Iron and Blood: A Triumph of the Will

Like a sudden storm, this greatest revolution upended the empire's regime and all its institutions. It can be called the greatest revolution in history, because never before had the Bastille, seemingly impregnable, been so easily taken down…

Yesterday morning, at least in Berlin, everything was fine.

By the afternoon, everything had disappeared.

- A commentary published by Theodor Wolf, editor-in-chief of the Berliner Zeitung, on October 10, 1918.

......

Men aren't born smoking; they only smoke when they're lonely.

The first thirty years are spent in a state of perpetual sleeplessness, the next thirty years insomnia – this is practically the epitome of a man's life.

A day had passed by then; it was the night Joachim left the emperor.

He's been standing there ever since, smoking incessantly on the balcony, his feet covered in white ash and burnt cigarette butts.

Realizing our dreams is a long and arduous journey.

"Where do you plan to go next, Your Highness?"

William Grener did not leave with the emperor; he stayed there all night.

Joachim knew what he had been doing, so he stubbed out his cigarette and calmly asked, "I'm going to Berlin. Will you come with me?"

His voice was soft, but it struck the other person's heart directly.

Grena paused for a moment, carefully examining the emperor's young son.

Ultimately, he decided not to tell the other party the truth: "I don't plan to go to Berlin. The emperor is gone, so naturally I will follow in His Majesty's footsteps."

"So you don't plan to take up any position in the future republic, right?"

"Yes, in a sense, that is true."

"Then I think we don't need to talk anymore."

Joachim stubbed out his cigarette, turned around and looked at him intently: "You have your path, and I have mine."

"I hope you will always remember the kindness the Hohenzollern family has shown you. I don't ask you to repay them, I only ask that you don't abandon them."

After saying that, Joachim decided to ignore him and threw down the cigarette.

He turned and walked towards the door.

Groner's snake-and-rat duality did not surprise him.

Joachim was well-versed in history. On the night the emperor abdicated, Groener contacted Albert and reached the Albert-Gröner Agreement, in which Groener promised to transfer military power to the new government in exchange for guaranteeing the other party's commitment. This would not affect the rights of the German military aristocracy within the army.

"Your Highness?" Grena stood there stunned for a long time. When he turned around, Joachim was already far away.

He stared at the other's back for a long time, lost in thought. This prince, who seemed "unmanly," was not as simple as the world imagined.

"Your Highness!"

"Good morning!"

As Joachim strode out the door, he greeted his followers.

He got directly into the car.

As soon as he got on the bus, he closed his eyes and began to think about where he was going next, since he hadn't slept all night.

And what is he going to do next?

Joachim didn't have many cards to play, and he had very few supporters, except for a driver and a secretary.

He had almost no officers and soldiers at his disposal, and in such a rush, it would be difficult for him to assemble a large army to accomplish his mission.

Therefore, what we need to do now is to proceed gradually.

But some things cannot be delayed. He must sever ties with the German royal family as soon as possible so that he can move freely on this land called Germany.

The Treaty of Versailles, signed not long ago, explicitly listed Wilhelm II as a war criminal. Moreover, the current government also considers Wilhelm II a culprit in the defeat and a deserter. Therefore, his current royal status is a burden to him and must be severed.

As for Wilhelm II's attitude and reaction, that was beyond his control.

His next task was to acquire some property and eventually go to Silesia.

That place was the front line of the confrontation between Germany and the newly formed Polish Republic, which was very advantageous for what he was about to do.

Thinking of this, he raised his hand and patted the driver in front, signaling him to bring him the paper and pen from the passenger seat.

Immediately afterwards, Joachim took a pen and wrote "To My Father".

"Send the original manuscript to the Berlin Daily."

......

Joachim's car drove all the way into Berlin.

Chaos reigned in the streets, and the once revered statue of the emperor had its head smashed off.

It rolled down to the side of the car and landed right next to Joachim, who had just gotten out of the car.

Everywhere he looked, there were chaotic crowds fighting each other; the left, center, and right wings of Berlin had become one.

"Your Highness, please be careful."

As soon as the driver, Wolf, got out of the car, he immediately stood in front of Joachim, fearing that the prince he served would be harmed in the slightest.

"Don't call me Your Highness, we're friends."

With the empire's collapse, Joachim did not feel that Wolf still had any obligation to be loyal to him.

Therefore, for him, Wolff was not only a subordinate, but also a friend.

A trustworthy friend.

"I dare not... I dare not stand shoulder to shoulder with His Highness."

Wolf was so startled by Joachim's words that he stammered.

Trembling, he retreated behind Joachim, who reached out and patted his shoulder, stroking his back: "The empire is destroyed. Now we can only support each other. We used to be master and servant, but now we are friends, friends who support each other."

That's how it is between men: either they support each other, or they never speak to each other again.

As ancient bonds of loyalty weakened with the collapse of the empire, Joachim sought to revitalize a belief system to unite those around him.

Difficulties are temporary; if morale is low, the team will be really hard to lead.

"Thank you, Your Highness. I will always remember your kindness."

"You are my friend. You don't understand now, but you will in the future."

Seeing that the other person didn't dare to stand shoulder to shoulder with him, Joachim decided not to talk to him anymore, as he had many things to do today.

Although he had made ample preparations a month earlier, transporting much of his wealth to Silesia, it was clearly insufficient to support a large army. This is why he returned to Berlin; he wanted to exploit the officials' loyalty to his father to extract sufficient wealth from them.

Then he returned to Silesia to recruit his own army...

As for Wilhelm II's expression when he saw what he had written, that was beyond his control.

But what else came to his mind when he thought of this?

He turned to look at Wolf.

"What is it, Your Highness?"

"I'll send that statement to the Berlin Daily later. Once I've received the assets, you can submit it directly."