German Red Prince

"Germany's main thinking now is to focus on the infantry, enhance their mobility and destructiveness, and make their infantry a fast and powerful punch."

"For example, if we suffer losses to a certain extent on the border, they will immediately abandon their positions, jump out of the trenches, get on trucks or motorcycles, and assist the highly mobile artillery in quickly penetrating and encircling our rear."

"These infantrymen will serve as the vanguard of our elite forces, disrupting and paralyzing our rear, allowing the main force to encircle and annihilate us, causing us enormous losses."

Listening to Gamelin's words, the officers sitting in the room remained silent. Indeed, although the French army had developed, Germany's foundation was too deep, and it would be difficult to defeat it quickly.

"So what do you think we should do?" the group asked.

“This…” Gan Molin hesitated at this moment.

"I have an immature idea that the two countries will inevitably go to war in the future. The key is who will start the war first. Although our foundation is not as strong as Germany's, our political theory is more mature, and we do not have the periodic economic crises of the capitalist world."

"Therefore, I believe that Germany will be the first to provoke a war. Once a periodic economic crisis breaks out, it will be very destructive to the German domestic economy. In order to divert internal contradictions, they will definitely launch a war against us. At that time, the initiative will be in our hands."

"Because of the economic crisis, the domestic environment in Germany is bound to be unstable, but we also have ways to guide the proletariat in their country."

"Germany will definitely need a quick victory and want to finish the war quickly. As the defender, we can find a way to wear them down. I suggest that we build a defensive line on our border with Germany. Since they want to break out of the trenches, let's make them suffer."

Gamelin's plan is worth considering. When a periodic economic crisis breaks out, Germany will inevitably be affected. If they break out of the defensive line to attack, this solid defense line can at least knock out several of their teeth.

But the key point is that such an expense is also enormous. The commune had actually built many fortifications on the border to avoid invasion, but Gamelin's plan was to exhaust Germany as much as possible.

The funds required for this defense line are certainly not comparable to those for ordinary defense lines. Such a long defense line may be a bit too much for the defense budget.

“I think this method is feasible.” Just as everyone fell silent, someone stood up.

“General Flavini, then tell me your thoughts.” Marshal Duclos nodded at him.

"I think this defensive line can be repaired, but it doesn't need to be repaired properly."

Hearing him say this, everyone was puzzled. What did he mean? If it was already being repaired, why wasn't it repaired properly? Were they just waiting for the Germans to fix it?

Looking at everyone's expressions, Flavini slowly took out the proposal he had written overnight from his briefcase.

"Comrades, this is my strategic plan, which I believe is sufficient to defeat Germany."

Chapter 117 Berlin's Sense of Crisis

"Sir, please go over there for an examination."

I don't know what's wrong with the streets of Berlin these past few days. Every intersection is being checked so strictly. A few days ago, there were only a few police officers standing at the intersections, but today even the army has come. There was a soldier with a machine gun set up next to me, which looked quite creepy.

"Of course, sir."

Adolf cooperated by standing aside for the inspection. He was a former soldier, so he was very polite to the soldiers, though he wasn't to everyone. As for the fate of those soldiers, well, you know what happens to them.

"Okay, sir." The inspecting soldier didn't see anything wrong and prepared to let them pass.

"Sir, William Street is under curfew today. Unless there are special circumstances, it is best not to go there."

"Thank you."

Adolf nodded in acknowledgment and then left the street.

He rarely goes out, and his life is basically a routine between two points. If he hadn't come out to pick up Eva this time, he wouldn't have known what was happening outside.

"Hello, Mr. Adolf."

Eva was pleasantly surprised by Adolf's appearance; she hadn't expected him to actually come.

"Hello, Aiwa. The store isn't very busy today, so it's rare that you have time to come out."

“Of course, how could we possibly be busy today?” Eva said, looking at the soldiers lined up in the distance.

"Hmm? What's going on today?" Adolf had been staying in the shop lately and hadn't heard any big news.

"You didn't know about this? Your restaurant is noisy every day, how could you not know?" Eva looked incredulous, guessing that this guy must have just let it go in one ear and out the other.

“There was news in the newspapers a few days ago that the Kaiser invited prominent figures from the German-controlled territories to a banquet in Berlin, supposedly to strengthen ties between the German mainland and the controlled regions,” Eva began explaining to Adolf.

"Strengthening relationships? Since when does Germany start trying to build relationships with others?"

In Adolf's memory, after the end of the war, Germany seemed to have lost the concept of "allies," and its relationship with Austria remained very delicate.

After the war ended, relations between the two countries became very cold. Wilhelm II still remembered the organization in Germany that wanted to revive the Habsburg family and drive out the Hohenzollern family. The two countries had been fighting fiercely over who was the big brother of Germany, and it was not easy for them to calm down in the short term.

Previously, relations with the Ottomans, who were on the same side, were even worse. Ever since the signing of the Treaty of Caucasus, the Ottomans had become increasingly dissatisfied with Germany. Germany was interfering in their core interests, setting up two puppet regimes to keep an eye on them.

Moreover, due to German interference, the Arabian Peninsula failed to achieve unification. This series of actions led the Ottomans to turn against Germany without hesitation.

Wilhelm II was simply not cut out for diplomacy. Bismarck's diplomatic strategy had saved Germany from dire straits and led it to power, but Wilhelm was like a spoiled child who only cared about eating the meat himself and wouldn't even share a drop of soup with others.

He single-handedly reaped almost all the spoils of the war, which brought Germany enormous benefits in a short period of time, but also severely damaged Germany's international reputation, making no country willing to cooperate with it.

Wilhelm II didn't care about any of that. He believed that diplomacy was something only the weak would pay attention to. The real strong didn't need diplomacy. The real strong only needed to set the rules and make other countries obey. My great Germany is invincible. How could it possibly need diplomacy to win?

"I never imagined that Germany would one day lower itself like this." Adolf sighed. It seemed that Germany must have encountered something recently, probably something quite serious, otherwise he wouldn't have asked his colonies and vassal states to send people to a banquet.

"Hurry up, load these things onto the train!"

A burly man directed his workers to load huge wooden crates onto the train. Watching the busy workers below, he grinned and ran to the officer who was flipping through a report to report the situation.

"Sir, everything is here. It should be packed in about half an hour. These things will be delivered to Germany in less than a day, and His Majesty the Emperor should receive them soon."

The officer nodded in satisfaction. "Good, Vera. The Empire needs talent like you. Keep up the good work, and the Empire will not forget you."

“Thank you, sir. I guarantee His Majesty the Emperor will be satisfied this time,” Vera said gratefully. “It is my honor to serve the Empire.”

Eastern Europe is Germany's giant breadbasket, with a large supply of cheap labor and an abundance of food. Germany is already upgrading its industries, with many traditional companies moving out of Germany and setting up factories in Eastern Europe.

These places have abundant human resources and do not require paying various taxes like in China, so many German companies choose to develop in these places and build factories on a large scale in Eastern Europe. This has led to unemployment in Germany, and some Germans have even gone to Ukraine to work.

Moreover, as Germany's breadbasket, Eastern Europe receives grain by train every year, leaving domestic farms with no competitive advantage. These imported grains are cheaper than domestic ones, leading to the bankruptcy of farms every year.

In general, Germany's current economic model is to exploit others, support itself through its vast colonies and puppet states, and use its massive military to show those who don't obey who's boss.

However, this model is not perfect. Germany is now paying more and more attention to finance, trying to control the economies of other countries and seize their vulnerabilities to serve its own interests. This has led to an extraordinary boom in domestic financial enterprises and the banking industry, with more and more people getting involved.

This is a very dangerous act. At the German Economic Conference, many financial experts expressed their concerns, but most people were confident that as long as the German order did not collapse, this theory would not collapse at all.

The German Emperor invited a group of representatives from various countries to a banquet, and gifts were a given. No one knew the Emperor's purpose, but everyone attending the banquet had their own agenda.

Take this Ukrainian businessman who acquired German citizenship, for example. He owns countless farms and estates, controls several large factories, and has connections with many high-ranking German officials in Ukraine.

He was invited to Germany this time, such a great opportunity, he must meet many German elites at the banquet, which is why he brought so many things. If he can make friends with some celebrities, his business will definitely be easier.

"Sir, our boss's goods are all here." Ravi looked at the locked carriage and took a bag out of his purse.

"This is a small token of our boss's appreciation. Thank you for your hard work on the journey."

The German officer took the bag, weighed it in his hand, and smiled with satisfaction. "Don't worry, this shipment will definitely arrive in Berlin safely."

"Will we really arrive in Berlin safely?" The train attendant smiled. They had been preparing for this operation for a month.

The reactionary forces in Ukraine must be expelled without exception.

Security in Berlin was heightened for this event, and restaurants, usually bustling, were unusually quiet. To avoid unnecessary trouble, Goebbels also suspended his classes and took a few days off. However, this greatly worried Ribbentrop and Himmler, who were struggling to run their businesses despite the martial law being in place everywhere.

The door was pushed open, and the person who came in was none other than their old acquaintance, Sheriff York.

"Sheriff, what brings you here?" Adolf handed over a cup of hot coffee and stepped forward to greet him.

"I just finished assigning tasks to my men and came over to take a look."

He twisted his neck and began to complain, "I really don't understand why so many people were invited. Almost all the police officers in the entire police station were mobilized."

"I guess he's still traumatized by what happened last time, since it had such a huge impact on public security." Adolf shrugged. The impact of the revision controversy was indeed enormous; since that incident, Germany has had persistent security problems.

"Who knows what His Majesty the Emperor is thinking? Let me tell you, His Majesty has even invited black people from Africa. I wonder if those natives can adapt."

"Black people? Why would you invite them?"

Everyone knows the German Emperor's attitude towards people of color, so it's a mystery what he was thinking when he allowed them to come to Germany this time.

Although Germany’s Central African territory is very large, wouldn’t it be sufficient to just hire some local white administrators? There’s no need to bring in these black people.

"Who knows? According to the official explanation, it's to broaden their horizons, give them a little shock of Germany, demonstrate Germany's strength, and make them obedient to management."

“However, I have some inside information.” Sheriff York’s voice suddenly lowered even more. “It is said that these people were specially invited by His Majesty the Emperor. His Majesty did not invite them at first, but only invited some governors of Central Africa. However, when those governors left Africa, His Majesty invited these black people.”

"The black people invited were all chiefs of relatively large local tribes, and most importantly, most of these people did not have good relations with the governors of Africa, and their closest contact was with the land survey bureau established by the German central government in Africa."

That would be interesting. More than a decade after the war, Germany's central government's control over Africa has actually been weakened.

Some governors even dared to go against the central government. Most of Germany's resources actually came from Central Africa. If Central Africa were to cause trouble, the impact on the German economy would be enormous.

Africa and Eastern Europe have long been likened to two jewels in the crown of Germany, neither of which can be missing. To prevent any mishaps in these two regions, Germany has put in a great deal of effort.

For example, Eastern Europe was prohibited from producing weapons. Russia had already been dismantled by Germany, and its government leader was a pro-German figure. Therefore, Germany had to take over the defense of Eastern Europe.

The arms factories in the Eastern European countries were directly controlled by the German government, and every rifle was registered. After the Polish uprising, the restrictions became even stricter, to the point that the number of bullets each person had to be counted in the morning and evening. If a bullet was missing and no reason could be given, the person would be sentenced to a few days in jail, or even lose their life.

Because Eastern Europe is relatively close to Germany, German control has been quite effective. However, Africa is different. Central Africa is outside Germany's core control area, and its land area is several times that of Germany.

These colonies were initially within the sphere of influence of Britain and France. When Germany intervened, they suffered greatly and thus delegated power to the governors of the colonies, allowing them to deal with the local unruly armed tribes.

This decentralization avoided many meaningless sacrifices, but over time it also led to the governors having too much power and being outwardly compliant but inwardly defiant of the central government.

After the imperial government took notice, it began to try to infiltrate the situation. First, it was the government tax bureau, then the African railway company, and finally these were merged into the African Land Survey Bureau. It seems that there must be some purpose behind this banquet. It feels like another bloody storm is about to break out.

After chatting for a while, Sheriff York left, and Goebbels sensed that something was amiss from what the sheriff had just said.

After inviting the governor, they invited the black chiefs; in Africa, they invited powerful administrators; in Eastern Europe, they invited extremely wealthy businessmen.

Although German East Asia and Qingdao were not invited, the government sent people there, and this was reported in the newspapers. It seems that the imperial government wanted to make a major adjustment.

“Adolf, I have a feeling that behind this banquet lies the Imperial government’s preparation for the next great war.”

Goebbels began his analysis at a leisurely pace: "Germany has not paid attention to Eastern Europe and Africa for a long time. In the past, as long as they could regularly send resources and food to the country, the government would turn a blind eye. But recently, control over these two places has suddenly begun to be strengthened."

"Germany is preparing for the next war. The government wants to keep a tight grip on Africa and Eastern Europe. Something must have provoked the Kaiser to convene this meeting in such a hurry. And it is highly likely that Germany was forced to make war preparations because all of this happened too suddenly."

"If Germany wanted to strengthen its control over the two regions, it would have done so long ago, not just now. I suspect France has made some move."

Goebbels's statement makes sense; Germany's eagerness to strengthen its control over its territory could only be in preparation for a major crisis.

The most fitting source of this crisis would be the French Commune. It is likely that the Kaiser obtained some intelligence, which prompted him to make hasty preparations.

"Let's inform the Rhine. His Highness Thorne is not in Germany right now. Let them find a way to let him know. If a war really breaks out, it will have a big impact on us."

Adolf organized the information he had obtained, and the Stasi agents in the store then passed the intelligence out.

Meanwhile, the German officers escorting the goods were eating hot pot and singing songs, completely unaware that a group of people were watching them from a distance.

Inside the train, some heavy boxes were opened, and soldiers with red scarves tied around their arms quietly emerged and lay in ambush inside the carriages.

"Comrades, the lackeys of Ukraine have been using the blood and sweat of peasants and workers to serve their German masters. Now we will show them what the power of the people is!" shouted a man on horseback as the train approached.

"Let the people's anger punish them!"

"Ula!"

Chapter 118 Abolition of the Treaty of Versailles

The High Command in Berlin.

Wilhelm II had not been in such a bad mood in a long time; the last time this happened was during the Ludendorff dictatorship.

The renowned German generals and marshals who had fought in the war had gathered here because of unsettling news from France.

"Germany and France have fought hundreds of battles, large and small, throughout history. The rights and wrongs are too numerous to discuss." Wilhelm II stood up and pointed at the huge map, surveying the landscape.

"However, historians have noted that it was precisely on these ancient battlefields that the rise and fall of dynasties of both countries was determined. One dynasty prospers while the other falls."

"Therefore, there has been a saying that he dominated Europe since ancient times. Back then, my grandfather led the Prussian army and marched into France in three routes. Two days after the French emperor surrendered, the Second French Empire collapsed. In June 1918, it was on the border between Germany and France that I had the honor of personally leading hundreds of thousands of soldiers to fight against the famous French generals Joffre and Pétain, and won a great victory."

"I don't understand why everyone is talking about Napoleon's capture of Berlin in eighteen days, as if the Franco-German battlefield is destined to be bleak for us."

"Sixty years ago, Emperor Wilhelm embarked on his campaign against France, and the German Empire was unified. Wherever the imperial army went, the people welcomed it wholeheartedly. It was truly a time of perfect harmony. The vibrant life and flourishing of all things are still vivid in my mind."

"In just sixty years, has it become our burial ground? In any case, the Franco-German war was a clash of cannons and bayonets, and the advantage was on our side!"

What enraged Emperor William so much? It was because they had received news a few days earlier that France's rearmament operations had intensified.

They planned to expand their army by eight million over six years, and they also approved a plan to spend billions of francs to build a long defensive line along the Franco-German border.

When this intelligence reached Germany, it immediately caused a stir in the upper echelons of the government. It is said that Emperor Wilhelm II was about to go to sleep, but after receiving the intelligence, he immediately came out of his bedroom, put on his glasses, and stared at the intelligence carefully for more than half an hour.

France's rearmament terrified Germany, because at the time Germany had only defeated France and had not caused much damage to France, only weakened it but not crippled it. Therefore, Germany did not dare to take drastic measures on the issue of postwar reparations.

After all, once the French Republic signed the surrender document, the French Commune became the one sitting at the negotiating table. The Empire dared not make any excessive demands on these red terrorists, for who knows if provoking them would immediately lead to another world war.

Following the Leipzig Armistice, the French Republic was overthrown by the Red Army. Although the newly formed Red Army was not much stronger than the previous government, their threat was several times greater.