May 7, 1940
Berlin, Northern Germany, Governnt Building The payback against La Rocque, who had been screwing us over using the nominal cover of a neutral country, was a magnificent success.
In Arica, Crown Prince Louis Ferdinand, who happened to be there and was acquainted with FDR, put in the effort, and we succeeded in winning over the Anglo-German Cooperation Organization by moving Montagu Norman, my nephew's godfather.
It cost lobbying funds to do this, but considering the trouble France and La Rocque would face, it was an investnt I didn't regret in the slightest.
"I wonder how France will react?"
Britain had notified France that if they did not stop their support for Italy within fifteen days, they would impose economic sanctions and revoke their Suez Canal passage rights.
Even if Arica and Suez are blocked, they could still import oil through other countries, but international transactions aren't problems that can be solved in an instant.
Even in the modern 21st century, it takes at least a month to sign a trade deal and actually receive the goods, let alone in this era.
France was surely increasing its armants with trade through Arica and the Suez in mind, so if that's blocked, it will take ti to open other deals, and even those would be limited.
Right now, our own tungsten imports are blocked, and we've had to make a deal with the Republic of China, forcing us to make do with our stockpile until the shipnt arrives after a long, roundabout journey.
"Well. In the end, won't they have no choice but to surrender?"
Claudia, who had been busy typing, belatedly answered my question.
"I suppose so, right?"
To refuse this would be to declare themselves an ally of Italy, and it would be foolish for them to have the naive thought of, 'Well, since Arica and the Suez are blocked, we'll just buy from other countries.'
Well, if La Rocque acts crazy and really does that, we can just deal with them in the 'way of a democratic nation.
'
"Unlike us, they don't have any self-rescue asures anyway."
Germany, at least, had been sowhat prepared for international isolation and blockades since the last great war.
The efficiency is quite low, so we, who have no trouble importing oil, barely use it, but fuel procurent through coal liquefaction technology is a part of that.
But France? They've never experienced the difficulties of an oil shortage, or problems from import restrictions or blockades, and preparing for such a situation isn't sothing that can be resolved in a year or two, no matter how competent the governnt is.
I wonder if La Rocque is running wild with rage right about now? It would be great if he were more furious than we were.
Of course, that won't bring the dead soldiers back to life…
"I need a gun.
A fucking big, beautiful, and powerful gun…"
I muttered, glaring intently at the docunts on my desk. No matter how much of a ss the terrain and environnt were, to be humiliated by early-model French tanks.
The fa of the German military would weep.
"…Vice Minister. I'm asking you, please don't make such strange remarks."
"Yes, sir."
It's embarrassing when my aide looks at
with such an explicit 'what is wrong with him' expression…
The production line for the Pak 36 anti-tank gun, which couldn't take out tanks, had already been scrapped.
Production of the 75mm anti-tank gun Pak 40 could only begin after the Pak 38, which was being produced with the high expectations of the military, was shown to be unable to penetrate the armor of a modified Panzer IV.
The problem was, when I said I would make that the main gun of the Panzer IV, the military threw a fit, saying it was too long for the chassis.
Thanks to them, I had to draft a plan to create a self-propelled gun by mounting a heavy gun for destroying enemy defense lines or tanks on a Panzer IV chassis.
But just as I had ordered the developnt of the self-propelled gun, it seed the problem of the Panzer IV's main gun would be solved in an unexpected way.
"Why is this out already."
I stared at the photograph sent from Poland with a very bleak look in my eyes.
It was a Soviet tank, the T-34. Even I, with little military knowledge, could recognize this all-too-famous tank at a glance.
Unlike the short-barreled German-made tanks, thanks to a military that throws a fit if a gun is longer than the chassis, its long, beautifully stretched gun looked terrifying at first sight.
Mass production must have just begun, as there were only a few on the front line, but the Polish Army seed to feel shock and terror from just those few.
Should I be grateful that they experienced the shock the German military was supposed to feel…
Currently, no German-made tank gun or anti-tank gun is effective against it; only the 88 anti-aircraft gun or heavy artillery is said to be valid.
Thanks to this, Inspector General of the Ard Forces Sikorski went so far as to uncharacteristically send a telegram earnestly requesting a generous supply of 88 anti-aircraft guns.
At least this will help
persuade them on the matter of replacing the Panzer IV's main gun. Damn, this doesn't make
happy at all.
"Here, it's all written."
"Ah, good work."
I skimd the docunt Claudia handed .
I had to express my gratitude to the Crown Prince in Arica and the godfather in Britain, so I had asked her to write it.
"Well, excellent as always."
What she wrote was polite and appropriate, with no need for
to touch it.
It's a true blessing to have an aide who can write things so satisfactorily without
having to dictate every little detail.
I'm already swamped with work, and if I had to operate on a 'it has to be ' basis, I feel like I'd wither away and die first.
"Then I'll send this as is. Oh, and this. It's for you."
Claudia smiled, took the docunt back from , and handed
a telegram instead.
"A telegram? Let's see— Huh?"
Reading the telegram, I couldn't be more flustered.
[To the Vice Minister of the Chancellery of the German Fourth Reich, Dietrich Schacht, you (formal)
Your wisdom and patriotism are often heard of even in this distant land.
Though it was several years ago, the mory of eting you in person remains vivid to .
As the leader of the State of Spain, and as an individual who holds you in high regard, I have wished to establish a positive relationship with you and the German Fourth Reich.
However, due to the circumstances both our countries face, it is difficult to make official contact. Therefore, if you permit, I would like to dispatch a special envoy to discuss a friendly relationship between our two nations.
I wish for the developnt of your country and you, Vice Minister, and I look forward to a positive response.
- Caudillo of Spain, Francisco Paulino Hernegildo Teódulo Franco y Bahamonde Salgado Pardo de Andrade]
"What is this, what kind of shenanigans is this?"
Is El Caudillo of Spain, Francisco Franco, saying he wants to have a secret eting with
right now? An unimpressed expression automatically ford on my face.
"I know, right? What could it be about?"
This feels dirty. A vivid mory of eting ? Don't make
laugh.
Is he talking about when I was interpreting for Richthofen at the scene where he ordered the Bombing of Guernica?
I never t him other than that ti, and as if that man would rember a re interpreter officer. Since an official relationship is awkward, he sent it to , the one high-ranking official in the Fourth Reich who has diplomatic authority and so point of contact…
His ploy to just latch onto any case and make sothing work is so blatant that it actually makes
angry.
"My husband is so popular it's a problem. When did you get so friendly with the dictator of Spain?"
"No, I don't know what you're thinking, but whatever it is, that's not it."
I waved my hands at Claudia's playful words and sank into thought.
He cut off the tungsten concession we had been selling just fine, making us consider going as far as the Republic of China, and now he shalessly wants to have a secret discussion?
Did he see us isolate France through our diplomatic war and get the thought of switching sides?
"Well, this is… an annoying person. But—"
"You're going to et him, right?"
At Claudia's words, I naturally nodded my head.
"Well. I'll have to get the Chancellor's permission, but I'll have to et him."
Co to think of it, didn't that Franco guy play both the Axis powers and the Allied Forces in the original history? What an annoying person, but…
"My position is too important to refuse just because I don't like the guy."
-
May 9, 1940
Moscow, Capital of the Soviet Union The Red Army's new Chief of the General Staff, Georgy Zhukov, was looking at the heart of the Soviet railroad, busy preparing to send supplies to the Polish Front.
Dozens of T-34s were being prepared to be loaded onto a train, and next to Zhukov, Lieutenant General Aleksandr Vasilevsky, the Deputy Chief of Staff, who was watching the scene, opened his mouth.
"It's still not the quantity the General Secretary expected.
We have to make an unfamiliar tank right away…"
"It can't be helped since it's the beginning. The skill level problem will be solved by ti."
The adoption of the T-34 was decided quickly due to the General Secretary's pushing ahead, but because Field Marshal Grigory Kulik had been obstructing it the whole ti, the preparations for a mass production system were very poor.
Zhukov also said that ti would solve it, but his stance wasn't so relaxed. If he couldn't produce results now, he too was in a position where he could be purged at any ti.
"Let's go. This ti, I have to have a negotiation."
Vasilevsky gave a bitter smile and followed, hoping that his superior officer wouldn't be purged.
The General Secretary, who had lost face in Finland and Poland after committing a large military force, was unable to contain his anger and was already mobilizing an additional 3 million troops.
Considering the German Fourth Reich was operating with 2 million troops to maintain its combat power and economic power, it was an imnse mobilization of military force, but the problem was that even with the military force, there were no proper officers and generals to command them.
As soon as Zhukov beca Chief of the General Staff, he achieved the success of pushing through a part of Poland's defense line and capturing Grodno by leading with T-34s in a ticulously drafted operation.
He had sothing to say since he had achieved results, but the Soviet Union had to lose 100,000 of the 1.
5 million troops deployed for it.
The Polish Army lost only 40,000 out of 1 million, and the enemy's core defense line along the Bug River ultimately did not fall.
That was the reason for the argunt happening now.
"I've said this many tis, Comrade General Secretary.
Just having military force is not the answer! The current capability of the Red Army is in an indescribably disastrous situation!"
Zhukov was delivering a passionate speech, but Stalin had a sullen face and was sending him a displeased look.
"At this rate, we're just pouring clueless soldiers into the enemy's defense line and boosting their morale!"
Zhukov was by no ans a general who valued human lives, but he hated a situation where he only expended military force and had no results.
He, too, needed achievents to build his rits, advance his career, and bring victory to his fatherland.
"Comrade General Secretary, the officers of the Red Army right now don't even know how to command, and in this situation, no matter how well the superiors plan an operation, it is a complete vain effort.
It's an utterly useless act!"
Zhukov's choice of words was quite full of spirit for sothing said in front of that fearso General Secretary, and Director of the NKVD Lavrentiy Beria was acting like a loyal dog waiting for his master's command, his eyes sparkling.
Stalin glanced at Beria and briefly considered whether to purge Zhukov, but even to him, the current situation seed to be going wrong.
The Great Purge was necessary to pass on the responsibility for the aftereffects of the forced industrialization of heavy industry and to quell the threat of the cursed Trotskyists.
But even Stalin could not help but slowly realize its side effects now.
Didn't he hear sothing before dismissing Voroshilov, who was defeated in the Winter War?
"It's like this now, but if we mobilize more troops, the problem will only get bigger. Even a giant is aningless if he cannot move his own hands and feet! Comrade General Secretary, you must approve the reinstatent of the officers and generals imprisoned in the Gulag, even now."
When Zhukov first brought this up, Stalin was enraged and everyone was horrified, worrying about Zhukov's purge.
But this was already a repeated occurrence, and as the Red Army was repeatedly humiliated, Stalin's mind was also slowly changing.
During Stalin's Great Purge, countless officers and generals were killed, but those whose sin was not worthy of summary execution were only tortured and were still alive and imprisoned in the Gulag.
Of course, even the sins worthy of summary execution were mostly false accusations, and many would have already died in the Gulag or be in such a wreck that they couldn't even return to the military.
"Hmm…"
Stalin pretended to be in deep thought, taking a pause, but in fact, his mind was already made up.
There was the continuous unseemly behavior of the Red Army and Zhukov's perseverance, but what decisively made Stalin change his mind was Lavrentiy Beria's report.
It had been over half a year since an NKVD agent had succeeded in becoming the lover of Trotsky's female secretary, a devotee, and the news was that he was slowly gaining her firm trust.
With that Trotsky bastard, who had survived countless assassination attempts like a cockroach and had completely gone into hiding, soon to be dealt with, Stalin decided to be a little generous.
"If those who were imprisoned in the Gulag cause problems, will you take responsibility as Chief of the General Staff?"
"T-T-That…"
But his having made that decision and Stalin's bad personality were separate matters.
Zhukov, who had been enthusiastically persuading, flinched when the General Secretary said sothing that sounded like the groundwork for a purge.
Zhukov, who had ambition and political ambition, and whose personality could hardly be called altruistic, did not want to take on a risk he didn't have to.
"No? I thought you, Comrade Chief of the General Staff, said that with such boldness and resolve."
But with the General Secretary saying that, wouldn't it be more ridiculous to back down here?
Zhukov thought of his old superior, Rokossovsky, who was still suffering in the Gulag, shut his eyes tightly, and said.
"Yes, Comrade General Secretary! They must have had a long ti for repentance, so they will devote their loyalty to you, Comrade General Secretary! If they cause any trouble, I will take responsibility and deal with them!"
"Hahaha, yes. The Chief of the General Staff of the Red Army should have this much boldness!"
Zhukov let out a sigh of relief and gave a look to Vasilevsky, who had also been extrely tense and was now relieved.
Vasilevsky handed Stalin a docunt.
"Hm, what is this?"
"This is the personnel selection to command the units whose mobilization is currently finishing. I request your review, Comrade General Secretary."
Stalin took the docunt Vasilevsky handed him and read it.
Of course, just because he read it didn't an he knew all the many military personnel of the Red Army, but Stalin, with his ticulous personality, reviewed it diligently.
"It will take ti to confirm whether the officers and generals from the Gulag have recovered and can be deployed to the front line, so this is a personnel selection based on recent evaluations, Comrade General Secretary."
Stalin nodded at Zhukov's words, then paused at a particularly incongruous na among all the Russian-style nas.
"Who is this comrade? It's an unusual na…"
Zhukov saw the na the General Secretary was pointing at and answered.
"That is General Enrique Líster from Spain, Comrade General Secretary.
He is a Frunze graduate. He fought for the Republican faction in the Spanish Civil War…"
Zhukov recalled his eting with him and added.
"He is probably the person within the Red Army who has the most hatred for those German bastards."
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