Nanyang Storm 1864

1918st January 7

The Republic of Odessa was officially established, with its capital in Odessa. The president of the republic was Count Hu Junchen, the retired commander of the Ninth Army. Its territory included four southern regions of Ukraine.

The Republic of Odessa advocates for a policy of openness, inclusiveness, peace, and justice, promoting the coexistence and prosperity of all ethnic groups and creating a happy and peaceful social environment.

In terms of military and diplomatic affairs, the country was protected by the Great Chu Empire and its interests were advocated, making it one of the de facto vassal states.

The fully equipped Ninth Army of the Great Chu Empire, now swelled to over 13 men, is stationed on the Moldovan border, 127 kilometers from Odessa, and is one of the most important military groups in the Balkans.

The expeditionary force's garrison in the Republic of Odessa remained in its original location, driving approximately 41 prisoners to cultivate land on a large scale, repair roads, bridges and houses, and build docks and factories. This arduous labor would continue until the end of the year.

By then, the post-war recovery and reconstruction had largely come to an end.

At the current rate of prisoner repatriation, it will take approximately 3 to 4 years to complete the process.

The situation in Germany and Austria-Hungary is not optimistic. Millions of German prisoners of war have been discharged from service and returned home, most of whom have become part of the unemployed population.

France seized Alsace and Lorraine, Germany's traditional heavy industrial regions, through a production halt treaty, causing hundreds of thousands of German industrial workers to lose their jobs and be forced to seek livelihoods in major cities such as Berlin, Frankfurt, and Hamburg, further exacerbating the wave of unemployment.

The dire situation in the country was quickly relayed to the Republic of Odessa through newspapers, radio, and other means.

So at the end of 1918
The expeditionary force consulted with Austro-Hungarian and German prisoners of war, and those who wished to remain in the local area were to be released immediately and allowed to work in the city or farm in the countryside, or to lease land from Chinese farmers.

Nearly two-thirds of the prisoners were willing to stay; none of them were stupid.

The Republic of Odessa and the Great Chu Empire have now recovered to their pre-war prosperity and stability, even surpassing their former glory. Numerous factories have sprung up like mushrooms after rain, and warehouses are overflowing with grain.

It's easy to find a job here, and there are plenty of pretty girls. Why go back and become part of the unemployed?

For people in this era, having enough to eat is the most important thing.

The Germans and Austro-Hungarians who remained were mostly settled in the Republic of Odessa, which made the country more ethnically diverse, as well as more open, inclusive, and international.

The entire year of 1918 was a year of recovery, a year of postwar reconstruction, and a year in which the situation in Eastern and Western Europe was re-enacted.

The Paris Peace Conference, which has attracted worldwide attention, is scheduled to be held in early 1919. The proposed dismemberment of the Ottoman Empire, the Austro-Hungarian Empire, and the re-establishment of Poland on the ruins of war will all be implemented at the Paris Peace Conference.

At that time, Europe will have a new look.

President Wilson, full of enthusiasm, sailed from New York to France with his 14-point peace proposal to attend this important international conference aimed at postwar reconstruction.

Chu Prime Minister Li Jingxi also traveled a long distance by boat to reach Yalta, a famous resort town in Crimea, on January 7, 1919. There, he met with a group of high-ranking officials of the expeditionary force and held several important meetings, listening to reports on the situation in Europe.

In private
Prime Minister Lord Lee Kyung Hee met with Prince Chu-Jung Hui and discussed many important issues.

"Zhongxian, I heard that US President Wilson brought 14 peace proposals to the meeting this time, preparing to make a name for himself on the world diplomatic stage. Does the Empire not have a specific draft?"

"Your Highness, the Americans are being too naive. Europe is, after all, dominated by Britain and France, and this格局 (structure/structure) will not change in the present and for the next few decades. No matter how good the Americans' proposals are, they will not be approved by Britain and France, much less cause any disturbance."

"Oh, the United States contributed a lot to the war and sent a lot of troops to participate in the war on the Western Front."

"Hmm, everyone knows that. The Americans want to take advantage of the situation at the end of the war. The deep wounds that this war left on the hearts of great powers like Britain and France will not be used by the Americans to do favors."

"It seems that Zhongxian has already received the news."

"That's right. French Prime Minister Clemenceau and British Prime Minister George have both privately spoken with the Empire and reached a consensus that they will not give the Americans a stage to perform."

"It seems that President Wilson of the United States will leave disappointed; this was an unsuccessful performance."

"Indeed, don't advise others to be kind if you haven't experienced their suffering! The blood feud between the British and French and the Germans is deeply engraved in the national memory. How can they be forgotten with a smile? So the moral blackmail from the Americans is useless. I heard that the French war reparations have reached more than 350 billion German marks."

"So much money? How is that possible?"

"Yes, the Empire also thinks it's too far-fetched. On this point, the British and the Empire are largely in agreement. We can't completely divide the Germans, but we also can't condemn them outright. A France that dominates after the war would be detrimental to the balance of power in Europe."

"The French probably won't agree, will they?"

"This is one of the biggest challenges of the Paris Peace Conference. British Prime Minister George's intention is to put pressure on the French together with the Empire. In return, he will support the Empire's demands for the vast majority of the postwar division of interests, provided that the known parts are supported."

"Hehehe, I've dealt with that old bastard George a few times. He's definitely a cunning old fox in politics, more shrewd than anyone else. French Prime Minister Clemenceau's attempt to severely punish and thoroughly settle scores with Germany is probably going to be difficult to achieve."

"Your Highness is absolutely right. The European countries and the Empire are largely in agreement that there should be room for maneuver in the postwar reckoning with Germany. After all, France's dominance is not conducive to the postwar balance of power in Europe. The Russian civil war has reached such a point that it is unlikely to end anytime soon."

"By the way, Zhongxian, what is Father Emperor's attitude towards the Russian Civil War?"

"I anticipated that Your Highness would ask this question. When I was attacking the Emperor, I specifically consulted him. His Majesty said: 'The vast Russian Empire is like a centipede, dead but not stiff. The Empire's main policy is to maintain a consistent attitude with its European allies politically, strengthen defense and deterrence militarily, and only observe without speaking or doing anything in action. However, it can strengthen interaction in the economic sphere.'"

"I understand now. Father Emperor is truly farsighted and wise, leaving room for maneuver in both advancing and retreating."

"Having a wise and benevolent ruler to govern the country is truly a great blessing for the hundreds of millions of subjects of the empire. By the way, Your Highness, what is the situation on the eastern front in Europe?"

"Hehe, if you ask me, it's just that war is raging everywhere, one wave after another!" Prince Chu-Zhenghui of Thrace shook his head with a wry smile, and before Prime Minister Lord Li Jingxi could ask further, he slowly revealed the reason.

Ukraine is now a land of many warring factions, and the new Tsarist government is too preoccupied with fighting the White Army to attend to other matters.

Due to severe food shortages, the rapidly expanding army of the new Tsarist government fought on empty stomachs against the frenzied White Army, resulting in a chaotic battle that stretched from the European part to Greater Siberia.

The saying goes, "One wave subsides, another rises." It's clear that Poland, with the support of Britain, France, and other countries, will establish a new Second Polish Republic at the Paris Peace Conference.

Poland has had a really tough time.

From the second half of the 18th century onwards, Poland's national power declined, and it was partitioned three times by its three powerful neighbors—Russia, Prussia, and Austria—in 1772, 1793, and 1795, eventually disappearing from the map.

After a long period of foreign rule, the Polish nation was finally able to rebuild its country after the collapse of the German Empire, the Austro-Hungarian Empire, and the Russian Empire, thanks to the considerations of the world's great powers.

Polish leader Józef Piłsudski is currently in Warsaw, where he has gathered leaders of the Polish Reconstruction Movement to formulate an ambitious "Greater Poland" plan.

Well known
Before the European war, Poland had disappeared into the annals of history, its territory occupied by Germany, Russia, and the Ottoman Empire, making the demarcation of its borders a major point of contention.

According to the currently unreleased draft demarcation plan, it mainly consists of three parts.

Firstly, the core territory of the former Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth will be used as a reference to delineate the area, which includes the central and eastern regions of Poland in later generations, covering an area of ​​approximately 20 square kilometers.

Secondly, the territory acquired from defeated Germany, including West Prussia, the province of Posen, and Upper Silesia, totaling approximately 10 square kilometers.

Third, there are peripheral regions that can be annexed, such as the Gomansa Republic (i.e., western Ukraine) and the Lanco Republic, which together cover an area of ​​about 1 square kilometers.

In other words, the Poland that will soon be established will have a total area of ​​approximately 31 square kilometers, which is about 70% smaller than its territory at its most glorious period in history.

This is quite impressive; with 31 square kilometers of territory, it ranks among the top five in Europe, roughly equivalent to the total area of ​​the three main islands of the United Kingdom.

However, human desires are boundless. Polish leader Piłsudski has recently visited Poland six or seven times, hoping that the Great Chu Empire's expeditionary force can transfer the captured German and Austro-Hungarian equipment to Poland, and provide some ammunition and food.

Piłsudski's eyes were fixed on the 115 million square kilometers of land in the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth at its most glorious period, which included vast areas of Belarus, the Baltic coast, and the heart of Ukraine.

Given the unprecedented bloodshed of the current civil war in Tsarist Russia, the new Tsarist government is at its lowest point and has extremely weak control over the land in western Ukraine.

This greatly fueled the ambitions of people like Piłsudski, who are currently frantically mobilizing the Polish people, expanding their army, and striving to gain the support of Britain, France, France, and the United States.

For overall considerations
Prince Chu-Zheng Hui allocated him enough weapons and equipment to equip an army of 4, mostly of poor quality former Russian equipment. He also provided 20 Mauser rifles from the German army, with 20 rounds of ammunition per rifle.

That's all there is; you have to spend money to buy it. There isn't even a pound of grain available.

After all, the Great Chu Empire's expeditionary force wasn't a charity. If they wanted supplies, they had to pay for them. Free gifts were only given up so far, and they were sent away disappointed.

The Great Chu Empire's expeditionary force's armories were packed full, with nearly 80% of the weapons and equipment captured on the eastern front being enough to arm millions of troops.

The remaining 20% ​​mostly ended up in the hands of civilians or the White Army.

If you want a large amount of weapons and equipment, you can go to the Great Chu Empire Expeditionary Force. They have as many as you want, not only in terms of variety but also in terms of quantity.

The problem is, you can't just get something for free.

So much weaponry and equipment doesn't just fall from the sky. Our brothers worked hard and took risks to win this war, so we should at least make some money.

The best German weapons and equipment, enough to equip an army of 120 million, were never sold to foreign countries.

Those were all Mauser 98 rifles, along with a large number of Bergman MP18 submachine guns, Mg08 to 15 heavy machine guns, Madsen light machine guns, Luger P08 pistols, and various caliber Wilhelm cannons. They were all carefully cleaned and oiled before being stored in the warehouse as strategic reserves for the European region, and were not to be used under normal circumstances.

As for the other equipment, they can all be sold.

Both the White Army and the new Tsarist government, currently engaged in civil war, spent real money to purchase weapons and equipment through various channels, and then threw themselves into the even more intense civil war.

The one secretly stirring things up was the Great Chu Empire's expeditionary force. They were willing to sell to anyone who paid them, whether it was real gold and silver, antiques, grain, or horses. The principle of doing business was to be honest and fair to everyone.

After listening to the analysis, Prime Minister Lee Kyung-hee's expression turned serious, and he asked earnestly, "So, Poland has been actively preparing for war with the new Tsarist Russian government, and it's about to break out soon. How confident are we of winning?"

“Absolutely, that’s what Piłsudski told me himself. And the Polish army has already occupied Lithuania and Latvia, and more than 13 troops are sweeping through Belarusian towns and heading towards Minsk,” Prince Chu-Zheng Hui replied confidently.

Sure enough, before Poland had even formally established itself as a nation, military action had already begun.

This eagerness to eat made Prince Chu-Zheng Hui look down on him, seeing him as a brainless fool with no eyes but profit.

As a supreme commander who once led an army of two to three million, Prince Chu-Zheng Hui is widely regarded by the world's warships as an outstanding military strategist and one of the best commanders, with extremely unique strategic vision.

Poland's strategic shortsightedness was utterly disregarded.

With the new Tsarist government locked in fierce fighting with the White Army, now is the perfect time to sit back and watch the show. Wouldn't it be best to seize this opportunity to strengthen itself, stabilize the country, and gradually develop its industrial and economic sectors?

Wouldn't it be the best strategy to deliver a fatal blow when Russia is weakened and exhausted by the civil war?
If they rush into the war now, even if they reach Moscow, in a time of national and state peril, the two sides in the civil war will stop fighting and unite against a common enemy.

In a sense, this saved the new Tsarist Russian government from being put on the hot seat.

Prime Minister Lee Kyung-hee highly agreed with Prince Chu-Zheng Hui's analysis, saying that the mindless actions of the Second Polish Republic were simply incomprehensible and showed a complete lack of common sense.

Can such a leader truly lead Poland to stability and strength?
The best option would be to wait a year or two until the Russian Civil War had determined the strength of the opposing forces, and then deliver a fatal blow at the opportune moment.

Poland was stronger at that time, while Tsarist Russia was weaker, giving Poland at least a 30% greater chance of winning in the end, which is quite significant in the context of great power rivalry.

However, Poland had already intervened, and it was too late to say anything. (End of Chapter)