Reincarnated as Nikolai II

Making treaties and drawing lines with each other gets old after a day or two, and when such incidents repeat several times, each side naturally feels.

The need to just have one clean war.

"When do you see that timing, Your Majesty?"

"Three to five years. I'm not certain either."

"Germany, Austro-Hungarian Empire. Two fronts?"

"But Germany and the Austro-Hungarian Empire will face two fronts too."

"If you've thought even about the structure, you seem confident."

"Is that so? But nothing in the world is certain, I expressed it as assumption."

Only then did Kokovtsov seem to roughly realize why he became Prime Minister and his purpose.

"Prime Minister Kokovtsov."

"Yes, Your Majesty."

"Prepare for war, secretly."

"Understood."

With just that realization, Kokovtsov answered immediately without questioning.

While Witte might have expressed concern about shattering the growth plates of the still-growing empire, Kokovtsov is indeed different from Witte.

He will quickly think about redirecting policy funds the moment this private meeting with me ends.

Because he'll need to turn as much as possible to military industries, as secretly as possible.

A great war is coming soon.

Meaning the moment for foreign affairs is arriving.

Now internal affairs are over.

==

Several problems followed Kuropatkin's military reforms that brought various changes from unit realities to each rank.

"Fuck, I barely graduated 4-year military school and now they say go to school again for field officer and general promotions?"

"Engineer school, artillery school. Yes some kids need to go learn. But we're infantry! Are you saying infantry commanders should go back to school like children!"

"Am I a university student or soldier? Joined the army because I couldn't study but they make me study more?"

Kuropatkin who copied Prussia's military academy process and France's various branch education courses.

Though there was strong opposition from officers since becoming cavalry branch general required over 12 years of school alone, Kuropatkin easily suppressed this another way.

"Officer quarters support, military loans, salary increases, pension reform."

All parts attempted but failed in '98. The path of learning became long and promotion process more arduous, but treatment improved.

War hero Roman Kondratenko's father retired as Major. And reality was he could barely feed his family with that pension.

But now it's different.

"...Just doing light work after discharge seems enough to make a living?"

"Fallen nobles will apply like crazy."

"Meritocracy, anyway there's fair basis for promotion right?"

Indeed the military became the easiest path to receive medals and raise family fortunes, attracting many fallen nobles and poor intellectuals.

But if you change unit realities and increase pensions, salaries, welfare etc, naturally problems follow.

"E-expenditure- urk!"

"Is General Kuropatkin crazy? Does he think we'll pass such a budget?"
Explore hidden tales at empire

"Should we drag him before the Duma members to get his head straight?"

It costs money. A lot of it.

Defense spending that had increased bit by bit reflecting inflation since the Russo-Japanese War now approached 500 million rubles.

500 million rubles might seem like a lot at first glance, but in reality was far from enough.

"Why in Alexander III's time the last 24 months of 6 years service was leave! To be frank it was all because there was no money!"

"Military district consolidation? Y-you're rebuilding units now?"

"The military is full of corruption! We can't entrust money bags to thieves!"

Even with the Tsar's permission, Kuropatkin alone couldn't overturn the system of 1.3 million standing army and millions of reserves overnight.

Instead, Kuropatkin had the courage to be hated.

"Polotsk Cadet Corps? Vitebsk Cadet Corps?"

"Military school early education system for noble children."

"What do 10-11 year old kids know from learning. Get rid of them all. Commanders come only through military academy."

He completely eliminated pseudo-military schools attended by elementary school age children of noble families.

"Include bureaucrats and Duma in Military Supply Office, give audit rights."

He left some room for civilians to reach into the 'military' that only the Tsar could touch before.

Politically, there was no way Duma and bureaucrats could endure this.

'Ci-civilian control?'

'The Tsar permitted this right? We can really dig into this?'

'Must be real since all the Grand Dukes are keeping quiet?'

This time opposition came from the military but.

"Fuck off."

Kuropatkin who already staked not just his neck but his family was a runaway train.

Defense spending that once decreased to 12% of national budget suddenly more than doubled, but Kuropatkin was confident.

'This is the path the Tsar desires.'

What did the previously failed reforms imply?

Though various contents mixed in, wasn't it ultimately qualitative growth of the military?

More money being needed in that process is very common sense and the Tsar would allow this.

'Or I die first.'

However, even he would only know after evaluation later what was qualitative growth versus waste.

But for now.

"The reason for indiscriminate numbers of officers is lack of NCOs. Create 2-year NCO schools and set service periods by rank for them too!"

He overturned everything from the perception of NCOs as just experienced sergeants in the Russian Imperial Army and installed an insurmountable class wall between soldiers and NCOs.

All this process would have been impossible without the empire's prosperity.

Perhaps thanks to his efforts rebuilding everything here and there like a half-madman to create achievements catching the Tsar's eye.

"General Kuropatkin."

"Yes, Your Majesty."

"Create a General Staff."

"By staff, do you mean Imperial Army Chief of General Staff position?"

The empire also has three director positions boasting long tradition and history in the military.

War Ministry Inspector General.

Imperial Army Chief of Staff.

And Imperial Army Chief of General Staff.

Even without these, there are also temporary positions similar to director positions that past Field Marshals held during wartime.

However, what the Tsar meant wasn't such ordinary positions.

"No. I mean an organization that commands both army and navy regardless of peace or wartime."

Organization. He ordered creating an organization, not just a position.

Immediately bowing his head and barely hiding his moistening eyes, Kuropatkin finally answered.

"I will definitely create it perfectly."

This was guarantee that Kuropatkin's gamble succeeded.

And.

'...I'll live.'

It was the Tsar declaring he wouldn't kill him.

At least that's how Kuropatkin heard it.