SWNOVELXO Chapter 45
* * *
Well, now the Makhno issue has come up.
“Is there anything else that might become a problem at this point?”
“They say General Brusilov’s troops are having friction in Poland.”
“In Poland?”
Is there really a possibility of friction happening in Poland? Surely, Poland isn’t attacking Russia amidst all this chaos.
“It’s not a war yet, but it seems the Polish army is getting into trouble, trusting the Brits.”
“Poland, huh. Poland.”
As I tapped the table with my fingers, images of Poland came to mind.
Right after gaining independence, they’ve been poking around other countries.
A country that used to fervently buy weapons from Korea before a nuclear war, making it one of those Eastern European nations with the same painful history of alliances.
But straight after their independence, they became quite the nuisance with their aggressive expansionist moves.
Could it be that trouble has arisen from there?
It wouldn’t lead to war, would it?
“Surely, this isn’t leading to war.”
Right now, stirring up a war with the Brits again would be rather troubling.
If Britain really wanted to hold us down, they’d have intervened mid-civil war to have the Bolsheviks and anti-Bolsheviks tear each other apart.
“Yes. It’s not war. The British forces in Poland have apologized on their behalf.”
“They apologized for them?”
“It’s likely because of Germany. France and Britain are worn out right now. With the revolution in Germany, they want to maintain a friendly relationship with us to avoid surprises.”
In that case, does that mean Russia is experiencing a total resurgence?
If the Brits are apologizing, it means they don’t want to be hostile towards us. Wow! A weakened Russia is springing back after going through a civil war!
The snowball I rolled has became massive!
“Poland seems alright. But the problem is the Baltics.”
“The Baltics?”
“General Pavel Bermont’s White Army in Southern Russia wants to wage war against the Bolsheviks-absent Baltic States.”
Looks like he’s turned lucky and is getting antsy.
But no. At least until Russia recovers its former power, it should operate as a gentle state, quietly accruing benefits.
“What do the Duma members think about this? Personally, I believe that Baltic States were territories ceded under the Brest-Litovsk Treaty. It could become a problem with Britain. More than anything, when we were bashing the Bolsheviks, didn’t we recognize their independence to get British support?”
“Just like we consumed eastern Ukraine, shouldn’t we at least gain one of those three countries?”
Isn’t it rather enough to be happy just maintaining the land we hold after winning the civil war?
“Latvia and Lithuania are heavily influenced by the British. So, by location, Estonia seems like the best bet. Let’s suggest they join the United States. It’s just my opinion, so the Tsar can let the Prime Minister inform the Duma that he’s only against war.”
The current Russian Republic is surrounded by minor ethnic states that initially wanted independence.
One of the reasons they could unite is definitely thanks to the Bolsheviks.
Offering the carrot of expanded autonomy, the Bolsheviks ingrained the soon-to-be bug-like deeds they would perform while forming a common front against the Bolsheviks.
“I’ve heard General Bermont and the Estonian army have already fought. Will they follow our orders?”
“If they refuse, we can see how it goes then. There’s no need to make enemies with the Brits. It’s just to test the waters. Now’s not the time to go to war.”
We can’t force them if they refuse.
As I said, Russia must not become a rogue nation.
If Estonia rejects the proposal, it’s not like we’ll be at war with the Brits.
Even if the Turkey’s independence war brings a lot more to us, we must survive quietly until the Great Depression hits.
Indeed, if we ignore this and Russia looks down on us, we can handle it later.
Now’s the time to focus inward.
The Baltics could then be a point where we can draw a line effectively.
The ultimate problem lies in Manchuria, doesn’t it? Everything has been decided at this point, yet there’s been no word from the Japanese side.
“Yes.”
“What’s the situation regarding the division of Manchuria?”
Here we’ve already captured Northern Manchuria, but Southern Manchuria is a different story.
Japan said they’d handle the Southern Manchuria issue, so I was thinking of letting it slide. But at this rate, all the warlords that should originally exist are disappearing.
“I hear the Japanese army has recently entered Southern Manchuria.”
As expected, they don’t let us down.
It’s tough dealing with us, but they confidently handle China—strong against the weak!
“So it’s the Japanese army. They’re still engaging in those rogue tactics without disappointing us. What’s their excuse?”
“Because Chinese bandits keep crossing the Amnok River.”
All because of a few Chinese bandits, they take over Southern Manchuria.
Truly, these drugged-up imperialists!
Unless they believe that we’ll connect with them if China goes off the rails.
“For that surface-level excuse, they take Southern Manchuria. How very Japanese of them. But that seems like a problem in many ways.”
“They seem to have learned about the right of self-determination that Her Highness advocated.”
What?
“The right of self-determination?”
I did advocate something akin to self-determination.
I mentioned that ethnic minorities in Russia should have their own countries, just as we respect the ethnic minorities present in Russia, and that all of them should exist within the Russian Republic.
Expanding the autonomy of minorities while implementing reform plans and all that.
In other words, I argued that ethnic minorities should have a territory where they are respected and can live. While doing that, I drew the minorities into the White Army.
Yeah. Let’s set this aside for now.
Could it be that they are using this as a justification?
The Asian Cavalry Division that captured Northern Manchuria is like a group of soldiers under Ungern that were integrated later into the White Army.
But Southern Manchuria doesn’t work that way.
Especially since Japan hasn’t even cut ties with the Kanto Earthquake.
That’s gonna blow up next year.
“The surface justification of the Japs is that Southern Manchuria is Japan’s territory because it has Korean residents.”
“Oh.”
Impressive. Did they learn that from me?
They must’ve been eager to devour Southern Manchuria.
They probably returned Qingdao at the Washington Conference, so they’re certainly hungry for whatever they can get.
It’s still bizarre to warn Japan, but for now, Russia should maintain that Southern Manchuria is Chinese territory, even if it means risking a dispute with Japan.
Rather than that, let’s turn a blind eye to Southern Manchuria as originally agreed.
Also, given the current situation, Japan has raised bizarre arguments for self-determination.
Since Koreans are living there, Southern Manchuria is Korean land, and since Koreans are subjects of Japan, therefore Southern Manchuria is Japanese territory.
If China recognizes that logic, later on, when we use this twisted notion of self-determination to incorporate Southern Manchuria and grant independence to Korea, China won’t be able to say a word.
Everything is going smoothly according to my original plan.
It’s like getting a nose pick without using a hand.
It’s not because I’m Korean that I want to grant Southern Manchuria.
Korea’s position is perfect for keeping Japan, which might sway under U.S. influence, in check.
Who knows whether Korea will end up as a pro-Russian or pro-American country, but if Japan falls to America like in real history, I think Korea should become the balance in Northeast Asia.
To do that, a certain status is necessary.
* * *
China unexpectedly lost Southern Manchuria.
It’s initially a warlord territory, and before the Northern Expedition, we can’t entirely regard it as the territory of the Republic of China.
Still, it could be claimed as China’s territory.
Admittedly, it’s in the territory of that bandit Zhang Zuolin, but it can be said to legitimately belong to China.
Yet suddenly, they got blindsided.
Northern Manchuria was taken by Russia.
Southern Manchuria was taken by Japan.
The Beiyang government immediately dispatched Wang Jingwei as an envoy to Japan.
“How can this happen? Manchuria is part of our Republic of China!”
“Um, that’s a bit of a stretch.”
However, despite Wang Jingwei’s anger, the Japanese Empire’s Uchida Kōsai looked incredibly calm and composed.
He projected the demeanor of a person who had already set forth all justifications and was not about to lose in a debate.
Wang Jingwei sensed something amiss.
“What do you mean?”
“Claiming Manchuria is the territory of the Republic of China, when in essence, isn’t it the land of the Manchus? How can the Han people’s state Republic of China, which overthrew the Qing, claim the land of the Manchus as its own?”
“Overthrowing the Qing Empire.”
The Republic established by the Han Chinese has no claim to the territory of the Qing, right?
The Japanese side didn’t have the slightest understanding or intention to understand.
“What are you saying?”
“I understand that many Han Chinese from Southern Manchuria crossed over the Great Wall after Russia took Northern Manchuria.”
The Han Chinese of Northeast Sichuan, who had already experienced Russia’s southward movement, were forced to flee either voluntarily or involuntarily.
Now, those remaining in Northern Manchuria were mostly Manchus who found it acceptable to live as Russians and some Han.
Moreover, the Japanese army had recently been frequently crossing into Manchuria, so the warlords had merely pulled back. What point are we trying to make with this?
“What do you want to say?”
“There’s a notion called self-determination. Every nation has the right to determine its own destiny—”
“I understand what you’re saying. So, get to the point, what’s Japan asking?”
How about that? These Chinese just never listen till the end.
Self-determination.
Every nation has the right to determine its own fate. On the surface, it sounds good in terms of advocating the independence of oppressed minority groups.
But at its core, it is a dark assertion meant to force defeated countries from the World War to relinquish their colonies, while Japan, as the victor, never liberated the Korean Empire.
“Many Koreans are living in Southern Manchuria. Isn’t the ethnicity of that land important?”
“What nonsense.”
“Just as the land south of the Great Wall is Han territory, Southern Manchuria, where Koreans live, is naturally our Japanese territory.”
What kind of nonsensical logic is this?
“How can a land inhabited by Koreans be considered Japan’s? Wasn’t Korea supposed to be a colony of Japan? According to your logic, you should first liberate Korea!”
“Colonies, you say? The Korean Empire merged with Japan early on, thus Koreans became subjects of Japan, so Southern Manchuria, where Koreans live, must also be Japanese territory.”
Merger. Right. They argue well.
‘What madness is this!’
Right. What? Koreans were once part of Goguryeo’s territory! If they pushed this, Wang Jingwei could pretend to listen and say, “Oh yeah, it was your land,” and humor them.
But Japan doing this?
What kind of nonsense is this?
They seem to want to assert that, under the guise of a merger, Korea is not a colony. This is merely playful wordplay at best.
Weren’t the Koreans who ended up in Manchuria those fleeing colonial rule?
“What crazy logic is that?”
“Her Imperial Highness, Tsarina Anastasia, of the Hallowed Empire gave Japan valuable teachings.”
Oh, here we go again with Tsarina Anastasia.
I wonder what she’d say if she knew Anastasia was busy restoring Moscow and Petrograd. Even so, back then, Anastasia’s name had already crossed into China.
The Asian Cavalry Division under Semenov and Ungern spread rumors featuring her as the star—the White Khan of Mongolia.
The Russian Empire claimed to be the successor of the Mongol Empire and was openly applying pressure on Chinese warlords.
What does that imply?
It means they might be planning to swallow all of China, just as the Mongol Empire once devoured the Song Dynasty.
Now it seems that the Japanese Empire is adding a spoonful to the pie.
“We, Japan, have an obligation to protect the Koreans living in Manchuria from Chinese bandits.”
“Then what if we refuse to acknowledge it?”
If they refuse to acknowledge it, that’s the end of the story.
The smile creeping across Uchida Kōsai’s lips was magnificent.
“Then you will have to deal with both the Russian and Japanese Empires. Are you prepared for that?”
The sly and insidious smile characteristic of imperialist scum appeared on Uchida Kōsai’s face.
Little did Japan know that someday Southern Manchuria could become the land of Korea.
‘Wait, does this mean Japan and Russia forged an alliance?’
If that’s the case, the story aligns.
I heard that Russia lost a great deal of territory to Germany. Thus, targeting the easily obtainable Manchuria made sense.
Just as Japan’s wish to grab Southern Manchuria after forfeiting Qingdao at the Washington Conference. That must be the case.
Right now, both Russia and Japan are overtly aiming at China.
Yet, other powers remain unusually quiet.
Isn’t this indication that the major powers turned a blind eye?
Of course, to be more precise, the European powers are all wrapped up in internal issues due to the Ankara Treaty, preventing them from keeping an eye on Asia—which is indeed a problem. But that’s of no concern.
Ultimately, Wang Jingwei capitulated.
From Mongolia to Manchuria.
Wang Jingwei was fed up with both Japan and Russia.