Chapter Summaries

In December 1918, Eitel formally became German emperor, took an oath to preserve the empire and its people, and unlocked the Hearts of Iron System’s full functions. He left the ceremony with Chancellor Max, Field Marshal Hindenburg, and General Rudolf to resume unfinished work.

• Eitel donned the imperial robe and carried a field marshal’s baton into the enthronement hall.
• General Rudolf called for Eitel to receive the crown, and Chancellor Max placed it on his head.
• Eitel swore to uphold the imperial constitution, preserve peace, and unite the German states.
• Eitel proclaimed, “Long live the German Empire!” and the attendees hailed him as Kaiser.
• The system announced that Eitel had completed his mission and unlocked laws, decisions, and the Rebuild the Holy Roman Empire Decision.
• Eitel told Chancellor Max, Field Marshal Hindenburg, and General Rudolf to join him as he prepared to finish what they had left unfinished.

Eitel summoned Chancellor Max, General Rudolf, and Field Marshal Hindenburg to plan how the German Empire would implement the Treaty of Versailles. After issuing orders for army demobilization and industrial conversion, he reviewed the Hearts of Iron System and selected economic growth and Reichsautobahn national focuses.

• Eitel asked Chancellor Max, General Rudolf, and Field Marshal Hindenburg for their thoughts on implementing the Treaty of Versailles.
• Field Marshal Hindenburg proposed demobilizing the army in five groups, starting with five hundred thousand men, and assigning some soldiers to police stations; Eitel entrusted the work to Hindenburg and General Rudolf.
• Eitel ordered the selection of one hundred thousand soldiers and officers for officer training, directed Chancellor Max to convert most arms factories to civilian production, and ordered the creation of the Imperial Research Institute.
• After the ministers left to carry out his orders, Eitel examined the system interface and saw the German Empire’s debuffs.
• Eitel selected Prioritize Economic Growth and Build the Reichsautobahn as national focuses, while the system informed him that he could not change his main national focus branch.

Eitel spent political points on a nationwide patriotism campaign and selected laws to stabilize and develop the German Empire. The next day, Ludendorff reported on the retained troops and the first phase of demobilization, and Eitel summoned Chancellor Max.

• Eitel used 50 political points to launch a nationwide patriotism campaign that would raise stability and war support while increasing daily political points.
• Eitel selected the free trade act, civilian economy act, limited conscription act, and local administration policy, accepting their early economic drawbacks.
• Eitel approved American contracts and selectively considered British documents while ignoring France's demands to dismantle military factories and demobilize troops.
• Ludendorff gave Eitel the roster of 100,000 retained troops who would receive further training at officer academies.
• Ludendorff reported that Hindenburg expected to complete the first demobilization phase within a month, producing 300,000 police officers, 150,000 workers, and 50,000 registered hunters and flying club members.
• Eitel told Ludendorff to continue the work and summon Chancellor Max for a discussion.

Eitel and Chancellor Max discussed how to build a loyal military leadership while avoiding a premature clash with the Junker nobles. At a closing arms factory, Eitel offered the unemployed workers a chance to design new portable weapons, and they eagerly agreed.

• Eitel questioned why Model, Schörner, and Kesselring had been assigned to an obscure military academy, and Max explained that hard-line Junker nobles had suppressed commoner officers.
• Max urged Eitel not to confront the Junker nobles yet and advised him to cultivate loyal officers; Eitel decided to send promising generals to the Prussia War Academy for further study.
• Eitel asked Max to find Lothar Rendulic, Franz Böhme, and Friedrich Materna and arrange their training at the Prussia War Academy.
• Eitel and Max visited an arms factory being dismantled under the order to stop producing weapons with calibers greater than 50.
• Eitel told the workers they could continue by designing new portable weapons below that caliber, and they enthusiastically agreed.

Eitel discussed restructuring Germany’s factories with Chancellor Max and learned that the conversion of Krupp and Rheinmetall was taking longer and costing more than expected. He ordered their leaders to Berlin, while accepting the delay as a consequence of the Civilian Economy Act’s penalties.

• Eitel proposed merging and restructuring small factories, and Chancellor Max recommended gathering statistics and setting industry standards before acting.
• Eitel reflected that Germany’s stability had improved and that the Red Guards and Freikorps had not emerged as they had in the original history.
• Max reported that Krupp and Rheinmetall’s conversion into civilian machinery companies was taking longer and costing more, threatening the schedule before Allied inspectors arrived.
• Eitel said he already knew about the delays, insisted the companies were not to blame, and asked Max to summon their leaders to Berlin.
• Eitel considered the Civilian Economy Act’s penalties and rested, treating the added conversion costs and slower construction as an early investment.

Eitel told the heads of Krupp and Rheinmetall that Germany would preserve its arms industry despite the shift to civilian production, secretly moving machinery and arranging future weapons collaboration abroad. He planned to prolong the Russian Civil War to secure a foothold in Soviet territory and intended to discuss separate cooperation with America.

• Max reported that Germany’s arms factories were converting to civilian production and that Gustav Krupp von Bohlen und Halbach and Heinrich Ehrhardt had arrived in Berlin.
• Eitel met the Krupp and Rheinmetall executives and explained that some machinery would be secretly sent to the Soviet Union, while other equipment would be involved in cooperation with America.
• Eitel assured the managers that their arms-industry personnel would be retained and that they could later travel to America and the Soviet Union to collaborate on weapons development.
• Max warned that sending machinery into the Soviet Civil War risked losing it and asked whether Eitel planned to intervene.
• Eitel said Germany would secretly prolong the war, sell weapons through an outsourcing company to gain permission to operate in Soviet territory, and seek cooperation with President Wilson.

Gustav and Ehrhardt left reassured by Eitel’s plan to shift military production toward civilian goods, while Eitel compelled Hindenburg to become headmaster of the Prussia War Academy and surrender his active posts. Eitel then discussed reclaiming military authority with Chancellor Max and asked him to telephone President Wilson.

• Gustav and Ehrhardt agreed to cooperate and prepare their companies for civilian production and subsidiaries, trusting Eitel’s guidance.
• Eitel rejected Hindenburg’s request to remain field marshal and ordered him to take up the headmaster’s post at the Prussia War Academy in three days.
• Hindenburg accepted Eitel’s decision after Eitel promised him an honorary field marshal’s position.
• Eitel told Chancellor Max that he intended to reclaim military authority and ensure the empire followed his direction.
• Eitel asked Max to telephone President Wilson so he could discuss further matters.

Eitel urged President Wilson to support a joint German-American military research venture and proposed economic cooperation, while warning him to investigate America’s economy. After receiving a troubling report, Wilson thanked Eitel and agreed to consider the arrangements, including a four-year economic alliance.

• Eitel called President Wilson and proposed that Krupp engineers establish a joint weapons-research subsidiary with American arms companies.
• President Wilson acknowledged the potential benefits but said the upcoming election limited what he could promise.
• Eitel advised Wilson to investigate the stock market, financial sector, and real economy, suggesting the findings could improve his reelection prospects.
• Wilson ordered his secretary of state and treasury secretary to investigate, then reviewed their report and found the economic situation alarming.
• Wilson called Eitel, who proposed exporting German raw materials to America, buying American goods, encouraging other countries to import them, and signing a four-year economic alliance.
• Wilson accepted the proposals in principle but said he needed to consult his cabinet before agreeing to the economic alliance.

Eitel considered the financial burden of demobilizing Germany’s army and proposed selling its surplus weapons to both sides of the Eastern European war. Ludendorff warned that the Allies might notice and investigate, leaving the plan’s risks unresolved.

• Ludendorff reported that 500,000 soldiers had been demobilized and questioned whether their severance pay was too costly.
• Eitel asked Ludendorff about Eastern Europe, and Ludendorff predicted the war between the Soviet Republic and the White Army could last at least four more years.
• Eitel proposed selling Germany’s surplus weapons to the Soviets and the White Army to raise funds and clear the stockpile.
• Ludendorff praised Eitel’s idea but warned that the Allies could detect the German weapons and investigate.

Eitel came up with a plan to sell Germany’s surplus weapons to both the White Army and the Soviet Government while evading Allied restrictions. He explained the scheme to Chancellor Max, who asked how they would conceal the weapons’ origins.

• Eitel spotted a French order demanding the destruction of Germany’s heavy weapons and summoned Chancellor Max.
• General Ludendorff fetched Chancellor Max and reflected that the arms deal Eitel had proposed was risky.
• Eitel told Max that Germany should sell surplus weapons to the White Army and Soviet Government, with payment possibly made in resources or territory.
• Eitel identified Ukraine and Romania as possible sources of repayment from the Soviet side.
• Eitel proposed creating companies outside Germany and selling weapons through a trusted representative, while claiming that wartime losses made the weapons’ origins difficult to establish.