Chapter 224 |
< World War II - The Awakening of a Giant (10) >
November 7, 1941
Berlin, Capital of Germany – Allied Conference Venue
The conference hall where the high command of the Allied Powers, the ‘Guardians of the Free World,’ had gathered.
This was the second meeting since we had heard America’s demands.
As the long, tedious, and noisy meeting dragged on, I found myself staring up at the ceiling of the conference hall.
Hmm, the ceiling is quite high and impressive.
I miss Claudia…
“I’ve received a report that subversive elements from our colonies are enlisting and receiving training in the Ethiopian Army. I would like an explanation as to what this is all about.”
“He says they are individuals who volunteered for the Ethiopian Army.”
“No, I am asking why subversive elements from our colonies are volunteering for your army.”
Churchill, upon hearing the translator’s poor English, asked again in frustration, but Makonnen and the translator simply repeated the same words like a parrot.
“He says they are individuals who volunteered for the Ethiopian Army.”
“No, this is getting us nowhere! This is what you get with non-European countries!”
Jeez, should I be glad he didn't just call them ‘darkies’ to their face?
As I was thinking that, Churchill whipped his head around to glare at me.
Oh, why are you turning on me now?
“Minister Schacht! I’ve heard that the German Military Advisory Group dispatched to Ethiopia is conducting military training for these subversive elements from our colonies! What is the meaning of this?”
I let out a subtle sigh. This was a matter I was already aware of, having received a report in advance from the advisory group led by Lieutenant General von Thoma and Count Blumenthal.
Our dear Prime Minister, Mr. Heuss, was so fed up after the first meeting that he dumped this on me and ran away, so since I'm the German representative, this is my problem.
“Is there a problem? We simply provided Ethiopia with a military advisory group. Those men are affiliated with the Ethiopian Army.”
“They are from our colonies! For individuals under our authorities’ surveillance to be receiving military training in the Ethiopian Army is a serious—”
“Didn't we agree not to interfere in each other's colonial affairs as Allied Powers? We merely dispatched a military advisory group to Ethiopia, and they are simply training whomever Ethiopia wishes them to train.”
“Urgh…”
Churchill groaned, his face a mask of deep displeasure.
Well, does the man who sold off the tanks we gave him as part of a technology exchange really have more to say?
I had clearly warned him beforehand. The age of imperialism was ending anyway, so it would be more profitable to grant them independence amicably and collect some reparations.
It was a matter of prestige, he said, but it was Britain's choice to ignore the advice I gave out of consideration for my acquaintance with Churchill and take all of France's colonies.
It was only natural for independence activists from the colonies to flock to Ethiopia, which had escaped the clutches of European imperialists and was fighting as a proud member of the Allied Powers.
The Netherlands, having no colonies in Africa, watched from a step back, but the Belgian Prime Minister, Hubert Pierlot, also spoke up.
“But we are the Allied Powers, an alliance.
Can we not expect some cooperation between European nations in controlling these impure colored races?”
Oh, "controlling these impure colored races," is it? Did he somehow erase from his mind that the delegations from Ethiopia, the Republic of China, and Korea are also present in this room?
And why was he even saying that to me, not Ethiopia? Is Ethiopia a German puppet state?
It was clear that Prime Minister Makonnen, who had been deliberately playing the parrot, was now scowling as he received the translation.
“Haha, hahaha…”
Besides, Belgium had dispatched troops to neither the Eastern Front nor the Asian Front.
To put it bluntly, all Belgium had done in this war was get beaten up by France and whine for help.
And after all that, they greedily took Western Congo and Gabon, and now they want to make an issue of subversive elements growing under Ethiopia's wing?
And I had some serious complaints about this damn Belgium.
“Prime Minister Pierlot. Regarding that alliance, Belgium, Germany has quite a lot to say.”
“Ahem, ahem…”
Pierlot immediately shut his mouth.
Well, I know, more or less.
It’s not like the Prime Minister is stupid or ignorant enough to be spouting this nonsense.
Still, he’s the leader of a nation.
He knows it won’t work, but he's probably forced to bring it up due to public opinion back home.
But these bastards had crossed a line, and I was in no mood to be understanding of their circumstances.
“You are aware of the civil unrest in Paris, are you not?”
“Th-that, I apologize for that. But we have formally apologized and even offered compensation…”
I simply smiled at Pierlot without saying a word.
Belgium, seemingly useless in the Great War due to a lack of troops and elites, was instead tasked with surveillance duties in Paris.
And those crazy bastards, strutting around Paris like they were the victors, went on a rampage, decorating the front page of a French daily with the atrocities of the Belgian Army.
The same people who stubbornly insisted they could never allow the German Army to pass because of its atrocities. I guess it's romance when they do it and an affair when others do.
Truly remarkable.
“Yes.
Thanks to you, we had to withdraw the Belgian Army stationed in Paris, and we had to appease a France on the verge of revolt by reducing the reparations they were supposed to pay Germany.”
Just when De Gaulle’s French Army was performing outstandingly in Finland, creating a warm atmosphere and nicely clearing up the animosity between France and the Allied Powers, Belgium had to go and cause a massive incident.
I thought I was going to lose my mind trying to sort it out.
I was so ashamed to face De Gaulle that, truly, the talks with Prime Minister Pétain were more nerve-wracking than any negotiation I'd ever been in.
“And yet your government said you had no money and would compensate with rubber.”
And what? You don't have money, so you'll pay with rubber? I didn't hide my fury at these bastards, who were willing to exploit the Congo even for compensation, a move that would put the original colonial tyrants to shame.
“So don’t insult our ally who is fighting so hard. Germany is concerned with rewarding nations that contribute to the Allied Powers, not with taking care of a nation that does nothing but complain just because it's in Europe.”
Hearing me say, in no uncertain terms, 'You're less useful than the colored people you despise, so either contribute or shut up,' Prime Minister Pierlot couldn't hide his shock.
He glanced pleadingly at British Prime Minister Churchill and Dutch Prime Minister Jan de Geer, but they both just cleared their throats and looked away.
If you have a problem with it, then why doesn't Belgium replace the Ethiopian Army and our Navy out in Asia?
Such a united Allied force! Truly mag-nificent ‘Guardians of the Free World.’
Winston Churchill cleared his throat and spoke.
“Ahem, let's move on from that issue for now. The important matter is America’s proposal.
The British Parliament is waiting for Germany to accept their proposal as soon as possible.”
“The Dutch Parliament feels the same, Minister of Defense.”
Perhaps because they were comrades who had their colonies snatched by Japan, they were quite united on this front.
“About that, according to our initial talks with the US Special Envoy Delegation, they intend to demand a peace negotiation on the condition that we recognize the Empire of Japan’s control over the Korean Peninsula, Manchuria, and the Hebei (North China) region, including Beijing.
In some cases, even the Shandong Peninsula.”
“Th-that’s absurd!”
T.
V. Soong of the Republic of China and Lyuh Woon-hyung of Korea almost leaped from their seats in shock upon hearing the translation.
“That is merely the US side’s initial proposal. We have no intention of approving it, so please calm down.”
The two men, though looking extremely anxious, sat back down, and I turned to Churchill and spoke.
“Germany, of course, has no intention of making a deal that abandons a member of the Allied Powers.”
“But we must be realistic, mustn't we? If Japan is to agree to an armistice, they will need to gain something for their investments. If the condition is that they give up the entire Chinese theater and the Korean Peninsula, America itself would refuse it immediately.”
At the words of Dutch Prime Minister Jan de Geer, I nodded readily.
“They would.”
If the US proposes a deal that seems rational to them and Japan refuses, Japan looks like the madman. But if they propose a deal Japan would never accept and get rejected, the US will face a domestic backlash.
In truth, Japan are madmen, so they probably wouldn't accept a deal that makes sense by Western standards anyway.
I clapped my hands to draw everyone's attention.
“Now, let’s not look at this from just our perspective. Let’s think about it from America’s.
Are we the ones who most want a blockade of the waters near the Philippines right now? No, it’s America. They must be extremely wary of another Panay Incident.”
Taft had brought up the blockade of the waters near the Philippines as if it were a bargaining chip, but frankly, that’s something America wants more than we do.
There was a precedent from late 1937, during the Battle of Nanjing, when the Japanese Navy sank the USS Panay, an American gunboat evacuating civilians.
Back then, both countries had no intention of fighting, so it was settled with a Japanese apology. But seeing the Japanese Navy coming and going through the waters near the Philippines as if it were their own backyard must be reawakening that trauma and displeasure in America.
Especially with the precedent of France, a familiar neighbor, shattering the British Navy with a surprise attack. America's vigilance is bound to be greater than in the original history, not less.
“At least, in Germany’s judgment, the blockade of the Philippine waters will be initiated by the US at some point, regardless of this agreement. And this alone will be a great help to us in our war against the Empire of Japan.”
For Japan, their sea routes are already heavily restricted. If we throw our U-boats into the mix, their Southern Resource Area would become meaningless.
Even without an ultimatum, there's a significant chance that the terminally delusional Empire of Japan will mistake that blockade alone as a sign that America wants war.
“Hmm…”
There were no objections so far.
The key point was coming up.
“And are we the ones who want the complete overthrow of the Soviet Union through Free Russia? No, it’s America.”
Right now, the most hardline anti-communist country in the world is America.
Trotsky’s attempt at subversion didn’t cause significant direct damage to the American people, but the fact that the anti-communists’ favorite refrain—the threat of subversion from within—actually happened was enough to make them frantic.
For an America suffering from a premature case of McCarthyism, supporting a faction ‘fighting for Russian freedom against Communism’ is a perfect way to divert the public’s attention outward and gain political support.
It's a rabbit they won't want to let go.
As a result, though America is acting like they're in charge, the ones with the real power are not them, but us.
“In the end, the only real help they’re offering is mediation for a peace negotiation that Japan may or may not accept, and a small-scale volunteer force.
And we’re supposed to overthrow the Soviet Union for that? It’s utter nonsense.”
“Then are you saying you'll reject America's proposal, Minister? We will need to recognize Free Russia eventually.”
“The formal recognition of Free Russia will happen.”
They’ve been hyped up too much as Russia’s freedom fighters.
Vlasov and Kerensky certainly knew how to exploit that angle.
Besides, rejecting the recognition of Free Russia, which America is practically sponsoring, would be tantamount to saying we don't want to get along with America in the future.
“But we have no intention of completely overthrowing the Soviet Union for their sake.”
“Ahem, ahem.
I understand your thoughts, Minister. But in Asia, America’s help, or intervention, is desperately needed.
Only if America delivers an ultimatum will Japan either accept it and end the war, or reject it and force America to intervene, no?”
With the East Indies still occupied by Japan, the Netherlands is desperate, as expected.
“At the very least, a clear objective must be set for America to provide us with proper assistance.
With the support America has promised, the overthrow of the Soviet Union might not be impossible…”
Churchill also added a word.
It’s easy for them to talk when it’s someone else’s problem.
I felt a refreshing smile spread across my face.
“The overthrow of the Soviet Union.
Easy to say. But does anyone here know the number of Allied casualties in the war against the Soviet Union so far?”
The Inspector General of the Polish Armed Forces, Sikorski, slowly raised his hand.
“Across all Allied Forces, 2.8 million have been sacrificed.”
“Thank you, Inspector General.”
I gave Sikorski a light nod before turning my gaze to Churchill and de Geer.
“What is the total troop strength of the British and Dutch armies?”
Churchill and de Geer fell silent.
“Let’s say we declare the destruction of the Soviet Union as our goal and go to war, basking in the praise of the American people.
Let’s say we take Moscow with the tanks we received by going into massive debt with America. If Moscow falls, will the Soviet Union surrender?”
Why is everyone so quiet?
“We attacked Ukraine with unparalleled speed, even with the help of local Ukrainians.
And yet, they had already dismantled half of their factories and moved them to the Ural mountains. Do you think the same won't happen in Moscow?”
Didn't you all think you could crush the Soviets like child's play?
“Let’s say the Allied Forces fight like madmen and advance all the way to the Urals.
Will the Soviet Union surrender then? When surrendering means they’ll all be killed by the hate-filled veterans of the White Army?”
Have you all already forgotten the bloodbath of the Russian Civil War?
Are you suggesting we push the Soviets to the brink of collapse, only to let them call for a desperate last stand and a Great Patriotic War?
“Does anyone know the straight-line distance from Minsk, which we now hold, to Vladivostok in the Soviet Far East?”
When no one spoke, I slammed my fist on the table and shouted.
“7,000 kilometers! That's 4,400 miles, for the British! Just for soldiers to march the distance with their gear would take over three months! Have you somehow erased from your brains how many corpses were piled up to advance a single kilometer, a single mile, in the last Great War?!”
I paused for a breath, then spoke to the stiff-faced Prime Ministers of Britain, the Netherlands, and Belgium.
“Even while at war with the Soviet Union, Germany dispatched a U-boat flotilla and a fleet to Asia. If you’re still going to talk about overthrowing the Soviets to get America’s help, then any nation making that claim had better be prepared to issue a general mobilization order and dispatch troops to the Eastern Front.”
Churchill looked like he wanted to retort in a fit of anger, but the British Foreign Minister, Anthony Eden, desperately held him back.
Churchill, who had conceived of Operation Unthinkable to declare war on the Soviets after the fall of Nazi Germany, might very well have called for general mobilization.
But in Britain, which had already suffered from the occupation of its homeland by France, saying something like that would get Churchill thrown out first.
After a long silence, a somewhat calmer Churchill spoke in a low voice.
“Then what is Germany’s idea?”
“There’s no need for an ultimatum against Japan. Left alone, America will declare a blockade of the Philippine waters anyway.
We can decide what to do after seeing Japan’s reaction to that.”
That reaction would likely be an attack on Japan’s part, be it Pearl Harbor or something else, so it didn't matter.
We don’t need to give America a definite answer right now. And in the current situation, where the Republic of China and the Republic of Korea are deeply grateful to Germany, that is enough.
“We also don't need the 5,000 medium tanks America is offering to dish out. It will only increase the debt we have to repay later.
Instead, let’s tell them to increase the scale of their volunteer force. We'll need at least 500,000 to even man a front.
In return, we will formally recognize Free Russia…”
I spread the map I had brought onto the table.
“Let’s guarantee the territory of a Russian Republic that will serve as a buffer zone between Poland and the Soviet Union, starting east of the Baltic States, south of Leningrad, and centered around Smolensk.
Anything beyond that can be negotiated as the war progresses. With this, neither America nor Free Russia can complain to us.”
The most important thing was to leave room for compromise with the Soviet Union. A war of annihilation with no room for compromise against the Soviets? History proves what the end of that road looks like.
As long as we don’t target strategic points like Leningrad, Moscow, or the Crimean Peninsula, which the Soviets would defend with their lives, this much should be achievable using the Free Russian Army armed with US equipment and the US Volunteer Corps.
Since we’re stuck with Free Russia anyway, let's have some fun while we're at it by setting up a pro-American nation as a ‘Friend Shield’ and creating a pseudo-NATO.