A Second Sunrise: Taiwan of 2020 Sent Back to 1911

[ChrisProvidence]

Its kind of interesting how the communist in hiding is acting. Did he start out pure communist or was it a shift brought on by the uprisings and later coup by the general Yuan? Him seeing how a republic could easily be conquered by internal agents and then watching the factional in fighting of the Japanese invaders could explain why the mainland's forces are under a nominally unified command structure.

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If you mean Mao Zedong (Lei Feng), then it's worth noting that he wasn't really a Communist at this point.

That was a later development likely due to his post-revolutionary experiences.

But if you mean Rachel Fong, well, she's Ministry of State Security. A spy. These types are selected for their loyalty, as well as their ability.

Or in her case, she got recruited into the MSS for her talents and loyalty, got outed as gay by her boss, claimed asylum in Taiwan after the 2014 Hong Kong Protests as cover for her being Reassigned to Antarctica, joined the MIB, and then worked her way up the ranks while serving as the PRC's mole in charge until she got sent back in time.

Mao's not a communist because this is before he was even exposed to socialism. Meanwhile, Fong is a communist because she's loyal to the PRC… sort of.

 

[EBR]

Given how much the 21st century PRC leans on Chinese nationalism (lowercase n) to promote loyalty, her communism may be secondary to her desire to see a strong independent China.

 

[ChrisProvidence]

Yeah, that's kind of where she is right now.

Is she a committed communist? Yes.

Would she like nothing more than to see a socialist China? Hell yes.

But Rachel knows full well that the country she swore her loyalty to (even if they did basically screw her over) doesn't exist anymore.

And trying to make it exist will almost certainly fail.

Still, this is Sun Yat Sen's China, so she'll work with what she has.

 

[ChrisProvidence]

A bit of warning, but the Chapter 19 is going to get dark.

Not "Michael, Marty, Shannon, and Rachel Commit War Crimes" dark.

It's more a "This Is Modern War and Modern War is Brutal" dark, so you might want to skip Michael Chen's section if the carnage might bring up any trauma.

Anyways, just wanted to add this because I don't want to accidentally traumatize any of my readers.

But this is a very brutal period, and the use of modern weapons will only compound that.

Now, back to the discussion.

 

[ChrisProvidence]

Now, the ROC Marines have gotten a reputation for being crayon-eating idiots who crash their landing craft into the beach.

I'll be the first to tell you that we didn't crash our landing craft into the beach. Crashing implies that we didn't do it on purpose.

But that's what the ROC Marines do. We're the first ones in, the tip of the spear. And as a tanker, my guys and I are the armored point of the tip.

Well, not exactly.

See, the Apaches, Cobras, and the Air Force go in before we do, and bomb the enemy to hell, killing anything and everything that shoots anything larger than a .50 cal.

We're talking artillery pieces, mortars, and heavy machine guns. After that comes fortifications, and they'll hit them with rocket pods and missiles.

And troop concentrations, to soften them up even more.

Only then do you send in the Marines, because we're the ones you send in when you really want to break through a line. And you can bet we're going to punch through once the enemy is softened up.

Tanks go first, of course. Not because we like being in harm's way, but we're the ones who punch our way through the front line, or what's left of it.

After that comes the APCs and Humvees, who pull double duty by serving as screens for the tanks and sweeping up after we punch through.

After that comes the Army. Once we breach their lines, the Army pours in and starts fanning out and flanking the enemy until they're cut off.

Once the enemy is encircled, they will either surrender or be eliminated.

Then we push forward until our scouts see the next line of defense and take an operational pause to regroup, reinforce, and resupply.

And this can be a few dozen to even a hundred kilometers, because there is quite literally nothing in our way that can stop us across that terrain.

So, what's the point of all this? Why write the obvious when you've personally come this far?

Well, I figured I'd write out just how we're able to advance so far in such a short period of time.

It's not just the Marines or the Air Force and Army Aviation or the Army, but a combined effort from all three of us.

Without the helicopters and Air Force, us Marines and the Army would have to push through hardened defenses while under artillery fire, the one thing the Qing have that can destroy our tanks.

Or to put it another way, those pilots are the reason our losses are so low.

Without the Marines, the Army would pull double duty by having to break through enemy lines and encircle enemy units, which is going to stretch them to their breaking point.

Can the Army do it? Sure. But they'd risk burning themselves out or running out of ammo.

Without the Army, us Marines would be stretched even thinner. While we can encircle enemy units, that is usually on the tactical level, not the strategic level.

Sure, the men and women of the Marines might be the greatest land fighting force on the planet, but there aren't that many of us.

Or to put it another way, all of us have our role to play in this campaign. Our rapid advancement through the south of China is a testament to our abilities. Not just our abilities as individuals, but what we can do when we all work together.

And you should be proud of just how far we've come in such a short period of time.

That's why I'm writing this.

 

[Jimmy040]

Do they join the ROC? Strike out on their own?

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Most likely the sub crew will join the RoC, with the recent revolution , the mainland and the RoC will likely join together and become the New China. The technological edge of the RoC with the resources of the mainland will mean the New China will be the first Superpower of the world and very unlikely to collapse anytime soon.

That means the New China will be the only Chinese Faction in the world , so if the sub crew wants to live in a Chinese society and culture (a very high probability), they will have to join up.



A second possibility would be for the sub crew to auction their submarine and their own technical skills off to the highest bidder.

To be very frank , a nuclear(or even a diesel-electric) attack submarine and it's crew are such a treasure trove of technology, personal skills and historical knowledge that any of the Great Powers would be willing to pay years(or even decades) of their GDP to acquire , no joke , getting this sub maybe the only way for any of the worlds Great Powers to be able to credibly threaten New China right now.

As long as the Crew is careful to make sure that the winner of the auction will be honorable enough to abide by the terms of the auction, then the Crew (each and every one of them) could live the rest of their lives like millionaires.
This would only be possible because the Crew would have left all of their families behind and without strong familial ties to the New China , they would be independent enough to start new lives.




P.S. as for the anti-tank trench , do the RoC have enough explosives to demo the sides of the trench, causing both sides to collapse inwards forming a ramp into and out of the trench?
Might be faster than trying to fill in part of the trench?

 

[Fellow Human]

I think they'll join too. Nationalism should come before communism.
I don't know how Chinese people truly think, but I like to think that they're not brainwashed by propaganda so much. I think they're free besides not being allowed to speak against the government.
I think hardcore commies are a thing of the 20th century.

 

[ChrisProvidence]

as for the anti-tank trench , do the RoC have enough explosives to demo the sides of the trench, causing both sides to collapse inwards forming a ramp into and out of the trench?
Might be faster than trying to fill in part of the trench?

Click to shrink...

A line charge, or dropping a bomb on the trenches are definitely options.

Right now, the main plan was using fascines, bundles of pipes, to fill the trench and roll over them.

But now that I think about it, you could probably hit it with artillery or an airstrike are probably easier, especially when you have the advantage of absolute air superiority and artillery range.

Or you just stick plows to the front of your tank like the US did during the Gulf War and brute force your way through the ditch.

 

[ChrisProvidence]

Between Xuchang and Zhengzhou, Henan Province, Qing Empire, 14 September 1911

"Dragon 5 and 6, take the left guns. 7 and 8, take the right. The rest of you, with me."

"Copy that, Dragon 1. Let's go, 6."

"Dragon 7 moving to the east with Dragon 8. Happy hunting, Captain."

That left the four of them flying down the middle, with bullets pinging off the hull.

"Increase altitude to one thousand meters and spread out. I don't want them getting any lucky shots on us."

"Enemy field artillery, 800 meters," her copilot observed. "Orders?"

"Dragon 1 to Dragon squadron. You're clear to engage. Conserve your ammo, but I want those guns out of action."

"400 meters, Captain."

"Firing rockets," she said before strafing. "Four guns, destroyed- shit!"

Her Apache had begun to shake from the blast, but she stabilized it with ease.

"How are we doing, Jack?"

"All systems look good, Captain. Looks like we got caught in the blast from the ammo dump."

"Good."

"Dragon 1 to Dragon Squadron. Keep your distance. Nearly got taken out from the shockwave."

"Another set of guns, three o'clock."

"Firing rockets," she said with a bit more caution, but those burned all the same. "Any more targets?"

"One more group, two thousand meters to the west."

"Moving to target," she answered. In the distance, she could see Dragons 2, 3, and 4 flying around, and the massive explosions they left in their wake. "Firing rockets."

Like the last two, these guns also burst into a massive explosion.

"Anything else, Ma?"

"That should be it," he said. "Looks like we killed every last one of them."

"Dragon 1 to Dragon Squadron. All targets in our AO eliminated. Report."

"Dragon 8 to Dragon 1. All guns are eliminated. We're low on rockets."

Two through seven told them the same thing.

"Switch to guns and fall back to the frontline to support the push."

"Oracle, this is Dragon 1. All field guns in the AO are destroyed. Moving to assist Tiger Company's push. Dragon out."

Approaching Zhengzhou, Henan Province, Qing Empire

"All tanks, this is Tiger 1-1. The fascines are set. Repeat, the fascines set. Move forward, fan out, and move to your objectives."

"Copy that, 6-6," Chen's headset answered. "Send Dragon my thanks."

"I'll tell her you said hi," Chen said back. "Tiger 1-1 out."

"Looks like we're the vanguard, Colonel," Corporal Fa before flooring it, "How long's the Sergeant going to be out?"

"Helmet took the brunt of it after it went through the glass, so a couple weeks. Not bad for a guy who got shot in the head while driving an armored bulldozer."

An explosion rocked the entirety of the tank, knocking Chen to the bottom.

"What the hell was that? Mine?"

"Land mine, Colonel!" the driver shouted, only for another explosion to rock the tank. "And another one."

"Oh fuck this," Chen said, and shut the hatch. "Tell me when we're through the minefield!"

Five explosions and a laughing driver later, and it'd been a bit smoother. At least now it was just bullets pinging off their M60.

Thank God for mine plows.

"Looks like we're all through," Fa shouted. "Moving up to the infantry trench."

"Taking fire," Chen said as the bullets pinged around the turret. "Fire at that machine gun!"

"Firing." Sergeant Zhou announced. The tank shook as the round slammed into the machine gun nest. "Machine gun nest eliminated."

"Reloading!" Corporal Chiu shouted, before slamming the new round home. Ready!"

"Providing suppressing fire," Chen shouted, spraying over the top of the trenches. "Move up."

The fascines had been dumped into the large ditch, and they'd done their job. Just enough for the tanks to go over, with a slight dip.

Chen could feel his stomach drop as they rolled over the trench, only to lurch a bit higher once they drove out of it.

"Pelican, this is Tiger Actual. We have cleared the first trench and are moving up. You are clear to begin the bombing run! How copy?"

"Solid copy, Tiger," the C-130 pilot announced. "Beginning bombing run."

"Hey Colonel?" Chiu called up to him, shouting over the staccato of gunfire and the roar of a circling cargo plane.

"Yeah?"

"Just what exactly are they dropping on them? I thought we didn't have any bombers."

"We don't." Chen half-shouted, half-remembered. His eyes focused on the enemy trenches his tanks were approaching. "They're dropping flechettes."

"They're dropping what?!"

"You know how we play darts back at base, right?"

"Yeah."

"Imagine that, but like we're dropping a hundred thousand darts on the enemy, and they can pierce two feet of sand and helmets."

"Oh… They can't pierce tanks, right?"

"Negative, but I'm not trying our luck. Fa, slow us down!"

"On it," the driver radioed back as the tank jerked forward, grinding to a halt. "We're sitting ducks out here!"

"Not for long," Chen grumbled, before the roar of engines drowned him out.

The air support was here.

He peered through his turret to see a plane flying over him, a line of men in front of him, and a gray hail falling onto them.

Then in a moment, all three were gone. The planes had flown away, while the men disappeared after the metallic hailstorm.

He peered through the sight, trying to see anything, even as he heard the bullets stop pinging on the hull.

"We clear to move up?" Fa called over the radio. "Colonel?"

"Bring us in, slowly. Pelican, this is Tiger Actual. Good effect on target. How copy?"

"We hear you loud and clear," the pilot agreed. "Circling back around for the next run."

"Got it. Thanks, Pelican. All Tigers, this is Tiger Actual. Good effect on target. Move up slowly and keep your eyes peeled. I want MGs on any stragglers."

To this, the various subordinates agreed, and pulled forward with him.

As he looked through the slits in his turret, it turned out "Good effect" was an understatement.

No, these lazy dogs tore through the Loyalists until they had more holes than Swiss cheese, with blood pouring out of every one.

It was times like this that he was happy the tank was sealed for CBRN threats, so he didn't have to smell the blood and evacuated guts surrounding him.

He rotated his turret to the left, seeing just how many men were killed by the flechettes.

It had to be dozens. Hundreds? Thousands?

Either way, the weapons were thorough.

Or almost-thorough, if the men crawling on the ground were anything to go by.

There was one man who'd made it out, only to have half a dozen holes in him. Yet through it all, Chen could see him crawling in the dirt, struggling to get away from the tanks.

Without hesitating, he rotated his turret back.

Aimed.

And let off a single burst into the man's torso. A fine mist rose from where his head had been, but at least he stopped moving.

All around him, he could hear similar bursts from the commanders' MGs, the sound of even more mercy kills as they drove through the backup trenches towards the second line.

Chen looked forward and saw that this time, there were wooden pillboxes along the front, with men scrambling to face the tanks from their trenches.

And unlike the last time, those pillboxes were still shooting MG rounds at his tanks and APCs. Now, those rounds weren't exactly damaging the tanks, but he didn't like people who shot at his men.

"Pelican, you're clear to make another pass," he announced into his radio, before looking down. "Zhou, fire a round into those two pillboxes!"

"Firing!" he shouted, and a shell tore through the first pillbox, shattering it into splinters. "Hit."

"Good effect on target! Get the other one. Ten o'clock at 200 meters!"

"Reloading!" Chiu shouted back, before another round slammed into the chamber. "Ready!"

"Rotating," Zhou announced, his voice still staying cool under pressure. "Target acquired. Firing!"

The tank shook again, but this time, the second pillbox exploded into flames.

"Good effect on target," Chen told his men, before looking forward. "Second bombing run is coming through."

As if on cue, a new hail of flechettes rained on the second trench.

"Load canister shot," Chen ordered. "All Tigers, this is Tiger 1-1. We are approaching Line Bravo. Fall in behind us, and be prepared to shoot any stragglers."

Again, all the team leaders acknowledged, and they filed in behind him. Now, Chen's tank was always the first in, but that was when they were moving in a V-formation, not a straight line because his tank was the one they jury-rigged a plow to the front of.

This was an old tactic he remembered when he'd learned about the Gulf War, when the US Army attached plows to their own tanks and broke through the Iraqi trenches… and possibly burying thousands of Iraqi troops.

.This time, there would be nothing like that. Not when his tank approached the second anti-tank ditch, lowered it's plow, and tore through the earth. It wasn't the best plan, or even the first plan, but Sergeant Rong got shot in the head while deploying the fascines at the first line.

He could feel a second lurch as his M60 went into the trench nose-first, tearing through the near wall and burying itself into the far wall.

"Full power," he ordered, and Fa revved the engine. The M60 struggled, but its pointed plow slowly tore through the far wall, parting the dirt into a low slope for the next tank to cruise over.

"Tiger 1-1 to all tanks. We're through the second AT ditch! Follow through our path and fan out behind us!"

Sure enough, the rest of the tanks were able to get over with ease and re-form the V behind him.

"Trenches, 100 meters," Chen said, and Zhou lowered the gun towards ground level. "Load canister shot and prepare to fire on my signal."

He looked forward and saw a dozen men in front of him, firing with their bolt-action rifles. Again, the bullets weren't pinging off their hulls, but he knew what he had to do.

"Fire!"

Over a dozen cannons all fired at once, tearing through the men at the front.

Chen looked again through his periscope, and those dozen men were gone, replaced with mangled corpses and body parts strewn all over the place.

And he got a good hard look as his tank plowed through the front trench, with blood and mangled limbs churned up by the pointed plow at the front.

"First trench, clear!" Fa shouted through the radio. "We've got movement on the right side."

He could see the enemy soldiers running for their lives through the communications trenches, so he swiveled his gun once more and opened fire.

This time, he had a front-row seat to the carnage, where he could see the .50 cal blast their heads into smithereens. At least he thought that was what happened, when there wasn't anything left of them..

You need to do this, Michael. It's this, or they shove a grenade into the treads, then start climbing on the tank. Them or you, and you know it.

Still, they made it past the support trench, which meant it was just the reserve trench left.

Or, at least it would be, if the Loyalists weren't climbing out of their trenches and running for their lives. Some of them carried their rifles in hand, while others just dropped their rifles and ran full sprint.

They're not going to get away. Half a click over an open field against a tank? Not happening.

"Canister shot loaded!" Chiu shouted.

"Ready," Zhou added. "Just give the order."

They're running. Not a single one of them is shooting back at us.

"Hold fire. All armor, move to flank and cut them off. I want Humvees prepped to handle POWs."

It was child's play, really. There was no way in hell that the retreating men were going to outrun a tank.

Sure enough, they'd cut them off a minute later, with the tanks standing between them and city, and the Yalu standing between them and safety.

Chen stared them down through the periscope, his machine gun focused on the mass of men before him, all beaten and nearly blown to hell.

These were the lucky ones.

To his relief, they dropped their guns once they saw just what was in front of them. Even if it took another minute for their shell-shocked brains to let it sink in.

The very lucky ones.

And that was it for Trench Bravo, besides the burning remains of the Qing artillery pieces Shannon's squadron had blown to high hell.

"Oracle, this is Tiger Actual. Line Bravo is breached. Army is clear to move in and flank remaining hostiles. Requesting infantry support to take in POWs."

"We hear you loud and clear," the voice said through his headset. "Good work, Tiger Actual. Be advised: Drone flyovers show that Line Charlie is unmanned. Standby and await new orders."

"Copy, Oracle," he told them, and switched channels. "Tiger Actual to all Tigers: Line Charlie is unmanned, so we're waiting on new orders while the Army sweeps up."

To this, his men sounded the happiest they'd ever been all day. And these were the guys who would happily follow him into harm's way, and have done so time and time again.

"Oracle to Tiger Actual… um… we might have an issue. UAV is showing heavy movement headed your way from the north. Looks like enemy cavalry."

Cavalry?

"Say again, Oracle. It sounded like you said cavalry."

"Affirmative, Tiger Actual. Looks like an entire force is headed your way. ETA ten minutes."

Okay, what the Hell? You know what? Screw it, I'll ask questions later.

"On it, Oracle. Requesting air support."

"Denied, Colonel. Apaches are flying back to base and re-arming. All remaining air assets are engaged in ground attack missions to support the 77th and 99th Marine Brigades in the east."

Oh Goddammit.

"Understood, Oracle. Tiger Actual out." Chen let off another sigh as he changed the channel again. "Okay, Tigers, change of plan. We've got enemy cavalry headed our way."

Chiu and Zhou looked up at him, wondering just what the hell he was talking about.

Chen simply shook his head in disbelief.

Yeah, I know, I didn't believe it either.

"Fan out into a wedge formation. I want MGs with overlapping fields of fire and canister shot loaded. Get these POWs to the rear!"

It was a hasty plan. A quick plan. But it was a plan, helped out by the APCs and Humvees pulling up on the flanks.

Sure enough, he saw them through his binoculars, coming down from Xuchang.

There had to be hundreds of them. No, thousands, at the minimum, their uniforms a mix of bright colors and browns. They all seemed to come together as a single blur, besides the weird standard one of them carried.

"All forces, this is Tiger Actual. Enemy is about five clicks out and closing fast. All armored units are clear to fire at will!"

As if on cue, his tanks roared to life, sending round after round into the cavalry, crippling their vanguard at four thousand meters. Horse and rider either crumpled down or flew in the air.

The cavalry fanned out, not wanting to die together from a lucky shell, their lances and swords at the ready.

But the APCs were waiting for them, firing their autocannons with rapid staccatos only matched by the heavy machine guns on the tanks.

Chen himself steadied his sights and aimed at anything he could see in the chaos.

There was a group of riders, maybe a dozen or so, headed right for him. So he opened fire, shooting them with quick, controlled bursts with what was supposed to be an anti-air gun.

These men fell all the same, some collapsing when their mounts were hit, while others were shot clean off their horses, who continued to thunder past him.

The same could be said all along the front, with stationary tanks and APCs firing every shell and bullet they had into the mass of surviving cavalrymen still barreling towards them.

And they just kept coming.

Those of them who'd still survived broke left and right, and Chen furiously started cranking his turret to keep them in his sights, while struggling to lead them enough for a hit.

"Tiger Actual to all units. Be advised, we have enemy cavalry closing in fast. Humvees are cleared to break off and pull back!"

This time, it was the Humvees' turn to erupt into fire, and a new staccato of bullets roared through the air, even above the roars of his tanks.

He could see the Humvees moving up along the flanks, driving off as their gunners fired at the horsemen who'd given up on going after the tanks from point-blank range..

Chen rotated his turret to see his Humvees driving off into the distance, outrunning the cavalry in hot pursuit.

A grim smile formed on Chen's face. They'd taken the bait.

"All Humvees, you are cleared to pursue! Everyone, check your fire!"

At his command, the Humvees in the distance pulled back around and began firing into the oncoming cavalry.

The horsemen began to fall once more. Some tumbled down from their horses, while others tumbled down with them in the chaos.

And all he could do was watch, else he might risk hitting the Humvees with the .50 or, God forbid, a tank shell.

But they were doing it. The Humvees were gunning down cavalry left and right, their fields of fire carving a bloody path through the cavalry. The cars zig-zagged through the field of corpses, taking care not to beat a dead horse into a speed bump.

Or what was left of them. As what had once been a force six thousand strong had been reduced to a few stragglers running for their lives from faster cars and even faster bullets.

And then?

Then, the bullets stopped firing.

Chen looked through the periscope to see the field before him.

Bloodied, perforated corpses of Loyalist soldiers littered the battlefield with their mounts, their bodies in various states of dismemberment.

All around them there were horses running amok, confused and terrified, now that their riders were along the ground.

For the first time all day, Chen leaned back and breathed.

Just for a moment, now that they've done it.

They'd beaten back the Qing all the way to the Yellow River.

Yancheng Forward Operating Base, Jiangsu Province, Republic of China

"Why are we standing down?" Lei Feng asked his commander. "Aren't we supposed to come in after the tanks?"

"Not anymore, Corporal," the Sergeant, a foreigner, told him. "The Loyalists have surrendered, and we're being reassigned to guard the prisoners."

"They surrendered? Already?"

"Better that they surrender than we have to fight them," another foreigner, this one a white man, told him. "Makes our jobs easier."

When the American Corporal put it like that, Lei got the point. Why try to fight someone who will surrender?

"Bring your rifle, though. We don't know how many we'll be taking in."

 

[ChrisProvidence]

And there we go.

The Battle to the Yellow River is over.

And it was about as chaotic and insane at the end as you could with a massive cavalry charge against tanks and APCs, only to get flanked by Humvees this time.

 

[EBR]

Firing at men who are retreating like that strikes me as unnecessary. Particularly when many of your own troops are defectors from that same army.

 

[Jimmy040]

Firing at men who are retreating like that strikes me as unnecessary.

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They need to surrender in order to be considered prisoners of war. Soldiers that run away tend to come back and shoot at you some more once they regroup.

If they haven't surrendered then it's safest for your own troops to keep fighting as well. Showing mercy to surrendered prisoners is to encourage more people to surrender without fighting to the death which is more dangerous for your own troops.

It's really a careful balancing act to be as merciful as you can without endangering you own people.

 

[ChrisProvidence]

Firing at men who are retreating like that strikes me as unnecessary. Particularly when many of your own troops are defectors from that same army.

Click to shrink...

Fair point.

Yeah, I kinda forgot that there were only two lines of trenches along the front. In the first draft, I had three lines, so they were trying to shoot the guys who were fleeing to the third line, only 500m away.

With only two lines, there is more room for the tanks to speed forward and surround the survivors.

Plus, it kinda seems OOC for somebody who literally said he didn't want to mow down dozens of guys to then do exactly that when he literally wrote out how they capture large numbers of enemy troops using their superior speed.

 

[ChrisProvidence]

They need to surrender in order to be considered prisoners of war. Soldiers that run away tend to come back and shoot at you some more once they regroup.

If they haven't surrendered then it's safest for your own troops to keep fighting as well. Showing mercy to surrendered prisoners is to encourage more people to surrender without fighting to the death which is more dangerous for your own troops.

It's really a careful balancing act to be as merciful as you can without endangering you own people.

Click to shrink...

Yeah, that's why I just had the tanks go and cut them off, instead.

Seems more like something Chen would do.

Sure, he'll be the first to admit to using superior firepower and force multipliers to bomb the crap out of the enemy, but he's not going to kill people if they aren't an immediate threat. Waste of ammo, if nothing else.

Plus, there isn't really anything that can damage his tank once the helicopters destroyed the Qing artillery, so a flanking and encircling maneuver when you're effectively invulnerable and four times faster than an infantryman would be on the table.

Once it's clear they aren't going to try to shove a grenade in the treads like in All Quiet on the Western Front, anyways.

 

[Fellow Human]

Dunno, they strike me as the type that would regroup and suicide charge again. Besides they can't keep dozens of thousands of prisoners.

 

[ChrisProvidence]

There's a difference between the infantry and the cavalry here.

The Qing Infantry were the ones trying to hold the line in the trenches, then running for their lives when the tanks plowed through their lines.

Those guys were the ones that surrendered, because there was no way in hell they were going to outrun a tank.

But the cavalry? Those guys fought to the last man, trying in vain to attack the tanks and APCs that were practically immune to them.

Those were the Mongol volunteers and Beiyang Cavalry, and both were wiped out by machine gun, tank, and light machine gun fire.

As previously mentioned, this is how the Qing Army gets pushed back so fast: Once the lines are breached, the Nationalists are able to rapidly surround the Loyalist lines, since the Loyalists are a largely infantry force.

When it becomes clear that the Qing troops are surrounded, they are quick to surrender.

Sure, the cavalry don't get encircled, but they end up getting wiped out by machine guns with overlapping fields of fire.

So yeah, Qing infantry surrenders once surrounded. Qing cavalry will fight to the death or try to retreat and get mowed down by MG fire.

 

[ChrisProvidence]

Zhengzhou Outskirts, Henan Province, Republic of China, 15 September 1911

"Say Beachhead!"

"Beachhead!" his soldiers laughed. They were all smiles as they held up the captured Qing flag. Michael looked at the phone to see the same thing.

"Is it good?" one of his soldiers asked. Michael smiled and nodded. "Alright, your turn, Colonel!"

"Huh?"

"Come on, Colonel!" Chiu called out to him. "We need you in at least one of these pictures!"

"You guys aren't going to take no for an answer, are you?"

"Nope!" Another marine shouted, "So come on!"

Chen laughed, shook his head, and joined them. Chiu made room in the middle for him.

"Alright, everyone crowd around," Chen said as he switched the phone's camera around. "Everyone in?"

"Almost," another soldier told him. "Hey, Zhou, duck down if you don't want your head cut off!"

He peered into the screen and made sure his gunner was in the shot. All that was left to do was smile. "Alright, one… two… three!"

"Did you get it?"

Chen looked at the screen. Plenty of his men were in it, smiling and laughing while they held up the captured flag.

"Yeah, got it," Chen told the men, before they all stopped crowding around him. "Alright, everyone. We've got some downtime while the Army sweeps through and flanks the Loyalists. Now, we're going to do an ammo sweep-"

He could already hear the groans from his men.

"Yeah, I know. But hear me out. We'll be doing an ammo sweep, which means you all get to take trophies. You know the rules."

"No guns. No body parts. No explosives. No priceless treasures," a marine recited from memory, "Or you'll kick our ass."

"Damn right I will," Chen told him, and that got a few chuckles. "Now, I'm going to need you all to run it by me and Major Li, who's joined us today to do HISTINT. Am I clear?"
"Clear as day, sir!" the same marine shouted, "Are we free to go?"

"You better," Chen chuckled. "Army might get back if you don't get moving."

With that, he saw his men run off to the battlefield, making history once more.

Not only were they the first to the Huang River, but they were also the first unit to actually want to do an ammo sweep.

"You know," Martin told him, "These guys aren't the kind of guys who'd want to take severed limbs for trophies, right?"

"Works for me," Michael told him. "I really don't want to kick the shit out of them."

"Yeah, I know. Morale's through the damn roof, Mike."

"Yup. Turns out leading from the front is a good way to inspire your subordinates."

"You know, that's how Rommel almost died. Multiple times."

"Rommel didn't have a tank, and I don't have to worry about getting strafed by aircraft. Plus, I'm no Rommel."

"'Course you're not. You actually understand the importance of logistics and not outrunning your supply chain, despite the stupid amount of ground we've covered in a month."

"Helps that the Qing's defenses are as vast as a continent and as deep as a puddle."

"That too. So, think they'll come up with anything good this time?"

"You tell me. You're the historian."

"Got something!" Chiu announced as he lugged what looked to be a large pole with horsehair arranged in a circle at the top. "Not sure what it is, but it looks important. Some Mongol soldier was carrying it when he charged us, remember?"

Yeah, Chen remembered that. The man was in the vanguard of the first charge, at least until he'd gunned him down with the .50. At least he thought he did. Might've been another marine.

"Yeah. Seems fancy," he said as his loader dropped it on the table. "Hey Marty, you know what this is?"

"Tug"

"Huh?" both Chen and Chiu asked.

"It's a type of banner used by cavalry centered cultures. So the Turks and Mongols, for example."

"Makes sense," Chiu figured. "So, this is like the colors Colonel Chen keeps in the tank?"

"More or less," Li told him. From the looks of it, the man was in his element right now. "This one must've been a volunteer unit from Mongolia."

"Cool." Now, Chen wasn't exactly one for history, but it made his friend happy, at least. "...I don't think you can bring it with us, Chiu. That thing's not fitting into the tank."

"This one's for the unit, sir," Chiu explained. "Or a museum, if the Major wants it."

"What do you think, Marty?" If Chen was being honest, he kind of wanted to hold onto

"I guess the museum could hold onto it for you," Li figured. "That work?"

Chiu looked at Chen, who nodded back at him.

"Got anything else?" Chen asked him, and Chiu dumped a bayonet, a watch, a couple of five-pointed star pins, Qing coins, and a bit of cloth on the table. "These good?"

"Yeah, knives should be fine," Chen told his loader. The man flashed the biggest smile he'd seen all week. "What's the cloth?"

"Some kind of rank symbol. Found it in their commander's belongings when we were searching the command tent. You ever seen anything like this, Major?"

Li took a good hard look at the cloth, which he was grateful the soldier hadn't ripped apart..

"Rank badge. This one's a Qi'lin, which designates the highest of the nine ranks. Military uses animals, while civil services use different birds."

"So, it's valuable?"

"Yeah. Historians would pay good money for this."

"Really?" Li nodded. "How much are we talking?"

"No idea, but we've already got one from Duan Qirui's crashed train, so it's not too much, but it's valuable."

"You could probably get the Medal of Culture for donating it," Chen added. "No promises, but I'll file the paperwork tonight."

"Works for me," Chiu figured. "So, everything else is cleared?"

"Yeah, you're good, Chiu. You find anything else, you bring it here, alright?"

"Got it, boss," he said, before running off.

"Good kid," Marty told him.

"Marty, he's like, what, eight years younger? That isn't a kid."

"You're right. It makes us old."

Next up was Fa, who dropped a bayonet, some coins, and a sword onto the table.

"Holy shit," Chen said as the sword landed with a thud. "Where did you find this?"

"Took it off a dead guy. Had to wipe it clean, but it's not a gun, right?"

"Mongol saber," Li clarified. "Probably came from the volunteers we fought."

"Yeah it did." Fa sounded a bit too proud of that, but in his defense, said owner of the sword was trying to kill him. Chen wasn't really sure how that would work, but it's the thought that mattered. "Lot of the guys have been picking them up, too."

"Don't tell me you're switching to mounted cavalry, Fa," Chen asked him with a wry grin. "I already have to fix the tank. Last thing I need is to have to drive it, too."

"And get shot at? Hell no."

"I thought so." Not like we have that many experienced drivers, anyways. Shit, the only reason we got enough M60s was because the Army didn't have enough men to man them. "Anyways, you should be good."

"Alright," Fa happily said, before reaching down to pick up a rifle, which he dropped on the table. "Hey Major, do the museums want any of these?"

"We've got plenty," Li told him. "Hey, Mike, where do they put all the rifles?"

"By the quartermaster. That it?" Fa nodded. "Alright. Next!"

After that, it was pretty similar, with his marines checking in rings, watches, insignia, and swords.

Honestly, at this point, Michael had an easier time counting how many of his men didn't take a sword as a trophy.

The answer was zero.

Still, there were the occasional oddities, including one marine who'd get a Medal of Culture for donating, of all things, an entire set of Mongol armor.

"The hell you'd find this?" Chen asked in the nicest way possible. It wasn't so much that he was offended, but that literally every other cavalryman was riddled with bullet holes.

"Must've fallen off and gotten trampled," the marine figured. "So, would that get me up to 2nd Rank?"

"Easily," Chen promised.

After that, it was more bayonets, more swords, more coins, more flags, and more swords.

That was, until Chiu and Fa showed up again, this time dragging an entire artillery piece.

At this point, Chen didn't know what to say.

"...Where did you guys even get this?"

"Fell off a truck," Chiu told him, with as straight a face as possible. "Just messing with you, Colonel. We found this at the artillery pit. Or what's left of it. Apparently, Dragons missed one."

"Think we can bring it back home with us?" Fa asked him. "It's tradition that units display captured guns as trophies."

"He does have a point," Li pointed out. "Plus, it's not like we can use it, since Dragon Squadron keeps blowing up all the supply dumps."

"Then yeah, we're keeping it," Chen promised. "I'll try to take it apart later."

"Thanks, Colonel," Fa told him. "Also, you remember how I forgot your birthday this year?"

"This again?" Chen sighed. "I told you, it's alright. Just because I'm your commander doesn't mean you have to get me anything for my birthday."

"Yeah, well, we still felt bad about it," Chiu told him. "Plus, Zhou got you something, too."
Chen looked to see his gunner approach him. Zhou wasn't much of a talker, so he handed him a sword wrapped in a Qing flag.

"It's a present from the whole Brigade," Zhou told him. "Couldn't let you be the only one who didn't get a sword, Colonel."

"Well, thanks, guys." Chen didn't know what to say as he unwrapped the flag. Sure enough, Zhou had handed him a Mongol saber, just like the one his men had gotten. He looked at the flag in his hand, ready to hand it off to Marty before he saw the writing.

Sure enough, they'd signed it. From the looks of it, almost everyone in the armored section had signed it, plus some of the infantrymen, too.

"I appreciate it. Really, I do. Thank you."

It was at that moment that a cell phone rang. Li picked it up.

Way to kill the moment, Marty.

"You're where, Rachel?" The crowd of marines turned to the agent. "They're doing what in the Zhengzhou?!"

"Everything alright?" Michael asked his friend. Marty's face grew grim, and he shook his head. "How bad?"

"It's Fong. She's in Zhengzhou and needs backup. Now."

"I thought the Army cleared it a few hours ago."

"Yeah, a group of New Army defectors swept the area. Problem is, they're about to mutiny."

"And you need me to put it down? Marty, I'm not an MP."

"No, but you have a tank and the best infantry on the planet in case it goes hot. How fast can your men mount up?"

"Five minutes. Why?"

"I'll tell you on the way. And bring the tanks."

Zhengzhou, Henan Province, Republic of China

"They want to do what?!" Chen shouted through the mic. "What the fuck is going on there?"

"At 1400 hours, New Army defectors finished their sweep of the area. After which, several of the men garrisoned in the city began dragging Manchu women from their houses by force and began physically assaulting them."

As she spoke, Fong seemed oddly calm, but the contempt in her voice was ever-present.

"At 1410 hours, Captain Wu and I confronted them. When they refused to let the women go, we retreated to a nearby building with a few Manchu women and barricaded ourselves indoors."

"Is that it?"

"More or less!" Shannon shouted in the background. "We're holed up nicely, Mike, but if you could roll up here, that'd be gr- Hey, relax, it's going to be alright."

"Everything alright?"

"No," Fong told him. "These women are scared out of their minds, Chen. And these are the ones who got away. I'm a little busy threatening to blow these traitors' heads off with a sniper rifle, so would you kindly get over here?"

"Yeah, I see you," he told her. How couldn't he, when there was a mob of angry downtime soldiers frozen in place while their comrades held onto various women in the street. "Tiger 2-1, bring your guys around the back to cut them off."

"Roger," the Lieutenant told him over the radio as the second column broke off. "Moving out."

"Stop here," Chen told Fa, who brought the tank to a slow stop, about fifty feet away from the crowd.

Chen took a deep breath and opened the hatch, making sure he had his rifle, vest, and mags.

I'm a tanker, not an infantryman, dammit.

He could see Marty pull up in one of the Humvees, rifle in his hand. Unlike Michael, the man was a natural.

Up top, he could see the two-story building they were crowded around, with a barrel peering over the side and a familiar agent holding it.

"Gentlemen," he said as he kept his rifle down. "What seems to be the holdup?"

The crowd of men turned to see him. Those who weren't holding onto a woman were holding rifles that they'd started pointing at him.
"You marines?" one of the soldiers shouted at him.

"Yeah! 66th Marine Brigade! You?"

"We're Beiyang defectors! What are you doing here?!"

"We got a call about a bunch of soldiers about to mutiny over some women. Would you happen to know anything about that?"

"Yeah. We were just minding our own business and taking some of the spoils of war when a couple of crazy women pulled guns on us and took away our prize!"

"I see. And would those women be the people in that building?"

"Yes."

"Alright then, um… what's your name?"

"Lieutenant Pei Jian of the Zhengzhou garrison."

"Alright, Lieutenant Pei. As the ranking officer in the city as of this moment, I am ordering you to let those women go and lay down your arms for disciplinary action."

"What?! Just who the hell do you think you are to tell us to do that?"

It was at that moment that Tiger 2-1 rolled in behind the would be mutineers.

"Well,.Lieutenant Pei," he began, and aimed his T65 at the Lieutenant. "I'll cut to the chase."

"My name is Colonel Michael Chen of the Republic of China Marine Corps. And I am placing every last one of you under arrest for kidnapping, assault, and the attempted rape of non-combatants."

Pei and his men were split. One third were aimed at Fong, while another third were aimed at Tiger 2-1. Pei himself had his rifle aimed at Chen, while Li aimed his own T65 at the mutineer.

And it happened.

One of the mutineers slowly put his rifle down and put his hands in the air.

Then another.

Then two, four, eight, and many more. All of them dropping their weapons or laying them on the ground.

Now it was just Pei and the few of his officers who weren't grabbing the women they'd taken.

Pei looked around angrily at the men who'd surrendered, but he and his own refused both commands.

"Last change, Pei. Know that I will personally blow your fucking head off if you don't lay down your weapons and let those women go in the next thirty seconds. Have I made myself clear?"

The Lieutenant only scowled at him, and looked around. Nine out of ten of the mutineers had laid down their weapons, and half of the remnants were still holding on to their captives.

It was at that moment that Pei slowly laid his weapon down, with his men following suit.

"Oracle," he said into his headset, "This is Tiger Actual. We have an attempted mutiny in Zhengzhou City Center. Situation is contained, but we need MPs to secure the mutineers and medics to assist with injured civilians."

"Roger, Colonel. They'll be there in ten."

For the second time in two days, Michael Chen could breathe easy.

 

[EBR]

Addressing issues that I feel don't get dealt with enough in fiction let alone ISOT stories. Looting (which seems to be well regulated and not unreasonable) and sexual assault by among allied troops against civilians.

 

[ChrisProvidence]

Addressing issues that I feel don't get dealt with enough in fiction let alone ISOT stories. Looting (which seems to be well regulated and not unreasonable) and sexual assault by among allied troops against civilians.

Click to shrink...

Yeah, those two topics were inspired by two things.

The sexual assault by allied troops was inspired by real-life events during the Xinhai Revolution.

It was also foreshadowed in one of the sidestories where Fong proposes a plan to prevent the forced marriage and abuse of Manchu women that happened in our timeline.

Looting was based on a few clips from Band of Brothers, where pretty much all the good guys take trophies, and it's not really seen as a bad thing in any sense. Of course, said trophies come from Nazis, but the act itself isn't really shown in a bad light.

Well, except the Luger guy, but that's more because you're not supposed to look for trophies until people stop trying to shoot you.

To research this, I looked up what is considered socially acceptable to take as trophies. Obviously, body parts are off the table, but so are artifacts.

Especially when they're artifacts that belong to your own people.

Unless you're Nicolas Cage, but he didn't get sent back in time.

Things like swords, medals, knives, artillery pieces, flags, insignia, and coins seem to be fine. So are guns, but Taiwan's gun laws are very strict, so Chen permits his men to take the bayonets as trophies.

Basically, robbing the people you're liberating is frowned upon, but that goes without saying.

The guy who tried to kill you? Yeah, his stuff is fair game, so long as you aren't desecrating his corpse and don't take anything that can be used to ID him.

Of course, a bunch of that actually is going to a museum, from rifles, to enemy awards, to Qing uniforms and insignias, to the Mongolian Tug (the horsehair banner), while the Marines are taking the one artillery piece that didn't get exploded as a trophy they'll stick outside their base.

It's just that a lot of the less-valuable or significant stuff is also getting taken as trophies by the men. As long as they're not desecrating corpses or cutting limbs off, it's largely harmless, and it helps morale.

If they ever get to the Forbidden City, though…

Oh boy, they're gonna have a field day. I can see it now:

"Okay, guys. You can steal Yuan Shikai's car and do doughnuts in the courtyard. But no ripping the gold off the wall!"

 

[ChrisProvidence]

Christiansborg Palace, Copenhagen, Kingdom of Denmark, 20 September 1911

Everyone was here.

No, that was not a hyperbole when he'd observed that, because literally everyone was here.

Representing the British was Prime Minister H. H. Asquith and Foreign Secretary Edward Grey.

The French had sent over President Armand Fallières and Minister Justin de Selves.

Meanwhile, the Germans had sent Chancellor Theobald von Bethmann Hollweg as well as Secretary of State Alfred von Kiderlen-Waechter, though both the Kaiser and Kronprinz were also in attendance and expected to take part in affairs.

Continuing this trend were the Austro-Hungarians, who had sent Archduke Franz Ferdinand as lead negotiator, with his wife in tow.

Russia, for their part, was represented in person by the Tsar, though it was expected that Sergey Sazonov would do the bulk of the talking.

Italy, on the other hand, would be represented by Foreign Minister Antonino Castello, representative of Prime Minister Giovanni Giolitti.

Of course, there were several other notables, particularly Kronprins Christian, who would serve as his father's representative while the latter was on vacation in Nice, as well as Ibrahim Hakki Pasha, the Ottoman Minister of Foreign Affairs.

However, those were the "Big Six" of this conference: Great Britain, France, Russia, Germany, Austria-Hungary, and Italy. These were the great powers of Europe, and the primary reason that they were all here in the first place.

That, and the prevention of the Great War… and the Chinese Question, it seems.

Such was the magnitude that he had been brought here as well, though that was largely due to his position as First Lord of the Admiralty. That, and the deal that he and McKenna had made to switch positions less than a month ago.

"Now," the Kronprins began. Due to the presence of three members of the Triple Alliance and three members of the Triple Entente, it was settled that the hosts were best-suited to be the moderators of this all. "I thank you all for attending, in spite of our short notice. As Crown Prince of the Kingdom of Denmark, I am honored to open this Conference. Now, does anyone have anything they wish to add, before we start our discussions?"

The room fell silent, though the delegations all began eyeing one another.

"Very well," the Crown Prince decided. "Then let us begin with the first topic: European Territorial Disputes."

The First Lord took another sip from his flask and sighed.

This was going to be a long day.

Honestly, he didn't know what to expect, as within the first few minutes, both the Italian and French delegations were already making demands. The Italians, for their part, insisted on containment of Austro-Hungarian interests in the Balkans, while the French, once again, were going on about the issue of Alsace-Lorraine.

"It is worth noting," the Italian Foreign Minister insisted, "That Montenegro and Albania are likely issues of conflict between Serbia and Austria-Hungary, a conflict that I believe that we all ought to avoid."

To this, the various diplomats and leaders grumbled, though it was one of reluctant consensus.

"In light of this, I believe that it is imperative that Montenegro's neutrality is respected, akin to a Belgium of the Balkans."

"We all know full well how Belgium's neutrality was respected," Minister de Selves muttered.

"I believe that would be speculation," von Kiderlen-Waechter snapped back. "If we are to prevent this war, it is unlikely that this would be an issue."

To this, the French Minister stared him down in frustration, but removed further objections.

"Perhaps it would be preferable to maintain the status quo," said Secretary Grey. "While we are interested in the region, it is abundantly clear that an uneasy peace is preferable to a war, is it not?"

This got at least some nods from the men at the table. So far, it was the closest to a consensus that they had achieved beyond "Let us all actively attempt to prevent the Great War."

"Which brings us to another issue regarding the Balkans," said the Austro-Hungarian Crown Prince. "Tripolitania and the possibility of a Balkan War next year."

"Perhaps we could come to a compromise," proposed Ibrahim Hakki Pasha. "While we would like little more than the status quo, we are willing to transfer control of the Tripolitania Vilayet while maintaining our own Suzerainty."

"In a manner similar to the British in Egypt, yes?" asked the Italian Prime Minister, to which Hakki Pasha nodded. "In effect transferring de-facto control of the Vilayet."

"In effect, yes. In exchange, Italy will support Austria-Hungary and France in maintaining the status quo in the Balkans regarding conflict. Such terms would require non-intervention and diplomatic support at preventing a war."

"That…" Giolitti said, before Castello whispered into his ear, "...That seems… reasonable. Of course, the issue of Rumelia will need to be settled, sooner or later."

To this, many of the diplomats agreed once more.

"Perhaps a measured autonomy and delineated protections would be in order," the Archduke offered. "While we are all well aware of Constantinople's insistence on centralization, perhaps targeted concessions for the Christian and Albanian populations would prevent the catalyst for conflict."

"I do not believe that this will be palatable to Constantinople," Hakki Pasha told him.

"Perhaps. But reduced control of a territory, even if it is ever-so-slight, is better than losing control. Is it not?"

"Perhaps," the Ottoman minister conceded. "It is an imperfect solution, but a solution."

To this, Churchill was rather surprised. While he expected diplomats to act, well, diplomatically, he did not expect to see this much progress in such a short period of time. Of course, there would be other issues as well to handle.

"Then it is settled, or settled for the time being," the Kronprins announced, though all knew it was a tenuous agreement at best. Of course, that was better than what they currently had, which was nothing. "On to the issue of Morocco."

"We propose," said Viscount Grey, that the solution in the "Lost History" would be acceptable: France will control Morocco as a protectorate, while Germany will be compensated with lands from the French Congo. Do the German or French delegations have any objections?"

The French delegation, for once, was silent, while the German delegation quietly nodded.

"Then I believe we are in agreement," said the Kronprins. "This concludes our discussions regarding territorial disputes in Europe and Africa. Now that this is finished, I propose that we adjourn for the day and begin negotiations tomorrow."

To this, the various came to a more-substantial agreement, and they were all dismissed. From the corner of his eye, Churchill could see the various diplomats travel towards the reception hall, to which he joined them.

And like many of them, he traveled to the bar.

"Ah, Lord Churchill," the German Secretary of State greeted. "I take it you have had a productive day of negotiations as well?"

"Indeed. It is remarkable how rapidly so many can come to an agreement if there is a present threat."

"Of course. Speaking of which, have you paid attention to the Far East recently?"

"No, I haven't. Of course, there is the Chinese Revolution, but I haven't paid much attention to the region ever since the end of the Second Sino-Japanese War."

"Is that what they're calling it?" the German asked, before taking another sip of his drink. "A massacre would be more apt. What else would you call it when the largest naval power in the Pacific is wiped out in a few hours? No offense, of course."

"None taken." After all, the man had a point. While the Royal Navy was second to none, they were stretched out across the entire planet. "But yes, it would seem that the Chinese were somehow capable of sinking an entire fleet in a matter of hours with, how many ships was it?"

"Six dozen, I believe," the German recalled. "Despite their strongest ships having, at most, half the tonnage of a dreadnought."

"Indeed," Churchill mused. "It is remarkable. And disconcerting, if I am being honest. Now, Secretary, I take it that you aren't here to simply make idle talk?"

"Of course not. But in light of these events, perhaps it would be prudent for our two nations to come to an agreement regarding this arms race of ours."

"Truly? I would imagine that Berlin would be interested in increasing naval production in light of the events in the China Sea."

"Perhaps, but ships cost money and take time to travel around the planet. Time that a potential enemy could spend seizing our holdings in the Pacific."

"Our holdings, or Germany's holdings, Secretary?"

"Perhaps both. All I ask is that you hear me out, Churchill. Say China were to try to take Kiautschou Bay or Hong Kong."

"Go on."

"In such a scenario, it is likely that local naval forces would be inadequate to deter an attack. This, coupled with the rapid advances that they are making against the Qing, implies that the best-case scenario would be a siege, yes?"

"That it would," Churchill figured. The Boxer Rebellion was the first that came to mind. "Which would require either of our nations to send a fleet in response, if not an invasion force."

"Exactly. And while I would say that the Kaiserlische Marine and the Royal Navy are much better-equipped than the Imperial Japanese Navy, I believe that any invasion force would be wiped out before reaching shore."

"Surely you cannot believe that it would be repeated?"

"I do, Lord Churchill. While we would have the advantage in tonnage, I believe that we would be hopelessly outgunned in such a scenario."

"That would be a fair assessment," he admitted. "And I would assume that any such fleet, even if it were a combined fleet of our two navies, would likely suffer the same fate."

"Perhaps, but they would sustain heavy losses," von Kiderlen-Waechter hypothesized, before taking another sip of his drink. "In either case, it is clear that a new strategy must be enacted."

"I do not follow."

"To put it bluntly," the German diplomat told him. "The Prime Minister, Kaiser, and I have drafted a proposal to limit the naval arms race in exchange for a detente between our two nations. One in which we will both reduce our naval spending to more reasonable terms. In exchange, our two nations would cooperate on matters regarding China and respect one another's imperial interests in Africa."

"That is a bit much," Churchill answered. "Not that I would oppose it, but I would have to bring this proposal to both Foreign Secretary Grey and the PM."

"Of course," von Kiderlen-Waechter agreed, and handed him an envelope. "You will find the terms here. Now if you will excuse me, I must return to my delegation. Good day to you, Mr. Churchill."

Christiansborg Palace, Copenhagen, Kingdom of Denmark, 21 September 1911

It was another day, and Churchill found himself in the same room with the same diplomats. Though this time, the doors were locked behind them, with guards behind the doors.
As while the previous day's discussions were over open issues, these were to be done in secret, likely to prevent anyone else from getting wind.

To that end, it was just the Big Six in attendance today.

"It is clear," the Tsar said as the discussion began, "That in light of the recent Revolutionary advances in China, that the Qing Empire will be defeated on the battlefield. Given the rhetoric that comes from this "Republic of China," it is likely that they will threaten any and all holdings, should they find an opening."

"As such," he continued, it is my belief that we are to act now to ensure the protection of our holdings and concessions in China. To that end, I have dispatched General Brusilov with an intervention force so as to maintain order in the border regions of Manchuria, Mongolia, and Sinkiang. This action is not an act of aggression so much as to protect our own interests in the area, one that the Japanese have also done with regards to their own portion of Manchuria in their sphere of influence, as per the 1907 agreement between our two nations."

"And you expect us to just accept a landgrab where you take a third of China?" Von Kiderlen-Waechter was almost infuriated at the news. "We come here trying to achieve peace amongst ourselves, and you're here trying to act behind our backs!"

"This Congress is regarding Europe, Secretary. However, as you yourself have said, this new Republic of China is a potential threat to all of our interests in the region."

"That they are," von Kiderlen-Waechter admitted. "But you cannot expect us to abide while you reap the rewards of the chaos."

"Of course," the Tsar said in agreement, "Which is why I am proposing a partition. While we would be ill-advised to war with this new Republic, we are in position to expand our spheres of control. While Russia will, of course, expand our influence among the three northern protectorates, I believe that Shandong Province would be part of your own country's sphere, coupled with several Concessions along the coastline for Germany, Austria-Hungary, and Italy."

"And France and Britain?" asked Foreign Secretary Grey, "Should we decide to delineate spheres of influence in China, then we would lay claim to Tibet and Yunnan province, and I'm sure the French have their own interests."

"Hainan Island and Guangxi would be in our sphere of influence," said de Selves. "Now, if I may point out the elephant in the room, it seems that the Republic of China would raise several objections to this."

"They have a finite number of men and would be fighting against six of the strongest nations on the planet, all at once," the Tsar pointed out. "While they are able to consistently humiliate the Qing, I doubt they could enjoy the same success, so long as we act as a united front."

There it was, Churchill realized. That was the crux of this whole plan.

This agreement rested on the continued cooperation of all of the Big Six, with every nation providing the diplomatic (and if they so chose, military) backing against the Chinese.

"Now," the Tsar announced to the diplomats at the table, "Are there any questions?"

Churchill was the first to raise his hand, and the Tsar turned to him.

"While this agreement is ambitious and it has the potential to further cooperation between our six nations, this would require a combined military intervention by all of our nations, would it not?"

"Perhaps," the Tsar figured. "Though as part of the terms of this secret agreement, I believe that every signatory would be able to pursue their interests at their own discretion, so long as the other signatories provide diplomatic support."

"Which brings up another issue," Churchill said as delicately as he could. "Several of these regions are already held by the Revolutionaries. While they have not arrived in force in Sinkiang or at all in Mongolia or Manchuria, much of the Southern and Eastern parts of China are already under their control."

"Indeed," said the Tsar. "But as per the terms, each signatory will act at their own discretion within our designated spheres. Should your nation not wish to expand into the region, that is your choice."

"What the Tsar means to say," Sazonov added, "is that this agreement is first and foremost a defensive one to protect what we currently have. But if our six nations wish to maintain what we have, we must always act as a united front."

"We will not send troops to support Russian expansion," Von Kiderlen-Waechter told them all. "But under this agreement, only diplomatic support would be required, yes?"

Sazanov nodded.

"Then the German delegation withdraws our objections.

"Very well," said the Kronprins. "Now do any of the other delegations have any objections?"

The other four delegations simply nodded their heads.

For his part, Churchill could only watch in surprise at the sight before him.

Here was an agreement that could end all wars before they started… or the catalyst to an entirely different one.

 

[ChrisProvidence]

"If you can't beat 'em, get all of Europe to gang up on them."

-Tsar Nikolai II, Probably

"This could go horribly wrong, but at least we have a defensive pact against China."

-Winston Churchill, Definitely

 

[americanCaeser]

You want to unite a people? Give them an enemy to unite against.

 

[KlavoHunter]

What was he shooting at? Le didn't really know for sure, but "Shoot at the guys running away that the helicopters didn't explode" worked well enough for them.

Of course, it helped that the guys were running in the opposite direction, but Le stopped feeling bad about guys like that sometime before he got to Raqqa.

"Ammo!" Diamond shouted, and Le could only assume that the man was using his pliers to open up the M2. "Hey, Cohen, ammo!"

The downtimer nodded and handed Diamond another belt of .50 cal.

Click to shrink...

What? He wasn't handed antitank rockets instead?

 

[ChrisProvidence]

You want to unite a people? Give them an enemy to unite against.

Click to shrink...

On one hand, yeah.

On the other hand, the terms are specific for a reason.

Say Russia tries to intervene in Manchuria, Mongolia, and Xinjiang.

If they manage to take those territories, then the Big Six agree to recognize them and not interfere.

However, they aren't under any requirement to actually support Russia militarily.

Give their support at the hypothetical negotiating table? Sure.

Actually lift a finger to help them in case the Chinese shoot back? No.

Basically, Russia's advantage is also its greatest weakness in that the other European powers won't intervene in their claimed sphere of influence.

 

[otakuno313]

it's free real estate for RoC in case of actual Russian invasion, maybe take back Outer Manchuria ?