The Rise Of Australasia

The Spanish Civil War, which seemed very rudimentary to the powers like Britain, France, and Germany, was actually the strongest military force that the two major factions in Spain could muster.

More importantly, such military strength was only demonstrated after receiving substantial military aid from the German-Italian alliance and Russia.

Without the support of external powers, the Spanish Civil War would have been even more poorly fought.

As time entered February of 1937, Germany had achieved certain successes on the battlefields of Northern Europe.

Hundreds of thousands of soldiers had invaded the Nordic Trio, and after an entire winter's campaign, they had already captured vast territories in Sweden and approached the capitals of Norway and Finland.

Though the Nordic countries appeared vast in area, each had a small population. Combined with their prolonged disengagement from war, their military strength was not formidable.

If it weren't for the icy, snowy conditions of the north, these three nations wouldn't have enjoyed such peace. Unfortunately for them, they encountered a war monger desperately lacking in resources at such a time.

For Germany, as long as the Nordic Trio had rich resources, the icy and snowy environment was bearable.

Moreover, attacking the Nordic Trio hardly required a large military force. Their strength was even weaker than Belgium and the Netherlands, making them an easy target for the formidable German military.

More importantly, because it was winter, the Baltic Sea was mostly frozen, preventing the British fleet from entering the Baltic Sea.

This was a boon, as the Baltic Sea was like an internal sea for the Germans, allowing vast numbers of German soldiers to travel across the sea and land in the Nordic countries in a rather unusual manner.

Arthur was also aware of the attack on Finland.

However, the current situation was such that Australasia could not help Finland unless it could rapidly end the war in the Island Nation and mobilize at least 2 million soldiers to Europe.

But this was virtually impossible. Firstly, it didn't align with Australasia's interests and strategic planning, and secondly, Finland might have been obliterated by Germany before Australasia could even defeat the Island Nation.

Therefore, Arthur gave Dmitry another suggestion, which was to always be prepared to establish a government in exile and head to London.

With Arthur's help, Dmitry needn't worry about losing his position as Grand Duke of Finland.

Even more so, as long as Dmitry persisted in this war, he could gain a reputation for staunch resistance after achieving victory.

As for deserting his people in battle, a bit of media propaganda would ensure that people soon forgot about it.

After all, such matters were akin to the general trend and were essentially irreversible.

Just like Dutch Queen Wilhelmina, although she became an exile monarch during World War II, she still regained her position as Queen of the Netherlands post-war, with her reputation unscathed.

Another significant point was that quickly giving up resistance could also prevent needless casualties.

Finland had a small population to begin with, and resolute resistance against Germany would not only fail to alter the outcome but would also impose severe stress on Finland's already limited population.

This would not be conducive to reconstructing Finland after the war and would similarly not benefit Dmitry's rule in Finland.

To put it bluntly, those who currently followed Dmitry into battle against the German military were certainly loyal officers and soldiers.

Once these men were all gone, under the influence of the German government, Finland's next generation might not remain completely loyal to Dmitry.

As a ruler of a country, Dmitry had to consider the entire nation as well as his own interests.

Of course, Arthur was not completely inactive. If Dmitry chose to go into exile, Arthur would help him escape and ensure that he also had a fairly safe life in the United Kingdom.

But if Dmitry decided to resist resolutely, Arthur would supply him with a large cache of weapons and equipment, and wish him good luck.

Ultimately, Dmitry chose to go to London in exile.

That saying still holds true, and indeed, it was the trend of the times. Moreover, this wasn't entirely a bad thing. Letting Germans control the Nordic Trio only deepened the conflict between Germany and Russia.

You see, Russia's most important territories were in Eastern Europe. However, if the German-Italian alliance occupied the vast territories from Northern Europe to Central Europe, Russia's position in Eastern Europe would become quite awkward.

With two of its seaports constrained by Germany and another by Britain, the Far Eastern port also faced threats from an island nation.

Compared side by side, Germany, being adjacent to Russia, would certainly become Russia's primary target.

After all, if they could deal with Germany, it would equate to resolving the issues with Germany and the Island Nation and liberating Russia's two seaports.

Moreover, after defeating Germany, not only could Russia hope to retake the Baltic States but even gain the entirety of Poland and reestablish itself as the dominant force on the European Continent.

Of course, even if he had to flee, it couldn't be a hasty escape.

He still needed to maintain appearances, at least in front of the public and the military; Dmitry had to remain the monarch who resolutely resisted Germany.

After several days of resistance and under Dmitry's strategic planning, Helsinki, the capital city of Finland, was eventually breached by the Germans.

To avoid capture, Dmitry flew over the territories of Sweden and Norway, eventually reaching London, the capital of the United Kingdom.

Fortunately, the northern territories of Sweden and Norway had not yet been occupied, so passing through here was relatively safe for Dmitry.

It is worth mentioning that after Dmitry fled to London, the monarchs of Sweden and Norway made almost the same choice.

Moreover, among all possible countries of refuge, London, United Kingdom was the preferred destination for the monarchs.

This is also comprehensible. After all, the United Kingdom was still part of European Nations, and by staying in London, they could still influence their countries and ensure that they could reclaim their previous positions after the war.

Secondly, as the most powerful nation at present, their safety was also guaranteed while staying in Britain.

As Britain was still a monarchic country, their support was crucial if they wished to continue being kings and grand dukes after the war.

Although London was also facing bombing by the Germans, it was natural for these monarchs not to reside in the bustling downtown of London.

London is actually quite large, and the primary choice for most monarchs who fled there was actually the manor houses in the London Suburbs.

Though it might seem like the countryside, these meticulously constructed manor houses are actually the most luxurious and lavish places in London.

This is actually a characteristic of European monarchic countries: those historically long-standing, very large, and opulent private estates.

Although Australasia had become a representative monarchic country, in this respect, it still couldn't compare to the more historically profound United Kingdom.

Starting from the Australian Principality, the whole country had only been established for just over 36 years.

Besides, Arthur had no great fondness for estates, and the royal family actually hadn't built many manor houses.

Apart from constructing private estates for a few sons, the properties under Arthur's name included only Sydney Palace and Palace of Nations.

However, these two palaces are the true embodiments of luxury and opulence. Especially the current Palace of Nations, where any palace inside is as lavish and luxurious as the private estates of British nobility.

After the monarchs of the Nordic Trio fled, Germany took the opportunity to occupy most of the Nordic Trio.

This was good news for the current Germany, as the resources in the Nordic Trio were abundant. Especially Sweden, with its vast iron mines, which were one of the mineral resources that Germany, apart from petroleum, was in dire need of.

To build airplanes and tanks, even manufacturing rifles and other weapons, required a lot of iron ore. Although there were quite a few iron mines domestically in Germany, the internally mined iron ore was no longer sufficient with the continuous expansion of the German military industry.