Chapter 105
Chapter 105
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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 105
Chapter Title: World War II - Our Fatherland (5)
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May 26, 1940
Berlin, Northern Germany
To be honest, Brauchitsch’s tip-off was completely unexpected. Had I not known in advance about the 3rd Army’s suspicious movements, I would have found it hard to believe.
I don’t know if he truly had a change of heart after some quiet reflection in prison, or if he simply thought the coup had a high risk of failure and decided to report it.
But while the Black Orchestra, who opposed the Nazi regime in the original history, died without regret, it was somewhat comforting that a man who had been loyal to the Nazis and fought against us had turned his coat.
It must mean, at the very least, that we are not on the wrong path. I feel like thanking General Model and Brauchitsch, but the situation is urgent.
After my pleasant time with General Model—or rather, my prison visit—an emergency meeting was convened the very next day.
“Well, this was a blind spot.”
Abwehr Director Admiral Wilhelm Canaris pressed a hand to his forehead.
“We were nearly in serious trouble.”
It was all well and good that we had closed the Nazi concentration camps and opened new prisons, but due to the nature of the former, we couldn't use the original guards.
Most of them had either brutally mistreated and massacred prisoners or were fanatical Nazi Party members.
The problem was that we had to hire an entirely new staff for the prisons, and the sheer number of people required meant we couldn't possibly use only vetted individuals.
Well, I can’t overlook the fact that we were careless, filled with the hope of starting a new Germany right after ending a civil war.
“To think there are several SD agents among the prison guards watching over the collaborators of the Nazi regime…”
Deputy Director Oster wiped the sweat from his balding forehead with a handkerchief.
For the now-stateless SD to be capable of such an operation, Italy must be investing a considerable budget.
That man Mussolini, he was the same during the Spanish Civil War. Can't even keep his own house in order, yet he loves pouring money into other people's countries.
“They planned to release the prisoners to form a provisional leadership and rally support once the 3rd Army advanced on Berlin.”
So that was the basis for the 3rd Army’s coup attempt. It’s a sloppy plan, but I’ll admit it’s novel.
To release the generals and high-ranking SS officers of the Nazi regime to serve as commanders, neutralize the leadership of the Fourth Reich in a surprise attack, and then incite the entire Wehrmacht and all SS members.
Honestly, even if they succeeded in occupying Berlin, I doubt many would respond to such a flimsy plan, but speaking dispassionately, the Black Orchestra's coup wasn't much different, so I can't really talk.
“This means we have to assume they’ve also contacted former high-ranking officials like Wilhelm Keitel, Paul Hausser, and Sepp Dietrich.”
“That’s likely.”
We had to assume they’d approached nearly every pro-Nazi figure in the prisons, and we had no way of knowing who agreed. There might even be participants from within the current Reichswehr, besides the 3rd Army.
“What about Brauchitsch? The SD agents in the prison must know you met with him.”
“General Model has been visiting Brauchitsch regularly and is a close acquaintance of mine, so he will say he brought me along unexpectedly. But it will still arouse suspicion, so we must act quickly.”
Of course, from Himmler and the SD's perspective, it would be difficult to immediately suspect that Brauchitsch, who was captured after remaining loyal to the Führer to the very end, would betray them.
It was true that Brauchitsch was Model’s mentor, and Model had supported me in the past.
“So, what’s the plan?”
My father, Hjalmar Schacht, who had been listening silently, asked, his eyes glinting coldly from behind his glasses. It's unnervingly chilling when he looks like that.
All eyes turned to the Minister of Defense, Ludwig Beck, who stood with a half-resigned expression.
From his perspective, after the unfortunate incident during the military government's coup, he likely ostracized those with strong Nazi ties alongside the military leadership to show his loyalty to the government. It was understandable how he felt, now that a crisis was brewing because of it.
“W-well, we must suppress it first, but…”
Beck couldn't hide his panic. He understood the situation, but the problem was not as simple as it seemed.
Though the 3rd Army was currently treated as a second-line force, it had been considered an elite field army under the Nazi regime.
If we acted rashly without knowing how many of them had been swayed, we could trigger a civil war. That was why we hadn't touched the SD agents in the prison yet.
“Can the army be trusted?”
At my father's question, Beck fell silent. He could quickly think of trustworthy individuals in the army, but that was a different matter from trusting the army as a whole.
While most of the justifications the 3rd Army used to persuade others to join the coup were nonsense, our conciliatory policy toward Poland and the land distribution to the Jews had already drawn complaints from the highly nationalistic military.
Even Chief of the General Staff Manstein had expressed dissatisfaction with the appeasement of Poland, and there were far too many military officials who opposed distributing land reclaimed from expelled Poles to Jews.
“Ahem, frankly, quite a few are unhappy with the Vice-Chancellor’s handling of the end of the Polish war…”
Was the Minister of Defense really trying to shift the blame here? From my perspective, it was incredibly unfair.
The so-called appeasement of Poland was essentially having them buy our weapons with their money and shed their blood for us. It was only generous considering they were a defeated nation, but how was that appeasement?
Was the problem that we handled the expulsion of Poles moderately? Should I have condoned a bloodbath?
Furthermore, since it was practically impossible to return all the assets the Nazi regime had confiscated from the Jews, I truly didn't realize that providing them with a place to live as a minimum compensation would cause so much discontent.
If they considered the Jews to be German citizens who had been unjustly victimized, they couldn't possibly complain about such measures. It was only because they viewed them as subhuman creatures that they could think, ‘Give it to me instead of those people.’
As rigid as the Junkers were, this wasn't some feudal state. Where did they get the idea that the state should distribute captured land to them? What century were they living in?
“Would the military have been satisfied only if we let all the Jews starve to death on the streets, completely annexed Poland, became diplomatically isolated, and found ourselves surrounded on three fronts by the Soviet Union, France, and Italy?”
I had to restrain the urge to scream, ‘You idiots know nothing about grand strategy!’ As I spoke, Beck immediately backed down.
“Ahem. That’s not it, Vice-Chancellor. I misspoke out of frustration with the situation.”
My father clicked his tongue openly.
“Tsk, did we gather here to argue? A civil war is about to break out just as things are starting to stabilize. We need to come up with a solution.”
“My apologies, Chancellor.”
“I’m sorry.”
I felt a bit wronged for being reprimanded out of the blue, but as expected, my father was merciless…
If the 3rd Army started a civil war now, the problem would be severe, even if they failed quickly.
The delivery route for military equipment to Poland would be cut off, and since Gdynia, Poland's only port, was in the 3rd Army's territory, even a short civil war would be a death sentence for Poland.
And if Poland fell, we would face the worst-case scenario: sharing a border with a Soviet Union that harbored ill will toward Germany, all while having to guard against France, which could cause trouble at any moment.
Moreover, since the 3rd Army had joined hands with the Nazis, it was deeply concerning that there were many Jews in the areas they were set to rise up in.
If their coup didn't go as planned and things went south, who knew what kind of madness the Nazis would inflict upon the Jews who had just settled in their new homes.
“First, the army is out. There’s a risk of leaks, and the SD would notice immediately if we pull troops from the Siegfried Line or the Italian front.”
The army itself was the most nationalistic branch and a den of Junkers. With not just Nazi puppets but also disgruntled Junkers involved, relying on the army was too dangerous.
Even if they didn't notice, pulling troops from the Siegfried Line, which was already inferior to the French forces, or the Italian front, where our corps were withdrawing and preparing for an offensive, would be exactly what France and Italy were hoping for.
“But how will we stop them then? Are you planning to mobilize the Berlin Replacement Army Command?”
As Ludwig Beck said, we did have the Berlin Replacement Army Command. It reminded me of Operation Valkyrie from the original history.
But mobilizing the Berlin Replacement Army would be noticed by the SD immediately, so that was also out.
“The Berlin Replacement Army would be discovered the moment it’s mobilized, so it can only be prepared as a last resort for the worst-case scenario. There is a unit we can use in this situation, but it will require some coordination with the Abwehr.”
“Hmm, if we gather all the Abwehr agents stationed in Berlin and near the 3rd Army, we’ll have some manpower, but they aren't combat troops.”
Canaris’s question was valid, and I answered him immediately.
“Of course, I don’t expect the Abwehr to fight. In fact, we need to avoid combat as much as possible and neutralize the 3rd Army's leadership. And there is a unit perfectly suited for that purpose…”
Honestly, I wasn't sure if I, who had never even completed the General Staff course, should be drafting such a plan, but this wasn't a situation where I could be picky.
Ludwig Beck, a former Chief of the General Staff himself, seemed to contemplate my plan for a moment, but thankfully, he agreed.
The means to neutralize the 3rd Army’s leadership while avoiding a civil war without mobilizing the army were just too limited.
Excluding the Army General Staff was a bit unsettling since we didn't know who might be involved, but my father had also approved, so it would have to work out somehow.
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May 31, 1940
Posen, Northeastern Germany – Posen City Garrison Battalion Headquarters
A capable soldier who had distinguished himself since his time in the Condor Legion, earning the rank of captain at a young age, and who had fought bravely against the Polish invasion, receiving the Iron Cross 1st Class.
Furthermore, a man with a solid connection, being friends with Dietrich Schacht, the Vice-Chancellor of the Chancellery and arguably the most famous politician in the Fourth Reich.
That was the assessment of Captain Clemens Fleck.
Of course, for a man who was good-natured and friendly but dreamed of being an endlessly safe and idle salaryman soldier, it was an entirely unwelcome evaluation—
“Ugh, I’m cursed. I must be cursed…”
Nor was it a fitting assessment for the pathetic man currently lamenting his fate.
During a recent drinking session with Roger Michel and Dietrich Schacht after the war with Poland ended, Clemens had vented his frustration about risking his life on the front lines despite having a friend who was the second-most powerful man in the government.
After begging his friend, even as his other friend Roger Michel gave him a pathetic look, Dietrich finally, with a very reluctant expression, agreed to write him a letter of recommendation.
As a result, while the rest of the troops moved to the Italian front after the Polish campaign concluded, Clemens was assigned to the Posen city garrison battalion and was able to enjoy some leisure time.
The Posen garrison's duties were merely to suppress Polish riots and maintain security while the Jews settled in, and with the 3rd Army also present, things were quite relaxed.
For Clemens, it had been a brief taste of heaven. If he had known it would be this easy, he would have started pestering his friend long ago! Such were his carefree thoughts until yesterday—
He had sensed that the atmosphere in the 3rd Army had been a bit strange lately, but he never imagined it would lead to a situation like this.
“B-Battalion Commander. You’re joking, right?”
Clemens asked, his face a mask of disbelief, but the battalion commander, with whom he had become quite friendly, smiled with his handsome face and replied.
“I’m not joking, Company Commander. At dawn tomorrow, our battalion will neutralize the leadership of the 3rd Army, which is preparing a coup. Sorry for telling you so late, but it’s a classified operation.”
Feeling like he was about to faint, Clemens asked his direct superior, Major Hans-Jürgen von Blumenthal.
“H-h-how many troops do we have?”
“One battalion, right?”
Clemens felt the urge to grab the composed Blumenthal by his handsome collar and shake him, but he barely suppressed it and asked.
“Th-then what about the 3rd Army’s strength?”
“Ten divisions and two brigades.”
Clemens felt like he was about to grab his neck and collapse.
This man, who had stormed the Führer's Chancellery in the heart of Berlin, assassinated Hitler, and escaped, must have nerves of steel.
But I want no part of this suicide mission! Not everyone is willing to lay down their life for their country as a matter of course!
In the end, unable to accept reality, Clemens asked a very impertinent question.
“C-Count. Do you think the Vice-Chancellor is plotting to have us killed?”
He had begged and pleaded with his friend to be assigned to a safe rear position, and now there was a coup? A coup??
At this point, it was clear that either God had cursed him, or that bastard Dietrich held a deep grudge against him.
Ordering one battalion to suppress an entire field army—what kind of nonsense was this!
But the Major and Count, Blumenthal, just shook his head with a bitter smile and replied.
“Of course not. I never said we were the only troops being mobilized for the suppression.”
“What? Besides us, what other troops are there here besides the 3rd Army?”
Blumenthal grinned and pointed a finger at the ceiling.
“Reinforcements will come. From the sky.”
Of course, Clemens felt no relief at his words. Instead, he had the disrespectful thought, *He's not Dietrich, so why does he love speaking in riddles?*