The Third Reich in Desperation

It's a pity that the "alliance" of Rome-Berlin was born around Reinhardt, and Mussolini seemed to be just like a small partner.

Later, in southeastern Europe, Reinhardt is gradually occupying the market in this area.

After annexing Austria, Germany almost indirectly cut off the crude oil trade line between Italy and the Port of Trieste, making the port almost a dead port.

Immediately, Mussolini also did something that was sorry for Germany.

He built a new fortification along the German and Italian borders.

This should not be done by an ally at all, but Mussolini still wanted to be on two boats at that time.

On the one hand, he suggested to the Germans the possibility of an alliance, and on the other hand, he threatened an alliance with the Germans to force Western democracies to make concessions.

At times, Mussolini still entertained the idea of ​​a child's play: he just wanted to frighten other countries and cheer up the Italians with the language of war.

After that, things are much simpler.

Reinhardt and Mussolini became cousins. The two apparently had a good time, but in private they always calculated each other and weighed profits and losses.

Even the seemingly friendly negotiation between the two of them this time on the distribution of spoils to France is nothing more than another confrontation for interests.

Text 4 Chapter 5 ([-] more please subscribe, ask for recommendation, ask for monthly pass, ask for reward)

The German-Italian private confrontation between Reinhardt and Mussolini had just ended.

The face-to-face confrontation initiated by Churchill and Reinhardt has been raised to another level.

On June 6, the restless Churchill once again reiterated Britain's "unshakable determination to continue fighting" in the House of Commons.

He delivered another speech saying:

"Let us take up our responsibilities. Let us ask ourselves this: If the British Empire and the Commonwealth last a thousand years, people will say: 'This is their best hour.'"

And Reinhardt also gave a tit-for-tat speech again the next day, mocking Churchill's speech as nothing more than a pep talk from a conceited orator.

Reinhardt recounted Churchill's aggression in the port of Narvik in Norway and his betrayal in the port of Oran in France, and denounced Churchill as a colonial leader and a cancer in the face of world justice.

Not long after the escalating verbal confrontation between the German head of state and the British prime minister, Reinhardt received a confidential telegram from the Pope of the Vatican.

Mussolini and Churchill also received similar telegrams.

The telegram stated that the pope was willing to mediate for a "just and honorable peace," and announced that before taking up that step, he wished to know in private how the proposal would be treated.

On the other hand, the king of Sweden, the leader of the largest country in Northern Europe, also actively suggested to London and Berlin to support the holding of peace negotiations.

In the US, the German embassy, ​​under Chargé d'affaires Hans Thomson, is spending every dollar they get on supporting the isolationists, enabling the US to remain out of the war, and thus depriving the UK of the confidence to keep fighting .

Because if the United States joins the war, it will definitely turn the tide of the war. Both Reinhardt and Churchill know this.

And Reinhardt, who is well aware of the war potential of the United States, is doing his best to contain the emergence of this situation through diplomatic means.

In fact, Thomsen and others have been working at the German embassy in the United States. They are committed to manipulating American public opinion in Reinhardt's favor.

This summer, when the U.S. political parties held their congresses, Thomson focused all his efforts on influencing the foreign policy platforms of various parties, especially the foreign policy platform of the Republican Party.

On June 6, Thomson sent an "urgent, top-secret" coded telegram to Berlin, saying that a "well-known Republican congressman" who worked "closely" with the German embassy was willing to invite 12 isolationist Legislators attend Republican conventions, "enabling them to do work with delegates and get them to favor an isolationist foreign policy."

And the price that the U.S. congressman wanted was a full three thousand dollars.

Thomson's report said the man also demanded three thousand dollars to pay for a full-page advertisement in American newspapers with the headline "Don't Let America Go to War!"

Of course, what Reinhardt lacks most now is money.

Without saying a word, he remitted US$6 to Tomson, which was ten times the demand reported by Tomson!

Don't underestimate the seemingly insignificant efforts in these areas.

In fact, the combination of these seemingly small efforts will have endless effects, and these small factors will even determine the outcome of the entire war.

Let's go to the army!

With a precedent, Thomson found five well-known American writers through an American literary and art manager, and wrote several books "praising isolationism".

This time, he needed $[-] for the project.

And a day later, Ribbentrop agreed to release the money on Reinhard's behalf, and the disbursement was extremely rapid.

Unlike Mussolini who blatantly looked down on US President Roosevelt and laughed at Roosevelt's sequelae of polio, Reinhardt was very respectful to the US President.

Reinhardt even called Roosevelt himself in his own name, saying: "You, Mr. Roosevelt, have appealed to me again and again, and have often expressed your desire to avoid bloody wars.

For your sake and America's sake, I did not declare war on Great Britain.

On the contrary, I have often emphasized that I do not want to destroy the British Empire!

I have repeatedly asked Churchill to be reasonable and to make a decent peace.

But this request was stubbornly rejected by Churchill!

But I also realized that if I ordered a general war against the British Isles, Britain would suffer serious losses.

I therefore ask you to contact Churchill and persuade him to give up his needless obstinacy. "

But would Roosevelt call for peace?

No, he won't!

Not only will he not call for peace, but he also incited Britain and Germany to expand the scale of the war. It is best not to die, and both sides will suffer!

In this way, it is in the interests of the United States.

What the United States wants is not a peaceful and stable Europe.On the contrary, the more chaotic Europe is and the fiercer the fighting, the more the United States can take over the rights and interests of European countries after the war and lead the world!

Therefore, Roosevelt made a rude and malicious reply as a matter of course: "Mr. Reinhardt, such an appeal you requested will inevitably have a profound impact on the people of North America, especially in the United States. So I don't May agree!"

And these influences will subtly affect the emotions of the American people. When their government calls for war, it will definitely cause a huge reaction from the people, and these reactions, whether good or bad, will determine the decisions made by the U.S. government.

In fact, even Churchill himself said in private that he was quite embarrassed by the peace temptations sent by Sweden and the Vatican. If Roosevelt had not hinted that he was willing to support Britain in the fight, maybe Churchill himself would have thought of giving up resistance.

Meanwhile, Churchill, convinced that Reinhardt was trying to use the neutrals as best he could to make peace, took drastic measures.

After receiving word that Thomson, the German chargé d'affaires, was trying to meet with the British ambassador in Washington, he sent a telegram saying, "Lord Lothian should be informed that no answer can be given to the German chargé d'affaires."

The king of Sweden had persuaded Britain to accept a peaceful settlement, so the resolute prime minister wrote a strongly worded reply, basically telling the other party to stay away.

Even before any consideration can be given to such demands or proposals, Germany must give firm assurances ... not in empty words, but in facts.It must guarantee the restoration of freedom and independent life in Czechoslovakia, Poland, Norway, Denmark, Holland, Belgium, and especially France.

This was Churchill's main position.Apparently no one in London would dream of signing a contract against this position.