31

Chang's era (2)

While Ribbentrop met with Togo and conveyed my intention, I contacted Trautmann, the German ambassador to China, and instructed him to take charge of mediation between China and Japan.

Coincidentally, the mainstream faction within the Japanese government and military, which was opposed to the expansion of the war, secretly contacted us.

Japanese Foreign Minister Koki Hirota met with German Ambassador to Japan Herbert von Dirksen and expressed his hope that Germany would step in to mediate between the two countries.

Since both China and Japan recognized the United Kingdom and the United States, which were lukewarm on mediation, as being on the other side, they chose Germany as an alternative.

Trautmann conveyed China's requirements to Dirksen, and Dirksen conveyed Japan's requirements to Trautmann. Japan's requirements were as follows.

1. Establish a separate autonomous government in Inner Mongolia.

2. Declare the entire North China region as a demilitarized zone, and appoint a person whom the Japanese government can also agree with as administrative minister. Instead, the Japanese government will recognize that the administrative power of North China belongs entirely to the Chinese government.

3. Shanghai should also be declared a demilitarized zone and the management of the city should be delegated to the League of Nations.

4. The Chinese government should immediately abolish its anti-Japanese policy and delete anti-Japanese content from textbooks. And new textbooks compiled jointly by China and Japan will be distributed.

5. The two countries will establish a common air defense front against the Soviet Union and cooperate with each other.

6. Significantly reduce tariffs on Japanese products exported to China. Tariffs on goods exported from China to Japan remain the same.

7. Recognize Manchukuo as the official government.

"······Do you think this makes sense? "Isn't this the winner's demand?"

Trautmann, who received Japan's requirements through Dirksen, was dumbfounded.

From Japan's perspective, the level of conditions was adjusted in a somewhat moderate direction, but that was Japan's position, not China's.

From the perspective of China, a victim of an unexpected Japanese invasion, Japan's demands were absurd.

Even returning the border to before the war and receiving compensation would not be enough, so they put forward conditions that are practically a declaration of surrender as demands. If this isn't a blade robbery, what is it?

"I also expressed my disapproval, but Japan's position was so firm that there was nothing I could do."

"Gun..."

Dirkzen also knew that Japan's demands were absurd.

Even this was a compromise as much as possible, and at first even the cession of the entire North China region was discussed.

In this case, it was withdrawn due to dissuasion from China that it would launch a decisive battle.

"I understand. First, let me convey this to President Chang. But I think it's better not to get your hopes up."

"All right. Thank you for your hard work."

As Trautman expected, Chiang Kai-shek was furious after hearing Japan's demands.

"What's wrong with these disgusting bastards? "Isn't this saying that they are essentially going to turn China into their puppet state?"

Trautman also sympathized with Chiang Kai-shek's words, but the problem was that the situation was so bad that China had to accept demands that were tantamount to robbery.

Despite the dedicated leadership of the German military advisors and the struggles of the National Revolutionary Army soldiers, the war situation was grim for China.

The Navy was destroyed, the Air Force was barely able to survive, and the Army was being pushed back day by day.

"Chairman, the situation is very bad. "Due to successive defeats, the morale of the soldiers is at an all-time low and the people are also agitated."

"We have no way to stop them now."

"It's a difficult decision, but sometimes you have to adapt to reality."

If the war continues like this, the Japanese army will invade the capital, Nanjing.

In order to avoid ruin, it was necessary to strengthen with Japan, even at the cost of humiliation.

When not only the moderates but also the hardliners suggested accepting Japan's demands, Chiang Kai-shek had no choice but to accept them with tears in his eyes.

But when Chiang Kai-shek accepted Japan's terms, the situation changed.

***

"What is this again?!"

"You're doing such dirty things behind our backs without us knowing!"

"Isn't it shameful for the imperial soldiers fighting hard on the front lines!"

The intelligence department of the Chinese Expeditionary Force, which had been spying on the Kuomintang government's wireless communications through wiretapping, reported this to Japan.

When the hardliners in the military learned that peace was being discussed without their knowledge, they became angry and asked if the emperor's sacrifice was being ignored.

"They are all the same in Daebonyeong! "You guys are such cowards."

"Are you going to throw it away right now?"

"If you keep acting like this, I have to tell you that it's no fun!"

The hardliners within the military were a problem, but so was the general administration, which had neither the power nor the will to control them.

Going one step further, even Prime Minister Fumimaro Konoe and Foreign Minister Koki Hirota, who had initially proposed peace, changed their minds due to the Japanese military's continued victories.

"The imperial army has already advanced to Nanjing?"

"If we do this well, we might be able to win, right?"

"Then is there a need to strengthen ties with China? "Is victory clearly in sight?"

"You can't miss this golden opportunity given by heaven!"

Konoe's cabinet, which had previously been committed to peace, changed its position and concluded that the existing requirements were too weak.

How dare you put conditions on an invincible empire. On the topic of miserable losers!

Konoe, confident of victory, actively supported the hardliners in the military and withdrew the existing peace plan.

This news was spread to China and Germany through Dirksen.

***

"You damn short-legged bastards. "Anyway, they're just fucking idiots so they only do shitty things."

I muttered this after receiving Dirkzen's report, but it must have been too loud.

Everyone in the conference room stopped talking and stared at me.

As if he knew that I was feeling uncomfortable, I felt like I was seeing a student standing in front of his parents receiving his report card, sweating profusely and looking anxious.

"Cho, Mr. President... Whatever the problem..."

Blomberg waved away his stammering question.

"I'm not angry at the generals. "I was angry for a moment because Japan didn't listen to me."

"Is that so?"

The generals were visibly relieved when they realized that they were not the target of the fire.

It's crazy to think that people who normally quip that they have stars are trembling at just one word from me.

Even in history, Japan's successive victories spurned Germany's mediation and launched an expanded war, and after capturing Nanjing, they committed the famous Nanjing Massacre.

The number of Chinese people massacred by Japanese troops in Nanjing was more than 300,000.

If you include the people who have been raped and assaulted, it is impossible to even count the number.

The swearing I just did came out of my mind because I experienced first-hand how shitty Japan is, and I wasn't truly angry.

really.

It is common knowledge that there is no way they know the word 'satisfaction'.

I knew this would happen and I planned everything in advance.

"Ribbentrop."

"yes."

"Tell Trautmann and Dirksen. "Continue mediation, but never take sides."

"All right."

"By the way, tell Trautmann one more thing. Evacuate the Germans in Nanjing immediately. Nanjing will soon become a sea of fire. "We cannot allow our people to get hurt."

"That is a reasonable statement. "I was touched by the way they thought about the well-being of their people."

This guy overdoes it again. Aren't you sick of it?

***

After Shanghai fell, Chiang Kai-shek gathered troops and supplies to defend Nanjing.

However, protecting Nanjing was virtually impossible, and the Nationalist government knew this.

Chiang Kai-shek decided to abandon Nanjing and withdrew major government agencies and the main force of the National Revolutionary Army to Wuhan. Chongqing was chosen as the temporary capital of China.

When the Nationalist government made the decision to abandon Nanjing, the German withdrawal from Nanjing was already coming to an end.

"This is a report from Ambassador Trautmann. "It is said that all Germans have completed their withdrawal, except for the minimum number of personnel."

"Thank goodness. "Did you say Kribel was in Chongqing?"

"yes. Falkenhausen is also in Chongqing."

"good. It's lunch time. "Let's go eat."

I ate chicken for lunch.

I couldn't think of things like kimchi or soybean paste stew, but I couldn't give up this chicken, so I gave instructions to the kitchen to make it.

The method of making it is also the same as the modern one. After seasoning the chicken, coat it with batter and fry it in oil.

For your information, I like Hot Crispy Chicken. Because it was so expensive, I couldn't buy it often.

So, I was instructed to add pepper and paprika powder to the chicken I was eating without sparing it. Pak pak.

Isn't it okay to enjoy this level of luxury when you're in a world without the Internet and going through hardships beyond your means?

Although there are subtle differences from what we eat in the 21st century, chicken itself is a delicious food ingredient, so it cannot be delicious.

In particular, the best advantage is that you can eat freshly fried chicken right away.

If you add a cold cola to the mix, you can't ask for anything more.

"How is it? "Do you think it's worth eating?"

"Well, the combination of the soft texture of the chicken and the crispy batter goes quite well together."

Even Goering, who was confused at first when he saw me eating chicken with my bare hands, seemed to have gotten used to it and started to eat the chicken skillfully.

However, Goebbels' expression is not very good. Do you hate chicken? "I didn't hear anything like that?"

"Dr. Goebbels? What's the problem? "You don't look good?"

"Uh, um... I'm sorry, but I think it's a little too spicy for me, ugh!"

There must have been a mistake, so Goebbels' plate was served with spicy fried chicken to suit my taste.

For Koreans, who are accustomed to adding sliced Cheongyang peppers to gochujang stew, kimchi as a basic side dish when ordering bibimbap, and eating raw garlic dipped in ssamjang, this level of spiciness cannot be said to be spicy, but it was not that spicy for 20th century Germans.

What was your name? A TV program that brought foreigners to Korea and made them see various things.

The French friends who came out there couldn't finish the dakgalli because it was spicy so they left the restaurant. From a Korean perspective, it's not even on the spicy side.

What if you are a German who is accustomed to German cuisine, which has almost no spicy dishes? Right now, it probably feels like napalm has exploded in your mouth.

Oh, napalm hasn't been released yet.

"I guess I made a mistake in the kitchen. "I will tell you to be careful in the future."

"Thank you..."

It seems that it is difficult to extinguish the fire with water alone, so this time, I munched on pickled radish and sauerkraut.

Goering has a big smile on his face, as if he really likes the sight of Goebbels in pain.

I know we don't get along, but isn't it too blatant that we like each other?

"Mr. President!"

After filling my stomach with chicken, I was waiting for dessert when Ribbentrop opened the door and came in.

"Look, Minister Ribbentrop. "How rude to the President?"

Goering, who hated Ribbentrop as much as Goebbels, fired back.

Goebbels also seemed to think that an uninvited guest had intervened. As for an uninvited guest, Goering in front of me is enough.

"I'm sorry. "But I have urgent news to convey to the President."

"No matter what, looking at the situation-"

"That's it. I am not some kind of tyrant. Yes, Ribbentrop. What's going on? Come on, tell me."

"Yes, Mr. President. A request has been received from Japan to withdraw its military advisory group from China."