Chapter 2- Arrival

“Hello, is this the registration office ?” Lin Wei asked.

“Yes, are you are a freshman,” asked a young officer in a uniform.

“Yes, sir.”

“Name”

“Frank Lampard Krupp lived in Essen born February 24, 1906, 8 years old this year ”

“Wow thats enough ,  you share a dorm in , Building 17, follow this road then take the first left  , hope that you learn hard  little guy” the youth officer said.

“Thank you, sir.” Lin Wei said blankly.

Squeak , the door opened, “I didn’t expect, I was the first here ” Lin Wei muttered to himself while putting a few things onto a bedside table.

Knock Knock …  “Come in” Lin Wei said.

“Hello, my name is Brut Matthew, from the East Prussian, 9 years old this year,” said the juvenile.

“My name is Frank Lampard Krupp, from Essen, 8 years old,” said Lin Wie.

“The city of many chimneys ah” Matthews said spiritedly .

“Um, is it really known as the city of  many chimneys” Lin Wei quite helpless saying.

Thump, Thump ……The  sound of knocking resounded once more, interrupting Matthews reply .

” Come in, doors not locked ” shouted Matthew’s.

“Hey the names Vincent Stark, from Munich, this is my friend, called Karl Hoffman, from Frankfurt”  said the taller of the two young kids as they walked in.

“Hello, my name is Brut Matthew, from the East Prussian, he’s called Frank Lampard Krupp, from the city of Essen” Matthew replied.

“Tomorrow we got classes , how about we go out first,  you know for a stroll in Berlin,” Vincent Stark said.

“Well, okay, Krupp, you coming ,” replied Matthew.

“Well, guess it wouldn’t hurt,”  said Lin Wei

*****

“Wow, really worthy of being the German capital, look  the National Theater, the National Museum of Fine Arts, Brandenburg Gate,  linden trees beside the streets, so many places we could go, I grew up not getting to mess around so happy to be free ” Said Stark.

“Your house was strict then” asked Matthew.

“Of course, it started training from childhood, social etiquette, aristocratic interests, and even how to”

“Eat like an aristocrat ” said Lin Wei  interrupting from the side.

“How do you know, Krupp”  Stark  said surprised.

“Because we are all the same, a Juncker , ” Lin Wei said with a weary smile

*****

“Get up, Stark, do you want to be late,”  said Hoffman while grabbing Stark’s ear and pulling it.

“Okay, I’m up,” said Stark rubbing his sore ear .

“Krupp, what course we got today “asked Matthew.

” I asked an older student and he said that the new students have to go through two months of military training then normal subjects but they will still be somewhat military based lessons, so basically we are going to experience 6 years of the devil life ” said Lin Wei in a dignified tone .

“Well, our great Krupp , how are you going to spend the next six years?” Stark said.

“Uh, of course plan to showcase the spirit of a  Juncker,  by overcoming the difficulties,” Lin Wei  shamelessly boasted , while walking toward the door.

“Ah, Stark you need to hurry up, do you want the instructor to have a bad impression of you , “said Hoffman also walking toward the door,

“Hey, you guys wait for me ah ” screamed Stark scrambling for his clothes.

*****************

“Hello everyone, from today, I will serve as your instructor, my name is Joseph Paul, you can call me Joseph,  you each will spend the next six years here, in addition to military training and Physical Exercise,  you will also have a general course, including mathematics, chemistry, history, geography, etc. In addition each of you will get a selection of schoolwork to complete, from the day you came here, you are no longer ordinary imperial citizens. You must complete graduat to pass from a student to a paramilitary personnel,  you must conform to school regulation, extracurricular activities will be available only to those who abide by the conduct of school which include good grades in studies , Understood ?”

“Well, this is a military of some temperament, because today is the first day,  you get a day off, go relax, from tomorrow we begin, I will be responsible for your military courses, now scram ” ordered the Instructor.

“Hey, Krupp,the instructors look like murderers”  said Stark  while trying to clutch onto Lin Wei’s arm .

“Stop complaining  Stark, we are Junckers , from an early age we have more advantages than others, enjoying the best education, eating the most delicious food, but you know, because of this,  if we do something then we have to be the best at it or at least better than most , plus because we aren’t just doing it for our self’s its on behalf of Germany, ” said Lin Wei stern tone to Stark.

“Stark, what Krupp said  is right, we must be the best” Hoffman also said .

“So from tomorrow, we will let this damn instructor know our strength,” Matthew said.

*******

So in the next two months, whether it is infantry march, or light weapons shooting. Or climbing, swimming, Lin Wei their class are among the best.

Lin Wei and Matthew several of them have begun to have the military temperament.

At midday Lin Wei and Matthew are sleeping in the dormitory, “Krupp, Matthew wake up, I just heard from the senior students that Archduke Franz Ferdinand, nephew of Emperor Franz Josef and heir to the Austro-Hungarian Empire, was shot to death along with his wife by a Serbian nationalist in Sarajevo, Bosnia.

“What, are you sure you heard right?” Matthew asked shocked .

“How can I of hear something like this wrong ” Stark whispered.

“Be quiet,” shotuted Lin Wei  while frowning.

Stark and Matthew heard that Lin Wei spoke with some impatience and so they just stood on the side without talking.

“Stark, when did this happen ,” Lin Wei asked.

“Outside the senior students said it was around 9 am” Stark said.

“Krupp why do you look so worried ”

“This will lead to a war ”

“So even if it does it wont involve Germany”

” It will , everyone knows , Austro-Hungarian Empire , China  and us are military alliances,  ask anyone even Germany children know that once the war brakes out, is bound to implicate our country,” Lin Wei said anxiously .

“What are you on about Austro-Hungarian Empire will easily crush Serbia, then that will be that Krupp you taking this to heart to much,” said Hoffman from the door.

“Well, maybe I was overthinking ,” Lin Wei said, lying in bed again.

“Partners, if only you knew, I was from the 21st century before crossing over ?” Lin Wei said to himself in his mind.

******

June 28, 1914 – Archduke Franz Ferdinand, heir to the Austrian throne, and his wife, visit Sarajevo in Bosnia. A bomb is thrown at their car but misses. Undaunted, they continue their visit only to be shot and are killed a short time later by a lone assassin. Believing the assassin to be a Serbian nationalist, the Austrians target their anger toward Serbia.

July 23, 1914 – Austria-Hungary, with the backing of Germany, delivers an ultimatum to Serbia. The Serbs propose talks as a way to resolve dispute, but also begin mobilisation of their troops.

July 25, 1914 – Austria-Hungary severs diplomatic ties with Serbia and begins to mobilise its troops.

July 26, 1914 – Britain attempts to organise a political conference among the major European powers to resolve the dispute between Austria-Hungary and Serbia. France and Italy agree to participate. Russia then agrees, but Germany refuses.

July 28, 1914 – The Austro-Hungarian Empire declares war on Serbia.

July 29, 1914 – Britain calls for international mediation to resolve the worsening crisis. Russia urges German to restrain itself, but the Russians begin partial troop mobilisation as a precaution. The Germans then warn Russia on its mobilisation and begin to mobilize themselves.

July 30, 1914 – Austrian warships bombard Belgrade, capital of Serbia.

July 31, 1914 – Reacting to the Austrian attack on Serbia, Russia begins full mobilisation of its troops. Germany demands that it stop.

August 1, 1914 – Germany declares war on Russia. France and Belgium begin full mobilisation.

August 3, 1914 – Germany declares war on France, and invades neutral Belgium. Britain then sends an ultimatum, rejected by the Germans, to withdraw from Belgium.

August 4, 1914 – Great Britain declares war on Germany. The declaration is binding on all dominions within the British Empire including Canada, Australia, New Zealand, India and South Africa to fight as well.

August 4, 1914 – The United States declares its neutrality.

August 6, 1914 – The Austro-Hungarian Empire declares war on Russia.

August 6, 1914 – French and British troops invade the German colony of Togo in West Africa. Twenty days later, the German governor there surrenders.

August 7, 1914 – The first British troops land in France.

August 7, 1914 – The French desire to score a quick victory . The French Army invades Alsace and Lorraine. However, the French offensive is met by  German counter-attacks using heavy artillery the French then fall back toward Paris amid 300,000 total casualties.

August 12, 1914 – Great Britain and France declare war on Austria-Hungary. Serbia is invaded by Austria-Hungary.

August 17, 1914 – Russia invades Germany, attacking into East Prussia, forcing the outnumbered Germans there to fall back.

August 20, 1914 – German troops occupy undefended Brussels, capital of Belgium.

August 23, 1914 – Japan declares war on Germany.

All hell started to break lose after that…..