Reincarnated as Nikolai II

Eastern Front, Posen.

Like all men of this era regardless of nationality, there were quite a few in the Northwestern Army Group headquarters who drank around mealtimes.

Since they were sick of eating the same tasteless food every day, everyone found it difficult to digest without at least a drink.

No, actually that was all just an excuse - perhaps in this battlefield where death crawled across their skin, only a drink could give them the courage to endure each day.

So even if soldiers drank every day, commanders would overlook it as long as they didn't get excessively drunk.

"...Why are you drinking what's meant for the soldiers, Commander?"

"Don't we not get wine or cognac in our supplies? We only ever get strong vodka."

"That's because it's the most economical and easiest for the rear to send... But isn't that Rhineland wine?"

"Even if it's low grade, German products aren't bad."

The German wine sitting brazenly on Roman's desk.

"...Shall I bring you better Massandra wine instead?"

"No need. My taste is rather cheap anyway."

There was no better scene showing the current situation on the Eastern Front.

The wine Roman was drinking wasn't looted goods or homemade.

It was truly Rhineland wine made in German factories, meant for German military supplies.

"I hear you can find anything at the trench market."

"Shouldn't we ban this? Selling military supplies itself is a serious crime."

"Why bother? Those Western Front guys supposedly dance together at Christmas, declare unofficial truces, and play football, so mere bartering is nothing."

Russian forces always short on alcohol.

Conversely, Alliance forces short on food.

Since they usually just faced off for days on end as long as there weren't major battles, this bartering had somehow become daily life between the two armies.

Even so, it was just small-scale trading occurring occasionally between soldiers fighting on the front lines, but nevertheless, both armies were quite satisfied with this trade.

When Russian soldiers handed over sacks filled with food they were sick of like rye bread and biscuits, the other side would hand over crates of alcohol.

For these open smugglers, both sides even designated specific areas without mines and never bombarded those places no matter what.

Because if those routes were cut off, Germany would have to starve again and Russia would have to endure the trenches sober again.

"In other words, it's a violation of military law but tolerable. Frankly, I heard the Western Front wasn't much different two years ago."

"...Well, that's true."

Though things had gotten a bit lax, since they hadn't crossed the line, Roman wanted to enjoy this peace for now.

The Eastern Front had already seen too much death.

In Roman's view, this place had done enough and was now fulfilling its role simply by 'existing'.

"I'm worried about what the military observers will say again..."

"Tell them to get lost."

The Eastern Front, where many troops from both sides had withdrawn, was peaceful today too.

==

"We acknowledge it. All the misunderstandings, differences in position, and the fact that it's too late for regret now. We acknowledge everything."

Foreign Minister Sazonov.

War Minister Rödiger.

The one making a frank confession before these two was Ambassador Nicolson, who had been stationed in Petrograd as plenipotentiary ambassador for nearly 10 years, responsible for Britain's Russia diplomacy.

"Ludendorff is violating the Western Front now. Those forces came from the Eastern Front, and we currently cannot mobilize more than 80,000 troops per month. Though I'm ashamed... Please move General Roman Kontratenko."

He had one task.

To cleanly acknowledge mistakes, send signals for relationship recovery, and simultaneously move the Eastern Front.

He had permission from his home country to put anything on the negotiating table for this.

"Though your situation is unfortunate, isn't the timing bad? Did you think we expanded the southern front knowing America would join? To tell us to withdraw well-fighting forces and redeploy them to a battlefield hundreds of kilometers away. That's difficult even for the Prime Minister. The Chief of Staff would never approve."

Minister Sazonov flatly refused Ambassador Nicolson's earnest request with a businesslike attitude.

"Please reinforce from Warsaw."

However, Laguiche, the head French military observer from the Foreign Ministry who had traveled around both eastern and southern battlefields, immediately objected.

"Victory in the south is certain. General Brusilov is truly a great commander and can sufficiently break Hungary and save Serbia with current forces. So if the Warsaw General Staff moves General Roman now, or even shows signs of doing so, Germany will react strongly."

"...Our Head Observer Laguiche seems to be misunderstanding something."

While all sorts of diplomatic rhetoric and signals were exchanged between Ambassador Nicolson and Minister Sazonov.

Laguiche's confident request finally made Rödiger, who had been quietly listening, open his mouth.

"Since you all seem to not know reality staying only in Petrograd, I'll tell you. Didn't know America would join? Didn't know the southern front would grow this big? Didn't know the enemy would counterattack? The west is in danger because of forces withdrawn from the Eastern Front? Do you think such excuses will work with me?"

Rödiger, who had risen to chairman and minister under the pro-French stance created by Witte.

He had clearly witnessed how those Western European countries thought of his country in Versailles.

"Let me reinterpret those words. You hoped German and Russian forces would mutually destroy each other in the east to make the Western Front battles easier. Though you abandoned Russia, an opportunity to use us again has arisen so you want to recycle us!"

"Minister Rödiger!"

"Try to deny it! Point out that everything I heard in Paris was false, my delusions and misunderstandings!"

They say a turned ally is scarier.

The betrayal of Rödiger, who had supported the establishment of the Supreme War Council more than anyone, hit them particularly hard.

"Sigh... Ambassador Nicolson. It's too late. You are far too late."

Like how glass once broken shatters into pieces and can never be used again, when trust between nations breaks and cooperation fails, it was an irreversible realm.

Moreover, when it occurred during a war betting the fate of each country.

"We should never have created the Supreme War Council. If we had just remained allies looking toward the same goal while giving and taking... Then there might have been a chance for recovery."

"..."

"Know this one thing. That we wanted to end this war more than anyone." Explore more at My Virtual Library Empire

Faced with Rödiger's desperate anger, Nicolson found it difficult to represent his country any further.