Parallel nazi 07c1, p.32
Parallel Nazi 07c1, page 32
Marty snapped his notebook closed and stood. They walked out of the office together. He held the door for her as she walked through, and she reached out to his arm and squeezed. It surprised him, and he wondered what that signified, if anything.
They were indeed early for dinner, and the queen diverted them to a drawing-room where a steward waited at the bar.
“My usual, Horthy,” she said.
“And you, Sir?” the steward asked Colin.
“Whisky; neat.”
Colin was surprised when the steward delivered an opened bottle of Guinness to the queen and then his whisky.
“Don’t be surprised, Colin,” Margaret said as she held up the bottle. “I am reputed to drink like a sailor. And this is what sailors drink.”
“I would never suggest anything like that, Ma’am.”
“Right. Well, my reputation is not undeserved. A lager wets my whistle, and I am then not sloshed when I go into dinner.”
“That makes sense to me.”
She reached a side table and pulled a cigarette from a pack. The steward was immediately beside her, holding a lighter. She inhaled deeply, with the coal glowing, and then blew out a great draught of smoke.
“I regret beginning this habit,” she acknowledged as she waved the cigarette around. “This is my first of the day. I am trying to quit. I saw what it was beginning to do to my father.”
“There is something to be said for just stopping cold, Ma’am.”
“Yes, and I may have to do that someday. But not right now, Colin.”
He nodded politely but said nothing.
“I will not have you humoring me, Colin.”
“Of course not, Your Majesty.”
She glared at him for a few moments, and then her visage softened. “Forgive me. I am not being gracious.”
He sipped from his tumbler and studied the room. He wondered what it was like to live in a museum, for that is what the palace was. In one corner was an ornate piano. He wondered if it was an antique showpiece or if it was usable. Pianos never aged well.
She noticed him regarding the instrument. “Do you play, Colin?”
“My parents arranged for lessons. I stopped playing after Clarissa and I married. There was no money to buy something, and it’s been a while.”
“Then you must play me something,” she insisted.
There was little to do but to obey the royal command. He seated himself at the piano and stumbled through several of the Bach two and three-part inventions.
“That was very nice,” she commented. “You have a good touch.”
Margaret bustled over to a cabinet below the bookshelves and rummaged through a stack of music.
“Have you ever played Beethoven?” she asked.
He chuckled. “Everybody has to play Beethoven.”
She carried a music folio over to Colin’s right and slid onto the bench next to him. “Move over.”
He studied the music when she opened the book. He didn’t know that Beethoven had written duets.
“My teacher used to play these with me. Let’s give it a try, shall we?”
The music itself was not complex, but one did have to watch the rhythm and pay attention to the partner. He somehow managed to stay with her as they completed the first movement, and they both laughed at the end.
“Again,” she shouted. “This is fun.”
They went back to the beginning, and she moved directly into the second movement. The scherzo was more difficult, and at one point, Colin completely lost his place. He frantically looked to figure out where she was and jumped in. He was a couple of steps behind during the long run at the end of the piece, and they laughed again.
“I think you need to practice, Colin,” she laughed and then took a long drink from her bottle.
“I also think I need practice.”
She glanced over where the butler stood in the doorway.
“Dinner is served, Your Majesty.”
They moved from the drawing-room to the private dining room. The staff had set two places at the end of the table. Colin concluded that there was something nice about servers who were more attentive than at a five-star restaurant.
“So, it appears that Schloss is finally getting the upper hand in his war with the Communist hordes.”
“I certainly hope so,” Colin responded. “As you know, I have no great truck with the Nazis, but Schloss may give us a generation of peace.”
“But what value is that peace if the people are enslaved?” she asked.
“How would you define enslavement?”
“Well, most of Western Europe does not have the franchise. We have Schloss, Petain, and Franco, who rule by fiat. And then there is our friend Salazar in Portugal. And, of course, Ciano in Italy.”
“Even considering the irregularities, the Nazis and Fascists were freely elected.”
“To quote Stalin,” she responded, “‘one man, one vote, one time.’ That is how we get tyranny.”
“And how close to tyranny did we come in the United Kingdom, Ma’am?”
She looked abashed. “One forgets about that. Yet the Parliament has stepped up.”
“Yet Parliament is always one law away from stealing our liberties.”
“Are you a republican, then, Colin?”
“You mean like my friend Mr. Pye-Charm?”
“Ha! He was not successful in hiding it.”
“I know. I will die a monarchist. I grew up in Britain, and I know I’m probably blind to many its failings. But we usually seem to get the leaders that the people want. And it rarely seems to get far out of whack.”
“I thought you might be an admirer of the American constitution.”
“I do admire it,” Colin admitted. “It is probably the best representation of all our ideals. But if someone is sufficiently determined to subvert the rule of law, the written constitution won’t stop them. Our system is generally better at self-correcting. Eusebius Pye-Charm is in love with the ideal, and I fear he would end up disappointed if we deposed you and set up a constitutional republic.”
“You will pardon me if I sound biased, but I certainly hope so.”
Colin laughed. “It’s probably not funny, but if we get to the point where we consider a change of government like that, things will be so far gone that nothing would save us.”
“That is a depressing thought. Perhaps we should change the subject. Are you hearing anything in particular from your friends in the PM’s office?”
“Since the PM made his announcement?”
“Right.”
“I got a sense of disappointment that there were no fireworks,” Colin said. “I have wondered if several individuals were not actively prodding Attlee to become more confrontational. It’s puzzling because he is usually methodical and pragmatic – almost to a fault. I am sure he was frustrated with things, but to boil over like that.….”
“That makes sense,” the queen said. “Fortunately, we avoided saying things that once said cannot be unsaid.”
Marty sat still for a moment to parse her comment. She reached out and slapped his arm. He was surprised at the physical contact.
“There is, I am given to understand, a point of law in the military articles concerning silent insolence. Are you familiar with that, Colin?”
“I take your point, Ma’am.”
She looked down at the wreckage of the dinner and then at him.
“Do you have anywhere you need to be?”
“I had no further plans for the evening, Ma’am,” he replied.
“I would like to explore some more of those duets if you are up to it.”
“I think I might manage.”
“Fine. Let’s go see if we can make that piano wish it had never been born.”
Colin followed Margaret back to the drawing-room while he tried to decide if she was mixing metaphors.
CHAPTER FORTY-eight
August 3, 1944; 9 AM
Stalag IIA
Neubrandenburg, Germany
“We need to come to an agreement,” Ivan Smirnoff said.
“What do you have in mind?” Nikita Khrushchev asked.
The two men met in a small room in officers’ country at Stalag IIA near Neubrandenburg, Germany. Most of Smirnoff’s army was interned here, and the Germans had kept the officers together at the same location. Such was the confidence of the Germans in their agreements with Smirnoff that Guderian exercised little oversight of the internal matters of the camp. The OKW provided food and health services for the prisoners and the Russians, in turn, made no attempts to escape.
The Reich Chancellor and the OKW planned to use Smirnoff’s army as their spear into Ukraine. By doing so, the Germans had explicitly encouraged Smirnoff and Khrushchev to establish an independent government in Kiev. It was part of Schloss’s strategy to isolate Stalin and provide a buffer against Russian expansion.
“There must be no confusion about who makes the final decisions when we capture Kiev,” Smirnoff stated.
“I completely agree,” Khrushchev responded. “What was it that you felt was in doubt?”
“I am happy for you to be the head of state for Ukraine. But let there be no doubt final decisions will come to me.”
“Ivan, there must be no misunderstandings between us. On that, I agree. But we must discuss how we present ourselves to the world. I suggest we call our nation Ukraine Socialist Democratic Republic.”
“That’s quite a mouthful, Nikita.”
The stocky bald man grinned. “I learned a lot by studying Comrade Stalin. Our greatest challenge will be establishing our legitimacy. Besides blocking the way for a new invasion of Germany, we will represent an unambiguous threat to the Soviet Union. Stalin will spare no effort to dispose of us. If he cannot succeed with a direct invasion, he will infiltrate provocateurs to stir up the people or the army. Or both.”
“We can say whatever we want to the people, of course. I wanted to make sure that you understand that you will report to me.”
“Of course, Comrade Smirnoff. Remember that I am risking my neck just as much as you. Understand that if we fail and Stalin captures us, it will likely go far worse for me than for you. But I agree to allow you to make final decisions. I think we will both be so busy that it won’t matter much. But I did want to talk to you about the type of organization we will set in place once we capture Kiev.”
Smirnoff raised an eyebrow. “Eh? You’ve been thinking ahead, then.”
“Of course. We would be wise to know what we are going to do at each stage of the operation. There won’t be time for us to sit down and debate our actions.”
“I have time now if you would like to tell me what you have in mind.” Smirnoff leaned back in his chair and folded his arms. “And you are completely correct in your assumptions.”
“First of all, I think we should set up a structure similar to Stalin’s. We set up a system of interlocking committees extending down to each city's street and building level. In fact, let’s keep the existing structure. It will be easier.”
“Will we be able to trust them?” Smirnoff asked.
“Of course not. The beauty of the arrangement is that we can get visibility into each committee either from above or laterally.”
“What about the Chekists who remain in the country?”
“This is where I would change policies,” Khrushchev grinned. “No mass arrests or purges. If we have clear evidence of malfeasance, we act directly. If we suspect someone of working against us, we toss them over the border into Russia.”
“That sounds risky,” Smirnoff commented. “We could have a whole group of people waiting to cut our throats some night.”
“Is the army with us, Ivan?”
“Yes, mostly. As you know, most of our divisions were raised in Ukraine. When they realize what we want to do, I think they will be enthusiastic.”
“Enthusiastic enough to fight the Red Army?”
Smirnoff smiled thinly. “Stalin called his project The Great Patriotic War. And that is exactly how the Ukrainians will view it. They will be throwing off the yoke of Moscow. If we manage things correctly, Comrade, they will love you forever.”
“And what about you, Ivan?”
“I hope to stay in the background. You will be the one with the target painted on you.”
“Generous,” Khrushchev grumbled.
“Listen,” Smirnoff said sharply, “I hope to build a strong and independent Ukraine and one that will be free of control from either Moscow or Berlin. And I also want to live to enjoy it.”
“That’s reasonable. And I had another idea.”
“And what would that be?”
Khrushchev grinned. “At an opportune time, I want to fly plane-loads of leaflets over every major town and city in the land. We will announce the independent Ukraine. It will have our pictures and image of the new flag.”
“And then ask the people to rise up against their masters?”
“Not at all. We just announce it. When the time comes, the people will know what to do.”
“And it will warn Stalin.”
“Why do you think he doesn’t already know about this?”
Smirnoff thought about that for a few moments. “Okay, on the off chance that he doesn’t realize what we’re doing, I want to move far enough and fast enough to ensure our success before we make any announcements.”
“That sounds reasonable. I wonder if we should go ahead and retain the current committee structures in the towns as we move through. I assume you don’t want to have to garrison every town.”
“The problem with that,” Smirnoff suggested, “is that someone is sure to get frisky and try to cut off our supply lines. Having experienced that before leaves me loathing the thought of it happening again.”
Khrushchev laughed. “It’s really not funny, but you bring out the most indigestion-causing thoughts.”
“What is the old saying that pessimists are rarely disappointed.”
“And that is completely true. Do you have any idea on when we will start this operation?”
“Guderian simply told me to get ready. The Germans are cleaning out the remaining Soviet troops in Poland and East Prussia. I asked him to give us two weeks’ notice. He knows the importance of careful preparation.”
“Please let me know when you find out,” Khrushchev said. “I don’t like being left in the dark on something like this.”
“I think we might arrange that,” Smirnoff said dryly.
§ § §
August 7, 1944; 10AM
Hill Army Air Force Base
Ogden, Utah
My God, what have we done to our people? Harry Truman asked himself as he walked to the podium. He had taken two weeks to make a quick visit to as many of the refugee camps as possible in the time allowed. The conditions in the camps varied based upon the original structures in use, but most were neat and orderly. This installation was simply indescribable. Many of the ancient barracks buildings were propped up by boards stuck into the ground and propped against the sagging walls. Newspaper covered over Broken windows, and it looked like cardboard patched many of the roofs. Debris was scattered throughout the place and fluttered in the wind. Rats scuttled here and there, seemingly busier than the army officers who were supposed to support the American civilians. And the fetid atmosphere of raw sewage and decayed food overlaid the area like a permanent fog.
The president looked down at the text of the speech he had planned to give to the refugees and decided it was wildly inappropriate for the conditions. This place was worse than any of the prisoner of war camps the United States had operated during the Pacific war. He folded the paper and slid it into his pocket.
“My fellow Americans. As many of you may know, I have traveled around the western United States for the past couple of weeks to see with my own eyes your living conditions. Through no fault of your own, you have been uprooted from your homes, cities, and livelihoods and dropped into this place with no promises made for your future.”
“I had planned to give you an upbeat message on how we were getting our arms around this thing. And we are. But then I saw the conditions in this camp. This is a horrible situation, and I want to apologize for not moving heaven and earth to find decent accommodations for you. It is completely unacceptable, and beginning today; I will work on fixing this. No American should have to put up with this.”
Truman continued speaking for about ten minutes and then waded into the crowd to greet as many people as he could. Following that, he walked to the Officers’ Club, where he greeted more of the airbase personnel. He then turned to Admiral Leahy, his Chief of Staff.
“Please find me a private office with a telephone. I need to talk to General Marshall.”
Leahy was not surprised. He, too, had been shocked at the condition of the camp and wondered how Truman would react.
“General, I am in Ogden, Utah, at the Army Air Force Base here. Do you know where that is at?”
“Yes, Mr. President. How may I help you?”
“The commanding officer here, Colonel Charlie Galpin, has made a royal mess of the refugee situation. I want you to fire him and get a replacement appointed today. I would also suggest that you take the time to fly out here to inspect this place for yourself. We have badly failed the American people.”
“Very well, Mr. President. I can be in Ogden sometime tonight. When will you be returning to Washington?”
“This was my last stop, but I will wait until you can get here. I want the people here to know that we are serious about fixing this. Please message Admiral Leahy as you have details.”
“Of course, Sir. Thank you for bringing this to my attention.”
“General, I think you need to ask some questions about why nobody yelled about this before. I’m glad I came out here, but I am frankly embarrassed at what we have subjected these people to.”
“I understand, Sir.”
“I’ll see you tonight.”
Truman retreated to the hangar where he worked through the documents couriered to him from Washington. He couldn’t escape the paperwork, even while traveling around the country. But, it was necessary, and he was diligent in staying on top of it.
