Chapter 523: A Declaration of War
The attack came under cover of night. For years, the Imperial Japanese Navy had trespassed into German colonial waters; but this time, they fired the first shot.
This was no warning shot over the bow; this was a deliberate strike by multiple cruisers upon a lone German destroyer. Outnumbered, and outgunned, the ship was sunk.
Japan had been isolated during and after the Great War, due to their geographical location, and the focus of the war being in Europe. They received little aid in their own ambitions, and won just fine all the same.
It was this thinking that led them to believe, under the Taisho regime that they were no longer behind the European powers, but were far ahead of them. A bold assumption, but a mistaken one.
Japan’s development cycle had been spurred by necessity in this timeline. It had been taught during the Great War, from observations made after it that armor, aircraft, and highly mobile units with high volume small arms were a must to secure victory in the next war.
Because of this, they had invested significantly into the development of things like monoplanes, tanks, and semi-automatic rifles beginning as early as 1918. After over a decade of efforts, they had produced weapons that were at the very least functional in the field. But function alone did not win wars. Not against Germany.
This resulted in the production of the Ki-27 a decade earlier in life than in the previous timeline Bruno had come from as well as the Type 97 Chi-Ha medium tank and the Type Kō Rifle.
Which would have been impressive if it weren’t for the fact that Germany was already fielding significantly better equipment even among their colonial troops.
But none of this was Bruno’s concern as he walked through the office of the German Reich’s military high command. When he did so, his face was stern and enraged.
He moved like a storm contained in human form; his mere presence scattering doubt from the room like leaves before the wind.