Chapter 31: Interwar Period – Widerstand (1)
Translated by Vine | Proofread by Lust
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British Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain had returned to England after failed negotiations, only to travel back to Munich twice more. He hadn’t realized Chamberlain had flip-flopped so much before finally caving in!
Oster had repeatedly attempted to launch the plan, but the leadership, particularly Halder, insisted on postponing it every time Chamberlain arrived.
Hitler, aiming to annex all of Czechoslovakia, not just the Sudetenland, had made outrageous demands, including immediate German occupation and territorial concessions to Poland and Hungary. On September 23rd, a frustrated Chamberlain finally declared the talks a failure.
Czechoslovakia declared full mobilization. It was their last chance. But while Oster urged the leadership to act, Mussolini offered to mediate, and the opportunity slipped away.
On September 30th, the Munich Agreement was signed. Britain and France had merely delayed the inevitable German occupation of the Sudetenland by ten days.
The great powers had sold out Czechoslovakia for a false peace that wouldn’t last a year.
The Czechoslovak army, having built fortifications and mobilized in reliance on Britain and France, surrendered the Sudetenland without firing a shot. Poland, obligated to defend Czechoslovakia under the Locarno Treaties, joined Hungary in carving up the country.
Even France, Czechoslovakia’s ally, pressured them to cede territory to Poland, ostensibly to support their Polish ally.
In this shameful display of international politics, a betrayal of the West, Czechoslovakia was abandoned.
Their plan had failed.
While Germany celebrated Hitler as a national hero, he led his troops into the Sudetenland, greeted by cheering Sudeten Germans who praised Hitler and Nazi Germany.
He had to witness the jubilant crowds chanting “Heil Hitler,” oblivious to the horrors that awaited them.
—
October 15, 1938
Berlin, Germany
[The Great Führer’s Heroic Feat Reclaims German Territory]
[British Prime Minister Declares Peace in Our Time: A German Victory Without War!]
[German Justice and the Greatness of the Germanic People Triumph!]
Sensational headlines filled the streets of Berlin. The city, celebrating the annexation of the Sudetenland, overflowed with praise for Hitler and joy at the peaceful unification of the German people.
He knew, intellectually, how enthusiastically Germany had embraced Hitler’s seemingly impossible diplomatic achievement.
“Sieg Heil! Long live the Führer, liberator of the German people!”
But witnessing the near-religious fervor and absolute devotion firsthand was suffocating.
Every citizen, filled with joy and gratitude, praised Hitler and hailed the greatness of Nazi Germany.
“Germany is great! Heil Hitler!”
Could they truly overcome such absolute devotion? Had he been foolish to believe that he, a single individual, could stop this nationwide frenzy, orchestrated by the pioneers of extremist nationalism and propaganda?
What had he been fighting for? Was his determination, their struggle, nothing but a futile gesture? Was he the one clinging blindly to a rotten rope, a single source of hope?
The tide of history was far stronger, more powerful, and more brutal than he had imagined.
—
An irritating noise disturbed his sleep. Someone was knocking on the door.
“Damn it… what now…?” He woke up with a pounding headache.
“Damn… water…” He gulped down some water, realizing he was in his father’s residence, the one they had used for their meetings.
He was alone now. He chuckled wryly. The knocking continued. He stumbled to the door and opened it.
Claudia, looking rather unimpressed, blinked in surprise, then wrinkled her nose, “Ugh, the smell of alcohol… How much did you drink?”
“…Fräulein Jung?”
“Yes, it’s me. Ugh, the smell… really…”
What was she doing here?
“…Go home. There’s no one here anymore. We failed. Your job is done.”
It was over. With the Munich Agreement and Germany’s adulation of Hitler, there was nothing they could do.
Kristallnacht would soon occur, Germany would descend into anti-Semitic madness, followed by the annexation of Czechoslovakia, the Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact, the invasion of Poland, the invasion of France…
…It was all over.
What was the point of going back? He should just shoot himself.
“Ha… haha… hahaha…”
Claudia watched him silently as he chuckled.
“Why are you looking at me like that? Do I look crazy? I am crazy. Fräulein Jung, this wretched Germany will become a living hell. If you want to live, leave for America now. You won’t be able to once the war starts.”
“Hmm… Captain Schacht, may I come in?”
Her calm demeanor infuriated him, even though she had done nothing wrong.
“Leave this country of madmen!” As soon as he shouted, he felt a sharp pain as his head snapped back. Damn it… he was getting slapped a lot lately.
“Sorry. A little tough love for the crazy man. I’m sure you understand.” Claudia pushed past him into the darkened house and opened the curtains.
“Ugh, you were still sleeping? The sun is already up.”
“Does it matter? It’s all over.”
“What’s all over?” Her nonchalant question, once charming, now grated on his nerves.
This was unbearable. Did she have any idea how he felt, knowing the future, struggling alone to prevent it, only to fail spectacularly, now awaiting the inevitable doom?
“The resistance is finished. Hitler’s popularity after the Munich Agreement has shaken even the military. That bastard Halder is already backing out, and Beck, always indecisive, is now completely demoralized by the public’s support.”
It was over. Who would dare defy Hitler with such overwhelming public support?
Oster? He was a remarkable man, but he couldn’t do this alone.
“Germany will follow Hitler like a messiah, a nation of fanatics, until it’s destroyed by war.”
Germany was truly finished. They were all aboard Hitler’s ship, oblivious to the impending doom, heading straight for a watery grave.
“The Germans, consumed by Nazi madness, will wage a war that will kill millions, Jews, Slavs, everyone!”
Less than a year remained. “Berlin will be reduced to ashes. Men will be sent to the front lines as cannon fodder, and women will either die or suffer fates worse than death.”
Claudia looked at him and asked, “How can you be so sure?”
How could he be so sure?
“Would you believe me if I told you? I know because it happened in history. The Nazis, boasting about their Thousand-Year Reich, will be defeated in less than ten years, and Germany will be in ruins! Hitler, emboldened by the Munich Agreement, will annex Czechoslovakia next year and invade Poland!”
To hell with God, and this damned world!
“Britain and France, outraged by Hitler’s aggression despite their appeasement, will declare war! We will defeat Poland, and surprisingly, France as well. Hitler will be hailed as a living god!”
He wished he could go mad.
“Then, blinded by hubris, he will invade the Soviet Union, and Germany will collapse. Only then will the resistance, finally awakened, attempt to assassinate Hitler and save Germany. And they will fail.”
The people he had talked to, laughed with, worked with… “They will all die. Every single one of them. Oster, Tresckow, Beck, Witzleben, all of them! …Probably you too. Haha, I don’t know. A mere journalist’s name wouldn’t be recorded in history books.”
Claudia’s eyes flickered. She was finally showing some surprise.
“What? Does it sound absurd, the ravings of a madman? I’m sorry, but it’s all true. I’m from the future! Or maybe it’s all in my head. I can’t even be sure if my memories are real anymore.”
He was rambling when Claudia spoke, “I’m a social democrat.”
“…What?” What was she talking about? But Claudia’s expression was serious.
“In your terms, yes, I’m a commie. A moderate one? I don’t know if you understand the difference.”
“Wait, what are you…”
Claudia continued, ignoring his confusion, “German social democrats, persecuted by Hitler, either went underground or fled the country. I stayed and joined the underground resistance.”
“…So, the liberal spy who infiltrated the fascist regime as a journalist was actually a double agent for the social democrats?” He was speechless.
“That’s a bit unfair. Not all socialists advocate for violent revolution. The Social Democratic Party of Germany was a legitimate political party, a cornerstone of the Weimar Republic.” Claudia frowned, “I belong to the moderate faction that believes in cooperation with the liberals. So, I’m not a spy, but a collaborator. Of course, to the Nazis and the monarchists, we’re no different from the extremist communists.”
He could differentiate between social democrats and communists. But…
“…So what? Why are you telling me this now?”
“You promised. If you told me your secret, I’d tell you mine.” Secret… he vaguely remembered saying that. He hadn’t answered, knowing she wouldn’t believe him.
“…You believe me? That nonsense about me being from the future?”
“To be honest… about half?”
He chuckled, “I thought you were a pragmatist, not naive enough to believe the ravings of a drunk…”
“Willy Brandt. Remember him? From the Spanish Civil War.”
He remembered. Back in Spain, when he had been less guarded about his future knowledge, he had talked to the future chancellor of West Germany about the future.
“With most of the key figures of the Social Democratic Party imprisoned in Dachau, he’s our leader. He asked me to investigate you, Dietrich Schacht.” Claudia smiled.
“I was curious at first. But you were… interesting. A privileged young man, suddenly transformed after his experience in Spain. I could have attributed it to the war changing you, but…”
Claudia looked at him intently, “No one could have predicted what would happen this year, back in April last year. And those strangely accurate pieces of information you’ve been leaking…”
Her gaze was unwavering now. “Honestly, I don’t want to believe it, but your ‘nonsense’ explains everything.”
Claudia walked towards him. “W…wait, that’s… I…”
Ignoring his stammering, she embraced him. His alcohol-soaked mind cleared as he inhaled her scent.
“…It must have been difficult.”
He couldn’t see her expression, couldn’t tell what she was thinking or feeling.
“It started as an assignment. I approached you because you were a valuable contact.” Her voice was calm and steady, soothing his despair.
“Then, as we spent more time together, I couldn’t understand… why a privileged young man like you was so desperate.”
“I am a pragmatist, Captain. But I can distinguish between the ravings of a madman and the desperation of a man who’s risking everything.” He felt grounded for the first time in a long time.
But still… “But… I, we, failed. With the Munich Agreement, Hitler’s support…”
“Has the resistance been wiped out, like in the future you know?” Her question, gentle yet firm, interrupted him.
“…No.”
“Has the war already started?”
“No.”
Still holding him, Claudia continued her calm questioning, “Then has everything you’ve prepared become useless?”
“…No.”
Claudia pulled away slightly, looked up at him with a smile, and asked, “So, has Hitler suddenly become a great man, and joining the Nazis seems like a good idea now?”
“…Haha… No.” He laughed for the first time since the Munich Agreement.
“The members of the Confessing Church you recruited are still with us. We, the liberals, the social democrats, we’re betting on you. Or do you hate me now, for deceiving you?”
“…Of course not.”
Her next question was laced with a unique kind of concern, neither pity nor blind faith, “I don’t know how bleak the future you know is. I don’t know if it will truly happen. But I understand that something terrible will happen if we do nothing. Captain, will you abandon Germany to Hitler’s grasp?”
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“…No.”
Her smile widened. He understood what it meant to be captivated by someone.
“Will you abandon… me… to a terrible fate?”
“…No.” Her blue eyes crinkled with amusement. She delivered the final blow.
“Then there’s only one thing to do, isn’t there?”
He laughed. Alright, let’s do it. He had known from the beginning that this was a long shot.
Oster wouldn’t give up. Their preparations were still in place.
It wasn’t over yet.
Claudia patted him on the back, straightened his shoulders, and stepped away with a playful smile, “Now, why don’t you go freshen up? I’d prefer not to remember our first kiss with the smell of alcohol.”
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