Erich, back from his week of vacation on the Baltic coast, sat before a microphone, looking at a sheet of paper with notes he had been writing, and rewriting, during those seven days; he had preferred to deliver a speech before an actual audience, from the Brandenburg Gates, on a bright, clear day. Instead, he was in a cramped, poorly lit room, on a cool, rainy, and overall miserable day; he had long accepted the fact that true, live speech would only leave him a target for the radicals, and he could not allow both a Minister, and the Chancellor himself, to die within a month of one another.
Standing up, he shifted his weight nervously, cleared his throat, and waited for the signal…
I am no great orator; I cannot hope to match the speaking skill, the sheer inspirational power, of my predecessor, Herr von und zu Birkenfeld; however, I feel compelled to speak my mind.
I have spent these past few months in a position wholly foreign to me; I was content, even happy, in post as Treasury Minister; I had but a few duties, and I was largely safe from the worst criticism brought up against the government. Now, at the helm of this nation, I can only weather the storms of war, violence, and fear that roll across this nation, cutting a horrid, dark swath to the core of every man, woman, and child. I have watched as this nation, the land of my birth, the land that I have dedicated my very life to serving, torn asunder in such a frighteningly short period. And despite my best efforts, I feel that I have done little to rectify this situation.
I have experienced the pain and suffering that has clenched this nation by the throat personally; my friends, my associates, even my family, have been attacked, or live under constant threat of it; I have lost my arm to the great and terrible darkness! Everyday, I read about more and more instability, of more radicalism, of more misery. And at every paragraph, I cannot help but weep for my homeland!
This election would appear to show the Imperial family to be unpopular, and one would assume that the Kaiser and the very institution of the Monarchy, has been naught but terrible for the Fatherland; however, this hatred has been borne from only one instance, the decision by the Kaiser to call for elections during wartime, after hearing about widespread corruption found to be pervasive and sinister in the last government; I cannot say that his choice was the right decision, but can one criticize a man for wishing to change a government that may be compromised, or driven to lead his homeland to ruin? I can find nothing but honour in his Majesty; do I always find myself in agreement with him? Certainly not; he and I are different men with different ideologies entirely; but his move to change the government, which was proven to have members with pro-French sentiments, was in the defence of the German people!
The Reactionaries are divided, and will only serve to tear this nation apart; reports have already shown that they have no qualms with using violence to achieve their goals! And what are those goals, exactly? It seems that they only wish to expand the power of the State at the expense of the people, and line their pockets through their corrupt and dangerous practices!
However, the Communists are far worse! They seem to believe violence, murder, terrorism, and sacrificing the integral, God-given rights of all Germans, are not only acceptable, but essential to bring about their Red Revolution! The Reich, the German People, cannot allow such vicious, cruel men, to attain any sort of meaningful power!
However, despite all these trials and tribulations that the brave and noble people of this glorious nation must now go through, I am optimistic; I have hope, and I know in my heart, that the Reich will see peace, prosperity, and stability again! We are winning our war against the French invaders; at every point, they have been pushed further and further back! And I have no doubt that these radicals, these men of violence, these dealers of fear and death, will soon lose all the power they presently have!
The Reich will not only return to the pinnacle of strength and prestige that it had before the war, before the radicals; it will surpass it! The Reich, our glorious Fatherland will become the great force, rich and powerful again!
People of Germany, now is the time for Unity! Now is the time to stand against the Radicals! Now is the Time for Victory! For the Fatherland, we shall Triumph!