Chapter 21: Interwar Period – Anschluss (2)
Translated by Vine | Proofread by Lust
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March 1, 1938
Parade Ground, War Ministry, Berlin, Germany
As he had predicted, unrest caused by the Austrian Nazi Party was escalating in Austria. Arthur Seyss-Inquart, the Austrian Minister of the Interior and a leading Nazi figure, was doing nothing to stop it.
Chancellor Schuschnigg, at his wit’s end, would attempt to hold a plebiscite against unification with Germany sometime in March. The problem was, he couldn’t remember the exact date.
He couldn’t possibly remember every single detail, even if he recalled major events like the start of World War II. He desperately missed the ability to search the internet.
He had diligently recorded his memories from his original timeline, fearing he might forget them. His notes filled an entire notebook.
The notes were in Korean, not German, so even if someone found them, they wouldn’t be able to understand them. Korea was practically unknown in Europe, both as a nation and as a language.
The Nazis, after ignoring Rundstedt and Beck’s demands for an investigation, had taken advantage of the Austrian situation to promote a large number of army personnel.
It was mostly a charade, a way to appease the military while promoting officers favored by the Nazis to key positions.
The parade ground of the War Ministry was filled with Nazi officials, generals, and officers.
“Congratulations on your promotion, General.”
“Congratulations, General!”
“Haha… thank you, Schacht, Michael.”
He and Captain Roger Michael offered their congratulations, but Walther Model, now a Generalmajor, seemed to be forcing a smile.
He had been transferred from the Berlin General Staff to the IV Army Corps in Dresden as Chief of Staff. It was a demotion, despite the promotion in rank. He had been moved from a position of influence to a relatively insignificant role.
Officers associated with Beck, or those deemed uncooperative with the regime, were being sidelined like this, or, like Generaloberst Erwin von Witzleben, a key figure in the future Operation Valkyrie, forced into retirement.
And Rundstedt, the senior general who should have been defending them, was standing next to Hitler, smiling, having just been promoted to Generaloberst.
The man who had been the most vocal advocate for the investigation! He had been promoted by Hitler and had stood by idly while Beck’s supporters were purged.
The only thing he had done was prevent Hitler from appointing General der Artillerie Walther von Reichenau as the new Commander-in-Chief of the Army. Reichenau was a fanatical Nazi, having joined the party early on, and his appointment would have caused an uproar in the army.
Whether Rundstedt had acted out of principle or had simply been pressured by the army’s disapproval was anyone’s guess.
And the man who had become the new Commander-in-Chief of the Army was…
“Commander-in-Chief! Congratulations!”
He and Michael snapped to attention and saluted the man Model was greeting.
“Congratulations, Model. You’re finally a general.” Generaloberst Walther von Brauchitsch, the new Commander-in-Chief of the Army, approached them, smiling.
“Ah, are these your men?” Brauchitsch patted Model on the shoulder and looked at them.
“It’s an honor to meet you, Commander-in-Chief! Captain Roger Michael!”
“Congratulations on your promotion, Commander-in-Chief. Captain Dietrich Schacht.”
“If Model has his eye on you, you must be promising. Model’s men are my men. I’ll remember you, Captain Michael, Captain Schacht.”
“Thank you!”
Being introduced to such a high-ranking officer, with Model’s obvious approval, was beneficial for their careers, but he felt a sense of unease.
Brauchitsch was Model’s former superior, a highly capable officer whose appointment as Commander-in-Chief hadn’t faced any opposition.
Model, being a Beck supporter, likely owed his promotion to Brauchitsch’s influence.
It seemed like a positive development, but Brauchitsch, eager to curry favor with Hitler and the Nazis, had divorced his wife and remarried a fervent Nazi supporter. He had even accepted financial assistance from Hitler for the wedding, betraying the hopes of Beck and the army, who had expected him to act as a check on Hitler’s power.
“I was worried about these young men. I’ll be in Dresden, so I won’t be able to look after them, but I’m glad you’re here. I’m sure you’ll take good care of them.”
“Haha, I owe you a great deal, Model. Don’t worry. Between you and me, I’ll see what I can do. A man of your caliber shouldn’t be stuck as a Corps Chief of Staff.”
“…Thank you, Commander-in-Chief.”
The gratitude in Model’s eyes made him feel uneasy.
Walther Model had almost never discussed politics, even with his family. He had always emphasized loyalty to the Führer and the regime as a soldier, but he had never ordered atrocities or war crimes.
Yet, even he had been accused of complicity in the ethnic cleansing and anti-partisan operations during the Rzhev Meat Grinder in the Eastern Front, which he had overseen.
There was no record of him directly ordering atrocities, but given his hands-on leadership style, he couldn’t have been unaware of them.
He had wondered why Model, who had defied the Nazis by ignoring orders to prioritize racial extermination, suppress the Warsaw Uprising, and destroy German industrial facilities, had turned a blind eye to the atrocities at Rzhev.
Had he felt he lacked the power to defy the Nazis? Seeing Model’s deference to Brauchitsch today, he thought he understood.
Brauchitsch might have been a capable general and a mentor to Model, but he was also an opportunist who had actively courted the Nazis. He had repeatedly encouraged war crimes in the Eastern Front, ordering officers who had criticized Nazi policies to comply.
And he was the first to promote the myth of the clean Wehrmacht, claiming that the atrocities were committed by the Nazis and the SS, while the army was blameless.
Model couldn’t have escaped Brauchitsch’s influence.
In this era of madness, even the best of men could become instruments of evil.
“I’ll be going now. See you later.”
“Yes, sir!”
Brauchitsch departed, after receiving their salutes. A familiar face approached, holding a camera.
“Captain Schacht?”
“Fräulein Jung.”
“Do you know her, Schacht?” Model asked, intrigued.
“Yes, General. She’s been helping me… in various ways. Haha…”
Claudia greeted Model, “It’s a pleasure to meet you, General, Captain. I’m Claudia Jung, from the Frankfurter Zeitung.”
“It’s a pleasure to meet you. Walther Model.”
“Captain Roger Michael.”
Model looked at him and Claudia, then chuckled. He knew what he was thinking, but they weren’t like that.
“How about a photo? Since we’re all here.” Claudia offered.
“Oh, may I?”
“Of course. I’ve already taken all the official photos. And I owe Captain Schacht a favor.”
Claudia seemed to be in high spirits, probably because her gamble on the Austrian situation had paid off.
Model, seeing her cheerful demeanor, smiled and gave him a knowing look, “Haha… Schacht, are you sure you’re focusing on your studies?”
“Of… of course, General…”
Why was he looking at him like he was Clemens or something?
Claudia took a photo of him, Michael, and Model, and promised to send him a copy after it was developed.
It was strange to think that he and Model, in Wehrmacht uniforms, would appear in a black and white photograph, like something out of a history book.
“I’ll be going now. Schacht, Michael, don’t slack off just because I’m in Dresden.”
“Yes, General!” They saluted. Model returned the salute and left. He felt sorry for Model, who seemed genuinely saddened by his transfer.
Soon, Beck, having lost all his trusted subordinates, would resign as well. And Manstein would be sidelined too.
“Hey, Schacht.” He followed Michael’s gaze. Claudia, after taking their photo, was now talking to Joachim von Ribbentrop, the new Foreign Minister, who had replaced Neurath.
That was quite the charming smile. Ribbentrop looked smitten. Wasn’t he married?
Claudia, mid-conversation with Ribbentrop, caught his eye and winked.
“High-ranking politicians and military officers tend to be more talkative around pretty women,” indeed.
“…She’s stunning.” Michael said, looking dazed.
He gave him a disapproving look. She was a formidable reporter, despite her appearance.
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March 10, 1938
Berlin War College, Berlin, Germany
Late at night, when everyone should have been asleep, sirens blared, shattering the quiet.
He had just gone to bed when he heard the announcement ordering all cadets to assemble. He scrambled into his uniform and rushed downstairs.
“I apologize for interrupting your rest, gentlemen, but this is an urgent order from our Führer. You are to depart immediately for Bavaria and participate in the operation to secure Austria!”
The cadets, startled, began raising their hands to ask questions. The colonel who had delivered the announcement raised his hand to silence them, “This is not a drill! This is a real operation! The Führer has ordered the unification of Greater Germany, even if it means war with Austria! Trains have been arranged. The operation will commence on March 12th. Report to your assigned units and receive your orders!”
The colonel seemed as bewildered as they were.
The room erupted in chaos as the cadets scrambled to find their assigned units and orders.
He had heard that the German army had been in disarray during the Anschluss, due to its suddenness, but this was ridiculous! They were being sent to their assembly points individually, not with their units. It was utter chaos.
“Captain Schacht! Captain Schacht! Which one of you is Captain Schacht?!”
“Here!” He pushed his way through the crowd of officers and received his orders from a lieutenant.
This was a mess!
“Schacht!”
“Michael.”
“I’m going to Munich! XIII Army Corps, 10th Infantry Division!”
He opened his orders. His assembly point was… Regensburg. Near Linz, Hitler’s hometown.
“I’m going to Regensburg. XI Army Corps, 18th Infantry Division…”
“Too bad we’re not going to the same place.”
“Yeah.”
“Good luck! Let’s make General Model proud!”
“You too, Michael. Good luck.”
He knew there wouldn’t be much of a war, or even a real fight, but he still felt a knot of tension in his stomach.
This was it. The beginning.
He was being swept up in the tides of history.
Hitler’s first territorial expansion, the gateway to World War II, had begun.
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