Big Time 1958

"Okay, but let's take a look at the plan first." Shelov took out the two first-stage plans, "The two countries in the first-stage plan are the Congo in southern Sudan and Thailand in Southeast Asia. Comrade and Comrade Zweigong lead the implementation, and I will sit down to give assistance to the two comrades, you can see if there are any problems, we can discuss it."

   "Yeah!" After more than half a year of negotiations, the European Security Conference was about to sign. Brezhnev succeeded in securing the Soviet Union's interests in Eastern Europe after World War II with a treaty. Immediately after he rushes to Helsinki to sign, he will start his visit to the United States, thus completing the de-escalation arrangement.

   It has been half a year since the World Congress of the Communist Party and the Workers’ Party ended. The assistance of the countries of the Soviet bloc has stabilized the situation in Chile, food in Sudan, oil in Iraq, machinery in the GDR and Czechoslovakia. Vegetables from Bulgaria, hardcover goods from Yugoslavia, and the mobile communication business of the Soviet Union rushed into Chile. After stabilizing the political situation in Chile, the Red Navy logically obtained a supply base in Chile. Although it is not a normal base, the Red Navy has always maintained The warships live in the governance port, one fleet returns home, and the other fleet fills up immediately.

For Chile's largest industry, which is the copper mine, which accounts for one-third of the world's reserves, the world's mineral prices are still falling, but the Soviet Union and all the allies signed a treaty with Chile. You can buy it at the price, but half of it needs to be spent in rubles.

   The drop in world mineral prices has hit Chile very clearly, and the Soviet bloc simply has a pallet. But this is not the case for another country. Another country that relies on minerals as its national pillar, the Democratic Republic of the Congo under the rule of Mobutu, has also suffered from the fall in mineral prices.

   The same thing has an impact on two different countries, but one of these two countries is pro-Soviet and the other is anti-Soviet, resulting in different strategies of the Soviet Union. Serov's strategy is to take advantage of this time and kill Congo in one go. As for Thailand, take advantage of the current good situation. Thailand is the only country with Communist bases on both sides of the North and South. It would be a pity not to have such a good advantage, so this is the country listed in the first step plan.

"In the early days, if Sudan was used as an offensive location, Ethiopia in the northeast would become a considerable force to contain it. This is why you delayed the plan at the beginning. Is the time ripe now?" Brezhnev in Southeast Asia I don't think it's a problem, and the more meaningful direction is the African side.

  Thailand's greatest value is to make the Soviet Union's food worry-free, but now the Soviet Union's food is not a problem, it is supplied by Sudan, India and Indonesia. Once the Vietnam War is over, Vietnam will also become the Soviet Union's food supply.

  Thailand can play an icing on the cake, but it is far less attractive than the DRC, the world's mining kingdom. In the past few years, various forces of the Soviet Union have almost stopped their activities in the DRC, and the preparations in the dark have been going on.

"Now there is a famine in Ethiopia, and the whole country is panicking. Haile Selassie I, even if he is pro-American, can't ignore the domestic environment and cause us trouble, otherwise his throne will be lost. This factor has disappeared. "Shelov told the current situation.

  Ethiopia was hit by a severe drought. Soon more than 300,000 people died due to lack of water, starvation and plague, and more than 4 million people in the cities were severely lacking food. Prices have soared 50 percent in a year. Haile Selassie did not take any measures to this, but continued to indulge in a life of intoxication with the nobles.

   When reporting on the situation in Ethiopia, Western journalists said that Ethiopia has become a country of beggars. They photographed a few wealthy and dignitaries (including Haier Selassie himself) feeding their lions with meat on gold and silver plates, while hordes of scrawny and hungry people gathered on the streets, wandering everywhere, beggars begging everywhere . These photos caused an uproar in the Western world, and countries raised a wave of condemnation of Ethiopia.

   According to history, after the photos of the reporters of the Virgin of Western Europe were sent back to Ethiopia, they became the fuse for Haile Selassie I’s house arrest. How could Ethiopia have the time to cause trouble for Sudan’s southward movement?

   "Okay, the plan is approved, in what order?" Brezhnev asked, "Which direction takes priority?"

   "Thailand started first, because it helped a lot, and the Congolese side followed up." Brezhnev also nodded when he got this answer, feeling that there was no problem.

At this time, Serov was ready to leave, and Brezhnev kept him, and turned to talk about Yegolychev, expressing his difficulties. As a general secretary, he should be respected by the first secretary of the Moscow Municipal Party Committee. , and the other party always made him unable to step down, so he had to let him calm down, and Yegolychev could still return to work at the right time.

   Serov just listened to this kind of words, and Brezhnev just said it casually, and he absolutely did not believe that this was the main reason. There must be something that Yegorechev argued head-on, but the main reason for Brezhnev to replace him is definitely not this, but the very harmonious relationship between Yegorechev and Shelepin.

   "I'm just a security cadre, and I have no right to object to the Secretariat's decision." Shelov did not express too much emotion. Shelepin's two important supporters have been replaced, and the blow to him should not be small.

  The Conference on Security and Cooperation in Europe was held in Helsinki, and representatives from thirty-five countries in Europe, the United States and Canada signed the Final Act. It includes: "Certain Documents on Confidence-Building Measures and Security and Disarmament", "Cooperation in Economics, Science, Technology and the Environment", etc. The Soviet Union was most concerned about European security issues and hoped to fix the status quo of European borders through the OSCE. In the Declaration of Principles Governing the Relations of Participating States, the "Final Document" proposed 10 principles for dealing with the mutual relations of participating States, which specifically mentioned "inviolability of borders" and "prohibition of the use or threat of force".

The "Document on Confidence-Building Measures and Security and Disarmament" also stipulates that when participating countries and other participating countries hold military exercises with more than 25,000 troops within 200 kilometers of the shared border, they shall The participating countries were notified a week ago and invited to send observers to watch the exercise.

"It's two years earlier than history, is it because the Soviet Union is stronger than history?" Serov thought to himself. From the TV, Brezhnev attended the meeting in person with a very dignified manner. This time The meeting is his representative work. Compared with the nearly three-year-long talks in history, the Soviet Union took more than half a year to achieve its goal. It can be said that the strength of the Soviet Union and the role of the French and Italian Communist Parties in Western Europe jointly contributed to this result. To say it was a great victory would be an understatement.

  A few days after the meeting, Brezhnev will start his visit to the United States. Turning off the TV, Serov said in a low voice, "I made a resolution during my visit to the United States. Brezhnev is not here, and it should not be a problem for you to deal with Kirilenko, old secretary. Yegorechev and Torskykov are The first secretaries of the two largest cities in the Soviet Union have been dismissed one after another. If we do not react at all, Brezhnev will not stop suppressing us at all. As the chairman of the Supreme Soviet, the old secretary should have some reaction, right? Otherwise, our The supporters are gone."

"Nominated Grechko and Gromyko to the Central Presidium. Both of them have a good relationship with Brezhnev, especially Marshal Grechko, who was Brezhnev's boss during the Great Patriotic War. , isn't this setting up obstacles for ourselves?" Semichasny was also worried, he felt the pressure, but there was no good way.

  Gromiko, like Molotov, is a famous robot foreign minister. They have a high political status, but they do exactly what their leaders want. The difference is that Gromyko is more knowledgeable and easygoing than Molotov. Never seen him lying on the sofa, never seen him not shaving. He is a very serious German type.

"Because Marshal Grechko is Brezhnev's boss, he sometimes remembers his old feelings and supports Brezhnev, but we have to figure out one thing, the military's position. The military has always It advocates a hard line, and now the general secretary is implementing a moderation, the spokesperson for the hard line is us." Serov thought for a while and said, "At present, Andropov and I are members of the Central Presidium, and I also serve as the chairman of the KGB. But the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Ministry of National Defense, which are also directly under the three ministries, are not members of the Central Presidium. As leaders of the two departments, do Grechko and Gromyko have no idea at all? If we first It is not a bad thing for us to propose that Grechko and Gromyko be included in the Central Presidium, which will win the favor of both departments."

"They have something to do with Brezhnev, but they are not members of the Dnipro gang. They are easily accepted by Brezhnev when they enter the Central Presidium, and they can also suppress the ambitions of Brezhnev's children. In fact, there is no way. This is a simultaneous weakening for me and Brezhnev." Sherepin thought for a while and said, "Okay, when Yura and Brezhnev visit the United States, I will make a proposal."

  Semichasny and Serov nodded. Now that Shelepin has made a decision, the two have nothing to say. Elevate the status of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Ministry of Defense, and put the leaders of these two departments into the Central Presidium. (To be continued~^~)