Chapter 1569: German Army Arrives
After Italy declared war, Poland, Serbia, Romania and Western Ukraine followed suit and encroached on the territory of the Austro-Hungarian Empire in the name of declaring war on the United Republic of Greater Austria.
Originally they were all concerned about the Austro-Hungarian Empire and Germany, but the emergence of the United Republic of Greater Austria gave them an excellent excuse to start a war. Now this war was covered in the guise of "encircling and suppressing the Labor Party" and had legitimacy.
Within the Austro-Hungarian Empire, multiple governments emerged. Both the Austro-Hungarian government and the coalition government claimed their legitimacy and represented the entire country. At the same time, multiple local governments took the opportunity to declare independence.
Berlin, Germany.
Prime Minister Adolf was not in a good mood. Although the current chaos in the Austro-Hungarian Empire provided Germany with an excellent opportunity to annex Austria, the development of the situation was beyond his expectations.
In the Chancellery, Adolf scolded Heinrich and said, "Your intelligence department is not doing its job well."
"The so-called Greater Austrian coalition government has completely disrupted our plans."
Originally, Adolf intended to support the German National Party in the Austro-Hungarian Empire to strengthen Germany's infiltration into the Austro-Hungarian Empire, thereby helping Germany realize its ambition of annexing the entire Austro-Hungarian Empire.
However, Vienna has now fallen into the hands of the Labor Party, and a coalition government has been formed. The key is that this coalition government is national and is not in conflict with Germany.
"Why didn't the Austrian National Party take action before the incident in Vienna? And let Vienna fall directly into the hands of the Labor Party!"
In response to the Prime Minister's question, Heinrich explained: "Your Excellency, we do bear some responsibility for the changes in the situation in Austria-Hungary, but the main reason is that the situation changed so quickly that we did not have time to react."
"Recently, the intelligence department has been busy arresting members of the Labor Party and Jews...etc. in the country. This workload is quite heavy, so it's difficult to spare the resources to simultaneously plan against the Austro-Hungarian Empire."
"Besides, Vienna was still controlled by the Habsburgs before, which made it difficult for us to carry out some of our work. After all, Austria-Hungary was an ally of the Empire, so we had many concerns."
Adolf was obviously not satisfied with these explanations. He did not care whether the intelligence department had its own difficulties. The intelligence department was obviously the first to bear the brunt of the responsibility for the deterioration of the current situation in the Austro-Hungarian Empire.
"Don't make excuses or justify it. I just want to know why Vienna was so easily taken by the Labor Party, while the Austrian National Party didn't take any action at the same time."
Heinrich glanced cautiously at Adolf and said, "Your Excellency, the reason is actually very simple. The Austrian National Party itself is unpopular in the Austro-Hungarian Empire. Their ideas can only be recognized by a small number of Austrians. However, the Austro-Hungarian Empire is different from Germany. It is a multi-ethnic country, and Germans do not form the majority."
"In contrast, the Austro-Hungarian Labour Party had no such restrictions. They did not emphasize ethnic and national identity, but instead focused on promoting and provoking class issues. Therefore, they were more able to win over the people."
What Heinrich meant was that the national conditions of the Austro-Hungarian Empire and Germany were different, which led to differences in the thinking of the people of the two countries. For a multi-ethnic country like the Austro-Hungarian Empire, national equality was obviously emphasized more than in Germany.
This kind of propaganda at the government level has been promoted since the founding of the Austro-Hungarian Empire, and it is bound to have achieved some results over the years.
Therefore, the Labor Party is more likely to represent the identity of the majority of people in the Austro-Hungarian Empire, especially the grassroots people, while the Austrian National Party can only influence some German-populated areas at most.
"This made the Labor Party more popular during the Vienna Civil War, while the National Party was unable to achieve this effect and was even inferior to other Austrian parties and the royalists," Heinrich said.
"Now, we want to annex Austria-Hungary. There is no other way except to resort to military means. Otherwise, given the rate at which the Labour Party is expanding, the coalition government might become the second Soviet Union."
Adolf said impatiently, "I understand the severity of the current situation better than you do. Although I have always looked down on the Labour Party, I must admit that the Labour Party is not weak in terms of capabilities."
Adolf, who has been dealing with the German Labor Party for many years, is naturally very clear about his enemies. The fact that the German Labor Party has been able to grow and develop under government suppression over the past decade is very telling.
This group of people are neither afraid of death nor interested in wealth, but this is actually the most terrifying thing about them, as it also means they have fewer weaknesses.
"It's not just a Labour Party problem. Now countries like Italy have taken the opportunity to declare war on Austria. By doing this, it will be more difficult for us to completely conquer the Austro-Hungarian Empire."
"If we had been able to control the development of the Austro-Hungarian Empire from the beginning, we would not have given them this opportunity to take a piece of the pie."
If he could have the meal alone, Adolf naturally would not want to share the Austro-Hungarian Empire with Italy and the like, a place that he had originally regarded as a meal on the table.
But the problem is that the country that has now declared war on the United Republic of Greater Austria has good relations with Germany and is even Germany's younger brother.
They declared war on the United Republic of Greater Austria in the name of eliminating the Labor Party, and Adolf could not make a fuss about this for the sake of face.
Therefore, he could only blame his own intelligence department for not doing its job well, which put Germany in a passive situation.
He frowned and said, "It is now impossible for us to take over the Austro-Hungarian Empire through peaceful means, because the Labor Party in the Austro-Hungarian Empire has become very powerful, especially in Bohemia."
"This will cause certain difficulties for our military operations. If we cannot quickly deal with Bohemia, we may fall behind countries like Italy, allowing them to take advantage of the situation."
If Germany wanted to invade the Austro-Hungarian Empire, it could only pass through Bohemia. The border between Austria and Germany was mostly mountainous, which was not convenient for marching.
Moreover, Bohemia's industrial strength is strong, and the Labour Party now has its own government and armed forces in Bohemia. It is not easy to defeat these Labour Party armed forces.
Therefore, Adolf said: "We cannot only consider this from a military perspective, especially your intelligence department. You made a big mistake this time. I will give you a chance to atone for your sins."
"Take immediate action against the Austrian National Party and reorganize them. If the Labor Party can form a coalition government, the Austrian National Party can do the same."
Of course, Adolf was well aware that the effect of doing so would be limited. After all, the National Party’s popular base was already very weak, and this was even more so throughout the Austro-Hungarian Empire.
However, if this force can be used well, it will be of great help to Germany. Germany also needs a guide, and it also needs manpower to rule the local area. Obviously, the Austrian National Party is one of their own and more trustworthy.
Heinrich then said, "Your Excellency, now that Vienna has fallen, the Austro-Hungarian Empire is effectively leaderless. Although Emperor Rudolf has fled to Hungary, he has now lost most of his control over the Austro-Hungarian Empire."
"We can win over Austrian officials and generals and use them for our own purposes. I believe that faced with the threat from the Labor Party, they will inevitably choose to join us."
Adolf nodded and said, "You guys will handle this matter. If we can make them play a role, it will be of great help to our annexation of the Austro-Hungarian Empire."
Although Vienna fell, the local forces of the Austro-Hungarian Empire, especially the top leaders of the former government, still possessed great strength. Even in the most chaotic Bohemian region, many areas were controlled by the former government and had not yet been occupied by the Labor Party.
They are now isolated and have lost contact with the central government. At this time, if Germany enters the local area and obtains their support, it can cooperate internally and externally to facilitate Germany's smooth occupation of Bohemia, Austria and other regions.
Since the Austro-Hungarian Empire could only be annexed through military means, Adolf no longer hesitated. He called in German military officials and high-ranking nationalist party members such as Hermann to begin formulating an invasion plan.
At the end of May 1934, the German General Staff quickly formulated an operational plan.
According to this plan, Germany would launch a full-scale invasion of the Austro-Hungarian Empire, with its troops divided into two routes: one heading east to quell the rebellion in Bohemia, and the other heading south to take over Austria.
The former wanted to go to direct war with the Labor Party’s armed forces, while the latter wanted to cooperate with the former Austrian government in the western mountainous areas of Austria and bring them under German rule.
Austria's terrain is mainly mountainous and long and narrow from east to west. Therefore, most of the western mountainous areas are still under the control of the Austro-Hungarian government, while the Labor Party is concentrated in towns in the east.
The German invasion was undoubtedly the last straw that broke the camel's back for the Austro-Hungarian Empire, and the curtain was completely opened on the division of the Austro-Hungarian Empire among the surrounding European empires.
In early June, Germany successfully entered the Sudetenland in northern and western Bohemia. There were already armed forces supported by Germany here, and it belonged to the German sphere of influence, so it was easily taken over by Germany.
At the same time, the local government of the Austro-Hungarian Empire in the Alps also surrendered to the German army advancing southward, actively welcomed the German army, and urgently hoped that the German army would go east to annihilate the Labor Party forces in Vienna and other places.
Faced with the German invasion, the Greater Austrian coalition government immediately fought back, began to integrate the forces of the Labor Party, and orderly hindered the German offensive, which was very unfavorable to Germany.
In the past, when faced with invasions from other countries, the Greater Austrian Coalition Government did not react so strongly. As for why, it was not because the Greater Austrian Coalition Government did not want to do so, but because those areas were not under its control.
For example, Venice and Eastern Lombardy, which were attacked by Italy, are still controlled by the Habsburg royal family, and most of the areas bordering other countries are also under the control of the former Austro-Hungarian government.
The situation was different with Bohemia and Austria, which were invaded by Germany. This directly threatened the security of the coalition government. These two regions are now the places with the strongest control over the coalition government and are also the core.
On June 13, the German army successfully reached the suburbs of Prague, the center of Bohemia. The remnants of the Austro-Hungarian Empire, which had been dormant due to the strong influence of the Labor Party, immediately emerged like mushrooms after a rain after the German army entered Bohemia.
They formed hundreds of armed forces of various sizes, attacked the Labor Party armed forces in Bohemia, looted supplies, and hindered the battle between the Labor Party armed forces and the German army.
At the same time, they took the initiative to provide intelligence to the German army, assisted Germany in the war, and supported food and military supplies. With their cooperation, the situation in Bohemia underwent an astonishing change in a short time.
The once powerful Bohemian Labor Party was losing ground on the front battlefield. After all, compared with the well-equipped and experienced German army, the Bohemian Labor Party's armed forces were more like a mob.
Previously, the Austro-Hungarian army had concerns about the Labor Party’s armed forces for various reasons, but the German army would not think so much. After all, the German army was a guest army and had less psychological burden.
The German army made good progress on the front line, but Adolf was not satisfied with the result. He believed that the German army's progress was still too slow.
At the General Staff, Adolf told the senior German military officials: "We must quickly resolve the war in Austria-Hungary. The army is now delayed in Bohemia and Austria-Hungary, which is not conducive to our complete conquest of the entire Austro-Hungarian Empire."
"Especially at a time when other countries were also encroaching on the Austro-Hungarian border, especially Italy, which mobilized hundreds of thousands of troops."
"I don't want Venice, Trieste, and the eastern coast of the Adriatic to fall into the hands of Italians in the future. That would mean we would lose our access to the Adriatic Sea."
"This way we won't be able to form a new Mediterranean Fleet in the Mediterranean."
"Therefore, the troops should race against time to capture these areas before Italy. Germany must try to make up for its shortcomings, and I believe the biggest shortcoming of the Imperial Army is the navy."
"If we can seize the coastline of the former Austro-Hungarian Empire and completely absorb its navy, the German Navy will quickly surpass France and approach the strength of East Africa and the United States. This will also facilitate the German Navy to surpass the British Navy in the future."
Adolf also had a dream of a big navy. After all, everyone now knew that this was the age of the ocean, and whoever controlled the ocean would be the world hegemon.
In the past, Germany did not attach importance to the development of naval power. That was because the Germany that Adolf took over had no conditions to develop a navy, and the input and output were far less cost-effective than expanding the army and air force.
In this time and space, Adolf's conditions were much better. Although he also experienced World War I, Germany was not castrated. The German naval power was relatively intact and was constantly improving.
At the same time, the Austro-Hungarian Navy was not dismembered after World War I as in its previous life. By combining the German and Austro-Hungarian navies, Germany could control the Baltic Sea and play a role in the Mediterranean at the same time.
Therefore, Adolf said: "We need to send a few more troops to penetrate directly into the heart of the Austro-Hungarian Empire, bypass the front line, establish contact with other parts of the Austro-Hungarian Empire, and take over the Austro-Hungarian legacy."
"At the same time, we must prevent other countries from encroaching on the Austro-Hungarian Empire. Italy is particularly crucial. Therefore, it is best for us to contact the Austro-Hungarian officers in Venice and ask them to surrender to us."
Italy dared to go to war with Austria-Hungary, but would never dare to provoke Germany. This was Adolf's confidence. Therefore, he wanted to take advantage of this and make Italy retreat.
Of course, Adolf did not want to completely become enemies with Italy. He and Benito still had some common topics, and Germany also wanted to win over Italy, so Germany could give Italy some benefits, but if it wanted to take advantage of the situation and swallow up the Austro-Hungarian coastline in one bite, Germany would obviously not allow this to happen.
(End of this chapter)
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