Re: Blood and Iron Chapter 378 378: Treaty of Versailles

After the war had ended, and the conference began to establish more permanent peace in the world, or at least attempt to do so. One thing beca certain: France, as the last belligerent of the war, was expected to pay the costs Germany had incurred fighting it.

Whether the use of ammunition, the buildup of arms, or the lives that had been lost. The figure while staggering, was not as bad as what Germany had experienced in Bruno's past life, nor did Germany make any unreasonable demands of France like limiting the size of its army, forcing the abdication of its current governnt, or splitting up its territory, especially those lands which their economy relied upon.

All in all, the Treaty of Versailles in this life was far more lenient than the one in Bruno's past life. As for the negotiation of colonial territories in the near east, any possessions of claims by the allied powers were imdiately withdrawn.

Instead, the Arab leaders present had agreed upon a United Arab State, a federal monarchy modeled after Germany. This state, as per previous conditions, allowed for the free pilgrimage of Abrahamic religions into the Holy Land, albeit with modern limitations like security checks at port of entry, and limits to the duration of their stay without a proper visa.

Turkey had established itself on borders east of Ionia, while the gains that Greece had made as a result of aligning with the central powers were solidified. As for the transfer of African colonies to Germany, the dream of a mittelafrika was established.

Germany gained what it wanted from Britain and France in the region, but in the long term it would not remain under their control. In fact, Bruno had already discussed in secret his plans for German colonization with the Kaiser in private, and after explaining his reasoning, the Kaiser also thought this was a good idea.

SO why transfer ownership over so many African colonies to Germany if they were just going to go through a peaceful transitionary period towards independence, and debt trap diplomacy with the use of German rcenary forces employed as a regional security force?

Because it would give the Africans a better perspective of the Germans, they weren't "colonizers" they were "liberators" gaining Africa from the British in France to give it back to the Africans who couldn't liberate themselves by their own ans.

This was quite honestly a thod the Russians had used throughout Africa as a way of appealing to the nations in the 21st century, gaining economic and military advantages out of doing so, without incurring the cost associated with traditional colonialism.

Ultimately, the maps in Europe did not shift too terribly much after the war, but the maps in Asia and Africa began to change. Japan seized large swaths of territory from the British and French, while Thailand regained its previous national borders.

Having spent weeks, or even months, negotiating the finer details of the treaty, it was eventually signed and ratified by all nations involved, allowing the Central Powers to return to their hos and their families as victors and conquerors.

However, if there was one majorly notable event that would go down in the history books, it was when the French leaders began protesting the sum of reparations they were supposed to pay, in which Bruno simply responded with two Latin phrases that completely shut them down.

"Vae victis, veni, vidi, vici!"

The statent "woe to the vanquished, I ca I saw I conquered" showed exactly the mood Bruno was in, after everything he had put the French through, the fact that their governnt still had the gall to bitch and whine about their treatnt truly made him angry.

And thus he proclaid to their faces that they should "cry more" and followed it this insult with another slap to the face by posing the question "what are you going to do about it?" in the most elegant and classical way possible.

After leaving Versailles the German Kaiser couldn't help but laugh and shake his head as he pulled Bruno aside and warned him about the consequences of what he had just said with a far more severe tone in his voice than his previous jovial behavior had let on.

"You do realize the French will never forget this insult..."

Bruno however was perfectly stoic, as he responded to the Kaiser's worries with a far more grim statent than the man was expected.

"Good, then they will rember what happens when they invade the German Reich..."

Bruno did not wait for another word to co from the Kaiser as he adjusted his coat and walked off to regroup with the other world leaders and generals. Wilhelm was definitely surprised by the curtness of the man's response, but he also understood the words behind it.

They had so effortlessly dismantled France that there was nothing the French could do to oppose their whims and wishes, and they still had the nerve to make complaints. Bruno had to remind them, even if it humiliated them further during negotiations, that they didn't last more than a week against the current German Army once the fatherland bared its fangs against them.

And they could easily do so again. As a result, the Kaiser was forced to admit that the French had gone too far with their complaining, especially at a peace conference where they wielded no power to leverage in their favor.

No doubt the fact that Bruno had chosen to intimidate them into surrender, rather than just burn their city to the ground was an act of benevolence on his part, and they repaid him by whining.

After thinking this through, Wilhelm agreed with Bruno's dismissive statents towards the French and their complaints. And even shook his head in disgust after giving Versailles one last look before departing from France once and for all.

Peace had been secured, but France, Britain, Austro-Hungary, and several other European nations were left incredibly unstable as a result. The fall and winter of 1916 would be a cause for great celebration in the western world, while the Spring would be known for the lesser wars waged in the aftermath of the Great War.

But for now Bruno returned ho, hoping to gain so much needed rest and leisure before such a troubleso near future found him.