"What? Austria has fallen to Germany? What's going on? ”

Mussolini, who had just disembarked from a three-engine eight-berth airliner S.M.79 produced by the Savoya Marchetti Aircraft Company, a "hunchback aircraft" that symbolized the most advanced technology of the Italian aviation industry, heard something from his son-in-law Ziano that made him laugh.

The Republic of Austria, which needed his protection to resist Germany, had thrown itself into the arms of Germany and was now protected by the German Big Brother.

"Is the information reliable?" Mussolini asked again.

"Very reliable!" "German Chancellor Adolf Hitler and Austrian Chancellor Taulfis have just issued a joint statement," Ziano said...... The statement stated that Austria was a German state and that the relations of the Republic of Austria with the German Reich were close and fraternal. ”

"They're brothers, and Italy is an outsider?" Mussolini muttered, "Damn the Germans, this matter can't be left as it is, it's a violation of the Treaty of Saint-Germain, and Italy must react!" ”

Just as Mussolini pondered the idea of sending several divisions to demonstrate at the Brenner Pass (on the border between Italy and Austria), Ziano said: "The Germans have sent a deputy chief of staff to explain the situation to you, and he is in the terminal of the airport." ”

"Deputy Chief of the General Staff? Who is it? ”

"Ludwig. Feng. Count Heinsberg-Hersmann. ”

"It's him." Mussolini thought for a moment and said, "Well, I'll go see him, just meet him at the airport, I'm going to listen to his explanation!" ”

Warsaw's airport is small and dilapidated, with no European grandeur, and even the VIP lounges reserved for the big names are shabby, with only a few loose leather sofas and a few coffee tables. When Mussolini arrived there. Hersman and Natalie. Lesinskaya stood at the door together to greet them.

"Leader, it's a pleasure to meet you in Poland." Hirschmann shook hands and hugged Mussolini when he went up, and the two of them actually knew each other very well. Because Germany and Italy have been cooperating in the military-industrial industry for the past decade, Hersmann often goes to Italy, while Mussolini is a very easy person to get along with - in addition to talking a bit nonsense, he also likes to make exaggerated movements and expressions. In addition to being a little, and in addition to having poor fighting skills, he is basically a good person.

"Me too," the Italian leader spotted Natalie beside Hersman. Lesinskaya, "This is ......"

"Natalie. Leshinskaya, secretary general of the National Socialist International, is a member of the Polish National Socialist Party. Hersman said, "I went back to Poland to attend Pilsudski's funeral. ”

"Oh," the leader kissed Natalie's hand. Then he comforted him and said, "I beg you to mourn, although Poland has lost a good father, she still has countless good sons and daughters. ”

"Thank you for your encouragement." Natalie replied politely in Italian.

The Italian leader smiled gently at Natalie, and then said to Hersmann with a straight face: "What's the matter with Austria?" ”

"Nothing," said Hersmann, "has been settled, we and the Austrians are brothers...... This is our own German business. Don't work Italy to intervene. ”

"But Italy has been humiliated!" The Italian leader, who had always regarded Austria as Italy's sphere of influence, appeared to be unhappy.

"Nope. It's not humiliating," Hersmann said, "it's a return to the normal international order in Europe, and Germany has always been the master of Central Europe and the Balkans, starting with Charlemagne." And Italy should become the hegemon of the Mediterranean, like the Roman Empire. Germany is completely in favor of this! ”

The Italian leader's face was a little more beautiful, but still angry, and he said: "I know that Austria's acceptance of German protection was the first step towards the German-Austrian union, and the Austrians now miss the glory of the past." They want to go back in time. But Austria-Hungary could not come back, and the only choice was Germany. But Italy was still against the German-Austrian merger, and so would France and England! ”

"Actually, England and France have no time to object," said Hersmann, after a pause, to Mussolini in a very serious tone, "because you Italy will soon invade Abenesia...... Leader, you don't really believe that Britain and France will stand idly by, do you? ”

The Italian leader looked at Hersmann coldly, "What do you want to say?" ”

"Reliable information, wait until the war between Italy and Abenisia begins, there will be a decision of the League of Nations to collectively impose economic sanctions on Italy."

"What?" The Italian leader was stunned for a moment, looked at Hersmann with some suspicion, and then at his son-in-law.

Italy is no more powerful than Germany, and the Soviet Union is its economic partner. Mussolini led a country that was only strong from the outside and very scarce in industrial resources. Oil, coal, iron ore and other basic industrial resources are all imported, and the channels of import are controlled by Britain and France!

Of course, Britain and France did not want to see the Kingdom of Italy upgrade to the Roman Empire, so they would not really support Italy to deal with Abynesia. Abysia, in particular, is located next to the British-controlled Middle East and close to the mouth of the Red Sea.

Once seized by Italy, Italian Somalia, Italian Eritrea, and Italian Abinesia would be united into an Italian East African empire that controlled the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden.

The Red Sea leads to the Suez Canal, a vital choke point for the survival of the British Empire – if it had been not the Spaghetti but the Germans who had historically occupied Somalia, Eritrea, and Abinisia, the British Empire would have been dismantled in 1940.

But even if the Italians were to pinch the throat of the British Empire, the British would not be happy. Therefore, Britain was still very wary of Italy's ambition to conquer Abynesia, and the Italian invasion of Abynesia in history actually became an important reason for the reversal of Anglo-Italian relations.

The League of Nations' sanctions against Italy during the war, as well as the Anglo-French control of Italian oil imports after the war, and Italy's enormous spending in Abenicia - Italy spent nearly 8 billion lire (including military and construction costs) in Abenicia between 1936 and 1940 alone - seriously affected Italy's preparations for the war, and in fact Italy entered the Second World War with complete and no financial preparations.

"The incoming French Prime Minister, Mr. Reival, has personally assured me that he will not intervene and will persuade Britain to adopt a policy of spectatorship." The Italian leader did not yet know at this time that he was making a huge, unimaginable mistake.

"But they will still label Italy as an aggressor and then propose a resolution on economic sanctions. Leader, you don't really think that Britain and France would like to see the revival of the Roman Empire, do you? Hersmann looked at Mussolini, who did not change his expression, as if he did not care about the sanctions, or did not believe what Hersmann said.

"The League of Nations is useless," said Mussolini contemptuously, "otherwise you Germany would not be what it is today." ”

Between 1931 and 1932, France filed a complaint with the League of Nations against Germany for violating the Treaty of Versailles. However, due to the support of Italy and Japan, the two permanent members of the League of Nations, and the inaction of Britain, France's accusation did not have any effect. As a result, Germany remained in the League of Nations and is still a permanent member of the Security Council.

"You are not right, Leader," Hirschmann shook his head, "Germany is where it is today because the League of Nations has ruled in favor of Germany - the failure of France's indictment to pass is tantamount to recognizing the legality of our military build-up, and at the same time shaking the legitimacy of the Treaty of Versailles. In fact, the Treaty of Versailles was an illegal treaty because neither the United States nor the Soviet Union, the main participants in the world war, signed the treaty. And Germany was forced to sign this illegal treaty! ”

Mussolini looked at Hersmann, who was "full of nonsense", "Infantry General, what do you mean by that?" What do you want to do? ”

"I think we," said Hersmann, "should keep the League of Nations in our hands by Germany, Italy, Japan, and the Soviet Union!" He waved his hand and said, "Britain and France cannot be allowed to control it, it is not right for them to adopt whatever resolution they want!" ”

The situation of this League of Nations in time and space was also very different from history, not only Germany did not withdraw, but even Japan did not withdraw - because no one complained to the League of Nations against Japan. As a result, the League now has six permanent members: Great Britain, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, and the Soviet Union.

"Control of the League of Nations...... Together with the USSR? The Italian leader was taken aback, "Are you really going to form an alliance with the Soviet Union?" ”

Hersman shrugged, "It's not an alliance yet, but there are no eternal enemies in the world, are they?" We and the USSR can cooperate, what can not be done with Italy? ”

"Cooperation?"

"Cooperation on the Abynesian issue!"

"The League of Nations should make an international arbitration on the Warwall affair (the border clash between the Italian army in Somalia and the Abynesian army) and rule that Italy is the victim," Hersman said. Abyssia was required to pay reparations, punish the perpetrators, demilitarize the north-south border, reduce the Abynesian emperor and the army directly under the central government to less than 20,000 men, prohibit the possession of advanced weapons such as aircraft, tanks, armored vehicles, modern artillery, etc., and subject them to international supervision. ”

This is tantamount to the dismissal of the Abynesian Emperor Haile. Selassie's armed forces! Considering the state of Abenisia, it was also tantamount to the collapse of the emperor's rule - hence the fact that Haier. Selassie would never have agreed, and the outcome of his disagreement was Abinisia's expulsion from the League of Nations...... (To be continued.) )