd had gathered outside, the atmosphere was noisy, and workers waving red flags were everywhere. The news that the SPD had taken over the Berlin government spread quickly throughout the city, and was undoubtedly exaggerated in the process of dissemination.

In a short while, the news that Prince of Baden authorized Albert to form a new government quickly evolved into rumors of "the emperor's abdication and the end of the empire."

The crowds on the streets of Berlin roared: "Compatriots! Workers! Soldiers! Comrades! The monarchy has fallen. Many soldiers have joined us. The Hohenzollern dynasty has ended."

"Long live the great German Republic!"

"Long live the great German Republic!"