Reincarnated as Nikolai II

A country that could form an antipode to current Russia.

And a country with ’morality’ that wouldn’t be overwhelmed by the justification put forth by Beren Volkov.

France planned to choose America as mediator.

[Dortmund Becomes a Military Government City]

[German Miners’ Collective Labor Refusal. Evidence of Reds?]

’Until then, this Ruhr occupation will continue.’

The right-wing National Block that had become the leading party, along with the former Prime Minister, current Prime Minister, and current President, held an iron grip on French politics. Their nationalist agenda and uncompromising stance on German reparations reflected the lingering bitterness from the Great War.

Though the word ’center’ was included in their political branding, the French regime and parliament dominated by the right wing was like an 8-ton truck with broken brakes, careening down a steep diplomatic hill. Their momentum carried them forward with a dangerous inevitability, each decision feeding into the next with no room for moderation or retreat.

Now they couldn’t stop even if they wanted to unless someone intervened - perhaps Britain or America, though both seemed reluctant to step into this continental quagmire. The occupation forces dug in deeper with each passing week, their presence a constant reminder of France’s determination to extract payment.

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Even though this could result in confrontation with Russia or diplomatic isolation.

As the strange and increasingly deepening German reparations issue continued, while the whole world watched waiting for its conclusion...

"Ha, hahaha! Hahahahahahaha!"

"Why, just why! Why now of all times!"

"Damn... This isn’t right, really. No matter what, this is too unfair..."

Only one country looked at Germany not with sympathy but with envious eyes.

Strictly speaking, it was closer to malice from stomach pain that their cousin’s land value hadn’t crashed rather than pure envy, but whatever it was, they were on the verge of tears from indignation.

"Uwahaha! While others end it so simply, it took us 15 years!"

"You bastards... Paying back bonds, paying reparations, and even war damage recovery costs. What did we do?"

"We changed governments six times just trying to pay those damn war reparations and bonds! Damn, if you were such good guys, you could have forgiven it a bit earlier!"

A country that succeeded in modernization before anyone else in Asia and became powerful enough to wage expeditionary wars.

Yet faced a long dark age of 20 years from just one failure.

The Empire of Japan.

==

As if proving democracy’s greatest advantage lies in institutions forcibly filling power vacuums, after Harding’s death, Vice President Calvin Coolidge inherited the head of state position at midnight in his father’s general store.

Though the least centralized of the great powers, when the United States lost its head, like Medusa, it presented a new one.

However, the United States was somewhat cautious about intervention.

First, because Coolidge wasn’t an elected president but rose from vice president.

And because European intervention was something the Republican Party had continuously criticized since the war ended.

America’s non-intervention meant prolonged occupation.

"They say Germany’s damages from this reached nearly 5 billion marks."

Though France’s gains from the Ruhr occupation were only 900 million marks, as Germany’s damages and France’s benefits only increased, France showed no signs of stopping on the surface.

The ominous social atmosphere and economic destruction of German western industrial cities spread like cancer to other issues that post-war Germany had tried so hard to suppress.

The need for currency reform due to uncontrollable currency value collapse.

The harmful effects of the Versailles Treaty’s clause on ’restricting German industrial exports and forced imports of victor nations’ products.’

Post-war reconstruction that couldn’t even properly break ground and the resulting political discord.

Anti-republicans who criticized Hindenburg for submitting to France even attempted a coup and attacked French forces.

"Though they were all suppressed in the end. The fact that such attempts keep occurring is the biggest signal."

So who bears responsibility for all this?

The answer is France.

At least to Germans and outsiders who empathized with them, the source of all post-war evil was undoubtedly those baguette-eating snail-eaters.

Hyperinflation? France accelerated it.

Sluggish defeated nation reconstruction? France and Belgium robbed all reconstruction resources from Germany.

Military-political instability in Germany? It would be strange not to go mad when foreign armies invade recklessly while you have to sit idle.

The increase in Reds in Germany. Even Jews getting randomly beaten on the streets.

It’s all France’s fault.

Since non-French couldn’t understand France’s current fear and revenge, world public opinion was siding with Germany.

[Coolidge Succeeds in Re-election!]

[From General Store President to People’s Choice President]

[Cold-blooded Coolidge Finally Smiles for First Time in His Life?]

"Let’s see how you’ll respond."

Meanwhile, it was about time those New World friends intervened in the Ruhr issue.

Since truly no country besides the United States could legitimately intervene there, the Coolidge administration also faced a moment of choice.

Would they stand with us on the side of ’good,’ forgive the reparations, and help Germany’s reconstruction?

Or.

Would they completely ignore Wilson’s morals and values and stand arm in arm with France, who was clearly the aggressor?

While quietly waiting for each country’s reaction after eliminating Germany and the Republic of China’s reparations, the re-elected Coolidge administration finally gave an official answer.

"Your Majesty, Secretary of State Hughes has made an announcement."

"The content?"

"He criticizes our unilateral action, arguing that one-sided debt forgiveness doesn’t help peace."

"...This is unexpected."

Having personally experienced America’s isolationism and severe Puritan morality in Paris, I had internally expected America to make the first choice - that is, to stand on the side of ’good’ even if they didn’t like us Russians.

Though disappointing, what I needed to pay more attention to was the single signal that the Coolidge State Department’s public criticism gave me.

’So now we can’t work together with the United States?’

This was definitive evidence that history had changed.

I changed, our Russian Empire changed, but France, Britain, and the United States also changed.

Because in the original history, these Americans were the very ones who not only forgave the Ruhr situation reparations but even provided loans.

The alliance is completely over.