Chapter 43
Chapter 43
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Translator: crow
Chapter Title: Butterfly Effect (3)
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The dictator of the Soviet Union, Joseph Stalin, felt fear.
How could all the democratic nations of Europe collapse in just over six weeks?
Thinking of the German spearhead that made it possible sent shivers down his spine.
"Now, only our Union and Germany remain in Europe."
Who would Hitler target next?
The answer was obvious.
The Union.
Stalin was no stranger to Hitler's ambitions.
A leader of Germany's stature would naturally be scrutinized under a microscope.
And Hitler was an easy subject to observe from the outside.
Just reading his book *Mein Kampf* made his thoughts clear.
"Living space."
Hitler openly coveted this land, the vast expanse of the Soviet Union.
Of course, there was a non-aggression pact, but Stalin had never expected Hitler to honor it.
Even Britain, which might have stood against Hitler, was on the verge of signing an armistice.
With no enemies at his back, it was only a matter of time before Hitler invaded.
Preparations were needed.
First, to secure a maximum buffer zone, he had to seize all the territories promised to the Soviet Union under Hitler's agreements.
That included Bessarabia and Bukovina in Romania, currently preparing for invasion, and the three Baltic states.
"Territory goes without saying, but I'd like help from other areas too."
He needed a diplomatic wildcard to turn the tide.
As he pored over a world map, two countries caught his eye.
Korea and America.
America was dominated by isolationists, so it couldn't offer much help against Hitler's ambitions right now.
Still, making some overture was better than doing nothing.
Korea, on the other hand,
was an authoritarian regime with an aggressive bent.
If it decided to move, it could act immediately.
It also showed alliance potential.
The problem was that Yi Seong-jun had no interest in joining hands right away.
Only one conclusion emerged.
For now, the Union had to handle it alone.
"I guess advancing the defensive line is out."
Stalin had been planning to shift defenses and troops into the occupied Polish territories.
It would pressure Germany and serve as a forward base for invading German soil if needed.
But now, he had to consider deployments assuming a one-on-one with Germany.
France had fallen in six weeks, and Britain was negotiating—against such a "superpower," the Soviets needed a defensive posture.
Just as Stalin was about to issue new directives to the military, Molotov arrived with a letter.
"General Secretary Comrade. Yi Seong-jun has sent a letter."
"Yi Seong-jun?"
Come to think of it, Yi Seong-jun had no reason to be surprised by Germany's victory.
Even if Germany defeated the Soviets, it couldn't project power across Siberia.
"Why is he reacting now?"
Stalin tore open the letter's seal.
"Esteemed General Secretary Stalin. In light of changes in the European situation, I feel the need for close cooperation between Korea and the Soviet Union. Accordingly, I am willing to produce and supply the military goods desired by the Soviet side from Korea. What do you think?"
It listed tanks, field guns, trucks, and more as items they could produce.
Naturally, it mentioned payment in resources.
Tanks.
The Union was sorely short of modern tanks ready for deployment anyway.
But were Korean tanks any good?
The General Secretary summoned Voroshilov and asked about the Korean military's tank situation.
Even Voroshilov let out a hollow laugh.
"Korea’s main battle tank, Koba? It doesn't even qualify as a tank."
So they lacked the technology to build proper ones?
And now they offered to produce tanks?
"Ah, this is a proposal."
Sharing the Union's tank technology with their industrial production capacity.
Stalin understood Seong-jun's intent.
Stalin showed Voroshilov the letter.
"The offer to produce tanks for us is tempting, but handing over our technology is a concern."
"What if we get some of theirs in exchange?"
Like Korean optics or naval guns, for instance.
"Well, if the scales balance, there's no reason not to trade."
With Voroshilov's reaction confirmed, Stalin leaned toward accepting Seong-jun's proposal.
"Understood for now."
He had decided, but Stalin was extremely cautious.
He couldn't base such a decision on one man's word alone.
He needed to consult the relevant technicians, tapping the bridge before crossing, as it were.
"Still, it doesn't sound bad."
If this cooperation laid the foundation for an alliance, it would be a boon for the Union.
Stalin calculated as much.
*
"Sieg Heil! Sieg Heil!"
On June 23, 1940, the German people's reaction to Hitler, fresh from touring Paris, was pure ecstasy.
The feat of crushing France—a nation that had fought the Prussian and German Empire for four years without defeat—in a mere six weeks rivaled Napoleon's campaigns.
Even the staunch Junkers entrenched in the Reich had to bow to the Führer's "genius" at this moment.
"Hitler has paid them back in spades."
"We can't bare our teeth at the Führer for a while."
Even Social Democrats were chanting "Heil to the Führer."
Hitler's approval rating broke 90 percent.
In this moment, Hitler was Germany's god.
Upon returning to Berlin, the Führer quietly gathered his inner circle.
As everyone basked in the euphoria of stunning victory, Hitler spoke.
"Once Britain submits, the time will come to face our true enemy."
"Führer, what do you mean?"
"Now that Europe has bowed to us, we must smash the last foe—the Bolshevik-Yiddish den of the Soviet Union. Only then can we grant the great Germanic race vast lands."
The Führer had never intended to honor the non-aggression pact with the Soviets.
He had always planned, once the west was settled, to launch an anti-communist crusade in the east.
"Führer, the Soviets are no easy opponent. They command the world's largest army—a giant."
Foreign Minister Ribbentrop voiced opposition in a hesitant tone.
As the diplomat responsible, he naturally opposed wrecking a smoothly functioning state relationship.
"Nonsense!"
Hitler snapped sharply.
"Are you saying that after seeing the Bolsheviks' pathetic performance against Finland last year and early this? They're all bulk and no substance. Our invincible Wehrmacht need only kick down the rotten Soviet door with a mighty boot, and it will collapse at once."
Ribbentrop fell silent.
Reading the mood, the inner circle quickly flattered Hitler.
"Führer! If our Luftwaffe, which led this war to victory, takes the field, conquering the Soviets will be a breeze."
"The Armed SS is ready too, mein Führer. Just give the order, and we'll march anywhere."
Keitel, lacking standing to speak for the army, chimed in anyway.
"Führer. OKW will faithfully prepare operations upon your command."
Hitler savored his aides' competitive loyalty.
Of course, no invasion plans were decided or drafted on the spot.
That required involvement from OKH, the Army High Command.
Hitler found that fact irksome.
What did the Junkers—who had failed to recognize Manstein's genius—know about planning operations, clutching it so tightly?
Dunkirk was a case in point.
If the Führer himself hadn't "decided," he would have ended up a crippled victor like Yi Seong-jun.
Hitler felt displeasure but didn't ignore reality.
Soon, orders went out to the Army High Command to prepare Soviet invasion plans.
The army welcomed the directive eagerly.
"We took France in six weeks; ten weeks should suffice for the Soviet reds."
"The reds are just Tsarist Russians with a new signboard—what's to fear?"
They had won on two fronts before; concentrated, victory was certain.
The German High Command estimated the campaign would wrap in three months at most.
Of course, they weren't advocating a blind rush.
Not this year, anyway.
France was settled, but most army units needed rest and reorganization.
Ammunition stocks required replenishment.
After sorting gear and repositioning, September at earliest.
That timing was poor for invading the Soviets.
"September means rasputitsa; winter's at the door. Next year it is."
The Germans pegged May to June 1941 as ideal.
Detailed plans and force sizes would take months to refine, but the outline existed.
Invasion force: roughly 160 divisions.
Larger than the France invasion.
The seeds of Barbarossa, history's greatest invasion, sprouted months early.