Age of Rebirth

The ambition to open up overseas colonies for the Kingdom of Italy in Asia and the Pacific region was shattered by the disastrous defeat of the army. Prime Minister Mussolini stayed behind closed doors and disappeared from the public eye in order to avoid the gradually boiling public opinion of the domestic people. Within a few days, according to people in the Prime Minister's Office, His Excellency the Prime Minister fell ill, and he was very sick.

Noserino hid to see no one, but the Italian people did not agree. The soldiers who died in the battle were easy to say. After all, there were no people left. The government has a standard of compensation. What should the captured officers and soldiers do? The government has to come up with a way to deal with it. They can't be detained by the Chinese forever, right?

Prime Minister Mussolini hid and disappeared, the government collectively lost its voice, and the relatives of the captured officers and soldiers quit. As a result, after domestic public opinion fermented to a certain extent, it turned into dissatisfaction with the Prime Minister and the government. Demonstrations of varying degrees broke out in various cities in China, demanding that the government negotiate with the Chinese government as soon as possible to allow the captured officers and soldiers to return home as soon as possible.

The demonstrations in various places have become more and more intense, and they have a tendency to sweep across the country. From accusing Mussolini to doubting the ability of the Nazi Party to govern, Mussolini can no longer sit still. Brownshirts of Nazis have been sent to suppress it, but not this time.

10,000+ captured officers and soldiers, with a few relatives standing behind them, plus some immediate family members, that is, more than ten or twenty people, probably with a huge base of millions, the total population of the entire Italian country is, You can't put everyone in a concentration camp.Doesn't Italy become a huge prison?

Mussolini felt that his ruling position was unstable. He called a meeting of senior party, government and military officials in the prime minister's office.Urgently discuss countermeasures, and the final conclusion is.If you want to facilitate the return of 10,000+ captured officers and soldiers, you can only go to Hitler, the head of state of Germany, to communicate with Tang Qiuli, a Chinese. The relationship between the two is good. Moreover, the Prime Minister must go to Berlin to interview Hitler in person. not enough.

This is also something that can’t be helped. Since the Chinese government declared war on Italy, and Italy also joined the war, all embassies in China have withdrawn.If the channel of communication is cut off, it will definitely not work if you directly negotiate with the Chinese with straight eyebrows. They are the victors.

After careful weighing, Mussolini knew very well that if the prisoner of war problem was not resolved, his prime minister's throne might be unstable, so he decided.Immediately set off for a secret visit to Germany, and repeatedly told his son-in-law, Foreign Minister Ciano, that the visit to Germany must not be publicized.Keep a low profile, the lower the profile, the better, he knows.I'm begging for help, it's a shame.Can everyone know about it?

Mussolini, who has always been flamboyant and used to talking about pomp, arrived in Berlin very low-key.Under the repeated request of the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, even the welcome ceremony at the airport was canceled. An ordinary car took him to the office of the head of state in the German Parliament, where Hitler was waiting for him!

As soon as the two met, Mussolini almost cried out, grabbed the hand of his old friend, and said helplessly, "Führer, I have something to do with my secret visit to Germany this time." Please come..."

Hitler listened to his old friend's cries calmly, but in his heart he despised this gloomy and fat guy. When Mussolini decided to attack Tang Qiuli, he personally went to Rome to dissuade him. The verbal and earnest statement was powerful. What kind of attitude was this guy at that time, so arrogant!Awesome!

Now I know that I begged myself to come here crying and wiping away tears. What do I say, the Italians will not learn their lesson unless their heads are bloodied and their heads are full of bags. Even when I dealt with Tang Qiuli, They are all treated as equals, and you dare not be contemptuous at all. Just because you, an Italian who follows Germany's ass to make soy sauce and pick up cheap ones, dare to clamor to defeat the Chinese?

In Hitler's heart, a sense of pleasure rose spontaneously, and he felt pity for Mussolini, who was also of the same line of the Nazi Party, and said kindly: "My old friends, Germany and Italy are eternal allies, natural allies, old friends. When a friend encounters a problem, I will not stand idly by, and it is my duty to communicate with Tang Qiuli and the Chinese government!"

Hearing this, Mussolini burst into tears. He was moved. He never thought that Hitler, who has always been strong, would be so reasonable and understand his own difficulties. After all, when Italy declared war on China, people I went to Rome to dissuade myself without hesitation, but I was pushed back by myself, without saving any face. Now that I think about it, what did I do?

"However!" Hitler's words changed, and he said in a serious tone: "I am only responsible for conveying the words of my old friend to Tang Qiuli. As for the conditions Tang Qiuli proposes, it is a matter of negotiation between the two of you, and Germany will not participate. , and don’t want to, let alone participate in it!”

"Successful success!" Mussolini nodded his head and said gratefully: "As long as the head of state can communicate with Tang Qiuli and facilitate negotiations between the two parties, I and the Italian people will be grateful. Now go back to the country and wait for the good news from the head of state!"

Before Mussolini could sit still, he hurried back home. Seeing his obese body, he staggered out of the office. Hitler shook his head and said helplessly, "If I had known this before, why bother!"

In Busan on the Korean Peninsula, at the frontline headquarters of the Independent Division, Chief of Staff Zhao Yuhe walked into the office of division commander Tang Qiuli and said, "Master, I just received a telegram from Deputy Division Commander Liu!"

Tang Qiuli picked up the telegram, read it several times carefully, and said after pondering for a long time: "Call back to Deputy Commander Liu, Brother Tiehan, I have heard all the calls, and I am very pleased that my brother won the North American War, but the capture of the western United States in Diller The Japanese-occupied area to the west of the Lashan system, to wipe out the Japanese and Italian troops, is only the first step of the North American strategy!"

"Brother said that the situation in the western part of the United States is certain, but in Qiuli's view, it is not the case. If there is no huge military force in the area, actual control is just a lie. Brother understands what brother wants, but control From Alaska to the western part of the United States and Canada, and even Central America, it is related to the actual control of the entire Pacific Ocean and the prevention of other forces in the future. For such a major event, a heavyweight general like Brother Tiehan must be in charge!"

"Nowadays, the German army is fighting fiercely with the US and Canadian forces in the eastern part of the United States. There is no sign of the end of the war in a short period of time. The consumption of the Germans on the North American battlefield is also very large. In the end, the independent division will also intervene. Fighting in North America, therefore, the existence of brother troops is very necessary!"

"Not only that, but after the war of attacking the Japanese mainland is over, we will also increase the strength of the Eastern Finger Army. Brother Tiehan is resting and recuperating in the western United States, training troops, and paying close attention to the eastern battlefield of the United States, making preparations for battle. When an opportunity arises, brother's army , it is a wonderful chess, I hope brother can understand the mystery! Brother Qiuli wrote it himself!"

Now that the army of more than [-] in the East Point has established a firm foothold in the western United States, Tang Qiuli must not lose the fat in his mouth. Not only that, his appetite is not limited to such a small piece of land in the western United States, Italy has been eliminated from the North American battlefield by itself. In terms of the division of interests in North America after the war, the Chinese should get their due piece of cake.

Moreover, it is my unwavering strategic goal to control the North American continent and even Central America on the front line of the Pacific Ocean, and to turn the entire Pacific Ocean into the Chinese inland sea. Liu Tiehan's East Pointing Force is stationed in the western United States. These, otherwise, staying in the San Jose area of ​​Central America, with more than ten thousand Italian soldiers, is it worth sending heavy troops from the East to go to war?

Tang Qiuli understands Liu Tiehan's desire to personally command the army and kill the mainland of Japan, and even empathizes with him. But in the face of larger strategic goals, he can only let this old man who followed him all the way fight with his heart. sorry!

Putting down the telegram, Liu Tiehan's mood was very complicated, including understanding, loss, and regret, and more of a sense of responsibility for the new mission. Tang Qiuli's telegram opened up a magnificent picture of the future for himself. Looking at the young people who have grown up all the way, I am impressed with such a grand blueprint in their chests.

"Ke Tian, ​​order the troops in the western part of the United States to immediately transfer to rest on the spot. At the same time, send a certain number of mid-level military officers to participate in the management of local civil affairs and restore the local economy as soon as possible. We have a few hundred thousand people plus 10. +Italian captives can’t rely on Australia’s supply for everything, and they can solve part of it by themselves, which will also reduce the pressure on the logistics department!” Liu Tiehan said to Chief of Staff Yang Ketian: “We will be stationed in North America now!”

Yang Ketian’s desire to kill the Japanese lair was more urgent than Liu Tiehan’s. He also read the teacher’s telegram himself. Commander, several other corps have participated in the battle to attack the Japanese mainland, but we, the main force of the Eastern Command, stayed in North America!"

"Looking helplessly at other troops, digging out the lairs of the devils, the Japanese and the Italians have been defeated, so what's the point of keeping so many troops? If there is no battle to fight, 10 people will be idle in the future! "

"You think so?" Liu Tiehan stared at Yang Ketian, and said, "There will be battles in the future, and the scale will not be small! The commander has a big plan for the North American continent, and he has high expectations for our East Pointing Army!"

"Could it be that the commander wants us to participate in the war between the Germans, the Americans, and the Canadians?" Yang Ketian's head reacted quickly, "Then according to your judgment, the deputy commander, the possibility of following the fight is the greatest?"

"Not sure!" Liu Tiehan smiled mysteriously and said, "Just wait and see. In short, battles must be fought. By the way, what is the position of the troops going south to Central America?"

(to be continued) (to be continued...)