Iron and Blood: A Triumph of the Will

"Both London and Washington have agreed to France's request that Alsace and Lorraine be returned to France without a referendum."

Joachim's car continued driving through the streets of Berlin, as his new secretary, Heinrich, read him the latest news summary.

"This news is somewhat outdated; we all know that Alsace and Lorraine will be returned to France sooner or later."

"These are their spoils of war."

"Yesterday, U.S. President Wilson addressed the French Senate, declaring that France stands at the forefront of freedom and will never face danger alone."

"It seems the Americans want the support of the French?"

Joachim said calmly.

"I've heard that the Americans are working on a so-called international alliance to ensure that European countries never go to war with each other."

"The idea is wonderful, but does 'we' he's referring to include Americans?"

Joachim said meaningfully.

"Then I wouldn't know, Your Highness."

"They seem like a united front, but they are actually full of loopholes."

Joachim smiled at him. He knew very well the French attitude toward the Germans. The French could make concessions on other issues, but they absolutely could not make concessions on how Germany was handled. However, drastically weakening Germany was undoubtedly not in the interests of the British and Americans.

I heard that the British and French are arguing fiercely over the issue of German disarmament.

The Americans abstained from voting, while the British strongly opposed it.

"This may be a good opportunity, Your Highness."

"That's true, but the problem we're facing now is that the French are afraid to completely break with the British and Americans."

"This means that the French will inevitably compromise in the future. Don't be fooled by their loud rhetoric now; they are actually quite weak at heart."

"Alright, put the documents away. We're almost at the Presidential Palace."

As they were talking, the car slowly pulled up in the presidential palace parking lot.

Joachim climbed out of the car, and a soldier came towards him.

Judging from his lieutenant colonel rank, the man in front of him was clearly Lieutenant Colonel Werner von Fritsch.

"Welcome to Berlin, Your Highness."

The man gave a military salute first, then greeted Joachim with a smile, saying, "I am Lieutenant Colonel Werner von Fritsch, who is in charge of welcoming you."

Thank you for cooperating with my work in the future.

Joachim did not return the greeting, but instead extended his own hand, indicating that the other party should shake hands.

This action directly demonstrates that he is no longer a soldier.

Instead, he is transforming into a politician.

Fridge, on the other side, was also stunned for a moment, then quickly clasped his hands together.

Joachim was taken aback by the enthusiasm on the other end.

Then he pulled his hand away: "Do you smoke, Lieutenant Colonel Fritsch?"

"Yes, Your Highness."

As he was speaking, Fridge took out a pack of unopened cigarettes from his pocket.

He tore open the seal, pulled out a tube, and handed it to Joachim.

Joachim didn't make any extra movements; he simply lowered his head and picked it up with his mouth.

The latter quickly grabbed the lighter and lit the cigarette.

The speed of their movements was astonishing, leaving Heinrich speechless.

He really didn't expect this kid to be so good at handling things; the information was still incomplete.

I definitely need to add this to the list in the future.

"From now on, when you work for me, you should call me Prime Minister, not Your Highness."

He took a puff or two, which relieved some of his motion sickness symptoms.

Joachim casually handed a cigarette to Heinrich, who, under Feligh's incredulous gaze, immediately lit it up.

"This is Lieutenant Colonel Gotthard Heinrich, my secretary. If you need anything in the future, you can contact him or me directly."

"Understood, Your Excellency Prime Minister."

"Lead the way, I need to meet with His Excellency the President."

Joachim's attitude toward Frich was unusually cold, which seemed to others as a form of disdain.

While Fritsch was also surprised by Joachim's attitude towards him,

But after a brief moment of awkwardness, he immediately led the way.

Once upstairs, Fridge tactfully withdrew.

Heinrich stayed close to Joachim.

Logically speaking, the military and Joachim are currently cooperating with each other.

Shouldn't His Highness be more at ease with the military representatives?

They should be exceptionally enthusiastic, after all, they are allies. How can they carry out their work if they are so cold to each other?

Although Heinrich was somewhat confused,

But he suppressed his inner impulse.

Because this is the presidential palace, Albert's eyes and ears are everywhere.

He wouldn't be foolish enough to ask such a question here.

Their pace quickened until they reached the center of power in Germany.

The door was pushed open, and the entire office was silent.

It's different from what I expected, logically speaking.

The German Chancellor's Office must be incredibly luxurious.

Looking around now, this place is far from luxurious; on the contrary, it appears increasingly minimalist.

A simple decorative painting, a large office.

A cheap sofa, a solid wood desk—Heinrich thought to himself, "Ebert's private conduct is truly impeccable."

Upon entering the room, he found it was filled with many people.

Judging from their attire, they were clearly high-ranking German officials.

It's estimated that a German's life or death could be decided simply by talking.

Thinking about this...

Heinrich's heart pounded, and he felt extremely uneasy.

I guess I've reached the pinnacle of power in all of Germany, right?

Thank goodness the Virgin Mary!

But after letting out a heavy sigh, he put those thoughts out of his mind.

Because all these people's eyes were fixed on their own prince.

The intense stares made him feel like he was sitting on pins and needles.

He had to become alert to his surroundings, and one hand unconsciously went to his waist.

With his other hand, he tugged at the hem of his military uniform, trying to make himself as neat as possible.

Joachim glanced at the crowd and could roughly recognize who they were.

Then he looked directly at Albert, who was surrounded by the crowd at the center: "We meet again, President Albert."

President Abbott, who was surrounded by the crowd at the center, was working on a document with his head down.

When Joachim spoke, he looked up and said, "I'm processing some documents, please wait a moment."

After saying that, he continued working on the documents in his hands.

"Um."

Joachim grunted in agreement and strode forward.

He casually pushed aside a high-ranking German official, reclined on the sofa like a host, and lit a cigarette for himself.

About a minute or two later.

Albert finally raised his head, and it wasn't surprising to see Joachim in such a state.

He simply stood up and handed a signed document to his secretary.

Then his secretary passed it on: "Prime Minister Hohenzollern, I hope you will dedicate yourself to this cause."