Alexander of the 20th Century

Twenty–third chapter

Extract from: “1948, the mark of a new era”:

“… During 1948, around the world happened various events of critical importance which marked the start of the Cold War between the three main blocks which split Europe and the rest of the planet, creating new tensions those almost brought the situation towards a new World War during 1951-1953, especially after the British “days of the Fall”, the “Week of blood” in the Empire consequence of the Spanish Royal succession crisis, the American invasion of Cuba and the coup of Beria in USSR after the death of Stalin.

Europe - Empire of Italy and Balkans

In 1948, the Empire seemed finally aware of its power. Its recognition as “third superpower” (along with the USA and the USSR, but it was a status more formal than real, because in the immediate years of the post-war the federation didn’t had yet a global capacity to exercise its influence) was sanctioned by the realization of project Pandora which allowed the detonation of the first Imperial Nuclear bomb in the desert of Libya the 14th May 1947. In order to appease the public opinion, it was declared officially that the use of the Nuclear deterrent will be approved only by the dual approval of the Duce and the Emperor, because many feared Mussolini could use indiscriminately the bomb.

The internal situation, thanks to the consolidation of the Imperial Senate over the single assemblies of the Federate Nations, and the redeployment of detachments of the Imperial Army in instable zones such as Central Serbia, Thessaly, Thrace, and Yemen to suppress the various partisan guerrilla, continued to stabilize further in favor of the central government in Rome. However, the Imperial rule still fatigued to impose not only in its core regions but also and above all in the colonies and in the puppet states.

In Africa, the path initiated almost abruptly by France for the evolution of its colonial empire towards a commonwealth awakened dreams of independence in the rest of the black continent, and the Italian colonies didn’t make exception. In Libya, the local native tribes, gradually pushed from the coastal regions to the desert ones because of the immigration from Europe, badly tolerated the colonial regime (and later further tensions will rise after the discover and the nationalization in favor of state agency AGIP of the oil sources in the Lybian desert); in recently acquired Nubia, the local population, which certainly wasn’t happy to see the retirement of the British only to become servants of the Italians, started a guerrilla supported from the Sudanese in the south; in Yemen, the restoration of the Royal Family in the South-East under the protection of the British promoted a secret movement of liberation, however divided between Communists and Monarchists. In AOI, colony with a mayor degree of autonomy respect to the others, the situation was better, also because many Italian immigrants marry a native, favoring later the rise of a mixed generation with Imperial citizenship which in the next years will contribute to the govern of the region, while many Ethiopians and Eritreans served in the colonial army. The previous system of the Ras was disbanded in favor of the centralized colonial government, but the Ethiopian elites didn’t completely throw out from the picture, and accepted to collaborate with the Italians.

In Europe, aside with the most unwilling regions to accept the new course, the Empire found difficulties to keep control of Austria, but also Moldavia kept some resentment towards Rome to not have pushed further the issue of the reunification with Transylvania. However, the fear of the possible invasion of the Red Army, combined to the presence of the Imperial Army, kept almost quietly the two countries. However, while Moldavia remained always loyal to the Empire for necessity, Austria showed signs of growing discontent. Only the agreements of Bern of 1953, son of the new course of the Empire, saved the Alpine country from the fate later destined to Hungary in 1956, which as paradox was fruit of these agreements…

The Empire played during that year a decisive role in the birth of Israel, contributing to the Hebrew victory and the defeat of the Arabian League by massively support the new nation with weapons, money, and volunteers (receiving later benefits from Jerusalem and above all a strong ally in Middle East), and in the final phases of the Chinese civil war, when the Army of China resisted for almost four years to any attempt of the Communist forces to take Beijing.

But the unexpected event which caught all the Empire by surprise was the sudden heart attack of Benito Mussolini the 6th September in Athens while he was doing a travel across the Federate Empire. The Duce survived but the delays in his relief partially damaged his brain, de facto brought him to motor paralysis (but still conscious and able to understand). At Rome, the Great Council showed signs of panic, because Mussolini never thought about a succession system over his persona, because he seemed still in good health condition and, like many authoritarian rulers, he didn’t put in consideration the necessity to plan a future over him. Also, the news about the survival of Mussolini, along with that of the paralysis, complicated further the situation, because nobody had the courage to dismiss the Duce from his role, fearing the violence of his die-hard supporters.

In the end, a compromise between the notables of the PNF and the generals of the Imperial Army was found. In order to govern the federation until the Duce’s full recover (a strict curtain was placed around him, transported in a reserved hall of the Umberto I Hospital in Rome, and the news of his condition were kept reserved to the public), a “Fascist Quadrumvirate for the Public Salute” will fulfill to his duties. The members were Galeazzo Ciano, Alessandro del Leone-Mussolini, Rodolfo Graziani and Italo Balbo, while the role of secretary of PNF will be assumed by Dino Grandi in order to mediate between the various parts of Italian Fascism. The solution encountered a large support from almost all the sectors of the Empire, because the Quadrumivers were popular as the main architects of the Empire besides the Duce of course, and represented the moderate and major side of the Italian Fascism.

The Quadrumvirate, passed the emergency of the moment, started to prepare a smooth transition for the succession of Mussolini. The common agreement between the various parts was nobody outside Benito Mussolini will be allowed to bear the title of Duce, so it was decided to restore the role of First Minister: to be more exactly, of “First Minister of the Emperor’s Fascist Great Council”. The intent was to let become the Great Council of Fascism the only and real government of the Empire by merging what remained of the Council of Ministers with him; the First Minister however will be proclaimed (and only removed) by the Emperor, who will delegate the control of the armed forces to him (in substance, like Vittorio Emanuele III did with Mussolini before). However, because they didn’t trust so much the old ruler, the reform will entered in vigor only after the death of the Duce and of the current Emperor; in fact, Umberto of Savoia was willing to cooperate with the “next fascist generation”, and to keep in vigor the Italian Duarchy, which will resulted more balanced and however gave more responsibility to the role of the Emperor. The Quadrumvires promoted a major involvement of the Imperial figure officially for adding more stability, but in truth were moved by the fear the successor of Mussolini, if too strong, could get rid of them one day.

The Quadrumvirate however managed to cooperate properly for almost four years, until the chain reaction of events in 1952 changed drastically the assets of power in the Empire…

Europe – Germany and Austria

1948 saw the formalized division of the Third Reich in three nations, sign of the tri-division of Europe: the People’s Republic of Germany in North, with capital Berlin East (the city remained divided in two parts), the Federal Republic of Germany in South with capital Munich (because a capital on the Rheinland was too difficult to protect in case of war with the Communists, while Baden and Wurttemberg were too near to the French border), and the Fascist Republic of Austria.

North and South Germany received valuable help from their respective occupants, in order to recover soon from the wounds of the defeat. However, the two countries were soon economical balanced, because if the North could counted on a major control of resources, the South had access to a more large commercial market for its goods. But the Rhein-Mein line divided Germany also and above all religiously, because the population of the South was largely Catholic and the North predominantly Protestant, so favoring a major influence of the Roman Church in the Federal Republic and the predominance of the CDU; this allowed the Federal Republic to better approach the other German Catholic country, Austria, despite in these it was strongly influenced by the Empire.

The original plan to make the Alpine country a new Federate Nation was immediately abandoned, under pressure of the Catholic Church, and following the example of the Soviets and the Western Allies the Empire in 1948 proclaimed unilaterally the birth of the “Fascist Republic of Austria”, piloting the constitutional elections which favored the Austrian Fascist Party, using at its advantage the Communist menace. But the puppet government however wasn’t extremely popular. In fact, from the lowest to the most upper and conservative classes, which previously supported Hitler’s dictatorship and the union with Germany, found humiliating the submission to Rome in proportion of the Italian satisfaction to be the “masters” of the Austrians. Also the Austrian Catholic Church, despite the orders from the Vatican to facilitate the relations between the Empire and the Republic, was secretly against the foreign interference. The Austrians however, being on the map an independent people, were spared from the Italianization policies in act to the rest of the Empire, so preserved their uses and traditions, and the right to celebrate properly their past glories; glories which, according to the Austrians, matched with the Hapsburg domination.

It didn’t endure so long that a nostalgic feeling towards the “old times” enveloped the country; the AFP didn’t obstacle it, because it was viewed as a matter of national cohesion and will enforce the Austrian nationalism. The problems came when from many parts asked a Monarchical restoration, under the persona of the current heir of the Hapsburg Otto, son of the last Emperor Karl. Initially, neither the AFP and the Imperial authorities wanted that, the first because it will be forced to renounce part of their power, the second because they wanted the Empire of Italy and Balkans remained the only country in Europe and in the world (except Japan) to have an Imperial dignity; in fact after the dissolution of the British Raj, George VI formally abdicated as Emperor of India. Now, Mussolini wasn’t hostile in the past years in a restoration possibility to use it in anti-German function, and a monarchic Austria could enforce the equation of collaboration between Monarchy and Fascism, but now he couldn’t allow the presence of another Empire on the Alpine borders and above all under approval from Rome. Also, Otto, who in that period lived in Munich, was anti-fascist and hardly will accept a cooperation with the Imperial occupants.

The situation so was landlocked for many years, with a growing dissent brutally repressed from the Imperial Army, which arrested many opponents sending them in the colonies; if a bloodshed never happened, it was only thanks to the hidden work of the Catholic Church, which petitioned the Emperor about the possibility of a compromise formula…

Europe - France

De Gaulle, strong of his prestige, managed to impose in the new constitution of the new born Fourth French Republic a semi-presidential formula, with a Head of State directly elected by the people and with large powers. The general, who easily was elected in the consequent elections (where participated for the first time the Algerians citizens, as the former colony was declared metropolitan part of the homeland), wanted so in order to give to the President of the Republic the possibility to assume a strong leadership and the necessary freedom of movement to influence properly the states of the French Union, proclaimed officially during Bastille day of that year, with the formation of the West African and Equatorial African Federations and the recognition of the independence of Madagascar. Apart for the minor islands sparse around the world, under direct French control remained Guyana, Dijibuti (in a vital position to check AOI), the Indian ports, Togo and Cameroon ( these last two territories, passed under French mandate after the Germany defeat in WWI, were still under “Frenchification”). The three countries will have the right to had a proper government and independence over many matters, save the fact to use French as state language, be enrolled under the French Army, to use the Franc as national currency, and to recognize the French President in charge as their Head of State. The French Union will mark a new age of cooperation between France and Africa, because many new states of the Black Continent developed strong ties with it to avoid the growing Imperial influence after the void of power left by the British.

The French Union encountered large approval, both internally and externally. Meanwhile, Tunisia and Morocco were recognized independent too, but remained out from the Union as former protectorates, and reorganized as Kingdoms. These two countries however remained in the French system of alliance, both fearing the expansionism of the Axis (Tunisia over the Imperials and Morocco over the Spanish, especially after was forced to recognize the loss of the lands occupied by them previously and even to retreat the northern border to the Sebou River and the Taza-Guercif road, so losing all the Rif region without have the possibility to oppose that decision).

The disengagement and the conversion of the Colonial Army from Africa allowed to De Gaulle to spent more resources in the Indochinese front; part of the public opinion however wasn’t favorable to continue to exercise control of a region which hardly could be incorporated in the Union (as the local dynasties who reigned before the French arrival still existed and had support of part of the local population, while the French previous administration was completely erased by the Japanese just before the surrender). The French president however about Indochina seemed determinate to keep the direct control of the region for the moment, and to discuss about the future of the colonies only after the defeat of the Communist guerrilla.

The Vietnamite rebels leaded by Ho Chi Min suffered of the evolution of the Chinese Civil War, and any attempt to search help from the USSR and the Maoists was inutile. Even the Chinese Nationalists, which in 1945 seemed favorable to support their fight, soon aligned on the side of the French and sealed the borders with Vietnam. The local elites of Indochina supported for the moment the French return, even if started to make secret contacts with everyone interested to help them to get rid of their old masters: China, India, USA and the Empire. But the four states for the moment continued to support the French rule not having the strength neither the interest to invest in Indochina…

Europe - Great Britain

The Laburist government after the war, along with the reconstruction, started the gradual deconstruction of the Empire, despite the growing opposition of the BPF. Mosley, in agreement with the will of Rome, accepted the loss of the Indian Raj, in exchange of the preservation of the rest of the Empire; Attlee however was aware of the fact Great Britain couldn’t support anymore a world-wide influence and started the retreat from various regions.

Middle East was one of them. The British left the mandates in Palestine and Transjordan, they reduced the military presence in Egypt to Suez Channel, and concluded the occupation of Iraq and Persia, while they restored the Yemenite Royal Family in Hadramaut, proclaiming a Kingdom of Yemen (more known as South Yemen in contraposition of the North under Imperial control) under the protection of London. The British also granted independence to Cyprus in favor of the exiled Greek government, so proclaiming the island the rightful Kingdom of Greece, despite the Turkish minority protested; but also the Empire and the PISR were hostile to the new country, who become of primary strategic importance in the Mediterranean for its position. In fact, the control of Cyprus will mean for the Imperials an advanced base for the defense of Israel and for an attack towards the PISR, for the PISR a good defensive outpost, and for the Western Allies an outpost to place their nuclear deterrent towards both the USSR and the Empire. So, in the next years the island become place of espionage intrigues and raised further the international tensions…

In Africa, the evolution of the Sudanese situation forced the British to conclude unilaterally the condominium over the country (the Egyptians, concentrated over the Israeli issue, and however incapacitated by the presence of Italian Nubia, didn’t raise claims of sort); but Sudan, even if accepted the temporary presence of a reduced British garrison, already claimed to not be part of the Commonwealth.

But probably the most painful loss was the definitive independence of Ireland, which as consequence raised the issue of Northern Ireland, where the IRA started its retaliatory attacks. In the crescent state of tension in the region, the BFP took its advantage by organizing squadrons (masked as “private patrols”) in order to protect the British citizens from the violence of the IRA, so further increasing the violence cycle. The BFP gained soon consensus in Northern Ireland and in the more conservative sectors of society which blamed the major parties decision to dismount the Empire; Attlee however hesitated to declare illegal the BFP, as some of his advisors suggested and even part of the Conservative party was oriented to support the motion, because the party remained still on the limit of the democracy.

To make worse the situation, the British economy fatigued to improve, matching the competition of the Americans, the Soviets, the Imperials and even of the French which received great benefits from the control of Rheinland and its rich mineral sources; in a situation of relative internal weakness, the agents of ODESSA prepared the first of their revenges against the British…


Europe - USSR

In the first months of post-war, Stalin kept if not cordial at least neutral relations with the Empire, more focused on the issue of Germany. The Soviet Chairman however was forced progressively to increase the aggressive stance with the Empire when it developed in 1947 the Nuclear bomb. The fear in the USSR in these days was high, because many were sure of an imminent strike from the Imperials; improbable option, because the bombers of the Empire in that period didn’t had an extended range like the American B-52 and the Imperial rocketry project was still at its beginnings, but the Red Army started its mobilization while many civilians started to evacuate the cities.

In the end, order was restored and after the declaration of peace from Rome war was avoided, but Stalin from that moment was forced to assume a more strong position against the Empire and to invest more resources on the military buildup, even at cost to slow the civilian reconstruction. In 1949, USSR finally got the Nuclear bomb, so rebalancing the equilibrium with the US and the Empire; but it was also forced to increase the military control over the European satellites and the Asian border nations. Taking advantage from the inevitable defeat of the Maoists in the Chinese Civil War, the Soviets created new satellites around them, promoting towards the end of 1948 the definitive independence of Sinkiang, the creation (or better, of recreation after the Japanese attempt) of the popular republic of Inner Mongolia, and to forcing the Chinese Communists to create, weakened after the loss of Shanxi region, their own Popular Republic in Manchuria; in Europe, in North Germany was proclaimed a popular republic.

After securing its borders, and showing it wasn’t technologically behind its opponents, USSR was then forced to decide between a peaceful coexistence or an antagonism between USA and the Empire. Stalin chose the second option, because the American (and also Imperial) policy of containment didn’t offer much chances.

The Soviets reformed the Comintern in the Kominform, and accepted at that point the existence and the course of the PCIB, because in their opinion the Empire was much more weak than the USA and there was the possibility to promote an internal insurrection, especially after Mussolini’s heart attack and the fragile stability promoted by the Quadrumvirate. The KGB helped to train agents of the party to infiltration and terroristic tactics, in the hope to undermine the federation with the formation of “Red Brigades”. When the OVRA discovered years later the tentative of the PCIB to overthrow the government, and after the first bombings and the first killings (also from the hands of ODESSA), the Emperor organized as countermeasure the secret branch of the OVRA known as “Gladio”…

America - USA

The United States under Truman enforced their anti-Communism, so they supported the Imperial intervention in the Chinese Civil War and the French reconquest of Indochina menaced by the insurrection leaded by Ho Chi Min; as consequence, the relations with the Empire and the Axis were cordial as they were seen as a bulwark against the Soviet expansionism. However, part of the American public opinion and of the same Democratic Party wasn’t favorable to support a dictatorship which enslaved part of Europe as well and had expansionistic aims not less dangerous of the Communist bloc. Also, the concessions in favor of Spain in the Pacific theatre, while the Philippines were declared independent, caused some doubts in the Pentagon advisors, because many started to think the Caudillo, protected by the Empire, could be able to make breach into the undeveloped states of Latin America, in particular those really unsatisfied of the American influence and to align the young Philippine republic, but Truman was convinced of the fact Spain was too weak to expand in America while the Empire pursued more an Euro-Asian strategy in anti-Communist key.

The first creek to Truman’s security, and also to the Monroe doctrine, came when in May of 1948, Argentine President Juan Peron, after the successful meetings the previous year his wife Evita Peron had with Franco in Madrid and Mussolini, the Imperial family and the Pope in Rome during her European tour, signed in the Eternal City a pact of mutual cooperation with the Empire and Spain, de facto making of Argentina a new ally of the Axis. Peron added as public justification the fact the Spanish and Italian communities in his country were well integrated and wanted to regulate the relations with their homelands. In the successive months, the Argentine economy started to implement the principles of Corporatism, as consequence of the gradual integration with the economical sphere of influence of the Axis; Peron however didn’t transform Argentina in a Fascist country, but kept alive the democratic system. The Empire and Spain respected Peron's decision, because they wanted to show to the rest of the world they could cooperate with democracies as well in order to protect them from Communist menace.

Truman, considering the geographical position of Argentina, and considering the country an exception to the American hegemonic system in the New World (after all, Peron substituted the British influence with that Ital-Spanish), decided to close an eye because the priority for the USA was still the protection of the Caribbean and Central America, without fully understanding the Spanish diplomatic missions in the region until later, at the end of his presidency, he was forced to intervene in the Cuban crisis…

Middle East – Israel, PISR and Arabian League

In 1948, despite the hostility of the near countries, and the attempt of the United Nations to found a diplomatic solution, the Hebrews settled in Holy Land declared unilaterally the birth of the Republic of Israel; the next day, Egypt, Transjordan and Iraq declared war to it. The PISR, divided between the right of the Hebrews to have their own land and the defense of remained neutral, while the Israeli were supplied from the Western Powers and above all from the Empire, which furnished them in order to gain advantage from a strong ally in the region.

The Arabian block suffered a complete defeat. The Israeli, better equipped and determinate at all cost to remain in the region, put under their control all of Palestine, and making of Jerusalem their capital in spite of the project of the UN (where the Empire used its veto right in favor of Israel) to make the city an international site.

In the start of 1949, the Egyptians and their allies accepted to make peace with the Israeli. While the majority of the Palestinian population emigrated to the neighboring countries to not accept to be citizens of the new country, Israel declared all the occupied territories part of its nation, even the Palestinian habited city of Gaza. That city, which the Israeli decided to integrate for historical revenge (it was the major site of the Philistines), remained however largely populated by Palestinians, so it was hard for the army to keep control of the zone.

For the Egyptians, the defeat put them in condition to be completely encircled by the Empire and Israel. For the government of Cairo, the only way to survive was to reach an agreement with the Empire. For the rest of the Arabian world, menaced from various front, the only possibility was a enforcement of the cooperation between the various states. Shortly after the victory, the Arabian government invited in Riad its counterparts in Iraq and Transjordan (Egypt, already in secret talks with the Empire, declined the invitation) to forge a common alliance, and to involve all the rest of the Islamic world. The three Sunni states however also agreed that also Shiite Persia was involved in some way, so putting in second place the ideological differences in favor of Islamic unity, to achieve by destroying the PISR, Israel, and the Imperial rule in Eastern Africa and Yemen; the Persians, which saw in the growing Arabian League an opportunity to be more independent from the heavy Anglo-American influence, accepted. Soon, also Pakistan, after the defeat in the war against India, agreed to the alliance; Egypt instead opted for a rigid neutrality, because the government feared in case of a new conflict with Israel, the Empire could have the chance to invade the country.

The Arabian League initially was in good ties with the Anglo-Americans, especially with the first because the British power seemed still strong and also the independence granted to Pakistan and the restoration of the Yemenite Royal Family in Hadramaut, while the Muslim immigrants were fairly well accepted in Great Britain, were saw favorably; France was not viewed with hostility, considering good the independence of Morocco and Tunisia, but the integration of Algeria and the good relations with the Empire didn’t favor excessively the French diplomats. About the Empire, saw as the main protector of Israel and the enslaver of millions of Muslims, the reciprocal relations were simply abysmal and for years the League opposed any attempt of reconciliation with Rome, so contributing to the growing tensions between Christians and Muslim, which reached a first critical boiling point after the intervention in Nigeria...

Central-South Asia - India, Pakistan and Kashmir

With the independence, the Raj was divided in majorly Hindi India and Muslim Pakistan, also in control of Ganges Delta (East Pakistan, or more commonly Bangladesh). However, the regions of Bengal and Assam were highly unstable because of the influence of the IFP, where Bose organized a volunteer army (“Army of Free India”) to fight with the British against the Japanese invasion, but he refused after the conflict to dissolve it until the independence.

Along with many Indians, Bose with the rest of the IFP didn’t recognize the partition imposed by the British, and after the independence was one of the most active supporters of the conflict which soon started between India and Pakistan. With the contribute of the skilled Free Army of India, Bangladesh was rapidly invaded, forcing the evacuation of the Muslim population in the region. In Kashmir, other region contested between the two countries, however the situation was more balanced and soon reached a stalemate.

The UN imposed to the two country a truce and a restoration of the status quo, but the Indian authorities initially refused to relinquish back Bangladesh, first because they were sure of the final victory and above all Bose’s militia hold the region and in New Delhi there was the concrete fear of a civil war in the East.

First Minister Nehru then accepted a second compromise plan proposed again by the British, which suggested the Indian acquisition of Bangladesh while all of Kashmir will be declared under UN occupation until a final peace solution will not be found. The Pakistani government accepted the loss of Bangladesh, in any way too difficult to control and protect, and accepted the UN occupation of Kashmir hoping the major Muslim population in the upcoming election will vote for integration with their country. But things went different as in Karachi thought…

Far East Asia - China

In fact, in the days of the Japanese surrender in September of 1945, col. Amedeo Guillet was ready to depose the charge of provisional governor of Beijing, but in favor of the Nationalists. The Communists, which favored by the Soviets started to gain control of Manchuria, tried to oppose that attempt by seizing the city by their own, but the Imperial garrison was forced to intervene and expelled the Maoist fighters the 3rd November, the day before the supposed retirement to Tientsin ( the 4th, after a triumphal march in Beijing in remembrance of the victory in World War I, the Army of China will moved to the concession).

Chang Kai Shiek, who had problems to move towards north because of the crescent hostility of the Communists, praised the Imperial officer and asked him to continue the protection of Beijing until the Nationalist arrival. Guillet, after receiving the approval also from Rome, accepted. Truman approved the Imperial move, because he didn’t wanted a China under Communist control; Stalin instead was furious and requested the removal of the Army of China from Beijing, but both the Americans and the Imperials had easy game to demonstrate the Soviets didn’t respect the treaties with the Chinese for first, because he granted control of Manchuria to the Maoist rebels despite the leader of the USSR made a previous agreement with Chiang to return the region to the legitimate government.

It was soon clear that the Empire and the USA were determined to protect Nationalist China at all costs, so Stalin decided to avoid the direct conflict and to increase the support to the Maoists. The Army of China was so involved on the first line against the Chinese Communists for almost four years, with the hard task to protect the land strip between Beijing and Tientsin. Despite they were almost encircled, the Imperials managed to resist thanks to the air bridges from the Empire and from US occupied Japan. Mao focused too efforts in the attempt to conquer the city, so losing valuable time while Chiang, slowly but implacable, with the suggestion of Imperial military advisors, reorganized his troops and retrieved the lost ground. When in May of 1948 Yan’an felt in Nationalist hands, with Mao and his government forced to retreat in Manchuria, Stalin understood the Communists lost the war and decided to “save the salvable”, reorganizing unilaterally the extreme north of China with the unilateral proclamation of the popular republics of Sinkiang and Inner Mongolia; Mao and his supporters tried to oppose these plans, but when Stalin menaced them to invade also Manchuria and to impose a more “Communist Orthodox” government, they must accepted the inevitable.

The Communists tried from these new Soviet satellite to launch a new counterattack, but at that point Chiang Kai Shiek controlled almost all of inland China. The Nationalist leader, at cost to sacrifice most of the Chinese gains since 1644 (because also Tibet proclaimed in 1948 its definitive independence from foreign rule, obtaining admission into the UN under Indian pressures, as the government of New Delhi didn’t enjoy really much the prospective of an united China), made an agreement with the Soviet which recognized the victory of the Nationalist in exchange of the renounce to the border lands. The 1st October 1949, the peace treaty between the Nationalists and the Communists allowed the birth of the “Popular Republic of China”, de facto Manchuria; on the same day, Guillet resigned as provisional governor of Beijing and retired the Army of China in Tientsin. In the next months, the Nationalist government (which recognized Nanjing as rightful, and more safe, capital of China), recognized the control of the concession of Tientsin to the Imperials for 99 years (so until 2049). The site will become soon an important trade hub, because it was near on the Chinese-Manchurian border, which needed constant need to be supplied, while Beijing, even if stripped of the role of capital, remained still one of the major industrial cities of China and however the Kuomintang invested resources later to modernize it, to make it a window of the Chinese progress in spite of the Communists, on the example of West Berlin encircled by DDR…”
 
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Map of World in 1948...

1948.png
 
Twenty-fourth chapter

Extracts from the extraordinary issue of the Times of the 5th November 1951:

"Massacre at Westminster – The Royal Family exterminated along with most of the government and the Parliament in a series of explosions – The still alive leaders of the Conservatives and the Labour oriented to form a coalition cabinet under the guidance of Churchill – Riots in northern Ireland between Catholic and Black Eagles…”

Extracts from the extraordinary issue of the Times of the 16th December 1951:

“WAR IN IRELAND! The treacherous government of Dublin ordered the invasion of Ulster, with the claim to unite the island - The Catholic quarters of Belfast raised barricades, while remnants of Black Eagles squadrons fought both with the rioters and the regular army as well - The local garrisons doesn’t seem able to resist the invasion - Churchill promised a fast intervention, but until the British throne is vacant, he didn’t have the possibility to act properly…”

Extract from the Times of 1st January 1952:

“Henry, son of the Duchies of Windsor, is crowned under the name of George VII as King of Great Britain and Northern Ireland. Mary of Teck left the regency in favor of Churchill in agreement with the decisions of the Parliament…”

Extract from “ The end of Great Britain as World power: the Days of the Fall”, Oxford, 1991:

Despite the inevitable loss of the Indian Raj, the British were still sure to play a key role in the World affairs through the evolution of the Empire into a Commonwealth of nations; but those dreams were drastically shattered after the “massacre of Guy Fawkes day”.

The agents of ODESSA, after reorganizing in Latin America between the border zones of Paraguay, Brazil, and Argentina (officially, they were German emigrants which wanted to restart after losing all in the war), soon initiated their efforts to destabilize the new world order. Many of them returned in South Germany, organizing their network the revanchists and the soldiers; from it, they spread in Europe, trying to taking advantage from the fragility of the restored Western Democracies, but also from the unilateral imposition of the Popular Republics.

In Britain, they found a fertile ground by aligning with the most extremist supporters of the BPF, where Mosley had problems to keep control of them especially after the definitive independence of Ireland when it declared itself a Republic, which as consequence brought towards the escalation of tensions between Protestants and Catholics in Ulster. The most rightist wing of the party, more willing to embrace the Nazi ideas despite the defeat of the Reich and the adhesion to the Fascist International, was determinate to defend Northern Ireland and even, if there was a remote possibility, to bring the entire island into the fold again.

ODESSA saw a chance of cooperation with those dissidents and started to supply them with weapons, money, and military trainers, in order to face the crescent threat of the IRA (Irish Republican Army). The skirmishes grew of intensity until during the Easter week of 1950 (known from that moment as the second Irish Bloody Easter) Belfast was theatre of a fight which left on the ground 67 causalities, many of them civilians.

Attlee was forced to impose the curfew in Ulster and to ask the dissolution of both IRA and the BFP paramilitary groups. While the government of Dublin officially accepted, but de facto continued to secretly support the Irish partisans under the consideration the fascist militias will continue to exercise violence against the Catholics, Mosley declared his willingness to cooperate not wanting a crackdown over the BFP and however after the second Bloody Easter he didn’t control anymore the situation in Ulster, where de facto the militias broke with the party, under the pressure of ODESSA, giving birth to the British Black Eagles, a subversive armed organization with the objective to impose a Nazi-like government in Britain and to subjugate all of Ireland.

The Black Eagles, with the help of ODESSA, soon organized a plot to sow disorder in Britain through the extermination of the Royal Family and the current political establishment, and then imposing a second “republican commonwealth” which de facto will be resulted in a dictatorship. In theory, Mosley should be the leader of that republic, because the plotters considered they needed for the moment the support of the Empire and the Axis to reinforce their position under the menace of a French-American intervention, even if the chairman of the BPF will be a puppet in the hands of the Black Eagles and ODESSA. However, today is confirmed the not involvement of Mosley and the majority of the BFP in the plot.

The 5th November 1951, during the celebrations for Guy Fawkes Day which matched with the official reopening of the Parliament after the devastation of the war (the works were supposed to end a year before that date, but problems of various types delayed the ceremony), a set of bombs properly positioned destroyed Westminster Palace, killing not only King George VI and all his closest relatives, from the heir to the throne Elizabeth to his little nephew Charles, but also the prime minister Attlee and the majority of the deputies. That date signed the start of the period of British history known as “days of the Fall”: the fall of the British Commonwealth, and in general of Great Britain as world power.

Of all the direct descendants of George VI (they were present also the families of his brothers and sisters, except the duchies of Windsor who were in Rome), remained alive only the infant daughter of Elizabeth, Anne, who had neither three months of life and remained in the safety of Clarence House, and the Queen Mother Mary of Teck, which her declining health condition didn’t allow her to be present to the ceremony (which was particular because it was the first time since Charles I a British ruler visited the houses of the Parliament).

The plotters, which managed to achieve success taking advantage of the gaps in the security, however failed to impose their dictatorship, because in the previous months Mossad agents, who after the birth of Israel started to pursue anyone cooperated in the achievement of the Holocaust and managed to escape, arrived of the connection between the Black Eagles and former SS agents, while also the OVRA, which watched carefully the evolution of the British scenery and was worried for the fragmentation of British Fascism, investigated too; SIS however didn’t trust the warnings coming from the two espionage agencies, and moved only after the massacre. The British agency however had its prestige compromised, and occurred years until it will be capable to restore its credibility in front of the public opinion, which in 1952 voraciously read the first espionage novel of Ian Fleming, “The hunt of the eagles”, featuring for the first time the secret agent David Bond, a British Hebrew who tracked a group of Black Eagles escaped in Argentina under the umbrella of ODESSA.

In the next days, the main plotters were arrested, other fled protected by ODESSA agents, which however for propaganda purposes sent to the major journals of the world the proof of its involvement, so revealing its existence and claimed the other great powers will suffered one day as well for having destroying the Third Reich. In a extraordinary session of the UN, the Security Council (even the USSR and the Empire condemned the massacre) passed a motion which condemned ODESSA and warned any country, through embargo threat, to not give support to the organization.

But in the aftermath of the massacre, Great Britain was on the verge of chaos (unrests, mutines, crash of the Pound on the world market etc.) and it was saved only by an agreement reached in the next hours between the still alive Labour and Conservative leaders to form a emergency coalition cabinet leaded by the only charismatic politician the country had in that moment, Winston Churchill (he wasn’t present on the inauguration because of a flu who left him at home). Churchill, with his prestige, managed to restore order and calm in Britain, even at cost to recall the majority of the soldiers dislocated around the Dominions and the colonies; this saved Great Britain from anarchy, but brought to death the remnants of the Empire.

In fact, Churchill’s main problem was the Royal succession crisis, because Anne was too little to be proclaimed Queen and Mary of Teck too weak to handle a Regency, nevertheless the emergency cabinet proclaimed her Regent of the Kingdom to gain time. Churchill, in order to give more stability in the country, holded already for the end of December the general elections, because he felt the necessity to guarantee the British democracy and, because his cabinet was formed at the brink of legality, he feared a prolonged vacuum of power could instigate the armed forces (there were suspects part of the high spheres supported the plot) to impose their power; also, with a House of Commons pratically decimated, he couldn't went too far in his decisions. The elections, prepared in only a month and with various irregularities (the most relevant was the parties presented their candidate lists only a week before the election, because they were forced to search new and valuable politicians), were won by the Conservative party, even if in any case the Labour, which however didn’t went bad (while the BPF, discredited because of the Black Eagles, lost a lot of votes, and Mosley was forced to use his seat in the House of Lords to be present to the parliament’s works) will confirmed in any case for the new legislature the role of Churchill, who continued the formula of the great coalition.

Churchill was oriented to let recognize Anne as new Queen, but many were scared to the prospective of a long regency until the achievement of the legal age, a more aged ruler was needed, and many started to suggest to give the crown to Henry, the son of Edward VII and Wallis Simpson, as in theory he was the first male in line of succession because of primogeniture rights; but the first minister objected Edward with the Instrument of Abdication renounced to any rights for his children, also the Duchies of Windsor were sympathizers of the Italian Empire and lastly he didn’t knew if the British will accept a half-American as King. It was however true that discharging Anne in favor of a more older but more far pretender in the line of succession will compromise the future of the monarchy. The British public opinion was majorly favorable to the continuation of the monarchy, but despite the great sympathy for the royal orphan, it was clear the people wanted a more older ruler.

The Irish invasion of Ulster convinced almost all to pronounce their favor to Henry duke of Windsor, in order to preserve the primogeniture right of the dynasty. In fact, the Black Eagles still free continued to sow disorder in the region, while the Irish, seeing the inability of London to keep the control, the 16th December 1950 declared war on Great Britain and started to invade Ulster. The first minister John A. Costello agreed with Eamon de Valera the situation in Britain was a great chance to unify Ireland, so they agreed to form a coalition cabinet to rally the Irish under the banner of unification. Costello requested support from the Axis, which accepted to send weapons and supplies and to guarantee them from a possible UN sanction. As a Catholic nation near to a powerful neighbor like Great Britain, Ireland had all the interests to align towards the Imperial sphere of influence; in truth, Dublin searched also the French support, but De Gaulle, despite the fact he didn’t viewed so bad a British reduction of power, however he decided to remain neutral until the Quebec conscription riots.

The 21th December, the Duchies of Windsor (who watched with attention the evolution of the crisis and moved in Normandy to be ready to negotiate with Churchill’s emissaries, and avoiding the accusation to be fascist-oriented) returned in Great Britain, and signed an agreement where accepted to remain outside the political and ceremonial life of the country (they made their first public appearance only in 1978, on the 25th anniversary of the massacre) and to accept the presence of a group of counselors around their child; the 25th December, taking advantage from the Christmas celebrations, the Parliament accepted to revoke part of the Instrument of Abdication, and to restore the rights of Henry of Windsor, so proclaimed officially new King of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, and Head of State of the British Commonwealth; in the same day, it was decided the Regency will be held after the official crowning by the first minister in charge, so for the moment by Churchill.

The 1st January 1951, at Westminster Abbey, the thirteen-year-old Henry, son of Edward VI and Wallis Simpson, was crowned King under the name of George VII, in honor of the dead predecessor. The general opinion Great Britain so hoped to return to normalcy, but the troubles still were far to be concluded…”
 
Twenty-fifth chapter

Extract from “ The end of Great Britain as World power: the Days of the Fall”, Oxford, 1991:

“… The young George VII, despite he spent his first years in the Italian Empire (so under the risk of Fascist influence), seemed to be quite conscious of the safeguarding of British democracy and of his role in general, so he heard the advisors placed around him by Churchill. The teenager ruler was however quite restless about the court protocol, and didn’t hesitate in various ways to match the First Minister; it seemed however the cooperation between George VII and Churchill nevertheless proceeded quite well.

George VII with the years managed to be trusted, and in the end even loved, by the majority of the British, because he demonstrated to cover his role with dignity despite the tendency to not respect always the protocol (a sign of indiscipline coming from being half-American, and generally for having a more liberal education); the apex of his popularity was reached in the middle sixties when he refused to oblige to the marriage pact his father made years ago with the Italian Imperial house to marry Maria Vittoria Del Leone-Mussolini Savoia, even at cost to affect deeply the already weak relations between Rome and London.

After restoring a sort of normalcy in Britain, Churchill tried to solve the Irish question. The 4th January 1951, the British government gave an ultimatum to Parnell, but the first minister refused because in the meanwhile the Irish troops arrived to the outskirts of Belfast and were determinate to unite the island no matter all; also, he opened a secret negotiation with the Empire about the entrance of Ireland in the Axis, and the Quadrumvirate seemed disposed to accept a democratic nation into the alliance to show the Empire and Fascism in general didn't have prejudices towards not Fascist countries.

Churchill saw the danger of a conflict in a moment Britain was unable to handle again one of great dimensions, so he changed tactic and decided instead to invade the island (also because the British didn’t have sufficient forces at disposal for that move) to create a naval blockade around it. The blockade allowed the British to not push the situation further towards a conflict of global dimensions, but nevertheless it didn’t help to retrieve back Ulster. In the UN, the British diplomats failed to impose the Irish retreat not only of the Italian veto, but also with that of China and of the USSR. In fact, the Chinese hoped in a further decadence of Britain to retrieve Hong Kong, and the Soviets secretly pushed for a war between British and Italian to generate more chaos in Europe; and the Soviet veto convinced the Americans, not interested to wage a two sides war in Europe, to induce Churchill to desist from retrieving Ulster and accepting the inevitable loss. Also De Gaulle informed him France will keep its neutrality no matter what.

When the 12th January the Irish parliament voted for the access in the Axis alliance, and the Imperial and the Spanish were ready to mobilize, seeing how Britain was de facto isolated, Churchill didn’t want to risk further and opened peace talks with the Irish. The 1st April, at Geneve, British and Irish diplomats signed the peace terms, with the recognition of Irish unification. The government of Dublin accepted a series of clauses to partially appease the British, like the temporary presence of UN soldiers to watch the British retirement and prevent further violences, or to pay reparations as partial compensation, the arrest the Irish soldiers of IRA who killed civilians in these last years, the respect the rights of the Protestants and of the Irish which wanted to keep the British citizenship, all of these concessions were accepted because Parnell, despite the alignment of Ireland into the Axis, didn’t want a complete rupture with the rest of Europe, sympathetic with Britain about the aggression but not so sympathetic to risk a conflict for Ulster. About two weeks later, Ireland became officially the first democratic nation to be part of the Axis; however the Quadrumvirate in a secret agreement with American and British accepted to not build bases in Ireland to not escalate further tensions.

In the next years, Ireland slipped into the economical sphere of the Axis, because of the strong veto of the British to let it enter into the EEC, while it managed to keep its democratic institution. The ties with the Empire favored the formation of a Irish Fascist Party, which exercised a fairly strong influence across the country except in Ulster, where the experience of the Black Eagles provoked only deaths and sufferance.

The loss of Ulster generated a chain reaction across the Commonwealth and the colonial Empire, starting from Africa. In truth, the dissolution already started since the Westminster massacre, with the progressive rise of independence movements, but many still waited to see if Britain was able to recover or no; the fact the British were unable to won a conflict just near home with a more weak nation showed the fact the United Kingdom wasn’t anymore able to project a worldwide influence. Sudan was the first country to declare complete independence the 12th February, followed by South Africa the 23th (while the little states of Swaziland and Lesotho, fearing the South African independence, still accepted the presence of British soldiers) and the Federation of Rhodesia the 4th March. In Rhodesia however the ethnical divisions brought to a split in two parts of the former colony. Isolated, Bechuanaland declared independence shortly after the 8th April. In Egypt, the Suez Channel was unilaterally occupied and this event gave to the monarchy a last glimpse of internal favor since the disastrous war with Israel and just before the coup.

However, a great shock in Britain was provoked by the Canadian civil war and the split of the country in two. In fact, Churchill requested to the Canadian government to oblige its duties with the motherland to send troops in Britain, so forcing it to recall former soldiers in active duty; but the French-speaking people of Quebec protested vivaciously to the forced drafts and petitioned with crescent strength the complete independence, tired to serve a distant law. The government of Ottawa was scared of the growing protests, so it sent the police to stop the disorders, until the situation felt out of control the 7th March when the Red Coats during a skirmish in Trois Riviere charged the demonstrators killing 17 people including a little toddler. The photos of the dying child spread around the World, generating great favor and sympathies towards the Quebecois.

All of Quebec roared in revolt as never before since the start of the British domination. In Montreal, Trois Rivieres and Quebec City the French population raised barricades and assaulted the barracks of the regions, taking in hostage British and English Canadians, while the French parties of Quebec agreed in an extraordinary reunion to unilaterally proclaim the independence of their nation; in the meanwhile, the Americans sealed the northern border with Canada, deciding to wait the evolution of the events.

The Government of Ottawa had still a numerical military superiority which could allow it to crush the revolt, but the event which determined de facto the outcome of the conflict was the ready recognition of the new nation by France. In fact, a great popular support for the Quebecois rose almost immediately in the European countrt, convincing De Gaulle to petition their independence in front of the UN and starting to send advisors and weapons in North America, while he stated officially “This time France will not betray his sons as in 1763.”

In London, nobody expected that rapid turn of events, and certainly nobody wanted to risk a war with France; so Churchill agreed to open negotiations to search a solution, while he sent an advice to Ottawa to stop any military operation and retire their troops from Quebec. The Canadians however took the advice as a personal insult, and declared they were betrayed by their homeland, so with a surprise move they declared the 3rd April the birth of the Republic of Canada.

The independence however didn’t allow the Canadians to retrieve Quebec, because De Gaulle, even if he reassured the British to not let enter the region in the French Union, declared the French were still ready to fight to help their brothers over the Atlantic. Nevertheless, the Canadians were still oriented to fight asking the American support if the menace of disintegration of their country suddenly menaced them. In fact, the regions of New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, Newfoundland and Labrador, separated by the rest of Canada by Quebec and being on the first line in case of a conflict with France, declared independence from Ottawa too and created a new nation, the Federation of East Canada with Halifax as capital. The region of British Columbia seemed tempted by independent movements too, so the Canadians to avoid a complete dissolution of their nation agreed in the end to the ceasefire proposed by the UN. In the successive months, the independence of Quebec and East Canada was confirmed, while the Canadian economy, without the Eastern provinces and the loss of the direct access to the Atlantic, sank and the British prestige was utterly reduced as it was impotent to solve the crisis.

The independence of Canada convinced the two last former dominions, Australia and New Zealand, to declare independence as well the 18th May; the Australians even dragged with them the territories in New Guinea. These two important defections convinced Malaysia and Sarawak to petition their immediate independence, even at force to use the violence. In that region, the British were forced after a series of skirmishes to retreat towards Singapore, which for the moment remained loyal to London because the city, mainly populated by Chinese immigrants, didn’t want to be annexed into Malaysia. Hong Kong was preserved too from hostile takeovers, because Chiang Kai Shiek obtained after the end of the civil war the return of the city after the end of the concession, and for China the presence of two foreign commercial hubs (the other being Tientsin) was beneficial for its economy, while the fact of not taking advantage from a Britain in crisis helped to raise the external consideration of the Middle Country.

The dissolution process meanwhile continued in South America, where the Venezuelan government invaded British Guyana, occupying the Western regions and proclaiming a puppet republic; this allowed the Argentines the right to occupy the Malvinas, without particular problems, thanks to the recent improvements of the military forces by hand of advisors of the Axis. The invasion of the islands was considered an unilateral act of Argentina, because it wasn’t officially recognized by the Empire and Spain, and brought Peron to the apex of his popularity; the Argentinean rearm however scared its neighbors, especially Brazil, already worried by the Venezuelan move, and for the moment these limited conflicts strengthened more the American influence in Latin America, at least until the invasion of Cuba…

In Arabia all the protectorates managed gradually to achieve independence during the year and to enter in the Arab League, because London wasn’t able anymore to protect them from the Imperial and PISR menaces, while the USA gradually replace the British as main commercial partner in the region.

At the end of 1951, the situation seemed finally stabilized, but in hands of the British remained only Gold Coast, Nigeria, East Africa, British Somalia, the cities of Singapore and Hong Kong, Malta and Gibraltar (saved only by the events which affected the Empire and Spain as well), and a bunch of islands scattered around the world. The British Empire was no more, and nobody raised a hand to help it survive. For the Americans, the Canadian crisis allowed them to enlarge the Union and finally fulfilling the Monroe Doctrine; for the French, the British crash gave them the opportunity to show again themselves as major power of Western Europe; for the Soviets, it was a chance to proclaim the stability of their system respect to that of the Western democracies; for the Chinese, to have an adversary in less in the South Asian theatre; and for the Empire, the possibility to fill the gaps the British left in Africa.

Churchill accepted with resignation the new course, and focused the energies of the nation to improve the economy and the general life standards. In order to spare money and resources, part of the naval and land forces were scrapped, while the British nuclear program was stopped, and never restarted again. The British generally accepted the actual situation, wanting only peace for their country, but the BFP accused the passive stance of the government in the fall of the Empire, especially after the Canadian crisis. It was nevertheless clear Great Britain was oriented towards a period of isolationism; however, the negotiations to enter in the ECSC first and then to be one of the six founders of the EEC marked the start of a new course for Great Britain…
 
What's realy odd is the Brits made out like Bandits compared to the OTL empire loss.

Here's hoping we'll see NZ join Australia and some of Canada join the USA!
 
Hailè Seilassè understood that the war was however lost and tried to gain time through the intervention of the League of Nations, but despite the fact France and Great Britain obtained to sanction Italy for its aggression, in truth a secret pact was already reached between the three powers. In fact, both the governments of London and Paris feared that to condemn too heavily the fascist government, Mussolini could turned towards Hitler’s Germany, as in effect at the start of ’36 initiated to happen. Secret talks were promoted under the vision of Galeazzo Ciano, Italian foreign minister and son-in-law of the Duce, to reach an agreement, obtained at Mentone (3) on the Italo-French border the 22th January, under the pressure of the victory at Gondar. In substance, the sanctions will be lifted at the moment of the Ethiopian capitulation, under the logical but pitiless consideration from that moment Ethiopia will ceased to exist as an independent state, and so its place in the LoN will be removed, and that the “Africa Orientale Italiana” will be recognized a year after the conclusion of the war. So, in the name of appeasement, France and Great Britain sacrificed the Ethiopians in favor to a future alliance with Italy against Germany.

/QUOTE]

I can accept Britain and France ending the Embargo but recognizing the Italian conquest of Ethiopia would probably be too much for Public opinion in Britain and France. The Hoare-Laval Plan would have ended the war with a partitioned Ethiopia but when the plan leaked, their was a huge uproar and both Hoare and Laval were forced to resign. The principle of a government in exile was already recognized at that time, so Britain and France could still recognize Ethiopia's existence despite the conquest by the Italians in order to appease public opinion in their countries.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hoare–Laval_Pact
 
What's realy odd is the Brits made out like Bandits compared to the OTL empire loss.

Here's hoping we'll see NZ join Australia and some of Canada join the USA!

If I understand correctly the first statement, you said all those nations declared independence because of a bad British government. It is not. More simply, the crisis in Britain created a vacuum of power around the Commonwealth, many soldiers were recalled, and in the course of 1951 they were unable to restore order in the dominions and the colonies. About Canada, the country after WWII demobilized most of its army, so the population wasn't happy to return again under the arms, and Quebec saw the chance to slip from the fold. Also, even if except for USSR all the major powers supported a stable Britain, this doesn't mean they were willing to save what remained of their Empire.

Well, Australia + NZ is a concrete possibility. Canada merging into USA... I don't know yet, let's see more later.

Hailè Seilassè understood that the war was however lost and tried to gain time through the intervention of the League of Nations, but despite the fact France and Great Britain obtained to sanction Italy for its aggression, in truth a secret pact was already reached between the three powers. In fact, both the governments of London and Paris feared that to condemn too heavily the fascist government, Mussolini could turned towards Hitler’s Germany, as in effect at the start of ’36 initiated to happen. Secret talks were promoted under the vision of Galeazzo Ciano, Italian foreign minister and son-in-law of the Duce, to reach an agreement, obtained at Mentone (3) on the Italo-French border the 22th January, under the pressure of the victory at Gondar. In substance, the sanctions will be lifted at the moment of the Ethiopian capitulation, under the logical but pitiless consideration from that moment Ethiopia will ceased to exist as an independent state, and so its place in the LoN will be removed, and that the “Africa Orientale Italiana” will be recognized a year after the conclusion of the war. So, in the name of appeasement, France and Great Britain sacrificed the Ethiopians in favor to a future alliance with Italy against Germany.

I can accept Britain and France ending the Embargo but recognizing the Italian conquest of Ethiopia would probably be too much for Public opinion in Britain and France. The Hoare-Laval Plan would have ended the war with a partitioned Ethiopia but when the plan leaked, their was a huge uproar and both Hoare and Laval were forced to resign. The principle of a government in exile was already recognized at that time, so Britain and France could still recognize Ethiopia's existence despite the conquest by the Italians in order to appease public opinion in their countries.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hoare–Laval_Pact

This TL was builded with the perspective of UK and France willing to recognizing the Italian conquest of Ethiopia to keep in check Germany, even at cost to discredit further the League of Nation. The public opinion of these countries could be reasonaby unfavorable at the time, but the German expansion later convinced many to keep good ties with Italy, while other were convinced the conquest of Ethiopia was still few thing respect to the massive Anglo-French colonial empires, and however Italy claimed the legitimacy of the conquest with the excuse of the border incidents, the fact to avenge Adua, and the necessity to search still some compensation since of the partial betrayal of the London Pact in 1915, so the attack was if not accepted at least tolerated in the eyes of Western World in a long term. I don't think either the recognition of AOI could bring great political crisis in France and Britain in the end. About the Ethiopian government in exile... it protested, but without the Anglo-French support it was impotent. So, because the British and the French were much more tolerant with the Italians, Mussolini decided to not broke with them, so he didn't align with Hitler and builded an alternative alliance instead.
 
If I understand correctly the first statement, you said all those nations declared independence because of a bad British government. It is not. More simply, the crisis in Britain created a vacuum of power around the Commonwealth, many soldiers were recalled, and in the course of 1951 they were unable to restore order in the dominions and the colonies. About Canada, the country after WWII demobilized most of its army, so the population wasn't happy to return again under the arms, and Quebec saw the chance to slip from the fold. Also, even if except for USSR all the major powers supported a stable Britain, this doesn't mean they were willing to save what remained of their Empire.

Well, Australia + NZ is a concrete possibility. Canada merging into USA... I don't know yet, let's see more later.

No, non, no, I meant that even after this, the British kept a larger - and more valuable - empire than they did in OTL.

Good to hear more map fun may happen soon! For the record, I think maybe East Canada may join the US given economics and geography. Up to you in the end.
 
No, non, no, I meant that even after this, the British kept a larger - and more valuable - empire than they did in OTL.

Good to hear more map fun may happen soon! For the record, I think maybe East Canada may join the US given economics and geography. Up to you in the end.

Ah, thanks for the explanation. Well, despite the failure of the Commonwealth Great Britain managed to keep for the moment the remaining colonies in Africa, Europe and SE Asia, because they were regions surrounded by rampant nations, so the local populations didn't have interest to leave the British protection, weak but still a protection; nevertheless another part of the colonies will slip out and others respect to OTL will remain still under British control. But in effect yes, in TTL modern days Great Britain could still have a shadow of colonial empire...

In fact, the determination of the Empire (but also of France towards Algeria) to keep the African colonies at all cost will lead to a partial decolonization of Africa, in the successive years reduced in a sort of Ital-French condominium... And despite the British weakness, more later Great Britain could return to play a relevant role.
 
If I understand correctly the first statement, you said all those nations declared independence because of a bad British government. It is not. More simply, the crisis in Britain created a vacuum of power around the Commonwealth, many soldiers were recalled, and in the course of 1951 they were unable to restore order in the dominions and the colonies. About Canada, the country after WWII demobilized most of its army, so the population wasn't happy to return again under the arms, and Quebec saw the chance to slip from the fold. Also, even if except for USSR all the major powers supported a stable Britain, this doesn't mean they were willing to save what remained of their Empire.

Well, Australia + NZ is a concrete possibility. Canada merging into USA... I don't know yet, let's see more later.



This TL was builded with the perspective of UK and France willing to recognizing the Italian conquest of Ethiopia to keep in check Germany, even at cost to discredit further the League of Nation. The public opinion of these countries could be reasonaby unfavorable at the time, but the German expansion later convinced many to keep good ties with Italy, while other were convinced the conquest of Ethiopia was still few thing respect to the massive Anglo-French colonial empires, and however Italy claimed the legitimacy of the conquest with the excuse of the border incidents, the fact to avenge Adua, and the necessity to search still some compensation since of the partial betrayal of the London Pact in 1915, so the attack was if not accepted at least tolerated in the eyes of Western World in a long term. I don't think either the recognition of AOI could bring great political crisis in France and Britain in the end. About the Ethiopian government in exile... it protested, but without the Anglo-French support it was impotent. So, because the British and the French were much more tolerant with the Italians, Mussolini decided to not broke with them, so he didn't align with Hitler and builded an alternative alliance instead.


Wasn't Ethiopia a great drain on Italy and weakened it rather then strengthening it and that would still be true in your alt despite the quicker Italian victory?
 
Wasn't Ethiopia a great drain on Italy and weakened it rather then strengthening it and that would still be true in your alt despite the quicker Italian victory?

In a TL where AOI didn't suffer the British invasion, and instead was more secured by the control of Nubia/South Sudan and the Italians could reasonably invest more, better and with calm in the region, the regional economy should be better than OTL. And, for the moment, the local population continued to accept the foreign occupation, also because the Italians despite all had more in consideration the Ethiopians respect to the other controlled populations in Africa, while many former "Ras" who accepted the new course become the nucleus of a native, modern borgeousise. No, for the moment Ethiopia remained loyal, because the Empire was brought it into modernity...

Anyway, tomorrow I finally update, it will be a mix of pure narrative and historic parts, but also a turning point in the evolution of the TL. It was quite long to write, hope it will like...
 
Chapter twentysixth

Rome, Umberto I hospital, 21th October of 1951:

The recently elected Emperor, dressed with his military outfit, having a bouquet in his arms, walked into the halls of the main Roman hospital, surrounded by a large group of guards, advisors, and ruffians. Anyone who stood in his way pledged his homage; after all, he was the absolute ruler of the nation, and not in a nominal way. After crushing the revolt of the “M” squadrons, hanging the traitors and securing Rome and the rest of the federation, and after the decision took by the previous Imperial heir, the Senate in the end granted him the Imperial crowns.

He stopped in front a door watched by two guards, ordering to all the crowd around him to remain outside. Entering alone, he looked to the patient in the room. Benito Mussolini, Duce of Italy, Consul of the Empire, was paralyzed in a bed for almost three years; he couldn’t move, he couldn’t talk, however the doctors said he was still able to hear and understand anything said on him. The Emperor proved for him pity, but only for a short moment. He couldn’t allow himself to be weak in that moment; instead, he silently approached him, took the bouquet in a empty vase, then he sat on his side. Then, he started to talk, a suspect smile on his face:

“How are you, father? Personally, I’m fine; as you can see, I just became Emperor.”

Extract from the extraordinary unified radio announcement broadcasted by EIRA through the Empire the late evening of 6th July 1951:

“…Today, his majesty the Imperial Prince Umberto of Savoia announced after the crushed coup and the successive liberation of the Royal family to not have the necessary strength to rule the Empire, renouncing to his claims accepting instead the crown of Spain. In the following extraordinary meeting of the Imperial Senate, the assembly proclaimed with an unanimity vote the Imperial Prince Alessandro del Leone-Mussolini in Savoia able to rule the Empire, and so elected him Emperor. All Hail Alessandro I, Emperor of Italy, of the Balkans and Ethiopia!”

Extract from “The life of Alessandro Mussolini-del Leone, book four: from the post war years to the Imperial dignity”, various, Mondadori, 2003:

“… The 1951 Imperial succession crisis in Rome started from the evolution of the assets in Central and Caribbean America. In July 1944, the dictator of Guatemala Jorge Ubico was forced to resign, and in October the power was seized by a military junta, who decided to renew the ties with the Axis and Spain in particular but also keeping a fair stance with the USA. Franco however in the first postwar years was ready to collect the fruit of his American investments by supporting the coup of Batista in Cuba in order to impose a Spanish-friendly government; in a first moment, the coup was a success, and the Americans recognized the new regime in the island. When however it was clear Batista was bringing Cuba towards the Axis, Truman couldn’t risk to see one day the soldiers of the Granite Pact deployed only few miles away from American soil, and promoted not a new revolution but a direct invasion of the island, which initially found the support of the OAS but not that of the UN because of the Italian opposition; nevertheless, the Empire, France and USSR didn’t care because more interested to see the evolution of the British crisis and however they didn’t have the possibility or the reasons to protect Cuba. The US President claimed that Batista betrayed certain agreements with America, and that he was selling Cuba to Spain, so cancelling the efforts and the sacrifices of the Americans in the war of 1898. The American population largely approved the invasion, not for the risk to see a pro-fascist government in the major Caribbean island, but because Cuba in the Axis could lead to a probable deployment of Italian nuclear weapons in the region, able to hit the US in case of a conflict with the Empire.

It was however true that the Empire avoided the most possible to deploy part of its arsenal in its allied countries, not wanting to create further motives for a military escalation, because the number of their bombs was and it will be more less respect to those American and Soviet (preferring to use uranium more for civilian purposes, and investing more in nuclear power plants than to waste it for more nukes), and also because the Imperials didn’t trust completely their allies to the point to deploy nuclear devices on their soil. The Imperial high spheres preferred instead to invest more in the construction of submarines able to strike in every part of the World, in bombers with a more extended range, and in rocketry development, in order to keep their arsenal under strict control; the only and famous period when the Empire installed nuclear missile installation on foreign soil was during the Central American crisis in the 60’s, and the World was on the brink of war. At the same time, the Empire never helped but instead tried to obstacle the attempt of the various Axis members to create their own arsenals, offering instead its knowledge to develop pacific, civilian programs.

Cuba easily felt under the American invasion, because the local army didn’t oppose resistance at all, while Batista escaped in Guatemala; in the same time, the more leftist and Anti-American oppositions, like that of the Castro brothers, were reduced to impotence and forced to escape in Mexico, at that time still neutral, despite in many ways dependent from the US, in the continental matters. Truman had initially intention to restore a real democracy even if controlled by Washington, but many from the Congress to the various lobbies started to petition a more decisive solution for the Cuban question and so proposed the integration of Cuba in the Union, a dream kept in the drawer for years. Truman in the end agreed to the proposal, because the island was too vital for the American interests and the opportunity unrepeatable, and the 15th May he announced the opening of a commission to consider the integration of Cuba as a full member state of the Union, while a plebiscite was organized for early October.

The announcement created a general uproar in all of America, because with the crash of British power in Canada, the Latin American countries feared Washington was aiming to a total integration of the entire New World under the star-spangled banner. The OAS claimed it wasn’t for that it gave the authorization to intervene in Cuba, and the majority of the states condemned the attempt of integration, even if with the plebiscite the US remained on the limit of international legality. Nevertheless, the Americans continued with their project of integration by heavily bombard the Cubans with their propaganda convincing them of the opportunities to become American citizens, so the population of the island, tired of instable governments and wanting to improve their life, voted for the admission into the Union. The 15th October 1951, after the success of the plebiscite (64% of voters favorable to the integration) Cuba became the 49th state of USA. The economy of the island soon grew exponentially respect to the rest of Latin America thanks to the massive investments, and the general living standards grew too, but the Cubans fatigued much to be integrated in the American melting pot in those years; only in the late 70’s, under the pressure of the advancement of the civil rights in the Union, the Cubans finally obtained the recognition of their rights as American citizens.

However, in the days before the plebiscite, the rest of Latin America was deciding how to contain the American Imperialism, by searching foreign alliances in the Old World; excluding Great Britain, the more suitable candidates were France or the Axis block, more specially Spain because it was their ancient motherland. For Franco was a golden occasion, so after obtaining freedom of movement from Rome he send diplomats and advisors, supported by their Argentine counterparts. Franco obtained a valuable success with Venezuela, which government wanted to seize the colony of British Guyana and needed help the Axis was willing to grant.

It was however Guatemala which accepted, under the menace of an American invasion (after all the country invaded Belize and El Salvador in the war years, so Washington could claim the possibility to free those occupied region) to accept the Spanish protection by restoring the ties with the motherland. Spain so adopted like France and Britain the formula of the commonwealth, but on different basis of cooperation, economical integration, and military protection. The Guatemalan military junta accepted the proposal, because not only kept the possibility to remain de facto independent, but protected them from the American menace while granted them a more strong claim to unite Central America under a single banner. The 4th June, the “Pact of Iberian Union” between Spain and Guatemala was signed, allowing the Spanish to return in America again after almost fifty years, with the protection of the Imperial fleet which for the first time entered in the Caribbean sea. The 7th, the Guatemalan Junta renamed their country “Vicerealm of Centroamerica”, and created officially the Partido Fascista de Centroamerica (PFCA).

The American public opinion was truly shocked about the Pact of Union, because for the first time the Monroe Doctrine was put openly in discussion in the moment with the Canadian civil war it was almost to triumph completely. Truman decided to react and prepare the invasion of Centroamerica, but with his own surprise the OAS decided to match Washington by not approving the attack with a large majority (only Panama, Honduras, Costa Rica and Nicaragua voted in favor, but only for the growing tensions in Central America and wanting to neutralize in some way the Centroamerican menace). Truman couldn’t never ask support from the UN, not only for the inevitable Italian veto but also because Centroamerica was still independent and the principle of self-determination wasn’t violated, like instead the Americans were suspected to do towards Cuba. Isolated diplomatically (the British were facing the dissolution of their Commonwealth, the French were occupied to support the young Republic of Quebec, the Soviets secretly supported the Axis to weak the US influence in its “backyard” and also because that mean less enemy troops in Europe, and the Chinese were indifferent), Truman gave up; and in the successive weeks, America faced with horror the acceptation of Venezuela and its puppet Republic of Guyana in the Axis.

The Americans didn’t have any more the monopoly in Central America, while an opposite ideological, and worse of all European, alliance reinforced its positions in the New World, and France in the meanwhile slowly allowed Quebec in its sphere of influence. In a Congress speech the 24th June, Truman assured that for the sake of peace, America didn’t start (or at least, not for first) conflicts in the continent unless under a precise military threat, considering the Axis didn’t have the strength or the interests to invade the US; nevertheless, the political observers noticed it was a signal of retreat towards the threat of a new “European colonization” (not only from the Axis but also from France), and all agreed the Monroe Doctrine was come to a conclusion. The end of the Monroe Doctrine, added with a more credible nuclear fear (despite the Empire at that time officially declared to not place their bombs and Guatemalan bases) was a hard blow to the prestige of Truman and to the Democrats, which neither the integration of Cuba helped to recover, and contributed later to the victory of Eisenhower in 1952.

Franco in the meanwhile needed to nominate a King for Spain, after delaying that decision for years, because with the Pact of Union both Spain and Centroamerica needed a Head of State (reading marionette). The most suitable pretender was Juan Carlos of Bourbon, but he refused to be an instrument in the hands of the Caudillo; so, the Spanish looked towards the Savoia dynasty. Both the Quadrumvirate and the Imperial family were delighted to accept the proposal, but it came in a quite delicate moment, as Vittorio Emanuele III was slowly dying and his death was imminent.

Umberto of Savoia was his natural successor, but the situation was more different respect to the previous ten years. First of all, despite the officious claims the Ital-Balkan Empire wasn’t the successor of that Roman, nevertheless that suggestion received great internal consensus; and of that suggestion the Senate was the main amplifier. The assembly started to drag more authority with the consideration it was the organ which had the power to elect officially the Emperor; and because there aren’t fixed succession rules, there was the presumption the title went to the most capable person available, like in the times of the ancient Roman Empire. So, this convinced a part of the Italian political establishment of the opportunity the Empire could survive with the single presence of the Senate, so without the presence of an Emperor, proclaiming instead a Republic.

The supporters of this theory circulated into the die-hard Fascist ambient, those who remained loyal to Mussolini’s original enunciation of Fascism (which privileged the Republican form respect to that Monarchical) and gathered around the “M” Squadrons, loyal to the Duce; the problem however stayed in the fact Mussolini was paralyzed for almost three years, and the most fanatic between the hierarcs (many of them felt in disgrace for their Pro-German positions in the period of WWII, and replaced with people more loyal to the Quadrumvires) managed to subdue control of the division, and to plan a coup of state. The objective was to occupy the centre of Rome by taking in hostage the Senate (since 1947 in the Palazzo della Civiltà Italiana in EUR), the Imperial Family and the Quadrumvirate and forcing them to proclaim a Republic under their leadership.

Meanwhile, the Spanish proposal, added to the imminent death of the Emperor, offered occasion to regulate some issues in the high spheres. The initial candidature was that, logical, of the house of Savoia-Aosta, considering one of their ancestors already took that crown, but soon Ciano and Graziani plotted to propose instead a monarch which heritage was directly tied with the main Imperial line, like that of Del Leone-Mussolini in Savoia; but because the children of the family were still little, they proposed to offer directly the crown to Alessandro. The general was truly shocked when they proposed him the crown of Spain, and tried to refuse, wanting to continue to serve the Empire and considering there was a deal between him, Ciano and Umberto of Savoia for the next years. In truth, despite the past agreements, Ciano wanted to get rid of his brother-in-law aiming to be the next Duce, Graziani wanted to be the only commander of the Imperial Army, and Umberto approved the plot because he feared Alessandro could overshadow his authority; they all agreed to proceed to the proclamation through a Senatorial vote Despite his indignation, Alessandro was forced to accept, because he didn’t had the necessary majority in Senate to halt the plot; he had the absolute support of the Senators of the Federate Nations but lacked that of those Italians; he decided however to not wage a civil war to risk the fall of the Empire, but he secretly swore revenge.

The situation precipitated the 2th July, during the celebrations for the anniversary of the conquest of Constantinople, when Vittorio Emanuele III was found dead in his bed. The plotters after hearing the news decided immediately to act and in the successive hours with the support of M Squadrons, they managed to occupy most of Rome, taking the Quirinal and the Imperial Family in hostage, but not the Senate and the government. Alessandro del Leone-Mussolini in fact was informed in time by OVRA agents (along them, the famous “Golem”) and managed to put in save himself and the other members of the Quadrumvirate, while ordering to the divisions “Audace” , “San Marco”, “Decima MAS” and “Fanti dell’Aria” just around the capital and loyal to them to encircle the city, protect the Senate in EUR and then destroy the rebels (but avoiding the most possible civilian damages, so the advance was more slow than expected allowing the rebels to resist about three-four days); in the meanwhile, taking opportunity from the fact the plotters didn’t occupy the complexes of the EIRA, they immediately gave to the rest of the Empire reassuring news minimizing the events in Rome, and assuring the riot will be rapidly suppressed.

Nevertheless, in the successive hours rebellions sparkled in various regions of the Balkans, the most violent in Constantinople where Turks, Greeks and Italians fought against each other to ensure the control of the city, but the Imperial Army and the federate governments remained in the end loyal to the Quadrumvirate and suppressed the revolts in the major cities; however, for various weeks the anti-Imperial guerrilla, mostly supported by PCIB agents, continued to create disorders in the countrysides, especially in former Yugoslavia.

Alessandro in the meanwhile didn’t remain inactive. Strong of his position as real commander of the Imperial Army, angered because of the Spanish question, he decided to put in act his own coup, in agreement with Balbo who cautiously remained neutral in the struggle between the other Quadrumvires. Generally, it is assumed Alessandro didn’t have in mind to become Emperor since that moment, but he wasn’t disposed to be exiled in that mode and, considering he gave a great contribute to build the Empire, he believed to have valuable rights to rule it, in a way or another. In the late morning of the 4th July, with the excuse to bring the government in a more safe place, the general de facto arrested them with a bunch of loyal soldiers and agents of OVRA, and forced them to relinquish all their powers to him under menace of death; from some later stories, it seemed both refused in a first moment to submit his request; so, the general showed proofs gathered from his supporters in OVRA about the involvement of Edda Mussolini in Ciano in the coup of the “M” squadron. Apparently, the Duce’s first daughter wanted to use the plotters to get rid of her half-brother and then trying to impose her husband as new Duce. It seemed Ciano didn’t know of the involvement of his wife, and got scared when Alessandro told him he was doing to denounce her in the Senate; so, he accepted to resign from his role in exchange of the silence. At that point, Graziani was in numerical inferiority, because Balbo already accepted to give up as Quadrumvir in exchange of later benefits. Alessandro in any way was willing to spare them and to give them honorary titles after the end of the crisis, so also him accepted in the end. Few hours later, the Senate was convinced to approve an emergency law which recognized Alessandro “Temporary Dictator for the sanity of the Empire”, which was an elegant and Romanized way to declare he was now the de facto ruler of the Federation.

Alessandro received a great consensus to his coup, because many saw him as a capable and strong administration, he wasn’t a fanatic one and had a strong realistic vision of things; also, the fact to be the son of Mussolini helped him a lot to be accepted in front of the part of PNF which remained loyal to the current government.

Later Ciano, proclaimed new Chinese ambassador and governor of Tientsin, was sent in China with all his family for years, while Graziani was kept outside the Empire as military advisor of the Axis until he died for natural causes in 1955.

When the Quirinal was liberated the early afternoon of the 6th, without particular losses thanks to the action of the Decima MAS, Umberto passed from a short relief to a new horror when Alessandro told him blankly he was now his prisoner, along with Ciano and Graziani, and asked him to sign a declaration where he publically renounced to the title of Emperor in his favor. The prince initially refused, but Alessandro told him he didn’t guarantee of his life and that of his family, because at that point he was disposed to the worse crimes in order to fulfill his objective. Umberto then tried a last card, recognizing his faults to proposing him as King of Spain and proposed him to become the new Duce, but Alessandro was irremovable saying he personally respected the pact at three with him and Ciano, but after he was betrayed he decided to repay them with the same money. Umberto was however reassured about the fact in case of extinction of Alessandro’s line his heirs could claim again the Imperial throne (the general was a master to alternate the stick with the carrot, to say simple); at that point, he accepted to become King of Spain and sign the declaration in favor of his brother-in-law. At that point, the Senate, after being informed immediately of Umberto’s decision, voted for the election of Alessandro as new Emperor.

At almost 36, the first male, even if bastard, son of Benito Mussolini became the third powerful man of Earth, second only to the US President and the chairman of the USSR.

After the proclamation, Alessandro focused to restore order in the Empire and consolidate his power, so for almost three months travelled through the Federate nations and the African colonies to control the situation and receiving the oaths from the various administrations and officers of the Imperial Army; meanwhile he delegated to Balbo, as new secretary of the PNF and first minister “in pectore” (officially, the head of government was still Mussolini), the duty to reform the structure of the party and to hang the traitors. The fact Alessandro was young, son of the founder of the Empire, a brilliant general, recognized by the Pope Pious XII and the Patriarch of Constantinople and then from the international community (except from the USSR and the PISU) and he was willing, with the opportune measures of security, to meet his subjects personally, soon allowed him to be accepted by a large majority of the population, unaware of the fact they were going to pass from a party dictatorship to a personal dictatorship…

Whatever, the last glimpses of internal rebellion in faded only in the early spring of 1952 at the news the Pandora scientists group realized and tested the Empire’s first Hydrogen bomb in Libya (beating in time the Americans on that race and creating of consequence more international tensions), shortly coming from the Senatorial vote which granted exclusively to the Emperor the right to decide the use of the Nuclear arsenal, revoking the right to the head of government to give his personal approval. Alessandro claimed he will give the approval to unleash the arsenal only in case of retaliation (so, only in the case USA or USSR launched for first their nukes), but he was willing to use the bombs in the same ground of the Empire in case of “internal menaces which could endanger the stability of the federation”. These declarations contributed to cool down the tensions into the Empire, while the scattered partisan and rebel movements moved gradually to underground activities.

In occasion of the imminent 49th anniversary of the March on Rome, Alessandro finally returned to the capital…

Rome, Umberto I hospital, 21th October of 1951:

“… And this is all. It’s ironic how the bastard son of an anti-monarchic became Emperor, but the history is plenty of examples like this, no?”
Alessandro noticed the worried expression of his father; it wasn’t difficult to guess what was thinking.
“Are you thinking about your other relatives, and especially your daughter,right? Don’t worry. Even if I could hang her for high treason, I was magnanimous and gave her a long, long vacation in China where I hope she died soon for an overdose of anger. I’m sorry, father, but because she always hated me, despite I tried to be patient with her, it’s the less I can hope for her. Well, it’s somewhat disturbing I relegated my brother-in-law in Tientsin, because he could be still useful for the Empire, but at least I neutralized a possible future menace… He hoped so bad to become one day the next Duce…” Alessandro coughed, repressing a sort of laughter. He found again control of himself when he read disapproval in the eyes of his father.

“… Don’t look me bad, father… You should be happy of the fact the rest of your family continued to serve the Empire, and in any way you should be proud of me, no? Any father wanted his son to surpass him, and I’m currently satisfied of my position. Not that I planned to become Emperor since we met the first time when I returned from Ethiopia, but I knew, being your son, I was destined to something great one day. I only took the chance at the right moment.” Then, he remained silent for a moment. He needed to found the necessary strength to do the next move.

“ Whatever, in the new course I want imprint to the Empire, I don’t need the presence of a Duce. The Emperor will be the only and real ruler, this nation need a strong leadership to face the red menace. Naturally, the veneration the Imperial population had towards you didn’t allow me to promote your destitution in front of the Senate… I couldn’t appear as the ungrateful son, don’t you think? Anyway, I can’t wait for your natural death so long…”

From one of his pockets, Alessandro took a syringe with a transparent liquid inside.

“ This liquid is a venom created by a Nazi scientist in order to kill without making suffering their victims in few minutes… The agents of OVRA captured him weeks ago and convinced him to reveal the formula before sold him to the Israeli. Those ODESSA folks… a bunch of fanatics, indeed, but in these things they are really inventive.”

Alessandro saw the horror and the fear in the eyes of his father.

“ Don’t blame me for this, father; both of us know well you will not be anymore able to recover. In the end, I’m making you a favor; we are men of action, we can’t stay inactive for long, and you are in this condition for three years… Are you really trying to convince me to spare you? To continue your vegetable life for many years? To impose to the Empire this weight?”He assumed then a sort of conciliatory tone.

“No, now you don’t fail me on this as I never failed you. Anyway I could sound false, but I didn’t took this decision with careless or because I am on a power trip like “baffetto”(1) and “baffone”(2) or above all because I hate you. I’m aware of that I’m doing, but for the Empire I already kill so many people that another more didn’t change nothing for me. But I will make so my creation will survive to me so our legacy will not be forced to commit the atrocities we did.”

Alessandro noticed his father was more calm after his last words. He was glad he understood in some way; probably, he thought to be in the apex of a tragedy, like a new Julius Caesar. It wasn’t a bad end for the man who claimed to restore the Roman Empire. So, his son approached the drip and put into the liquid in the syringe, like Brutus approached Caesar with his dagger; then he sat again and remain silent, not before taking the hand of his father. Alessandro remained with his father; so he paid his last debt with him, in a certain way.

Few minutes later, he saw the eyes of his father closing forever. He waited for a moment still, he tasted his pulse, and after assuming a really scared expression he ran to the door.

“Call a doctor, immediately! My father lost consciousness!” He screamed in the hall where the crowd still waited for him.

The entire hospital entered soon in panic, while already the news started to spread in Rome. The doctors who came could only confirmed the death. One of them told to Alessandro: “Uh, Your Highness, we should… make some analysis to determine the real reason of the death of His Excellency…”

The Emperor looked at him glacially: “I don’t see the reason. There is no need to open my father like a bag for inutile analysis to publicize them in some medical magazine. The corpse of the Duce will be now taken under my strict custody at the Quirinal, where specialized embalmers will treat him in order to not corrupt it under the weight of ages. Also this room will be preserved as it stands now in order to became later a sort of little sanctuary. I was clear?”

“Yes, Your Highness, but there are protocols I’m obliged to comply. When a patient died alone, or in presence of a single person, we must assume he wasn’t…”

“What? Are you accusing me of something, perhaps?”

“ No, no, of course not, Your Highness! I never put in question your… filial devotion. I think… the hospital could pass over the autopsy, because of your request. We must oblige your orders as your subjects.”

The Emperor smirked, more relieved:“Of course. The day the Imperial citizens will not respect anymore the Emperor, it will be the last of the Empire. But it still be far away to come.”

Alessandro left the room and went towards the exit of the hospital. He was thinking.

“The fall of the Empire will never come… And my dynasty will rule it forever, I swear!”

(1) Insulting term for Hitler.
(2) Insulting term for Stalin.
 
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