Chapter 36
Chapter 36
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Translator: Ace
Chapter: 36
Chapter Title: Anglo-Japanese Alliance (2)
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Imperial German Army General Staff Headquarters.
"The Chancellor has come asking for our army's opinion on supporting Russia, for that very reason."
The General Staff buzzed at Count Schlieffen's words, the Chief of the General Staff.
Needless to say, the reaction wasn't positive.
To reiterate, the Prussian Junkers despised Russia.
'Hans has thrown us a real headache right from the new year.'
This was a matter that even made Schlieffen tread carefully.
He would have welcomed something beneficial to the army, like the submachine gun, with open arms. But supporting Russia was a different story altogether.
"Before deciding on support, the key question is whether Russia really has a chance of losing to Japan. Speak your minds freely, everyone."
At Schlieffen's words, murmurs rippled through the staff officers, and soon they began raising hands one by one to share their views.
"No matter how I think about it, I can't imagine Russia losing to Japan."
"Exactly. Even if the Japanese army is well-trained, they're still just a regional power in East Asia at their core. Isn't the cabinet overestimating them?"
"Of course, given the geographical peculiarities of the Far East as the main theater, Japan might have an early advantage. But the sheer difference in scale between the two nations..."
Just as I thought, mostly negative opinions.
Schlieffen mused inwardly.
But he had to admit the staff officers had a point.
Russia was still the Russian Empire, after all.
A great power, even if decaying.
Japan might have the backing of Britain through the Anglo-Japanese Alliance, but could they truly defeat Russia?
Schlieffen couldn't help but be skeptical.
"Ha! Unbelievable. To think the staff officers of the German Empire are just shit-for-brains!"
Then a familiar, gruff voice rang out from the corner.
Schlieffen let out an involuntary sigh.
"Russia can't lose to Japan? You lot are so steeped in prejudice and conventional wisdom."
"Field Marshal Waldersee, please refrain from insulting the staff."
Waldersee.
Yes, it was Waldersee again.
"It's not just pathetic; it's beyond pathetic. Listen up. Schlieffen. The Russian Empire won't beat Japan. They'll lose the war."
But Waldersee's follow-up words were something even Schlieffen couldn't let slide.
"Field Marshal, would you care to share your expert opinion on why you think that?"
"Fine. I'll explain it so even these idiots can understand."
Waldersee puffed up arrogantly at Schlieffen's request.
That was why, despite being a capable soldier and brilliant strategist, so many disliked him.
"Getting embarrassed by a kid..."
The staff officers he'd dismissed twisted their faces and muttered under their breath.
After returning from China, Waldersee had resumed his role as Inspector-General of the III Army Corps, but the demonstration fiasco had poisoned that, turning him into a de facto sidelined old man.
Were it not for Schlieffen's consideration as the former Chief of Staff, he wouldn't even be in this room.
"First off, when war breaks out, Russia will inevitably ship supplies and troops from the mainland to the Far East. Obviously. Their weak Far Eastern forces couldn't even manage a single engagement with the Japanese."
Perhaps due to his age, Waldersee missed the staff's backbiting.
Ignoring the hostile atmosphere, he continued his self-important lecture.
"But considering the distance and Russia's poor rail infrastructure, even if they send support from the mainland, it'll take months to arrive in the Far East! In effect, Russia will fight Japan short on supplies, ammo, and troops—everything."
"But Russia knows that, which is why they're building the Trans-Siberian Railway."
"You fool! If you were Japan, would you just sit back and watch Russia finish it? Of course they'd strike first!"
"Pardon? So you're saying Japan will launch a preemptive attack on Russia?"
Bam!
"Isn't that obvious?!"
When one staff officer asked with a dumbfounded look, an irritated Waldersee slammed his fist on the table and bellowed.
"Why do you think they allied with Britain? The Japanese are desperate to push Russia out and seize Korea and Manchuria. I guarantee you, they'll start the war within two or three years!"
"Hah, but a mere East Asian minnow with that kind of nerve..."
"Has anyone here actually seen the Japanese army up close?"
"Pardon?"
Confusion spread across the staff officers' faces.
Of course not.
Unless they'd been dispatched to East Asia.
"I saw the Japanese army myself in China. Remarkably disciplined and well-trained, not like monkeys at all. Compared to them, Russia's Far Eastern troops are just a ragtag bunch scraped together from Siberian hunters."
"But the European Russian army is a different story, isn't it?"
Waldersee nodded at Schlieffen's remark.
"Sure, they'd be inferior to them. But in this war, Russia can't throw everything in because of their chronic internal issues and supply problems!"
Japan was different. They'd pour every ounce of their strength into victory over Russia.
"In a land war between Russia and Japan, Japan will have the edge. I'm no naval expert, so I won't claim the same for sea battles, but it'll likely hold.
Of course, supporting those Ruski bastards is another matter entirely!"
Schlieffen fell deep into thought at Waldersee's addition.
He disliked Russia too, but as Chancellor von Bülow had pointed out, adding Britain as yet another foe to Germany's dilemma of a two-front war with France and Russia was strategically the worst option.
"By the way, I'm curious which madman in the cabinet proposed supporting Russia."
"...Field Marshal?"
"It can't be Bülow or Richthofen. Schlieffen, who the hell brought this up?"
"Er..."
Cold sweat beaded on Schlieffen's forehead.
He knew exactly who it was.
Hans. The ever-present Baron Hans von Choi.
The problem was, if Waldersee found out, he'd lose it again.
Just recently at the demonstration, he'd plotted to humiliate Hans, only to get splashed back. Rumors swirled in the army that Waldersee, exploding in rage, hadn't just smashed every stick of furniture in his mansion—he'd even dunked Ludendorff, who suggested attacking Hans under the demonstration pretext, into the Spree River crossing Berlin.
Ludendorff had survived only thanks to Schlieffen, who'd had his eye on him for a while.
They couldn't afford to lose talent to Waldersee's hysterics.
In any case, Schlieffen had no desire to mention Hans here.
That would just turn him into the target of the Field Marshal's wrath.
Not scary, but a total pain.
"Then come with me when we discuss it with the Chancellor."
"Mm. Very well."
So Schlieffen chose to foist it on Hans.
Hans would handle it well, as always.
Probably.
"Fuck."
I'd come because Schlieffen wanted to discuss the level of support for Russia, only to find someone here I absolutely shouldn't be seeing.
Field Marshal Alfred von Waldersee.
Probably the man in the entire German Empire who hates me most.
"...Schlieffen. Why the hell is that damned monkey here?"
Waldersee's face twisted into a demonic snarl the moment he saw me.
My expression was no different.
Why did Schlieffen bring this guy?
Chief of Staff Schlieffen surely knew about the bad blood between Waldersee and me.
So what was he thinking, dragging him here?
"Well, you're the one who proposed supporting Russia, Field Marshal, and you wanted to meet him. He's the Baron."
"What?"
Waldersee's face screamed 'That little shit?!' at Schlieffen's words.
Now I got it.
This bastard dumped it on me!
He clearly didn't want to deal with Waldersee himself and passed the buck.
Look at him avoiding my eyes.
"......"
A heavy silence hung between Waldersee and me.
Awkward atmosphere?
No. This was a battle of nerves.
"You littl..."
"Looks like everyone's here."
Just as Field Marshal Waldersee opened his mouth to me, Foreign Minister Richthofen appeared with Chancellor von Bülow and two elderly men I'd never seen.
Perfect timing.
I sighed inwardly in relief.
A little later, and something would have definitely gone down between Waldersee and me.
"Ah, Field Marshal Waldersee. Long time no see. I had no idea you'd be here."
"Long time, Minister Richthofen. Might've been better if I hadn't come."
Waldersee shot me a glare as he spoke.
Richthofen, grasping why, just gave an awkward smile and scratched his head.
While Chancellor von Bülow quietly grilled Schlieffen on why Waldersee was here, an elderly man with a distinctive goatee approached me.
"At last, I meet the famous Baron Hans von Choi! Pleased to meet you. I'm Arthur von Posadowsky-Wehner, Vice-Chancellor and Minister of the Interior. Looking forward to working with you."
"Ah, I've heard the name before. Pleasure to meet you."
This must be the guy Schlieffen mentioned before.
I later learned he's from nobility but remarkably progressive, deeply concerned with workers' welfare—even the SPD respects him.
A bit odd for the Interior Minister overseeing Prussian secret police to cozy up to the reds, though.
Anyway, among Imperial Germany's politicians, he's quite unique.
Might be useful later, so I wanted to stay on good terms.
"Prussian Minister of War, Heinrich von Gossler."
"Baron Hans von Choi. Minister Gossler."
After shaking hands with the Vice-Chancellor, a stern-faced old man greeted me in a clipped tone matching his looks.
For reference, it's Prussian—not Imperial—Minister of War because the Empire had no central War Ministry or Defense Department.
Instead, the largest federal states—Kingdoms of Prussia, Bavaria, Saxony, and Württemberg—each had their own. Prussia's held the most sway.
The Empire's foundation was Prussia, after all.
Clap!
"Now that introductions are done, shall we get to business?"
Foreign Minister Richthofen clapped, and we nodded, taking our seats.
The first to speak was the highest-ranking here: Chancellor von Bülow.
"As you know, we're gathered because of Baron Hans von Choi's proposal to support Russia in anticipation of the imminent Russo-Japanese War triggered by this Anglo-Japanese Alliance."
"For reference, the army—per Field Marshal Waldersee here—has concluded that if war breaks out between Russia and Japan, the Russian Empire is likely to lose."
Schlieffen glanced at Waldersee as he spoke.
Come to think of it, in real history, Waldersee had predicted the Russo-Japanese War's outcome almost perfectly.
Fitting for a strategist alongside Big Moltke and Schlieffen, representing the Imperial German Army.
If only his personality weren't such a mess.
"But is supporting Russia really wise?"
"I understand Minister Gossler's concerns. That's why any support for Russia would be temporary and limited. Our goal is simply to prevent Russia from losing to Japan."
"Hm. So, rather than direct military intervention, we'd supply weapons and ammunition."
Foreign Minister Richthofen nodded at Vice-Chancellor Posadowsky-Wehner's words.
The Vice-Chancellor smiled, as if it were a solid idea.
"Not bad at all. Especially since Russian standard ammo isn't compatible with ours."
"Hmm."
Minister Gossler, who'd been skeptical about aiding Russia, nodded in agreement.
A gun without bullets was just a club.
Russia already lacked ammo for their own weapons.
Even if they later tried using the arms we supplied, without bullets, they couldn't make proper use of them.
"Our aim is for Russia to emerge with its forces intact, negotiate a moderate peace with Japan, and end the war. That way, we keep Britain's eyes fixed on the Russian Empire."
"But will Britain quietly accept the German Empire meddling in the Russo-Japanese affair?"
Chancellor von Bülow tilted his head at my words.
Britain would absolutely pull something.
That's why I planned to rope in a nation with interests in East Asia—and especially the Pacific.
"They'd accept mediation from America."
"Ho, true. America would respond positively to our proposal, if only to protect their Pacific interests."
Foreign Minister Richthofen gave an approving nod.
President Theodore Roosevelt, keen on expanding U.S. influence in the Pacific, would gladly take our mediation request.
Just as in real history.