“I still have friends in the government and the nation,” the older man replied. “And it is still important for me to prick at the conscience of the nation. I don’t want us to forget how we betrayed our friends on the continent for a mess of pottage.”

  “I don’t understand how we allowed that to happen,” Randolph commented. “It seems like we simply handed the Nazis everything on a platter. They were the ones who wanted peace, and we didn’t force any concessions from them.”

  “To be honest,” Winston said, “Schloss is a different sort of Nazi.”

  “Yes, I have heard you say that before. But what does it really mean?”

  “He has completely ceased the persecution of the Jews and established them in a homeland.”

  “But we were soon to do that, ourselves, were we not?”

  Winston tilted his head slightly in response. “Yes, but we were intent on hemming them in with conditions related to the Muslim and Arab populations in Palestine. In one fell swoop, Schloss allowed the Jews to form their nation without preconditions, and Ben Gurion took full advantage.”

  “Is that good or bad, Father. I am curious.”

  “I thought hell had let out for lunch when that maniac blew up the Dome of the Rock, but things seem to have settled down somewhat. There is ongoing low-level strife, but the Germans have armed the Jews to a level far beyond what anyone else in the region can manage. The Judaeans have completely stopped any incursions. Most of the Arab and Muslim population pulled up stakes and left. To give Ben Gurion credit, he tried to convince them to stay. Losing those people really hurt their economy.”

  “But they will have a more homogeneous population now, won’t they?”

  “They will all be Jews if that’s what you mean.” Winston displayed his smile. “But I think there are greater varieties of Jew than of Muslims. And they are not hesitant to fight with one another.”

  “Do you think we should take any action with regards to Judaea?” Randolph asked.

  “We have formal diplomatic relations, now. But they are tied to Germany militarily and have a strong trading relationship with Italy. We are having trouble just maintaining our grip on Egypt at the moment.”

  “Speaking of which,” the younger man spoke, “there are quite a few in HM government who say Germany will have to disgorge its conquests within a generation anyway, and that’s assuming they win the war.”

  “That may be true, but it doesn’t resolve the question of what Britain owes the subjugated peoples. We may end up in a close relationship with Germany – it appears that is the way things are moving. But the people in France, the low countries, and eastern Europe may never forgive us. That is the wound I want to heal.”

  “Is that even possible?”

  “I have given some considerable thought to this, son. Our queen is fighting a two-front war at the moment. First of all, she is trying to avoid a war with Stalin while at the same time providing significant aid to Germany. Then, too, she is working towards calling elections so that we can normalize our government again.”

  “What do you want to accomplish, then?”

  Winston looked thoughtful. “I do not want Germany to lose this war. I desire to regain some position of influence. From that commanding high ground, I would start conditioning our aid to Germany on some kind of quid pro quo. They need to make some commitments about releasing their captive peoples.”

  “Are you going to stand for Parliament, then?” Randolph asked.

  “That is my intention. My associates are evaluating several safe seats where I can mount a campaign.”

  “Please pardon me for asking this, Father, but are you confident of surmounting that hurdle?”

  “I believe there is a level of support among the people. Yes, I think I can do this.”

  “What might I do to help?”

  Churchill, the elder, stared at his son. “Honestly, Randolph, I think you would do best if you kept a low profile.”

  “I’ve been on the wagon for three months, you know.”

  “I didn’t know, and I had noticed you were drinking only water during the meal. You have done well at lining up speaking engagements, behind the scenes, as it were. I think if you continue in a similar capacity, you will do well.”

  “I am also trying to control my temper, but that seems rather harder than keeping my hand away from the drink.”

  “You have my best wishes, son.”

  “Thank you, Father.”

  CHAPTER THIRTY-TWO

  June 14, 1944; 6 PM

  Near Liegnitz, Polish Territory

  The two generals saluted each other and then retreated to General Schörner’s command tent. Once inside, they moved to Schörner’s office and seated themselves around a table.

  “We are here. At last,” Rommel said.

  “You moved far faster than anyone would have expected, Herr General,” Ferdinand Schörner said.

  Erwin Rommel tilted his head to acknowledge the statement. “That may be true, but the greatest enemy of operations like this is time. And it will take us several days more to transition from a marching army to a fighting force.”

  “I’ve seen no evidence the Russians are aware that you have moved an army into this area,” Schörner said.

  “That may be. They have not been able to establish regular reconnaissance flights. But their on-the-ground assets are better than generally known. Plus, Chuikov has been moving forces around along the Oder, and we haven’t been able to determine what he is up to. I want to get this operation moving and force them off balance.”

  “And your goal is to interrupt their supply lines, correct?”

  “Correct. I want to push up to Poznań. That is the pinch point for their entire supply operation. Your job will be to hold the back door open.”

  “I can do that. The Russian forces in this area are not impressive.”

  “Understand, Herr General,” Rommel explained, “that once Chuikov understands what we are doing, he will throw everything he has into stopping us. And he will understand quickly.”

  “Oh, I don’t doubt that,” Schörner replied. “Are we planning to hold Poznań?

  “I am not sure we can. But if we can cut up Chuikov’s forces piecemeal before withdrawing, it will be beneficial. No, I mainly want to destroy as much of the transportation infrastructure as possible.”

  “I thought we had already bombed the place to rubble.”

  Rommel chuckled. “We have. And yet, Chuikov still has a lot of freight moving through the town. Unfortunately, the Luftwaffe, alone, will not win this war for us.”

  “I suppose the Luftwaffe can’t even find out where Chuikov is moving his forces.”

  “We cannot blame them for that,” Rommel said. “Our cameras do not work that well at night. And that’s when most of the activity is occurring.”

  “I understand. When do you want to strike?”

  “June 20th, probably around 4 AM.”

  “What can we do to support you?”

  “Keep your patrols out, mainly. I need to be aware of anything that looks out of the norm. We’re taking a risk with this operation. After the Russians trapped Model, the OKW gets nervous about anything like this. If we get to Poznań on time, we will look at swinging west to trap the bulk of Chuikov’s forces.”

  “That sounds like a great idea,” Schörner said. “You proved it could be done when you forced Smirnoff to surrender.”

  “I think this time the Russians would fight it out,” Rommel said grimly. “After what happened to Smirnoff, I suspect that Stalin’s orders to the generals left no room for interpretation. And he is still trying to punish Smirnoff.”

  “How is he doing that?” Schörner asked.

  “He sent an assassin in to kill Smirnoff and Khrushchev, and we caught it only at the last moment. But, Stalin is deadly serious about enforcing his will. I’m not sure how that motivates the Russian generals, though.”

  “So then it would be time to stand our ground and smash the Russians. I don’t understand why we haven’t done that.”

  “Because we could destroy the entire Heer. And if we failed in destroying the Russian armies, there would be nothing to stop them from rolling across all of Germany and probably to the Atlantic coast.”

  Schörner put his hands on his hips and glared at Rommel. “I have the highest respect for your accomplishments, Herr General, but I am afraid you are too timid.”

  Rommel stepped back to take a breath mentally. Though Schörner was also a competent soldier, he had always been a difficult man to deal with but. Rommel’s difficulty lay in determining whether his anger was because he didn’t like Schörner or because of the other man’s poor grasp of the strategic situation.

  “We have had this discussion before, Herr General,” Rommel stated. “Has anything changed in your view?”

  “To be honest, the correlation of forces is about the same. No, nothing has changed.”

  “Very well. Then this discussion is pointless. We have talked about this before, and I gave you my thoughts. Now, let me give you my orders. We will kick off this operation next week, and you will cover my flank and rear areas. If you detect any significant movement by the Russians, you will inform me immediately. Let me refine that just a bit. I want a daily report of your patrol activities and what they have seen.”

  “Will you micromanage my operation for me then?” Schörner was tight lipped and pale.

  “I don’t care how you do it, Herr General. That is entirely up to you. I simply set my expectations. Are you with me?”

  “Of course, Herr General. I am a soldier, and I know we have a job to do. I felt the need to discuss some of my concerns, though.”

  “And that is fine. One thing that I have learned from Herr Schloss is that it’s important to hear all viewpoints. And I have heard yours. In the end, it is my responsibility and my decision. And the decision has been made.”

  “I understand and obey, Herr General,” Schörner barked.

  “Thank you,” Rommel replied.

  As he walked back to his staff car, he wondered if he had made a mistake in not relieving Schörner on the spot. General Schörner was a sharp tool, but Rommel worried that the handle was loose and he might end up cutting himself severely. He concluded that if there were one more incident with the recalcitrant general, Rommel would relieve him. And he could then dump the problem on Guderian and Von Rundstedt and let them sort it out. He didn’t need another correction from the Reich Chancellor. Rommel had been told in no uncertain terms to deal with it, and that is what he intended to do.

  § § §

  June 16, 1944

  Prime Minister’s Office

  Tokyo, Japan

  “I apologize for not meeting with you sooner,” Prime Minister Yamamoto said. “Since we have ended the war, it seems I have become busier than before. But please allow me to say that I hope your stay in Japan has been productive. The reports from our Ministry of Commerce indicate that we may see great gain from the visit.”

  Senator Walter George cleared his throat. “Er, Yes, Mr. Prime Minister. We are honored that you invited us to see you. I am Senator Walter George. With me are businessmen Howard Simpson, Owen Smith, and Thomas Watson, Jr.”

  “You have brought great expertise. Our commerce people have told me that this group has brought practical knowledge to our people. If it puts more of our citizens to work, we shall all be better for it.”

  “Thank you,” George said. “I was fully supportive of the effort to end the war. The Japanese nation has honored us by facing up to the crimes that some of her people committed. And it has honored us by inviting us to help with your postwar economy.”

  “And I am gratified the American people have been willing to put the tragedies behind them,” Yamamoto replied. “I don’t know if we can be called friends as yet, but we are no longer enemies. And these other men on the team, what do they do?”

  “Mr. Owen Smith works for the Chrysler Corporation, and he is an industrial engineer. He was able to advise on manufacturing,” George said. “Mr. Watson is the son of the President of IBM, and they make tabulating machines. He has been able to advise on information tracking. And Mr. Simpson simply makes things happen.”

  Yamamoto looked curiously at Simpson. “You make things happen?”

  “Well, yes, Mr. Prime Minister,” Simpson responded. “I call myself a facilitator. I try to pull together the right people and resources to solve large problems. In many cases, I invest my own money to help start the process.”

  “That would be investing to start a business?”

  “Yes, Sir. That is it exactly. Sometimes I meet an individual or group of people who have what seems to be a brilliant idea. And they lack the necessary capital to achieve what they set out to do. So I invest in the business to get them started.”

  “That is fascinating,” Yamamoto commented. “How many businesses have you helped.”

  “About twenty.”

  “And they were all successful?”

  Simpson chuckled. “No. About ten have survived, and most of those have thrived.”

  “And you lost money on the others?”

  “Well, yes, but I have always come out ahead with the successful businesses. A successful new business will grow its sales and profits exponentially.”

  “And you think this would work in Japan?”

  Simpson studied Yamamoto. The man seemed honestly interested in what he had to say.

  “Japan has been a mercantile nation for a long time, and that requires people who are willing to take risks. So, I think there are opportunities here.”

  Yamamoto rubbed his chin. “For you personally, or for the nation?”

  “That’s a good question. If there is interest, I could probably fund three or four startup businesses. Or I could meet with Japanese people of wealth and teach them how this works.”

  “Probably the biggest challenge to new businesses is dealing with the keiretsu – our cartels. They are very traditional, and they may move to block new businesses that they see as a threat.”

  “The Commerce Ministry people have tried to explain it to me,” Simpson said. “It seems to be a longstanding tradition among your people. As a general rule, I try never to subvert existing business practices. Rather, it makes sense to co-opt. To facilitate, if I may be permitted to use the word.”

  “It sounds to me like you are describing a long-term consulting arrangement, Mr. Simpson,” the Prime Minister said.

  “I probably am not available for that. However, I can recommend several people who might be helpful. One of those, Edwards Deming, specializes in low-defect, efficient manufacturing. I think he might help you improve the current system.”

  “That sounds very interesting,” Yamamoto said.

  The conversation continued for another fifteen minutes when Yamamoto regretfully called a halt.

  “I have kept people waiting for my next meeting, so you will please forgive me for ending this one abruptly. But thank you for coming to see me, and thank you for traveling to Japan.”

  As the Americans left the Prime Minister’s office, they were each presented with a porcelain vase as a gift from the Japanese people.

  As the Lockheed Constellation climbed out of Tokyo, Senator George plopped down next to Howard Simpson.

  “Quite the trip, Mr. Simpson.”

  “Yes. I thought it was fascinating.”

  “Do you believe we will see any fruit from the trees we planted in Japan?”

  Simpson considered the question. “Yes, I think we will. The Japanese had to humble themselves to accept the terms to end the war. It made them examine their belief systems and everything else. If we can encourage some innovative thinking, then I believe they will go at it with a will. They may even become an economic competitor with the United States.”

  “Is that a good thing?”

  “I think so. I had a conversation with Edwards Deming; that’s what brought him to mind in our meeting with the Prime Minister. He has been trying to educate or cajole American manufacturers, and they pretty much all rejected his ideas as unnecessary. He thinks large American business has gotten fat and lazy. They need to be shaken up.”

  “That’s an interesting idea. Of course, it’s hard enough to encourage businesses to come to Georgia.”

  “I’ll tell you what, Senator, if you can identify some entrepreneurs in your state that seem to have good ideas, let me know. I can get in touch with them and see if there are opportunities.”

  “Would you do that?” George asked in surprise. “I thought New Yorkers assumed the world ended at the Mason-Dixon line. No offense.”

  “And none was taken. No, I would be delighted to help businesses get off the ground in Georgia. And all through the south. I think there are opportunities there, and that means it’s a chance to grow your economy and make me a lot of money in the process.”

  “I must think about this,” the Senator said. “Can you do something like that while you are otherwise engaged in Japan?”

  “I recently closed out my position in several companies, so I have been looking for opportunities. Here is my business card.”

  “Thank you, Mr. Simpson. If we can get several businesses started in Georgia, I will consider this trip to have been a success, the Japanese notwithstanding.”

  CHAPTER THIRTY-THREE

  June 17, 1944; 5 PM

  Hirschberg im Riesengebirge, Silesia

  General Chuikov looked around the table at the gathered general officers. By shamelessly stealing units from all along the front, he had assembled three armies for this operation. That gave him twelve divisions along with the supply train. While he was concerned about going up against the Germans, he was convinced he held a three-to-one advantage over Schörner.

  While the supply situation was still terrible, he had accumulated enough materiél to do what was needed. And the division commanders were among the best in the Red Army.