Father of France

Chapter 24 The Bastille
In Gudrun's eyes, Himmler had rarely come home in the past two years, but his love for her was still very obvious, and their father-daughter relationship had remained stable. Although she had some speculations about the relationship between her parents, Gudrun was still overjoyed to see her father come home.

“This child,” Himmler smiled, then said seriously, “I’ve been too busy with work and have neglected you all; it’s my fault.”

Himmler did maintain his marriage with his wife, but that doesn't mean there were no problems in the marriage. It's just that the Third Reich's leadership had moral standards regarding marital stability.

As the Reichsführer of the SS, and especially with Göring present as a loving husband and wife, Himmler was even less likely to make a mistake in this matter.

Back home, Himmler patiently spent time with his wife and daughter, his gaze behind his glasses full of tenderness. Only after watching his daughter Gudrun return to her room did the smile on his face gradually disappear, and the weariness in his eyes reappeared. His once upright posture had also become much more hunched.

Margaret took in her husband's behavior, listened intently to make sure there was no sound from her daughter's room, and then asked softly, "Heinrich, what's wrong?"

Although her marriage was in trouble, Margaret had spent a long time figuring things out for herself. Her husband was a high-ranking leader of the Third Reich, and divorce would carry enormous political risks, which she should understand.

“Looking back now, I think being a chicken farmer was probably the happiest time,” Himmler sighed, his gaze toward Margaret quite complex, a stark contrast to his usual demeanor.

The current situation is extremely unfavorable for Germany. After the Normandy landings, the German mainland has been exposed to bombs from the British and American air forces, and the losses are incomparable to those before.

Compared to the situation on the western front, the situation on the eastern front was even more worrying. Since the beginning of the year, the Soviet army, which had previously been easily outmaneuvered by the German army, had undergone a complete transformation.

Beginning in January, the Soviet army launched a series of campaign-level offensives. The German army, which was known as the world's strongest, was completely unable to resist the Soviet offensives. Each Soviet offensive demonstrated greater combat power than the last, and the German army was no match for them.

In just the past month, the Soviet army defeated Romania in eight days, annihilating twenty Romanian divisions. Romania and Bulgaria subsequently withdrew from the war. Germany now only has Hungary as its ally in Eastern Europe, and even Hungary is uncertain how long it can hold out.

Conversely, Germany's former allies in Eastern Europe became aids to the Soviet Union's offensive against Germany. The German army on the Eastern Front retreated again and again, giving back almost all the gains of the Soviet-German War.

Although Goebbels was still doing everything he could to ensure the German people's commitment to the war, finding a way out was no longer just a simple idea in the minds of some high-ranking officials.

Now facing Germany fighting on two fronts, the situation is getting worse every day. Himmler's current task is to assist the Führer's latest orders to form the People's Stormtroopers and fight the Allies to the death.

The Volkssturm included all men aged sixteen to sixty, and Himmler was the commander-in-chief of this Volkssturm, which comprised all Germans throughout Germany.

At this point, it can only mean that there is no other way but to fight the Allied Powers with the blood of all Germans.

Himmler, now Commander-in-Chief, was well aware of this, and in his turmoil, he found himself back beside his wife and daughter. “If one day—and I certainly don’t want that day to come—you and Gudrun leave Germany, I will prepare the necessary documents for you,” Himmler said softly, and Margaret burst into tears.

Inside the room, Gudrun Himmler was diligently writing in his diary: "Last night there was another air raid siren. The Slavs on the Eastern Front are approaching East Prussia. The Slavs are an inferior race, so why are Germany's best youths defeated in front of them? But I believe in my father. He will not spread defeatist rumors. He will persevere to the end. Victory belongs to the Germans with their steel bodies."

"My father rarely came home for a whole day. His face was paler than the last time I saw him, and the shadows under his eyes were as deep as the night. My father said that everything was under control and that the German people needed a stronger will."

With a heavy heart, Gudrun Himmler closed his diary, put it away, and returned to his bed to rest, hoping not to hear the air raid sirens tonight.

As dawn broke, Koman continued his work at the Judicial Purification Committee. He had been reading the World newspaper since early morning, but the short stories were not very informative. He mainly focused on the war reports. When Alan arrived at the Judicial Purification Committee, Koman had not yet finished reading them.

"Watching the Allied airborne operations in the Netherlands?" Alan had obviously gotten up earlier and had already read today's reports. "After occupying the Netherlands, we can then invade Germany."

Koeman didn't reply, but quickly glanced at the newspaper before saying, "It's not that easy. Airborne operations are too risky. Germany's airborne operation on Crete was also a failure."

Barring any unforeseen circumstances, this airborne operation was Operation Market Garden. He recalled that Operation Market Garden was a failure, although the British were still trying to salvage the situation: "Operation Market Garden, while not fully achieving its objectives, severely weakened the German defenses in the Netherlands."

The failure of Operation Market Garden once again brought the conflict between Eisenhower and Montgomery to the forefront.

It's important to understand that Eisenhower was not simply a soldier. Although he held the position of the highest military leader, his function was closer to that of a political leader than a military commander.

Whether it was the North African landings or the conquest of Sicily, the interests of several countries were involved. Eisenhower had long been fed up with the British always acting like the leader.

Montgomery persisted in his opinion and persuaded the Allies to begin what is now the largest airborne operation in human history. However, the British command was a complete mess, with Montgomery making repeated elementary mistakes. American paratroopers and British airborne divisions were crashed into German armored divisions and large groups of infantry, suffering a tragic fate.

However, it was precisely after this battle that the British tacitly accepted that the United States had the lead in Allied military operations, and focused on playing a supporting role.

“The UK and the US have enough air power; that’s none of our business.” Alan’s view on things was simple: he wouldn’t look at what he shouldn’t. But he did have something to share: “We’ve made some progress in our investigation of Chanel. Shall we go directly to their office?”

"Isn't it a bit much for us to take the initiative to go to them?" Koeman gave Alan a knowing look, then changed the subject, "But I also respect women. Wasn't the Bastille reopened because it imprisoned traitors? I'll arrange to meet with Coco Chanel at the Bastille, and I'll also go see if our German partners in various industries are satisfied with the current situation."

(End of this chapter)