The Rise of the Third Reich

"Marshal, weather report." Hersmann's new adjutant, Major Albert Schnetz, opened the door of Hersmann's general staff office. In addition to Hersmann, there were two visitors inside. Major Schnetz knew one of them, Carl von Haushofer, who had served as chairman of the Industrial Promotion Council. The other man was wearing casual clothes, about 40 years old, with a rectangular head and a high forehead. When he saw Schnetz, he smiled and nodded at him.

Hersman took a look at the latest weather bulletin - the two submarines lurking in the Denmark Strait and the Norwegian Sea both reported that the sea was very rough, with sea conditions above level 5, and thick fog affecting the vision.

This is not a weather suitable for sailing and fighting. If it can be maintained until night, then the "Seidlitz" will be able to break through the Denmark Strait without any danger. The fleet commanded by Admiral Boehm will join it at the eastern exit of the strait, and then join the cruise ship "Bremen" coming from Murmansk in the Soviet Union (this fast cruise ship was in the United States when the World War broke out , was later detained by the United States and handed over to a British cruiser, but escaped with its high speed and arrived at the Soviet port of Murmansk on September 6), and then returned to Germany together.

After reading the weather report, Hersman smiled and waved to Schnetz, asking him to leave his office. What he met in the office today was a figure related to Germany's final victory, Dr. Werner Heisenberg, the chief scientist of the Uranium Engineering Committee. Hersmann's old friend Haushofer has now been recalled by the Army, holding the rank of lieutenant general and serving as chairman of the Uranium Engineering Committee - he is the administrative head of Germany's atomic bomb and nuclear reactor projects.

"Dr. Heisenberg, do you think it is difficult to make a uranium bomb and we should study uranium power generation projects first?" Hersman asked the scientists in front of him with a smile.

"Yes, Professor Hahn, Professor Meitner and Professor Fermi all think so." Heisenberg shrugged and said, "Because although uranium can produce a reaction called nuclear fission, it can theoretically be used to make bombs. But the conditions for such a reaction are difficult to achieve. I mean a large-scale nuclear fission reaction. Through laboratory experiments and mathematical calculations, we know that if we want to trigger a nuclear fission reaction of uranium, we need a huge amount. ...It could be hundreds of tons of uranium metal stacked together. How big is that bomb?”

"Is there no other way?" Hersman asked expressionlessly.

"Nothing has been discovered yet," Heisenberg shook his head. "After all, our research has just begun... We are currently planning to build a test reactor to conduct 'controllable nuclear fission' research. If successful, we can build a nuclear fission power station. ”

Apparently, scientists at the Uranium Engineering Committee have not discovered that uranium-235 is the isotope that causes heavy nuclear fission. Therefore, there is no way to build a nuclear bomb, but Hersman also strongly supports the use of heavy water reactors for peaceful uses of nuclear energy.

Since 1935, the Economic Promotion Company he controls has been the sole buyer of heavy water produced by the chemical plant belonging to the Viemok Hydropower Station in Norway. Several tons of heavy water of varying purity are purchased there every year in the name of scientific research.

In fact, heavy water is not the main product of the Weimok Chemical Plant, but a by-product produced after electrolyzing water (the main business of the Weimok Chemical Plant is to use cheap electricity to produce hydrogen and oxygen). Most of them do not reach the purity required for nuclear reactors and require further processing - electrolysis or distillation (boiling), but both require a large amount of electricity. The most ideal method is to use water and electricity resources rich in Produced in Norway.

Therefore, the Norwegian Vimok Hydropower Station and its affiliated chemical plants must also be controlled and protected!

"Doctor," Herschmann said in a calm tone, "Germany is a country lacking resources, and using nuclear fission to generate electricity can save a lot of coal and oil, which is very meaningful. And we can also use nuclear fission to generate electricity. Electrically driven battleships and submarines will give our navy a huge advantage in the future! This is very meaningful, both for peace and military purposes, so more scientists need to be involved. I think, physics at the University of Copenhagen. In the near future, everyone can participate in the research of peaceful uses of nuclear fission.”

What Hirschmann wants now are scholars from the Institute of Theoretical Physics at the University of Copenhagen - there was a Copenhagen School in the physics community in the 1920s and 1930s, and the University of Copenhagen was the temple of physics in this era, cultivating Many master scholars in the field of quantum physics. Heisenberg himself also studied at the University of Copenhagen and Niels Henrik David Bohr, the founder of the Copenhagen School (1922 Dynamite Prize). He was also the scientist who proposed the hypothesis that uranium-235 causes nuclear fission. Also proposed the droplet model theory of nuclear fission) and engaged in research together.

"University of Copenhagen? You mean Professor Bohr, right?" Heisenberg said with a smile, "Actually, I have wanted to ask Professor Bohr to join the Uranium Engineering Committee for a long time, but I can't tell him about nuclear fission, so... "

The theory of nuclear fission is still a secret!

"You will soon be able to tell Professor Bohr personally about this great discovery!" Hessmann said, "His Majesty the Emperor has convinced the King and Prime Minister of Denmark that the German army will peacefully enter within 24 hours and provide protection to Denmark. .

Doctor, you go to Copenhagen with Lieutenant General Haushofer now, and bring Bohr and his students to Germany to work on uranium power generation projects, at all costs! "

…

"We must capture the Brest Fortress at all costs!"

In the Kremlin, Hessmann's old friend Stalin looked a little ugly. Like Hersman, he suffered a minor setback! Hersmann lost a battleship, while Stalin lost more than 10,000 Bolshevik fighters, more than 300 tanks and a dozen aircraft at Brest!

The battle to liberate Brest has been going on for 12 days. The Brest Rapid Group commanded by Pavlov has made some progress, but it is far from Stalin's requirements.

"The Germans defeated Poland in 12 days, but we couldn't even defeat the Brest Fortress in 12 days!" Stalin said with some annoyance, "Not only did Brest not be defeated, Kiev and Vinnitsa were also defeated. There is no complete liberation like Odessa! Moreover, there are counterrevolutionaries wreaking havoc everywhere in Ukraine!”

The Red Army made greater progress in Kiev, Vinnitsa and Odessa than in Brest. In Brest, the Red Army did not even see the gate of the fortress after paying the price of more than 30,000 people killed, seriously injured and missing - but this cannot be blamed on Pavlov for not working hard, Brest not only has Poland The main force was garrisoned, and a large fortification zone was built outside the fortress (these fortification zones were part of the Piłsudski Line of Defense), which was difficult to attack.

On the right bank of Ukraine, where there is no main Polish army, the Red Army has already invaded the urban areas of Kiev, Vinnitsa and Odessa, and is now engaged in street fighting. Since they were facing the most stubborn and reactionary Ukrainian counterrevolutionaries, the street fighting was very difficult. Especially in Kiev, the Red Army is fighting for the city almost inch by inch with counterrevolutionaries. Every day, hundreds of Red Army soldiers sacrifice their precious lives for the liberation of the Ukrainian people.

"Comrade General Secretary," Voroshilov said carefully, "there is clear evidence that the German pseudo-socialists are secretly helping the Polish and Ukrainian reactionaries. They have released all the prisoners and returned all the captured weapons. Therefore, the Polish reactionaries can support the defenders of Brest. If we want to liberate Brest in the shortest time, it is best..."

"What deal is best to make with Germany?" Stalin looked at Voroshilov coldly, "Should they be allowed to occupy more Ukrainian land?"

"No, no, no..." Voroshilov shook his head quickly, "We can put pressure on the Germans. Their fleet just suffered a disastrous defeat in the Atlantic."

"A disastrous defeat?" Stalin took a puff of cigarette, "Is it confirmed?"

"Yes," Voroshilov said with a smile, "I just received news that they scuttled the Scharnhorst!"

This unfortunate battleship finally came to an end and sank in the Port of Heroes in the Azores. The more than a thousand German naval officers and soldiers on the battleship will be flown back to the mainland by the Portuguese government by plane and then quietly released - this is a stipulation in the secret agreement reached by Portuguese dictators Salazar and Ribbentrop.

However, the sinking of the battleship was still an embarrassing event for the Germans around the world. This was a victory for the British Empire, and Churchill could brag about it for a while. Stalin can also take a breather. The war between Germany and Britain and France will continue. He has plenty of time to slowly defeat the Poles and Ukrainians.

"Well," Stalin nodded, "it seems that we made the right choice not to build a battleship of the same level."

He paused and turned his attention to Molotov, Chairman of the Council of Ministers and People's Commissar for Foreign Affairs, "Go to Poland and tell the Germans that if they do not intend to occupy Poland, then we must consider crossing the Bug River. Liberate all of Poland!”

"Okay," Molotov said, "I will definitely convey Comrade General Secretary's opinions to the Germans." He thought for a while and asked: "Then should we consider cutting off Germany's oil supply?"

"No," Stalin shook his head, "I won't consider it now." He thought for a while, "But starting from November, they can no longer pay on credit."