CHAPTER 1942

Hitler and Stalin Unwilling to Back Down

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Rutabaga (rotabagge in Swedish):

In British English, it is called swede. In Japanese, it is referred to as Western turnip or Swedish turnip.

It was introduced to Hokkaidō, Japan, along with other crops in the early Meiji period. However, it did not become widespread because its taste was considered inferior to native turnip species. In Scandinavia, it seems to be commonly eaten in soups. Additionally, in Scotland, the traditional dish haggis is traditionally served with mashed rutabaga.

- ほうこうおんち

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The New Year had come.

It was 1942, and the German army was retreating, not just far from Moscow, but well before reaching it. However, while the Soviets pursued them, they had not inflicted catastrophic damage on the retreating forces. Hitler refused to allow withdrawals. Stalin responded to failures with purges. Yet even these two, unyielding in their policies, were forced to confront the abnormal severity of that year's winter.

Hitler had once been warned by Sweden's Professor Ekman. Before that, he had sent German scholars to survey the seas where North America once lay. When one of these scholars spoke of unsettling findings, he was silenced. But could he have been right after all?

Stalin, meanwhile, had received Arctic exploration requests from Britain and Japan.

'Who has the time for such distractions during this war!?' he thought.

He denied access to the sea regions bordering Soviet territory but permitted the use of peripheral ports and the purchase of supplies. But why were they engaging in such activities now? The information Stalin received from communist sympathizers and Soviet agents in Britain about European cooling trends could not have been entirely dismissed, could it?

Both dictators began to feel uneasy.

But for now, they thought: 'We're in the midst of a war. I cannot lose to that mustached man!'

Such were the thoughts of the square-mustached Hitler and the mustachioed Stalin.

In truth, they were using the war as a convenient excuse to escape reality. They held onto the hope: 'This is just a one-time occurrence. Summer will come again. It's impossible to believe such cold will persist year after year.'

Meanwhile, both Germany and the Soviet Union were grappling with food shortages. This could not be ignored.

The Soviet Union operated on a rationing system.

"This is a national emergency. The rations are meager, but you must endure!"

Those who dared to resist had already been sent to Siberia, precisely Central Siberia, which was experiencing even greater cold than European Russia. As for Eastern Siberia, they had not yet realized its significance.

Germany, too, was rationing food. In fact, Germany had more experience with rations, having dealt with the "Turnip Winter" during World War I. The root vegetable rutabaga, typically livestock feed in Germany, became a staple when potato harvests failed, and British naval blockades severed food supplies. During this time, even crows and sparrows were sold for meat in the markets. Postwar narratives would attribute Germany's revolution and defeat to food shortages exploited by socialists and Jewish conspirators. This, in part, paved the way for Hitler's rise to power. Consequently, Hitler was even more sensitive to food issues than Stalin and responded more swiftly. It can be said that he had no choice but to act.

First, Hitler directed all of the nation's food reserves toward rations. Even so, it was insufficient. He gathered supplies from occupied territories and diverted public dissatisfaction. Accusing Jews of "illegally selling food abroad," he staged public executions. Food allegedly discovered in Jewish homes and warehouses was distributed to the people.

Furthermore, Hitler sought to purchase food from Italy, Spain, and even Britain and Japan.

Italy and Spain which benefited from the Mediterranean climate still had some surplus. However, both prioritized feeding their own populations. Britain had no surplus at all.

Japan, affected by floods, could not offer much. The floods had prompted Japan to begin rationing food. Yet, despite the food shortages, there was one type of grain the Japanese did not eat: long-grain rice.

The Japanese were particular about rice. They only preferred ginshari—white rice—and primarily consumed the Japonica variety, which was still sufficiently available. The Tōhoku and Hokuriku regions had experienced a bumper crop the previous year. While such abundance usually depressed rice prices, slight production shortfalls in Kyūshū due to floods and average yields elsewhere had kept price fluctuations minimal. Japan also imported rice from Korea and Taiwan, which sometimes troubled farmers in the Tōhoku region due to competition. This imported rice could be supplied elsewhere.

Additionally, Japan's expansion had provided access to rice from China's coastal areas, northern French Indochina (now northern Vietnam), and its ally Thailand. However, the Japanese did not eat this rice, dismissing it as "dry, smelly, and unpalatable!"

Local farmers might have been furious to hear such remarks, but the Japanese said them without hesitation. Poor handling during transport might also have contributed to its bad reputation.

Britain, however, took notice of this Japanese rice. Hong Kong and Singapore, both British territories, were conveniently located.

"We need that Bavarian corporal to keep fighting Russia," Churchill remarked, emphasizing the importance of ensuring Hitler's focus remained on the Eastern Front.

To achieve this, Britain devised a strategy to purchase surplus rice from Japan, transport it to Europe using British merchant ships, and sell it to Germany. These ships were not exclusively for Japanese rice; they also carried food purchased from Malaya and other colonies, loaded additional supplies in India, and transported them to Britain.

Though the Japanese rice was treated as a secondary cargo, the plan served multiple purposes:

- Build goodwill with Japan, which had lost the United States as an export partner.

- Feed Germany to keep its focus on the Soviet Union.

Additionally, trade with Japan via Hong Kong was encouraged. Britain's vast empire, with its colonies worldwide, still had substantial reserves despite past economic crises caused by oversupply. It bought grains from around the globe.

"Prime Minister, at this rate, we'll run out of funds in less than ten years!"

The bureaucrats' protests were met with laughter from Churchill and Chancellor of the Exchequer Wood.

"Then we'll just print more pounds."

"That will devalue the pound!"

"Devalue against what?"

"Well... oh!"

"Exactly. The US dollar no longer exists. After the First World War, the dollar replaced the pound as the global reserve currency, much to our chagrin. But now the dollar is gone, reduced to a collector's item. This is the pound's chance to reclaim its throne. As long as the pound becomes the global settlement currency, we can print as much as we need. That's the essence of it. Now is the time to establish the pound as the world's currency, even at a temporary loss."

Churchill nodded silently at Wood's explanation.

True to form, Britain rarely pursued policies that resulted in genuine losses. It wasn't just about currency. In maritime trade, Britain consolidated all marine insurance in London. Any ship not insured by the London aristocratic consortium would incur losses when docking in Commonwealth ports.

However, Japan was given favorable treatment. As a financially strapped country, high fees would render Japan unable to pay, cutting off its ability to dispatch merchant ships to Commonwealth territories. This would risk Japan being excluded from the bloc economy, potentially slipping out of Britain's influence. Even at a slight loss, integrating Japan into Britain's economy proved advantageous for controlling the opposite side of the continent. With the US gone, Britain no longer had a moralistic rival spouting unwelcome truths. At the same time, America had once been a counterweight to Japan's growing power in the Far East. Now, without the US, Britain needed to abandon idealism, bait Japan with benefits, slip in unnoticed hooks, and reel it into a controlled pond of British dominance.

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"Mein Führer! Britain is selling food through neutral Spain!"

"Hmm... Cunning," Hitler remarked, recognizing the skillfulness of British diplomacy.

The British clearly wanted to avoid any armistice caused by famine. They must be extremely averse to continuing the war with Germany.

'If that's the case, fine. Perfectly fine, he thought.'

However, what truly underscored British cunning was their refusal to sell food or supplies directly to Germany. If they sold directly, Germany could exploit their weakness. For instance, Germany could threaten to resume the Battle of Britain unless they lowered their prices. But by involving Spain, a neutral and amicable nation toward Germany, Britain rendered such tactics useless. Britain was merely selling to Spain, while Spain, in turn, sold to Germany. It was impossible to threaten a neutral country.

Moreover, since it wasn't a direct transaction, stopping Britain from selling to the Soviet Union also became difficult. Britain might even use another neutral country like Sweden, which was wary of the Soviet threat, or Finland, to turn food into a tool for security negotiations. Both countries were relatively favorable to Germany, and while Germany could discourage dealings with the Soviets, they couldn't completely obstruct civilian trade.

Still, Hitler decided to go along with Britain's game. War with the Soviet Union was inevitable—this was his firm belief.

First, communism had to be eradicated. Second, Germany needed to secure Lebensraum in the East. Lastly, there was no way Germany could coexist with the racially inferior Slavs.

"We must end the war with Russia this year!"

Hitler rallied his entire military, determined to capture Moscow, Leningrad, and Stalingrad by summer, dismantling the Soviet Union before the year ended.

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Stalin, too, saw through Britain's cunning.

"Comrades, are you aware of Britain's three-faced diplomacy?"

During the First World War, they promised the Arabs independence to secure their cooperation against the Ottoman Empire, while simultaneously negotiating the partition of the Middle East with Russia and France and offering the Jews a homeland in Palestine to gain financial support.

"They will do whatever serves their interests."

He pointed to food supplies coming through the "northern nomadic land" of Lapland, spanning Finland and Sweden.

It was clear Britain was enabling this to prevent the war with Germany from ending. The presence of rice that was impossible to cultivate in the Arctic Circle betrayed British involvement, given their colonies in the East.

"However, cunning is not inherently bad. Let us be equally cunning. Britain is not providing food aid out of charity. We owe them no gratitude and certainly no payment. Divert it all to the military."

"But, Comrade Premier, the soldiers do not know how to eat rice."

"Turn it into kasha (porridge). If they insist, let them eat it raw—it's better than nothing."

Stalin thus declared:

"By the end of this year, we will drive that mustachioed clown off Soviet soil and march all the way to Berlin!"

While soldiers froze and struggled on the frontlines, both leaders drafted plans for spring offensives.

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Since we are on holiday again today, I will update at 18:00, 21:00, and 00:00 after this.

- ほうこうおんち