The annihilation of the Tirpitz, or the German Navy's main surface fleet, set off a chain reaction that had a profound impact on the situation in World War II, especially in the Atlantic.

Because of the demise of the German main fleet, a considerable part of the capital ships of the Royal Navy were liberated, and there was no longer a need to squat in the North Atlantic to play hide and seek with the Germans. Only a small number of capital ships were left to track and monitor the only escaped Scharnhorst battlecruiser, and some of the remaining capital ships were reinforced to the Mediterranean theater, helping the Royal Navy's Mediterranean Fleet to further firmly control the sea supremacy in the Mediterranean. The other part rushed to the aid of East Asia, where the situation was already so erosive.

The Japanese took Indonesia and Malaysia at little cost, and the Strait of Malacca in Gibraltar, known as the East, was already under Japanese control, and the Japanese army was planning to march into the Indian Peninsula.

Let's put it this way, everything that the Sun Never Sets Empire had been doing for centuries in Southeast Asia and East Asia was destroyed by the Japanese who were not convinced. The British government and opposition were in an uproar about this, and the pressure on the old smoker Churchill was not ordinarily great. But he didn't have a good solution, at this time, the main forces of the empire were still stuck in Europe and North Africa, and there was no strength to reinforce Asia, so he could only write to Roosevelt again, asking the Americans to make up their minds as soon as possible.

As for what determination to make, it goes without saying, the old smoker naturally hopes that the Americans will enter the war as soon as possible, because the British Empire is really a little unbearable. So what is the attitude of the Americans?

To tell the truth, Americans are living a very prosperous life now, and they are making a lot of real money. With only some of the rags left over from the First World War, they got a lot of money from the British. All kinds of forces in all sides have to look at their faces. This is really cool for Uncle Sam, who has been "isolated" in the Americas for a long time.

Of course, the Americans did not sleep much, and while making money, they were also actively preparing for war, the Fletcher-class destroyers had begun to dump in the cauldron, and the M4 tanks were also preparing for mass production in an orderly manner, as for the Air Force. It is also a large-scale expansion. The Americans also had reason to believe that their troops would not arrive in Europe as embarrassingly "naked" as they did during World War I, and that once "the world needs America," American GIs, armed to the teeth, would send down to the Germans, Italians, and Japanese.

However, not all Americans are so optimistic, such as Roosevelt, the disabled commander-in-chief knew very well that this war was completely different from the previous war, and if the United States honestly made all the preparations, then I am afraid that nothing would happen to them.

The old president said to Stimson and Marshall: "The Russians have already begun a counteroffensive, they have established a certain advantage in Kursk. While this advantage is not decisive, it is undeniable. This made it possible for them to fight a war of annihilation. The elimination of the Paulus cluster would significantly change the balance of power between the USSR and Germany, and would force the Germans to go on the defensive. And according to the information you have fed back to me, the Soviet war machine is running at full speed, and they are constantly throwing artillery, tanks and planes into the battlefield, while the Germans are still sleeping, I am not optimistic about the Germans! ”

Stimson nodded: "I agree with you, this is quite a high possibility. Once the Soviet Union moves into a full-scale offensive, Germany may not be able to resist. Then, as the Soviet Union attacks westward, Bolshevism will spread to Western and Southern Europe in an all-round way, and neither Britain nor France will be able to parry after the war! ”

Roosevelt nodded: "The spread of Bolshevism will destroy the liberal order, and with their success in Europe, it is likely that the so-called world revolution will be restarted, which will be a disaster for the liberal civilized world." As a member of the free world, the United States has an obligation and a responsibility to prevent such a catastrophe from happening! ”

At this time, both Stimson and Marshall understood that the old president meant to let them help with the work of Congress, and it was time to abandon isolationism, and continue to be in a corner of peace, and the future international community would lead to the Soviet Union being the only one, which was completely not in the interests of the United States!

The problem is that there are not many ways for the two of them to do this, isolationism has been deeply rooted in the marrow of the United States, especially after the last world war, but there was no equivalent gain, Congress is more inclined to isolationism. Now if you want Congress to abandon isolationism, it is no less than a fool to move mountains, because there is really no excuse! Don't make a fuss about Mexico anymore!

Roosevelt naturally knew that it would be very difficult, and through the FBI, he also discovered that there were a number of behind-the-scenes forces advocating isolationism in China, and these people bribed congressmen by creating public opinion, constantly boasting that only isolationism could guarantee the peace and prosperity of the United States, and calling on the people to resist the "Lend-Lease Act" and "interventionism."

After careful reconnaissance, Roosevelt was surprised to find that there were two forces advocating this argument, the first being the Nazi supporters, which could not surprise him, and what surprised Roosevelt was that the second group seemed to be secretly supported by the Bolsheviks. This caused him to be highly vigilant.

The Soviets were fighting the Nazis on the one hand, and on the other hand, they were hindering the United States from participating in the great cause of crusading against the Nazis.

Anyway, Roosevelt thought that there was only one possibility for the Soviet Union to do this, and that was to seize more spheres of influence and expand its territory after the war! Once the Soviet Union became the hero who ended the Nazis, could Western European countries such as Britain and France be better off after the war? And if the capitalist alliance in Western Europe has collapsed, will the United States be able to stand alone?

All in all, Roosevelt was on high alert, and he had been trying his best to convince the old diehards in Congress, because he felt that the United States could not wait any longer, and that every day of waiting would make it difficult for the rest of the war.

It's a pity that not many people listen to him now, and he really lacks an excuse to draw the United States into the war. This sense of urgency was greatly strengthened, especially when he heard that the main German fleet had been destroyed by the Red Navy.

"Can we expand the application of the Lend-Lease Act?" Roosevelt asked suddenly.

Marshall was a little puzzled, what the hell was it to expand the application of the Lend-Lease Act, and whether it was to include the Soviet Union in the Lend-Lease Act. Hoping to buy off future enemies? Isn't that a joke!

Stimson was able to keep up with his old friend's thinking. He asked, "You mean." Allowing American merchant ships to provide transport services to the UK? ”

Yes, the United States is very generous and can lease war materials to friends, but this is a premise, that is, the Americans don't care about transporting them, if you want these materials, you have to transport them back yourself, and you were sunk by a German submarine on the way. The loss is yours, and you have to compensate for it.

Such a clause was actually to avoid the damage to American merchant ships caused by Germany's unrestricted submarine warfare in World War I, so as to relentify the old stubbornness of the Senate. And now, both Roosevelt and Stimson hoped that the Germans would better sink a little of their own merchant ships, which was the best excuse to go to war, wasn't it?

"I'm afraid Congress is unlikely to agree!" Stimson replied with a grim face.

Roosevelt paused anxiously on crutches: "But we have to try!" ”

Of course, this is only one way, and a politician like Roosevelt, who could not hang himself from a tree, was actually prepared with both hands.

"Tighten the embargo on Japan. Strengthen the exposure of Japan's war crimes at home, and the Nanjing Massacre can be widely publicized. We need such a devil! ”

Yes, Roosevelt also began to make a fuss about the Japanese, anyway the materials were ready-made. Before, it was to get involved in the war so quickly, so I turned a blind eye to the bad things of the devils. And now, the United States needs to enter the war as soon as possible, and then it must be written about it.

Soon, at the behest of the United States, Chongqing openly complained to the League of Nations about Japan's numerous war crimes, and the Chinese people's good neighbor, the peace-loving and justice-loving and justice-loving United States Government, was immediately inexplicably surprised. The atrocities of the devils in Nanjing, the heavy blood debts in the northeast, and all kinds of crimes that exterminate humanity were all exposed.

The Americans and the British were unanimously amazed, and they could not imagine that Japan, which was the first to be "developed" in the East, was such a well-dressed beast, or even inferior to a beast. Various denunciations and protests came one after another, and for a time, the Japanese embassy and consulate were besieged to the fullest, and the descendants of Japanese who settled in the United States also suffered a lot of white eyes.

Truth be told, the effect of this public opinion offensive is quite ideal. It is not that the naïve American people have a strong sense of justice and demand that the Senate immediately put down the evil devil in the East. The people are still more willing to condemn and so on, and if they really want to use guns to seek justice for the Chinese people, they still won't do it.

The main reason why this strategy is so successful is that it has angered the "brain-dead" faction in Japan, and these fools armed with the spirit of bushido feel that their dignity has been insulted and demand that they pay back these debts from the United States in the most direct way!

"The trend of public opinion in China is very radical, and they unanimously demand a crusade against the American ghost animals, and the young and strong officers are ready to move!"

Hideki Tojo felt the pressure, and although his ambition was to conquer the world, he was not opposed to taking out the Americans, but the only reason he had left told him that now seemed like the wrong time?

The empire of Southeast Asia has just eaten into its mouth, and now it is going to use a knife and fork on the American meal, will this be indigestion?

"Wait a minute, the empire still needs time, and the imperial army is not fully ready." Hideki Tojo replied.

When Roosevelt was preparing to bring the United States into the orbit of war, the happiest person was Qiu Fatzi, in his opinion, although the combat effectiveness of the American soldier was a bit like that, but its industrial capacity should not be underestimated. With the help of the United States, the allies no longer have to worry about resources and production capacity, and what he needs to do next is to cooperate with Roosevelt's actions, strengthen public opinion propaganda and guidance, and fool the Americans into the pit as soon as possible.

Since June 1942, the world situation has changed, and Britain and the United States have vigorously exposed the black history of the Axis powers, the darkness of the Nazi concentration camps, and the murderous deeds of devils. I have to say that this still has a certain effect, and a considerable number of Americans, even the most opposed to war, have to admit that these two countries are a fundamental shame of mankind, and they must help those who have been harmed, and they must stop their atrocities. So when Roosevelt applied again in Congress to relax the restrictions of the Lend-Lease Act, even the Senate could only pinch its nose and agree.

And this news was the most unfavorable for the Germans, starting in 1939. That is, through unlimited submarine warfare. to choke Britain's throat. Once the Americans personally went into battle to deliver supplies and even escort British, the consequences would be very unpredictable.

Hitler was faced with a difficult problem, and the continuation of unlimited submarine warfare would inevitably sink American merchant ships in large numbers and arouse the hatred of the American public against Germany. Instead of attacking American merchant ships and allowing large quantities of weapons, equipment, and supplies to enter Britain, it would be tantamount to sitting back and watching Britain recover. This is also what the mustache does not want to see, especially at the moment. When the Soviets bit him back at Kursk and the fighting was raging, what if the British were ready to move again?

In fact, Churchill was already on the move, and he knew very well that in order to defeat the Nazis, it was not enough to be on the defensive, it was necessary to take the initiative to attack, it was necessary to counterattack the European continent, and it was necessary to overcome the humiliation of Dunkirk.

Therefore, since 1942, Churchill has been constantly urging the navy, land and air forces to formulate a counteroffensive plan, and he hopes to carry out a landing operation in France, Holland or Italy. A knife in the back of the Germans.

It's just that Qiu Fatzi's counterattack demands are constantly shattered by reality, and the British army in North Africa is crushed by Rommel's Afrika Korps. If it weren't for the joint strangulation of the navy and air force, which would have made the supply of the Desert Fox quite problematic, the British army, navy and air force would have been driven out of Africa at this time. And Southeast Asia is not very peaceful, under the tide of the Japanese offensive, the local British army is really not much stronger than the national army in China, and it is also a thousand miles away from the armor.

The cruel reality made Qiu Fatzi have to repeatedly postpone the plan of counterattack, and now, when the Americans personally went on the field to engage in transportation, Qiu Fatzi felt that the time was already ripe. With the material support of the United States, it should be possible to fight back, right?

It's just that Qiu Fatzi was disappointed again, and his generals were extremely pessimistic about counterattacks, and generally believed that it was impossible for the current British army to counterattack, and it was probably commendable to stabilize the existing territory.

The old smoker's generals and staff told him with all kinds of data that it was impossible to counterattack with the strength of the British army, and that more soldiers, more heavy weapons, and more escort warships were needed. After some quarrels, Qiu Fatzi could only temporarily dispel the idea of counterattacking, and instead wrote a letter to Roosevelt again, hoping that the United States could enter the war as soon as possible.

After a turn, the ball was kicked back to Roosevelt, and he also wanted to play as soon as possible, but the Senate couldn't get past it. He can only appease his old friend, hoping that Qiu Fatzi can understand his difficulties and be more patient.

In fact, Churchill also knew that he could not count on the United States for the time being, and he was just trying his luck at the last time. After the United States hit a wall, Churchill was forced to turn his eyes to the east and began to continue the work of the Soviet Union. Once again, he flew to Moscow in person to hold talks with Trotsky and Sverdlov in the Kremlin.

Churchill not only again suggested that Britain and the Soviet Union should immediately form an alliance against the Axis powers, but even put forward a concrete idea: Britain and the Soviet Union would join forces to launch a military operation in Norway to drive the German army from Norwegian soil.

This idea is indeed good, with the strength of Britain and the Soviet Union, it is not difficult to liberate Norway in one fell swoop, especially after the annihilation of the main German fleet, the German Navy can no longer threaten the existence of the landing fleet. There was no even need for an amphibious landing, and the British and Soviet armies could have set out from Tromsø and work together to sweep away the Germans. Once Norway is liberated, it will further reduce Germany's access to the sea, not only to ensure that the Arctic route is not threatened by German submarines, but also to block Germany in the small space on the Baltic Sea coast.

If this idea is realized, then the damage of German submarine warfare to Britain will be further reduced, and the Luftwaffe will also be driven back to the German mainland, and the North Atlantic will be much more peaceful.

In Churchill's view, this proposal was beneficial to both Britain and the Soviet Union, and the Soviets should not oppose it. In fact, Trotsky and Sverdlov were indeed interested in this idea, believing that there was a high probability that Churchill's plan would indeed succeed.

However, there is one person who is not very interested in this. That was Li Xiaofeng, and when Trotsky and Sverdlov put forward this idea in the Politburo, he asked rhetorically: "It is indeed not difficult to liberate Norway with Britain, but I wonder which is the legitimate government of Norway after the liberation of Norway?" ”

This is a very good question, as I have mentioned before, that there are three governments in Norway today, a puppet regime supported by Germany, a so-called Norwegian government-in-exile created by the British, and Prince Alexei, supported by the Soviet Union. After the liberation of Norway, the German puppets, of course, needless to say, were to be liquidated. But which Norwegian government counts?

It is unrealistic for Britain to abandon their so-called "government-in-exile", and it is impossible for the Soviet Union to abandon Prince Alexei. This is related to the future sphere of influence, whether it is Britain or the Soviet Union, I am afraid that they can generously cede the interests of this area!

Trotsky and Sverdlov glanced at each other in the face of Li Xiaofeng's question, but they did not find it troublesome, because they had long expected that a certain immortal would take advantage of it...... (To be continued......)

PS: Bow and thank you to the Riders, SC-VX, Schistosoma parasite, kaiqicat, hawkli, hzwangdd, Southern Rangers and Comrade Juventus!