The Rise of the Third Reich

"He was a perfect leader. With his leadership ability and outstanding vision, he turned Poland from a non-existent country into Europe's leading power, and he passed away before the Polish Federation was about to collapse..."

In the German Embassy in Warsaw, Hersmann took over the details of Piłsudski's funeral arrangements from Natalie Lesinskaya and looked at them carefully while feeling sincerely.

"Maybe things are not so bad!" Adolf Hitler walked around the room, looking a little irritable. "The Poles are not that confused. They cannot resist the Soviet Union. The Soviet Union's industry, resources, and population far exceed Poland. This country is the enemy of the entire Europe. Poland cannot fight alone. So they will definitely form an alliance with us! "

In Hitler's plan, Poland should be an ally rather than an enemy - the entire Europe (excluding the Soviet Union) would unite around Germany and attack the Soviet Union together. Only after defeating the Soviet Union can Germany consider developing towards the ocean...

"Mr. Chancellor," German Foreign Minister Konstantin Neureiter also accompanied Hitler to Poland. This personable diplomat said with some worry, "The current international situation is quite unfavorable to us. Germany is being surrounded. All major European powers will join.”

An "encirclement network" composed of eight countries including Britain, France, Italy, Poland, Austria-Hungary and Belgium seems to be taking shape, and the Soviet Union may also become a member of this "encirclement network" - although it itself is also a target to be guarded against.

"Don't worry," Hessmann said with a smile to the worried Foreign Minister, "the encirclement network will not appear at all, because it is based on an absurd basis - the Soviet Union wants to help France contain Germany, and Germany must help Poland Contain the Soviet Union. But there is no contradiction between Germany and the Soviet Union, and we will not be used by other countries in this way."

"Poland, France and Italy's military power must also be considered!" Constantine Newright said, "Three of the five major land powers in Europe may form an alliance."

Without the Soviet Union, the real core of the "Eight-Nation Encirclement Network" would be France, Poland and Italy. In today's Europe, the title of No. 1 Army belongs to France, and the title of No. 2 Army is shared by Italy and Poland - both countries consider themselves second.

The Soviet Union and Germany are the fourth and fifth countries in terms of army strength, ranking behind France, Poland and Italy. Unless the Soviet Union and Germany joined forces, no one thought that the Soviet Union and Germany could defeat Poland alone.

"Are Britain, France, Italy, and Germany fighting against each other?" Hessman laughed, "This is a very exciting combination!"

Hitler glanced at Hersmann, who was confident in the war, "They are trying to build an alliance against Germany, so we should try to break it up... The first is the Soviet Union! Ludwig, help me arrange a meeting with Stalin. "

"No problem," Hersman said, "It can be arranged at the Soviet Embassy." He thought for a while, "Mr. Prime Minister, do we want to form a military alliance with the Soviet Union?"

Sud and Germany form an alliance!

This is something Hirschman has long wanted to promote. France, Poland and Italy were all vulnerable to him - if the Italian leader was confused, 10 or 15 divisions would be enough to deal with him. And this is unlikely, because Mussolini's ambition is to dominate the entire Mediterranean, and Abyssinia is just an appetizer.

If it can win over Italy and form a Soviet-German-Italian "socialist axis", then Germany will have nothing to fear.

"No, no, we cannot form an alliance with the Soviet Union." Hitler immediately rejected Hessmann's suggestion. "The target now is still Poland... We and Poland will definitely be able to find a common goal."

He pondered and said: "Poland is not unwilling to change the status quo in Eastern and Central Europe, because the Poles have never realized that their country is still a piece of cake that can be divided by powerful countries! They think that Poland is a powerful country and can divide other countries. Strong...and the Poles have been preparing to do this for more than ten years!"

In this time and space, the Poles have always wanted to acquire the Carpathian-Lucenetian Province (Carpathian Ukraine) and the Ceshin District, a total of 10,000 square kilometers of land belonging to Czechoslovakia. The area of ​​these lands is not much compared to the huge Polish Federation, but it is rich in coal and timber, which are the resources Poland needs to develop industrialization.

Hitler thought about it and said: "At present, our goal is not the Free City of Danzig. That is just a small problem. Austria and Bohemia are the real fat. And to win Austria and Bohemia... we will The support of Poland, Hungary and Italy must be obtained. The Ceshin District and Carpathian Ukraine can be handed over to Poland, and Slovakia can be returned to Hungary.”

Hitler paused, "As for Italy, the problem is how to alienate its relationship with France." He looked at Hessmann, "Ludwig, what can you do?"

The quasi-alliance between France and Italy is a more difficult issue, but this does not trouble Hessman.

"There is a way," Hersman said. "Leave this matter to me."

"Okay," Adolf Hitler nodded, "I will go to see Stalin first, in complete secrecy, but the Poles should know. Then I will arrange a meeting with the Hungarian Admiral Horthy... He arrived Is it Poland?”

"Already arrived," said Niu Wright.

"Then there are Austrian President Miklas and Chancellor Dollfuss... I can guarantee Austria's sovereignty and territorial integrity, but Austria should recognize itself as a German country."

Hitler smiled coldly: "The relationship between Austria and Germany is a special country-to-country relationship and a brotherly state. Austria should not be a tool to contain Germany, but should become Germany's staunchest ally. What Germany pursues is a relationship with Austria. Form a community of interests instead of annexing Austria. As the two most important German countries in the world, Germany and Austria should be the strong backing of Germans around the world!

Therefore, Germany and Austria should jointly put pressure on Czechoslovakia and require Czechoslovakia to guarantee fair treatment and political autonomy for the Germans in its country. "

"As for the president of Czechoslovakia," Hitler snorted softly, "I will not meet with him alone during Piłsudski's funeral...The Czechs are very concerned about the Germans, Slovaks, Hungarians, and Ukrainians in their territory. and the Poles adopted oppressive policies.”

In other words, there is only one enemy, the Czechs in Czechoslovakia!

After explaining his complete plan, Adolf Hitler looked at Hersmann, as if waiting for his answer.

"The operation against the Czech Republic can be launched after reaching a secret agreement with the Soviet Union," Hersman said, "because the operation against Czechoslovakia must have the cooperation of the Soviet Union."

"Okay!" Hitler nodded in agreement without hesitation, "Any secret agreement is fine, but we cannot make our alliance with the Soviet Union public... The current conditions are not mature."

This is because there have always been guerrilla activities of the Hungarian Red Army in Slovakia, and they are very suitable to take the blame and incite Slovak national issues.

The current citizens of Czechoslovakia are composed of Czechs, Germans, Slovaks, Ukrainians, Hungarians, Poles and Jews. Among them, the Czechs claim to account for 50% of the total population, but in fact they are not that many.

Moreover, the area where the Czechs had an absolute advantage was not large, covering only the wealthy Bohemia and Moravia in western Czechoslovakia, not including the Sudetenland. If the Poles' Ceshin, the Ukrainians' Carpathian Ukraine, the Slovaks' Slovakia, and the Germans' Sudetenland all broke away from Czechoslovakia one by one. So how much territory do the Czechs still have to establish a country?

…

"You want to dismember Czechoslovakia?"

Hessmann met Stalin as soon as he arrived at the Soviet Embassy, ​​and the two of them did not exchange much greetings and directly discussed the fate of Czechoslovakia.

"There are only a few million Czechs. They are not a big nation," Hersman said. "Why do they occupy more than 100,000 square kilometers in Central Europe? That is quite rich land, and both industry and agriculture are very good."

"The best ones are Bohemia and Moravia, both belong to Germany?" Stalin asked, holding his pipe in his mouth.

Hersman nodded. Bohemia and Moravia will definitely be incorporated into Germany. They are important industrial bases there.

"So what does the Soviet Union gain?"

"Right Bank Ukraine, Western Belarus and Eastern Galicia (Western Ukraine)." Hersman said with his fingers. "Isn't hundreds of thousands of square kilometers of rich land enough?"

"That's for the future!" Stalin smiled at Hessmann, as if he was a carefree businessman. "At least it will be five years from now, but what can the Soviet Union get now?"

"You have no border with Czechoslovakia!" Hersman pointed out.

Stalin exhaled a puff of white smoke and smiled: "The Soviet Union does not want the land of Czechoslovakia."

"What do you want?" Hersman asked.

Stalin smiled and said, "I heard that you held a large-scale military exercise in the Baltic Republic, using hundreds of tanks and a large number of aircraft. I want to know the details of this military exercise and the latest German military equipment." Tank samples and drawings, including No. 2 and No. 3, which are about to be produced."

The Soviet Union, like Germany, was a country that attached great importance to the theory of mechanized warfare!

Just before the German-Baltic Republic jointly held the "Iron Fist-1935" military exercise in 1934, the Soviet Union also held a military exercise in Belarus that was very similar in scale and purpose.