I Will Stage A Coup D’état - Chapter 81



Only Krnovel

EP.81 Return of the Champion (1)

Italy’s sudden advance brought about an immediate crisis of war.

Even Berlin expressed its bewilderment at the unfolding events.

“No, what makes you believe that you’re messing with England now?”

Yeah, I trust you and I’m running.

Britain also did not remain silent in the face of Italy’s hardline stance.

“The Eastern Mediterranean is the lifeline of the British Empire. To refuse to guarantee safety in these waters is tantamount to inviting us to fight. Does Rome want to have a showdown with London?”

“If you don’t like it, don’t send supplies to Türkiye!”

Britain responded to Italy’s brinkmanship with its own brinkmanship.

“Try it anywhere. Just put one finger on our ship.”

There were things I had to give in to and things I wouldn’t.

Germany was getting anxious watching this chicken race.

“We can’t just leave those pasta guys alone. If we leave them alone, we’ll start another war with England.”

“Then, America will also move.”

Even Hitler thought that wasn’t right.

“Contact Rome. We will mediate, but do not go to extremes in the Turkish issue.”

Hitler’s contact actually had negative consequences.

“Look at this. The Germans won’t abandon us.”

Duche confidently shouted at his ministers.

After all, with Germany behind them, what reason does Italy have to back down?

That argument was persuasive.

Even though it was struggling in the Soviet Union, Germany was the leader in Europe.

With Germany backing them up, what could Britain be afraid of?

“If we go too hard, Britain will eventually back down!”

Mussolini tried to convince people that his great gamble would succeed, with a mixture of bluff and bravado.

‘If Germany really supports us to the end, wouldn’t Britain also back down?’

That judgment was a misjudgment.

British Foreign Secretary Churchill did not miss the excuse given by Italy and attacked it.

“The fascists promised to keep the peace treaty, but they did not keep their word. The dark shadow of the fascists on Western Europe still remains. The results of our past concessions have left such a bitter taste. Now Mussolini is standing with his boots on the British Empire’s seas, demanding that we step back. Should we make concessions to the fascists again today?”

It didn’t matter that the issue was triggered by a lease with Turkey.

It was because the Italians were wrong in trying to interfere with the Dardanelles-Bosphorus Strait, which was of great interest to Britain in the first place.

“If Chamberlain’s ‘peace for our time’ has ruined the free nations of Europe, the present deceptive peace is destroying us. Free people, do not allow the fascists to have their way. The British Empire is the rightful sovereign of the world, and is bound to defend freedom. Is it not time to face the fact that we must fight for ourselves and the world?”

Churchill’s speech was a literal declaration of war.

It was a challenge.

When Britain took an open stand and decided to fight, Mussolini was cornered.

‘Hey, aren’t those guys afraid of Germany?’

In an instant, the fascist Grand Council was turned upside down.

“Duce, are you really going to fight the British?”

“Is it true that Germany’s guarantee is certain?”

In the midst of this, the German government released a statement.

“Britain should remember the mercy shown to us by Germany in the last war and should not take a dangerous gamble. However, I warn the hawks in London that if they misjudge the situation, they will only repeat the memories of 1940.”

Germany could not abandon Italy in the end.

If Italy had shown itself to be cowering before Britain, Duchess’ already leaky power base could have collapsed.

Germany had calculated this and could not help but spout threatening rhetoric toward Britain.

“Look at this. Germany can’t abandon us!”

The threat of war from Germany saved Mussolini from the brink of collapse.

However, Berlin’s intervention added fuel to the war crisis.

Public opinion in Britain, which had already been gradually boiling over due to the pro-German hardliners, was shifting toward active interventionism.

“Honestly, there’s nothing we can’t do against Germany, right?”

“Now, let’s get revenge for what happened in 1940!”

Unlike ordinary nations, great powers valued honor, or prestige.

That is why the great powers found it extremely humiliating to bow down to the threats of other great powers.

The British Empire was a very proud country that had never once surrendered to another power since it became the number one power.

Even in the last war, it was Britain that withdrew with the formality of an ‘honorable peace’ to save its pride.

You threaten war against such a country and tell it to back down?

If we gave in here, it was not the British Empire.

Now that Germany had eliminated any chance of Britain backing down, London had no choice.

Anyway, this game wasn’t unfavorable to Britain.

The continent had a huge friend, the Soviet Union, fighting against the Nazis.

Didn’t the United States also promise support?

British Prime Minister Anthony Eden expressed his firm resolve.

“If you want a fight, the British Empire has no intention of backing down from a challenge.”

It was a virtual declaration of war against the Axis powers.

It was the moment when Britain, which had withdrawn from the battle line due to the peace treaty, jumped back into the ring.

*

“At 3pm on August 19th, London time, Britain declared war on Italy. Berlin is expected to respond within two hours.”

I was lost in thought after listening to the regular report from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

Britain goes to war again.

What does this mean?

‘Germany is under a death sentence.’

Britain’s importance in World War II is often overlooked, but in fact they played a very important role.

From the beginning to the end of the war, it was Britain that blockaded German U-boats and blocked Nazi trade.

It was also Britain that struck German factories and set up bases for anti-German guerrillas.

It was also Britain that stood in the way of anti-Nazi forces in Germany and influenced their coup.

The worst enemy whose very existence hinders German hegemony.

However, the prince of the sea can never be subdued by force.

That fearsome enemy was once again on the other side of Germany.

With such an enemy in the midst of fighting the massive military power that was the Soviet Union, the Nazis’ chances of victory were virtually lost.

The best exit strategy the Nazis could realistically hope for now was a negotiated end to the war.

But, neither the Soviet Union nor Britain would want such a story.

The Nazis are finished.

The only question is how many people will die in the process, but the picture of their doom does not change.

Well then, it is time for us to start taking steps with the end of the war in mind.

The alliance with the Soviet Union can be advanced depending on the situation.

‘I guess we should send a fleet to Europe.’

Britain, which was now facing the Nazi and Italian navies at the same time, would be short on even one ship, so helping them now would have given them a lot of credit.

Before I could direct the Admiralty to draw up plans for sending a fleet to the Mediterranean, the British Ambassador, Sir Robert Craig, requested an audience.

Britain had already asked me before the declaration of war if I could send a fleet to our side, and I gave them a positive answer.

This visit appeared to be an action to confirm that promise.

“Welcome, Ambassador.”

I offered Mr. Crazy a seat and reaffirmed Korea’s intention to cooperate in the Axis war.

“Thank you, Your Excellency. On behalf of the British Government, I express my deepest gratitude for the hospitality shown by Korea.”

“Instead, I have a few things to assure you.”

I sat down and demanded a commitment from the British government.

1. Do not raise an issue about Korea’s dispatch of troops to China and Indochina after the war.

2. Refrain from interfering in treaties between Korea and China.

3. Provide low-interest financial support for the Korean economy.

1 and 2 were actually parts that had been discussed in advance.

What I added was condition number 3.

Currently, Korea’s financial situation is not very good due to the aftereffects of the economy being in a long-term recession.

To resolve this, it was necessary to bring in large quantities of low-interest loans.

It would be most certain if the US did it, but since New York has no reason to do so, we have no choice but to procure it from London.

“I will contact my home country.”

The ambassador answered positively.

It was a natural course of action, since a few pennies wouldn’t matter in the fight against Dok-i right away.

We talked a little more about cooperation and then shook hands.

“We may not be formally allied, but we are now friends with a common enemy. Don’t you think so?”

“Yes, Your Majesty. I am sure the Prime Minister of our country will be very pleased to have such a strong friend.”

Yeah, that’s right.

Anyway, those Italian pasta guys are now dead.

As soon as the war started, the world’s second-ranked (Britain was pushed back by the United States) and third-ranked navies joined hands to attack the world’s fifth-ranked naval power.

Does this even have a quality?

Anyway, because of Italy, the calculator got a bit complicated.

Because the Nazis were once again being beaten on two fronts, with the Soviets shedding less blood than expected.

Is this picture, this composition, really okay?

Isn’t this the angle where the communists are rising too high?

Well, that was a bit difficult in its own way.

No, is that necessarily a bad thing?

As the Soviet Union became a threatening force to the West, the West had no choice but to be conciliatory toward Korea.

It was an equivalent trade-off between the threat of the Soviet Union and the friendliness of the West, but everything in life had its pros and cons.

‘I guess I’ll have to think about it.’

I decided to go back to square one and turn the calculator around.