On the same night that Hersmann sent a telegram to Berlin about his meeting with Lenin and his Report on Lenin, which had been written on the basis of Lenin's performance (agreeing to cede Poland and Finland and accepting German domination of most of Europe). He received an order from Ludendorff: immediately carry the report to the Grand General Staff for an interview.

It is clear that Ludendorff and Hindenburg were also anxious to end the fighting on the Eastern Front so that they could concentrate their forces on defeating the enemy on the Western Front.

Hersman was also racing against time, and after receiving the order, he asked his assistant Carl Brown. Stockhausen stayed behind and set off overnight, accompanied by Chloe, to Zurich and then back to Berlin by train.

Upon his return to Berlin, Hersmann went straight to the office of the First Quartermaster General in the Grand General Staff. Ludendorff listened to his report with a somber face carved out of marble, only to show interest in Hersmann's expression when he mentioned that the Bolsheviks would break up the Russian ** team.

"I understand the combat effectiveness of the Russian ** team, although their tactical and combat level is very low, but these gray animals are not easy to disintegrate. Captain, on what basis do you judge that the Bolsheviks could do this? ”

"Your Excellency, Lenin personally promised (in fact Lenin did not give any guarantees), and on the basis of the consistent view of the Bolsheviks: to turn the world war into a civil war and to defeat the Tsar. I think he and the Bolsheviks will do their best to fulfill this guarantee. ”

"So you're not completely sure?"

"Your Excellency, I am very sure that Lenin and the Bolsheviks would do so to dismantle the Russian army. But whether their efforts will succeed or not, I am not sure. But I think this is our only chance, and there is no second power in Russia that will cooperate with us except the Bolsheviks and Lenin. If we miss the opportunity, victory on the Eastern Front will be far away. ”

"Not bad, Captain." At this point, Ludendorff stood up and walked to a map of the situation on the European battlefield - on the front of the Eastern Front, several arrows were drawn on the front of the Eastern Front, pointing directly at Rigave, Brest-Litovsk, and the eastern bank of the Dniester River. It is clear that Ludendorff is planning a major offensive on the Eastern Front, but his plan, even if fully realized, will not be enough to resolve the war on the Eastern Front by military means. Moreover, this offensive plan was taken only as a last resort (when the hope of peace with the Russian Provisional Government was completely dashed).

Hersmann immediately stood up and followed Ludendorff, holding his breath as he waited for His Excellency the First Quartermaster General to make a decision.

"Your study of the battlefield on the Eastern Front and the internal situation in Russia is expert, and you have come to almost exactly the same conclusions as the Russian group of the Political Division! They also believed that supporting the Bolsheviks was the only way to break up the Russian army in the short term, because the Bolsheviks had no homeland in their hearts and could sell anything to achieve their ambitions. However, they did not think that the Bolsheviks would become friends of the German Empire. ”

"Your Excellency, I think that in the minds of the gentlemen of the Political Department, no Russian can be a friend of the German Empire, except for the dead Russians."

"Hehe, that's interesting, I actually think so! The Russians deserve to die, and the Russian Bolsheviks deserve to die! ”

"But the Russians don't die!" Hersman looked at Admiral Ludendorff's back, "That's for sure, there are 160 million damned Russians in our east, they've been there, and nothing will change in a hundred years." And we, the Germans, are not capable of exterminating them...... Napoleon tried once, but lost his empire and was exiled to St. Helena, where he lived out miserably. And our empire and the Russians have been fighting for almost four years, and even Minsk and Kyiv have not enough, and the destruction of Russia seems impossible. Since we can't destroy them, then we can only be neighbors with them. Considering that the contradictions between the Empire and Britain were difficult to reconcile, we must maintain at least a harmonious diplomatic relationship with Russia, and if an alliance can be formed, then the Empire can rest easy. Even if the Russians believe in Satan's devils, we can only be friends with them for the good of the empire. ”

"Oh, it sounds like Prince Bismarck...... I guess you must be an admirer of the Prince, right? ”

"Yes, Your Excellency, I think that almost four years of bloody war have proved the foresight of His Royal Highness the Prince and the Emperor (referring to William I). Everything can be abolished, but the United Nations and Russia must not forget! ”

Hersmann finally said that Wilhelm the Great had given his son Frederick III the basic state policy before his death, but unfortunately Frederick III died of illness after only 99 days as emperor. And his son, Wilhelm II, was young and vigorous, threw the national policy of his grandfather and Prince Bismarck out of the clouds and began to pursue a policy of hostility against Russia...... At the same time, Wilhelm II pursued a policy of challenging British world hegemony, rejecting British Foreign Secretary Neville Chamberlain's proposal for an Anglo-German alliance in 1902. Britain was in a state of hostility with France and Russia over colonial disputes, France and Russia had formed an alliance, and Germany was Britain's traditional ally. It was precisely because of the wrong policy of Wilhelm II that Germany was caught in the middle of the attack of Britain, France and Russia, and it was difficult to get out of the predicament.

The Russian Revolution clearly gave Germany one last chance to get out of the predicament, if Germany could ally with Bolshevik-ruled Russia, and the Bolsheviks could rely on German support to take power in Russia in a short time and establish a relatively stable rule. The Second German Reich would be invincible - this was the core spirit of the Report on Lenin and the Bolsheviks.

Ludendorff's eyebrows furrowed as he turned his gaze to Hersmann, which was staring at the map. "Your report may be correct, if we do not achieve a quick victory on the Western Front and the United States enters the war, then we need a stable and friendly Russia...... But it also meant that we had to be tolerant of Bolshevik-controlled Russia, which would devalue our hard-won victory. ”

"Your Excellency, we don't have to be lenient with them, we can get a lot of gold, treasures and food from them, and we can even get the capital ships of the Russian Navy. This would greatly strengthen the High Seas Fleet and the Ottoman Navy. ”

In his report, Hersman also mentions what the Bolsheviks had to pay for when they came to power - gold in the Bank of Kazan (where the Central Bank of Russia was located), some treasures belonging to the Tsars, the lead ships of the Baltic and Black Sea Fleets, and the supply of large quantities of wheat after the restoration of agricultural production in Russia.

Of course, the Bolsheviks still needed to cede some land, but Hersmann envisioned a low asking price, demanding only the independence of Poland and Finland.

Ludendorff walked back to his desk. "Captain, if Prince Bismarck were now Chancellor of the Reich, he would have been very much in favor of this report. But unfortunately, the prince has been dead for many years...... The current Germany is not the Germany of the time of Wilhelm the Great, and His Majesty's appetite is great. If the Russian Provisional Government is now willing to negotiate peace, we certainly won't ask for much. But if the Bolsheviks really brought down the Russian army and caused even greater chaos in Russia, then what reason should we not fight for the best interests? ”

A captain really can't save an empire that is about to fall! Captain Hersmann was not surprised, Hindenburg and Ludendorff were brilliant commanders, but they were not masters of strategy, and the German Long Live Wilhelm II was even less about strategy. For them, the collapse of the Russian army may only be an opportunity to slaughter Russia's old enemy.

Ludendorff had already sat down in his chair, his hands pressed on his desk, and looked at Hersmann silently for two minutes. "To be honest, the vast majority of your report is quite good, and it is not easy for a captain who has not yet entered the Military Academy (Staff College) in Berlin to have such an eye. Since you know Russia and the Bolsheviks very well, then I will give you a partial opportunity to realize the Report on Lenin and the Bolsheviks.

The Grand General Staff and the Foreign Office were jointly drawing up a plan to help the Bolsheviks come to power, called the Thor Plan. Actually you are already involved in it, and now I have you involved you more deeply in the program, and you will escort Lenin back to Russia. At the same time, he served as a liaison officer between Lenin and the Great General Staff, and was also responsible for the investigation of the Bolsheviks. Do a good job, young man, maybe your chance to soar is in Russia! For mobile phone users, please visit http://m.piaotian.net