The Leash on Poland
Japan and Britain.
Even for me, I could not look kindly on a nation that had tried to kill me. Shouldn’t they be grateful there was no war? They ought to realize I was already showing remarkable restraint. Even now, if they kept quiet I could not intervene in their swallowing of Lithuania, yet the thought still left a sour taste. So I left matters at this. Honestly, with the situation already this bad, if Russia allowed Poland to grow any stronger the Poles might start entertaining dangerous ideas. Several more clauses were scheduled to be added. The absolute condition that Russian troops could never enter Polish territory without an explicit request from the Polish government. In other words, military transit rights required prior consultation.
“Then we can count on your support with weapons, yes?”
“Provided Poland does not betray us, that will be the case. And one more thing.”
Unlike Austria, with whom we shared a mutual defense treaty, Poland was a country we aided while never lowering our guard. This time the assassination attempt against me had allowed us to dictate the terms of the agreement, but still.
“What else?”
“Since prior consultation has taken place, we will set a date. Come to Moscow and sign the pact there.”
This much should satisfy the Russian people, shouldn’t it?
“I must travel to Russia?”
“Austria eventually lost land to Serbia. Russia will be different.”
“!!”
“If you do not come to Russia in person, I do not hold the military in an iron grip. I will not be able to calm the generals who are furious over this incident. Do you refuse?”
I spoke with a confident smile. No matter who I was, once the military grew agitated even I could not restrain them. Anton Denikin’s Special Military Operation, for example.
“…Understood.”
Yes. You must accept everything. Only then will you live long. With this, Poland would be officially recognized as aligned with Russia. Communist Germany would have no choice but to target Poland if it wished to reach Russia.
“Still, being this lenient feels wrong. There is no guarantee those bastards won’t bare their teeth at us.”
On the return journey Ungern seemed unable to quell his anger. As a monarchist, the thought that the Tsar had nearly died at Polish hands clearly did not sit well with him.
“True. For now it is only controlled because Józef Piłsudski is there. Even he orchestrated that assassination attempt from the shadows, that filthy act.”
Whether Poland chose to troll us afterward or faithfully kept its promises with Russia made no difference to me. If they upheld the Anti-Comintern Pact, at least they would not be swallowed by anyone. If they failed to keep the pact? In this history they would receive no sympathy.
“Does that mean trouble will arise in the next generation after him?”
“Yes. Most likely.”
An assassination attempt had already occurred. What would the successor be like? If Józef Piłsudski chose his heir wisely, perhaps, but I doubted the next generation could control a Poland this inflamed.
The nations entering the Anti-Comintern Pact were Poland, the German Empire (East Prussia), Austria, Hungary, Romania, West Ukraine, and others. Should I openly add Lithuania? Britain and France needed to join as well.
“Your Majesty is truly remarkable.”
Vice Foreign Minister Sazonov, who had remained silent, clapped his hands.
“Vice Minister Sazonov, what do you mean?”
“Have you not orchestrated all of this, Your Majesty? Did you not even predict that Polish nationalists would act? Did you not throw your own body into the fray to place shackles on Poland?”
Uh, no. Why was it being interpreted that way? I had not expected it, but I had not aimed for it either.
The look in Sazonov’s eyes as he regarded me was the same one might give something sacred.
“No, it is not like that.”
“Indeed. Since war was not feasible with Poland, you have turned them into our Russian lapdogs in this manner.”
Ungern, why must you hear it that way? I hoped no further strange misunderstandings would accumulate.
Since we had already come as far as Poland, perhaps we should continue on to East Prussia? The German ambassador had approached us with exactly that request.
For a brief moment I considered it, but Ungern blocked the idea at once.
“It cannot be done. The route to East Prussia is dangerous, and there is no telling whether German communists have infiltrated the region.”
“Oh. That is true.”
Come to think of it, he had a point. Had they not said German reds stood behind this assassination attempt? There was no telling where else we might be struck.
“Your Majesty must preserve your health. Absolutely not this time. You were lucky today, but we cannot know what lingering effects your body may have suffered. You must return home.”
With even Vera Gedroits standing in opposition, even I could not insist.
“I understand. I understand, so please stop.”
My ears would grow calluses from the scolding.
Then there was no helping it. Since an assassination attempt had indeed occurred, the Kaiser in East Prussia could not complain about my returning home for safety reasons. Conversely, an invitation to Moscow would likely be accepted. At the very least they would understand that we were giving thought to the German Empire. How many troops that region could provide remained uncertain, but we had Adolf’s army from Austria; it would work out somehow.
“I wonder about Japan.”
Those people were backing the Beiyang government. Having suffered the great earthquake, they seemed intent on securing Chinese concessions through an obedient Beiyang regime. Meanwhile we were selling weapons to the Constitutional Protection government. I had already sent word in preparation for any backlash.
“Hahaha! Why waste attention on fellows who cannot even manage their own colonies properly?”
“General, what do you mean?”
“Your Majesty’s heroic deeds have become known even in Joseon. Movements centered on the royal family to restore national sovereignty have begun. As a result, it appears a considerable number of troops have been stationed in Joseon.”
So the snowball had begun rolling in Korea too. Only with the outbreak of the Second World War would a legitimate path open to crush Japan and aid Korea. Yet in this state Japan was hemorrhaging money in every direction. They had endured the great earthquake and now had to maintain troops in Joseon for the foreseeable future. Even within the South Manchuria Railway there seemed to be resistance from Koreans and Manchurians against the Japanese. Well, if they suffered it was good for us. They would have no leisure to entertain foolish thoughts of attacking Russia again.
The Japanese Empire supported Duan Qirui’s Beiyang government, which recognized the South Manchuria Railway Company. Sun Wen’s Constitutional Protection government, risen to overthrow him, had sent envoys demanding Manchurian occupation and compensation for Chinese killed in the earthquake, irritating Japan. Should they seize control of China, Japan’s hard-won interests there would naturally fall into jeopardy.
Yet recently Russia had been supplying military advisors and weapons to a man named Chen Jiongming affiliated with the Constitutional Protection faction. This was distinctly unwelcome.
Prime Minister Hara Takashi, who had avoided assassination in real history and remained in office, Finance Minister Takahashi Korekiyo, and Foreign Minister Uchida Kōsai now had to resolve the Chinese problem Anastasia had thrown at them.
“It appears the Russian United States has begun supporting the Constitutional Protection government. Is this accurate?”
“The Russian ambassador claims they have no choice because of the Tsarina’s legitimacy.”
“Hmm. Still, this is rather…”
“The Russian side stated they hope this civil war grows larger. Only when Chinese bleed each other dry, they said, will they cease to threaten Russia or Japan.”
The Russian ambassador, acting on the Tsarina’s orders, had offered the Japanese a convenient excuse: that it would benefit both nations if the Chinese continued to slaughter one another.
“It makes sense, yet for now we must wait and observe.”
Whatever the Russian Tsarina was thinking, Russia remained a friendly power to the Empire for the present.
“More pressing is the Yi Royal Family, is it not? The Yi King at Changdeok Palace.”
Yi Cheok, King of Changdeok Palace—Sunjong. They had treated him as a royal prince, but as Anastasia’s heroic tales spread across the Korean peninsula, movements had arisen among Koreans seeking to restore sovereignty with the Yi family at their center. Japan had answered with merciless military suppression. Using the pretext of protecting Sunjong from rioters, they had placed him under rigorous house arrest. Unlike real history, a substantial number of Japanese troops had been dispatched to the Korean peninsula to prevent “disloyal Koreans” from launching independence activities. On top of the deficits incurred developing Joseon, the cost of stationing those troops drained still more money. Yet after the great earthquake and the ensuing chaos on the mainland, a new problem emerged: Yi Kang, Prince Ui of the fallen Korean Empire, had gone missing. The last sighting placed him near Andong, on the border between South Manchuria and the Korean peninsula. In real history the 1919 exile attempt had been canceled due to intensified Japanese surveillance of the Yi family; the earthquake had altered that outcome. Yi Kang was a figure the Japanese had begun watching closely of late. Unlike his rotten father, he had followed the elite course faithfully and possessed a keen understanding of international relations.
“I believe we should treat the Yi family with respect on the surface while demoting them behind the scenes—especially regarding their family history.”
“How so?”
“Records show that the ancestor of Joseon’s founder, Yi Seong-gye, surrendered to the Mongols when they invaded Goryeo and became a Mongol official. Then, when the Mongols collapsed during the time of his son Yi Ja-chun, he switched allegiance back to Goryeo.”
“Hoo. And that son later betrayed Goryeo and founded Joseon. Wait—then we can simply declare the Yi family a house of traitors who sell their country whenever the opportunity arises.”
In short, they would continue to be treated as royalty for appearance’s sake, but behind the scenes they would be thoroughly demoted so they could never again serve as a rallying point for Koreans. That was the intent.
“It would be wise to issue such instructions to the Government-General of Korea. Mobilizing Korean nobles directly is another viable method.”
To have to handle matters that should have been the Government-General’s responsibility from here in the mainland. Lately the Government-General had become so nominal it was little more than a façade for direct rule from Japan. If one were to trace the cause, the Tsarina who had given the Koreans hope was partly responsible, yet there was no way to voice that complaint.
The car-bomb terror attack against the Tsarina in Poland rapidly spread across the globe, centered first on Europe. It was only natural. The Tsarina’s visit to Poland had drawn unexpectedly intense international attention. That the Russian Empress, bearer of countless titles, had extended her hand to a land once occupied by Russia was itself a historic event. Some newspapers had already begun depicting Anastasia as a symbol of peace. Naturally the bombing provided more than enough fuel for headlines.
In Britain, officials suspected that Poland—apparently unable to distinguish front from back—might now attempt to seize Lithuania.
“To throw a bomb at the Tsarina who bravely sought improved relations with Poland. They have only just gained independence—have they gone mad, relying on us?”
“It is fortunate nothing worse occurred. But at this rate, will Poland not set its sights on Lithuania as well?”
“Would they dare touch Lithuania, which lies within our sphere of influence?”
“Would men who knew that still attempt to assassinate the Tsarina?”
“I am beginning to doubt whether Poland can fulfill its role in the encirclement of Germany. If they start demanding Lithuania on top of everything…”
“First we must learn through the Tsarina exactly what conversation took place. They would not have thrown the bomb without some calculation.”
No matter how much they disliked Russia, attempting to kill the monarch of a power spanning East and West carried heavy implications. It meant that if the British Empire displayed even the slightest weakness, there was no telling what those people might do. Therefore Britain resolved to keep a close eye on the Baltic states, and Józef Piłsudski’s dream of resurrecting the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth sank to the bottom of the Baltic Sea.