Ch.96Second Air Defense Agreement

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I’ve recently developed a concern.

The Second World War that I mentioned.

Although a select few individuals already knew what I had said, I still mentioned World War II in front of people who had just been elected to the State Duma.

Ah, this is a bit awkward.

I really hope World War II breaks out as expected. The current Turkey-Kurdish conflict doesn’t even qualify as a war.

I’m not a prophet.

I’m considering putting my finger on the scale regarding colonial liberation after World War II, thinking about various military conflicts that will occur in Africa later and the Korean independence issue, but I’m not in a position to worry about the Kurds.

I might exploit their independence fervor after beating down communist Germany, but not now.

Actually, I’m not even sure if everything I’ve mentioned will be possible.

Like if workers in the colonies rise up because of communist Germany. If that makes colonial management difficult, then maybe. Hmm.

The Second World War has become a bit troublesome because I blurted it out.

Things have gotten to the point where conversations like this are happening:

“What about moving all factories that produce military supplies to Central Asia during wartime?”

“We already did that during the civil war, so no problem.”

Recently, representatives who just entered the Duma and don’t know the situation well have been suggesting we should move factories in advance.

Factories have been mentioned many times, but what’s important is that it’s coming from representatives, not the military.

If the Second World War doesn’t happen, I’ll be really embarrassed, you commies.

Russia is now a soaring double-headed eagle.

What would happen if we made a fuss about preparing for war?

First, the communist Germans. Ack! The anti-communist country is gathering troops to attack Germany! They would openly rearm with this excuse.

And France would find various pretexts to immediately reclaim the Ruhr they’ve occupied.

At this rate, should I just hope Trotsky works hard to communize America?

According to reports from the Okhrana’s American branch, there have been many mentions of Black people gathering in groups lately.

Will Trotsky set something off?

If he really works hard to communize America—

A communist America would be—ah, that’s hard to handle. We don’t know how communism would steer America.

Whether it becomes stronger or weaker. Since America itself is like a cheat map, it would be difficult for Russia to handle.

It wouldn’t be bad if we made nuclear weapons first, but the problem is that we don’t have the capacity to occupy North America, if only because of their navy.

And if America becomes the headquarters of communism, things get complicated.

Even if we put aside this premise.

Unless by some incredible luck, France suddenly has a revolution and becomes a commune, Britain loses all its troops at Dunkirk and makes a separate peace with communist Germany, and the Western Front army puts pressure on Austria-Hungary.

Well. If France turns to Germany’s side, that could be considered World War II scale.

At the very least, from what I’m seeing now, if a real World War II-scale conflict doesn’t break out because of my slip of the tongue, won’t my approval rating drop?

It would be different if only a few people had heard it from me. But that’s just the White Army and a handful of high-ranking officials.

Maybe I should guide things to explode more dramatically in Asia.

Won’t Japan do something deserving of not just two nuclear bombs, but twenty?

Like if Renya Mutaguchi, the Allied spy and shadow independence fighter, succeeds with Operation Imphal because Britain messes up the European war, and pushes all the way to India, bleeding the Allies dry—that might work.

Then what happens with the war against Japan?

Anyway, if war breaks out, Russia needs to time its participation well.

“Hmm.”

Is there no way? Some way to set things off?

It would be best if France and Britain properly mess up the war, making the Duma grab the back of their necks.

That would be ideal. For the sake of Russian national power.

If World War II ends too smoothly, Britain and France might keep siphoning off Germany and maintain their colonies.

And who knows what will happen with America.

So Britain and France need to be beaten badly enough that they can’t maintain their colonies, not just once but two or three times.

“Maybe I should just hope things break out on their own over there.”

Britain worked hard to create an encirclement against Germany and failed miserably, so they might think it’s worth trying again.

I wonder what kind of potential our communist Germany will unleash.

I hope they confidently set something off properly.

“Woof woof!”

Belka barks enthusiastically while wagging her tail.

Was this breed of German Shepherd always like this?

This dependable dog is too affectionate.

“Belka. You have it good. Just playing with Vladimir gets you food and you can run around all you want. Ha.”

I’ve gotten quite close with Belka now.

There’s nothing much to do here, and I don’t have a lover to date. It’s just Belka and Vladimir. So I’ve become friends with Belka.

She probably doesn’t know what I’m thinking.

Because I’ve done so much, the expectations of the United States of Russia’s people toward me have risen too high.

The State Duma must feel the same.

Now that I’ve mentioned war, they might feel pressure whether they realize it or not.

Of course, war isn’t breaking out right now, and I was vague enough that no one is making a fuss about it yet.

While I was playing with Belka, the Black Baron came to visit.

“Your Majesty.”

I had told the Black Baron to keep an eye on the Kurdish situation.

The White Army Department was in charge of providing weapons to the Kurds and Turkey. Anyway, our new Russia’s weapons were being used.

A busy person wouldn’t visit me just for the Kurdish situation.

“How is the Kurdish situation?”

“The Kurds are facing near annihilation at Mount Ararat.”

If they’re facing annihilation, it seems Atatürk is really serious about this.

If he brings his entire army, how could the Kurds hold out?

“How are our weapons performing?”

“Thanks to our new weapons, they were pushed to the edge of Mount Ararat in a short time. The Ilya Muromets is also performing well.”

That’s good then.

The Ilya Muromets is a Russian Empire bomber from World War I, but it shouldn’t be difficult to take out Kurds on a mountain.

It’s not like they have proper anti-aircraft guns in this era.

That will only be possible later.

“Hmm, I’d like to make better bombers.”

This is an area where I really know very little.

Humanly speaking, there’s no way I could have made fighter planes in the apocalypse. There was no military except for the shelters made by the army.

The answer is to gather talented people in aviation early and advance the technology faster.

“I understand the Sikorsky Design Bureau is designing various aircraft. The Ilya Muromets they sent this time has been improved.”

That’s good enough then.

It would be troubling if we were weaker than the Soviet Union after I changed the history where the Soviet Union would have been established.

That’s why I brought in rocket experts as well.

“Well, that should be sufficient. But they couldn’t completely suppress them?”

It’s quite disappointing if they couldn’t suppress them.

Is Atatürk not capable of even that much?

Or is it because there was no population exchange with Greece and he had to give up Pontic Greeks and Constantinople?

If even that is difficult for Atatürk’s capabilities…

It could mean Turkey is even weaker than expected.

Well, the Grand National Assembly’s situation was worse than in the original history. That can’t be helped.

“There are rebellions from restorationists and anti-secularists within Turkey, and the machine guns set up in the mountains seem to be quite effective.”

“Hmm.”

Yes, machine guns at high ground would be quite difficult to deal with.

Of course, driving tanks straight up a mountain would be challenging too.

If they’re a country established in the mountains, you’d think they’d have paths for tanks to go up. It seems a bit off to mess this up.

No, they probably haven’t messed up.

But an interesting thought occurred to me.

I gently stroked Belka’s head and spoke.

“Something interesting has occurred to me.”

“What is it?”

I’m not sure if this can be considered interesting. But it wouldn’t be bad to try it once.

Originally, this came from Mikhail Tukhachevsky’s deep operation theory in the Soviet Union.

What am I trying to say?

How about dropping troops on Mount Ararat using transport planes?

“What about dropping troops on Mount Ararat using transport planes?”

“Transport planes, you say?”

It doesn’t seem like a bad method. Yes, this could be called airborne troops, couldn’t it?

Weren’t airborne troops created in the Soviet Union in 1931?

Using that, we could definitely try something at Mount Ararat.

“Though I’m ignorant about military matters, wouldn’t it be more effective to bomb while simultaneously dropping troops on Mount Ararat?”

Suddenly that thought occurred to me.

If Turkish infantry could go straight into Mount Ararat, couldn’t they capture them?

This is also an experiment with the Turkish army. If it doesn’t work well, we can just say “oh well” and continue researching.

“Hmm, that’s true. It’s a good method.”

Is it because history has changed that the Black Baron is like this?

After being called a hero of the White Army, he’s been researching military doctrine and armored theory with Mikhail Drozdovsky in the United States White Army Department.

“Research that direction and subtly suggest it to Turkey. And let’s try operating that way on our side as well.”

So it would be good to prepare airborne troops in advance.

If they’re prepared a few years earlier, they’ll be that much more useful in war.

“Understood.”

It doesn’t seem bad.

While helping Turkey, let’s help them create and operate airborne troops.

Should we send volunteers to Turkey?

Since it’s not even war-level, I wonder if that would be meaningful. Well, if we send volunteers to catch Kurds, Atatürk wouldn’t like that either.

If our weapons given to the Kurds kill our volunteers, it would be counterproductive.

“By the way, what’s today’s schedule? I think I had something with the Black Baron today.”

The Black Baron is the Minister of Defense of the United States.

A busy person wouldn’t casually come to report about Kurdish affairs to a figurehead Tsar.

It means he has something to say.

“Yes. You’re scheduled to meet with Austrian Chancellor Karl Renner, Hungarian Regent Miklós Horthy, the Romanian King, Turkish Prime Minister İsmet İnönü, and the Bulgarian Tsar.”

That’s quite a lot.

Yes. Judging by these figures, they must be members of the Anti-Comintern Pact.

“Ah, the Anti-Comintern Pact.”

“Yes, Your Majesty.”

I’ll be meeting foreign leaders. I wonder how it will go.

The talks with the German Kaiser and Poland, who are hostile to communist Germany, ended quickly. But this involves Hungary, Romania, and Bulgaria, so it’s complicated.

Wait, couldn’t I discuss the airborne troops now that İnönü is coming?

“An interesting thought has occurred to me.”

“Yes?”

“Let’s talk to Prime Minister İnönü directly about the airborne troops. Everyone has taken time out of their busy schedules. We can’t just have them sign the Anti-Comintern Pact and leave, can we?”

Our Mr. İnönü might be feeling a bit bad.

Why? If we know about it, İnönü must have heard about Turkish soldiers changing careers into bloody pancakes under the mountain’s machine guns.

“That’s right. It would be good to have a separate meeting with Prime Minister İnönü.”

The interesting thought doesn’t end there.

What I’m about to say is the core.

“There’s more. Wouldn’t it be good to discuss rebuilding Austria-Hungary while we’re at it?”

“Would Britain and France stand by?”

They absolutely wouldn’t stand by.

Britain and France would complain about treaty violations, but this world is different from the original history.

Wouldn’t Britain and France like to have a large meat shield to sacrifice instead of their own people?

“Of course, conditions must be attached, but Germany and Italy have become communist, and Britain couldn’t even properly form an encirclement. If Yugoslavia turns red too, wouldn’t they be grabbing the back of their necks? If I support an Austria-Hungary Eastern Military Union, there might be a possibility.”

“Shouldn’t you consider Hungary’s internal issues?”

That’s not my concern.

Mr. Mustache will surely handle it.

With his level of oratory skills, how could it not work out?

He’ll have to make some concessions to the Hungarian nobles, but as I said, that’s not my domain.

Unlike when Hungary was included in the Austrian Empire, if they raise Hungary’s status to that of the Austria-Hungary Empire era and form a dual empire, wouldn’t it work out somehow?

It depends on Mr. Mustache; I can’t spoon-feed him everything.

“We just need to help draw external support. The rest can be resolved internally.”

We can’t go to war right away anyway.

Neighboring countries prevented the Habsburgs from taking the Hungarian throne with threats of war, but if Russia boldly supports Austria?

Communist Germany has the Ruhr issue and internal matters to resolve.

Then they just need to resolve it internally somehow.

Now, let’s see the leaders of the generation that shook the world with the Great War.