Chương 354: 354
354
Pétain did not leave a will.
That had to be the case, because he said he was going to take a nap and then passed away.
Pétain may not have wanted Germans to attend his funeral, but since he was in name and name the head of state of allied France, he did not attend.
There was also a need to use this opportunity to deepen the national sentiment between the two countries.
In that sense, I flew to France with my close associates and attended Pétain's funeral.
As he was a war hero who saved France in World War I and the head of state of France, Pétain's funeral was held in a very grand manner.
Thanks to its cooperation with Germany, France also won the title as a victor - although it may only be a superficial one - and because of its achievements in World War I, as many as 100,000 French people attended the funeral.
However, the pitfall is that there were more soldiers and police officers mobilized to escort the funeral than mourners at the scene.
Still, if we think about what kind of end he met in actual history, we can say that it was a peaceful death for Pétain.
He avoided the ending of going from being a French war hero to being a traitor who insulted France and dying lonely in exile.
"I don't know how history will evaluate him in the future, but what is certain is that he was a patriot who silently served France his entire life. At least I think so. He acted for the interests of France at every moment. I walked the path led by my conscience and beliefs.
The French hero Pétain is no longer in this world. He is dead. But France and history will remember him."
When I read the eulogy for Pétain at the funeral, several mourners, including Pétain's widow, Eugenie Pétain, wiped away tears.
When I saw that, I felt a bit embarrassed. It was said as a courtesy, but I felt like I was being shameless.
Still, he is sincere when he says he is a patriot of France. Resistanceists and historians may think differently, but Pétain himself truly believed that cooperation with Germany was the only way for France to preserve its final sovereignty.
Therefore, he returned to France on his own despite his disciple Franco's dissuasion. After the war turned, he tried to return to France even though he knew he would most likely die. Even after the war ended, he refused to seek asylum in Switzerland until the end and appeared before the court.
Thanks to changes in history, he was never tried as a defendant.
Franco, who was busy boasting and flattering himself, seemed to have been shocked by his teacher's death in many ways, so he had a gloomy expression throughout the funeral.
It was a little surprising to see one of his few true sides.
Pétain was buried in the cemetery of the fallen of the Battle of Verdun.
With Pétain's death, his title as head of state of France was transferred to Prime Minister Laval.
Although he never said anything in particular, Laval pledged his loyalty to me, saying that France's faith in Germany would never change.
"Within five or ten years, France will become Germany's most trusted ally. Just trust me."
"hmm… … "What do you expect?"
I could barely say that it was a burden. If I just stayed still, I would get halfway there, so why bother doing that?
Anyway, I couldn't really say anything about a guy who would listen to me, so I just exchanged some kind words.
However, as if it were no exaggeration to say that he would be loyal to Germany, as soon as the funeral was over, Laval executed all the political prisoners who had been imprisoned for anti-German acts. All of them, regardless of gender or age.
"That guy in Laval is hot!"
"He is someone I like more than Pétain. "Hehehehe."
Göring and Himmler seem to be very pleased with Laval's actions, but for me, it was difficult to shake the feeling that he was causing scraps.
Of course, it's better than releasing the resistance, but there's no need to go too far and incur animosity that you won't buy... … Eh.
Still, there was no significant backlash in France.
Everyone may have adapted to German rule, but the reaction of the French was quiet. Despite the Gestapo's investigation, there was no special atmosphere among the French.
In fact, it has already been 13 years since France surrendered, and it was obvious to anyone that Germany's rule in Europe would continue for several decades more, so I think they decided to accept reality.
Just as in actual history, the Germans accepted reality and quickly accepted denazification.
If France were to comply with German rule as it is now, Germany would not bother France either.
Although in the past they were growling because they couldn't eat each other, now they have become an 'alliance'.
Whether Miu or Gou, shouldn't reality take priority?
***
-Countdown begins.
-10, 9, 8, 7… …
As the countdown began, everyone, including everyone, stared intently at the screen in front of them.
-6, 5, 4… …
As the number decreased, the tension reached its peak. People did not even make a sound of breathing, and thick beads of sweat were rolling down from their foreheads and noses.
-3, 2, 1.
And finally.
The moment everyone has been waiting for has come.
-ignition.
Orange flames thundered out of the ignition port, and the rocket slowly moved toward the sky.
When the rocket was successfully ignited, a look of relief flowed among the researchers watching.
However, it was too early to be completely relieved.
Even if ignition was successfully achieved, I have seen countless cases where the rocket crashed or exploded midway. There is no guarantee that the same thing will not happen again this time.
The heads of Wagner Freud, Braun and Dornberger, still had stiff faces. Their minds were spinning faster than ever.
After the rocket was no longer visible to the naked eye.
"1st stage separation successful!"
"Pairing separation successful!"
"The two-stage separation is also a success!"
The researchers' faces gradually became brighter as they heard the news of successive successes.
And finally.
"Aaaah!!!"
"We did it! "I did it!"
"Heil, Heil Hitler!!"
"Long live Germany! Long live the victory!"
When mankind's first artificial satellite, Wagner 1, landed safely in orbit, cheers that had been suppressed for so long erupted at the same time. It was October 4, 1953.
The researchers hugged each other and celebrated the success of the rocket launch. Some shed tears, while others threw documents at the ceiling.
The officers and soldiers who watched the launch process along with the researchers also applauded heartily.
"You did it."
"okay. "We did it."
Braun and Dornberger, who had been waiting for news of success more anxiously than anyone else, celebrated their success by holding each other's arms.
This brings us one step closer to our goal of space travel. The wish to go to the moon someday is not just a dream, but has become a reality.
"General Dornberger!"
When he turned his head in the direction where he heard a voice calling his name, an SS officer was running towards him, panting.
"This is a call from His Excellency the President."
Dornberger happily picked up the phone. After some conversation, Dornberger handed the phone over to Braun.
-Dr. von Braun? I heard about it. Thank you for your hard work.
"No, Mr. President. This would not have been possible without the interest and support of His Excellency the President."
-Haha, humility. Anyway, congratulations. With this, humanity has finally entered space.
"yes. "I am very happy."
Hitler's voice over the phone was full of excitement and joy. But for some reason, I felt a kind of restraint in his joy.
The kind of restraint that I feel is still not enough to be satisfied here.
-When will Wagner 2 be launched?
"It's one month later. Mr. President. Don't worry. Issue 2 will also be a great success."
-As expected, it's trustworthy. I'm looking forward to it. But for today, don't think about anything else and celebrate your success to your heart's content.
"yes. I understand."
Dornberger returned with champagne to celebrate the successful launch. As Dornberger popped the champagne, cheers of joy erupted again in the hall.
"Sieg Heil!"
"Heil Hitler!!"
For today, the world was theirs.
The news of the artificial satellite Wagner 1 soon caused an uproar in Germany, Europe, and even the world.
***
October 9, 1953
Washington DC White House, USA
The news of Wagner 1 landing in orbit shocked the world as much as the news of France's surrender 13 years ago.
Germany was in a festive mood. Germans were happy that Germany had finally become the first human being to set foot in space.
Every store on the street competitively played Wagner's music, and a postage stamp commemorating the satellite Wagner was even released.
Just as the Germans were jubilant, the Americans were shocked in a different sense.
People knew that Germany's technology was ahead of that of the United States, a fact that even hardliners who spoke of Germany's destruction secretly acknowledged it.
Wagner 1, humanity's first artificial satellite, had only very simple functions as it was the first of its kind.
Nevertheless, even the monotonous beep-beep-beep sound was enough to upset America.
"Do you know what rumors are going around?"
In response to MacArthur's question, Eisenhower deliberately shook his head even though he knew the answer. MacArthur sighed.
"They say Wagner changes the signal twice a day. From 'beep beep beep beep' to 'puhahahaha' only when passing over Washington."
"… … ."
MacArthur groaned and sank into the sofa.
The scheduled launch date of the Redstone rocket currently under development in the United States has been postponed from the middle of this month to the end of the year.
When I asked why, I was told that it was because a defect that had not yet been resolved had been discovered and an emergency fix had been initiated.
It was better than failing to discover a defect or simply launching it knowingly, but MacArthur felt frustrated by the reality that while Germany was launching a satellite, the United States was not yet able to properly build a 300km rocket.
MacArthur turned his gaze and looked out the window. The sun was shining outside the window. Although the sky was not cloudless, it was perfect weather for a picnic.
"For some reason, the sky seems very unfamiliar now, in some way."
"Me too."
Even at this moment, the artificial satellite launched by the Nazis is orbiting the Earth and passing over the United States.
MacArthur groaned. Looking at Germany's current technological capabilities, won't Germany be able to send a man to the moon by the time the United States launches a satellite like Germany?
It was not a joke, but MacArthur was genuinely worried about that.
Germany has already surprised the world several times. After Hitler came to power, Germany rose from a poor defeated country to the greatest power in Europe.
He defeated the French army, said to be the world's strongest, and surrendered in just four weeks, and conquered Russia, where even Napoleon had failed.
Germany was the first country to create a nuclear bomb and use it in combat.
Now the media is talking about how there is nothing Germany cannot do. What is even more infuriating is that this is not an exaggeration.
"I can't believe that our people, not only those of other countries but also the citizens of the United States, have become unable to trust the United States. "I feel so sad that I feel like crying."
"But you're not giving up here, are you?"
At Eisenhower's words, MacArthur stood up without realizing it.
"of course! "Do you call that a word?"
If you fall behind in the competition, you should try to catch up. You cannot succeed in anything if you despair and give up. At least, MacArthur thought so.
Some say that it will take a long time for the United States to catch up with Germany's technological capabilities, so it is necessary to join forces with Germany.
And not among pro-Germans or fascist followers, but among ordinary people and journalists working in the scientific community. The impact that Wagner 1 brought to the United States was enormous.
The series of events that would later be recorded in history as the 'Wagner Shock' had only just begun.
***
Germany's rampage, which began with the launch of Wagner 1, did not stop.
About a month later, on November 3, Wagner 2 was launched. Wagner 2 was carrying living organisms, especially mammals.
The protagonist is 'Blondie', a highly trained German Shepherd.
While Germany not only launched a satellite but also sent a dog into space on a rocket, the United States successfully launched the 300 km long rocket Redstone.
However, this only became a laughing stock in Germany.
This side is expanding into space, but all the Americans are doing is launching 300km rockets!
The American media also did not report the success of the Redstone launch in much detail, perhaps out of concern for Germany's ridicule.
Wagner 1 has an incredibly simple structure compared to the satellites of the 21st century, but in 1953, it was very important in practical terms other than its symbolism.
In addition to making it possible to estimate the density of the Earth's atmosphere, detailed information about the ionosphere could be obtained through the propagation of radio signals.
Blondie, who was on board Wagner 2, was the first dog to go into space because he was smarter and had a stronger body than other dogs, and at the same time, he became the first dog to die in space.
With the technology of 1953, it was only possible to shoot one way, and a way to return to Earth had not yet been found.
Nevertheless, Blondie played a major role in obtaining the data necessary for humans to advance into space in the future.
In addition, Blondie has become a symbol of Germany's scientific and technological victory over the United States.
Commemorative stamps depicting Blondie sold like hot cakes, and the number of families raising German Shepherds increased explosively in Germany and throughout Europe. Naturally, the dogs were named Blondie.
The first artificial satellite, Wagner 1, orbited the Earth for about three months and transmitted various information to the ground before entering the atmosphere and disappearing.
Immediately after Wagner 1 completed its mission, Wagner 2 also entered the atmosphere 160 days after launch and burned itself to extinction.
After Wagner 1 and 2, which had made an uproar around the world, disappeared side by side, Germany launched Wagner 3 in May 1954.
While Wagner 1 weighs 83 kg, Wagner 3 weighs about 1.3 tons. It was as large as it was 15 times heavier, and the built-in parts and devices were extremely complex and diverse.
Even while Germany was launching a satellite weighing more than 1 ton, the United States was making a fuss about building a rocket with a range of 500 km.
Americans were afraid that Germany might launch a rocket loaded with a nuclear bomb towards their country just as they had launched a satellite into space, and Germans eagerly laughed at America's fear.
But even though MacArthur felt impatient, he did not give up.
Even though he may be criticized for being too late and saying he can't even do that, he knows that if he gives up, it will be over, so he gave a speech to the people saying that what America needs now is patience and will.
At the same time, he established two new national institutions to keep up with the scientific competition with Germany.
Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) and National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA).
A full-scale space race has begun.
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