Chapter 009 Wartime System

The war has inevitably become prolonged, and we must be mentally prepared. The reserves of the Russians are still quite sufficient, and they may not be defeated in just one or two years. Once the Americans get involved, the British will also resist to the end. The military on the Eastern Front is also continuing to build up strength, preparing to deliver a fatal blow to the Russians next year. To avoid fighting on two fronts, and based on the principle of tackling the easier challenges first, I have decided to shift the strategic focus to the Southern Front, while the Eastern Front will enter a relatively moderate offensive defense. We must effectively utilize this year of adjustment to comprehensively enhance the strength of the Empire. Our military production, material procurement, and personnel mobilization must undergo significant changes. Therefore, I order that from September 1, 1942, the Empire will fully transition to a wartime system, and all laws and policies that contradict this system will be rendered invalid. The consumer industry must gradually transform into a military production industry, and major military enterprises must shift from the current single-shift system to a three-shift system, ensuring an increase in production efficiency and output, thereby laying a reliable material foundation for achieving comprehensive victory.

"Oh, my goodness!" Kater sarcastically remarked, "Comrade Goering's air force is already overstaffed; if we add women into the mix, it will surely be overcrowded. I am not worried about women serving; I fear that it will set a precedent, and even the normally serving men will be unable to complete their tasks."

You should all be aware of the current military situation and strategic adjustments. Hoffman had a stern expression and appeared particularly serious

Sperr shrugged dismissively: "As far as I know, over 500,000 people have died in the prisoner of war camps due to malnutrition and harsh treatment. Some have been taken by the Eastern Front troops, ostensibly to serve as volunteers in auxiliary roles, but in reality, they are used as slave labor. Even more concerning, some prisoners of war have seized the opportunity presented by troop movements and the intensity of the conflict to escape control and return to the embrace of Stalin."

Goering's eyes were about to pop out: "Führer, do you want women to enlist? We are not Russians; our army has not yet become so pathetic as to rely on women to fight."

My suggestion is as follows: we should transfer all consumer industries to the occupied territories while relocating their military industries to the homeland of the Empire. This way, even if they tamper with the products, it will not pose a threat to our weapons, and at the same time, it will weaken their national defense capabilities, preventing them from producing weapons for resistance organizations. I believe that Russian prisoners of war should be settled in East Prussia and the Governor-General's territory of Poland, where they can primarily engage in agricultural and mining production—especially agriculture. We should implement an incentive policy whereby the settled prisoners, as long as they can meet the production quotas for the Empire's government, can freely dispose of the surplus. Stalin is known for his penchant for plundering all surplus resources from collective farms, right? We can also draw on this model to let them experience what true national socialism is. Thanks to the food products they provide, the Empire's residents who were originally engaged in agricultural production can then devote themselves to large-scale industrial production.

This clearly states the position that Göring, the leader of the Air Force, is involved in numerous scandals and is being sarcastically countered by Göring's earlier remark that only the Air Force is loyal to the leader. Just as Göring seems ready to explode, Hoffman intervenes and says: "Do not be anxious; I will not let the Air Force personnel be idle. The Air Force has other tasks. The supervision and escort of these prisoner camps will be entirely the responsibility of the Air Force. If the Air Force field divisions cannot defeat the Russians, they should at least be able to manage the prisoners properly, right?"

"Fool, who allowed them to take up arms at the front line?" Looking at the thick-headed Göring, Hoffman was filled with anger, "Just like in the Air Force, can’t female operators and telegraphers be allowed? Can’t female radar operators and anti-aircraft searchlight operators be allowed?"

The Yordle appeared embarrassed, with a rather unpleasant expression on their face

Therefore, Hoffman slowly walked up behind Speer and patted him on the shoulder, "Your task is quite heavy. The wartime system and the post-reform production system need to be reorganized. I require that the production of major military equipment such as tanks, artillery, and aircraft must double within a short period. Basic industrial products such as steel, aluminum ingots, and synthetic oil must also see significant increases. After the complete integration in 1943, we must strive to double the output again on top of this year's doubling. Of course, you need not worry; since I have assigned you this task, I will also grant you the corresponding authority— all imperial economic work and armament production, whether for the Air Force, Army, or Navy, will be unified under your command and coordination. Anyone who dares to disobey orders will be regarded as a traitor undermining the wartime system, and let Comrade Himmler take care of the punishment."

This is not acceptable. Hoffman became furious and said to several leaders of the National Defense Army, "Russian prisoners of war are also an important resource and should be placed on the same level of importance as other captured materials; they must not be wasted lightly." After a pause, he added, "Relying solely on prisoners of war may not necessarily meet production demands. I believe that educated women of suitable age from the Empire should also serve in the military to increase the proportion of female employees in factories, social organizations, and government institutions..."

Sperr watched enviously as Göring seized the opportunity to exploit the captured prisoners, looking eagerly at Hoffman, hoping he would allocate some workers for forced labor. To his surprise, Hoffman proposed an entirely new solution: the captured enemy soldiers could not simply be assigned to labor; they must first be screened, particularly to identify the Bolsheviks. Soldiers and officers must be detained separately to prevent officers from using their authority to incite and organize. Hoffman reiterated that officers and Bolsheviks should all be subjected to forced labor, while ordinary soldiers should not be directly assigned to military production—this would inevitably lead to work slowdowns, strikes, and sabotage, which would severely compromise the quality of munitions. Similarly, the military industry in the currently occupied territories of the Empire could not be entrusted to other nations; it must be controlled within their own hands.

Göring's eyes turned as he thought that if, as the Führer said, the captives were put to work, it would inevitably attract competition from major enterprises. This was a highly profitable matter, and his steel and metal companies were in need of labor. Therefore, he readily agreed.

After making these adjustments in a seamless and forceful manner, Hoffman finally felt much more at ease. His level of "role-playing" had improved significantly, to the point where the old comrades of the National Socialist Party could no longer detect any abnormalities in him, and he was still able to command with great authority.

This is entirely a matter of reassigning authority to Speer, effectively handing over the entire economic and production power of the Empire to him. At this moment, Speer felt a rush of blood surging through him, his face reddening as if he had just secretly consumed a bottle of fine French wine. Standing upright, he declared loudly: "Rest assured, my Führer, I will not disappoint your high expectations." Goebbels, Himmler, and others were visibly moved, their faces revealing expressions of envy and jealousy. Martin Bormann looked at Speer with eager eyes—last night, the Führer had made it clear that, apart from the existing headquarters, no new command centers that waste manpower and resources would be established. This left Comrade Bormann, who had been responsible for the Führer's construction projects, feeling quite disheartened for a long time.

This is yet another shocking decision. Although the attendees have not yet reacted, Hoffman is well aware that historically, it was not until after the failure of the "Kursk Fortress" campaign that the Third Reich mobilized completely. Subsequently, military production peaked in 1944, by which time the strategic bombings by the United States and Britain had already devastated Germany. Currently, Germany is still immersed in the illusion of "not interfering with the normal lives of citizens," and is woefully unprepared for the protraction and brutality of war. The military industry is still leisurely operating on a single shift, and the economic management system is in disarray, merely obscured by the continuous victories on the front lines.

As Ketter and Zeitzler, the two Chief of Staffs, were about to protest again, Hoffman directly countered: "Aren't you complaining about the insufficient frontline troops? I have assigned the handling of the prisoner camp to the Air Force, allowing you to focus solely on battlefield prisoners, which can free up tens of thousands of field troops for the front lines. Moreover, once the Air Force escorts the prisoners back to the country, it will not consume the army's food and supplies, which is beneficial for you. From now on, all prisoners on the Eastern Front will be handled in this manner."

Labor force?" Hoffman glanced at General Jodl, the Director of the Operations Staff of the Supreme Command, and asked, "In the past year, have we not captured nearly 3 million Russian soldiers on the Eastern Front? All of them can participate in labor.

Others could only join in clapping their hands, while Goering murmured discontentedly towards Goebbels, calling him a "sycophant," which the latter naturally ignored.

Hoffmann stood up excitedly and said: "Gentlemen, we need not fear their sabotage at that time; their passive resistance and reduced output will benefit them not at all, and will only be detrimental to their own interests. If these segregated and controlled prisoners perform well enough, we can offer them conditions superior to those of Stalin's collective farms, and in the future, we can allow them to bring their family members over, allocate Polish land to them, and ensure their unwavering service to the Empire. In short, the Empire's production capacity, especially in heavy industry and armaments, must be significantly enhanced. We must integrate the resources and production capabilities of all of Europe to confront the Anglo-American-Soviet trio—this principle was clearly articulated by General Ludendorff in "Total War." If any of you are still unclear, I suggest you take the time to read it carefully; it will be beneficial for you."

Minister of Armaments Speer understood Hoffmann's meaning, and his eyes suddenly lit up as he interjected: "Führer, in this case, we might fear a shortage of labor."

"Clap, clap, clap!" Goebbels was the first to applaud, "The Führer spoke excellently, not only elucidating the necessity and importance of the Empire's total mobilization and the complete transition to a wartime system, but also providing direction for future economic work and agricultural production. No matter how high-minded the evaluation, it is not excessive."