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The efficiency of the Soviet Union was generally very high most of the time. On the afternoon of their arrival in Moscow, the German delegation was invited to the Kremlin's reception hall for foreign guests, where they were about to be received by the Soviet Union's highest leader, Stalin. The Soviet Union had prepared a sumptuous banquet for their friends from Germany who had come from afar.
The state banquets of the Soviet Union, unlike those of other countries, were conducted on long dining tables. Similar to the banquets of the She people, a variety of sumptuous foods were placed on long tables, representing the pinnacle of Soviet cuisine. The plates were filled with Russian pies, salmon, Georgian khachapuri, French clear soup, jellied desserts, and Parmesan cheese.
All of these dishes were incredibly fragrant, and the chefs at the Kremlin truly deserved praise for their exceptional culinary skills.
Of course, the delegation from Germany, visiting for the first time, appeared quite reserved; they looked at the tempting food before them but had no intention of digging in.
Except for their leader, Strasser, who was currently enjoying a hearty meal with his knife and fork.
For Strasser, such a lavish banquet at the Soviet Union was not something he could attend often, especially at the Kremlin. Moreover, everything was free; eating was like making a profit. Baron Dezhi looked at the gluttonous Strasser, feeling a mix of amusement and exasperation.
"Gregor, aren't you going to consider your image? We are about to meet Comrade Stalin soon."
"It's fine, I believe the great Comrade Stalin won't mind these minor issues, especially since he hasn't arrived yet."
Strasser responded ambiguously, but he had no intention of stopping his actions.
In the hall, a very strange scene unfolded. A large group of Germans and Soviets sat upright, as if a bunch of elementary school students were waiting for their teacher to start the lesson. In the middle, a handsome German was focused intently on his work. The only sound in the hall was the crunching of food from Strasser.
Fortunately, the Germany people did not have to wait too long. The main door of the hall was opened again, and several figures who appeared to be of a leadership level walked in. The leader was unimpressive, being both short and fat, with slightly red hair, a face full of pockmarks, and his right hand hidden behind his back. This man is the Soviet Union's top leader, Joseph Vissarionovich Stalin, also known as the "Red Tsar," "Nazi Killer," "Savior of the Soviet Union," and "Fatherly." He was followed by Kirov.
"Welcome to the Soviet Union, comrades from Germany," Stalin said with a smile. He was still giving the Germans face, after all, they had just signed an economic cooperation agreement. Then his gaze wandered through the Germany delegation, looking for the person he wanted to see.
He looked around and did not see that familiar face. Stalin then looked down and noticed a man feasting at the table. The man hastily wiped his mouth with a napkin on the table, then stood up and saluted Stalin with a raised hand gesture.
"Very pleased to meet you, Comrade Stalin."
Strasser replied in fluent Russian; he had studied in Moscow before his rebirth and knew some Russian.
"Comrade Strasser is truly a knowledgeable and talented person."
Stalin was somewhat surprised. Based on the intelligence provided by the Cheka, he had thought he knew Strasser inside and out, but upon meeting him, Strasser presented Stalin with some unexpected information.
"I studied a bit of Russian during my university years. While I can't say I'm fluent, I can communicate without any issues," Strasser said.
Strasser was also somewhat surprised by Stalin; the man before him did not quite resemble the figure he had seen in history textbooks.
If he were thrown into a crowd, Strasser would find it hard to recognize Stalin immediately. No wonder that after becoming the leader, Stalin needed a double; aside from safety concerns, it was also to maintain the glorious image of the leader of the Soviet Union. "You all don't need to be so reserved; our chef has prepared such a lavish banquet not just for you to look at."
Stalin looked at the somewhat tense atmosphere in the hall and made a joke, which made everyone laugh involuntarily.
The hall immediately relaxed, and everyone began to enjoy the Russian flavored delicacies with full enthusiasm.
In the hall, the approved band also began their performance, playing Tchaikovsky's "Swan Lake" today.
As the melodious music played, Stalin took his seat. The seating arrangement made by the Soviet Union representatives was quite interesting; they had interspersed the German delegation with members of the Soviet Ministry of Foreign Affairs. As the head of the German delegation, Strasser was seated in the center of the hall, next to his old friend Kirov, while on the other side sat Soviet leader Stalin.
Stalin was a Georgian, and the local custom was to aggressively pour alcohol for foreign ambassadors during meetings. This practice had its benefits: it helped to bring people closer together, as drinking alcohol can boost confidence, and it also impaired judgment, making negotiations easier. However, for those who couldn't handle their alcohol, such as Winston Churchill, Tito, and Nikita Khrushchev, being on the receiving end of Stalin's pouring was quite a headache for them.
Fortunately, Strasser's drinking capacity had been trained, so he was able to hold his ground against Stalin's onslaught.
"Comrade Stalin, you are someone I have always wanted to meet in person. Today, coming to the Kremlin and seeing you is truly a wish fulfilled," Strasser said after downing his vodka in one gulp. His Russian, tinged with a Berlin accent, made Stalin unable to suppress a chuckle.
"I have always wanted to meet you in person, Comrade Strasser. After all, your party was strongly urged by Comrade Bucha to be absorbed into the Communist International. I am quite curious to see what differences there are between you and the Communist Party of Germany," Stalin said with a smile.
"There are indeed differences. The German Communists believe in socialism, but we have a stronger faith in socialism than they do."
"Are you planning to apply for membership in the Communist International at the sixth congress next year?" Stalin asked.
"Yes, but no."
Strasser's answer was quite ambiguous.
"What do you mean?"
Stalin did not ask a question, but Kirov could not help but inquire, as he was the one who insisted on incorporating the ethnic group and the Labour Party into the Communist International.
"We do want to participate in the Communist International, but not as a member state; rather, we wish to join as an observer state," Strasser said.
"Comrade Strasser, you must understand that rights and obligations are reciprocal. Since you need the support of the Communist International, you should join the Communist International and fulfill your obligations; otherwise, you will not gain recognition from everyone," Stalin expressed his views.
"Of course, to enjoy rights, one must fulfill obligations. However, doing so is beneficial for the victory of socialism in the world."
Strasser is not without purpose. If the Labour Party announces its membership in the Communist International, then when we come to power, the Anglo-French will surely be terrified. Those capitalists will unite to desperately extinguish the flames of revolution to prevent the spread of communism in Europe.
"So we should try to hide our threats before we are fully prepared to fight against imperialism."
"That's not enough. According to our intelligence network in France, the French people have already begun preparing for war against Germany."
Stalin's words startled Strasser, and he couldn't help but secretly admire the Cheka; the information known by Stasi could also be obtained from the Soviet Union.
"Yes, the French people are mobilizing their demobilized soldiers, and the domestic military enterprises are working overtime to start production. The entire country of France is preparing for a new military adventure, which is definitely larger in scale than the Ruhr in 1923. Meanwhile, our German Armed Forces only have two hundred thousand personnel, while the French regular army is three times larger than ours."
"Even though they cannot mobilize all their troops due to colonial reasons, it is expected that they can gather three hundred thousand at the Franco-German border, which the National Defense Forces would be unable to resist." Strasser admitted that Germany's current situation is very dire. "In order to respond to France's future military threats against Germany, we must temporarily make some compromises with Britain."
Including the confiscation of British enterprise assets in Germany, acknowledging and the favorable parts of the Treaty of Versailles to Britain. But these are all temporary, until we have resolved the threat from France and can develop peacefully for a few years. When the time is right, British opinions won't be so important."
Since Stalin has stated it openly, Strasser no longer held back and shared his thoughts with Stalin.
"Indeed, while British imperialism and French imperialism are both detestable, Germany's strength cannot resist them simultaneously. It is wise to first address the threat from one side before turning to deal with the other."
Stalin agreed with Strasser's viewpoint.
"But how do you plan to deal with France? We, the Soviet Union, are unable to help at the moment. There is Poland between Germany and the Soviet Union, and for the Soviet Union to send troops, it must pass through Poland, but the Polish people will never agree to this condition."
Seeing the dire situation in Germany, Kirov is very anxious. He also wants to rely on cooperation with Germany to spread the flames of revolution to Western Europe.
"No, no, no, don't underestimate yourself too much, Comrade Kirov. The Soviet Union is fully capable of helping Germany resist the invasion of Capitalist countries; it just requires a small action." Strasser smoothly presented his intentions, which were the most critical task of his visit.
As long as this objective was achieved, whether the National Defense Forces could defeat the French Army would not matter as much, because the terrified other Allies would do everything they could to prevent France from acting against Germany.
After all, war is the continuation of politics; if one fails politically, ultimate victory in war cannot be achieved.
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