The annihilation of 1.5 million troops left Russia in a terrible situation, but clearly, one country was in an even worse state than Russia at this moment: Germany, whose strategic defensive lines were forced to contract passively.
Compared to the Germany that stood firmly and unitedly in the early and middle stages of the war, the current Germany resembled a hybrid of chaos and disorder.
The Prime Minister was not omnipotent, nor could he make all Germans trust and obey him.
Whether among Germany's high-ranking military brass, government officials, or those retired old codgers, anti-Prime Minister factions existed.
Although the Prime Minister had established domestic intelligence organizations specifically for this purpose, repeatedly vetting the retired old codgers as well as high-ranking figures in the military and political arenas, things in the dark could not be completely eradicated. They would shrink into the shadows when Germany gained the upper hand, and equally step out to condemn it when Germany fell into a disadvantageous position.
The most famous high-ranking official against the Prime Minister was the retired military elite Ludwig Beck.
This fellow, equally renowned throughout history, was awarded the rank of General of the Artillery due to his glorious forty-year military career. (A first-class honorary military rank)
Regarding his military posts, Ludwig Beck had served at his highest as the Army Chief of Staff, until he was forcibly dismissed due to political disagreements with the Prime Minister.
Yet precisely because of this, General Ludwig Beck held a deep resentment toward the Prime Minister's overbearing actions, and he also opposed Germany waging war on Poland without complete preparation.
However, the subsequent rapid defeat of Poland clearly exceeded Ludwig Beck's expectations. General Ludwig was no fool either; he decisively abandoned his open opposition to the Prime Minister on the surface, honestly acting as