Chapter 296
Chapter 296
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Translator: crow
Chapter Title: Rift
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In the subsidy war that engulfed the entire Free World, the EEC found itself in the most disadvantaged position.
Even if they wanted to pour out subsidies as generously as America or Korea, the individual nations' finances were too strained.
And it wasn't as if their technological prowess was superior, either.
Europe lagged behind not only Korea and America but even Britain in many fields.
In these circumstances, Europe was too busy getting pummeaten by the subsidy punches from the great powers to catch its breath.
"Th-that proposal the Koreans made before about reconciliation between East and West Germany. Let's push that forward right away."
As the EEC's twin engines, Germany sought a way out of the crisis in the Eastern Bloc.
While European goods were no longer selling in the First or Third Worlds, the Second World—lacking any competitive goods of its own—was a different story.
If they could turn the nearby Eastern Bloc into a market, they could compete with Korea by leveraging lower transportation costs.
Once the Junker government in West Germany finished its calculations, it moved with uncharacteristic speed.
"We will recognize East Germany as a state."
The East German government reacted with suspicion to West Germany's forward-looking proposal.
"They're going to recognize us as a state from Bonn? Not just anyone, but those conservative reactionary Junkers?"
Still, there was no reason to outright reject the offer.
And so, on March 5, 1969, the working-level talks for the Basic Treaty between East and West Germany concluded.
This signified a major shift in West German diplomacy.
"We accept the reality of two Germanys coexisting."
West Germany's change in attitude showed that even Germany, at the forefront of Europe, was beginning to shed Cold War logic.
With interests replacing Cold War logic, such thinking naturally took root in the West German government.
"Germany's future security will rely on America, and economic growth on the Soviet Union."
With Germany taking this stance, the other EEC nations changed their minds too.
"We will recognize North Italy."
South Italy, setting aside old grudges, proposed a Basic Treaty to North Italy premised on mutual recognition.
"We can't let the Germans hog all the honey."
This EEC movement greatly angered the Americans.
"Have the Europeans lost their minds? Our troops are there because of the commies, and now they want to do business with the commies?"
The U.S. government had approved the East-West Germany and Italy Basic Treaties, but it didn't want the EEC getting too entangled with the Soviets.
After all, there are "what ifs" in world affairs.
What if, after defeating Korea, they had to face the Soviets? They had to consider that possibility.
The U.S. government expressed "concerns" to its allies that they were approaching the Soviets too quickly.
America's concerns fell on deaf ears.
"Hah. They ignore us during the subsidy war, but now they want to play big brother? Go play big brother all by yourselves in North America."
Europe didn't hide the resentment built up during the subsidy war.
"Hey, after all we've done for them. Ungrateful beasts who don't even know grace."
America, for its part, was furious at Europe's attitude.
Of course, this emotional standoff didn't escalate to something extreme like breaking the alliance.
But relations across the Atlantic had cooled more than ever before.
The world was shocked by the first crack in the First World since World War II.
"When national interests are at stake, opposition is only natural."
Especially when survival itself was on the line.
Korea poured oil on the conflict between Europe and America.
"Excluding European cars from auto subsidies provided to consumers in the U.S. market. Is this the right decision for the alliance?"
Korea stirred up European newspapers to voice complaints against America.
Just poking at the subsidy issue was enough.
"What about Korea, who sparked the subsidy war?"
"Korea wasn't even part of the First World to begin with."
Korea wasn't a First World nation anyway, so there was no ground for complaints.
But America was the leader of the First World.
Was it right for the leader to abandon the alliance and splash friendly fire on its friends while fending for itself?
Fueled by Korea's shots, European public opinion sharpened considerably.
"What America's doing now is killing the alliance."
Korea then poured oil on American public opinion too.
No elaborate operations this time.
Just a few ads.
"Omaha stained with blood, the vineyards of Normandy, the Witch's Woods of Hürtgen, the forgotten battlefields of Italy."
Korea reminded Americans of the brutal battlegrounds they'd fought in, how much blood they'd shed for Europe.
"Yeah. My uncle, my dad, my brother died. Because of those goddamn Europeans."
Was World War II the only time America sacrificed for Europe?
They'd saved Europe from near destruction in World War I too.
Afterward, they helped rebuild Europe's economy and prevented Italy's ruin in the Italian War.
Not content with that, they even stationed hundreds of thousands of troops in Europe to protect them from the commies.
And they footed the bill with American taxpayers' money.
After all that, shouldn't they be grateful?
Isn't gratitude the normal response?
Yet here they were, blowing up because America was a little miffed.
What kind of ungrateful beasts were these?
As American public opinion soured, extreme rhetoric naturally emerged.
"If World War III breaks out, we should just watch Europe fall. Why help ungrateful beasts who don't know grace?"
When such talk spread, Korea naturally carried it to Europe.
"New World hicks. Cleanly forgotten how they owed us when they gained independence."
With public opinion on both sides heading down a worsening path, the American and European governments finally stirred.
"Without our good neighbors across the Atlantic, today's Europe would be enduring darker, more dismal days."
"The immigrants from Europe built today's America. We've never once forgotten our respect for our European roots."
Despite the governments' damage control, the chilled public sentiment didn't calm easily.
Bad feelings tend to linger longer than kind words.
To drive a deeper wedge between America and Europe, Korea planted seeds of new conflict.
Korea sent an agent posing as a Korean reporter to Spain for an interview with dictator Francisco Franco.
The reporter listened to Franco's long-winded speech, nodding along, then dropped a loaded question at the end.
"To be honest, Your Excellency, I have one personal question I'd like to ask—off the record, of course. This won't make the papers."
"Go ahead."
"We Asians get anxious watching Hong Kong and Singapore, colonies of the British Empire, wondering when they'll be returned. Haven't you felt the same looking at Gibraltar?" (Note: British colony on the Iberian Peninsula)
"On that matter, we've been negotiating right up to recently. But the British have to show some goodwill for talks to progress, don't they?"
"So no progress at all."
"That's the current situation."
"I can imagine how stifling that must feel for Your Excellency."
"What do you mean?"
"If it were Korea, we'd outright blockade the seas to choke them off. But Spain can't do that, can it?"
The conversation ended there.
But one word stuck in Franco's mind.
"Blockade."
The Spanish navy blockading Gibraltar?
Out of the question.
But a land blockade?
That, Spain could manage on its own.
Franco quickly made up his mind.
What would have happened months later in the original timeline was accelerated by the Korean reporter's nudge.
A few days later, Franco declared a lightning blockade of Gibraltar.
"From today, not a single person or speck of goods passes through Gibraltar."
Britain was outraged by the sudden declaration.
"This fascist bandit—we spared your life, so be grateful, and you dare challenge the British Empire?"
"British Empire? What era are you living in? Your empire's been a hollow skin for ages."
With Franco blockading Gibraltar, the First World plunged into another test.
"Pick a side quick. Us or Britain?"
The EEC hesitated to speak out.
They didn't like the human butcher Franco, but he was still a member of the EEC.
Britain, by contrast, was just a neighbor outside the EEC.
"If we side with Britain here, the already shaky EEC unity goes straight to hell."
Better to back Spain than that.
"Uh, Spain, we're on your side. We support the Gibraltar blockade."
"W-what?"
Britain was stunned when the EEC declared support for Spain.
With things as they were, Britain had no choice but to seek support from forces that could counter the EEC.
"You know we family stick together, right?"
The Commonwealth nations like Canada naturally sided with Britain.
"Of course we're on Dad's side."
With eyes from the Commonwealth and Europe turning to America.
"Boss. Betraying us on this too would be no fun."
"We're family. Those guys aren't even blood."
It was a sticky situation for America.
"Even all the Commonwealth together gonna help more than us?"
"We're the no-betrayal-in-any-situation Tier 1 allies. Us or them?"
The Nixon administration tried to dodge the awkward question, but the longer the delay, the colder the allies' stares grew.
In the end, the White House faced the press.
"Spain? Or Britain?"
The choice was decided from the start.
"The Gibraltar blockade is illegal."
"They betrayed us!"
"As expected, our Anglo-Saxon family—we knew we could count on you."
The First World revealed another rift over the Gibraltar conflict.
Coming right after the first crack, this one was quite serious.
"America, those guys talk same First World but discriminate subtly if you're not Anglo-Saxon."
"Subtly? They discriminate outright if you're not Anglo-Saxon."
Europe used this as the trigger to resolve to walk its own path, free from American influence.
"Let's unite Europe properly. That's the answer."
Taking the shock as a catalyst, the EEC transformed into the more cohesive European Community (EC).
With the EC's launch, Europe no longer followed America's lead as before.
"America is America, and Europe is Europe."
No words better illustrated the Western rift.
The once-united West crumbled helplessly before Korea's mantra of national interest.
Would a few rifts dissolve the First World?
Of course not.
But the meaning of the crack in the once-monolithic First World was far from small.
A faint fissure in the solid wall of the First World.
Korea eyed the hegemony gripped by America through that gap.