Chapter 46

"Blocking West Berlin can only temporarily stem the bleeding of the German Democratic Republic (GDR). To fundamentally solve the problem, we need to narrow the economic gap between the GDR and the Federal Republic of Germany (FRG). It seems that this will still take some time!" The second document began with these words. It detailed the comparisons between the two Germanies, from population to industry and economy, and concluded, "If the economic gap between the GDR and the FRG cannot be narrowed, the socialist cause of the GDR will remain unstable, merely transitioning from major arterial bleeding to chronic bleeding!"

Shelepin sighed deeply. From the document, he had already understood Khrushchev's underlying message and could even guess at what was not explicitly stated. The development of the GDR was actually restricted, which was related to the Soviet Union's subconscious fear of the Third Reich's resurgence. Not only the Soviet Union but also the United States was concerned about Germany's re-emergence. However, the United States used its significant economic advantage to gradually erode the national spirit of the FRG.

On the other hand, the Soviet Union, which suffered the greatest losses in World War II, received war reparations from the GDR until Khrushchev quelled the Hungarian uprising three years ago. The continuous payment of huge reparations for over a decade naturally left the GDR with little in terms of accumulation. Moreover, the GDR still had to bear the costs of the Western Group of Forces.

Although Khrushchev's document did not explicitly state it, it implicitly referred to the costs of the Western Group of Forces. The continuous payment of huge reparations and the costs of the Western Group of Forces had already made the gap between the GDR and the FRG quite significant. The famous Ruhr industrial area, which is in West Germany, is much wealthier and has a higher population quality than the eastern part. Additionally, the United States had already forgiven Germany's reparations over a decade ago, which further exacerbated the differences between the two Germanies.

Although Shelepin had already recognized this issue through the document, he felt powerless. The Soviet economy was not poor, but it depended on who it was compared to. The competition between the United States and the Soviet Union was a costly one. At this point, increasing the Soviet Union's burden for the Western Group of Forces would only make the situation worse. Not to mention, his current position did not allow him to interfere, and even if he could, there was no good solution.

Picking up Khrushchev's self-criticism, Shelepin helplessly picked up the phone and called his secretary in, handing over the self-criticism and saying, "Find someone to rewrite the self-criticism report. Remember, it must be profound and show a determination to take responsibility for mistakes!"

"Chairman, is this Khrushchev's self-criticism? Is this appropriate?" The secretary widened his eyes. He swore this was the first time he had seen such a brief self-criticism. Only the first sentence was self-critical, and the rest did not seem like a self-criticism at all. According to the content, the KGB should award him a medal.

"Find someone to rewrite it if I tell you to. Why so many questions? Are you envious of Yuri?" Shelepin said coldly, "If you can always heed the call of the state, no matter who the opponent is, pack your bags and solve the problem, and if you encounter obstacles, I will solve them for you and bear all the pressure! If you can't, find someone to help Yuri write the self-criticism now. I am preparing to submit it to the Kremlin. Be quick..."

In the evening, as Shelepin left the Kremlin, he was still recalling Khrushchev's words, "The methods were a bit problematic, but the results were good. I have already reviewed the self-criticism, and a verbal warning is very appropriate! Compared to some public controversies, the resolution of the Berlin issue is concrete. That's it..."

On April 25th, TASS Director Golyunov personally approved the publication of a prediction in Pravda, forecasting the development of the Soviet Union fifty years later. Unlike the previous prediction in Komsomolskaya Pravda, this one was not just a textual description of future development but was accompanied by many futuristic illustrations, including the application of new technologies and predictions of the Soviet Union's future living environment. The author, prominently signed, was Lieutenant General Yuri Yefimovich Khrushchev, the head of the KGB's Third Main Directorate.

Sometimes, one's position can indeed help a report that is not particularly hot become a headline. Celebrities can turn even infidelity into a scandal, but if an ordinary person does the same, even if the law does not punish them, society will still teach them a lesson. This prediction, similar to the one from a few weeks ago, sparked much more discussion in the Soviet Union, which was the impact Khrushchev brought.

In the distant capital of Ukraine, Kyiv, a beautiful blonde with a delicate face sat in her office and saw the report, smiling and touching her belly, "Little one, maybe your father and I won't see that day, but by then you will still be serving the Soviet Union, right?"

"The sewer system and electrical system have been modified. As soon as we give the order, the electrical network and sewer system of East Berlin can operate independently. It's time to proceed with the second phase of the plan!" Khrushchev strolled around the barbed wire, with Lieutenant General Markus Wolf beside him. They were in the suburbs, and in the depths of the barbed wire, they could see some shadows of West Berliners, but it was not as tense as in the city center.

"Good, mobilize the militia and internal troops to start digging the foundation in the suburbs tomorrow. I have already reviewed the entire plan. The wall will be 4.5 meters high and 40 centimeters thick! A watchtower every 500 meters?" Markus Wolf thought for a moment and asked, "Is 500 meters too far apart?"

"Let's make it a watchtower every 200 meters. I have already ordered high-power searchlights and infrared lights from the country! Unfortunately, we had to abandon the surveillance cameras due to the high cost, which was not worth it!" Khrushchev shook his head in frustration, "But even without the cameras, it will be sufficient..."

"We can use optical instruments instead of electronic ones. Our country's optical instruments are quite good!" Markus Wolf's words made Khrushchev realize something. If Markus Wolf had not mentioned it, he would have forgotten that Germany had always been a world leader in optical instruments, and as part of Germany, the GDR was no exception, being a leader in this industry like its western counterparts.

"Alright, the sooner we start, the better. My work in the Soviet Union is very important, and it's best to complete this task within two months!" The longer it took, the more Khrushchev worried about the work of the Main Military Administration. Remote control was not a solution. Moreover, this year, the Main Military Administration had a significant task: to select officers and soldiers for the soon-to-be-established Strategic Rocket Forces from various military units. The preliminary preparations for the establishment of the Strategic Rocket Forces had already begun, and Khrushchev had to ensure that this task was completed without any issues in 1959, a year of tight deadlines and heavy responsibilities.