The world-devouring dragon

January 30, 1933, Germany's Berlin Morning Post.

"... First of all, let us congratulate Adolf Hitler on becoming the Chancellor of Germany and look forward to his and his Nazi Party's contribution to Germany. However, as far as this newspaper is concerned, Germany at this moment is burdened with heavy post-war debts and the "Versailles" Treaty, if Hitler tried to restore Germany's economic vitality, it is difficult to imagine what means he had, and his chancellor was by no means smooth sailing..."

…

February 2, 1933, Germany's "Hamburg Morning Post".

"It is hard to imagine that just two days after taking office, Chancellor Adolf Hitler demanded the dissolution of the Reichstag, reorganization, and new elections. What is the purpose of this? It is reported that the German Workers' Party, the largest party in Germany, currently occupies a majority in the Reichstag. 41.9%, while the second largest party, the Communist Party of Germany, holds 17% of the seats. This means that many of the Prime Minister’s decisions may not be approved by Congress. Has the Prime Minister decided to reshape the political landscape in order to implement his own policies? Let us wait and see... …”

…

At 1 o'clock on February 28, 1933, the German "Grühn Post".

"Urgent news, there was a fire in the Reichstag Building in Berlin 3 hours ago. The cause is currently unknown, and the casualties are unknown."

…

At 1 pm on February 28, 1933, the German radio station "Prussian News Gazette".

(Prime Minister Adolf Hitler): "...ZiZi (noise)...German people, the government has investigated clearly what happened...ZiZi...This arson attack on the Reichstag was due to the actions of the Communist Party...This act of arson It was the most appalling act of terrorism carried out by the German Bolsheviks..."

…

At 6 pm on February 28, 1933, the German "Hamburg Morning Post".

"Because of the arson attack on the Reichstag the day before yesterday, Chancellor Adolf Hitler decided to urgently promulgate the "Reichstag Fire Ordinance" to abolish the provisions guaranteeing personal freedom in the Weimar Constitution. There are still three days before the re-election. What impact will this have? , we don’t know yet, but it makes us very uneasy..."

…

March 1, 1933, Germany's "Leipzig Volkszeitung".

"Shocking! Disappointing! Chancellor Adolf Hitler ordered the German Communist Party to be listed as an illegal political party, just the day before the election. At this moment, the Nazi Party's stormtroopers were arresting people everywhere, and their purpose was already obvious, forcing the Communist Party to To withdraw from the Reichstag and allow the Nazi Party to take complete control of the Reichstag is a naked provocation to the German Constitution and the democratic electoral system! It is a huge irony that we have elected a dictator as Prime Minister..."

…

March 2, 1933, Germany's Berlin Morning Post.

"...Re-election results...The Nazi Party holds 45% of the seats in the Reichstag..."

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March 23, 1933, the German Nazi party newspaper "Volkswahersobserver".

"Today, the German Enabling Act was enacted, according to which Chancellor Adolf Hitler and his cabinet can pass any legislation without the consent of the parliament..."

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On March 24, 1933, Decree No. 1 was promulgated via radio.

"... sizzling... abolish the state parliaments and make the state governments completely subordinate to the center... sizzling... except for the only political party, the German *** Workers' Party and its affiliated groups, all political parties are illegal parties... "

…

June 1934, Germany's "Grünpost".

"This newspaper temporarily accepts government rectification and publishes news under the guidance of the Nazi Party. The time for re-publication has not yet been determined..."

…

In the spring of 1935, the German "Essen Allgemeine Zeitung".

"The Prime Minister issued an order to expand the National Defense Force from 100,000 to 300,000. This made Britain and France dissatisfied because it was an open violation of the Treaty of Versailles. But I ask, isn't it natural for a country to try to protect its land and people? ?The remarks made by Britain and France are totally unreasonable..."

…

March 7, 1936, French "International".

"Germany set foot in the Rhine Demilitarized Zone and seriously violated the Treaty of Versailles. What does it mean..."

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1938, Germany's Mainz Allgemeine Zeitung.

"Five years have passed since the head of state became prime minister. In 1933, there were 6 million unemployed people in Germany, and the unemployment rate was as high as 20%. Now, the unemployed population in Germany has dropped from 6 million to tens of thousands, and there is even a labor shortage in many places. , basically solving the problem of full employment; the annual economic growth rate exceeded 10%. In 1933, the gross national product was approximately 73.7 billion imperial marks. Calculated at constant prices, today in 1938, Germany’s gross national product reached 126.4 billion imperial marks. Mark. This is a great achievement, congratulations to our great head of state..."

…

March 11, 1938, German "Grünpost".

"The great head of state, our extraordinary leader. Today, Austria and Germany merged. When the head of state's motorcade drove into Vienna, Austria, the citizens of Vienna cheered the head of state, and the girls threw flowers to the head of state. The motorcade was loaded with flowers of peace. Let us congratulate this In the great moment, under the rule of the great Führer, the German nation will finally be united..."

…

November 2, 1938, the German Nazi party newspaper "Volkswahersobserver".

"Jews, parasites that live on all the nations in Europe! They do not produce, but seek wealth through deception and cunning. They wander from one country to another. When the country is peaceful, they greedily accumulate wealth; when the country When caught in the flames of war, they hide far away, and even take advantage of the opportunity to make a fortune. They have no concept of country and are unwilling to serve the country. They are a group of moths, a group of poisonous insects that pollute Europe..."

…

November 10, 1938, Germany's Berlin Morning Post.

"After yesterday's Kristallnacht, according to the orders of the Führer, a large number of Jews were arrested and sent to the concentration camps in Dachau, Buchenwald, and Sachsenhausen. It is reported that more than 30,000 Jews will be imprisoned in the concentration camps. The government has implemented strict rectification measures to eliminate their bad habits..."

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March 1939, British "The Times".

"Hitler annexed Austria and occupied the entire Czechoslovakia, but where is his next target? At this moment, Germany has nearly doubled its territory without losing any blood. The "Versailles Agreement" is nothing but a design, which is simply doubtful. Who was the winner of the original war? Prime Minister Chamberlain once said after the Munich Agreement, 'He brought peace for an entire generation', but where is the peace? This makes people doubt..."

…

August 23, 1939, Germany's "Hamburg Morning Post".

"The Soviet Union and Germany signed the "Soviet-German Non-Aggression Pact". This is a great victory. Germany no longer has to worry about the original two-front war. The original shame will be washed away. Long live the Führer!"

…

The humiliation of defeat, the unwillingness to be stabbed by one's own people, the hatred of the Jews, the heavy constraints of the Treaty of Versailles, the strong desire for German revival...all these things are gathered in one person.

The heart of one person is the heart of thousands of people. Not everyone desires war, but when all the pressure is too heavy to breathe, the people are more willing to resist.

On September 1, 1939, Hitler announced to Germany that Germany had been invaded by Poland, and Germany was forced to fight back. Subsequently, Britain and France declared war on Germany, and World War II broke out.

But the war far exceeded everyone's imagination and went smoothly unexpectedly.

Relying on cutting-edge blitz warfare and coordinated infantry and tank operations, Germany declared war on France a few months later. By forcibly occupying low-lying countries such as Luxembourg, Belgium, and the Netherlands, Germany easily bypassed the "Macedonian Defense Line" that the French had spent countless manpower and financial resources building.

Then, a fierce right hook hit France who was caught off guard...

"boom!"

Just six weeks, just one sharp right hook.

During World War I, the seemingly invincible France was defeated by Nazi Germany after the German ancestors failed to capture it for three years. After this battle, Germany occupied almost half of Europe.

For a time, the European continent was shaken, the world was shaken, and a new Napoleon seemed to be born.

…

On December 7, 1939, Adolf Hitler stopped by Linz on his way to Italy. This was his hometown and the starting point of his dream.

The Wiesinger Hotel where he stayed was like a beehive at the moment. There were generals standing together in small groups discussing state affairs, ministers from various ministries who appeared in newspaper illustrations, senior leaders of the Nazi Party and some senior officers in uniform. Many busy adjutants were running around in the hall, and their shining epaulettes were clearly visible.

Many dignitaries surrounded him, but Hitler only felt inexplicably irritable.

He was tired of these flattering generals and dignitaries. At this moment, he had ruled all over Europe. In other places, he could be an "extraordinary leader" and a "great head of state", but in his hometown, he only wanted to Quietly enjoying the peace of the past.

However, all this was impossible. He could not be allowed to be alone because it was too unsafe. Except for necessary places, his range of movement has been severely restricted to prevent possible assassinations.

Inexplicably, as if he was moved by the scene, a figure appeared in his mind...

"Gustav."

Gustav, that was his nickname for Kubicek, because his brother who died young was also named Gustav.

That old friend, who was good at music and determined to be a musician, was like a brother to Adolf. In Adolf's opinion, he had probably become the conductor of a large music group at this moment.

Adolf understood his friend's musical talent. He was a person with very good musical talent. Although he was not as good as some of the famous artists he came into contact with later, he still had a vague sense of everyone's style. He was by no means an unknown person, but at this moment Where is he?

I feel inexplicably disappointed in my heart.

After walking out of the hotel, there were many people preparing to welcome him outside, but he glanced around unconsciously, and among the many figures, he was shocked to see a familiar and unfamiliar face...

With a calm face and a contemplative aura, although he was much older, there was no doubt that he was the person he once knew.

"Gustav!"

Shouting excitedly, Adolf quickly stepped forward, and the guards beside him hurriedly followed to prevent possible attacks.

In front of Adolf, he could also see the excitement and uncontrollable emotion on Kubisek's face. Adolf's hands tightly held Kubisek's right hand, and he stared closely at his friend opposite, There was a rare shock in his tone.

All the distinguished gentlemen in the hall looked at each other in confusion. No one knew who this strange civil servant who was warmly received by the head of state was.

They separated in 1908 and reunited in 1939. The two did not see each other again for thirty years.

When they separated that year, the two of them were still their only friends. They were equally high-spirited, young and handsome, but now they both look old, with unconcealable wrinkles appearing on their faces.

The excitement on the face of Kubisik on the opposite side was already indescribable. He also held Adolf's hand and opened his mouth, as if trying to say something, but finally said it from his mouth.

"Führer, I haven't seen you for thirty years..."

Führer...you...

Just like what others called him, the joy in his heart stagnated, and it also awakened Adolf himself. Yes, both of them are no longer the down-and-out young people who studied in Vienna.

However, even so, the joy of meeting old friends still filled Adolf's heart.

He looked at his former friend carefully, with an uncontrollable smile on his face. Many excited and uncontrollable emotions gathered on his lips, but his lips and tongue that could make the whole country crazy were speechless. He just nodded to his friend.

"You come with me."

Adolf calmed down his mood a little, and then said. In this public setting, any words that are too intimate are inappropriate.

The two went up to the second floor together, and the adjutant opened the room and left on his own, leaving the two of them some time alone. The two old friends looked at each other. Adolf held his friend's hand again, stared at it for a long time, and said excitedly.

"You are still the same person you were before, Gustave. I can recognize you at a glance no matter where you are. You haven't changed at all, you are just a little older."

With that said, Adolf led his friend to sit down at the table. After just a little unfamiliarity, the unfamiliarity between the two disappeared, and they started talking freely as before.

"I never have the same private life I had before, and I simply can't do the things I want to do like other people."

He couldn't help complaining to his friend.

It is almost impossible for him to say this to other people, because he is the "great head of state", but only when facing his friend, he can relax like never before.

During the conversation, Adolf gradually understood how Kubicek got here.

Before 1933, he did not know the whereabouts of his friend, until one day he saw a promotional picture on a poster outside a store, which showed his friend with a mustache and a line of words next to it.

"Famous National Socialist orator, Adolf Hitler."

Only then did he realize that Adolf, who was often talked about by everyone, turned out to be his friend, but he did not go to find his friend because he did not want his friend to think that he was a follower. It was not until this year that Adolf dropped by Linz. , he tried to find his friend.

"You are still as stubborn as ever. You should have come to me a long time ago."

After hearing Kubisik's words, Adolf said dissatisfied.

Just as Adolf was sizing up his friend, Kubicek was also sizing up Adolf.

His stern face and bright eyes are still so sharp. Even though he is in a high position, after thirty years, Kubicek can still see the shadow of the arrogant and proud young man of the past.

"You haven't changed either."

Kubisik said with sincere emotion.