The Third Empire of Struggle * Chapter 7 The World Lost a Little Violinist

  Lidé knew that Heydrich was a blond beast, but this man had achieved great success in the reform of Czechoslovakia and had a genius for clandestine work. Lidé considered using him to replace Koch in Ukraine. However, this hope soon fell through.

  News of Heydrich's successful use of appeasement measures caused consternation in the Czech exile government in London under Edvard Bene?. Only if resistance was actively pursued in the Protectorate could the exile government with good conscience ask its allies for money and food, defend Czech interests, and maintain its own position.

  However, the German-occupied zone was calm and peaceful, with workers and peasants obedient to the German occupation authorities, which put the democratic Czech emigrants in a difficult position, and their efforts to liberate their homeland were paralyzed.

  It was decided that Heydrich should be assassinated. Only the death of the acting Reich-Protector would cause a wave of terror among Germans, otherwise the French-style Czech resistance movement had no aim and could not flourish. Shortly afterwards, the Czechoslovak government-in-exile in Britain, with British Special Operations Executive agents, organised the assassination of Heydrich to provoke a crazy revenge from the German occupation authorities.

  The multi-talented and ruthless Heydrich died at the age of 38. For a year, he had been touring Czechoslovakia in an open-top car, convinced that the workers and peasants here would not assassinate someone who brought them stable jobs and benefits. The Czechs at home did not bother him, but those abroad were another matter.

  The British and Czech exile governments' goal was only half-achieved, as they encountered Lidice: he saw through the assassins' trickery, recalling the Soviet " Scorched earth" order. He was furious: all politicians were of one mind, for their so-called ideals, to achieve their goals by any means, practicing Napoleon's theory that "in politics there are no morals, only means".

  When Germany was in an uproar, Li De calmly observed from the sidelines, seeing through Himmler's revenge wave and exposing their conspiracy. He arranged for Karl Dennerlein, who was only interested in intelligence work, to take over.

  As a result, the carefully planned assassination by the British and Czechoslovak governments in exile resulted in only one outcome: the world lost an excellent violinist, skilled fencer, horseman, pilot, and skier.

  Czechoslovakia remained tied to the Third Reich's war chariot, with ?koda's military factories churning out LT-35 tanks, HK1 half-tracks and other weapons and ammunition.

  After Heydrich's assassination, Himmler gave a brief eulogy at his gravesite: "You were a man of an iron heart. Fate has taken your life just as you were about to reach the peak of power!"

  His wife said that if Reinhard could have entered the Vienna Music Academy, he would certainly be one of the most outstanding and gifted violinists in the world.

  ……?

  "New Year's here, New Year's here, wishing everyone a happy new year. We sing songs, we dance, happily celebrating the arrival of spring." Li De tore off the last page of the calendar and remembered this nursery rhyme he sang at the age of three.

  In Germany, a few days before New Year's Day, every household prepares a fir tree and a horizontal tree, with silk flowers tied between the leaves, symbolizing prosperity and good fortune. Children wear new clothes, hold harmonicas and accordions, and march in the streets playing music. Adults follow behind, shouting and singing, as if they have become young again.

  It is wartime now, British bombers come uninvited from time to time. A few days ago, G?ring brought 17 high artillery battalions from the Western Front to defend the capital, and mobilized those idle old men and women to make many fake anti-aircraft gun positions with wooden and cement poles.

  Li De's approach was much simpler, he let Tevile, who temporarily took charge of the Foreign Minister, contact the British secretly through Switzerland, striving to reach a tacit agreement on a three-day air force ceasefire between the two sides during New Year's Day.

  Goebbels was even more unwilling to be lonely, and specially set up the "Berlin New Year's Safety Prevention Leading Group" to strengthen leadership and ensure that air defense work was well organized; on this basis, propaganda was expanded, and air defense education was vigorously popularized among citizens, holding a grand air defense and fire prevention publicity campaign.

  According to incomplete statistics, in the past few days, 30 banners were hung, 300 display boards were made, 3,000 slogans were posted, and 300,000 propaganda leaflets were distributed. Air defense drills and fire-fighting exercises were also held, with a total of 300 million participants. This has enhanced the awareness of prevention among cadres, workers, and citizens, causing British planes to retreat without a fight, achieving the goal of defeating the enemy without fighting.

  Everyone is working towards a common goal: to have a peaceful New Year.

  On December 29, Li De convened the second and last Politburo meeting of 1941 to decide that members and alternate members of the Politburo would go to various occupied areas to comfort imperial soldiers, enterprise workers and civil administrators fighting on the front lines.

  Goring as the second in command of the empire will rush to the largest occupied territory France, where the famous paintings are going to be a headache.

  Deputy Führer Goebbels will stay in the country, personally attending the New Year's concert of the Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra, enjoying Johann Strauss' evergreen waltz, and immersing himself in the Blue Danube.

  Himmler inspected the General Government in Poland and the Baltic States; Ribbentrop rushed to Denmark and Norway; Keitel took care of the Low Countries; Jodl went to the Balkans, where he could indulge his passion for mountaineering; Speer, being young, followed the habit of "going out, small suffering" and flew to distant Libya Desert, while doing some advance work on the secret mission entrusted by the Fuehrer - searching for Libyan oil.

  "Where am I going? Austria?" Bowman was in a hurry during the meeting because all occupied territories had been divided up.

  "Himmler shouted: 'Nonsense! What kind of occupation zone is Austria supposed to be? At most, it's a return to the German family.'"

  "Don't forget you're still my secretary."

  "Bowman smiled wryly: 'Alright, I'll stick with the Führer then.'"

  The head of state chose the Eastern Front without hesitation, and the location was several small towns on the shores of Lake Ladoga, which had recently been occupied. To keep it a secret, he announced this after boarding the plane, and solemnly declared to Bormann: "From now on, wherever the army occupies, I will go there for inspection, and award medals to the soldiers."

  Two deputy officers laughed and Schmundt said: "Those who participated in the inspection should also be awarded."

  Li De's eyes suddenly widened, and a pure girl in a flight attendant uniform smiled and came over. He asked her who she was in surprise. The other party covered her mouth with one hand and giggled: "The leader doesn't like to pretend, is it that there's only Airedale in his eyes? Hehe."

  "Bowman shouted: "Rudvika, you're on duty? Come sit down, sit next to the leader.""

  Li De remembered that Rudvika was the chief flight attendant of the head of state's special plane and had recently gone to Lufthansa for training.

  He invited her to sit down: "As I said, your pure Aryan smile is really captivating."

  "Ha! I told you, Adelheid has quite the magical power to make the Führer completely forget about me. Hehe."

  Li De was infected by her innocence, liveliness, purity and optimism. They chatted and laughed together, unknowingly passing the four-hour journey. During this time, Rudwika only served him coffee once, and spent the rest of the time chatting with him.

  The special plane circled over the military airport in New Ladoga, searching for the airfield in the winter fog. Li De was like discovering a new continent: "Hey, Bowman, I think there's something wrong with our plane."

  Borman bounced up from his seat and Bowman asked tensely what was wrong.

  Li Deyan: "My seat color is different, re-sprayed?"

  "Good grief!" Bowman turned his head away and then back again, staring at the Fuehrer. Bormann's head, which had been twisted to one side, straightened up once more. Hitler regretted it instantly, feeling like a naughty little boy.

  "Bowman said: "My lord, haven't you noticed that today's special plane is newer than before?"

  He took a look and indeed there was something different about it, still emitting the smell of new leather from the chair.

  Baur said that G?ring and Speer agreed to renovate the original Condor, create a small room for the Führer, install the latest ejection device. In case of any wind or grass movement, as long as both hands pressed the button on the seat, the entire small room would pop into the air, then open the specially made parachute and slowly fall to the ground.

  Li De heard the voice and searched for the button on the chair: "I hope that doesn't happen, otherwise I'll be safe, what about you guys? How embarrassing."

  Schmidt joked: "At that time you can bring a dedicated flight attendant, we have nothing to lose, it's a pity for these beautiful women."

  "Shut your raven's mouth," Bowman rebuked. Schmon and the Fuhrer simultaneously shut up. After a while, the Fuhrer seemed to be muttering to himself: "They've all changed planes, how come I didn't notice?"

  "The leader's attention is now focused on Rudvika." The pilot of the special plane inserted a sentence in his busy schedule, it seems that the airport has been found.

  The plane landed at the military airport south of New Ladoga Lake, and Li De, as usual, straightened his waist and waited for Ai Deteli to put on his coat. However, a cold wind blew into his neck, and his shoulders were still lightly floating until he sneezed. The naval deputy officer then brought the coat from the cabin stairs. He carefully noticed that everyone else wore their coats as soon as they got off the plane, except for the leader who was standing in the wind with thin clothes. So he climbed back onto the plane and retrieved the leader's coat.