Chapter 784
Final Preparations Before the Meeting!
London, England.
Inside 10 Downing Street, the Prime Minister's official residence, the ever-present smell of cigars seemed even stronger than usual.
Outside the window, the fog on the Thames was slowly spreading, shrouding the city, which had just survived the Battle of Britain, in a hazy gray.
Winston Churchill, wearing his signature overalls and holding a large Havana cigar, paced anxiously in front of the enormous world map.
"Well done, Alexander!"
"He is a hero of the British Empire!"
Churchill turned around abruptly, waving his arms at Foreign Secretary Anthony Eden on the sofa, his fat face trembling slightly with excitement: "The victory in Sicily proves that my 'soft belly' strategy was absolutely correct!"
"Whether it was El Alamein before or Sicily now, we are gradually trapping this mad dog of the Axis powers in the Mediterranean bathtub!"
Aiden put down his tea, a reserved smile on his face, but a hint of worry in his eyes: "Your Excellency, the Italian representatives have already made contact with us in Lisbon."
"The Badoglio government wants to surrender, wants to jump ship."
"This is indeed good news, not only as a springboard, but also because it means our shipping lanes in the Mediterranean are safe."
"only.."
Aiden then changed the subject, his tone becoming serious: "Washington's attitude is very tough."
"President Roosevelt and General Marshall did not want us to control Italy alone after the war, and they were even less willing to see the Mediterranean Sea continue to be the 'inland lake of the British Empire'."
"Humph!"
"Those arrogant Americans!"
Churchill scoffed, took a deep drag on his cigar, and exhaled a thick cloud of smoke: "They're too naive!"
“These stupid guys don’t understand European politics.”
How could they possibly understand what geopolitical balance is?
"If Italy falls completely into the hands of the Americans, or worse, those damned Soviets, then all the blood we've shed these past few years will have been for nothing!"
Who will guarantee the safety of the Suez Canal?
Who will protect the lifeline to India?
Churchill walked to the table, picked up the invitation from the White House, and his eyes turned sinister.
"The Quad"
He read those words aloud, his tone full of disdain: "Roosevelt actually wants to invite that Chinese 'Chairman' Chang Ruiyuan to participate?"
"And even bring along that 'War General' who's been making waves lately?"
"The idea of four policemen is utterly ridiculous!"
"What right does a country that can't even defend its own territory and is riddled with internal warlords have to stand on equal footing with the British Empire?"
Eden cautioned, "Prime Minister, we cannot ignore China."
"They just bombed Tokyo, which has caused a sensation around the world."
"The Americans have elevated the General of War to the status of a war god in the East, and they have just annihilated a Japanese division in northern Jiangsu and purged the 21st Army Group. This shows that they are accelerating their internal integration."
"Integrate their forces? With their industrial output and current military strength, they are not a threat at all."
"It was all just Roosevelt's trick; he just wanted to demonstrate America's power."
Churchill astutely pointed out: "Roosevelt's courting of China was to counterbalance our colonies in Asia and to dismantle the global system of the British Empire after the war!"
"We want Myanmar, we want Hong Kong, we want the restoration of our former glory, and the Chinese people..."
He made a cutting gesture: "They want to drive us out of Asia."
"Therefore, we must have leverage."
Churchill looked at the map again, his gaze sweeping across the European continent and landing on the distant East—Moscow.
"Anthony, go and get ready."
Churchill's voice turned low and calculating: "We need to have a good talk with the one in Moscow."
"Although he was a Bolshevik, a devil, in order to deal with the current situation, to avoid being led by the nose by the Americans at the Cairo Conference, and for the interests of Italy and the Balkans after the war."
"I'd make a deal with the devil."
"As long as Moscow supports us on the Italian issue, or at least remains silent, we can offer them some 'understanding' and exchange of benefits on the issue of Eastern Europe and even on the issue of fighting against Japan."
"Furthermore, regarding the Cairo Conference, we must communicate with the Americans beforehand and firmly oppose any discussion of the return of colonies, especially sovereignty over parts of the territory!"
……
Moscow, USSR.
Stalin's office in the Kremlin.
Stalin was wearing a gray marshal's uniform and holding his signature pipe.
He paced slowly in front of the map. His steps were light, like a Siberian tiger patrolling its territory. People's Commissar for Foreign Affairs Molotov stood beside him, holding a newly translated diplomatic note.
"Comrade Stalin."
Molotov adjusted his glasses, his voice flat and emotionless: "Roosevelt and Churchill have sent an invitation, hoping you can attend the upcoming Quad summit, tentatively scheduled for Cairo."
Cairo?
Stalin stopped in his tracks: "That's British territory, and I heard they even invited Chiang Kai-shek from China?"
"Yes, the Americans hope to use this to enhance China's international standing."
"Hmph, elevate your status?"
Stalin struck a match, lit his pipe, and took a deep drag: "The Americans want to use China to contain Japan, and they also want to use China to contain us."
“In the Far East, we need a weak neighbor, not a strong, unified China.”
"That war commander."
Stalin exhaled a puff of smoke, his eyes becoming deep: "His troops are equipped with a large number of American weapons and are very powerful. This is a great threat."
“If we let them continue to develop, our interests in the Far East, whether it be the outer gate or the Middle East Railway, will be threatened.”
"Regarding the Cairo Conference, I telegraphed them back to tell them that I did not intend to go."
Stalin stated firmly, "As long as Chiang Kai-shek is there, I cannot go."
"After all, Japan had not yet declared war on the Soviet Union."
"Tell Roosevelt for now that I'm busy and the fighting on the front lines can't do without me."
As for the British
Stalin sneered: "That old fox Churchill wants to use Italy as a bargaining chip with us?"
"can."
"We are not interested in the Mediterranean; we are concerned with the Eastern Front."
“In response to London, we can support them on the Italian issue, provided they commit to opening a second front as soon as possible and acknowledge our ‘security concerns’ in Poland and Eastern Europe.”
"But, regarding China..."
Stalin turned around and pointed to Manchuria on the map: "We must pay close attention. If Chu Yunfei's armored force is really established, its target will definitely be the Kwantung Army. That will be the pretext for our legitimate intervention in Far Eastern affairs."
"You mean... we're backing out again and won't participate in this meeting?"
"We need to express our willingness to participate at the appropriate time and set off, just as we would have intervened in the Far East war, but not now."
……
Washington, D.C., USA.
The White House, the Oval Office. President Roosevelt sits in a wheelchair, his legs covered with that familiar blanket.
Before him was a newly delivered comprehensive report on the Chinese and Pacific theaters.
“George.”
Roosevelt looked up at Army Chief of Staff Marshall, his face bearing his signature confident smile: "It seems our investment was the right one."
"The Chinese did a good job; they not only held the line but also bombed Tokyo. This caused a huge reaction among the American public."
"Yes, Mr. President."
Marshall nodded and said, "Stilwell sent a telegram expressing his approval of the current state of the Chinese army's military buildup. Although there are still factional struggles within the army, overall, the army is moving towards modernization, and the influence of factions has become negligible."
"That's good."
Roosevelt took off his pince-nez glasses and rubbed his nose: "That old stubborn Winston is always fixated on his colonies."
“He looks down on China and thinks it is a burden.”
"But he didn't understand that the postwar world could no longer be the domain of the British and French colonial empires."
“We need a new order, and we need ‘four policemen’ to maintain peace.”
"China must be one of them."
"We must help China rise up and make them our strong ally in Asia to fill the vacuum left by Japan's defeat and to resist Soviet expansion."
Roosevelt's voice, though gentle, was filled with unwavering resolve: "At the Cairo Conference, I will give Chang Ruiyuan, and that war marshal, the highest honors."
"We must grant their request, give them loans, give them tanks, give them airplanes."
Tell Stilwell to make sure he maintains good relations with them.
"clear."
……
Pengcheng, China.
The meeting room of the North China Front Command was brightly lit.
Joseph Stilwell, dressed in a smart military uniform, sat imposingly in a chair, holding a glass full of whiskey in his hand.
Opposite him was Chu Yunfei, who had just finished his official business and looked slightly tired.
"Chu, well done."
Stilwell raised his glass, even with a genuine smile: "The 60th Division was wiped out, and Tokyo was turned into a sea of fire."
"The bureaucrats in Washington have finally shut up. Now even General Marshall is asking me when we can see armored forces galloping across the Northeast Plain."
Chu Yunfei picked up his teacup, toasted it with tea instead of wine, and gently clinked it against his glass: "Mr. Stilwell, this wouldn't have been possible without your support."
“Those B-24s wouldn’t be able to fly to Tokyo without your signature.”
"Don't give me that nonsense."
Stilwell put down his glass, leaned forward, and stared intently at Chu Yunfei with his sharp blue eyes: "Do you know why I rushed here overnight? The trilateral summit is about to begin."
"This was a fair and just conference to divide the credit, and also a gamble that would determine the postwar world order."
"I know."
Chu Yunfei put down his teacup, his expression calm. "And I also know that the British don't want us at the table."
"That's right!"
Stilwell slapped his thigh and said indignantly, "That Churchill, all he thinks about is his British Empire!"
"He wants to take back Myanmar, he wants to take back Hong Kong, and he wants to continue being the master in Asia!"
"He even wanted to win over the Soviets to suppress the United States and China!"
"Chu, you must understand."
Stilwell lowered his voice, his tone revealing a sincere sincerity: "In Cairo, Chairman Chang will face not only the threat from the Japanese, but also the arrogance of the British and the indifference of the Soviets."
"Although President Roosevelt supported China, he also had to consider the feelings of Britain's allies."
"Therefore, we must have solid capabilities in our own hands!"
Chu Yunfei smiled slightly, his fingers gently stroking the rim of the teacup: "Mr. Stilwell, what are you referring to as 'hard stuff'?"
"Are we supposed to voluntarily take on future amphibious landing missions?"
"Bingo!"
Stilwell snapped his fingers: "This is your biggest bargaining chip so far, and it's also key to winning over other forces in our country."
"But you understand, a landing operation will inevitably result in huge casualties, after all, Japan still has five million troops on the surface."
Chu Yunfei scoffed: "Five million armed peasants, their elite troops were lost in the long war long ago."
Stilwell's eyes were piercing: "Chu, I need your support."
"This will not only help me maintain my position, but also allow China to stand tall at the negotiating table!"
Chu Yunfei looked at the impatient old American man in front of him and sneered inwardly.
Stilwell did want to fight Japan, but he wanted to control the Chinese army even more.
He wanted to use Chinese soldiers to help the Americans and British fight, to realize his military ambitions, especially strategic plans like amphibious landings that were bound to be thwarted.
but.
This does not preclude mutual exploitation.
"Mr. Stilwell."
Chu Yunfei spoke slowly, his voice steady and powerful: "You're right."
"You can't win respect with words, you can only win with cannons."
"The expeditionary force is already making preparations for the future amphibious assault."
"As long as the equipment is in place, the supplies are sufficient, and the timing is right, I believe we can give you a satisfactory answer."
"but."
Chu Yunfei changed the subject, his eyes sharpening: "We also have our concerns."
"The British attitude in India is ambiguous."
Stilwell patted his chest and assured him, "Don't worry about that, they will never break the alliance agreement between the two sides."
"Not only that."
Chu Yunfei leaned forward, looking directly at Stilwell: "At the Cairo Conference, I hope the US side can make a clear statement."
"First, all U.S. troops in China, as well as aid supplies, must respect the unified command of the China Theater Command."
"Secondly, China's participation is essential in the postwar treatment of Japan."
"The xx Islands, XX, XX, and xx must be returned to China unconditionally."
"third."
Chu Yunfei paused, then said, slowly and deliberately, "This is also the most crucial point."
Chu Yunfei stood up and extended his hand: "Mr. Stilwell, it's a pleasure to do business with you."
"For victory."
"For victory." (End of Chapter)