Chapter 91: The Chariot of Germany

To celebrate Germany’s recovery of the Rhineland region, the Parliament approved for the German Reichswehr to hold a large-scale military parade. The German high command hoped that through this parade, they could show the world their belief in independence and their spirit of self-strengthening.

When Akado, wearing the uniform of a full general, with medals pinned to his chest, stood to the left of President Hindenburg on the high reviewing stand, the world once again reacquainted itself with this man who had single-handedly pushed forward the modernization and reform of the Reichswehr. The cheers, like a landslide, actually caused the foreign dignitaries on the adjacent viewing stand to collectively take two steps back. The sheer force of the thunderous roar truly made these onlookers who had come to observe the ceremony extremely envious.

Within the Reichswehr, those generals who could be called the mainstays—General von Hammerstein-Equord, who had for a long time served as the Commander-in-Chief of the German Reichswehr; the old and prudent German Chief of the General Staff, Lieutenant General von Bock; Lieutenant General von Brauchitsch, who had been promoted by Akado’s own hand; the Major General and division commander of the 25th Panzer Division, Guderian; the Major General and division commander of the 27th Cavalry Division, Rommel—these were all figures of immense power within the German Reichswehr, yet at this moment, they all revolved around Akado alone. All these men believed in him, believing in this uncrowned king of the Reichswehr as if they believed in a god.

The time for the parade ceremony to celebrate the recovery of the Rhineland region finally arrived. Amidst a roar of cheers, President Hindenburg raised his arm and loudly gave the command, “Let us remember this day! On this day, the German people have stood up again! The parade ceremony will now begin! Long live Germany!”

Beside him, Akado raised his right arm high, gave a standard German salute, and shouted with great solemnity, “Long live the German people! Long live Germany!”

Behind him, how many German officers’ eyes were filled with hot tears? Their faces were flushed with excitement. They raised their right hands and shouted from the bottom of their hearts, “Long live Germany!”

How long had they waited for this moment? How long had they struggled for this moment? To recover their lost land was their lifelong wish, and the Reichswehr executing this mission was created by their own hands, the crystallization of their joint efforts and struggle. It was like their own son, worthy of their love and protection for a lifetime, worthy of them shedding their last drop of blood, worthy of them offering up their souls.

Soon, the shouts were replaced by a single slogan. All the voices in the entire venue were shouting “Long live Germany” and “Long live Greater Germany.” The shouts, one louder than the next, shook the souls of everyone present. An American reporter wrote in his report: “This is a nation that cannot be defeated. The strength that erupts when they are united is enough to shake the world.”

“Next! General Akado Rudolph of the Reichswehr will deliver the parade address and, on behalf of President Hindenburg, review the three services!” a master of ceremonies stepped forward and announced loudly. Everyone more or less knew that President Hindenburg could not attend the entire parade ceremony due to his health. However, who was chosen to represent the president was a weathervane for the next wielder of power in Germany. The dignitaries of various countries could not help but attach great importance to this representative.

Hindenburg was helped away by medical personnel. Everyone on the high platform gave him a German salute as he left. A British photographer captured this scene and named it “The President’s Departure.”

Only when Hindenburg was no longer in sight did Akado stand at the place that had originally belonged to Hindenburg. He did not immediately begin his speech, but just stood there silently. He stood for a full thirty seconds before speaking loudly into the microphone, “Long live Greater Germany!”

Amidst the applause of everyone, he began his speech for the day. “Germany is not a country that loves war. But it is absolutely a heroic country. What I mean is that Germany does not want war, but it is not afraid of war either! It loves peace, and it also loves its honor and freedom.”

“This great Germany does not belong to any class, any group, but to all the German people. It will help the nations who are willing to live in peace with us. It will make them more willing to do their part. The German party, state, military, and economy are a sharp weapon and a function, which can be evaluated as a means to an end. Germany will be judged by history for its contribution to achieving its goals. But Germany’s consistent goal is to serve the German people in everything.”

Only when the applause from below the stage ended did Akado slowly continue, “I now pray to God, and hope that in the days to come, He will bless our work, our actions, our vision, our determination; I pray that the Almighty Lord will not let us be tainted by arrogance or servility; I pray that He will help us find the path Germany should take; I pray that He will grant us the courage to do what must be done; I pray that He will help us not to cower before evil forces, not to be weak in the face of danger.”

Finally, he once again raised his right hand high and gave a German salute to everyone below the stage. “Long live Germany and the German people! The spirit of Greater Germany… long live!”

Amidst the long and unabated applause, he ordered in a loud, high-pitched voice, “I now command! Let the parade begin! This is an army of German…”

What Akado said after that, no one could hear clearly, because the shouts of countless civilians had already drowned out any sound. Even two people standing face to face could not hear what the other was saying.

With the beat of the drums, the grand military parade officially began. One after another, neat squares of infantry marched through the square with heroic strides.

The first to pass through the square was the German Reichswehr officer formation. These officers wore exquisite army officer dress uniforms, their chests adorned with shining service medals and special mission medals. All the officers had exquisite ceremonial swords hanging from their waists, a glorious tradition of the old army. The officers all wore long leather boots, and the clack-clack sound of them hitting the ground was so neat it was heart-stopping.

Following them were the elite infantry of the 1st Reichswehr Division. Every soldier was wearing a standard, brand-new Reichswehr uniform. They carried well-made cylindrical gas mask canisters on their backs, classic Y-shaped tactical straps, and long bayonets at their waists. These soldiers neatly carried Mauser 98k rifles on their backs, wore beautiful new-style German steel helmets, and looked exceptionally majestic.

Entering after them was the assault formation of the German 15th Division. They were also wearing standard Reichswehr uniforms, equipped with various kinds of gear, and marching with neat steps. But unlike the formations before them, this formation was all equipped with Germany’s MP-40 submachine gun. These soldiers held this weapon slanted across their chests, which made them look even more capable and spirited.

Then came team after team of cavalry. Although various countries were phasing out this branch of the military on a large scale, these cavalry were still the main force for rapid assault on the European continent. Tall, black horses, fitted with black leather head armor. On the traditional European tall horses sat the neat German cavalry corps. These German soldiers were all equipped with submachine guns, but what was even more attractive was the sabers they had drawn and held vertically in front of their chests.

Appearing after the cavalry was the German motorized infantry formation. The first to pass the reviewing stand was an entire formation of BMW motorcycle sidecars. These sidecars were all mounted with Germany’s latest MG34 machine guns. The soldiers driving these motorcycles all wore thick grey trench coats, and their steel helmets were fitted with goggles to protect their eyes.

Following this motorcycle formation were three neat formations of motor vehicles. These cars were military off-road vehicles mass-produced by the Mercedes-Benz company. Each car carried four soldiers: one driver and three members standing in the car holding submachine guns.

Next was the formation of six-wheeled trucks produced by the BMW company specifically for the army. The trucks, fully loaded with twenty fully-armed soldiers, slowly drove past the main stand. All the soldiers raised their right hands to give a German salute, and after Akado returned the salute, they shouted the slogan “Long live Greater Germany.”

Behind these truck formations were still formations composed of trucks. But the difference this time was that the trucks were no longer full of soldiers, but were towing 150mm caliber cannons. These cannons were all produced by the Krupp factory, possessed the most excellent range and power in the world, their weight was within an acceptable range, and they held numerous technological patents. They were the pinnacle of all Krupp’s artillery production.

Anyone with a discerning eye could see that all of Germany’s vehicles came from two companies, Mercedes-Benz and BMW. And the cars produced by these two companies were all of an identical design. The only difference was that the trucks produced by the Mercedes-Benz company all had canvas tops, while the trucks from the BMW company had metal tops.

And the parts of the four-wheeled off-road vehicles and the trucks, including the tires and steering wheels, were actually all interchangeable common parts. As long as it wasn’t a case of being wrecked beyond repair, these cars could even achieve the incredible feat of cannibalizing one to repair another.

Every soldier shouted slogans, fanatically passing before the reviewers they had sworn to die for, proving themselves with the most heroic shouts. In this parade, Germany displayed its increasingly powerful land army. Taking advantage of the Allied Military Control Commission’s compression of German military strength, Akado had developed the mechanization and elitism of the German armed forces to an incredible degree.

Regrettably, Germany’s gradually forming armored force did not appear in the parade. Many of the trump cards Akado had up his sleeve were intentionally held back. The air force and navy also did not appear in this parade. While showing off its military might, Germany had appropriately considered the feelings of Britain and France.

However, this parade still left a deep impression on all the spectators who had come to attend. “The Germans are rearming themselves!” a Japanese reporter exclaimed in the newspaper.

In any case, the chariot of Germany had been set in motion once again. It had opened its bloody maw to the world and revealed its ferocious face.