The Rise of the Third Reich

"So... how is your country going to mediate the war between our empire and the United States, China, and Soviet Russia?"

Oshima Hiro was silent for a long time. After knowing that the German-Japanese alliance was irreversible, he began to ask about German mediation methods.

"Concerning peace," Hersman said, "we had a frank discussion with Comrade Zhou, the Chinese Prime Minister and Foreign Minister who is visiting Europe."

The German Empire was actually one of the first two countries in the world to recognize the Chinese revolutionary government. The two sides established diplomatic relations as early as 1928. And because the southern government at that time also implemented socialism and was of the same origin as national socialism, after the Soviet-German honeymoon period began, the leaders of China and Germany became comrades.

And this title did not change even after the Soviet Union and Germany turned against each other and went to war. Because Germany hoped that China could mediate the war between the Soviet Union and Germany at that time, it still regarded China as a friend. It was not until it later encountered many Chinese internationalist fighters on the battlefield that the relationship between the two sides became cold.

However, as Japan's defeat in East Asia became a foregone conclusion, Sino-German relations began to improve again. This is because China and the European Community, although physically out of reach, are neighbors on the map. On the map of the European Community, the country Soviet Union does not exist, and the eastern part of Russia borders China! Therefore, after the Soviet Army defeated the Japanese Army and retained its dominance of the East Asian continent, Germany must draw a red line for China - China and the Soviet Union can be comrades and brothers, but they must not merge! Moreover, the Chinese cannot enter the vast land of Soviet Russia in large numbers to support the Soviet Union's socialist construction.

Otherwise, when the Russian Empire is unified in the future, there will suddenly be hundreds of millions of Chinese people in eastern Russia! This is a big deal... As far as Germany and the European Community are concerned, it is best for the Chinese to feed the Slavic masters of Soviet Russia and not let Soviet Russia collapse prematurely. At the same time, there cannot be hundreds of millions of Chinese. Run to Russian territory controlled by Soviet Russia.

As for the option of assisting Japan at all costs to defeat China and the Soviet Union, it is not feasible at all. Not to mention whether Japan will all die in a bacterial weapons war - this possibility is relatively high - even if Germany helps Japan win at all costs. Japan will definitely be tyrannical if it takes over the East Asian continent, and Soviet Russia will definitely not survive without China's support. At that time, the European Community will have to add tens of millions or even 100 million Slavic bosses. This is completely asking for trouble!

Therefore, Chinese national leaders recently received a warm invitation from the European Community. Now the Chinese Prime Minister and Foreign Minister is visiting Europe, and he is affectionately called "comrade" by the German government.

Hearing Hersman calling the Chinese Prime Minister "comrade," Oshima's face turned so green that he almost turned black. He knew that this meant that Germany was actually begging China, and Japan was now begging Germany...

Hersman continued: "The Chinese believe that the Treaty of Shimonoseki signed in 1895 can now be invalidated."

"This is impossible!" Oshima shouted. The Treaty of Shimonoseki not only involved an indemnity of 230 million taels of silver, but also involved the ownership of the Korean Peninsula and Taiwan Island (and its affiliated islands).

If this treaty is invalidated, Japan will need to pay 230 million taels of silver to China and return Taiwan Island and its affiliated islands. In addition, there will be huge disputes over Japan's rule over North Korea - because it was the Treaty of Shimonoseki that gave North Korea its "independent" status. It can be said that the Treaty of Shimonoseki is the basis of the Japan-Korea Merger Treaty.

Hersman raised his wrist, pretended to look at the time, and then said: "Then in 24 hours, there will be 300 B-17s filled with plague fleas, anthrax spores, and solidified viruses. and B-29s will visit major industrial cities in Japan...this time, at least 1,000 tons of bacterial weapons will be dropped!"

"The Japanese Empire will take the same retaliatory measures!" Oshima Hiro said tremblingly.

Hersman shook his head: "The Chinese say they are not afraid of germ warfare... This time they are prepared to kill 100 million people! Oshima-kun, in the era of germ weapons, population is combat power! And the germ weapons now used to attack Japan , it seems that you invented it yourself, and you also used bacterial weapons against the Americans and Chinese first, and their current retaliatory actions are completely reasonable and legal!”

It is not without reason that bacterial weapons are called the atomic bombs of poor countries by later generations! Its production cost is much lower than that of nuclear weapons, and the effect... is actually to fight for population and determination! If China trades the death of 100 million people for 70 million deaths in Japan, then China will still have more than 500 million people, and Japan will have no one left.

And if "100 million dead" is just an expression of determination, given China's current population distribution, if we must fight a germ war with Japan, the Japanese will definitely die more than the Chinese! About a fraction of China's population can wipe out the Japanese twice.

"But..." Oshima Hiro couldn't be tough anymore. No matter how tough the Japanese were, they would only have 100 million people. In fact, they didn't have 100 million people at all. And the Chinese leader said that they have 100 million dead and 500 million and tens of millions more. Those are really people!

If we fight with bacterial weapons, Japan will definitely be completely defeated! Moreover...these damn bacterial weapons were invented by the Japanese themselves and were the first to be used!

"Mr. Oshima," Adolf Hitler said sympathetically, "We will not just watch Japan perish under the attack of bacterial weapons, so... as long as you are willing to abrogate the "Japan-Singapore Treaty of Shimonoseki" and withdraw from Russia On the basis of the ceasefire on Sakhalin Island and the general principle of agreeing to return 230 million taels of silver and the sovereignty of North Korea and Taiwan, specific issues can still be solved through formal peace talks.

Only when both sides cease fire can it be possible to discuss these issues! Otherwise, if bacterial weapons are thrown around, there will be no human beings left in Japan. "

"Yes," Hessman also chimed in. "Even if the treaty is abrogated, it doesn't mean that the Chinese can immediately take back the governance and compensation of Taiwan. They don't have a navy, so it's impossible to cross the sea to attack Taiwan. They can only send a few policemen at most. (Or tens of thousands of police officers) enter Taiwan. As for returning compensation...you don’t have the money, what can they do?”

He did not mention the Korean Peninsula, because the Japanese Kwantung Army could not stop the tide of the Red Army, and the Korean Peninsula would soon fall into the hands of the Chinese and Soviet troops.

Moreover, Hersman does not believe that Japan and China and the Soviet Union can achieve anything through peace negotiations - nothing more than continuing the military confrontation after the ceasefire, just like the Korean Peninsula in history.

"Do the Chinese agree?" Oshima Hiro was silent for a while, knowing that Japan had nothing to do now.

“It was agreed in principle,” Hersman said, “but they also put forward two additional conditions. One is that during the ceasefire, all China’s foreign trade and transportation will not be interfered by Japan; the other is that during the ceasefire, the Korean Peninsula, The island of Taiwan should be autonomous and demilitarized."

"Autonomy and demilitarization?" Hiroshi Oshima frowned and asked, "Is autonomy complete autonomy?"

"Of course not," Hessman smiled. "Autonomy does not mean gaining independence. Moreover, demilitarization is limited to the fact that regular troops are not allowed to enter. Non-military police and militia can still exist."

Theoretically, after the abolition of the Treaty of Shimonoseki, there is no doubt that the sovereignty of Taiwan and its affiliated islands should be returned to China. However, there are obstacles in international law regarding the ownership of the Korean Peninsula. Because the Kingdom of Korea was a vassal of the Qing Empire before the Treaty of Shimonoseki, it was not the territory of the Qing Empire. Moreover, the legal basis for Japan's annexation of North Korea was the "Japan-Korea Merger Treaty". This treaty was not signed by the Qing Dynasty and Japan, so China had no right to propose an abolition.

Of course, in the face of absolute force, treaties and international law are useless. However, except for extreme measures such as fighting bacterial weapons, neither China nor Japan has absolute force to subdue each other.

So now we can only achieve a ceasefire between China, the Soviet Union and Japan, and the ownership of the Korean Peninsula and Taiwan must be negotiated later. Under such circumstances, it is impossible for the Korean peninsula to establish an independent country immediately. It can only be managed by China and the Soviet Union, and autonomy can only be autonomy under the trusteeship.

The situation on the island of Taiwan is similar. Although the sovereignty there is not in dispute, the governance is. Because China and the Soviet Union do not have strong navies, they cannot defeat each other! Send at most tens of thousands of people's police and party representatives there...

The long-term confrontation and marathon negotiations between China, the Soviet Union and Japan over the issues of Taiwan and the Korean Peninsula are the situations Germany would most like to see.

This means that the two giants of the greater East Asian civilization will be hostile to each other for a long time and will be unable to unite to jointly revitalize their civilization.

In addition, the United States will also face the problem of choosing sides between China and Japan in the future. If the United States continues its current pro-China line, Japan will cling to Europe's lap and act as a vicious dog in the Pacific. Militarily isolate China, the Soviet Union, the United States and Australia. On the contrary, if the United States becomes pro-Japanese, China will fall into the arms of Europe. When the world island unites, won’t it be easy to crush the US-Japan-Australia alliance?

"In addition, we also intend to mediate the war between the United States and Japan." Adolf Hitler changed the topic - he knew that Japan now has no capital to disobey Germany, and Japan can only accept Germany's arrangements for East Asia.

Hitler said: "The United States and Japan must cease fire! Because only in this way can we limit the naval power of the United States in the EC-US Peace Treaty."

The "EC-US Peace Treaty" being discussed will not only force the United States to lose money, but also limit the United States' military strength, especially its naval strength.

"Oh, how does your country plan to limit the naval armaments of the United States?" Oshima Hiroshi immediately became interested. Although he is a Japanese army man, the issue of restricting naval armaments is also very important to him. Because the Japanese Empire only used these two funds to build warships, the Army could only reduce expenditures.

German Defense Minister Schleicher took the question and replied: "We plan to attach an arms limitation treaty to the EC-US Peace Treaty, which will not only restrict the development of the US navy, but also restrict the US development of jet fighters and Atomic weapons... The United States was not allowed to develop jet aircraft before 1955, and it was also not allowed to develop atomic bombs.

"As for the Navy," Hersman continued, "the total tonnage of the U.S. surface fleet combat ships cannot exceed 500,000 tons, and they are not allowed to have large ships with a displacement of more than 15,000 tons. They are not allowed to have aircraft carriers, aircraft-carrying battleships, or aircraft-carrying battleships. Cruisers and battleships."

This restriction is actually very loose. Because the German General Staff headed by Hessmann believes that the era of large surface ships dominating the oceans has actually passed. It’s not that large surface ships are useless, it’s just that they cannot be used as weapons in decisive battles between big powers and can only be used to bully weak countries.

In the struggle between great powers, nuclear weapons will still be relied upon in the future! No matter how powerful an aircraft carrier team is, it will be destroyed if a 200,000-ton nuclear bomb explodes underwater.

Therefore, there is no problem at all for ballistic missiles to hit aircraft carriers. The only question is what kind of warhead should they use?

Therefore, the Germans (the United States of Europe) themselves do not actually intend to invest too many resources in building an overly large naval surface fleet. As long as there are about 10 aircraft carrier battle groups to show off and scare small countries, it will be enough.

"So... how many tens of thousands of tons of naval surface ships does your country, oh, it should be the future United States of Europe, prepare to have?" Oshima asked tentatively.

Although Hitler, Hessmann and others have not yet mentioned it, he has already expected that a global "Naval Arms Limitation Treaty" will be issued to control the strength of the navies of various countries and allow the United States of Europe to maintain hegemony at a lower cost. .

"1.5 million tons," Hersman replied. "After the peace treaty is signed, the European Community Navy will be reduced and organized, and most of the old ships that cannot adapt to the missile era will be eliminated. And a new batch of missiles will be built. and new ships with carrier-based jet aircraft as their main weapons.”

Old ships are being phased out and new ones have to be rebuilt. This is not good news for Japan, a traditional maritime power!

"So," Hessman glanced at Oshima Hiro, who looked grim again, and continued, "We plan to sign a naval armament treaty later that all major countries in the world will participate in. All countries will have certain naval armaments. Restrictions... Of course, except for the United States, other countries only need to restrict missile ships and aircraft carriers, aircraft-carrying cruisers and aircraft-carrying battleships that use missiles as their main means of combat. Most of the old ships have no actual combat value. No restrictions needed."

Is this worthless? Oshima Hiro thought to himself: Now Yamamoto Isoroku has another reason to change equipment for the shameless navy! The Germans have a "new naval ship" of 1.5 million tons. Why does the Japanese Empire want to build 1 million tons? And these are not traditional artillery-type ships, but missile ships. The research and development costs alone are astronomical...