These Fragile Regimes, page 3
part #10 of Parallel Nazi Series
“That’s a sad commentary on their competence.”
“Isn’t it?” Schloss agreed. “It’s in the hands of the legal system now.”
“I am delighted you will not interfere,” Wicklein said. “People are wondering how you will react.”
“What is the expectation?” Schloss asked.
“That you would take them out and have them shot.”
“Which would be the last thing we want to do. I would be satisfied for the judge to find them guilty, slap them with a fine, and send them home. They deserve to be shot, if for no other reason than sheer stupidity. But I worry that they would be able to cause more trouble if the judge sentences them to prison time.”
“This reminds me of another event, Herr Reich Chanceller.”
“The Munich beer-hall putsch? Yes, I thought of that, too. Fortunately, there was no shooting. But I don’t want anybody sitting in a jail cell writing a book. My Struggle indeed.”
Schloss had referred to Hitler’s famous work, Mein Kampf. The sales of that work had made Hitler modestly wealthy, and people were still buying the thing. Schloss was a practical atheist but often wondered if there existed a real Devil, considering the influence of Hitler’s book.
“Do you want me to suggest to the judges the preferable outcome?” Wicklein asked.
“No, most certainly not. I will accept whatever the judges determine and hope for the best. That is really the only thing we can do.”
“I understand, Herr Reich Chancellor, but I had to ask.”
“You understand my thoughts on the rule of law, Gerhard. Human rights were a part of the basic law in the Weimar constitution. It was a dead letter during the Hitler years, but revoking the decrees that Hitler promulgated after he took office was satisfying. I don’t think the Weimar constitution is a great document, but it is one we have. Once we have elections, I think we can shore things up and put some measures in place to prevent another despot from taking control.”
“Indeed. I am so glad to hear you say that, Herr Schloss.”
“Very well, Gerhard. Keep an eye on things so the Zentrum leadership doesn’t take advantage of our patience.”
“Of course.”
“Now, what is the status of the Congo expedition?” Schloss asked.
“Major Strang indicated they have completed loading the freighter, and it will sail for Hamburg within the next couple of days.”
“I’m sure Herr Heisenberg will be delighted to get more ore for his project.”
“I am not convinced that I am delighted,” Wicklein commented.
Schloss motioned for him to continue.
“After the Americans poisoned a quarter of their land, I am nervous about the demons we might let loose.”
“We are all nervous about that,” Schloss said. “But we must continue the project. And we must be very careful.”
“I feel as though we can maintain superiority over the Russians without having that weapon. It is powerful but also limited.”
“Limited in what way?” Schloss asked.
“First of all, using it would constitute crossing a line,” Wicklein explained. “Once used, it cannot be unused. The Russians, by using it, would invite the destruction of their government. We do not need those weapons to succeed in our aims.”
“Everything you have said is true,” Schloss commented. “But if the Russians rain hundreds of the weapons down upon us, would that matter?”
“Can they do that, though?”
“Not at the moment. But I do not expect to keep our monopoly on jet-propelled bombers indefinitely.”
“But building the things seems immoral.”
“What is morality, Gerhard?” Schloss snapped. “Morality is usually determined by the winners. We are being very careful in how we manage the project so we can avoid the mistakes made by the Americans. And I would be hesitant to use a weapon like this first. I am not sure I would agree with your characterization of an atomic device as immoral. Things are not immoral. People are moral or immoral.”
“I was concerned you would be upset with me for bringing this up,” Wicklein said.
Schloss shrugged. “You are voicing the same concerns all of us associated with this project share. You are right to be worried.”
“Thank you, Herr Reich Chancellor.”
“It is nothing. I am glad you brought the subject to our meeting.”
“And one other thing, this morning,” Wicklein continued.
“And that would be….”
“The SS security at Dornberger’s Libyan site caught a Russian spy.”
“Entering or leaving?” Schloss asked.
”Entering. We are interrogating him, of course. I will let you know if we gain any further insight into his activities.”
“Very well. I don’t like hearing about this, but I’m glad we caught him. The Russians already have rockets, but we are at least ten years ahead of everybody else. And I want to stay that way.”
“Of course, Herr Reich Chancellor.”
“And you think my interest in rockets is a fool’s errand, right, Gerhard?”
“Oh, no, Herr Reich Chancellor. If we must use an atomic weapon, a rocket would be the perfect way to deliver it. But von Braun badly wants to go to the moon, and I worry he is not properly focused on ensuring we have an effective weapon.”
Schloss worked his tongue around in his cheek as he considered Wicklein’s comments. “I understand what you are saying, Gerhard. Based upon the reports I have received and also from talking to von Braun, he has been careful to design the rocket in such a way that it is easy to produce a version for weapons use and another for space flight.”
“Thank you,” Wicklein replied, “that is reassuring.”
“And to be honest, Gerhard? I would like us to send people to the moon, too.”
CHAPTER FOUR
January 8, 1946, 9 PM
Reich Chancellor’s Apartment
Reich Chancellery
Berlin Germany
“I received a letter from Gisele Dumont,” Gisela said as she worked through a late dinner with Schloss.
“Okay, you will have to refresh my memory,” Schloss said. “I do not know that name.”
Gisela chuckled softly. “I don’t think I have ever mentioned her to you. We grew up together in Munich. We went to the same school where I was known as Gisela 1, and she was Gisele 2.”
“And she lives in Munich?”
“No. Her father worked for Renault, and they moved back to France just before the war.”
“So, the letter was a way of catching up?” Schloss asked.
“Yes. We had fallen out of touch when she moved. Her letter was a pleasant surprise.”
“And what is she doing now?”
“She has married. Her husband is Romain Lemoine, who works for the French government in Vichy.”
“How very interesting,” Schloss commented.
“You don’t seem to be in touch with your childhood friends,” she said.
And how do I answer that? I have no memories of childhood friends in this land, of course. And I had few friends in my other world.
“I have always had difficulties making close friendships, I suppose,” he said. “I would be hard put to even remember the names of my acquaintances. But I am happy you have reconnected with your friend. Are you planning to meet with her?”
“Oh, I would like to do so, but I wonder how we would be able to work something out like that.”
“We can ask Binns to make the arrangements, my Dear,” Schloss said. “I would suggest inviting her here for a visit. Having you travel to Vichy for a visit opens some challenges.”
“I understand,” Gisela replied. “We really do not have much of a personal life, do we?”
“Fortunately, we are close to Peter and Isadore. And also, the Rainers.”
“That is true. I think that is what keeps me sane in this mausoleum. I wonder if we might invite Gerhard and his family to dinner. I wonder if that would intimidate Katrin.”
Schloss chuckled. “You’ve met her at the diplomatic gatherings. I don’t think anything intimidates Katrin. She has a strong personality.”
“The wives of all your friends seem to have strong personalities,” she commented.
“The wife of the Reich Chancellor has a strong personality,” he replied.
“That was carefully said, mein Herr. Would you care to elaborate on that statement?”
Schloss sipped from his water glass. “I consider it one of your strong points, of which you have many.”
“You are artful,” she grinned.
“We try.”
They continued working on their dinner. The Luftwaffe chef had prepared a beef roast along with potatoes and broccoli, and Schloss had no complaints. The chef could not match Frau Marsden’s cooking, but then, no one could. This meal was still very good, however.
“Gerhard is very impressive as well,” she stated. “From the way you have described him, he seems to always land on his feet.”
“I had some concerns about elevating him to Reichsprotektor. He is very young. But fortunately, those fears were groundless. Gerhard learns quickly. I am not sure who is the more capable in that family. Katrin is impressive on her own. They give me hope for the future of Germany.”
“Could he replace you, Darling?” she asked.
“Someday, he might. But we don’t know how the nation will proceed in the next several years.”
“And how was your day, Darling?” she asked.
“It was routine, for a change. Konrad is reaching out to people he trusts to help him through the process of creating a new political party. I believe that will go better than he expects. I have heard nothing that indicates the Zentrum leadership has any support from the party members. Assuming they survive the trial and avoid prison, they will probably be the ones to turn off the lights in the Zentrum offices.”
“That is very sad,” Gisela commented. “Didn’t they think about what they were doing?”
“Apparently not. Sometimes, there is no accounting for stupidity.”
“I felt sorry for Herr Adenauer. I can tell he poured heart and soul into the Zentrum. Then they tossed him out and self-destructed.”
“Konrad is pragmatic,” Schloss said. “Despite the pain, he has picked himself up and gotten on with life. The trial will be unfortunate, but I think it will solve a lot of problems for us.”
“You don’t think it will cause things to get out of control?” she asked.
“No. We have the best of all possible outcomes. Some people had positioned themselves to cause a lot of trouble for us, and their poor judgment removed them from the board. Konrad can take advantage of his influence now to build something more durable. And I can concentrate on other things before the election.”
“Such as…” she prompted.
“Marshall Pétain is in poor health. I have heard from a couple of sources that the maneuvering to replace him has already begun. And if we have learned anything over the past hundred-fifty years, it’s that the French are unpredictable.”
“What do you think will happen, Darling?” she asked.
Schloss shook his head. “I have no idea. If I could generalize, I would say that the French people are reasonably satisfied with life. The economy is improving, and we have lifted most of the oppression in the German-controlled areas. The French administration in Vichy is reasonably competent and has not generated much dissatisfaction. But the leaders are another thing. One faction finds German suzerainty unacceptable and is looking for an opportunity to restore the French republic. Another faction has accepted collaboration and has worked to ingratiate itself with the Nazi party – to the point of being better Nazis than the Germans.”
“And how would you respond, then, Hennie?”
He frowned. “My usual methodology is to game out multiple scenarios along with possible solutions so that if the balloon goes up, something will fall quickly to hand. But nothing I can think of makes sense.”
“I’m sure you will deal with it,” she said.
“Oh, I will. The question is whether I will handle it well.”
“Are you tired, Hennie?” she asked.
He smiled at her. “I am always tired.” He held up a finger, “However, I am careful to avoid exhaustion. I hope I have learned my limitations.”
“Perhaps we can move to the sitting room,” she suggested.
Taking her hand, he led her to the sofa. As usual, when she snuggled against him, her hand found his. The steward carried a tray into the room and handed them each a snifter of brandy. And Heinrich Schloss found himself content.
§ § §
January 11, 1946, 8 PM
Öbleck Estate
Near Neustrelitz, Germany
Grafin Isadore Öbleck-Schreiber combed the tangles from her stepdaughter’s hair after an evening bath. Gratia sat quietly but with a frown on her face. She did not like the effort involved in getting her hair straightened but had learned not to resist Isadore.
Peter Schreiber sat across the room and paged through a copy of the Der Spiegel. The news magazine had been founded two years previously and already had a respectable circulation. While Peter’s job required a broad knowledge of world events, he discovered that the newspapers and magazines helped fill in the gaps of what happened around the country.
“Herr Adenauer has spoken in the Government Council meeting about his efforts to build a new Centrist party,” Peter said. “I didn’t realize how badly the Zentrum pissed in their drinking water. According to this article, the entire Zentrum other than the leadership is starting to evaporate.”
“There was some conversation about that at the Arts Committee meeting,” Isadore replied. “The comments about the leadership’s intelligence were caustic. Some of the members of the committee privately told me that they were impressed by Hennie’s willingness to hold elections without preconditions. The Zentrum’s actions were bewildering.”
“I think they grossly misread their level of support with the populace,” he said. “They expected to be feted as heroes when Schloss arrested them.”
“So, they expected to be arrested?” Her eyebrows climbed in surprise.
“Oh, yes. They had to know Hennie would not simply hand over the government to them on the day before Christmas. He has always been very clear about his plans for the election. Hennie and Herr Adenauer said that they had concluded that the Zentrum realized that there was a very real chance the Nazis would retain power after the election, Herr Schloss’s desires notwithstanding.”
“That does not say much about them, does it?”
“Unfortunately, not,” Peter answered. “I think Herr Adenauer will eventually realize how much better off he is without having to answer for their indiscretions.”
“That’s an interesting word, indiscretions.”
“I know that covers a lot of ground. But, at best, these people are liars. And if they have that character flaw, there’s no telling what we might discover if we dug deeper.”
“Are they going to prison?” she asked.
“That will be up to the judge. But my feeling is that he will slap them with a heavy fine and turn them loose. Their political careers are finished anyway.”
“And this pretty much guarantees that Schloss will stay in office.”
“I think so. However, Hennie has warned me not to underestimate Adenauer. He has certainly performed impressively in the government.”
“It’s kind of nice to worry about internal politics for a change,” Isadore mused. “We’re at peace with everyone else.”
“True, but that can change in a heartbeat. The Russians have been quiet, and the English have been developing trade links. Everyone else is friendly. But I try to stay on top of things. The only area that worries me is Vichy France. Pétain is a known quantity, but he holds his government together by force of will. He’s an old man, and when he eventually goes, I think things will get interesting.”
“As in them engineering a revolt?”
Peter shook his head. “Who knows? They have factions pulling in three or four directions. Laval has collaborated with us; Reynaud wants France out of our arrangement. And then we have de Gaulle in London trying to pull strings.”
“Does anybody pay attention to de Gaulle?” she asked.
“He has a following in England and America. The English government hates him.”
“Because he’s obnoxious?”
“That probably has a lot to do with it. But he undermines the status quo, and that makes everybody nervous.”
“What will Hennie do if something happens in France?”
“When something happens in France,” Peter replied. “I don’t know. The French people, as a whole, seem satisfied with things. The economy is improving, and crime is low. We let them travel back and forth between Vichy territory and the Northern Zone. They can even leave the Reich if they desire. We haven’t heard of any unrest, and I’m sure Gerhard keeps his ear to the ground.”
“Are we done yet?” Gratia whined.
Although the little girl was not yet three years old, she spoke carefully and clearly.
“Patience, Liebling,” Isadore said. “It’s much easier to get the tangles out while your hair is still wet.”
“I don’t like it!”
“Gratia,” Peter warned.
She looked at her father and immediately subsided. He nodded approvingly. Isadore rolled her eyes. Peter was amused, but his job as foreign minister had schooled him to allow his face to display only what he desired. Isadore grinned when she noticed him grow opaque.
“You read me well, my Dear,” Peter commented.
“That says little,” she replied. “I think I know you well enough now to know what you are thinking.”
“Is that good or bad?” he asked.
She chuckled. “It depends on your point of view. It is definitely an advantage for me.”
“That’s what I was afraid of.”
“I was just thinking,” she said, “we should have the Rainers out here this weekend. Misty told me she has trouble dragging Karl away from the office. If we can get them out here, he won’t wander into work on Saturday.”
