298

Episode 298: The End of the Apocalypse (11)

The coup masterminds had grandiose plans of their own.

First, the 1st Guards Division, which is responsible for defending the capital and ensuring the safety of the imperial family, is mobilized to take control of major facilities and military centers in Tokyo and eradicate all surrender traitors who are trying to sell the country to the devil.

Then, with the Emperor's approval, a new cabinet is formed and the war continues.

Even if Manchuria, Joseon, and Taiwan are lost and the U.S. military lands on the country, if it resists until the end, the mentally weak U.S. will request reinforcements from Japan.

A passing dog might have laughed, but the coup forces were serious.

Otherwise, they would never have thought of launching a coup, not to stop the war, but to continue the war.

"dismissal!"

"Are you planning on giving up like this?"

"There are 100 million people left in the Empire!"

The small group met with Army Minister Anami Gorechka and explained their plans and asked for his support.

"If Your Excellency announces the 'Emergency Force Mobilization Plan,' the rebellion will definitely succeed!"

"… … "Let's have a drink first."

Anami was fiercely opposed to surrender and insisted on a decisive battle on the mainland, but after learning that surrender was the Emperor's will, he no longer advocated resistance.

The Emperor's orders were absolute to him, who would have thrown away his own life like straw if the Emperor had wanted.

"Your Majesty has decided to surrender. As a subject, can you oppose this?"

"but-"

"It's already been decided. Now, drink it all up."

Anami did not agree with the small group's plan.

"Surrender is a shortcut to destruction, Your Excellency!"

"Surrender is nonsense for the weak. "The Empire can still fight further."

Major General Takeshi Mori, commander of the 1st Guards Division, was asked to participate in the coup.

"Paraguay, a small country in South America, fought for five years until 80% of its population died! Finland also fought against the overwhelmingly powerful Soviet Union, and so did Gina, the enemy of the Empire."

"So, let's continue the war?"

"If you pride yourself on being a people who have received the New Jujeong Dynasty, but surrender without even fighting a decisive battle on the mainland, what will future generations think of you? This is a shame and a sin that will forever remain in the history of the empire. "To surrender without fighting properly is to dishonor the spirit of the patriotic nation, and I believe there can be no greater crime than this."

"We plan to rise up in order to restore the rule of the empire. "For that to happen, the Guards Division needs to be at the center."

Mori was dumbfounded. He suggested that he, the commander of the Guards Division responsible for the defense of the capital Tokyo, join the rebellion.

And they weren't generals, just major and lieutenant generals.

"It's an important matter to decide right away. First, take a bath, then go to the shrine to pray and then decide."

"… … "You're planning to cowardly run away."

"what? "What did you say just now?"

"You disgusting traitor! In the end, you were one too!"

Mori was killed along with his staff.

The coup forces that murdered Mori mobilized the Guard Division with a fabricated order impersonating Mori.

In order to secure records containing the emperor's voice recordings, they occupied NHK and invaded the homes of ministers who surrendered.

"Prime Minister, where is the Prime Minister?!"

"what? no one is here?"

"You don't know? "Are you kidding me?"

"You bastards! "Where on earth are you hiding!"

The ministers of the surrender faction had long since withdrawn.

"There are no records!"

"I asked my employees, but they all said they didn't know."

"You don't know? Does that make sense?"

"As soon as the recording is finished, the imperial family takes it away."

"this… … ."

The record recording the surrender broadcast was in Hirohito's chamberlain's house.

"I'm sorry, Your Majesty, but it's only now-"

"Is that true?"

"So it is."

"Tell Jim that he will personally meet with the soldiers and talk to them."

Above all, Hirohito had no intention of participating in the coup d'état's plan.

The coup, which had very poor justification and poor planning, ended in a futile failure.

June 25, 1944,

Japan declared unconditional surrender.

***

This morning, I heard that Japan had surrendered.

World War II is over. A year earlier than actual history.

The war that had lasted five years since 1939, or seven years in the case of Asia, has finally come to an end.

Japan's defeat was something that had been predicted for a long time, so I wasn't surprised.

Rommel, who entered Manchuria, sent a telegram saying that he would continue to advance to disarm the Japanese army.

In preparation for a conflict with the United States, he urged them to stop immediately if the United States contacted them to stop their advance.

"Mr. President. "Why do you look so happy?"

"hmm? is it?"

"yes. "Is something pleasant happening?"

"Didn't Japan surrender?"

Krause tilted his head, wondering if it was strange that I was happy that Japan had finally surrendered.

Well, no one will know. How long I have waited for this moment. Not only I but all my compatriots will feel the same way.

What is even more pleasing is that the division of the Korean Peninsula did not occur thanks to the collapse of the Soviet Union.

Since division did not occur, there would naturally be no war - today, coincidentally, was June 25 - and there would be no separated families or North Korea's frequent provocations of war. North Korea itself will not be created.

The streets of Berlin were relatively calm. It's not that people weren't interested in the news of Japan's surrender, but they weren't as excited as before.

From the time the Soviet Union surrendered, it seemed as if World War II had effectively ended for the German people.

They destroyed Britain and the Soviet Union, so what does it matter to them whether Japan in the far East surrenders or not?

Unless you have soldiers from the Far East Expeditionary Force as family members, most people will not be interested.

"What will you do with the detained Japanese?"

"For now, I guess I'll just keep taking him. "If the Americans ask for it, give it to them."

News of Japan's surrender was also delivered to the Japanese delegation detained in the Japanese Embassy building in Germany.

Of course, everyone was in a devastated mood, but perhaps they had guessed in advance that this would happen to them as well, so there wasn't much of an uproar.

They will be in Germany for a while and then repatriated to Japan if there are no other issues.

However, if the United States requests the extradition of these soldiers, we will listen. Of course, for a small amount of money.

Even in this world, Japan did not avoid defeat, but compared to actual history, it is still good.

Thanks to the Soviet Union not participating in the war, the Kuril Islands were saved and Hiroshima and Nagasaki were not attacked by nuclear weapons.

However, if you say that Japan's future will be bright, I don't know.

In actual history, Japan received relatively less attention because the Nazis attracted so much global aggro.

Except for key war criminals, the rest were released with relatively light punishment, and thanks to the special war and anti-communist atmosphere caused by the outbreak of the Korean War, they were able to quickly recover the economy and wash their image.

This is in contrast to Germany, which started a war and had to keep quiet even in the 21st century while keeping an eye on the international community.

But in this world, Germany was not defeated. However, Japan lost the war.

Germany won the war and did not commit the Holocaust, so there is nothing to criticize except for starting the war, but Japan, which lost the war, is different.

Even in terms of war crimes, these people committed just as many cruel acts as the Nazis.

Not only to fellow Asians, but also to white Americans, British, Australian, Dutch, and French.

Therefore, it may have been less severe than in actual history, but it is extremely unlikely that the post-war punishment would be mild.

I was writing a congratulatory message to Chiang Kai-shek, receiving a report on the results of the meeting between Himmler and Mosley, who had gone to England to create the Oxford SS Military Academy, and reading a report on Weber's ongoing development of a new long-range heavy bomber, when Schauf brought out some news. appear.

"This is a telegram from Cracow."

***

June 27, 1944

German Polish Protectorate Cracow Government General Building

At first he was an unremarkable man.

Born into an ordinary family in Munich, he was said to not be particularly intelligent like others, but was still gifted with dexterity.

He worked as a locksmith and joined the German Fatherland Party in 1917.

The German Fatherland Party, which was based on the militarism and anti-Semitism that prevailed in German society at the time, was soon disbanded, and he gathered like-minded comrades and founded a new party.

The party with the simple and ordinary name of the German Workers' Party was one of the widespread minor political parties, like many other political parties in Germany, and no one paid any attention to it.

Until I met a man.

When Adolf Hitler, a former Army sergeant who became a new party member, suggested that the party's name be changed, he was torn between two options: acceptance or rejection.

However, when he accepted Hitler's suggestion, changed the party name, and approached the public with a new strategy, his life changed 180 degrees.

There was a brief crisis along the way, but Hitler used the crisis as an opportunity to leap to greater heights. He also greatly benefited from Hitler.

Now people no longer ignore him. Those who ignored him or laughed at him for being insignificant when he passed out leaflets on the street are now bowing their heads at his feet, hoping that he will pay attention to them.

He achieved wealth and fame that he could not have imagined when he was young.

Although he has been reduced to a mere superficial leader in the party he created, and his power in Hitler's empire is ridiculously small compared to the top echelon, he is still one of the most powerful people in the entire empire, and everyone looks up to him.

But now that power was coming to an end.

Drexler lay down on the bed and breathed heavily.

Germany's best doctors tried their best, but failed to restore him to health.

He also knew that his life was short. As his death approached, he became surprisingly detached.

It was not that I had no regrets in life. If possible, I wanted to live longer. But unfortunately, it seemed like this was the end of the mission God had given him.

"Your Excellency the Governor-General. "The President has arrived."

Drexler barely stood up when he heard that the Fuhrer had arrived.

"How are you feeling?"

"It's like what you're seeing."

"Doctors... … ."

Drexler shook his head. Hitler didn't ask any more questions.

"I thought I would live a few more years, but there's nothing I can do. "If you've been drinking like that, you're self-employed."

"Right."

"Have you decided on a successor?"

"Is there any reason to use someone else? Marshal Fritsch will take your place."

After all, he is the next governor. From the time Drexler was lying in his hospital bed and being pestered by doctors, the work of the governor was Fritsch's responsibility.

Even if he dies and Fritsch officially takes office as the second governor, there will be no change in the work itself.

"I am."

Drexler opened his mouth.

"Just coming this far feels like a dream."

Hitler also smiled slightly at Drexler's words. he asked.

"Surprisingly."

"Why?"

"It's just a flashy title and there's nothing you can actually do."

"Who induced it?"

"Hmm, hmm."

"Still, I have no complaints with you. "Honestly, if it weren't for your help, I wouldn't have come this far."

Drexler had to pause for a moment because he was out of breath. After taking a moment to catch his breath, he opened his mouth again.

"Who would have imagined? A Munich locksmith would become governor. "Recruiting you was the best decision of my life."

"Thank you for thinking that way."

"Can I ask you a few questions?"

"of course."

"How do you know so well?"

"What do you mean?"

"Didn't you guess everything that happened in the future without leaving out anything? "It's as if I saw it in person."

Drexler had a question that had remained unresolved until now.

Hitler always succeeded in everything he did, as if he knew the answer.

When Mein Kampf first came out, people treated me like a fool who was imitating Nostradamus.

But soon, all the prophecies written in his book became true, and he now had control over all of Europe.

That was what Drexler was most curious about. How was Hitler able to achieve success in everything he did?

Of course, the Beer Hall Uprising ended in failure, so it could not be said to be a 100% success, but looking at the subsequent results, it could be said to be a fortune.

Perhaps the failure of the Beer Hall Uprising was within the scope of his expectations?

"I just got lucky."

"You're saying things that even a child wouldn't believe. I was lucky enough to come this far... … Then everyone in the world is less fortunate than you. "Isn't that right?"

"Think what's convenient for you."

Drexler was not dissatisfied with everything Hitler did.

I did not like the fact that they changed the name of the party and also brought in Jews as German citizens.

But looking back now, I realized that all of this was also the foundation for the final victory.

However, even after Hitler completely took control of the party, he continued to treat Drexler with respect as the party leader, and although he was uncomfortable with the fact that the party he founded had become Hitler's shrine, having greatly benefited from Hitler, he did not object to Hitler's decision.

What would have happened if he had opposed or put the brakes on Hitler's decision?

However, it was unlikely that Hitler would have failed. Judging from his experience so far, he would have succeeded no matter what he did.

Rather, there was a high possibility that he would have been forgotten and not even obtain his current position.

"I am grateful to you. "I took care of this old man in the back room until the very end."

"I just did what I had to do as a comrade."

"Comrade, comrade… … ha ha ha! "That's a really cool thing to say."

The phlegm boiled up and he spat it into the ashtray. The yellow sputum was mixed with blood.

"What does it look like to you?"

"What do you mean?"

"My life. Please evaluate honestly. "I'd like to hear an honest opinion from Germany's greatest iron man."

"You will regret it."

"What about regret? No need to talk long. "Please tell me briefly."

In the eyes of a superman like Hitler, Drexler's life seemed unremarkable.

I was lucky enough to meet good colleagues and enjoy wealth and fame, so I had nothing to say even when I was called an ordinary man.

Rather, I thought that the average person was the most perfect evaluation.

But the words that came out of Hitler's mouth were different.

"I think it's a pretty good life."

"It's a good life?"

Hitler nodded.

"As you said, a mere locksmith became governor. If this isn't a good life, what is it?"

"haha! ha ha ha… … !"

Drexler had one last laugh.

Yes, you read that right.

I went from being an insignificant person to enjoying all kinds of wealth and glory and even leaving my name in history. If this is not a good life, what kind of life should I live?

Before drowsiness hit him and his eyelids closed, Drexler recalled a blurry fragment of his past that he had long forgotten.

'I'll just ask you one question.'

'say it.'

'How far is your goal?'

'How far can it go… … .'

Then the waiter put down the dessert, and only after the waiter left did Hitler open his mouth again.

'It's everything in the world.'

Hitler truly had the whole world in his hands. He put into practice a grand ambition that neither Napoleon nor Bismarck could achieve.

And he himself watched the scene closely.

The sight of Germany, the defeated country, unifying all of Europe into one great empire.

The beginning of the 'Thousand Year Empire'.

If this were the case, wouldn't we be able to confidently say that this is the best life?