Chapter 76 Chapter Seventy-Five

It was none other than the removal of the British Empire from its leadership in world affairs "to the great setback of Churchill."It was all done in a few hours of courteous talks around a table in the Soviet embassy. Churchill had met Stalin before.Roosevelt never met.With the first face-to-face meeting between Stalin and Roosevelt, the center of gravity of the war and the future of the world all shifted.winston.Churchill was the only one who felt the full devastating force of this transfer.Early in Tehran there were no shortage of signs that his closeness with Roosevelt in operational leadership was waning: both because of the president's first private meeting with Stalin, and because of the President's acceptance of Russian hospitality.But it was only in the plenary that the change profoundly affected Churchill's role in history.

Although Churchill was a great man and a shrewd historian, in Tehran he could only play the few cards in his hand, and those few cards were quite weak.Roosevelt may have liked him a lot, or he may have distrusted Stalin at all.But the dealing of cards in this time-honored grand game of cards has upset the world wars.In this re-deal, the Soviet Union held the two cards of manpower and willpower.The British were at the mercy of Tehran; the three centuries or so historical leadership of Western Europe had ended; and now a new era had dawned grimly. The worst thing that comes to mind when looking back on this past war is that it might not have gone to the end as it actually did.Yet the ironclad fact of war is that no one knows how it will go, and we must try to grasp that fact in order to have a notion of time.Franklin.Roosevelt did a very good job of going into the Bolshevik backyard.Warfighters are dying in great numbers all over the world, and tanks are burning.Ships were sinking, planes were crashing, cities were capsizing, resources were being depleted, but the outcome was uncertain and there were no surprise plans on the part of Hitler's enemies.After two years of negotiations, British and American staffs were still at loggerheads: the Americans insisted on a full-scale onslaught against France in 1944, while the British favored less risky military operations in the Balkans and the eastern Mediterranean.Roosevelt was not sure whether the Soviet Union would make a separate peace, or whether it would stop fighting at a certain point, as the Chinese did; Just hope.

The Tehran conference changed all that.Over the course of three days, in three roundtables discussing strategy that took just a few hours, the president prodded Joseph with dexterity—and, from the records, what appeared to be clumsy gestures.Stalin flatly vetoed Winston.Churchill's plan to encroach on Europe's outskirts eventually turned the resolution in favor of the grand "Operation Overlord Plan" that crossed the English Channel and landed in France.Stalin promised a simultaneous general onslaught from the east and, once Germany had been defeated, an attack on Japan.He also guaranteed that Russia would join a United Nations organization formed after the war.The long period of suspicion and avoidance among the three powers finally came to an end when they forged a strong and firm alliance in Tehran with a definite plan for the elimination of National Socialism.This alliance would not last in the post-war turmoil, but it would win the war.Franklin.Roosevelt went to Tehran to win the war.

This plan brutally shattered Churchill's long-cherished wishes.At the first meeting, Roosevelt asked Stalin almost domestically whether he favored a massive attack on France or a plan for action in the Mediterranean.After the recalcitrant Russians endorsed the Overlord offensive, Churchill found himself losing by one vote to two, with his own vote being the weakest of the three.This "set him back" and prevented him from carrying out the long and tenacious struggle for the preservation of the old British Empire in this war. The next day, he struck back at a second official meeting, delivering a long and utterly impassioned defense of his Mediterranean proposals.Later, Stalin stopped him coldly and asked him: "Do the British really believe in the 'Overlord' operation, or are they just saying so to reassure the Russians?" The situation was very tense, so Roosevelt said, They better be ready to eat.Throughout that dinner, Stalin taunted Churchill viciously, calling him soft on the Germans.The British Prime Minister finally strode out of the room in a huff.The Russian quickly followed him out, and pulled him back with ease.

Early the next morning, Hopkins had an audience with Churchill.Perhaps he took with him that stubborn, old battle cry from Roosevelt: It's time to throw in the towel.We don't know this.At any rate, at a joint Chiefs of Staff meeting shortly thereafter, the British made a sudden concession that the staff had better set a date for Operation Overlord or simply go home.Thus, the two-year debate ended, and Americans did not appear elated or elated.A one-page agreement on Operation Overlord was hastily presented to Churchill and Roosevelt.At lunch, Churchill briskly suggested that Roosevelt read the agreement to Stalin.Roosevelt complied.Stalin replied with grim glee that the Red Army would show Russia's thanks by launching a full-scale coordinated attack from the east.

That night, Churchill's birthday party was held in the British Legation.Churchill sat at the master's seat, Roosevelt on the right and Joseph on the left.Stalin, military leaders and foreign ministers sat on either side of the brightly lit table.There was only the sound of laughter and toasting, filled with an optimistic and friendly atmosphere.There is a strong sense that a great turn in history has taken place.Everyone toasted again and again.It was Churchill's prerogative to deliver a final toast, but to the astonishment of those present Stalin demanded the honor.Here is his toast: I would like to tell you what the President of the United States and the United States have done to win this war from the Russian point of view.In this war, the most important thing is the weapon.The United States has demonstrated that it can produce 8,000 to 10,000 aircraft a month.Russia can produce no more than 3,000 aircraft a month.Britain produced between 3,000 and 3,500 aircraft, mainly heavy bombers.

Therefore, the United States is the land of arms.We would have lost this war without the weapons given to us through Lend-Lease. This goes beyond anything Stalin ever said publicly to his own people about America's contribution to the war.Given the circumstances of the day, one might have expected him to compliment Churchill and the British; instead, the old devil lavished praise on America and Lend-Lease}).He never allowed Churchill to forget his hostility to Bolshevism.Perhaps it was his last slant stab at the aged Tory. The Tehran meeting is over, although there is still one day of political negotiations, leaving the thorny issue of Poland as the main, unresolved dispute.All three leaders can return to their home countries with great satisfaction.Stalin was given the assurance of a full-scale offensive against France, which he had been demanding since the day Germany invaded his country.Although Churchill suffered setbacks, he was able to bring confidence to the defeated British people to win the war.Besides, even if his plans for military operations in the Mediterranean were relegated to a secondary status compared with Operation Overlord, he would still continue to fight for them and to put some of them into practice.

Roosevelt reaped major benefits.He finally formed a solid anti-German alliance, obtained the whole allied strategy he advocated to adopt, ruled out the possibility of a separate peace, obtained Stalin's guarantee to attack Japan, and his commitment to join the United Nations; a series of various various goals.According to the memoir, Franklin.Roosevelt acted in Tehran as if it was his finest moment.Maybe, it is. However, human intelligence can't see far into the future after all, let alone see far in the smoke of war.As a result, the United States did not need Russian help in the Pacific, and was, indeed, caught in a dilemma for Russian help.At this time, though, the atomic bomb was a slow, uncertain project; the capture of Tarawa, a small coral island, was a bloody battle.It is expected that the war against Japan will continue for a year or more after the collapse of Germany, culminating in an attack on the Tokyo Plain, which may kill or injure a million people.Stalin's assurances seemed a blessing from heaven.As for the final dismal decline of the United Nations, who could have foreseen this?What else can I do but do my best?

Tehran also represented a ray of light for those Jews who were still alive in the terrible night Europe was going through, but for them, a somber one. It is impossible for the "Overlord" offensive to fully launch across the blustery English Channel before the arrival of warm weather in May and June.In breaking the bad news, Roosevelt quipped to Stalin that the strait was "a nasty piece of water."Churchill chimed in to say that the British people had good reason to be happy that this piece of water was so nasty.Countless Jewish lives depended on this joking interjection.By the time of the Tehran Conference, that "territorial solution" was being implemented on a large scale.Most of the Jews in Europe are dead, or dying.However, the rapid defeat of Nazi Germany may save many lives.

At the Tehran meeting, no one talked about the Jews, but the rescue of some surviving Jews was indeed included in the major items discussed at the meeting.Franklin.Roosevelt was sure that Hitlerism would not darken the world for much longer, but right now, Germany's killing machine was running fast. Aside from stale language and stale photographs, what Tehran left behind is the shape of the modern world.If you want to see the monuments of the Tehran Conference, look around.The curious Persian city in which the meeting had been held had been swallowed up by a tumultuous metropolis.After the wartime leaders swaggered and whiled the hours, all were dead.Their work still turns the wheels of history.The rest is up to the storyteller.

A fat, pale army doctor was walking between the rows of bunks when he caught sight of Pug sitting up in his hospital khaki overcoat.Henry. "How are you?" said the doctor wearily.He himself was a newcomer, and had contracted a Persian disease. "Hungry. May I have breakfast?" "What do you want to eat?" "Ham and eggs with some chopped and browned potatoes. Maybe I should walk over to the officers' mess." The doctor grinned listlessly, checked his pulse, and handed him a letter: "Would you like some omelette with dehydrated potatoes and minced ham?" "Sounds good." Pug eagerly tore open the envelope. On the envelope was Pamela's masculine handwriting, and the date was the day before. Honey; I'm just going crazy.They won't let me in to see you! They told me you were too sick to come out into the anteroom, and women couldn't go into the ward.Damn it!It's a relief when they say you don't have amoebic dysentery, malaria, or any of the other terrible diseases of the land, but I'll worry about you all the way back to New Delhi.Before you leave, be sure to go to the British Legation, find Lieutenant Singlewood (a very nice green-eyed girl), and tell her you're all right.She will pass it on to me. Duncan was annoyed at how the meeting had gone.He said it was the collapse of the British Empire.At present, I have heard a lot about "Song of the Great God". Now listen, listen to me speaking quickly, and no doubt awkwardly, just these few words.In the garden the day before, I acted like an idiot.Perhaps no behavior is "proper" when you ask me about Rhoda.I reacted purely on instinct, spewing a cloud of ink like a startled octopus.why?I do not know either.Is it the solidarity and camaraderie among women, the reluctance to slander a rival, or any other reason.Now, I've thought about it carefully.The situation is very serious, and we can't take care of that.The well-being of several people may be at stake.You obviously already know something, maybe more than I do. I don't know what wrong Rhoda has done.I did meet her and a Harrison.Colonel Peters had met not just once, but several times.Their relationship may be legitimate.In fact, judging by her demeanor, I could justify it.But probably not casually.You'd better go back to Washington anyway and clear things up with her. At the same time, my dear, I cannot stand by and wait with bated breath for news.I got on really well with Duncan.Before we saw each other, or even corresponded, he and I would probably be getting married.I admit that this delicate and enduring relationship between us is beyond my comprehension.It is like a thread that the giant in the myth can't cut.But there was nothing we could do about it except to congratulate ourselves on the fact that we had experienced such a painfully subtle charm. When you are more or less settled down, be sure to write to me.I sincerely ask you to think that Rhoda is not at fault.She was a wonderful woman, raised you some very beautiful sons, and went through a terrible time herself.I will always love you, always love to hear from you, and always wish you well.This year, we have lived together for five days, haven't we?There are so many people who never spend a day together in their lives. I love you. Pamela Pagle is eating her breakfast, thinking that minced ham is a delicacy that looks greasy—especially when paired with another despised delicacy, the quiche. .At this time, the doctor came and looked into the ward, saying that a visitor came to see him.Pug walked out of the room as quickly as possible on weak legs, the hospital pajamas flapping.On a rough settee in the empty outer room sat Harry.Hopkins.He raised a weary hand. "We're flying to Cairo in half an hour. The President asked me to come and see how you are." "That's very thoughtful of him. I'm better." "Pug, your Lend-Lease Memorandum is excellent. He asked me to tell you this. He didn't use it, but I did. At a meeting of foreign ministers, Molotov complained to me about Lend-Lease Material problem. I fired back at him with the facts you presented, and not only did he shut up, he apologized to me and said the traffic jam would be cleared up soon. When I told the President, he laughed like Like. Said it was his heyday. Oh, you haven't talked to Pat Hurley, have you?" "No, Mr. Hopkins, I'm pretty out of touch with the situation." "Oh, the idea of ​​a new agreement to withdraw troops has come true. The Iranians demanded a declaration of intent from the three occupying powers; that's exactly what the President needed. He got Stalin's assent. Hurley is Went around and got this opinion drafted into a document. Signed by all parties involved. It's called the Iran Declaration. The Shah of Iran signed it at midnight." "Mr. Hopkins, what's the status of the landing craft?" "This issue suddenly became very important and urgent in this meeting." Hopkins gave him a sharp look in surprise. "Next year, this will be the highest priority. What are you asking?" "That's something I'm happy to do next." "Would you like to do this, but don't want to command a battleship?" There was a very suspicious expression on that thin, sickly face. "You, Pug, do you mean that? You've been nominated for a captain, I know that." "Well, for narrowly personal reasons, Mr. Hopkins, I mean that. I want to stay with my woman for a while." Hopkins held out a gaunt hand. "Take the fastest means of transportation and return home first." In April 1946, the first tense situation brought up by the United Nations was a complaint from Iran that the Soviet Union had not withdrawn its troops in accordance with the Tehran agreement, as the United States and Britain had done, and had attempted to Form a puppet communist republic in the north.Harry.President Truman strongly supported Iran.After roaring for a while, the Russians finally withdrew their troops.The puppet republic has collapsed.Iran regained its territory.In this crisis, Victor.Henry wondered if a few words spoken at a table in Persia might have been his main contribution to the war effort.He has absolutely no way of knowing this.