British civil servant

The problem is that he can't solve this problem at all. This is not something he or Marshal Zhukov can decide.Only the leaders of the current countries can decide when they will be able to enter Austria and carry out the four-nation occupation.

"General Eisenhower, the Marshal asked me to ask, is there something wrong with you?" Before General Eisenhower could figure out a solution, a Soviet officer came over and greeted in proficient English.

The huge fleeing team, after marching throughout the night, has approached the border between Germany and Austria.Stimulated by the desire to survive, these refugees approached the German border step by step, not only without any fatigue.

The women and children were in the front, and the adult men were behind, full of the desire to survive, maintaining the marching speed throughout the night.

General Eisenhower, who was still in the military parade in Berlin, finally insisted on finishing the military parade, and immediately asked his staff to contact the American agency in Austria to find out what the status of this batch of refugees was and where their destination was. At the same time, he informed the British representative movement in the border area.

In fact, Alan Wilson also knew the news after the military parade. Who told him that he was the liaison officer who dealt with this matter before? Although he knew it well, Alan Wilson also understood that this matter must not Playing smart, concealing and not reporting is not enough, and quickly went to the residence of Cabinet Secretary Edward Bridges to report.

Chapter 80 Barton the Real Man

"Oh, young Alan, what's the matter?" Edward Bridges was a little surprised at Alan Wilson who suddenly appeared in front of him, he hadn't encountered such a thing for a long time, "It's the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Take it easy, you know, when it comes to foreign affairs, your job is limited to public relations, hospitality. There's nothing hard about it, and maybe Barron hasn't taught you that."

Edward Bridges showed an attitude that everything was under control, and he spoke calmly, and he did not behave rudely to Alan Wilson, and lost his gentlemanly demeanor.

"Sir Edward, something has happened?" Alan Wilson organized his words with an anxious look, "There has been something that none of us wants to happen, but it just happened. Subjectively, we should try our best to prevent it, but in fact We are helpless, we should express our attitude, but it is best to pretend not to know, we should play the role of the British Empire, but it is best to let things go, which is very embarrassing.”

"Wow, I just said that Barron is good at spotting talents." Edward Bridges, who pointed to the chair in front of him and motioned for Alan Wilson to sit down, asked calmly with afternoon tea in his hand, "What happened?" matter?"

Alan Wilson immediately reported on the Yugoslav refugees who crossed the border to the north, and waited for Edward Bridges' instructions. Edward Bridges held the afternoon tea motionlessly and gave Alan Wilson a sideways glance. , said without a trace, "This is a big event, especially at such a moment, when the Potsdam Conference is about to be held, and now there will be elections in the country. If the Potsdam Conference cannot be held because of this, the great prime minister may be very unhappy .”

"Yes, Sir Edward, we don't want to have twists and turns at this time." Alan Wilson's panic was not entirely feigned, and deep down he was also afraid of his classmates.

Although this probability is not high, nothing is [-]% certain, and you have to bear the consequences for doing things.

"It's rare that you can see the seriousness of the matter. I remember you once went to Vienna specifically?" Seeing Alan Wilson's discoloration suddenly, Edward Bridges reached out his hand to be calm, "We will not be impatient at any time." We must avoid rushing and speaking with emotional agitation, that is what politicians do, as a successful civil servant, we must maintain a calm and calm attitude at all times, but it does not mean that your matter is not serious."

Edward Bridge continued after a pause, "Strictly speaking, these refugees crossing the border is an emergency, and we do not want to have consequences that may cancel the Potsdam Conference at such an important moment. As a result, if the Soviets caught the problem, it may be that this matter has nothing to do with you, and you, as the person involved, may be affected, so now it is a matter of dereliction of duty."

"Sir Edward, I have been wronged very much." Alan Wilson defended with some words...

"It's just a hypothesis, without any prejudice." Edward Bridges shook his finger and said indifferently, "So the current consequences depend on whether it affects the convening of the Potsdam Conference and the purpose of these refugees Wherever they go, if they happen not to affect the order of the British-occupied area, you are safe."

At the dawn of peace, there was such an incident that might damage the unity of the current Allied Powers. Of course, Alan Wilson could not guarantee that he would retreat unscathed. In fact, even ordinary cabinet secretaries would be confused by this incident.

But Edward Bridges is just an exception. He is a cabinet secretary who has experienced the entire war period. From Prime Minister Chamberlain’s mistakes in coping, to Prime Minister Churchill who is like a matador and fighting with Germany, he has various operations during the war, including All major mistakes were seen by him.

Although the incident of Yugoslav refugees crossing the border this time is not a small matter, it is not very big.And the consequences have not yet been seen. Since the consequences have not yet appeared, it is still early to deal with Alan Wilson.

After Allen Wilson left, Edward Bridges closed his eyes and said to himself, "Barron, you can really give me problems!"

The Barron mentioned by Edward Bridges is naturally Sir Barron, the head of civil servants in British India. Considering the important status of British India to the British Empire, he, the cabinet secretary, must of course have a reliable official in British India. underlings.

Usually, Sir Barron, and of course Edward Bridges, carried some local products from British India.

However, when the refugee wave appeared in Yugoslavia, how could U.S. Commander-in-Chief Eisenhower be scared to pee by the new Soviet tanks, so how could he attract attention?The Daily Mail and The Times reported on the new heavy tanks that appeared in the Soviet Union at the joint military parade with sensational headlines.

Some public opinion is actually very enthusiastic about the fact that the United States and the Soviet Union are currently entering into a fierce confrontation.

The Yugoslav refugees, like army ants, quickly passed through the small Austria and appeared on the border between Germany and Austria. By nightfall, the news of the Yugoslav refugees crossing the border had been completely spread.

The top leaders of the United States, the Soviet Union, Britain and France have all known it, and General Eisenhower finally learned of the destination of these refugees, the German state of Bavaria where General Patton is located.

"Let them come over!" General Patton gave the order aggressively. He didn't know about the new Soviet tanks that appeared at the Berlin military parade during the day.

I don't know the reason, maybe Eisenhower wanted to determine the movement of these refugees, whether they stayed in Austria or something. If they stayed in Austria, it was the problem of the British, because the US-occupied area was to the north of the British-occupied area.

Eisenhower did not contact Bavarian Chief Executive Patton immediately because he made up for his gaffe during the day and repaired his image. In addition, he thought that the British-occupied area that faced these refugees would deal with it.

General Eisenhower, who held this idea, knew that these people were just refugees without weapons, including women and children, and felt that the British in the British-occupied area could easily deal with this problem.

This is the disadvantage of the coalition forces, so often the coalition forces will cause disastrous consequences because the friendly forces are surrounded by mountains.

Most importantly, Eisenhower never dreamed that General Patton would actually order to take in these refugees. After he knew it, it was too late to send a telegram to stop it.

On the southern border of Germany, countless unarmed refugees crossed the border. The American soldiers who had been informed of the situation looked at each other. No one knew whether to shoot at these teams full of women and children.

General Patton's order freed these entangled soldiers and made way for these refugees to enter Germany.

Chapter 81 Whose Problem Is It

General Patton's idea is very simple. Now that the United States has a huge advantage, there is no need to talk to the Soviets at all.When you have this advantage, you should go all out and unite with Britain and France to continue eastward to eliminate the Soviet Union. In this way, the world will fall into the hands of the United States and its allies, to be precise, it will fall into the hands of the United States.

In this way, the United States has realized the Manifest Destiny that it has been pursuing for a long time, fulfilling the prediction of the American century.

However, there are now various signs that the United States seems to be satisfied with the current progress and wants to coexist peacefully with the Soviet Union.This is something that General Patton can't understand. Now that there are troops from all over the world, the United States has a great advantage. If the Soviet Union is not resolved now, it will be even more troublesome in the future.

When such an opportunity appeared, General Patton didn't need to think about it at all, and directly ordered his troops to clear the passage, and let these Yugoslav Tito opponents enter Bavaria. A storm in the eyes of others was directly pinned on General Patton, who broke out the war again. All smiles.

From the night of June 24th to the daytime of June 25th, the radio waves that shuttled back and forth over Europe showed that Europe at this time was not as peaceful as it seemed on the surface.

As General Patton took in this team of more than 20 people, there were several basic reactions from all parties.

In Greater Berlin, under the morning sun, Edward Bridges, the cabinet secretary, walked back and forth in the garden in front of his residence. Alexander Cadogan, the secretary of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, just entered the garden and mentioned the latest progress on refugees crossing the border.

"Oh, hehe!" Edward Bridges' indifferent face flashed a hint of gloating, but he immediately turned serious, and said from a third-party onlooker's angle, "American cowboys are so brave, which means that this is The problems of the Americans have nothing to do with our British Empire, we just tried to dissuade the refugees with good intentions at best, but in the end we didn’t succeed, I dare not say how much credit it is, but there must be no fault.”

"Of course there is no fault. Everyone knows that there are only two battalions in Austria. On the contrary, there are [-] soldiers of the Soviet Red Army. Only the Soviets can stop this matter, and we have no such ability. Therefore, the problem of refugees crossing the border is the responsibility of the Soviets. For the sake of prevention, and the Americans finally accepted it, it has nothing to do with us in the UK from the beginning to the end." Alexander Cadogan sternly disavowed the relationship, "It is the truth."

"Don't rush to put a hat on the Soviets. Since this is a problem between the Soviets and the Americans, let's see how they can resolve it. If necessary, we can act as a bridge between them." Edward Brie Keith pondered for a moment and asked, "What do you plan to say about the domestic telegram?"

"This is an isolated incident that happened by chance. On the eve of the upcoming summit, it is an excellent opportunity for our diplomats to test their abilities." Alexander Cadogan demonstrated the professionalism of the Secretary of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

Edward Bridges nodded in satisfaction and said, "Just reply like this. From the perspective of the parties involved, we have the most secure capital. It doesn't matter whether the Americans or the Soviets come to protest or seek support first." Well, the first thing we have to do is be patient."

As of General Patton's final order to take them in, the core of the discussion among the countries that learned about the situation was who it was.

There is no doubt that Yugoslavia, as the directly responsible country, must be the most direct victim. More than 20 opposition soldiers who were soldiers before fled the country and found a place to be taken in. Tito has enough reasons to condemn.

However, the voice of Yugoslavia can be ignored. At least Edward Bridges does not think that Yugoslavia's response is very important. In fact, London has already started to take in some Yugoslavian forces, but the scale is not so large.

Now that people have gone to the Americans, that's even better!It also saves the trouble that would arise after the British Empire.

In the eyes of Edward Bridges, this is an American problem and has nothing to do with the British Empire. As for how the Americans will deal with this matter, we will look at it later.

Whose problem is this?Now this issue is also the focus of debate in the Kremlin. After reporting the matter, Beria said angrily, "There is no doubt that this is a conspiracy of imperialism."

"Is that so? Comrade Molotov?" Stalin smiled when he heard Beria's words, his eyes fell on Molotov and said, "What is certain is that Comrade Tito must be in a bad mood right now. .”

"I think so too, Comrade Stalin." Molotov said with a smile on his face, "now Yugoslavia must urgently need the support of the Soviet Union to condemn imperialism. In fact, from our point of view, this is a Good thing."

Stalin nodded in satisfaction, very satisfied with the answer, and made his own decision, "This is undoubtedly imperialist interference in Yugoslavia's internal affairs, morally the Soviet Union will definitely stand by Yugoslavia's side and condemn this hostility , but for the overall situation that the world war has not yet ended, I will negotiate with Churchill and Truman at the Potsdam Conference."

This meaning is already very clear. Stalin will not destroy the Potsdam Conference that has been decided because of the issue of refugees crossing the border this time. On the contrary, he will uphold justice for Yugoslavia at the Potsdam Conference.

Molotov knew in his heart that for the rebellious Tito, Stalin was actually happy to see the other party's embarrassment, and even applauded this unexpected incident, but he would not say it on the surface.

If a large number of opposition groups within the Soviet Union fled to the American territory, then this time Stalin would definitely use this Potsdam Conference to put pressure on the United States to bring the opposition groups over.

But this was a matter of Yugoslavia. Stalin’s condemnation at the Potsdam Conference was purely moral. To be honest, he wished that these opposition groups would not come back. As long as these opposition groups existed for a day, Tito would not dare to disrespect the Soviet Union too much.

Molotov, who left the Kremlin, prepared two statements, welcoming the upcoming Potsdam Conference, and the statement sent to Belgrade, from the perspective of Tito, believed that this was a subversion of the nascent Yugoslavia. The hostility of imperialism, what kind of class sentiments, anyway, don’t ask for money to write casually.

Later, Alexander Cadogan came to Edward Bridges again to ask for advice with the statement of the Soviets.

"As I said, this is an American problem now, and the Soviets have retained the right to condemn." Edward Bridges was completely relieved, and sometimes the bullets should really fly for a while.

Chapter 82 Dismissal order

"I also learned patience from this unexpected incident." After a habitual flattery, Alexander Cadogan said as if remembering something, "It seems that Alan's luck is really good, you can free from punishment."

"Judging from his return to London and the work he has carried out, he is indeed overly busy. It is only good to be young and have endless energy." Edward Bridges smiled, a little envious Dao said, "It's only been a long time, and I have almost traveled all over the territory of the Allied Forces. Of course, the more things are done, the greater the possibility of mistakes."

The more you do, the more mistakes you make. This situation also exists in London. Edward Bridges has been in the civil service for many years, so he is naturally clear about this.

"Young people always have some ideals, as long as this ideal is not dangerous." Alexander Cadogan said aside.

"Ideal? Ah, of course it is very important!" Edward Bridges almost made a mistake and said the truth, but immediately continued, "Allen was taken abroad by Old Wilson very early, and he was exposed to the possibility of some outdated ideas. Not for nothing. But it is very reassuring so far that the experience of British India was not in vain."

Colonial civil servants are an important part of the civil service system of the British Empire. Who made the British Empire a colonial empire, not to mention others, Alexander Cadogan, the permanent secretary of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, is a representative of the colonial civil servants.

Among the civil servants in the colonies, the civil servants in British India are the largest group. The [-] civil servants and their families in British India are not even smaller than the local civil servants, and the number is already close to half of the local civil servants.

If it weren't for the importance of the civil servants in British India, Sir Barron would not be particularly valued by Edward Bridges. Make the same choice.

As far as Allen Wilson's mistakes are concerned, according to Edward Bridges' recent report, it is nothing more than too much energy, and he was eager to improve when he first arrived in Europe, and there was a certain negligence.

This is all forgivable, and it is impossible to say that it is a deliberate move, but it is not impossible to have some secret operations with Ali Khan, the monarch of Hyderabad, because judging from the shipment of food that arrived in Hamburg, Alan Wilson should It is in some places, helping Ali Khan to do something.

This discussion determined that Alan Wilson was not affected by the refugee crossing this time.The cabinet secretary and the permanent secretary of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs have already decided that this is an isolated and unpredictable incident. No one wants such a thing to happen, but we can only face it calmly when it happens.

The British Empire is not responsible in this matter, this is the problem of the United States, and the Soviet Union can reserve the right to pursue it.But the British Empire was willing to work for it, so that the united Allies would not blame each other for it.

As for Alan Wilson's handling decision, it is convenient for him to keep in touch with the United States to assist in the follow-up handling.

"This is not good!" Alan Wilson felt a little embarrassed after being instructed by Alexander Cadogan.

How is this any different from letting wolves watch sheep?In fact, he understands the consequences of refugees crossing the border, and his heart is like a mirror.

It is precisely because he understands the consequences of this incident that he wants to do this. On the one hand, it is to arouse the hostility of the Soviet Union.But it seems to have no effect. The Soviet Union has sent news that it will protest at the Potsdam Conference.

In another aspect, it will be the problem of Yugoslavia. There are such a group of powerful opponents abroad.Whether Tito is willing or unwilling, he must move closer to the Soviet Union.

There is only one reason for this. The current Soviet Union is still too weak, and the original Cold War confrontation in Europe, the Soviet camp was indeed surrounded by the American camp. Even if Yugoslavia joined the Warsaw Pact, it would only level the geographical disadvantages.

This will allow the Soviet Union to have a channel to enter the Mediterranean Sea. Strictly speaking, it has not been completely leveled. After all, Yugoslavia, facing Italy under the influence of the United States, is as embarrassed as the Soviet Union with the Baltic Sea being strangled.

The Soviet Union did not show great hostility, but only said to make representations at the Potsdam Conference. Although this would be an excuse for the Soviet Union to launch an attack at the conference, London was relieved that the conference was held as scheduled.

July [-]th is the British general election. If the Potsdam Conference cannot be held as scheduled, it may have an important impact on this general election. However, Alan Wilson, who knows the history, estimates that the Potsdam Conference will not be able to save Churchill.

This general election in history is not a close election at all. It can be said that the Conservative Party has lost all its underpants. Don't let the Labor Party hang it all the way. Even if the Potsdam Conference has been held earlier than history, the Conservative Party will not be able to save it.

Alan Wilson, who was not affected, was writing a report to London, and naturally repeated the statement about the Cabinet Secretary and the Permanent Secretary of the Foreign Ministry that this was an isolated incident.

Then he mentioned the preparations for the Potsdam Conference and the attitude of the Soviet Union to ensure that the conference can proceed as scheduled.For this reason, Alexander Cadogan, secretary of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, has already communicated with the Soviet Union.

This time the Yugoslav refugees crossed the border, the Soviet Union maintained amazing restraint.Of course, Britain welcomes this. Apart from Tito of Yugoslavia, the other country that suffers is the United States.

In Washington, the capital of the United States, the new owner of the White House, Truman, who took over as president after Roosevelt died of illness, was frowning at the telegram sent by Eisenhower. In the eyes of his new president, Patton was not stingy with a problem general.

At the important moment when the Potsdam Conference is about to be held, such a problem has been created among various countries.

"General Patton showed undisguised hostility towards the Soviet Union, and many former German soldiers gathered around him." Looking at General Eisenhower's narration in the telegram, Truman fell into deep thought.

The biggest problem right now is to let the Soviets join the war against Japan and completely defeat the last country that resisted the Axis powers. Truman will not give a good face to anyone who destroys this premise, and this is his first The first time I went abroad to attend an important international conference, I was almost disturbed.

This must not be tolerated!Truman made an important decision to fire General Patton, and the telegram quickly traveled across Europe and reached Eisenhower.Barton will definitely not be the last to experience Truman's ruthlessness. Truman, who defeated Dewey a few years later, will also let Chang Gong experience it.

Chapter 83 Cabinet secretary concerns

General Eisenhower, who received the telegram from President Truman, also breathed a sigh of relief. He finally had the opportunity to deal with this rebellious assassin. Because of General Pershing's relationship, if it was normal, Eisenhower would really be right. This subordinate with a lower rank than himself has nothing to do.

From this point of view, General Eisenhower even felt that the refugees crossing the border was not entirely a bad thing.Just make sure that the next thing will not involve yourself.

Therefore, Eisenhower agrees with the British definition of this matter as a purely coincidental isolated incident, and has already determined in his heart that this is the truth of the whole matter, and there is no need or need to launch an investigation into this matter.

The dismissal of General Patton is the best result, and everyone is very happy!It has to be said that the politician side of General Eisenhower played a leading role, and he understands President Truman's thoughts very well.

Before Truman arrived in Europe, General Eisenhower announced the new appointment, sacking General Patton as Bavarian state administrator in the name of his incompetence in domestic affairs.

The post of commander of the U.S. Third Army was retained, but this was only a temporary reservation. When the right opportunity came, Eisenhower would find a way to get Patton into a retirement position, and he would have no chance to make trouble in front of him.

Until General Patton was dismissed from his position as Bavarian Chief Executive, this incident caused by refugees crossing the border, and all parties competed to participate in the blame contest, finally had someone to take the blame.

From the perspective of qualifications and reputation, General Patton is a candidate who does his part. Who made him meet a direct superior, General Eisenhower, who is a strong politician, and a man who urgently needs to show his face at an important international conference and get rid of the influence of President Roosevelt? new president.

The new president's ruthlessness, coupled with his direct superior's move to clear up the suspicion, led to General Patton becoming the one who took the blame.

Moreover, General Patton is also the most suitable person, and ordinary people cannot afford to take the blame.Even if Alan Wilson was willing to take the initiative to admit that he was dereliction of duty, the Soviets would only think that it was because Britain and the United States were insincere and created a temporary worker to perfuse the Soviet Union, so it is not a bad thing to say that sometimes the status is not high.

Before the great Prime Minister and Honorable Foreign Secretary arrived in Berlin, the diplomats were still making final preparations for the British Empire to negotiate for its own interests.

Cabinet Secretary Edward Bridges was in the audience, allowing Foreign Affairs Secretary Alexander Cadogan to preside over the meeting, and he was on the sidelines to give guidance. Similar meetings are not without reference in past history.

At the end of the First World War, the Paris Peace Conference of the United States, Britain and France was similar to the upcoming Potsdam Conference. Listening to Alexander Cadogan and many diplomats discussing the upcoming conference, Edward Brown Riches said slowly, "To determine the position of the British Empire, you can judge the attitudes of the United States and the Soviet Union from the attitudes of the other two parties at the Paris Peace Conference."

"So who is in a similar situation to France now?" Alexander Cadogan turned to look at the waiting diplomats.

"After several years of fierce fighting at home, the country has been severely damaged. The situation similar to France is the Soviet Union." Alan Wilson answered this question and paused. "We can infer the Soviet Union from the attitude of the French at the Paris Peace Conference. Attitude."

"The Paris office said that the Paris newspapers haven't reported any news about the Potsdam Conference these days." Eifel mentioned the news, "A few newspapers have reported it, and it doesn't seem to be friendly."

"French, no surprise! There is no French role in this meeting, and they may feel uncomfortable." Alexander Cadogan retracted the topic, "It can be considered that the attitude of the Soviet Union towards Germany is the same as that after World War I. France has a similar attitude towards Germany, and our attitude is that the tragedy of Germany's comeback after World War I cannot be repeated."

After speaking, Alexander Cadogan set his sights on Edward Bridges. The latter did not speak, but just nodded, indicating that this was what all members of the cabinet meant.

The situation faced by the Potsdam Conference is very similar to that of the Paris Peace Conference, the difference is that the original France was replaced by the current Soviet Union.Both the United States and the United Kingdom are very worried about the recurrence of the tragedy because of the lessons learned from the past.The United States sees serious problems with the post-World War I solution to the German reparations problem.