The Two Emperors
January, a year later. Kaiser Wilhelm II met me in Moscow. It had been some time since I had permitted the German ambassador to arrange the Kaiser’s visit to Russia. From what I gathered, he had spent the intervening months reorganizing domestic affairs in East Prussia.
Seeing Wilhelm in person, I realized he differed greatly from the majestic, one-armed Kaiser I had seen on the internet. Whether from the loss of his family or the ordeal of surviving the Red threat, his face looked haggard and he appeared far older than he had in the history I remembered. Yet his demeanor toward me was impeccably courteous, which left me with a strange feeling. He kept smiling as though determined to flatter me to the highest degree, offering direct praise at every turn. The effort he put into making a favorable impression was almost burdensome.
As we walked together through the Kremlin, he spoke earnestly about the state of the German Empire.
“Thank you.”
The one-armed man offered a faint smile and continued to praise me without pause. Why is he being so overbearing? Behaving like this made me, a person who in my previous life had come from a culture that valued Eastern courtesy, feel rather awkward.
For a moment I doubted my own ears. What nonsense is this old man spouting with that kindly face? The very person who had dropped Lenin into Russia. I would not defend the incompetent Nicholas II, but it was this man who had deliberately sent Lenin to spark the revolution, allowing the Bolsheviks to seize power and execute the Tsar’s family.
“Yet with such a frail body, you truly commanded troops during the civil war?”
“I merely showed my face. The actual command was handled by the Black Baron, General Anton Denikin, Admiral Alexander Kolchak, and others.”
I really had only shown my face. Of course I had fought, but most of the tactics and strategy had come from the Black Baron’s mind, and in the beginning Kolchak had supported me faithfully. The reason we had held Yekaterinburg was that, knowing history, I had endured until Kolchak could arrive. There was such a thing as psychological reassurance. Had I not known Kolchak was coming, I might have fled.
“I see. They say you possess hundreds of thousands of battle-hardened officers and an elite army?”
Look at those greedy eyes. Those eyes coveting my army! Why on earth was he lusting after my forces? My army had absolutely no intention of fighting for his German Empire. Once I had rounded up every last German Red, he could have North Germany as a consolation prize. Whether Germany was given at all rested entirely in my hands.
“Yes. So, have you come today solely to conclude the Anti-Comintern Pact?”
“Before that… there is the matter of the Kaiserin.”
“Ah, yes. There was also the question of Princess Victoria Louise ascending the throne.”
I had forgotten about that. But what possible problem could there be? When a country was overturned, one simply seized the gap and acted as one wished. Look at me. Using the Red-White Civil War as my opportunity, I had coerced the Russian nobility into following my policies and had barely managed to sway public sentiment. Of course socialists still abounded, but at least they refrained from Bolshevik behavior.
The one-armed man asked in a trembling voice. Hmm, so he wants me to compare it with my own situation. Well, if one insisted on an answer, I saw no particular problem. Naturally Russia’s case differed, but still.
He seemed deeply anxious. Wasn’t governing Germany properly the Kaiser’s own responsibility in the first place?
“Our Russia turned out surprisingly well. Though of course the situation would have been impossible without me.”
“Then… could you offer some assistance?”
“Are you asking for support from me, the Empress?”
So that was his true aim. He wanted the Empress to endorse the Kaiserin. Possessing only East Prussia, this man desperately needed foreign backing—especially from monarchical states. Turning to Britain was awkward given their history as enemies, and they had already recognized communist Germany, which must have stung. But Russia, which they had once aided, was another matter. Especially when that Russia was ruled by an Empress.
“Ahem. The Junkers and the military are watching, you understand.”
“Hasn’t everything already been overturned? Supporting you would not be difficult for me. Once I recognize her, the Junkers and military of East Prussia will hardly plunge Germany into chaos over the Kaiserin question when both the throne and their own livelihoods are already at risk.”
“Ah, true. After concluding the Anti-Comintern Pact, I believe we must seriously consider how to deal with communist Germany.”
He gazed at me with eyes brimming with ambition. Exactly as one would expect from a man who had bungled diplomacy. In any case, I needed to think this through carefully.
“It is not yet possible.”
“Not possible? If not now, when will we catch those Reds?”
Wilhelm widened his eyes and stared at me. Looking at that expression, it seemed to say, It’s a lie, isn’t it? Without you we cannot reclaim Germany! The desperation made me feel a twinge of pity, yet when one thought about it, wasn’t this his own fault? Before deciding to stab France with a bamboo spear, had there been no option to stabilize the interior first?
“Russia’s internal situation has not yet been settled, and as Your Majesty knows, Germany is no easy opponent from our standpoint.”
“Hmm. That is true.”
“Moreover, if we strike communist Germany now, they would use it as justification to act exactly as they please. They would claim Russia invaded first, turning us into international pariahs, and Your Majesty would be branded a traitor who dragged Russia in to reclaim his own country.”
“Would it truly go that far?”
This man still did not fully understand the situation here. No wonder he had failed at diplomacy.
“Germany may differ, but during our civil war the Bolsheviks propagandized that the White Army was a traitorous force backed by foreign troops.” In this timeline that had not made the Bolsheviks appear as Russia’s protectors, of course.
“I see. That is reasonable.”
“I understand your desire to bequeath a unified German Empire to Princess Louise, but now is the time to wait.”
He must realize it too. The imperial family had been all but wiped out. If he himself were killed, he would worry about what became of Louise. If reclaiming Germany proved impossible, he would likely seek exile. Yet I had no intention of simply letting Wilhelm go. After all, watching Hitler unify all of Germany and recreate the Holy Roman Empire would be rather unpleasant. Considering Hungary and Czechoslovakia, unifying Germany seemed difficult even without the Wilhelm card. Still, someone had to rule North Germany. Therefore I could not treat either Wilhelm III or Kaiserin Louise too coldly while recognizing their claims.
“How long do you anticipate?”
“At least ten years, I should think.”
Everything from here was conjecture. With the Red-White Civil War ending in White victory and history completely overturned, communist Germany would eventually prepare for revolutionary war. After experiencing the Great Depression they would try even harder. I estimated it would take roughly a decade before they were ready. Besides, in alternate-history novels the protagonist often grew complacent relying solely on future knowledge and suffered for it. We had to prepare thoroughly. And when the time came, rather than being invaded like Stalin—who had taken a proper beating from Hitler in the German-Soviet War—we would send troops under the pretext of aiding East Prussia and Poland.
“That long?”
“Because they will be the ones to start the war.”
We would absolutely not mobilize first. At least not until East Prussia, Poland, or Austria was attacked.
“Why do you believe that?”
“Russia has a proven record of destroying communism, and communist Germany will seek to defeat Russia for the sake of world revolution. That is one of the reasons they seized power, so they will certainly act on it.”
He would understand that much. Even if he had ruined diplomacy, he had done some things competently. Anyone with the slightest sense would grasp my meaning.
Wilhelm listened with a grave expression, then nodded.
“That makes sense. So they will come once their war preparations are complete.”
“Correct. Your Majesty must not focus solely on strengthening East Prussia. They will likely infiltrate Reds into East Prussia to achieve German unification. You must root them out.”
The terrifying thing about Reds, I always thought, was not their military strength. Their true passive was slipping red cockroaches into rotten places and using agitation to dye everything red.
“Hah, to think the young Anastasia would be this capable. Truly remarkable.”
You never once considered that it isn’t me who is remarkable but you who are incompetent. Moreover, wasn’t East Prussia even more dangerous precisely because it was packed with Junkers? At the very least, he must not lose East Prussia.
“After my family died that day, it made me reflect on many things.”
“Indeed. After my own family was terrorized and slaughtered, it made me reflect on many things as well.”
Yes. After losing so many, anyone who failed to reflect would not be human. That was the consequence of his own actions. Of course, thanks to my butterfly effect, what should have ended in Dutch exile had instead become a bloodbath.
“In my lifetime I intend to catch every Red in the world. So, uncle-in-law, please do not worry overmuch.”
“Is that so? By the way, have you chosen a marriage partner?”
“No.”
Why on earth should I decide such a thing? I genuinely wanted to interrogate him using the five W’s and one H. Ah, I needed to calm down. This person did not know my circumstances. From an outsider’s perspective it would naturally be a subject of curiosity. Come to think of it, the citizens of the Russian United States must feel the same.
“My goodness. Even a Tsar must consider a woman of marriageable age, no?”
He was pressing again. It seemed he very much wanted to tie me to someone from East Prussia. Not a chance. Was there even a suitable candidate at present? I doubted it.
“Marriage would require bearing children, and even I suffered greatly due to my weak constitution. I do not wish to pass on hemophilia. Yet would it not be pitiful for the man who becomes my husband if he were to have no children?”
“I see.”
Even Alexei had hovered at death’s door from hemophilia, and because Rasputin had improved his condition, Nicholas II had treated the mystic well. That favor had gradually increased Rasputin’s power until he became a virtual ruler. If it were me, I would have disposed of a man like Rasputin, but the variable of hemophilia would always remain. Above all, when I recalled my previous life, the idea of marrying and having children felt wrong. Therefore I needed an excuse.
“I am already married to the state.”
Marriage would make it difficult to move about freely. Moreover, given my special circumstances, people would not find it too strange if I remained unwed. In my generation, seizing Russia by the collar and dragging it upward left no leisure for marriage. At least that was how it should appear.
“Then what of the succession?”
“For now I have brought Vladimir, son of Grand Duke Kirill—who is not even imperial family—into the Kremlin Palace. Since the country was overturned in my generation, we are in no position to worry about laws or precedent.”
Loyal monarchists might find it uncomfortable, but I was the law. In my reign it could be considered not the Romanov dynasty but solely the Anastasia royal house. I would raise Vladimir according to my wishes, guiding him so the Duma would support him. If he participated in the Second World War, at least some base of support should emerge. Vladimir’s legitimacy depended on me right now anyway. I had already stripped the entire Kirill faction not only of their exile status but of all titles. Could they object? What could imperial relatives who had not shown their faces during the civil war possibly do against me, the Tsar? Treating only Vladimir as a special case, I would slowly secure the Duma’s recognition, have him build relationships with the right people, and allow him to serve as a soldier so he could at least make a name for himself in the coming war. Since I had heard that in the twenty-first century a Spanish princess had enlisted for the sake of the throne, that path would suit Vladimir now.
“You have thought this through thoroughly.”
“Yes.”
“Do you intend to leave Poland as it is?”
Leave Poland as it is? No, I had no such intention. At this rate, outsiders might even accuse me of excessive leniency toward Poland. The world’s view would probably be that the Tsarina was being remarkably indulgent with Poland. From the White Army’s perspective, the thought of “Ah, let’s crush Poland!” was understandable. Only Poland would be branded the villain while the Tsarina remained a saint.
“I have plans regarding Poland as well. So do not concern yourself. There will be nothing that harms Your Majesty. The Anti-Comintern Pact may not yet be a powerful bloc, but while we fight communist Germany, Poland will be unable to threaten the German Empire.”
“Then I am relieved. Regarding that Anti-Comintern Pact—if our country joins, which other nations will participate?”
Ah, of course. East Prussia needed many allies right now.