Holy Roman Empire

Chapter 1008: Chapter 22: Seemingly Fatal Misunderstanding
 

Efficiency, it turns out, is driven by necessity. A typical international conference often fails to reach a consensus over ten days or even half a month.

The Euroland Economic Summit was different. As the revolutionary waves surged relentlessly, governments across Europe panicked. If they continued to drag their feet, no one knew how far the situation would worsen.

The terror of 1848 still echoed in the hearts of rulers to this day. Although the revolution was ultimately quashed, its impact was profound.

In a sense, the current situation in Europe was a direct result of the Great Revolution of 1848.

If it weren’t for the revolutionary waves that swept away the Orleans Dynasty, there would be no Greater French Empire under Bonaparte. If the Great Revolution hadn’t provided an opportunity for reforms, the Habsburg dynasty would not have revived so swiftly, and if the Great Revolution didn’t stimulate the burst of nationalism, Shinra wouldn’t have unified so easily…

A series of coincidences led the international situation to an inevitable juncture.

Revolution meant a redistribution of interests, and those with vested interests naturally disliked starting over. Whether reshuffling was good or bad for a country, no one could tell before it was complete, but for the ruling class, it was definitely a disaster.

To prevent further deterioration of the situation, representatives from various countries attended the conference with full sincerity. In just three days, they reached an agreement on a joint “market rescue” initiative.

On September 1, 1894, the Continental Alliance Economic Committee issued a market rescue announcement. Together, eighteen countries in the Continental Alliance pooled twelve billion Divine Shield to revitalize the European economy.

As per the plan, the funds required for the economic revitalization were apportioned among the “joint-contributing” countries, based on their actual situations. In other words, the country where the money was spent was responsible for providing those funds.

This reflected the principle of fairness, considering all parties’ interests, ensuring no one could exploit the system or suffer losses.

As for the source of the needed funds, it naturally came from “printing” banknotes. Franz was very careful about appearances, and this time, he didn’t swindle anyone. Although the Divine Shield was issued by the Vienna Government, the benefits of increasing the money supply were shared with other countries.

Be it interest-free loans or material aid, both were a form of compensation in disguise. The larger the economic volume, the more they received, and the smaller the volume, the less the compensation. Correspondingly, the risk was also shared by everyone.

As the Euroland Economic Revitalization Plan was passed, nations started pegging their currencies to the Divine Shield. Franz’s strategy of “European Economic Integration” finally took its arduous first step.

The political impacts of the “market rescue plan” were not immediately apparent, but the effects on the economic crisis began fermenting instantly. As expected, the capital markets were the first to be impacted.

The stock market started to slowly climb, with capital quietly entering the market to bottom-fish. A stagnant market finally began to splash.

As the market warmed up, various governments also started implementing measures, marking the first time in human history that governments intervened in the economy on such a large scale.

At this point, no one accused the government of being unable to interfere in the economy. Every sector was struggling, and the armchair critics were also facing a job crisis. People were busy making a living and had no time to listen to their idle chatter.

Whether or not government interference in the market was right, at least jobs were created. Although the work might not have been ideal, having a job that could feed a family was more important than anything else at that time.

The most attention-grabbing was the three-year journey to Africa, requiring low qualifications and offering high compensation. As long as one was physically strong, it was hard to go unnoticed.

Of course, this “high compensation” was relative. Before the economic crisis, such compensation was considered average in most countries, but now during the economic crisis, securing a salary at sixty to seventy percent of the usual rate was conscientious on the part of employers.

Against this backdrop, earning a normal salary was certainly an enviable job, especially given the low requirements.

The only regret was that the job was in Africa, with no precise location provided; one’s destination entirely depended on God’s blessing.

This slight inconvenience did not dampen everyone’s enthusiasm. After all, everyone had to eat. Although the government also distributed relief food, the dark, stick-like rations were clearly more suitable as weapons than as food.

If not for the extreme hunger, absolutely no one would have gone to collect the dreadfully tasteless relief food. From this perspective, the bureaucrats were not completely useless, at least they ensured that the food reached those who truly needed it.

Europe was busy bailing out its markets, and the war in the Philippines had reached a turning point. Initially, Japan and Spain were testing each other’s perseverance, betting on who would falter first.

Now the situation was different, as eighteen European countries had declared a join bailout, making the prospect of an economic collapse within Spain unrealistic.

From their own standpoint, European nations weren’t about to let the situation in Spain get out of control, for revolutions are contagious. They had just managed to quell the revolutionary wave, and a collapse in Spain would mean all their efforts were in vain.

To prevent the situation from worsening again, it was not only imperative to prevent the collapse of Spain, but even the European Union had to intervene in the Philippine war.

Otherwise, a Spanish defeat could rouse the nationalists at home, leading to a chain reaction and loss of control who would be responsible?

As for the interests of the Japanese, were they important? For a small country in the Far East that most people were unaware of, following arrangements was enough; if they failed to be timely, the imperialistic iron fist would teach them the harsh realities of society.

Under the persistent public relations efforts of the Spanish Government, on September 9, 1894, the Continental Union made the resolution to interfere in the Philippine War.

Frankly speaking, making such a decision at an economic summit was clearly untimely and discordant in every way.

There was no choice, as none of the European countries took it seriously.

Hold a special international conference for this?

Sorry, everyone was too busy now to care about the feelings of the Japanese. Influenced by Spain’s public relations, they decided to cut the Gordian knot.

Why did the Japanese have such bad luck and offend so many?

Just a few years ago, during Crown Prince Nicholas’s world tour, he was attacked in Tokyo by Japanese associates. Although he survived narrowly, those two stabs had left the young crown prince traumatized.

If that were all, it might have been fine, but the Japanese Government handled it perfunctorily, sentencing the assassin to life imprisonment after his capture. What was even more displeasing was that the assassin, branded a “patriot,” was ostensibly jailed but not actually punished.

Due to this, Russo-Japanese relations had plunged to a freezing point. Not only did Crown Prince Nicholas seek revenge, but even the normally composed Alexander III had repeatedly vowed to show the Japanese a “billion” shades of color.

If not for Russia’s financial constraints and Japan’s limited resources, the Tsarist Government would have long dispatched troops to assist the Spaniards.

Although no troops were sent, the Tsarist Government still facilitated matters, allowing the Spanish Government to recruit mercenaries from the Russian Empire.

Perhaps out of caution towards the Russians or for the benefits of the Bourbon Dynasty itself, the Spanish Government eventually opted for French mercenaries.

The Dutch, who were equally displeased with the Japanese, had managed to occupy Java Island, the richest in Southeast Asia, through skilled politics.

Unexpectedly, the rule-breaking Japanese suddenly barged in, shattering the political norms that European countries had abided by, thus placing Dutch Southeast Asia in grave danger.

With no one to lead, deterred by the British stance, the Dutch Government could only engage in covert manipulations. Now with someone leading, they had to cast their supportive vote.

Together with Shinra, who had already chosen sides, and Spain, which was in a fierce battle with the Japanese, almost all influential countries in the Continental Union were involved.

Interfering in the Philippine War was sufficiently managed with these countries. The remaining nations, wanting to contribute but lacking capability, just needed to follow in providing political pressure, and naturally, there was no reason to refuse.

Under these circumstances, a sternly worded diplomatic note was handed to Hidetoshi Yamamoto, the Japanese Envoy stationed in Vienna, on behalf of the Continental Alliance.

…

“This can’t be happening!”

“You can’t do this; it’s unfair to the Empire of Japan!”

…

Although he had received his fair share of disdain in Europe, it was the first time Yamamoto had encountered such outright bullying.

Having no choice, the staff members of the Continental Alliance, who were representatives from various countries, collectively made a decision after the alliance’s resolution. A staff member from Spain volunteered to take on the task of drafting the note.

The basic message remained unchanged, but the tone shifted slightly, completely dragging the reputation of the Japanese through the mud.

Given everyone’s reliance on the “Divine Shield”, the official responsible for reviewing the note didn’t make any trouble about this small alteration and ignored it.

What seemed like a “minor difference” to onlookers became a matter of life and death in the eyes of Yamamoto.

He could skip the opening platitudes; the big accusation of the illegitimate Japanese Government invading and disrupting world peace could be initially overlooked, as Yamamoto had grown accustomed to such defamation in the press.

But what was absolutely unacceptable was this: the Continental Alliance ordered the Japanese Army to withdraw from the Philippine Islands within the year and surrender war criminals for trial by an international court established by the alliance.

Otherwise, the alliance would intervene militarily in the Philippine War and reserve the right to further pursue the Japanese Government’s responsibility.

Such bold and overt mediation was unprecedented in world history and clearly was not part of normal diplomatic activities.

However, for the desperate Spanish Government, this was no issue at all. If it could infuriate the Japanese Government and escalate the situation, the Madrid Government would probably celebrate for a month.

Perhaps due to the overly dramatic expression of Envoy Yamamoto or maybe because of the efforts of the Spaniards, Dalton, the one delivering the note, interjected, “Your Excellency, please keep calm.

This is a joint decision by the eighteen countries of the Continental Alliance, you should send it back to your country sooner. If your country has any doubts, you can raise them at the upcoming mediation conference.

But before the official convening of the mediation conference, please follow the content of the note. Starting next month, the alliance will officially implement economic sanctions against your country.

Within the sphere of influence controlled by the alliance, all trade interactions with your country will be temporarily suspended, and your country’s ships will be banned from the waters of all member countries.”

If there were an official from the meeting present here, they would immediately question, was economic sanctions discussed in the alliance meeting?

It seems there were, but that was under the condition of Japanese Government’s refusal. Now, this sanctioning approach, not caring about the circumstances, is clearly exaggerated.@@novelbin@@

Unfortunately, none of this was known to Yamamoto. Even if he did know, it wouldn’t make a difference as the Spaniards had already managed the public relations well, and the alliance wouldn’t entertain their complaints. All he could do now was to transmit the content of the note as it is back to his government, leaving it to them to decide on their next steps.

…

The question is, does the Japanese Government have a choice?

Regardless of whether there was any alteration to the content of the note, once it was issued, it represented the stance of the Continental Alliance.

Everyone expects respect, and as the world’s largest organization, the Continental Alliance was no exception. To retract the sent note would be equivalent to slapping one’s own face, and clearly, the Japanese did not have the capacity for that.

Moreover, the Spanish approach, which seemed to alter the content of the note, would also not have been successful without the tacit approval of certain individuals.

…

Not yet informed of the situation, the British had already received intelligence beforehand. The London Government was shocked, and Prime Minister Robert Cecil could never have imagined that someone would act so shamelessly.

The European economic recovery plan was already stimulating enough, yet there was an even more astonishing “Intervention Plan” to follow.

On the surface, it appeared to be just a pure international cooperation for retaining the domestic economy, with the Japanese simply being unfortunate victims.

However, politics is never just about appearances. Today the Continental Alliance might intervene in the Philippine War for Spain’s benefit, and tomorrow it might interfere in overseas matters for the interest of another country.

After doing this a few more times, the European countries would see the benefits of the alliance. Even a small nation wielding the banner of the Continental Alliance could possess the status of a great power overseas.

As this continues, driven by interests, this loose international organization would evolve into a true alliance.

By then, not even a world superpower like Britannia, when facing the combined force of the European world, could afford to stand aside.

Prime Minister Robert Cecil, believing he had seen through the Vienna scheme, immediately broke out in cold sweat.

Britannia’s most enduring policy had been the European Balance Strategy. Although it suffered a setback after the European wars, the London Government felt it was only temporary.

In the past, Napoleon had also once swept through Europe, suppressing all resistance, only to meet his downfall later.

Including Robert Cecil himself, many in the British Government were waiting for Shinra to make an error, always ready to strike a critical blow when the time came.

Alas, plans do not keep pace with changes, and before Shinra’s much-anticipated downfall, a strange entity called the Continental Alliance surfaced.

It was initially thought that, given the profound conflicts among European countries, this loose alliance would sooner or later disintegrate due to interest clashes. As the leader, Shinra would end up in a no-win situation, unable to reconcile the various conflicts.

Unfortunately, an unprecedented economic crisis shattered all these plans. To save themselves, the various governments had to temporarily set aside their conflicts and unite to survive the crisis.

As someone who always prioritized interests, Robert Cecil was well aware that there were no conflicts that couldn’t be reconciled with sufficient benefits involved.

Once the countries experienced the advantages of unity, it would be difficult to dissolve the Continental Alliance. Faced with such an anomaly, how could Britannia survive?

With a fierce slap on the table, Robert Cecil declared determinedly, “The Continental Alliance must be dissolved! Starting now, the sole focus of the Foreign Affairs Department is to stir up conflicts between European countries and dissolve the Continental Alliance.

I don’t care what methods you use, or where you start from. In any case, an anomaly like the Continental Alliance absolutely cannot exist in this world.”

“At all costs, dissolve the Continental Alliance.” This was the only thought in Robert Cecil’s mind at the moment. As for Japan, the directly involved party, they were no longer within his scope of consideration.