Ch.216The Fate of Britain and France?

# National Duma

I heard that troops sent to America are returning one after another.

Now we should wait for the right moment before joining the war. I heard there’s someone who achieved military merit during this American expedition.

I’m planning to hear about this person from the White Army Department now.

“Hmm, I heard there were some who achieved remarkable military accomplishments among the American expedition forces.”

“Yes. They were originally from the Red Army during the Civil War. But they defected quickly.”

Defected from the internment camp? I hope it’s someone notable.

Or is it just some nobody who gained a bit of importance this time?

“Who are they?”

“Mikhail Tukhachevsky and Georgy Zhukov.”

“Tukhachevsky was in the military?”

“Yes. After being taken to Siberia, he expressed his intention to defect.”

I had forgotten about him. But perhaps it was worth forgetting.

In this world, Tukhachevsky’s presence was quite faint due to the defeat in the Civil War.

Still, it seems he’s proven himself capable by achieving great success in America.

“Wasn’t he with Stalin?”

“Even Stalin is now playing priest in an internment camp. Didn’t he want to join our United States?”

Indeed. Stalin is in that state, and the current United States is completely different from Russia. What is there to hesitate about?

Rather than maintaining pride, they would probably prefer joining the United States.

“True. The current Russia is much better than the Soviet Union.”

That’s the normal reaction, I suppose.

He probably fought hard to shed his communist image.

And Georgy Zhukov too. Unlike others who were sent to firing squads, they survived and are now reaping the benefits.

So, will they contribute to the war against Germany?

“Your Majesty. Germany has finally sparked a revolution in France.”

This news came from the Okhrana’s French branch.

“Minister of Interior, is this true?”

“Yes.”

“I’m confused by this sudden talk of revolution without context.”

Is the situation that serious? I should summon the Okhrana.

“We’ve only just figured it out ourselves. France fell too suddenly. We need to investigate further, but it appears that while communist German forces attacked the Allied forces at the Low Countries border, another army broke through the Ardennes Forest and attacked from behind.”

That’s exactly like the Sickle Cut operation.

So the German army successfully stabbed them in the back.

“Hmph.”

I never imagined this would happen.

It seems Goebbels has achieved something even more impressive than Nazi Germany.

If that soul’s gamble had failed, Goebbels would have had to shoot himself in the head in a bunker. It’s remarkable that he succeeded.

“Well, it’s not bad.”

So far, things are proceeding as I predicted.

France’s fall was within my expectations. Actually, I’m grateful that France has fallen.

This way, I won’t have to struggle with Britain and France later, and can save Europe trembling from the threat of communism.

My scenario is working out well.

“But surely not everyone has joined the revolution?”

“Influential figures like Charles de Gaulle and Pétain from Spain have gone to Algeria to form a French Republic government-in-exile.”

De Gaulle and Pétain went to Algeria?

Not to England but Algeria? That’s quite a deviation.

And they went together with Pétain.

It’s ironic considering Pétain led Vichy France in the original history. But here, with the red revolution, they had no choice.

And the fact that he was in Spain suggests he got along well with the Falange.

“What about within France?”

“There’s a resistance group called the Cross of Fire, similar in nature to the German Freikorps.”

Cross of Fire. Yes, I’ve heard of it.

Wasn’t François de La Rocque the leader?

“Hmm. Is François de La Rocque in charge?”

“Not certain, but since he led the Cross of Fire before the war, it’s possible.”

The French Resistance Cross of Fire led by La Rocque. Pétain and de Gaulle in Algeria. This is quite intriguing.

“Hmm. Then the Allied forces are finished, aren’t they?”

There’s a limit to what La Rocque can achieve with guerrilla tactics inside France.

In the original history, the Allied forces nearly collapsed with just one Sickle Cut operation.

But since this Germany is much weaker than Nazi Germany, they’ll try to eradicate the opposition completely.

And if most of the French army joins the People’s Army alongside the Germans…

It really is the end.

“Yes. Churchill had been training elite troops to completely defeat Germany by land, sea, and air, but he was counting on France to make up for Britain’s insufficient ground forces. France had invested more in its army even during the Great Depression after the Great War.”

“But with the revolution erupting, and Germany making peace at a reasonable point rather than creating a puppet state through force, there’s no justification or possibility for a military coup. Is there no civil war?”

The French army was full of anti-war sentiment, and they suffered many casualties fighting Germany under British command.

The revolution didn’t just happen without reason. Perhaps it won’t be as devastating as Russia’s.

After all, this war was one that most French people disliked, from what I know.

“No. They were already surrounded. With French public sentiment already leaning toward the Commune, switching sides was a viable option.”

So the question is what happens to the Allied forces.

One thing’s for sure—they won’t be able to return intact.

With the French army, which made up most of the Allied ground forces, joining the Red Front, there’s no helping it.

“What’s the status of the Allied forces?”

I’m curious how they’ll be divided. France’s defection to revolution will cause problems.

“Including some Free French forces that joined the British and the Low Countries Allied forces, there are 500,000 men. Of these, 400,000 are British forces including Commonwealth troops.”

400,000 British troops. That must be what Churchill painstakingly raised in a country with a volunteer army.

The ground forces for this war were essentially France’s responsibility, but if they’ve all gone over to the communist side, what happens now?

“Considering Britain’s volunteer army system, if those 400,000 are annihilated, the worst-case scenario could unfold.”

The worst situation will occur.

Churchill rushed, and now things have come to this.

What a pathetic figure.

“Going forward, they’ll have to worry about colonial revolutions, let alone landing operations. No, they’ll gather their entire fleet to defend the homeland.”

What happens if Britain loses this much of its army?

Britain won’t even think about landing operations, and what will our excited communist Germany do next?

They’ll probably target Austria.

They’ll want to end the war in Britain before Britain can recover even slightly.

“Then they could seriously target Austria next.”

France was originally dominated by anti-war sentiment. They probably weren’t very enthusiastic about the war with Germany.

Having lost in this situation, what more is there to say?

I’m really conflicted now. La Rocque’s Cross of Fire in France, and Pétain and de Gaulle in Algeria. Supporting them would be interesting, but…

If the world has already become an alternate history, wouldn’t it be good to make this part alternate too?

I’m curious why they went to Algeria instead of England. Perhaps most of the French army went over to the People’s Army, so they pretended to comply at first before escaping south.

Then I’m curious about La Rocque.

I’d like to support him rather than Charles de Gaulle or Pétain. If La Rocque’s resistance is similar to the German Freikorps, it would be good to create a power struggle within France later.

“What about the French fleet?”

Seeing how de Gaulle and Pétain managed to escape to Algeria, they must have seized part of the fleet, even if they were just taking advantage of an opportunity.

“The French fleet has split, from what we understand.”

“I assume the anti-communist faction fleet carrying figures like Pétain and de Gaulle went to Algeria.”

“Yes.”

So the French fleet has been torn apart.

Now, let me think about this. What would happen if, in this chaos, the Italian fleet and the Red French fleet destroyed the British Mediterranean Fleet?

“Could the Italian fleet fight the British Mediterranean Fleet? What does the Naval Minister think? You’ve been leading naval expansion by understanding other countries’ naval capabilities, so you must know the situation?”

Kolchak, unlike in the original history where he commanded the White Army, has been quite enthusiastic about naval expansion.

Considering the British, French, and Italian fleets, he wanted to make at least the Black Sea Fleet large enough to fight the Italian Royal Navy.

So he should know the size of the Italian fleet.

“The Italian fleet is slightly inferior to or about equal to the British Mediterranean Fleet. At least, it’s in a position to challenge it.”

In the original history, the Italian fleet gave the British Mediterranean Fleet a lot of trouble.

Of course, they only caused trouble and ultimately had clear limitations.

I want to see a new possibility here.

“In that case, Pétain and de Gaulle who went to Algeria will be busy. Seeing how most of the army has gone over to the People’s Army, the navy probably isn’t much different. What if the French navy also joins communist Italy to fight the Mediterranean Fleet? Isn’t that quite possible?”

“Certainly, if that happens.”

Let me create a scenario based on my own speculation.

What if the Mediterranean Fleet moves to the Atlantic to protect the homeland?

What if the communist French fleet and communist Italian fleet strike from behind?

That would be very troublesome.

“What would happen if they engaged in battle without knowing that the French navy had defected?”

In the original history, the scuttling happened only in 1942 when Nazi Germany was about to seize the fleet.

But the circumstances are very different from the original history.

France has been hit by various crises and finally had a revolution due to communist Germany’s machinations.

Would the Republic loyalists have had time to scuttle the ships? France is developing in an interesting way; it never disappoints.

“Hmm. Then, what if Turkey targets Syria in this chaos?”

“Syria, Your Majesty?”

It’s time to keep our promise to Turkey.

The current Turkey should be able to take Syria. We should support Turkey’s occupation of Syria.

“Turkey has built up its military significantly. At the very least, they could recover their homeland and Syria, which were taken by Britain and France.”

This means they’re not so weak that they can’t take Syria, which is in disarray.

Fortunately, Kemal is still alive in Turkey.

Perhaps he’s taken care of his health due to my occasional advice.

“Wouldn’t that be a hostile act?”

“That’s for Kemal to decide, but if the British army is annihilated this time, they’ll be in no position to complain. They might even have to be mindful of Turkey’s mood. Moreover, communist France will also claim Syria as its territory. In that case, Turkey might take it on the pretext of removing communism from their front yard.”

Red France won’t be willing to give up its colonies immediately.

No matter how communist they are, they still have the prestige of a colonial empire. Even if they have to give up Algeria because of the French Republic provisional government, would they give up Syria?

This could be the opportunity.

“That would be interesting.”

“Your Majesty, wouldn’t it be better after the British army is annihilated?”

Britain will be concerned with its own affairs—can they afford to look after France?