1945 by William R. Forstchen, Newt Gingrich, Albert S. Hanser Read Free Book Online Page A

back through Gorky. In the west our natural border has been restored and the French are now our allies. On both frontiers we have accomplished what I set out to do."
    "Africa?"
    "What concern is Africa to either you or me? It's a land of barbarian Untermenschen. Let the French and the Italians control it. It suits them."
    "If it is of no interest, then why did you take Southwest
    Africa and Tanganyika as part of the armistice agreement with England?"
    "It was the final stain of Versailles. It had to be rectified."
    Harrison hesitated to show too much concern about that region. Whenever the Germans became fully aware of the value of the Belgian Congo's uranium deposits, the richest in the world, that would be soon enough. No need to help them along. "Let's not take our time rehashing the past. I'm more concerned with the future, particularly the future of our two countries."
    Hitler stood up and walked over to the giant map that lined the far side of the room.
    Such a strange map. Germany was a red smear reaching across the Vistula to engulf what had once been Poland and Lithuania. Latvia and Estonia were marked with the orange of allies as was Occupied Russia and the new puppet state of the Ukraine.
    Yugoslavia had disappeared. Slovenia and Dalmatia had been thrown to Italy, while the other provinces had been divided into small independent states ruled from Berlin. Hungary, Bulgaria, and Rumania had also taken small pieces of the former Yugoslavia from their master's table.
    In the West, Belgium, Holland, Luxembourg and Denmark were now states within the greater Reich. France had been rewarded for its complaisance with continued existence — as a lapdog whose coastal harbors and airfields from Brest to Dunkirk were occupied by German forces. In all of Europe west of the Urals, only Spain, Portugal, Switzerland and Sweden had some semblance of true independence—and all four knew that they existed now only because the man who stood before the map willed it so. Sure, it would take eighty divisions to conquer the Swiss, but what were eighty divisions to Hitler in a world at "peace"?
    But still there was England, marked in green, pugnaciously defiant off the coast. "I don't like this talk of Churchill coming back as Prime Minister," Hitler said, his eyes locked on the one aspect of this new map of Europe that displeased him.
    Harrison shrugged, said nothing.
    "He caused the last crisis, you know."
    "Oh? I thought it was your invasion of Poland."
    "Poland was needed for living space and as preparation against Russia. We had no quarrel with England, and wanted none. It was that damnable Churchill who pushed it even after I carefully allowed his army to escape and offered him peace after Dunkirk. Now the stupid British want him back again!"
    "And what do you propose to do about it if his party wins the election?"
    "Rather, I should ask what you would do," Hitler replied.
    Harrison was blunt. "If you attack England we will declare war on you—and this time we won't be diverted by affairs in the Pacific."
    Hitler laughed. "Your Congress is tired of war, and your people are too. You Americans have your peace and want to keep it I don't think your war mongering would gamer much support."
    "And I think it will," Harrison replied, even though he and the man facing him both knew it was a lie. If America had one lasting tradition, it was that of immediately demobilizing after a war. The Navy had already seen its vessels reduced by nearly half, and the Army had gone from thirty-five divisions to twelve—eight of which were still on occupation duty in the Pacific, or holding positions along the China coast to support the Nationalists. In the first flush of both electoral and military victory Harrison had not resisted demobilization very much. He now was coming to understand the enormity of his error. Half a navy and four ready divisions to face the Beast that crouched over Europe.
    "May I recite to you what your current operational levels