Although he was mentally prepared for the old Führer's vegetarianism, Hitler still gasped inwardly when the meal was served. There were only two plates of food in front of him: one was stewed fruit, made of milk, oatmeal, apple sauce, walnuts, lemons, and other ingredients; the other was a vegetable salad, consisting of a few meager slices of cabbage and lettuce, along with peas and lentils, not a single piece of meat was visible.
In front of the others, however, the table was laden with delicacies such as caviar from the Black Sea, salmon from Norway, and ham or bacon from Bavaria. Hitler felt his Adam's apple bobbing as he desperately suppressed his saliva. He really wanted to shout, "Give me what they're having for lunch!" but considering the current situation was still unclear, he could only forcefully suppress this most basic desire.
"Schmundt, what are your recommendations regarding personnel appointments?"
"After careful consideration, I believe General Zeitzler can effectively fulfill this role..."
"Zeitzler?" Hitler was slightly surprised. He knew that historically, Halder had served as the Chief of the Army General Staff until September 24, 1942, before being replaced by Kurt Zeitzler. Was the Führer already planning a replacement a month ahead of schedule?
"Four days ago, General Zeitzler commanded troops at Dieppe and thwarted the British and Canadian attack. According to the prisoners' statements, there were 6,000 men involved in the attack, but General Zeitzler eliminated 60% of them, giving them a sufficiently unforgettable lesson. I believe he is an optimistic soldier willing to dedicate everything, and he can become an excellent Chief of the General Staff."
Martin Bormann also chimed in: "Although others have different recommendations, Comrade Göring and I both believe that General Zeitzler is a suitable candidate."
"I know him. He has always performed outstandingly while serving as Chief of Staff for Army Group D." Hitler nodded. It seemed Göring, Martin Bormann, Schmundt, and others had reached a consensus, and Zeitzler's appointment was almost certain. After swallowing a difficult mouthful of stewed fruit, he asked, "Who else has been recommended?"
Martin Bormann and Schmundt exchanged glances, unsure of Hitler's intentions, and could only answer honestly: "Field Marshal Manstein and General Guderian were also recommended..."
"Manstein is needed for other assignments! As for Guderian..." Hitler pondered for a moment, weighing how to utilize this man. After the failure of the Battle of Moscow in December 1941, Guderian had a major conflict with the Führer. Under the intentional or unintentional instigation of others, he was ordered to retire from active duty and transfer to the reserve, currently idling at home. Although Guderian surpassed Zeitzler in both fame and military achievements, he had a fatal flaw, he was too cold and arrogant, and couldn't get along with most of the Army Group commanders on the Eastern Front. This was undoubtedly disastrous for a Chief of the General Staff role. "This position is also unsuitable for Guderian. I have other tasks for him to complete; letting him stay home on leave is too wasteful. Zeitzler will be the Chief of the General Staff."
Hearing the Führer's final decision, Schmundt visibly relaxed. Although Zeitzler was capable and recently had the merit from Dieppe, he was still too young and inexperienced, having only recently been promoted to Major General of the Army (equivalent to a Brigadier General in the British and American forces). His recommendation of Zeitzler for Chief of the General Staff was self-serving, simply because the man was his close friend. Göring agreed to the recommendation only because Zeitzler's low seniority made him easy to control.
Hitler's mindset had now calmed down. He resolved to stop complaining about the strangeness of his transmigration and the awkwardness of his current position, determined only to perform this job well. In his eyes, this was a real-life version of Hearts of Iron, only the cost of failure was higher, either a corpse in the Reich Chancellery Bunker or the gallows at the Nuremberg Trials. He was determined to use his professional knowledge and historical foresight to lead Germany down a different path. Preliminary adjustment plans had already formed in his mind. After casually taking a bite of the vegetable salad, he said, "Immediately send telegrams to Zeitzler and Guderian. I want them to arrive here by dinner time. I will dine with them. Also, please adjust my dinner meal: bring me some jam and white bread, and if you could add a fried egg, that would be even better!"
"As you wish, Führer." Schmundt, who had just started cutting into a steak, clumsily put down his knife and fork and rushed immediately to the confidential office to relay the instructions. Hitler glanced at his steak and swallowed again, forced to withdraw his reluctant gaze, he could replace the Chief of the General Staff without hesitation, but regarding his own meal, he could only manage the most minute adjustments.
Bormann was clearly stunned. They were discussing Zeitzler, so why bring Guderian into the picture? Before Bormann could recover, Hitler instructed again: "Later, send the most recent telegrams, war reports, and letters to the office. I need to grasp the latest developments on the front lines."
The sky gradually darkened. Frau Junge came in to report that General Guderian, who arrived on a special plane, had landed and was waiting to be summoned. Hitler pushed aside the documents on his desk: "Let him in."
Guderian's appearance was almost exactly as Hitler remembered. Although he had transferred to the reserves, he was still wearing a crisp military uniform, adorned with the Knight's Cross with Oak Leaves on his chest, reminding people of the great contributions he made to the Third Reich during the French and Polish Campaigns. He respectfully performed the salute, a hint of confusion on his face.
Hitler stood up and extended his hand for a handshake: "It looks like you've rested well these past few months; your face seems a bit rounder?"
Guderian shrugged. The Führer's opening line was not very humorous.
Hitler invited him to sit down and continued, "Tell me, how many times have you cursed me in your heart these past few months?"
Hearing this, Guderian's face flushed slightly, and he felt awkward. The unpleasantness of the Führer angrily kicking him out of the troops was still vivid in his memory, and naturally, there had been no shortage of overt and covert complaints. But now the Führer was greeting him kindly. As a pure and inherently proud soldier, lying went against his nature, and flattery was impossible, so he didn't know how to respond.
Seeing his embarrassment, Hitler smiled: "It seems you cursed me quite a bit, too many times to count immediately. But today is not a time for reckoning. Regarding your matter, I mistakenly listened to slander and became overly emotional. I owe you an apology."
"Führer, I..." Guderian stood up excitedly. Being driven out of the military months ago was a moment he regarded as a great humiliation, but now that the Führer had personally apologized, all his dissatisfaction and resentment seemed to vanish instantly. "I shouldn't have said so many offensive things to you back then."
Hitler was pleased with Guderian's reaction. Guderian was different from Halder. Although the former complained a lot about the Führer after being ordered into the reserves, he remained loyal. The latter, Halder, had always been one of the main conspirators within the Wehrmacht planning to overthrow the Führer, and was involved in the 7/20 Incident. Regardless of the difficulties involved, standing in the Führer's position, Hitler found it hard to understand or accept such betrayal.
"Let bygones be bygones. Now is the time for us to look forward again." Hitler had to admit that the Führer's power of rhetoric and expression was ten times greater than his own. He stood up, habitually waving his hand, and asked deliberately, in a serious and calm tone, "Mr. Guderian, are you still willing to be loyal to me as before? Are you still willing to dedicate all your wisdom and strength to the Reich?"
Guderian snapped to attention: "My respected Führer, I will be infinitely loyal to you. I will dedicate all my strength to the sacred cause of the Reich, sparing no effort, even unto death."
When the dusty Zeitzler also appeared before him, Hitler immediately told Heinz Linge, the Führer's personal attendant, to inform the dining room that dinner was served. Through the afternoon's interaction, Hitler noticed that Heinz Linge maintained the same attitude toward him as always, showing no suspicion whatsoever. Even when some habits didn't match the Führer's usual routine, the attendant automatically attributed them to normal changes following the Führer's dizzy spells, which greatly reassured Hitler, he was growing more confident in this transmigration game.