Ch.57Age of Madness

Chen Jiongming returned in high spirits.

After that, he sent plenty of Russian military advisors and surplus weapons.

East Prussian support?

The East Prussian military doesn’t just support us.

It seems England is firmly supporting East Prussia to counter communist Germany.

So they’re just passing their surplus to Chen Jiongming.

“Is it wise to support that man? He doesn’t seem capable of controlling China.”

The Black Baron, who followed my orders to discreetly provide military advisors and supplies, doesn’t seem pleased with this arrangement.

Chen Jiongming certainly doesn’t have the look of someone who could dominate the world. That’s just his face.

But that doesn’t mean he’s completely incompetent.

Federalism Movement, United States of China.

With just these two concepts, I can use Chen Jiongming as my card to play.

“That’s precisely why we should support him. He may not be capable of controlling all of China, but he can handle a portion of it.”

Right. Chen Jiongming doesn’t have what it takes for complete control.

But he can function as a warlord.

He can govern a part of China and establish a local government.

Before the United States of China forms, in a suitably divided state of autonomous governments. In that state, he could maintain Guangdong at least.

“So you’re deliberately supporting him?”

“I look decades into the future, not just at the present. Until just a few decades ago, China was carved up like a cake by the great powers, but a unified, modernized China has tremendous potential. We must block that driving force of growth.”

As someone who knows the future, I’m determined to prevent it.

“Are you saying China could surpass us?”

To the Black Baron, this probably doesn’t sound plausible.

I understand why. Until recently, wasn’t China just a feeding ground for the great powers?

The idea that this feeding ground could defeat Russia must seem absurd.

Hard to believe, but true.

Well, the New Cold War is between America and China after all. Current Russians would probably find this difficult to believe.

So, without directly intervening ourselves, we need to reduce and properly divide China if possible.

“In any era, population numbers cannot be ignored. While the great powers were far ahead of China until now, one cannot dismiss that vast continental territory with its enormous population.”

“Still, I don’t think they could defeat us.”

The fact that China leads the New Cold War means they’ve already surpassed Russia. But these people don’t grow to show truly great power characteristics. Even before the nuclear war, they just caused all sorts of problems and displayed hegemonism.

Keeping them divided and fighting among themselves is the best option.

If Chen Jiongming’s United States of China becomes reality, not just Russia but Korea, which shares a border with China, would certainly become a satellite state.

It could fall even further behind than South Korea, the half-peninsula country in actual history.

“Personally, I’m very fond of China, which could be called the progenitor of Eastern civilization. That’s why I want there to be many.”

Many, very many. More than the currently existing countries in the world.

In my view, Syria and several other countries will eventually come under a rebuilt Ottoman Empire.

Hitler will try to revive Austria-Hungary to counter Germany, bringing Hungary and Czechoslovakia under Austria to become one.

The number of countries will decrease compared to original history.

So we should increase them on China’s side, right?

“So, you want China to be divided?”

“Yes, of course. Especially since we Russians share a border with China. We must be careful. All of this must be led by our United States. For the sake of our descendants in the distant future.”

After the Ukraine invasion related to the nuclear war, Russia, once the Soviet Union, was only pushed around by China.

The nuclear war was essentially started by China.

“I see. Your Majesty’s foresight is truly remarkable.”

It’s nothing remarkable.

I just want to prevent a bleak future.

From that perspective, being here might be better than being incarnated in Korea.

But being Russia means having to worry about both Europe and Asia, which is quite troublesome.

If only Britain and France, or even America with its overpowered position, would just act as they did in actual history, the future would somehow improve.

“The Foreign Ministry must also coldly assess international relations. We need to strengthen our connections with our existing negotiating partners: America, Britain, and France.”

“Yes. We’ve increased our troops stationed in East Prussia at Britain’s request.”

The Baltic region unfortunately chose independence.

Though it’s independence in name only—in my view, they’re British puppet states—but they call it independence, so what can I do?

Of course, as I said, I didn’t particularly interfere.

They’re countries that would eventually become independent anyway. Russia now needs to focus on rebuilding its image.

We can’t forcibly occupy territories that have already broken away from Russia, and we need to consider Britain’s face as much as possible.

Unless they start thinking, “Oh, Russia is easy to push around, let’s try it,” I have no intention of attacking the Baltics.

“About the Baltics. It’s unfortunate, but with Britain behind them, incorporation into the United States would be difficult.”

“Looking at Britain now, they seem desperate for our help. Perhaps we could try negotiating a bit.”

That’s not right.

Of course, it’s not impossible. If Britain just lies down and says, “Please give us the Baltics!” we would eventually give them.

But separately, Britain’s performance in the Great War could be significantly diminished.

“With Germany in that state, there must be a lot of talk within Britain. At this point, asking for the return of what was given up in the Treaty of Brest-Litovsk would be inappropriate.”

Britain’s position is important if World War II breaks out.

The entire island serves as a kind of unsinkable aircraft carrier, making it easy to bomb the German mainland. Assuming it happens, America—no, I don’t know how America will act in this world—the Russian army could use the British Isles as a strategic foothold to land in France or Germany.

Whatever else happens, we must prevent Britain from becoming communist or fascist.

“That’s unfortunate.”

“There’s nothing unfortunate about it. Just by securing the territories we currently have, Russia has many possibilities. Rather, we should make Russia so great that they themselves will regret not joining the United States.”

It’s a simple principle.

Just develop Russia to be enviable in their eyes.

The military will be satisfied with this approach.

Even though we lost some territories, that dissatisfaction could be adequately appeased by the recovery of Northern Manchuria, Mongolia, and Constantinople.

The Bolsheviks took all the blame for selling off land before they died.

It was their own doing, so they got what they deserved.

* * *

Around this time, Britain was also groaning internally.

They had gained nothing fundamental by being lenient with Germany.

Of course, they had acquired more colonies, received promises of reparations, and gained much through the Treaty of Brest-Litovsk.

But separately from that, Germany had ultimately experienced a revolution.

The leniency shown to Germany, which had delivered the biggest punch to the Entente in the war, was ultimately to prevent a communist revolution. But in the end, it happened anyway.

This meant there was no reason to have been lenient with Germany.

People remember losses more than gains. Parents whose children died on the battlefield were angrier about their children’s deaths being in vain than they were pleased about the large chunks of land Germany had ceded.

“What did we gain by being lenient with Germany?”

“Exactly! We ended up with communist Germany anyway!”

“What changed from my son’s death in the last war?”

“Why did we jump into a European war?”

“We, we received the Ottoman surrender! Everyone!”

“Only Russia recovered Constantinople and is celebrating!”

And what kind of surrender was the Ottoman surrender? They just said they would give up land if we signed a surrender document, a kind of mental victory. Even with the Ottomans, they had been dragging on tediously and barely won thanks to Russia.

And that’s not all.

They had thrown everything at ensuring the Kaiser of East Prussia could properly settle there.

The problem was: there were no reparations.

Communist Germany called for the annulment of the Treaty of Versailles.

They had disgorged all colonies, but Britain and France didn’t have the confidence to fight those communists again in those long trench wars against a Germany that was lying down with a “whatever” attitude.

It was a fight they could neither win nor lose.

They recognized communist Germany, but that recognition didn’t mean full acceptance in the international community—it meant they wouldn’t intervene militarily.

All they could do was, as always, work with other countries behind the scenes to diplomatically subjugate communist Germany.

Still, they had to prepare, so they stationed British troops in Poland and East Prussia, or in East Prussia’s case, stationed Bermont’s West Russian Army, which had been eyeing the Baltics.

In short, money was still flowing out.

Money was also flowing out to make half of Ukraine and the Baltics pro-British.

As for asking America for help, they were the ones who pulled back as soon as Germany surrendered.

Asking for more help could even be dangerous.

Nevertheless, the British Empire was somehow getting by safely.

After all, there had been some achievements.

Of course, Russia was trying to nibble away at those achievements again, but even so, the British Empire could endure.

However, the situation was different for other countries.

Italy, in particular, had many complaints.

They had neatly stabbed Germany and Austria in the back and proudly become a victorious nation, taking land, but what they gained was insufficient compared to what was spent on the war.

Wasn’t that why they pulled out of the Ottoman situation?

“We’re going to overthrow it too!”

“What we want is just one thing! To govern Italy!”

“All we got for siding with the Entente were Trentino-Alto Adige and the Istrian Peninsula!”

Burning, raging discontent.

The territory they received, tiny compared to what was promised, was enough to infuriate the Italians.

“Those Slavs recovered the Second Rome!”

“We must recreate Rome too!”

“Look at Germany! They achieved a communist revolution! A communist state is perfect for reviving Rome!”

Italy was naturally burning with internal fire because they didn’t get as much territory as they wanted, just like in actual history.

Moreover, unlike actual history, the end of the war was ambiguous.

On top of this, Russia, which had been on the verge of death, somehow made a miraculous recovery, was reborn as the United States, recovered Constantinople, and announced to the world that it was the protector of the Orthodox Church and the heir of the Eastern Roman Empire.

Being in a worse position than Russia, which had been on the verge of death, created a structure where dissatisfaction was so full it could only spill out.

Additionally, the communist revolution had succeeded in Germany, and Italian socialists wouldn’t miss this opportunity.

Benito Mussolini, who in original history would have become the originator of fascism, became the representative of the Italian Communist Party.

He, who had been heading toward fascism as in actual history, was impressed by the German revolution.

The German Free Socialist Republic, born after grinding away everything from the corrupt German Empire.

Mussolini recognized that revolution was necessary to recreate the glory of Rome for Italy, which wasn’t great because it didn’t get its fair share from the war.

Interestingly, Mussolini was inspired by Russia’s recovery of Constantinople and believed that Italy should also rebuild Rome.

What could be more truly the heir of Rome than Italy, which possessed Rome?

The reason he was inspired was that, as a former socialist, he saw that White Russia, which had won the Civil War, treated workers well and implemented somewhat socialist policies.

This complex whirlwind of emotions led him to conclude that he should revive the communism that Russia had once brought down and face Russia in a final battle for the true position of Rome.

‘We must bring down Russia to rebuild Rome!’

And for revolution, cooperation with communist Germany was essential.

Benito Mussolini founded the Italian Communist Party with something similar to fascism disguised as communism, much like in actual history.

“I will help Comrade Mussolini. Achieve Italy’s own revolution and liberate Italy.”

With support from communist Germany, Mussolini rapidly expanded his influence and eventually launched a revolution in this world’s future called the March on Rome, the Red March, and took control of Italy.

King Victor Emmanuel III was allowed only a nominal royal title and essentially placed under house arrest, while Benito Mussolini became the second communist state secretary in Europe after Karl Liebknecht, the secretary of communist Germany.

And naturally:

“We’re surrounded by communists!”

Austria, caught in the middle, was in an uproar.