Chapter 463
Fishing (3)
# Blood and Steel
Volume 2 of Blood and Steel provides fragmentary explanations about the Weimar Republic and global society.
The devastation of Munich, the capital ravaged by World War I, vividly shows the true face of a defeated nation.
No, it’s even more serious than that. The government itself is split into two factions that fight whenever there’s an opportunity.
The problem is that even though it’s political infighting, it’s happening out in the open. Politics typically takes place behind the scenes, but the Weimar Republic has none of that.
In public squares, speakers demanding revolution raise their voices, while those who oppose them are mercilessly beaten by political thugs.
Those who stand up against these political thugs become entangled with each other, creating nothing short of a cauldron of chaos.
Meanwhile, they still have to pay war reparations, causing prices to rise daily.
[What is communism? And why did the Soviet Union adopt it?]
[The abolition of classes that divide rulers and the ruled, and the liberation of workers. Is this truly possible?]
[No matter how difficult things are, communism is an incomprehensible ideology. Can a state truly exist under it?]
The novel briefly explains communism, which could be considered the Soviet Union’s identity, but naturally, people couldn’t understand it.
That’s because the machine revolution—the Industrial Revolution—hadn’t occurred yet. If you consider where communism originated, it makes sense.
Above all, the abolition of “class” is something people simply cannot comprehend.
Even the Kingdom of Ters, though close to a republic, still maintained royal authority.
[If communism is born through the machine revolution, couldn’t we just prevent the revolution?]
[But even the steam locomotive that appears in The Chronicles of Zenon has tremendous merits.]
[As science develops, it will naturally emerge.]
For this reason, people were wary of communism. However, communism fails when it becomes a “state,” but if it remains just an ideology, it becomes a “revolution.”
In fact, Marx himself stated that he needed to help workers so that he himself could fade into the background of history.
Even Lenin acknowledged this, but Stalin, a historic human butcher, cleverly twisted this into an iron-fisted rule.
In other words, this isn’t meant to create negative perceptions, but rather to serve as a device to explain just how vicious Stalin was.
[A heartbroken hero watching over a doomed country. How will he revitalize his spiritual homeland?]
[The miserable reality of a defeated nation. The people grow more destitute day by day.]
[An incompetent state and revolutionaries eating away at it. Hitler is witnessing all this with his own eyes.]
[We’re reading about it, but the reality must be even more horrific.]
What I’ve painstakingly described is the reality of the Weimar Republic—a society spiraling into the worst possible state.
Hitler observed these scenes in real-time as he made his way to the German Workers’ Party following orders.
However, since people might not understand what “XX Party” means, I made sure to explain it.
Normally, this would be a political system almost impossible to comprehend, but we have the Kingdom of Ters, praised as a nation of culture.
[It seems similar to the commoner parliament structure of the Kingdom of Ters. Except it appears to be divided into several factions…]
[Are there multiple parliaments based on ideology and direction, with the king listening to their opinions?]
Thanks to this, it wasn’t difficult to help people understand the concept of political parties. They simply understood it as the commoner parliament being divided into several branches.
However, I didn’t explain democracy precisely. This too is being saved to show how Hitler seizes power.
Explaining it outright wouldn’t resonate much and might only cause unnecessary confusion.
Above all, democracy itself is the reason Hitler was able to seize power. People might initially view it favorably, but after witnessing Hitler’s atrocities?
‘They would question whether democracy is truly right.’
Oh, of course, as a citizen of South Korea in my previous life, I love democracy.
The Nazi Party is just an extreme example of democracy being abused; the ideology itself is correct.
But that’s a story from my previous life—would people in this world view it favorably? Even the commoner parliament of the Kingdom of Ters would be perplexing.
One of the things that determines “national power” is “military power,” which is handled by “warriors.”
Let’s be honest—would a mage who can drop meteors have the same voting rights as an ordinary commoner? That would be hard to accept.
‘Anyway, let’s move past ideologies.’
Returning to Hitler, the German Workers’ Party at that time was nothing more than a place where the unemployed came to complain.
It had no clear ideology; it was just a party steeped in defeatism, lamenting the declining nation.
For Hitler, who was already deeply devoted to Germany, such attitudes naturally infuriated him, and he began to fully display his talent for “oratory.”
[What a magnificent patriot!]
[His speeches breathe joy into those consumed by defeat.]
[Even while optimistic about reality, he never “gave up.”]
Hitler’s speeches were praised not only in the novel but by critics as well. Everyone hailed him as a patriot.
Afterward, Hitler joined the German Workers’ Party and began to unleash his special talent without reservation.
Using oratory and agitation skills—typically the specialty of communists—he expanded the influence of the German Workers’ Party, which had been nothing more than a minor party.
At first, people merely wondered, “What’s with this guy?” but as time passed, they became completely captivated.
[You can see how much he loves Germany. May he bear fruit.]
[But can he stand against “reality”? The Weimar Republic is already as good as finished.]
[But Hitler will make it possible. Otherwise, God wouldn’t have bestowed such oratory skills on him…]
The problem is that even critics were drawn in. While some raised questions, most directly pointed to reality.
By this point, it’s clear that people have been fully immersed for a long time. Everyone is cheering for Hitler—that says it all.
If this is how it appears from a third-person perspective, it’s unimaginable how captivated people of that time must have been.
[Even without military power, if one has will, they can change a country.]
[Historically, those who overthrew countries were generals with strong military power, and those who revitalized nations were wise sages.]
Some people called Hitler a sage full of will and drive.
[May God’s blessing be upon him.]
[A hero shining alone in darkness filled with despair.]
Some called him a light or a hero. These delusions deepened day by day.
I chuckled seeing these reactions. The deeper the delusion, the stronger the internal damage they’ll suffer.
Even when I occasionally revealed glimpses of his dangerous ideology, people were likely to brush it off.
Of course, the Beastkin who suffered massacres during the racial war would react sensitively.
[What kind of people are the Jews that Germans, including Hitler, dislike them so much?]
[They must have done something wrong to be disliked.]
[Perhaps it’s because Germans live in poverty while Jews live in abundance.]
The dangerous ideology, of course, is his hatred of Jews. Hitler’s deep-rooted antisemitism has been a consistent ideology from the beginning.
But because most Germans disliked Jews and society was permeated with antisemitism, even readers’ perspectives became blurred.
They have reasons to dislike them. If you’re poor and another race is living well, that would make you angry, and so on.
Not knowing that Hitler would become the “devil” the world has ever produced, even readers criticized the Jews.
[Is there really a need to make Jews enemies? Wouldn’t it be better to collaborate with them to revitalize the Weimar Republic?]
Of course, not everyone was without doubts. Some suggested using Jewish abilities rather than persecuting them.
All of these were buried. Everyone was manipulated into believing that Hitler must have had a reason for singling out Jews specifically.
Again, Hitler was the devil incarnate, and the social atmosphere at the time was already serious.
[What can a demagogue who only talks accomplish? It’s time to show action.]
[The only way to overturn an already ruined country is rebellion. But what can rebellion accomplish in a world without power?]
[Hitler is no longer a soldier but a politician belonging to parliament. It will be difficult for him to overturn the country.]
Don’t worry. Soon, Mussolini will stage a coup, and Hitler will be inspired by it to start a riot.
Instead of time passing abruptly, I described Earth’s culture and lifestyle.
[Hitler checking his speech scenes through a camera. The camera shows not a picture but the appearance itself…]
[World Cup? Olympics? What do these mean?]
[A culture too different. But interesting things abound.]
[How did Zenon build such a world?]
The world before and after the Industrial Revolution is starkly divided. Production capacity exploded, population increased, and imperialism and communism were born.
Moreover, these people don’t even have the concept of a “factory.” Only handwork exists.
Modern—no, contemporary—culture would feel like “fantasy” to the people of this world.
Finally…
[Benito Mussolini marches in Rome! The Italian regime…]
[A powerful general overthrowing a country is the same across all worlds.]
[Mussolini. What kind of man is he?]
Benito Mussolini, widely known as Hitler’s role model, has appeared. Instead of appearing directly, he’s described through a newspaper in the novel.
Known as a member of the Axis Powers, Italy was overshadowed by the overwhelming presence of Germany and Japan.
Even though he was the originator of fascism, he was incredibly moderate compared to Hitler.
Even in World War II, Italy performed so poorly compared to other countries that they needed Germany’s help.
‘It might be embarrassing in many ways, but… ’
Being Hitler’s role model alone is enough to establish his presence. Plus, didn’t he overthrow Italy through a coup?
A coup, or rebellion, can be a significant stimulus for people in this world. After all, it’s about royal authority being overturned.
Not only that, but it’s also the source of the “Beer Hall Putsch” or “Munich Putsch” that changed the fate of the world.
[Hitler quietly observing Mussolini’s revolution. Will he also stage a rebellion to overthrow the Weimar Republic?]
[Even though he has sufficient power, he lacks an “army.”]
[It would be good to review the Treaty of Versailles again. The Weimar Republic has no “army.”]
[The story will lead to seizing power through rebellion.]
Unfortunately, Hitler will be imprisoned after the putsch. During that time, he’ll gain public support by speaking out.
That’s when his single testicle is exposed, and he goes on to write the legendary “Mein Kampf.”
Rebellion is generally not viewed favorably in any era, but Hitler’s putsch receives a strong response from Germans.
How well this is portrayed will determine readers’ evaluations. Somehow, it needs to be made favorable.
‘Having rushed through two volumes, I should take my time with the third… ’
Just as I happily turned to the next page of the newspaper…
[Why could Zenon write about such a world? Simple. Because he experienced that world firsthand.]
Someone quite perceptive made a statement that pierced through my essence. I flinched slightly, but I had anticipated this much.
Such speculations arose when I released The Chronicles of Zenon. So I can calmly move past it.
But the problem is his subsequent reasoning.
[And the reason he could describe Hitler’s mind in such detail is because Hitler is Zenon!]
What the hell?
[Hitler reincarnated here and became Zenon!]
Wait a minute.
[The reason he could understand the threat of devil worshippers? The gods reincarnated him here, revealing the truth while placing restrictions on him.]
What nonsense is this?
[But having saved this world, he’s now writing about his own world.]
I’m screwed.
[Blood and Steel is both Hitler’s life and Zenon’s previous life. Looking forward to the upcoming plot.]
I’m really screwed.
[Typically, passionate revolutionaries become gentle sages as they age. Zenon also followed this procedure…]
I’m truly, truly screwed.