Chapter 84 Yes, Prime Minister!

Edward Bridges, who has worked in Whitehall for many years, has become immune to the fleeting prime ministers. There are no wizards in the sky. It was a mistake for Prime Minister Chamberlain to raise Germany. Is it right for Prime Minister Churchill to sell his blood to resist? is it?

"Sir Edward, even for reasons of correctness, we can only agree with Prime Minister Churchill's ideas." Alexander Cadogan smiled wryly. He admitted that Edward Bridges' ideas were correct, but he could not say them out.

"Yes, this is the limitation of our affairs officers. We only implement, even if we object, we cannot publicly object." Edward Bridges said helplessly, "It's not that I haven't reminded the Prime Minister that the current situation in the British Empire It's really bad, but you know, the Prime Minister is a stubborn man."

If it weren't for Churchill's stubbornness, the British citizens might not have united and resisted to the end during the war. But it won't work if you keep being stubborn to the end. In the eyes of Edward Bridges, Churchill is a person who doesn't know how to adapt.

Zeitzlienhof Palace has been designated as the palace where the Potsdam Conference was held. Although the entire building has 176 rooms, it is almost invisible from the outside. It really looks like a country house.

After entering the large arch of Cecilinhof Palace, the first thing you see is the green grass on the ground, and there is a large circle of grass with a white ring and pentagram in the middle. There are five red brick chimneys connected in series on the roof on the right, which are particularly conspicuous and look huge. Heavy is the architectural symbol of the Cecilinhof Palace. The main building with a triangular-shaped roof wall on the front is designated as the meeting place of Potsdam.

It seems a little crude, but during the period of Frederick the Great, it was as important as Berlin, with the summer palace, office space, and court residences all available. The status is similar to Versailles or Fontainebleau in France.

The scale of the palace is indeed not suitable for the leaders of Britain, the United States and the Soviet Union, but there is no way to do it. Now the urban area of ​​Greater Berlin is being plowed by the heavy artillery of the Soviet Red Army, and there are ruins everywhere. It is okay for military parades, but I really can’t find it. A complete palace is here for the leaders of the three countries to talk quietly.

At noon on June 26, at Berlin Airport, a plane bearing the British logo landed on the runway. Prime Minister Winston Churchill and the current British Foreign Secretary Robert Anthony Eden came hand in hand.

Edward Bridges, who had criticized Churchill himself a few days ago, was also in the team below, with his iconic bulldog expression. When he got down, he saw the cabinet secretary Edward Bridges in front of the crowd at a glance.

"Sir Edward, are you ready?" Churchill asked with deliberate strength.

"Yes, Prime Minister!" Edward Bridges was a different person from when he was with the Secretary of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. With a gentle smile, he introduced the current situation in Berlin and the preparations he had made for many days.

"Then we will have a real negotiation with our opponents of the British Empire." Churchill narrated his grand blueprint, and left the airport with Edward Bridges and Foreign Secretary Robert Anthony Eden.

Alan Wilson was just an inconspicuous role in the team of diplomats in charge of the Potsdam Conference, and he followed behind everyone. However, compared with Churchill's classic image, he focused more on Foreign Secretary Robert Anthony Allen. If there is no accident, I will often meet the No. 2 figure of the Conservative Party during the next meeting.

"Is he the one who was humiliated by the US and the Soviet Union during the Suez Canal War?" Alan Wilson murmured in his heart.

The Suez Canal War was a key event in the handover of power. The United Kingdom and France formed a coalition force and united with Israel to fight Egypt, the leader of the Arab countries, but was finally forced to make concessions. From then on, in the eyes of the world, it is no longer worthy to be compared with the United States and the Soviet Union. .

It was after the Suez Canal War that Britain allowed the colonies to become independent step by step, and finally completely returned to the British Isles, becoming a follower of the United States.

Because Berlin has lived up to its former prosperity, in order to avoid delaying the good mood of the Prime Minister and the Foreign Minister, the convoy arranged by the cabinet secretary Edward Bridges did not pass through the city of Berlin and arrived in Potsdam by detour.

Entering the Zeitzlienhof Palace, Edward Bridges told Churchill the current news, "The Soviet Union has sent a telegram, and the Soviet leader Stalin himself and Molotov have set off. The Soviets are from the land. Come up the passage."

"As for the United States, President Truman is expected to arrive tomorrow. According to the current news, the Secretary of State will not be accompanying him! It seems that the US government has frequently changed personnel recently."

"Truman will be here tomorrow. That's fine. Before Stalin arrives, I want to communicate with our allies first, so that it may be easier to face the Soviets together." Churchill nodded, thinking that this was a Not a bad start.

"This is Alan. During the meeting, he will follow the Foreign Secretary." Edward Bridges waved Alan Wilson over and introduced to Foreign Secretary Robert Anthony Eden, "Alan has experience working overseas. , has studied in the Oriental Academy, is very familiar with the customs of the Far East, India, and the Middle East, and has a certain understanding of the Soviet Union. He is a rare young talent."

Robert Eden nodded slightly, "Diplomats working overseas, this is very similar to Alexander."

The permanent secretary of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Alexander Cadogan, was once the ambassador to China. Robert Eden is very clear about the resume of the permanent secretary of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

"These are the diplomats who negotiated during the meeting." Edward Bridges introduced the others comprehensively.

"Let's safeguard the interests of the British Empire together." Churchill opened his head with a hint of toughness on his face.

"Yes, Prime Minister!" The diplomats conducting the Potsdam Conference assured Churchill.

On June 27th, the special plane of US President Truman arrived in Berlin. Compared with his famous predecessor, President Roosevelt, this was the first time that Truman went abroad to participate in an important international conference. His opponents were Stalin of the Soviet Union and Churchill of the United Kingdom. Fake.

But immediately, when Truman arrived in Potsdam, he was relieved by the warm welcome expressed by Churchill. Regarding the special relationship between Britain and the United States that Churchill said, Truman nodded in agreement, but did not give a positive response.