However, Mussolini felt extremely uncomfortable in his heart when he thought that the great goal he had been pursuing all night was to be achieved by ally with Germany, and he felt a sense of indignation that had been hit cotton. In his 17 years in power, Mussolini worked hard to revive the depressed and devastated post-war Italy: not only did he work hard to bring the domestic economy out of recession, but he also made great progress in foreign policy. Today, Italy's influence has expanded to East Africa, the Balkans, and Spain, and has become a major force in the Mediterranean.

In addition, Mussolini dedicated his youthful years to building a powerful navy for Italy, which was the fourth largest in the world. The Anglo-French Mediterranean fleet, which had once overwhelmed Italy, now retreated awe-inspiring under the majesty of the crown cross. It can be said that Mussolini had already run most of the way down the broad road to restore the former glory of the Roman Empire, waiting for the final sprint to take the crown of victory, a symbol of glory.

But at this moment, the powerful enemy who had worked hard to overtake the runway was suddenly beaten by the enemy who rushed out of the field and was killed on the spot; And because he lost his competitors, he got all the rewards without much effort. Seeing the curtain call of the final so casual, Mussolini couldn't help but feel sad and angry: in this case, what is all the efforts he has made before? Dare to love yourself without any hard work, work hard, just need to be on the thigh of Germany, then all your wishes can be realized by the big brother!

"Italy is by no means a second-rate country. I can't be reduced to an inconsequential vassal of Germany, following Hitler and eating what is left! Mussolini gritted his teeth and whispered, his attitude becoming more and more resolute. No matter how inadequate Italy's current preparations for war may be, it must declare war on France and Britain within a few days, otherwise after Hitler single-handedly defeats the Allies, Italy will really become a soy sauce party and be at the mercy of Germany in the new order of the future. Although it is too late to enter the war, it is better than nothing, at least in the future peace talks, Italy can still be present as the victorious country!

While thinking about it, there was a dense sound of footsteps in the corridor outside the door, and after a short time, all the Italian military and political dignitaries led by Graziani, the chief of the army staff, entered the room. In contrast to Mussolini's mixed emotions, their faces were almost always filled with excitement and joy: they couldn't wait to get Italy into the war that was sure to be won, and to get the most out of it at the lowest cost.

"Marshal Graziani, can you tell me about the current disposition of the Army?" Mussolini steadied himself and asked. I saw that the chief of the army general staff, who was still complaining about the issue of participating in the war half a month ago, was completely different at this moment, as if he was possessed by Caesar, and proudly replied: "Please rest assured, Your Excellency, Leader." Our army has amassed 32 divisions on the French border, and although there are only about 0.7 base numbers of men and weapons, it is enough to crush the six second-rate divisions of the French army on the opposite side and sweep through the rich provinces on the southern coast of France. ”

"What about North Africa? Libya is surrounded by French West Africa and Egypt, and in the event of war with Britain and France, it will be surrounded on three sides, and we must not lose the oil-producing region of the Siirt Basin. Mussolini again asked. Graziani looked calm and replied confidently: "At present, the 5th Army is deployed in Tripoli in the west, and the 10th Army is guarding Tobrug in the east, and the two forces have a total of 10 divisions and 7 regiments. As long as maritime shipping remains open, it will be enough to hold the gates of Libya on both wings. ”

Mussolini nodded slightly, and his eyes immediately fell on the chief of the naval staff next to him, Kavnari, who immediately behaved like a proud rooster, and his tall chest showed his unparalleled confidence to everyone around him. With the defeat of the French Army now foregone, it became increasingly important for the French government to preserve their impressive navy as intact as possible as a bargaining chip at the negotiating table with Germany.

Under these circumstances, it would not have been possible for the French Navy to take any major combat action against Italy, and the Italian Navy would have only one enemy left after entering the war, the British Mediterranean Fleet.

With the two crushing defeats suffered by Britain in Scarpa Bay and Norwegian waters, the Mediterranean Fleet, once the most powerful of the British Navy's major fleets, has now been weakened to a disastrous level. In the huge Alexandria Harbor, only one battleship "Revenge" remained in service for 25 years, which supported the last face of the British Empire. And she was accompanied by only 6 old destroyers, which were simply not enough to compete with the new ships of the Italian army.

Obviously, such a strength is not even as good as a detachment of the Italian Navy, and it is not an exaggeration to describe it as being wiped out with a snap of a finger. If the British had a keen sense of smell, they should have withdrawn all these ships from the Mediterranean while Italy was not yet in the war, rather than holding on to their bases and giving food to their opponents. Whatever the British side chosen, Italian ships would sail the Mediterranean without scruples, and supplies for the Libyan defenders would be no problem.

As for the Italian Air Force, which was controlled by the fascists, Mussolini was well aware of its combat readiness, so he did not ask again. But then, Mussolini was confronted with a face that was about to cry. The Minister of Finance, Revell, looked at Mussolini with a haggard face and a look of pity and exhaustion, and even though he didn't say a word, Mussolini could read all his hidden words effortlessly. At present, Italy's finances have long been overwhelmed by huge deficits, and what is most needed is to throttle and recuperate, but now the army is going to provoke a war, and the massive war money consumed is enough to deal a fatal blow to Italy's normal economy!

Mussolini couldn't help but feel a little guilty in the face of Revell's tired eyes, but his gaze quickly became firm, and he waved his hand and said: "As for the raising of military expenses for the war, you might as well issue national bonds to the people in this name." As for the interest rate, it can be raised higher in order to attract the public to buy it. Anyway, this war will only last for 2 months, and the final cost of the war will not be too exaggerated, and after victory, all that we have paid will be recovered from the negotiating table. ”

Seeing that Mussolini had made up his mind, and the military generals around him were ready to attack again, Revell smiled bitterly and could only agree hard. If he speaks out against it again, it will be tantamount to making enemies of the people in this room, and not only will he not be able to make any changes, but he will also lose his position as a cabinet minister in vain. What's more, Mussolini's last sentence also made him feel a little comforted, at least this money can have obvious hope of returning to its original value, and it will not be thrown out like the previous military spending.

After several exchanges, Mussolini and others finally set a specific date for entering the war on June 10. The reason for waiting another week was to allow Germany to completely destroy the air power of the French army, as well as the resistance of the main forces on the ground. In any case, Italy is out after the outcome has been decided, and it doesn't matter if it's a few days late. Soon, the generals left in high spirits to prepare for the unsuspenseful armed march, and in the end only the young foreign minister Ziano Jr. was left in the room, still waiting for his father-in-law's orders.

"Has the Ministry of Foreign Affairs drawn up the reasons for war with Britain and France?" Mussolini spoke slowly. Little Ziano nodded and said: "Italy's overseas trade has been unjustly discriminated against and oppressed by Britain and France, and although it has protested many times, Britain and France are still stubborn, so they can only resort to force to solve it. This excuse can shift the blame for the current domestic economic downturn to Britain and France, and together with the momentum of your speech and propaganda department, the public can also support the war. In this way, the problems in the country can be calmed down to a large extent. ”

Mussolini pondered for a moment, basically agreeing with little Ziano's response, but there was still a little inexplicable gloom between his eyebrows, which was not at all a reaction to joining a war that was bound to be won. Seeing this, little Ziano pursed his lips slightly, and said, "Your Excellency, what are you not satisfied with being able to eliminate the British and French forces in the Mediterranean Sea at such a small price?" Even if Hitler were the undisputed protagonist of the war, you would be in a much better position than the Soviet dictator – at least, you would not have been killed by enemy forces far inferior to you. ”

"So what, didn't Stalin win in the end?" Mussolini snorted, disapproving at little Chiano's persuasion, but the depression in his heart still dissipated a lot, and he suddenly felt a sense of superiority in the process of comparison.

Ten days earlier, on May 22, the Soviet-Finnish war, which had lasted for nearly half a year, finally came to an end. The Finns, who had suffered heavy casualties and ran out of ammunition and food, were no longer able to resist the flood of Soviet troops and were forced to surrender. But no one in the world saw Finland as a loser, and they were all impressed by the courage and tenacity of this small country against the red bear. No one could have imagined that Finland would be able to hold out in the face of the Soviet Union for so long, and it is not too much to describe their struggle as a miracle!

In contrast, the Soviet Union, which spent half a year and lost countless soldiers, became the object of ridicule and contempt by all countries. Stalin, who had already had a poor image in the international community, became even more notorious, and the face of a brutal and incompetent single husband suddenly spread all over the European and American continents.

As the driving force behind Finland's self-defense war, Mussolini was undoubtedly very comfortable with Stalin's current predicament, but what he failed to expect was that similar things would soon be retributed to him like a cycle of heaven.