Seizing Czechoslovakia

Colonel Grudeau was in a state of profound dissatisfaction recently. The funding for their coalition arms control committee had been cut again. The domestic economic situations across various nations had led to a general disinterest in foreign affairs, making the operations of the Joint Arms Control Committee increasingly challenging. Due to the financial constraints, numerous inspections had to be canceled. Currently, many reports that were submitted on time were left unaddressed, and the committee's role in monitoring and controlling the German Wehrmacht was diminishing rapidly.

Comparing data from various periods, it was evident that the influence of the coalition arms control committee had been reduced to a mere formality. At the end of 1919, the committee had over 900 active personnel. Including clerical staff and intelligence operatives, the total number exceeded 2,000. At that time, the entire German military industry and army were almost entirely under the committee's surveillance. An example of the detailed records kept then is a report about a colonel from the new German Wehrmacht who had resigned due to illness. The document meticulously noted the cause and outcome, the name of the officer who replaced the colonel, and the original position, alongside all the implications of this promotion.

There was an instance where the committee needed to monitor Colonel Akado Rudolph of the National Defense Force. They pulled up his personal file which contained detailed records from his performance in 1918 up to his promotion to lead the new gas defense team in 1919. Even when Akado was transferred to the headquarters of the National Defense Force, a key symbol was marked on his file as a note.

The intervention of the Armed Forces Control Committee once forced the Krupp factory to destroy over 80% of its production equipment and thousands of already produced artillery pieces. By 1925, the National Defense Force had gradually begun to obscure and distort much of the information, yet the Coalition Arms Control Committee still held significant advantages in many respects. At that time, most of the weapons and equipment produced by the German army had to be manufactured in secrecy, often under civilian guises.

Despite the diminished monitoring power of the committee by then, it was still considered an authoritative entity by the coalition forces stationed in Germany. This is supported by two pieces of data: First, internal statistics from the German intelligence department revealed that between 1925 and 1927, they had captured 427 spies providing intelligence to the coalition arms control committee and had intercepted 2,913 pieces of intelligence about the organization's activities, successfully thwarting over 2,100 such actions. Secondly, the committee conducted a large-scale surprise inspection at the end of 1925, seizing a Krupp company's artillery shell production plant, confiscating over 5,000 shells and 20 150-mm cannons. These weapons were destroyed on-site the following day. The Germans paid a fine of $70,000 for the violation, and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs formally apologized to France, the United Kingdom, and other relevant countries.

However, the situation took a turn in 1929 due to the economic crisis. The British had effectively withdrawn from the Joint Arms Control Committee, reducing the pressure on Germany. The French government, constrained by domestic economic issues, also reduced its involvement. This led to a significant weakening in the defense against the expansion of the German Wehrmacht. Subsequent data showed that the committee had almost completely lost its control over the German military. In 1920, the committee had conducted 9 raids on German industrial enterprises and 2 on the military. By 1930, they managed only one such inspection on military enterprises.

During this inspection, officers from the Coalition Arms Control Commission discovered 41 unregistered 150 mm caliber cannons and over 7,000 unrecorded shells in a new Krupp military factory on the outskirts of Berlin. Unlike previous instances, the Germans neither apologized nor destroyed these weapons; they simply registered them on the form, and the matter was considered resolved.

"It's not sustainable to continue this way," a French official lamented. "In the past, we could inspect wherever we wanted. Now, we can't even get through the door. We present our documents, and they point submachine guns at us!"

"This is nothing. In the past few months, our people have been intimidated and beaten. Now we must carry guns on the streets, otherwise, there will be groups of people in SS uniforms provoking us, and the damned German populace still applauds," another officer added.

Colonel Grudeau, frustrated, tossed the document he was holding onto his desk. "The report I submitted to France and Britain was returned."

"Returned? We provided such detailed evidence!" exclaimed the first French officer, visibly angry. "There's ample evidence to prove that Akado is the mastermind behind the German military's expansion."

"Yes! From the warning of that mysterious phone call, we've been monitoring Akado. Even though it becomes harder as his status rises, we still gathered plenty of evidence," another officer supported.

"He rushed to Munich in 1925, and then there was evidence that the Germans had established a secret military base in the southern mountains near Munich, training tanks there!" the first officer continued.

"He has been in close contact with a general named Catherine within the National Defense Forces, and this General Catherine has now become the supreme commander of the National Defense Forces Air Force, which is enough to prove that he is actually behind the Germans' efforts to restore the Air Force!" they discussed, revealing the connections between Akado and the expansion of the German Wehrmacht, which was a topic of great concern among the officials present. It was clear to everyone that Akado Rudolph was essentially the driving force behind the expansion of the National Defense Forces, as his involvement was evident in almost every instance.

"We all know this man is guilty! But now he has risen to a position beyond our reach! Gentlemen, our government indulges this devil for some international relations; now he has become entrenched, and our country can no longer handle him by itself," Grudeau said somberly. "This is my third report on the trial of the dangerous German activist Akado Rudolph. This will also be the last report of my term. I will resign from my position as the head of the coalition arms control committee."

"Colonel Grudeau? Are you going back home?" the officers present asked, their voices trembling slightly. Colonel Grudo had always been the leader they followed. He conducted himself with great discipline and had always looked after all the officers in the coalition arms control committee like a general, earning their deep affection and respect.

"The Belgian Ministry of Defence informed me that after this year, Belgium will withdraw its officers from the German Arms Control Commission. I will be transferred back," Grudo explained, his voice filled with regret. "This report is the last counterattack I can mount against Akado. Even though many peace-loving individuals have come forward to support us, we still haven't been able to prevent the war from approaching."

"Colonel! Let's gather our people and go directly to the mansion of the heads of state! Fight him! If he is willing to deceive us, then we will die if we must! If he dares to resist, at least our country will not stand by and watch us die!" an officer suggested passionately.

"No one will fight for us! The Germans see it better than we do! They knew we had become mere decorations even before we realized it," Grudo replied with a wry smile. "It wouldn't be surprising now if a group of Germans came in and killed us."

He spread his hands helplessly and continued, "Now it won't! The British government has defaulted on Germany's ambitions for the Sudetenland region in order to focus Germany's attention eastward! And Austria has also fallen victim to this plan! In an attempt to balance the strength between France and Germany, even these two countries have given up, let alone us?"

"Then are we just going to ignore the Germans rearming themselves?" a young officer asked, standing upright and filled with indignation.

"Of course, we can't just watch them rearm themselves!" Colonel Grudeau stood up and spoke solemnly, "Gentlemen! This is a war! A war without smoke! And you are the soldiers fighting on the front line. You must protect yourselves and try to record every crime that the Germans commit against the peace treaty! One day, the international situation will undergo a fundamental change! At that time, these crimes will be all the evidence needed to expose the Germans' vile actions!"

He straightened the military cap on his head and walked towards the door, proclaiming, "Wait until that day, someone will remember the sweat and blood we paid for this! We will be inscribed on the monument to the hero by our motherland! Our friends and relatives will be proud of us! Long live peace! Long live freedom!"

Meanwhile, just a few kilometers away from the headquarters of the coalition arms control committee in Berlin, Akado stood with his general, Brahich, over a map.

"My head," Brahich pointed to the southeastern border on the map, "the soldiers are all ready! We can drive into Czechoslovakia on your order, and I pray the Czech army will not resist, otherwise our army may fall into the mire of war."

Akado, dressed in a black SS officer uniform adorned with two crossed holy swords—a newly designed marshal badge not officially recognized by the IDF but tacitly accepted due to Akado wearing an SS uniform—listened to Brahich's explanation while idly spinning a large globe beside him.

"Notify a few generals," Akado instructed after pondering for a moment, "Convene an Army Military Conference! Fully discuss the battle plan for entering Sudetenland!"

"Long live the heads of state!" Two generals of the National Defense Force saluted as Akado entered the conference room. The German military planning meeting against Czechoslovakia was being held here, and the atmosphere was tense. "Long live Big Germany!" Akado responded with a wave of his hand before walking straight to the map, observing the small wooden blocks that secretaries manipulated with long rods. He studied the layout for about two minutes, then looked up to see his Minister of Defense, Schlecher, and the new Army Commander, General Schlosser, alongside General Blauchich.

"Let's discuss the deployment," Akado began. "My head of state, the army has mobilized seven divisions, concentrated on the front lines at Haibu, Karlovy Vary, Most, Usti, and Deqin," General Blauchic reported, pointing to the border areas on the map between Germany and Czechoslovakia. He then gestured towards Austria, Germany's newly acquired "Eastern Province," with a long whip. "Additionally, we have deployed two infantry divisions in Austria, as well as the 26th Cavalry Division under the command of Major General Rommel."

"Should Czechoslovakia counterattack, Major General Rommel's 26th Cavalry Division will penetrate directly into the city of Budejovice, Czech Republic, and proceed to attack Strakonice, forcing the border guards to retreat," Blauchic continued. Following his explanation, a secretary adjusted the wooden blocks on the map to demonstrate the troop movements.

"Once the border defense line is breached, our armored forces can exploit their speed and obliterate the retreating Czechoslovak forces on the roads," Schlecher added. "This plan prevents us from getting bogged down in a positional battle along the border."

"Unfortunately, the timing for the troop movements into Czechoslovakia has been seriously delayed!" Akado said, resting his chin on his hand, clearly displeased. "We meticulously planned for the Sudetenland. What for? Are there not hundreds of thousands of workers in the film factories? Once war breaks out, do you think these facilities and workers will simply wait for us to arrive?"

He pointed at the map, continuing, "If the frontal battle lasts more than 24 hours, the speed of our armored forces will become common knowledge, exposing our only secret weapon. Isn't that too high a price?"

"There is no alternative, my head of state," Blauchic replied helplessly. "This is the only offensive plan we can adopt. Attacking the Puccino defensive line head-on will cost us a division within two days of combat, a loss the National Defense Force cannot sustain."

Catherine, standing nearby, stepped forward and added, "My head, the Air Force is equipped with only 37 of the latest ME-109 fighters. These aircraft are insufficient to ensure air superiority across the entire theater. Our plan is to temporarily relinquish control of the frontal battlefield to secure General Rommel's offensive."

"The staff headquarters has calculated that within three to five days of the conflict's commencement, French troops will likely attack our western defenses, where the Siegfried Line may not hold," General Bock interjected. "My head, having secured Austria, we are already in a favorable position. There is no need to risk further for Czechoslovakia."

Akado knew this was not just a gamble; it was a dire necessity. If he halted operations in Czechoslovakia, how could he justify his claims of liberating all Germans? The Germans who had already mobilized would be brutally suppressed by their own government, and Akado would lose their support and understanding forever. More alarmingly, the French and the British would see through Germany's bluff, directly jeopardizing the entire strategic deployment of Germany.

"We must maintain this posture!" Akado declared firmly. "Show the world that we are on the brink of attacking Czechoslovakia! Leave the rest to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs! Time is on our side! Trust me, the British and the French will not choose to defend Czechoslovakia to the death. They are more likely to cede it to us, to prevent the Soviets' westward expansion."

After persuading his generals to continue preparing for the military operation against Czechoslovakia and reassuring them that Germany would not be mired in war in the short term, it was noon. As Akado exited the strategy room and took the coat Anna handed him, he realized his shirt was soaked with sweat. He smiled sheepishly before stepping out of the familiar door of the National Defense Force headquarters.

In the car, he headed straight for the German parliament, where he had an important speech scheduled for the afternoon. Sitting in the backseat, he embraced Anna, whose slender waist was accentuated by her outfit. Akado took deep breaths. Germany was not yet perceived as invincible.

The convoy halted in front of a restaurant, where Anna stepped out to purchase a hamburger and a meal set for Akado from a fast-food chain named McDonald's, part of the Bailanhua Group and named after Akado himself. This type of fast food had become popular for its affordability and convenience, favored by workers and office employees alike. Yet, it was unexpected that the leader of a nation would be so pressed for time that he needed to grab such a quick meal.

As Akado ate the burger, layered with meat and lettuce in the moving car, he asked Anna to help him record some thoughts to discuss with Merkel after his speech. "If the King of England were as busy as I am, Austria would still be a separate country," he joked after finishing his meal and washing it down with cola. "Once this is over, I'm taking a vacation to visit Germany's famous mountains and rivers."

Anna smiled, nodded, and leaned against Akado's shoulder, murmuring, "I'm with you!"

In the afternoon session in Congress, Akado delivered a speech that echoed one famously given by Hitler, albeit in a different world. This was an inspiring address that Akado, in another life, had admired greatly, but now he was prepared to use it to galvanize his audience: "The Germanic nation is at its most perilous juncture. Britain, France, and other countries underestimate us, and our government has shown weakness and incompetence."

"They have forgotten the pride of the Germanic people and have surrendered the dignity of our race. They wish to retreat from rescuing our Germanic brethren. They are prepared to abandon the Czech Germans who await our liberation! They are the disgrace of the Germanic people!" Akado exclaimed, waving his arm and clenching his fist in the air.

"Are we to stand by as these unscrupulous nations and powers bully the great Germanic people? Should we also retreat? Watch our homeland be lost, our sons exploited, and our daughters and wives turned into their playthings?"

"Friends, we are descendants of the great Germanic people. We have a noble lineage. Do we want those of lesser blood to rule over our kin and ourselves?" He swept his hands as if to erase everything before him. "No! We are descendants of the noble Germanic people. We do not want our inferiors to rule us. We want to dominate those of lesser blood and make them bow at our feet!"

"We must advance, we must reclaim the glory of the Germanic nation!" As he concluded, Speaker of the House Leuk Carter led the assembly in thunderous applause.

When the applause subsided, Akado saluted in the traditional German manner and ended his speech with the loudest voice he could muster: "Friends, march forward! Let those of lesser blood tremble at our feet! Forward!"

The speech achieved exactly what Akado had hoped, and the parliamentarians responded with enthusiastic cheers. The resolution on "German Armed Intervention in the German National Slavery in the Sudeten Region" was passed by a collective vote, legitimizing the use of military force in Germany, and the German Ministry of Foreign Affairs was further justified in claiming the Sudetenland.

That evening, Akado met with German Foreign Minister Merkel, whom he had summoned. The two analyzed and summarized the current diplomatic situation. Akado issued a directive to Merkel, demanding that within five days, the British and French positions on the Sudetenland be clarified.

Then, Akado rushed to the airport, where he flew to Vienna to attend the German Music Film Festival. As a well-known screenwriter and producer of more than a dozen acclaimed films, and as the German head of state renowned for his achievements in politics, art, and business, he was invited by the organizers to attend the opening ceremony.

Meanwhile, Czechoslovakia had become a nation in turmoil, with riots and unrest bringing its economy to a standstill. Countless civilians flooded the streets, waving flags and hoping for the German head of state to come to their rescue.

On January 2, 1934, just after the New Year, Germany pressed the British government, which first declared its recognition of Germany's ownership of the Sudetenland and Germany's effective control over Czechoslovakia. Czechoslovak diplomats in Britain never managed to see the British king.

The next day, German Armed Forces crossed into Czechoslovakia. Ten minutes later, the Czechoslovak border forces surrendered, and within hours, the Puccino defensive line fell. The German armored forces pushed forward rapidly, soon entering Prague, Czechoslovakia's largest city.

By January 4, 1934, the United States and Japan had recognized Czechoslovakia's incorporation into Germany. On January 5, France announced it would not comment on the situation. Although there was still some sporadic resistance within Czechoslovakia, Germany had achieved its strategic objective: control over the entire industrial system of Czechoslovakia and the acquisition of hundreds of thousands of skilled workers.