Chapter 463: Fishing(3)
Chapter 463: Fishing(3)
Volume 2 of Blood and Iron provides a fragmentary explanation of the Weimar Republic and the state of the world at the time.
The devastation of the capital, Munich—exhausted and impoverished by World War I—vividly illustrated the reality of a defeated nation.
In fact, one could argue it was even worse than that. The government was split into two factions, and brawls broke out at every opportunity.
The problem was that even though it was a political struggle, it played out right on the surface. Usually, politics takes place behind the scenes, but the Weimar Republic had none of that.
In the plazas, orators demanding revolution raised their voices, while those who opposed them were ruthlessly beaten by political thugs.
As those stepping up to counter these thugs became entangled in the fray, the city became nothing short of a chaotic melting pot.
Amidst all this, the country still had to pay war reparations, causing prices to skyrocket by the day.
[What exactly is Communism? And why did the Soviet Union adopt it?]
[The abolition of classes that divide the ruler and the ruled, and the liberation of the workers. Is such a thing truly possible?]
[No matter how hard times are, Communism is an incomprehensible ideology. Can a state even exist under it?]
I included a brief explanation of Communism, the identity of the Soviet Union, but naturally, they didn't understand it.
That’s because the Machine Revolution—that is, the Industrial Revolution—hadn't happened here yet. It’s easier to understand if you consider the origins of Communism.
Above all, the abolition of 'class' was a concept almost entirely beyond the people's comprehension.
Even the Ters Kingdom, which was close to a republic, still maintained its monarchy.
[If Communism is born through a Machine Revolution, couldn't they just prevent the revolution?]
[But the steam locomotive that appeared in the Xenon Biography alone offers enormous advantages.]
[As science develops, it will naturally emerge.]
Because of this, people were wary of Communism. However, while Communism fails when it becomes a 'state,' it becomes a 'revolution' when it remains an ideology.
In fact, Marx himself stated that he had to help the workers in order to fade into the background of history.
Even Lenin acknowledged this, but that legendary human butcher, Stalin, subtly twisted it into a reign of iron-fisted rule.
In other words, I wasn't just instilling a negative perception; I was using it as a device to explain just how atrocious a person Stalin was.
[A pitiful hero watching over a nation marked for ruin. How will he revive his spiritual home?]
[The miserable reality of a defeated nation. The people are becoming more destitute by the day.]
[An incompetent state and the revolutionaries eating away at it. Hitler is witnessing it all vividly with his own eyes.]
[We are only reading about it in text, but the reality must be even more horrific.]
What I put my heart and soul into describing was the reality of the Weimar Republic—a society spiraling into the ultimate rock bottom.
Hitler watched these scenes in real-time and, following orders, made his way to the German Workers' Party.
However, since people might not know the meaning of a political 'party,' I didn't forget to explain it.
Normally, it’s a political system that would be almost impossible to understand, but we have the Ters Kingdom, praised as a land of culture.
[It seems to have a similar structure to the Commoners' Assembly of the Ters Kingdom. Instead, it appears to be split into several factions...]
[So there are multiple assemblies based on ideology and direction, and the King listens to their opinions?]
Thanks to that, it wasn't difficult to make them understand the concept of a 'party' rather than democracy. They simply understood it as the Commoners' Assembly being divided into several branches.
However, I didn't explain democracy accurately. I plan to save that to show exactly how Hitler seized power.
Explaining it out of the blue wouldn't resonate much and might only add unnecessary confusion.
Most importantly, the reason Hitler was able to take power was thanks to democracy. They might evaluate it favorably at first, but what if they witness Hitler's atrocities?
'They'll start to question if democracy is truly right.'
Ah, of course, as a citizen of the Republic of Korea in my past life, I love democracy.
The Nazi Party is just an extreme example of democracy being abused; the ideology itself is sound.
But that was in my past life—would the people of this world see it in a positive light? Even the Commoners' Assembly of the Ters Kingdom would be viewed with skepticism.
One of the things that dictates 'national power' is 'military strength,' and that military strength is handled by 'warriors.'
To put it bluntly, would a mage capable of dropping a Meteor accept having the same voting rights as an ordinary commoner? It would be hard to swallow.
'Anyway, let's move past the ideologies.'
Returning to Hitler, the German Workers' Party at the time was nothing more than a place where the unemployed gathered to vent their frustrations.
It had no clear ideology; it was just a party steeped in defeatism, pessimistic about their failing country.
Hitler, who was already deeply enamored with Germany, was naturally infuriated by this sight and began to unleash his talent for 'oratory' to his heart's content.
[What a magnificent patriot!]
[His speeches breathe ecstasy into those who were steeped in a sense of defeat.]
[Even while optimistic about reality, the word 'surrender' did not exist for him.]
Hitler's speeches were praised not only within the novel but also by the critics. Everyone, without exception, held him up as a patriot.
Afterward, Hitler joined the German Workers' Party and began to display his specialty without restraint.
Using the oratory and agitation skills that were the trademark of communists, he expanded the influence of the German Workers' Party, which had been nothing but a minor group.
At first, people were like, "Who is this guy?" but as time passed, they became completely enthralled.
[One can see how much he loves Germany. I hope his efforts bear fruit.]
[But can he stand against 'reality'? The Weimar Republic is as good as a dead nation.]
[But Hitler will be able to do it. Otherwise, God wouldn't have bestowed such oratorical skills upon him...]
The problem was that even the critics were falling for it. There were people who raised questions here and there, but most of them were blunt remarks telling others to look at the reality.
By this point, it was clear that the readers had been immersed for a long time. Everyone was cheering for Hitler; that says it all.
Even from the perspective of a third party, it was this intense—I couldn't even imagine how captivated the people of that era must have been.
[Even a person without martial prowess can change a country if they have the will.]
[Historically, the ones who overthrew nations were generals with great martial power, but the ones who revived nations were wise sages.]
Some people called Hitler a sage full of will and initiative.
[May God's blessing be upon him.]
[A hero shining alone in the darkness filled with despair.]
Some called him a light or a hero. The delusions deepened with each passing day.
I chuckled to myself as I watched these reactions. The deeper the delusion, the harder the internal damage will hit later.
Even if I occasionally show glimpses of his dangerous ideology, they'll likely just brush it off.
Of course, the beastkin who were massacred during the Race War would react sensitively.
[What kind of race are the Jews that the Germans, including Hitler, hate them so much?]
[They must hate them because they did something wrong.]
[Could it be because the Jews live in abundance while the Germans live in poverty?]
The dangerous ideology was, naturally, the hatred of Jews. Hitler's deep-seated anti-Semitism was an ideology he had consistently maintained from the beginning.
However, because most Germans hated Jews and the society was rife with anti-Semitism, even the readers' perspectives were clouded.
They figured there must be a reason to hate them. If one race lives in poverty while another lives well, it's bound to cause anger, and so on.
Since they didn't yet know that Hitler was a 'devil' born of the world, even the readers joined in criticizing the Jews.
[Is it really necessary to make the Jews enemies? Wouldn't it be better to collaborate with them to revive the Weimar Republic?]
Of course, it wasn't that there were no people who harbored doubts. Those who suggested using their abilities rather than persecuting them.
But they were all buried. Everyone was swayed by the agitation, claiming there must be a reason Hitler singled out the Jews specifically.
I'll say it again: Hitler was a devil born of the world, and the social atmosphere of the time was dire.
[What is a demagogue with nothing but words going to do? It's time to show it through action.]
[There is only one way to overturn a nation that has already failed: rebellion. But what can a rebellion do in a world without power?]
[Hitler is no longer a soldier but a politician belonging to the assembly. It will be difficult to overturn the country.]
Don't you worry. Soon, Mussolini will stage a coup d'état, and Hitler, inspired by that, will start a riot.
Instead of just skipping through time, I described the culture and life of Earth.
[Hitler checking his own speech through a camera. A camera doesn't show a drawing, but the image itself...]
[World Cup? Olympics? What do these signify?]
[A culture that is just too different. But it's overflowing with interesting things.]
[How did Xenon construct such a world?]
The world before and after the Industrial Revolution is starkly divided. Productivity exploded, leading to a population increase and the birth of Imperialism and Communism.
Furthermore, the concept of a 'factory' didn't exist for them. Only manual labor existed.
Modern—no, early modern culture—must feel like a 'fantasy' to the people of this world.
And finally...
[Benito Mussolini marches on Rome! The Italian regime is...]
[A powerful general overturning a country is the same regardless of the world.]
[Mussolini. What kind of man is he?]
Benito Mussolini, widely known as Hitler's role model, made his appearance. However, instead of a direct appearance, he was described through a newspaper within the novel.
Italy, known as a member of the Axis Powers, but overshadowed by the overwhelming presence of Germany and Japan.
Even though it was the origin of Fascism, it was incredibly moderate compared to Hitler.
In World War II, they fought so poorly compared to other countries that they even had to receive help from Germany.
'His pride might be wounded in many ways, but...'
Just being Hitler's role model is enough to establish a presence. Besides, didn't he overturn Italy with a coup?
A coup—that is, a rebellion—can be a great stimulus even for the people of this world. If you think about it, it's an event where the sovereign power changes.
Not only that, but it can be considered the root of the 'Beer Hall Putsch' or the 'Munich Putsch' that changed the fate of the world.
[Hitler quietly watching Mussolini's revolution. Will he also start a rebellion to overturn the Weimar Republic?]
[Even if he has enough influence, he doesn't have an 'army.']
[It might be good to look at the Treaty of Versailles again. The Weimar Republic has no 'army.']
[The story will lead to him seizing power through rebellion.]
Unfortunately, Hitler ends up in prison after the riot. That's when he talks his way into gaining the support of the people.
That's when his monorchism is discovered, and he goes on to write the legendary Mein Kampf.
Originally, rebellion is an act that isn't viewed favorably in any era, but Hitler's riot receives a great response from the Germans.
The readers' evaluation will be divided depending on how well I describe this. I have to make them favorable somehow.
'Since I've pushed through Volume 2, I should write Volume 3 slowly...'
I was happily turning to the next page of the newspaper when I stopped.
[The reason Xenon was able to write about such a world? It's simple. Because he experienced that world himself.]
Someone quite sharp had made a comment that pierced through to my essence. I flinched slightly, but I had expected this much.
Such speculations had surfaced even when I released the Xenon Biography. Because of that, I could brush it off calmly.
However, his subsequent reasoning was the problem.
[Furthermore, the reason he could describe Hitler's heart in such detail is because Hitler is Xenon!]
What the fuck?
[Hitler was reincarnated here and became Xenon!]
Wait a minute.
[The reason he knew the threat of the Demon Worshippers? The gods reincarnated him here and gave him restrictions in exchange for telling him the truth.]
What kind of bullshit is this?
[But since he saved this world, he is now writing about his own world.]
I'm screwed.
[It is Hitler's life, but it is also Xenon's past life, Blood and Iron. I look forward to the future plot.]
I'm really screwed.
[Usually, a passionate revolutionary becomes a gentle sage as they age. Since Xenon also followed that process...]
I'm really, really screwed.