If everything was just as described by Ciano, wouldn't Italy have an incredible advantage? Of course, such a powerful advantage does not exist.
In order to draw the leader's attention from the dangerous north to the relatively less dangerous south, Ciano deliberately concealed many factors that were unfavorable to Italy's Mediterranean strategy.
First of all, since Corsica and Malta are under the control of France and Britain respectively, this severely limits Italy’s Mediterranean advantages mentioned by Ciano earlier. Although Italy is the strongest force in the region in the Mediterranean, if it wants to simultaneously
There is still a long way to go before we can eliminate the influence of Britain and France in the Mediterranean and become a truly dominant country.
Coupled with the closed nature of the Mediterranean, even if Italy really achieved local hegemony in the Mediterranean through all kinds of difficulties and dangers, it would not be able to have the opportunity to compete for world hegemony as Mussolini imagined.
After all, now that the UK controls Gibraltar and Egypt at the same time, even if Italy seeks regional hegemony in the Mediterranean, it will be difficult to have free access to the Atlantic and Indian Oceans, let alone seek world hegemony like the UK.
"I have decided that if Italy wants to gain world hegemony, it must show a record that convinces the world!" Mussolini continued to talk nonsense: "Add another 100,000 troops to our Afrika Korps and strive to
Further expand the territory of the New Roman Empire."
In Africa, you are trying to push the weak persimmon. Well, that's acceptable. Ciano nodded respectfully in response.
"In addition, recruit another mercenary army in Albania. The more troops you recruit, the better. As for the weapons and materials needed, they should be transferred there as soon as possible." Mussolini continued to give instructions.
Hearing this, Ciano sighed helplessly in his heart again. His father-in-law seemed to think that more troops meant stronger force, and was always interested in expanding the number of troops, even if it was not a big expansion.
He seems to have completely turned a blind eye to the reports of material shortages that he has been reminding Germany of. It is obvious that Italy can only rely on imports for a long time in key strategic resources such as coal, iron ore and oil. Even the existing military supplies cannot be guaranteed.
, the leader actually wants to expand new troops and use hoes as weapons for the new troops?!
Of course, you can only think about this in your heart. On the surface, Ciano still answered very respectfully: "No problem, great leader. We will prepare as soon as possible!"
.............
"Then you should prepare as soon as possible." Similar things also happened at the coalition command headquarters established by Gamelin in Paris.
Sitting behind Brooke, commander of the 2nd British Expeditionary Force, Montgomery turned his head contemptuously.
Gamelin, the commander-in-chief of the coalition forces, seemed not to understand the current situation at all. For a piece of information that he did not know whether it was true or false, he gathered all the coalition forces that could be mobilized behind the Belgian rear and prepared to attack on Belgian soil.
Fighting a preemptive war, a trench war with no technical content.
For this plan, he actually took command of the British Expeditionary Force on his own and asked all British officers and soldiers to be ready.
"General Brooke," Montgomery lowered his voice and said to Lieutenant General Brooke, his immediate commander: "It seems that our French general who is the commander-in-chief has no idea of setting aside a reserve force. This is not a good sign."
Brooke also frowned, turned his head slightly and whispered to Montgomery: "I don't know, they seemed to believe in the captured German marching order, so they deployed the plan solely for that marching order...
..."
"Yes! We have reason to believe that the German combat plan captured in Belgium is authentic." Gamelin turned his attention to the location of Montgomery and Brooke and interrupted loudly.
Even such a small voice was heard?!
Montgomery looked surprised and looked at the French commander who was looking at him. This man's ears were so good!
Several French generals on the side looked at this scene awkwardly and smiled silently.
They are well aware of Gamelin's temper. What the French general hates most is for someone to point fingers at his plans, even if his plans are slightly flawed!
Fortunately, the people talking quietly below were some British allied generals. If these were French generals...then they would have gone back and waited to be beaten.
Fortunately, Gamelin is in a pretty good mood now, and it is impossible for him to really deal with the Allied generals, so he did not get angry like before. Not only did he not get angry, he also had the rare patience to do it for several British generals.
An explanation.
"We have the unbreakable Maginot Line to rely on, and a large number of troops have been stationed inside the defense line, so there is no need to leave a reserve team to prevent unexpected incidents." Gamelin confidently walked to the huge map in the conference room and used
The telescopic pole traced the line along the Maginot Line and said: "This line is a natural danger that will never be crossed!"
Gamelin's self-confidence was not groundless. In the eyes of him and even the entire French military, the Maginot Line, a permanently prepared fortification group built of reinforced concrete and well-designed, expensive, and made of reinforced concrete, was the absolute German army.
The red line you dare not touch.
The Maginot Line is a line of defense with a total of about 5,800 permanent fortifications for various purposes, with a density of 15 per kilometer of frontage. The strongest reinforced concrete fortifications have roofs and walls with a thickness of 3.5 meters, and armored towers and forts.
With a thickness of 300 mm, it is filled with anti-tank trenches, cliffs, cliffs and metal and concrete piles, and is reinforced with minefields. Not satisfied with the metal piles and wooden piles and barbed wire, a red line of death with electrified barbed wire has been set up!
As long as there is anyone in the top German leadership who remembers the Battle of Verdun in World War I, they will never have the guts to challenge today's Maginot Line.
"The Germans can only attack us through Belgium." Gamelin's telescopic pole gradually moved to the north of the map: "This is their only chance! In the last world war, they did not dare to attack us head-on. Now.
We have the Maginot Line, and they are even less afraid to attack us head-on."
"This is in their interests!" Gamelin put away the telescopic pole and turned to face everyone at the conference table: "So, that plan is their only choice. Even knowing that the plan has been leaked, they
There is no other choice.”
"To defend Belgium is to block the German army's hope of victory." Gamelin said as he walked towards the direction of Montgomery and Brooke: "I don't know why, when the enemy's only choice is known, why?
We should be cowardly and leave a large number of reserves instead of using our full strength to defeat the opponent head-on and strive for..."
"We will obey the order!" Lord Gott, who was sitting in front, suddenly stood up and blocked the aggressive Gamelin with his body for his two generals: "The British Expeditionary Force has no objection to the D-word counterattack plan."
"Very good." Gan Molin smiled slightly, waved his hand, turned around and returned to his position.
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