I Don’t Need Nazis In My Germany

【 Chapter 1 – Re-enlisting in the Nazi German Army?! 】

For young people who have completed their military service in Korea, the discharge day is a happy and sad day, and at the same time, the future is bleak.

Yoon Sung-il, who was an ordinary Korean young man, thought so too.

Until I realize that the very next day is not a level of hopelessness but a dark day.

“It’s time to wake up, Lieutenant.”

What is this? Are you kidding me? From the morning…. When I opened my eyes, I was familiar with the quarter ceiling….. is it? Is it a field tent…?

I definitely went to bed at home after being discharged from the army yesterday.

I felt my mind go blank, and I asked the white man, who was staring at me blankly.

“Who… are you?”

Wait, what’s wrong with my pronunciation? It’s like being a foreigner who speaks Korean for the first time.

“Herr Leutnant?”

[ T/N: Herr – A title or form of address used of or to a German-speaking man, corresponding to Mr. and also used before a rank or occupation. ]

Oh, my God…. Now that I see it, it’s not Korean! It’s German! Why did I understand it naturally? When I was embarrassed, the white man standing before me became more ambiguous and called me again. So, he probably called what he assumed was me.

“Herr Leutnant Schacht?”

But I was out of my mind because I was in the middle of another shock in this man’s attire. It’s a military uniform. It’s also… not the Republic of Korea Army uniform. In the first place, would a white man be wearing a Korean army uniform?

This is… surprise? Hidden camera?  But unfortunately, I knew right away that wasn’t even the case.

It’s nothing else, and the memory of being presumed to be “I” began to come to mind recklessly as I felt dizzy.

Feeling like my head was about to break, I asked the soldier in German, which came out naturally as if breathing. Your rank is… Private.

[ T/N: Private – the lowest Army rank, normally held only by new recruits. ]

“Private, what’s the date today?”

Only then did Private, who looked a little relieved, reply with a more comfortable face.

“It’s February 4, Lieutenant.”

“What year?”

“Yes? 1937.”

Oh, damn it. Please tell me this is a bad joke…. The soldier’s expression was getting worse again, but I bet that my expression would be several times worse. As I looked at the hands of a white person in front of me right now, it was not my hands, not the hands of Korean Yoon Seong-il!

A person who was thinking of returning to college after being discharged from the military yesterday! A person who should have enjoyed being discharged!  Where is the poor person who has been discharged from the army and who has fallen asleep while enjoying his freedom? Where am I? Who am I?

The yellow sky, which I couldn’t see even when the damn senior bastard screamed consolation under me, is fluttering in front of me. I asked, struggling to get my mind to wander.

“Who is the Führer?”

[ T/N: Führer – Leader; a political title used by Adolf Hitler to define his role of absolute authority in Germany’s Third Reich (1933–45). ]

“Uh…., of course, the Führer of Great Germany is Adolf Hitler.”

I pinched my cheek.

…It hurts?

I want to stop thinking.

…..I can’t, right?

Oh… God.

Oh, my God

I thought enlistment day would be the worst day of my life.

But as a joke, after the day after the discharge, the re-entering day is the thing that military personnel wants to avoid the most in their lives.

I think I’m going crazy up to that point, but you’re going to re-enlist in the German Wehrmacht?

[ T/N: The Wehrmacht was the unified armed forces of Nazi Germany from 1935 to 1945. ]

Re-enlistment the Nazi Germany of that madman Adolf Hitler the day after discharge?

It’s clear that God is Satan or that he has severe complaints about me….

Fortunately, I didn’t know if it was the last piece of conscience that this bastard called God threw, but it got on someone else’s body and I didn’t even know what this body was doing.

At first, I was confused, but fortunately, the memory of this body remained properly, so I could understand and speak German naturally.

Even this guy could speak English much more fluently than me, Yoon Sung-il, and was good at Spanish as well as French, which was close to the official language of this era.

The name of the body is Dietrich Schacht. Born on August 15, 1911. Even on my birthday, I feel like God is picking a fight with me, but anyway, I am a pure German young man who has no connection with Korea during the Japanese colonial period.

His father was Hjalmar Schacht. The full name is Hjalmar Horus Grilli Schacht. Horus Grilli was a given name by an American mulberry-filled grandfather, so he is usually referred to as Hjalmar Schacht.

He is also a citizen of the United States, has a Ph.D. in economics, and is the economy minister of the Nazi regime and the president of the Reíchsbank (Central Bank).

So, this Dietrich guy is one of the golden spoons of prize money. In Korea, my father is the president of the Bank of Korea and the current Minister of the Economy. Oh, my God, I was just a small citizen of the Republic of Korea.

So that’s the good thing, and the bad thing is…

Everything but that.

February 5, 1937
Near the South of Madrid, Spain

“Heil Hitler!”

“Heil Hitler!”

When he shouted with his right hand straight out toward the sky, a German man in his 30s accepted it moderately. In Modern Germany, no matter where I go in Europe, if I’m lucky, I get caught, and if I’m unlucky, I’m going to die.

“How are you feeling today, Lieutenant?”

“Thank’s for your consideration, I’m fine! Captain!”

Yesterday alone, I had to stay in bed pretending to be sick because I was confused and couldn’t overcome the sudden change in the situation.

I wished it was a dream, lying in bed, praying only to fall asleep, and then succeeded in falling asleep late at night, but when I woke up, there was no such thing as saying it was my room.

I seriously thought about shooting the pistol at my head, but there is no guarantee that I would return to Korea.

“Well, that’s a relief. Don’t let it interfere your work today. It’s the start of the operation.”

“Yes!”

Luckily, my direct superior, Captain Volkhard Kaufmann, was a kind old man who was not very FM-style, and the unit was on standby, so I just let it go.

[ T/N: FM (에프엠) = field manual = someone who does everything in the right, textbook way. ]

Frankly speaking, Dietrich’s father may have played a part in being the Minister of Economy.

Thinking about it now, it was crazy. I’m not just pretending to be sick, I was really sick, but it’s nowhere else but Germany Wéhrmacht.

It’s a crazy army that blows away, whether the enemy or anything.

Fortunately, I had Dietrich’s memory, so I knew what to do. We are now in Spain, not Germany.

Spain is currently at war with the Republicans and the Nationalists.

On the one hand, communists, democrats, and anarchists colluded with the Republicans.

At the beginning of the civil war, it was packaged as just fighters fighting for the freedom of residents in the West. Still, this side also frequently massacred Catholic priests and residents who cooperated with the Nationalists.

The Republicans won the election, but the Nationalist faction, which consisted of royalists and fascists, was dissatisfied and started a civil war.

This is a situation where hard-line soldiers and fascists who hate the Reds have gathered, so it is unnecessary to say that all of Spain was at war.

[ T/N: Communists were often referred to as “Reds” for their allegiance to the red Soviet flag. ]

And in the midst of this bloody Spanish Civil War, we’re helping Francisco Franco, the leader of the Nationalists.

A volunteer unit dispatched from Germany, the official name is the Condor Legion.

[ T/N: The Condor Legion was a unit composed of military personnel from the air force (Luftwaffe) and army (Wehrmacht) of Nazi Germany, which served with the Nationalist faction during the Spanish Civil War of July 1936 to March 1939. ]

It was a corps, but it was a small unit that was sent out as volunteers as civilians after being discharged from the military on paper, and we were a smaller army unit among them.

The Condor Legion itself is like being sent for the Luftwaffe (German Air Force).

[ T/N: The Luftwaffe was the aerial-warfare branch of the German Wehrmacht before and during World War II. ]

Of course, volunteer troops are blindfolded to the last, clearly belonging to the German Army, and they receive support from their home country as well as the rank system.

The 2nd Company of the 1st Battalion of the 1st Armored Division under the Condor Legion.

It’s not even a regular German military formation, it’s just an armored division, and all five battalions are closer to regiment than a regular division. I honestly don’t know why the 1st Company was attached, but the 2nd Company of the 1st Battalion was our unit, Captain Kaufmann was the Company Commander, and I was the Lieutenant.

“Heil Hitler!”

“Heil Hitler.”

After a while, lieutenants like me, platoon commanders, came in, and Captain Kaufmann accepted our salute, a Nazi salute that would be corrected if it had been done in modern Europe. Can I get used to this?

“Good morning. The goal of this operation is to secure each major base around the two hills between the Jarama River in eastern Madrid. The upper ranks are trying to occupy that place and block the road between central Madrid and Valencia, the capital of the Reds.”

I get angry even while listening to the operation description. What do you mean I’m Nazi Germany Defense Force?

I was definitely an ordinary man in Korea, but even if I failed, I fell into a dog place like this, didn’t I?

I’ll be a warrior in the fantasy world with a beautiful heroine- I don’t expect anything like that, but there’s no place, so it’s World War II! Send me back to Korea, you damn God!

“We move under Colonel Ricardo Radha, who is in charge of the Southern part of the battlefield. First, secure Rivas-Vaciamadrid, southeast of Madrid. If the heavy forces succeed in the river crossing, they will then move toward the Pingarron Heights beyond the Jarama River. When this place is occupied, they plan to use it as an artillery site, so as always, they advance from their rear and cover the troops supporting the artillery. Any questions?”

“No!”

“All right, the operation starts at 11:00. Maintenance is free until 10:00. Dismissed. Heil Hitler.”

“Heil Hitler!”

Very naturally. I raised my arms as if I had always been, shouting Heil Hitler, and I was wondering if I was right, and I went out blankly, and one of the so-called people tapped my shoulder.

From Dietrich’s memory, 1st Platoon Commander, Clement Fleck….  He was a soldier and his best friend.

“Hey, Dietrich. Are you okay?”

“Clement… Yes.”

It feels strange to see a German who feels completely unfamiliar and friendly with a worried face.

Demonic Nazi Germans. The image of Jews as exterminators and genocide does not appear at all.

“You still look pale, so don’t overdo it. Let’s have a drink off duty.”

“Yes, thank you for your concern.”

Although it was an indescribably bad situation, the short conversation with Clement gave me a similar feeling to those who lived with me as a colleague in Korea.

First of all, it’s an operation. In Korea, I was just a general soldier who was discharged from the army, but here, he is the main officer of the soldiers.

Immediately after the launch, the operation was going smoothly. The Republican army was being pushed out unilaterally, perhaps not expecting our offensive at all, and the Nationalist army continued to advance.

Hitler was very concerned that intervening in the Spanish Civil War would offend Britain and France.

Therefore, even in the form of volunteer soldiers, the Condor Legion was mostly in charge of air force support or rear unit training. The dispatched army units only provided tank and artillery support as much as possible.

It’s blindfolded anyway, and eventually, it will all be known. I honestly don’t know much about the Spanish Civil War.

Looking at the former creatures, the protagonist, who went to another world or the past, made good use of their amazing memory and all kinds of knowledge, but my head was empty.

I was very interested in World War II or Germany, but if I knew this would happen, I should have looked into the Spanish Civil War that the German army went to, there was no use in regretting it.

All I know is that in this Spanish civil war, the Nationalists led by Franco won, and it killed a really huge number of people even after the Civil War, making it an international outcast without joining the Axis.

In the meantime, a slow old biplane flies over my head, remembering only cool German weapons such as Tiger tank or Bf109 fighter, in front of the Spaniards, who were moving forward excitedly, the small tank Panzer I was shaking with two machine guns, not to mention the main guns that came to mind when I thought of the tank.

Even the uniform I’m wearing isn’t a fancy Wehrmacht, thanks to Nazi Germany’s propaganda, but a sloppy Spanish uniform. I really don’t have any dreams or aspirations.

Even if I had been wearing the uniform of an officer in the Wehrmacht right now, I doubt I would have been able to afford such a thing as fulfill my dream.

Since our job was to escort the artillery units, we rarely engaged directly with the enemy, we were only chasing the tails of the Nationalist Army throughout the operation.

Among them, I was freer because I was not directly in charge of the platoon, as I was a Lieutenant and was following Captain Kaufmann.

The sight of 20,000 soldiers advancing here and there, the troops deployed in operation, was spectacular, but more than that, the bodies left unattended everywhere were more visible.

The body I saw for the first time didn’t make me nauseous. It’s a familiar sight for Dietrich, a few months after he was dispatched to the Condor Legion. But my modern mind seemed to dry up every time I saw the bodies.

How many soldiers are dying? Neither the National army nor our German army recovered the bodies. I don’t have time to do that because I’m in operation and I’m on a rapid march right now, but I didn’t seem to feel the need before that.

Being a soldier is a job, and it is our job to kill enemies, I know it in my head, as I’ve served in the military in Korea.

But is there anyone in the Korean army who is just dragged to the army and served after completing the service period?

In World War II, flying overhead with a buzzing sound, the biplane He 51, an old-fashioned legacy, could already be seen.

It is a strange feeling that Dietrich’s knowledge, which he knows is the current main aircraft of the Luftwaffe, and the memories of Yoon Sung-il, which is reminiscent of the Bf109, are mixed.

Was I Dietrich or Yoon Sung-il? Am I the Lieutenant in the German Wehrmacht?  Or a college student who just got discharged from the military in Korea?

Still, if this is Yoon Sung-il’s dream, then there is an earnest wish that this will end when he wakes up. How desperate I was to see that what I saw when I woke up wasn’t the ceiling of my room.

Honestly, I don’t know what to do. The Republic of Korea, which should have been my country, does not even exist, and the Japanese Governor-General of Korea rules Korea. The other side of the continent in the far East. Meanwhile, World War II is approaching.

It is a war in which tens of millions of people die. Tens of millions! Now, in Spain, just looking at the corpses that are commonly seen on the roadside, it was a terrible war, and you want me to go through World War II?

In addition, Dietrich Schacht is now a golden spoon and the son of a Nazi high official, but if I remember correctly, Hjalmar Schacht will be expelled soon after conflicting with Göring.

What is the probability of surviving that hellish World War II till the end, even if it keeps going well? 

Even if I struggle and survive, I’ll be tried and punished as a war criminal in Nuremberg for fighting under that lunatic Hitler.

No matter how much I think about it, it can’t get any worse than this. What the hell did I do to deserve this?

“Hmm, Lieutenant Schacht. Are you okay? You don’t look so good….”

Captain Kaufmann spoke to me, as my complexion was bad.

He was a better boss than executives and seniors, such as the main enemy I met while serving in the military in Korea, both in front of me and in Dietrich’s memory.

How can all the Germans involved in World War II be mad racists and murderers?

People like this can’t be seen in the upper ranks, as your senses will become dull and become entangled in war crimes. Or die before that happens.

“No, Captain. I will make sure that the operation will not be disrupted.”

“Well, we’re a rearguard unit, so we won’t have to engage directly, but be careful.”

Captain Kaufmann said only that and began to walk ahead again.

To the battlefield, where fighters are constantly flying in the sky, gunshots and cannons can be heard in the distance. 

This worse situation is really not a dream but a reality…?

There was no hope that if I died, I would wake up from my dream and return to Korea, but if I did and then I really lost my mind, I would be angry because it was unfair!

Let’s stay alive. Let’s stay alive. Even if you’re angry, you can’t die.