Ch.226Counterattack

* * *

Danube Federation, Vienna

Around this time, at the Prime Minister’s residence in Vienna.

“Prime Minister. I’m told the Sudetenland line is slowly collapsing.”

“What about the situation in the south?”

“The Italian army and Yugoslavia are somehow holding, but it seems difficult to defend the Sudetenland unless we withdraw troops from here.”

Hitler slammed his fist on the desk in response to the desperate report.

After all that preparation, could the Red army really be that powerful?

France, which had thoughtlessly become Goebbels’ lapdog, was nothing to worry about, but that damned Goebbels.

That damned Goebbels. He had seemed like a somewhat likable fellow despite being a Red. Was he such a formidable enemy all along?

Well, it was almost miraculous that they had made it this far.

Through the grand compromise that the Austrian Empire couldn’t achieve before the Great War, they had united multiple ethnicities and declared them honorary Aryans.

Then came economic and industrial development. They strengthened the country by sweeping away opponents of integration with the SS.

But perhaps that was the problem.

If they’d had just a little more time, they could have surely held the line.

Suddenly, Hitler opened his desk drawer and took out a Walther PPK pistol.

It was a Walther PPK produced at the Austrian Karl Walther Arsenal, as the Walther company had relocated to Austria in this timeline.

‘If they come flooding into Vienna…’

Hitler suddenly imagined himself in an underground bunker, putting a gun to his head and pulling the trigger.

The scene came to mind with strange clarity. In such a worst-case scenario, suicide might be necessary.

Russia had entered the war, but who knew when they would arrive.

Perhaps they would come to devour the fragmented Danube only after everything had collapsed.

Rumors said that the French Commune People’s Army was determined to block the Russian army in the east.

So he needed to be ready to pull the trigger at any moment.

After all, the leader of a nation standing against the Reds couldn’t allow himself to be captured by them and subjected to a meaningless people’s trial.

He checked the ammunition in preparation for that moment.

But.

Unexpectedly, this world’s Hitler was also a man of good fortune.

Bang!

The door to the Prime Minister’s office burst open and Hermann Göring entered.

“Prime Minister! The Russian army has finally moved! They’re trampling the Red Front’s forces in eastern Poland and coming to save us! Their air force is already driving away the Red Front’s aircraft bombing the Sudetenland, so it won’t be long now!”

This was precisely the news they had been waiting for.

Russia was pushing back the Red Front’s forces in eastern Poland and sending their air force to support the Danube Federation troops in the Sudetenland.

“Is that true?”

“Yes. We’re saved now!”

Hitler’s legs gave way and he collapsed into his chair.

He had nearly fallen over.

They were saved now. Those damned Slavs had finally moved their behinds.

With Russian support, they might survive.

After defeating all the Red armies in the Sudetenland, they would need to launch a counterattack.

Against those treacherous Italians who betrayed them during the Great War, and those vile Serbian tribes who, after reaping all sorts of benefits from starting the Great War, were now trying to take advantage of the Danube’s crisis by siding with the Red Front!

“Damn those Italians and Serbs. We must completely destroy them in this war.”

“It will certainly be so.”

Certainly. He would tear those Italians and Serbs to pieces. Certainly!

While one side was finding hope and steeling their resolve to fight to the death…

Across the sea, in an underground bunker on an island, a pot-bellied bald man was merely sneering at this grim reality.

Russia had finally begun its westward advance, starting with western Poland.

As expected, Russia’s capabilities were impressive.

The People’s Army of Communist Germany, which had been running rampant with no end in sight, was finally being pushed back.

Upon receiving the report, Churchill could only laugh hollowly.

“Heh heh heh. So they’ve started the war.”

As expected, Russia had joined the war as soon as the British Empire’s strength waned, meaning the end of the British Empire.

There was nothing they could do in this war.

The title of “Balancer of Europe” would have to be relinquished now.

“Yes. They’ve finally started moving.”

That Russia had finally begun to move.

But sadly, unless those Reds loaded all their ground forces onto ships and came by sea, Britain no longer had the strength to fight.

“And yet we can do absolutely nothing.”

This meant that Russia would claim the right to easily divide the European landscape like a cake in the future.

Britain could offer no resistance to this.

They would need an army to have any say in the matter.

Reports indicated that Russian aircraft filled the skies over all of Poland. If Britain declared war on Russia, those planes would turn the British Isles into a wasteland.

Well, they would need a ground army to fight anyway.

“I hear they firmly rejected Queen Wilhelmina’s plea for help. They apparently set the condition of giving up colonies.”

Of course.

So Russia is after the colonies after all.

Crash!

An enraged Churchill threw his wine bottle.

Mosley, now accustomed to this, secretly looked forward to seeing which bottle would be thrown next while trying to appease Churchill.

After all, no one was more qualified to be Britain’s Prime Minister than Churchill right now.

Although he had sacrificed a large portion of the British army, this was due to France’s betrayal.

He had even directed the families of the fallen to blame France, so what more could be said?

“Damn it. If we have to give up colonies after the war, how can we explain that to the people?”

It would be fortunate if a revolution didn’t break out.

No, there wasn’t even an army to stage a revolution.

‘Is this the time for such thoughts?’

They needed to prepare for the post-war period.

To avoid giving up the colonies, they needed to hold onto at least part of India.

If India, the crown jewel of the British Empire and the true source of its power, became completely independent, the people would tear them to pieces.

Perhaps they should accept the Empress’s proposal after all.

“By the way, Prime Minister.”

“What is it?”

“Remember when you insisted at headquarters that it was misinformation leaked by a German dissatisfied with Communist Germany? Shouldn’t you practice snorting mint chocolate?”

At those words, the ministers who had been watching Churchill’s mood carefully gave him strange looks.

As if to say, “Oh, I had forgotten about that.”

Mosley was bringing up a topic they had been deliberately ignoring due to the crisis.

Was Mosley an ally or an enemy?

After glaring at Mosley with anger, Churchill heaved a deep sigh.

“Let’s discuss that later. For now, we need to salvage at least part of India in future talks with the Russian Tsar.”

While one side was agonizing over colonial issues, in the East Prussian palace, Wilhelm was embracing his daughter Louise in military uniform.

An embrace that might be their last.

“Now that the Tsarina has finally moved, I cannot remain idle either.”

“Father.”

“Fortunately, loyal Junkers within the German People’s Army have informed us that they will surrender when we advance. How admirable.”

Once they reclaimed their homeland, they would tear those damned Reds to pieces and scatter them over the Dover Strait, where the blood of British soldiers still flowed.

Louise’s eyes welled with tears at the thought that she might lose her father too.

“If you die too, Father—”

“I will surely avenge your brothers and reclaim the German homeland for you. You need not worry and must take charge here as Kaiserin. Ludendorff, let’s go.”

“Yes, Your Majesty.”

Wilhelm II, who had survived through sheer determination after losing his homeland and family, had finally found his place to die.

The British could no longer claim a stake in the war, so now was the opportunity with Russia’s participation.

He would definitely reclaim the homeland and pass it on to his daughter.

For this day, Wilhelm II and Ludendorff, who had refused to die, mobilized all remaining Imperial German forces for a counterattack.

* * *

Western Poland

We finally recaptured western Poland.

Now we’re about to enter German territory proper.

However, the Poles’ reactions weren’t particularly positive.

“Now the Russian army is coming in.”

“Damn, the Russian army.”

“Are we going to be under Russian rule again?”

“Well, it’s probably better than Communist Germany. I heard they’ve already established the Polish Queen as a fait accompli in the east.”

The Poles felt that since Russia, not they themselves, had liberated them from Communist Germany, they would once again fall under Russian domination.

They didn’t really have a choice.

The Polish Republican Army that had been holding back Communist Germany’s People’s Army in the west had long since perished gloriously with Śmigły, and the remaining forces had moved west to join the Royal Army.

Meanwhile, Communist Germany had created “re-education centers” – essentially concentration camps – to forcibly convert Poles into communists.

In the midst of this, Russia, which had once oppressed Poland, had returned.

Although relations had improved somewhat recently, the Poles didn’t know how Russia would behave with Poland in such a weakened state.

But Russia was somewhat different this time.

Because as soon as they entered western Poland, the Russian Tsar personally freed Poles from the camps and mobilized soldiers to distribute food to them.

Yes, I took direct action.

“Are we going to be dragged into the war now?”

A thin boy with disheveled hair and dirty clothes asked me.

War? The Poles?

No. We don’t need to conscript Poles.

“You should protect and rebuild your homeland. We Russians will fight the war. I ask you, citizens of the Kingdom of Poland, to focus on rebuilding your country that has suffered from the Red plague. I ask this as the Queen of Poland.”

“Queen?”

Some people looked confused.

Yes. Some still don’t know.

When we occupied the east, the west was swallowed by Communist Germany.

“Eastern Poland became the Kingdom of Poland under the Eastern Military Union. I became Queen of Poland by the acclamation of eastern Poles. Commander Śmigły’s remaining forces also joined the Royal Army. A monarch should know how to care for their people. You need only attend to your livelihoods.”

Later, I met each Polish internee personally, shaking their hands and opening distribution centers where the Polish Royal Army directly handed out supplies.

The western Poles, who had suffered for months under Communist German rule, gratefully accepted everything we gave them.

The Russian-style choco pies were especially popular.

I think I’ve made a good impression.

Now I need some people to spread the word. I already have pro-Russian Poles ready for this.

“Long live Her Majesty, the Queen of Poland!”

“Long live the Queen!”

When a few people among the Poles shouted praise for the Queen, others who had been watching each other cautiously began to join in one by one.

“Well, Russia is different from before.”

“And if they officially treat us as part of the Eastern Military Union…”

The Poles accepted Russian rule – specifically, the Romanov Imperial family becoming the Polish royal family.

They didn’t have much choice, did they?

In the end, Poles have no choices.

I should applaud Śmigły, though we never met or had any connection. He fought hard against Communist Germany and gave his country to me.

He played the role of the second company and even gave up his country.

Well, I’ve done well so far. Now it’s time.

We’re about to enter the damned Communist German homeland.

Our Danube Federation has been working harder than expected, so things are going quite well.

All that remains is to quickly reorganize the European order, then beat down the barbaric Japanese and liberate Korea.

“Your Majesty. It’s finally time to enter Communist German territory.”

As we finished distributing supplies, Chief of General Staff Drozdovsky, exhausted from helping with the distribution, came to find me.

Yes, it’s time to go. How far have our troops advanced?

“How far have our forces advanced?”

“The 1st Army Group, along with the Imperial German Army, has occupied West Prussia to the north, and the 3rd Army Group has taken Hindenburg and Katowice to the south. The 2nd Army Group is now planning to advance on Posen.”

We’re essentially occupying Germany from all directions.

I wonder if we really need so many troops to occupy Germany.

But with this level of forces, we should be able to secure the occupation.

“Let’s go. The Kaiser must be waiting.”

Our Kaiser is eager for this.

I should at least follow behind the command post.

As I was thinking this, I had an unexpected encounter.

“Tsarina, it’s been a long time.”

It was Wilhelm II himself who had come.

Coming to meet me in the middle of a war? What could this be about?

“It has been a long time, Kaiser.”

The Kaiser I met after so long had become much thinner.

He’s aged, of course, but I wonder if he should really be leading troops in this condition.

The Kaiser looks surprised to see me.

“You look much the same as when we last met.”

“Of course, as Her Majesty is a saint, it’s only natural.”

Drozdovsky suddenly jumps in with worship of me.

A saint, so it’s natural.

In this world, I sometimes wonder if I’m single-handedly turning this into a modern fantasy.

“Let’s go with that. More importantly—”

I decided to let it go since I had nothing more to say on the matter.

The Kaiser’s priority right now isn’t my agelessness but defeating Communist Germany.

That must be why he came to see me. Let’s get to the point.

“What brings you here?”