Chapter 1126: Victory Banquet

“Saudi Arabia has joined the family of Axis nations. By integrating the Middle East, the Axis will become the most energy-sufficient and brightest international cooperative organization in the world.” Akado raised his wine glass high at a banquet celebrating the strategic victory in the Middle East. Beside him was a crowd of faces familiar to the whole world, a group of people with enough power in their hands to change the world.

“For the victory the Führer has brought us! Cheers!” Krupp raised his glass high, cheering loudly. His Krupp industrial group had now become Germany’s de facto artillery titan. Just at this banquet, the Wehrmacht had, using 3,000 tons of gasoline as a prepayment, once again ordered a full 3,000 artillery pieces of various models.

The Krupp company was now thriving. Workers were on three shifts a day, and the tanks and cannons they produced were sent to the front in a steady stream. Compared to the withered year of 1919, Krupp’s net worth had soared by at least 50 times. His current rate of profit was simply faster than robbing a bank.

One month ago, after Germany had settled the unrest in Italy, the Italian authorities, obeying Akado and using the standardization and commonality of weapons within the Axis as a reason, placed a single order with Krupp’s Belgian firearms subsidiary for 100,000 G43 semi-automatic rifles and 1 million Mauser 98K bolt-action rifles.

As Krupp raised his glass, another person who immediately raised his glass to celebrate was the famous Messerschmitt. This designer, who had won German Air Force weapons orders and pioneered the all-metal monoplane fighter, was a typical case of being more famous abroad than at home. Although his ME-109 fighter lost out to the FW-190D within Germany, and the advanced ME-109A and 109B ceased production after less than 1,000 units, the subsequent German export model, the ME-109C, set a record that shocked the world.

Yes, the ME-109C, as an Axis export fighter, has continued production up to this day, a year later. The ME-109C, having undergone countless minor improvements, became the best aircraft used by the major warring nations and experienced innumerable crucial air battles. To this day, 11,000 of these aircraft have been produced and are in widespread service among Axis and allied nations.

The countries equipping this fighter included Germany, Italy, France, Britain (Northern Britain), Spain, Romania, Finland, Switzerland, China, Turkey, Israel, and regions in Africa. If you count US smuggling, then this plane could be considered a thoroughly “world fighter.”

No wonder Messerschmitt so ardently supported Führer Akado. His aircraft factory went from the brink of bankruptcy to becoming the most famous fighter production company in the world. His net worth increased even more than Krupp’s; it was absolutely no exaggeration to say it had increased 100-fold.

BMW, since being sold by the White Orchid Group, had also become a decisive force in German military and civilian vehicles. The Mercedes-Benz company, which had also become one of the world’s largest auto producers, was another beneficiary of this war. Behind every politician at the banquet was a massive interest group. They enthusiastically sang Akado’s praises, raising their glasses not for anything else, but for their ever-more-valuable industries.

Dominis was also all smiles. He leaned against a table, next to Field Marshal Brauchitsch, the German Army Commander, who had rushed back to Berlin from the front. The noisy hall was not suitable for deep conversation, so the two just casually chatted about topics that interested them.

Dominis spoke first, smiling at Brauchitsch, who had taken a sip of French wine. “Thanks to Marshal Rommel, his brilliant victory in the Middle East has also, in a way, done me a great service… I have succeeded my teacher, Mr. Augus, for a long time. If I still can’t produce some convincing results, I wouldn’t be able to face the Führer.”

“Mr. Augus was an admirable Imperial Chancellor, but you, whom he trained, are in no way inferior,” Brauchitsch replied with a smile. “Everyone knows Mr. Augus was a key minister who followed the Führer in expanding the Third Reich, while you are a true master of development and consolidation.”

This was not mere flattery. Although Augus was a legendary and capable minister, he still had the unchangeable limitations of that era. As someone who had grown up alongside Akado during the Third Reich’s expansion, it was inevitable that he was strong on expansion but somewhat short-sighted regarding development and construction. Dominis was different. Since taking office, he had made healing the wounds of war his priority, playing an immeasurable role in stabilizing the empire and popularizing policies that benefited the people.

However, one definitely couldn’t say Dominis was a good “internal helper.” Because he overemphasized construction and development, his support for the military was not as unrestrained as Augus’s. Therefore, with Augus’s passing, the empire’s center of gravity gradually shifted toward reconstruction. Of course, Brauchitsch preferred the more mature and steady Augus, but he had no way of pulling the old chancellor out of his coffin.

Dominis knew his policies had helped Akado stabilize the home front, but in doing so, had also offended the globe-trotting Wehrmacht. He didn’t need to argue forcefully at this moment. He just smiled at Brauchitsch and said, “I know the gap between my teacher and me, and I know the military has suffered some grievances under my policy leanings. This victory in the Middle East has given me more chips to play, so I am willing to extend an olive branch to the military. For this next military order, you name it, and I won’t haggle.”

Brauchitsch nodded. He didn’t believe this was Dominis extending an olive branch of his own accord. Even if it was, it was one the Chancellor was forced to extend under the Führer’s pressure. He just held up one hand: “5,000 King Tiger tanks!”

“Done! I’ll give you 6,000!” After a series of policies to stabilize the home front, many of the Third Reich’s occupied territories had begun to resume production. Compared to Augus, Dominis now had more power to mobilize when necessary and give the front line more support.

“You’re quite generous. Shall we drink to the Chancellor’s finally-released order for the Army?” Brauchitsch, hearing the number he wanted, didn’t hide his excitement. He raised his glass to the new German Chancellor.

Clink! A clear, crisp sound was drowned out by the band’s melodious music. More cheers of “Heil Führer!” rang out, surrounding Führer Akado, who was being hailed like the moon surrounded by stars in the center of the banquet hall.

“God bless! The Führer actually remembers us, France… I… I don’t know what to say. Our two peoples once had many misunderstandings, but I believe in the future, we will be closely united under the banner of the Axis and work together for the integration of Greater Europe! Long live the German-French alliance!” The representative from Vichy France raised his voice, drowning out the melodious music.

Northern Britain would not be outdone. This time, the representative was the ruling governor, Chamberlain himself. He stood right next to Akado, also cheering for that 5% share of Middle East oil production—given to him for free like life-saving medicine, a great political achievement. “Thank you, Führer, for setting aside your prejudice against Britain. Although we have experienced war, peace is, after all, the unshakeable melody. We thank the Führer for his generosity! With Germany’s help, Britain’s reconstruction will absolutely go smoothly! Let us toast to the brotherhood of the Axis!”

Finland’s representative also raised his glass. This longtime German ally didn’t need to say so many complimentary words at this moment. No amount of empty talk was louder than the roar of the 200,000 Finnish soldiers fighting bravely on the Soviet-German front. Akado had always spared no effort to aid Finland and Romania for this very reason. No matter how loudly the two great powers, France and Britain, shouted, it wasn’t as important as the tangible help from the two “weaker” nations, Finland and Romania.

Romania’s representative was also beaming with joy. They had followed the Germans and recaptured a traditional sphere of influence bordering Ukraine. As an oil-exporting country, they had received large payments and aid from Germany. They might now be the country with the best economy in Europe, bar none.

The shouts of “Heil Führer” rose, one wave after another. The banquet was full of laughing politicians and socialites in formal evening gowns. In this time of one victory after another, any and all indulgence seemed reasonable.

…

In the surging waves of the Atlantic, a large German destroyer was cutting through the waves. On its mast, the radar was spinning endlessly, its invisible beams spreading into the distance like eyes, searching for any enemy targets entering its range.

Behind this destroyer, not far away, was an even larger warship. Germany’s newest cruiser was equally busy. They were the vanguard of a massive fleet, responsible for guarding the situation ahead and providing early warning for the main High Seas Fleet. This was the German carrier fleet that had appeared off Iceland—the fleet under Lütjens’s command, consisting of the three carriers Graf Zeppelin, Imperium, and Preussen.

And their current heading was clearly not back to Wilhelmshaven, Germany. On the bridge of the carrier Imperium, Lütjens finally revealed the mystery of this voyage: “Gentlemen, our main combat mission on this sortie is not to bomb Iceland. It is to use the bombing of Iceland as a feint! As the Empire’s First Raider Fleet, we are to launch a symbolic commerce-raiding campaign against the US East Coast!”

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