Ch.69Our Puppy

# * * *

Throughout the Great War (World War I) and the Russian Civil War, France, an ally of White Russia, worried anxiously that Poland might collaborate with Germany to attack Russia in this situation.

If Russia, responsible for the Eastern Front, were pushed back, those communist Germans and Poles might target France next.

“Seeing she survived, she truly is a saint.”

“How could such barbaric acts happen in this day and age?”

“What if they start bullying us when we fight Germany?”

“Comrades, wouldn’t it be better to cooperate with Germany at times like this?”

“Cooperate with Germany? What nonsense… Wait, this bastard’s a communist!”

Meanwhile, communist factions collaborating with the German Communist Party subtly suggested that Russia should distance itself from them at this time, but that was nonsense.

And in communist Germany, which was already dealing with headaches from the impulsive actions of Communist Party members dispatched to Poland, this incident was equally unwelcome.

“Tch. If they were going to do it, they should have at least succeeded.”

“Those stupid Poles must be desperate.”

“I don’t understand why our Communist Party members did that either.”

“Comrade Secretary, Poland has officially filed a protest.”

“We’ll just deny everything.”

Due to local Communist Party members’ greed and failure, communist Germany was branded as Poland’s sponsor and the axis of evil that encouraged Poland to attempt the Tsarina’s assassination.

The German Communist Party protested that they weren’t responsible, but no country believed Germany’s words.

“Hahaha! Though this attempt was unfortunate, haven’t we properly demonstrated the Communist Party’s resolve to that Moscow woman! Hahaha!”

Even Mussolini of allied Italy believed it was Germany’s doing and sent a letter to German Secretary Karl Liebknecht praising him for showing communist revolutionary determination.

And then…

“The National Liberal Austrian Workers’ Party hereby declares! We will expel those Serbian communists who humiliated us at Sarajevo, liberate Germany suffering from the communist plague, and annihilate the red plague of Italy that constantly threatens us!”

“””Hitler! Hitler!”””

In Austria, Adolf Hitler founded the National Liberal Austrian Workers’ Party, calling for the annihilation of communism.

Though initially weak, the party rapidly expanded as German elites who fled to Austria began supporting Hitler amid the communist threat.

# * * *

Upon my return to Moscow from Poland, I was greeted by what appeared to be angry citizens of the United States.

News had already spread somehow.

Well, there were many foreigners at the scene. Russian journalists must have been there too.

While I spent time negotiating agreements in Poland, they had already arrived in Moscow.

“How dare those Polish bastards threaten Your Majesty!”

“We must punish them immediately!”

“I’ll personally take up arms!”

Many people were waving United States flags and shouting “Down with Poland!”

If I had arrived a little later, the Duma might have launched a “special military operation” under pressure from the citizens.

Anyway, as police barely managed to calm the citizens enraged by Poland’s barbaric act, I noticed newspapers on the ground while entering the Kremlin Palace.

[Tsarina’s Hand of Reconciliation Met with Polish Bombs!]

[Does Poland Want War with Russia?]

[Is Poland Germany’s Puppet?]

Hmm, these are provocative articles suggesting war could break out any moment. That shouldn’t happen.

A war with Poland now would be troublesome for Russia.

Britain, being a monarchy, probably couldn’t object if we decided to deal with Poland after this incident.

I decided to check on the military situation first.

As expected, the military’s response was predictable.

“Your Majesty, General Anton Denikin suggests launching a ‘special military operation’ to punish the arrogant Poles—”

“The White Army agrees with General Denikin. We must punish the insolent Poles again!”

“The Tsarina is Russia itself. How dare they throw bombs at her! Poland should be erased from the map!”

Special military operation. Anton Denikin seems quite attached to that term since using it in Turkey.

I have a feeling this “special military operation, not war” might become a meme because of me.

Some people seem to be suggesting I deliberately went to Poland to create a pretext for war.

“No, no. We will not attack Poland. Poland will serve as an excellent meat shield against Germany.”

No, I’m telling you no.

I absolutely have no intention of going to war with Poland.

Why would I fight Poland now when opportunities will come later?

If we get greedy with Poland now, war with communist Germany will become more difficult.

“Then, do you intend to let Poland off the hook?”

“I never said anything about letting them off.”

When did I say I would let them off?

I don’t know how much longer this tanghulu will last.

In gaming terms, I might be losing lives one by one. I could really die in the next bombing.

Taking Poland now would be troublesome in many ways.

“In that case.”

“Let’s be patient for now. Rather than starting another war and making Poland look sympathetic, it’s far more beneficial to turn this country that tried to kill a foreign monarch into a meat shield.”

Looking at the newspapers, there are many articles praising me for showing restraint toward Poland.

Yes, war with Poland is not an option.

But that’s fine. If we were to take Poland, the Communist Party would incite communist revolution within Poland during our war with communist Germany.

For now, we’ll just maintain a good image, and when Poland acts up again later, we can split it in half and take the eastern part.

Moreover, even with justification for war, if we consume Poland, Britain might interfere again. Those bastards might start causing trouble for Russia again, saying “Now they’ve taken Poland too.”

“It’s unfortunate.”

“There’s an Eastern saying: ‘Tosa-gupeung.’ It means eating the hunting dog after the hunt is over.”

“Are you saying you’ll take Poland then?”

I barely managed to dissuade the military from their Polish expedition plans.

If I hadn’t intervened today, Anton Denikin’s army might have already headed to the Polish border for a special military operation.

As I was about to stretch in the Kremlin Palace, I noticed a pile of papers needing my approval.

Ah, do I have to do all of this?

Couldn’t they handle it themselves? Just take my seal and stamp everything.

It seems this has gotten worse since oil was discovered in Surgut based on my guidance.

“Besides these approval papers, is there any news?”

“Yes, there is. Here.”

Prime Minister Alexander Krivoshein handed me a newspaper.

It was an American newspaper about communist Germany.

“Hmm, American journalists went to see communist Germany firsthand?”

Americans went to see the world’s first communist country.

This is… well, pitiful.

[This is the Reality of Communism! Meeting German Workers!]

The reality of communism.

Images of factory workers taken by journalists who visited Germany.

On the surface, everyone seems to be smiling, but there’s a soldier who appears to be a political officer in the background.

There are also images of workers crying. There wouldn’t be any photo manipulation in this era.

Shouldn’t things have changed after seeing the Soviet Union?

Did they only change the revolutionary part differently from the Soviet Union? Communist Germany seems quite similar to the Soviet version. I thought communist Germany would be better than Russia.

So I was a bit more tense.

But communist Germany doesn’t look so decent either. Why does it look like the Soviet Union with political officers’ reign of terror already established?

Of course, there might be some who are genuinely red through and through, happily embracing communism, but they wouldn’t appear in the newspapers.

Still, the fact that such newspapers exist suggests that communist Germany’s condition isn’t so great.

“I wonder if they learned anything from Lenin.”

If they had learned, they wouldn’t be like this.

Or perhaps they’re acting this way precisely because they observed Lenin.

Well, I expected this, but after a successful revolution, I thought they might portray communism differently from the Soviet Union in some positive way.

“They’re communists after all. Perhaps they feel pressured by Your Majesty’s Russian United States.”

“You think so?”

So our existence troubles communist Germany?

Indeed, if the White Army had won—no, if it had been the Soviet Union from the beginning, the German Free Socialist Republic wouldn’t have existed.

Looking at what Wilhelm II was doing, a communist revolution seemed inevitable.

“Moreover, there’s been severe population drain to Austria, East Prussia, and other places. They had to strengthen control to prevent people from leaving.”

“Hmm. I see.”

If not just us but also Austria and East Prussia are trying to attract German immigrants fleeing from communists?

If they actively promote anti-communist propaganda and nostalgia for the German Empire, people would naturally go to Austria, a fellow Germanic nation under the Kaiser.

This would naturally lead to mobilizing the People’s Army to seal the borders.

The People’s Army “protecting” workers. That’s probably their approach.

“The invincible Red Army protecting (monitoring) workers”—isn’t that how it would be phrased?

Actually, there’s no need to speculate. It’s right there in the newspaper poster.

Though not exactly a workers’ army, they seem to have established something called the “People’s Self-Defense Force.”

The front page already features what looks like a People’s Army poster.

Mimicking “The Red Army is the Strongest,” it boldly proclaims “The People’s Self-Defense Force is Powerful.”

This is probably to circumvent the Treaty of Versailles provisions.

While they’ve called for the abolition of the Versailles Treaty, they’d be hesitant to build up the military after a revolution that opposed war.

Weapons would also be an issue.

Our one-armed fellow treated Russia like a weapons factory, diverting everything here, and we took all those weapons.

Anyway, when the time comes, they’ll become the People’s Army.

They’ll diligently prepare their own communist reforms to prepare for world revolution.

In the Soviet Union, I preemptively took initiatives that Lenin or Stalin might have taken, but communist Germany is a country that never existed originally.

The Weimar Republic was on a different trajectory from today’s German Free Socialist Republic, so setting that aside… Karl Liebknecht is someone I don’t know.

What is this man, who was supposed to die, doing now?

Germany seems to be under strict control now.

“And the person Your Majesty wanted has arrived in Russia.”

“Who?”

“A man named Robert Goddard, and a few days ago, Igor Sikorsky entered Russia.”

Oh, already? That’s quite fast.

Beria is handling things very efficiently.

“That’s good. That Beria fellow is doing his job properly.”

He’s proving quite useful as our loyal dog.

If he starts acting psychotic again, we’ll have to deal with him, but for now, he’s fine. I like what he’s doing currently.

I wonder if finding Trotsky is still difficult.

“What about Trotsky?”

“It seems that will take some more time.”

At this point, he won’t switch to supporting Trotsky.

Trotsky might seem capable of making a comeback, but…

It wouldn’t make sense for Beria to leave Russia, where his advancement is guaranteed, to follow Trotsky who would be endlessly pursued by the Okhrana.

If that were the case, Robert Goddard and Igor Sikorsky wouldn’t have safely arrived in Russia.

“Let’s meet those two then.”

“Yes, Your Majesty.”

Now, let’s see Robert Goddard, who will create weapons to defeat Germany in the future.