Chapter 147: GeneralOberst

Chapter 147: GeneralOberst

For the first time since Bruno had been promoted to a general position. He had not been invited to the Kaiser's palace to receive his latest promotion. Rather, he was standing within the Headquarters of the German Army's Central Division, saluting the German Kaiser with a stern expression on his face.

The Kaiser returned Bruno's salute. He seemed rather proud as he did so. And why wouldn't he be? Bruno was now only two ranks away from becoming a full fledge Field Marshal. And he was not even thirty yet.

Although, give him a year and he would be. Even so, to become a GeneralOberst at the age of 29, it was an achievement nobody had ever succeeded in obtaining prior to now. At least not in the German Army.

Then again, the rank of GeneralOberst was less than 100 years old at this point, having been made by King Friedrich Wilhelm IV of Prussia in 1854 for his son, the Prince Regent who would eventually go on to become the first Kaiser of the German Reich, Wilhelm I.

At the time, members of the Royal Family could not hold the rank of Field Marshal, which was a rank that was only meant for the purpose of wartime. Hence why GeneralOberst was created as a reward for Wilhelm I who was then the Crown Prince of Prussia.

Of course, in 1908, the Kaiser was one of many Field Marshals in the German Army, and it was a rank that could be held by any member of the Hohenzollern dynasty, as well as those who had earned it through merit whether in a time of peace or war.

By extension, the rank of GeneralOberst, or in English "Colonel General" was also held during both peace and war. As a result, the Kaiser handed Bruno a new tunic, one that had the shoulder and collar tabs of a proper Colonel General already ironed onto them.

Bruno slowly replaced the jacket, where a servant came over and stripped Bruno's medals from his old waffenrock, and instead held his jacket firmly for the Kaiser to pin them on his chest in proper fashion.

After Bruno was properly adorned in his new uniform, he saluted the Kaiser, who returned his salute, before making a remark about Bruno's most recent promotion and his future in the German Army.

"At this rate you will be a Generalfeldmarschall by the time you are 35. An achievement unparalleled in the history of the German nation. You should be proud of your accomplishments. There are many who have tried to prevent your success, but you have continued to prove them wrong. Until now, they can no longer deny your merit.

I look forward to your progress in the years to come GeneralOberst, do not let me down now! Oh, and by the way, you and your family should come to visit when you are able. I have many questions I wish to ask you in particular. But now is neither the time nor the place to do so."

Quite frankly, Bruno was also certain that he would achieve the highest rank possible in the German Army by the time he was thirty-five. After all, that would also be the year that the Great War broke out if everything went according to the previous timeline.

"If not for that little stunt at his daughter's second birthday, I doubt he would have been watching us so carefully all these years..."

Heid couldn't help but blush at the mention of what happened over a decade ago when both she and Bruno were still young. It was a night she would never forget in this life. And one that had quite thoroughly cemented her love and loyalty towards her husband.

Sure she had always known that the two of them would be married one day. But she was just old enough at the time of that fateful evening to truly understand what love was and why she was so lucky to have Bruno. The gallantry which he displayed in her defense was truly the stuff

of fairy tales.

And in doing so, he had caught the eyes of very powerful people, such as the Kaiser who personally saw to it that Bruno was admitted to the Royal Prussian Main Cadet Institute, and later the Prussian War College, both of which had kick-started his military career, and allowed him to excel to such great lengths at such a young age.

In fact, Heidi was quite grateful for the graciousness which the Kaiser had shown her husband, and by extension their family. Even if it was ultimately the Tsar who elevated them to the status of Princely House, albeit only in Russia. The Kaiser had done far more for the two of them, and in many ways, more than Bruno realized.

Heidi's connections were deep. She was all too aware of the struggles the Kaiser had fought, with the Chancellor, with the Bundesrat, with his officers, all to help advance Bruno's career. Wilhlem had seen something in Bruno, and at such a young age that was hard to convince

others of.

He had seen the man who would win him this world. A hyperbolic statement, but not an inaccurate one. Bruno's potential was unrivaled, even if the Kaiser didn't understand the reason for this fact. He understood it, nonetheless.

Even so, Heidi did not tell Bruno the extents which the Kaiser had fought behind the scenes on

his behalf. It was not her place to do so. When the time came, the man would reveal this secret himself, and to deprive him of the satisfaction of this revelation was from Heidi's perspective

an act of deep disrespect.

Hence why she simply congratulated Bruno on his latest promotion, while thoroughly earned from his own merit, was no doubt aided by the Kaiser's personal favor. And she did this by preparing the man's favorite meal for him and their children.Nôv(el)B\\jnn