German Red Prince

"I once fought alongside Ernst, and his tactics and ideas greatly inspired me. The Rhine Kingdom Air Force's debriefing conference also had a profound impact on me. I owe a lot of my achievements to my studies in the Rhine Kingdom back then."

"This guy has a very pleasant way of speaking, and he has high emotional intelligence."

"It's a pity Ernst died in the accident," Thorne sighed. "But Ernst's air squadron is still around. How's your Richthofen squadron? Are the crew members alright?"

"us......"

Göring listened to Thorne's words in silence for a while. "I was the last commander of the Richthofen Wing. After the war, many air wing units were disbanded, including ours."

Seemingly recalling the past, Goring appeared somewhat sad at this moment. "After the regiment was disbanded, we all went our separate ways. I never took out this uniform again. I was thinking that I could find a good place after the war, but who knew that in the end I could only teach."

"I'm sorry, I touched a nerve."

“It’s alright, Your Highness.” Goring waved his hand. “These things are in the past, there’s no harm in talking about them now.”

"Do you still want to go back to the Air Force?"

"I really want to, Your Highness."

Upon hearing Thorne's words, Goring suddenly stood up. "Your Highness, the battles in the skies back then gave me a sense of purpose in life. I cherish those days very much. Flying taught me what honor and responsibility are. Returning to the blue sky is my wish!"

"How are your teammates?" Thorne didn't answer Göring directly, but instead asked about his former comrades.

"Living conditions were much worse after the disbandment, but we still kept in touch and supported each other, so we were able to make ends meet."

"Can they still fly?"

Upon hearing this, Göring became excited. This was promising; it seemed the Kingdom of Rhine was going to take them in.

"Of course they can fly. Although they haven't flown for many years, they were top-notch pilots in Germany back then. They were like eagles in the sky. Technically, they have no problem. They just need to familiarize themselves with the technology and they can fly again in a few days."

“It was Adolf who recommended you. I’ll give you two options: either you and your friends can come to Rhine, and I’ll arrange stable jobs for you and guarantee your livelihood.”

"Another option is that you can go to the Rhine Air Force. The kingdom will reorganize an air force wing for you. What do you think? Consider it."

“I choose to join the Rhine Air Force.” Göring did not hesitate at all. He did not want to remain unknown. Only in the sky would people remember Hermann Göring, the flying hero.

"Flying is our life. I will never forget the days I fought in the Richthofen squadron, and so will my teammates. The sky is our final destination."

"You need to think this through. In the future, we may very well encounter war again. Are you sure you want to give up your peaceful life and return to the skies?"

“I’m sure, I’m absolutely sure.” Goring didn’t hesitate at all.

"Haha, it seems your spirit hasn't diminished as much as it used to be."

Thorne walked over and patted Göring on the shoulder. “Then you can contact your former teammates. The Rhine Kingdom’s air force needs veterans like you. I believe that here, you can restore the former glory of the Richthofen Brigade.”

"Thank you, Your Highness." Göring gave Thorne a solemn salute and walked out gratefully. Next, he would contact his former teammates and rebuild the Richthofen United team here.

Göring is quite capable, and it wouldn't be a problem to let him continue to serve as the captain of the air wing. As for the position of commander-in-chief, he probably wouldn't be able to handle it. Being an air wing captain would be just the right position for him to fully utilize his abilities.

Moreover, Göring may have other missions in the future. Thorne looked into the distance, perhaps in the future, his battlefield will not be in Germany, but in a more distant place.

Chapter 133 France Destroyed in Three Months?

What do you think of what you just said?

After Thorne left, the people inside did not leave, but instead pondered the possibility of Thorne's idea: a breakthrough from the Ardennes Heights—an idea that most commanders would not have considered.

However, the opponent was the Commune, which made it easier to relate to the situation. Modern France had completely abandoned its traditions, and Paris was no longer the romantic city it once was. The Commune's transformation of France was very thorough.

Modern France is exploring a culture belonging to the proletariat. They want to create an advanced culture completely independent of the capitalist world, so they are very radical. This cultural radicalism has also driven rapid development in various fields.

The most obvious change is that France's tactics are no longer conservative, and some of its military experiments are quite bold. It is said that they are researching aircraft that do not need propellers. The mainstream of this era is still biplanes, and they are transitioning to monoplanes like those of the 1930s.

France is now researching aircraft that don't need propellers, which to some people is as unbelievable as sending people to the moon.

France has many such ingenious ideas, but most of them remain in the imagination stage due to funding constraints, at most only a few drawings have been made.

The Commune's economy was not as good as expected, even though it only took them a few years to revive the French economy.

However, given his current strength and the ongoing costs of supporting foreign revolutionary forces and internal attrition, it would be difficult for him to take on Germany one-on-one.

However, compared to Germany, France's national cohesion is indeed several levels stronger, and its policies are almost universally accepted. Germany is terrified of this kind of "socialist brainwashing."

Because many of the French defectors who were investigated were basically volunteers, they did not ask the French for a salary, and there were many highly educated people among them.

Take, for example, the three Berlin University professors who fled to France. Who would have thought that these professors had been recruited by France for a long time? Just a few days before their escape, the three of them were received by the German Emperor.

The Commune was a formidable opponent in every respect. Even if Thorne went a bit too far and said that the Commune's army would parachute into Berlin, they would still have to consider how to set up defenses in Berlin.

“What Your Highness just said is something I think we should indeed consider,” Chief of the General Staff William Haye said after a moment’s thought.

"Breaking through the Ardennes is not impossible, but we have consciously ignored it."

"It would be very difficult to break through from here. If we look at it from more than ten years ago, the commander who thought of such an operation, allowing slow-moving infantry to break through from here, deserves to be court-martialed."

"But things are different now. As far as I know, the French army is moving towards motorization. Their army is being equipped with a large number of motorcycles, and they have even begun to phase out their cavalry units."

"If we are fast enough, breaking out of the Ardennes will not only not cause any losses to France, but will also allow the Commune to find a way to win quickly."

“Since Your Highness has said so, let’s go and verify it. Lieutenant Colonel Guderian was brought back from Berlin. Your Highness wouldn’t bring back an insignificant person. Perhaps he really will bring us a surprise.”

After Thorne brought the people back to the Rhine, he had them teach at the Chazelleman Military Academy. In fact, even now, King Otto has hardly ever seen those people that Thorne brought back.

Of the three people who returned from the battlefield with Thorne, one was studying at an academy, and the other two were doing something with Otto, which was unclear.

Anyway, after returning from Poland, this guy is like a completely different person. He went from being a nobody to now being able to participate in the affairs of the kingdom.

This is a good thing, and Otto didn't think too much about it. Maybe Thorne will become like Charlemagne later on. After all, Charlemagne was also a nobody at the beginning.

At this time, Guderian was still studying the tanks that Thorne had given him. The approval process in the Ministry of War was too troublesome, but now that Thorne could send him tanks directly, it saved him a lot of time. He had never given up on studying tank tactics since he came to Rhineland.

The environment in the Rhine was indeed much more relaxed than in Berlin. Every document Guderian submitted to his superiors received a detailed response, unlike in Berlin, where submissions were basically ignored.

This is understandable, though. The Kingdom of the Rhine faces France directly, and if war breaks out, the Commune would first have to wage a full-scale war against the Kingdom of the Rhine.

Therefore, the Kingdom's sense of crisis is much stronger than Berlin's, and it conducts a lot of research on military matters; otherwise, it might be vulnerable to attack from the other side if it is not careful.

"The possibility of armored or mobile forces rapidly breaching the Ardennes?"

Guderian looked at the document that had been delivered and felt somewhat puzzled. Why had they suddenly sent him such a document? Had they also begun to realize the importance of tanks?

There are two documents, one from Germany and one from France. The main content of the documents is to explain how armored forces can successfully break through this area.

This report was not difficult for Guderian, who was an armor expert and had done a lot of research in this area. However, he was just curious as to why a document would be sent to him from above.

Thinking about the kingdom's actions these past few days, Guderian slowly guessed Rhine's thoughts. If the plan he submitted could be implemented, then the kingdom might no longer spend large sums of money on the defense line, and his armored mobile warfare concept would also be adopted.

Two documents were handed over from above. Could it be that France wasn't genuinely trying to reassure Germany by repairing the defenses? Guderian recalled his previous speculations; perhaps violating the treaty wasn't as simple as it seemed on the surface.

Is France currently planning an attack on Germany? Otherwise, why would the higher-ups have asked him to also write down possible plans for France to break through the Ardennes?

Guderian was taken aback, realizing the Commune was serious. The two countries were clearly not prepared, yet France was already in such a hurry. If their tactics were exposed, all their efforts would be in vain.

However, this intention was indeed difficult to detect, and Guderian couldn't help but admire the person who proposed the idea.

This plan was extremely risky, but if it succeeded, it would turn the tide of the entire war. One has to admire the French people's adventurous spirit.

A major war shattered Germany's adventurous and radical spirit, leaving its military thinking stagnant. In contrast, France, after its defeat, was able to quickly break free from its previous mindset and find new methods.

Guderian is now also curious about this place. The fact that the kingdom's military department could think of this place shows that there are indeed experts in the Rhine.

He also became interested in the man who pointed out the Ardennes, and the trip was indeed worthwhile; the kingdom was much better than he had imagined.

It's clear that Guderian wanted to meet Thorne, but Thorne shamelessly stole someone else's idea. The real proposer of Operation Scythe, Manstein, is still sitting on the sidelines in the General Staff.

The plan that made Manstein a god in World War I was taken for free; I wonder what that person thinks about it.

However, in this timeline, it's uncertain whether Manstein can continue his shining moment. Under the conservative influence of the General Staff, a radical young man like him can't change anything.

Like a joke in the German army, as long as those old guys were still around, they had to take care of every single mule in the army.

Guderian took the documents to his protégé. It has to be said that this girl was indeed outrageous. When Thorne brought her over, Guderian didn't pay much attention to her. He had never heard of a woman commanding on the battlefield.

However, Hannah's talent and ability quickly made Guderian put those thoughts far away. He had excellent judgment; this young girl was much younger than him, and with her level of expertise, her future achievements would definitely far surpass his own.

"Hannah, do you think there's a high chance of an armored breakthrough from the Ardennes?"

Guderian handed the documents to Hannah, who simply smiled after reading the report. "With ten armored divisions at my disposal, I can bring France to surrender in three months."

"To make France surrender in three months?"

Guderian found it hard to believe. In his estimation, even with so many armored divisions, it would probably take about six months to occupy France.

If the French resistance had been any fiercer, it might have taken a year. This little girl actually boasted that she could conquer France in three months. Arrogant, really arrogant, but I like it.

After thinking for a while, Hannah shared her general thoughts with Guderian. If Thorne were present, he would surely think that it would be reasonable for her to become a marshal.

Because her proposed plan was practically a carbon copy of Operation Scythe, it seems that Hannah will not only steal Guderian's thunder in the future, but also Mandela's.

Chapter 134 Imaginary Enemy

"According to you, you can quickly break through the French defenses from the Ardennes?" Guderian asked thoughtfully, listening to Hannah's words.

“That’s right, teacher.” Hannah pointed to the map. “The best thing to do is to make them think that our main target will be the same as last time, in the Flanders Valley region.”

"If that's the case, we can break through the Ardennes region, quickly split the French army in two, and encircle them in northern Belgium. That would essentially end the war."

Hearing Hannah speak so casually about breaking through the Ardennes Forest and dividing the battlefield into two, if this strategy were to actually be implemented, the enemy forces in the encirclement would number at least 300,000.

Deciding the fate of 300,000 people with such a casual tone—good, that's how a commander should act. Guderian felt a surge of satisfaction; the battlefield is not a place for mercy.

"So, it seems like this battle could decide the outcome," Guderian said, pointing to the encirclement.

"If we wipe out the soldiers inside the encirclement, it will be a devastating blow. We've never been this crazy during the Great War."

"The formation of this encirclement is indeed a huge blow to France, but it will be difficult to determine the outcome based on this one battle."

“If it were the French Republic, we would have won after we finished this battle and took Paris. It would probably have taken no more than two months. But the Commune is different.”

Hannah sounded somewhat regretful. In addition to studying theoretical courses every day at the academy, she also learned about the current situation in other countries.

She is already preparing for a war that could break out at any time in the future.

She is researching countries that may go to war with Germany in the future.

Germany is situated in a strategic location in Central Europe, and its relations with its neighbors are not good. Being surrounded by powerful enemies has shaped its world-class army, which also means that it can never relax its vigilance.

In the future, those countries in the east, west, and south may clash with Germany, and the French Commune is most likely to be the first to launch an attack.

Revenge and ideological issues gave Germany a powerful enemy in the west.

In the south, Austria-Hungary could also go to war with Germany at any time. Although Hannah looked down on it, she still considered it a potential enemy.

Her definition of the Austro-Hungarian Empire was that the country was caught in an extremely complex web of ethnic and power conflicts, and that it would never easily wage war against Germany without absolute certainty or opportunity.

The Austro-Hungarian Empire and the German Empire had a love-hate relationship; they would never act without being certain of victory.

However, if they seize an opportunity, such as if Germany were to descend into some kind of civil unrest, this southern neighbor could very well become restless.

However, if war were to break out, even if Germany were in some kind of predicament, dealing with such a country would be relatively easy.

Sending a few divisions to camp on the border would have been enough to wear down Austria-Hungary. With no dominant ethnic group in the country, disintegration would have been a matter of minutes. If they hadn't won the war, they probably would have been finished long ago.

Another threat came from the East, from Russia. Before the war was even over, Russia was in turmoil, and the Red Revolutionary Party eventually came to the forefront. Hannah was still somewhat worried about this giant in the East.

After the Red Party failed under armed intervention, the vast Tsarist Russia was dismantled, and strategic strongholds in Eastern Europe and Central Asia that the Tsar relied on gained independence, which greatly limited the power of present-day Russia.

Russia's current leader is a pro-German figure supported by Germany, so Russia doesn't pose a significant threat for the time being. But who knows how long this situation will last? Will Russia really bow down to Germany regarding those territories that have been forcibly divided?

Beneath the seemingly stable Russian political landscape, undercurrents are certainly surging. The former revolutionaries, the fallen monarchists, and the exiles seeking revenge against Germany—Russia's political situation is likely to undergo tremendous changes in the future.

It's hard to imagine what it would be like if Russia were to become unified in the future and revert to a commune-like state.

Fighting a Russia like that would inevitably result in enormous casualties, and the chances of success are slim unless Germany itself achieves a revolution.

However, that's the job of those politicians; what she needs to do is to devise appropriate tactics before the war breaks out.

She employed different methods against different enemies, and consulted with Model and others on this matter.

Her plan was to attack the south first, then the west, and to attack from the left and defend from the right. If war broke out, Germany might be attacked from three sides. She decided to pick the weakest link first and start with Austria-Hungary if war did break out.

After quickly disintegrating the country, Germany could not linger there for too long. The best approach was to promise independence and let them fight their own battles, while freeing up troops to attack France after dealing with the enemy in the south.

It is best to focus on defense on the eastern front. If we launch an attack on such a large battlefield before we have dealt with France, we will inevitably be unable to attend to both fronts.

Hannah had been thinking about how to fight France, and Guderian gave her a completely new idea.

According to Hannah's plan, the German fleet would first starve France, and then the main attack would be launched from Belgium. Germany's vast colonial resources could completely wear them down.

The breakthrough from the Ardennes now gives Hannah a better way to achieve a quick victory, shorten the war, and give her troops more time to confront Russia.

If the French army could be encircled from the Belgian direction, breaking into Paris would not be as difficult as before. As the center of the French and international communist movement, occupying it would be of great significance, but it was far from enough to force the Commune to surrender.