Chapter 297 Red Tsar

"Mr. Minister, we are passing through Marshal Hersmann Street now."

Harry Hopkins is now sitting in a black Cadillac car bound for the Kremlin. Next to him is William Bullitt, the U.S. ambassador to the Soviet Union. The car was passing through a very grand street, lined with gorgeous buildings from the old Tsarist Russia era. Now they are occupied by some agencies, including party and league agencies, People's Committee and Soviet agencies. There is also a very impressive building with swastika flags and sickle-hammer flags flying side by side in front of it - this is where the Soviet Union and Germany actively promoted the company's presence in the Soviet Union. The headquarters is also where the Soviet-German Friendship Center is located.

"Marshal Hessmann?" Harry Hopkins was stunned. "The Soviet Union also has a Marshal Hessmann?"

"No, this street is named after the surname of the German Field Marshal Margrave Hersmann." Bullitt told Hopkins. "According to the Bolshevik Party, this German Field Marshal was a great internationalist fighter and the Soviet people. An old friend of Comrade Lenin, an old friend of the Bolshevik Party.”

"Is he someone like Hammer?"

Bullitt shook his head and whispered: "Hammer can't compare with him. In fact, he was one of the leaders of the Russian August Revolution! He escorted Lenin back to the country in 1917, and then single-handedly planned the August Revolution and brought Lenin to power. Ascended to the throne of Russian dictator!"

Harry Hopkins' eyes widened, "I've heard news about this, are they all true?"

"It's true!" Bullitt smiled, "Fortunately Lenin is dead, otherwise the Soviet Union would have fought side by side with Germany."

Harry Hopkins seemed to hear the voice of Bullitt's words, "William, you mean the Soviet Union will not fight side by side with Germany now?"

"Stalin won't," Bullitt paused, then shook his head, "He is different from Lenin. Their ideas are completely different. Lenin is the revolutionary leader of all mankind, and Stalin is a red czar!"

"Red Czar?" Harry Hopkins smiled, "This is different from his image in the United States."

Bullitt shrugged, "His image in the minds of the Soviet people is not that of a tsar, but those of us foreign diplomats in the Soviet Union know that he is a tsar!"

"This is a good thing, right?" Harry Hopkins asked, "The Tsar once worked with Britain and France to oppose Germany."

"But Britain and France betrayed Russia and refused to save the Tsar!" Bullitt said in a helpless tone, "Stalin experienced that era, and he was one of the founders of that period of history!"

"It's so unfortunate."

Bullitt spread his hands and said with a smile: "Ball promises will not be effective. If you want to win over him, you have to actually come up with something."

These are all the sequelae of the Paris Peace Conference! Russia paid so much, but in the end had nothing, not even its own land. Stalin would certainly not be fooled by a blank check now. No matter how much German-controlled land Britain, the United States, and France promised to the Soviet Union, it would all be empty nonsense to Stalin. If the United States wants the Soviet Union to reduce oil supplies to Germany, then it should provide some tangible benefits.

…

Of course, there were no real benefits. All Harry Hopkins brought to the Soviet Union was a letter written by Roosevelt and a can of Virginia's finest pipe tobacco.

The Red Czar played with the blue tin can containing pipe wire and listened casually to Bullitt's explanation of Hopkins's purpose in Russian - the general meaning was: President Roosevelt was very worried about the prospect of Germany dominating Europe and hoped that The United States and the Soviet Union can join forces to curb Germany's expansion, jointly maintain peace in Europe and the world, reduce or ban the export of oil, food and non-ferrous metals to Germany, and so on...

"Comrade General Secretary," Harry Hopkins saw that Stalin did not say a word and his attitude was very cold, so he quickly added, "The President of the United States understands the Soviet Union's desire to restore all lost territory, and is willing to support the Soviet Union in After Germany's defeat, it took back the Baltic provinces... which were the territories occupied by the German Empire! "

This is the only "benefits" that Harry Hopkins can currently offer to attract Stalin. However, Stalin still showed no interest. After listening to Bullitt's translation, he just said coldly in Russian with a heavy Georgian accent: "Germany is the largest trading partner of the Soviet Union. We give Germany oil, non-ferrous metals and The food was not given for free. We received from Germany machines, automobile and aircraft parts, battleship and cruiser engines and main guns... These things will significantly enhance the Soviet defense power. For the Soviet Union, this is beneficial and important. Equal trade, and also does not violate the "International Law" and any resolutions of the League of Nations.

If the United States wants to impose trade sanctions on Germany, it should do so through the League of Nations instead of using back-room diplomacy to make promises that cannot be kept. This seems to be exactly what your President Wilson was against! "

Harry Hopkins frowned, "Maybe we can buy part or all of the oil you export to Germany."

"For what?" Stalin asked.

"USD cash!" Harry Hopkins replied immediately. Americans have plenty of U.S. dollars, but it’s hard to say whether they can buy what they want with U.S. dollars.

The Red Tsar shrugged indifferently and said, "Then can I use these dollars to buy a battleship with a 406mm caliber main gun from the United States?"

There are three battleships with 406mm main guns in the U.S. Navy, all of which are "Colorado" class battleships. There are 4 ships under construction and 8 ships ready to be started. They are all very powerful battleships.

Stalin now wanted to get one of them as the "first step" for the United States to win over the Soviet Union. Of course, he will not reduce the supplies sent to Germany because of this.

Hopkins knew this was impossible. If Stalin proposed to get the Baltic States, Lithuania, Western Ukraine, and even East Prussia after Germany's defeat, President Roosevelt would agree without hesitation (in the form of a secret agreement).

But it was impossible to provide the Soviet Union with battleship-level weapons, and Congress could not pass it. And once Roosevelt approved such a deal, his "three re-elections" would almost be in vain - because the anti-Soviet forces in the United States were far stronger than the anti-German forces!

Seeing that Hopkins said nothing, Stalin put the blue tin can in his hand on the table and said: "Mr. Minister, Germany is now helping us build Soviet-class battleships. There are four ships currently under construction. June 1943 It can be completed before the month. In addition, through long-term cooperation with Germany, we have established a strong industrial system and become the world's third industrial power. And recently, with the cooperation of Germany, we have liberated most of the right bank Ukraine and Western Belarus. land."

He looked at Hopkins, "This is a true friend! And you..." Stalin shook his head and raised his hand to make a farewell gesture.

…

"Comrade Molotov, where does Hitler want to meet me?"

After sending Harry Hopkins away, Stalin summoned Molotov, who had just returned from Germany, in the same office.

"Hitler hopes to meet with you in Riga," Molotov said, "and then jointly issue a "Riga Charter", which mainly focuses on the abolition of all unequal treaties and the liberation of the colonies in Asia, Africa and Latin America."

"Sing a high tune?" Stalin's pipe was already filled with tobacco given by Hopkins, and he lit it and was smoking. "What are the conditions for us to join the war?"

"They didn't mention it," Molotov frowned, "I don't think the Germans necessarily need us to join the war."

Molotov's analysis is very accurate! In fact, neither Hitler nor Herschmann believed that the Soviet Union needed to join at this stage. It was enough as long as the Soviet Union continued to act as a friend of Germany.

"They really don't need it!" Stalin took a puff of his cigarette. "Now Britain and France simply cannot defeat Germany. We know this very well!"

The Soviet Union and Germany have been traditional partners for 20 years, and their cooperation in military and industry is very deep. Of course Stalin knew how strong Germany was! Moreover, he also knew that Germany had started preparing for war 20 years ago, and its reserves of oil and non-ferrous metals should be very abundant. Now it is mostly just pretending to be short of oil to paralyze imperialism.

In addition, Stalin has completely grasped the situation in France through the Third International - this French people are not good at all! Britain might be able to survive a German submarine blockade for a few more years. But the French will soon succumb to Germany's indiscriminate bombing.

Therefore, Stalin believed that Germany did not need to invest a large number of ground troops in France. As long as it mastered air superiority and then bombed places such as Paris, Lyon, and Marseille for 6-12 months, France would definitely surrender with a white flag.

What a slap in the face if there is only one Britain left!

Moreover, Stalin was well aware of the heavy losses suffered by British merchant ships in the past two months (there were also Bolsheviks in the British Seamen's Union). The losses of more than 300,000 tons a month were almost the same as in 1917. How could this war continue? ? Unless the Soviet Union is full and helps Britain, France and Germany fight the ground war.

Isn't this just as stupid as the Tsar? Even if they win in the end, the Soviet Union will definitely be exhausted and have no strength to participate in the partition! The Tsar who had done such a stupid thing had already been executed, and Stalin did not want to follow in the footsteps of Nicholas II.

Stalin took a puff of cigarette and said: "Therefore, we must now have the intention to liberate the vast colonial people of Asia, Africa and Latin America when British and French imperialism collapse. This is also an issue that needs to be resolved at the Riga Conference." He thought for a while. , and with emphasis, "How much can we gain if we don't participate in a world war?"