Chapter 188 There Is only One Enemy

"He was a perfect leader. With his leadership and vision, he turned Poland from a non-existent country into a leading power in Europe. He also passed away before the collapse of the Polish Federation..."

In the German Embassy in Warsaw, Hersman took the funeral arrangements for Piłsudski from Natalie Lesinskaya, and while looking at them carefully, he sighed sincerely.

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

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

"Mr. Prime Minister," Constantin Neurath, the German Foreign Minister, also accompanied Hitler to Poland. The elegant diplomat said with some concern, "The current international situation is quite unfavorable to us. Germany is being surrounded, and the major powers in Europe will join."

A "encirclement network" consisting of eight countries including Britain, France, Italy, Poland, Czechoslovakia, 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 an object of prevention.

"Don't worry," Hersman said to the worried Foreign Minister with a smile, "The encirclement network will not appear at all, because it is based on absurd foundations - the Soviet Union will help France to contain Germany, and Germany must help Poland to contain the Soviet Union. But Germany and the Soviet Union have no contradictions, and we will not be used by other countries in this way."

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

If there is no Soviet Union, the real core of the "Eight-Nation Encirclement Network" is France, Poland and Italy. In today's Europe, the title of the first army belongs to France, and the title of the second army is shared by Italy and Poland - both countries think they are the second.

The Soviet Union and Germany are the fourth and fifth countries in terms of army strength, ranking after France, Poland and Italy. Unless the Soviet Union and Germany join forces, no one thinks that the Soviet Union and Germany can defeat Poland alone.

"Britain, France, Poland and Italy against the Soviet Union and Germany?" Hersman laughed, "This is a very exciting combination!"

Hitler looked at Hersman, who was confident in the war, "They are trying to establish an alliance against Germany, so we should try to break it up... First of all, 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, should we form a military alliance with the Soviet Union?"

Soviet-German alliance!

This is what Hersman has always wanted to promote. In his opinion, France, Poland and Italy are all vulnerable - if the Italian leader is confused, 10 or 15 divisions will be enough to deal with him. And this possibility is not great, because Mussolini's ambition is to dominate the entire Mediterranean, and Abyssinia is just an appetizer.

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

"No, no, we can't ally with the Soviet Union," Hitler immediately rejected Hersmann's suggestion, "The target of the win is still Poland... We and Poland will definitely find common goals."

He thought 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 Poland is a powerful country, a powerful country that can divide other countries... Moreover, the Poles have been preparing to do so for more than ten years!"

In this time and space, the Poles have always wanted to get a total of 10,000 square kilometers of land in the Carpathian-Luthenesian Province (Carpathian Ukraine) and the Ciesin District belonging to Czechoslovakia. The area of ​​these lands is nothing compared to the huge Polish Federation, but there are abundant coal and timber there, which are exactly the resources needed for Poland to develop industrialization.

Hitler thought and said, "Our goal is not the Free City of Danze at present. That is just a small problem. Austria and Bohemia are the real fat meat. And to take Austria and Bohemia... we must get the support of Poland, Hungary and Italy. We can give the Ciesin District and Carpathian Ukraine to Poland, and return Slovakia to Hungary."

Hitler paused, "As for Italy, the problem is how to alienate its relationship with France." He looked at Hersmann, "Ludwig, do you have any ideas?"

The quasi-alliance between France and Italy is a more difficult problem, but it is not difficult for Hersmann.

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

"Okay," Adolf Hitler nodded, "I will meet Stalin first, in complete secrecy, but the Poles should know. Then arrange for me to meet with Hungarian Admiral Horthy... Has he arrived in Poland?"

"Already arrived." Neurath said.

"Then there are Austrian President Miklas and Prime Minister 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 relationship between countries, and they are brotherly countries. Austria should not be a tool to contain Germany, but should be Germany's most steadfast ally. Germany seeks to form a community of interests with Austria, not to annex Austria. As the two most important German countries in the world, Germany and Austria should be the strong backing of Germans all over the world!

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

"As for the president of Czechoslovakia," Hitler snorted softly, "I will not meet with him alone during Piłsudski's funeral... The Czechs have adopted an oppressive policy against the Germans, Slovaks, Hungarians, Ukrainians and Poles in their territory."

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

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

"The action against Czechoslovakia can be launched after reaching a secret agreement with the Soviet Union," Hersmann said, "because the action against Czechoslovakia must be coordinated by the Soviet Union."

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

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

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

Moreover, the area where Czechs have an absolute advantage is not large, just the rich Bohemia and Moravia in the west of Czechoslovakia, not including the Sudeten Mountains. If the Polish Cheshin, the Ukrainian Carpathian Ukraine, the Slovak Slovakia and the German Sudetenland all separated from Czechoslovakia one by one. Then how much territory would the Czechs have to establish a country?

…

"You want to dismember Czechoslovakia?"

Hersman met Stalin as soon as he arrived at the Soviet Embassy, ​​and the two did not exchange pleasantries, but directly discussed the fate of Czechoslovakia.

"There are only a few million Czechs, and they are not a big nation," Hersman said, "Why do they occupy hundreds of thousands of square kilometers in Central Europe? That is a very rich land, with very good industry and agriculture."

"The best is Bohemia and Moravia, all owned by Germany?" Stalin asked, holding a pipe.

Hersman nodded, Bohemia and Moravia must be incorporated into Germany, which is an important industrial base.

"So what can the Soviet Union get?"

"Right-bank Ukraine, Western Belarus and Eastern Galicia (Western Ukraine)." Hersman counted on his fingers, "Aren't hundreds of thousands of square kilometers of rich land enough?"

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

"You don't border Czechoslovakia!" Hersman pointed out.

Stalin exhaled a puff of white smoke and smiled: "The Soviet Union doesn't want Czechoslovakia's land."

"Then what do you want?" Hersman asked.

Stalin smiled, "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 I also need the latest German tank samples and drawings. Including the No. 2 and the No. 3 that will soon be produced."

Like Germany, the Soviet Union is a country that attaches great importance to the theory of mechanized warfare!

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