The Rise of the Third Reich

Berlin time, May 7, 1945. According to a private agreement between German Chancellor Hitler and US President Truman, today is the last day of fighting on the Atlantic battlefield of the World War. However, the war has actually stopped. In the Atlantic Ocean, on the vast continent of South America, in the Caribbean Sea, and in Newfoundland and Labrador, almost all battlefields have returned to peace. The armies of all warring parties were ordered not to fire munitions at their former sworn enemies. The dawn of peace seems to be coming soon!

However, until the night of May 7, 1945, the German base camp meeting was still arguing over the ceasefire.

Of course, what is being debated now is not the ceasefire on the Atlantic battlefield - the war in the Atlantic direction has been effectively extinguished since May 1, and May 8 is just the day when the warring parties publicly announced the cessation of the war.

But in the direction of the Pacific, the bloody war is still continuing!

Germany's "ally" (the alliance began when Japan made a separate peace with the United States and has been legally suspended) Japan is now trapped in a bitter war on land and sea. On land, the Far East War was a complete failure. Japan lost more than 1 million troops in less than three months. It also lost the "quasi-colony of Manchuria" that it had operated for many years and the resource-rich North Korea. Now their only territories on the East Asian continent are Port Arthur Fortress and the southern part of the Korean Peninsula.

And this is not the worst situation. The worst thing is that the industry of Japan, an "industrialized country", is being paralyzed by the joint blockade of the United States, the Soviet Union and China.

The Red Army of China and Russia could achieve surprising victories in the cold winter of late 1944 and early 1945. In addition to their own strength far exceeding the imagination of the Japanese army, it was because of the long-term blockade caused by submarines, break-up fleets and mines. , paralyzing Japan's industry.

The loss of resource-rich Manchuria and the northern part of the Korean Peninsula made Japan's industry even worse. Although Japan captured almost all of Southeast Asia, due to the blockade of U.S. and Soviet submarines and the low level of industrial resource development in Southeast Asian countries, Japan's war Resources mainly come from the northern part of the Korean Peninsula and Northeast China. Now that these two resource collection areas have been lost, Japan is short of not only oil, but also coal and iron ore.

So by May 1945, Japan's monthly output of key industrial index products such as steel, coal, and electricity had fallen to the same level as China. As for oil, although the nominal output is quite large, the actual amount that can be transported back to the mainland is very limited, and it may be slightly less than the 1 million tons of oil produced by the Chinese.

As for the supply of key non-ferrous metals such as copper, aluminum, tungsten, manganese, tin, and chromium, it has also reached the point of being stretched. Military production can be said to be completely on the verge of paralysis. An "industrialized power" whose industry is paralyzed cannot defeat China and Russia, which can get critical support from the United States. Although maritime traffic between the United States and the Far East of the Soviet Union is cut off, critical supplies can still be provided through air transport, such as Aircraft engines, high-octane aviation gasoline, various medical supplies, and various high-end special steels. Although the weight of these things is not large, they are very critical and can greatly enhance the combat effectiveness of the Chinese and Russian armies.

However, because China and Soviet Russia currently do not have any surface fleets, even if they gain an advantage on the mainland, they will only reach Busan and drive the Japanese army into the sea. Not to mention liberating Japan, even liberating Taiwan is a bit difficult. So it seems that the Japanese Empire can persist in fighting!

The United States does not seem to really intend to force Japan to death. While suing Germany for peace, they also set out a condition for peace with Japan - Japan will withdraw all its troops from the Hawaiian Islands (including Midway Island) and the Aleutian Islands. Guarantee the nominal independence of the Philippines and plan U.S. assets in Southeast Asia and Japan. In addition, all South Pacific islands occupied by Japan will be handed over to Australia and New Zealand...

If it were not for the three atomic bombs dropped by Germany, such peace conditions would certainly be acceptable to Japan, which was almost desperate. And now...the Americans' peace conditions are also very beneficial to Japan in the long run.

Because these conditions eliminate the disputes between the United States and Japan and are conducive to the comprehensive reconciliation between the United States and Japan after the war.

Facing the upcoming emergence of the United States of Europe, not only the United States and Japan should not continue to conflict, but China, Japan and the Soviet Union should also stay together for warmth.

Only by realizing the great unity of the United States, Japan, China, the Soviet Union and Australia (Australia and New Zealand) can it be possible to truly unite Europe in the future.

As for Europe, it is natural to find ways to break up the "five-nation alliance" between the United States, Japan, China, the Soviet Union and Australia.

"We cannot allow the United States and Japan to easily reconcile, nor can we allow China, the Soviet Union, and Japan to reconcile." Hersman expressed his own opinion.

Hirschman, who has long known the potential of the United States, Japan and China in history, will certainly not allow the "five-nation alliance" to happen - in another time and space, wouldn't the three countries with the largest GDP in the world be the United States, China and Japan? If these three countries overcome their differences and unite, how long can the United States of Europe maintain its world hegemony?

"But what should be done?" Adolf Hitler asked. "It seems that Japan can no longer fight, and it is unlikely that the United States will stop negotiating peace with us while continuing to attack Japan, right?"

The United States is willing! However, Germany cannot allow the United States to defeat Japan - otherwise it will still be a "five-nation alliance", but Japan will have one more... oh, it should be at least 3 (one each from the United States, China and the Soviet Union) Supreme Emperor.

"For the United States and Japan," Hersman said thoughtfully, "there can only be a ceasefire, not a peace treaty. The Hawaiian Islands and the Aleutian Islands should be demilitarized, and the US naval power must be limited." "Ceasefire" and "peace" are two concepts. A ceasefire means that the war has been suspended, and peace means that the war has really stopped and the relationship has been normalized. In Hersman's mind, the US-Japan relationship in the future will be like the Korean Peninsula in another time and space, with a ceasefire but no peace, and always on the verge of war! "Demilitarization?" German Defense Minister Schleicher was a little confused, "Who owns the two archipelagos?" "Whoever occupies the island will own it, and a ceasefire will be implemented based on the actual control area." Hersman said, "Then demilitarization will be achieved. Both sides cannot station regular troops, and can only have non-military police." Hersman is laying mines for the United States and Japan! If the United States and Japan can develop their navies without restrictions, "demilitarization" is nothing, because Japan, which has become poor after the war, will soon know that the United States is really rich. Even if it loses 800 billion or 1 trillion, it can still crush a country like Japan in the arms race. Therefore, after a few years of naval competition between the two sides, the Japanese will cry and hand over the Hawaiian Islands and the Aleutian Islands they occupied.

But the United States is a "defeated country", and its navy must be restricted. Although Japan is in decline, it is a "victorious country". Hersman is ready to give Japan an ultra-loose quota in the upcoming "Naval Arms Limitation Negotiations", requiring them to have at least 80% of the surface fleet tonnage of the United States of Europe...

With such an expansion of maritime power, Japan will definitely not give up the Hawaiian Islands and the Aleutian Islands, and may even go further to occupy the US-occupied islands in the two archipelagos.

It is the tradition of the Japanese Empire to bite and not let go!

"In addition," Hersman thought, "we can also mediate the Far East War... After the Chinese and the Soviets occupied the southern part of the Korean Peninsula, I think they should be able to succeed quickly!" The Japanese Army lost too many troops and equipment in the Hawaiian Islands and the Far East War, although it also caused great casualties to the opponent. But they provoked a populous country armed with GCism! Today, China has a population of about 600 million, with a very young population structure, and the upper limit that can be mobilized is more than 60 million. Moreover, since 1928, the people of this country have begun to accept the gradual GCism wash, and now it has been 17 years, which is equivalent to 1966 in another time and space. This spiritual atomic bomb is no less than Japan. Now Japan has been blocked by the United States and the Soviet Union and has become a semi-industrial country shoulder to shoulder with China. On the Korean Peninsula, it is nothing more than a fight for life. How many people are there in China? How many people are there in Japan? And the GCist fighters are no worse than the emperor's samurai, what else are the Japanese fighting for? "Don't we need to help Japan?" Adolf Hitler was a little uncertain. "Help?" Hersman shook his head and smiled, "Does Japan need our help? Why should they fight China? Their two nations are close relatives, look exactly the same, and have similar cultures... It's about the relationship between France and our Germany."

"Are you worried that they will join forces?" Hitler asked.

"Shouldn't they?" Hersman shrugged, "None of them are real Aryans, and they certainly don't speak German. In today's world, what reason do they have not to unite? So what we have to prevent is not Japan being defeated by China and the Soviet Union... China and the Soviet Union, without a navy, can't defeat them. What we have to prevent is the emergence of a United States of Asia."

"Then how should we stop them?" Hitler asked.

"We mediate and abolish the Sino-Japanese Treaty of Shimonoseki," Hersman said, "and at the same time achieve autonomy and demilitarization of the Korean Peninsula, Taiwan, and Sakhalin Island."

Hersman's method is naturally to create disputes. By abolishing the Sino-Japanese Treaty of Shimonoseki, the sovereignty of the Korean Peninsula and Taiwan will be completely changed, and Sakhalin Island will also become a disputed area. Japan will not give up the Korean Peninsula, China will definitely work hard to take back Taiwan, and the Soviet Union will not give up Sakhalin Island.

This will lead to a long-term confrontation between China and Japan, with Japan under pressure from the United States in the east and threatened by China and the Soviet Union in the west. If it cannot make a sudden realization and give up some of its interests to be "pro-China and friendly to the United States," it will have no choice but to lick the boots of the United States of Europe and become a troublemaker in the Pacific.