Exporting Revolution (1)
Through a series of consecutive military victories, Shtal had transformed the Austro-Hungarian Empire into the world's second-greatest power and the Prague Treaty Organization into the world's leading economic bloc. The crucial phrase here was "consecutive victories." How could any nation achieve modernization and superpower status without war? He was fortunate to have landed in a country like the Austro-Hungarian Empire—which, despite its messy internal affairs, at least possessed the sheer physical weight to compete. If he had been reincarnated in a place like Joseon, the prerequisite of "consecutive victories" would have been utterly impossible. He would have wasted his time worrying about this and that, only to have the Great Powers steal his hard-earned penicillin and nitrogen fixation process. Forget armored tractors and airplanes; he wouldn't even have been able to manufacture a decent cooking pot. He would have ended up as a second King Injo or Emperor Gojong in the blink of an eye.
Shtal lacked the capacity to guide Ethiopia's industrialization step-by-step from scratch. However, if the goal was "industrialization" itself, his method of assistance might actually be the best approach. There was a fact that everyone, including Shtal himself, often overlooked: absolute power and consecutive victories were the most critical ingredients for industrialization. The very first thing Japan did for its modernization was not importing Western cannons or learning English; it was wiping out the Shogunate and other rebellious factions. This approach was a win-win for both Shtal and Haile Selassie. Without holding anything back, Shtal passed on the secrets of how he had reduced the Emperor to a mere state organ and become the supreme ruler of the Empire.
"Your Imperial Highness. What kind of person is the current Emperor? What I mean to ask is, how much power does His Imperial Majesty actually wield? Please speak frankly."
"I was the one who placed the current Empress on the throne. Furthermore, because she is an Empress, her authority does not reach very far."
In truth, the position of "regent" was a double-edged sword. Cao Cao, who became the most powerful figure of the late Han dynasty by acting as the protector of Emperor Xian, was an excellent example. Cao Cao manipulated the Emperor at will and became an unrivaled warlord. Yet, at the same time, that very situation provided a perfect pretext for Han loyalists like Liu Bei. Trying to accomplish things as a mere regent was a flawed mindset. The Sima clan, who followed the same regency path, eventually dealt the final blow to the entire Central Plains. What could someone who wasn't even the Emperor actually do? Was Yuan Shikai right after all?!
Haile Selassie candidly explained the process of his rise to power to Shtal.
"The former Emperor, Iyasu V—though he hardly deserved the title—committed the madness of converting to Islam. He was even an Italian spy."
"Was it for political reasons?"
"He probably just grew tired of the Orthodox priests constantly telling him what to do."
"Even without Your Highness's intervention, he was clearly destined to be dethroned sooner or later."
Shtal had grasped the situation. Ethiopia's puppet Empress, Zewditu, and the regent, Haile Selassie, who ruled from the shadows. This arrangement was the result of an alliance between the conservative Ethiopian Orthodox Church and the reformist faction led by Haile Selassie within the court. After careful deliberation, Shtal broached a difficult subject.
"Your Highness, is it absolutely necessary for you to ascend the imperial throne?"
"...What do you mean by that?"
"There are three factions in the Empire that threaten you. First, the pro-Western faction that collaborated with Britain and, in the past, Italy. Many of them are likely hiding among your own supporters. They are not a major concern. The moment we deploy our forces, they will instantly transform into your loyal guards."
Turncoats like Yi Wan-yong were always like reeds in the wind. After all, hadn't Yi Wan-yong started as pro-Russian, transitioned to pro-American, and ultimately ended up as the ultimate icon of pro-Japanese collaboration?
"Second, the Muslims within Ethiopia."
"Vice Chairman Shtal, they pose no threat to us."
"Indeed. But given the precedent of the former Emperor, they serve as a perfect scapegoat to crush. In that case, the greatest threat is, as expected..."
"Yes. Just as you suspected, it is the conservative faction centered around the Orthodox Church. But what on earth does that have to do with my ascension to the throne?"
"I happen to have a good idea."
Shtal then launched into a lengthy explanation. As far as he knew, the Ethiopian Empire would collapse around the same time as Persia's Pahlavi dynasty in the original timeline. Absolute monarchy was already an obsolete political system. With the dawn of the era of nation-states, the locus of sovereignty had shifted, and the people had become the owners of that sovereignty. In such times, claiming that a monarch was the sole sovereign carried very little weight.
"...I did not speak at such length about the position of the Emperor during our own domestic political reforms for no reason. Today, a monarch is no longer sovereignty itself, but rather a symbol of the contract forged between the state and its people. They occupy the status of the 'contract' itself, not one of the contracting parties."
"Hmm... A contract."
"Rather than a contracting party who rules and reigns, they have simply become a totem of that contract."
In a way, the monarch had assumed a status similar to the Christian cross. The cross is not Christianity itself, yet it represents the very essence of Christianity, does it not? No matter how hard Shtal racked his brain for Ferdinand II, an absolute monarch could ultimately never remain as Christ Himself; they had to be left as a symbol of sovereignty, like the cross.
"Throw away that kind of throne. You are not far from the line of succession anyway, are you not?"
"Are you suggesting I instigate a republican revolution?"
"That is one option. Becoming a president-for-life wouldn't be a bad gig either. Though that might be impossible..."
"Then...?"
Surrendering all authority to the monarch while seizing absolute power for oneself. If a republic was out of the question, only one choice remained. Having easily grasped the concept of a constitutional monarchy, Haile Selassie fell into deep thought.
"You are telling me to turn the Empress and the Orthodox Church into something like the Vatican, and establish a constitutional monarchy."
"Precisely. You can bury the absolute monarchy and its supporters deep in the ground alongside the Orthodox Church."
Haile Selassie was, after all, the heir to an absolute monarchy. Normally, such advice would never have registered with him. Anyone who dared to suggest to an absolute monarch that a "constitutional monarchy might be better" was usually someone with a death wish. It was about as dangerous as lecturing King Yeongjo on the exquisite, mouth-watering combination of soy-marinated crab and persimmons.
However, the messenger is always far more important than the message itself. Was Shtal not the prime example of a man who coexisted with a monarch while wielding power far greater than any absolute ruler?
'Perhaps... it is possible for me too?!' The thought began to bloom rapidly in Haile Selassie's mind. From the very beginning, Haile Selassie had suffered from an obsessive fixation on power that rivaled Emperor Gojong's. Was that not why he had cast aside his dignity as royalty and crown prince to grovel before Shtal? Empty authority was nothing; as long as he held actual power, he could throw it away without a second thought. Picturing himself as the Shtal of Ethiopia, Haile Selassie asked:
"Then, what assistance will Austria provide?"
"Bring five hundred of Ethiopia's most elite and trustworthy soldiers. We will equip them with our latest weaponry and train them in their usage and basic tactics over the course of two weeks."
"And what should we offer in return?"
"The mining rights to your gold mines. Of course, the gold itself will belong entirely to Ethiopia. However, you must export all of it to the Prague Treaty Organization. Do not worry. We will barter goods of equal value in fair exchange."
"What about the port of Eritrea?"
"Naturally, you must guarantee exclusive usage rights for the vessels of the Treaty Organization."
Was this not the ultimate benefit of free trade? Shtal had secured safe sea lanes, along with a secure base of operations and military power capable of invading British Somaliland at a moment's notice. On top of that, he had handed over armored cars, state-of-the-art machine guns, and artillery—weapons he had intended to discard for free in the Ottoman Empire anyway. The tear gas, highly effective for suppressing a coup, was thrown in as a bonus.
Had the negotiating party been the nation of Ethiopia itself, this could hardly be called a fair trade. But the person sitting across the table was not the regency of Ethiopia, but Haile Selassie as an individual. Haile Selassie had obtained absolute power, something far more precious than gold. If anything, he felt as though he had taken advantage of Austria.
Before long, the Austrian military had imparted everything they could in the short time allotted. No matter how far behind Europe Ethiopia might have been, an empire of this era surely possessed at least five hundred elite soldiers. Even the Beiyang Army, raised through sheer grit by the Qing dynasty, had been elite; the only problem had been their generals. This was an army that had already crushed Italy decades ago—how could they be weak?
Goebbels, acting as the trade representative to Ethiopia, offered his greetings to Haile Selassie.
"It may not be immediate, but I hope to see Ethiopia become a member state of the Treaty Organization one day."
"You have already promised to provide weapons tariff-free, and even subsidize them to keep the prices low, have you not? That is more than enough for us."
Though its economic power was severely lacking, it was still the only independent nation in Africa with a well-developed centralized government and decent mobilization capabilities. Arming Ethiopia alone would surely bring great joy to the British. The mere fact that they were arming a nation bordering Sudan and Somaliland would make them jump with delight.
Having received such a massive quantity of weapons, Haile Selassie spoke with a hint of genuine concern.
"However, Vice Chairman Shtal. While I am deeply grateful for your assistance, I have one concern. Our level of armament is so formidable that I worry we might needlessly draw the ire of our neighbor, Great Britain."
Shtal chuckled softly and shook his head. For at least the next five years, they could freely hand over complimentary weapons and military rations without any issue. Why?
"First of all, you need not worry about the British forces in Sudan. They will be tied down in French Equatorial Africa for at least five years. Ethiopia is not the only nation bordering Sudan. There is also the absolute mess of former French Africa."
Honestly, merely admitting them to the Treaty Organization was not that much of a provocation. Even if the Treaty Organization was exporting weapons and mercenaries on a massive scale, they could always excuse it as economic cooperation. However, arming them to this extent was an immense provocation in the eyes of the British. It was on par with sending military advisors and weapons to North Korea. If only Churchill hadn't set foot in West Africa, none of this would have happened.
"Furthermore, do you not control the port of Eritrea? Whether through Yemen or across the Sahara, I promise we will assist you when the time comes."
"Thank you, thank you!"
Casting aside his dignity as regent, Haile Selassie clasped hands with Shtal and Goebbels, bowing repeatedly. After sending off his deeply appreciated guests, the obsequious expression vanished from Haile Selassie's face. Yet, it was not replaced by his former look of authority and charisma.
'Is this... how it's done?'
Haile Selassie put on a genial smile, just as Shtal always did. He attempted to mimic that face—the one that, despite belonging to a man over forty, boasted the innocent charm of a young boy. Standing beside him, the captain of the guard bowed and asked respectfully:
"It is time... to set a date for 'the plan,' as Vice Chairman Shtal advised."
The captain of the guard naturally expected Haile Selassie to issue commands in his usual stiff, solemn manner. However...
"My dear Captain. Wouldn't the sooner be the better? Please have the troops ready. I must work behind the scenes to concoct a conspiracy that implicates all the conservatives in treason, haha."
"P-pardon? No, I mean, that is..."
Hearing Haile Selassie suddenly address him with such polite honorifics and formal language caused the captain's brain to completely short-circuit. This was a crown prince who had spent his entire life exuding the aura of a charismatic military dictator. Yet, that very man had resolved to model himself after Shtal. Because he was suddenly trying to imitate Shtal, his tone was as stiff as a robot's, and the corners of his mouth twitched upward in an uncomfortably unnatural grin. It was like looking at a haunted, jointed mannequin salvaged from a junkyard in a horror movie.
Having just peered into the deepest abyss of the uncanny valley, the captain of the guard stammered in response.
"W-w-what has suddenly come over you?!"
"Do. Not. Mind. It. In any case... please conceal the troops. Ha, ha."
The captain of the guard and the rest of Haile Selassie's inner circle found the sheer awkwardness unbearable. First, he had made Shtal and Goebbels uncomfortable with his excessive flattery. Now, it seemed Haile Selassie possessed a true talent for making everyone around him uneasy. Fortunately, Shtal only made Churchill uncomfortable.