NOVPUB
Chapter 68: Declaration of War against Germany (2)
In response to Korea’s bold declaration of war, the Soviet Union also replied with an official statement.
“A nation that has not been defeated even once in the past several hundred years has taken a stand on the front line against fascist Germany. Now the outcome has become clear. The good days for the fascist beasts are over.” 𝓃ℴ𝓋𝓹𝓊𝓫.𝒸𝓸𝓂
Reactions mocking Germany also came from Britain and the United States.
“The Germans said they would fix Korea’s unruly behavior, but the Kriegsmarine doesn’t have the capability to do so. They should keep in mind that Berlin’s bluffing works in Europe, not Asia.”
Germany criticized Korea’s actions during the expulsion of diplomats rather than the declaration of war itself.
“The yellow-faced inferior race, the mongrel dregs who are embarrassing to even call human, unleashed dogs on our embassy and insultingly drove out the diplomats. Can a nation created by these savages who don’t even know the courtesy between countries be considered a proper nation?”
Korea responded to Germany’s reaction as follows.
“The white-faced Germanic pigs always bring up race. If the Germanic people are such a superior race, how do you explain the primitiveness of not being able to create a unified nation until modern times? Great Asia had unified nations existing since before Christ.”
On newspaper pages and radio broadcasts, both sides poured out sharp criticisms against each other.
To be honest, the stories coming out weren’t very pleasant.
Thanks to that, the Korean people were also greatly provoked.
“Let’s retaliate against the Germans!”
“Germanic bastards, trample France!”
Now, arguments were raised to dispatch troops to Southeast Asia and overthrow the French Indochina government, Germany’s puppet.
Honestly, I was expecting it.
If such claims didn’t emerge, it wouldn’t be the “Korean Empire.”
“France is currently a neutral country, so attacking them...”
France was occupied by the Axis powers, but since they signed an official “armistice” with Germany, they had legally returned to neutral status.
So the talk of attacking France made no sense under international law.
“Tell them to stop spouting nonsense.”
Even if the German navy established a base in French Indochina, there was no possibility of it becoming a threat to us.
The moment they showed such actions, the proud Korean Empire’s combined fleet would turn it into a sea of fire.
I ordered the DSC to conduct a massive censorship again.
“Lee. From now on, I don’t want to see even the letter ‘I’ of Indochina in the newspapers.”
“I shall obey, Your Excellency.”
Defense Security Commander, General Lee Jeong-ju did his job thoroughly.
Starting the next day, articles about Indochina disappeared like magic.
Then, the Naval Ministry expressed their dissatisfaction to me.
“Prime Minister. I didn’t want to say this, but I have to say a word.”
“Please speak comfortably, senior.”
“Our navy is trying to promote an Indochina expedition to show our raison d’etre, so why do you keep blocking the articles?”
After I managed to get the Junkers quiet, the Navy wants to stir up some shit?
The people of the Korean Empire are truly built differently.
Ah...Perhaps I am the crazy one for trying to make this Empire into a normal nation.
“Senior, that’s illegal under international law. It makes no sense to wage war against France.”
“Ah, who doesn’t know that? Let’s just sign a stationing agreement.”
Ah, you bastard.
In the eyes of the US and UK, that’s all the same.
He’s trying to slyly commit the same shit that Imperial Japan did in the original history.
“Absolutely not.”
“Even if the navy’s general will is in Indochina?”
No choice.
Even if you try to treat people nicely, if they keep crawling up, you have no choice but to put aside courtesy.
“Senior, who is the commander-in-chief of this country’s military?”
“Well, it’s you.”
“Who is the head of this country’s cabinet?”
“You.”
Navy Minister Won Young-guk’s expression darkened a bit.
He seemed to understand what I was trying to say.
“Senior, do you see me as a figurehead?”
“Ah, no. Prime Minister Lee, that’s a misunderstanding.”
The Navy Minister’s voice gradually lowered.
“Senior, I am not a pushover like Roh Jae-Woo. I am the one with real power. But you keep trying to go against my will, citing the navy’s position.”
“Prime Minister Lee...No, it’s a misunderstanding.”
“I will clearly state this here, I make the political judgments. The military should just obey the orders given. Do you understand? If you don’t like it, please think about the Mubans for a moment.”
“I, I will do so.”
The navy’s tantrum seemed to be easily suppressed like this.
However, things did not get resolved so smoothly.
“Wall posters?”
“Yes, Prime Minister.”
Wall posters that seemed like something from the Joseon Dynasty appeared.
When Navy Ministry officials went to work in the morning, they found that the walls of the Navy Ministry building were covered with posters arguing for the necessity of an Indochina expedition.
I was resentful that these bastards were rebelling to this extent.
“I want to know whose idiot believes this was a good idea. Get them and start stuffing some bean rice down their throats.”
I immediately ordered strong measures.
I showed them that if they went against me, they’ll taste bitterness, but it seemed insufficient to suppress the reckless instincts of men with a militaristic mindset.
Then I’ll have to keep teaching them.
As a result of the investigation, six naval officers were disciplined on charges of posting wall posters and instigating the military.
All of them were dishonorably discharged.
Only then did the navy quiet down.
This is why power is good.
You can just suppress them.
However, Germany did not stay still.
“The Hanoi route?”
Director of Central Intelligence Lee Gyeong-ho reported information obtained through a secret route.
“The Germans must have pressured France, as they are supplying materials to China through northern Vietnam.”
Damn, these bastards are really performing rituals to attack Indochina.
The back of my head throbbed.
If we dispatch troops to Indochina to crush these guys, we’ll draw aggro from the US and UK.
But if we leave them alone, they’ll keep supplying military supplies to China.
Because we don’t like that, we mobilize the navy to blockade all of French Indochina?
It’s not effective and costs a huge amount.
The cost of floating warships on the sea is no small change.
I really had no choice but shitty options.
If Hitler did this knowingly, that bastard is a genius, and if he did it unknowingly, he’s a really lucky idiot.
“Your Excellency. I’ve kept my mouth shut, but this information will soon spread within the military.”
I know.
The fact that secrets are never kept forever.
What kind of disaster will occur if the hardliners in the military find out that Germany supplied materials to China through Hanoi?
Voices calling for an immediate expedition will engulf the military.
If it comes to that, I won’t have any way to handle it either.
Before it gets to that point, I need to come up with a way to avoid this shitty choice.
The problem here would be the US and UK’s reactions.
If that’s resolved, there’ll be no problem whether we stir-fry or boil Indochina.
“Alright for now. You may go.”
I needed a special change in thinking.
Like Columbus’ egg.
Then suddenly a thought flashed through my mind.
If we dispatch alone, we’ll draw aggro, but if we dispatch jointly, wouldn’t there be no problem?
The fact that the US and UK are not participating countries was not a problem at all.
In this era, there was a good way to intervene called volunteer forces.
Even in the original history, the US showed the appearance of intervening in the Second Sino-Japanese War not directly, but by sending the Flying Tigers under Claire Chennault.
When the volunteer forces come in, we can share the plan for the stationing and military administration of the Korean troops, showing that Pyongyang has no intention of permanently solidifying its power.
I don’t want colonies anyway, and I have no intention of expanding.
Come to think of it, the guy who sent the Flying Tigers was Roosevelt.
If it’s Roosevelt, an active interventionist, there’s a high possibility he’ll accept this proposal.
Rather than watching Korea “inevitably” occupy Indochina and expand its power, it would be attractive to come in and monitor, even if indirectly.
After a moment of thinking, I picked up the phone.
“Ministry of Foreign Affairs, please.”
In just one day, US Ambassador Joseph Clark Grew came with a letter from the US President.
Roosevelt’s response was too quick to even call swift.
As expected, they were watching us too.
I got the impression that if we had gone to Indochina without a plan, we would have been hit with some measure by the wheelchair man.
“This is a letter from His Excellency the President, Prime Minister.”
The contents of Roosevelt’s letter did not deviate much from expectations.
But one thing somewhat exceeded expectations.
He’s going to send Joseph Stilwell as the commander of the Indochina Liberation Volunteer Forces?
That bastard is a racist.
I almost gasped at that name.
“Th, thank you for His Excellency the President’s favorable response.”
I barely managed my expression, while expressing my gratitude to the ambassador.
As soon as the ambassador left, I popped open a cola first.
“Out of all the people, why Stilwell......?”
I was really suffocating.
Stilwell, that name was one of the names I really didn’t want to hear.
In the original history, Stilwell was appointed as the ‘chief of staff’ of the Allied forces on the China front and caused all sorts of trouble with Chiang Kai-shek.
How much bullying did Chiang endure that he lashed out at the White House, telling them to take back all the supplies they gave if they weren’t going to cut that bastard?
On top of such bullying, Stilwell was a person who even tried to stage a coup against Chiang if things went wrong.
If such a person becomes the commander of the volunteer forces, it was obvious that I wouldn’t have any hair left on my head.
If you’re going to send him, send him to Chiang instead.
I agonized for a long time but concluded that this was the one thing I absolutely couldn’t avoid.
Yeah, in the end, it was my fault.
I was the one who made Germany declare war.
“Your Excellency. Shall I light one for you?”
Jong-gil asked tactfully.
“Sigh...Do it, I’ll need to smoke one more today.”
I quietly held out a cigar.
Footnotes
1. The Kriegsmarine was the navy of Nazi Germany from 1935 to 1945. It superseded the Imperial German Navy of the German Empire and the inter-war Reichsmarine of the Weimar Republic.
