RE: BLOOD AND IRON

The world and humanity’s place within it was forever changing, not only as a result of natural phenomena which shaped the earth and the way which its denizens interacted with it. But also as a result of changes within human society and civilization.

Nothing lasted forever. Soon enough, time eroded even the most stalwart of institutions and monuments. And the same could be said for the current state of the world. Things were changing, mutating, and evolving at a rate that was perhaps unparalleled in human history.

Civilizations were competing on a global stage in a war waged for a variety of reasons: natural resources, failed diplomacy, ideological differences, and of course, pride. Pride in a nation, pride in a faith, pride in the might have one’s brother in arms as they marched to the drums of war.

It was an inescapable reality from the shores of Gibraltar to the Cape of Good Hope, and all the way to the tropical woodlands of south-east Asia. One by one the nations which represented a reform form pre-enlightenment ideals towards liberty, and justice by the will of the people, rather than the divine right of kings and dynasties to rule and provide for their people fell by the wayside.

A tidal wave of steel overwhelmed them, while the individuals composed of their martial force were cut down like wheat to the scythe. The central powers had proven unstoppable as they ravaged Serbia, humbled Bulgaria, chained the Ottoman Empire and brought its foundations to utter ruin.

Next came Italy, so prideful in their own inadequacy that they thought they could seize the lands which they long since proclaimed ownership of, and spank those who had formerly snubbed them.

The might of the British Navy had been swallowed by the Leviathan that was the German Kaiserliche Marine, particularly its insidious sea monsters lurking ever beneath the waves, hounding and hunting for any ship unfortunate enough to be caught in their path.

Alone they were deadly, but when grouped together into a “wolfpack” even more capable naval fleets must remain vigilant and cautious in passing through waters which had just two years prior been under their protection.

The end result was the British Empire brought to heel and forced to bow out of the conflict prior to its absolute end. The disruption of social order within the homeland and its colonies had forced Parliaments’ dissolvent after its members proved utterly incapable of finding an adequate solution.

Now all that remained was France. Their only hope for victory lied in an ally across the Atlantic which had in years passed reinforced the Monroe Doctrine and went full isolationist.

With France being seen as the aggressors in this conflict, and the central powers providing no excuse for the more hawkish elements of the United States to latch onto as “provocation” the end result was ultimately the fact that neither the American industry, nor its military was properly suited towards this war.

It would take at least a year with even the most coordinated of efforts to be able to industrialize itself in a way that was capable of negating the aggression of the Central Powers as they made a decisive push towards Paris at this very moment to end this bloody war once and for all.

Woodrow Wilson and his backers were particularly furious, running on the campaign of preventing the fall of Europe’s “last bastion of democratic principles” and using the war as a way to revitalize the American industry which had taken a massive hit as a result of its isolationist policies and its refusal to engage in trade with either alliance fighting in the Great War out of a fear of provoking them.

For those most affected by this transition from a more globalized economy to a more self-sufficient one which was reliant on regional trade, rather than trade abroad, Wilson’s bid for the Presidency was an appealing notion.

But overall, the public was split, and because of this, the man was seething in his office, while trying his best to remain calm in front of his advisors, who, of course tried to express their opinions on the matter at hand.

“With all due respect, Mr. Wilson, even if you do manage to win over the public’s support and gain the presidency, by the time you are inaugurated the war will be over and France will have surrendered.

If you consider the fact that the German Navy alone was capable of dismantling British dominion over the waves, we won’t even have a chance to land forces on European soil. There is simply no point in trying. We might need another campaign promise to run on, as it is starting to appear like France will fall before election day…”

This reality was all too present on Woodrow Wilson’s mind. France’s front lines had been demolished in a mass mobilization of forces on its shared borders with the central powers nobody had ever thought possible. Germans, Belgians, Austro-Hungarians, and Russians all came over after hundreds of thousands of shells had been detonated against France’s meager defenses.

If the French Army could not manage to cease its current route, then France would fall before winter could arrive. Heck, it was entirely possible the capital could be seized in the span of a fortnight at this rate.

And if that occurred the promises Woodrow Wilson had made to his voter base would die with the Third French Republic. No, America needed to find a way to enter the war before then, or else the man who would be king would never see his throne outside his own dreams.

As a result, he was quick to sigh, and shake his head, as he tried to come up with some excuse that could rile the American public into a state of Frenzy against the central powers, and quickly at that.

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“Isn’t there any scandal the Germans have engaged in which can be used to cause distrust and hatred against them in such a state that congress would be forced to act?”

Wilson’s aides looked at one another with grim expressions before shaking their heads. They were about to state that they had no evidence of the sort, when a young staff member with a cocky grin wa quick to give voice to his opinions.

“Maybe not the Germans themselves, but their allies in the Pacific have been exceptionally brutal in their regards to warfare against the British and French colonials. However, they seem to be acting under orders to spare POWs of American nationality, including those currently fighting in the foreign legion.

We might be able to instigate a large volunteer corps to fake their nationality’s and get slaughtered by the Japanese as POWs and thus provoking the public’s ire against the Central Powers as a whole….”

This suggestion of a false flag attack, by luring the Japanese into committing war crimes against American POWs currently serving in the French Foreign Legion within French-Indochina was exactly the kind of scheme Woodrow Wilson desired, and his frown turned upside down into a sadistic smirk as he asked for more information with the most devilish tone possible.

“Go on…”

A long conversation ensued regarding the feasibility of conducting such a false flag operation which was far more feasible in this timeline than in Bruno’s previous one. In Bruno’s past life, the IJA had been quite fair with their treatment of German colonial soldiers in the Pacific during the Great War only going out of their way to engage in unnecessary cruelty in the wars towards the defeat in the wars that would follow in the subsequent decades.

But perhaps emboldened by advanced technology gained by Bruno’s influence, and an increasing desire to be recognized as a true equal among the European powers the Imperial Japanese Army had resulted to a level of sheer brutality and cruelty towards the European Colonial soldiers that was only matched or even exceeding by their own behavior during the Second World War of the previous timeline.

As a result, the more hawkish American politicians sought to use these indiscriminate war crimes as a way to enter the war before it was too late to do so. And because of this, after hearing a far more detailed report of what was going on in Southeast Asia, Woodrow Wilson snickered before commenting on his plans to gain the popular and electoral votes in the coming election that would grant him the presidency on a silver platter…

“The American people don’t care about what savages on the other side of the world do to one another for fun. But exposing their war crimes against proper civilized Europeans, and more importantly American citizens, now that would at the very least be a good start in tearing down the legitimacy of my opponent and his position… Can such a thing be arranged?”

Though the other two aides in the room tried to persuade the presidential candidate against this course of action, the devil on his shoulders in the form of the smug young intern was quick to silence them and reinforce Wilson’s own wicked tendencies with poisonous suggestions and assurances.

“It can indeed be arranged, and I can assure recorded results and photographs on every headline across the United States of America within half a fortnight at the latest…”

Thus a formal conspiracy to sacrifice American citizens in order to win Woodrow Wilson the presidency and support an American entry into the war on behalf of the Allied Powers had begun. But whether it was too late, or just in time to save France from a swift defeat had yet to be seen.

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