Although Ciano Jr. did not go into further details, Mussolini understood all his thoughts.

The non-aggression pact between Germany and the Soviet Union two weeks earlier was a crucial move by Germany to avoid fighting on two fronts and to make Britain retreat on security guarantees to Poland, but it did a great deal of harm to Italy. Politically, Italy, which was a signatory to the "Anti-Comintern Pact," was put in an embarrassing position by Germany's defection to the enemy. Even the leading countries have allied themselves with the Soviet Union, so how can Italy, a follower, go it alone?

If the differences between fascist Italy and the Soviet Union had been merely ********, Mussolini might have endured it. But the point is that Italy and Russia themselves have a serious opposition of interests.

Since the dissolution of the Austro-Hungarian Empire, Italy has always regarded itself as the dominant Balkan state, with special rights and interests in Yugoslavia, Romania, Bulgaria, and Greece. However, as the Soviet Union gradually emerged from the shadow of the seven-year world war and civil war, the rejuvenated polar bear also began to set its sights on the Balkans, the land they had been dreaming of since the time of the Romanovs. This is not only the economic, cultural and religious ties of Russia, but also the strategic route for them to break through the innate encirclement of the continental shelf and enter the warm ocean of the south. The Dardanelles-Bosphorus, the key to the Mediterranean, has been coveted by the Russians for thousands of years, and even the Soviet Union, under the banner of "liberating all mankind", did not hide its thirst and greed for it after its own strength was restored!

It was in order to curb the Soviet Union's expansion in the Balkans that Italy joined the anti-Comintern pact led by Germany and Japan in June 1937. Compared to Germany and Japan, which had war intentions against Britain and France at the same time. Italy's original intention in joining this pact can be described as the purest of all: Rome was anti-Soviet from the beginning. As for fighting Britain and France, even the ambitious Mussolini saw no future for Italy.

Now, however, Germany has reached a rapprochement with the Soviet Union, which means that the Soviet Union can no longer ignore Germany's attitude and get involved in Balkan affairs. And Italy's strength alone is obviously not enough to compete with the Soviet Union, the giant red bear. As a result, for Italy, Germany can hardly be considered an ally with common interests. Had it not been for Mussolini's insistence on believing that Germany would be the wave of the future. I'm afraid that at this moment, the Italian government has already changed its day and thrown itself into the arms of Britain, which has always adhered to the anti-Soviet Union!

"Therefore, maintaining neutrality is the best option for Italy at this stage." Little Chiano shook his scheming head and said unhurriedly, "Because of Italy's neutrality, the Germans need us to help them get out of the British blockade." If nothing else, the huge amount of arms for resources that they are now trading with the Chongqing government in the Far East can only be entrusted to us to complete on their behalf. Through this relay, Italy will reap more than enough. Because the Germans had a political reassuring need to appease us as much as they did to war. They all have to pay enough for our substitution. ”

Mussolini still didn't speak, but there was a faint sparkle in his eyes.

Little Ziano smiled slightly, and analyzed it again: "And for Britain and France, Italy is also the target they urgently need to win over at the moment. London and Paris will not fail to see the damage done to Italy by the Soviet-German non-aggression pact, and they will certainly see the importance of Italy, which borders Germany, in the blockade of Germany. Especially at a time when Britain has suffered a crushing defeat at Scarpa Bay, and the situation at sea has taken a sharp turn for the worse, they need to stabilize Italy's attitude. And this is our God-given opportunity to take advantage of the British and French. We can take the opportunity to negotiate with Britain and France. They are required to buy all kinds of machinery and raw materials from them at low prices. I believe that as long as we are not too demanding. Both Britain and France will immediately and simply choose to accept it. ”

Mussolini's brow gradually relaxed, and then the words of Ciano Jr. said: "This European war will not end anytime soon. For the sake of decency and dignity, it was almost impossible for Britain and France to negotiate peace with their opponents as declarations of war without making any military advances. If they really didn't want to fight this war, they wouldn't have declared war on Germany yesterday! By the time the victory or defeat is decided on the Western Front, it will take at least two years. ”

"And during this time. We will make full use of our status as a neutral country and fully absorb the resources of Germany, Britain and France to strengthen ourselves. If Germany wins the battlefield, we will launch an all-out offensive to the west and south, encompassing the coastal provinces of southern France and all of North Africa, including the Suez Canal. And if Germany can't hold on. Our army marched north, bringing Vienna, the jewel of the Habsburg dynasty, into the hands of the Latins. Mussolini said.

"The leader is wise." Little Ziano bowed slightly to Mussolini and said with a smile undiminished.

Mussolini looked at the next president of himself with satisfaction, and arranged: "You will be responsible for the trade contacts with Germany and England and France." I'm sorry for Adolf, but I have to make sure that Italy is in the best interests of the first place. ”

Due to the rotation of the earth, the United States on the other side of the ocean had to announce this news to the public later than European countries. When the Americans woke up, they suddenly found that their country had become the most powerful naval power in the world in the blink of an eye: the empire on which the sun never set, which had been tied for the first place with them for the past 17 years, had been beaten to the ground by the Germans, and completely fell off the throne of the ocean!

For this situation, while lamenting the rapid decline of the empire, the Americans could not help but be full of fisherman-like pride because of this internal friction between the European powers. They naturally remembered the scene at the end of the world war 20 years ago. In 1919, the United States had only 17 first-line capital ships, only 40% of the British Navy, but it was precisely because Britain was exhausted by the world war that it finally had to make major concessions to the United States, completely throwing the two national policies of "double power fleet" and "exclusive sea power" that had been adhered to for centuries into the garbage heap. Now that the storm in Europe is back in the fold, Britain seems to be as vulnerable as rotten wood; When the war ends, it will surely be the beginning of the United States replacing Britain and becoming the hegemon of the world's oceans!

However, the current owner of the White House does not want to see his own people watching the war from half a world away with great interest. Shortly after the news of the British naval defeat in the major American media outlets, President Roosevelt made a rare speech on the subject. He claimed that now the whole of Europe is facing a great threat of darkness and barbarism, and that civilization and justice are being challenged more severely than ever before. Although the American people will not participate in this conflict that they have nothing to do with themselves, they should distinguish between right and wrong and have due sympathy for the "innocent civilized countries" that suffered from Nazi aggression.

"This lowly paralyzed maggot, shameless war traitor, history will drag him to the court for trial!"

In the Berlin Chancellery, Hitler, holding a telegram from the United States, was pounding his marble desk in anger; His eyes were split, his teeth were gritted, and his arms were swinging violently as if they were about to tear the old man in the wheelchair to pieces. As the top statesman who once played the whole of Europe between applause, Hitler was undoubtedly very clear about the meaning of Roosevelt's speech.

Ever since the Italian invasion of Abyssinia in 1935, the United States has enacted a series of neutrality laws aimed at keeping the country away from war. The Act prohibits the United States from exporting weapons and equipment, war materials, and credit bonds to any warring nation. Even "cash and carry" as in the last World War is absolutely forbidden under the Neutrality Act, because it will lead to the inevitable involvement of American forces in overseas theaters and eventually drag the United States into the quagmire of war.

The Americans' determination to maintain neutrality was due to the fact that the lessons of the First World War were still fresh in their minds. In that war, it was precisely because the United States did not resist the temptation of money and cooperated with the Allies in all directions, that they were involved in a war that they did not want to get involved in, and they were in vain for Britain and France. In the end, the United States did not recover the tens of billions of dollars in debt, failed to dominate the affairs of Europe and the world as it wished, and took the lives of 50,000 young people. The Americans decided not to have anything to do with the war again, and the absolutely neutral neutrality law came into being.

With the existence of the Neutrality Act, the United States could no longer become the arsenal of democracies as it had in the last World War, and this was an extremely important basis for Hitler to risk war with Britain and France and wage war against Poland. Now, however, Roosevelt was trying his best to label both sides of the war as good and evil, which was clearly to wait for an opportunity to undermine the Neutrality Act and prepare for support for Britain and France. Britain also deserves to be called the land of justice? Who remembers that in the concentration camps of South Africa, the benevolent and civilized English gentlemen slaughtered one-seventh of the Boer population, the vast majority of whom were underage children!

"Jonas is right, the meanness and shamelessness of the English-speaking countries is their natural attribute, just as there is also the American media that the British have won a strategic victory by wounding the Bismarck in the Battle of Scapa Flow!" Hitler's face was full of hatred and anger, and his eyes gradually bloomed with unprecedented determination: "If the whole English-speaking world is going to stand in my way, then I want them all to be wiped out!" (To be continued.) )