January 22, 1940
Warsaw, the capital of Poland
"Romania says they won't sell us any more oil and weapons? What is the aning of this!"
Hearing the angry roar of Inspector General of the Ard Forces Rydz-??mig??y, Polish Minister of Foreign Affairs Józef Beck wore a look of seething ire.
"They've taken issue with us supporting Hungary's annulnt of the Treaty of Trianon."
Minister of Foreign Affairs Józef Beck, who had once led the signing of the German-Polish Non-Aggression Pact with Nazi Germany, had been skeptical of Poland's invasion of Germany from the start.
Since Germany had broken away from the fascists, he could have accepted the non-aggression pact they offered. With a little more ti, his desired Mi??dzymorze (an alliance of nations between the Baltic and Black Seas led by Poland) might have been realized, but the military running wild had ruined everything.
While buying weapons and oil from Romania, Poland had also promised Hungary approval for the annulnt of the Treaty of Trianon and Transylvania to bring them to their side.
But when Poland started the war with Germany and approved the Treaty of Trianon, Romania, Hungary's hostile neighbor, beca enraged at Poland playing both sides and announced they would halt all sales.
"Now, while Italy is fighting them, was our only opportunity! If Germany had defeated Italy, it's obvious we would have been next! Their predecessor, the Weimar Republic, was openly hostile to us!"
"Even Hitler signed a non-aggression pact with us for a ti. As long as they were supporting Finland and antagonizing the Soviet Union, there was a clear possibility of joining hands with us, but you sold the fate of the nation for a small patch of land!"
Watching the scene of the Inspector General and the Minister of Foreign Affairs having an argunt, Pri Minister Sk??adkowski put a hand to his forehead.
The Polish military had planned the invasion on the premise that they would capture East Prussia within a month of the start of the war at the latest, stir chaos along their vast borderline, and break the will to fight of a Germany exhausted by civil war and the war with Italy.
Even a Poland overflowing with confidence didn't seriously expect to win an all-out war with Germany.
The idea was always to secure a single decisive victory and then enter peace negotiations, just like in the war against the Soviet Union.
Because of Britain and France, who had blocked a general mobilization order until August when Hitler's war threats were at their peak, the state of readiness of each Polish division was not very good, and with the German Civil War ending much faster than expected, the hasty preparations for the offensive were a complete ss.
Still, they thought achieving their goal wouldn't be difficult since the Italian Army was tying down most of the German main force, but the German military's resistance was much stronger than Poland's prediction.
They had barely managed to start the invasion properly equipped with guns and fuel thanks to last-minute support from Romania, but when that was cut off, the Polish Army had to halt their offensive due to concerns about ammunition and fuel depletion.
Pri Minister Sk??adkowski looked at President Mo??cicki as if asking for help, but as always, he just watched the situation in silence.
"While we're doing this, Germany's munitions factories will be churning out tanks and equipnt. We can't trust the non-aggression pact with the Soviet Union forever, either."
At the Pri Minister's bleak words, Rydz-??mig??y and Beck, who had been arguing with a vigor that suggested they were about to grab each other by the collar, fell silent.
The Soviet Union was still tasting defeat against Finland in the Winter War, but even that was a better performance than Poland had expected.
There was no telling how long that would continue, and even if the Soviets hadn't ended their war with Finland, the possibility of them striking Poland from behind if it was weakened from fighting Germany was very realistic.
"Hmph, Minister of Foreign Affairs, please appease Romania by telling them it's just a misunderstanding so we can continue our trade. Since Hungary has switched to Germany's side, why don't you try to font concern that Germany has made so kind of promise to Hungary?"
"…I understand."
Minister of Foreign Affairs Beck looked very dissatisfied with Rydz-??mig??y's words, but he had no choice.
The situation the German military in the original history faced, where they launched an unreasonable offensive with poor preparation and fell into an ammunition depletion crisis, was now being re-enacted by Poland, so they could not continue the offensive without Romania's support.
"Italy showed a performance below expectations, and now we can no longer win this war on our own. It has co to this, so we have no choice but to ask France for help. They won't want to see Germany grow stronger either."
At the point where Poland's goal of seizing territory from Germany and teaching them a lesson was revealed to be nothing more than a vain delusion, the most realistic alternative they could rely on was France entering the war.
As the pressure sparked by Fran??ois de La Rocque's speech and Poland's request for protection were conveyed, the French Radical Party cabinet of Pri Minister Paul Reynaud, which had a strong anti-German sentint, began to seriously consider intervention.
---
January 24, 1940
Northern Germany, Berlin, Army General Staff Headquarters
"All units, attention!"
Ah, this again.
"To the Vice Minister of the Chancellery, salute!"
As soon as I entered the General Staff Headquarters' Operations Room, I saw the staff officers all salute
in unison, and I returned the salute stiffly once again.
Damn it, among the saluting staff officers is Major General Tresckow with a sour look on his face! Manstein, you bastard!
"Th-Thank you for the welco, General Manstein."
"Haha, the personnel selection you personally recomnded was such a great success, how could I not show my respect to you, Vice Minister! Hahaha!"
"Ha, haha…"
Is this guy jealous right now? Is he jealous of General Model?
Regardless of the farce I was engaged in with Manstein, Major General Tresckow looked at Manstein with pathetic eyes before lighting a cigarette and putting it in his mouth.
Oh, for god's sake. Look how thick the air in this room is.
My eyes are stinging.
To have two chain smokers cooped up in one place…
I felt a sense of pity for the staff officers drenched in the sll of cigarettes.
It's not like there are air purifiers in this era, how am I supposed to offer any comfort.
"Now, co this way, Vice Minister! The operational plan is ready!"
"Yes.
Let's have a look…"
After their large-scale offensive on East Prussia was blocked, Poland had simply hunkered down and wasn't showing any particular movent.
They must have run into so kind of problem, and Manstein, true to his preference for the offensive, drafted an operation plan not to wait quietly while they couldn't attack, but to mobilize an armored unit to strike them and further delay their reorganization.
"This is sothing to look forward to."
So, Poland overextended itself on the offensive, and now we strike the vulnerabilities in their defense line, which they couldn't fully deploy across the vast front, with armored units from four directions, huh.
And on top of that, the lineup of generals…
"General Oswald Lutz, General Heinz Guderian, General Erwin Roml, and… General Erich von Manstein. The four of you are going to devastate the enemy?"
"That's right, Vice Minister! Haha! As you know, General Lutz and General Guderian are proven personnel as armored commanders! The problem is General Roml, well… he's from the infantry branch, but you can see him as a figurehead to boost public opinion."
I chuckled.
Sure, Erwin Roml is indeed from the infantry branch. But, well, would he really stop at being just a figurehead?
It's practically a dream-like lineup for German armored warfare.
But—
I glanced sideways at Manstein and asked.
"Is General Manstein also going to the front? If my mory serves
correctly, wasn't it Manstein who summoned the Air Force's General Richthofen from the field for an operations eting—"
"Thaaat—was a very important operation, after all! Haha! We can all breathe a little easier now, can't we, Vice Minister! Of-course, the General Staff Headquarters will still need my excellent tactics and extraordinary brains, but!"
Manstein made a fuss, then grabbed the shoulder of Major General Tresckow, who was standing beside him staring into the distance and smoking a cigarette.
"I've already drawn up the entire operation plan, so if it's just a matter of supplenting or managing it, so less-skilled, no, other staff officers will be sufficient! I am confident I can show you myself that as a frontline commander, I am in no way inferior to Mode— no! To any commander in the Wehrmacht!"
Oh, please. General Tresckow's face is rotting, you damn Chief of the General Staff!
I quickly grabbed Manstein's hand from General Tresckow's shoulder, pulled it down, and held it politely with both of my hands.
Manstein showed an amazing feat of talent, his eyes rotting while the corners of his mouth went up. Wow, I really can't.
"Of course, I have never once doubted General Manstein's ability. I trust that General Manstein will pull off this operation magnificently as the vanguard."
"Ooooh, as expected of the Vice Minister! You have an excellent eye for people! Hahahaha!"
"Haha, haha…"
I forced an awkward laugh along with Manstein, who was laughing as if he was delighted, and then the staff officers also began to laugh, and soon the sound filled the operations room.
Even if this guy acts so servile, his rank is General! I might be the Vice Minister of the Chancellery, but my military rank is Lieutenant Colonel, I can't just spit in the face of such a high-ranking general…
Ah, why is life so tiring…
Fortunately, General Tresckow seed to understand my position, as he later looked at
with very pitiful eyes and said one thing.
"You have it hard, too."
"…Hardly as much as you, General."
---
January 25, 1940
Northern Germany, Berlin, Governnt Complex But we had to face tragic news before we could even begin the offensive.
"It's a report from Abwehr agents. They say France is considering forcing a white peace on us, and if we refuse, they'll enter the war as Poland's ally."
At the report from Director of the Abwehr Wilhelm Canaris, all the key governnt figures fell silent.
While our military force is being massively reinforced by the general mobilization order, it will still take at least another month, realistically two, for them all to be ard and trained.
Just as we had neutralized Italy's offensive capability for the ti being, brought Poland's offensive to a standstill, and were just waiting for the mobilization of our troops, the final crisis had arrived.
"What justification could those damn it bastards possibly have to attack us! We are in a defensive war!"
As befitting a Junker from the military, Ludwig Beck showed overt anger and animosity towards France.
"The guarantee of independence France gave Poland when Hitler threatened them is still valid. In principle, so is Britain's. If we intend to demand Polish territory, it could serve as a forced justification."
At Minister of Foreign Affairs Weizs??cker's words, the governnt officials did not hide their anger.
"Hmph, a guarantee of independence is just a nice-sounding phrase. They invaded us first, so it's nothing but a pretext.
Aren't they just trying to stop Germany before it grows stronger?"
Everyone present agreed with my father, Hjalmar Schacht's, statent. Of course, in the original history, even during Hitler's ti, Poland had launched a preemptive invasion, albeit a fabricated one.
Nevertheless, the reason France could cite the guarantee of independence and declare they would enter the war to protect Poland was because Germany's diplomatic reputation had hit rock bottom and the French people were furious.
Germany had already drawn a ton of attention by annulling the Treaty of Versailles, then the Anschluss, and then the Munich Agreent, only to break that and devour Czechia, shattering the patience of the Western world.
And we, who started a civil war to stop Hitler and restored the Hohenzollern Imperial Family, have inherited that diplomatic reputation as is.
Things have improved a bit by being tied to Britain by practical interest, and our relationship with Arica has beco decent by promising democracy and supporting Finland, but that doesn't make them an ally who would actively help us while we're being invaded.
On the other hand, our relationship with France is not much different from that of the original history. A mortal enemy and a firm foe.
In any case, after annulling the Treaty of Versailles and restoring the Hohenzollern Imperial Family, we won over Britain and screwed over France, but we haven't given up anything else.
It would be stranger to expect a France so full of pride and with a pathological sense of fear towards Germany to remain quiet until the end.
"If we go to war with France, can we win?"
To the concerned question from Minister of Labor Kurt Schumacher, Ludwig Beck narrowed the space between his eyebrows and replied.
"Realistically, it's difficult right now."
In the original history, France surrendered in six weeks.
But that happened because of the unexpected success of the Sickle Cut Operation, all sorts of coincidences, and France's mistakes piling up.
With history already this twisted, the stakes are Germany itself, too high to gamble on the expectation that France will make the sa mistakes.
Of course, the French Army isn't objectively superior to Germany's, but we're not in a situation where we can pour all our strength into fighting France.
We're already on thin ice just dealing with the Italian and Polish fronts, to the point we need to negotiate with Hungary; facing the French Army, which is three tis the size of the Polish Army by scale alone, is impossible.
"Our border with Poland is too wide. There are too many troops that have to be tied down there, so waging an all-out war with France right now is impossible."
With even
stepping in, the expressions of the governnt officials beca even more deathly.
We were already in a situation where we had to postpone the capture of Italy and retreat because we lacked the troops to cover the entire Polish border; France entering the war in that state would lead to a catastrophic result.
Besides, it would be tough to stop France if they pretended to be crazy and pushed in, but it would be even more fatal if they instead defended along the Maginot Line and began to cut off our trade.
The Reichsmarine is still in the middle of constructing the Bismarck, and even if the Tirpitz were completed, we can't handle an all-out war with the French Navy. If that happens, our lifeline—the purchase of fuel and trucks from Arica—will be blocked imdiately.
We haven't done sothing like Nazi Germany and mobilized 150 divisions yet, so there's no imdiate food shortage, but if trade with our best food-exporting country is cut off at a ti when we've antagonized the Soviet Union, there's no telling when that could beco a problem.
We're not in a position to act crazy and trample over neutral Belgium to invade France, nor can we just slam ourselves into the Maginot Line.
If it becos like that, the war will go exactly as France intended when they built the Maginot Line after World War I.
"We must prevent France from entering the war, at least until we've secured Poland's surrender."
Of course, if we were to surrender here and accept a white peace, we wouldn't have to fight France, but if we did that, setting aside the fact that our governnt would implode, the possibility of an even more reckless Germany re-erging afterward would be high.
My father, Hjalmar Schacht, stared at
intently and asked.
"Is that possible?"
Well, if you ask if it's possible, I'm not certain either, but I have to try even if it isn't.
Isn't that why I've prioritized diplomacy so much, even at the cost of taking losses?
"Britain will ultimately prefer to maintain a balance, no matter which side. And France's older generation is still suffering from the horror of the last great war. So if we can blow away all the parts they could use as justification, it should be worth a try."
Ever since we overthrew the Nazis, everything has been a precarious tightrope walk.
I feel a self-deprecating smile forming on its own.
It's been a while, but I guess I'll have to wage a desperate struggle using everything I can: a dia war, a diplomatic war, everything.
"I will try to contact the Czechoslovak governnt-in-exile. The ti has co to liberate them.
Reviews
All reviews (0)