On September 20, 1943, Jiang Baili, Chief of Staff of the Republic of China, led a Chinese military delegation to visit Germany. On the same day, Jiang Baili was promoted to Field Marshal.《》/《》/
This was the first field marshal in the history of the Republic of China, and it was of special significance that this appointment was announced when Jiang Baili was in Germany.
The appointment of China's first marshal was announced in Germany. This was viewed by the Germans as a great honor. At the same time, they were more confident in the friendship between China and Germany.
Jiang Baili's coming to Germany, in addition to further military cooperation between the two sides, also has another meaning. He will directly command the Axis troops in Europe with the Germans to launch a full-scale attack on the Allies!
Until victory comes.
Sino-German friendship has been further deepened, but life between China and Germany's other "ally" Italy is not so easy.
The poor performance of the Italian army on the battlefield not only made Mussolini lose face, but also disappointed the Germans and Hitler to the extreme.
China's attitude is very intriguing. While they strengthened their aid to Germany, they ignored Mussolini's similar requests.
This move further deepened Mussolini's serious difficulties.
The Germans also stopped aid to Italy. In name, the Germans were also in great difficulty. But Mussolini did not know that a good show jointly planned by the Chinese and Germans was quietly unfolding.
They want to completely control Italy in their own hands, so that this "ally" that has delayed important events countless times can truly play its due role in the war.
This Sino-German joint operation was codenamed "Assault"¨.
The failure of the Italian army on the battlefield left their dictator Mussolini struggling. He had made in vain some personnel changes and emotional changes among politicians and military generals.
In February, General Ambrosio succeeded Cavaleiro as Chief of the General Staff of Italy. Ambrosio and the Duke of Aquirona, minister of the palace, were the king's personal advisers and gained the trust of the royal family.
For months, they hoped to overthrow the leaders of the Fascist Party and end the Fascist dictatorship. However, Mussolini still lingered on the European political scene as if he were a major player there.
He was insulted when his new military chief proposed the immediate withdrawal of Italian troops from the Balkans. He considered these troops to be complementary to Germany's superior position in Europe. He failed to realize that due to defeats abroad
and dissatisfied with the people at home, he had lost his status as an ally of Hitler. When the reality of the situation had faded, he still clung to the illusion of power and personal influence. Therefore, he refused the new chief of staff's request to withdraw troops from the Balkans.
However, because people's impression of his "authority" and the fear of his personal extreme actions are deep-rooted, all social forces in Italy have been hesitant for a long time on how to expel him from power. They are willing to take the risk of "taking him out".
"The bell is hung around the neck of a ferocious beast"?
Mussolini faced not only strong opposition from the Italian people, but also rebellion from some of his closest followers within the fascist ruling establishment, and even his own son-in-law, Ciano.
Moreover, behind the scenes of this rebellion, there was a conspiracy planned by many figures representing a wider class of people, including the king, to overthrow him.
Strikes and demonstrations developed rapidly. Mussolini seemed to be sitting on a volcano. He was in danger and was eager to negotiate with his allies.
Two days later, the "leader", accompanied by his chief of staff, General Ambrosio, flew to Feltre near Rimini and met with Hitler at a local villa.
Regardless of the other party's mood, Hitler just kept talking about his opinions to encourage his allies. He said that the new secret weapons prepared to attack Britain were expected to be ready for use in the winter.
The Nazi leader bluntly told the other party that the Italians must provide their own manpower and organization!
Due to the pressure on the front line, Germany was unable to supply the reinforcements and equipment requested by Italy. The Italians were stunned upon hearing this.
Italian Chief of Staff Ambrosio urged his leader to tell Hitler that Italy could no longer participate in the war.
However, Mussolini's dumbfounded look finally made Ambrosio and other Italian generals present decide that they could no longer count on him as their leader. The Italian people and the opposition within and outside the Italian party could no longer wait.
At this time, Dino Grandi, the patriarch of the Fascist Party and former Minister of Foreign Affairs, came to Rome and prepared to assume a leadership position on the Fascist Grand Council after colluding with the conspirators.
On September 22, he made a special trip to visit his old leader and requested the convening of the Grand Committee, the Supreme Council of the Fascist Party.
This committee has not held a meeting since December 1939, and it has always been a body in name only that is entirely at the mercy of the "leader". In this way, at the request of the majority of the committee members, Mussolini finally agreed to
This unusual meeting was held on September 25. In order to ensure the normal conduct of the meeting and prevent violent harassment, the Inspector General of Police took necessary measures in advance. Mussolini's personal guard, the Lancers, has been disbanded
For the task of protecting the Palazzo Venezia, the area was full of military police. The "leader" explained the current situation, and then all the participants wearing black fascist goggles began to discuss. Mussolini finally said:
"A war is often a party's war, a war fought by the party that wants war; at the same time, a war is often a person's war, a war fought by the person who declares war. If today's war is called Mussoorie
The war of 1859 can be called the War of Cavour. Now is the time to strengthen our rule and assume the necessary responsibilities. Today, when our country and territorial integrity are being violated, I regard our country’s
In name, we can change personnel without difficulty, strengthen control and mobilize all unused forces."
Then, Dino Grandi proposed a resolution asking the king to gain greater power and to get rid of his status of being indifferent to state affairs and to assume his responsibilities.
Grandi delivered what Mussolini called a "violent speech", "a speech in which a man who had long harbored a grudge finally vented his anger."
The collusion between the members of the Fascist Grand Council and the court had become extremely obvious when Mussolini's son-in-law, Ciano, who had long been in charge of foreign affairs, gave strong support to Gran's initiative. Everyone present now
Realizing that a major political change was imminent, the debate lasted until midnight, when Skorza, the permanent secretary of the Fascist Party, proposed to adjourn the meeting and resume it tomorrow. But Grandi jumped to his feet and shouted, "No!"
I object to this proposal. It took a lot of effort for us to start this debate, and we must finish it!"
When the vote was held, it was already past 2 o'clock in the morning. As a result, Grandi's initiative was approved with 19 votes in favor, 77 votes against, and two abstentions, thereby rejecting Mussolini's dictatorship as leader.
status.
Mussolini stood up like an angry buffalo and said sternly: "You have caused a crisis for the regime. It's terrible!"
The meeting ended. When Fascist Party Secretary Skorza was about to salute the "leader", Mussolini stopped him with a gesture and said: "No, you can be forgiven."
Everyone dispersed in silence. No one could sleep at home that night, and a premeditated plot to arrest Mussolini was still secretly underway.
Chamberlain Aquilona and Chief of Staff Ambrosio were responsible for carrying out this task. They first took over the telephone office, police station and key institutions of the Ministry of the Interior, and then sent military police to hidden locations near the royal villa and the Palazzo Venezia.
Sentries were set up densely. After everything was ready, the farce was about to begin.
On the morning of September 25, Mussolini continued to stay in his office in the Palazzo Venezia and visited several bombed areas in Rome. He was completely in the dark about what was about to happen.
He requested an audience with the king, and at 5 p.m. Victor Emmanuel received him!
Mussolini believed that the king would withdraw the power he had given him to command the armed forces. Therefore, when he entered the villa, he did not feel any ominous omen in his heart.
However, when Mussolini arrived at the king's apartment, he saw more military police everywhere. The king, wearing a generalissimo uniform, stood at the door. The two of them walked into the living room.
There the king said in front of Mussolini: "My dear leader, the situation is not good. Italy has embarked on the road of disintegration. The morale of the army has plummeted. The soldiers are unwilling to fight any longer.
The vote of the Fascist Grand Council was terrible - there were as many as 19 votes in favor of Grandi's motion. And among these voters, 4 people were actually the first recipients of the Order of the Annunciation. At this moment, you are
Italy is the person everyone hates the most. The most you can rely on is one friend. Now you only have one friend left, and this friend is me. This is why I want to tell you, there is no need to worry about your personal safety.
, I am responsible for protecting you. Your position is now held by Marshal Badoglio."
Faced with all this, Mussolini was simply stunned and at a loss. After pausing for a moment, he steeled himself and tried his best to calm down and said: "You are making an extremely serious decision. The current crisis will make the people
I believe that once the man who declared war is dismissed, peace is in sight. This will have a severe blow to the morale of the army. This crisis will be regarded as a victory for Churchill and his gang. I feel the resentment of the people. Last night, under the fascist
I saw this at the Grand Council. A man who has ruled for so long and inflicted so many sacrifices cannot but arouse resentment. In any case, I wish the best to whoever controls the current situation.
Lucky."
When the king sent him out of the hall, the former arrogant evil devil was now pale and looked much shorter than usual, almost like a Buddhist. The king shook hands with him and went in. Mussolini was alone.
He walked out of the palace with a heavy heart and was walking towards his car. Suddenly a police captain stopped him and said to him:
"His Majesty the King has assigned me to protect your personal safety."
Mussolini continued to walk to his car, when the captain pointed to an ambulance parked nearby and said: "No, we must take that car!"
Mussolini got into the ambulance with his secretary; in addition to the captain, there were two lieutenants, three state policemen and two plainclothes policemen; they also got into the car and sat at the door with machine guns. Door
After closing the door, the ambulance drove away at lightning speed.
This fascist leader was put behind bars and became a prisoner.
Later that afternoon, the king ordered Badoglio, a field marshal who had been dismissed by Mussolini in 1940 due to the defeat in the Greek War, to organize a new cabinet that included military chiefs and civilian officials.
That night, Marshal Badoglio broadcast the news to the world. Two days later, Badoglio ordered the fascist leader to be detained on Ponca Island.
From then on, Mussolini, the Caesar of the contemporary Roman Empire, sadly ended his 21-year dictatorship in Italy.
Mussolini, a figure who consistently made bellicose noises in the 20th century, knew how to profit from chaos and despair, but in fact he was a man of wealth and failure.
As an ordinary person, he is not without brains. He has read extensive history books and thinks he understands the lessons of history; he pays attention to studying the conditions of various countries and thinks he understands international knowledge.
However, as a dictator, he made such a fatal mistake of an arrogant man: he wanted to turn a country lacking industrial resources into an aggressive and powerful military empire. Like all dictators, Mussolini
Likewise, he was dazzled by ambition and power, and power inevitably indulged him, corrupted his thinking, and poisoned his judgment.
The outcome of this Italian dictator was indeed beyond his own expectations. He believed that as long as he was alive, no one would dare to attack his head. Indeed, when he became powerful, he had millions of troops
and a large number of police bodyguards.
However, when he was taken to the prison van, no one fired a shot to save him, not even the fascist militia. No one came to defend him.
No one seemed to take his humiliating ouster to heart.
However, when Mussolini stepped down and was imprisoned, the Chinese and Germans cheered at the same time.
The opportunity they had been waiting for had arrived.