Chapter 225

< World War II - The Awakening of a Giant (11) >

November 10, 1941

Berlin, Capital of Germany – Government Building

Before proceeding with the final negotiations with the United States, I was incredibly busy trying to unify the opinions of the Allied Powers and our own domestic factions.

The Allied conference was a headache, but there was another group that was just as troublesome.

The Commander-in-Chief of the Army, Erwin von Witzleben; the Chief of the General Staff, Erich von Manstein; the Commander-in-Chief of the Air Force, Hugo Sperrle; its Chief of Staff, Wolfram von Richthofen; and finally, the Director of the Abwehr, Wilhelm Canaris, and his Deputy Director, Hans Oster.

The military's top brass, who were effectively managing the Soviet Front, had gathered in the conference room.

As expected, they were eager to join hands with America for the complete overthrow of the Soviet Union.

“What? They’re offering to give us 5,000 tanks on par with the Panzer IV, and you’re refusing?”

The Army's Chief of the General Staff, Erich von Manstein, was practically jumping out of his skin.

“We’ve already advanced past the northern Dnieper River to Roslavl and Bryansk! With those tanks, we’d have more than enough to reach Moscow, no, Stalingrad, no, the Ural Mountains!”

“Calm down, Manstein.”

“Calm down?! How can I be calm, Field Marshal! 5,000 tanks! They’re saying 5,000 tanks on par with the Panzer IV, and he’s refusing!”

“Tsk.

Since when did proud Prussian Junkers have to rely on the handouts of those Yankees to fight?”

Despite Field Marshal Witzleben’s restraint, Manstein added another word, only to immediately back down when the Field Marshal clicked his tongue and his expression grew stern.

“O-Of course not, Field Marshal.

I was just… disappointed at the thought of missing a certain victory, haha.”

Thank you, Field Marshal Witzleben!

“However, Minister of Defense, many in the military believe that with 5,000 medium tanks, the complete surrender of the Soviet Union is not just a dream.

Is there a reason why we must refuse this offer?”

…I thanked him too soon.

The Commander-in-Chief of the Army, Field Marshal Erwin von Witzleben, was calm, but he was still demanding a clear answer from me.

“Yes. First, to add a bit of clarification, those 5,000 medium tanks cannot be deployed immediately.”

“Hmm…”

“They plan to provide them sequentially. They said they intend to deliver the first 1,000 by February of next year, and the rest in installments each quarter after that.”

Taft, who at first had bluffed as if he could give them to us right away, finally confessed when I pressed him for details.

It was only natural.

America had been suffering from the Great Depression for even longer than in the original history.

In this timeline, Hitler, who should have swept across all of Europe from the beginning of World War II and instilled a sense of crisis in America, was expelled from Germany before he could even invade Poland.

There was no occasion for America to provide Lend-Lease to the European countries under attack, so there was no way their munitions factories would be running at full capacity.

If anything, the fact that they could deliver 1,000 Shermans by next February was a testament to America’s astounding national power.

But even that, to me, just looked like a scheme to create demand and make money, even if they didn't want to fight a war themselves.

“By that time, our own Tigers and Panthers will be deployed.

Since Germany can't monopolize their tanks, the quantity we receive will be surprisingly small. If we start calling for the overthrow of the Soviet Union for just that, the enemy will fight to the death.”

The Tiger and Panther prototypes had just come out about a month ago.

We were frantically testing them and preparing for mass production.

It would be tight, but if we pushed a little, deployment to the front would be possible by the time the spring offensive began after winter passed. I just felt sorry for the engineers…

“Assuming the other Allied nations also take their share, we'll still get at least half, won't we? Since we can't produce Panzer IVs while mass-producing the new tanks, can't they fill the tank shortage during the gap?”

As Air Force Chief of Staff Richthofen unexpectedly chimed in to help, Manstein’s face lit up.

That guy, honestly…

“That's right, General. That’s why if they were to arrive right now, it might be worth considering.

But they’re talking about delivery by February, and when you factor in the time for testing and deployment, our Tigers and Panthers will probably be deployed first.”

If the Shermans arrived immediately and could bridge the gap, that would be one thing, but in the current situation, we had no intention of launching a reckless offensive during this transitional winter, and the Soviets lacked the capacity to do so either.

“Furthermore, while we are transitioning to Tiger and Panther mass production, and even after, the new model Panzer IVs will continue to be produced in Hungarian munitions factories.”

In exchange for us helping Hungary reclaim the entire Transylvania region, making Yugoslavia recognize it, and promising protection from Romania in case of an emergency, we had leased their munitions factories.

However, as the war dragged on, Hungary, which was dedicating most of its factories to fulfilling German military contracts, was starting to see its joy over recovering its former territory fade, and complaints were emerging. We had smoothed over Hungary’s dissatisfaction by providing licenses for the new model Panzer IV and the MP40 submachine gun.

So, while we were transitioning our production system to the Tiger and Panther, Hungary would supply Panzer IVs. After the war, Hungary could use that production line to produce Panzer IVs for itself at no extra cost.

The quite useful MP40 submachine gun was a bonus. From our perspective, it was a transitional piece of equipment before the adoption of the assault rifle anyway.

“Hmm, I don’t know much about the Army’s side, but that sounds reasonable, doesn’t it?”

Just as Manstein was starting to look dejected again at Richthofen's words, I hammered in the final nail.

“Besides, those medium tanks they’re offering aren’t free.

With the Tiger and Panther being introduced, there's no need for us to pay money to buy them.”

In the original history, Britain had no proper tanks of its own, so the Sherman bypassed all British-made tanks to become their mainstay.

The Soviet Union, suffering an unbearable level of attrition on the front lines against Nazi Germany, was in a position where it would have borrowed even a cat’s paw.

But not us.

Allies with a will to fight on a different level than that of Nazi Germany's in the original history—like Poland, Ukraine, and the Finno-French Allied Forces—were distributing the damage.

As long as I held the post of Minister of Defense, there would be no reckless offensives during the Rasputitsa or winter that would cause massive non-combat losses, nor would there be politically motivated offensives carried out against the military's opposition, leading to unnecessary attrition.

“Though it’s deferred payment, it's just lining America's pockets, and we'll have to pay a huge price for the overthrow of the Soviet Union. I have no doubt that even without accepting their strong-arm sales tactics disguised as support, all of you will bring Germany the victory it desires.”

“Hmph, I will do my best to meet your expectations.”

“The Air Force agrees.”

Witzleben and Sperrle were satisfied—

“Hahaha! Leave it to me! As long as there's a chance to burn the enemy!”

—and Richthofen was his usual self.

But Manstein still had a displeased look on his face, and finally, the final boss opened his mouth.

“Minister Schacht.”

“Director Canaris.”

He was a reassuring figure who had sponsored me and Oster even after our great plan failed during the Munich Agreement, helping to create the Germany of today. But he was also, at the very least, a hardliner when it came to anti-communism.

The Director of the Abwehr, Wilhelm Canaris, spoke with a heavy expression.

“I believe we must use this opportunity to completely overthrow the Soviet Union.”

“Ooh! That's right, Admiral! Overthrowing the Soviet Union is the only way to guarantee Germany's security, and think of the immense military merit our soldiers could achieve in the process!”

Wow, I nearly sent Manstein a look of genuine contempt just now.

Was his reason for being so desperate for American support just to rack up military merit?

“…General Manstein.

Will you let me speak now?”

“Ahem, ahem.”

Fortunately, Director Canaris played that role for me.

Faced with a mercilessly scornful gaze, Manstein cleared his throat and fell silent.

“Schacht, I'll be frank.

I'm afraid of them.”

“…”

Director Canaris glanced at Deputy Director Hans Oster, who nodded, handed me a report, and then began to speak as if reporting to everyone present.

“After Beria was purged and the Soviet NKVD fell into chaos, 80% of the intelligence agents we revived and infiltrated have lost contact. Our intelligence network against the Soviet Union is effectively collapsing.”

The German intelligence agency of the original history, the Abwehr, was evaluated as having been completely outmatched by the Allied forces and the NKVD, but I had thought that was because they were busy plotting against Hitler and competing with the SD (the Nazi intelligence service).

But it seemed that even a unified Abwehr was no match for the NKVD.

To be in this state even without Beria…

Come to think of it, even the great British and American intelligence agencies of the original history were treated like fools by the NKVD. This was proven by the incident where America, which had made significant concessions to the Soviet Union believing it would be the sole nuclear-hegemonic power for the time being, fell into a panic after the Manhattan Project was compromised.

“Of course, we must consider the fact that compared to the time they have spent spying on us, we have been focused on internal competition, plotting against Hitler, and it has taken time to absorb other intelligence agencies.”

Director Canaris wore a heavy expression.

Admitting that his intelligence agency was inferior to that of an enemy nation could not have been a pleasant task for him as its leader.

“But shamefully, I'm not confident we can gain an advantage over them in peacetime.

If we're losing the intelligence war, what guarantee is there that what happened in the Munich Putsch or in America won't happen again in Germany?”

Director Canaris wasn't an anti-communist for no reason.

On the contrary, as the head of an intelligence agency, he understood well how the Soviet Union operated clandestinely around the world and how it spread communism, which was why he was so wary of them.

“They are like a cancer. If left alone, they will continue to spread, and they can't be stopped or halted.

The only way is to root out the source completely. The Soviet Union is cornered.

Will we ever get a chance like this again?”

I knew that in the original history, communism ultimately failed.

Whether due to problems with the system itself or internal issues within communist nations, it eventually collapsed.

The feared overthrow of nations by communists, which the capitalist world dreaded so much, almost never happened.

But the anxiety felt by those living in this era was well-founded.

“I understand your concerns, Director. But realistically, the price we would have to pay to destroy the Soviet Union is far too great.”

We had advanced to Roslavl by breaking through the lines of Voroshilov and Budyonny amidst the chaos of the virtual collapse of the Soviet Western Front and Ivan Konev’s suicide.

On the surface, it might seem like Moscow is not far off, but this is just the beginning.

Winter is coming soon, and while we have supplied winter gear to all our troops, we can't just advance into the frozen lands of Russia trusting in that alone.

The winter gear was supplied to minimize unnecessary non-combat losses during a stalemate, not for us to advance in a severe cold we have never experienced before.

We are not Finns.

If any general were to suggest such a thing, I am fully prepared to make that man go through Korean-style cold weather training.

And can we launch an offensive as soon as winter is over? The end of the Russian winter comes with the Rasputitsa.

During that time, the Soviets will desperately reorganize their troops and build up their defense lines, which means we’ll be in a stalemate, almost starting from scratch.

“We have only 2 million troops left. We've lost 1.

5 million.”

Of the 3.

3 million Germany mobilized and 200,000 volunteers, only 2 million remained.

“Further mobilization will bankrupt the German public livelihood, and if we attempt to destroy the Soviet Union with those forces, less than half of them will survive.”

Moreover, we are an allied force. While being an allied force is a strength in defensive warfare, the story changes when we switch to an offensive.

Poland has already suffered unbearable losses, and Ukraine only wants the liberation of its fatherland. We cannot expect them to show the same high will to fight if we enter a war of annihilation with the Soviet Union.

The reason Germany has firm authority as the command tower of the Allied Eastern Front Forces is that we have either adopted policies they could accept or have made efforts to persuade them when there were differences of opinion.

But what if we start demanding a reckless offensive that has nothing to do with the national interests of Poland or Ukraine? Would they still follow?

“I want to end this war with as many of our remaining troops alive as possible.”

Even with the plan I have laid out, the sacrifices will not be light. Even if we make full use of the volunteer soldiers and the Free Russian Army we'll get from America, a considerable amount of blood will be shed.

Even that goal will be unsatisfactory from the Free Russian Army's perspective, but since we can't openly cast them aside, we've set the minimum line that their sponsor, America, will find acceptable.

The same logic applies to not including things like Leningrad, Stalingrad, or the Crimean Peninsula in the plan.

My plan is thoroughly focused on minimizing the blood required for a capture, rather than on what benefits a particular strongpoint might bring, and on preventing future disputes that could entangle Germany again.

Even if we liberate Ukraine, we won't touch the Crimean Peninsula, which became a seed of conflict in the original history.

The goal of establishing the pro-American Free Russia as a buffer zone between Poland and the Soviet Union, if we must support them, was set for the same reason.

“…I understand your point, but if we don't finish off the Soviet Union now, might it not lead to more bloodshed later?”

Director Canaris still looked anxious.

“That’s right, Minister! I understand your anguish over the soldiers' sacrifices, but in war, sacrifice is a necessary evil! The most important thing in war is not the sacrifices, but whether or not you achieve your strategic objectives!”

Manstein, ah…

I first replied to Director Canaris.

“Director.

Even if we replace the Soviet Union with Free Russia, the animosity the Russians will feel towards the Allied Powers will not completely disappear. Once the Soviet Union is destroyed, from their perspective, we will be the enemy who caused Russia to lose a vast amount of its territory.”

On the contrary, once the common enemy, the Soviet Union, is gone, there’s a considerable chance they will be used as America’s vanguard, a check against Europe.

“And as for the internal problems caused by communism…”

I looked Canaris straight in the eye and said.

“Please, trust me, and trust Germany. We have already overcome the disease that was Nazism.

We have seen the problems other countries have faced. Without shedding immense blood, Germany will be able to build a society that will not be swayed by the delusions whispered by communists.”

In the end, if one must rely on the military and blood to overcome something, it is no different from not having overcome it at all.

“If we become consumed by the fear of communism here, make countless sacrifices, and ruin the public livelihood, and then, in the unlikely event we fail to finish off the Soviet Union, that will be the moment communism brings us down.

Ideologies like communism flourish when society fails to meet the expectations of its people.”

Director Canaris still looked hesitant, but after exchanging a glance with Oster, he let out a sigh.

“I understand your point. …Alright, I'll accept it.

It's different from what I had hoped for, but I will trust you and the German people, who have created a not-so-bad Germany.”

“Thank you.”

I bowed my head to Canaris, then turned to Manstein.

“And you, Chief of the General Staff?”

“Yes, Minister of Defense.”

“Of course, as Chief of the General Staff, your concern for your subordinates' opportunities to earn military merit and your desire to destroy the threat to Germany are worthy of respect.”

Yeah, right.

I'm sure you don't just want to achieve a great victory to leave your name in history, or become a Field Marshal, or anything like that, right?

“Ha, haha…”

Manstein laughed stiffly.

“Entering a total war with the Soviet Union will result in countless sacrifices.

Well, as the Chief of the General Staff said, it might be a necessary evil in war. But then, the pensions the government promised to the families of the deceased and to war veterans would increase exponentially, wouldn't they?”

I stared intently at Manstein and added.

“That becomes a budget problem… A man like you, who worries so much about his subordinates' merit and the fatherland, would surely never suggest cutting the compensation for the patriots who shed their blood. In that case, we would have to cut the pensions of active and retired officers and generals to share the pain.

If you, Chief of the General Staff, would take the lead and secure the Army's consent—”

Manstein shouted, practically horrified, before I could even finish.

“I, Erich von Manstein, express my gratitude for the efforts of the Minister of Defense, who always strives to reduce sacrifices! I have always been, am now, and will continue to be on your side, Minister! The idea of sending my subordinates to their deaths just to borrow the power of those Yankees is absurd! Yes, absolutely absurd!”

“Haha, I'm quite fond of you too, Chief of the General Staff.

Unlike a certain Chief of Staff who was a cunning turncoat, flitting from one side to the other, you, General, are very consistent.”

Manstein’s eyebrow twitched.

What, why? I was talking about Halder. Surely not you?

We faced each other and laughed amicably.

Very amicably, indeed.

---

November 12

Western Soviet Union, Bryansk – Gulag

The city of Bryansk had just been captured by the German Army and the Free Russian Army.

Penenko Nikolayevich was in the process of identifying and releasing the prisoners of the Bryansk Gulag alongside the Free Russian Army battalion commander he now served.

His battalion commander shuffled through the documents and spoke.

“Bronislav Kaminski?”

Nikolayevich, who had been staring blankly at the mind-numbingly dull task, was startled when he saw the man called Kaminski.

“That’s me.”

“Served in the Red Army, then imprisoned for criticizing the collectivization policy. Are you willing to serve in the Free Russian Army to fight against the Soviet Union and the corrupt communists and restore freedom for the Russian people?”

They’re alike.

Bronislav Kaminski smiled. It was a chilling, unsettling smile that made one's skin crawl.

—You can't imagine how happy I am right now.

It was the same expression as the smile Enrique Líster had shown, the one full of madness, when he first heard they would be engaging the German Army.

“If you give me the chance to destroy those commies, I'll do it gladly.”

Nikolayevich thought his voice sounded like a devil that had climbed up from hell.