Shaposhnikov raised his head and glanced at Timoshenko, did he understand what Timoshenko meant? That's definitely understandable, because Sverdlov was not the only general he had come into contact with. District commander, Xiao Si naturally attaches more importance to it.

So what does Shaposhnikov himself mean? Do you prepare good birds to roost on trees or do your duty? To be honest, Shaposhnikov was very tempted at first, and this is also normal, people are ambitious, who doesn't want to go to the next level? What's more, Xiao Si hinted that as long as he threw himself over, he would be promoted to the head of the four headquarters. Long.

I have to say that the extra weight given by Xiao Si is really very high and very tempting. But it was this very tempting high price that scared Shaposhnikov away, uh, or rather, sobered him up.

The head of the four headquarters. Is it so good to be long? Look at who the big guys of the four headquarters are at the moment. Participation and total. Politics is a certain immortal, total. After the deuce of Trotsky and Junior S. Although the boss pretended to be Trotsky's man, the people below were all soldiers of a certain immortal. That is, in the four headquarters, a certain immortal alone has 2.5 places, Trotsky barely counts one, and Sverdlov has only 0.5 seats.

And such a division of power actually represents the strength of the three parties in the army. The strongest is a certain immortal, who has an overwhelming advantage. And the weakest is Xiao Si, almost naked. Maybe in Timoshenge's opinion, Xiao Si's power is small, and they will only be taken seriously when they go to Xiao Si's side. But phoenix tails and chickens. Is it the same thing to have a head sincerely?

The ass of the phoenix is no longer glorious, and it is no better than the chicken. The head is one level higher. It is not a dimensional existence at all. If you are willing to fall into the realm of chickens. Head, this life is also a chicken. Head up.

And looking at Xiao Si's promise, a marginal person who only occupies 0.5 seats in the four headquarters boasted that he could give you the head of the four headquarters to let you be. Is this bragging? Or is it unashamed? Or is it pure deception?

Anyway, Shaposhnikov reacted immediately, this Nima is a blank check at all! Hairy?

And Xiao Si behaved so impetuously, which can only explain one point. That is, he is really not powerful in the military, and he really doesn't have much to do, so he can only fish and take the bait by flickering means. Shaposhnikov is not a hairy child, how can he be coaxed by such a clumsy trick?

What's more, Shaposhnikov also counted on his fingers, he is already 60 years old, and he will be able to work for another five years if he is full. Already a person who is about to retire. Some things are also light-hearted. And judging from the current situation, even if Xiao Si can defeat someone and take control of the army, it will have to wait for the 1945 change of year to have a show. How long can he do it then? Can you fight for a year or two of scenery?

Moreover, Shaposhnikov is not optimistic about the possibility of Xiao Si's victory at all, a certain immortal has been operating in the army for more than 20 years and has accumulated rich contacts and prestige, can this be changed in just a few years?

Thinking that he Shaposhnikov is a lot older, he is a person who will retire in a few years, why should he go crazy with Sverdlov? Even if it succeeds. And how many benefits are there? Once it fails, I'm afraid it will be too late.

Therefore, Shaposhnikov's attitude is clear, that is, do your job well, don't get involved in those things, and it doesn't matter which of you comes to power!

Naturally, in the face of Timoshenge's temptation, his response was quite cold: "Semyon. Comrade Konstantinovich, now is not the time to complain and complain. We did have a problem with our previous work attitude. Army. It is normal for the committee to be dissatisfied. While our comrades on other fronts have made progress, we are the only ones who have failed. This is unjustifiable in any way. It is our duty and obligation to defend Kyiv and drive out the enemy, and we cannot shirk it! ”

Shaposhnikov's statement surprised Timoshenko, because he had previously thought that the former should be similar to his thoughts, and did not reject Sverdlov. But now it seems that this one is not interested at all, why?

Timoshenko couldn't figure it out. But Shaposhnikov was very kind, and he had a good relationship with Timoshenko, and knew what the little brother thought, but he didn't want him to fall into the mud. So he earnestly persuaded: "Semyon. Comrade Konstantinovich, we are old comrades-in-arms. We worked together when Comrade Voroshilov was there. Later, we stood aside again, and there were some things I had to say to you. ”

Shaposhnikov looked into Timoshenko's eyes and said sincerely: "After the accident back then, we were all bulls, ghosts, snakes, and gods, and everyone avoided them. At that time, only Comrade Andrei spoke good things for us and saved us. Maybe you have forgotten our helplessness and embarrassment by now, but I haven't forgotten. Why didn't any other comrades care about us at that time? Isn't it clear to you? ”

Temoshengo was silent for a long time before he said, "But ...... state now"

"The current state of affairs is not entirely satisfying," Shaposhnikov continued, "I know you have big ambitions and want to get a bigger stage. But Semyon. Comrade Konstantinovich, have you proven your abilities? Have you shown superior command skills in previous battles? Forgive my presumptuousness, my friend, it seems to me that you are no more brilliant than Rokossovsky, Ubolevich. In that case, why do you ask Comrade Andrei to give you a bigger stage? ”

Timoshenko stopped talking, but Shaposhnikov still had something to say: "I am not optimistic about Comrade Yakov, he promised me the leadership of the four headquarters before, isn't this a blatant bribe?" Regardless of the nature of such a thing, just looking at it in the light of reality, will Comrade Yakov be able to fulfill his promise? ”

Timoshenko became more and more silent, and Shaposhnikov smiled slightly: "You also thought of it, didn't you?" With all due respect, we should try not to get involved in politics and do our part well. Have you forgotten the lessons of Comrade Voroshilov last time? If we do it again, I'm afraid there won't be a second Comrade Andrei! ”

The last words woke up Brother Timoshenge, the last time he was implicated really frightened him, and again, he really couldn't bear it. And Shaposhnikov's statement of doing his duty well and not blindly participating in it is indeed more realistic.

Do your job honestly, and show your talent and ability through hard work. That's more real. No one who can do good deeds will starve to death at any time. No matter who comes to power, you can't do all the people who do things, right?

Thinking of this, Timoshenko also had a bit of a sudden enlightenment, he really needs to prove his ability well, if he can't even keep Kyiv. So who will trust him? Do your job well and reflect your ability, even if you still want to change jobs at that time, it will be more stable, isn't it?

Well, the topic is back to the beginning, how to beat Manstein? As mentioned earlier, Timoshengo is no match for Manstein, and there is no good solution to the current predicament. In fact, it still is, facing the battle map. Timoshenko watched it for a night, and came to the conclusion that it was still no fun.

Most of his forces were encircled in Kyiv, and with the configuration of the First Ukrainian Front, he could barely hold Kyiv and keep the Germans out of the city. But this was not used indiscriminately, because Li Xiaofeng's order was to repel the German army!

"With the current force we have, we really can't do that." Timoshenko said to Shaposhnikov with a sad face, "Our forces are too tight, and if we want to fight back, we must have reinforcements!" ”

Shaposhnikov is also thinking of a way. And his conclusion is similar to that of Timoshenko, it is true that there are not enough troops. At the same time, he also knew. It's definitely no fun to want reinforcements, because the Bryansk side is the point, the army. It is impossible for Venezuela to withdraw its precious troops from that battlefield.

Things seem to have reached an impasse, and it seems that Shaposhnikov and Timoshenko can only stare dryly. However, everything in the world has two sides, and it cannot be all good, nor can all be bad. As long as you have a pair of discerning eyes. It is possible to find the main points of conversion.

At this time, the person with this pair of discerning eyes was actually in the First Ukrainian Front, and this person was Lieutenant General Sokolovsky, who was the chief of staff of the Front at the time. As Timoshenko's chief of staff, when the commander called for a counterattack and an offensive, he had to help figure out a way. After some contemplation, he came to a conclusion:

"Our forces are actually much stronger than the Manstein cluster opposite, but we are tasked with defending Kyiv, and in order to hold Kyiv, our 9th and 22nd armies were pinned to the city of Kyiv. In addition, the 19th Army was pinned down by the German 17th Army and could not move. Only the 26th Army was able to engage in a counterattack, but the army had suffered heavy losses before, the rearmament work was not completed, and its combat effectiveness was limited, which was not enough to repel the enemy. ”

It seems that Sokolovsky is merely retelling the current dire situation, and it is still useless. But Sokolovsky's point is at the back: "So I think that while holding on to Kyiv, it is completely impossible to counterattack." There is only one way to repel the enemy, to abandon the idea of holding on to Kyiv, to draw one or both of the 9th and 22nd armies, and to open up the situation together with the 26th Army. ”

Let's put it this way, what Sokolovsky means is actually that we leave Kyiv alone, pull our forces out of this pit, withdraw and concentrate our forces one after another, and then wait for the German offensive to end before throwing in a counterattack to crush the enemy.

Speaking from the heart, this is simply appalling, giving up Kyiv, this is politically incorrect, who will bear this black cauldron? Neither Shaposhnikov nor Timoshenko could afford to carry it.

So Shaposhnikov immediately said: "This will not work! Army. Venezuela will never allow the abandonment of Kyiv! And we can't push the millions of people in Kyiv into the pit of fire of the German army either! ”

Sokolovsky smiled bitterly: "Without giving up Kyiv, we can't have enough forces to counterattack......"

Timoshenko thought for a moment and asked: "Can you do this, not completely abandon Kyiv, but abandon the positions outside Kyiv, and withdraw the troops outside the city, leaving only a few troops and militia to fight the enemy in Kyiv and contain their main force......

Timoshenko's idea is actually not much stronger than Sokolovsky's, and even more terrifying, to put it bluntly, the Ukrainian First Front threw the pot of Kyiv to the people of Kyiv, relying on them to delay the German army, and then shrink the main force and concentrate forces for a counterattack.

This decision will inevitably result in a large number of civilian casualties, but it is the only way. After some discussion and polishing, they submitted the plan to the military. Send. And this program is also in the military. The committee caused an uproar!

Sverdlov vehemently objected or complained about this approach: "Kiev is the capital of the Ukrainian republics, the great Kievan Rus', which we did not abandon in the most difficult days of 1941. And now it is said that if you throw it away, you will throw it away, this is running away. Just don't resist! ”

Xiao Si seemed very angry, he slapped the table vigorously and shouted: "I will never allow this escapist trend to spread in the Red Army, no matter how hard it is, we must hold on to Kyiv, this is of great significance!" ”

Li Xiaofeng suddenly raised his head and asked, "What is the important significance?" It's military. Economic, or political? ”

This is a straightforward question that gets to the heart of the matter. Is Kyiv really that important at this moment? In Li Xiaofeng's view, Kyiv may not be so important anymore. But Sverdlov clearly did not think so, and he immediately asked rhetorically: "In the first half of this year, who said that Kiev has an important and unusual political position, and thus resolutely opposed the abandonment of Kiev?" Isn't it you? Comrade Andrey? ”

It seems that Sverdlov grabbed Li Xiaofeng's sore foot and returned the favor with his own way. But Trotsky pouted, obviously. He wasn't optimistic about Sverdlov's attack.

Sure enough, Li Xiaofeng quickly replied: "That's right, it was I who advocated holding Kyiv at that time." But at this time, Kiev was surrounded by regiments, and hundreds of thousands of troops were like turtles in an urn, and it was impossible to withdraw this army with army aviation alone. Even if we could withdraw, our Red Army would have lost its heavy equipment like the British Expeditionary Force in Dunkirk. What's the use of that? So at that time it was only possible to continue to hold on to Kyiv! ”

After a pause, Li Xiaofeng continued: "And now it's completely different. Our troops are still able to retreat from Kyiv, and this is only a temporary retreat. Throw a huge Kyiv to the enemy. With the strength and combat effectiveness of the Manstein cluster, taking Kyiv at night is nothing more than a python swallowing an elephant. At that time, the Germans will suffer from severe indigestion and will lose the ability to continue their attacks north of Kiev. And we will be able to concentrate our forces and prepare for a counterattack, and as soon as the battle of Bryansk is over, we will be able to immediately plunge into the blow to the enemy forces in Kyiv, and it is not a fantasy to annihilate them! ”

This is true. And Li Xiaofeng's reasons are more than these: "In addition, with the arrival of winter, the German army will once again face serious difficulties in supply, and at this time, the German army will face even more difficult logistical pressure if Kiev is in the bag." Opposite. Without the burden of Kyiv, we will be more logistically at ease. It is conceivable that in a few months, how much combat strength will the German army, which is struggling to replenish, still have? ”

Sverdlov was a little angry, because every time, a certain immortal could always find a whole bunch of reasons and excuses in his favor, and every time someone succeeded, he really couldn't swallow this breath. Since the stubborn said: "This is only from economic and military considerations, but what about the huge political significance of Kyiv?" ”

Li Xiaofeng smiled: "The political significance of Kyiv? Kyiv was indeed of great political significance in 1941, when we were losing ground and the fall of Kyiv could have triggered a collapse. And now? We have withstood the German offensive on all fronts, and have even launched targeted counterattacks, and we have no need to worry about the chain reaction at all. In that case, why care about the gains and losses of one city and one pool? ”

Sverdlov still wanted to insist, but Trotsky did not give him a chance, and Lao Tuo directly voted for Li Xiaofeng: "Comrade Andrei's analysis is very accurate, and giving up Kiev for the time being at this time is the best choice!" ”

Lao Tuo "defected", Xiao Si was naturally alone, and soon the relevant orders on abandoning Kiev were issued. Faced with this order, Shaposhnikov and Timoshenko were again in trouble.

Why? Because although they had put forward a war plan to abandon Kiev, they did not believe in politics. Governance and Army. The Committee agreed, after all, that Kiev's political status was very high. So they thought that after this plan was handed over, it would soon be brushed down, and maybe it would be a political policy. Governance and Army. Venezuela also criticizes them by name.

But who would have thought that the criticism was not at all, but the green light passed. At this time, the pressure on the two of them is great. It is not so easy to give up a big city, especially a big city like Kyiv that has been held at a huge price, where is it said that you can give up if you give up?

All kinds of preparations, such as the dispersal of the population, such as the evacuation and transfer of the wounded and sick, such as the ideological and political work of the fighters, and even the preparation of the enemy attack. None of this is so easy to do, and even an easy sinner can easily become a sinner.

Anyway, from the moment the order to retreat began to be executed, all kinds of public opinion drowned Shaposhnikov and Timoshenko, and for a time the pair of brothers and sisters were one and two big. However, what made them feel a little comforted was that Li Xiaofeng flew to Kyiv again to personally stand up for them and solve problems, which is very rare to be honest.

Even Timoshengo had to admit that a certain immortal Bis. Dalin is much kinder, when steel encounters this kind of sinner's back from the cauldron, it is all the people below who shoulder it, and Comrade Iron and Steel can only be always consistent...... (To be continued.) )

PS: Bow and thank you to Hara Black Warriors, SC-VX, Giants of Giants, Xuanyuan Extreme Saint Emperor, lijing198850, Traveler with the Wind, Holding Broken Lunzi, xxxxxxjj, Fat Man Fei Ah Fei and Comrade Juventus!