Chapter 1488 Different Choices

"From the day we put on this uniform, our fate is no longer in our own hands, Weikert, I think you should know this."

""

Stemelman's tone was calm as still water, but to Weikert it sounded like a storm.

"It's over, it seems that we are going to fight to the death."

Does Colonel Weikert want to live?

Of course, who wants to die if they can live?

But at this moment, Colonel Weikert still remembers that he is still a soldier of the Wehrmacht. Before obeying his own personal will, he must obey the orders of his superiors. His fate is in the hands of Stemelman.

After saying this, Stemelman no longer stared at the night view outside the window, but chose to turn slowly towards Weikert. He wanted to see what kind of expression the subordinate behind him had at this moment.

"Do you think I'm cruel? Just one sentence casually decided the fate of more than 30,000 people and pushed them into the abyss of death."

""

Weckert still didn't speak. At this moment, his true heart was entangled between reason and morality, surging in the vortex, and he didn't know what to do.

If he only considered his personal thoughts, Weckert felt that his answer should be affirmative. Sturmmann was not qualified to make choices for all the besieged German soldiers. Not everyone wanted to obey the orders of the Führer. He even thought about saying this and telling Sturmmann loudly in person, even if such a thought only lasted for a short moment.

But reason told Weckert that he couldn't do this.

The duty of a soldier is to obey orders. Sturmmann was just following the duties of a soldier and following the orders issued by the Führer himself. No matter how absurd and ridiculous this order seems now, and it is almost impossible to achieve, but an order is an order, and all a soldier has to do is to execute it like a machine, it's that simple.

Seeing that Weikert was speechless and began to walk alone with his hands in his pockets, Stemmermann took over the conversation and spoke slowly.

"I will give everyone the power to choose their own destiny. They are not only German soldiers and the Führer's soldiers, but also the sons of their parents, the husbands of their wives, and the fathers of their children. For the so-called duty and glory, I don't have this power, and the Führer doesn't have it either."

Weckert thought he had thought of what Stemmermann would say, but he was stunned when he heard this. He never expected that Stemmermann would finally make such a "compromise" solution.

"General, this"

Before Weikert finished thinking about what to say next and finished speaking, Stemmermann, who did not intend to give up the right to speak, continued to speak.

"All the besieged troops can choose to continue fighting or break out, or surrender to the Russians. The power will be delegated to every infantry squad and every soldier. Of course, this includes you, Weikert. Follow your true inner thoughts to make decisions. From now on, I have no orders for you to execute. You are a truly free man."

""

This should have been the best news that Weikert had been waiting for for a long time. He could decide his own fate instead of being forcibly tied up. For someone who was about to lose his life on the battlefield, what could be better than this?

But Weikert was not sure that he really thought so in his heart at the moment, and the words he said changed his tone and taste.

"General, what about you? What are you going to do?"

Will Stemerman choose to surrender?

Maybe, it is likely that he will. Weikert knows that Stemerman is also a family man, and he also has relatives and family that he cherishes. Since everyone can be given such a self-selection order, there is no point for him to continue to persist.

"Me? Well, maybe I need some time to think about it. I don't know what decision I will make."

""

Weckert has never felt that he is always speechless like tonight. His eloquent words in the past seem to have been thrown out of the window and no longer exist.

Regardless of what Stermermann and Weckert thought in their hearts, the last order issued as the commander of the besieged German army was quickly conveyed to everyone and every German soldier.

"Is this true? Unbelievable! Didn't the general say during the day that the Fuehrer would send a large army to rescue us? I thought this was true."

"Army? Where is the large army? Are you still asleep or dreaming? Clear your head! So many days have passed. If the Fuehrer really wanted to rescue us from here, he wouldn't have to wait until now. You have to learn to distinguish and listen to the words of those big shots above. Some are just nice words and slogans. I have recognized them a long time ago, so I can survive until now."

"Let's wait, brothers, and see how others react. We still have time to act."

"It's up to you. Anyway, I plan to surrender to the Russians. It's better to work as a coolie for the Russians than to be beaten to death in this damn place. I still want to go back alive."

Several German soldiers sitting in a low-lying area were discussing the explosive news that they had just learned and were now being spread and discussed everywhere.

Some people think this is a made-up lie, but more people still believe it and are willing to give up something for their own lives. Even if you wear this Wehrmacht uniform, it does not mean that you must lose your life in the army. From the moment you join the army, you have never heard of such a must.

On the other side, in stark contrast, in the headquarters jointly built by the SS Viking Armored Division and the Valonian Armored Grenadiers Brigade. Herbert, the commander of the Viking Division, who had just received the order from Stommelmann, was furious with his glasses shaking on his nose.

"Traitor! Shameless! Isn't he, Sturmmann, ashamed of giving such an order!?"

"The Fuhrer has just recharged our entire army, and Sturmmann, a coward who is afraid of death, actually wants to surrender to the Russians at night! This is impossible! I will never agree to and obey this order! These traitors of the Wehrmacht have never been reliable. They stabbed the emperor in the last war, and they will continue to stab the Fuhrer this time. They are a bunch of traitors to Germany!"

"We, the SS, will fight to the end, no matter what the cowards of the Wehrmacht want to do. Get the troops ready, gather all the remaining armored forces, and we will break out tonight!"