Chapter 19
Chapter 19
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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 19
Chapter Title: Interwar Period - The Thread of Fate
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December 11, 1937
Berlin, Northern Germany, Frankfurter Zeitung Berlin Bureau
“Good morning. Welcome to the Berlin bureau of the Frankfurter Zeitung, Captain Schacht.”
“Good morning, Miss Jung.”
I offered a perfunctory greeting to the smiling Claudia who welcomed me and followed her into the building.
*Hmm, the building is bigger than I thought.*
Everyone seems so energetic… and busy.
In 21st-century Korea, physical newspapers were relics for the older generation; news articles were mostly read on smartphones or the internet.
But in this era, the status of a newspaper was entirely different from that of the 21st century.
Even though I knew this intellectually, visiting such a vibrant and massive newspaper office in person was quite impressive.
“Thank you for graciously accepting my invitation. Oh, by the way, did you have a chance to read the paper I gave you yesterday?”
“Yes. Well… it was interesting.”
Yesterday, when I’d mentioned I’d never read the Frankfurter Zeitung, Claudia had looked as if the sky was falling. She’d handed me a copy, and out of boredom, I had read it before bed.
In modern times, my nights would have melted away with web surfing or gaming, but in this era, entertainment was so scarce that even reading a newspaper was somewhat amusing.
“Honestly, I was truly shocked. Former Minister Schacht is one of our core subscribers, so to hear that his son had never read our paper made me wonder if we were doing something wrong.”
While I was interested in German history, I had never delved deep enough to know about its newspapers. It turned out the Frankfurter Zeitung was one of Germany’s most prestigious daily papers.
It was a liberal, pro-business, conservative newspaper—in other words, perfectly suited to the tastes of people like my father, Hjalmar Schacht, a quintessential member of Germany’s wealthy elite and a successful economist who championed a market economy.
I definitely remembered seeing it at my father’s house. I just hadn’t read it back then.
“Well… I was in Spain for a long time. Haha.”
The truth was that Dietrich had been a good-for-nothing, and for Yun Seong-il, who had flown here from the 21st century, physical newspapers were not something he was used to reading.
“Hmm~ Perhaps we should work harder and expand into Spain?”
“Haha.”
But my comment about it being interesting wasn't just empty words. The articles and editorials in this paper, unlike the sensational, attention-grabbing pieces I used to read in Korea, were quite objective and covered a relatively broad spectrum.
It was the complete opposite of propaganda rags like the Nazi-published *Der Stürmer*.
In fact, reading the editorials, I found many that subtly satirized the Nazi regime while offering relatively neutral commentary on foreign affairs.
The paper was careful not to provoke the Nazis outright, but its leanings clearly showed it had no intention of publishing news that would blind the public to suit the Nazi agenda.
It was quite surprising and fascinating that such a media outlet was still functioning properly in Germany under Nazi rule.
“So, how is Second Lieutenant Havenstein… no, Mr. Havenstein doing?”
“As for that—I think it would be better for you to hear from the person you’re about to meet.”
Claudia replied to my question with a gentle smile, then knocked on the door before us and announced to the person inside.
“Bureau Chief, it’s Jung. I’ve brought Captain Schacht.”
“Ah, thank you.”
As I stepped through the door Claudia opened, a middle-aged man, the bureau chief, approached and offered a handshake.
“It’s a pleasure to meet you, Captain Schacht. I’m Lutz Havenstein, the Berlin Bureau Chief for the Frankfurter Zeitung.”
“A pleasure to meet you, Bureau Chief Havenstein. I am Captain Dietrich Schacht of the army.”
Havenstein…
“Please, have a seat. Do you like coffee?”
“…Yes, please.”
“Sugar?”
“Just one.”
Wait, I feel like I was just railroaded. The man, a bureau chief no less, prepared and handed me a cup of coffee so naturally that I accepted it without thinking.
“Excuse me, but if your name is Havenstein…”
“Ah, Julius is my nephew.”
“I see. Um… is he doing well?”
Someone suffering from severe PTSD would have trouble with daily life…
Lutz Havenstein smiled faintly at me.
“The boy is doing well enough in Frankfurt. Thank you for your concern.”
“…Is that so.”
“He told me all sorts of stories when he was staying in Berlin for a while. He is very grateful to you, Captain. That’s why I wanted to meet you once I heard you were in Berlin.”
Honestly, I think what I did back when I had just become a company commander was more for my own satisfaction than anything else.
“Thank you, Captain. If it weren’t for you, that boy might still be blaming himself for being a coward.”
Still, it felt pretty good to know that at least one thing I did in that hellhole was worthy of thanks.
“…No, thank you. Thank you for letting me know.”
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As a token of his gratitude, Bureau Chief Lutz Havenstein promised me a rather extraordinary favor.
He pledged that any submission I made, whether a news tip or an editorial, would be given top priority for publication after a review by the editor-in-chief.
This was completely different from reporters gathering stories to suit their own tastes, which were then filtered again to fit the newspaper's agenda.
Borrowing my father Hjalmar Schacht’s name would have made getting an editorial published easy enough, but this was a favor extended entirely to Dietrich Schacht, not a courtesy owed to my father.
Of course, given that my father was a titan of the financial world, there was surely an element of investing in a future client—but I was certain this was a connection that would prove immensely helpful someday.
“This way, Captain Schacht.”
“Ah, thank you.”
And in the place Claudia guided me to, where I was to meet the editor-in-chief, I came face to face with another man I had not expected at all.
“So you’re Captain Schacht? A pleasure. I’m Theodor Heuss, the editor-in-chief.”
“It’s an honor to meet you, Editor-in-Chief Heuss. My name is Dietrich Schacht. …Mr. Heuss?! Ah, no, Representative? Good heavens, my apologies!”
Heuss, who was older than the bureau chief, chuckled and waved his hand dismissively.
“Well, I’ll be. It’s been a while since a young man has recognized me. It’s quite all right. I’m just an ordinary journalist now.”
Theodor Heuss, a former member of the Weimar Republic’s Reichstag, had lost his seat after the passage of the Enabling Act of 1933—the law that granted all parliamentary powers to Hitler.
He was working here? I was dumbfounded, but I shook his hand.
“…It’s an honor, Editor-in-Chief Heuss.”
“Haha, the pleasure is mine. I’ve heard the story from the bureau chief. If there’s anything we can do to help, please don’t hesitate to ask.”
Of course, I could already see this was no mere tabloid, but Theodor Heuss was no ordinary politician!
After the war, he would go on to mediate among liberal figures, unite them to found the Free Democratic Party, and become the first President of West Germany.
His presence here alone dramatically increased my trust in this newspaper.
I still needed to get closer to these people and understand them better, but it occurred to me that conservative monarchist nobles and the military weren’t the only ones who harbored resentment toward Hitler and the Nazis.
No, if I wanted to not just defy Hitler but avoid the war altogether, I couldn’t just wait for the von Kleist group. I had to prepare for the future.
Stauffenberg and the other participants in the Valkyrie plot, who attempted to assassinate Hitler late in the war, were hailed as heroes by later generations, but I’d heard they were considered traitors by the German public at the time.
Even if they had succeeded in killing Hitler, the coup would have likely failed.
Whatever their intentions, to the masses, Hitler and the Nazis were the great leaders guiding the fatherland.
A coup that lacks even a minimum of public understanding or support cannot succeed.
No matter what knowledge a modern person possesses, there is an absolute limit to what one individual can do against a Nazi regime that has captivated the populace.
To think I hadn't considered that and had focused solely on dealing with Hitler—had being in the military turned my brain militaristic as well? I had been heading in the wrong direction, completely and utterly wrong.
“So, how was it? I hope you don’t regret taking the time to visit.”
After a not-so-brief conversation with Bureau Chief Havenstein and Editor-in-Chief Heuss, I found myself being escorted back to the entrance by Claudia. Her question made me laugh naturally.
*Ah, honestly, at first she gave off the impression of a poster girl for Nazi propaganda, a perfect Aryan beauty, so I was planning to avoid her at all costs.*
Who would have known that an act in the Condor Legion, perhaps one done for nothing more than my own satisfaction, would lead to a connection like this?
“I see. Thank you so much for today.”
When I spoke, infusing my words with gratitude for the precious realization she had given me today, her eyes widened for a moment before she smiled and extended her hand.
“Not at all. I have a feeling we’ll be seeing each other often. I look forward to working with you, Captain Schacht.”
“…As do I, Miss Jung.”
It was a handshake with the first person who might just become an ally on this daunting path ahead.
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January 9, 1938
Berlin, Northern Germany, Wehrmacht Ceremonial Hall
“Congratulations, Field Marshal!”
“Hahaha, thank you. Thank you.”
A wide smile graced the face of Werner von Blomberg, the Minister of War in Hitler’s cabinet and an honored Field Marshal of the German Army.
Having lost his wife in 1932, he had raised his five children alone. Now, he was taking Erna Gruhn, who had long served as his secretary, as his new wife.
His beautiful bride was 26, and he was 59. The age gap was severe, to say the least, but in this era, no one could criticize an army field marshal for taking a younger wife.
“Haha, Eva. Smile a little more.”
“You’re embarrassing me…”
Two high-ranking Nazi officials, also smiling, approached the blissful newlyweds.
“Haha, congratulations, Minister of War. This is a joyous day for Greater Germany.”
“Führer! It is an unparalleled honor to have you grace this joyous day with your presence!”
Hitler, who had greeted Blomberg warmly, turned his gaze to Erna Gruhn, his face wreathed in smiles.
“Oh, a very beautiful bride. I wish you a happy life together.”
After his words, Hitler kissed Erna Gruhn’s hand and departed, never dreaming she would come to be ashamed of that very fact.
“Ah, Colonel General Göring. Thank you for coming.”
“Congratulations, Field Marshal Blomberg. I am glad you will no longer be lonely.”
“Hahaha, thank you.”
“…I truly hope you both will be happy together for a long time.”
Göring paused oddly as he gazed at Blomberg and his wife before speaking, but Blomberg, lost in his joy, simply offered his thanks.
After dealing with the various figures saluting and fawning over him, Göring stepped outside the ceremonial hall.
“*Sunbaenim*.”
Seeing Himmler waiting for him with a sickening grin, Göring also beamed with pleasure.
“Are you sure?”
“Hahaha… would you like to see for yourself?”
Göring took the manila envelope Himmler offered and opened it.
“Ooh… such a sordid affair… for the man who is the Field Marshal of Greater Germany’s army…”
“Is it not deplorable, *Sunbaenim*?”
The file Himmler had provided contained the criminal record of Erna Gruhn’s mother, who had been caught engaging in illegal prostitution, as well as pornographic photographs of Erna Gruhn herself.
“Shameless, utterly shameless. And to think she was smiling so demurely, like Germany’s purest bride.”
“And what of the Field Marshal, happily embracing such a woman?”
Though they both spoke as if in sorrow, their faces were alight with smiles.
“What about Fritsch?”
“Haha, that side is also prepared without a flaw, *Sunbaenim*.”
“Hahahaha! Good, excellent! Now the obstacles will be removed. This is a truly joyous day for the great German Reich!”
Göring, who had just been congratulating the couple on their marriage moments before, was now laughing with glee. Seeing him, Himmler also wore a grotesque smile.
A few days later, the German military was turned upside down.
End of *Interwar Period - The Thread of Fate*
© Karkason