Chapter 195: A Grim Reminder of the Cost of War

Chapter 195: A Grim Reminder of the Cost of War



Bruno came out a fortnight after his father's retirement on a public radio broadcast, speaking about his father's achievements, both on the battlefield and within the field of politics, throughout his lifelong career of service to the German Reich and the Kingdom of Prussia.

The radio broadcast went on for some time, and it was only thanks to the substantial investment in both German infrastructure, as well as scientific talent, that such things were able to occur across the country so early in the 20th century.

But eventually, the subject came to the recent retirement of Bruno's father, as well as the award he had been granted personally by the Kaiser for his decades of service to the German Reich.

However, there was a third question mixed in, one which Bruno suspected was arranged by the Kaiser for Bruno to advocate for Ludwig to fulfill the role, a man who had yet to be even considered a candidate for the newly vacant position.

Bruno was quiet at first as he took a drink from a glass of water that was provided to him by an aide for the sake of the interview. It was clear to those listening that he was thinking through his exact words.n/ô/vel/b//jn dot c//om

And evidently, he had put some thought into them as he went on a long-winded speech about his thoughts on the subject that conveyed some deeply personal opinions and excessive emotions toward one particular subject that nobody expected.

"First of all, I would like to say that it is the foremost honor that a son could ever ask for in this life to be the progeny of a war hero like my father. For those who are not aware, my father is a man who spent the better half of his life serving the interests of the House of Hohenzollern and, by extension, the German people through selfless sacrifice via military service.

My father is a highly decorated senior officer and a veteran who fought on the front lines of three wars that had been waged over the course of the previous century for the purpose of unifying our people into the great Empire that we are today.

And I would also like to mention that this honor extends to my grandfather as well, who had the esteemed fortune of fighting alongside His Highness King Frederick William III and his Royal Army at Waterloo, where we earned our nobility by sending that French bastard Napoleon into exile where he belongs.

Now, I mention this because it is entirely relevant to the point I am about to make. So please bear with me as I continue with my thoughts. After his retirement from the German Army, my father went on to have an exceptional career as a politician, both in the Reichstag and the Bundesrat.

such a man.

As expressed earlier, I am afraid that this arbitrary qualification that I have to endorse any candidate seeking such a powerful position over the life and death of our people cannot be found among any of the candidates who have been proposed to replace my father, both within the Bundesrat as a representative of the Kingdom of Prussia, but also on the committee of the Land Army and Fortresses.

I confess that I pray to God every day that such a grim reality never befalls this world. But should the day come where I am called to war, along with your fathers, your brothers, and your sons, then we better have a man like my brother Ludwig making the decision whether or not our blood, our lives, and our souls are worth the price of such a war.

And with my life in the hands of a man like Ludwig, then I can go do God's work, knowing that the right choice has been made, and without question do what is required of me.

For if my brother is not even considered among the candidates, and instead a man like those already presented has been chosen to succeed my father, then how could he possibly know whether or not a war waged beyond our borders is worth the price that will inevitably be paid for his mistakes?"

There was a long pause following Bruno's statement, which he had prepared in advance for this meeting. But the way in which he spoke made it sound as if he had come up with it on the spot. It was very naturally stated, and because of this, even the producers who were already prepared in advance with the speech were awestruck.

It would take a moment or two before the radio broadcast got back in full swing, but Bruno's words had far greater effect than he would ever have thought, especially among the Reich's active-duty soldiers and many veterans, as well as their families.

Bruno made it clear, though he may be a general, that did not mean he had ever once disregarded the lives of the soldiers beneath his command. In fact, by the way he spoke about the subject, the price that was paid for any war that he had ever, or would ever, wage was

already far too great.

The blood of the men who followed him into battle was worth far more than could ever be justified to spill for the sake of a few petty disputes between politicians who were all too unwilling to sacrifice themselves and their sons for the conflicts they had started. Bruno's image, especially among those who had personally witnessed the horrors of war, immediately skyrocketed, and so too did Ludwig, as Bruno's praise immediately secured the goodwill of the people necessary to see him appointed to the Bundesrat as their father's

successor.