On September 20, 1943, Jiang Baili, chief of staff of the Republic of China, led a delegation of Chinese affairs to visit Germany, and at the same time, Jiang Baili was promoted to field marshal.

This was the first field marshal in the history of the Republic of China, and the choice of this appointment was announced when Jiang Baili was in Germany, which had its special significance.

The appointment of China's first marshal was announced in Germany, which was a great honor for the Germans, and at the same time they were full of confidence in the friendship between China and Germany.

In addition to further military cooperation between the two sides, Jiang Baili's arrival in Germany also had another meaning, he would directly command the Axis armies in Europe with the Germans to launch an all-out attack on the Central Powers!

Until victory comes

The friendship between China and Germany has been further deepened, but the situation of China and Italy, another "ally" of Germany, is not so good.

The poor performance of the Italian army on the battlefield caused Mossolini to lose face and disappointed the Germans and Hitler to the extreme.

The attitude of the Chinese side is very intriguing, and while they have stepped up their aid to Germany, they have ignored the same demands made by Mossolini.

This move further deepened Mosolini's dire predicament.

The Germans also ceased aid to Italy, and nominally the Germans were now in great difficulty. But Mosolini did not know that a good show planned by the Chinese and Germans was quietly being staged.

They want to completely control Italy in their own hands, so that this "ally" who has delayed the big things countless times can really play its due role in the war.

The Sino-German joint operation was codenamed "Assault"

The defeat of the Italian army on the battlefield left their genius reader Mussolini struggling. He had gone to great lengths to make some personnel changes and emotional cleansing among politicians and military generals.

In February, General Ambrosio succeeded Caballero as Chief of the Italian General Staff. Ambrosio and the court minister, Duke Aguerona, were both personal advisors to the king and enjoyed the trust of the royal family.

For several months, they wanted to overthrow the leaders of the fascist party and put an end to the fascist dictatorship. But Mussolini remained nostalgic for the European political scene, as if he were a major player there.

He was insulted when the new military head under him proposed the immediate withdrawal of Italian troops from the Balkans. He saw these forces as a complementary force to Germany's superior position in Europe. He failed to realize that he had lost his status as an ally of Hitler as a result of his defeat abroad and demoralization at home, and that when reality had faded, he remained clinging to illusions of power and personal influence. Therefore, he rejected the request of the new Chief of the General Staff for the withdrawal of troops from the Balkans.

However, since the impression of his "authority" and the fear of his personal extreme actions were deep-rooted, all social forces in Italy were hesitant for a long time about how to remove him from power. Are you willing to take the risk of "hanging the bell around the neck of a ferocious beast"?

Mussolini faced not only strong opposition from the Italian people, but also the rebellion of some of the closest followers within the fascist ruling circles, and even his own son-in-law, Ziano.

Moreover, behind this rebellion was a conspiracy hatched by many personalities representing a wider class, including the king, to overthrow him.

Strikes and marches were booming, and Mussolini was sitting on a volcano, anxious to consult with his allies.

Two days later, the "leader", accompanied by his chief of staff, General Anbrosio, flew to Feltre, near Rimini, where he met Hitler at a local villa.

Hitler, regardless of the mood of the other side, simply chattered his opinion and tried to cheer up his allies. He said that the new secret weapon that was being prepared to attack Britain was expected to be used in the winter.

The Nazi Führer bluntly told the other side that the Italians had to provide manpower and organization themselves!

Due to the pressure on the front, Germany could not supply the reinforcements and equipment requested by Italy. The Italians were half chilled when they heard it.

The Italian General Chief, Anbrosio, urged his leader to tell Hitler that Italy could no longer continue to participate in the war.

But Mussolini's stunned appearance finally made Ambrosio and the other Italian generals present decide that they could no longer count on him as a leader. The Italian people, the opposition inside and outside the Italian Party, cannot wait any longer.

At this time, the veteran of the fascist party and former foreign minister, Dino . Grandi arrives in Rome and, after colluding with his co-conspirators, prepares to take up a leading position in the Grand Council of Fascism.

On September 22, he made a special visit to his old leader and asked for the convening of the Supreme Council of the Fascist Party, the Great Council. The committee had not met since December 1939, and it had been a nominal body entirely subordinate to the individual "leader". Thus, at the request of the majority of the committee members, Mussolini finally agreed to hold this unusual meeting on September 25. In order to ensure the normal conduct of the meeting and to prevent it from being disturbed by violence, the Inspector General of Police has taken the necessary measures in advance. Mussolini's personal guard, the Spear Corps, has been relieved of its mission to defend the Palazzo Venezia, and the area is staffed with military police. The "leader" explained the current situation, and then the whole attendees, dressed in black fascist eyes, began to discuss, and Mussolini concluded:

"War is often the war of a party, the war waged by the party that wants war; At the same time, wars are often the wars of one person, the wars waged by the one who declared the war. If today's war is called Mussolini's war, then the war of 1859 can be called Cavour's. It is time to strengthen the rule and assume the necessary responsibilities. At a time when our national and territorial integrity is being violated, I have no difficulty in changing personnel, tightening control and mobilizing all forces that have not yet been used, in the name of our country. ”

Then, Dino. Grandi introduced a resolution asking the king to seize more power and to get rid of his position as a state agnomer and to assume his responsibilities.

Grandi delivered what Mussolini called "a speech of fierce attack", "an oratory in which a man with a long grudge finally vents his anger."

The connection between the members of the Great Council of Fascism and the court was already very evident, and Mussolini's son-in-law, Ziano, who had been in charge of foreign affairs for a long time, gave strong support to Grandi's initiative. Every participant is now aware that a major political change is imminent. The debate continued until midnight, when the permanent secretary of the fascist party, Skorza, proposed to adjourn the meeting and resume it tomorrow. But Grandi jumped up and shouted, "No! I am against this proposal. We've finally started this debate, and we're going to get it done! ”

By the time the vote was held, it was already past 2 a.m. The result was 19 votes in favor, 77 against, and two abstentions, which adopted the Grandi initiative, thus vetoing Mussolini's position as the leader's [***] scholar.

Like a mad bison, Mussolini stood up and said sharply: "You have caused a crisis in the regime, it is terrible!" ”

This concludes the meeting. When the secretary of the fascist party, Skorza, was about to pay tribute to the "leader", Mussolini stopped him with a gesture and said: "No need, you can be forgiven." ”

Everyone dispersed in silence, and that night, no one was able to sleep at home, and a premeditated plan to arrest Mussolini was still intensifying in secret.

Aguerona, Minister of the Court, and Ambrosio, Chief of Staff of the General Staff, were responsible for carrying out this task. They first took over the telephone office, the police station, and the key institutions of the Ministry of the Interior, and then sent military police to set up a dense sentry post in hidden locations near the royal villa and the Venetian Palace. Once everything is ready, the farce will begin.

On the morning of September 25, Mussolini continued to stay in his office at the Palazzo Venezia, and visited several areas of Rome that had been bombed. He was completely in the dark about what was to come.

He asked to be seen before the king, and at 5 p.m., Victor. Emmanuel received him!

Mussolini believed that the king would withdraw the authority he had granted him regarding the command of the armed forces. So, when he walked into the villa, he didn't feel any ominous omen in his heart.

However, when Mussolini arrived at the king's apartment, he saw an increase in the number of military police everywhere. The king, dressed in the uniform of a generalissimo, stood at the door. The two of them walked into the living room.

There, the king said in the presence of Mosolini: "My dear leader, things are not good. Italy has embarked on a path of disintegration. The morale of the army plummeted. The soldiers' reluctance to fight any more was terrible, and the vote of the Great Fascist Council was terrible - 19 votes were in favor of Grandi's motion. And among these voters, four of them are actually recipients of the 'Annunciation' At the moment, you are the most hated person in Italy. The most you can rely on is a friend. Now you only have one friend left, and that friend is me. That's why I'm telling you that you don't have to worry about your personal safety, I'm responsible for protecting you. Your position is now held by Marshal Badoglio. ”

Faced with all this, Mussolini was simply stunned and at a loss. After a pause, he bothered his spirits and tried to calm him down, saying: "You are making an extremely serious decision, and the present crisis will make the people think that peace is in sight once the man who declared war is dismissed. This will be a serious blow to the morale of the army. The crisis will be seen as a victory for Churchill's gang. I feel the resentment of the people. Last night, at the Great Council of Fascists, I saw this. The fact that a man has ruled for so long, and who has suffered so many sacrifices, cannot but stir up resentment. In any case, I wish luck to those who are in control of the current situation. ”

When the king sent him out of the hall, the unbeatable [***] demon king was now pale, much shorter than usual, almost like a Buddha. The king shook hands with him and went in. Mussolini walked out of the palace alone with a heavy heart and was walking towards his car when suddenly a police captain stopped him and said to him:

"His Majesty the King has assigned me to protect your personal safety."

Mussolini continued to walk towards his car, when the captain pointed to an ambulance parked nearby and said to him: "No, we have to take that car!" ”

Mussolini got into the ambulance with his secretary; In addition to that captain, there were two lieutenants, three national policemen and two plainclothes policemen; They also got into the car together and sat in the doorway, armed with machine guns. As soon as the doors closed, the ambulance sped away.

The fascist leader was thus imprisoned behind bars.

Later that afternoon, the king ordered Badoglio, the field marshal who had been removed by Mussolini in 1940 because of the Greek war defeat, to form a new cabinet that included a military head and civilian officials.

That evening, Marshal Badogglio broadcast the news to the whole world. Two days later, Badoglio ordered the fascist leader to be detained on the island of Poncha.

From then on, Mussolini, the Caesar of the contemporary Roman Empire, sadly ended his 21-year reign in Italy.

Mussolini, the belligerent man of the 20th century, knew how to profit from chaos and despair, but he was in fact a man of gold and defeat.

As an ordinary person, he is not without brains. He read history books and thought he knew the lessons of history; He studied the situation of various countries and thought that he had international knowledge.

But, as a scholar, he made the fatal mistake of megalomania: he wanted to turn a country lacking industrial resources into a powerful military empire rich in aggression, and Mussolini, like all scholars, was carried away by ambition and power, which inevitably arrogantd him, corrupted his mind, and poisoned his judgment.

The end of this Italian scholar was indeed beyond his own expectations. He believes that as long as he is alive, no one will dare to break ground on his Tai Sui. Indeed, when he came to power, he had millions of troops and a large number of police bodyguards.

But when he was put in a prison car, no one fired a shot to save him, not even the fascist militias. There was no one to defend him.

No one seems to have taken his humiliating ousting down to heart.

But when Mossolini stepped down and was imprisoned, the Chinese and Germans cheered at the same time.

The opportunity they had been waiting for had arrived.

A definitive solution to Italy's problems.

The operation codename:

Assault!

(To be continued)