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Today is March 17, 1946. The main conference room of the Nashdart Building in Hamburg is packed with people. Eisenhower slowly walks to the podium in front of dozens of generals' uniforms from different countries.
On either side of the blue curtain behind him stood the flags of the United States, the United Kingdom, Norway, Denmark, as well as Belgium, the Netherlands, Luxembourg, and other countries. Just five minutes before he went on stage, several soldiers carried up a flagpole covered in a white cover from the shadows in the corner, revealing the French tricolor flag wrapped inside.
A section in the middle of the curtain was empty, as if there was something inside that needed to be displayed.
"It is a great honor to be here, gentlemen. Only 290 days have passed since Nazi Germany surrendered. What is even more disturbing is that before that, another flame of war that was raging in Europe and the world had already been burning in these ruins."
"The six-year World War was a catastrophe that devastated countless lives and destroyed countless homes. We lost our homes, our loved ones, our country, and everything. There was a time when we raised different flags and watched as the swastika flag swept across the European continent like a plague, determined to reclaim this beautiful cradle of humanity and defend everything we had lost."
"Our battle is not for plunder, nor for slaughter, but because this is our land, the land we have fought for our entire lives. Only resolute force can reclaim what has been lost, and only unwavering faith in victory can keep the claws of aggression at bay. This is one of the ironclad laws of civilization since ancient times."
"We must not only stand firm against aggressors, but also support each other with our partners. We are not alone on the road to maintaining world peace, nor can we succeed alone on this path."
"Today, an enemy from another world has laid bare his ambitions before us, plundering our land and slaughtering our people. Unlike yesterday, today we are all protectors of the European continent, defenders of world peace, and we are united under this banner in the name of justice."
"For our future, for our descendants, for peace to remain in this world forever." As he spoke, the curtain behind Eisenhower slowly rose, revealing a deep blue flag.
"Now, as the Supreme Commander of the Joint Forces, I declare that the North Atlantic Strategic Defense Coalition is officially established today."
……
The meeting proceeded smoothly over the course of several days. Norway and Denmark, two countries that had been restored with the help of the British and American Allies and were particularly close to the Baltic battlefield, quickly agreed to join the joint military organization.
However, there was a special guest among them: Sweden, which is also in Northern Europe but has always maintained neutrality. Cunningham even made a special trip to deal with this with Bradley.
The three generals understood that by joining the Northern Alliance, they could receive a large amount of advanced equipment from the United States and Britain, and would also have the right to station troops on Bornholm Island, a major maritime stronghold in southern Sweden belonging to Denmark.
However, it is also highly likely that, with only the support of US and British air forces, it will have to shoulder the responsibility for the entire island, and may even have to be responsible for the defense of the entire Baltic Sea, immediately becoming the non-major member state of the alliance under the greatest pressure and closest to the battlefield.
“I understand without you saying it,” General Strombeck said with obvious disdain. “What would be the price to pay if we were to join?”
“You need to think more about what the cost would be if Sweden’s territorial waters were to be insecure.” Cunningham saw things very clearly. “General, the Swedish people are now facing a war that they have never seen in one or two generations, and an enemy whose background is completely unknown. The Red Navy’s outcome in its confrontation with them is already like this. It is unlikely that the ships of the Golden Cross will be able to turn the tide.”
"I have already ordered the naval shipyards to accelerate the progress of the two Tricrown-class light cruisers and the two Oran-class destroyers at full speed. We are capable of completing our four largest warships on our own, and we are not alone in the Baltic Sea, even without the Union Jack and the Stars and Stripes."
“You always need to have multiple escape routes, which is good for the Swedish Navy,” Cunningham continued to persuade. “These four warships are currently incapable of fighting. If Sweden is invaded, they will either sail away unarmed or be destroyed on the slipway. Don’t you think the British Isles are a safe haven when you are away from home? And even the fjords of Norway are nice places.”
"Marshal, our joy at the arrival of the Royal Navy does not mean we will grovel before them like saviors." General Douglas, as Commander-in-Chief of the Swedish Army, was also quite firm. "The agreement to join clearly states that member states must fully obey the arrangements of the Joint Forces Supreme Command. We have guarded this place for 40 years. Do you want it to be filled with English overnight?"
“I admire the Swedes’ self-reliance,” Bradley added, “but courage alone is not enough. Even the Swedish Air Force is now planning to continue ordering P-51s, Spitfires, and more jets from the United States and the United Kingdom. Wouldn’t joining them be a win-win situation?”
“We love our equipment, and we love our friends, true friends.” Douglas shook his head. “Besides Norway, we have a partner who fought alongside us and knows better than anyone how to fight in the mountains and snow of Scandinavia.”
Bradley knew who he was referring to—Finland. Sweden had helped them during the Winter War, and now that Sweden was in trouble, Finland would certainly help.
However, having offended both the Eastern and Western Allies during the World Wars to the point that it didn't even receive an invitation to the conference, Finland faced two main challenges: first, punishment from the US, the Soviet Union, and the United Kingdom; and second, if Sweden joined the NATO, the established rule that "member states are not allowed to establish any military cooperation with non-member states" meant that Finland would have to part ways with Sweden, be disliked by the Soviet Union, and be left to fend for itself.
“We completely understand Field Marshal Cunningham’s idea of finding more safe havens for the Navy.” Strombeck shook his head at Bradley. “However, I don’t think the Americans need to be in such a hurry. There’s plenty of time and space in the Kattegat Strait. Let the warships on the other side of the Atlantic slowly move over. In comparison, I’ve heard that the number of cigarette butts the US military has smoked on the Elbe River is less than the number of enemy heads, hmm?”
Gradually, Bradley's attempt to turn Sweden into an Allied outpost and win it over reached a stalemate with the stubborn freedom-loving hearts of Sweden and Finland.
……
More than ten days later, Marshal Zhukov received a bunch of encrypted telegrams after returning from inspecting troops in the German countryside.
"A North Atlantic Strategic Defense Alliance? Tsk tsk tsk." It seemed that what the United States and Britain did was exactly what he expected. "I also expected this day to come, but I didn't expect Norway and Denmark to agree so quickly."
Zhukov hesitated for a moment, then gestured for the officer to continue reading.
"Currently, Moscow has not received any invitations to the meeting from the United States and the United Kingdom, and has also rejected their attempt to invite Polish government personnel from Poland to the meeting. In addition, to avoid any 'unnecessary' intentions from the United States and the United Kingdom towards Finland, Comrade Stalin agreed to temporarily reduce pressure on Finland, including temporarily canceling the demand for the Finnish Navy to destroy its submarines."
"Phew." Zhukov breathed a long sigh of relief, feeling a weight lifted from his shoulders.
"Then the second thing, which may anger you, Comrade Marshal," the officer said, looking somewhat bewildered. "We have received reliable information that the US and Britain are now planning to rearm a large number of former German soldiers under their control. At the same time, they seem to be planning to release some of the German generals and marshals they have imprisoned in order to assemble German soldiers, and also authorize them to join the military command and staff of the NATO."
"What?!" Zhukov was a little surprised. He knew that almost all of the German army's core generals, including a whole bunch of heinous bastards, were imprisoned under the enemy's jurisdiction.
"Um...you go first, tell me, what kind of people have they arranged?"
"If it can be confirmed at present, the army generals are Guderian, Steiner, Manstein and Rundstedt, the naval marshals Raeder and Dönitz, and the air force marshal Kesselring. Then the army marshals Loeb, Küchler and Weichs, and the air force marshals Sperler and Greim seem to be still under consideration."
"Hmmmm...what about Goring, Keitel, and Yordles?"
"Only Yodl received some justice; the other two cell doors were locked with extra locks."
Ah, as he was talking, Zhukov started to miss Marshal Paulus, who had surrendered in Stalingrad. Just as he was trying to find something to distract himself, the phone rang.
"Hello?" It was Rokossovsky calling. "What? What's going on?"
"You heard me right, comrade. Marshal Vasilevsky just called to tell me that just two hours ago, the British invited the generals of the Polish government-in-exile to a meeting."
"Oh, it's the Poles again." Zhukov covered his face in discomfort.
"Don't get worked up, comrade," Rokossovsky comforted him. "The Marshal has entrusted me to help you calm down and handle things properly in Germany. The rest will be handled by the two of us, Konev, and others. You just need to give a speech when the time comes."
Chapter 273, Section 355: Who is your greatest enemy, my princess?
The Elbe and Oder rivers act like the walls of an exhibition hall, presenting the war in District 45 to visitors without reservation.
Berlin was completely out of the threat, which was certainly a good thing for the visitors. Elizabeth wouldn't have to rush back to the command center after waking up and recovering. She could even accompany her brother to observe the scorching landscape with the visitors.
"Excuse my bluntness, Your Highness," said Marshal Fario Auchini, the head of the visitors. "My experience these past few days has been just as I expected before I came... just as excellent."
"Oh?" The siblings were a little surprised, after all, including the Marquis Louises who was sent by the Emperor, it had been a long time since any new guests had given the expeditionary force such a positive evaluation.
"The soldiers of the expeditionary force are growing under your leadership, and they are proud to fight alongside you. This is an outstanding performance by a commander and an invincible display of an army." At this moment, the marshal shook his head, "You are getting closer and closer to the title of a tragic hero."
Elizabeth was somewhat puzzled but not angry, not understanding what the marshal meant.
“You haven’t been back to visit for a long time,” the marshal explained earnestly. “Do you want to know why it’s so difficult for Prince Guanshunezel to request reinforcements? It’s not just that the prince is ‘not at ease’ with you now; those nobles and generals who have heard rumors don’t seem to place you in a suitable position either.”
"They have always felt that your expeditionary force is in a hopeless situation, which is reflected in the constant need for reinforcements and the high number of casualties. Of course, to be fair, even if the Britannian Empire lost millions of soldiers, it wouldn't be a big deal, but in such a short period of time, it is somewhat puzzling and leaves us at a loss."
"Huh?" Elizabeth sneered. "Then can I send some people out to do the math: will those fence-sitters increase the casualty rate by tens of percentage points after they come over?"
“It’s no use for you to sulk in this city, Your Highness,” the Marshal began to advise her. “The most crucial thing is that you need to make those generals, whether they are in the Americas or on the EU front, present your achievements and reasons to them in a concrete way. On the contrary, the fact that you value your expeditionary force so much now makes it easier for people to think that you are clinging to military power and unwilling to let go.”
"So you have some ideas?"
“Your Highness, I can now help you obtain 500,000 to 1 million reinforcements, or even more, but there is one condition: you need to lend me one or two army groups, which I want to take back to our world. Even if they are not at full strength now, it will be fine. I will take care of replenishing the troop gaps.”
Elizabeth and Kelly exchanged a glance, seemingly understanding the Marshal's meaning.
“Also, there’s something I have to say.” After thinking for a moment, Auchindoin said, “You’ve always wanted to strengthen your soldiers, which is fine, but I think you’ve forgotten another path.”
"Another way?"
"You are committed to reducing troop casualties, and that number depends on two things: your own capabilities and the morale of the enemy. You have been focusing too much on the former, as if you have never thought about how to shake the enemy's resolve."
"So, do you have any good ideas?"
"It's also important to help the people of District 45 realize their dream of seeing a bustling metropolis with their own eyes as soon as possible." The Marshal smiled and took out a photo of German civilians from his pocket. They were happily taking a group photo on the streets of District 11 after a busy day.
"When His Majesty the Emperor’s envoy, His Excellency Julius Kingsley, served as the military advisor to Britannia in Europe, he used a fake video of the destruction of the EU North Sea power plant to instill extreme panic in the people of Paris."
“Kingsley? Yes, yes, sister, you still remember that weirdo, don’t you?” Kelly tugged at Elizabeth’s sleeve. “You said before that his appearance and voice were like Lelouch’s.”
“Since District 45 only has radio stations and letters, making fake videos is out of the question. But since we are still spreading our good wishes, how about using a slightly outdated method, like dropping leaflets from airplanes and broadcasting on the radio?” Auchindoun bowed politely. “Please consider this, Your Highness. Finally, please let me know as soon as possible which army group or legion you would like to lend me. I will return to District 11 in a while to complete my mission.”
……
A few days later, at a military base on the outskirts of the Tokyo concession, Marshal Auchindoun summoned about a dozen generals to a conference room.
"So you're just acting as Her Highness Elizabeth's mouthpiece, telling us her explanation verbatim?" A count interrupted before the story was even finished. "Marshal, if you're thinking of gambling your luck in that mess in District 45 because of your family's financial decline, we have no objection, but you can't drag us along to do a losing business."
"Have you been to District 45?" the marshal asked in return.
"What difference does it make whether I go or not? I'll just tell you what I've seen and felt." The Earl didn't even glance at Auchindoun. "The hospitals in District 11 have already quietly taken in too many wounded soldiers or lunatics from District 45. And look at the soldiers returning from the EU front—who among them is constantly grumbling about a bunch of nonsense? Do you want to know why, Marshal? The expeditionary force in District 45 is too weak. Her Highness Elizabeth is just using these pretexts, claiming it's to train the army, but in reality, she wants to get rid of us."
“Hmm, you haven’t been there before, then I have a lot to do.” The marshal did not immediately refute, but instead had his men bring in an oil painting, of course, a paper copy.
“This painting contains some treasures,” Auchenny pointed to the four corners and center of the painting. “Your Excellency, please choose a few treasures that you like from among these treasures, and then tear them off according to their size.”
The count was somewhat skeptical, but after checking the frame and finding nothing amiss, he began to act.
"Hmm?" When he tore off the Aladdin's lamp in the middle, he found a dark skull exposed at the tear in the paper.
"There's another painting behind this one." The marshal smiled slightly. "Your Excellency, please continue. I have no intention of interrupting you."
Then the count tore off a crown, a sword, and a chest full of gold coins from the painting, revealing a blood-stained helmet, a blood-stained suit of armor, and a mangled corpse from the second painting.
"What exactly do you want, Marshal Auchenny!" The count was furious; he didn't like being teased.
"So, you think the painting hidden behind here is a terrible thing, don't you?" The marshal smiled; everything was going according to plan.
“You can also choose to let the whole capital know that you are a brutal and bloodthirsty bastard, Auchenai.” The count angrily tore up all the layers of paper on the cover, but when the second picture was revealed, he was surprised to see that it depicted the scene of suppressing the North American rebellion one or two hundred years ago.
Skulls, helmets, armor, and corpses—these are all accompaniments to the rebels in the painting, draped in somber colors. The main subject, the several splendid and dashing Britannian generals, is not in the torn area, but rather, like a rising sun on paper, sweeping across the count's face with astonishment and displeasure.
The count's hands trembled uncontrollably; he had just used too much force and scratched a face in the second painting.
"If you really can't resist stepping on it, you'd better remember to go to Pendraken, where there are still portraits of these generals." The marshal raised an eyebrow, gesturing for the count to sit back down—you don't want to be tearing up a portrait of a great man live in front of a soldier's camera, do you?
"Everyone seems too concerned about their current gains and losses, and too concerned about Her Highness Elizabeth's limited perspective. Well then, I'll give you a chance that you can only gain and not lose. I am now acting on Her Highness Elizabeth's orders to recall General Gabriel's 38th Army from District 45 to replace the troops on the Congo front in Africa."
"What?" The generals were all stunned, knowing that at the moment they spoke, there were five of their army groups fighting a bitter battle on the Congo front.
“I’d like to make a bet with you generals: I’ll replace all of these front-line main forces with the 38th Army, leaving them to face the EU troops stationed here alone. As for the five armies that are being withdrawn, two will be under my command, and the other three will be under your command. Whether you want to rest in place or come to the 45th District to take a look is up to you. What do you say?”
"Also, I'd like to mention something unrelated to this." The marshal was preparing to pack his things. "It seems that you all, like your troops, are quite exhausted. Fortunately, Her Highness Elizabeth has arranged a rather comfortable job in District 45, dealing only with airplanes and paper. If you don't mind, you can go and take a look. Don't worry, it won't harm you."
……
As night deepened, Davis and his group arrived at Clark's place as usual, discussing various countermeasures.
"I hope you have already found suitable candidates, more than one."
“Then let’s compare them with their photos later,” Davis replied to Clark with a wry smile, spreading out the map in his hand. “Here you go, everyone, take a look.”
"We can only travel from Area 11 to our original homeland through the mother-child portals located throughout Honshu. Moreover, the two worlds cannot communicate with each other via radio or wired communication. Even if each portal is not located in a military stronghold, it will be heavily guarded in a remote location."
"There are portals for the military and for civilians who have been approved to go to Berlin. Each portal has a checkpoint guarded by soldiers. It is basically impossible to infiltrate the military. The only way is to use the civilian roads. Except for those with special passes, civilians must enter in vehicles with designated license plates, and the driver must also have a unique identification card for that vehicle."
"What do you think, Clark?" Garcia asked after listening. "Do your men have a way to counterfeit those identity tags?"
“Don’t treat me like a walking encyclopedia, buddy. I only have the right to go to the city hall party and get some ketchup, not to sign documents with a quill pen dipped in century-old red wine.” Clark frowned and curled his lip. “The only thing I can secretly help with is that civilians who want to use the portal need to report and register with the relevant departments.”
"So... are you able to deal with people in the military?"
"Damn, you're something else. You can't even get into a supply truck, yet you want to get into the military?" Clark flicked his cigarette and retorted to Philip's words. "I don't know any of the generals going to Berlin. The only way I can turn you into an assault rifle is through magic."
"Most importantly, even if we disguise ourselves as civilians, it won't work. We can't send radio messages, and the 100-kilometer stretch from Berlin to the Elbe isn't safe. The army doesn't allow civilians to get within 20 kilometers of the front line. What are we going to do?!"
That's it, everyone at the table froze.
"Uh, that." Just then, someone knocked on the office door. It was Clark's deputy, Yamashita, who came in. "Sir, regarding the special recruitment notice from the government for skilled laborers that you asked me to inquire about before. Here are the various locations for boarding the shuttle buses, this is what the shuttle buses look like, and this is the notice to note."
"Tsk, this guy under you is pretty capable." Not knowing what else to do, everyone picked up the materials to look at and play with.
"...Article 9, the minimum wage for ordinary conscripted citizens is £1,000 per month, and the minimum wage for skilled conscripted citizens is £2,500 per month, with increases based on their skills and working hours. Their family members do not need to work, and they will receive an additional guaranteed living allowance."
"...Article 10: After arriving at the work location, you may apply for a job position according to your personal wishes, but you are not allowed to return to District 11 at will. At the same time, you are prohibited from communicating with any person outside the scope of your work. Once a violation is discovered, ... ...
As everyone watched Philip turn to the next page of his life, their tongues suddenly started to slur.
"What's going on here?" Philip grinned foolishly. "Come on, look, Britannia even has a Japanese version of the announcement, and it's handwritten."
"Huh?" Clark grabbed it and looked at it; the handwriting looked so familiar.
……
"Down the mountain, what are you doing?"
“I…I want to write a novel, about the story before and after I became an honorary Britannian.”
Who do you want to show this to?
"Anyone can watch, but... I'm afraid people will laugh at me."
Why are you laughing at me?
"Because...it's embarrassing."
"Don't worry, my dear brother, why is this shameful?"
……
"Shanxia! You shameless piece of trash!" Clark jumped off the bench and rushed out. "You fucking mixed your own drafts in here, you idiot, damn it!"