Evil Alliance #4
In my view, the Korean Empire has far more problems than one might expect. The most glaring issue starts with education, our supposed century-long plan. Back in the Joseon days, I had to choose between allocating funds to elementary or higher education, and I picked elementary while patching higher education with a handful of handpicked overseas scholars. Literacy rates were so abysmal that raising them took priority—whether people were inherently exceptional didn't matter much. No matter how adept they were at nationalism or apple-picking, they only had one path to choose and one role to play. Only the top 10% in each field got higher education, and even they were limited to just one track.
It was a transitional necessity, unavoidable. If we hadn't invested in education before, we'd need to pour resources in now and let it mature for about a century to bear real fruit. Prioritizing higher education over elementary would have just spawned another entrenched elite—call them literati, intellectuals, or vanguards, whatever. The Joseon yangban class was a prime example, their privilege built on education. By funneling funds into elementary education over higher, I was also executing a swift purge of those yangban. Overwriting their hoarded "learning" with a broader wave of knowledge. The result? The yangban are extinct now, thanks to my elementary education firewall. If I'd focused on immediate outputs with higher education, they'd still be kicking and screaming.
Higher education wouldn't have yielded much anyway, so elementary it was. The real headache hit after swallowing North China. Educating the Chinese as Koreans fell under elementary too. By then, I wanted a major pivot in higher education, but that dream got postponed. Indefinitely. Now, the Korean Empire runs on a skeleton crew of overseas scholars and their grad students grinding away at tech development. And here we are, still talent-starved across the board. Obviously, this couldn't continue.
We needed 20%, 30%, even 35% pursuing higher education. Not that it's "higher"—from age 15 to 25, it's just high school and university. We've succeeded so far by brute force. But looking ahead, brute force alone won't cut it. We still need smokestacks, but more.
The catch? Higher education doesn't expand just because I will it. Like cramming soldiers into a battlefield for training, building an educational culture nationwide requires a talent pool first. Chicken-and-egg: talent shortage blocks education, but education needs talent. "Elementary was tough enough—now higher?" The Empire is vast, but lacks the manpower to cover it. Educators are perpetually scarce, no matter how much we train.
Hence my conclusion from a while back: screw overseas Koreans like Kim Jonathan—import straight-up Jonathans. But that means English proficiency at minimum. At least we've taught English as the primary foreign language for decades. Chinese be damned, we prioritized English over Chinese. While they busted heads learning Korean as the "official language," we mastered English. Importing PhDs and grad students from abroad was smooth sailing. The world wasn't fully Anglophone yet—French dominated prestige—but enough English speakers remained. We'd been vacuuming them up for educational industrialization. Still not enough!
"Inevitably, English from Britain—the empire that shoved it worldwide—claims global lingua franca status. No avoiding it.""All the money and time poured into education so far..." At least no yards or pounds—that's a mercy. Even as Britain pushes imperial units before economic alliances, I'm the one refusing point-blank. "Metrology is non-negotiable in East Asian historiography," I explain politely.
Elementary can limp along with existing setups plus English and Anglophone scholars. But higher education? For the Empire's elite top 10% in humanities and sciences, we can't just dunk them in English and call it a day. English is baseline for scholars—communication first, then advancement. French and Latin hold sway now, but with America rising, English becomes breathing. Nice if you're good, a mild handicap if not. Not for everyone, but scholars must manage. No translation tech exists; encyclopedias sell due to knowledge gaps.
But is baseline enough? Obviously not. For globetrotting Anglo scholars, "good English" means "breathes well." Korean scholars need distinction. Not just bilingual—something irresistibly tempting, making Westerners itch to co-author papers. Not "skilled," but essential. That's how our academic culture evolves.
Enter the second foreign language. Korean scholars must master English plus one of French, Latin, or Arabic. Why? It forces hesitation in the West. Even Brits might pause—French aside, Latin and Arabic are notoriously brutal, rarely mastered. So Korea claims them. Not Chinese or Classical Chinese—that's for the Chinese. Citizens or scholars had to specialize; I chose scholars. They're the top 10% elite anyway—let them bear the burden. Like how my Japanese and English once dominated 90% of Joseon's diplomacy.
"And I've long allied with the Vatican." Latin via the Holy See was reliable; their universities rooted in theology. Hypocrisy and dogmatism? Irrelevant. Key: permit some missionary work, and they're pro-Korea. That's leverage—hostage converts for "donations." Korea's hypocritical and dogmatic too. So are America and Britain. Even Soviets. Difference: Britain chases capital dictatorship, Soviets labor dictatorship, Vatican Christian dictatorship. Korea and America aim for inclusion. That's it.
America fixes mistakes with cash; Korea leaves no room for error. France? Error-prone. I'm poking those errors via Vatican and Duce. "Originally meant to dump Duce in Africa." Diary of a missionary martyred in Algeria—in my hands, bloodied Bible and all. Forged, sure. "But martyrdom's real to Vatican—good enough?"
"If no one steps up, I'll protect Italy's Africans!!!"
The African front ignited. Duce targeted Libya, Tunisia, then Algeria. Dead silence in Paris's allied (England-France-America-Korea) HQ.
"You don't seriously plan to declare war on Italy?"
"Pardon, but I'm coming from issuing it. Technically an ultimatum."
"What nonsense! Expanding fronts unilaterally? We don't consent!"
"Italy's invading France right now! France has endured enough! It's an ultimatum, not declaration!"
Italy demands immediate withdrawal from Africa, especially Algeria. Duce wouldn't budge—saw it as reclaiming lost lands. France lacked full-war capacity. Duce didn't want all-out war either—just grab colonies and Algeria. Austria-Hungary couldn't fight Italy; France couldn't either. With Britain and Korea backing Italy, it looked like Italy's win. Especially framing it as missionary protection—France failing Catholics, Italy and Vatican stepping in. Galling for "eldest daughter of the Church."
Local skirmish? Alps would block them. No full war meant Italy wins. France couldn't escalate—shifting troops opens fronts for Brits or Yanks. Protestants would riot. Britain (with Italian interests) and America (indifferent to Algeria) wouldn't protest. Skirmish, then concede. Duce thought so to the end.
In the name of the President of the French Republic, to safeguard the sovereignty and peace of the French people, the integrity of French territory, sovereignty, and the legitimate administration of its colonies, the government hereby declares as follows:
The Italian Socialist Republic has stationed troops without authorization in the Algerian region, which is sovereign French territory, blatantly violating this Republic's sovereignty in disregard of proper diplomatic procedures and international law.
The French Republic government has provided ample time and procedures for diplomatic resolution and formally demanded withdrawal from the illegal advance and occupation of Algeria via ultimatum.
However, the Italian government has shown no intent to withdraw, instead continuing armed interference against French civilians and administrative authority in the region.
Accordingly, the French Republic declares a state of war against the Italian Republic.
This action is purely defensive, an unavoidable response to protect the lives and property of French citizens and the honor of the nation.
Let our people unite. The Republic shall surely triumph.
Full-scale war erupted.