When Berzin heard the news that Tukhachevsky had been arrested, he immediately had a feeling that the sky was about to fall. Because it means that the storm of the "Great Purge" has finally reached the top of the Red Army!

As the former head of the intelligence department of the Workers' and Peasants' Red Army, Berzin was undoubtedly a member of the upper echelons of the Red Army, and he was not yet a direct descendant of Stalin......

"Comrade Stalin, I firmly support the decision of the party, and I will expose you about Tukhachevsky's crimes......"

Berzin reacted quickly and immediately decided to strike back. This is not some "villain's doing", but an essential quality of a Bolshevik party member - obedience to all the decisions of the party!

Moreover, in Berzin's opinion, Tukhachevsky did make serious mistakes - the main thing was the wrong line, the military line and the diplomatic line of his opposition party!

"Tukhachevsky is the leader of the new opposition in the army." "Not only was he opposed the party's military line and wanted to transform the Red Army in accordance with the theory of mechanized warfare put forward by the bourgeois military theorists," Berzin said, "but he also opposed the party's diplomatic line and had objections to the united Germany......"

The wrong route is a sin! So Stalin's purge of Tukhachevsky and the Red Army was not a mistake, but an approach that conformed to the rules of the political struggle of the Bolsheviks. It is just that there is a tendency to expand in the process of execution - there are too many executions that it is not necessary. But the removal of those who held the wrong line from the ranks of the revolution was the usual practice of the Bolsheviks, and it was necessary......

"Oh," Stalin nodded slightly, as if very pleased with Berzin's statement. "Then what do you think of the problem of United Germany?"

"This ......" the cold sweat on Belzin's head was about to drip - the route D fight was too cruel, and if he said the wrong thing, he could lose his life.

"Say it, just say it." Stalin said with a smile. But in his heart he was still dissatisfied with Berzin's attitude - disagreement and wrong course are not the same thing! Tukhachevsky's mistake was not to say the wrong thing in front of himself, but to pursue a wrong line in the army that was inconsistent with the party's military line.

"Comrade Stalin," Berzin said with a frown. "If we want to eliminate White Poland, we must unite with Germany, otherwise Germany may be on the side of Poland."

Stalin smiled and nodded, such a simple truth, Tukhachevsky actually couldn't understand - this person's brain is too confused, just a soldier. I don't understand diplomacy and politics at all!

"But after the elimination of White Poland, Germany will be a threat." "But if the war between Germany and England and France continues, then they will not fight us again." ”

"Yes!" Stalin laughed, "It's obvious!" Because those in power in Germany have suffered from fighting on two fronts, they are not fools, and it is impossible to make the same mistake twice. So there is no problem with Germany to carve up Poland, the key is how to get Germany into the quagmire of war with Britain and France! And...... And keep us out of war. ”

Berzin knew that Stalin wanted to give himself an idea, and this was an opportunity to gain trust! He frowned and pondered. "Comrade Stalin, in order to achieve this goal, we must first let Britain and France declare war on Germany, and we must not let Britain and France be intimidated by the Soviet-German alliance."

"That's right." Stalin pulled out a blue tin jar containing shredded tobacco from Yunnan Province, given by Wu Hao, the new premier of China's Wuhan government, during a visit in January.

As Stalin filled his pipe with shredded tobacco, he said: "We don't want much, we only want to recover the lost ground in the Wave War, and we don't want to go to war with Britain and France." And white Poland once perished. We have a border with Germany. So there's room for cooperation between us and France, isn't it? ”

"Comrade General Secretary. You're so wise. Berzin said sincerely, "It is time for Germany and England and France to eat dog, and we will watch from the sidelines, and when they are exhausted, it will be time for us to lead the world revolution!" ”

Stalin lit his pipe and took two puffs. He said with a smile: "The world revolution is not easy, and it will only succeed when the Soviet Union is completely built into socialism." ”

He was not as aggressive as Trotsky, but he was not opposed to expanding the territory of the Soviet Union without a complete break with the imperialist camp.

"So we're only targeting Turkey, Iraq and Iran." Stalin said, "Both Turkey and Iran are independent states." Iraq, on the other hand, was under British protection, but was also largely independent. ”

Stalin felt that he was very careful - to take only three independent states and open a passage south to the Indian Ocean, which should not irritate Britain, France and Germany too much.

As for Italy, if the fascist leader really dared to stop the Soviet Union's southward advance, Stalin was very confident that he would be beaten to the ground.

"Comrade General Secretary, this goal is completely achievable." Berzin said admiringly. "As long as the Near and Middle East are taken, the Soviet Union will be the most powerful country in the world!"

Stalin laughed, it was the centuries-old dream of the Russian people to go south and regain Constantine, and it seemed that it was going to come true in his own hands.

"But Comrade General Secretary," Berzin suddenly asked, "how can we get England and France to do what we want?" Aren't we ready to conclude an alliance with Germany? ”

The Soviet-German alliance was a prerequisite for the partition of Poland -- this was a condition that Hersmann had always adhered to, and it was also Germany's national policy.

"Of course there is an alliance, it is necessary," Stalin took a puff of his cigarette, "because we must take back right-bank Ukraine, which can only be fought by war, there is no way." But we should let Britain and France know the policy of the USSR, know the policy of Germany, know how the Germans are going to defeat Poland! ”

"Comrade General Secretary, you mean......" Berzin looked at Stalin, as if waiting for the order of the other side.

"There needs to be a man," Stalin said with a smile, "a high-ranking cadre of the Workers' and Peasants' Red Army, who has access to all the secret cadres who, having been implicated in a counter-revolutionary group, and who feel the possibility of being arrested and defected, take a copy of the Black Project with him to London or Paris." At the same time, we will also inform Britain and France of some of our intentions. ”

Belzin's heart was beating rapidly, and he had defected! It can also involve many comrades

"Now there is exactly a counter-revolutionary group of the army," said Stalin, "and Tukhachevsky could not have committed the crime alone, there must have been a group of people!" Comrade Berzin, are you a follower of Tukhachevsky? ”

"No, I'm not...... Comrade Stalin, I am a loyal Bolshevik," Berzin hurriedly argued, "the tsar or I took people to the execution, how could I be in league with Tukhachevsky, a military expert of aristocratic origin?" ”

"I know, I know," Stalin shook his head with a smile, "I know you and Tukhachevsky are not in the same group, I trust you!" He paused slightly, "Then who will act as this abominable traitor?" “

"Comrade Stalin, this is the work of the Intelligence Department of the Workers' and Peasants' Red Army." Berzin reminded that "the Intelligence Department of the Workers' and Peasants' Red Army will arrange everything." ”

"All right," Stalin nodded with a smile, "then I will entrust this glorious task to the Intelligence Department of the Workers' and Peasants' Red Army, Comrade Berzin, you are our best Minister of Intelligence, and this is your job." ”

Stalin made himself the head of intelligence of the Workers' and Peasants' Red Army again! This shows that he trusts himself. Belzin suddenly had a feeling of escaping from the tiger's mouth.

"Rest assured," said Berzin, "I will complete the task, and I will arrange a perfect deception that will not be detected by the enemy." ”

……

"Why didn't you see Marshal Tukhachevsky?"

On 15 May, Hersmann's visit to the Soviet Union came to a successful conclusion, in which he not only reached a number of agreements on the draft Soviet-German alliance agreement with the Soviet side, but also initialed the Soviet-German Agreement on Deepening Naval Technical Cooperation, which stipulated that Germany would provide the Soviet Union with the technology and equipment necessary for the construction of 26,000-ton battlecruisers and 42,000-ton battleships, and would allow the Soviet side to reimburse them with oil and non-ferrous metals.

When he left Moscow, Marshal Voroshilov, Marshal Budyonny and Marshal Yegorov all went to the airfield to see him off, except for Marshal Tukhachevsky.

"He is sick," Voroshilov replied, "it is a contagion!" ”

Anyone who gets their hands on it has to get in!

"Oh." Hersman nodded, knowing that Tukhachevsky had most likely been arrested, and that it was the time of the Great Purge of the Soviet Union.

"Then I wish him a speedy recovery," said Hersmann quietly, "and if he needs German medical help, just tell the embassy that it is okay to let him come to Germany for medical treatment or send our medical experts to the Soviet Union." ”

Can a German doctor cure the wrong route? When Yegorov heard Hesman's words, he couldn't help but sigh softly. Tukhachevsky's arrest was a signal that the Great Purge was about to reach the top of the Workers' and Peasants' Red Army!

"Thank you very much," Voroshilov smiled and shook hands with Hersmann, he was undoubtedly safe, and there was no need to worry that Stalin would cut him. "I will convey your kindness to Tukhachevsky."

"Okay, that's great!" Hirsman hugged Voroshilov and said, "Voroshilov, I wish us a happy cooperation. Also, I look forward to seeing you in Berlin in the summer of 1938. When the time comes, our two countries should be the closest allies! ”

"That's right! We will be allies! Voroshilov said happily, "Together we will plant the banner of socialism all over the world!" ”

Hersman also agreed: "Yes, we want to plant the banner of socialism in every corner of the world!" (To be continued.) )