The Allies Compromise
"With an army of eight million, the strain on your logistics can't be much lighter than ours, can it?"
Eitel sat in his chair, his oppressive gaze sweeping over the Allied representatives.
"Many of the troops confronting us at the front have crossed seas and land to fight. Just how much is being lost along those long supply lines of yours?"
"Of course, you can say that your pockets are deep enough not to care about those losses. We can also declare the negotiations a failure and let the war continue."
"But think about how many voices in your own countries are calling for an armistice!"
At this point, Eitel took a deep breath, his tone growing slow and calm.
"I know that everyone present came to this conference with the same goal."
"And that is peace."
Eitel's words were like a pebble falling onto a tranquil lake, stirring ring after ring of ripples across its still surface.
Every reporter present listened intently to Eitel, carefully typing out each line on the typewriters before them.
While everyone was still thinking, Eitel spoke again.
"The people have suffered untold hardships in this long, drawn-out war. People all over the world are calling for peace."
"Perhaps you came to this conference for some interest or some need."
"So I would like to ask: have you been to the battlefields at the front? Have you been to the hospitals for wounded soldiers, where cries of anguish fill the air? Have you been to cities destroyed by war and listened to the voices of the civilians there?"
Eitel continued speaking as he watched the expressions of those on the dais.
"I have seen and heard all of it. I went to the front in person, back when I was merely a prince."
"I have witnessed the devastation brought by war firsthand, and I have seen the people it has driven from their homes. That is why I came here with a sincere desire for an armistice and peace."
"I want peace talks, but certainly not peace purchased at the expense of the people of the German Empire! So I hope you will give the terms of the peace talks some more consideration."
Having finished speaking, Eitel sat down.
His words still echoed in everyone's hearts, but just then, Clemenceau snorted coldly. "Sophistry. You should know that it was your Germany that started this war. Your German Empire caused all this misery!"
"And yet you have the gall to say you came here out of a genuine desire for peace talks. If you truly wanted peace talks, you should accept those terms instead of delivering these useless, long-winded speeches."
After Prime Minister Clemenceau finished, he felt somewhat awkward when no one voiced support, but he kept his expression steady.
Beside him, Prime Minister George was carefully considering the meaning of Eitel's words.
Seeing that Eitel's expression did not appear feigned, George narrowed his eyes.
What he said isn't wrong. It isn't just the supplies; antiwar sentiment at home is strong too. Perhaps we could be more lenient with the terms of the treaty.
Besides, if we weaken Germany so aggressively, no one on the continent will be able to check France's rise. To preserve our supremacy, we might as well do this new emperor a favor and let him continue to keep France in check.
With that thought, Prime Minister George spoke. "Then, His Majesty Eitel, may I ask what objections you have to the terms of the treaty?"
"If you have any, you may raise them. We will make changes after discussing them."
"That will ensure that the terms of the treaty are adopted with the approval of us all."
George's words were beautifully phrased. At the very least, they spoke straight to Eitel's heart.
As for His Excellency President Wilson, he still looked as though he cared about nothing. What he wanted most now was for the war to continue, so that the importance of America's entry into the war could be demonstrated.
Rather than being shut out of everything as they were now, looked down upon by these people even after all their efforts, and left with nothing but scraps.
President Wilson had come to recognize this clearly after arriving at the Versailles Conference and putting forward his Fourteen Points, only for no one to pay them any heed.
Before the war ended, America still held considerable value to the war coalition, but now that Germany had expressed an interest in peace talks, that value would be squeezed down to the bare minimum.
Finally, the Italian representative had already become all but nonexistent.
Whatever he wanted to say would be ignored by everyone present.
They wanted most of the Austro-Hungarian Empire's territory, but not one person present would let them have their way. The Italian representative, however, knew nothing of this and was still dreaming that once Germany accepted the peace terms, the representatives present would agree to their demands.
After Prime Minister George finished speaking and saw that no one around him objected, he continued.
"Then, His Majesty Eitel, may I ask which parts of the peace treaty you consider inappropriate?"
"Please raise them, and we will make revisions as appropriate."
Glancing at Prime Minister George, who appeared very sincere, Eitel opened the document and pointed to a line of text as he looked toward the Allied representatives.
"First, my first point concerns the demand for the cession of the German Empire's territory."
"I can agree to surrender most of our colonial territories and the previously occupied regions that originally belonged to France. But I have one demand: Germany's territory must never be divided!"
Before Prime Minister George could respond to Eitel's proposal, Clemenceau could not help slamming his hand on the table.
"To eliminate the potential threat of war posed by your Germany, I believe Germany must be divided!"
"Those territories must be ceded as compensation with the approval of all our representatives."
Before Clemenceau could finish, George interrupted him. "Mr. Prime Minister Clemenceau, it is not yet your turn to speak."
After warning Clemenceau, Prime Minister George turned to Eitel. "His Majesty Eitel, we believe your proposal requires further discussion."
"Do you have any other proposals?"
Sitting in his chair, Eitel leafed through the terms in the document again.
"Regarding war reparations, we acknowledge that this war has caused you great losses. But as for compensation, I believe this sum may be somewhat excessive."
"A full 132 billion gold marks!"
"The people of Germany couldn't pay off these reparations even if they worked for a hundred years!"
At this point, the anger in Eitel's heart drove him to slam his hand hard on the table.
"Of course, we will not make any excessive proposals. We agree to the decision to disarm the German Empire's military, retain only a small force, and abolish compulsory conscription."
"As for the decision to demilitarize, we will also dismantle our military factories one after another in the future. We are serious about striving for peace, and we ask that you seriously consider whether your demands are reasonable."