"Can someone please explain to me what this is?" Hitler's voice boomed across the room, his sharp, eagle-like eyes piercing through the men gathered before him. "Speak up!"
"Mein Führer," stammered a high-ranking Nazi Party official, mopping sweat from his brow with a trembling handkerchief. Within the Nazi Party, Hitler's word was law, backed by the fearsome might of his personal army of stormtroopers. These enforcers were wielded not only against external threats but also to maintain strict discipline within the Party itself. Thus, the cadre was understandably terrified.
Hitler's gaze pinned the man like a butterfly under glass, though his tone remained icy. "Well, do you understand what these are?" He gestured disdainfully toward the floor at his feet.
Spread out on a long, white cloth were twenty severed left hands, arranged with eerie precision. The dried blood had stained the fabric, and a faint smell of formalin lingered in the air, doing little to mask the stench of decay. That morning, the Nazi Party headquarters had received a large, ominous package addressed to Adolf Hitler himself. Due to the strange odor emanating from it, party officials had opened it to discover this grisly content.
"It's a hand, Adolf!" Rom, the leader of the Nazi stormtroopers, interjected, trying to placate Hitler. "I understand you're upset, but anger won't solve this."
"You understand my mood? Do you really? Can you comprehend how it feels to see the hands of those loyal to me severed and sent as a macabre message? And you expect me to stand idly by?" Hitler roared, his fury palpable as he hurled a stack of documents at Rom's face.
"Your men have disappointed me profoundly! They were caught after mere trifles! They've confessed everything. Our head in northern Berlin was arrested just yesterday! Goebbels had to pay a bail of 40,000 marks to get released." Hitler's voice was a crescendo of rage as he pointed to the scattered documents on the floor. "What about next time? If there is a next time, they might as well come directly for you and me!"
Rom, equally distressed, tried to defend his position. "It's out of my hands, Mein Führer. The SS, under the Grand German Party, has been specifically targeting our stormtroopers. They're well-armed, secretly backed by both the National Defense Forces and the police. We're outmatched."
"They have guns!" Hitler retorted sharply. "And what do we have? I authorized funds for thousands of rifles, not slingshots!"
"Munich remains our stronghold, and we are well-armed there, but even a brief firefight with the SS brought the IDF down on us. They had machine guns and armored vehicles. We were completely disarmed, and many were arrested," Rom explained, his voice tinged with helplessness.
Hitler's anger flared anew. "Idiots! Akado? Rudolf? You traitors!" He then turned to another of his trusted lieutenants, Himmler. "What's the status of our infiltration into the IDF?"
"Not very successful," Himmler admitted, adjusting his glasses nervously.
"Not successful? Haven't we been supporting the expansion and strengthening of the National Defense Forces? What more do they want?" Hitler's frown deepened.
Himmler continued, "Around the time you were released from prison, the IDF underwent a major internal purge. Any members associated with our party were expelled. A few even renounced their party membership to rejoin the IDF under the banner of the Grand German Party."
"A purge?" Hitler's voice was incredulous, then furious. "What about our influence? We must mobilize those who were purged, take this to court! Even if we lose, the publicity will work in our favor. Isn't that your area of expertise, Goebbels?"
Goebbels responded reluctantly, "We had considered that, but the SS has been threatening us. Many of our people have been arrested and handed over to the National Defense Forces' Interrogation Division on charges of espionage and betraying national secrets. We're trying to handle this, but the defense forces are unyielding."
"Our position is also weakened by the Jews. Many Jewish businessmen covertly support the Grand German Party, providing them with substantial funding. Meanwhile, our financial resources are drying up. Capitalists who once viewed us favorably are now siding with the government, drawn by tangible benefits. Our reliance on mere propaganda seems inadequate in comparison," Goebbels added grimly.
"Is there no good news at all?" Hitler demanded, his frustration boiling over.
Goebbels thought for a moment before replying, "The only positive news is that due to the outcome of the Reeve War in France, Morocco remains under French control, which has somewhat stabilized the French economy. This means continued financial support for us from certain French quarters. They hope we can gain more influence in the upcoming congressional elections to counter the Grand German Party."
Hitler's rage was uncontainable. He kicked at one of the severed hands on the floor, cursing vehemently. The room fell silent, everyone avoiding his gaze as he continued his tirade for nearly half an hour before his anger gradually subsided. Fear and frustration gnawed at him as he realized he was at a strategic disadvantage. His reliance on capitalist support, garnered through his anti-Semitic policies, was failing. Akado's innovative management and production improvements had convinced the capitalists of a more profitable future, diminishing Hitler's influence.
The stormtroopers, his instrument of brute force against political enemies, were now overshadowed by the more formidable and cunning Grand German SS. Hitler knew his former friend and half-mentor, Akado Rudolf, was the mastermind behind his adversaries. Akado had once outlined a vision for the Grand German Party that was far more grandiose than anything Hitler's party had proposed. In his desperation to achieve quick success, Hitler had chosen a path from which there was no return.
Realizing the futility of his current strategies, which were all too familiar to Akado, Hitler felt a deep sense of despair. He knew he couldn't simply reverse his policies or soften his stance without alienating his base, leaving him utterly isolated.
Exhausted and defeated, Hitler eventually found a chair and slumped into it, closing his eyes, unwilling to face his demoralized subordinates. Goebbels, Rom, and others quietly exited the room, leaving Hitler to his thoughts.
Outside, the secretaries and staff members were tense, silently busying themselves with work, afraid to make any noise. Hitler drifted into a fitful sleep, haunted by dreams of both adulation and profound betrayal, reflecting the tumultuous state of his psyche and the grim reality he faced.
Meanwhile, in a stark contrast of fortunes, Akado's office buzzed with strategic planning and cautious optimism. News of a massive strike in the United Kingdom had just reached them, a development that Akado had predicted. This confirmed his belief that historical events would still unfold as expected, providing him with a slight edge in maneuvering through the complex political landscape.
"General, you were right about the British strikes," Gascole remarked with a mixture of awe and enthusiasm.
"History and economics can often provide a roadmap for the future," Akado responded with a knowing smile, encouraging his less-educated comrade to embrace the power of knowledge.
As the world around them churned with unrest and upheaval, the chess game of political power continued, with each player holding on to their strategies and secrets, waiting for the right moment to make their decisive move.
Akado had always been haunted by the repercussions of his actions aimed at altering history. A notable consequence was the disruption of the scheduled British withdrawal from the Rhineland region on January 30, 1926. The original plan was for the British to exit the area, but due to a series of treaties that enabled Germany to expand its National Defense Forces, British trust in Germany diminished, preventing the planned withdrawal. Consequently, a small British expeditionary force remained stationed in the Rhineland, symbolizing the incomplete sovereignty of German territory. Belgium and France also maintained garrisons there, collectively overseeing this demilitarized zone within Germany.
The economic improvements in Germany had ripple effects on Britain, delaying the largest workers' strike in British history, originally set for May 1926, to December 29, 1926. In response to these evolving circumstances, Akado opted to trust Streisman once more, entrusting him with the diplomatic mission based on his own strategic insights. Streisman promptly organized his team and embarked on a diplomatic offensive to the UK.
Meanwhile, Akado dispatched Jelly Nike Cassia, a confidant and the father of Mercedes, on a covert mission to the Middle East. In January 1926, Cassia met with Ibn Saud, the de facto ruler of what would soon be known as Saudi Arabia. Ibn Saud's life story was itself the stuff of novels. In 1891, to escape the persistent raids by the neighboring Rashid tribe, his family fled to Kuwait. There, the young Ibn Saud studied extensively under his father's guidance, covering topics from the Quran and Hadith to history and military strategy.
By the end of 1901, Ibn Saud made a daring move to reclaim his homeland. He led his men in a surprise attack on Riyadh in early 1902, reestablishing the Saudi dynasty. Over the next two decades, he systematically defeated his rivals with the support, albeit ignoble, of German and British military advisors and arms dealers. By 1925, Ibn Saud had consolidated control over the vast expanse from the Persian Gulf to the Red Sea, including the key cities of Mecca, Jeddah, and Medina.
Unrecognized as a king by any nation, Ibn Saud caught the interest of Akado, who saw an opportunity in establishing trade relations, particularly in petroleum. Akado's strategy was not only to engage directly but also to pave the way for British and French involvement, thereby creating a favorable impression of Germany.
This diplomatic endeavor was part of a broader German strategy that saw January 1927 heralded as a month of German diplomatic victories. Under the terms of the Locarno Treaties, General Hammetstein of Germany visited France to sign a military cooperation memorandum, aimed at preventing espionage and infiltration. Shortly after, Streisman secured a series of economic agreements with Britain, wherein Germany used potatoes and canned goods to settle war reparations early, aiding the British government in mitigating the impact of the workers' strike.
The diplomatic success continued as Germany established amicable relations with Saudi Arabia, which was soon followed by British and French recognition of Ibn Saud's rule. This culminated in the signing of the "Saudi Arabia Area Mineral Resource Allocation Agreement" among Britain, France, Germany, the United States, and Saudi Arabia, detailing a $10 billion investment for resource exploitation rights in the region.
The discovery of oil in February 1927 by German and British experts further boosted the economies of the involved nations and solidified the diplomatic triumphs led by Akado. The British government, impressed by German diplomacy, ordered the withdrawal of their expeditionary forces from the Rhineland.
Akado Rudolf, as the chairman of the Grand German Party, received widespread acclaim for these achievements, even earning praise from the aging President Hindenburg at a celebratory event. This diplomatic success offered a temporary reprieve from the internal strife within Germany, characterized by conflicts between the SS and the Hitler-led factions, which had been causing public unrest.
However, the Nazi party, under Hitler's direction, continued to consolidate power discreetly, preparing for the upcoming parliamentary elections by absorbing smaller parties and securing clandestine French financial support.
Meanwhile, Akado's successful diplomacy not only enriched him but also provided much-needed funds for the German Defense Forces (IDF). In the mountainous Bavarian region, the IDF's armored force expanded to 900 units, forming three tank divisions as envisioned by Akado, who continued to prepare for any potential military engagements.
During this period of intense military and diplomatic activity, an unexpected visitor arrived at the IDF headquarters – British Colonel Smith. Akado, slightly wary, invited Smith into his office. Smith, flaunting a newly awarded medal, jovially suggested that Akado should treat him to dinner, given his recent accolades. The conversation, however, quickly turned serious as Smith revealed the purpose of his visit: a British naval transport ship carrying arms and important engineers had gone missing in the North Atlantic. The British government was determined to find it at any cost, and Smith was there to solicit German assistance in the search.
Akado agreed to dispatch ten German destroyers to aid in the search and rescue operation, acknowledging the challenges of locating a vessel in the vast North Atlantic. Smith, grateful for the support, left the meeting with mixed feelings, unsure of Akado's awareness of the broader implications of the missing ship. As Smith departed, he and his accompanying Navy officer pondered Akado's reactions, concluding that they had yet to fully gauge the German leader's capabilities or intentions.