Chapter 1518 - 45: Germany’s Predicament

Chapter 1518: Chapter 45: Germany’s Predicament

Berlin.

William II was incredibly dissatisfied with the reversal of Germany’s situation in Belarus, and in the Prussian palace, his curses against Russia could be heard for several consecutive days.

"Damn Russians, indeed, no matter what skin they wear, they can’t change the greedy core of these Slavs."

"These Russian Labor Party members are even worse heretics than Nicholas II. They not only brazenly continue Tsarist Russia’s expansion policies, unabashedly revealing Russia’s ambitions towards Europe and even the world over the past century, but also cunningly use the guise of liberating the world to lay the groundwork for enslaving it..."

William II was truly enraged, not genuinely worried about Russia’s ambitions, but because the Russians’ actions further eroded the public’s trust in their own government.

The German populace had already been harboring resentment due to World War I. Although Germany, compared to the previous era, received relatively decent compensation before exiting the war, the price paid and the spoils gained were clearly incompatible.

Then came the devastation brought by the European flu, further stifling German society, and now the military defeat in Eastern Europe added insult to injury for Germany.

Having experienced the rapid development from the previous century into the early 20th century, from national unification, to economic and industrial booms, and technological advancements.

Comparing these to Germany’s recent years of misfortune, it’s easy for the German public to experience a massive psychological gap, especially with the military defeat against Russia, which is simply unacceptable.

After all, the German people still hold impressions of Russia from World War I, whether Tsarist Russia or the current Russian Labor Party, they were characterized by continuous defeats during the war.

Yet now, Russia, under the leadership of the Labor Party, has achieved military advantages and breakthroughs in Eastern Europe, and this reversal of fortune from former underdog clearly embarrassed William II.

Despite the fact that the military advantage gained by the Russian Labor Party in Ukraine and Belarus was not solely due to their military forces, the German public only knows that the Empire’s influence in Eastern Europe is being challenged.

However, having been battered in World War I, the German populace, while dissatisfied with the situation, they are unwilling to genuinely support war.

This mindset of the German people is evidently contradictory. After all, if they don’t support war, Germany naturally can’t undertake significant military actions in Eastern Europe, as war brings death.

And unable to carry out large-scale military operations, the sphere of influence in Eastern Europe naturally gets reclaimed by Russia, which further discontents the German people.

In conclusion, William II is now in a no-win situation, with both the war advocates and anti-war factions in Germany placing the blame on this emperor.

Regarding William II’s irritability and frustration, Prime Minister Herman empathized, saying to William II, "Your Majesty, now is not the time to complain. We must respond to Eastern Europe’s matters. We have only two choices: either support war, drive the Russians back, and stabilize our sphere of influence."

"Or choose to negotiate with the Russians, given Germany’s current situation, it’s indeed unwise to start a new war. Germany has experienced war, plague, economic depression, and the public’s anti-war sentiment is high, along with increasing distrust and negative emotions towards the government, hence the decision we make next will inevitably affect Germany’s future fate."

William II also understood the predicament Germany was facing, so he decided to put pressure on Herman: "Then what does the Prime Minister think we should do? Forcefully retaliate against Russia, or choose to compromise with them?"

Seeing no way out, Herman finally said, "If Your Majesty insists on an answer, my thought is to compromise with Russia."

This answer surprised William II, and he asked, "Why choose the latter?"

Herman paused briefly before saying, "There’s an ancient saying in the Far East: To defend against external threats, one must first secure internal affairs. I believe it’s quite valid, as Germany’s current situation is indeed one where internal problems outweigh external ones, thus internal issues should be prioritized for Germany to stand undefeated."

"Now, Germany is rife with undercurrents; Labor Party members, democrats, war advocates, anti-war factions, Jews... various interest groups are all pointing fingers at us, and this is the biggest problem for the current government."

"Domestic contradictions can be said to be on the verge of outbreak, and starting a large-scale war at this time, regardless of victory or defeat, the mere preparations for such a war could trigger serious social issues."

The notion of using war to divert social contradictions is undoubtedly valid, but Germany’s ordinary people who have just gone through World War I certainly won’t accept this notion.

Therefore, Herman doesn’t believe war can solve problems; in fact, starting a new war could become a major issue, one that might serve as the fuse for Germany’s explosion.

Thus, Herman analyzed, "So, once we support war, we will fall into the trap of political crisis, which is disadvantageous to us, and secondly, even if starting the war doesn’t cause public discontent, if the war fails..."

He didn’t continue, but William II was already aware that the risks of starting a war far outweighed those of not starting one.