The Rise of the Third Reich

Regarding the issue of implementing total war, the German High Command meeting quickly reached a consensus. Although no one knows how long the war will last or how big it will be in the end, everyone still knows the importance of being prepared.

Before, there was not enough oil and non-ferrous metals, so we could only save money to fight a world war. Now that the Middle East and North Africa have been conquered, the bottlenecks of oil and non-ferrous metals will soon disappear. So why not build more tanks, planes and warships?

Moreover, general war can also be used to integrate France, the Netherlands, Spain, Denmark and Norway, countries that still maintain superficial neutrality, into the European Community system, which is obviously very beneficial. The only thing harmful is the issuance of a lot of public debt. However, as long as the war can be won, no amount of public debt is an issue, so everyone voted in favor in the end. However, today’s high command meeting only determined the general direction of the implementation of general war. To truly implement general war, just formulating a plan and coordinating the interests of the countries of the European Community and the European Union (Customs Union) will take two or three moon. It could be officially implemented in June 1941, and it was already flying at the same speed.

In terms of national mobilization, Germany's national socialism was ultimately inferior to Soviet GC-ism.

Just when Hersman was fully promoting the general mobilization of arms for 18,000 aircraft (referring to the usual quantity) and 12,000 tanks and assault artillery (referring to the usual quantity). Stalin's Workers' and Peasants' Red Army already had 15,000 aircraft and 25,000 tanks - which was definitely not a small number at the beginning of 1941. According to a survey by the Soviet Red Army Military Intelligence Bureau, all countries in the world except the Soviet Union now have aircraft and tanks equipped with troops. The total number of them combined is not as much as that of the Soviet Union.

If you compare purely with the number of aircraft and tanks (referring to the common numbers), the Soviet Red Army is undoubtedly the most powerful military force in the world, more powerful than the seemingly invincible German Wehrmacht!

But what Comrade Stalin found difficult to understand was that the Soviet Red Army had the largest number of tanks and aircraft in the world, as well as millions of Bolshevik fighters armed with Marxism-Leninism, plus the leadership of a glorious, correct, and great Soviet Bolshevik Party. There is also the world's greatest fatherly leader with an iron will. Why can't he win an overwhelming victory like the German army?

The Germans used to attack Poland and France, and now they are attacking Britain in the Mediterranean. It seems that they don't have to waste any effort at all. What a crushing defeat!

However, the Soviet Red Army fought in Ukraine, Western Belarus, and Finland on the right bank. Although they won all of them, they were barely victorious. They were not good-looking at all. They did not look like they were about to liberate all mankind. And this time, entering Afghanistan, a backward, closed and ignorant country, it seemed that it was not as smooth as imagined.

The scene of Afghan working people lined the street to welcome the invasion of the Soviet Red Army did not actually appear (it was included in the documentary filmed by the propaganda department). The king of Afghanistan, Zahir Shah, who originally seemed enlightened and progressive, also revealed his reactionary nature. He refused the Soviet Union's request to open the border and use the road to liberate the Indian people, and resolutely acted as the British A lackey of the Empire. When the Soviet Red Army crossed the border and advanced towards Kunduz, Mazar-i-Sharif and Herat, Zahir Shah did something that Stalin did not expect.

Afghanistan actually declared war on the great socialist Soviet Union! To declare war is to fight to the end without leaving any room for chance. Isn’t this looking for death?

"War has been declared, and Afghanistan actually declared war on the Soviet Union! This is so ridiculous!" Stalin looked at the declaration of war from the Kingdom of Afghanistan sent by Molotov, and he couldn't laugh or cry at all.

"Has our ambassador in Kabul made it clear to Zahir Shah?" Stalin asked Molotov, who also serves as the People's Commissar for Foreign Affairs, in the Kremlin conference room. "We don't want Afghanistan, not even an inch of its territory. , we just want to liberate the 300 million oppressed Indian people, so we need to find a way."

"Let me make it clear, but Zahir Shah will not allow the Red Army to pass through Afghanistan."

Molotov said helplessly: "Maybe he doesn't believe that we are just taking advantage of him."

"Don't believe it?" Stalin looked very surprised. How could anyone in this world not believe in the Soviet Union?

"But we are the Soviet Union!" Stalin said in great surprise, "Why should Zahir Shah confront the Soviet Union? Does he still have any illusions about Britain?"

In Stalin's view, the British Empire had entered a state of survival after the Mediterranean Campaign. It did not even know whether the homeland could be saved and it was impossible to provide any useful assistance to the poor and weak Afghanistan.

Therefore, before Stalin decided to enter Afghanistan, he was actually worried about Germany's aid to Afghanistan through Iran. Therefore, when the Soviet Union entered Afghanistan, it also invaded the Khorasan region of Iran. It currently wants to cut off Germany's channel to support Afghanistan.

But he never expected that Zahir Shah was so confused that he ignored the decline of the British Empire and still clung to Churchill's thin legs.

Molotov nodded helplessly and said: "Comrade General Secretary, Afghanistan is a very closed country after all. It is normal for them to not understand the changes in the world situation. However, Afghanistan is very weak and will not cause us much trouble."

"There will definitely be trouble!"

As he spoke, Stalin took out his carved pipe, opened the tin can with cut tobacco on the table, put some good cut tobacco into the pipe, then lit it, took two puffs, and said: "But this There is nothing to be afraid of. The Soviet Union is not afraid of any trouble. Since Zahir Shah has exposed his reactionary nature, we have nothing to be polite about. The Shah Dynasty of Afghanistan (Stalin took the title of "Shah" as Zahir. Hill's surname) must be overthrown...Afghanistan should be turned into a People's Republic, is there an Afghan Bolshevik Party now?"

"No," Molotov replied. "As far as I know, there are no Afghan revolutionaries who believe in communism."

"That's it..." Stalin thought for a moment and said nonchalantly, "It doesn't matter. As long as we liberate Afghanistan, there will definitely be Afghan Bolsheviks. Let the Third International find a way."

Afghanistan's fate seems to be decided in this way - it will definitely become a member of the socialist family! However, at this time, neither Stalin nor Molotov would have thought that their opponent, King Zahir Shah, was actually not a reckless person. The reason why he dared to say no to the Soviet Union was because he received the support of the powerful German Empire and the United States of America!

At this moment, in the palace in Kabul, an intelligence officer from Germany, Colonel Reinhard von Rothenberg, was beating his chest to King Zahir and his cousin, the commander of the Kabul Garrison. Prince Daoud, who is also the director of the Military Academy, gave the assurance.

"... 5,000 rifles, 500 machine guns and 200,000 rounds of ammunition are just the beginning. More weapons will soon be transported to Kabul on Fokker aircraft to support your war against the Bolshevik invasion. The German Empire and the Kingdom of Afghanistan We stand together, there is no doubt about it!”

Since neither King Zahir nor Prince Daoud understood German, Major General Rothenberg spoke in English. It's just that the accent is a little strange. It's not a standard London accent or Indian English, but an accent that none of them have heard of. However, King Zahir and Prince Daoud did not doubt the identity of Colonel Rothenberg - they met this big shot of the German Central Security Service at a banquet held by the German Legation in Kabul. They were very generous. They used Fokker transport planes to transport urgently needed arms to Afghanistan, and they were all brand-new German firearms... These were obviously not Xibei goods.

However, King Zahir and Prince Daoud dared to fight against the Soviet Union not only because they had the support of Germany - they knew the general trend of the world. Germany was very powerful, but it might not win the final victory. Because there are two countries in the world that are as powerful as Germany, the Soviet Union and the United States. If only Germany supported it, the two of them would not dare to declare war on the Soviet Union, but the United States also stood up to support Afghanistan at a critical moment!

Shortly after Colonel Rothenberg left, Colonel Gingrich (actually he was British MI6 agent Ian Fleming), who was dressed in a gentlemanly manner, also arrived at the Kabul Palace. Here comes even greater good news.

"Your Majesty the King, Your Highness the Prince." Colonel Gingrich spoke very standard English, as good as the authentic British people Prince Daoud met when he was studying in France.

Colonel Gingrich said: "10,000 M1903 rifles and 1,000 Browning M1917s, as well as 500,000 rounds of ammunition and 40,000 MK1 grenades have just arrived in Peshawar and will arrive in Kabul in two days. In addition, there are A military advisory group composed of 20 American officers will also arrive at the same time. Later, we will also provide you with M1 75mm howitzers and M2 60mm mortars, both of which are very lightweight and suitable for the complexities of Afghanistan. of mountains.”

King Zahir and Prince Daoud looked at each other with expressions of surprise. This American is really rich! Not only did they produce twice as many rifles and machine guns as the Germans, but they also promised to provide artillery to Afghanistan... If the British Empire could support Afghanistan at this critical moment like the United States and Germany, then the victory of Afghanistan's anti-Soviet war would be Very confident!