164
Episode 164: Spear and Shield (15)
-Red spies infiltrated British society!
-Is Cambridge a den of communists?
-The Kremlin's conspiracy targeting the British Empire!
"Damn it! "I thought things would finally get better, but nothing happened!"
Churchill felt like he was going crazy and jumping up and down.
We managed to create a justification for entering the war by deliberately throwing out cargo ships carrying precious supplies as bait, but now, in this situation, something happened.
In addition to the UK, a similar incident occurred in the US on the same day.
Unless someone deliberately planned it and set it off, it could never have happened.
Churchill immediately arrested the Cambridge Five, who were accused of being Soviet spies, and at the same time ordered an investigation into the newspapers.
How can a single newspaper know and report a fact that not even the British government knew about?
Since this was something that could not have happened based on common sense, a third party must have intervened.
As a result of the investigation, it was revealed that it started with a letter sent by an unknown person.
The anonymous letter was sent to all newspapers whose names were thought to be well-known, and since the content in the letter was so shocking and contained detailed information that could not be known only to those involved, the newspapers published it in their newspapers without delay.
As the suspicions turned out to be true, the whole of England burned even hotter.
Communist members dragged out of the British Communist Party headquarters were beaten to death by people, and Molotov cocktails were thrown at the Soviet embassy.
People were demanding the truth and investigation with one voice.
Besides these, no one knows how many Soviet spies infiltrated Britain.
How can we sleep safely when the communists are openly running amok?
Newspapers and radio outlets published speculative articles claiming that the government's sending of supplies to the Soviet Union was not in fact to help China but at the direction of the Soviet Union, stoking public suspicion and anxiety, and some media outlets known for gossip went one step further. They even published an article suggesting that Churchill might also be a communist.
Churchill almost lost his senses when he read an article saying that the reason his cabinet was trying to intervene in the German-German War was the clearest evidence that Churchill was a communist.
"These bastards are real! "How dare you call someone a communist!"
"dismissal! Fix it!"
Churchill, who had no choice but to cooperate with the Soviet Union to defeat the Nazis, hated the Communist Party and wanted to stop them, was furious.
However, if the facts were revealed to refute the suspicion, there was a risk that it would lead to bigger problems.
"Fucking Jerry bastards. There must be Jerry guys behind all of this. clearly. "If it weren't for them, there would be no one to cause this incident right now."
Churchill was convinced that Germany was behind the incident. Churchill's guess was correct, but there was no evidence that Germany was the culprit.
"And damn commies. How dare you do dirty tricks behind my back without knowing any grace?"
Churchill hurled all kinds of insults not only at Germany but also at the Soviet Union.
This side is trying their best to help them, despite all kinds of political irrationality, but the people who are begging for help are actually stabbing them in the back!
Soviet Ambassador to the UK Ivan Maisky, who faced Churchill with rolled-up eyes, initially denied that the allegations were true, but when Churchill interrogated him with a confession written by the Cambridge Five and various other materials, he eventually admitted to the charges and begged for forgiveness.
"Who in the world would betray a country that is trying to help them? uh? It must have been a direct order from your leader, Stalin! "Isn't that right?"
"Cho, Prime Minister, please reason-"
"That damn reason! Would you be able to stay still? Do you know what the entire nation calls me? A communist prime minister! "Why do I have to listen to communists like you!"
Maisky could not reply even once to Churchill, who used abusive language that he would not normally give to an ambassador, and kept lowering his head.
There was an incident where a Soviet embassy employee was beaten to death by protesters, but Maisky could not keep silent.
In the current situation, a counterattack without warning would only make the situation worse.
"You have a mouth, so speak! "Don't be dumb!"
"… ..I'm sorry, Mr. Prime Minister."
Once the identity of the Cambridge Five was revealed, it was difficult for him to avoid the Kremlin's questioning of the mission failure.
If a wrong response had completely ruined relations with Britain, there was no way Stalin would have saved him.
Therefore, Maisky received the anger and thick spit that Churchill spewed out.
He could endure this level of humiliation for the sake of his country and his own life.
At the same time, he was relieved that he was in London.
The Kremlin must be hell by now.
***
June 28, 1942
Soviet Moscow Kremlin
Even considering his cruel and sadistic aspects, it could not be denied that Lavrenty Beria was a man of positional power.
Like Stalin, he was from Georgia and was born into a poor peasant family and grew up in hardship.
Despite his poor lifestyle, he possessed a brilliant mind. After graduating from a technical school, he joined the Communist Party and worked as a security guard.
In 1920, Beria joined the Cheka, the Soviet secret police founded by Lenin, and was promoted repeatedly for his outstanding performance in purging the Mensheviks who were opposed to the Bolsheviks within the Communist Party. In the process, he caught Stalin's attention. .
Beria, who became a close associate of Stalin, became his faithful hunting dog and faithfully carried out all instructions given by his master.
He was a dog that barked when Stalin told him to bark and bit when he told him to bite, and he did not mind getting his hands bloodied to prove his loyalty to Stalin.
Rather, he enjoyed it. He visited Lubyanka's underground torture room every day and made it his daily routine to torture and beat 'suspects' arrested by NKVD agents.
His pure sadistic side was so cruel and vicious that even the NKVD's torturers were speechless.
Beria, who even removed his predecessor Yezhov and was appointed as the head of the NKVD and People's Commissar of Internal Affairs, oversaw the Soviet Union's espionage war not only within the Soviet Union but also around the world in order to consolidate his power and maintain Stalin's trust.
He searched out reactionaries and anti-communist partisans in Ukraine, the Caucasus, Poland, and the Baltic countries, executed them, and sent them to the Gulag.
Beria, who ordered the massacre and burial of 22,000 Polish military officers and intellectuals in the Katyn Forest, and the assassination of Lev Trotsky, Stalin's former comrade in exile in Mexico and still revered as a saint by the Bolsheviks. It was.
Although Beria also received and carried out Stalin's instructions, it could not be denied that Beria had a large share in the numerous evils committed in the Soviet Union and the results of the information war achieved by the Soviet Union.
However, Beria's future, which seemed to be solid, gradually collapsed and cracked under the Third Reich.
As the saying goes, there is a flying man above a running man, and the operations carried out by the NKVD under his command were identified and stopped or destroyed by the SD.
The spy network built in Germany after years of effort and money was reduced to dust with the destruction of the Red Orchestra, and now the same disaster has occurred in Britain and the United States.
Anti-Soviet sentiment among the British and Americans soared dangerously, and it was painful that the spy network that had been carefully constructed collapsed overnight, but what was even more serious was that Roosevelt refused to provide fuel support from the Soviet Union.
This was a fatal blow to the Soviet Union, which was barely surviving on oil reserves.
As fuel could not be imported from the United States, not only all military equipment but also the national industry itself was at risk of being shut down.
Stalin, who could no longer bear it, decided to throw out Beria, whom he treated as his hand and foot.
If this is a job that was previously handled by incompetent people, they will at least do the basics even if they bring in someone else to do it.
Stalin, who signed Beria's execution document, immediately signed a document appointing Sergei Kruglov as People's Commissar of Internal Affairs as Beria's successor.
After signing all the documents that required his signature, he attended a strategy meeting.
"The fascists will definitely attack Hungary and Romania, Comrade Secretary General."
When he received orders to come to Moscow to attend the Stavka Conference, Zhukov was terrified that Stalin was trying to purge him.
However, considering his family members who were under surveillance by the NKVD, he had no other option.
Fortunately, it was really because of a strategy meeting that Moscow called him, and Zhukov let out a breath he had secretly been holding and prayed in gratitude that he had survived safely today.
"Comrade Zhukov, how long do you think it will take the German army to break through the Stalin Line?"
After Zhukov's explanation, Stalin filled his pipe with tobacco and asked in passing.
"That can't be possible, Comrade Secretary."
"What do you mean, it can't be like that?"
"That's literally it. "The German fascists will never cross the Stalin Line, so arguing about how long it will take is meaningless."
"hmm… ."
Stalin tilted his head and lit his pipe. The corner of Stalin's mouth twitched as he watched the yellowish cigarette smoke slowly spread into the conference room.
"If you are the Chief of Staff of the Red Army, you should be."
As expected, this was the correct answer. Zhukov was internally relieved.
As expected, what Stalin asked him was confidence, not strategy. Blind confidence in victory and unwavering loyalty to oneself.
"I hope you keep your word, Comrade Zhukov. The Stalin Line is the Soviet Union's lifeline. If the Stalin Line is breached, the fate of this country will be like a light in the wind. Do you understand?"
"of course."
As the United States rejected its request for fuel support, the Soviet Union was forced to survive only on oil reserves until the Baku oil field reopened.
The breakthrough of the Stalin Line meant that the German army entered Soviet territory in earnest and that the Soviet army had to engage in a mobile war, a situation that was most important to avoid.
The vast western plains are the best environment for the German army's long-standing mobile warfare.
And unlike the Soviet Army, which suffered from a lack of fuel, the German Army was able to run wild without any restrictions on fuel thanks to the oil supplied from Romania and Hungary.
If the two conditions of a plain and an enemy rich in oil come together, there is no way for the Soviet army to overcome this.
Therefore, the Stalin Line had to be defended at all costs.
At least until the Baku oil fields come back online or the US and UK start providing fuel to the Soviet Union.
Stalin also did not think that the carefully constructed defense line would be easily breached.
As Zhukov explains, the German army is more likely to advance toward Hungary and Romania, where there is no defense line, than to collide head-on with the solid Stalin Line.
Therefore, if only the southern front is concerned, the German army will not be able to advance any further and will only be able to stand still.
If the Western Front of World War I were to be repeated on the Eastern Front, Germany, which had more limited manpower and materials than the Soviet Union, would be the first to raise its hand and conclude negotiations.
If we pretend that we cannot win and accept negotiations, it will be possible to end the war without major losses.
This side is the one who started the war in the first place, so we will have to pay a certain amount of compensation and territory, but it is better than the country being completely destroyed.
Then, it would be enough to place the blame for the defeat on the scapegoats selected in advance.
Stalin exhaled smoke from his cigarette as he watched Zhukov continue his explanation by pointing to the place names on the map with his thick fingers.
***
June 29, 1942
Tiergarten Palace, Berlin, Germany
As I expected, Vlasov chose to convert.
For the overthrow of the communist system he hated and for the true liberation of the Russian people.
After making up his mind, he immediately met with members of the Russian Fascist Party, formed the Russian People's Liberation Committee (Комитет освобождения народов России), and began discussing various pending issues.
It's not that there were no disagreements, but the meeting itself went smoothly without any major difficulties.
Maybe it was because it was in front of me, but since there weren't that many places where we could clash, we generally agreed on the big things.
After reaching agreement on basic issues, they officially declared the creation of the Russian People's Liberation Committee and the Free Russian Army.
The founding ceremony of the Russian People's Liberation Committee and the Free Russian Army was held in a grand manner at the Tiergarten Palace.
In order to create awareness that today's event is an international event rather than an internal German affair, I invited not only high-ranking Nazi Party officials and military generals, but also ambassadors from various countries and foreign reporters residing in Berlin to the inauguration ceremony.
All ambassadors from the Axis countries attended, as did almost all ambassadors from neutral countries except for the US, UK, and Italian ambassadors.
President of the Protectorate of Bohemia and Moravia Emanuel Moravez, President of the Protectorate of Poland Stanisław Klimecki and Prime Minister Jan Mosdorf also attended.
Although the two countries, the Czech Republic and Poland, were annexed by Germany, they were called on purpose to emphasize that, at least on the surface, they are treated on an equal footing with the Germans and that they are also members of the Axis powers.
This must be shocking to the government-in-exile in London, but do you understand?
"First of all, I would like to thank everyone who came here, as well as German President Adolf Hitler and the German people who made today possible. "If it had not been for the help of our friend Germany, this place today would not have been recorded in history."
The first person to take the podium was Rozaevsky, who was appointed head of the Russian Fascist Party and vice-chairman of the Russian People's Liberation Committee.
Rozaevsky, standing under three flags - the Russian flag, the Russian Fascist Party, and the Russian People's Liberation Committee flag - spoke about the atrocities inflicted by the Soviet Bolshevik regime on Russians and people around the world.
"The Bolsheviks are enemies not only of Russia, Germany and Europe, but of the world! They came to power with promises of bread and freedom to the Russian people. But it's a lie! "They haven't kept that promise, and they never will!"
After Rozaevsky's speech, Vlasov was next. Vlasov was now wearing a German Army uniform rather than a Soviet uniform.
His title was also changed from Lieutenant General of the Soviet Army to Chairman of the Russian People's Liberation Committee and Commander-in-Chief of the Free Russian Army.
The content of Vlasov's speech was similar to Rozaevsky's.
How did he, the commander of the Red Army, end up in this position now, accusations and complaints about Stalin's evil deeds and various criminal acts committed against the Soviet people, etc.
"Friends and brothers! Bolshevism is the enemy of the Russian people. Bolshevism brought immeasurable disasters to our country. They suffered enough from starvation, forced labor, and the pain of the Bolshevik torture chambers! Rise up and fight for freedom!
You are not alone anymore. Next to us are our allies in Germany and Europe who sincerely support our freedom and liberation. Long live a glorious peace with Germany!"
Half of the audience at the event were white Russians who had fled to Germany. At the end of each speech, they applauded with thunderous applause.
After all the speeches of the members of the Russian People's Liberation Committee were over, it was my turn.
As I ascended the podium, thunderous applause filled the entire palace. Sieg Heil could be heard from all over the audience.
"A lot of time has passed, so I will speak as briefly as possible. As Vice Chairman Rozaevsky, General Vlasov, Commissioner Taboritsky, General Skorodumov, and General Syteiphon said, we all know very well what harm communism has brought not only to Russia, but also to Europe and the world.
Communism promises prosperity, but what it brings is poverty. The 3 million Ukrainians who died of starvation prove it.
Communism promises unity, but what it brings is hatred and division. Concentration camps and unknown graves in Siberia prove this.
Communism promises a better future, but it always returns to the dark ages of the past. The Soviet Union today proves it.
Communists always say they love freedom, but they always force absolute conformity and obedience.
Communism has nothing to do with justice.
It has nothing to do with equality either.
It has nothing to do with providing relief to the poor and starving.
Communism is interested in only one thing.
It's just their wealth and power.
The more power they have, the more power they crave.
What they want is the right to decide. Who will win and who will lose, who will go up and who will go down, what is right and what is wrong.
And who will live and who will die.
Communism flies the flag of progress and development, but all it brings is injustice, exploitation, and massacre.
I say this here and now.
We will never surrender to communism!"
A passionate shout followed, like a volcano exploding.
People were excited. And cheered. I came down from the stage, leaving behind the passion and admiration of the people pouring in.
***
The contents of the 'Berlin Declaration' announced by the Russian People's Liberation Committee that day were simple and clear.
The overthrow of the Stalinist dictatorship, the complete liberation of the Russian people, the end of war, peace, and the establishment of a new free state free from Bolshevism, dictatorship, and exploitation.
After the founding ceremony, I moved to Tempelhof Airport to complete my next schedule. Goering said in the Mercedes heading to the airport.
"People's reactions were funny. "Your Excellency the President, whenever you open your mouth, you create new history, hahaha!"
"This person is flattering. "With just a few words."
"Anyway, do you mind? I wonder if your schedule was too unreasonable... ."
"Don't you remember when we were preparing for the general election 12 years ago? Compared to back then, my current schedule is nothing. If you are the president of a country, you should be able to do this with ease. "Soldiers must still be fighting on the front lines."
A Ju252 was waiting on the airport runway, having finished refueling. After getting on the private plane, I immediately took off my coat and got ready for bed. As Göring said, in order to handle the tight schedule as smoothly as possible, one had to rest when time allowed.
"I'll close my eyes. Krause, wake me up when we arrive."
"Yes, Mr. President. "Sleep comfortably."