The truth in these matters repeated for fear they will be missed on the preceding page:
ORIGINAL: Marshal Villars
Poland agrees that this behavior was all very confusing. But international conflict and relations are. I really felt I would have put all of the nations who were my allies and friends into greater danger than they would have been otherwise (including Russia) and risked friendly relations with Britain IF I would have accepted a treaty which would have put Russia at war with Prussia. As Russia states, Poland had already worked VERY hard to work out the details of the Russo-Polish treaty in many, many PMs. Poland was exhausted with the many, many PMs required to work out the deal as well, and thought such tremendous efforts would impart a favorable opinion of our desire to work with Russia to the halls of power in Moscow. We were amazed when we saw a declaration of war posting.
It might have taken ANOTHER 2-3 emails to debate and explain the rejection of the "declaration of war on Prussia" bit, and to be honest with you, I was zonked--it was 5 in the morning, and I had surely spent 8 hours on the game that day. I sure as hell wasn't going to put MORE time into it and HOPED Russia would understand or have gained a positive feeling for Polish desire for cooperation that they wouldn't get upset over a lengthening of the negotiation process. It wasn't like I had said anywhere, this was not going to move forward.
I was also concerned that accepting the treaty would destroy me with the Austrian army on the border and not being sure what the heck was going to happen with the Russian army (or even if the Russian's weren't playing both sides of the fence THEMSELVES!). Again, we also needed time to get our infantry unit out of Courland.
I believe I explained the infantry unit in Courland thing several times, but the Tsar wanted everything "now". I couldn't agree to "now", but could agree to doing it in a few months. And then, Russia declared war on Poland. I was surprised that negotiations broke down so quickly--which of course, lead me to believe that RUSSIA was dealing disingenuously.
This illustrates the foundation for the French belief that Russia has been acting through this entire episode in order to get in a war,
any war. First with Prussia, failing that with Poland.
The international community should realize that the entire cause for negotiations between Poland and Russia in the first place was Russia threatening to attack Poland.
ORIGINAL: Anthropoid
**here I hope that the other nations of Europe can begin to see the true outline of the deceptive parties in this matter**
This is the most laughable statement yet.
The actual timeline goes as follows:
Turn 0. France receives a message from Russia saying the Czar sees France and Russia as natural allies. Russia promises an alliance with France if we allow them a free hand in Poland (to seize territory and terrorize the Polish people). Russia also threatens to ally themselves with the "enemies of France" (whoever that is) if I dont agree to this idea.
Turn 1. The Prussian-Polish crisis begins. I communicate to Poland France's desire to see a sovereign Poland remain in existence and a willingness to help Poland form alliances to help it survive. I inform the Czar his proposal is unacceptable and counterpropose a 4 way treaty between France/Turkey/Poland/Russia. I also communicate the threats I received from Russia, including towards Poland, to Poland and Turkey. I warn that Russia might not be trustworthy (these suspicious have now been confirmed by Russian treachery).
POLAND RIGHTLY FEARS A MULTIFRONT ATTACK AT THIS POINT AND BEGINS NEGOTIATING WITH RUSSIA IN GOOD FAITH. 4 way talks are also started between France/Turkey/Poland/Russia at this point.
Turn 2. Negotiations between Poland/Russia/France/Turkey are ongoing. An effort to defuse the Prussian-Polish crisis is undertaken. Austria states that they will not intervene in said crisis,
unless Prussia is attacked by a third party. I reciprocate and state I will not intervene on Poland's behalf unless they are attacked by Austria. Russia and Poland continue negotiating a transfer of land in exchange for Russian help in case Austria intervenes, but also to stave off attack by Russia (this is commonly known as extortion). It is requested that Russia move it's troops toward Krakow in order to help defend it in the unlikely event Austria attacks.
France specifically states during these negotiations that a mutual defense clause should not be signed as it would result in a greater European war. Poland explains why a treaty containing that clause will not be signed and states he will counterpropose a nearly identical treaty but with a phased handover of territory because of infantry being produced in Kovno.
Turn 3. On receipt of the new files I see that Poland has won a stunning victory near Berlin. I then receive several frantic messages from Poland stating that Russia has gone incommunicado and posted threatening messages that he will declare war on Poland because "Poland broke it's word" despite the fact Russia was told before the treaty was received that it would not be signed and a similar treaty would be counterproposed instead.
Note at this point Russia is in fact breaking it's word to France Turkey and Poland because he had stated he was going to sign the Warsaw Pact and he had been told he would receive identical compensation in a phased manner.
Apparently unsatisfied with lies and warmongering, the Czar decided to add hypocrisy and paranoia to his resume.
At this point the compromise solution that had been laid out is negotiated between Britain and France and agreed to by the Poles and Prussians. The Poles of course had always indicated a willingness to negotiate. Prussia only accepted the compromise after it's army was crushed and Poland's was sitting on Prussia's capital.
So in fact what we have here is just as I said:
1. Russia wanted war with Prussia. This is the only possible outcome from the treaty it sent, which would have resulted in an immediate state of war between Russia and Prussia had it been signed.
2. Failing that, Russia wanted war with Poland.
Since Poland had specifically told Russia that it would provide the same territory in a phased manner, the only thing Russia wasn't getting was WAR.
3. Russia broke off negotiatons being participated in in good faith by all other parties and broke it's word with France and Turkey.
4. The result of the treaty that wasn't signed and in fact Russia was told before it was received would not be signed would have likely plunged all of Europe into War.
Of course this chain events leads any reasonable observer to believe that Russia wants war, any war, and that is what France has stated.
ORIGINAL: Anthropoid
To France: you have dug yourself deeply into a hole with Russia, and that is where you will stay until such time as you apologize for your repititious and incessant attempts at character assasination.
France will never apologize for telling the truth. Furthermore, we knew even during negotiations, having witnessed the erratic and bipolar nature of the Czar's strategic and diplomatic policy, that Russian friendship would be of a fickle nature and of dubious value.
