Chapter 36:
The plans for the coup were proceeding smoothly. The recruitment targets we selected had been carefully chosen over several months, even referencing the knowledge I possessed from the original history, so most of them joined us with ease.
Manstein, to the end, maintained an opportunistic attitude, stating that on the day of the event, he would remain in his original post as the chief of staff of Army Group South. Considering his personality, it wasn't exactly an unexpected move.
After all, what we need from Manstein is for him to use his brilliant mind to properly formulate our operational plans. As was the case in the original history, the German army has many tactically superior generals who can execute a well-laid plan.
What makes him irreplaceable is his ability to place those generals and units in the right places at the right times to craft the optimal offensive plan.
His opportunistic side is annoying, but if Manstein, while testing the waters, happens to hit the jackpot and gets even a part of Army Group South to join the resistance, that would be a good thing in its own right.
The problem was my mentor, Walther Model. I knew of his phenomenal abilities and was personally grateful to him, so I wanted to win him over if possible.
However, he is a rigid man who is extremely wary of soldiers getting involved in politics and who goes around saying, as if by habit, that loyalty to the state and the regime is a soldier's virtue.
Furthermore, in the aftermath of his last demotion, he is still a major general.
He was appointed chief of staff of the 4th Corps, part of Army Group South, thanks to Brauchitsch's protection, but—