Imperial Elite

Chapter 85 The 24 Hours That Decide the World
After forcibly breaking through Cologne, Joe did not immediately begin his advance into Germania. Instead, he ordered his armored forces, including tank units, to expand the breach, simultaneously advancing to the south and north.

While widening the breach, drive the Teutons toward Bonn and Düsseldorf, and have the infantry units that are cooperating in the operation take over the defensive line.

If Joe could not be stopped in the city, the Teutons would be even less able to withstand his rapid breakthroughs in the field. Soon, by noon the next day, Joe had also broken through the Teutons' reserve defenses east of Cologne.

From then on, the Teutons no longer had any large-scale, organized troops blocking Joe's path.

This allowed Joe to start literally speeding around, since the tanks were too slow, and even the six-wheeled off-road vehicles had only just been prototyped. The tanks, in terms of both speed and reliability, were certainly not enough for them to keep up.

Joe then left the tank units in Cologne to continue expanding the front, and then led all the infantry who could ride in trucks and off-road vehicles on a fierce eastward charge.

As Joe began his charge into the heart of the Teutonic territory, he discovered that the Teutonics seemed to be in dire straits. Along his eastward journey, Joe encountered a series of inexplicable situations.

Some claimed to be from a government that had revolted and broken away from the Teutonic Empire and were asking Joe for assistance. Local police and gendarmes were exchanging fire with the protesters or these people claiming to be from a certain government. A group of police and gendarmes blocked the road to prevent Joe from advancing.

Although these men didn't cause Joe much trouble, they still slowed him down. So much so that when Joe encountered another unit composed of wounded soldiers and military police, and quickly defeated this makeshift unit that didn't even have a number, Joe stood on the vehicle and shouted at the soldiers, "Get out of the way! We don't have time to capture you!"

Just as Joe was rushing eastward, Holtz and his party, who had received the news even earlier than Joe the night before and were preparing to go to Germania to serve the king, also encountered trouble.

Although theoretically the train journey from Cologne to Germania should only take seven or eight hours, the reality is quite different.

As left-wing parties continued to incite strikes, the chief of staff and others who launched a coup in Germania anticipated that some people would be dissatisfied with the emperor's abdication and would want to do something about it.

The army is a place full of pragmatic talents, so after the Chief of the General Staff, who had already replaced key departments with his own people, sent a telegram announcing the emperor's abdication and the crown prince's renunciation of his right to succession, he instructed those who controlled the railway department to find a way to prevent a single train from entering Germania within three days without issuing a direct order.

So after Holz and his party left Cologne, they first encountered a station strike.

This wasn't a big problem; the soldiers could load coal and water onto the train themselves, and they could also use their bayonets to have the switchmen adjust the railway line.

However, the train's journey became extremely slow. What should have been a high-speed journey to Germania became incredibly slow, and at each station they encountered some inexplicable situation.

In particular, the colonel led his troops out of the war zone without orders, which made their march extremely difficult. On one occasion, they even had to take a military police major hostage in order to leave the station.

The encounters along the way also greatly dampened the morale of the troops who were originally going to rescue the emperor. They began to doubt whether they could still reach Germania. Even if they did reach Germania, they had already been exposed several times along the way, so they wondered if they could still carry out a surprise attack.

However, with the dispatch of the telegram, it wasn't just this particularly spirited unit that suffered from low morale; the morale of the Teutonic troops fighting on the Western Front also began to decline.

Although initially only units at the division level equipped with radios received the news of the emperor's abdication, the news quickly spread throughout the army. The emperor's sudden abdication left the soldiers feeling lost and confused, not understanding why His Majesty would abandon them at this time.

While the Teutonic morale was low, the Gauls and Caucasians also began a fierce attack on the Hindenburg defenses.

This fierce attack quickly captured parts of the Hindenburg Line, and the entire line began to falter.

However, no one in Germania has time to pay attention to the situation on the front lines now.

After the Chief of the General Staff and the Marshal forced the emperor to abdicate last night, the Teutonic Emperor was forced to relinquish his power despite his reluctance. He spent half the night sorting through his family's historical collections and, after receiving a promise from the Chief of the General Staff that the princes and princesses still fighting on the front lines would be sent to reunite with the emperor, he finally succeeded.

The emperor, with an entire trainload of his belongings, went into exile in the Confederation of Helvetii.

The emperor's departure did not mean an immediate end to the war. In particular, before a ceasefire could be reached, they still had to resolve an urgent issue: who would inherit the power.

Although it was military representatives like the Chief of the General Staff and the Marshal who forced the emperor to step down, both of them knew that they absolutely could not step forward to seize power at this time. The reason the emperor was in exile was because, at this moment in Germania, the emperor had already been sidelined.

His orders couldn't even leave the palace, but outside of Germania, the emperor could summon a whole group of people with a single shout from any army unit.

If they were to step forward and seize power, it would later be proven that they were the ones who forced the emperor to abdicate and go into exile, which would directly ruin them and get them expelled from the military corps.

They needed to find a proxy to step forward at this moment to help them seize power and declare a ceasefire.

At the same time, they needed someone to shift the blame onto those guys, to pin the blame for the emperor's abdication and exile, and the defeat in the war.

So who are the people who can meet the Chief of the General Staff's requirements?

The Chief of the General Staff quickly found a suitable proxy: the leader of the right-wing ruling party.

Although in the Empire, the so-called right-wing ruling party actually had no real power, it was basically nothing more than a rubber stamp. In fact, the party even split during the war and its strength was much weaker than before.

However, at this moment, this guy is not a soldier, so he is suitable to negotiate with Bonitania and Gaul. At the same time, he does not have any power to effectively influence the political situation. Finally, theoretically, his position is quite high, making him suitable to fill the vacancy left after the emperor abdicates.

Even if he wanted to do something after taking power, as someone destined to be responsible for the terms of the ceasefire, he wouldn't stay long before being ousted. He was the perfect candidate, just the right size and length.

After the successor to the emperor's power was chosen, the Chief of the General Staff and the Marshal were also selected as the targets for shifting blame.

The military was disgusted by the left-wing groups that were the first to think the war couldn't go on after it started and began inciting strikes and demonstrations. We were risking our lives on the front lines, and our best lads were enduring rats and fleas in the trenches. And you bastards who were comfortably staying in the rear were still dissatisfied with your treatment?

If they weren't too busy, they would have already given these bastards a good beating.

Now that the successor to power and the scapegoat have been chosen, all that remains is the last and most important thing: to establish contact with the Bonitania and the Gauls, and then... at all costs.

Fortunately, although almost the entire world was engulfed in war, just as the Teutonic Emperor was able to flee with a trainload of goods, there were still some countries in the world that were not involved in the war, which could serve as a bridge between the Teutons, Buntania, and Gaul.

So when the news came that the Teutons wanted to make peace, the gentlemen of London were overjoyed.

When the Teutonic Emperor telegraphed his resignation and went into exile, they knew that this war was finally going to be over.

But when the Teutons actually began to make contact with them, wanting to discuss a ceasefire, this immense sense of happiness still made them feel dizzy.

It's been too long. This war has lasted far too long. When it first started, everyone thought it would only last a few months at most. No one expected it to drag on for years, consuming everything like wildfire.

For the Bunitas, it's hard to say whether the war was a gain or a loss.

The glorious Royal Navy lost many ships, and the large merchant fleet also suffered considerable losses.

However, just like Buntania's traditional national policy, although they did not achieve much in the Old World, they occupied large swathes of Teutonic colonies. Even after the collapse of the Sultanate, they extended their influence into the Middle East. At the same time, the division of Russia made the Buntanians extremely happy.

Apart from a slightly higher number of deaths and a slightly higher cost, the outcome seems to be considered good.

Ending the war now is not unacceptable.

After all, they didn't want any more deaths or to spend any more money.

So when the diplomatic corps received the Teutons' proposal for a ceasefire, the gentlemen of London were overjoyed and tried to contact Joe, who was charging toward Germania in a frenzy, to stop him.

It's definitely not appropriate for someone to say they want a ceasefire and then immediately start kicking down their house, right?

Moreover, they already had Cologne in hand and had broken through the Hindenburg and Rhine lines, which was enough to secure their position at the negotiating table; Joe didn't need to do anything more.

But just as the gentlemen were studying the specific terms of the ceasefire, the gentlemen in London discovered that they could not contact Joe.

There were countless telegrams, but Old Joe didn't reply.

This prompted the gentlemen of London to immediately issue a death order to Field Marshal Haig: find a way to stop Old Joe immediately! Stop charging toward Germania!

Just as the gentlemen of London were rejoicing, they ordered Old Joe to stop.

The Gauls' feelings are something that must be discussed.

If we exclude Russia, which is now divided into north and south, the Sultanate, which is in ruins and has lost its capital, and the Habsburgs, which are also in ruins, then Gaul, which has the best army in the Old World, is the country that suffered the most losses in this war.

From the very beginning of the war, the most valuable northern part of Gaul was occupied by the Teutons. The losses caused by the subsequent battles of Verdun and the two Paris campaigns, even disregarding the economic losses, were enough to make anyone's heart stop just by looking at the long list of casualties.

Although the Gauls had begun a large-scale counterattack, they had not yet extended the war to Teutonic territory. Therefore, for the Gauls, the truce was like a cup of water appearing before them, a welcome relief after a long trek through the desert.

The Gauls no longer cared what liquid was in the cup; they just wanted to gulp it down to moisten their throats.

Unlike the Bunitaians, who were unsure whether they had gained or lost, the Gauls suffered heavy losses in this war.

Unlike Buntania, which had a strong industrial base, and the Teutons, which built up industrial capacity before the war, the Gauls were historically wealthy and received a steady stream of wealth from their colonies. Therefore, their economy before the war relied mainly on the financial operations of banks.

As long as you have money, you can get rich without much trouble or hard work. Work? Work is something only peasants do. The Gauls are the masters; their ancestors and emperors/kings/governments finished their work when they entered the Central Plains. Why would they need to work? Who would they work for? As long as Gaul is still thriving, they won't starve!

However, as the war progressed, the Gauls were horrified to discover that the war was not only draining their finances but also destroying their creditors, debtors, and collateral in droves. If the war did not stop, Gaul would truly be out of money!
Therefore, the Gallic lords naturally welcomed the Teutons' desire for a truce.

Of course, not everyone welcomed this wholeheartedly. One general said that the Teutonic main force was still there at this time, and the war had not yet reached their homeland. Based on experience, if they could not be disarmed, it was hard to say whether the Teutons would come again in the future.

Regarding the soldiers' concerns, the Gauls replied, "I understand the reasoning. We certainly won't give the Teutons another chance. Rest assured and watch how I handle things."

And the armistice agreement hasn't even been signed yet. Can't you try a little harder? Look at the Buntanians next door. Old Joe has already broken through the Rhine defenses and captured Cologne. The more you work on the battlefield, the more bargaining chips we'll have at the negotiating table.

So after the Teutons proposed a ceasefire through diplomatic channels, although delegations from both sides immediately went to the Forest of Compiègne for negotiations, the Gauls not only did not stop fighting, but intensified their attacks during the negotiations.

Of all the major belligerent nations, only the Americans were completely bewildered. Why was there a ceasefire?

On the first night after the Teutons proposed a truce, no one in the Old World slept.

At the Hindenburg Line, the Gauls concentrated all their armored forces, with the tank battalion commanded by Jean-Pierre and Charles launching a continuous assault on the Teutonic fortifications within the Hindenburg Line.

In Cologne, Marshal Haig's envoy was driving through the shattered city, cursing and swearing, in hot pursuit of Joe's direction.

Joe not only ignored telegrams but also didn't read the airdrop orders, focusing solely on charging towards Germania. With no other option, Marshal Haig dispatched two special envoys, one by car and the other by plane, to stop Joe, who was charging forward as if he had eaten something wrong. If the armistice was signed that night, they couldn't allow Joe to continue penetrating deeper into Teutonic territory after the armistice was signed.

Even disregarding political considerations, this guy is charging way too fast. If the Teutons could easily spare a regimental-level unit, they could cut off Joe's retreat and surround him and his troops. So this guy has to stop.

The proliferation of various governments throughout Teutonic territory has brought the entire region to a near standstill.

In London and Paris, while the gentlemen formulated more detailed demands under the dim light, they displayed utter arrogance towards the Teutons during negotiations.

If you want a ceasefire, fine, an unconditional ceasefire. Just come and sign the agreement. As for what the terms of the agreement are, that's none of your business. In short, surrender or not.

The Teutons were certainly not satisfied with the arrogant attitude of the Bunitania and Gauls.

After all, even now, they have only truly lost one city, Cologne, and they still have millions of troops capable of continuing to fight. Such unconditional surrender terms are a complete insult to them.

Even the officers who wanted a ceasefire felt that the conditions were too harsh and that they should fight for better terms.

However, the right-wing party leader who had seized power with the support of the military did not think so.

He was fully aware of his current situation. Although it seemed that he had replaced the emperor, he was actually just a rubber stamp pushed to the forefront, and could be replaced by the Chief of the General Staff at any time.

Nobody wants to be a rubber stamp, and that's not why he's been working in politics for so many years.

Of course, he neither dared nor had the ability to confront the Chief of the General Staff head-on, so signing an armistice agreement became an excellent opportunity.

Regardless of the conditions of the armistice agreement, as long as the war ends, the General Staff will no longer have as much power as before, and will be able to do something on its own.

As for the specific details of the ceasefire agreement, although the party leader doesn't understand military affairs, he does understand politics very well.

If the military could win, they would never have been in such a hurry to drive out the emperor and then stop the war.

Since the military believes they can't win, there's no point in further negotiations. Trying to get what can't be won on the battlefield through negotiations is wishful thinking.

Therefore, as long as the ceasefire agreement is not too outrageous, he is prepared to have the delegation sign the ceasefire negotiations.

The Chief of the General Staff could more or less guess the party leader's idea of ​​launching a coup to drive the emperor away, but he did not intend to stop the party leader from doing so.

As the supreme commander of the Teutonic army, the Chief of the General Staff knew that the war was clearly unsustainable.

If they continue to hold on, they will only lose more, so it's better to end it quickly than to suffer a long, drawn-out pain.

However, this does not mean that the Chief of the General Staff did not intend to play a trick on the party leader. That is, although the Teutonic delegation included military personnel, it did not include military representatives.

This means that even if the delegation signed the armistice agreement, the military could still shift the blame, claiming that the agreement was signed without the military's endorsement, that it wasn't the military's incompetence but rather the civilian government's loss of sovereignty and national humiliation, and that it had nothing to do with them.

While preparing to take down the party leader, the Chief of the General Staff was also gathering all available reserves to launch a counterattack in Kassel.

With Cologne captured and the Rhine defense line breached, Joe, that guy, seemed to have taken the wrong medicine, charging eastward relentlessly. If we didn't stop him, he'd be heading all the way to Germania.

So at midnight that day, after a whole day of high-speed driving, Joe, who was already dozing off in the car, thought he could pass through Kassel peacefully as before and replenish some fuel and food in the city, but he kicked a hot potato.

The Teutonic Chief of Staff brought in the Brandenburg Regiment and the Germania Guard Regiment, which had been previously dispatched to suppress the riots. Both regiments were highly elite members of the Guards.

Joe, caught completely off guard, crashed headlong into the Teutonic Guard's defensive line. Although he was initially stunned by the attack, he quickly recovered and began to dominate the two regiments.

Although Joe left the tank units behind in order to advance quickly, he still brought the artillery units with him to prevent this from happening.

Meanwhile, the troops Joe led on the run all held the title of Guards.

At this point, Joe had two choices: he could take advantage of the darkness to bypass Kassel and continue towards Germania, or he could stay here and try to annihilate the two regiments.

Looking at the remaining distance of about 400 kilometers to Germania, Joe knew he probably wouldn't make it in time.

Although Joe pretended not to receive the telegram, he had received a message two hours earlier that the two sides had begun negotiations in the Compiègne Forest, and that he was required to stop advancing immediately, set up defenses in place, and await the outcome of the negotiations.

Faced with the current situation, Qiao hesitated for a moment before finally letting out a long sigh.

Too many people have already died in this war, so let it be...

Joe halted the infantry advance and ordered the artillery to throw out all the shells they had brought, saying there was no need to take them back.

With Joe's order, the artillery began to pour shells into the city of Kassel, and the explosions lit up half the night sky.

As dawn broke on the horizon, a disheveled lieutenant colonel burst into Joe's command post, telling him he had orders from Field Marshal Haig to immediately halt the advance. At the same time, the radio received a telegram.

This morning at 5 a.m., the Teutonic delegation signed a ceasefire agreement. All Teutonic armed forces will disarm on the spot or hand over their weapons to nearby Buntania, Gaul, and Caucasian forces before withdrawing to the east of the Rhine. All hostilities must cease now.

Looking at the telegram in his hand, Joe shook his head.

He sighed, realizing he hadn't made it in time, and looked at the lieutenant colonel.

"Since we're already here, how about we go and confiscate the Teutons' equipment?"

It was called receiving equipment, but in reality, it was no different from accepting surrender.

Joe led a group of officers into Kassel, which had been ravaged by artillery fire all night. In the city hall, he met the two regimental commanders and took their sidearms, as well as those of their officers, from them.

However, when Joe took the sidearm from one of the regimental commanders, the commander asked him if he knew that a ceasefire was imminent, otherwise why was there only artillery bombardment last night and no infantry attack was sent out? Many innocent civilians died in last night's artillery bombardment.

Joe stared at the officer for a while, until Joe's cold gaze made the regimental commander break out in a few beads of sweat on his forehead. Then Joe spoke to the Teutons present in a deep and loud voice, "Last night's shelling was just a warning. If you want to do it again in the future, we will finish what we didn't finish last night. Believe me, it won't just be shelling then."

(End of this chapter)