I Became Stalin?!

Chapter 41

Long live Rommel, the conqueror of Africa!

The central avenue of Berlin was adorned with swastikas. 

The crowds cheered and threw bouquets and petals at the marching soldiers. 

These proud soldiers had just returned from Africa and were the stars of the parade celebrating their victory.

The citizens cheered sincerely. 

In the last war, the German Empire failed to crush Britain and France and suffered huge losses, eventually losing to the ‘stab in the back’. 

Whether it was true or not, they believed it.

But in this war, Germany was only winning, winning, and winning. 

France, the best land power in Europe, the victor of the last war, surrendered in just six weeks in front of the genius tactics. 

Britain, the ruler of the seas of the world, lost 70% of its army and 50% of its fleet in the Atlantic and Mediterranean, and was debating whether to surrender or fight on.

The last remaining Soviet Union? 

At least according to Dr. Goebbels, the Minister of Propaganda, they were retreating slowly while sacrificing more than twice as many soldiers as the Germans.

“Hurrah! Hurrah! Long live Rommel!”

As Rommel, the commander of the Africa Korps, appeared in his jeep, ‘Mammoth’, the crowd went into a frenzy.

Was this how it was in the old days, when Scipio Africanus, the conqueror of Africa who glorified Rome, did this? 

Standing upright with a face tanned black under the scorching sun of the desert, he waved his hand to the crowd and received a passionate welcome worthy of a field marshal.

Girls and maidens threw roses at him and jealous cheers from young men echoed.

<Forward with our Rommel! Let’s march on!

Forward with our Rommel! Forward! Forward!>

As someone started singing <Our Rommel>, which had become the most popular song in Germany, everyone joined in. Forward with our Rommel! 

Even the marching soldiers started laughing and smiling.

The news from the Eastern Front was not properly conveyed to the people and soldiers due to media control and censorship of letters. 

In fact, even the soldiers fighting there thought they were winning, except that the fighting was extremely hard and the advance was slower than before. 

Anyway, they were enjoying happiness for now.

“Has it been delivered well to General Rommel? I hope he understands.”

And on the balcony of the Chancellery overlooking this parade, a few selected people were talking with the Chancellor. At first glance, their conversation was hard to understand. 

What could they not tell Rommel right there?

The high-ranking officers of each branch standing around the Chancellor nodded their heads repeatedly. 

Yes, yes, we will proceed as you wish.

The only non-German in this place, the Italian ambassador, was secretly puzzled. 

When did they become like this? 

He was an outsider, but as a diplomat who collected and handled information from inside and outside, he knew well about the high-handed attitude of the German military.

He could understand that Field Marshal Rundstedt and Chief of Staff Halder were purged, but was it this bad? 

Of course he was a diplomat, so he quietly answered only what the Chancellor wanted to ask and took a very humble attitude.

“I thank you for sending out Italy’s finest. The Italian army has always been a good partner of Germany in Africa and in the Balkans. If this… plan is successful, I will definitely pay you back as promised.”

“We are always grateful for your generosity and magnanimity.”

The Italian ambassador bowed deeply with an Italian-like graceful gesture. 

The Chancellor nodded his head slightly and looked at the parade again. 

The equipment of the British army captured by the German army was marching along with all kinds of insulting graffiti on it, and on top of them were tied up British prisoners.

The citizens mocked them and threw stones and rotten tomatoes at them. 

Was that okay for prisoners? 

The ambassador wondered but soon let it go.

Who would bring rotten tomatoes to such a parade? 

There must be some troublemakers mixed in.

The Chancellor was extremely cruel to those designated as enemies but loyal and generous to his friends. 

Italy’s job was to take advantage of that. 

As an ambassador who was responsible for that benefit, he wanted to be faithful to his duty.

“Wouldn’t it be nice if General Rommel really ‘returns home’? We could also award him a medal in Italy.”

“Are you saying that? His Excellency also heard about General Rommel’s exploits and admired him and wanted to meet him. I had no excuse to invite him to Rome but a medal ceremony would be appropriate.”

The Rommel in this parade was fake. 

This parade was planned to deceive the eyes of British intelligence and military. 

They set up a double for Rommel and brought his symbolic command car ‘Mammoth’ to make it look like Rommel was still in the country and the landing operation was far away.

Only a few of the soldiers marching in this parade were real Africa Korps members, and most of them were just extras.

As the campaign in North Africa came to an end, most of the soldiers who had formed the original units were sent back to the mainland and transferred to the newly established assault divisions as conscripts.

The veterans who had experienced bloodshed in Africa mingled with the newly drafted young soldiers, who were the most loyal and healthy, and underwent rigorous training after training. 

The senior soldiers were armed with tremendous pride.

The heroes who defeated Britain, the greatest power, under the command of Rommel, the conqueror of Africa! 

The young recruits admired them, and the senior soldiers trained them hard in return.

The recruits, composed only of pure Aryan boys born in 1924, were reborn as strong soldiers under the affection and strict supervision of the senior soldiers, and the fanatical indoctrination.

And this unit – the British Expeditionary Force – was now stationed at the ports of France, waiting for the order to launch the landing operation. 

The 15th Armored Division and the 21st Armored Division, the Italian Expeditionary Division, the 1st Airborne Division and the 6th SS Division ‘Hitler Youth’.

The 150,000-strong first landing force became a sharp spearhead to pierce the heart of Britain, preparing for a blow to cut off the throat of the old lion. 

And Rommel, who held that spear, was finishing his preparations for the operation at the port of France.

The United States was still hesitating to declare war. 

They had decided to send a fleet centered on three battleships to defend Britain, but they were reluctant to declare war preemptively on Germany, which had almost dominated Europe.

Wind and fire, when they are still hesitating, we will crush all of Europe like a storm.

“Ribbentrop.”

“Did you call me, my Chancellor?”

“How did Salazar respond?”

The only bridgehead for the Allies to Europe was now left with only one: securing the Mediterranean. 

In all of Europe, there was only one power left that resisted Germany: the Soviet Union. 

The rest accepted either an uneasy neutrality or Nazi Germany’s hegemony.

At the western end of the continent, relying on the distance and trying to maintain a traditional friendship with Britain, Portugal’s Salazar was perhaps willing to cooperate with the Allies?

But in the end, Spain, which bordered Portugal, decided to cooperate with Germany and blocked access to Gibraltar. 

If Portugal gave up its islands in Madeira and Azores, which were close to both sides of the Atlantic Ocean, they would be turned into unsinkable aircraft carriers and advance bases. 

Then all routes for America to exert influence on this side of the Atlantic would be blocked.

No matter how powerful they were, could they break through the Atlantic blocked by a fleet with dozens of submarines and battleships while fighting a war in the Pacific Ocean? 

And land on Europe and drive us out?

Even if they tried to bomb us with strategic bombers, there was an air defense network in occupied Britain, France and Spain that could not be followed by escort fighters. 

Then Germany’s homeland would be relatively safe. The only enemy on the continent was then Soviet Union.

“Salazar said he would not declare war if possible and provide as much cooperation as possible. He said he would allow us to use their mainland ports as U-boat bases and lease Madeira and Azores for 50 years as our airfields and naval bases. However… he vehemently refused to send troops and participate directly in the war.”

50 years? 

It’s a lifetime. If we win, it will be forever. 

If we lose, it will end immediately. 

The Chancellor recited a poem. A human’s 50 years is nothing but a dream compared to a river’s time…

“A cowardly choice for a coward. Add one more condition. Disarm Portugal’s army and station 20,000 German troops in Lisbon and Porto to ‘maintain order’. He can accept it or not. The deadline is… six hours.”

“Th… that’s what I’ll tell him.”

It was nothing but coercion to give up sovereignty. But it must have seemed inevitable to that old coward.

It didn’t matter either way.

What we needed was not a little bit of land there, but to cut off America’s route to influence Europe. 

Ribbentrop shivered his shoulders and went down from the balcony. 

He was going to send an ultimatum to Salazar via a direct line from the Foreign Ministry: decide whether to surrender or fight within six hours.

The farther away it is, the more difficult it is to supply. 

If we occupy Britain and Ireland islands and convert Madeira and Azores islands into unsinkable aircraft carriers as advance bases, all routes for America to influence this side of Atlantic will be blocked.

Even if they have great national power, could they break through Atlantic blocked by dozens of submarines and battleships while fighting war in Pacific? 

And land on Europe and drive us out?

Even if they try to bomb us with strategic bombers, there is an air defense network in occupied Britain, France, and Spain that escort fighters can’t follow. 

Then Germany’s homeland would be relatively safe. The only enemy on the continent was then Soviet Union.

“Finally… Grand Admiral Raeder?”

“Yes, my Chancellor.”

It was time to order a surprise attack to announce the start of the British landing operation. 

To break Britain, we had to cut off the breath of America and Soviet Union. 

Cutting off Soviet Union’s breath was still difficult, so we had to hit America.

“Order the carrier fleet to seize both sides as soon as Salazar gives up Madeira and Azores. If he doesn’t… still seize both sides. At the same time, start ‘Operation Pelican’.”

“Yes! I understand.”

The deadline for the ultimatum was six hours.

Britain still had not grasped the landing operation and a series of surprise attacks.

The spies inside the intelligence agency were sending out their information in real time, and luckily there was confusion upon confusion. 

The Provisional Government of Free India and the Indians were terrorizing the oppressor Britain, saying that now was the time to drive them out, and they achieved unexpected success.

“My Chancellor, an urgent report has come up from the Atlantic. ‘The pelican has made its nest,’ they say.”

An officer of the SS Guard reported. 

The Chancellor smiled with satisfaction for the first time in a long time.