My Third Reich

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In the operations staff room at Wehrmacht Headquarters, a group of generals was studying a massive sand table map. Numerous strongpoints were clearly marked on it. From the German side, the French border looked like one enormous fortress.

“The French are engaged in large-scale construction along the border. We were friendly enough to export 200,000 tons of cement to them. The Maginot Line is now beginning to take shape, and this line can be described as the most solid permanent fortification to date,” an operations staff officer explained, pointing at the French border with a long pointer.

“The French are building large-scale fortifications from Longwy to Belfort, with a total length of about 390 kilometers. It includes the Metz Fortified Region, the Saar Flood Zone, the Lauter Fortified Region, the Lower Rhine Fortified Sector, and the Belfort Fortified Region,” the staff officer said, gesturing with the pointer as he spoke. At his side, Akado seemed somewhat distracted.

“According to intelligence from our agents, the entire line consists of a security zone 4 to 14 kilometers deep and a main defensive zone 6 to 8 kilometers deep. The French have spent billions of francs on this line. The construction is strongest in the Metz and Lauter fortified regions. The Saar Flood Zone utilizes natural river and swamp obstacles; fortification work only began this year, making its defenses the weakest,” Gascoigne said, pointing to the sand table. The surrounding generals stroked their chins and nodded frequently.

The French had poured blood and treasure into this defensive line; it could be called the pinnacle of works based on the experience of trench warfare in the First World War. The French government and military intended to use this line to warn the restless Germans that any attack on France would result in them being bogged down in an endless quagmire of war.

The Lower Rhine Fortified Sector used the Rhine River, the Rhône River, and the Rhine canals as natural barriers, with support points composed of permanent firing positions built along the Rhine. In the most critical sections of the Metz and Lauter regions, integrated fortification groups were constructed, combining surface and underground elements suitable for all-around defense.

The surface portions consisted of machine gun and artillery positions made of armor or reinforced concrete. The underground portions had several levels, including command posts, personnel rest areas, food storage, ammunition depots, aid stations, power stations, and filtered ventilation rooms. The fortifications were all connected by tunnels with electric trolleys.

The weapons inside the firing positions were all specially designed and installed. The entire line comprised approximately 5,800 permanent fortifications of various types, reaching a density of 15 per kilometer of frontage. The strongest reinforced concrete fortifications had roofs and walls up to 3.5 meters thick, and the armored cupolas were 300 millimeters thick, both capable of withstanding two direct hits from a 420mm siege mortar.

Anti-tank obstacles within the line mainly consisted of anti-tank ditches, escarpments, cliffs, and metal and concrete stakes, reinforced by minefields. Anti-infantry obstacles were generally barbed wire on metal or wooden stakes, with some sections even featuring electrified wire.

The largest caliber artillery currently in service with the German Army was a pitiful 150mm. Even including the battleships still on the drawing board for the Navy, the largest caliber artillery in the Wehrmacht was only 280mm.

Therefore, from a frontal perspective, the Wehrmacht was completely incapable of breaking through this line. Staff officers estimated that if a forced assault were launched, Germany would suffer at least 100,000 casualties within the first five days. This was clearly not an outcome the military was willing to accept. Having always adhered to a policy of elite troops, no one was willing to throw 100,000 elite Wehrmacht soldiers into this meat grinder.

Since learning that the French were building the defensive line, this type of meeting had been convened no fewer than three times, almost always ending in a sense of helplessness. Akado was specially permitted to attend these military conferences as a special advisor, but he had his own plans and was naturally not going to share his trump card so early. So, he simply let his mind wander. Everyone was still haunted by the memory of the two-front war from World War I, so no one wanted to get entangled in the trench warfare the French excelled at.

Bypassing the line would necessitate invading countries like the Netherlands and Belgium, which was tantamount to declaring war on the whole world. Neither the German military nor the government was prepared for such a move, so that option was also temporarily rejected.

The current strategic focus was placed on Austria and Czechoslovakia. In other words, Germany was trying hard to create the appearance of an eastward push to deceive Britain and France, yet it didn’t want to go too far and provoke the behemoth that was the Soviet Union.

“General Brauchitsch,” Akado said softly, walking over to his confidant. The two of them then moved to a less crowded corner.

Akado didn’t beat around the bush. “How are the preparations on the Eastern Front?”

“We have eight divisions preparing right now. Our ammunition and fuel are plentiful, and we can launch an attack at any time. However, I am worried that if we get tied down by the Czechs, France will stab us in the back.”

“In your name, propose the construction of a defensive line on the border called the ‘Siegfried Line’ to deceive the French,” Akado said after a moment’s thought. “But I don’t intend to spend too much money on this line. Do you understand what I mean?”

“I understand. But to what extent should we build it?” Brauchitsch asked after thinking it over.

“If you don’t have enough steel plating, use concrete. If you don’t have enough concrete, use wooden planks. The machine gun bunkers don’t need people inside; a fake firing slit is enough. I want a grand project that saves money but looks impressive,” Akado said, glancing at the Franco-German border. “I want the French to truly believe we aren’t going to attack, but are preparing to fight a defensive trench war with them.”

Anna pushed open the door to the conference room, looked around, and then walked over to Akado’s side. She whispered in his ear, “Mr. Chancellor, General Tukhachevsky landed at the Berlin airfield an hour ago. He is waiting for you now in the guest room down the hall.”

“Let’s go. Time to ask our communist friend why he failed to honor our agreement,” Akado said with a smile, nodding to General Brauchitsch. “My apologies, I have an urgent matter to attend to now. Please tell General Hammerstein for me that I am very sorry for leaving midway through.”

General Hammerstein, of course, would not mind Akado’s early departure. Brauchitsch personally escorted Akado to the door of the conference room and even politely bid farewell to the Chancellor’s secretary, Miss Anna.

Soon, Akado met General Tukhachevsky in the guest room. The two old friends, long separated, embraced warmly before breaking apart with loud laughter.

“Congratulations on becoming the Chancellor of Germany! Akado! you always manage to surprise me,” Tukhachevsky boomed before they had even fully released their embrace.

“Thank you,” Akado replied with a smile.

Tukhachevsky didn’t give Akado a chance to speak first, immediately saying, “I have come this time because of the arson case. I express my deepest regret over this matter.”

“General Tukhachevsky, my friend, this time you have gone too far! You failed to deliver on what you promised me. That the Soviet Union would not develop communism within Germany was our agreement,” Akado said with a hint of annoyance, sitting down on a sofa and accepting a cup of coffee from Anna.

Tukhachevsky spread his hands with an innocent expression. “The perpetrator of this arson was indeed a Communist Party member, but he is an Austrian citizen. Therefore, you cannot arbitrarily place the blame on the Soviet Union.”

“You know the subtleties of the situation,” Akado said, narrowing his eyes.

“And you certainly know the subtleties of the situation,” Tukhachevsky replied, lifting his chin.

“Alright, let’s not talk about these unpleasant things for now. Let me first congratulate you on the launching of your Sovietsky Soyuz-class battleship,” Akado said, raising his coffee cup in a toast.

Tukhachevsky raised an eyebrow, realizing that the young man named Akado opposite him had become increasingly masterful at beating around the bush. “Thank you! You have made a great contribution to the rise of the Soviet Navy, so this time I have brought you a Victory Medal, personally awarded by Comrade Stalin.”

“Can this medal be exchanged for a change in the Soviet Union’s attitude on the Austrian and Czechoslovakian issues?” Akado asked, taking a sip of his coffee, his tone casual.

“The Soviet government does not wish to see Germany make any demands for eastern territories! This seriously threatens the security of the Soviet regime,” Tukhachevsky replied. “Comrade Stalin hopes Germany will not play with fire regarding the Austrian and Czechoslovakian issues.”

“Too late,” Akado said, a smile playing on his lips. “Britain and France support Germany’s eastward push. The territorial issues of Austria and Czechoslovakia are their bargaining chips. So this time, I am determined to succeed.”

“This could easily lead to conflict,” Tukhachevsky said with a frown. “I believe you, my friend, do not wish to be a running dog for the British and French, do you? Worsening relations with the Soviet government will bring Germany no benefits.”

“I will contain the fallout from this arson case within our country, so it won’t affect Bolshevik activities in Eastern Europe,” Akado offered another bargaining chip. “Additionally, we can provide the Soviet Union with another 500 million US dollars to purchase oil.”

“Comrade Stalin wants the school you established in the Soviet Union. The school that teaches soldiers how to use tanks in combat! We want to send our people in to study first, and then take it over smoothly a year later,” Tukhachevsky quickly stated the Soviet Union’s conditions.

He thought for a moment and added, “Also, apart from this instance, you must promise there will be no further territorial demands to the east. The Soviet Union wishes to have friends, not a thug who reaches out in all directions.”

“Very reasonable!” Akado stood up. “Dinner together tonight? My treat, at the best restaurant in Berlin.”

“No, thank you. I must return to the Soviet Union as quickly as possible,” Tukhachevsky said with a wave of his hand. “I hope I won’t have to rush to Berlin like this again.”

Akado nodded. “I agree. Next time, I will invite you to Berlin as my guest! We’ll have the best!”