Chapter 299: Thailand Enters the War
Convincing the King of Thailand to join the war effort was an easy task from the perspective of the German Reich. Whether it was past investments into the region, or the fact that its government employed several German citizens in advisory capacities.
The ties between Germany and the lands of Siam were far greater than those the nation had with the allies. In addition to the reasons already discussed, there was also the fact that there were no armed disputes between the German Reich and the Kingdom of Thailand to speak of.
This could not be said for the British and French who gobbled up territory on both sides of the independent nation’s borders in the decades preceding the Great War. In Bruno’s past life, Thailand entered the war in the final year, sending some support to the allies in the hopes that these lands would be restored to them.
Things didn’t necessarily work out as planned, but in this life the tables had turned. The war was progressing rapidly in the Central Powers’ favor. And Japan had joined their side, bringing the fight to the Eastern colonies of the British Empire and the French Republic.
This meant that Thailand not only had an ally in the region to work together with but also had the opportunity to forcefully drive the European powers out of the lands which were seized from them in years past.
Not to mention, Franz had long since been visiting the south-east Asian nation while brokering trade deals between them and his family. The Royal Thai Army was remarkably well equipped for a minor power. Water-cooled machine guns, bolt action rifles, modern recoil operated artillery? All of these things were in their hands.
They more or less were equipped with the same standard of weaponry as the British and French Colonial forces, if not slightly better. At least on land, that is. Sure, their numbers were smaller, but with enough assistant, and the right advisors, taking the fight to the Allies was not an impossibility.
Especially when they caught the French forces in Indochina within a two war front as the Imperial Japanese Army was advancing even from the east. Because of this, Franz was more than willing to entertain the Thai King, regaling him with stories of his youngest brother’s upbringing and rise to prominence.
Whether it was his early displays of exceptional intelligence and wisdom, to his deployment to the far east during the early days of his military career. Or his blood stained past in Russia, spilling the blood of the Red Army and hunting down the Russian Marxists to extinction. The Thai King found great joy in hearing these stories, some of which were exaggerated for the sake of appeasing his curiosity.
Franz was a naturally gifted storyteller and as a result he knew how to spin an already incredible tale into one which rivaled myth and legend. Bruno’s charge at Port Arthur, in particular was heavily embellished by the man’s older brother, as if he had single-handedly taken the Trench while the Japanese soldiers beneath his command hid in fear.
Tearing through the Russian lines of defenses and raising the banner of the rising sun above the mountain top for the world to gaze upon its glory. Or so Franz made it seem. Find adventures at empire