Ch.93The French Occupation of the Ruhr (2)

* * *

Gunshots rang out in Germany’s Ruhr, killing German workers there.

The German Communist Party, seizing this opportunity, planned to make the Ruhr support the Free Socialist Republic of Germany rather than the Kaiser who had fled to East Prussia.

So they incited the German workers in the Ruhr.

“The colonial empire bastards opened fire!”

“This is the true face of imperialism!”

“The French shoot and kill even fellow Europeans!”

“Workers of the Ruhr! Resist the French who want to enslave you!”

As the situation took a strange turn, France’s reign of terror led to the Ruhr Germans supporting the current German Communist Party.

Ironically, thanks to France’s efforts to guard against communist Germany, the Germans in the Ruhr ended up supporting the German Communist Party.

International public opinion wasn’t particularly favorable either.

“What are you doing? How can you commit such cruelty against fellow Europeans!”

“But they’re communists, should we just leave them be?”

“If you kill protesting workers like that, won’t it make Germans support communism even more!”

Britain and America criticized France, not only for killing fellow Europeans but also because they wanted to prevent Germans from supporting the communist government and strengthening communist Germany.

Eventually, France began mining coal by employing their own citizens in the Ruhr, while secretly supporting Albert Leo Schlageter of the Freikorps operating in the Ruhr region, adopting a strategy to redirect the resentment toward France to the Freikorps.

“Just try to identify and capture the communists. If you take on the villain’s role, France will fully support the Freikorps.”

“I don’t like joining hands with you, but it can’t be helped if we want to catch the communists.”

However.

As in actual history, this ultimately led to a financial crisis in France and only increased German hostility toward France.

* * *

Looking at the European situation, France attempted to occupy the Ruhr, just like in actual history.

And they did it in an even more aggressive way than in actual history. They spilled blood as if they were truly colonizing the area.

Even in actual history, what Europeans did to fellow Europeans was terrible, but here it was even worse.

It reminds me of the former Russian Empire mobilizing troops to kill protesters.

But still.

“So the Ruhr occupation did happen.”

Is this what they call historical irony or something?

In the end, this part also flowed quite similarly.

It says Britain and America criticized France because they were concerned about Germans in the Ruhr, a core region of Germany, supporting the Communist Party.

Logically speaking, if they consume this area, how would Germany pay reparations?

The Ruhr is one of the core regions where Germany’s national power comes from. It’s also Europe’s largest industrial area, so consuming it would be meaningless.

No, that’s not right. Communist Germany completely refused to pay reparations. So that’s what this is about.

If France sent troops to consume this area instead of reparations, that makes sense.

Since they refused reparations, well, the German Communist Party will be riding high in Germany as a regime that didn’t submit to France.

Britain isn’t in a position to go to war again over reparations. Moreover, the legitimate government is now the German Empire in East Prussia, making the recipient of reparations ambiguous.

Should I criticize this too?

The Ruhr is an essential region for Germany’s war efforts.

Personally, I’d like France to annex the Ruhr and prevent communist Germany from even thinking about war.

But that would be difficult.

And it’s not like we, being so far away, can tell them what to do.

“Freikorps activity has become more active in the Ruhr area.”

Boris Savinkov submitted a report to me about the Freikorps in the Ruhr area.

“So things are flowing this way.”

In actual history, didn’t the Freikorps in the Ruhr area get killed by French forces on sabotage charges?

This should be seen as France supporting the Freikorps from behind.

Well, whatever. It doesn’t matter either way.

“Shouldn’t we issue a statement too?”

“How?”

“By supporting France.”

Foreign Minister Vasily Kharlamov seems unwilling to be outdone by other powers and wants to take France’s side right away.

Us making a statement? Is that necessary?

I should speak plainly. Geographically, it’s too far. How far is it from Moscow to the Ruhr? Unless Russian troops had reached the Rhine, there’s no reason. Even for a country that reacts strongly to communism, there’s absolutely no reason.

Not only is it too far, but if we’re being honest, France’s actions are essentially colonizing fellow Europeans, and it’s clear this will lead to Germans in the Ruhr supporting the Communist Party.

According to the report, the Germans in the Ruhr didn’t particularly support the Communist Party, but with this, it’s obvious what will happen.

Still, France’s occupation of the Ruhr will result in weakening Germany’s national power, which isn’t bad.

It would be good if they occupied it longer than in the original history.

But openly supporting France would compromise my image as the leader of the “Holy Nation,” wouldn’t it?

Conversely, making statements supporting communist Germany is absolutely impossible for an anti-communist country.

In cases like this, it’s best to say nothing at all.

“Let’s just stay neutral.”

“Pardon?”

“Neutral. I don’t want to see communist Germany thrive, but what France is doing will eventually turn the Germans in the Ruhr red. If you really want to make a statement, just say that if reparations are the goal, we hope France’s protection of the Ruhr proceeds peacefully. That’s all we should say.”

This way, France will see it as support for the Ruhr occupation, while domestically and internationally, it won’t appear as if we’re taking France’s side too strongly.

Just this much is sufficient.

“Understood.”

“Now, how are things going in Makhno’s free territory? It seems like there might be some influence there too.”

“Those anarchists have reached the limits of their system and can’t intervene in the Ruhr situation.”

Have they already reached their limits?

It doesn’t make sense that the free territory is functioning properly.

People who joined because they liked anarchism wouldn’t be normal to begin with.

It would be full of people who want to be free from everything, so there’s no way the free territory could be established and maintained properly.

They want a truly free region without a country, but suddenly a country called the “free territory” appears.

“Limits?”

I thought anarchism wouldn’t last long.

No matter how little external interference there is, why is anarchism anarchism?

Isn’t anarchism an ideology aimed at becoming freer than anything else?

Anarchism is also called an ideology that’s infinitely close to communist ideology.

Simply put, anarchism is more alien than communism.

“They say they’re seizing the means of production and trying various things in the name of anarchism. But it seems Ukrainians are expressing dissatisfaction with the rapidly changing system.”

Wow, seizing the means of production and various other things?

Looking at the submitted report, it’s quite remarkable.

Agricultural collectivization and worker self-management. Hmm. It’s really quite communist-like.

A little Soviet Union has been born in Ukraine.

They’re thoroughly communist-like but superficially claim to have no state. That’s what this is.

But that’s why this is problematic.

“Are you saying the regime could collapse?”

“According to them, it’s a regional defense committee.”

Why does this remind me of the Aragon Regional Defense Committee?

Could it be that the Aragon Regional Defense Committee will also come to rule Spain, inspired by these guys?

No, that can’t be right.

After all, even Ukraine is said to be reaching its limits now.

The Aragon Regional Defense Committee hasn’t even appeared yet, so let’s skip that.

But I’m curious.

How exactly does this free territory function as a country?

Ah, right. It’s not a country but a committee. Well, I respect preferences. As someone who respects preferences, I’ll treat Makhno’s country as a committee.

“So, this free territory governed by the committee. Isn’t it just Makhno dragging everyone by the collar?”

The submitted report only describes their policies.

Even that is just what Makhno’s side has told us about how anarchism works! We need to send the Okhrana to investigate.

Looking at Interior Minister Boris Savinkov, he seemed hesitant to speak, carefully watching my reaction before cautiously opening his mouth.

“On the surface, the committee leads the free territory. Under the Makhno Ukrainian Regional Defense Committee, each Ukrainian region has its own local committee.”

“Why is that so difficult to say? Why are you being so cautious?”

“It’s just hard to take such people seriously.”

Indeed, the Makhno Regional Defense Committee.

From the perspective of Russia, which has incorporated various republics into the United States unlike Ukraine, it looks small and insignificant.

It must be awkward that I’m taking such people seriously.

But if committees run the country, and there are committees for each region, are there more committees below that?

That’s probably why they didn’t include it in the report.

Committee, committee, committee. It would be too much to list them all.

“If that’s the case, there must be committees at the village level too.”

“Yes.”

Is it really just committees everywhere?

It seems like there might even be family committees in households.

“But Ukrainians are complaining because they find this inconvenient, is that right?”

“Yes. They seem unable to adapt to the new system.”

Indeed, such a strange concept would be new to them.

Plastered with all kinds of committees, the Makhno regime—or rather, the Regional Defense Committee—has numerous committees under it, receiving directives and operating accordingly.

So ultimately, there are many committees under the supreme committee, but they’re committees in name only and operate in a Soviet-like manner.

There were some Ukrainians among the Green Army too.

They probably think they made the right choice coming to the United States.

Makhno’s free territory is essentially maintained by Nestor Makhno’s leadership.

The free territory is literally something created to be liberated from everything, but what they’re doing is close to Soviet practices.

Well, this is inevitable.

Because some communists that Makhno might find useful have drifted in.

Being close to communists, they’d likely get along well with other communists. We deliberately let some communists cross over to Makhno’s free territory.

Even the name of their army is peculiar.

Calling it the Free Defense Force, they wanted to show that even their army is something not quite an army, something free.

But what benefit did we gain from this?

“What did we demand as a condition for establishing the committee after the civil war?”

I remember we demanded something in return for tolerating Makhno’s free territory.

That was entirely handled by the White Army department, so I don’t know much about it.

“They must supply food and limit their military size to 50,000 men.”

Right. Maybe we left them alone because provoking them now wouldn’t be good.

Actually, it’s much better to leave them free like that.

Let them try their “free territory” or whatever, and they’ll realize how ridiculous the concept of a free territory is when they mess it up.

“Is that being properly observed?”

“Yes.”

Indeed, if they didn’t even keep that much, Anton Denikin’s corps, master of special military operations, would push straight into Ukraine.

Are they even in a position to strengthen their military now?

What kind of army could a free territory have? Still, it’s Ukraine.

Moreover, as an anarchist state, they’re inevitably closer to communist Germany than to us.

If by some chance we don’t integrate Makhno’s free territory by the time of World War II…

“How is the quality of their military apart from Makhno’s forces?”

Does Makhno’s free territory have the capacity to strengthen its military now?

Even if it’s half of Ukraine, we can’t underestimate the capabilities of communists.

After all, they’re always agitating.

Makhno is no different. It’s called a free territory, but it’s just communist.

So there’s one thing we need to be clear about.

If dissatisfaction builds up and they feel the limits…

“If it collapses, what do you think will happen?”

“There are some pro-Russian factions in Ukraine who want to join the United States. They would probably rally around them.”

“That’s not bad.”

Hmm, if that happens, couldn’t our Mr. Makhno reach out to communist Germany?

It would be troublesome if he clings to communist Germany.