Big Time 1958

The    carnation revolution was a quick success, beyond everyone's expectations. By now, the Soviet Union has been caught off guard, but the response is also very fast. In less than a day, many situations in this country have been sent to Lubyanka. Serov just knew that there was a carnation revolution in history, but the specific process is not at all. Don't understand.

"Vasco Goncalves?" Serov said to himself. After thinking about it for a long time, he still didn't remember this person. There is too little information on Portugal, but one thing is very obvious, that is, this is a huge Opportunity.

   "Chairman, the Kremlin is calling, let you come." Chief of the General Affairs Office Shervanov came in and reported.

"I'll go right away and prepare the vehicle." Putting on his hat, Serov rushed to the Kremlin. One thing is certain is that the garrison in Portugal at this time must be pro-Soviet, at least influenced by the socialist ideology that prevailed in this era. Otherwise nothing will happen.

   Serov in his previous life saw a post that listed the allies of the Soviet Union in various periods. The post was translated from Russia, and it listed Portugal in the 1970s. It seems that it has only been closely related to the Soviet Union for about two years. Why it would be reversed later, Serov's first thought was not public opinion, but that there was a problem with the army. The pro-Soviet soldiers who had the upper hand did not have the upper hand. There must be a reason for this.

"I forgot that most of the Portuguese army is in the colonies. After these soldiers return to China, they will have an impact on the original military. I have to think of a way." Serov, who got rid of his misunderstanding, walked into the Kremlin, as long as he knew the matter Evolution, there is always an opportunity to intervene.

"It's obvious now that the Portuguese soldiers like the Soviet Union, and all the Central Committee members of Portugal have also been released. This is a great opportunity for us!" Andropov's joy was undisguised, he was the central liaison Minister, he is very happy that the socialist movement in any country has made progress, not to mention the decisive progress such as Portugal. It is optimistic that the Soviet Union will allow the country to break away from NATO.

"Comrade Andropov, too optimistic, Portugal is just a country surrounded by NATO. Our support for them is limited. Thinking about the decades of Spanish civil war, we know what the situation we are facing." Serov was silent for a while. Said, "There is also a disadvantageous factor, that is, Portugal's domestic military strength is only about a quarter of the total military strength. These soldiers in their country are pro-Soviet factions. Once the soldiers from the colonies return to the country? What will this country evolve into? Will there be a military coup by right-wing soldiers? If there is a coup, do we have the ability to intervene?”

   The Soviet Red Navy is strong, the US Navy is stronger. If it intervenes from land, there is only one way, the Soviet forces in Eastern Europe launch a full-scale offensive and defeat NATO head-on. If this can be done, there is no need to interfere. The whole world belongs to the Soviet Union, do you still care about a small country on the Atlantic coast?

"Once those colonial troops return to the country, will there be a reversal? This is a question we have to consider." Serov reminded others word by word, "There are several times more soldiers in the colonies than those in the country. If the soldiers in the colonies have a favorable impression of the Soviet Union, the fruits of this Carnation Revolution will not be lost.”

   A group of Portugal's "Armed Forces Movement", with middle and lower officers as the backbone, launched a coup to overthrow the Caetano dictatorship and set up a new provisional government. It is worth noting that the Portuguese Communist Party not only regained its legal status due to the coup, but also had an extremely close relationship with the second interim government Prime Minister Gonçalves. After the Gonzávez government came to power, it immediately announced the start of Portugal's "decolonization", giving up all overseas colonies and recognizing the independence of all Portuguese colonies. This policy originated from the Portuguese Communist Party.

  The Portuguese Communist Party gradually became the main supporter of the Gonçalves government in the later internal struggles. In more than a year, the right-wing soldiers staged two coups, both of which were defeated by the left-wing soldiers supported by the Portuguese Communist Party. In July of the following year, Gonçalves organized a fifth provisional government with only the participation of the Communist Party of Portugal. The Portuguese Communist Party has reached its highest political peak. But nearly a month later, the Gonçalves government was overthrown by right-wing soldiers. The unwilling Portuguese Communist Party launched an armed coup in November 1975, but it was suppressed, and then the Portuguese Communist Party was completely purged from the government.

   Sherepin nodded and asked Brezhnev, "Comrade Ilyich, what do you think, and how to avoid this situation."

"Since Yura has seen this, then listen to his opinion." Brezhnev was very able to listen to other people's opinions when he had no idea, but he would not listen to anyone who had an idea. The current situation is the former.

"I want money, I want a lot of money. The Portuguese Communist Party has just been released. We must immediately contact the comrades of the Portuguese Communist Party and talk to them about the colonial issue to buy time." Serov stood up and said, "Our main purpose is to buy time. , especially the postponement of the withdrawal of troops in Angola, Mozambique, and Guinea-Bissau, so that we are more prepared. I know that the strategic offensive in the local area is already in place, but if there is cooperation from Portugal, we will not have to go to war and must resolve it with military operations. The problem is, with the cooperation of the Portuguese soldiers, we can take over these countries more easily, and at least we will be more prepared for the competition."

"Continue!" Brezhnev nodded his face unchanged. Earlier, he believed that Portugal would not give up the colonies, so he must use military means to seize these countries, but now the environment has changed, and the Portuguese armed forces movement is obviously different from Portugal. The relationship with the Communist Party is very good. Of course, the earlier plan must be overturned, and now the problem must be reconsidered.

"The meaning of delaying the withdrawal of Portuguese soldiers overseas is to fear that these soldiers with uncertain thoughts will return to the country and impact the situation that is beneficial to us. Therefore, when the Ministry of Foreign Affairs visits Portugal, our Central Liaison Department must send comrades to the local colonies. At the same time, I will also send agents who understand Portuguese to control the movements of these returning soldiers before the withdrawal, so as to buy time for the current Portuguese armed forces movement. Then they can discharge these right-wing soldiers, or whatever it is. , to resolve the military threat to the Portuguese comrades, as long as the army does not turn over, this country is our ally." Serov continued after a moment of silence, "For ordinary soldiers, we must join forces with the local independent armed forces to adopt a negotiating attitude, which must be done. To show a peaceful handover, use the time before the withdrawal of troops to influence ordinary soldiers and make them interested in socialist ideology, which depends on the notification from the Central Liaison Department.”

"We need a lot of money to win over these ordinary soldiers who have returned to China and make them feel good about the Soviet Union. Some watches, or daily necessities, food, can easily impress the hearts of ordinary people. Of course, there are hundreds of thousands of soldiers in this group. This requires We have a lot of money." Andropov followed Serov's train of thought and said, "Affecting this group of returning soldiers will ensure that the most powerful group in Portugal will be pro-Soviet."

   "That's my idea!" Shelov nodded in thanks to Andropov. There is no precedent for this kind of money to buy goodwill, but it happened after the disintegration of the Soviet Union, that is, the Federal Republic of Germany paid for the Soviet Union to withdraw its troops. He was going to use this process on the enemy camp first.

  What was the background of the Soviet withdrawal from the GDR? A large number of state-owned assets and enterprises in East Germany, including those GDR companies whose products are sold all over the world and possess the world's top technologies, were sold at a low price by the "State-owned Assets Trusteeship" of West Germany. The capitalists who colluded with them bought them through secret deals and ultra-low prices. East Berlin City Bank, with a loan of 11 billion marks, was sold for 50 million marks. The GDR Cooperative Bank loaned 10 billion, but sold it to the West German bank for 100 million.

  The refrigerators made in the GDR are exported all over the world, their products can be seen everywhere in West Germany, and their pioneering Freon-free refrigeration technology has become an international standard. However, Siemens and Bosch pressured the West German trusteeship to stop production, close the doors and leave, and hand over the technology. To this end, they declared to the public that East Germany's Freon-free environmentally friendly refrigerants were flammable and dangerous. But when they themselves began to use East German technology to make money for themselves, they never mentioned anything flammable or harmful.

   The Federal Republic of Germany used 20 to 30 billion marks to get the world's top ten industrialized countries from the Soviet Union, the GDR worth 200 billion US dollars, and at the same time let 500,000 people in the Soviet Union's most powerful Western cluster get out of the way. The deal is simply too good.

"Comrade Gromyko, you go to Lisbon, and at the same time bring back the Portuguese who are exiled here, and discuss with the Portuguese Communist Party, we can ease the breakaway from the colony, instead of creating a vacuum in the colony, so there will be The risk of civil war," Brezhnev said to Gromyko after a moment's thought.

On May 1st, the special plane of Soviet Foreign Minister Gromyko landed in Lisbon, the capital of Portugal. Gromyko waved to the welcoming Portuguese, and behind him was a group of Portuguese exiled in the Soviet Union because of Salazar's arrest. Communists. These people have been away from the motherland for decades, and they hold the hands of their comrades with trembling hands.

   "Welcome back, Comrade Baptista, you've worked hard..." The old Portuguese Communist Party member who hugged each other whispered, they hadn't seen each other for decades.

"Teixeira, you have been in Salazar's prison for decades, you are the hero of this country." Baptista, who returned from the Soviet Union, shook his head and said with tears in his eyes, "There are so many talents in life. Long time, half your time in jail."

   The reminiscence of the old comrades brought tears to the eyes of those who heard it. Some reporters took out their cameras to record the moment. (To be continued~^~)