"Madam, I'm sorry that I can't do anything." In order not to affect the plot, Mrs. Katie chose to decline. What an international joke. Traveling thousands of miles to China to secretly rescue a man who has been under house arrest for many years in the name of making a movie? What kind of plot is this?
"Of course, you and your camera crew are not required to complete the specific work. To this end, I will send the most suitable candidates to go to China with you." Ada Mussolini would not give up easily.
"Madam, I need to know more details to evaluate the risks that need to be taken." Mrs. Katie answered seriously.
"Do you know about the Black Shirts?" Ada Mussolini expressed understanding.
"Ah..." Mrs. Katie must know.
Blackshirts (Camicia Nera) Italian fascist paramilitary organization. Sometimes called the National Security Volunteers (Milizia Volontaria per la Sicurezza Nazionale, MVSN for short), it was a paramilitary organization established in Italy after World War I and was not truly disbanded until the end of World War II. The Black Shirts have a historical status that cannot be ignored in Italy's modern military history. Only the Red Shirts led by General Garibaldi (during the Italian Unification War) can compare with them. As an armed force that fights side by side with the Italian regular army, the Black Shirts have their own recruitment standards: being a member of the Fascist Party, being over 17 and under 50 years old, being in good health, and not having served in the regular army. The main founding members of the Black Shirts were some nationalist intellectuals, young landowners who opposed peasant and trade union organizations, retired military officers, and some members of the Arditi death squads, Italy's elite unit during World War I. As Mussolini's power grew, their behavior became increasingly violent and they used violence and threats against Mussolini's opponents.
To put it simply, Mussolini’s Black Shirts were Hitler’s SS.
Because of their fanatical fascist beliefs and equipping the most elite warriors with the best weapons, the Black Shirts have become the most powerful force in Italy. Since its establishment, it has participated in many foreign wars. Invaded Ethiopia, intervened in the Spanish Civil War, and fully participated in World War II. In the just-concluded Eastern Front battlefield, Val Tagliamento's Blackshirt Army, a member of the Russian Expeditionary Force in Italy, had 11 battalions and suffered very high losses. After participating in the Battle of Stalingrad in 1942 as a group army reserve and used to fight the Soviet Red Army's counteroffensive in the winter of that year, 90% of the battalion commanders, 70% of the officers and 55% of the soldiers died on Soviet soil.
Compared with the Coastal Division that surrendered without a fight while guarding Sicily, the combat effectiveness of the Black Shirts can be described as tough.
“After the disbandment of the Russian Expeditionary Force, many elite warriors from Val Tagliamento’s Black Shirt Army arrived in the Far East (Puppet) Manchuria Empire to protect the interests of the Hsinking embassy and Italian citizens in the name of mercenaries .”
"The Manchu Empire?" This is a "country" that the well-educated Mrs. Katie is very unfamiliar with.
"Ah, it was once a province in northern China." Ada Mussolini, who had personally traveled to China, obviously knew the Far East better than Mrs. Katie who heard about it: "It later became independent with the intervention of the Japanese Empire."
On March 1, 1934, Puyi ascended the throne and was proclaimed "Emperor". "Manchukuo" was officially renamed "Manchuria Empire", with the capital "Xinjing (Changchun)" and the reign name "Kant". Italy recognized Manchukuo in November 1937, becoming the third country to recognize Manchukuo after Japan and El Salvador. Later, the puppet Manchukuo allowed Italy to establish an embassy in Xinjing (in today's West Democratic Street, Changchun). In order to reflect the friendly relations between the two "countries" and celebrate the "establishment of diplomatic relations between the two countries", Mussolini sent a heavy gift - a replica of the Roman she-wolf. This wolf was specially placed in the northwest corner of Datong Park, Puyi's royal park, and is now located in the History Institute of Northeast Normal University in Changchun. Later, the Puppet Manchukuo gave Rome a stone lion from the Tang Dynasty in the name of Xinjing City. The above deeds were specially reported in the Shengjing Daily at that time.
"So, you want to realize your plan through this 'Manchu Empire'." Mrs. Katie thought immediately.
"Yes, I personally called the wife of the Minister in Xinjing, who is responsible for recruiting black-shirted mercenaries." Ada Mussolini added: "Mrs. Sonya Cordée."
Italy established a Consulate General in Fengtian (today's Shenyang) in December 1936 and appointed Louis Cordi as Consul General. On November 29, 1937, Italy officially recognized the Puppet Manchukuo. The next day, the Consulate General was upgraded to a "legation" and moved from Fengtian to "Xinjing". On April 18, 1938, the "letters of credence" were submitted, and the two sides formally established "diplomatic relations." The "minister" of the Puppet Manchukuo in Italy was Wang Qingzhang. In 1943, the Mussolini regime in Italy collapsed and the "legation" closed. In the 1990s, the original building was used by the Real Estate Department of Jilin Provincial Government. It was later demolished and a residential building was built on the original site.
I have to say that the plot of "Shakespeare versus Shakespeare" is very exciting.
"Does Minister Sonia Cordy have any close relationship with the Black Shirts?" Mrs. Katie asked with a smile.
"Ah, she is the brave lady who retreated from Stalingrad to the Far East with the Black Shirt Army. She was the secretary of the embassy before and married Minister Louis Cordi at the beginning of the year." Ada Mussolini did not hide it either. Of course, as a character in the play, due to the limitations of time and space, Ada Mussolini did not know that Minister Sonia Cordi’s wife came from the fragmented time and space of the plot of "Italiani brava gente" Drama characters. The real-world actor is Tatyana Samoylova, the "People's Artist of the Russian Federation" known as the "Russian Audrey Hepburn".
"Okay, madam." Mrs. Katie replied still more cautiously: "If the Manchu Empire can participate in the creation of this film in the name of the (Third) Reich Alliance, I will try to meet your request."
"Thank you for your efforts, Mrs. Kellerman." Ada Mussolini could not conceal her joy.
"Everything is for the empire." Mrs. Katie's expression was impeccable.
"Madam, the empire will be as you wish." Instead, Ada Mussolini hesitated for a moment.
Send away some ladies. Carol Baker, a female military doctor, and Hedy Lamarr, a female inventor who has recovered as before, both walked out of the office next door.
"The next plot seems to be related to "Dragon Seed", Katie."
"I think so too, Carol." Mrs. Katie always acted cautiously: "There's no rush now. We'll wait until we finish our scheduled performance script."
"Okay, Katie." Female inventor Hedy Lamarr was obsessed with the "Dora Cannon": "It's best to send a small team to get familiar with the operation of the Gustav train gun in the name of filming."
"I will." Mrs. Katie smiled and said, "Don't worry. The casting photos taken by Lisa will be delivered soon. As expected, our new sisters are ready to take over "Dora Cannon." "
"Ah..." Female inventor Hedy Lamarr nodded happily. She was just curious who the new sisters were.
