Chapter 26 of 100

Chapter 26

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Stasi is the phonetic translation of the abbreviation of the Ministry for State Security of the German Democratic Republic, which is similar in meaning to terms like Gestapo or KGB. Only in Greater Berlin can one feel the difference from the Soviet Union; even in Moscow, the capital of the Soviet Union, one would not see so many people in military uniforms moving about in public.

During his time in the Soviet Union, Yury Andropov had heard of this counterpart department in the GDR. The Stasi could be considered the most powerful intelligence agency in the entire Soviet bloc, second only to the Soviet KGB. In terms of scale, the Stasi naturally did not have the same level of strength as the Soviet KGB, but it is important to note that the Soviet Union had a population of nearly 200 million, while the GDR had only about 17 million. In terms of operational efficiency and work attitude, the Stasi was even superior to the KGB.

Lieutenant General Markus Wolf is 35 years old this year. Even by global standards, he can be considered young and accomplished, holding a high position. At his young age, he is already one of the top-ranking figures in the Stasi. The head of the Stasi, Minister Erich Mielke, also speaks highly of Markus Wolf.

In terms of appearance, Markus Wolf gave Andropov a sense of familiarity, especially his narrow eyes. After much thought, Andropov finally recalled that this second-in-command of the Stasi bore a striking resemblance to Reinhard Tristan Eugen Heydrich, the second-in-command of the SS during the Third Reich. However, Wolf did not look as resolute as Heydrich. Apart from having a larger chin, Markus Wolf in his Stasi uniform was almost a reincarnation of Heydrich.

If Jews were to come to the GDR, they might find it very strange, as the current uniforms of the People's Army are almost identical to those of the Wehrmacht during World War II. In terms of attire, the GDR may have retained more Prussian traditions than the Federal Republic of Germany.

The Soviet Union and the United States adopted completely different strategies when dealing with the Federal Republic of Germany and the GDR. Specifically, in terms of the two countries' militaries, the Soviet Union imposed restrictions on the GDR's weapons and equipment, while the Americans were more astute, targeting universal education to erase Germany's long-standing martial spirit. The Soviet Union emasculated the GDR's People's Army, while the Americans emasculated the soul of the West German Bundeswehr. Decades later, the Bundeswehr had completely lost its military traditions, becoming notorious in NATO for its high obesity rate and being ridiculed for losing to Italy in military exercises...

But Andropov had to admit that the Americans were masters of manipulation. This silent infiltration and control was far more powerful and deceptive than the Soviet Union's brute-force suppression. In the GDR, every citizen knew that the Stasi was monitoring the people and that the Soviet Union was the mastermind behind it. In the Federal Republic, the citizens did not know that the United States was doing the same thing. Decades later, the German Chancellor, who was under surveillance by the CIA, remained silent and made no comments about the surveillance.

But, speaking of which, where should Angela Merkel be now, in which kindergarten in the GDR?

"The Soviet Union lost, so naturally, all kinds of mud can be thrown at it! Comrade Stalin once said that the victors are not subject to any accusations, and indeed, how true that is!" A large convoy headed from Berlin's train station to the Lichtenberg district in the eastern suburbs, where the headquarters of the Ministry for State Security was located. Premier Andropov was about to meet with his German counterparts to understand the current situation.

Upon entering the building, the Soviet delegation was led to a conference room, where the current Minister of the Ministry for State Security, Erich Mielke, was already waiting. At 52 years old, Erich Mielke controlled the second-largest and most efficient intelligence agency in the Soviet bloc.

In the headquarters, German security personnel moved about briskly, showing no surprise at the sudden arrival of the Soviet delegation. The arrival of the Soviet delegation was completely ignored, not even slowing down anyone's pace by a second.

"I have a feeling that although your organizational structure is based on the KGB's experience, it seems to be more professional in operation than our KGB!" Andropov, who was proud of the KGB, believed that no intelligence agency in the world could match his department. The CIA, MI6, and DGSE were all inferior. This was the first time he felt that an intelligence agency of another country was more powerful than the KGB.

For Andropov, who always believed that the KGB was omnipotent, this was as difficult to admit as acknowledging that Constantinople is part of Turkey. Coincidentally, he did not know that the Stasi's slogan was "We are everywhere..."

"Comrade Andropov is being modest. We are not as capable as the comrades in the KGB!" Markus Wolf chuckled.

"Welcome, Soviet comrades, to Berlin. The issue we are currently facing is still the problem of West Berlin!" The Minister of the Ministry for State Security, Erich Mielke, welcomed Andropov and began to introduce the current situation.

"Comrade Stalin should not have made concessions on the Berlin issue!" Andropov was not referring to the first Berlin crisis but to the initial occupation of Berlin, where he should not have agreed to divide it into four occupation zones, resulting in the creation of a cancerous growth within the GDR.

Since the GDR closed the border between East and West Germany, only the border between East and West Berlin remained open. A large number of GDR citizens traveled through West Berlin to the Federal Republic of Germany and other Western countries, causing a severe outflow of skilled workers and labor. The direct loss to the GDR from the outflow of human resources was estimated at 7 to 9 billion US dollars. The loss of young labor caused significant damage to the GDR's educational investment, and the outflow of professors and other intellectuals added to the difficulties of the GDR's economic construction.

"The outflow of personnel is the biggest problem Germany is facing now. This loss of talent is causing a brain drain in our country!" Minister Erich Mielke said irritably, "The imperialists in West Berlin are fanning the flames, with hundreds of thousands of people disappearing from Germany every year..."

Andropov, propping his head up, listened and said, "The most shameless thing is that they claim to be fleeing to West Germany for freedom, when in fact they are just seeking better living conditions! If they dislike poverty, they should just say it. They despise their own country's poverty and seek a better life in West Germany, yet they still talk about ideals and principles! But when it comes to ideals, I really don't know which ideal is more attractive than communism..."

"We need to find a way to curb the outflow of personnel!" Erich Mielke tactfully reminded Andropov of the root of the problem.

"I will visit West Berlin tomorrow. How can I know the weaknesses of our opponents without a thorough look?" Andropov smiled faintly. He really wanted to know how this enclave within the GDR operated.

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