The Rise of the Third Reich

"God, this place reminds me of Russia, Russia in April 1917!"

At the end of September 1918, when Ms. Chloe von Heinsberg walked out of the Friedrichstrasse train station with Hersmann, she was once again stunned by the sight in front of her, just like last year. It was the same when she returned to Berlin from Russia.

The train station square was crowded with people who came to participate in the rally. They were divided into at least ten groups, and there was a passionate speech or debate among each group of people-those who advocated war, those who opposed war, those who demanded democracy, Supporters of Bolshevism, or any other idea, could now openly attract supporters through speeches and debates.

Such a scene might be a good thing in peacetime, such as in Germany before the outbreak of World War I. At that time, Germany was very successful economically, and its people were ahead of other capitalist countries in terms of social welfare. Moreover, its domestic politics were quite liberal, and it could transform into a democratic country very smoothly.

But starting the democratization process now is obviously very harmful! Germany is facing an unprecedented disaster - she is losing a vital war. The question is just how much, and it depends on whether the German people can unite in the most difficult moment.

However, the sudden democratization that began in August or September 1918 tore apart the originally united German people.

Because whether to surrender to the enemy, whether to deprive some people of their wealth, status and even lives, whether to cede the land that the Germans built with blood and sweat to the enemy, such major issues cannot be resolved by democratic voting in Germany. !

This is just like the United States was unable to use democratic voting to resolve the North-South conflict (Civil War) in the past, and the British are now unwilling to use democratic voting to resolve the Irish and Indian issues.

"Achieve peace immediately without ceding territory or paying reparations!"

"Idiot, there can be no such peace!"

"Cease the war immediately!"

"There can be no truce! We must resist to the end!"

"Down with the Emperor! Long live German democracy!"

"Long live the emperor! Long live the motherland!"

"Long live the Soviets! Go the Russian way!"

"Traitors! You are traitors to the country!"

"Longing dog! The running dog of your capitalists!"

"Jews, you are all Jews!"

"You are the Jews!"

In Berlin's train station square, every debate about the country's future and destiny will eventually turn into insults, quarrels, and even fights. On all major issues, people with different views cannot be reconciled at all, and no one will tolerate the other's views. Everyone regards people with different views as enemies of the country, and there is no possibility of acceptance or tolerance at all - this is It’s like asking Hitler and Merkel to reach a consensus on the issue of Syrian immigrants.

Of course, Ms. Merkel might say that Mr. Hitler is a disgusting monster or something else and refuse to debate him. But in Germany at the end of September 1918, there were millions or more people like Mr. Adolf Hitler.

They fought bloody battles for the country for nearly five years - on the front line with the most difficult conditions, braving falling enemy shells and risking their lives at any time. They had nearly won the war and every front was now on enemy soil and well away from the German borders. In their view, Germany is still the victor and it is not the time to consider surrender anyway.

And what Ms. Merkel’s democratic and liberal predecessors had to face in 1918 was not just countless people who held the same views as Mr. Adolf Hitler. There are also Spartacist League (German Bolsheviks) like Karl Liebknecht and Rosa Luxemburg...

Right-wing nationalists like Hitler (who were the mainstream in 1918), Merkel's democratic and liberal predecessors, and Bolshevism pioneers such as Liebknecht and Rosa Luxemburg are now on the streets. , using the most radical and brutal method to tear apart the Second German Empire, which was engaged in a desperate war.

Sergeant Alfred Rosenberg (who had just been promoted) drove a Mercedes-Benz car belonging to the Berlin office of the Russian-German Economic Promotion Company to the train station to meet Hersmann. All the while he was telling Hersman and Chloe all the discouraging gossip he had heard in the General Staff.

"...The chaos in the rear spread to the front line. The Hindenburg Line collapsed. The morale of the front line troops was low, the people were panicked, and the number of prisoners was unprecedentedly large."

"His Excellency General Ludendorff collapsed. He talked nonsense at the regular meeting on September 28, cursed everyone except him, and finally passed out on the floor."

"His Excellency the General also made suggestions to His Majesty the Emperor, believing that a 'democratic government' acceptable to the Allied Powers must be established to be responsible for making peace. He advocated that a democratic government must be established in Berlin in accordance with the principles of democratic parliamentary system to reflect the majority of the Imperial Parliament. A new government of will... Well, I think he is crazy. How can he establish a democratic government like the Russian Provisional Government at this time? "

"His Majesty the Emperor has accepted his suggestion and will announce the implementation of a parliamentary government tomorrow. It is said that Prince Maximilian von Baden will become Prime Minister of the Reich at the beginning of next month. But he reminds me of Duke Lvov of Russia. …”

"What's worse is that there are rumors among the people and the army that the emperor is about to abdicate. Many people believe that if Germany appears in front of the Allies as a republic, it will get better terms... Many people think that the United States will speak a fair word for the German Republic. I really didn't expect that the Germans living in the country would be so naive and believe that there is justice in the world!" "Oh my God! How can this be? How can they do this!" Hearing this, Chloe exclaimed. As a countess, she is of course a royalist. She tightly pulled Hersman's arm, "Ludwig, we can stop this disaster, right? We can't let His Majesty the Emperor lose the throne..." Hersman's face was tense, and he wanted to make himself look shocked and angry. In fact, he had known the tragic end of the Second Empire for a long time, but he didn't know how the disaster happened-the Second Empire did not perish after the enemy occupied the official residence of the Berlin Royal City, but collapsed when the enemy was still far away from the German border and Germany still had the most powerful army in the world. This is incredible, but Hersman now fully understands the cause and process of the disaster. The disaster of the Second Empire is the same as that of the Russian Provisional Government-all because of trust in the United States! Believe in Woodrow Johnson, the big liar! Think that by driving the emperor out of power and turning the country into a democratic republic, you can get a treaty without ceding territory or paying compensation, and at most you will lose Lorraine and Alsace... According to Woodrow Johnson's "Fourteen Points of Peace", things should be like this.

However, the huge political changes have put Germany in complete chaos and made Germany lose the strength to continue fighting. How can Germany, which has completely lost its power, be treated leniently by others?

"We can only do our best..." Hessman gritted his teeth and said word by word. "We must preserve Germany's vitality as much as possible, and we must also learn from the lessons of failure and prepare for future revenge! We must make the country that deceived the empire, plunged us into chaos, suffered humiliation, and lost power pay the heaviest price in the future!"

"Who is that country?" Chloe asked.

"The United States of America!" Hessman said, "If we don't defeat it, Germany has no future, and Europe has no future!"

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