The Rise of the Third Reich

Just as Harry Hopkins was preparing to go to Moscow, Chairman of the Soviet Council of Ministers Molotov was visiting Berlin. In the majestic capital of the Third Reich, he heard an exciting proposal - plant the red flag of socialism all over the world!

"Comrade Molotov!" Marshal Hessmann said to Molotov in a solemn tone in the conference room of the Prime Minister's Office at No. 77 Wilhelm Street. "The great victory of socialism is before our eyes. Comrade Lenin's ideal It will be realized, and the red flag of national socialism and scientific socialism (the swastika flag will also have a red background) will soon be planted all over the world! What is the Soviet Union waiting for?"

Molotov was stunned. As a Bolshevik, of course he had imagined in his mind the scene of red flags flying all over the world. How exciting that would be! But he didn't think that day would happen in 1939.

In his imagination, victory would be achieved before the end of the 20th century, probably in the 1990s. By then he was already a centenarian, and he might live to see the red flag raised at the White House - it would definitely happen!

Hessmann seemed to have read through Molotov's mind and suddenly said: "Comrade Molotov, if we miss the opportunity, then the red flag of socialism will not even be planted all over the earth in the 1990s. If National Socialism is in the 1940s, If it fails in the 1990s, scientific socialism will fall into the encirclement and suppression of capitalism around the world, and it will be impossible to win. The 1990s will be the end of the Soviet Union!”

Nonsense! Molotov thought to himself: Scientific socialism has huge advantages, how could it be wiped out by capitalism?

Hersman added: "I discussed this issue with Comrade Lenin in 1917, and he also agreed. If he were still alive, he would definitely declare war on British imperialism without hesitation!"

This is not nonsense. There is such content in "The Complete Works of Lenin" in this time and space. If Lenin were still here now, the Soviet Union would have definitely declared war on Britain and France - first defeat capitalism, and then decide the difference between scientific socialism and state socialism!

However, Comrade Stalin has creatively developed Lenin's doctrine and summed up the theory of socialism in one country. Even if the Soviet Union was isolated from the world, it could build socialism on its own.

But this does not mean that we must completely rule out the possibility of joining forces with National Socialism.

"Marshal, if Lenin were still here, what would he think of your support for White Poland?" Molotov said righteously, "Without your support, the Brest Fortress would have been liberated long ago."

"Brest-Litovsk is not a problem," Hersman waved his hand. "As long as you join the war against Britain and France, White Poland will be destroyed within a week."

"You also occupy two provinces in Ukraine, which are not part of the Austrian crown territory!"

Hessmann glanced at Hitler, and the German leader immediately said: "This is not a problem. As long as you fulfill your obligations to participate in the war, our people will withdraw from there immediately."

"War takes time to prepare!" Molotov said, "The Soviet Union's preparations are not sufficient. Many aircraft of the Red Air Force are outdated, the Army's motorization is tense and slow, and the Navy's Soviet-class battleships have not yet been completed. You let us What should we use to fight against British and French imperialism?”

"Submarines!" Hessman said calmly, "You have 200 submarines, dozens of which can fight in the Atlantic. If you join the war, you only need to send submarines, and you can fight for 24-36 months. Socialism wins the world!

Now 300 German submarines have caused heavy losses to the British. If there are 200 more Soviet submarines, the British losses will definitely exceed 500,000 tons per month! The loss was at least 12 million tons in 24 months and 18 million tons in 36 months (the total number of British merchant ships before the war was only 15 million tons). It is impossible for the UK to bear such a loss. "

What? The victory of socialism is so simple! Molotov thought: If Comrade Lenin were still here, he would definitely join the war without hesitation.

"So what does the Soviet Union gain?" Molotov asked.

"What?" Hessman deliberately showed an expression of extreme surprise, "Comrade Molotov, what do you mean?"

"The Soviet Union cannot join the war for no reason, can it?" Molotov looked at Hersman.

"What you mean is that the Soviet Union cannot liberate mankind for no reason, right?" Hersman said in a very incredible tone. "Is the cause of human liberation a paid service? Every liberated human being must pay a fee to the Bolsheviks." Party pays?”

"Of course that's not what I meant..." Molotov said after careful consideration. He suddenly found that it was very difficult to talk to Hersmann, "Comrade Lenin's old friend". He looked at Hitler, who looked much more reasonable with this moustache. .

He said to Hitler: "The Soviet Union should gain something if it makes sacrifices, otherwise the Soviet people will not agree."

Unfortunately, the translator around Hitler had not yet translated Molotov's words into German, so Hessmann answered in Russian: "What? The Soviet people believe that all mankind must pay to be liberated? Is this awareness too low?" "

"..."

Molotov was a little speechless. How did Hessmann come up with the concept that "the cause of human liberation is a paid service"?

"Comrade Marshal!" Molotov also called Hessmann "comrade" and asked angrily, "Then who will lead all mankind after they are liberated? Germany, the Soviet Union? Or the Soviet Union and Germany? Leadership part?”

"Not leadership," Herschmann said seriously, "but help! Imperialists want to lead the world all day long, and we are socialists!"

Molotov was stunned for a moment, then nodded in agreement, "Okay, it's help! So should the Soviet Union and Germany each help some of the oppressed people in the world?"

Hersmann first repeated Molotov's words to Hitler in German, and then said to Hitler: "Leader, I think we can first issue a joint statement or charter with the Soviet Union to clarify our two countries' opposition to the empire. doctrine, and support the liberation cause of the colonial and semi-colonial peoples. With this joint statement, we can safely keep the territory of Ukraine outside the Austrian Crown Territory (Germany’s occupied areas in Ukraine) beyond those stipulated in the original agreement with the Soviet Union. Leave it to the Soviet Union."

What Hersman wanted to publish with the Soviet Union was something similar to the Atlantic Charter, directly raising the banner of anti-imperialism and anti-colonialism.

"I agree to make such a statement," Germany has not yet defeated France to dominate Europe, and Hitler will certainly not let go of such an opportunity to trap the Soviet Union. "Because it is our consistent position to oppose colonialism!"

Hersman looked at Molotov again. A translator had already translated the conversation between Hersman and Hitler into Russian and told him.

This is a trap! After listening to the interpreter's interpretation, Molotov already knew what the Germans were up to.

Now the largest colonial empire in the world is Britain, and the second largest colonial empire is France. Anti-imperialism and anti-colonialism can basically be equated with anti-British and French anti-imperialism.

If the two "socialist countries" of the Soviet Union and Germany jointly issued such a statement now, it would almost be equivalent to jointly declaring war on Britain and France! But almost declaring war does not mean actually declaring war. Moreover, for the Soviet Union, it was only a matter of time before it went to war with the two imperialists, Britain and France, if it wanted to realize its ideal of "liberating all mankind."

"Leader, Marshal," Molotov said, "you still have not answered my question, how should the Soviet Union and Germany help the oppressed people of the world?"

What he meant was how much oppressed people the Soviet Union and Germany should each help.

Hersmann and Hitler exchanged glances, and Hersmann said: "We can first determine several major principles before we can negotiate. The first is our two countries' requirements for reasonable territorial adjustment; the second is our requirements for colonial and semi-colonial attitude toward the liberation of colonial countries; third, our guarantee for the territorial and sovereign integrity of all neutral, independent countries; and fourth, our views on socialist transformation of imperialist countries that have brought serious disasters to all mankind."

When he said this, he paused and then said in a very solemn tone: "We should be very cautious about the territorial adjustments of the Soviet Union and Germany. It is necessary to recover the land lost due to unequal treaties, but here Expansion outside the country should be done with caution.

We in Germany do not want to see any territorial changes that are inconsistent with the freely expressed will of the people concerned. "

When Hessmann said this, of course he had a serious discussion with Hitler. Germany's claim to territory should be based on the abolition of the two unequal treaties, the Treaty of Versailles and the Treaty of Saint-Germain.

In other words, the German Empire’s homeland should first include the homeland of the original Second German Empire and the Austrian Crown Territory (the “Austria” in the Austro-Hungarian Empire) – this is the result of the abolition of unequal treaties! Then there are the parts that joined through free civil votes, like the Baltics, Lithuania, and maybe Poland. But referendums should be held where opinions can be freely expressed.

Hessman also wanted to use these two principles to limit the Soviet Union's expansion ambitions. Just build some satellite states and don't continue to expand the Soviet Union!

"If..." Molotov knew that the issue of "carving up the world" could not be agreed upon so quickly, and these major principles seemed okay, "if there was such a joint statement, the issue of Poland and Ukraine would Can it be solved satisfactorily?”

"It can only solve the Ukrainian border demarcation issue. In addition, you must ensure a monthly supply of 500,000 tons of oil and allow short-term credit. We will produce parts for you for Soviet-class battleships to compensate." Hersman smiled slightly. "But you have to destroy the Polish army in Brest yourself. Unless you are willing to declare war on Britain and France immediately, then we naturally have the obligation to help our allies."

A false declaration in exchange for more than 30,000 square kilometers of Ukrainian land! This seems to be a sure-fire deal.

Molotov nodded and said: "Okay. We will fight Brest ourselves. As long as you don't help them, we will be able to defeat Brest soon!"

Hitler finally said: "This declaration or charter should be issued jointly by Stalin and I, and a face-to-face meeting must be held before that."