The Warsaw Conference (1)
The war was finally over.
Ironically, in my previous life, the United States and the Soviet Union had been allies until 1945. They had been so close that anti-communist books were even banned from publication in Great Britain... But now, wasn't the war over? It was truly time to reshape the new world order. And amidst a war that had left everything in utter ruin, it was time to hold a conference to decide who would take what.
Germany, Great Britain, the Russian White Army, and the Austro-Hungarian Empire.
The Russian White Army would likely face times even harsher than the war itself. Poland, ravaged by Roman von Ungern-Sternberg, was so devastated it could barely function as a country. So what of their own homeland? Who, then, were the key players?
Great Britain, Germany, and Austria.
"France and Russia are out of the running. In the end, the order of Europe will be decided by our Empire, Great Britain, and Germany. Is that not so, Vice Chairman?" asked Kaiser Ferdinand II.
"No, Your Majesty. Germany is also out."
"Hmm?"
In the Second World War of my original timeline, Great Britain and France were indeed among the major victorious powers. But if you were to ask if they were the primary players dictating the global order... the answer would be a resounding no.
"Germany is now... as good as ruined."
"Oh? Why on earth is that?"
"Southern Germany has been reduced to ashes. The number of young men who perished is staggering. While their domestic situation might be better than Russia's... Erich Ludendorff did launch a revolution, after all. Chaos will persist for some time."
To be sure, Ludendorff was a hero. But... being brilliant at war did not make one brilliant at politics. This was the Ludendorff we were talking about. Could he truly rebuild the German economy?
"If we are the landlords, Germany is merely our bailiff."
"Will Germany accept that so submissively?"
"Ludendorff will soon send us an SOS regarding the French issue and domestic reconstruction. In the end, it all comes down to money."
"Hmm..."
The one who paid the heaviest price in blood during this war was undoubtedly Germany. They might extract plenty in exchange for that blood... but such a feat was only possible for a nation with the sheer mass of the Soviet Union. For a country of Germany's scale, sacrificing the blood of its people wouldn't elevate them to superpower status; it would simply leave them utterly bankrupt.
"Therefore, for the next thirty years, the only true global powers will be Great Britain, the United States, and us."
"The United States?"
"Yes. And if we assume Great Britain falls, then it is the United States."
"What do you mean by that? Great Britain falling?"
"The reality is that if you look at the British home islands alone, their weight is inferior even to Germany's. One way or another... we must force them to spit out India."
"Is that even possible?"
"Colonies will become relics of the past anyway. It won't be that difficult."
Our global strategy was now complete.
First, make Germany our ally and bailiff, turning Western Europe into our backyard. This wouldn't be difficult. We just had to wait for Germany to ruin itself with its own blunders. If Ludendorff or France showed signs of running wild, we would simply need to keep them in check.
Second, force Great Britain to disgorge its colonies. This... was a task that wouldn't be easily accomplished in the short term. If all else fails, I'll have to resort to that sovereign remedy for imperialism: Marxism. Or perhaps we could join hands with the United States. The Americans would surely be dying to liberate all those colonies and turn them into open markets.
Third, constantly disrupt Russia. Although the Russian White Army was our ally this time... now that Italy had collapsed like a dog, the greatest threat to our Empire was Russia. If Russia ever resurrected itself in the future, it would not be an easy opponent to handle.
And finally...
"Then what about the United States? Shouldn't we sideline them as well?"
"Please, don't say such terrifying things."
"Isn't the United States just a backwater country anyway?"
This was the problem with Europeans. Even if the United States were split in half, east and west, each half of that insane country could churn out as much industrial output as the entirety of Western Europe.
"Even if we wanted to do something about the United States... how would we even get there?"
"If we pool enough of Europe's resources..."
"I mean, what are we going to sail there on?"
"...Ah."
"Come to think of it, we really do need to do something about our navy."
Good grief...
Back when I uttered those cringeworthy lines about being Marx Stahl—words so embarrassing they made my fingers and toes curl like grilled squid—I had made a resolution. I would turn this world into a utopia that would put the 2010s to shame! Of course, the 2020s were an exception. Things... had started going very weirdly then. But winning just one war wasn't going to make a utopia suddenly pop into existence. Even the United States of my past life couldn't manage that. In just fifty years, humanity had nearly destroyed itself in a nuclear war multiple times. There was too much to worry about. The navy, for one... and speaking of nuclear war, I would have to recruit Albert Einstein too...
"More importantly, where on earth should we hold the conference?" asked Ferdinand II.
"Ah! I forgot about that!"
It was truly one mountain after another. My head was already beginning to throb. In cultivation web novels, if you fail to ascend to a higher realm, you get struck by lightning called a "heavenly tribulation." It was the price for defying one's ordained destiny. Of course, lightning wasn't about to rain down on my head. But when I thought of all those stubborn, prideful diplomats throwing tantrums at the negotiating table... this was practically a heavenly tribulation in its own right.
"What is the purpose of this conference anyway? We are the victorious nations! We should rightfully hold the conference in our occupied territories!"
"Paris is absolutely out of the question! I would sooner agree to St. Petersburg!"
"Isn't St. Petersburg the Russian capital? If we hold it there, wouldn't Russia, who did nothing but get beaten to a pulp during the war, benefit far too much?"
"Are you quite finished?!"
"In any case, both Paris and St. Petersburg are unacceptable. Let us choose a neutral country. How about Genoa?"
"That place is practically the backyard of those British bastards!"
The dispute over the conference venue intensified from the very beginning. Naturally, Paris and St. Petersburg were out of the question. Who would hold a conference in a pile of rubble? If a bomb were to be planted in the hotel hosting the conference, the world would literally end right then and there.
Italy was also out. With Italy split into five pieces, there were too many conflicting national interests at play. Furthermore, Russia, which had failed to secure a single concession in Italy, was green with envy. The United States was too far. The best option would have been Constantinople, but... the Ottoman Empire, one of the participating nations, vehemently opposed it.
"Russia?! Absolutely not! It would make it look as if Russia had won a victory over our Ottoman Empire!"
Russia and the Austro-Hungarian Empire had clashed with the Ottoman Empire on numerous occasions. Feeling a subtle sense of humiliation, the Ottoman Empire absolutely refused to permit the conference within its borders. Moreover, the atmosphere within the Ottoman Empire was highly volatile due to the rebellion launched by Mustafa Kemal. The Ottoman Empire sought to preserve itself by crying out for Stahlism. Nationalism ran the risk of provoking Russia and the Austro-Hungarian Empire. So, what was the ideology chosen by the anti-Ottoman rebels?
"We are the warriors of Islam! The Ottoman Empire, which claimed to protect Muslims, failed in its duty, allowing the Western powers to tear our empire to shreds!"
"We must return to the great cause of Islam!"
Mustafa Kemal had... chosen an Islamic revolution! Consequently, the title he would receive from the parliament was not "Ataturk," the Father of the Turks. It was the Son of Islam, "Mustafa Kemal Islamoglu"!
Mustafa Kemal Islamoglu was threatening Istanbul at a terrifying speed. Where on earth, then, could the conference be held? The answer was Warsaw, Poland—a liberated territory that served as a "neutral ground" of sorts, where all four participating nations shared common interests.
Thus, the Warsaw Conference began. Who were the attendees?
Kaiser Ferdinand II of the Austro-Hungarian Empire, and Marx Stahl, the man pulling his strings from the shadows!
Arthur Balfour, the current British Prime Minister and perfect puppet, along with Foreign Undersecretary Herbert, who had risen from the dead! In exchange for the success of the St. Petersburg "four-drone" rush that had shocked the world, Herbert had been promoted to Foreign Secretary. Since Winston Churchill was not a Member of Parliament, he unfortunately accompanied them merely as a "secretary."
Then there was General Brusilov, who had emerged as Russia's strongman, along with his loyal subordinate, Nikolai Bukharin!
And finally, Erich Ludendorff, who had ousted Wilhelm II!
Holy shit, what kind of lineup is this...Shtal felt like he was about to lose his mind looking at this insane combination.
The key participants of the conference—Ludendorff, Shtal, Herbert... They were certainly capable enough to be at this table. Yet... every single one of them was deeply flawed in some way. Ludendorff was the mastermind of a coup, and Undersecretary Herbert had pulled off what was essentially a coup of his own. As for Shtal himself, wasn't he a key figure in a shadow government that had turned the Kaiser into a puppet?
Regardless, they began to gather in Warsaw one by one to debate the future of the world.
"Germany's revenge should end with having already laid France to waste. What more do you want in reparations?"
"You! Are you not a victorious nation?! Or are you some lackey of the national revolution?"
"Great Britain is by no means an enemy of France. If anything, we are allies."
"Then why are you here throwing a tantrum?! What did Great Britain even do in this war?"
Erich Ludendorff screamed at Herbert, the veins in his temples bulging with rage. But Foreign Undersecretary Herbert had already been through hell and back. Having always excelled at playing the "arbiter of Europe," Herbert didn't even bat eye as he shamelessly listed his demands.
"Let us agree not to discuss France in this conference!"
"We in Great Britain firmly oppose that. We will only cooperate with the conference once the French issue is resolved."
"Why, you...!"
Ludendorff looked as if he wanted to draw the pistol at his hip right then and there. Wait, why did that guy even bring a pistol to a place like this?! Sigh, I knew this would happen. Frankly, Great Britain was in no position to dictate terms regarding France. Hadn't they barely lifted a finger on the Western Front? Yet, the British shamelessly began to push Germany around, acting as if they had nothing to lose. In the midst of his stubborn posturing, Herbert glanced in my direction and... Ugh, why is he winking at me?! I could guess what he meant, more or less.
Your country shares a border with Germany, does it not? We must use France to keep Germany in check.
In any case, the first day of the conference ended without a shred of progress, entirely derailed by British obstructionism. The same happened the next day, and the day after that...
"Leader Ludendorff. Have you not already held a 'private' negotiation with France?"
"I've already been as lenient as humanly possible! If the Kaiser were still in power, Paris would already be in ashes!"
"France was originally supposed to pay three hundred billion francs in reparations. We cut it down to one hundred million francs, so just pay it already!"
"How about thirty million francs?"
"That is preposterous!"
Great Britain's primary objective in this war was to ensure that Germany and France mutually destroyed each other. They could not allow Germany to become the undisputed master of Western Europe through excessive disarmament and astronomical reparations. Ultimately, I had no choice but to meet with Ludendorff in private. Besides, I had my own matters to discuss regarding France.
"Vice Chairman Shtal! Please, do something about those pirates! Surely you, too, have a stake in France's fate?"
"Hmm... Is no further compromise possible?"
"As you well know, Vice Chairman, I have already conducted 'private' negotiations with France. I have already cut the terms as much as I possibly can! Ten thousand tons of gold, the acceptance of Stahlism, disarmament, the permanent cession of Alsace-Lorraine, and a ban on remilitarizing the border. What more could they possibly want?!"
He had a point. Great Britain was indeed being excessive. However, considering that the British Empire's power was still intact... we couldn't simply exclude them from the negotiations.
"Leader Ludendorff, please calm down. You must make concessions on the reparations issue, at the very least, for the conference to proceed."
"Even you are taking their side, Vice Chairman? Then I have nothing more to say. Please leave."
"In exchange, we will provide you with loans."
"...Even so, I cannot. I do not know what our people would say of me."
I smirked.
"So pride is the issue, then?"
"Yes, exactly. This is far more important than any economic factor. ...Even if they starve to death, if you wound the pride of the German people, you lose power!"
"That is why I have prepared a proposal. A proposal that will satisfy your pride, deal a blow to France, and leave Great Britain utterly bewildered."
Upon hearing my proposal, Ludendorff let out a broad grin.
"That sounds excellent. I look forward to seeing Great Britain's reaction tomorrow. Though... they will surely foam at the mouth."
"Great Britain must compromise as well. Is it the stability of Europe, or the glory of Britain?"