Chapter 32: Munich Conference (2)

The Sudetenland issue reached its peak in September.On September 13th, there was an uprising by Germans in Sudetenland that was suppressed within a day.

There was even martial law, I heard.

While inspecting an army clothing factory, I received this report and thought, 'The inevitable has come.'

And the world will once again learn.

How untrustworthy the international arbiters, Britain and France, truly are.

Perhaps I should try to delay the outbreak of the World War while I'm at it.

After much deliberation, I requested a visit from the Polish Ambassador to Korea, Tadeusz Romer2.

The Polish Ambassador, knowing I was the de facto ruler of this country, did not refuse my request.

"Thank you for accepting my invitation, Ambassador."

I took a very friendly stance in welcoming the Polish Ambassador.

Not because Poland is the biggest customer of 21st-century South Korea's defense industry, but because this country deserves respect for its caliber.

Poland was a quasi-great power, ranking in the top 10 in terms of national power by this world's standards.

That's why they seized land from the Soviet Union and Lithuania right after independence, and even stood up to Germany.

"Thank you for your hospitality, Your Excellency."

After offering the Ambassador a seat, I got to the point.

There was no need to beat around the bush since this wasn't an official meeting anyway.

"Ambassador. I'll speak frankly given the nature of this meeting."

"Please do, Your Excellency. I'm all ears."

"Czechoslovakia will soon face the risk of national dissolution."

At those words, the Polish Ambassador's expression turned intrigued.

The misfortune of their nemesis Czechoslovakia is Poland's happiness.

Perhaps that's what he was thinking.

"Warsaw will see their crisis and think about recovering the Cieszyn region. However, you should know that Poland will be next."

Of course, the Poles aren't fools, so they probably already have what I'm saying in mind.

The West Prussia, Posen, and half of Silesia they occupied were ancestral lands that Germans yearned to recover.

In fact, these were lands they desired even more strongly than the Sudetenland, which the German Empire had never actually possessed.

The Ambassador also expressed agreement.

"Warsaw is also thinking that we might be targeted after Czechoslovakia."

"That's why you should side with Czechoslovakia during this crisis. That's the path to your country's security."

Of course, even as I said this, I thought there was no hope.

Poland was a country with territorial ambitions as strong as Germany's.

Even knowing they needed to join forces with neighbors to stand against Germany and the Soviet Union, they didn't hesitate to seize opportunities to carve up neighboring lands.

Such friends probably wouldn't take my advice seriously.

Nevertheless, hoping to delay the war even by a day, I continued this futile conversation.

"Your Excellency. The situation for Poland and Czechoslovakia is different. If France abandons Czechoslovakia, only Warsaw remains in Eastern Europe. In that case, they absolutely cannot abandon us."

So that was the situational awareness that allowed them to abandon Czechoslovakia.

"So Germany can't touch us. If they do, Berlin would have to fight on two fronts like in the last World War."

Right.

That's what they're thinking.

That's why they would have partitioned Czechoslovakia.

"Ambassador. You're forgetting one fact."

"What do you mean?"

"Doesn't Poland also have an enemy to the east?"

Reminding him of the Soviet Union's existence, the Ambassador flinched.

The communist empire in the east and the Polish Republic had fought a large-scale total war as soon as they were established in 1919.

Poland won that fight by decision and carved away significant portions of Ukraine and Belarus, so it wouldn't be strange for the Soviet Union to harbor revenge.

"But the Nazis have made anti-communism their national policy. Cooperation between them and the Soviets..."

The Ambassador seemed to realize something as he looked at me, stopping mid-sentence.

That's right.

A country that made anti-communism its national policy and joined the Anti-Comintern Pact had signed a non-aggression pact with the Soviets and gained their cooperation in dealing with China.

If such an absurd thing could happen, what law says Germany and the Soviets couldn't join hands to beat up Poland, with whom they both had "grudges"?

The Polish Ambassador finally seemed to properly grasp the situation.

He was at a loss for words for a moment.

Well, since he seems to understand, there's no need to wear out my mouth talking more.

I offered a handshake to the Ambassador.

"Ambassador, you must convey my advice to Warsaw."

"Thank you, Your Excellency. I've received valuable counsel."

Of course, the Ambassador being convinced doesn't mean Warsaw will be persuaded.

Regrettably, Warsaw's regime is also a military government that lives and dies by face.

Would those fellows easily pass up a "chance to recover ancestral lands" that could boost their popularity?

It was a genuine thought.

On September 15, 1938, British Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain3 visited Munich.

Word was that Hitler demanded the cession of all German-populated areas.

As expected, Hitler was a madman.

The problem was that Britain was viewing such an insane demand positively.

By September 18, the partition of Czechoslovakia began to surface.

Britain pressured Czechoslovakia to accept the cession of German areas.

On September 21, Czechoslovakia chose to surrender, and the cession of Sudetenland became a fait accompli.

The result of the first game refereed by international arbiter Britain was disastrous.

Czechoslovakia lost the Sudetenland, its core industrial and fortress region, while France and the Soviet Union, who had finally mustered the will to stand up to Germany, had to watch their ally perish before their eyes.

Germany may have started the World War, but it was Britain who provided the firewood for them to light.

This was as good as the end for Czechoslovakia.

Britain and France guaranteed the independence of the remaining regions, but what use was that?

It was nonsensical to tell a turtle to resist Germany after handing over its shell to hide in and its military industry.

At least Hitler wasn't satisfied with the concessions he got from the conference.

On September 22, he demanded immediate occupation of the ceded areas and territorial concessions to Poland and Hungary as well.

Even the dear international arbiters Britain and France couldn't stand it anymore.

[Declare mobilization of our forces.]

When Czechoslovakia issued mobilization orders, Germany once again started whining to us for support.

"Your Excellency! Now is truly the time to show the Capital's support. If the Korean Empire raises its voice from the East, Germany can easily achieve victory!"

Ah? Why you’re annoying me? Ain’t your friend Mussolini4closer?

How about going to see that fascist clown?

I turned this line of argument into a 30-line-long message using diplomatic and polite rhetoric.

After somehow sending the German Ambassador away, the British and French Ambassadors came to visit.

"You wouldn't happen to be supporting Germany's position, would you?"

Ah, these fellows came to check the bill.

"Of course not. The Empire will not interfere in European matters. You need not worry."

I gave them a firm answer.

Being harassed by European ambassadors like this, I couldn't help but wish the Czech crisis would end quickly, regardless of how it was resolved.

On the 24th, France declared mobilization, and on the 26th, Hitler started talking about war, giving the impression to the whole world that World War II was about to break out right now.

Just as the whole world was about to scream, a savior(?) appeared.

"I've come to end this war."

Benito Mussolini stepped up to the conference.

And the conference ended with Hitler's victory.

Germany received the Sudetenland, Poland got Těšín, and Hungary acquired southern Slovakia.

Poland ignored my advice.

Those fucking idiots.

Thanks to Poland also brandishing its sword, Czechoslovakia instantly fell from a middle power ranked in the world's top 10 to a weak nation on the brink of death.

There was only one lesson to be learned here:

Security isn't something guaranteed by others.

Moreover, the Korean Empire didn't even have countries guaranteeing its independence or forming alliances with it.5

This was the national grand strategy employed by my beloved homeland, the Republic of Korea, in the 21st century.

Facing overwhelmingly superior opponents in China, Japan, and Russia, the homeland secured war deterrence by amassing an enormous amount of firepower.

The reason China couldn't bully Korea's territory while bullying others halfway across the globe was that Korea's military power was too burdensome. Sёarᴄh the NôᴠelFirё.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

We too needed to follow the strategy of the homeland, the Republic of Korea.

We'd need at least enough armored forces to overwhelm the Soviet Far Eastern Army.

I ordered the Army's Military Affairs Bureau to establish a five-year plan for the development of armored units.

1. The Munich Agreement/pact was an agreement reached in Munich on 30 September 1938, by Nazi Germany, the United Kingdom, the French Republic, and Fascist Italy.2. Polish diplomat who served as ambassador to Japan during WWII3. British PM known for his policy of "appeasement" towards Nazi Germany4. Benito Mussolini, the fascist dictator of Italy 5. Author's Note - Germany was a quasi-ally, Japan a protectorate.