The War to End All Wars #7: Duce's Revisionism and Qing's Lifeline
Germany, France, Russia, and Britain were tangled in a brutal melee across the battlefields, but Italy—the Italian peninsula—stood just a step removed from the chaos. That was because the Duce, supporting the armed uprising of Italians in Austrian Italy, had smashed through the Po Valley and marched straight into Rome. With the entire Kingdom of Italy army shitting bricks in Libya, there was no one left to stop the Duce and his comrades shoulder to shoulder.
Thus, the Duce entered Rome bloodlessly.
"We are Italy."
Surprisingly, after entering Rome, the Duce didn't unleash the bloody purges everyone expected. Instead, he allied with the right wing—especially the Catholic right.
"An Italy for true Italians."
"We restore the Papal States. This place now belongs to the Vatican."
The Duce declared that as long as Italians ruled the Italian peninsula, that was enough. Sure, unification was key, but more importantly, he hammered home to the masses that it wasn't about the Kingdom of Italy with its head stuck in Libya—it was about Italians themselves. And this message landed across the political spectrum, left and right alike.
Unlike the Kingdom, which couldn't acknowledge the Papal States due to unification history, the Duce prioritized rallying Italians over mere formality. It was irresistible to the masses who just wanted to eat their pasta in peace.
And so, Italy and the Duce shook hands with the Pope, with Lenin—and finally, even with the beleaguered Kingdom. In exchange for continuing the Libyan War.
Thus, the Duce—true Italians' leader—Mussolini had fully seized power.
At this point, Mussolini was high as a kite. Italy's economy, once in depression, boomed under wartime prosperity like never before. Politics reformed, everything he touched turned to gold.
A clear vision crystallized for the Duce: If Korea was Asia's Korea, Italy must become Europe's Korea. They too needed to be the Celestial Empire—Rome reborn.
The problem? Italy's national power fell short. With Libya still unresolved, Rome felt distant.
So what now? Internal reforms first.
"In 20 years, we'll catch up to Britain!"
The Duce remembered Lenin cursing, "Comrade Korea, those revisionist bastards!" But Lenin failed, while that revisionist succeeded. So the Duce chose that very path.
He uprooted wheat farms for rice paddies, forming collective farms. He dismantled northern conglomerates as "un-Italian" and handed them to cooperatives.
"Selling munitions to Germany!? You're under oil embargo!"
"What're you gonna do about it!!"
Italy ignored Britain's oil blockade, claiming neutrality, and funneled massive munitions through Swiss tunnels to Bavaria and Germany. Heavy industry needed to grow.
It was working.
"See! Follow me, all of you!"
"Duce! Duce! Duce! Duce! He's a god!"
The Duce, Italy's leader, Italy's Chairman. He didn't stop. He couldn't stop. He refused to end up a loser like Lenin.
"3, 2, 1… another kike's gone cold in the trenches, I bet."
Damn, if only they'd listened to Lenin. Tragic, human nature. Why can't they let go of what's in their grasp? No different from monkeys shoving their hands into rocks.
"Britain's requesting airship support. The German airship attack on London must've rattled them."
"Do they think I'm some vending machine that spits out airships on demand?"
Airships? Sorry, can't spare any. In Korea, airships rank just below trains and trucks for logistics. Too risky for passengers, but unmatched for hauling cargo over rugged mountains. Why else wouldn't mountain-riddled Qing buck against Korea? Ocean-bound Japan tucks tail at our freighters; mountain-locked Qing does the same at our airships.
Qing. Right now, Qing is a united empire under its name, encompassing Mongolia, Xinjiang, Tibet, and more—an Eastern Military Alliance. Korea's airships turned that loose confederation into a true "federal state."
Railroads? Only on the Eurasian trunk lines like the aorta. Most of Qing's territory is mountains—no laying tracks there. Trains hate slopes; tunnels first.
Yes. Modern Qing is a steampunk nation where horse carriages, bicycles, and airships coexist. Their most popular fabric? White cloth from Korean drop parachutes. See how much our transports influence them.
And now they want to steal airships from this steampunk land? They'd get shot down anyway. No matter what Britain says, I had no intention of sharing the airships that vein blood across Qing's body. Qing was closer and more vital than distant Britain.
If Qing ever rebelled, China would follow—then Japan. Qing plays the role of a magnet enabling Korea's nuclear fusion power. Why else station our mobile forces across the river from their capital? Qing's role is that crucial now.
Once Joseon devoured Qing's empire to become Korea, this was inevitable. So I threw Japanese troops into the Balkan coalition but kept Qing out. Japan would join without whining once they learned I cut their oil freedom from Britain. But Qing? Different story.
Korea holds Qing's lifeline, but Qing grips several of ours. Eurasian rail, Baku oil, Yellow River goods—all pass through Qing. Korea obsesses over Central Plains and Qing's geography, if not as much as over heavy industry. Geopolitics demands it.
Qing knows, so they don't see our ties as humiliating. Complementary, like brothers.
And they want airships key to that network? Nah, pass. I'd sooner abandon London or China than Qing. Back when I dreamed of the Republic of Korea, I wanted to ditch Britain, America, and focus inward—maybe even make Jeju an island paradise. Qing is essential to that Korea.
Where does Korea's rubber come from? Cooking oil? Timber? Gold? Iron? Coal? All Qing. If Japan is our sea road, Qing is our steppe highway. Without cheap Qing sunflower oil and cotton—even if we ignore that—the iron and coal ripped from old Manchuria were what made Joseon into Korea.
Now we've pushed past Jeju to the Yellow River, sources diversified. But back in narrow peninsula days? No.
They're just trying to hog our hard-earned engine tech for free. Why give it up?
Korea didn't hog Britain's for free either. Paid full price—in cash or blood.
Unlike Kim Ok-gyun, who handles advanced nations like America and Britain openly, Foreign Minister Lee Wan-yong's real job is different. Persuading neighbors to safeguard Korea's interests. And secretly backing independence fighters in colonies everywhere.
Paradoxical, maybe. But that's diplomacy. Seducing neighbors shows his white agent side; linking with rebels, his black ops, shadow insurgent side.
He funneled investments or tech transfers anonymously into arms factories—rifle forges, powder mills, mints, printing presses—that Western powers would never allow in colonies like Korea, Japan, Philippines. Openly, Korea invested in shoes, canning.
Laundered through proxies, with detergent. Even these washed funds, goods, safehouses became rebels' covert assets.
The Supreme Leader said: no shoes, no revolt; no food, no war resolve. Lee Wan-yong thought: terrifying strategist. To enslave foes, strip shoes and starve them first.
Maybe Taiwan's blacks wandering barefoot ties to that. As a humane independence backer, Lee dreaded Taiwan rebelling against Korea.
Good news: this sweet-sour op nears fruition.
"We've decided to proceed."
"Nothing to say. Good luck."
"Thank you."
Dutch East Indies. Amid Dutch neutrality—bled by German exploitation, British blockades—they chose to become Indonesia, not Netherlands Indies.
Netherlands: bona fide neutral. Stamped hot by Britain in The Hague. So Netherlands supplying Germany? Britain's only play: naval blockade. But that's why raw materials meant for Netherlands now pile up in Indonesia.
Netherlands mining their own ports? This'll last awhile.
But if "Dutch Indonesia" becomes plain "Indonesia"? Korea and Britain split the newborn state, scoop all those resources—especially rubber.
'Support Indonesian independence. If Netherlands denies or folds, fine—independence anyway. Then we divvy it up?'
'Supplying Germany? Die, sure.'
Netherlands wanted no conquest by Britain or Germany—just honey between. Britain thought different.
Dutch starving? Cut food leaking to Germany. Problem solved.
Britain, wary of Korea's earnest offer, wasn't dumb enough to refuse. Dominating Southeast Asia was one of their dreams.
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Netherlands, betrayed by Britain, exploded in fury, lost their minds. But with Germany marching on Belgium, going full German meant becoming an Imperial appendage.
Having mined their own ports, Netherlands lacked bandwidth for Indonesia. Shockingly, they had to eat the punch.
Netherlands screamed Dutch Indonesia independence—and British occupation—violated international law, appealed to it. But the world was in trial now. This World War trial, until realignment ends, Britain's Indonesia grip is just one line in the docket.
Britain knew.
"Admiral Churchill! Disaster! Our—er, Indonesia's—Combined Fleet at anchor is gone!"
"? What nonsense—day drinking?"
Britain's Grand Fleet slugged Germans, but the Combined Fleet—reserves—still swelled. Briefly detached for Indonesia seizure and stabilization, it was one of two Royal Navy pillars.
Add Korea's 8 dreadnoughts returning from Busan—more active commitment—and it'd rival anti-German lineup. Japan pre-dreads and colonial cruisers lacked heft for Churchill.
But the Combined Fleet—what? Over 100 ships!
"Singapore naval base warehouse exploded. Nearby Combined Fleet—all sunk. Officially annihilated."
"Hah, quit joking. Sounds real."
Saying so, Churchill's hands shook with dread. Regrettably, another messenger appeared behind the first.
"Minister Churchill! Cabinet summons you at once!"
Churchill paled.