Ch.140The Order of Russia (2)

“Hmm, if we lead and end the war, it would certainly turn out that way, but it would be Rome without Rome.”

That’s how it would be.

After all, Rome is the capital of Italy.

But you know what? If Italy is defeated after the war, the new Italy will also join.

“Well, the new Italy will join later.”

“Then it would be unified Rome before the division into Eastern and Western Rome, rather than Byzantium.”

“I suppose that’s how it will be.”

“In that case, it certainly wouldn’t be difficult to rebuild Rome without necessarily annexing it through war.”

“Indeed, Your Majesty.”

The White Army generals praised me, and other Duma members nodded in agreement, seeming to think this wasn’t a bad idea.

“Of course, let’s keep this as just a plan for now, and for the time being, use it only to reassure Britain.”

Churchill needs to keep Britain in check.

The new Italy will eventually come under our influence.

If Italy joins our side, it means the Western Roman territory comes in too.

Simply put, it would be like a European Union led by Russia.

And that would be reborn under the name of the Constantinople Treaty Organization.

As for Spain and Portugal, well, I think they’ll join the treaty organization after the war, not challenging Russian hegemony.

“Ah, we should also develop Eastern Ukraine.”

I’ve heard that Makhno implemented various policies and did some development in the east.

The collective farms came later as part of agricultural promotion.

And the results were disastrously unsuccessful.

So shouldn’t the Russian government, not anarchy, make good use of the foundation Makhno created?

“Yes. Eastern Ukraine is an essential region for Russia. We absolutely should.”

“Well then, let’s focus on developing Ukraine for now while being careful about diplomatic relations externally. Oh, by the way.”

There’s something I’m curious about.

“Please go ahead.”

“Who received the White Russian Labor Merit Medal from the Siberian camps?”

The White Russian Labor Merit Medal.

This is a medal received by Bolsheviks.

Literally awarded to those who have contributed through labor for White Russia, with former Bolsheviks as the recipients.

I personally awarded it to those Cheka agents before, and I’m curious about what happened in Siberia.

“It’s a man named Joseph Stalin. He was awarded for his service as a priest stabilizing criminals in the camp. The Moscow newspaper’s article about the medal ceremony also mentioned this Stalin—”

“Pfft. Ha, hahaha!”

Ah, to think that Stalin received that medal.

Stalin must be foaming at the mouth right now.

Even if he’s not foaming at the mouth, he’ll certainly be ostracized by the Bolsheviks and be grabbing the back of his neck in frustration.

Still, I didn’t expect Stalin would be the one to receive it.

I wonder how Trotsky reacted to this.

* * *

Foreign Secretary Austin Chamberlain visited Moscow again.

Recently, Communist Germany’s newspapers blatantly proclaimed that the British Empire had surrendered to communism.

And not long after, Russian troops entered eastern Ukraine and annexed Makhno’s Free Territory.

Isn’t the timing too perfect?

Therefore, he wanted to hear Russia’s explanation.

With this development, the Baltic states, which had previously been threatened by Bermont’s Western Russian Army, became anxious about Russia’s expansion. British Foreign Secretary Austin Chamberlain was dispatched to Moscow again to demand a clear answer from the Russian Foreign Minister about why Russia annexed the Free Territory and about the safety of the Baltic states.

Several days had passed since arriving in Moscow.

Why were they keeping him at the State Duma when all they needed to do was give a clear answer?

After what happened in Germany, he needed to at least maintain face in Russia, but at this rate, would he have to meet the Tsarina again like before?

While seriously considering this, the Russian Foreign Minister personally came to see Austin Chamberlain.

“I don’t know what grand answer you’re waiting for, but we Russians, as successors to the Eastern Roman Empire, will restore Eastern Rome’s territory. Though we covet the Baltic Sea, Finland is there, and we have no intention of targeting the Baltic, which isn’t even Rome’s ancestral land.”

“Does that mean you plan to take Turkey and Greece and expand into the Mediterranean?”

That would be difficult for the British Empire to accept.

Russia’s return to the Mediterranean would feel threatening to Britain in many ways.

Isn’t the restoration of Eastern Rome essentially an invitation for another round of the Great Game with Britain?

Russia has already recovered Constantinople and entered Anatolia.

If they rush to seize Mediterranean hegemony like Rome, they could inevitably clash with Britain.

What about the Middle East or India?

The Middle East is also Eastern Roman territory, isn’t it?

Would Russia, after taking the Middle East, leave India alone?

Naturally, Austin Chamberlain, who had been humiliated in Germany, felt the urgency of the situation.

“Have you only done diplomacy once or twice? Restoration doesn’t necessarily have to be achieved through war, does it? If we influence countries within Eastern Rome’s territory, isn’t that Roman restoration? Even though our fleet has strengthened somewhat, it’s still pathetic compared to yours. Why would we target the Baltic?”

“Hmm. Then are you saying you’ll advance into the Middle East or India?”

“Restoring Rome’s territory is our national policy and serves to unite our people. It’s just a governing ideology, and realistically, unless Communist Germany disappears—Japan has stationed hundreds of thousands in Southern Manchuria. Do you think we have the capacity for that in the current situation?”

Somehow, listening to this, it seemed there would only be more conflicts with Britain.

What kind of country was Rome?

Wasn’t it once a great empire that held Europe? In the end, the meaning of restoring Rome is, with high probability, to seize European hegemony.

Then it’s natural that they would clash with the British Empire, isn’t it?

“If we had intended to target the Baltic, we would have already sent our Anastasianists there to incite them. Unless there are records showing the Baltic was Eastern Roman land, we need to digest Ukraine, which was just incorporated this time. Above all…”

Anastasianists.

With the emergence of the Anastasia Medal, existing monarchists and those who praised the Tsarina of the United States came to be called Anastasianists.

They were more zealous supporters of the Tsarina than the monarchists of the imperial era, and they were no less fervent than the Bolsheviks, if not more so.

Austin Chamberlain had heard about the Anastasianists while coming here.

-Oh, you’re from England. Do you know about Russia’s saint?

Several Russians who recognized him as English in Moscow had approached him, trying to expound on something akin to a strange religion.

Certainly, looking at the Tsarina’s achievements, it’s natural for such people to appear. But thinking about those Anastasianists entering the tiny Baltic lands is terrifying.

But, is there another reason? Above all?

“Is there another reason?”

“Recently, rumors spread widely across Europe that you surrendered to the Communist Party.”

“Our British Empire would never do such a thing!”

Austin’s face turned red with anger as soon as his trigger button was pressed.

Chamberlain, who had been properly scolded by Churchill in the cabinet, learned that he was being treated as a quasi-communist in Communist Germany from the newspaper Churchill threw at him.

It was natural for him to be angry.

“People who know will understand, but still, as an ally in the Anti-Comintern Pact, we couldn’t take more land from Britain after such humiliation. We felt sorry for you.”

What kind of humiliation is this?

“I understand. Now that I know Russia’s true intentions, please say no more about that. Then, regarding Western Ukraine…”

“As I said, we have no intention of annexing Western Ukraine by force. The civil war broke out across Russia, and we’re still recovering. Hundreds of thousands died in the Great War and civil war, and we’re already overwhelmed preparing for war because of Communist Germany. When our house is on fire, how can we have time to set fire to someone else’s?”

“I understand.”

Austin Chamberlain couldn’t press further.

How could he threaten someone who claimed to have no intentions, accusing them of lying, when he himself had surrendered to the Reds?

What if this White Russia, which claims to be Rome’s successor, decided to make Britain into Roman Britain, starting with a southward advance from the Middle East?

Having stamped out the peace of their era with Communist Germany, Austin Chamberlain couldn’t provoke Russia.

This was Russia’s strategy from the beginning.

“We feel sorry that rumors of your defeat by Communist Germany have spread, so we’ll just give you a moderate answer and call it even.”

In the past, they might have engaged in a war of nerves with words if not with swords, but now they didn’t mention it further.

Austin Chamberlain wanted to cry.

* * *

Meanwhile, news reached Communist Germany, which had provoked Britain, that Makhno’s Free Territory had been annexed less than three days after Russia began its special military operation.

“Damn, to think Makhno’s Free Territory would fall like this.”

Secretary Liebknecht gritted his teeth.

Although Anastasia hadn’t valued it highly, the Free Territory was one of the few potential allies for Communist Germany.

“When he was found, he was wearing women’s underwear on his face in the middle of womanizing.”

“What an easy life.”

In the future Final Revolutionary War, they had planned to use Makhno’s Free Territory to strike at Russia from below, but to be defeated like this…

Well, could someone who wears underwear on his head properly run an anarchist free territory?

“But couldn’t it be the machinations of those imperialists?”

That could be the case.

Yes. There’s a high probability that the cunning and vicious Tsarina fabricated it that way.

But it was awkward for Communist Germany to claim Russia had fabricated evidence for the sake of the already dead Makhno and the collapsed Free Territory.

If he had at least fled to Germany, he could have encouraged the anarchists remaining in the Ukrainian Free Territory. But he committed suicide, so that’s how things turned out.

Whether suicide or whatever, he died, so the Tsar made such a fabrication.

But it would be unreasonable to claim “Makhno is alive in Germany!” without plausible grounds.

“Whatever the case, what’s important is that Comrade Makhno gave them that pretext. Wasn’t the Free Territory established with the Tsar’s permission from the beginning? From the start, it was in such a state that it could collapse from within at any time.”

Still, after Hungary reclaimed Transylvania and Romania turned anti-communist, they had sent a friendly letter to Makhno hoping to gain even a few more friends, but it ended up helping the Tsar instead.

“So far, Russia has benefited from what we’ve done. For the time being, let’s focus on governing our internal affairs.”

“Yes, comrade.”

There’s no reason to do Russia any favors.

While Britain and France focus on post-war reconstruction and stabilizing their colonies, Communist Germany should also focus on strengthening internally.

“Tell Comrade Mussolini to be careful too. Isn’t he the main contributor to Romania turning anti-communist?”

“Yes, understood, comrade.”

If France had started a communist revolution, the German Communist Party would have immediately cut ties with pseudo-communist countries like Italy, but for now, they had no choice.

Even such an Italy is currently an ally of Germany.

Karl Liebknecht felt extremely uneasy.

While ignoring the protests of the great powers claiming it wasn’t an army, he was increasing the number of German People’s Self-Defense Forces to hundreds of thousands, preparing for the future.

But.

That Italy. What if they’re no help in war and instead send 20 divisions, creating a situation where Germany has to help them?

Such a frightening future flashed before his eyes, but he dismissed it as needless worry and shook his head.

* * *

After integrating Eastern Ukraine, the Ukrainian Autonomous Republic was established.

City State Dumas were also established in the region, with pro-Russian figures forming the city Dumas.

Fortunately, there wasn’t much resistance in Ukraine, and it seemed many people were coming over from Western Ukraine.

But this raised questions.

People are coming over from Western Ukraine.

Isn’t that quite suspicious?

“Even though we did promote it, why are people coming over from Western Ukraine? While the Free Territory Ukrainians had no choice, Western Ukraine is at least functioning as a British puppet state, isn’t it?”

Honestly, even if we say “Come to Eastern Ukraine,” who would actually come saying “Yes, I will”?

Maybe it’s because I have the mindset of a future Korean.

Come to think of it, Ukraine was also called Little Russia.

In this 20th century, which isn’t the world I lived in, is it possible that Ukrainians want to belong to Russia?

“Perhaps it’s because of the Eastern Ukrainian Autonomous Republic? They might see the pro-British puppet government of the Western Ukrainian Republic and the Eastern Ukrainian Autonomous Republic within the Russian United States as similar concepts and chose to come over.”

“I see. If they feel like puppet states are the same, they’d rather come to Russia.”

“Moreover, it seems Western Ukraine also finds it hard to trust Britain after their surrender to Communist Germany.”

So rather than living in a British puppet state across the sea that knelt to communism, they’d prefer to come into Russia’s embrace?

Hmm, not bad.

But would Western Ukraine really come to our side just because of that?

How much promotion could we possibly do?

“Even so, to that extent?”

“Everyone in Ukraine knows Your Majesty’s reputation. Perhaps they believe Russia will protect Ukraine?”

“Is that so?”

Does it work like that?

I still don’t understand the European mindset.