Chapter 30
Chapter 30
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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 30
Chapter Title: The Sudetenland Crisis (7)
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< The Interwar Period - The Sudetenland Crisis (7) >
The Sudetenland Crisis - (7)
September 6, 1938
A residence owned by Hjalmar Schacht, Berlin, Northern Germany
Once the Abwehr withdrew, judging that any further sabotage would risk exposure to the SD, signs of unrest in the Sudetenland began to appear in earnest.
The fire was now at our feet.
“What about mobilizing the Stahlhelm?”
“We still need more time. At least another two weeks…”
Lt. Colonel Oster gave a firm reply to Count Blumenthal’s words.
“Make it one week.”
“…I will do my best.”
As the architects of the coup, we were busy coordinating the schedule.
“How are things on your end, Lieutenant Colonel?”
“Just as you said, Captain. The evidence of the Nazis’ corruption is so easy to find it’s almost anticlimactic. But…”
Evidence of corruption alone would not be enough.
To shake the Nazis’ soaring popularity, we needed proof so repulsive that any ordinary person would be disgusted just by looking at it.
“Yes, I know. That will likely only be obtainable on the day of the operation itself.”
“…Are you certain it exists?”
“Yes. I am certain. I’ve cross-referenced the employees working there.”
Of course, with so little time, that wasn’t actually true. This was something I only knew because I was from the future.
Lt. Colonel Oster stared at me intently before finally nodding.
“Fine. I have my doubts, but we’re short on time, so I’ll trust you.”
“Thank you.”
The Holocaust, the Final Solution for the Jewish people, had not yet been implemented.
While it would be difficult to achieve an effect as dramatic as publicly exposing the extermination camps, it was precisely for that reason that revealing a disgrace even the Nazis themselves had not properly grasped might just be a gamble worth taking.
As Count Blumenthal, Lt. Colonel Oster, and I busily reviewed the plan, I glanced over to see Director Erich Kordt—who usually offered all sorts of ideas with a relaxed and affable demeanor—standing blankly, struck dumb.
“Are you alright, Director?”
“Huh? Oh! Yes? Ah, yes. I’m fine. Haha… Of course, I’m fine.”
Director Kordt snapped back to his senses, looking sheepish. The reason for his state was…
“I’ve received consent from the head office of the Frankfurter Zeitung. Just give me the materials, and I’ll have them distributed throughout Germany within a day.”
The only woman present, reporter Claudia Jung, spoke with a confident smile.
“Uh, so… you mean to say, Miss Reporter… that you approached our Foreign Ministry as a spy…? You got along so naturally with Minister Ribbentrop that I thought you were a Nazi sympathizer… I, I just thought you were a charming woman…”
Director Kordt stammered, still looking as if he couldn’t believe it.
“My, how naive you are. Is our Foreign Ministry going to be alright?”
Claudia whispered in my ear, and I had to struggle to keep from laughing.
*No, no matter how I look at it, I think you’re the problem here, Miss Reporter.*
As we began preparing for the operation in earnest, I took a leap of faith and invited her.
Rather than committing suicide by going mad and blowing Hitler’s head off, then praying the German people would side with us, it was better to prepare for the press’s cooperation in advance.
Above all, to avoid handing Germany over to royalist militarists after ousting Hitler, only to see the military run rampant again, the contribution of civilian forces to the coup was essential.
And at a very decisive point, at that.
Lt. Colonel Oster was initially hesitant about my suggestion to involve a liberal journalist, but after I arranged a meeting, he immediately agreed to invite her.
Of course, to the conservative leadership, she was reported as merely an agent for recording notes on a typewriter.
“Lieutenant Colonel Tresckow, how are the operational deployments?”
“I’ve submitted the request to the Berlin General Staff. The key personnel must remain in Berlin while the plan is in motion. You’ll be my aide, Schacht.”
“Thank you, sir!”
With the launch of the Sudetenland invasion plan imminent, units were already being sequentially deployed to the front. Captain Michael, a classmate from the war college and part of General Model’s circle, had already moved to the front lines.
If I, a key figure in the plan, were also sent to the front, the operation would be impossible to carry out. So, Lt. Colonel Tresckow, who was attached to the Berlin General Staff, was making me his aide to keep me in the city.
“…It seems things are proceeding smoothly, Lieutenant Colonel Oster.”
“We will proceed without any setbacks, General von Witzleben.”
General of the Infantry Erwin von Witzleben, commander of the Berlin-Brandenburg military district, was tasked with the core of this operation.
The temporary paralysis that would spread through the Nazi government when the Führer’s Chancellery was attacked—in that moment, how effectively Witzleben could suppress the SS would determine the success of this operation and the course of the civil war that would follow.
Hitler was not yet overly concerned with his own safety.
During the planning for the invasions of Czechoslovakia and Poland, he had primarily stationed generals who opposed him or did not align with the Nazi regime in the rear, where it was difficult to earn glory.
From Hitler and the Nazis’ perspective, it was a way to place commanders of their choosing in charge of the advancing front-line units and let them win military honors, but this also exposed a fatal weakness.
It was much later that Hitler became paranoid about his safety, shuttling only between his mountain retreat and the Wolf's Lair.
That only happened after the SD, which had been engrossed in creating a casus belli against Czechoslovakia and Poland, turned its eyes inward after the war began and started to detect signs of resistance.
Therefore, we could not afford to miss this opportunity.
This moment, while Heydrich and the SD were busy carrying out the orders of Hitler and the Nazis, blinded by their ambition for territorial expansion, was the perfect time for us.
General von Witzleben nodded to Lt. Colonel Oster, then turned his gaze toward me, as I was in the middle of an exchange with Claudia.
I instinctively straightened my posture and saluted him.
“Captain Schacht…”
My persuasion at the last meeting had been partially successful.
Honestly, I had been prepared to be kicked out of the group and forced to cooperate only through working-level meetings, so even that was a better outcome than I had expected.
The leadership had given permission to continue contact with the British but also to formulate a plan that could proceed without a British declaration of war, in preparation for a ‘contingency.’
Of course, it wasn't a confirmation that it would be executed, but just opening the option to carry out the coup without Britain’s help if we could devise and prepare a viable plan was immense progress compared to before.
The only problem was that I had been thoroughly marked as an impertinent captain by people who already disliked me, like Chief of Staff Halder and Dr. Goerdeler.
General von Witzleben slowly approached me and patted my shoulder.
“Many say you are impertinent, but…”
I swallowed involuntarily, but thankfully, Witzleben showed no particular dislike for me.
“At least I can see with my own eyes that you properly understand the importance of this coup and have shown passion for it. …Good work.”
“Thank you, General!”
Witzleben returned my salute and then cast a somewhat disapproving glance at Claudia, but she deflected it lightly with a perfectly charming smile.
That part of her really is amazing…
Witzleben was the first to leave.
That man, too, would later take part in Colonel Stauffenberg’s Valkyrie plot and be executed by hanging.
That was the nature of what we were doing. If we succeeded, we would liberate Germany from the clutches of the Nazis. If we failed, we would all die.
“…Captain?”
She, a civilian who had willingly risked her life, might also face a terrible fate if we failed.
As would I, and everyone else in this room, who had put their lives and beliefs on the line.
…We absolutely cannot fail.
“Ah, I’m sorry. I was lost in thought for a moment. Let’s continue.”
Hearing my words, Claudia gave a subtle smile and said.
“Hmph. And here I thought you were admiring my face.”
Snickers erupted from here and there. Oh, no. Wait. Did Lt. Colonel Oster just laugh?!
“Hah… Let’s get back to work, Miss Reporter.”
“Yes, yes.”
Up to that point, I thought everything was going smoothly.
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September 13. A massive protest by Germans finally broke out in the Sudetenland. However, Czechoslovakia declared martial law and ruthlessly suppressed the protest in a single day.
Hitler, despite the military’s desperate opposition, finally ordered the invasion of Czechoslovakia. The situation spiraled downward as France declared it would intervene the moment German troops set foot across the Czechoslovak border.
We immediately requested permission from the leadership to execute the operation.
But those indecisive men didn’t grant permission until well into the evening, forcing us to move frantically to meet the deadline.
The problem erupted the very next day.
September 14. An article was published stating that British Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain would visit Germany for negotiations. Before noon, Chief of Staff Franz Halder ordered the operation to be halted.
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September 15, 1938
Berlin General Staff Headquarters, Berlin, Northern Germany
“Halder, you cowardly bastard!”
“Schacht, we’re in front of the headquarters! For God’s sake, calm down!”
I was so furious I had stormed all the way to the General Staff Headquarters, but Lt. Colonel Tresckow was holding me back.
Damn it all, right now that fool Chamberlain is meeting with Hitler to offer him the Sudetenland on a platter!
“How can you expect me to be calm!? Look at this!”
I unfolded the orders that had been delivered to me and showed them to Lt. Colonel Tresckow.
That son of a bitch Franz Halder, worried we might act without his permission after we kept requesting the go-ahead, had issued transfer orders for me—the easy target!
And to the main attack force in Silesia, a long way from Berlin!
“Schacht, calm down. I know these are unjust orders, but…”
“Halder, you pig-fucking bastard! Get out here now!”
Does that moron have any idea what he’s just done?!
The only chance to stop the Second World War, to prevent a cataclysm for Germany, for all of humanity! And he throws it away like this?!
But just as I let loose a torrent of curses for all to hear, Lt. Colonel Tresckow’s fist slammed into my face.
“Schacht. What you’re doing right now is not helping us in any way.”
“…Son of a bitch… That goddamn… Halder… Fucking bastard…”
I know. I know that this won’t make that bastard Halder come out and change the orders, or do anything at all.
But the fact that no one else understands what disastrous consequences this petty little act by that pathetic bastard will bring.
It’s just so, so…
Damn it, to be standing here in front of the headquarters, bawling my eyes out.
In this godforsaken world, the fact that I’m the only one who knows is just so fucking awful…
Tresckow pulled me through the crowd of people who were murmuring as they watched us, walked for a while, and then dragged me into an alley.
“…Schacht. I saw how passionately you threw yourself into this. I know. But this is not the way. Whatever we are doing, your duty is that of a soldier. The high command doesn’t know what you’re involved in. Once an order is issued, you must follow it.”
“Hah… I’m sorry, Lieutenant Colonel.”
“The plan is almost complete. Have a little faith in the others.”
I thought we were just one step away, but I never imagined we would hit an obstacle like this, from such a source.
Can they really do it alone? The anxiety wouldn’t go away.
“Schacht, you said it in Vienna. You would rather die than see our fatherland ruined. …You are not the only one with such resolve.”
“…I’m sorry, Lieutenant Colonel. I… made a scene.”
“…No. I was the one who brought you into this. Thinking about it now, I wonder why I brought in such a troublemaker…”
Lt. Colonel Tresckow let out a small laugh as he spoke, but then he gripped my shoulders.
“I’m sorry that this is all we amount to. You did your best. Leave the rest to us.”
In the original history, Lt. Colonel Oster’s conspiracy remained just that—a conspiracy.
The leadership wavered, and in the end, they failed to carry out the operation.
“Please tell Lt. Colonel Oster. No matter what happens, the coup must be carried out.”
“…I understand. I will be sure to tell him.”
But the operation was already out of my hands.
If there is a God who dropped me here, please, just this once. Just this one time.
To have come this far, with only a single step left, and to find that all I can do is pray.
< The Interwar Period - The Sudetenland Crisis (7) > End