Bulgaria's sudden defection stunned the whole world, because there was no warning before, and suddenly Bulgaria was gorgeously transformed, and this surprise was a bit too big.

Of course, the most shocking of them all was Dimitrov, who suddenly realized that he had made a wrong move and should not have rejected the Soviet Union's previous proposal so bluntly, which made him passive.

An Orthodox Patriotic Party, which Dimitrov had never heard of before, entered the Bulgarian political arena with such grandeur. This group of deformed freaks who combined with the bourgeoisie smashed in front of Dimitrov's eyes with such a bang, and the impact can be imagined.

As a politician, Dimitrov was not as naïve and naïve as the other Bulgarian Workers' Party leaders in exile in Moscow, who thought that the Orthodox Patriotic Party was a desperate blow to the rotten bourgeoisie, and that the party would soon disappear with the Red Army entering Bulgaria.

Yes, the Bulgarian Workers' Party had the notion that they were the receivers, and that they only had to follow behind the Red Army to receive the fruits of victory, and that the power of Bulgaria would inevitably fall into their hands.

Anyway, this group of little naivety doesn't look down on the Orthodox Patriotic Party at all, thinking that this is a group of speculative chickens and dogs. But Dimitrov did not see it that way, and Li Xiaofeng's meeting with him was the clearest signal, that is, the Soviet Union was a test of the Bulgarian Workers' Party, and if the Workers' Party showed obedience, then the Red Army would hand over power in Bulgaria to the Workers' Party, and on the contrary, the Soviet Union would set up another group of obedient puppets to manipulate Bulgaria.

Previously Dimitrov did not realize that the USSR had such thoughts. Even less aware of the existence of the Orthodox Patriotic Party. So he made the wrong choice - he firmly and decisively rejected the Soviet proposal. Let things fall into a situation of no return.

At this point, Dimitrov had to consider the worst possible - what would happen if the USSR handed over power in Bulgaria to the Orthodox Patriotic Party?

In fact, Dimitrov had no other way but to go to the Comintern to protest. If the Soviet Union was determined to do this, no one would be able to stop it. The only good news for Dimitrov is that he still has some room to maneuver. If he had been able to convince Lenin or Trotsky, there might have been room for redemption.

Dimitrov first approached Lenin and told him about his concerns about the future of Bulgaria. It is even more strongly opposed to the Orthodox Patriotic Party. Lenin understood his apprehensions, and did not want to see a bourgeois party take control of Bulgaria's future. At the same time, however, Lenin expressed the hope that Dimitrov would make a decision as soon as possible, preferably from the perspective of the overall situation.

The subtext of Lenin was clear: he still wanted the Bulgarian Workers' Party to join the coalition that Li Xiaofeng had proposed. However, we know that Dimitrov will not easily change his decision, he still does not like the alliance, and looking for Lenin is just a delaying tactic.

Having come out of Lenin, Dimitrov went to Trotsky again. The same words were repeated again, but Lenin's opinion was vaguely mentioned at the end. Judging by his tone, it seemed that the Mentor was on his side.

It's just that what Dimitrov didn't expect was that Trotsky didn't eat this set, and even if Dimitrov pulled out Lenin, it would not help. Because ****** had already made a choice on the issues related to Romania, Bulgaria, and Greece, Li Xiaofeng's opinion prevailed, and his proposal was more favorable to the Soviet Union.

Lao Tuo was not a saint in the face of national interests, he was well aware of Dimitrov's intentions, which did not correspond to the expectations of the Soviet Union. The Orthodox Patriotic Party created by Li Xiaofeng was obviously more obedient, and the fact that the Soviet Union had not clearly expressed its support for this party made the Bulgarian Workers' Party sit on pins and needles, which shows that the establishment of the Orthodox Patriotic Party is indeed effective. In the future of Bulgaria, the Soviet Union needed such a counterweight to the Bulgarian Workers' Party. Moreover, this tool is still bourgeois in nature, which will reduce the bargaining chips of Anglo-American imperialism in attacking the Soviet Union on the Bulgarian question.

Naturally, Trotsky was unmoved by Dimitrov's protests, and he considered Dimitrov to be out of line: "The future of Bulgaria will be decided by the Bulgarian people, Comrade Georgi, and I must remind you that you can now speak only on behalf of the Bulgarian Workers' Party, which is not the ruling party in Bulgaria. The Bulgarian people have not granted you any real powers. Within the framework of the fight against fascism, the Soviet Union did not exclude cooperation with any political party, as long as it was able to contribute to the war against fascism and as long as it followed the basic principles of humanism. So you can see the Soviet Union fighting with Britain, the United States, Belgium, and the Netherlands...... The Soviet government welcomed what the Bulgarian Orthodox Patriotic Party was doing and hoped that more parties in the Nazi-occupied countries would make the same choice! ”

Dimitrov left Trotsky's office with a bitter face, and he knew very well that on the Bulgarian question, the core leadership of the Soviet Union had reached an agreement that in the future the Bulgarian Workers' Party under his leadership really could not be quietly in power, and that it should be ready to meet challenges at any time.

This sense of urgency prompted Dimitrov to write to Tito once again, seeking the possibility of cooperation once again, believing that an independent Yugoslavia would be Bulgaria's only reliable friend against the brutal intervention of the Soviet Union.

It's just that Tito is not as reliable as Dimitrov thinks, and Tito is not opposed to cooperating with Dimitrov, and it would be good if the Balkan Federation could be established. But he also refused to take risks if the Soviet Union strongly objected. After all, Tito and the Soviet Union have not yet turned their faces, and they still need the assistance of the Soviet Union, and as long as the Soviet Union does not show interference in the internal affairs of Yugoslavia, he will not easily risk provoking the Soviet Union.

So on the Bulgarian issue, it is difficult for Tito to give Dimitrov any reliable guarantees, as long as the Soviet Union does not go too far with Yugoslavia, Tito will support Bulgaria? Of course, a few kind words for Bulgaria and Dimitrov, waving the flag and shouting twice put some political pressure on the USSR. Tito was still willing to do it. It's just that this pressure is too limited.

Bulgaria's defection had more than an unprecedented impact within the communist camp. The impact on Britain and the United States is not small at all. Since July, the focus of Anglo-American research has been on Italy. With Mussolini deposed, it was only a matter of time before Italy withdrew from the war.

On July 28, the new Italian cabinet formally approached Britain and the United States to prepare for surrender. The terms were formally negotiated in August, and in fact they are waiting for the final signature. Originally, Britain and the United States were ready to announce this exciting good news to the world, which will greatly enhance the international prestige of the two countries.

Who would have thought that before the official surrender of Italy, the Soviet Union would preemptively score a touchdown in Bulgaria. Although Bulgaria's international status was not comparable to that of Italy, the honor of the first Axis power to be forced to surrender and defect was stolen by the Soviet Union. This made Britain and the United States a little unhappy.

Of course, everything in honor is false. What really worries Britain and the United States is the geographical location of Bulgaria. Now that the Soviet Union has taken Romania, plus Bulgaria, it is tantamount to making great strides closer to the Black Sea straits, and once the polar bear breaks out of the cage of the Black Sea, the impact on the world pattern is too great.

The British and Americans had to sit down and analyze what the polar bears were going to do next—Greece or Turkey?

As Li Xiaofeng predicted, the British and American elites did have the idea of seizing Greece, but they faced a real problem - limited power. Italy was ready to surrender, but the control of the Badogglio government was so limited that if the Germans intervened, Italy would remain under the control of the Axis powers. This would greatly dilute the significance and impact of Italy's surrender. Therefore, the correct thing to do is to land in Italy as soon as possible to ensure the fruits of the victory of Italy's surrender.

And the amphibious landing forces of the Allies were limited. It is unlikely that two large-scale landing operations will be supported at the same time. So whether it was Greece or Italy, the Allies had to make a choice.

"My choice is Italy, the Russians have forced the Bulgarian head to defect, but this does not mean that they have completely controlled Bulgaria, there are still a large number of German troops in Greece, Albania and Yugoslavia, and it will take time for the Russians to stabilize the situation!" This was Eisenhower's opinion.

Marshall agreed: "The Russians had limited investment in Bulgaria, and these forces were not enough for them to continue their expansion in the Greek direction. And please note that the occupation of Greece and Bulgaria does not mean that the Soviet Union has gone out of the Black Sea, the existence of Turkey and the Black Sea straits still blocks Russia in the Black Sea, and even if they occupy Greece, it will only open half the door! ”

Cunningham also said: "In particular, we must note that from July 1943 onwards, relations between the Soviet Union and Turkey deteriorated dramatically, and intelligence suggests that this was deliberately done by the Soviet Union." This makes me wonder that the Russians are still coveting the Black Sea straits, preparing to attack Turkey from both sides, and truly occupy the straits with free access to the Black Sea! This time Bulgaria's defection has deepened my suspicions about this speculation, and the Russians are carrying out their plan to occupy the Black Sea straits step by step, and we must pay attention to it! ”

The statements of several generals still carry a lot of weight, and if the USSR had acquired the Black Sea straits, then there would have been no need to occupy Greece at all. Compared to the Black Sea straits, Greece is much less significant. This has forced politicians to be more cautious.

Churchill asked: "How many troops did the Soviet Union concentrate on the Turkish border?" ”

Eisenhower looked at his notebook and replied in the affirmative: "No less than three armies!" ”

"Plus the two army groups that attacked Bulgaria, as well as the previous garrison, which means that the Russians can attack Turkey with five army groups, right?"

Eisenhower smiled bitterly and replied: "I'm afraid it's not all, in the last six months, the Russians have greatly increased the speed of their armament, and if necessary, they can reinforce at least three army groups in this direction!" ”

These forces are indeed not enough to destroy Turkey, but the occupation of the Black Sea straits is still sufficient, and it is entirely possible that Russia will succeed if it were to engage in a limited local war to force Turkey to cede the Black Sea straits.

However, Lilvin did not think so: "The Russians could indeed draw the strength of eight army groups for the Turkish front-line operations. But is it really worth it compared to Western Europe? ”

Eisenhower asked: "Is it possible that the Russians want us to open a second battlefield in France?" When the German troops on the Eastern Front were transferred to the Western Front. Then launch a full-scale counteroffensive. This way they have to pay less price. According to our estimates, the Russians were also enough to advance to Germany. According to the plan for the partition and occupation of Germany, even if the Russians fully occupied Germany, they would have to cede part of the occupied territory to us. Did this lead the Russians to have a new idea? Now that the interests of Western Europe have been determined, what about their valuable forces in the direction of the Black Sea, where the benefits are greater? ”

This speculation is not unreasonable, it looks like that anyway, and it is also in line with the character of a polar bear.

Churchill asked, "Do you mean that we should focus on the state of affairs in Turkey and, if necessary, prevent Soviet expansion in this direction?" ”

The generals nodded in agreement. Churchill didn't make a decision right away, he decided to think it more carefully, because it was too tricky!

Rather than leaving with the generals, Learvine remained in Churchill's office, and once again she said: "Your Excellency, I think we must be careful. That's Andrey. Petrovich is not so simple, every time we are played by him before we understand his true intentions. This guy is the best at surprises, what you think he would do, he just doesn't, and this time is no exception! ”

Churchill took a sullen puff on his cigarette. Asked: "You mean that the real purpose of the USSR was Greece?" ”

Learwin shook his head and said, "I'm not sure. But I don't think the Soviet Union would ****** be so reckless, the issue of the Black Sea straits is too wide-ranging, and it has been widely recognized by the international community before, and it is too risky to make a fuss about this issue. IMHO, I don't think the USSR has the strength to provoke on this issue for the time being, and neither we nor the Americans will allow them to succeed. Take Andrey. Petrovich is shrewd, it is impossible not to know this. So I'm more inclined to the Turkish issue as a smokescreen! ”

Churchill snorted and asked: "Then how do you plan to solve the problem of Greece, we do not have the strength to control Greece for the time being, Italy is the focus!" And let me tell you unequivocally that in the coming year, our focus will be on France and Western Europe, and we will not have time to look at Greece! ”

"I know, Your Excellency, Prime Minister." Learwin nodded, "We don't have the ability to land in Greece and open a second battlefield in the Balkans. But in order to protect the interests of the empire, a small landing operation, the capture of Crete was still possible! ”

"Clint Island?" Churchill pondered for a moment and asked, "You mean?" ”

Learwin nodded again and suggested: "Taking Crete can greatly reduce the strategic value of Greece, and this is worth it!" ”

Just as Churchill was about to agree to the plan, the door to his office was pushed open, and Cunningham, who had left earlier, trotted in, his face full of concern: "Your Excellency, Prime Minister, the latest news." A new round of bloodshed broke out in Istanbul, where the local Orthodox Christians exchanged fire with the Turkish army, and now the whole of Istanbul is involved! ”

"What!" Churchill was taken aback, and soon his secretary also ran in and handed him a telegram.

"Damn," Churchill slammed the table, "the Russians have announced that large-scale exercises will be held on the Turkish border and in the Black Sea, and the Black Sea Fleet is already fully mobilized, and it seems that there are plans for an amphibious landing!" ”

Li Erwen was also a little surprised, she was also a little confused about the actual attitude of a certain immortal now, because this large-scale exercise at this moment was not done well, and the Russians were acting in a full set, or did they deliberately create an opportunity to misfire?

"What could be the consequences if the USSR declared war on Turkey?" Churchill asked the thinkers.

"Either we abandon the landing operation in Italy, go to Greece and give Turkey security guarantees; Or you can only declare war on Turkey together with the USSR! But either way the result won't be too pretty! ”

Churchill also knew that the first scenario would destroy the current anti-fascist alliance, and that if the Soviet Union withdrew, it would cause a series of troubles. And these two scenarios are also very bad, and will force Turkey to join the Axis powers, although Turkey is the same thing, but after Turkey is done, it will inevitably indulge the Soviet Union to cross the Black Sea straits. This is also what the British Empire does not want to see.

"Immediately send a telegram to Moscow in my name, demanding that the Soviet Union must face up to its actions and never allow unilateral action to take place. The allies will never allow any country to unilaterally change the status quo in the Black Sea! ”

Immediately after the first decision, Churchill ordered: "Immediately bring in the Turkish ambassador, and I must discuss the matter with him personally!" Fast! ”

Saying that, Churchill sighed and said to Learvin: "Madam, although I agree with your analysis, I am afraid that the actual situation no longer allows us to carry out your proposal. Now the main issue is Turkey, we must prevent the USSR from playing with fire on this issue, and the Greek problem will be discussed later, after this political crisis is resolved! ”

Lilvin said that it was false not to be disappointed, but she could also understand Churchill's situation, the Black Sea Strait and Turkey are more important, solve the Turkish crisis first, presumably the Soviet Union will not be able to do anything in Greece in the near future, right? (To be continued.) )

PS: Bow and thank you to the old students, Huang L Lanhua and Comrade Juventus!