Chapter 215 Berzin’s Scam

When Berzin heard the news that Tukhachevsky had been arrested, he suddenly felt like the sky was falling. Because this means that the storm of the "Great Purge" has finally reached the top management of the Red Army!

As the former head of the Intelligence Department of the Workers' and Peasants' Red Army, Berzin is undoubtedly a member of the top leadership of the Red Army, and he is not a direct descendant of Stalin...

"Comrade Stalin, I firmly support the party's decision, and I want to expose Tukhachevsky's crimes to you..."

Berzin reacted quickly and immediately decided to strike back. This is not something "the work of a villain" is, but an essential quality for a Bolshevik Party member - to obey all decisions of the Party!

And in Berzin’s view, Tukhachevsky did make serious mistakes—mainly line errors. He opposed the party’s military line and diplomatic line!

"Tukhachevsky opposed the party's line and was the leader of the new opposition in the army." Berzin said, "He not only opposed the party's military line, but also wanted to transform it in accordance with the mechanized war theory proposed by bourgeois military theorists. The Red Army, and he also opposed the party's diplomatic line and had objections to uniting Germany..."

Wrong route is a sin! Therefore, Stalin's purge of Tukhachevsky and the Red Army was not wrong, but was in line with the rules of Bolshevik political struggle. It's just that there is a tendency to amplify the execution process - too many people are executed, which is unnecessary. But it is the consistent practice of the Bolsheviks to purge those who hold the wrong line from the revolutionary ranks, and it is necessary...

"Oh," Stalin nodded slightly, seeming to be very satisfied with Berzin's statement. "So what do you think about the problem of a united Germany?"

"This..." Cold sweat was dripping from Berzin's head - the battle on route D was too cruel, and he could lose his life if he said the wrong thing.

"Say it, just say it." Stalin said with a smile. However, he was still dissatisfied with Berzin's attitude in his heart - different opinions and wrong lines are not the same thing! Tukhachevsky's mistake was not to say the wrong thing in front of himself, but to pursue a wrong line in the army that was inconsistent with the party's military line.

"Comrade Stalin," Berzin said with a frown, "if we want to eliminate White Poland, we must unite with Germany, otherwise Germany may side with Poland."

Stalin smiled and nodded. Tukhachevsky couldn't understand such a simple truth - this man was too confused. He was just a soldier and didn't understand diplomacy or politics at all!

"But after destroying White Poland, Germany will be a threat." Berzin considered, "But if the war between Germany and Britain and France continues, then they will not fight us again."

"Yes!" Stalin laughed, "This is obvious! Because the people in power in Germany have suffered the pain of fighting on two fronts. They are not fools. They cannot make the same mistake twice. So there is no way to carve up Poland with Germany. The key is how to get Germany, Britain and France into the quagmire of war! And... keep us out of the war."

Berzin knew that Stalin wanted him to come up with ideas, and this was an opportunity to gain trust! He frowned and thought hard, "Comrade Stalin, to achieve this goal, we must first let Britain and France declare war on Germany. We cannot let Britain and France be intimidated by the Soviet-German alliance."

"That's right." Stalin took out a blue tin can, which contained Yunnan tobacco cutlets presented to him by Zhou Elai, the new prime minister of the Wuhan government of China, when he visited in January.

While filling his pipe with cut tobacco, Stalin said: "We don't want much. We just want to recover the territory lost in the Polish War. We don't want to go to war with Britain and France. And once White Poland is destroyed, we will be bordering Germany. In this way There is room for cooperation between us and France, isn’t there?”

"Comrade General Secretary, you are so wise." Berzin said sincerely, "We should let Germany, Britain and France bite each other, while we watch from the sidelines. When they are exhausted, it is time for us to lead the world revolution!"

Stalin lit his pipe, took two puffs, and said with a smile: "World revolution is not easy. This will only be possible after the Soviet Union has completely built socialism."

He was not as aggressive as Trotsky, but he was not opposed to expanding the territory of the Soviet Union without completely breaking with the imperialist camp.

"So our targets are only Turkey, Iraq and Iran." Stalin said, "Turkey and Iran are both independent countries. Iraq is protected by the United Kingdom, but it is also basically an independent country."

Stalin felt that he was being very cautious - he only captured three independent countries and opened up a passage south to the Indian Ocean. This should not overly stimulate Britain, France and Germany.

As for Italy, if the fascist leader really dared to stop the Soviet Union from moving south, Stalin was very confident that he would be beaten to pieces.

"Comrade General Secretary, this goal is completely achievable." Berzin said with admiration. "As long as it takes over the Near East and the Middle East, the Soviet Union will be the most powerful country in the world!"

Stalin laughed. Going south to recapture Constantine has been a dream of the Russian people for hundreds of years, and it seems that it will come true in his own hands.

"But Comrade General Secretary," Berzin suddenly asked at this time, "how can we make Britain and France act according to our wishes? Aren't we already preparing to form an alliance with Germany?"

The alliance between the Soviet Union and Germany was the prerequisite for the partition of Poland - this was a condition that Hersmann had always insisted on, and it was also Germany's national policy.

"Of course we have to form an alliance, this is necessary," Stalin took a breath of cigarette, "because we have to take back Ukraine on the right bank. This can only be done by fighting, there is no other way. But we should let Britain and France know the Soviet policy, know the German policy, know How are the Germans preparing to defeat Poland?”

"Comrade General Secretary, what do you mean..." Berzin looked at Stalin, as if waiting for the other party's order.

"There needs to be someone," Stalin said with a smile, "a high-level worker-peasant Red Army cadre who has access to all secrets. Because he was involved in a Communist group, he defected because he felt that he might be arrested, and the "Black We will take a copy of the Plan to London or Paris and inform Britain and France of our intentions.”

Berzin's heart beat rapidly, defecting! And it can involve many comrades...

"There happens to be an army *** group now," Stalin said. "Tukhachevsky cannot be committing the crime alone, there must be a group of people! Comrade Berzin, you are a follower of Tukhachevsky." ”

"No, I'm not... Comrade Stalin, I'm a loyal Bolshevik," Berzin hurriedly defended, "I was the one who led the people to execute the Tsar. How could I compete with Tukhachevsky, a military expert with a noble background? A group of people?"

"I know, I know," Stalin smiled and shook his head, "I know that you and Tukhachevsky are not the same people, and I trust you!" He paused for a moment, "Then who will act as this abominable person?" Where are the traitors? "

"Comrade Stalin, this is the work of the Intelligence Department of the Workers' and Peasants' Red Army." Berzin reminded, "The Intelligence Department of the Workers' and Peasants' Red Army will arrange everything."

"Okay," Stalin smiled and nodded, "Then I will hand over this glorious task to the Intelligence Department of the Workers' and Peasants' Red Army. Comrade Berzin, you are our best intelligence minister, and this is your job."

Stalin allowed himself to be the Intelligence Minister of the Workers’ and Peasants’ Red Army again! This shows that he trusts himself. Berzin suddenly felt like he had escaped from a tiger's mouth.

"Please rest assured," Berzin said, "I will definitely complete the mission, and I will definitely arrange a perfect scam to ensure that the enemy will not see through it."

…

"Why didn't you see Marshal Tukhachevsky?"

On May 15, Hersmann's visit to the Soviet Union came to a successful conclusion. He not only reached a lot of consensus with the Soviet Union on the draft of the Soviet-German Alliance Agreement, but also initialed the "Soviet-Germany Deepening Naval Technical Cooperation Agreement," which stipulated that Germany should provide The Soviet Union provided relevant technology and equipment for the construction of 26,000-ton battlecruisers and 42,000-ton battleships, and allowed the Soviet Union to repay them in oil and non-ferrous metals.

When he left Moscow, Marshal Voroshilov, Marshal Budyonny and Marshal Yegorov all went to the airport to see him off, but Marshal Tukhachevsky was not seen.

"He is sick," Voroshilov replied, "an infectious disease!"

Anyone who touches it will get in!

"Oh." Hessman nodded. He knew that Tukhachevsky was likely to have been arrested, and now was the era of great purges in the Soviet Union.

"Then I wish him a speedy recovery," Hessmann said calmly. "If he needs medical help from Germany, just tell the embassy and let him come to Germany for medical treatment or send our medical experts to the Soviet Union. "

Can German doctors cure line errors? When Yegorov heard Hessman's words, he couldn't help but sigh. Tukhachevsky's arrest is a signal - the purge is about to affect the top brass of the Workers' and Peasants' Red Army!

"Thank you very much," Voroshilov smiled and shook hands with Hessmann. There was no doubt that he was safe and there was no need to worry that Stalin would attack him. "I will convey your kindness to Tukhachevsky."

"Okay, that's great!" Herschmann hugged Voroshilov, "Voroshilov, I wish us a happy cooperation. In addition, I look forward to meeting you in Berlin in the summer of 1938. By then our two countries should be the closest allies!”

"Yes! We will be allies!" Voroshilov said happily, "Together we will plant the flag of socialism all over the world!"

Hersman also agreed and said: "Yes, we are going to plant the flag of socialism in every corner of the world!"