The Rise of the Third Reich

Starting from January 6, 1919, until January 18. Lieutenant Colonel Ludwig von Hersmann has been staying in the German temporary headquarters in Potsdam as the intelligence director, and has never gone to the bloody Berlin.

There is nothing good about killing and repression. The occurrence and outcome of the January Revolution in Germany had already been decided in the January upheaval in Russia a year ago.

Lenin's dispersal of the Constituent Assembly and the subsequent Russian Civil War taught Germany's socialists, capitalists, and Junker aristocrats a vivid lesson. Fearing that Germany would become a second Russia, these people had long been united and unanimously opposed the Bolsheviks. Fourteen years later, Adolf Hitler became Chancellor of Germany, which was actually a continuation of this "anti-Bolshevik line."

From the January Uprising in Russia, to the Finnish Civil War, to the January Revolution in Germany, and the Hungarian Revolution. The struggle between the Bolshevik Party and the Socialist Party (including the Social Democratic Party, the Socialist Revolutionary Party, etc.) was quite bloody and cruel.

Later generations were considered harmless social democrats and went on a killing spree against the Bolsheviks in Germany, Finland and Hungary. In Russia, it was the Bolsheviks led by Lenin who were ruthless.

After several fierce struggles that turned from cooperation to bloodbath, there is basically no possibility of cooperation between the center-left (social democratic faction) and J-left forces in Europe. Even when the Nazis and fascist forces were about to come to power, it was difficult for the Socialist Party and the Bolshevik Party to carry out truly effective cooperation.

Of course, cooperation cannot be said to be absent. For example, the Bolshevik Party and the Socialist Party in Spaghetti signed a convention on anti-fascist united front action in 1934. However, in the face of the Italian National Fascist Party at the time, this cooperation was of little use.

On the other hand, the right-wingers in Europe were able to unite in the face of the threat of the Bolshevik Party and use various methods to suppress the Bolsheviks. In Germany, this situation was particularly obvious. The army controlled by the Junker nobles always tried every means to make things difficult for the Bolsheviks and joined forces with all political forces that opposed the Bolsheviks.

The situation of the Social Democratic Party and the Independent Socialist Party, which had won the bloody struggle, was not good. Because they failed to preserve the monarchy for the Junkers and participated in the November Revolution, in the eyes of the Junkers, they were only slightly stronger than the Bolsheviks. It can only be regarded as reluctant cooperation, not a solid alliance at all. Pulling the Socialists from the throne of the ruling party is the long-term goal of the Juncker Corps.

After the bloodbath of the working class (the vast majority of which were not Bolsheviks) in several major cities in Germany (not just Berlin), the foundations of the German Socialists as "moderate leftists" were actually shaken. Moreover, without the support of the powerful Junkers officer corps, their future and fate with Germany seem to be predictable!

However, Germany will still be a democratic country for a long period of time in the future - Hersmann in early 1919 firmly believed this.

Because the Junker aristocracy will be severely weakened after the defeat of the world war, it is impossible to own the country with an army of only 100,000 or more people. In the political arena, the "moderate left" or "moderate right" all rule with ballot boxes rather than guns.

Even the Junkers Officer Corps, during the historical Weimar Republic period, could only play the game of vote-based politics under the leadership of Hindenburg. Because even if the weakened Juncker launched a coup to seize power, he would not be able to suppress the resistance of the German working class.

Therefore, during most of the period of the Weimar Republic, the three forces of Juncker, the "moderate left" and the "moderate right" were roughly balanced, which could form a political pattern in which Juncker and the right controlled the left.

But Hessmann knew that this balance was only temporary. The oppression from the Allies and the export of revolution from the Soviet Union would strengthen the extremist factions. Once the right time comes—such as the Great Depression—extremist factions will expand rapidly!

…

"Ludwig, who should we vote for?"

"Odea, you're going to vote for the Christian Democratic People's Party, which is the original Catholic Center Party. Chloe, you're going to vote for it too."

"But I don't believe in Catholicism!"

"I am a Catholic."

"Brother, do you support the Catholic Center Party because of Chloe?"

"Margaret, why are you following me? You are not 20 years old yet, so you can't vote."

"I can't vote, but I can watch you vote."

January 19th is the day when the National Assembly votes. In order to vote, Hersmann returned to Berlin a day early with his stepmother Odeya, sister Margaret and fiancée Chloe.

Voting for the Catholic Center Party is certainly not because Chloe believes in Catholicism. In fact, she is not obsessed with religion. Vote for the Catholic Center Party was an order from the German Officers' Union. Under the double blow of Germany's surrender and the November Revolution, the Fatherland Party, run by the German military, collapsed and did not participate in the election on January 19. Therefore, the German Officers' Union instructed its members to support three parties besides the Social Democratic Party and the Independent Social Democratic Party, the German National People's Party, the German People's Party and the Christian Democratic People's Party.

These three parties, which bear the names of "People's Party" and "Democratic Party", did not have their current names before the November Revolution, and they will all change their names soon. Putting "people" and "democracy" on the signboard is just to cater to the political atmosphere after the November Revolution.

At that time, the realization of socialism seemed to be the consensus of the entire people. However, after the “January Crackdown” led by the Social Democratic Party, the golden brand of socialism has faded a bit.

"Ludwig, which party do you think will win the election?" Hersmann's sister Margaret asked in front of a makeshift polling station.

Hersman, Chloe and Odeya voted near her luxury apartment. The people queuing up in front of the polling stations were all well-dressed wealthy people.

"Social Democratic Party." Hessmann's answer was affirmative.

"Chloe, what do you think?"

"It should be the Social Democrats, they are the big winners this time." Chloe's answer was the same as Hersman's, she shook her head slightly, "I think Mr. Abbott will become president and his Social Democrats will form the cabinet. "

"It's not a big winner," Hessman said calmly as he glanced at the orderly voting team, "because what they inherited is just a mess that is difficult to clean up."

For a long time, the Social Democratic Party was the largest party in the parliament of the Second Reich and had a deep mass base. Although this time the suppression of workers caused division and opposition among the left-wing masses, it was considered to have damaged the foundation.

But because extreme workers’ parties such as the Bolsheviks and the Nazis will not participate in this election. The Bolshevik Party had just been suppressed and would not be able to participate in general elections for some time to come. The Nazi Party may not have been established yet, and even if it was, it would be an insignificant and small party. The Independent Socialist Party, which split from the Social Democratic Party, not only participated in the repression, but also faced new splits - the German Bolshevik Party split from this party.

In the absence of any rivals competing with the Social Democratic Party for workers' votes, it is expected that the Social Democratic Party will win the majority of workers' and farmers' votes. However, the Social Democratic Party that came to power had to face a mess they could not imagine.