Chapter 213: Diplomacy Is No Match for Fists
After weighing the matter for a long time, Antonescu finally nodded in agreement.
He knew very well that Romania's weight was not enough to give him the confidence to refuse.
Germany could pull Romania to the negotiating table.
It could also kick Romania away from it.
If that happened, Romania would have nowhere to turn. It could not seek protection from Soviet Russia. Its only options would be Britain and Italy.
But Italy's defeat at Germany's hands during the Spanish Civil War had already proven that Italian military strength was far from as robust as Berlin's. If he refused now, Germany would deal with Hungary first, then immediately turn its gaze toward Romania.
Therefore, standing with Germany was undoubtedly the best choice.
It was also the choice most aligned with Romania's interests.
"Then let us proceed as you say."
Antonescu paused, then opened his briefcase.
"Oh, Mr. Jörg, I heard you like chocolate. This is a small token of my appreciation."
As he spoke, he took out a pure gold gift box. Inside, rows of flower-shaped dark and white chocolates were arranged with exquisite care.
Seeing Jörg accept the gift, Antonescu smiled, nodded, and took his leave.
The moment he stepped out, his craving for a cigarette clawed at his mind so fiercely that he gritted his teeth. He instinctively fumbled through his pockets, only to remember that he had thrown his cigarettes into the sea before coming here.
Just as he stood there in a daze, a cigarette was offered to him.
Ethan leaned forward with a smile and lit it for him.
"Goodbye, Mr. Antonescu."
A moment later, Boris III, who had endured the sea breeze for several tens of minutes, was finally invited to the top of the observation tower.
After pushing the door open and exchanging a few pleasantries, he deliberately avoided the main subject.
It was clear that he wanted Jörg to state Germany's demands first, thereby seizing the upper hand in diplomacy.
Without question, Boris III was a brilliant diplomat.
In his previous life, even after defeat, he had managed to avoid ceding territory and still held on to South Dobruja, which was enough to demonstrate his exceptional diplomatic skill.
Unfortunately, Jörg had no intention of discussing diplomacy with him.
After signaling Ethan to bring two cups of black tea, Jörg spoke first.
"Your Excellency Boris III, I hear your stance on military transit rights remains... undecided?"
Such a direct question disrupted all of Boris III's prior preparations.
He replied with an embarrassed smile, "Your Excellency Jörg, you know Bulgaria is a beautiful country, but also a complicated one. Our soldiers admire Germany, our people are enthusiastic about Anglo-American culture, and our politicians prefer the Mediterranean."
Jörg took a sip of black tea.
Then, with a pair of silver tweezers, he picked up a thick slice of honey-soaked lemon from the condiment jar beside him.
"Thank you, Mr. Jörg, but I do not like..."
Before Boris III could refuse, the lemon slipped into his teacup.
Jörg turned toward him but said nothing.
Instead, he gestured for Boris to look outside the window.
Several fighter jets took off from the aircraft carrier and roared past the top of the observation tower.
Boom!
The resulting tremor shook the table, causing warm tea to spill over the rim of Boris's cup.
"Do you know, Your Excellency Boris, I like Bulgaria."
Jörg's voice remained calm.
"And I like the Mediterranean even more when warships are sailing through it."
He looked at the King of Bulgaria.
"Military transit rights can exist in two ways. There may be military without transit rights, or transit rights without military."
"I suggest you choose the latter."
Jörg leaned back slightly.
"Because I have just had a pleasant conversation with Mr. Antonescu of Romania. As long as Bulgaria agrees to maintain a united front with Germany, South Dobruja will become my gift to the Bulgarian people."
As he spoke, Jörg picked up the tweezers again and placed two more slices of lemon into Boris III's teacup.
"But personally, I prefer the former."
His eyes were calm, yet carried unmistakable pressure.
"Because I trust the generals of the Wehrmacht. I trust even more the soldiers who long to win glory."
This could no longer be called a hint.
It was a naked threat.
Boris's back was soaked with cold sweat.
Facing a tyrant who had arrested the president of another country and forced him onto television, he even began to doubt whether he could walk out of this observation room alive.
But when he heard that South Dobruja could be returned, fear was suppressed by joy.
Boris nodded repeatedly.
"No problem, Mr. Jörg. No problem at all. This gift of yours is valuable enough, valuable enough for Bulgaria to give you everything."
Jörg ignored the flattery.
His gaze pressed forward as he gestured for Boris to pick up his teacup.
"You said that yourself, Mr. Boris. In that case, you should not mind supporting allies who stand with the same power, should you?"
He continued calmly, "Greece is being dragged into the abyss of war by Italy. Should Bulgaria not also contribute its share?"
Boris realized at once that his own words had trapped him.
For a moment, he did not know how to answer.
His hand remained suspended in the air with the teacup for a long while before he finally forced out a reply.
"Certainly. Absolutely."
With that, he pinched his nose and drank the sweet and sour lemon tea in one gulp.
After signing the agreement, Boris III departed from this meeting that had filled him with both surprise and delight.
Jörg opened the window.
The whistling sea breeze swept into the room, dispersing the faint aroma of tea.
Heydrich, who had been in Danzig dealing with the underground resistance organizations in Poland, received the Führer's order and hurried over.
He entered and asked respectfully, "Sir."
"Recently, pay close attention to Bulgaria's movements, Heydrich."
Jörg looked out at the sea.
"Do we have any groups in Bulgaria that lean toward us?"
Heydrich searched through the information buried in his memory.
But most of his attention had recently been occupied by Poland, Britain, Italy, and Soviet Russia. After a long moment, he shook his head.
"Sorry, sir. I cannot recall clearly. I will return and review the archives immediately, then report the results to you as soon as possible."
Looking at the blue sea, Jörg nodded.
"Be quick."
His voice was low.
"Christmas is only a month away."
One week later, at the end of October 1936, Romania signed a military defense agreement with Germany.
With that, the two-sided confrontation on the Balkan Peninsula gradually took shape.
Two days later, another major piece of news made Europe's situation even more hostile.
Romania announced that it would return the disputed territory of South Dobruja to Bulgaria.
The following afternoon, Boris III announced that Bulgaria would not ignore Italy's invasion of Greece.
If Italy did not stop its offensive and withdraw the army it had deployed on the Balkan Peninsula, Bulgaria would reconsider the current political situation.
That evening, large numbers of private newspapers seemed to receive a signal at the same time. They began publishing articles in support of Germany, claiming that once war began, Bulgaria would become Germany's most steadfast ally.
This series of changes inevitably made people wonder whether Germany was orchestrating everything behind the scenes.
Although nearly everyone believed Boris had already sided with Germany, the truth was more subtle.
These supportive statements had been organized by private news agencies.
The Bulgarian Royal Gazette, which truly represented Bulgaria's ruling class, did not publish any supporting article at all.
It merely ran an unrelated Middle Eastern news story.
And the army said to be aiding Greece was only a volunteer force.
Boris did not officially dispatch the Bulgarian Army to participate directly in the war in the name of the state.
Although he had already touched the red line, he still left himself a narrow path of retreat.
.....
[If you don't want to wait for the next update, read 50 chapters ahead on P@treon.]
[[email protected]/FanficLord03]