Chapter 306: Shocking Nightfall
Veterans such as Ernst von Hopner, who almost ran out of oil, even if they had the heart to help the Eric government, were also powerless to fight the evil because they were old and had the heart to take care of the government. Eric wanted to scale and regularize the Air Force, and promoted a small number of young cadres in the Air Force, such as Richthofen, but this move aroused strong opposition from the "veteran" class of the Air Force.
Eric also had a rectification consideration, so he inadvertently said "there are too many German marshals" and caused panic in the military leadership, such as Rundstedt, who privately forbade him to be called "marshal", but this reaction only had some effect in the army, while the air force did its own thing and did not take Eric's words seriously.
In the navy, the situation is relatively better, but conservatives such as Tirpitz do not buy the federal president, and only a few pro-politicians, such as Schellner and Hipper, have responded positively to Eric's words and have restrained themselves in practical actions.
The combat effectiveness of the Air Force has always been a big concern for Eric, however, this "threatening nature" "too many German field marshals" has become substantial evidence against Eric.
Of the three major German air forces, only the 1st Air Force was a strong group of young people, and only they actively supported and loyal to Eric, while the rest of the troops formed a strong force against Eric, under the call of Thoth.
This discordant force, of discord, true division, and false unity, has brought great negative factors to the administration of Eric's government, especially the situation that arose during the war against Greece, which fully demonstrated this terrible malpractice. The 2nd and 3rd Air Corps completely ignored the requests for help from the 1st Air Army, and did not send a single BF-10 fighter, but instead transferred back to several fighter squadrons that had been sent out together at the beginning.
Fortunately, this was only a small battle against Greece, and if it had been placed during World War I, such a move could have turned the tide of the war, and Thoth's actions could also be regarded as a betrayal of the motherland.
Germany, which seems to be calm and full of tension, has been very strong in internal problems because of the contradictions between the new federal system and the imperial era, and it has not been balanced and resolved for a short time. Eric's prestige, though high, could not stop the soaring desires of careerists.
This surprise review of the armored corps was in fact a rehearsal for Eric to take the opportunity to deter the domestic insurgents, and if he could do it without bloodshed, he would have asked for it, and if he had to make a big move, it would have to wait until the end of the Greek War, Hungary's defeat of Romania, and the Federated States to settle the situation in the Balkans.
Eric has already made up his mind, and he does not mind the Great Qing Dynasty (Harmony) cleansing and blood exchange, and does not even rule out domestic bloodshed. It is not Eric's usual practice to be at home before the outside, but it is impossible to unite the country without it, which is forced by the conservatives and the opposition.
The current situation is like dancing on the tip of a knife, and if you are not careful, you will be beaten back by the powers, and if you can't unify your thinking at home, and if you don't use the strong ships and guns of the powers, the federal government will also be in danger.
In the vast queue of tanks, in the dust and smoke raised, every resolute face has a firm heart, they are loyal to the federal government, loyal to the president of the country, although immature, but do not lose their fortitude, although there are thousands of people, but can unite as one, this is a strong army, but also the guarantee of the federal state, but also Eric dares to establish the prestige of the political capital.
Eric felt a little relieved, these young generals who were quickly promoted by him are constantly polishing and training, as long as Eric raises his arms, they are the tigers who charge into battle and gallop on the field, and they will inevitably be shining stars on his future journey!
A neat queue passed in front of the review stand, winning applause from the stands. As they marched, the troops chanted "Loyalty to the Motherland, Loyalty to the President." This was clearly the result of a pre-planned plan by generals such as Guderian, Manstein, and Rommel. Eric usually doesn't want the people to shout long live himself, but since everyone is shouting like this, he doesn't say anything, at least, in a way, it reflects the support and love of the people and the army for him.
At this moment, Eric, who was very excited, quickly stood up and waved his right hand frequently to greet the marching troops.
"The Song of the Panzers" rippled in the breeze, and the roar of tanks echoed on the battlefield. When the troops chanted the slogan "Loyal to the motherland, loyal to the president", Eric quietly watched the words with the eyes of the eyes, and he found that those diehards and opposition with bad intentions and tacit intentions were sitting on pins and needles, which was extremely unnatural.
The black-and-white Iron Cross banner was unfurled in the early summer sun, stretching from the first car to the end of the queue, and the sound of shaking the ground and mountains made all the government officials and generals present exclaim.
After the parade was completed, the troops were divided into red and blue armies to fight freely, and the two sides set up a formation at a distance of a kilometer from the review stand, one side under the command of Rommel himself, and the other side under the command of Guderian himself.
Eric loudly announced the start of the exercise on the loudspeaker, and in an instant, the battle flag fluttered, the machine roared, and two steel torrents were like dragons going out to sea, showing a wonderful dragon battle on the field of yellow sand.
One by one, the audience watched the exciting scene in front of them with their mouths wide open and dumbfounded, and some even left their seats to stand up to watch, unwilling to miss any of the thrilling shots. The tacit opposition to Eric had forgotten all their resentment and stood on tiptoe to satisfy this rare visual feast regardless of decency.
The tanks raced across the battlefield, the long barrels firing left and right with the rotation of the turret, and the deafening sound of cannons accompanied by red flames turned the entire training ground into a real battlefield. Both Rommel and Guderian wanted to show themselves in front of Eric, each showing their own housekeeping skills, directing these steel behemoths to gallop back and forth, not giving in to each other.
Eric sat in the middle of the stands, exclaiming from time to time.
Manstein sat behind Eric, while Paul von Hindenburg and Brauchitsch sat on Erik's left and right. When the tank spat out clouds of red flames, the old Hindenburg was amazed.
"If we had such tank units during World War I, it would not have taken so long to solve problems on the eastern and western fronts." Hindenburg turned to Eric and said.
"You are right, Your Excellency, but for now, the land forces of the German Confederation are still the unrivaled iron force of the European continent." Eric replied proudly.
At this moment, the tanks of the red and blue armies changed formations, interspersed with hand-to-hand combat, and light infantry suddenly appeared on the exercise ground. Suddenly, in addition to the roar of the machines on the field, there were also the high-pitched shouts of the soldiers, and Rundstey proudly looked at the battle scene in front of him, and from time to time cast inquiring glances at Eric.
Erik, of course, knew Rundstedt's good intentions, and at the same time gave him an approving look.