“Great victory!
Great victory!
Great victory at the front!” “His Highness the Crown Prince led our army to a crushing defeat of the invaders, eliminating nearly 100,000 American troops in World War I!” “The invaders are paper tigers; the German Empire has not yet been defeated!” The newspaper boy shouted enthusiastically, attracting countless passersby to stop and watch.
As newspapers were sold, news of the great victory achieved by the German Army under the leadership of Crown Prince Wilhelm quickly spread to every household.
Berlin, the imperial capital!
Philip Shedeman, the leader of the Social Democratic Party who just yesterday publicly announced the establishment of the Republic of Germany and the overthrow of the monarchy, was trembling slightly after seeing this report.
When he learned that the emperor had issued an abdication edict and gone into exile in the Netherlands, he and his confidants celebrated, thinking that their plan to seize power had succeeded.
Unexpectedly, reality slapped him hard in the face just one day later.
Although the emperor has fled, the crown prince and the army are still here!
Although they announced the formation of a government, they had no real power and received no support from the military.
If Crown Prince Wilhelm were to lead his army eastward and march back to Berlin at this moment, then all of them would be left with no choice but to await their slaughter!
So is it too late to back down now and pledge allegiance to the Crown Prince?
I need help urgently!
…
Aachen, Ruhr Industrial Area, representative office of the workers’ movement.
Workers who rioted in various places and Bolsheviks were also deeply disturbed by this news.
They wanted to replicate the success of the October Revolution in Russia in Germany, launch the November Revolution to overthrow the imperial system, and establish Soviet power.
However, if the Crown Prince were to lead millions of troops from the front lines back into the country, their current armed forces would be absolutely no match for the millions of well-equipped and experienced German Army troops of the Western Front.
“We must speed up our efforts and recruit as many workers and proletarians as possible to strengthen our forces!” “That’s probably not enough.
We’ve made contact with the Soviet Union.
If we don’t get their military support, we’ll probably have a hard time dealing with such a powerful enemy on our own!” “It is said that this crown prince is more enlightened than the old Emperor Wilhelm II and is more empathetic to the suffering of the people.
Do you think it is possible to develop him into a proletarian revolutionary fighter?” …
Doorn Manor, Kingdom of the Netherlands.
“Great job, well done!” “Haha, William is more promising than me!” The former Kaiser who fled here When Wilhelm II saw the news in the newspaper that the German Army had achieved a great victory at the front, he laughed heartily and excitedly opened a bottle of fine red wine to celebrate.
He began to regret it, wondering if he had announced his abdication too early.
The situation did not seem to have deteriorated to the point of no return that he had imagined.
But now, he doesn’t have the guts to go back and restore the monarchy.
After all, his cousin, Tsar Nicholas II, and his entire family had all died at the hands of revolutionaries in his own country.
What if I make a wrong judgment and fall into the hands of the revolutionaries after returning?
Wouldn’t I end up like my cousin and die a violent death?
After thinking about it for a long time, I finally decided not to take the risk.
Let’s wait and see if the situation really improves before making any further decisions!
If his eldest son, Crown Prince Wilhelm, had truly quelled the domestic situation, wouldn’t he send someone to invite him, the emperor, back?
…
Paris, the capital of France.
The American defeats at the front lines, when news reached Paris, also caused a stir in the city.
The French did not expect the American army to lose, and to lose so badly.
The fluctuating battle situation cast a shadow over the skies of Paris.
Some Frenchmen, terrified by the war, didn’t even know where the battle was taking place.
Upon hearing that the Allied Powers army at the front had been defeated, they hurriedly packed their belongings and prepared to flee Paris.
It’s no wonder they were so alarmed; the war had inflicted such immense damage on France.
The loss of nearly five million lives is truly devastating for France, a country with a total population of only 40 million.
Moreover, their capital city is not safe, having been attacked by the German Army during the war.
Even just a few months ago, the German Army’s offensive nearly reached Paris, making it difficult for the citizens of Paris to feel any sense of security.
The people at the bottom are war-weary, but the politicians at the top are warmongers.
Upon learning of this news, the notoriously tough French Prime Minister Clemenceau angrily went to the Élysée Palace and confronted French President Raymond.
“This is a provocation against Allied Powers, a betrayal of our previous agreements.
We must teach the Germans a painful lesson and make them pay for their actions!” The animosity accumulated during the Franco-Prussian War led the French to harbor extreme hatred towards the Germans.
Clemenceau was a representative of the hardliners, and given France’s historical experience of suffering at the hands of Germany, he advocated for the partitioning and dismemberment of Germany after the war, thereby completely eliminating any potential threat to France on the European continent.
President Raymond tapped his fingers lightly on his desk.
He knew, of course, that if Germany wasn’t completely crushed, such a war would inevitably break out again sooner or later.
But how easy is it to completely eliminate Germany?
Who will eliminate those millions of German troops on the Western Front?
Will Britain and the Americans just stand by and watch them annex Germany and become the dominant power on the European continent?
France could certainly break away from its allies and act unilaterally, but given the heavy casualties it has already suffered domestically due to the war, even if it were to raise mobilization orders to the maximum and completely drain its people, it would be too risky.
France, with its own strength, probably still cannot completely eliminate the German Army.
What are your thoughts?
President Raymond looked up at his prime minister and asked.
“We should take advantage of this opportunity to launch a preemptive strike against the German Army.
With this excuse, neither Britain nor the United States can criticize us.
In fact, the Americans will thank us for helping to relieve the pressure on them!” President Raymond nodded.
As a member of the Allied Powers, France did have an obligation to send troops to help its ally, not to mention that this would also win the favor of the Americans.
“If we want to completely suppress Germany and prevent it from ever raising its head, we must gain the support of the Americans.
This defeat of the US military is a great opportunity for us.
We can send people to lobby the United States, stir up their hatred towards Germany, and thus bring them to our side!” France and the United States have always had a good relationship, and Louis XVI is even jokingly referred to as the Father of the Nation.
We might actually be able to win over the Americans by taking advantage of this opportunity.
But the most difficult part is dealing with the UK.
Without the British Empire’s approval, this matter would be difficult to resolve, after all, they are the true world hegemon!
…
British Empire, Buckingham Palace.
Along with the battle reports from the front, King George V also received a letter from Crown Prince Wilhelm, who addressed him as his nephew.