Reincarnated as Nikolai II

"The Combined Fleet... has been defeated."

Fleet Commander Admiral Tōgō Heihachirō, survived.

1st Fleet Commander Admiral Katō Tomosaburō, killed.

2nd Fleet Commander Kamimura Hikonojō, severely wounded.

Fleet Staff Commander Akiyama Saneyuki, killed. Though junior in rank, he was actually Heihachirō's closest aide and played a central role in Naval Ministry operations planning.

2,880 killed. 820 wounded.

Half their strength was gone, and even the remainder that barely made it back to port needed decisions on whether to salvage or scrap them.

"...What about... what about the enemy?"

A naval fleet battle leading to the navy being swept away was predetermined anyway. The Combined Fleet's purpose wasn't to win, but to stop the enemy.

In other words, if enemy casualties were also high, the operation would be considered successful.

However, the news that continued to Iwao's ears wasn't what he wanted to hear.

"One enemy battleship half-destroyed. One sunk. Though they lost numerous other ships... their combat power loss isn't as great as ours."

"D-does that mean they could come down again anytime?"

"...Yes."

In the early stages of the war, Imperial Headquarters sent all war supplies and troops focusing on Busan, Wonsan, and Jemulpo.

Then when the Yalu River front was active, ships went back and forth to Nampo, just below Pyongyang.

Finally after the Manchurian battlefield opened, ships flying the Rising Sun flag carried reserves, food, and war supplies all the way to Sinuiju at the Yalu River estuary.

But now if all sea routes were blocked...

"...Are all our expeditionary forces completely isolated now?"

"Potentially, yes. That's correct."

No? No. Not complete isolation. If we recall that we can still scrape together forces and the enemy hasn't occupied Korea's ports yet, transporting supplies is still possible.

For example, delivering supplies through Tsushima-Busan avoiding enemy operation times.

Then sending supplies from Busan to Hanyang via American-owned railways.

Railway transport from Hanyang to Pyongyang. Then transport from Pyongyang to the Manchurian battlefield via railway and land routes.

If we try to send supplies this way, though not much, it's somewhat possible.

As if proving he hadn't risen to Chief of General Staff for nothing, Iwao's mind kept turning, searching for a needle of light in the darkness.

However, as his thoughts deepened, the darkening gloom brought one realization with it.

"Ah, ah..."

The realization that as time passes, the ability to maintain the front line converges to zero.

The national treasury was already scraped to the bottom for war expenses, and now supply transport has become dozens of times more difficult.

Even with direct Osaka, Nagoya-Manchuria routes, Imperial Headquarters was nagging like a wife scraping the expedition force's bowl, but now they can't even do that.

Still, still haven't lost the ports yet.

Coastal artillery is installed at each port and it seems there's time before the enemy captures rear ports for landing.

But what good is that?

"4th general offensive failed! General Yamagata requests more reserves be sent!"

"They ask to send all remaining high-explosive shells in the homeland! The enemy has gone from fighting in the mountains to digging underground!"

"Disease is spreading in our camps! If countermeasures aren't taken, we'll suffer great casualties like last winter when tens of thousands suffered from beriberi!"

This country is an island nation, but has no navy.

Though they fought with their backs to the wall, all information leads to one conclusion.

Defeat.

This war is lost.

"Chief of Staff Iwao, is there a way?"

However, before the numerous gazes of the cabinet and Imperial Headquarters, Iwao dared not utter the word 'defeat.'

If he mentioned defeat now, not only would he be held responsible for overseeing all operation planning, but he would surely become a scapegoat for all blame.

Instead, he wracked his brains to answer while hiding as little of the truth as possible.

Discover hidden stories at empire

"Prime Minister. Armistice, we must negotiate an armistice even now."

While Korea is still in their hands now.

While the Manchurian front line can be maintained even one more day and our forces are somewhat less ground down today.

And at this moment when we don't know when the state might go bankrupt.

We must negotiate.

We must stop the war.

That day, Imperial Headquarters' objective began to change, led by Iwao.

If until now they existed to win the war, from now on it would be to end the war.

Itō immediately summoned the American and British ministers first.

==

After the Battle of the Yalu River, the 3rd Army's 9th, 10th, and 13th Divisions received supplies through Wonsan port and advanced through Hamhung-Gyeongseong-Hoeryong until April, aiming for Vladivostok by land, but failed as thawing made Wonsan port unusable.

June 5th. East Sea Naval Battle, Russian victory. Japanese Combined Fleet unable to perform mission.

Russia begins full maritime takeover after one week of maintenance.

June 9th. Yamagata Aritomo's 4th general offensive lasting nearly 3 weeks fails. Estimated casualties 50,000.

No possibility of another offensive due to Combined Fleet defeat impact.

As enemy pulls back front line after 4th general offensive failure, General Keller begins southward advance.

General Dukhovskoy establishes southward plan immediately after Manchurian rotation ends.

And June 29th, today.

"Hmm, what did you say?"

"We earnestly request that the Tsar carefully consider the armistice proposal."

An armistice proposal has arrived.

Okay, wanting armistice negotiations after getting thoroughly beaten while eagerly advancing? That kind of proposal? That's possible.

But why am I hearing this from the American ambassador?

Furrowing his brow as he asked, the man before him politely recited his nonsense again.

"Ambassador McCormick. I'm not asking about the content of this proposal now. I'm curious why you are presenting this armistice proposal to me."n/ô/vel/b//in dot c//om

"Haven't Russia and Japan withdrawn all legations and severed diplomatic relations since last December? My country reluctantly received the request and thus I came here."

"You could have sent a telegram or used other methods? Then we would have responded accordingly."

Of course, we wouldn't have responded to such nonsense even if we received it.

They eagerly advanced all the way to Manchuria before, but now they want an armistice?

"Last spring. When I was negotiating an armistice with Japan. My cousin Willy snapped at me by telegram saying 'You are a naive angel!'"

"You mean the German Emperor?"

"Yes, saying I was weakly trying to make an armistice even though the opponent was clearly showing their greed."