Rise of Empires: Spain.

Chapter 539 Changes in Germany
When Hindenburg received the telegrams from the commanders-in-chief of the two German army groups on the Balkan front, Hindenburg and Ludendorff immediately realized that the time had come to change the structure of the German High Command.

Both men were dissatisfied with the incompetence of Kaiser Wilhelm II and Chief of the General Staff Falkenhayn, and clearly recognized that if the current status quo in Germany was not changed, then Germany would inevitably be the loser in this world war.

Whether it was to save Germany or to seize power from the German High Command or even the German government, Hindenburg and Ludendorff had only one thing to do: use the army's defeat in the Balkans to force Falkenhahn, the Chief of the General Staff appointed by the Kaiser, to resign.

It would be very difficult to directly cause trouble for the German Emperor. After all, the German monarchy was deeply entrenched, and only a few decades had passed since Prussia unified the German territories. Many Germans still recognized the rule of the Hohenzollern family and the current strength of Germany.

Of course, this does not mean that Kaiser Wilhelm II's position is firmly established. Abolishing the Kaiser is certainly impossible, but rendering him powerless is not a difficult task for Hindenburg and Ludendorff.

Forcing Chief of the General Staff Falkenhahn to resign was the first step in sidelining the Kaiser. Once Kaiser Wilhelm II lost military power, he would be forced to accept being effectively powerless.

Hindenburg and Ludendorff, who had the support of the Junker aristocracy, would not only have complete control over the German military once they became Chiefs of the General Staff of the Supreme Command, but would also have been able to extend their influence to the German government, thus gaining complete control over the military and political power of Germany.

Kaiser Wilhelm II was shocked when Hindenburg and Ludendorff mentioned the enormous casualties suffered by the German army in the Balkans at the Supreme Military Conference of the German High Command.

He immediately glared angrily at Chief of the General Staff Falkenhayn, and when he saw the slightly flustered and frightened look in Falkenhayn's eyes, Wilhelm II immediately understood everything.

Clearly, in order to protect his position, Falkenhayn concealed the situation of the German army on the Balkan front from Kaiser Wilhelm II.

Falkenhahn knew that if Wilhelm II found out that Germany had gained nothing in the Balkans, then in order to keep his throne, Falkenhahn, as Chief of the General Staff, would likely become the scapegoat and be pushed out by Kaiser Wilhelm II to take all the blame.

Wilhelm II's initiative in ordering Falkingham to resign was entirely different from the situation where Hindenburg and others forced Falkingham to resign. If Wilhelm II had been able to promptly recognize the dire situation of the troops at the front and had taken the initiative to dismiss Falkingham from his position as Chief of the General Staff, he might still have had a chance to appoint the next German Chief of the General Staff.

But the current situation is clearly the opposite, and the situation is no longer under Wilhelm II's control.

"Your Excellency Chief of the General Staff, please explain to everyone why you still want to issue orders for a strong attack on the front-line troops despite the heavy casualties at the front."
Does Your Excellency Chief of Staff not care about the casualties of our soldiers? Don't you know that because of your order to launch a strong attack, at least tens of thousands of elite German soldiers have died on the battlefield, and more than one hundred thousand excellent soldiers have been wounded as a result?

You destroyed not only our last hope of turning things around, but also the once happy lives of tens of thousands of German families.

I simply cannot imagine how much worse our situation would have been if the commander at the front hadn't sent me a telegram bypassing his superiors.

"Your Majesty, I believe that Falkenhahn is no longer suitable for the position of Chief of the General Staff. I suggest that Mr. Falkenhahn resign on the spot, and even that the Supreme Command should investigate Falkenhahn's responsibility. The General Staff he leads is the culprit for our enormous setback in the war." At a military conference of the German Supreme Command, Hindenburg, the Commander-in-Chief of the German Eastern Front, delivered a passionate speech, listing the crimes of Chief of the General Staff Falkenhahn and criticizing him as Germany's greatest sinner.

While such a statement is clearly an exaggeration, Germany was already at a disadvantage on the battlefield at this point, and both the German military and government did indeed need a stigmata to take responsibility for their actions.

Upon hearing Hindenburg's series of questions, Kaiser Wilhelm II wanted to stand up and say a few words, but Ludendorff beat him to it: "Your Majesty, Marshals and Generals."

This is the casualty report submitted to us from the Balkan front, and the casualties are still rising steadily. Even disregarding the war itself, we must suspend our offensive operations in the Balkans and rethink possible ways to break the deadlock.

It is clear that our Chief of Staff is no longer fit to remain in the Supreme Command. I have doubts about his abilities and am even more furious about the enormous losses caused by his erroneous command.

But now is not the time to lament these losses. We must cut our losses immediately, find the most suitable commander for the Supreme Command, and for all German troops and soldiers fighting for their country, a Chief of the General Staff who truly cares for soldiers and is truly capable.

Compared to Hindenburg's simple questioning of Falkenhall, Ludendorff's speech had a more obvious purpose: to help Hindenburg win the position of Chief of the General Staff of Germany.

In theory, Hindenburg and Ludendorff did not have the right to dismiss the Chief of the General Staff. Even the German High Command served the Chief of the General Staff.

Kersindenburg and Ludendorff were Junker nobles, and if we take into account the influence of the entire Junker noble group, we must completely overturn the previous conclusions.

Hindenburg and Ludendorff may not have the power to dismiss the Chief of the General Staff, but if the entire Junker aristocracy opposes Falkenhayn as Chief of the General Staff, then Falkenhayn certainly cannot continue to serve as Chief of the General Staff.

This is the power controlled by the Junker aristocracy, and it is also the reason why Kaiser Wilhelm II preferred to promote a less capable Chief of the General Staff rather than let Hindenburg serve as Chief of the General Staff.

As Hindenburg and Ludendorff, two prominent figures representing the Junker aristocracy, spoke out one after another, more and more high-ranking German military officers agreed to dismiss Falkenhahn from his position as Chief of the General Staff.

Seeing that things had escalated, Fajnhan sat in his seat, his face pale. He was powerless to do anything about the current situation and could only wait for the final verdict.

Wilhelm II, who had single-handedly promoted Falkenhayn to the position of Chief of the General Staff of Germany, felt an intense burning sensation on his face at that moment.

Although Hindenburg and Ludendorff did not directly criticize him, all the high-ranking German military officials present knew that the biggest reason Falkenhahn was able to become the Chief of the General Staff of Germany was because of Wilhelm II's promotion.

Neither in seniority nor ability did Falkinghan qualify to be the Chief of the General Staff of Germany. Those who had pushed for Falkinghan's appointment against all odds now naturally bear the responsibility for his failure to fulfill his duties.

Knowing that the situation was no longer under his control, Kaiser Wilhelm II, though slightly angry, did not change much in expression. He remained calm and looked at Chief of the General Staff Falkenhayn, saying, "Your Excellency Chief of the General Staff, I am disappointed in your performance."

Your order to launch a full-scale offensive by soldiers on the Balkan front is utterly absurd. Such a disregard for the lives of ordinary soldiers has deviated from my original intention in selecting you as Chief of the General Staff.

I now declare, in my capacity as the German Emperor, that you are dismissed from your post as Chief of the General Staff, and that the Supreme Command will hold you accountable based on the relevant war command situation.

You are no longer the Chief of the General Staff of the German Army, and you have no authority to participate in military meetings of the Supreme Command. Please leave immediately; the subsequent meetings are no longer your concern.

It was an indisputable fact that Falkingham would be removed from his position as Chief of the General Staff. However, Wilhelm II still wanted to personally handle the entire process of Falkingham's removal.

Just as he had said to Falkenhayn, Wilhelm II described his decision to promote Falkenhayn to Chief of the General Staff of Germany against all odds as a normal selection process.

Since it was a selection process, Kaiser Wilhelm II naturally had the right to choose the one he favored among the several candidates for Chief of the General Staff.

Although the appointment of Falkingham as Chief of the General Staff was a disastrous outcome, it only demonstrates Wilhelm II's poor judgment and is not enough to place too much responsibility on him.

This was Wilhelm II's aim: to separate himself from Falkenhayn as much as possible and make Falkenhayn bear all the responsibility.

Falkenhayn naturally understood Wilhelm II's intention. His face paled as he looked at Wilhelm II, about to say something, when Wilhelm II ruthlessly interrupted him: "Alright. Since it has already happened, you don't need to argue anymore."

Your merits and demerits will be judged by the Supreme Command. If you have done something for Germany, no one can deny your contributions.

The purpose of this meeting is to resolve the predicament facing Germany; your matter is irrelevant to this meeting. If you feel wronged, please submit an explanation to the Supreme Command, clarifying your intentions in issuing the order for a full-scale offensive to the troops in the Balkans.

If you have nothing else to say, please leave so as not to delay the meeting.

It's not fair to blame Wilhelm II for being ruthless; the blame lies with Hindenburg and Ludendorff for their aggressive tactics. If Wilhelm II dared to speak up for Falkenhayn, Hindenburg and Ludendorff would try to link him to Falkenhayn. Wilhelm II had no choice but to either sever ties with Falkenhayn or stand with him and face the Supreme Command's accountability.

After watching the pale-faced Falkenhayn leave the Supreme Command military conference, Wilhelm II turned his gaze to the other high-ranking military officials in the room.

After lingering on Hindenburg and Ludendorff for a long time, Wilhelm II finally spoke up: "Now that the position of Chief of the General Staff is vacant, the most important thing now is to appoint a trustworthy candidate for Chief of the General Staff for the army and all soldiers."

I think.

Before Wilhelm II could finish speaking, Ludendorff stepped forward, his face showing a hint of respect, and said with a smile, "Your Majesty the Emperor, I believe that these are extraordinary times, and the appointment of the Chief of the General Staff should not follow the old rules."

We must consider the army's desire for victory and promote a Chief of the General Staff who can bring victory to Germany and all its soldiers.

Given these requirements, I believe that when discussing a new Chief of the General Staff, the primary consideration should be the candidate's contributions and achievements on the battlefield during their current tenure.

Only generals capable of winning battles are qualified to become Chief of the General Staff and bring victory to Germany. If we were to have another Chief of the General Staff like Falkingham, we would most likely suffer defeat.

Ludendorff's direct interruption of Wilhelm II was extremely rude. If this had happened before the war, Wilhelm II would have immediately reprimanded the person who dared to interrupt him, and might even have dismissed him from his post, making it clear to everyone that the emperor's authority was not to be challenged.

But now, hearing Ludendorff's slightly sarcastic words, Wilhelm II couldn't utter a rebuttal.

What else can Wilhelm II do now? Should he once again defy public opinion and promote a non-Junker nobleman as Chief of the General Staff?
If Wilhelm II had actually dared to do that, the discontent among the Junker aristocracy would have been enough to shake his throne, even without Hindenburg and Ludendorff's intervention.

Wilhelm II, who had been expressionless, finally showed a slight change in expression, but quickly regained his composure.

His slightly angry gaze swept over Ludendorff and Hindenburg, but after seeing Ludendorff's unyielding eyes, Wilhelm II finally backed down.

"You're right. The current candidate for Chief of the General Staff must take into account his performance on the battlefield."

"I have no good suggestions for the Chief of the General Staff. If you have any good candidates to propose, feel free to bring them up at this meeting," Wilhelm II said expressionlessly.

Wilhelm II's concession was met with a completely uncompromising response from Ludendorff.

"Your Majesty the German Emperor, if we were to name the most suitable candidate for Chief of the General Staff, I would say Field Marshal Hindenburg is the obvious choice."

In terms of his performance in the war, Field Marshal Hindenburg commanded numerous battles, large and small, during his time leading the Eastern Front army, achieving considerable victories and results.

We have now occupied large swathes of Russian territory, which was acquired during the command of Marshal Hindenburg's Eastern Front army.

Compared to the setbacks on the Western and Balkan fronts, we were able to gain a slight advantage on the Eastern Front, and Marshal Hindenburg deserves immense credit for this.

"I propose that Field Marshal Hindenburg be appointed as the new Chief of the General Staff, with full command over the war against the Allies, to seek the last glimmer of hope for victory for Germany," Ludendorff said with a smile.

The reason why Ludendorff proposed Hindenburg as the Chief of the General Staff was actually due to the need for him to avoid any appearance of impropriety.

If Hindenburg himself had proposed for the position of Chief of the General Staff, it would inevitably have seemed somewhat boastful. While Hindenburg was indeed one of the more outstanding high-ranking German generals, boasting about himself was clearly less sophisticated than someone else doing so.

At this time, Ludendorff was Hindenburg's best straight man. When Hindenburg was not in a position to fight for his own interests, Ludendorff spoke the words that Hindenburg most wanted to say.

Although Hindenburg did not directly express his interest in the position of Chief of the General Staff, his true intentions were clear to everyone from his previous competition for the position.

At least within the Junker aristocracy, no one would refute Hindenburg's claim to power. Moreover, Hindenburg, in terms of both experience and ability, was indeed the most suitable candidate to serve as Chief of the General Staff at the moment.

Seeing that Wilhelm II did not object to Ludendorff's proposal, everyone knew that Hindenburg becoming the new Chief of the General Staff of Germany was a foregone conclusion.

As expected, Hindenburg received an extremely high percentage of votes in the subsequent votes, with almost all Junker generals supporting him as Chief of the General Staff of Germany.

Some high-ranking generals outside the Junker aristocracy also aspired to the position of Chief of the General Staff. However, without the support of Kaiser Wilhelm II, no one could compete with Hindenburg, who had the backing of the Junker aristocracy.

After announcing Hindenburg's appointment as Chief of the General Staff of Germany with a blank expression, Wilhelm II left the military conference at the Supreme Command.

He also knew that even if he stayed at the meeting, he couldn't change any of the Supreme Command's decisions.

With the support of the Junker aristocracy, Hindenburg effectively controlled Germany's military command after becoming Chief of the General Staff.

Hindenburg and Ludendorff were unconcerned about Kaiser Wilhelm II's abrupt departure from the meeting.

Now that he had become the Chief of the General Staff of Germany, Hindenburg's next plan was naturally to reverse Germany's decline on the battlefield as much as possible and win a great victory for Germany.

If Germany could be brought back from the brink of collapse and its decline reversed, Hindenburg would not only be able to secure his position as Chief of the General Staff, but he might even become a legendary figure like Bismarck.

With the immense prestige brought by the war victory, Hindenburg was not only able to become the Chancellor of Germany, but also had the potential to seize control of both the military and the government, completely sidelining Wilhelm II.

Hindenburg, who had just become Chief of the General Staff, showed no mercy. With Wilhelm II away from the meeting, he took the initiative to preside over the military conference and immediately issued several orders.

First, the order for a full-scale offensive in the Balkans issued by former Chief of the General Staff Falkenhayn was immediately rejected. Then, the troops in the Balkans were ordered to withdraw and regroup, and the original Balkan counter-offensive plan was cancelled.

Hindenburg viewed Falkingham's counter-offensive plan as utterly foolish. The fact that Austria-Hungary was able to sign a peace treaty with the Entente Powers indicated that the country was weary of war.

Even if Germany were to launch a counterattack to Vienna, it would be impossible to force Austria-Hungary to rejoin the war as an ally.

On the contrary, Germany, which brought Austria-Hungary back into the flames of war, may be resented by Austria-Hungary.

In this way, even if Austria-Hungary rejoins the war, it will most likely be as a member of the Entente Powers.

Hindenburg had no desire to push Austria-Hungary to the opposite side of Germany, nor was it necessary for him to provoke an enemy that still had the strength to spare at this time.

(End of this chapter)