Rothschild and Tsarina (2)
The misunderstanding, Your Majesty? That was merely company policy. It had nothing to do with our family directly.
Whether it was a misunderstanding or not, wasn’t it the Rothschilds who provided the support? After all, the Rothschilds stood behind Royal Dutch Shell.
“Misunderstanding or not, it is an undeniable fact that the Bolsheviks were able to resist the White Army longer because of the support you provided, is it not?”
“That is a rather extreme speculation.”
It might sound like wordplay, but let’s think about it carefully. If the Rothschilds had not supported the revolutionary forces, wouldn’t Mikhail Frunze have surrendered a day earlier? Wouldn’t Trotsky have lacked the breathing room to flee all the way to Petrograd?
“The Bolshevik leader Trotsky—who stood alongside Lenin—might have gained enough time to escape to Petrograd. In fact, he wasn’t even captured; he slipped away entirely. That, too, could be blamed on your support for the Bolsheviks.”
What I was really saying boiled down to this: I don’t care! It’s all your fault for backing the Bolsheviks! By framing it this way, I was making it crystal clear that Russia found their actions unacceptable.
Since Surgut was already set to partner with Branobel, the fact that the Rothschilds had shown interest meant there was a risk of interference. Moreover, with Britain’s volunteer forces helping the White Army, the British Rothschilds were likely trying to leverage the British government to meddle in Surgut.
Could anyone seriously claim that the major shareholder of Royal Dutch Shell had no connection to the Rothschilds?
“Well, that’s a bit of a stretch—”
“Just consider it. Was there truly no possibility? What we know for certain is that while the British government supported the White Army, you struck a convenient deal with the Bolsheviks to undermine Branobel. In the process, the Bolsheviks who received your aid likely used one more rifle to kill one more White soldier.”
Even if it wasn’t true, I needed to squeeze money out of them. I had to paint them as honorable reds one way or another.
“Ahem.”
“From the perspective of the Rothschilds or Standard Oil, the ideal scenario would have been for the White Army to control Asia beyond the Ural Mountains while the Bolsheviks held Europe—allowing them to seize Branobel in the chaos.”
It wasn’t an entirely impossible outcome, was it? I didn’t think my speculation was pure fantasy. To expel Branobel, you first had to turn the Russian sea—where that particular fish swam freely—blood-red.
“You have quite the vivid imagination. We did not view the situation in such extreme terms. If Branobel fell, so be it. If not, then not.”
Of course. In the end, it had only been a trial balloon. Royal Dutch Shell could simply continue checking Branobel alongside Standard Oil.
But here was the thing. What about Baron Rothschild personally?
Given the rising antisemitic sentiment spreading across Britain, linking Jewish interests and the Rothschild name to oil manipulation could prove rather entertaining.
“I hear antisemitic sentiment is spreading in Britain these days. As they say, the belly button is often bigger than the belly. If Royal Dutch Shell truly stands behind you, it wouldn’t be difficult to make the connection.”
“Are you threatening us with that? The Rothschild family is not so fragile as to collapse over such rumors.”
Collapse the Rothschilds? What kind of nonsense was that? Even I, sitting here in Moscow, knew I couldn’t actually topple them. But I could certainly make their lives annoying.
“Still, you could be made quite uncomfortable. What if the emperor of an anti-communist nation that pursues pro-Jewish policies openly denounces the Rothschilds on the front page of every newspaper?”
Communist Germany and communist Italy had embraced communism, stirring up suspicions of Judeo-Bolshevism. Add to that Royal Dutch Shell—backed by the Rothschilds—supporting the enemies of the White Army. Wasn’t that the perfect embodiment of Judeo-Bolshevism?
I tapped my fingers on the desk, waiting for Walter Rothschild’s response.
“Hmm. If that was truly your intention, you would have done it already. The fact that you are saying this now suggests you have something you desire, does it not?”
Good. Finally, we were speaking the same language.
Unlike moments earlier, I smiled brightly and spoke.
“The Surgut oil fields will be developed together with Branobel. I expect no interference of any kind. And do not touch Branobel’s Baku oil fields either.”
I needed at least this level of firm assurance. Standard Oil didn’t seem particularly interested in this region anyway.
“While I have resolved our Russian assets by becoming a major shareholder of Royal Dutch Shell, I cannot simply dictate the company’s every move.”
“But you can certainly exert influence, can you not? A family with branches across Europe like the Rothschilds should be capable of at least that much, shouldn’t they?”
Of course I didn’t know their internal situation. Whether the company was truly independent or not didn’t matter. Even if it currently had no direct ties to the Rothschilds, the existing connections meant they could still wield influence. They could figure that part out themselves.
“Ugh. You really are putting me in a difficult position. Very well.”
Walter Rothschild wiped the sweat from his forehead with a handkerchief and gave a short reply.
Now was the time to offer a suitable carrot.
“However, there are still places left to dig. North Manchuria, for instance.”
“North Manchuria—the region where Russian and Jewish settlers are recently being established?”
“Yes, exactly. Russia is developing many areas there, which requires enormous investment. We are even dipping into the Romanov gold reserves. Our imperial financial advisor is practically losing sleep over it.”
“So in the end, you want us to invest there. Does that mean you will grant us shares as well?”
Why else would I have brought it up? Obviously because I could offer them equity. No matter how ruthless I might be, I wasn’t going to simply bleed the Rothschilds dry. After all, if this negotiation fell apart, the Duma would have to clean up the mess.
“There is a saying: ‘He who does not work shall not eat.’ It can also mean that one eats according to the work they do. So, Baron, have the Rothschilds work hard on oil exploration in North Manchuria.”
“Mmm.”
What was with all the humming and hawing? When the Tsarina herself offers an opportunity like this, shouldn’t one jump at it?
“The number of Jewish refugees is larger than expected. In the future, I am considering establishing a Jewish autonomous region—or even a Jewish state somewhere in China. But for that to happen, Russia must gather every resource it possibly can.”
We needed to make as much money as possible. This was all for the sake of the Jewish people. That was how I had to frame it. At this level, even Walter Rothschild should find it intriguing.
“You intend to establish a Jewish state?”
See? He was more interested than I expected. What could that mean?
“Poland’s persecution of Jews has driven far too many of them into Russia. More have come from Germany and Austria as well. For us, accepting them all has become burdensome. Wouldn’t it be better to prepare a separate settlement region?”
In fact, the Duma had already begun drafting such plans. It wasn’t entirely out of the question.
“I see. A Jewish state in the East… hmm.”
“Are not the Rothschilds a Jewish family? Then you should provide some support, shouldn’t you?”
I was wringing money out of him under every possible pretext. I was unconditionally pro-Jewish. If you weren’t evidence of Judeo-Bolshevism for supporting communist reds, then you ought to be supporting White Russia. That was exactly what I was saying.
“There is also the Ploiești oil region. If oil proves impossible, I truly came only to study the animals.”
“Please speak sensibly. The very idea of traveling all the way to Russia just to study animals is absurd, is it not?”
Could I really believe this man wouldn’t try to check Branobel after seeing the situation in Russia? I didn’t know whether Baron Rothschild had the bandwidth to involve himself directly, but at the very least, he would have wanted to gather information while he was here.
“Ahem. It is the truth. Still, Your Majesty’s wishes are not difficult to understand. To summarize: Branobel is Romanov territory, so do not interfere. You will grant shares, so we will explore for oil in North Manchuria. And, as a Jewish family, we will support the Jewish people. Is that correct?”
In the end, he answered with a somewhat reluctant expression. Things were proceeding surprisingly smoothly. Had Walter Rothschild always been this reasonable? Or was he simply playing along with my “If you don’t accept, I’ll call you a red!” routine?
Either way, he didn’t seem the type to go back on his word.
“I’m glad you understand so well.”
Having obtained what I wanted, I clapped my hands and shook hands with Baron Walter Rothschild.
Yet he still seemed to have something to say. After the handshake, his eyes returned to those of a calculating businessman.
“What you mentioned earlier—establishing a Jewish state in the East. Was that in earnest?”
He was more interested than I thought. If I played this right, I might be able to extract even more.
“As I said, the number of Jews who have migrated to our side is considerable. I am keeping it as one of several viable options. After all, Chinese land is indeed a land flowing with milk and honey.”
Wasn’t that why China had maintained hegemony for so long, and why so many barbarians had always coveted the Central Plains? Of course, it could change depending on China’s situation. If it didn’t work out, I was also considering a Jewish autonomous region in North Manchuria instead.
However, from where I stood, China would never unify. It wouldn’t even reach the level of the Northern and Southern Dynasties. It would fragment into warlord states at best. In that case, there was no reason an Israel in the East couldn’t emerge.
“Hmm.”
“Wouldn’t it be better than the noisy African candidates or Palestine?”
Besides, this wasn’t entirely impossible. Why? Because the Japanese Empire had once attempted the Fugu Plan to settle Jews in Manchuria. The goal had been to use Jewish capital to develop the region. The Japanese had hoped for wealthy Jews, but only poor Russian Jews who had fled with the White Army arrived, causing the plan to fail.
Honestly, our situation wasn’t all that different. Still, if Jews settled in North Manchuria—where the Daqing oil field lay—wouldn’t it paint quite the convincing picture? Especially if the Rothschilds were seen helping them?
The Japanese Fugu Plan had failed, but this one could succeed. Wouldn’t Walter Rothschild, the leading representative of British Jewry, find that tempting?
“If you were to consider it, which option are you leaning toward?”
“If we establish a Jewish autonomous region, it would be in North Manchuria as a constituent part of the Russian United States. If we were to seriously pursue the construction of a full Jewish state, then either Rehe Province or Hebei Province in China would be suitable.”
In the original timeline, the Japanese Empire had launched the Rehe Incident, mobilizing the Kwantung Army and Manchukuo forces to annex Rehe—claiming it as territory of Manchukuo. It was the event that set Zhang Xueliang and the Fengtian clique on the road to ruin.
“I understand that Japan is deeply involved in that area through the South Manchurian Railway.”
Oh, he still didn’t know? Or perhaps it simply didn’t matter to him. The great powers—except for America—had begun criticizing Japan ever since it set its sights on Indochina.
“Why do you think Japan is interested in that region? It is precisely for the invasion of the continent. They have already hinted at such intentions. The South Manchurian Railway Company is little more than a military base for continental invasion.”
In the original history, the Japanese Empire had invaded the continent. Why would it be any different here? Having already split Manchuria with Russia, and with the oil issue bound to arise just as in the original timeline, Japan would surely target China.
The Marco Polo Bridge Incident that triggered the Second Sino-Japanese War had been orchestrated by Mutaguchi Renya, but Japan had ultimately gone to war with China over oil and expanded the front all the way to Southeast Asia.
“It is true that Japan is capable of such things. But how does that lead to a Jewish state? No matter who wins, it doesn’t seem there would be any land left for the Jews.”
That was true—if the two nations simply fought each other. If Japan won, it would seize Chinese territory and every concession within it. If China won, it would recover its territory and the South Manchurian Railway.
But that was only if the Sino-Japanese War followed the conventional path.
I twirled my finger in the air and spoke.
“What if the Sino-Japanese War takes a rather unexpected turn?”
“You mean Russia would intervene?”
That remained to be seen. It was something I would seriously consider only when I felt capricious enough to build a nation for the Jews.
“For now, we maintain friendly relations with Japan. However, the defeat in the Russo-Japanese War remains a lasting humiliation for Russia. Still, that is uncertain. There is also the Balfour Declaration. For now, Baron, you need only support the Jewish people so they may live well. It is not yet time to speak definitively about establishing a country.”
I dangled the bait just like that.
Any businessman would understand. Even if it had once been the land of the ancient Kingdom of Israel, it was now Palestine—a seedbed of conflict. But what if, instead, they slipped between the feuding, insufficiently modernized Chinese factions, established Israel with Russian backing?
Wouldn’t that let them spin quite the hopeful scenario?