"I have to admit that I can't find a reason to win this war. I can't even convince myself, so why should I lie now?"
With a sigh, Rommel finally spoke out the true thoughts he had been holding in his heart. No matter how reluctant he was to face his personal emotions, he could not avoid this cruel fact.
But at the moment when he admitted the truth, Rommel, who suddenly realized something, raised his head with wide eyes, looked directly at Rundstedt with an almost unbelievable look, and followed closely behind him. The words he blurted out were even more trembling.
"Could it be...could it be that you want to use local counterattacks to win over?"
Rommel did not finish his words, he could not believe that his guess was true.
If this was Rundstedt's true purpose, then it would be too shocking. If this news got out, it would cause an unprecedented earthquake in Berlin.
"Since there is no hope of winning, the ultimate goal of the war has also changed, Rommel."
"We should no longer formulate tactical plans with the goal of winning this war, but should put them into action with the goal of how to obtain the greatest benefits for the motherland at the negotiating table."
"The square negotiation table also uses the competition on the battlefield as capital. We must have the confidence to stand up and speak in front of the Allies. This will at least not allow our motherland to return to the Being dismembered into pieces when we failed is the only most meaningful thing we can do at the moment."
"...."
Rommel was silent. Even though he had guessed that this was what Rundstedt really thought, he was still surprised that Rundstedt had considered it so far.
You can't say that Rundstedt is timid in battle. In fact, these veterans of the Wehrmacht, who have experienced the last war, are more eager to take revenge on those former enemies than anyone else. The strong desire for revenge is stronger than anyone else. , this is an unforgettable pain that the younger generation of soldiers cannot understand.
Rommel, who also experienced World War I, could understand this, and he also had such a strong desire in his heart.
But the desire for revenge alone cannot win the battle. The real situation that forms are stronger than people forces Rommel, who can also recognize the reality, to admit all this, to admit Rundstedt's analysis, and to admit that everything he said is correct. of.
"Even if I agree with your point of view, how are you going to remonstrate with Berlin and the Führer? The Führer will not agree with cowardice. Any peace talks and non-victory endings will be regarded as cowardice. You know this. .This may get you into trouble, and you may even be forced to leave the army. Shouldn’t you stop thinking about it?”
Old Longshuai told the truth, and so did young Longshuai.
The distance between the two marshals, one old and one young, has actually narrowed invisibly. At least now, they are Wehrmacht soldiers with the same military rank, and they are no longer quarreling enemies arguing over their respective tactical arrangements.
Rundstedt knew that Rommel was sincerely thinking about him and said a few words from his heart, but now that the matter was at this point, some things were already out of his control.
"I will try my best. If I leave the army, at least you will hear my thoughts, understand my analysis of the future, and know better what to do to maximize the interests of Germany."
"Besides negotiating peace with the Allies and ceding necessary benefits, we have no choice now."
"I always believe that as long as we cede enough interests, the Allies are willing to work with us to prevent the Bolsheviks from marching into Europe. This is our last chance. What is lost at the negotiation table can be regained from the battlefield with the Bolsheviks.
Yes. The longer this negotiation drags on, the more disadvantageous it will be to us. By the time we have lost all our money to sit at the negotiating table, we will have completely failed."
Afterwards, Rommel could not quite remember what Rundstedt's face looked like when he left his office. But he still remembered the vicissitudes of his back, which looked like he was about to die.
The same as the German Third Reich.
Stationed in the town, waiting around like an ant on a hot pot, Enschel couldn't figure out why a simple reply order had not been issued until now. What on earth were those people above doing?
Even if it is an attack, at least there is a clear order. The current situation of no news even makes people suspicious. Is it possible that even the headquarters was blown up by Allied bombers?
Finally, he couldn't stand Enschel walking around the room any longer. Wittmann, who was also anxious but at least able to hold himself back, simply spoke to Enschel.
"Can you please stop turning around? My eyes are almost blinded by your turning around. You can't wait for the order telegram to come out if you turn around like this. This has no acceleration effect."
Wittmann's tone was more or less complaining. In the current situation where Allied battleships and aircraft carriers could take people away from the city and send them to the sky at any time, he still stayed here motionless like a bastard and did nothing.
Damn it, no one else would have said it well.
This is simply like knowing that someone is going to kill you but still standing still, neither fighting hard nor running away, waiting to die.
"Should we send someone to contact you? You haven't received any reply so far. Don't you think this is too abnormal?"
The anxious Enschel was already so impatient that Wittmann, who could only sigh, chose to speak again.
"Is it useful? Even if we send someone to get in touch, do you think it will still be meaningful to us when the news comes back?"
"...."
Wittmann spoke the truth, and Enschel suddenly felt that his method was outrageous and not good. He was like a deflated rubber ball and was about to collapse on the chair, but he never thought that at this moment
Suddenly there are new variables.
"New telegram! Marshal Rommel has called us back!"
The moment he heard this, he jumped up from his chair like a fully charged Pikachu. Taking three steps and two steps, Enshel walked as fast as flying and walked directly to the visitor without saying a word.
With one stroke, he snatched the telegram from his hand.
"Okay! This is what I've been waiting for! This is it, Wittmann!"
"Wait a minute, what's on the telegram? You want me to read it too."
That is to say, during the time when Wittmann eagerly received the telegram and went to see it in person, Enschel, who had already thought about what to do, had already issued the order.
"Gather the troops, Wittmann! Get out of this damn place before dark. We will withdraw tonight to join the friendly forces on the outside. If we stay in this town any longer, we will simply sit and wait for death."
After reading the brief telegram, Wittmann had learned of the retreat order from Rommel, but there was still a big problem ahead of him in actually implementing the order.
"What should we do with those Yankee prisoners? There are thousands of them. It is slow and easy to be exposed and targeted when holding so many prisoners. Do you have any good ideas?"