In Moscow, the Kremlin.
Stalin was holding a pipe in his mouth and reviewing documents with concentration.
As a dictator, the final decision on all matters of the Soviet Union must be made through his hands. It is easy to imagine Stalin's heavy workload.
But Stalin also enjoyed it, he was a workaholic.
The young and beautiful female secretary walked into the office holding a folder. Seeing Stalin concentrating on his work, she gently knocked on the door. Stalin said without looking up: "Please come in."
The female secretary then walked into the room and said cheerfully: "Comrade Stalin, good news from the northwest front."
Hearing that it was a victory report from the Northwest Front, Stalin immediately stopped the pen in his hand, then raised his head and asked: "Anna, what did you just say, a victory report from the Northwest Front?"
Anna smiled sweetly and said, "Yes."
After speaking, Ana handed over the folder in her hand.
Stalin took the folder, opened it, and saw a copy of the telegram.
When I took a closer look, it turned out to be a good news just sent by the Northwest Front. The telegram even listed in detail a series of results of this offensive operation, including the annihilation of more than 13,000 people in a division of the Finnish Defense Forces, and the seizure of 9,000 firearms of various types. There were more than a hundred artillery pieces of various types, and hundreds of fortifications of various types were destroyed.
That's all, because compared with the heavy losses suffered by the Soviet army in the first stage of the offensive, it is simply insignificant. To be honest, such a small victory is really not worth being happy about, let alone celebrating.
However, what really made Stalin inexplicably happy was that he advanced the front line thirty kilometers from the Karelian Isthmus! This also means that the Mannerheim Line of Defense, the first of the three lines of defense that the Finnish Defense Force has operated for nearly half a century, has been broken through by the Northwest Front, and it only took ten days!
This also means that what Xu Rui boasted about was not Haikou, it really became a fact!
Before leaving Moscow, Xu Rui once said that he would break through the Mannerheim Line within one month. At that time, Stalin thought that Xu Rui was just talking angrily because several staff officers in the headquarters were not very friendly to him. Young people are inevitably young. Stalin could understand the arrogance, but now, Stalin suddenly realized that Xu Rui didn't seem to be joking.
When he thought that the Northwest Front could really break through the Mannerheim Line within one month, Stalin's eyes immediately became extremely eager. To be honest, until just now, all Stalin wanted was to force Finland to sue for peace, and to The Karelian Isthmus and the Hanko Peninsula were ceded to the Soviet Union.
Until just now, Stalin had never thought of swallowing up Finland.
It's not that Stalin didn't want to annex Finland. In fact, Stalin even dreamed of it. However, the huge losses suffered by the Soviet army in the first phase of the offensive operations of the Soviet-Finnish War scared him, so he rationally lowered his goal.
But after receiving this telegram, Stalin suddenly realized that his goal was too conservative! Perhaps annexing Finland as a whole is not impossible! If the Northwest Front really destroys the Mannerheim Line of Defense within a month, it can quickly advance to Helsinki before Britain and France can respond effectively.
If this is really the case, even if the entire Finland cannot be annexed in a short time, at least a pro-Soviet puppet government can be established in Helsinki. From then on, the forces of Britain and France will no longer want to enter Finland. Then the security situation on the northwest border of the Soviet Union will be It will be greatly improved, and the Baltic Fleet will also have a safe channel!
At that moment, Stalin took off the pipe from his mouth and said: "Anna, please invite Comrade Molotov over immediately. I want to discuss with him the work of the Communist International, especially the work of the Finnish branch."
"Okay." Anna smiled sweetly, turned around and left.
…
At about the same time, Helsinki, the capital of Finland.
Marshal Mannerheim, chairman of the Finnish Defense Council, is packing his bags and preparing to visit the front line in person for the second time.
Mannerheim is over seventy years old, and his hair and beard are gray, but he is still in good spirits.
In Finland, Mannerheim is definitely a household name, and he is also the only legendary figure in the history of the Finnish Defense Forces to obtain the rank of marshal. But at this moment, Mannerheim is neither wearing a military uniform nor a medal, only wearing a uniform. Sitting on an old sofa wearing an ordinary cardigan, he is no different from an ordinary old man.
In front of Mannerheim's sofa, a German shepherd dog lies quietly.
The apartment, the sofa, the warm closet, the sheepdog, the sunset outside the window, and On War written by the German military theorist Clausewitz resting on the armrest of the sofa, together form a picture of a home.
Everything was so peaceful, only the hour hand on the wall was ticking forward.
At that time, the hands pointed to five o'clock in the afternoon, and the sky was getting dark. A Finnish officer in military uniform opened the door, quietly walked to Mannerheim's sofa, and whispered: "Your Majesty Marshal, the convoy is ready."
Mannerheim, who was concentrating on his book, let out a soft oh, then picked up the bookmark and put it on the page he had just read, and then closed the book. The Finnish officer just now put away the war theory immediately and solemnly put it away. Put it in the suitcase, and then put the suitcase containing the war theory on the luggage trolley next to the sofa.
There are already several boxes on the luggage cart.
Seeing Mannerheim get up from the sofa, the Finnish officer quickly took off his woolen coat from the coat rack and carefully put it on Mannerheim. Mannerheim slowly buttoned the copper buttons of the woolen coat. He took one last look at the apartment, then turned around and decisively walked out of the apartment. Outside the door of the apartment, the motorcade had been waiting for a long time.
Before getting into the car, Mannerheim suddenly stopped and asked his adjutant: "By the way, is Corporal Simon Heyer here?"
The adjutant didn't say much. He just turned around and waved. Immediately, a sturdy Finnish noncommissioned officer came forward. He stood at attention and saluted Mannerheim, and then said respectfully: " Dear Marshal, Corporal Simon Haye has been ordered to report here to listen to your instructions."
It can be seen that this army corporal named Simon Haye respects Mannerheim very much.
Then again, no one in the entire Finnish Defense Force of 200,000 people disrespected Mannerheim.
Mannerheim and Simon Heyer were obviously very familiar with each other. They shook hands and invited Simon Heyer to ride in the same car with him. However, after Simon Heyer got into Mannerheim's jeep, he seemed a little reserved. His whole body He stood upright and put his hands carefully on his knees, just like a new recruit.
Seeing Simon Haye like this, Mannerheim smiled and said: "Corporal Simon, don't be too formal."
Mannerheim asked Simon Haye not to be restrained, but Simon Haye became even more restrained after hearing this.
Mannerheim decided to divert Simon Heyer's attention and asked with a smile: "Corporal Simon, are the exchanges with the German police officers over?"
Simon Haye said: "Yes, Your Excellency Marshal, it is over."
Mannerheim asked: "What do you think of the military quality of the German army?"
Simon Heyer said: "If the officer corps that came to Helsinki represents the general level of the German army, then the overall quality of the German army is undoubtedly very high. I am ashamed that I can't understand many of the military theories of the German officers." .”
Mannerheim smiled. Although Simon Haye was an excellent sniper, he had never attended a military school. It was difficult for him to discuss military theory with a German military officer.
At that moment Mannerheim said: "What is the result of the exchange of military skills?"
Simon Haye said: "The marksmanship of German officers is generally very good, especially their Colonel Konings. Regardless of the selection of sniper points, disguise or timing of shooting, they are all very good. I have had endless battles with him." After four simulated confrontations, the final result was a complete defeat, and I didn’t win even once.”
Mannerheim said: "Colonel Konings? I know him, the principal of the Berlin Sniper School. I didn't expect that he was also a member of the German army this time. I should have met them if I had known."
Mannerheim said it with regret, because the German military officials had already left on the German military ship.
Silavos also sent a telegram asking him to invite the German Army Corps to the battlefield in Karelia, intending to use the German snipers of the German Army Corps to deal with the Soviet skirmishers, but now, however, It is impossible. Now, the only thing they can count on is Simon Haye and a dozen of his comrades.
At that moment, Mannerheim asked with a smile: "Colonel Konings is not only the principal of the Berlin Sniper School, but also the recognized king of snipers throughout Europe, so it is not shameful for you to lose to him. I only ask you, through talking to Konings You and your comrades must have learned a lot of sniper skills from Colonel Si’s sniper confrontation, right?”
"Yes!" After hearing this, Simon Haye's eyes immediately showed a strange look, and he nodded and said, "Through this sniper confrontation with Colonel Konings, we have indeed learned a lot. I am very convinced. After returning to the battlefield in Karelia this time, I will definitely be able to kill more Slavs!"
Mannerheim nodded happily: "I have no doubt about this."
After a short pause, Mannerheim continued: "But I need to remind you that the Soviet army found a very powerful squad from nowhere. The reason why Lieutenant General Dalliu's 7th Division suffered It was a disastrous defeat, and the reason why the first line of defense in the Karelian Isthmus finally fell was mainly because of this Soviet force."
"Really?" A solemn look flashed across Simon Haye's eyes.
"However, you don't have to worry too much." Mannerheim then patted Simon Haye on the shoulder and said harmoniously, "No matter how powerful this Soviet army is, it cannot be more powerful than Colonel Konings." It’s awesome, so you can definitely do it!”
"Yes." Simon Haye nodded heavily, and the look in his eyes became hot again.