Of course I'm lying to myself if I say I'm not nervous. Alan Wilson wants to find a church and, in the spirit of sharpening his guns before battle, talk to God. After all, in this part of Europe, he should still be a bit thin-faced, even though he's about to be raped.
Ask the Pope how many divisions of steel comrades cut off a piece.
Nervousness is a normal emotion. It will not disappear because of the different class and wealth of anyone. It is just reflected in different aspects. Whitehall, London, is the political center of the British Empire in the eyes of outsiders, where every move affects the world situation.
, is also in the midst of intense busyness.
The Soviet Union's Victory Parade and the subsequent Potsdam Conference also made various departments feel as if they were facing a formidable enemy. The executive secretaries of each department were making intense preparations, and the level of tension was no worse than that in Berlin.
The door of the Cabinet Secretary's office was pushed open, and Norman Brooke said as he walked, "Edward, give me the procedures for the Potsdam Conference. By the way, you should go to Berlin before the Prime Minister."
"If nothing else, it should be like this." Edward Bridges held a cigar between his fingers, his eyes behind the lenses showed recognition, and pointed to the seat in front of him and said, "Norman, in fact, various departments are working hard.
Civil servants, you don’t need to worry about this kind of thing. Of course, out of a prudent attitude, of course I have to go to Berlin first, faster than the Prime Minister, but what? I’m not actually worried about this matter..."
Norman Brooke was startled. There are more important things than the Potsdam Conference now. He asked, "Is there any movement in the Soviet Union?"
"The Soviet Union is important, but not the most important. Norman!" Edward Bridges said with a meaningful look on his face, minding his own business, "For the British Empire, the war is over. Things in the East
It involves more the colonies than the immediate Germany in front of us. Now the biggest danger has disappeared, so there is no need for a wartime cabinet, and elections are about to take place."
During the war, stability was of course more important than anything else, and the most important thing was Germany, which was facing an aggressive war. For this reason, the status of Prime Minister Churchill and the war cabinet was unshakable, but now that the war is over, everything has changed.
Who will win the upcoming general election will become a criterion for Edward Bridges to judge the next situation. And judging from the current feedback, Attlee actually has a lot of hope, but he was defeated by the great victory of Germany.
Overshadowed by Prime Minister Churchill.
Attlee, the leader of the Labor Party, was born into a middle-class family in Putney, London. He attended Norfolk School, Haileybury and Imperial Services College and University College, Oxford University in his early years, and became a lawyer after graduation.
Attlee was the private secretary to Prime Minister Macdonald, the former leader of the Labor Party. During the war, he was the British Deputy Prime Minister and Lord Privy Seal, Lord Secretary of the Dominion, and President of the Privy Council.
"During war, some rules can be broken, but in peacetime, we have to do things according to certain systems, Norman?" Edward Bridges called the civil servant softly, "If Attlee comes to power, I will
Consider early retirement.”
"Early retirement?" Norman Brooke looked stunned and leaned forward involuntarily.
"It's not so soon. I will hand over the power of the cabinet secretary to the successor to ensure that everything is smooth and transitional." Pressing out the cigar on his fingertips, Edward Bridges leaned back tactically, "I will do it in two years.
Time to let the next cabinet secretary grow up and then leave Whitehall."
"Wow!" Norman Brooke's expression was very exciting, and he didn't know what he was thinking.
"My successor must stand firm when facing politicians. Both you and I know that the life of politicians lies in elections. The only thing they can be called professional is to maintain their exposure. As for the level of governing the country, we will not evaluate it.
." Edward Bridges stood up and opened the window, turning his back to Norman Brooke.
"You're right, Edward, there's no ambiguity about this." Norman Brooke said in agreement, pointing at Edward Bridges' back.
"We also need to pay attention to strategy. We help politicians realize their grand and long-cherished wishes. Although most of them are childish and ridiculous, we cannot show it." Looking back, Edward Bridges looked at Norman Brooke expectantly.
"Your heir must be gentle, charming, old-faced, and have sufficient experience." Norman Brooke followed Edward Bridges's thoughts and already felt in his heart that this was not a test.
"It must be especially reliable." Edward Bridges added with a smile, "I have the responsibility to make this transition stable. This is my mission to the British Empire. Therefore, I found a company that fully meets these conditions.
The successor!"
"So Edward, do you already have this candidate?" Norman Brooke asked in an expectant tone.
"You see, the true meaning of doing our business is not to find the answer, but to find the right question. Let's see who can find the key question!" Edward Bridges laughed dumbly. It was obvious that he was interested in talking to smart people.
My mood is also very comfortable.
Edward Bridges did not decide to leave by chance, because during the war, he himself was bound to Prime Minister Churchill. This history is actually quite early. In fact, he became the Cabinet Secretary, and he was not even the Prime Minister at the time.
Churchill had a huge relationship.
When I became the cabinet secretary, it was not entirely in line with the traditional habits of civil servants. Of course, in tense moments like the war, these were no problem and were logical.
But now that the war is over, some problems have to return to their original place, and the broken rules should be corrected. Edward Bridges took the initiative to return to tradition, so that the initiative can still be in his own hands.
When the two came out of the Cabinet Secretary's Office, they looked so harmonious that even the civil servants in Whitehall looked at them with suspicion.
A nervous Alan Wilson, like other diplomats in Berlin, was watched by Alexander Cadogan, the permanent undersecretary of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, who was lining up to wait for the military plane that had landed.
"People who don't know think that the Prime Minister has already arrived?" Alful muttered in a weak voice.
"More important than the Prime Minister, Mr. Edward is senior to us." Alan Wilson looked forward, maintaining the qualities of a young diplomat, and watched the military plane slowly stop.
The Permanent Under Secretary to the Cabinet, also commonly known as the current Cabinet Secretary, Edward Bridges, easily got off the military plane.