Stupid Luck and Happenstance, Thread II

Part 104, Chapter 1675
Chapter One Thousand Six Hundred Seventy-Five



5th February 1965

Mitte, Berlin

When Manfred had ended up telling his father about what he had really been doing with Suse, he had found himself in a bewildering situation. For starters, his father was disappointed that he had attempted to go around behind his back, especially because it had to do with the possibility of Manfred meeting the requirements to get into the Panzer Corps. In the past his parents had never told him directly what their problem was with his choices. That changed in Gert’s tavern as his father told him about how he reminded him of the idealistic boys who came into the 140th Regiment. He had not pulled any punches as he described how many of them found themselves sent to the rear because they lost their nerve if they were lucky. They rest found themselves horrifically injured if they weren’t sent home in a box, often in pieces. His parents wanted far better for him because Manfred had better options than his father ever had.

Then there was the problem that was presented by Suse Rosa, something that Manfred had never seen coming.

He had broken off all contact with her after the conversation with his father. He understood the real threat that Kurt Knispel represented and didn’t want to see what a Generalmajor would do to him if provoked, merely driving Panzers over him would probably be the least of it. A couple weeks later he would learn that Suse was outraged for reasons that Manfred couldn’t understand and was refusing to be ignored. The trouble was that Manfred’s scores in Mathematics had improved, from Suse had said very emphatically that it looked to her like if he had gotten what he had wanted from her and then had been trying to avoid her. His parents had joked about how he should be learning an important lesson from this situation and about how in the future he should keep it in mind when the stakes are higher. It hardly needed to be mentioned what they were getting at and why they thought that the thing was hilarious.

That was how Manfred had ended up outside the old von Wolvogle townhouse in his best suit so that he could take Suse Rosa, who wasn’t his girlfriend by any stretch of the imagination, out on a date. “It will make Gerta happy and it is the least you can do to thank Suse for the help she’s given you” was how Manfred’s mother had put it.

Knocking on the door, Manfred stood there half hoping that no one was home tonight. He realized that he wouldn’t be so lucky when a Butler who he had never seen before answered the door.

“The Lady of the house has instructions that you are to proceed to the parlor and wait for the Fraulein” The Butler said. Something about the way he said it suggested that Manfred was some sort of unappetizing insect that had crawled in from the garden.

The Butler led Manfred through the house to the formal parlor. Kurt Knispel was sitting in a relining chair in his shirt sleeves, Manfred realized that this was the first time that he had seen him without the black dress tunic that was worn by the Panzer Corps. Sitting gingerly down on the sofa, Manfred did his best not to be noticed. The television was tuned to the evening news, a story about the new American President giving a speech about a new era of International cooperation. Manfred’s lack of attention during the English classes he had endured came back to haunt him as he could only understand perhaps every third word. He hoped that Kurt wouldn’t ask him his opinion because it would be instantly obvious that he didn’t have the first clue about any of it.

“Good evening Manfred” Kurt finally said after several excruciating minutes. “Gerta is helping Suse get ready and she isn’t having an easy time of it.”

Manfred wondered if he was talking about Suse or her mother.

“I can wait Sir” Manfred said, knowing that being anything other than agreeable would probably be bad for his health.

“Don’t have much of a choice, do you?” Kurt asked. That was another comment that was true on several different levels.

Manfred sat there quietly. Mercifully, the report changed to the day’s sport coverage and that was a welcome distraction to the looming doom that Kurt represented if Manfred stepped out of line.

“I understand you’re a Footballer” Kurt said, something about the look in his eye suggested that question was somehow loaded.

“Yes, Sir” Manfred replied.

“Is that the only sport you are into?” Kurt asked.

“I’m also into track and field” Manfred replied, “In the autumn there is hunting on my grandfather’s estate, I went fishing on the North Sea last year when my family when to Aunt Kat’s house on Langeoog.”

He had probably said too much, but he couldn’t see how Kurt could hold any of that against him.

“So, hunting and fishing” Kurt said, “You must have been in the Scouts?”

“Yes” Manfred replied, his trepidation returning.

“All the times that you had an animal in your sights or a fish on the end of a hook, remember that and consider that you are still near the bottom of the food chain” Kurt said, “Am I clear.”

He was a little too clear with that meaning.

“Suse and I are only friends” Manfred said, “I’m only taking her out tonight to thank her for her help.”

Kurt snorted a laugh. He clearly didn’t completely buy that.

Luckily, Gerta and Suse came downstairs and saved him from further awkward conversation.
 
Sitting gingerly down on the sofa, Manfred did his best not to be noticed. The television was tuned to the evening news, a story about the new American President giving a speech about a new era of International cooperation.
Another President of the United States and another pledge about "International Cooperation" ...

We should not be worried about how Young Manfred will treat Suse Rosa with anything less than respect, remember that he has grown up around many strong women starting with his mother and his Aunt Kat and his Great-Aunt Marcella, while his Grandfather the Graf is Master of his Estate his Grandmother rules the House, and don't forget about the "Sisterhood" as he has probably heard all the stories of how they dealt with the men who were less respectful to them.
Young Manfred has also the examples of strong men like his Father and his Uncle Doug who have shown that strong men are at their best with strong women.
Plus with the pull that his Father, Grandfather, Suse Rosa's Father and especially his Aunt Kat has he knows if he screws up he will be frog marched in to the Marine Infantry then sent to the Antarctic...
 

ferdi254

Banned
Well the date concept is an especially USA thing. Daring for dummies is a book that is an extremely USA cultural book.
 
Well the date concept is an especially USA thing. Daring for dummies is a book that is an extremely USA cultural book.
It has survived through the later twentieth century in the USA, yes but it would not have been an unfamiliar situation to young people in pre-WW2 Britain and Europe either. As youth culture hasn't taken on in this TL to the same extent, its continued survival as a custom isn't implausible.
 
Gerta being her bullheaded self as usual. I do wonder what Helene her reaction is going to be. I can envision her being either really excited, or rather disaproving like Kurt is. And Kat would seem to be the type to snigger at the couple/situation.

Keep up the awesome work PB!
 
Part 104, Chapter 1676
Chapter One Thousand Six Hundred Seventy-Six



9th February 1965

Mitte, Berlin

As Louis Ferdinand entered the room, he considered how ill equipped he was to deal with the dispute that he had been asked to mediate after two members in the Reichstag got into a couple physical altercations twice in the last week alone. Someone like Antonia’s Kindergarten teacher would probably be ideal. She was used to dealing with squabbles among five and six-year-old children who were probably far better behaved and acted more mature than the two so-called men that Louis was going to have to deal with today.

It was all because of von Papen and there were times when Louis felt that it would be better for everyone if he would just die already. He remained under house arrest as teams of accountants attempted to untangle the web of financial deceit that von Papen had created. They were discovering things that seemed entirely geared to create massive headaches for Louis in the years to come and probably Friedrich in due time as well. Like the current mess in Southern Poland where von Papen had been funding the radicals on both sides of the divide there or furthering the aspirations of the two men who Louis was going to be meeting with who were both from fringe-right political parties who were only united by their dislike of him.

The first was Prince Alexander Ferdinand von Preussen, the leader of the Land and Tradition Party who also happened to be Louis Ferdinand’s cousin. Land and Tradition, dubbed Dust and Cobwebs by its many critics, was the largest of the Royalist political parties which was nowhere near as impressive as it sounded. Louis was also aware that they didn’t approve of him because he was seen as too liberal. They didn’t approve of his children either due to matters such as Friedrich’s marriage, Michael’s advocacy of Bohemia as opposed to the interests of Germany, Kristina being a bluestocking as well as a woman, and Louis Junior sharing the same name as his father. Marie Cecilie, Victoria and Antonia’s names had never come up, but Louis had no doubt that the royalists would think of some reason to dismiss them out of hand. Louis knew that if he asked his cousin, he would be told that it was just a happy coincidence that only Alexander himself checked all the boxes as far as the Party he headed was concerned.

The other man was Martin Bormann, a blowhard and a bully who had spent decades forcing his way up the ranks of the ironically named National Socialist Party. He had done this mostly by sucking up and kicking down. Bormann had finally slimed his way into the top spot by taking control of the party’s funds, using it to bribe those amenable to it and violently pushing out anyone who vocally opposed him. After years of this anyone who was not a crony of his had long since fled the party and even other nationalists found him to be odious. He had been particularly outspoken regarding Friedrich’s marriage to Princess Suga of Japan and the birth of Mirai. The terms Bormann had used had not endeared him to the House of Hohenzollern or anyone else who didn’t fit within his narrow chauvinistic views of who belonged in Germany.

The saving grace in all of this was that both of them despised each other. Alexander thought that Bormann was an ignorant uncultured, uncouth thug who belonged in prison as opposed to polluting the very air of the Reichstag with his presence. Bormann on the other hand, was very vocal in his opinion that Alexander was a pompous self-serving windbag. As far as Louis was concerned, they were both correct in their assessment of each other and he couldn’t for the life of him figure out how they got enough votes to get seats in Government or in the opposition at any level. There was also a great deal of irony in that if they lived in the less enlightened era that both men considered a lost golden age, Louis would have solved the problem that they represented by having them arrested on whatever plausible pretense he could come up and have them shot or beheaded. Not only would have no one have said a thing against that, it was very likely that the execution of Martin Bormann would have been applauded and killing off Prince Alexander would have been seen as a power play.

Instead, the Chancellor had said that in the next apportionment both of their constituencies would include communities with more people than sheep. They would be gone for good after the next election. In the meantime, having them putting aside all rules of decorum was unacceptable and the hope was that Louis would be able to put the fear of God into them. Lotte had joked about how they were getting sent to the Headmaster’s office. Louis had asked Katherine how she would handle a situation like this. She had just given him that unreadable smile of hers. Katherine had said that they were lucky that she wasn’t handling the matter and that she was glad that she wouldn’t have to either. She had advised him that he needed to take control of the conversation from the beginning and not allow them to get a word in, not as if those two would say anything worth hearing from her perspective. Then she had vanished faster than he had believed possible.

Looking at the intercom on his desk, Louis knew that they were in the outer office. He steeled himself and pressed the button letting his Personal Secretary know that he was ready to speak to them.
 
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She’s there, unseen but like a tiger in the jungle ready to pounce. To quote that emanate American philosopher Mr. T, “I pity the fool” if one or both threaten Louis.
 
In My Very Ignorant Opinion what we are seeing right now ITTL is the "The End Of History" phase of this timeline as there is no real conflicts as IOTL East-West conflict, no Israel -Arab conflict, no clash of ideologies, the decolonizing is proceeding at the pace of what the home countries are comfortable with as they are not in massive debt to the United States as they were in IOTL.
There are still plenty of problems such as the outbreak of civil war in China, Civil Rights may finally be coming to a head in the United States but it won't lead to a Second American Civil War but it still will be more violent then it was IOTL.
There could be "Oil Company Wars" in the Middle East as the various nation's energy companies seek out untapped oil reserves and they find different tribes and more mercenaries to gain access control of the oil fields.
Also I firmly believe that there is nothing new under the sun in regards to history and with ITTL Mainland China not being isolated due to the Cultural Revolution what we are seeing now could very much be possible at this moment in this timeline.
 
Well the date concept is an especially USA thing.

How d'you figure that? Maybe the term, yes, but youngsters who fancy one another have been stepping out together since there were places for them to step out to. Especially during the 20th century, with the rise of dance-halls and cinemas. The cinema being the best option if said couple want to snog quietly in the back XD
 
It's a pity that Louis can't have them both locked in a small room equipped with CCTV, toss in a single, loaded pistol (one round; blank) & tell them the survivor gets to fight Kat in hand-to-hand combat. The resulting melee should be immensely entertaining.
 
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