Chapter 400150Chapter NaN

November 15, 1940

Berlin, Northern Germany

The French Army's offensive on the Western Front, which had continued at the cost of grievous losses, finally ground to a halt and entered a lull.

The Belgian and Dutch armies, which had been in a precarious state, were now hastily strengthening their forces by diligently purchasing equipment pouring out of the adjacent Ruhr.

What was interesting was that Queen Wilhelmina of the Netherlands was being lauded by the Allied Powers and her people for liquidating her personal property to strengthen the army's armament and for taking the lead in radio broadcasts to encourage the public.

As it happened, King Leopold III of Belgium, who had waged a poor fight while holding command of the army at the start of the war and had advocated for surrender, only reluctantly yielding to parliamentary pressure, was naturally being compared to Wilhelmina and losing even more popularity.

In any case, my father was steadily securing what he could while providing arms support, and thanks to the reparations from Italy and the funds Britain provided as promised, our financial situation became quite stable.

Well, in that sort of area, he's in a league of his own compared to me…

"Yes.

He says he will return home to Germany at once and reclaim his rightful throne, but I'm not sure what to do with him…"

Foreign Minister Weizsäcker gave a bitter smile. That damn mustached Kaiser sure is long-lived.

In any case, he's a man of no help to Germany.

If he'd just agreed to return home, be welcomed as the former emperor, and die of old age, I could have shown him some leniency.

But to reclaim the throne… what to do with this madman.

The Netherlands is also getting fed up and wants us to take this noisy Kaiser away, and it seems Wilhelm III is also quite worried.

I hear that sly man is binge drinking from the stress. For now, it's a matter for the Imperial family before it's a matter of state, so his decision is what's important.

There's no choice but to wait for the conclusion he reaches.

General Günther von Kluge was appointed as the successor to the Rundstedt Army Group deployed on the Eastern Front.

He was a man who performed great feats in the original history, so I suppose I can have some expectations.

In any case, the British, Western, and Eastern Fronts have all entered a state of confrontation, and in this situation, we, who have secured firm air superiority, have the advantage.

The Allied Powers, which had been scrambling to defend against the non-stop offensives of the Axis Powers and the Soviet Union, could finally catch their breath.

The problem was the Asian Front.

Over there, Thailand had sided with Japan, civil unrest continued unabated in India, and amidst it all, the Dutch East Indies were collapsing in vain before the Japanese offensive.

With France now an enemy nation and the safety of the Burma Road no longer guaranteed, the Soviet Union had also cut off its support for the Republic of China, so Jiang Jieshi and the Republic of China were having an even harder time than in the original history.

Had it not been for the equipment we provided in bulk in exchange for tungsten right before the war and the German advisory group, including Falkenhausen and Rabe, they might have already collapsed.

But there's a limit to how long the Republic of China can hold on without proper support, and it's frustrating that there's nothing we can do for them right now.

"Hmm, they've come again."

"Yes, the Provisional Government of the Republic of Korea has formally declared war on the Japanese Empire and has once again sounded out their intention to join the Allied Powers."

I let out a small sigh at the news I heard from Foreign Minister Weizsäcker.

We told them we would contact them later, but it seems they are desperate on their end. It's only natural, I suppose.

As it turned out, Syngman Rhee was not in the Republic of China with the Provisional Government but was staying in Washington, America.

His relationship with the Provisional Government didn't seem very good, but that same Provisional Government couldn't even guarantee the safety of dispatching someone directly to Germany, so they had no choice but to request it of Syngman Rhee, who was also a State Council Member of the Provisional Government.

It left a bitter taste in my mouth, as it was a telling sign of the situation of the Republic of China and the Provisional Government, which had both their land and sea routes cut off and were in a state of needing to borrow even a cat's paw.

If only India were stable, there might have been some way to help, but General Claude Auchinleck has still not managed to suppress the Free India movement started by Chandra Bose.

India is too vast, and its population is far too large. With almost no support from the home country, perhaps General Auchinleck is the remarkable one for managing to properly defend at least the key strongpoints.

"Let's tell them we'll consult with the Allied High Command and let them know, so they should wait."

"I shall do so."

Currently, the Allied Powers consist of Germany, Britain, the Republic of China, the Netherlands, Belgium, Poland, and Finland.

The other countries don't matter, but the imperialist nations—Britain, the Netherlands, and Belgium—are the problem. No matter if it's the colony of a defeated nation, ceding and liberating are vastly different.

Albania and Ethiopia could be liberated because they were, at least, members of the League of Nations.

The fact that Britain took all the colonies, including Eritrea, Somalia, and Libya, is proof of how sensitive they are about the independence of their colonies.

I said that, but in the end, there's nothing we can do in the Asian theater right now, so there's no reason to engage in a war of nerves with other countries prematurely. The consultation will have to wait.

In Europe, Korea is still little more than a colony of Imperial Japan that few people even know exists.

I have no intention of simply switching its ruling country from Imperial Japan to another, but for now, I have no choice but to prioritize the situation in Germany and Europe.

In the end, the war with France must be ended as quickly as possible.

Only by ending the war with France can our army's strength be concentrated on the Eastern Front, and can a path be opened for Britain and us to project power into Asia.

For now, it's the talks.

I, along with Weizsäcker, greeted the Hungarian personnel.

"Welcome to Germany."

"We thank you for the welcome."

We greeted the Prime Minister of Hungary Pál Teleki, Vice Regent István Horthy, and Foreign Minister István Csáky.

"It has been a long time, Vice-Chancellor."

"Yes, it has been a long time. You are now the Vice Regent. Congratulations."

I exchanged a handshake with the young and handsome Horthy, whom I hadn't seen since we met in Budapest earlier this year.

I wondered if he was spurred on by me, or if it was like this in the original history, but he now held the title of Vice Regent, not an aide to the Regent.

Not a Vice-Chancellor of the Chancellery, but the openly declared successor to the head of state, is that it? My meeting with him had been quite impressive for me as well.

The fact that he came himself, not just the Prime Minister and Foreign Minister, was that a message for me to stick to the realpolitik, not moral politics, that I'd been practicing?

We exchanged appropriate pleasantries and entered the conference hall.

As it was an extremely sensitive topic, the contents of the talks were naturally private, and the number of personnel was minimized.

The first to speak was the Prime Minister, Pál Teleki.

"As I mentioned before, we intend to pressure Romania in cooperation with the Soviet Union to reclaim Transylvania."

It was something I already knew, but frankly, I didn't like it.

In the end, it was an act of carving up a perfectly fine country in cooperation with the Soviet Union, a nation we were at war with.

Although it was a territory for which Hungary had an extremely just justification, it was also a request to tacitly approve of an act that would benefit the Soviets.

"We hope that Germany and the Allied Powers will not intervene in this matter."

I looked at Weizsäcker, and we exchanged bitter smiles.

"First, we must know the Soviet Union's purpose, Prime Minister. What is the Soviet Union's purpose? The communization of Romania? Or the cession of some territory?"

"Well. We cannot know what the Soviets are thinking, but we anticipate they will aim for Northern Bukovina and Bessarabia, north of the Danube River."

Prime Minister Teleki said that, but if they were requesting talks with us, they must have had at least minimal communication with the Soviets.

Isn't this a ridiculous state of affairs? The Allied Powers and the Soviet Union are openly at war, yet here is a situation where I'm being asked to tacitly approve if the Soviets devour 'a part' of a neutral country.

This is war.

Of course, it's not a problem that can be defined as the Allied Powers being the righteous side and the enemy being the evil side. I know that, but it's depressing anew.

"Is Hungary aiming for the recovery of all of Transylvania?"

"That is correct, Vice-Chancellor."

The Hungarian Foreign Minister István, who answered my question, didn't look very well.

Neville Chamberlain eventually died of illness, too… why do I see so many sick high-ranking officials?

That aside, all of Transylvania…

"You ask for a lot."

Foreign Minister Weizsäcker did not hide his discomfort.

Giving up all of Transylvania, Bessarabia, and Northern Bukovina would mean Romania would be spitting out almost everything it gained as a victor of World War I.

"We are only reclaiming what we have lost.

Is your country not also in the process of reclaiming what you lost as a defeated nation of the last war?"

Vice Regent Horthy said it as if it were a matter of course.

He wasn't wrong.

We had indeed reclaimed West Prussia, including Danzig, and Posen from Poland, and South Tyrol from Italy.

But in the end, that was what we received from defeated nations in a war where we were invaded, and even so, the fundamental nature of it being territorial plunder and an act of expansion does not change.

Furthermore, the Sudetenland is undeniably plundered territory. The fact that the residents living on that land wanted it could not possibly justify it.

I am extremely wary of glorifying our expansionist acts as just and right, even if it is our former territory or the land of the German people.

It was only unavoidable due to the nationalism that had consumed all of Germany, but in the end, would territorial expansion that sows the seeds of another conflict in the future really be only a good thing for Germany?

Would Czechoslovakia, which lost the Sudetenland, Poland, which lost West Prussia and Posen, and Italy, which lost Tyrol, not hold a grudge, claiming that those lands were originally the land of the German people?

No way.

I tapped the armrest of my chair with my finger. There's also the Alsace-Lorraine (Elsass-Lothringen) issue with France… this is tiring in many ways.

If we rip territory from all our neighboring countries under the justification that they invaded us first and greet a happy end to the war, what's left might just be the road to the next great war.

But trying to say this now in front of Hungary, which received harsher treatment than any other country as a defeated nation of the last war and lost two-thirds of its territory, probably won't get through to them.

"We are aware of Hungary's situation. We were willing to turn a blind eye to a certain extent. But the situation is a little different now than it was then."

Back then, I didn't know that Britain would be getting beaten by France and that we would end up fighting alongside them as Allied Powers.

Nor did I know it would be after Poland, which we and Hungary had diligently helped, collapsed under the Soviet Union's overwhelming latent power, and after we had even engaged in direct combat with the Soviets.

Hungary's position in this great war is extremely ambiguous.

One could call them a pro-German neutral country, as they are rearming by purchasing weapons from us and simultaneously supplying weapons to Poland, but they do not shy away from joining hands with the Soviet Union for the recovery of their lost territory.

It could be a wise move to not plunge their country into the swamp of war, but from our perspective, they are a bat-like nation that wouldn't be strange to see siding with anyone, anywhere.

I will have to speak with Churchill after the talks with Hungary, but I can guarantee that the possibility of Churchill welcoming this move by Hungary converges to infinity at zero.

"For us to ignore Romania and tacitly approve your country's actions, we must obtain the consent of Britain and the other Allied Powers, especially Poland and Finland, who are currently bleeding at the hands of the Soviet Union."

Finland is at least only engaged in localized, small-scale engagements since the Polish Front opened up, but Poland has endured such severe sacrifices that even women are said to be taking up guns and fighting on the front lines.

Sikorski might have a rough idea, having had the talks arranged for him, but what will Poland, which is currently occupied over half its territory by the Soviets and is suffering horrendous sacrifices, say when they see Hungary's move?

"On top of that, Yugoslavia, which is already sensitive to your country's moves due to the annulment of the Treaty of Trianon, will not look upon it favorably. There is too much we must endure to take your country's side."

Yugoslavia also holds Vojvodina, a former Hungarian territory, so it wouldn't be unreasonable for them to join hands with Romania to oppose Hungary.

If the situation escalates to that point, we will no longer be able to stand by and watch.

"We, of course, respect your country's justification, and we are grateful that you arranged the peace negotiations with Poland. However, I do not think that is enough to endure all of that and condone the expansion of the Soviet Union, with whom we are at war."

The expressions of the Hungarian officials were hardening in real time.

What are they so displeased about? It's just words.

But if I block this, I can't just let Romania, caught between Hungary and the Soviet Union, be torn apart and a third front open on Hungary's side, can I?

"Therefore, I believe Hungary must have prepared something commensurate for us.

May we hear it?"

Surely, they didn't come to make such a demand empty-handed.

Prime Minister Teleki cleared his throat and opened his mouth.

"Ahem, we will double the equipment we were providing to Poland and will grant tax exemption on the bauxite and oil exported to your country."

I smiled brightly at the Prime Minister's words and asked.

"How about joining the Allied Powers and entering the war after you have secured Transylvania?"

"That is not possible!"

Prime Minister Teleki shot up from his seat and shouted. I know that he is a renowned neutralist.

It is true that the Prime Minister's disposition and Regent Miklós Horthy's anti-communist sentiment give us faith that even if Hungary cooperates temporarily with the Soviet Union, they will not fully side with them.

But can all the Allied Powers trust Hungary based on such individual dispositions?

"Even if we abandon Romania, if the tide of war turns and we begin to push back the Soviet Union, it is highly likely that Romania will request to join the Allied Powers to reclaim its territory. If that happens, Romania's influence within the Allied Powers could become stronger than Hungary's."

Prime Minister Teleki's eyes wavered slightly.

"Surely you did not think that simply taking Transylvania would be the end of it? It seems there is one more thing we must guarantee you. This does not end with tacitly approving this matter; it is only meaningful if we also provide protection from Romania."

While Prime Minister Teleki was at a loss for words, Vice Regent Horthy spoke.

"What does Germany want? Do you wish for us to reduce our demands? Or what price do you want?"

Reduce the demands, he says. The most important part of Transylvania is the Hungarian-majority region in the eastern part of Northern Transylvania.

Hungary probably came prepared to demand only Northern Transylvania if unavoidable, to accommodate us.

But that is not what I want.

"No. You do not need to reduce your demands. You also do not need to enter the war on the side of the Allied Powers. Instead, in addition to the tax exemption you just mentioned, we will lease 80% of Hungary's munitions factories until the end of the war with the Soviet Union."

No matter how much more efficient our munitions production has become compared to the Nazis, if we engage in a full-scale war with the Soviet Union, we will eventually run short of military equipment.

Therefore, we will have our military equipment produced under contract in Hungary's munitions factories.

"Is that not too excessive? If we do that, our national defense…"

"In return, we will secure the agreement of Britain, Poland, and Yugoslavia, and guarantee that Romania will not be allowed to join the Allied Powers until this war is over. We will also secretly promise to protect you from Romania in case of an emergency."

"Ahem…"

The Hungarian officials fell into deep thought, as if this was a part of my proposal they hadn't considered.

But they will eventually accept.

"This much is necessary for the Allied Powers to truly trust Hungary and guarantee your neutrality, don't you think? I assure you. The opportunity for your country to fully reclaim Transylvania will not come again if not now."

When I first brought up this proposal at the cabinet meeting, everyone in the cabinet was horrified and looked at me as if I wasn't Dietrich Schacht, but in the end, this is my conclusion.

Transylvania? To hell with it, take it all.

As long as Transylvania is a land that neither Hungary nor Romania can concede, there is no path that can satisfy everyone.

I could justify our actions with the excuse that Romania is full of Iron Guard fascists and has an incompetent king, and find a suitable point of compromise, but that is nothing but hypocrisy.

Do you think a spurned Romania would have no complaints if we only gave them Northern Transylvania? A half-assed compromise will only result in dissatisfaction from both sides.

If we bring Romania in anyway, they will inevitably covet Ukrainian territory, starting with Bessarabia.

Rather than that, it's better to let the Soviet Union take the Ukrainian territory, and then we liberate it and make them our allies.

Fighting a head-on manpower battle with the Soviet Union is suicide. Even if we win the war, what meaning is there in that victory if it comes with innumerable sacrifices?

In the end, to win the war against the Soviet Union, we must actively cooperate with the Ukrainians who have suffered from oppression and the Great Famine.

And for that, Romania must be thoroughly abandoned, regretfully. If possible, so thoroughly that they cannot have any second thoughts later.

When Romania learns of the contents of this negotiation, I will become the Hitler of modern Romania, but I will bear that as well.

Germany's diplomatic status has risen sufficiently, and we are already the leader of the Allied Powers.

I am not an apostle of world peace and moral politics, and I do not have the ability to save everyone. I am merely a human being struggling to reduce the sacrifices of those precious to me as much as possible.

If the reality is that no matter which side I choose, the only end is to be a traitor or a bystander, then I will thoroughly abandon Romania to squeeze out everything I can from Hungary.