“Minister, are you familiar with Douhet’s theory of strategic bombing?”
“You mean the ideas published by the Italian general?” Neurath replied after a moment.
“If I recall correctly, he argued that future wars would be decided by bombing both the front lines and the civilian population behind them.
I’m afraid military theory isn’t my specialty, so I don’t know the details.”
The sudden shift to military doctrine had clearly caught him off guard.
“Minister,” I said, “aviation is advancing at an astonishing pace.
The next war will bear little resemblance to the last.
And nothing illustrates that better than strategic bombing.”
“But…
surely not.” Neurath frowned.
“Deliberately bombing civilians would violate the Hague Conventions.
No matter how ruthless nations may be, I cannot believe that a civilized world would wage war in such a manner.”
His expression all but said, That’s an absurd exaggeration.
(If only it were.)
Unfortunately, I knew the future.
I knew just how monstrous humanity was capable of becoming.
Hiroshima.
Nagasaki.
Tokyo.
Dresden.
The list went on.
“Minister,” I said quietly, “that assumption is exactly what’s mistaken.
Strategic bombing will become a reality.
And as aircraft continue to improve, it will grow more devastating with every passing year.”
“Today, an aircraft can carry only a few tons of bombs a few hundred kilometers.
Someday, bombers will haul dozens of tons over thousands of kilometers.”
“When that day comes, war itself will change.”
“Nations will no longer be fighting armies—they’ll be destroying entire civilizations.”
I painted the picture of the future as plainly as I could.
(I’m certainly not going to mention nuclear weapons.)
(Nor could I.)
“…And that’s why you believe the war must come sooner rather than later.”
“So you understand.”
“If we wait until that age arrives, war between great powers will become effectively impossible.
Borders will freeze where they stand.”
I leaned forward.
“And what becomes of the Reich then?”
“We cannot feed ourselves.”
“We possess almost no strategic resources beyond coal and iron ore.”
“We produce virtually none of the commodities modern society depends on.”
“In time, Germany would become nothing more than a forgotten backwater of the world—reduced to something little better than a medieval kingdom.”
Silence filled the room.
Neurath folded his arms, deep in thought.
(In the end, it’s still a gamble.)
If defeat was inevitable, then avoiding war altogether would be the wiser choice.
History itself proved that.
Germany would lose the war and surrender even more territory than it already had.
No matter how painful an economic recession might become, it could never compare to having the country reduced to ashes and divided into East and West.
But only someone who already knew the future could make that argument.
The German people wouldn’t accept it.
The Party certainly wouldn’t.
At worst, I’d be assassinated, leaving Himmler, Goring, and Goebbels to tear each other apart in a struggle for power.
And if that happened…
The communists might seize the opportunity and tear the Reich apart completely.
“…I understand your reasoning, my Fuhrer,” Neurath finally said.
“But even if war with Britain and France is unavoidable…
can we truly win?”
“Does an alliance with Japan really improve our chances?”
“Japan has clear territorial ambitions on the Asian continent.
Its relations with China are deteriorating by the day.”
“If war breaks out between Japan and China, won’t we simply be dragged into a conflict on the other side of the world?”
(That’s exactly the question I was hoping you’d ask.)
“That brings me to my next point, Minister.”
“There is something I need you to tell General von Falkenhausen, who is currently serving in China.”
“…General von Falkenhausen?” Neurath blinked in confusion.
“What message could possibly be so important?”
After I finished explaining everything…
“What…?
Is that truly possible?”
Neurath stared at me in disbelief.
“If what you’ve just told me is true…”
“…Then how did Your Excellency obtain such information?”
I allowed myself a faint smile.
“Minister.”
“You cannot seriously expect me to reveal the source of my intelligence.”
I rose from my chair.
“Just remember this.”
“My ears hear farther than most.”
“And my hands reach farther still.”
Neurath could only stare at me, unable to hide his astonishment at what I had just revealed.