Ch.129KFC

# Vienna, Austrian Empire

At this time, in Austria, Hitler of the National Liberal Austrian Workers’ Party was in the middle of an anti-communist speech before the citizens of Vienna.

“Ladies and gentlemen. Our Austria is going through difficult trials. This is because communists are rising up everywhere. Germany threatens us from above, while Italy and Yugoslavia threaten us from below.”

Hitler spoke to the citizens of Vienna with veins bulging in his neck.

“We must not surrender. Why? Because the Habsburg dynasty of this empire is now the only one carrying on the legitimate Germanic lineage! Look at that red Germany! That once mighty Germany that acted as if it could defeat England, a country where the sun never sets, and France with Europe’s strongest army! It has been stained red!”

“That fellow speaks well!”

As Hitler continued his speech, one by one, onlookers were captivated and applauded, praising him.

“Their national character! The pride of the Germanic people has collapsed, and they have become rootless communists! This is a disgrace to the Germanic people! It means that only our Austria now possesses the purity of the Aryan race!”

Unlike in actual history, this Hitler began laying groundwork to unite Austrians suffering from a sense of defeat with other independent ethnic groups.

Waaaaaah!

“They are worse than the Jews who exploited us and only sought their own interests behind our backs. However, they are still Germanic people, and as the only remaining Germanic history, we must liberate the Germans suffering under the oppression of communist Germany. But the reality is that our strength is too weak to do so.”

During his speech, Hitler’s voice trailed off, and he lowered his head.

The citizens listening to Hitler’s speech also lowered their heads together.

But Hitler raised his head again.

As if determined not to fall, he clenched his right fist. His eyes filled with intensity.

“But we have old comrades. The Slovaks, Hungarians, and Transylvanians. We must gather our strength and establish a new nation. Not like the days of the Austria-Hungary Empire when there was discrimination, but as equals of the Danube! All as honorary Aryans! We must unite! If we unite, we can block their attacks in the coming final war against the communists and achieve victory!”

“Hitler! Hitler! Hitler!”

Of course, there were those who opposed Hitler.

Naturally, it would be strange if there weren’t complaints about countries that weren’t even the same ethnicity becoming one again.

“Why should we be equal with those guys?”

“We finally gained independence, and now we’re supposed to become constituent states of Austria again?”

“When you think about it, isn’t this Austria’s problem to deal with?”

Among both Austrians and former members of the Dual Monarchy, there were those who questioned why they should reunite. Conversely, there were also those who responded positively to Hitler’s speech.

Especially those who had supported Franz Ferdinand’s Greater Austrian Federation before his assassination.

“A new country. That doesn’t sound bad.”

“As long as it’s not just a country for Austrians.”

“If we need to stop the communists right away, that doesn’t sound bad either.”

Surprisingly, Hitler’s speech gained considerable support.

Above all, the constituent states of the Dual Monarchy had to fear the communist threat, as German communists had appeared in Slovakia and intervened during the Hungarian communist revolution.

Add to this the monarchists in each country who still had Habsburg fever.

Quite ironically, the rise of communism led to proposals for rebuilding the Dual Monarchy in response.

# Kentucky, United States

In Kentucky, secretive movements were underway.

“I’m not sure if this is a good idea.”

Trotsky looked at the weapons crate before him with an anxious expression and exchanged glances with the man beside him.

“Comrade, what do you mean?”

“Even though we talk about armed struggle, smuggling weapons? Tsk.”

Trotsky clicked his tongue softly.

Yes, Trotsky and his group were currently smuggling weapons.

For the revolution that would someday occur on this North American soil.

To obtain large quantities of weapons for the revolution, there was no legitimate way—smuggling was the answer.

“It’s not like we’re doing anything immediate, is it? Besides, Comrade Trotsky, you were the one who suggested it first.”

True. He had suggested it first.

After all, they needed to build an army to accomplish anything.

But he hadn’t expected to be able to smuggle like this.

Yes, it was particularly surprising that the smuggled goods were weapons made in the United States of Greater Russia.

Smuggling firearms made by counter-revolutionary forces.

Of course, they were imported from China, but the manufacturer was the Fyodorov Arsenal of the Russian Federation.

“That’s true, but… Ahem. Yes, Comrade Kulik. Are all the warlords in China selling weapons?”

“It seems only the warlords with surplus weapons are selling. They appear to be checking each other over there.”

“Hah! To think we’re buying weapons made by counter-revolutionary forces.”

Especially Fedorov rifles—weren’t they all made by that Fyodorov fellow who made guns for the Grand Duchess?

“At least we’re fortunate. The chicken frying business has been profitable.”

Unexpectedly, Trotsky’s chicken shop had become a huge success.

So much so that he had opened chain stores.

Enough that these chain stores were run by communists who suspiciously spoke Russian well.

Originally, he had pretended to fry chicken with the help of American communist comrades to hide from the Okhrana.

But it had unexpectedly taken off.

Of course, while frying chicken, he hadn’t forgotten to win over the hearts of Black people.

And that was the problem.

Who would have expected to recruit people with chicken like this?

“Someone might think it’s a chicken revolution.”

“Oh, comrade. That’s a good idea.”

Grigory Kulik, who had recently joined them and was in charge of weapons smuggling, clapped his hands and laughed heartily, saying he had a good idea.

“What do you mean?”

“If we call it a chicken revolution, couldn’t we avoid the eyes of the Grand Duchess’s Okhrana?”

“Huh. Ridiculous. Are you ashamed of the Fourth International?”

The Fourth International!

Trotsky had organized the Fourth International in America, embodying his new beliefs.

This Fourth International was growing in the American underground, absorbing communists, and thanks to this, communists exiled from Russia could join.

Of course, this was possible because the Okhrana simply observed, and the US administration only accepted exiles.

“Honestly, isn’t it like bragging about being a target? Now is the time to grow our strength. It seems those Black people like chicken. It would make a good code name.”

At the very least, if they called it a chicken revolution, what would the Okhrana think?

They would say there’s no way such people could be communists.

It was certainly a good code for hiding, but still, a chicken revolution?

“But?”

“Couldn’t we use chicken to attract more Black people?”

“Hmm. Even so, that’s a bit…”

What grudge did these chickens have in their past lives to get involved in the revolution?

The number of chickens Trotsky had fried since coming to America probably exceeded the number of reactionaries he had killed.

“Of course, I’m joking, but is this the time to be stylish? Now is the time to broaden our view of the world. Don’t you know that those damn Okhrana agents have already entered this bourgeois land?”

“That’s true.”

No matter how precarious Trotsky’s situation was, he was not unaware of those pursuing him.

After Soviet Russia fell and the Bolsheviks were virtually annihilated by Brusilov’s western Russian offensive, the remaining Bolshevik forces fled to America one after another.

There must be some connection among communists, as Trotsky welcomed them and heard news about the Okhrana, which led him to move to Kentucky.

The fact that they could smuggle weapons through this communist information network was nothing short of a miracle.

“It’s die this way or die that way. If we’re in a position where we could be killed by the Okhrana at any time, we should start a revolution. Until then, we need to build our strength as much as possible.”

“Yes. That’s what we should do.”

Trotsky, with his hands behind his back, sighed deeply.

As Kulik said, there wasn’t really any other option. Being on American soil was also a significant factor.

That meant they had to hide their identities and conceal their organization’s name.

“Well, to have a revolution, we need a cause, don’t we? We can’t just shout against racial discrimination and start a revolution.”

Grigory Kulik nodded as he spoke.

He had a point. Currently, Trotskyism was essentially racial equality, more suited to gathering Black people.

So what reason could they have for revolution?

This was a different issue.

However, Trotsky waved his hand dismissively and smiled slightly, as if this wasn’t a problem.

“Just wait and see, even this giant called America will shake someday.”

The end of the Great War, the scissors crisis, the gold standard, the German communist revolution. The stock market transformed by the advent of radio.

Trotsky anticipated that an economic crisis would hit America within a few years.

Yes, when that time came, he could once again raise the workers’ flag in America.

But.

Trotsky gazed far to the east.

‘Grand Duchess. Does that damned woman anticipate this too?’

The Grand Duchess who had preemptively adopted Bolshevik policies and thwarted the Bolsheviks.

He was curious how Russia under the Grand Duchess would respond.

“By the way, comrade.”

“What now? We should have finished frying all the chicken today.”

Although Trotsky no longer needed to fry chicken himself, since moving to Kentucky, he insisted on doing the promotion himself and had to fry. Naturally, today too, he had been frying and only came out to inspect the smuggled weapons during his break.

So, what did he want to say?

“Even if the code name is ‘chicken revolution,’ shouldn’t we create it properly?”

“That’s right. Then.”

It seemed necessary to mix things up a bit.

After all, they couldn’t be discovered by the Okhrana. At the very least, it had to be recognizable among communist comrades.

First, Trotsky’s Fourth International was established to counter Liebknechtism and Luxemburgism founded by the German Communist Party.

Using it as is would be problematic, so they needed to create a code by rearranging it.

From the Fourth International (Коммунистический интернационал), take the К.

From Four, take the F.

From Communism, take the C.

And add an American touch.

Now Trotsky, with revolutionary spirit boiling in his chest, carefully and proudly opened his mouth.

“KFC would be good.”

“Indeed. It means Kentucky Fried Chicken.”

Kulik applauded and praised Trotsky.

Trotsky furrowed his brow at Kulik’s words as he clapped.

That’s right.

The code name he had carefully created for the organization was starting to look like Kentucky Fried Chicken.

The code name created to hide the Fourth International from reactionaries had instantly become a word that evoked battered chicken.

Trotsky clenched his fist and cried out.

“Comrade, what’s wrong?”

“Never mind.”

Trotsky gazed at the night sky as if looking into the distance, seriously considering whether he should beat this Kulik fellow.

* * *

Another year passed, and Russia continued to develop.

Foreign capital investment was minimized due to the lesser impact of the Great Depression.

Following the New Economic Policy, the State Duma implemented a Five-Year National Development Plan to complement the weaknesses of the NEP.

This Five-Year Development Plan included the promotion of domestically produced goods.

“Let’s make what we should make and use with our own hands!”

“Let all citizens unite as members of the Federation to contribute to national development!”

“Workers of Russia! Become machines when you work!”

Russia was operating in a peculiar way.

The State Duma implemented various policies using my reputation.

Among them was the production of Russian-made industrial and consumer goods.

Of course, companies within Russia were competing to improve competitiveness.

However, there was something strange about this.

“Is this really okay?”

The entire nation seemed to be moving as one.

Moving like a machine. Wouldn’t this lead to an uprising when people found it difficult?

As the grading emperor, I stared at Krivoshein, the student council president (Prime Minister) before me, demanding an answer.

“Companies do not make people work more than eight hours a day. This is according to Your Majesty’s will.”

“Even so, are they working like parts of the state, like machines, because of my name?”

Because of my name?

This is a bit unusual. Everyone follows my policies because of my name?

“Is there a problem?”

“No, that’s not it. Ah, is this right?”

They’re working less than during the old regime, but is this correct?

They’re being paid proper wages, but this is…