Although he knew this might be a test from Hindenburg, Crown Prince Wilhelm did not refuse to send Stormtroopers to them.
Firstly, the domestic rebellion must be quelled as soon as possible; dragging it out would be bad for everyone.
Secondly, now is not the time to turn against Hindenburg.
We need to keep him in check and prevent him from colluding with the Berlin government.
Taking advantage of Hindenburg’s opportunity to quell the rebellion, William began to work to win over the remaining German Army of the Western Front.
With the moral high ground at his disposal and the supplies they desperately needed, winning over the army was not a difficult task.
While courting these troops, Crown Prince Wilhelm did not forget to do business with his Far East partners.
After the war, the German Army had a large number of weapons waiting to be disposed of, which, if left untreated, would only become spoils of war for Allied Powers.
Rather than selling Allied Powers for a lower price, it’s better to sell it yourself and get some resources in return.
As for how to sell these things?
No need to worry about that, just find someone from Switzerland next door.
As a neutral country, the Swiss acted as Germany’s white glove during both World War I and World War II.
Items that are inconvenient to sell in Germany can be secretly transported to Switzerland, given a makeover, and then sold legitimately.
Similarly, items that are inconvenient to purchase in Germany can be purchased under the name of a Swiss citizen.
With the help of the Swiss, large quantities of weapons that the German Army did not need or could not use at the moment were shipped overseas.
China is currently facing a very serious external threat.
The Japanese are eyeing China covetously and seem poised to start a second Sino-Japanese war.
Therefore, whether it was the Beiyang Government, the military government in the south, or the warlords in various places, they were all desperately purchasing weapons to arm themselves.
German weapons are advanced in design, excellent in performance, and affordable in price, making them a favorite among major buyers in the Far East.
Once these weapons are shipped there, there is no worry about them not selling.
Among these, the most popular items with buyers, besides the classic Mauser rifle, are the M18 submachine guns used by the German Army itself.
These days, automatic firearms are relatively rare.
The submachine gun, a weapon with fierce firepower and an affordable price, is simply a dream weapon for armies in some underdeveloped regions.
Some armies even bought it and used it as a machine gun.
After learning about this customer’s needs, the Germans readily agreed and quickly provided some complementary services.
For example, detachable temporary barrels can be sold, which can lengthen the MP18’s barrel to increase its range.
Equipped with a larger magazine and support, it can be used as a machine gun.
If a surprise attack is required, these components can be removed to reduce the weight to about five kilograms, restoring its lightness and flexibility.
Perhaps it’s because the Stormtroopers’ previous success in beating up Americans with this weapon was so impressive, or perhaps it’s because East Asian users gave it five-star reviews.
Some buyers who were not originally within the scope of sales also came to the German Army, wanting to purchase this weapon.
“This is great!
Sell it to them!” Crown Prince Wilhelm nodded in agreement without the slightest hesitation.
According to the Treaty of Versailles, the German Army was not allowed to possess submachine guns after the war.
If they kept them, they would be confiscated by the Allied Powers sooner or later.
If they didn’t sell them now, when would they?
“Uh, Your Highness, the people who want to buy weapons from us are a very diverse group!” How complicated is it?
William was calculating the profits from selling equipment during this period when he casually asked a question.
“The other party is Russian.
At first, he came to us on behalf of the White Army to purchase weapons, but the second time he became a representative of the Red Army, and the third time he became a Royalist, representing the restoration forces of the Tsarist Russia to purchase weapons from us!” Crown Prince Wilhelm was stunned: the ingredients are indeed quite complex!
So, are we still going to sell it?
The subordinate asked cautiously.
Crown Prince Wilhelm gritted his teeth and nodded emphatically: “Sell?
It’s stupid not to make money.
I don’t care what those Russians are up to.
Anyway, it’s not our people who are dying!” He even secretly hoped that the Russian civil war could last another ten or eight years, so that the Germans could exchange weapons for large amounts of cheap resources from Russia.
Given the booming military trade, William sent someone to Switzerland to open a trading company specifically for this purpose, in order to facilitate his work.
Thus, in a certain year’s military trade statistics, the Swiss suddenly transformed themselves, replacing a certain Western power as the major arms exporter.
…
In Kiel Port, the Stormtroopers arrived and, as expected, did not disappoint.
In just one night, they stormed Kiel Port, captured the engineers’ leaders, and seized key positions within the city.
Together with the German Army outside, they overthrew the rebels in Kiel Port.
After successively suppressing the rebellions in the Ruhr region and Kiel Port, nearby Hamburg, Bremen and other places surrendered without resistance, and the situation in Germany gradually came under control.
Just as Hindenburg quelled the Kiel Port rebellion, William summoned Major Feldor von Bock, the operations chief of the Crown Prince’s Army Group, and prepared to have him do something very important.
“Knock knock knock!” There was a knock on the office door.
“Please come in!” The door was pushed open, and a thin, but bright-eyed middle-aged military officer walked in.
The newcomer was none other than the future Imperial Army Marshal, Feldor von Bock!
“Your Highness, what are your orders?” This renowned general, who commanded the Reich’s most elite Army Group Center during World War II and achieved brilliant victories on the Eastern Front, is currently only a junior major in the army.
But William knew his future was limitless.
As one of the three great military geniuses of the original Third Reich, William believed that his abilities were the strongest among the three.
Fortunately, the original owner of this body greatly admired Bock and developed a deep friendship with him during their time together, which saved William the trouble of trying to win him over and test his loyalty.
Besides his outstanding abilities, Bock was also extremely loyal to the royal family.
Before Wilhelm II decided to abdicate, he personally went to Belgium to persuade the emperor to rescind his order and request Kaiser to return to Berlin to take charge of the situation and mobilize the army to quell the domestic rebellion, but Wilhelm II refused.
With the emperor determined to flee, the German Empire on the verge of collapse, and the future of following the crown prince bleak, Bock did not choose to flee.
Instead, he returned to Crown Prince Wilhelm’s side and devoted himself to assisting the former heir apparent.
This alone demonstrates his loyalty.
Crown Prince Wilhelm had long regarded this capable and loyal talent as one of his confidants.
That’s why they specifically sought him out and entrusted him with some confidential and important matters.
“Major, here is an important list with their names, hometowns, and other information.
Help me find them in the military and bring them back!” “Yes, Your Highness!” Bock didn’t ask why His Highness was going to such lengths to find these people; he only knew that it was a task His Highness had given him, and he would carry it out without fail.
After Bock left, William summoned another trusted confidant, Hans Luther, and gave him a list, instructing him on another task to complete.