Chapter 55: The bald eagle does not want to be taken advantage of (Part 2)
For President Truman, the only good news currently comes from the South Pacific: taking advantage of the force vacuum left by the Japanese naval combined fleet heading north, the U.S. fleet in the South Pacific, based in Samoa, launched a large-scale counterattack against the Japanese-occupied areas. Not only did they eliminate the small group of Japanese troops that had previously harassed New Zealand, but they also took down the Fiji Islands, which were well fortified by the Japanese army. A vanguard force also landed on the island of New Caledonia, which is rich in nickel ores - New Caledonia's Nickel The quality of the ore is the best in the world. Almost the entire island is composed of high-quality nickel ore, which has been coveted by large American conglomerates for a long time.
With the ranches and mines in New Zealand, plus the nickel mines in New Caledonia, maybe it can temporarily satisfy the appetite of the big conglomerates, right?
Well, it's probably not enough, far from it. After being hungry for so long, their appetite may have been good enough to swallow the whole world!
President Truman rubbed his forehead in distress, feeling that the little good mood he had just gained was popped like a soap bubble.
——In fact, as early as 1937 to 1938, on the eve of the outbreak of World War II, the "Roosevelt New Deal" that was talked about all over the world was already showing signs of collapse, which was manifested in the deflation of the entire market and the unemployment rate soaring again. , it is looking like the rhythm of the next Great Depression... Fortunately, the outbreak of the East Asian War and the orders from China and Japan allowed the U.S. economy to finally breathe a sigh of relief, and the full-scale start of the European battlefield completely pulled the U.S. economy out of the abyss. After the United States personally participated in the war, All that remains is how to boost industrial production capacity without the risk of depression.
Why are most imperialists so warlike? Because only by launching a foreign war can the accumulated social contradictions in the country be truly and effectively transferred. First, a powerful foreign enemy and a vigorous war can temporarily unite all social classes and no longer fight against the polarization between the rich and the poor. Opposing each other and no longer tearing each other apart due to unemployment and economic depression. It can also be used to suppress all dissatisfied voices against the government. Secondly, a large number of orders for arms and munitions during the war can drive a large number of domestic enterprises that were on the verge of bankruptcy to resume production and create countless jobs. Large-scale recruitment of soldiers and various logistics 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 allows the government to openly increase its control over the people. At the same time, it can continue to control the output of various commodities under the planned economic model, and use patriotic slogans to suppress all dissatisfaction and complaints. .
Of course, if all these benefits are to be realized, this war must be won. At the beginning of the war, the Americans never thought that they would not be able to win. The whole country thought that as long as they got serious, the great United States of America could crush all enemies, frighten the so-called allies, and then logically destroy everything they had. Land and wealth were collected, filling the hungry stomachs of Wall Street tycoons.
It is a pity that with the long-term stalemate on the Pacific front and the falling behind of the Atlantic front, all the initial good expectations have come to nothing. If the war ceases like this, not only will the domestic social problems not be alleviated, but they will become worse due to the losses caused by the war. More serious.
In President Truman's view, the United States had already paid too much in order to defeat the Japanese, to the point where it could not even recover its losses. Even if they completely kill all the yellow-skinned dwarfs on the arc-shaped islands and take their land as their own, as they did with the Indians, they still cannot satisfy the Wall Street consortium. In order to compete for more spoils, will there be another World War III with the Soviet Union?
However, unlike the Axis powers, which could not pose a huge threat to the United States, the Soviets also had atomic bombs!
However, if the United States fails to win the war, the price it pays may be heavier than being hit by an atomic bomb.
President Truman felt melancholy even just thinking about this suffocating topic.
If possible, he would have already wanted to end this war with no hope of victory in sight. It's a pity that many things cannot be decided by him. Although Truman is the president, the essence of the president of the United States is actually just an agent pushed out by the capitalist consortium to do things. He cannot do many things as he wants. Since he is the president who was promoted by the consortium with huge sums of money, he has to work hard for the consortium. President Roosevelt, with the assistance of FBI Director Edgar Hoover, could use various means to suppress the consortium and force them to act according to his wishes. But Truman could not do such a thing. Even if the greed and determination of the consortium pushed the United States onto the road of destruction, he could only go on with his eyes closed.
Amidst 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 huge consumption of war until now is largely by sucking the blood of the British Empire. Since World War I, the once rich The British Empire has begun to decline all over the world. The national fiscal deficit has been running high for many years, domestic deindustrialization is in full swing, and the streets and alleys are filled with unemployed people who have been receiving relief all year round. By the time of World War II, most of Britain's wealth had actually been lost abroad before the war began, especially in the United States on the other side of the Atlantic. It was transformed into various real estate and bonds, which was equivalent to injecting a large amount of gold into American banks. As for Britain's domestic gold reserves were nearly exhausted before World War II.
Therefore, after sitting in the position of president and knowing some hidden secrets, deep down in his heart, Truman felt more or less pity and guilt for these British people who had emptied their pockets and bled their blood. But then, a sentimental or shameless begging letter from the Prime Minister's official residence at No. 10 Downing Street in London completely exploded his stunt "The Wrath of the Grand Commander":
"...on the original basis, provide an additional 5,000 aircraft, 10,000 tanks, 5 million rifles, 500,000 tons of wheat and 10 million tons of fuel? One thousand 'Liberty Ships' and 50 additional ships Escort carriers? And atomic bombs?! Does Churchill think we are Santa Claus? He just needs to put a card in his stinky socks and hang it at the door. Does he think he is Alexius of Byzantium? Emperor Si?”
Looking at this letter, which was called a request for help but was actually blackmail, President Truman had the urge to tear it into pieces and stomp it on the ground to vent his anger.
——Emperor Alexios, the Byzantine emperor during the First Crusade. When he came to the throne, the entire empire was fragmented and on the verge of destruction. The territory of Asia Minor was basically lost, and the territory of Europe was faced with Norman pirates and Eastern European steppe tours. Attacked by herdsmen, there are also rebellions by the great nobles and religious heretics in the country. The remaining territory of the empire is only the size of a palm. There are only 300 soldiers available in the entire capital of Constantinople... However, with the help of The east wind of the Crusades took advantage of the various conflicts between pilgrims, nomads and Turks, followed the Crusaders to gain advantage, and incited enemies from all walks of life to fight among themselves. Emperor Alexios was gradually embattled on all sides. He stabilized the situation and finally restored 80% of the traditional territory of the Byzantine Empire before his death. Of course, the group of Crusader nobles, barbarian chiefs and Turkic sultans who were deceived by him hated this man with gnashing teeth.
In the eyes of President Truman at this time, Churchill's attitude towards the United States was exactly the same as the attitude of Emperor Alexius towards the Crusaders of the Byzantine Empire. In addition to shameless use, it was greedy extortion, not to mention moral integrity, and even shame. No heart at all!
——Since it was discovered that Japan in this time and space seems to have the "talent of invincibility", in view of the difficult war situation, the United States and Britain, both of the Anglo-Saxon nation, have carried out an unwritten internal division of labor: the European battlefield is under the responsibility of the United Kingdom, and the US military provides assistance; Asia The battlefield belongs to the United States , the British army provided assistance... Currently, in the Asian battlefield that the United States is responsible for, no matter how embarrassing the Pacific Fleet fought and how heavy the casualties were, it finally captured Tokyo and pushed the front line to the mainland of the Japanese Empire, and on the East Asian continent Placed strongholds and allies.
But what about the European side that the UK is responsible for? The Nazis could not be pushed back, and the Soviet Union was pushed backwards. It could not even chew up the Second Paris Commune. The Royal Navy suffered two nuclear bombs and collapsed. The British Army was pushed back from the Netherlands all the way to Paris, and then retreated. to Bordeaux and eventually driven across the Atlantic Ocean.
Next, Churchill, who refused to admit defeat, sent troops ashore from the Mediterranean, combined with the French White Army that had not yet been defeated, and also roped in Spain and Portugal, two ten thousand-year-old teammates, to form the same alliance as the anti-French alliance. The anti-Soviet alliance continued to fight the Bolsheviks. The problem is that all the needed guns and artillery, tanks and cars, ammunition and gasoline, and even the canned bread and biscuits for the soldiers have to be paid for by the United States of America.
What's even more annoying is that after spending so many dollars, I haven't heard any good news at all - after months of stalemate, the anti-Soviet forces have once again begun to retreat. The red forces not only swept through France, but also invaded Spain... Before Washington had time to question and urge Churchill, this damn fat man issued such an exaggerated bill for supplies! ! !
"...Yes, Mr. President, Churchill has really gone too far this time! After fighting like this on the European front, he is still obsessed with rebuilding the Far Eastern colonial empire! He even wants the United States to pay for him! He treats us as What? The aid the United States gave him was to hold back the Soviets and prevent the whole of Europe from being stained red! "Secretary of State Hull also agreed with this and echoed.
"...Hey, although China's Chairman Chiang is both incompetent and shameless, and often only takes aid without doing anything, he at least has some self-awareness and will not ask for so many things from us. As long as we give him dozens of planes and a few infantry The teacher's equipment will make this bald man happy
Although North Korea's Park Chung-hee is cruel and cold-blooded and has no concept of democracy and freedom in his mind, he at least led a ragtag group of people to withstand the Bolsheviks' many attacks and is still firmly guarding Seoul, the old capital of the Kingdom of Korea, giving him That little bit of assistance can be said to be extremely valuable.
But Churchill, that old bastard, not only tricked us time and time again, but also made a mess on the battlefield, specifically holding us back. Moreover, the scale of assistance required from the United States is not at all in the same order of magnitude as the previous two! In the past few years since entering the war, Churchill has successively taken tens of millions of tons of our fuel, hundreds of divisions' equipment, at least hundreds of merchant ships and warships, and God knows how much wheat and Spam canned luncheon meat, but he is still He has an expression of justice, as if the United States was born to be a cash machine in Whitehall... One day I will have to settle the accounts with him! ”
President Truman sighed and continued to vent his strong dissatisfaction with the British, "...We were so used to him in the past!"
"...Moreover, if we openly support Britain's restoration of its Eastern colonies, it is itself a serious political incorrectness. As we all know, the United States of America has always been opposed to colonialism, and the restoration of Britain's Eastern colonies is definitely not in the interests of the United States... ”
Secretary of State Hull went on to add: "...We must always hold the British tightly and force them to act in accordance with the will of the United States. We must not relax at any time about this country that is inherently rebellious and rich in conspirators! We can no longer be like this We were fooled like that in the last war! We are not philanthropists, and Churchill is not a beggar praying for mercy! He doesn’t even have the gratitude of a beggar!”
——Although U.S. imperialism is not as great, glorious and correct as it claims to be, it really does not lie or deceive when it comes to opposing colonialism. Because colonialism posed an obstacle for American companies to enter various colonial and semi-colonial markets, the United States has long held a position against colonialism. Even the Philippine colony that the United States once owned had been "generously" granted independence before World War II.
Even if the United States does not intend to use fierce war to oppose colonialism, it is even less likely to support others in using war to maintain colonialism.
"...Ahem, Mr. President, Mr. Secretary of State, I can understand your dissatisfaction with Churchill and the British. In fact, I am also very annoyed with the damn fat man Churchill. But what I have to point out to you is that, Despite all the shortcomings of this fat man, Churchill still insisted on continuing the war. The situation in Britain is now extremely bad and it is already on the verge of failure.”
Special Assistant Harry Hopkins coughed a few times and advised, "...if Britain becomes completely discouraged and chooses to negotiate peace with the Soviet Union and cede all of Europe, then the harm to the United States will probably be far greater than any defeat on the battlefield. Much more powerful! No matter what, Churchill still firmly supports fighting alongside us. When he is ousted and replaced by another person as prime minister, it may not be possible..."
Hopkins's reminder suddenly gave President Truman a sudden jolt - indeed, although Churchill's performance was very bad, the consequences of allowing the Soviet Union to unify the entire European continent were even more nightmare-like. I'm afraid the strategy will all fail because of this!
What's more, now even the Soviet Union and Japan, who once had a deep hatred, can cooperate closely on the East Asian battlefield, and the Axis countries can cooperate closely. What reason does the Anglo-Saxon nation, who share the same culture and race, have to not unite together? This is the moment that determines the century-old hegemony of the world!
"...Okay, I understand," President Truman looked at Hopkins with complicated eyes, "...No matter how uncomfortable it is, we must help Churchill, otherwise if he falls, Britain will If we withdraw from the war, the United States' global strategy will go bankrupt, right?"
"...Ahem, unfortunately, the reality is so cruel, Mr. President. The United States' global strategy can no longer leave the United Kingdom, and Churchill's fall again will inevitably trigger the United Kingdom's withdrawal from the war! At least judging from the current situation, it is definitely It will develop like this!”
Hopkins lowered his head and coughed and replied, "...British subjects have been tortured by war, destruction, death and deprivation for too long. They have already killed an entire generation of young people in the war, and they will continue to die. Go down. The vast majority of British people are actually tired of war and never want to think about it again. These days are like nightmares. Whether it is the glory of the empire or the majesty of the overlord, these empty things are meaningless to them. It is only under the pressure of the wartime system and patriotism that they can barely persist. That's all, but it's almost reaching its limit.
Last time, the reason why the peace-minded Attlee cabinet collapsed quickly, and the war-minded Churchill was able to return to office after a brief period of resignation, was because Stalin's peace talks were too harsh, and he actually asked Britain to withdraw to their small island in one step. Go up and give up Everything that has been achieved in four hundred years of maritime colonization is intolerable to the arrogant John Bull gentlemen. On the other hand, it is our nuclear bombing of Tokyo and landing in Japan that makes the British seem to see the dawn of victory again and makes them tired. A shot in the arm was injected into his body. However, now, more than half a year has passed, and with the continuation of the brutal war and the successive defeats on the European continent, the effect of that shot in the arm may have almost disappeared.
In order for the people to continue to persevere, Churchill must come up with some real victories as soon as possible! On the European continent, the British's pitiful army was obviously unable to stop the Soviet Red Army's armored torrent. The only thing they could do was to fan the flames and delay time by tearing down the eastern wall to make up for the western wall.
Therefore, Churchill can only set his sights east! Use the good news of recovering the Far Eastern colonies to cheer up the people. In fact, judging from Churchill's performance in recruiting various forces in India, he no longer expected to restore everything to the past. He just wanted to give the people a hope, a hope for the people to continue participating in the war, even if it was self-deception. Hope inspires people to continue the war.
Otherwise, once the endurance of the British people reaches its limit, Churchill and his wartime cabinet will be completely abandoned. This cannot be stopped by any law or authorization! Even if the royal family comes forward, there is still nothing they can do! Just like in February 1917, when Russian civilians, 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, and the Tsar was not driven by the Bolsheviks. Overthrown, Lenin was still in Switzerland in February of that year, and there was no way he could create such a big movement in St. Petersburg..."
"...The situation on the Indian side...I also know that that purely nominal victory, apart from the self-deceptive propaganda value, does not have many real benefits and benefits for the British government...But if we really give If too much aid is given, will it become true?”
President Truman frowned and said, "...The current situation of the United States is actually not that good. The war with the Japanese and the Bolshevik forces in various East Asian countries does not know how long it will last. If the British Empire really resurrects, wouldn't it be self-defeating? Adding new troubles to yourself? ”
"...Ahem, you are overthinking it. The British Empire has already irrevocably passed its historical peak, Mr. President. The fringe island countries lacking in substance will eventually be replaced by the new continental empire. We have more With its population, abundant resources, and vast territory, it is far more powerful than Xiaojiazi. The British pirates are more qualified to rule the world. The current United States just suffered a temporary setback before the outbreak. The rise of Britain was not smooth sailing. The British gentlemen were also invaded by the Dutch fleet across the Thames River, but this did not hinder London. Then it became the capital of the world.”
Hopkins coughed with a hoarse voice 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 was the most It can only be partially held together with glue, and it is not complete, and it will soon disintegrate and fall apart in the smoke of gunfire. Nazi Germany also. Already out, the entire Axis system no longer exists. The remaining finals are the peak showdown between the red camp and the free camp. The Soviet Union uses Japan to hold us back, and we use the United Kingdom to hold back the Soviet Union. Whoever defeats the opponent in front of him can realize his greatest dream and inherit the British Empire's throne as the world's hegemon!
In order to win this finals that determines the fate of the world, the United States must use all its chips and endure all pain and humiliation... Otherwise, all our previous sacrifices and efforts will be in vain. The United States has bet too much, and no one can afford the price of failure..."