Chapter 175

February 23, 1941

The German capital, Berlin – Hjalmar Schacht's mansion

“My dear, try some of this. It turned out delicious.”

“Thank you, Mother. Wow, it really looks delicious.”

As my mother, Louise, handed her a slice of pie, Claudia replied with a pretty smile.

My mother was so pleased that she was smiling back at Claudia, her face filled with affection.

It would be nice if you could spare a little interest for your son, Mother…

But it was a heartwarming sight, so I watched the scene with a pleasant feeling before slowly turning my gaze to my father, Hjalmar, who was unhurriedly slicing a sausage and putting it in his mouth.

Finally, after chewing and swallowing a piece of perfectly roasted, savory potato, I spoke first.

“I heard you’ve decided to run with the CDU.”

My father adjusted his glasses with a hand and gave me a look.

“Yes, didn't you guess as much?”

“Well, I did, but…”

He’s not asking me to join the CDU.

As I was thinking that, my father spoke as if he had read my mind.

“Aren't you going to do whatever you want anyway?”

“Well…”

Did I really have that much of a rebellious image?

Thinking about it, Dietrich Schacht had always been a troublemaker, far from someone who listened well to his parents.

Besides, as Vice-Chancellor, I had clashed with my father quite often over the administration of state affairs.

…I have nothing to say to that.

As I remained silent, my father picked up a piece of blanched vegetable, put it in his mouth, chewed, and swallowed before adding.

“Don't mind me and do as you please.

You're not a child who can't take care of himself anymore.”

Having said that, my father began to focus on his meal again with an indifferent face, and my mother, Louise, who had been chatting cheerfully with Claudia, spoke up.

“My, how can he be so blunt? Usually, he’s bragging about his son…”

“Louise.”

My mother, catching my father's glare, just chuckled.

I looked at my father for a moment.

In public, especially in foreign countries, my father is surprisingly less recognized than I am.

That’s because I’ve handled almost all of the military and diplomatic affairs that are visible to the public.

But it’s no exaggeration to say that the driving force that allowed me to do so came from my father.

As Chancellor, my father could have interfered in my work at every turn. In fact, we have differences in ideology and the values we prioritize.

But he didn't, and that became the source of my strength, allowing me to operate with stability.

Moreover, the fact that my father, who took charge of domestic affairs after the ousting of the Nazis, has little public recognition is, paradoxically, proof of how great he is.

When we drove out the Nazis, the German economy was literally on the verge of collapse, so the very fact he didn't gain notoriety for an economic collapse is incredible.

The Mefo-Wechsel bills had piled up to an astronomical, unmanageable level, and the German economy was suffering from an arms industry that was excessively large for its size.

Of course, parts of it were covered by what we received from the defeated nations like Poland, Italy, and France, but securing the funds to conduct that war in the first place was entirely my father's and Adenauer's achievement.

It was he who supported our war plans that spent that budget like water, and it was he who revived the private economy, creating an economy where Germans could live without implementing a rationing system even during the war.

It would have been impossible without my father.

I bowed my head in gratitude.

“…Thank you, Father.”

“Hmph.”

My father just scoffed, but my mother and Claudia were smiling as they watched.

On the way home after spending time with my parents, I glanced at Claudia sitting in the passenger seat as I held the steering wheel.

“You’re not asking me to join the Social Democratic Party?”

Claudia smiled subtly at my words and retorted.

“Were you expecting some pillow talk?”

“Ah, no…”

Honestly, if she did, I wasn't confident I could refuse.

As if she read it on my face, Claudia burst out laughing.

“I am yours, and you are mine.

But, we all have our own beliefs, don't we?”

“…Yeah.”

“So I won't do that.

The decision is yours to make. And if there’s persuading to be done, it should be the party, not me, that does it.”

Her words allowed me to smile comfortably.

“I'm a very lucky man.”

Claudia looked at me, smiled, and replied.

“What a coincidence, I live my life thinking the same thing.”

-

February 24, 1941

The German capital, Berlin – Government Building

“Vice-Chancellor, the Christian Democratic Union needs you.”

For some reason, that sounds like a line Uncle Sam would say.

As I smiled faintly at the silly thought, the CDU's Party Leader, Konrad Adenauer, continued speaking earnestly.

“We can make any ministerial position you want available.

What do you want? Defense? Foreign Affairs? Propaganda? You’d do well in any of them, so there won’t be any backlash.”

“You’re treating me quite generously, aren’t you?”

“It's because it’s you.

Ah, but if I had to choose, Minister of Defense would be good. As you know, we need to begin civilian control of the military, and there aren't many talented individuals outside the military whom the army would follow.

We have Weizsäcker for foreign affairs.”

He certainly has a point there.

The system is already somewhat prepared for civilian control of the military, but the military didn't run wild during World War I because the Kaiser lacked supreme command.

To control the German Army, which has never been subjected to civilian control and is as proud as it is capable, we desperately need someone, at least at first, whom the military would have no issue following.

That's probably why the various political parties are coveting me even more.

“If you want, holding concurrent posts is fine too.

Your ability to handle many tasks as Vice-Chancellor has been proven, and a deputy can handle the miscellaneous practical work. There is no one in Germany better suited for the Ministry of Propaganda than you.

If you want diplomatic authority, we’ll give you the position of Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs. How does that sound?”

“…Hmm.”

What is that? Minister of Defense, Minister of Propaganda, and Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs?

That’s so generous it’s almost too much.

“If you're still not satisfied with that, we can also give you the position of Vice-Chancellor.

But if you're expecting the same authority as the current War Cabinet, that will be difficult.”

“Ah, I'm not expecting the same authority I have now.”

My current authority over war, diplomacy, and propaganda is practically on par with the Prime Minister's, and indeed, other countries have treated me as a Prime Minister, not a Vice-Chancellor.

It’s not for nothing that people say Germany has two Chancellors.

My father for domestic affairs, and me for foreign affairs.

This is by no means normal, nor can it be institutionalized.

If something like this were made into a system, the two Chancellors would just end up fighting for power, and state affairs would go to ruin.

This division of labor was only possible because my father, who has little interest outside his field of expertise, could entrust things to me, and I, who could wield the delegated authority, had to respect my father as my superior.

Therefore, the current state of affairs must end with the special circumstances of the War Cabinet.

“Then, can I take it that you will be joining us?”

At his rather expectant gaze, I regrettably shook my head.

“I'm sorry, Mr. Party Leader.

I'm afraid that will be difficult.”

Adenauer's eyes widened, as if he hadn't expected me to refuse after he'd offered so much.

“Vice-Chancellor, your father has also decided to join us.”

“Of course, I know.”

“If you join us, we can secure a single-party majority without difficulty and ensure stable governance. You are not unaware of the importance of national stability in wartime, are you?”

“I am aware of that as well, Mr.

Party Leader.”

Konrad Adenauer's face turned troubled.

“Are you perhaps aiming for the Chancellor's seat? Of course, if you were to run for Chancellor, you wouldn't lack for supporters, but you are only 30 years old. Surely, you're not coveting the position of this poor old man who could die at any moment, are you?”

At Adenauer's words, I couldn't help but burst into laughter.

“No, of course not.”

Chancellor of a democratic country at the tender age of 30?

That's not only excessively ambitious, but it also shows no respect for the established politicians.

Above all, what if I join the already popular CDU, win an overwhelming majority in a pointless vote, and become Chancellor?

That would just look like me inheriting my father's position as Chancellor. It would be an act of showing the whole world that our democracy is just for show.

Looking at the example of George Washington, who built the America of today, the importance of the first election cannot be overstated. I can't ruin it like that.

After hearing my reply, Konrad Adenauer looked at me silently for a moment before speaking.

“You were the one who found me, living in hiding from Hitler's persecution, and connected me to the New Government.”

“That's right.”

Adenauer grinned.

“When the Abwehr first found me, this old man's heart sank, you know. I thought that bastard Hitler was trying to torment me further, even though I was already struggling to live in hiding.”

“Haha… I'm sorry about that.”

“Thanks to you, I, who was ousted as the Mayor of Cologne and worried every day, was able to return to politics and become a bigwig in conservative political circles.”

Even if I hadn't done that, he was destined to become the founding father of Germany as the leader of the conservative political scene.

Though, I did help him avoid the fate of losing his wife after suffering through the war and living in deep depression until the moment of his death.

In a sense, you could say I took away a part of the role he would have played as one of Germany's greatest men.

“I am grateful to you.

If you join us, I plan to raise you as my successor. Of course, as a politician, you've already distinguished yourself as much as one can, but in the eyes of this old man, you are not without your flaws.”

Having said that, Adenauer narrowed his eyes and added.

“A politician must be dignified yet flexible, and cunning.

You are certainly a man with many admirable qualities, but you have a side that is far too upright.”

I had no intention of denying the words of one of the most politically skilled men in German history.

“Thank you for the advice. I'll keep it in mind.”

Adenauer’s face fell slightly at my response.

“So you won't be joining us after all? …What's the reason?”

The reason.

In fact, there are more than enough reasons why I shouldn't join the CDU.

The CDU is poised to become the number one party even without me, but if I were to join, then they could truly dictate national affairs single-handedly, without any need for a coalition government or anything else.

Stable governance based on high approval ratings during wartime might sound very appealing at first glance, but conversely, it also means it's that much easier to run wild.

“It's a matter of my personal political beliefs.”

Aren't they already openly pledging the annexation of Elsass and Upper Silesia in their platform?

The results of the vote on whether Elsass will be annexed by Germany or become independent aren't out yet, but they don't even hide their intention to annex it eventually even if they vote for independence, or their ambition to take the territory of our perfectly fine ally, Poland.

Considering the CDU is the party of the right-wing, it's not surprising, but the risk of a Germany, already drunk on successive victories and nationalism, running wild again is too great.

And if I'm not going to be the Chancellor—no, even if I were—it's practically impossible to restrain the rampage of a ruling party with a majority, unless it's a dictatorship.

“Is it because there are those in our party who cooperated with the Nazis?”

“That is one of the reasons, yes.”

Adenauer's expression became uncomfortable.

“Think realistically, man, realistically.

I am a man who hated the Nazis more than anyone. But you can't just kick out everyone who was slightly involved with the Nazis and use unverified people, can you?”

His words certainly had a point.

It's an anecdote that best illustrates the reality of post-war West Germany in the original history.

In a Germany where Nazism had taken deep root, right-wing figures, who naturally had some ideological overlap with the Nazis, were inevitably deeply involved with them.

When building a conservative party, if you kick out everyone who was even slightly involved with the Nazis, the party's pool of talented individuals is bound to shrink significantly.

But what was the result of that?

In the original history, Germany was so busy defending Nazism, let alone repenting for it, that the very foundations of society weren't shaken until the 68 Revolution.

The perception is that Germany was thorough in its repentance for its past, unlike Imperial Japan, but in reality, Germany was not much different.

Now that the Nazis have fallen so disgracefully, there won't be anyone defending the Nazis themselves, but there's no guarantee that those who come to power without thorough self-reflection won't start shouting about Lebensraum (the German living space—a Nazi ideology of expelling Slavic races and expanding territory) again.

No, rather, there's a very high probability they will. Drunk on the greatness of a Germany that has been triumphant so far.

The amount of blood that will have to flow to achieve that will be ignored, and they will focus only on the glory Germany will gain.

‘Can I, can we, trust the government with our lives?’

Otto Carius.

In the original history, he survived to the end as a German ace, but the question from a soldier who might have disappeared as just a number on a document, without even leaving his name behind, because of an operation we had planned, still remained vivid.

There was only one thing I could answer him with certainty.

‘I will do my best to make it so.’

Just that.

A statement that offered no certainty, no reassurance, and even that promise to do my best had come out with such difficulty.

Therefore, I cannot join them.

“I understand your difficulties, Mr. Party Leader.

But for that very reason, I cannot join you. I am sorry.”

“Ahem…”

Adenauer grimaced.

“Are you planning to follow your wife to the Social Democratic Party?”

The fact that the son of the right-wing political bigwig Hjalmar married a social democrat is excellent gossip, so there's no one in political circles who doesn't know, huh?

“Well…”

Adenauer sighed.

“Listen, Vice-Chancellor. As you know, no matter how capable you are or what vision you have, you have to be in power first to display that ability.”

“I am well aware, Mr. Party Leader.”

“You have your father, yet you forsake the easy path to deliberately walk a thorny path… Hah, I understand. Then, from now on.”

Adenauer wiped his face, his expression shifting to that of a seasoned politician.

“We will be political enemies, then?”

“I look forward to it, Mr.

Party Leader.”

When I offered a handshake, Adenauer accepted it with a hollow laugh.

First Hitler, and now the founding father of Germany as a political enemy.

How exhilarating.