The Rise of the Third Reich

"Lenin!"

Hersmann called out the name, suddenly opened his eyes wide, and stared at the iconic oversized forehead of the revolutionary mentor sitting on a bench.

Lenin's legs were covered with a blue blanket, his shoulders were draped with a gray scarf, a thin wooden board and an open pad were placed on his knees, and he was holding a pen in his hand, writing something with his head down. The wind blowing from the snow-covered peaks of the Alps flipped Lenin's notebook. He was about to end his day's writing and go to the restaurant to have dinner with his wife Krupskaya and his confidante Armand when he heard someone shouting his alias. He raised his head and looked in the direction of the sound, only to see his old friend Green, Green's beautiful sister Eva and another young man he didn't know walking quickly together. The shout seemed to be made by the young man.

"Hello, Comrade Lenin!" Hersmann stepped forward quickly and excitedly stretched out his right hand to Lenin - not only because he met the legendary mentor, but also because Hersmann saw the hope of the Third Reich from the mentor.

Lenin was stunned. This young man obviously knew him, but he didn't remember seeing him before. However, out of courtesy, the revolutionary mentor stood up and stretched out his hand to shake hands with the other party.

"Sir, do you know me? Have we met before?"

"Yes, of course, in Moscow's Red Square!" Hersman widened his eyes and looked at Lenin with interest. This Lenin looked much younger and more energetic than the one he saw on his last trip to Moscow.

"Moscow... Red Square?" Lenin tried to recall, but he really couldn't remember that he had ever seen this gentleman in Moscow's Red Square.

"I don't think you saw me at that time, I just looked at you from a distance." Hersman explained with a smile. He didn't lie to his mentor. He did see Lenin in Moscow's Red Square - at Lenin's Tomb! And Lenin at that time just lay quietly, motionless.

"Oh, that's it." Lenin thought to himself. He hadn't been back to Russia for more than ten years. If the young man in front of him had seen him in Moscow, he should have been a child at that time, right?

"Then you are..." Lenin was interested in the young man in front of him and asked with a smile.

"I am Otto Braun, a German Socialist." Hersman lied solemnly.

"Oh." Lenin glanced at the "Green brothers and sisters" who were walking quickly, and thought: This young man who came with them should also be a representative of the German government? I wonder who is behind it? It would be great if it was the German General Staff. The situation in Russia is changing rapidly, and most of his comrades with the Bolsheviks are in exile abroad. Without the help of the Germans, he can't even go back to the country, let alone start a revolution.

"Vladimir Ilyich, I'm glad to see you."

"Me too, Oscar, it's great that you can come to Qiujiweize."

"Vladimir Ilyich, I'm married, this is my husband Otto Braun, he was my classmate at the University of Munich, a socialist."

"Eva, this is great, congratulations."

Heinsberg and Ettel had already walked up to Lenin, and the three of them deceived each other - although Lenin had long seen through the "Green brothers and sisters", he still pretended to know nothing - and then hugged and kissed, which showed that they were really familiar with each other.

"You came at the right time, today Armand is preparing dinner, there are delicious French dishes." Lenin took the hand of the "Green brothers and sisters" and walked towards the house.

It was a three-story building, built with the most common wood in the Alps. It was not luxurious, but it was very clean inside. Lenin and his two women rented two rooms in total. He sometimes spent the night with Krupskaya, but more often he was with the French woman Armand.

The mentor's wife and confidante were very familiar with the "Green brothers and sisters" and welcomed their arrival. In particular, Heinsberg would bring some delicious food every time he came, either pickled beef, beef tongue or lamb shoulder. For the Akiwize Sanatorium, which only provided dairy products, these delicacies were very rare.

In addition, Heinsberg would also prepare some very special "gifts" for Lenin - a list of the latest major libraries in Zurich or Bern.

The library service in Switzerland is very thoughtful. You don't have to go to the door in person. You can borrow any book by sending a postcard with an application form with the address to the library. This is very helpful for Lenin's research work.

Hersman, Ettel and the mentor sat down at a not very large desk, and the beautiful French woman Armand brought the three people a fragrant Russian coffee - made from egg yolks, milk, chocolate, vodka, sugar, cream and coffee. Heinsberg and Kruskaya were busy preparing dinner in the kitchen.

Hessman took a sip of coffee and found that there was strong liquor in it, so he frowned slightly. Lenin had been observing Hessman. Seeing this subtle change in his expression, he smiled and said, "Comrade Braun, are you not used to Russian coffee?" He spoke Russian.

"Yes, I am a little uncomfortable. There is vodka in it?" Hessman also answered in Russian. He did not speak Russian in his previous life, but he could speak it after being reborn as Hessman. "But I still like it very much, because in Germany, there is no coffee and it is difficult to get milk. I haven't tasted these two things for a long time."

This lie is very clumsy. Just look at Hessman's figure and complexion, and you will know that he is definitely not lacking in milk.

But Lenin didn't care about this. He just sighed: "Germany just has no coffee, lacks milk, and maybe not much meat. But in Russia, there is almost no black bread!" He picked up the coffee cup and drank it. Xiaokou, "But the Russian Provisional Government, like the Tsar, only wants to fight!"

"Because they are as stupid as the Tsar," Herschmann hammered the table lightly with his fist. "They don't even realize who Russia's real enemy is?"

"Yes! They didn't realize it!" Eitel echoed. Lenin drank coffee and looked at Hessmann.

Hessmann emphasized his tone: "In fact, Germany and Russia are both objects of containment by the British Empire, and they are enemies opposed by the international capitalist group that controls the British Empire! Even France, our old enemy of the Germans, has also eaten up the British When the Napoleonic Empire was at its peak, the British organized anti-French alliances again and again. When Russia became strong, the British joined forces with France and Turkey to launch wars (referring to the Crimean War). At the time of its revival, Britain wooed France and Russia... In fact, Britain's policy is to let us European powers kill each other in order to maintain the rules of the game dominated by the international capitalist group!"

"Oh?" Lenin did not agree with Hessmann's argument, and his tone was sarcastic. "I guess you must think that the plots of Britain and this... international capitalist group will be crushed by the German Empire, right?"

Hessmann looked at Lenin and said, "Why do you have such a judgment?"

"Isn't the situation very clear?" Lenin shrugged. "The main reason for the revolution in February was not to oppose the Tsar, but to oppose the war! If the provisional government can comply with public opinion and negotiate peace with Germany, then it can be stabilized. In this way, Germany and Austria-Hungary will be able to transfer a large number of troops from the Eastern Front to the Western Front, and they will be enough to destroy France!"

Hessmann shook his head: "But what if the interim government is unwilling to negotiate?"

"Yes, they don't want to!" Lenin sneered. Although he was in Switzerland, he could still obtain important intelligence in Russia. "They will continue to fight, regardless of the fact that the Russian army is disintegrating! Those fools (referring to the Cadets, Mensheviks and Socialist Revolutionaries) are so naive that they think they can win if they take command of the Tsar. But the cruel reality They will teach them a lesson and educate the Russian people, and then there will be a second revolution! The Bolsheviks will be in power at that time, and the Bolsheviks are truly willing to achieve peace. In this way, Germany and Austria-Hungary will not be able to divert their troops from the Eastern Front. Was it used on the Western Front?"

Hersman's face darkened. He leaned back on the hard chair and sighed: "But the United States, like the United Kingdom, is also controlled by the international capitalist group! Once there is a possibility that the United Kingdom will lose its world hegemony, the United States will definitely Join the war under the control of the international capitalist group!"

"International capitalist group?" Lenin asked thoughtfully, "Comrade Braun, do you mean that international capitalism is one? But the current war shows that there are different groups in international capitalism... Basically, every capitalist country is controlled by its own domestic capitalists. In order to compete for colonial markets and raw materials, wars will break out between capitalist countries.”

Hessman shook his head and retorted: "Comrade Lenin, I think you should notice that capital can flow across borders. They can flow from this country to that country. And consortiums originating from two countries can also flow through capital Merge into a consortium through operation, or mutually control each other so that the two consortiums have common interests. Through this cross-border capital flow and operation, a group of super consortiums that can dominate multiple countries and even the entire world will eventually be created.”

"I think this is just your conjecture," Lenin said, "or at some time in the future, there will really be a large consortium that can dominate multiple countries. But it is obvious that no such large consortium has emerged yet. Otherwise, this world war will It won’t break out, right?”

"This just shows that the large transnational conglomerates have not yet controlled all countries," Hersman said. "And some countries are not dominated by capital, but are ruled by statist ideologies, such as the German Empire! So the transnational corporations that control the United Kingdom and the United States The consortium will do everything possible to contain Germany, which ultimately leads to this war. "

"Comrade Braun, what do you want me to say?" Lenin shrugged, showing a wry smile—discussing issues related to capital and war with an official from the German Empire was really like playing the piano to an ox.

"Comrade Lenin, I understand what you mean, I understand it completely!" A hint of sadness appeared on Hessman's chubby face. "Surplus value, overproduction, war for the international market... I have also read Mr. Marx's works, but phenomena that Mr. Marx cannot explain will soon appear!"

"What phenomenon?" Lenin asked with a frown.

"America will enter the war!"

"What!?"

Lenin was still fine, but Eitel exclaimed: "This is impossible! There is no reason for the United States to participate in the war!"

The reasons he pointed out were certainly not superficial. Superficial reasons are easy to find, such as unrestricted submarine warfare and the Zimmerman Telegram. But the underlying reason is not easy to find.

Hessmann looked at Lenin, who was noncommittal and obviously unsure whether the United States would enter the war.

Eitel loudly said: "The United States has no reason to participate in the war, because they will gain nothing by defeating Germany! Germany has very few overseas colonies, and Britain, France, Italy, Japan and other countries are not enough to share the spoils. As for occupying an enclave in Central Europe, that is absolutely impossible of!"

Hersman also said: "Yes, the domestic markets of Germany and Austria-Hungary are probably not what the United States wants...Compared to what Germany and Austria-Hungary have, Britain and France are the real wealth. Especially the British Empire! They ruled the seas, owned the big market in India, actually controlled China, and were the masters of the Eldorado of South Africa. If Britain lost the war or simply failed on the continent, then the United States would not be able to maintain its pre-war status. It can ask for a share of British hegemony, and perhaps take over some of the colonies of Britain and France. If the United States helps Britain defeat Germany and Austria-Hungary, the United States will get nothing but huge casualties and military expenditures. "

"So it is impossible for the United States to participate in the war!" Eitel said with certainty. "As long as they sit and watch the war, they can dominate the world together with Britain and Germany after Germany defeats France."

Since the surface fleet of the German Navy became a fleet that did nothing after the Battle of Jutland, even Ettel, who was quite optimistic about the prospects of the war, did not believe that it was possible for the German Navy to send the army to the British Isles. Moreover, the war-weariness in Germany is also increasing day by day. I am afraid that everyone will thank God for being able to defeat France again and bring the war to an honorable end. No one will dream of landing on the British mainland.

Therefore, for Germany, the most beneficial outcome of this war is to weaken France and Russia, at the same time support a pro-German Russian regime, restore the Russian-German alliance, and finally rule the world together with the United Kingdom and the United States - this seems to be good for the United States too!

In terms of comprehensive national strength, the United States is the second largest in the world (if you do not consider Britain's huge colonies, the United States' national strength is No. 1). In theory, the United States is the number one target of the British Empire. And the United States should also be looking forward to the misfortune of the British Empire every day. Even if it cannot replace it, it can change the rules of the game where Britain alone dominates the world into co-governance by Britain and Germany, right?

As for the loans the United States lent to Britain and France, it was not the reason why it had to side with Britain and France to destroy Germany. After all, with the power of Germany and Austria, the most it can do is force France to sue for peace - France will still exist after its defeat, just like it did after the Franco-Prussian War. The British mainland cannot be attacked, and the British Empire will still exist, but it will lose its prestige and hegemony before the war (the world will be jointly dominated by Britain and Germany).

Therefore, the United States does not have to worry about having no place to collect debts, and compared with some world hegemons, those US dollars are simply insignificant.

"It is indeed unlikely that the United States will participate in the war," Lenin thought for a long time and finally gave the answer, but he still did not want to die. "But if Britain is willing to share hegemony with the United States after the war..."

"No!" Hersman interrupted the tutor and said with great certainty, "The United States will definitely join the war! Soon after, I estimate that after the Russian Revolution, the American ruling group has already made the decision to join the war. Now it is just Waiting for a time to declare. Moreover, Britain will not share hegemony with the United States! The United States will not receive anything of value from participating in the war...including territory, colonies, and reparations."

Lenin laughed: "This is impossible! Americans will not go to war in vain."

"No, they will!" Hersman said, "Because the monopoly consortiums of the United States and Britain are actually one... Now Britain and the United States are just two subsidiaries of a monopoly trust. The world hegemony is still in the hands of the United Kingdom or the United States. In the hands of the consortium behind the scenes, there is no difference. But if the hegemony falls into the hands of Germany, which pursues nationalism, or Russia, which is ruled by the Bolsheviks, it will be a complete disaster for those consortiums that control Britain and the United States!

Therefore, the United States will stop Germany and the future Bolshevik Russia at all costs, and Germany is likely to lose this war because of this! "

"No! This is impossible!" Eitel shouted loudly, "Hersman! Are these the judgments of the General Staff?"

As soon as these words came out, Ertel suddenly woke up and knew that he had spilled the beans, but he didn't hide anything and just looked at Hessmann with a frown on his face.

Lenin also stared at Hessmann with sharp eyes, but he didn't ask any questions, as if he didn't hear what Etel said.

Hersmann glanced at Ettel, then met the great mentor's gaze, and said word for word: "After Germany fails, the Bolshevik Russia led by you will become a thorn in the side of the international capitalist group. !”

"No, it's impossible!" Lenin categorically denied, "If the United States really joins the war and defeats Germany as you said, then a revolution will break out in Germany, just like Russia! This will be the beginning of the world revolution!"

What the instructor said was his consistent judgment... The world war will turn into a civil war. Soldiers from various countries in the frontline trenches will turn their guns and work with the domestic working class to overthrow their respective reactionary regimes and achieve world revolution.

However, Hessmann knew very well that the instructor's judgment was wrong - because there is no such fool as Kerensky in Germany!

Hessman just shook his head, "How about making a bet! Comrade Lenin, my judgment is that the United States will declare war on Germany sometime this month or next month! Because if it continues to be delayed, Germany may become the European continent. It will be difficult to defeat the domination of Germany. Even if Germany is defeated, it will still be a capitalist country, and the German proletarian revolution will not succeed. "

Lenin looked at Hessmann quietly. He was not sure whether the words Hessman said were Hessman's own judgment or the views of the German General Staff.

"Comrade Braun," Lenin said solemnly, "You want to bet? What bet?"

"Your friendship with the Russian people!" Hessman looked at the great mentor and said every word, "If my judgment is correct, I hope to be your friend with the Russian people!" As he spoke, he smiled and extended his hand. right hand.

"Okay! It's a deal!" Lenin nodded heavily, smiled and stretched out his hand to shake Hessman's hand.

An old friend of Lenin and the Soviet people... Hersman knew that this title would be valuable for his future. Because from what he knew about German history between World War I and World War II, Soviet Germany was once very close. Using the Soviet Union to restore Germany's vitality was once Germany's long-term national policy.

In the subsequent Soviet Union Conference, the "Treaty of Rapallo", the "Convention of Logano", the "Treaty of Berlin", the "Moscow Economic Treaty", the "Soviet-German Treaty of Friendship and Neutrality of 1926" and a series of other restoration of Germany In important diplomatic conferences and treaties regarding the status of a great power, Germany took advantage of maintaining friendship with the Soviet Union, the Red Empire, and gained great benefits. It successfully dismantled the anti-German alliance and laid the foundation for Germany's rejuvenation. Not to mention the benefits Hitler gained from repeatedly consuming the Soviet threat theory and collaborating with the Soviet Union to carve up Poland after he came to power.

It can be said that after World War I and before the Soviet-German War, all the major achievements Germany achieved in diplomacy and military affairs were inseparable from the Soviet Union! After the Soviet-German War broke out, the German Third Reich began to decline!

And under the general trend of Soviet-German coordination after the war, the future of a German officer who has Lenin's friendship is naturally not too bad.