In the stately Presidential Office within the Presidential Palace at 73 Wilhelmstrasse, Germany, General Akado was engaged in a crucial discussion with President Hindenburg. The subject at hand was the recent parade orchestrated by the Great German Party, an event that seemed to have stirred some discontent.
"Are you attempting to challenge my authority with this demonstration?" President Hindenburg inquired, his tone tinged with annoyance. "Or perhaps you aspire to take my place?"
Akado swiftly dismissed the accusation with a gesture, "No one can replace you, President Hindenburg. The parade was merely a show of strength to deter our adversaries and ensure your stable victory in future elections."
"What the devil are you thinking, General Akado? Rudolph, are you dissatisfied with the power I've bestowed upon you?" The president's frown deepened, his gaze shifting between Akado and the silent room, as if lost in thought. "To think, at your age, 27, I held a mere fraction of the authority you now possess."
He paused, his hand absentmindedly stroking an ornate desk ornament before fixing his eyes back on Akado. "What next? Do you intend to command the entire army and establish a military government to enforce your rule?"
Akado lowered his head, pondering for a moment before responding. "I have no desire for dictatorship, Mr. President. My aim is to lead Germany's struggling democracy to triumph. The power I seek is not for personal gain but necessary to implement plans that will rejuvenate our nation."
"Unbalanced power can lead you astray, boy! You must understand that seizing power through improper means will only lead to ruin," Hindenburg warned solemnly.
"If constraints are imposed, the resurgence of the National Defense Forces will face significant obstacles. We cannot afford to retreat now, Mr. President," Akado asserted firmly. "We must stand united and overcome all adversaries before us."
"I will not relinquish my authority! General Akado, I swear to defend my position! Only I, as the President of this country and supreme commander of the German Wehrmacht, hold ultimate command," Hindenburg declared, his eyes briefly closing as he emphasized his resolve.
This assertion was not mere bravado. Within the 330,000-strong regular German army, although Akado controlled a formidable contingent of nearly 100,000 troops, the majority remained staunchly loyal to Hindenburg. These forces, adhering to the old army's tradition of political neutrality, neither opposed the Nazi Party's infiltration nor accepted the leadership of the Great German Party, maintaining a clear separation from political affairs.
"So, you stand with me in support, do you not? Our objectives align; we both desire a strong Germany and an invincible National Defense Forces," Akado stated gravely. "Neither Sikter nor you have hindered me, and for no other reason than our shared love for Germany."
A long silence followed before Hindenburg looked up, his expression one of resigned helplessness. "The chairman of the Social Democratic Party approached me. He claims that the Great German Party is a source of social unrest and pleaded with me not to support early congressional elections. I have agreed to his request."
"No problem. I will immediately inform Krupp and Streisman to halt the parade," Akado responded, bowing slightly. "I assure you, the Great German Party will unconditionally support your decision."
"Very good! You understand the importance of advancing and retreating better than I expected. This brings me relief," Hindenburg remarked as he stood and approached Akado, moving with some difficulty due to his age. "General Akado, I also promise that the government will secretly allocate 5.5 million US dollars for the procurement of equipment for the National Defense Forces and an additional 1 million US dollars as a bonus for the officers across the army. Do you have any other requests?"
Akkado saluted sharply, his right hand raised high. "No more, Your Excellency! Long live Great Germany!"
Pleased with Akado's demeanor, Hindenburg nodded and gestured for him to leave. Akado saluted once more before exiting the presidential office.
Outside Hindenburg's office, two high-ranking officials from the Great German Party awaited him: Minister Tutter of the Organization Department and Matthof, the Minister of Propaganda. They promptly stood and greeted Akado as he emerged.
"I need you to investigate immediately! Someone has muddied the waters this time, causing such unrest that we nearly antagonized President Hindenburg! If I weren't fully aware of everything, we could have been ruined!" Akado commanded sharply as he approached. "I want a detailed report in three days!"
"Yes!" the two ministers responded, sensing Akado's displeasure and choosing not to engage further.
"Notify Krupp and Streisman to come to my office this afternoon," Akado continued as he walked away.
"Yes!" Tutter confirmed.
Turning to Captain Sindra who followed behind, Akado instructed, "Call the president's office and confirm the funds are in place. Add fifty P4 cars to our inventory."
For confidentiality, all armored vehicles within the National Defense Army were referred to as "cars," with initial letters indicating the manufacturer: 'b' for BMW, 'd' for Daimler, 'k' for Krupp, and numbers indicating size. The P4 car referred to the secretly produced P-2 tank.
"Understood!" Captain Sindra nodded. "I will depart as soon as I return to headquarters."
Akado trusted Captain Sindra's efficiency, though her loyalty, along with Anna's, remained to be fully tested. However, their capability had thus far been satisfactory.
Krupp and Streisman were summoned not for reprimand but to order the immediate cessation of the Great German Party's demonstrations in Berlin and throughout Germany and to conduct a comprehensive review of the hastily organized parade.
As soon as the two arrived at the office, Akado addressed them sternly, "Gentlemen, we were overly aggressive this time, failing to consider the reactions from all sides, which led to our demonstration being exploited by those with ulterior motives!"
Streisman, quick to grasp the implications, realized, "They used our actions against us? But we never demanded early congressional elections!"
"This was merely a grand publicity stunt to boost the party's influence, devoid of any political agenda. We aren't even prepared to win an election; how could we make such a request?" Krupp added, his brow furrowed in frustration.
Suddenly, a thought struck Akado. "Did we overlook someone?"
Streisman looked at him quizzically. "Who? Who did we forget?"
Akado walked to his desk, pulled out a file from a stack of documents, and extracted two files and a photograph. "This person is the head of the Nazi Party in Berlin, named Goebbels. He's quite adept at propaganda, and I suspect he's behind this."
"Nazi Party? Why would they do this?" Krupp asked, then chuckled, "Ah, because their most capable leader, Adolf Hitler, is currently imprisoned by us, correct?"
"It's more than that," Akado said, tossing the file onto the coffee table. "They're employing the same tactics we used a year ago to stir the pot and seize opportunities to expand."
"Using our own strategies against us? This Goebbels must be quite shrewd," Streisman remarked, flipping through the file before tossing it back. "Does he really wield that much influence?"
"Never underestimate him; he's a formidable opponent," Akado warned. "I'm currently preparing a diplomatic offensive against the United Kingdom, aiming to persuade them to amend the Treaty of Versailles again to allow us to expand our army to 200,000 troops. That's my focus right now."
Streisman responded nonchalantly, "Delegate the task of dealing with this troublesome opponent to Vice President Krupp."
"Me? I have four other meetings to attend, related to the allocation of imported steel and rubber among major companies. How can I deal with such a minor figure?" Krupp objected, suggesting, "Leave this Goebbels to our Minister of Propaganda, Mr. Matthof."
Akado sighed, realizing not everyone possessed his foresight. He couldn't rely on the now-famous arms dealer Krupp or the esteemed German Foreign Minister Streisman to pay much attention to a seemingly minor party propagandist like Goebbels.
"In that case, I recommend appointing someone to assist Mr. Matthof in handling Goebbels," Akado proposed, resigned to steering the situation as best he could.
"Who?" Krupp inquired, intrigued after Akado mentioned a female candidate.
"Miss Fanny, a reporter from the German Party Newspaper. I'm very impressed with the publicity campaign she planned. Please thank her for me and have her continue leading our publicity efforts," Akado concluded, hoping this move would mitigate any potential threats posed by Goebbels and his machinations.