Chapter 171

The Prime Minister of France, Jean-François de La Rocque, truly surprised us in many ways.

We had leisurely assumed that France would use the full week's deadline to deliberate before reluctantly responding, but La Rocque replied on the very day we demanded they come to peace negotiations, agreeing to attend the talks.

Furthermore, the fact that the Prime Minister himself was coming, not the Foreign Minister Paul Baudouin, put the Allied Powers on high alert.

Within the Allied Powers, La Rocque was openly considered something of an axis of evil, and if an act of terrorism against him were to occur during the talks in Belgium, the aggrieved party, it would be us who would be in trouble.

In the end, although La Roque had given an immediate answer, we were the ones who had to postpone the talks after several days of discussion, moving the venue to the Netherlands, which held strong animosity towards Japan and thus had relatively fewer feelings about France.

-

February 13, 1941

Amsterdam, the capital of the Netherlands

“That’s not quite right. If not for Britain's actions, betraying France while still an ally and siding with Germany multiple times, would we truly have met under such circumstances?”

The Prime Ministers of Britain and France, allies in the last Great War, Winston Churchill and La Rocque, exchanged a very amicable conversation from their very first meeting.

From my perspective, knowing the original history, it’s a bitter sight to see Britain and France become mortal enemies due to the alterations of history.

La Rocque also exchanged thorny greetings with the Belgian Prime Minister Pierlot, and only after greeting the relatively impassive Prime Minister of the Netherlands, de Geer, did he turn his head to me.

“A pleasure to meet you, Vice-Chancellor. It is my first time meeting Germany's man of real power, but it doesn't feel like a first meeting.

I’ve had many opportunities to encounter you, you see.”

La Rocque said, offering a handshake.

Is he talking about the newspapers or radio broadcasts? In a way, his brazenness is respectable.

I also responded with a smile and extended my hand.

“A pleasure, Prime Minister. I also found your radio broadcasts quite memorable.”

The speeches where you denounced Germany and encouraged war, vowing to make France great again.

So, how is France's predicament now?

La Rocque seemed to understand, as his expression stiffened slightly, but there was no emotion in his handshake.

At the long-awaited first peace negotiations that began like that, La Rocque, who had been resting his chin on his hand, listened to our side’s demands and said just one thing.

“It seems the Allied Powers intend to step over the corpses of the entire French population.”

“W-What did you say!”

“If you have any awareness that you are the prime minister of a defeated nation, watch your mouth!”

Churchill and Pierlot, the prime ministers of Britain and Belgium, flared up, while the Prime Minister of the Netherlands, de Geer, and I let out a slight sigh.

In my honest opinion, I wanted to give La Rocque high marks just for not storming out of his seat.

Normandy and Calais were, no matter how I thought about it, a severe unreasonable move, and while Brittany has separatism, Brittany’s independence in itself has little meaning.

The shock of the landing following the surprise attack on the English Channel must have left Britain with immense trauma, but this was a plan to brazenly take all of France’s major naval ports on the channel.

“Shouldn’t you pay the price for the British lives sacrificed by your country's betrayal and surprise attack?”

“Ah, I have no intention of denying France's responsibility. But what basis does Britain have to claim territorial sovereignty over Normandy?”

“Normandy was originally…”

“Surely, you aren't suggesting we go back to the time of the Hundred Years' War when Joan of Arc was active, are you?”

La Rocque cut off what Churchill was about to say.

Since Normandy was once British territory in the Middle Ages, that was Britain’s only justification for tearing it away.

The problem was that it was an unreasonable demand born of betrayal and hatred for a defeated nation, a demand anyone could see lacked justification.

Churchill, who stood against Hitler and remained in history as a defender of the Free World, was in fact less of a democrat and more of a man with an exceedingly aristocratic, Royalist Faction-like mindset.

Churchill, not unaware of this either, shut his mouth, his face twitching.

“Calais and its surrounding areas were originally the territory of Flanders, the predecessor of Belgium.”

“It has been French territory for exactly 383 years.”

“But since the Flemish population is also large, it is Belgium’s legitimate-”

“There are many French people, too. Isn't the division of peoples ridiculous? Who defines a people? Does such a concept even exist? At least in my opinion, if one has a sense of belonging and devotion to France, they are all French.”

“That is not sophistry! According to the principle of self-determination-”

“According to that principle, we should all liberate our colonies. Surely you don't intend to claim that the Black people of the Congo, who suffered a terrible nightmare at your country's hands, are the Belgian people?”

The Belgian Prime Minister Pierlot, having stepped in needlessly, was scathingly beaten down by La Rocque and fell silent.

The Prime Minister of the Netherlands, de Geer, was just stroking his mustache and gazing off into the distance, while Churchill and Pierlot turned their eyes to me.

Do they think I'm going to take their side?

Alsace-Lorraine at least has the justification of having been territory of the Holy Roman Empire and, for a time, the German Empire, but even there, the problem becomes incredibly complicated as it’s split into Alsace and Lorraine, and their claims are far weaker than that.

When I subtly averted my gaze, Churchill and Pierlot let out a groan of great dissatisfaction, and then La Rocque made me his target as well.

“Britain's and Belgium’s demands are absurd, but so are Germany's.

Your country clearly signed the Locarno Treaties, and Germany re-ratified them after the formation of the New Government.”

According to the Locarno Treaties, we officially recognized the borders of France and Belgium.

In other words, while we may have recaptured the Eastern Territories, we had officially renounced our territorial sovereignty over Alsace-Lorraine.

We re-ratified it for the official recognition of the Emperor's accession and our sovereignty over Danzig and Posen, and he brings it up now?

“Given that the war was started by France, a signatory party to the Locarno Treaties, I believe that is a separate issue.”

“But Britain and Belgium are also signatories to the Locarno Treaties, Vice-Chancellor. If Germany insists on taking Alsace-Lorraine without a whole territorial readjustment, that would be difficult for us to view favorably as well.”

…Oh-ho?

So this is how Churchill is going to play it?

I'd forgotten because Britain has been keeping a low profile, but Britain has always been the self-proclaimed guardian of the European Balance of Power.

France has already become a mortal enemy, so they prioritize its neutralization over using it as a check against Germany, but is Britain saying that if they gain little, Germany should also gain little?

The Belgian Prime Minister Pierlot, dependent on Germany for his national defense, didn’t say it openly, but his eyes were filled with greed, a sign that he believes he too must pressure Germany alongside Britain to get some scraps.

Meanwhile, La Rocque, who had subtly lured them into this situation, was leisurely observing.

If the party I had to negotiate with during the New Government era had been this man and not the Radical Party, I would have had a real hardship.

Interesting. I replied with a bitter smile.

“It seems… we all need a readjustment of our stances.”

I never thought France would accept such absurd and unreasonable conditions anyway.

Rather, I should consider it a relief that I've seen France's firm refusal, and that the talks haven't completely broken down even after the Allied Powers' demands were revealed to be unreasonable.

It's actually refreshing to see it so clearly demonstrated that this alliance called the Allied Powers has no such thing as justice or freedom, but is a group that can check each other at any time according to the self-interest of the victor nations.

This is international diplomacy.

-

“Please, have some, Vice-Chancellor.

It is a 1899 Château Latour. I acquired this bottle with great difficulty, so you would do well to have high expectations.”

“Thank you, Prime Minister.”

La Rocque's face was full of pride as he poured the wine.

It makes me wonder what expression he would make if he saw the ‘Judgment of Paris’ decades from now, which revealed that his precious French wine was inferior in quality to American wine.

Though I don't know if he'll live to see it.

We clinked our wine glasses.

The clear sound of the half-filled crystal glasses rang out, and as I took in the aroma, a heavy, profound scent felt incredibly intense.

I prefer lighter types of alcohol to enjoy with Claudia, but as I thought that and took a sip, I couldn't help but exclaim in admiration.

“Oh.

Indeed.”

As I held the dark-colored wine in my mouth, its intensity captivated my tongue and stimulated my brain to a realm of emotion, reaching a state where I was rather overwhelmed, to the point where my personal preference became irrelevant.

I closed my eyes for a moment and savored the wine.

As a beer enthusiast, I honestly don't know much about wine and have no interest in it, but I could tell this was a very delicious wine.

It must be incredibly expensive.

“Isn't it magnificent?”

“Yes.

It is magnificent. I don't think German wine is bad, but it still has a long way to go to catch up to France.”

La Rocque smiled with satisfaction.

The reason the two of us, the responsible parties for the warring nations and the talks, were leisurely enjoying wine, was because La Rocque had personally invited me while the talks were postponed for the internal readjustment procedure within the Allied Powers.

We savored the wine in silence.

It's a wine so magnificent that it’s truly beyond description, but what's with inviting someone over just to serve them drinks?

“So, surely you didn't invite me here to ask for favors with expensive wine.”

La Rocque laughed at my words, amused.

“Of course not, Vice-Chancellor.

I prepared it thinking that to congratulate someone who left a strong impression, an equally strong gift was necessary.”

“Congratulations.”

A strong gift for congratulations.

It is certainly a tremendous wine, but mere alcohol could not be as impressive as the course of action La Rocque has shown.

La Rocque swirled his wine glass and opened his mouth.

“Congratulations on whitewashing Hitler’s Germany, a defeated nation and a threat to Europe, and having it reborn as Europe's protector.”

La Rocque said this with an impassive face, as if stating facts, not being sarcastic or anything else.

After a moment's thought, instead of adding a superfluous comment, I gave a cool reply.

“The situation France is in now is the Prime Minister's—France's—choice.”

In the original history, they might have found a status similar to a victor nation through de Gaulle even after surrendering, but the altered history has relegated France to the status of a clear defeated nation.

Even if it's not the absurd demands from today's talks, the price France will eventually have to pay will be enormous.

La Rocque did not get angry at my words.

He quietly took another sip of wine, swallowed, and then opened his mouth.

“I have a question.”

“Go ahead. In return for the good wine, and as long as it doesn't pose a problem for Germany, I will answer.”

I also took a sip of wine.

“Would a Germany that defeated Italy and Poland, and then defeated the Soviet Union, truly have left France alone after it had lost the initiative of the era?”

“…”

I could not answer rashly.

Our national power had already reversed during Hitler's time, and Germany has more than enough reasons to burn with a desire for revenge against France.

The Treaty of Versailles, the plunder of Alsace-Lorraine, the occupation of the Ruhr, the issues raised at the time of the Imperial restoration, and even siding with Poland to fight Germany.

We put an end to Hitler and expelled the Nazis, but that didn't suddenly transform Germany into a rational nation that loves peace.

We took South Tyrol, Danzig, and Posen under the excuse that ‘we were invaded and shed blood, so we had no choice’.

In that state, after crushing the Soviet Union, would a Germany drunk on glory and victory simply leave France alone?

“I couldn't guarantee it.”

Even if I played the role of Germany's reason, my role is ultimately something anyone could do if they could just come up with the ideas.

Conversely, I can't do more than that either.

I don't think I could perfectly control a Germany running wild, and if Germany is only controllable because I am there, then that is already meaningless.

Ironically, the reality is that France has ended up restraining the Germany that might have otherwise run wild.

La Rocque smiled faintly.

“Therefore, this was the only path for us.”

If not now, France had no way to stop Germany.

La Rocque’s war plan was a method that relied heavily on allies and luck, but it is also true that if it had been properly executed, it would send a chill down my spine.

He clearly succeeded in cornering Germany and Britain even in the worst-case scenario of his own rise to power.

In the end, the fact that Italy, Japan, and Spain were not reliable allies was something only I, who knows history, could judge.

Having said that, La Rocque emptied his wine glass and added.

“And wasn't it you who drove France into checkmate?”

I did not deny it.

I, at least, know that the stance France is in now was originally Germany's.

In fact, it is half my fault that France ended up acting so recklessly.

France, dragged along by Hitler throughout the interwar period, had no spare capacity to show Germany any more leniency, if only because of public opinion.

In that situation, the plan to expel Hitler, leaving them with only their debt while blowing away their justification, and to win over Britain to thoroughly isolate France, came from my own head.

It was an action born from the idea that if I made Britain a neutral or pro-German nation and isolated France, they would not act recklessly, but I was too complacent.

It was a chaotic era that couldn't be dismissed as one side's problem; our stances were simply reversed by the alteration of history.

However.

“Even if I could choose again, I think I would have chosen the same path.”

Even so, I had to save Germany, where my precious people are.

France could not resolve the debt accumulated since Hitler without sacrificing Germany, and Germany could not survive without sacrificing France.

“I would have done the same.”

Instead of blaming me, La Rocque affirmed that he too would have done the same.

Our stances were different, our national powers were different, and our starting points from which we could lead our nations were different.

Victory and defeat were decided by that alone, and there was no room for things like justification or justice to intervene.

To blame them, saying it couldn't be helped because France launched a preemptive strike, and to glorify Germany as being justified, is difficult, as what Hitler's Germany did was ultimately also Germany's action.

I have no intention of denying that it was I myself who whitewashed that debt instead of repaying it properly, and pushed France down that path.

All our glasses were empty, but no one moved to pour more.

In the end, there are no 'ifs' in history.

We each only had one chance.

La Rocque slowly opened his mouth.

“When we should have shown leniency, we were overly harsh, and when we should have been resolute, we were overly generous and botched things.”

He's talking about the Treaty of Versailles.

It was so harsh that it earned Germany's hatred and resentment, yet it was too full of holes to completely prevent Germany's comeback, and consequently, when Hitler's Germany rose, both Britain and France were the very picture of indecision.

The story that Hitler would not have appeared if they had either been more severe and completely destroyed Germany, or reconciled with Germany under generous conditions, is common not just to later generations but even in this era.

La Rocque looked at me and opened his mouth.

“The Treaty of Versailles you will create—which path will it choose?”