Mr. Lo woke up early, and since the "Nantucket incident" (Nantucket, where the New York Harbor incident took place), he and all the diplomatic staff in the United States have been in a state of euphoria. "Ambassador, it's all today's newspaper." The secretary placed a thick stack of newspapers on the dining table.

Regardless of which one you opened, the headlines were the sinking of the British cruise ship Queen Mary and the U.S. Navy light cruiser USS Milwaukee off the coast of New York, 37 nautical miles east of Nantucket. From the location, this is already a public sea, but just think about New York and Long Island not far away, and you can understand what humiliation is! The photos of the ships burning and the people killed were even more shocking, and the whole United States was outraged! The anger and hatred between the lines, the humiliation of the world's richest country being attacked offshore, can be felt even by a three-year-old child.

"Is there any news that today's vote will be canceled and war will be declared directly?"

"No, though." The secretary looked at his watch and said, "In fifteen minutes, President Roosevelt will address the nation." ”

"Oh? Turn on the radio. ”

Luo Zhengen couldn't even eat breakfast, afraid that he couldn't hear clearly, so he sat directly next to the radio with soy milk. As China's ambassador plenipotentiary to the United States, he joined the National Socialist Party in 1916 and was hired as an ordinary secretary in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs after graduating from university. Later, he was transferred to the United States as an assistant by Gu Weijun, the ambassador to the United States at the time, and performed well in the Great Depression of 1929 and was promoted to counselor. In the following years, he served as Counsellor and Ambassador in Paraguay and Brazil, and was appointed Ambassador Plenipotentiary to the United States two years ago. Unlike many ambassadors who are accustomed to milk bread, he has been abroad for nearly 20 years, but he still likes the most Chinese characteristics of soy milk and white porridge.

Within a few moments, his wife and embassy staff also poured into the restaurant. It was obvious that everyone was concerned about what Roosevelt would say for a while, and it was strange why he did not declare war immediately. To know. According to the electoral system in the United States, it takes about three days for states to vote starting today, and then two weeks to count the votes. In other words, if he does not declare war today, he will not know whether he will be re-elected until November 5. You know, before the Nantucket incident, Roosevelt's approval rating was much lower than that of his opponents.

Why should he take the risk? What the hell are you doing?!

"Honorable members of the House and Senate, and all citizens of the United States."

"Yesterday. October 25, 1941, is a day of disaster and shame that must always be remembered! 431 sailors, 572 U.S. citizens, 716 British citizens, 12 French citizens died as a result of a sneak attack in what we thought was the safest place. Many days ago. I said that war is coming, but some people think that is a lie. Now, the Nantucket scene has confirmed my words. The war has come to the United States, and the peace has been broken. I still remember when I was launched on the USS Milwaukee (Roosevelt was a Navy officer who oversaw the construction of warships). But now it has chosen to leave us, with 431 sailors and 572 American citizens aboard the Queen Mary. ”

"The fact that Nantucket is so close to the United States shows that this attack was carefully planned over many days or even weeks! Here I would like to condemn the countries that commit atrocities. Protest against the evil government that has laid hands on innocent civilians and neutral countries! Their existence has become the enemy of the entire free world! ”

"In this turbulent world, the United States has no way out, and all Americans should unite to seek a stable and unified government and be patient. Make all necessary preparations to defend the country, to defend freedom, to restore peace and tranquility. ”

"As President of the United States of America, I will not undermine free and fair elections. This is a God-given right to freedom for all people. I am ready to accept all circumstances, I am ready to take responsibility, I am even more ready to declare war on evil and destruction! I, the United States of America, wait, wait for your choice! ”

"May God bless America."

Roosevelt nodded to the crew, turned off the radio, and pushed his wheelchair out of the studio. "Mr. President, Speaker Gehr has called, and he supports all your decisions. The Republican side has also promised that they will support the decision to declare war regardless of the outcome of the election. After walking out of the studio, Hopkins quickly walked over to give an update, but there was still a hint of concern on his face. Although this sad card was enough to reverse the election, his original intention was to directly terminate the election, but he did not expect Roosevelt to be resolutely unwilling to sabotage the election. As a staff member, the president's decision made him very helpless and lowered his voice: "Franklin, in fact, you don't have to. ”

"I know, but I can't terminate it because I'm the president of the United States!" Roosevelt shook his head, looking haggard. His heartache was not the loss of the Nantucket incident, but the fact that he finally went down this path.

Hopkins kept his mouth shut, in fact, he knew very well that Roosevelt's elegance was just a disguise, and if he could choose, he would definitely become the greatest tyrant and dictator in the world, but he was born in an isolated and prevalent but free America. "Hull, how's the situation out there?" Roosevelt didn't seem to see his gaze, and his wheelchair turned to Secretary of State Hull.

"I have sent a diplomatic note to Germany asking them to hand over the murderer. But like the Athena, they refused to admit that their submarine was responsible for the massacre. "Hull is not an informant. In fact, there were very few people who really knew about it, so he, like the officers, was furious at the attack. Roosevelt's face was also very "cooperative" gloomy, and he looked at Marshall: "George." ”

"Mr. President, we have a million fully trained soldiers, as well as 100,000 National Guards, 20,000 Marines, and 4,000 aircraft of all types, and the fleet is preparing for the offensive. If war can be declared and mobilized on November 5, the first troops will be ready to go by the end of January at the latest, but the troops behind will need time. According to my calculations, the mobilized recruits will not be able to complete their preparation until August next year at the latest. Of course. We are ready to provide full support to countries like Great Britain, China, Free France, and Poland to help them delay until we are ready. ”

"Gentlemen, a declaration of war is bound to come, but do you have a good idea of where to attack?" Back in the office, Roosevelt, who was still heavy just now, has completely returned to normal. He looked at the generals with blazing eyes and asked about the battle plan. This question has quieted the Oval Office, re-election is no longer the biggest problem, and a declaration of war is sure to come. But the direction of the attack has so far been uncertain.

Secretary of State Hull and Hopkins are both political masters and strategic talents, but they are very lacking in specific military issues, so they looked at the president who asked and thought hard for a long time. The eyes were still on Harold Stark, the Naval Commander.

As the most important naval military staff member in the Roosevelt Cabinet, Stark was a traditional naval officer. Even though China and Japan were frantically engaged in a competition to build aircraft carriers before the war, and even when it was learned that the Chinese Navy had built four Sichuan-class ships in 1934, ordered four Liaoning-class ships in 1936, and added six more in 1938, the number of aircraft carriers still did not increase. It was also decided not to reduce the program of six Iowa-class battleships. Even the recent Alaska-class large cruisers were supported by him. As the navy with the largest total tonnage and the largest number of navies under construction in the world, the navy is the top officer in the vanguard in any direction, and his suggestions will determine the direction of the war in the United States.

"Mr. President. The war in the Pacific is already under the control of China, and unless we retake Guam, we must follow the path of the Marshall Islands, Australia-Rabaul-Philippines. Britain welcomed us to defend Australia, but Rabaul struggled to attack. The Japanese already have more than a million immigrants in Rabaul and Guinea. Farmland, iron ore, aluminium and oil fields have also been reclaimed, and there is a direct railway to the Bismarck Islands in Port Moresby. It has a very complete fortress and coastal defense facilities. About two hundred thousand troops were stationed, and. ”

"Harold, I need direction, not difficulty!" At the mention of Guam, Roosevelt couldn't suppress the fire. If it weren't for Yang Qiu's sudden attack on Guam, he wouldn't have needed to take the current path at all, so he interrupted with some annoyance. Stark took a deep breath helplessly and said: "In general, it must be Europe first and then Asia, and the Marshall Islands must be seized in the Pacific Ocean first." To seize the Marshall Islands, the Japanese must first destroy Truk, but we have not yet decided on the exact time. With that, he looked at Marshall.

Seeing his gaze, Marshall immediately said, "Mr. President, General Harold is right. Europe first, then Asia is the principle that we must uphold. Beijing's enemies look numerous, but they are constantly on the offensive. The Central Asian front has been pushed to the Petropavlovsk line, and the DPRK is deadlocked on the Yalu River line. They look dangerous, but in fact His Excellency Yang Qiu has already stuck the path of the Soviet Union and the Japanese attack! In the just-concluded Battle of Rampur, they plugged the largest gap in the southwest.

That's why Britain is the most dangerous! In fact, the Battle of Rampur will not change the bad situation in India in the short term, but Beijing is safer. And I don't think His Excellency Churchill will be willing to let China continue to take on the main offensive mission of India, so Britain is already very short of human resources! Our greatest confusion is the next direction for the Germans. There is intelligence that they are already considering uniting Spain. North Africa and Gibraltar must not be lost, so the security of Spain and North Africa must be ensured until next August, no matter how great the cost! ”

Marshall's words basically represent the military's opinion, that is, to put Europe first and then Asia, and ensure the security of the Mediterranean. This was about what Roosevelt had in mind, so he nodded and suddenly asked, "George, do you think it's still possible for the Germans and the Soviets to go to war?" ”

Throughout the thirties, the United States helped Germany and the Soviet Union to rearm, in the hope of bringing about a Soviet-German war, but this desire was half defeated by Hitler's attack on France. Originally, there was hope for the other half, but with the Katyn tragedy and Beijing's push, it became slim again. So Marshall shook his head very seriously: "With all due respect, the Germans and the Soviets will not really cooperate, but His Excellency Hitler has now missed the best opportunity!" Beijing has already occupied Central Asia, the nearest position is less than 1300 km from Stalingrad, it has also occupied Turkmenistan Ashgabat on the eastern shore of the Caspian Sea, occupied most of Iran, cut off the road to attack the Caucasus from the Middle East! And the strength of the Chinese army is very strong, and the aircraft are also very good, there is no need to say this anymore.

This means: If His Excellency Yang Qiu can think, he can attack the Caucasus and the Urals at any time. The Germans are now sending troops and will definitely clash head-on with the Chinese army at Stalingrad. Beijing had declared war on Germany, and in the event that it could not get the maximum benefit from attacking the Soviet Union, and instead Stalin had completely turned to himself and provided a large amount of cheap supplies, if I were Hitler, I would prefer to completely defeat Britain first, control the entire Mediterranean Sea and the Suez Canal, and then consider the Eastern Front. And after you speak, Hitler will also think that the pressure on the Western Front is starting to increase. He would have to cut off our access to Europe first, which made that even less likely. ”

"In that case, gentlemen, do you think it is necessary for us to include the USSR in the declaration of war?"

"No declaration of war on the USSR?" Hopkins and Marshall looked at Roosevelt in surprise, and the latter looked even more solemn. This is no joke! If the United States did not declare war on the USSR. This means that until the end of the war, China will receive very little support from the United States. In this way, Beijing will inevitably think that Britain and the United States are deliberately abandoning them on the Soviet issue, which means that the United States will engage in a full-scale cold confrontation with China before the end of the war!!

"President, do it." Marshall quickly stood up. From a military point of view, it is impossible for China. It shouldn't be overlooked! Their army, air force is already at the top of this world. Even if the United States has the same technology, it is already significantly behind in equipment and tactics. So if the United States does not declare war on the USSR, it also means that China will completely stand by in Europe, North Africa and the Middle East!

Although everyone believes that the United States relies on a huge manufacturing and economic advantage. It's sure to come from behind. But the problem is that if China completely stands by and watches, the United States and Britain will have to bear the attack of Germany and Italy alone!

"George, I know what you mean, but we have to stabilize Europe first. Germany has very strong military capabilities. It also has the industrial manufacturing capacity of the whole of Western Europe, so we have to deal with them first. Roosevelt interrupted Marshall. "Perhaps, in the end, we will still declare war on the Soviet Union, but now I need to dispel Moscow's worries before the dawn of victory, in exchange for them not intervening in the European theater!" ”

Hopkins was stunned, standing on the American standpoint, Roosevelt's idea was right. If the United States did not declare war on the Soviet Union, then Stalin certainly would not have declared war on the United States when he had already provoked China. In this way, all the pressure from the Soviet Union will still be borne by Beijing. This is very beneficial for the attrition of China, but for the United States, even if it finally declares war on the Soviet Union, it will no longer be able to change China's hostile attitude, and a full-scale cold confrontation from the Suez Canal to the Pacific Ocean will be inevitable.

Everyone is not a child, before the victory, Yang Qiu will not tear his face, and even the two countries will cooperate in many places. But if Beijing feels betrayed, then it will be thought that Britain and the United States are deliberately hostile to him! After this hatred is pressed in the bottom of my heart, a situation of intense confrontation between Europe and Asia will quickly form after the war.

A cold war! ――

Roosevelt's national address quickly spread around the world, and at a critical moment two days before the election, the "Nantucket affair" was first shrouded in mystery. Less than an hour after the speech, Berlin openly denounced the "Nantucket incident" as another "Havana afternoon tea" (referring to the USS Maine incident before the Spanish-American War) directed and staged by the United States. But no matter how Germany explains and propagandizes, the whole world believes that the submarine that attacked came from Germany, because the Queen Mary had been secretly transporting supplies and American volunteers to Britain before, and more than half of the 572 American citizens who died on board had pilot licenses!

The United States is about to enter the war!

This strong signal changed the contrast of the situation between the Allies and the Soviet, German, Italian, and Japanese powers overnight. After a night of revelry in London, Churchill declared that the scales of victory had tipped in favor of the Alliance. Berlin was furious but worried about hesitation, and for the first time, Hitler put away his post-defeat arrogance and began to seriously consider an alliance (the Axis had not yet formally formed an alliance). Spain Franco, who hooked up with him before, politely refused the franchise agreement for the first time, and the angry Hitler was furious, and asked the army to prepare for an attack on Spain for the first time!

Moscow was equally uneasy, with China's strength overwhelming, and the defeat at the Battle of Rampur essentially buried the Indian front. Joining a more powerful America at this time, even Stalin was restless, waiting for the day of November 5.

In just two months, Japan lost half of its naval strength, Mariana was captured, the north-south route was basically interrupted, and the plan to unite the Soviet Union and India to attack the southwest also failed. Tens of thousands of tons of ships are sunk every day, the Korean battlefield is blocked on the Yalu River, and the Northeast is basically truce because of the bitter cold weather. Truk, the Ogasawara Islands, the Philippines and Rabaul are all within the radius of Guam's Chinese XN21 naval battle group, and the Ryukyus, known as the gateway to the mainland, are also under unprecedented pressure. Yamamoto Fifty-six even locked himself and Kuroshima Kameto and other staff officers into the office, seeking an opportunity to launch a decisive counteroffensive!

While the world was holding its breath and waiting for 5 November, a transport plane painted with the navy's dragon flag slowly landed in Alexandria, Egypt.

"General Cunningham, it's a pleasure to see you again."

Vice Admiral Bai Yutang, director of the Chinese Naval Operations Department and chief of staff of the First Fleet, and Zhu Binhou, commander of the Third Fleet, stepped out of the plane and walked to Cunningham, vice admiral of the British Navy and commander of the Mediterranean Fleet, with a smile