The Thousand Mile Reich
July 20, 1943.
Today the Soviet Union signed an armistice with the Anti-Comintern powers. The Bolsheviks surrendered to Germany everything West of the Urals, as well as the territories in Persia. Iraq and Syria were divided between Germany and Italy, while Korea, most of Manchuria, and Eastern Siberia went to Japan. Soviet-controlled territory now consists of Western and Central Siberia and some parts of Southern Manchuria and Northeast China. At new capital of Novosibirsk, one of the new industrial cities East of the River Ob, Lavrenti Beria has been announced as Chairman of both the Party and the Committee on State Security. Three former Polituburo members—Stalin, former Security chief Uritsky, and former Foreign Minister Molotov—have disappeared.
The Italians appear to be on the point of destroying the British bridgehead in Libya, now reduced to the immediate surroundings of Benghazi, and continue Southward in Africa. Continuing Churchill’s whirl from one objective to another, British forces have seized Crete.
Reports continue to appear that German settlers are colonizing lands taken from Poland and Russia, and in some place not employing the inhabitants but starving or even killing them. That cannot be good business, nor is their continuing refusal to normalize economic conditions in Western Europe.
We have made great strides compared with Germany, from 36% of their industrial production seven years ago to 71% today, although Army Intelligence estimates that their army is nearly three times larger. They still present little threat as they have no fleet and lack our entrepreneurship, popular legitimacy, and deep military leadership. They are said to be working on the same sort of new energy that we are, as well as on synthetic oil and rubber—although they are far behind us in the last.
Except for the new cessions and China, we now hold all former Japanese-held territory except the three smaller home islands and some small rocks such as Okinawa and the Kuriles. The Russian surrender of Korea and Eastern Siberia multiplies our tasks, though serious opposition is not expected. Some divisions will just have to take very long walks. We may, however, have to break out rule on diplomatic entanglements outside the hemisphere; better to have the Chinese themselves liberate China than to have to do it ourselves.
Next week USS Saratoga is scheduled to returned to service, almost exactly a year after she was bombed at Central Pacific. She is a relic now, her place long since taken by Intrepid, Franklin, and Ticonderoga, though Lex still serves.
July 20, 1943.
Today the Soviet Union signed an armistice with the Anti-Comintern powers. The Bolsheviks surrendered to Germany everything West of the Urals, as well as the territories in Persia. Iraq and Syria were divided between Germany and Italy, while Korea, most of Manchuria, and Eastern Siberia went to Japan. Soviet-controlled territory now consists of Western and Central Siberia and some parts of Southern Manchuria and Northeast China. At new capital of Novosibirsk, one of the new industrial cities East of the River Ob, Lavrenti Beria has been announced as Chairman of both the Party and the Committee on State Security. Three former Polituburo members—Stalin, former Security chief Uritsky, and former Foreign Minister Molotov—have disappeared.
The Italians appear to be on the point of destroying the British bridgehead in Libya, now reduced to the immediate surroundings of Benghazi, and continue Southward in Africa. Continuing Churchill’s whirl from one objective to another, British forces have seized Crete.
Reports continue to appear that German settlers are colonizing lands taken from Poland and Russia, and in some place not employing the inhabitants but starving or even killing them. That cannot be good business, nor is their continuing refusal to normalize economic conditions in Western Europe.
We have made great strides compared with Germany, from 36% of their industrial production seven years ago to 71% today, although Army Intelligence estimates that their army is nearly three times larger. They still present little threat as they have no fleet and lack our entrepreneurship, popular legitimacy, and deep military leadership. They are said to be working on the same sort of new energy that we are, as well as on synthetic oil and rubber—although they are far behind us in the last.
Except for the new cessions and China, we now hold all former Japanese-held territory except the three smaller home islands and some small rocks such as Okinawa and the Kuriles. The Russian surrender of Korea and Eastern Siberia multiplies our tasks, though serious opposition is not expected. Some divisions will just have to take very long walks. We may, however, have to break out rule on diplomatic entanglements outside the hemisphere; better to have the Chinese themselves liberate China than to have to do it ourselves.
Next week USS Saratoga is scheduled to returned to service, almost exactly a year after she was bombed at Central Pacific. She is a relic now, her place long since taken by Intrepid, Franklin, and Ticonderoga, though Lex still serves.
Last edited: