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Chapter 9
September 10
Somewhere over eastern Poland, inside a Luftwaffe FW-200
The Third Reich's Foreign Minister was not pleased with the mission the Führer had tasked him with. Despite all of his work on what he was about to do he still failed to see the reason, allthough he loved his own skin too much to say anything that could be 'misinterpreted' by anyone whio might be overhearing. An Alliance with Stalin, the Reich's ideological arch-enemy? Unthinkable! But the Führer had ordered it so Von Ribbentrop was on his way to Moscow to make exactly that happen. Whether the madman in the Kremlin would be receptive or not was unknown, and von Ribbentrop had the strange feeling that he might end up with a Bullet in the head if the talks were not satisfactory, either one from Stalin or the Führer back in Berlin. Luckily he had talked Hitler out of sending Göring along with him to liase with the Red Air Force. That morphine addicted buffoon would probably get himself and the rest fo the delegation killed if he screwed up like he had at that meeting with the OKM where he had demanded that the Aircraft on the Graf Zeppelin were to be placed under his command. Von Ribbentrop quickly glanced out of the window aside his seat and immersed himself in his papers again, because however he thought about this mission he was intent to carry it out to the best of his abilities.
A short time later they crossed the Soviet Border, and were promptly taken under escort by a flight of I-16s that the Luftwaffe Crew of the German plane viewed with a mixture of contempt and pure disinterest. The pilot and most of his crew had flown Bombers in the Condor Legion before being reassigned to the VIP flight in Berlin. In their HE-111s they had faced these planes quite a few times and had learned to fear them, but only until the 109s had shown them where the boss bought his beer. Now they had to face them again although in different circumstances. They did not know what the ministers secret mission was. As far as they and the rest of the world were concerned this was only a meeting to discuss further trade agreements and military cooperation between both countries, like so many times in the past. The four I-16 took up positions, with two on each side of the German long-range Bomber.
Several hours later the escorts served away and disappeared into the darkening evening sky as the Focke Wulf descended down towards the vast expanse of the central Airport of the Soviet Capital. When the FW-200 came to a halt several Soviet dignitaries rushed to welcome the German Foreign Minister. Due to the semi-secret nature of the meeting the reception lacked the usual band and red carpet, and instead the German party was ushered into several Soviet State cars waiting for them at the edge of the tarmac. The evening was already dark, which helped to conceal the arrival of von Ribbentrop and his plane, but also concealed the lone onlooker who was sure glad that he could not be seen from his vantage point on one of the surrounding buildings. When the German delegation had driven poff he left too, slowly making his way back to the British Embassy, careful to check for any tail he might have.
In the motorcade however the people travelled more in style, and von Ribbentrop gladly helped himself to the Vodka that was presented to him. On the other side of the pullman car sat a official from the Soviet Foreign Minis..-'No, the Soviet Peoples Directorate for foreign affairs' he corrected himself- and was looking at him with a blank expression, giving no notion to the fact that both men knew exactly who the other was. Von Ribbentrops opponent was non other than Vyacheslav Molotov. According to the Embassy he was the new coming man in the Soviet Foreign politics. The sitting Foreign Comissar was still formally held the post, but was crippled after having lost the confidence of both Stalin and his own subordinates after failing to respond decisively to the Japanese Attack on China back in 1937. Molotov had been quick to take up the slack and von Ribbentrop was convinced that he would take over the Foreign Secretariat any day now.
The car sped through the dark streets of Moscow, and neither man spoke, just looking at each other trying to gauge their opposite number's personality beyond what the Intelligence briefings said. When the cars reached the exterior wall of the Kremlin Molotov broke the silence. “Herr Ribbentrop, Comrade Stalin has briefed me that you were going to come, but may I ask why is it that you are here in Moscow? Certainly not the trade talks we have both announced to the western press?” Von Ribbentrop made a thin smile and said: “Comrade Molotov, I have orders from my Führer only to discuss these things with Comrade Stalin himself, no matter what. However of this works out you will most likely be briefed immediately. This matter is of the greatest importance for both the Soviet Union and the German Reich.” The car was silent again until it stopped in a small alleyway where a lone guard watched over a seemingly inconspicuous door. Von Ribbentrop got out of the car and the door was opened. Molotov motioned him to go inside. Lead by Molotov von Ribbentrop and the rest of his party from the other cars walked through a virtual maze of corridors, passing three airtight doors and no less than seven checkpoints. After fifteen minutes they reached a leather-clad door. Molotov opened it and practically shoved them inside. Von Rippentrop looked around and saw a lavishly furnished room that reminded him of Schloss Sancousi back in Berlin. What captured his eye was the man behind the heavy oak desk in the middle of the windowless room: Iosif Vissarionovich Dzhugashvili also known as Josef Stalin.
Stalin spoke first. "So, what has your Führer to say to em that is so important it cannot be handled by the Embassy Worker Bees?" Von Ribbentrop cleared his throat and said: "Comrade Stalin, our beloved Führer Adolph Hitler has a proposition for the great Soviet Union. He wishes for the Soviet Union and the Reich to become formal members in a full military Alliance."
Stalin didn't react at first, and von Ribbentrop started to wonder if he had been understood in the first place. After a while Stalin proceeded to relight his trademark pipe and simply said: "And why should I agree to this? Every day your press is denouncing the Soviet Union as the centre of all evil in this world, as 'subhumans' and more. And now you come here and start talking about an alliance?" He did not say ' Have you gone mad?' but the phrase hung in the air. Von Ribbentrop did not react either and simply said: "The exact terms must be negotiated in detail of course, but for now the Reich offers the following: Full recognition of all Soviet claims in the Baltic states and Finnland, along with a partitioning of Poland." Stalin pondered this, and finally signalled for the Germans to sit down. Von Ribbentrop sat and awaited Stalins answers with great anxiety. Stalin leaned back in his chair and said: "Let us talk then."
[Game effects: none. Just setting the stage for the big show and preparing the introduction of another character from whom we will hear soon. I know I said this would be the conference itself, but when I sat down to write the chapter this stuff virtually typed itself, inspired by footage from a BBC documentary about Barbarossa I watched a while back.]
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weird, i didnt see this on my cp as updated yesterday night. i'll comment now however, and say that was a very interesting update. i had thought relations between the two were more friendly than that. but it'l be a scary alliance indeed.
BritishImperial said:
The state of the alliance and the Soviet intent behind it will be explained in future chapters.
On a lighter note: I passed my last year at school!
Now its six week of labour for money then off to university.
trekaddict said:On a lighter note: I passed my last year at school!
sweet! good work, where ya going for uni?
BritishImperial said:
In Stuttgart, same twon where I am currently going to school. And thanks btw.
Edit: This just arrived.
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Enewald said:Pigriser?
Another Molotov-Ribbentrop pact...
Schweinsteiger ( a.k.a. "Schweini" ) was the hero of the day when I ordered it after our match against Portugal.
The M-R pact is a totally different one than the one from OTL. It will also have a different name.
And because I am in a particularly good mood today I will give you the next update tomorrow or very very late today.
I was waiting for the second part, much better to comment on the actual meat of an update than the starter.trekaddict said:No comments?
El Pip said:I was waiting for the second part, much better to comment on the actual meat of an update than the starter.
No matter, old boy.
i thought that man's silly name meant pigsticker, but thats probably my bad german. my dad was very pissed off when germany won :rofl:
i suppose i dont have much ground to stand on as my lads couldnt even make it to the tournament. but i will be displaying a spanish flag instead of the customary british one for the next couple of days (because i'm 1/16th spanish, not because i hate the german football team of course )
edit: or would if there was a proper spanish flag on here
)edit: or would if there was a proper spanish flag on here
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