NOVEL NEXT Chapter 317
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It’s a bit odd that those oil-rich folks in the Middle East are making such a fuss. In the end, isn’t this just a matter of pride?
But directly hitting Iraq or those guys would make us look like bullies. We need to find another way.
There’s a Middle Eastern country that we can set a proper example with.
Supporting Hejaz essentially means we’re backing Hejaz against Nejd in a fight, and we can use that to justify entering the Middle East without just recklessly smashing things up.
“Let’s support Hejaz. We’ll send the Rome Treaty Army to assist Hejaz in their battle against Nejd.”
How much weaponry does Nejd even have?
With the latest weapons from the Rome Treaty, Hejaz can steamroll into a full-fledged war with the army and air force rolling in like a tide. They’ll crush them in no time.
“Are we attacking Nejd as an example?”
“There is a large oil field in Nejd.”
A large oil field by the Persian Gulf. We can extract it.
In this alternate history, we can extract all of it.
Thinking back to the original history, Hejaz might think they can unify Arabia, so that’s not a bad thing.
“Is it worth the risk of war?”
Worth the risk of war, huh?
How many times have conflicts broken out over oil? More than a few. Above all, if Iraq talks break down, we’ll end up fighting anyway. Showing them a proper example should keep them quiet.
“I’m sure. We support Hejaz to defeat Nejd, then we can gobble up the oil fields.”
It’ll lead to the formation of a Saudi Arabia that’s different from the original history.
What if we manage to grab all the oil fields of original historical Saudi Arabia? Just imagining it is fun, right?
“I think that sounds feasible.”
“Then I will convey it to the Rome Treaty Organization.”
Yeah. Pass it on to the Rome Treaty Organization. I’ve always envied Saudi Arabia back in the original world.
There are massive oil fields in Saudi Arabia that we don’t even have in Korea, and it bothered me to see the Saudi Crown Prince strutting around.
I’m Russian here, so I can’t distribute it to Korea, but if it’s something we need, we’ll have to take everything we can.
Wait a minute. Do we really have to honor our ties with Hejaz all the way?
The king of Hejaz. The one who declared himself the Caliph. He proclaimed himself after the Ottoman Empire’s Caliphate fell apart, didn’t he?
I’ve got some interesting thoughts bubbling up.
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London, England
Churchill hasn’t been in a good mood lately.
It’s not just because Russia is dominating international organizations and Europe.
To be honest, it’d be a lie if I said I didn’t feel frustrated, but only slightly. The difference between Britain and Russia post-decolonization is simply overwhelming.
Yeah. So, I have no intention of rebelling against Russia.
At least Russia hasn’t denied us the title of second-in-command for the British Empire in the Rome Treaty Organization.
The problem is that the position of second-in-command has been humiliated because of those damn Iraqis.
They seem to think they’ve learned something from the Rome Treaty Organization, blatantly aligning with other Middle Eastern countries while throwing their weight around with oil.
But then, Mosley suddenly receives a telegram from Russia.
Yeah. The contents of that telegram are simple.
“Why are we supporting Hejaz to defeat Nejd when we could just take down Iraq? Isn’t it easier to just send troops to Iraq and stomp those annoying guys?”
Considering the borders, wouldn’t it be better to deliver a solid blow to Iraq and stop them from uniting?
Nejd could potentially get involved, but not yet.
If we poke a hornet’s nest and create chaos, we’d be in worse trouble than dealing with Iraq.
“The reason is that there’s a large oil field in the Persian Gulf.”
A large oil field in the Persian Gulf? How did we find that out?
“The reason there’s an oil field in the Persian Gulf is because the Okhrana that infiltrated Nejd stumbled upon it.”
Right. That’s one of those fortuitous finds.
As if it’s a coincidence, the Tsar’s been uncovering new things again.
It’s probably something that’s not even comparable to the oil fields in Iraq.
If we strike it rich with this oil field, who cares about Iraq?
“Exactly. If it’s a coincidence, then so be it.”
Yeah. There’s nothing we can do if it’s just luck.
“Securing oil fields is essential for the survival of Rome.”
We have to consider our ties with Hejaz.
Thus, we began preparing for the battle against the Kingdom of Nejd, using any excuse we could find.
In fact, if we’re being technical, the Balfour Declaration had weakened the relationship between Hejaz and Britain for a while, but in this alternate history, the establishment of mandates in Syria, Iraq, and Palestine specified by the Treaty of Versailles became nothing, and European countries tangled up in the Russian civil war allowed even the then-Caliph Hussein bin Ali to continue receiving support.
It was an expected outcome.
“But helping those who declared themselves Caliphs is a bit… hmm.”
Turkey seemed to express some discontent.
Well, of course, Hejaz declared itself Caliph.
“Turkey is no longer Ottoman, right? Just because someone declared themselves Caliph doesn’t matter.”
“Of course, we agree. It’s just a bit uncomfortable.”
During this process, the Rome Treaty Organization’s members had some questions.
Yeah. Will the Tsar really leave Hejaz alone?
We said we’d catch Nejd as an excuse, but will the Tsar just sit by and watch while Hejaz swallows Nejd and unifies the vast Arabian Peninsula?
He probably wouldn’t care, but Hejaz could threaten that oil field again.
After all, it is a Middle Eastern country. Can the Tsar afford to just accept that?
And at this moment, in Moscow, Anastasia pondered a new possibility.
“Maria.”
“Yes, Your Majesty. What is it?”
Anastasia stroked the head of Belka II before turning her gaze to Maria.
The eyes of the mother Tsar were filled with mischief.
It was the look she wore when contemplating something wicked.
The eyes shone with the wickedness of a death saint that previous showed before launching a nuke.
“Isn’t the Caliph meant to represent Muslims?”
“Yes. I’ve heard the Caliph’s authority represents Islam.”
“And at one time, the Ottoman Empire used the Caliph’s authority. Hejaz has declared itself Caliph now that the Ottoman Caliphate has fallen.”
“Yes. That will be the case.”
Maria simply nodded in agreement with Anastasia’s words.
It wasn’t just idle chitchat.
When Anastasia speaks, whatever it is rings true, and it serves as a justification.
Moreover, it isn’t incorrect.
Thus, Maria bowed her head in accordance with her mother Tsar’s words as she always did.
Just acting as a shadow of her mother, representing and following her words.
What command would she give this time around?
“Get in touch with Ankara. Just say you’re contacting them as a friend of the President of Turkey.”
“Yes. I’ll do that.”
I wonder what order mother Tsar will give.
“Ask if they don’t want to re-establish the authority of the Caliph.”
At those words, Maria blinked.
Right. What mother Tsar means is, for instance, not exactly a resurrection of the Ottoman Empire, but to put in place a ‘puppet’ Caliph like herself.
“That means…”
“Do they not want to establish a Sultan who is also a Caliph, just like Russia?”
It’s merely a bit of fun. Just a little jest on her lips.
This would lead right into the command of the Roman Emperor.
And that mother’s words, the command of the Roman Emperor, are simply this: to make a massive chunk of the Middle East a part of the Rome Treaty.
“Yes. Understood.”
That’s the kind of warning that should be sent to Middle Eastern countries.
Thus, Anastasia decided to have some fun.
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Ankara, Turkey
Shortly after the command from Anastasia was issued, Atatürk received a proposal from Anastasia in the President’s office.
“Ilyinuy contacted us from Moscow. What’s it about?”
Contact from Moscow.
In essence, it is a request from Anastasia, the Russian Tsar.
So, what on earth did they want to say to the President?
“They were asking if we’re considering re-establishing the Sultanate.”
“The Ottoman Empire fell ages ago. Do they want us to reinstate the Sultan?”
That’s a stretch. The Sultan lost popularity, and the sentiments toward Atatürk are still strong.
It will be difficult for the Ottoman Imperial family to regain favor at this stage.
To even entertain that idea would mean changing the political system, which is tough.
Above all, just thinking back to the Ottoman Empire makes Atatürk grind his teeth.
“It seems the Tsar intends to deal with Hejaz while suppressing Nejd.”
But what does that have to do with the Sultan?
“What does that have to do with us?”
Does it imply that Turkey must adopt a constitutional monarchy to catch Hejaz?
That sounds cryptic, but…
“The Kingdom of Hejaz currently has a Caliph as its king. It seems the Tsar wants to use the Caliph as a pretext to deal with Hejaz following the former Ottoman system and wants Turkey to take their Caliph’s place. In effect, it’s like asking us to take over the Arabian Peninsula.”
To take over all of Arabia.
It’s fair to say the Middle East is initially the territory of the Rome Treaty Organization, but this is a bit much.
I’ve heard there are issues with Iraq, but is this right?
In the end, the Tsar wants to push Nejd aside while backing the Sultan, so it’s all about imposing the Caliphate on Hejaz at the same time.
Yeah, I get the sentiment.
“Hmm, what do you think?”
“I don’t think it’s bad. If we establish a Sultan for the sake of appearances, we could easily get rid of him later if needed. Just elevating the Caliph is enough.”
Seizing this opportunity to create a pretext isn’t a bad idea.
The Middle East has been under the influence of the Rome Treaty Organization for a while, but that’s about it. It wouldn’t hurt to expand now.
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