Chapter 70
Chapter 70
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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 70
Chapter Title: The German Civil War - The End and the Beginning
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< The German Civil War - The End and the Beginning >
December 4, 1939
Berlin, Northern Germany
“Die, dieee!”
“Aaargh, my leg—!”
Even as midnight passed and the depths of night settled in, the sounds of gunfire, screams, and shouts that enveloped Berlin did not cease.
Just as the Germans on both sides, having long forgotten why they had started fighting, were consumed by the madness of the battlefield, a broadcast began.
[Loyal soldiers of the Wehrmacht and Waffen-SS. This is Lieutenant General Erwin Rommel, head of the Führer's security detail.]
It was not Dr. Goebbels, who usually handled the broadcasts, but Erwin Rommel was a figure the Nazis had heavily promoted as the hero who saved the Führer’s life from the rebels' assassination attempt, so everyone momentarily paused.
As the citizens of Berlin, the Nazi forces, and the Reichswehr all held their breath, Rommel spoke again.
[The Führer of Germany, His Excellency Adolf Hitler, has passed away.]
“What, what did he say?!”
In his command tent, Walter von Reichenau, commander of the 10th Army, who had been directing the resistance for days with bloodshot eyes fueled by stimulants and Scho-Ka-Kola, was utterly aghast.
[Just before his passing, the Führer ordered an end to this meaningless resistance and a surrender to the new government.]
“...Finally....”
Beside Reichenau, his chief of staff, Friedrich Paulus, who had been assisting him, let out a sigh of relief. Just then, a different voice, not Rommel's, came over the air.
[This is Franz Halder, Chief of the Army General Staff. I was there with him, and General Rommel's words are true. In the name of the Army High Command, I order all units to cease this meaningless resistance that is devastating Germany and to surrender.]
“No, that can’t be, it can’t be...!”
Walter von Reichenau muttered, clutching his head, then rose from his seat with bloodshot eyes.
“This can’t be happening! Just yesterday afternoon, he personally praised my loyalty! Something’s wrong! Rommel, Halder—those bastards must have betrayed him!”
Enraged, Reichenau started to leave the command room, but a gunshot rang out from behind him, and he crumpled to the floor.
As staff officers, startled by the shot, rushed in and stared in horror at the corpse of the 10th Army commander, Friedrich Paulus, the man who had shot him, spoke.
“What are you all standing around for? Relay the order to surrender to all units. How much longer will we die pointless deaths for a Bohemian corporal who’s already dead and gone?”
-
For the Führer. As soldiers, we follow orders.
The desperate resistance, fought for such a flimsy cause, crumbled away with nothing more than the Führer's command to surrender.
The Wehrmacht and Waffen-SS soldiers, who had been fighting from house to house using civilians as shields, began to emerge one by one to surrender. An order from the Reichswehr command—to never harm those who surrendered—was issued, and the madness of the battlefield completely subsided.
“Fight on! You vermin! Fight on!”
Of course, there were those like Erich von dem Bach-Zelewski who, knowing they could not escape punishment, cried out for continued resistance.
But he collapsed, spewing blood from a gunshot wound to the back of his head.
“Heh, hehehe. My apologies. We have to live too, don't we?”
Oskar Paul Dirlewanger smirked after shooting the superior who had never liked him, but as he turned, he was met with the menacing glares of his comrades.
“Wh-what, why are you all... urk!”
“Using civilians as human shields and killing your superior just to save your own skin?!”
“You’re worse than an animal!”
Once the surrender was decided, those who had abandoned their humanity while riding on the coattails of Nazi power were the first to pay the price, at the hands of their former subordinates, their comrades, or the citizens themselves.
The German Civil War, which began on September 1, 1939, came to an end in the early morning of December 4, 1939, after the broadcast by Erwin Rommel and Franz Halder. By morning, Wehrmacht Commander-in-Chief Wilhelm Keitel officially announced Hitler’s death and the surrender of Nazi Germany.
-
December 7, 1939
Berlin, Northern Germany
Two days after the official end of the civil war, following some initial cleanup, the key figures of the Reichswehr and the new government made their entry into Berlin from Frankfurt.
The cleanup would take much longer, but my father and the Kaiser were of the opinion that it was not good to use a temporary capital for too long.
The residents of Berlin and the state of Prussia had always been more aligned with the Social Democratic Party than the Nazis. Furthermore, they had grown utterly weary of the Nazis' insane tactic of taking citizens hostage for urban warfare, so they welcomed us with open arms.
“Hmm. Now this feels like Germany.”
Sitting beside me, my father spoke coolly. I gave a bitter smile. To be honest, this atmosphere of freedom still felt more alien to me.
“...We’re finally back.”
We had returned to Berlin, where it all began.
The sight of the cheering crowds, showering us with confetti, overlapped with the images of the Austrians welcoming the Wehrmacht during the Anschluss and the residents of the Sudetenland during the Munich Agreement.
I closed my eyes, taking in the sight of Berlin's buildings, now adorned with the black, red, and gold flag instead of the somber Hakenkreuz.
The Reichswehr soldiers, basking in the crowd’s welcome, and the cheering masses—perhaps this time, their joy is something I can truly embrace.
-
In an interview testifying to Hitler's final moments, Erwin Rommel revealed that Hitler had never ordered a surrender. Instead, he had ordered the destruction of the Reichstag, the Brandenburg Gate, and the Führer's Chancellery where he was located, along with the execution of all captured generals. Rommel claimed he had personally shot Hitler to prevent this.
It was a shocking revelation, and people were skeptical at first. But Franz Halder confirmed it was true, and since it was deemed something Hitler was more than capable of, it was officially accepted.
It was also the perfect justification to cement Hitler, who had not yet committed the Holocaust, as the great evil of Germany, thereby validating our legitimacy.
Rommel's reputation soared. He went from being a somewhat dubious general who had comfortably stayed by Hitler's side until his death and then surrendered, to a hero who, despite the Führer's favor, had made a decisive choice for the sake of his country, saving Berlin and the lives of the generals.
Within the Reichswehr, he was still seen as an arrogant figure who had refused admission to the War Academy and an over-promoted general thanks to Hitler's patronage. Yet, just as in the original history, he had become the general most beloved by the public.
In his own way, he’s as much of a master strategist as Manstein, just in a different sense.
Setting Rommel aside, we—especially Manstein and I—had every intention of putting Franz Halder on trial as an accomplice to a criminal regime.
However, thanks to Rommel's defense, which pointed out that Halder's agreement to the fabricated surrender order had ended the Battle of Berlin early, he was merely allowed to retire from the military.
The man himself, Franz Halder, protested that it was unjust for him to be discharged while Rommel was being hailed as a hero for saving Berlin alongside him, but he had to make a lonely exit amidst a cold reception.
-
December 8, 1939
Reichstag, Berlin, Northern Germany
The new German government—or rather, what was now unequivocally the German government—was holding its first meeting in the Reichstag.
“We will maintain the existing name, Deutsches Reich. To the outside world, we will be the Fourth Reich.”
No one objected to my father, Hjalmar Schacht's, statement. This was not a Fourth Reich in the sense of succeeding Hitler's Third Reich.
It was a Fourth Reich that succeeded the First Reich, the Holy Roman Empire; the Second Reich, the German Empire; and the Third Reich, the Weimar Republic.
Hitler had called his regime the Third Reich to deny the legitimacy of the Weimar Republic. For us to call ourselves the Fourth Reich, in a sense succeeding the Weimar Republic and rejecting Hitler's Nazism, was quite the historical irony.
As someone who knew that modern Germany in the 21st century was derisively called the Fourth Reich for leading the EU, I felt a keen sense of history's strange turns.
“The seizure of assets from the Nazis and their excessive collaborators is proceeding smoothly. But what are we to do with the buildings the Nazis erected in Berlin?”
Under the direction of Finance Minister Konrad Adenauer, the ill-gotten wealth of the Nazis was being confiscated down to the last penny.
Perhaps because of his own painful memories of having his assets seized, Adenauer was mercilessly and relentlessly tracking down their wealth and confiscating all of it.
It was a course of action that bore a strange resemblance to the Nazis, who, unable to stop issuing MEFO bills, had planned to wage war to fill their coffers with the treasuries of other nations.
I couldn't shake the feeling that our finances were being sustained more by the confiscated assets of Nazi-affiliated companies and the personal wealth of Nazis than by tax revenue.
The sheer scale of the confiscated Nazi assets was half a delight, half a shock. Did this mean that if those madmen had been less corrupt, the MEFO bill situation wouldn't have gotten so out of hand?
“Let's just remove the Nazi symbols from the buildings and continue to use them. We're short on funds as it is, so there's no need to demolish and rebuild.”
“Let's just blow up that useless, space-hogging Führer's Chancellery. It’s an eyesore.”
As various opinions were voiced, I raised my hand, and everyone's gaze turned to me at once.
...Wow, the way the room suddenly went quiet and all eyes focused on me is quite a feeling...
“Let's keep the Führer's Chancellery. How about we turn it into a museum dedicated to displaying the atrocities of the Nazis and the history of our civil war?”
“Is that really necessary....”
Given that it was a proposal to openly preserve a shameful part of Germany's history, the older members seemed somewhat uncomfortable.
“There are still those who revere the Nazis. They might remain even after our generation is gone. It may be better to confront and remember our shame rather than simply trying to hide it.”
Even in the original history's modern Germany, which thoroughly implemented anti-Nazi education, neo-Nazis still existed. Tearing down a few buildings would hardly eradicate Nazism completely.
In fact, post-war Germany was so anxious to hide its shame that, until the era of Willy Brandt, there was a pervasive national perception that they were simply a defeated nation.
“I guarantee it. If we leave it standing and open it to tourists, it will become a lucrative source of income for years to come. We are short on funds, aren't we?”
“Well, that’s true.”
A dictator who appeared like a comet, seized power in Germany in an instant, tried to drag all of Europe into war, was cornered by the Germans who rose up in opposition, and was then killed by a close aide after ordering the destruction of Berlin.
In a way, isn't that just as dramatic as the Hitler of the original history? The Führer's Chancellery itself, practicalities aside, has a considerable visual presence, making it perfect for turning Berlin into a tourist attraction.
“Not a bad idea. We’re not going to burn those bastards' bodies and scatter the ashes, and even demolishing the building costs money.”
The bodies of Hitler and Goebbels were ‘disposed of,’ and most of the core Nazi figures were either killed or went missing during the civil war. The only one properly arrested and awaiting trial is Meyer… no, Göring.
As my father gave his approval, the other members of the war cabinet readily agreed.
The vile indoctrination programs the Nazis had created needed to be overhauled, and the constitution they had abused needed to be amended, but the war cabinet had agreed to postpone such national reforms until after the election.
This was an area inevitably tied to ideology, so it couldn't be helped. The next to speak was Minister of Defense Ludwig Beck.
“The Italian front is progressing well. With air support, we have begun to push back the Italian army, and the Tyrol region has been almost fully recovered. It is now time to drive them out completely and launch a counterattack against the Italians.”
The Luftwaffe and the newly formed Army Group South of the Reichswehr were rapidly driving out the Italian army as soon as they arrived in Tyrol.
After declaring war, the Italian army had been bogged down in Tyrol for a month and a half. They had launched an all-out offensive that brought the entire region to the brink of collapse, but once they were attacked by ten divisions of the Reichswehr supported by the Luftwaffe, they were routed and pushed back relentlessly.
Of course, a major factor was that the Italian Air Force, still using biplanes as fighters, was being thoroughly crushed by the Luftwaffe, which was filled with ace pilots...
Still, they were said to have at least twenty divisions of ground troops over there. I suppose this is just what you'd expect from Italy.
“However, defending one’s own territory and attacking enemy territory are two different matters. To quickly push Italy back with minimal losses, we need more reinforcements.”
That was the problem. Recapturing Tyrol was one thing, but an offensive naturally required more troops. The issue was—
“...Still no word from Poland?”
“They only reply that they are still in discussion.”
Foreign Minister Weizsäcker shook his head. What on earth were the Poles thinking? Even now that the civil war was officially over, they hadn't given a clear answer.
“Given that they haven't made any moves yet, doesn't that suggest they have no intention of acting rashly?”
“That may be so, but...”
If Poland had intended to attack us, they should have done so when the civil war was in its final stages.
Yet they had made no move, nor had they readily accepted our non-aggression pact. What could this mean?
“For now, the 3rd Army in East Prussia has recognized our government and pledged its loyalty. How about we leave the former Wehrmacht's Army Group North (3rd and 4th Armies) in the north just in case, and dispatch the remaining forces to the Italian front?”
“Hmm....”
The Polish army was not the Italian army; holding them off with just Army Group North was impossible. It wasn't just a matter of strength; the border between Germany and Poland was simply too long.
But we couldn't let the war with Italy drag on indefinitely either.
“We will prepare the forces of the disbanded 10th and 14th Armies as a reserve just in case, and send all troops except Army Group North down to the Italian front.”
“...Understood.”
I could clearly see that this was a sound and rational decision. And yet, why couldn't I shake this feeling of unease?
“Still, with the announcement of our support for Finland, the reputation of the new Germany is quite good.”
Foreign Minister Weizsäcker said this, looking at me with a proud expression.
Whether it was thanks to the equipment we provided or if it would have happened anyway in the original history, I wasn't sure, but the Soviet Union was suffering massive losses from the outset and couldn't even get near the Mannerheim Line.
The time was approaching when Britain and France would start pressuring us to liberate Czechoslovakia. Fortunately, Finland had just announced Germany’s support after its initial success in the Winter War.
The Soviet Union, already embarrassed, was naturally furious, but international opinion turned favorable toward Germany for supporting Finland even in the midst of its own civil war. As a result, Britain and France refrained from bringing up Czechoslovakia while we were still at war.
Czechoslovakia was land we would eventually have to liberate, but it was far better to do so gracefully than to be forced into it under pressure. We had bought ourselves some time.
“Since not all of Austria has been retaken, it would be best to hold the elections after Austria is fully recovered and the referendum on its status is complete. Well, I trust you all know what you're doing. Everyone should form their parties and prepare for the election.”
“Hahaha…”
With my father's words, the meeting concluded. All I could do was hope that my feeling was just paranoia.
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