Reincarnated as Nikolai II

"Go back today. I'll just accept your intentions in my heart."

"General, at this rate the Imperial Army might lose its center again and return to the army of the past! Someone must rise to Chief of Staff to control everyone and protect the Empire's security-"

"Just go for now. Unless you're trying to commit mass suicide."

Is it that subordinates are acting up because the Chief of Staff position is vacant, or is he really someone worthy of such expectations?

Whatever the true intentions of Kornilov and his subordinate commanders.

Kuropatkin, who was a born politician, didn't rise to Chief of Staff like this.

After thoroughly contemplating for several days to organize his thoughts, Roman headed to the Tsar staying at the Summer Palace.

And immediately knelt down.

"Your Majesty, why are you trying to abandon us! Please just let us live! We won't hold guns anymore! Shovels! Grain! Sandbags! We'll never covet the armored branch again!"

"Hmm?"

First, he begged.

If one wants to rise to Chief of Staff, this is the way.

==

The Washington Naval Treaty that was concluded after about three months of marathon conferences starting at the end of 1921.

In the original history, the fundamental cause of this treaty lay in the Anglo-Japanese Alliance.

Because numerous self-proclaimed experts, scholars, publications, magazines and tabloids clamored that war would break out in Asia around 1923 when American and Japanese naval power became equal.

America judged this scenario had credibility, and thought that with the Anglo-Japanese Alliance added, they might be driven out of Asia entirely beyond losing Chinese interests and the Philippines.

This sounded like quite convincing logic to any country in the 1920s, because there had been exactly such an example until just recently.

Namely Germany. Well, Sarajevo lit the fuse, but anyway Germany's naval power increase was one of the main causes of the Great War.

However, in the current era, the Anglo-Japanese Alliance is a relic that disappeared quite long ago.

Though ship construction costs increased exponentially and the big gun doctrine emerged after the Dreadnought appeared in 1906, Japan was still bending over backwards paying debts and though they built Dreadnoughts bit by bit, it was nowhere near comparable to America.

Then why was this Washington Naval Treaty concluded even though history changed?

'Because of us. We have three seas to protect so we need to build naval power, but to others it looked like we were building too rapidly.'

Relations between Russia and the Western world had already been creaking since the midst of the Great War, and America must have felt this too.

But then battleships keep popping out of the docks one after another right after the war ends?

America had two choices here.

First, have the administration and Congress increase the naval budget equally to avoid being driven out of Asia.

The other was to make Russia unable to spend money.

Wilson, who was president at the time, true to his nature, thought 'Wouldn't it benefit everyone if we all just don't spend money?' and additionally brought in Britain, France, and Italy who would dislike Russia's naval power increase.

Main guns 16 inches or less.

Displacement 35,000 tons or less.

Existing docked ships acknowledged but additional construction prohibited for 10 years.

However, if there are retired ships, their space can be replaced with similar displacement.

For me, these conditions weren't too bad.

When we lack money to invest in economic development, it's cheaper to wallpaper the coast with cruisers unsuitable for ocean navigation, and in the first place, rather than growing Dreadnoughts, it's better to invest in coastal defense aviation in the long term.

We can't go out to the ocean anyway.

This is just Russia's geopolitical position only reaching the Mediterranean, Baltic Sea, and being generous, the East Sea.

The arms reduction treaty was achieved as mutual interests aligned according to Wilson's intentions.

It was simple content that I didn't pay much attention to afterwards and had no need to look back on.

Then why.

"I said get up? Is your cartilage not listening because you're old, or are you not listening to me?"

Read exclusive adventures at My Virtual Library Empire

"Though it may sound disloyal, I cannot until you explicitly promise not to abandon our Imperial Army!"

Is Roman suddenly running to me, prostrating and begging for his life?

Though I'm not someone swayed by personal connections unable to distinguish public and private matters, I'm still a person with emotions.

Roman, how long have I shared years with him and how great were the achievements he accomplished at my direction?

The man Roman Kondratenko is someone even I cannot easily dismiss and his very existence is a symbol of the Imperial Army. In political status, he's comparable to Sophia Alekseevna who was Peter the Great's first servant and alter ego.

Just saying he's someone I can't throw away either.

'He's even quite old now? Unless he's trying to rebel, at worst I'd just send him home, not kill him?'

It's rather scary to me when someone like this begs desperately first. Just what did he do wrong to act like this?

"Though we're not connected by blood like Peter the Great and Sophia, who doesn't know I consider you like a brother? Who sent you to the Far East from being Chief Adjutant of the Vilna District and raised you there? All me. So speak frankly."

"...Your Majesty."

"What's the problem."

After keeping them in suspense for a moment while receiving quite pitying gazes from around, Roman finally began pouring out his prepared speech.

"Though the arms reduction treaty was concluded, the army's position is changing from before now that relations with the United States have become awkward. Forces are decreasing from the past and professional soldiers are increasing more than conscripts. And at this rate, the army's place is expected to gradually disappear. Engineering caught in between might vanish even more. However, my prediction is different! If France claims to protect their nation by presenting the Grande Armée, I think our Imperial Army is the only card that can protect not just Europe's peace but Asia's peace!"

"...So."

"You mustn't let go of the army's hand like this! Rather, strengthen the army through one more military reform! Unlike the navy, strengthening the army won't receive other countries' checks, so raise the Empire's status through us and achieve the Empire's prosperity!"

"..."

I thought I'd heard this repertoire somewhere before. This bastard... he didn't kneel begging for his life?

"Roman."

"Yes, Your Majesty."

"Did you kneel before me for momentum?"

"What do you mean by that..."

Acting like you don't know. Just looking at the lines, you clearly came with a script written and reviewed.

"Guards! Call the Okhrana!"

"What? Y-Your Majesty! If you just listen to my explanation a bit more-"

"Roman General here says he has something to confess!"

"Uh?"

Where does this guy think he's writing a scenario.