German Red Prince

“Alright, alright.” Old William waved his hand and followed Williams toward the factory.

Darmstadt is now governed by the Kingdom's plenipotentiary representative, who is much more capable than the previous mayor. At least now, you can't see litter everywhere on the streets, you can't smell that awful odor anymore, and you can't even see homeless people anymore; I heard they've all been taken in by the authorities.

The Rheinmetall factory has resumed production, but the former manager was arrested, and the factory's management fell into chaos, so it has not truly recovered yet.

"I told you long ago, there would never be any quality issues with what I make, and those bastards actually used it to start a rebellion!" Emmanron said angrily. Ever since he received the money, he had been grumbling about this matter. Now it's clear that it wasn't his fault after all.

"What do we do now? The old factory director has been arrested, and without a leader, who will pay our wages?"

"That's right, there hasn't been any notification or anything yet. We haven't been paid, who's going to pay our wages? I have a wife and kids to support."

The workers in the factory were chatting in small groups when Williams arrived with old William. Listening to their conversation, it was clear that the factory was leaderless and everyone was waiting for someone to take charge.

Just as the group was making a ruckus, they suddenly heard the roar of a car engine and a series of piercing horns coming from the factory gate. Everyone quieted down upon hearing the sound and turned to look at the factory gate. A black car slowly came to a stop, and judging from the four or five military vehicles following around it, it was clear that someone of great importance had arrived.

The soldiers on the military vehicle were the first to jump off, and with guns in hand, they began to guard the area around the factory. This was quite a show of force, which made the people inside the factory a little nervous.

After the car stopped, several soldiers in black uniforms got out first, followed by someone they recognized.

"Mr. Carl?"

The workers were somewhat surprised. Weren't these the young people who had come here to do odd jobs before? What was going on? Why did they bring so many people here?

Thorne was somewhat embarrassed. He hadn't wanted to bring so many people, but Butler Hammer insisted on doing so and wouldn't allow Thorne to voice his opinion. After forcibly shoving him into the car, he even borrowed some troops from Lieutenant General Strachewitz and brought Fred along as well.

Anyway, he brought a huge group of people, like they were about to have a brawl. Hamo's actions made sense, since Thorne had been assassinated countless times in recent days, and it was only thanks to his good fortune that nothing happened to him.

This terrified Hammer. He's old, so we shouldn't upset him. He even considered shooting himself when he got lost in Thorne, Poland. We don't want that to happen again.

"Hello everyone," Thorne greeted the crowd to ease the awkwardness.

"Um, um, I'm the representative of the kingdom. I've come over to talk about the factory's future plans."

"A representative of the kingdom?!"

The workers were stunned. He was actually the kingdom's representative? Wasn't the kingdom's representative supposed to be the second prince? He was the second prince? This second prince had actually been working here before?

In other words, these common people actually worked alongside the prince back then, which is something they can brag about for a lifetime.

This prince is a pretty good person. At least he considered their feelings and even organized a book club for them to study together. They still have that radio, and they listen to it during their breaks.

Williams was also very shocked. Thorne had said that the two of them would meet again, but he didn't expect it to be so soon.

"It's actually a prince," Williams exclaimed. He should have expected it; being able to afford such a fine sanatorium is something most people couldn't do, and only royalty could afford it.

"Gentlemen, the original factory manager has been arrested according to law, so we are here to reorganize the factory."

Thorne waved his hand, and several soldiers came up. They deftly took out several boxes and placed them directly on the table in the factory. Everyone was curious at the sight.

"what is this?"

"Are you stupid? Just look at the box, that's a box the bank uses to store cash!"

"What! They're paying wages?"

The quiet factory erupted in commotion once again, with everyone displaying great excitement.

"Gentlemen, the wages that the factory previously owed us have now been paid in full. I have already withdrawn some money from the Kingdom Bank. The factory will reconcile the accounts later, and then we will pay the wages!"

"Long live!"

The workers erupted in cheers; they had finally received their wages, and their anxieties were finally relieved.

"besides."

Thorne was about to say something more, but the workers quieted down and continued listening.

"The factory's previous work system was very unreasonable, so from now on, the factory will strictly implement an eight-hour workday! Eight hours of work! Eight hours of rest! Eight hours that are your own!"

"Long live!"

The workers were extremely excited. What a wonderful day! Was this a dream? The eight-hour workday was finally going to be implemented! This empty promise was finally going to be put into practice.

"As you all know, I've worked with you all for a while, so I really sympathize with what you've been through. I know the working conditions in the factory, and going forward, the factory will comprehensively improve the welfare and benefits of its workers. There will be a one-hour lunch break, and the factory will provide plenty of food! At the same time, we will implement a two-day weekend! You will now have two days of free time each week!"

"Long live the kingdom! Long live the prince!"

Good news kept coming in, and the workers could no longer contain their excitement, cheering loudly.

Thorne looked at the workers and announced loudly.

"Workers! The vast number of laborers! The era that is about to begin belongs to you!"

Chapter 80 Rhein Enterprise Management Method

Thorne was explaining the welfare policies that the factory would be launching. If these policies were effectively implemented, the workers would no longer have to live a miserable life, and the Rhein Machinery Plant would become their paradise.

So before Thorne could finish speaking, all the workers couldn't help but cheer, especially the older workers who had worked there for a long time. They couldn't help but shed tears. After so long, they had finally made it through and reached the day when they were treated like human beings.

"Everyone, be quiet."

Thorne waved for everyone to be quiet, and the cheers gradually subsided as everyone gathered around to look at him. He then continued, "I know what kind of lives you all led before. During the time I lived with you all at the Rhine Machinery Factory, I witnessed firsthand the ugliness of these managers. These people exploited the workers like vampires. I apologize to you all. I apologize to the worker who died of illness and the little boy who committed suicide. It was the kingdom's inadequate oversight that allowed these people to wreak havoc with impunity. I promise, I guarantee with my personal reputation, that such a thing will never happen again in the factory!"

Thorne solemnly declared his vow: as long as he ruled Darmstadt, he would never allow anything like this to happen there.

"Now that I've talked about the benefits, I'd like to discuss some aspects of the factory's future development direction and plans."

Thorne took out a booklet he had written a few days ago. It was his newly written factory regulations. The problems at the Rhine Machinery Plant were definitely not limited to this plant. There must be many other places in Rhineland that were just like this. Dark sweatshops were ruthlessly exploiting their workers. If you saw a cockroach in the sunlight, it meant there were too many cockroaches in the shadows. It seemed that there was still a lot of work to be done.

"This is your new factory manager, the new head of the Rhein Machinery Plant."

Thorne introduced the middle-aged man standing to the side, "This is your new factory manager, his name is Antonio Grete."

Antonio Grete stepped forward, smiled at the workers, and greeted everyone.

"Hello everyone, I am Antonio Grete. From now on, I will lead you all to work together and make Rheinmetall a true home for you all!"

"Welcome, Mr. Grete!" the workers shouted.

Grete is an old comrade, a veteran party member who followed Thälmann back in the day. Thälmann had to go to great lengths to contact him. Now that Thorne is in control of Darmstadt, he wants to build it into his base. Thorne doesn't know when an accident might happen, so he needs to quickly establish an effective organization to deal with any potential problems.

Thorne has already instructed Thälmann to contact his former comrades and bring them to Darmstadt. These old comrades are all valuable assets; they have fought alongside Thälmann in Berlin for so long, and their loyalty to the party is certainly trustworthy.

"Next, we will implement a new management system. The factory will implement a new democratic management system, and factory leaders will also participate in labor. Leaders will appear as ordinary workers and establish an equal relationship with the workers. Workers can also participate in management and supervision of the factory. We will reform all unreasonable rules and regulations and combine the roles of workers, leaders, and technicians."

"At the same time, a workers' committee was established in the factory to supervise the factory and protect workers' interests. If the factory makes any decisions that affect workers' interests, the factory must consult with the workers' committee. Overtime is strictly prohibited in the factory. If overtime is necessary due to certain issues, the hourly wage for overtime will be doubled. Wages will be increased across the board so that everyone can make a living and live a good life, take care of their families, and improve their quality of life. Workers' wages will be increased to 7 marks per day, and workers will be paid triple wages for working on holidays."

"Double pay for overtime? Triple pay for holidays? My God, I must be dreaming." Emmanuel touched his head, he could hardly believe it. Was this real or just empty promises? Were these people really here to work?

"Also, didn't we form a vanguard group and a book exchange group before? But I think that's still too little. There are too few recreational activities for workers. So, we will be forming a workers' club. I'd like to ask everyone, what will you do on your days off when we implement a two-day weekend?"

"Of course, I'll sleep in!"

"I want to drink beer! I'm going to get some beer!"

The workers chattered amongst themselves, most of them choosing to drink or gamble that day. They felt the workers were being oppressed too much, treated like machines, and could only relieve their stress through these activities, trying to relax through "indulgence." This was clearly not acceptable; the workers would be the main force of the revolution in the future, and they could not be allowed to degenerate like this.

"Gentlemen, things are not as they used to be. Are you going to waste your rest time on such activities? Gambling and alcoholism are poisons, the schemes of those who exploit you, to label you as barbaric and rude, to corrupt you, to leave you without energy, without thought, and without the ability to resist."

"Next, we should have higher-quality activities. In the Workers' Club, you can learn, read, cultivate your hobbies, improve yourselves, and develop yourselves. At the same time, the Workers' Club will organize many sports activities, so our Rhein Machinery Plant will form its own football team. In the future, you may meet workers from different industries and cities and make more friends!"

"We will also improve everyone's living standards and housing conditions. The factory's accommodation conditions are very poor, and the housing conditions for all the workers are also very poor. We will rebuild new housing, and on this basis, we have some other related policies."

“In the next factory, child labor will be strictly prohibited. Children’s youth should not be wasted here. Therefore, we will build a series of supporting facilities around the factory. We will build a factory-run school and housing for workers’ families so that you can take care of your children and families while working here. Children can study at the workers’ school, and older children can learn professional skills here. Their future should be more brilliant.”

"After the workers get off work, the school here will remain open. The night school will teach everyone some professional theoretical knowledge, so that everyone can understand the world, learn advanced theoretical knowledge to arm their minds."

"Factory construction is one policy, and another is our healthcare. In terms of healthcare, in order to prevent diseases and treat workers' occupational diseases, we will also build a hospital here to regularly check the workers' health. Some professional medical experts from the Kingdom have arrived in Darmstadt and will come regularly to provide consultations and treatment for everyone."

Thorne paused here, and cheers erupted from the audience again. Everyone was looking forward to the reconstruction of the medical facilities, since the current medical environment was really too poor.

Thorne smiled when he saw everyone's excited and thrilled expressions.

"The Kingdom will undertake this reconstruction of the medical facilities. The Kingdom will provide substantial funding to expedite the construction of the hospital and enable faster treatment of patients. The Kingdom will also reimburse the majority of medical expenses, allowing everyone to maintain long-term health with minimal expenditure!"

Thorne's policies, later known as the Rhine Enterprise Management Law, were probably the most advanced industrial regulations in Germany at the time. They effectively protected workers' interests, increased their productivity and political awareness, and, after being implemented throughout the Rhineland, provided a large number of vital forces for the German Revolution.

"Alright, that's all I have to say." Thorne finished reading and looked at the workers around him.

“Next, we’ll settle the wages!” Thorne waved his hand, the money box was opened, and Gretel and several accountants began to check the accounts and pay the workers the back wages.

"Long live the new regulations! Long live the new policies!" The workers were overjoyed, celebrating their rebirth.

The workers of the Rhine are about to be completely liberated! Completely awakened!

Chapter 81 Joseph in France

Paris, France.

As the elder brother of socialist countries, the French Commune's leadership position in the socialist camp was certainly unquestionable, and the heroic French people possessed passion and fervor in their very bones.

More than a hundred years ago, the French Revolution, launched by the French people, shocked the whole of Europe. The ideas of liberty, equality, and fraternity spread rapidly from France, like a noose around the necks of nobles and popes, sending feudal monarchy and papal privileges to the guillotine and completely negating the seemingly self-evident monarchy.

More than fifty years ago, the citizens of Paris made their first great attempt at the proletariat to seize power. Although it failed miserably, the revolutionaries learned from their mistakes and succeeded fifty years later!

Through the joint efforts of the French people, the corrupt bourgeois government was overthrown, and a great, equal, and advanced proletarian regime was established. The French Commune was formally founded!

Just as the First French Revolution brought advanced bourgeois Enlightenment ideas to the world, the Second French Revolution brought even more advanced ideas of proletarian liberation, allowing people all over the world to break free from the shackles that had bound them for so long.

France was the first to attempt a proletarian seizure of power and the first to successfully establish a socialist regime. It possesses an unparalleled wealth of revolutionary experience, making it a holy land for revolutionaries worldwide. Revolutionaries from various countries come here to learn from the French model and its experience in armed seizure of power.

Joseph was one of these many revolutionaries and exiles. He had followed Lenin in the revolution in Russia from the very beginning, traveling to many parts of Russia. He saw that the revolutionary situation was very promising and the Tsarist government was overthrown. However, just as the February Revolution had achieved great success, Lenin was suddenly assassinated by a gunman.

The bullet pierced his chest, and the giant of the revolution fell. Joseph was right next to him, but he didn't even have time to react before Lenin fell from the platform.

He saw regret, resentment, and confusion about the future in his mentor's eyes. What would become of Russia in the future? He could no longer see it. The giant closed his eyes slowly, carrying with him his hopes for communism.

Lenin's assassination dealt a heavy blow to the Russian Bolsheviks, who immediately split within the organization. Joseph was particularly fiercely criticized, with his assassination blamed on him and even labeled a reactionary. Had it not been for the intercession of his comrades, he might have been executed on the spot.

In short, using this pretext, Joseph was quickly ousted from the center of power and became a marginal figure. After a series of political struggles and Trotsky's angry departure, Bukharin successfully seized power and became the new Bolshevik leader, continuing to lead the Soviet regime.

After the October Revolution, the Soviets successfully overthrew the bourgeois government and established a new Soviet regime. However, the Soviet regime refused to sign the Treaty of Brest-Litovsk and continued to fight against Germany, which greatly diminished the Soviet regime's credibility among the people. Many people believed that the Soviet regime and the Provisional Government were cut from the same cloth.

Ultimately, the Soviets, lacking popular support, failed under the combined pressure of domestic and foreign opposition. Russia signed an even more humiliating agreement, abandoning Ukraine and Belarus in the West and losing the South Caucasus and Central Asian countries.

In the East, Japanese intervention forces occupied Outer Manchuria and other areas, establishing the Far Eastern Republic. Germany supported a new, more compliant government, which severely weakened Russia.

After Germany won its final victory in the Great War, Russia became a vassal state of Germany and part of the German market.

After the failure of the Soviet Revolution, these exiles also fled to France. The exiled Bolsheviks still centered around Bukharin, so Joseph was excluded from the Russian faction even after arriving in Paris, becoming a lonely wanderer.

Revolutionaries from various countries in Paris were basically sticking together for mutual support, so Joseph's position was quite awkward. However, this also brought him some advantages. He didn't have to rack his brains to debate with those people. Trotsky was driven away by this very reason. Joseph could extricate himself from these matters and do more things.

It can be said that France changed a lot after the success of the revolution, especially in the cultural sphere. It gained some cultural influences and lost others after the civil war. The French proletariat declared their intention to completely sever ties with the old culture and establish a "new proletarian art" belonging to the people.

Classical songs and art were not encouraged, ancient art and musical masterpieces were labeled "bourgeois" and "counter-revolutionary," and were banned from public display by workers' cultural committees in many places. A large number of artists fled abroad, which dealt a significant blow to France's traditional culture.

This action by France drew ridicule from many Germans, who called them "proletarian hooligans," "socialist barbarians," and people who didn't understand art.

Germany benefited greatly from the "artistic reform movement" in France, with most artists fleeing to Germany. This trend quickly spread to high society music and art in Germany, and German classical art and culture developed to varying degrees during this period.

However, driven by the emerging art scene in Paris and other major cities, Lower Surrealism, Futurism, and other art forms began to flourish.

While the culinary culture that the French have always been proud of has remained unchanged, the visual art forms have undergone a revolution.

Film, radio, and many other innovative forms are being widely used as means of providing cultural experiences to the public. Many arts groups under the Cultural Council regularly go to the countryside, and even elderly farmers who have never left their villages in their entire lives may have the opportunity to watch a film once a week.

These mobile art societies in rural areas not only enrich people's lives but also, to some extent, improve the overall quality of the French people.

France's Minister of Culture advocates that "culture and art should not look back, but look forward," so futuristic culture is very popular in France. Paris has various futuristic buildings with a strong "science fiction style," giving people a strong visual impact.

Various novels and comics also depict the future, with airplanes that will break out of the Earth, talking robots, and machines that can store all knowledge.

Some scientists also participate in the creation of such works, which has promoted the development of scientific research in France to varying degrees. So, France has lost some things and gained others.

Joseph gained a lot in France. He visited all the major libraries in Paris and learned several languages ​​in his spare time. He is now fluent in many languages ​​besides his native tongue.

At the same time, Joseph also visited many places in France, freeing himself from the constraints of those empty theories. He preferred to see things for himself at the grassroots level.

The French Commune now followed an economic model described as "socialist, trade unionist, and semi-planned." This new economic model allowed France to largely avoid the economic crisis following the Civil War. By implementing this model, France was able to produce enough goods to feed its people and pay some of the German reparations, even under economic constraints.

In preparation for a potential second world war, the current ruling party in France has opted for an industrialized civilian economy with militaristic elements. However, many in the government are concerned about the security of the gains made during the French Revolution and have devised even more militaristic methods, which they are preparing to implement.

Rapid industrialization led to the rapid modernization of France. Joseph recognized the power of industrialization and witnessed the construction of grassroots party organizations in France. He learned some important things in France besides theory, and these experiences influenced some of Joseph's future practices to varying degrees.

Joseph was suddenly notified to attend a meeting that day, which surprised him. It was strange that they were thinking of him this time. He had always been ostracized by the Russian faction in previous meetings, but he wasn't this time.

The main purpose of this conference was to re-establish contact with comrades in Poland. The Polish revolution had been brutally suppressed by German imperialism, countless revolutionaries had been killed, and a large number of revolutionaries had been persecuted, forcing the Polish revolutionary party to go underground again.

The French international communist conference reiterated the need to contact the Polish comrades, who felt that a world-changing war with Germany was imminent and that preparations had to be made in advance. The red flag must not fall, and France needed allies.

France had lost contact with Poland, but recently some intelligence had come from Poland that their comrades were breaking through the blockade to make contact. Therefore, France was sending determined comrades to re-establish stable contact points so that Poland could once again receive French aid.

"So that's it."