I'm playing whack-a-mole in Siberia

Chapter 918 Deja Vu
Prince William's true intention was not to use public rebellion to overthrow Hitler's rule.

The relentless bombing by the Russian army kept the people of Berlin on edge. Berlin was like a pot of hot oil; any spark could cause a bang!

The Gestapo probably never expected that the Germans, who were known for their discipline, would completely collapse under such pressure.

Amidst the public outrage, all the Gestapo officers maintaining order at the scene were beaten to death by the angry mob, and tens of thousands of starving people surged onto Worth Street.

Ironically, when Hitler learned the news, his first thought was not of the SA and the Gestapo, but of the Wehrmacht.

This is understandable. Mustache knew that the SA and Gestapo had committed numerous atrocities and had already provoked strong resistance from the public. Deploying the SA and Gestapo to the scene at this time would not only fail to quell the situation but would also exacerbate the conflict.

Upon receiving the order, Helms Lehmann, commander of the 11th Infantry Division, quickly mobilized and led his troops into Berlin.

Lehman's chief of staff, Kaiser, warned Lehman that this trip was likely to end badly.

"Don't you know that many of the officers and soldiers of our 11th Infantry Division come from Berlin? If they arrive on the scene and find that the rioting people are their brothers and sisters, what do you think they will do?"

"Soldiers are duty-bound to obey orders, and I have faith in their professional ethics—"

Lehman had no time to delay; the Prime Minister's office was under siege by the public, and the situation was extremely critical.

Just as Kaiser had feared, when the 11th Infantry Division arrived at Worth Street and the officers explained the mission to the soldiers, the soldiers did not perform their duties as Lehman had imagined, but instead fell into a long silence.

"Soldiers, I know how you feel. My wife and children are in Berlin too, and they are starving—"

Some officers tried to boost morale.

"You're lying. Your family lives in the officers' quarters and has no worries about food or clothing—"

An agitated soldier retorted loudly.

“I refuse. I cannot point a gun at my brothers and sisters. I joined the army to protect them, not to satisfy someone’s selfish desires!”

A soldier voluntarily threw away his rifle.

"Damn it, pick up your gun!"

The officer was furious. He strode up to the soldier who had thrown down his rifle and roared at him face to face.

The soldier's expression was blank. He glanced at the rifle on the ground, then at the officer, his expression a half-smile.

"What the hell are you trying to do? Are you going to betray your country?"

The officer was unaware that danger was approaching.

"I don't want to betray my country, but I don't want to kill my own parents even more—"

The soldier roared and suddenly drew his bayonet, lunging at the officer.

Hitler had no idea that the 11th Infantry Division would not only fail to suppress the riots, but would instead join them and begin attacking the defensive line formed by the "Grossdeutschland Regiment," the garrison of the Chancellor's Office.

Goebbels entered the Chancellery by car from the Wilhelmstrasse entrance, hoping that Hitler would leave Berlin immediately.

"Leave! Ha! Where can I go!"

Hitler gave a bitter laugh. The Royal Navy had blockaded Germany's coastline, and the Russian army was pressing in. The world was vast, but Hitler had nowhere to go.

On March 21, the disillusioned Mustache committed suicide at the Chancellor's Office. Field Marshal Wilhelm Gustav Keitel, who had led the German delegation to force France to surrender, surrendered to Russia on behalf of Germany.

Compared to the last world war, the surrender of the German army this time seems even more surprising.

When Germany surrendered last time, it still had 200 million troops and was not in dire straits.

This time, the German forces on the front lines, including auxiliary troops, numbered nearly 400 million.

The difference is that even the most stubborn Junkers now realize that troop strength is no longer the decisive factor on the battlefield, and that the German army has no chance of victory against the overwhelming Russian bombers and armored vehicles.

As Keitel said, he did not surrender for his own future, but was forced to surrender for the future of Germany.

Keitel was sensible; he only surrendered to Russia, not to Britain or the United States.

While surrendering to the Russian army, Keitel telegraphed Rundstedt and Rommel, who were still in France, demanding that they remain loyal to their duties and not allow the German troops in France to surrender to the British and American forces before the Russian army arrived.

When George heard the news, his mind went blank for a moment, and he didn't know what to do.

Dmitry, with his methodical approach, ordered Russian officers to travel by transport plane to various parts of Europe to accept the surrender of German troops. Simultaneously, he ordered Russian troops to enter Berlin, take over its defenses, and bring large quantities of food to prevent a serious humanitarian crisis in Berlin.

Vasily arrived at Yuriev Palace by car half an hour later to confirm the authenticity of Germany's surrender with George.

"You really didn't orchestrate this?"

Vasily still believed that the Berlin riots were orchestrated by George.

"How can this be!"

George doesn't believe Alpha has that much capability.

Alpha may not be able to turn the Berlin public against their will, but it can certainly help them at a crucial moment.

For example, firing a shot at a chaotic scene.

Another example is spreading rumors in Berlin to make the people of Berlin believe that Berlin has plenty of food, but it cannot be delivered to the people who need it.

For some reason, George had a strong sense of déjà vu—

Yes, before the collapse of the Russian Empire, Nicholas was also deserted by his followers, forced to abdicate, and disappeared without a trace along with his family.

Although the German army has surrendered, as many as four million Axis troops have not yet disarmed, and if not handled properly, war could break out again.

Japan has not yet surrendered and is still putting up a stubborn resistance. George wants to use the Trans-Siberian Railway as soon as possible to send the main Russian army to the Far East to launch a final battle against Japan.

Russia will definitely station troops in Japan this time.

The culprits behind Japan's war will surely be brought to justice.

The German army committed the most crimes during its expansion. Although Hitler has committed suicide, the accountability process for those responsible will begin, and some of the most heinous criminals must be brought to justice.

Germany should also compensate countries that suffered losses as a result of the war.

And what George valued most was the structure of the postwar international order.

George sent telegrams to both Roosevelt and Churchill, inviting them to a meeting in Constantinople to discuss the course of action against Germany.

Vasily was curious: why Constantinople, and not somewhere in Germany?
George put Napoleon's vision into practice, transforming Constantinople into the future global political center.

The League of Nations has been completely ruined by Britain and France, failing to fulfill its proper functions. George wants to build a brand-new international organization based on the Collective Security Alliance, striving to get all countries in the world to join, resolve conflicts through negotiation, eliminate the risk of war, and seek lasting peace between regions.

"The British and Americans will not agree!"

Vasily was not optimistic about George's idea.

"No, the British and Americans will definitely agree."

George is not worried; after incorporating Germany and France into Russia's economic system, Britain and the United States are no longer important.

This time there will be no Marshall Plan, no Iron Curtain speech. If the British and Americans do not want to accept this fact, they can start anew, form an Anglo-American alliance, and try to confront the Alliance of Constantinople.

Having lost the Eurasian market, George really wanted to see if American industry could still maintain such a large scale.

Given the nature of American capital, if it loses the global market, it might very well start a second civil war for its own interests.

Britain has nothing to worry about; whether it's the Union of Constantinople or the Anglo-American alliance, Britain will be relegated to a second-rate country.

George was also surprised that even under these circumstances, Britain would still try to stir things up by sending the Royal Navy to the German naval base of Kiel to seize the fruits of Russia's victory.

The British were also surprised that the German sailors at Kiel naval base not only did not surrender to the Royal Navy, but instead used large-caliber coastal defense guns to fire at the Royal Navy's battleships.

Churchill was furious and took the initiative to contact Eisenhower, hoping to join forces with the US military to launch an attack on the German army.

"Your Excellency Prime Minister, please don't do that."

Eisenhower reminded Churchill that the initiative in the war was firmly in Russia's hands.

Eisenhower knew his own limitations; without the Russian army's restraint, even if the Allied forces committed all their main forces, it would be difficult to defeat the German army.

The smoke of Normandy had not yet cleared, and if the Allied forces of Britain and the United States launched an attack on the German mainland, they would face even greater difficulties than in Normandy.

(End of this chapter)