Chapter 101
Chapter 101
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Translator: Vine
Chapter: 101
Chapter Title: Our Fatherland (1)
-----------------------------------------------------------------
May 10, 1940
Berlin, Northern Germany, Army General Staff Headquarters
After sending a reply to the Spanish leader, Franco, agreeing to a secret meeting.
General von Hammerstein, who, alongside General von Witzleben, had supported the working-level officials from the new government's inception, had resigned due to deteriorating health following the invasion of Poland.
He was the one who had supported Witzleben’s opposition to the idea of eliminating me during the planning of the military government's coup, so I was personally quite disappointed.
I’d wondered why a man second in seniority only to Rundstedt wasn't well-known in modern times; it seems it was because he withdrew from the battlefield so early.
In any case, with his retirement, we had to select a new commander for his army group. The Italian front is currently divided into three major army groups.
The first is Army Group Rundstedt, led by Gerd von Rundstedt. As the most senior officer in the Wehrmacht, it was natural for him to command one. Under him are Generals Erwin Rommel and Oswald Lutz.
The second is Army Group Bock, led by Fedor von Bock. As the next most senior after Rundstedt, this was also a given. He commands Generals Günther von Kluge and Heinz Guderian.
The problem was who to entrust with the third army group, which had been under General von Hammerstein.
“Suitable candidates are General Johannes Blaskowitz and General Georg von Küchler.”
At the words of Army Chief of General Staff Manstein, the Commander-in-Chief of the Army, Field Marshal Wilhelm Ritter von Leeb, answered immediately without a hint of hesitation.
“We’ll go with Blaskowitz.”
Wow, so decisive. He didn't hesitate for a single second.
Field Marshal Leeb’s gaze turned to Minister of Defense Ludwig Beck, who also nodded.
“I agree. Küchler was a man who actively supported Hitler’s racial ideology and ultimately remained in East Prussia, surrendering only after Hitler’s defeat. Blaskowitz, on the other hand, has the credit for making the 8th Army surrender.”
“Ahem, ahem, esteemed Field Marshal. That credit was mine...”
Ah, there goes Manstein again...
Ludwig Beck looked at Manstein with an expression of utter pity before correcting him.
“...credit for *helping* Manstein make the 8th Army surrender.”
Was Beck just that magnanimous, to have cherished and earmarked Manstein as his successor despite all this, or did he only see him for his abilities...?
As I was idly pondering this, the gazes of all three men turned to me.
Huh? Why are you all looking at me?
“If that is the military’s opinion, then I have no objections.”
I may be the new government’s Vice-Chancellor, but it would look bad for a mere lieutenant colonel to butt in pretending to know something. Why were they so keen on hearing my opinion?
Truthfully, our government was also quite wary of Küchler, who straddled the line of being a pro-Nazi figure. If the military was voluntarily filtering him out, I was grateful.
The only issue was that Küchler was a fairly senior general in his own right, with a number of followers who respected his abilities...
“Speaking of which, will General Küchler not be assigned to the front?”
The Siegfried Line was under Witzleben and Model, and with most generals assigned to the Italian front, Küchler was still stationed in the territory gained from Poland.
“He will continue to be in charge of maintaining security in West Prussia and Posen, as well as defending the Polish border.”
Hearing Field Marshal Leeb’s indifferent reply, I felt a sense of weariness. He was a man worthy of commanding an army group, yet they were openly ostracizing him to prevent him from earning any merits?
Küchler was already a general with severe racist views. I’d had to run around frantically monitoring him, worried that some unfortunate incident might occur between the expulsion of Poles and the settlement of Jews.
“Is that so...”
Honestly, it felt like they were going a bit too far, but it wasn't my place to overstep and comment on the political maneuvering among high-ranking military officials.
In any case, since the military was tailoring things to the Fourth Reich’s tastes on its own, I suppose I should consider it fortunate.
“The new Panzer IVs need to be deployed quickly.”
Field Marshal Leeb muttered, a look of slight impatience on his face.
After seeing photos of the T-34 and hearing about the shock caused by the T-34s and KV-1s in Poland, the army high command began to vehemently support the gun replacement, as if they had never opposed it.
The problem was that the very men who had opposed it were now the ones getting impatient.
“It’s still in the development stage, Field Marshal. We’ve reinforced the armor as a stopgap measure, so I would appreciate it if you could give us a little more time.”
“Hmm, the Vice-Chancellor and the Minister of Defense’s management of logistics is excellent. I’ll trust you.”
“Thank you. Then I’ll proceed with the understanding that General Blaskowitz will command the third army group.”
It was a relief that the trust I had built up over time was helpful in moments like these.
After our crushing defeat in the last offensive, we were reorganizing our forces while waiting for the deadline of the ultimatum Britain had issued to France.
Unless the French were completely insane, there would be some change in the situation, whether they withdrew their precious Falcon Corps or did something else. At the very least, it was clear that a head-on assault right now would not break through.
While we waited, our only option was to equip our forces with the new Panzer IVs and wait for the heavy self-propelled guns currently under development.
“Your continued hard work is much appreciated, Vice-Chancellor, Minister! I am always in awe of the government’s deep interest and steadfast support for the military, and I pledge my loyalty!”
“Thank you, Chief of Staff. The government is well aware of your efforts, so please rest assured.”
“Oh, so the Fourth Reich does recognize my devotion! Hahaha!”
Beck couldn't be bothered to reply, so it was always my job to respond to Manstein, who would follow us out after the conversation was over, showering us with flattery. Manstein smiled with great satisfaction at my answer, but...
Yeah, no. The Chancellor probably only knows your name and rank. But there was no need to tell him that.
-
May 16, 1940
Near Frankfurt, Central Germany, Siegfried Line Defense Command
I had received a reply that Franco was dispatching a secret envoy to Germany, but since he was coming covertly, it would take time for him to travel by ship.
War was certainly raging in Europe, but we were enjoying a brief period of rest and reorganization.
The German army, facing the Italians across the Alps, had halted all military activity to avoid giving France any pretext for intervention, focusing instead on reorganization and munitions production.
The Soviet Union, after withdrawing its main forces, was mostly in a stalemate with Finland, and it was also reorganizing after suffering heavy losses on the Polish front.
There were clearly three fronts, yet the situation was strangely similar to the Phoney War of my original history. It felt like the calm before the storm, which honestly made me a little uneasy.
Of course, we were merely waiting for France’s reaction, but in the meantime, I was spending my busy days traveling from place to place, as always.
“Welcome, Vice-Chancellor.”
“You’ve been working hard, General von Witzleben.”
Witzleben let out a short laugh.
“Hardly. It’s a quiet front.”
“How could that be? Because you are guarding the French border so impeccably, the military was able to settle matters in Poland with peace of mind, and can now focus on the Italian front.”
To be honest, I felt a bit sorry for General von Witzleben, who was stuck watching the French front, a front where combat could break out at any time, or never.
“Well, hearing you put it that way doesn’t feel half bad.”
I then turned my gaze to General Model, who was standing beside him.
“General Model.”
“Schacht.”
General Model smiled at me.
In official settings, he too addressed me as Vice-Chancellor with the proper honorifics, but when I asked him to treat me as he normally would in private, he had seemed subtly pleased.
“I’m always grateful. And, well. I’m sorry. You two generals should be earning merits on the front lines...”
The two of them were being treated like strategic assets, reminiscent of the Tirpitz in my original history.
These two men were incredible for having volunteered for and brilliantly succeeded in the highly dangerous mission of covering the withdrawal of our forces in the face of overwhelming numerical inferiority. But the Fourth Reich’s circumstances were too tight not to capitalize on the reputation they had earned in defensive warfare...
The fact that these two were defending the Siegfried Line must have played no small part in breaking France’s will to launch a preemptive invasion of Germany.
“Well, isn’t there a saying that a soldier is at his best when he’s just wasting rations?”
Witzleben joked.
“I hear that not only the Vice-Chancellor Schacht but also the ‘Schacht-Schacht’ gun is quite popular these days. You must be busy.”
General Model had resurrected a memory I’d nearly forgotten, just to assault me with it.
“*Cough*...”
Why on earth would you call a perfectly fine 88 (Acht-Acht) anti-aircraft gun a ‘Schacht-Schacht’! A human Schacht and an AA gun Schacht? What is that supposed to mean...
“Well, jokes aside, the fortification of the Siegfried Line and the training of our troops are thorough. Though our numbers are few, I’m confident we can withstand most attacks.”
“That’s very reassuring to hear.”
Witzleben’s words gave me a great sense of relief.
The German Army currently had 2 million men mobilized. Of those, only 600,000 were stationed at the Siegfried Line.
France, meanwhile, had been rearming and mobilizing furiously, even bringing in colonial troops, and was estimated to have secured an army of up to 3 million men.
They wouldn’t amass such a force and do nothing, so the possibility of us fighting France in the near future was extremely high.
“If anything, their training level is higher precisely because they haven't seen combat. I’ve trained them meticulously to respond swiftly in an emergency, so you can look forward to it.”
Training under General Model... He was a brutally by-the-book man who never made empty promises.
Witzleben and Model weren’t just sitting idly by on a quiet front; they were steadily forging the troops under their command into an elite force.
I was certain this would become a tremendous asset, whenever the time came.
“Haha. This reminds me of Spain, General.”
Back in the Condor Legion, General Model would leap out of bed every morning and lead us on runs around the parade ground...
Clemens used to whine every day that he was about to keel over. General Model must have been thinking the same thing, as he smiled faintly.
“I’ll be counting on you in the future. I should be going now, General von Witzleben.”
“Travel safely, Vice-Chancellor. It’s been a while, you can step away for a bit, Chief of Staff.”
General von Witzleben casually sent us off, and I walked alongside General Model.
Neither of us spoke, but the silence was more comfortable than awkward. I’d never feel this way with the talkative Manstein.
General Model walked in silence for a while before he spoke.
“Your expression has hardened. It’s much better to see.”
“Yes, sir. The time for hesitation is over.”
General Model smiled at my words and raised his hand. Ah, not another slap on the back!
I flinched instinctively, but General Model just patted my shoulder gently.
“Even out here, I hear plenty about how much work you’re doing, Schacht, and how hard you’re trying.”
General Model spoke calmly, but his intense gaze from behind his monocle had a captivating quality.
“You’re working hard. But. I won’t tell you to take it easy. If soldiers are a general’s children, then the people are a politician’s children. No parent would let their child be put in danger. Right?”
These words, coming from the man who had effectively sent me to Berlin and given me the start that brought me this far, were not a reward for my efforts.
But to me, who knew what kind of life he had lived and what attitude he had maintained in the original history, his demand for devotion was heavier and more resonant than any reward.
For him, who had always strived to lead his men and hold fast in the most difficult of situations, I wanted to make the Germany of this world a nation truly worth defending.
“I’ll take that to heart, General. ...Though I might be a little young to be playing the part of a parent.”
“Haha, you rascal.”
I had added the playful remark on purpose, and General Model mercilessly smacked me on the back again with a loud thwack.
“Ughh...”
“By the way, any good news? You skipped the wedding ceremony, but there’s been no news from you and your beautiful bride.”
“Haha, we’ve been busy, so not yet...”
The truth was, if Claudia were to get pregnant, I felt like I’d be crushed to death by work, and since she was still young and ambitious, she had agreed, so we were being careful about contraception...
“Well now, all looks and no substance, are you?”
I was a bit worried about how General Model, a devout Lutheran, would react to a married couple using contraception, so I just gave a vague answer.
“Have you seen Michael lately?”
“Yes, General. He should be getting his General Staff insignia by the end of this year.”
Captain Roger Michael, a war college classmate recommended by General Model, was working at the General Staff Headquarters in Berlin while completing his war college courses.
I’d just had a drink with him and Clemens not long ago.
That rascal Clemens had vented his frustrations at me, complaining about how a high-ranking government official like himself got sent to the front lines. I had to explain that I didn't interfere with the military and that it was their decision.
To think a friend would assume that just because I'm a government official, I can pull all the strings in the country. How frustrating.
“If things had gone as planned, you would have been finishing your General Staff course as well.”
“Haha... My apologies.”
It would be a bit much to say, *I gave up being a General Staff officer to save Germany*, but I had no regrets.
As we chatted about this and that, we arrived at the waiting car.
“Well then, I’ll see you next time, General.”
As I said my farewell, General Model smiled and spoke.
“Schacht. Could you spare some time on the 25th?”
“The 25th... That would be next Saturday?”
“Yes.”
“Understood.”
General Model seemed a little surprised by my immediate reply.
“Isn’t the Vice-Chancellor a busy man?”
“I am, but it’s not often that you ask me to make time, General.”
I’d have to make time even if I didn’t have any. I didn't know what it was for, but there was enough trust between us that I didn't need to ask.
We faced each other and smiled.
“There’s a place I’d like to go with you. Thank you.”
“Yes, sir. I’ll contact you the day before, then.”
“Alright. Travel safely.”
A date invitation from General Model, of all people. Amazing. Thrilling.
If I bragged about this to Claudia, would she just give me that ‘my husband is getting stranger by the day’ look?