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The Red Germany of Strasser
墨書 Inktalez
January 8, 2002
23:59
Suburbs of Berlin
Just after the beginning of winter, the cold Berlin is even more snowy. The white snow mixed with hail falls on the highway, making a crackling sound, as if bullets hitting the body, in the desolate environment, it is even more piercing.
Edward Limonov was driving his Rada, accelerating forward. Today, Limonov was in a bad mood. Just at noon, Chancellor Gerhard Schröder of the Federal Republic of Germany signed a decree officially declaring the National Bolshevik Party, led by Limonov, an illegal political party. All political activities would be banned, and even Limonov himself was wanted by the authorities. Of course, Limonov did not sit idly by; just half an hour ago, he had driven his car, using the cover of the snowstorm to shake off the police who had come to arrest him.
Thinking of this, Limonov couldn't help but sigh. He knew that all his years of hard work had gone to waste. In 1993, he had resigned from his position as a history teacher at Humboldt University in Berlin and had fought for nine years to realize his political ideals.
Now, the National Bolshevik Party was fragmented, and after suffering such a blow, it was becoming increasingly difficult to gain traction. As for himself, escaping seemed nearly impossible. Although he had temporarily shaken off his pursuers, as long as the police controlled the entrances and exits of the highway, Limonov was like a fish in a barrel.
"Damn it, is my political life really coming to an end? Do I have no way out?"
Limonov remembered the advice of his comrade Du Jin to leave Germany for the United States, transform himself into the image of Trotsky, and then resurrect the National Bolshevik Party there. However, he immediately dismissed this idea without hesitation. "I will not leave my homeland," Limonov thought. Just then, the road ahead took a sharp right turn, leaving Limonov puzzled as he had clearly seen a left turn sign at the intersection earlier, but he had no time to dwell on it as the bend was right in front of him.
Limonov had to slam on the brakes and turn on the left turn signal to make a right turn. However, the snowy road was too slippery, and because Limonov had not taken any anti-skid measures on his Rada in haste, this caused the car to lose traction and fly off the road while making the turn. The Rada tumbled through the air several times on the highway, then crashed through the guardrail and rolled down the mountain, followed by a deafening explosion. When the police arrived an hour later, all they saw was a pile of sparking car wreckage.
"Bang! Bang! Bang!"
"Bang! Bang! Bang!"
The continuous sound awakened Limonov from the darkness. He opened his eyes to find himself in a completely unfamiliar room. At the same time, there was a continuous knocking on the door outside, and a young female voice said:
"Mr. Gregor? Your brother Otto is here to visit you. He says it's urgent."
"Otto? Who is he? Didn't I have a car accident? Am I not dead? Where am I now? What happened?"
Just as Limonov was puzzled, a massive amount of memories flooded into his mind, causing his brain to overload and burn through Limonov's CPU, prompting him to groan in pain.
“Mr. Gregor? Are you alright?” The maid Bettina outside the door sounded a bit worried. Last week, her master Strasser had just recovered from a severe headache; she hoped he wasn't having another episode.
Bettina knocked on the door for a long time without receiving a response. Just as she was about to find someone to break in, a familiar voice finally came from inside the room:
“I’m fine, Bettina. Please take care of my brother for now; I’ll tidy up and come down shortly.”
When the footsteps outside the door faded away, Limonov suddenly got up from the bed and searched around the room. Finally, he found what he was looking for - a slightly yellowed calendar with the clear date written on it: November 8, 1923. Limonov breathed a sigh of relief, "Good, at least there's time," he thought.
The original owner of the body occupied by Limonov was named Gregor Strasser. Many people may find this name unfamiliar, but when Adolf Hitler is mentioned, everyone is quite familiar with him.
Strasser, like Adolf, was a member of the Nazi Party. This German, who was three years younger than Hitler, joined the Nazi Party in 1920 and became an important figure in the northern faction of the party. He was well-liked by party members, and at the height of his power, Strasser's influence within the party was even comparable to that of Hitler.
In Limonov's memory, due to differing ideologies, Strasser broke with Hitler in 1925. Like Goebbels, Strasser sought to build the Nazi Party by relying on the proletariat, which Hitler viewed as complete heresy.
After Hitler was imprisoned, Strasser organized the Nazi Party in northern Germany and achieved success in the congressional elections. Strasser's victory in the north made Hitler uneasy; he felt that his leadership position within the party was being challenged, and inevitably, a showdown occurred between them. However, negotiations did not resolve the issue. Both Hitler and Strasser realized that their conflicts were irreconcilable. It could be said that this was no longer a struggle for power but rather a struggle over ideological direction, representing a fundamental divergence in their approaches to party building that could not be compromised, as they each represented conflicting class interests.
Realizing this, Hitler began to plot against Strasser, using his superior political maneuvering to win over and divide those around him. Strasser's right-hand men, Joseph Goebbels and Heinrich Himmler, both betrayed him, and even Strasser's brother, Otto Strasser, was expelled from the party. Strasser himself completely lost power after 1932 and was assassinated by agents sent by Hitler during the Night of the Long Knives in 1934.
Limonov thought, "God truly has a sense of humor, bringing me back to 1923. However, since I have been given another chance to realize my political ideals, I must seize it."
"That fool Hitler has ruined the future of Germany, completely reducing it to a second-rate country. For the rise of my homeland and for my own fate, I must strive once more." Limonov looked at the unfamiliar face in the mirror, his eyes revealing determination as he made up his mind. "Let me live in your place and carry on your unfinished business. From today onward, I am Gregor Strasser."
Strasser opened the door and walked out.
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