The Rise of the Third Reich

Under the spring night, Natalie Lesinskaya walked elegantly on the spacious, stylish, clean, but somewhat bleak Berlin streets, dressed very fashionably, as if she were a leisurely lady.

But if anyone gets closer, it is not difficult to find that there is always a touch of sadness between the beautiful eyebrows of this lady. Natalie was not grieving for the German Bolsheviks who were likely to be suppressed by the fascists - she knew that those people's lives were not in much danger, at least far less than that of the Polish Bolsheviks and Trotskyites in the Soviet Union.

A person of Natalie Leshinskaya's level, who has been engaged in trade and intelligence work abroad for a long time (the personnel of the Soviet Foreign Trade Company abroad are considered half intelligence agents), is almost half a Cheka, She certainly knew how terrible places like Lubyanka Square (Cheka headquarters) and Solovsky Monastery (famous labor camp) were.

Although she never asked about the missing Poles - there were many Poles in her life circle, but most of them seemed to disappear into thin air - but she knew where those people had gone. . For a long time, especially after she was released, she carried a suitcase with her, always containing a few pieces of clean clothes and toiletries... These were all supplies she needed while in jail. She has no relatives in the Soviet Union. Her parents have long since passed away, and she only has an older brother who is a landlord in Poland. Therefore, she could only prepare some necessities for jail.

Because she estimated that her "crimes" were not worthy of being shot, in fact not many people were subject to "maximum security measures" (shooting or deportation) in the Soviet Union. The vast majority of captured "reactionaries" will be sent to labor camps throughout the Soviet Union - labor camps are everywhere, and there are more and more of them, engaged in various productions, and are becoming indispensable to the Soviet economy. a part of!

At a time when the entire Soviet Union was suffering from hunger, it was really difficult to survive in a labor camp. Therefore, she also knew that she could not live in a place like Solovsky with a suitcase of "preparations". She thought that the only thing she could use there was probably her beauty and body...

A revolutionary who was once prepared to sacrifice everything for the liberation of all mankind actually planned to sell himself to the guards of a labor camp for a long time to save his life! Thinking of these things, Natalie Lesinskaya's eyes were filled with tears, and in the end she couldn't help but started crying on the road.

"Natalie, what's wrong with you?" In the secret office of the Third International in Berlin, Dimitrov, secretary of the Western European Bureau of the Third International and a Bulgarian Communist, saw Leshinskaya with red eyes, so He asked with concern.

"Oh, I miss the motherland of the Soviet Union." Natalie took out a silk handkerchief and wiped the tears.

"Really?" Dimitrov is less than 50 years old this year. He looks very graceful and energetic. He is a veteran revolutionary. He joined the Bulgarian Social Democratic Labor Party as early as 1902 and was one of the earliest Bolsheviks in Bulgaria and even the entire Balkans.

In addition, he was also a "Greater Balkanist". As early as July 1915, he led the organization of a Balkan Social Democratic Alliance. It is hoped that a Balkan federation state will be formed after the victory of the revolution.

"Have you met Comrade Thälmann?" Dimitrov stopped asking about Natalie's mood, but asked about work - Natalie now serves as a liaison officer, working with the German Bolsheviks Party liaison is her business.

Dimitrov himself has a very typical Balkan face, which is very different from the Germans. It is not convenient for him to meet frequently with German Congressman Thalmann.

Natalie is a blond beauty. Although she is Polish, her ancestors were once members of the HRE House of Nobles. They have been married to German nobles for generations, so she looks very German. And her German is very good, so she has no problem pretending to be German.

If she goes to meet with the big figures of the German Bolsheviks, even if she is targeted by the spies, it will only be a piece of gossip at best.

"They plan to work with the Social Democrats to expose the Nazi-Junker group's conspiracy to issue banknotes indiscriminately, and then mobilize the masses to hold a general strike to force Congress to pass a no-confidence motion and bring down the Nazi Party-Fatherland People's Party coalition government."

This is the way of parliamentary democracy - the opposition party creates chaos and revelations to hinder the ruling party, bringing down the ruling party so that it can replace it.

However, the German Bolshevik Party was not a well-behaved parliamentary party, and the Nazi Party and the Juncker Corps were not honest players in parliamentary politics either. When they wanted to cause trouble, they did not occupy the rostrum and prevent people from speaking.

"Thälmann and the others think things are too easy. The Nazis and Junkers will not be willing to fail." Dimitrov shook his head, "But there is no better way now. Reactionary forces have always taken over in Germany. Absolute advantage. And..."

As soon as he finished speaking, he was interrupted by one of his assistants, a Bulgarian Bolshevik named Tanev.

"Comrade Dimitrov, look out the window quickly. There is fire in the direction of the Capitol. The Capitol seems to be on fire?"

"The Capitol Building is on fire?" Natalie Lesinskaya turned around and looked in the direction of the Capitol Building to the east. Sure enough, there were flames shooting into the sky. "How is it possible? How could a place like that burn down?"

Dimitrov shook his head, "Maybe it's a conspiracy!"

"Comrade Dimitrov, should we move?" Natalie Lesinskaya asked.

"No, there's no need... We don't need to hide, but Thälmann and the others had better hide!"

...

When the Reichstag burned, Ernst Thälmann, leader of the German Bolshevik Party, was in the home of Hermann Mueller, leader of the German Social Democratic Party, discussing cooperation with the other party.

The contradiction between the German Social Democratic Party and the Bolshevik Party has a long history, so these two parties that hold high the banner of socialism are basically political enemies and rarely take concerted actions - even if they do, they are not cooperation, but they just happen to have the same views on certain issues. For example, they opposed the "General Cabinet" to expand the army without authorization.

However, after the establishment of the Nazi Party-Fatherland People's Party coalition government, the concerted action relationship between the Social Democratic Party and the Bolshevik Party disappeared again.

"Ernst, they are saving Germany and have achieved some success. If we take radical means of struggle now, then Germany is finished."

Hermann Mueller himself has been prime minister and has rich experience in governing. He knows that the Nazi Party's economic line can succeed. They also knew what consequences would result from destroying the reputation of the mark again - such consequences would definitely be beyond the control of the Social Democratic Party, and in the end, only a completely planned economy similar to the Soviet Union could save Germany.

In this way, the only party in power would be the Bolshevik Party!

"Mr. Mueller," Ernst Thälmann said loudly, looking a little anxious, "their approach may temporarily save the German economy, but that is creating a bigger disaster... The demand created by printing money is not real demand! It is a new world war! The current economic surplus is caused by the defects of the capitalist system and is the inevitable result of surplus value exploitation! The only way out is to implement a Soviet-style socialist system!"

"That's a solution!" Hermann Mueller glared at Thälmann, "We all know that the Soviet Union has no surplus!"

This was almost a satire on the Soviet Union - the Soviet Union was now experiencing a second revolution. Although the Soviet government tried its best to block news in this regard, the German upper class was still very clear about what was happening in the Soviet Union. After all, trade between the Soviet Union and Germany was too frequent, and tens of thousands of German engineers and technicians were now stationed in the Soviet Union.

"The Soviet Union is just too hasty," said Thälmann. "There is no need for us in Germany to do that, because we have long been the world's second largest industrial country. For 70 million Germans, the industry is enough... The problem now is how to distribute products fairly, rather than using printed money to direct production to the military industry. Mr. Mueller, you know that the Nazi-Junker Group wants to fight a world war, right?"

"No, I don't think so." Hermann Mueller said, "The lessons of the last world war are profound enough. At least in our generation, there will be no world war in Europe again. However, Germany cannot be bullied, and the Ruhr crisis cannot and should not happen again."

Mueller was in the cabinet during the Ruhr crisis and knew what it felt like to be bullied by the French and Belgians. In fact, the Social Democratic Party's government was driven out by the atrocities of France and Belgium.

"So Germany must have the ability to defend itself. I am actually fully in favor of expanding the army to 800,000 or 1 million." He gritted his teeth and said, "Without this army, Germany will have no dignity!"

Thalmann knew that he had no way to convince the Social Democrats. He sighed and was about to leave when he suddenly saw a faint fire in the sky outside the window.

"Mr. Mueller, it seems that there is a fire somewhere?"

Thalmann and Mueller walked to the balcony together. The fire was in the northwest of the apartment where Mueller lived.

"There... it is in the direction of the Reichstag and the Presidential Palace!"

"What?" Thaelmann said to himself, "That kind of place actually caught fire. It's really careless!"

"Accidentally?" Hermann Mueller glanced at Thaelmann and shook his head slightly, "Ernst, things may not be that simple... I think you should leave quickly and find a place to hide."

"Hide?" Thaelmann was stunned, "Why? Why should I hide? I am a member of Congress!"