Chapter 18
Chapter 18
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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 18
Chapter Title: Encounter
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< Interwar Period - Encounter >
November 5, 1937
The Führer's Chancellery, Berlin, Northern Germany
The highest-ranking members of the German military were seated in the conference room of the Führer's Chancellery.
"Have you been well lately, Field Marshal von Blomberg?"
"Well, how could I not be, thanks to our great Führer? Colonel General Göring."
Werner von Blomberg, the Minister of War, responded jocularly to the inquiry from Hermann Göring, the Commander-in-Chief of the Luftwaffe.
The two had developed a certain rapport, having navigated the period from the early days of the Nazi regime to the Night of the Long Knives.
In contrast, Colonel General Erich Raeder, the Commander-in-Chief of the Navy who kept a relative distance from the Nazis, remained silent.
"By the way, do you happen to know the reason for this unofficial meeting today, Colonel General Göring?"
At the question from Colonel General Werner von Fritsch, the Commander-in-Chief of the Army, Hermann Göring smiled as if bursting with pride.
"It is because our great Führer has finally devised a solution to the problems facing Germany!"
"A solution...?"
The one who asked was the only person present with no military affiliation, Foreign Minister Baron Konstantin von Neurath.
Baron Neurath's voice held a faint tremor of anxiety, as if to say, *what kind of madness is he planning now?* But Göring, completely oblivious, let out a hearty laugh.
"Hahaha, that's right! It's..."
But Göring never got to run his loose mouth. The conference room door opened, and the very man who could provide the explanation entered.
As all present rose to salute him, the man, Hitler, walked in, smiling as though in high spirits.
"Ah, I've kept the busy men who work for our great Germany waiting. Thank you all for answering my call."
Hitler gestured for them to sit as he took his own seat. Then, to the high-ranking officials of Germany, all curious as to why they had been summoned to this unofficial meeting, he declared boldly:
"We, the Great German Reich, shall invade Austria and Czechoslovakia."
"Ooh, as expected of the Führer!"
"W-What?!"
Unlike Göring, who praised the decision as if it were a stroke of genius, the rest of the officials were horrified.
"Therefore, the Minister of War and the commanders of each branch are to formulate and submit operational plans for this. We plan to secure both within the next year."
"W-Wait just a moment, my Führer! I agree with the plan to secure Austria and Czechoslovakia, as they have been part of Germany since the time of the Holy Roman Empire. However, it has barely been three years since we officially declared rearmament!"
"So? What is the problem with that, Minister of War?"
At Minister of War Werner von Blomberg's desperate interjection, Hitler asked as if he couldn't see the issue.
Blomberg glanced around, seeking support, but no one seemed willing to step forward. Swallowing nervously, he had no choice but to speak.
"With all due respect, our Wehrmacht has only just begun to take shape as a proper military force. If we are to complete rearmament and restore the German army to its former glory, you must wait until at least 1942."
"What? 1942? You're telling me to wait another four years? Germany has been patient long enough! The last Great War, the Treaty of Versailles, the provocations of those Judeo-Bolsheviks! Now is the time for action, Minister of War."
"B-But..."
"But what? The strength of the German army has already been proven in the Spanish Civil War! Neither the Reds, supported by the damned Soviet Union, nor the International Brigades of those democrats could stand against the Condor Legion, could they? We are stronger than Mussolini's army of steel!"
Blomberg lacked the courage to diminish the Führer's military acumen by pointing out that the Condor Legion's success was hardly surprising, given it was a small unit that had received the full backing of the homeland. He fell silent.
"B-But, my Führer. The army is currently short on even a single rifle and magazine to put in our soldiers' hands. We are desperately lacking the time and equipment to arm all our troops..."
"Then tell the munitions factories to produce more. Can't we just purchase them with MEFO bills and pay for them after we win the war?"
Hitler remained resolute even in the face of Army Commander-in-Chief Fritsch's statement.
The MEFO bills were the creation of Hjalmar Schacht, who had since been dismissed from his ministerial post.
It was a measure devised to avoid the growing threat of inflation from the continuous increase in military spending for rearmament and to conceal the blatant fact of Germany's remilitarization from Britain and France.
The government had been manipulating its balance sheets by accepting munitions from factories and, instead of paying immediately from the budget, purchasing bonds issued by them with the promise of future payment.
This practice had been carried on with such disregard for Germany's economic capacity that the system was now on the brink of collapse.
"My esteemed Führer. The total value of MEFO bills has already surpassed 20 billion Reichsmarks. As former Minister Schacht said, if we issue any more bonds, the government will be unable to handle..."
"Enough! I have heard enough of such defeatist talk! The economy, the economy! At this rate, when will we ever develop Germany's economy, rebuild our army, and create a great Germany! Once we win the war, we can simply seize their taxes and gold reserves to pay it all back!"
Hitler shouted, his eyes gleaming, silencing the Army Commander-in-Chief before turning his gaze to Göring.
"The Führer's will is, of course, correct! The Luftwaffe will devote all its strength to formulating an operational plan!"
"Yes, a commander-in-chief of one of the Great German Reich's armed forces should have at least this much resolve, shouldn't he? What about the navy, Admiral Raeder?"
Erich Raeder, the next to be addressed by Hitler, furrowed his brow slightly as he began to speak.
"Austria and Czechoslovakia are both landlocked nations, so it is not a battlefield where the Kriegsmarine can directly intervene. Thus, it is of no concern to us, my Führer."
Hitler smiled at Raeder's non-committal answer, but his expression soured again at what followed.
"...However, should Britain intervene in this conflict, the Kriegsmarine has no means of seizing sea control from them. Plan Z has only just begun, my Führer."
Plan Z. The Kriegsmarine's grand and unrealistic plan to mass-produce a surface fleet including cruisers, battleships, and aircraft carriers to catch up with Britain's Royal Navy was, surprisingly, still underway, buoyed by the optimism of a naval high command that still clung to the doctrine of big-gun battleships and a Führer who loved anything big and flashy.
Of course, the reality was bleak. Construction on the battleship Bismarck, the symbol of the World War II Kriegsmarine, had only just begun, and even the Scharnhorst-class battleships, meant to lead the German surface fleet until the Bismarck-class was commissioned, had yet to enter service.
As the Commander-in-Chief of a navy that currently had no ships capable of challenging the Royal Navy, Raeder's expression of anxiety was entirely justified. Hitler's response was to dismiss it with annoyance.
"Britain will not intervene."
"What? B-But, my Führer."
This time it was the Foreign Minister, Baron Konstantin von Neurath, who jumped in protest, but Hitler was filled with conviction.
"Just as they did during the remilitarization of the Rhineland, they will not dare to oppose our Great German Reich. The plan will proceed as scheduled, Admiral."
"B-But, my Führer. The situation is different from the Rhineland..."
"You opposed it during the Rhineland as well, Baron! Why can't you see that Britain and France are nothing but cowards with a fancy facade!"
Hitler's shout silenced the Foreign Minister, and at that point, Raeder had no choice but to feign agreement.
"...If war with Britain is not imminent, then the navy has no reason to object."
Hitler's gaze returned to the Minister of War and the Army Commander-in-Chief, Blomberg and Fritsch, who would be the linchpins of any invasion of Austria and Czechoslovakia.
The two could only let out heavy sighs.
-
"How did it go?"
Hermann Göring, Colonel General and Commander-in-Chief of the Nazi German Luftwaffe, smiled wryly at the ‘junior’ who greeted him so warmly as he emerged from the Führer’s Chancellery after the secret meeting.
"Blomberg and Fritsch opposed it to the very end."
"The great Führer must be deeply troubled. Still, now that they've earned his displeasure, they won't last long."
Göring shook his head at the words of Heinrich Himmler, Reichsführer of the Schutzstaffel, who looked up to him as a senior.
"Hmm, I doubt it. The Führer is still quite fond of Blomberg and Fritsch."
"Is that so...?"
Most high-ranking Nazi officials were known for their poor relations, constantly competing for power under Hitler. But Göring rather liked Himmler, who was always respectful toward him, aside from his strange obsession with things like Norse mythology.
"It's a frustrating business. The Führer can be surprisingly sentimental."
Uttering words that would horrify later generations, Göring began to walk with Himmler.
"...In that case, how about we relieve some of the Führer's worries for him?"
"Could you manage it?"
Göring's face lit up at Himmler's suggestion. Himmler replied with a grotesque smile.
"If we dig, we're sure to find something to oust them. I have a rather capable man under my command these days. A fellow by the name of Reinhard Heydrich. I'll introduce you sometime."
"Ooh, that's reassuring. Very well, I'll put my trust in you. If we get rid of those cowards who strut around as field marshals, my own promotion to marshal won't be just a dream, and you'll be able to build the SS into an organization that rivals the Wehrmacht, wouldn't you say?"
"You truly read my mind, my friend. Hahaha!"
And so began the conspiracy of the Blomberg-Fritsch affair, the starting point that would see the upper echelons of the German Wehrmacht purged and the restraints on Germany's path to war loosened.
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December 10, 1937
Berlin War College, Berlin, Northern Germany
"The era of warfare where blood is shed to capture small patches of land, pushing and pulling to establish trench lines, is over, gentlemen."
Despite the lecturer being a figure who had recently begun to gain some renown among young armored officers, the hall was more than half-empty. A testament, perhaps, to the fact that the majority of the army still viewed his theories with skepticism.
"Armored units will strike at the weak points of the front lines, achieving a swift breakthrough. Motorized infantry will follow, deploying into the breached front to crush the enemy before they can recover from the chaos. This will be the core element of mobile warfare on the new battlefield."
The man speaking with such fervor, Major General Heinz Guderian, was passionately explaining the outline of the mobile warfare he envisioned to the officers who would become the future of the German army.
Later generations would commonly call it Blitzkrieg, but in this era, no such term existed in the German military.
"To achieve this, we must boldly discard the conventional wisdom of past wars. The artillery, once lauded as the god of the battlefield, is now obsolete in terms of mobility and should be relegated to defensive roles. The air force, the artillery of the skies, will take its place. Commanders must ride in tanks themselves, reading the battlefield with their own eyes to make fluid and rapid decisions."
I wondered how many of the men listening to this lecture could actually follow Guderian's explanation and visualize it in their minds.
Guderian himself seemed to read the room, concluding his lecture with a wry smile.
"Well, I suppose it feels difficult right now. Don't worry, this was merely an introduction. We'll delve into the more practical theories in due course."
As the officers realized the lecture was ending, they let out something akin to a sigh of relief. Guderian chuckled and finished.
"Well then, I'll see you next time, gentlemen."
"Yes, sir! Thank you!"
Guderian, who would one day be revered as the father of German armored warfare but was now merely a proponent of an adventurous theory, left the room. I turned to Captain Roger Michael, who was sitting next to me.
"So... did you get any of that?"
"...No... I thought I was reasonably intelligent, but I guess not..."
Like me, he had been recommended for the War College by Colonel Model, and since we held the same rank, we had quickly become friends.
Not as close as Clemens, my enlistment buddy, but still.
"Well, it's a lecture Colonel Model strongly recommended, so we have to attend whether we get it or not."
"Hahaha... I suppose so. Well, see you next week, Captain Michael."
"Yeah, have a good weekend, Captain Schacht."
Time at the War College was passing quickly.
The college often invited active field commanders as guest lecturers in addition to its regular professors. As a result, many of the famous generals of World War II would visit to teach the students who would one day be responsible for the future of the German army.
Of course, if history played out as it should, the General Staff candidates dreaming of a rosy future here would be thrown into World War II before they even finished their courses. The lucky few who survived that hell would face war crimes tribunals or have to watch as their homeland was torn to shreds and the army they served was disbanded.
Colonel Model, despite being in Spain, would occasionally send letters to me and Michael, whom he had recommended for admission, suggesting lectures or asking how we were. He mentioned he would be returning to Germany early next year.
It was strange. Even I, who had a fair amount of interest in him, hadn't known he'd participated in the Spanish Civil War. Turns out he hadn't been there for very long.
Come to think of it, wasn't Walter Model demoted along with Chief of the Army General Staff Ludwig Beck when Beck resigned in the aftermath of the Blomberg-Fritsch affair?
I had always found it odd that Walter Model, a rising star in the Berlin General Staff who was building a solid career—even being dispatched to the Spanish Civil War as a chief of staff—became a key player so late in World War II. That must have been the reason...
Now that I was a party to it, the landscape of the German military command, which I had only known as a third-party observer from the future, was becoming clearer.
Ludwig Beck was a central figure in the anti-Hitler conspiracy, so his developing a grudge against Hitler was a necessary event...
My father, Hjalmar, has been dismissed, and Colonel Model, my connection in the military, will soon be demoted... Am I going to be okay...?
At least my relationship with my father, Hjalmar Schacht, was gradually recovering, thanks to my diligent efforts to visit every weekend while attending the War College, looking after my mother and showing him my changed self.
I didn't know exactly when the von Kleist circle would approach my father, but I knew it would be before the Munich Agreement at the very least.
I knew they had come close to staging a coup, led by Major General Hans Oster, during Case Green—the plan to invade Czechoslovakia—and that Hjalmar Schacht had been involved.
For now, I had to focus on following the General Staff course as best I could and wait for that time.
Lost in thought as I walked, I saw a woman approaching who was so beautiful she instantly drew the eye.
A beauty with vibrant blonde hair and blue eyes. The Nazis would be ecstatic; she was the perfect image of an Aryan.
Well, it had nothing to do with me.
It just reminded me of Clemens, who betrayed his friend by running off to Spain for a romance.
But why was this woman walking straight toward me?
"Hello. Good afternoon. Excuse me, but are you by any chance Captain Dietrich Schacht?"
"Good afternoon. Yes, that's me. ...And who might you be, if you don't mind my asking?"
"Ah, a pleasure to meet you. My name is Claudia Jung, from the Frankfurter Zeitung. If you're not too busy, could I have a moment of your time?"
The woman, Claudia, introduced herself with a charming smile.
She looked like a stereotype of the beautiful Caucasian woman men fantasize about, so much so that she didn't seem real.
I had only ever seen blonde, blue-eyed beauties like her on screen, as Hollywood actresses; in reality, they were quite rare, even in Europe...
So, my answer was:
"I'm sorry, but I'm a bit busy."
Claudia blinked, a blank expression on her face as if she hadn't expected to be refused. I smiled at her and added:
"My apologies, miss reporter. I've had my share of trouble since Spain, so I tend to avoid interviews."
The Frankfurter Zeitung was a German newspaper with a respectable history.
No doubt she wanted an interview about the Spanish Civil War, or about my dismissed father. Or both.
Does this body exude some kind of pheromone that attracts reporters? Why do I keep getting entangled with them?
I was about to walk past her dazed figure when I heard a sudden chuckle from behind me.
That wasn't the reaction I expected.
"Aha, my apologies. Oh, dear. I'm sorry. Hmm—you're exactly as Mr. Habenstein described."
Habenstein? I'd heard that name somewhere before. ...Ah.
"...Julius Habenstein?"
The man who was the 3rd platoon leader in the Condor Legion before he was discharged?
"Hehe, yes. That's him. Now, are you perhaps a little more inclined to hear me out?"
This time, Claudia's smile wasn't the practiced one of a reporter; it was a mischievous grin as she asked again.
...Seriously, what's *he* got to do with this?
< Interwar Period - Encounter > End