The Middle East has always been a focus of Germany's diplomatic and intelligence activities, and as early as around the First World War, Germany spread good relations in the Middle East through its contacts with the Turkish Empire and the Persian Kingdom, and had many friends. Pen, fun, pavilion www. biquge。 During the war, although Germany was generally shrinking in the Middle East, the pro-German forces continued unabated due to the hegemony of the British Empire. And after the re-emergence of Germany, Germany once again became the savior that several major Middle Eastern powers of this era hoped for. However, Turkey, Germany's ally in the last world war, never looked to its old friend Germany to save it.

Because Turkey has completely disconnected itself from the Ottoman Empire of the past, and there is no longer the imperial ambition of the past.

In Ankara's completely Western-style Prime Minister's Office, the Prime Minister of the Republic of Turkey, Refik. Sedam heard from the German ambassador von Hussein. When asked about Turkey's demands, Papen only smiled bitterly and said: "Mr. Ambassador, our Republic of Turkey is not the Ottoman Empire, we are just a peaceful medium-sized state, a nation-state belonging to the Turks, and we have no claims to territories outside the borders of Turkey. ”

Franz, who served in the Turkish army during the First World War and knew Kemal himself. Feng. Papen was not surprised by the Turkish Prime Minister's answer. Because what Prime Minister Sedam said was the teachings of Kemal, the founding father of the Republic of Turkey.

In the von. According to Papen, Kemal was completely dead to the Ottoman Empire, Great Turkism, and YSL, and only wanted to preserve the last living space for the Turkish people living on the Anatolian plateau. But it would be nice for Turkey's leaders to think so, so that they would not trouble Germany's actions in the Middle East.

"So will our German troops and aircraft be able to transit through Turkey?" Feng. Papen looked at the Turkish Prime Minister and asked in a low voice.

"You can cross the border." The Turkish Prime Minister replied, "But Turkish territory cannot be used as a starting point for attacks on third countries, because Turkey will remain neutral." ”

In fact, his position had been discussed with the British ambassador to Turkey a long time ago. The situation now makes it clear that it is unrealistic for Turkey to prevent the passage of German troops. And in order to prevent the invasion of the Soviet Union, Turkey still had to rely on the protection of Germany, how could it be possible to turn against Germany?

But it is okay for Turkey not to join the German-Italian-Japanese axis, because what Germany wants is nothing more than a pretext. so that troops can enter Iran and Iraq. Moreover, in the current situation, the German army entered Iran and Iraq not to oppose Britain, but to prevent the Soviet Union from moving south. This does not hurt Turkey, naturally there is no need to stop it.

Feng. Baben raised his wrist to look at the time, and then said: "In about 3 hours, 30 Junkers and 12 Fokker Zeros are going to land at Ankara airport and refuel. Every 2 hours thereafter, the same number of planes will land at Ankara airport. Any questions? ”

"No problem," replied the Turkish prime minister with a smile, "we will provide aviation kerosene to your planes, we have enough reserves." ”

The German 22nd Airborne Division, which had about 12,000 men, was all airlifted to Iran, and about 52 sorties would be needed if the JU1000 were used. According to the plan, 180 sorties will be flown every day (360 sorties will come and go), and all of them can be in place in 6 days.

"In addition, we need to transport troops from the Balkans to Iraq and Iran by rail and road from Turkey." Feng. Papen then made another request.

If the Soviet Union really wants to attack Iran, it will not be possible to rely on 12,000 infantry. Armored and motorized rifle divisions must be transported to Iran, and the air force must be deployed in Iran.

"There is no problem," said Turkish Prime Minister Refik. Sedam agreed. "Your troops, weapons and equipment, can pass peacefully from our territory." He then added, "But you can't attack anyone from our territory. ”

The German march into Iran was not considered an attack, because the Iranian king Reza. Khan was very pro-German and had long wanted to invite the Germans in. Although the Kingdom of Iraq was controlled by the pro-British, now that the general trend has gone, those pro-British factions have at most burned the oil fields and fled. Where did you dare to really fight with the Germans?

"Okay, no problem!" Feng. Bapen nodded, satisfied. And Refik. After sending the German ambassador out of the Chancellery, Sedam returned to his office and dialed the British Embassy......

……

"Mr. Prime Minister, as I was leaving Whitehall Street I received a telegram from the embassy in Turkey that the Germans would begin airlifting ground troops to Iran this afternoon."

Cabinet Room, 10 Downing Street, London. The Italian planes did not come during the day today, because the British Spitfires had fought quite fiercely in the previous days, and the losses of the Italians were a bit large. As a result, Prime Minister Churchill was once again able to hold a wartime cabinet meeting in the comfort of the Prime Minister's residence in Downing Street. As soon as the meeting began, Foreign Secretary Aiden brought him bad news.

"How's it going on over there in Iran?" Churchill smoked a cigar and looked nonchalant.

Because he has been reported that all the oil field facilities in the Khuzestan oil-producing area in southern Iran have been blown up. In Kirkuk, Iraq, BP's oil fields were likewise completely destroyed!

Although it was not difficult for the Germans to restore the oil fields, it would take about 12 months. Moreover, the Suez Canal will also be blocked by shipwrecks, and the Gulf of Aden and the Gulf of Oman will also be blocked by the British Eastern Fleet. It was not so easy for the Germans to open up the sea route, as long as the sea route could not be opened for a day, Iranian oil could not be transported.

So the Germans had at most dug up some oil in Kirkuk before that, with a pipeline from the fields of Kirkuk to Mosul, and in 1940 they completed a 520-kilometre railway from Mosul to Aleppo. The railway is now a problem for Churchill and has been ordered to be blown up, but how can the 520-kilometer railway be blown up? At most, blow up a few bridges, which the Germans could repair in a month or two.

Aiden told Churchill again: "Reza. Khan had already mobilized troops to enter Tehran and imposed martial law in Tehran. ”

"This Reza. Khan must have taken refuge with the Germans, he was originally a pro-German! Churchill took a puff on his cigar, "But it was obviously a huge mistake for the Germans to airlift troops to Tehran, and it would have irritated Stalin!" ”

"But Stalin was not going to war with Germany because of this," said Anthony Brown. Aiden shook his head, "The position of the Soviet Union is very clear, they asked the United States to enter the war first. ”

"But now places like Baku, Grozny and Batumi are under the threat of German aircraft." Churchill smiled a little gloating and said, "The only basis of trust between the two villains, Germany and the Soviet Union, is no longer there, and it is only a matter of time before they fight each other." What we have to do now is to find a way to get them to fight sooner. ”

"But what can we do?" Anthony. Aiden asked.

"How can there be no way?" Churchill smiled eeriely, "If we make a secret peace with the Germans...... It's quite possible, isn't it? The Duke of Windsor also proposed a decent peace package. ”

The ministers in the conference room, Sir Deere, the chief of the General Staff present and Sir Pound, the First Sea Lord, all showed somewhat complicated expressions when they heard Qiu Fatzi's words.

After the Battle of the Mediterranean, the British Empire was basically over. At this time, it stands to reason that you should ask for an ending of surrender and losing half...... Moreover, there was not much hatred between Britain and Germany, and the German emperor and the English king were still very close relatives.

Therefore, after the overall situation of the Mediterranean campaign was decided, there were many voices of the main peace faction in Britain. The most representative of these is the former king, the current Governor of the Bahamas, the Duke of Windsor.

In late February, the duke wrote to his younger brother George VI that he wanted to be a matchmaker for Princess Elisabeth in Germany. Georg. William. Prince Christophe - He is the grandson of Kaiser Wilhelm and the fourth son of Crown Prince Wilhelm.

And Princess Elizabeth is the heir to the British throne, the future Queen Elizabeth II!

If this family affair is successful, the English throne will be transferred to the Hohenzollern dynasty. And Britain and Germany went from being cousins to brothers.

"Also, you know that Louis, the heir to Crown Prince William. Who is Prince Ferdinand's wife? Churchill asked himself, and then replied himself, "His wife is Kira. Archduchess Kirillovna was the niece of Empress Olga who had taken refuge in Switzerland, and her father was the most qualified person to inherit the Russian throne after Empress Olga. If unmarried for life there is no heir to the Empress Olga appoints Kira. Archduchess Kirillovna is the heir. So what would Comrade Stalin think? ”

"Prime Minister, Stalin was not an easy man." Foreign Minister Eden shook his head and said, "And the current German emperor has no real power, and the power is in the hands of the Hitler government and the Great General Staff led by Field Marshal Hersmann." Hitler and Hersmann had a very good relationship with Stalin, especially Field Marshal Hersmann, who was one of the leaders of the August Revolution in Russia. ”

Churchill took another puff on his cigar, smiled and said, "Actually, our intelligence services have been in contact with the Germans...... As far as I know, it was Hitler's cronies who were in charge of the peace talks on the German side, regardless of Minister Rudolf. Hess. (To be continued.) )