Chapter 84 Labor Export
The German Navy's action of sinking warships in Scapa Flow, England was part of the Rainbow Plan. In fact, this was caused by a misunderstanding, because the ultimatum issued by the Allies to the German government expired before noon on June 21. Although the German government had decided to surrender, it did not inform the fleet commander von Reuter in Scapa Flow in time. The surrender plan formulated by the German Navy, the Rainbow Plan, originally had a plan to sink the heavy surface fleet to prevent it from falling into the hands of the enemy.
Therefore, von Reuter sent out a pre-determined signal according to the plan - the Rainbow. The German fleet anchored in Scapa Flow then raised the fleet flag, battle flag and Z signal flag that were prohibited from being hoisted, opened the sea valves and watertight doors of each ship, and began the tragic and helpless self-sinking operation. The entire self-sinking operation lasted about 6 hours, and 52 of the 74 detained German warships sank to the bottom of the sea, including 10 of the 11 battleships and 5 battlecruisers. The tonnage of the sunken warships was 95% of the total tonnage of the seized fleet.
When the news that the Germans began to sink the warships reached the Palace of Versailles, most of the warships were still floating on the sea. However, the British now wanted to stop the sinking, but they were powerless because their fleet had left Scapa Flow for sea training. Now there were no ships in Scapa Flow that could stop the Germans.
"The Germans, the Germans rejected our ultimatum? The world war will continue, is that right?"
US President Woodrow Wilson asked loudly in a hoarse voice. Because of "nothing gained" at the Paris Peace Conference, many people in the United States began to care whether it was worthwhile to participate in the war. The results of the mid-term elections held in 1918 were also not favorable to President Wilson's Democratic Party. If the world war continued and the Soviet Union and Germany joined forces to fight the Allies, then the United States would really be in big trouble.
"Yes, the Germans are looking for death!" Marshal Foch's voice was full of excitement. "We have millions of troops armed to the teeth. It only takes a few months to completely crush Germany!"
"And the Soviet Union and Hungary!" British Prime Minister Lloyd George said with his eyes closed, "Austria will most likely join the war. We will face a war on a larger scale than the past four years... Germans, Russians, Magyars, and perhaps Turks will stand together and fight us to the end."
"Then crush them all together!" French Prime Minister Clemenceau said in a muffled voice, "We have such power, don't we?"
The United Kingdom, the United States, and France certainly have the power to crush Germany and the Soviet Union. But the question is what to do after crushing them? Let France swallow half of Germany, and then support a pro-French Poland to watch over Eastern Europe, and finally add a Russia that is falling apart in civil wars and foreign wars? Isn't this the European order that Emperor Napoleon dreamed of?
The conference hall was dead silent. Another sound of footsteps sounded, and it was French Foreign Minister Stephen Bichon who walked in, with a relaxed smile on his fat face.
"Thank God! The Germans have surrendered! They basically accepted our demands, except that they wanted to maintain an army of 300,000 to deal with the growing threat of the Bolsheviks..."
"No! This won't work!"
Clemenceau and Marshal Foch shouted almost at the same time.
"100,000 troops are enough!" Marshal Foch said, "Considering their current support for the Hungarian Bolsheviks and the evil deeds of sinking the fleet, the German army should be completely disbanded."
"And then let the German working class seize power?" asked the American president.
"The French army can go and suppress it!" Clemenceau emphasized.
"Mr. Bichon, has the German delegation arrived at the Palace of Versailles?" Lloyd George didn't want to waste time with the "unreasonable" French Prime Minister. He saw Stephen Bixon nodded, so he said, "Then let them send two people in to explain their reasons... In addition, I also want to hear their explanation for sinking the fleet."
...
"Mr. Minister, this 'Teutonic Knight Labor Company' has been under our surveillance for a long time, but their business does not violate national laws, nor does it evade taxes. It is a model company."
Lieutenant Colonel Hersman had already left Budapest and returned to Berlin at this time. Just after noon today, when the news came that the Hungarian Red Army had attacked the Chalduc Pass and broke into Romania, he was urgently summoned to the Ministry of Defense Building.
The one who summoned him was Defense Minister Gustav Noske. He was the Social Democratic politician who led ten divisions of the Free Corps to suppress the Berlin Uprising. After the suppression of Berlin, Noske presided over the reorganization of the "Provisional National Defense Army" and prepared to cut the millions of German troops during the war to 400,000. Now that the disarmament plan is underway, many German officers and soldiers have lost their iron rice bowls. Otto von Hirschmann, Hirschmann's father (who has the same name as Hirschmann's younger brother), is one of the unemployed officers and has now found a new job in Hungary.
While a large number of officers and soldiers were laid off, a company called "Teutonic Knight Labor Company" that mainly engaged in labor export and specialized in finding jobs for unemployed officers and non-commissioned officers in foreign countries suddenly appeared in people's sight. This company published advertisements in major German newspapers, recruiting architects, engineers, chefs, skilled workers and ordinary workers in the name of recruiting a large number of officers and non-commissioned officers who participated in the world war.
The destinations for the labor export provided by the company are Russia, Hungary and Turkey, which are countries that are at war!
"Lieutenant Colonel!" Noske glared at Hessman, "Do you want me to believe that a lot of officers who have been in the army for half their lives are now going to Hungary, Russia and Turkey to be cooks? This is too absurd, no one will believe it! The Allies won't believe it either! Can you guarantee that there are no military advisers from Germany in the Hungarian Red Army that is now marching towards Bucharest?"
Hessman tilted his head and said helplessly: "Mr. Minister, I can guarantee that the operation of this company is legal... We have checked for a long time and there is no violation of the law. As for those retired officers and non-commissioned officers, they are free to go wherever they want! We are now a republic that guarantees civil liberties. According to the sacred constitution, they have the freedom to go to Hungary to be cooks. And after they arrived in Hungary, they changed their careers to become mercenaries, which is also their freedom..."
"I know what freedom is! Lieutenant Colonel! I know better than you..." Noske pounded the table with his fist. "But freedom does not mean that the country can be put in danger!"
Didn't the freedom in November 1918 put Germany in danger? Hessman wanted to answer like this.
But in the end he held back and didn't say anything, just shrugged: "It's not just about freedom, it's also about food... The German working class needs to eat, so why don't we German soldiers have to eat? Most of those officers and non-commissioned officers are professional soldiers, and they don't do anything else except joining the army. You know better than me how the German economy is now. It's impossible for us, the soldiers who entered Grosshilfeld at the age of 9 or 10, to find a job in Germany after retirement.
And the Allies want us to continue to reduce our military to 100,000. By then, there will be more soldiers who will be unemployed and have no food to eat. Going abroad to be a mercenary is also a way to survive. The quality of our German soldiers is recognized by the whole world. This Hungarian War once again illustrates this point - if you want to win the war, you have to hire our German military advisers, which is actually a good thing!"
"Good thing? Why can't I see it?" Although the Allies have not protested against this matter, Noske can already imagine how furious the Allied leaders meeting in Paris are. Maybe soon there will be more severe punishments imposed on Germany!
"Of course it's a good thing!" Hersman said confidently, "If these unemployed German soldiers cannot find jobs abroad, they will become part of the proletarian army because of unemployment... Then they will become the power of extremist parties!"
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Luo Luo violently begging for collection