Ch.75Enemies and Allies

# The Anti-Comintern Pact

Vienna, Austrian Empire

On the day the Tripartite Anti-Comintern Pact was signed, Austria also received news about the pact through the Russian ambassador.

Karl Renner, who would become the Federal Chancellor of Austria in the actual history, was serving as the Prime Minister of the Austrian Empire here and running state affairs.

He sought out the Kaiser, who had recently gained power through Gajda’s military, to discuss the Anti-Comintern Pact.

“Russia has invited us to join the Anti-Comintern Pact?”

“Yes. It seems they’ve initially formed it with Poland and East Prussia.”

“Then we should obviously accept it. Don’t you agree, Commander Gajda?”

“Yes, Your Majesty. Germany will certainly try to invade Austria eventually. We need to form alliances. While the Anti-Comintern Pact is limited to fighting communists and isn’t a formal alliance, for us who are surrounded by communists on all sides, it’s practically equivalent to a Three Emperors’ Alliance.”

Three Emperors’ Alliance. Now that he heard it put that way, it sounded quite plausible.

It was originally a policy implemented by Otto von Bismarck, Chancellor of the German Empire, to isolate France. Now it seemed to be reborn through the Anti-Comintern Pact promoted by the Tsarina of the Russian Empire during her visit to Poland.

“I see. Well, things are a bit different now, but with Tsarina Anastasia of the United States of Greater Russia and the Kaiser of East Prussia together, I suppose that’s what it is.”

Of course, this Three Emperors’ Alliance was created to isolate communist mainland Germany, and Poland played a more significant role than East Prussia, but still.

“Your Majesty.”

“Commander Gajda. Do you have something to say?”

“I was wondering if we should sponsor a man named Adolf Hitler from the National Liberal Austrian Workers’ Party.”

“Ah, the man who’s recently become famous as an anti-communist.”

Karl I was familiar with Adolf Hitler.

An Austrian who fought as a German soldier, and when Germany briefly became a British puppet, he went to Russia as a volunteer and famously castrated Stalin, a major communist who was Lenin’s right-hand man.

Hitler was apparently famous in Russia for this deed.

In Austria, he was known for calling for revenge against Serbia, criticizing the general secretaries of Italy and Germany, and actively spreading anti-communist propaganda.

“Yes. Hitler’s speeches are so powerful that German communists dare not extend their influence in Austria.”

“I heard there’s a fellow named Tito doing the same in Serbia. I suppose they’re opposites.”

“Even Mussolini from Italy has issued a statement directly criticizing Hitler.”

Karl I fell into contemplation.

Being in the position of Kaiser had given him a certain political awareness.

Thanks to Gajda, Austria’s defense capabilities had been strengthened, but having committed to an anti-communist stance, he wanted to maintain this empire that continued to exist thanks to British intervention.

It was obvious that Gajda was recommending Hitler.

Perhaps he could trust the word of someone who had distinguished himself fighting communists in Russia.

“Did you say he was favored by the Tsarina?”

“When he was in Russia, the Tsarina was deeply impressed by Hitler’s urban planning. I hear that Moscow is currently being built according to Hitler’s plans.”

Gajda secretly smiled at his own words.

What nonsense about being “favored.” Anastasia would be shocked to hear such a statement, but this was necessary to make the Kaiser take more interest in Hitler.

After all, hearing that he was favored by the famous Tsarina would naturally pique his interest. The Tsarina would surely forgive this small exaggeration.

Karl I began to develop an interest in Hitler.

Hitler’s anti-communist speeches had certainly become familiar to him.

An anti-communist who was apparently favored by the Tsarina of Russia, who was currently Austria’s ally—such a man would surely work properly for Austria.

“I’d like to meet this Hitler fellow.”

Hitler had finally gained the Kaiser’s attention.

While Austria was considering the Anti-Comintern Pact positively, Hungary also received a proposal to join.

In actual history, the Kingdom of Hungary saw Kun Béla establish the communist Hungarian Soviet Republic with Soviet support, but in this world, that never happened.

Kun Béla’s communist revolution did exist, but it was thoroughly defeated by the army of Miklós Horthy, the regent of the Kingdom of Hungary, who received support from Romania.

At first glance, Horthy’s actions seemed unchanged except for the fact that the Hungarian Soviet Republic was never established.

Miklós Horthy, serving as regent in a kingdom without a king, pondered briefly after receiving Anastasia’s proposal to join the Anti-Comintern Pact.

“Should we join the Anti-Comintern Pact?”

“From our perspective, it wouldn’t be a bad move.”

“Didn’t we almost have a communist regime established here? I’ve even heard that underground communists are currently receiving support from the German Communist Party.”

Horthy’s close advisors strongly recommended joining the Anti-Comintern Pact, and Horthy himself didn’t think the pact itself was a bad idea.

“Yes. It’s not bad. However…”

The problem was that the Austrian Empire was involved.

The Entente powers did not want the revival of the Austro-Hungarian Empire.

One condition for maintaining the Austrian Empire was the dissolution of the dual monarchy, and Horthy, who had been the naval commander of the Austro-Hungarian Empire, had come to Hungary and reached his current position.

Being in the Anti-Comintern Pact alongside Austria, with whom they had once been united, was somewhat…

He hesitated briefly, but with news that Yugoslavia was also becoming communist, there weren’t many other options.

Moreover, he disliked the Yugoslavs who had threatened to declare war if Karl I was placed on the Hungarian throne to revive the dual monarchy.

And on top of that, there was Italy, calling for revolution in Hungary.

“Tell them I’ll go to Moscow. Ask the Tsarina to set a date.”

King Ferdinand I of Romania, the Unifier King who had greatly expanded Romania’s territory, received Anastasia’s proposal to join the Anti-Comintern Pact.

While the agreement had many flowery phrases attached to it, the essence was very simple: let’s unite solely to fight communists.

In this process, the member countries would guarantee each other’s independence.

There was no reason to hesitate about this.

Both the proposal and acceptance of this pact meant recognizing Transylvania, Bukovina, and Bessarabia as Romanian territory.

Relations with neighboring countries were not bad on the surface either.

Romania had even supported Horthy’s Hungarian army to prevent a communist regime from emerging in Hungary.

‘An agreement to oppose communism.’

This part was somewhat concerning, but would Austria and Hungary, both under pressure from the German Communist Party, be hostile to Romania?

If one had suffered from problems with one’s children, one should at least handle diplomacy well.

Once this pact was formed, Romania would be peaceful until communist Germany collapsed.

While Ferdinand I of Romania was dreaming of peace for Romania, Boris III of Bulgaria, who had established an autocracy last year, was dreaming his own dream.

“Serbia. Perhaps we could target them?”

Recently, it was said that communists were trying to seize power in Yugoslavia, and Russia had protested against Yugoslavia because of this.

It was obvious that relations between Russia and the Serbs had weakened.

After all, from the Tsarina’s perspective, how could she accept that people similar to those who had killed her parents and siblings were trying to take power in Serbia?

If Yugoslavia were to become communist, Tsarina Anastasia, who had declared her anti-communist stance, would watch Bulgaria’s back.

And so, the countries invited to join the Anti-Comintern Pact were each filled with their own dreams.

# * * *

As the Anti-Comintern Pact was announced, the communists also responded.

In particular, General Secretary Karl Liebknecht made a major statement to the international community as the leader of communist forces.

[The Anti-Comintern Pact targets the Free Socialist Republic of Germany and the Italian Socialist Republic. We will not stand by idly.]

How. Very. Frightening.

I wonder what kind of article he’ll write when he hears that Austria, Hungary, Romania, and Bulgaria are also joining the Anti-Comintern Pact?

Let’s set aside Germany, as it’s a communist variable I don’t know much about. But I had to laugh because of the Italian Socialist Republic that Germany had lumped together with itself.

The General Secretary of the Italian Socialist Republic is Benito Mussolini, after all.

If it were someone else, I might think, “Well, I don’t know about Italy.” But Benito Mussolini?

How could I not laugh at this?

I wonder if he’ll target Ethiopia as he did in the original history.

“You look pleased, Your Majesty.”

Interior Minister Boris Savinkov was carefully observing my expression.

Why wouldn’t I be happy?

These are clearly the ones who will start the war first.

I had been thinking about a future where they endure and hold back from war while managing their internal affairs, but seeing this, they’ll eventually start a war for world revolution.

“Ah, they’re already showing hostility. They really do seem like the type to start a war first.”

These people who spout nonsense about imperialism and whatnot can always use excuses like “To liberate Austrian workers suffering under the Kaiser’s oppression.”

Using this as a pretext, they might even try to spark revolution in Poland.

They could provoke in this way.

“Come to think of it, this might actually align perfectly.”

“Interior Minister, what do you mean?”

Boris Savinkov muttered with a serious expression.

“One of the pledges declared by Benito Mussolini of Italy was to take revenge on Abyssinia.”

Abyssinia. Before Ethiopia used its current name, until 1931, it used the name Abyssinia.

Wow, how can they be exactly the same over there?

But can a communist country do something like that?

“Was that really the case?”

“Yes. Although he called that revenge a ‘revolution,’ the mere fact that he specifically mentioned Abyssinia tells us everything we need to know.”

No, that’s not it. They’ll probably come up with some plausible justification when they go to war.

Something like “We will liberate the Ethiopians who are oppressed by their emperor!”

They’ll invade Ethiopia somehow using such reasoning.

Wait, couldn’t we interfere with this?

It’s still a bit far off, but…

Before the Ethiopian war breaks out, we could supply Ethiopia with new weapons so they can fight back.

That’s quite a good method, isn’t it?

It’s good to make them unable to even consider war with us, but hindering them as much as possible is also a good approach.

“What about sending our military advisors to Abyssinia? How do the Foreign Ministry and the military view this?”

Since I’m just a figurehead Tsar, I hope they’ll speak freely without feeling burdened.

“To an African country?”

“Um, specifically Abyssinia?”

My goodness, these people. They shouldn’t underestimate Ethiopia.

Ethiopia actually defeated Italy in the First Italo-Ethiopian War.

Of course, unlike the first war, in the second war Italy committed its full strength, and the technological gap was different, putting Ethiopia at a significant disadvantage, but still.

I think if we properly equip them with weapons, it could work.

They didn’t listen to foreign advisors who told them to engage in guerrilla warfare, and instead insisted on direct confrontation, suffering considerable losses. But if we provide weapons, couldn’t that be somewhat resolved?

Even if they lose, they should at least inflict as much damage as possible on Italy.

“Ethiopia is not just any Black nation. It’s a country with a deep history.”

Ethiopia, a Christian nation since ancient times, was not just any African country but one with a certain prestige.

They even claimed to be descendants of Rome, I heard.

Of course, being actual descendants of Rome is quite a stretch, but anyway.

If Italy suffers losses there, what would happen?

Wouldn’t that weaken the communist Axis powers?

As for Japan, they never really fought on the European front anyway. Let’s just ignore Japan.

To stab Japan in the back as well, we need to minimize damage in Europe.

“If war is inevitable, it’s best to drain their strength. It would be good to make contact with Abyssinia.”

“Abyssinia. Can tanks operate there?”

“Should be possible, right?”

Tanks… they should be able to operate there, shouldn’t they?

Tanks were deployed in the Second Italo-Ethiopian War, so I assume they can move around in that area.

Yes, that’s true, but…

There’s something I’ve been curious about for a while.

I’m currently attending the Duma as a figurehead, but the person who just asked if tanks could operate there…

He looks like an American soldier?

“By the way. Um. Why are you still here?”

“I thought it would be better to stay here to properly research this mobile warfare doctrine, haha!”

Right. It’s Patton.

Why is he still here and not gone yet? Sigh.