Chapter 90: The Hero

Although the German armed forces’ entry into the Rhineland had turned into a farce, and although the frequently mobilized German panzer units had revealed some of Germany’s hidden strength, the Reichswehr had still, stumbling and staggering, taken back the Rhineland region.

Because a few French soldiers had opened fire, nearly one thousand five hundred German soldiers had routed back to their starting point, and half of Germany’s armed forces were thrown into disarray—this had practically become a joke among the high commands of armies around the world. And in the eyes of the French, this new German armed force had become like a flock of sheep. In the new combat effectiveness assessment, the German Reichswehr was even ranked behind the Japanese army.

However, the Reichswehr still became the savior in the hearts of the German people. They received a warm welcome from the local people in the Rhineland region. Although some of these soldiers were still riding on tall horses, and although some of these soldiers were still carrying outdated Maxim heavy machine guns, they were still surrounded by flowers and stopped by young women offering passionate kisses.

For most residents of the Rhineland, the arrival of the armed forces was worthy of a grand celebration. Every time the helmeted Reichswehr soldiers passed through a city, the citizens would pour into the streets to welcome them in the most enthusiastic way.

They jumped and shouted, singing patriotic songs, cheering and leaping for joy. At spontaneously held welcoming ceremonies, young girls presented the officers with bright red carnations. The German national flag hung in every street and alley. A reporter lamented what he saw and heard: “The local residents are so enthusiastic that there are clearly not enough Reichswehr soldiers for the girls to go around.”

In the city of Cologne, a gentleman on his way to church heard that the army of his fatherland had arrived. He immediately changed direction and headed towards the main square. As he walked, he said, “Oh God! I’m going to treat the first soldier who shakes my hand to a drink! Just like the day I joined the army in 1914, we’ll drink our fill! Today, I will get drunk with him! Long live General Akado Rudolph!” The situation in cities like Frankfurt, Aachen, Düsseldorf, and Koblenz was the same—everywhere was filled with patriotic passion.

Akado, under Fanny’s propaganda offensive, once again became a hero of the German people. The common folk didn’t care that Akado had almost led them into the abyss of war. In the oppressive atmosphere of the economic crisis, hearing any piece of inspiring news was a great comfort to the working people at the bottom.

Although after a deeper analysis, it was not difficult to see that this was absolutely a crazy adventure conducted by Akado commanding the Reichswehr. But under the cover of the victorious result, a foolish act bordering on suicide was transformed into a well-thought-out spirit of great fearlessness. This was the power of public opinion propaganda. It could use people’s dissatisfaction with reality, expand the gloom in people’s hearts, and then have it erupt to become an unprecedented force that could be utilized.

However, not all Germans were ecstatic about the advance into the Rhineland demilitarized zone. Among those who had doubts, a large portion were high-ranking generals from the army. Because they were very clear that although the army had been secretly expanded by nearly double, it was still far from possessing the strength to fight its western neighbor, France. In 1930, the number of troops Germany could mobilize did not exceed 200,000, about 10 divisions; while France could mobilize 100 divisions for combat.

Precisely because he feared a French counter-attack, Akado did not dare to excessively provoke the Frenchmen’s nerves. According to the plan for advancing into the Rhineland formulated by von Bock and Akado, Germany only sent three under-strength light infantry divisions into the Rhineland, with a total force of only a pitiful 1,500 men. These troops had no heavy weapons, only equipped with machine guns and rifles, and did their utmost to keep a low profile to avoid posing any threat to the French border, hoping to reduce the possibility of a military confrontation.

Because of Germany’s aid agreement, its low-key actions, and finally because a few Frenchmen’s spontaneous counter-attack had turned this reception of the Rhineland into a joke—

That night, in his toast at the banquet, Akado raised his wine glass and said to the officials and members of parliament who had rushed over to make up for the mistakes they had made, “From today on! The German government will once again fully exercise the nation’s absolute sovereignty in this demilitarized region! Long live the German people! The Greater Germany Party will be victorious!”

All the people—including those who were not yet members of the Greater Germany Party—raised their right hands and shouted “Long live Greater Germany!”.

Akado raised his hand to signal for everyone to be quiet. Then, under the gaze of everyone, he continued his speech, “At this very moment, in the west of Germany, the army of Germany is marching towards their future peacetime garrisons. They will become the protectors of that place. Until now, I still firmly believe that we will continue to abide by two oaths.”

As he spoke, he held up his index and middle fingers. “First, to regain our national honor, we swear we will never yield to any force! Second, we swear we will work harder than ever before to deepen the understanding between the various peoples of Europe. Germany will not break the peace.”

It was a deafening performance. Amidst the cheers of “We will be victorious!”, Akado, drenched in sweat and utterly exhausted, walked off the speaker’s platform, a satisfied smile on his lips. He had won! By winning this gamble, he had truly grasped the future direction of Germany.

“Akado! Sometimes I really suspect you are a natural-born manipulator of public opinion! You are more professional than I ever imagined,” Fanny said, taking Akado’s left arm, her face full of infatuation.

“No matter what, today we were victorious,” Akado replied with a smile, letting out a deep breath. “So my speech was used in the end.”

“Yes! You’ve become a true public lover, Akado!” Fanny said, looking at Akado’s face with a wicked smile. “I heard that this afternoon you kissed that sexy female secretary of yours?”

“Yes! So I think you should choose someone better than me…” Akado was just about to talk to Fanny about the issue of their relationship when he was kissed on the lips by her. Fanny was not short. She stood on her tiptoes, wrapped her arms around Akado’s neck, and just managed to reach his lips.

“Mmm…” Her tongue is so soft—this was the thought that flashed through Akado’s mind, and then he closed his eyes and enjoyed being taken advantage of by the girl.

Their lips parted. Fanny pressed her right index finger against Akado’s lips. “My dear! I’ve said before that I don’t mind being the woman in the shadows! Let Miss Mercedes worry about the position of your wife! I am satisfied just being your lover.”

Oh my God! She’s determined to be the other woman! And such a beautiful and powerful woman at that. Aren’t you trying to kill me! If you keep tempting me like this, I’m going to make a mistake! Akado struggled bitterly in his heart.

“You can come to my home anytime. I’ll be waiting for you!” Fanny smiled sweetly, then let go of Akado. She looked at the jealous-faced Anna beside him and raised an eyebrow. “Alright! I have to get back to the propaganda department today. There are still several special reports on the Rhineland waiting for me to review… I won’t disturb you two any longer! Have a good time!”

Akado glanced at Anna beside him and chuckled awkwardly. “Ahaha, she’s still the same, haha, hahaha.”

“I didn’t say anything,” Anna snorted. “Anyway, General, you have a big house and a big business now. I just need to be by your side every day.”

“General, sir!” Gehr walked over with a wine glass, his face slightly flushed. It seemed he had already had quite a bit to drink. “You are our hero! Long live the Greater Germany Party!” Shouting, he stumbled past Akado with his glass raised.

“It seems everyone is under a lot of pressure,” Akado said, looking at Anna, who was holding his arm, with a smile. “Thank you for what you said to me. I’m really grateful.”

“For so long, I have always been by your side. I feel that a person like you, General, is the true leader of our German people. So I support you, with my love and all my passion, I support you!” Anna said, her face blushing…

The banquet continued late into the night. The German people’s revelry, however, continued for a long, long time. For example, soldiers in black SS uniforms drove through the streets and alleys of Berlin in trucks, holding flags, and held a rally and parade in the square in front of the presidential palace, shouting the slogan “Long live the Greater Germany Party.”

The various ideologies and factions within the German government were unified in one fell swoop by the powerful Greater Germany Party. On the surface, it seemed the German government had become the policy executor of the Greater Germany Party. Even the Nazi Party, which had been stirring up trouble, disappeared at this moment, letting the Greater Germany Party passionately promote this victory in their parliamentary speeches.

The fanatical action also inspired the radical factions within the government. They left their original organizations one after another and joined the Greater Germany Party, because they found that their own radical, fantasy-like statements were not even as radical as the actions taken by the Greater Germany Party—while they were clamoring about expanding the army and preparing for war, the Greater Germany Party had already sent troops to take back the Rhineland demilitarized zone.

In any case, Akado still became the great hero of Germany. His approval rating in an unofficial public opinion poll had reached a staggering 72%. Some analysts pointed out that as long as he announced his candidacy for the next presidential election, he could certainly succeed Hindenburg and become the next President of Germany.

However, for some unknown reason, Akado did not seem to be interested in the position of president. On the first weekend after the Rhineland’s return to German rule, he even personally stated to the media that he had no intention of running for the next German presidency.

And as an apology for dragging his feet on the Rhineland action, and as a token of gratitude for Akado’s statement this time, President Hindenburg, despite his ill health, attended the subsequent celebration held in the city of Cologne. During the event, he deliberately arranged for General Akado Rudolph to stand on his right-hand side. And the person standing on Hindenburg’s left was the German Chancellor, former Foreign Minister Stresemann, who was also a member of the Greater Germany Party.

This signal very clearly indicated one meaning—the Greater Germany Party had already begun to dominate all of Germany.