In 1940, the French and the British have developed an operation under the codenamed Pike ("Spear's Trees"), intending to attack the USSR from the south and destroy areas of oil production in areas of Baku, Grozny, Batumi.
Caucasian oil crafts were given at that time to the Soviet Union 80 percent of high-altitude aviation gasoline, 90 percent kerosene, 96 percent of autotractor oils from their total production in the USSR.
The operation was planned for April 1940, then the attack was transferred to May, later - on June-July. The second world, France and the United Kingdom were in a state of war with Germany, but on the Western Front it was quiet ... In the spring of 1940, Germany prepared two major military operations in Europe - to capture Denmark and Norway and against France, Belgium and the Netherlands, but the French and the British Instead of strengthening the front against Hitler in the West, looked east.
"The fundamental weakness of the Russian economy is its dependence on Caucasian oil. The source is completely dependent on both their armed forces and mechanized agriculture ... Therefore, any significant break of oil supplies will have far-reaching consequences and can even lead to a collapse of military, industrial and agricultural systems of Russia, "said General Maurice Gamelen Prime Minister France Field Reyny.
After reading the document, the French prime minister suggested London to start "decisive operations on the Black and Caspian seas ... to reduce the supply of Germany with oil, but first of all paralyze the entire USSR economy before the Rihu succeeds to use it in their own interests ..."
In London, favorably reacted to this sentence. Soon the Pike plan began to gain real outlines. The English-French allies intended from the territories of Syria and Turkey with several groups of bombarders to strike at the Soviet Caucasus. Ankara fluctuated, but was inclined to provide its airfields to France and the UK. Moscow, which, thanks to the intelligence, was aware of these plans, began an urgent surfacing squadron to strengthen the Air Force of the Transcaucasian Military District.
How would history turn around if the English-French allies decided to implement Pike plan? Now you will not answer this question, we only know what happened. In April 1940, Germany began military operation in the north of Europe. The Germans captured Denmark, broke almost all English aviation, based in Norway.
Events developed rapidly. In May, the Germans broke through the line of Maginos - a system of French fortifications on the border with Germany. In the same month, German troops blocked the British under Dunkirk. The German command allowed 300 thousand soldiers and officers of His Majesty to be evacuated; Hitler Bereg potential allies before the upcoming Wehrmacht campaign to the east.
And France waited a disgrace of the capitulation. Her army was crushed within a month. In June 1940, part of the Wehrmacht was marked by Paris. For France, the Pike plan turned into a myth. As for Britain, then the attack plan for the USSR was postponed only for a while.
This plan revived literally the day after the German attack on the USSR on June 22, 1941, when the head of the UK Air Force Headquarters Charles Portal suggested resume preparation for bombardment Baku and Grozny, so that the oil fields did not get into the hands of the Germans; The British military was confident in the rapid defeat of Hitler of the Soviet Union.
However, Churchill accepted another solution. He understood that in the event of the defeat of the USSR, the next victim of the Wehrmacht, who seized Soviet resources, will be Britain. A few days after the German attack on the Soviet Union, Churchill turned to Stalin with a letter: "We are all very happy about the fact that the Russian armies have such a strong, bold and courageous resistance to a completely unprovoked and ruthless invasion of the Nazis. The courage and perseverance of Soviet soldiers and the people cause universal admiration. We will do everything to help you since this will allow time, geographical conditions and our growing resources ... "
The Soviet Union, the United Kingdom and the United States of America became allies in World War II. However, as the Red Army, having won the victory, moved to the West, the Anglo-Saxons were taken for the old. The Pike plan was reborn in the new, even more sternized.
In the spring of 1945, the combined headquarters of the UN military office planning in the deepest secret began the task of Churchill to develop a "UNTHINKABLE) plan. According to this plan, 47 Anglo-American divisions, together with a newly formed 10-12 German divisions were to begin an offensive against the Red Army in Europe. The plan was ready for May 22, military actions should have started on July 1.
"Notchy" did not come true. A sober assessment by the Western Staffists of the Force, which rose in the east during the years of the Great Patriotic War, took over. In conclusion, Churchillion directed by the British Committee of the headquarters of the headquarters about the plan is "unthinkable", it was said: "We believe that if the war begins, to achieve rapid limited success will be out of our capabilities and we will be drawn into a long war against superior forces. Moreover, the superiority of these forces can be exorbitant. "
However, the Big Union of the USSR, the USA and the UK, who provided a victory over the Hitler's Germany, collapsed amazingly quickly. "For several months, the joint struggle with the general enemy was changed by the Cold War, with the beginning of which the former allies began to look at each other through the slot of the sight" ...
Capital photo: Evacuation of British troops from under Dunkirk