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* * *

The ultimatum sent by Hitler arrived in Belgrade not long after.

“Your Majesty. We have received an ultimatum from the Austrian Empire requesting the return of Croatia and threatening war if we refuse.”

“Hmm.”

King Alexander I of Yugoslavia had originally supported the ethnic unification of Yugoslavia by using Tito as a pawn, but now, with Tito caught between Russian pressure and accusations of collusion with Italian communists, the situation had turned precarious. Discrimination against Croatians and ethnic conflicts among Serbians were escalating, leading towards the independence of Croatia.

“We absolutely cannot let it go!”

“If we are to grant independence, that’s one thing. But we will absolutely not be reintegrating with Austria!”

“Hitler is a man of great ambition. He will surely seek revenge in a future great war!”

The thought of granting independence as a buffer state was one thing, but returning Croatia to Austria would mean that Hitler could invade in the future.

But then again, what could be done about it?

Alexander didn’t want to concede in this manner, but realistically, he had to assess the situation.

“Do we even have a choice right now? If we want to receive help from the communist bloc, we would need to establish a communist regime, which is difficult. And the Empress of Russia is on Austria’s side. Unlike during the Great War, Russia will fight alongside Austria, and the Croatian separatists are actively resisting us.”

Hitler had already nullified various treaties made between Austria, Britain, and France by using Britain’s actions in disregarding the Treaty of Versailles with Communist Germany as justification. In this context, it’s nonsensical to expect support if war breaks out.

That’s the plain truth. It was Serbia that lit the fuse for the Great War, recklessly integrating Bosnia and Croatia into Yugoslavia, leading to the current problems and discontent.

If we can’t have it, perhaps it’s better to let it go.

Considering the situation in Austria, it seems to be besieged by communists.

War will break out eventually, and while Russia may stand firm, Austria is unlikely to hold itself against the rising red tide for long.

Thus, if war does break out, Austria will be too preoccupied to interfere with Yugoslavia.

“Then let’s just let it go.”

“Your Majesty?”

Yugoslavia was isolated anyway.

At the very least, shouldn’t we maintain some semblance of peace?

If we concede land to foster peace, then eventually Austria will join the war, and Serbia will not be able to be greedy.

“Think it over. Even if we grant Croatia, Austria cannot strike us. Italy and Germany will certainly not sit back idly. They’ll definitely try to trample Austria before it grows any larger.”

Since that is the most likely outcome, there’s no need to stir up troubles first.

“That seems plausible.”

Anger management issues tend to straighten out in the face of greater power.

During the first Great War, Serbia committed the insane act of Sarajevo, but now, there was no ally in sight to lend support to Serbia.

Thus, war was not an option for them.

In the end, Croatia was returned to Austria in the form of ‘independence.’

* * *

The ultimatum titled “Croatia or War” by Austria was on the front page of the newspapers.

Upon reading the article, I couldn’t help but spit out the British black tea I was sipping.

“Is this even possible?”

This was no different from the Danzig War! Hitler is just inherently expansionist, no matter where he is. Plus, since Croatia is part of the Austro-Hungarian Empire, it’s all too plausible.

Given the recent situation in Yugoslavia, it seems that Croatians believe life was better during the Yugoslavia-Austrian period, and they’re fighting for independence.

If they could also recover Tyrol, taken by Bosnia and Italy, would the territorial arrangements of the Austro-Hungarian Empire be restored?

I still can’t believe in Hitler’s intentions.

After being preoccupied with Aryan supremacy, suddenly switching to a multi-ethnic agenda seems absurd.

Should I send a thank-you letter to Karl Liebknecht for this?

Anyway, Hitler’s change stemmed from the belief that the German Communist Revolution ended Germany, right?

But, is Hitler truly satisfied with that?

The Hitler I know wouldn’t be a person to find contentment with such circumstances.

I have a suspicion he’s also targeting Bosnia.

If he devours Bosnia and siphons land from Italy, then it’s nearly a restoration, isn’t it?

“When’s he going to go after Bosnia?”

I looked at Ungern, who had delivered the news to the Kremlin, with an excited expression.

“Next is Bosnia’s turn, right? That area has apparently weakened in cohesion due to Croatia’s annexation by Austria.”

Croatia and Bosnia.

Originally, Tito aimed to unify them using communism, reaching near complete integration, but domestic backlash and Russian pressure led to an unstable situation, triggering ethnic conflicts with Serbians.

Naturally, declarations of life being better during the Austrian period were rampant.

Of course, Hitler’s propaganda might have fueled this as well, but Yugoslavia’s mismanagement played a significant role.

If that’s the case, why did they take those lands from the Austro-Hungarian Empire in the first place?

Why assassinate the Archduke in the first place?

In the first Great War, wasn’t the assassination of the Archduke by Serbian nationalists, or the Black Hand or whatever, ultimately an attempt to claim Slavic territories?

To those guys, the Archduke of Austria was a force that divided the Slavs. And now, after all that, they can’t even unite.

“Hmm. Hitler is indeed impressive. There was a reason Your Majesty supported him.”

“If there hadn’t been a revolution in Germany, Hitler could’ve become the Chancellor and potentially fought against us with the might of a united Germany.”

That would be a nightmare.

While there might not be a future where that happens in this timeline, I have to caution regarding Hitler.

“You don’t think he’s capable of that, do you?”

“So it’s a hypothetical scenario. I’m saying he is that formidable. Of course, now that he’s the Chancellor of Austria, he would focus on battling Communist Germany and Communist Italy. He should also be dedicated to unification efforts after the war.”

Surprisingly, Communist Germany and Communist Italy had chosen aggressive expansion.

Italy might go all-out to invade Ethiopia. What’s clear is that for Hitler to grow Austria enough to challenge Russia, he must also plan for post-war recovery, which is no easy feat.

“Then can we divide Communist Germany with the German Empire?”

That seems tough. Sharing in the Serbian division appears to be the best option.

Above all, attempting to eat up Southern Germany might lead to complications.

Of course, I wouldn’t stop Hitler if he really wanted to take Southern Germany.

But it wouldn’t make sense to let him consume all of Germany.

We’d be dealing with territory larger than the Holy Roman Empire. That would allow Germany, being of the same Germanic stock, to unite easily and could possibly build the strength to stand against Russia.

The only competitor to Russia should be America.

Hitler definitely isn’t targeting just Croatia. It’s highly likely he has his sights set on Bosnia as well. This means the former Austro-Hungarian territories of Croatia-Slavonia and Bosnia-Herzegovina are targets too.

Yet, Yugoslavia just gave that away.

This will lead to future attempts to target Bosnia-Herzegovina again, but now there will be international scrutiny.

Hitler has drawn heavy aggro, so how will Communist Germany and Communist Italy act next?

“We probably need to ensure our stake; that will need to be seen after the war. It will, indeed, depend on America.”

The Military Government of the United States would probably stockpile as many weapons as possible.

I’ve been brainstorming a bit, you know?

About minimizing damage in preparation for a potential war with Germany.

If civil war breaks out, they won’t jump in immediately.

After all, the Confederate States of America have also gained something from this, so we can let both sides fight for a while. Later, we can join in for support, primarily targeting KFC.

This way, we can justify aiding against MacArthur.

We’ll only be raiding KFC. That’s the mindset.

If a civil war happens, it’d be best to receive gold.

Should I sell off more to the Confederate States? Maybe I could discreetly sell older models.

While the idea of deploying a million troops in the civil war was mentioned, I don’t actually plan on committing that many forces.

“Your Majesty, are you considering sending troops right away during the civil war?”

Not at all. I don’t plan to increase casualties unnecessarily.

“That’s not it. What I’m saying will be left up to military judgment, but for now, we should sell off our weapons. Let’s strip as much gold as possible first, and then send out our armies later.”

We’ll strip it all down for every piece of gold we can get.

Only when the question arises, “When the heck are we sending in the army?” will we consider it.

Since dispatching an army takes some time anyway.

“I want to fight quickly.”

Ungern clenched his fist, a sly smile on his face.

He seems really eager to go charging across the continent.

“The American civil war shouldn’t take that long.”

As long as they capture KFC, the justification for MacArthur and Huey Long to fight would dwindle.

Of course, localized conflicts could still happen.

After selling off as many weapons as possible, we’d charge in to take KFC and then hunt down the wild Trotsky with the Okhrana, taking down KFC at the same time.

It’s perfect, right?

After that, we can support one side or the other, or act as mediators with surprised MacArthur or Huey Long.

Honestly, given the situation, I doubt Huey Long would push too hard.

“Are there no movements from Communist Germany and Communist Italy?”

I was really asking Ungern about military movements.

From this point onward, it’s crucial.

The Spanish Civil War and the Second Italo-Ethiopian War are still ongoing.

It’s about time things get set in motion.

Goebbels will undoubtedly want to spot the opportunity for war before Russia gets too powerful.

“After Goebbels became the secretary, Communist Germany has been reinforcing their troops along the Polish border. Italy seems to be bolstering forces near the Austrian border as well.”

Seeing their confidence, it seems they have something planned regarding France.

Alright then, we must focus on this.

Let’s say we handle America; there’s one more country in the way.

With our Russia sandwiched between Europe and America, that would be Japan.

Depending on the movements of the Japanese, I might have to adjust the strategy I’m crafting.

“What about Japan?”

Those Japanese aren’t the kind to sit idly by.

Basically, they’re likely getting antsy over there.

The radical Imperial Way Faction has taken control, and they might just go all out.

The Control Faction is recklessly expanding the frontlines, proposing crazy solutions.

Meanwhile, the Imperial Way Faction is completely unaware of their explosive tendencies, filled only with high ideals.

Their movements are critical.

It’d work if they attacked America to keep Alaska from interfering. But, on the flip side, there’s no telling where they might go.

Who knows? They might target China and suddenly switch to an attack on Russia.

“Japan is explicitly aiming for China.”

“Hmm.”

Indeed, Mutaguchi Renya is becoming a critical player.

Southern Manchuria serves as a foothold for expansion into China.

Could it be that Mutaguchi Renya is about to make a move into China soon? This is quite the gamble.

Mutaguchi Renya might have to heed the Emperor’s orders whenever they come, as he can’t just hide away as I had expected.

This is why the Imperial Way Faction is troublesome.

A constitutional monarchy, like ours, would be a better approach.

Now, Japan will decide whether or not to throw cold water on the stage I’m preparing.

* * *

The Japanese Empire

The Imperial Way Faction that controlled Japan absorbed the Control Faction’s power as well in this timeline.

It was only natural for the Imperial Way Faction to seize control as they increased their influence without any coup.

Now, the newly appointed Army Chief of Staff, Ishiwa Kanji, was speaking with the Emperor, saying the Emperor must become a wise deity once more, just as always.

“Germany and Italy are leading the communist revolution in Europe, and Austria has begun to restore its past glory, so the threat of war is palpable. Your Majesty, once the war breaks out in Europe, the Colonial Empire will have no choice but to turn their eyes towards Asia.”

Taking advantage of their distraction, let’s advance into China, thought Ishiwa Kanji.

“What should we do now?”

Though Emperor Hirohito had gained power, he was not directly involved in many affairs.

He merely reflected his opinions on Kido Kōichi’s policies, which is why he found himself playing along with Ishiwa Kanji.

“The Great Depression is recovering thanks to Prime Minister Kido Kōichi’s reforms. This presents a golden opportunity for us to advance into China.”

The perfect opportunity to advance into China was finally approaching.

Ishiwa Kanji could scarcely contain the ambitions bubbling within him, as he eagerly exclaimed, “China. China.”

Hirohito couldn’t help but wonder.

Is advancing into China truly the right course of action?

“The Governor-General of Southern Manchuria has been preparing to advance into China for a while now. If you personally proceed to China and receive the fealty of the young Emperor, you will become the Emperor of both Korea and Central China. Who else in Asia could experience such glory?”

Hirohito momentarily thought of someone who might be in Moscow but quickly shook his head.

“Hmm. Wouldn’t it be dangerous for the ruler of a nation to go personally?”

Honestly, though Hirohito was tempted by Ishiwa Kanji’s plan, he couldn’t outright agree.

He had been observing the Imperial General Headquarters for a long time, developing a keen intuition.

And with that high-level intuition, he analyzed Ishiwa Kanji and felt a deep realization.

‘This guy is insane.’

If someone doesn’t think that about Ishiwa Kanji, they might as well throw away their throne, because this guy is truly out of his mind.

 

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