LIGHTNOVELWORLD Chapter 74
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“First, I’m thinking of Austria, Hungary, Slovakia, and Romania. I’m also planning to say something to Britain and France.”
It seems that due to Yugoslavia, Bulgaria is also keen to secretly participate in the air defense treaty, but I’m not sure how that will turn out.
Well, what can I do if Hungary, Slovakia, and Romania are all in for air defense?
Looking at Greece, they still seem full of grievances, so I wouldn’t be surprised if they turn red soon.
Even if they don’t turn red, they could still fight alongside those allies.
Surely, it’s not like the U.S. is working with the Soviets to take down Germany, right?
Anyway, although Poland has been weakened as a suitable country bordering Germany, with Hitler dropping into Austria, in case of emergencies, the air defense treaty should be effective.
Slovakia is currently independent, but it seems to be influenced by Austria, so they’ll likely join in as well.
At least, assuming those two don’t screw things up.
“Is there nothing we can help with in Germany?”
“Help, you say?”
What on earth is this one-armed guy babbling about?
“Still, aren’t we on the same side moving forward?”
If Germany were in good shape, he wouldn’t be saying such things. It seems he’s trying to get us to side with him somehow.
“Then, how about naval technology? Hmm, yes. How can we acquire some U-boat technology?”
The navy hasn’t been rebuilt yet, and Russia’s technology seems to lag behind.
Our fleet’s submarine technology is also behind compared to other countries. Rebuilding the fleet will cost a lot, so I thought it would be wise to make some submarines for now.
During the Russo-Japanese War, not all our defeats in naval battles were due to the Baltic Fleet coming around all tired.
We had received support from our ally, France, for fuel and whatnot.
Japan’s navy, developed with England’s assistance, also had excellent performance.
And Russia’s submarines are several generations behind those of other great powers.
So we need to obtain what we can.
“It’s not hard. Even with the sailors’ rebellion, we moved all technological secrets to East Prussia to keep them from the Reds.”
“Oh, that’s good to hear.”
But considering that the original supporters of the revolutions were military personnel, I feel like transferring military technology to East Prussia might not change much.
More than that, there was a sailors’ rebellion after all.
“Then, why don’t you take a rest until Chancellor Józef Piłsudski arrives? After all, I’m also in a position of power that’s been handed over to the Duma.”
“Oh, I see. I understand what you mean.”
For now, I’ll just let it slide, saying that as a mere figurehead, I need to be mindful of the Duma, and I let the Kaiser step back.
There are some here who will be pleased with that.
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Finally, Józef Piłsudski has arrived in Moscow.
His face is filled with dissatisfaction.
He must have been cursed a lot by the Russians on his way here.
I treated him as best as I could.
When crossing the border, for safety’s sake, I adorned the car with Polish flags, so it was clear as day that I’m the Chancellor as I sped along.
In every city, I hung banners welcoming the Polish Chancellor! That was a bonus.
Thanks to my efforts and sincerity, Józef Piłsudski’s face from the hardships in East Prussia looks extremely worn out.
“Welcome. Was the journey alright?”
I smiled and shook hands with Józef Piłsudski.
I was grinning broadly enough for my lips to touch my ears.
Seeing me smile like that, Józef Piłsudski’s eyes twitched.
He must find it amusing, seeing me act like this after being cursed the whole way.
“Yes, Your Majesty. It is thanks to Your Majesty’s warm welcome that I was able to arrive here.”
Feigning ignorance, I beamed brightly.
“Don’t worry, there won’t be any terrorist incidents in Russia. Since you’ve come, why not do a little sightseeing while you’re here?”
Go look around everywhere.
It may not look like it, but traveling in Russia has become decent now.
Of course, if the Prime Minister of Poland is roaming around, there might be a lot of fuss in many ways, but I don’t think there will be any bomb threats here.
“No, it seems a bit difficult to travel.”
“Oh really? That’s a shame. I had planned to hang large signs in every Russian city welcoming the Chancellor.”
Beaming brightly.
I spoke to Piłsudski like a naive girl doing something ridiculous, completely unaware.
“I’d like to refrain from that.”
“Well, alright. I’ll stop joking here.”
After all, this is a place to sign the air defense treaty.
It’s not a spot for playing around and laughing together.
Ah, but we should definitely keep it humorous.
It wouldn’t look good if the leaders of both nations are seen laughing while Poland becomes Russia’s meat shield.
Normally, it would be appropriate for the Prime Minister to step forward.
Still, considering Poland’s history of being oppressed during the old Russian Empire era, it feels like the Tsar should step in.
Most of the neighboring leaders might know this is all a performance.
Surface-wise, we’re trying to show some gesture of reconciliation.
So, it’s best if I take the lead.
If Krivoshein is going to help Poland, then I derived this remark to show that Russia can portray itself as a great nation.
The White Army was opposed to this, but I accepted it instantly.
On the surface, it seems Russia is being quite generous, and while there may be plenty of chatter among the military,
Peeling back the layers shows that only Piłsudski’s insides are burning black with anxiety.
Poland will soon be shedding blood for Russia in that predetermined war.
Nobody wants to cry more than Piłsudski.
Yes. To express it bluntly, Piłsudski’s mere presence here is like an audience with a king in Eastern terms.
The Polish cabinet will likely see it as humiliation.
In any case, this has put us in a position where we can’t take on Germany, and we have to desperately think about defeating them.
And…
In order to firmly nail it down, I had prepared something.
All the reporters from around the world have gathered here.
Reporters from Britain, France, Austria, Turkey, and more, all from the anti-communist countries.
Communist Germany will be keeping a close eye on Poland’s moves as well.
Now, this significant moment that will be reported in newspapers as Russia’s forgiveness and reconciliation with Poland has arrived.
Many reporters swarm like ants, taking notes or snapping photos of me and Piłsudski together.
And the Okhrana has cleverly slipped in Russian reporters to record this moment as a historic occasion—the day Russia and Poland reconciled.
“The Tsarina of Russia and Chancellor Józef Piłsudski of Poland are smiling together!”
“It’s a historic moment of reconciliation between Russia and Poland!”
“Oh, how graciously Russia forgives Poland, even after the bomb attacks! Truly, our Russian saint!”
Before the Kremlin, the Russians are gazing at us with various expressions ranging from shock, confusion, rage, and everything in between, but most admire me for forgiving the arrogant Poles.
Did I forgive them graciously?
I’m surprisingly a person who holds grudges. If, in the distant future, the name Poland remains, it might be generous to consider it.
Piłsudski ought to be on high alert.
What kind of future awaits Poland after his death?
Perhaps the entire region of Poland will be decorated with bombs.
He might be concerned about that.
Annoyed by the multitude of reporters clicking away, Piłsudski clicked his tongue and his expression twisted.
“Smile on a good day.”
“Hahaha. Understood.”
Thus, today became the day of reconciliation between Russia and Poland, January 22, 1924.
It may seem like a coincidence, but it’s the same date as the January Uprising of 1863, when Poland revolted against the Russian Empire.
The day the January Uprising occurred becomes the day of reconciliation between Russia and Poland.
What a truly amusing turn of events.
After the performance of reconciliation between Russia and Poland ended, we delved into the air defense treaty.
Present from the German Empire side were Kaiser Wilhelm II and Foreign Minister Richard von Kuhlmann; from Russia, myself and Prime Minister Krivoshein along with various ministers; and from Poland, Chancellor Józef Piłsudski and notably featured Gabriel Narutowicz among others.
Having already exchanged words, there was no need for further adjustment.
“At this gathering, we declare that Russia, Poland, and the German Empire have united against the invasion of the Communist Party.”
To put it bluntly, it becomes:
“Here, Poland declares to be Russia’s and East Prussia’s meat shield.”
That’s what it translates to.
On the surface, it looks like just a gathering of three nations cheerfully forming a limited alliance against Communist Germany and Italy.
But to summarize this air defense treaty, it would simply be:
“Sign immediately!”
“We, Poland, are the bitches of Russia.”
I wonder why I can foresee a future of Pribyslinski Krai in the not-so-distant future.
It seems like Piłsudski has already seen it in his own future; just look at him trembling while signing.
While air defense seems acceptable, he likely has no idea what kind of future this air defense treaty will birth.
The German Empire (East Prussia) and Poland have joined the air defense treaty I established today as per advance discussions. Well, Austria too will have no choice but to engage in a fight against Germany and Italy.
So today, it’s just the three countries of East Prussia, Poland, and Russia, and next, it could be Romania, Austria, and Turkey.
Yugoslavia looks like it will soon suffer revenge from Hitler. So, could these three nations form the first air defense alliance going forward?
It seems Britain and France, maintaining some pride, agree to a united response against the Communist Party but aren’t interested in the air defense treaty I proposed.
Anyway, those damned pirates and frogs are all prideful.
When Russia produced something like Ilya Muromets, they scoffed, thinking there was no way Russia could create such a thing.
“Isn’t Romania a bit ambiguous?”
“Minister of Foreign Affairs, what do you mean?”
“Romania took Transylvania, Bukovina, and Bessarabia in the last war. Isn’t there going to be a problem with Hungary or Austria?”
The Minister of Foreign Affairs struck pretty close to the mark with that one.
Yeah, that’s true.
If this really were a serious alliance, that would be the case.
However, this is just an air defense treaty. So it should be fine.
“Still, it would be best to extend the invitation now. If we leave Romania isolated, what will happen? The Communist Germans will approach them. But we aren’t at odds with the neighboring countries, are we?”
Austria or Hungary may murmur a bit but will likely accept.
After all, didn’t Hungary receive Romania’s support?
“Yes. Romania reportedly supported supplies during the communist revolution in Hungary, which led to Horthy’s forces annihilating the Communist troops.”
“But still, there must be some awkwardness, right?”
It seems both Foreign Minister Vasily Kharlamov and Deputy Foreign Minister Boris Savinkov have a rather negative take concerning Romania.
Isn’t that an unnecessary worry?
This isn’t a full-fledged league.
On the surface, it’s clearly an air defense treaty, but it is limited to ‘communist states’.
To reiterate, it’s just an air defense treaty.
We can say there will be no interference concerning inter-state issues among parties involved.
I waved my hand.
“Since we’re merely joining forces against communist countries, I think it’ll be fine. Just make the suggestion. If they refuse, we’ll clearly state that we offered; that’s all we need.”
“Then, we’ll invite Bulgaria, who first extended a hand regarding the air defense treaty.”
“Bulgaria?”
“Yes. Bulgaria lost territory to Serbia and Greece in the last war. Since Yugoslavia is currently trying to turn red, wouldn’t it be a good idea to include Bulgaria in the treaty for their containment?”
Looks like the Foreign Ministry is thinking ahead.
Sure, they were enemies in the last war, but there are no eternal enemies or eternal allies.
Having more allies is always better.
“Go ahead and do that.”
However, that’s really a matter for the Foreign Ministry to handle on its own.
I would prefer if they wouldn’t ask me about such things.
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