Ch.188The Royal Faction Coup Incident

Taking advantage of France’s blundering, they plan to conquer immediately.

So Kemal changes like this when history changes.

No. This must be normal.

Especially those British bastards. Our Mr. Gallipoli was teabagging at the end when he took Turkish land in this timeline, and before the war, he was being hostile with battleships too.

Given the opportunity, this makes sense. Though I wonder if this is right.

If our Turkey wants to try something, we should humor them.

I like watching history change, you know?

Especially seeing how things will unfold.

Since Russia took part of Anatolia, they might try to recover the remaining Arab territories.

It’s not entirely impossible.

After all, the Ottomans were arrogant enough to call themselves Rome.

And now France and Britain are showing weakness? How could they resist?

They’d want to go straight through Syria and the Arab lands to Egypt, wouldn’t they?

The problem is that if this happens, Palestine won’t look like the map I know. I don’t know when they’ll make their move, but Atatürk won’t act thoughtlessly.

“Our weapons production isn’t exactly overflowing.”

It’s troublesome being this popular.

China has started producing their own weapons, and we’ve been supporting Poland, the Balkan countries, and Ethiopia. Of course we should support the Kingdom of Finland too.

No, maybe I’ll postpone Finland.

It should be fine as long as Sweden and Norway aren’t at risk of being consumed.

What’s left is that we want to use our materials for explosive warfare, but…

“Should we expand the factories more?”

We need to increase our munitions factories to demonstrate Russia’s overwhelming production capacity. Let’s sell more weapons.

Those weapons will lead to fights against communists. They should be able to hold out with those weapons.

We sell weapons, and when the Anti-Comintern Pact countries fight Germany with our weapons, we shed less blood.

“Won’t the countries buying our weapons be the first to face communist invasion?”

“That’s true.”

Maria has good insight, so the State Duma will probably look favorably on selling weapons to countries that will fight the communist bloc first.

From the evaluation reports, it’s clear this isn’t just a report but includes various opinions from the Duma.

Most of them seem to be in favor of selling weapons.

Of course, the military opposes this position.

The military argues that they should be the first to catch the communists if war breaks out.

I suppose that makes sense.

Through the Civil War, the White Army developed strong anti-communist tendencies.

Honestly, they’re not wrong, but we don’t need to rush.

Just as Britain wants Germany and Russia to drain each other’s strength, we’re making excuses to force Austria, Poland, and the Balkans to suffer.

Hmm, this is pretty good. With America providing justification, it’s solid.

“Then shall we approve the weapons sales?”

“Shall I inform the Duma of this decision?”

“Yes.”

I started this, but most of it is managed so closely with the military that sometimes I wonder if these defense companies are actually mine.

Well, it’s good that the Duma comes to get permission for these things.

But I see there’s also a request regarding television exports.

I was thinking the Duma should handle this on their own, but it turns out this company is also mine.

Yusupov has put everything in my name.

“There’s also a matter regarding television exports.”

Especially the Balkan countries are desperately asking for exports.

Well, television has been commercialized in Russia, but not in other countries.

Russia with advanced technology? I can’t resist this.

“Is television of sufficient quality to export?”

“Hmm.”

Since Russians are using it, it should be good enough to export, right?

Come to think of it, does America have a television business right now?

With their country in that state, and us acquiring various businesses, television seems to be behind its original historical timeline.

So, are we monopolizing it?

Oh, this could be interesting. Monopolizing televisions worldwide? I can’t resist.

Hmm, but what’s this?

Besides the export matter, there’s something else that recently came up regarding Britain.

It’s a document that was urgently submitted today, but what could it be?

“Huh? What’s this? Cabinet resignation in Britain?”

Reading it, there was a mass cabinet resignation in Britain. It happened right after the military parade.

In the original history, there was no mass cabinet resignation. That’s because when threatened with it, Edward abdicated the throne to be with the woman he loved.

Even though she was a divorcee who had been divorced twice, he truly loved her and gave up the throne of that vast empire to choose her.

Of course, strictly speaking, it wouldn’t mean much to become king of the empire since it wasn’t an absolute monarchy anyway.

“I wonder how this will unfold.”

Edward now has an ally.

A powerful ally named Churchill.

Probably that Churchill whispered devilish suggestions that he didn’t need to give up either the throne or the woman.

Of course, there would be some conditions, but he would be delighted not to have to give up the throne.

The proof is that Stanley Baldwin’s cabinet in Britain has actually resigned en masse.

This is quite interesting, isn’t it?

* * *

Recently, in the British Empire

Edward VIII wanted to marry the glamorous woman Wallis Simpson, who had been divorced twice, just as in the original history.

Naturally, Stanley Baldwin’s cabinet could not accept this.

“If Your Majesty insists on marrying that immoral divorcee in a mésalliance, you must abdicate the throne. If not, we have no choice but to resign en masse!”

This led to the cabinet resignation as in the actual history, but in this world, things were a bit different.

Edward VIII had no intention of giving up either Wallis Simpson or the throne.

Instead, he boldly mocked the cabinet.

“Then do so.”

“Your Majesty! What are you saying?”

“I cannot give up either my woman or my throne! Even my father, who wanted to pass the throne to Bertie and Lilibet, couldn’t stop this! How can one speak of the throne when one cannot even protect one’s own woman?”

His determination to protect his woman as king.

Stanley Baldwin was moved by Edward’s firm resolve, which until now had seemed completely unsuited for a king, and made his decision.

“If that is your final decision, the cabinet will resign en masse.”

Stanley Baldwin’s cabinet finally declared their mass resignation.

And this presented another opportunity for Churchill.

The King’s Party prepared by Churchill, along with World War I veterans, workers, and various lower-status citizens, passionately supported Edward’s mésalliance. Taking advantage of the cabinet’s resignation, the King’s Party mobilized veterans to seize control of the cabinet.

Edward VIII also appealed to the people to recognize his marriage, following Churchill’s instructions.

“Citizens of the British Empire, please hear my words. I, Edward, King of the British Empire, love a woman who is of lower status than you—or perhaps even lower than you. However, the royal family and cabinet are preventing our marriage because she is not of noble birth, and they have even abandoned the nation’s politics by resigning en masse. What does this mean? It means that the cabinet and royal family, in their position of ruling the British Empire, have been disrespecting the citizens of the British Empire! I repeatedly appeal to you to support me, the rightful king, and to support the marriage between Simpson and me—a marriage between a king and a commoner!”

There were many reasons why the marriage should not take place, but Edward omitted those parts and thoroughly incited the people, claiming that the royal family and cabinet were preventing the marriage because he wanted to marry a woman of lower status. People of similar class to this “lower status woman” pointed fingers at Baldwin’s cabinet, which had previously taken a submissive stance toward communist Germany and now decided to resign en masse.

“What does social status matter in love! Now we see how the royal family and cabinet really think of the citizens!”

“Edward and the King’s Party should govern the country!”

Winston Churchill, who had been preparing for this day in the shadows, used this atmosphere to organize demonstrations by workers supporting the King’s Party in cities across the British Empire.

“Long live King Edward!”

“God save our King!”

“What is the King’s Party doing? Hurry and serve the new king!”

It wasn’t just about Edward’s accession.

Churchill had given speeches saying that not only Edward, but the current cabinet was weak, and that he would make the British Empire great again.

“Down with the cabinet that surrendered to communist Germany!”

“Root out communism in the colonies!”

The demonstrations spread nationwide, and Stanley Baldwin finally realized he had been outmaneuvered.

He had thought Winston Churchill was suspiciously quiet lately, not knowing he was preparing for this.

Bearing the disgrace of having abandoned the country, Stanley Baldwin went to see Winston Churchill.

“If you don’t want to throw the prestige of the British Empire into the Dover Strait, stop this ridiculous behavior at once!”

“Well, who’s being more ridiculous in this situation? People who resigned en masse over a mere marriage issue, a woman issue, and now what?”

Churchill mockingly laughed at Stanley Baldwin, finding it absurd.

It was out of the question.

“Do you really intend to divide the nation?”

“Divide the nation? The British Empire—this country—is shining more brightly than ever before. Don’t you see everyone on the streets praising His Majesty?”

To be precise, the king was little more than a figurehead, but things would be different from now on.

“Fine, go ahead and try. I declare that because of you, Churchill, this country might be ruined!”

Stanley Baldwin’s words were not empty.

While the situation might be manageable on the British mainland, it was different in the dominions of the British Empire.

The Dominion of Canada, the Union of South Africa, Australia, New Zealand, and others opposed the mésalliance with a divorcee.

On the other hand, colonies like British India and British Malaya quietly followed the orders from the British mainland.

The colonies had no choice.

The colonial authorities were displeased with the homeland cowering before communist Germany, which was spreading communism in the colonies.

However, the betrayal of other white Commonwealth nations like Canada was enough to enrage Churchill.

“Such treacherous bastards!”

Churchill’s face turned red with fury.

How dare the British dominions defy the will of the British Empire! They should never have created the Statute of Westminster.

“No. No, that’s not it.”

While Churchill was furious, crumpling the newspaper reporting that the dominions wanted to go their own way if Britain insisted on pushing through the mésalliance, he also reconsidered.

Could it be that communist seeds had spread to those dominions as well?

Otherwise, it made no sense for them to dare threaten the British Empire using the mésalliance as an excuse.

This raised suspicions that Canada, Australia, New Zealand, and other white nations might also be becoming communist.

Mosley, however, had a different perspective.

“Prime Minister, isn’t the colonial issue more urgent?”

“The colonies?”

“The other dominions surely know they can’t survive without the homeland, but India is where communist Germany is focusing its attention.”

The dominions would have to rely on Britain without the homeland.

But the colonies were different. At this very moment, the red seed was spreading.

“Hmm. That’s true.”

“What about expanding their autonomy a bit more and promising them independence after we defeat communist Germany?”

Of course, since war hadn’t broken out yet, the condition of defeating communist Germany would come later.

“Are you suggesting we let go of the colonies?”

“I’m saying we should dangle a carrot for now. That way, even the communists won’t be able to gain traction.”

“They won’t believe us, will they?”

Even during the Great War, Britain promised to develop autonomous institutions, but after the war, they oppressed India and cracked down on Indian independence activists.

It’s no wonder communism spread easily in India—they felt betrayed by Britain after the war.

So, the suggestion was to expand autonomy from now on.

“They won’t believe us immediately, so we add conditions. We say we’ll allow independence for a unified India if they agree to have our king as their head of state.”

“Hmm.”

Rather than promising everything from the start, which would seem like a lie, the compromise would be to have the British king serve as the monarch of India.

“We can always change our words later. Moreover, if we tell them this will make them equal to the white dominions, the Indians won’t be able to refuse. And the dominions won’t want to be treated the same as Indians, so they’ll find it harder to criticize the homeland’s mésalliance.”

“That’s a good approach.”

After the Great War, Britain had already promised to increase Indian representation in administration and further develop autonomous institutions.

The new government would now promise to fulfill those promises, but instead of giving everything away too obviously, they would compromise by having the British king serve as India’s head of state.

Then, after defeating communist Germany, they could find various excuses to reassert control over India.

But the betrayal of the dominions was still unacceptable.