Ch.73Two Emperors

# January of the following year. I met Kaiser Wilhelm II in Moscow.

It was some time after I had granted permission for the Kaiser’s visit to Russia through the German ambassador.

From what I gathered, he had spent time reorganizing his East Prussian domestic affairs.

Meeting Wilhelm in person, up close, he was quite different from that majestic one-armed Kaiser I had seen on the internet.

Perhaps due to losing his family, or from the hardship of surviving the communist threat, his face looked gaunt and older than in actual history.

Yet his manner toward me was so respectful that it felt strange.

He would smile as if trying to elevate me, or directly compliment me.

He was trying so hard to impress me that it was almost uncomfortable.

As we strolled through the Kremlin Palace together, he eagerly told me about the situation in the German Empire.

“Hahaha. You’ve really grown into a dignified ruler.”

“Thank you.”

The one-armed man kept praising me with a faint smile.

Why are you being so awkward?

When someone acts like that, it makes me feel rather uncomfortable, especially given my past life in a country known for its etiquette.

“If only Nicky could see you now. Hehehe.”

For a moment, I doubted my ears.

What nonsense is this old man spouting with that kindly face?

The man who dropped Lenin into Russia is saying what exactly?

I won’t necessarily take the side of the incompetent Nicholas II, but it was this gentleman who ultimately caused the death of the Tsar’s family by intentionally instigating revolution by deploying Lenin, allowing the Bolsheviks to seize power.

“But. Is it true that you commanded troops in the civil war with such a frail body?”

“I merely showed my face. The army was commanded by the Black Baron, along with General Anton Denikin, Admiral Alexander Kolchak, and others.”

I really did just show my face.

Of course, I actually fought, but most of the tactics and strategies came from the Black Baron’s mind, and initially Kolchak provided proper support for me.

Even at Yekaterinburg, I held out until Kolchak arrived because I knew history.

There’s something called psychological stability, you know. If I hadn’t known Kolchak was coming, wouldn’t I have fled?

“I see. You have hundreds of thousands of battle-experienced generals and elite troops, don’t you?”

Look at those greedy eyes. Those eyes coveting my army!

Why are you coveting my army?

My army has absolutely no intention of fighting for your German Empire.

You’ll just have to accept Northern Germany as change after I’ve completely eliminated the German communists.

Giving Germany back is entirely in my hands.

“Yes. So, did you come today just to sign the Anti-Comintern Pact?”

“Before that, about the Kaiserin issue.”

“Ah, there was also the matter of Princess Victoria Louise’s succession.”

I had forgotten about that.

But why is that an issue? When a country is turned upside down, you can use that opportunity to do whatever you want.

Look at me. I used the Red-White Civil War as an opportunity to intimidate Russian nobles into following my policies and barely managed to win over public opinion.

Of course, there are still many socialists, but at least they don’t act like Bolsheviks.

“Anastasia. No, Tsarina. Would there be any problem if our Louise ascended as Kaiserin?”

The one-armed man asks with a trembling voice.

Hmm, so he wants me to compare it to my situation.

Well, I don’t think there would be any particular problem.

Of course, Russia’s case is different.

He seems quite worried, but shouldn’t Wilhelm, as the Kaiser of Germany, be the one handling this?

“Our Russia is surprisingly fine. Of course, it wouldn’t have been possible without me.”

“Hmm, then could you help a bit?”

“Are you asking for the Empress’s support?”

So that’s what you really want.

He wants me, as Empress, to support the Kaiserin.

With only East Prussia in his possession, this person absolutely needs foreign support.

Especially from a monarchical state.

Choosing Britain would be difficult as they’re traditionally hostile, and they might feel slighted for having recognized communist Germany. But Russia is different—we helped them. And we’re an empire with an empress.

“Ahem. There are the eyes of the Junkers and the military to consider.”

“Isn’t everything already overturned anyway? My support wouldn’t be difficult. If I recognize her, the East Prussian Junkers and military wouldn’t throw Germany into chaos over the Kaiserin issue when both the imperial throne and their own livelihoods are already in danger.”

“Ah, that’s right. Well. I was thinking we should sign the Anti-Comintern Pact and then properly deal with communist Germany.”

He looks at me with eyes full of ambition.

As expected of someone who botched diplomacy.

Anyway, let me think for a moment.

“Not yet.”

“Not yet? If not now, when will we capture those communists?”

Wilhelm stares at me with wide eyes.

Looking at those eyes… It’s like he’s saying, “You’re lying, right? We can’t reclaim Germany without you!” It makes me feel a bit sorry for him.

But when you think about it, isn’t this his own doing?

Couldn’t he have chosen to govern his internal affairs before thinking about sticking a spear into France?

“Not only is Russia’s internal situation still unsettled, but as you know, Kaiser, Germany is not an easy opponent from our position.”

“Hmm. That’s true.”

“Moreover, if we attack communist Germany now, they’ll use it as justification to do whatever they want. They’ll tell the international community that Russia invaded first, making us look like the bad guys, and you’ll be treated as a traitor who brought in Russia to reclaim your country.”

“Surely it wouldn’t go that far?”

This person still doesn’t understand the situation well. No wonder he messed things up.

“Well, Germany might be different, but during our civil war, the Bolsheviks propagandized that the White Army was a traitorous force because foreign troops supported them.”

In this history, that didn’t make the Bolsheviks look like the protectors of Russia, but still.

“I see. That makes sense.”

“I understand you want to pass a unified German Empire to Princess Louise, but now is the time to be patient.”

He must know. Now that the royal family members have all been killed.

He must be worried about what will happen to Louise if he dies too.

If reclaiming Germany becomes impossible, he might choose exile instead.

But I don’t intend to just let Wilhelm go.

Anyway, I don’t really want to see Hitler unify all of Germany and create a Holy Roman Empire-like domain.

Considering Hungary and Czechoslovakia, German unification seems difficult even without the Wilhelm card.

In any case, there needs to be someone to rule Northern Germany.

That would be Wilhelm III, or Kaiserin Louise, so I can’t treat them too harshly while recognizing them.

“When do you think it will happen?”

“Hmm. It will take at least 10 years, I think.”

From here on, it’s just speculation.

With the White Army’s victory in the Red-White Civil War, and history completely overturned, communist Germany will prepare for war for revolution at any time.

Especially if they experience the Great Depression, they’ll try even harder.

I judge that it will take about ten years until they’re ready.

Besides that.

In alternative history novels, protagonists often get caught off guard by relying solely on future knowledge.

One must always be thoroughly prepared.

And when the time comes, I should send troops under the pretext of helping East Prussia, Poland, etc., without being invaded like Stalin who was properly beaten by Hitler in the German-Soviet War.

“That long?”

“They will be the ones to start the war.”

We will absolutely not raise our army first.

At least not until East Prussia, Poland, or Austria are attacked.

“Why do you think so?”

“Russia has a history of overthrowing communism, and communist Germany will try to defeat Russia, if only for world revolution. That’s one of the reasons they seized power, so they will certainly do so.”

He should understand that much.

Though he messed up diplomacy, he did have his good points.

If he has any sense at all, he’ll understand what I mean.

Wilhelm, listening to my words, nodded with a serious expression.

“That makes sense. So they’ll come when they’re ready for war.”

“Yes. Kaiser, you must not only strengthen East Prussia. Those communists will likely push their agents into East Prussia for German unification. You must root them out.”

The frightening thing about communists, as I always think, is not their military power.

In the end, their passive ability is to push red cockroaches called communists into rotten places and dye them red through agitation.

“My, to think that young Anastasia is this capable. Truly remarkable.”

You don’t realize that it’s not that I’m remarkable, but that you’re incompetent.

Isn’t East Prussia even more dangerous because it’s full of Junkers?

So don’t lose East Prussia, at least.

“The death of my family that day made me think about many things.”

“Yes. I too thought about many things after my family was killed in that terrorist attack.”

Right. With so many deaths, one would have to be inhuman not to think.

That’s your own doing.

Though because of me and the butterfly effect, what would have ended in Dutch exile turned bloody.

“In my lifetime, I will capture all the communists in the world. So, uncle, please don’t worry too much.”

“Is that so. Oh, have you decided on a marriage partner?”

“No.”

Why should I decide on that? I seriously want to interrogate him with the five Ws and one H.

Ah, right. I need to calm down. This person doesn’t know my circumstances.

From an outsider’s perspective, they would be curious.

Wouldn’t the citizens of the United States feel the same way?

“My, even a Tsarina is a woman of marriageable age, isn’t she?”

He’s trying to take advantage of this opportunity.

He seems to want me to marry someone from East Prussia somehow. Not a chance.

Are there even suitable candidates right now? I doubt it.

“If I marry, I would need to have children, but even I struggled with a weak body. I don’t want to pass on hemophilia. And wouldn’t it be sad if the man who becomes my husband couldn’t have children either?”

“I see.”

Just look at Alexei who was on the brink of death due to hemophilia, and Rasputin who received favor from Nicholas II for improving Alexei’s condition.

He received such favor that his influence grew stronger, eventually becoming a power holder.

Well, if it were me, I would have dealt with someone like Rasputin, but the variable of hemophilia is always there.

Above all, considering my past life, marriage and having children doesn’t feel right.

So, I need to make an excuse here.

“I am married to the state.”

If I get married, wouldn’t it be difficult to move around?

Moreover, considering my special circumstances, people wouldn’t find it strange if I didn’t marry.

In my generation, as I’m pulling Russia up by its collar, if I’m working hard, it doesn’t make sense to become leisurely enough to marry.

“Then what about succession?”

“For now, I’ve brought Vladimir, the son of Grand Duke Kirill Vladimirovich, who isn’t even royalty, into the Kremlin Palace. In my generation, the country was overturned, so we’re in no position to be picky about laws and such.”

A loyal tsarist might be uncomfortable, but I am the law.

In my generation, it could be seen as the Anastasia Royal House rather than the Romanov Dynasty.

I should guide Vladimir appropriately according to my intentions and encourage him to work towards gaining the Duma’s support.

If he participates in World War II, wouldn’t he gain some support?

Vladimir’s legitimacy depends on me now. I’ve already stripped Kirill’s faction of not just exile but all titles.

Can I do that as I please?

What could those royal bastards who didn’t even show their faces during the civil war do against me, the Tsar?

Treating Vladimir as a special case and making him my successor, I’ll slowly help him gain the Duma’s recognition and build relationships with those people.

I should enable him to step up as a soldier to make a name for himself in World War II.

I heard that in the 21st century, a Spanish princess enlisted in the army for the throne, so that route would be better for Vladimir now.

“You’ve thought a lot about this.”

“Yes.”

“Do you intend to leave Poland as it is?”

Leave Poland as it is.

No, that’s not my intention. At this point, wouldn’t people outside wonder why I’m being so lenient with Poland?

The global perspective is probably that the Tsarina is very accommodating to Poland.

So I understand why the White Army faction might think, “Ah! I want to crush Poland!”

Only Poland gets branded as the bad guy while the Tsarina is seen as a saint.

“I have plans for Poland as well. So don’t worry about that either. There won’t be any harm to the Kaiser. The Anti-Comintern Pact may not be a significant force, but at least Poland won’t be able to do anything to the German Empire while fighting communist Germany.”

“Then, that’s fortunate. About that Anti-Comintern Pact. If our country joins, what other countries will be included?”

Ah, I see.

East Prussia needs many allies right now.