Chapter 48: Three Days of Glory (1)
Translated by Vine | Proofread by Lust
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< German Civil War – Three Days of Glory (1) >
September 19, 1939
Central Germany, 9th Military District, Kassel, Frankfurt – Dietrich Schacht’s Residence
“‘Will Oktoberfest happen this year?’ Haha. The Bavarians are something else.”
I burst out laughing while reading today’s Frankfurter Zeitung.
Oktoberfest. The famous beer festival held in Bavaria from late September to early October was still celebrated in modern Germany. However, during the Nazi regime, it had been transformed into a Nazi rally.
Bavaria, with its large Catholic population, had been a Nazi stronghold and enjoyed high Nazi support. However, following the New Government’s revelations and the Vatican’s endorsement, they quickly switched sides and began wondering if they could hold a traditional Oktoberfest.
Remarkable, in many ways.
“That’s just how Bavarians are. I wonder if it will happen.”
Claudia, being from Berlin, didn’t seem particularly interested. But Germany was synonymous with beer, and beer with Oktoberfest!
Saying that in northern or western Germany would earn you scoffs and comments about how that’s only a Bavarian thing. But as someone with a Korean mindset, Oktoberfest was the first thing that came to mind when I thought of German festivals.
“It would be difficult under normal circumstances with the civil war going on, but at this rate, it might be possible, even if delayed. The birth of a new Germany, celebrated with a beer festival! Sounds very German, and I like it.”
Claudia chuckled at my words and looked at me. We both burst out laughing.
“Well, I’ll head out first. See you later, broadcaster.”
“Heehee, see you later, spokesperson.”
I exchanged a light kiss with her and left the house.
The people on the streets of Frankfurt seemed to be in good spirits.
The residents, who had initially viewed the New Government with apprehension, quickly felt reassured by our lack of interference in their daily lives, unlike the Nazi regime, and returned to their routines.
It was so peaceful and relaxed that it was hard to imagine that this was a city recently under Nazi rule, and currently in the midst of a civil war.
This was a great relief to me, as I had worried that Germany would turn into a hellhole like Spain when I first planned the civil war.
I hadn’t expected the seemingly impossible collapse of the Nazi regime to proceed so smoothly. The Nazi regime, which had appeared so unshakeable, was actually built on a foundation of sand.
The main sources of concern were foreign powers. Fortunately, Britain, facing a general election, wasn’t willing to take risks, and France was following their lead.
Italy and Poland, whose military intervention was a concern, were devoutly Christian nations. It was unlikely they would invade without a justifiable cause, especially given the Pope’s support for the New Government, which gave me some peace of mind.
We had to end the civil war quickly and secure Germany while they hesitated, and judging by the current situation, it didn’t seem far-fetched.
The problem was the monarchists, who were showing unsettling signs of activity, and the Crown Prince, who was seeking a third path. Colonel Tresckow had invited me to meet him.
I hoped to get a grasp of the current situation from him.
–
September 19, 1939
Central Germany, 9th Military District, Kassel, Frankfurt – Tresckow’s Quarters
“Whoa, Colonel. You’re going to kill yourself at this rate.”
Arriving at the colonel’s residence, or rather, his quarters in Frankfurt, I was shocked by the mountain of cigarette butts in the ashtray. And his hairline seemed to be receding…
The actor who played Tresckow in the movie hadn’t been bald. I couldn’t recall if the historical Tresckow was, I wasn’t exactly an expert on Wehrmacht personnel photographs.
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“Hah, you’re getting bolder by the day.”
“Ahem, my apologies, Colonel. I was out of line.”
I quickly apologized and sat down where he gestured. Tresckow stared at me intently before speaking.
“So, how are things progressing for you?”
“Well, they’re going smoothly.”
Tresckow listened to my answer, took a long drag of his cigarette without responding, and then exhaled the smoke.
What was he trying to say? I swallowed nervously and waited.
“You’re quite remarkable, you know. I was still wet behind the ears at your age.”
“But Colonel, you fought in the Great War. You shouldn’t say such things.”
He was born in 1901, ten years older than me. He had fought in World War I as a teenager, earning the Iron Cross, and despite being an elite officer with a guaranteed promotion after completing the General Staff course, he risked his life to oppose the Nazis.
Oster of the Abwehr, and Tresckow, who had introduced me to the Black Orchestra. These two, who continued to help me even after the Munich Agreement, were central figures in the formation of the New Government.
Tresckow chuckled at my response, added another peak to the mountain of cigarette butts, and finally spoke.
“I have a message from high command.”
Why weren’t they contacting me directly, instead relaying the message through him? I had a bad feeling about this.
“They’re willing to promote you to lieutenant colonel if you step down from your current position and complete your training at the War Academy.”
This ‘high command’ wasn’t the New Government leadership. This was the work of the army, specifically the monarchist Junkers.
“Do they think I’ll accept?”
Tresckow sighed deeply at my answer.
“Look, Schacht, you’re still in your twenties. Becoming a lieutenant colonel at your age is a huge accomplishment. If you show the army high command that you have no intention of defying them, you’ll be highly valued after you become a member of the General Staff. Most of those who dislike you are old men. You have plenty of time.”
Come to think of it, he was Henning *von* Tresckow. Having spent so much time together as comrades, I had momentarily forgotten that he was also a Junker.
“But this opportunity won’t come again for Germany. Even though it seems we have the upper hand, we are just as vulnerable to collapse. Do they intend to bring back the Kaiser after getting rid of me?”
Tresckow remained silent. He had a point.
“Colonel, Germany is walking a tightrope right now. Britain, France, Italy, Poland… They are only watching us because they lack a justifiable cause, not because they lack ambition.”
Tresckow listened silently, then took out a cigarette, lit it, and put it in his mouth.
“If we give them a justification now, the risk of invasion during the civil war is too high. Wilhelm II and the House of Hohenzollern are perceived as the culprits of the Great War.”
“That’s just malicious propaganda by the West.”
Tresckow exhaled smoke, his tone laced with displeasure. But I couldn’t back down.
“That’s right. It’s their despicable attempt to shift blame. Was Germany solely responsible for the Great War? But because of their machinations, they themselves are not free from responsibility. If we bring back the Kaiser and restore the Empire now, they won’t be able to stand idly by, precisely because of what they’ve done!”
Tresckow exhaled a long stream of smoke and then stubbed out his cigarette in the ashtray.
“I know there’s merit to what you’re saying. But just as you risked everything for this cause, those Junkers, whom you see as old-fashioned, are also standing here, having pledged their loyalty and lives to the Empire.”
With that, Tresckow quietly drew his pistol and pointed it at me.
“I can’t let a talent like you die a meaningless death, so comply with me for now. I truly regret that it has come to this.”
–
September 19, 1939
Central Germany, 9th Military District, Kassel, Frankfurt Radio Station
“When the Nazis came for the communists, I remained silent; I was not a communist. Then they locked up the social democrats, and I did not speak out—I was not a social democrat.”
The sermon of Martin Niemöller, a renowned Protestant pastor in Germany and a friend of Walther Model, was being broadcast, but Claudia sipped her coffee with a bored expression.
Having witnessed the pastor, a friend of her father and a man she had trusted, praise Hitler after her father’s murder, she had become cynical towards religion and didn’t hold much regard for religious figures.
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“Then they came for the trade unionists, and I did not speak out—I was not a trade unionist. Then they came for me—and there was no one left to speak for me.”
Dietrich Schacht didn’t seem particularly religious either, yet he had managed to secure the Pope’s support and even requested the recruitment of Protestant leaders.
She glanced at the ring on her ring finger and smiled faintly. He was a peculiar person in many ways, but still…
While the pastor, who had insisted on delivering a sermon instead of an interview, droned on, her moment of peace was shattered by a commotion.
“What’s going on?”
“What’s this during a live broadcast?”
The intruders who interrupted Pastor Niemöller’s broadcast were New Government troops, specifically soldiers from the former Wehrmacht.
“Stop the broadcast!”
“What is the meaning of this rude behavior?!”
Director Habenstein, attempting to protest, was struck in the abdomen with a rifle butt and collapsed with a groan.
Chaos erupted in the broadcasting station, filled with screams as the reality of the situation sunk in.
“From now on, this broadcasting station is under the control of the German Military Junta!”
–
September 19, 1939
Central Germany, 9th Military District, Kassel, Frankfurt, New Government Headquarters
“W-What is the meaning of this?!”
Imperial Regent Ludwig Beck jumped from his seat, trembling with rage.
The New Government headquarters, bustling with busy officials, was caught off guard and swiftly subdued by the Junkers and their troops.
“We are here to set this New Government back on the right path, Regent.”
Dr. Goerdeler’s reply was utterly brazen.
“A power struggle within our own ranks with victory in sight, after all the effort to stabilize the situation… You certainly have a way with words.”
Dr. Goerdeler was enraged by Hjalmar Schacht’s sarcastic remark, delivered without a hint of fear despite being restrained by soldiers.
“‘Our’ victory?! Do you think we are unaware of your son’s scheme to incite the public and re-establish that garbage republic in this land?!”
Dr. Goerdeler was not a nobleman. However, he had thrived as a soldier and politician in the German Empire, under the rule of the Kaiser and the aristocracy.
The chaos and hyperinflation of the Weimar Republic, which had led to Germany’s devastating collapse, had deeply ingrained in him the belief that the republic itself was a malicious system imposed by Britain and France to destroy Germany.
“We did not risk everything we had, including our lives, to rebuild such a weak Germany!”
While many extremist monarchists simply wanted to restore their aristocratic privileges, some, like Dr. Goerdeler, genuinely believed it was an act of patriotism. This belief blinded them to any other path.
“After all the hardship we endured to establish this New Government, you do this? What are you trying to achieve?”
Dr. Goerdeler responded to Ludwig Beck’s bewildered question as if it were obvious.
“We will declare the restoration of the Empire in Germany and establish order. We must bring back His Majesty the Kaiser from the Netherlands. Immediately!”
“To attempt such a gamble during a civil war, with Britain and France watching! As Imperial Regent, I cannot agree!”
“You will agree.”
Ludwig Beck’s eyes widened as he saw the man who had just entered the room.
“F-Field Marshal! Your Excellency, with such a treasonous group…”
“Treasonous? They’re patriots.”
The man who entered was August von Mackensen.
Still wearing his Imperial German Hussar uniform and the dashing Totenkopf (Death’s Head) Hussar cap, he was over 30 years Beck’s senior and a Field Marshal, a hero of the Great War.
Even Ludwig Beck, who served as a spiritual pillar for the active Wehrmacht, had to show respect to him.
“Think about it, Beck. We are currently in a civil war against the Nazis. If we end the civil war and bring back the Kaiser, *then* they will certainly not stand idly by.”
The monarchists weren’t completely thoughtless.
“But for now, aren’t we still useful to them? They wouldn’t want to make an enemy of us now and risk returning Germany to Hitler. So this is our only chance to bring back the Kaiser.”
Their limited understanding of reality, however, prevented them from grasping the fact that the Kaiser they sought to reinstate was practically considered a war criminal for starting the Great War, unlike Hitler, who had yet to start a war.
–
September 19, 1939
Central Germany, 9th Military District, Kassel, Frankfurt – Tresckow’s Quarters
I stared at the pistol Tresckow was pointing at me and then spoke.
“Colonel, do you truly believe this is the right path?”
“Schacht, they have their reasons. Don’t think that only your path is right. We too have risked our lives for this country. Can’t you trust us?”
Even with a gun pointed at me, Tresckow seemed to be in more pain than I was.
“You said something similar. Right before the Munich Agreement, after Halder transferred me to the front lines.”
Tresckow remained silent. He had told me that he too was prepared to risk his life, yet he ultimately failed to carry out the plot.
“Colonel, you’ve worked alongside me the longest to establish this New Government. I dare to ask, is your choice, their choice, truly the best one?”
“Schacht, I…”
“This New Government wasn’t built solely by them! If they trample on what countless people have achieved by risking their lives and beliefs, simply because it doesn’t align with their own beliefs, how are they any different from the Nazis?!”
Tresckow let out a hollow laugh and slammed the pistol down on the table.
“This is messed up. A truly messed up situation. Do you have a plan? I hope you’re not so foolish as to be caught off guard after I warned you.”
“Ha, I’d like to use your phone, Colonel.”
While waiting for the operator to connect the call, I spotted a soldier watching us from the window.
“Damn it, did you know about that?”
Ducking down quickly, I asked. Tresckow also looked out the window and frowned.
“It seems those in high places found me unreliable because I’d been influenced by you.”
As I waited anxiously, the call connected.
[“Abwehr Deputy Director Oster speaking.”]
“Colonel!”
[“Schacht! The Junkers have made their move! The broadcasting station and headquarters have been seized!”]
Damn it! They were bolder and faster than I anticipated! Perhaps I had underestimated the Junkers.
“Ha, Initiate Operation Freiheit (Freedom).”
[“Director, requesting authorization to initiate Operation Freiheit.”]
As Deputy Director Oster relayed the request to Director Canaris, the line went dead.
“Damn it!”
Then, a loud banging started on the door.
“Colonel Tresckow! Apprehend Major Schacht immediately! We have orders to arrest you as well if you refuse!”
Tresckow sighed deeply, stood up, and picked up his pistol. I reflexively reached for my own, but he strode over and opened a trapdoor leading to the basement.
“Colonel Tresckow! We will break down the door if you do not cooperate!”
With the soldiers’ shouts echoing from outside, Tresckow jerked his chin towards the trapdoor.
“What about you, Colonel?”
“If I go too, who will buy us time?”
There was no time to lose. I quickly descended the stairs.
There was a hint of hesitation on Tresckow’s face as he watched me go, but his eyes quickly regained their composure.
“Thank you, Colonel.”
“The worth of a man is determined solely by whether he is willing to sacrifice his life for his beliefs.”
As the banging on the door intensified, Tresckow closed the trapdoor and smiled.
“I didn’t come this far to become a man without worth.”
< German Civil War – Three Days of Glory (1) > End
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