He had had a confidential discussion with his lawyer, an old friend from university. What he learnt wasn’t very re-assuring. However, if his involvement with Magda could be kept quiet, he might even expect to get joint custody of the child.
It was only now, on this holiday, that he had finally come to a decision. Magda and he had never really discussed marrying, he realised with some surprise. So this night, over a surprisingly mediocre Italian meal, and even more mediocre wine, he quietly broke the news to Magda that he was going to ask Fiona for a divorce as soon as he returned home. Her reaction stunned him.
“Why do you need a divorce James? Are you not happy with the way things are?”
James stared at her. “But then you and I can get married,” he blurted out.
Magda, elbows resting on the table, fingers entwined, leaned forward and rested her chin on her hands. She looked straight at James and asked quietly. “And what if I don’t want to get married? This is something we have never talked about. Aren’t you being just a little bit presumptuous in thinking that this is what I want?” She raised her eyebrows and had the faintest of smiles.
James was off balance. This is an unexpected twist! He was at a loss for words. When he recovered, all he could say was, “I always thought that is what you would want.”
Magda could see James was disconcerted and she tried to lighten the moment. With a beautiful smile she said, “I am quite happy as I am, Mister Blackthorn.” She grasped one of his hands and held it to her cheek. “Why change things and risk causing upsets in your life?”
James was floundering. Twice he opened his mouth to say something. Each time he stayed quiet. Finally he managed a weak response, “I suppose I did take it for granted that you would like to be married. I should have discussed it with you.”
“Yes, darling. Now let us leave the subject alone. Let us see how we feel next year. I would hate anything to spoil what we have.” She got up from the table, stood behind him and gave him a hug. The kiss she planted on his neck sent shivers down his spine.
He cheered up a little. “I agree. Tomorrow is another day.” He stood up abruptly, a smile now back on his face. “Come on, let’s find a gondola for a last tour through the canals.”
Nevertheless, James was troubled by Magda’s attitude. It was something he just could not understand. His mind returned to the subject continually in the following months.
INDIA - OCTOBER
Independence had not engendered much goodwill in India. A localised but vicious border war had started between Pakistan and India over the princely state of Kashmir.
The ‘princely states’ were historical anachronisms. They were nominally sovereign entities in India, each with an indigenous traditional ruler. They had never legally been British territories, only allied to the British Crown. Accordingly they could not actually be included in the partition of India.
With the passing of the India Independence Act, the suzerainty of the British crown over the princely states was abruptly terminated. They were now independent states. They were also defenceless against the immeasurably larger states of India, Pakistan and Bangladesh.
At the time of Indian independence there were five hundred and sixty five, mostly very small, princely states. It was obvious to any impartial observer that their continued independence was doomed. The politicians of the three newly independent large states would already have their covetous eyes on them.
In the case of Kashmir, this large state sandwiched between India and Pakistan, had an eighty percent Muslim population, but its ruler, the Maharaja, was a Hindu. Acting in the traditional style of a despot, he ignored the wishes of his majority Muslim subjects, and acceded Kashmir to India.
The Indian politicians also had few concerns for the people of Kashmir. They coveted the territory and were prepared to go to war for it.
BERLIN - NOVEMBER
Von Altendorf told a bemused Council audience that he had received a request for military assistance from the newly independent state of Bangladesh. Like Libya at the time of their own independence, they were turning away from the previous colonial power and wanted Germany to re-equip and train their army and air force. They would also look to Germany for ships for their navy, but wanted to retain British officers to train their sailors. They had told von Altendorf that they had taken note of what had happened in China in 1941 and Libya in 1944. They were impressed with Germany’s achievements.
As usual in these cases, they could only afford a small initial deposit for their arms purchases, with the balance by way of deliveries of agricultural and other commodities. He passed a copy of the requirements to all present. The list included automatic rifles, machine guns, mortars, mobile artillery, tanks, aircraft and ships.
This was good business for Germany. They already had a similar, though much smaller, arrangement with Libya following that country’s independence from Italy. The population of Libya was only one million. Bangladesh’s population was twenty times greater.
The Governing Council approved the request subject to Bangladesh meeting the usual criteria, i.e. ability to pay, relatively stable regime and economy, no communist influence within the country, and no discernible targets of attack by the Bengalis.
Von Brauchitsch added one more condition, discreet approval by the British Government. Bangladesh was, after all, in their sphere of influence.
Albert Speer gave yet another upbeat report of the buoyant state of German industry. Shipbuilding continued to break new records, as did the aircraft, motor and mining industry. The countrywide transport infrastructure upgrade approved four years earlier, was now almost complete and was already paying dividends in the form of speedier movement of goods and people. Unemployment stood at only three percent of the working population. Everything was good.
He added that this figure of three percent unemployed was a genuine one, unlike the low unemployment figures boasted of by the pre-war Nazi government. Those had been artificially low because of mass conscription, combined with career opportunities for women being curtailed.
Hjalmar Schacht had officially retired the previous week. He had introduced his successor, the deputy Minister of Economics, Ludwig Erhard, to the Council earlier in the year, to allow him time to get to understand the individuals involved and the way they worked.
Erhard was forty eight years old, with a Ph.D. in economics from the University of Frankfurt. He had covertly supported the German resistance during the Nazi period and had first come to Schacht’s attention ten years earlier. When the new Economics Ministry was formed after the demise of Hitler, Erhard had been offered a senior position by Schacht. His talents had eventually led to promotion to deputy minister the previous year, and to Economics Minister last week. Schacht was satisfied that he was leaving Germany’s economic and financial affairs in safe hands.
Erhard now gave his first report to the Council as Minister. He had learned from old Schacht not to pad reports with waffle and keep things simple. He let the Council know that Germany’s balance of trade continued to remain in surplus, the country’s monetary reserves were still increasing, and he had already started work on the budget for the following year. No words wasted.
He was commended by the rest of the Council and warmly welcomed in his new capacity as Minister.
The Aviation Minister advised that work on the Komet was proceeding splendidly, and Rolls Royce had confirmed the same with regards to their jet engines, which they had named the Avon.
Focke-Wulf were also now producing limited numbers of a military, long range, maritime reconnaissance version, of the Starflight. Apart from a small number for their own Luftwaffe, it was expected to sell these to several members of the European Alliance. France, Holland, Italy and Spain had expressed an interest. Outside the Alliance, China was also interested in the aircraft.
General Beck confirmed that despite the extreme vigilance of his intelligence services, no signs could be found of any increased pace in Soviet re-armament. If anything i
t had become more leisurely in recent months. His operatives inside the Soviet Union also reported no obvious anti-German or anti-Alliance propaganda, and there even seemed to be a slight thawing in the coolness normally displayed by Soviet officials when meeting with their European counterparts.
“I hope they are not trying to lull us into a false sense of security,” he added.
The only other main contribution was from von Brauchitsch who confirmed that Professor von Braun was making good progress with an accurate guidance system for the A4 rocket. He had also started work on a bigger rocket with a longer range and designed to carry a much bigger payload. This one could reach Leningrad. Imagine a weapon that could take out the Russian city, one thousand kilometres away! Or an enemy aircraft carrier hundreds of kilometres out to sea!
The Kriegsmarine would be testing the launching of an A4 rocket from underwater early in the new year. And by mid-1946 they would submit their final plans for the new generation of submarines.
Progress was also being made on the stand-off bombs that the Luftwaffe considered to be so important.
Finally, a decision would be taken on a new aircraft carrier or carriers next year. This had been long delayed while Germany’s and the Alliance’s strategies had been constantly updated in a changing world. During this time work had not stopped on the designs for the next carrier. If and when it was built, it would be the biggest, fastest and most heavily armed carrier in the world.
There was no doubt in anyone’s mind that Germany had the most powerful military forces on the planet.
And maybe soon ‘off the planet’ if von Braun has his way, von Brauchitsch thought with a wry smile as he gathered his papers and exited the Council Chamber.
Only a few more scheduled Council meetings and there was the Christmas recess. He looked forward to it.
BERLIN - DECEMBER
General Sieckenius was back in Germany with two hundred of his advisers. That particular contract with the Chinese armed forces had come to an end and Sieckenius had been replaced with another Wermacht Colonel. The number of military advisers to China was reduced to two hundred.
The training operation had been successful and the huge Chinese Army was now considered to be much improved, if not yet quite ready to be classified as first class. There was still much work to be done with the world’s largest army.
After a well-earned four weeks leave, the General was given a new job within the Defence Ministry. He was appointed as Director – Foreign liaison. This entailed liaising with friendly client states such as China, Libya and Bangladesh, to assist them to reach military proficiency. And buy German equipment, of course!
After his five years in China, he undoubtedly had the necessary experience and knowledge for the job. He had retained the majority of the men who had been with him in China. These would form the foundation of his ‘advisors for secondment’ team.
His first task was to look at Serbia’s recent request for assistance with the modernisation of their armed forces. Thereafter he must work out a detailed plan for the same thing, but much bigger, for Bangladesh.
He also had some interesting ideas of his own that he wanted to explore in the near future.
He looked forward to his new job with relish.
CHAPTER SIX - REAPING THE REWARDS
1946 & 1947
BERN - JANUARY 1946
The German and Swiss Economics Ministers had finished dealing with the mundane matters that had brought them together on this icy cold day in January.
‘Now for it’, Erhard thought. ‘We will see if three years working on this project has been wasted time’.
Three years previously, his superior, Hjalmar Schacht, after cautioning him to secrecy, had assigned him the task of tracking down the proceeds of the sale by the Nazis, of the pre-war gold stocks of Germany, Austria, Czechoslovakia and Danzig. It was something Erhard had to carry out secretly in his own time. Later his remit had been expanded to include numbered Swiss bank accounts and safe deposit boxes held in the names of known Nazis and possibly also connected with the gold sales or illegal activities.
It had taken him three years of painstaking accounting detective work to unravel the whole complicated structure and movements. Switzerland’s banks featured prominently. Erhard now had a well-constructed and detailed dossier to hand over to his counterpart.
“Herr Muller, there is one more thing I would like to discuss with you.”
The dour Swiss Minister looked at him, waiting for him to continue.
“I have here a dossier which has been compiled over the past three years. I did most of the work myself so I am completely satisfied as to its veracity. At this stage only myself and my previous superior, Hjalmar Schacht, who originally gave me this task, are aware of its existence.” He now had Muller’s interest.
“It concerns the movement of gold reserves and other assets during the years of the Nazi regime.” He noted the shutters descend within the Swiss Minister’s eyes.
“We are not primarily concerned about excessive profits that may have been made by the Swiss banks involved. They were unusual times and circumstances. We have, however, found a mass of evidence that many German officials fraudulently enriched themselves from such transactions. We believe that Swiss banks have accounts for these people, as well as safety deposit boxes containing illicitly gained valuables. To put it simply - we want them!” No need to beat about the bush, as the British say.
He sensed the cool reception to his disclosures. The Swiss Minister hesitated only briefly.
“As you know, Herr Erhard, Swiss banking laws are very strict and they are rigidly enforced. We take our banking duties very seriously indeed. Obviously I cannot comment on your findings until I have read the report. May I suggest that we leave it at that for the moment. I give you my word the matter will be looked into without delay.”
Erhard had expected no more. He handed Muller a copy of the dossier, thanked him, and allowed the Swiss Minister to escort him outside and into his secretary’s care.
Later that day on the Lufthansa Starflight back to Berlin, he started to review the contingency plans he had in case of procrastination or outright refusal of assistance by the Swiss Authorities. He had left this until he had met with Muller face to face.
The response from the Swiss Minister came quicker that Erhard had expected. Four days after their meeting, Muller had telephoned him personally to advise that he had read the report in its entirety, but unfortunately Swiss banking law prohibited them from giving any assistance in this matter.
Again, Erhard had expected this or other stonewalling. He thanked Muller and told him he would be in touch sometime in the future as he would have to take the matter further.
He telephoned Hjalmar Schacht for an appointment to see him.
BERLIN
The members of the Governing Council were curious. They had received a special request from the Economics Minister that his predecessor be invited to the next Council meeting. While it was unusual, it was also agreed to with great pleasure. All there greatly respected the old man.
The meeting opened with von Brauchitsch warmly welcoming their old colleague. It was a genuine pleasure to see him at the table again. It had been only two months since he had retired, but his calm and reassuring presence was missed. Schacht was obviously pleased with his reception by his ex-comrades.
They got down to business.
To avoid unnecessarily detaining the ex Economics Minister, it was decided that Erhard would open proceedings that day.
The Minister firstly informed them of the secret directive he had been given three years earlier by Herr Schacht. He handed a condensed version of his findings to each member. The main dossier was so full of all the relevant facts and figures, that it would have been difficult and long reading for everyone.
“As you can see from the dossier, during the years 1937 to 1940, there were over two hundred million dollars of gold bullion sales by Germany to Swiss banks. There is firm
evidence that many Nazi officials had their fingers in the pie. They privately received ‘commissions’ on these transactions totalling at least ten million dollars”. Most of this was spirited away into Swiss bank accounts.”
This caused some muttering among the Council members.
“Furthermore, following the anti-Jewish laws of the mid to late 1930s, many Nazi official took advantage of the Jewish community for their own selfish purposes. Confiscated Jewish property - everything from antiques and artworks, to property and businesses - were on-sold at enormous personal profit to a large clique of Nazi officials or others. Again most of the proceeds were hidden in Swiss banks. In many cases, some of these officials chose to hide away plundered objects d’art in their safe depositories at the same Swiss banks.
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