Capítulo 126: 126
Looking at the atmosphere, it would not have been surprising if the meeting collapsed immediately, but surprisingly, the meeting continued.
When the proposal to jointly attack Britain was rejected, Stalin this time called for Finland.
"Although we failed the year before last, I intend to return it to the Soviet Union in the near future. However, Germany is selling weapons to Finland and sending advisors to train the Finnish military.
Of course, I have no intention of blaming Germany. "This is the truth, so I hope you don't feel too offended."
What are you saying so openly in front of me? Anyway, he's so shameless that no one can follow him.
"So, I would like you to withdraw the advisory group dispatched to Finland and stop selling any more weapons and supplies to Finland. "I don't want you to hear reports that the weapons and ammunition sold by Germany to Finland are being used to kill Red Army soldiers."
"haha… . "It's difficult to give a straight answer on that matter."
When I gave him a look, Ribbentrop continued speaking as if he had been waiting.
"Germany's credit rating will decline if it refuses to deliver weapons and ammunition when it has received full payment from Finland. And Germany had previously guaranteed safety to Finland. But if Finland stands by and watches as it is attacked, what country in the world would want to form an alliance with Germany?"
"In other words, Finland cannot make concessions. "Do you mean this?"
"It seems that it will be difficult to make concessions because it is an issue that depends on Germany's credibility. Please understand."
I expected Stalin to complain. However, Stalin only had an appetite and did not react in any way.
When Stalin asked for something, I either rejected it in euphemistic terms or negotiated, and the process was repeated.
Stalin asked if I would consider selling some of the ships we had seized from France and Italy to the Soviet Union, and I said I would decide after consulting with Raeder.
In addition, regarding the plan proposed by Molotov for Germany and the Soviet Union to jointly manage the Dardanelles Strait in Turkey, the Turkish government expressed its rejection by saying that it would reject it even at the risk of war.
However, this does not mean that all requests from the Soviet Union were unconditionally rejected.
I obediently granted Stalin's request to send German doctors to the Soviet Union to reorganize the Soviet Union's outdated medical technology system and educate Soviet doctors.
Additionally, Tymoshenko's request to bring in the Sd.Kfz 251 half-track armored vehicle and the Ju52 for research purposes was also granted.
"Instead, we also have something to ask of your country."
"Please tell me."
"We want to lift the Chinese border blockade and increase the amount of oil, molybdenum and tungsten supplied to Germany. For detailed figures, see this data-"
Ribbentrop took out several documents from his briefcase and handed them to the Soviets.
Stalin glanced at the documents Ribbentrop handed him and shrugged his shoulders.
"We will positively consider ways to increase oil and mineral supply. However, lifting the Chinese border blockade seems to be an issue that needs some consideration. "Because it is a matter of the Soviet Union's prestige."
I tried to persuade Stalin several times, but he was steadfast.
With the outbreak of the Pacific War, the United States officially entered the war, but China was having difficulty supplying supplies as the border blockade had not been lifted.
According to Falkenhausen's report, there are only about 4 to 5 rounds of ammunition left for Panzer 4 and Hatcher, making operation difficult.
To make matters worse, there is not enough oil to run trucks and airplanes.
At least the United States and the United Kingdom are supplying supplies to China, but even this amount is only a small amount.
This is because Burma, which was almost the only outlet connecting China and the sea, is on the verge of being taken over by the Japanese army, so there is no choice but to pass through Tibet by transport plane and supply supplies by air.
Of course, they cannot even dream of heavy weapons such as tanks or cannons, and at best they can provide only a little food, ammunition, fuel, and medicine.
Falkenhausen said that if the Japanese army launched an all-out attack now, they might have to give up Chongqing as well, so China's situation was usually not at a serious level.
For this reason, the US and British governments were putting pressure on the Soviet Union, but Stalin was behaving in a way that told them to bark at him.
Even without China, the Pacific War would end in victory for the Allies, but if China falls, Japanese troops from China will be deployed to the Pacific and Indian Ocean areas, and the end of the war will naturally be postponed.
The longer Japan's surrender is delayed, the greater the Allied sacrifice will be, and the more advantageous the Soviet Union will be.
If we make a mistake, even the Korean Peninsula may become dangerous.
I wanted to ask if it was because of Japan's concern, but I held back.
There is no need to ruin the chaotic atmosphere of the meeting by offending Stalin.
As the meeting was coming to a close, Stalin asked in passing:
"It's been a long time since you visited the Soviet Union. Please let me know if you need anything. "I will give you anything."
No sooner had Stalin finished speaking than Guderian opened his mouth.
"Then I would like to see the most powerful tank the Red Army has."
The expressions on the faces of Soviet officials became subtle at Guderian's remarks.
All four people could not give a specific answer to Guderian's words and just stared at Stalin's face.
"It is the most powerful tank the Red Army has... . What about Hitler? "Do you have any special request?"
"Like Marshal Guderian, I also want to see the tanks of the Soviet Army. Oh, I think I would be even happier if I could see artillery and aircraft as well."
Just as the Soviet negotiators visited Germany last year and saw the Panther and Tiger, we also wanted to see the weapons possessed by the Soviet Army since we were in the Soviet Union.
Actually, I had a general idea of what kind of tanks the Soviet Army was running during this period, but I also wanted to see it with my own eyes.
Because a completely new type of weapon that I don't know about may have already been released (even leaving out of the question the possibility that the Soviet Union will show us this).
Stalin seemed to be struggling after hearing Guderian and I's request.
Show it big or not? It's like a human butcher in the world is worried about barely showing a chariot.
I felt like I was going to burst into laughter at my childish attitude compared to the cold-hearted Stalin I knew.
"iced coffee. "We didn't ask for a very difficult request-"
"Hmm, hmm. All right. "Germany has also shown a new tank to our negotiating team before, so there is nothing that can't be done."
Now it's time to pretend to be big. Does it just lose its shape? Guderian exchanged glances with me and said with a smile on his face.
"Thank you, Excellency Secretary."
"It's very late, so please get up now. "I have prepared a small banquet for you all."
***
The banquet hall was filled with the smell of food and alcohol, and was noisy with the voices and laughter of the attendees.
Attendees dressed in colorful uniforms, and a military band in equally stylish attire played moody songs and waiters busily moved around serving drinks and food.
"The toast at today's banquet will be given by Fuhrer Hitler."
"Is that so?"
At Stalin's urging, I cleared my throat and stepped forward.
As Stalin clapped his hands, the people who were chatting among themselves stopped talking and fixed their eyes on me.
It's like looking at robots. A robot programmed to move on its own when commands are given. The developer's name is Stalin.
"First of all, I would like to thank the great leader of the Soviet Union, General Secretary Joseph Stalin, for creating this situation. Who would have imagined that an aspiring artist born in the countryside of Austria would be where he is today? "Just like I didn't know you would be marrying your current wives."
"WAHAHAHAHA!!!"
When Pavlov translated what I said into Russian and told it to the audience, everyone burst into laughter. Molotov, Voroshilov, and even Stalin laughed at my joke, which seemed to be quite offensive.
"Then, let's all toast together. Cheers to the eternal friendship and future of the Soviet Union and Germany, two great countries!"
"Cheers!"
The audience raised their hands holding glasses and shouted a toast.
As I took a sip of champagne and lowered my hand, Stalin suddenly shouted in a thunderous voice.
"Heil Hitler!"
"Heil Hitler!!!"
When Stalin shouted Heil Hitler, everyone in attendance also chanted Heil Hitler in unison.
Even German officials reflexively shouted Heil Hitler.
I was the only person in this large banquet hall who did not shout Heil Hitler.
uh… . what? I'm embarrassed because it's so unexpected. Since Stalin said Heil Hitler, should I say Stalin Ura?
"Are you surprised?"
Stalin asked with a smile on his face. I was dumbfounded and just nodded.
"I didn't think that was something you could hear here."
"Ha ha ha ha ha. The world is full of things that no one can predict. You think of it as part of it."
After Stalin left, I looked around. Ribbentrop was talking with Molotov, and Guderian was with Voroshilov and Tymoshenko.
I walked around the banquet hall with Hess and tasted little by little the dishes that Stalin had prepared for us.
It was half Russian and half German, and although the German cuisine prepared by the Kremlin chefs was delicious, it was somehow lacking by 2%.
As expected, it can't match the taste of the original.
Since I ate German food every day anyway, I only ate Russian food.
You can eat Russian food in Germany, but if possible, I wanted to eat food prepared by locals on the mainland.
"This shashlik is delicious."
I thought it had cooled down because it had been a long time since I made it, but the warmth remained.
It was cooked reasonably well and there was almost no unpleasant smell from the meat.
Hess, who was a vegetarian, did not eat meat at all and ate only a small salad of lettuce and shredded carrots.
"Hey man, can a person live long if he only eats vegetables? "Don't just eat the grass, eat some of this too."
As I couldn't get enough of it, I offered him blin (Блин) topped with plenty of salmon roe.
Blinn is a Russian dish similar to a French crepe. Not only does it taste similar, but it can also be eaten as a dessert with jam or cream, or as a meal by topping it with potatoes, meat, or salmon.
"Mr. President. "Thank you for being concerned about my health, but I will take your heart seriously."
Hess follows everything I say, but he is also stubborn when it comes to food.
They say you have to eat according to the diet prescribed by your doctor or something. I guess it goes as far as this, but there have been more than a few times when I embarrassed people by doing things like forgetting my lunch box alone at a meal.
Not all vegetarians are like that, but why are all vegetarians so stubborn, like Hitler and other people who go to supermarkets and butchers and act like crazy people, talking about animal rights and all that?
I couldn't understand it with my limited knowledge.
"Do you like the food?"
At that time, Stalin returned with his henchmen. I smiled commercially and slightly raised my glass.
"It's a taste I'll keep thinking about when I go back to Germany."
"Hahaha! Our chefs will be delighted."
"Ah, the person next to you is-"
"My name is Lavrenty Beria, and I am a member of the People's Committee for Internal Affairs. "It is a great honor to meet Mr. President."
If Nazi Germany had the Gestapo, the Soviet Union had the People's Commissariat of Internal Affairs, or NKVD.
The head of the NKVD was this man, Lavrenty Beria.
He looked exactly like Himmler, even down to his bald head and wearing round-rimmed glasses.
What I do and the position I hold are similar.
Oh, the difference is that Himmler had slightly thicker hair than Beria, and he was not a sadist who enjoyed directly torturing and beating others like Beria.
Even though he spearheaded the Holocaust, unlike Himmler, who almost fainted when he watched the execution by firing squad right in front of his eyes, Beria often visited the torture chamber and even personally participated in the torture.
Beria seemed much more cunning and generous than I remember from history.
When Beria smiled and offered her hand, I also reflexively offered my hand.
"Nice to meet you too."
Beria's hands were shiny with sweat, and her body had a musty smell.
Does this person even wash up? .?
Next in line for Beria was an old man with a mustache and a military uniform studded with medals.
I looked at the old man's face and realized that he was Semyon Budyani.
"You are my enemy. "I've heard a lot about it."
"Haha, it's an honor that the President knows my name."
Unlike Beria's hands, which were wet and slippery with sweat, Budyuni's hands felt like big, strong, sturdy trees.
It is said that when the Great Purge was in full swing, he fought with the NKVD agents who came to arrest him and overpowered them. His grip strength was no joke.
Even if I just squeezed it slightly, my hand would tingle, but I felt like I could crush my hand if I were serious about it.
"Your hand strength is considerable."
"I've heard a lot about business since I was young. "I'm a little weaker now."
"Huh, if my weakness was this much, no one would have been able to overcome me when I was young. "Draw it."
"Ahahaha!"
Budyuni seemed happy about my praise and smiled brightly as she took a swig of vodka.
As he left to enjoy the banquet, a skinhead with a mustache approached the crowd.
"My name is Grigory Kulik, Mr. Fuhrer."
"Alas, Marshal Kulik. "I know the name of my enemy."
Someone said, is it you? A shooting star of Soviet military legend.
Kulik's activities are so famous that everyone with an interest in the Soviet military knows his name.
Not only did he oppose the mass production of the legendary T-34 tank, and stop production of all submachine guns, light artillery pieces, and land mines, claiming that they were not needed, but he also lost all of his units within two weeks of the outbreak of the German-German War, and earned a brilliant record of disgrace. It was Kulik who posted this.
Stalin gave him several opportunities out of respect for the past, but all of them were ruined due to his own incompetence and neglect of work, and he was eventually stripped of his position as Marshal and expelled from the Communist Party.
However, in another sense, he was an unprecedented figure who embezzled public funds, lived a luxurious life, and even gossiped about Stalin, but was caught and executed by firing squad.
Still, I didn't hate Kulik. Thanks to this friend, the development of the Soviet military was delayed by several years.
In addition, I heard that the reason why production of the T-34, which was in good condition, was stopped was due to Kulik's strong arguments.
Is it possible to hate someone who only chooses to do such pretty things? I just hope that he will rise to a higher position than his current position and play an active role for Germany.
Besides Kulik, there was one more skinhead.
Nikita Khrushchev. The man who became the second General Secretary of the Soviet Union after Stalin and viciously defeated his former master.
"This is Nikita Khrushchev. "It is a great honor to meet the Fuhrer of Germany."
"Nice to meet you too."
Stalin won't know until he dies. That this guy here shaking hands with me is going to be calling me an asshole later.
The last person was Georgi Zhukov, a legendary general of the Soviet Army.
With its angular jaw, rugged appearance, and large body, it looked like a brown bear wearing a military uniform.
"You are Captain Zhukov. "He did a tremendous job against the Japanese at Halhin Gol."
"You knew."
"I know. "I heard that it was thanks to your performance that Japan quietly retreated."
"Hehehe, that's too much praise."
Zhukov smiled broadly and clinked his glass with me.
Then the expression of Beria next to Stalin changed slightly.
right. Beria fucking hated Zhukov, right? He was not only disliked, but was put on the purge list with the intention of killing him, but he made a great performance at the Battle of Khingol, which Zhukov would do, and was only an attempt.
However, I heard that they attempted to purge Zhukov several times after that.
Zhukov also knew that Beria was targeting him, and after Stalin's death, he personally took on the task of arresting him.
One theory says that it was Zhukov who personally shot Beria, but I don't know if that's true or not.
Anyway, I couldn't help but feel bad that someone I disliked received high praise from me.
This place, where open jealousy and hatred were rampant, was the heart of the Soviet Union.
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