Chapter 402 "Victory"


    Things turned out to be as Shulka thought, and Mehlis took Shulka''s idea as his own as a matter of course.


    Mekhlis found Stalin immediately after returning to Moscow by train.


    "Comrade Stalin!" Mehlis said: "I think we should turn our attention to the South!"


    Stalin continued to look at the document without raising his head, and replied casually: "Oh, Comrade Mechelis, when did you care about strategy?"


    "I think so..." Mechlis continued: "The British have cut off the source of supplies to our south, which will make our army''s southern line, that is, the area east of Kyiv, short of supplies, and our attention is still in Moscow. The defense line is still transporting ammunition, food and other supplies from the south to the north, I think we should stop immediately!"


    "Then leave them to you?" Stalin satirized as he flipped through the documents: "If we don''t continue to transport northward, what will the soldiers on the front rely on to fight the Germans?"


    "The Germans are likely to change the direction of their attack, Comrade Stalin!" Mechelis said: "The British cutting off supplies will definitely attract the attention of the Germans. At the same time, Kyiv''s defense line is very weak. Desaunched an offensive, and then crossed the Dnieper River along the ck Coast to the Crimea, which would threaten the Caucasus. The Caucasus is not only our transportation route with the British and Americans, but also the Baku oil field. Our oil is quite Part of it is from Baku!"


    In fact, it is not a considerable part, but most of it... At this time, the total output of the Baku oil field ounted for 71.5% of the Soviet Union.


    Stalin couldn''t help but slowly raised his head from the document, looked at Mechelis with surprise and said, "Go ahead, Mechelis!"


    Mehlis couldn''t help but secretly rejoiced at Stalin''s encouragement, so he continued: "I think we should stop the continued transportation of supplies from the Caucasus to Moscow and ask them to store strategic materials in a nned way for emergencies. In addition, we should strengthen Defense of the Crimea!"


    "Why not strengthen the defense of Kyiv?" Stalin asked.


    "Because the Kyiv defense line is too weak, Comrade Stalin!" Mechelis replied: "Its supply line depends on the ports on the Odessa line. Once these ports are upied, it means that Kyiv will be cut off from the outside world, and the Germans It''s easy to do that just by focusing air power!"


    Stalin picked up the pipe and stuffed it into his mouth. This is his habit when thinking about problems.


    Mehlis, who is familiar with Stalin, knows that this also means that what he said has sessfully attracted Stalin''s attention.


    After a moment of silence, Stalin said: "Very well, Comrade Mechlis, I can''t believe these are your ideas. It is far-sighted and reasonable. If the Germans do what you say, it will indeed make people We were caught off guard!"


    Mechelis smiled happily: "Of course this is my idea, Comrade Stalin!"


    "However, we don''t need to worry too much!" Stalin replied: "Because all this is based on the fact that the British and Americans no longer provide us with supplies on the southern Caucasus line. I think we can use diplomatic means solve this problem!"


    "But, Comrade Stalin..."


    Mehlis didn’t know what to say for a while, the shoring of stealing other people’s ideas is this, if there are other disagreements, Mehlis, who has no ink in his stomach, can’t do anything.


    "Of course I know that we need to make some preparations!" Stalin replied: "We can''t take chances, so at least part of what you said is useful, that is, we should strengthen the defenses of the Crimea and allow them to n to reserve some strategic materials!"


    "Of course, Comrade Stalin!" Mechelis nodded and said, "We should do this!"


    When Mekhlis returned to Rzhev the next day, he excitedly told Shulka: "Great, Comrade Shulka, Comrade Stalin epted our proposal!"


    "Really?" Shulka was a little surprised, he didn''t expect it to be so smooth, but the next words of Mechlis let Shulka know that this was not the case.


    "Yes!" Mechlis poured Shulka a ss of wine, of course captured French brandy.


    "Comrade Stalin intends to strengthen the defense in the Crimea!" Mehlis handed the wine ss to Shulka and poured himself a ss at the same time: "At the same time, let them reserve strategic materials!"


    "That''s it?" Shulka thought there was more toe.


    If you really ept Shulka''s suggestion, the first thing to do is to try to avoid Kyiv being surrounded. You must know that there are one million troops there.


    Shulka believed that these troops should be sent to Odessa.


    The reason is obvious. Odessa is a port city. It can be attacked and defended... The Soviet Union has the ck Sea Fleet. If it is surrounded by the German army, at least it can withdraw troops through the fleet at night.


    On the other hand, Odessa can be said to be a more important ce than Kyiv at this time.


    Kyiv was not captured, the German army could bypass it and continue to advance, which hardly affected the German army''s n to attack the Crimea, the Caucasus, and Baku.


    But if Odessa is not captured, the German army will not be able to attack with confidence, because the Soviet army can use the navy to transport troops to Odessa at any time to cut off the German supply line from the rear and surround the German army.


    Yet Stalin did not do this.


    "Yes!" Mehlis replied: "Your thinking may be correct, but the matter is not as serious as you think, because we are solving this difficulty through diplomatic channels, and it may not take long...British and American aid It will be restored!"


    Then Shulka had nothing to say.


    Shulka knew what was going on, and Stalin did not fully believe the information he conveyed through Mekhlis.


    From Stalin''s point of view, he hoped to continue to expand the counter-offensive results in the direction of Moscow, so he would not easily turn his attention to the south, even if he believed that the crisis in the south did exist.


    "Maybe!" Shulka said: "We should remind Kyiv! Because once these be true, Kyiv will bepletely surrounded by German troops!"


    "That''s right!" Mehlis said, "I''ll send them a telegram!"


    Speaking of this, Mehlis raised his ss and said, "Cheers to our victory!"


    "For Victory!"


    Shuerka felt a little funny when he drank the ss of wine. He could see that Mechelis was not thinking about this war at all, and he cared more about whether he could be recognized or valued by Stalin.


    That''s why he called Stalin''s listening to opinions with reservations a "victory."