Derek Pennington: The German Peace

Truman was almost embarrassed by the lack of reaction on the part of the countries concerned. The UN had simply been ignored. This did not bode well for the organisation’s future. He was beginning to wish he had never pushed the damned concept.

In its first real test, the UN had failed miserably. It was like the old League of Nations all over again.

The US President and his personal advisers considered the military exercises conducted by the Poles as being ‘provocative’, a description not entirely agreed with by the US military. Their position was that Poland had a right to do this, and in any case, communist Soviet Union was no friend of the United States.

The Secretary of State was no help. He confirmed to Truman his bewilderment how something like this could develop so fast. On the face of it, it just didn’t make sense. His talks with his counterparts in Britain, Poland, Russia and Germany had been inconclusive. He advised ‘a wait and see’ approach. Let things cool down.

General Klaus von Altendorf had exercised his tank units at digging in and disappearing from enemy sight. He had gone forward with his officers a kilometre, and then further. He kept turning to search for the concealed positions. They had done well. It was only because he knew where they were that he could actually detect one or two small signs of his force. Tomorrow or the next day, he would move them to a different position and repeat the exercise.

He was satisfied. His men were the best, and the Tiger was a truly superb tank. He almost wished the Soviets would come charging over the border. They would not know what hit them!

He was uncertain why events of the last week had actually got this far. Only a few weeks earlier he had dined with his father and they had talked about how peaceful Europe was, and how the Soviet threat had diminished over the years.

He shook his head. Politics!

After introductory sombre martial music, Moscow radio announced in subdued tones that the dearly beloved leader of the Soviet Union, Comrade Stalin, was dead. Apparently he had suffered a severe stroke while in bed during the night, and he had not recovered. This announcement was repeated continually throughout the morning.

It was only much later in the day that another announcement was made. This time to re-assure the Soviet people. Comrades Nikita Khrushchev and Vyacheslav Molotov would, in the interim, form a caretaker government with the Politburo . They had expressed their extreme sorrow at their great leader’s death. He would be sorely missed by all of the Soviet Union’s citizens. The whole of the Soviet Union was in mourning.

“BULLSHIT,” roared General Sikorski alone in his office. Those two bastards murdered the old tyrant. They set it up with the Germans. He laughed out loud. It had been a long time since he had felt so happy. He thanked his God that the Germans were on the side of Poland.

Now we will see if we get the rest of our country back.

The German Governing Council heard the news within the confines of the council chamber. They were unashamedly happy and relieved. Their gambit had worked! The Russian psychopath was dead.

No one shed a tear for the Soviet dictator. Privately though, von Altendorf spared a few minutes thought to the unknown millions of dead innocent Soviet citizens, mindlessly murdered or starved to death by Stalin over the past fifteen years. If there is a God, maybe Stalin will be meeting his victims later.

He only hoped that his successors now lived up to their promises. As a student of Russian history, he fervently hoped the Russian people would finally receive some decent treatment. Something unknown to them throughout their history. After hundreds of years of oppression they deserved a chance for a better life.

Early the following morning, the German Defence Minister issued orders to the military units on Germany’s northern border with Russia, recalling them back to their permanent bases. With immediate effect!

This drew a swift response from the Soviet Army. All their units facing northern Germany were pulled back. The border area resumed its normal quiet rural appearance,

The Poles had halted their military exercises following the news of Stalin’s death. The Polish Air force now recalled all of their aircraft back to their bases. The army pulled back from the border area, and commenced transporting its armoured units back to where they were permanently stationed. Their war games were over.

Amazingly, the Soviets responded to the Polish withdrawal with alacrity. In just one day, the entire recent influx of troops and tanks had disappeared, leaving only the scant border guards who had always been stationed there. No Soviet aircraft were to be seen in the skies near the border.

Churchill was totally relaxed and he sipped his whisky slowly. Smoke curled from his cigar parked in the ashtray. He was delighted with the news of the demise of that evil bastard Stalin. The last of the world’s twentieth century brutal dictators.

He could not help but keep smiling.

He wasn’t sure how they had done it, but he knew the Germans had somehow orchestrated the whole border confrontation thing. He was tempted to telephone von Altendorf and congratulate him. ‘ Better not. Don’t want to embarrass him. At a suitable time in the future, I will let him know that I am not fooled!’

He sincerely hoped Russia’s new joint Tsars, Khrushchev and Molotov, would be more reasonable and enlightened than their predecessor. He was actually optimistic about this.

He chuckled contentedly as he lifted the glass to his lips and silently toasted the Germans.

General Sikorski frowned at the letter he held. He had to read it three times, it was such an unbelievable communication.

It had been delivered to him in person, by the Soviet Ambassador to Poland.

Essentially it stated that the Supreme Soviet Council had reviewed the past and current position of the Soviet Union with regards to its place in international affairs, and its relationship with its neighbours.

In 1939 Poland had been invaded without cause or warning, by the Fascist dictator, Adolf Hitler. To ensure that the gallant Polish people were not totally submerged by the Fascist horde, the Soviet Union had extended their protection to them by temporarily occupying the eastern portion of their country.

They noted that Poland had been a country free of the Fascist yoke for some years now. In that time they had clearly demonstrated that their country was economically and socially stable, and had developed a competent government.

The Soviet Supreme Council believed that eastern Poland no longer needed the protective hand of the Soviet Union.

In the spirit of friendship and international brotherhood, the Polish Government was invited to send their representatives to Moscow to discuss terms for an orderly withdrawal of Soviet forces from the eastern part of Poland, as well as normalisation of trade, and other matters of mutual concern.

‘Hypocritical bastards,’ Sikorski thought. Then a great smile spread across his face. “WE DID IT!” he yelled. His secretary poked her head through the door, thinking he had called her. He rose from his desk, grabbed her and hugged her in a release of emotion. “WE DID IT, PAULINA.” He said no more, and, confused, she went back to her work.

Sikorski had an urgent telephone call to make to the German Foreign Minister.

Von Altendorf reported to the Governing Council about the ecstatic telephone call he had received from General Sikorski. The Polish prime Minister was ebullient in his praise for the German Government. He expressed the undying gratitude of all Poles for bringing about the re-unification of their country. He declared that Poland was the best friend and most loyal ally of Germany, and would be so for the rest of time.