Joseon Needs a Coup - Chapter 406



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#Part 2 Episode 16. Responding to the Giant’s Notice (1)

“There were two reasons why the Russian army did not collapse. First, the Habsburgs’ forces were divided as Italy attacked the Isonzo, the edge of the empire. Second, some of the troops were tied down thanks to the pressure the Entente put on Romania to enter the war.”

“If it weren’t for that… … .”

“The observation post reports that the front may have been pushed back to Minsk and Kiev.”

Only sighs and groans coldly lingered here. The warm month of May had arrived, but the news I heard was as cold as the frozen earth of the permafrost.

The fact that the Russian army was able to abandon Galicia and retreat in a relatively orderly manner during the Gorlice-Tarnow Offensive was thanks to Italy’s participation in the war and pressure on Romania.

… Of course, one could criticize them for saying that they were relatively orderly in a situation where they lost 1 million, but on the other hand, this could also be seen as a very shocking story where even more damage could have occurred.

In any case, the Entente powers, fearing the collapse of the Eastern Front, issued an excessive number of empty promises, and made a barrage of requests to join the war, with the gist of it being recognition of Germany’s hegemony in the Balkans, and the Kingdom of Italy was also gripped by empirical fears about the Habsburgs.

‘In the original history, Italy would have entered the war because the Austro-Hungarian Empire was defeated at Przemysl.’

I thought to myself, and received information that Italy had declared war on the Central Powers, including Austria-Hungary.

The fear that if things continued as they were, the Habsburg yoke might once again be placed on them. The fear that they might once again lose the Kingdom of Lombardy-Venetia, which they had ceded to the Austro-Hungarian Empire when they gained independence, paralyzed their reason.

There was also considerable public opinion that the 1.2 million-strong Habsburg army that had destroyed the Russian army would unilaterally break the secret alliance with the Central Powers and retaliate against Italy, which was professing neutrality. In the end, it was decided that if they joined hands with the Entente Powers and quickly started a war to quickly strike at their weak backs, they would gain the upper hand in the long term, and as such, numerous Italian youths were being torn apart in the outskirts of the empire.

“… In the end, isn’t it that you can’t tell whose stakes will run out?”

“What is certain is that the Eastern Front is collapsing, and as a result, the burden on the Western Front is growing increasingly heavy.”

France held firm, but was overwhelmed by the numbers of German troops who had been turned back to the West from the Eastern Front. In a situation where the outcome of the war was uncertain until 1916, when the Allies were running out of supplies, the ultimatum that Russia issued could be said to have been issued out of genuine urgency.

“Ultimately, there is only one reason why Russia has come out like this. If the Eastern Front collapses now, the entire Entente could face defeat.”

“This is the reason why Russia is demanding the dispatch of troops even while selling Kwantung Province.”

“That means the situation is not good enough. It means that we must stabilize the front line even if it means risking a retreat from the entire Far East, including Kwantung Province.”

It is not for nothing that the outside world hesitates to intervene beyond a certain level and maintains a mechanical neutrality. Right now, the situation is like a sheet of thin ice, and it is not clear who will win. The outside world has also grasped the general outline of the war through each country’s diplomatic missions, and has also cross-checked the information received from us, so it is clear that they are terrified at the sight of the war currently unfolding in Europe.

I don’t know if you can call it a similar example, but if you think about asking Koreans in the 2020s about whether or not they would intervene if a cross-strait incident broke out between China and Taiwan, it might be quicker to understand. In other words, for the people of that time, this was an issue that they could not decide or conclude arbitrarily.

“Russia is being pushed back across all of Galicia and all the way to Poland, France is in ruins at home, and Britain is raising troops in the Commonwealth on a large scale, even while offering to give her greater autonomy. It is clear that the Entente is now in a great backslide.”

‘… In fact, even before the Lusitania incident and the Zimmermann Telegram incident, the United States had been considering its decision to join the war because it was concerned that the bonds it had worked so hard to buy would become worthless if the Entente Powers lost.’

Even the United States, which is a neutral country, a rising power, and has fairly good judgment, is doing this, so I don’t know if we could have done anything.

“Britain promised India self-government on the condition of her active cooperation in the war? To make such a proposal, despite the fact that it was the largest and most beautiful jewel in the British crown… .”

“There are already rebellions breaking out all over India, but there is a reason for demanding mass recruitment. These guys, they can never guarantee victory now.”

“Isn’t that the reason why Russia is trying to sell Kwantung Province to Japan? Since the negotiating countries themselves can’t guarantee victory, they are just going with whatever they have. That’s why they seem to be forcing this situation on us as well.”

“The point is this: it is honestly hard to predict who will win the Great War of the Saviors, and in that situation, Russia is putting pressure on us to join the Entente and participate in the war.”

It was a difficult situation to judge because it was to the point where such a story came out. In the midst of all this, Lee Gap Jeongryeong suddenly opened his mouth. Although there were harsh stares pouring down on him from those around him, I told him to continue talking.

“However, if we talk about it differently, we can also conclude that if we have time, the allies will also be in a bad situation. First of all, the allies have limited mobilization of supplies, and since the negotiating nation controls the sea, it seems difficult to hold out for long. The key issue will be whether the negotiating nation can hold out until the allies’ supplies are exhausted.”

His words were largely correct. The limitations of both the allies and the negotiating parties were all too clear.

“Then what is your point?”

“We must send troops as requested by Russia. We have no choice. The Minister of the Army, the directors and the chiefs here all know this. From the moment Russia sent this telegram, the entry into the war as an allied nation was forced.”

The spirit of Yi Gap hit the nail on the head like the tip of a cavalry sword. I closed my eyes and smiled faintly. Whoever won or lost was no longer important. However, if the Russian ultimatum was followed through and the defense of South Manchuria failed, the emperor would certainly mount the warhorse of public opinion and begin to dance with his sword toward the cabinet and the Marshal’s Office.

“The cabinet will have no choice right now. In the end, in order to take the remaining Hae-bin and Chang-chun from Russia, they will have no choice but to decide to send troops to the Eastern Front.”

As mentioned earlier, the Russian army had lost close to a million men, so they had to make a decision to retreat and retreat quite far into a defensive area. Of course, the battle was still fierce, but the situation was completely turned around as Grand Duke Nikolai Nikolayevich, the commander-in-chief of the Russian army, had virtually given up on defending Galicia.

The Russian army, shocked by the enormous loss of men and supplies, was busy gathering the troops they needed for the front line from all over the place. And in their eyes, our troops and supplies must have become something they absolutely had to use.

There were only three places where Russia could properly obtain weapons: the United States, Japan, and our own Korean Empire. And among them, only the Korean military operated equipment with the same specifications as theirs.

“I knew you were smart, but this time, your exaggeration is too much. Do we have to throw away the lives of our young people who are like a tantrum into that hellish battlefield?! The blood of the youth will surely flow like a river and continue to flow! Have we forgotten what total war was and what the price for it was in the last Far East War?!”

General Lee Gyu-tae, the chief of the Marshal’s Office, who was sitting in the center of the conference room, suddenly stood up from his seat and shouted. Lee Gap, the head of the General Staff, lowered his head, but continued to speak without changing his position.

“How could you, as the General, forget the horrors of the last war? All the men who could fight took up arms and went to the battlefield, and in the latter half of the war, even the women who were weaving and taking care of the household were conscripted to stop the brutal advance of the Japanese. However, the reality we are facing now may be even worse.”

“The Japanese will never let this happen.”

I hummed quietly. Then, as if responding, the spirit Lee Gap clapped his hands and opened his mouth while looking at me.

“It is as you said, sir. If we do not intervene, will the Japanese, who are already part of the negotiating party, just sit back and watch? They would rather have us not move this time. That way, they can mobilize their fleet to pressure the west coast area where we feel most threatened. Vice Admiral Lee Dong-hwi would know this best.”

“…yes.”

Vice Admiral Lee Dong-hwi, who was summoned to replace Admiral Jang Gi-ryeom, who had hurriedly gone down to Jinhae, lowered his head weakly and spoke.

“If we sit still, they will surely oppress us. If war breaks out, not only will the great Russian army and fleet no longer be there to save us, but this time it will be the British fleet in Hong Kong that will support the Japanese fleet.”

The crowd was in an uproar at his words. It was just as he said. Japan had been openly pressuring us to join the war, led by Britain, and every time we had been putting France first, we had been trying to cover it up by asking for more time.

But there was no longer any room for delay. Now even France would not stop their ally Britain unless we took full action. Moreover, the foundation of the Korean economy, which consisted of capital from France and the Russian market, which were the main constituents of the negotiating party, was now coming under pressure.

“Also, if we do not move despite this ultimatum, Russia will likely regard it as a serious betrayal. And you, we must consider one thing here. If we reject Russia’s demands, they will suffer a great blow, but before that, our country, Korea, may lose the guarantee of independence that we obtained through the Far East War.”

“The allies… … .”

“They can’t help us. How can they help us? If we don’t join the negotiating party, we will have enemies on all sides.”

The words of the spirit of Lee Gap were quite precise. The generals and directors who were about to harshly reprimand him had no choice but to calm their trembling hearts and drink the water in front of them in gulps or smoke cigarettes in response.

“… In the end, we can only conclude that we have no choice but to participate in the war. Chief of Operations, what we should be discussing now is not whether or not to participate in the war, but how we can ask for North Korea’s consideration until we are fully prepared.”

“But since there is no guarantee of security for South Manchuria, isn’t it not the case that we can withdraw a large army?”

Army Minister Min Yeong-hwan spoke cautiously.