Chapter 30: Interwar Period – The Sudetenland Crisis (7)
Translated by Vine | Proofread by Lust
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With the Abwehr’s withdrawal to avoid detection by the SD, unrest in the Sudetenland was escalating. They were running out of time.
“How is the Stahlhelm mobilization coming along?”
“We need more time. At least two more weeks…”
Oster cut Graf von Blumenthal short, “One week.”
“…I’ll do my best.”
They were busy coordinating the details of the coup.
“How about your side, Lieutenant Colonel?”
“As you said, Captain, the Nazis’ corruption is so blatant it’s almost comical. But…”
Evidence of corruption wasn’t enough. They needed something truly abhorrent to shake the Nazis’ immense popularity.
“Yes, I know. We can only obtain that on the day of the coup.”
“…Are you certain it exists?”
“Yes, I’m certain. I’ve cross-referenced the employees working there.” Of course, he hadn’t. He knew this only because he was from the future.
Oster scrutinized him, then nodded, “Alright. I have my doubts, but we’re out of time. I’ll trust you.”
“Thank you.”
The Holocaust, the “Final Solution,” hadn’t been implemented yet. While he couldn’t reveal the extermination camps, exposing a hidden atrocity, even one the Nazis themselves weren’t fully aware of, could turn the tide.
While he, Blumenthal, and Oster were reviewing the plan, Erich Kordt, usually cheerful and full of ideas, stood silently, looking dazed.
“Are you alright, Director Kordt?”
“Huh? Oh, yes, I’m fine. Haha… Just fine.” Kordt seemed embarrassed.
“I’ve secured the cooperation of the Frankfurter Zeitung. Just give me the materials, and I’ll have them distributed throughout Germany within a day.” Claudia Jung, the only woman present, said with a confident smile.
“So… you were… a spy for the Foreign Office…? You blended in so well with Minister Ribbentrop, I thought you were a Nazi supporter… I… I just thought you were a charming woman…” Kordt stammered, still in disbelief.
“Oh, you’re so naive. Should we be concerned about the Foreign Office?” Claudia whispered in his ear, and he struggled to suppress his laughter.
She was the one causing concern…
He had invited Claudia as they began preparing for the coup. It was better to secure the media’s cooperation than to recklessly assassinate Hitler and pray for the public’s support.
Moreover, to prevent Germany from falling into the hands of the monarchist militarists after Hitler’s removal, civilian involvement was essential, particularly in a decisive role.
Oster had initially hesitated to involve a liberal journalist, but after meeting Claudia, he had agreed.
Of course, the conservative leadership had been told she was simply a typist.
“Lieutenant Colonel Tresckow, how are the troop deployments coming along?”
“I’ve submitted the request to Berlin headquarters. We need the key personnel in Berlin while the plan is in motion. You’ll be my adjutant, Schacht.”
“Thank you!” With the impending invasion of Czechoslovakia, troops were being deployed to the front lines. His War College classmate and fellow officer under Model, Hauptmann Michael, had already left for the front.
If he were also deployed, the plan would fall apart. Tresckow, stationed at Berlin headquarters, would keep him in Berlin as his adjutant.
“…Everything seems to be going smoothly, Lieutenant Colonel Oster.”
“We’ll proceed as planned, General Witzleben.”
Generalfeldmarschall Erwin von Witzleben, commander of the Berlin-Brandenburg Military District’s defense divisions, was a key figure in the plan.
The success of the coup, and the subsequent civil war, depended on how effectively Witzleben could suppress the SS during the chaos following the raid on the Chancellery.
Hitler wasn’t overly concerned about his safety yet. He had assigned generals who had opposed him or were lukewarm towards the Nazi regime to rear-echelon positions during the planned invasions of Czechoslovakia and Poland.
While this allowed Hitler to place loyal commanders in key offensive positions, it also created a critical vulnerability. Hitler’s paranoia and obsession with security, confining himself to his Berghof residence and the Wolf’s Lair, wouldn’t develop until later.
It was only after the SD, initially focused on fabricating casus belli against Czechoslovakia and Poland, shifted its attention inwards, that they began to uncover the resistance.
They couldn’t miss this opportunity.
While Heydrich and the SD were preoccupied with Hitler’s territorial ambitions, they had their best chance.
Witzleben nodded at Oster and turned his gaze towards him, where he was discussing the plan with Claudia. He instinctively straightened up and saluted.
“Captain Schacht…”
His arguments at the previous meeting had partially succeeded. He had been prepared to be expelled from the group, so even this partial acceptance was a victory.
The leadership had agreed to maintain contact with Britain while developing a plan that could be executed without a British declaration of war.
While they hadn’t agreed to execute the plan, having the option to act independently was a significant improvement. The downside was that he had made enemies of Halder and Dr. Carl Friedrich Goerdeler, who considered him arrogant.
Witzleben approached him and patted him on the shoulder.
“You have a reputation for being arrogant…” He gulped, but Witzleben didn’t seem to dislike him.
“…But I can see your dedication and understanding of this coup’s importance. Good work.”
“Thank you, General!” Witzleben returned his salute and gave Claudia a disapproving look, which she deflected with a charming smile. She was incredibly skilled at handling such situations.
Witzleben excused himself. He would later participate in Stauffenberg’s Valkyrie plot and be executed.
That was the nature of their undertaking. Success meant liberating Germany from the Nazis, failure meant death.
“…Captain?”
Claudia, a civilian, had willingly risked her life for their cause. She, too, faced dire consequences if they failed.
They couldn’t afford to fail.
“Oh, I apologize. I was lost in thought. Let’s continue.”
Claudia chuckled, “I thought you were admiring my face.”
Chuckles rippled through the room. Wait, even Oster was laughing?!
“Let’s get to work, Fräulein Jung.”
“Yes, yes…”
Until that moment, he had believed everything was going smoothly.
—
On September 13th, large-scale protests erupted in the Sudetenland. However, Czechoslovakia declared martial law and brutally suppressed the protests within a day.
Hitler, despite the military’s frantic objections, ordered the invasion of Czechoslovakia. France declared that they would intervene if German troops crossed the Czechoslovak border, and the situation deteriorated rapidly.
They immediately requested authorization to execute the plan.
However, the hesitant leadership didn’t grant approval until late in the evening, forcing them to scramble to meet the deadline.
The real problem arose the next day.
On September 14th, news broke that British Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain was visiting Germany for negotiations. Before noon, Franz Halder ordered the operation to be aborted.
—
September 15, 1938
Army High Command, Berlin, Germany
“Halder, you coward!”
“Schacht, this is Army High Command! Calm down!”
He was furious, but Tresckow held him back. That idiot Chamberlain was offering the Sudetenland to Hitler on a silver platter!
“How can I be calm?! Look at this!” He showed Tresckow the orders he had received. Halder, worried about their repeated requests for authorization, had transferred him to Silesia, far from Berlin, to the main invasion force!
“Schacht, I know this is unfair, but…”
“Halder, you pig! Come out here!” That idiot didn’t realize what he had done! He had squandered their only chance to prevent World War II, a catastrophe for Germany and humanity!
Tresckow punched him in the face, “Schacht, this isn’t helping us.”
“…Damn it… That bastard… Halder… Damn him…” He knew this wouldn’t change anything. But he couldn’t bear the thought of the catastrophic consequences of Halder’s cowardly act.
No one else seemed to understand.
He was crying in front of Army High Command. It was unbearable that he was the only one who knew what was coming.
Tresckow dragged him away from the gawking onlookers and into a nearby alley.
“…Schacht, I know how much you’ve invested in this, but this isn’t the way. You’re a soldier. Your superiors don’t know what you’re doing. You have to follow orders.”
“Sigh… I apologize, Lieutenant Colonel.”
“The plan is almost complete. You have to trust the others.” He had been so close, yet he had encountered such a ridiculous obstacle.
Could they really pull this off without him? He couldn’t shake his anxiety.
“Schacht, you said in Vienna that you’d rather die than see your nation destroyed. You’re not the only one who feels that way.”
“…I apologize, Lieutenant Colonel. I… I made a scene.”
“…No. I brought you into this. I’m starting to regret it…” Tresckow chuckled, then placed a hand on his shoulder, “I apologize for our incompetence. You’ve done your best. Leave the rest to us.”
In the original timeline, Oster’s plot had remained just that – a plot. The leadership had hesitated and failed to act.
“Tell Lieutenant Colonel Oster that the coup must proceed, no matter what.”
“…I will.”
But the plan was no longer in his hands.
If there was a God, please, just this once… Just this once… He had come this far, only one step away, and all he could do was pray.
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