Home Before the Leaves Fall from the Trees - An Imperial German AAR

MastahCheef117

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• Jan 4, 2013

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• #1

Home Before the Leaves Fall from the Trees
Empty Promises and Germany in the First World War

Welcome, one and all, to Home Before the Leaves Fall from the Trees!

This AAR shall be a narrative, following members of the German High Command and the Kaiser's government throughout the First World War from the July Crisis all the way to the end. Intermittently, we may have some surprise guests as well.

I intend to play as realistically as possible and will play on normal difficulty; I will also try to avoid "gamey" tactics and decisions.

My skill at writing narrative is definitely not the best, so please bear with me if it's slow, poorly written, etc. Constructive criticism to improve my writing style is also welcome.

Anyway, strap yourselves in, as we're going to follow the Reich on her journey through the War to End All Wars, which may or may not end with it being completely removed from the face of the planet.

Deutschland Uber Alles!

Dramatis Personae (in order of appearance)
Members of Government
Count Gottlieb von Jagow - German Minister of Foreign Affairs
Walter Nicolai - German Head of Military Intelligence
Crown Prince Wilhelm - German Royal Heir
Clemens von Delbrück - German Vice-Chancellor and Minister of the Interior
Wilhelm II - Emperor of the German Empire
Count Heinrich Leopold von Tschirschky - German Ambassador to Austria-Hungary


Members of the Military
Hans von Albrecht - German Colonel of the Guards Corps


Contents
Chapter I - A Warning
Part I. 23 June 1914 - Foreign Office, Berlin (Gottlieb von Jagow)
Part II. 23 June 1914 - Office of Military Intelligence, Berlin (Walter Nicolai)
Part III. 24 June 1914 - Kronprinzenpalais, Berlin (Crown Prince Wilhelm)
Part IV. 26 June 1914 - Stadtschloss, Berlin (Clemens von Delbrück)
Part V. 27 June 1914 - Office of Military Intelligence, Berlin (Walter Nicolai)


Course of Events
Chapter I​

On July 23, 1914, an anonymous letter is received by the Office of Military Intelligence stating that a member of the royal families of Germany, Austria-Hungary, or Italy is going to be threatened in the coming days. In a quick frenzy, the upper echelons of the German government go into turmoil, and both Wilhelm II and Gottlieb von Jagow, Minister of Foreign Affairs, are quickly alerted of the situation. Walter Nicolai, the Chief of Military Intelligence, informs Crown Prince Wilhelm that his life is potentially at risk, and at the same time the governments in Vienna and Rome are informed of the threats. By orders of the Kaiser, the Crown Prince is confined to his palace, forbidden to leave his room, until the Kaiser himself could give a speech concerning the rumors regarding the threats that had quickly spread throughout Berlin and threatened to break out into the rest of Germany. Vice-Chancellor Clemens von Delbrück, however, persuades Wilhelm from giving such a speech, thereby potentially saving his life and avoiding a total disaster for Germany. On June 27, Walter Nicolai discovers from the Ambassador to Vienna, Heinrich von Tschirschky, that the Austrian heir Franz Ferdinand has proceeded with his trip to Sarajevo, which Walter correctly identifies as a possible time for assassination.

 

Last edited: Jan 20, 2013

Gukpa

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• Jan 4, 2013

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• #2

Good luck master Chief.

 

Last edited: Jan 4, 2013

MastahCheef117

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• Jan 5, 2013

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• #3

Chapter I - A Warning
Part I
Gottlieb von Jagow

23 June 1914
Foreign Office, Berlin​

It was a day of unusually poor weather; from the tall leather chair in his office Gottlieb sat, his chair turned towards the tall window, enjoying the occasional cigar he enjoyed, watching as the gray sky continued to rain down upon the people below a constant drizzle of water, falling upon the windows gently and quietly, drops obscuring the view of the Wilhelmstrasse below. It was through this murky class - made this way from the presence of so many miniscule raindrops - that Gottlieb could see movement, cars driving this way and that, or couples walking down the sidewalk with an umbrella in hand, determined to stay dry smack-dab in the middle of the armada of falling rain. The whole scene was a strange type of quiet: the peace that Gottlieb enjoyed most.

Gottlieb was of average height; aged a little over fifty, he was counted among the lucky men whose head hair had not yet quite grayed. Despite this, his hairline was already receding, and he had little hair remaining on the top of his round head. He had a short and stout mustache, placed neatly between his nose and his mouth, which was probably the only notable feature on his face. His eyes were a medium brown, with hints of gray and green splashed between, which was really only noticeable if one stood several inches from the man's face. His eyebrows were low over his eyes; to his facial expression this added an aura of seriousness or melancholia. On his right hand he wore a simple gold-colored wedding ring. He was dressed in a three-piece suit, the coat all black and the vest pin-stripe.

Minutes passed, maybe even an hour, so uneventful for Gottlieb, but a short period of peace nonetheless. He was a busy man, especially since the last couple months, and things at his workplace had been getting quite hectic in the past several days. It was moments like this that he loved most; where he could sit down his a cigar and watch the people of Berlin go about their lives below on or beside the Wilhelmstrasse.

The knock at the large oaken doors at the front of the office - to Gottlieb's left, and roughly twenty feet in front of his much-loved work-desk - was so sudden he nearly jumped from the surprise, his moments of peace and quiet suddenly interrupted by the comparatively loud thuds at his office doors. It was as if a sudden thunder had struck the very building in which he sat, admiring the rain that fell on the German capital of Berlin.

With the cigar perched tightly between two fingers in his right hand, whose arm stood upright on the armrest of the chair, he uttered the words in a monotone: "Come in."

One of the doors creaked open slowly, and from behind the behemoth came a young girl, no more than twenty years-of-age, with a white shirt - sleeves rolled up - and a blue skirt that fell just below the knees. Her wavy blonde hair was tied behind her shoulders, a loose conglomerate of hair follicles that kept them in place and prevented them from getting in her way during the day's work. Cautiously, she said, "Herr[1] von Jagow, you have a visitor."

Gottlieb von Jagow, Foreign Minister for the German Reich, blinked, a reaction he would give as if he had misheard someone speak. "I believe I did not have any scheduled appointments until two, Fräulein[2] Hirsch," he said, after cautiously checking his desk clock for the time - one twenty-five.

The young woman shifted uncomfortably, as if knowing he would say such a thing, but not having fully prepared for the situation. She said, in a much quieter voice this time, "He says his name is Oberst[3] von Albrecht of the Heer[4], Herr von Jagow. He claims that his meeting you is of the utmost importance, and cannot wait."

Gottlieb was afraid such a thing would happen. He had all of this time to himself - to relax and reflect, to think and meditate - and it was interrupted before it was supposed to end. He placed his cigar - now burned halfway down the middle - on the ash tray located on his desk, took a deep breath, and nodded. "Very well. Send him in, if you please."

The woman nodded and turned around, glancing back out into the office building. She spoke a few words, words that Gottlieb could not decipher, and he heard the clacking of boots on the smooth wood floors of the building. The woman then disappeared entirely, only to be replaced a few moments later by a new figure. This man was dressed in full army officer's uniform; he wore a dark gray uniform with golden epaulettes on his shoulders. A golden chord - an aiguillette - circled the man's right shoulder, finishing the ornate decorations of the man's dress uniform. His hair was black and slicked back over his head, shining in the lights of Gottlieb's office. He had a Roman nose that gave an appearance as if bent, tight lips that formed an average-sized mouth, and he was of average height. As he entered and closed the door, he saluted Gottlieb, who returned the salute.

"Herr von Jagow, I am here on the orders of His Majesty Wilhelm II."

At the mere mention of the words, Gottlieb's ears perked up and he gazed at the army colonel. "Yes, Colonel? What is your business here?"

The Colonel held back - to the best of his ability, anyway - a smirk, glad that he now had Gottlieb's attention, and continued: "We have received a tip from an anonymous source claiming that members of the royal families of the Triple Alliance are in grave danger. We could not press any more information out of him. We were anonymously contacted."

Gottlieb, surprised at the claim, responded, "And what would you like me to do about it?"

Colonel von Albrecht smiled this time, making no attempt at hiding it. "The Kaiser believed you should be aware of the claim and that, should something happen to a member of one of the royal families, it may have grave repercussions with our potential enemies." Gottlieb understood the term "potential enemies": France, Russia, the British. Whether or not these claims were true, it was a truly disturbing thing to hear, particularly after the rising tensions between the many nations of Europe in the past many months.

Before Gottlieb could respond, von Albrecht had already given his valedictions, and he departed. Gottlieb was left nearly speechless. He would spend the rest of his appointment-free time smoking a new cigar, gravely looking out the window which had been attacked by an increasingly ferocious rainfall, and, like the Europe he seemed to be surrounded by, it was almost as if the window was about to crack and fall apart at any moment.

Count Gottlieb von Jagow
Minister of Foreign Affairs for the German Empire​

----

[1] Translated as "Mister"; can also be applied to lesser nobles or men of high social or military rank.
[2] Translated as "Miss"; generally used for unmarried or young women. Interestingly, it is now largely outdated in present-day Germany.
[3] Translated as "Colonel", generally in the Army.
[4] Translated as "Army"; essentially the so-named branch of the armed forces of Germany.

@ Gukpa: Why thank you.

 

Last edited: Jan 8, 2013

MastahCheef117

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• Jan 6, 2013

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Part II
Walter Nicolai

23 June 1914
Office of Military Intelligence, Berlin​

Walter Nicolai rushed quickly passed the many desks on the second floor of the Military Intelligence Office, where a young woman (and the occasional man) sat, working away on their typewriters and making the occasional call on their desk phone.

Almost panting by the time he reached his office and closed the door behind him, he went to the side of his desk - to his own phone - and quickly raised it to the side of his face, to get in touch with the man on the other end, located in the Kronprinzenpalais[1].

"Yes, this is Oberst Nicolai of the Intelligence Office. I need to be in touch with Kronprinz[2] Wilhelm. It is urgent."

There was no acknowledgement from the woman on the other end; the tone in Walter's voice gave way to the importance of his call. A few moments later, there was a voice, much deeper than the one of the woman. "Oberst, what is it that you need?"

Images and words flashed across Walter's eyes as he sought the words that he needed to tell the prince. "Your Highness, we have received word that there may be an attempt on your life in the coming weeks."

There was an understandable short silence, as if Wilhelm did not believe the words he had heard, running them over and over again in his head. "Is this claim reliable? Am I the only one who is in danger?" There was more silence as Walter again searched for more words. He read from the paper in his hand, typed and re-typed again, which they had received just hours ago. "Your Highness, you are one of many within the royal families of Germany, Austria, and Italy that are at threat. The source of the claim is anonymous; we have already contacted His Majesty and the Foreign Office has also been alerted as well."

Yet again, more silence. Walter waited patiently, feeling his heart bouncing in his chest, as the man on the other end of the line may as well be dead in several weeks, or even days. "Very well," Wilhelm spoke, an odd tone of sadness and surprise in his voice. "Unless - as I assume it has been done - the governments of the other powers have not been alerted as well, I would see it fit for Herr von Jagow to alert Vienna and Rome of this claim. Even if just an empty threat, we must do all we can to prevent such a thing from happening."

"Very well, Your Highness," concluded Walter, and the Prince had hung up. He quickly placed the phone on the handles on his desk, and swung the door to his office open, rushing out as quickly as he had rushed in. The Foreign Office was not far away - several blocks, on the Wilhelmstrasse - and he could make quickly there in ten or fifteen minutes on foot. However, as he departed from the Office from the front doors, he ventured to the side parking lot, climbing into the back of one of the government taxis parked there. The driver asked his destination: "The Foreign Office, if you please." The car began with a rumble, and Walter was off, his taxi puttering down the road and then onto the Wilhelmstrasse in just several moments.

When the car pulled up to the front of the Foreign Office, he pushed the doors open - eager to get out of the rain, which had escalated into a downpour - and quickly ascended to the second floor, where Minister von Jagow's office was located. He approached the secretary at the desk outside of the office. "My name is Walter Nicolai, Military Intelligence. If you please, I require an immediate appointment with Herr von Jagow. It is urgent."

The secretary - acting as if she had done something similar just moments before - got up out of her chair and approached the large oak doors of the Minister's office. She knocked twice, creaked the door open, and began speaking to what Walter assumed was the Minister. The words were muffled - he could not decipher the words to the Minister of Foreign Affairs - but he assumed he had succeeded in his endeavor, as the secretary pushed the door open wider, stepped aside, and said simply, "Herr von Jagow is inside."

Walter had only been in this office once - during the Redl scandal[3] the previous year - and noted Gottlieb von Jagow's tall leather chair, his ornate desk, the rain-covered window - which served as the only source of light in the room - as well as the large globe that sat in the corner of the room, and the paintings of Wilhelm II and the maps of Europe and Germany that hung on the walls. Von Jagow himself sat in his chair, gazing out the window, a freshly-lit cigar between his fingers. As Walter entered, von Jagow turned his head toward him, expecting his guest to begin the conversation.

Walter swallowed and began. "Herr Minister, have the governments of Vienna and Rome been alerted in regards to the threats against the lives of the royal families?"

Von Jagow blinked, his eyes slowly closing and then gradually opening again, continuing his gaze onto Walter. "They were contacted as soon as I heard the news. We are expecting replies in a few short moments. Emperor Franz Josef and the heir-presumptive Archduke Ferdinand have been warned of the situation. We are unsure if Victor Emmanuel has been made aware, however."

Walter had not thought that von Jagow had already contacted the German embassies in Vienna and Rome. Before Walter could respond, however, there was another knock at the door, and the secretary walked into the room. "Herr von Jagow, this telegraph was just received from the Austrian embassy, which was sent through them from Vienna."

Von Jagow took it in hand as the secretary left, closing the door behind her. His eyes shot across the paper, reading it quickly, and then spoke aloud, "Emperor Josef and the Austrians have acknowledged the threat... however, Archduke Ferdinand has not postponed or canceled his visit to Sarajevo next week."

Walter sighed. "Does he wish for some crazy to go and shoot his brains out?... I shall contact Vice-Chancellor von Delbrück as soon as I can. Perhaps with the assistance of the Office of the Interior, we can prevent something unfortunate from happening to the Hohenzollerns." Von Jagow nodded, his acceptance of the plan that Walter intended to commit, and the two bid farewell, and Walter left the office.

Walter Nicolai
Head of Military Intelligence​

----

[1] "Crown Prince's Palace" - the home of the German Crown Prince.
[2] "Crown Prince" - in this case, Prince Wilhelm, heir to the Hohenzollern throne.
[3] An incident involving Alfred Redl, who was chief of counterespionage in Austria-Hungary, when he was exposed as a Russian spy.

 

BrunoDerKaiser

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• Jan 6, 2013

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• #5

Nice! I'll be following this for sure.

 

MastahCheef117

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• Jan 8, 2013

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Part III
Crown Prince Wilhelm

24 June 1914
Kronprinzenpalais, Berlin​

It was within the study of Crown Prince Wilhelm that he, Walter Nicolai, Gottlieb von Jagow, and four riflemen of the Guards Corps had been located for the majority of the day.

The news of a possible assassination of a member of the royal families of the Triple Alliance had spread rapidly throughout the upper echelons of government and the military of Germany, and there were rumors throughout central Berlin as well that the lives of the Hohenzollern family were at risk. Early in the day Vice-Chancellor von Delbrück had made a statement saying that the rumors had been falsified and were baseless claims, which had done some good in disproving the rumors - however true they may be - and calming some of the people of the German public. Still, however, not all were convinced. Some had suggested that the Kaiser himself make a public statement to disprove the "clearly falsified" rumors, but the ever-present risk that his life may be taken by an assassin's bullet or bomb prevented him from doing so. This only magnified the seriousness of the situation to those in the public that believed that there indeed was a plot to kill a member of the German royal family. However, only time could tell whether these threats would come to fruition, or if the public outcry would be too large if such a thing were to occur.

"I fail to see the reason behind such heavy precautions for my defense against an unseen enemy whose threat very well may be empty!"

"The Kaiser himself ordered me to station these men here after informing him of the situation, Your Highness," Nicolai responded to Wilhelm's angered question. Wilhelm himself could see no reason as to the amount of hype that had filled Berlin in the past day as the rumors spread of the possible assassination - many others could not, as well. Wilhelm had asked to make a speech on the steps of the palace, but had been dissuaded from doing so by Nicolai with the fear that it would be then that his life would be threatened. Wilhelm retracted the idea, but still floated it around in his head. The failure of any members of the German royalty to speak about the rapidly-spreading rumors of the possible soon-to-be-assassination within the past day was worrying more and more people to larger degrees every day, and some believed that the entire country would be aware of the threats on the royalty's lives in just days.

"The hype surrounding these preposterous claims is in-understandable and I will not tolerate being locked into my own house by force due to some ghost threats!" The Prince's temper was rising now, and it would be nearly impossible to placate him once he had reached the breaking point.

"Please, Your Highness, we cannot afford anything happening to you should you venture out into the city. At least for today, please, you must stay within the confines of this palace. Not only would the German people be outraged, but it would make the Reich look quite bad if its royal heir chose to venture out into the city the day after rumors appeared that his life may be taken." Nicolai failed to mention, however, that the Kaiser did not order Wilhelm restrained to his study; the guards were simply a precaution.

Von Jagow's reasoning failed to placate the Prince, but it also failed to increase the level of his anger, as well. The Prince, standing at the window, looking out into the cloudy sky - a heavy rain having just stopped not thirty minutes ago - struggled to control his anger and confusion, almost shaking, angered and yet terrified that he would be confined to his own estate due to a threat against his life that may or may not be a complete hoax.

"Your Highness, it is in the interests of yourself and of Germany to stay here until the threat can be validated or invalidated and countered accordingly. My men are already working on it, but both myself and Herr von Jagow have been asked by Generalfeldmarschall[1] von Moltke to make sure you are secured for the next few days before we are able to determine the seriousness of this whole situation. Until then, though, we'd rather not take any chances," said Nicolai as he further attempted to calm Wilhelm.

Even then, however, the young royal heir - in full dress uniform - was calmed little. He continued to shake ever so slightly, the anger at the seeming extreme overreaction about to overtake him. "What of Archduke Ferdinand? Does he continue to carry himself with such arrogance as to believe himself invincible to this 'threat' that the entire Reich has blown out of proportion?"

The question almost caught Nicolai off-guard; he turned to von Jagow, from whom he expected an answer, and a quick one, if they were to prevent Wilhelm from going into an all-out rage. "Your Highness," he began, choosing his words carefully, "Ferdinand spoke to us yesterday about his decision to not delay or cancel his trip to Sarajevo next week. Herr von Tschirschky[2] has yet to inform us of the situation in Vienna regarding the matter. Emperor Franz has decided against going out into public for the time being, until, as we have decided with you, Your Highness, a decision can be reached regarding the matter."

These words seemed to worry Wilhelm to a great extent, but yet they calmed him at the same time. It had taken the combined efforts of two high-ranking government officials to calm the German Crown Prince, with the four men of the Guards Corps standing silently at the door of the study, having not spoken a word for quite some time. Wilhelm's shaking had ceased, and the pounding he could feel in his head had ceased as well. He could feel his heart rate lowering; it was interesting that such a seemingly trivial thing as a death threat was taken quite seriously by the Office of Military Intelligence of the government of the Reich in general, but, Wilhelm assumed[3], such a response from the German government and the Heer had only been provoked due to the rapidly rising tensions between the Great Powers of Europe in the last several months.

"When is such a response expected from Herr von Tschirschky?" asked Wilhelm, maintaining his composure and calming himself.

"Either at twilight tomorrow or in the early hours of the following day. Emperor Franz's response to the threats have been a little more... excited in comparison to the Kaiser's," von Jagow answered, "and the situation in Vienna is quite more hectic than it is in Berlin today. If any country in this alliance would be incapable of suffering such a loss to an assassin as their head of state, that said country would be Austria." This dry note made Wilhelm smirk. The condition of the severely ailed Austro-Hungarian Empire was evident even in the highest levels of the government of their closest ally, and none among them could deny the situation present in their southern neighbors. The death of Franz would likely mean the death of the Empire.

"So once we receive an update on the situation in Vienna, we may proceed with the search for a solution to this mess?" asked Wilhelm.

"As I said," replied Nicolai slightly cooly but relaxed, "my men are on the job."

"We cannot allow the rumors to spread outside of the Alliance members. It would be truly bad if everyone were aware of our major preparations for a catastrophe, only to have that catastrophe occur nonetheless only on the whim of a slightly arrogant Hohenzollern," slyly added von Jagow.

As Nicolai and von Jagow departed, Wilhelm let the last statement by the Foreign Minister sink in, and when he was sure the two men were out of earshot, he yelled, a short moment of concentrated anger and inability to understand the whole situation, the Reich, the two men, the people of the world, and the actions of his father.

Wilhelm III
Crown Prince of the German Empire​

----

[1] "Field Marshal"; the highest rank in the Imperial German Army, as well as many contemporary armies.
[2] German Ambassador to Vienna.
[3] Wilhelm's assumption would later prove to be correct.

@ BrunoDerKaiser: Thanks, and welcome aboard.

 

Last edited: Jan 11, 2013

Jape

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• Jan 8, 2013

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• #7

The crown prince is tetchy this morning.

Very well written Cheef, you're getting the tension of impending war across very nicely.

Also is the Guard Corps the one Wilhelm II organised, composed entirely of very tall men, regardless of how capable they were as soldiers or how mentally... developed they were?

 

MastahCheef117

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• Jan 11, 2013

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• #8

Part IV
Clemens von Delbrück

26 June 1914
Stadtschloss, Berlin​

The Vice-Chancellor and Minister of the Interior for the German Reich was standing in the study of one of the most powerful men on earth.

Clemens von Delbrück was a man of fifty-eight years-of-age, a man in possession of a balding head and, save for the sliver of facial hair above his lip, lacked head-hair almost altogether. His mustache - a clump of once-black hair that had since turned a silvery gray - drooped around the corners of his mouth, a perfect fit for his aging and rapidly-wrinkling face, which had more than one's own fair share of pockmarks, wrinkles, and scars that covered his face. His gray eyes fit well with the rest of his facial features that were now bearing witness to the troubles of aging, the colorless irises failing to contrast - mostly to the benefit of the man, most of whose physical attractiveness had long since left him behind - which added, strangely enough, both a touch of seriousness and emptiness to any that gazed into his eyes.

Clemens von Delbrück
Vice-Chancellor and Minister of the Interior for Germany​

The day was June 26, and it was three days after the information from the anonymous source had claimed that the life of a member of one of the Alliance's royal families would be threatened or - God help the thought - taken within the next several weeks, or possibly even days. These rumors had somehow slipped out of the inner echelons of the Reich government - most likely due to the hectic situations at the Office of Military Intelligence, as well as the Foreign Office - and permeated throughout most of central Berlin by twilight the next day. Despite the government's attempts at quieting the rumors - which many, even within the government and the military, believed to be true - no Hohenzollerns dared to make a public appearance to address the issue - at least to the advice of their advisers and ministers - lest they fall at the hand of an assassin's bullet or bomb. Rather, they had retreated to their studies, surrounded by members of the German Guards and protected from any man that may have wished to harm them.

Where Clemens was standing now was the residence of one of the most influential and powerful men on the planet. This man acted as supreme commander of the most elite army in the world, the second largest dreadnought fleet that sailed the waters of the earth[1], and one of the fastest-growing and most powerful economies not only in Europe but worldwide. This man was Wilhelm II Hohenzollern, Kaiser[1] of the German Empire and friend and colleague to Clemens von Delbrück.

"Your Majesty," began Clemens, speaking carefully to the Kaiser, "I suggest that you not give a speech to Germany on the situation involving these threats against your life and the lives of your colleagues and family members. Doing so would create a prime target for any would-be assassin, and it would do no good for the wellbeing of Germany - nor yourself - if such a thing were to happen."

Wilhelm, sitting at his desk opposite to the entrance to his room, had turned the wooden chair around, his left leg brought up and resting upon his right knee at the ankle in full dress uniform, facing the Vice-Chancellor of the Reich with his arms crossed. His hair was slicked back, leaving his face clear of any hair, save the small spot above his lip, which was covered by a handlebar mustache that was gelled to the point where the ends of the small piece of facial hair pointed upwards dramatically, an artificial modification that made his face instantly recognizable the world over.

"If there is a threat to my life, the German people deserve to know. If I am to die, God help me if so, I shall die a hero, not a coward who hid in his own room."

The words were short and abrupt, as the many words the Kaiser had given Clemens for so many hours already. He had began prodding Wilhelm in an attempt to convince him he could not give such a speech to Germany when the seriousness of the threats against his life were still in dispute. At least, he had suggested, Wilhelm could formulate a speech that a representative could give to the congregated peoples of Berlin. Wilhelm would have none of it, however. The Kaiser was stout in his defense of his actions, and, as he had already said, he was determined to speak about the threats against his life.

"I respect your decision, Your Majesty," asked Clemens, who was growing increasingly desperate in his efforts to influence the Kaiser and to save Germany from what could possibly be a public disaster, "but I beg you to reconsider. The results could be disastrous if you are harmed or taken from this world. At the very least, wait several more days before going out and doing what you wish; we must figure out just how serious and how threatening these claims against your life - and the lives of your family members and the royal houses of the Austrians and the Italians - indeed are."

It seemed to Clemens that he had finally found a nerve, as the Kaiser blinked, a long blink that left his eyes closed for several long, quiet seconds. He un-crossed his arms, planted his feet firmly on the ground, and got up from the chair. "Very well, Clemens. For now, I shall wait."

It was begrudgingly said to the Vice-Chancellor, but Clemens was satisfied in the Kaiser's answer. Maybe - at least for a couple more days - a disaster for Germany could be avoided. "It is a most wise decision, Your Majesty. Herr Nicolai of Military Intelligence is working diligently to discover the source of the claim, and is attempting to determine the validity of it as well. All as we speak." These words were meant to calm Wilhelm, or to at least provide some sort of justification, as if he were trying to soothe the Kaiser and remove any regret he took with the decision. Either way, the Vice-Chancellor admitted, he sometimes doubted the Kaiser's ability to make decisions.

It would prove to be one of the most important opinions of any high-ranking German government official for several years to come.

The Stadtschloss
Residence of Wilhelm II​

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[1] Due in large part to the Kaiser's own efforts, the German Navy grew from a minor and obsolete green-water navy into one of the most formidable navies and the main challenger to British naval supremacy, all in just under a decade.

@ Jape: Much appreciated. I try my best.
The Guards Corps mentioned in Part III is in fact not the same Guard unit formed by Wilhelm; rather, it is the Guards unit that existed before the unification of Germany, having served in the Austro-Prussian War. Under the Kaiser's orders, they also serve as nice bodyguards during a national emergency.
And yes, Wilhelm III is one of the more... eccentric fellows in this story (along with his infamous father, of course). We'll see more of his antics later on as well.

 

MastahCheef117

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• Jan 20, 2013

• Add bookmark
• #9

Part V
Walter Nicolai

27 June 1914
Office of Military Intelligence, Berlin​

It had been several days now - the time had passed so quickly in such a frenzy, Walter noted - ever since that fateful anonymous letter was received, in the bad penmanship of German that the author and supposed would-be assassin had written. Its true origins were unknown, but - from what the Office was able to gather - the letter had not been a fake, as only the following day was word received from the embassies in Rome and Vienna that similar letters - in both Italian and German, along with a hastily-scribbled translation into Hungarian, respectively - had been taken in from an anonymous source. Other than the occasional grammatical or spelling error, the letters were almost word-for-word translated verbatim from one another. It was from this deduction that the validity of the whole situation was raised by quite a lot, moreso than Walter believed possible, anyway.

He had spent the last several days - since the altercation between himself, Minister von Jagow, and Crown Prince Wilhelm in the Kronprinzenpalais - constantly analyzing the information received on the 23rd of June, determined to discover the source and the true intentions of the letters - if they were not indeed preludes to the death of a royal Hohenzollern or some other person of royalty from Italy or Austria-Hungary - and to somehow prevent what the scribbled words foretold. It would be nearly impossible, he knew, to do much with what he was given, but something had to be done. If not, the blood of a Hohenzollern would likely be on his hands. Such an event would have unforeseen consequences.

Walter was quite aware of the fact, however, that the death of a Hohenzollern - by bomb, by rifle, by poison, some other ancient form of murder - was still a distinct possibility, regardless of the so many men of the Guards Corps having been posted to protect the German royal family since the 23rd. The Kaiser himself had ordered no less than ten riflemen posted to the defense of his rooms, where they stood day-through-night guarding to the death the life of their Emperor. The Crown Prince had been allotted four guards - a move which he readily protested against as "absurd" and "fearmongering" - but which he begrudgingly accepted after several days of argument and anger.

Even despite the efforts of the government, the rumors of a possible assassination had broken out of Berlin, the hysteria being the subject of many a letter and telegraph out of the city to the countryside and the cities of Hamburg, Munich, Frankfurt-am-Main, and so many others. Virtually every subject of the German Emperor was aware of the supposed plot that would possibly take his life or the life of a family member or ally from another country, and there had already been a demonstration in Stettin supporting the Kaiser and the government. It was only a matter of time until something happened - and, it was believed, something would happen - and the repercussions not only throughout Germany, but across Europe as well, were likely to have irreversible and devastating effects.

Now, Walter was struggling to cope with the sudden wave of stress and pressure to find the source of the documents that had threatened the lives of the German royal family. He was being pressured by both Minister von Jagow and even the Kaiser himself for answers, and it was bearing down on him quite quickly. It was an almost unspoken belief of every high-echelon German officer and official that something was going to happen, and very soon.

"Get me Ambassador von Tschirschky," Walter spoke into the telephone at his desk. It was the sole object on the table that did not constitute a massive pile of papers stacked several inches high, with intelligence reports from spies abroad and overseas, communiques and correspondence between himself and other high-ranking government officials, generals and officers of the Heer and the Kaiserliche Marine[1], and family correspondence as well. Barely more than half the papers had been perused by Walter, with many more in need of a thorough reading, some in need of a long word-intensive reply, as well. Coordinating the intelligence efforts of the Reich - and in particular, that of the military itself - was a daunting task that required extraordinary amounts of effort, concentration, and energy. Walter was sometimes dumbfounded as to how he could complete any of his work during his most stressful situations.

There was a confirmation from a man on the other end, and then another voice came through the top end of the telephone in Walter's hand. "Yes, this is von Tschirschky, who is this?" The voice of the former Minister of Foreign Affairs[2] - a seat now occupied by Count von Jagow - was loud and clear, a voice of confidence and possibly some sort of façade that covered the rapidly aging man that spoke the words. "Yes, Herr von Tschirschky, this is Walter Nicolai of the Military Intelligence Office. The Kaiser requests an update regarding protections put in place under the Imperial administration, and is also curious to know about the Archduke."

There was silence on the other end for several seconds, followed by the shuffling of several papers and a clacking sound, presumably the German Ambassador collecting several papers in hand and neatening the assembly of documents, and then he began reading. "There has been rapid correspondence between Franz Josef and Ferdinand in the last several days," he spoke rather dryly, "with the Emperor making repeated attempts to convince the Archduke to reschedule or cancel his visit to Sarajevo tomorrow." There was a shuffle of papers. In a voice that had a significantly drabbier tone, von Tschirschky continued, "... and the Archduke has refused such demands. His trip to Sarajevo is to continue as planned."

Walter's heart sank. "Is there any way to communicate with him now before he departs?" There was more silence from the other end for several moments, a time that felt like an eternity, Walter quickly becoming worried about the whole situation in Austria. More shuffling of papers, and then: "Ferdinand departed for Budapest this morning. He is to depart for Sarajevo sometime tonight, and is to arrive early next morning."

Walter wanted to curse the man for being so stubborn in his journey to Sarajevo, which he had gone about doing despite the rampant threats of assassination and murder that the nations of the Triple Alliance had received just days ago. It might put the entire stability of the Austro-Hungarian Empire - even the entire alliance - on its head. Walter thanked von Tschirschky and hanged up. Now that Ferdinand had already departed - with little, if any, chance of changing his mind before it was too late - Walter feared that Sarajevo may very well end up being the final resting place of Archduke Franz Ferdinand.

Archduke Franz Ferdinand
Heir-presumptive of Austria-Hungary​

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[1] "Imperial Navy"; at this time, it is the second largest navy in the world, in possession of thirteen dreadnoughts and four battlecruisers, second only to the British Royal Navy in size.
[2] Heinrich von Tschirschky served as German Foreign Affairs Minister from 1906 to 1907.