Chapter 54: Contemplation on the Fate of the Nation

Lin watched with a heavy heart as the "night warriors" administered injections to their injured comrade, much like a scene from a movie—probably morphine or something similar. However, unlike the disposable morphine syringes issued by the US military, this German soldier had to assemble a small syringe and draw liquid from a small bottle with a glass body and a metal cap. Doing all this in the shaky compartment was no easy feat, but his final injection was very skillful. The wounded soldier continued to groan, but his convulsions gradually subsided. The "night warrior" on the left then sprinkled a lot of powder on his wound, inserted a hemostatic cotton, wrapped it with gauze, and efficiently packed up his first aid kit.

Could such treatment save a life? Lin couldn't say, but the unwavering support for the injured comrade was not just a matter of fulfilling one's duty—it was a manifestation of combat character, enabling soldiers to move forward on the battlefield unburdened.

It was such a highly professional army, yet it suffered consecutive defeats in the two largest wars of the 20th century, plunging the entire country and nation into the abyss of suffering time and again.

Why?

Opening political or historical textbooks, the passages about World War II clearly state: aggressors are bound to fail.

However, America's war history is a strong counterargument to this assertion: from the Mexican-American War, the Spanish-American War, World War I, World War II, to the Korean War, the Vietnam War, the armed intervention in the Dominican Republic, the invasion of Grenada, the conflict in Libya, the invasion of Panama, the Gulf War, armed intervention in Somalia, the Kosovo War, the Afghanistan War, and the Iraq War, most of these wars had aggressive undertones, and the US did not emerge victorious in all of them. Yet, instead of collapsing, the United States' international hegemony has only strengthened.

With such a stark contrast, why such vastly different outcomes?

If it was because leaders with seemingly strong personalities but flawed characters led them down the wrong path, then Truman, who decided to go to war in Korea, Kennedy, who initiated the Vietnam War, and Johnson, who escalated and expanded it, didn't necessarily have more comprehensive leadership skills than Wilhelm II or Hitler. Under their leadership, the US also faced difficulties in battle due to their decisions, and both wars ultimately ended in unfavorable circumstances.

Looking back at history, countless examples show that war begets war, and England transformed from a secluded island nation to the "Empire on which the sun never sets" through one aggressive war after another, plundering wealth, seizing territories, and dominating markets, step by step reaching the pinnacle of history.

Is this the fate of nations, unchangeable by anyone?

No, Lin never believed in fate. In his view, the fate of a nation is the development trend of various elements of a country combined. There are no insurmountable barriers, nor absolute justice or evil. Admittedly, the Nazi fascists' actions of promoting racism and massacring Jews went against the tide of human development, but don't forget that the United States, which has always advocated democracy and freedom, also has a dark history of killing the true masters of North America—the Native Americans—in a brutal and barbaric manner, and the Soviet Union, representing the most progressive thought of mankind, also had backward, ignorant, and violent behaviors during its development, such as the Great Purge, Russian chauvinism, and naked aggression against neighboring countries, and it wrongly chose the Cold War and arms race, which were not suitable for its own development, and eventually fell apart.

The right and wrong of history are judged by the victors, Lin recalled a teacher in college talking about game theory: no one can foresee their right or wrong, they can only choose the best path based on their own perspective.

Thinking about why Emperor Wilhelm II of the German Empire chose to start the war, Lin felt it was because Germany's development had already surpassed that of old powers like England and France. With the world's major colonies already divided, German leaders decided to reorganize the balance of interests through war. This was not purely personal will, but also a game in line with national interests. Therefore, when the news of declaring war came, the whole of Germany was boiling, and people sent off the departing soldiers with flowers and applause—they longed to gain more benefits through war.

From Lin's understanding of history, Adolf Hitler's choice to start the war for the Third Reich was also because Germany's rearming efforts were far superior to those of Britain and France, and when the political attempts at coercion failed, this already fast-moving war machine had no way to turn back. War once again became a game deciding the fate of the nation. Just like the previous war, it was a risk from the very beginning. Compared to this, the US government and its leaders showed their true colors as businessmen. They either chose declining countries or insignificant countries with weak national power for their wars. Even in the two world wars, they only joined when the overall situation was decided, so their chances of winning were much greater than in a war between equal or differently skilled opponents.

Thinking so much, Lin suddenly felt that if he were to become a decision-maker for the country one day, he would certainly be cautious about war issues. If there wasn't at least a ninety percent chance of winning, it would be best not to act. However, as a mere soldier struggling for survival, where would there be any national decisions? Even if he continued to stay in Germany after the war and made some achievements in politics, Germany at that time faced constant pressure from the superpowers of the United States and the Soviet Union, struggling for survival in the midst of their influence. Without even considering making decisions about war, many things had to be done according to others' wishes. The only area where he could make a difference was in the economy—economy was indeed the foundation of a country, but without national dignity, what use was a strong economy?

Thinking about these realities that were not profound but beyond his control, Lin felt very depressed. He lifted a corner of the tarpaulin, intending to take a few breaths of fresh air. Hey, the serfs were more ruthless than the landlords— the Russians were still randomly bombing this way, as if these shells cost nothing. Come to think of it: if the massive military aid provided by Britain and the United States to the Soviet Union had been given to Germany, the Russians would probably have been wiped out by 1943. Who would have had the chance to stage a dramatic comeback then? Although the specific numbers in various post-war materials may vary, one undeniable fact is that when the Soviet Union suffered millions of casualties and lost a large amount of equipment in the first two years of the war, and as its major industrial facilities were strategically relocated one after another, the Western aid of fighter planes, tanks, gasoline, steel, and ammunition played a very positive role, even decisively. Among them, the aid in gasoline and aluminum exceeded the total production of the Soviet Union itself, allowing the scale of its air force and armored forces to double.

All this fully demonstrated the strategic significance of an ideal ally. However, Germany... look at Italy and Japan, the miserable and tearful ones.

If time were rolled back three or four years, Lin might still have been able to try the high-level route. But in the current situation, there was simply no way to salvage this sinking empire, no way it could work!

With a long sigh, Lin watched the instant bursts of explosions, the bright yellow flames at the center flashing like fillings wrapped in a black crust. Shrapnel, mud, snow, and water were mixed together to form this highly diffusive outer layer. If one didn't consider the potential casualties they could cause, sitting here felt more thrilling than watching fireworks. However, even if ninety-nine percent of the shells landed outside the danger zone, that remaining one percent still kept Lin and his comrades on edge. After all, they already had one unlucky example among them, who's to say the next wouldn't be themselves?

Unintentionally glancing into the distance, the pine forest they had once traversed resembled a parallel ridge to the ground, behind which hid the village where Lin had fought desperately and almost lost his life. This blow to the Soviet armored unit might prompt them to retreat for reorganization, or incorporate intact units into friendly forces, or perhaps their losses weren't as severe as they appeared on the surface. Admittedly, this battle left many regrets, even one could argue it was not successful. But then Lin suddenly realized, while the significance of severely damaging a regimental-level armored unit might seem less than destroying the enemy's ammunition depot, fuel station, or headquarters, the recent assault by the German strike force caused heavy casualties among Soviet troops. Among them, many were likely specialized armored troops, nurturing such individuals requires considerable time and effort, whereas manufacturing a corresponding number of armored vehicles would be much easier.

The same principle applies at the national level, where talent, rather than material factors, is the primary determinant of the outcome of a war!

In both world wars, Germany lacked elites; what it lacked were strategists with far-reaching vision. Ludendorff, Ludendorff, Guderian, Manstein, and Rommel were all considered top commanders, each having outstanding performances at the tactical level, but they could never reach the military heights of a Napoleon. Figures like Beethoven, Bismarck, or even von Neurath and Ribbentrop were not worthy to be mentioned in the same breath as the "Iron Chancellor" Bismarck. Hitler, who truly possessed the qualities of a "great man," unfortunately, had extreme personality quirks and emotional soft spots. If he could maintain the objective and cool-headed demeanor and sharp insight of Bismarck year-round, his actions would have been limitless!