"You're saying that the Germans have been contacted by the people you sent?" In Tehran's palace, a young voice suppressed excitement and excitement, and asked in a slightly trembling voice.

"Yes. Not only did they get in touch, but they also met Marshal Rommel himself. ”

"How?"

"The British were crushed...... Our envoys met thousands of British and Indian captives. ”

"I don't ask about that...... I already know this, and the fact that the Germans can fight here shows in itself how good they are. The young voice asked anxiously, "I mean, what is their attitude towards us, and will they help us drive out the Russians and the British?" ”

"Of course that's fine, but at some cost."

"I can accept the conditions similar to Egypt and Iraq, and even a little higher than them, and I can't live a day now! Are they asking for oil? I can give them to them! If you want to garrison, I can also agree. ”

This young voice was emanated by the Shah of Iran, Mohammad Reza Pahlavi (Persia changed its name to Iran in 1936, but in the following years it was more common to call Persia than Iran, and only then slowly transitioned to Iran, and the overall name evolved to resemble the relationship between Siam and Thailand), and Reza Khan, the former king who was also Pahlavi's father, although more pro-German, also declared neutrality after the outbreak of the Soviet-German war in 1941. However, in order to preserve Iran's supply channel to the Soviet Union, the Allies did not allow Iran to be truly neutral.

In early August, the Soviet Union and Britain agreed to an armed occupation of Iran and drew the line of demarcation between the two countries, which was also the demarcation line between the Russian and British spheres of influence in Persia at the end of the 19th century, until Reza Khan declared independence, and gradually expelled the two countries.

Although the old king knew that Russia and Britain, with their powerful forces and weapons, would not be able to invade Iran, until the last moment he naively believed that the Allies would not be able to do it out of moral considerations and respect for international law and the norms governing international relations, and he never expected that the British and Red Army would launch an invasion on August 25, 1941.

The British forces included the 8th and 10th Indian Divisions, the 2nd Indian Armoured Brigade, the 9th Armoured Brigade, and the 21st Indian Infantry Brigade, while the Soviets drew invading troops from the 44th, 47th, and 53rd Armies of the Transcaucasian and Central Asian Military Districts, with a combined strength of more than 150,000 troops.

At this time, the Iranian army was about 120,000 men, consisting of two Royal Guards Divisions equipped with 105mm Skoda guns (both stationed in Tehran), 9 ordinary divisions (each stationed in six military districts across the country, of which 5 divisions were in the north against the Soviet Union and 4 divisions in the south against the British), 5 military police brigades, and 1 independent mechanized brigade (armed with Czech-made AH-IV and TNH tanks, several British Type 1921 Rolls-Royce armored vehicles, and American-made TK-6 armored vehicles). The Royal Iranian Air Force has about 400 aircraft, organized into eight groups. The Iranian Navy has 2 gunboats, 5 torpedo boats, 1 armed tugboat, 1 armed yacht in the Caspian Sea, and 2 Italian-built gunboats, 4 gunboats, 3 torpedo boats and 1 tugboat in the Persian Gulf.

In terms of troops, the strength of the Iranian army is not too bad, but due to the sudden attack, most of the unprepared Iranian army was disarmed in the barracks. Officers and intelligence officers of the rank and above were screened by the Soviet Ministry of Internal Affairs, and some were taken to Baku for interrogation, where their whereabouts have not been known ever since. Some Iranian officers escaped from the barracks at night and took refuge in nearby homes. In addition to controlling strategic points in Iran, the Soviet Union and Britain also took the opportunity to incite some local tribes dissatisfied with Tehran's rule, especially in the northern mountainous areas bordering the Soviet Union, where many ethnic minorities (such as Azerbaijan) did not submit to the authority of the Tehran government.

In addition to the army, Iran's small navy and air force were destroyed. A combined British-Australian fleet carrying a landing force suddenly opened fire on the Iranian Navy in the early hours of August 25. The gunboat "Yala" hit the largest warship of the Iranian Navy, the gunboat "Tiger", which was purchased from Italy, and severely damaged it. By 5:30 a.m., the British had landed and captured the port of Shaphel. In the port of Abadan, the British Navy gunboat Shoalham sank the gunboat Leopard, the sister ship of the Tiger, and other Iranian warships in the harbor were either destroyed or captured.

The Royal Air Force Blenheim light bomber made a surprise attack on Ahvaz airfield, and the Iranian plane parked there was blown up on the ground before it could take off. Air bases in southern Iran were swept away by the British, officers and men were sent home, and the planes were dismantled by British soldiers. At the huge Dussan-Thappe airbase, where the British took over the Shah Aircraft Assembly Plant, 15 brand-new Curtiss "****" fighters (three of which had not yet been unpacked) that had just arrived from the United States were confiscated by the British and shipped to India. At the same time, British troops also captured the Anglo-Polish Oil Company refinery in Abbataan.

In less than a week, all strategic points in Iran were occupied on all fronts, the army collapsed, and the old king was forced to give an order to stop resisting. The Anglo-Soviet ambassadors not only demanded that Iran facilitate the transportation of arms, weapons and war materiel by the allies through its territory, but also that the embassies of Germany, Italy, Romania and Hungary be closed and that German nationals be surrendered. After Iran agreed to fulfill these conditions, Anglo-Soviet troops still marched into Tehran to force the abdication of King Reza. All the Germans in Iran were arrested, and the able-bodied half of them were selected by the Soviets and sent to slavery camps in Kolyma, Siberia, where they mined with civilian slave laborers captured by the Soviets from eastern Poland, and the other half were exiled to Australia by the British.

After the abdication, the Reza king passed the throne to the 21-year-old Pahlavi, and then left Tehran, where he ordered a piece of Persian soil to be dug up, put it in a small bag, and stuffed it into his own pocket.

On January 29, 1942, Iran, under the threat of guns, signed the Triple Alliance Treaty with Britain and the Soviet Union, although the two countries repeatedly claimed to respect Iran's "independence and self-determination", but all roads, railways, rivers, airports, ports, oil pipelines, telephones, telegraphs and radio facilities in Iran were all controlled and directly managed by the Allied forces. Every glass of water should be close to the body and mind, and the stomach should be tasted before daring to eat.

He thought he would be in this constant state of fear, but he didn't expect the situation to change so quickly, and in less than a year, the Germans had come to his door. After November, he cheered every victory of the African Army and was frustrated by the setbacks and trials they encountered. When the Axis powers held the Cairo Entrance Ceremony, he spent three days in the palace. After the German troops entered Syria and Iraq, he could hardly suppress his cheerful mood, and every day he had to study the advance of Rommel's troops on a map - even more concerned about the supply and logistics of the German army than the German General Staff.

"That's not just what the Germans want."

"What do they want?" Pahlavi frowned and asked, "Do you want to cede territory?" ”

"No, they want a full partnership."

"What does that mean?"

"Field Marshal Rommel conveyed the Führer's exact words: The Persian people were a branch of the Aryans in ancient times, and although there has been a major evolution in the course of historical changes, the Germanic people are still willing to recognize our Aryan identity, and as descendants of the same Aryan nation, we should establish a comprehensive partnership and strive for the establishment of a new international order."

"That's all? Don't have specific conditions? ”

The Führer did not say anything, but the representative of Field Marshal Kesselring, commander-in-chief of the German Southern Front, put forward some specific conditions, such as: the abrogation of all treaties with Britain and the Soviet Union, and compensation for the losses caused by them 1,000 tons of gold; All domestic investment from Britain and the Soviet Union was transferred to Germany, and all facilities and equipment, including oil refineries, were repaired by Germany. All the oil produced by Iran is supplied to Germany except for its own use; Germany was allowed new mineral exploitation rights, all of which were to be explored and invested by Germany, and after successful exploitation, both sides would receive half of them for a period of 99 years, after which they would all be transferred to our country - basically on similar terms as Egypt and Iraq. ”

"What about the garrison?" Pahlavi asked the messenger what he was most concerned about.

"Except for the northern border with the Soviet Union, the ports and oil fields in the Persian Gulf and the Strait of Hormuz, where Germany has to station some troops, the rest of the country, including Tehran and Isfahan, is not stationed, and the domestic railways, roads, and telegraphs are also operated by us."

Pahlavi's expression relaxed: "The Germans don't want much, at least it's much better than the British and the Soviets." ”

"What do we get?" Pahlavi's twin sister, Princess Achraf, who is highly politically skilled, asked, "Can you bring your father back?" ”

"The Germans promised to do their best to rescue." The messenger thought for a moment, "They promised to help us rebuild the Wehrmacht and use weapons to offset the oil money they received from us, but asked us to join the Axis and declare war on Britain and the Soviet Union. ”

"Excluding the United States?" Pahlavi still has a little affection for the United States.

"It doesn't need to include the United States." The envoy suddenly added, "By the way, the Germans have indicated that if we join the war against Russia and Great Britain, Germany is willing to give us some of the territory of the two countries on the present border with Iran - not less than 150,000 square kilometers, after a future victory. ”

Pahlavi showed excitement and shouted: "Okay, I have agreed, and the treaty will be ready immediately." ”

"Your Majesty......" advised the experienced Prime Minister Mohammed Frugi, "Your Majesty, the Germans have drawn a picture of a 'comprehensive partnership,' and the old minister thinks that these conditions can be negotiated and that perhaps we will not have to pay so much." ”

"Nope! I'm going to get the Soviets out as quickly as possible, arm the troops, and let them taste our wrath too. Pahlavi said proudly, "Not only the British or the Soviets in this world know about force, but we Persians also know it, and I want to make them pay for that perfidious attack more than a year ago!" (To be continued.) )