Chapter 779: Watching the Fight Between Tigers
The conversation between Wilhelm II and Hindenburg ended in a seemingly harmonious atmosphere.
This was the first time Hindenburg spoke with William II after being promoted to Chief of the General Staff. It was considered his official inauguration and it could also be said that they reached a consensus on the strategic direction of the Western Front.
"I know you insist on the strategy of 'East first, West later', Marshal." William II said bluntly: "But I believe that is your consideration as the commander-in-chief of the Eastern Front. Now as the chief of the general staff, we should consider the overall situation."
"Yes, I agree." Hindenburg nodded slightly.
"Really? That's great." William II was a little excited. He pointed at the map and analyzed:
"You know, the First Armored Corps of Ciel is good at penetration operations."
"If we focus on the Eastern Front and neglect the defense of the Western Front, Charles' army will march straight into Germany."
Hindenburg nodded again: "Indeed."
William II went on to say:
"Then it won't be a matter of holding the line. Ciel will threaten our country's domestic security."
"Especially the Ruhr Industrial Zone. If it is occupied by Charles, we will be finished."
"The defense lines in other directions will collapse like dominoes!"
(The above picture shows the location of the Ruhr Industrial Area in Germany. It is the most important industrial area in Germany and is known as the "heart of German industry.")
"You are quite right, Your Majesty." Hindenburg nodded again and then fell silent.
William II suddenly understood something. Hindenburg was just pretending. He had no interest in listening to what he said, and of course he would not agree with his point of view.
But William II still had no choice but to continue the show:
"I'm glad we can come to an understanding, Marshal."
"I feel relieved knowing that you think the same way."
"I have every confidence in your ability to assume the office of Chief of the General Staff and am certain that you will lead Germany to victory, as you have done before."
Hindenburg stood up politely and bowed to William II: "I will not let you down, Your Majesty!"
With that, he left with the guards.
As soon as Hindenburg stepped out of the room, William II collapsed on the sofa.
He felt that he was finished. He had been in power not long ago, but suddenly he found that he had no control over anything.
No, maybe there is still hope.
The General Staff only had control over the army; Hindenburg could not control the navy, nor did he understand it.
Thinking about this, William II ordered the butler: "Send a telegram to Admiral Scheer and ask him to come immediately!"
"Yes, Your Majesty!" the butler responded.
…
That afternoon, Admiral Scheer sat on the sofa in William II's living room.
William II was unprecedentedly enthusiastic towards Admiral Scheer. After some warm greetings, he asked, "General, how is the navy doing now?"
"All is going well, Your Majesty," Admiral Scheer replied, "We have commissioned 36 new 'UWD' seaplanes and equipped them with torpedoes."
"Very good." William II praised: "Then, be prepared to break through the British blockade!"
"Recently?" Admiral Scheer was a little surprised. He had originally hoped to obtain more seaplanes before taking action.
Otherwise, if the 36 bombers are damaged in battle and cannot be replaced, it will affect subsequent plans.
"Your Majesty," Admiral Scheer said, "We will need a steady stream of inputs after the war begins. If it is interrupted, we may be blocked again."
Naval warfare is different from land warfare.
After winning a land battle, you can send a team of soldiers to guard a certain high ground or build a line of defense.
There is nowhere to defend in naval battles, so warships and aircraft must be used for continuous patrols to prevent enemy warships from approaching, thus ensuring the safety of the rear routes.
"I know," William II replied:
"But you know the situation now."
"Supplies are in short supply on the front lines. We must restore trade with neutral countries in Northern Europe as soon as possible."
“So it’s imperative to break the blockade, otherwise you know what will happen.”
Admiral Scheer nodded and said, "Yes, Your Majesty, as you wish!"
In fact, William II did not reveal his true intention.
The Navy could not possibly be on an equal footing with the Army while it continued to be locked up in port as usual.
But if the blockade can be broken, it will not only increase the reputation of the navy, but also control the material trade with the neutral countries in Northern Europe.
(Note: During World War I, Northern Europe such as Sweden and Norway remained neutral and did not participate in the war, but because the British Navy blocked the shipping route, supplies could not be delivered to Germany)
If he could control these supplies through the navy, William II thought, he could indirectly control the army like Charles.
God, William II exclaimed in his heart, I just need to do it Charles' way, and one day power will be back in my hands again!
…
General Staff Headquarters on Wilhelmstrasse in Berlin.
Hindenburg sat at his desk, staring at the map of the Western Front in a daze.
Deputy Ludendorff walked up to him, glanced at the map, and asked cautiously, "Is this your Majesty's order?"
Wilhelm II must want to strengthen the defenses on the Western Front, Ludendorff thought.
"No," Hindenburg answered, looking at the map, "I was thinking about what Falkenhayn said."
"Falkenhayn?" Ludendorff's eyes flashed with surprise. "He was fired for turning to support 'East first, West later', which proves that our idea is correct."
Hindenburg shook his head again: "Not this."
After a pause, Hindenburg gave his answer: "Falkenhayn said that Charles does not want to defeat us too soon. He needs to maintain external threats so that he can better deal with the capitalists who are targeting him at home."
Ludendorff laughed. "What an arrogant fellow! This is a war. Both sides are doing their best to crush each other, but he thinks Charles is selectively targeting us! He really thinks Charles is Mars..."
Hindenburg calmly interrupted Ludendorff: "I think he is right."
"What?" Ludendorff looked at Hindenburg in disbelief.
Hindenburg handed Ludendorff a telegram: "The British Expeditionary Force is moving toward Metz."
Ludendorff took it and looked at it, then nodded and said, "Yes, I have read this telegram."
"Don't you find it strange?" Hindenburg looked up and asked, "Charles had already occupied Metz. If he moved eastward, he could have easily occupied the entire Lorraine region and Alsace. Why didn't he do that? Instead, he handed over the defense zone to the British Expeditionary Force at this critical moment."
Ludendorff originally thought it was nothing, as he thought the British troops transferred to Metz were reinforcements rather than replacements.
Now that Hindenburg said this, I felt strange.
He asked doubtfully, "Could it be that Charles wants us to attack the British?"
Hindenburg nodded slightly: "Yes, I think he hopes to use the Meuse River as a boundary to place the British Expeditionary Force at the forefront of our attack."
After a pause, he added: "Or you could say it's like sitting on a mountain and watching tigers fight!"
(End of this chapter)
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