Chapter 361: 361
361
May 16, 1960
Portugal Nazaré
Nazareth, a Portuguese resort city facing the Atlantic Ocean, got its name from the 4th century, when a priest from Nazareth, known in the New Testament as the childhood home of Jesus, brought in a wooden statue of the Virgin Mary.
The fact that this beautiful and quiet city was selected as the location for the US-German summit was a strong reflection of Germany's demands.
Originally, the United States wanted Iceland as the meeting location, but Germany rejected it and put Portugal and Ireland on the list.
After discussion, Portugal was chosen.
Both Portugal and Ireland were members of the Axis powers, but unlike Ireland, which had directly engaged in combat with the Allied Powers, Portugal had never engaged in direct combat with the Allied Powers, and it was taken into account that it still maintains good relations with the Allied Powers, including the United States and Canada.
Since Dewey had previously invited Hitler to the White House for a meeting when he was president of the United States, this meeting could not be said to be a dramatic meeting that would go down in history.
But for some reason, MacArthur's heart pounded.
Adolf Hitler. German dictator, conqueror of Europe. Genghis Khan returned in the 20th century.
People who met Hitler unanimously say that Hitler speaks as if he is deceiving people.
Of course, MacArthur himself would not be fooled by Hitler's words like Chamberlain was.
Wasn't he the one who survived that difficult battlefield and eventually entered the White House despite numerous crises?
It's not that I look down on Hitler's achievements, but I wouldn't be fooled by the words of a dictator who was just a sergeant.
'Still, I'll have to listen to what they say first.'
"What will Hitler say?"
At Eisenhower's words, MacArthur stopped trying to light a cigarette and said.
"well. "Can you really know until you see it in person?"
Eisenhower also seemed to be in a low mood. There was no way he wouldn't be nervous as he was meeting the person who had inflicted a humiliating defeat on him in the past.
We had various conversations until we met with Hitler, and finally the main character appeared.
"You came first."
"It's because I have a habit of coming early."
"Ha ha ha ha ha."
The President of the United States and the Führer of Germany met in one place.
It has truly been a long time since the White House meeting. Although the US president was different, the German Fuhrer was the same.
"Time seems to fly so quickly. When I close my eyes, I remember the first time I set foot on American soil… … ."
"That's right. It is truly an impressive day."
After shaking hands with MacArthur, Hitler also exchanged greetings with Dulles and Eisenhower, whom he had met previously.
"It took a long time for this day to come."
"That's right. It was really long."
The two leaders who started the meeting discussed the pending issues they needed to deal with as soon as the greetings were over.
Hitler first mentioned the U-2 that was shot down over Europe and demanded that a recurrence be prevented. Americans were surprised that Hitler did not demand an apology.
After some discussion, the United States and Germany tentatively agreed to stop flying reconnaissance planes to spy on the other.
The pilot, Lieutenant Gary Powers, was to be extradited to the United States in return for the huge sum of money the United States had promised Germany.
Even after the U-2 issue was resolved, talks continued.
"Putting everything else aside, isn't it urgent to prevent war from breaking out between the US and Germany? If two countries with hydrogen bombs entered into a state of war, an enormous disaster would befall the Earth."
"I agree."
MacArthur nodded at Hitler's words.
"If World War III breaks out, it will never end like previous wars."
The two leaders agreed to the establishment of a hotline directly connecting the U.S. White House and the German Fuhrer's residence. It was a kind of safety measure that took into account the numerous cases where lack of communication led to disastrous results.
This alone may not completely prevent the possibility of war breaking out, but it at least provides room for dialogue with the other party before starting a war.
Limiting military spending also became a hot topic. An arms race with the United States was an issue that Germany, which already spends an astronomical amount of money every year on space development, wanted to avoid, and the United States, which has the world's largest economy, also faces the burden of military expenses. It was the same.
The two countries, having reached a consensus, discussed limiting armaments.
Although there was no clear conclusion, it was very meaningful to know that both sides had a common opinion.
"You can't fill up after the first drink. "Isn't this a problem that can be resolved gradually, even if slowly?"
"That's right, hehe."
And the problems with each other.
As early as the Dewey era, the United States and Germany had reached an agreement on each other's territory, so discussions on the issue passed quickly.
Europe, the Middle East, and India are Germany's territory, and the Americas are the United States' territory.
Germany pledged not to touch British colonies in Africa, and the United States made the same promise.
At the end of the meeting, Hitler and MacArthur smiled and shook hands again. As the two held each other's hands, reporters started flashing their cameras.
The Cold War is still not over, and the two giants, the United States and Germany, are snarling with nuclear weapons aimed at each other.
At least at this moment, it would be seen as an effort for peace by people.
No one knows yet whether the effort will continue or stop midway.
However, one thing is certain: as long as there is a desire and sincerity for peace, the flame of effort will not be easily extinguished.
The reporters withdrew and MacArthur tried to take out his pipe, as was his habit, but put it back. The fact that Hitler was a terrible non-smoker was a well-known fact even in the United States.
Even though he is the dictator of a virtual enemy state, it is rude to smoke in front of someone who hates smoking. Also, how would people evaluate you if you committed diplomatic disrespect during a meeting between the heads of state?
"I want to ask you a few things… … "Are you okay?"
"Of course. Feel free to ask."
"To be honest, at first I distrusted your offer."
"I understand. When you open your mouth, what comes out is a lie, so you have to be able to believe it."
When Hitler nodded calmly as if he had expected what MacArthur would say, MacArthur was surprised.
"Did you know?"
"How could you not know?"
Göring, Ribbentrop, and Schmidt, who were present, all had angry faces, but Hitler had a calm expression. MacArthur could not stop his curiosity from rising at the sight of that calm appearance.
"If you knew, there's nothing to hide anymore. I was quite taken aback to hear something like peace for humanity coming from the mouth of a man who had swallowed up the Czech Republic and Poland. Did you have any change of heart?"
"It's a change of heart… … "I don't know if you believe it, but I'll tell you there was something roughly similar."
Hitler said.
"I started thinking like that at some point. Times have changed so much from the past, when people believed war was the only way to solve problems that couldn't be solved through diplomacy. In the past, airstrikes were the maximum at best, but as nuclear weapons and rockets became practical, it went beyond the mere defeat of a country to the point where humanity's survival was threatened.
In this situation, if we try to solve everything through war like we did in the past, then humanity may truly come to an end. Shouldn't we avoid such a thing?"
"That is correct."
MacArthur also nodded calmly at Hitler's words.
If the United States had a conflict with Cuba or other small countries in Central and South America and there was no other answer than war, MacArthur would naturally choose war.
But what if the opponent is Germany? Or, even if it is not Germany, what if it is a country that possesses nuclear weapons or equivalent weapons of mass destruction?
If we insist on war even then, the world may be headed for destruction.
If, as Hitler said, it could cause the end of humanity, shouldn't such a thing be avoided?
It was too far to talk about complete peace without war, and MacArthur himself thought it was premature, but even he agreed with Hitler's suggestion to at least use the minimum effort and caution to avoid the worst outcome.
There is still a lot of time left for humanity to live.
***
The US-Germany summit lasted for five days.
The results announced after five days of talks were enough to attract world attention.
-trot! USA, Germany. Agree to establish a hotline between the two countries!
-Will the path to peace be opened?
-Discussion of arms limitation... … There is no clear answer yet. Discussions will continue.
Peace has not been officially declared, and U.S. Air Force bombers are still on constant standby in Iceland and Greenland, ready to deploy with nuclear weapons when necessary, but the mere fact that there were serious discussions about peace between the two countries made people enthusiastic.
Although it is an unconfirmed fact, people's expectations grew even more when rumors circulated that Hitler had invited MacArthur to Berlin and that MacArthur had also encouraged Hitler to visit the White House (although Hitler had already been to the White House).
really,
really,
Will peace come in our time?
The 20th century began with war from the beginning.
Boxer War, Russo-Japanese War, World War I, Spanish Civil War, Sino-Japanese War, World War II, Soviet-Chinese War, Argentine War... … .
Like this, we lived in a world where war broke out again when things seemed a little quiet, so war was now a daily routine for people.
In addition, after Germany used the first nuclear bomb, the nuclear arms race began, and humanity faced the threat of extinction for the first time in history.
People lived with anxiety that a nuclear war might break out and destroy each other.
But now, when they heard that they might be freed from that anxiety, people regardless of age or gender blinked and waited for the new news.
Although we no longer heard the new news everyone was hoping for, people still had hope.
The hope that you can sleep comfortably with your legs stretched out. Confidence that the world will not be engulfed in nuclear fire and face mutual annihilation.
That alone was enough to open a new tomorrow.
After settling the issue with Germany, the United States again focused on the Cuban issue.
Cuba was withered and distorted by the United States' strong economic sanctions, the betrayal of communist countries such as the Soviet Union and Vietnam, and the indifference of the international community.
The United States, deciding that Cuba was sufficiently weakened, launched a surprise invasion of Cuba in October of the same year.
There was already no country in the world that could criticize the United States.
Germany made a pact with the United States to turn off all attention to what was happening in the Americas, and had no intention of stepping up for Cuba, a communist country, in the first place.
The Soviet Union, which needed aid from the United States for its survival, also ignored Cuba's desperate cries.
There was no way for Cuba to survive.
B-28 attack aircraft and B-47 bombers launched from an airfield in Florida bombed the Cuban military's defense facilities and the defense line built on the coast, and Navy battleships, cruisers, and destroyers fired a second round of naval gunfire, followed by LVT- Ground troops divided into 5 landed on the coast.
"It's just like a picnic."
"The Air Force and Navy have done everything so we have nothing to do?"
The Cuban army was virtually destroyed by the U.S. Air Force's fierce bombing.
Surviving Cuban military positions in some coastal areas attempted to resist the US Marines landing on the coast, but were soon overpowered.
After completely controlling the coast, the LSTs laid down their tanks on the beach.
While the 'M60 Patton' tanks, which are more advanced than the M46 Patton in many ways, roll on endless tracks and advance onto the road, soldiers on the coast waded through the waves and set foot on the sandy beach of Cuba.
The Cuban army also had tanks, armored vehicles, and fighter planes, but they were mana.
All of the fighter planes, which were prop planes, were destroyed on the ground before they even took off, and the tanks and armored vehicles were the M3 Stuart, M4 Sherman, and M8 Greyhound that the U.S. military used during World War II. Not only was it no match for the latest American tanks, but crucially, there was not even enough oil to run the tank.
The biggest reason was the inability to import oil due to economic sanctions.
Cuban troops, who realized early on that there was no hope, surrendered to the U.S. military one after another.
Due to food shortages due to economic sanctions, Cuban soldiers always suffered from hunger, and when the U.S. troops landed, they did not have the energy to run with guns.
"Yankees, don't shoot. "I surrender, I surrender."
"I will surrender, so anyone can give me something to eat-"
The American soldiers stared with a mixture of ridicule and pity as the Cuban soldiers surrendered, waving clumsy white flags made of poorly made underwear, and opened their arms and cried out for food.
The ill-tempered soldiers stopped by and passed by, but the kind-hearted soldiers threw C-4 rations to the hungry enemy soldiers.
"What is this… … ."
"It's more of a group of vagabonds than an army. "A bunch of bums with guns."
"Did Castro, this bastard, try to fight us with this army? "I am indeed."
Two days after landing in Cuba, U.S. troops advanced to the very front of Havana, the capital of Cuba.
The Castro government declared that it would fight until the end against the American invaders, but Cubans, exhausted from long-term hunger, were more interested in the sweet temptations of the U.S. military than the Communist Party's words to raise the honor of the Cuban people by resisting until the end.
The U.S. military distributed leaflets throughout Cuba promising generous treatment if it cooperated with the U.S. military rather than resisting.
Cubans, who were tired of living a life where they had not been able to eat or receive treatment for their pain, were easily swayed by American propaganda even though they hated the United States, which was the number one contributor to the impoverishment of their lives.
Shouldn't we live and see first? Above all, this war was lost.
There was no way that Cuba, completely isolated from the international community, could win against the United States, the world's greatest superpower.
When the U.S. troops approached, the Cuban military and the temporarily assembled militia either took out the white flags they had prepared or fired a few shots before quickly surrendering.
In the case of Havana, it took time to attack due to resistance from supporters loyal to the Castro regime, but there were no unexpected results. The American flag was hoisted in Havana, and a Cuban soldier had his hands on the back of his head at the government building. They poured out one after another.
Before Havana fell, Castro detonated a grenade and blew himself up. Because his body was shattered, it took some time to confirm his identity.
Castro's colleague and revolutionary idol, Che Guevara, lived longer than Castro because he was in charge of the defense of southern Cuba.
However, since the capital had fallen, it was only a matter of time before the south was also occupied.
As the U.S. military's siege narrowed, Che Guevara attempted to escape to Haiti.
However, there was no ship to take him to Haiti. This was because the U.S. military carried out air raids on the coast every day and destroyed all the boats.
Above all, Haiti also supported the United States and had no intention of accepting Che Guevara's asylum.
Che Guevara did not give up until the end and tried to escape the crisis by disguising himself, but he was in danger of being captured due to a tip-off from his subordinates.
Before being captured by American soldiers, he bit into a cyanide ampoule that he was carrying with him in case the worst happened.
November 1st.
The White House officially declared that the 'Cuban problem' had been resolved.
According to history, Cuba, which had plunged the world into fear of nuclear war due to the nuclear missile crisis, was conquered without causing any significant damage to the United States.
It was the irony of the new world created by Hitler.
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