Chapter 573: Naval vs. Army Conflict
"I'm sorry, Ambassador Kade, but my rank is too low to make such a commitment. The Sakishima Islands are not just a few islands—this concerns the security of the Miyako Strait and our maritime borders. I cannot give you an answer right now and must report to the government," said the Japanese diplomat.
Just as Kade had pointed out, Japan could have avoided trying to seize the Southern Ryukyu Islands altogether. They had never formally claimed sovereignty and had instead compromised with the Far Eastern Empire on an awkward two-part division.
This mindset made the Japanese believe the Ryukyu Islands were negotiable, rather than absolute national territory.
So the diplomat was tempted by Kade's proposal. But the situation had escalated—could they really risk going to war with East Africa over the Southern Ryukyus?
If East Africa were a weak country, maybe. But it wasn't—it had the image of a strong, unyielding power. Japan, putting itself in East Africa's shoes, realized it couldn't act with the same composure.
East Africa had Germany and especially Austria-Hungary backing it—an undeniable advantage. Japan couldn't help but envy such support. That kind of "rising with the tide" success was hard to come by.
The three major Germanic powers were like brothers. Germany was the most "legitimate" of the three, though even that was debatable—Prussia wasn't originally part of the German world. Austria-Hungary had only 30% ethnic Germans, and East Africa, even counting all white people, only had about 50%. But with its full Germanization policies and over 70% of its population intermarried, East Africa arguably had a stronger claim to being a Germanic nation than Austria-Hungary.
East Africa resembled the former Austrian Empire—led by Austrians but deeply involved in the affairs of the Holy Roman Empire. East Africa had similarly defused future ethnic independence movements.
Ultimately, none of the three could fully represent the Germanic world—they were all mixed. East Africa was the most extreme, even racially blended. Yet all three proudly called themselves Germanic. What bound them together was culture and, more importantly, the nobility.
That noble class was the glue maintaining East Africa's German identity—unlike America, which had a large German population but was fully English in language and culture.
"Very well, but I hope your government replies soon. My time is valuable—I don't want to waste it on endless back-and-forth," Kade said.
From Kade's point of view, there was no reason for Japan to risk war with East Africa over the Southern Ryukyus. Even without East Africa's involvement, the Far Eastern Empire would have prevented Japan from seizing them.
At this point, the Far Eastern Empire still had sway in the region. Japan's rise as a great power in previous history relied on two wars: the First Sino-Japanese War and the Russo-Japanese War.
Now, despite its ambitions toward the Ryukyu Islands, the Korean Peninsula, and the Far Eastern Empire, Japan had no major victories to back up its claims.
East Africa, on the other hand, had defeated numerous countries—many of which no longer existed. Some might argue that African armies were weak, but occupying such a vast territory required serious military organization—perfectly in line with the Germanic stereotype.
East Africa had also defeated white powers like the Transvaal Republic and Portugal, giving it a reputation as a military power.
East Africans thus felt superior to Japan—partly due to 19th-century European cultural chauvinism. Japan, with its admiration for strength and its "Leave Asia, Join Europe" ideology, idolized Western nations. To Japan, all white powers carried an aura of authority—just as many in the modern West blindly believe in American-style liberal democracy.
Freedom means nothing without wealth, and democracy is just a post-Soviet American export. The USSR was democratic in theory, but humans are self-interested—Soviet democracy couldn't survive without saints running the country.
The 19th century belonged to white people. Even their smoke-belching industrial chimneys were aspirational to the Japanese.
So East Africa—closely tied to two world powers—was at least respected abroad, if not admired.
To Japanese officials, Ambassador Kade seemed arrogant. But they didn't see it as rude—rather, as confidence backed by strength.
"Of course, we also hope to avoid a true conflict with East Africa. Let's both make concessions and find an acceptable solution. Set the dispute aside for now."
Kade replied, "That would be best."
Soon after, the Japanese government began deliberating over the Southern Ryukyu Islands—referred to domestically as the Sakishima Islands.
"The Sakishima Islands must not be given up. East Africa is not the Far Eastern Empire. If we surrender them now, we may never get them back."
"Mr. Ronoda, I understand your concern. But right now, we're the weaker party. We must face that reality. The islands are not worth risking national survival."
"Councilor Yamamoto is right. The East African Navy is one of the world's top ten. Even if we throw everything we have at them, victory is uncertain. Sacrificing the navy for those islands isn't worth it," said a navy official.
The navy didn't want a showdown with East Africa. On paper, the East African fleet was powerful—and the Japanese Navy lacked confidence.
Even if they won, it would likely be a pyrrhic victory. And most of East Africa's navy was in the Indian Ocean—defeating their Far Eastern force wouldn't cripple them.
East Africa could absorb losses. Japan's navy couldn't—its biggest rival was its own army. A heavy loss would let those "idiots" in the army gain the upper hand.
The army saw through the navy's fear. One spokesperson mocked, "Seems some folks only know how to drink coffee and eat Western food on the taxpayers' dime—yet can't protect the Empire. Maybe we should take over their budget and put it to better use."
"Tsuruo Ichiro, that's slander! The navy's budget is already pitiful. Our ships lag behind East Africa's by two generations. That's why we're struggling in the Sakishima Islands. What, should we fight with fishing boats like Morita did? Without us, your army would do nothing but bicker. Expanding territory is a navy job. In my view, it's the army that's useless. Cut their funding and build more ships!"
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