Reincarnated as Nikolai II

Chapter 176 Fruit or Seed (2)

Twenty years ago. When people naturally starved to death during famines, workers slept hanging like corpses on clotheslines or lived in coffins, and even the money earned that way went to paying lifelong debts.

That time when forced labor, forced conscription, forced exploitation were everyday life and death was too close to daily life.

'...How low were this country's citizens' expectations?'

Russia that still looks insufficient and full of deficiency to my eyes.

"They are truly grateful and satisfied. Even if they have complaints, they express and fulfill them through other channels."

Someone says that alone is enough.

"We've finally brought down the Ottoman Empire we fought for 400 years. We've unified Poland, and despite the history of the Tatar Yoke, our power extends to Asia. When all the lands of the old Eastern Roman Empire have come into our hands through war, what imperial citizen would dare criticize this nation's direction?"

"Still insufficient. Our competitors are wealthier than us, and just look at the United States enjoying prosperity."

"But imperial citizens don't know such things. Their only points of comparison are their own past and previous generations."

Originally this country collapses in three months.@@@@

It suffers for another century due to a failed revolution and ends up remaining in history as just another country, never catching up to the widened gap.

Yet this country.

"The empire still has strength left to wage war."

Has changed so much.

Feeling this change makes me think my reign wasn't in vain, and simultaneously.

'...Perhaps we don't need to end the war hastily.'

I think the war could go on a bit longer.

Not much, just a little more.

Even if the Austro-Hungarian Empire collapses, so that Western Front can suffer more.

==

Territorial preservation? Financial support? Nonsense without even needing to check.

How could Germany, suffering from a two-front war, support and help anyone?

That's just a ploy to make America's South attack to delay weapons exports and prevent them from turning their eyes to Europe.

At this moment, Woodrow Wilson had two choices.

First, burying the incident.

The option of downplaying and covering up the incident by dismissing it as low-credibility intelligence information to maintain the traditional Monroe Doctrine.

Second was amplifying the incident.

That was revealing the information sent by Ambassador Page directly to the press and public to show Germany's hostility.

Monroe Doctrine, anti-war, isolation, independence, safety, peace...

While words that were his political ideology and lifelong beliefs flashed by, Wilson thought once more about the essence of this Monroe Doctrine.

'This country's long-standing diplomatic policy. Isolation policy and mutual non-interference.'

However, could staying silent even on this Zimmermann Telegram really be called protecting peace? Wilson couldn't confidently answer.

Above all.

'My second term remains unchanged.'

The election already ended last year. Meaning this is Wilson's final term.

Wilson's deliberation wasn't long.

"Today, the United States has been designated as an enemy nation. They are trying to throw this country into chaos by manipulating New World neighbors from behind."

His choice was the second.

"That country's name is Germany. I hereby reveal the Zimmermann Telegram incident."

The future of this democratic nation would be chosen by the public.