69 – Episode 69 The Most Wicked Crime
‘Fact’ The German Empire in this episode was very different from the last episode, where it was withered away by hunger and starvation. Thanks to diligent stockpiling of food and guano during the four-month truce with Britain, there was no food problem in 1915.
Even in 1916, if food was imported from Ukraine, Belarus, the Baltic States, and Hungary, there was no chance of starvation.
Even so, I couldn’t completely avoid eating turnips.
Even if there was no need to eat sawdust, turnips had to be served as a basic dish.
‘Still, that’s enough to make you feel good.’
Compared to the previous episode, where a million people died of starvation due to the British maritime blockade, it was almost like enjoying a full and leisurely life.
The problem was not ‘food’.
The real problem is that the war has been ‘prolonged’.
The plan for an early end to the war that was drawn up at the beginning of the western campaign was completely shattered. You stupid Junkers. If you draw a big picture, you have to draw the small picture on your own, but you can’t even do what you ask.
Why did the people who brought about the scytheing operation, which was not ordered under Hitler, become so stupid?
It may be surprising, but Junkers were like a cancer in this country that needed to be excised as soon as possible. What should be done with things that cannot even fight war, which is their specialty?
‘Of course, the thing to trust is the tank.’
The answer was a tank that would break the heads of the cannonball junkers who pushed the doctrine of cannon + firepower warfare like a hearty soup and show the brightness of ‘enlightened mobile warfare.’
However, there was still no news about the tank.
Were the requirements too strict?
However, it was difficult to compromise on performance.
I wanted something that was certain even if it came out a little late.
When turnips were served for dinner, the Empress made a rotten expression.
If we don’t do propaganda, we’ll die, lady.
If you taste the German Revolution, you will enjoy sawdust rather than turnips, but that is because you have not tasted the bitterness yet.
While we were having a heartless meal, a story about a relative came up.
It was the story of Grand Duke Kirill.
It was a pity that Kirill, the Kaiser’s grandson-in-law, was suffering in the Urals, so he suggested that he at least be granted asylum.
So you don’t feel sorry for your cousin Nikki?
Honestly, I had no feeling whether my relatives in this world were dead or not. What can I say, I didn’t feel comfortable with it.
Perhaps it was because I had the perspective of Kim Yu-jin, who lived her entire life as a desperately poor high school student, but I did not sympathize with the misfortunes of those in authority at all.
I drew a line on the issue of Grand Duke Kirill, even if it was a matter for him to take care of.
I wonder if the money to help Kirill comes from running the rotary press.
As I was about to cut off the conversation, I suddenly felt a thought pass through my mind.
Rotary press?
Looking back, Hitler’s Third Reich was a criminal state that created ‘counterfeit money.’ They brought in a counterfeiter and put into practice the outrageous plan of attacking the British economy by counterfeiting British pounds.
Although it is unclear how effective it was, all scholars acknowledge that it had a significant influence on the post-war British economy becoming a disaster.
Is there anything we can’t do?
If this war becomes a long-term war anyway, what will determine the fight is economic power.
At this time, there was no weapon better than counterfeit currency as a means of damaging the enemy’s economic power.
Didn’t British economist Keynes say this?
Decreasing the value of currency is said to be the most evil act that destroys social order.
In other words, counterfeiting the pound was the surest way to destroy the British Empire.
After much deliberation, I summoned the head of the Reichsbank, President Rudolf Havenstein.
Governor Habenstein, born in 1857, was a powerful person in charge of the Imperial Bank from 1908, and it is no exaggeration to call him the ‘captain’ of the imperial economy.
According to history, he would serve as president of the Imperial Bank until 1923, so there was no doubt about his ability.
“Your Majesty, did you call me?”
Governor Havenstein looked undignified with his head half bald, but his voice was grave.
“I’ve been waiting for you, Governor.”
I gave him a chair and immediately brought up the topic of counterfeiting pounds. When the governor heard the story, he could not hide his astonished expression.
“Your Majesty, that is an act of crossing the implicit line that must not be crossed between nations. “You should never attack currency.”
“Of course, it’s something Jim doesn’t want to do either. But we’ve started the game. “Why are rules so important in a game where you lose everything if you lose?”
“However, you must also consider the reputation of the empire after the war. “Once we create a counterfeit note, we lose credibility forever.”
North Korea made a supernote and it became a match. If counterfeit currency is created, it is inevitable that the country’s reputation will be ruined.
Of course I thought about that risk.
However, I was confident that this would be much better than dragging out the war and becoming an asshole.
Anyway, what matters in the international community is power. This can be seen in the fact that even though China acts like a bully, no one other than the United States can touch it. If the national power was supported, there was enough room to cover even if the perception was limited.
“I have to endure that much. If you lose anyway, it’s over.”
This war is not an ordinary war, but an all-out war in which the great powers risk everything. Even if something resembling a ‘compromise’ was reached in the middle, it was only a truce that lasted less than ’20 years.’
The Treaty of Versailles is the best example.
After seeing that my will was strong, the president gave up persuasion.
“God cannot help you in this matter.”
Was this an issue that should not have been discussed with a responsible economic expert?
Well, I thought it was a mistake to tell the banker about counterfeit money.
In the end, I gave up trying to persuade President Habenstein.
Judging from Habenstein’s reaction, it seemed like the reactions of other major bankers would be similar.
As expected, it seemed certain that practitioners working under the bank or counterfeit money criminals would be used rather than bankers.
After forcing Habenstein to step down, he sent the Eastern Intelligence Service to look for someone who could take charge of counterfeiting.
It wasn’t long before Oppenheim recommended one person.
“There is one person who is qualified, Your Majesty.”
The person that came into my hands like that was Hjalmar Schacht.
The financial magician of the Third Reich who supported Hitler’s war by circulating mepo notes.
I was a bit shocked because it was bigger than I thought.
When I met Schacht, I first checked to see if he had ‘misheard’.
“Did you hear that the job you are responsible for is making counterfeit bills?”
“Of course, Your Majesty. “I heard it was necessary for the victory of the empire.”
Schacht had the face of a typical elite, but he was somehow cold. This was the impression he got from many Junkers that the ends justified the means.
Since he is that kind of person, he would have said that Poland should be punished with an economic war without giving it a chance to recover.
Well, I liked it whether Shacht was a snake-like person or a warm rabbit-type person. All he had to do was make counterfeit bills well, what does humanity have to do with it?
I sat down with Schacht and talked about pound counterfeiting.
After talking for a while, Schacht got to the point.
“We need people first. However, ordinary people cannot do this. After the war, we need someone to shut up forever.”
The Nazis entrusted the job to the Jews. And when it came time to cover up the operation, he attempted to ‘kill’ it like he would dispose of livestock.
Although it failed and was discovered.
Who should we entrust the job to?
Jewish?
What a joke. In the German Empire, Jewish Germans were not subject to discrimination.
“You can’t be an ordinary patriot, right?”
“The moment things leak out, Germany becomes a criminal state. “Confidentiality must be maintained absolutely.”
Schacht had a point. Although he had assumed that he would get caught, there was no need to say that it would be better if he didn’t get caught.
“Then let’s use criminals.”
I decided to mobilize murderers and rapists who were okay with being eliminated from the empire. I thought it would be enough to turn about 500 people into ‘non-existent people.’
“If you solve people, then you need a place. Give us a facility that no one can access.”
“That kind of place.”
After thinking about it, there were a lot.
All they had to do was provide military facilities. Military facilities are basically secure areas, so it was a perfect fit.
“We do not provide military facilities.”
“Finally, you need time and budget. Producing counterfeit currency requires a huge amount of money, from copper plates to various materials and machines. “One year is probably not enough.”
One year.
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Even if France was pushed back, it seemed unlikely that Britain would immediately wave the white flag. Considering the long term of 2-3 years, it was worth the time.
If that’s the case.
After much thought, I decided to give him a large amount of money, enough to build one battleship.
It was a project that could change the fate of the empire anyway, so saving time and budget was pointless. Did the United States save money on the Manhattan Project? Isn’t it true?
“I will give you a budget of 40 million marks and a time frame of 2 years.”
“I will do my best.”
“The necessary information will be delivered through the Eastern Intelligence Bureau, so please do your best.”
“Yes.”
After sending Schacht back, I felt a little more at ease.
‘It is an economic attack on the British Empire.’
Even if the German Empire loses the war, which is unlikely, we will drag Britain to hell like a ghost.
That’s enough.
If we could take England, which we couldn’t even touch in the previous episodes, to hell, that alone would have been a meaningful episode.
I stared at the pound on the desk for a long time. I was looking forward to the moment of making that paper with our own hands.