A Teacup in a Tempest

July 1915. The war had fallen into a complete stalemate.

On the Eastern Front, the Black Army maintained its offensive, but Brusilov was deftly parrying every single blow. On the Western Front, both sides had spent months cutting and re-cutting each other's supply lines, only to realize that even this was becoming pointless. Both Erich Ludendorff and Augustin Dubail had come to understand that it was all an exercise in futility.

"This battle is a test of who collapses from exhaustion first. France is leading an expeditionary force. Eventually, they will wear themselves out and fall."

"This battle is a test of who collapses from exhaustion first. Germany has lost Frankfurt, their vital transportation hub. Eventually, they will wear themselves out and fall."

Like a wolf and a lynx staring at each other's throats, they constantly searched for an opening. The invincible German army and the victorious French army watched each other like hawks, waiting for the slightest misstep.

If supplies stalled for even a few days, dragging down morale, or if the combat tractors ground to a halt—what then?

"The French railways are cut! Their soldiers have been starving for two days!"

"Push now! We won't get another chance!"

"The German fuel supply has stopped."

"Attack, attack! The time has finally come for our armored divisions to charge!"

It was a neck-and-neck struggle. On both the Eastern and Western Fronts, the era of individual military genius had passed; the war was now decided by administration and diplomacy.

The conflict had escalated from the battlefield to the realms of politics and diplomacy. If a government collapsed, or if a third party—like the Ottoman Empire or the United States—suddenly entered the fray, it would trigger an absolute catastrophe.

Although the nature of the war and the participating nations had changed, the ultimate trajectory was converging toward the same destination as original history.

"I wonder when this wretched war will end. We're completely out of coffee."

"Come now, Leon Trotsky. A true Russian should drink tea instead of coffee."

"Doesn't it have a weaker stimulating effect?"

"If you gulp it down like water, it actually works better than coffee."

In that sense, Poland—which had threatened to become a massive powder keg—had been resolved quite neatly. A dramatic compromise had been reached regarding the Polish land reform!

Trotsky, who had been launching relentless attacks without offering any viable alternatives—even betraying his own Marxist principles. Stalin, on the other hand, who had been bulldozing through the land reform with zero procedural legitimacy or restraint.

Yet, despite their differences, the land reform was now progressing steadily and without a hitch. By hammering out a mutually beneficial compromise, both Trotsky and Stalin were extracting the maximum possible advantage for themselves.

"Representative Shtal! Stalin and Trotsky have joined forces and are trying to completely upend Poland!"

Of course, Shtal had originally sent Stalin to Poland hoping they would tear each other apart, but...

There is a saying about a tempest in a teacup. In contrast, the current state of Europe was perhaps better described as a teacup in a tempest. The conflict had entered a phase where diplomats and politicians had to guide the course of the war while clinking their teacups together.

In that regard, perhaps Winston Churchill's political life was about to be extended once more?

No matter how devastating the Great War in Europe was, the Far East remained one of the most critical axes of global geopolitics. Even though the Xinhai Revolution had thrown China into utter chaos, reducing it to a nation that could barely even be considered a Great Power, it was still of paramount importance.

What kind of country, despite barely being industrialized, still possessed production and consumption capacities that could rival the Great Powers of Europe?!

Its population, productivity, and purchasing power were so overwhelming that they made the Ottoman Empire look insignificant and even reduced the Russian Empire, a second-rate Great Power, to a laughingstock.

Both Russia and Britain relied heavily on dumping their manufactured goods into China and importing tea in return to sustain their national economies.

When Churchill was first exiled to the leased territory of Weihaiwei, he had been deeply discouraged. But Churchill, a man of ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠indomitable will, refused to give up.

"Minister Kato, your reputation as an admiral is renowned even in the distant West."

"Are you not Lord Churchill, the man who struck terror into the very heart of Russia? We have heard much of your exploits here in the Far East."

Winston Churchill contacted Japan the moment he arrived in Weihaiwei. With the war in a stalemate, it was imperative to gather as many allies as possible. By leveraging the strength of Japan and China, he could threaten the Russian Black Army from the rear.

"I still recall the Russo-Japanese War. Thanks to your nation completely annihilating the Russian Navy, we were able to conduct our operations in the Baltic Sea."

"Admiral Togo was indeed a brilliant commander. Thanks to him, our nation was able to proudly claim the title of a Great Power."

"We have always felt a sense of debt regarding that. For all your efforts in crushing the Baltic Fleet, you did not receive a fitting reward."

"..."

Churchill deliberately poked at Japan's trauma by referencing the Triple Intervention. Winning the war only to have the sweet prize of the Liaodong Peninsula snatched away by the interference of Russia, France, and Germany was a deeply painful memory for Japan. Indeed, this intervention had fueled Japan's victim mentality for years.

"Now, the time has come for you to claim your rightful spoils."

"And what spoils might those be...?"

"Regrettably, I cannot offer you the Liaodong Peninsula. However..."

"However?"

"Is your nation's goal not the stable control of the Yellow Sea? The Shandong Peninsula would serve you far better."

"...!"

"I shall give you the leased territory of Qingdao."

This was an absolute jackpot! Although the Empire of Japan had seized Sakhalin by taking advantage of the war, they were still essentially acting as Britain's junior partner, barely holding onto the lowest rung of the Great Powers. Haunted by the memory of the Triple Intervention, they had been hesitant to aggressively project their influence over Russia or China.

Yet here was the representative of the world's greatest superpower, personally offering them the Shandong Peninsula.

"But are the Shandong Peninsula and Qingdao not territories of the German Empire?"

"Ah, you need not worry about that. While the German Empire and our nation are not exactly allies, are we not comrades fighting against the same enemy? We have already secured their full agreement."

"Then, what of Russia's Manchurian railway...?"

"That, of course, shall belong to the Empire of Japan. Though, naturally, you will have to wrest it from Russia yourself."

Naturally, it was a complete lie! Of course, it wasn't entirely an empty promise. Even though the German Imperial Navy was still intact, Germany was pouring all its national strength into the siege of Frankfurt, meaning they would have no capacity to exert influence in the Far East after the war. Actually, let me correct myself. It was, indeed, a complete lie.

"Your Excellency Yuan Shikai! I have heard that you are facing numerous difficulties due to domestic issues."

"And what of it?"

"Let me speak plainly. Your Excellency's greatest obstacle is the label of a traitor. Is it not because the people brand you a Hanjian—a traitor to the Han—that rebellions are erupting across the Central Plains?"

"You... how dare you!" Furious and seeing red, Yuan Shikai immediately reached for an ashtray. Churchill quickly wagged his silver tongue before the heavy object could fly at his head.

"I—I can help you! This will be highly beneficial for you, Your Excellency!"

"What do you mean?"

"We also have much to ask of your nation. Although our country did... terrible things to yours during the Opium Wars, it is a mere drop in the bucket compared to Russia, which carved away the entirety of Manchuria."

"Hmm..."

"Take your revenge on Russia. Now is the perfect opportunity."

"And what is the price?"

"The Manchurian railway currently held by Russia! Furthermore, if you inflict significant damage on Russia, we shall help you reclaim the Shandong Peninsula, a vital strategic point in the Yellow Sea. Yes, the leased territory of Qingdao! And that is not all. We will completely write off all the German Empire's bonds that have bound you since the Qing dynasty."

Yuan Shikai was so consumed by domestic turmoil that he had no energy to spare for the Great War in Europe. Yet, the prospect of taking revenge on Russia, reclaiming lost territory, and shedding the traitorous label was incredibly enticing. Thus, both China and Japan, having been promised the exact same rewards, agreed to threaten Siberia.

Hehehe... With this, I ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠can screw over both the Russian Black Army and Germany at the same time.

Churchill might have been a bit reckless, but he was a British statesman through and through. Of course, there was no telling what chaos would erupt after the war once these empty promises were exposed... but what did he care? Churchill had already prepared his follow-up excuses.

Our Austria-Hungary Empire had now essentially become a massive supply base. Britain had lost so much of its navy that supplying the White Army had become a logistical nightmare. Germany's domestic infrastructure was so devastated by the war that its logistics network was completely paralyzed.

Thanks to our relentless efforts over the past twenty years, we now had the perfect opportunity to establish ourselves as the factory of Europe. It wasn't a bad position to be in. After all, nations like the United States, the Soviet Union, Germany, Japan, and China had all risen to global dominance by positioning themselves as the "factory of the ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠world."

Of course, we could have expanded our influence by actively deploying troops. With the Italian and Russian fronts currently quiet, we had surplus forces. It was the perfect time to assist Frankfurt. However...

With Hötzendorf and those thick-headed militarists turning their blades toward us, it's a shame we have to keep our surplus troops rotting in the capital. Then again, I have no desire to send our young men to die on the battlefield for no reason.

Hötzendorf's faction had finally drawn their swords in earnest.

"Your Imperial ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠Highness. I heard Hötzendorf went to see His Majesty the Kaiser again. What nonsense did he spew this time?"

"The usual. That you are a traitor trying to swallow the country whole, that you are aiming for the presidency of a republic, and that you must be excised while His Majesty is still alive."

"It would be troublesome if His Majesty's judgment is temporarily clouded and he listens to that fool Hötzendorf."

"There's also the fact that those idiots are claiming to be the 'true practitioners of Stahlism.' An 'Austrian Armed Cooperative Alliance'... it's utterly laughable. To make matters worse, they are opposing every single thing the Agricultural Cooperative does."

Did we really have to just sit on our hands and wait until the Kaiser passed away? However, drawing our swords at this juncture would bring immense consequences. Wouldn't that make us actual traitors? Of course, if a coup or a civil war broke out, I had more than enough confidence to win.

But the timing is terrible. I can't stand the sight of them.

The enemy was waiting for any mistake, whether domestic or foreign. I absolutely could not bear to watch the factories we worked so hard to build get paralyzed by a civil war. Since I was in a position where I could not make a direct move, what was left to do?

I would just have to play the role of a genius chemist and company representative for a while. The real question was, what should I create next?

There were still plenty of chemical technologies that were either in their infancy or hadn't been invented yet. Plastics, synthetic rubber, synthetic petroleum, and so on.

But even if I developed those, they wouldn't be of immediate use. Our empire was currently the primary production base supplying the entire Crusaders alliance. While those products would certainly generate wealth and secure our future, they wouldn't be of immediate help on the battlefields of Frankfurt and Belarus.

I spent days touring factories, trading firms, and railway companies, endlessly pondering what would be most beneficial.

Basic radios and wireless communication? That would be fantastic, but it's not something I can just jump in and solve overnight.

I kept my ears close to the ground, listening to the reports filtering back from the front lines.

"General Mackensen, are there any particular grievances or difficulties among the officers in the field?"

"Ah, Representative Shtal. Everything is uncomfortable on the battlefield. There are too many issues to count. But the two biggest problems are soldiers collapsing from illness or suffering from malnutrition."

"Hmm..."

"And lately, even our combat tractors have started breaking down in droves."

"Pardon?"

"It's a fuel issue. Storing petroleum is far more difficult than one might think. The moment you feed them low-quality fuel, those tractors break down instantly."

Indeed. Petroleum was the lifeblood of modern civilization. Lifeblood...

In an instant, two brilliant ideas to revolutionize both the supply chain and medical care flashed through my mind. This was why one always had to listen to the feedback from the field.

"It seems I must pay a visit to Dr. Karl Landsteiner. It has been a while."

I had just conceived ideas for two types of lifeblood: the actual blood of humans, and the blood of machines—petroleum.