Changing the scenario of World War II
The following abbreviations are used in the article: GSh - General base, Spacecraft - Red Army.
In the previous part materials were presented that allow us to draw the following conclusions:
1. The United States and Britain had their own goals in the coming war in Europe. England wanted to strengthen its position on the world stage, deal with the USSR and defeat Germany again. Therefore, the British invested moderately in the development of German industry.
The Americans have invested large sums in Germany: up to 70% of all financial receipts. Therefore, they assigned Germany a more significant role: not only to defeat the USSR, but also to help the Americans organize a new world order. This required weakening the economy and the armed forces of England and France, which held on to the old order.
US supplies to the allies would lead them back into a debt trap, and then America, destroying the Hitler regime, could take the place of the only superpower. With the rights of the strongest, the United States could dictate conditions when dividing the "Russian pie".
2. In 1939, the USSR government managed to avoid participation in the scenario of the allies: not to get involved in a war against Nazi Germany and the Anglo-French predators lurking in ambush.
3. The financial and industrial elite and the ruling circles of England and the United States surrendered Austria, Czechoslovakia, Hungary and Poland to Hitler. Ensured the exit of Hitler's troops to the Soviet-German border. After the defeat of Poland, Hitler did not rush to the USSR, but correctly assessed the greatest danger from the West.
4. Our government has managed to move the border in some areas to the territory of Finland and the former Poland.
5.From the fall of 1939 until the spring of 1940, the Allied forces felt secure on the Western Front. They even began to prepare for the opening of a new front against the USSR in Finland and for air strikes on our targets from the southern direction.
Finland did not begin to attract allied troops for the war with the USSR, although on March 4, 1940, the American government announced its readiness to accept "Actual participation in the conflict"... On March 11, the American ambassador to Moscow notified the Finnish delegation that the United States would support the events of Britain and France in Finland. However, on March 12, a peace treaty was signed between the USSR and Finland.
6. In the spring of 1940, the Americans began to understand that the war went according to a different scenario and tried to return the situation in Europe to the pre-war borders. But all the participating countries decided to continue the war.
The allies were not afraid of Hitler and decided that they could force him to start a war with the USSR. They were also preparing to start a war with the USSR in secondary directions. After the victory, it was possible to deal with Germany.
In turn, Hitler already knew how he could defeat the Allied troops and remove the British from participation in European politics. Therefore, the envoy from the United States was told that Germany would go to peace. "Only on condition that once and for all it will be done with the desire of England to destroy Germany", that is, with the weakening of England to the level of a second-rate country. The British would never agree to this ...
German intelligence on the Western Front
In the mid-30s, the German command did not yet know the method by which they would break through the Maginot Line and the border fortifications in Belgium. The war was seen as a reflection of the battles of the Great War. In 1936, when visiting the Krupp firm, Hitler demanded the creation of a powerful weapon to destroy the fortifications of the Maginot Line and the Belgian forts, the development of which was completed the following year. The production of two 800-mm guns was to be completed in 1941. By 1941, several 600 mm mortars were also being made.
Since 1934, they began to carry out flights for photography objects of the Maginot line. In the spring and summer of 1939, the line was again photographed with all the important details: forts, infrastructure, warehouses and access roads.
The French command was convinced that the Ardennes were insurmountable for mechanized armies. Therefore, in the event of war, German mechanized groups will deliver the main blow through Central Belgium.
According to the general Pickenbrock, since 1936, the Abwehr began to pay main attention to France. Among other information, intelligence collected information about the Maginot Line. It turned out that the French transferred the construction of sections of defensive structures to private companies. In 1936, a French entrepreneur came to the Germans, offering to buy information about the fortifications that he was instructed to build.
K. Jorgensen ("Hitler's espionage machine ..."):
“During the alliance with France in 1935-1938. the Czechs had access to the system of fortifications [Maginot - approx. auth.]. These documents fell into the hands of the Germans in April 1939 ... [General W. Liss - approx. auth.] created detailed models of each fortification and conducted on them ... "study tours" for German officers. "
In the mid-30s, it was not clear how military operations in the West would proceed. The German command assumed that the French could capture part of the territory of Germany. Therefore, since 1936, a mothballed network with radio stations was created along the Oder to monitor the enemy who could occupy this part of the country.
Since 1937, a similar network of non-conscript Frenchmen has been created west of the Maginot Line. From these radio operators the necessary information was received before the German offensive in France. For a short period of time, information was not received, in connection with the eviction of the civilian population, but from the end of 1939 to the beginning of 1940. reports began to arrive regularly.
When Liss showed the map to the chief of the General Staff of the Ground Forces Halder, he “I immediately discovered a flaw: this is their weak point. Here we must push through "... The Abwehr managed to find a vulnerable direction to break through the Maginot Line, but this option had two weaknesses. Detection of the enemy's reconnaissance direction of the strike and the transfer of reserves to it could put an end to the operation. Availability aviation for strikes against the mobile connections that began to be drawn into the breakthrough, could also lead to disaster.
In the diary Halder On January 21, 1940 it was written:
"Sedan - large tank strength (while keeping secret the true direction of their blow). "
The German command perfectly understood that it was necessary to hide the direction of the strike from enemy reconnaissance, and successfully completed this task.
On the other flank, the key role in bypassing the Dutch fortifications was played by the capture of bridges across the Meuse and the Rhine channels before the defenders had time to blow them up. The idea to deceive the Dutch with the help of German units disguised in Dutch uniforms belonged to Hitler.
Special services games
After the outbreak of war, Chamberlain hoped that a group of conservative German generals would take some action to overthrow "Austrian street child", but the British special services did not have access to the opposition. In October 1939, representatives of the "military opposition" were brought to the British agents in the Netherlands, in the role of which Schellenberg and a colleague acted. After a short game, both scouts on November 9 were captured and taken to Germany. The British did not understand that there was no active opposition in Germany. Therefore, before the start of the German offensive, they not only felt safe, but also believed in the presence of opposition to Hitler, which could eliminate him.
Since 1939, the British have been decrypting telegrams sent by the German headquarters using Enigma cipher machines. General Bertrand wrote in Operation Ultra:
Around the beginning of April 1940, the number of Ultra radiograms began to increase ... Many radiograms ... dealt exclusively with logistics issues ... In the last two weeks of April 1940, orders to move troops began to appear in radiograms ... and we ... received ... evidence that German ground forces and aircraft are being transferred to the western border ...
However, acquaintance with part of the German correspondence did not allow the allied command to find out the time of the start of the operation and one of the directions of strikes - in the Ardennes.
The defeat of the allied troops in France
В April 1940 Years, the allies offered the Belgian government to deploy Anglo-French contingents on its territory, but Belgium, trying to maintain neutrality, refused this offer. At the same time, Belgium, the Netherlands and Luxembourg attempted to obtain a guarantee of their neutral status from the United States, but the Americans refused.
After the refusal of the countries participating in the war from the American proposal for peace, the United States did not want to intervene in the war in Europe. In addition, a skirmish in the Benelux countries would weaken the Allied Powers. At that time, neither the United States nor the allies suspected that their defenses were a straw house ...
7 May hearings were held on the defeat in Norway. Chamberlain resigned the next day. On May 10, Churchill was appointed prime minister.
10 May the German offensive began on the Western Front. German troops invaded France, Belgium and Holland. The Dutch managed to blow up part of the bridges, but German troops were able to advance deep into the territory of the Netherlands and Belgium. 14 May the Dutch capitulated.
16 May panic reached Paris. The French government began to prepare for the evacuation, but on the same day it was canceled.
A pro-German government has been formed in Belgium.
The Americans were worried about the situation in Europe, which was spinning out of control. The President requested an additional $ 1,1 billion for defense and demanded the production of up to 50 thousand aircraft a year.
20 May there is an atmosphere of hopeless despair in England. Churchill writes to Roosevelt:
I cannot be held responsible for my successors, who, in conditions of extreme despair and helplessness, may be forced to fulfill the will of Germany ...
General Jodl wrote in his diary that Hitler remarked during the meeting:
The British can immediately get a separate peace if they give up the colonies ...
21 May Ribbentrop's representative Etzdorf reported to Halder:
"We are looking for contact with England on the basis of the division of the world."
22 May at the Operations Directorate of the US Department of War, Ridgway is preparing a note stating that Nazi uprisings in the countries of South America are possible in the changing world situation. The uprisings may be followed by the invasion of German troops. Therefore, the United States must take over the defense of South America.
President Roosevelt, General Marshall (Army Chief of Staff), Admiral Stark (Chief of Naval Operations), and Assistant Secretary of State Welles agreed with the conclusions of the note. From that moment on, Hitler began to be perceived as a threat to the United States. 23 May Roosevelt demanded that all Latin American countries hold secret military negotiations.
Gen. Bertrand:
On the morning of May 23, a radio message was intercepted and decoded. ... General von Brauchitsch ... ordered both army groups “to continue the offensive with the utmost determination in order to encircle the enemy ... This radio message convinced Churchill and Gort (chief of the General Staff - Ed. Ed.) That it was time to evacuate from France ...
The evacuation from the Dunkirk area took place from May 26 to June 4. 215 thousand British, 123 thousand French and Belgians were transported to England. All equipment and heavy weapons were abandoned in France. By giving the British the opportunity to leave France, Hitler signaled negotiations.
After the evacuation, there were 26 divisions in the British metropolis, of which only a few of them could be considered combat-ready. They were armed with 217 tanks and about 500 guns. Air defense was carried out by 7 divisions. The Air Force had 491 bombers and 446 modern fighters.
According to German intelligence, on August 12, 1940 in England (up to the Glasgow-Edinburgh line) there could be up to 28-30 divisions.
Having defeated France, Hitler was in no hurry to take up the destruction of England. He thought that after the collapse of the French, the British would surrender and perhaps join the German-Italian alliance. In this case, England should have recognized the hegemony of Germany in Europe, and she could not return the former German colonies. On June 2, Hitler said that "The time has come to get rid of Bolshevism".
26 May the US President sent a letter to the French government recommending the withdrawal of the navy from the Mediterranean via Suez and Gibraltar. Hit French fleet into the hands of Hitler was considered dangerous for the United States.
In late May, the Allies asked the United States to send warships to the Mediterranean to prevent Italy from entering the war, but the Americans refused.
10 June Italy declared war on France and England.
14 June Paris is occupied by German troops. On June 15, Churchill wrote to Roosevelt:
Churchill tells the Americans that if Britain falls, the United States will not be able to withstand Hitler's Europe and Japan. The situation seems hopeless to the British if the United States does not enter the war (with any conditions). England is saved by the fact that at this time Hitler does not know what to do with her ...
The USA seeks to prolong the British resistance longer. The possibility of excluding the falling of the British fleet and colonies into the hands of Hitler is being considered. For this, it is proposed to evacuate the British government to Canada. The United States requested Churchill's opinion on this matter.
16 June for help in repelling German aggression, the French government appeals to the United States, but is refused. The French President appoints Marshal Pétain as head of government, who on June 17 requested peace terms with Germany. On June 22, France surrendered. The only enemy of Germany was England with its dominions.
18 June... Schmidt (employee of the German Foreign Ministry, Hitler's translator) spoke about the negotiations between Hitler and Mussolini:
I was surprised to note that Hitler's attitude towards Great Britain had changed. He suddenly wondered is it good actually destroy British Empire. “Still, it is the force that maintains order in the world,” he said ...
The unexpected and lightning-fast defeat of the allied forces shows that the German special services were able to outplay the intelligence services of France, England, the United States, as well as previously defeated Poland.
Germany began to play a dominant role in Europe and achieved unprecedented power. The most rational thing was to stop, strengthen itself along the entire Mediterranean coast and develop the economy, occasionally fighting off attacks from British aviation and navy. But Hitler, believing in his army and intuition, began to incline to march to the East ...
Napoleon did the same ... Having an enemy in the person of England, he also invaded the vastness of Russia, where he lost his huge and strong army ...
At the crossroads
24 June Churchill sent a message to Stalin, which contained a veiled proposal to enter the war against Germany. Such a proposal did not meet the interests of our country, since the British had already betrayed their allies, they were preparing to attack the USSR and bomb our facilities. Under the blow of the German troops, they were helpless, abandoned their equipment, fled to the island and there were left alone at the "broken trough".
It was unacceptable for the USSR to save the British by throwing millions of Soviet citizens into the furnace of the war.
K. Jorgensen:
[In June 1940 took place - Approx. author] conversation between the Swedish ambassador Pritz and the assistant secretary ... Butler.
Making it clear that Britain would fight, Butler ... remarked that the government would do everything possible to achieve a peace treaty acceptable to both sides with Germany ... The possibility of a peace treaty exists, but the very idea of "peace at any cost" is unacceptable to England.
Later, some members of parliament hinted to the ambassador that negotiations should begin on June 28, as soon as Churchill is replaced as prime minister by Foreign Minister Halifax. Churchill's intervention put an end to these maneuvers ...
Making it clear that Britain would fight, Butler ... remarked that the government would do everything possible to achieve a peace treaty acceptable to both sides with Germany ... The possibility of a peace treaty exists, but the very idea of "peace at any cost" is unacceptable to England.
Later, some members of parliament hinted to the ambassador that negotiations should begin on June 28, as soon as Churchill is replaced as prime minister by Foreign Minister Halifax. Churchill's intervention put an end to these maneuvers ...
27 June Roosevelt declares a state of emergency in the country and enacts the Espionage Act of 1917 to control the movement of ships in his territorial waters and around the Panama Canal.
30 June USA handed over to England a batch of obsolete weapons: 895 field guns, 22 thousand machine guns, 55 thousand machine guns and 500 thousand rifles. The British government is preparing to evacuate to Canada.
July 2 Hitler gave instructions to study the possibilities of landing in England, and on July 16 ordered to begin preparations for the invasion. He was confident that the news of military preparations for the invasion would frighten the British and persuade them to negotiate peace.
July 11 Grand Admiral Raeder reported to Hitler that the invasion of the island should be considered as a last resort and with complete air superiority.
In the directive from July 16 1940 the year it was noted:
Great Britain, despite its hopeless military situation, has not yet given any signs of readiness for negotiations. I decided to prepare a landing operation against England and, if necessary, carry it out. The task of this operation is to destroy the British state as a base for the continuation of the war against Germany ...
In all actions of Germany in Europe, the leadership of the country and the Wehrmacht received comprehensive intelligence information. When planning the landing in England, the problem came to light that there were few German agents on its territory. Therefore, there was not enough information about British troops, fortifications, and industry. Because of this, the planning of the landing of German troops on the island, Admiral Canaris regarded as a kind of madness.
July 19 in the Reichstag, Hitler declared:
To clear my conscience, I must once again call for prudence in England. I believe I can do this because I speak not as someone who has been defeated and is now making a request, but as a winner. I see no reason why it is necessary to continue this struggle ...
Such a meaningless and purely rhetorical statement could not have an effect on the sober British, who continued to strengthen their armed forces.
July 21 General Marx began working on the initial plan for the war between Germany and the USSR, which was developed by August 5. To participate in the war with the USSR, 147 divisions were allocated, of which 44 were in the second echelon. The calculation was carried out based on the presence of 170 divisions in the spacecraft. Field marshal general Paulus:
At the end of July 1940, Hitler informed the headquarters of the operational leadership of the High Command of the Wehrmacht, as well as the commander-in-chief of the three branches of the armed forces, that he does not exclude the possibility of a campaign against the Soviet Union, and gave instructions to begin preliminary preparations ...
The GSh perceived Hitler's intentions with ambivalent feelings. He saw in the campaign against Russia a dangerous fact of opening a second front, and also considered it possible and probable that the United States would enter the war against Germany. He believed that Germany would be able to resist such a grouping of forces only if it had time to quickly defeat Russia.
However, Russia's strength was a large unknown quantity. It was believed that operations are possible only during good times of the year. This meant that there was little time left for them. The General Staff considered it his task to determine the operational, material and human capabilities and their boundaries ...
The GSh perceived Hitler's intentions with ambivalent feelings. He saw in the campaign against Russia a dangerous fact of opening a second front, and also considered it possible and probable that the United States would enter the war against Germany. He believed that Germany would be able to resist such a grouping of forces only if it had time to quickly defeat Russia.
However, Russia's strength was a large unknown quantity. It was believed that operations are possible only during good times of the year. This meant that there was little time left for them. The General Staff considered it his task to determine the operational, material and human capabilities and their boundaries ...
In July 9 formations are being transferred to the Soviet-German border, bringing the German grouping in East Prussia and former Poland to 17 divisions. According to German intelligence, in the Western border region of the USSR (west of the line Arkhangelsk - Kalinin - Poltava - Western coast of Crimea) there could be about 113-123 divisions.
A significant number of spacecraft divisions did not frighten Hitler and the German command that the USSR could launch an invasion.
Halder (22.07.1940 g.):
“Stalin is flirting with England in order to force her to continue the war and thereby fetter us in order to have time to seize what he wants to seize, but will not be able to, if peace comes. He strives to ensure that Germany does not become too strong. However, there are no signs of an active Russian action against us. no... »
Jorgensen:
The attempts of the Swedes to promote the reconciliation of the parties continued in July. July 26-28 Goering met with Dahlerus, who was supposed to involve the Swedish king Gustov V to create a channel for negotiations with Britain. The British answer was unequivocal: no peace talks will not be with Hitler under any circumstances.
July 31 At a meeting with the leaders of the High Command of the Ground Forces, Hitler was informed that it was almost impossible to start a landing in England this year, but he still sets the task of preparing the invasion by September 15.
Hitler outlined his views on the war with the USSR:
The hope of England is Russia and America. If hope for Russia collapses, America will also fall away from England ...
If Russia is defeated, England will lose its last hope. Then Germany will dominate in Europe and the Balkans.
Conclusion: Russia must be liquidated ...
The beginning of the campaign is May 1941. The term for the operation is 5 months ...
If Russia is defeated, England will lose its last hope. Then Germany will dominate in Europe and the Balkans.
Conclusion: Russia must be liquidated ...
The beginning of the campaign is May 1941. The term for the operation is 5 months ...
Air operation
Before the war, Air Chief Marshal Dowding created an air defense system for England. The territory was divided into groups, which were divided into sectors. Enemy aircraft were detected by a chain of radars and a thousand observation posts along the coast. In the control center, the operators, having received messages from the observation posts, put on the map counters with the type of aircraft, their number and flight altitude. Groups of fighters were sent to intercept targets.
1 of August Hitler signed Directive No. 17:
In order to create the prerequisites for the final defeat of England, I intend to wage an air and naval war against England in a more acute form than until now.
For this I order:
1. The German Air Force with all the means at their disposal to destroy the British aviation as soon as possible. To direct raids primarily against flight units, their ground service and communications equipment; further - against the military aviation industry, including the industry for the production of the material part of anti-aircraft artillery ...
For this I order:
1. The German Air Force with all the means at their disposal to destroy the British aviation as soon as possible. To direct raids primarily against flight units, their ground service and communications equipment; further - against the military aviation industry, including the industry for the production of the material part of anti-aircraft artillery ...
2 of August German planes scattered leaflets over southern England proposing a peace.
8 of August the British intercepted Goering's telegram on the conduct of Operation Adler by units of the 2nd, 3rd and 5th air fleets. Telegrams were intercepted constantly, and in England they knew: where the units of the fleets were located, what forces they had, when and what forces would participate in the raids, what tactics would be used, etc.
Since the German aviation during the air operation did not solve the task assigned to it, the battle over Britain won the British.
There are many reasons for the defeat of German aviation in various sources. The author would note only one thing: the loss of time between the defeat of the allied forces and the beginning of the air operation allowed the British command to prepare for the battle, replenishing the units with aircraft and pilots, and also creating the corresponding reserves.
Single-engine fighters proved to be the most effective in air battles: Me-109, Spitfires and Hurricanes. In the period from July to October 1940, about 688 Me-109s were produced in Germany. At the same time, 2116 British fighters were produced. Additionally, 211 fighters were delivered from Canada and 232 from the USA. In an air war lasting several months, the Germans had no chance of winning ...
Article I. Shikhova “Battle of Britain. Statistical analysis" numerous data are given. They are somewhat different from each other, but the author explains their difference. Using some data from this article, a scheme for changing the number of serviceable single-engine fighters is presented. It can be seen that the British Air Force, having held out for the first three weeks, were able to snatch victory from the Goering pilots ...
During the Battle of Britain, the preparations for the amphibious operation were monitored. General Bertrand wrote:
on September 7 readiness for invasion was announced; this meant that a German invasion could be expected within 1 hours. Troops and detachments of local defense were brought to a state of immediate readiness ... The barges still remained in their ports ... on September 10 the blessed rain fell, and the sky was covered with clouds. This weather persisted for four days ...
In the morning on September 17 [a radiogram received at the German headquarters - Approx. ed.], in which it was said that Hitler allowed to dismantle devices for loading aircraft at Dutch airfields ... [This meant that - Approx. auth.] the threat of invasion is over...
In the morning on September 17 [a radiogram received at the German headquarters - Approx. ed.], in which it was said that Hitler allowed to dismantle devices for loading aircraft at Dutch airfields ... [This meant that - Approx. auth.] the threat of invasion is over...
Reorientation to the East
According to the memoirs of General Bentivegni:
In August 1940 ... [Canaris - Approx. Auth.] informed me that Hitler had begun to carry out measures to carry out a campaign to the East ... In November 1940, he received an order from Canaris to intensify counterintelligence work in the places of concentration of German troops on the German-Soviet border ...
General Pickenbrock:
"From August to September 1940, the Foreign Armies of the East department of the General Staff of the Ground Forces significantly increased the tasks of the Abwehr concerning the USSR ... More precisely, I learned about the date of the German attack in January 1941 ..."
Since August 1940, about 80% of the personnel, financial and material-technical potential of the Abwehr has been used against the USSR. On the territory of Poland, 95 reconnaissance and crossing points were organized. From January 1940 to March 1941, the counterintelligence agencies of the USSR uncovered 66 German intelligence stations and exposed 1596 agents.
In the developed plan "Barbarossa", the direction of the main attack was determined:
The theater of military operations is divided by the Pripyat bogs into northern and southern parts. The direction of the main attack should be prepared north of the Pripyat swamps... Two army groups should be concentrated here ...
To misinform Soviet intelligence, it was required to show that the direction of the main attack would be on South... In the materials for the intelligence service (September 6, 1940) it was said:
Regrouping in Russia should by no means give the impression that we are preparing an offensive to the East.
At the same time, Russia must understand that there are strong and combat-ready German troops in the general government, in the eastern provinces and in the protectorate, and from this draw the conclusion that we are ready at any moment and with sufficiently powerful forces to protect our interests in the Balkans against the Russian interventions ...
Give the impression that the main direction in our movements is shifted to the southern regions General Governorship, to the Protectorate and Austria, and that the concentration of troops in the north is relatively low...
At the same time, Russia must understand that there are strong and combat-ready German troops in the general government, in the eastern provinces and in the protectorate, and from this draw the conclusion that we are ready at any moment and with sufficiently powerful forces to protect our interests in the Balkans against the Russian interventions ...
Give the impression that the main direction in our movements is shifted to the southern regions General Governorship, to the Protectorate and Austria, and that the concentration of troops in the north is relatively low...
Part 1 it was shown that the German special services fulfilled their task of misinforming the leadership of the spacecraft and the USSR.
Events in the fall of 1940
on September 2 The United States signed an agreement on military cooperation with Britain, which provided for the supply of American weapons and 50 warships. In return, the British leased 99 naval and air bases in North and South America for 8 years.
on September 4 - The US Ambassador to Tokyo visited the Japanese Ministry of Foreign Affairs and announced the US interest in maintaining the status quo in the Far East. On the same day, Churchill made a similar statement in the House of Lords.
K. Jorgensen:
The Swedish agent of influence Ekeberg conveyed a German proposal to the British ambassador on September 5.09.1940, 19, which was rejected by the ambassador. On September XNUMX, Churchill's secretary wrote in his diary that the enemy continues to seek ways to peace negotiations, and not only in Sweden. All suggestions of this kind were the British rejected.
on September 27 - the Tripartite Pact was signed between Germany, Italy and Japan.
12 October a directive was issued to postpone Operation Sea Lion until the spring of 1941.
23 October a meeting between Hitler and Franco took place. The issue of Spain's accession to the Axis countries was discussed. According to the memoirs of the translator Schmidt, Franco was ready to conclude an agreement on the conditions of supply of wheat, heavy and anti-aircraft artillery. The time of active intervention by Spain will be specified separately. Spain wanted Gibraltar and French Morocco. Ribbentrop insisted on the phrase:
Spain will receive territories from French colonial possessions to the extent that France can receive compensation from British colonial possessions "...
Logically thinking Sunier [Spanish diplomat - Approx. author] quite reasonably objected that in this case, Spain may not get anything ...
Logically thinking Sunier [Spanish diplomat - Approx. author] quite reasonably objected that in this case, Spain may not get anything ...
As a result, the contract was not signed.
24 October a meeting between Hitler and Pétain took place. It was also not possible to reach an agreement on the participation of France in the war with England.
Meeting in Berlin
In the fall of 1940, Moscow decided to probe the ground in relations with Hitler. On Stalin's instructions, Molotov was supposed to discuss several important issues... It was necessary to touch upon the questions of Finland, Bulgaria, Romania, Turkey, etc.
VM Molotov arrived in Berlin at 11:00 on November 12. At 12 o'clock, Molotov was received by Ribbentrop, and at 15 o'clock - Hitler. Discussion began on two issues that Hitler was not prepared to consider. It is unclear whether this was done on purpose or whether our government seriously thought that their demands could be implemented ... One of the questions concerned Finland, which could end in a new war with the USSR. Schmidt (Hitler's translator) wrote about these negotiations:
After a conversation with Hitler, Molotov reported to Stalin:
Today, November 13, a conversation with Hitler took place ... Both conversations did not yield the desired results. The main time with Hitler was spent on the Finnish question. Hitler said he was reaffirming last year's agreement, but Germany says it is interested maintaining peace in the Baltic Sea...
On the morning of November 14, Molotov left Berlin. It is likely that after this meeting Hitler made the final decision on the war with the USSR ...
18 November Molotov received the Japanese ambassador and confirmed to him the Soviet desire to conclude a pact of neutrality.
18 December Hitler signed Directive No. 21 on preparations for war against the USSR:
The German armed forces must be ready to defeat Soviet Russia in a short campaign even before the war against England is over ...
The development of the plan was carried out on the basis of the presence in the Western border region of up to 126 Soviet divisions and the presence of 35 divisions in the rest of the European territory of the USSR.
January 17 1941 Years Molotov expressed surprise to Schulenburg at the silence on the proposals of the USSR, expressed at the meeting with Hitler. On January 21, our ambassador was informed that Germany must coordinate a response with the allies. However, there were no consultations with the allies. Molotov asked several more times about the response of the German side.
April 18 1941 years in a conversation with the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Japan, Stalin regretted that in Berlin the question of the USSR's accession to the "pact of three" had not been resolved. It is difficult to say whether it was Stalin's game to gain time or not ...
Weakening England
December 17 1940 Treasury Secretary Morgenthau announced that the United States had already taken possession of most of England's gold reserves and a substantial portion of its overseas investment spent on paying American supplies in cash. England, Morgenthau said, "Scraped my barrel to the bottom", having become insolvent, and financial assistance to her in these conditions is in the interests of the United States. England could no longer compete with the Americans on the world stage.
President Roosevelt proposed a plan of financial assistance to England by providing her with weapons, raw materials and food in the form of a long-term loan and a loan (the "Lend-Lease" system). Legislation on the matter was passed by Congress March 11 1941 year.
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