Chapter 2

In 1917, the Great General Staff was indeed very large. On the eve of World War I, it had one Quartermaster General (who was actually the Deputy Chief of Staff), five Quartermasters, 15 specialized departments, and one intelligence service group. By now, under the leadership of Hindenburg and Ludendorff, this dynamic duo, the General Staff had become a vast institution with numerous branches, even including a "Film Bureau" to manage the film industry across Germany.

At the same time, with the expansion of the General Staff, many young staff officers were able to join. Among them was Hessmann, born in 1892 and only 25 years old this year. In the spacious and bright large office of the Central Department (which handled personnel affairs), a smiling, handsome captain in his thirties, who was also a new recruit to the General Staff, greeted Hessmann.

"Captain Hessmann, right? Hello, I am Captain Albert Kesselring, a staff officer in the Central Department."

Oh, you're the Nazi German Air Force Marshal Kesselring who was sentenced to death but not executed, Hessmann thought, his expression turning somber as he considered the other man's tragic fate.

"Yes, I am Captain Ludwig von Hessmann, reporting for duty as ordered."

"Sit, sit down." Kesselring still smiled, as if he had just learned he was about to be promoted to major.

"Thank you, Captain." Hessmann sat down in the chair opposite Kesselring's desk and took a moment to observe the large office. It was a room with over a dozen desks, most of which were occupied by cheerful officers. The telephone bells rang incessantly, and the occasional conversation could be heard, all sounding very pleasant, as if everyone had just won a prize.

"Did we win a battle on the front?" Hessmann asked casually.

"No," Kesselring laughed, "it's even better... it's Russia! A revolution has broken out in Russia, and the Tsar may have already been overthrown! I think this is a major turning point!"

It's the February Revolution! Hessmann then remembered that today was March 15, 1917, and the Russian February Revolution (February in the Russian calendar) began on the 8th of this month. If history had not changed, Tsar Nicholas II would sign his abdication decree at midnight tonight.

"This is indeed a major turning point!" Hessmann managed to force a smile. He knew that a similar event would occur in Germany on November 9 of the following year. The difference was that Wilhelm II managed to escape to the Netherlands and did not fall into the hands of the rebelling workers and soldiers.

"Yes, I think your arrival is also related to Russia?" Captain Kesselring lowered his head and flipped through the notebook on his desk, then asked with a smile, "They want me to confirm whether you are proficient in Russian?"

"Yes, my Russian is quite good," Hessmann thought, wondering if he was going to be assigned to the Russian section of the Political Department to study Russian affairs. That would be a leisurely job... he could take the opportunity to think about how to defeat the United States and win World War II.

"Can you also operate a radio?" Kesselring asked next.

"Yes," Hessmann replied, "I was in charge of this at the 11th Army Headquarters' Communications Department."

Hessmann indeed had the skill of operating a radio in his memory. He received training before the war broke out and was assigned to the 11th Army in the Eastern Front to manage the radio. He followed General Seeckt, the Chief of Staff of the 11th Army, to the Austro-Hungarian 7th Army last summer, serving as a staff officer in the Operations Department. During an inspection on the Romanian front, he was hit by a stray Austro-Hungarian shell, causing a concussion and a change in his soul...

"That's good," Kesselring stood up. "Follow me, I'll take you to meet the First Quartermaster General."

"The First Quartermaster General!" Hessmann was taken aback, "You mean General Ludendorff?"

Kesselring shrugged. "Yes, General Ludendorff! He needs a Prussian noble officer who is proficient in Russian and can skillfully operate a radio, preferably with a rank below major. And you happen to be convalescing in Zossen. So..." He extended his hand to Hessmann. "So, you're in luck, come with me quickly."

Will it be lucky? I don't know what the task is. Perhaps there will be an opportunity for promotion to major, and a chance to secure a significant position in the future miniature defense force. If luck is on his side, he might even be promoted to lieutenant colonel before Hitler comes to power. This would give him a good chance of becoming a general officer when Germany rearmament begins, and with effort, he might even obtain a marshal's baton...

He followed Captain Kesselring, who was destined to be sentenced to death, through the corridors of the General Staff building. On the way, he saw many young officers wearing military trousers with red stripes. They were the elite of the German nation, and each of their faces was filled with joy. Probably none of them would have thought that the empire they served would be destroyed in a little over a year, or that they would suffer a second defeat and humiliation in twenty years. They would be branded as "fascist demons" by the victors, executed, or live the rest of their lives in disgrace.

Even more tragically, in the original history, the descendants of Germany would never be proud of these martyrs who fought in the name of their country...

Hessmann slowly developed a feeling that only he could save these pitiful Germans. This was perhaps his destiny after being reborn... If he didn't want to spend the rest of his life in prison or be hanged, he had to find a way quickly!

He followed Captain Kesselring to the end of a corridor, where a large door was closed. Outside the door was a desk, and a blond major adjutant was sitting behind it, reading some documents. He looked up at the sound of footsteps.

"Captain, is there something you need?" The blond major recognized Kesselring and asked with a smile, clearly pleased by the revolution in Russia.

"Mr. Reinhart, is the General inside?"

"Yes, you came at the right time. The General just returned from the Marshal's office and is now in his office."

In the current General Staff, "the Marshal" referred to Hindenburg. The future President Hindenburg was now the Chief of the General Staff, the direct superior of General Ludendorff, and the most powerful person in Germany (Emperor Wilhelm II had been marginalized by the General Staff). Ludendorff was the second most powerful person in Germany, just below Hindenburg.

Captain Hessmann followed Kesselring into the luxurious office of the second most powerful man in Germany and saluted the old man with sparse, graying hair, wearing a neatly pressed general's uniform, who was bent over a desk studying a map of the Eastern Front.

"General, Captain Kesselring of the Central Department reporting!" Kesselring respectfully placed a file folder on the General's desk.

Ludendorff looked up, revealing a very stern face. He had a high forehead, sunken eye sockets, and a prominent nose that looked like it was carved. He wore a monocle on his nose, and under his graying mustache was a tightly closed mouth that curved downward at the corners.

The General glanced at Hessmann with a sharp gaze, as if trying to see through the soul hidden within his body. Then he waved Kesselring away without a word, dismissing him from the office.

Now, the large office contained only Ludendorff and Hessmann.

Could it be a top-secret mission? Hessmann had already sensed some abnormality, but he stood straight and expressionless—this was the standard posture of a Prussian officer.

Ludendorff remained silent, opening the file folder and carefully reading it. After an unknown amount of time, a very authoritative voice broke the silence.

"Captain Hessmann, you know about the revolution in Russia?"

Indeed, it's about Russia!

Hessmann remained calm. "I already know."

This was not a military secret; tomorrow morning, all the major and minor newspapers in Germany would publish this encouraging news on their front pages.

"Isn't this good news?" the General asked in a somber tone.

"It is good news, but not good enough for the Empire, because I believe the revolution will not bring peace to the Eastern Front." Hessmann answered firmly. He knew that the leaders of the Russian Provisional Government, who came to power after the February Revolution, were unwilling to negotiate with Germany—those were brain-dead fools who deserved to be caught and executed by the Bolsheviks!

The corners of General Ludendorff's mouth curled up slightly, revealing a satisfied smile. "It seems you have some knowledge of Russian affairs."

Hessmann did not deny it; as a German military enthusiast from the future, he was very familiar with the Soviet Union, the red empire.

Ludendorff looked at Hessmann and paused before asking, "Do you know Lenin?"

"Lenin... Lenin!" Hessmann was taken aback, then suddenly thought of something and blurted out, "Sir, you mean Vladimir Ilyich Ulyanov, the leader of the Russian Bolsheviks?"

Ludendorff leaned back in his chair. "Ha ha, it seems the Central Department has finally found the right person for me." He looked at Hessmann. "Captain, I am now appointing you as my adjutant, directly responsible to me. Your task is to take a radio and go to Switzerland with people from the Foreign Ministry, and establish contact with the most dangerous rebel in all of Russia, Lenin, under the guise of a German Social Democrat!"