Re: Blood and Iron

Chapter 53: The Family Business Part II



Hours passed and by the time the evening arrived the grand banquet had begun. As a member of the main branch of the von Zehntner family, Bruno was naturally seated at what one could call the primary attraction. Which was a large table in the center of the venue meant for Bruno, his eight brothers, their wives, and his parents.

As for the children, they were off at a various tables meant for the younger generations of the main family. In addition to this, there were side tables set up throughout the area where the branch families and other vaunted guests were sitting.

Servants would run throughout the venue, providing various food trays, as well as refilling the drinks of the guests. It was a feast of epic proportions, one which Bruno was all too familiar with considering he grew up in a noble household.

And as Bruno silently ate his food, while his wife Heidi mingled with his family on his behalf. His father gathered everyone's attention by clinging his fork to a glass. Immediately, any conversation that was being had in the room went silent, as all eyes gathered towards the table where the main family sat.

Its patriarch stood up and began to announce the reason why he had gathered everyone here, or at least why the date had been moved up so early.

"I would like to thank those of you who could make it today. And extend my best wishes to those members of our family and our friends who were invited but otherwise could not attend today's gathering.

As always, we gather together as a family once per year, where we chat among ourselves and build connections that otherwise would not occur without our little reunions. And every year I make a little toast to you all, and all that you have accomplished.

But today, I want to be a little selfish, and make a toast to a member of my own immediate family, rather than all of you. Over the years, my various sons have gone on to accomplish great things. Some are naturally more than others.

However, there is one of my children who has performed so admirably, that not only has the Kaiser set his eyes upon him but so has a Foreign Monarch. Who I have recently been extended an invitation to visit his realm as a show of thanks towards the effort of my son in question.

For those who aren't aware, my youngest son Bruno has recently been promoted to the rank of Generalleutenant, a rank which will entail far greater responsibilities with his job at the German Army's High Command.

He has also been awarded a great honor by Emperor Meiji of Japan. No doubt many of you have seen the foreign medal pinned to my son's chest!. Well, I assure you that this is an award which the Empire of Japan grants to soldiers for their valor in the field.

It is for this reason which I have moved up the date of this gathering. As my son will be forced to return to his duties sometime next week. And considering he has just returned from the war in Manchuria, as well as having just been promoted by the Kaiser I felt we should all take a moment to honor this esteemed member of our family. Who has in his short military career climbed to greater heights than any of our ancestors! Congratulations, my son, on your victory!"

Bruno was forced to stand and bask in the praise given to him by his extended family. His father's words were quite excessive, but there were no lies within them. Bruno had helped the Japanese achieve a great victory at Mukden.

But it was a victory they would have won regardless of his interference in the matter. All he had really done was speed up an end to the Russo-Japanese war. Something that would have massive consequences on the timeline.

Consequences that Bruno could not easily predict. Because of this, he remained quite humble as he stood up and assured everyone that he had done nothing spectacular.

"Though your praise is welcome, I fear it is a bit too much. I only did my duty as requested by the Kaiser and his General Staff. Regardless of my contributions, it was inevitable that the Empire of Japan would win their war with the Russians."

After saying this, Bruno sat down and drank from the liter of beer he had been served with dinner. Though he had told the truth, his family did not believe them. Rather, they saw his remarks as an act of humility. I mean, how could the Japanese ever defeat the Russians without the support which the Reich had given them?

And that was most definitely the view that many Europeans had on the Russo-Japanese war. Victory at Port Arthur, and Mukden, did not belong to the Japanese, but rather to the German Reich, and the General they had sent to aid the minor empire.

It was definitely a matter that created complex feelings for the Empire of Japan. Although on the one hand, they were thankful to the material aid which their allies in the German Reich provided to them. As well as the contributions which their military advisors had made in the war effort.

There were indeed those among the Japanese Royal Family, as well as the Empire's military leadership that felt their pride had been wounded by these things. Needless to say, relations between the Empire of Japan and the German Reich were contingent upon the relationship between Kaiser Wilhelm II and Emperor Meiji.

But what would happen when Meiji died in 1912? Even Bruno was not sure if the Japanese Emperor's successor would honor his father's wishes. Or instead hold personal animosity towards the German Reich for taking the credit at Port Arthur and Mukden.

Regardless of these future developments, Bruno's stock within his family, and the German Reich in general was at an all-time high. And because of this, the rest of the family gathering was spent in his honor.

Bruno would eventually return to his own personal home with his family later that night with his wife and children. All of which were thoroughly exhausted by the events of the day. Heidi would quickly help the children get to bed before asking Bruno if he planned to do the same.

"Are you coming to bed, dear?"

Despite himself being quite tired by today's events. Bruno had other plans. At least for the next two hours, he would get to work on the first of his next plans for the German War Machine. Because of this, he shook his head before responding to Heidi's question.

"I have a few work matters to attend to. I'll be up for another two hours at the latest. You can go to sleep before me..."

Heidi pouted, but did not make a move to stop Bruno from getting some work done. She did not know what was so important that he had to stay up until midnight. But if Bruno didn't want to tell her about it, then she did not need to know.

Because of this she climbed into bed, while Bruno got started on designing the engine that would make German Air Supremacy something that would last for the entire duration of the Great War that was to come.

The Powertrain used for this mechanical bird which would rule the skies had been known as the BMW VI. It was a water cooled v-12 engine built during the interwar period of Bruno's past

life.

And while it was by no means something that could be used competitively in the second world war that would follow. For the Great War, it was well beyond anything that would be fielded

by his enemies.

In addition to this, Bruno came up with an aircraft machine gun for use in his future warplanes. While the MG-34 was considered a universal machine gun, insofar as it could fulfill most military applications. 8mm machine guns that were equipped as the primary weapons of interwar era aircraft required a more unique solution.

Unlike the Engine, and the aircraft which it would be built around. Bruno did not intend to manufacture these machine guns, which were based on the MG-17 himself. And instead would gift his older brother Franz with the designs, as small arms were more of what Waffenwerke von Zehntner specialized in.

That wasn't Bruno's only reason for sending these designs to his brother, and the arms corporation which he ran. After all, Waffenwerke von Zehntner owned many of the patents involved with making the MG-34.

And many of the principles used in the MG-17 aircraft machine gun had been taken from the MG-30 and MG-15 designs from Bruno's past life. Which themselves were partially carried

over in the creation of the MG-34.

Because Bruno had given the rights of the MG-34 to his family's arms corporation, they had the patents for several of the designs used within the MG-17. Thus simply making it easier for him to contract the guns used in his future aircraft designs from his brother.

Still, Bruno did not come close to completing either design with the two hours he had given himself on this night. And instead climbed not to bed after the time was up like he had promised. He would spend the next week making these two blueprints. As for when they could enter production? Only time would tell.