Reincarnated as Nikolai II

Though the First Lord of the Admiralty bore responsibility for this incident enough for General Kitchener to rage and demand his dismissal.

Winston Churchill hadn't turned completely anti-Russian without any thought.

His choice wasn't just for the British Empire's long-term future, but also for the immediate political crisis.

'If I stay still like this, I'll just be abandoned. Just be cut off like a tail!'

Rather, Churchill had known things would turn out this way from the moment the Tsar stepped forward.

While Kitchener was agonizing between two choices.

Churchill also had two choices before him.

Either be cut off as a sacrificial tail of the pro-Russian faction, or live as the head of the anti-Russian faction.

His view of the nation. The future he foresaw.

'This country... cannot fundamentally coexist with Russia.'

Along with the surrounding circumstances, his mindset made him choose the latter.

Anti-Russian sentiment is trendy.

Anti-Russian sentiment is tradition.

Though the mood might be temporarily eased through negotiation, as long as they have that land called India.

As long as they claim ownership of the sea routes through Suez and the Mediterranean.

Ultimately the British Empire would be hostile to Russia.

Thus Churchill decided.

"We've won the war anyway. Prime Minister Kokovtsov has shown the atrocity of unilaterally breaking promises between nations, and the Tsar is ruining things with personal emotions. How could we share the post-war period with such a country?"

Russia might be medicine during wartime but is poison during peacetime.

And whether long or short, wartime eventually ends and peacetime arrives.

"Has, has this one truly gone mad! Did you receive instructions from the Kaiser! You dare, you dare to destroy the friendship that this Kitchener built risking his life twice going to Petrograd!"

Field Marshal Kitchener, a born soldier, might not understand.

'Thinking about the delayed elections after the war, would there be any politician who would take Russia's side?'

Though everyone keeps their mouths shut now as if sewn with needles, Churchill could guarantee just from this atmosphere.

After the war ends, no British person will be friendly with Russia.

That was impossible for this island empire from the start.

==

Just as Britain formed a wartime administration with a coalition cabinet, France also tried to overcome this crisis by putting forward wartime Prime Minister Clemenceau in a national unity cabinet.

"How did it go?"

"How else, the pirates have raised their heads and the bandits are looking down condescendingly."

"...They've broken apart."

"Looking at just the atmosphere, it doesn't seem like it will stop here."

Allied Commander-in-Chief Ferdinand Foch and wartime Prime Minister of the national unity cabinet, Clemenceau.

The two were those who had to react most sensitively to the rising Anglo-Russian tensions.

Britain and Russia.

The discord between the two empires hadn't stopped even into the 20th century, but they thought they had reached some compromise with France in between.

However, all those efforts seem about to go to waste.

Right at this critical moment when the war has reached its peak.

Something that wouldn't have happened in the time of Conservative Balfour and pacifist Witte.

A structure that wouldn't have formed if Britain hadn't waged propaganda war and Russia hadn't responded to it.

All sorts of 'what if' assumptions pass by, but reality has drawn the worst possible case among the worst.

"Why, why now when Paris is in danger..."

Foch tried hard to suppress his emotions by biting his lips.

"Division naturally comes at moments of crisis. Because instincts are maximized and one tries to protect oneself with selfishness."

Though Clemenceau just sighed while giving abstract interpretations, in fact, he was equally frustrated.

Already work is underway to relocate national institutions to other cities in preparation for Paris's fall.

With no counterattack taking place, Paris citizens have taken to evacuation routes, and naturally the nation is slowly becoming paralyzed as if forecasting rigor mortis.

American forces, who have fully joined the battlefield from October, are dying as soon as they arrive on the old continent.

At this rate, even the United States might become passive at any time.

"Our government sees this incident as an explosion of Russia's patience. Amid the Eastern Front's value being lost due to the Western Front's poor fighting, that empire's government called for expanding the southern front after enduring for 3 years. And then this Jewish-Slavism erupts at just the right time."

"...Though the justification is good, it became an outlet."

"To Russians who don't know war, Britain's behavior might be interpreted as 'moves to weaken Russia by increasing its sacrifices'."

Even without going that far, Russia might try to escape from the sinking ship now that the Western Front seems likely to lose.

That's how bad the atmosphere on the Western Front was.

"What happens now with what's already happened?"

"Sigh, I don't know much more than the Commander-in-Chief. They say a Supreme Council meeting will be held soon, so we'll have to see then."

"If it's this Supreme Council meeting..."

"What else, a Prime Minister level meeting."

Not the ones held once a week on average, but a meeting of those who can make immediate decisions about all fronts.

"Kokovtsov and Asquith are coming to Versailles."

Would only Prime Ministers come?

All sorts of personnel coming with them, decision-makers and experts too.

They'll be stuffed into one room and continue arguing until reaching a conclusion.

If no conclusion is reached and it breaks down, that too will be considered a conclusion.

Clemenceau's role there is one.

"Whatever happens, we must start a counteroffensive when spring comes."

Whether pushing away one side and pulling in the other deeper or making them reconcile, first ending the war.

France's backbone was breaking from Britain and Russia's fight.

==

The Supreme War Council has Permanent Military Representatives (PMR) semi-permanently staying in Versailles leading all armies.

Of course, while they say leading, it was a half-baked organization that couldn't get core military authority like command, personnel, and disciplinary rights, but nevertheless they were nominally an organization comparable to Germany's OHL.

However, sometimes there are things these Permanent Military Representatives cannot handle.

That is, when political issues arise that are close to interfering in internal affairs beyond military matters, higher-ups must step in.
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That was the <War Conference>.

French Prime Minister Georges Clemenceau.

British Prime Minister Herbert Asquith.

Italian Prime Minister Vittorio Orlando.

U.S. President Wilson's representative Colonel Edward House.

"I've come with full authority delegated from His Majesty the Tsar for this conference. I want to believe you all have done the same."

And Russia's Prime Minister Vladimir Kokovtsov gathered in one place.