Ch.241Italy Withdrawal

How dare a future king of a fallen nation call out to anyone with that filthy mouth.

The Spetsnaz wanted to put a hole in Alexander’s forehead but restrained himself. Perhaps that’s exactly what he was hoping for with those words.

“I’m afraid I can’t deign to answer that. Anyway, it would be best if you came with us.”

Still cautious, the Spetsnaz threatened him by pointing his gun.

Of course, Alexander had no intention of submitting to the gun barrel.

“If you try to drag me away by force, I’ll die right here!”

Alexander employed his final measure, staking his own life.

At this declaration, the Spetsnaz soldier’s lips curled into a sneer.

It’s already over, so why bother? The great Tsar has already decided to erase Serbia as a nation to make an example of it for the future.

Naturally, the life of a king meant nothing.

“You think the life of some minor country’s king matters? Taking your corpse back would accomplish our mission just the same. And exile won’t be permitted either.”

While Alexander was taken aback by these disrespectful words that showed no courtesy to a king, the Spetsnaz drugged him into unconsciousness.

With that, the preparations were complete.

* * *

Italy’s situation was worse than Germany’s.

Communist Germany could at least use the excuse that many of their people surrendered. Italy simply collapsed mindlessly.

“It’s the Danubian Defense Force!”

“R-Russian and Bulgarian forces are coming too!!”

“Down south, Ethiopia is entering Rome!”

“We’re surrounded by enemy forces!”

Of course, enemies were pouring in from all directions, but there’s no denying that their situation was pathetically bad regardless.

The Italian army was full of incompetent generals not even worth mentioning.

Perhaps in the original world it would be different. But here, things were far more miserable.

The only one who fought well was Inigo Campioni, who battled against Kuznetsov.

They say he tried to retreat as soon as he realized it was a trap, but it was already too late.

They were simply overwhelmed by the difference in national power.

But how could these Italians retreat so much on their own soil?

At least Rodolfo Graziani, Giovanni Messe, and Pietro Badoglio were defending the southern front while the rest were in the north, causing their forces to be split between north and south, which led to them being completely crushed by the Danubian Defense Force.

If someone asks how I know all this so well, it’s because I’m currently receiving real-time information about Italy.

Yes, I’m currently in Italy.

Taking care of Italy is our first priority.

The German Imperial Army is maintaining order in the German homeland while our Bermont forces are responding to the communist guerrillas.

The rest of our main forces are facing off against the French Commune and the remaining Communist German forces in the lowlands and at the Maginot Line.

Unfortunately, it seemed the Maginot Line in this world would eventually be remembered in a similar way to our history.

However, I understand that the historical figure Maginot in this world began building fortresses belatedly due to massive investment in the army, so the fortresses are likely not very sturdy.

In fact, even the name “Maginot Line” was something I heard from captured French Commune soldiers, so I’m not entirely sure of the circumstances.

Anyway, they’re apparently building fortresses.

It’s clear they intend to hold out at the Maginot Line, just as Hitler blocked the Red Front at the Sudetenland.

Looking at this, it seems the Spanish forces couldn’t deliver the finishing blow to France.

“The Spanish forces seem to have reached their limit at Bordeaux.”

“Still, they’ve advanced quite far.”

That’s enough. I suppose they’ve paid their dues. Spain helped with the landing and clearly fulfilled the role we expected of them.

In truth, the way to end the war is like that—even if Spain pushes up and disperses the forces, we won’t need to push in directly.

By now, the Commune must be feeling the pressure.

So to give them time to regroup, we are heading down to Italy together with the Danubian Federation.

We’re making their preparations meaningless.

What would happen if all their preparations became meaningless and everything was reduced to nothing by nuclear weapons?

And.

Glancing to the side, I see a neatly combed toothbrush mustache from the Danubian Federation.

I never expected Hitler of all people to come with me.

First Wilhelm II, and now it seems leaders are taking direct action, as if infected by me.

I could skip this since I’m just a symbol, but wasn’t Hitler supposed to be the hero of the Danube? Is it appropriate for him to come directly?

What’s more, the driver who brought us here in this vehicle is Göring.

Right now, something feels extremely… distorted. Why is that?

It seems Göring, similar to original history, is an Air Force Marshal and appears to be Hitler’s successor.

He said he wanted to serve me along with his Prime Minister.

Seeing that Hitler didn’t object, it seems he approved. Perhaps Hitler is indeed considering Göring as his successor.

Surprisingly, it seems the Austrian side has a clear succession structure in place.

“Why are you coming down to Italy directly instead of driving France away?”

The meaning behind those words is this:

Why are you eyeing Italy when you could be devouring France?

What’s the point when we’ll all be bound to one power afterward anyway?

“We’re deliberately holding back in France. There’s no need for our Anti-Comintern forces to shed blood in France when we can still achieve victory. But don’t worry. We’re only going to Italy to coordinate.”

We have no particular intention of consuming Italy.

We’re just intervening in various ways.

But this shouldn’t be a bad thing from Hitler’s perspective either.

“Hmm. Honestly, the landing operation was unexpected. I would have preferred if we could have taken everything.”

Hitler clicked his tongue with a regretful expression.

Yes, that’s understandable. I feel the same regret.

Ethiopia is landing!

This is practically kill-stealing behavior.

“The Ethiopian Emperor must have been just as fired up. Why else would the Emperor come personally? Still, Ethiopia only intends to accept Mussolini’s surrender. In exchange, we’ve agreed to help with their modernization.”

While taking some time to regroup, the Russian forces have attached themselves to the rear of the Danubian Federation as support, and our overwhelming air force is devastating the entire Italian territory.

If Communist Germany couldn’t withstand it, how could the Italian air force, which is being trampled by Ethiopia, possibly win?

The quality of their aircraft aside, our side is a country that pulls people from the fields to fight.

Young soldiers, even younger than me, are flying through Italian skies, ready to die for me.

“What do other countries want from Italy?”

“Spain seems to want Sardinia and Sicily. That will need to be coordinated with Spain. We’ll also need to restore the Papal States. The deposed Italian king plans to establish the Kingdom of the Two Sicilies in the south. What do you think?”

Not as if I’m doing them a favor, but genuinely.

Once the European economy is unified, it won’t matter anyway.

“Hmm.”

“We definitely need to divide Italy.”

“Then, we should take Venice as a direct territory and make Lombardy an independent puppet state. I agree those bastards should be torn apart. I want to rip them all to pieces.”

Yes, that’s good, but all the way to Venice?

I briefly thought about the Austro-Hungarian Empire taking Venice.

Good heavens. Isn’t that a bit too bloated? Well, I might just be too accustomed to the Austro-Hungarian borders, but somehow… it seems like it would look ugly.

“Ah, then the borders might look a bit too fat.”

“Pardon?”

“Never mind. And though it’s not something to discuss right now, I’m thinking of leaving post-war Serbia to the Danube and Bulgaria. They can either tear it in half, make it an autonomous region, or exterminate the Serbs like the atrocities happening in the Far East, turning their land into a land of death. As the Prime Minister knows, Serbs are troublemakers who start wars despite having nothing.”

“Then what are your plans for Germany?”

“The German Kaiser wants all of his homeland back. But considering what the Danube has done, if you want, you could take Bavaria in southern Germany and return the rest of northern Germany to the Kaiser. How does that sound?”

That seems fair for the war effort.

Occupying Germany doesn’t mean much since we’ve already broken through and occupied it together.

“What does the Tsar think?”

“Honestly, I feel sorry for the dying Kaiser, but this time he was overshadowed by France. In truth, the German Empire might start another war in the future. If you want, I can give you the south.”

We’ll bind them together to prevent thoughts of war.

But in this world, Hitler’s contributions have been significant. I think at least after the war, he can’t be prevented from taking some territory.

That’s all there is to it.

“I want to know the Tsar’s thoughts.”

“If it’s difficult to consume, making the south independent is also an option.”

“May I ask why?”

Yes, he probably has some dissatisfaction.

Well, there’s no particularly grand reason.

“Honestly, although we’ve won this war, hasn’t the Danubian Federation suffered massive damage? Italy can take up to Venice, recover Bosnia, and tear apart Serbia. But to properly incorporate those lands immediately, post-war reconstruction is urgent. You’ve already achieved the goal of liberating the Germanic people, so there’s no need to be greedy. Personally, I like pictures, you know?”

I like pictures in a different sense than Hitler.

Maps, I mean. Maps. I like perfect territorial pictures.

Just as Korea looks best with either just the Korean Peninsula or extending to the edge of Manchuria, I think other countries also have territories that suit them best.

No matter how I look at it, the Danube would look best if it just restored the territories from the Dual Monarchy era.

Other regions could be kept as autonomous regions or puppet states. I’m being generous by including Serbia.

“Pictures?”

“I can accept the territory of the Dual Monarchy era, half of Serbia, and up to Venice. But if you take southern Germany including Bavaria, won’t it look strangely pointed to the side and ugly?”

I showed him with my finger on the map, extending from the Danubian Federation westward to southern Germany.

I can’t tolerate that, if nothing else.

The Danubian Federation, or simply Austria-Hungary, looks best with borders that spread out like flour dough thrown forcefully.

Taking southern Germany and Venice would make it look too round and fat.

One round Hungary is enough.

Honestly, even Venice looks ugly, so I’m conflicted. But I can’t tell the party with the largest war contribution that their borders would be ugly, so I’ll let it go.

“Borders. I see.”

He briefly had a serious expression. This…

Is my comment annoying him? Is he telling me to shut up?

Well, if he’s annoyed, he should have done well from the beginning of the war. Even if the Danubian Federation’s contribution is large, without us, they would have been fragmented again by now.

“I’m curious, though it’s probably obvious. Is there no resistance from the Italian army?”

I’m genuinely curious about this.

“No. Our forces have already broken through Italian resistance and are advancing south. The Italian army is pathetically weak, requiring no caution. There aren’t even communist guerrillas fighting back.”

Hitler was seething with anger at the fact that he had allowed an attack on such a pathetic country.

The easy breakthrough of resistance might also be due to the Ethiopian forces.

I know that tens of thousands of Ethiopian troops have landed.

There’s not much more for us to discuss.

The fact that Göring is driving us in the car itself indicates that the tide of war has already turned in our favor.

Every Italian city we pass through has the flag of the Anti-Comintern Pact flying.

Italy, which once boasted of Rome’s glory, was now collapsing helplessly.

That’s what happens when you can’t even conquer Ethiopia and end up in limbo.

This is serious enough for Hitler to come.

“Which areas are not yet under control?”

“The northwestern region hasn’t completely fallen yet, but unfortunately, Benito Mussolini seems unable to escape. He’s reportedly fighting in Rome.”

Perhaps he couldn’t escape because he was surrounded from all directions.

Thinking about original history, he collapsed but was able to establish the Italian Social Republic thanks to Hitler.

Though that didn’t last long either.

If we go to Rome, we might see the Emperor of Ethiopia too. Mussolini probably couldn’t find a chance to escape because he was surrounded from all directions.

“If he’s holding out in the capital, then capturing Benito Mussolini would end Italy.”

“That shouldn’t be difficult.”

“We’re approaching Rome, Italy.”

Rome, Italy. So we’re heading there now!

Good grief, why did they even start a war if it would end like this? What ridiculous people.

“At this rate, it seems the Danubian Federation forces could have defeated Italy even before Yugoslavia declared war.”

“What else could those Italian bastards do?”

“True enough. Looking at how they were miserably defeated in Ethiopia and Greece, isn’t it almost pitiful to beat up Italy?”

“That’s true, hahaha! It would be amusing to tell Benito Mussolini that we’ll let him keep his regime if he surrenders because he’s so pathetically bad at war.”

Hitler seems to have a lot of pent-up frustration.

Well, even though they were torn apart by the Danubian mountain division, the pressure the Danubian Federation must have felt from the south would have been quite intense.

While their main forces somehow defended Germany at the Sudetenland, a considerable Italian force reportedly came from below.

Even if Italy is considered easy, in the worst-case scenario, if the Danubian mountain division had been defeated, it would have been a straight shot to Vienna, and they would have had to redeploy troops from the Sudetenland.

In an instant, the Danubian Federation would have been torn to pieces, and Hitler would have put a bullet in his forehead in a bunker again.

He would have met the same ending in a Danubian Federation bunker instead of a German one.

Of course, since Mussolini hasn’t gone to a gas station here yet, I’m not sure if he would have committed suicide.

“Your Majesty! Rome has been captured!”

As we were leisurely descending, watching cities with the Anti-Comintern Pact flags fluttering, we finally received word that Rome had been captured.

It was the moment that effectively ended the Italian campaign.