SWNOVELXO Chapter 42
* * *
We need to consider the worst-case scenario.
“As you know, many armies turned their backs on my father during the revolution and latched onto the revolutionaries. If they decide to participate in this war, is there any chance that the armies under Anton Denikin will betray us?”
“The armies under General Anton Denikin are virtually the Tsar’s army from when Her Highness attacked Tsaritsyn. They witnessed the bravery of Her Highness on the battlefield that day; how could they possibly entertain different thoughts?”
Hmm. Still, there are many issues at hand.
Even if we can’t avoid all this, assuming we go on the offensive, then can Anton Denikin secure a victory?
“Can General Anton Denikin pull it off? Kamal is currently busy beating up the British and French, you know.”
“While I certainly do not deny that Kamal is a hero, that’s also partly due to the major powers not being able to exert themselves properly. Above all, General Anton Denikin is now loudly proclaiming that he wants to actively head to Anatolia.”
That’s true.
If the British and French make a serious effort, Atatürk won’t be able to hold out.
It’s not just those two; there’s Greece as well.
Of course, the mindset of an army fighting to defend its homeland differs from that of an invading army.
“Hmm.”
I pondered while tapping my fingers on the edge of the desk.
Yeah. Atatürk is currently tightening his belt and fighting tenaciously, unlike his historical counterpart.
If I were to deploy the Southern Army, it would definitely change the game.
No matter how good they fight, they can’t win without soldiers.
“Does Her Highness not seem pleased?”
Not at all.
She’s still too busy just maintaining her position as the Grand Duke of the Russian Army and hasn’t even ascended to the throne.
Semenov is suggesting to formally rise to the position of Khan in Mongolia. No matter how I look at it, that’s a bit… iffy.
We are currently too busy restoring the civil war; it’s definitely a bit of a gamble.
Right. If we’re going to gamble, shouldn’t we extract more?
“What if Anton Denikin fails?”
“In that case, we could treat Anton Denikin as a warlord acting independently and put all the blame on him. He’s already acting far too independently as it is. If he loses, it would be an option to pin the blame on him.”
I see. Is that why Baron Beria is willing to entertain such a double-edged proposal?
By dividing the military districts, it turns out only Anton Denikin’s army would be moving, so if anything goes wrong, we can just pass the buck to him.
I couldn’t help but laugh at the absurdity of it all.
“Let’s take the blame for his failure and watch that arrogant Anton Denikin fall. Whether he succeeds or fails, it doesn’t matter; Baron Beria has been guiding him that way.”
“That’s not exactly the case. But I’m just worried that he’s grown too powerful as a warlord.”
“That’s fine. It could happen. But I’m thinking we could extract a bit more this time. In the end, it’s the British and French who are in a hurry, right?”
Originally, such matters should be extracted when they can be.
How does an opportunity like this arise just when White Russia wins?
With various reforms being implemented, Russia is now seeing a glimmer of hope, and even the socialist members of the Duma seem to be showing interest.
If that’s the case, then we should push forward to claim our share.
“That’s right.”
“We should seize northern Ottoman territory. And since there are cities suffering from the civil war, we should demand financial reparations. In other words, we need to collect some money.”
That much is necessary to claim our heritage as descendants of Rome.
Did Pyotr Wrangel not think this far or was he just holding his breath?
“Will they accept that?”
“With Germany turning red, if we can handle the Ottomans, they’ll have no choice but to align with us. Of course, we need to negotiate within reasonable limits.”
Honestly, that’s just throwing something out there.
In situations like this, you need to present something substantial to receive adequate compensation during negotiations.
Otherwise, it’s simply a no-go.
Even if we get one of the two, that would be great.
In actual history, the Soviets were looked down upon as the ‘Reds’, but White Russia is different.
Even seizing the northern Ottomans to recover the old Roman territories wouldn’t be a bad idea. After all, Constantinople is already secured.
As the rightful heir of the Eastern Roman Empire and the protector of Orthodoxy, it’s time to claim what belongs to us.
Suddenly, it occurred to me.
If we recover Constantinople, can I not claim the title of Roman Emperor there?
That would be an achievement no Tsar of Russia has ever accomplished.
Anastasia’s status would surely soar to the heavens.
During the time of the Soviet Union, Russia gave up the claim of being the heirs of Rome.
But it’s different now.
The Russian Empire, as the rightful heir of Rome, might officially be recognized as the Russian Republic through the Duma, but the legacy of the empire remains.
We can indulge in some nationalistic pride.
Of course, restoring the fallen royal family would bring about immense prestige.
The issue is that all of this is only possible if this support is successful.
So, in a way, I should send someone to Atatürk as well.
If we can achieve victory without fighting, that would be splendid.
“Just throw out the idea for now. And let’s send someone to Turkey’s Grand National Assembly’s hero, Mustafa Kemal.”
“Will he accept the surrender?”
I don’t know. That’s just something we can throw out there.
But it’s not without possibilities.
Atatürk is probably feeling desperate right now.
Unlike in actual history, there’s no USSR, and he’s probably scraping by with supplies from Italy.
If the negotiating nations redirected their attention to tearing apart the Ottomans after Germany’s collapse, there might be just a bit of leeway.
In other words, Atatürk is facing a far harsher situation than in actual history.
Considering how difficult it is, it’s like the US military pulled out, confirming to the world that these guys are left with nothing but inflationary muscle. Of course, these muscles are now redirecting their plunder for the division of the Ottomans.
They would probably throw everything into the colonial army to preserve their pride.
Atatürk is human too.
What can he do without an army to fight?
“Getting involved in this war will complicate matters in many ways. Wouldn’t it be better if we could ensure our profits while avoiding battles?”
“That’s right.”
“If we end up unable to avoid combat and ruin this thing, do let General Anton Denikin know. He should enter Anatolia but refrain from attacking right away. If he doesn’t heed that and charges in failing, we can place the blame on him then.”
Either way, as long as there’s something left for us after negotiations, it’s better to take advantage without having to fight.
“What intention does the Tsarina have in mind?”
“I will go personally.”
“Will it be Her Highness herself?”
Why are you so surprised?
Could the already stretched-out, exhausted Turkish Army be worse than the Red Army?
“Yes. If the White Army of Southern Russia fought alongside me during the Tsaritsyn campaign, it wouldn’t be a bad idea for me to go myself.”
Now, with this, it looks somewhat weighty, right?
I would enter just as Anton Denikin’s army is set to make their move in Anatolia.
For me, it would just mean a quick trip to Southern Russia under the guise of soothing public sentiment and then back to Turkey.
Under normal circumstances, I would have felt a bit scared.
But with my current condition, I’m not afraid to step onto the battlefield.
Just then, a brilliant idea struck me and I snapped my fingers.
“And those weapons Germany is siphoning off. If they’re truly for attacking France, why can’t we just seize them? They originated from our land before heading abroad, so they’re ours, right?”
“That’s a clever idea.”
Are we going to start another war? To confiscate these items for our ally France!
It’s ridiculous.
Will the chaos-stricken Germany be able to contest this?
“Still, we don’t know how the public will accept it, so let’s phrase it this way. A military operation, not a war. We’re merely taking mercenaries while asking for compensation in exchange for Constantinople.”
I never thought I’d use that phrase in this place.
It doesn’t sound too bad, does it?
Just like that, Russia, which was hanging by a thread during a civil war, would rocket back up.
This is what alternative history looks like.
* * *
The negotiating nations that received Russia’s proposals were left dumbfounded.
They had rescued a dying nation; what on earth were they trying to accomplish?
Unlike actual history, France had not yet broken away from the Turkish War of Independence, and Britain, still thinking it might be viable, was equally bewildered.
“All of northern Ottoman territory? Huh. We saved a dying nation, and now you want this?”
However, the White Russians, with their experience from the civil war and long-standing familiarity with international relations, had points to make.
“Isn’t it too much to ask us, who just wrapped up a civil war, to send reinforcements? Didn’t the British and French support us in the civil war to prevent the rise of communism? In this civil war, we lost millions, and countless cities were devastated by the Bolsheviks. It follows that convincing the populace and supporting the White Army should come with adequate rewards.”
After thinking the war was over, now they were being told to send troops to Turkey again.
Of course, the morale of the White Army was through the roof, and with the pride of being a saint’s army, they could charge into Ankara in no time, yet shouldn’t they at least receive compensation?
“We can assist with funds, but hmmm.”
“While tearing apart the Ottomans does have its merits… hmm. What if we instead recognized the Pontus Republic of the Greek Pontians? After five years, Russia could take over through a vote.”
“If we do that, will you surely support us?”
“They say they will provide 200,000 troops from the Southern Caucasus military district.”
“Eastern Thrace is our share!”
The Greeks whined, claiming to be the heirs of the Eastern Romans, but that didn’t stand a chance.
From the moment they were thrashed by Kamal, there was no possibility to begin with.
“Can’t you see that right now, they won’t even let us grab the Ionian region or the Aegean Sea? You should have fought back!”
“Italy has retreated while providing material support to the Turkish Grand National Assembly. Russia’s assistance is desperately needed right now.”
With Italy withdrawing, it was only natural for Russia to claim that stake.
That was the straightforward view here.
The major powers’ deliberation didn’t take long.
With Italy pulling the rug from under them, Greece lacking any capacity for further advancement, and France needing to produce results to gain the populace’s favor amidst the internal commotion in Germany, Britain couldn’t afford to pour resources into Turkey either.
However, negotiating with the Grand Assembly, having firmly staked their claim for complete territorial integrity, left the great powers with only one option.
It would be wiser to take help from the White Army.
By this time, Kamal’s army from the Turkish Grand National Assembly was convinced that they could achieve independence, driving out Greek forces and other major powers throughout Turkey and raising their morale.
Could it be that god is helping them with the continuous miraculous victories?
Of course, the losses were primarily borne by the Grand Assembly. The damage to the Turkish people was greater than that suffered by the negotiating powers, but the difference between those wanting to protect their nation and the invaders, whose war fatigue had reached its limit, was clear.
It was only a matter of time. As this realization set in, Russia entered the fray.
In August 1922, Anton Denikin’s army was crossing over into Anatolia on the negotiating powers’ transport ship.
“Let us offer the Second Rome to the Tsarina! O White Army of Greater Russia, it’s a special military operation! As the successor of the Eastern Roman Empire, let us boldly tear apart the Turks!”
“““Hoorah!”””
The White Army of Southern Russia, led by Anton Denikin, charged in with fervor.
This army, departing for deployment in Anatolia, had fought alongside the Tsarina during the Battle of Tsaritsyn. They were the ones who directly witnessed Anastasia’s heroism.
These troops had no fear in searching for the Second Rome.
* * *