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墨書 Inktalez
September 2, 1926
Berlin
Bellevue Palace
Around noon, Strasser finally met the person he had been waiting to see inside the presidential palace.
Under the escort of Rommel, Rundstedt, and others, all the senior officers of the General Staff of the Army arrived here. When General Siket entered, he completely ignored Strasser, who greeted him. Under Strasser's resentful gaze, he walked straight up to his old superior. "I never expected that I could easily take down Seeckt, but I ended up defeated by a colonel."
Despite having experienced many storms, Hindenburg couldn't help but feel a sense of defeat at this moment. He knew that the General Staff of the Army, whom he had betrayed, would never support the government. This meant that the National Defense Forces would side with Strasser.
"Actually, you could say you've succeeded. Haven't you already forced me out of office? I am no longer the Commander-in-Chief of the General Staff of the Army," Seeckt said with a hint of self-mockery.
"It seems that our judgments have all been mistaken, and as we've lived for so many years, we've regressed more and more.
I originally thought that there were many people in Germany supporting the restoration of His Majesty, but today's events have completely awakened me.
Not only do most parties in Congress oppose the restoration, but even the Royalists do not support it. It seems that Germany may no longer have the soil for His Majesty's rule."
"Hmm? Are you not planning to support the restoration of His Majesty Wilhelm?" Hindenburg was somewhat surprised. He had thought that Seeckt, who was advocating for a counterattack, would definitely strongly advocate for the return of Wilhelm II, but he directly gave up. "Just now in the General Staff of the Army, I thought a lot."
At this point, Seeckt shot a fierce glare at Strasser, who merely chuckled awkwardly. "That cowardly Prince William actually fled in the face of danger. The king's descendants have not inherited his courage; even the most outstanding Prince William lacks the bravery to become Germany's next emperor. If His Majesty truly returns, then who will govern Germany a hundred years from now? It would only lead to more turmoil."
And in my opinion, Germany is a mess right now, whoever takes over will have a hard time.
Perhaps, Your Majesty, spending your later years in Netherlands would be the best choice."
Seeckt sighed, he had already sighed countless times today.
"Since you do not intend to welcome His Majesty's return, who do you plan to have take over the General Staff of the Army?"
Hindenburg's question piqued the curiosity of everyone present, as they all wanted to know who would take this crucial position.
Amidst the crowd's attention, Seeckt extended his left hand and pointed to his chosen successor, not General Jung, nor any other generals from the General Staff of the Army, but rather the solitary figure standing alone—Strasser.
"!!!"
Members of the Hindenburg Group looked utterly incredulous.
"You're going to support Strasser? The question is, can he win people over?"
Hindenburg was quite surprised by this; in his view, Strasser's qualifications and achievements were insufficient for this position. The Old Marshal's companions, Miller and Marx, shared the same sentiment, as their expressions clearly indicated. However, the people from the General Staff of the Army were not surprised by this; it was evident that Seeckt had already communicated with them before coming here.
"I support Colonel Strasser to become the Commander-in-Chief of the National Defense Forces."
Major General Mark was the first to step forward. He had recently joined the National Socialist Party and naturally wanted to serve his leader.
"To be precise, it should be Brigadier Strasser; only a general can lead the General Staff of the Army."
The most senior General Jung expressed his attitude, as the right-hand man of Seeckt, he obviously received more information. If it's about the position of Commander-in-Chief, it's fake to say that General Jung is not moved at all. However, he and Seeckt are of the same kind, loving Germany more than anything else.
Reflecting on himself, General Jung felt a lack of confidence in leading the National Defense Forces to defeat the strongest army in Europe, the French Army. Since Strasser believed he had that capability, why not give him the opportunity?
"We have no objections."
Since the most qualified candidate, General Jung, had no objections, the remaining members of the General Staff of the Army naturally had no opposing views either.
Hindenburg At this moment, a glint of light shot out from his sleepy eyes, and he solemnly asked Seeckt, "Are you really going to entrust Germany's defense to this young fellow? I admit he is very imaginative, but he is only thirty years old, which is really too young. Youth means making mistakes."
"It seems that Field Marshal Hindenburg must not have made many mistakes this year."
Standing beside him, Strasser interjected sharply, and Hindenburg remained silent, knowing he shouldn't have brought up age. "I believe in Strasser; both his thoughts and actions reflect the shadow of my younger self, and his vision extends further than mine. Under his leadership, the National Defense Forces will surely become even stronger."
Seeckt's response not only shocked Hindenburg but also surprised Strasser. The latter couldn't help but scratch his head, wondering when the old stubborn Seeckt had changed his tune, as this was not something he would typically say. "Although I have stepped down, I still need to take the lead on this."
"Now, I ask all officers of the General Staff of the Army to pledge their loyalty to the new Commander-in-Chief."
Seeckt decided to cut through the confusion swiftly.
As soon as he finished speaking, Strasser saluted them before the generals could salute him.
What kind of joke is this? For a group of generals to salute a brigadier with a lower rank than themselves, Strasser wouldn't dare to do that.
"Thank you all for your support; I will do my utmost to strengthen Germany."
Strasser knew that he didn't need to win these people over with high positions and wealth.
Because they themselves were high-ranking officials, enjoying a comfortable life and a bright future, the only thing that could move them was the prospect of making Germany strong again.
Therefore, Strasser did not engage in any superficial rhetoric but directly expressed his goals.
In an instant, in the room, rows of soldiers dressed in junior military officer uniforms pledged their loyalty to their new leader.
Some of them drew their command knives from their belts and held them up in the air, the backs of the blades reflecting the sunlight streaming in through the windows of the presidential palace hall, glimmering brightly.
Others simply removed their hats in salute, not caring at all about revealing their sparse Mediterranean hairstyles.
At this moment, Strasser became the center of attention, standing before the stern-faced Rommel, the shocked Gudauri, and the envious Rundstedt.
In 1926, a new Commander-in-Chief of the National Defense Force was sworn in at the Bellevue Palace in Berlin, much like William I's coronation in the Hall of Mirrors at the Palace of Versailles in 1871. Hindenburg looked at the scene before him and felt like he was back fifty-five years ago. At that time, the young Hindenburg was a junior officer serving as a representative of the army, participating in the emperor's coronation ceremony held in the Hall of Mirrors at the Palace of Versailles as a company commander of the First Battalion of the Third Infantry Guard Regiment of the Prussian Army. This was an experience he cherished throughout his life.
At this moment, just like that moment.
"Perhaps I should compromise."
Hindenburg couldn't help but think.
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