300

Episode 300 War Crimes Trial (2)

It was clear that Churchill, who guessed what Germany would do to him, chose to remain resolute rather than leave the ugly image of groveling and begging for his life.

Even in the face of ridicule and hostility, he continued to speak steadfastly.

"If I am guilty, it is only that I lost the war. "If I had to die for the crime of leading my country to defeat, I would die with joy, but if I had to die for a crime I didn't commit-"

"Defendant, shut up! "Does he still think he is the prime minister?"

Freisler, who had no intention of allowing Churchill's rebuttal, shouted.

Churchill flinched at Freisler's fierce threat.

However, the resignation that he would die anyway made him squeeze out his last remaining courage.

"The British Empire never wanted war! It was you Germans who wanted the war! Who is to judge a country that has stained Europe with blood twice, including in 1914?

I tried to protect the national interests of the British Empire and maintain peace and order in Europe. Even though I lost the war, I don't think it was my fault. "If I could go back in time, I would not hesitate to go to war with Germany again."

"Shut up! "You pig!"

"There has to be a limit to being shameless! Shame on you!"

The Danish and Norwegian judges could not stand it any longer and screamed.

For Denmark and Norway, who had been living quietly, paying attention to the issues of Danzigni and Poland, but were suddenly attacked by Britain, Churchill's remarks were an intolerable insult.

"Where do you get so loud about the weak countries that are siding with Germany and boasting that they are the victors!"

"what?!"

"The British Empire has not been defeated yet! "We may be reduced to servants now, but when the time comes, all British people will rise up, drive out your invaders, and protect Europe's freedom!"

Despite the criticism from the Danish and Norwegian judges, Churchill did not stop speaking. He poured out his words with enthusiasm as if these were his last words.

"Decades after my death, when Britain escapes from Germany's clutches and regains its grandeur as an empire, my statues will be erected all over Britain! And you fascists will be dragged around like dogs by people you deem insignificant!"

After finishing his speech, Churchill sat down again. The Danish and Norwegian judges' faces were so red that their veins bulged as if they were about to explode, but Schlegelberger stopped them.

"Are you done with what you had to say?"

"It never ends! "There is still a long time left."

"Just do that when you're alone."

The trial had just begun and there was much work to be done. Schlegelberger did not want to waste time listening to Churchill's long speeches.

"Defendant, listen. "If you speak in the future without permission, it will be deemed that you have no intention of going to trial and you will be deprived of the opportunity to go to trial."

"What kind of violent crime-"

"If you say one more word there, you will be kicked out immediately. "If you don't want to take a picture of yourself being dragged around like a dog, be considerate."

When Schlegelberger waved his hand, two large military police officers with a rugged appearance stepped forward. And then he looked at Churchill as if he were going to kill him. These faces say that if you do something foolish, there is no soup.

Even Churchill, who had always maintained a dignified attitude, was a little dispirited by those sad eyes.

Although he did not say anything, he expressed his intention to accept it by keeping his mouth shut and sitting down, and sneers appeared on the faces of the prosecutor and judge.

"Do you, the defendant, admit that you planned and carried out war and conspired to commit crimes against peace?"

"… … "I don't admit it."

"Is that the defendant's answer?"

"exactly."

"All right."

Afterwards, the prosecutor asked several more questions, and each time, Churchill gave short answers. After the questions were over, it was Harris' turn.

"I am not guilty."

Harris, like Churchill, maintained his innocence.

"As a soldier, I only faithfully carried out the orders given to me by the state. "If a soldier is guilty even for doing his duty, what soldier in the world is not a criminal?"

"There are loopholes in the defendant's argument."

"How can it be a soldier's duty to drop bombs on a city where innocent civilians live?"

Despite the scolding from prosecutors and judges, Harris did not give up on his sijo.

Like Churchill, he also chose to maintain a confident attitude rather than beg for his life and face ridicule and contempt.

"Is that the defendant's position?"

"exactly."

"I understand. Then let me ask you a question. "What do you think about the bombing order you gave that killed the King and Queen of England?"

"Well, that's…" … !"

When her biggest weakness came out, Harris, who had always maintained a confident demeanor, was visibly embarrassed.

Harris initially said it was a mistake, but then protested, saying it was a mistake and that it had not yet been confirmed.

However, the gaze of the British defendants looking at him had already turned cold.

***

Next to Britain was the Soviet Union.

The first of them was Joseph Stalin, General Secretary of the Soviet Union.

People clicked their tongues as they felt the passage of time and the resulting changes in history as the man who was once the most powerful person in the Soviet Union was now a prisoner awaiting the verdict of the victors.

Judges from Denmark and Norway, who had relatively less resentment with the Soviet Union, regained their composure, unlike when they dealt with Churchill and Harris.

However, the judge from Finland, which had been invaded twice by the Soviet Union and suffered great damage from air raids throughout the country, glared at him as if he were his parents' enemy.

Like Churchill and Harris, Stalin also maintained his innocence.

"Tell me why you think that way."

"Is there any reason? I just lost the war. Basically, if you lose a war, you are guilty, and if you win, you are not guilty. "No matter who started the war first."

"her! "You're so flustered."

The Finnish judge said as if it were absurd. Be that as it may, Stalin persevered in his logic without being intimidated.

"I only moved for the development of the Soviet Union. Poland only punished the Soviet Union for invading and stealing its territory in the past. "I also would not have ordered Finland to attack Finland if Finland had not provoked them first."

"Shut up! "Shut up!"

The Finnish judge was so angry at Stalin's shameless answer that he cursed.

After a brief commotion, Freisler asked Stalin in a high-handed manner:

"So, you're saying there's nothing wrong with you?"

"exactly."

"What are the corpses of Polish soldiers found in Katyn Forest? "How are you going to explain this?"

"I don't know. "It was probably something the NKVD in Beria did on its own."

Stalin remained clueless until the end despite the many questions he was asked. Every time he answered, the Finnish judge let out a vicious curse.

Nevertheless, Stalin did not blink.

A body already destined for death. No matter what you say here, it will only sound like an excuse or a beg for your life to their ears.

Stalin's true intention was that if he could not avoid death anyway, he wanted to be recorded in history with a dignified appearance.

However, contrary to his thoughts, his subordinate seemed to have a slightly different opinion.

"Defendant, please explain the position you held in the Soviet Union."

After Stalin, it was the turn of Yeryomenko, who had become a prisoner of Germany before Stalin.

"Does the defendant admit that he participated in and carried out a war of aggression?"

"… … "I admit it."

When Yeryomenko nodded obediently, Stalin glared at him as if he were going to kill him. Questions to Yeryomenko continued, and each time Yeryomenko answered sincerely.

"Does the defendant admit to abusing and massacring captured German soldiers?"

"I admit it. However, this was an accidental incident that occurred during the battle, and I did not give direct orders to treat the prisoners harshly or slaughter them. "Although I am guilty of failing to control the criminal activities of my subordinates, I have never directly ordered any massacre."

"That is for us to decide."

As Yeryomenko sat down, Stalin glared at him openly.

Yeryomenko, too, seemed to have recognized Stalin's gaze, and cold sweat rolled down his temples, but he showed no particular reaction.

Stalin did not speak to Yeryomenko, but it seemed clear that he at least regretted not having been able to purge Yeryomenko in the past.

"Does the defendant admit that he sentenced those arrested on trumped-up charges to death and led the execution of political prisoners?"

"Well, that was a fair trial! "There is all evidence that they have committed treasonous acts that undermine the security of the Soviet Union."

Vyshinsky, who had sentenced tens of thousands of political prisoners to death during the Great Purge as Stalin's hound, protested that his actions were a legitimate execution of the law. Of course he wasn't eaten either.

One ironic fact is that during the Great Purge, Freisler visited the Soviet Union and attended Vyshinsky's trial.

Freisler, who studied Vyshinsky's trial process, used it in his own trial.

Freisler felt ironic at the reality of having to judge Vyshinsky, who had been his role model in the past.

Of course, that didn't mean I felt sympathy for him or had any intention of showing him mercy.

Stalin was furious when he saw a subordinate he trusted begging for his life - even though he himself was a prisoner - and begging for his life from the enemy in an attempt to save himself.

However, compared to what happened later, Yeryomenko's 'betrayal' was nothing more than blood on his feet.

"Witness, come out."

"… … !!!"

The moment Stalin saw the witness appearing at the trial, he felt a shock as if he had been hit on the head with a hammer.

Not only Stalin but also the Soviet defendants at the trial were horrified when they realized the identity of the witness.

Why is the author here?

"Please state the name of the witness and his or her position in the Soviet Union."

"Grigory Ivanovich Kulik, Marshal of the Red Army."

***

Kulik was mortified.

Even though he abandoned all his subordinates and went into exile in China, he still felt wronged.

Why, why must he suffer such suffering and humiliation?

He faithfully followed Stalin's instructions and fought to the best of his ability during the war. He had a criminal record and was injured and faced death.

Nevertheless, Stalin doubted his loyalty and eventually tried to kill himself.

No one wants to sit still and die. Kulik wanted to live, and he did, so he rebelled.

However, the rebellion he started was suppressed, and he barely escaped and ended up entrusting himself to China.

Fortunately, Chiang Kai-shek was very interested in the information he knew and allowed Kulik to stay in China as a foodie on the condition that he share this information generously.

I don't know if it was because he was full of resentment toward the Soviet Union, or whether it was a fitting reward for being an informant, but Kulik was able to live in China without difficulty.

Aside from the fact that the food was a bit unpalatable, living in China wasn't something I could tolerate.

Nevertheless, Kulik was still full of resentment at his reality.

He had risen to the rank of Marshal in the Soviet Union and had everything. Gorgeous mansions, villas, rare food… … .

However, just because he was an enemy in the Soviet Union did not mean he was an enemy in China as well.

From China's perspective, he was just a refugee who escaped purges.

Although they would provide a certain level of courtesy in return for providing information, Kulik, who was accustomed to the luxurious life in the Soviet Union, was unsatisfied with life in China, which only met the minimum requirements.

He consoled his anger with alcohol every day, and one day the Kuomintang called him.

"me? "I'm sure you've told me everything you already know, right?"

As Kulik left the mansion provided by the Nationalist government, he met an unexpected guest.

"Oscar Troutman. "Nice to meet you."

"Uh, um… … Nice to meet you."

The person who called Kulik was Trautmann, the German ambassador to China.

"Why did you call me?"

"Marshal Kulik. "Do you like life in China?"

Trautman asked bluntly. Kulik was satisfied that he was calling him an enemy, but was puzzled as he did not know the intention of the question.

"… … "What does that mean?"

"Please be honest. In the Soviet Union you could get anything you wanted. But in China you are just a refugee. "Of course, I know that the Chinese treat you well, but compared to the life you enjoyed in the Soviet Union, don't you have many regrets?"

What on earth is this? Kulik's doubts grew as Troutman's outspoken questions answered.

Could it be that the Kuomintang is doubting and testing its own ideology? However, if that was true, it meant that the German ambassador was also cooperating with the Nationalist Party.

Is there any reason for someone like the German ambassador to follow the instructions of the Kuomintang?

"What can I do? "They are all my helpers, so who can I blame?"

Whatever the reason, Kulik answered cautiously. The management skills he had learned while living in the Soviet Union still remained with him.

"But don't you think about your past life often?"

"… … "I'd be lying if I said I didn't remember it."

Troutman laughed after getting the answer he wanted. Kulik's doubts grew.

"What if, what if…" … ."

"?"

"What if I had the opportunity to enjoy the luxurious life I once enjoyed again?"

"What do you mean by that?"

"Literally. What would you do if you were given the chance to enjoy the luxurious life you once enjoyed again? At least if such an opportunity comes?"

"What fool wouldn't catch that?"

"I have a suggestion for you."

Only then did Trautman get to the real point.

"Please inform Germany of the information you provided to China, and appear as a witness at the war crimes trial to testify."

"What testimony?"

"Various crimes committed by the Soviet regime."

"After that?"

"The Third Reich will guarantee you a comfortable life that you will not be envious of. The Free Russian Government also agreed to accept you as a 'citizen of the Republic'. If you show up for trial and do as we tell you, you can live in luxury until you die. "We have already finished talking with China."

The fact that talks with China were over meant that Chiang Kai-shek agreed to handing himself over to Germany.

Kulik's worries did not last long.

"great. "Let's do that."

"It's nice that you talk quickly. "Please pack your bags right away so we can leave tomorrow."

"It's not even a burden. "If possible, I don't mind going today."

He was a shrewd man and did not miss the opportunity to change his life.