Trotsky looked at the report in front of him with a melancholy and a little thought of pulling the hair off his head. No way, this report is too strange, the Red Navy failed to play a role in deterring the German Navy, but fought with the Royal Navy, sinking the Penelope light cruiser and a destroyer, and also severely damaged the Prestige, if it wasn't for the war-weariness with a group of destroyers arriving in time for reinforcements, it is estimated that the Prestige would have gone to sea to feed the fish.

Well, even then, the basket is big enough, and if one is not done well, it will cause war. Anyway, Trotsky was very dissatisfied and irritated by this, and he was still preparing to form an alliance with the British, well, you sailors were almost going to war between the two countries.

Trotsky pinched his temple and said: "The British ambassador has lodged a strong protest and solemn representations with us, demanding that we must apologize, make amends, and punish the murderers...... The impact of this incident is quite bad, and my opinion is ......"

Before Trotsky could finish speaking, Sverdlov interjected: "According to the reports of Comrades Sukhoi and Golovko, it was the British who first provoked and opened fire first. Prior to this, Golovko had been constantly trying to communicate with the other party in various ways, but he was completely ignored. It was only when they had to return fire that they were forced to open fire. This fully shows that the incident was completely provoked by the British, and now what right do they have to protest? And why should we apologize? Isn't this a thief shouting to catch a thief and beat a rake! ”

Trotsky sighed in his heart that Sverdlov's attitude was very clear, that is, it would be interesting not to speak well to the British at all, or even to give the British a little color. And that's what he doesn't want to see. Trotsky believed that the enemy of the USSR at this time was not Britain. It's Germany. Even if the incident was indeed provoked by the British, it must be considered in the big picture.

This statement immediately made Li Xiaofeng's cynicism worse: "When the British first provoked, did they think about taking into account the overall situation, and did they think about unanimously confronting Germany? They don't take it seriously, so why should we swallow it. This matter must not be counted like this, Britain must give an explanation, otherwise this matter is not over! ”

Trotsky was a little upset and accused: "Comrade Andrei, according to your will. Is this preparing for war with the British? I must remind you that you have to weigh ......"

"It's the British who have to weigh the risks!" Li Xiaofeng said without hesitation, "Now that they are at war with Germany, they don't dare to do anything to the Germans on the battlefield, but they think we are easy to bully, right?" I'm not used to their stinky temper! ”

Trotsky became more and more unhappy, and when he wanted to argue with Li Xiaofeng, Dzerzhinsky suddenly interjected: "I also think that the attitude of the British is very strange, and it is they who are obviously at fault, so why should we apologize?" What is the rationale for this? I also think that the British provocation should be responded to strongly! ”

Even Dzerzhinsky said so, and Trotsky, naturally, could only reserve his opinion. However, he still stressed: "I don't think it's appropriate to provoke conflict too much at this time, because we are not ready for war." This incident should be dealt with more rationally. ”

This made Li Xiaofeng laugh in his heart, you Trotsky didn't say that before, when you were against Germany, you could always shout and kill no matter what war preparations you had. If you change to the UK, you will change your hexagram. Isn't it just trying to push your line, so shameless?

However, Trotsky's proposal was agreed by the majority of the members of the Politburo, and even Sverdlov did not propose a head-on conflict with the British, and his proposition was to deal with the incident in a reasonable, advantageous and restrained manner.

Soon the Soviet ambassador to Britain also went to the British Foreign Office to protest, strongly condemning the British Royal Navy for the first time in the war, demanding that Britain must give a reasonable explanation at this time and apologize immediately, otherwise the matter will not be over! As for the protest of the British ambassador? was pushed back head-on by Litvinov.

Things immediately became interesting, both the Soviet Union and Britain said that the other side was the first to provoke, both said that the other side was wrong, and neither was willing to give in on the battlefield of verbal artillery. However, the real reflection on the battlefield was that the two sides were not as tough as they were in words, the Red Navy withdrew from West Bay, and the Royal Navy also cautiously exercised restraint and moved to the south of West Bay for a time to avoid being shut down by the Red Navy. At the same time, the battlecruiser Hood and the battleship Malaya were also urgently dispatched to the scene.

The confrontation between the Red Navy and the Royal Navy at sea was quite beneficial to the Germans, and the German mountain infantry in Narvik stepped up to repair the fortifications, and the German ships in the harbor also nervously adjusted their berths.

At the same time, the 1st, 2nd and 3rd Polar Infantry Divisions of the Red Army, which had entered Norway from the direction of Murmansk, also advanced rapidly into the Norwegian hinterland, occupying Wallengelbotten and advancing in the direction of Sitana and Laxelf with the cooperation of the Red Navy.

In addition, the 11th Marine Brigade of the Northern Fleet also arrived in Tromsø on transport ships, and after landing, it moved in the direction of Vorland and Anself without any rest. Two days later, they managed to capture the two small cities.

Compared with the Shun lì of the Red Navy, the British were almost struggling, and after the German attacks on Denmark and Sweden, Chamberlain really could not hold on and could not explain, so he could only announce his resignation. And Churchill, who had been fanning the wind before, finally came to the fore and formed a wartime cabinet.

The old smoker's unprecedented reputation for rescuing the British sailors aboard the Artmark, coupled with his decisive command of the navy to attack Narvik and his victory in the First Battle of Narvik, made the British feel good about him.

After the regrouping, the old smoker's first order was to aid Norway, to try to drive the Germans out of Norway and avenge the tragic death of His Majesty Haakon VII and his relatives.

On the same day, Vice Admiral Whitworth, who was confronting the Red Navy, received a strict order from the new prime minister that he must immediately capture Narvik. This made Whitworth quite entangled, because through Guò's previous reconnaissance, he found that his enemy was not ordinarily strong, at least two aircraft carriers, at least four battlecruisers, and at least two battleships. Other cruisers and destroyers were even more of a big vote. This was far more than he had at hand. Even with reinforcements from the Hood and Malaya. On his side, too, he has the upper hand.

What's more, Whitworth still needs to call on the Germans in Narvik and capture this extremely important port, while having him take care of both, which puts him under a lot of pressure. Churchill, however, was not a reasonable man, and he repeatedly ordered Whitworth to attack immediately, and refused to reinforce him again (because there were no more troops to be drawn from). Just tell Whitworth that the Foreign Office will take care of it on the Soviets' side, and he just needs to think about the Germans.

Why did Churchill have such faith? The reason is simple. Judging from his previous contacts with the Soviet Union, the Soviets were wary of Germany. And the previous exchange of fire between the two sides was really just a misunderstanding, as long as this misunderstanding can be resolved, that qiē is not a problem.

Churchill was confident that he would be able to resolve this misunderstanding, because he was on a special plane to Moscow, and the old smoker was ready to go out himself, not only to persuade the Soviet Union to let go of the previous misunderstanding, but also to pull the Soviet Union into the chariot of the British Empire!

I have to say that although Churchill is sometimes a little impulsive, his determination and judgment are still very strong. He knew exactly what to do to save the day. In order to achieve this, he did not care about his personal safety at all.

Flying to Moscow, for example, is now quite risky. From Norway to Denmark, this line is all Germans, and whether it is Sweden or Finland, there is no guarantee of safety. In case of interception by the Luftwaffe, it is really a place to die.

However, Churchill went anyway, of course, on the Arctic route, bypassing Norway and flying to Murmansk and then to Moscow. However, as soon as he arrived in Murmansk, he received the bad news that German Foreign Minister Ribbentrop had flown to Moscow before him and was holding talks with Trotsky and Sverdlov.

Yes, the Soviet Union suddenly rubbed a bar, which made the Germans also frightened, they were very suspicious of the purpose of the Russians, could it be that the Russians also took a fancy to Narvik?

Anyway, Hitler could not sit idly by and watch the Russians send troops to Norway and ignore it, so Ribbentrop came to probe the news. Of course, Hitler was not averse to some kind of deal with the Soviet Union, if it was possible, and the Führer would have been very happy if the Soviet Union could be drawn over to Germany's side, especially after learning of the direct conflict between the Red Navy and the Royal Navy.

However, Li Xiaofeng knew that Hitler really miscalculated, or that he was shaving his head and picking hot heads, whether it was Trotsky, Sverdlov, or even Stalin, who had stepped down, they were not interested in wearing the same pants with Germany, and they were extremely vigilant against Germany, and it was impossible to form an alliance with Germany.

Sure enough, when Ribbentrop excitedly talked to Trotsky about the danger of British and French imperialism to the whole world, and about the traditional friendship between Germany and the Soviet Union, Trotsky was very cold, almost Ribbentrop alone was talking about it, and Trotsky didn't bother to say a word for a long time.

At first Ribbentrop thought it was just Trotsky's indifference, but when he visited Sverdlov, who was also uninterested, the drummer was half cold. It is clear that the USSR was not interested in an alliance with Germany.

Ribbentrop knew that this mission might not be completed, but he did not give up, since the Soviet Union had no intention of joining Germany for the time being, then talk about Norway, at least to find out what the Soviet Union wanted from Norway.

However, the question of Norway is not so easy to discuss, because Trotsky's attitude is clear: "Norway is a neutral country, and it is absolutely unacceptable for Germany to invade a neutral country without any reason." I hope that the German government will pull back from the precipice and withdraw from Norway as soon as possible! ”

Trotsky's attitude was tough, which made Ribbentrop feel a chill in his heart again.

Fortunately, Sverdlov's side was not so impulsive, even Xiao Si expressed his condemnation and concern about the German invasion of Norway, but he did not demand that Germany withdraw from Norway immediately, but only said: "In view of the current chaotic state in Norway, both Germany and the Soviet Union have the responsibility to ensure the safety of the lives and property of the Norwegian people!" ”

Ribbentrop understood this statement, and he immediately asked, "Do you have anything to do with it?" ”

Sverdlov smiled: "I don't have anything to say, I just think that in the current situation, the best way to restore peace and neutrality in Norway is to have some strong and responsible national presence in Norway." Ensure that the Norwegian people do not continue to suffer from external threats and war. ”

Ribbentrop thought for a moment. replied: "I personally agree with you in principle. But I have a question, what exactly do you mean by a strong and responsible state? ”

Sverdlov smiled again and replied lightly: "The Soviet government is willing to assume such international obligations and responsibilities. ”

Ribbentrop asked, "But what if an external force tries to sabotage the course of peace for which you speak?" What about the attempts of Britain and France to interfere in Norway's internal affairs? ”

"As I have already said, the willingness of the Soviet government to ensure peace and neutrality in Norway naturally includes the pressure to jointly respond to external interference," Sverdlov said. At the same time, however, my Government believes that it would be better for the Norwegian people to leave the affairs of Norway to their own choice. My country strongly opposes any country that can annex or undermine Norway's peace and neutrality in any way. ”

This time Ribbentrop understood exactly what Sverdlov meant, and to put it bluntly, the Soviets were still worried about Germany's annexation of Norway or the complete inclusion of Norway in Germany's sphere of influence. It was out of this concern that the Soviet Union chose to intervene with troops. But at the same time, the USSR was not demanding and had no intention of swallowing Norway. This also shows that Germany can fully agree with the Soviet Union on the Norwegian question.

Soon, Ribbentrop conveyed the will of the Soviet Union to Berlin, and it was up to Hitler to react.

At the same time, Churchill also arrived in Moscow, and after getting off the plane, he went directly to meet Trotsky, and the two sides had an in-depth exchange of views on the Norwegian question, and Trotsky had a very happy conversation with Churchill anyway. The two sides are like-minded.

And then, Churchill's communication with Sverdlov was not so happy. Because Sverdlov had no interest in forming an alliance with Britain and France, and had no intention of going to war with Germany for the time being, he had little to talk about with Churchill. Even on the Norwegian issue, the two sides did not have much consensus, because Churchill insisted that the Red Navy must apologize for the previous "recklessness", which was completely unacceptable to Xiao Si.

And this directly led to a new round of polemics between Trotsky and Sverdlov at the Politburo meeting:

"This is the best time to form an anti-fascist united front!" Trotsky said with elaboration, "Churchill and Chamberlain were completely different, and Churchill's new cabinet was more willing to take responsibility and to treat the Soviet Union more fairly." I believe that we should seize this opportunity, which will not only eradicate the fascist cancer, but also greatly improve the image and status of the Soviet Union in the international community! ”

Sverdlov was naturally opposed: "I don't see any difference in the essence between Churchill and Chamberlain. They all served only the interests of the British Empire, but one was conservative and the other was radical. The conservative one, of course, is annoying, but the radical one is nothing more than an attempt to drag us into war with a softening attitude when there is no way to do so. In essence, this was detrimental to the national interests of the Soviet Union, and we were not prepared for war, and to rush into war at this time would inevitably cost us more. ”

"We can't be so calculating!" Trotsky was on fire, "Now the problem is first and foremost the solution of the Nazi problem!" ”

"There is only one problem for the present and one question for the future!" Sverdlov immediately corrected, "That is, to safeguard the interests of the Soviet people and the world proletariat, and not to shed blood and sacrifice for the interests of the old imperialists!" ”

"You're too narrow-minded!"

"You're too extreme!"

Needless to say, the discussion ended unhappily and without any conclusion. This led directly to the fact that in the following period, the unprecedentedly active activity of German, British, and French diplomats in Moscow almost reached a fever pitch.

"Mr. Andrey, I must stress to you once again that my Government is very keen to maintain a long-term friendship with your country," said Akimović, looking at Li Xiaofeng with a blank eye, "and on the Norwegian question, my Government very much agrees with Mr. Sverdlov's initiative and is willing to work for it. If we can stand together, we will certainly be able to resist the interference of Britain and France......"

Li Xiaofeng looked at Akimovich with interest, he didn't expect Hitler to let this one do his job, didn't the mustache know that every time Akimovich couldn't get a bargain? I'm afraid that the mustache really has no other way to make this decision.

However, this time, Li Xiaofeng was willing to give Akimovich a little benefit, and he replied with a faint smile: "Mr. Akimovich, the Soviet people love peace and hate war, so the attitude of our government is clear that it is not ready to get involved in war. Sending troops to Norway was only at the invitation of His Majesty Haakon VII, and a choice based on the friendship between Norway and the Soviet Union, which was an option without choice. We do not want any country to make the wrong judgment that the Soviet Union will abandon its neutrality. Let me put it this way, my friend, even if you attack England or France at once, my Government will not act hostilely. The will of Chairman Trotsky does not represent the collective will of the USSR and the Communist Party of the United States, it is only his personal opinion......" (to be continued......

PS: Bow and thank you to xuyiqing1985, Admiral Hood, li4565645654, nirvana, Kamen Angel 555 and Comrade Juventus!