Time Slip Reiwa Japan

047 - Lebensraum

Germany's willingness to annex Austria and Czechoslovakia was due, in large part, to the German economy. In a smaller sense, it was the German military. This was because the first redemption date of the Mefo bills, which had been issued by the German government for the rearmament of the German military, was approaching. Although the rearmament of the German armed forces through the Mefo bills helped to revitalize the German economy, the relationship between Germany and the G4 countries, which make up the majority of the world economy, was not good, and the volume and value of trade between German companies and the rest of the world were sluggish. The reality is that it is difficult to say that the expected ripple effects were created.

Although military cooperation and arms sales with China were profitable, they were mainly for military purposes and did not lead to a boost in the German economy. The same could be said for the relationship with the Soviet Union. The German economy wanted a market with strong purchasing power. However, the majority of the countries with strong purchasing power were under the influence of the G4, making it an impossible wish.

Therefore, the Germans planned to annex Austria and Czechoslovakia, where there were many Germanic peoples. The two nations would be incorporated as a market under the pretense of being a great unity of Germanic peoples. In addition, the gold held by the central banks of both countries would be useful in redeeming the Mefo bills. Germany was on the road to becoming a plundering economy.

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German Expansionism

Hitler's slogan for some time has been "the establishment of an Aryan sphere of existence by Aryans, for Aryans". One Europe, One nation, One home (Groβartiges Europa). They began to call for the establishment of a great empire that would enjoy eternal prosperity (millennium) through the unity of the Central European countries, with Germany at the center.

At the same time, the SS, the private army of the Nazi party, began to conduct National Socialist propaganda and information gathering activities in Austria, Czechoslovakia, and other countries. They will try to induce public opinion in both countries to be eager to join Germany on their own. Germany understood that there was an ongoing political conflict with the G4. In particular, it understood that the conflict with France was beyond the political stage and that it was walking on thin ice.

Unlike the opportunistic attitude of Britain or the unavoidable clash with Japan and the United States in Siberia, the French were fighting for control of Europe. *1 Therefore, Germany intends to proceed not with German expansionism but with a scenario in which Austria and Czechoslovakia are eager to unite with Germany. The immediate goal was Austria and Czechoslovakia, but if possible, it would also annex Hungary, Slovakia, and Romania. The purchasing power and labor force that Germany needed were in such short supply. Hitler's Germany and National Socialism appeared to be a prosperous nation, but in reality, it was a highly unstable one.

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League of Nations

In response to the growing debate in Austria and Czechoslovakia about unification with Germany, France took action. It dispatched its intelligence services to ascertain public opinion and public sentiment. In the midst of intelligence-gathering activities, a small-scale clash with the SS occurred. They also saw the violent behavior of the Germanic citizens of both countries during demonstrations. In addition, the two countries realized that the non-Germanic citizens of the two countries had an internal dislike for the violent National Socialism, but were unable to express it due to its violent nature.

Therefore, France concluded that the admiration for Germany and the desire for national unity in Austria and Czechoslovakia was an intelligence operation by Germany. In addition, France impeached the League of Nations, accusing Germany of disturbing the good relationship between the member countries of the League of Nations as stipulated in Article 11, Paragraph 2 of the Covenant of the League of Nations.

The League of Nations was in an uproar. The majority of the member states of the League of Nations had been in a state of peace for more than ten years after the last World War and had been looking away from the threat of war. This indicated that it was time to face the reality of the situation, which had been shrouded in a film that resembled a wish for peace.

Germany was one of the powers, although not as strong as the G4, and the war between the powers was a matter of life and death for the small and medium-sized nations that made up the majority of the League of Nations members. France was ready to hit Germany, Britain was ready to join in, and Japan was prepared to be involved. And Poland, the hero of Central Europe, was smiling, hiding its determination to hit Germany in the side.

The harsh response of the neighboring countries caused Germany to panic. For Germany, Austria and Czechoslovakia in Central Europe were worthy only if they could be safely cut off, but they were not worthy of war. But at the same time, Germany had its own pride. There was a national sentiment that could not back down from being intimidated by the international community. There was a sense of pride that Germany had recovered from the shame of its defeat in World War. Or, as the German government constantly advertised, the mighty Wehrmacht, which was built with enormous taxpayer funds, was so weak that it had to bend to the interference of the superpowers? This was a serious question that could affect the very foundation of the German military. The German government was at a loss.

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China

China's lack of understanding of the atmosphere dropped a bomb on the League of Nations, which is shaken by the issues of self-determination of peoples and interference in internal affairs. The issues of restriction on national self-determination and interference in China's internal affairs by the powers is exactly the disgrace that China has been experiencing for the past ten years, and declared that the powers, led by the United States, should be expelled from China's land.

The League of Nations ambassadors of all countries were stunned. Germany was stunned, believing that they would support their country out of friendship. China's cession of land to Britain and France left them dumbfounded as if they were a defeated nation that had lost a war. The majority of the League of Nations member states were indignant that an Asian hick should interfere in a serious meeting of a developed country over a small matter in rural Asia. *2

But China was serious about the tyranny of the G4, led by the US. If they were going to criticize Germany, they should denounce the US, Japan, Britain, and France. The general assembly of the League of Nations was suddenly in turmoil.

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Notes

*1: This was the extent of Germany's understanding of the G4 countries. In fact, the four countries had extremely bad feelings toward Germany. Japan, knowing its history, never relaxed its vigilance and was prepared to take a hit at some point. The United States is prepared to hit China at some point because of its access to South America, its backyard, and the arms it is pouring into China. Britain suspected that Germany is the one who ignited the Middle East, based on the history of Italian East Africa, and wanted to bring Germany to justice at some point. France learned of the future through the former French embassy in Japan, and decided to burn Germany to the ground before the war ravages the French land.

The reality was that none of the countries had friendly feelings toward Germany and were wondering when the war would break out. Germany was unable to recognize the harsh reality of the situation because it had not been shown explicitly anti-German behavior at the League of Nations.

*2: In addition, although Japan was an Asian country within the geographical framework of Asia, in the international community, including the G4, Japan was not classified as an Asian country, but as a different and uncrowned country. In particular, for nations that were neither G4 nor powers, Japan was not an Asian nation, not an advanced nation, not a power, but something more frightening and fearsome.