Chapter 534: Be With You(1)
Chapter 534: Be With You(1)
The Winter War was a conflict in which the Soviet Union invaded Finland.
The Soviet Union overwhelmed Finland in every aspect—not just in territory, but militarily and economically as well.
Finland was well aware of this. Thus, they usually tried their best to appease the Soviet Union and prevent war from breaking out at any cost.
With Poland right below them being pummeled by a joint attack and split in half, Finland had no choice but to tread carefully.
However, Stalin’s greed knew no bounds. He set all sorts of absurd conditions to incorporate Finland into the Soviet Union.
[The Soviet position is basically this: "I want your land. Hand it over before you get thrashed."]
As one critic put it, that was exactly how it went. Finland, faced with a Soviet Union that had clearly crossed the line, gave a flat "No."
What followed? Nothing but a tidal wave of the Red Army. Finland had anticipated this and prepared their defenses.
From a distance, it was a war that looked like David versus Goliath—nothing more, nothing less. People at the time expected the same.
But then, something unexpected happened. The Soviet Union, which everyone thought would occupy the country with ease, began to suffer immense damage beyond mere struggling.
[Finland may have lacked supplies and weapons, but their determination to protect their country was ironclad. On the other hand, look at the Soviet Union.]
[The Soviet Union was driven by 'fear' of their leader. That fear began to eat away at them from within.]
[Furthermore, the cold is a more terrifying entity than anything else. An environment where closing your eyes for a moment means meeting God.]
The Finnish cold far surpassed that of the Soviet Union. The terrain was filled with unexpectedly dense forests. And finally, there was Stalin’s Great Purge.
The most crucial factor here was Stalin’s Great Purge. It just so happened that the Winter War broke out shortly after the military purges had taken place.
No matter how strong the limbs are, they are useless if the head is stupid.
Stalin had purged almost all the competent talent in the military just to preserve his own power.
With such severe internal chaos, when Finland’s 'General Winter' struck, the soldiers all froze to death.
It got to the point where more than half of those who died in the war died of frostbite. Meanwhile, Finland fought desperately, making excellent use of their homeland's terrain and environment.
[It’s like a massive pig flailing around and tripping over its own feet.]
This comment from a critic perfectly described the Soviet Union's current state. The Soviets fought so poorly that they didn't deserve a single word of praise.
Although they managed to win somehow by utilizing their overwhelming weight class, it was a victory far removed from their original goal.
Far from occupying Finland, they only managed to take about 10% of its territory and industrial zones.
It was an ending perfectly suited to the term 'Pyrrhic Victory.'
[Just how powerful is Stalin’s authority that even the front-line officers are trembling in fear?]
[A man who holds more power than an Emperor. His name is the Grand Marshal of Steel, Stalin.]
People criticized Stalin’s blunders, yet they feared him.
Usually, officers on the front lines often ignore orders from superiors to secure a victory at any cost.
But the Soviet case was different. In front of them stood the Finnish army and General Winter; behind them waited Stalin’s gun barrel.
Consumed by that fear, they either froze to death while doing nothing or were shot by the Finnish army.
It was a situation where refusing Stalin’s orders was synonymous with 'death.' Readers even felt a sense of pity, wondering just how terrifying Stalin’s power must be for things to be that way.
[Kliment Voroshilov was the one who spoke harsh truths to such a man. As it turns out, he was Stalin’s best friend.]
[He could say such things because they were best friends, but Stalin likely sensed that the moment he purged Voroshilov, an uncontrollable backlash would follow.]
[It’s surprising to see that even a human butcher has a side like that.]
Of course, it wasn't as if there was no one who could stand up to Stalin’s absolute power.
Stalin’s best friend and comrade, Kliment Voroshilov, was that person.
He was the bravest of the brave, the one who shouted at Stalin during the Winter War, saying, "This is happening because you killed all the competent generals!"
When Stalin pretended not to hear, he reportedly picked up a platter and smashed it onto the table.
Realistically, purging Voroshilov would have shattered the military and put Stalin himself in danger. But even setting that aside, it was true that they were close friends.
[Finland lost, but they were victorious. The entire nation united as one and did not yield despite the overwhelming difference in strength.]
[We should look for lessons to learn from Finland rather than the Soviet Union.]
[Though they were defeated, Finland gained much. This will remain not as a defeat, but as a lesson.]
Naturally, the evaluation of Finland was much better than that of the Soviet Union. They were polar opposites.
While it was a combination of cold harsher than the Soviet Union's and the Soviet Union's self-destruction, it was an undeniable fact that Finland fought well.
In particular, the sniper Simo Häyhä, who seemed to have transcended human limits, gained immense popularity.
The word 'sniping' itself existed in this world, and Rangers already performed the role of snipers.
[History repeats itself, but there are lessons to be gained from it. The Soviet Union is broken now, but if they solidify their internal foundation, they will regain their former prestige.]
Regrettably, Russia in the Ukraine War was exactly like the Soviet Union in the Winter War.
It was a bizarre phenomenon where the saying "history repeats itself" fit perfectly. In this way, the Winter War provided lessons to many people.
No matter how strong a nation is, it can easily end up like the Soviet Union if its internal foundation isn't solid. Conversely, if a nation unites like Finland, it can achieve the impossible.
Moreover, because it was such a plausible story, the talk about the Invasion of Poland subsided slightly.
[Could it be that Hitler is attacking because he saw this side of the Soviet Union?]
Furthermore, as it was revealed that the Soviet Union was an empty shell, hypotheses about Nazi Germany invading the Soviet Union were raised.
The reasoning was that invading the Soviet Union was essential for Hitler’s ultimate goal, 'Lebensraum.'
[Absolutely not. Even if it’s a Phoney War, Hitler is at war with the Anglo-French alliance. Attacks from both sides would be fatal.]
[It’s hard enough to fend off an attack from one side; it’s impossible unless a country has extraordinary national power.]
However, that opinion was soon met with countless rebuttals.
The first reason was that, realistically, a 'two-front war' leads to ruin.
Didn't the German Empire also fight on two fronts during World War I and lose?
[To invade the Soviet Union, the Molotov–Ribbentrop Pact must be broken. A treaty that doesn't even last ten years is meaningless as a treaty.]
[Hitler is a man who has annexed Austria and Czechoslovakia through diplomacy so far. He wouldn't be crazy enough to do that.]
Secondly, and decisively, it was because they had signed the Molotov–Ribbentrop Pact.
While they didn't fully trust each other, no one could even imagine that they would break the treaty.
The problem, however, was that Hitler was crazier than anyone imagined. The one who made even the General Secretary of the Soviet Union gasp in horror was the Führer of Germany.
World War II was a war where 'common sense' was destroyed in many ways. To begin with, there are few cases where common sense applies to war, but the basic framework usually holds.
Since even those frameworks were collapsing, it must have been beyond shocking—it was horrifying for the readers, especially the experts. Even now, they were in a frenzy of analysis.
It was easiest to think of it as watching a soap opera. There were no soap operas here, but it meant the level of drama was equivalent.
[To suffer that much damage just because of the cold. That’s ridiculous. Isn't it just an excuse?]
Very occasionally, someone would spout nonsense.
[Some primitive who hasn't discovered fire and mana yet is talking nonsense.]
They were immediately shut down. Nonsense stemming from a lack of 'common sense' rather than 'plot development' was cut off ruthlessly.
Then, how was nonsense related to the plot treated? Was it buried for being ridiculous?
Normally, yes. Especially if anyone said anything bad about Hitler, people would pounce on them instantly.
However, after North’s prophecy—which was actually instigation—the atmosphere shifted slightly. They decided to tolerate predictions about the plot, even if they seemed nonsensical.
Public opinion emerged that Hitler should be kept completely separate from Xenon, the protagonist of the Xenon Biography. They urged others not to assert that he would follow a similar path.
And the prophet(?) who created that atmosphere, North, was currently...
"How did this happen? Why is the Soviet Union actually losing? No matter how broken they are internally, there's a massive difference in weight class!!"
He was in a state of extreme confusion because his second prediction had unintentionally come true.
Last time, he predicted the massacre in the Invasion of Poland, and this time, he had completely exposed the Soviet Union's true face in the Winter War.
Naturally, people were enthusiastic about North’s insight. They said that while they thought he only talked trash, his past reputation wasn't for nothing.
In reality, North couldn't help but tremble day after day at this unwanted attention. Everything he had just thrown out without any basis was turning out to be correct.
'A-At this rate, even the Royal Family will...!'
North, the former writer of the Ters Kingdom, clutched his thinning hair and trembled in anxiety.
The reason he was able to pull off such stunts was partly to tarnish Xenon’s reputation, but also because he had 'backing.'
It was from individuals presumed to be from the Royal Family. Those individuals told him directly that they would be his backing, so he should go ahead and do whatever he wanted.
They told him to try his best to drag Xenon 'out' into the open. He felt uneasy at first, but since rewards were given, he agreed.
But everything had gone wrong. Hitler really was a butcher, and the Soviet Union was nothing but a loud, empty wagon.
'S-Something else! I have to do something else!'
From the Ters Royal Family's perspective, they might wonder if this bastard was using them. If so, he would be dragged away without anyone knowing.
He wanted to avoid that at all costs. Regardless of Queen Maria’s currently gentle personality, scary things were still scary.
Queen Maria wasn't the only one in the Royal Family. To begin with, the Ters Royal Family had only suffered humiliation after challenging Xenon.
'Germany’s next opponent. The next opponent is definitely...'
North desperately racked his brain while looking at the map in Blood and Iron.
Although he knew absolutely nothing about military affairs, that was exactly why he could spout more nonsense.
Currently, Poland had been crushed, and Finland had barely reached a respite after a grueling war with the Soviet Union.
Then, the only thing left was where the prepared spearhead of Nazi Germany would point. The answer was already set.
'France. It has to be France. Even a layman like me can guess that much.'
The description of the German Navy was written exactly like this: it was so thin it was pitiful to behold.
On the other hand, the British Navy was described as powerful enough to conquer the entire world. And Britain was located on an island across the sea.
Therefore, it was highly likely that Nazi Germany would strike France. Even if reinforcements came from Britain, they would fight on land.
Once his thoughts reached this point, North pondered deeply. He was illiterate in military matters, but he did possess 'common sense.'
'Historically, when countries with similar national power clash, it turns into a long-term war. Moreover, unlike the Soviet Union, Nazi Germany is solid. France has been described as a land power since ancient times.'
'Commonly speaking,' this was normal. If countries with similar national power waged war against each other, it would take at least several months.
Even if one side self-destructed, it didn't matter. Even a decaying elite is still an elite; they would have the strength to hold out for at least two months.
Furthermore, both France and Nazi Germany were great powers. However, since Hitler was the protagonist, Nazi Germany would eventually win.
For a moment, he thought about spouting instigation that Nazi Germany would lose to France, but he immediately buried that idea.
'Something more nonsensical. I need a nonsensical story.'
The idea of Nazi Germany losing to France wasn't that nonsensical.
Since it was a war between two countries with similar national power, people would likely just shrug and say, "That could happen."
One side had to lose overwhelmingly. North thought about it once more.
'Rather than which side wins... right. Let's just say the war ends within two months. Should I shorten it further to about six weeks?'
A war between great powers ending in six weeks. A hypothesis so far removed from common sense that it would cause cognitive dissonance.
It was a feat impossible unless it was truly a novel. Wars tend to drag on longer the more equal the forces are.
'Even the Invasion of Poland took a month, and the Winter War lasted over four months.'
Unless some out-of-this-world tactics appeared, it was impossible to defeat a great power in six weeks.
To put it another way, it was no different from saying the Ters Kingdom would occupy the Minerva Empire in six weeks.
This was it. North nodded and let out a subtle smile.
'With this, I’ll be able to drag Xenon out.'
While this so-called prophet was hatching a scheme in his mansion...
"This should be enough, right? It's my first time going to the desert."
"Should I lend you some cosmetics? What if your skin gets all burnt?"
"If it burns, it burns."
"Be quiet and just take this."
Isaac finished his preparations to leave for the Grey Desert.