Finland's ambassador to Rome, Yuho, has recently experienced the ups and downs of life. Pen | fun | pavilion www. ｂｉｑｕｇｅ。 ｉｎｆｏ

On the evening of 19 January, news of the defeat of the Royal Navy spread like a hurricane throughout Rome, and Ambassador Juho immediately fell into an endless panic, crying more that night than the British ambassador next door. Of course, Yu Huo Ke does not have the noble sentiment of being anxious about what others are anxious about, he is completely sad about the future and fate of his motherland.

At present, the Soviet-Finnish Winter War has been broken out for nearly two months, and although the Finnish army's positions on the Mannerheim Line are still impregnable, killing and wounding tens of thousands of Soviet officers and soldiers, Yuho clearly understands that Finland alone will never be able to hold out for a long time. Today, the Soviet Union has a population of 180 million, and the number of artillery and tanks is more than 100 times that of Finland, and even if they exchange 10 or even 20 soldiers for the life of a Finnish warrior, they can consume Finland, with a total population of only 3.7 million. What's more, Finland's arms production is far from being able to meet the consumption of front-line battles, and it will definitely be exhausted before human resources are in the back!

In this situation, Finland had only one way to escape the fate of being destroyed, and that was to involve outside forces in its Great Patriotic War, and then use this thigh to seek decent peace talks with the Soviet Union. Now, however, Finland's hopes were dashed with the defeat of the British Navy in the Battle of Norway.

The only way Finland could communicate with the outside world in the event of war was through Norway. The latter, which belonged to the same Scandinavian countries as Finland, shared a common hatred of the Soviet Union: the weapons and volunteers from Britain, France, and the United States first landed in Norway and then arrived in Finland via Sweden. The Western powers wanted to directly send troops to intervene in the Soviet-Finnish war, and Norway was also an indispensable transit springboard; Because now that Germany and the Soviet Union were allied, it was impossible for Finland to receive support from the Baltic Sea.

This time the British navy was defeated, and Germany's military action to annex Norway was no longer hindered, and in the blink of an eye, Finland was surrounded by the Soviet Union and Germany on all sides, and there was no chance of foreign aid. In the face of the endless wave of red frenzy, Finland will inevitably fall into the same fate as Poland!

Just as Juho was bewildered and running in vain among the Roman hierarchy like a headless fly, Mussolini suddenly summoned him on February 3. When he walked into the leader's office in a trance, not knowing how to speak, Mussolini's words froze him in place, and then erupted in surprise and excitement that could no longer be concealed.

Mussolini claimed that Finland had set a shining example before the whole world of a free people who stubbornly resisted the tyranny of the Bolsheviks. Italy, as a staunch fighter against the Comintern, was willing to give its full support in terms of men and weapons. In order to prove that he was not talking casually, Mussolini also specifically informed Yuho of the way of military aid: all supplies and personnel were transported by air, and the whole time was outside the interception radius of Soviet fighter jets.

For Finland, which is on the verge of extinction, nothing has made Ambassador Yuho dizzy with happiness more than Mussolini's statement. Although Italy's position is far less important than that of Britain and France, it is one of the great European powers, and the other side is the last straw that Finland can find today. With Italy's involvement, Finland's hopes for future peace with the Soviet Union were somewhat, still very small, but better than zero.

As for Mussolini's implicit suggestion that "Finland is also obliged to repay Italy's goodwill", Juho immediately agreed to the request of his prime minister, Ruti, on behalf of his country. What Finland lacks most now is arms and third-party interference, and wealth is no longer important. If the country is dead, what's the use of keeping a lot of savings?

Based on mutual interests, the first deal between the two parties was negotiated in less than half a day. This also includes the time for Ambassador Yuhuo to call China to report and ask for instructions. Finnish Prime Minister Ruti really didn't feel sorry for the money, but repeatedly thanked Yuho in a trembling voice for his great contribution to saving the motherland. On 7 February, the first fleet took off at dawn at Venice airport in northeastern Italy, and the flight from there to Finland was about 300 kilometres closer than from Rome, allowing them to carry more munitions with less fuel.

In February, Turku, a small town in western Finland at 61 degrees north latitude, still has only seven hours of daylight per day. Just after 3 p.m., the sky darkened slightly. On the desolate outskirts of the city, a large open space is particularly abrupt and eye-catching. Dozens of gun-wielding soldiers scattered around the perimeter, looking down from the air like small grass seedlings growing next to a football field.

A light military vehicle sped along the icy road, opening several checkpoints along the way, and after a short time, it stopped at the entrance to a wide clearing. The old man in his late teens stepped out of the car, his lips and beard fluttering in the cold wind; Looking around, he suddenly found a familiar side face in front of him.

"Mr. Prime Minister, when did you get here?" The old man shouted and walked briskly towards the other party, his face full of surprise. It is more than 150 kilometers from the capital Helsinki, and the special plane of the head of government was donated early to the army to transport supplies and wounded soldiers, and it takes at least four hours for Prime Minister Ruti to travel back and forth from the capital. With the heavy workload he is shouldering now, how can he still spare so much time?

"Marshal Mannerheim, I didn't expect to meet you here!" Lu Di turned his head in accordance with the sound, and also showed a surprised expression when he saw the old man. He took off his gloves and shook the other party's big hand, and said: "Ambassador to Rome Yuho sent back a telegram that around 4 o'clock this afternoon, there will be 12 Italian planes transporting arms to Turku. In order to buy this shipment, the government has transferred 1.5 million marks to Italy in valuable bonds held to Germany, and I have to see for myself how good the deal really is. But you, marshal, didn't you command the war on the Vyborg front, how did you have time to come to Turku? ”

The old man named Mannerheim said: "In the last half a month, the Soviets have not launched any more major offensives, and I have given orders for all divisions to take turns to repair, and the staff officers and front-line generals can do a better job than me in these things." In contrast, I am now more concerned about this batch of arms that you mentioned in your telegram. After seven weeks of fierce head-to-head confrontation with the Soviets, each division of our army was extremely depleted in equipment and ammunition; Due to the severe lack of direct heavy firepower, a large number of valiant soldiers died every time they fended off a Soviet tank attack......" At the last sentence, Mannerheim seemed to remember something, and his voice became a little hoarse and dry.

Hearing Mannerheim's words, Rudy's heart gradually welled up with strong remorse and guilt. He bowed his head to the commander-in-chief of the army in front of him, and for a long time it was difficult to speak again. As early as the beginning of November last year, when the Soviet Union and Finland were still negotiating on the Karelian territorial issue, Mannerheim repeatedly suggested that the government accept the Soviets' conditions: because the Finnish army could never overwhelm the Soviets, and if it really fought, it would inevitably be a loser. It is true that it has suffered a lot of losses to make concessions to the Soviet Union, but it is better than ending up like Poland. What's more, in terms of attitude towards Finland, the overlord clause offered by the Soviet bandits was indeed much better than the conditions it offered to the three Baltic states.

However, the proud Finnish parliament did not take up Mannerheim's old rhetoric. They stubbornly and naively believe that justice and law exist in the world today, and that Finland, with a clear conscience, should be proud and resolute not to submit to bandits. Although Ruti, who was born as a civilian, retained a trace of sobriety, he was also caught in the whirlpool of luck and fantasy by the people around him, which eventually led to the breakdown of territorial negotiations.

Now, the deadly consequences have come. Finland was not only attacked by the Soviet Union, but the expected Anglo-French intervention became a drop in the scorching sun; Countless young Finnish men were bled by the claws of the red bear, and thousands of families were plunged into the deep tragedy of brokenness, tears, pain, and poverty. Where is all this the situation that Luti and many parliamentarians were willing to see in the first place?

"The past is irreversible. Now we only have one thing to do, and that is to keep fighting, even if it costs us our lives! Mannerheim's old eyes shone with a terrifying light, and his tone regained its calm and firmness, "Even the Tribute Sho Party supports the government and joins the army, and now is the most united moment in the history of our nation. In order to defend the freedom, independence, dignity and honour of my country, as a citizen of Finland, I will always fulfill my mission! ”

Hearing this, Ruti's heart stirred, and the soul that should have become cold and indifferent in theory also burned with enthusiasm. In the face of the existential stake of the vicious foreign invasion, all Finns are doing their best to contribute to the war effort, and there is no difference in identity or camp. At the age of 73, Mannerheim resolutely took on the burden of commander-in-chief, and how could he have the privilege of slacking off? Today, they all appeared on this temporary airport, which is the best portrayal of their dedication to their duties!

While they were talking, a low roar was heard in the west as the sun set. The two of them looked away, only to see small gray dots appear in the clear sky, and gradually became clearer and clearer. Soon, their silhouettes were reflected between the pupils of the Finns on the ground. The planes were painted with white crosses on the tail fins, and a large white identification band was sprayed in the middle of the fuselage, which Mannerheim immediately recognized as belonging to the air force of the southern European country of Italy.