I'm playing whack-a-mole in Siberia

Chapter 920 Greedy
Britain has completely lost power in Europe and can move its capital to Canada.

Where in France should they move to?

The situation in Europe is now very clear: Russia is the sole superpower. Unless De Gaulle is insane, he would never follow the British down this path.

Russia's allies, whether it be the Kingdom of Yugoslavia or Australia, have integrated into Russia's economic system, found their place, and are thriving.

When Australia was part of the Commonwealth, it was forced to accept unequal trade with Britain and endure British exploitation, but it did not receive the status it deserved and could not even receive pensions.

Within Russia's economic system, although Australia is also a source of raw materials and a dumping ground for goods, it has obtained the security it has always dreamed of. By joining forces with the Grand Duchy of Yuriev, it at least does not have to worry about foreign invasion.

Look at Poland.

Let's look at maintaining France.

Being Britain's enemy is dangerous.

Being an ally of Britain, however, is fatal.

Britain will not hesitate to abandon its allies if it faces danger.

Despite Carol's numerous misdeeds before the outbreak of World War II, Russia did not abandon Romania. When Romania was attacked by German forces, Russia did not hesitate to send reinforcements to Romania.

The contradictions in Europe over the past centuries are inextricably linked to Britain's continental balance policy.

De Gaulle was eager to see if Europe would still have so many troubles without Britain as a troublemaker.

Georges readily accepted de Gaulle's defection.

Although the Gauls were often abstract, they were still better than the schizophrenic Anglo-Saxons.

George wanted to establish a new order in Eurasia, one without colonization, oppression, instigation, or power struggles. Even without the ambition to conquer the stars, he could live undisturbed and enjoy his own little joys.

Everyone has his own ambitions.

George lacked the ability to inspire everyone to have lofty ideals.

However, we should strive to create a space where those with lofty ideals can realize their dreams.

The first step should be to eliminate the contradictions in Europe.

Crown Prince Wilhelm, as head of the German delegation, arrived in Constantinople following Franklin D. Roosevelt and Winston Churchill.

George did not imprison the German delegation, but hosted a banquet for Crown Prince William at Yuriev Palace.

The other guest was Charles de Gaulle.

Crown Prince William was caught off guard by the unexpected encounter with de Gaulle at Yurief Palace and was momentarily at a loss for words.

Just a few days ago, Germany and France were locked in a life-or-death struggle.

Should we have a fight to warm up before eating?

"Welcome to Yuriev Palace—"

George did not expect Crown Prince William and de Gaulle to reconcile and forget their past grievances.

Germany won its founding war by stepping over the corpses of France in the Franco-Prussian War. Both sides lost millions of lives in the two world wars, so it was impossible to let bygones be bygones.

It was precisely because of the two world wars that the French and Germans fully realized the brutality of war.

Will we fight again in the future?

"General, it's a pleasure to meet you—"

Crown Prince William greeted de Gaulle.

"Good day, Your Highness."

Although de Gaulle was stiff, he at least responded.

"Gentlemen, it's time to say goodbye to the past and look to the future to usher in a new era."

George believed that neither Crown Prince William nor de Gaulle were crazy, and that as long as the conflict between Germany and France could be resolved, the shadow of war hanging over Europe would disappear.

Germany and France each have their own problems and their own advantages, and they can coexist peacefully without any irreconcilable contradictions.

If Germany had simply stopped there after partitioning Poland with Russia, World War II would never have broken out.

France, while not completely backing down, has certainly given up any ambition to dominate the world. After the referendums in its overseas colonies, Germany and France are now on equal footing, competing in the market based on their own abilities. If they want to engage in unfair competition again, they'll have to see if Russia agrees.

Crown Prince William proactively extended a gesture of goodwill by deciding to undertake a major military downsizing, retaining only 10 police officers nationwide, entrusting defense to Russia, and inviting Russia to station troops in Germany.

Crown Prince William's model is the same as that of the Kingdom of Romania.

Carol succeeded in the coup with the support of the Romanian military, seizing the throne from her son.

Princess Helen and the Mikhail family, an orphan and widow, could have been overthrown in no time without Russia's support.

Princess Helen was very clever. She decided to live permanently in Constantinople with Michael, ruling the throne remotely, and entrusting the security of Romania entirely to Russia.

During Caroline's era, paranoia led him to invest heavily in defense in the name of national security. However, this not only failed to guarantee Romania's national security but also fostered a powerful group of warlords who posed a real threat to Romania's security.

Military spending during Carol's era accounted for approximately 40% of the total expenditure of the Kingdom of Romania.

Even if this money is given to Russia, Helen and her child will still receive Russian protection.

If anyone dares to invade Romania, Russia will send troops to protect Romania in order to cover its annual military spending. The logic is perfectly closed.

The same goes for Germany.

The two world wars made Crown Prince Wilhelm truly realize Germany's position and that it did not have the strength to dominate Europe.

If George can deliver on his promise and allow German products to enter the Russian system, this is the survival space that Germany has been dreaming of.

After World War I, German industry was almost entirely divided up by Britain, France, the United States, and Russia.

The Germans rose again in just 20 years.

After Adolf came to power, Germany not only produced the most advanced aircraft in Europe in just a few years, but also its armored forces swept across Western Europe unchallenged, once again demonstrating its strong technological strength.

Compared to Britain, France, and the United States, Germany has a clear advantage in many basic fields. In a level playing field, even if Krupp cannot beat Amur Steel, it can still beat U.S. Steel.

Prince William didn't even consider those little karaomis from Britain and France a threat.

"France will dismantle the Maginot Line, fully embrace peace, and maintain only the bare minimum of military strength."

De Gaulle was forced to respond that if Germany were to truly extend the Krupp model nationwide, then France would also have to follow Russia and Germany in establishing a welfare system.

Marx and Engels were both Germans.

Why did the ideas of the Communist International originate in Germany?
While French workers frequently went on strike, Krupp, as a leading German industrial company, almost never experienced worker strikes, which is directly related to the welfare system established by Krupp.

The Comintern, which was regarded as a monstrous threat by Western capital, was very friendly to the lower classes. The reason why Germany was stigmatized by Britain and France for a long time was largely due to Germany's welfare system.

Although Germany was founded relatively recently, it has achieved many world firsts.

Germany not only pioneered a universal healthcare system, but also established the world's first pension system.

These two events occurred in 1883 and 1889, respectively.

Although Germany was not the first country to truly implement compulsory education, it was the first to truly put compulsory education into practice.

While British toddlers were still cleaning chimneys, German children were receiving their education in schools.

This is the reason for Germany's recent technological explosion.

"I plan to establish a collective security alliance in Constantinople and form an alliance army to be responsible for the security of Eurasia."

George incorporates Russia's military spending into the overall security framework of Eurasia.

Both France and Germany are planning major military reductions to save on military spending and focus on economic development in order to prepare for future international competition.

Russia will definitely need to reduce its military strength, but it must maintain a minimum level of troop strength.

Russia also needs to maintain its welfare system.

Therefore, Russia's military expenses need to be shared by countries under Russia's protection.

During both World Wars, Germany's military spending consistently exceeded 10% of its total budget, and after the outbreak of war, it soared to 80%.

George doesn't need much; just 5% of the total budget expenditure is enough for Russia to guarantee Germany's safety from invasion.

Crown Prince William readily agreed.

De Gaulle frowned.

Germany contributes 5%, how much does France contribute?

Even if they contribute 5%, the French parliament will definitely not agree, because the interests involved are too great, and many people in France rely on military spending for their livelihood.

Giving too little is also not acceptable.

Even without military conflict, Germany and France, these long-time rivals, will likely have many disagreements in the future.

If Russia sides with Germany when a conflict arises between Germany and France, France's interests will certainly suffer.

Georges was understanding of de Gaulle and allowed him to go back and discuss the matter first, as it couldn't be rushed.

Vasily was furious, believing that the French had no right to bargain.

Vichy France has not yet been defined.

De Gaulle's biggest worry now is that Vichy France will be labeled as an Axis power, which would be a huge problem for France.

George's Collective Security Alliance is not the same as the international alliance designed by Franklin D. Roosevelt.

The League of Nations, designed by Franklin D. Roosevelt, was a replica of the League of Nations, a consultative mechanism.

George's collective security alliance is an economic and military community.

As expected, the Collective Security Alliance met with strong opposition from Churchill.

Franklin D. Roosevelt was also dissatisfied with the Collective Security Alliance, but not to an unacceptable degree. At worst, the United States could return to the Monroe Doctrine, and the Americas would remain America's backyard.

Once a collective security alliance is formed, Britain will be completely excluded from Europe.

"If the United Kingdom wishes, it may also join the Collective Security Alliance."

George was also envious of Britain's military spending.

(End of this chapter)