"Herr Oberst de Gaulle, I believe you have not taken all the facts into consideration," he said. "The purpose of our mobility is to enable a concentration for defense, not to enable aggression. You French are fortunate in that you have defensible frontiers -- along the Rhine, the Alps, the Pyrenees, the English Channel. We do not. The Bolsheviks may overrun Poland, the Fascists Austria, tomorrow or next week, and from there it is nonstop to Berlin or Munich. We are giving away much in adhering to the Treaty clauses regarding the continued demilitarization of the Rhineland."
For the moment he was less concerned about the Fascists than the Bolsheviks. The Eight Million Bayonets of Fascism had another engagement to fill at the moment. Mussolini had made quite the stir with his invasion of Ethiopia last year. Which made for more local protests. Here, too; some of the new infantry regiments had received live-fire experience marching into the more dingy sections of Berlin and Hamburg, Munich and Essen, trying to protect Social Democrats marching to protest the Government's inactivity from Nazis (of all factions) praising Mussolini's civilizing mission. At least the Communists stuck to the East-West Axis for their protests, with diversions down the Wilhelmstrasse to shake their upraised fists at the Capitalist Monster of the Air.
Wels had come to him with the report of the bloody debate in the Social Democrats' Central Committee. "It was worse than the debate over Vienna!" he said, alone with Manfred in his office. (Certainly no Social Democrat would even give Papen the time of day, much less tolerate his hearing of this internal debate of theirs.) "The horror, the horror! Herr Noske defended the policy of the government, but it was a dire question indeed. The Central Committee came close to a vote on expelling him!"
Manfred looked back at him. "The despicable actions of the Italians have done them no good here, or in the League of Nations. Their dropping poison gas from bombers, for example . . . Yet there is some good in this, some good for us at any rate. There are far too many Italian troops in Africa; Mussolini cannot sustain a war there and simultaneously threaten us here.
"Moreover, now that the secret is coming out that M. Laval had connived at this invasion, the French are very much at a disadvantage. They can be made to concede the last few clauses of the Dictated Treaty -- we could even march into the Rhineland!"
And, though he didn't dare mention it to Wels, Dollfuss had sent an emissary to meet with Neurath and Papen about more military cooperation. Mussolini's antics had impressed the Austrian dictator, but hardly favorably. Perhaps the French would even back down on the customs-union ban. After telling him about Dollfuss's offer of cooperation, Papen had added, "'Anschluss'?! Ha. The only connection we need to Vienna now is the telephone line. We don't need troops in Vienna as long as the Austrians do what we need them to do."
(Herr Hitler had made a speech in Munich back in November calling for a union, by force if necessary, of the German people. "The Aryan Volk are connected in blood!" he had said, "The Aryan Volk must be connected in state!" And at that word "Anschluss" all the Nazis now bellowed "Sieg Heil!". Which had disrupted a debate on the maintenance of the Reicheisenbahn; talking about the breakdown of an Anschlussstelle, a connection of mere railway lines, had sparked off a burst of inappropriate salutes.)
But if the Social Democrats found out that he was giving the Butcher of Vienna even the time of day, that would spark another protest, within the government this time. So many were still so short-sighted, or so intensely focused. That was what caused the whole problem to begin with, the one he had been conscripted to solve.
Now the Bolsheviks on the other hand . . . though he was hearing some sinister reports from the Soviet Sphinx.
"We are all working to the same goals," Oberst de Gaulle went on, unheeding of the embarrassment of his government. "These maneuvers are, nevertheless, providing a first-class opportunity for the advocates of modernization. Here to observe them are M. le Général Fuller from Great-Britain, M. le Général Chaffee from the States United, and M. le Marechal Tukhachevsky from the Union Soviet, with your M. Guderian. And most important of all, myself. We shall see the army of the future realized here."
Herr General Fuller. Now there was another headache. This tall obnoxious Frenchman would at least confine himself to looking down his nose at Germans. But, it seemed, the British General was taking a more active policy.
"General von Schleicher went to England last weekend and met with General Fuller," Papen had said at yesterday's briefing on the political connections of the attendees of the maneuvers. "They were introduced by Herr Mosley."
Manfred had tried desperately to recall where this Oswald Mosley came in. "Isn't he the friend of Herr Hitler?" he asked.
"No, that's a fellow named Joyce. The General -- their general, that is, seems to have had a very interesting talk with our general. 'Ours' in the broadest sense, that is."
Some of Diels's officers from the new Sicherheitenamt of the Prussian police were now in Army uniform, or some of them back in Army uniform, trying to act soldierly in General Fuller's presence. Finding veterans who spoke English . . .
"Army in a broader sense." Fortunately for his comment, a flight of Arados passed overhead just then, and Manfred pointed. "Our Air Force is trained to act in coordination with the army. The land commander, in his command vehicle, can call down bombing on an enemy column, and in return the air commander, in his plane above, can scout out the foe. They will work together in repelling an invasion, should anyone be minded to violate the peace of Europe by invading the Reich. Herr de Gaulle, we have a combined Reichswehr, unified armed forces."
The French officer sniffed, which he could do very well through that large nose. "Tiens," he said, then stalked off to look more closely at a Panzer II.
Alone now for the moment, Manfred let himself give way to concern. The Nazis had lost the election in Lippe, but they were still the opposition there. Herr Hitler's faction held on in many of the states of the Reich, if not in the government (they now ruled only in Anhalt), at least as the Opposition. Not Loyal Opposition, as in England.
Even if they weren't actually in the government, they did display their power. Last month, when the SA rioters in Munich had finally gone to trial, they had received a speedy acquittal. Herr Hitler himself had testified for the defense as a character witness, giving testimonials to the defendants' patriotism. He was still on the outs with Herr Röhm, but at the lower levels . . .
Had Gürtner "thrown" the trial? Set up defective indictments so as to let the SA off? That was something to look into. But would he get a straight answer to that question even from the Herr Königlicheministerpräsident Held? For all that the man despised the Nazis, he was as jealous of his local privileges. It would take careful planning to work out.
That night, the Munich SA had staged a march, Röhm at its head (and his harem of staff at his rear for a change) past the courthouse, past the Nymphenbergpalais (where Held and King Rupprecht fretted), and past the Burgerbraukellar, torches lit, boots crashing, off-key renditions of the "Horst Wessel Song" filling the air . . . putting Old Fool Rupprecht and the Red Jew-Flyer and his toadies on notice as to who was in charge. Their share of the votes might have fallen off, but their share of the streets was still fully filled.
Heines and Ernst, the Prussian SA leaders, still remained confined in Spandau. That would have to do.
The chief umpire of the maneuvers saw him and came over. "Herr Reichskanzler!" Prince Eitel-Friedrich said as soon as he got in earshot. "It looks like the troops are in place and ready to go. The little Huguenot is so very eager to show how his motorcars will change the way of war. It should be very interesting."
Manfred went towards the observer's tent, where Minister Noske, General von Fritsch, General Lutz, and other high-ranking types would see for themselves how the new Reichswehr could to its task. The Prince clapped him on the shoulder as he passed. "Don't worry," he said. "I've never seen such an eager lot in my life. And now we can let the games begin!"
They had a month and a half t
o get that right, before more visitors arrived.
CHAPTER 21
Olympischstadion, Berlin, Brandenburg, Germany, Saturday, August 1, 1936
"I declare these Berlin Olympic Games, the Eleventh of the Modern Series, to be open!" the Kaiser said.
The crowd cheered, the sound filling the great bowl of the Olympic stadium. Below them, the massed athletes of the world applauded; above, a thousand doves of peace fluttered away. Great red-gold-black banners on the walls of the Stadium flapped in the damp breeze in counterpoint to the great white Olympic flag in the center; the drizzle had let up but it was still cloudy and dank in Berlin on this Olympic afternoon.
"Good heavens, what a spectacle!" Earhart said.
"These Germans sure can put on a good show," Lindbergh said.
Ahead of them, next to the Kaiser, Manfred waved at the cheering spectators, waiting for the dramatic next scene. Below the Imperial Box, one of Leni Riefenstahl's newsreel cameramen, and one of the new Television cameras, whined and ground away as they recorded the scene. It had taken a lot of struggle and effort to get this spectacle set up.
"He is associated with WHO!" Braun bellowed, filling the cabinet room. "He is WHOSE friend!"
The sketches for the winning design for the Olympic opening and closing ceremonies lay spread before the members of the Cabinet. The competition had been "blind"; no names, only identification numbers assigned at random by a clerk. The dramatic use of lights had made the winning design an outstanding choice. Only . . .
"No doubt he will have his friend Hitler sitting in at the opening!" Wels chimed in. "And black-shirted 'honor guards'! No, no, never!"
"That would cause quite the scene," Papen said quietly. "Not at all the image we would like to present."
"Not unless I have the Army there!" Noske roared. "It will devastate our training! We cannot countenance such an interruption."
"But Herren, they are patriots," Hugenberg said, almost calmly. "They are good Germans supporting the best interests of the country."
"And making a scene in front of your television cameras," Papen said.
"Yes, embarrassing Germany before the youth of the world!" Wels said. "Making us no better than the Italians! We might as well issue castor oil bottles!"
Manfred raised his hands and shouted, "HERREN! HERREN! I notice that the Herr Economics Minister Herr Schacht hasn't said a thing yet. What do you think?"
Schacht looked fussily up and down the table before speaking. "The design presented by Herr Speer has the merit of being comparatively inexpensive. It primarily uses searchlights, which the Reichswehr has in any case.
"As for the objection raised by the Herr Reichswehr Minister, the army budget can use a break; having men around Berlin costs less than having them run about in the field, using up ammunition and drawing field rations. Not to mention gasoline and Diesel fuel, wear and tear, and the like. Is that not right, Johann?"
Schwerin von Krosigk nodded. "We can use a little economy, and this is as good an excuse as any," he said.
"Herr Braun, I leave the keeping of order among the spectators to your capable hands," Manfred said. "If Herr Hitler wants to see the Games, let him buy a ticket like anyone else. If he wants his, ah, friends to come along, they'll have to buy tickets too. If you think troops will be needed to serve as auxiliary to the police, by all means request them from the Reichswehr. Besides, a two-weeks' leave will help morale. They've all been training hard since January; why can't our army come to the Olympics too? The more landsers among the spectators, the more the foreign journalists will see they are just ordinary people, not 'Hun Military Machines." (And, having troops in the area would be a great help if the Nazis or Bolsheviks started a riot.)
Hugenberg had already torn apart the original proposed modernistic design for the expanded Olympic Stadium. The Labor Service would build it, so it had to be a symbol of the True Germany, done in a True German style, not the decadent style foisted on the country by the dirty betrayers of the Reich after the war. Thus it was that the Olympic Stadium was built in good honest German stone, not in the original design of glass and concrete. Manfred had flown over the site several times while it was building, as well as visiting it on the ground a couple of times, and thought it did look impressive. And they could run races in it afterwards -- get back the racetrack that had been demolished to expand the stadium!
(He himself wasn't so sure the change had been such a bad idea anyhow. All these designs from the Bauhaus looked alike, and once he had been at a party at a house like that where one of the other guests suddenly started tearing down the curtains, flooding the room they were in with blazing summer afternoon sunlight. "Why don't you stop him?" he had asked the host, only to be told, "That's our architect." As he tugged and tore, the architect was shouting about how light and glass are the expressions of modernity. Manfred hadn't been invited there again, either; not because he had offended anybody but the house had collapsed that winter when the flat roof had accumulated too much snow.)
The Kaiser had come down from the Stadtschsloss in a carriage, with Crown Prince Umberto of Italy and Crown Princess Juliana of the Netherlands facing him, if being uneasy. Next to him was the other local guest, Prince Bernhard zur Lippe-Beisterfield, one of Udet's aristocratic underlings. Manfred's convoy of carriages had fallen in behind at the intersection of Wilhelmstrasse and the Unter den Linden. Behind him was a carriage with the Papens, watching closely the Lindberghs. The Putnams shared his carriage, along with one other guest.
"Good afternoon, Mr. and Mrs. Putnam, Miss Earhart that is," Carmen said, speaking gravely in careful English to the Honored Guests. She was wearing a good white dress and looked like a China doll.
"I'm pleased to meet you Miss -- Baroness von Richthofen," Putnam said.
"Good to see you, Carmen," said Earhart.
"You will be pleased to learn that my uncle and mother have allowed me to take flying lessons. I wish to follow in the footsteps of my father and uncle, my brother and cousins," she went on.
Earhart cheered. "Good for you! Carmen, isn't it wonderful! Using airplanes peacefully," she said.
Manfred handed the joyfully smiling Carmen up into the carriage (she was with both of her heroes now), then stepped after her himself, letting an attendant close the door. The driver snapped the whip and the horses set off.
"Overcoats in the bag there," Manfred said. "It's not raining now but may be again."
The carriage stopped at the intersection and waited until the Imperial party passed. Then they turned and followed. In spite of the dark drizzly weather, the streets were lined with spectators. Gravely, Manfred waved. "They seem to like you," Putnam said.
"Are you sure?" Manfred replied, smiling. "They could be cheering your wife."
To see better, people were climbing up into the lime trees that gave the street its name, and an occasional tourist's camera went off, making bright flashes in the crowd. The procession clopped carefully along. Manfred observed, "That German precision you noted will be coming into play here. The imperial carriage is supposed to reach the stadium at four precisely. Then we go in and wait for the Kaiser to declare the games open, after which the torch bearer will come in, the last in the relay from Olympia, and light the Olympic torch. There will be a message from Baron de Coubertin -- poor fellow, I understand he's about done for."
"Los Angeles was great," Earhart said. "I got to meet Paavo Nurmi, and Babe Didrickson. That was a good Games for women. I like track and field. And now, here we are in Berlin!"
"I hear the team has some good runners; the American team I mean," Putnam said. "Track and field is the original sport of the Olympics."
"Track and field, yes," Manfred said, "but also equestrianism. And we will have a first-rate team there -- I made sure of it."
"Uncle would have been on our equestrian team in '16," Carmen added. "He would have won the gold medal!"
They all laughed. "You're a good girl -- young lady, Baroness von Richthofen," Putnam said.
"Yes, I suppose your uncle would win an Olympic medal. He comes out ahead in anything he sets his mind to."
"Then how come I did not make your Best-Seller list?" Manfred said, making everyone laugh again.
The road to the Stadium stretched ahead.
They disembarked and waited for the Kaiser's party to form itself. Meissner had become almost fussy, now that he was Chamberlain instead of Reichspräsidentsstatssekretar, and Kammerer Meissner wanted everything done right. The Papens and the Lindberghs joined them, as did the other four from the final carriage.
"Ach, I count myself amazed by 'Sidewise In Time'," young Manfred said. "To imagine facing dinosaurs! And what of the future? How would a world develop with knowledge of all these other times?"
"That story was from Mr. Tremaine's magazine," Gernsback said, a bit stiffly. "Scientifiction should educate in the nature of science, not merely entertain."
"So then you wouldn't publish a story on the topic of 'If the Reich Had Won the War'?" Manfred said, horning in. It was taking a moment for the State Visitors to enter the Olympic stadium, so his visitors had time to chat. Behind him he heard Papen snort in recognition.
"No," Gernsback said. "As I said, that's not scientifiction, that's fantasy. I would rather hear of the scientific and technological advantages inspired by yourself and Colonel Lindbergh there."
"Father didn't think so." And for a wonder, Randolph Churchill hadn't been drinking. "He even wrote a story like that himself. 'If Lee Had Not Won at Gettysburg', it's called."
"I thought Lee had not won at Gettysburg," Manfred said.
Randolph gave a braying laugh. "That was the point! Father was writing as if he had! And it stopped the War, because the British and Americans stood together and said it wouldn't happen!"
A Man and a Plane: An Alternate Germany Page 34