The Kremlin
August 3, 1936
Stalin again sat behind his desk, straining his face to smile at the men before him, half of whom were incompetent fools. They were the same men who had been present on July 18, though Lazar Kaganovich was attending the meeting as well, and Maksim Litvinov had brought along Andrei Vyshinskij, who had recently arrived from Iraq. Taking a deep breath through his pipe, Stalin leaned back into his chair and released a swirling cloud of smoke and continued gazing at these men before him through its filter. Stalin tapped ash out of his pipe before finally speaking, beginning the meeting.
“Comrade Kaganovich, I am eager to hear what plans you have for the vast industrial capacity of the Soviet Union. Tell me all of them, through to 1942. I noticed and understood that you could not make the July 18th conference, thus making your presence and contribution here even more important.”
Kaganovich smiled, his cheeks dimpling in a fashion that any upstanding Soviet woman would find almost irresistibly cute, before speaking. “Comrade Stalin, I do extend my apologies for my previous absence and hope that my humble contribution today will make up for it.” With such pleasantries out of the way, he began speaking of his plans. “As you know, in early January we began producing the armament required for one mountain rifle division, as well as one hundred and eighty standard rifle divisions, in ten series of eighteen ‘units,’ as they are. Training for the men of these units has continued apace with this production. These are the plans for 1936. In 1937, however, I expect that we will begin another round of production. This round will focus on armored divisions; I hope to produce the equipment for four, as well as interceptors, close air support craft and cavalry. Unit numbers for these range from a grand total of sixteen interceptor squadrons and twenty-four close air support squadrons to four cavalry divisions. Building upon this, in 1938 I aim to produce artillery and equipment for military police, as well as for motorized and airborne rifle divisions. Again, unit numbers would be in the range of five and twenty-seven brigades of the first two and forty-one and six in the case of the second two, respectively.”
Kaganovich halted his talk to cough into a patchwork handkerchief before continuing. “In 1939, the plan will be for the Soviet Union to create six squadrons worth of transport planes, as well as the equipment for five Front headquarters. 1940 represents the final year of new production. In this year, the equipment for another six Front headquarters will begin their production serials, as well as equipment for two brigades of combat engineers, twelve brigades of armored cars and twelve brigades of self-propelled artillery. To top this effort off will be the production of equipment for twenty-six divisions of mechanized rifle infantry. All in all, this will be a monumental gearing of our industry toward the inevitable future war. This is my plan, Comrade Stalin.”
Stalin blinked, slightly overwhelmed by Kaganovich’s plans. He was almost afraid that Kaganovich was being overly optimistic, at a time when misplaced optimism could lead to defeat in war. He was about to mention this, but suddenly decided against it. Instead, he turned to his foreign policy ministers, Maksim Litvinov and Andrei Vyshinskij. “Comrades Litvinov and Vyshinskij, I understand that you have something to report. On Iraq, I believe?”
Litvinov turned his head to look at Vyshinskij, who nodded. Stalin made an effort, fortunately successfully, not to stare at Vyshinskij’s outfit, though he was forced to wonder what sort of madmen he had controlling his foreign policy and resolved to speak with Litvinov about it later. At that moment, however, Vyshinskij began to speak. “Yes, well, uhm, Comrade Stalin! As you know, I was sent to Iraq at the request of Field Marshal Vacietis to sort out the political details of a Communist Iraqi puppet regime, to secure the flow of oil from its oil fields. I am pleased to say that I have been successful in my task, and a fully informed and rational Communist Iraqi group is prepared to take power under our auspices, with the help of Vacietis. Unlike Persia, they are expected not to offer any trouble whatsoever. Additionally, Vacietis asked me to inform you that the campaign is going well and he expects it to end before the end of the month. This is all I have to report, Comrade.”
Stalin nodded and eyed the man warily before turning away. He blinked as his head turned, was that a dagger he saw under the man’s black cloak? Were his guards stupid and incompetent? He sighed quietly to himself as he looked toward Tukhachevskij, who had more information on the ongoing Franco-German War. “Comrade Tukhachevskij, what news do you bear on the conflict between the French and the Germans?”
“Comrade Stalin, I bring news of warfare in the Rhineland and of French advances elsewhere! As you will recall, on July 18th the French had reached Nuremberg and Munich. The Germans seem to be counterattacking, reports are coming that they have regained the Rhineland as well as Nuremberg. At the same time, however, the French have pushed into what was once Czechoslovakia and have begun what seems to be an advance on Berlin, having occupied Dresden. Their position is very tenuous, and it is my professional opinion that the Germans will gain the upper hand and in the end force at least stalemate upon the French, or perhaps actually manage to take the war into their territory. Only future events will reveal this to us. Additionally, I wish to mention that the Germans have dealt with the troublesome Bulgarians and Greeks. We now have three borders with the Fascists. These are in the Baltic, in Bessarabia and in the Balkans.”
Stalin nodded. “Thank you, Comrade Tukhachevskij. I have no more questions or requests, you all may leave. Comrade Tukhachevskij, could you please leave your map here? I will have it returned later today.”
As they filed out of the room, Stalin took the map that Tukhachevskij left behind and looked at Europe.
Europe, feeling another round of great strife approaching, on August 3, 1936.