The German Peace

by Derek Pennington

  These actions, seen to be negotiated by you, should reflect positively on your government and give you all the credibility and strength you need to introduce whatever reforms you feel are needed.”

  Petain and Darlan could take the credit for the successful outcome of these talks. He awaited their reaction.

  It was hard to read Petain who remained silent but stared at Darlan. It was obvious to von Altendorf that Darlan’s support was needed for any progress to be made.

  The previous June, when it was obvious that the war was going badly for France, the Admiral had ordered all French navy ships in the soon to be occupied Atlantic ports, to steam to French overseas territories, out of the German’s reach. He also personally promised the British Prime Minister, Winston Churchill, that ‘no French ship will ever come into the hands of the Germans’. This was a promise he had kept.

  It was only after he realised that it was inevitable Germany was going to win the war, that he decided collaboration was the best interim course for France. He was, after all, a patriotic Frenchman.

  Von Altendorf was relieved when Darlan now started to question him about details of the proposals. If he did not like the main proposals, he would not be interested in the details.

  Over the next three hours they covered virtually every aspect of Germany’s future relationship with France and the French Empire. They also talked about Great Britain, Western Europe, the Soviet Union, the USA, and Japan. They were very comprehensive discussions. Even Petain showed some interest.

  Von Altendorf thought he had done enough. He could do no more.

  He was surprised when Darlan turned to Petain and said simply “These proposals are good for France.” Nothing more. He waited for Petain to react.

  After a drawn out silence the Marshall replied. “I agree.”

  24 DECEMBER

  BERLIN

  Jeremy and Erica were having a Christmas Eve dinner at the restaurant where they had first met. Tonight was the last night they could be truly together over the next few days, as they were due at the von Altendorf estate for a family Christmas reunion.

  They ate slowly and sipped their wine appreciatively. Their conversation reminisced about the last few months, but both of them avoided talking of their future.

  Erica expressed her astonishment at the rapid changes that had taken place in her country. Changes that would have been unthinkable earlier in the year. She considered that the future was full of promise for her beloved Germany.

  Jeremy agreed with her. His own country also now had a different perception of Germany.

  It was time to leave the restaurant. Before he called for the bill he suddenly seemed to remember something. He said to Erica, “Oh, by the way, I nearly forgot. I found a little something for you today”. He was always buying her small gifts that he discovered in unusual or out of the way shops.

  He pulled a small gift wrapped box from his pocket and handed it to Erica.

  Smiling, she thought secretly, ‘Oh no, not another brooch’. She unwrapped it and opened the box. Her eyes went wide. It was a beautiful engagement ring! Then she heard Jeremy’s words.

  “Will you marry me, Erica?”

  She was overcome with emotion. Tears brimmed in her eyes. It was several seconds before she could answer, “Oh yes, oh yes, oh yes.”

  30 DECEMBER

  Jamie MacLellan’s last letter of 1940 to his president.

  Dear Mr President

  This past year has certainly been a momentous one! In April the phoney war exploded into real and brutal warfare. In only eleven weeks, Nazi Germany invaded, defeated and occupied six countries. They also inflicted a serious defeat on Britain. I have heard that Adolf Hitler was prepared for up to one million German deaths in the battle for France. In the event, the deaths were fewer than fifty thousand. It says a lot for German tactics – and France’s sclerotic leadership.

  At the end of those lightning campaigns there was no longer such a thing as Nazi Germany. It is just plain ‘Germany’ now. Incredible!

  It was announced last week that a peace treaty with France has been agreed upon and that they will simultaneously become the newest member of the European Alliance. This development is a considerable boost to the project. The combined population of the member states will be over one hundred and sixty million. This is equal to that of the Soviet Union, and thirty million more than our own USA population.

  I have been told that a terrible row developed in France, started by General de Gaulle. Apparently he demanded that France nominate him to be the Commander-in-Chief of the Alliance. This is despite him originally fiercely opposing the concept. Marshall Petain and Admiral Darlan gave him an unequivocal ‘NON’. The end result was that de Gaulle talked himself into being fired and he has now retired from the army. Apparently he is highly respected as a soldier, but is known to be petty, mean spirited and vindictive. The same person told me that he suspected de Gaulle will now go into politics.

  It seems that there is consensus that the Alliance headquarters should be located in Luxembourg. It is reasonably central in Western Europe and that particular choice avoids members claiming Germany is dominating the Alliance. Also, I was surprised to hear that English will be the language of choice for the Alliance. I know for a fact that the British military establishment favour joining the Alliance, and perhaps their government will now finally commit themselves. Especially now that the French situation has been resolved.

  Each member country will establish multi-national military bases in their respective countries. Military personnel from the different countries will be rotated at these bases to get used to working with each other. It sounds a good and practical idea to me.

  The Spanish Ambassador to Berlin told me in confidence that General Franco is so keen to join the Alliance that he is introducing more liberal policies in Spain. They have even offered to ratify the centuries old ‘Treaty of Utrecht’ confirming British ownership of Gibraltar, thus eliminating a potential point of dissension between two Alliance members should Spain become a member. Franco wants to rule with a lighter touch than before. Obviously communism is still outlawed there. I know the Germans would like to see Spain and Portugal in the Alliance. The Portuguese dictator is only holding back his country’s application so as not to offend General Franco.

  Even Hungary has expressed interest in the Alliance but as of today I have not heard how this has progressed.

  Mussolini continues to sulk because Italy has not been invited to join. His prestige has suffered in his home country since Germany renounced the Pact of Steel alliance with Italy. I may be hearing the first serious muttering of dissent in that country. When I have heard something definite I will let you know.

  Shipments of arms for China have begun. I expect we shall see what impact this has within a few months.

  Despite their reapproachment with China, the Germans are still anxious to remain at least on speaking terms with the Japanese. They see Japan and a stronger China as eastern bulwarks against the Soviet Union.

  I have some leave due to me next month and I thought I would use the opportunity to tour the occupied and previously occupied countries and find out what local opinions and feelings are.

  I hope you have a good new year, Mr President.

  Yours respectfully

  Jamie MacLellan

  CHAPTER THREE - CHINESE NEW YEAR

  CHINA

  30 JUNE

  General Erwin Rommel was intently watching the Chinese tanks and supporting troops on exercises somewhere to the south of the city of Wuhan in Nationalist China.

  Rommel, together with another one thousand German military personnel, including pilots and flying instructors, had been seconded to the Chinese army more than five months earlier. This followed the arrival of the first shipments of German military aid. Another nine hundred ‘specialists’ from the French armed forces were also in China with their German comrades. A further twenty observers had been sent by the armies of the other countries
of the European Alliance.

  The current war between China and Japan, (there had been an earlier war in 1894/5), had started in July 1937. For a long time Japan had pursued an aggressive imperialistic policy of expansion to secure access to raw materials and other economic resources, including food and labour. This eventually led to war with China.

  Within China there had also long been a civil war between the Nationalist Government under Generalissimo Chiang Kai-shek, and communist insurgents led by Mao Zedong backed by the Soviet Union. In 1937 the two factions had nominally united to counter the Japanese invasion. However the two sides continued to clash, and with increasing intensity from late 1940.

  The American President, Franklin Roosevelt, sent a special envoy to Chiang to express his concern that such internal hostilities just made things easier for the Japanese. No results came from this.

  In earlier years, between 1933 and 1938, Germany had seconded two Generals to act as Chief Military Advisors to the Chinese army. The first of these was General Hans von Seeckt, followed by General Alexander von Falkenhausen. Both had stressed the need for the best Chinese officers to be trained in modern warfare, particularly combined operations. Germany was now able to build on this in 1941.

  The standard issue rifle for the Chinese armed forces was the German Mauser. The army had only a handful of light tanks and field guns, all of which were obsolete. There were only a few aircraft operational. The Chinese army in 1941 far outnumbered the Japanese, but they were under-equipped and generally poorly trained.

  The superior Japanese forces had occupied a large area of northern and central China, and much of the Eastern coastal areas, but this had resulted in over-extended lines of communication. During their advance the Japanese army acted with unbelievable savagery and barbarity. The most notorious atrocity came to be known as the ‘Rape of Nanking’. During a six week orgy of uncontrolled violence in the city, Japanese soldiers murdered some three hundred thousand people, and raped close to eighty thousand girls and women.

  By the end of 1940 they were experiencing serious difficulties in administering and garrisoning the seized territories. The war had become something of a stalemate.

  In an unprecedented feat of logistics Germany had delivered an enormous amount of war material to China in the first five months of 1941. This included seven hundred surplus German aircraft - light bombers, dive bombers, fighters and trainers - as well as a further one hundred captured French fighters. Seven hundred tanks, one thousand trucks, five hundred artillery pieces, one million rifles, thirty thousand machine guns, and thousands of tons of ammunition were also delivered.

  Japan controlled the Chinese coastal belt and ports so everything had to be shipped by a roundabout route. Firstly it went by ship to Haiphong in Vietnam, French Indochina. Then by train from Haiphong to Kunming in Yunnan province, China. Finally by road from Kunming to Chongqing, the capital of Nationalist China. Thereafter it was distributed to the various regiments.

  From the day he arrived in China, Rommel, assisted by Klaus von Altendorf, had worked non-stop in re-organising and training the Chinese troops. As the new equipment started to arrive, the German and French contingents instructed the troops in the use and maintenance of the same equipment previously used by their own armed forces.

  The result at the end of June, was that the Chinese were more or less equally matched with the Japanese in terms of equipment, but outnumbered them three to one in manpower. The Japanese had deployed one million troops but these were spread over all of the territory they occupied, including the vast northern Manchuria, the puppet state now known as Manchukuo. All these territories tied up a large number of troops to maintain their hold on the populations.

  Chiang Kai-shek had three million troops under his command. Of these he was going to commit one million against the Japanese. Another quarter of a million would be launched against the Chinese communist forces. The remainder would be held in reserve. The plan of attack had been worked out by Rommel. All was ready for 1 July.

  “Well Klaus, we are as ready as we can be in the time we have had available. I would like more time to train them, but that cannot be. They are willing enough, that I will say. I hope it is sufficient.” Rommel continued to watch the Chinese troops.

  “The majority of our own troops had no battle experience when we attacked and defeated all those countries in the European war, sir,” Klaus answered. “This is going to be very interesting.”

  “Yes, that is true. The big difference is the quality of the officers. Ours were generally good, but the Chinese officers have not had the benefit of years of training and discipline that our men had. Some of them are good, but many of them display a lack of confidence that can get them, and their men, killed.”

  He paused. “Our own men clearly understand that they are not to get involved in the actual fighting? They are at all times to stay behind the front line and simply guide and advise through the senior Chinese officers.”

  “They all understand sir.”

  “Then we are as ready as we can be. Let us enjoy a good meal tonight, Klaus. We don’t know how long it will be before the next one.” Rommel grinned. He was looking forward to the morning.

  At dawn the offensive would begin on three fronts.

  A northern army of a quarter of a million men would move north east against the Chinese Communist, (CC), forces. It would be supported by tanks and air power in a combined operation aimed at eliminating the communists one and for all.

  A second, (southern), army, four hundred thousand strong, had been built up in South West China, again with tank and air support. Their task was to retake the coastal territories occupied by the Japanese, starting with the southernmost enemy enclave opposite Hainan Island, then move eastwards as rapidly as possible, with a view to linking up with the main Chinese army for the recapture of the crucial port of Shanghai.

  The main army, six hundred thousand strong, would attack the important centre of Wuhan. Once Wuhan was captured it would then swing north east towards Nanking to inflict revenge on the Japanese for their previous atrocity.

  For the past couple of months Chinese agents had been infiltrated into the cities of Wuhan and Nanking to stir the population into action against the occupying troops at an appropriate time. They had also been smuggling in arms and explosives. After Nanking had been taken, the city would be left with a garrison while the rest of the army drove for Shanghai.

  The thinking was that by the time Shanghai was liberated, the northern force would have dealt with the CC forces and would then engage the Japanese from the north east. Thus the Japanese would be fighting on all fronts other than the far north in Manchuria.

  BERLIN

  The Governing Council had debated the imminent Chinese operation in great detail. The civilian members did not pretend to any knowledge of military strategy, but clearly understood the danger of a communist China. They also realised that, indirectly, Japan’s war on China made it easier for the communists to succeed in their objectives.

  A different threat was posed by Japan’s aggressive expansionist policy. This could bring them into conflict with the USA and, of more immediate concern to Germany, the European powers with colonies in the Far East.

  All were agreed that Japan had to be brought to the negotiating table. And to do this the Imperial Japanese Army needed to suffer a major military reverse.

  Germany’s current involvement with China was a critical part of the Council’s wider strategy.

  CHINA - NORTH OF WUHAN

  The northern army advancing towards the unsuspecting communist forces was under the command of General Cheng. A tough and able soldier who had fought the Japanese non-stop for the past five years. His senior advisor was Major Hans von Luck, a former panzer commander who had seen action in Poland, and later in France, with Rommel. Highly respected by Rommel, he was only 30 years old. Von Luck had a fifty strong German contingent with him.

  Cheng’s army moved rapidly. Speed of movement ha
d been drummed into the Chinese soldiers from the first day the German advisors arrived. They had stayed away from the Japanese controlled areas as they moved north. As they reached a point where intelligence reports said the CC forces were based somewhere directly to the east, they changed direction and slowed their pace while scout vehicles went forward.

  Two days later the scouts reported the first CC strongpoints lay ahead.

  Cheng called a meeting with von Luck and the senior Chinese officers. All knew what they had to do. One of the difficulties faced by Cheng had been finding suitable flat terrain to establish temporary airstrips for his fifty supporting aircraft. By conscripting labour along the way he had accomplished this daunting task. Now he could count on continuous air strikes against his CC opponents.