"Oh!" Beria sighed noncommittally. He was not interested in such words.
On the contrary, he found the British statement ridiculous, especially the young diplomat.
This little guy may not know that his surroundings have been infiltrated into a sieve. It is really ridiculous that he is still talking about the era of reconciliation and seeking common ground while reserving differences.
However, based on the current situation, Beria is still more concerned about the stability of his position. Just as the British said, the Berlin crisis has continued to this day and it has come to an end. The purpose of using the crisis to consume the free world is not
achieve.
On the contrary, being unrelenting may intensify conflicts, especially when the new leadership has just taken office. Indeed, continuing the policy of confrontation will involve a lot of energy.
The current relationship between Beria and Malenkov is still harmonious. Both of them believe that they should focus on domestic issues and adopt a relaxed attitude towards the outside world. What's more, the whole world is paying attention to the negotiations between the two countries.
.
"Peace needs to be maintained by both sides. How can we maintain this peace when it poses a threat to the Soviet Union?"
Attlee could understand that the Soviets still wanted the United States, Britain and France to withdraw their troops. He sincerely and resolutely shook his head and said, "I personally fully understand the Soviet Union's concerns, but this is impossible. I believe that the Americans' attitude is the same as that of the United Kingdom."
, and it will only become stronger, not weaker."
Of course, West Berlin has no strategic significance. No normal person would think that if a war really started, such a small enclave would have any actual impact on the development of the war.
But during the Berlin crisis, keeping West Berlin clearly expressed an attitude: the free world will protect its allies at all costs and will never abandon its allies to the Soviets. At the same time, it is also flexing its muscles and demonstrating capitalism.
of superiority.
Now that even the citizens of West Berlin are almost gone, the purpose of showing the superiority of capitalism is out of the question. No one can light a candle to show the superiority. This shows that West Berlin has a small strategic position.
It's smaller now.
But even if only the three countries' garrisons are left in West Berlin, Britain, the United States and France will not evacuate. Once they evacuate, it will be a sign of weakness. If West Berlin is abandoned at this time, it is likely that the people of Western Europe will lose confidence in confrontation. As we all know, the hearts of the people
If it breaks up, there will be no way to carry the team. Therefore, no matter what, the free world cannot choose to abandon West Berlin.
It doesn't matter whether there are citizens in West Berlin, nor does it matter whether West Berlin has a strategic position. But the free world must show its determination not to compromise.
Prime Minister Attlee could not make any promises on this, and any concessions involving West Berlin would be seen as weakness.
"Our British attitude is very simple, and the current situation will not change in any way if the confrontation continues." Alan Wilson concluded, "This is a matter of position, involving NATO's unity. The current situation can be maintained by relying on airlift troops.
This will continue unless the Soviet Union launches an attack, but once the Soviet Union launches an attack, NATO's collective defense mechanism will be triggered."
Since the Soviet Union cannot go to war, there is no point in persisting, and the troops stationed in the three countries will not retreat if they continue to blockade them.
In fact, in the Berlin Crisis in history, the Soviet Union started with a relatively advantageous situation, and then let the United States forcefully use its powerful air transport power to move back the disadvantage. In the end, the United States had the upper hand.
Through the Berlin Crisis, the United States relied on air transport to support West Berlin. When the Soviet Union lifted the blockade, West Berlin had more material supplies than before the blockade. This completely reversed a disadvantageous start.
And in this time and space, there is an additional power interruption, together with the early exit of the Berlin Wall. It completely changes the Berlin crisis into a different situation. The United States has no problem transporting consumables by air, but the United States cannot transport the infrastructure of big cities.
There was a power outage inside, a wall was built outside, and all the West Berliners had fled.
It can be said that the Soviet Union has embarrassed the free world. The evolution of the Berlin crisis in this time and space is that the Soviet Union won but not completely. The free world lost, but not completely.
The British did not hide it, and directly made the bottom line clear. No matter how the three countries talked about the garrison in West Berlin, they would not withdraw. Only the garrison was left, which put little pressure on air transportation. As long as the Soviet Union did not use force to expel it, there would be no
Method.
Compared with the beginning of the negotiations, the negotiations between the United Kingdom and the Soviet Union around the Berlin Crisis are moving in a more tense direction, but there is nothing that can be done about it. Sometimes both parties also want to have a good talk, but this evolution will occur.
.
"We have already exchanged opinions. As for what the final result will be, we should remain calm." Molotov raised his wrist and glanced at the time. "Next, we still have to communicate with the brother parties."
"Very good!" Prime Minister Attlee nodded with a smile. He was not prepared to get the desired result in the first round of talks.
The group returned to the hotel where they stayed to discuss today's negotiations, and compared the meeting minutes to judge the attitude of the Soviets. They wished they had to smell every fart repeatedly to see what it smelled like.
"In general, we at least have no problem with diplomatic etiquette, and the same is true for the Soviet Union." Prime Minister Attlee was not pessimistic about the results, and encouraged his entourage, "Alan, be honest, this time
What’s the best outcome?”
"Is this it? Lifting the ground blockade is the best result." Alan Wilson opened his mouth and said against his will.
If you ask him what he really thinks, of course it is best to withdraw from Berlin. This is very beneficial to Britain. That is, the unification of Germany will become more difficult.
Once West Berlin, a hinterland deep behind enemy lines, was lost, there would be no comparison between two different systems within the city of Greater Berlin. Many problems would be easily solved.
Citizens of the Democratic Republic of Germany cannot see the Federal Republic of Germany, and citizens of the Federal Republic of Germany cannot see the situation in the Democratic Republic of Germany. It is much easier to gradually enter the old age and die without contact.
With such a tie between the two Germanys severed, it will not be so easy for Germany to unify. It is certainly a good thing for Britain that Germany cannot be reunified, especially in this time and space, Britain has become the leading country of the European Community.
But the current results are acceptable. West Berlin has become a pure military stronghold, and its role in living standards has been greatly reduced. The comparative window status of the two systems does not exist, which also contributes to the long-term division of Germany.
Having lost its significance for people's livelihood, West Berlin's significance has become important again simply as a military base. Especially in the context of the Cold War, if NATO takes the initiative to launch an offensive, West Berlin is a good forward stronghold.
If the Soviet Union had taken the initiative to launch an offensive, West Berlin would have been the first to get the hint.
If the Soviet Union has established its absolute superiority over NATO, it will be too late to give up by then.
What was sacrificed was only the lives of some garrison troops. Generally speaking, the disappearance of West Berlin's role in people's livelihood was beneficial to Britain in preventing the reunification of Germany. The retention of its military role helped monitor the Soviet Union's every move.
It is absolutely impossible to withdraw the troops, so in the next two days, when Molotov mentioned the withdrawal again, the attitude of the British side was unmoved. In the end, it was very clear that no matter what happened,
Regardless of any changes, the garrison in West Berlin must be retained.
After this meeting, the two sides had no communication for three consecutive days. Of course, it was not that no good news was released during this period. It was nothing more than the Soviet Union's recognition of Britain's efforts in ending the Korean War.
Regarding the Berlin crisis, I just want to say that the two sides had very frank communication and the talks were beneficial.
As for the public opinion in the UK, it has turned to the stage where Prime Minister Attlee is quarreling with the masses, showing no fear in the face of dozens of political parties that support the Soviet Union. The atmosphere has been created that even if there are tens of millions of people, I will go.
In this public opinion environment, Prime Minister Attlee will not be criticized even if he achieves nothing this time. What’s more, a turnaround has already occurred!
There has been no progress in the talks, which puts pressure on Maurice Torres and Palmiro Togliatti, the leaders of the French Communist Party and the Italian Communist Party. Both of them believe that the current special situation allows them to participate in
In an event that ended a major crisis, this helped to boost the support of the two men and the parties behind them.
Under the mediation of Maurice Torres and Palmiro Togliatti, the new Soviet leadership also came under great pressure, and those speaking were the leaders of the two largest fraternal parties in Western Europe.
Even the matchmaking between the two has appeared in local newspapers in Italy and France. If they are firmly rejected, it may cause these two fraternal parties in Western Europe to criticize the Soviet Union, which is something no one wants to see at the moment.
"Even if it is to end the ground blockade in Berlin! We can also say that it was the suggestions of Maurice Torres and Palmiro Togliatti that led us to make decisions out of class sentiment." Beria.
Having said this, he looked at Khrushchev and said, "Comrade Khrushchev, is that so?"
Before Khrushchev could speak, Molotov sighed, "But the British will definitely think that this is Attlee's credit."
"Then we have no choice! Obviously the Berlin crisis that has lasted for such a long time is no longer worth continuing, and the attitude of the Italian Communist Party and the French Communist Party is something we must pay attention to." Khrushchev said after being interrupted.
Expressing his own point of view, "I can only say that the opportunity the British found is too good."
On March 16, British Prime Minister Attlee had arrived in Moscow for a week, and Moscow had also attracted the world's attention for a week. The United Kingdom and the Soviet Union reached a consensus after this round of talks. The two countries simultaneously announced that Berlin
The ground blockade will be lifted.
Soon, the news spread throughout the world, and major newspapers reported the statements of the leaders of the two countries in Moscow with the headline "Berlin Crisis Resolved". The person at the center of widespread praise was, of course, the current British Prime Minister Attlee.