Reincarnated as Nikolai II

No, rather their participation has increased the burden on our Russia immediately.

'Trying to create an atmosphere for separate negotiations now wouldn't work like before. Germany's defeat is already certain.'

I too have no intention of ending the war without getting to eat Germany afterward.

Perhaps. Though I hope it's just my delusion, but really perhaps.

Western Europe and America might be uniting to check us.

It might not be yet.

America might go back to "Monroe" after the war.

However, they will clearly grow closer.

My thoughts now extended beyond just the balance scale of East and West.

'America must have dissatisfaction in Asia. Britain naturally won't look kindly on us coming out to the Mediterranean. France... Too early to judge.'

Who ate Qing after the Russo-Japanese War? Russia.

Which country did Japan eventually side with? Russia.

Who holds hegemony beyond Manchuria and Korea to parts of the North Pacific? Russia.

Naturally America would be uncomfortable with this, and the Root-Taft Agreement was born to avoid collision with our Russia.

However. As Qing became the Republic of China and our Russian influence grows by the day in Korea-Japan-Republic of China, that agreement must have been quite unsatisfactory.

Because Taft limited their sphere to "Southeast Asia" at the time.

Coming back to Europe.

Though the Great Game ended, Britain must be very bothered by our territory coming down to the Mediterranean, especially Jerusalem.

No, beyond being bothered, they'd want to remove our hands and shove us back into the Black Sea before blocking it with their navy.

France just doesn't care about Eastern Front or Southern Front and wants to remove Germany from their territory.

They're the type who would sell their soul to the devil if they could just have Germany's neck.

Though the three countries aim for different things, the results they reach are similar.

Win the war, and reduce Russia's influence.

'Since when? When did you start uniting to that degree.'

If my hypothesis is correct, this is a serious threat and perhaps the biggest obstacle for post-war Russia.

Because of the massive casualties at the Somme and Verdun?

Bitter that we ate Constantinople and Poland first?

Because we're less economically ruined and jumping into export competition with America?

But no matter how much I retrace my memories, I haven't done anything to provoke the three countries.

'No. No. Just one, there is.'

Though rather than provocation, it declared Russia's future national direction.

There is.

The Petrograd Declaration.

National self-determination.

"...These colony-obsessed bastards."

We only half-guaranteed neighboring countries' independence and stopped at the level of justification for intervention, but it must have sounded different to them.

Just as Germany, bitter at not getting colonies, supported Morocco's independence.

France and Britain.

The two colonial empires must have felt great antipathy toward my declaration.

And America.

'Both, probably. Because they're hypocrites who want both imperialism and isolationism while calling it the Monroe Doctrine.'

America, who creates puppet regimes and fake governments intervening in South America and makes colonies like the Philippines, yet wants to avoid responsibility while maintaining their moral superiority.

"The war... must continue. We can't change the war structure now."

Just this suspicion. No, though it's half certainty actually, we can't end the war or switch sides with just this now. This isn't possible even for an absolute monarch Tsar.

"...Foreign Minister Sazonov. Are there signs America will abandon isolationism?"

"Not that I know of. This decision to join the war is a combination of antipathy toward Germany and sympathy for the Entente, but they are a distant country."

"I see it that way too. They're a country like someone with dissociative identity disorder without consistency."

The fight between their multiple personalities will continue.

However, once the Western and Eastern European structure is complete, they'll likely side with Western Europe barring exceptional circumstances.

"What about Britain? Though they're allies on the surface, internally they must have much to say about India invasion or Suez Canal threats."

"That aspect has continued since the occupation of Constantinople. We can see this just looking at the radical naval minister, Winston Churchill."

"Even if we build our navy after the war... Damn, we absolutely can't beat Britain at sea."

Baltic Sea, Black Sea, Far East.

Since we're in a position of having to defend three seas in the extreme case, we can't even face them on water, let alone confront Britain.

"How does the Prime Minister see it? What would happen if relations with France, Britain, and America all deteriorated simultaneously?"

"...Wouldn't economic threats be biggest? Any official who lived through the Belle Époque knows. The fear of alienation and exclusion from Western Europe."

I see it that way too. When post-war reconstruction economy begins, the economy will surely grow whether we like it or not, but can our Russia actually eat that growth?

'They won't easily let us in.'

The post-war boom will last at least 10 years. If we can't enjoy it, it will lead to an unbridgeable gap, and even if we enjoy the boom, a grown Russia will be checked.

'We can't give up Constantinople. Whether military government or puppet regime, it must be in our hands.'

Just have the Black Sea blocked for one year and you'll know. That extreme pain.

Though the Petrograd Declaration may have provided some spark, in my view there's one cause.

The Russian Empire grew rapidly in a short time.

We proved that growth too clearly in the war.

"With America joining, the Western Front will win. There may be time differences, but they'll win even alone someday."

"It will surely be so."

"Moreover, the Austro-Hungarian Empire is already collapsing in our hands. Their war is becoming easier."

Now Britain isn't urgent, and France isn't despairing.

Because they'll win even without Russia.

Minimum friendly relations between three countries.

Worst case cooperation or alliance between three countries.

Though not now, thinking about 10 years later, my conclusion was ultimately 'confrontation'.

Unavoidable confrontation.

Because this competition is inevitable as markets and territory are limited everywhere.

What should be done.

Left alone after dismissing everyone, I fell into deep thought.

And that evening.

[To my dear cousin, Willy.]

After a long time, I sent a greeting telegram to Willy.