Chapter 602 Oil Field

Moscow, Kremlin.

Molotov hurried into Stalin's office.

In addition to Stalin, there was Beria in the office, but the relationship between Molotov and Beria was not very harmonious. Molotov didn't even bother to say hello to him and reported directly to Stalin. "Comrade Stalin, news just came from the embassy in Switzerland that the Americans seem to want to join forces with us to deal with Germany."

To be honest, he really didn't want to convey the news to Stalin, but he couldn't hide it either. I don’t know what’s wrong with these Americans. The Secretary of State they sent to negotiate last time was beaten to death. How can they bring up the matter of alliance again? Are these guys heartless? ! Or is it because the Germans put too much pressure on them and had to do it as a last resort?

"Oh?" Stalin couldn't help but raise his eyebrows when he heard the news. It seemed that he did not expect that the Americans would mention the alliance again. "What did they say?"

Molotov replied truthfully. "I didn't say anything specific. It seemed that I wanted to test our tone."

Stalin lit his pipe and started smoking.

Beria on the side spoke. "Not long ago, the Germans used a special weapon to attack the industrial area in the northeastern United States. I heard that the Americans suffered heavy losses. It seems that the Americans were desperate and wanted to unite with us to fight against Germany."

"It seems that the Americans are indeed being pushed into a hurry." Stalin seemed to agree with him. "Comrade Molotov, what do you think?"

Naturally, Molotov would not agree to this. "I don't think Americans can be trusted. They must have a grudge for the last incident. This time they took the initiative to contact us. Maybe there is some conspiracy."

Starling nodded. "Of course Americans will hold grudges. Even if they temporarily bury the hatchet because of Germany this time, they will definitely turn against us after the problem of Germany is solved. But before that, Germany is indeed the common enemy of our two countries. If the Americans want to give We provide materials and we naturally want to receive them, and the more the better.”

"Okay, Comrade Stalin." Molotov sighed inwardly, secretly thinking that he had to spread the news quickly. "Then I'll reply right away."

Molotov exited the office, and Beria said worriedly. "Comrade Stalin, once the news of our alliance with the United States spreads, the Germans may launch an attack on us at any time. And their first target is likely to be the Baku oil fields."

The Baku oil field can be said to be the lifeblood of the Soviet Union. After the Germans bombed the United States for the first time, the Soviet Union was preparing to attack Iran to gain greater strategic depth.

Unexpectedly, the Americans acted as cowards and spit out the seized French gold, and the Soviet Union's war plan against Iran came to nothing. Now, once the Soviet Union and the United States form an alliance, the Germans are likely to immediately attack the Baku oil fields.

Although a large number of anti-aircraft artillery and aircraft are deployed in the Baku oil fields, no one can guarantee that it is impregnable; in the event of crazy bombing by the Germans regardless of the cost, the Baku oil fields are still likely to be severely damaged. And the threat does not only come from the air. Now that most of the Middle East is in the hands of the Germans, the German ground troops can rush over directly from Iran.

Fortunately, the terrain on the Iranian border was not conducive to the deployment of German armored forces, and they were unable to carry out that terrible blitzkrieg.

"This is a serious problem." Stalin stood up and walked to the map and tapped a certain place on the map. "It seems we have to speed up the development of the Volga-Urals oil and gas area."

The Volga-Urals oil and gas region is the second largest petroleum industrial region located in Western Siberia, between the middle reaches of the Volga River and the Ural Mountains, with a total area of ​​700,000 square kilometers.

Because its oil reserves are second only to the Baku oil fields, it is also called the second Baku.

The history here is also long. Oil seedlings were discovered as early as the 18th century, but industrial development did not begin until 1929. Moreover, because the Baku oil field was already sufficient to support the Soviet oil demand, the development progress of the Volga-Ural oil and gas area was somewhat lagging behind, and it could even be said to be a barren land.

In the original time and space, large-scale construction began here during World War II, and it was not until the 20 years from the mid-1950s to the mid-1970s that large-scale mining was carried out.

"Beria, what good idea do you have? Build this place into an oil field larger than Baku's in a short period of time?" Although Stalin had already thought of a way, as a leader, it was naturally difficult to say this in person.

Beria said without thinking. "Comrade Stalin, if ordinary workers are used, the progress will definitely not be faster, but we have a lot of 'special labor force'."

It is indeed "a lot". There is no accurate record or answer to how many people the Soviet Union arrested, killed, imprisoned, and exiled during that terrible movement until later generations. This became the 20th century A great historical mystery.

Later, a Russian named Dean Volkogonov put forward an idea.

This man was the deputy director of the General Political Department of the Soviet Army and Navy and the director of the Institute of Military History of the Ministry of Defense. He was one of the few historians at that time who had access to the most confidential files. In his book "Stalin: Triumph and Tragedy" published in 1989, there are many references to the number and scale of repression during the Stalin period. According to the analysis of relatively authoritative data such as statistics from the People's Commissariat of Defense, in the two tragic years of 1937 and 1938, approximately 3.5 to 4.5 million people were suppressed, of which 600,000 to 800,000 were sentenced to death.

"Based on the existing materials, we can make a conservative estimate of the number of people who were suppressed." Volkogonov said: "I have many documents that seem to indirectly prove that the number of 3.5-4.5 million victims is closer to the actual number."

In June 1991, on the eve of the disintegration of the Soviet Union, Kryuchkov, chairman of the Soviet State Security Committee, announced a figure: from 1920 to 1953, about 4.2 million people were suppressed in the Soviet Union, of which more than 2 million were suppressed in the "Great Purge" from 1937 to 1938. As an official statement, both the source of information and the survey results are credible, but the statistics are obviously not comprehensive. Volkogonov believes that a considerable number of people were not sentenced to death by the "court", but later died in labor camps and prisons inexplicably, and these people were not included in the official statistics.

These people are quite good laborers, and they do not need to be paid wages. They do not need pensions even if they starve to death, die of exhaustion, or freeze to death. The Soviet Union has repeatedly invested these people in national construction, and all political achievements are naturally attributed to Stalin.

Stalin nodded with satisfaction. "It's time to let them contribute to the great motherland. You will be responsible for this matter."

"Yes! Make sure to complete the task!" Just as Beria was about to leave, Stalin reminded him again. "For safety reasons, place explosives in the Baku oil field."