**Chapter 813: Empire's Survival (1)**

In the Reich Chancellery in Berlin, German Foreign Minister Ribbentrop watched Hitler's reaction closely after finishing his report on the arrival of Chinese and American envoys in Moscow. He paid no heed to the reactions of Rudolf Hess and Göring beside him; lately, both had shown strong animosity toward Ribbentrop.

However, after a while, Ribbentrop saw no trace of displeasure on Hitler's face. The Führer of Nazi Germany was clearly in deep thought, prompting Ribbentrop to quickly prepare himself for even the most difficult questions.

After another interval, Hitler finally spoke. "Ribbentrop, where did this news come from?"

Ribbentrop did not hide it. "My Führer, the intelligence initially came from the British. We have confirmed it is true."

Hearing that the intelligence came from the British, a smile appeared on Hitler's face. In that relaxed smile, Ribbentrop saw a look full of mockery. Beside him, Göring let out a laugh.

Lately, when talking about Britain, Ribbentrop had seen that same look of contempt on the faces of most high-ranking Nazi officials. Germany had many "pro-British" elements, making it very easy for Britain to obtain German intelligence. Similarly, there were many in Britain who favored Germany or admired Fascism, allowing Germany to obtain a vast amount of British intelligence through them.

Britain had been having a truly miserable time lately. First, they lost all their colonies in Southeast Asia; now, the British Indian Army had retreated to the border between India and Iran under the "protection" of the Indians. According to those in Britain who were heartbroken over the loss of India, in order to pay protection fees to the Indians, the British forces had even handed over their last rifles to the Indian National Congress's armed forces before entering Iran.

Even the soldiers' guns had been confiscated by the Indians; British assets and property in India were naturally taken over by the Indian National Congress. Furthermore, to get the troops out, Britain had made no arrangements to evacuate British citizens in India. In internal meetings with the upper class, the British Cabinet told them, "Britain has requested the Red Cross to look into the safety and rights of British citizens in India."

When Ribbentrop heard this news, he actually laughed out loud for a full minute. It was just too funny; Ribbentrop laughed until he almost couldn't catch his breath. It wasn't just Foreign Minister Ribbentrop; although the German leadership had long believed that India was Britain's "testicles," when the truly "castrated" Britain appeared, the Nazi leadership still felt immense joy.

Ribbentrop didn't develop any friendship with Göring just because they both mocked Britain. He even recalled that Hermann Göring was now mockingly referred to by the British as "Marshal Hermann Meyer." During the Dunkirk evacuation, Göring had bragged that if the Luftwaffe didn't annihilate the British and French forces trapped there, he would change his last name to "Meyer." Meyer was a common Jewish surname, and Jews were at the bottom of Germany's racial hierarchy.

But there was no time to think about Göring now. Just as Ribbentrop thought Hitler was going to mock the absurdity of a "gelded" Britain still trying to play its "shit-stirrer" games, he heard Hitler say: "Ribbentrop, do you know? I once promised the General Staff that Germany would never repeat the same mistake and fall into the foolish situation of a two-front war as in the First World War."

Hearing this, Ribbentrop felt a tremor run directly down his spine. Hitler's words contained an implication: Germany might very well move against the Soviet Union.

Hitler looked at the changing expressions of Ribbentrop, Göring, and Rudolf Hess, feeling a bit disappointed. The changes in their expressions were only shock, without a trace of joy. Since Reichenau returned from Singapore, Hitler had several talks with the German military high command, and their reactions were similar. The Soviet Union's immense strength made the Nazi leadership reluctant to take the initiative to attack; even the German generals who insisted that Germany must eliminate the eastern threat were very cautious.

"Ribbentrop, do you think the United States wants the Soviet Union to join the Allied camp, or to join the American side?" Hitler asked.

Hearing Hitler's question, Ribbentrop quickly worked to recover from his shock and began to think. Soon, he felt he had regained his rhythm. After thinking seriously for less than a minute, he replied: "My Führer, the United States wants the Soviet Union to join its side."

Having answered Hitler's question, Ribbentrop added: "My Führer, I believe that once they lose the Pacific War, the United States might start peace talks with China."

Hitler nodded. "Once the US and the Soviet Union cooperate and jointly propose peace demands to China, China might agree. The Soviet Union will demand Eastern and Central Europe, while the US will demand Western Europe. As long as China agrees to their demands, the US and the Soviet Union will likely agree to China turning Africa into its sphere of influence."

At this point, a mocking expression appeared on Hitler's face. "The Vichy government will likely request to restore the traditional friendship between China and France in exchange for France continuing to control its North African colonies. After all, those regions are now members of the 'French Union'!"

Ribbentrop agreed with Hitler's view and added: "My Führer, I believe the US, the Soviet Union, and France would be happy to see the downfall of Britain. If the entire island of Ireland becomes independent, Britain might not even be able to hold Scotland. Then, the US could use Britain as a springboard to enter Western Europe."

Hitler appreciated Ribbentrop's view and said in a relaxed tone: "That's why Britain is so concerned about the Chinese and American envoys going to the Soviet Union. Although Churchill is self-important, he at least still hopes to maintain the glory of the Victorian era."

Ribbentrop thought for a bit and found it hard to oppose the plan to attack the Soviet Union. World War II had only been going on for six months, and Europe's decline was already fully exposed. Today's Europe couldn't even maintain its colonial system, let alone protect itself.

The British Army and Navy had failed completely and were entirely unreliable. After losing the Western European campaign, France had begun to "let itself go," having no desire to support Europe as the center of the world. Italy was unreliable, and Eastern Europe was just a group of "weaklings."

If the US and the Soviet Union merged and then reached peace terms with China, the Soviet Union could strike at Eastern Europe without any hesitation. At that time, Germany would have to fight almost the entire world alone. Because if a Soviet-German war broke out, France would certainly threaten Germany's west, and by then, Britain would likely have colluded with the US to block Germany's trade lines.

Of course, Britain wouldn't even need to be so aggressive. As long as China and the US gave a nod to other countries, they would all cut off trade with Germany. If the situation reached that point, Nazi Germany would be in the worst possible position.

To make the situation develop to this stage wouldn't even require any provocation from Germany; as long as Germany focused on internal affairs as it was doing now, the situation would naturally reach that point.

Even if the Soviet Union didn't yet have the ambition to defeat Germany, once Chinese troops entered Ethiopia to fight Italy, Nazi Germany would have to face the choice of whether to send troops. After all, China had long made it clear that it firmly opposed Italy's invasion of Ethiopia.

"My Führer, if we attack the Soviet Union, we will lose the opportunity to aid Italy," Göring spoke up.

Hitler felt that Göring had lost his offensive edge since the Anglo-German peace, as shown by these words, which were clearly a deliberate attempt to find a reason not to go to war with the Soviet Union. Hitler had considered Göring's reasons many times. But Hitler knew European politicians too well; when Europe faced a crisis of complete downfall, these politicians would be capable of nothing but issuing a bunch of meaningless slogans, lacking the courage to fight. Just like in Britain today; China hasn't even reached the Middle East, yet slogans about "protecting the British homeland" are already being shouted. At least wait until China reaches the English Channel!

As for the French Vichy government, it was full of "traitors to Europe." As a member of the Allies, the fact that France sent a large number of scholars to the Singapore Conference was enough to prove their attitude.

At that moment, Rudolf Hess spoke. "My Führer, I believe it is necessary to attack the Soviet Union."

Göring and Ribbentrop both looked at Hess; Göring with displeasure, Ribbentrop with admiration.

Hitler looked appreciatively at his secretary and head of Nazi Party ideology. A big reason the Anglo-German peace succeeded was that Rudolf flew to Britain alone to express Germany's clear attitude. Although the external condition that ultimately prompted the peace was China's immense military pressure on Britain, Rudolf Hess's heroic actions had indeed made the British leadership feel Germany's sincerity.

"Rudolf, what is your reason for supporting this?" Hitler asked.

Rudolf Hess immediately stated his view: although the German Army was extremely strong, Europe was not unified. The current Soviet Union possessed strong military power, but relying on its good relations with China, its heart was set on annexing Eastern Europe.

Facing this bunch of bastards, Germany's security was not guaranteed at all. Because theoretically, China, which should most likely be allied with Germany, had maintained a posture of intense political opposition toward Germany since the Nazis took power. Looking at the results, it was precisely China's hostility toward Nazi Germany that encouraged the Soviet Union's hostility toward Germany. If China had shown even a hint of cooperation with Nazi Germany, the Soviet Union would have had to cooperate more sincerely with Germany out of fear of a two-front war.

Hitler nodded slightly; what Hess said was precisely the main reason Hitler finally decided to go to war with the Soviet Union.

Ribbentrop also admired Hess's view. He had originally thought that since Nazi Germany had always been anti-communist, relations with the Soviet Union were always very tense. Moreover, Hitler had advocated for seizing eastern territory in his early years to lay the foundation for a thousand-year German Reich. The representatives of China and the US going to the Soviet Union was definitely not a good thing for Germany, which was why Hitler proposed the plan to attack the Soviet Union.

What Hess said was a deeper view: without China's hostility toward Germany, the Soviet Union wouldn't dare move against Germany. In other words, as long as China continued to win, Germany wouldn't have a good outcome even if it did nothing. At least, the Nazi Party wouldn't.

Göring, Hess, and Ribbentrop were all members of the Nazi Party's core circle. Although Himmler, the head of the SS, was also considered core, the SS was more responsible for internal security and some Waffen-SS work. Going to war with the Soviet Union was not something the SS was responsible for. When Hess and Ribbentrop both agreed to the war, Göring also had to give his consent.

As the three left the Reich Chancellery, they didn't discuss it among themselves, but got into their respective cars and left. Ribbentrop went to the Foreign Ministry. At this time, large-scale construction was underway in downtown Berlin, making traffic very congested. However, the German workers on the street looked to be in good spirits, which made Ribbentrop feel happy.

Since the surrender of France in June 1940, Germany had not fought another major war. After the Anglo-German peace, Germany rapidly restored trade with foreign countries. The first to be restored was trade with South America; because Germany defeated France in 40 days, the South American countries' admiration for Germany reached an unprecedented height. South American countries wouldn't even buy British or American goods, only German goods.

Trade between the Soviet Union and Germany was still going smoothly. And after the Sino-British war began and World War II fully broke out, Britain and the United States also began to restore trade with Germany. Thus, Germany was finally able to get enough raw materials for production. To provide enough employment opportunities, the "Welthauptstadt Germania" (World Capital Germania) plan began within Germany.

Welthauptstadt Germania was the name Adolf Hitler gave to the reconstruction project for the German capital, Berlin. This was part of his vision for the future of Germany after an expected victory in World War II. The title "World Capital" was chosen because it was felt that Berlin's architecture at the time was too conservative, and it was necessary to bring Berlin up to the level of capitals like London and Paris, and even surpass them.

The entire Germania plan was designed by Hitler's personal architect, Albert Speer. The north-south traffic artery in the planned "Germania" was called the "Avenue of Splendor." This avenue was 8 kilometers long and 120 meters wide. Both sides of the avenue were to be lined with theaters, shops, and office buildings for all Nazi German ministries, including a new General Staff headquarters building, a Field Marshal's Memorial Hall, and a new Reichstag building.

A new German "Triumphal Arch" would be built in the center of the avenue, twice the height of the French Arc de Triomphe at 100 meters. Perhaps inspired by the Place de la Concorde in Paris, Hitler and Speer intended to build an Adolf Hitler Square in the middle of the "Avenue of Splendor" that could accommodate a million spectators. Additionally, Hitler and Speer designed a massive bronze-domed building as the Great Hall. Modeled after the Roman Pantheon, the building would be over 400 meters high and accommodate 150,000 people; once completed, it would be the largest hall in the world.

A large number of old buildings in the planned construction area were demolished before the war. Although the world war was still being fought, Germany was temporarily in a state of peace. Thus, the "Avenue of Splendor" was basically completed through the efforts of German engineers. As long as this main artery was finished, Berlin's congested traffic situation could be greatly improved.

Magnificent office buildings would be built for various German ministries on both sides of the Avenue of Splendor. The Foreign Ministry was naturally a very important department; Ribbentrop had seen the design for the German Foreign Ministry building, and it was indeed very beautiful.

However, the bureaucrats of various German departments were not so expectant. For efficiency's sake, they looked forward more to building a super-government office area that could accommodate all German government ministries, allowing all departments to work within this area to improve efficiency. These bureaucrats were not happy about running back and forth on an 8-kilometer main artery just for a single document.

Returning to the Foreign Ministry, Ribbentrop had his secretary contact Marshal Reichenau's office to ask if the Marshal was in. Ribbentrop thought Reichenau might delay for a while, but unexpectedly, ten minutes later, Reichenau called back. Over the phone, Marshal Reichenau asked in a somewhat cold voice: "What is it, Mr. Minister?"

Although Ribbentrop did not show weakness before Göring, as a veteran of the First World War, he naturally showed politeness before a German Marshal. Ribbentrop first shared his views with Marshal Reichenau: China had already driven Britain out of India, and next, China would surely enter the Middle East for combat. With the French "letting themselves go" and the British remnants, it was only a matter of time before China took the Middle East. After taking the Middle East, China could naturally reach Ethiopia via the Red Sea.

Having said this, Ribbentrop paused, waiting for Marshal Reichenau to express his view. There was only a slight static on the line, but no one spoke. Just as Ribbentrop suspected something was wrong with the phone, Marshal Reichenau's voice came through: "Mr. Minister, what you've said is to be expected. I wonder what you want to ask?"

Ribbentrop asked bluntly: "Marshal, once China enters the Red Sea, will they immediately launch an offensive against the Italian troops in Ethiopia?"

"I believe it is inevitable. As long as the Chinese army enters the Red Sea, they will surely strike at the Italian army." Marshal Reichenau told Ribbentrop the conclusion without even thinking.

"Thank you for the answer, Marshal," Ribbentrop replied.

"Anything else?" Reichenau asked.

"Nothing else," Ribbentrop quickly replied.

"Goodbye," Reichenau said, and the line went dead.

Ribbentrop didn't mind not receiving any special courtesy from Marshal Reichenau. He had to figure out how far Nazi Germany was from a war with China. The British were completely "silver-plated spears"—unreliable and easily defeated. It was impossible to count on them to hold the Middle East.

On the way back to the Foreign Ministry, an idea occurred to Ribbentrop. Although he had expressed support for attacking the Soviet Union, there was another possibility: that the Soviet Union would attack Germany first. If the Soviet Union made the first move, Germany would be in a much more favorable diplomatic position. At the very least, Germany could demand that the United States state its position.

Ribbentrop had been considering one thing: that in China's concept of "overthrowing the Four Great Mountains," imperialist aggression was one of them. If the Soviet Union took the initiative to attack Germany, Germany could then question how hypocritical China's so-called concept of liberating the world truly was.

Diplomacy couldn't change the war, but as Foreign Minister, Ribbentrop had to at least do something for Germany in the diplomatic field.