"I and the Italian Blackshirts will not disappoint your country, this will be the beginning of our re-cooperation and the first step in the rise of Germany and Italy, two countries destined to dominate the world!" In a villa in Livorno, northern Italy, Mussolini shook Ribbentrop's hand and said excitedly. Just now, Limbentrop brought the Italian fascist leader a financial aid of up to 8 million marks, and promised the German government to provide more aid on schedule if needed, even including weapons and ammunition. In the face of the aid from Germany, the Italian careerist was ecstatic, and all kinds of German-Italian goodwill words came casually. And promised various cooperation between Germany and Italy in the future. Ribbentrop responded with a smile, but deep down he was far from being as happy as he seemed.

"This guy is actually playing tricks! It's really not a worry-free guy. "From the moment he left the villa, a hint of hideousness appeared on Ribbentrop's face!" Did he really think he was Caesar? It seems that it is time for blood to calm him down a bit. Megalomaniacal guy! ”

Mussolini was a careerist, and a careerist with a brain, which meant that he would never be willing to be a pawn of someone else. The power he needs, the absolute power. Although the Germans gave him a lot of help, in the final analysis, they still figured out that he would control the whole of Italy. There is no free lunch in the world, and for every mark that the Germans pay, they will have to exchange for dozens or hundreds of times in the future! And in the first aid that Germany gave to Italy, all sorts of additional clauses were already there.

The first of these was to have the Italian Navy draw part of its fleet to join the "Allied Combined Fleet" to be formed. "The size of this fleet should not be less than 1 fleet aircraft carrier. 1 fast battleship and 4 cruisers. "Ribbentrop had more than once mentioned plans to form a combined fleet of the Central Powers, and on this occasion he came to Italy with a check for 8 million marks. Again, he made that request. If this request can be realized, then it will be equivalent to siphoning out a third of Italy's elite navy, and it will definitely be worth paying more money in the future.

"You can't decide until those cowardly politicians step down, doesn't it? If I could replace the cowardly ones, I would be more than willing to cooperate with other allies in many ways, including, of course, the navy. The Apennine longsword had already shown its edge in the last war. In the future, this long sword will defend the interests of Italy and its allies. Mussolini replied.

In this way, you agree in principle. But is the implementation time far away? Mussolini's answer made Ribbentrop very dissatisfied, and his words were filled with a hint of anger! This is a typical example of taking money and not doing anything! Germany gives you money to make you serve Germany. Instead of throwing it into the Mediterranean!

"How can it be so far away? In six months at most, I will be at the Italian Prime Minister's Office to receive Your Excellency, and it is time to change the country. Italy has silenced too much of the world. Those guys only know how to enjoy life and take advantage of the glory of the Roman era! And I'm going to change that! "In the face of Ribbentrop's words full of hostility, the Italian careerist did not care." As long as I can get to the top, then some can be discussed, after all, we are allies. And Italy's performance in World War 1 is definitely excellent. Isn't it? Mussolini asked rhetorically with a smile.

"Within half a year? Well, I look forward to seeing each other in the future at the Italian Prime Minister's Office, but I would like to know, how did Your Excellency achieve this goal? Is it a normal parliamentary election? As far as I know, in the most recent parliamentary elections, your party held less than a quarter of the seats. Ribbentrop's words were full of sarcasm. And the influence of the private sector is also very limited. To be precise, the strength of your party is limited to the north. By the time they got to Rome, it was already minimal. And in the South words. If I'm not mistaken, several branches of your party in the South have been banned. ”

"Those damned naval factions are hateful, and if I come to power, I will replace them all, and then no one will be able to stop the new Italian navy from cooperating with your country! I can assure you of that! Mussolini's face flushed slightly, and then he said firmly.

"Our goal is Rome! As long as we can occupy this place, then we will take control of this country! Mussolini said, pointing to the Italian capital on the map. I have prepared an army of 40,000 men, who will march south with weapons! Here, I am very grateful for the assistance you have provided to my country. Our friends in the army and the police have already expressed their understanding of the operation, and we will not be hindered in any way! It's time for those short-sighted politicians to recognize the form! We will definitely not back down. As for your fears about whether the Italian Navy will interfere in this operation? I can only tell Your Excellency that no matter how powerful the navy is, warships cannot go on land, and they cannot act without orders from the Ministry of Defense, and it will only take a few weeks for us to control the situation in Italy. "Mussolini was full of ambition. His face was full of smugness.

"Alright then, I wish you all success." Ribbentrop said, raising his glass. Just after leaving, Ribbentrop scoffed at Mussolini's plans in a telegram. "Even if the Italian top brass were really weak enough to give up power in order to avoid civil war, and even if the army and police along the way did not interfere with the actions of the Black Shirts, I still do not think they would be able to take power. One of the most basic elements of politicians is to steer the wind and steer the way, and when one side has a complete advantage, they will not take sides, and the army and police may turn a blind eye to this internal feud. But the Italian Navy, which has always been hostile to the Blackshirts, will definitely not sit still! And the power in the hands of this guy who claims to be Caesar is simply too weak compared to the Italian navy, and Italy's narrow territory can allow the navy to easily lock the opponent's path south. This time Mussolini's operation was bound to fail! ”

"More importantly, Mussolini's preparations were more like a political show than a military operation! He tried in vain to lure his blackshirts and supporters into the operation, hoping that the guns in his hands would intimidate the Roman politicians into victory, rather than seriously preparing for a limited military conflict, and their actions were no secret at all, perhaps now that the Admiral Tycho in Rome had learned of Mussolini's actions and had already begun to deploy his troops! "At this point, Ribbentrop hesitated, but decided to add the word marshal after the name of Tycho." If Tycho's attitude wasn't so anti-German, who would have come to Mussolini? ”

While Mussolini was preparing his "march on Rome" and the Germans were assessing the implications and possible consequences of this operation, the Roman Admiralty was arranging a riot from the north, as Ribbentrop had envisioned. "Badoglio, I gave you the colony's marines because I thought you could help the navy with some things on land if necessary. Now there is a mob of thugs who are trying to subvert our country by force. And some politicians and military personnel have chosen to sit on the sidelines for their own selfish interests. This is a betrayal of the country, and Italy needs a stable environment to heal the wounds caused by the war and not be tied to a German chariot as cannon fodder! At this, Tycho paused.

"We must thwart it! Immediately order your army to get ready, first draw some of the elite from Libya, I will give you a week to raise a division, and then concentrate in Taranto, once they start moving, the Italian navy will cover you north! Anyone who resists must be cleared! For the sake of Italy's future, I will not hesitate to fight a civil war, and if you need fire cover, my naval guns are ready to support you! Tycho's hideous face made Badoglio, who had experienced the baptism of war, a little weak.

"My subordinates and I will definitely follow the orders of the Admiralty and fight to the end against the forces that dare to subvert the country! For Italy! Badoglio immediately expressed his loyalty. As Tycho's henchman, he knew that Tycho had decided to show his teeth to the rest of the political arena this time, and that this party in northern Italy had become a chicken in Tycho's hands to scare the monkeys! From a military point of view, Badoglio did not think that it would be more difficult than when he fought the British in Africa. And from a political point of view, as long as this turmoil can be calmed down in the end, no one will find trouble for themselves! In his opinion, it will be a very easy war.

Just after he was ordered to leave, Tycho was not easy, because he knew that this small party could make such a large-scale disturbance must be supported by other forces! Some forces in the country have a wait-and-see attitude towards this, and even some of the military do not intend to take action. More importantly, Tycho was convinced that there were other countries behind it. And judging by the clues revealed in the current intelligence, nine times out of ten this country is Germany and its allies! As for the outcome of this infighting, Tycho believes that the final winner will be himself, but what about after that? What about the second and third time? Now Germany does not deploy a strong military force in the Mediterranean, and the Italian navy is the strongest in the Mediterranean in the current situation, but what about once the Germans have completed their deployment at the bases in Austria-Hungary and Greece? If strong external pressure and internal opposition were combined, how could Tycho save Italy from being tied to the German chariot?

Thanks to the book friends zhouyu1976 and hukaikaka for the tip ~~~~~. (To be continued......)