Chapter 102
Chapter 102
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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 102
Chapter Title: World War II - Our Fatherland (2)
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May 18, 1940
Berlin, Northern Germany
The deadline Britain had given France was the 19th, but France, perhaps hesitating until the very last moment, had yet to make a move.
A considerable number of Abwehr agents had infiltrated Italy and France, but it seemed they were having a hard time gathering intelligence, as the other side was now well aware of our espionage operations.
Still, considering everything the Abwehr had accomplished so far, I was already deeply indebted to Director Canaris and Deputy Director Oster.
At the hotel, I was meeting with the Spanish special envoy who had finally arrived.
“It is an honor to meet you, Vice-Chancellor. I am Agustín Muñoz Grandes.”
“Welcome to Germany, General Grandes. I am Dietrich Schacht. I trust your journey was a pleasant one.”
Agustín Muñoz Grandes, sent by Franco, had earned considerable respect within the Spanish military for his actions during the civil war and was said to be one of the five most powerful men in Spain.
Of course, as a mere company commander in the Condor Legion, I had no way of knowing this; Director Canaris, who had consistently maintained relations with Spain, was the one who informed me.
Grandes seemed slightly impressed when I answered him directly in Spanish, without waiting for an interpreter.
“Oh... haha, your Spanish is as fluent as I’ve heard. The journey was fine, aside from a rather dull sea voyage.”
Of course it was. I had been called upon to interpret for the Condor Legion. This was the most convenient thing about being in Dietrich Schacht’s body.
Being fluent in German, French, English, and Spanish meant I could converse directly in most diplomatic meetings without needing an interpreter.
“First, His Excellency the Caudillo has prepared a gift to congratulate you and the Chancellor on the establishment of the German Fourth Reich and your respective appointments.”
A gift? What was this? It reeked of corruption.
As I subtly narrowed my eyes, an aide, prompted by a nod from General Grandes, placed a case on the desk.
“General. I believe the Caudillo may have a slight misunderstanding. The German Fourth Reich is a nation preparing for democratic rule. The notion that a personal gift could influence our dealings is…”
General Grandes simply smiled as he listened, then slightly opened the case to reveal its contents. A wristwatch? A mechanical one...
“It is the finest watch from Breguet of Switzerland, Vice-Chancellor.”
Whoa.
The second hand didn’t tick-tock like modern watches; it swept smoothly, like flowing water. Before me lay an elegant wristwatch that, even at a glance, looked brilliantly expensive.
How much could this possibly be worth? I knew for certain it was far beyond my monthly salary.
“It’s a… a magnificent watch.”
“Of course, Vice-Chancellor. It is the same brand used by Napoleon and Queen Victoria.”
General Grandes, seeing me captivated by the watch, replied with a satisfied tone before adding with a subtle smile:
“We have prepared two, one for you and one for the Chancellor.”
“T-Two of these…”
Wow, honestly, if I refused this on my own, wouldn’t my father scold me? This gift carried far too much weight to be a simple gesture of friendship.
...My attempt at self-justification was shattered by a cough from behind me.
“My apologies, General. We appreciate the Caudillo’s thoughtful gesture, but given our positions, we cannot accept such a valuable gift.”
General Grandes narrowed his eyes slightly, cast a displeased glance behind me, and then replied.
“Ahem, I had no intention of burdening you, Vice-Chancellor.”
General Grandes seemed a bit disappointed, but I was breaking out in a cold sweat. Ah, the back of my neck was burning. I didn’t have to look to know that a pair of eyes was piercing me with a look of utter disdain.
Claudia had accompanied me as my aide to record the meeting’s minutes, and I had almost accepted an ultra-luxurious watch as a bribe right in front of her...
No, setting that aside, Spain was a mess after its civil war, and they were sending *this* as a bribe? Thinking about it calmly, a chilling feeling washed over me.
Anyway, I had a feeling that Franco and I were just not compatible.
“My experience meeting the Caudillo while I was with the Condor Legion was quite memorable for me as well.”
Unforgettable, really. I was there, interpreting his request to inflict collateral damage on his own people. The result of that was Guernica.
“Haha, the Caudillo also said that you left a deep impression on him.”
Even as he said this, General Grandes was cautiously observing my reaction.
Back then, he probably dismissed me as just another interpreter, but Franco must have been quite flabbergasted to hear that the man who had translated that ‘secret request’ had overthrown Germany’s fascist regime and become a high-ranking official in the new government.
That was likely why he sent a bribe far too extravagant to be considered a simple gift, but from my perspective, it was impossible to view Franco in a positive light.
The Condor Legion, which had greatly aided the Nationalists in the Spanish Civil War, was a dark chapter in the history of the German Fourth Reich—a stain of supporting fascists and an irony for a regime that had launched a revolution against fascism in Germany.
We couldn’t simply ignore it by pinning all the blame on Hitler and the Nazis.
Supporting the Nationalists was first proposed by the staunchly anti-communist Director Canaris, and high-ranking Condor Legion commanders like Thoma, Sperrle, and Richthofen were still serving as generals in the Fourth Reich’s Reichswehr.
“Then, could you explain the purpose of your request for a meeting with the Fourth Reich, after publicly revoking the German interests Spain had promised as compensation for the Condor Legion’s devotion?”
Of course, there was the original sin committed by German forces in Spain, but setting that aside, the blood shed by the members of the Condor Legion on Spanish soil was entirely Germany’s.
In any case, we shed blood for Franco’s regime, and the interests they provided were payment for that sacrifice—a payment they had now arbitrarily revoked.
I myself had rolled through the mud, faced death, and lost countless men there. I had no intention of letting this issue slide.
General Grandes, with a slightly uncomfortable expression, cleared his throat and began to speak.
“There seems to be a slight misunderstanding on that matter. As you know, Vice-Chancellor, the Nazi regime exploited Spain’s situation right after the civil war and demanded excessive concessions.”
Well, Hitler did extort quite a bit, but…
“But that was compensation for the Condor Legion’s devotion, as well as repayment for the loans Spain received from Germany during the war. And setting all that aside, you won’t deny the procedural problem of unilaterally terminating the agreement, will you?”
After all, it wasn’t like we were getting it for free. Hitler had piled up MEFO bills like mountains while providing Spain with significant funds, munitions, and troops, and in return, he had secured mining rights in northern Spain.
With its economy in ruins from the civil war, Spain had no money to pay Germany, so they were paying with resources.
“Of course, there were some procedural issues with that part, Vice-Chancellor. But Spain does not consider it a permanent suspension, but rather a preliminary measure for renegotiation—”
“Not a preliminary measure. Isn’t it that you first complied with France’s request, but now that you see how things are going, you feel the need for an insurance policy and have decided to renegotiate?”
General Grandes fell silent. It was an obvious point, really. They had only requested this meeting after France began to suffer major setbacks at our hands.
“That is not the case, Vice-Chancellor. Did we not also contribute to the German civil war by selling you weapons during the Fourth Reich’s coup? It is just that we, too, must consider our own fatherland’s position, which has led to this situation.”
Of course, when they sold us the weapons, they were likely thinking it would improve their own security problems caused by a surplus of arms, and that the revival of the German Empire was better than dealing with Hitler, who had tried to fleece them so harshly.
They couldn’t have expected us to suddenly declare the restoration of democracy, could they? General Grandes was practically sweating.
“Well, I don’t know what your position is, but to make a deal, you need to have cards to play, don’t you? Germany is very displeased with the current situation and will not lightly forget your country’s actions.”
“Ahem, there will be compensation for that. We intend to proceed with the export of mined tungsten through Portugal, and if you wish, we can also arrange a tungsten deal with Portugal for you.”
Exporting through Portugal. So, they wanted to pull the wool over everyone’s eyes by making it look like they weren’t selling to Germany.
“I am aware that your country is negotiating to resend a military advisory group to China and to trade tungsten. But isn’t a deal with the Republic of China a bit too far-flung?”
“Perhaps, but at least they won’t cut off the deal midway through.”
Grandes seemed a bit embarrassed by my sharp response but countered nonetheless.
“In any case, I understand Germany’s demand for tungsten is considerable. It’s always better to have diverse suppliers.”
He wasn’t wrong. Frankly, relying solely on the deal with the Republic of China was problematic, given that Germany had virtually no control over the Mediterranean.
If they facilitated a deal with Portugal, a major tungsten exporter that was relatively close, and also supplied us with the resources they were originally supposed to provide via a detour, it wouldn’t be a bad deal for us. The problem was...
“Seeing as you’re going to such lengths to appease France, they must have offered you something quite substantial, haven’t they?”
Although the German Fourth Reich had declared the revival of democracy and professed anti-fascism, its relationship with Spain hadn’t been all that bad.
Setting aside my personal preferences, neither Germany nor Spain had any reason to antagonize an important trading partner.
A reward significant enough to risk losing the friendship with Germany, which had been maintained reasonably well from the time of the Condor Legion until now, even through a change of regime.
France must have offered something of that magnitude, which is why Spain, now that France was cornered, couldn't completely cast Germany aside and was trying to hedge its bets.
It couldn’t be explained simply by his friendship with Pétain; Franco was a thorough opportunist and nationalist. The question was, what on earth could France offer them?
“As you know, Germany and France have long since moved past a neutral relationship, General. This isn’t an issue we can overlook simply because you offer to compensate for the broken deal.”
Now that Franco—a man who maintained his dictatorship by slaughtering enormous numbers of his own people—had broken ties, we were prepared to treat them as an enemy.
Britain and the United States already viewed Spain unfavorably. For us, a nation proclaiming the restoration of democracy, to overlook this for economic reasons was impossible, especially since they were showing signs of allying with a clear adversary.
“That matter is beyond my authority to discuss.”
A matter beyond the authority of one of the five most powerful men in Spain? That in itself could be a hint.
“Vice-Chancellor, you are well aware that France is going to do something.”
“That much is true, yes.”
General Grandes began to speak cautiously.
“On the condition that we arrange the trade deal with Portugal and resume exporting tungsten via a detour, if Germany guarantees Spain’s independence ‘in case of an emergency,’ we will maintain our neutrality.”
What was this, a riddle? I don’t know what they plan to do, but they’re asking us not to touch Spain in an emergency if they remain neutral?
“So you have no intention of betraying France, but if France’s success isn’t guaranteed, you’ll remain neutral to ensure Spain’s safety?”
Perhaps because I was too blunt, General Grandes hesitated for a moment before nodding.
“That is correct, Vice-Chancellor. If you accept, Germany will once again have a convenient route for tungsten, and you will avoid making an enemy of Spain in the current crisis.”
That sounds nice, but it ultimately means they might side with France if it looks like France will succeed. Look at these guys.
I was flabbergasted, but at the same time, my mind was racing with calculations. It would be great if the Panzer IVs equipped with 75mm guns and the Pak 40 anti-tank guns could be supplied quickly, but realistically, that was a long way off.
Therefore, to counter France’s heavily armored Char B1 heavy tanks or the Soviet tanks that Poland and Finland were facing, we desperately needed armor-piercing rounds made with tungsten.
Even if the 88mm anti-aircraft guns and heavy field artillery were effective, relying solely on them would make us no different from the Nazi German army of the original history.
In other words, we needed tungsten right now. And a lot of it. Even with the deal with the Republic of China, the distance was great and the route crossed the Mediterranean. With France advertising that it was about to cause trouble, relying on that route alone was indeed risky.
“Hah, very well. I agree. However, considering your country’s unauthorized suspension of our deal, I want three times the usual monthly amount of tungsten this month. At the same time, I want you to arrange the deal with Portugal immediately.”
That damn opportunist dictator Franco really got on my nerves, but...
If I rejected this offer here, the only conclusion was that they would cling firmly to France, their only lifeline.
Since I didn’t know how the situation would change, it was better to build up a large stockpile of tungsten for now.
“...That amount would require approval from my government, but I will discuss it with them, Vice-Chancellor.”
A deal between Germany, a democratic nation that was once fascist, and fascist Spain, which had driven out democrats and communists. A deal between a potential ally of France and an enemy of France.
“Good. And let me say this, just to be clear: I hope Germany and Spain never have to meet as adversaries. For the sake of both our fatherlands.”
General Grandes flinched slightly at the words ‘both our fatherlands’ but quickly gave a plausible reply.
“Of course, we have not forgotten the devotion of the Condor Legion. As an anti-communist nation, we too wish to maintain a friendly relationship with Germany.”
He certainly had a way with words. It wasn’t something I did willingly, but it felt like confronting a past sin, and the feeling was far from pleasant.
Knowing full well that we both had different dreams for the same bed, General Grandes and I shook hands with smiles on our faces. All for the sake of our fatherlands.
No matter how I thought about it, it felt like signing the Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact, but since history had already deviated so completely from the original timeline, I could no longer read the future.
An unknown storm was approaching. All I could do was prepare for the rough seas ahead as best I could.