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* * *

“Isn’t it a bit sudden, but what if we strike America and secure various interests, including oil?”

“Look at Russia.”

“Didn’t they just extract various things from America?”

“If we slap them right across the face, at least in the Pacific, we might acknowledge Japan’s superiority.”

“Right now, we don’t even know how the war in Europe is flowing.”

“Why do you ask?”

“Isn’t it time to use the Imperial Combined Fleet?”

“Exactly! Now’s the time for the Imperial Combined Fleet.”

“What on earth does that even mean?”

“How absurd that Yamamoto Isoroku looks like he’s lost his mind.”

He doubted his ears, but the smirking face of Tojo Hideki confirmed it.

The Combined Fleet is currently tasked with destroying ports and transport ships along China’s rivers and coasts. Proposing a war with America sounded utterly ridiculous.

“Let’s show our strength to America and ask for oil directly. How about poking the American Pacific Fleet just a little?”

“Are you suggesting we go to war?”

“Suddenly going to war? What kind of nonsense is that?”

“And the opponent is far over the Pacific.”

“Going to war? Isn’t it just a matter of showing off our military strength and asking for oil? There might be some noise in the process, but that’s it.”

Isn’t the military showcase itself a declaration of war?

No matter how you look at it, it’s essentially saying, “Give us oil or we’ll smack you.”

Every military officer in the Imperial General Headquarters was bemused by Tojo Hideki’s words.

“Is there really a reason to do a military showcase?”

Yeah, if you think about it, there really isn’t.

But at least they had to demonstrate they were superior in the Pacific.

“Didn’t America constantly challenge us since we occupied Southern Manchuria? That’s actually why we got oil from Russia.”

Anastasia didn’t know, but Japan had ongoing conflicts with America over interests after the occupation of Southern Manchuria.

At that time, Japan imported resources from Russia while still accommodating American interests. However, America vehemently protested Japan’s occupation of Southern Manchuria as a violation of international law.

What kind of law does a nation with the same imperialistic ambitions invoke? Japan found it ridiculous.

Even if Russia’s occupation of Northern Manchuria could be justified somehow, there was no such justification for Japan, and seeing Northern Manchuria go to Russia, it was rather displeasing that Japan, now friendly with Russia, solidly occupied Southern Manchuria.

In other words, America’s attempts to control Japan were obvious with the appearance of Russia and Japan partnering up.

Yet how could Russia do so and not Japan? How ridiculous that must be for Japan.

Of course, the occupation of Northern Manchuria by Russia was ‘recognized’ by the great powers to prevent the civil war from escalating, whereas Japan was not recognized, which made the difference.

When had Japan become a country thinking like that?

Throughout Japan, there were whispers about the Emperor, and anti-American sentiments were quietly rising.

That resentment remained in Japan.

Fundamentally, would America give up oil while embroiled in a civil war?

If so, we must strike big and make the Emperor’s nation unignorable.

“Think about it. If we ask for oil here, what do you think those Yankees will think?”

“I wouldn’t be surprised if they throw all sorts of demands at us.”

“If we’re crawling around after a civil war, they’ll surely treat us like trash.”

“So if we show who’s strong in the Pacific while America’s power is waning, then what?”

All the frustrations against America will be out, and we utilize Japan’s superiority in the Pacific. Let’s poke them just a little!

Although this is not real history, Japan’s poking at America might be inevitable.

“Is this even a rational idea?”

Yamamoto Isoroku frowned as he quietly listened.

If we’re going to go through all that trouble, it would be more sensible to bring back Mutaguchi Renya (currently regarded as a great general in Japan) to quickly finish the campaign in China.

While he gathered the army to seek revenge for His Imperial Majesty, now wanting to broaden the front with the navy sounded ridiculous.

Of course, it’s not that he’s wrong.

America has had conflicts with Japan.

Though it had supported the MacArthur government due to communism’s repression, it was merely for that reason.

But just in terms of a military show of force, it truly meant challenging America.

Yamamoto Isoroku had served at the Japanese embassy in Washington, trained at Harvard University, and frequently visited America, knowing well how incredibly powerful the United States was.

If they rejected our initial proposal, wouldn’t that lead to a preemptive attack?

“How about importing fuel from countries under air defense treaties? Or maybe recalling the governor of Southern Manchuria to rapidly occupy China?”

Surely that would be better than America, right?

However, Tojo Hideki had already made up his mind.

“America is a country just finishing a civil war. Are we really going to be scared? Mutaguchi Renya? Do you think there’s no general besides him to serve the Emperor?”

At the very least, they had the power to project themselves in the Pacific while dealing with China. This needed to be showcased.

Above all, using His Imperial Majesty’s demise, Tojo Hideki was essentially placing himself in Japan’s Shogunate position.

It wasn’t favorable for Mutaguchi Renya’s reputation to rise any further.

And to be precise, to firmly establish Japan’s dream of Asian domination, they had to use America’s civil war.

Considering it was wartime, decisive resolution was necessary.

Even if there was competition between the army and navy after the Victory of the Imperial Way Faction, the navy still needed a chance to achieve some merit.

Thus, Yamamoto Isoroku reluctantly followed the directives of the General Headquarters.

“Are you talking about doing a military show on the American mainland?”

Please tell me that’s not what you mean?

In reality, Tojo Hideki was probably not aiming that high.

All Yamamoto hoped for was that his last desire would materialize.

But Tojo Hideki had a separate goal in mind.

“Didn’t we have a plan established as relations with America weakened?”

Surprisingly, Japan was indeed more than Anastasia had anticipated.

Japan had greater friction with America due to their actions towards China than in actual history.

Thus they were, of course, considering a war with America. Indeed, that was the Pearl Harbor attack mentioned in the original history.

“Pearl Harbor, huh?”

Pearl Harbor was a bay located on the island of Oahu in Hawaii.

Originally, it was a place where Hawaiian residents collected pearls, but in 1908, a naval base was established, which was expanded and renovated repeatedly, eventually becoming the home port of the Pacific Fleet.

In other words, it meant they intended to poke at the American Pacific Fleet just like in history.

“Although Hawaii was neutral during the civil war, it has now reached its climax and is firmly in MacArthur’s hands. We need to demonstrate our resolve now.”

“Isn’t that basically not a military show at all?”

The operation implied a surprise attack to annihilate the American Pacific Fleet without a declaration of war.

How can you even call that a mere ‘military show’? Even cannon diplomacy doesn’t go that far, and the opponent is America!

Knowing America better than anyone, Yamamoto Isoroku felt like he’d rather commit seppuku.

“We’ll at least request oil. There’s no need to worry about that. We just have to go to Hawaii first. Besides, while MacArthur is currently in command, the existence of the Confederate States shouldn’t be dismissed.”

“No need to worry, huh?”

Clearly, proposing an attack on Hawaii equates to endorsing a declaration of war.

Just like during the Russo-Japanese War, it would be like saying, “We’ll hit first and then declare war~”

Yamamoto Isoroku felt a headache coming on.

No matter how you look at it, this was beyond just aiming for oil.

Yes. They intended to clearly assert dominance in the Pacific before America recovers from the civil war.

But knowing America’s strength better than anyone, it was hard for Yamamoto Isoroku to accept.

What could he do? If it has to happen, then it must happen.

“Understood.”

Looking at how the General Headquarters was operating, an attack on Pearl Harbor would inevitably occur sooner or later.

Then, it would be better to target America while they’re still divided.

“Where is the Empire heading towards exactly?”

Yamamoto Isoroku felt a darkness surrounding the Empire’s future.

* * *

Meanwhile, the Anglo-French Combined Command in London found itself in a quagmire.

It was great to start a war with confidence, but it didn’t seem like Communist Germany would back down easily.

The British Army Chief of Staff, Count Gort, sighed heavily.

“Those guys are like ghosts. The Jerry bastards seem to have sold their souls to Goebbels, shouting Hail Goebbels while even committing suicide if it looks like they might die.”

It was like a desperate resistance you might see only in some colonies. Truly unbelievable.

“Still, we have far more numbers.”

Indeed. Militarily, the Allies were much superior.

Yet their resolve was unusual.

Once again, they banded together to crush Germany in war, and both the British and French people cheered, but the mindset was fundamentally different.

This time, the enemy is weak; it should be easier to push them back than in the Great War—such thoughts were entrenched in the minds of the Allied soldiers.

The Communist German forces were fiercely fighting since losing would mean becoming slaves under the Colonial Empire.

The great red Deutschland cannot be enslaved beneath the Colonial Empire.

Ultimately, there were cases where soldiers fighting on the front lines against the German forces fled in fear.

“Is it logical to be pushed back by those Reds? Could there be some issue in France?”

“What problem could we possibly have?”

“Aren’t the main forces of the army supposed to be handled by France?”

“The commander is British and leading the main force, so don’t shift the responsibility to France.”

Initially, the Anglo-French alliance had been going fairly smoothly, but as time went on, conditions worsened.

How could they not be winning when they had overwhelming forces?

Sure, Germany was also accumulating losses, but if things continued like this, it wouldn’t make the Allies look good.

Maurice Gamleyn, responsible for the French forces within the Allied Command, was also gnashing his teeth at his fellow allies in Britain.

“Isn’t the problem that Britain supplied Germany with technology and resources in the first place? All those armed weapons the Reds have came from Britain, right? You made weapons that kill British people with British resources!”

“Ahem. This isn’t the right time for us to be having this fight. After all, we are maintaining the frontline.”

Sure. It wasn’t the time for the allied forces to be fighting amongst themselves.

What was critical now was forcing Germany into a war of attrition.

If prolonged trench warfare continued, it would be Germany that crumbles first.

Unlike the Allies, who controlled the Atlantic, Germany lacked a sea, and the only thing it had was Italy’s Mediterranean.

Even that Mediterranean wouldn’t be perfectly controlled by Italy.

The Air Defense Treaty nations wouldn’t be able to support them, making them effectively isolated.

Churchill shook his head at the reports coming from the Allied Command at 10 Downing Street.

“Has there been any significant success in Poland?”

“No. It seems the German Empire cannot advance either.”

It was becoming evident that Poland wasn’t achieving much either.

With this, they completely shamed themselves as a major power.

“Ha. This is just absurd.”

Is it really possible that this situation diverges so greatly from what came before? How can this happen when Germany is weaker now than back then?

“At least it’s fortunate that we have air superiority.”

Since the Russian Civil War, Churchill has held a deep aversion to those Reds.

They should have been hit hard back then.

The disgusting thing about those Reds is that they neither develop the country nor make it prosperous.

They turn their country upside down with communism and produce a worker’s paradise, but that is not what is key.

The gruesome aspect of them being brainwashed with severe mental conditioning is what makes Reds terrifying.

Without any effort, they steal the technology that others have worked hard to achieve using spies.

These damn Reds truly are a piece of work.

However, the entire cabinet couldn’t even speak loudly against Germany, trying to buy time instead while providing support.

“This is just ridiculous.”

Looking south, Churchill let out a scornful smile.

Those damn Reds across the sea were truly doing everything to hold on.

They should’ve been paying the price for defying the British Empire, but they continued to resist.

“When the hell do they think they can hold out?”

Ultimately, it would be a matter of attrition, which would clearly see the Communist German side losing.

With scarce oil and various resources, how would Communist Germany manage to hold out?

If I had known this would happen, I wouldn’t have provided any oil support at all. I made a blunder hoping the Communists would fight with Russia first.

While tying up logistics, I thought, “Let’s stomp on Germany quickly while Russia is busy with America!” and completely cut off all assistance, never thinking it would come to this.

If only the entire cabinet hadn’t incompetently provided assistance in technology.

If it were Kaiser from East Prussia, he could have had some justification. What’s the point of this?

“How about requesting support from Russia? They’re an Air Defense Treaty nation, aren’t they?”

Churchill’s face contorted at Mosley’s half-hearted suggestion.

Even though the Tsarina of Russia acknowledged him, that doesn’t lead to a harmonious relationship with Russia.

For Britain to remain the great British Empire, they could never befriend Russia.

“That is absolutely out of the question. If that happens, European hegemony will fall into Russia’s hands.”

Ultimately, this is a battle against time.

Countries like Britain and France, who can gather resources from everywhere, are fundamentally different from resource-limited nations like Germany and Italy.

If they maintain this attrition war, Communist Germany is bound to collapse.

He briefly pondered but suddenly a different possibility emerged.

If they simply keep dragging out this attrition war,

Eventually, if both sides end up exhausted, it wouldn’t be impossible for Russia to come pushing in.

Wouldn’t this mean they’re serving everything on a silver platter to Russia?

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