107

April 13, 1941

USSR Moscow Kremlin Palace

"With this, true peace has come between the two countries."

"Today will be recorded as the most meaningful day in the history of our two countries, Excellency Secretary General!"

Joseph Stalin, General Secretary of the Soviet Union, and Yosuke Matsuoka, Foreign Minister of the Empire of Japan, held hands.

Photographers captured the two people holding each other's hands on film. The sound of the camera flash tickling my ears.

While Germany was preoccupied with Balkan issues, the Soviet Union signed a non-aggression pact with Japan.

The Soviet Union was a huge obstacle for Japan, which dreamed of advancing into China, and compromise with the Soviet Union was necessary to swallow up China.

The Soviet Union also needed to concentrate its power entirely on Europe to deal with the gigantic monster that was Germany, and to do so, it had to compromise with Japan in the Far East.

As the interests of the two countries coincided, the Far East Non-Aggression Treaty and the So-Japan Non-Aggression Treaty were born.

The Soviet Union acknowledged that Manchukuo and Inner Mongolia were Japanese territory, and in return for tolerating Japan's expansion into China and Southeast Asia, it received recognition for the safety of the Far East and its advancement into the Middle East, including Iran and Afghanistan.

"The two countries should have been like this a long time ago… . "If that had been the case, there would have been no damage caused by the senseless collision."

"What if I regret something that has already happened? "You just have to do well from now on."

"Haha, what your Excellency Secretary said is correct."

"Now, let us all raise a toast to commemorate this historic day."

Stalin smiled brightly and clinked glasses with Matsuoka. As the vodka passed down her esophagus, the thrill of alcohol spread throughout her body.

With this, there will be no problems in the Far East for the time being. Even though Japan was at war with China, it constantly got on Stalin's nerves by causing large and small border disputes with the Soviet Union and Mongolia.

When war broke out with Germany, Stalin, who was most worried about Japan attacking the Far East, was relieved of his worries with the Japan-Soviet Non-Aggression Treaty.

This will ensure that the Soviet Union will not have to fight a war on two fronts: west and east.

Matsuoka was just as satisfied with this treaty as Stalin.

Japan, which was overwhelmed by just dealing with China right now, was concerned that the Soviet Union would change its mind and stop helping China and attacking Japan.

Just as the Soviet Union deployed dozens of divisions in the Far East for fear of a Japanese attack, Japan also had no choice but to deploy dozens of divisions in the Manchuria area in preparation for a Soviet invasion.

At the front lines, people are clamoring for troops and supplies.

However, since the Japan-Soviet Non-Aggression Treaty was signed, it became possible to send the elite divisions of the Kwantung Army deployed in Manchuria to the front lines.

Wait, should we ask the Soviet Union to join the war using northwest China as bait? There is no way that Chiang Kai-shek's Kuomintang army, which is no better than a ragtag army, can stop the Soviet Red Army, which is difficult to deal with even the imperial army of the world.

If the Soviet Union declares participation in the war, Chiang Kai-shek will immediately beg the Empire for reinforcements, and the war will immediately end.

I'll have to talk to Prime Minister Konoe as soon as I get back to Tokyo. Matsuoka happily sipped his cognac as he imagined the entire Far East becoming one under the values ​​of the Greater East Asia Co-Prosperity Sphere.

"Former Minister Molotov, let us toast too."

"Good. Now, let's drink it all up!"

"Wahahahah!!!"

While Soviet and Japanese magnates enjoyed the excitement of the party, Stalin sat alone, distant from his entourage and the Japanese.

As he raised his empty glass, an NKVD agent dressed as a waiter rushed up and poured alcohol into his glass. It was Chacha, a traditional Georgian liquor.

Chacha is made by distilling the grape residue left over from making wine, and was famous for being a strong liquor with an alcohol content of 40 to 70 percent.

Stalin drank 70-proof chacha when drinking alone, but only 40-proof on official occasions. This was to prevent him from getting drunk and making mistakes in front of his associates.

Stalin drank chacha and chewed pork shashlik. He was lost in his own thoughts as he felt the taste of charcoal-grilled scaffolding melting on his tongue.

Adolf Hitler. The dictator of Germany and an unprecedented man who took control of all of Western Europe in one year.

Hitler himself said that he would strive to become the next Bismarck, but Hitler's achievements were nothing short of miraculous, to the point where Bismarck had to learn from Hitler.

If you were to choose a great person whose achievements are comparable to Hitler, you would have to pick Napoleon or Genghis Khan.

From the day Paris fell, Hitler had never left Stalin's mind.

The Germany he ruled was the most dangerous object in the current Soviet Union, and almost the only thing that kept Stalin, the human butcher of Georgia, awake at night.

It would not be an exaggeration to say that the non-aggression pact signed with Japan today was in fact entirely due to Germany.

Of course, advancing into the Middle East was a serious matter that the Soviet Union had been planning for a long time, but stopping Germany was tens or hundreds of times more important.

First of all, shouldn't we stop Germany before we can target the Middle East or India?

According to what the NKVD recently found out, Hitler was only concerned about the invasion of Albania by Yugoslavia and Greece in the Balkan Peninsula, and never prepared or made a statement about an invasion of the Soviet Union.

Although Stalin was internally relieved by the NKVD's report, he could not shake off his anxiety until the end.

What if, in fact, all of this is thoroughly disguised to deceive one's own eyes? For someone with a quick mind like Hitler, this was entirely possible.

Germany has historically been in frequent conflict with Russia, with both sides truly wishing to completely destroy the other.

There is no evidence or guarantee that Hitler, who came to power advocating Great Germanism, was free from the ambition of conquering the Soviet Union.

In the first place, it makes no sense for Germany, an anti-communist country, to coexist with the Soviet Union, a communist country.

The reason they signed a mutual non-aggression pact was to deal with a common enemy that was immediately in front of them, not because they sincerely considered each other comrades.

Hitler, what is he thinking? Does he think the same thing as me? or not… .

"Mr Secretary, please take one more drink."

"iced coffee. "Of course."

It was Matsuoka who interrupted Stalin's thoughts. He drank cognac, whiskey, and vodka all at once and was wandering around the banquet hall quite drunk.

Stalin was annoyed at being interrupted from his thoughts, but like the man who was good at managing his facial expressions, he smiled and clinked his glasses.

He hoped that Matsuoka would just go somewhere else, but Matsuoka, who was so drunk, rarely left the place. He said with a smile.

"Your Excellency the Secretary? I don't know how to cheat. If I break the treaty, my head belongs to the Secretary General. But if you lie, I will come for your head."

Matsuoka said it as a joke, but to Stalin, Matsuoka's joke was not a joke. Stalin, irritated, responded.

"Huh, my neck is important to the Soviet Union. Your neck will also be more important to your Japan. So, rather than arguing about other people's necks, I think it would be better to try to keep your head on your shoulders."

"That's a fair statement, hahahaha!"

Matsuoka, who was oblivious, laughed loudly. Stalin, who was even more irritated by the sight, spoke irritably.

"You are truly Asian people."

In Europe, the word 'Asian' was synonymous with barbarism. The atmosphere at the banquet hall instantly froze.

Even in his opinion, this was an extreme expression, so Stalin hastily added:

"Of course, I'm also Asian like you."

"Yes. We are all Asian. "Let us toast to the well-being of Asia."

Matsuoka, who toasted Stalin, walked away and took a picture with his arms around him.

But even as the camera shutter clicked, the only thing on Stalin's mind was Hitler.

***

"… .Maybe it would be better now?"

The world was abuzz with the So-Japan Non-Aggression Treaty, but for King Petar II, the So-Japan Non-Aggression Treaty was not even on his mind.

This is because more urgent tasks lie ahead.

Yugoslavia invaded Albania under the belief that Germany would not intervene even if it invaded Albania.

However, contrary to initial expectations, Germany immediately sent a warning to Yugoslavia and applied pressure on all fronts.

Following reports that Germany's army and air force were moving toward the Yugoslav border, Propaganda Minister Goebbels went on radio and gave a blunt warning to Yugoslavia and Greece in a public speech.

This is the final warning. From now on I will never speak again... . Petar II did not believe that Germany had simply spoken as a threat. As far as he knew, Hitler was a do-it-yourselfer.

He annexed Poland, conquered France, and conquered all of Europe by subduing Italy. For him, conquering Yugoslavia would not be a task.

"If you have a mouth, speak."

"… .."

"… .."

"You clearly didn't say anything. That Germany would never intervene. "Are you saying that the Germany of today is a different country from the Germany you spoke of?"

It was Petar II himself who gave final approval to the war, believing only the words of his associates, so it was not his words, but no one could point this out.

In response to the anger of the young emperor who had no idea about the world, his subjects, who were as old as his father, only bowed their heads.

"So, I'm sorry… .."

"It's okay to say sorry. We didn't come together just to hear that one thing. I'm asking the police about measures. "Measures to resolve this situation."

The solution was to stop the war as Germany warned, but that was not easy.

The Yugoslav royal family and government announced to the public that their army was continuing to win day after day, but the reality was different.

The Yugoslav army was having a hard time against the Albanian army, and so far had only advanced a few kilometers from the border.

Less than a year after independence, the Albanian army fought tenaciously due to the sense of crisis that the country might disappear again.

It is enough for a country to fail once. Under the belief that the country could not be taken over by foreign powers again, the Albanians united as one and resisted the invaders.

Volunteers lined up at the recruiting station, and women who could not go to the battlefield cooked for the soldiers, repaired their uniforms, and nursed the wounded soldiers.

On the other hand, the Yugoslav army was busy fighting divided into various ethnic groups, including Serbs, Croats, and Montenegrins.

Serbian officers gave priority to only Croatian soldiers in dangerous missions, and Croatian soldiers rebelled against the orders of Serbian officers and avoided battle.

Low-quality training also aggravated the damage to the Yugoslav army.

Fighter pilots were busy running away when anti-aircraft fire was fired, and tank drivers often threw their tanks into ditches or pits.

The training of the Albanian army is not that good, but the patriotism to protect the country and the geographical advantage offset many of these shortcomings.

Fortunately, the Greek army did well against the Albanian army and succeeded in taking control of parts of southern Albania, including Sarander and Korçe.

However, the Greek army also stopped its advance due to fierce resistance from the Albanian army and logistical problems.

If the war was stopped here and now, Yugoslavia would have lost nothing but its precious equipment and troops.

How would the people react if they gained nothing but lost a lot?

He had removed his uncle from office because of the damage suffered in the war with Italy. What if the damage was similar, but he actually gained nothing?

Will the people continue to support their incompetent king? Absolutely not.

For this reason, Petar II was in an awkward position, unable to stop or continue the war. However, we cannot ignore Germany's ultimatum.

There is no such thing as a dilemma. I didn't stage a coup to see this happen... . Holding back the sigh that threatened to burst out at any moment, Petar II looked around at his subjects.

"Your Majesty, I will be honest with you."

Simovic, who had been silent like a dumb person, spoke.

"Under the current circumstances, there seems to be no other way than to accept Germany's ultimatum."

"Are you saying that now? "Nothing has been gained from the war, so if the war is stopped here, will the people remain silent?"

The young king glared at the prime minister as if he were his parents' enemy.

"Whenever you shout loudly that you will conquer Albania, now let's stop the war! "How could you be so irresponsible!"

"your majesty. In that regard, I have nothing to say. I apologize once again. But realistically, there is no other way than this. A war with Germany will most likely lead to destruction of this country."

As Simovic said, war with Germany meant destruction.

Even France, which prided itself on having the strongest army in Europe, raised the white flag after just four weeks, and now Yugoslavia, which even Albania can't handle, is fighting against Germany? It's no different from hitting a rock with an egg.

"The Prime Minister is right. It's a shame, but our army can never stop the German army. If Hitler had his way, Belgrade would fall in a week."

Kalapatovic spoke. Petar II, who had ignored his own responsibilities and was fuming with anger, gradually regained his cool.

I was afraid of the people's anger, but I was even more afraid of Hitler's Germany.

Germany has already completely erased Czechoslovakia and Poland from the map, so should it just leave Yugoslavia alone?

Reports that in addition to German troops, Hungarian and Bulgarian troops were also deployed along the border also awakened Petar II's sense of reality.

In addition to Germany, Albania also requested help from Hungary and Bulgaria, both of which would grind their teeth against Yugoslavia.

There is a sense of crisis that if Albania falls, it may be their turn next, but the will to take this opportunity to properly deal with the hated Yugoslavia may also have played a role in the movement of troops.

"… .I can't help it. However, once the war is over, the officials will definitely be held accountable. "Be prepared for this."

"Would it be possible?"

The ministers clicked their tongues internally at the sight of the king openly claiming that he had done nothing wrong and trying to shift all responsibility to others, but on the outside they had no choice but to bow their heads.

The final reason why things happened like this was because they were responsible for pushing for the invasion of Albania.

however,

An incident that was completely unexpected by the king, his subjects, and Germany occurred in the capital city of Belgrade.