This Chapter is less of a Chapter and more of a breakdown of the international reaction to the Changeling invasion and the diplomatic mess that followed. I won't cover all countries in this chapter but the rest will be covered in due time later down the line. It also covers some background historical events briefly

To be blunt the general consensus of Political leaders when the news of the invasion from supposed Demons from hell was a mixture of fear and a general worldwide "What the actual fuck."

[b]the papacies' reaction /b]

Religion, Christianity to be specific had been on the ever-present decline in Europe since the 1800s politically. The church had lost a great deal of Credibility and political sway in the clash between religion and science were the theory of evolution triumphed over the belief the world was created in 7 days. The main church representative Bishop Samuel Wilbertforce had utterly embarrassed himself and the church in General when he challange a prominent professor/ Biolaglist T.H. Huxley in a debate at Oxford University in 1860. Wilbertforce had attacked Huxley with a series of poorly planned arguments, questionable evidence, and general snobbishness.

Huxley counter by saying he'd rather be a monkey than a bishop and while also using the bones of fossils (Dinosaur and ice age) as well as ridiculing the church a bit for their many sex crimes absolutely demolishing the bishop in his argument.

The real blow to the churches political control came that same year when the Papal states were invaded from the south by Guiseppi Garibaldi and his army of Red shirts and from the north by the Sardinian forces trying to link up with the red shirts during the wars of Italian unification. The Church's private armies and any semblance of military power it had was destroyed and this was further cemented by the fall of Rome. While Christianity still remained a prominent religious force in the basic Christain initiations lacked basic control or influence as they were overshadowed by Nationalism, militarism, and nation governments.

Skip ahead several decades and the great war had begun. The pope had attempted to broker a peace deal multiple times and had been laughed out by the diplomats of the increasing number of nations getting dragged into the war or flat out ignored.

However, that late January news had reached Italy and later the Vatican about the invasion by an army of Hell Spawn. The Pope while utterly flabbergasted that one Hell itself had seemingly opened and demons came out also saw a chance to regain the church's influence in the most Christain way possible. Call a Crusade.

By march the Pope had begun to move the gears in and call for a crusade against these "demons" from "hell". While the Church had increased in power as many people across Europe flocked to their local church's for guarantees of "divine protection" from these Demons and to avoid going to hell.

While the Idea of a Crusade was discarded by the European Powers as they looked at it with amusement the Church had a sway on the common people not seen in a long time.

France

Arguably the most affected by the entire incident the French people had been always pro war and had given the government their full support. The soldiers of France were much the same. The common French soldier and civilian was more than ready to give their lives to kill a German.

However Antiwar sentiment exploded with the publication of Le Feu (Under fire) which was a book written by Henery Barbussi which was a personal account of the horrors of Trench warfare, corruption among French logistical officers, and most French Generals content with throwing men into hopeless attacks led to mass protest against the wars with the French people arguing they would be more than willing to lay down their lives for France as long as they were placed under good leadership. With Military and political leadership coming under fire in France General Robert Neaville the commander in Chief of the French army and allied forces hungry for his own personal glory was planning out the details of his "Neaville offensive" as he called this plan when it was thrown away when the word of a Demonic invasion reached his ears.

In our timeline the Neaville offensive in our timeline broke the back of French Moral. Neavilles targets for his offensive were some of the most fortified German positions on the western Front and he stretched the French industry thin by mass producing tanks for this great offensive. Tanks were still a technology under testing for both the British and French. The offensive had predictable results. Only 200 yards of land were gained in the offensive at the cost of 126,000 French soldiers being sent to their deaths. Neaville was sacked from office for his failure, but the damage had been done. Only the appointment of General Petain who quickly restored Moral among the mutineers which numbered in the hundreds of thousands through means of both force and kindness saved the French army from collapse.

However, in this timeline since the Changelings invaded a different result occurs as expected.

Neaville is forced to sack any plans he had for his offensive and the news of the invasion followed by the French victory quickly ended any Antiwar sentiment as it was replaced by rampant nationalism as French citizens took to the streets throughout early February encouraging the Government to launch a counter invasion as well as demanded retaliation. The French soldiers were seen in the eyes of both their allies and own citizens as Demon slayers, heroes, champions. Recruitment spiked up as thousands of French Citizens joined the army at a rate seen not since 1914 when the great war began.

Politically the situation turned into a mess. The French government was hesitant to send peace feeders to Germany to hash out some treaty so an unlikely alliance could be formed to fight any new invasion across the gate. General Petain who arrived in Paris in very late January and made a public appearance on the 29th of January was made Mashal of France by the president and was also greeted with large amounts of FanFair. Thousands swarmed over to see him. Robert Neaville and other French Generals now found themselves unable to thwart Petain's rising stardom. They couldn't like at Verdun find a suitable and believable excuse to remove him from command of leading the potential counter invasion against the creatures.

Robert Neaville who had risen to stardom after Joffre (Then command in Chief of French forces) put him in charge of Verdun as a replacement to Petain who Joffre personally had a petty grudge against him now found his achievement of winning the battle of Verdun (At a very unnecessary and high causality count) now overshadowed by the Petain. The Lion of Verdun now being called the "Defender of France", the "Savior of Europe", and the "Lion of the Champagne".

The French high command which had for so long despised Petain for challenging their beliefs of the Cult of the Offensive and for daring to try to suggest the waging of a defensive war against Germany was now unable to lay a finger on the very man they hated so much. Petain had for now become untouchable and the face of the French Military. France was also slowly integrating battle Chaplin's into military units to assist in warding off any other demonic invasion or influence through holy means.

In popular Culture the defense of Champagne had a lasting impact on French society.

When the full news and extent of the Invasion and what happened reached the newspapers the news agency's capitalized on it instantly. On the covers of newspapers, most prominently Le Petit Journal displayed tens of photographs of the battle taken by war photographers. Most of these photos were of dead French soldiers and the wounded showing the horrific effect of the supposed "Black magic" the invaders used. This was a blatant attempt at fear mongering which worked. It stoked up fear and solidified the erasing of any questioning of whether the invading creatures were really that bad.

It also destroyed any remaining racism in the French army which had been slowly but surely being destroyed during the late 1800s and early 1900s. The creatures became a new point of racial fear as all the suddenly the supposed residents of Indochina and the African subcontinent didn't seem so bad compared to whatever these creatures were.

Newspapers also heavily dramatized the event. Paintings displaying heroic lasts stands by French units which had been destroyed (Most of these last stands displayed never happened). The most publicized of these lasts stand was the one in the Boucanville Town hall were a mixture of French and Moroccan soldiers made their final stand in the town hall of the ruined town of Boucanville. This was the most dramatized and publicized of the last stands as there was actual information about it by its own Survivor one Thorax Scotch. His account of it when he was interviewed by several newspapers from across France, America, Britain, Italy, several other European countries, and even Russia was heavily Dramatized by such papers. While the actual last stand only lasted about 45 minutes to about an hour its newspapers made it seem as it lasted much longer.

Paintings of the last stand the most famous of which the Death of Captain Henri showed the chaotic fighting that occurred when the Changelings breached the town hall as well as the captain shooting a Changeling with his revolver, stabbing one with a sword, while also getting impaled through the stomach by one of the creatures who was made out to be way more scarier and demon looking than it actually was.

The greatest piece of Propaganda for France was on February 14th Valetines day where up to 3,000 captured Creatures were Paraded around Paris by the French army receiving jeers and insults by both the allied soldiers in Paris, the populace, and the journalist at the parade.

Germany

The 2nd most affected by the entire endeavor the German Military and Political command now saw an excuse to leave the war even if the Kaiser objected. It also now never (Unlike in our history) sends Lenin to destabilize Russia. The Demonic invasion came first. Not messing with the increasing revolutionism in Russia.

Colonel Kampf who led the German forces in Champagne after prince Ruberts death became a national Hero.

(Colonel Kampf like Thorax gets a whole chapter to himself later in the story so we get more of his POV)

He was Promoted to General and placed in charge of the Champagne sector for the time being and would respect the unspoken truce between French and German forces in the area. Germany was going through the brutal Turnip winter where if you were anyone but a General or part of the royal family your life sucked. Due to the British blockade and the fact most of Germanys conscripted men came from the agriculture areas of the empire the empire was unable to counter the slowly collapsing economic, material, and agriculture collapse.

It culminated in the Turnip winter of 1916-1917 were prices for all food other than Turnips skyrocketed. Bread, meat, and any other food and goods other than Turnips had prices so high that in some cases one loaf of bread would cost up to 5,000 dollars in today's money. Basic sanitary goods had also collapsed as by 1915 soap had to be made scrapped due to a lack of proper materials to make it and was replaced by a chemical bar which while it served as an alternative had nasty side effects (Mainly very bad rashes).

The Thousands of Germans, men, women, children died that winter. Outbreaks of Typhus broke out across cities due to lack of sanitary conditions. At around the same time any real food for the army collapsed. While for the first two years of the war the German army had manage to avoid the same fate as the civilian population by late 1916 and early 1917 food just ran out. Men were reduced to half rations. Moral remained high but the German army was beginning to starve. In our timeline the starvation of the army was avoided by German soldiers stealing food from capture allied trenches and dead soldiers however in this timeline things go differently.

The demonic invasion ironically saved Germany from the fate it would suffer in our universe as it now had a real reason to drop out of the war while not looking defeated and weak. German peace feeders would be sent to both Britain, France, and later Russia.

Germany after much political haggling by the allies was forced to concede the Alsace-Lorriane region back to France as France while united against the demonic threat would have absolutely (In our timeline as well) overthrown its own government if it didn't get the region it lost in the Franco Prussian war back.

The Treaty between France, Britain, Portugal (Yes Portugal was a player in WW1), Belgium and Germany signed on March 25th, 1917, laid out these 3 main terms.

1. The Alsace Lorriane would go back to France in exchange for paying no war reparations to France or Britian and annexing Luxenberg.

2. Britain will end its blockade, send much needed food to the German populace in Exhange for Germany paying war reparations to Belgium and withdrawing from Belgium fully.

3. All fighting on the western Front and African Colonies (German East Africa by this point) shall end April 1st, at 1pm.

There were other terms of the treaty that the powers signed including whether or not Germany would retain a colonial presence in Africa which in the end it did. However, the 3 points laid before you were the most important of those signed in the treaty. This treaty known as the Treaty of Champagne ended the war in Africa and the Western Front Officially.

However, Germany did have one moment of Triumph. On April the 3rd 1,000 of the creatures captured during the battle were parade across Berlin escorted by German soldiers wearing old Prussia uniforms much to the spectacle of the populace of Berlin and Journalists.

The war in Russia however would continue for a bit more until a treaty was signed later and speaking of Russia...

Russia

Arguably the allied power that came out the worst in the great war both in our timeline and this one Russia never had a true chance to get a full Grasp of the Demonic threat as one the news arrived later and slower than expected as well as the Russian revolution breaking out that march.

The Russian people tired of their Incompetent Czar, corrupt nobility, and general mismanagement of the war went into revolt. However unlike in our timeline Lenin never was sent to Russia to further destabilize it by Germany meaning communism never takes the power it did during our Timeline. Trotsky, while he would stir up some communist sentiment never got the movement to become a popular thing as the Communism were slowly petered out by the other more moderate and radical movements.

A Moderate Pro-Democracy Government took over at first like in our timeline with the czar being exiled with his family to his private summer palace. The New Russian Republic was headed by self-appointed Prime Minster Alexander Kerensky and General Alexi Brusilov who now since many of the pro Czar generals were removed from power could begin the process he so wanted to. Truly Modernizing the corrupted, weakened, and backwards Russian military. Kerensky unlike in our timeline never launched the horribly planned and executed Kerensky offensive to try to score some military victory on the eastern Front to score a propaganda victory against the Bolsheviks and display that the Russian army still has some steam left and that it has modernized. Since in this timeline the Bolsheviks never have as much popular support as they did before, and he has the peoples backing (Mostly) he never goes ahead with the offensive.

Brusilov now had the actual time to get the Armies shit together since he now has the actual time to fix the armies problems instead of just 2-3 months like in our timeline (Kerensky in our timeline wanted to launch his offensive immediately after securing power).

Russia would face plenty of internal issues however it would slowly begin to heal. For now, the "Demons" where just a footnote on Russian newspapers as the country was faced with more pressing matters than a supposed demonic invasion of France.

Russia would on May 2nd sign a peace treaty with Germany ending fighting on the Eastern Front. Kerensky new how unpopular the war was in Russia and how the military was on the brink of munity even with Brusilov scrambling to place in reforms, so he signed an Armistice with Germany.

The negotiations went better than expected. The Germans who for the entire war had seen the Russia empire as its main threat (Russia had ambitions to fully take over Germany) now was having to deal with a greater potential threat, the creatures and the Russian empire was no longer the Russian empire.

The treaty signed on May 2nd, 1917, laid out these main terms:

1. The Creations of a Free and Independent Poland (Germany wanted to Create Poland as a buffer state to Russia and as a puppet). This Poland will have the cities of Warsaw, Lodz, Lublin, and Brest-Lotovsk

2. Russia will not pay any reparations of any sort to Germany.

3. Armistice will go into effect on May the 9th at 12 am.

4. Finland gets full Independance from Russia (Germany and Finish rebels were allies during WW1)

5. The German empire and the Russian Federation will sign a nonaggression pact.

6. Germany will not intervene in the taking of any remaining Caucuses territory by Russia from the Ottoman empire.

7. Germany will allow the Annexation of the Austrian Province of Galicia by Russia.

8. German soldiers move out of Serbia.

So, if you're asking wait why the Austro-Hungarian empire and Ottoman aren't in on this treaty well Germany sold them out. Austria Hungary would come out the worst from the war.

Austro Hungary

By far the worst nations to come out of the war in both our and this timeline Austria Hungary was placed on the chopping block for Russia and Serbia.

Austria Hungary's Reaction to the demonic invasion was mixed. The Clergy took advantage of this to drum up nationalism and fear mongering saying that these gates which the creatures could come out of could open up anywhere and people should confess their sins.

Austro Hungary was swept by religious fervor as well as desperately needed nationalism. However, while united it was a lamb for the slaughter for Germany, Russia, and an occupied Serbia.

Germany while its army and people had gone into the war with high regards for the Austro Hungarians their abysmal military performance, actively sabotaging the Germany warfare out of jealousy and pettiness, plenty of its soldier's activity defecting over to Russia, and the General destruction of its army as a fighting force on the eastern front by Russia's Brusilov offensive which killed or wounded 1 million Austro Hungarian soldiers effectively made Germany lose any trust in Austro Hungary.

Austria Hungary's performance in WW1 was that of WW2 Italy on steroids. The nobility shut down any basic attempt to upgrade their military and punishments for the soldiers for even the most minor offense was downright barbaric. Russia, Italy, Serbia, Romania and Germany who all wanted to kick Austro Hungary's teeth in for various reasons now got their chance. With its military largely weakened by the war, its people starving and dying of Famine (Austria Hungary's nobles sabotage their own population in the war by giving most food to the army and themselves and also like Germany sending most of farm men and boys out to fight.)

Two treaties were signed. The Treaty of Trento and the treaty of Jassy.

The Treaty of Trento signed by Austro-Hungary and Italy on April 17th outlined the following terms (These are the main terms there were plenty of minor ones as well).

1. The Triest province and the city itself is handed over to Italy as well as well as Slovenia, Provinces bordering Italy's northern border with Austria, and the coastal areas of Croatia.

2. Austria Hungary is to pay minor reparations to Italy.

3. Fighting comes to a full close on April 20th at 6 am.

The treaty of Jassy signed on May the 10th by Austro Hungary, Romania, Russia, Serbia, Montenegro, and Germany highlighted these main terms.

1. Galicia gets annexed by Russia.

2. The city of Krakow and the surrounding areas come under German control.

3. Austria will not have to pay war reparations for all participants in the treaty but Serbia.

4. Food will be sent by Russia to Austria until 1918.

5. Austrian troops leave Serbia and Montnegro for good.

6. Bosnia Gets its independence.

7. Romania is handed over all of the province of Transylvania.

8. All Austria troops leave occupied parts of Romania and Russia

9. All German troops will leave occupied parts of Romania and Russia.

10. The Remaining Austro-Hungarian army will serve under German and Italian command in the upcoming war with the Demons

11. Fighting ends on the 12th at the stroke of midnight.

Austro Hungary had by the end of the endeavor left the war humiliated and a puppet of Russian, German, and Italian whims.

Italy

Italy's reaction to the invasion was a sweeping nationalist zeal that spread through the populations. Being among one of the allied nations most willing to commit troops on their ally's behalf by late march the Italian Catholics legion which was an overstrength division cobbled up of only the most Christain soldiers and new recruits was send to France to assist the French against any demonic counter invasion.

Italy was also filled with Christain zeal as churches became flocked with the masses praying for God to aid the French and their German enemies in the holy struggle. Italy had always seen the Austro Hungarians as their main enemy not the Germans.

Recruitment skyrocketed as thousands of men and teens joined up to fight against the Austrian and potential Demonic hordes. The Papacy had established a minor grip on Italy as well as they were the most receptive to this idea of a crusade.

Italy's industry went into overtime as Italian Generals wanted to find ways to counter the creatures if in their second attack, (Most countries believed a second invasion was coming) they overwhelmed France Italy, Switzerland, and Germany would be next. Italy's military staff pressed ahead the production of their own tanks as well as moving soldiers towards the French border to act as a safeguard.

What solidified Italy's commitment to the fight against the Demonic hordes was them signing the Treaty of Trento with Austria that saw Italy gain not only the territories it sought out to take during the war but also most of Slovenia as well as all Austrian provinces bordering northern Italy. (Italy originally wanted Triest, some chunks of Austrias border with Italy and the Croatian coastline in the war however they got much more in this timeline).

The Italian army send 100,000 of their men into France to assist the French in the summer of that year, sent 200,000 of their men home, while 150,000 were left about for occupation duty. Italy came out of the war feeling the most satisfied of the allied countries and arguably the most victorious.

You know who didn't come out Victorious. Bulgaria.

Bulgaria

Bulgaria spent 1917 trying to continue to hold onto its occupation of Serbia and parts of Romania however with German support having evaporated and the Austrian military collapsing soon afterwards Bulgaria's time was up. Unlike for most nations so far, the war for Bulgaria would end violently. Not willing to try to gain peace on at least favorable terms Bulgaria's Czar flat out refused negotiations with the allies. Bulgaria's people who were suffering just as bad as Germany's people turned on the Czar quicker than in our timeline as with Bulgaria's military now having to cover 3 separate fronts its military was outstretched. (Romania, Serbia, Dorian Front.)

Allied forces spear headed by France and Britian shattered the Bulgarian army of Serbia and Greece at Dorian at the 3rd battle of Dorian and then swept across the remains of the shattered army. In Romania the Romanian army counter attacked and the king arrived triumphantly in the now liberated Romanian capital of Bucharest that late May.

Sofia was put under siege that June and the Czar was overthrown by his own Government on June the 9th. Bulgaria surrendered to the Allied armies 2 days later. To add insult to injury the Serbians who they hated so much were the ones the Allies allowed to Occupy the Bulgarian capital of Sofia.

The treaty of Sofia sign on June the 17th was the final nail in the Coffin stating these main points.

1. All Coastal ports will be put under occupation by the Russian and Greek navies respectively.

2. Bulgaria must pay heavy reparations to Serbia and Romania.

3. Sofia as well as Bordering regions with Serbia shall be put under Serbian Occupation until 1921.

5. Bulgaria's navy is to be handed over to Greek and Russian Control.

The Bulgarians for all they cared didn't give a dam about the demons as all they were trying to do at this point was survive.

The Ottomans had it better.

Ottoman Empire

The Ottoman Empire was during the first world war less of an empire and more of a dictatorship under the control of Ever Pasha and the young turks who controlled the Sultane like a puppet. However, when word of the Demon invasion reached them through their German allies and that Germany was pulling out of the war to ally itself with the allies in a joint effort to fight the Demons Ever and the young turks were less than pleased and tried to suppress the news to the public to prevent religious fervor and fear from spreading. The young turks also saw the writing on the wall once Austro Hungary dropped out. The Ottoman empire sent out peace feeders and with defeats in the Caucasus at the hands of the Russians the situation was going bad fast.

The Ottomans would also go one to give the Arab rebels who were supported by the British full autonomy and an Arab state to quell the uprising from spreading. The Ottoman empire manage to save itself from collapse by quick thinking in which they gave the British some of Iraq, France Lebanon, and the Caucasus to Russia which saved any future attempts by the allies from carving them up. Only then was the news broken out to the people by the Young Turks about the supposed Demonic invasion which was met with the expected calls for a Jihaad by the more religious among the Ottoman Government and a general panic by the populace which increased tenfold with rumors that more gates would open up anywhere and anyhow. Riots and protests broke out on the streets as the Demonic invasion was seen as a sign by Allah that the people and the Government as well as the Allies had strayed from his path and that judgment day was near.

The Ottoman army was now being sent back home for riot control.

Britain

Britain gained a bit from the war though not as much as they wanted. Sure, they had some parts of the Oil rich Iraq, but the war felt generally pointless. around 590,000 British soldiers had been killed by the wars end which came on June the 25th 1917 where the allied and Central powers signed a general peace treaty to bring an end to all conflicts in Europe in light of the "Demonic invasion" in champagne. The populace while more than willing to support a war against demonic creatures from hell had been disillusioned by sending entire Generations of men to die in pointless battles.

The Populace was willing to support any wars as long as they were no longer against a fellow human being.

The United States

The news of the invasion as well as the photos, paintings, and the videos of the Parade (Some of the first video cameras in history recorded the prisoner Parade in both Paris and Berlin) was met with much excitement from the American public who now more than ever wanted President Woodrow Wilson to get involved in Europe. While Wilson Preached neutrality in this new conflict in Europe against supposed Demons of all things that didn't stop tens of thousands of American men from sailing across the Atlantic to Europe to go on an adventure.

The Wilson cabinet as well as Wilson himself dropped in popularity for their neutral stance on both the European war and now the Demonic war that was about. An old Theordore Rosevelt raised his own militia and set off from France to fight against the demons and gain personal glory in this future war inspiring much more would be adventures.

Thorax scotch who was already a semi popular figure in France for living to tell the tale of his groups lasts stand in Boucanville earn celebrity status in America (Since remember Thorax claimed he was an American as an alibi) as the newspapers dramatized his escape from the last stand as him cutting down tens of the creatures to try to get reinforcements for his group only for when he arrived with said backup it was too late. His story was warped into a classical American tragedy with the first plays about the last stand and his "epic journey" coming out in 1919 and a movie (The first of many) in 1924.