Here, finally, is the first part of the next update. I've been having some trouble getting it finished, but I thought getting
part of it up ASAP would be better than waiting any longer!
===================================================
June 25th, 1936
Cabinet Meeting - Tokapi Palace
"...officially 60,000," the Prime Minister of Greece said quietly.
"Excellent," Emperor Alexandros leaned back in his chair and smiled thinly. The previous months' cabinet meetings had been rough - Venizelos and Metaxas had been constantly at each others throats, arguing over every last detail of government. Eleftherios had gone so far as to tell the Emperor privately he was thinking of pulling his support from the Greek Union to form a rump Crown Loyalist party in the next elections to try to combat Metaxas' undo influence.
Lately, however, an uneasy calm had settled over the Cabinet of the Greek Empire, mostly because Venizelos had increasingly become absent. He perenially seemed to take cold, came to meetings with the shivers despite a warm, sunny day outside, and in general had a pale complexion. The Emperor had insisted he go to physicians, and so far, the best and brightest in Greece all said that other than a spot of the cold, the Air Minister was perfectly fine.
Save he hardly fought Metaxas in meetings anymore, one thing that told Alexandros the old man was otherwise.
"If attendance at the rallies and party contributions continue to rise," Venizelos' rival pushed his glasses back and spoke, "soon we will be able to open five new party newspapers. This is in addition to the social clubs being formed in Constantinople and Athenai, and our other numerous projects. Within five years, Majesty," Metaxas beamed, "cultural life in Greece will revolve around the Party, just as the political life now does."
Alexandros nodded slowly. He was still disturbed - for all the wonderous rise of the Greek Union Party, Metaxas' constant meddling and apparent scheming - the evidence was coming into the hands of Tokapi Palace fast and furious. There were too many telegrams from suspicious people, too many times when Metaxas was dallying with this man or that. The Emperor knew the smell of a rat, and Metaxas smelled suspicious.
All of this underlined the growing mistrust the Emperor had of the party system. Parties inherently had factions, and could serve as tools for the
ambitious to vault even past the Emperor's person. Yet democracy had shown itself, in his eyes, to be weak, powerless, a system that left the state often rudderless, something that could be fatal in the coming years ahead.
Something needed to be done - and soon. The Emperor feared the paralysis of open party politics, but also feared the rise of men like Metaxas, attempting to usurp his power and will while spouting praises to his name. Alexandros had one idea... one that had been fermenting for a while. If Metaxas went the direction the Emperor thought he was about to go...
"Is there any other business?" the Emperor asked, still in thought.
"There is one," Konstantin Demertzis spoke up, then waved to the Air Minister to speak.
"Majesty, three weeks ago my counterpart in Ankyra contacted me, and informed me that the Turkish Air Bureau... I forget its proper name... had research they wished to share with their counterparts here. I set up a meeting between the Turks and the head designers at Hellenika Machina, and the results, quite frankly, have been astounding."
The blueprints provided by the Turks would prove most useful in Greece completing her own fighter designs
"These are amazing." Venizelos coughed, handing several sheets of paper up to the Emperor. "In only a few months time, Turkish engineers in Ankyra have bypassed many of the problems that had slowed our own design down. These blueprints will prove absolutely invaluable to our designers."
"So the Turks
are useful for something," Metaxas smiled darkly. "Maybe we should think about formally making them a part of the Empire."
"What?" Alexandros said as he was distracted by the airplane design. It was a ruse. Secretly the Emperor wanted to smile.
"Make the Turks a full part of the Empire!" Metaxas said, "Restore the lands held by the Komnenid Emperors of Byzantium!"
"What?" Alexandros now looked up, pasting a look of feigned alarm on his face. Metaxas was charging down the path Alexandros hoped he would..
"Madness," Venizelos hissed, before another spate of coughing stole his breath.
"Why is it madness! Eleftherios, people said that when you advocated the original Megali platform, that you were mad! Look where we are now!" Metaxas snapped. "An Empire, the greatest ruled by Greeks since Byzantium!"
"Byzantium is not the best model for an Empire," Prime Minister Demertzis sighed. "Intrigue, corruption, would you want us associated actively with all things Byzantine?"
"I was merely using it as a historical example," Metaxas rolled his eyes. "And is it not a
compliment to the Turks that we would take them into the fold, and make them honorary Greeks? Your Majesty, you yourself saw how Turks can be brought into the fold and become loyal citizens! Why not expand the Citizenship Laws, and annex Turkey! Bulgaria and Albania too while we're at it!"
Alexandros sighed, thankful that none of the Regents were present, else there would have been an immense brawl that would have hurt his ears and resolved nothing.
"Why?" Alexandros folded his hands and asked.
"Why, Majesty?" Metaxas looked around. "Wasn't the purpose of the Greek Union to unify all Greeks, to form a part to further Greece's glory, honor and prestige in the circle of nations? Bulgaria, Albania, even Turkey, are all weak rumps of stillborn nations, peoples that need guidance and leadership - and we are poised,
poised, Your Majesty, in a position where we can provide those things! Where we can shepherd them, guide them,
make them Greek!"
"Madness, pure madness," Venizelos complained quietly. "Why, oh why, would we do such a thing. The Treaty of Ankyra, signed by all the Allied powers at the end of the Great War, specified..."
"Treaties are worth their weight in paper when greatness through history is on the line," Metaxas retorted. "Majesty, we could make this happen! With sufficient support, we could build up the name of the Greek state as we undermine the Regents. Make them realize Greece will provide greater peace and prosperity than the current arrangement!"
"The French and the British would not stand for that," Alexandros said quietly. He continued to feign a look of disgust, but not so much that Metaxas would avoid the bait.
"Maybe Greece's destiny does not lie as a lapdog of the French and the British," Metaxas leaned back and said darkly.
"Where then?" Venizelos spat.
"Greece should be no one's lap dog!" Metaxas snapped.
"The Americans?" Venizelos ignored him, some of the old fire coming back. "They wouldn't stick their finger in this European pie if we begged them to! Where else do we turn?"
"The Germans," Demertzis said quietly. Venizelos started to rap his fingers on the table, a sure sign of his agitation, but the Emperor held up his hand. Venizelos stewed.
"Ioannis, you mean for us to turn to the Germans, is that correct?" Demertzis turned to the Foreign Minister, and Metaxas nodded.
"How?" Venizelos sputtered. "What? How would that work! The Germans and the Italians are closer together than a pair of newly weds on their wedding night! What about..." The Air Minister bent, a deep set of coughs wracking his body.
"Germany has the power to muscle the Italians into an acceptance of us and our place," Metaxas smugly spoke over his disabled foe.
"How? With what military?!" Venizelos barked, his voice cracking and wheezing between coughs. "Hitler has repudiated the Treaty of Versailles, but I don't see two or three million German soldiers prepared to punch Mussolini in the nose!"
"It wouldn't take two million soldiers to make Mussolini see the light," Metaxas grumbled.
"I think it is altogether too early to be considering such things," Alexandros interrupted, bringing the debate to a sudden, premature halt. He'd seen all he had wanted to see, and like a amateur poker player, Metaxas' body signs and statements gave away his entire hand. "We have historically had close ties to the French and the British, and until there is compelling reason to do otherwise, we should maintain our current foreign policy. However," the Emperor saw Venizelos' face fall, "I am not blind to all options. Ioannis, if you can present to me a clear cut plan, of who would be involved, what is at stake, and what would have to be done, I am willing to
consider alternatives."
"Alternatives?" Metaxas said. "Here is the alternative. You already know it as Mega Megali!"
The claims of the Mega Megali, as espoused by the army and more nationalist parts of the Greek Union Party
