Chapter 55, the bald eagle doesn't want to be the head of the wronged (middle)

For President Truman, the only good news for now comes from the South Pacific: taking advantage of the power vacuum of the Japanese Navy's Combined Fleet heading north, the U.S. fleet in the South Pacific has launched a large-scale counteroffensive against the Japanese-occupied territories based in Samoa. The www.biquge.info not only wiped out the small Japanese troops who had harassed New Zealand before, but also gnawed down the fortified Fiji Islands, and a vanguard unit also landed on the nickel-rich island of New Caledonia -- New Caledonia's nickel ore quality is the best in the world, and almost the entire island is composed of high-quality nickel ore, which has long been coveted by the big American conglomerates.

With New Zealand's pastures and mines, and nickel in New Caledonia, maybe you can satisfy the appetite of the big conglomerates for a while, right?

Uh, it's still not enough, it's far from enough, after being hungry for so long, their appetite is probably good enough to swallow the whole world!

President Truman rubbed his forehead in annoyance, feeling that the little good mood he had just gained was popping like a soap bubble.

-- In fact, as early as 1937 and 1938, on the eve of the outbreak of World War II, the "Roosevelt's New Deal," which was talked about all over the world, was already showing signs of collapse, which was manifested in deflation and a resurgence of unemployment in the entire market, and the pace of the next Great Depression was in sight...... Fortunately, the outbreak of the East Asian War and the orders of China and Japan made the US economy barely breathe, and the full-scale opening of the European battlefield completely pulled the US economy out of the abyss.

Why are imperialism so belligerent for the most part? This is because only by waging a foreign war can we truly and effectively transfer the social contradictions accumulated at home -- first, a powerful foreign enemy and a vigorous war can temporarily unite all social strata and no longer antagonize each other over the polarization of the rich and the poor, and no longer tear each other apart because of unemployment and economic depression. It can also be used to silence all disgruntled voices against the government. Second, a large number of orders for arms and munitions during the war period can bring a large part of the country's enterprises that were originally on the verge of bankruptcy to resume production and create countless jobs, and large-scale conscription and the recruitment of various logistical service personnel can also greatly reduce the number of unemployed people in the market and reduce the risk of social instability. Third, the strict wartime rationing system allowed the government to increase its control over the people, while at the same time continuing to control the output of all kinds of commodities in a planned economic model, and suppressing all grievances and complaints with patriotic slogans.

Of course, if all these benefits are to be realized, this war must be won. At the beginning of the war, the Americans did not think that they would not be able to win, and the whole country thought that if they were serious, the great United States of America would be able to crush all its enemies, and by the way, intimidate its so-called allies, and then logically pocket all their land and wealth to fill the shriveled stomachs of Wall Street tycoons.

Unfortunately, with the protracted stalemate on the Pacific front and the backwardness of the Atlantic front, all the initial good hopes were disappointed, and if the war were to be stopped like this, the social problems in the country would not only not be alleviated, but would be exacerbated by the losses caused by the war.

In President Truman's view, the United States has paid so much to win the war against the Japanese, even to the point that it cannot recover its original costs. Even if they completely killed the yellow-skinned dwarves on the arc-shaped archipelago and took their land for themselves, as they did in the first place, they still could not satisfy the Wall Street consortium. In order to compete for more spoils, will it be necessary to fight another World War III with the Soviet Union?

However, unlike the Axis powers, which could hardly pose a huge threat to the United States, the Soviets also had atomic bombs!

However, if the United States is unable to win the war, the price to pay will be even heavier than the atomic bomb.

President Truman felt melancholy even when he thought about this suffocating subject.

If it had been possible, he would have wanted to end this war with no light in sight. It's a pity that he can't decide many things. Although Truman is the president, the essence of the American president is actually just an agent of the big capitalist group to do things, and many things are not what he wants. Since he is the president who has been pushed up by the consortium for a lot of money, he can't help but do things for the consortium. President Roosevelt could be in the presence of FBI Director Edgar Edgar. With Hoover's assistance, he used various means to suppress the consortium and force them to act according to their own wishes. But Truman could not do such a thing, and even if the greed and determination of the corporations pushed the United States down the road to destruction, he could only go on with his eyes closed.

In the midst of the bad news year after year, the reason why the United States of America has been able to grit its teeth and carry out the war that has cost so much until now is largely by sucking the blood of the British Empire -- since the end of World War I, the British Empire, which was once rich all over the world, has been in high deficits for many years, the deindustrialization of the country is in full swing, and the streets and alleys are full of unemployed people who have been on relief all year round. By the time of World War II, most of Britain's wealth had actually been lost abroad before the war, especially the United States on the other side of the Atlantic, which was turned into various real estate and bonds, which was equivalent to injecting a large amount of gold into American banks, and Britain's own gold reserves were almost depleted before World War II.

Therefore, after sitting in the position of president and knowing some hidden secrets, Truman still felt some pity and apology in his heart for these British people who had emptied their pockets and shed their blood. But then, a letter from the Prime Minister's official residence at 10 Downing Street in London, with an emotional or brazen begging letterhead, completely exploded his stunt "The Commander's Anger":

“…… On top of the original one, 5,000 aircraft, 10,000 tanks, 5 million rifles, 500,000 tons of wheat and 10 million tons of fuel will be provided again? A thousand 'Liberty ships' and fifty escort carriers? And the atomic bomb?!! Churchill treated us like Santa Claus, and if we just stuffed a card in his stinky sock and hung it on the door, could we ask for anything? Could it be that he thought he was the Emperor Alexios of Byzantium? ”

Looking at this letter, which was called a request for help, but it was actually a blackmail, President Truman had an urge in his chest to tear it apart and step on the ground to vent his anger.

- Emperor Alexios, the Byzantine emperor of the First Crusade era, when he ascended the throne, the entire empire was shattered and on the verge of destruction, the territory of Asia Minor was basically lost, the territory of Europe was faced with the attack of Norman pirates and Eastern European steppe nomads, there were great aristocratic rebellions and religious heresies in the country, the remnants of the empire were only the size of a palm, and the entire capital Constantinople had only 300 soldiers available...... However, taking advantage of the Crusaders, taking advantage of the contradictions between the pilgrims, nomads and Turks, by following the Crusaders and instigating infighting among the various enemies, Emperor Alexios gradually stabilized the situation in the midst of the embattlement, and finally restored 80% of the traditional territory of the Byzantine Empire before his death - of course, the Crusader nobles, barbarian chieftains, and Turkic sultans who he had miserably hated were gritted his teeth.

In the eyes of President Truman at this time, Churchill's attitude towards the United States was exactly the same as that of Emperor Alexios of the Byzantine Empire towards the Crusaders, except for brazen exploitation, which was insatiable blackmail, not to mention moderation, not even shame!

-- Since the discovery of Japan's "unlethal talent" in this time and space, in view of the difficult situation of the war, the United States and Britain, both Anglo-Saxon nations, have entered into an unwritten internal division of labor: Britain is responsible for the European battlefield, and the U.S. military provides assistance; The Asian theater was under the responsibility of the United States, with the British army providing auxiliary ...... At present, in the Asian theater under the responsibility of the United States, no matter how embarrassed the Pacific Fleet fought and how heavy the casualties were, it finally captured Tokyo, advanced the front line to the mainland of the Japanese Empire, and planted bases and allies on the East Asian continent.

But what about the European side for which Britain is responsible? The Nazis could not be pushed, the Soviet Union was pushed backwards, the Second Paris Commune could not be gnawed, the Royal Navy was attacked by two nuclear bombs, and the British Army was pushed all the way from the Netherlands to Paris, then retreated to Bordeaux, and was finally driven down the Atlantic.

Next, Churchill, who refused to admit defeat, sent troops ashore from the Mediterranean, united with the French White Army, which had not yet been defeated, and also pulled Spain and Portugal, two 10,000-year-old pig teammates, to form an anti-Soviet alliance like the anti-French alliance was formed back then, and continued to fight against the Bolsheviks. The problem is that the United States of America has to pay for all the necessary guns, artillery, tanks, cars, ammunition, gasoline, and even the canned bread and biscuits that soldiers eat.

What is even more irritating is that after throwing so many dollars, no good news has been heard - after several months of stalemate, the anti-Soviet army has once again begun to retreat. The Red Forces swept not only France, but also Spain...... Before Washington had time to question and urge Churchill, the fat man issued such an exaggerated bill for supplies!!

“…… Yes, Mr. President, Churchill really went too far this time! Fighting like this on the European front, he is still delusional about rebuilding the colonial empire of the Far East! And even the United States will pay for him! What did he think of us? The aid that the United States gave him was to drag the Soviets and prevent the whole of Europe from being stained red! Not for him to use to recover the colonies of the British Empire! Secretary Hull agrees with this and echoes it.

“…… Alas, although Chairman Chiang of China is incompetent and shameless, and often only takes aid and does nothing, he is at least a little self-aware and will not ask us for so many things, as long as he gives him dozens of planes and equipment for several infantry divisions, he can make this bald man happy.

Although Park Chung-hee of North Korea was cruel and cold-blooded, and did not have the slightest concept of democracy and freedom in his mind, he led at least one rabble to withstand the repeated attacks of the Bolsheviks, and still firmly held on to Seoul, the old capital of the Korean Kingdom.

But Churchill, the old bastard, not only tricked us again and again, but made a mess on the battlefield and specially dragged our feet. And the scale of the assistance requested from the United States is not at all in the same order of magnitude as the previous two! In the past few years since he entered the war, Churchill has successively taken tens of millions of tons of fuel oil, hundreds of divisions of equipment, at least hundreds of merchant ships and warships, and God knows how many canned wheat and Spam luncheon meat, but he still looks like a natural person, as if the United States were born to be an ATM in Whitehall...... Someday I'm going to settle accounts with him! ”

President Truman sighed and continued to vent his strong displeasure with the British, "...... We used to be so used to him! ”

“…… Moreover, if we openly support the restoration of the Eastern colonies by the British, it is in itself a gross political incorrectness. As we all know, the United States of America has always been opposed to colonialism, and the restoration of the British colonies in the East is absolutely not in the interests of the United States......"

Secretary Hull went on to add: "...... We must always keep a firm grip on the vital points of the British, and compel them to do what the United States wants, and we must not relax at any time in a country that is naturally rebellious and rich in conspirators! Can't be fooled like the last big war! We are not philanthropists, and Churchill is not a beggar who prays for mercy! He doesn't even have the gratitude of a beggar! ”

-- Although US imperialism is not as great and glorious and correct as it claims to be, it really does not lie or deceive itself in opposing colonialism. Because colonialism had hindered the access of American companies to various colonial and semi-colonial markets, the United States had long taken a stance against colonialism. Even the Philippine colonies, once owned by the United States, had been "generously" granted independence before World War II.

Even if the United States does not intend to use fierce means of war to oppose colonialism, it is still less likely to support others to use war to defend colonialism.

“…… Ahem, Mr. President, Mr. Secretary, I can understand the dissatisfaction in your hearts with Churchill and the British, and in fact, I am also annoyed with Churchill, the damn fat man. But I have to point out to you that, in spite of all the things that Churchill was a fat man, he was nevertheless adamant about the continuation of the war. And the situation in Britain is now extremely bad, and it is already on the verge of failure! ”

Harry. Special Assistant Hopkins coughed dryly and admonished, "...... If Britain had been completely discouraged and had chosen to negotiate peace with the Soviet Union and cede all of Europe, the harm to the United States would have been far greater than any battlefield defeat! Churchill was a staunch supporter of fighting alongside us anyway, and it may ......not be possible if he is ousted and replaced by someone else as prime minister."

This reminder from Hopkins immediately made President Truman suddenly stir up the spirit-indeed, although Churchill's performance was terrible, the consequences of allowing the Soviet Union to unify the entire European continent were even more nightmares, and all the strategies of the United States before the war were probably about to come to naught!

What's more, now even the Soviet Union and Japan, which once had deep enmity with each other, can cooperate closely on the East Asian battlefield, and the Axis countries can cooperate closely, so what reason is there for the Anglo-Saxon peoples of the same language and species not to unite together? This is the moment that will determine the ownership of the world's hegemony for a hundred years!

“…… Well, I see," President Truman looked at Hopkins with complicated eyes, "...... No matter how uncomfortable it is, we must help Churchill with his favor, otherwise if he falls, Britain will withdraw from the war and the global strategy of the United States will go bankrupt, right? ”

“…… Ahem, it's a pity that the reality is so cruel, Mr. President. The global strategy of the United States can no longer leave Britain, and the fall of Churchill again will inevitably trigger Britain's withdrawal from the war! At least judging by the current situation, it will definitely develop like this! ”

Hopkins looked down and coughed and replied, "...... The subjects of Britain have been tormented by war, destruction, death, and want for far too long, and they have lost an entire generation of young people in the war, and they will continue to die. The vast majority of the British are tired of war and no longer want to live a nightmare like this. Whether it is the glory of the empire or the majesty of the overlord, these empty things are meaningless to them, and it is only under the pressure of the wartime system and patriotic righteousness that they are barely holding on, but they are already reaching their limit.

On the one hand, the conditions for peace talks put forward by Stalin were too harsh, and they actually demanded that Britain retract back to their small islands and give up everything won by 400 years of seafaring colonization, which made the arrogant John Bull gentlemen intolerable, and on the other hand, it was still our nuclear bombing of Tokyo and landing in Japan, so that the British seemed to see the dawn of victory again, A shot in the arm for their tired bodies. Now, however, more than half a year has passed, and as the brutal war continues and the successive defeats on the European continent continue, the effect of that shot in the arm is probably about to wear off.

In order for the Nation to continue to hold on, Churchill must come up with some tangible victories as soon as possible! And on the European continent, the poor army of the British obviously could not hold back the ironclad torrent of the Soviet Red Army, and the only thing they could do was to fan the flames, tear down the east wall and make up for the west wall to delay time.

So, Churchill could only look to the East! Cheer up the people with the good news of the recovery of the colonies in the Far East. In fact, judging from Churchill's performance in recruiting various forces in India, he did not have the luxury of restoring everything to the past, but only wanted to give the people a hope, a hope for the people to continue to engage in the war, even if it was a self-deceptive hope, and to inspire the people to continue to hold on to the war.

Otherwise, as soon as the endurance of the British people reached its limit, Churchill and his wartime cabinet would have been completely abandoned, which no law or mandate could stop! Even if the royal family comes forward, there is nothing they can do! Just as in February 1917, when the Russian commoners, soldiers, bureaucrats and nobles all abandoned the Tsar and wanted to withdraw from the war at all costs - we all know what happened at that time, the Tsar was not overthrown by the Bolsheviks, Lenin was still in Switzerland in February of that year, and he could not make such a big move in St. Petersburg......"

“…… The situation on the Indian side...... I am also aware that a purely nominal victory has little real benefit to the British government other than its self-deceptive propaganda value...... But if we do give too much assistance, will it make it come true? ”

President Truman frowned and said, "...... The present situation of the United States is not very good, and it is not known how long the war with the Japanese and the Bolshevik forces in East Asia will be fought, and if the British Empire is really revived, will it not add new problems to itself? ”

“…… Ahem, you're overthinking, the British Empire has long since irretrievably passed the pinnacle of its history, Mr. President. Marginal island nations that lack intrinsic connotations will eventually be replaced by new continental empires. With a larger population, abundant resources, and vast land, we are far more qualified to rule the world than the petty British pirates, and the current United States is only a temporary setback before the outbreak. The rise of Britain was not without its challenges, and the British gentlemen were also broken into the Thames by the Dutch fleet, but this did not prevent London from becoming the capital of the world after that. ”

Hopkins coughed hoarsely and said, "...... This world war has entered the final time, and Britain can no longer pose a threat to us. The crown of the British Empire was completely smashed in the war, and Churchill could only glue it together partially, and it was not complete, and it would soon disintegrate and crumble in the smoke of gunpowder. Nazi Germany was also out, and the entire Axis system no longer existed.

The remaining final is the pinnacle showdown between the red camp and the free camp. The USSR dragged us with Japan, and we dragged the USSR with Britain. Whoever can defeat the opponent in front of him first will realize the greatest dream and inherit the world supremacy of the British Empire!

In order to win this world-defining grand final, the United States must use all its chips and endure all the pain and humiliation...... Otherwise, our previous sacrifices and efforts will be in vain. The United States has staked too much to afford defeat......"