There Is No Schlieffen in the German Empire

8 – Preparation for Victory (4)

Kaiser of the first round left the military leaders alone, but his influence waned too much, so he abdicated because he didn’t like the negotiation terms with people like Ludendorff towards the end of the war, and I heard rumors of threats. It was too dangerous to leave those bankers to their own devices, knowing well their behavior. To tame this dangerous hunting dog, I had to constantly remind him of his owner.

Still, there were seeds that couldn’t be allowed to grow, like Hindenburg or Ludendorff, who wouldn’t have any power or influence.

So I put Ludendorff in the position of Minister of War. Utilizing his abilities while keeping his ambition in check, I placed him in a position of real power. He became a minister after having the rank of active-duty colonel, so it was difficult for him to exert influence in the military.

Instead of them, I appointed Falkenhayn as Chief of Staff, so the goal of creating a “safe military leadership” was half accomplished.

I headed to the conference room while chatting with Falkenhayn.

The conference room was a mess even with the blankets and maps that the officers had stayed up all night to prepare.

Taking a sip of the coffee brought by the secretary, I brought up the reason I called him.

“I wanted to ask if there’s a program being prepared to persuade prisoners of war to defect to our side.”

“You mean prisoners of war?”

Falkenhayn asked, looking like he misunderstood.

“It’s a reality that it’s difficult to replenish troops as much as the enemies who have the advantage in population when the war drags on, isn’t it? If we can borrow a helping hand, even a cat’s paw.”

The current Geneva Convention did not address the treatment of prisoners of war. It was a regrettable fact for the soldiers of this era, but regulations regarding prisoners were established during the previous phase.

In other words, how prisoners were treated was left to the autonomy of the belligerent nations.

“I suppose we could try to persuade the Polish prisoners of war under Russian control, but most of those who dream of independence are socialists or nationalists with separatist tendencies. In some aspects, they might be more of a danger to our empire than to the Tsar. If mishandled, it could harm us as well.”

“Worries are for after this war is over, for now, Germany must win to survive. We don’t have the luxury to pick and choose means to fight against a formidable enemy.”

I consistently argued for the necessity of prisoners of war defection. Falkenhayn took a conservative stance, saying, “That’s a bit…” as a Prussian officer emphasizing the spirit of chivalry.

From my perspective, it was a sarcastic remark.

“For that matter, the Prussians were quite good at mistreating prisoners of war.”

Finally, Falkenhayn raised both hands.

Once the process of persuading prisoners began, the military would realize the potential benefits. In narrow terms, it was a means to replenish their insufficient forces, but in broader terms, it was a seed to overthrow the political groups that were bowing to the enemy.

“Anyway, I am considering the independence of the Polish nation, excluding the territories of the Allied countries and limited to Russian-ruled Poland.”

“But Your Majesty, if a Polish state is established, the Poles within our territory will inevitably be unsettled.”

Falkenhain’s point was clearly correct.

I knew that too.

A perfect example was Germany itself. Because the German Empire existed, the Germans in the multi-ethnic nation of Austria-Hungary felt a much closer kinship with Germany. In fact, a considerable number of Germans in Austria were serving in the German army and were even advocating for German-Austrian unification, calling for the completion of Greater Germany beneath the surface.

For this reason, Germany did not allow Polish independence, and Austria was also in step with Berlin on this matter.

However, the independence of Poland was a matter that had to be dealt with regardless of the internal political dynamics of Germany.

The reason was simple.

It was because of the issue of human resources needed for the war.

Germans alone could not provide the military power necessary for a world war.

Even Ludendorff, who had squeezed everything out of the nation, could not solve this problem and had to accept the demands for Polish independence.

The Germany of today was not squeezing the nation as tightly as Ludendorff did.

Falkenhain also agreed with the logic that shedding less blood would be advantageous in future power struggles. He was not taking the problem lightly, as he was observing a large labor shortage in the rural and industrial sectors. Still, he asked how they would deal with Austria’s opposition.

“Austria’s opposition should not be a problem. Shouldn’t they be the ones losing their status?”

I brought up the discussion at this time to take advantage of the situation where Austria was under pressure in Galicia.

As in the world, no one could have everything they wanted. Whether it was an individual or a country.

Even the Kaiser was no exception.

As I contemplated my own words, I tasted a bitter aftertaste.

*

Johannisthal Experimental Airfield, German Empire.

A gathering of numerous volunteers took place at the German Empire’s Johannesthal Experimental Airfield, where they were selecting test pilots to lead the future of the Imperial Army Air Corps. Under the name of the aviation association sponsored by the royal family, newspaper advertisements and mailings were continuously distributed, attracting all sorts of people who were fascinated by the title of “Knights of the Sky” and flocked to the Air Corps.

In fact, it was not an extraordinary event.

To those standing on the vague boundary between the modern and contemporary eras, the idea of being a “knight” was a romance they all wanted to experience at least once in their lives.

Especially the young ones who, intoxicated by the romanticism of Bell Epoch, saw war as a kind of sport, were particularly enthusiastic.

“I am a knight who soars through the sky. I’m more stylish and impressive than the knights who rode in the late medieval period.”

“I’ll show those French guys what a knight is.”

Major Hupfner, the commander of the Army Air Corps, and his staff officers agonized over how to select the best candidates from this vast crowd. Thanks to the claim that poker required at least a secondary education to handle precision machinery, they were able to filter out many unsuitable candidates.

“There are so many of them.”

One of the people who came after seeing the public announcement of the war-like nature was Lieutenant Manfred von Richthofen, a young officer who had lost his passion for the naive and conservative life of the cavalry. Fascinated by the fact that he could freely roam the sky, which he had dreamed of since childhood, he embarked on a path that guaranteed success.

In a way, it was a foolish thing to do, but it was also a process of finding his own aptitude.

As Manfred licked his lips and watched the interviews of the people in front of him, the line quickly shortened and it was his turn. Hupfner glanced briefly at Manfred’s uniform and mechanically asked him a question.

“Do you know anything about airplanes, Lieutenant?”

“I know a little.”

“Well, you don’t have to know everything, just explain what you do know.”

Manfred was at a loss for words at the most difficult question in the world. Seeing the people in front of him receive a few questions and then be rejected immediately, he felt like he had fallen into a trap as he desperately tried to come up with something.

Manfred tried to explain the concepts he knew, but the more he spoke, the more he felt like he was rambling. There were stories in his head that he could tell, but it was too difficult to put them into words.

After finishing his explanation, Manfred disappointedly lowered his head. He was angry at himself for not doing better.

At that moment, a young man with dirt smudged on his face approached Manfred with a smile. If he had been wearing a uniform, he would have had the appearance that would have attracted women to follow him. Just seeing him smile was pleasing to the eye.

“Hello, Lieutenant. You had an interview over there just now, right?”

“Ah, yes.”

Manfred received the greeting with a gloomy expression, not knowing how to respond.

The young man spoke as if to encourage him.

“The interview with the lieutenant didn’t seem that bad.”

“Well, it’s not like that… Did you happen to hear everything?”

“I only heard the back, just the back.”

The young man spoke nervously.

“Look, Lieutenant. They’re looking for you over there.”

When Manfred turned his head, he saw one of the interviewers behind Höffner raising his hand, motioning for him to come over. When Manfred pointed at himself, the officer nodded.

“Me, you mean? Oh. Um, me, the pilot?”

Manfred’s face displayed a strange mix of joy and confusion. Then, he suddenly had a crazy thought and asked the young man.

“Are you someone involved in this?”

“I’ve only been here for a short while.”

Other than that, there were no military insignias or unit markings on his uniform. Perhaps because it was a newly formed organization?

“I see.”

At that moment, the young man spoke first.

“Anyway, now we’ll be working in the same place. Nice to meet you, Lieutenant. Did I come across as rude?”

“No, not at all. I’m Manfred von Richthofen. Since Lieutenant sounds awkward, I would prefer it if you called me Manfred.”

The young man chuckled and shook Manfred’s hand.

“Sure thing, Manfred. I’m Oswald Bölcke. It’s better to address me by my last name. Don’t call me by a formal title.”

“I’ll do it, Buelke. Ha. I can’t believe I’m a knight of the sky.”

Manfred shook hands with Buelke and ran towards his waiting adjutant. Joy overflowed from his face.

Hauptner thought that the newly selected candidate, who was talking to Buelke, would adapt comfortably to the Air Force. The interviews had continued until late in the afternoon, but there were no more than twenty successful candidates.

There were some strict criteria, but the qualifications of the applicants were lower than expected.

It seemed difficult to fill the quota without lowering the standards.

“That friend General sent earlier, it’s a bit of a waste. He seemed to have a passion for aircraft.”

“Who? I don’t have a memory like yours.”

“Werner Boes. The agile-looking friend, don’t you remember?”

Hauptner checked the age on the list and shook his head.

“He’s barely 17 years old. What if he makes a mistake? You know very well that an aircraft is not a cheap item.”

When Hauptner showed his refusal, Pashau objected.

“You even selected Ernst Udet, who is just one year older. Do you think there’s a big difference with that friend?”

“A one-year difference at that age is a huge difference.”

“If we give him some milk and train him, he’ll do well. I’ll take responsibility.”

Hauptner felt uneasy, but decided to trust Pashau’s judgment. Although he seemed light-hearted for a soldier, his eyes were trustworthy.

“Then let’s include that guy too. But, make sure to take full responsibility.”

Hauptner put the pipe in his mouth.

“He came this far in such a short time.”

With the full support and interest of Kaiser, he had transformed the Air Force, which had been treated as a sloppy army communication organization, into a confident organization.

If they go a few steps further, they might not just be a single branch of the army, but achieve complete independence.

If it were possible, it would be the greatest honor and achievement as a soldier. But I had no intention of being that ambitious.

However, one day in the future, I would be able to break free from the shadow of the army and establish myself independently. In the Air Force.

Hoffner felt his heart pounding.