Reich Marshal of the Belkan Reich

RM Vol 4: War – Interlude: More Subtle Development?

The view of the setting sun over the Pacific Ocean is breathtaking. Unlike the ashen sky that now permeated Dunkirk, Spratly Islands welcome a crystal clear sunset with rays of light dancing over the sandy shoals. Today, by the beach of Spratly Islands, Angela Fesch and her mother, Audrey, are having a well-deserved break, with the two of them building sand castles and playing by the seaside. Standing a bit of a distance away from them is the Duke of Indochina himself, Joseph, who is looking at Angela and Audrey with undisguised love and pride. Nevertheless, despite his heart telling him to come and join them, Joseph's mind knows that it's not yet the time. There are official businesses to be done before he joins the pair of mother and daughter for dinner.

Turning around, Joseph walks to rejoin a discussion, taking place in an unassuming cottage in the tropical jungle of the island chain. Yet, that cottage is situated directly above a natural harbor, one that may seem untouched by the human hands. However, those sitting in this cottage know better, and today's discussion has revolved around the place just below them.

"Apologize, gentlemen." Joseph says, reaffixing his beach-goer shirt and removing his shade before reclaiming his seat. "Had to check on my family and all that."

Sitting directly across Joseph is, surprisingly, a Chinese in civilian clothing. Seemingly in his late twenties to early thirties, this scholarly man with glasses is a member of the Long Dynasty Navy. He is also part of a secret Chinese delegation in the three-way discussion between not just Joseph's faction and the Long Dynasty but also the Belkan Reich. Reformists, Chinese, and Belkans sitting down together is nothing new. What is new is that this Chinese man who is much younger than Joseph is holding the rank of Admiral of the Long Dynasty Navy. It's shocking news to be heard, at first, but when you think deeper, you can understand why the Chinese put such a young Admiral in charge. In a time where things are changing at a rapid pace, young talents are better promoted and utilized, with the old veterans being placed in advisory statuses so that a nation can continue to develop and expand. Joseph thinks it's a bit regretful that his Southern Indochina faction is now falling behind the formerly lackluster Long Dynasty. If only his sons weren't so easily fallible, Joseph would have had the leeway to ride the shifting tide and bring more prosperity to Indochina, making it a true jewel for Ustio.

But alas, now is not the time to think about what if, Joseph's mulling is broken by the Chinese Admiral saying.

"Family is very important, Lord Duke. Besides, our talks have nearly reached the end. To end the day, we can reiterate some key points to make sure we're all on the same page. I think I speak for everyone here that it's a shame indeed to venture this far out without enjoying what the sea has to offer."

Joseph and others at the table nod at the suggestion. "Then let's continue and finalize our agreement."

Although everyone wants to end the discussion early, the critical nature of this three-way agreement makes it so that the talk continues for another half an hour. By then, the sun has already been replaced by the stars. Nevertheless, the meeting has been fruitful for all parties involved, with the key takeaways from the talk are:

• Joseph Fesch's Southern Indochina faction will discreetly share control of the Paracel Islands and Spratly Islands with the Belkan Reich and Long Dynasty. Facilities, naval facilities, and on-shore installations, previously built by the Fesch Ducal family and secretly expanded upon by the Belkan Reich will be jointly governed by a combined force of the Indochinese Colonial Navy, Long Dynasty Navy, and Belkan Reichsmarine and Marine Corps.

• A secret defensive pact between the Long Dynasty and Southern Indochina. More specifically, it's an agreement catered specifically for the Long Dynasty Navy to use the Paracel and Spratly Islands as overseas naval bases for their naval warships. In exchange, when an enemy like Japan encroaches on the naval sovereign of Indochina, the Long Dynasty must make a visible effort to deter them in conjunction with the Colonial Navy.

• This agreement basically ensures a continuing naval presence of the Long Dynasty in the Pacific area. In the event of the East China Sea being too inhospitable for the Dynasty's fleet, the Indochina island naval bases serve as critical fallback points. Thus ensuring the Long Dynasty could stage a naval guerilla campaign against enemy shipping.

• To facilitate the presence of three possible naval fleets in the region, the Belkan Reich has and will continue to fortify the Paracel and Spratly Islands with hidden installations and facilities. In the event of a Japanese amphibious invasion in the region, the Belkan Reich will announce the presence of their assets on the Islands as part of a different Reformist-Belkan agreement.

• Although the Belkan Reich is not technically a part of the defensive pact, the presence of their assets on the Islands is more than enough deterrence. If someone even sneezes at them wrongly, the Reich can easily spin a casus belli.

As for why the secret pact only touches upon Southern Indochina and the Indochina Colonial Fleet, Central and Northern Indochina are now different factions in all but names. It's not to the point of tearing faces yet, but Joseph's sons are starting to dismantle the colonial ruling system that the Fesch family has painstakingly built and upheld over the years. Although Joseph is understandably disappointed over many things, the actions of his sons only serve to steel himself for future events. There will come a time when relatives will have to face off against each other. The Duke can only hope to achieve a future where it's him that delivers the final blows to his sons' stupidity and not Angela. The girl, bright as she may be, is still too innocent to even think of eliminating her brothers. The ambitious nature of Joseph's sons will only bite Angela back if she's the one to spare them in the end. So, it's up to Joseph as their father to right what's wrong, no matter the cost. And if that means he will have to take a very adventurous step forward, then so be it.

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BANG BANG BANG

Overlooking the firing range with ears protection on, Ambassador Elv of the Belkan Reich embassy in the US can't stop herself from being enchanted by muffled sounds of gunfire and the scent of gunpowder in the air. Currently, Ambassador Elv and her delegation are joined by members of the United States Army in reviewing new prototype small arms. These prototype firearms are candidates for adoption as part of the US Military Modernization and Standardization Program, MSP for short. It's through the MSP that the United States military seeks to find commonalities with their peers in the Belkan Reich, Reformists, and the Long Dynasty. A major component of the program is for the US Army to switch to 8 mm Mauser ammo and other munitions and calibers that their future allies are using. Understandably, some hardliners in the US protested these changes, citing that it should be the Reich and the Chinese conforming to the American standard instead. However, opposition to the MSP is always met with swift ends under the Roosevelt administration.

The Belkans have driven too good of a bargain for the USA to decline. The MSP will keep not just the United States military modern and capable, but it will also keep the American people well-fed and well-paid due to the many jobs created through the program. The initial investment for the program is surprisingly minimal as it's not like the Americans will be starting from scratch. Data packages, advisors, and even production lines are provided initially by the Belkan Reich. The USA only has to pick what suits its needs best, develop it, and eventually mass-produce it, using the many refurbished factories under Senator Iverson's name. Currently, Ambassador Elv is at the firing range so that the US Army can finally decide upon its future rifle design.

Of the eight initial candidates in the rifle trial, only two rifle designs are left. While all of them are semi-automatic rifle prototypes and are chambered in the lighter 8 mm Mauser instead of .30-06 Springfield, one rifle is designed by John C. Garand while the other is created by John Pedersen. If one understands the history between these two Johns, then one must know that Pedersen lost to Garand once in 1932. Back then, Pedersen's complicated toggle-locked rifle was declined in favor of Garand's simpler design. However, seven years later, the MSP may be the last chance Pedersen will get at one-upping Garand. Once more, the two talented firearm designers duke it out via their rifles. The prototypes of their new rifles are being handled by the veterans of the American Volunteer Division who participated in the Spanish-Sardegna War.

Having been paying attention to the MSP ever since its conception, however, Ambassador Elv has a pretty clear picture of who will win in the end. While John Garand's M1 Garand rifle is the nominal winner of the 1932 contest, the rifle Garand presents in the current 1939 program is, at the end of the day, a rechambered and slightly updated version of that 1932 design. It's just an M1 Garand with an en bloc clip holding eight rounds of 8 mm Mausers. John Pedersen, however, goes beyond that. Having learned from his mistakes and even poured over what his competitors did better than him, Pedersen now comes up at the MSP with a whole new rifle design. Although at first glance Pedersen's rifle looks much like the M1 Garand, the Pedersen rifle is very different internally while being similarly simple enough. The Pedersen rifle is also lighter, yet it sports an impressive 20-round detachable magazine that can be reloaded via clips. Both weapons maintain impressive reliability and accuracy for weapons that are not Belkan-made. Nevertheless, Pedersen's design rectifies some minor gripes that plagued the M1 Garand in certain circumstances. The overall weight reduction and large ammo capacity are the cherry on top for the Pedersen rifle. Regardless, with the M1 Garand's production lines mostly there, rechambering the M1 Garand is easy enough. Creating a new logistical chain for the Pedersen rifle? Not so much. The capitalists seem more inclined to reject John Pedersen once more, but Ambassador Elv thinks differently.

"It has to be noted that the Belkan military is also using rifles with detachable 20-round magazines as well. Won't it be more convenient if we share not just the ammo type but also magazine designs as well?"

Just that light-hearted comment alone, when placed at a well-opportune time, has changed the perception of many decision-makers on the MSP board. While this may count as Ambassador Elv throwing her weight around to heighten the chance of Pedersen winning, her action stems from a purely practical standpoint. Since the Reich Marshal is seeking to standardize some logistical aspects of multination military actions, the ability to easily share ammo and magazines between common foot soldiers is a critical advancement. As long as Pedersen can adapt his rifle to use the magazines of the Belkan G1 battle rifle, the Reich Marshal's concern can be lessened greatly in the future. After all, once the USA has decided upon their new generation of small arms, they will be mass-producing not just for themselves but also for the Long Dynasty. There are already orders made by the Chinese for large quantities of semi-automatic weapons in an attempt to further improve their firepower. While it may be impossible to outfit all of the Dynasty's Army with semi-automatic rifles, it's nonetheless a worthy endeavor to outfit elite or veteran Chinese Divisions for a future war. With that knowledge, if the Pedersen rifle wins, that means there will soon be millions of guns all using the G1 rifle magazines on three whole continents. If the Chinese can be involved in producing magazines for the G1 rifle as well, then the Belkan and American soldiers won't have to worry about whether their guns will go hungry.

In simpler words, the Pedersen rifle can be a catalyst for a virtuous cycle. Ambassador Elv decides to quickly excuse herself to contact Berlin. If her words fail to secure Pedersen's victory, then perhaps some lubricating money can be used. May as well consider it a minor investment for a big return. And although the shootout between Garand and Pedersen is quite interesting, the MSP covers not just small arms fire. The program also includes developments in the entire US Army as a whole and the Navy and Army Air Corps. Anything that can be easily shared between the Belkan Reich, the Reformists, the USA, and the Long Dynasty, start evaluating, adopting, and mass-producing it! That is the overall sentiment of the leaders of the four factions. Still, unironically, most of the things being adopted stem from the Belkan Reich.