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When the Soviet Union deployed three corps taken from the Far East to the German border area, Germany responded by deploying six divisions to the east.

3 in East Prussia and 3 in the Polish Protectorate.

Naturally, there was a lot of talk in the Soviet Union about the deployment of German troops.

Judging by the fact that the number was set to the smaller number 6 instead of 8, it was interpreted that there was no intention to keep the Soviet Union in check, but to threaten the Soviet Union, so it was settled for now.

However, there was talk again about the dispatch of technicians scheduled for August being postponed to September.

On the surface, it was said that internal circumstances could not be disclosed, but it was clear to anyone that it was revenge for blocking exchanges with China.

The Soviet Union, which was in a position to learn more from Germany, did not open its mouth about the issue of dispatching engineers, but it was true that Germany's actions were uncomfortable.

Stalin, who was anxious about Hitler's Germany, scolded his associates and generals every day.

As soon as possible, turn the ragtag Red Army into a strong force that can stand up to the German army. That was Stalin's demand.

In order to make the army strong, it was important to raise the quality of soldiers and officers and to produce as many high-quality, high-performance weapons as possible and supply them to the army.

Division training that used to occur once every two months was changed to once every three weeks, and shooting took place twice a week.

"Run, run you bastards!"

"Anyone who falls behind will die by my hands!"

Under the threatening encouragement of officers and non-commissioned officers, the soldiers felt out of breath and ran with all their might.

As I ran frantically, my military boots suddenly became as heavy as rocks, my uniform became dirty with dust, and my heart swelled like a balloon.

There were many soldiers who vomited or fainted during the intense training, but that did not stop the training or lower its intensity.

-Pfft!

"Ugh!"

"What are these grades? "Is the military a joke?"

"Oh, no… ."

"Keep your head straight. Comrade the regiment commander said. If our battalion comes in last place in the next training, be prepared. "Does anyone want to live in Siberia and see snow and ice for the rest of their life?"

"… .."

"If you know, move quickly!"

Units with good training results receive commendation and praise, and have an advantage in promotions, but those with poor training results face harsh reprimands and punishment.

Officers in units that consistently showed no signs of improvement were demoted, demoted, or, in the worst cases, accused of dereliction of duty and sent to the Gulag.

Officers devoted themselves to training not only to achieve success but also to extend their lifespan. That was exactly the result Stalin wanted.

Fear humbles people and drives out laziness. Idleness is an evil and a curse of society, and only those who always aim for development are true people.

Stalin's theory was always concise and consistent.

***

August 3, 1941

USSR Moscow Kremlin Palace

"Comrade Kuznetsov, how far has the construction of the Sobietsky Soyuz-class battleship progressed so far?"

"The 1st ship Sobietsky Soyuz has completed 21.9% of the work, the 2nd ship Sobietskaya Ukraine has completed 18%, the 3rd ship Sobietskaya Russia has completed 0.96%, and the 4th ship Sobietskaya Georgia has completed 0.16%. .

Engineers dispatched from Germany are cooperating in construction, but it will take another four to five years at best for all warships to be commissioned."

Stalin clicked his tongue involuntarily at the report from Navy Minister Nikolai Kuznetsov. For 4 or 5 years. Who knows whether a war will break out in the meantime!

Stalin, who was pursuing a plan to develop an ocean fleet proposed by Kuznetsov to strengthen the power of the Soviet Navy, which was losing out not only to maritime powers such as Britain, the United States, and Japan, but also to its latecomer, the German Navy, became impatient.

The opponent is the German Navy, which won against the British Navy, known as the world's strongest navy.

This is the state of the Navy that will have to fight against the German Navy and protect the Soviet Union's seas when war breaks out.

But it was not Kuznetsov's fault that the Soviet Navy was weak among world powers.

Stalin was not unaware that the Army and Air Force also cost a lot of money, manpower, and time, but traditionally the Navy costs several times that much.

Even elementary school students know that it takes longer and costs more to build a ship than to build a tank and a fighter jet.

However, even if you understand it with your head, you cannot understand it with your heart.

"I know that my comrade does his best in everything he does."

"Thank you, Comrade Secretary General."

"Still, I hope you try a little harder. I don't want to hear anymore that our navy is inferior to the French and Italian navies, which can no longer be called great powers. If not surpass the German Navy, make it comparable to it as soon as possible. Do you understand?"

"… .I'll keep that in mind."

Stalin also knew Kuznetsov's quality as a person, so he ended it with 'light encouragement'.

To Kuznetsov's ears, it sounded like a warning, not an encouragement.

Air Force Commander Pavel Zhigarev's report stated that the IL-2 Sturmovic's designers insisted that the IL-2 again be equipped with a rear gunner.

The design team is said to have criticized the Air Force leadership, which ordered the removal of the rear seat, as being incompetent, saying that removing the rear gunner and filling its place with fuel was an extremely stupid mistake.

In addition, Zigarev wrote in his report that some units on the front line had modified the aircraft by installing rear seats without permission, and that appropriate punishment was needed to correct discipline within the military.

Establishing discipline. It was one of Stalin's favorite sayings, and there was no better cause.

Stalin loudly stamped his approval on Zhigarev's report.

Whether soldiers or engineers, those who disrupt social order and discipline are not needed in the Soviet Union, no matter how talented they are.

The new society needs people who conform and are loyal to society and order, and does not want reactionaries who live for their own good taste.

"Comrade Beria, I will leave it to you to dispose of the reactionaries."

"We will handle it thoroughly."

Beria happily accepted the documents presented by Stalin.

Beria, a natural sadist, wondered how to get the reactionaries to confess this time.

Pulling out teeth and fingernails and hitting feet and hands with a hammer as usual was a great way to confess, but I was getting tired of it. Should we try pouring hot water this time?

"Comrade Secretary General, Marshal Kulik has arrived."

"Let me inside."

As Kulik entered his office, Stalin put tobacco in his pipe and lit it. There were many high-quality pipes made of expensive materials such as meerschaum and jade, but Stalin mainly used pipes made from cherry tree roots.

"Welcome, Comrade Kulik. "I read carefully the report that my comrade posted two days ago."

"Thank you, Comrade Secretary General."

The A-43, designed by the Kirov Factory Design Bureau as a counterpart to the T-34 designed by the Kharkov Factory Design Bureau, had completed all tests five days ago and was awaiting final approval.

The speed of development, which was much faster than initially expected, captured Stalin's heart, and the report posted by Kulik further aroused his interest and interest.

At first glance, the A-43 had so many similarities in appearance that it seemed like a variant of the T-34.

Originally, the A-43's machine gun seat and driver's hatch on the front of the hull were completely opposite to those of the T-34, but upon seeing the blueprint for the A-43, Stalin inadvertently asked, 'Did the positions of the machine gun seat and hatch differ with the T-34 in mind?' The positions of the hatch and machine gun seat were changed, resulting in an appearance similar to the T-34.

However, the only thing similar was the appearance; in reality, they were completely different items.

Unlike the T-34, which adopted a two-man turret in which the tank commander also served as a gunner, a typical feature of Soviet tanks, the A-43 was equipped with a three-man turret and a cupola that the T-34 did not have, so its combat efficiency was better than that of the T-34. The front armor of the hull was 60mm thick and had a theoretical defense of 120mm, which was superior to the T-34's 45mm front armor in terms of defense.

As the armor became thicker, the weight also increased, reaching a weight of 30 tons, which is 2 tons heavier than the T-34. However, it was equipped with a new V-5 engine that was stronger than the T-34's V-2 engine, so its speed was not inferior to the T-34 at all. .

The range was 450km, which was actually better than the T-34 (340km).

No matter how you look at it, the A-43 was a much better tank than the T-34.

However, just as the saying goes that there is no such thing as a free lunch, there is no such thing as a product with only advantages.

Although the A-43 gained excellent mobility, range, and defense, it could not keep up with the T-34 in productivity, which was as important as tank performance.

The new V-5 engine was much more complex than the V-2 engine used in the T-34 and took a considerable amount of time to manufacture.

Of course, the time required to produce one tank is bound to be longer, and the price is also bound to rise. To make matters worse, maintenance was difficult, and the center of gravity of the tank was shifted forward due to the thick frontal armor, which placed a significant burden on the drive system.

While the T-34 still had frequent breakdowns and could not be said to have good reliability, the A-43 had much lower reliability.

However, Kulik did not write down the A-43's shortcomings in detail in his report to Stalin.

It was only written that it required more precise production than the T-34. Stalin, who was quick-witted, did not ignore those words.

"The overall performance of the A-43 is better than that of the T-34, but the productivity aspect is what bothers me."

"But in return, the Red Army will get a better tank than the T-34."

Kulik, who realized that Stalin was at a crossroads, quickly used his brain to come up with words that would deceive Stalin's mind.

"Weapon productivity is important, but more important is the probability of survival on the battlefield."

"Probability of survival?"

"yes. Even though productivity is high, tanks that have a higher probability of being destroyed by the enemy have difficulty achieving meaningful results on the battlefield. On the other hand, even if productivity is slightly lacking, a tank with high defense can survive on the battlefield longer than a tank with low defense and can naturally achieve higher combat scores. The A-43 has better defense than the T-34, so it can safely protect the crew from enemy attacks, and its range is 110 km longer, making it advantageous in mobile warfare."

No further explanation was needed. Stalin liked Kulik, who confidently presented his arguments in front of him, and was dazzled by his words. Kulik's exclusion of the A-43's shortcomings and focusing on its strengths was also very effective.

A-43 has been decided for mass production. Stalin asked Kulik.

"Have you any thoughts on what the tank's official name should be?"

Although the A-43 had a predetermined name, T-34M, Kulik did not like this name. The T-34M. Doesn't the name sound like a knockoff of the T-34?

"I think the T-43 would be suitable."

"It's a T-43, not bad. Okay, let's go with that."

With the decision to mass produce the A-43 and the T-43, it was decided to discontinue production of the T-34. However, Stalin did not completely give up on the T-34. The fraudulent productivity of the T-34 was too great to stop production like this.

Stalin recalled the possibility of mass production of the T-34-57, which he had previously ordered.

The power of the 57mm tank gun is clearly superior, but the difficulty in making it is too high, the power of the grenade is only the same as that of a grenade, and the penetrating power drops sharply as the distance increases.

Scientists put their heads together to solve the problem of the 57mm gun, but the only conclusion they came up with was the gloomy prospect that it would take a long time and cost a long time to solve the problem.

Penetrating power was important, but the power of the grenade for infantry warfare was also important, so Stalin decided to give up the T-34-57, which was no different from the devil.

For now, the existing quantity was to be kept as is, but no additional production was planned.

After giving up on the T-34-57, Stalin came up with a new idea. The 76mm gun has good grenade firepower, but poor penetration power, and the 57mm gun has good penetration power, but has poor grenade power and has the worst productivity.

So, why not mount a completely new main gun?

I'll have to call Kokin soon and give him instructions.

The conversation with Kulik is not over yet.

"What do you think about the opinion that production of 45mm guns and 76mm guns should be resumed?"

Kulik canceled all production of the 45mm light anti-tank gun (53-K) and 76mm light field gun (ZiS-3), citing lack of firepower as the reason. He spoke without changing his expression even once.

"If the Red Army is to counter the German tanks, it must aim to increase the caliber of its tank guns and anti-tank guns. Small-diameter artillery has the advantage of being light and easy to move, but it is useless in actual combat, so what's the point of making it easy to move? "It is much more desirable to use the manpower and cost to produce 45mm guns and 76mm guns to develop new artillery pieces."

Stalin, satisfied with Kulik's answer, nodded. Kulik argued that submachine guns were also a waste of bullets, so he hindered their mass production.

Dark clouds were casting over the Red Army.

***

Japan's invasion of China naturally brought about opposition and checks from countries that had great interest and influence in the Far East, such as the United States and the United Kingdom.

Four countries, the United States, Britain, China, and the Netherlands, attempted to put pressure on Japan by forming an ABCD siege network.

However, despite this pressure, Japan showed no signs of stopping the war or showing any signs of self-reliance, and has now invaded and occupied French Indochina.

When the United States, which could no longer tolerate it, implemented an oil embargo, all of Japan was put on alert.

Japan first sought to lift the oil embargo through negotiations.

On August 8, 1941, Japanese Foreign Minister Taijiro Toyoda contacted the U.S. Ministry of Foreign Affairs and informed them of Japan's requests.

1. Lifting of the US embargo against Japan and resumption of trade

2. Stop militarizing the Philippines

3. Prohibition of arms exports and support to China, the United Kingdom, and the Dutch East Indies.

4. Recognition of Japan's occupation of Indochina

Toyoda notified that if the United States acknowledged the four conditions above, it would make efforts to end the war with China early, withdraw in stages from Indochina as soon as the war was over, and guarantee the safety of the Philippines.

"Are these guys kidding me?"

"You regard the United States as a beggar! On the topic of yellow monkeys!"

"We can't back down any longer!"

Naturally, the United States did not accept Japan's absurd demands.

The United States pressured Japan to use military force to impose strong sanctions if it advanced into British Malaya, Burma, and the Dutch East Indies.

When Toyoda's attempt at negotiation failed, the Japanese military, especially the army, which was largely responsible for fighting in China and Indochina, was infuriated.

Army hardliners argued that the United States should be attacked immediately, and some Navy generals also agreed.

Prime Minister Fumimaro Konoe, who had already lost control of the military, was dragged along by the military's demands.

However, he only verbally opposed war against the United States and did not make any effort to prevent it. In the first place, Konoe had a record of escalating the Sino-Japanese War, which could have ended early through negotiations.

As pressure from the military continued, Konoe resigned from the position of prime minister, and someone was needed to take on the vacant position.

"Who would you like to appoint as the next prime minister?"

In response to Hirohito's question, Koichi Kido, who has been one of Hirohito's closest aides and has been assisting him for a long time, spoke with determination in his voice.

"Your Majesty, the army now is full of people who will ignore anyone who doesn't follow their wishes, whether it's a senior member of the imperial family or something else. "Right now, the only person who can control the army and prevent war against the United States is Hideki Tojo, the head of the military."

"in other words… . "They say you can't catch a tiger unless you go into the tiger's den."

"So it is, Your Majesty."

"I will do as the Lord wishes."

Hideki Tojo was appointed as Prime Minister of Japan