Chapter 275 Justice 10

When British Foreign Secretary Viscount Halifax and Admiralty Secretary Winston Churchill arrived at the port of Zeebrugge in Belgium on the world's most powerful battleship "Hood", some people actually protested on the nearby dock. The protesters held up homemade placards with the following words written in bright red paint:

We want the European Union, not war;

Europeans do not fight Europeans;

Belgium does not need the British Empire.

It is obvious that the Germans' "inducement of surrender" to Belgium has achieved certain results. The last world war caused great harm to the Belgians, and they also suffered from severe "war phobia". Now facing a re-emerging, aggressive German Empire that beat down a "powerful country" like Poland in just 12 days, the Belgians are afraid and want to compromise.

In addition, the current Belgian King Leopold III no longer has the courage and perseverance of his father Albert I - it was Albert I who stood up at the critical moment, informed France of William II's conspiracy, and led the Belgian people to plug the loophole for France, which allowed Britain and France to win the world war.

But his son now completely lost his courage in the face of a Germany that had returned and become even more powerful. Of course, this generation of Belgian people was as cowardly as their king.

When they saw in the newspaper that the German Chief of the General Staff, Marshal Hessmann, threatened to drop 10,000 tons of bombs on Paris every day, they did not think of justice and fairness, but were afraid that these bombs would fall on Brussels and Antwerp.

So when the Germans asked Belgium to return the compensation states, cede part of the Ardennes region to Luxembourg (Luxembourg joined Germany), and join the customs union and the European Mark zone dominated by Germany, many people wanted to compromise.

And when the enthusiastic Queen of the Netherlands and the monarchs of the "Good Will Group" (on the eve of the outbreak of the World War, the monarchs of Sweden, Denmark, Luxembourg and Belgium formed a "Good Will Group" to call for peacekeeping) came forward to intercede for Belgium, they finally made the Germans give up their territorial claims to Luxembourg and the Ardennes region, and only insisted on reclaiming the compensation states and Belgium joining the "Customs Union" and "European Mark Zone" and other seemingly very favorable requirements. Almost no one in Belgium wanted to fight Germany anymore.

Moreover, even the minority of anti-Germans could not tell what noble goal Belgium was fighting for this time?

Oppose the European Customs Union? Belgium is not a big market. It has a small homeland, a small population, and is a developed industrialized country. There is absolutely no reason to refuse to join a market that is ten or twenty times larger than it.

Oppose the European Mark? German Foreign Minister Ribbentrop has told the Dutch government that the European Mark will be issued by the European Bank, which will be a central bank jointly controlled by the governments of all countries in the European Customs Union and headquartered in Amsterdam, the Netherlands...if the Dutch are willing to join!

Although it is still a bit risky to abandon the Belgian franc and adopt the European Mark, it is better than going to war with Germany, right?

In addition, joining the European Customs Union and adopting the European Mark do not need to be implemented immediately. It is just a promise-it needs to be fulfilled after the Germans use bombers to bomb Paris, Lyon and Marseille in France into rubble. The Belgians will obtain the neutrality recognized by Germany before many French people are killed.

Although it is certainly a pity that beautiful cities such as Paris, Lyon and Marseille were bombed flat. But this is better than the bombing of Brussels and Antwerp, right? Belgians just want to live a stable life and have no obligation to die for the French or the British!

So, when the British Foreign Secretary and the Admiralty Secretary arrived in Belgium in a mighty manner on the huge battlecruiser "Hood", escorted by several light cruisers and destroyers, they encountered protests from the peace-loving Belgian people.

...

"Winston, it seems that we are unwelcome."

Viscount Halifax stood on the deck of the "Hood" and chatted with Churchill beside him while waiting for the arrival of the Belgian Prime Minister (the Belgian Prime Minister had already arrived at the port of Zeebrugge, but was surrounded by angry Belgian people in the hotel).

If Hitler is a brilliant gambler, then Hessmann is a Go master. He spent more than 20 years carefully arranging a chess game for a world war. Now Britain and France have fallen into a great passive situation... not only in military passiveness, but also in international politics.

Although Germany has now annexed Czechoslovakia, Austria and the Baltics, and has also beaten up Poland. However, no one in the international community regards Germany as an aggressor - Germany annexed Bohemia, Austria and the Baltics at the request of the three national elected parliaments, and the dismemberment of Czechoslovakia was supported by the League of Nations.

The conflict between Poland and Germany was caused by Poland's violation of the Polish-German Agreement of 1918. In that agreement, Germany had given Lithuania to Poland as compensation for its recognition of the eastern border. Later, Poland annexed Lithuania on the basis of the Polish-German Agreement of 1918, and on the basis of the Treaty of Versailles, it said that the "agreement" was illegal and annexed most of Germany's West Prussia, Posen, part of Silesia and part of East Prussia. It's really a bit ugly to eat, and now Germany can't be said to be unreasonable if it wants to seek justice.

Moreover, Germany chose to make peace with Poland after realizing the borders stipulated in the 1918 Polish-German Agreement. Poland, facing the Soviet invasion, also accepted all the peace conditions proposed by Germany.

The Polish-German War is now over, and the Poles have become friendly with the Germans.

Under such circumstances, it is difficult for Britain and France to make people believe that Germany is a heinous aggressor.

"Whether we will be popular or not, it doesn't matter," Churchill said, looking at the protesting crowd on the pier and smoking a cigar. "The key now is not to let Germany realize its ambitions of the 'European Customs Union' and the 'European Mark'! So... we can't make peace with Germany!"

Churchill exhaled a large puff of white smoke, "If the Germans do not engage in the 'European Customs Union' and the 'Euromark', it is not impossible to make peace. But now, we must fight to the end!"

Once the European Customs Union and the Euromark are established, in 20 years the German Empire will become an intercontinental empire as powerful as the United States. By then, the British Empire will really collapse.

"But we cannot completely reject peace talks." Viscount Halifax frowned and said, "Now Italy, the Netherlands, Belgium, Luxembourg, Sweden, Norway and Denmark are calling for peace, and even US President Roosevelt has spoken... We can't help but show our respect."

This was why Churchill and Viscount Halifax came to Belgium - Britain and France could not help but make gestures for peace now.

At the same time, Churchill and Viscount Halifax must prevent Belgium and Luxembourg from immediately "falling" to Germany, and must prevent Germany from signing any agreement with Belgium and Luxembourg on the establishment of a "customs union" and a "Euromark area" after the war. agreement.

…

"Marshal, this is a report from the Military Intelligence Department." Hans Speidel handed a report to Hessmann, who was attending the headquarters meeting, and then left quickly.

"What news?" Schleicher asked.

"The British Foreign Secretary and the Admiralty Minister arrived in Belgium to discuss peace issues." Hersman looked at the report from the Military Intelligence Office and said mockingly, "But the British asked Belgium not to reach any agreement with us for the time being."

"What do they mean?" Deputy Chief of Staff General Baker also attended today's meeting. He is a peace advocate with a relatively clear stance - of course not clear enough to launch a coup to overthrow Emperor William. “Since we intend to achieve peace, why don’t we not allow Belgium to sign an agreement with us?”

"Because the British want to delay," Hersman certainly wouldn't tell Baker because of the "Euromark," "they won't lift the blockade!"

"If they don't lift the blockade, we will continue to launch unrestricted submarine warfare!" Navy Commander-in-Chief Redel said, "By January next year, the two break-up fleets will be able to attack!"

Raeder then reported that there is now a break-up fleet (composed of a "Scharnhurst" class battleship, a "Sedlitz" class aircraft carrier and a K-class light cruiser) that can be dispatched, but another The branch is still being prepared.

"Perhaps we can dispatch a fleet to break the diplomatic relations first," Hessmann looked at Hitler. This "head of state" in history did not have much say now. "It will soon be October, and the weather in the North Atlantic will not be conducive to submarine activities."

Although Dönitz now has more than 300 submarines available, because the war broke out in September, the winter winds and waves in the North Atlantic were high and the nights were very dark and long, which was not conducive to submarine activities. Therefore, there is not much time left for the submarine force to perform, and it is not enough to cause a truly fatal blow to British maritime transportation.

But this was a good time to dispatch the break-up fleet, but Hersman's purpose of dispatching the break-up fleet was not just to sink a few British transport ships. Because now Britain and France have confirmed the neutrality of the Netherlands, Denmark, Sweden, Norway and other countries!

He said to Hitler: "Leader, dispatching the 'Scharnhurst' and the 'Seidlitz' will win justice for us!"

"Winning justice?" Hitler asked, "How?"

Hessmann smiled: "Because justice is within the range of the cannon! As long as our battleships roam the North Atlantic, the world will know that justice belongs to Germany!"