Chapter 002: The Candidate for Chief of General Staff

When the weary and dust-covered Cäzler appeared before him, Hoffman immediately instructed the Führer's personal attendant, Heinz Linger, to notify the restaurant to serve the meal

Before him lay only two plates of food, one containing candied fruit made from milk, oatmeal, apple puree, walnuts, lemon, and a few other ingredients; the other was a vegetable salad, consisting of a scant few pieces of cabbage and lettuce, along with peas and lentils, with not a trace of meat in sight. In contrast, the others were presented with an abundance of delicacies such as caviar from the Black Sea, salmon from Norway, and ham or bacon from Bavaria

I know him; he has consistently demonstrated outstanding performance while serving as the chief of staff in the D Group Army. Hoffman nodded, indicating that Göring, Martin Bormann, Schimont, and others had likely reached a consensus. It seemed that Zeitzler's appointment was almost inevitable. After he struggled to swallow a piece of candied fruit, he asked, "Who are the other recommended candidates?"

Hoffman stood up and extended his hand for a handshake, saying, "It seems you have been resting well these past few months; your face appears to have filled out a bit."

Upon hearing the Führer's final decision, Schimont visibly breathed a sigh of relief. Although Zeitzler was quite capable and had recently achieved military success at Dieppe, he was still too young and lacked experience, having only recently been promoted to the rank of Major General (equivalent to Brigadier in the British and American armies). Schimont's recommendation for Zeitzler to serve as Chief of Staff was tainted by personal motives—because Zeitzler was his close friend. The reason Göring agreed to this recommendation was simply that Zeitzler's lack of seniority made him easier to control

"As you wish, Führer." Schimont, who had just begun to cut into a steak, clumsily set down his knife and fork and immediately rushed to the secure room to report. Hoffman glanced at his steak, swallowed hard, and could only retract his reluctant gaze—he could unhesitatingly replace the Chief of Staff, but at the dining table, he could only make the most minor adjustments.

After careful consideration, I believe that General Zeitzler is more than capable of fulfilling this role

This position is also unsuitable for Guderian; I have other tasks that require his completion, and allowing him to take leave at home would be a waste. The Chief of Staff is indeed Zeitzler.

Through an afternoon of interaction, Hoffman discovered that Heinz Linger exhibited an unwavering attitude towards him, showing no signs of doubt whatsoever. Even when some habits did not align with the Führer's usual practices, the other party automatically regarded them as normal changes following the Führer's bout of dizziness, which greatly reassured Hoffman—he was becoming increasingly confident in this game of crossing over.

In his eyes, this is a real-life version of "Hearts of Iron," but the cost of failure is quite high—either the corpses in the bunker of the Imperial Chancellery or the gallows at the Nuremberg Trials. He is determined to lead Germany down a different path with his professional knowledge and historical foresight

Hoffman beckoned him to sit down and said, "Go ahead, how many times have you cursed me in your heart over the past few months?"

General Cazelles commanded his troops to thwart the British and Canadian offensive at Dieppe 4 days ago. According to the accounts of the captives, there were as many as 6,000 participants in the attack, but 60% of them were eliminated, providing them with a sufficiently memorable lesson. I believe he is an optimistic soldier who is willing to contribute everything and could become an excellent Chief of Staff

Hoffmann was somewhat surprised; he knew that historically, Halder had held the position of Chief of the General Staff of the Army until September 24, 1942, when he was replaced by Kurt Zeitzler. Could it be that the Führer had been contemplating a change a month prior?

"Shiment, do you have any good suggestions regarding personnel appointments and dismissals?"

Hoffman could only feel his Adam's apple surging; he desperately suppressed his saliva, wanting to shout, "Bring me a portion of their lunch as well." However, considering that the current situation was still unclear, he forcibly stifled this most basic desire

Manstein has other assignments! As for Guderian... Hoffmann pondered for a moment, he needed to consider how to utilize this person

Martin Bormann and Schimont exchanged a glance, uncertain of Hoffmann's intentions, and could only respond honestly: "There are also recommendations for Marshal Manstein and General Guderian..."

As the sky gradually darkened, Mrs. Ronger entered to report that General Guderian, aboard the special aircraft, had arrived and was waiting for an audience. Hoffman pushed aside the documents on the desk and said, "Let him in."

Guderian shrugged, the Führer's opening remark was not very humorous

Seeing his awkward expression, Hoffman laughed: "It seems you have been scolded quite a few times, it's hard to count all at once. However, today is not the time for reckoning. Regarding your issue, I misheard others' slanders and became overly agitated, for this I must apologize to you"

Hoffmann was very satisfied with Guderian's performance. Guderian and Halder are different; the former, after being ordered into the reserves, complained a lot about the Führer but remained loyal. The latter has always been one of the masterminds behind the Wehrmacht's attempts to overthrow the Führer and was also involved in the 720 incident. Regardless of any grievances, from the Führer's perspective, it is difficult for him to understand and accept such betrayal

A preliminary adjustment plan has taken shape in his mind. After casually dealing with a vegetable salad, he said: "Immediately send a telegram to Zeitzler and Guderian, hoping they can arrive here for dinner tonight. I want to dine with them. By the way, please adjust the evening meal for me; bring me some jam and white bread, and it would be even better if you could add a fried egg!"

Guderian's image is almost identical to that in Hoffmann's memory. Although he has transitioned to the reserves, he still wears a crisp military uniform, adorned with the Oak Leaves Knight's Iron Cross on his chest, reminding people of his significant contributions to the Third Reich during the campaigns in France and Poland. He respectfully saluted, his face showing a hint of confusion.

Martin Bormann also interjected: "Although others have different recommendations, both Comrade Göring and I believe that General Zeitzler is a suitable candidate"

"Führer, I..." Guderian suddenly stood up in excitement. The moment he was expelled from the army a few months ago was a great humiliation for him. However, now that the Führer has personally apologized, all his dissatisfaction and resentment seemed to vanish in an instant. "I should not have said so many offensive things back then."

Although there had been mental preparation for the Führer's vegetarianism, Hoffman still gasped inwardly when the meal was served

Guderian stood at attention and said: "My esteemed Führer, I shall be infinitely loyal to you, and I will devote all my strength to the sacred cause of the Empire, even at the cost of my life."

Although Guderian surpassed Zeitzler in both fame and military achievements, he had a fatal weakness—his excessively cold and aloof demeanor made it difficult for him to get along with most army group commanders on the Eastern Front, which was undoubtedly detrimental to his role as Chief of Staff

Baumann appeared to be a bit dazed; while he was discussing Zeitzler, how did Guderian also get involved? Before he could make sense of it, Hoffman instructed: "Please send the latest telegrams, battle reports, and letters to the office shortly; I need to be updated on the latest developments at the front."

Hoffman has now adopted a calm mindset, determined not to complain about the peculiarities of his journey or the awkwardness of his current position, but solely focused on performing well in this role

Upon hearing these words, Guderian's face flushed slightly, and he felt a bit awkward. The unpleasantness of being kicked out of the army by the Führer in a fit of rage was still fresh in his memory, and there were naturally many complaints, both overt and covert. However, now the Führer was engaging him in friendly conversation with a pleasant demeanor. As a pure and proud soldier, he found it somewhat against his will to speak insincerely, and he could not bring himself to utter flattering words. He did not know how to respond to this.

"Let the past be the past; it is now time for us to look forward again." Hoffman had to admit that the Führer's eloquence and charisma surpassed his own by tenfold. He stood up, habitually waving his hand, and in a serious and calm tone, he asked, "Mr. Guderian, are you still willing to be as loyal to me as you have been in the past? Are you willing to continue to dedicate all your wisdom and strength to the Empire?"

After the failure of the Battle of Moscow in December 1941, Guderian had significant conflicts with the Führer. With the unintentional encouragement of others, Guderian was ordered to retire from active service and transfer to the reserve.