During World War II, Hitler blatantly broke the "non-aggression" treaty with Stalin only two years after signing it and sent troops to the Soviet Union.
Without the bloody resistance of the World Anti-Fascist Alliance and the cold winter weather in the Soviet Union, no one can say how long the Nazis, a disaster for all mankind, would have continued to rage.
So in Hitler’s crazy plan, what was the next goal after the Soviet Union?
During those years when the war between Nazi Germany and the Soviet Union was at a stalemate and the balance of victory and defeat was uncertain, Chiang Kai-shek's attitude towards Germany was undergoing an almost 180-degree change.
There was a time when China and Germany, if not friendly partners, could at least be considered to have what they needed.
There were visits, treaties, military advisors, and arms deals. Even when Hitler came to power, Germany took different stances on China-related matters out of consideration for its own interests.
It is precisely because of this series of reasons that Chiang Kai-shek once regarded Germany as an important international force for mediation and help.
But all the cornerstones of trust were lost after Germany recognized the Wang Puppet Government. Even in 1942, Germany tried to persuade China to "attack India and cooperate with Germany."
In June, Chiang Kai-shek wrote in his diary the words "It is better not to explore the German route again" as a memo and reminder to himself.
Was he distrustful and wary of Germany because he discovered that in Hitler's plan, the next target after the Soviet Union also included China?
According to information declassified after the war, at least in military-level plans, China is not a direct target.
Aoi Shigemitsu, who served as a diplomat during the Taisho and Showa periods of Japan and became a Class-A war criminal after the war, disclosed Hitler's plan in his memoirs.
After Hitler asked the German army to take over the Soviet Union, the army marched south and attacked the Caucasus from Ukraine. First, they controlled the oil and cut off the British and American channels from the Persian Gulf to support Asia. Then, they further extended German power to China. Asia and south to the Indian Ocean, echoing the Japanese army in India.
Information corroborating this can also be found in the diary of German general Franz Halder (who served as Chief of the German General Staff from 1939 to 1942).
And not only Germany, but also the Japanese military's plan was consistent with Hitler's on this point: even if the Japanese navy suffered a defeat at Midway, it still persisted in urging Germany to continue to deploy military forces to attack the Caucasus.
However, even if China was not on the list of direct German plans, from the day the Soviet Union started the war, it actually heralded that the war had spread from Europe to Asia.
For China, which directly borders the Soviet Union, it will inevitably have an effect that affects the whole body. This is the real reason why the relationship between Chiang Kai-shek’s National Government and Germany took a turn for the worse during the Sudra War. .
In the book "China and the World during the Anti-Fascist War" edited by Ma Zhendu of the Second Historical Archives of China, the Sino-German relations before the "September 18th Incident" were summarized as "simple And a perfect relationship”.
The so-called "simple and perfect" probably means that Germany at that time not only showed no signs of having an interest in China, but was even able to provide some things that China needed.
As early as the end of 1926, Zhu Jiahua, who had received a German education and was teaching at Sun Yat-sen University at the time, wrote to Coulard Matchus, president of the German Engineering Society, asking for help, hoping that he would try to help. Recommend experts on establishing an arsenal in Guangzhou.
After this letter arrived in Germany, the scope and influence involved snowballed. According to records, Zhu Jiahua was introduced to senior generals of the German military, who in turn provided him with military information. Consultant's referral list.
The process of this matter growing from small to large can also reflect Germany’s thoughts on its layout in Asia and its attitude towards China, although it was still a long time before Hitler came to power.
But in fact, Hitler’s attitude towards China in the early days of coming to power was not completely different from that of his predecessor.
After many setbacks, it was a colonel named Max Bauer who was recommended and finally went to China to be appointed.
In order to avoid being noticed, he disguised himself as a communications officer on a German freighter and headed to Guangzhou via Hong Kong.
On the surface, the invitation to Bauer was to ask him to provide suggestions for the economic development of South China; but in fact, among the first batch of documents that Bauer brought to Zhu Jiahua’s nephew, Chapter "How to Build a Modern Army."
Moreover, before going to China, he also specially obtained the exclusive agent authorization in China for Junkers Aircraft Company and Ercon Arms Company.
Looking at it this way, it is actually clear what role Bauer played after arriving in China, and it also set a very specific example for the Sino-German relations that will last for many years.
Zhu Jiahua, who successfully pulled this line, was still the representative of the pro-German faction around Chiang Kai-shek until the eve of the complete severance of diplomatic relations between China and Germany.
In late August 1934, Kong Xiangxi, who was in charge of financial affairs, presided over the signing of the "Sino-German Raw Materials, Agricultural Products, Industrial and Other Products Exchange Treaty". Since the executor was Hebulou Company, this treaty also Known as the "Hebu Building Treaty".
Under this framework, Germany obtained strategic raw materials and agricultural products such as tungsten sand and manganese sand, while China obtained urgently needed industrial products, especially military supplies.
As the saying goes, "War means burning money." Once Nazi Germany activated its war machine, raw materials such as tungsten and manganese for armaments were even more crucial.
At the beginning of Japan's war of aggression against China, Germany expressed "no support" for Japan's military actions in China. Japan asked Germany to stop arms sales in China and withdraw its military advisers, but Germany also turned a deaf ear.
In order to obtain as much minerals and agricultural products from China as possible, Hitler even personally ordered that weapons be shipped to China as soon as possible in accordance with the "Hebulou Treaty".
Chiang Kai-shek thus began to count on Hitler. He once took the initiative to express his sincerity to Germany in supplying various agricultural products and minerals, hoping in exchange for Germany not to side with Japan.
Cheng Tianfang, the then ambassador to Germany, even worried about how Chinese domestic newspapers wrote news about the Spanish war, lest the newspapers said the wrong thing and "make Deyi feel bad" and offend Germany. Something bad is happening.
But they most likely overlooked one point. The reason why Germany did not fully agree with the actions of its ally Japan was not because Hitler was particularly particular about the morality between countries, but because Germany's interests were involved. in.
In addition, Germany at that time was first busy preparing for war, and then focused its main energy on Europe.
For Asia, which is temporarily unable to deploy a large amount of military power, it is naturally in its own interests to suppress Japan and prevent Japan from taking too much.
However, when the German army almost wiped out the entire European continent, leaving only Britain across the strait temporarily out of reach, Hitler's view of Asian countries immediately became very different.
In Hitler's plan, the goals and intentions are actually very clear.
What he intends to rob first is the natural granary of Ukraine and the large amount of energy resources in the Caucasus, followed by the military, geopolitical and political significance.
However, in the Soviet Union, his plan was not realized as expected.
Relying on well-equipped mechanized troops to fight and a military deployment known as "Blitzkrieg" by later generations, the German army did not pay a huge price in the process of wiping out the Western European continent.
This undoubtedly made Hitler and the entire Nazi Germany have a higher estimate of themselves, and the "Barbarossa Plan" against the Soviet Union was released.
Almost at the same time that Hitler aimed the muzzle of his tank at the Soviet Union, Chiang Kai-shek also really felt the atmosphere of "the rain is coming".
Hitler's military focus shifted from the European continent to Asia, and the "Sino-German honeymoon" illusion he had maintained with Chiang Kai-shek quickly disappeared.
Previously, German Ambassador to China Traudemann had followed the principle of "passive mediation" from home and worked hard for a long time.
Although Chiang Kai-shek was extremely dissatisfied with this, he still hoped to receive arms, industrial products and other benefits from Germany, so he still maintained a patient attitude.
In addition, Chiang Kai-shek also once praised the German spirit of his contemporaries such as "seriousness, diligence, discipline, and perseverance" as a benchmark, believing that this could change the "disorganized and backward" style of old China. "A good remedy.
He once followed the example of German fascism in establishing the "Renaissance Society" and used the "militarization of life" as a symbol to improve the quality of the people and fully control the country. Behind the "New Life Movement", there is also the shadow of European fascism.
During the honeymoon period between China and Germany, Hitler even presented Chiang Kai-shek with an honorary Wehrmacht saber and a photo of himself.
For such a country that has been packaged as a "perfect country" by Chiang Kai-shek himself for many years, once its halo suddenly fades, Chiang Kai-shek's own judgment will inevitably be questioned.
Chiang Kai-shek chose to compromise and seek perfection, which somewhat meant that even if his arm was broken, he had to hide it in his sleeve.
However, in early July 1941, shortly before the German army entered the Soviet Union in large numbers, Hitler bluntly recognized the Wang puppet regime.
This was a slap in the face to Chiang Kai-shek, and he felt that he could no longer bear it.
In his diary that day, Chiang Kai-shek wrote, "Germany is too irrational and we should categorically sever ties with it."
Even in his diary the next day, he was still lashing out at Hitler for his "anti-China" actions in recent years, believing that "if we no longer break off diplomatic relations with China, our national character will be damaged."
This time, diplomatic relations with Germany were indeed severed, and even the embassy in Germany was closed.
At the end of the year, it was announced that it was at war with both Germany and Italy. Sino-German relations have completely broken down inside and out.
During the intense preparations for the war, Hitler believed that the Soviet army was already corrupt. The battle would only take a few months, so there was no need to prepare for the harsh winter, which laid the foundation for the German army's future setbacks. reason.
Almost as severe as the severe cold weather is the problem of petroleum energy. Almost all modern weapons are oil-hungry, especially for an army like the German army that relies heavily on mechanization.
As early as 1939, Germany’s access to oil outside of Europe had been almost completely cut off.
Later, in order to prevent Germany from obtaining "second-hand oil", Germany's allies Italy, Belgium and France, which were occupied by Germany, also imposed blockades.
There is only one oil resource country under German control, Romania, and its output is only a few tenths of that of the United States. This makes Germany's oil shortage even more serious.
This is the background of Hitler's famous saying - "If I cannot get the oil from Maykop and Grozny, I will have to end the war!"
Incidentally , Maykop and Grozny are the major oil-producing areas in the North Caucasus, which account for 15% of the oil produced in the Soviet Union.
From the first moment Nazi Germany started attacking the Soviet Union at the end of June 1941, capturing the Caucasus and capturing oil became its main goals.
However, due to the lack of progress in other strategic directions, this matter was delayed until a year later. Hitler signed Directive No. 45 and the "Operation Edelweiss" for the North Caucasus was officially launched.
The goal of this operation is towards the east coast of the Black Sea, with the plan to remove the Soviet Black Sea Fleet and take control of the planned oil production area.
Once the plan is successful, it will be equivalent to seizing the oil source from the Soviet Union.
As long as the battlefield situation improves, Hitler's greater wish can be realized, which is to occupy Iraq from the Caucasus Mountains through Iran and seize the Arabian Peninsula from the British.
By then, the aid channels between Britain, the United States and the Soviet Union would also be cut off, and the general trend would be even more biased towards Germany.
However, a copy of this plan was obtained in advance by Boris Rybkin, the head of the Soviet intelligence station in Sweden, and sent to Moscow using a coded message.
In this sealed message, Rybkin claimed that "the Germans have marked everything in the Caucasus on the map," and even poison gas rocket launchers have been transported to the vicinity of the battlefield.
After losing intelligence and encountering stubborn resistance from the Soviet Army in the North Caucasus, the German army successfully broke through the defense line and made considerable progress, but was still stopped at Malgobek at the foot of the North Caucasus Mountains. There is a river across the river, but the oil field cannot be captured.
In addition to the German Army Group A, Hitler also mobilized a Romanian and Spanish mixed army to approach the Caucasus from the Crimean Peninsula.
Regarding Japan, German Foreign Minister Ribbentrop held talks with Japanese Ambassador to Germany Hiroshi Oshima and asked Japan to send troops to Ceylon, Madagas and other regions to cooperate with Germany's offensive against the Middle East and the Caucasus.
Even Nazi Germany did not completely give up on Chiang Kai-shek, who had long since turned against him. Goering sent his crony Yanke to negotiate with Gui Yongqing, the military attaché stationed in Germany, in an attempt to induce China to conclude the "Secret Military Treaty between China and Germany" .
The core content of this so-called "secret agreement", in a nutshell, is "attack India and cooperate with Germany". To put it bluntly, it is to ask Chiang Kai-shek to tie himself to the Axis chariot.
It was this news that aroused Chiang Kai-shek's complete vigilance. He telegraphed Gui Yongqing to stop exploring and responded with "not conveyable". This was also the message in Chiang Kai-shek's diary: "No further exploration of the German route." The direct source of "as appropriate".
It is not difficult to see from the above details that in Hitler's overall plan, taking over the Caucasus is a node of high importance.
In order to achieve this goal, Nazi Germany used various means.
However, time still passed day by day, and there was no breakthrough in the Caucasus. The German army was also trapped in the quagmire of war in Stalingrad. In the end, Hitler had no choice but to transfer the military forces originally aimed at the oil fields in the Caucasus to support The other side.
At the beginning of 1943, the Soviet Union, the winner of Stalin’s Battle, launched a full-scale counterattack and won the Caucasus Battle in October.
As predicted by the previous sentence, Hitler did not capture the oil in the Caucasus, and the "artificial oil" factories in Germany were destroyed by the British and American Allied Forces.
All this eventually led to the German fuel crisis that broke out in 1945, accelerating the collapse of the "Third Reich".
For the entire Axis group, although Hitler had made a plan to conquer the Soviet Union, then go to the Caucasus, and then point to the Indian Ocean, this plan could be said to have been aborted from the first step. This led to the beginning of 1943 being an unlucky beginning for the two major axis powers of the East and West.
The dream of "meeting in the Indian Ocean" in the plan of Germany and Japan was no longer possible, and they were trapped in the fate of fighting on their own until the anti-fascist alliance won the final battle.
Most historians attach great importance to the significance of the Soviet-German War in World War II. Some even boldly speculated: Assuming Hitler did not choose the Soviet Union as his target and enemy at that time, it is likely that Germany would not spit out the control the entire European continent.
Of course, hypothesis does not make much sense in the field of history.
For Hitler, the original plan may have been a huge gamble, but for the entire world outside the Nazis, it meant months of war and protracted suffering.
Regardless of whether Hitler's original plan was rigorous and feasible, the good news is that his plan eventually ended in bankruptcy, and German fascism, represented by himself as the banner, also completely perished.
"China and the World during the Anti-Fascist War"; edited by Hu Dekun; People's Publishing House;
"Chiang Kai-shek's Government and Nazi Germany"; written by (U.S.) Ke Weilin; China Youth Publishing House ;
"The Inside Story of Japan's Invasion of China", originally titled "The Troubles of Showa"; (Japanese) Aoi Shigemitsu; People's Liberation Army Publishing House
"Searching for the Real Chiang Kai-shek: Interpretation of Chiang Kai-shek's Diary 2" "; written by Yang Tianshi; Chinese Publishing House
"Hitler attempted to occupy the Soviet Caucasus oil fields"; Chang Lijun; "Xinmin Evening News" 2021-02-16