Chapter 104 – Strait Undefended Announcement
“Is it just a fight? At best, unimpeded passage?” Foltseva replied, disgruntled, “Turkey says it’s neutral, but for most of the war, it favored Germany, and you Brits know that. Is it considered excessive to inflict some punishment on Turkey?”
“It is considered excessive.” Alan Wilson retorted without thinking, “Today’s friend may be tomorrow’s enemy, I believe that you Soviet Union has also discussed internally how the imperialists will treat you, I can tell you without hesitation that the worst intentions made by the Soviet Union are very justified, the reason why the two sides are safe and sound now is because Japan hasn’t surrendered yet but it’s also an immediate thing. ”
“With Turkey alone, they can be a match for the Soviets.” Foltseva smiled coldly, her demeanor dismissive.
“At least with eight hundred thousand troops, holding off the Soviets for three months shouldn’t be a problem. With Turkey’s population mobilizing out two million troops is not a problem.” Alan Wilson was not intimidated by Foltseva’s blackmail; he had made up his mind when he arrived that he would not let the Soviet Union achieve its goal easily.
In the final analysis, Britain is also a member of the free world, and the United States of America, the problem is only to treat each other as equals or to be a dog.
But in the face of the Soviet Union, this problem does not exist, the choice of a hundred times, 99 times are hostile. Alan Wilson happens to be that one percent, he is willing to stir up as much as possible out of the situation in favor of the Soviet Union some.
Because he already knew the outcome of Britain’s decades-long retreat to the British Isles and the loss of everything. Just wanted to try a different approach to see if the decency of the British Empire could be maintained.
But that doesn’t mean sending the British Empire packing to the Soviet Union, he was faithless and could be quite different from the Cambridge Five.
“The Soviet Union should establish a military base in Turkey, the Dardanelles are too important to the Soviet Union.” Seeing Alan Wilson’s change in attitude, Foltseva backed off and said.
“Impossible.” Allen Wilson flatly refused, “If the Soviet Union is bent on having its way, you will be the ones who end up regretting it. Later you will understand that it is best to settle things down while Britain, America and the Soviet Union are still fighting for a common purpose. Once the war is over, there will be no more warmth between the two sides then.”
“All Britain has been able to do is, is to join with the Soviet Union and deprive Turkey of the right to set up defenses in the Black Sea Straits. If the Americans join in, the Soviet Union gets no benefit whatsoever.”
“I thought you were American?” Foltseva spoke cynically, “How affectionate is it to say America in one breath?”
“I have a basic loyalty to the British Empire, and I mention America because that’s the reality, not only in Turkey, but even in Iran. The United States are all infiltrating there, the United States is the only country that has not been affected by the world war, what can I do?” Alan Wilson said with an undying face, “The British Empire needs time to recover, doesn’t the Soviet Union need it? Germany was wiped out on the Eastern Front by more than five million or more, Germany first undeclared war, most of the war was fought within the Soviet Union, your losses were greater than Germany’s, I believe that the Soviet Union does not deny this, right?”
“I believe it’s not too much of a stretch for me to compare France, whose homeland was the main battlefield during World War I, to the Soviet Union, right? France lost a tenth of its population, what is a tenth of the Soviet Union.”
Alan Wilson was already giving face to Foltseva, he knew in his heart that the Soviet Union was close to thirty million killed in action alone, which was almost extinction for a country of less than two hundred million people.
Only the Soviet Union blocked the news tightly, has not been divulged in the Second World War in the loss, to prevent NATO to take advantage of the situation, until the sixties only recognized the casualties of 27 million people.
The Turkish issue and the Iranian issue were the focus of attention whether it was formal negotiations or backroom maneuvering, but instead the first thing that made the Soviet Union give in was the Austrian issue, after all, this was something that had already been determined at the Yalta Conference, and Britain and the United States were never going to give in on the Austrian issue.
“This Englishman has estimated our country quite accurately.” Sekirinhof Palace, in the middle of the room where Stalin was staying, Stalin himself asked Molotov, “Comrade Molotov, what do you think of the new British government, you’ve been the one who’s been in contact with the other side in the last few days.”
“It’s not easy to deal with, Edley is more insistent than Churchill in some places. Especially the Austrian question.” Molotov thought back over the last few days and finally replied with a bitter smile.
“It looks like it’s time to give in on the Austrian question, and leave the Dardanelles, the passage for Black Sea travel, undefended. We see that we can accept that.” Stalin thought as he considered it, “As for Iran, which the British attach the greatest importance to, in all fairness, it is actually Iran that I attach the greatest importance to in my heart. Comrade Foltseva said that the American factor, this is an important consideration, the United States, although it is not like the British and us to station troops in Iran, but there are close to 30,000 so-called civilians, these people, once supplied with weapons, is immediately a garrison.”
“From the beginning to the end of this meeting we can conclude one thing, that the British are certainly hostile to us, but are equally wary of the U.S. I remember that when the British representative and Foltseva had just met, they had said that the only people who are not affected by the war right now are the Americans.” Molotov said with a sigh, “Actually, the British have a point, compared to Britain and us, who desperately need to recover, America is in too good a state right now.”
“Comrade Foltseva, see if you can get more concessions, we are willing to let the British, American and French armies enter Austria as scheduled.” Stalin nodded and instructed Foltseva, “Every little benefit you fight for today creates a huge boost to the development of the Soviets.”
“I will do my best, General Secretary, but I can feel it. Britain’s attitude is hardening.” Foltseva gave a solemn assurance, her towering front bobbing for a moment.
Allen Wilson and Foltseva talked for a total of five days, and during those five days, Austria’s four-nation occupation statement was first published by Britain, the United States, and France, which was considered to be an endorsement of the established program of the Yalta Conference.
Subsequently is Turkey’s Dardanelles issue, in the final analysis, although the United States has been the de facto largest beneficiary of World War II, but many places are still occupied by Britain. Turkey was just one of those places.
The handling of Turkey is a bit of the same feeling that the British and French had at the Paris Peace Conference. At the Paris Peace Conference, the pen in the hands of the British Prime Minister and the French President drew at random, and there was one more country in the world. The whole world was under the pens of the two heads of state!
Coincidentally, the victim of the scene describing the emergence of a new country at the random stroke of the British and French brush was the Ottoman Empire in the beginning. Today it has become the Republic of Turkey.
Britain and the Soviet Union agreed on the undefended Straits, and in the end both countries simultaneously wanted the endorsement of the United States, which Truman went along with.
“Truman was pretty reasonable even before the nukes went off.” Allen Wilson sniffed in his heart, there is one last issue, the Iranian issue he has to continue to work.