Chapter 549 The Prime Minister Is Not Anxious, but the Secretary Is

The UK now has nearly 2 million ground forces, a total of more than 8,000 regular aircraft, and more than 3,000 regular tanks. In addition, the UK has built a large number of artillery batteries along the English Channel and deployed hundreds of large-caliber coastal defense guns. Such a large military force is used to defend the British mainland, which is theoretically foolproof.

But the problem is that Britain is an island country that cannot be self-sufficient in resources. Except for a few minerals such as coal, iron ore, and tin, most of the other oil and non-ferrous metals need to be imported.

In addition, Britain's food and agricultural products needed for industry are also not self-sufficient and need to be solved through imports. Although under the leadership of Sir Woolton, the Minister of Agriculture in the wartime cabinet, Britain has implemented a strict national food rationing system since January 8, 1940, and has vigorously promoted agricultural product production. It can be regarded as a basic solution to the British people's eating problem, but food and agricultural products imported from overseas are still indispensable. If imports are completely interrupted, how to feed 46 million British people will always be a problem.

Compared with eating, Britain's industrial production and combat operations will face greater troubles - people can lose weight by eating less, but can tanks run with less fuel? Can planes fly with less fuel? Can special steels be bulletproof and high-temperature resistant if they add less non-ferrous metals? If airplanes do not have aluminum alloys and various rare metals that can improve the engine's high-temperature and corrosion resistance, even if they are barely built, they can only be live targets for German airplanes.

Since the Americans have suspended the delivery of lend-lease materials to Britain since mid-December, the Germans' war of breaking through the Danish Strait and entering the Atlantic Ocean has been fully upgraded. Therefore, in the past two months, Britain's imports have been reduced to a negligible level. Britain's military, industrial production and the most basic livelihood are all guaranteed by the consumption inventory.

Although the strategic material inventory in Britain, including oil, steel, food, copper, aluminum, various rare metal ores, and other miscellaneous things, is more than 10 million tons. But for the consumption of a world war, it is actually not much.

The British War Cabinet made an assessment in late December 1942 that if the United States could not resume the Lend-Lease Act and use Iceland as a transit point to provide supplies to Britain, Britain could only rely on its inventory for 6-18 months... Most supplies could last for 18 months, but the huge reserves of aluminum, copper and various rare metals could only last for 6 months at most!

Therefore, as long as the United States really threw the Lend-Lease Act into the wastebasket, it would only be a matter of time before the British Empire was trapped by Germany.

"Don't worry about the problem of supplies."

Prime Minister Churchill put out the cigar in his hand, then lit another cigar for himself, took a puff, and then said confidently: "The Americans are more anxious than us on this issue. The reason why President Roosevelt temporarily cut off aid is because he knows that the inventory in our hands can still support us for a while.

President Roosevelt assured me that the interruption of supply will only last until April, and it will return to normal after the battleships Indiana and Massachusetts are in service. Because by then, the United States will have three super battleships to fight against Germany in the Atlantic.

In addition, in the Pacific and Indian Ocean directions, the United States will not only not interrupt supply, but will also increase support. So we don't have to worry about the United States abandoning us... because the Americans can't afford the consequences of Britain's surrender."

This is true! If Britain really surrenders, the King George V-class, Lion-class and Vanguard-class battleships that are currently in service or under construction will all become part of the "European Combined Fleet". Moreover, Britain's aviation technology and electronic technology will be used by Germany, and Germany will have a great technological advantage over the United States in aerospace and electronic industries. Finally, Britain is still an industrialized country ranked among the top in the world. With the addition of British industry, Europe led by Germany is no longer at a disadvantage to the United States in industrial production.

"Moreover, Moscow can't afford the consequences of Britain's surrender!" Churchill laughed sarcastically, "If we surrender, the Soviet Union will be the only one in the entire European continent that disobeys Berlin's will. What reason do Hitler and Hessmann have not to destroy the Soviet Union? The heir to the throne of the Russian Empire is the Crown Princess of the German Empire!"

The Prime Minister of the British Empire said firmly: "Ladies and Gentlemen, we don't have to worry about supplies and possible landing battles now. Because that is what the United States and the Soviet Union need to worry about. They will not watch us fail, which is also a huge disaster for them. If the British Empire falls now, the Soviet Union will fall in a year or two, and then it will be the turn of the United States."

For the German army's gathering in northern France and Belgium, British Prime Minister Churchill said he was not anxious or worried. 2,500 kilometers away, the Kremlin's master, Comrade Stalin, was a little anxious, but the secretary was.

Since the Japanese army won a great victory in Hawaii, Stalin stopped his vacation in Sochi ahead of schedule. After returning to Moscow, he held an enlarged meeting of the Bolshevik Party and Government Bureau every day to discuss the latest situation of the world revolution.

"Comrades, the world revolution has reached a critical moment, and the war between imperialism has entered a white-hot stage. This is very beneficial to our socialist Soviet Union and the cause of human liberation."

Stalin spoke eloquently in front of a group of political bureau members and alternate members. Although he said that the situation was excellent, the fatherly leader's brows were furrowed tightly. It seemed that he felt that he had an extremely heavy responsibility to lead all mankind in the future. ah!

Seeing Stalin's frown, the political bureau members and alternate members present also felt the same way, and deeply realized that the burden of leading all mankind is very heavy. Nowadays, people like them have a lot to do in order to improve the Soviet Union. If they change the object of leadership to all mankind, it will be too difficult and too busy... Didn't Marx and Engels consider such practical issues back then? ?

"Although the future is bright, the process must be tortuous! Therefore, the entire party, the entire army, and all Soviet people must be determined to dedicate everything to the cause of liberation of all mankind!"

When Comrade Stalin was speaking, he glanced at the faces of everyone present with his majestic eyes. When he found that everyone had serious expressions, he nodded lightly - it seems that these leaders of the Soviet party and country are not aware of the problems that the country is facing. We are aware of the severe external situation and are not blinded by the superficially favorable situation of the imperialist war.

"The current situation is very serious," Stalin said in a calm tone. "Although all imperialist countries have been involved in the war, peace has still been maintained between the United States and Germany, the most powerful imperialists! There is a trend of capitulationism in the UK. Olga, a remnant of the Romanov reactionary dynasty, is now frequently traveling between London and Berlin. There are also rumors that peace between Britain and Germany will be reached through dynastic marriage. Germany will thus become the European hegemon.

And our socialist Soviet Union will become the only country on the European continent that does not obey Germany after Britain surrenders! Therefore, we are likely to become the next victim of Germany's aggressive expansion. In order to protect 160 million Soviets from the ravages of the German Nazis, it was necessary for the Workers' and Peasants' Red Army to adopt a preemptive strategy. Deal a devastating blow to the Nazi army before they invade! From now on, the Workers' and Peasants' Red Army must always be prepared to fight Germany. "

What? The Soviet Union is about to deal a devastating blow to the Germans? Wasn't it agreed that the United States would first go to the Soviet Union to cover it? How come the Soviet Union came first? The Germans look very powerful. Can the Workers' and Peasants' Red Army defeat them?

In case of a devastating blow by Germany, the party and country leaders will be gone...

Seeing the surprised expressions on his comrades, Stalin frowned slightly. It seemed that his comrades still had doubts about fighting Germany!

In fact, he also wanted virtue to defeat both sides first, and then the Soviet Union would liberate all mankind. But I didn’t expect that U.S. imperialism was a paper tiger and was beaten so badly by little Japan. It seems that it is impossible for the Americans to deploy their main force to Europe soon... but the Soviet Union cannot just watch Germany deal with Britain and do nothing. Because after Britain, the Soviet Union will definitely become a new victim. Therefore, the Soviet Union must take action before Germany defeats Britain, so as to have a better chance of winning.

Of course, the United States cannot completely stay out of the matter. Comrade Stalin is not that easy to talk to.

Stalin said: "Of course we are not fighting alone. We are preemptively striking to avoid fighting alone. So the United States should not stay out of it!" He glanced at Molotov, "Now there must be a binding agreement that stipulates Once Germany tries to cross the English Channel to attack Britain, the United States and the Soviet Union must go to war against Germany at the same time! Moreover, the United States must deliver the supplies promised to us as soon as possible. Without those supplies, the Soviet Union has no way to go to war with Germany. "

Molotov said: "Okay, Comrade Stalin, I will go to the United States right away and have a face-to-face meeting with President Roosevelt. I believe he will agree to all our demands."

"In addition," Stalin paused and then said, "tell Roosevelt that I do not want a two-front war. Therefore, since the Soviet Union has decided to start a war on the Western Front, it will try to maintain stability on the Eastern Front. So before we end the Western Front war, There will be no war with Japan on the Eastern Front.”