My German Empire - Chapter 40:

This morning, Wilhelm had just walked into the office when Annie came in and reported. “His Royal Highness, the memorandum you asked me to write a year ago expired. It’s called ‘Operation Bernard’.” At that time, His Royal Highness asked her to draft a memorandum, codenamed “Operation Bernard.” But only a code name was given, and she didn’t get any specific content, only to remind him one year later. Now that one year has passed, she is a little worried that her Royal Highness still remembers this action plan with only a code name and no content.

“It’s been a year so soon.” Wilhelm couldn’t help but murmur. During this year, although he has gradually become accustomed to his new identity, he is still in a daze at times, as if he was still the ordinary person before crossing.

After sighing, Wilhelm shook his head, no longer thinking about those useless things, and ordered. “Let Reinhardt come here.”

Soon Reinhard hurried in. “His Royal Highness, what is your order?”

Wilhelm pointed to the sofa and motioned for him to sit down. Wilhelm took out a document and handed it to him. “This is the blueprint of the country’s overall intelligence agency planned by me. Take a look.”

Reinhard received the document respectfully, and Reinhard began to read it carefully. After reading it twice in a row, he exclaimed sincerely. “His Royal Highness, this is really a meticulous blueprint.”

Wilhelm smiled. In fact, this intelligence agency blueprint didn’t need him to bother about it. It was enough to just copy the structure of the intelligence agency of original Space-Time America.

Seeing Reinhard about to put the paper back on the table, Wilhelm waved. “Take these files. I think your ability should not be limited to a secret intelligence office. In the future, you will be the director of national intelligence. You don’t have much time left so you have to be prepared.”

Reinhard’s whole body was straight like a bamboo pole, and he respectfully saluted. “Thank your Highness for your trust, I will work hard and live up to your Highness’s expectations.”

Wilhelm then especially reminded him. “I want GSP(Geheime Staatspolizei or Gestapo) to infiltrate all corners of society and all walks of life, collect and listen to all kinds of information and intelligence. But remember, without my special instructions, GSP cannot execute the power of arrest. And it’s not just Germany, also prepare for European penetration. In the future, any movement across Europe must not escape GSP’s eyes.”

He knew that Reinhard would do well without saying more. An American journalist based in Berlin before World War II wrote: ‘Your son, your father, your wife, your cousin, your friends, your boss, and your secretary may all belong to the secret organization.’

“I understand.”

“I am calling you this time to execute two top-secret plans. The first plan is codenamed ‘Operation Andrew’. The content of the plan is to secretly search and arrest those counterfeiters who can forge banknotes, passports, documents, stamps, cultural relics and other things. I want to make a large number of counterfeit money, using them as real ones so that even if they are deposited in the banks of the British Empire, they will not be found.”

During the Second World War, Germany printed a large number of realistic and counterfeit banknotes to disrupt the markets of allied countries and set purchases.

The use of counterfeit banknotes as a weapon of war is not new, nor is it an invention of the Germans. Disrupting the economy of a hostile country with counterfeit currency is a continuation of war in the currency field. The history of counterfeit currency can be traced back to ancient Greece. Frederick the Great of Prussia created currency in circulation of his opponent Poland during the ‘Seven Years’ War. Napoleon once approved the printing of counterfeit Austrian and Russian banknotes; during the American Civil War, the North and South also used false bills extensively in order to attack the enemy’s financial system.

In fact, during the Second World War, Britain also established its own counterfeiting team-the “A” technical team, but their work was limited to the manufacture of forged passports, documents, stamps and camouflage supplies. There had never been a large-scale counterfeit bill production

It was not that they had not considered it. In 1940, the head of the British Special Intelligence Organization called on Prime Minister Chamberlain and asked the cabinet about the possibility and desirability of spreading fake Deutsche Marks on enemy territory. Chamberlain concluded that the strength of the British pound and the Deutsche Mark was very different so the plan could not be implemented. “If Germany retaliates, we will obviously lose more than them.”

The British have concerns, but the Germans do not. The German criminal police chief Arthur first proposed the creation of counterfeit banknotes, which was approved by Reinhard.

SS Bernhard Kruger’s counterfeit money conspiracy was officially launched, and the conspiracy was named “Operation Andrew” (Operation Andrew is often mistakenly called “Operation Bernhard” because of the surname of the officer in charge) .

A printer who was rescued at the end of the war calculated that the entire operation produced about 135 million pounds of counterfeit banknotes, this news shocked the world.

In February 1945, the British Chancellor and the Exchequer ordered the withdrawal of all ten pounds in circulation and immediately declared to the public that this unprecedented move was to overcome the counterfeit currency crisis. In early 1946, anti-counterfeiting banknotes with metal strips across the banknote replaced all other denominations of the pound sterling. People can still recognize these anti-counterfeiting metal marks from the banknotes in use today.

By January 9, 1951, the Bank of England had collected a total of 1,860,223 counterfeit banknotes of varying denominations. By 1959, a total of more than three million were collected. Counterfeit bills were all burned, but that was not the end of “Andrew” banknotes.

Hearing about Wilhelm’s counterfeit bill plan, Reinhard responded without hesitation. “I understand, Your Highness.”

“The second plan is to set up a secret department to gather financial talents. These people cannot belong to the Junker nobles, nor can they be related to the Jews. I want them to be absolutely clean and loyal to the royal family. Their responsibility is to investigate the financiers, entrepreneurs, and businessmen in Germany. Whether it is a Junker nobleman, a Jew or an ordinary entrepreneur, I want them to thoroughly investigate all of them below the emperor! Those who practice unethical business, rely exclusively on speculation, and lend usury, and all the hoarding worms are to be dug out for me, understand?”

He mentioned this to William II in advance. William II asked him, how to find evidence against those people? How to deal with them?

Wilhelm’s answer is simple. “Ordinary people and Jews are arrested directly, their property confiscated, and thrown into concentration camps to work. For those who are powerful, we can only let them go for the time being and fatten them up first, and wait for the future to liquidate their property . But grandpa, you have to warn them not to be too greedy. If they are too greedy, I don’t mind dealing with them outside the law.”

William II nodded, the child was really thoughtful.