Chapter 85:

February 7, 1940

Rome, the Capital of Italy

“Damn it, all of it. What the hell does the SIM (Servizio Informazioni Militare-Italian Military Intelligence Service) do for their salary! Those damn German spy bastards are looking into my own villa in our own turf!”

Mussolini slammed his desk nervously.

The war he had started to recreate the greatness of the Roman Empire was worsening day by day.

Mussolini's ambitious goal of obtaining the entire region of Austria was reduced to Tyrol due to Hitler's fierce opposition, and the Italian Army failed to even achieve a complete occupation of Tyrol.

Now, he was maintaining some level of public support by widely proclaiming that they had recaptured the Italian mainland and driven the enemy into Austria, but Mussolini wasn't foolish enough to genuinely believe this was due to the great performance of the Italian Army.

“I shouldn't have taken in that bastard who looked like a Mongolian and went on about the great Aryan race…”

When Heinrich Himmler, the leader of the Nazi remnants, escaped from Germany and boasted that he would rally the Nazi remnants in Germany and start a civil war, Mussolini thought it was evidence that God was still on Italy's side.

Italy first denied it, but the Fourth Reich was naturally furious and fiercely criticized Italy, and public opinion in Britain, America, and even parts of France was turning against Italy.

“What if I just recognize Himmler as the Nazi Germany's government-in-exile and declare that we will overthrow those democrats and restore Nazi Germany? Would there be a positive response within Germany?”

From Mussolini's perspective, since he was already taking all the blame, he might as well try to make use of it, but his son-in-law and Italian Minister of Foreign Affairs, Galeazzo Ciano, reacted as if he were having a seizure.

“Absolutely not, Duce! If you do that, it could become a justification for Britain or America to help Germany!”

“Then is there any other way? What the hell did those Polish bastards do while we were buying time against all those German Military!”

Mussolini vented his resentment, but he was the one who pushed ahead with the invasion, believing only that Germany was in a civil war, despite the Italian Army's desperate pleas that they were not prepared.

“Attack Tyrol, at least! While Poland is holding down their main force, we need to take something and call for an armistice!”

“Duce, I'm sorry to say this, but we suffered immense losses against the German Military in the last battle. We haven't even finished the resupply of manpower to each division or the distribution of equipment.

Attacking them again across the Alps will only bring ruin to Italy.”

Mussolini glared at the words of his Chief of the General Staff, Field Marshal Pietro Badoglio, but Field Marshal Badoglio met Mussolini's gaze squarely.

In the end, it was Mussolini who looked away first.

As the Duce, he had wielded powerful authority, but as the orders he had pushed through against the military's opposition resulted in a series of failures, he had reached a situation where he was now wary of the military.

“Field Marshal Italo Balbo has stepped down from the front line, but he is proceeding with the reorganization of the Air Force. The new model aircraft we're developing this time should be able to stand up to Germany's Air Force, so let's take a long-term view.

We will fortify the border area with Germany and solidify our defense.”

For Mussolini, the current situation where the military was ignoring his commands and starting to move independently was not to his liking.

If Poland were to collapse while the Italian Army was sitting on its hands like this, his position would surely be shaken even more.

“…I understand.

I'll trust the military's judgment.”

But Mussolini was also gradually losing his motivation after the successive failures.

Count Ciano looked at his father-in-law and let out a deep sigh.

---

February 9, 1940

Berlin, Northern Germany, Government Complex The idea I provided to the Armaments Bureau to create a Panzerfaust, an 'Infantry-Portable Anti-Tank Propellant Weapon using Black Powder,' ended up creating nothing but a bizarre, unusable creation and wasting the budget.

I had to grimace at the report. I didn't have high expectations, but it seems an idea alone doesn't make something pop into existence.

It looked like we would have to wait until the prototype, America's Bazooka, appeared, and then maybe we could create something based on that.

It's not like I could draw the blueprint from memory, so it would be better to just import the Bazooka from America later.

“Wasn't the result you wanted? I can't make heads or tails of it.”

To the eyes of Claudia, a complete layman in military affairs, it would be incomprehensible.

But…

One soldier kneels to support it with his shoulder, two people hold it from both sides, and the last shooter fires.

What is this, a Japanese Sentai-style combining weapon? Rather than doing this in actual combat, it would be better to reinforce the Gentle Doorknocker.

I let out a deep sigh. In these times of no money, what a waste of a precious budget…

“Yes.

I am reflecting, Aide.”

“On what?”

It was too embarrassing to say I was trying to get a free ride with my half-assed future knowledge, so I chose to change the topic.

“In the end, the French Radical Party cabinet has resigned en masse. A French general election earlier than planned…”

“Yes.

That's what happened. At least there won't be a war between France and us until the general election.

You've worked really hard, Vice Minister.”

“You've worked hard too, Aide.”

The precarious tightrope walking, staking the opening of World War II, had somehow succeeded.

Even though we placed General Witzleben and General Model on the Siegfried Line, honestly, though we call it 40 divisions, they were units with will to fight but no training.

If they had faced France's general offensive, they would have suffered immense sacrifices.

Looking at the current situation in France, the French Social Party, which advocates for social integration and centrism, is highly likely to take power, but the foreign view is that François de La Rocque's French Social Party is a far-right faction disguised as centrist.

But, I was somewhat optimistic about the situation. The previous government was overthrown for its unreasonable move of saying it would enter the war as Poland's ally in Germany's defensive war, so would the new one attack us as soon as it took power?

No matter what, that's impossible.

We've bought at least a few months, and with that time, we should at least be able to bring Poland to its end.

Even if not, by then the 40 divisions stationed on the Siegfried Line would have become a proper fighting force under General Witzleben and General Model.

“I finally feel like I've escaped the feeling of having a knife to my throat.”

Ever since starting the German Civil War on September 1, 1939, I've been running without a proper rest, and only now does it feel like I can take a breath.

The catch is that we're still at war, but the world is truly an ominous place.

“It's thanks to everyone's hard work all this time.

But it's not time to relax yet.”

“Yes, yes.

Of course. Then I'll be leaving for today, Aide.”

I replied to Claudia's words and stood up from my seat. I have an appointment today.

“You can't come back too late, okay?”

“Haha.”

Having conversations like this really makes us feel like a married couple.

We are a married couple, though.

---

It was still a little awkward to have a bodyguard follow me so naturally when I left the office, but as humans are animals of adaptation, it didn't feel as uncomfortable as before.

The Berlin urban area, which still bore the scars of the urban warfare except for the central parts, had almost completely regained its former appearance after two months of recovery.

The somewhat monstrously large New Reich Chancellery was preserved as it was, but the Hakenkreuz flags that had filled the streets of Berlin had all disappeared long ago.

The black-red-gold flag we had re-adopted was not particularly prominent on the streets, which were so free you wouldn't know such a tragedy and oppression had ever occurred.

No one in our government spouts nonsense about how patriotism can't be fostered unless the city is plastered with the nation's flag.

But in Germany, which at first glance seemed free, the scars left by the Nazis had not yet faded.

The trials of the Nazi high-ranking officials and core collaborators were still ongoing because there were too many people, and the disbanded Hitler Youth, unable to adapt to family life, were being educated about Nazi atrocities and undergoing a resocialization process at dedicated educational institutions, but it was said to be facing great difficulty.

The Jewish people, who had been stripped of all their property and had their citizenship erased, were released by us and had their citizenship restored, but that doesn't mean we have the money to return all their property to them right away.

Moreover, even though it was intensified by the Nazis, the antisemitism that Germans had become accustomed to over a long period had been diluted but not disappeared.

The Jewish people, released penniless, were receiving help from our government for the bare minimum for survival, but no measures beyond that were taken.

Thanks to this, we were racking our brains over the treatment of the Jewish people.

Various worries and discussions were underway, but in reality, there was still no suitable means to solve the problem of hundreds of thousands of refugees who couldn't adapt to society during a war.

The new Germany is just beginning, and the problems to be solved are piled up.

As I was walking, lost in thought, a group of women passed by, laughing heartily, and broke my reverie.

Women, who during Nazi Germany were supposed to stay home and raise children, had slowly but surely begun to adapt as factory workers while a considerable number of men were mobilized.

This, at least, is a definite achievement of our government.

Although we issued a general mobilization order, unlike those crazy bastards the Nazis who mobilized 150 divisions, we excluded skilled workers who could teach skills to female workers and skilled professionals necessary to maintain society from the conscription target.

The MEFO bills we have to repay in the future are piled up to a dizzying amount, but for now, even during wartime, the economy is managing to run, and a livable situation is being maintained.

Of course, a big part of that is thanks to maintaining friendly relations with a magical country that sells us everything we need, be it food, fuel, resources, or trucks, unlike in the original history.

Still, our Germany is surely better than Nazi Germany. I can be proud of that part.

“Hey. Vice Minister.

It's been a while?”

“Just Schacht is fine, like before, General Richthofen.”

My thoughts now sorted, I looked at Richthofen, who had now become an Air Group Commander, and smiled with a genuinely happy heart for the first time in a while.

---

We clinked our drinking glasses and made a toast at the same Berlin bar where we had met before the Munich Agreement was signed.

“Here's to Lieutenant Colonel Schacht, who has become the esteemed Vice Minister of the Chancellery, and to the Fourth Reich of Germany, cheers!”

“Ha, ha… Cheers…”

Even though we have different affiliations, having a decent superior and mentor give such a toast feels pretty strange…

Still, having a drinking party with him after so long wasn't bad.

Honestly, when I had my last drinking party with him, I was planning to start a civil war, so I wondered if a day like this could ever come again.

After the toast, Richthofen savored his drink and then spoke.

“I guess we won't be having a drink together in Prague, huh?”

Ah, right. I think I said our next drinking party would be in Prague.

Since we liberated Czechoslovakia, we can't just barge into their capital, Prague, and have a drink.

“Well, you never know, that day might come sooner than you think.”

Thinking about it now, the future is still dark, but in the grand scheme of things, this era of war probably won't last that long. It won't exceed 10 years at most.

As long as we do well, Czechoslovakia won't fall into Stalin's grasp and be communized, so once the current awkward national sentiment caused by nationalism dies down, a day when we can peacefully visit each other might come soon, don't you think?

With our current Germany, we should be able to achieve the order as the center of Europe that modern Germany held in the original history much faster and more smoothly.

“Hmm, are you planning to gobble up Czechoslovakia?”

“No, that's not it…”

Richthofen startled me with a typically warmonger-like idea, but I'm sure it wasn't born from any malice.

“It's a bit late to say this now, but I'm sorry. I heard you went through some hardship because of me, General.”

“Ah. What's the point of bringing that up now.

I considered that settled when I landed a blow on you.”

“Ugh…”

When Richthofen, who had led the Luftwaffe to Frankfurt and surrendered during the German Civil War, saw me, his first words were:

‘It's been a while, Vice Minister Schacht! First, may I punch you just once?’

I was so flustered by the sight of the Luftwaffe flying in with a four-digit air wing that I couldn't even answer before I got hit.

“Haha, well, don't worry too much. I got to punch you to my heart's content… no, that's not it.

Thanks to you, I got a special promotion of two ranks and made a career advancement, didn't I?”

“That's true. It's late, but congratulations on your meteoric rise.”

Since the Luftwaffe itself was a group created by Hermann Göring, the second-in-command of the Nazis, all the air force generals, except for Richthofen who surrendered with the air wing in the middle, ended up fighting on the Nazi side until the end and were now on trial.

Of course, among them, there must be generals who didn't actively cooperate with the Nazis, so they'll probably be reinstated soon after the trial, but right now, Richthofen is the only active duty general in the air force.

So, Wolfram von Richthofen is the only general in the air force, its Chief of the General Staff, and the acting Commander-in-Chief. Not to mention he's the cousin of the Red Baron, so now he's truly the biggest celebrity in the German Air Force.

“Haha, thanks.”

Richthofen looked at me with a rather cheerful expression and sipped his drink.

Come to think of it, his face is already turning red.

He really can't handle his liquor.

“You seem to have gotten even weaker with alcohol since I last saw you?”

“What are you talking about! I'm still going strong!”

Usually, people who say that are definitely drunk…

Richthofen startled me by downing about half of the already strong brandy in one go, then looked at me with a reddened face and spoke.

“Schacht, have I been a help to you?”

“Of course, General.

You supported me from Spain, and you gave me patronage even when my father was demoted. …I am deeply grateful that you surrendered the majority of the air force instead of attacking the new government during the civil war.”

This was from the heart. If it hadn't been for my connection with him that started in Spain, I wouldn't have been able to get the recommendation for the War Academy so quickly and prepare for the civil war in Germany.

And yet, I gave up on his recruitment because of his loyalty to the Führer and Göring, but in the end, he surrendered with a large part of the air force instead of attacking the new government and the Germans.

If he had remained loyal to the Nazis to the end and attacked the new government, which had no proper air force, who knows how much blood would have been shed.

And in the midst of it all, he even brought Otto Skorzeny, the most dangerous man in Europe whose whereabouts were unknown.

“…I see.”

Richthofen drank about half of the remaining brandy again, then spoke with a completely reddened face.

“Then I must be a good person to you, right?”

A good person to me, huh.

Wolfram von Richthofen, when seen only through the recorded history as a modern person, didn't seem like a very good person.

He was just a warmonger befitting the axis of evil that was Nazi Germany, who said he was overjoyed watching a city burn after bombarding civilians with incendiary bombs.

But the Wolfram von Richthofen of this era that I've actually met is a decent superior who is loyal to his nation, faithful to his duty as a soldier, and cares for his subordinates.

Of course, I can't justify his warmongering side or his cruelty, but considering his duty as a soldier, if he had just had a proper government to lead him, he would have been recorded in history as merely a competent patriot.

“…That's right, General.”

“I'm glad to hear you say that.”

Richthofen drank the last of the brandy in his glass and then spoke.

“Then let me ask you for one request.”

What could the ever-boisterous Richthofen be about to say, I wondered, as he opened his mouth.

“Your Excellency, Field Marshal Göring, no, Hermann Göring.

Please let him avoid the death penalty.”