Chapter 60: A Personal Connection

With Germany now able to openly produce tanks and airplanes, and with no limits on the number of armored cars and vehicles, it was excellent news for the Wehrmacht. However, the ones who were truly overjoyed were the arms dealers, both large and small, across the nation.

The military was expanding by 100,000 men, all of whom needed to be outfitted with mechanized equipment. This represented a business opportunity of unprecedented scale. Rifles, ammunition, artillery, cars, motorcycles, tanks, planes, uniforms, steel helmets, and even the barracks they lived in—all of it needed to be procured and constructed.

The food for these troops, the paper they used, the fuel they burned—when converted into money, it was an astronomical sum.

Consequently, nearly every prominent businessman in Germany sprang into action. Some, with foresight, had joined the Greater German Party early on. They were already smugly confident that they would secure a massive share of the contracts in the upcoming distribution of benefits, patting themselves on the back for their sharp vision. Others were scrambling to catch up, surrounding a group of Greater German Party officials with looks of regret, employing every possible form of flattery in the hopes of getting a slice of the pie.

At this very moment, Akado was meeting with an acquaintance recommended by Dr. Einstein: Sir Merkel, a man in the cotton and derivatives business.

Merkel was an old, close friend of Einstein’s and had even funded some of his personal research. If Einstein had any friends apart from his invaluable research, Merkel was certainly one of them.

Disregarding his status, the knight had gone to Dr. Einstein’s residence, weeping and begging him to arrange a private meeting with Akado. Although Akado had little interest in meeting him, he was more than willing to use the opportunity to mend some of the divisions that had grown between him and Dr. Einstein.

Einstein was also very pleased. Akado received him with great warmth, maintaining the friendly attitude appropriate between them. Without a moment’s hesitation, Akado agreed to Einstein’s request to meet with Sir Merkel.

With his request granted so readily, Einstein and Akado even had lunch together. They discussed some superficial academic topics, and just like that, a portion of their former friendship was restored. Einstein expressed his approval and admiration for Akado’s use of diplomacy to protect the German people, though he still advised Akado to abandon his plans to expand the Wehrmacht.

Akado, in exchange for some trivial concessions, regained Einstein’s support. In turn, Einstein said he would continue to persuade other German scientists to join the Greater German Party and contribute to the nation’s defense.

“Sir Merkel, my time is limited. It would be best if you get straight to the point,” Akado said without looking up, continuing to sort through the documents in his hands as the man walked into his office. Now that the goal of repairing his relationship with Einstein was achieved, Sir Merkel was just an insignificant figure.

“General Akado! I have come today seeking an opportunity—an opportunity to pledge my loyalty,” Merkel said after carefully choosing his words. He had to be cautious; opportunities for a merchant like him to meet with Akado were rare. “Of course, if possible, I hope to secure a contract for the Wehrmacht’s uniforms. My financial situation has been poor recently, and I need your help.”

“Loyalty? Many people have pledged their loyalty to the Greater German Party, and you are not the most prominent among them. Generally, you can apply for party membership and then place a party representative in your factory,” Akado said with a laugh. This Merkel seemed to lack talent; it appeared he had wasted the precious opportunity he worked so hard to obtain.

“Furthermore, if it’s a matter of Wehrmacht procurement, you should go downstairs to the reception department on the second floor to register. There will be a public bidding conference later. Just remember to attend,” Akado finished, returning to his documents without even glancing at Merkel.

“I am not pledging loyalty to the Greater German Party, General Akado. I am determined to pledge my loyalty to you alone! I have nothing to offer you now but my devotion,” Merkel said hastily. “Please, I beg you, let me speak with you privately.”

Akado put down his fountain pen and looked up at the middle-aged merchant in his forties. Then he turned to his secretary, Anna, who stood behind him. “Pour our Mr. Merkel a cup of coffee.”

Anna nodded and left the room. She understood that Akado was about to discuss matters he didn’t want others to overhear—things that even his personal secretary was not permitted to know.

“I can be loyal to you alone, handling many affairs for you. You need not worry about these matters being leaked. I will be your servant, responsible not to the Greater German Party, not to anyone else, but only to you as your personal force,” Merkel said as soon as he saw Anna leave. “Even if the entire world betrays you, I will stand firmly behind you.”

“Honestly, you’ve moved me, Mr. Merkel,” Akado said, staring at the man as if trying to see into his very soul. After a moment, he continued, “But how can I believe anything you say?”

“My father once worked with Chancellor Bismarck. I can see in your eyes that you are even more formidable than that powerful chancellor. By following in your footsteps, I can obtain everything I desire. Following you, I can reach the pinnacle. I have no reason to betray you,” Merkel declared. “I can swear on my life to serve you for the rest of my days, unchanging until death.”

Anna returned with the coffee just in time to hear Akado giving Merkel his marching orders. “Anna, take Sir Merkel to the Logistics Department on the third floor. Have Major General Donak give him a contract. The plan to procure 100,000 thick cotton winter uniforms for the Wehrmacht is his.”

Anna handed the coffee to Akado, then turned and escorted Merkel from the office. The moment the door closed, the only sound was once again the soft scratching of Akado’s pen on paper.

It wasn’t that Akado trusted Merkel based on an oath alone. On the contrary, he still distrusted him. But he urgently needed to cultivate his own power base, and Merkel, having shrewdly identified Akado’s lack of loyal talent, had arrived to offer his allegiance, which struck a chord with Akado.

The Greater German Party was internally divided into two major factions. The first was the Wehrmacht—a force that, strictly speaking, still largely belonged to the German government, with only a small portion controlled by Akado and his allies. The second was the bloc of businessmen and politicians. This group was also not Akado’s personal force; most of them revolved around figures like Krupp and Stresemann. Very few were truly loyal to Akado.

Merkel’s arrival served as a reminder, prompting Akado to begin, consciously or not, to plan for his own faction—one that belonged entirely to him, not a grand coalition of competing interests holding each other in check.

While Akado took the first step in cultivating his personal power, the distribution of benefits from the Wehrmacht’s expansion could not be paused. The entire nation seemed to be celebrating this diplomatic victory.

The lower and middle-ranking officers were now iron-willed in their support for their great benefactor, Major General Akado Rudolph. The near-doubling of the Wehrmacht’s size meant at least a doubling of officer positions and corresponding promotions. This was far more than simply bringing hidden units into the open.

According to Akado’s “Pluto Project,” Germany would expand the Wehrmacht to a total of 450,000 men. Nearly 300,000 would be openly funded by the defense budget, while another 150,000 would continue to develop in secret, like a shadow force. This led to the immediate promotion of a third of Germany’s junior officers. Men who had almost no hope of advancement for their entire careers now saw a bright future, and naturally, they were all filled with gratitude toward Akado.

Furthermore, the creation of ten new Wehrmacht divisions—each equipped with twenty 150mm cannons and twenty 88mm dual-purpose anti-aircraft/anti-tank guns—required 400 new artillery pieces and over 500 mortars. This artillery program alone sent the Krupp factory back into full-power operation.

Additionally, the Navy was procuring 300 88mm cannons and 100 150mm cannons for its new destroyers and light cruisers, along with a massive number of 40mm anti-aircraft guns.

These were all new models of artillery, meaning the old machine tools had to be completely replaced. Factoring in the equipment destroyed during the early enforcement of the Treaty of Versailles, the Krupp factory completed a full modernization by early 1926, becoming one of the world’s premier super arms factories.

Can you imagine the scene at a factory that had been in a state of semi-shutdown suddenly receiving such a massive order? The Krupp factory immediately burst with vigorous life. The workshops, which had fallen silent after the last Ruhr crisis, were now buzzing with activity. Spurred on by newly added overtime pay, the workers toiled with fiery enthusiasm. From the bottom of their hearts, they loved and supported the new Greater German Party: it had given them jobs and paid them overtime.

Krupp’s designers also displayed their ingenuity. They adapted the structure of a baby carriage to create a mount for a light machine gun. This peculiar design made the machine gun both stable and lightweight. Its only drawback was the cost, but the Wehrmacht nevertheless decided to procure 1,000 of these mounts at once.

A dual-use civilian/military vehicle—a small car similar to a pickup truck designed by Mercedes-Benz—was being co-produced on a tractor assembly line. Originally intended to evade the supervision of the Allied Military Control Commission, it was now used as an artillery tractor. Thanks to the meticulousness and advanced performance of German automotive design, the vehicle handled its military duties without any strain.