“That is encouraging,” Schloss commented. “Refresh my memory; what does the Askania works do?”

  Zuse looked confused. “Herr Ribbentrop told me that you own significant stock in that company. I must not have heard him correctly. I am probably not supposed to know this, but they make guidance computers for some of our secret weapons.”

  Careful, Hennie, Schloss thought, you’ve been in this world for three years, and there are still things that can trip you up.

  He waved a hand. “I suppose that has slipped my mind. But it looks like this invention is showing promise.”

  “Oh, yes. I sat in on one of the meetings between the Siemens scientists and the people on my team that did the research. Siemens thinks this will revolutionize the radio and electronics industries. I think this will be even bigger than the market for my computational machines. And as the costs come down, the parts will find their way into new applications.”

  “Did you not say that you would be able to use this development in your machines?”

  “I had thought to use electron tubes in the Z4, and you instructed me to make that a separate development. That project is moving slowly.”

  Schloss glanced around the room as he thought. “The Z4 works satisfactorily with the telephone relays, does it not?”

  “Yes, it does, Herr Reich Chancellor. If the solid tubes work out as well as the Siemens people think, a calculating machine would be orders of magnitude faster. I had some ideas about combining that with the card tabulating machines that we purchased from IBM.”

  It looks like he is already on the right track. “It sounds to me like you have a lot of good ideas, Herr Zuse. I am very pleased with your work.”

  Zuse had done very well on a shoestring budget. He had an operating electro-mechanical computer and was seriously thinking about ways to advance the technology. After the scientist left, Schloss walked over to his secretary’s desk.

  “Willem, please send a note to Joachim Ribbentrop. I would like to give a bonus to Herr Zuse and would like his suggestions as to the amount.”

  “At once, Herr Reich Chancellor. Your next appointment is here.”

  He glanced over to see Peter Schreiber sitting in a chair in Willem’s office.

  “Peter, let me step down the hall for a minute, and then we can get started.”

  “I suppose if I got in your way, the results would not be pretty.”

  Schloss shook his fist at his brother-in-law as he stepped into the hallway on his way to the toilet. A few minutes later, he was back in his office with Peter sitting across from him. Willem had replenished the coffee supply, and Schloss sighed in bliss as he took his first sip of the fresh cup.

  “What do we have today, Peter?”

  “My people are agitating to move back to Berlin. The facilities there are much better than we have here. I know you are not in favor of this, but I wanted to run it by you again.”

  “Are you talking about the Foreign Ministry or the propaganda group?”

  “The propaganda group. All the embassies have set up temporary quarters here in Frankfurt. Moving the Foreign Ministry back to Berlin at this time would be pointless.”

  “Are they getting the work done?”

  “The propaganda group? Yes, I would say so. That’s a very productive group of people.”

  “I don’t know, Peter. You are saying that the main reason is so they can be more comfortable?”

  Schreiber had a rueful grin. “When you put it that way, the answer is pretty clear, isn’t it?”

  “We’ve talked about this. I know sooner or later we will have to move back to Berlin. It’s more of a question of when we feel like we can afford to lose two or three weeks' worth of work to get it done. And I’m not convinced we will necessarily stop the Russians from coming across the Oder River again if they make up their minds they need to do so.”

  Schreiber took another sip of coffee and then rubbed his lips. “When do you think we can move the government back to Berlin?”

  Schloss’s executive chair was on casters as well as a vertical shaft. It would rock forward and backward, and he now turned it back and forth behind the desk as he thought. He really liked the chair.

  “Why don’t you put that on the agenda for the next Council meeting, Peter? In my thinking, we ought to stay here until the war is over with.”

  “I knew that’s what you were thinking, Hennie. But from a propaganda standpoint, I wonder if we are sending the right message by doing that.”

  “That’s why we need to talk this over. I may be getting tunnel vision concerning the war. We don’t want to miss an opportunity to advance Germany’s interests and the rest of the world.”

  Schreiber nodded. “I’ll put it on the agenda, then. The next item: I’ve been talking to Khrushchev and Smirnov to get some idea of their plans for Ukraine.”

  “Might we be getting ahead of ourselves there?”

  “Not at all,” Peter responded. “I want to have a plan in place so that at the right time, they will declare the Ukrainian state, and we will immediately recognize them.”

  “Okay, I can see the value of that. It will likely be a while before anybody else is willing to drop an ambassador or a chargé d’affaires into Kiev.”

  “I wonder, with a little bit of effort, if we could convince the English and the Italians to recognize them at the same time we do.”

  Schloss rocked back and forth in his chair as he considered what Schreiber had said. “This really is a nice chair, Peter.”

  “I believe you have mentioned that to me a time or two before.”

  “I’m not trying to evade your question. I think your line of thinking has merit, and I suspect the Queen is angry enough at the Russians to sign on to something like this immediately. Has anybody talked to Ciano lately?”

  “Our ambassador in Rome talks to him regularly. They are exceedingly thankful that we did not drag them into our war with Russia.”

  “Is he aware that we think the Italian Army would have been more trouble than it was worth to bring them into the war?”

  Schreiber chuckled. “Oh yes, he is very much aware of that. I understand he is doing something about it.”

  “Doing something about the quality of his army?” Schloss asked.

  “Yes. He has forcibly retired most of the senior officers, and he has also rented some people from the English to start reorganizing and retraining them.”

  “That is interesting. I’m glad you told me. Please keep an eye on that to see if that will ultimately affect our relationship with the Italians.”

  “I will do so. That occurred to me as well.”

  “What else do we have today?”

  “I am planning a trip to London sometime in the next couple of months. I will be meeting with Lord Halifax, of course. I also plan to spend some time with Colin Marty.”

  “That’s the Queen’s private secretary, right?”

  Schreiber nodded. “Yes. He is having a tough time dealing with the death of his wife. I thought maybe I could encourage him.”

  “That is a kind thing to do, Peter,” Schloss said. “I’m not discounting the personal aspects of the trip, but I think it’s a good idea. I should probably send a personal note with you to give to the Queen, thanking her for the matériel they have kindly loaned us.”

  Schreiber grinned. “I have the draft already prepared, and I will send it over for you to look at.”

  Schloss glared at Schreiber. “You enjoy doing things like this, don’t you?”

  “I have no idea what you are talking about.”

  “Right. If there’s nothing else, I suppose you should get back to your office before I throw something at you.”

  “Perish the thought.”

  CHAPTER NINETEEN

  May 2, 1944; 10 AM

  Breslau, Polish Territory

  Ferdinand Schörner and Erwin Rommel stood in the central square and gazed at the ruins of the Silesian town of Breslau. The war had passed over the city several times in the preceding five years, and there was little left but rubble.

  “It seems you have achieved our immediate objective, Herr General,” Rommel said.

  Schörner nodded. “This operation was far less difficult than I anticipated. Since the ground is firming up, I propose we stand down for a few days to take care of maintenance issues and then push on to Poznan.”

  Rommel continued gazing at the city and then turned to the other general. “What do you expect to achieve by taking Poznan?”

  “Why we will cut off the Russian forces on the Oder River as well as block the resupply. That should be obvious.”

  “And you plan to do this with four divisions?”

  “I plan to request four more divisions from the reserve, Herr General. I know things are very lean right now, but we do not want to pass up this opportunity.”

  “It is not just resupply coming from the east,” Rommel stated. “Stalin has a new army commander that is going to be working hard to earn his stars.”

  “Exactly. It is a perfect opportunity to teach the Russians a lesson.”

  “And we need to remember our lessons, Herr General. I believe you could probably get to Poznan without difficulty. But the Russians will likely have forces five or six times stronger than yours, and they would have the luxury of directly taking you out at Poznan or cutting your line of retreat.”

  “But you were able to cut off the Russians and force their surrender in Berlin,” Schörner persisted.

  “I was able to do that because the Russians made several serious mistakes. They pushed into Berlin with inadequate supplies, and we were able to hold reinforcements at the river. Here on the Polish plains, you don’t have any natural features to fortify. The Russians would cut you up in detail. I am not comfortable even with you sitting here in Breslau. If the Russians shoved a few divisions up from Kattowitz, you would be in real trouble.”

  “I cannot believe what I am hearing,” Schörner shouted. “We have an opportunity to go on the offensive and shorten the war.”

  “And you remember what happened to us when we got a little too overconfident at Lodz. Walter Model lost a hundred thousand men, and that was after he did everything right.”

  “Obviously, Herr General,” Schörner exclaimed, rolling the title back in Rommel’s face, “Walter Model did not do everything right if he suffered a loss like that. I am surprised the Reich Chancellor didn’t sack him after that.”

  Rommel turned to face Schörner, and eventually, his glare burned through Schörner’s iciness. “Be careful, Herr General. Be very careful. The decision to open the salient was a consensus decision made by the OKW, the governing Council, and the Reich Chancellor himself.”

  “I am not suggesting it was a bad decision, but only that it was poorly executed.”

  “Furthermore,” Rommel said, warming to the subject, “if the Russians wipe you out here or at Poznan, there would be nothing to stop them from pushing through to Prague and then moving north into Germany. We recently won a significant victory, but we still have to handle our sword carefully.”

  “Fa! I don’t understand why you are suddenly so timid, Erwin.”

  “I want the Russians to break their teeth at the Oder River. We can hold them and bleed them at minimal cost to our forces. Mobile warfare here in Silesia is not feasible when you have forces to your left and right that are larger than yours. It’s suicidal.”

  “Mobile war is what the Wehrmacht does best, Herr General. We can tie the Russian up in knots.”

  “Very well then, Herr General. Let me make this as clear and unmistakable as possible. Your orders are to remain in Breslau until the Reich Chancellor or the high command tells you otherwise. You have the liberty to retreat should circumstances require it, but you will not move forward. Is that clear enough?”

  Schörner pulled himself to attention. “Jawohl, Herr General!”

  “Fine. Before I return to Berlin, I need to look at your logistic situation.”

  “Of course, Herr General.”

  § § §

  May 3, 1944; 10 AM

  Reich Chancellor’s Office

  Nazi Party Headquarters

  Frankfurt, Germany

  “You are looking tired, Joachim,” Schloss said when the other man sat down across from him.

  “I am tired, Herr Reich Chancellor. I don’t know how you do it.”

  “My minders insist that I get the necessary rest. They seem to feel the world would not survive without me.”

  Ribbentrop laughed. “I don’t know about the rest of the world, but I don’t think Germany could survive without you.”

  If I agree with him, does that mean I am guilty of hubris? Schloss thought. Hitler and his minions were so thorough in their takeover of the country it is hard to find people willing to take leadership.

  “I heard an object lesson one time that when you begin to feel self-important, take a bucket and fill it with water. You place your hand in the water. When you pull it out, the hole that remains is the measure of how much you will be missed.”

  “I somehow think you are more important than that,” Ribbentrop chuckled.

  The commerce minister looked up as Willem offered him the cup of coffee on a saucer. “Thank you, Willem.”

  Schloss swung around and poured a fresh cup from the decanter on his credenza. He spun back around to face Ribbentrop. “Do you like my new chair?”

  Ribbentrop laughed again. “I have heard about your chair. Do you realize that you will contribute to our balance of payments deficit when everybody starts ordering those things from the Americans?”

  “I stand corrected. From here on out, my lips are sealed about the chair.”

  The conversation stopped briefly on each sipped from their cups. Schloss’s love of coffee was well known, so there was no problem procuring truly excellent coffee for his office.

  “What do you have for me today, Joachim?”

  “Just our usual problems with the economy, Herr Reich Chancellor. We are pouring a lot of money into the armaments industries, and consumer goods are getting a bit scarce. So inflation is creeping up again.”

  “And after what happened to us in the 20s,” Schloss commented, “everyone is going to be very sensitive to that. And rightfully so, I might add.”

  “Correct. We are soaking up a lot of peoples’ extra cash with the war taxes, but we are just about at the limits of what we can do there without a backlash from the people.”

  “You are a better theoretician than I am. Is there a threshold on the tax that once we go above, it starts becoming counterproductive?”

  “I don’t think there is a hard and fast rule,” the commerce minister replied. “Everyone knows the war situation, so there is not a lot of interest in rocking the boat. But at some level, people start to wonder why they are even bothering to work. We would see morale and productivity slide, and we would wonder why.”

  Schloss picked up his pencil and turned to the point on his notepad as he thought. “Are we getting any traction on our war bonds?”

  “Oh yes, they are doing well. The problem with war bonds is that they show up as debt on the government balance sheet. Twenty-five years from now, when they come to term, somebody will have a problem.”

  “I am perfectly willing to defer that particular problem,” Schloss grinned. “Are we getting much in the way of foreign sales on the bonds?”

  “No, it is primarily a domestic product. We sell a few in England and Italy, and even in Judaea. But that’s about it.”

  “Should we consider marketing them more heavily outside of Germany?”

  “We could, but our primary goal with the bonds was to soak up excess income in the Reich.”

  “I’m glad we have you doing this,” Schloss said. “These wheels within wheels make my head spin.”

  “As you know, one of the problems we faced is that we had almost completely transitioned back to a peacetime economy when the war with Russia started. Shifting many of the plants back to armaments did not go as smoothly as we would have liked. Fortunately, it’s a buyers’ market out there for armaments right now. “

  Ribbentrop continued. “The Americans are focused on cleaning up their industrial accident. Rather than demobilizing, they shifted their army around to be the main resource for cleanup. But they have a lot of surplus weaponry for sale. The English are in a similar position but need the foreign exchange worse than the Americans.”

  “However tragic the circumstances may be,” Schloss added, “the Queen’s grudge against Stalin has been immensely valuable to us. Without the 250 kilogram bombs they supplied us, I don’t think we would have held the Russians.”

  “I am not in a position to argue that point,” Ribbentrop said. “The support of the English has been invaluable.”

  “It sounds like you are managing things about as well as can be expected,” Schloss said. “Other challenges?”

  “There is the general labor shortage. Everybody is screaming for workers, and this will put more pressure on inflation than anything due to rising wages.”

  “And they are competing with the Army for some of the prime employees.”

  Ribbentrop nodded. “Exactly. If we are going to continue to expand our workforce, there are several things we will have to consider.”

  “Okay,” Schloss prodded. “Judging from the way you approach this, it’s something you don’t want to talk about with me.”

  “I wouldn’t say that. It is just that we face some difficult choices. We could implement a guest worker program and bring in people from Eastern Europe or the Middle East to work in the factories.”

  “And then you need to review, for the record, the problems with that,” Schloss directed.

  “There are the language and cultural barriers. With large numbers of guest workers, there are real challenges in controlling them when they are not at work. Further, once they are here, they will want to bring their families and stay permanently. Do we want to do that?”