Chapter 177: Iberian Chessboard
"What if the Spanish Communist Party does not encounter problems?"
José finally voiced his doubt.
Jörg leaned back slightly, his hands folded at his waist. His tone was calm, but it carried a certainty that left little room for argument.
"It will encounter problems. That is not a process, Mr. José. It is the result."
José frowned.
Jörg continued, "If it does not, then consider this a wager. I will provide you with enough weapons to arm a battalion. A coup delayed by one year will not change much."
He paused, his gaze settling on José with quiet pressure.
"But if it does happen, then I hope you will remember who stood behind you at the beginning."
Jörg's voice lowered.
"Germany grants you power. You give Germany trust. Only then can cooperation become beneficial for both sides."
José looked at the hand Jörg seemed to offer in principle, if not yet in gesture.
He understood his situation very clearly. He had never possessed many choices to begin with. Spain was sinking deeper into chaos, the monarchists were scattered, the army was hesitant, and his own position was little more than a polished cage.
After a moment, he nodded and extended his left hand.
"A pleasure to cooperate, Mr. von Roman."
Jörg nodded, but did not shake his hand yet.
"I have one more condition, Mr. José."
José's expression became attentive.
"The Spanish Forward Party must clearly distance itself from extremism. Italy, that hotbed of extremism, is an object of German vigilance."
José hesitated only briefly before nodding.
He had indeed considered seeking help from the Italian government, but with Germany willing to step in, Italy naturally became the second choice.
"No problem, Mr. von Roman."
One week later, José returned to Madrid.
In a private meeting, he explained to the officials and officers involved in the original coup plan the political speech draft prepared for him by the Internal and External Intelligence Department.
Almost everyone approved his decision.
The coup plan originally scheduled for August was cancelled.
With a large sum of Marks as funding, the Spanish Forward Party was quickly established.
Heydrich, who had received a special presidential order to prioritize Spanish affairs, began mobilizing more than half of the Internal and External Intelligence Department's resources to support the Spanish Forward Party and infiltrate Spain.
By March 1932, the Spanish Forward Party had already established its own private armed force.
Nearly all its instructors and officers were German.
Because of Jörg's relationship with the German imperial family, the royalists were completely integrated into the Spanish Forward Party. The scattered monarchist factions that had once quarrelled over lineage, influence, and political restoration now found themselves gathered under one banner by German funding and José's military reputation.
With money, the party bought newspapers.
With newspapers, it bought public opinion.
With public opinion, it courted the right wing.
With José's own influence in Spain, it quickly became the third largest party after the Spanish Communist Party and the Conservative Party.
Of course, even if the Spanish Forward Party and the Conservative Party combined their votes, they still could not compare to the great beast that was the Spanish Communist Party.
At that point, winning parliament through a general election still seemed almost impossible.
But politics was never a straight road.
Soon, the Spanish Communist Party handed its enemies the first blade.
An emergency bill was passed in parliament.
The bill authorized the government to arbitrarily suspend civil rights guaranteed by the constitution.
Since parliament was dominated by the Spanish Communist Party, the bill passed smoothly, but its consequences arrived just as swiftly. The government's reputation plummeted.
By August, two more bills followed.
The Catalan autonomy bill.
The agricultural reform bill.
The situation in Spain suddenly became grim.
The Catalan autonomy bill deeply disheartened conservatives and monarchists. In their eyes, the Spanish Communist Party government was not preserving democracy at all. It was trading away national land and unity in the name of compromise.
The agricultural reform bill was even worse.
It caused the government to lose the trust of the farmers.
The promises previously made by the government to protect farmers' rights, raise wages, improve working conditions, and distribute land were cancelled after only a few months.
In their place came a new requirement.
Farmers were to pay land rent to the state.
Even this revised policy failed to be properly implemented.
The agricultural situation collapsed back to what it had been before the democratic government took power. Those who had once supported reform felt deceived. Those who had opposed reform felt vindicated. Those who had expected land received taxes instead.
The chaos spreading through Spain also meant that Germany was no longer the only nation interfering in the Iberian Peninsula.
Italy and Soviet Russia also held considerable interest in that ancient country.
Rome.
Primo de Rivera, founder of the Spanish extreme right wing, had travelled from Madrid and was now seated in the reception room outside Benito's office.
He looked around with anticipation.
Everything here seemed to carry the arrogance of a regime that believed it had found the secret to the modern age. The polished floors, the severe portraits, the black uniformed guards outside the corridor, the heavy Mediterranean sunlight falling through the windows, all of it seemed to declare that discipline and violence could be forged into power.
After a while, the office door opened.
A secretary stepped out and said softly, "Mr. Rivera, the party leader will see you now."
Rivera nodded and walked into the office.
The bright Mediterranean sunlight fell directly upon Benito's bald head, making it gleam faintly. Beside him stood a middle aged man who was observing Rivera with great interest.
Seeing the Spanish guest arrive, Benito introduced the man beside him.
"Rivera, this is Vilard Silio, a former member of the German Workers' Party."
Benito's expression darkened slightly.
"You should know what happened in Germany. That young scoundrel and his Progress Party crushed the foundation that the Workers' Party spent more than ten years building."
He sneered.
"Do not be fooled by their current strength. In a few years, they will fall into the abyss."
Receiving Benito's signal, Vilard Silio stood and introduced himself.
"Mr. Rivera, I will accompany you to Spain. I will help you build the Spanish Workers' Party and lead Spain toward a better, newer path."
Rivera expressed his gratitude, then turned back to Benito.
"Mr. Benito, we also wish to establish an organization similar to the Blackshirts to guard against potential future risks."
Benito nodded generously.
"No problem."
He turned to Silio.
"Silio, select several officers to accompany Rivera back to Spain."
Then he looked at Rivera again.
"Rest assured, Mr. Rivera. We are always generous to our partners. In addition, Italy will provide you with a batch of weapons."
His lips curled into a confident smile.
"Security is the first element of any political party. I understand this better than most."
Rivera nodded.
Benito continued, "By the way, Mr. Rivera, how did your contact with the army personnel I previously reminded you about proceed?"
Rivera shook his head.
"It was not smooth, Mr. Benito. Many officers are not interested in our proposals. Those who showed even slight interest have already been won over by the Spanish Forward Party."
A trace of displeasure flashed through Benito's eyes.
Rivera quickly added, "However, please rest assured. We plan to win over a right wing officer named Franco soon."
He leaned forward slightly.
"If he joins the Workers' Party, we will gain the support of a large portion of the army."
Similar conversations were also taking place in Moscow.
The Kremlin.
After briefly dealing with the agricultural question left behind by Bukharin inside the party, Stalin leaned against his desk and smoked his pipe.
Germany's consecutive annexation of Austria and Czechoslovakia had deeply aroused his vigilance.
Soviet Russia was not Germany.
It did not possess a strong industrial base inherited from the old imperial era. It could not rely on an established industrial machine, mature chemical enterprises, precision manufacturing, and a skilled technical class built over generations.
The world would not wait.
Time would not wait.
If Soviet Russia could not build a sufficiently powerful industrial nation during the economic crisis, then it would lose its deterrent power at the world's negotiating table.
Worse, it would lose deterrence on territorial questions.
For a revolutionary state surrounded by suspicious powers, weakness was not merely weakness.
It was an invitation.
A secretary stepped forward and reported carefully.
"Comrade Stalin, as instructed, we have removed Comrade Bukharin from his party positions. For now, he retains only his membership in the Supreme Council of National Economy."
The secretary hesitated for a brief moment.
"The Cheka is asking whether you wish to exile Bukharin, as Trotsky was exiled before, or go one step further."
Stalin remained silent.
Smoke drifted from his pipe, blurring his expression.
After a moment, he shook his head.
"For now, no action is necessary."
His voice was low.
"Monitor him, but do not interfere."
The secretary nodded, then continued his report.
"There is one more matter, Comrade Stalin. Ken Larivich, an elder of the pro Soviet socialist faction in Spain, wishes to meet with you."
He glanced at the telegram in his hand.
"In addition, Ukraine has once again reported problems regarding land and grain."
At the mention of land and grain, impatience appeared clearly on Stalin's face.
This situation had occurred many times over the past few years.
In his eyes, it was entirely nationalism at work.
A convenient excuse for not wanting to hand over grain.
He tapped the ashes from his pipe.
"Call Ken Larivich over."
Then his tone became cold.
"As for the telegram from Ukraine, send it back to them."
The secretary straightened.
Stalin's eyes hardened.
"Tell them that this is a critical moment for industrial construction. I do not want to see problems, especially not grain problems."
His voice grew even colder.
"If the workers go hungry, then the officials responsible for grain will be shot."
.....
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