Chapter 7

"Rudolf, are you really not making a judgment on behalf of the General Staff with what you said to Lenin?"

"No, I am very sorry, but that is not the judgment of the General Staff..."

"Rudolf, can I say you've gone too far? If the General Staff finds out about those words, you might end up as a sergeant on the most dangerous front in the West!"

"Oscar! Do you want to report to your superiors? Oh God, how can you do that?"

"Chloe, don't interrupt! What Rudolf and Lenin said is quite harmful!"

"Harmful? Maybe it will come true?"

"That's impossible! Absolutely impossible!"

After dinner at Lenin's residence, Hesemann, Ettel, and Heinsberg left Tschuikovitsa and followed the mountain path to Heinsberg's villa under the moonlight. On the way, an argument broke out among the three. Ettel scolded Hesemann severely and threatened to report to the Foreign Ministry. Hesemann, however, insisted that his judgment was entirely correct—indeed, history would later prove it. Heinsberg, on the other hand, kept defending Hesemann.

In the end, Ettel and Heinsberg argued back and forth, while Hesemann became a mere observer.

Watching others argue seemed to be a good post-dinner entertainment, and the descent down the mountain was not lonely for Hesemann. When he returned to the villa, it was already completely dark. Hesemann looked at his watch; it was almost eleven o'clock at night. However, he had no sleepiness at all; he was in a state of excitement. Tonight, he had dined with Comrade Lenin... and after several days of reflection, he now vaguely saw a path to avoid the gallows!

As long as the Third Reich did not fight to the death with the Soviet Union, he could at least become an old National Socialist revolutionary and spend his twilight years in Switzerland or Berchtesgaden. And the Soviet Union, the second evil empire after Fascist Germany, would not disintegrate tragically at the end of 1991... In fact, the relationship between the Soviet Union and Fascist Germany before June 22, 1941, was beneficial to both sides. The relationship between the two countries was not one of mutual destruction but of mutual dependence.

The disintegration of the Soviet Union in 1991 could be said to be the inevitable result of the fall of the Third Reich in 1945. For the Soviet Union and several small Eastern European countries to oppose the entire capitalist world, it was indeed a great feat to last so long.

If the Third Reich still existed, the capitalist camp would be divided into two major blocs: Germany, which controlled most of Europe, and the United States, which could be roughly equal. For the Soviet Union, life would naturally be much easier—this would be a true "Three Kingdoms."

However, for Hesemann's grand plan to be realized, it was still quite difficult. Not only did Comrade Lenin and his revolutionary comrades have grand ambitions to liberate all of humanity, but there were also many people in Germany who hated Russia and the Soviet Union.

For example, that little mustachioed Führer, Adolf Hitler!

It seemed he still needed to work hard to gain the favor of important figures like Ludendorff and Hindenburg, or he might have more room to maneuver?

Hesemann touched his neck and did not say goodnight to Ettel and Heinsberg, but went straight to his bedroom. However, he did not sleep; instead, he sat at a desk in the bedroom and began drafting a report to the General Staff—later known as "The Report on Lenin and the Bolsheviks," or simply "The Hesemann Report."

...

"Chloe, good morning!"

Hesemann, who had stayed up all night, held a file folder and yawned as he descended the stairs to the hall. He saw Chloe wearing a blue sweater and a gray skirt, standing by a long table and preparing breakfast with an elderly maid. Seeing the weary Hesemann, her eyes widened. "Oh my God, Rudolf, did you stay up all night?"

"Yes, I was preparing a report for the General Staff, and I've already written most of it."

"About Lenin?"

"About how to win the war."

"Oh, that's impressive, you'll become a major for this." Chloe walked a few steps, pulled out a chair, and smiled sweetly at Hesemann. "Sit down, have some food, and then go to bed for a good sleep... I think we'll be here for a long time, you have plenty of time."

"Thank you." Hesemann thanked her, sat down, placed the file folder on the table in front of him, and took a sip of milk. "Chloe, we won't be staying in Tschuikovitsa for long. In April... or perhaps even earlier, we will be in Russia, with Lenin!"

Hesemann remembered that Lenin had published the "April Theses" after the February Revolution, by which time he had already returned to Russia.

"April, to Russia? How is that possible?" Ettel, with a ruddy face, appeared in the hall. He had heard Hesemann's words and immediately countered. "Do you know how complicated it is to send Lenin back to Russia? Lenin has not made any promises yet, and he wants a large amount of gold marks."

"That's the thinking of a diplomat; the military and the Emperor do not have such patience."

Hesemann said, "Last month, we resumed unrestricted submarine warfare, which shows that the General Staff is already afraid of the indefinite prolongation of the war and wants to achieve a quick and honorable peace. The Russian Revolution has given us a golden opportunity, and the General Staff will certainly do everything to seize it! If negotiations with the Russian Provisional Government fail, Lenin will immediately set off for Russia."

He patted the file folder on the table. "Oscar, this is a document I drafted on how to fully utilize Russia's resources to achieve victory. Take a look."

"Utilize Russia's resources?" Ettel pulled a chair and sat down next to Hesemann, then took the file folder and opened it.

Although Hesemann did not have much hope for Germany winning the war or achieving an honorable peace, he still wanted to point out a feasible path for the Second German Empire to attract the attention of Hindenburg and Ludendorff.

"Fully support the Bolsheviks to establish a stable rule as soon as possible... This is a necessary condition for the Empire to obtain the resources needed to sustain the war."

Ettel read a line from the document in a low voice and then looked up at Hesemann. "Rudolf, what do you mean by 'full support'?"

"Every means! Including military!" Hesemann said. "We can provide weapons and military advisors to the Bolsheviks, and if necessary, send troops... because I expect the Western Front to experience a long and arduous war. To maintain the morale of the front lines and the rear, we need many things, the most important of which is food. If we want Russia's food, we cannot let Russia fall into long-term turmoil. We must help the Bolsheviks stabilize the situation at least before the winter wheat is planted in 1917, so that we can have sufficient food supplies in the summer of 1918. With food and a friendly Russia, we can sustain the war on the Western Front, especially if the United States joins!"

"Wouldn't it be better to launch a decisive offensive to crush France before the American army arrives in Europe?"

Hesemann's tone was heavy. "No, that's not possible! Because, to some extent, war is fought on hope. As long as the hope of victory is great enough, France will persist. Once the United States enters the war, the French will believe they will win, and no matter how difficult it is, they will not give in. Therefore, if the United States joins the war, we should choose a protracted war with Russia, using a strong defense to inflict maximum damage on the enemy, which might allow us to seek an honorable peace. If the United States does not join the war, we can use a fierce offensive to make the French despair."

"It seems to make some sense," Ettel shook his head, "but it's too pessimistic..."

Hesemann smacked his lips and stared at Ettel. "Oscar, you are a senior diplomat and have been in contact with Lenin for ten years. I hope you can write an analysis report on Lenin and the Bolsheviks... preferably predicting that they will soon take control of Petrograd!"

"Will they take control soon? How soon?"

"October or November... after the Russian army on the front line is defeated."

Ettel hesitated. "Rudolf, do you think the Eastern Front will achieve a great victory soon? But I heard that the Russians are still quite capable."

Hesemann sneered. "A great victory will come soon, because the Bolsheviks will dismantle the army left by the Tsar!"