Germany does not seek survival

Faust patted the mustache man's shoulder and said, "I have asked Miss Beatrice to take good care of you."

The mustache man's eyes were slightly red. "Comrade, comrade... yes, Mr. Faust and I are comrades! I shouldn't say thank you, but... Faust! I respect you, especially you."

Faust could only scratch his head. After shaking hands with the little mustache man and saying goodbye, he did not see Beatrice again. He just left a letter on the butter and bread for Miss Beatrice.

In the letter, Faust told Miss Beatrice that he believed the war would end within a year or two, and that everything would gradually get better after the war, so he asked her to persevere.

After doing these things, Faust rode his black Westphalian warhorse and left with Rommel, and soon entered Belgium.

On the border between northern France and Belgium, this area was occupied by the German army at the beginning of the war. When Faust and Rommel passed by, they saw a German execution squad shooting a row of Belgians wearing medical uniforms.

Faust's hearing is far superior to that of ordinary people. As long as he concentrates, he can hear the miserable cries of many people through the forest.

Rommel's face darkened, looking grim and ugly: "In war, it's hard to find good people."

In the decades of Belgium's history, the country has never fought a war, and its security depends entirely on its foreign policy.

A permanent neutral country.

In the pre-war plans of the German General Staff, including the brilliant old Chief of Staff Schlieffen, it was expected that Belgium would not put up much resistance to the German invasion.

However, the opposite happened. When the German army invaded, the Belgian resistance was extremely fierce. The German army had to shoot civilians in retaliation for sniping, arrest and execute hostages, and shell houses. As a result, it developed into a house-to-house battle. The artillery razed Liege to the ground before the German army could pass through.

The German propaganda on this was: Our advance into Belgium was certainly brutal, but we were fighting for peace. Whoever stood in our way was obstructing peace and would have to suffer the consequences.

The German army occupying Belgium executed Edith, a British head nurse at the Brussels Hospital, on the grounds that she failed to monitor the Allied prisoners who were recovering from their injuries, resulting in the prisoners escaping after recovering from their injuries.

Rommel could not hide his disgust. He was not from the traditional Prussian military aristocracy, the Junkers. Rommel came from a family of teachers, so Rommel's moral concepts about war were much stronger than those of traditional Prussian Junker officers.

Faust looked at Rommel and asked, "Captain, what are we fighting for?"

Rommel pulled the reins of his warhorse, somewhat speechless: "Of course it's for the Reich, for our common German nation."

"I hope so," Faust said. "If we fight this war for the survival of the German nation and make the lives of the German people worse, we will be putting the cart before the horse."

Rommel said sadly: "The people's lives... I don't know. I haven't been back home for vacation for a long time. I don't know anything."

Faust then asked Rommel, "I've heard that a section of the SPD's left-wing faction, the Spartacists, have formally formed an anti-war group called the Spartacus League. They're calling for an armistice and peace in Berlin, and more and more people on the front lines are hoping for peace. They think an immediate armistice, as the Spartacus League has proposed, is acceptable as long as Germany doesn't have to pay reparations or cede territory."

Rommel had a general favorable impression of the Social Democratic Party, and he knew even less about the Spartacus League, the left-wing faction of the Social Democratic Party.

Rommel said: "If we can achieve peace without ceding territory or paying indemnities, that would be great. We don't want French land, and the French don't want to take our land. But the Allies will definitely not agree to this."

Faust smiled. "In my opinion, our General Staff is even less in favor of this kind of peace."

Rommel was silent. He knew the German General Staff very well and of course knew that it was filled with a group of self-important "military geniuses".

The General Staff was extremely ambitious. The victory they wanted was a peace in which Russia ceded Poland and the Baltic Sea, France ceded its northern industrial areas, and Belgium ceded its coal and iron producing areas.

Ideally, Britain, France and Belgium would cede several million square kilometers of their African colonies to Germany.

The General Staff's ambition is so great that the war will have to be fought to the death.

Rommel felt a little regretful: "If the Spartacus League you mentioned had a little more influence, and if their peace proposals could reach the ears of the General Staff, things might be better."

Faust laughed and gave Rommel a copy of the Spartacus Letters.

"Captain, since we're free on this trip, we can read more of the Spartacus Letters together and learn more about the Spartacus League's stance. We're all soldiers, and if you, Captain, are promoted to the General Staff in the future, you'll naturally be able to bring the voice of peace to the General Staff."

Rommel actually read "The Spartacus Letters" seriously. He was an officer of civilian origin. He was promoted rapidly during World War I entirely because of his talent and outstanding military achievements. Therefore, he was ostracized and discriminated against by some Junker nobles within the German army.

Rommel had a very bad impression of the Junker nobles who monopolized the General Staff. Rommel's father was a senior teacher and his family was considered a middle-class family, but in the eyes of this group of old-fashioned "Black Banner" Junker nobles, he was also a beggar from a poor family.

The children of the Junkers were influenced by their parents since childhood and received the best military education. Their promotion in the army was also taken care of by their parents. Officers from humble backgrounds like Rommel had to hold their breath all the time and work twice as hard to prove themselves.

Therefore, Rommel must have been very dissatisfied with the old system of the German Empire.

Later, on the way to Spa, Rommel spent more and more time reading the Spartacus Letters.

During the night rest, Faust and Rommel slept side by side. Rommel was already full of resentment. He hated the Junker aristocracy for squeezing out the advancement channels of civilian officers. Faust focused his firepower on talking about this point.

"The Prussian spirit has nothing to do with the Junker aristocracy."

Faust spoke eloquently: "The spirit of the Prussian officer corps is patience, loyalty, and rationality. The Junker aristocracy did not have innate military genius, but in the past they monopolized the best military education in Germany, and naturally many military talents emerged."

Rommel agreed, nodding his head repeatedly. Faust then continued, "Prussia hadn't fought a war in just over thirty years since the Seven Years' War. Their generals were all just using the same old tricks, and their soldiers weren't training regularly. The so-called Prussian spirit and Junker aristocracy were completely thrashed by Napoleon's army in just two weeks."

Faust said, "The Junkers were able to fight because they had the privilege of receiving military education first. They also used their connections in the army to restrict the advancement of children from poor families..."

Faust glanced at Rommel and said:

"Even from a purely military perspective, the Junkers opposed the 1913 military expansion bill. To put it bluntly, they feared a massive expansion of the German army. The Junker nobles' own children were insufficient in number. The more the German army expanded, the less control they had over it. They would have to watch helplessly as a large number of citizens' children poured into technical positions in the army, diluting the proportion of Junker officers."

Chapter 16 Rommel Joins the Gang

The original meaning of Junker is "young nobleman" or "young master". It originally referred to young nobles in Germany who had not yet been knighted. Later in Prussia, it was generally used to refer to the manor nobles in the eastern region.

Not all Junker nobles are the old-fashioned military nobles that most people imagine. In fact, Junkers are divided into three types: military Junkers, land Junkers and court Junkers. For example, Bismarck was a land Junker and then became a court Junker, and he did not have much military experience.

Faust also acknowledged the past contributions of the Junker nobles.

"In the western and southern parts of our country, where self-employed farmers are the majority and small and medium-sized properties predominate, there is a nearly equal relationship between hired workers and their employers. They work together, eat at the same table, speak the same language and have the same customs, and their children attend the same schools. Therefore, hired workers have an independent sense of identity, despite the obvious differences in ownership and income between them and their employers."

Faust went on to tell Rommel, "In contrast, east of the Elbe, large estates dominated, and these estates still retained patriarchal systems, even remnants of serfdom. On these estates, the Junkers cultivated a style of absolute obedience to those above them and arbitrary authority below them. It could be argued that it was this brutal and rude style that achieved the unification of Germany."

Rommel's hometown is the same as Faust's, both in southern Germany, but Faust's hometown Munich belongs to the Kingdom of Bavaria, while Rommel's hometown Heidenheim belongs to the Kingdom of Württemberg.

Rommel also had a dual view on the Junker family in Germany.

Rommel lay on the blanket and said:

"The entire Prussian region is composed of the least fertile sandy soil and saline-alkali land, creating a harsh natural environment. Therefore, the poor mountains and arid waters fostered the ruthlessness and arrogance of the Junker aristocracy. These qualities once helped Chancellor Bismarck to stabilize the country and Marshal Moltke the Elder to conquer the country. But now, the Junkers have fallen behind the times. They have fallen behind and become a group of drags on."

Faust had not been directly suppressed by the Junker nobles in his military promotion like Rommel, so his resentment was not as great as Rommel.

Faust believes that the Junker family may have fallen behind, but judging from their later historical performance, Junker officers still possess strong combat effectiveness.

From Scharnhorst to Moltke the Elder, the core of Germany's military reforms has been the officer training system.

Most Junker officers have enjoyed exclusive access to most of the educational resources in this excellent system over the past few decades, developed high military literacy, and maintained strong self-learning ability. Therefore, before this group of Junker officers died out, their combat effectiveness must have remained online.

But this is not something to be boasted about; rather, it is the greatest injustice of the German Empire.

Before the 20th century, the Junker aristocracy monopolized 70% of the officer positions in the German army. After several large-scale military expansions in the 1900s, this proportion gradually dropped to 50%.

But it's still a very unfair ratio.

The Junkers were not born better at fighting than ordinary German civilians, but they had been exposed to their fathers' military experience in the manor since childhood. When they grew up, they were able to monopolize the military education resources of German officers. Of course, their success rate was much higher than that of ordinary people.

Rommel's hostility towards the Junker family was purely emotional hatred and catharsis.

Faust used the materialist view of history to dissect the Junkers.

"The Prussian bourgeoisie was weak, and the bourgeoisie's market was highly dependent on the consumption of the princes and nobles and the expenditure of the government and the army. This economic dependence, coupled with its inherent lack of strength, caused the German bourgeoisie to bow down politically to imperial power."

"But after German reunification, southern Germany had fertile soil and a developed agriculture, while west Germany, on both sides of the Rhine, had Europe's most booming industry. The situation had fundamentally changed, yet Germany was still confined to the traditions of the Prussian era. This was the selfishness of the Junker aristocracy."

Germany's industrialization and urbanization are advancing by leaps and bounds, which means that the Junker family, whose main wealth is land, is declining. The rapid rise of the grassroots people, their aggressive climb and their professional skills are posing a strong challenge to the Junker family in all fields.

Faust commented bluntly, "The Junkers viewed the Imperial Army as their private property, which is why they repeatedly obstructed its expansion before the war. It was only during the war, when the army expanded rapidly and the Junker population was limited, that we, the humblest commoners, had the opportunity to rise to prominence."

Rommel said with a tense face, "It's true that there are more and more civilian officers, but the General Staff is still controlled by aristocratic families. Whether in promotion or training, the Junkers enjoy privileges..."

The eye of Faust that was not covered by the eyepatch was bright and shining in the darkness.

"Captain, have you ever heard Florian Geyer's poem? 'Where were the nobles when Adam tilled the fields and Eve wove?'"

Rommel seemed to be shaken, and Faust added fuel to the fire:

"The soldiers on the front lines are starving and cold, relying on supplies captured from the Allies for a bite of meat. Our families in the rear suffer from hunger and cold. Every winter, soldiers' families starve to death, while the nobles continue to live in luxury. If you ask me, if you want to win the war, you should first confiscate the property of all the nobles and nationalize it."

Rommel was shocked: "You are crazy! This is inciting treason!"

Faust sneered, "The aristocracy, and the capitalists who shelter them, are stabbing the soldiers on the front lines in the back. They're stabbing us in the back! If Germany loses the war, all the blame will fall on the aristocracy and their capitalist lackeys."

"Who says this is treason? This is revolution!"

Rommel held Faust down and said, "Don't talk about the future. These words will cost you your head."

Faust didn't care. He pounded his chest and said, "There's a saying in Asia: 'Kings, princes, generals, and ministers are all of different species.' If the gendarmes want to take me away, just shoot right here. It'd be best if you can hit me right. Otherwise, it will be my turn to aim at the heart of the nobles."

Rommel was already very dissatisfied with the Junkers' monopoly on important positions in the German army. Faust gradually brought out his resentment, and he was shocked and angry.

Faust strikes while the iron is hot:

"We are forming a political party in the army to oppose the aristocratic families, the National Socialist Party. Your Excellency, join us. Otherwise, what else can we do? You can't really expect the Junkers to win the world war. They can't do it. If we don't take action ourselves and do something, we can only watch the aristocratic families destroy Germany."

Rommel was from Württemberg, and he had little loyalty to the Hohenzollern dynasty, which originated from Prussia. The two sides were not kings and subjects. If they were kings and subjects, then Rommel was a subject of the Württemberg royal family, not the Prussian Hohenzollern dynasty.

When Chancellor Bismarck unified Germany, he used some tricks. Although the various principalities under the Second German Empire were not as powerful as those in the Holy Roman Empire, they still retained a great deal of autonomy.

Within the framework of the German Empire, the former principalities still retained a great deal of autonomy.

South German states such as Bavaria and Württemberg, in addition to handing over diplomatic rights and wartime command, retained the greatest autonomy. Almost the entire bureaucratic system, education, postal service, railways, telegraph... were all autonomous, and they even retained an independent army.

The Prussian Junker nobles monopolized important military positions and not only suppressed commoners like Rommel, but also excluded the Bavarian and Württemberg nobles in southern Germany.

Rommel would not expose Faust, but he did not get carried away like the mustache man, but quickly calmed down.

Rommel said:

"If you want to start a revolution in the army, your forces are too weak to make a difference. If you want to launch a coup in Berlin, you are neither an officer of the General Staff nor have any connections to the Berlin garrison. On the contrary, the Junkers have a strong influence in both the General Staff and the Berlin garrison. You can't do anything right now, let alone a revolution."

Seeing that Rommel did not show strong opposition, but just analyzed the matter objectively, Faust knew that his plan to get Rommel to join him was already about 70% complete.

Faust said casually, "Of course I know all this, but everything depends on human effort. If we don't take action, we will never have this kind of influence. You are my first brick."

Rommel remained noncommittal. He did not express his intention to join Faust's National Socialist Party, but at the same time he showed an attitude of tacitly approving Faust's free actions.

"How many members are there in your National Socialist Party now?"

Faust rolled his eyes and said, "Two people, Adolf and I."

Chapter 17: The Rebels

Two rebels?

These words almost made Rommel laugh out loud, but he immediately reacted and realized that with Faust's talent, he would definitely rise to prominence in the army. If he joined the National Socialist Party at this time, he would become an original shareholder and would be able to maximize his benefits.

What made Rommel hesitant was what Faust wanted to achieve.

Faust did not directly explain his "Twenty-Five Points" to Rommel. Up to this point, Faust only told Rommel: "We are still few in number and our strength is still very weak, but in a year, I think things will be completely different. If the company commander wants to join the National Socialist Party in a year, that's fine."

Rommel was still full of doubts about the development of the National Socialist Party. He believed that Faust might be able to develop the National Socialist Party in the future, but that future would definitely be many years later. The war crisis facing Germany would require them to take major actions within one or two years.

Rommel spoke his mind honestly:

"Germany does not have much room for error. If your National Socialist Party acts rashly in the future and causes Germany's defeat, you will become historical sinners."

Faust sighed:

"Then wait until Germany is truly defeated. By then, you will surely regret not joining the National Socialist Party and not helping us develop rapidly. Fortunately, you could make a final effort to turn the tide before Germany's defeat. As a result, we can only settle accounts with the aristocratic families and their lackeys after Germany's defeat."

Rommel remained unmoved. He still had no intention of joining the unreliable National Socialist Party. Faust shrugged his shoulders. That was fine. Rommel was already moved anyway. As long as he acquiesced to the National Socialist Party's activities in the 7th Company, it would be a great convenience.

After this incident, Faust and Rommel remained silent all night. After dawn, they rode their horses at full speed to the town of Spa.

The town of Spa is located in the eastern part of Belgium. It has been famous in Europe for its hot springs since the ancient Roman period. The local hot spring baths are said to have the effect of curing old diseases, so they are very popular among the nobility, and royal families and celebrities flock to it.

Warm spring water rich in minerals flows through the Ardennes Forest. There is a very famous Peter the Great Fountain Palace in the area, which is said to be the bathing place of Peter the Great of Russia. As for other historical celebrities, there are countless of them.

The climate in Spa is warm and pleasant, neither too hot nor too cold. European dignitaries and celebrities come to the town of Spa because they believe in the therapeutic effects of Spa's hot springs.

In the languages ​​of many European countries, the word Spa itself has become synonymous with hydrotherapy. Yes, that's right, the town of Spa is the origin of the word spa in English.

The German army's headquarters on the Western Front was located in Brussels, a city with developed industry and convenient transportation. However, when German Emperor Wilhelm II came to inspect the front line, he did not choose Brussels as his base, but chose the more quiet and peaceful Spa.

Faust's awarding ceremony was not held in the town of Saint-Abel near the front line, nor in Brussels, the German base camp on the Western Front, but in the town of Spa, where the German Emperor's palace was located. Rommel and Faust both understood that the standard of this awarding would definitely be very high, and there was a great probability that he would be awarded the medal personally by William II.

The town of Spa was a tourist destination in pre-war Europe. Although it was not as famous as Switzerland, which has become a great park on earth, it was not far behind. The scenery was very beautiful, with neatly arranged forests covered with snow in winter. The view was completely pure and bright, erasing all the chaos and clutter.

There is an ancient monastery on the outskirts of Spa, which is the headquarters of the Brandenburg Guards Cavalry Brigade, which is specifically responsible for escorting the emperor. Therefore, it is decorated with banners and the treatment it receives in all aspects is not comparable to that of ordinary troops on the front line.

Most of the Junker children who were unwilling to go to the front line and did not have the ability to step into the General Staff were gathered in this unit.

As soon as Faust and Rommel arrived, a military person came out to receive them. The person wore the rank of captain and looked to be in his twenties. He always had a notebook in his hand to take notes. It was obvious that he was a test-taker who specialized in the staff route.

"Welcome, welcome, my dear friends from King William I's Foot Guards!"

The insignia on the young captain's uniform indicated that he was a combat staff officer.

In the German Imperial Army, operations staff were the most special type of staff, with much greater power than other intelligence staff and logistics staff.

It can be said that in a German unit, the combat staff is often the third person in command after the unit commander and the chief of staff.