German Red Prince

Page 207

"If you want him to never be able to sleep for the rest of his life, just tell him that you are actually a member of the Gestapo and see how he reacts. He'll probably really think the new government is a police state."

Erich put his hands in his pockets and said to his colleague beside him, “The Gestapo is East Germany’s sword against its own people, but that sword should not be pointed at ordinary people.”

"Director Heydrich said that fear stems from the unknown. There should still be quite a few people in Germany who think like him. This is a good thing for us because those reactionaries don't know whether there are any of our people around them."

Ehrlich had immense respect for this Director of the Naval Bureau; he was mysterious and had an iron fist. When the Director of the Naval Bureau was undercover in Kiel, he was even able to command the Gestapo system to issue various orders to them.

Erich had looked up to him since joining the Gestapo. The former head of the Stasi was now a low-ranking officer under Director Hai, and his future prospects were not much different. It was just a matter of whether he would be able to take the position of director in the future.

Fritz ran up to Maximilian and tried to strike up a conversation for a long time. Maximilian couldn't believe that he had come out so quickly. He asked him about his experience inside for a while, and it turned out that he was indeed fine. Things hadn't gone as he had imagined at all. The people inside hadn't even questioned him; they had simply treated it as a street fight.

Hearing Maximilian say that, Fritz breathed a sigh of relief. Since Maximilian hadn't dealt with it, he probably wasn't in much trouble either. Those spies probably wouldn't knock on his door to question him or take him away.

Fritz returned home much more normally than when he first came back. When Fritz returned, his wife also came over, holding movie tickets in her hand. The government had given them a few movie tickets at a price that was practically free. This time, Thorne wasn't after box office revenue; he just wanted everyone to be able to see these movies.

"A movie from the new government? They can actually release a movie so quickly, and they made it so fast?"

Fritz was very curious about the new government's films. The more something is unseen, the more it piques people's interest. After the French Commune was established, French films and various art forms disappeared in Germany. They disappeared from ordinary people's lives. You couldn't get them without some means, and even if you did, you were finished if you got caught.

The things of the French Commune were only "critically appreciated" within the aristocracy, and ordinary people had little access to them. Now the new government is actually showing them films.

They'd never seen socialist art before, so of course they had to go. Besides, Fritz was worried about being monitored, so going to see a movie would make him seem "loyal" to the country.

"Let's go, we have to go, the whole family has to go!"

Fritz was so excited that he wanted to take everyone there. He was acting so loudly and boisterously, which was completely different from his usual self. This puzzled Fritz's wife. What was going on? What had triggered him?

470. Long live the Republic!

Fritz took his family to see a movie immediately after listening to his wife. On one hand, he was genuinely curious about what kind of movie the new government's ideology would produce. On the other hand, he wanted to show his "absolute support" for the new government.

He was still afraid that he might be monitored by some unknown person and detained one day, so he quickly took his whole family to see the first movie after the establishment of the new government.

Besides Fritz, there were many other people who came. After so long of war, Berlin hadn't had any entertainment like this for a long time. Now that there was a movie to watch, everyone was eager to come out and try it out, rather than stay at home.

"Have you heard of the films about the French Commune? They use those kinds of methods to brainwash people. I wonder if this movie will do the same thing?"

"Who told you that? If that were true, then the people coming to Berlin now wouldn't be Rhine people, but French people."

Before the movie even started, everyone crowded at the cinema entrance and started chatting excitedly. According to previous German propaganda, the reason why the French Commune, which was so authoritarian and terrifying, could still control the entire country was because the government would brainwash the people every once in a while, and that was through movies.

They say they're going to see a movie, but actually they're going to see something indescribable that controls their minds. Once they're inside, their thoughts are completely manipulated.

In response to the rising French Commune, the German government produced many films depicting these horrific methods of the French, with details so vivid it was as if they had witnessed them firsthand.

At the time, the public viewed it as a horror and thriller film, and people satirized each other. After entering the 1920s, Germany released several films with similar themes every year. If you look at it that way, isn't that a form of brainwashing?

Two newly released movies were screened today, and they're showing back-to-back. One very important reason why they've attracted so many people to watch them is that meals are included with the screenings.

Since it is going to be a socialist country, a socialist country should naturally have its own welfare system. Although Germany cannot yet provide workers with time to take vacations abroad, a basic welfare system has begun to be established.

Artistic propaganda is a weapon of the proletariat, and this is especially true of the emerging film industry. The proletariat must always maintain control of the discourse.

Regarding welfare systems related to the arts, Germany is modeled after the French Commune and is gradually implementing them domestically. This time, not only are movies available, but food is also provided during the screenings.

The German Catering Alliance was formed by the two major catering giants in Rhineland: the KFC Workers' Union and the Fanta National Union. KFC and Fanta had already penetrated deeply into the working class in Rhineland, and Thorne quickly completed the nationalization of these two companies.

In the Rhineland, the German Catering Alliance was an important institution for recruiting members of the Socialist Workers' Party and the Communist Party of Germany. The target audience of these two companies was the working class, and since food is the most important thing for people, the catering alliance was also an important weapon of revolution.

The KFC Workers' Union was based on the trade union originally created in Berlin. During the revolution, the KFC Workers' Union in Berlin transformed into a revolutionary organization. When Adolf led the uprising, many of the people in it were members of the KFC Workers' Union.

This is essentially a pilot program. In the past, people didn't eat while watching movies because eating during silent films would affect the viewing experience. Now, with the development of technology, the future belongs to sound films, and the audience of cinemas is no longer limited to the upper class. To make art popular art, providing snacks in cinemas in this era is a first in Germany.

With the involvement of the German Catering Association, a large subsidy was provided, allowing people to buy a family bucket at a very affordable price. This was quite a novelty for people at that time. After so long of wartime control in Berlin, having a family bucket was a very happy thing.

Fritz's family of four got two family bucket meals for very little money; it was practically free, which made him a little uneasy.

He had never experienced the government allowing the people to benefit before. Hess shouted through the loudspeaker that everything was for the German people, but he didn't see any changes in rations during the control period.

"I never expected it, it's practically free."

Cinemas in Berlin were packed with people. Fritz sat in his seat sharing the contents of the family bucket with his family and exclaimed in amazement. He wasn't the only one; practically everyone in the cinema was exclaiming in amazement. It really was like getting it for free.

Each family bucket comes with a promotional poster that reads, "Our great motherland rises from the ruins, and everyone enjoys the benefits of socialism – German Catering Union."

Thorne, having come from the 21st century, understands the importance of propaganda as a weapon. If you don't seize this weapon, you will surely be seized by others. It is essential to firmly grasp the leadership of ideology.

Lana helped the child open the soda bottle. In the past, women mostly stayed at home and rarely had employment opportunities. They could only participate in some work during wartime.

But after the new government was established, Lana received a leaflet from the German Women's Association and got a job with the same salary as men, proving that men and women get equal pay for equal work.

Women's rights are also part of the people's rights. Liberating women means liberating the future. Women's liberation is being carried out in many places. In Britain and France, left-wing parties are basically all promoting women's liberation, and Germany is naturally not lagging behind.

Although Thorne had no fondness for the fascist parties in Italy, he had to admit that the regions under Mussolini's control were among the most thoroughly liberated for women in several countries.

Their women's federations are so advanced that they allow women to join the military, and they are directly incorporated into combat personnel. Even the French Commune has not yet achieved this. In France, at most, they are incorporated into medical teams.

These countries have been developing for over a decade. Germany has many predecessors, and with Thorne here, there are even more diverse sources of reference. Soon, the German people will be able to feel the superiority of the socialist system.

This is another sound film. We previously produced a sound film for the Rhine Parade, which was very well received. Compared to "Triumph of the Will," the filming techniques and sound recording have improved significantly.

The younger viewers might not be interested in "The Great Dictator" and would be focused on eating, but as the plot unfolds, everyone becomes engrossed, and many people forget to eat while holding food.

The story is about a Rhine barber's magical experiences in Berlin. Some of the things he goes through might not resonate with other audiences, but Berlin audiences will. Wartime control, martial law, and unrest are all things that actually happened in Berlin, and even though they are presented in a comedic way, everyone is deeply moved.

At the end of the movie, the dictator, seeing that the revolutionary army was about to reach Germania, still refused to surrender in his madness. He even ordered the city to be burned down, just like Rome, completely disregarding the people living there. He also wanted to release poison gas throughout the city to perish together with the revolutionary army.

At this point in the story, everyone was on edge, not daring to blink. They learned from the newspapers that Ludendorff was going to set fire to Hamburg and Hanover, and that he was also dropping poison gas on the Rhine army at the front.

If Ludendorff hadn't left Berlin, would he have actually done this in Berlin? Burned the city, destroyed it with poison gas, all for his so-called thousand-year empire?

Finally, by sheer coincidence, the barber who looked remarkably like the dictator was thrust onto the stage, halting the army's actions and delivering a powerful speech that averted the crisis. With combined efforts from both inside and outside, the real dictator was ousted from power.

"Let us fight for a new world! Children can dream of the future, and the elderly can live out their old age in peace. Tyrants climb to the top of power by making such promises, but they lie and never keep their promises. Dictators are free, but they have enslaved all the people!"

"Now let us fight for this hope, let us fight for the freedom of the whole world, eliminate the barriers between nations, eliminate human greed, eliminate hatred and narrow-mindedness, let us fight for the establishment of a rational world, a world that can lead all mankind to happiness! Soldiers! Comrades! Unite!"

The tyrant is executed by the people. At the end of the film, to the tune of "The Internationale," red flags wave, and a group of people carry the barber, cheering as they walk into the distance, towards the place where the sun rises.

This movie brought an absolute shock to everyone who watched it. Yes, those dictators climbed to the top of power by making promises, but did people's lives really get better?

These dictators enslaved everyone and gained their freedom—William II, Hess, Ludendorff, who brought them a truly good life?

Following this film, "Hello Karl" depicts yet another Germany, a Germany where the dictator has absolutely won. The suffocating feeling that can be felt even through the screen makes everyone clench their fists. If Hess or Ludendorff had won, this would have been the future of Germany.

At the end of the film, before her death, the protagonist's mother finally sees the people's army. She opens the balcony door, and amidst the huge cheers of the people, a statue of Marx slowly approaches from afar. He stretches out his arm, holding a book in one hand, as if guiding the victorious people in the right direction.

"Clear the ruins, rebuild our homes, and spread our wings to face the future..."

The film ends with the melody of "Rising from the Ruins." Although the film ends, the screen does not go black; the final segment is not from the film itself, but rather shows Germany's current reconstruction efforts.

Hanover, Hamburg, Munich, Leipzig, Braunschweig—one German city after another, one moment in ruins, the next rebuilt, with the tricolor flag and coat of arms of the republic flying high.

This short period of time is the most expensive part of the movie. This part is in color, otherwise people wouldn't be able to tell the difference between the tricolor flags.

"For your noble cause, a unified Germany, to prevent the recurrence of past calamities, we unite closely. We will let everyone see the unprecedentedly brilliant sunshine, illuminating the sky of our motherland, illuminating the sky of our motherland."

Everyone was already familiar with the tune of the new national anthem, and they all spontaneously started singing it. Especially when they saw the ruins being rebuilt, everyone stood up and sang with particular emotion.

Seeing these images, they realized the meaning of the national anthem: to prevent the recurrence of past disasters. For this reason, we are closely united and have been singing "Long Live the Victor's Laurel" for so long. However, the national anthem that praises Caesar cannot bring the same sense of empathy as this song.

They truly felt from this song who the master of the country was—not the lofty Caesar, but them; the German homeland did not belong to Caesar, but to them.

"A happy future and a peaceful life have descended upon our homeland, Germany. The people of the world yearn for peace and extend their hands in support. Like brothers, united as one, we can defeat our enemies..."

These two films deeply shocked Berlin. The former German Empire was dominated by Prussia, but did that empire really belong to ordinary people like them?

Will the future republic belong to the Rhine? It will be a republic belonging to all the people of Germany.

After watching the movie, Fritz reluctantly took his child home. A feeling was brewing in his chest. He saw a stall selling the flag of the Republic and realized what was making him excited.

Lana felt that her husband must have been provoked by something, but looking at the street, she thought there must be quite a few others who were provoked as well. She saw many people waving the new tricolor flag and saying the same things as her husband.

Long live the Republic!

471. First visit

In Thorne's original timeline, Adolf was known for his clean conduct and had virtually no bad habits.

He neither smokes nor drinks, and he hardly eats meat. In this world, Adolf is not as extreme, but he still behaves very much like a "Puritan."

In this world, Adolf is also almost perfect in terms of personal qualities and has a good reputation within the party. This time, he has a difficult task: Adolf will be the first person from the East German government to officially visit the French Commune, making him the highest-ranking government official to visit the Commune in the past decade or so.

Adolf rarely drank alcohol, but on the train to the Commune of France, he made an exception and drank a bottle of red wine. Drinking too much would make him drunk, but Adolf seemed to be the opposite; after drinking a bottle, he felt much better.

This negotiation is of profound significance and carries a heavy burden. The East German government is willing to give up Alsace-Lorraine. Sending him to this negotiation is like signing a treasonous treaty in the past. Time will tell whether this is right or wrong. Adolf is also under considerable pressure.

The train departed from Berlin, and Adolf made careful preparations along the way, constantly studying the documents and materials of the French Commune. He represented the image of East Germany, and the French Commune would definitely report on it extensively, with his image likely to appear on the front page. He had to make a good impression.

The French Commune had extended an invitation to Adolf for his visit, and public opinion in France had already been in an uproar.

From the perspective of ordinary French people, this is a great victory for France. Germany was France's greatest enemy and the greatest enemy of communism. Now that the German Empire has been overthrown by revolutionaries, Germany is taking the initiative to visit the Commune. Isn't this a great victory for France and communism?

Almost the entire French population was waiting for the East German Minister of Foreign Affairs to arrive, to see what he would discuss with France this time. The two countries had been in conflict for decades, and what impact Adolf's visit would have on relations between the two countries and on the international communist movement.

Maurice was also very excited about Adolf's initiative to visit. It was Germany that initiated the visit, and then France extended the invitation to them. It was not the other way around, where Germany came after France invited them.

This shows that Germany was indeed sincere; the first thing they did after their revolution was to try to improve relations with France, and that both sides should try to put aside their past grievances.

When the French Commune was still the revolutionary government, it sent an international brigade to the revolutionary government. At that time, the two sides discussed the issue of Alsace-Lorraine. Whether this meeting can be successfully concluded depends on the attitudes of both sides on the issue of Alsace-Lorraine.

Maurice naturally offered his heartfelt congratulations to this newly formed socialist brother. He believed that exchanges between the two countries would likely become more frequent, and with Germany's participation, the global communist movement would flourish even more.

The train traveled all the way to Luxembourg, where it was transferred to another train that entered the territory of the French Commune. Adolf had never been to the French Commune before.

The train passed the border marker between the two countries, and a sign behind it read in German and French, "You have entered the territory of the French Commune. Workers of the world, unite!" Adolf looked out the window at the scenery, which filled him with curiosity; he had never been here before.

Paris, the center of the French Commune, was also bustling with activity. They had received news that visitors from East Germany had entered France, and Paris needed to speed up its efforts to welcome the new comrades. Since the German comrades were coming, France certainly had to take good care of them.

The entire city of Paris was thoroughly cleaned and adorned with the tricolor flag of East Germany, while a huge red flag fluttered atop the Eiffel Tower.

The red flag on the Eiffel Tower is usually only hung on Victory Day. This time, the red flag is different from the previous ones. This time, the red flag on the tower is the original red flag from the revolutionary period, a "sacred relic" from that time. It is usually kept in a museum, but this time it was specially taken out and hung up again.

Where are our German comrades?

"Chairman, we've arrived in Reims. Who should we send to greet us?"

"Let Comrade Jiaxiang go. He is a member of the Central Committee and the Minister of Foreign Affairs, which is the same rank as our comrades in Germany."

Morris did not go to greet them personally; he would have to greet the people coming from the other side, such as Thallman, who also had plans to visit France, but not now.

"How are the preparations going? We need to make our German comrades feel our enthusiasm."

"Everything is ready, Mr. Chairman. Our German comrades will surely feel our sincerity."

The train was heading from Reims to Paris. Adolf got off the train, and the French station staff had already sent someone to greet him. The French representative saluted Adolf and invited him to get back on the train.

The people of Paris were already aware of the visit from the new German government, and the streets were filled with welcoming crowds. The French Commune even laid a red carpet across the Arc de Triomphe to welcome Adolf.

The car slowly came to a stop, and Gashan was already standing in front of the Arc de Triomphe waiting. As soon as Adolf got out of the car, the surrounding crowd immediately erupted in cheers. The news reporters were also waiting for this moment, and as soon as Adolf got out of the car, the sound of various camera shutters could be heard.

"Welcome, German comrades! Congratulations on your great revolutionary victory!"

A row of soldiers stood on either side of the Arc de Triomphe, and a huge red flag of the Comintern hung above it, with the flags of the French Commune and the German Democratic Republic flying on either side.

"play music!"

Adolf and Gachan stood solemnly at the beginning of the red carpet as the military band played the song "The Internationale," which is not only the national anthem of France but also the anthem of the Communist International and the battle song of the world's working people.

Adolf and Kassapa covered their chests with one hand, and the melody of the Internationale floated in the square, prompting the crowd to sing along.

"This is the final struggle. Let us unite for tomorrow, and the Internationale will surely be realized!"

"The red flag on the Eiffel Tower is a revolutionary relic from the French Revolution. Today, to celebrate the great victory of our German comrades, this red flag flies for our German comrades."

Cassiano gestured for Adolph to pass through the Arc de Triomphe to celebrate the victory of the German Revolution. This time, the Commune really gave them face, and the Parisian citizens present shouted "Long live the revolution!" Amidst this thunderous roar, the group passed through the Arc de Triomphe, which symbolized the victory of the revolution.

Adolf is here on a visit, so he certainly can't just come and talk about issues right away; wouldn't that make the French Commune seem petty? Besides, he's come all the way from Berlin and needs to rest.

There were no meetings scheduled or issues discussed in the past few days. Instead, I took the German comrades on a good tour of Paris. This was at the request of General Secretary Maurice. Germany and France were enemies in the past, but they will not be anymore. I hope that this time we can reach a result that satisfies both sides.

472. The Alsace-Lorraine Accords

In the past few days, the French representatives have not approached Adolf to discuss any issues. Adolf spends his days in Paris either resting or being invited to visit various places, which is practically like a publicly funded trip.

The Commune government, of course, also had its own objectives. As the elder brother of socialism, it naturally wanted to demonstrate the superiority of socialism and the post-war achievements of the French Commune to this "younger generation."

The Commune representative took Adolf on a tour of many places, including the Model Commune, the University of Labor, and even artillery and tank factories, to show Adolf how powerful the Commune was, and to imply that the French Commune had the ability to aid postwar Germany in its reconstruction.

Adolf went out on visits every day, and he certainly did not forget his mission in France: the reconstruction of Germany.

The East German government was actually capable of handling the matter on its own, but the time it would take was uncertain. Given the current situation, with surrounding imperialist powers eyeing the country covetously, every year of delay could lead to unforeseen circumstances. The aid from France and the Comintern was extremely important for Germany at this moment.