Joseon Needs a Coup - Chapter 198



Only Noblemtl

#198. Modern Warfare (4)

Minister Tirpitz, as I have reported to you, the Japanese army has been mobilizing ground forces and fleets from Yokohama and Sasebo and has been landing at Jemulpo, Korea, since October 10th. Thanks to the cruisers of the Eastern Fleet currently stationed at Jemulpo, I am able to provide you with reliable and detailed information.

The Japanese army, with the entire 12th Division now landing in Jemulpo, numbered over 20,000 men. They forced the Korean troops defending Jemulpo to retreat without a fight, but on what the locals called the “Gyeongindo,” the situation was completely different.

About 4,000 to 6,000 South Korean troops control the main routes to the capital, holding back the Japanese with heavy artillery fire and fortified positions.

The Korean troops are armed with French-made 75mm field guns and Russian-made rifles, and one thing worth noting is that, according to a high-ranking Japanese officer, the Korean troops’ bullets are troublesome because they can penetrate most exterior walls.

Casualties on both sides have not yet been reported, but rumor has it that the Japanese lost two battalions on October 14 alone.

Meanwhile, the Japanese Guards Division and the 2nd Division are landing in Busan and Gunsan, and the Korean royal family, government, and main force are withdrawing to Pyongyang and Hamheung respectively, while waging a seemingly coordinated delaying battle.

I am attaching a copy of the report from the local Imperial Navy officer.

May glory be with His Majesty the Emperor and with the German Empire.

Governor of Kiauchau, Oscar von Truppel.

=================

Meanwhile, the great Kaiser of Germany was taking a keen interest in the little war going on in the Far East. He therefore instructed Governor-General Kiauchow (Kiaojuman) to report in detail on the situation there, and Governor-General Oskar von Truppel, who immediately received the order, sent a brief but rather interesting telegram.

The telegram that came through Minister Tirpitz was truly a surprise.

The difference in military power between the Japanese Empire and the Korean Empire was judged to be much greater than the difference in national power between Prussia and Denmark during the Schleswig War.

Nevertheless, they were waging regular warfare against the Japanese army.

No, rather, it seemed like he was giving me a room to play.

The Kaiser, having read the Governor-General’s report several times, thought that something truly amazing was happening.

“What are you thinking about?”

“This war that is happening in Asia right now, can’t we do anything to stop it?”

The ministers sighed at the Kaiser’s words and actions, but in any case, he was the head of the German Empire and the decision-maker, so he had a duty to answer questions honestly.

“How can we stop it when three of the six powers that signed the Great Compromise of 1901 are now at war? For now, we will have to see what path Germany will take depending on the future actions of France and Britain.”

“Those damn France and England. Are you saying that I can’t decide anything unless they dare allow it?”

“The power of Europe is clearly our German Empire, but if England and France join hands, we will be in danger. Do not forget that in the Crimean War, the powerful alliance of England and France defeated the Russian Empire and gave life to the Ottoman Empire.”

“That’s because the Russians are backward. Our German Empire’s powerful army and navy would be enough to make France and Britain tremble.”

The Kaiser was really frustrated with his ministers who had to watch the movements of Britain and France every day before making any decision.

The power of the Greater German Empire, he believed, already surpassed that of Britain and France in Europe.

It was enough to show the power of the German Empire from the English Channel to the Alps.

But even with such power, those stuffy people moved very cautiously.

“I don’t like the sight of the Japanese Empire growing its power in the Far East.”

Of course, that doesn’t mean he completely lost his sense of international affairs.

He saw this war as a kind of “coronation” in which Japan would seize the title of Asia’s greatest power while simultaneously destroying Russia’s doctrine of the Far East, thereby declaring it to be theirs forever.

And the Kaiser, who was a typical yellow peril advocate, was not pleased with Japan’s actions. If they annexed the Korean peninsula immediately after winning the war, advanced into Manchuria, and began to exert influence over southern China, not only the German Empire but also other great powers would have no choice but to give up to Japan the privileges they had enjoyed so far, one by one.

Well, and the Kaiser himself also hated the Japanese.

Just as a barbarian who was about to be civilized did not become civilized just by changing his clothes.

For that reason, there was also an aspect of Russia and the Korean Empire, which were hostile to Japan, being friendly to it.

The situation was gradually approaching, like a sketch he had once drawn, like a painting completed by Hermann Knappus.

European cities ablaze above the smoke, Buddha approaching on a dragon, and the guardian deities and saints of each European country standing guard.

As of 1903, the Kaiser was convinced that this was coming.

“If Russia and the Korean Empire collapse in this war, they might come riding on a dragon to devour us. In particular, the collapse of the Korean Empire, which was the fence that could contain the Japanese Empire and the main route for them to China, would be a very unpleasant thing.”

Of course, the Kaiser also replayed all the circuits in his head. Japan would not be able to win against Russia anyway, but Russia would not be able to push Japan either.

Russia’s ground forces and fleet are stronger than Japan’s, but it would be another matter for them to land on the archipelago.

In that case, the wisest choice would be to secretly bet on Russia while allowing the German Empire’s flag to fly beyond the cult.

“What does Your Majesty wish?”

“Isn’t there any way we can help them? We have our fleet and ground forces in the sect.”

The ministers were astonished at the thought of this reckless Kaiser, this Emperor who was busy eating the delicious fruits that the famous Chancellor Bismarck had created. It was a situation that made them sigh involuntarily, but they could not help but make him feel uncomfortable.

“Besides, Japan broke the Great Compromise of 1901. The Korean Empire was guaranteed independence, but Japan’s sinister plan almost led to a civil war, and Russia, far from maintaining peace in the Far East, was cowardly attacked by the Japanese fleet. We, the German Empire, need to show them something.”

“Your Majesty, if we are not careful, we could become a target of war from Britain, Japan’s ally. If that happens, an irreversible situation will occur.”

“Um, that’s true···.”

The Kaiser himself appeared to back down when his ministers warned that war with Britain could break out.

If Britain were to go to war with Germany now, there was one neighbor she would most like to threaten.

“The French roosters will be hoping for our downfall.”

“Yes, Kaiser. So first of all, in this war, our German Empire must maintain a neutral stance···.”

Before the ministers could finish speaking.

match!

The Kaiser said, clapping his hands.

“But that doesn’t mean we can stand by and watch Japan act like that. What if we indirectly provide support to our cousin’s vassal state, the Korean Empire?”

The ministers could not help but be shocked once again by his words.

“Think about it. The Great Compromise of 1901 was not a decoration, and our German Empire took the initiative to prevent war for the sake of peace. However, Japan and Britain behind it quickly turned it into a piece of scrap paper, and now they are trying to annex the Korean Peninsula and Manchuria. Don’t you think that our German Empire needs to show the world that it is much more moral and just than other European countries?”

“Ha, but Your Majesty the Emperor. This is too dangerous···.”

In reality, this was a way of forcing the threat of war into the German Empire’s chest, especially since the British government was already pressuring the German Empire to ‘keep out of their way’ regarding the Baltic Fleet’s expedition to the Far East.

“Let’s call it humanitarian aid. In war zones, refugees and the weak are always oppressed, and the Korean Empire, which has become a battlefield, will be no exception. If we could provide supplies to the commander of the Eastern Fleet in Kyoju Bay, it would save our face, serve as a stern warning to Japan, which violated the 1901 Great Compromise, and create an image of the German Empire protecting the weak. Wouldn’t that be great?”

Faced with the Kaiser’s half-maddened insistence, the ministers had no choice but to move on to discussing how far they should reduce the scale of support.

The world was already watching this war unfold, and there were also pessimistic predictions that the situation in the Far East would later spill over to Europe and have negative effects.

Moreover, he was a man who seriously considered one of his greatest achievements in Asian diplomacy in 1901, when he had barely managed to patch up the peace that had been torn like a rag, and so he believed that this kind of intervention was natural.

The Kaiser took advantage of this situation just in time, and gave his ministers little reason to object.

However, the ministers did not necessarily think that Britain would remain silent about this matter. The war in the Far East was an issue that would keep even the German ministers awake at night.

***

“Grenade, grenade!”

“You fucking kids! Eat this and get lost!”

A search party member leaning against the wall pulled out the safety rings of two grenades at once and rolled them toward the charging enemy while shouting. Then, amidst the explosions that followed, screams and curses could be heard.

These experienced search party members were quite effective in throwing two grenades in quick succession, preventing the enemy from throwing them back and ensuring a kill.

Of course, most of the soldiers who were not properly trained in throwing grenades were killed or injured in the battle just now.

Some accidentally threw safety rings instead of grenades, and others foolishly followed the veterans and didn’t throw until the timer fuse had completely burned out, and were swept away along with the surrounding friendly forces. It was unfortunate, but they were fatal mistakes that could not be undone.

Bang! Ta-tang! Bang!

“Where are you crawling, it’s a fucking baby!”

Despite the tyranny of grenades and the deaths of many enemy soldiers from shrapnel, they continued to advance regardless.

As if completely oblivious to their fallen comrades, several more enemy soldiers entered the trench again, and this time they opened fire with quite lethal rifle fire.

As if they were skilled, they quickly pulled the trigger and pulled the bolt to extract the cartridge, while keeping their positions well covered by the firing pin, and then repeated the action from before.

“Ugh, shit! They’re really coming at you!”

There was no need to aim precisely at enemies entering the narrow passage.

As several of the enemies, who had apparently run out of grenades, fell to the enemy from rifle fire, the enemy on the other side poured down heavy fire as if to blow up the firing range.

At that moment, everyone was thinking that they had done a good job of filling the sand pit with sand.

When they realized that they could no longer hold the grenades they had stuffed into their bags, they shouted for more ammunition.

“Bring me the grenade, quick!”

What could be more regrettable than not having a warm welcome gift to show to your enemies?

“This is the last box!”

Even the man who had fought in the volunteer army with General Yu In-seok when he was young was amazed and said that he had never seen so many Japanese soldiers. Then he took out a grenade from the box and continued to throw it.

Looking at the piled up bodies amid the flash of the explosion and the debris, everyone gritted their teeth in determination to keep going until they were gone.

Seeing that sight, Hong Beom-do ran towards the brigade command post that was nearby.

He could no longer stop his enemies. He fought with all his might and power, but it was overwhelming. His seemingly infinite ammunition was now running out.

“Brigadier General, down! There are too many enemies! Get out of here quickly!”

Hong Beom-do entered the brigade command post covered in blood and gasped for breath.

Most of it was the blood of the unfortunate enemies who had tried to block his path, but he too was wounded here and there as he leaned against the firing line set up right in front of the brigade command post.

The Japanese battalion-sized force that broke through the battle line was truly a formidable force.

Should we say that this is a force of a different class from the sluggish reserve infantry of the Korean Army?

As they climbed to higher ground, they inflicted casualties by thoroughly forming a fire net with grenades and rifle fire, but instead of giving up, they regrouped and charged forward even more fiercely.

Although pre-positioned snipers temporarily took away the tempo by shooting enemy commanders and messengers, it was too difficult for the brigade headquarters, consisting of a small reconnaissance company and miscellaneous non-combat troops, to maintain that momentum for long.

Eventually, after dozens of minutes of bloody fighting, the ROK units were scattered, with only a small number of troops waiting for their end near the brigade headquarters.

Lieutenant General Min Yeong-gi sent out messengers until the last moment to instruct the front-line units to move any possible reserves toward the brigade headquarters, but since most of the units were in contact, it seemed like it would take quite some time.

Only the 3rd Battalion sent to Mansusan had some leeway.

According to the messenger who luckily arrived, this side was judged not to be the main attacker, unlike the 1st and 2nd Battalions.

Contrary to initial reports, the 3rd Battalion was effectively repelling the enemy’s assault.

Accordingly, he reported that he would dispatch two companies to provide support to the brigade headquarters.

However, it took time for it to arrive. And the enemy, as if they could not allow that time to pass easily, was destroying the friendly front line every minute, every second, and countless young people were sacrificing their precious lives to stop them with their whole body and soul.

“The enemy has broken through all of our defense lines. If we continue like this, we will be defeated here in no time!”

Already, the sounds of battle, including the sound of gunfire and explosions, could be heard from outside. It seemed that the enemies had rushed to the last line of defense near the command post, and the sound of bullets hitting the outer walls of the command post could be heard.

“Oh my God, please protect Korea.”

Min Yeong-gi, sensing that the end was near, ordered everyone remaining to make a final charge.

He wished he could sell his life for the highest price like his ancestors, and he thought that now was the moment.

He drew his sword and led the final charge, and soon the trench lines, which had been precariously stalemated for a moment, began to shake once more.

Many people had to shed blood once again.