Chapter 75 Volume 3, Chapter 2, The Flame of War Spreads

My relationship with President Roosevelt grew closer. Harry Hopkins arrived in London. A precious link between me and the President. Our trip to Scapa Flow. Mr. Wendell Wilkie. Sail the ship of nations!Politics and strategy We are faced with difficult choices Germany's plot to Romania and Bulgaria Soviet concerns Ribbentrop's explanation My telegram to President Inonu on January 31 We provide military aid to Turkey Turkey lacks modern equipment The need for a United Balkan Front. As the new year approached, I became more in touch with President Roosevelt.I have already sent him a letter of congratulations on the Chinese New Year.

former navy personnel to president roosevelt January 1, 1941 Now, as we pass the New Year in turmoil, it seems to me that I should, on behalf of the British Government, and indeed the entire British Empire, tell you, Mr. President, how warmly we thank and praise your Manifesto: Your memorable proclamation last Sunday to the people of the United States and to freedom-loving people all over the world. We cannot predict what our future will be, but with this clarion call we are moving forward with renewed spirit and confidence, and with the conviction that what you say, all English-speaking peoples and peoples with like ideals will eventually There will be a bright future.

On January 10, a gentleman came to see me in Downing Street with the highest credentials. I had previously received a telegram from Washington introducing him as the closest confidant and personal representative of the President.So I arranged for him to be greeted at the airport by Mr. Brendan Bracken when he arrived and to have lunch alone with him the next day. In this way I met Harry Hopkins, a special man who was and will be decisive in the whole course of the war. His body was frail and sickly, but his spirit was vigorous.He is a dying lighthouse, from which the light shines to guide the great fleet into port.He is also good at allegorical humor.I'm always happy to be with him, especially when things aren't going our way.

He was also quite embarrassing at times, with harsh words.My experience has taught me that it's okay for people to do this when necessary. When we first met, we stayed together for about three hours.I soon learned of his personal strength and the special importance of his mission.At this time, when the enemy's bombing of London was at its peak, many local problems arose.But I am well aware that we have with us a special presidential envoy who has a stake in our survival.His eyes were bright, and he said with calm restrained enthusiasm: The president has made up his mind that we will win this war together.This is absolutely true.

He has sent me here to tell you that no matter what the situation is, he will support you to the end no matter what the sacrifices are and how he will use all means.As long as it can be done by human power, there is nothing he is unwilling to do. Anyone who has come into contact with Harry Hopkins in the course of his long struggle will agree with my account of this remarkable man.From that time began a friendship between us, which has grown steadily through various vicissitudes and upheavals.He is the most reliable and ideal source of communication between the President and me.But more than that, he was for some years a major supporter and inspiration of Roosevelt himself.

One is a subordinate without public office, the other is leading the powerful republic, and the two together can make decisions of great importance to the entire English-speaking world.Of course, Hopkins envied others to share his personal influence on the leader, and had no tolerance for competitors among Americans.Thus he in some ways confirms the lines of the poet Grey, that the favored have no friends. 【1】But it's none of my business.He sat there, emaciated and sickly, but with the full display of an incisive understanding of our business.The cause was to defeat, to destroy, to kill Hitler, and all other intentions, allegiances, or purposes were disregarded.There are few such radiant figures in American history.

[1] Thomas Gray (1716 | 1771), American poet.translator Harry Hopkins often gets to the heart of the matter.I once participated in an important meeting in the United States, and there were twenty or more executive dignitaries present at the meeting.At a time when the discussion is going nowhere and everyone in this room is at a loss, that's when he pinpoints the key issues, and indeed, Mr. President, that's what we have to address.Are we going to deal with this problem?As a result, the problems he raised are always taken seriously, and once everyone pays attention, the problems will be solved.He was a true leader of men, and, in times of crisis, few could surpass him both in ardor and in wisdom.His hatred of violence was equaled by his love for the poor and weak, especially when it succeeded for a while.

In order to make the visit of our new ambassador, Lord Halifax, to the United States appear more solemn, I have arranged that our newest and strongest battleship, the HMS King George V, escorted by several destroyers, will carry him and His wife crossed the ocean.I escorted them north in a special car and saw them off at Scapa Flow.I took advantage of this opportunity to inspect the fleet; I had not inspected it since leaving the Admiralty.This fit in with my plans to get to know Harry Hopkins better.We came to the fleet together to inspect the ships and defense.My wife was with me, jumping from one destroyer to climbing another, with the agility of all the others.Hopkins almost fell into the sea.I returned to Glasgow in my special car, was greeted by a large crowd, met all the magistrates, visited many factories, inspected the defence, fire and air defense organisations, and made many extemporaneous speeches.Then we went on to Taineside, passing in the same way.I want to know this man, his leader, all the time.Hopkins stayed with me for about ten days, during which time he brought me into perfect harmony of spirit with the newly re-elected leader of that great republic.

Later I took him to Dover to inspect our heavy batteries, which looked across the Channel from the French coast to us the German coast. former navy personnel to president roosevelt January 13, 1941 Hopkins spent the weekend with me, and he was with me on a short trip to the fleet base, so we would have plenty of time to discuss everything at our leisure.I am very grateful to you for sending a very distinguished emissary who was so close to you and who has your full confidence. former navy personnel to president roosevelt January 19, 1941 As you probably already know, Halifax is about to arrive in Annapolis aboard our new battleship, HMS King George V.Of course, the ship cannot stay for more than twenty-four hours.I don't know if you would like to take a look at this warship.If you can arrange for this, we will be proud to host you or your senior admiral on board.The ship will arrive at the entrance of the Chesapeake Bay at 7:00 am on January 24.If you can inform me of any suggestions or wishes, we shall do so.

Then, and during the same month, Mr. Wendell Wilkie, the President's most recent opponent in the election, came to England.He is also carrying a Supreme Letter of Introduction signed by the President.As he was the acknowledged leader of the republican party, we made arrangements (aided by the enemy) to enable him to see the difficulties he wished to see in London.He also spent the night at Checkers, and I had a long conversation with this very capable and enterprising man.Three years later, he died of illness. [1] Checkers is thirty miles northwest of London and is the suburban official residence of the British Prime Minister.translator

former navy personnel to president roosevelt January 28, 1941 Yesterday, I received Wilkie.I am deeply moved by the lines of Longfellow that you quote.I shall have it framed, as a memorial of these stormy days, and as a token of our friendship, forged, under the most strained circumstances, by communion of telegram and spirit . From all the information I have received, the Germans are persisting in their preparations to attack our country, and we are preparing to give them what they deserve.On the other hand, news from the east indicated that a large number of the enemy's army and air force had entered Romania, and thousands of vanguard troops of the Luftwaffe had sneaked into the Bulgarian airfield with the willful connivance of the Bulgarian government.Of course, Hitler wanted to seriously threaten the British Isles, one is to keep us here, and the other is to cover his eastward plan.However, his army was so large that he was able to attack on both fronts at the same time.Please rest assured that we will do our best in two aspects. I cannot thank you enough for your gracious reception in Halifax and for all that you are doing to give us timely assistance.I am truly delighted to have made the acquaintance of Hopkins; no one who has met Hopkins has been comforted and inspired.It is not hard to see why he is so close to you.Colonel Dunovan has also done an excellent job in the Middle East. With your best regards and kindest regards.Hope you have recovered. Here is the letter from the President: washington, white house dear churchill January 20, 1941 Wendell Wilkie will deliver this letter to you personally. [1] Here he is indeed in favor of abandoning partisanship. 【1】The original photocopy of Roosevelt's letter was published on page 25 of the original book, and the Chinese translation was not published.translator This poem, I think, applies to your people as it applies to us: The ship of nations, sail forward! Sail forward, mighty Commonwealth! human beings in distress, is preoccupied with all their future hopes, Pin on your destiny. Franklin Roosevelt These brilliant lines from Longfellow's Shipbuilding Hymn[1] are inspiring. [1] Henry Wadsworth Longfellow's (1807|1882) Shipbuilding Hymn, one of his collections of poems by the Seaside and the Fireside.translator In a big war it is impossible to separate the military from the political.In the leadership of the country, military and politics are merged into one.Of course, the military thinks that the military is the only and supreme, and they even mention political considerations with some contemptuous tone.Moreover, the word politics has been confused and even tainted because it is associated with partisan politics.Thus much of the literature in this troubled century has been misinterpreted due to the idea that in war only military considerations are important and that soldiers cannot follow through because of the meddling of politicians. Their clear, professional opinions; these politicians affect the outcome of a high-stakes battle for personal or partisan gain.The War Cabinet, the Chiefs of Staff and myself have always maintained an extremely close and harmonious relationship, and at the same time Britain was completely non-partisan, so that we were able to keep differences of opinion between the military and the government to a minimum. While our campaign against Italy in Northeast Africa continued to be victorious, and the Greeks had great hopes of taking Vlora in Albania, it became increasingly clear from all the news we received of German movements and intentions that Hitler was about to take over the Balkans. Large-scale intervention with the Mediterranean region.From the beginning of January I expected that the Luftwaffe would be stationed in Sicily, thereby threatening Malta and all our hopes of restoring Mediterranean communications.I'm also concerned that they're going to set up an air station on Banterella and send German troops to Tripoli with all the convenience an air station can provide, possibly armored.It turns out that they did not consider it necessary to occupy Banterella, but we believed that they were planning a north-south passage through Italy to Africa, while using the same method to block our activities on the east and west sides of the Mediterranean. There was also the threat that the Balkan states, including Greece and Turkey, would be coerced into submitting to Hitler's Reich or, if they did not comply, they would be subjugated.Will the abominable process, seen in Norway, Denmark, the Netherlands, Belgium and France in the past, be repeated in southeastern Europe? Will all the Balkan states, including heroic Greece, surrender one by one?Will Turkey, after its isolation, be forced to open the way to Palestine, Egypt, Iraq and Persia for German troops?Would it be possible to bring about the unity of the Balkan countries and the establishment of a Balkan front so that a new German aggression would be too costly to gain?Would resistance to Germany in the Balkans have a significant and salutary response in Soviet Russia?The countries of the Balkans are certainly governed by common interests, and may even be governed by common sentiments, so long as they allow such interests to affect their estimates.The stakes are roughly the same for these countries, so can we find additional foreign assistance from our strained but growing resources to inspire them to act for the common cause?Or, on the contrary, should we just mind our own business and win the campaign in Northeast Africa, while Greece, the Balkans, and possibly even Turkey and all the rest of the Middle East go down the path of destruction? We could have lightened our minds a great deal if we had made such a straightforward decision to keep ourselves to ourselves; and many of the junior officers who have spoken to us have endorsed it in their writings.These writers are indeed conveniently placed to point out the evils which have befallen us; but they have no knowledge to consider adequately what such a contrary policy might produce.If Hitler could bring Greece to his knees without a fight, incorporate the Balkan countries into his ruling system, and then force Turkey to allow his troops to go south and east by false routes, then, couldn't he just conquer and carve up these vast areas Compromise with the Soviet Union on the issue of the Soviet Union, and postpone the inevitable German-Soviet quarrel to a later period?Or, more likely, couldn't he have attacked Russia earlier with a larger force?The main question to be explored and brought to light in the following chapters is whether the actions of His Majesty's Government have influenced Hitler's movements in South-Eastern Europe decisively, and even to a considerable extent; , and then had an impact on its fate. As already mentioned in the previous volume, we gave Greece a moderate amount of assistance after it was attacked by Italy, and four squadrons of the British air force were stationed on Greek airfields, and they had some success in battle.It is worth now to see what progress has been made on the German side. On January 7, Ribbentrop informed the head of the German mission in Moscow: Since early January, elite German troops have been stationed in Romania via Hungary.The movement of troops is continuing with the full agreement of the Hungarian and Romanian governments.The troops will be stationed in southern Romania for the time being.The reason for mobilizing these troops is that we should seriously consider the need to expel all the English from all of Greece.The strength of the German army is sufficient to deal with any military mission in the Danube basin and accidents from any quarter.The military measures we have taken are aimed at denying British troops a foothold in Greece, not against any Balkan country, including Turkey. As for instructions on how to conduct the talks: the general spirit is one of caution.Urgent formal inquiries can be pointed out to them on a case-by-case basis, and such inquiries should be made in Berlin.When talks have to be held, comments should be made in general terms.In making a comment, it may be pointed out that we have received credible reports that British reinforcements of all arms are increasingly being sent to Greece as plausible grounds, and that it may also be requested They recall the Battle of Thessaloniki in World War I [1].Regarding the strength of the German army, it should remain vague for the time being.In the future, we may be interested in revealing the full strength of our military, but also inspiring exaggeration.Instructions in this regard will be issued in due course. [1] Thessaloniki is a port in Greece. During the First World War, British and French troops landed in the port in 1915 to attack the German army.translator On the same day, he called the German ambassador to Japan: Please confidentially inform the Japanese Foreign Minister himself that a considerable German detachment is currently being transferred to Romania.The transfer of troops was carried out with the full agreement of the Hungarian and Romanian governments.In Greece it might be necessary to intervene, and the delivery of these troops was made as a security measure in the event of our intervention; if British forces gained a foothold in Greece and an intervention was necessary, it could be brought into action as required. Schulenburg, the German ambassador to Moscow, replied on January 8: Rumors abounded about the dispatch of German troops to Romania; the number was even estimated at 200,000.Government figures, radio stations and Soviet newspapers have not yet discussed this matter. The Soviet government will be extremely interested in the movement of these forces, and will want to know the purpose of the massing of these forces, and in particular how much the Bulgarian and Turkish Bosphorus and Dardanelles may be affected.Please advise how to deal with it. The German Foreign Minister replied on the same day. Ribbentrop to Schulenburg January 8, 1941 Please do not discuss with the Soviet government the issue of Germany sending troops to Romania. If Mr. Molotov or any other influential person in the Soviet government asks about this matter, please state that, according to the information you have received, the German troops were sent as a purely preventive military measure against Great Britain.Britain has sent troops into Greek soil and they are expected to send more troops in the near future.Under no circumstances would Germany tolerate Britain gaining a foothold on Greek soil.Please refrain from going into details until further notice. By mid-January the Russians were so anxious that the issue was raised in Berlin.On January 17, the Russian ambassador visited the German Foreign Office and conveyed a memorandum, the basic contents of which are as follows: According to various reports, a large number of German troops are stationed in Rumania and are now preparing to march into Bulgaria with the aim of occupying Bulgaria, Greece and the Bosporus and Dardanelles.Britain will undoubtedly try to prevent the actions of the German army, occupy the two straits, and jointly launch military operations against Bulgaria with Turkey, making Bulgaria a battlefield.The Soviet government has repeatedly stated to the German government that it considers Bulgaria and the Bosphorus and the Dardanelles to be areas that guarantee the security of the Soviet Union, and that it cannot remain indifferent to events that threaten the security interests of the Soviet Union.In view of all this, the Soviet government thought it necessary to issue a warning that any presence of foreign armed forces in Bulgaria, the Bosphorus Strait and the Dardanelles would be regarded as a violation of the security rights and interests of the Soviet Union. On January 21, the German Foreign Office summoned the Russian ambassador and informed him that the German government had received no reports of British attempts to occupy the two Turkish straits.Nor did they believe that Turkey would allow British troops into its territory.They had, however, received intelligence that Britain was interested and about to gain a foothold on Greek soil.Germany's unalterable policy was not to allow British troops to gain a foothold on Greek soil, because this would be tantamount to threatening Germany's vital interests in the Balkans.Germany was therefore building up a certain amount of troops in the Balkans for the sole purpose of preventing the British from gaining any foothold in Greece.The German government believed that this action was also in the interests of the Soviet Union, as it was also against the interests of the Soviet Union to gain a foothold in these areas. 【1】Things stop there for the time being. [1] See "Nazi-Soviet Relations", pp. 268, 271 | 272. A few days later, I called the Turkish president. Prime Minister to President Inonu (in Ankara) January 31, 1941 Mr. President, the rapidly increasing threats to the interests of Turkey and the United Kingdom have prompted me to correspond directly with you.I have received reliable information that German troops have entered the Bulgarian airfield.Temporary barracks are being prepared and thousands of forward service personnel have arrived.This was carried out by the Royal Bulgarian Air Force and undoubtedly with the connivance of the Bulgarian Government.Soon, perhaps within weeks, German troops and air squadrons were to begin moving to Bulgaria.Squadrons will be ready for immediate combat simply by flying from their air station in Romania to the base they are preparing in Bulgaria.At that point, unless you do not allow the Germans to advance to Bulgaria, or object to their passage through Bulgaria, they will bomb Istanbul and Fort Adriano that same night, and will use dive bombers to bomb your troops in Thrace.They undoubtedly hope to enter Thessaloniki without a fight, or to force Greece to make peace with Italy, and to hand over the air bases on Greece and its islands to Italy, so as to endanger the relationship between our garrison in Egypt and the Turkish army. traffic.They will prevent our navy from using Smyrna, and they will completely control the exit from the Dardanelles, thereby encircling the European part of Turkey on three sides.It also favored their attacks on Alexandria and Egypt in general. Of course I know, Mr. President, that Turkey will declare war when these mortal dangers loom.But why must the enemy have the great advantage of being able to control the Bulgarian airfields without firing a shot or saying a word? In fact, Germany was preparing to repeat on the Turkish frontier the same trick it had used on the French frontier in April and May 1940.But this time, instead of hesitating and timid neutrals like Denmark, the Netherlands, and Belgium, it encountered a co-conspirator and former ally, Bulgaria.Bulgaria has undoubtedly lost the will to resist, and never had the strength to resist.I repeat, all this may be upon us in February or March; moreover, since the Bulgarian airfields are ready to receive the Luftwaffe and are used by incoming airmen and ground crews, the Germans will not even have to mobilize large numbers Army, you can get all the convenience.Are we going to stand by and let others take their time preparing to deal us such a fatal blow? I believe that we should be severely condemned by our respective countries if we lack the usual prudence and foresight.By now, we've waited too long. I therefore propose to you, Mr. President, that for the defense of Turkey you and I take the same measures that the Germans took at the Bulgarian airfield.My administration wants to send at least ten fighter and bomber squadrons to Turkey as soon as they are ready.In addition, there are five air force squadrons already fighting in Greece. If Greece surrenders or is defeated, we are going to transfer these five squadrons to the Turkish airfield.We also want our growing best air force to conduct aerial combat from bases in Turkey.In doing so, we will add air support to the Turkish Army, which they need to maintain their renowned land expertise. And not only that, if the German army advances into the Bulgarian border, or if the Luftwaffe personnel in Bulgaria do not withdraw immediately, we will enable Turkey to threaten the enemy by bombing the Romanian oil fields after the air squadron is stationed in Turkey.We do not intend to take such action from Turkish airports unless we have your consent. There are more questions to come.Russia's attitude is vacillating, and we hope that it will remain loyal and friendly.The best way, even if indirect, to check Russian aid to Germany would be to maintain a very strong fleet of British bombers capable of attacking the Baku oil fields (from Turkey).A large part of Russia's agriculture depends on the supply of oil from these oil fields. If these oil fields are destroyed, there will be serious famine. In this way, once Turkey is defended by the air force, it may have a way to prevent Germany from ravaging Bulgaria, conquering Greece, and dispelling Russia's fear of the German army.If this decisive position is to be obtained, without delay, His Majesty's Government is prepared, with your assent, to issue the necessary orders to send our forward personnel to Turkey at once.Whether they wear military uniforms or plain clothes, they act according to your opinions. One more thing, we are going to ship you a hundred anti-aircraft guns.These anti-aircraft guns are now either in Egypt or are on their way to Egypt.The anti-aircraft guns were all manned with full crews, in uniform, if you will, or disguised as instructors otherwise. All other measures discussed with Marshal Chuck Mack, as well as those concerning the Navy, will be implemented in due course. Our victory in Libya will enable us to take more direct and timely steps to aid Turkey once our two countries are allied in the war; Let us unite with you, and use our growing strength to aid your valiant army. I also send the following memorandum to the Chiefs of Staff of the Armed Services: prime minister to chiefs of staff committee January 31, 1941 We must not lose sight of the decision which we have communicated to General Wavell, that after the capture of Tobruk the situation in Greece and Turkey should be considered first.Advancing to Benghazi was the most desirable, as we have emphasized in our subsequent telegrams.But in carrying out this operation only those troops which have nothing to do with the needs of Europe can still be used.According to current forecasts, Benghazi will not be taken until the end of February, and General Wavell should be made aware of this.For example, the air force promised to support Turkey cannot be deferred until then.However, it may be possible to balance both sides. The Chiefs of Staff of the Armed Forces then called the Commanders-in-Chief in the Middle East to draw their attention to my telegram to President Inonu and added the following: Resisting the penetration of German forces into Bulgaria is the first step to be taken now.We are fully aware that, as long as European interests are not affected, it is advantageous to advance to Benghazi to secure a fleet base in Egypt and the Eastern Mediterranean.Therefore, it is extremely important to capture Benghazi as soon as possible.We welcome your intention to adopt Operation Jaws (Rhodes Island), so we have dispatched three Glenn fast transports to you at the expense of suspending similar operations in the Western Mediterranean for several months.We deployed it this way in the hope of preventing the German Airborne from taking the Jaw, as that would impede our traffic to Turkey.We have asked you to begin implementing this battle plan as soon as possible. Finally, we must reiterate that the situation in Greece and Turkey is of great importance and should be at the top of your mind. At this time, I knew how dangerous the situation in Turkey had become.We obviously cannot think that the treaty we made with it before the war is still binding on it after the situation has changed.When war broke out in 1939, Turkey mobilized its elite and brave army.However, this was entirely a reaction based on the circumstances of the First World War.The Turkish infantry is as good as before, and their field artillery is also worth mentioning.But they lack modern weapons, which since May 1940 have proved decisive.Their aviation facilities are extremely weak and crude.They had no tanks or armored vehicles, no factories to manufacture and repair such vehicles, nor soldiers and personnel trained to use them.They hardly had any anti-aircraft or anti-tank guns.Their communication facilities are not perfect, and they don't know that they have radar.And, in their warlike nature, there is no tendency to accept all these modern inventions. Bulgaria, on the other hand, was largely armed by Germany with a large variety of equipment taken from France and the Low Countries in the campaigns of 1940.The Germans had a vast array of modern weapons with which to arm their allies.For our part, because of the heavy losses at Dunkirk, because of the need to build up an indigenous army to defend against enemy invasion, to meet the constant pressure on our cities by the Blitz, and to maintain the war in the Middle East, we can only do so at the expense of other urgently needed Under certain circumstances, a small amount of arms assistance is provided to other countries.Under these circumstances the Turkish army in Thrace was at a serious, almost hopeless disadvantage compared with the Bulgarian army.If, on top of this danger, even a small number of detachments of the Luftwaffe and armored forces are added, then it will be difficult for Turkey to support this pressure. Throughout the present period of the widening war, the only policy or hope lies in a plan for uniting Yugoslav, Greek, and Turkish forces; we are now striving to realize this plan.Our assistance to Greece was limited to the first steps, with only a few squadrons of the air force; these air units were transferred from Egypt to Greece when Mussolini began to attack Egypt.The second stage was the proposal to send a technical force, which was stated in the telegram of the Chiefs of Staff of the Armed Forces, but the Greeks did not agree to this proposal, and their reasons were not unreasonable.Now we come to the third phase, in which it seems possible to establish a safe and secure desert flank in and to the west of Benghazi, and to assemble the largest mobile force or strategic reserve possible in Egypt. That's how we entered February.