Germany does not seek survival

Lieutenant Colonel Bock came to visit Faust with General Seeckt's armistice terms. This was the first time he saw Faust in person, rather than seeing Faust's portrait in the newspaper.

Lieutenant Colonel Bock still retained some respect for war heroes like Faust. He first saluted Faust, and then called Faust "Colonel".

"Colonel, General Seeckt believes there is no need for our armies to continue fighting. Continuing the exchange of fire will only devastate the German nation's remaining vitality and could severely damage the ancient city of Potsdam, home to countless historical monuments. It could also lead to a humanitarian crisis in the capital, Berlin. We suggest that our armies immediately cease fire along the contact line."

Lieutenant Colonel Bock presented the armistice agreement to Faust with both hands. As the leader of the revolutionary army, Faust certainly did not return Lieutenant Colonel Bock's old German military salute. He just took the armistice agreement coldly and took a quick look at it.

"Your terms are reasonable. If the fighting continues, the Red Army is confident of victory. Our army has decided to accept your armistice terms only out of consideration for protecting Potsdam and Berlin from the devastation of war."

Faust was indeed more confident when he spoke now than the Potsdam troops, not only because behind the Great German Division there were a steady stream of reinforcements from the National Socialist Party heading north to support it, but also because the Great German Division's most powerful heavy weapon - Faust himself - had not yet been deployed to the front line.

Chapter 170: Faust Goes to the Meeting Alone

In the eyes of Lieutenant Colonel Bock, Colonel Witt Faust, winner of the Blue Max Medal of the German Imperial Army, was an outstanding soldier with a particularly handsome appearance and the bearing of a Prussian officer.

Although Faust is a Bavarian, his speech, behavior and style of doing things are in line with Prussian standards.

Unfortunately, such an outstanding soldier did not defend the Hohenzollern dynasty, but instead became the enemy of the royalists.

Faust did not sign the draft armistice agreement directly. He told Lieutenant Colonel Bock: "With all due respect, as the leader of the National Socialist Party, it is impossible for me to sign such an agreement. Even if our army agrees to the armistice terms, at most we can only reach a limited tacit understanding with your army and not launch a pursuit."

Lieutenant Colonel Bock was not satisfied with this answer: "Sir, without paper documents, who can guarantee our safety once our troops begin to withdraw?"

Faust held up the agreement drafted by General Seckt and said, "Then we can continue the war until you are convinced."

Lieutenant Colonel Bock was not easily intimidated by Faust. "Sir, continuing the war will benefit neither us nor you. Are the National Socialists trying to take advantage of the SPD?"

Faust smiled and said, "If the National Socialists want to do this, so what? You can't do anything about it. In front of the royalists, all republicans are allies."

Lieutenant Colonel Bock was left speechless by Faust's words. He felt a little indignant, but he had no other choice: "Our army's armistice conditions are very sincere, but if, as you said, a ceasefire cannot be reached, everyone will suffer. What else do you want..."

Upon hearing this, Faust smiled faintly. "It's simple. Your army hastily withdrew, and it would have been inconvenient for you to take the heavy artillery group in Potsdam with you. Please add a clause to the armistice agreement. When your army withdraws, you should transfer all the heavy equipment left in Potsdam to our army."

After the National Socialist Party's uprising in Tyrol, it seized most of the artillery of the Austrian 11th Army and also made considerable gains in Innsbruck and Munich. Faust was not short of artillery.

However, the heavy artillery group in Potsdam was not an ordinary artillery, but a siege mortar with a caliber of more than 200 mm. The equipment was particularly luxurious and was close to the artillery strength of a German army on the Western Front. It was far beyond the artillery of an Austrian army.

Faust was quite envious of Potsdam's heavy artillery.

The armistice on the Western Front had already ended, and the Compiègne Forest Armistice Agreement stipulated that the million-strong German troops on the Western Front must hand over all their heavy weapons to the Allies. After the implementation of the Compiègne Agreement, the value of this batch of heavy artillery in Potsdam would rise sharply.

Lieutenant Colonel Bock was intimidated by Faust's offer. Feeling powerless, he could only say, "I need to return to Potsdam to report to General Seeckt. Your Excellency, only General Seeckt can make the decision on such a serious matter."

From these words, Faust immediately heard the subtle changes in the internal situation of the Potsdam royalists. It seemed that the Prussian Junkers represented by General Seeckt had completely suppressed the dignity of Crown Prince William, the representative of the Hohenzollern royal family.

Even if Crown Prince William succeeds to the throne in the future, he will most likely become a puppet of the Prussian Junker officers, just like his father, William II.

Faust simply suggested: "Since General Seeckt is hesitant, I can go to Potsdam to meet with him in person. This is also necessary to establish mutual trust between your army and mine."

Faust's proposal startled Bock again. Potsdam was the royalist stronghold. What was Faust planning? He was going to the meeting alone, deep into the dragon's den and the tiger's lair.

The National Socialists around Faust and the Leipzig Independents who followed him to the front were also shocked.

Even Sorge stopped Faust and said, "You can't take the risk!"

Faust did not take this risk seriously at all. He was well aware of the royalists' eagerness to evacuate safely, and he was even more aware of his own abilities. So he concluded that even if he walked into a dangerous place, he would still be safe. Such a righteous act would also help him continue to create the image of the National Socialist Party in front of the people of Berlin.

A small party like the National Socialist Party, which lacks historical background, needs dramatic epic plots for propaganda.

Sorge and Madame Zetkin both tried to dissuade him in vain. Madame Zetkin was already full of admiration for Faust's masculinity, but when Madame Zetkin saw Faust wearing a military coat and walking out of the barracks in the sunshine, her face became serious.

On the road outside the military camp, both sides were already filled with Wehrmacht officers and soldiers. Everyone had heard that Faust would personally go to the headquarters of the royalist army to negotiate with the enemy leaders for the "peace of Potsdam and Berlin."

This heroic demeanor immediately added strength to Faust's already overflowing charisma. The soldiers all raised their arms towards Faust. Thousands of them were like sharp swords, surrounding Faust from both sides, as if forming an ancient Roman triumphal arch on the road.

Mrs. Zetkin was shocked. A revolutionary leader who was highly respected among the soldiers, would he be the revolution's greatest helper or its greatest enemy?

Sorge also had the same worry in his eyes - his most respected leader of the National Socialist Party had already enjoyed such amazing prestige in the army at the beginning of the revolution. Thinking that the top leaders of the National Socialist Party were almost all from military backgrounds, he wondered if one day in the future, a Napoleon-like figure would emerge from this group.

If the end of the German November Revolution was a red emperor in military uniform, then the blood of many people would have been shed in vain.

Even Faust's enemies, General Seeckt and Crown Prince William, were shocked by Faust's solo appearance.

Crown Prince William considered sending troops to detain Faust, but General Seeckt of course hurriedly stopped the Crown Prince's reckless act. In order to prevent accidents, General Seeckt also banned the Crown Prince from participating in the negotiations. He sent troops to control the Crown Prince and prepared vehicles. As long as the negotiations were successful, Crown Prince William would be sent to East Prussia first.

When they met, Faust and Seeckt were actually dressed similarly, both still wearing the officer's coat of the German Imperial Army, but Faust had removed all the military ranks and medals on his uniform.

When Sector saw Faust, he took the initiative to shake his hand and said, "I feel that you are always accustomed to taking unconventional measures and often perform some courageous and surprising deeds. I have been a soldier for thirty years, and I really don't understand where your courage comes from."

My courage must come from my fists...

Faust shakes hands with his enemy: "My courage, perhaps like yours, comes from following the principles of my heart."

The leaders of the German Imperial Army today are still Hindenburg and Ludendorff. However, they actually have very few armed forces available. Hindenburg and Ludendorff's direct troops were either disarmed by the Allies on the Western Front or were disintegrating on the Eastern Front. Instead, the younger Seeckt has a capable royalist force in his hands.

In the future, Hindenburg might still be the nominal leader of the royalists, but the person who would hold real power in the army would most likely be Seeckt.

The "Father of the Wehrmacht" of Weimar Germany, also an exceptionally intelligent and calm man, took off the monocle on his left eye:

"Colonel, your offer is far-fetched. If you truly wish to seize all the heavy artillery in Potsdam, I suggest you continue the battle. Fight for a few more days, and perhaps you will succeed. However, with the number of Wehrmacht casualties, Potsdam alone may not be able to bury them all."

Faust snorted softly. "General, you're in such a hurry to move to East Prussia. What's the point of bringing so many heavy weapons? I can only guarantee that the Wehrmacht won't pursue your troops, but I can't command the rest of the revolutionary forces along the way from Berlin to East Prussia. If you don't act quickly and still try to bargain, I'm truly worried about you in Potsdam."

Seeckt offered another condition: "Our army can transfer all the heavy artillery with a caliber of 200 mm and above from Potsdam to the Wehrmacht, but we must take away all the other howitzers with a caliber of less than 200 mm."

Faust was not sure how many super-heavy artillery with a caliber of more than 200 mm there were in Potsdam. Judging from the artillery fire that the Grossdeutschland Division had suffered before, the number should be quite large, and the National Socialist Party would not suffer any loss.

After a little thought, Faust stopped arguing with Seckt, and the two sides hit it off. However, Faust still opposed signing, as he did not want to leave behind a written agreement.

"General, your safe evacuation of Berlin is the best possible outcome."

Seckt sighed sadly, "None of us wants to see Germany degenerate into an insignificant nation. Our great country should have occupied a central position on the historical stage of the 20th century, but history has unfortunately deprived us Germans of that opportunity. I believe that no one, whether royalist or republican, wants to see Germany suffer. However, I have a strong premonition that a catastrophic flood is coming, when the tide of revolution will be uncontrollable. Colonel Faust, I hope that one day, a great figure will turn the tide."

Faust saw the sigh and sadness in Sekt's eyes, but he had completely different ideas from General Sekt.

"General, if anyone could stand at the end of history and look back, they would reveal an answer: any idea that opposes breaking down jars and bottles to preserve national vitality will ultimately lead to even more complete disaster. This is especially true for a nation that has suffered so much and has risen strongly in a short period of time. The Germans should have understood that wanting to maintain the status quo without making any changes is far more unrealistic than carrying out a social revolution that penetrates the national soul."

"The German nation stands at such a historical crossroads: it can either give the world a brand new future, or warn the world of a wrong future through its own destruction."

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Chapter 171 Worry-free Palace

The imperial capital of Berlin after November 9, 1918, was like a thrilling roller coaster ride.

First, the moderate princes of the German Empire cooperated with the Social Democratic Party to force William II to abdicate. Then, against the backdrop of this forced abdication, Berlin was increasingly affected by the Tyrol Uprising and the Kiel Uprising. The revolutionary waves in various parts of Germany hit the capital, and finally freed the Berlin Workers, Peasants and Soldiers Committee from the restrictions of the Social Democrats.

The revolutionary torrent quickly submerged Berlin. From the Chancellery to Wilhelm Square, illuminated by flames, a new era for Germany began.

In the flames, German Emperor Wilhelm II died in the fire of the chaotic soldiers.

The Republicans saw this as a clownish end to the Hohenzollern dynasty, while the royalists would create countless myths like that of Constantine XI.

The royalist army in Potsdam began to besiege Berlin. The street fighting in the imperial capital lasted for a day and a night and was extremely brutal. The capital of Germany was almost destroyed in the civil war.

Behind the curtain of the Battle of Berlin, many legendary stories that have been passed down to later generations were produced among both the royalists and the Republicans. In addition to betrayal, lies, corruption and cowardice, there are also passion, sacrifice, kindness and forgiveness.

There are great stories, one after another. The most touching story among them is, of course, Faust's heroic feat of persuading the royalist army to retreat single-handedly.

Such a feat of retreating alone easily reminds people of St. Leo I, the greatest pope in the history of the Catholic Church.

The Pope saved Rome from Attila the Hun, and Faust saved Berlin from the royalists.

The smoke after the war still obscured the sunlight. The people of Berlin contributed everything they had in this arduous defense of the capital. The sacrifices were huge, but the outcome was so gratifying. Germany, oh Germany, finally ushered in the first victory of the common people after a thousand years, a victory much greater than the premature death of the Spring of Nations in 1848.

Starting from the 11th, the royalist army began to retreat from Potsdam one after another. In addition to using railways, the royalist army also plundered all kinds of transportation in the suburbs of Berlin when evacuating.

Not only cars and trucks, but even ordinary civilian carriages, ordinary caravans, and flatbed trucks were taken away by the royalist army. They transported away a large amount of weapons and ammunition that Ludendorff had stockpiled there from Potsdam.

However, the heaviest artillery pieces were extremely heavy and could not be transported by ordinary vehicles. They had to be transported in special train carriages, but the royalist army had very few of these carriages left.

General Seeckt finally agreed to Faust's conditions. He transported away all the more than 100 K 17 105mm cannons and sFH 13 150mm howitzers in Potsdam. The super-heavy artillery that could not be transported, including twelve Mrs 16 210mm howitzers and four Mrs 11 305mm howitzers, had to be handed over to the National Socialist Party according to the negotiation conditions.

The Mrs 16 210mm howitzer was a siege weapon designed by the German army to destroy the Allied reinforced concrete trenches, machine gun nests and artillery bunkers. Even the permanent fortifications on the Somme River defense line could not withstand the devastation of this super-heavy artillery.

The Mrs 11 305mm howitzer has an exaggerated range of 14 kilometers. Even on the Western Front battlefield where heavy artillery firepower was extremely terrifying, the 305 heavy artillery was directly under the dispatch and command of the General Staff. An army group could be equipped with four guns, which was already a high-end configuration.

The National Socialists did not have many of these super-heavy artillery pieces even in Munich and Innsbruck.

During the Tyrol Uprising, the Wehrmacht disarmed most of the Austrian 11th Army and only obtained four Skoda 200mm howitzers. Now in Potsdam, Faust obtained several times more super-heavy artillery directly from the royalists based on a verbal agreement.

A verbal gentleman's agreement, with such a huge gain, Faust even wanted to swear an oath with Seckt directly on the Rhine River.

After the aftermath, the Wehrmacht's Great German Division entered Potsdam first after the royalist army evacuated. Faust led his army into Sanssouci Palace. This palace of Frederick the Great is still the eternal palace of German art. Sorge, who followed Faust into Sanssouci Palace, always had a gloomy expression.

On the Potsdam dunes near Berlin, the exquisite Frederick's Summer Palace, known as "a solidified poem", is the famous Sanssouci Palace.

The main hall of the Sanssouci Palace is crowned by a semicircular dome, its wings spread out like bird feathers. The exterior walls are adorned with gilded scrolls and statues of goddesses in graceful poses. They support the eaves, their skirts undulating like waves, like a frozen dance. The ceiling of the Chancellery is intricately patterned with gold leaf, while mirrors and frescoes interplay. Sixteen pairs of Carrara marble columns support the dome of the Marble Hall.

Faust, accompanied by his fellow National Socialists and several Leipzig Independents, walked into the Soldier Church in Sanssouci Palace to view the tomb of Frederick the Great.

In the 18th century, Frederick the Great, a man in his seventies, died a painless death: he had gotten up early to work as usual, and when he was tired, he fell asleep in his armchair and never woke up again.

In his will, Frederick the Great requested a simple burial in the gardens of Sanssouci Palace in Potsdam, next to his beloved dog. He emphasized that his funeral did not require any ceremony or pomp, and that he simply wanted to go to his grave quietly, like an ordinary person.

As a result, Frederick the Great's successor, his nephew Frederick William II, did not listen to his request at all. Not only did he hold a grand funeral for him, but he also buried Frederick the Great next to his most hated father.

During the long 19th century, the coffin of Frederick the Great inadvertently became the most popular attraction in Potsdam. In 1805, in order to urge Prussia to join the anti-French alliance, Tsar Alexander I visited Prussia. He visited the tomb of Frederick the Great with King Frederick William III and his wife.

However, unlike Tsar Alexander I, the "Holy King" who visited in full dress, Faust came to the coffin of Frederick the Great wearing only a uniform without any rank insignia or medals.

The simple style only made Sorge think of Napoleon again.

After the Battle of Jena, Prussia was shattered by the French army. After Napoleon occupied Berlin, he visited the tomb of Frederick the Great in such a simple way.

Napoleon's words of praise for Frederick the Great: "The more critical the moment, the more great he appears." are now engraved in front of Frederick the Great's coffin.

Sorge also felt that this sentence was not only suitable for Frederick the Great and Napoleon, but also seemed to be suitable for every tyrant in European history.

"Sir, is it really necessary for us to reach the Potsdam Agreement with the royalists?"

Sorge was critical of the armistice between the Wehrmacht and the Royalists: "Berlin is indeed surrounded by the Royalists, but the Royalists are also surrounded by our army. Time is on our side. With each passing day, more and more reinforcements will arrive in Berlin. Why are you in such a hurry to reach an agreement with the Royalists?"

Faust stood in front of the coffin of Frederick the Great. As a revolutionary who overthrew the Hohenzollern dynasty, he naturally did not offer flowers to Frederick. He just squatted in front of the coffin and gently swept away the smoke accumulated on the tombstone.

“Only when I reach that place can I be free from worries…”

On the tombstone, there is engraved a line of poetry written by Frederick the Great for Sanssouci Palace. Inspired by Faust's heroic feat of saving the imperial capital Berlin, few people have indeed thought deeply about the pros and cons of Faust's actions.

Sorge was not an outsider. As a senior member of the National Socialist Party and the head of the Stasi, he certainly knew the strength of the Wehrmacht best.

If a real battle breaks out, even if the Wehrmacht cannot quickly defeat the royalist army in Potsdam, as long as the fighting lasts for more than a week, the Wehrmacht will definitely be the winner.

Faust took off his military cap and placed it beside Frederick the Great's tombstone. He said, "The Allies are watching closely. If a civil war breaks out in the German capital for a week or a month, what do you think the Allies will do? Will they still abide by the Armistice of Compiègne?"

"If the Allies crossed the Rhine and continued their attack on Berlin, no matter which faction in Germany, they would certainly not want to see the entire country occupied by the Allies."

Faust's answer seemed to make some sense, and Sorge was unable to refute it for the time being, but this incident was hard not to leave a thorn in Sorge's heart.

Not only Sorge, but also the knowledgeable people in the revolutionary party, after this big drama with constant twists and turns in Berlin, who would not think of Caesar and Napoleon when looking at Faust?

Faust doesn't care about these things. In front of the Social Democratic Party, the Independent Party, and perhaps the Spartacus League, Faust is the one who holds the initiative.

"Get ready, get ready! The people of Berlin are waiting to welcome the Wehrmacht into the capital. They can't wait to see this revolutionary army that started the Tyrolean uprising!"

Chapter 172: Rebuilding the Republic Faust

After the Battle of Berlin, there seemed to be two governments in the capital.

One government was the central government of the republic that Ebert claimed to have obtained authorization from the last Chancellor of the German Empire, Prince of Baden; the other government was the Central Workers', Peasants' and Soldiers' Committee of the German Socialist Republic that Liebknecht claimed was established by the revolutionary people's uprising in Berlin.

The two governments each have their own strengths.

After the turmoil, the petty bourgeoisie and the middle class, frightened by the civil war, all gathered under the banner of the Social Democratic Party. They did not want to see a Soviet-style red-white civil war break out in Germany.

The Spartacus League gained great prestige in the Battle of Berlin. They absorbed a large number of revolutionary workers who were disappointed with the Independent Party. After the Battle of Berlin, more than half of the revolutionary trade unions originally controlled by the Independent Party turned to the Spartacus League.

In terms of armed forces, it should be said that the Spartacus League played a key role in the Battle of Berlin, but the Social Democratic Party did not simply evade it. After this chaotic battle, the large number of police, trade union pickets and gang armed forces controlled by Noske were still the most powerful military force in Berlin except for the Wehrmacht.

In the suburbs of Berlin, the civil war in the capital caused great damage to the buildings in the suburbs, and many important factories also suffered huge losses due to the spread of fire. The people of Berlin were surrounded by ruins and in the severe winter, wearing only blood-stained clothes, but they were not depressed.

Citizens, workers, soldiers...

The Berliners were shivering but also beaming with joy as they flocked to the dilapidated streets just to witness the grand ceremony of Faust, the "savior of the Republic" and "savior of Berlin", entering the city.

The Wehrmacht's convoy formed a long queue and drove across the Glienicke Bridge, but Faust did not choose to enter Berlin by car. He wore a simple military coat, rode a white horse, walked slowly, and entered the German capital with his head held high, passing Humboldt University and Berlin Cathedral, and then reached the end of Unter den Linden, the Brandenburg Gate, which symbolizes victory.

Both sides of Unter den Linden are crowded with Berlin citizens who are curious about Faust. In fact, Berliners should be familiar with Faust. As a war hero, Faust has appeared in various royal dinners and military ceremonies in Berlin.

However, the image of Faust as a revolutionary leader still seems very novel to the citizens of Berlin.