Page 221 - The Chief Culprit

182 y e Chief Culprit

Hitler and his officials were dumbfounded by such extraordinary demands and did not
respond.
On November 13, 1940, Molotov asked Stalin for instructions “about China, Turkey,
7
and our interests regarding the Persian Gulf and the Arabian Sea.” Stalin advised Molotov:
“Do not expose our interest in Persia. . . . If the Germans suggest a division of Turkey,
8
you can show our cards.” In this correspondence, Stalin “suggested” to Molotov to obtain
Germany’s consent for another self-serving step to be taken by the Soviet Union. He told
Molotov to advise Hitler that the Soviet proposal for an alliance with the Axis powers would
“not be possible without a guarantee of our control of Bulgaria and the passage of our troops
into Bulgaria.”
In November 1940, Germany was in a difficult position. World War II had been going
on for more than a year, and no end was in sight. Germany could win only in a quick war.
On the evening of November 13, during talks between Hitler and Molotov, the British air
force bombed Berlin. e meeting that had started in a luxurious reception room ended in
an underground bomb shelter. With the air raid, Churchill showed Hitler and Molotov that
Great Britain did not plan to surrender.
For a drawn-out war, Hitler needed tremendous quantities of strategic raw materials,
which Stalin could provide. During the meeting, Molotov repeatedly reminded Hitler that
without Soviet raw materials German victories in Europe would have been impossible: “ e
current status would not have been achieved without the influence of the German-Russian
agreement [of August 1939] on the great German victories.” “As far as Germany is con-
9
cerned, these [1939] agreements secured a safe rear for Germany and played a major role in
the development of a military campaign in the West, including France’s defeat.” “Germany,
10
not without the help of the pact with the USSR, was able so quickly and with military glory
to execute its operations in Norway, Denmark, Belgium, Holland, and France.”
11
Stalin twisted Hitler’s arms. Trotsky predicted that Stalin “would want to fully use
the advantage of his position.” at was precisely what Stalin did. Hitler told Molotov that
Germany had conquered so much territory in one year of war that it would need a hundred
years to develop it. He offered: if space was needed, Germany and the Soviet Union could
both move to the south of their borders. Molotov agreed with the proposal, but added that
they had to discuss the issue of the Danish straits Store Baelt and Lille Baelt, as well as the
straits between Denmark and Sweden and Norway, Sund, Kattegat, and Skagerrak. For the
Germans, these straits were a strategic necessity, since they already occupied Denmark. Why
would the Soviet Union need them?
Hitler told Molotov: “While the war is going on, Germany is extremely interested in
receiving nickel and timber from Finland.” Hitler wanted to know whether the Soviet Union
was preparing a war against Finland. If so, could it be postponed to a later date? Molotov
answered that Finland was in the Soviet sphere of influence and that Germany had to re-
move its troops from Finland. Molotov “did not understand why Russia had to postpone the
realization of its plans by six months or even a year. After all, the German-Russian pact did
not contain any time limits and within their respective spheres of influence neither of the
countries had its hands tied.” 12
e Soviet Union had enough oil for both internal consumption and export. e Soviet
Union did not need Romanian oil, while Hitler talked about Germany’s complete dependen-
cy on Romanian petroleum, asserting that Germany would defend the Romanian oil industry