226

Episode 226: How to die to live (6)

Officially, the Soviet Union did not recognize not only Free Russia but also the governments of the Baltic countries, Ukraine, and Belarus, but Free Russia was on a different level from those governments.

The president of Free Russia is Andrei Vlasov, a former Soviet soldier.

How will it be perceived by the people to officially recognize a government headed by a traitor to the Soviet Union?

Therefore, Litvinov never wanted to admit this, even if he did not know anything else.

The issue of recognition of Free Russia was not just a matter for the Soviet Union, it was also a matter of his life.

If he uttered even a single word acknowledging the free Russian government here, Stalin would never let him live.

"So, what do you plan to do if problems arise with Free Russia in the future? "Wouldn't it be a hassle for the Soviet Union to resolve all issues related to Free Russia through Germany?"

"······In any case, we can never agree on this part. "It is not a question I can dare to answer because it is directly related to the identity of the Soviet Union."

"her. I don't understand. Didn't the Foreign Minister come here under General Secretary Stalin's instructions and to represent his position? "If such a person says he has no authority, then holding a meeting itself is meaningless."

"Well, first of all, let me think about it. "I will ask the home country directly and decide."

The talks were temporarily halted due to Litvinov's circumstances. With Ribbentrop's permission, Litvinov stood up and immediately attempted to contact Stalin in Kuybyshev.

Stalin had instructed Litvinov, who was leaving for talks, not to contact him unless it was truly necessary.

It was not because he was concerned about German wiretapping, but because he did not want to leave behind a record of his involvement in this humiliating meeting for future generations.

That is why Stalin responded in an annoyed voice when Litvinov contacted him.

-Is the meeting over already?

"Well, that is..."

Litvinov told the truth about Germany's demands.

Stalin was troubled when he heard that Germany was demanding recognition of Free Russia. Litvinov waited anxiously for the secretary's answer. Every second felt like a minute.

-······Do it like this.

Ten minutes later, the meeting resumed.

Litvinov, who returned after receiving a direct reply from Stalin, made a proposal to Ribbentrop.

They do not recognize the Free Russian government, but they will treat it as a real government. What he was saying was that he would not only grant approval and establish diplomatic relations, but would do whatever he could from now on, so please take a look at it.

"great. "Then let's do it."

As Ribbentrop nodded, pretending not to win, Litvinov finally felt like he could breathe.

However, the only thing it did not approve was Free Russia, and it had no choice but to approve the recognition of the Baltic countries, the Caucasus, Ukraine, and Belarus as official countries.

"Release all prisoners from each other, but if you request to remain in the country, you must accept it."

"I agree."

All of the Soviet prisoners of war in Germany who had converted had converted to the Free Russian Army anyway, so there would be no prisoners who would choose to remain in Germany, and Germany also knew that the prisoners who refused to be repatriated to Germany would most likely be dissidents such as communists, so there was no need to hire them. There was no need to bring it to Germany.

Even if you bring it with you, it will only create chaos inside.

The meeting was now approaching its end.

***

The division commander, who judged that it would be difficult to withstand any longer while the enemy's attack continued, ordered his troops to retreat.

He then put a bullet into Tokarev's temple, leaving behind a letter to his family.

Sergei walked aimlessly. According to orders issued from above, the company, reduced to platoons, retreated to the rear.

It was no longer clear who the commander was, so no one gave orders. Regardless of class, everyone just walked endlessly.

Then I met the enemy. The Bf109 squadron fired strafing guns at those retreating and then disappeared.

The remnants of the defeated soldiers moved on without even burying the bodies of their dead comrades.

"Where is our air force?"

Sergei grumbled in a dissatisfied voice. Then someone said.

"Maybe in Siberia."

"Or in heaven."

"You can't shut up!"

When the old sergeant screamed, the soldiers became quiet.

Despite the party's propaganda that production of new fighter planes to compete with Germany's fighters had finally begun, only German planes were visible in the sky.

On rare occasions, Romanian or Hungarian fighter jets could be seen, but Soviet planes were nowhere to be seen even if you looked carefully.

As a result, a joke like this was going around among the Soviet military. The aircraft you can see in the sky is a German plane, and the one you can't see is a friendly plane.

As Sergei was walking aimlessly, an overturned and abandoned GAZ-AA came into view.

There were only three wheels that should have been four, and there was blood on the broken window. The driver was lying in the driver's seat with his head smashed.

"It looks like you hit the right time."

It was not uncommon to see vehicles or tanks damaged by air raids on the battlefield, so everyone just passed by, assuming that was the case. Weren't they also subjected to air raids just yesterday?

"Comrade Sergeant, what are you doing?"

A child soldier asked Sergei, who was snooping around the truck. Sergei said.

"Maybe there's something to eat."

Sergei approached the truck with its wheels falling off, hoping that there might be something to eat there. However, his expectations were cruelly shattered along with the ammunition box in the luggage compartment.

"shit."

As my expectations were high, so was my disappointment.

The child soldier who followed him out of curiosity also pouted his mouth in disappointment when he saw the shattered ammunition box and the bullets pouring out of the box.

I turned around and was about to move again when a soldier screamed in a threatening voice.

"It's the right time!"

***

-What's going on with this old man, junior?

"ha ha ha. I just called to ask how you are. "Senior, how is the situation?"

-Don't worry, things are going well. It's okay if my bastards go on a rampage.

Kleist's voice was full of composure. He assured that he would recapture Taganrog within tomorrow and surround Voroshilovgrad within four days to obtain the surrender of the Soviet army.

"As expected, you are a senior. Then I will believe it. Good luck."

After finishing his phone call with Kleist, Manstein returned his gaze to the map.

Even though the Soviets poured everything they had, they could only gain control of a small portion of southern Ukraine.

It's not that there were no results, but compared to the cost spent, the results were extremely shabby.

Manstein whistled. With this, the enemies are now completely broke.

The last remaining elite troops, tanks, and fuel were all used up in this offensive.

Even if the peace negotiations broke down, all they had to do was march forward with tanks and wipe them out.

At this time, as he was contemplating whether to suggest to the Fuhrer that he should advance to the Ural Mountains, he heard his adjutant's voice.

"dismissal? "Can I come in?"

"come in."

"Excuse me."

The deputy who opened the door and came in was blushing red.

"Did you see a naked woman on the way here?"

"This is a telegram from Berlin."

Manstein joked, but the adjutant seemed to be out of earshot and handed him a telegram.

The moment I checked the contents of the telegram, the phone on the table rang. It was a direct line connected to the Fuhrer's residence in Berlin.

"Yes, Mr. President. "This is Manstein."

-Oh, Marshal Manstein? Did you read the telegram?

"yes. "I just checked."

-Thank you for your hard work. Until today, the enemy's contribution has been the greatest.

The Fuhrer's voice over the phone was the brightest since the war began.

***

After reaching agreement on each issue, Ribbentrop and Litvinov signed the peace agreement document.

Ribbentrop signed first and handed it to Litvinov. Litvinov finished his signature, his hands shaking.

"This is the end of a long war."

"······That's right."

When Litvinov finished signing, Ribbentrop grinned. Compared to the actual war, which lasted nearly four years, the war that ended in less than a year could not be considered long at all, but in just over nine months, Germany suffered more losses than it suffered during the period from the invasion of Poland to the invasion of Yugoslavia. suffered a lot of damage.

Of course, even this was not enough to even show a business card compared to the losses suffered by the Soviet Union.

"Although much has happened, I hope that in the future the Third Reich and the Soviet Union will again be able to maintain friendly relations as before."

"······Thank you, Minister."

After this, a dinner prepared by the German side was prepared. Litvinov wanted to decline, but he changed his mind and decided to attend, fearing that he might be recorded more negatively in history.

But there was something that had to be done before dinner.

-Are you finished?

"Yes, Comrade Secretary. It's done."

Litvinov continued speaking with the feeling of a student showing his raining report card to his parents.

-Right.

Stalin quietly listened to Litvinov. After Litvinov finished speaking, Stalin spoke.

-Good job, Comrade Litvinov.

"Thank you, Comrade Secretary General."

Stalin's words ended there.

Even after finishing his phone call with Stalin, Litvinov remained standing for a long time. Although the war is over, the suffering is not yet over.

Rather, the real suffering had just begun.

The Secretary General will undoubtedly try to find the cause of defeat in the war elsewhere in order to preserve his power.

This time too, many innocent people will die. He was labeled a traitor who sold state secrets to the enemy country, Germany.

Litvinov trembled as he imagined another sea of blood.

***

"Minister Ribbentrop. "Is the meeting over?"

-Yes, Mr. President. It's done.

"What was the Soviet Union's reaction?"

-As expected, he looked like he had chewed something. Of course, we had to make concessions on some things, but for the most part they accepted our demands.

"Right. Good job, Minister. "See you when you come to Berlin."

After finishing the phone call with Ribbentrop, I felt as if the pain in a corner of my heart had completely melted and resolved.

"Whoa!"

at las,

It's finally over.

The German-Soviet War was recorded as the largest and worst war in human history!

Of course, this is only true in actual history, and here the war lasted less than a year and there was no genocide, so the number of casualties would be much lower than in actual history, but the result was the exact opposite.

Germany won and the Soviet Union lost.

That too, very miserably.

Although there was some damage, Germany succeeded in ripping off almost all of the Soviet Union's western territory.

The Baltic states became independent states again, and Ukraine, Belarus, and Free Russia were established, forming a strong breakwater to protect Germany from Soviet invasion in case of emergency.

In addition, Germany will be able to receive a stable supply of various minerals and oil for decades through the Caucasus that was recently created.

As the Soviet Union has been completely pushed out of Eastern Europe and the Caucasus, Germany's influence over countries in West Asia, such as Turkey and Iran, will also strengthen, and these countries will also try to remain in Germany's shadow.

The Soviet Union suffered massive casualties, and to make matters worse, it lost its capital and the Caucasus, a treasure trove of resources, as well as a significant portion of its western European territory.

Even after making so many sacrifices, the Soviet Union lost the war instead of winning, and even lost its territory and population, so the Soviet Union will never be able to stand against Germany again.

Before that, it was doubtful whether the Soviet Union itself could survive.

I wonder what kind of expression Stalin is making at this moment.

Now that the war is over, we need to convey this fact to the generals and soldiers on the front lines, as well as our allies.

And now it is time to put all our effort into the decisive battle against England.

"Well, on a day like today, wouldn't it be okay to enjoy it to your heart's content?"

"Yes, Mr. President. "Not enjoying an auspicious day like today is leaving a big stain on your life."

"This day will forever remain in German history!"

Even without any special instructions, Keitel brought champagne.

As bubbly champagne was poured into everyone's glasses, I raised my glass high and shouted.

"In memory of the great victory of the Thousand Year Reich and the great sacrifices of our soldiers! Sieg Heil!"

"Sieg Heil!!"

"Heil Hitler!!!"

The taste of champagne after victory was sweet.

***

"Huh, this is so..."

While everyone was in a festive mood at the news that the peace treaty had been signed, Kleist licked his lips as if something was unclear.

One of the chiefs of staff, puzzled by the sight, asked.

"Why are you doing this, Excellency Marshal?"

"It's nothing."

"Aren't you happy that the war is over?"

"Of course I'm happy. "It's just that the ending is unpleasant."

"You feel uncomfortable?"

Kleist nodded.

"okay. "The counteroffensive has just begun, but it's over before we even get a chance to launch a full-fledged attack. Isn't this how they'll look like they've done a good job?"

That was Kleist's complaint.

Since the war ended just as a full-scale counteroffensive was about to begin, people later would see it as if the Soviet Army was doing well against Army Group South.

Of course, in return for the peace treaty, soldiers who would have been killed or injured were brought back to life, so it was of course a happy thing, but Kleist felt as if his accomplishments had been slightly tarnished.

"Long live the Fuhrer! Long live Germany!"

"Sieg Heil, Main Fürer!"

Anyway, all the soldiers who heard the news, from privates to colonels, all shouted hurray.

When one impatient soldier fired a gun into the sky, other soldiers also took out their guns and fired at the sky.

A variety of guns, from pistols to machine guns, were shooting bullets into the air.

Normally, Kleist would have been angry at me for wasting precious ammunition, but today, he left it alone.

You have to have a day like this at least once in your life.

***

Sergei was dumbfounded when the enemy plane dropped a bundle of paper scraps instead of a bomb.

I thought it was a leaflet advising surrender as usual, but this time it was different.

"······what's this."

Sergei picked up the leaflet to see what else was written this time, and his eyes widened in surprise at the unbelievable content.

The boy soldier, who was puzzled by Sergei's reaction, picked up the leaflet that had fallen on the floor and read it, and was equally surprised.

The same goes for other soldiers. Even the officers who were trying to yell at the soldiers were puzzled by the unusual reaction of the soldiers who picked up the leaflets, and were horrified when they learned what was written on the leaflets.

"enforce?"

"Is the war over...?"

"really?"

Today, the war is over.

A long, terrible, and merciless war came to an abrupt end.

In fact, work to end the war had been in progress since before, but the news of the ceasefire was too sudden for those on the front lines.

Sergei often complained about when this damn war would end. But the war really ended today.

It was the moment everyone had been desperately hoping for, but there was no cheering of victory.

Everyone was frozen as if they had been turned to stone, just staring blankly at the leaflets distributed by the German flag.