I Don’t Need Nazis In My Germany

Chapter 44: Harbingers of the Storm (2)

Translated by Vine | Proofread by Lust
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< German Civil War – Harbingers of the Storm (2) >

September 6, 1939

Central Germany, 9th Military District Kassel, Frankfurt, Provisional Headquarters of the New Government

The day after the Crown Prince and his wife arrived in Frankfurt, the New Government began outlining its blueprint for the future, with the Crown Prince in attendance.

“Public opinion is now firmly on the side of the New Government. While some still cling to the Nazi Wehrmacht, defying the legitimacy of the House of Hohenzollern, the New Government’s army is loyal to the Imperial Family!”

Dr. Goerdeler delivered his impassioned speech to the Crown Prince, while the far-right monarchists, thrilled at the prospect of restoring the Empire, nodded in agreement and apparent emotion.

Did they truly believe that public support for the New Government translated into support for them and the Kaiser?

“We will sweep away the Nazi remnants from our sacred Germany, bring back His Majesty Wilhelm II from the Netherlands, and restore him to his rightful throne! We will usher in a new era of the Kaiser and the nobility, not the era of the mob!”

It was astonishing that such fossils still existed as members of the upper class, a mere 80 years before the time I originally lived in.

However, the Crown Prince’s reaction was lukewarm.

“I see, Doctor. But it seems premature to discuss such matters at this stage.”

What was this? Was the Crown Prince trying to avoid commitment until Germany was fully secured?

That didn’t seem likely, as the New Government, nearing the end of its first week since the coup, was getting on track.

Even the international community seemed to recognize our relative stability, with diplomatic back-channel contacts beginning to emerge.

In particular, the efforts of State Secretary Weizsäcker—now the Foreign Minister of the New Government—the Kort brothers, and myself were about to bear fruit in Italy.

The Crown Prince’s presence here in Frankfurt didn’t align with the idea that he was hesitant due to the New Government’s unstable position.

“His Majesty will be pleased with your loyalty. However, it seems that consolidating your government and winning the struggle for dominance against the Nazis should be your priority.”

“Ahem, my apologies, Your Highness.”

Dr. Goerdeler seemed a bit embarrassed by the Crown Prince’s reaction but bowed his head.

“Your Highness is correct. The New Government is still in its nascent stages.”

My father, Hjalmar Schacht, the Finance Minister of the New Government, spoke, glancing at me before continuing.

“Fortunately, thanks to the New Government’s radio broadcasts, we have strong public support, and thanks to donations and existing supporters from the business community, the New Government’s budget is in good shape. However, considering our goal of becoming the recognized legitimate government of Germany, we must also address the economic mess the Nazis have created.”

The New Government had secured key developed regions like the Ruhr, Frankfurt, and Bavaria without significant damage to urban areas. Donations were flowing in, and the abilities of the Minister of Economics were unquestionable.

As a result, we had achieved financial stability in a short period and had no immediate monetary concerns. The problem, however, was the Nazi-controlled territory. The thought of it gave me a headache.

“Is the German economy in such dire straits?”

“With all due respect, it’s beyond the point of being resolved by the private sector alone. The arms industry has become excessively bloated, and if they don’t constantly churn out weapons, Germany will be flooded with unemployed workers.”

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The military and monarchist officials looked uncomfortable at my father’s answer to the Crown Prince’s question, but no one refuted him, as he was the most knowledgeable about economics among them.

“Furthermore, instead of paying the arms manufacturers, the Nazis issued MEFO bills, essentially promissory notes guaranteed by the future government, leading to military spending far beyond what Germany’s finances can handle. The financial situation of these companies, which haven’t been paid, is naturally precarious, and we must prepare for this as well.”

The bonds issued by North Korea were essentially junk bonds with no guarantee of repayment, but if reunification occurred, a unified Korea would have to repay them all. Our situation was exactly the same.

“How much are these bills worth?”

“Over 20 billion marks.”

Everyone present was aghast. The total reparations imposed on Germany by the Treaty of Versailles, the consequence of losing the last war, were 132 billion marks over 20 years.

Moreover, when the treaty was signed, Germany was a defeated nation, and the value of the mark was low. Now, thanks to my father’s reforms, the mark’s value had recovered. The Nazis had printed an insane amount of bills.

Ironically, the ongoing civil war was preventing the collapse of the German economy, which was heavily reliant on the military industry, but it was only a temporary solution.

While the United States had escaped the Great Depression through the New Deal and World War II, even that great nation had struggled financially after the war, to the point of having to scrap the legendary USS Enterprise.

And that was possible only because the US mainland had remained untouched by the war. If the civil war intensified and the New Government and the Wehrmacht engaged in all-out war, devastating the German mainland, it would be disastrous.

My intention to instigate a civil war to overthrow Hitler and the Nazis and restore Germany to normalcy stemmed from its inevitability. Who would risk their life to start a civil war in their own country if there were other options?

Of course, I never wanted Germany to become a living hell like Spain, which was why I had planned a propaganda war. My goal of utilizing the Wehrmacht’s resentment towards the Nazis to minimize all-out war while still engaging in civil war was still precariously being achieved.

However, the current situation wasn’t one where the New Government could indulge in rosy optimism and talk nonsense about bringing back the Kaiser.

“This is serious. What is the situation on the front lines and with the Wehrmacht?”

The Crown Prince, his face grim after hearing the economic report, turned to Ludwig Beck with a question.

“With public opinion shifting in our favor, the front lines are in a stalemate. General Wilhelm Ritter von Leeb, who was attacking the SS training facility at Wewelsburg Castle, has been ordered to maintain the siege but avoid provoking the Wehrmacht.”

We had halted the attack on Wewelsburg Castle after our armored breakthrough towards Berlin was stopped.

If the Wehrmacht decided to engage us in all-out war, we had no immediate countermeasures, so we couldn’t afford to give them an excuse.

“Are there any defections yet?”

“There are some generals who are considering it, but nothing is confirmed yet. They seem to be cautious, as the Nazis are still claiming that Hitler is alive and well.”

The Nazi propaganda about Hitler’s well-being persisted, but Hitler himself had yet to appear in any broadcasts.

At this point, even the leadership was assuming that Hitler was not dead but seriously injured.

They judged it unlikely that the Nazis would insist he was fine for such a long period if he were actually dead. It would only amplify the repercussions when the truth of his death was revealed.

The fate of the handsome young Count Blumenthal, the most passionate member of the resistance, was still unknown.

Oster, Tresckow, and I, who had become quite close to him as fellow operatives, hoped for his safety, but the leadership had only briefly celebrated his actions.

“Then, what about the Navy?”

The Crown Prince’s next question was directed at Admiral Canaris, the head of the Abwehr and a Vice Admiral in the Navy.

“The Nazi regime attempted to move the 3rd Army of Army Group North, stationed in East Prussia, to Berlin, but the Navy refused to cooperate and declared neutrality.”

The Kriegsmarine (Nazi Germany’s navy) had many grievances against the Nazi regime.

They had been assured that there would be no immediate war, so they had initiated Plan Z to construct battleships and aircraft carriers. Then, the regime suddenly declared its intention to wage war and diverted a large portion of the budget to the army. It was natural for them to be dissatisfied.

Furthermore, the conflict between Grand Admiral Erich Raeder, Commander-in-Chief of the Navy, and Reichsmarschall Hermann Göring, Commander-in-Chief of the Luftwaffe, over the Graf Zeppelin was well-known.

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The legendary debacle of building an aircraft carrier and then refusing to provide it with carrier-based aircraft was comparable to the infamous conflict between the Imperial Japanese Army and Navy.

“Officially, they are neutral, but it is of great help to us.”

Colonel General Fedor von Bock, Commander-in-Chief of Army Group North, was a very stubborn Prussian Junker-style general, and as we had hoped, he remained in Pomerania, refusing to cooperate with the Nazi regime.

General Günther von Kluge, commander of the 4th Army in Pomerania, shared his sentiments. Within Army Group North, only General Georg von Küchler of the 3rd Army in East Prussia was known to sympathize with Nazi racial ideology.

But with the Navy refusing to provide transport ships for them, their neutrality was effectively siding with the New Government. This was likely due to Admiral Canaris’s influence.

“I see. Your efforts are commendable. It has been almost a week since the establishment of the New Government. The House of Hohenzollern wishes you and Germany a bright future.”

“Thank you, Your Highness.”

Crown Prince Wilhelm offered only pleasantries and then departed.

Dr. Goerdeler looked extremely displeased after the Crown Prince left, but the first meeting with him ended without any significant outcome, only serving as a status update.

It was a good thing that the Crown Prince wasn’t obsessed with absolute monarchy and playing into Dr. Goerdeler’s hands, but I hadn’t expected him to be so uninvolved. Yet he wasn’t completely indifferent to our affairs either.

I glanced at Colonel Oster and Colonel Tresckow, but they simply shrugged.

What was the Crown Prince thinking?

–

September 10, 1939

Central Germany, 9th Military District Kassel, Frankfurt – Dietrich Schacht’s Residence

On this rare Sunday, I was preparing breakfast at the residence I had purchased in Frankfurt.

Considering how tense things had been just last weekend, to the point where I had to snatch sleep at the radio station, we had overcome the crisis.

The seemingly impossible collapse of Nazi Germany now felt within reach, and although we still had a long way to go, the New Government was becoming increasingly stable.

“Hmm- humm-”

With some breathing room, I even found myself humming.

The New Government, encompassing monarchists, the military, liberals, and social democrats, was cooperating with less conflict than expected, united by the common goal of opposing the formidable enemy of Hitler and the Nazis.

While Dr. Goerdeler and the extremist monarchists still disliked us, the Crown Prince’s unexpected attitude had given us some respite.

It was an unforeseen situation, but it wasn’t unfavorable to us, so I decided to view it positively.

I sliced the freshly bought Brot (German staple bread), spread mashed potatoes on it, added scrambled eggs and grilled bacon, and voila—breakfast was ready.

It was rudimentary, but what did it matter? I wasn’t a professional chef.

After finishing breakfast, I went upstairs.

“Claudia.”

“Ugh, just a little longer.”

“Cold breakfast is not tasty, journalist.”

Claudia struggled briefly under the covers and then sat up with a dazed expression. This side of the professional journalist was something only I would know.

I chuckled and handed her a glass of water. She took it naturally, drank it, and then returned the glass to me before getting out of bed.

This had become our usual morning routine.

“Mmm- delicious.”

“I’m glad.”

It was a simple meal, barely more than a hamburger, but Claudia always said it was delicious.

I wondered if she was just being polite, acknowledging my effort, or if she was sincere.

I had suspected it from what I saw at her apartment in Berlin, but her domestic skills were catastrophically low.

Cleaning was out of the question, and the only thing she could cook was coffee. Naturally, I had taken over the cleaning and cooking, while she was in charge of the after-meal coffee.

Still…

Looking at the ring on her finger as she diligently munched on her breakfast and checked the morning newspaper brought a smile to my face.

“What’s so amusing?”

“Nothing, really.”

Claudia followed my gaze to the ring and smiled brightly.

The house I had bought to hide her had now become our home.

“Are you happy thanks to your fiancée?”

“Haha. Undeservedly so.”

She blushed slightly at my sincere reply but smiled back.

Honestly, when I first found myself in Dietrich Schacht’s body, I had wanted to grab God by the collar and shake him if he were in front of me. Now, I felt a tiny, minuscule amount of gratitude.

Even though things were still precarious despite my relentless efforts, I was prepared to do anything to protect this happiness.

A while later, as Claudia and I finished breakfast and were chatting over coffee, we had a visitor.

“Hmm? Were we expecting any guests today?”

“No, not that I know of.”

“Me neither.”

I peeked out the window and saw a man in a suit and fedora standing at the door. This couldn’t be what I had often seen in period dramas, could it?

Colonel Tresckow’s warning flashed through my mind. I gulped and pulled out my pistol. Claudia, seeing this, quickly hid.

Mentally thanking her for her quick reaction, I opened the door, ready to fire at any moment.

And then I froze.

The man in his 50s, wearing a suit and fedora instead of a splendid uniform, grinned at me.

“What’s this? Were you a spy for the Nazis?”

“I apologize, Yo-”