The sun never sets

William III sighed, "If the Anglo-French alliance and the People's Revolutionary League attack our country at the same time, how long can our army resist?"

"If that happens," Hammerstein paused for a moment and then continued, "our country can only hold out for two years at most."

"So, Germany is doomed to fail?"

"The worst-case scenario is that our country will fail."

Chief of the General Staff Eckward von Hammerstein said: "The contradiction between the Anglo-French Alliance and the People's Revolutionary League has intensified, as can be seen from the affairs of the People's Republic of India. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs should find a way to break the relationship between the People's Revolutionary League and the Anglo-French Alliance, and must not fall into the dilemma of fighting on two fronts like the world war.

In addition, if we can form an alliance with the United States, the situation of strength and weakness will be reversed.”

"The People's Revolutionary League is about to start its third five-year plan, but we can only pin our hopes on the friendship of the Americans. Gentlemen, is there no other way?"

William III participated in the World War. His ability to command operations was not particularly good, but it was definitely not bad. After the World War, there were many books summarizing and reflecting on the war. William III read a lot of them, some of which were written by Germans and some by foreigners.

Whether it was Britain, France, or the Eastern Alliance, they all believed that Germany lacked many strategic resources and could not fight a protracted war. Especially oil. Most of Germany's oil was imported from abroad, and the domestic stockpile was only enough for six months. Once the stockpile of oil was exhausted, no matter how many tanks and planes there were, they would only be decorations.

In addition, Germany lacks tungsten, nickel and other metals. Without these rare metals, the defensive power of tanks and warships' armor will drop by several percent. On the battlefield, this may be the difference between life and death.

What Germany lacked the most was food. In peacetime, Germany had to spend a lot of money every year to import food. For their own interests, the Junker officers opposed buying cheap food from the People's Revolutionary League and wanted to buy it from the United States.

"Your Majesty, forming an alliance with the United States is the best option. Importing food from the United States is to strengthen the friendship between the two countries."

The Chief of Staff said: "If war is inevitable, we need to quickly defeat the French Commune and then have a decisive battle with the People's Revolutionary League."

"The Schlieffen Plan?"

During the World War, the Schlieffen Plan had problems from the beginning, but the current Chief of the General Staff picked up that plan again.

William III was somewhat frustrated. It seemed that the best way was to form an alliance with the United States. As long as the naval blockade of the Anglo-French alliance could be broken, Germany would not be as passive as it was in the last world war.

Chapter 814: Joining forces

Lin Yongchang was always worried about being besieged by the whole world, so he provided strong support to the French Commune, Syndicalist Britain, and later the Central American Syndicalist Federation. Basically, it can be said that he gave his all.

However, syndicalism developed too rapidly throughout the world, which led to a conflict between the People's Revolutionary League and the Anglo-French Alliance over the Indian issue, triggering a series of events.

Now the [Human Innovation Alliance] is still wary of the German Empire. There seems to be peace between the two countries, but in Poland, the Baltic Sea, Ukraine and other places, the struggle on the intelligence front has never stopped.

The German Empire was a typical militarist. The Second Reich did not have the revenge buff of the Third Reich, but the economic situation of the Second German Empire was much better than that of the Third German Empire, and its technological level had always been in the first echelon.

After the end of the Indian Campaign, the Germans quickly developed the "Type IV Tank", which was not inferior to the Allied "Type 24 Tank" in terms of armor, mobility and firepower. The Type IV Tank equipped with a 75mm long-barreled gun was even more powerful than the Allied medium tanks.

PAK37 anti-tank gun failed to penetrate tanks on the Indian battlefield, and was labeled as a "stepping stone" by German soldiers. Before the war was over, German engineers had already designed the PAK50 anti-tank gun, which could penetrate the front armor of the "Type 500 tank" at a distance of 24 meters.

However, before this anti-tank gun could be put into actual combat, the People's Revolutionary League and Germany had already signed an armistice agreement.

In addition to artillery and tanks, the Germans also took out new fighter planes, which were actually copied from the new fighter planes of the Alliance. The fact that they could copy also shows Germany's strength. The weapons and equipment of the German Army and Air Force were not behind the Alliance in terms of technology. If there was another limited war in India, the German army would not necessarily win, but it would certainly not be defeated so badly.

[People's Revolutionary League] The Central Committee never underestimated the German Empire. Even though it defeated the genuine German army on the Indian battlefield, the League still stationed a large number of troops on the western border.

In the cabinet of the Allied General Staff, there are more than a dozen plans to deal with the German invasion, including a plan to destroy Poland and buy time with space. Polish resistance organizations have always existed, and with the support of the German government, they have never been completely eliminated. The General Staff believes that if a full-scale war breaks out with Germany, many guerrillas are likely to emerge in Poland.

The Human Revolutionary Alliance was worried about a full-scale invasion by the German army. In fact, the German government was more worried about the Alliance's steel torrent crushing them. The technical level of the German army and air force had caught up with the People's Army, but their production capacity could not compare with the Human Revolutionary Alliance.

The military production capacity of each country is a secret, and the production capacity of high-tech weapons such as tanks and aircraft is even more secret. Although it is not known how many tanks and aircraft the Alliance can produce each year, according to the situation on the Indian battlefield, the Alliance's production capacity is definitely higher than that of Germany.

In fact, there is no need to send spies to steal intelligence. Just look at the annual steel production of the Alliance to know. With so much steel produced, and the Human Innovation Alliance having no shortage of technology, it would be no problem to produce thousands of tanks.

What the German military wanted to know was, was it several thousand, one thousand, or nine thousand? These are completely different concepts.

Although the Germans believed that their military technology had caught up with the Allies, they had already produced a large number of Type 3 tanks. They could not just throw away those expensive steel behemoths, and it would certainly not be possible to dismantle them and sell them for scrap steel.

The German army's warehouses are filled with all kinds of outdated weapons. If they expand their military and prepare for war, the elite troops will be able to use the best and most advanced equipment, while the ordinary troops can only go to the battlefield with those outdated things.

To generals, soldiers, like weapons, are consumables.

Now Germany lacks both soldiers, equipment with a long growth cycle, and Type 4 tanks and new fighter jets. Germany's production capacity is insufficient, and if a war really breaks out, it can only use a large number of Type 3 tanks as the main force.

In order to counter the Allied Type 24 medium tank and Type 25 heavy tank, German engineers developed the PA50 anti-tank gun, but Germany lacked tungsten for producing armor-piercing shells, while the Allied had % of the world's tungsten production. The People's Revolutionary League had long listed tungsten as an important strategic resource. Every year, the tungsten mined was refined into metal ingots and then put into the international market in small quantities to obtain high profits.

"We are constrained by the People's Revolutionary League in terms of resources, and we are also at a disadvantage in terms of military strength. We must invest more resources in the army."

Chief of the General Staff Hammerstein said to William III: "The army is the guarantee of the survival of the German Empire."

A similar scene happened thirty years ago, when the then Chief of the General Staff, Moltke the Younger, believed that a large amount of resources should not be used on the navy. The situation at that time was no different from now. Although there were many new weapons, Germany still faced the danger of being caught in a pincer attack.

William III was less than 46 years old at the time, and now he is years old, but the situation in Germany has not improved at all. It is very likely that it has become worse, but no one says so.

"But we need the navy," the people in the Admiralty naturally disagreed with the army's point of view, "Have you forgotten the difficulties after the blockade? Have you forgotten the winter of 13 and 14?"

德国

They had always needed to import food from abroad, and soon fell into famine after the outbreak of the war. In the winter of 1913 and 1914, countless Germans froze to death or starved to death. Later, it was because they were so hungry that the sailors in Kiel Port revolted.

William III was still the Crown Prince at the time. No matter how bad the situation was, he would not starve. However, a large number of soldiers in the army suffered from malnutrition and their morale dropped sharply. He witnessed these things with his own eyes.

When he returned to Berlin from the front, he also saw the bodies of the dead being transported out of the city. At that time, many people became pessimistic and believed that the Second German Empire was going to end.

If the Alliance had not provided Germany with a lot of free food, as well as a large number of aircraft and tanks, the German High Command would have considered surrendering with dignity. The People's Revolutionary League was Germany's best friend at that time, but now it is Germany's potential and greatest enemy.

After listening to the generals and ministers arguing, William III suddenly said: "Perhaps we should improve our relationship with the alliance."

"His Majesty?"

"What will happen if Germany joins forces with the People's Revolutionary League?"

Chapter 815: Marriage

Germany's foreign policy is very flexible, or not forward-looking. The German army is very strong in combat effectiveness. Under the same conditions, the combat effectiveness of the German army is stronger than that of the ordinary troops of the People's Army.

But in other areas, such as intelligence, economy and diplomacy, the Germans are not doing very well. The German government's foreign policy is to do what is beneficial, regardless of any long-term considerations.

Germany has plans to fight the Alliance, but before that, it can try to make friends with the Alliance. William II is known for his frivolity, while William III is much more stable. He does not agree to continue to promote the "Yellow Peril Theory" in the country, but believes that the world can be divided equally with the Alliance.

Of course, this is only temporary. Before Germany is able to engage in a full-scale war with the People's Revolutionary League, it might as well ease relations with the People's Revolutionary League.

"You can invite His Royal Highness Alexander to visit Germany."

"Alexander? Oh, you mean the eldest son of Chairman Lin and Empress Olga?"

"Well, I heard that His Highness Alexander is still unmarried. Perhaps we can use marriage to resolve the differences and conflicts between the two countries."

Marriages between European countries were very common. Several tsars married German princesses. Alexander Lin Romanov Nicholas was not married yet. What a good bargaining chip he had.

If the People's Revolutionary League in the east could be stabilized, William III was willing to marry his daughter to Alexander.

"This is a good idea, but the political system of the People's Revolutionary League is different from that of our country. His Highness Alexander has been excluded from the decision-making level of the People's Revolutionary League because of his background."

"That doesn't matter. Lin can still hold power for at least another twenty years."

Although the People's Revolutionary League is the strongest, the Anglo-French alliance is the biggest threat to Germany. Syndicalism Britain and the French Commune are keen to liberate the world. Although the People's Revolutionary League also criticizes the exploitation of the working people by various governments, it is not as radical as syndicalism.

The German government is well aware that the People's Revolutionary League is not a good person, but given the current situation, it should deal with those syndicalist lunatics first.

The Alliance quickly felt the goodwill shown by Germany, and at the Amsterdam Olympics, German athletes and athletes from the Alliance had friendly interactions.

The league is not very interested in the Olympics. After participating in the London Olympics, it just randomly photographed some people to get by. For the league, the National Games held every four years is the most important event.

Athletes who participate in the Olympics do not go to win medals, but to serve diplomatic and other purposes. No, through the Amsterdam Olympics, the relationship between Germany and the Union began to ease.

In addition to inviting people including Alexander Lin Romanov Nicholas and Grand Duke Alexei of Finland to visit Berlin, the German government also sent many trade delegations and scientific exchange groups to the League.

The Alliance was at the forefront of the world in many fields such as chemistry, medicine and electronics, and also proposed many new scientific theories. The German scientific community has always had exchanges with the Alliance. Even when the two countries were at war in India, the scientific contacts were not interrupted.

Chairman Lin once said, "Scientists have national boundaries, but science has no national boundaries." This sentence is widely circulated among scientists around the world.

“Drip, drip, drip, drip…”

The sound of a telegram rang in the room. After a moment, the telegraph operator took off his headphones and took the translated message to the small compartment next door. "Comrade Major, this is the latest intelligence."

The young man in military uniform picked up the telegram and took a look at it. "Is the visiting delegation okay?"

"Based on the intelligence we have collected so far, there is no problem. The Germans should not be so crazy as to use William III as a cover."

William III went to Moscow with a delegation, which was something the two countries had agreed on in advance. The accompanying personnel and weapons were all communicated and there were no problems.

"I understand, please go out first."

The slender telegraph operator saluted and then left. The young man stood up and looked at the map hanging on the wall.

Figure. "It is possible that William III was used as a cover, but other possibilities must also be considered."

The young man pondered for a long time, picked up the phone and dialed out. "I'm Major Zhdanov. Ask the team protecting the delegation to withdraw first... The security work will be handled by other departments."

Zhdanov was in charge of European intelligence work. Over the years, Germany had sent more and more spies to the Alliance. In the past, they only spied on military intelligence, such as the distribution of the Alliance's troops in Poland and the number of aircraft and tanks. Now, German spies not only wanted to understand the military situation, but also steal the Alliance's advanced technology.

In addition to Germany, other European countries, such as the Netherlands and Belgium, also sent a number of spies to the Alliance, but they were not as dangerous as the German spies. When the German army and the People's Army were fighting in India, intelligence personnel and underground workers became more active, and many people died on the secret fronts of both sides.

The Anglo-French Alliance and other syndicalist countries also have many spies in the Alliance. Because the Alliance and the Anglo-French Alliance are allies on the surface, the struggle between the two sides in secret is not so bloody. Even if secret intelligence personnel are discovered, their lives are generally not in danger. They will either be expelled from the country or locked up first, and then exchanged when enough are accumulated.

The Alliance also has intelligence personnel in various countries, but unlike Germany, Britain, France and other countries, the Alliance does not require intelligence personnel to face death with courage. When one of its own intelligence personnel gets into trouble, it will actively launch a rescue operation.

Zhdanov withdrew his overt protection of William III and his entourage, but he continued to monitor them secretly. However, he did not find anything unusual, as if the Germans were really visiting Moscow.

After secretly monitoring for a period of time, Zhdanov really couldn't find any loopholes, so he could only gradually reduce the number of monitoring personnel, leaving only two groups of monitoring personnel.

The intelligence system has limited manpower and funds, and there are so many things to deal with, so we can't waste all the manpower and material resources on William III and his party. Zhdanov felt a little sorry that he couldn't make achievements from William III and his party, but intelligence work is like this, and it is often useless.

A few days after changing his target, Zhdanov received news from Berlin that the German intelligence agency had set up a working group to obtain detailed information about the Alliance's "Three-Five Plan."

This news was expected. The same situation happened before the alliance carried out the second five-year plan. Not only Germany, but also spies from other countries wanted to know the details of the "Third Five-Year Plan". However, the news from Berlin this time was special. After receiving the news, Zhdanov did not dare to neglect it and immediately went to the Kremlin to report the relevant news to Comrade Stalin.

Chapter 816 Action

“Tap tap tap…”

"Knock down!"

"Come in."

Zhdanov pushed the door open and said, "Comrade Stalin."

Behind the desk in the room sat Joseph Vissarionovich Stalin with a serious expression. On the wall behind Stalin hung a portrait of Chairman Lin. Zhdanov walked into the room and met the gaze of Chairman Lin in the painting, and paused.

Stalin pushed his chair aside, came out from behind his desk, and shook hands with Zhdanov. "Comrade Zhdanov, please sit down."

Zhdanov sat on the sofa and took out a document from his briefcase. "Comrade Stalin, we have received urgent intelligence. Please take a look."

"Comrade Zhdanov, since the matter is urgent, please explain the matter quickly and concisely."

The situation was not complicated. The Alliance's intelligence personnel in Germany found that the German Army Headquarters sent several action teams to the east at the same time. The Alliance could not find any relevant information about these action teams, including the number of people and the purpose of the action. The only thing they knew was that the code name of the action was [KD].

The ominous code name, coupled with the ultra-high-standard German secret measures, made Zhdanov smell something unusual.

While Zhdanov was reporting, Stalin took out his pipe and started smoking. He liked smoking, strong liquor, and caviar, so many people thought he was not as good as Comrade Felix Dzerzhinsky, the "Man in the Iron Mask."

When Zhdanov finished his report, Stalin took his pipe away from his lips and asked, "What does this mean?"

The most common problem with intelligence systems is not the lack of intelligence, but too much intelligence. A large amount of useful and useless information is mixed together, making people feel at a loss. To find truly valuable information from a large amount of information, not only a rigorous work attitude is required, but also an almost intuitive attitude.

Zhdanov possessed a keen intuition. He was an outstanding student in the Department of Mathematics at Moscow University and had an extraordinary level of intelligence analysis.

"Comrade Stalin, I think this is most likely directed at Chairman Lin."

Stalin's heart moved, he looked up at Zhdanov, and then cast his eyes on the papers. "Why do you say that? Didn't you find nothing?"

"It is precisely because we have not found anything that I think this is most likely aimed at Chairman Lin."

Stalin was silent for a while, took a few puffs of his pipe, and looked serious. He inhaled, "hiss", and exhaled white smoke, "You mean, the Germans want to assassinate our great

Leader Chairman Lin? "

"Probably."

"The security forces around Chairman Lin are trustworthy. I don't think the enemy can get close to the Chairman. Is there any other possibility?"

Zhdanov immediately replied: "It could also be aimed at our country's large dams. You know, both the Dnieper Dam and the Three Gorges Dam under construction are important water conservancy facilities. If there is a problem with the dam, the entire downstream will be flooded."

Stalin took another puff of his pipe and encouraged: "Besides this, is there any other possibility?"

This time it was Zhdanov's turn to remain silent. After a long while, he said, "It is also possible that the enemy released a smoke bomb to cover up their true purpose, or they just wanted to consume our strength."

"As you said, there are many possibilities. We can't start a war just because of some unfounded rumors. Evidence, I need more and more detailed evidence. Comrade Zhdanov, you need to use evidence to convince me, and you also need to use evidence to convince the comrades in the Central Committee."

"but........."

Stalin waved his hand. "No buts! Comrade Zhdanov, we are the sword and shield of the alliance. We must take the responsibility of encircling the alliance. I order you to send more people to investigate this matter and find out whether it is a smokescreen or a real thing!"

"Yes! Comrade Stalin, I guarantee that the task will be completed!"