November 7, 1939
Kassel, 9th Military District, Central Germany, and the New Governnt Building in Frankfurt The British general election was over. As expected, the result was a victory for the Conservative Party.
Although Clent Attlee's Labour Party showed so gains, the Conservative Party's characteristic dominance in Britain remained.
Chamberlain, who in the original history resigned amidst criticism for being dragged around by Hitler and plunging Britain into the World War, here completed his term safely and retired from the political world.
Viscount Halifax succeeded Chamberlain as Pri Minister, and his forr post of Minister of Foreign Affairs was filled by the forr Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs, Alexander Cadogan.
Although Halifax had passed the premiership to Churchill in the original history using his noble title as an excuse, it seed he accepted it this ti as Britain and the Conservative Party were much more stable compared to the original history.
Now free from the worry of a general election for the ti being, Britain would likely move on from its passive, wait-and-see situation.
I was attending a eting being held in the governnt building.
It was unofficial, but it was at the request of the Finnish governnt.
“Finland, what’s the point in helping such a minor power? We’re stretched thin as it is, just focusing on our own war.”
Ludwig Beck, the Minister of Defense, didn’t look very pleased. As the Minister of Defense, it would be difficult to like the idea of providing weapons to other countries in the middle of a war, even if they were surplus.
Thanks to the advanced tanks and doctrines the Soviet Union displayed in the Spanish Civil War, the military still held the Soviet Army in high estimation. They probably thought that whether they helped Finland or not, it would be steamrolled in an instant.
In reality, the Soviet Army, having wiped out its excellent doctrines and officers in the Great Purge, would make a fool of itself in the Winter War, which would in turn beco the reason the German Military looked down on the Soviets.
“I may not know about military matters, but even if Finland loses the war, helping them will have no small symbolic aning.”
On the other hand, Weizs??cker, the Minister of Foreign Affairs, emphasized the ‘gesture’ of helping itself.
“Although we succeeded in negotiating with Britain once, the perception is that Germany is still a nation of war criminals from the last great war.
Diplomatic reputation is more important than one might think. Especially when dealing with democratic nations like Britain, Arica, or France, which are conscious of public opinion.”
Winning the German Civil War isn't the end. Rather, that will be the point when Germany, as one of the Great Powers, begins to engage in wars of nerves and diplomatic wars with the other Great Powers.
Helping Finland would, of course, get on the Soviet Union’s nerves, but does that an we can be friendly with the Soviets? Absolutely not.
The reason Britain and France declared war in the original history, despite Poland being recognized as having launched a preemptive strike on Germany, was because, with the advantage of anti-communism gone, they could no longer stand by and watch the expansion of a powerful nation like Germany.
In the end, joining hands with the Soviet Union to check Poland would only result in reconnecting the gap we have painstakingly created between Britain and France, and it would throw away all the diplomatic results the new governnt has achieved so far.
Let’s say, giving them the benefit of the doubt, we join hands with the Soviets and happily divide Poland.
Then the situation becos identical to that of Nazi Germany in the original history, which we fought a civil war to escape.
Of course, since we are in our right minds, we wouldn't attack the Soviet Union first, but is there any guarantee that Stalin would leave us alone while we are in a hostile relationship with Britain-France? Unless we were a communist country ourselves, no one could say for sure.
“Anyway, we and those Commies cannot live under the sa sky. They are the ones who plot to overthrow a perfectly fine nation and threaten it with force.
I am in favor of providing support.”
Canaris, the Director of the Abwehr, who had argued for helping Franco against the Communists during the Spanish Civil War, once again showed off his anti-communist tendency without reserve.
Through my glasses, I asked my father, Hjalmar Schacht, who remained silent with his usual indifferent eyes.
“What are your thoughts, Mr.
Chancellor?”
His official title was Minister of the Chancellery, but everyone had started calling him Chancellor so naturally that it just stuck. I was the only one called Vice Minister.
“The gains and losses are clear. But I do not wish for a situation where we get on the Soviet Union’s bad side and it leads to a conflict.
Even after we end the civil war, we have to settle the war with Italy, and we’re busy enough putting our efforts into rebuilding the economy that was ruined under Hitler.”
As a businessman who would want to cut armants spending and focus on economic revival if possible, my father took a passive stance.
So, to summarize, Canaris and Weizs??cker are in favor, and my father and Beck are against it. The four n’s gazes turned to .
Ah, I’m really not used to this. Still, I have to do what I have to do.
“What about a compromise proposal?”
At a ti when we are trying to rejoin the League of Nations and bring back the intellectuals and scientists who left Germany after the civil war, it’s too much of a waste to just let go of such a good-looking case.
“A compromise proposal?”
“Yes.
We provide support, but for now, we do it privately.”
The reason Finland is so desperately asking for help now is that, being a minor power, they lack even the basic weapons to issue to their soldiers.
Anyway, it’s only a matter of a declaration of war; the whole world already knows the Soviet Union will invade them.
Yet, the reason the International Community is reluctant to provide aid on the pretext that war hasn't broken out yet is that they don't think a minor power like Finland can last long anyway, and they are highly concerned about wasting weapons and getting on the Soviet Union's nerves.
“If we announce right away that we’re providing weapons while we’re in the middle of a civil war, there’s a possibility our people won’t like it very much, and as you said, there’s nothing to be gained from getting on the Soviet Union’s nerves too early.”
Finland might secretly hope that Germany will take the lead and other countries will follow with aid before the war begins, but to be frank, that is just their wishful thinking.
If we provide support, of course, other countries of the Free World will consider providing aid to secure public opinion. But the possibility of it arriving before the war begins, as Finland wishes, is remote.
Rather, there's a concern that our own people will dislike us for conducting goodwill diplomacy during a war when it hasn't even officially started, and I, for one, don't want to create unnecessary variables in the middle of a civil war.
Although Poland and the Three Baltic States are situated between us and the Soviet Union, there's always a 'what if', so it would be better to attract their attention as late as possible.
“Let’s provide the weapons first, but make the public announcent of that fact after the war has started, in consultation with Finland.”
Preferably after the Winter War breaks out, and after we have either ended the German Civil War or have a definite montum of victory.
In the end, the justification we’ll get is enough as long as we were the first to provide support anyway. Finland will be more than grateful for that alone.
“Hmm, I’m not so sure, Vice Minister Schacht. Even if we do provide support, can that minor power Finland put up any aningful resistance against the Soviet Union? Aren’t we just throwing our weapons away…”
Ludwig Beck still had a reluctant look on his face.
Well, if you don’t know the original history, it’s hard to imagine a minor power like Finland handing a humiliation to the Soviet Union.
“It would be great if Finland fights well, but it doesn’t matter much even if they don’t.
As I reported, as long as Poland’s situation is this unusual, securing a reputation for being part of the Free World against the threat of communism will be a very important asset if a conflict with Poland breaks out later.”
The idea that Britain and France will side with us as long as Poland preemptively invades us is an extrely hopeful and reckless expectation.
Whether they strike first is an important variable, but they will intervene if they deem it necessary, using any excuse they can find.
Therefore, as long as the guarantee of independence provided to Poland by Britain and France remains, in the off-chance that a war with Poland breaks out, we must be the innocent victims in the eyes of the international community.
Whether that’s practically true or not, at the very least, it has to look that way to their voters.
It may seem that things like diplomatic reputation or justification are aningless in the cold world of international politics, but that’s not the case, at least in democratic nations.
No voter wants to take up a gun and die in a war without justification.
“Hmm- That sounds like a good idea.
I’m in favor.”
“If it’s to stand against those Commies, I’m of course in favor.”
As Weizs??cker and Canaris agreed, Beck also gave an ambiguous nod, and my father, with a slight twist of his lips, said. Ah, he looks so ill-natured every ti he smiles like that.
“Then I’ll leave this matter to the Vice Minister and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.”
-
Minister of Finance V??in?? Tanner was so grateful he looked like he was about to burst into tears, and Finnish Foreign Minister Eljas Erkko made a hurried visit, leading to the signing of the German-Finnish Secret Pact.
We sent Gewehr rifles and ammunition, so obsolete anti-tank rifles that would be ineffective against Panzer IIIs or IVs but still sowhat useful against light tanks, and finally, a small number of Pak 36 anti-tank guns to Finland via the Netherlands.
The Pak 36 is a weapon sneered at as the ‘Gentle Doorknocker’ for its lack of penetration power against the dium tanks that appeared in World War II, but against the Soviet Army’s light tanks, which won't have the T-34 yet, it has sufficient firepower, so it’s much better than nothing.
It was decided that the public announcent of our support would be made later in consultation, but that it would be announced before any other country.
In the original history, Finland was ignored by a Europe at war with the Nazis and only began to receive support after the war had started, and even that was too little, too late, or just for show.
I don’t expect Finland to achieve victory over the Soviet Union just because we provided aid. I just hope that it helps even a little in the struggle Finland will wage, so they can reach an armistice on better terms.
Co to think of it, if we had the Panzerfaust at a ti like this, it would have been the absolute best weapon for Finland, where plain infantry makes up most of their forces.
The problem is that there’s no way I would have morized its exact design, and it doesn't seem likely that I can just order them to make an Infantry-use Propelled Anti-tank Weapon that fires with black powder and have it appear.
Still, now that I’ve thought of it, I should at least give it a try.
-
November 13, 1939
Berlin, Northern Germany, the New Reich Chancellery With a deeply tense Walther von Brauchitsch standing before him, Hitler glared at the operation map and slamd his fist on the desk.
“Nothing is going according to plan. It’s all just traitors.”
With the surrender of General Blaskowitz’s 8th Army, one of the three armies making up Army Group South, which was stationed in Saxony, Hitler's offensive plan had been shattered.
The offensive of Colonel General Wilhelm List’s 14th Army, which was supposed to strike the new governnt’s flank, was halted as it was blocked by the surrendered 8th Army.
In a rage, Hitler demoted Brauchitsch and appointed him to the position of Commander of Army Group South, which had been vacated by Rundstedt's arrest, and he himself ascended to the position of Supre Commander of the Army.
“I am deeply sorry, The Führer.”
Brauchitsch had tried so hard to curry favor with Hitler, even divorcing his perfectly fine wife to marry a hardcore Nazi wife, but now he was sweating profusely before the Führer.
He understood well enough that his fate was now tied to the Nazis, but dealing with the Führer, who was becoming stranger by the day, was an incredibly difficult task.
“General Brauchitsch. You’re on my side, aren’t you?”
“O-Of course! The Führer!”
Hitler glared at Brauchitsch with icy eyes, then brought his pen to the docunt in front of him.
“Is this man really the best option?”
“It is true that he recomnded that scoundrel of a traitor, Dietrich Schacht, but his loyalty and ability are without fault. He is the only one who can fill Manstein’s vacant position.”
Hitler narrowed his eyes at Brauchitsch’s words and looked at him, but he soon signed the docunt appointing Walther Model as the Chief of Staff of Army Group South and tossed it to Brauchitsch.
“He was one of your connections.
Keep him in check.”
“Yes, sir!”
Hitler watched Brauchitsch for a mont, then turned his gaze to Himmler.
“Is the intel certain?”
“Yes, The Führer! The rebel army plans to hold a departure ceremony in Frankfurt on the 15th and launch an all-out offensive toward Berlin on the 18th! This is an achievent of the SD (SS Intelligence Service)!”
Himmler, who had been chewed out like crazy by the Führer when Paul Hausser surrendered, reported with his shoulders squared for a change.
“A departure ceremony.
How arrogant for a bunch of rebels.”
“They are fools.”
Hitler sneered at the new governnt's actions, which were as good as announcing their offensive in advance, and Himmler was satisfied with his new personnel selection.
The blade of the purge had not been directed only at the Wehrmacht.
Himmler had pointed to Reinhard Heydrich, who had long been eyeing his position, as the one behind the leak of the Gleiwitz radio station attack, a.k.
a. the ‘Himmler Plan’.
Heydrich claid he was innocent and loyal to the Führer, but testimonies erged that he had strangely shown weakness toward the Abwehr in the past, and he was purged.
Afterward, Himmler appointed Walter Schellenberg as the Director of the SD, and Schellenberg did not disappoint his expectations, succeeding in stealing the rebel army’s plans.
Hitler looked at Brauchitsch with a cold gaze and said.
“I’ll trust you one last ti, General Brauchitsch.
Don’t disappoint .”
“Of course, The Führer! Now that their plan has been revealed, I will crush them completely!”
After hearing Brauchitsch’s reply, Hitler, grimacing from the headache that constantly tornted him, glared at Frankfurt on the map with bloodshot eyes.
The city of the arrogant rebel bastards who had pushed him, the Führer of the German people and the Empire, into a defensive position, even though he planned to see through their plan and crush them completely.
Although they were pushing him now, they were rebels by birth.
A single decisive victory, and they would surely crumble like a sandcastle.
“The ti has finally co to settle things with those cursed traitors.”
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