Chapter 9

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May 4, 1930, around 4:00 AM

Brest, France

In the early hours before dawn, a group of warships began to move slowly in Brest Harbor. No one was there to see them off. These large warships, the French Navy's pride, the Dunkerque-class battleships equipped with 15-inch guns, and the Provence-class battleships, a cheaper version of the Dunkerque-class, were escorted by numerous destroyers and cruisers as they set course for the still dark open sea.

A few hours later, a German spy disguised as a dockworker noticed that Brest Harbor was empty and hurriedly reported back to Germany.

The main fleet of the French Navy—8 battleships, 14 cruisers, and 33 destroyers—had set sail.

At this time, the spy made a fatal mistake. He failed to notice that over 40 submarines, which had been present alongside the main fleet, had disappeared. The spy did not realize that the submarines had been reduced to zero at the same time the main fleet set sail. These submarines had been leaving the harbor in small groups before the main fleet's departure, but they were considered minor compared to the main fleet, which was the most powerful force. This had been reported before, but no one had taken it seriously.

---

May 10, 1930, around 10:00 AM

Berlin, Air Force General Staff

Werner was thoroughly exasperated by the scene before him. He was in one of the conference rooms in the Air Force General Staff. In this room, neither spacious nor cramped, a group of gruff military men were engaged in heated debate.

"The Air Force's job is not just to support the Army! Our four-engine bombers have made tremendous progress and can eventually eradicate any nation that opposes Germany from the face of the earth!"

The one passionately arguing was Hermann Göring himself. He had been transferred from a combat unit to the operations department a year ago and was known as the vanguard of the Werner faction within the Air Force.

"But if the homeland is occupied, it will be meaningless! Hindering the enemy's Army and striking them is the most important job of the Air Force!"

His opponent was the colonel, the chief of the operations department and the vanguard of the anti-Werner faction.

The Air Force was divided into the Werner supporters, the anti-Werner supporters, and a small neutral faction. The topic of this meeting was the future strategy of the Air Force, but in reality, it was an attempt to find a compromise between the Werner and anti-Werner factions. The Air Force had been in operation for 10 years, and the proposal for this meeting came from the Chief of the General Staff, General Falkenhayn, who, however, maintained a hands-off attitude. He already knew the outcome.

"Then, I ask you..."

Erich Milch prefaced his statement, gathering attention before speaking.

"Although strategic bombing, as mentioned by Lieutenant Colonel Göring, is one aspect, our supported doctrine includes seven pillars: tactical bombing, air defense, air superiority, close air support, maritime patrol, and transportation."

Milch calmly asked, "What exactly is your dissatisfaction?"

The anti-Werner faction was at a loss when confronted with such a rational question. The tasks could be roughly guessed from their names, and it was clear that they would be important. However, they could not accept it emotionally.

In short, they did not want to be at the mercy of a young upstart like Werner, and they could not tolerate the idea of a young man like him achieving great success. This was a mix of jealousy and resistance.

However, they could not say this outright, so the colonel, the vanguard of the anti-Werner faction, responded with a reasonable answer.

"The budget. Our budget is limited, and we cannot afford to spread our resources so widely."

Göring and his supporters fell silent. The budget issue was the trump card of the anti-Werner faction and an unsolvable problem. Under the anti-Werner faction's gaze, Göring and his supporters turned to Werner.

Werner sighed and slowly began to speak.

"We do not need to maintain a large number of front-line aircraft in peacetime, and no one will allow it. Indeed, this year, the budget has been cut for the Air Force, as well as the Army and Navy."

No one objected to his words.

"However, it is different in wartime."

Tension ran through the room as Werner continued.

"Unfortunately, our homeland is not as economically weak as you, colonel, suggest."

He first stated this, then looked around the room and continued.

"Even if we equip 20,000 close air support aircraft, 10,000 fighters, and 10,000 multi-engine bombers, along with various other aircraft, the budget will still have a surplus. Various aircraft manufacturers can produce a minimum of 20,000 aircraft of all types annually, and in a wartime economy, 100,000 aircraft annually is certain. This is based on calculations by the Supply Department in consultation with the Ministry of Finance, after allocating sufficient budgets to the Army and Navy and the necessary national operations."

Both the anti-Werner and Werner factions fell silent.

Compared to historical facts, the officers were better with numbers, but they still seemed insufficient. Neither faction had requested such budget-related calculations from the Supply Department, as both had the experience-based belief that budgets were always limited.

"By the way, this year's fiscal revenue is 26.2328 billion marks."

Werner's words added to the pressure. The combined budget for the Army, Navy, and Air Force was only about 1 billion marks. Moreover, this fiscal revenue was more than five times that of the historical period. It was clear how much Werner's reforms had benefited Germany. Considering that the budget for all three services would increase significantly through the issuance of war bonds and other means in wartime, it was more than sufficient. Despite the weaknesses of resource dependence on colonies and a smaller population compared to Russia and America, this world's Germany could wage a war as luxurious as America's.

"That's the end of it."

General Falkenhayn declared.

"If a sufficient budget can be obtained in wartime, we should do our best. Colonel Rundstedt understood this well, which is why he did not get involved in factional disputes."

At these words, everyone in the room recalled a certain saying.

It was "The rich do not quarrel." Werner thought that this was not his intention, but he did not say it aloud.

"Is there anything else?"

At General Falkenhayn's question, Göring hesitantly raised his hand.

"I have a proposal. May I present it here?"

"Permission granted."

With General Falkenhayn's approval, Göring expressed his gratitude and slowly began.

"Simultaneously with the start of the war, if we launch a surprise attack on the enemy's industrial areas with 1,000 four-engine bombers and repeat the attacks, the war will end quickly, won't it?"

Everyone was stunned, including Werner.

Göring's idea was precisely the area bombing carried out by the American and British armies in the late stages of World War II. Historically, Germany suffered significant damage to its aircraft factories and synthetic oil plants, accelerating its defeat.

"...War is about numbers, indeed."

The colonel, the vanguard of the anti-Werner faction, muttered.

Many who had opposed emotionally realized that if they had the budget to do as they pleased, they could achieve results with their own strategies and tactics.

"However, war is unlikely to happen for a while."

Werner stated this. Based on the current diplomatic situation, he did not think that the Franco-Austrian Alliance would challenge Germany, and neither Wilhelm II nor the German government expected it. The Intelligence Ministry was monitoring French movements, but recently, the French Army had gathered near Belgium under the guise of exercises.

In recent years, the French Army, especially the Army, had significantly increased its size and conducted numerous exercises, so this movement was not taken seriously. They had equipped many tanks, automobiles, and armored vehicles, similar to the German Army, but the exact doctrines of the French Army were not fully understood.

The Army General Staff had deployed the main force in the Alsace-Lorraine region, constructed strong fortifications, and believed they could hold out for a year even if the war started. They planned to transition to a wartime economy while holding the border and then swiftly annihilate the enemy according to the Werner Doctrine. The mobilization system, refined since Schlieffen, could mobilize 900,000 active-duty soldiers, 4 million reservists, totaling 4.9 million soldiers, in just two weeks, excluding the standing army. The Air Force had nearly 300,000 reservists, including pilots and mechanics, who worked for civilian airlines and aircraft manufacturers in peacetime. The Navy had a similar system with nearly 200,000 reservists.

Therefore, except for the border, the German homeland was virtually empty. The only units maintaining a full complement were the Western Army Group in Alsace-Lorraine (10 infantry divisions), the Guard Corps in Berlin (1 armored division, 2 motorized divisions), and the 1st Armored Army Corps in Göttingen (2 armored divisions, 2 motorized divisions).

Since the Franco-Russian and Franco-British alliances were formed, France had been in a quasi-war state, but the German Army had not increased its standing divisions.

The reason for this was not the budget or population. The Army's budget could withstand the addition of new divisions, and Germany's population, exceeding 75 million due to the absence of World War I, rapid economic development, and immigration from neighboring countries, was not a limiting factor. The reason they did not do so was the belief that France would not attack.

Indeed, the French Army did not have the forces to launch an offensive on the Franco-German border. However, Werner had forgotten—no, he had not even considered it. In the French invasion during World War II and the German counterattack in the late stages of the war, "The Defense of the Rhine," the Germans had used a different route.

---

On the same day, Paris, France

French Army General Staff, 12:50 PM

General Maxime Weygand, Chief of the French Army General Staff, sat on a sofa in his office and took a deep breath. A few days ago, he had signed a certain document, and the results were expected today. The general mobilization had begun at exactly 12:00 PM, and troops were rapidly gathering.

"It's not about whether we can win or not. We must win."

As he muttered this, the phone on his desk rang. He slowly approached it and picked up the receiver.

It was the Prime Minister.

"Just now, we handed the declaration of war to the ambassadors of Germany, Britain, Belgium, and Luxembourg. The rest is up to you."

The call ended there. Weygand put down the receiver and called the Communications Department. The Chief of the Department answered.

"This is Weygand. Relay the message 'Verraine' to all units."

The Chief of the Department understood and quickly hung up. Weygand put down the receiver and, looking out the window at the early summer sunlight, murmured:

"In the autumn day, the violin's sigh deeply pierces my heart, sorrowfully."

"Perhaps I should have chosen something else," Weygand thought, but it was too late for such trivial matters.

---

On the same day, Northern France, 1:20 PM

"Hurry, hurry, hurry! We must enter before the Krauts notice!"

General Charles de Gaulle was shouting from his command armored car. Tanks and trucks loaded with infantry were passing by his command car one after another.

He was the commander of the 3rd Armored Division of the French Army. At 38 years old, he had reached the rank of brigadier general due to the influence of General Henri Philippe Pétain and the large number of positions available as the Army rapidly expanded.

The French Army, unable to match Germany in population or economy, needed to achieve a quick victory in a short war. For this, they adopted a tactic of organic use of tanks and automobiles to penetrate and break through German defenses. Speed was their top priority.

De Gaulle's 3rd Armored Division was tasked with leading the charge of the French Army. This was his own wish, and it was realized because he had devised a doctrine that General Pétain agreed with.

De Gaulle's gaze was fixed straight ahead on the forest. The conditions were poor for moving his forces, but intelligence had revealed that the Germans did not expect this move.

"The air force is here too."

As de Gaulle looked up at the numerous aircraft heading towards Germany, he noticed that they were extremely refined compared to their historical counterparts.

Low-wing monoplanes, all-metal construction, retractable landing gear, and a pointed nose to minimize air resistance—

All of these were due to German influence. The French eagles, carrying bombs, were about to launch a surprise attack on the German air force, which was still sleeping at their bases.

"We will show the world the power of the Continental Army! We will advance like lightning!"

---

On the same day, 2:30 PM, Berlin

Emperor Wilhelm II was in the chamber of the Reichstag. It had been an hour and a half since the fateful moment. The fact that all members of the ruling and opposition parties gathered in the Reichstag in just an hour and a half was both commendable and unlikely to happen without such an emergency.

He slowly ascended the podium. Many microphones were set up, and since the start of radio broadcasts a few years ago, Wilhelm II's voice would be broadcast not only in Germany but around the world.

After surveying the gathered crowd, Wilhelm II slowly began to speak.

"Until just an hour and a half ago, I was enjoying my post-lunch reading. I was sitting on a bench in the garden of the Berlin Palace, listening to the sound of the fountain and the chirping of birds."

He paused for a moment and then continued.

"But that was shattered by France's declaration of war. According to the latest report from the military, the German Air Force has lost more than 30% of its total strength to a surprise attack by the French Air Force. Additionally, there are reports that the French Army has broken through the Ardennes Forest and invaded our territory."

A murmur of unease spread among the members. Wilhelm II's stern face became even more severe.

"I consider this moment a crisis for the German Empire. I am confident that the Chancellor and all government officials, as well as all members of the Reichstag, share this view."

Therefore, Wilhelm II declared:

"As the Emperor of the German Empire, I must order. I must fulfill my duty as an emperor... to protect the empire and its people."

His tone was calm but powerful. Even the usually noisy opposition was silent, watching Wilhelm II's every move with serious expressions.

"I order the German Imperial Army to mobilize all its forces and conquer our enemy, France! Just as our ancestors did, we will raise the imperial flag in Paris!"

Instantly, the chamber erupted in thunderous applause and cheers. Immediately after this speech, Wilhelm II issued a mobilization order, and the general mobilization began. In the emergency session that followed, all means to overcome the national crisis were approved.

However, Wilhelm II had his own succession issues and was not in a position to wage war, but he had no choice but to accept the challenge.

---

3:00 PM, Berlin, Werner's Residence

After completely quelling the factional disputes in the Air Force with the unrefutable argument that "since there is a budget, both sides can proceed," Werner decided to take a short leave and returned to his mansion in Berlin. There, he immediately led Erica to bed. Even if he were not a military man, being cooped up in a room with gruff soldiers would be tiresome, and this was essentially a way to relieve stress.

While his libido had indeed declined compared to his younger days, it was far from a sexless life. Werner also thought it was unseemly for a man in his forties to indulge in young women, so he had no intention of taking on more mistresses. If he were eternally young, he might have been more proactive, but reality was not that kind. Time flowed equally for everyone, regardless of whether they were reincarnated or not. However, if his partner requested it, he thought it was unavoidable, and in reality, Werner had not changed much.

Werner and Erica