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Chapter 11: World war
Sorry I was sick a bit so wasn't able to write a new chapter...
I hope someone still reading this...
*No new characters in this chapter
Aukstaitis walked around the room and thinked. So, Lithuanian planes had to bomb Warwick once more. It was not as important strategically, but it was important to test US reaction. If Lincoln was to declare war, it was better for Aukstaitis that he would do it now. Now part of Lithuanian army was ordered to march to US borders, so defense would be easier if war on second front would really start. However it wasn’t possible always to keep that brigade of troops on border. If war would not start now, it would be almost guaranted that USA won’t declare war brcause of Lithuanian actions against Great Britain. And that means Lithuania could retreat troops stationed at American border and use them in future invasions to Great Britain. However if war against USA would really start, everything wouldn’t be so good. Lithuania teoriethically could keep the war going on two fronts, but then no land attacks on Britain would be possible – all troops would have to try take defensive positions on US boundary.
Phone ranged. Minister of defence colonel Paulauskas called. It was obviously something important happened, because Paulauskas just talked with president. Aukstaitis answered quite nervously – he was nervous because of the lost invasion, although tried to hide that when talked with other people:
“Hello. What happened?”
“Well, bad knews again… British navy surrounded Isle of Odessa”
President remained silent for a bit. One thing was to loose an invasion and second thing was to loose your own territories in a war you just declared. If Odessa would be lost, popularity of Aukstaitis would be totally crashed. Although he didn’t needed it to stay in power because there were no democratic elections in Lithuania, however lack of popularaty meant many civil disorders and cities submitting to enemy like Siauliai did years ago, which means already hard job to win war would become even more harder. Aukstaitis said:
“And what troops we have there in Odessa?”
“One brigade of infrantry. Odessa isn’t an important city, the only resource near it is coal and we have more coal mines throughout the country”
“I know it isn’t important city. I also know it is mostly populated by Russians, who owned the city before war aginst Russia. But, however, city belonged to Lithuania for last half an age, and that is enough reason to defend it”
“I understand, mister president” – colonel Paulauskas feared Aukstaitis a bit. Everybody in government feared him because nobody understood his true emotions.
“OK. So what damage British could possibly do to the isle?”
“Well… Currently the size of their fleets near island is unknown, it is also unknown werether they have any transport ships there or not. However, I could tell admiral Vanauskas to sail there with second fleet if you want. But then we wouldn’t be able to defent coasts near Moscow”
“No, you don’t need to do that. Moscow is more important obviously. However, everything seems to be falling out of our hand. Well, I want to call meeting of whole junta tomorrow morning. Could you call people to the meeting?”
“OK. Who to call? All the members? We can’t call admiral Vanauskas or general Kairys…”
“No, not all. Only ones available here in Klaipeda. That means minister of defense Joris Banevicius, minister of justice Antanas Ruda and others”
“OK, I will call them”
“Goodbye for now. Do your job”
Aukstaitis stopped talking and sat near desk, where he watched through the windows. He thought what to say in the junta meeting. Although popularity in people was important, popularity in junta itself was even more so. People could moarn and scream, they could even aquire weapons, but it is almost impossible for them to kick out government if government is firm. While for example charismatic military commander in key position could do that quite easily. Even if the coup attempt wouldn’t be succesful, government would become much weaker. Something like that happened when junta kicked off democratically elected but corrupted government of Lithuania many years ago. Aukstaitis was then just a leutenant and general Gaudliauskas was commander of land army. He was the one who started a coup. However later he put Aukstaitis into presidents position, primarily because at start being in that position was very unsafe – some people still wanted democracy back and tried to assasinate the new president. Also Gaudliauskas thought Aukstaitis would give him up presidents seat once everything calms down. But here he was very wrong – although Aukstaitis was calm and ussually strange, he was a good strategist. He didn’t gave up presidents seat but he also didn’t became a tyrant. He liked to talk to people and almost every his decition was done in cooperation with other junta members. Gaudliauskas at start still tried to regain lost power and intiated “elections” of president inside junta. But junta apporoved Aukstaitis as president and Gaudliauskas had to agree with the fact that he remained commander of land army. But, however, although being in the same position Gaudliauskas had much more power to the government after coup than he had before it. This was because Aukstaitis didn’t considered Gaudliauskas as an enemy, who lost, but as a friend who helped him become what he was instead. Even foreign politologists thought that if not Aukstaitis Lithuania would have not been a superpower. This was because if some not such charismatic person would have came to power as a leader of junta in those vurnable times when government was jst kicked out, it was very possible that junta would be also kicked off. And so would be the third government and maybe the fourth. After that many government changes country would have fallen into a complete anarchy. And that would just have helped USA or Great Britain to occupy Lithuania.
Aukstaitis turned on TV to hear the last news on the war. Destroyed Warwick was still being shown and reporter talked:
“…There could be probably about 500’000 casualties at the British side as a result of bombings of Warwick. About 400’000 of these people were civilians and that is one third of Warwick population. Queen Elizabeth ordered to half-raise flags everywhere in Britain today in respect to the deceased. As her advisor said, she is very shocked by the tragedy and now spends days in Buckingham Palace never going outside. Currently charity is being collected in all the major British and American cities. The money will be used to help Warwick citizents with humanitarian aid. However, unconfirmed reports we recently got claims there was another air raid by Lithuanian bombers on Warwick. However, this time it was not on city itself but on irrigation systemsnear it. If these reports are true, situation in Warwick would become even worse – even now citizens there are lacking food because of destroyed railways and roads connecting city to farms near London and the attacked irrigation systems were the only such building near Warwick” Reporter stopped talking and later said “Now we have a live transmitting from the White House” view from Warwick dissappeared and instead American president’s emblem – the eagle – appeared. In front of that huge eagle on a wall, Lincoln stood. He started talking:
“Hello my fellow citizens of United States, and also citizens of other world countries. As you probably already know, Lithuanian forces in the last days brutualy bombarded city of Warwick. About half a million people were killed there. And many times more people have lost their wifes, husbands, daughters, sons, mother, fathers, grandparents, cousins and friends in these bombardings. We tried to help Britain to deal with the aftermath as much as possible. We gave them helicopters, technics required to search for alive people under the rubbles. However every such action to help poor people who were physically or morally wounded in the bombings was brutually stopped by more offensive actions by republic of Lithuania. First it was invasion. President Aukstaitis said both bombings and invasion were primarily done for military purposes and many civilian deaths were unintentional. However, as our intelligence said, now Lithuania bombed irrigation facilities near Warwick. This bombing was definitely done just to create povetry in the already destroyed city and to stop any attempts by Great Britain or USA to help people there. This is definitely what we can’t tolerate. We can’t leave Britain and their people alone. So, I have to say that I do declare a war on Republic of Lithuania. This is the first US war since war against Russia, I know. But however I think you people won’t let down brothers from Great Britain and completely support this action”
*to be continued*
Sorry I was sick a bit so wasn't able to write a new chapter...
I hope someone still reading this...
*No new characters in this chapter
Aukstaitis walked around the room and thinked. So, Lithuanian planes had to bomb Warwick once more. It was not as important strategically, but it was important to test US reaction. If Lincoln was to declare war, it was better for Aukstaitis that he would do it now. Now part of Lithuanian army was ordered to march to US borders, so defense would be easier if war on second front would really start. However it wasn’t possible always to keep that brigade of troops on border. If war would not start now, it would be almost guaranted that USA won’t declare war brcause of Lithuanian actions against Great Britain. And that means Lithuania could retreat troops stationed at American border and use them in future invasions to Great Britain. However if war against USA would really start, everything wouldn’t be so good. Lithuania teoriethically could keep the war going on two fronts, but then no land attacks on Britain would be possible – all troops would have to try take defensive positions on US boundary.
Phone ranged. Minister of defence colonel Paulauskas called. It was obviously something important happened, because Paulauskas just talked with president. Aukstaitis answered quite nervously – he was nervous because of the lost invasion, although tried to hide that when talked with other people:
“Hello. What happened?”
“Well, bad knews again… British navy surrounded Isle of Odessa”
President remained silent for a bit. One thing was to loose an invasion and second thing was to loose your own territories in a war you just declared. If Odessa would be lost, popularity of Aukstaitis would be totally crashed. Although he didn’t needed it to stay in power because there were no democratic elections in Lithuania, however lack of popularaty meant many civil disorders and cities submitting to enemy like Siauliai did years ago, which means already hard job to win war would become even more harder. Aukstaitis said:
“And what troops we have there in Odessa?”
“One brigade of infrantry. Odessa isn’t an important city, the only resource near it is coal and we have more coal mines throughout the country”
“I know it isn’t important city. I also know it is mostly populated by Russians, who owned the city before war aginst Russia. But, however, city belonged to Lithuania for last half an age, and that is enough reason to defend it”
“I understand, mister president” – colonel Paulauskas feared Aukstaitis a bit. Everybody in government feared him because nobody understood his true emotions.
“OK. So what damage British could possibly do to the isle?”
“Well… Currently the size of their fleets near island is unknown, it is also unknown werether they have any transport ships there or not. However, I could tell admiral Vanauskas to sail there with second fleet if you want. But then we wouldn’t be able to defent coasts near Moscow”
“No, you don’t need to do that. Moscow is more important obviously. However, everything seems to be falling out of our hand. Well, I want to call meeting of whole junta tomorrow morning. Could you call people to the meeting?”
“OK. Who to call? All the members? We can’t call admiral Vanauskas or general Kairys…”
“No, not all. Only ones available here in Klaipeda. That means minister of defense Joris Banevicius, minister of justice Antanas Ruda and others”
“OK, I will call them”
“Goodbye for now. Do your job”
Aukstaitis stopped talking and sat near desk, where he watched through the windows. He thought what to say in the junta meeting. Although popularity in people was important, popularity in junta itself was even more so. People could moarn and scream, they could even aquire weapons, but it is almost impossible for them to kick out government if government is firm. While for example charismatic military commander in key position could do that quite easily. Even if the coup attempt wouldn’t be succesful, government would become much weaker. Something like that happened when junta kicked off democratically elected but corrupted government of Lithuania many years ago. Aukstaitis was then just a leutenant and general Gaudliauskas was commander of land army. He was the one who started a coup. However later he put Aukstaitis into presidents position, primarily because at start being in that position was very unsafe – some people still wanted democracy back and tried to assasinate the new president. Also Gaudliauskas thought Aukstaitis would give him up presidents seat once everything calms down. But here he was very wrong – although Aukstaitis was calm and ussually strange, he was a good strategist. He didn’t gave up presidents seat but he also didn’t became a tyrant. He liked to talk to people and almost every his decition was done in cooperation with other junta members. Gaudliauskas at start still tried to regain lost power and intiated “elections” of president inside junta. But junta apporoved Aukstaitis as president and Gaudliauskas had to agree with the fact that he remained commander of land army. But, however, although being in the same position Gaudliauskas had much more power to the government after coup than he had before it. This was because Aukstaitis didn’t considered Gaudliauskas as an enemy, who lost, but as a friend who helped him become what he was instead. Even foreign politologists thought that if not Aukstaitis Lithuania would have not been a superpower. This was because if some not such charismatic person would have came to power as a leader of junta in those vurnable times when government was jst kicked out, it was very possible that junta would be also kicked off. And so would be the third government and maybe the fourth. After that many government changes country would have fallen into a complete anarchy. And that would just have helped USA or Great Britain to occupy Lithuania.
Aukstaitis turned on TV to hear the last news on the war. Destroyed Warwick was still being shown and reporter talked:
“…There could be probably about 500’000 casualties at the British side as a result of bombings of Warwick. About 400’000 of these people were civilians and that is one third of Warwick population. Queen Elizabeth ordered to half-raise flags everywhere in Britain today in respect to the deceased. As her advisor said, she is very shocked by the tragedy and now spends days in Buckingham Palace never going outside. Currently charity is being collected in all the major British and American cities. The money will be used to help Warwick citizents with humanitarian aid. However, unconfirmed reports we recently got claims there was another air raid by Lithuanian bombers on Warwick. However, this time it was not on city itself but on irrigation systemsnear it. If these reports are true, situation in Warwick would become even worse – even now citizens there are lacking food because of destroyed railways and roads connecting city to farms near London and the attacked irrigation systems were the only such building near Warwick” Reporter stopped talking and later said “Now we have a live transmitting from the White House” view from Warwick dissappeared and instead American president’s emblem – the eagle – appeared. In front of that huge eagle on a wall, Lincoln stood. He started talking:
“Hello my fellow citizens of United States, and also citizens of other world countries. As you probably already know, Lithuanian forces in the last days brutualy bombarded city of Warwick. About half a million people were killed there. And many times more people have lost their wifes, husbands, daughters, sons, mother, fathers, grandparents, cousins and friends in these bombardings. We tried to help Britain to deal with the aftermath as much as possible. We gave them helicopters, technics required to search for alive people under the rubbles. However every such action to help poor people who were physically or morally wounded in the bombings was brutually stopped by more offensive actions by republic of Lithuania. First it was invasion. President Aukstaitis said both bombings and invasion were primarily done for military purposes and many civilian deaths were unintentional. However, as our intelligence said, now Lithuania bombed irrigation facilities near Warwick. This bombing was definitely done just to create povetry in the already destroyed city and to stop any attempts by Great Britain or USA to help people there. This is definitely what we can’t tolerate. We can’t leave Britain and their people alone. So, I have to say that I do declare a war on Republic of Lithuania. This is the first US war since war against Russia, I know. But however I think you people won’t let down brothers from Great Britain and completely support this action”
*to be continued*
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