The sun sets in the west, reflecting the last of the brilliant red sunset into the Kremlin.

"The news has just been received from the Berlin embassy that the Germans have occupied the whole city of Paris before noon that day. The French did not put up any resistance, so much so that the commander-in-chief of German Army Group B, Bock, even entered the city before his soldiers and held a military parade on the spot. According to the credible reports of the military attache in Berlin, Colonel Opov, the organized resistance of the French army has been almost completely suspended, and the German army will be able to sweep the whole of France by the end of the month. ”

People's Commissar for Foreign Affairs Molotov spoke softly, and a pair of eyes behind the lenses couldn't help but glance ahead at any time. When he saw that Comrade Stalin, who was short and stout, had a calm face and never showed a distorted expression of resentment, Molotov's hanging heart gradually relaxed, and he began to speak at a faster pace about some of the details of the battle on the Western Front that he had mastered. Only then did Stalin know that more than 1.6 million officers and soldiers had been captured by the coalition forces, 1 million of whom were French. Except for the 500,000 second- and third-rate fortress troops stationed on the Maginot Line, which has not yet been wiped out, France, which was once known as the world's first army, no longer has a field army in formation.

"It's only been a month since the war started on May 10, right? But Britain and France have taken 1.6 million prisoners, and who of you has ever heard of this kind of war anecdote? Stalin spoke slowly, his brown pupils full of confusion and puzzlement, "Why didn't Britain and France put up even the slightest resistance?" If they had one-tenth the courage of the Finns, Europe would not be what it is today! ”

Hearing Stalin's words, the two senior army generals next to him, Timoshenko and Shaposhnikov, all had complicated expressions, and could only use silence as a response to the leader's emotional catharsis. As the de facto masters of the Red Army, they were unable to stand tall in front of their leaders: their own army was larger than the entire population of Finland, but it took them half a year to overwhelm them with a sea of men and steel. Although the Red Army claimed to have suffered only 150,000 casualties, everyone in this room knew that the actual losses were at least five times that number.

Compared with the epic legends created by the German army on the Western battlefield, the Red Army's clumsy performance is simply as disparity as heaven and earth, and there is no comparison at all. As an industrial power with a population of 200 million, the Soviet Union lost a lot of face in this embarrassment, and the most important thing is that its own strategic environment has undergone a 180-degree reversal in this gain and loss, and it has become dangerous in an instant.

Half a year ago, the strategic security situation of the Soviet Union was undoubtedly as stable as Mount Tai. At that time, Hitler was in a confrontation with Britain and France, and even spent a lot of money in order to buy the Soviet Union to maintain neutrality: Germany not only ceded a large part of the Polish territory that it had already occupied, but also imported raw materials and goods from the Soviet Union at a high price, and even agreed to sell some of the first-line equipment in service. At that time, the Soviet top brass was complacent, believing that the red flag sweeping Europe was just around the corner: when Germany, Britain and France were exhausted by each other, the Soviet Union, which had made a fortune on the sidelines, would march westward again, and the Red Army would be invincible and use the whole of Europe as a torch to ignite the monstrous flames of world revolution!

However, after only one cold and summer, the grand blueprint in the hearts of the Soviet top brass was shattered inch by inch and collapsed with a bang. The defeat in the Soviet-Finnish war woke Stalin and others from the dream of being the first in the world in the Red Army, and the lightning victory of the German army in Western Europe made the Soviet high-level who had been at ease feel a sharp threat. The Soviet bear seems to have proved to be blind and lame; Germany, on the other hand, seems to have evolved from a lion to Godzilla, and the cold gaze of the tyrant has made all countries explode. Wait until it tears and devours the crippled British and French Muto in front of it, and then turns around......

Thinking of this unsettling scene, Stalin took a deep breath, his eyes gradually became clear and firm, and he said loudly: "A few days ago, Italy declared war on France and Britain, and was ready to take the last train of German victory to seize benefits. It's time for us to take action. Comrade Timoshenko, how is the situation with your troops deployed in the Baltic and Ukrainian directions? Will you be able to win the battles that may arise? ”

Timoshenko, who had been promoted to the rank of People's Commissar of Defense, raised his head slightly and said calmly: "Comrade Stalin, the armies of the North-Western Military District and the Kiev Special Military District are ready. At your command, they can sail into the three Baltic states and Romania at any time. These places are no better than Karelia, and our army is capable of launching a pincer offensive on a wide front, and if the enemy foolishly tries to replicate the Finnish miracle, there is only one end of destruction. ”

"Dear Comrade Stalin, the Red Navy can also contribute to this operation." People's Commissar of the Navy Kuznetsov also stood up from the side and opened his mouth to petition. During the Soviet-Finnish War, his Baltic Fleet spent three and a half months in the military port because of the freeze, and only showed its face when it landed on the Hanko Peninsula in the final stage and shelled the Finnish port. Although everyone did not dare to question or criticize the Navy because they knew that Comrade Stalin loved the Grand Fleet, Kuznetsov knew very well that this kind of "holy favor" could not last forever. Only through real achievements or actions can you get everything that belongs to you.

Stalin nodded, pleased and acknowledged by the Navy's voluntary performance. At present, the Red Navy has 2 battleships and 2 heavy cruisers deployed in Kronstadt, and the overall strength is enough to crush any power in the Baltic Sea except Germany. As soon as these majestic ships stop outside the ports of Lithuania and three other small countries, their governments will immediately be frightened and will not dare to have any thoughts of disobedience against Moscow. Although the strength of the Black Sea Fleet is slightly inferior, it is also more than an order of magnitude stronger than Romania, and once it blocks the economic lifeline of the Danube River estuary, it will not allow Bucharest not to bow its head obediently!

"Although the time frame is a bit rushed, and many of the infiltration efforts on the target have not yet been completed or even carried out, we can no longer wait. Before the end of the month, I would like to see the Red Army occupy all of the three Baltic states and retake South Bessarabia and Bukovina from Romania. Stalin spoke calmly, his tone full of unquestionable resoluteness.

Temoshenko and several other generals obeyed their fate, and their eyes couldn't help but show a little excitement and joy. There was no doubt that this operation would inevitably lead to the expansion of the Soviet Union, which was undoubtedly the favorite rhythm of their soldiers. As for how to respond to the international response, it is up to Molotov and other politicians to do it. There is only one thing that their soldiers need to do, and that is to let all the forces that dare to resist eat their guns!

Under the imminent threat that Germany was about to win the war on the Western Front, the Soviet side acted with great efficiency. On 15 June, the day after the German troops entered Paris, the Soviet Union issued an ultimatum to Lithuania with a nine-hour reply, demanding the resignation of its government, the arrest of some of its principal officials hostile to the Soviet Union, and the demand that it send as many Red Army as it pleased. At the same time, the Soviet army and navy began to masse on the Lithuanian border, preparing to launch an armed attack as soon as the other side refused.

According to the calculations of the Soviet Government, the Lithuanian side will absolutely not accept such harsh conditions of loss of power and humiliation of the country. Think of the humiliation of a country ordering the government of another country to resign and having the right to garrison troops within its borders as if a landlord had opened his door to a robber and at the same time gave up all his wealth and was willing to be called into slavery! And what the Soviet Union wanted was precisely the effect of the other side's refusal, and then the Soviet Union would be able to use this as an excuse to send troops and directly seize the entire territory of Lithuania by force.

However, to Moscow's surprise, the Lithuanian government turned out to be a group of soft goods with no bones at all. Frightened by the Soviet threat, Lithuania accepted the ultimatum almost immediately, much to Moscow's consternation and embarrassment, and the raised butcher's knife did not know whether to withdraw or fall.

In the end, it was the ruthless Stalin who crossed the city walls. Despite the fact that Lithuania had all kneeled down and called the Soviet grandfather, he said that Lithuania's acceptance was "unsatisfactory". In the evening of the same day, the Soviets poured across the border like a flood, and the Lithuanian troops did not put up any resistance, but directly opened the arms warehouse, and then surrendered to the invaders.

In the early hours of the next day, the USSR presented the same ultimatum to Latvia and Estonia. The two small countries panicked and appealed to Berlin for help, hoping that Germany would intervene to mediate, but Hitler did not have time to pay attention to the changes in the East. At this time, Germany still had to devote all its forces to the Western Front in order to solve the opponent in front of it as soon as possible. In the face of Stalin's robbery, Hitler once again chose to tolerate. However, this time the situation is completely different from half a year ago, and Hitler, who saw the dawn of victory on the Western Front, will soon turn back to Stalin to settle the score.

On June 16, when the Soviet Union swallowed the three Baltic states, the stormy French government also ushered in a comprehensive reorganization. With the fall of Paris, the voice of the main battle faction led by Renault has been completely drowned out, and in the face of the unanimous opposition, the old man had to resign miserably. Immediately afterwards, Marshal Pétain, the leader of the main peace faction, was elected prime minister by the people, and his first order after taking office was to clean up the cabinet and drive out all the remnants of the main battle faction who had followed Renault from the center.

With Petain's ascension, de Gaulle, who had only been under the defence's defence, was instantly beaten back to his original form and turned back into a worthless brigadier general. Immediately afterwards, Petain's next move infuriated him even more, causing his blood to rush and make an extremely crazy action.