The Rise of the Third Reich

"Kurt, Ludwig, we have been preparing for so long and have such a strong force, but we still can't get rid of our dependence on the Soviet Union?"

At 77 Wilhelm Street, in the Chancellery, Adolf Hitler carefully read the entire text of the "Green Plan", and then sighed helplessly.

This "Green Plan" is a typical combat plan in the style of the General Staff. It is comprehensive, takes all difficulties into consideration, and provides a solution that seems to be more feasible - an alliance with the Soviet Union!

As long as Germany forms an alliance with the Soviet Union, it will be invincible, even if it goes to war with Britain, France, Italy and Poland at the same time.

"Mr. Prime Minister, the alliance with the Soviet Union is only the last resort," Hersmann said to Adolf Hitler, who always held an anti-Soviet mentality. "If everything goes well, we will most likely complete the annexation of Czechoslovakia without much effort." Hitler looked at Hersmann and Schleicher, "But we still have to sign a secret treaty with the Soviet Union... and this is the first step in our alliance with the Soviet Union, right?" Historically, although Hitler colluded with the Soviet Union to divide Poland, he did not sign an alliance treaty with the Soviet Union after all, so the Soviet Union was able to maintain its neutrality towards Germany in the early days of World War II - historically, Britain and France were quite hostile to the Soviet Union in the early days of the World War, and once wanted to use the airport in Turkey to bomb the Soviet oil base of Baku. Fortunately, the Turks were not as confused as Britain and France, and did not agree to lend the airport, thus saving the "free world". "Yes," Defense Minister Schleicher, who was also a pro-Soviet (historical Soviet-German cooperation was promoted by him), said to Adolf Hitler, "Using the implementation of the Green Plan to conclude a secret alliance with the Soviet Union is indeed a preparation for an open alliance in the future. The Ministry of Defense and the General Staff both believe that a formal alliance treaty should be concluded with the Soviet Union before attacking Poland. If Germany is at war with Britain and France because of the attack on Poland, then the Soviet Union should also declare war on Britain and France according to the treaty!"

Using the division of Poland to drag the Soviet Union into the war with Britain and France is the grand strategy of Hersmann and Schleicher. Even if the Soviet Union only declares war but does not fight, it can put great psychological pressure on Britain and France. Even if Hitler's "pro-British line" is implemented and negotiations with Britain are sought after defeating France, it is more likely to be realized in the case of an alliance with the Soviet Union.

"But the Soviet Union can't help us deal with France," Adolf Hitler frowned, "This is determined by the geopolitics of Europe! It is inevitable that Germany and Russia will divide Poland... As long as these two countries are strong enough, Poland will definitely become a victim. But after Russia and Germany complete the division of Poland, and Germany is strong enough, then the alliance between France and Russia is inevitable."

"But this does not prevent us from forming an alliance before destroying Poland," Hessman shrugged and smiled, "Poland is so powerful now, with 1.5 million standing troops, more than 50 million people and more than 700,000 square kilometers of land. There is also an indestructible Piłsudski Line on the Soviet-Polish border... Such a powerful country, doesn't it need a Soviet-German alliance to defeat it? As for what will happen after defeating Poland, there are actually many possibilities, and the General Staff has already made corresponding plans."

Herssman knew that the Soviet-French alliance was actually impossible, because both betrayal and alliance had costs, and required a long period of bargaining.

But France in World War II did not have the time to slowly drag it out with the Soviet Union, and the French would be defeated quickly. After the defeat of France, the German Army had basically no opponents in the western part of the European continent - before the United States entered the war, Britain could not counterattack at all. In this case, the Soviet Union would be at great risk of breaking its alliance and going to war with Germany.

And high-risk things usually have high returns, and Britain, the United States and the Soviet Union would discuss the issue of "return" for a long time. After all, the British and American governments are controlled by parliament, and it is impossible to let Roosevelt and Churchill make the decision and send a large amount of supplies to the Soviet Union casually.

So Germany and Italy can use this time to establish victory in the Mediterranean and the Middle East. After Germany and Italy win in the Mediterranean and the Middle East, even if the alliance with the Soviet Union breaks down, Germany can remain undefeated.

This is Hessmann's World War II plan - of course, the most "desirable" plan among many plans.

"Mr. Prime Minister, you don't have to worry too much about the situation after the destruction of Poland." Defense Minister Kurt von Schleicher saw that Hitler was reluctant to nod, so he said "comfortingly," "If we formally ally with the Soviet Union, Britain and France may not go to war with us for Poland. Maybe the day Poland is defeated is the day when Europe achieves peace." "Yes, this possibility is very high." Hersman also echoed, "If Russia and Germany stood together in 1914, then the European war would most likely not happen." "I hope so!" Adolf Hitler thought about it and felt that this possibility existed - in the original history, he did not want to go to war with Britain and France because of the division of Poland. "Okay, you convinced me." Adolf Hitler was silent for a while, as if he was making the final decision. "I approve the Green Plan, Ludwig. I will arrange for the 'Ambassador at Large' Ribbentrop to go with you to discuss the 'Secret Soviet-German Agreement' with Tukhachevsky. This agreement should become the basis for a formal alliance between Germany and the Soviet Union in the future."

...

The location where the "Soviet-German Secret Agreement" was discussed was Hersmann's estate in Zossen. It was a very quiet place. Because it was close to the General Staff Headquarters, it was in a military alert zone. There was also a telephone hotline directly connected to the Presidential Palace and the Prime Minister's Office. , General Staff and Ministry of Defense.

After visiting the National Naval Shipyard in Wilhelmshaven - after visiting the National Automobile Plant site, Tukhachevsky went to visit the shipyard where the battleship Scharnhorst was being built - Tukhachev Ski took his delegation and radio station from Berlin's Kaiserhof Hotel to the Heinsberg-Hersmann Manor in Zossen, occupying an independent three-story building. A radio station was set up inside the high-rise building to keep in touch with Moscow at all times.

In the reception room, Tukhachevsky was sitting in front of the table, reading word by word a telegram that had just been sent from Moscow. The contents of the telegram were instructions for the conclusion of the "Secret Agreement between the Soviet Union and Germany".

Stalin said in the telegram: The political situation has reached an agreement on concluding a secret agreement and launching formal alliance negotiations. We all believe that the establishment of the ‘Berlin-Moscow’ socialist axis is a necessary condition for the elimination of White Poland and the recovery of right-bank Ukraine, Western Ukraine, Western Belarus and Finland. Therefore we should form an alliance with Germany, which is now the core of Soviet foreign policy...

"Comrade Tukhachevsky," Mrs. Kollontai was sitting on a soft sofa. She was the ambassador to Germany and was naturally the core figure involved in the negotiations, so she had already read the telegram. "The political situation has made a decision, and I think we should sign an agreement with the Germans as soon as possible."

Tukhachevsky put down the copy of the telegram in his hand. He actually had reservations. Because he is one of the very few military experts in the Soviet Union who really understands mechanized warfare. So he knew that the Polish army, whose tactics and equipment were still at the level of World War I, was actually a very weak opponent. If it was attacked by the German and Soviet mechanized armies, it would probably collapse within a few weeks... so there would be no one A long and difficult war took place in Poland.

It is very likely that the Soviet Union and Germany will achieve a victorious rendezvous without being fully prepared!

"The agreement must be signed," said Berzin, who also didn't understand mechanized warfare, so he wholeheartedly supported the wise decision of the political situation. "This is the only way to regain lost ground... and lost ground must be regained! Moreover, this agreement will also benefit our work in Slovakia and Spain."

Berzin came with a special mission, not only to negotiate with Germany, but also to help the Slovak Bolsheviks (actually the Hungarian Bolsheviks) and the Spanish Left Front.

"It will be difficult for Spain and Slovakia to succeed," Tukhachevsky shook his head, "and the Germans will not support our actions in Spain and Slovakia."

"We can make demands in a secret agreement," Berzin said.

"We can only mention Spain," Kollontai reminded. "Slovakia is impossible. This will destroy our cooperative relationship with Germany."

"Only Spain will do," Berzin said. "Germany should be asked not to provide military and financial assistance to the Spanish right wing."

"You can give it a try," Kollontai said, "but Italy will probably interfere...Mussolini has always regarded himself as the hegemon of the Mediterranean."

Berzin lit a cigarette and took a few puffs. "The fewer enemies, the better."

"Then we will raise the Spanish issue at tomorrow's talks." Kollontai thought for a while, and suddenly thought of something, "But the political situation did not make any request in this regard..."

This is weird! The veteran Kollontai has discovered the problem, but Berzin doesn't care.

"You can ask for more instructions," Berzin said. "A socialist Spain is always beneficial to us, and this is a task assigned to me by the political situation."

Kollontai shook his head slightly, "The issue in Spain has nothing to do with the Soviet-German negotiating team. I am the ambassador to Germany and I don't know about this matter."

"Okay," Berzin glanced at this woman who was becoming more conservative as she got older - not only conservative on issues of men and women, but now Kollontai has become cautious, doing whatever the superiors tell her to do, and doing things without instructions. Pushing it as far as possible, there is no responsibility at all. "Then don't sign the request for instructions."

"Okay," Kollontai sighed, "That's it."