Chapter 69:
Chapter 69
The Southern Army Group was retreating despite the heroic command of Field Marshal Model.
They left behind heavy equipment that could not be dragged by human hands in the blizzard-covered field, and headed west, west.
The German soldiers who returned the way they came shed blood.
“Those Jewish-Bolshevik bastards…”
“When can we come back here?”
The ‘living space’ of the Germanic people, Lebensraum, was still far away.
But the Soviet army was too numerous, and the harsh Russian winter, famous for its brutality, penetrated through the thin clothes of the German army.
The arms that had been trembling were now stiffening, and the toes had long lost their sensation.
Did not even the great Napoleon fail to destroy Russia and retreat? Some of them sighed with their knowledge of history.
But most of them easily refuted that claim.
“Napoleon failed to crush England until the end.”
“Didn’t we conquer all of Europe except Russia under the guidance of our Führer? Then isn’t our Führer greater than Napoleon?”
Field Marshal Model’s defensive battle shone here.
They might have left behind tanks and artillery, but a considerable number of German soldiers were able to return home.
They might have lost a limb or suffered other injuries, but they managed to survive anyway.
The surviving soldiers talked.
They ate a shabby soup made of unknown ingredients with frozen hands that had no sensation.
“The great Germanic people will win!”
England had surrendered, and that vast land was all in the hands of the Germans.
From Gibraltar on the Mediterranean to Norway on the Arctic Ocean!
Only the barbaric Russian Scythians remained.
There was only one thing left until the victory of the Germanic people.
The soldiers dreamed of victory.
If this war ended with victory, they would go home and become the first-class citizens of Europe united under German rule.
The wide-open wilderness would become the farmland of the Aryan people who worked hard!
They dreamed sweet dreams as they retreated across the frozen land.
***
While the Germans dreamed, the Soviet Union was steadily implementing its grand plan.
First, the surplus power generated by the dulling of the German spearhead was invested in the long-term to strangle Germany’s lifeline.
“The Inonu government in Turkey has rejected our ultimatum. Order the start of the operation.”
“Yes, Comrade Secretary General!”
The Roosevelt administration decided to tacitly approve the Soviet invasion of Turkey.
Turkey had clearly shown a pro-German tendency and supplied chrome, which was essential for Germany’s war effort.
The Soviet Union offered ‘exclusive purchase’ to prevent the supply from being cut off, but the Turkish government refused even that.
“Our United States government believes that there is a high possibility that Turkey will join the Axis powers! Our government supports the Soviet Union’s ‘preventive measures’.”
The United States, which had been hit by successive blows, decided to recognize it as an act of justice and admit that the Soviet Union invaded Turkey to hinder Germany’s war effort.
Didn’t Turkey’s predecessor, the Ottoman Empire, also side with Germany in the last war?
Whatever the reason, many countries now had to line up well. Whether it was Axis or Allies.
Iran, one of the major countries in the region, also decided to tacitly approve the Soviet invasion of Turkey after seeing this situation.
The border between Iran and Turkey had been stable since both countries were called Persia and Ottoman, and their relations were not bad. But Pahlavi Shah was not foolish enough to shed his people’s blood for the sake of another country’s security.
It would take some time for Germany’s naval power to advance into Persia Gulf and Indian Ocean from Atlantic Ocean where war between US and Germany started.
If Iran antagonized Soviet Union in this situation?
The law is always far away and fist is close.
The US tacitly approved Turkey invasion and Iran did not want to suffer from unnecessary trouble by antagonizing Soviet Union.
Of course, public sentiment would boil over, but…
The Soviet Union decided to throw one carrot at Iran to keep them silent.
The Soviet Foreign Ministry secretly proposed several negotiation proposals to Iran without informing US and UK.
The most important thing was Shia Crescent’s hegemony.
Of course, UK would strongly oppose it as they had colonies in Levant region, Yemen, Persian Gulf etc., but it was already a predetermined thing that they would withdraw from world hegemony stage and Soviet Union needed Iran’s cooperation.
Iran could be said to be most necessary partner for Soviet Union.
Since Great Game era UK blocked Russia who wanted to advance into ocean from everywhere in world and one of places where they clashed fiercely was current Iran-Persia region.
Now that UK’s influence was receding like ebb tide in front of downfall of their homeland, if Soviet Union wanted to have partner in Middle East then Iran who had been tantalized during Great Game era was most suitable.
Also, if Iran joined Soviet side and succeeded in uniting Shia dominant regions near Persian Gulf then Soviet Union would have one huge fat salt in their hands.
It was oil! Persian Gulf coastal countries produced about 1/4 of world’s oil production and this region was rich in oil reserves and if Iran-Soviet Union had Hormuz Strait which was passage for this oil to go overseas then it was no different from having half of world’s oil in their hands.
If UK who directly colonized this region was expelled, then US who was far away might be better partner than Soviet Union who was close by from Iran’s perspective.
But US was supporting Sunni dominant monarchy, Saudi Arabia in this region and they entered oil exploration in this region.
From Iran’s perspective they might be awkward opponent.
Just another imperialist country that would replace UK’s position.
At this time Soviet’s suggestion had some charm. At least enough charm to keep silent while Soviet Union beat up Turkey.
***
The Soviet Black Sea Fleet, which sailed from Odessa for the Paris Commune, cruised the sea leisurely.
There was only one battleship and a few cruisers, mostly destroyers, but it was enough to dominate the Black Sea.
The target was? Istanbul! No, Constantinople!
The sailors were excited.
The historic city, the holy place of the Orthodox Church that the Turks had occupied, they were sailing towards it!
The Soviet authorities suppressed the Orthodox faith, but many Soviets still had deep faith.
They could have used the Orthodox faith as a means to incite nationalism and patriotism for the war, but the Secretary General firmly rejected such attempts.
“Religion is the opium of the people! Nationalism may be a drug that can be used to rally the people against imperialism, but religion cannot even do that much.”
Despite these words, the superiors tolerated the sailors’ enthusiasm.
It suited their temperament better to race across the sea than to fire cannons at the approaching German army or train for land combat in Odessa.
The soldiers of the Black Sea Fleet probably thought so too.
They did not seem to feel much excitement about the prospect of a glorious naval battle and a magnificent victory, rather than a mere skirmish with the Turkish fleet that could not even put up a fight.
In the sky, Soviet fighters flew vigorously, as if greeting the fleet.
***
In fact, the main force attacking Turkey was the army.
The news of the Balkan Front Army racing across the Thracian Plain and the Caucasus Front Army breaking through the northern coast of Anatolia was relayed to the ship in real time.
“Edirne surrenders! The Balkan Front Army is heading straight for Istanbul. The Turkish resistance is minimal!”
“Hmm… I wonder if we left too late? Hahaha!”
The Soviet army had secretly agreed with Bulgaria and crossed its territory at high speed, capturing Edirne, a border city, in no time.
From Edirne to Istanbul, it was only 250km. It was a distance that a mechanized unit could overcome in a few days, even with resistance.
On the other hand, it was about 800km from Odessa to Istanbul across the Black Sea.
Even if the Balkan Front Army crushed the Turkish resistance and arrived in Istanbul, the Black Sea Fleet might not have reached the waters of Istanbul yet.
The maximum speed of a Gangut-class battleship was 24 knots (44km/h).
There were also older ships in the Black Sea Fleet, so it would take them at least 20 hours to reach Istanbul from Odessa.
“How is the Caucasus Front Army doing?”
“Yes, they still have a long way to go to Ankara… but they say that the Turkish resistance is minimal. They might even advance to Levant if ordered…”
The Turkish government had deployed most of its meager army on both borders due to heightened tension.
But the Turkish army, which lacked experience, training, equipment, and manpower, was shattered by the Soviet army.
The word ‘crushed’ suited them well.
They had barely 400 aircraft, only one mechanized brigade, and not enough rifles.
They were armed with Mausers and Lee-Enfields from World War I.
They were no match for the Soviet army’s elite mechanized units.
The Soviet air force was not very impressive, but they did well against the Turkish air force, which lost almost all of its planes in bombing raids on most of its airfields within hours of the outbreak of war.
The Soviet army used the same surprise tactic that they had suffered from during Operation Barbarossa.
And the gap between the two armies was much bigger.
The Soviet army’s mechanization level was not inferior to that of Germany.
They only lacked experience, doctrine, officer quality, and soldier weapon proficiency.
But through months of bloody battles, the Soviet army had been reborn.
As evidence, the Turkish army retreated miserably.
The Soviet casualties were negligible.
Only victory reports, victory reports, victory reports were sent to Moscow.
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