Chapter 6
Chapter 6
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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 6
Chapter Title: The Spanish Civil War - Collateral Damage (1)
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In the Battle of Guadalajara, Italy and the Nationalist faction had committed more than twice the forces of the Republicans, yet they suffered a miserable defeat.
The advantage of their initial surprise attack was unfortunately lost to sleet and fog. Afterward, they were outmaneuvered by Enrique Líster, lost their armored units, and were ultimately routed by a surprise Republican attack across the river.
I nearly died in the process, but I was promoted to First Lieutenant, earned the honor of the Iron Cross 1st Class, and was given command of the company.
My original plan had been to return to Germany at once, even if it meant accepting some disgrace. But now that I was responsible for our company, I had to abandon that plan.
As Captain Kaufmann’s successor, I couldn’t just save my own skin and abandon Clemens and the other men.
If I looked at it differently, this place was a land of opportunity. In an interwar period with no other chance to earn distinction, this was the only place to build a service record and get promoted.
Whatever I ended up doing, a higher rank would never be a disadvantage.
No, with my father, Hjalmar Schacht, certain to be dismissed soon, I had to build a foothold for myself, one way or another.
To do anything in this age of madness, I needed power. A mere company commander, who could be killed at the front at any moment, could accomplish nothing.
-
March 27, 1937
Zaragoza, North-Central Spain
With the ambitious offensive planned by Mussolini and the Italian army ending in a crushing defeat, the Nationalist high command abandoned its plan to capture Madrid. They shifted their strategy to systematically eliminating Republican forces in other regions.
Their new targets were the Republican-held provinces in northern Spain: the Basque Country, Cantabria, and Asturias.
Although these three provinces were under Republican control, they were cut off from the main Republican forces in the east, which included the salient around Madrid and Valencia.
The Condor Legion’s Luftwaffe also decided to dispatch a portion of its forces to support the offensive under the command of Lieutenant Colonel von Richthofen.
If that had been the end of it, it would have had little to do with me…
But then I received a notice that Lieutenant Colonel von Richthofen had requisitioned me—freshly discharged from the hospital—to serve as an interpreter and army advisor. I headed to the Luftwaffe base in Zaragoza to meet him.
“Heil Hitler!”
“Heil Hitler. Congratulations on your promotion, Lieutenant.”
“Thank you, sir!”
Lieutenant Colonel von Richthofen, a man in his early forties, returned my salute and offered me a seat with a faint smile. I sat down immediately.
“Let’s get straight to the point. You must be wondering why an army lieutenant has been summoned here.”
“...Yes, sir, I am.”
It would be strange if I weren’t. At my reply, Richthofen nodded and began his simple explanation.
“First, there’s the matter of interpretation. Lieutenant General Sperrle will remain on the central front, so the Luftwaffe’s current interpreter will stay with him.”
Hugo Sperrle was the commander of the Condor Legion’s Luftwaffe. That made sense, but why me specifically for interpretation?
“Well, that’s the official reason. I specifically requested you, Lieutenant. This may be sudden, but you are loyal to the Führer and to Germany, are you not?”
The question was so abrupt that a cold sweat trickled down my spine. What was this? He couldn’t be a mind reader. Why was he asking me this? After a moment’s hesitation, I gave a simple answer.
“I am loyal to Germany, sir.”
Richthofen stared at me, who couldn’t bring himself to say he was loyal to the Führer, then smiled faintly.
“Ah, I’ll take you at your word, Lieutenant. The person we are about to meet and the contents of our discussion are top secret. I trust you will maintain the utmost discretion.”
“Yes, sir!”
My brief wonder at what he was planning that required such a preamble was answered the moment I saw the man Richthofen met with.
“Buenas tardes, Señor Richthofen.”
“¡Vivo España! Señor Caudillo.”
“Oh, haha. I see why our generals speak so highly of you, Señor Richthofen.”
The man looked slightly surprised as Richthofen exchanged greetings in Spanish, but he soon broke into a satisfied smile.
It was ‘El Caudillo,’ the Führer of Nationalist Spain, Francisco Franco! I nearly gaped, but I quickly began to interpret. Franco had brought only one man with him, who appeared to be a guard.
“I would like to get to know you better, Señor Richthofen, but my schedule is tight, so I hope you’ll forgive me for getting straight to the point. As you’ve already been informed, this is not an official request from the Spanish State. Please consider this… hmm, a personal request of mine.”
I translated Franco’s words, and Richthofen nodded in understanding before replying.
“Of course, Señor Caudillo. The Führer of the Greater German Reich and the Condor Legion are here to support you personally, and your confidence will be strictly maintained.”
A smile reminiscent of a snake played on Franco’s lips at Richthofen’s answer. Then, he delivered his so-called secret order.
“In the upcoming northern campaign, I want the Condor Legion to inflict as much ‘collateral damage’ as possible.”
What did this man just say? I froze, forgetting my duty to interpret. Franco looked at me, grinned, and added.
“Ah, was that a difficult phrase to translate? My German is poor. To put it simply, I would like there to be ‘unavoidable,’ ‘extensive,’ ‘civilian casualties.’”
As I stood there dumbfounded, Richthofen gently patted my back as if to soothe me. I finally snapped out of it and translated.
“He wants us to cause as many civilian casualties as possible under the guise of accidental bombing.”
Hearing this, Richthofen paused for a moment before asking.
“That’s not difficult, but isn’t the north a region where pro-Nationalist factions rose up, only to be suppressed?”
Did he just say it wasn’t difficult?
“Some parts, yes, but the north is the domain of Carlists… anachronistic monarchists and separatists. There is evidence they have joined hands with General Mola, who covets my position, and they are also suspected of collaborating with the Reds after being suppressed. Therefore, it is necessary to show them the folly of defying me, especially when I have such excellent friends as Germany.”
Franco smiled as he spoke. A leader who smiled while requesting the bombing of his own civilians. This was insane. But I had no choice but to relay his words, and Richthofen’s response was chillingly cool.
“Ah, I see. Understood. Since it must appear to be accidental bombing, we cannot be too overt, but we will inflict enough damage to deliver a clear message to them.”
“Thank you, Señor Richthofen. The devotion of Germany and the Condor Legion will be remembered as an eternal friendship by the Spanish State.”
Franco beamed as he spouted such nonsense. Yet this man would refuse to join the Axis Powers until the end of World War II.
Even as Germany fell, he would be preoccupied with executing countless of his own people, branding them as political prisoners and Reds.
What did Captain Kaufmann and the other men in my company die for here?
-
After Franco left, Richthofen and I boarded a transport plane to a newly constructed airfield near the Basque region.
While the Allies and the Soviets in the early days of World War II would operate solely from established air bases, the German military was already testing the doctrine of constructing makeshift airfields near the front lines. This allowed them to rapidly rotate aviation units, maintain air superiority, and provide close air support. It was Richthofen’s creation.
“You looked surprised, but you did well, Lieutenant. Don’t think too deeply about it. You’ve read Clausewitz’s *On War*, I presume? War is merely the continuation of politics. We are soldiers. We obey orders, and the higher-ups handle the politics. The Führer has ordered us to cooperate fully with Franco, and we will follow that order.”
For a soldier, absolute obedience to orders and their execution might seem like the correct posture. But it was precisely that posture that would lead to World War II causing the most horrific sacrifices in world history. At the hands of us, the German army.
“But indiscriminate bombing of non-combatant civilians is a war crime, sir.”
Richthofen paused at my words, then burst out laughing.
“Haha, hahaha—Lieutenant. War crimes are ultimately decided by the victors for their own convenience. The most important thing for us soldiers is to be loyal to our country and follow its orders. And right now, the Führer leading our great Germany has no interest in so-called ‘war crimes.’”
Of course. Hitler naturally had no interest in such things. But would you still say that, Richthofen, after committing unnecessary war crimes, turning the inhabitants of occupied territories who could have been allies into enemies, and fighting a war of endless attrition only to face defeat?
As I remained silent, Richthofen glanced at my expression, smirked, and spoke.
“You were wondering why I chose you of all people.”
“Yes, sir.”
“I heard you’ve been selected as a candidate for this year’s War Academy.”
“Ah!”
Just as only graduates of military academies in Korea could hope to become generals, in Germany, only those who completed the curriculum at the War Academy and earned the qualification of a General Staff officer could become generals.
However, unlike Korea’s military academies, where one enrolls and then serves as an officer after graduation, Germany’s War Academy admitted proven individuals who had already served in the military and gained a certain amount of experience.
There were extremely rare cases like the famous Erwin Rommel, who became a Field Marshal without completing the General Staff course, but he famously had a poor relationship with other General Staff officers throughout the war. Thus, completing the General Staff course was a ticket to becoming a future general.
“Well, don’t get too excited just yet. The competition among candidates is fierce.”
“Yes, sir, I’m aware.”
I knew that only about one in ten candidates selected for the War Academy was actually admitted.
But more importantly, the War Academy was in Berlin.
Once this Spanish Civil War ended, World War II would be just around the corner. Returning to Germany then would leave me with far too little time to do anything. But if I returned to Berlin first to attend the War Academy, that would be a different story.
It wasn’t about becoming a General Staff officer or not; it was about getting a chance to do something before World War II broke out!
“But you have a distinguished record, so if you continue to perform well, your chances are high. Your unit is on standby due to heavy losses in the last battle, so take this opportunity to observe the Luftwaffe’s operations and submit a proper report. Who knows? The high command might like it.”
“Yes, sir. I will keep that in mind.”
This was incredibly important to me, but it was also an unexpected act of kindness.
Hermann Göring, the Commander-in-Chief of the Luftwaffe, was implementing the Four Year Plan, a state-controlled economic policy. This was a direct challenge to my father, Hjalmar Schacht, the champion of free-market economic policies.
In fact, Hjalmar Schacht would soon be ousted, pushed aside by Göring, whose position within the Nazi Party was unshakable. So, from the Luftwaffe’s perspective, I was the son of a political rival. Why would he go out of his way to help me?
“What, are you surprised?”
“With all due respect, yes, sir.”
Richthofen clapped me on the shoulder and explained.
“Whatever the circumstances of the higher-ups, politics is their business, isn’t it? We’re out here in this foreign land, enduring hardships together. It’s a senior officer’s duty to support a promising young talent.”
“Is that so, sir.”
At my ambiguous reply, Richthofen chuckled and added.
“Ah, well, that’s the official line. Major Beckers recommended you, and after meeting you myself, I saw no issue and accepted. And this is just my personal opinion. I trust my personal opinion will remain in your head only, correct, Lieutenant?”
“Yes, of course, sir!”
“The Luftwaffe is a new service. We are at a stage where we must prove our value, but many in the Army see us as little more than their subordinate branch. His Excellency Commander Göring is furious about this and is trying to protect our independence from the Army, but I don’t believe this is a problem that can be solved through confrontation.”
Indeed, during World War II, Göring’s obsession with the air force was pathologically severe and a major factor in diminishing the German military’s overall strength. However, the Army’s relentless push to subordinate the air force gave some reason for his attitude.
“I believe that in modern warfare, combined arms operations between the army and the air force will be the most crucial factor. But that shouldn’t be all the air force is. Yet, the Wehrmacht, especially the Army, is still full of conservatives who want the air force’s role to be nothing more than supporting the army.”
In the end, with Göring only looking out for the air force, the proud and dismissive army, and the neglected navy, the Wehrmacht’s dissonant trifecta, joined by the Waffen-SS, became increasingly incapable of utilizing its full potential. The supreme leader who was supposed to coordinate it all only added to the confusion.
So, the role Richthofen expected of me was…
“In this northern campaign, I will fully demonstrate the potential and value of the Luftwaffe. I want you to report on it, in a positive light if possible, to the high command. And if you get into the War Academy, I’d like you to help improve the perceptions of your peers, the officers who will be responsible for Germany’s future.”
Even as he said it, I knew a mere junior officer couldn’t play a significant role immediately. He was probably trying to create more cases like me.
“Haha, well, don’t feel too pressured. I’m not your direct superior, after all. I’d just appreciate it if you’d consider our difficulties. And while we’re at it, I’d like you to teach me some Spanish. It’s frustrating not being able to communicate.”
I recalled hearing that Richthofen was one of the very few officers in the Condor Legion who made an effort to learn Spanish.
That was why the Spanish officers disliked most of the German officers sent to the Condor Legion, seeing them as arrogant. But Richthofen, who was approachable, engaged in discussions with them, and tried to learn their language, was relatively popular.
“Understood, sir. I will do my best.”
He might be a man who could speak of the burning of cities and civilians with pleasure, but he was also an officer who seriously contemplated and worked towards the future of the Luftwaffe and the Wehrmacht.
It made sense, then, that when Richthofen retired due to health issues, the Luftwaffe officers missed him. They probably thought things would have been better if he had been in command instead of Göring, who was ruining the air force while high on drugs.
Most Germans caught up in World War II were probably like that. They trusted their government and did their best in their respective positions, but because it was a crazed criminal regime, they became war criminals and were left as the losers of their era.
Except for the few who were active participants, most would have had to condone or comply with war crimes to protect themselves, or they would be swayed by the Nazi regime’s lies and forced to bear the guilt for an astronomical number of deaths.
And the real culprits, men like Hitler and Goebbels, would escape by committing suicide.
People like Richthofen were certainly problematic individuals, capable of committing war crimes without hesitation. But under a different government, he might have remained just a rather extreme patriot… yes, someone like America’s Curtis LeMay.
Knowing all this, could I live with myself if I just ran away to save my own skin, only to watch a Europe and a Germany left in nothing but death and ruins?
But if I could get to Berlin before World War II broke out, I might be able to prevent such a catastrophe.