The Rise of the Third Reich

When Herschmann, Raeder, and Natalie returned to the German Embassy, ​​Ambassador Schulenberg and Herschmann's wife, Chloe, were visiting.

"Ludwig, who do you think is here?" Chloe pulled a woman about sixty years old, but still dressed very fashionably, to her husband.

"Alexandra Mikhaylovna!" The visitor was Mrs. Kollontai, an old acquaintance of the Hersmans. Hessman hugged her and then asked: "I heard that you were cheated." Minister to Sweden, are you coming back to Moscow to meet old friends? "

Of course it’s impossible! Hessman knew the answer when he asked the question. The Soviet Union was not a capitalist country with few rules. An envoy stationed abroad is subject to so many disciplines, how can he take advantage of the opportunity to return home to report on his duties and go to a foreign embassy to meet with senior military officials of a foreign country without approval from the organization?

"Ludwig, you are already a lieutenant general, and you still love to joke so much." Kollontai, who was about to become an old woman, and Natalie Lesinskaya, who betrayed the revolution, and "old friends of the Soviet people" Raeder shook hands.

Then he took Hessmann and found a sofa to sit down in the living room of the German Embassy, ​​and looked at the German Ambassador with a very solemn look.

"Count, I want to go to Arbat Street to see the gallery there." Chloe immediately understood what Mrs. Kollontai meant, stood up and took the German Ambassador, who was also her boss in the German Foreign Ministry, Count Schulenberg. Left the room.

"Oh, Chloe is really considerate." Old lady Kollontai smiled and looked at Admiral Redl again.

"Tell me, what's going on?" Hersman had no intention of sending Redel away. The admiral was also an important figure in the "Schleicher-Hersmann Group". Otherwise, he would not be the commander-in-chief of the German Navy.

"We are going to sign a non-aggression treaty with France," Kollontai said. "It was proposed by Edouard Herriot, who is about to take office as prime minister. We will agree to this request in June this year. Then Litvinov will be sent Visited Paris to sign the treaty and discuss with the French the Soviet Union's admission to the League of Nations."

This is indeed a great event! Throughout the 1920s, Germany played the "Soviet card" more than once when facing France, Belgium and Poland. It was the Soviet-German cooperation that made Germany's enemies dare not act rashly when Germany was extremely weak.

After Hitler came to power, there were obvious problems in Soviet-German relations. The contradictions caused by the National Socialist International may not necessarily be noticeable to outsiders. However, when the "Polish-German Non-Aggression Declaration" dismantled the "Poland-France-Czechoslovakia Iron Triangle Alliance", it also caused a rift between the Soviet Union and Germany. Similarly, Polish-French relations also became cold because of this declaration. stand up.

The simultaneous cooling of relations between the Soviet Union and Germany and Poland and France created favorable conditions for the improvement of relations between France and the Soviet Union. After the dissolution of the Polish-French Alliance, France theoretically had no obligation to participate in the war if Poland was invaded by the Soviet Union. This cleared the way for France and the Soviet Union to sign a non-aggression pact.

The signing of the Franco-Russian non-aggression treaty will make it impossible for Germany to play the Soviet card when it has a dispute with France.

Moreover, Kollontai also mentioned the Soviet Union joining the League of Nations. This is obviously the exchange condition for the Soviet Union and France to sign a non-aggression treaty... It is very likely that this condition has also been recognized by the United Kingdom.

It seems that Adolf Hitler's pro-British and anti-Soviet policies did not win Britain's friendship. Instead, they gave Britain and France the opportunity to win over the Soviet Union, the red steamroller, to contain Germany.

However, Stalin obviously did not want to break with Germany. Compared with what Britain and France gave - international status and recognition - what Stalin got from Soviet-German cooperation was more beneficial. That's why Mrs. Kollontai was recalled from Sweden and now appears in front of Hersman.

"Ludwig," Mrs. Kollontai looked at Hessmann, who seemed to be deep in thought, "The contract will be signed in June. There is not much time left for you to solve the Rhine problem... and the French right-wing government will no longer He will resign in a few days, and Edward Herriot of the Radical Socialist Party will form a government. This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity!”

Stalin was quite a friend, and even helped the Germans find the most suitable opportunity to make a move. Andre Tardieu, the right-wing Prime Minister who followed the Clemenceau line, lost a key election because he had nothing to do about the Great Depression, and he would bow out and leave in a few days. The successor was Edward Herriot, a disciple of "Our Lady" Briand.

The "Mother of the White Left" is of course easier to bully, and it is impossible for her to start a war just because the German troops entered the Rhine Demilitarized Zone. Moreover, Germany is now armed, Poland has signed a non-aggression declaration with Germany, and the "Franco-German Non-Aggression Treaty" has not been finalized.

However, those French "Madonnas of the White Left" will not be indifferent to Germany regaining control of the Rhineland. They will definitely get closer to the Soviet Union in an attempt to piece together an alliance against Germany.

This kind of continuous movement between France and the Soviet Union is obviously very beneficial to the Soviet diplomacy.

…

"We must send troops into the Rhineland!" After hearing that France and the Soviet Union were about to sign a non-aggression treaty, Hersmann immediately took a plane back to Berlin. After getting off the plane, he drove directly to the Chancellery in Wilhelm Street.

"While France and the Soviet Union have not yet signed a treaty, we can control Germany's most important industrial area without risk." Hessmann made a loud suggestion at an urgent secret cabinet meeting. "Although the move into the Rhineland not only completely tore up the Treaty of Versailles, but also destroyed the Final Locarno Agreement, I believe that Britain and Italy will never take any action."

The "Final Agreement of Locarno", also known as the "Rhenish Security Pact", required Germany to abide by the provisions of the Treaty of Versailles regarding the demilitarization of the Rhineland, with Britain and Italy acting as guarantors. However, in the years following the signing of the Agreement, relations between Germany and Italy improved rapidly. Now Mussolini would never stand up for the French over the Rhine issue.

The British had recently obtained satisfactory results from the Germans on the issue of naval arms control, and most likely they would not face the current extreme financial difficulties. The British pound was depreciating sharply. The British finally couldn't bear it anymore. In late 1931, After giving up the gold standard for half a year, China chose to use force with Germany.

Hitler took over the topic, suppressed his excitement, and said in as calm a tone as possible: "We now have an army of up to 900,000 men, and have also signed a "Declaration of Non-Aggression" with Poland. Once our fortifications in the Rhineland are built, After that, the countries in Central Europe will understand that Germany has completely got rid of the constraints of the Treaty of Versailles, and then all these countries will completely change their diplomatic attitudes, and even their domestic politics will change in favor of Germany.”

He was obviously unwilling to give up the opportunity. Entering the Rhineland seemed risk-free, and it would also enhance his prestige. In the past year or so, due to the improvement of economic problems, the government's prestige has also been greatly improved.

So Hitler is planning to complete the merger with the Baltic Republic at the end of this year or early next year, and then hold another election - if everything goes well, the jointly ruling Nazi Party and the Fatherland People's Party (will merge with the Baltic German National Party ) will achieve an overwhelming victory. Not only could he control the parliament of the German Empire, but he could also control the state parliaments.

The Nazi Party and the Fatherland People's Party were then able to amend the Weimar Constitution, significantly reducing the autonomy of the states and turning them entirely into local administrative districts controlled by the German imperial government.

After completing local control, Hitler also planned to pass the "National Transformation Justice Ordinance" in parliament, which would investigate the revolution that occurred in Germany between November 1918 and February 1919. In fact, this is a bill tailor-made for the Social Democrats.

The result of the investigation was, of course, that the Social Democratic Party was banned due to a large number of illegal and traitorous behaviors!

At this critical moment, Hitler certainly hoped that the Rhineland issue could become a major plus point.

In addition, Germany's recovery of all sovereignty over the Rhineland will also greatly enhance the prestige of National Socialism in Europe and even the world. This will be very beneficial to the National Socialist international export of National Socialist values ​​and the use of ideology to win over allies.

"General Schleicher!" Hitler immediately named Defense Minister Schleicher.

"Your Excellency Prime Minister." Schleicher nodded.

"I order the Ministry of National Defense to immediately formulate a plan to enter the Rhineland and deploy defenses in the Rhineland." Hitler paused. "It is best to come up with the plan tomorrow... and then I will immediately ask the President for approval to implement the plan."

This is a Hitler without military power... At least before the death of President Hindenburg and Vice President Ludendorff, he had no chance to get involved in the army.

"Okay, Mr. Chancellor." Schleicher said, "The National Defense Forces have already made a plan... After getting the president's order, we will launch the plan on May 11 (this is the second day that the French left-wing government came to power). day) to complete control of the Rhineland."

"Very good!" Hitler looked very satisfied and a little excited. "So how many troops do you plan to use to take back the Rhineland?"

"Mr. Chancellor," Hersmann took over the question. He took the lead in formulating the plan to station the army in the Rhineland. According to Schleicher's deployment, he will be personally responsible for its execution. "We will use 19 infantry battalions and 13 artillery companies, a total of about 30,000 people, to control the entire Rhineland area."

"What?" Hitler seemed surprised, "Only 30,000 people? If the French also march into the Rhineland, will these people be enough?"

"It's totally not enough," Hessmann said, "but Edward Herriot would never dare to do this! Because his voters are unwilling to fight, but we Germans are eager for a revenge war!"