CHAPTER FIFTY - Part Three
Something Evil this way comes
Windsor Castle
London, England
August 23, 1939
11:30 a.m.
Once the last member of the Privy Council arrived, King George sat down and looked over at his younger brother and nodded for the briefing to begin. Clearing his throat, Prince George decided to skip any thing to preface his announcement and allowed it to come out blutly.
"Your Majesty, my lords, gentlemen. The Germans and the Soviets are about to crawl into bed with each other.”
While each member of the Council reacted in their own unique way, from Churchill’s scowling grump to Mosley’s jaw dropping bafflement, Prince George motioned to Drake and cleared his throat again.
“Gordon here will give you the details.”
“Your Majesty, milords, sirs,” Drake started from behind the lectern that had been situated at the end of the U-shaped conference table.
“We have learned from extremely reliable sources within Germany that tomorrow at approximately two o’clock London time, the Soviet Foreign Minister Vyacheslav Molotov and the German Foreign Minister Joachim von Ribbentrop will sign what will be publicly announced as a “non-aggression” pact.”
“Molotov? What happened to Litvinov,” asked Foreign Secretary Eden.
“Litvinov was replaced, Sir Anthony,” Stephenson said from next to Prince George,
“upon his return from London earlier this year and following a “tragic” hunting accident near Comrade Stalin’s dacha outside of Moscow.”
While a slightly pale Eden slumped back in his chair, War Minister Cooper smirked toward Drake,
“I take it that despite the public announcement, there is something more than “non-aggression” discussions going on in this meeting?”
“Yes sir,” Drake replied. Before he could elaborate the Lord Chancellor, Lord Hailsham, with a look of incredulity raised the question that was racing through the minds of many of the members of the Council.
“But the French Foreign Ministry has a delegation in Moscow right now negotiating a military agreement between France and the Soviets. What happened with those talks?”
“My lord, those discussions have been very rough upon the French,” Drake enlightened.
“The Soviets have been seeking guarantees for support against German aggression as we all know, however the difficulties have been their demand from France, and thus every nation allied with France, for the recognition of the Communist’s right to interfere against "a change of policy favorable to an aggressor" in any of the countries along the western border of Communist Russia.”
“Well I can see why that could provide a stumbling block,” Prime Minister Churchill grumped.
“That would allow the Russians to intervene in those nations’ affairs even if there were no threat from the Huns!”
“It also creates what could be called a “sanitary cordon” between the Soviets and the Germans,” remarked the normally silent Home Secretary, Sir John Simon.
“And hence the reluctance of the French to agree to it,” Eden pronounced as he once more entered the discussion.
"Especially since several of those nations are already members of our alliance, specifically Finland, Poland and Turkey.”
“So we know the Soviets are backstabbing scum,” the King interjected with a growl,
“however, just how bad does this agreement appear to be, Gordon?”
“Your Majesty, what will be announced publicly, is the ten year non-aggression pact that includes provisions for consultations and if necessary arbitrations on matters involving the nations that share borders with the two nations, neutrality if either goes to war against a third power, and a prohibition on becoming a member of a group or alliance which directly or indirectly may be aimed at the other or the interests of the other nation.”
“It gets worse than that,” Churchill snorted with a raised eyebrow of mock astonishment.
“Indeed it does, Mr. Prime Minister,” Drake chuckled darkly.
“And this is the real reason that our sources in Germany and the Imperial Intelligence Office are gravely concerned. The agreement’s secret stratagem is the division of portions of Eastern and Northern Europe into Communist and German spheres of influence or actual annexation.”
“What sort of carving do Hitler and Stalin have planned for the regions,” War Secretary Cooper asked with a vague look in his eyes that announced that his mind was for seeing the possible military ramifications.
“In the North, Mr. Secretary,” Drake reported,
“Finland, Estonia and Latvia are to be apportioned to the Soviet sphere while in the south due to German lack of interest, the Bessarabia portion of Romania is to be allocated to Moscow. Poland, in the event of a "political rearrangement,” is to be partitioned with the areas east of the rivers Narev, Vistula and San going to Communist Russia while everything west of those rivers would become part of Großdeutschland and give Hitler is much proclaimed lebensraum*. Finally, due to being adjacent to Prussia, Lithuania would fall under the German sphere of influence, or in other words become a puppet of Berlin.”
“What I don’t understand,” Buck de la Warr, Lord Privy Seal and ninth Earl De La Warr, asked with a certain amount of concerned bafflement,
“is why the Nazis and the Communists would become so intimate with each other.”
Leaning forward in his chair with a grunt, Prince George explained.
“Think about it, Buck. On the Soviet side, you have a very paranoid Comrade Stalin who is dealing with a border war with Japan in the Far East, and a very anti-Communist West giving the appearance of hoping the Nazis will take on the Communists and the two will destroy each other. Hell, I’ve had analysts in my own office allude to the fact that they think that is our policy, especially with the Munich Dictat that France was so generous to assist in. Signing such an agreement with Hitler would, or actually will, give Moscow a larger buffer between the West and the precious Rodina*, allowing for the issue with Japan to be dealt with securely as well as providing for an ally if the West ever does attempt to eliminate the so-called “Worker’s Paradise” that is Russian.”
“Fine, I can understand that,” de la Warr said thoughtfully,
“but how do you explain Hitler dropping his vehement anti-Communist tirades of the last five years and joining hands with them?”
“I can answer that for you, Buck,” “Duff” Cooper replied with a resigned air.
“It’s pure exploitation on a military level. With signing this agreement, not only does Germany secure her Eastern flank against attack and allow the Wehrmacht to concentrate to the West, Hitler is gaining a vast store room of raw materials for his war machine, a store room that we have no way of blocking.”
The War Minister’s proclamation cast a heavy dark pall across the room. After several moments of bleak silence as each member of the Council ran scenarios, solutions, and counter solutions through their minds, King George spoke softly.
“Everyone take a breath and then another, and then relax. As the Americans put it, ‘this is a done deal’ and there is nothing we can do to prevent it, so let it go.”
Standing to his feet and beginning to pace about the room, taking in once again the age of the room and wondering what tales the walls could tell of previous kings in similar situations, the King continued,
“Since we cannot prevent it, what can we do to make this joining as unharmonious as possible? What are the diplomatic ramifications? Who will wilt and seek to join the monstrosity that is growing in the East, and who will stand firm and seek to stifle that growth?”
“Your Majesty,” Drake spoke up, reminding the Council of his presence,
“if we were to release the information of the impending agreement to the press of Europe several hours before the actual signing, it would sow a seed of distrust between Moscow and Berlin as each would question where the leak came from. Nothing like that to sour bedfellows, eh?”
“Drake has a very good point, Your Majesty,” Stephenson added.
“With as much antagonism as has passed between the two that would allow a crack in the foundation to develop.”
“Diplomatically, Your Majesty,” Eden said with a light in his eyes,
“this will make the Foreign Office’s task slightly easier. The lines have been drawn, as it were, and there is no longer any guesswork. Europe will have to decide to either stand with Hitler and Stalin, or it will have to join us and stand against them.”
“So who will do which, Tony,” the King asked while he began to do the mental calculations on his own.
“Western Europe will join us,” came the prompt reply.
“Romania, after being thrown to the dogs, so to speak, by the Germans will more than likely come a-courting right quick, as will the rest of the Balkans. After our little tiff in the Med with Mussolini over King Zog, Italy will seek to join Hitler and Stalin. Hungary will also more than likely join the Germany-Soviet pact.”
“What about the Baltic Republics?”
Rubbing his eyes, Eden sighed heavily.
“I don’t envy them, Your Majesty. They are truly between a rock and a hard place. They know that despite any assurance we in the West provide, there is nothing that can be done to prevent their being swallowed by either Germany or the Soviets, and because of that, I am going to be forced to conclude they are going to do everything they can to appease the two menaces they face for as long as possible. I hate to say it, but it would best to simply write them off for now and attempt to make some sort of recovery in the future.”
“Your Majesty,” Churchill said resolutely.
“The battle lines have been drawn, even if the general public may not yet wish to realize that fact. The sides have been decided by both chance and design, there is nothing else that can be done at this time but to prepare for war.”
Looking about the remainder of the Council King George searched the eyes of his closest advisors and was rewarded with the determined agreement of each man. Taking a deep breath and knowing that the words he was about to utter were going to prove to be a turning point in the history of civilization, the King said solemnly,
“Very well, gentleman. Leak this wedding of evil to the press here and abroad, and then make the necessary arrangements and alert the necessary commands. I want the Empire to be ready to react to any offensive operation started by either Germany or Communist Russia.”
the Press response to the Pact
* - Living space
* - Motherland
Up next: A nice speech. But by whom? I'll give a hint, he ain't from the West.