Rising the ranks

Under the dark night sky of Berlin, a solitary gunshot shattered the tranquility, reverberating ominously through the streets of the German capital. The immediate aftermath was chaotic; police sirens wailed, and the sound of leather boots pounding the pavement filled the air from all directions. It was March 1920, and a long-planned coup was finally unfolding.

"Which unit are you from? Report your number! This is the fifth block, and we will shoot if you step further!" bellowed an officer, entrenched behind sandbags. The response was swift and decisive. "Drop your weapons! The military has taken control here!" countered a voice from the opposite side. A man brandished his pistol, signaling a group of battle-hardened German troops who surged forward with rifles at the ready.

A bullet struck the sandbag with a dull thud, prompting the officers and soldiers inside to capitulate. "God! Don't shoot! We surrender!" Their morale broken, these defenders lacked the hardened resolve that characterized the veterans of World War I. In their minds, the calculus was simple: let the loyalists perish. Better to surrender than die by their own countrymen's guns.

At the entrance of the Capitol, soldiers formed two straight lines, rifles in hand, as they awaited their commander, General Walter von Lütwitz. Inside the headquarters of the 103rd Infantry Regiment, the atmosphere was tense. The regiment's leader, Hulk, slammed a telegram on his desk in frustration, surrounded by his officers: Deputy Leader Bretz, Battalion Commanders Vico, Hans, and Brud, Company Commander Genk, and Akaweiwei, a temporary addition to the regiment.

The news from Berlin was dire. The old army had severed ties with the German government, with General von Lütwitz leading a faction of the garrison to seize control of Berlin. He had sent out telegrams across Germany, seeking support from all military units.

Vico, the first battalion commander, stroked his pronounced Prussian chin thoughtfully. "I think we should keep silent for now. This coup is peculiar. They've taken Berlin, but we should wait and see how things unfold."

Hulk nodded in agreement but was interrupted by Akado, who insisted, "We should send a telegram immediately declaring our refusal to join the old army!"

"Lieutenant! Those are our fellow German soldiers too! If we don't support them, we'll be scorned by other units for stabbing them in the back," argued Brud, glancing sharply at Akado.

Akado stepped forward, his voice firm. "Scorned? On what grounds? Why oppose if not agree? Can we discuss this?"

Curious, Hulk prompted him to elaborate. "Everyone has read the telegram. They lack any follow-up plans and haven't even managed the immediate issues properly. I don't want to go down with such people. Does anyone here have a death wish?" Akado asked, his tone laced with sarcasm.

Deputy Leader Bretz, intrigued, urged him to continue. "They have no long-term strategy, no intention of establishing a military-controlled government or installing a puppet leader. The whole of Berlin is in chaos. If they succeed, it would be miraculous."

Hans, the second battalion commander, interjected, "They lack preparation, but why do you say they haven't handled current issues?"

"If I were in charge," Akado explained, "I would ensure President Ebert was captured and conveniently killed in an 'accident.' Even if everyone knew I was responsible, without concrete evidence, they'd have to accept it. Whoever became the new president would owe their position to the coup, ensuring the orchestrator wouldn't face severe repercussions."

Impressed, Hulk gave Akado a thumbs-up. "Well said. If this were your plan, we'd just be waiting for news of your success."

Hulk then turned to Deputy Commander Bretz. "Send a telegram from our regiment. Declare that we do not support General von Lütwitz and that we stand with the German people."

The next day, General von Lütwitz, following some bizarre advice, appointed a relatively unknown and insignificant former civil servant from the Ministry of Agriculture, Wolfgang Kapp, as the German Chancellor. Despite widespread condemnation, the makeshift government somehow functioned.

On the third day, news of a promotion for a second lieutenant named Akado reached Hamburg. The head of the 105th Regiment, Kruzer, had sent a commendatory report to the government in Berlin, but it was still en route when President Ebert fled to the suburbs.

General von Lütwitz, overwhelmed by the challenges facing the new army, decided to process accumulated reports to demonstrate his capability to the nation. Among these was the report praising Akado, which von Lütwitz approved, unaware that Akado had been one of the first to oppose him.

Three days into the coup, Akado received his promotion, jumping two ranks to become an army captain. If von Lütwitz had known the true sentiments of the man he promoted, he would have been furious.

Simultaneously, a workers' strike erupted nationwide, protesting the unrecognized and mistrusted Kapp government. Just five days after the coup began, von Lütwitz and Kapp were ousted from the presidential palace by the arriving National Defence Force. President Ebert resumed power, restoring order in Germany, and the strikes ceased with the government's victory.

History had not forsaken the German people's aspirations for stability and prosperity. After the Kapp debacle, a seasoned and energetic general, Major General Hans von Seeckt, was appointed the new Commander-in-Chief of the German Army. Despite the limitations imposed by the Versailles Treaty, which left the German Navy with only 15,000 men, von Seeckt was effectively the supreme leader of the German military forces.

General von Lütwitz had only occupied the commander-in-chief's office for five days before handing it over to von Seeckt, a typical Prussian soldier—lean, tall, with a monocle on his cheekbone. Von Seeckt, a distinguished veteran of World War I, had organized successful operations against Russian forces in 1915, earning the highest German military honor, the Prussian Medal. He had also served as the Minister of National Defense in the Turkish Empire and was a signatory of the Versailles Treaty. Fluent in English, French, and German, von Seeckt was as familiar with the arts and literature as he was with military tactics—a true polymath and a favored son of fortune.

Upon taking office, von Seeckt wasted no time. He summoned his assistant and issued his first command as the German Army's new leader: "Promote Captain Akado Rudolf of the 103rd Regiment's gas prevention team to Army Major, and have him report to the Berlin Army Command immediately."